WELCOME: Our little town doesn’t usually get Hollywood types as
visitors. But, as part of a major film which will be shot in north
central Pennsylvania, we’ve got quite a few advance people staying
in Bradford.

Our news staff has a complete story in today’s edition, of
course, but we wanted to take a moment to welcome them to town and
to encourage residents to make them feel at home.

Mayor Tom Riel told us Thursday that when the crews arrived
fairly late Wednesday they had commented on how scenic and charming
Bradford is. Funny, isn’t it? Some times it takes an outsider to
see what we take for granted.

Bradfordians see only the volume of baby strollers on Main
Street, if you get our drift. Kind of like the “forest and the
trees” thing.

In any case, welcome our fancy visitors. And maybe look at the
old hometown through some new eyes.

B-R-R-RADFORD: We don’t want to say it’s been cold this week,
but we had our car seat warmer on during the drive to work Thursday
morning.

An RTS reader stopped by to pinpoint the year when Labor Day
offered up longjohn weather. It was 1991 and the temperature was 36
degrees. The day before it was 40; day after, 50 degrees. The first
frost that year was on Sept. 22 and the mercury actually went down
to 28.

We remember playing cards outside one year around Labor Day. Try
shuffling with gloves on.

Former Waterways Conservation Officer Don Parrish sparked our
cold-weather comments with his recollection of patrolling Allegheny
Reservoir one Labor Day in the long underwear and winter
uniforms.

MUD WASP: Don’t worry about the rattlesnake. Pay more attention
to the hive or nest. More people die from a bee sting than any
other kind of bite. We mention that today because we had a report,
about a week ago now, that so-called “mud wasps” are already out
and about – unusually early, we are told.

A gardener was mowing the grass at a local house when he
apparently disturbed a nest of mud wasps in the ground and, as a
result, he was stung repeatedly. Not fatally, fortunately, but
people allergic to bee stings would be in grave danger from such an
attack.

So be on the lookout. And more on these creatures in a future
column.