Independent from Long Beach, California • Page 27

Language change L.B. backs environment act curb By DON BRACKENBURY Staff Writer Proposed state legislation to amend the Environmental Quality Act of 1970 to make protection of the environment guiding factor in considering projects instead of "the" guiding factor was endorsed Tuesday by a 6-2 vote of the Long Beach City Council. Councilwoman Renee B. Simon and Councilman Wayne B. Sharp cast the negative votes.

Mrs. Simon called the proposed amendment "a serious weakening" of the Environmental Act. Councilman Thomas J. Clark, a i a of the council's legislative committee, which recommended support of the legislation, Senate Bill 1051, disagreed. He said the purpose of the amendment is to clarify the legislative intent of making environmental protection one of the factors to be considered, giving a "more balanced approach." "We are not being anti- environmentalist," Dr.

Clark said. Mrs. Simon said the reason the Environmental Act of 1970 was enacted was because governmental jurisdictions were making their "primary" evaluation of projects on economic development. "Economic development which is going to destroy the environment --is not good economic development," she declared. James C.

Hankla, administrative assistant to the city manager, said in a report to the council that amendment was offered to make it clear that environmental impact statements are to help local jurisdictions make decisions on projects, and were not intended to be the "all-controlling" element in such decisions. "Long Beach is concerned about the environment," said Dr. Clark. "I realize the concerns that Mrs. Simon has, but this is not an unreasonable bill." City dump contract renewed Renewal of the city's contract with Ascon Landfill Facility to handle Long Beach rubbish disposal during fiscal 1973-74 was approved Tuesday by the City Council.

The Ascon Landfill, in Wilmington, is the city's primary dump. The new agreement provides for the same charge of $1 per ton for solid materials, but increases the cost for all other materials $2.65 to $2.85 per ton. Mary Ellis Carlton A blob grows in Long Beach YESTERDAY I thmK 1 saw a blob. It was after Mrs. R.

A. Spencer of Long Beach had called to say, "Texas shouldn't get ALL the credit. We have one of those blobs in our backyard right now." In case you missed it, the first report of a blob came a couple weeks ago from a Garland, housewife who said the mysterious thing oozed up in her backyard like "something out of a midnight TV horror movie." Then a North Dallas woman was heard from. 1 scared to death," she said. "I have the same thing on my hedge.

I can't kill il." A Dallas newspaper noted that a small graveyard at Aurora, is said by villagers to hold remains of a mysterious creature whose spacecraft crashed there in 1897 and a reporter posed the question, "Could the blob have come along for the ride?" With such prospects of an invader outer space, I decided that if a blob's growing in Long Beach, it's certainly worthy of attention. WHEN I ARRIVED at the Spencers' midwestern- style frame house at 823 Molino Mrs. Spencer was waiting at the door. It was late afternoon. "The sun has dehydrated bit," she said as we made our way to the backyard through the Spencers' small, immaculate house.

She is an early retiree from the Bank of America "I worked there 27 years," she said. Mr. Spencer, a transplant from Texas, also retired, was sitting on the back porch drinking a can of beer. "That thing has driven me to drink," he laughed. "That thing" was sprawled on the lawn, protected by a roof of boards held up by two bricks.

"I was afraid the sun would dry before you got here," Mrs. Spencer explained. The "monster" was a mysterious, encompassing blob --about eight inches in diameter, iyregular in shape and orangy-beige in color. "Doesn't that look like the blob on TV?" Mrs. Spencer asked.

I had to agree it did. She went on to say that similar strange masses have appeared in the Spencer yard several times the past couple years. "We've always called them gee- hooties," she said. "One shaped like a flat honey bear surrounded that pepper paint over there, then started going (growing?) the fence. The only way we've found to destroy is.

with Raid. They just dissolve--right before your eyes." SO WHERE could the blob have come from? Except for flying saucers and the Watergate fiasco, I figure there's an explanation for almost everything. I decided to find out about blobs. "Sounds to me like a slime mold," Dr. Jim associate professor of botany at Long Beach State University, said when I described the phenomenon.

"They're just a mass of slime, really quite common and absolutely harmless. Ordinarily they're quite small--about the size of a penny. Under a conditions, though, they can grow to several feet in diameter." Are they flora or fauna? "Neither--and both," the professor said. "In the blob-stage, they're animal-like because they live on bacteria and creep. Short-lived, they dry up into a powdery substance that sends out spores--which makes them plant-like." Incidentally, I also learned that Prof.

C. J. Alcxo- poulus, University of Texas, has identified the Texas blobs as slime molds. settled, all we have to worry about is who has biggest blobs-- Texas or a i i a order news to Navy "Not a single gallon" of petroleum-related wastes shall be disposed of upon the National Wildlife Refuge at Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, the Long Beach Department of Oil Properties was ordered Tuesday by the City Council. A spokesman for the Naval Weapons Station expressed astonishment however, when advised of the council action.

Commander H. P. Madera, station executive officer, said no industrial waste product has been used on any portion of the station. The entire station, about 5,000 acres, consists of a Naval Wildlife Refuge, Eadera said, and about 1,100 acres of it is designated as a National Wildlife Refuge. A five-member Ecology Advisory Board, made uo.of faculty from Long Beach State University, guides the protection of the reserve, the commander said.

The Naval Weapons Station has been using "clean" oil as a dust-preventative and to control weeds, Madera said. This oil, which is unused, is biodegradable, he added. No oil spreading has taken place since mid- April, however, because the Ecology Advisory Board is making a study of its use, he said. The Long Beach council, acting on a recommendation of its harbor, industries and oil committee, adopted a resolution which asserted that "a proposal is pending before state agencies authorize the dumping of industrial'wastes'upon this National Wildlife Refuge." Madera said he'knows of no such proposal. Councilman they had received a telegram from Paul Howard of the National Audubon Society, urging the city to take "strong action" to prevent any oil from Long Beach being used for spreading at the station.

The council resolution said city-operated leaseholds produce "several hundreds of thousands" of barrels of industrial wastes annually, and that this material is disposed of at state-approved disposal sites. Councilmen directed the city's Department of Oil Properties to give them "written assurances" that no Long Beach petroleum-related wastes will be disposed of at the National Wildlife Refuge. L.B. endorses annex measure A State Assembly measure which would permit cities to unilaterally annex an unincorporated "island" without a vote of the residents in such an area was endorsed unanimously Tuesday by the Long Beach City Council. The measure, AB973, is now before the state Assembly's local government committee.

It would apply to any unincorporated area of 100 acres or less which is "surrounded, or substantially surrounded" by one or more cities. It would not apply to land used or zoned for, industrial, commercial, public utility, educational or processing purposes. If the bill becomes law, a city council would pass a resolution requesting annexation and file it with the board of supervisors of the county concerned. The board would schedule a public hearing and notify residents of the area. After the hearing, the board supervisors would vote to approve or disapprove the annexation.

If the board approved the annexation, it would adopt a resolution to that effect and file it with the secretary of state. The filing would complete the annexation. Long Beach councilmen endorsed the measure on recommendation of their legislative committee. Councilmen also accepted committee recommendations to support the following state measures: Assembly Bill 161, which provides for placement on the 1974 ballot of a bond issue to continue state participation in the Clean Water a Program. The proposed $250- Clean out-and clean up Clean out your closet and put cash in your pocket.

You can by offering unneeded articles for sale through Independent, Press-Telegram classified ads. Kenneth Plas, 2120 W. Willard recently sold a washing machine through I.P-T classifieds. He said he received so many calls he wished he had more than one machine to sell. Call the classified action mimber-HE 2-5959- and start selling.

million bond issue would permit state participation for another four years. Senate Bill 148, which would establish the California Housing and Community Agency to encourage the development of low and moderate-income housing. Senate Bill 1320. authored by Long Beach Sen. George Deukmejian, which would increase the "in lieu" motor vehicle tax from 2 per cent to 2.86 per cent of market value after Jan.

1,1975, and provide that the tax be comparable to the average statewide property tax by Jan. 1, 1978. L.B. burglars get television, stereo Burglars who forced a rear door at the home of Andrew LeGrand, 2230 Earl took a television set and stereo valued at $820, Long Beach police said Tuesday. OPERATION OF PORTABLE, easy-to- operate artificial kidney machine is explained by, right, C.C.

Calescibetta, M.D., chief of nephrology and hemodial- At St. Mary's Rolling Hills try portable ByBENZINSER Medical-Science Editor Robert Williams, 42-year-old Rolling Hills resident, is the first patient in the harbor area to be treated with a new portable artificial i device, it was announced Tuesday by St. a Hospital of Long Beach. Dr. C.

C. Calescibctta, chief of the hospital's ne- phroloy and hemodialysis unit, said the portable kidney weighs only 44 pounds as compared to the 250 pounds of most artificial kidneys in current use. The new unit is about the size of a suitcase and operates on regular household current. No special drainage facilities are required. WILLIAMS, a contractor with Arrow Glass and Mirror in Santa Ana, first underwent hemodialysis on St.

Mary's larger conventional equipment March 6. Hemodialysis is a procedure in which an artificial kidney takes over for the natural kidneys when they fail to carry out the normal function of ridding the body of waste and toxic substances. The device cleanses the blood and restores a normal chemical balance to the body. "Hemo" means blood and "dialysis" is the process by which substances in solution are separated from one another. Williams continued twice weekly outpatient visits using a large artificial kidney until he requested that he become the first patient to be placed on the new portable system.

Hd switched over on June 1. Williams' kidneys had deteriorated to a point not compatible with life because of a condition called glomerulonephritis. His six-hour dialysis treatments not only have saved his life but enable him to continue in most of his regular activities while he awaits a kidney transplant. ADVANTAGES of the new device is its portability, simplicity of operation and use of ordinary tap water. These factors simplify training of patients in self- operation of the unit and eliminate about $2,000 in installation costs for water-treatment equipment and plubming changes.

The new system is known as the REDY Universal Recirculating Dialysis Machine. ysis unit at St. Mary's Hospital, to Robert Williams, first patient in the Harbor area to use the unit. man first to kidney device INDEPENDENT WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1973 SECTION 1 It uses only one and a half gallons of dialysate -the liquid into which waste products are suspended in solution. That compares to 50 to 100 gallons used by larger units.

Active filtering agents are contained in a disposable cartridge a foot-long cylinder consisting of four layers of chemically treated membranes which trap waste products. Since the dialysis process removes minerals'from the blood as well as toxic substances, pre-measured quantities of calcium and magnesium are infused into the bloodstream during dialysis. Of the new portable unit, Mrs. Marilyn Morimoto, head nurse of the hemodialysis unit, says: "We expect patients will require a shorter training period for home dialysis because of the less complicated operation of the REDY. In the past, patients received four to 10 weeks of training before they were checked out for self-operation.

With the new unit we hope to complete training in three to seven weeks." Dr. Calescibetta said the new system could replace existing units at St. Mary's "after we are satisfied with its performance." He added that there is cnrrentiv a manufacturing shortage so "we will i our present units at the hospital for the foreseeable future." ST. MARY'S opened its hemodialysis unit with two machines in April 1970. It was the first unit in the area to be put into operation.

The unit has grown to eight large machines and one of the new portable models. An average of 19 patients are dialyzed daily on two eight-hour shifts. Emergency dialysis is available on a 24-hour basis. Since Jan. 1 of this year, more than 3,500 procedures have been carried out at the hospital.

St. Mary's patients scheduled to receive kidney transplants are transferred to Harbor General Hospital, Torrance, for the graft surgery. Quake fire seminar aims at precautions For the first time in the United States, firemen, who fight fires, and fire protection engineers, who try to prevent them, got together Tuesday at the Convention Center for an all-day earthquake fire seminar. The meetings, sponsored jointly by the California Fire Chiefs Association and the Soviety of Fire Protection Engineers, attracted more than 450 firemen, engineers, builders, structural engineers, and representatives of water, electical and gas distribution systems. The i sessions, which began at 8:30 a.m.

and i i at 5 covered all aspects of preventing and fighting fires caused by earthquakes and their aftereffects. The i sessions were devoted to a local i departments could do to prepare themselves for a major earthquake in their areas. The a session a a i with coordination of several departments in an area and how equip- a i a i could be exchanged and utilized to the best advantage. Speakers throughout the state presented their views, then led discussion workshops in which questions from the delegates were discussed and answered. a Simms, president of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, keynoted the convention when he emphasized that, in the past, there has been too little meaningful coordination between fire fighters and i engineers.

"Since both of our groups a the same a objective," he said, "it seems all too obvious that meetings like this one where we can discuss our different problems arc vital for our future." He said a similar meeting on the same subject is to be scheduled at a later a in northern a i nia. In to a tion, IIP pointed out that in the last two major a quakes, in San Fernando in li)71 and in Anchorage. A a a last year, the number of resultant fires was much less than anticipated. He said there were a number of reasons for this, part of them due to the advancements a in fire protection engineering in recent a and part due to "sheer luck." "There are so many factors involved in the prevention of fires during and a earthquakes," he emphasized, "that it is very difficult to determine exactly why they occur or why they Although he refused to be pinned down on what is the major cause of earthquake fires, he did point out that broken gas lines and the tipping over of water heaters always caused a lot of them. He said that while electrical i contribute to many earth- a fires, the San Fernando and Anchorage i a a that, in many cases, the electrical either short themselves out or arc cut off by the electrical supplier.

Licensing of cats eyed again in L.B. The Long Beach city manager's office was asked Tuesday by the City Council to determine whether it is feasible to license cats. Councilwoman Renee B. Simon, who asked for the report, said she has received complaints of numerous cats running loose. "This has come up before," said Assistant City Manager Robert C.

Creighton, but he said the city manager's office would review the matter again. Jurors sworn in murder case A jury of six men and six women was sworn in Tuesday in Long a Superior Court to try a 29- year-old San Pedro cabinet shop owner who is charged i murder in the shntgun death of Lawrence John Mader, 24, an auto mechanic. The i a of Leo William a is being a before Vernon G. Foster. Dep.

i Atty. Dinko J. is handling the prosecution, and attorney Charles ham, the defendant's a brother, is the defense counsel. The a has been on $7,500 bail. The shooting with which Mepham is charged occurred a a 31 in the defendant's shop at 295 W.

15th St. Harbor Division detectis't'S said it capped a a i dispute over a $20 debt. Mader, who lived at 263 W. 15th San Pedro, died a hours he was struck in the face by a blast a 16- shotgun..