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Herndon’s new employee is pretty good at hide and seek and loves nature, but his email skills are lacking without opposable thumbs.
But Elden the Bear is the Town of Herndon鈥檚 newest summer hire and has already been dubbed 鈥淓mployee of the Month鈥� 鈥� despite the fact he doesn鈥檛 officially start on the job until July 1.
Reid Okoniewski, the marketing and communications specialist with the Town of Herndon鈥檚 Parks and Recreation Department, announced that Elden the Bear had been hired as a part-time summer worker. His start date coincides with Parks and Recreation Month.
Herndon鈥檚 new parks and recreation ambassador is, of course, inspired by the real bear that roamed the town’s neighborhoods before being safely relocated to a less suburban locale.
鈥淲e won鈥檛 have an actual bear. We will not have a bear suit or anything like that,鈥� Okoniewski said.
Okoniewski said Herndon鈥檚 Elden, dressed in his ranger hat, T-shirt and equipped with a backpack full of summer activity plans, will be represented by a metal sign that鈥檚 currently being designed and constructed.
Among the activities already planned, Okoniewski said, is 鈥渟omething called 鈥榃here鈥檚 Elden.鈥� It鈥檚 going to be a community-wide hide and go seek,鈥� where participants can hunt for Elden鈥檚 sign in area parks, the community center or at some town events.
You never know where he鈥檒l show up, but Okoniewski said there will be some hints and people can head out and snap photos to post on social media when he鈥檚 spotted.
Elden will have weekly safety and wellness tips as well. With 鈥淓lden Says,鈥� Okoniewski said the bear might advise you to stay hydrated in this hot weather or make sure you’re putting on sunscreen.
And, perhaps taking a cue from another famous bear who urges Americans to prevent forest fires, Elden may advise: 鈥淟eave those sparklers at home for the Fourth of July,鈥� Okoniewski said.
There will also be online activities including coloring pages devised by Elden, who has apparently got an artistic bent, but won鈥檛 be handling email duties just yet.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 have access to email, unfortunately, so we don鈥檛 have an email set up for him,鈥� Okoniewski said.
Asked what about the visit from the young bear prompted the town to launch a new outreach campaign featuring his image, Okoniewski said: 鈥淗e鈥檚 kind of just been that unofficial community member, even though we only had him in town for a few hours.鈥�
He added that it鈥檚 exciting when a wild animal shows up, 鈥渆specially something as big and bold as a bear.鈥�
Before Elden showed up in Herndon to hang out in some neighborhood trees, he鈥檇 already paid a Memorial Day visit to a Prince George鈥檚 County neighborhood, where wildlife officials helped him down from a tree with the aid of a dart gun.
When Virginia officials caught up with him to show him to a new home in rural Virginia, he鈥檇 already had a following. Maybe that鈥檚 what helped him snag that award of 鈥淓mployee of the Month鈥� for July when it鈥檚 still June, Okoniewski suggested.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 even hit July yet, but he鈥檚 already made an impression with all of us,” he said.
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