BIRDS: Pam Golden of Ridgway contacted about a couple of recent bird sightings.

She said that on Sept. 7, “I was sitting here reading The Bradford Era. I looked out the window and two flocks of geese went flying north!”

One reader reported that the hummingbirds left his property for the season weeks ago, but Pam had some fluttering around when we heard from her.

She told us, “I still have some hummingbirds but I’m sure they will fly south soon.”

DEPOSITS: Bradford Landmark Society curator Sally Costik was glad to hear a historic item in front of Bradford’s city hall won’t be out of commission long.

The drop box at the building entrance was not accessible this week while a construction project was underway.

“I use it all the time!” she said of the box.

Sally passed along some history behind the night slot.

A newspaper article she shared from Thursday, April 8, 1965, declares “Depository Installed at New City Hall.”

It reads, “One of the last finishing touches needed for efficient and round-the-clock service is Bradfordians was completed Wednesday at City Hall. The ‘after-hour’ deposit box has been built into the front of City Hall with the whole system enclosed within the building wall insuring (sic) safe-keeping of deposits dropped in.

“City Treasurer Lewis Hullihen explained that all deposits will drop four feet into a heavy metal box, securely locked and located within his own private office. ‘As a matter of fact,” said Mr. Hullihen, ‘I think the box could be the first small city safe from the old City Hall.’”

The article included a photograph of Lewis holding an envelope up to the box, and even included instructions on how to use the slot: “Envelopes are provided in a space directly beneath the mail slot outside the building. The taxpayer can put his bill and money inside and push the envelope through the mail slot into the box before or after the weekday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. regular hours, including the noon hour.”