Bears are coming out of hibernation in the Vail
The biggest concerns are not attacks on humans but pilferage of garbage and home invasions in case there is not enough natural food for these voracious animals. Travelers wandering through the woods should know that bears are awakening.
There’s already been several bear break-ins in Beaver Creek in the past several weeks but, so far, wildlife division spokesman Randy Hampton says bear activity has been normal in the Eagle County area.
It’s too soon to tell if there’s going to be plentiful natural supplies of food for bears this year or if there are going to be a lot of run-ins between bears and humans.
Hampton says residents should lock their doors and windows to keep bears out and only put trash out on the day it’s being picked up.
Bear sightings increased last year after a wet spring hurt berry crops that bears feed on in the wild.
6-year-old put on no-fly list
Amazingly, with birth dates now required as part of our boarding procedures, a 6-year-old girl has found herself on TSA’s dreaded “no-fly list” It happened when the father tried to print out a boarding pass on his computer at home. TSA has trouble with bombers, but seem very adept at flagging first-graders.
Mosher called United Airlines to find out what was the trouble. On the phone the dad was shocked to find that his daughter had been flagged by Transportation Security Administration. At first the agent thought that because Allison wasn’t a frequent flier there could be a problem but found out quickly the youngster was on the ‘No Fly List.’
Mosher was told that there was nothing that United could do on the matter despite the fact the child was just a first-grader.The next call to the Transportation Security Administration let the dad know his little girl would have to pass airport security in order to get a boarding pass.
Ann Davis, a TSA spokeswoman said according to the Boston Herald, “If they observe a 6-year-old standing before them, they can forgo additional procedures.”
Continental Airlines may face fine for part in Paris Concorde crash
European prosecutors claimed last Friday that Continental Airlines should be fined €175,000 (US$218,800) for manslaughter of 113 people. This because of its role in the spectacular 2000 crash of the Air France Concorde plane.
The Concorde, carrying mostly German tourists, caught fire as it roared out of Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport on July 25, 2000 and crashed just minutes later into a nearby hotel.
Investigators believe a Continental DC10 triggered the disaster when a small metal strip fell from it onto the runway. This punctured the Concorde’s tyres during take off, spraying debris into the underwing fuel tanks and sparking the fire.
Prosecutors added they were seeking a two-year suspended prison sentence for Henri Perrier, an 80-year-old former Concorde director who headed the plane’s testing programme.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
