FOND MEMORIES: Muriel Young Okerlund of Gifford

“While reading the front page of The Era last week, showing the swearing In of Terry Lopus, to City Council, I was reminded of early 1960.

“I had just graduated from business school (OBI) and was hired by Lewis Hullihen, City Treasurer. City Hall at that time was on Main Street, down where the Tops parking lot is now. It must have been around 1963 or ’64 that the move to Kennedy Street took place. Terry’s dad, Milt Lopus, was hired right after the move, as the new City Manager. I believe the mayor was Oscar Benton.  

“The City Treasurer’s office had a great staff: Nancy Engstrom, deputy treasurer, and Marge Severns, Margaret Woodley, and Jo Milhollen, were all tellers. And my job was to count, and make the bank deposits from the daily monies collected from city, school and county revenues.

“Always fond memories of an era gone by.”

PORCHES: Fran Rovito writes, “I have a question maybe our RTS readers can answer. What the heck are porches in reference to surveying terms used in Legal notices in The Era?”

A clipping of a legal notice from Fran includes language such as “thence west eight and five-tenths (8.5) porches to a post corner; thence north sixty-seven and six-tenths (67.6) porches to a hemlock corner; thence east eighty-six and one-tenth (86.1) porches to the place of beginning.”

It’s not for lack of trying that Fran couldn’t find the definition.

“I have tried Google and every place else I could think of,” said Fran. “I even stumped ‘Siri’ on this one. Help!”

For anyone who is not up-to-date on tech terms, Siri is a “personal assistant” feature on certain smartphone/computer devices that answers questions and offers recommendations.

We don’t know the answer either. Readers?

COLD:Dick Thomas of Bradford of Bradford wrote a little something about the cold weather.

With temperatures dropping to 16 below zero overnight between Saturday and Sunday, we thought it was a great time to share it.

“Cold”

When the temp dips to zero and below

and you are chilled from head to toe,

and the ground is covered with ice and snow,

God is with us wherever we go.

Rest assured spring is ahead

through things around are as dead.

Have no doubt when spring does come,

there will be flowers and leaves all about.

With blessings galore

God will restore

wonderful beauty just as he has always done before.

Be of good cheer

betters day will soon be here! Praise God!