PLYMOUTH, Minn. — Sometimes, you need more than words to make a point.
And at Tuesday's city council meeting in Plymouth, one resident wasn't shy about using accessories to illustrate the problem she and her husband are having with a problematic hawk.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Dee Solarz strode up to the mic wearing a protective helmet and carrying an umbrella. She described sitting out in her yard on July 10 when the hawk in question swooped down and attacked her, leaving a two-inch gash in the back of her head and concerns about an infection.
Solarz then detailed a second incident the following day, when the raptor again flew right at her head.
"It looked like a torpedo with wings," she told the council. "And I thought, there go my eyes."
The resident told the council that after sharing her stories with neighbors, they told her the aggressive hawk problem dates back 10 or 12 years, which motivated Solarz to find a potential solution. But after spending "hours" on the phone with the Minnesota DNR and federal wildlife officials about dealing with the protected species, she was referred back to the local level.
While the mission was to prompt city counselors to develop a protocol for dealing with problem animals, the rattled resident showed she had a sense of humor. Solarz invited the panel to join her for a BBQ at her Plymouth home, with the understanding they'd have to bring their own helmets and umbrellas.
