The People Are Sick And Tired Of Being POISONED
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The People Are Sick And Tired Of Being POISONED
Date:
Thu, 25 Jul 2002 12:22:56 -0400
From:
Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide
Regulation
cc: Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov
The Winnipeg Sun
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Victory for both sides
Streets partially fogged as activists block trucks
By DAVID SCHMEICHEL, STAFF REPORTER
So who won?
City fogging crews were only able to spray about 60% of Wolseley yesterday
morning, thanks to a team of neighbourhood residents who blocked trucks with
their bicycles.
But the city's insect control branch is still claiming a victory, and many Wolseleyites are smarting over the fact their neighbourhood was fogged at all.
"I'm feeling overwhelmed," said Alloway Avenue resident Shirlea Smith, as neighbours gathered near her front yard to swap stories about yesterday's malathion misadventures. "I don't even know whether we won, lost, or (it was) a draw."
Smith helped oversee a hastily-assembled anti-fogging operation that saw as many as 30 Wolseley residents patrolling the neighbourhood in cars and on their bicycles.
'FOGG OFF'
Wearing gas-masks and holding signs that read "Fogg Off" and "Don't Spray
Me," the activists cruised the streets from about midnight to 2:30 a.m.
When they heard the tell-tale whine of a city fogger, they'd chase down the truck and park in front of it.
"I said I will move if you assure me your truck won't spray anymore," said protester Glenda Whiteman. "They said they couldn't promise that, so I said I'm not moving."
In some cases, the neighbours claimed foggers were spraying people -- not just properties -- including one man who allegedly went to hospital after coming in contact with the chemical.
PESTICIDE-FREE FOOD
They were also upset the fogging crews sprayed Organic Planet, a
neighbourhood store specializing in organic groceries.
"They depend on being able to provide their customers with food that is pesticide-free," explained Alloway resident Marcus Rempel.
In the end, police had to be called to the neighbourhood and eventually convinced the fogging crews to leave the area.
But even after the trucks were gone, the protesters didn't feel much like celebrating.
"There's an unnatural mistake blowing through the air," shouted Alloway resident Alon Weinberg, as he pedalled up to the group's rendezvous point on Alloway.
"They fogged Walnut Street," said another, who claimed her daughter was sprayed by a truck while running home to shut the windows. "That's too close."
And many of those who live closest to the activists still aren't happy about efforts to stymie the spraying.
"I like to sit outside at night and chill out with my friends, but I can't because the bugs are so bad," said Alloway resident Rochelle Smith, who lives across the street from where the protesters have been gathering.
"Plus, I keep waking up to people screaming at each other every morning."
The issue is scheduled to be debated at a community meeting at Laura Secord School tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.
Representatives from both sides have been invited, along with government officials.
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Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Skeeters' demise worth dying for
By Laurie Mustard
So what if malathion might take a few years off your life?
I say if fogging the entire city kills even ONE frigging mosquito, it's worth the risk, if indeed there is any.
So what if we lose a few 'Peggers in the hunt for the bloodthirsty little bastards.
Is that not a fair price to pay for a swat-free evening? Absolutely.
Getting to be too many people here, anyway.
Mosquitoes are the bane of our existence here in Mosquitoba, and I for one am willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of them. Who cares about effectiveness? Revenge alone is motivation enough to try and take 'em out.
Fog 'em in the trenches, fog 'em on your hand, fog 'em till their tiny corpses litter all the land!
Fog you, mosquitoes, yer goin' down.
Now I'm no chemical expert, but my guess is the amount of nasty chemical the average 'Pegger absorbs from this present fogging campaign, or even a summer's worth, would probably take two or three hundred years to kill you, or even cause noticeable brain damage.
Fifty summers-worth might knock you off at 125. I could be wrong, but since I never am, probably not.
As for ye who doth protest too much in the Wolseley area, what the fog is wrong with you people? It's not malathion I sniff over there, but a whiff of hypocrisy.
If even ONE of you smokes publicly, endangering others with your s.h.s., or especially at home in front of your kid, the entire group's credibility is zero. A lot more kids are killed by ciggies than malathion.
Don't make me come over there. Do you all recycle? Ever pollute the air by playing your folk music too loud? Screw up society's karma by thinking negative thoughts?
Besides, where is the love, baby?
What of consideration for your neighbours? Compromise? What of the retired seniors in your area who have spent a lifetime looking forward to puttering around in their yard? And now because of your purist tokenism they have to stay shut indoors. Can't even enjoy a little quickie on the deck at 3 a.m. thanks to you. Selfish, selfish, selfish.
HOUSE MASKS
Besides, you and your kids probably risk more by touching the average
public door handle (especially the washroom variety) than by breathing in a
little malathion.
Come on, bend a little will ya? I'm sure if you ask, the city will provide you with masks to wear in and around your homes while the fogging is done, and when the air is clean again you can cast them aside and run naked to treat your kids at the nearest fast food location -- which, again, will probably kill them years ahead of malathion.
Oh that's right, none of you eat fast food, or drink diet drinks, or do anything that may put you, your children, or society at risk. Sorry, I forgot.
Yes, I speak with cheek, but do so lovingly, and remind you it's worth risking permanent nerve damage, even death, to live mosquito-free. Some causes are worth dying for.
P.S.: Although it's too easy to describe your bat solution as a batty idea by even battier people, I'll do it anyway. Purple martins maybe, but bats? Get a grip.
Fog on, friends, and die mosquitoes ... DIE!
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Wednesday, July 24, 2002
'Enough is enough,' say residents
Petition circulated, answers demanded
By ROSS ROMANIUK, CITY HALL REPORTER
They came to police for answers, but left with only more frustration.
Sisters Charlene Powell and Claudia Gagnon brought their children to Winnipeg's Public Safety Building yesterday to demand cops take action against environmentalists blocking -- literally -- their right to mosquito control.
COPS HANDS TIED
"If these people are breaking the law, they should be arrested," said Powell, one of about 60 Purcell Avenue homeowners who took to Wolseley streets Monday night to maintain guard against anyone who'd get in the way of bug-spray crews.
But after again finding fogging trucks kept away by protesters, she took her pleas to city police downtown -- and was told cops can't do anything unless people actually obstruct the streets.
And protesters Monday were largely keeping crews away by simply making their presence known from just off the roadways.
"That's the foggers' position -- they're not going to spray if there are people on the street," Powell complained. "I don't know where we can go now. There's been talk of a walk on City Hall."
Gagnon said more than 200 names are on a petition to be delivered soon to Mayor Glen Murray, Premier Gary Doer and mayoral candidate Garth Steek.
"It's an election year," she said, "and Garth Steek and Glen Murray have to make a decision."
Steek said he supports the right of Wolseley residents -- his River Heights constituents -- to malathion use, while Murray has laid low while the controversy has grown.
'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH'
Powell said she and many other pro-sprayers have sympathized with those against insecticide.
"But now with the health concern, now that we have the law on our side, we're saying enough is enough," she said.
"It's a provincial matter, a municipal matter, a city police matter. And everyone keeps sending us away saying it's somebody else's problem. I want to know whose problem it is. I'm the one swatting mosquitoes."
Powell and Gagnon said they may soon use video cameras during nighttime patrols to better inform cops of who's doing what.
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Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Lost in the fog?
NDP 'cowering' to activists
By ROSS ROMANIUK AND FRANK LANDRY, CITY HALL AND LEGISLATURE REPORTERS
The Opposition Tories are accusing the Doer government of cowering to a small group of protesters and refusing to do what they promised -- fogging the entire city for mosquitoes.
Tory Leader Stuart Murray said Health Minister Dave Chomiak is warning Manitobans mosquitoes are a health hazard because they carry the West Nile virus. On the other hand, the province is backing down from fogging a portion of Wolseley because of protesters, Murray said.
"It's up to the minister of health to enforce what he said he was going to do," Murray told reporters yesterday. "The protesters are making a mockery of this government."
Chomiak said the city has fogged 60% of the Wolseley area and repeated that the threat of West Nile has created an "imminent health hazard" in Manitoba.
Chomiak said he is committed to fogging the entire city, but refused to say how that will be done.
"We believe the rights of a community supersedes the rights of a few," Premier Gary Doer said in the legislature.
Meanwhile, Mayor Glen Murray ducked interview requests for the second consecutive day yesterday; as police insisted they're doing all they can as tensions rise.
Const. Leanne Ainley stressed that police, who made no arrests during the protest early yesterday, don't get involved in bug control.
'TO FOG OR NOT TO FOG'
"To fog or not to fog is the city's decision," she said, noting two complaints brought cruisers to the area. "It's the crews that are out there. It is their supervisors who are assessing their own situation and they have to make the call."
A mayor's office spokeswoman referred calls to CAO Gail Stephens, who insisted the insect-control crews are "fogging on behalf of the province" and that the city needs direction from the Doer government on ways around the Wolseley standoff.
Stephens' office faxed a letter seeking direction from Conservation Minister Oscar Lathlin and Health Minister Dave Chomiak.
"We're asking for clarification of what to do with the remainder from a health issue," Stephens told The Sun, pointing out that the elimination of more than 1,000 anti-fog buffers was ordered by the province. "I don't have a solution for you yet."
Fogging crews were scheduled to avoid Wolseley last night.
Police compared the situation to a strike.
"Our mandate is to protect the citizens, prevent a breach of peace and ensure our roadways are clear," Ainley said. "If there's any criminal activity we would be making arrests."
No extra police manpower has been designated to the district.
"We haven't even designated a permanent cruiser car to monitor the area," Ainley added.
Fogging operations were expected last night to cover much of the North End, West Kildonan, North Kildonan, East Kildonan, Garden City, Riverbend and Rivergrove.
Well Mr. Helliker, The People are standing up and saying "NO MORE!"
Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten
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