Yesterday this reporter witnessed the Green Committee’s 4pm march on Walden Pond to save the beaver’s new dam from Art Weather’s backhoe.  Led by Mandy Henderson, the committee was joined by several Pearlville School teachers and dozens of students who seemed happy to have something new to do after school. Most carried some version of a homemade sign calling to “Save the Beavers.”  Included was a group of about 20 high school boys who chanted “Save the Beavers” and “We Love Beavers” with great enthusiasm, although it did not appear that they were overly concerned about saving the beaver dam.

Art Weathers appeared to ignore the group completely as he backed his backhoe off the low-boy and moved into position to take his first bite out of the dam.  As he raised the shovel it looked like the Green Committee was going to lose this round.

Then at the last moment Susie Weathers, Art’s ninth-grade granddaughter, ran to the top of the beaver dam and stopped with her arms extended in front of the shovel.  “Stop it, Grandpa!” she cried with tears streaming down her face.  Art clearly had not anticipated anything like this.  Despite his gruff exterior, he would never hurt anyone.  But he is a skilled backhoe operator and would have used the shovel to gently push any adult into the water without a second thought.  But children, no.  His granddaughter? No.  “Stand back, Susie,” he yelled, as he put the backhoe in reverse and backed away from the beaver dam.  “If that don’t beat all,” he said as he walked to his truck and drove away.

Mandy Henderson saw this as a great victory snatched from the jaws of defeat, and led her troops back to their cars chanting “Save the Beavers.”  Nobody seemed to notice that while Art had vacated the site, the backhoe remained in position.