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Is Martha's Vineyard ready for giant inflatable rat?

CNN.com : "EDGARTOWN, Massachusetts (AP) -- The rodent control officer on Martha's Vineyard wants to make his services more visible. And he figures you can't miss a 12-foot rat.

T.J. Hegarty raised $5,000 in private donations to buy a 12-foot tall inflatable rat that he plans to bring to parades and other local events to increase public awareness of his rodent control program. He expects to take delivery of the bulky beast in six weeks.

A summer playground for the well-to-do, Martha's Vineyard is thought of more as a vacation spot for presidents and Hollywood celebrities than a breeding ground for vermin. Though Hegarty says there isn't a major rat problem on the island now, rats have proliferated on and off for years, aided by an abundance of food sources and a lack of natural predators.

After borrowing a similar blow-up rat for the island's 2002 July 4th parade from the Carpenter's Union of Brockton, Hegarty decided to buy a rat of his own to spread the word about his services.

'We all have this in common,' he said. 'The rodents don't care who you are.'"


jaynote: hmnn, thinking about the quote:
"is thought of more as a vacation spot for presidents and Hollywood celebrities than a breeding ground for vermin"

How are those things different?

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