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August 18, 2007
$50,000,000 Vector Specter
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| Yesterday the Chico E-R published a story
about Chico resident Ilse Brown suing
the city for $50,000,000 for wrongful death.
The suit is alleged to allege City negligence in dealing with a
retention pond near the Paseo Companeros neighborhood. The pond is highlighted
above in the square. At first I thought the cars left of the pond were part of fairground parking, but I was off by several blocks. I think they may be part of a junk yard. I also need to point out that I get extra credit for
using allege twice in a previous sentence. Brown's husband and one of her neighbors died of West Nile Virus (WNV). Brown herself subsequently contracted the virus and other neighbors have tested positive for it. City, county and federal officials are all taking their time to ensure the problem is fixed in a complex way. They need to be certain that the fairy shrimp, giant garter snake, and beaver are not impacted by human safety concerns. It would be easy to chalk Brown up as a bitter crack-pot who happens to like lawyers. But in reading through the various reporting on the concerns of this neighborhood it seems to me that they have tried to work with officials, and have been patient. This is a man-made retention pond, and there is no reason it could not have been chemically cleansed, or drained, in a logical world. Shouldn't human concerns take priority when it comes to managing man-made ponds that might spread disease? I think so. Tom Gasgoyne wrote a good article on this issue in May (here it is). In it he states that Councilor Larry Wahl is championing the neighborhood's concerns. I think that's great, but Wahl shouldn't be the only one. After the last Finance Committee meeting I heard Councilor Scott Gruendl speaking with a Glenn County resident about mosquito abatement. Gruendl is the Health Services Director for that county as well as a Chico City Councilor. Gruendl's department has secured emergency state funds to deal with WNV because they know it is an important health issue. Glenn County residents have also formed a district (they tax themselves) for the purpose of mosquito abatement. Here is a story that ran on August 7, 2007 on KNVN. Glenn County is seeking support for emergency mosquito control after two more residents contracted the West Nile Virus. These latest cases include a man in his mid-twenties from Willows and a woman in her mid-eighties form Orland. These new cases bring the total-to-date to four people in county. Three of those people live outside the current vector control district. Now, county health officials are calling on the state to fund emergency fogging. “ The governor himself just last week declared a state of emergency in California,” Scott Gruendl of Glenn County Health Services told Action News, “in three counties, Kern, San Joaquin, and Colusa. The reason why he did that is because human deaths have occurred in each of the counties and as early as just last week, however, Glenn has the highest rate of WNV per capita as any other county in the state. We feel the governor should include Glenn County in that emergency declaration.” Gruendl knows this issue and should be out front in trying to solve it. He could do for the City of Chico what he's done for the County of Glenn. I suspect Ms. Brown and some of her neighbors have seen first hand what I've seen in Chico over the last few years. There's a lot of talk about things in Chico, but often there's little action. The talk is costly to the public but profitable for consultants. The talk results in studies that take time and move the issue out of the spotlight. I don't know if Ms. Brown will win a lawsuit, or even take it to a point of a real legal contest. But I hope this is a wake-up call to the City of Chico to deal with the retention pond. Temporarily drain the pond if necessary, kill the mosquitos, and pacify the neighbors. It's the best course of action. |
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CI Challenge: Can you guess what it is? Winner: Steve Lucas, see comments below for the answer. |
Posted by Lon at August 18, 2007 07:39 AM
Comments
It's Anthony Watts!
Posted by: Sean Baber at August 18, 2007 09:33 AM
Sean,
Watt's up with that guess. It might be Anthony's ancestor Amps Watts, who worked with the renowned scientist Volts Resistor to come up with Ohm's Law (Ohm was the last name of an exotic dancer they used to hang with).
But it's not Anthony.
Lon
Posted by: Lon at August 18, 2007 10:11 AM
Grover Cleveland on the $1000 bill.
Posted by: Steve Lucas at August 18, 2007 11:56 AM
Hey Steve,
You got it. It's not the image from the bill, but it is a picture of our 22nd President Grover Cleveland. I added an image of the bill above for comparison, and because it's the only time I'll ever get to see one.
Lon
For everyone that didn't know:
Here are a couple of excerpts from his Whitehouse biography (a link to the whole biography follows). The second paragraph contains Cleveland's nexus with modern presidential history.
Cleveland vigorously pursued a policy barring special favors to any economic group. Vetoing a bill to appropriate $10,000 to distribute seed grain among drought-stricken farmers in Texas, he wrote: "Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the Government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character. . . . "
In December 1887 he called on Congress to reduce high protective tariffs. Told that he had given Republicans an effective issue for the campaign of 1888, he retorted, "What is the use of being elected or re-elected unless you stand for something?" But Cleveland was defeated in 1888; although he won a larger popular majority than the Republican candidate Benjamin Harrison, he received fewer electoral votes.
Posted by: Lon at August 18, 2007 12:43 PM
Its not my electric ancestor, but does bear a resemblance to William Howard Taft but I think maybe this was some communist dictator fellow that had his face on a banknote
BTW My great grandma was named "Zot"
Zot Watts was the poster girl Thomas Edison used to advertise the newfangled electricity.
The slogan was: "Zot Watts?"
Posted by: Anthony at August 18, 2007 12:46 PM
Thanks Lon.
I hope everyone who reads your blog can help get the city to do something. Please call a city official or council member and tell them to drain the pond. Stop the vector.
From atop Mauna Kea,
Kris Koenig
Posted by: Kris Koenig at August 19, 2007 07:29 PM
Kris,
I hope the city decides to get a little more decisive.
If you have a laptop send me a photo of you reading my blog from the mountain top. If you don't have a laptop then just bring me back some pure cane suger from Hawaii, because...
Pure cane sugar, Pure cane sugar
From Hawaii, From Hawaii
Growin' in the sun, Growin' in the sun
Island sugar, fresh and clean
C & H Pure cane sugar
C & H Pure cane sugar
C & H Pure cane sugar
Is the one!
Lon
Posted by: Lon at August 19, 2007 08:38 PM
Environmental review shouldn't hold things up. The governor has declared a state of emergency for Butte County regarding West Nile Virus, and specific actions to mitigate an emergency are statutorily exempt from CEQA.
Translation: If people are dying or in imminent danger of dying, you don't need do any environmental studies before fixing the problem.
Posted by: Greg Redeker at August 20, 2007 01:32 PM
Lon,
The city is in the process of installing a low flow bypass pipe in this pond as the permanent fix. The city will expend upwards to $125,000 to resolve the issue long term.
The Butte County Mosquito and Vector Control District has direct authority to enter the property and treat the pond for both larvae and adult mosquitoes. We all pay property taxes to the district to provide these services that control vector-borne disease. The district has publicly stated that the pond may not be the greatest threat in this neighborhood.
The district has applied for and received emergency funding from the state to assist with intensifying monitoring and abatement.
Ultimately, no matter where anyone lives, there are specific steps that the public must take to protect themselves, including removal of all standing water around your home (this includes reporting sources off property that may be a concern, such as unmaintained swimming pools), assuring good condition of all screens and points of enty into the home, avoid outdoor activity at dawn and dusk (especially the 2 hours after sunset) and if one must go outside at these times then wear long sleeves and pants preferrably light in color, and use a mosquito repellant.
This year's mosquito season started early and will last longer, a number of weeks more than last year. Ground fogging has occurred a number of times throughout Chico and will most likely continue through November or whenever it gets cold. In the meantime, it is imperative that people take the steps necessary to protect themselves. Thanks for keeping this issue up front.
Posted by: Scott Gruendl at August 22, 2007 08:37 PM
Scott,
Thanks for posting. Considering your knowledge in this area I hope you will pay attention to progress the city makes in addressing the retention pond. And pay attention to the various other agencies engaged to ensure the are working towards a solution.
The district has authority, but do you know if it has actually treated the pond?
Lon
Posted by: Lon at August 22, 2007 09:06 PM
Lon,
Yes, the district has treated the pond. It is stocked with mosquito fish and the city pumps the pond to lower water levels.
The district inspects the pond regularily and reports that there is no larvae activity in the pond.
Major construction work at the pond will occur next week and the bypass pipe will be completed in September. The mosquito season may go through November this year.
Mosquito fogging will occur tonight (Thurs 8/23) in West Chico. Your readers can find out more at www.buttecounty.net/publichealth
To date, the city has not received a copy of the complaint for the lawsuit that started your post.
Scott
Posted by: Scott Gruendl at August 23, 2007 09:20 PM