MIFFLINBURG -- Todd Stong says normally the most exciting thing that happens outside his house in Mifflinburg is Christkindl Market in December. But Wednesday morning, he was outside doing yard work and saw something that made him stop in his tracks.
"Sitting next to the tree about 10 feet away was this bear. I don't know what you say, good morning or hello," Stong said.
Stong tells Newswatch 16 the bear looked to be around 200 pounds and did not look vicious.
"I said, 'Shoo shoo!' He sort of moved a little bit towards the fence on that side. I was hoping he'd turn for the gate, but he didn't turn for the gate, so I got a broom and I started chasing him with my broom," Stong said.
A bear was also spotted Wednesday morning in Danville. In fact, this is the sixth time in the past month a bear has been seen in the Central Susquehanna Valley.
Mifflinburg Mayor David Cooney says this bear was in residential areas.
"Which is unusual because we're a small town, but not unusual because we are surrounded on four sides by woods," Mayor Cooney said.
The mayor says what's ironic about the bear being there is Mifflinburg's annual Safety Fair is on the same day.
"The irony of having a bear in town on Safety Fair Day, that's never happened before in my experience," Cooney said.
The Safety Fair features first responders from Union County. Cooney says there could have been a good demonstration if the bear came.
"I wish the bear would have come later or the game commission could have come earlier. We could have matched them up a little bit," Cooney said.
The bear was not caught, since it was not seen since mid-morning, the game commission believes it went back into the nearby woods.