Seeing a bear in the Adirondack or the Catskill Mountains is normal. Seeing one in your neighborhood is rare but it does happen. And it seems to be happening a lot this year in Central New York.
Bears in the Adirondack mountains are common, but they do sometimes wander into neighborhoods looking for food. One was spotted in Clinton and another in Rome.
Never feed bears. We hear it all the time, especially if we're heading to the mountains. But don't tell that to Jim Kowalczik who runs the Orphaned Wildlife Center with his wife Susan. He feeds his pet bears all the time. He even fed them cake on their birthday.