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.

Latest News

Join us for


 

  

Keep ReadingShow less
Summer Nights of Canaan

Wednesday, July 16

Cobbler n’ Cream
5 to 7 p.m.
Freund’s Farm Market & Bakery | 324 Norfolk Rd.

Canaan Carnival
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park

Keep ReadingShow less
When the guide gets it wrong

Rosa setigera is a native climbing rose whose simple flowers allow bees to easily collect pollen.

Dee Salomon

After moving to West Cornwall in 2012, we were given a thoughtful housewarming gift: the 1997 edition of “Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs.” We were told the encyclopedic volume was the definitive gardener’s reference guide — a fact I already knew, having purchased one several months earlier at the recommendation of a gardener I admire.

At the time, we were in the thick of winter invasive removal, and I enjoyed reading and dreaming about the trees and shrubs I could plant to fill in the bare spots where the bittersweet, barberry, multiflora rose and other invasive plants had been.Years later, I purchased the 2011 edition, updated and inclusive of plants for warm climates.

Keep ReadingShow less
A few highlights from Upstate Art Weekend 2025

Foxtrot Farm & Flowers’ historic barn space during UAW’s 2024 exhibition entitled “Unruly Edges.”

Brian Gersten

Art lovers, mark your calendars. The sixth edition of Upstate Art Weekend (UAW) returns July 17 to 21, with an exciting lineup of exhibitions and events celebrating the cultural vibrancy of the region. Spanning eight counties and over 130 venues, UAW invites residents and visitors alike to explore the Hudson Valley’s thriving creative communities.

Here’s a preview of four must-see exhibitions in the area:

Keep ReadingShow less