Bushido challenges preconception WEEKEND | P.16
JUNE 25, 2010 VOLUME 18, NO. 25
INSIDE: MOVIES | PAGE 19
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Oakland lab may solve city’s desire for pot testing mold. Smoking moldy marijuana has hastened the death nder the city’s proposed of at least one person with a regulations, any medi- compromised immune system, cal marijuana sold in according to study published by Mountain View would have the American College of Chest to be tested for various sorts of Physicians. A bone marrow contamination. The best known transplant patient died from and possibly the only “Cannabis Aspergillosis, a lung infection Analysis Laboratory” in the state that can be caused by inhaling is apparently a place in Oakland spores of Aspergillus fungus. called Steep Hill Labs. “People with cancer or HIV, “I think consumers have the there are lots of immuno-comright to know what is in the prod- promised patients, they want ucts they are consuming,” said to know there is no mold or David Lamsomething that pach, a cannacan kill them in bis activist who Smoking moldy their medicine,” founded Steep Lampach said. Hill in 2008 Mold conmarijuana has with partner tamination is Addison De hastened the death actually quite Moura. common, found of at least one Lampach says on 85 percent of it’s been the only the marijuana person operation like tested by Steep it in CaliforHill. But only nia. Using expensive chemistry 3 percent of the samples tested equipment, such as a gas chro- are truly unsafe for some people, matograph, the dispensary tests Lampach said. for pesticides and mold, as well Pesticides are also a concern. potency in samples of marijuana. After medical marijuana was Steep Hill has 12 employees and reportedly found with high levcontracts with about 50 dispen- els of pesticides at a Los Angeles saries scattered across the state, dispensary (170 times the EPA with a recent boost in business limit for food), Los Angeles now from new medical marijuana lab requires testing for pesticides and testing requirements in the cities “any other regulated contamiof Los Angeles and Long Beach. nants,” in samples of marijuana DeMoura has called the lab the sold in dispensaries. cannabis movement’s “success Steep Hill recently started teststory of self-regulation.” ing for pesticides, which LamSteep Hill’s client dispensa- pach said has been found “pretty ries often put the results of the regularly” at some level. “It’s just lab tests on their marijuana a matter of amount” and which products. Some users are hap- pesticides are a concern. “We just py to know Tetrahydrocan- report the results. We let everynabinol (THC) potency levels, one else figure out what they are Lampach said. comfortable with.” “Some people don’t want to Those looking for a safe level consume cannabis and have their of pesticides in marijuana will whole day shut down,” Lampach see that “the EPA doesn’t set a said. “Some people prefer some- trace residue limit (for pestithing less strong.” See POT LAB, page 8 But of significant concern is By Daniel DeBolt
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MICHELLE LE
Louie Givich celebrates his 99th birthday with his favorite, carrot cake, at a June 18 celebration. A Mountain View resident since his birth in 1911, he is one of the city’s oldest residents.
He’s 99 and still going strong ON HIS BIRTHDAY, LOUIE GIVICH HAS PLENTY OF STORIES TO SHARE By Emily Hamilton
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ouie Givich has a story for everything. He can describe exactly how Mountain View looked the year
he was born, in a house where two palm trees now stand next to an In-n-Out Burger. He remembers the bootlegger’s building and who all his neighbors were. And that was 99 years ago.
“I remember everything,” says Louie, who just celebrated his 99th birthday. He was born on June 19, 1911. He says that See GIVICH, page 9
Eshoo ‘disturbed’ by plan to demolish cork room NAVY SET TO RAZE HISTORIC HANGAR ONE STRUCTURE By Daniel DeBolt
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n a terse letter to U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo says she is “disturbed” by news reports about the planned demolition of the unique “cork room” inside Moffett Field’s Hangar One, and she asks pointed questions about why the Navy is set to destroy the historic structure. As reported in the Voice June 18,
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preservationists are scrambling to preserve the unique room inside Moffett Field’s massive black and white landmark. In the early 1930s the cork room provided a controlled environment to store and maintain the helium gas cells used inside the U.S.S. Macon, the massive airship for which Hangar One was built. It gets its name from the six-inch-thick cork insulation in its walls. The Navy plans to dispose of it in August, along with most of the
hangar’s interior. In the letter, Eshoo points out that the cork room is “perhaps the only room left of this kind in the country.” She re-iterates comments from Carl Honaker, the last chief executive officer at Moffett Field before it ceased to be a Naval base, who said, “In my opinion, the cork room is the most significant historical See CORK ROOM, page 11
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