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Show Banged Black Bear Becomes Barbecue CANNON VILLE Three hundred pounds of black bear insinuated its way into Cannonville on the night of July 15. He was shot and killed by wildlife officers on July 22, and, on July 29, he became a barbecued meal for the townspeople he had held at bay for more than a week after deciding to become a permanent resident. "Red Rock Bandit" will be his name from now on said Cannonville Can-nonville Mayor Jim Clarke, who expects the bear to become an ursine ur-sine folk hero, with the town making mak-ing plans for an annual "bear" barbecue bar-becue every July to commemorate the big event. The Wednesday evening meal even had "chicken for the chicken" for those who felt they didn't want to eat bear. City councilman Jim Choate said he thinks this was a gentle dig at him, because the bear ate one of his roosters. Charles Greenwood, Department of Wildlife Resources who led the chase for, and ultimately shot the bear, received permission from the DWR to donate the meat to the people of Cannonville. The DWR officers also donated the animal's hide to be stuffed. Panguitch taxidermist taxi-dermist Russell Bulkley will do the honors and funds donated at the barbecue will help to defray costs. There is some question of just how Red Rock Bandit will be posed, since some of the townspeople towns-people view the whole caper as kind of romantically funny, but with some very serious overtones. Mayor Clarke said the naming of the bear was left up to the youngsters in the town. Some of the other choices were: The Brown Raider, Midnight Bandit, Bandit, Chicken Thief, Cannon-Bear, Night-Walker, Big Foot, Ebenezer Bear, George Q. Bear, The Apricot, Chicken King, Gun Shot Bear, and Red Rock Bear. Mayor Clarke said there will definitely be a bear festival on the last Saturday in July next year. |