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<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'>Below is the
beginning of the long story in today’s Sun-Times about gulls vs beach
closings. It has info about what actions cities are taking. And it also
explains why I keep hearing reps from various <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:City> agencies say “the Dept of the
Environment says the only problem is gulls.” <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'>In April the
Shedd Aquarium had an expert on aquatic species from Notre Dame Univ.
talk. On his long list of problems caused by the Zebra Mussels was “beach
closings due to e coli.” He said he is stymied by how little people
appreciate how the invasives have changed the ecology of the water.<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'>I bring this up
only because there are plenty of people who will interpret this to mean that
all birds cause problems.<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'>Randi Doeker<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on"><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial;font-weight:normal'>Chicago</span></font></b></st1:place></st1:City><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:
normal'><o:p></o:p></span></font></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>……………………………………………….<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Are gulls guilty of fouling beaches?
<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><i><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-style:italic'>June 26, 2005</span></font></i><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>BY <a
href="mailto:lrackl@suntimes.com">LORI RACKL</a> Health Reporter <o:p></o:p></span></font></b><!-- Empty line is needed --></p>
<NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><!--publication CST --><!--pub_section NWS page 8 last modified 6/25/05 12:46 AM--><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Nothing
spoils a day at the beach like these two dreaded words: swim ban.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Summer only officially started last
week, and the Chicago Park District already has hoisted the red flag that
renders beaches off limits for swimming 23 times. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Trying to pinpoint the source of
these bans often turns into an environmental whodunit. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>We know the weapon is E. coli,
bacteria that are typically harmless but serve as a clue that fecal
contamination -- and the disease-causing microorganisms that go along with it
-- might be lurking nearby. When E. coli levels get too high, the "No
Swimming" signs aren't far behind. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>But who, or what, is pulling the
trigger? That's the mystery facing beach managers, environmentalists, public
health officials and politicians across the <st1:place w:st="on">Great Lakes</st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Continued at <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/">www.suntimes.com</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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