Manure

A Marin County dairy has become the latest California farm to generate electricity from cow manure, thanks in part to government programs that grew out of the state's energy crisis three years ago. The Straus Family Creamery's $280,000 methane digester, unveiled this week, converts manure from its herd of 270 cows into electricity that helps power the farm and creamery.

Independent filmmakers Mark and Michael Polish have formed their own production company, Prohibition Pictures, and will be making two films back to back at Melody Ranch Studios in Santa Clarita, starting Tuesday. "Manure," a comedy about manure salesmen, will star Billy Bob Thornton, Tea Leoni and Kyle MacLachlan. "Stay Cool," another comedy, will star Winona Ryder, Sean Astin and Chevy Chase. Both scripts were written by the Polish brothers and will be directed by Michael, with Mark taking acting roles in each.

The ruling Labor Party suspended a senior lawmaker and a top aide to the head of the opposition stepped down in a scandal over expenses. Both parties have been embarrassed by revelations about lawmakers who have claimed expenses such as cleaning pools and moats, installing a chandelier and buying manure. Legislator Andrew Mackay resigned as a senior advisor to Conservative leader David Cameron. Labor suspended Elliot Morley, a former minister.

With reference to the on hen droppings at Egg City (July 18), there's more than trouble in Egg City--there's callous cruelty to pitiful creatures exploited for expediency and inordinate greed. The "world's largest chicken ranch," Egg City, north of Moorpark, has 3 million chickens, which, in small wire mesh cages (37 henhouses, according to the article) with only wire mesh flooring on which to stand so that their manure droppings can conveniently fall on the concrete floor beneath and be scraped up and hauled away, while the miserable chickens grind out eggs like unfeeling manufacturing tools--all for greed and profit.

Councilman Joel Wachs said he will ask the City Council today to expand a Sun Valley grass-clipping collection program. The councilman also said he will introduce a motion to increase city pickup of horse manure throughout the San Fernando Valley. The city began a pilot program six months ago to continue to make manure pickups to about 1,800 households throughout the Valley after the city switched to an automated service.

In a novel bid to dramatize their opposition to the anti-gay crusade of the Rev. Louis Sheldon, AIDS activists placed bags of manure at his office doorstep on Wednesday, which led to a brief shoving match. No one was injured or arrested in the noonday scuffle between three members of ACT UP/Orange County and Sheldon's son, Steve Sheldon.

Compost happens. But not easily or quickly, which can be a problem for farmers who might run afoul of the Environmental Protection Agency's strict rules regarding animal waste disposal. Environmental Products & Technologies Corp. in Westlake Village hopes to ease this waste management problem with a new closed-loop system that is being tested at two dairy farms. Company spokesman David Foster said the four-part system is designed to address the concerns of the U.S.

Improper disposal of animal waste at hog, dairy and egg farms is threatening drinking-water supplies, recreational waters and health in parts of Southern California and across the nation, according to a report released Tuesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council. "This witches' brew of toxins . . . is polluting our air, lakes, rivers, streams, estuaries and drinking water," said Heather Hoecherl, an attorney with the council's Los Angeles office.

When the wind is calm and the air humid, the scent of this fair city can wrinkle the nose. Or at least in certain sections of the community. Sometimes. Just a bit. But city officials say not to worry. That's just the way Ventura smells. Downtown property owner Andy Chakires said an odor--part sewer and part natural gas--has permeated parts of Ventura in recent weeks. Mind you, 73-year-old Chakires says his sense of smell isn't what it used to be.