While the rest of the country is frantically working to combat the forthcoming Zika virus, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz does not appear to be interested in the plight of about 600 Mays Chapel Elementary School students, over 50 staff members, hundreds of school volunteers and parents and thousands of neighbors — senior citizens, young children, parents, etc. After granting the Timonium school an exemption to erect a "temporary" stormwater collection pond (unnecessary before the developers came), the now-permanent still water has become a large new source of mosquitoes. Repeated attempts to have this condition corrected have met with the response that Baltimore County has exempted itself against the appropriate environmental legislation. In fact, the county even told one citizen that it could not spray near a school regardless of the fact that the school construction was the source of the problem.
How many pregnant or potentially-pregnant parents and children will be subjected to the Zika virus as a result of this politically-expedient exemption? How many children will be unable to achieve their potential because of the brain injuries resulting from Zika-infected mosquito bites? How many senior citizens are unable to enjoy their balconies, patios and backyard and are afraid of Zika-resulting debilitating illnesses?
Meanwhile, as in the Old Testament, not only has the plague of lice (officially translated from the Bible to include mosquitoes) appeared but now the neighbors have thousands of tadpoles and frogs living and wandering throughout their properties and getting into their homes (another Biblical plague) as these newly-born amphibians leave their stormwater pond home in the spring looking for additional bodies of water in which to grow and prosper.
While Pharaoh (Mr. Kamenetz) continues with his politically-motivated actions, the current and future tax-paying populace is exposed to life-altering illness and hazards. It's time to clean up this pond and allow children, adults and senior citizens to live a healthy and productive life.
Nancy Burke, Mays Chapel