Normally when we get photos of bears in the Northwest Corner, there is a meal involved. Most common is the “bear eating seed from a birdfeeder photo.” Second most common is “bear destroying a garbage can.” A distant third place, happily, usually goes to “bear inside a house eating peanut butter cups, flour and fruit preserves.”
Jim Herity sent in a rare photo of a bear swimming across Mudge Pond in Sharon last week. Perhaps even bears worry about their waistlines.
On a less comical note, a homeowner in the center of Lakeville village reported on Sunday morning, Nov. 14, that a bear ripped about a 3-foot diameter hole out of her garage door to get at the garbage cans stored inside.
In particular when there are situations where a bear aggressively crosses the human/wildlife boundary, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection would like to hear about. To report a bear sighting, go online to portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Report-a-Wildlife-Sighting.
— Cynthia Hochswender
Models walk the organic runway at HVSFW. Ilan Harel 
Susan Schneider, owner of Shandell’s, creates a variety of products with marbleized surfaces in her Ashley Falls studio.L. Tomaino
Roger McKee naming the winners with the first place entry over his left shoulder. Patrick L. Sullivan 
Muriel Stockdale’s “Kevin” took second place in the juried art show at Trinity Episcopal Church.Patrick L. Sullivan
