Don't let mosquitoes ruin your barbeque or fireworks experience

Fourth of July weekend is finally here and it's time for three days of outdoor activities and fun in the sun.  Many of us will be off from work but mosquitoes will be working overtime in the summer heat.  Mosquitoes are most abundant during this time of year in Southern California. We would like to encourage you to enjoy the outdoors but to also remember to protect yourself from mosquito bites because that's how mosquitoes transmit diseases.

Follow these tips and keep mosquitoes from biting you:

• Apply insect repellent containing EPA-registered ingredients such as DEET and Picaridin
• Eliminate standing water around the home because that's where mosquitoes breed
• Maintain properly-fitted screens with no rips or tears on windows and doors to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home
• Wear protective clothing such as long-sleeve shirts and pants to keep mosquitoes from biting
• When possible, avoid activities between dusk and dawn because that's when mosquitoes are most active

Diamond Bar City Council Members recognize Jessy Lau*

Grand prize winner of annual contest shares poster

The Diamond Bar City Council recognized fifth-grade student Jessy Lau on Tuesday, June 7 for being the grand prize winner of GLACVCD's Second Annual Bite Back Against Mosquito Attacks Student Poster Contest.  Lau attends Mt. Calvary Elementary School in Diamond Bar, California.

Education Program Coordinators LeShawn Simplis and Andy Pak showcased Lau's winning artwork in front of the Diamond Bar City Council and those in the audience. Mayor Steve Tye, who also serves on GLACVCD's Board of Trustees, presented Lau with an official Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the Diamond Bar City Council and city residents.  "I am very proud that the poster contest winner is from Diamond Bar," commented Tye.  He continued that Lau's poster lucidly illustrates how to control vectors and asked her to explain her drawings to the audience, including her proud family.  The educational poster titled "This is how to control vectors..." identifies mosquitofish, dumping out standing water and calling vector control as methods to control vectors.

The Second Annual Bite Back Against Mosquito Attacks Student Poster Contest concluded on Friday, March 11.  The contest was open to students from fourth through sixth grades living within the District's 1,330 square mile territory.  A winner was chosen from each grade level with one of those winners being selected as the grand prize winner.  Participants were asked to create a poster responding to the following question: "How would you defend yourself against mosquito bites?"  GLACVCD encouraged creativity, and posters could be made with paint, watercolor, pencil, crayon or charcoal. 

Lau received a $100 savings bond, pizza party for her class, and will have her artwork featured on the GLACVCD website.  Additionally, Lau's artwork will be displayed on 40 Metro buses in South Los Angeles and areas of Long Beach from June 26 through August 21 as part of GLACVCD's summer mosquito awareness campaign. Watch for her artwork during your commute around town this summer. 

*[From left to right: Councilmember Jack Tanaka, Education Program Coordinator LeShawn Simplis, Education Program Coordinator Andy Pak, Poster Contest Winner Jessy Lau, Mayor Steve Tye, Mayor Pro Tem Ling-Ling Chang, Councilmember Ron Everett]

Russ and Ken with dipper

Operations Supervisor Russ Gabel retires from District

On Tuesday, June 14, GLACVCD staff members gathered at the District's Sylmar office to bid a happy retirement to Operations Supervisor Russell Gabel, whose long career with the District spanned three decades. 

The low-key retirement celebration included catered food and recounting fond memories.  General Manager Kenneth Bayless, Director of Operations Mark Daniel and Trustee Meredith Perkins from Downey all shared kind words about Russ to a conference room packed with staff.  Many of the tributes and speeches of the day revolved around Russ' tenure at the District.  Operations Supervisor Mark Hall shared a particularly comical story about when he first started working with Russ as a newly hired Vector Control Specialist. Russ dropped Mark off at a very large field and instructed him to treat the area and left the scene.  Mark spent hours treating the entire area of land in sweltering heat to find out later that only the perimeter needed to be treated.  It was comedy for everyone else when Mark learned of Russ' omission of details.

Russ' celebration was also a time for staff and colleagues to bid farewell to a long-time friend. "I'm really going to miss working with Russ," voiced Vector Control Specialist Wesley Collins.   "It's just not going to be the same without him."  The two worked together for decades at the District and created many memories together.  Other employees echoed the same sentiments and it was obvious that Russ would be sincerely missed by his staff and coworkers.

In line with District tradition, the District presented Russ with a specially fashioned, commemorative dipper.  The dipper was reflective of Russ' interest in fishing and indicative of how he might spend his time during retirement.  Ken also presented Russ with a showcase box containing the different District badges Russ wore during his tenure.  Russ expressed his thanks and gratitude to everyone for attending the luncheon and added that he will treasure his mementos and miss his coworkers.

Russ started his career with the District in June of 1981.  He was hired as a Vector Control Specialist and worked out of the South Gate facility before it was relocated to Santa Fe Springs.  Russ kept this title for 18 years, transitioning to the position of Bee Control Coordinator in 1999 when the District launched its pilot Africanized Honeybee Removal Program.  Russ jumped at the opportunity when the position of Operations Supervisor opened up in the Sylmar office in 2000.  Russ secured this position, moving up to Sylmar to supervise 12 full-time staff members for the remainder of his extensive career. 

The District wishes Russ a happy and healthy retirement and thanks him for his 30 years of service.   

Mosquito Fun Fact

A mosquito's wings beat from 300 to 600 times per second!

Headquarters

12545 Florence Avenue

Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

Phone: (562) 944-9656

Sylmar Branch   

16320 Foothill Boulevard

Sylmar, CA 91342   

Phone: (818) 364-9589

info@glacvcd.org       

www.glacvcd.org