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For local golf courses, business is booming By Sean Krofssik Record-Journal staff
Hunter pro Bob Tiedemann said the municipal course welcomed more than 200 golfers per day in June. He said the numbers declined a little since temperatures have gone up in July, but attendance still remains strong. Despite being busy, the Meriden course has had a unique feel this summer. Youth clinics, leagues and tournaments have been nearly nonexistent. “It’s been different, obviously,” Tiedemann said. “We haven’t had any tournaments. I have a couple scheduled for August. The state has relaxed a few rules. We’ve had some men’s and ladies clubs. We’ve had nothing with a shotgun start.”
See Golf, A7
Bears entering homes at unprecedented rate By Devin Leith-Yessian Record-Journal staff
Wildlife encounters have been spiking thus far this year, including as many bears entering peoples’ homes in June as all of 2019 combined.
One popular escape in the last few months has been the golf course. Golfers have flooded the links in big numbers. In fact, June was a record month in the long history of Meriden’s Hunter Golf Club.
Hunter has also seen an influx of new golfers. “People are golfing. There’s nothing else to do,” Tiedemann said. “There aren’t many other sports. People aren’t going away as much. They are golfing.”
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Newington resident Doug Oliver hits out of the sand on the 7th hole at Timberlin Golf Course on Friday, July 3. Aaron Flaum, Record-Journal
“Some of these interactions have been serious, including bears entering homes and gravely injuring both leashed and unleashed dogs,” says a statement from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “Already in 2020 (through July 8) DEEP has received more reports of bears In this July 18, 2018 photo, a entering homes (25) than in black bear explores the yard of any previous year and we are Steve and Julie Sonlin in Avon. on track to triple the average Julie Sonlin via AP number of home entries of 2018 and 2019.” cured trash and we do have Bears rarely harm humans and them ripping down bird feeders,” she said. most local interactions with them involve damaged bird feeders and tipped over garbage Cheshire only has a few bears living in the area, Leiler said, containers and grills, said but since it’s a more densely Cheshire Animal Control Officer April Leiler. When she does populated region they tend to respond to a call, it’s usually to be spotted more often. Residents should still be taking preensure that the bear doesn’t cautions to deter bears from apmake it onto a major road like Route 10, where it can be struck proaching residential areas, however, and she walks callers by a vehicle. through the recommendations “We haven't had any real issues DEEP has to remove attractants with bears. We do sometimes have them getting into unseSee Bears, A3 R232002
Volume 22, Number 21