The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 15

Tuesday, July 9, 1985Part I 1 5 CoflAtiflckflSIimeo MELONS: State May Prosecute Growers chemical through its roots. It is used widely on cotton, sugar beets, potatoes, peanuts and some non-edible plants, but is not authorized for use on most plants grown for human consumption. Aldicarb is not allowed for application on watermelon fields because the fruit by its nature absorbs a lot of ground water quickly and then has a short life before harvest. This means large quantities of the pesticide can be carried into the meat of the fruit and consumed before it dissipates. Bob Baker In Kern County and Harry Nelson and Lee Dye in Los Angeks contributed to this article.

farmers must have applied the chemical despite strict regulations prohibiting its use on melons and several other food crops. Aldicarb has been found in ground water supplies from one end of the country to the other, fueling a decade-long debate over its safety. On Monday, the EPA announced it plans to reopen the question of dietary exposure to aldicarb as a result of the current watermelon contamination. Farmers find aldicarb easy to apply and extremely effective against pests. The granular substance can simply be buried at the base of a plant with a harrowing device.

The plant absorbs the However, Hattis added, a new test that exists today is capable of identifying the presence of breakdown products of aldicarb. Hattis said that if the farmers are rotating melons and cotton on the same land, it may be long-lasting breakdown products rather than aldicarb itself that are contaminating the melons. Evan Evans, a Kern County agriculture official, essentially confirmed Hattis' account, saying there was a "close correlation" between the two outbreaks. Officials at Union Carbide, the chemical firm that manufactures aldicarb and markets it under the brand name Temik, have maintained that it would not be chemically possible for the pesticide to remain in the soil for more than six months. The officials, saying they were "appalled," alleged that the Continued from Page 3 surround Bakersfield in Kern County, where the investigation has centered, farmers on Monday again reacted with indignation to accusations that they might have willfully violated the pesticide ban.

They said the pesticide, which is successful in battling crop-threatening nematodes, had been applied years ago on fields then used to grow cotton and other crops not affected by restrictions. The crops have since been rotated, they said, and watermelons are growing on the old fields. The pesticide is supposed to disappear from the soil after six months. "I wish I could say this thing was all black and white, but it's probably colored in shades of gray," said Loron Hodge, manager of the Kern County Farm Bureau. "I can't imagine anyone purposefully using this material if they knew it was going to make people sick.

That is not what they are in the business for. They are in the business to provide food for people's nourishment and enjoyment." Don Icardo, one of four growers originally named as being suspected of having marketed tainted melons, showed his agitation as he hosed down watermelon bins at his roadside fruit stand and waved away reporters. "I don't know anything," he said. On the front lawn of his farmhouse, several dozen watermelons had been dumped. Meanwhile, a former health officer for Kern County told The Times that a similar outbreak of illness believed linked to bad watermelons occurred in 1982 but went unreported because of difficulties in pinpointing its source.

Dr. Ron P. Hattis, a public health physician who was then Kern County's assistant health officer, said, "I am certain that the current outbreak is not a new problem. It's the same pesticide. Hattis now works at the San Bernardino County Medical Center.

He said the earlier outbreak involved a family of five people and several others who ate watermelons given to them by a truck driver. His rig had broken down on the road to Los Angeles and they had helped him repair it. The symptoms in the 1982 outbreak were classic for aldicarb-type poisoning, Hattis said, but tests on the patients and the melons were negative. Lock out thieves protection for loved ones possessions Installed on outside Operated from Inside home Reflects 05 of Sun's heat CALL TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION THE EVERETT REID COMPANY (714) 990-5131 (213) 690-4356 617 Ni. Hirktr, Li Hikn 90631 State Contractor's License B379738 ni.linJ!lli:n:lll;IHi7,l;llknl.MtYi;MJJJ71 nro me rammu can? REAL ESTATE LICENSE GUARANTEED SALESBROKERS "ONE WEEKEND- CLASS Call for a free brochure, Classes are held at: NATIONAL SCHOOLS -213 8544)380 292 SO.

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Mayer, who thought that Craig resembled Gable, signed the actor to a seven- year contract, foreseeing the need for someone to fill Gable's shoes while MGM's big box office star was under contract to Uncle Sam. Among Craig's top roles during that period was a part as a Faustian character torn between the devil, played by Walter Huston, and orator Daniel Webster, portrayed by Edward Arnold, in 1941's "All That Money Can Buy, later reti-tled "The Devil and Daniel Web ster." Cam; to Hollywood in 1934 Born James Henry Meador in Nashville, Craig came to Hollywood to study acting in 1934 and landed his first leading role in the 1937 film "Arizona Ames," for which he took the name James Mead. Later, when he was cast in a planned film titled "Craig's Wife," he became James Craig. He appeared in such hits as "Kitty Foyle" in 1940 and "While the City Sleeps" in 1956. In the 1970s, Craig had several TV roles but then retired from show busi ness and became a real estate agent.

He is survived by the three children from his first marriage to Mary June Ray James Diane and Michael, and four grandchildren. A memorial service has been scheduled for 1 p.m. July 27 at Church of the Recessional at Forest Lawn in Glendale. John Scarne, 82, Author of Books on Gambling, Dies ENGLEWOOD, N.J. OB-John Scarne, an expert on games of chance who wrote 28 books on the subject, has died here at age 82.

Scarne, president of John Scarne Games Inc. in North Bergen, died Sunday at Englewood Hospital. He wrote his first book, "Scarne on Dice," in 1945. Other books include "Scarne's New Complete Guide to Gambling," "Scarne's Guide to Casino Gambling" and "Scarne's Encyclopedia of Games." He contributed to the Encyclopaedia Britannica and the World Book Encyclopedia. Scarne was born in Steubenville, Ohio, on March 4, 1903.

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