Fire rages in Kern County town
LAKE ISABELLA, Calif. ““ A 350-acre wildfire damaged or
destroyed 10 homes on July 21 and forced the evacuation of
residents, officials said.
Evacuations are under way in the area near Erskine Creek, near
Lake Isabella, as the fire moves in a southeastern direction, said
Tomas Patlan, a spokesman with the Kern County Fire Department. It
is not known how many homes are in the area and how many people are
being evacuated, he said.
About 75 firefighters and three helicopters are working to save
homes in the area, he added. No injuries have been reported.
The fire erupted about 2 p.m. and the cause is under
investigation, he said.
Authorities are warning residents to stay out of the area.
Lake Isabella is about 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles and
about 30 miles northeast of Bakersfield.
RAVE Act meets strong opposition
Opponents of anti-rave legislation in California are growing in
numbers, gathering the momentum of civil liberties groups and a
petition of more than 10,000 signatures.
The Reducing Americans’ Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act was
introduced in the state Legislature by Assemblywoman Nancy Havice,
D-Bellflower. If passed, business owners could face fines and
prison sentences for failing to prevent drug sales on the premises
of all-night dance parties and musical events.
Health advocates fear if business owners stop holding these
events, the raves will be driven underground and away from public
health regulations.
Pipe crackdown begins in Mexico
TIJUANA, Mexico ““ Sidewalk vendors and curio stalls in the
border city of Tijuana will soon be prohibited from selling
decorative pipes that can be used to consume drugs.
Inspectors will begin confiscating the pipes in August as part
of a campaign by local officials to discourage drug use and improve
the image of the sprawling city that borders San Diego, said
Ricardo Gonzalez, who represents Tijuana’s tourist district
on the City Council.
The ceramic, glass or metal pipes, which can be used to smoke
marijuana or other drugs, are sold along with Mexican blankets,
pottery and other souvenirs around Revolution Avenue, the
city’s main tourist thoroughfare. To enforce the ban,
officials will rely on a little-used ordinance that prohibits the
sale of items that contribute to “˜”˜bad
morals,” Gonzalez said.
Members of an association of shopkeepers have agreed not to
fight the crackdown but some grumble that it will do little more
than hurt small businesses.
“˜”˜This isn’t going to resolve the drug
addiction problem,” said Antonio Santillan, a member
of the Association of Organized Businesses of Revolution Avenue.
“˜”˜They want to clean things up by going after the
humble people but they don’t attack the real problem, such as
closing the drug houses.”
Center releases book on Sept. 11
A new book by the Asian American Studies Center features Asian
American’s perspectives on Sept. 11 and its aftermath.
“Asian Americans on War & Peace” is authored by
24 scholars, writers and activists.
The publication is “the first book to respond to Sept. 11
… from the vantage point of those whose lives and communities in
America have been forged by war and peace,” said Russell
Leong, co-editor and the center’s publications director.
Newborns needed for diabetes work
UCLA researchers are seeking pregnant women to enroll their
newborn in a trial to reduce insulin-dependent, or Type I, diabetes
in genetically at-risk people.
Researchers hope to learn whether avoiding intact cow milk
proteins in the first six to eight months of life can decrease the
incidence of Type I diabetes by age 10 in at-risk babies.
Those who are interested should contact (310) 825-5487 for more
information.
Reports from Daily Bruin wire services.