FIFTY CENTS: Don Parrish of Beaver Falls writes, “While serving
with the Air Force in northern Italy, back in ’55 and ’56, gas was
the equivalent of ,2.25 per gallon on the local market.
Fortunately, we could buy fuel on base for 35 cents a gallon. It’s
easy to understand why most of the citizens rode pedal bikes or
motor scooters. To own a small Italian car was really a luxury.
Most people in the United States don’t realize how good they have
had it for many, many years.”

Don is right. We’ve been lucky in this country for many
years.

Having said that, though, we must also call attention to a visit
we had on Monday from a gentleman who showed us a photograph he had
taken on his cell phone two days prior. It recorded the gas prices
at a Sheetz in Virginia of ,1.59.

Think about it, dear readers: That is 50 cents a gallon more in
Bradford. Fifty cents!

People whine and complain in economic development circles about
many things in McKean County and a priority is always
transportation. Our industry is heavily dependent on roads and ours
are pitiful in comparison to virtually any other parts of the
country. And another part of that transportation equation has to do
with the cost of travel.

When will the light bulb come on over our politicians’ heads?
It’s a rhetorical question, of course.

GAS PAIN: Judy Keenan of Elkton, Md., sticks up for us: “I
appreciate knowing what is happening in the rest of the country
with pricing on ‘anything’ but especially gas prices from here to
Bradford. With the holidays approaching, it helps folks on budgets
know what to expect to pay if we are traveling to see family there
in Bradford.”

“Prices here in the Elkton area range from ,1.67 to ,1.79. My
daughter, Sue, in Minneapolis, said her gas was ,1.61 there. Other
family friends in the VA area say the gas prices there range from
,1.79 to ,1.98. I, too, am not looking to offend anyone. It just
makes one realize that there is a different life outside the good
ole Bradford area.”