Post by Sharon Faulkner on Oct 5, 2006 10:41:33 GMT -5
Some of you may remember this issue from over a year ago.
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Bats to be evicted from Dallas park
By GROMER JEFFERS Jr.
October 4, 2006 The Dallas Morning News
Dallas City Council member Mitchell Rasansky finally drove a stake through the three bat houses at Glen Cove Park.
The houses were erected in 2005 as part of a North Dallas teenager's Eagle Scout project. But Mr. Rasansky, more than a year later, finally convinced city officials that a park full of bats was unsafe.
Don't call him Van Helsing. He said that bats carry rabies and that he's just looking out for the kids. "I thought under the circumstances that what I said to begin with was true," Mr. Rasansky said. "I don't think our children on anyone else ought to be at risk by having these things in our public parks."
Last year, Mr. Rasansky tried unsuccessfully to persuade park officials to remove the bat houses from the Northwest Dallas park. He jokingly referred to their young builder as Count Dracula and said the teen actually was from Transylvania.
A couple of weeks ago, the council member launched another campaign, presenting parks officials with newspaper articles that detailed problems with rabid bats in Garland and in Humble, a Houston suburb.
One article reported that a school had been evacuated after a rabid bat bit a child.
Dave Strueber, an assistant director for the Park and Recreation Department, said the houses were removed as a result of Mr. Rasansky's renewed effort. "This has been gnawing at him for a long time," Mr. Strueber said. "He thinks he's doing the right thing here. He doesn't want to have any kids in his parks come close to bats." Mr. Strueber said the houses were removed about 10 days ago.
The bat houses were built by Ira Richardson's son after the youth, who was then 14, received the city's permission to install them in Glen Cove Park. Now 16, the youth became an Eagle Scout in March, partly because of the three bat houses and the 300-yard nature trail that complemented them.
Mr. Richardson said that neither he nor his son was informed before the bat houses were removed. "I was walking through the park and saw the three big holes," Mr. Richardson said. "It didn't look like vandalism, because it was too neat." He said he figured Mr. Rasansky would win out in the end. "I thought this would be something that would have occurred during the last week of his term, when he was beyond reproach, sort of a last act," Mr. Richardson said.
Mr. Rasansky's initial opposition to the bat houses drew criticism from across the country, which prompted him to write a letter to Mr. Richardson expressing regret for his anti-bat campaign.
Mr. Rasansky said that despite the controversy, he still believes bats are dangerous. "The risk factor was there," he said. "We already had several deaths in the United States this year because of bats."
Mr. Strueber said the bat houses have been taken to a North Dallas location, where arrangements will be made to return them to the Richardsons. "The bat houses never had an occupant," Mr. Strueber said. "The time was right to take them down. It's over."
Article
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Bats to be evicted from Dallas park
By GROMER JEFFERS Jr.
October 4, 2006 The Dallas Morning News
Dallas City Council member Mitchell Rasansky finally drove a stake through the three bat houses at Glen Cove Park.
The houses were erected in 2005 as part of a North Dallas teenager's Eagle Scout project. But Mr. Rasansky, more than a year later, finally convinced city officials that a park full of bats was unsafe.
Don't call him Van Helsing. He said that bats carry rabies and that he's just looking out for the kids. "I thought under the circumstances that what I said to begin with was true," Mr. Rasansky said. "I don't think our children on anyone else ought to be at risk by having these things in our public parks."
Last year, Mr. Rasansky tried unsuccessfully to persuade park officials to remove the bat houses from the Northwest Dallas park. He jokingly referred to their young builder as Count Dracula and said the teen actually was from Transylvania.
A couple of weeks ago, the council member launched another campaign, presenting parks officials with newspaper articles that detailed problems with rabid bats in Garland and in Humble, a Houston suburb.
One article reported that a school had been evacuated after a rabid bat bit a child.
Dave Strueber, an assistant director for the Park and Recreation Department, said the houses were removed as a result of Mr. Rasansky's renewed effort. "This has been gnawing at him for a long time," Mr. Strueber said. "He thinks he's doing the right thing here. He doesn't want to have any kids in his parks come close to bats." Mr. Strueber said the houses were removed about 10 days ago.
The bat houses were built by Ira Richardson's son after the youth, who was then 14, received the city's permission to install them in Glen Cove Park. Now 16, the youth became an Eagle Scout in March, partly because of the three bat houses and the 300-yard nature trail that complemented them.
Mr. Richardson said that neither he nor his son was informed before the bat houses were removed. "I was walking through the park and saw the three big holes," Mr. Richardson said. "It didn't look like vandalism, because it was too neat." He said he figured Mr. Rasansky would win out in the end. "I thought this would be something that would have occurred during the last week of his term, when he was beyond reproach, sort of a last act," Mr. Richardson said.
Mr. Rasansky's initial opposition to the bat houses drew criticism from across the country, which prompted him to write a letter to Mr. Richardson expressing regret for his anti-bat campaign.
Mr. Rasansky said that despite the controversy, he still believes bats are dangerous. "The risk factor was there," he said. "We already had several deaths in the United States this year because of bats."
Mr. Strueber said the bat houses have been taken to a North Dallas location, where arrangements will be made to return them to the Richardsons. "The bat houses never had an occupant," Mr. Strueber said. "The time was right to take them down. It's over."
Article
