TIP OF HAT: If you’re in Bradford for the reunion of the class
of 1954 from Bradford High and St. Bernard schools, our special
thanks for the historic streets signs on Main Street. The classes
sponsored the signs as a way to give back to the old home town and
we think it adds a nice touch to the “old-fashioned” look of Main
Street.
OH, ZIPPO: Avid reader Pat Frantz Cercone of Bradford has a
couple Zippo references to share.
She writes, “I’m currently reading ‘The Strain,’ by Guillermo
Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, a modern-day vampire tale that takes
place in New York City. I was about 100 pages from the end when, to
my surprise, I found two Zippo mentions.”
“The first one comes as Vasiliy Fet, (yes, that’s really his
name) an exterminator with the city’s Bureau of Pest Control, is
searching for rats underneath the World Trade Center construction
site. After having found none, he resurfaces. ‘He lit a cheroot
with his blue flame butane Zippo and sucked in the poison, chasing
the fear he’d felt under the streets.’
“The second, which is even better, appears 12 pages later.
Another character Gus Elizalde, is being transported to jail along
with his friend, Felix, who is now a vampire. While they’re in the
paddy wagon, Felix begins to feed on another prisoner, which, as
you can imagine, starts a rather large melee, and eventually the
police van crashes. Once the wild struggle is over, Gus takes a
minute to chill. ‘He riffled through his pockets, finding a Zippo
lighter. Gus popped the top and scratched the wheel and the flame
jumped up dutifully.'”
“Cool, huh?” Pat writes “I still get such a kick out of seeing
these and feel a sense of pride knowing that Zippos are made
here.”
HOUSE OF DAVID: Jim Burns of Ramona, Calif., also remembers the
House of David. He writes, “The House of David, as I recall, was a
basketball team who toured with the Harlem Globe Trotters. I do
remember Satch coming through Bradford in the ’50s as well as Eddie
Feinter (the king and his court) the softball wizard.”
LOGO HELP: Barry Bacha is looking for a Bradford baseball logo
from the early 1900s. In addition, if anyone has information on the
old Bradford Drillers they should contact Barry.
