Autumn in the North Cemetery.

Sixty miles west of Boston, Massachusetts there is the small New England town of Sturbridge. Located at the junction of I-90 (The Mass Pike), and I-84 it has become known as the "Crossroads of New England". The town was first settled over 300 years ago, and like other small New England towns it has grown just enough over the years to be in a difficult place today. How do we embrace the future without forgetting how we got to our present? How do we attract the right kind of growth, and maintain who we are? And, what about our culture out here in Central Massachusetts?



These pages will cause one to think about how to protect what we have, our future direction, and how to move on in the very best way.


Those thoughts, and other ramblings, will hopefully inspire more thought, conversation, action, and occasionally a smile...

...seems to be working so far

Sunday, May 20, 2012

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....SMACK!; There Is A Better Way







"Online Service Request Information

We have begun accepting requests for spraying. 
Please 
note, this program will begin May 29, 
and current weather conditions and the backlog 
of service requests may delay our response to 
some extent; your patience is appreciated.




IMPORTANT NOTICE: To receive service, you must live 
within our service area ß(click here).
This should be in response to a currently observed
 mosquito problem or need. Please assist our efforts by filling in 
all fields fully. We may not respond to incomplete 
questionnaires, and will not respond to anonymous service requests.
Response to this request will vary according to the current mosquito 
situation in the CMMCP service area. Please e-mail us or call            
 508.393.3055       and ask for Tim McGlinchy if you do not receive 
service within 2 weeks, or you require additional information. 
Thank you.
Please put “do-not-reply-service_request@cmmcp.org” in your
 “Safe Senders” list to receive your reply.
IF YOU LIVE IN A CONDO, ARE A BUSINESS OR THIS IS FOR
 A MUNICIPAL (CITY/TOWN) AREA, YOU MUST HAVE THE 
REQUEST FAXED ON OFFICIAL LETTERHEAD TO             (508) 393-8492       
WITH A CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER. WE WILL 
CONTACT YOU  TO SET THIS UP.
Please send an e-mail to service_request@cmmcp.org with the 
following information:
NAME:
STREET ADDRESS:
CITY/TOWN:
PHONE:
COMMENTS:
A Technician will be assigned to investigate this request as soon 
as possible. The results of this investigation may result in the application 
of a site specific mosquito insecticide. Pre-determined thresholds of
 larval and/or adult mosquitoes must be present at the time to
 warrant this targetedpplication. If current conditions do not exist at
 the time (poor weather, insufficient mosquito numbers, etc.), this 
investigation may be rescheduled to a future date. Please call our office 
at  508.393.3055       
if you require additional information. For information on the products
 used by CMMCP, please click here."

5 comments:

  1. Following is a link to OPT OUT of the mosquito spraying.
    http://www.cmmcp.org/exclusionform.htm

    Also, this service is not free. It's paid for by taxpayers and it's included as a budget item each year.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The best way to OPT OUT of the above service is not to call them and have them spray your property. If the town decides to do town wide spraying, that is a different animal, and a procedure for OPTing Out is available at the link you posted.

    Of course, all services offered by the town, state, and county are not free, they are paid for by us in some form.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Actually, as the notice says above, they respond to requests from property owners. So, if my neighbor calls to have them spray their property but the wetland where mosquitoes breed is on my property, and I don't want them to treat my property, then I can opt out.

    Individual property owners can opt out by sending them an e-mail, plus follow up with a phone call, plus provide them with a list of abutters.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Opting out of mosquito spraying was in vogue 30 years ago when sprays were more toxic to humans. Today, they dissipate quickly. I can't remember when a neighborhood has been stilled by the passing of a mosquito spraying truck. I can recall that each year people die from mosquito borne diseases. West Nile, and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) are two. Go to http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/list_mosquitoborne.htm for more information

    Of course, folks can do whatever they want with their property. Your neighbor can spray as you can opt out, but knowledge is always best first.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have done my research. I think people are naive to believe that chemicals that do kill other living things are not toxic to humans; but hey, that's just me. What's in vogue nowadays is not to believe everything the government tells you.

    The following is from CMMCPs website about the products they use: "We feel these products present the 'lowest risk' to the public at large and non-target species that are on the market today while maintaining good control against mosquitoes."

    -That does not say they're completely harmless.

    With Bti, 97% of the ingredients are inert; they don't list those ingredients because they're trade secrets. But it will cause irritation to skin, eyes, etc. Also, if you read the Pesticide Information on Bti, it says things like, "there's no evidence that Bti causes cancer in animals" or "the risk to mammalian wildlife should be minimal to nonexistent." Note that the EPA says it does have minimal toxicity to honey bees. All the legalese, such as, it "should not" or there's "no evidence" - is just too loose for me to hang my hat on.

    I highly suggest that people read the pesticide labels and EPA Fact Sheets listed on CMMCPs website.

    Also, remember to close your doors and windows, shut off your fans and air conditioners, and stay indoors for 15-20 minutes after spraying. These warnings are listed at CMMCPs website.

    ReplyDelete



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