Public Nuisances

First Rep. Laura Richardson was having problems making house payments, defaulting six times over eight years. Then after a bank foreclosed on her Sacramento house and sold it at auction in May, the Long Beach Democrat made such a stink that Washington Mutual, in an unusual move, grabbed it back and returned it to her. This week, in the latest chapter in the housing saga, the Code Enforcement Department in Sacramento declared her home a "public nuisance."

Most boats start out as someone's dream: the tugboat that can be restored and lived on, the fishing boat that represents a chance to make a living on the water. "Men have pipe dreams. They buy a boat at an auction that just needs some work," said harbormaster Robin Leraas, who runs the Westport Marina on Washington's coast. "Then they get the first month's moorage bill, and we don't see them again."

For nearly 12 years, T. Julian Baksik has spent his days designing high-tech fuel alternatives for the auto industry -- and his nights turning discarded copper wire and scrapped chunks of steel into larger-than-life baroque-style sculptures. When Baksik, 36, moved to an old farmstead in this northwestern suburb of Detroit two years ago, he thought he'd found a perfect home for both his days and his nights. The 2.4-acre lot was a comfortable commute to Energy Conversion Devices Inc.

The man whom Walnut Avenue once called Mike took to dawdling near his fence -- cheekily unclothed. Neighbors yanked down their blinds to block out the 5-foot-9, 165-pound man in his birthday suit. Out-of-towners screeched, and some folks phoned police and begged: Please oust the Naked Man. This kicked off a months-long chain of events that wrapped up Monday night with the Huntington Beach City Council approving a ban on public undress. Police Chief Kenneth W.

The seed is flung on the sidewalks by the ton. And the pigeons flock to eat by the thousands. That's the complaint in Hollywood as unfettered bird-feeding is ruffling the feathers of neighborhood leaders and Los Angeles City Hall officials who are in the midst of an ongoing community beautification campaign.

To understand the trade deficit, residents of Sandison Street do not need the help of world-class economists. They can just glance across the street at the mountain of faded brown cargo containers blocking the Wilmington sky. The equation is simple. As the deficit grows, the mountain gets higher. "It's getting taller; it's spreading out," said resident Maria Lopez, eyeing the pile that stretches for two blocks.

U.S. Rep. Laura Richardson's rundown Sacramento house, which became the scourge of the neighborhood and a sore point with an investor who thought he had bought it out of foreclosure, has drawn the interest of a House ethics panel. The Office of Congressional Ethics contacted real estate investor James York, who bought Richardson's house at a foreclosure auction last year, only to have Washington Mutual take it back after he had recorded the deed and return the house to the congresswoman.

The question is whether Melahat Uzumcu will have to move from her big house, to the other big house. Uzumcu's 7,000-square-foot house in Palos Verdes Estates sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean, with a view of the South Bay laid out in front of it. There are seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms and floors custom made with wood from Brazil. The bathrooms have granite tile and marble counters. There are three fireplaces and three living rooms. Two life-size statues guard the front door.

The City Council voted Tuesday to approve an ordinance to make it easier for building officials to crack down on property owners who allow drug dealing, prostitution, vandalism and other illegal public nuisances to occur. The ordinance, proposed by Councilwoman Jan Perry, seeks to cut the amount of time needed to prosecute a nuisance abatement case. The new law will require that nuisance abatement cases are heard within two years. It also is designed to crack down on public urination, excessive littering, lewd conduct and loud noise.

The music floating Wednesday from Walt Disney Concert Hall was a concerto of sanding machines, as workers began taking the shine off some of the building's stainless steel panels. Faced with complaints that the polished-steel parts of the curving exterior created an unbearable glare for nearby residents, passing motorists and pedestrians, a group from Custom Metal Fabricators gently climbed onto the architectural landmark with hand-held sanders.