The Westerner for August 8, 2011
Meeting: chair, Sherry; music, Sherry and Doug Sollows; grace, Bill Buckham
Attendance/Guests: 27 including proposed member Darryll White; guest speaker Mike Jenkins
Condolences: there have been 5 deaths over the last two weeks that impact the Rotary Club of Edmonton West - Terri MacPherson suffered from Multiple Sclerosis and resided at Grandview Extended Care Centre for 26 years, she was the first resident to use the first Apple computer that our club donated to Grandview - funeral was July 27; Cec Blackburn was a Past Governor for Rotary District 5370, had pancreatic cancer, funeral was July 27; Past President of Rotary Club of Edmonton West Don Hamilton died of a burst aneurism, celebration of life was August 3; Jim Rowand's son Scott passed away from pneumonia; celebration of life was August 5; member Erika Rudolph passed away from complications from Multilple Sclerosis, funeral will be August 11, 2:00 pm at Lutheran Church, 9009 - 163 Street; obituary will be in Wednesday's Edmonton Journal. Prayers and best wishes to the families.
50/50: Rudy and Wayne did not match cards, $9 to next week
Thankyou: Sherry thanked all who participated in the casino and golf tournament; great fund raisers
Finemaster: Mike Ryan fined for - Chris having too much fun; not wearing Rotary pins; not wearing name badges; not having been involved in the golf fundraiser; for wearing a tie
Happy Bucks: Jim Spalding had prostate cancer; now, after 2 years of external radiation treatment, he appears to be cancer free; he donated $100; congratulations to Jim
Guest Speaker: Mike Ryan introduced Mike Jenkins, mosquito guy for City of Edmonton; (Biological Science Technician for Mosquito Control Program)
The male mosquito eats nectar from flowers and pollinates plants/flowers. Female mosquito also eats nectar until it is time to lay eggs - then needs a blood meal for protein. There are many tools in the mouth of the female mosquito to allow penetration so the blood can be syphoned. Viruses are not usually transfered but bacteria, like malaria, in the mosquito syliva, are transfered.
Life cycle - adult to egg(in or near water) to larvae (in water) to pupae (in water) to adult emerging from pupae and the water.
There are 42 types of mosquito in the Edmonton area. They appear at different times of the year, from early spring to late fall. 1/3 of them can carry the West Nile Virus (mostly bird to mosquito to bird).
Predators include flat head minnow, flat worm (in water), diving beetle larvae, dragon fly (both larvae and adults). The dragon fly larvae take 2 years to develop to adult.
Cities and towns around Edmonton do not have mosquito control programs so mosquitos come to Edmonton on the wind from near by areas (like Cooking Lake). Control programs include rainfall monitoring (guages), mosquito population monitoring (traps), mosquito species monitoring (traps), responsible use of control products (pesticides - mostly larvaecides); habitat reduction (mostly rain pools on school yards and utility right of ways)
Mike was thanked by John.