Recorded message from a famous Bear Board Agent: Yes , omnipotent factotum, this is (Hubble) of your vaunted Bear Board. I wanted to tell you, Ed, that I ran into something the other day that I think explains why you're having such a time attracting bears to Adair County-if that in fact is true. I ran into a brown national park-service-like sign-uh- painted that brown that all forest service stuff is painted with yellow inset lettering that said, 'Bear trail.' You may need to put up some signs attractively-uh- carved and painted that say "Bear Trail, " so that you'll have a place for the bears. Otherwise. . . you're going to just continue to have random sightings along woodlands and so forth. This bear trail business . . ."

Then his great voice trailed off into the answering machine time limit.

I report this to you not to be boastful that this famous man called, but to be boastful that he discerns the high respect Adair Countians-and therefore Adair County bears-have for education.

Plans are to paint several of the signs, to spec, and erect them in appropriate places around the county.