The Ithaca Journal from Ithaca, New York • Page 3

Friday, May IS, 1981 ITHACA JOURNAL 3 Additional local news Pages 4-5 State ready to spray campgrounds with Sevin By JUDITH HORSTMAN vyirS "fr I EMC opposed to spraying of parks By JOHN MAINES Journal Staff For the third year in a row, the Tompkins County Environmental Management Council has gone on record opposing the spraying of chemicals meant to prevent the spread of gypsy moths. The 15 EMC members attending Thursday's meeting voted unanimously to oppose the spraying of Buttermilk and Robert H. Treman state parks with Sevin 80s, saying they have seen no proof that the federal government's treatment plan works. The EMC decision was based on a report by the council's Fish and Wildlife Committee, which repeated its call for a study to determine the effectiveness of the Sevin spraying. But council members admit that their opposition has little chance of changing the planned spraying of the parks.

Previous EMC opposition to the spraying, in 1979 and again in 1980, had no effect. "We're not going to stop APHIS. We just don't have that kind of clout," said EMC chairman William R. Shaw. "At least not yet." Shaw referred to the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, which has ordered states to find ways to control gypsy moths.

In its report to the full EMC board, the Fish and Wildlife Committee said there was a need for a study to determine what effect gypsy moth infestation has on the woodland of Tompkins County; what the effect the various treatment programs have; and research into various woodland management practices in response to Gypsy Moth infestations. spray. All have opted for spraying, according to Gaines. "We don't even have any campgrounds without trees," said Gell of the state parks. "I guess we could have let them sit in the parking lots." The two insecticides permitted by APHIS are Sevin or Orthene, said Gaines.

Sevin 80s, an insecticide widely used in gardens, will be used by the state on its parklands here, Gell said. It will applied at the rate of one pound per acre, from the ground. In past years, campgrounds have been sprayed from the air. Used properly, Sevin is regarded as less harmful to humans than other insecticides used on moths in the past. But it can be fatal to bees, said Cornell University entomologist Roger Morse.

It can be applied in several different formulations, with Sevin 80s being the most lethal to bees, and Morse has been lobbying this year to persuade the state and the USDA to recommend use of a different formulation of Sevin. Bees are needed to pollinate some 50 crops throughout the nation. It's estimated that approximately one-third of the diet of Americans comes from foods related to bee pollination, said Richard Nowogrodzki, a graduate student working with Morse. In New York State, bees are vital to both the dairy and the apple industries, two of the state's biggest agricultural products. Bees pollinate alfalfa, which cattle eat, Nowogrodzki said.

The gypsy moth problem is man-made. Its rapid spread in recent years is due to people traveling and moving, unwittingly carrying the eggs with them. The moth is not even native to this country. It first appeared here in 1868, when French naturalist Leopold Trouvelot brought several egg clusters from southern France to Medford, where he tried to cross-breed them with silkworm moths in an effort to produce a better silkworm. A glass specimen jar fell from an open window and several of the moths escaped to multiply and grow, over the next century, from a nuisance into a major problem.

Journal Staff The state has begun its annual war against gypsy moths, with 91 acres of parklands in the Ithaca area to be sprayed next week. While experts are predicting this will be a record year for defoliation by gypsy moths, this area is not expected to see an increase in defoliation, according to Dick Gaines of the Plant Protection and Quarantine office in Bath. Major problems will be seen from the Adirondacks up through New England which are rich in oak trees, the moths' preferred diet, he said. "We're already getting reports that housewives in New England are having trouble getting their laundry back in, it's so covered with gypsy moths," Gaines said. But only campgrounds will be sprayed in this area, he said.

Monroe Tree and Landscaping of Rochester will spray state park campgrounds from the ground, using the insecticide Sevin 80s, said Tom Gell, Finger Lakes Park assistant regional manager. Set to be sprayed sometime next week are 63 acres of campgrounds in Watkins Glen State Park, 11 acres in Buttermilk, and 17 acres in Robert Treman State Park, at a total cost of $2,700. Gell said the spraying will be done mid-week, when there are fewer campers, and that campers will be told about the spraying so that they can leave if they wish. Private campground owners will arrange for their own spraying programs, Gaines said. Campgrounds are sprayed to try to prevent the spread of the moths to uninfected areas, Gaines said.

Moth eggs can be carried away on camping equipment, furniture or even cars and trailers, he said. Until this year, the spraying has been supervised and paid for by the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This year, the federal government is focusing on inspection, and withdrew its funding of the spray programs. APHIS gave campground owners including the state three options.

They could turn away campers from states not yet infected with gypsy moths, or set aside a special, treeless area for them, or they could Associated Press A closeup of the gypsy moth. Moth infestation in Northeast at all-time high BOURNE, Mass. (AP) More than 5 million leaves, weakening and sometimes killing trees, said Charles Schwalbe, director of a U.S. Department of Agriculture center here that studies the moths. Then they turn into moths, laying eggs in July and August to set the stage for the next year's onslaught.

The moths have infested the six New England states plus New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and small parts of Delaware and Maryland. Carried by the wind and on vehicles, Schwalbe says they are spreading gradually toward Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio. Gypsy moths have been detected in eight other states: California, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. The government's strategy is to contain gypsy moths in the Northeast until the means to exterminate such large numbers are developed, probably within another decade or two, Schwalbe said. The most effective weapons against large infestations are chemical and biological pesticides.

But authorities concerned about the environmental impact of chemical spraying are directing long-range efforts toward natural control. At his Cape Cod laboratory, Schwalbe and a staff of 60 produce more than 60,000 caterpillars a day for various experiments. One popular method of natural control involves unleashing parasites such as wasps and flies to prey on eggs or caterpillars. Another focuses on disrupting the mating of moths to reduce the following year's population. Schwalbe also is experimenting with sterilizing male moths with gamma rays and then releasing them to compete with fertile males.

Developing natural ways to fight the pests requires time and patience, and waiting is difficult for a homeowner whose yard is overrun. "People will use 100 times more pesticide on a tree than we would in our aerial spraying," says Frank Pagliaro, a New Jersey state entomologist- acres of foliage in the Northeast was devasted by gypsy moths last year, and experts are predicting this year will be worse yet. The acreage destroyed last year was almost double the area defoliated in any year since government record-keeping began in 1924. So far, attempts to halt the moths have not succeeded. "I'm afraid we're some ways away from being able to manage them in the Northeast," said Schwalbe.

"One of the major problems in dealing with gypsy moths is their unpredictability." The most important control, says New York state forester Michael Birmingham, is a virus that strikes when the caterpillars run out of food and begin to starve. "There are a number of effective controls, but unfortunately man is not one of them," he added. The moth eggs begin hatching into caterpillars in late April, and the caterpillars do their destruction through late June, stripping forests of Police see link in two campus attacks I and things that were said are similar," said Murphy. He declined to elaborate. Murphy said police have few leads and no suspects in the incidents, which were the only reported rapes on campus this academic year.

Murphy cautioned that women walking at night should take precautions by walking in pairs, and avoid poorly lit areas. He said suspicious people should be reported to police. Emergency hotline telephones to police headquarters are located at various places on campus, and are marked by blue lights. have happened if she had not broken free," said Murphy. Police are looking for a man described as a white male, age 19 or 20, about five feet 10 or 11 inches tall.

He has brown hair and possibly was wearing bluejeans and a baseball cap, officials said. Murphy said the incident is similar to last Wednesday's rape of a woman who was visiting the campus. That incident occurred on Tower Road about 10:40 p.m., and the woman never saw her attacker. "The time is similar, the method of coming up from behind is similar. hind Thursday as she walked on South Balch Drive near the Pancake House Restaurant.

Murphy said she was forced to walk east along the north side of Beebe Lake as the man walked behind her. She broke free and screamed, but the man pushed her down a steep incline and fled on foot in the westerly direction, Murphy said. The woman was treated for bruises at Gannett Health Center. Officials are calling the incident an assault and apparent attempted rape. "I can only speculate what would By JOHN MAINES Journal Staff A man who attacked and raped a woman on the Cornell campus last week might have been responsible for a second assault Thursday night near Beebe Lake, university officials said.

A spokesman for Cornell's Department of Public Safety said the department has given "highest" priority to the investigation, and warned nighttime walkers to take precautions. Capt. Daniel Murpy of the department said a 19-year-old female Cornell student was grabbed from be Lansing school budget up 11.2 percent Homeowners would be taxed $3.2 million under penses, maintenance costs and administrative expenses for the boardof education. For instruction, which will cost the district $2.33 million this year, an increase of almost $200,000 over last year's $2.14 million is planned. Instruction includes payment for teachers salaries, salaries for aids and substitute teachers, textbooks, teaching equipment and other equipment costs.

In the area of transportation, the one section of the budget which shows decreased expenditure, the board is requesting $278,169 this year, which includes money for a new 30-passenger bus. Last year, the district purchased two large buses, and taxpayers paid $296,406 for transportation. By PATRICIA BRAUS Journal Staff LANSING The Lansing school board will present a $4,575 million 1981-82 school budget to the community at its annual meeting June 2. The budget, which represents an 11.2 percent increase over last year, was approved by the school board Thursday night. "I think it's a good budget, a reasonably conservative budget," Superintendent of Schools Ray Buckley said today.

Now it will be up to the voters to decide on the budget. Lansing residents will go to the polls June 3 to elect three school board candidates and pass judgment on the budget. the proposed budget. The tax rate would increase approximately 10.8 percent, from $16.75 to $18.30 per $1,000 of assessed property. Major expenditures in the budget include $2.33 million for instruction, the largest category; $720,906 for general support items such as fuel and maintenance; $278,169 for transportation; and $1.2 million for undistributed funds, including bond payments for the district and various personnel expenses.

This year's general support budget calls for an increase of almost $100,000, to $720,906. Increasing utility costs hit the school district in this category. In addition, this category includes custodial ex Farmers get incentive for wool production servation Service in Schuvler Coun PETER SCHL UETE Journal Staff The public life of plants 4-H Leader Helen Emery and volunteer Ann McAdams put up a poster for the annual 4-H Maytime Plant Sale, which begins today at the Tin Can near Stewart Park. The sale continues until 7 p.m. and will resume Saturday from 9 a.m.

to noon; and master gardeners will be on hand to answer questions. tional average market price for 1980 was 88.1 cents a pound. Payments were also made on unshorn lambs, to encourage marketing lambs without shearing. Those payments in Schuyler County were $546. Net weight of the lambs sold was 42,813 pounds, according to Stevens.

Producers received $1.40 per 100 pounds for unshorn lambs. The payment rate per pound is the amount necessary to bring the average market price up to support price. Wool producers who did not receive their 1980 payments are being asked to contact their ASCS office. Schuyler County farmers have received $2,666 in incentive payments under the federal wool program. And 28 sheep producers in Cayuga County received $2,275 under the same program.

According to James Stevens of the Agricultural Stabilization and Con ty, the payments are made to encourage producers to improve the quality and marketing of their wool. The payments are for wool marketed during 1980. The current shorn wool support price is $1.23 a pound, but the na Student 'confession7 may lead to charges Festival sells 2,000 buttons Nearly 2,000 Ithaca Festival buttons have been sold as the result of promotions sponsored by local merchants, Festival Coordinator David Lytel said Thursday. Lytel said button wearers can obtain 10 percent discounts on selected merchandise at the Collegetown sidewalk sale today and Saturday. DeWitt Mall merchants will offer 10 percent discounts next weekend, May 22-23, and the State Theater will discount show prices by $2 on May 23 for customers wearing the buttons.

Earlier this month, Commons merchants offered special discounts. The buttons cost $2 apiece. Lytel said he hopes all 7,000 will be sold this year, to raise money 'or the June 5-7 festival and festivals in future years. A fund-raising preview party will take place from 7 to 10 tonight at the Clinton House, when a 30-minute documentary on Ithaca and the annual arts festivals will be shown. "Ithaca: The Little Apple," with Barbara Mink of WHCU radio as narrator, will be telecast by 15 public broadcasting and cable television channels in the state this month, including New York, Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo and Binghamton channels.

with force, and leaving Wagner "shaken," she testified. Meurs has already been fined $50 or 17 hours of community service for his general part in the occupation March 25. He said he expects the support of the other 15 members of the group, should charges against him be brought. Meurs said the 16 planned to meet next week, after classes were over, to discuss his situation. Still to be determined, too, is how they will serve individual penalties of 17 hours of community service, and whether they will appeal the verdicts of three students, who were found guilty of additional violations and given suspended fines of an additional $50 or 17 hours of service.

son" to feel physically intimidated by him. "I probably felt more intimidated by her, than she by me. .1 was not sure what was behind the door. When I started to look around it, the door started to close on my head. Then I had my foot in the door, and she was yelling at me to remove it." Wagner testified Saturday that she was closing a sliding door to a filing room, when she felt a sudden jerk, and was prevented from closing the door by the presence of someone's knee.

She told him to stop it several times, said she had already talked to another student about closing the door to the room. Meurs apparently withdrew his foot suddenly, causing the door to slam shut University Judicial Administrator Miriam Hutchins said he could. Early in the week, Meurs said, Hutchins telephoned him, and asked that he come and speak to her. When he asked if there would be another hearing, he says she responded, "That's up to you." Meurs has still not seen her, because he has been ill for several days. Hutchins was not available for comment today.

Meurs said, "I feel like I'm on a raft with this huge fin swimming around and around me." If charged, he said, he would plead innocent. "I don't feel the charges are especiallly truthful, and I'll do my best to contest them." Meurs claims Wagner had "no rea By CAROL EISENBERG Journal Staff One member of the "Day Hall 16" may face further charges for his role in the March 25 occupation of the President's and Provost's offices at Cornell University. Douglas J. Meurs, a sophmore, testified last Saturday at the trial that he, and not another student who resembled him, participated in a doorway scuffle with executive assistant Joy Wagner. As a result of Meurs' testimony, charges of physical intimidation were dropped against student Ian Gamble.

After Meurs acknowledged his part in the action, a member the five-person hearing panel asked whether he could be charged for a violation admitted to in the course of a trial..