Springtime Brings Bears, Pedestrian Planning Grant to West Jefferson

By Joel Frady

West Jefferson Police Issue Bear Warning
Chief Brian Grogan of the West Jefferson Police Department issued a press release warning residents about bears that have been spotted in town.

"It's spring time again and the black bears are emerging from their dens in search of food," Grogan said in the release., noting that "bears have been sighted in recent days in the West Jefferson area.

"Black bears very rarely attack unless cornered or in [an attempt to protect] their cubs," he said, adding that there have been "no reports of aggression. If you encounter a black bear, do not run. The best recourse is to act aggressively by yelling and waving your arms, [and] the bear will usually leave the area."

Grogan also gave some recommendations on how residents can keep bears away from their yards and homes.

"To keep bears from being enticed to come around your residence, keep your household trash indoors," he said. "If you have trash pickup, put your trash out the morning of service, not the night before. Eliminate having any bird feed in feeders. The calls so far have been a black bear digging through trash or eating from bird feeders." He also advised residents to "keep pet or livestock feed in storage."

Grogan noted that people "may think that black bears are cute and sweet, however, keep in mind they are a wild animal and can be dangerous. Don't feed them, as people in the past have done."

Anyone who sees a bear near their residence is urged to call 9-1-1.

Where the Sidewalk Begins: WJ Receives Pedestrian Planning Grant
The town of West Jefferson was one of 12 municipalities in North Carolina to receive a bicycle and pedestrian planning grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). West Jefferson will receive $20,000 to create a comprehensive pedestrian plan.

West Jefferson Town Manager Greg McGinnis said that "one of the things we'd like to do is make the town more pedestrian friendly, to make it safer for people to get from Point A to Point B by walking."

The grant is intended to plan for both walking and bicycles, but McGinnis said that the main goal for West Jefferson is "to enhance pedestrian accessibility" by adding crosswalks across Jefferson Avenue and adding more sidewalks.

McGinnis said he would like to add sidewalks that connect Jefferson to West Jefferson, for example, or sidewalks that connect downtown West Jefferson to the other side of Jefferson Avenue, near the Hampton Inn and the Ingles grocery store, so that "if people wanted to walk from the Hampton Inn into downtown they could."

The grant will not fund any construction and will be used to create the pedestrian plan. McGinnis said that having the plan will help "when DOT comes to do some improvements to the road.

"If you have one of these pedestrian plans in place, your chances of them participating, funding and putting in those sidewalks is greatly enhanced," he said.

He noted that another goal is to encourage exercise and alternate modes of transportation by making walking a more viable option.

NCDOT gave out $315,850 in total grant money. Other towns receiving grants were: Ahoskie, $24,000; Butner, $24,000; Carolina Beach, $20,000; Granite Falls, $24,800; Indian Trail, $35,000; Kill Devil Hills, $20,000; Kings Mountain, $26,250; Mint Hill, $31,500; Morehead City, $24,800; Southern Pines, $45,500; and Sylva, $20,000.

To find out more, contact the town of West Jefferson at (336) 246-3551 or click to www.townofwj.com. To find out more about the NCDOT, click to www.ncdot.gov.