BEAR ALERT: Beware: Some local bears are out of hibernation.
We’ve had a couple reports in the last week or so that bears
have been spotted at a few locations in McKean County. We don’t
know if this is an unusual sight for this time of year but it seems
like they should be hibernating at least until March!
We also had a report of a bear of another sort – but way less
threatening. Another woolly bear caterpillar was seen outside one
day last week in the Smethport area.
Rose Strait of East Valley Road, Smethport, called Friday after
seeing a picture we ran of a caterpillar, telling us her son,
Howard, had seen one identical in color and size on a piece of ice.
When they brought it inside, it became more lively, she said.
We had a report earlier this winter about a garter snake outside
and it makes us wonder – What are these creatures thinking?
Perhaps they are like us and just can’t endure it any longer.
Bad weather or not, they are going outside if only to shake off
cabin fever.
GAS PRICE: Before The Era carried Monday’s report on the
capriciousness of gasoline prices, we had a call from Mike Madden
who was wondering about the same subject.
Previously when oil was at ,34 a barrel, gas prices were ,1.69,
he said. But this time around when oil is at the ,34 mark, the pump
price is ,2.05.
What’s up with that?
Monday’s Associated Press story did attempt an explanation but,
let’s be honest, do we really put much credence in these so-called
explanations? It’s always something different about why we’re being
taken to the cleaners. Or, as one of the people quoted in the AP
story said, “It got really low during the elections and now it’s
going back up. They do that every election, though, right?”
We also heard from Jim Flynn of Erie on Sunday: “I hope this
won’t bite you if you publish it, but your gasoline prices at
,2.059 were ,.04 less a gallon there than in Erie on Saturday. Even
the Mobil station in Jamestown was ,.04 less than Erie. Now the gas
station at Bradford Junction selling at ,1.999 a gallon is making a
killing since they do not pay the New York gasoline tax.”
