Lead Stories
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In December, according to an exchange of letters excerpted in the Wall Street Journal, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, acting on the complaint of a neighbor, scolded a Montcalm County landowner for “construction and maintenance of two wood-debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond,” reminding him that a permit is required for such “inherently dangerous” construction and advising him against any further “unauthorized activity.” Subsequent investigation by the department revealed that the dams had been built by beavers.
An Environmental Issue for Steve Forbes
In March the town council of Tangier Island, Maryland, the proposed location for a movie starring Paul Newman and Kevin Costner, informed the producers that the town was looking forward to the filming but that the script would have to be changed to eliminate all cursing, sex, and alcoholic beverages. And Joe Paul of Sun City, Arizona, has been keeping track of how many times baseball players spit at Arizona Diamondbacks games this year, which he says violates state law. Paul has repeatedly written to health authorities demanding they enforce the rule.
Crises in the Workplace
In January professor Sandro Trotti hired a pair of 20-year-old women to pose as Venus for his class at Rome’s Academy of Fine Arts. Trotti’s move was met with protests by the academy’s in-house models, who have traditionally modeled for all the classes, nude and clothed, despite the fact that some are over 60 years old. The academy compounded the problem by offering the older models alternative employment, such as working as cleaning ladies.
Send your weird news to Chuck Shepherd, Chicago Reader, 11 E. Illinois, Chicago 60611.
