Hello, inhabitants of Nesquehoning. We all knows what Monday night brings. Well at least most people of the town would say trash night, right? Well there’s a bigger issue at hand, about 300 to 500 pounds bigger, and it’s called the North American black bear. These creatures are timid, curious and overall just beautiful, but can become aggressive if provoked or scared enough.

However their appearances walking down the streets, tearing trash and who knows what else has become a startling thought and is bringing fear in some and in others a thrill. So with that I say, why are we chasing the bears down rather then locking our trash in secure bins and properly disposing of our garbage? It’s time that we make a positive change for us and the bears before something terrible happens! As I stated before, timid, yes. But, at any given time a black bear can charge at speeds up to 30 mph, become territorial and in some cases simply protecting their young. These bears are not a threat, but as humans we are making decisions that could drastically change the cards we have been dealt.

In my experience, one month has brought over six sightings of a few different bears, some with cubs and some without. Overall the surrounding issue is how we are disposing of our trash. I say we make a proposal to have bear-safe locking bins or corrals and try to make a better effort at keeping our pets, children and just night owls safe in our town. By using just one tactic to ward these animals off we can make a difference! Consider, change, impact. From my home to yours with respect,

Sean Weierbach

Nesquehoning