Bears entering Cornwall homes

CORNWALL — “Bears are back,” said First Selectman Gordon Ridgway at the start of a selectmen’s meeting Tuesday, June 17. “Since we last met [June 3] we’ve had three homes in Cornwall broken into on Cherry Hill, Whitcomb Hill and Town Street.”

Homeowners were present during two of the incidents, but no injuries were reported. Ridgway noted the distance between impacted homes would suggest it was not the same bear.

On Town Street, the bear opened the refrigerator for a snack before ransacking the house and leaving. The next day, Transfer Station Coordinator Ted Larson was present to scare away the bear when it returned for seconds.

Troop B and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection were called to respond and reportedly tagged one of the bears.

A fourth bear was hit by a car on Route 4 June 21. Ridgway said the injured bear wandered away from the scene, resting near a tree before disappearing into the woods. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded to the incident approximately four hours after the fact.

Bear sightings have been common in Cornwall this spring. Ridgway said he saw a mother with four cubs in his driveway recently.

“It’s a problem,” said Ridgway, encouraging people to report encounters to Town Hall. “If they have a real emergency, of course, call 9-1-1. But if you want to report damage, report it to the selectmen’s office. We are keeping track.”

Cornwall submitted 45 pages of bear incident reports to the state from last year, but “the environment committee did not send a bear bill out,” said Ridgway. “It seems to be a western Connecticut problem... they’re not paying attention to what’s happening here.”

Ridgway heard from residents who have grown fearful to leave their homes. “I think it really is a public safety issue,” he said.

ZEO retiring

Zoning Enforcement Office Karen Nelson will be stepping down at the end of June.

Spencer Musselman, of Goshen, has been hired to fill the role effective July 1. Musselman also serves as the land use administrator of Litchfield.

Ridgway said after the interview process, “We were all very impressed by his resume, his references and his knowledge of the field.”

A farewell party was planned for Nelson, to be held at Cornwall Library June 24.