Give credit where credit is due
Dear Editor:
The North Fork Mosquito Abatement District has a comprehensive trapping program and sets traps regularly within the boundaries of the district from June to September.
There are approximately 18 traps set weekly in the NFMAD district by the volunteers. There are 10 traps set by the Delta County Health Department, five in the Delta area and five in the Surface Creek area.
The ONLY reason the health department knew that there was WNV in the early part of the season in the NFMAD district was due to the work of the NFMAD volunteers.
Trapping mosquitoes is not that difficult, but, and this is a big but, you have to be very careful about using repellant! You can't get repellant anywhere near the traps, you can't have it on your hands, you can't spray it on in between setting a trap here and setting a trap there. In other words, the trapping crews put themselves at risk every time they go out!
And that's not the whole story: There are the counters and identifiers. Again, it is volunteers who count and identify every mosquito caught. The culex are separated off and sent down to the health department, which then forwards them to a lab where WNV testing is performed. When WNV is found in a batch, people in that area and the entire county are notified.
The county has admitted that it does not have the personnel or funds to take over the 28 trap sites within the NFMAD District and Delta County.
If it weren't for NFMAD volunteers, there would be fewer mosquitoes trapped, identified, culex sorted and batches prepared for testing. No one would know that West Nile virus was active in the area or at the very least it would be less likely that people would know ahead of a human or animal case. Is ignorance bliss?
I heard someone smirk and make a negative comment about the appreciation party that was given for the volunteers. Give me a break. These people are doing a fabulous job, putting themselves at risk, and providing invaluable information to you and the Delta County Health Department. I heard Ken Nordstrom say over and over that, "We found the virus much earlier than usual." We who? The NFMAD volunteer team in cooperation with Delta County — that's who.
I'm writing this because I would like everyone to know who should be getting the credit in the Hotchkiss and Paonia area for the early warnings and comprehensive monitoring. NFMAD. I just want to see credit served where credit is due.
In appreciation for all who work to help to keep us informed. Keeping safe is a personal responsibility.
Lulu Volckhausen
Paonia
Do-gooders do good
Dear Editor:
I want to thank Dick Moore for his letter to the editor (Sept. 19 DCI) calling attention to the pervasive littering problem in Delta County. I share his disgust with the individuals who thoughtlessly dump trash on the roadside and our public lands, expecting the "trash fairies" to clean up after them.
Sustainable development draws a large crowd
Dear Editor:
On Sept. 22, three nationally known speakers came to the Performing Arts Center in Delta — Tom DeWeese, Dr. Michael Coffman and Michael Chapman, to educate citizens on sustainable development and Agenda 21. People attended from as far away as Aurora knowing the significance of the information that was being put forth.
Consider before voting
Dear Editor:
Government dependency programs have jumped for the fourth year in a row, while an ever-shrinking number of we-the-taxpayers struggle to pay for them. Almost 50% of Americans pay no income tax to help fund the programs that almost 50% of Americans use for food, housing, school lunches, etc.
Letter writer’s claims questioned
Dear Editor:
In Marc Kanter's letter of Sept. 12, he stated that local billionaire Bill Koch was on the board of directors of the Smithsonian Institute. However, the institute's web page lists only DAVID Koch as a member of the advisory board.
Obama versus Romney
Dear Editor:
This is the most emotional and irrational presidential campaign I have ever witnessed. By nature I am a Libertarian; however, I have to choose between a Democrat and Republican, or I will be throwing my vote away.
Do your homework
Dear Editor:
The three letters to the editor in the Sept. 26 DCI issue pretty much summed up which way our country is going and I thank them for voicing their opinion. $16 trillion in debt, over 8% unemployment, Obamacare, closed coal-power plant, regulation squeezing the life out of small businesses and the alienation of Israel, our strongest Middle East ally to name a few.
Doing the right thing
Dear Editor:
I would like to thank two residents of Delta for following that example. On Sept. 4, I lost my wallet in front of a Main Street business.
Susan Hansen — not gone, never forgotten
Dear Editor:
Cheers to the DCI for writing a touching tribute to Susan Hansen and putting it on the front page of the DCI last week. Susan certainly deserves every accolade that could be imagined.
There’s no lack of transparency from Sal Pace
Dear Editor:
As members of the host committee for the Paonia fundraiser for Rep. Sal Pace we would like to express our thanks for the many people who worked hard to make it a success. The local food and wine were awesome and the generosity of the local community was evident.