<i> Snapshots of life in the Golden State.</i> : Star Power Beats Political Prestige in Waggish Poll

Never mind polling about health care and illegal immigration, --the National Enquirer has the nation’s true pulse. The tabloid buttonholed 100 people in five U.S. cities and showed them two photographs, one of a dog, one of a human.

The dog was Lassie, the human was the local member of the House of Representatives. Eighty-nine percent recognized the dog, 22% recognized the honorable member. Faring worst was veteran Glendale Republican Rep. Carlos J. Moorhead. All 20 people recognized Lassie; none recognized Moorhead. “Lassie’s always done well in my district,” Moorhead was ready to quip gamely to the tab, if it had quoted him.

To be fair, there are more than a dozen congressional districts in L.A. County, and Moorhead’s staff suspects that the Enquirer didn’t pin down shoppers on Brand Boulevard. Anyway, Moorhead’s big TV moment was almost 19 years ago; his was one of the last “no” votes on the House Judiciary Committee considering the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. Lassie, on the other hand, has been in reruns since Hector was a pup.

Golden State Minerals

Here, by weight and value, are selected minerals produced* in California last year. Our weightiest mineral products are sand and gravel, while cement and gold are among the most lucrative. The minerals are ranked by weight.

QUANTITY MINERAL (in tons**) VALUE Sand, gravel 98,610,000 $513.9 million Stone 41,223,292 204.3 million Cement 9,145,000 548.7 million Clays 1,796,207 33.8 million Boron minerals 927,273 332.7 million Lime 351,000 23.3 million Gold 34 418.2 million Silver 13.6 1.9 million Gemstones NA 10.1 million

* As measured by mine shipments, sales or marketable production.

** Conversions to standard U.S. tons (2,000 pounds each), from measuring units as originally reported, are approximate.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Mines, state Division of Mines and Geology

Compiled by Times researcher TRACY THOMAS

*

Memory lane: Before we bid goodby to 1993, we want to revisit some memorable months. The calendar published by the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn. noted April 28 as the date of the Victims Memorial Service in San Francisco. And above that, as editorial counterpoint, was its April photo--the San Quentin gas chamber, where Robert Alton Harris was executed in April, 1992, for murdering two San Diego boys.

And Gov. Pete Wilson declared November to be Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. The announcement from the California Department of Aging was made Nov. 24. *

Brother from another planet: A cover sheet and four-page fund-raising letter from state Treasurer and all-but-certain gubernatorial candidate Kathleen Brown mentions her father, former Gov. Pat Brown, her children, her twin grandchildren, even Pete Wilson. But nothing about her brother. Jerry. You know, the other former governor.

*

Too big for our branches: The century-old, 75-foot white fir that was felled in Big Bear was lighted up this week at the U.S. Capitol building as the nation’s Christmas tree. But long before it could be hung with thousands of Southern California-made holiday ornaments, the tree got the Dr. Frankenstein treatment. It had to be severely pruned to fit in the truck taking it to D.C. Once it got there, the limbs--which had been carefully numbered--were matched and reattached. Since the Bobbitt case, the nation’s capital--like everywhere else in the country--has been obsessed with reattachments.

*

Fishin’ fashion: This week, the state Fish and Game Commission announced that fishing licenses make ideal stocking stuffers, cost under $25 and come in envelopes decorated with green deer, ducks and fish. Coincidentally, Fish and Game will decide next month whether to require fisherpersons to wear their licenses on their clothes. “By wearing licenses, California anglers will show that they proudly pay their fair share to support fishing,” says Fish and Game Director Boyd Gibbons.

*

Book ‘em: When is a library not a library? When it’s in Merced County. The county’s library system, fated to close for want of money, has been rescued, in a fashion, by the Merced city redevelopment agency. But that still won’t fulfill a wish list. The money opens one branch library for all of 16 hours a week. And it won’t cover, among other things, reference services, new books, overdue notices, children’s story time or class visits. Read it and weep.

*

Pro bono: Sonny Bono--former singer, former mayor, former Senate candidate, future lieutenant governor of California if wishes come true--will have a former rival at the helm. Bruce Herschensohn, who bested Bono in last year’s U.S. Senate primary, has agreed to be chairman of Bono’s campaign. If Bono and Democratic contender Gray Davis win their primaries, the lieutenant governor’s race will sound less like a campaign than a weatherman’s quandary: Gray or Sonny?

EXIT LINE

“There’s no use lying. In California, Wranglers is the thing.”

--Mike Bacigalupi, owner of a saloon in the “rodeo capital” town of Oakdale, which is being promoted by Levi’s ads in Italy. Italians are snapping up bottles of genuine Oakdale dirt and honorary citizen of Oakdale certificates in Italy’s Levi’s stores.