In Tolkien’s writings, “The Shire” is a home for hobbits. In Versailles, The Shires is a subdivision for people and pets – and for a brief time around 8 o-clock Wednesday night, a black bear. Jeff Staton says he and his wife Mona were outside their Shires home when they saw the visitor.
“We were getting ready to pull into our driveway, and this bear ran across the road just right in front of us, probably 20 yards in front of us. She thought it was a big dog, like a Newfie. She said, ‘Whose dog is that?’ I said, ‘It’s a bear.’
Staton said the bear wanted nothing to do with the people of the Shires…