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The only things being
"accidentally"sprayed in NYC
are the mosquitoes!by Robert Lederman
robert.lederman@worldnet.att.net
September 5, 2000August 31, 2000
Staten Island Advance
Bug Bombers Stray And Spray
Hundreds of moms, dads and kids run for cover
as helicopters douse ballfields, golf course
and a residential area with pesticide.by Frank Williams
Advance Staff Writer
Staten Island Advance
Staten Island, NY
Helicopters that city officials said would only sspray over "unpopulated areas" instead spewed their pesticide cloud over surprised and frightenefrightened Islanders yesterday. Hundreds of children playing on football and baseball fields in Travis had to dodge the mist.
"Our policy in general has been to use helicopters in mainly nonresidential areas not accessible to all-terrain vehicles," said city Health Department spokeswoman Sandra Mullin last night. "If this incident reflects a veering away from the designed route, that's something we want to look into."
"We certainly apologize to any individuals over whom the helicopters may have flown and put in the way of the Anvil we were spraying."
The city has said that helicopter spraying takes place during daylight hours so pilots can avoid populated or environmentally sensitive areas. How they failed to recognize a golf course, youth ball fields and the residential area near High Rock Park -- all areas where people claimed choppers doused them last night -- remains unclear.
As parents became aware of the mist falling from a low-flying chopper over the three fields of the Staten Island Boys' Football League at the corner of South and Travis avenues, kids were quickly hustled into cars -- shoulder pads and all -- and suddenly found themselves going home. A practice was canceled soon after the helicopter arrived at 6:45 p.m.
The fields are near the South Avenue industrial corridor, one of several "remote"areas on the Island's West Shore targeted by the city for aerial spraying from 6:30 to 9 last night. More aerial spraying was scheduled this morning from 5 to 6:30. Trucks were also out all over the Island, spraying between 10 last night and 5 this morning.
A scrimmage game went on, but was delayed until the spraying was over. During a time-out, dozens of children huddled for cover under the concessions stand's awning.
"The helicopter flew by four times. I think the borough president needs to get a call," said Kathleen Collins of West Brighton, who was watching her 8-year-old son, Michael, play. She said she sat in her car, cradling her 1-month-old daughter, Kayla, during the dousing. "This is a field full of children -- and many of them aren't even playing."
The parents criticized the city's vague plan to spray "unpopulated" areas from the air.
"Unpopulated? You can't get more populated than a field full of kids having fun," said Joe Yacca of Great Kills, who was also watching Michael, his nephew.
"I got spray on me and I'm annoyed," said Carol Aponte of Travis, who was with her sons, Jonathan, 8, and Steven, 10. "We had no idea. It was supposed to be only unpopulated areas."
The football league's officials said they did not know their field would be sprayed by helicopter last night.
"We would never have had practice if we knew about the spraying. We thought they were only spraying unpopulated areas, but we're populated," said Sandy Scott, treasurer of the league. "We received no notice at all."
It was unclear last night who in city government, if anyone, is responsible for notifying specific youth leagues or public recreation areas -- like city-owned LaTourette Golf Course, where complaints from pesticide-covered golfers were heard -- that they are in or near a spray zone.
"We have in many instances been working with the borough presidents' offices to identify leagues to notify them," said Ms. Mullin, when contacted by the Advance early last evening. "We may not have reached every league but we certainly have attempted to do it. This could be a situation that we may not have been aware of."
But Borough President Guy V. Molinari said the Health Department "never asked us to notify anyone." He said the notion of contacting every league is "outrageous."
"We just don't have the resources and staff to do this," said the borough president. "All we can do is take information from the Health Department and relay it to the public."
When contacted later in the evening and told of Molinari's comments, Ms. Mullin said, "We've been working with all elected officials through announcements in the media in an attempt to get the word out. The borough president's office has been very helpful this way."
Eleanor Conforti, chairwoman of the District 31 Community School Board, was at the Mid-Island Babe Ruth League's Travis baseball fields and was hit with spray, along with two teams and two full bleachers.
"I'm appalled at this. I'm just so upset because all these kids are here," said Ms. Conforti. "This is a crowded field and you're telling me this is uninhabited?"
Lou Pinheiro, 43, of Bay Terrace, and Robert Trimarchi, 35, of Westerleigh, were sprayed on the fourth hole of LaTourette Golf Course near Forest Hill Road.
"There were at least 100 people out there and they were spraying right over us," said Pinheiro. "When everybody was leaving, they sprayed right over the parking lot."
"Those condominiums on Forest Hill Road were being sprayed too," said Trimarchi. "It's very irresponsible to be spraying people in the early evening."
Kevin Calabrese, who lives in the last house before High Rock Park begins on Nevada Avenue, Egbertville, said his block was hit with spray.
"I came back from the store at around 7 p.m. and they were spraying when I tried to get in my house," said Calabrese. "The same thing happened the last time they sprayed from helicopters."
Calabrese said when the spraying started people came running out of High Rock Park.
"I don't understand why the park wasn't closed -- especially since they were spraying," said Calabrese.
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Important Note:
Mr. Lederman has explained that his articles posted here are not to be taken as official statements by the No-Spray Coalition of which he is a member or of the "No-Spray" lawsuit in which he is a plaintiff.Blue Collar Pundit Essays
Searching for the Breach in
Alice’s Looking Glass WorldMy America
Oh Say, Can You See?
FREEDOM!
War isn't Hell!
God is Starting to Scare Me!
It's All Part of the Plan!
Turning the World Wide Web Into
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