Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • October 8, 2014 Area Officials stalk black bear during six tense hours by John Koster A 300-pound male black bear was finally treed and tranquilized by state Department of Environmental Pro- tection officials after Ridgewood police and firefighters, assisted by Midland Park Police, kept the bear separated from children at the Ridge School and other local residents. The incident took place Sept. 30, and several people took notice because of the presence of two helicopters that hov- ered in the area throughout the day. “He was not that concerned about humans,” said Ridgewood Animal Control Officer Carol Tyler. “It was only the dogs that kept him up that tree,” adding: “This is a happy ending; I love happy endings.” The three-year old bear’s adventures in Ridgewood and, fleetingly through Midland Park, began when he appeared near the Ridge School and police moved in to protect the neighborhood. Black bears are not usually aggressive, but the death of a Rutgers student in a recent West Milford bear mauling incident – reportedly the state’s first such incident in 150 years -- prompted concern. Students at Ridge School; Orchard School, which is near the Glen Rock border; and the George Washington Middle School, as well as Midland Park public school students, were sequestered until the bear was subdued. Many adults, however, turned out with cameras to photograph the bear, and parents brought their children once the lockdown was lifted. Officials also allowed those present to pet the tran- quilized animal. The bear was treed three times: once by the police, once by a cordon of police and firefighters, and finally by Left: The crowd trying to see the bear. Right: Animal Control Officer Carol Tyler allowed people to touch the animal. a coalition of police, firefighters, and state game officials and dogs on Cottage Street on the border with Midland Park. At one point, firefighters sprayed water on the bear from an elevated truck to move him to a smaller tree. The object of the exercise was to send the bear up a tree that was not so tall that he might be killed in the fall once he was tranquilized. Once a state official fired the tranquilizer dart, the bear clung pathetically to a large limb, let go slowly, fell to the ground, and was placed in a net and taken away “to a remote area” by police and wildlife personnel. Residents of Sussex County sent e-mails asserting that they already had too many bears and hoped that the bear would be sent somewhere else. New members invited to join The League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters of Ridgewood is seek- ing new members to join its ranks. LWV is a source of voting information and ballot questions, both statewide and locally. Interested residents who want to know more about issues that are important to them and their neighbors and want to pursue impartial studies of these issues are invited to participate. In Ridgewood, LWV members attend public meetings, ask questions, conduct research, and lobby. The LWV hosts candidates’ forums to give residents a chance to learn about candidates’ positions and have the opportunity to ask ques- tions. Membership is open to women living in Ridgewood and in neighboring towns that do not have a local LWV, such as Paramus, Wyckoff, Waldwick, and Midland Park. Many issues addressed by the LWV are not confined to municipal boundaries. Some of these issues include water quality and flooding. The Ridgewood LWV is an affiliate of the League of Women Voters New Jersey and the national LWV organi- zation. Over the years, the LWV NJ has been instrumental in passing far reaching environmental legislation in New Jersey, including the Freshwater Wetlands Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and mandatory recycling. The group helped write and lobbied for passage of the first Open Public Meetings Act, known as the Sun- shine Law, and supported the passage of the Open Public Records Act. The LWV is actively lobbying for a modern- ized Sunshine Law to include electronic communications. The organization also helped to pass the Motor Voter reg- istration law, and supports and promotes the new Vote by Mail program. On the local level, the LWV lobbied for, and was instru- mental in saving, the Lester Stable to be used by Ridge- wood’s award-winning parks and recreation department. The Ridgewood LWV worked with high school students to start the first town-wide recycling program and the now popular Household Hazardous Waste collection program. Local LWV members introduced the GeesePeace program to Ridgewood, a program intended to stabilize the Canada goose population. The LWV is non-partisan and never supports or opposes a candidate or official, but it is political. Members study and act only on issues, and promote the active and informed participation of citizens in government. The group’s motto is: “Not everyone who thinks, thinks alike.” The LWV encourages members of independent thought and wel- comes discourse. This year, the LWV of Ridgewood will be studying the master plan, Common Core, money and power (a national study issue), the shade tree ordinance, green infrastruc- ture, and the modern Open Public Meetings/Records Acts. The organization is open to suggestions for topics of future study. Membership includes national and statewide infor- mation and publications. Contact Ellie Gruber at mandegruber@gmail.com for more information or a mem- bership application.