OLD GLORY: If you’re getting your yard in shape for Memorial
Day, you might want to give the once-over to your American flag. Is
it a little tattered and torn? Maybe it’s time for a new one.

That’s the message from Clair Wright of Hazel Hurst, a veteran,
who tells us he’s seen several flags – even flying at municipal
buildings – which are pretty ragged. He even went so far as to tell
the office workers about the apparent disrespect for the flag, only
to be told the municipality didn’t have a “flag fund.”

How much of a flag fund would one need? Clair wondered. The
American flag is on sale at many local stores and is one of the
most inexpensive items you can buy.

BE SMART: A woman who lives on Bloomster Hollow, near Smethport,
called the other day with an unusual sighting of a mother bear and
four cubs. She then dutifully went out and took down her
hummingbird feeder.

Good thought, of course. Bears like that nectar as much as the
hummingbirds, if not more. They will also go after bird seed and
seem to have a particular fondness for suet.

While we all love to watch the birds, the Pennsylvania Game
Commission reminds homeowners that “a fed bear is a dead bear” –
even if it’s fed accidentally, like with the bird food.

The commission’s Northcentral Region Director Dennis Dusza urged
homeowners to remove all potential sources of food for bears work
whether it’s food for wildlife or pets or unsecured garbage.

“If bears find food in your backyard, they often learn quickly
to associate residential areas with food and begin to spend more
time in those areas. As encounters between humans and bears
increase, so does property damage, and the risk of human
injury.”

The agency currently is investigating a May 12 incident in
Lycoming County in which a bear injured a resident in the
backyard.

“From preliminary reports, it appears that the homeowner was
letting the family dog out and taking down the bird feeders when
the dog went after the bear,” Dusza said. “Both the homeowner and
the dog were injured in the incident. The dog had to be euthanized
due to the extent of it’s injuries. Wildlife Conservation Officer
Jon Wyant has set a trap and continues to investigate the
incident.”