Bear is Westfield queen for the day
11:09 PM 6/03/04
Kay James Portage Daily Register

She came, she climbed, then she was tranquilized. <

She is a nearly 200-pound black bear who made an elm tree in Westfield her home for most of Thursday, creating a traffic jam and an impromptu zoo exhibit. <

The bear was first spotted in Westfield, about 60 miles north of Madison, about 4:45 a.m. when a commuter saw the animal lumbering through the yard of the Marathon gas station, Marquette County sheriff's deputies said. <

By the time Deputy Todd Neilson found the bear she was walking around the track behind the old high school before making herself comfortable in the elm tree. <

Deputies closed streets surrounding Westfield Elementary, a short distance from the park, as children arrived for classes. <

Kelli Kuhl said the bear made getting the kids to school almost impossible. She later brought Kali Gardner, age 4, whom she baby-sits, to see the bear and had trouble tearing the girl away. For Kali, the scene was "better than a zoo," Kuhl said. <

To ensure she wouldn't miss any action, Gardner brought a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips and a water bottle so she could keep an eye on the bear. <

Regina Lindauer, a volunteer at the elementary school, said the students were "locked in" and not allowed to go out for recess just in case the bear came down. <

"It's fabulous, exciting. It's a big deal in a little, bitty town like this," she said. <

"It's a good laugh," said Richard Hell, Westfield School Board vice president. He joked that the board would now have to consider a policy on bears. "We have policies on everything." <

Marquette County sheriff's Capt. Jack Frost said the bear was forced from her perch by a tranquilizer dart about 3:30 p.m. Frost said the bear would be removed from the area by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. <

"Half of Westfield got a picture. Kodak made out well today," Frost said. <

It was the second straight day a bear made an appearance in a Wisconsin town. One wandered through Green Bay's west side on Wednesday before being trapped with the help of a USDA wildlife services agent, police said. <

Nathan Leaf and The Associated Press contributed to this story.