It seems black bears are becoming as common as black cats in Newtown.
It seems black bears are becoming as common as black cats in Newtown.
Emma Pavao was startled Wednesday morning by a big black bear that was eating the seed from the birdfeeder in the backyard of her home on Farrell Road in Hawleyville. âHe wasnât a little bear â he was as tall as my 5-foot, 8-inch son when he stood at the feeder,â she reported.
Mrs Pavao said her son first saw the bear about 7 am when he went out to his truck to get ready to leave for work. When the bear realized it was being watched, it headed through the Pavao yard toward the Toll Brothers subdivision. Mrs Pavao said her street is on the school bus route and she likes to spend time outside, so she is concerned about the bear. She called 911 and was given a telephone number for the Department of Environmental Protection, but when she called it, she said no one answered. She said she has seen many kinds of animals in the neighborhood over the years but never a bear. âIâve lived here since 1925 and Iâve seen change like you wouldnât believe, but this is too much,â she said. âItâs just too close for comfort.â
Elsewhere in animal news, the first baby bald eagle successfully hatched on Wednesday at Northeast Utilities Barton Island Eagle Sanctuary on the Connecticut River. The nest of sticks atop a tall tree has been monitored continuously by a hidden camera installed by the utility company, and viewers have been watching online as the pair of American bald eagles began nesting activity early in 2004. Two eggs were laid on March 8 and March 11, and the parents have taken turns brooding the eggs for the past 35 days. It is hoped the second chick will hatch any time. The mother eagle has begun feeding the baby eaglet bits of fish brought to the nest by the father. Log onto www.nu.com/eagles to catch a glimpse of the tiny gray eaglet, its broken shell, and the as-yet unhatched egg lying nearby. This pair of adults successfully raised and fledged one baby from two eggs laid last year, and weâre hoping for at least as good a result in 2004.
If itâs spring, it must be time for golf. Kim DiDomizio and Kathryn Wolf are actively recruiting sponsors and players for the Newtown Junior Womenâs Clubâs second annual golf tournament that will be held on August 23 at Whitney Farms in Monroe. The tournament proceeds support a lot of charitable causes, so call Kim at 426-4917 or Kathryn at 270-0307 to sign up or to be a sponsor.
Compasses recently featured in Bee ads for Compass Rose Antiques and Compass Restaurant both had their points for East and West mixed up. Luckily, the error was caught before The Bee was put to bed.
During Newtownâs Hook and Ladder Fire Companyâs recent presentation to students in Newtown Middle Schoolâs Kids In Charge Club, the fire alarm went off. Remnants from the smoke machine used to simulate a real-life house fire in the schoolâs only classroom with a heat, not a smoke, detector, trickled into the hallway, triggering its super-sensitive alarm.
The Board of Educationâs April 1 meeting, presided over by Vice Chairman Lisa Schwartz, adjourned at an unprecedented 8:43 pm. Board members laughed: âThe one time [Chairman] Elaine [McClure] isnât here!â There was not even an executive session. Mrs McClure must have taken that as a direct challenge, because the April 13 meeting she chaired concluded well before 8:30 pm â before members converged for a quick executive session. Both meetings were a marked contrast from the boardâs usual powwows, often pushing three hours or more. Meetings sped well past midnight during last springâs budget challenges â letâs hope this year isnât a repeat!
Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff appreciated the early end to the board meeting but he ended up at Canaan House well past midnight anyway. The boiler explosion later that night brought him back to inspect the damaged alternative school facility in the building before ordering all the students in the program to report to the middle school in the morning. Some guys just canât seem to get away from work.
Iâm determined to get away from work right now, but I will be back next week, so be sure toâ¦
Read me again.