GOOD SIGN: A former Bradford resident now working as a reporter
for The Oakland Press near Detroit reports that her paper, a daily,
has 3,000 new subscriptions – as a result of the cutback in home
delivery at The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit Daily News.

The big dailies have cut back home delivery to three days a week
– Thursday, Friday and Sunday – with a scaled-down print version
available at newsstands the rest of the week.

The result? A significant increase in subscriptions for a
Detroit-area paper that still has daily home delivery.

No doubt, some people still prefer that printed package of news,
information and amusement – the newspaper – delivered right to
their doorstep.

TWO FIRES: It was 21 years to the day that Minard Run Oil Co.
had two devastating fires at their property. Fred Fesenmyer of
Minard Run called a few days ago to tell us about the
coincidence.

Most recently, of course, fire ripped through a Minard Run
building on Big Shanty Road, Lafayette Township, destroying the
building itself and a number of trucks and other equipment stored
inside.

The Era reported on this March 28 fire: “Among the charred
remnants of the fire were three new water-hauling trucks, a pickup
trucks, tools and equipment.” It was estimated the fire caused
approximately ,800,000 in damage. Company owners are still waiting
to learn the cause of the fire.

The 1988 fire was at Minard Run’s pressure plant. The Era of
March 29, 1988, included a photograph with a caption stating,
“Volunteer firemen Monday afternoon battle a blaze at the Minard
Run Oil Co. pressure plant, 1 mile south of Lewis Run on U.S.
Route 219.”

“Lewis Run Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jim Shields said the
fire caused ‘extensive damage’ to the pressure plant structure as
well as equipment inside, including large water pumps, an air
compressor and a gas compressor.

“Shields said Norm Strotman, Lafayette Township fire chief, has
requested that Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal William
McQuay investigate the 4 p.m. fire. Lewis Run sent 15 firefighters
and two trucks.

“Lafayette Township firefighters were fighting a grass fire on
Big Shanty Road.”

THIS, TOO: Fred also tells us he recently turned up a very old
stock certificate from Bradford Brewery. His grandfather was
secretary of the company before 1900.