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Nuz

Gooden Tag

Crime doesn't pay, they say. Nor does justice, it seems. After numerous problems including alleged drug dealing, prostitution, overcrowding and code violations at a group of apartments at 350 Ocean St., almost two dozen fed-up neighbors filed a lawsuit against property owners Charlotte and Warren Gooden, hoping to get them to clean up this bit of urban blight.

However, the Goodens have apparently found that the best defense is a good offense--make that a good offensive. Imagine their surprise when Arturo and Leslie Lopez--who are among the 21 plaintiffs in the suit against the Goodens--listened to their answering machine Christmas Eve and heard Warren Gooden intoning, "If you're in charge of all the Mexicans here on Canfield and Garfield and everywhere else in this damn town, you better check it out because my apartment is clear, clean and quiet. If you're such a big boss of these groups ... take care." Understandably nervous, the couple filed a copy of the tape along with a police report on the Goodens.

After Charlotte Gooden called to apologize for her husband's comments, the Lopezes were ready to forgive and forget--until other co-plaintiffs began getting inquiring calls from the City Planning Department. As it turns out, the Goodens had visited City Hall with the addresses of five properties, and asked planners to determine whether they are up to code. What might those five addresses be? First on the list was the Resource Center for Nonviolence and its upstairs apartment, where Neighbors of Lower Ocean co-founder Erik Larsen lives and works. The other four addresses were among those listed by the

co-plaintiffs on the impending lawsuit, according to a source in the Planning Department who spoke on the condition of anonymity. What will cost the Goodens about $20 in Planning Department research time could potentially cost these targeted plaintiffs thousands if they have not kept their properties up to code.

When it comes to keeping kosher with City Planning, one could argue that what is good for the goose is fair for the gander. However, this mini-Jihad that the Goodens are waging does not bode well for resolving the larger problem--cleaning up the mess on lower Ocean Street. Or, as the old saying goes, "When you're up to your ass in alligators, it's hard to remember that the original objective was to drain the swamp."

Ink Stink

A new attempt by state Assemblywoman Valerie Brown (D-Santa Rosa) to implement health standards for tattoo shops and piercing parlors is getting responses that range from a hesitant thumbs up to downright enthusiasm. "It's great," says Staircase Tattoo owner James McDermott, who says he was part of a group of professional tattooists and piercers that tried unsuccessfully to implement health regulations three years ago. McDermott says he welcomes regulations, although he would prefer that an association of tattooists police the industry, rather than the state.

Assemblywoman Brown's 1994 bill made it through the Legislature but was vetoed by Gov. Pete Wilson. The new bill was slated to be considered on Tuesday by the Assembly Health Committee.

Iggy Evans, an artist for Erno Tattoo who has tattooed professionally for two years, also feels regulation is a good idea, as long as tattooists are involved. But he adds that he has seen divisions among tattooists over potential regulations. "A lot of old-school tattooists don't want anyone messing with them, but at the same time there are a lot of young tattoo shops opening and they may not be using proper procedures," he says.

Cheri Hubert, owner of Lovedog Tattoos, says she has no problem with basic sterility requirements. "Any shop that has bad procedures doesn't last long," she says. "My concern is that they'll make all these rules that are completely asinine, like in San Francisco, where [the Health Department] wants you to display all your equipment in a glass case--that's ridiculous."

Good hygiene includes a work area that can be wiped down with antiseptics. A good tattooist or piercer uses sterile rubber gloves and paper towels, and sterilizes needles, piercing tools, jewelry, inks and pigment tubes in an autoclave. Some also use ultrasonic cleaners.

Ken Coyote, a body piercer at Curiosa, says the piercing industry needs regulation, too. "Right now, piercers do not have to be trained," he says. "Any idiot can open up a shop tomorrow."

Coyote, who teaches five-day body-piercing workshops at a school run by "modern primitive" icon Fakir and has apprenticed with other body piercers, says shops should be held to standards of cleanliness similar to those applied to the dental industry. As for technique, that's another story. "Mandatory training--that's a toughie," he says. "There's no one way to pierce correctly, although there are things you don't do."

Coyote says the worst problems he's heard of have involved people going to the hospital to have a badly infected piercing removed. And some piercings, particularly of the clitoris, can be dangerous if a person is not highly experienced, says Coyote, adding that he will pierce clitoral hoods, but not the clitoris itself.

Every local tattooist and piercer interviewed by Nuz claims to use good sterile techniques, including single-use needles. Of course, who would admit to a reporter that they work in a contaminated environment?

McDermott claims some local tattoo shops don't make sure that their employees are well-versed in sanitary techniques. "There's a lot of tattooists in the area who shouldn't be tattooing. They haven't had any training at all," he says.

Coyote suggests customers educate themselves in advance. "Ask questions and find out how your piercer was trained and how long they've been piercing. Ask about cleanliness techniques, sterility and placement--and the same goes for tattooing."

There Otter Be a Law

The thousand or so who sent their order in for a specialized Monterey Bay National Sanctuary license plate may want to quit hanging around the mailbox. It appears those lovable Sam-the-sea-otter plates are at least a year away, if not more. The DMV requires 5,000 paid orders before it will start engraving, and as of the Dec. 31, 1995, deadline only 1,100 had been ordered. License plate campaign spokesman Mike Wallace isn't worried, though. The deadline has been extended another year and, adds Wallace, "It took the Lake Tahoe [specialized license plate] campaign 21 months to get 2,000 orders."

Unfortunately, the California Highway Patrol is less than thrilled with this cutesy-plate trend. According to a recent report, CHiPs have a hard time making out an ID--the original purpose of license plates--beneath the plethora of hearts, animals and trademarks.

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