Concerning the unnecessary killing of bears/bear cubs that has run rampant this summer: All of them could have been prevented if the residents of this town followed the law, i.e. using bear-proof garbage cans and/or keeping your garbage enclosed until your actual garbage day.

All of the stories state that by not obeying the above laws people COULD receive citations and fines. Could isn't working for the people disobeying the law and causing this needless bloodshed. The troopers and Fish and Game need to start writing the citations and fining the guilty. Start enforcing this law. People (not all of them, of course) tend to "wake up" when you start to hit them where it hurts, in their pocketbooks. When they have to start paying for these needless deaths, maybe they will start obeying the law. The rest of us and the wildlife will be better off.

-- JoAnne Woolever

Anchorage