Scarselli presents Veteran's Day program

All veterans and active military personnel in our community are invited to attend a special performance by Scarselli Elementary School students on 9:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9.

This year's Veteran's Day celebration will feature musical performances by kindergartners as well as fifth and sixth graders. Songs will have a patriotic theme and the program will also feature several spoken sections.

Music teacher Tammy Owens orchestrates this celebration each year as a way to honor the special men and women who have served our country so selflessly.

The event will take place in the multipurpose room at Scarselli and should last about an hour. For information, contact the school at 265-2222.

Bear sighting

My friend, Karen, called at about 9 a.m. Monday to tell me that a bear had made its way high up into a tree at the corner of Centerville and Rubio Way in Gardnerville. I drove over for a look and sure enough, the bear had straddled itself into a crook of the tree and appeared quite comfortable. Its massive paw wrapped around the trunk of the tree and, high though it was, the thick black claws on that bear were something to witness.

It was exciting to view such a rare sight, but I worried about the fate of that poor bear. With all the controversy regarding bears lately, I was concerned for the animal's welfare as well as the safety of people nearby.

Later that evening I heard that the bear had come down from its perch and was foraging around for apples near the tree.

At the time of this writing, I don't know if the bear has decided to wander off or to stick around. I do hope that it finds its way back to the wilderness without any incident, although that doesn't seem likely. There don't seem to be any easy answers regarding these increasingly frequent interactions between people and bears.

Daylight Saving Time ends

It's time to fall back, as the saying goes. At 2 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 4, the clocks need to be turned back one hour and Daylight Saving Time will end.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 directed that DST begin three weeks earlier than before, on the second Sunday in March. It was extended by one week in the fall, ending on the first Sunday in November. The change was implemented just this year.

I know some people don't like the idea of switching their clocks back and forth and think we should do away with DST altogether. I have to say that I don't really mind it, especially in the fall when we get that "extra" hour of sleep. Of course with two little ones in my house I suppose that's a mute point, at least for the time being.

It's also a good idea to replace the batteries in your smoke detectors at the same time you're switching your clocks. Replacing the batteries twice a year will help ensure that the detectors will work correctly in the event of a fire.

-- Amy Roby can be reached at RanchosRoundup@hotmail.com.