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Kelley Cox/Post IndepedentBears in High Country neighorhoods are normal, not a threat, but residents should take precautions to avoid conflicts.
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EAGLE COUNTY ” Eagle County is bear habitat. A bear walking through a neighborhood, for instance, is not a threat but is normal behavior, and authorities recommend that High Country homeowners take basic precautions to prevent conflicts with the animals.

Bears are not normally aggressive and there have been no known attacks in Eagle County, according to the Eagle County’s Sheriff’s Office.

A bear standing on its hind legs does not mean it will charge, it is only trying to figure out what you are. Jaw snapping and woofing noises, however, mean the bear is not comfortable with the situation. That means people should back off and give the bear room. People should always make sure the bear has an escape route, the Sheriff’s Office says.



Bears searching for food may be attracted to homes by improperly stored garbage, bird feeders, barbecue grills, pet food, berry and nut producing shrubs and trees, and smells coming from homes through open windows.

If a bear enters a home it does not mean it will attack. It is looking for food, the Sheriff’s Office says.

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If a bear gets into a home, residents should gather children and pets and leave the residence or lock themselves in a bedroom. They can try to scare the bear off by making noise, banging pots and pans, yelling or blowing an air horn.

Residents can call the Sheriff’s Office, police department or the Division of Wildlife by calling 479-2201.

To keep bears away from a home, the Sheriff’s Office suggests:

– Storing garbage properly.

– Keeping all lower level windows closed tightly and locked, and keeping all lever-handled doors and sliders locked.

– Clean garbage cans and grills with bleach.

For more information visit the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s Web site http://www.wildlife.state.co.us.

EAGLE COUNTY ” A new district court judgeship has been created in Eagle County’s judicial district. A nominating commission will meet June 12 in Breckenridge to select nominees for the appointment, which will be made by the governor.

The judge will start work July 1.

Eagle County is a part of the Fifth Judicial District, which also includes Summit, Lake and Clear Creek counties. To be eligible for appointment, the applicant must be registered to vote in the Fifth Judicial District and must have been admitted to the practice of law in Colorado for five years. The annual salary for this position is $110,255.

The initial term of office of a district judge is a provisional term of two years; thereafter, the incumbent district judge, if approved by the voters, has a term of six years.

Application forms are available from the office of the ex-officio chair of the Nominating Commission, Justice Gregory J. Hobbs, Jr., 2 East 14th Ave., Denver, Colo. 80203; and the office of the district administrator, Christine Yuhas, 501 N. Park Ave., Breckenridge, Colo. 80424. Applications are also available on the court’s home page at http://www.//courts.state.co.us/exec/media/vacancy.htm.

The original and seven copies of the application must be filed with the ex-officio chair no later than 5 p.m., May, 25, 2006.

The members of the nominating commission for the Fifth Judicial District are: Timothy Berry of Leadville, Donald Brown of Breckenridge, Heather Lemon of Vail, Mary Ann Miller and Maria Smythe of Leadville, Katalin Spangler and Edwards, and Peggy Stokstad of Evergreen.

Vail, Colorado


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