Braintree athletes bow to mosquitoes
There will be no Friday night lights for Braintree high school students this fall, at least not until the first heavy frost curbs the threat of mosquitoes infected with the West Nile and Eastern equine encephalitis viruses, headmaster David Swanton said yesterday.
Braintree school officials have not scheduled any evening outdoor events at the high school athletic field until mid-October in response to the viral risk, Swanton said. "It's obviously a proactive move," he said.
This spring, Swanton decided not to schedule any evening games at the high school until Oct. 17, hoping to strike "a happy medium" from last year, when most night games were avoided, he said.
The high school campus contains a lake and wetlands - good mosquito breeding grounds.
Before the first evening game in October, the Norfolk County Mosquito Control Project will spray the entire campus in the early morning hours, according to Swanton.
Each of the high school's more than 1,500 students will receive a packet with safety information before the sprayings, which will precede evening events at the field until mid-November or the first heavy frost, Swanton said.
"This is all in the name of safety," he said.
Braintree Pop Warner youth football will continue to practice at 5:30 p.m., president Bill Foley said. "So far, so good," he said.
As of now, Braintree youth flag football is scheduled to start the season the evening of Sept. 12, said treasurer Steven Quigley. "If the town tells us not to play, we won't play," he said.
Although Swanton considered the possibility of Saturday afternoon games for high school football, he said "the thrill of it is the Friday night lights."
Braintree High is alone in its decision to call off evening games, Swanton said. "Braintree was sort of the lonely school," he said. "But safety is first and foremost." 