Saturday Weekly Round: School Board Field Set

School Board Field Set

The filing period officially closed on August 15, 2007. There are four candidates running for two spots. The Vanguard will be attempting to interview each candidate and will be the source for information about the vital school board campaign.

The four candidates are Susan Lovenburg who has been very active both on the PTA and in general as a volunteer. Richard Harris a columnist with the Davis Enterprise and former District Director with Congressman Vic Fazio. Bob Schelen, a Researcher/Consultant for Majority Services for the Democratic Party in the State Assembly, and Joseph Spector who a former school psychologist.

I do not know much about Mr. Spector and I am not certain how strong a campaign he is going to run. My early handicapping of this race is that Ms. Lovenburg as the only female running has a tremendous advantage and I would say is likely to win one of the seats. That would leave the three men to vie for the second seat. Harris has already raised a lot of money for this race. Schelen needs to become the alternative to Harris with an emphasis on his support for keeping Valley Oak open and helping disadvantaged kids.

Superintendent Search Nearly Over

We may know as soon as next week who the new superintendent will be. Stay tuned to the Vanguard where we will bring you the news first.

More on West Nile Mosquito Spraying

An opinion piece in the Sacramento News and Review this week, argues that spraying is unproven in terms of effectiveness and untested in terms of long term health risks.

A few key quotes:

• "In recent weeks, the district fast-tracked unproven and unsafe pesticides that were sprayed over 375,000 residents to kill adult mosquitoes."
  
  
• "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that it is illegal to call these pesticides safe. "
  
  
• "Short-term symptoms of mosquito pesticide poisoning include rashes, nausea and dizziness. Unfortunately, we don’t know much about the long-term or cumulative effects because they are untested."
  
  
• "Common sense tells us that we should use the safest possible mosquito controls. For decades, the SYMVCD has used effective non-chemical controls to stop the spread of infected mosquito larvae. Scientific literature has done little to support the case for large-scale spraying. Aerial spraying is just a Band-Aid solution."

In the lively discussion that occurred last week after the article in the Vanguard, one clear thing remained unanswered--whether the health risks of not spraying given the rather low infection and mortality rates of WNV in the local area outweighed the health risks that are untested of spraying. As it stands right now, you are much more likely to get killed in a car accident or even by other health threats than by West Nile Virus. That should not be taken as a minimization of the suffering some have experienced, but rather a suggestion that we take a totalistic view of health policies before we rush in.

The other question that should be answered is whether if the mosquito population goes unchecked--the spread of WNV will increase from its current low levels. Moreover, the question remains as to the best way to slow the spread of WNV--perhaps it is at the personal level by using insect repellent rather than in the environmental level by spraying.

Update on Vanguard's Fundraising for Yolo Crisis Nursery

Thanks to the generous support of Vanguard readers, the Vanguard's event has now raised $1550 for the Yolo Crisis Nursery.

The Nursery is still in need of both direct contributions as well as item donations.

To see their current wish-list, please click here

To go to the Yolo Crisis Nursery's website, please click here.

The Vanguard would also like to promote a benefit coming up in October in Vacaville that will be raising money for Tuberous Schlerosis Complex...

STEP FORWARD TO CURE TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS COMPLEX
5K RUN and 2 mile Fun Run/Walkathon

(From Press Release) VACAVILLE, CA — On Saturday, OCTOBER 13, 2007 volunteers in the Northern California area will be gathering to participate in the Step Forward to Cure TSC 5K Run and 2 Mile Fun Run/Walk. It will take place at Lagoon Valley Park, rain or shine. There will be family activities, a raffle, silent auction and music. Prizes will be awarded to the top three individual fundraisers! For the certified 5K course: Age group division top 3 finishers and top 3 overall finishers will be awarded prizes.

REGISTRATION: 8 am at the event OR pre-registration mail-in/ drop-off at Fleet Feet, 354 Merchant Street: Vacaville, CA 95688. Registration flyers available at Fleet Feet, or contact Dena Mitchell at 707-451-1559. Online registration: www.stepforwardtocuretsc.org.

START TIME: 5K Run 9:00 a.m. 2 Mile Fun Run/Walk: 9:15 a.m.

FEE: 2 mile Walk: no registration fee. 5K event is $15 pre-registration or $20 on event day.

MAJOR SPONSORS: Fleet Feet Sports of Vacaville and Queen of the Valley Medical Center. Other sponsors include Alza Corporation. Plus many other local companies are involved.

Getting friends and family to sponsor (donate) to participants is encouraged to raise awareness of Tuberous Sclerosis. Raise at least $100 in donations will receive a Step Forward t-shirt.

All proceeds benefit the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance (TS Alliance). Step Forward to Cure Tuberous Sclerosis, a national fund-raising campaign, was created to raise awareness of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a devastating genetic disorder, while generating the funds critical to identifying effective treatments and an eventual cure.

TSC affects in 1 in 6000 children. It is estimated to affect 50,000 people in the U.S. and more than one million worldwide. Although it can be transmitted through genetic inheritance, about two-thirds of TSC cases are believed to be a spontaneous mutation. TSC is a multi-system disorder, due to the growth of tumors in vital organs, such as the brain, heart, kidney, lungs and skin. People with TSC commonly have epilepsy, behavioral disorders (such as attention deficit disorder-ADD), autistic spectrum disorder, skin tumors and other symptoms. Currently there is no cure.

For 30 years, the TS Alliance has been the main source of information and resources to help individuals and families optimize care for those affected by tuberous sclerosis complex. For further information about the TS Alliance or TSC, go online at www.tsalliance.org or contact the organization toll-free at (800) 225-6872.

Story about Matthew

Matthew has Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). He was diagnosed when he was 2 days old. He was scheduled for a heart surgery at birth for a coarctation of the aorta repair, which is a non-related condition. During pre-op screening for surgery, a brain ultrasound revealed sub cortical brain tumors. These tumors, along with a tumor in his heart, lead to the diagnosis of TSC. His heart surgery was performed at 5 days old without complications, thankfully. Yet this is the least of our concerns today. We are left with the more daunting realization that he has Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, a lifelong medical condition with unpredictable outcomes. And he will be advised not to have children, since there is a 50% chance of passing it on.

He is one of the fortunate 15% who are not severely affected by TSC, yet his future is unknown. His brain and recently diagnosed kidney tumors continue to grow. He also has mild sensory problems. He will continue to need testing in cardiology, neurology, developmental and behavioral specialties, renal, and optometry for years to come. As well as related surgical procedures if the tumors continue to grow. Not only is this an emotional stressor to a child and future adult, but also a financial stress on the health care system.

Research on TSC is having a significant impact on our understanding of epilepsy, autism, cancer, learning and behavioral disabilities, and diabetes. Progress IS being made. This research has the potential to be applied to the treatment and possible cures in all of these diagnoses’. See www.tsalliance.org for more on research progress.

Support the Step Forward to Cure Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 5K Run and 2 mile Fun Run/Walk on October 13, 2007 at Lagoon Valley in Vacaville, CA.

Donate, register, or sponsor Matthew Mitchell online.

For more info or to volunteer: Dena Webb Mitchell 707-451-1559. Registration brochures also available at Fleet Feet of Vacaville, throughout the community, or call Dena. See website for more details about TSC.

---Doug Paul Davis reporting

Davis City Council Remains Silent as Sacramento Presses for Answers on WNV Spraying

According to an article that appeared in the Sacramento Bee on Thursday, Sacramento City Councilman Rob Fong is asking tough questions about the aerial spraying of urban areas as a means to control the local mosquito population. The Sacramenento City Council took up the issue last night.

I find it noteworthy that the Sacramento City Council would be asking a number of tough questions about the effectiveness of the spraying and also questioning whether we in fact know enough about the environmental and health effects of the use of these chemicals.

Councilmember Rob Fong told the Sacramento Bee:

"They're telling us it's OK to use these chemicals because we don't know yet whether anything bad can happen as a result. I'm just not comfortable with that."

One reason I find this so interesting has been the lack of interest on the part of the Davis City Council to ask similar tough questions. Last year when the Davis City Council took up this issue, only one councilmember, Lamar Heystek, sought to oppose aerial spraying in urban areas. His motions died for the lack of second. It now appears that the Sacramento City Council has shown action where the Davis City Coucnil accepted the official findings of the experts.

However, when pressed by Councilmember Fong, Sacramento County's Public Health Officer, Dr. Trochet and Dave Brown, manager of the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District, were forced to acknowledge the chemicals are possible carcinogens and that they have no idea of the long-term effects because they have not done long term studies.

As I wrote last year, I am not a doctor or a scientist, so I do not know whether spraying presents a health and/ or environmental hazard. However, as always, I am concerned about the process. Particularly the lack of local control and the lack of clear scientific evidence that would dispel or confirm some of the concerns raised by activists and environmentalists.

The first problem I have with the process is that the mosquito abatement district operates outside of direct local control. Sacramento City Attorney Eileen Teichert for example has determined that the city lacks the legal authority to opt out of aerial spraying. However, the city could appeal a spraying decision to the state or file a lawsuit. The lack of local control by elected officials who have had their power usurped by an unelected bureaucratic body remains a very disturbing feature of this issue.

Second, unlike the case with the Sacramento City Council, I do not believe that the City of Davis asked tough questions and drew up satisfactory answers to two crucial questions.

The first question is the long term health effects. We do not have good answers to this question because long term studies have not been performed.

The second key question is one that we should have at least some data on--how effective is the spraying at reducing the adult mosquito population and reducing the spread of the West Nile Virus.

However, there are two different answers to this question depending on who you ask.

"David Brown, who heads the Sacramento-Yolo district, said he's convinced aerial spraying has greatly reduced the number of infected adult mosquitoes. That in turn has reduced the public health risk, he said."

However, according to a number of activists and environmentalists, "No studies show conclusively that aerial spraying eliminates or decreases the incidence of West Nile virus infections"

Jack Milton, a UC Davis professor and local activist with Stop West Nile Spraying Now, suggests that the evidence is much weaker than they are letting on. In response to questions in August of 2005, the experts presented evidence. However, this evidence amounted to something considerably less than actual scientific study.

"It turns out that this paper is essentially an administrative report of how one district spent its money as WNv infections grew. It is not a study in any way, shape, or form about efficacy of adulticiding. They had ramped up all vector control activities, and there was no way in what they did to measure the efficacy of adulticiding at all. There was no comparative study, there was no model, there was nothing in there to allow anybody to draw any such conclusions."

Jack Milton concludes from this response:

"I suggest that if this is one of their two best pieces of evidence (the other one was a study, not in a peer-reviewed journal, which scholars at the University of Colorado have thoroughly criticized), they have essentially no evidence whatsoever."

It is not clear to me then that we have compelling evidence of the effectiveness of the spraying program. It is also not clear to me whether we know enough about the long term health effects of spraying urban areas.

That leaves us with one final question--how serious is the West Nile Virus threat that we are willing to take potential health risks with uncertain benefits.

As the two graphics show, the health risk currently compared to other public health problems seems fairly low with only 54 deaths from West Nile Virus from 2004-2006 in California. Compare that to other threats and you see a very small problem at this time. Obviously we should not scoff at the problem, and certain individuals are at more risk than others. But given the relatively low mortality rate of West Nile Virus it seems to me more reasonable to work at reducing risk for high risk individuals, rather than working on large environmentally questionable practices for something that in general is not a large threat to the average person.

According to Jack Milton,

"The disease is a rare and mild one for most people, and it is headed into chronic endemicity now, which will mean fewer and fewer cases in upcoming years, with some small fluctuations from year to year -- a dampened sine wave, if you will. Vector control and public health officials have sensationalized the issue and have engaged in fear tactics in order to peddle their snake oil. They have largely ignored the risks to people and the environment of the spray, and they have not even attempted to measure the effect of applying this poison in the way they are. At the same time they have exaggerated the risks of WNv, and their methods and statements have been very inconsistent."

It may be that these things are perfectly safe and we have nothing to worry about, but what concerns me most is that the Sacramento City Council is being much more aggressive with asking these questions at this time than the Davis City Council. Four of the five members of the Davis City Council seemed relatively unconcerned a year ago about any questions regarding spraying. A motion by Councilmember Heystek died for a lack of a second. Meanwhile the Sacramento City Council has taken the lead on this issue.

---Doug Paul Davis reporting