Avon Bakery Has A Bear Of A Morning Wednesday

AVON, CT — The vittles to be found at a local bakery are appealing to young and old alike and, as its owner learned Wednesday, that is true regardless of the species of the customer.

In fact, "Taste by Spellbound," a cake, cupcake and cookie bakery/coffee shop, was subject to a culinary shoplifter of the ursus variety Tuesday morning ... that is, a black bear.

"We had to clean up a mess," said Taste by Spellbound owner Miriam Stephens while at work at the Avon site, located at 220 W. Main St. "Nobody got hurt, but it was a crazy morning."

How crazy? Just listen to Stephens explain.

It started Tuesday morning when an employee was going into a garage door to load up a truck for food deliveries to the West Hartford and South Windsor locations.

Needless to say, what the female employee saw inside shocked her.

Looking back at her, inside the garage, was a furry interloper with paws, claws, teeth and a faceful of coconut frosting.

The bear, reportedly, charged the employee, but was unsuccessful in reaching her as the worker was able to find a safe spot inside and slam the door.

"She obviously freaked out and started screaming bloody murder," said Stephens matter-of-factly in recounting her employee's ordeal.

Eventually, the bear made its way outside the garage area at the facility and another staff member then went in her vehicle and circled to the back.

She then started beeping her horn and scaring the bear, who had likely overdosed on sugar, away.

Needless to say, the opening of the South Windsor shop was delayed Wednesday because much of the sweet treats were, literally, being digested in the belly of a beast.

And Stephens was not too happy. The bear didn't even offer to pay.

"He got free food," she said. "He ruined a bunch of coconut cakes."

Of course bears this spring are not a new thing to Avon, or in Connecticut for that matter.

On multiple occassions, these potentially monstrous mammals have been seen inside homes, bouncing on trampolines and, even, attacking elderly women walking their dog (That happened in Avon.)

This situation has become so acute, two state representatives who serve Avon hosted a forum at the Avon Free Public Library about the creatures and what to do when you see one.

State Rep. Eleni Kavros DeGraw, D-Avon, and state Rep. Tammy Exum, D-West Hartford, hosted a forum called "Bear Aware: A Conversation on Safety."

And in the case of the Avon bakery, while the load of cupcakes didn't survive, nobody else was hurt ... not even the bear.

For more information on "Taste by Spellbound," click on this link.

From May 2: 'Bear Breaks Into Avon Home: Report'

From May 8: 'Avon Lawmakers To Discuss Bear Siege This Week'