Tick Committee Anticipates Decisions, Debates In Coming Weeks

By Kendra Bobowick

“Is anyone prepared to present tonight?” asked Tick-Borne Disease Action Committee Chairman Robert Grossman, who waited Wednesday evening, April 28, for a reply. “Nobody?”

“Our group is just not there yet,” said member Mark Alexander during the committee’s weekly meeting at 8 pm in the C.H. Booth Library. Referring to his 22-page, single-spaced document, he spoke up for other members in his subcommittee: “It takes a lot of time … for busy people.” Various subcommittees are preparing reports based on experts’ studies, research, presentations, and available documentation regarding a host of topics, including tick lifecycles as related to deer, the white-footed mouse, forest fragmentation, motor vehicle accidents, and aspects the group deems a high priority for disease prevention, including safety practices, education, and awareness. Issues of deer filter through many separate topics, which the group had decided to treat individually.

Putting Mr Alexander’s and other subcommittees’ results on hold for the immediate future, discussions, decisions, and anticipated disagreements about education, deforestation, affects, and measures to curb tick-related infections in the community will begin as soon as the second week of May.

Although he was “disappointed not to get anything in writing for review and discussion for this week,” Dr Grossman conceded, “We’ve taken this much time, another one or two weeks won’t make a difference, so finalize it, go over it.”

“When it comes, it will be a well-formed document, we’ve been through [an estimated] 17 drafts,” Mr Alexander said. “It’s not easy coming to a consensus.”

“I know. I know al lot of people have been working very hard,” Dr Grossman said, giving credit to the committee members. Referring to surrounding towns’ reports prepared by similar committees in past years, Dr Grossman said, “When you read some of the other reports, they took a year…”

Not all reports will reflect a like-minded group, even among subcommittees, and ultimately the full committee’s final report and culmination of conclusions and recommendations regarding multiple aspects of tick-borne disease problems will reflect differences of opinion. Member Kirk Blanchard noted, “Our [forest-related] subcommittee decided to submit two different reports. Quite different, and not practical to put them together, so two will go to the whole committee for vote.”

Speaking to the split among subcommittees and the likely differences of the full committee’s vote, Dr Grossman said, “We won’t throw anything out. We’ll submit everybody’s work.”

Explaining her subcommittee’s break into two reports, Mary Gaudet-Wilson said, “Here’s the story; I covered a lot of areas and David [Delia] and Kirk covered the forest — the trees,” she specified. Her deforestation subcommittee encompassed a larger scope from her perspective. She explained the differences in what she has prepared in a report so far, “The scope and content is so different. I did the white-footed mouse, invasive [plant species], forest fragmentation [due to development]. Is anyone opposed to reading what I have written?”

“Absolutely not,” Dr Grossman answered. Pleased to learn that reports could reflect different points of view, Ms Gaudet-Wilson was relieved the subcommittees, and eventually the full board, did not have to present one perspective only. “Then we don’t have to fight about it,” she said.

Defending group’s research and different perspectives overall, Dr Grossman said, “It’s all based on fact.”

“But the facts are contradictory at times,” Ms Gaudet-Wilson added, which is among the reasons for preparing final report with various conclusions and recommendations. She said that deer may affect the forest, “but there is a lot more going on” to favor tick and deer abundance.

Later in the evening Mr Delia edged closer to topics of disagreement, which have largely remained at bay among committee members: “We haven’t really debated anything as a group.” Earlier as he mentioned offering a tip sheet of safety measures to his son’s scout troop, he said, “I never got into deer, just prevention.”

Dr Grossman answered, “We will debate when we need to. We should give debate the time it needs.”

Individual Efforts

Both Mr Delia and advisor to the committee Pat Boily have taken steps to protect their children’s scouting troops

“My son is in cub scouts, and we’re in the woods and no one has ever mentioned ticks,” Mr Delia said. “We’re in the brush all the time, so I put something together.”

“I did the same thing!” said Mr Boily. Both men soon discovered they had prepared one-page reminders for their troops.

“You have to get in quick, grab their attention and get out the message,” Mr Delia explained.

As a tree-worker, Mr Delia sees another way ticks and disease encroach on his peace of mind. “Aside from the occasional back injury or a splinter to the eye, the biggest health issue is tick-borne illness.”