(Editor’s note: This was submitted as an open letter to county commissioner Craig Welling.) 

Editor:

Last Saturday, Evanston invited hundreds of people to our town for Brew Fest. And then, when they were out in the streets, we doused them with poison. 

No doubt our mosquito control agent, Brad Asay, will protest my objection by assuring us Permanone is safe. Even if it were safe (which it isn’t), he and you, as county commissioner, should be aware that many people disagree and believe pyrethrins to be harmful or potentially harmful and would object to being doused with them. 

Why is Mr. Asay required to notify residents in advance of spraying? Isn’t it to provide warning and time for us to take precautions to avoid exposure? Why then did he think it was a good idea to spray hundreds of people who had not received any notice? 

Many of our out-of-town guests were from municipalities or states that long ago abandoned aerial spraying as ineffective and unnecessarily hazardous, and they must have been surprised and appalled to be sprayed with poison on a Saturday at an outdoor event. 

At the very least, it was extremely rude behavior. Mr. Asay might write back to explain and offer assurances, but it won’t matter. If I were a visitor, I would not be reading this newspaper; I would just be thinking, “I’ll never go to another outdoor event in Evanston again!” 

Mr. Welling, I would like you to acknowledge that this spraying over crowds should never have happened, and to please let us know how you will ensure it will never happen again. 

Marie Adams

Evanston