HADLEY — A recent Select Board decision allowing the state to control mosquitos using aerial spraying may violate the spirit of an annual Town Meeting vote from three years ago, when residents approved taking a different approach to controlling mosquitos, according to a letter sent to the board this week.
“In their vote on May 19th to allow spraying through the state program, should it be deemed necessary, the Select Board is ignoring the will of the town as expressed by that May 2018 Town Meeting vote,” reads the letter signed by nearly three dozen residents and also sent to Town Administrator Carolyn Brennan and the town’s law firm, KP Law.
In expressing opposition to the Select Board’s 3-2 vote to remain in the state program, rather than opting out as recommended by a unanimous Board of Health vote and the urging of several residents during public comment, the letter points to the Town Meeting vote to join the Pioneer Valley Mosquito Control District and pay a $5,000 fee, with an amendment that limits Hadley’s participation to monitoring purposes only.
“While we recognize that the district and state program are two separate entities, we are asking the Select Board in light of this information to do the moral and ethical thing, which is to abide by the will of Town Meeting, and opt out of the state spraying program,” the letter states.
During that Town Meeting, then Town Administrator David Nixon reflected on his own experience as a child of playing behind a fog truck spraying for mosquitos. He told voters that being a member of the district would allow threats to be identified and find the best way of addressing them.
Dina Friedman of Barstow Lane said Thursday that the letter she drafted has been signed by 35 residents, including several farmers who fear their organic operations could be compromised. Those farmers include Winter Moon Farm’s Michael Docter and Lynn Bowmaster; Carr’s Ciderhouse’s Nicole Blum, Jonathan Carr and Ava Blum-Carr; Dan and Candice Pratt at DPOrganic; and Amelia and Jim Mead of Astarte Farm.
While Friedman is optimistic dry conditions may prevail this summer, she said it remains important to show the Select Board that its vote was a mistake due to the possibility of spraying.
“They clearly did the wrong thing and went against the will of the town,” Friedman said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
