This week's headlines

Residents of Surface Creek Valley will want to be reviewing the "do's and don'ts" of personal protection from mosquitoes this year.

New regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency that carry onerous requirements for permitting for applicators, increased threat of lawsuits, and crippling fines for violations have led the area's local spray operator to drop the aerial service.

"This is thanks to the Obama EPA," Orchard City Mayor Don Suppes noted in making the announcement at the town board April 11 meeting. Orchard City's aerial mosquito spraying program, begun several years ago to combat West Nile Virus, has been highly successful and popular with town residents, Suppes said.

The town may have to consider a limited program of ground-based fogging, a method considered far less effective than aerial spray.

Cedaredge will also consider a ground-based fogging program. The discussion is set for the trustee's April 17 meeting. Cedaredge posted the following notice on its website: "Due to changing regulations, aerial mosquito control will not be possible. The town will be considering fogging to control mosquitoes. This type of mosquito control will be reviewed by the Board of Trustees in May."

Various news accounts of new EPA spraying regulations point out the onerous permitting requirements and fines of up to $37,500 per day for violations. New EPA spraying regs will affect some 365,000 pesticide applicators nationwide, the EPA estimates.

Orchard City had budgeted $27,000 for its mosquito spray program this year. That money may be used for other purposes instead.

The "Four D's" of personal mosquito protection advised by health officials are: drain standing water from property; avoid being outside at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active; dress appropriately for bite prevention; and use a repellent with the compound DEET.

In other business at its April 11 regular meeting, the Orchard City Town Board dealt with the following matters:

• Constituent Charles Marty, a regular contributor to the town board's meetings, brought up some safety concerns. Marty, a retired postal worker, said it's been not uncommon in past for letter carriers to be hit as they stood at their vehicles sorting mail. "If people can run into a mail carrier they can run into anything," Marty said. "There are more illegal mailboxes in Orchard City than I've seen anywhere else."

A long-time advocate of seat belt use, Marty also told the board that "Cory Grade (Iris Road) is a mess." Mayor Suppes said the town had been clearing boulders from the steep hillside overlooking Iris Road.

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