For the Mayor and Hancock Park, Malathion Spraying Comes Home

In the eight months that the state has been spraying malathion over Southern California, the worst that agriculture officials have had to face is a handful of lawsuits, a dozen or so pieces of legislation, several thousand complaints and a few angry demonstrations.

Starting next week, they may be facing some real outrage when the fleet of helicopters begins spraying over the perfectly manicured estates and palm-lined streets of Hancock Park, one of the most affluent and influence-rich neighborhoods in Southern California.

“Oh, no! My goldfish! I’m not happy about this spraying,” said Magali Rivlin, a longtime Hancock Park resident who said she may stroll up the street and complain to her neighbor, Mayor Tom Bradley. “You can just knock on the door.”

Within the confines of this neighborhood is a wide variety of the rich and famous, who some neighbors believe could mount a real attention-getting opposition to the spraying.

Dorothy Chandler, arts advocate and mother of former Los Angeles Times Publisher Otis Chandler, lives a few blocks from the mayor. Comedian Shecky Green lives a block away and neighbors say comedian Billy Crystal has a house not far away.

Residents say that Mr. Blackwell, the famed fashion arbiter who puts out a list of the worst-dressed people in the world every year, also lives in Hancock Park.

“What else do you need?” asked Bill Robles, who keeps an office in his cousin’s home across from the mayor’s residence. “There are some heavy-duty people in the area.”

News of the state Department of Food and Agriculture order Wednesday to begin malathion spraying over parts of Hancock Park, Koreatown and Country Club Park was slow getting around the neighborhood.

Some had expected the helicopters after the discovery April 10 of a single Medfly south of Hancock Park. Others thought the fly was probably a fluke and their neighborhood would escape the aerial assault, as it has for the last eight months.

The state took a week to decide whether to start spraying in the area. Gera Curry, a spokeswoman for the Medfly eradication program, said officials are aware that the mayor’s home is in the spray zone, but she said that played no role in the decision.

“That was not a major concern,” she said.

Bradley’s spokesman, Bill Chandler, issued a short statement Wednesday reaffirming the mayor’s position against spraying. “The mayor thinks the state should prove that malathion spraying is safe. His thoughts on malathion are the same regardless of what area is being sprayed.”

Robles, a courtroom artist, said the neighborhood has a history of community action and residents are not bashful about making their opinions known. “They’re in an uproar about everything,” he said.

Neighbors have banded together to fight the increasing size of high-rises on Wilshire Boulevard, nearby construction projects and even fought an effort to replace their old-fashioned street lights with modern aluminum poles. “We got our lampposts,” Rivlin said.

But many residents say they doubt the neighborhood, which includes a bevy of foreign diplomats as well, will have much success in stopping the spraying.

“They (agriculture officials) haven’t listened to anyone else; they won’t listen to us,” Rivlin said.

“I think the battle is already over,” said Loretta Morgenstern. “It’s too late. Our clout won’t help.”

Morgenstern said she was willing to join in demonstrating against malathion spraying, but she drew the line at personally complaining to the mayor. There are rules of decorum to consider.

“I wouldn’t complain to Tom. He’s got so much to do. I wouldn’t want to bother him,” Morgenstern said. “I’d get a petition first.”