Let this friendly clown entertain at your next birthday party! He’d also make the perfect "greeter" at the door for Halloween guests.

While we were running errands the other, day we came upon this display in one of our local businesses.

Do you know what Bradford, PA business stocks life-sized clowns, chainsaws, and chainsaw accessories?

DownTown Dave is the winner for submitting the first correct answer! The other correct answers are posted in the comments..

A huge crowd took advantage of the weather Friday to attend Bradford’s Festa Italiana. The “Italian Fest”, as it is commonly known, has been a tradition for years, with Italian cuisine and entertainment. The games, music, food, and beer spell a three day party with plenty to do for the entire family. The celebration culminates with a fireworks display at dark on Saturday night.

Visit Bradford-Online.com’s Photogallery to see more…

Festa Italiana begins Thursday and will continue through Saturday. The traditional Bradford celebration means food and friends, music, memories, and fun.

Check back here over the next few days for more pictures from the Fest!

The weather cooperated Thursday night and the crowd was great. Here are a few shots:

First there was a wrap-up party at the Bank Street Community Garden. The party marks the end of the garden’s design and construction. It was also intended to thank Kara Smith and Rachel Ence, the interns who contributed so much to make the project a reality. See our previous post with video.

After the wrap-up party, Bradford held it’s first celebration of National Night Out in the Family Video parking lot on West Washington Street. The City of Bradford Police Department provided children’s fingerprinting ID kits, safety information, and gave tours of the City’s Emergency Response Team van. The local D.A.R.T. (Diving And Recovery Team) were also there to explain their operations. McKean County CARE for Children was on hand with safety information and SAFE Kids McKean County handouts.

Project Pride Manager Linda Campongiani explains the concept behind Bradford’s National Night Out:

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For the past week, the story has been circulating that a Bradford, PA business had received a citation from the City for flags that extended into the roadway. A photo from the local newspaper, the Bradford Era, shows the business owner standing amidst a display of American flags in front of his building.

Bradford City Mayor Tom Riel has stated that tne citation has nothing to do with the American flag, or patriotism. The issue is obstructing a City right-of-way.

Today the Mayor revealed that when the citation was issued there were “six or seven white flags with lettering, that sat much lower to the ground”, that were not evident when the Era photograph was taken. Riel said that the display in the Era photo weren’t placed there until after the citation was issued.
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Bradford City Council held it’s regular meeting Tuesday night.

John Kohler was given the Key To The City Of Bradford. Sara Andrews, Director of the OECD, gave a presentation outlining some of Kohler’s contributions. Andrews told the audience, “Ten years ago nobody was investing in Main Street. The City had bought three buildings. We felt there was a need to renovate and encourage investment. John was one of those investors who really stepped up. Not only did he purchase and renovate several downtown buildings, but he actually went out and recruited businesses to occupy them”. It was also noted several of Kohler’s projects resulted in retaining businesses in the area, citing the three acre warehouse he built for Graham Packaging.

During the public comment portion of the meeting one resident raised privacy concerns. She complained that a neighbor had mounted a camera pointed at her house. Bradford City Police Chief Mike Close offered to talk to her after the meeting. Later a police spokesman stated that no charges could be filed in the matter. “The circumstances of each complaint are different. In this case it appears that no criminal law is being broken”.

The large upswing in still and video camera use, and the ease of publishing on the Internet has created a great deal of debate. Most laws that address the subject are civil, not criminal laws. Most of these laws hinge on the individual’s expectation of privacy. Columnist Andrew Kantor recently wrote this editorial on the subject in USAToday.

What do you think? Click here to send us your comments.

C. B. WHITEHEAD was born Tioga County, Pa., January 8, 1840. at Lawrenceville, He was educated in the schools of his native county, and in 1860 went to Titusville, Pa., where he was employed by Brewer, Watson & Co., extensive oil producers. He returned to Tioga County and was engaged in mercantile business four years. In 1870 he went to Blossburg, Pa., and from there to Bradford in 1878, where he engaged in oil producing, and where he died, January 31, 1899. Mr. Whitehead was a Democrat. When Bradford was incorporated into a city in 1876 he was one of the first select councilmen, and served until 1884, when President Cleveland appointed him postmaster of Bradford. When his term as postmaster expired he was again elected to the Common Council, in a Republican ward, by a handsome majority. Mr. Whitehead built more than forty houses in Bradford. He was a member of the Masonic Fraternity. He was married in 1875 to Miss Mary Ferris. Two children were born to them : Sarah and Waldo M.

HON. LEWIS EMERY, Jr. — Senator Emery is perhaps the best-known citizen of Bradford. He was born near the village of Cherry Creek, Chautauqua County, N. Y., August 10, 1839. His father met with financial reverses in the construction of a railroad, near Olean, for the old Erie company, and in other ventures. He went west and located with his family in Michigan, where he carried on the milling business, having mastered the trade of cloth-making when young and being a skilled mechanic.

The subject of our sketch was educated in the common schools, and after learning the trade of his father, attended the Hillsdale College, of Hillsdale, Mich., where he finished his training. He then taught school, and worked for his father in his mill. In May, 1846, he went to Illinois, where he engaged in general merchandizing and built a mill.
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