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The Attack of the Penfield Pickers
It was the middle of the night, I was snuggled nicely amidst my three king-size pillows with the fan on high, blowing air on my feet, when suddenly my front door was knocked down. The sound sent my kitten Lily scrambling for the back of the bedrooom closet. Standing there in my living room were two human-size mosquitoes, wearing football uniforms of the Tri-State Bulldogs.
Of course, I was dreaming, but I think it just goes to show you the impact these critters made on me and a few hundred people at Melissa Lahtinen-Penfield Park on Saturday night at the Lake City Stars football game. As a North Country native, I'm no stranger to mosquitoes or most other bugs, including the dreaded June bug. But these mosquitoes on Saturday night were something we had never contended with before. There were millions of them. I know you might think I'm exaggerating, but there were millions of them! And these were not your normal-size mosquitoes. The ones who showed up at Penfield Park last night were larger. They had fattened up on the downpours of rain earlier in the day. They were jumbo mosquitoes. I saw one carrying a lunch box.
In the years past while covering local sports events for public-access television we have battled the "Bailey Avenue Biters," the "Crete Center Critters," and the "Morrisonville Maulers." Sometimes we won, oftentimes they won. But battling the "Penfield Pickers" last night was a lost cause. In the press box we felt like General Custer must have felt in his most famous losing battle. Videographer Roxana went through more moves than a "So You Think You Can Dance" performer. I gave up the battle early, letting these female mosquitoes pick away at my arms and neck, trying to ignore their onslaught.
This is a serious problem. There are homes in the vicinity of Penfield Park and had we not been there as the mosquitoes' banquet on Saturday night, I'm sure these nocturnal creatures would have been visiting the neighbors. There is no way anyway could have sat outside on the warm summer night. Is it the city's responsibility to protect us from these blood-sucking mosquitoes?
This year, due to the increase in heavy rainstorms, the "Penfield Pickers" are bigger and in greater numbers than ever. Something must be done. Unless one douses himself in bug spray (use the whole can!) one has little chance of winning against these female flyers. Yes, females! It's the females doing the biting.
I have to return to Penfield Park in two weeks for another Lake City Stars football game. I may not be able to find a videographer willing to face the 2006 edition of the "Penfield Pickers." This is no joke. Does anyone have an answer for this "Penfield Pickers" problem?
Comments
I covered the Stars for the entire season in 2005 and again I am covering them for 2006, and let me just agree with Foxy with how bad the mosquitoes were on Saturday.
I have bites all over my body, especially my hands which are now constantly itchy.
I will be taking your advice for next game and having an entire can of bug-spray at my beckoning call.
(Foxy's note: Keith is the Press-Republican's sports reporter covering the Lake City Stars. It's nice to know that Roxana and I weren't the only ones at Penfield Pickers banquet. Let's make July 29th "Bug Spray Night" at the Stars game!)
Posted by: Keith | July 17, 2006 11:37 AM
I too was at last nigh'ts game but left after the third quarter due to those pickers. I hope that they got their fill and will not return for the rest of the season.
Posted by: Denny Kane | July 16, 2006 10:53 AM
Talk about an overexaggeration!!! If my memory serves me right Foxy was the guy I worked with at Gus' who hated to bring the trash out at night because there were a few moths and June bugs hanging around the outside lights. Based on that experience I am sure the bugs at Penfield Park were probably a few no-see-ums.
(Foxy's note: No fair bringing up notes from my past when I was in college. You wouldn't want to be the first to get banned from my blog, would you?)
Posted by: George Niforos | July 16, 2006 8:41 AM