The Berkeley Gazette from Berkeley, California • 7

Mar 25 1982 EiRE' K-E t' E) GvAj ZBTTEi Pase 7 if fiWVt rJ 11: 1 A flERCURV IN PISH: For first time in five years state finds mercury levels in fish that could be harmful to health SACRAMENTO (UPI) For the first time in five years state water quality officials have found mercury levels in Calfornia fish that could be harmful to health The Water Resources Boards toxic substances monitoring for 1981 also found levels of mercury toxaphene and DDT in fish that could damage fish and wildlife The board Wednesday said its survey resulted in the first finding in five years that violates a public health standard White bass samples from Lake Nacimiento in San Luis Obispo County produced a mercury level of 13 parts DANGER LEVEL per million the board said The federal government sets 1 ppm of mercury as the maximum level safe for human health That level assumes a consumer eats the fish on a regular basis Mercury levels in largemouth bass from Clear Lake approach violation of the public health standard with 92 ppm Mercury in California waters comes from natural deposits mercury mine tailings and some gold mining operations Water quality officials suspect Coastal Mountain Range findings are the reult of past mercury mining Other significant findings confirmed the persistence of toxaphene in the San Joaquin River for the fourth consecutive year The 37 ppm found in channel catfish falls within the 5 ppm human health standard but is significantly higher than the 1 ppm level considered safe for fish and wildlife the board said A second check made by scientists to confirm results found 21 ppm Toxaphene came into widespread use after DDT was banned It is used on a wide variety of field crops especially tomatoes and cotton In 1978 the first year toxpahene measurements were made San Joaquin River fish tested at 04 ppm Results in 1979 and 1980 were 47 ppm and 17 ppm The board said a third major finding is the continued pollution of the New and Alamo Rivers Both rivers flow from Mexico into the United States 'Deulc is top fund-raiser SACRAMENTO (UPI) Attorney General George Deuk Deukmejian has collected more than four times the amount of money gathered by Lt Gov Mike Curb this year for their campaigns for the Republican gubernatorial nominations reports showed Wednesday The campaign reports filed with the state were the latest signal of a shift of momentum from Curb to Deukmejian for the nomination as public opinion polls have-indicated From Jan 1 to March 17 Deukmejian collected $552979 while Curb raised $122811 Because of 1980 fund-raising both candidates have almost the same amount of cash available for the final two months of the campaign $140 million for Deukmejian $136 million for Curb Meantime on the Democratic side Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley has raised a total of $388771 to win the gubernatorial nomination He enjoys a wide margin over Sen John Garamendi of Walnut Grove and Mario Obledo former secretary of health and welfare for Gov Brown who have raised about $100000 each A 12th try to legalize pot SACRAMENTO (UPI) For the 12th time an initiative drive has been launched to legalize personal use of marijuana in California Secretary of State March Fong Eu Wednesday set an April 29 deadline for backers of the latest marijuana proposal to collect 346119 voter signatures to place it on the November ballot Ms Eu also gave the signature-drive go-ahead for another ballot drive to authorize a state-operated lottery Hero's trophy Jeffrey Fcnn the water deliveryman who saved actress Theresa Saldana's life from a knife-wielding attacker talks with reporters as his wife Clare looks on holding a trophy Saldana gave him when he visited her last night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles It reads: "To my hero Jeffrey Fenn thank you thank you thank you With much love and gratitude forever" UPI photo Will the law be an ass? Plan in Assembly would put pensions in housing LOS ANGELES (UPI) Superior Court Judge Dickran Tevrizian has blocked the eviction of an elderly couple whose home was sold by the tax collector to satisfy a delinquent $51 tax bill I In issuing the preliminary injunction the judge said the idea of taking Robert and Darlene Austin's mortgage-free home away from them because of a failure to pay a street lighting assessment is unconscionable: If the law permits this to happen then the law is an ass over two years The Senate package aimed at 20000 Bills carried by Costa and Assemblyman Douglas Bosco D-Occidental would require pension funds of the Public Employee Retirement System and the California Teacher Retirement System to invest about $2 billion of their new assets in the next two years in mortgage loans for new homes than a dent in the depressed housing industry Costa said the state had 105000 housing starts last year compared to an estimated need of 310000 Economists estimate that only about 5 percent of Cal-ifornia families have enough income to afford a new home Costa said the Assemblys nine bills would prompt about 35000 starts SACRAMENTO (UPI) To bolster Californias struggling housing industry Assembly Democrats want state employee pension funds to invest at least $2 billion in low-interest mortgages A nine-bill package that requires such a pension fund investment was unveiled Wednesday by a housing task force headed by Assemblyman Jim Costa D-Fresno Assembly Speaker Willie Brown and other top Assembly Democrats attended the news conference Senate Democrats led by President Pro Tern David Roberti announced a housing package of their own on Feb 15 that includes some of the ideas advanced by Costas task force Neither program appeared likely to make more Endorsed Discounting police bra-tallty allegations against Anthony Amador the Senate Rules Committee Wednesday unanimously endorsed Gov Brown's appointment of Amador to head the California Youth Authority Some blacks had contended Amador misused his authority as a police officer during the turbulence of the 1965 Watts race riots UPI photo SF cops oppose sun ban SAN FRANCISCO (UPI) The San Francisco Police Officers Association usually a supporter of Mayor Dianne Feinstein and her policies has taken a stand against her proposed ban on handguns We are not against gun control association spokesman Pete Maloney said at a news conference Wednesday We are against another misdemeanor we cannot effectively enforce He said the proposed ordinance is impractical and fails to target the people who are abusing and misusing handguns Man sues over loud music EUGENE Ore (UPI) A man who claims he lost 50 to 60 percent of his hearing from listening to a bands amplified rock music at a tavern has filed a $405000 damage suit Michael Valdenergo said he experienced ringing in his ears and suffered permanent hearing damage after listening to two pieces played by the Hot Whacks Band at Duffys tavern in April 1980 Cities can't forbid 'cruising SAN FRANCISCO (UPI) The state Court of Appeal has ruled that a law designed to prevent automobile cruising through the business district of Los Gatos is invalid In a 3-0 ruling Wednesday the court said the city ordinance was preempted by state law that gives local governments only the authority to regulate processions or assemblages but leaves all other motor vehicle laws to the state Dazzling display of intelligence as dog saves pup I think if he hadnt kept the dog up in the air it would have been too late when I got there Mrs Hance FULLERTON (UPI) A German shepherd named Mac used his head to save the life of a puppy hanging from a fence post by his collar and the dogs owner is amazed at the display of intelligence Geneva Hance and her husband were in their home when they heard Mac barking and scratching on the screen door When she looked outside Barney their Boston Terrier was hanging unconscious by his collar on a fence post Mac was standing below the 7-month-old terrier balancing the puppy on his head and relieving the pressure on his neck said He just loved that dog Mrs Hance took Barney inside the house and revived him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation But Mrs Hance is baffled by the display of intelligence noting Mac had never shown any sign of great intelligence or ingenuity before He always minded good and he learned to sit real quick but things went down hill from there she said He just never showed any signs of being very intelligent I guess he knew more than we thought Volcano not through yet? VANCOUVER Wash (UPI) Scientists say it's too early to call the latest eruptive phase of Mount St Helens over even though the growth of the volcanos lava dome has slowed to a snails pace Until additional measurements are made it would be premature to declare this eruption over" a US Geological Survey spokesma said "The restriction zone around Mount St Helens will remain closed-.