August 2008
Monthly Archive
Sun 31 Aug 2008
Come enjoy great music and neighborhood community!
Thom and Jan McCain will host their annual fund raiser concert with Hilda and the Ladies of Longford. “Jan and I would like the proceeds to support two of our favorite Neighborhood causes — The Graham School’s new rain garden on Indianola and the Adena Brook Community.” Over 100 neighbors attended last year. This concert is such a fun and entertaining event, plus it supports our neighborhood.
DATE: Saturday, September 6th.
TIME & PLACE: 8:00 PM, McCain Residence, 146 Glenmont Avenue
Arrive anytime after 7PM. Concert begins at 8PM. Bring a dish to share and your own beverage. Park on Glenmont Avenue and walk back–The McCain residence is nestled back in the woods .
COST: $20 per person (free admission for students). Make your check payable to Thom McCain and mail it to him at 146 Glenmont Avenue, Columbus, OH 43214. OR PURCHASE A TICKET SATURDAY ON THE GROUNDS.
Tue 26 Aug 2008
Posted by smb under
West NileNo Comments
Jeff Fronz’ reports on a course of action about mosquito spraying:
When I receive the city’s mosquito control plan, I will
-review it and compare it to what other cities have done.
-solicit input from experts on integrated pest management.
-solicit input from experts on public policy.
-provide any resulting recommendations about the policy to the city.
-work with the city to assist them in evaluating (and ideally implementing) any resulting recommendations.”
Jeff Fronz is one of the leaders of the Walhalla Ravine neighborhood group. Friends of the Ravines asked Jeff to submit an article about the current questions raised about mosquito spraying for their upcoming Ravinia issue. Friends of the Ravines will host a public forum on mosquito spraying issues this fall. Together we’re learn more about Columbus’ and other cities’ mosquito control plans.
In the meantime, many of you ask what needs to be done to opt out of having your property sprayed. This is what you do: send a letter and include your printed name, address, phone number, and your signature to
Columbus Public Health
240 Parsons Ave
Columbus, OH 43215-5331
Tue 26 Aug 2008
Reported by Kip Patterson:
A construction company has been hired to remove material from the creek bed near the Lenappe/Overbrook culvert to alleviate the problems resulting from stormwater runoff during heavy storms. This means equipment in the stream. Muddy waters will be seen downstream. [Tina Mohn, Property Manager, Columbus Recreation and Parks is aware of this work.]
It looks like much of the material being removed is native rock. There is also a surprising quantity of broken tile, bricks, old paving material, concrete, etc. Steel plates protect the forest floor and the workers seem to be doing a good job of avoiding overhanging branches.
Tue 26 Aug 2008
Posted by smb under
West NileNo Comments
Keith…
Thanks for providing the maps and spreadsheet. One thing I noticed– there are several watercourses in the Clintonville neighborhoods covered by the map, but these areas do not seem to be called out for special avoidance.
As I’m sure you’re aware, the label for Biomist 4+4 (which is the permethrin-based product that I believe Dale said your folks would be applying) says that it should only be applied over bodies of water when weather conditions would “facilitate movement of applied material away from the water” (http://www.clarkemosquito.com/PDFs/2Label68742808.pdf). Indeed, the EPA’s RED for permethrin-based or malathion-based pesticides used as wide area mosquito adulticides
(at http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/permethrin_amended_red.pdf and
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/REDs/malathion_red.pdf, respectively) seem to be the source of this restriction.
As the only weather condition that I can think of that would “facilitate movement of applied material away from the water” in our ravines would be an amazingly laminar and sustained updraft, doesn’t the labeling essentially prohibit the fogging of Bill Moose, Glen Echo, Overbrook [Adena Brook], Rush Run, and Walhalla Ravines? All of these ravines contain permanent streams that run within inches of the nearby roadways–streams that are at the bottom of ravines and that are enclosed by solid tree canopies, creating microclimates that inhibit dispersal of any aerosols applied in their vicinity.
Thanks,
Jeff Fronz
Tue 26 Aug 2008
New test results on mosquito pools were received by Columbus Public Health from the Ohio Department of Health Laboratory this morning which identifies four new pools positive for West Nile Virus. Accordingly, the priority list for mosquito adulticiding (fogging) has been changed to reflect this new information. District 10 (Clintonville) originally scheduled for mosquito adulticiding tomorrow morning, Tuesday, August 26th, has been reprioritized and next week’s mosquito adulticiding locations will be posted on August 29th on the CPH web site at:< /span>
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=115581560833322729686.00044f8d4490543d085a3&ll=39.99343,-82.976303&spn=0.375073,0.598755&z=11
Although the relative risk of contracting West Nile Virus is less than in previous years, Columbus Public Health urges all residents of Columbus and Worthington to avoid mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and long pants, using insect repellants containing DEET, and staying indoors at times of peak mosquito activity – dawn and dusk.
Regards,
Keith L. Krinn, RS, MA, DAAS, CPHA
Environmental Health Administrator
Tue 26 Aug 2008
CIP 749 is underway. It’s a time for patience and careful driving as the work
proceeds.
Kip Patterson writes:
We have a lot of road work this week:
The Canyon/Glenmont storm water improvement project is working on Canyon at the top of the hill above Overbrook. Expect Canyon to be impassable from Overbrook up to Glenmont place and South Canyon east towards Sharon. The contractor works four, ten-hour days from Monday through Thursday, and leaves all the roads open at night, As they get into more challenging areas there may be some overnight closures.
Crews will be paving Karl Road starting Tuesday (8/26) between Morse Road and
S.R 161. There will be various lane restrictions from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
until mid-September, weather permitting. (City of Columbus)
Westbound Cooke Road will close on Tuesday (8/26) just west of Maize Road. This
is a 24-hour-a-day closure that will be in effect until mid-September, weather
permitting. Traffic will be detoured using Maize Road, Morse Road and I-71.
Crews will be working on utilities. (Fishel Co.)
Sat 23 Aug 2008
Clintonville neighbor Jeff Fronz organized and reports on an August 20, 2008 meeting about mosquito spraying. Neighbors attending the meeting: CAC Commissioner Clare Balombin, neighbors Dianne Blankenbaker, Robin Chenoweth.
City representatives attending:
- Dr. Teresa Long (Columbus Health Commissioner)
- Steve Soble (neighborhood liaison),
- Roger Cloern (Assistant Helath Commissioner, Administration),
- Andia Sangale, JD (Environmental Policy Advisor),
- Susan Ashbrook (Environmental Steward and Clintonville resident),
- Keith Krinn (Public Health Administrator, Environmental Health Division),
- Dale Harmon (Section Chief, Enviornmental Health)– Dale is the vector control administrator
The goal in meeting with the city was to understand their policy and position but also to establish a path to effect improvements to mosquito control policy, improvements to that policy’s execution, and improvements to communication. To that end, the meeting provided at least a preliminary understanding of the policy and the opportunity to voice concerns. However, additional work will be required to achieve the improvements befitting a world-class mosquito control program.
The main concerns voiced in the meeting came down to three things:
- mosquito-control policy,
- execution of that policy, and
- communication regarding (and as part of) policy execution.
A synopsis of specific concerns:
- the city’s mosquito control plan (their “integrated pest management plan for mosquito control”) hasn’t been updated since 1999 despite advances in understanding of West Nile Virus,
- the city fogged this season (and will continue to fog) with a pesticide toxic to cats (despite having told residents that they would use a less toxic pesticide),
- the city fogged pedestrians and bicyclists who were caught unaware, and
- the city fogged at least one Clintonville home that had requested (and received) an exemption from fogging.
On the policy concern: it’s not clear that there actually is a concrete policy in Columbus for mosquito control.
- During the meeting, the vector control administrator (Dale Harmon) indicated that it is more of “an art” to making the decision on when and where to fog.
- When asked about other cities’ policies of having very explicit thresholds and well-defined goals for escalating efforts at mosquito control, the administrator indicated that such policies were unfounded and ill-conceived.
- When asked to review the city’s policy as part of the meeting’s agenda, the city provided with what turned out to be a synopsis of the policy–a synopsis found to be incorrect (see below).
- When residents received confirmation of opt-out status from the city, the letters indicated that the city would be using malathion in their fogging efforts. In addition, the policy synopsis indicated that they would be using equipment configured for malathion. Even the city’s web pages indicate that malathion will be used. However, the administrator admitted in the meeting that they actually used a permethrin-based insecticide. He said that an outdated letter had been mailed to folks. He said that the city had run out of malathion and decided to use the permethrin-based insecticide instead. The concern here is that permethrin is highly toxic to cats; had residents been alerted to the fact that the city was using permethrin, cat owners would have wanted to take precautions to protect their animals (especially their outdoor cats).
- The vector control administrator indicated that the city’s mosquito control policy (specifically their integrated pest management plan to control mosquitoes) had not been updated since 1999, this despite new and ongoing discoveries about West Nile Virus as well as new and ongoing studies about the effectiveness of associated public policy.
On the policy execution concern: it’s clear that the city is not even executing on their nebulous policy.
- The administrator indicated in the meeting that the policy is for the fogging to be discontinued when the driver sees people outside near the area to be fogged (drivers are “asked” to turn off fog when pedestrians or bicyclists are observed). Yet, the driver who fogged bicyclists on the Olentangy Bicycle Trail continued fogging even after being passed by several bicyclists and joggers.
- Fogging has occurred after sunrise (after 6:30am on July 29th in the case of the bike path fogging); it’s not clear here what the policy is–in some cases, there are indications that the policy is to continue “shortly after sunrise”; in the meeting, the administrator said that typically they’re finished fogging by 6:30AM; the CPH website indicates that they will fog between 4 and 6:00am.
- At least one house was fogged despite a letter from the city assuring that the house would not be fogged. The administrator showed maps of the fogging areas where no-fog requests were represented by high-lighter dots on the map. In this particular case, the home that requested an exemption from fogging was NOT indicated on the map.
It’s clear that there is a need for a quality control process in handling the no-fog requests.
On the communication concern: better job at communicating their policy and intent to execute their policy.
- There is no pro-active attempt to notify local community groups (e.g., area commissions or registered neighborhood groups) that fogging will occur in the groups’ interest areas.
- There is no communication on what risk factors have appeared in a particular area to be fogged. There is a google map of the areas planned to be fogged, which is a great first step. However, it doesn’t provide information about what residents should be concerned about.
- The only attempts at education (one of the primary and most effective parts of an integrated pest management program according to a variety of experts–see nospraycolumbus.com for links) by the city appear to be press releases and (inconsistent) web pages.
As a result of the meeting, the city promised that:
- future Clintonville spraying will be proceeded by the city notifying Steve Soble (the city’s neighborhood liaison for Clintonville) who will notify the Clintonville Area Commission and other neighborhood associations.
- the city’s vector control administrator will provide a copy of the city’s actual integrated pest management plan for mosquito control.
- comments on the plan were welcome after the current mosquito season ends—probably sometime in September.
Sat 23 Aug 2008
You can opt-out of fogging this year by sending a letter to the Columbus Public Health Department. You simply need to say that you don’t want your home to be fogged and include your printed name, address, phone number, and your signature. Send your letter to
Columbus Public Health
240 Parsons Ave
Columbus, OH 43215-5331
If you don’t receive written confirmation of your opt-out request, you should call the City of Columbus’s Call Center by dialing 311 (or 614-645-2489 from your VoIP or non-participating cell phone) and ask to opt-out of fogging. If you get voicemail, leave detailed contact information (including your street address).
Tue 19 Aug 2008
Glenmont neighbor Bob Fletcher and I loaded a pick-up with buckets of water and gave the rain garden plants a drink yesterday.
Greg Schneider, Manager
Ohio Natural Heritage Program
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
Mon 18 Aug 2008
tree work outside my study window
a rain of golden dust
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
from Jeanne Desy
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