WHERE’S HELEN? We haven’t seen Helen Burfield around town lately, so it was a welcome call when her daughter, Ruth Henson, rang us with an update on Helen’s whereabouts.

If the name Helen Burfield doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps her nickname, Hollywood Helen, will help you place her.

We’ve missed her happy presence downtown since late last fall. We wondered whether she had taken one of the trips to Las Vegas that she’s announced in advertisements in The Era for some years.

It turns out that Helen’s been here all winter, just at a different address, her daughter told us. She is now a resident of the Bradford Ecumenical Home on St. Francis Drive.

Ruth said she’s had frequent inquiries about her mother.

“I’ve had the fire department come to my house, asking, ‘Where’s your mother?’” Ruth said. 

The downtown fire station was a frequent stop on Hollywood’s daily rounds, along with The Era’s newsroom, the Chamber of Commerce office, the WESB studio — via ATA bus — and points in between.

Ruth told us that Friday was Helen’s 77th birthday, and that she was on her way to the Ecumenical Home with some cupcakes to satisfy Helen’s considerable sweet tooth.

Helen is making new friends at the Ecumenical Home, Ruth said, and enjoying playing bingo and cards, making crafts and listening to musical groups that visit there, especially the polka band. 

She does, however, miss the long walks that were her trademark and the daily contact she had with many of her downtown friends, Ruth said. She’d welcome visits from her many acquaintances.

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RYE WHISKEY:  It didn’t take long for one of our readers to provide a bit more information about the origin of a McKean Club Rye whiskey bottle that Cathy Jo Spehar brought into our office this week. The label said it was made “Expressly for H.M. Plague, 108 Mechanic St., Bradford, Pa.”

Angela Nuzzo emailed us Friday with this tidbit:

“In reference to today’s ‘Round the Square column about McKean Club Rye. I found the name Harry M. Plague in the 1898 Bradford City Directory.

“He ran a wholesale liquor house at 108 Mechanic St.”