Ronald is visiting Chicago

My name is David Ritter and I've had the pleasure of hosting Ronald the bear on behalf of Anthony.

We live in the suburbs outside Chicago in the city of Tinley Park. Unfortunately, Mother Nature has kept us locked up for the last few weeks ( -5 degrees in March! ) but I was able to take Ronald with me to work in downtown Chicago ( see picture attached ).

He's pictured in front of the beautiful skyline of north Michigan Ave., known as the Magnificent Mile. The John Hancock building is the tall building just over Ronald's shoulder. I was a little worried about bringing a bear to a major metropolitan area, but I was surprised by how well he behaved. He said the city on the lake reminded him of Boston, and he felt right at home.

Soaking in the city as dusk fell, we talked about plenty of things. Art and architecture. Food. Politics and sports ( Bruins / Blackhawks, Big Pappy's performance in the playoff run compared to Sammy Sosa's historic run ). Not surprisingly, we agreed on most things. Except for pizza toppings ( sardines! ) and the effect Wes Welker's departure on Tom Brady's psyche.

I'm placing Ronald into his travelling home soon. He's on his way to visit Dayton, Ohio. Pretty soon, he'll make his way back to Ms. Mehlins' fourth grade class at Proctor School.
We'll miss Ronald's company.

All the best to you and the students in Topsfield.

And, please pass along a hearty "hello" to Anthony and the his family.

Sincerely,

dr