Dear editor:
Hello to all my friends, colleagues and constituents. My voice has been quiet since the late April, and I have missed seeing and talking to each of you.
I can’t express enough thanks to all of you who voted for me and thought I would be the person to lead Putnam County into the next four years as your Chairman despite the suspension of my campaign due entirely to some medical issues with my wife LeAnn. She is so much better and things are normal again. I was very humbled by your 660 votes.
I have kept my ear to the ground and there are some issues (non-political) that I hope to be able to discuss with you in this forum in the coming weeks. But for now friends, there is a potential problem out there for us that may have gone unnoticed.
It is called a Hammerhead (Tape) Worm and yes, the head looks like a hammerhead shark, only rounded. It has invaded numerous states and is an ugly dude (it’s worth the Google). Some might say it is just a worm. Au contraire.
It can grow up to 15 inches and typically is about 8-12 inches long. It likes mulch, landscaping material, etc. and likes to hide during the day under shrubs and dripping water outside. I have confirmed with three citizens who have had encounters with them that live on the lakes.
The hammerhead secretes a noxious chemical called tetrodotoxin, the same chemical found in poisonous pufferfish, to ward off predators. You can recognize this flatworm by its light brown color with some dorsal stripes.
Here is the threat level. If a human picks it up by hand, bad skin irritation will occur. If your pets eat one, expect awful nausea from your fur babies. To kill this creature, don’t cut it in pieces and think it’s over. They regenerate like lizards.
To kill them, cover them in citrus oil and salt (like a slug) or citrus and vinegar or just vinegar. Put them in a plastic bag in your mixture if not applied directly with a gloved hand, stick or other tools where you can maintain some distance up close without touching with a bare hand.
Good luck and stay safe. It is awfully nice to talk to each of you again. Until next time, I am-
Sincerely, Lee “BullDawg” Coleman