Bear Sightings All Over Easthampton MA

The bears are in town and plan on hanging around until October... The BearFest, that is! The Easthampton City Arts has put together a tremendous exhibit that has definitely brought much attention to our community. Easthampton is becoming well known as a city that embraces the arts with ongoing Open Studio exhibits at both Cottage Street and Eastworks. The addition of BearFest is certainly one more reason why visitors and residents alike will enjoy their colorful presence about town.

Now, for my own bear story.....

I bought a house in Vermont years ago that came with its own wildlife, a 300 cement bear who was chained to a rock in the front yard. I couldn't wait to get rid of the enormous "lawn ornament" and proceeded to hack away at the chain that bound him (not that anyone would attempt to steal him) to the boulder. I revved up my John Deere lawn tractor, attached the little trailer to the back and began my mission. It actually took 3 people to roll the bear onto the trailer, immediately sinking the tires of the tractor and almost succeeding in getting it stuck. Finally we arrived at an isolated area at the edge of our field and rolled the bear out of the trailer into its new home. He looked kind of funny with his legs in the air -- kind of sad actually. After a momentary pang of regret, I left Gentle Ben in his precarious position and went home.

It wasn't more than a day or two later that I began getting phone calls...where was the bear? What happened to the bear? Did someone take the bear? It seems that the bear was a local landmark, loved and adored by all. A week later Gentle Ben was picked up by a middle aged woman who used to sit on the bear as a child. Needless to say, the bear had a new home now in her yard, hopefully not back on the chain.

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