Raccoon Takes Over Part of Municipal Building Parking Lot

A potentially rabid raccoon took control of part of the Municipal Building parking lot last night.

The raccoon was spotted in the far corner of the lot, near the dumpsters. A municipal building custodian was advising those in the parking lot to avoid parking near the dumpster because the raccoon's exact condition was unknown.

The raccoon was a topic of informal discussion at last night's Town Council meeting, with officials buzzing over the raccoon. Some officials who spotted the raccoon said it was walking funny, possibly with a limp. The raccoon may also be humpbacked. Fire Chief Dan Kelly explained that the humpbacked status could signal a potential pregnancy in the raccoon.

According to Town Administrator Jim Gildea, this is not the first time a raccoon has made an impression in town hall. He said several years ago, raccoons were progressing from the dumpster area to a sewer grate near his office and then dying in the sewer, causing an odor to drift into the building.

Following the meeting, the police dispatched an officer to investigate the dumpster area in an attempt to locate the raccoon. Gildea and Councilman Sal Caruana briefly joined the search party, which did not find the raccoon.

Normally animal issues near the municipal building following council meetings are geese droppings in the parking lot. Geese did play a role last night, with Caruana being briefly blocked from leaving the parking lot by a gaggle of geese strolling in front of his car.