March 12, 2009

ValleyViewpoints

Seagulls make a mess in Almaden

Editor,
We have had a continuing problem with seagulls flying over the residential areas of Almaden Valley and covering these areas with their “droppings.” I believe this may be a health problem. The source of these seagulls is the Guadalupe Dumps located in the hills of Almaden, which attracts the seagulls.

Basically, the employees at the dump fire flare guns into the sea gulls and scatter the birds into the residential areas. I found this out from a man I had hired to haul some material to the dumps. He told me he goes to the dumps almost daily and the firing of the flare guns occur daily. I have even heard, from my back yard, the flare guns being fired.

If the seagulls pose a problem in the operation of the dumps, perhaps they should be eradicated in some way, and not sent out over the residential areas. Or maybe they need to do a better job of covering the garbage that attacks the gulls.

These swarms of seagulls can number in the hundreds. I have seen them fly over Camden Avenue, Redmond Avenue, Coleman Avenue, Almaden Expressway, Blossom Hill Road and as far away as the Oakridge Shopping Mall and the Almaden Shopping Center at Blossom Hill Road and Almaden Expressway. I have seen literally hundreds of seagulls in the water at Almaden Lake Park.

The droppings from these seagulls have covered our and our neighbor’s properties and vehicles. These droppings have also got to be over the local schools and parks, where the children are exposed to them. And, the large numbers of seagulls in the water at Lake Almaden Park has to pose some type of health problem, since the lake is used for swimming in the summer time. In fact, a few years ago this park was closed to swimming because the children were developing a rash believed to be caused by the droppings from the ducks/birds in the water.

On March 3, hundreds of the seagulls were on the lawn/field area of Castillero Middle School when I was driving by. I had my camera with me and I took pictures of these seagulls. I called the school and talked to the principal’s secretary and she told me the seagulls are always present and a real problem at lunch time when the children eat outside. They can be quite aggressive. I though perhaps the principal would like to complain to someone. I wrote a letter to our Councilmember Nancy Pyle and sent a copy of that letter to San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis because I question whether it is even legal for the employees at the dumps to fire flare guns.

Eva Runco
Almaden Valley

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