Winsted bear sightings 'almost daily'

WINSTED — The black bear sightings around town continue, with police receiving several reports of the large wild animals peacefully strolling about in the early evening and morning hours throughout much of last week.

“It’s almost a daily occurrence,†Winsted Deputy Chief Robert Scannell told The Journal Tuesday.

Most recently, the department received reports of two bears roaming Hick Street and Torringford Road around 10 p.m. Oct. 21.

Winsted Police also responded to sightings along Central Avenue and Maloney Court just before sunrise Oct. 20.

Earlier last week, a black bear with yellow state Department of Environmental Protection tags was seen walking along Rowley, Lovely and Hurlbut streets in the late morning Oct. 17.

And there have been numerous other sightings over the past several months, including an incident in September in which a large, male black bear appeared to hide from police and other bystanders behind a stone wall and bushes along Bank Street and Mountain Avenue for several minutes before retreating to a nearby wooded hillside.

Scannell said the bears are most likely not members of one family, but separate groups or individuals that now reside in the area.

“There have been a few around for the past several months,†he said.

Black bears sightings throughout the state — particularly here in the Northwest Corner — have steadily risen over the last several years.

Thirty years ago, it was extremely rare for a bear to be sighted in Connecticut.

State DEP officials estimate that the number of reported sightings of black bears has increased an average of 20 percent a year over the last few years.

And while a variety of factors have contributed to the steady growth in sightings — such as improved reporting methods — the main reason is there are just more bears, state officials say.

According to the latest figures from the state, there have been been 37 reported black bear sightings in Winchester/Winsted, 80 sightings in Barkhamsted, 65 in New Hartford, 26 in Hartland, 14 in Colebrook and 10 in Norfolk.

For more information about black bears or to report a sighting, visit ct.gov/dep or call the DEP’s 24-hour hotline at 860-424-3333.

Latest News

Fresh perspectives in Norfolk Library film series

Diego Ongaro

Photo submitted

Parisian filmmaker Diego Ongaro, who has been living in Norfolk for the past 20 years, has composed a collection of films for viewing based on his unique taste.

The series, titled “Visions of Europe,” began over the winter at the Norfolk Library with a focus on under-the-radar contemporary films with unique voices, highlighting the creative richness and vitality of the European film landscape.

Keep ReadingShow less
New ground to cover and plenty of groundcover

Young native pachysandra from Lindera Nursery shows a variety of color and delicate flowers.

Dee Salomon

It is still too early to sow seeds outside, except for peas, both the edible and floral kind. I have transplanted a few shrubs and a dogwood tree that was root pruned in the fall. I have also moved a few hellebores that seeded in the near woods back into their garden beds near the house; they seem not to mind the few frosty mornings we have recently had. In years past I would have been cleaning up the plant beds but I now know better and will wait at least six weeks more. I have instead found the most perfect time-consuming activity for early spring: teasing out Vinca minor, also known as periwinkle and myrtle, from the ground in places it was never meant to be.

Planting the stuff in the first place is my biggest ever garden regret. It was recommended to me as a groundcover that would hold together a hillside, bare after a removal of invasive plants save for a dozen or so trees. And here we are, twelve years later; there is vinca everywhere. It blankets the hillside and has crept over the top into the woods. It has made its way left and right. I am convinced that vinca is the plastic of the plant world. The stuff won’t die. (The name Vinca comes from the Latin ‘vincire’ which means ‘to bind or fetter.’) Last year I pulled a bunch and left it strewn on the roof of the root cellar for 6 months and the leaves were still green.

Keep ReadingShow less
Matza Lasagne by 'The Cook and the Rabbi'

Culinary craftsmanship intersects with spiritual insights in the wonderfully collaborative book, “The Cook and the Rabbi.” On April 14 at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck (6422 Montgomery Street), the cook, Susan Simon, and the rabbi, Zoe B. Zak, will lead a conversation about food, tradition, holidays, resilience and what to cook this Passover.

Passover, marked by the traditional seder meal, holds profound significance within Jewish culture and for many carries extra meaning this year at a time of great conflict. The word seder, meaning “order” in Hebrew, unfolds in a 15-step progression intertwining prayers, blessings, stories, and songs that narrate the ancient saga of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery. It’s a narrative that has endured for over two millennia, evolving with time yet retaining its essence, a theme echoed beautifully in “The Cook and the Rabbi.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Housy baseball drops 3-2 to Northwestern

Freshman pitcher Wyatt Bayer threw three strikeouts when HVRHS played Northwestern April 9.

Riley Klein

WINSTED — A back-and-forth baseball game between Housatonic Valley Regional High School and Northwestern Regional High School ended 3-2 in favor of Northwestern on Tuesday, April 9.

The Highlanders played a disciplined defensive game and kept errors to a minimum. Wyatt Bayer pitched a strong six innings for HVRHS, but the Mountaineers fell behind late and were unable to come back in the seventh.

Keep ReadingShow less