Ear to the ground:

“It’s going OK. I just saw a guy puke twice.”
– Local beer fest attendee’s summary of the day’s highlights
 

Late- night snack

Hangry: the dangerous point where hunger turns angry. We’ve all been there – and apparently the feeling isn’t exclusive to humans.
Earlier this summer, the owners of the Colorado Cherry Co., in Lyons, showed up to find the store a mess. They realized a bear had broken in through a window the night before and raided the shop for snacks.
The sweet-toothed animal devoured a whopping 24 pies before dragging two more to-go boxes into the yard, even breaking into cocoa and sugar supplies on the side. The bear appeared satisfied with the meal, as well, leaving very few leftovers “He went for the apple and the cherry and left behind the strawberry rhubarb so he was a picky little guy,” Mikaela Lehnert, the owner’s daughter, told The Guardian website.
The mischievous bruin climbed through the window, over the oven, into the room holding the treats and back out, all the while avoiding security cameras. Amazingly, the only damage done (besides the missing pies) was the smashed window.
Although the owners are worried that the bear will return to the bakery for seconds, they are appreciative of the publicity from the hungry intruder.
“If anything, it’s boosted (our business) because it put our pies and product out there,” Lehnert said.
 

Holiday roll

Wanting to take the kids to see the nation’s treasures but worried about the old family finances? For the next year, fourth-graders throughout the country can attend any of America’s national parks for free. The program, “Every Kid in a Park Initiative,” is part of the National Park Service’s centennial celebration.
“We want everyone to get to know their national parks, and we’re offering a special invitation to fourth-graders and their families to discover everything that national parks offer,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “We hope these free passes will introduce fourth-graders, their classes, and families to our national treasures.”
But, as with most things that are free, there is a catch. In order to get the pass, students must first go to the Every Kid in a Park website and play a game to access their special Every Kid in a Park pass. The pass is good for entry into 2,000 parks and federal recreation areas across the country and valid through Aug. 31, 2016.
For more information, go to: www.nps.gov.