DATE: Monday, June 30, 1997                 TAG: 9706270022

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B8   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  103 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR -THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

MOSQUITOES

Purple martins won't take

the sting out of summer

I applaud Guy Friddell for his informative June 21 column addressing the ineffectiveness of electrocuting devices in the control of mosquitoes. I must take issue, though, with his recommendation to substitute purple martins for their alleged mosquito-eating habits.

Many proponents of purple martins are quick to cite the work of J. L. Wade, an amateur ornithologist, who reasoned that a 4-ounce adult purple martin, given its high metabolism, would need to consume its body weight (14,000 mosquitoes) per day in order to survive.

Purple martins are opportunistic feeders, preferring to consume greater protein sources per capture than mosquitoes provide. In fact, they feed voraciously upon dragonflies, known predators of mosquitoes. Furthermore, purple martins feed at treetop level at night, well above most mosquito flight paths.

Ornithologist James Hill, the founder of the Purple Martin Conservation Association, writes, ``The number of mosquitoes that martins eat is extremely insignificant and they certainly don't control them.''

Joseph M. Conlon

Past president

Virginia Mosquito Control Association

Norfolk, June 23, 1997

REGIONALISM

Bridge-tunnel tolls would

divide the area again

The system of bridges and tunnels across Hampton Roads has begun to make the citizens of our area act as if we belong to one area. Newport News residents watch International League baseball at Harbor Park in downtown Norfolk. Portsmouth residents work at Fort Monroe and attend classes at Christopher Newport University.

The proposed tolls on these crossings could sunder our real metropolitan area into two provincial sections. I believe that we who benefit from the facilities in question should pay for them. How can we do that in a way that doesn't return us to the bad old days, when a resident of Norfolk would talk about the Peninsula as if it were near the end of the Earth?

Wayland Yoder

Portsmouth, June 19, 1997

CRIME

Police defense isn't

what you see on TV

We must all feel compassion for the family of Bryan Dugan, who died after threatening police officers with a knife. But many of us still miss John Cherry, a great guy and excellent Chesapeake police sergeant; he died nearly 20 years ago while trying to subdue a knife-wielding woman.

Movies and TV shows entertain us with nifty scenes of ``good guys'' disarming ``bad guys,'' but they have no place in reality. Law-enforcement officers can lose their lives in the blink of an eye while hesitating or taking a chance; John died from one knife wound. We neither hire nor pay police officers enough for them to lay down their lives for rampaging citizens with weapons.

Most of my sympathies lie with the officers, who must live through this incident and endure the Monday-morning quarterbacking that goes on.

William D. ``Bill'' Harrell

Chesapeake, June 21, 1997

Police take risks

every working days

As the wife of a Virginia Beach police officer, I was angered by the June 21 article, ``Witnesses to fatal shooting criticize police.'' My husband goes to work five days a week and risks his life to help make our city a better place to live. These police officers are people who have families to go home to when they are done with work for the day.

The officers involved in the shooting were in a situation where their lives were in danger. I applaud them for having the courage to make the right decision.

The next time people think about criticizing a police officer, please consider what they must face everyday.

Kimberly Harris

Virginia Beach, June 23, 1997

AMPHITHEATER

Ticket surcharge

is not entertaining

Imagine my surprise when I bought my first pair of concert tickets this year. I went to the amphitheater about eight times last year and usually bought my tickets at the box office to save the Ticketmaster ``surcharge.'' This always made the tickets much more of a bargain.

Not so this year. We are now assessed a $5 fee at the box office, $2 of which is for parking, per ticket. Where does the extra $3 go? Nobody at the ticket window could explain the fee increase. Maybe the $3 went toward paying for all those ridiculous signs that had to be changed to read the ``GTE Amphitheater'' instead of the ``Virginia Beach Amphitheater.'' Funny, those signs were new last year.

We already have to pay ridiculous prices for food and beverages inside the amphitheater. How do you rationalize $3, $4 and $5 prices for soda and beer when many of the concession stands are staffed with volunteers? Add the 3 bucks per ticket to the price of refreshments and you find yourself being priced out of the park.

Has the City Council stuck it to us again?

John Cochran

Virginia Beach, June 23, 1997

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