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Start Leading the Way

I was dismayed once again to see the yellow pesticide flags on the public soccer fields at Chittenden Park. When I asked [Parks and Recreation Director] Rick Maynard and [First Selectman] Matt Hoey why the town thought it necessary to spray toxic chemicals proven to cause childhood cancers, liver and kidney damage, birth defects, and acute toxicity to birds, insects, and aquatic organisms, Maynard said it was for “weed control…to provide safe playing surfaces for athletes of all ages.” On what planet is a dandelion more dangerous than dicamba, sulfentrazone safer than sorrel, and florasulam more appropriate than flatsedge? Hoey signed the Pollinator Proclamation promising to encourage “residents to plant pollinator-friendly native plants and to abstain from pesticide use.”

So why is the town not adhering to its own guidelines? The time is now to put the health of our children and the health of their inherited planet first. Guilford needs to stop spraying deadly pesticides and start leading the way with safe alternatives.

Heather Bradley

Guilford