Civic group hosting tick-borne illness forum in East Marion
The East Marion Community Association will host an informational meeting on “Treacherous Ticks, Deer and Disease” this Saturday at the East Marion firehouse.
This is the third forum the group has hosted on this particular issue, EMCA president Anne Murray said, noting that the first was held in 2014.
“One of the reasons we had our first meeting was because a lot of our members came down with tick-borne diseases,” Ms. Murray said. “Other than Lyme, there are a lot of other tick-borne illnesses people don’t know a lot about.”
Dr. Anna-Marie Wellins of Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center will be on hand Saturday to discuss tick-borne illnesses seen on the North Fork and offer tips on preventing them and staying safe. Craig Jobes, environmental analyst for Southold Town, will also speak at the forum to outline the town’s plan for deer and tick management.
Audience members will be afforded time to ask questions.
“I’m sure it will be pretty crowded; they usually are,” Ms. Murray said of similar meetings on the North Fork, where the issue has long been front and center. The 2014 forum, she said, was wall-to-wall people and standing room only.
Saturday’s event is free and open to all. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. for coffee and food and the forum begins at 10 a.m.
