Littering

The son of former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and alcohol possession after he and two other teen-agers were stopped for littering. Police said Andrew J. Young III, 17, was in a car that had been pulled over after Officer Larry Geisz saw a bag of trash thrown out of it. Geisz said he noticed a holster by Young's foot and when he asked the youth what it was, "he did not answer, but reached down and pulled up a pistol and pointed it at me."

Angry anglers landed one more chance this week to clean up the Newport Pier before the City Council authorizes a crackdown that would limit pier fishing and allow periodic closures of the pier. Assistant City Manager Ken Delino said the enforcement effort is needed to eliminate litter--primarily bait, fish intestines and food wrappers--that anglers and transients are blamed for leaving on the pier.

Disgusted by pictures of trash-strewn coasts, the California Ocean Protection Council on Thursday called for an aggressive crackdown on plastic fast-food containers, a ban of those containing toxic chemicals and a program to reimburse police for vigorous enforcement of littering laws. Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, a member of the council, also instructed the staff to find money to deploy "nurdle" police to prosecute plastic manufacturers that allow plastic pellets to spill off industrial lots.

They'd come in campers and in station wagons and trucks. They'd come from the suburbs and from surrounding states. Indiana Coach Bob Knight was here. So was Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson. And actor Billy Bob Thornton interrupted a project in Arkansas to catch a glimpse of Mark McGwire's pursuit of Roger Maris. McGwire's parents had flown in from Southern California. His son, Matthew, served as bat boy.

Kids and balloons go together like peanut butter and jelly, right? For years, mass balloon launches have served as a crowd-pleasing, exhilarating way to celebrate a special event. Children stare up from the ground, focused on the soaring mass of color as it spreads and finally disappears. But some kids are learning that balloons don't just go away once they're out of sight. In several states, schoolchildren have lobbied against balloon launches.

A woman was fined $173.50 in Easton for throwing lettuce out of her car. Dawn Higgins, 47, was cited while parked outside a Wal-Mart eating a salad. "Lettuce comes from the ground, therefore it can go back into the ground," she said. "It's biodegradable. I didn't think I was doing anything wrong." Higgins has appealed the fine to Northampton County Court.

Neighbors are in a huff about the crowds of spandex-clad exercise nuts who throng the steep stairs leading down to Santa Monica Canyon. No pain, no gain, is the mantra of the fitness freaks, who gather on the grassy median at the north end of 4th Street in Santa Monica, then dash, trudge or stumble up and down the 189 concrete risers, most of which actually lie in the city of Los Angeles.

The City Council unanimously supported a change in the law that will let the city manager limit pier fishing and close Newport and Balboa piers periodically to discourage littering and improve appearances. Public support for the plan, designed to eliminate the litter from bait, fish and food wrappers, also was strong. City officials have traced the debris to anglers and transients. "The Central Newport Beach Assn.

Rangers here are launching a program to stop people from littering the summit of Kilauea with such "offerings" as incense, candles and food that attract rats and cockroaches. Some visitors appear to be under the impression that the items are a suitable offering to Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess. But park officials say the objects actually desecrate a Big Island site that is sacred to many Native Hawaiians. "Many of these items are being left by people who are not from here.