Shown here are are canned coconut milk for cooking (including organic and light versions), coconut milk in aseptic packaging as a substitute for soy or dairy milk, organic coconut flakes and a white coconut. Photo by Esther Oertel.

One of my favorite childhood memories is of my family huddled on our front porch around a bristly brown coconut with screwdriver and hammer in hand.

After some discussion, the hammer was wielded on the poised screwdriver so that holes were bored in the coconut’s top, allowing us to savor the sweet water within.

Afterwards, the hammer was brandished once again to smash the coconut to bits. Enjoyment of succulent snow white flesh clinging to hard shards of shell then ensued.

I tried to recreate this memory with my own young family, only to find I had no idea how to properly employ hammer and screwdriver to achieve the perfect crack.

Even so, whole coconuts have always represented a bit of exotic family fun to me. I get a little thrill when I see them in the supermarket, the way others might feel at the sight of a Ferris wheel at the carnival.

With winter inching closer and our recent blustery winds, I’m in need of some tropical therapy; perhaps you are, too. Chatting about coconuts might be just what we need.

Coconuts are fruits of the coconut palm, which grow in a wide tropical and subtropical swath encompassing the globe. In the U.S., coconut palms thrive only in Hawaii and South Florida.

There is some disagreement as to the exact origin of the plant, with some scientists theorizing an Indo-Pacific origin and others a South American one.

The English name, coconut, is derived from the Spanish and Portuguese word “coco,” which means “grinning face,” a reference to the three indentations at one end of the coconut that resemble eyes and a mouth.

“Nut” is a misnomer, however, as the fruit of the coconut palm is botanically a drupe, meaning a fruit with flesh around an inner seed. In fact, the coconut is the largest known seed in the world.

Fresh coconut is available throughout the year, with peak season from October through December.

While it takes a year or so for a coconut to mature on the tree, coconut palms flower up to 13 times a year, thus yielding a continuous harvest.

An average tree produces about 60 coconuts per year, but some generate three times that amount.

When on the tree, coconuts are encased in a green husk. The whole coconuts we see in markets have had these removed, so that the fibrous mesocarp, or shell, is exposed.

While most coconuts shells are coffee-colored, I was introduced to a new variety recently, the white coconut. It’s similar to its darker cousin in size, shape, and fibrous coiffure, but ranges in color from pale cream to ivory.

Though it looks like an albino version of the brown coconut, it is, in fact, a subspecies grown in Thailand.

Coconut water, meaning the liquid contained in young coconuts, is currently a very popular beverage. A variety of brands in cans, bottles and pouches have popped up in markets over the last few years, including some from Mexico and Thailand. A number have added flavors, such as lime, and others include a bit of free-floating coconut pulp.

I find it an extremely refreshing thirst quencher, especially in hot weather, but if you’re trying to avoid excess sugar as I am, be sure to read the labels, as many have added sweetener.

This drink has long been popular in the tropics, where young coconuts are packaged and sold so that the water can be drunk directly from the fruit. The green outer husks are removed and the rest is wrapped in plastic for sale in markets, or they’re sold fresh from street vendors’ carts.

Coconut water is full of potassium and contains antioxidants that have been linked to a variety of health benefits, one reason for its popularity.

While in a very young state, coconuts have scant meat and what they have is extremely tender, almost like a gel. As the coconut matures, the water is gradually replaced by coconut meat and air.

The soft gel-like meat from young coconuts is a popular addition to smoothies, as well as in other dishes, and is particularly beloved by those who advocate a raw foods diet.

Coconut milk, not to be confused with coconut water, is a product of the coconut’s flesh, obtained by pressing it or by passing hot water through it when grated.

In countries where fresh coconut milk is available, there are two grades, thick and thin. This distinction is not made here, as coconut milk is typically sold only in cans and is a combination of the two.

Upon opening a can of coconut milk, a thick paste is sometimes found to have risen to the top. This can be used in recipes that require coconut cream, or the can may be shaken before opening so that it blends with the rest of the milk.

Light coconut milk, which has some of the fat removed, typically will not separate like this.

I absolutely love cooking with coconut milk, which adds a creamy richness and coconut taste to both sweet and savory dishes.

It’s a staple in tropical cuisines throughout the world, from all parts of Asia and the South Pacific islands to South America and the Caribbean. It forms the basis of many Indonesian, Malaysian and Thai curries.

Coconut milk is a favorite in vegan cooking because of, in part, its buttery consistency. I developed a vegan risotto with butternut squash, and the addition of coconut milk provided the creamy richness that butter and cheese normally add to most risottos.

It's wonderful when added to creamy soups, such as one where coconut milk, pumpkin and curry combine to make a lovely Asian-inspired soup that’s healthy, as well as flavorful.

The coconut milk that’s packaged in aseptic containers as a substitute for dairy, soy, or rice milk is different from that which is packaged in a can for cooking. Rather, it’s a beverage with very little, if any, coconut taste, and makes a good cereal topping or substitute for milk in a recipe.

Coconut oil is high in saturated fat; even so, it’s considered a healthy oil to consume because of the nature and size of the fat molecules.

Briefly, all fats are comprised of molecules called fatty acids. They’re defined by saturation, such as saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, as well as by molecule size, as in short-, medium- or long-chain fatty acids.

While most fats are of the long-chained variety, coconut oil is comprised of medium-chain fatty acids, which, accordingly to preliminary scientific research, don’t have a negative effect on cholesterol and are said to be protective of the heart.

One of the practical benefits of coconut oil is that it has a higher smoke point than many other oils, so that you can cook with it at normal stovetop temperatures and have less concern about oxidation.

Maile Field, former Lake County resident and enthusiastic coconut aficionado, tells tales of family coconut hunts in Hawaii, where parents and children alike learned to dehusk coconuts and enjoy fresh coconut water in its natural habitat.

According to Field, shaving fresh coconut flesh with a carrot peeler and toasting it was a special family treat. While Field reports using a toaster for this purpose, I recommend utilizing the stovetop or oven, whether toasting fresh coconut or the shredded and packaged variety.

Toasted coconut makes a wonderful topping for anything made with coconut milk, including curries and soups.

Much of the fat in coconuts is in the form of lauric acid, which helps fight bacteria from internal pesticides and wards off infections. It has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Coconut flesh contains protein, manganese, iron, phosphorus and potassium, as well as omega-6 fatty acids, which are beneficial for the body.

Today’s recipe is coconut-orange rice pudding, a comforting dish with a taste of the tropics, perfect, in my opinion for a cold, blustery day.

My recipe below includes almond milk, as I like the taste it adds, but soy or dairy milk would work just as well.

While you enjoy the richness of the coconut milk in the dish, be comforted by the fact that it’s nourishing as well as delicious.

Before I go, here’s a Web site that does a good job of describing how to open a coconut: http://www.howtoopenacoconut.com/.

If you’ve got a hankering for fresh coconut, you can now purchase one with confidence, knowing you’ll be able to open it when you get home.

Enjoy!

Comforting coconut-orange rice pudding

1 cup Arborio or other short grain rice

1 can coconut milk (about 13.5 ounces)

About 3 cups almond milk (enough to combine with coconut milk to make 5 cups liquid)

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons agave syrup (or sugar)

1 teaspoon each vanilla and orange extracts

Zest of one orange

¼ teaspoon cardamom

Toasted coconut and/or toasted slivered almonds for garnish

Combine rice, milks and salt in pot. Bring to a medium simmer, cover and cook for half an hour, stirring occasionally, until the rice pudding is thick, creamy and moist. Remove from heat. It will become thicker as it cools.

Add agave syrup, vanilla, orange extract, orange zest and cardamom. Blend well.

Garnish with toasted coconut, toasted slivered almonds or both. Pudding may be served warm or cold. If pudding becomes thick, add a bit of almond milk to thin it out.

This makes enough for six generous servings.

Recipe by Esther Oertel.

Esther Oertel, the “Veggie Girl,” is a culinary coach and educator and is passionate about local produce. Oertel gives private cooking lessons. She welcomes your questions and comments; e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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U.S. Geological Survey scientist Paul Bedrosian, along with colleagues Michael Becken, Oliver Ritter and Ute Weckmann from the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany, used an electromagnetic geophysical method to image subsurface conductivity within the crust.

"Segmentation of the San Andreas fault was first identified more than 40 years ago based on distinct patterns of seismicity. This work links mantle fluids, possibly resulting from ancient subduction along the California coast, and their interaction with the crust, as the driver behind the observed differences. This is really exciting as it illustrates how past structure and tectonics effects present-day dynamics along the San Andreas fault," said Bedrosian.

Fluid influx is implicated as a driving force behind the processes that ultimately define seismic segmentation. The findings may help to explain why motion along the fault results in earthquakes on some segments and less harmful creep on others.

"Decades ago USGS researchers explored the strong dependence of water on the strength of the rocks in the deep crust and upper mantle, with the firm conviction that this effect would be key to understanding fault mechanics," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt.

"Now finally with new technology available to map the in situ distribution of water at depths inaccessible to geologic observation, we have an excellent example of how an investment in basic research will pay off in a very practical understanding of a long-standing mystery that affects lives and property,” McNutt added.

The area studied is a transition zone between segments of locked and creeping behavior along the San Andreas fault, and includes a zone of pronounced seismic tremor.

The data provide evidence of fluids migrating into the creeping section that appear to originate from a region that is also responsible for stimulating tremors.

The results are consistent with the hypothesis that high fluid pressures play a crucial role in the weakening of faults.

"Understanding how large and possibly dangerous fault systems, like the San Andreas fault, work in all their complexity is a grand challenge,” said Weckmann. “The San Andreas fault is a key natural laboratory for studying large transform faults, as many geo-scientific methods are tested here to provide different pieces of the puzzle. I hope that our results will trigger similar research along other major active fault systems around the world.”

The article may be read in full online at www.nature.com/nature/journal/v480/n7375/full/nature10609.html.

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The suit was filed by Charles Nichols, president of CaliforniaRightToCarry.org. Nichols filed the suit as an individual; CaliforniaRightToCarry.org is not a plaintiff in this case.

Nichols’ suit names California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr., California Attorney General Kamala Harris, the city of Redondo Beach, its police department and police chief.

The defendants have until Dec. 14 to waive service of summons. Those who do not will be served the following day which coincides with the 220th Anniversary of the Second Amendment and the Bill of Rights.

In 1967, the California Legislature made it a crime to openly carry a loaded firearm in most public places in California. Nichols argues that the action was a “knee-jerk reaction” to the activities of the Black Panther Party, which included a band of its members marching into the California State Capitol building openly carrying loaded firearms.

One of the Penal Code sections enacted as a result was California Penal Code section 12031 which makes it a crime to openly carry a loaded firearm in incorporated cities and areas of a county where the discharge of firearms is prohibited.

The opinion of then-Attorney General Thomas C. Lynch was that “... it remains clear that the Legislature did not direct the provisions of section 12031 against all uses of firearms but only at uses of firearms which are inimical to the peace and safety of the people of California.”

Then-Gov. Ronald Reagan was adamant that the legislation not apply to openly carrying loaded firearms through town for peaceful purposes such as hunting.

The lawsuit was intended to disarm the members of the Black Panther Party. Since then, it has been applied to persons which the statute itself exempts such as hunters and persons with loaded firearms inside of mobile residences.

This year, Gov. Brown signed Assembly Bill AB 144 into law, which makes it a crime to openly carry an unloaded handgun as well. That law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2012.

Nichols argues that, as a result, California has banned a complete class of weapons commonly used for the purpose of self-defense from being openly carried in public. Only unloaded rifles and shotguns may be openly carried after the new year.

The case number is CV-11-9916 SJO (SS). The case has been assigned to Federal Judge S. James Otero.

Funds for the lawsuit are being raised by open carry advocates across the state, including California Right To Carry, Riverside Open Carry Club, Inland Empire Open Carry, California Carry, The2A, Orange County Open Carry, OpenCarryClub.com, Bay Area Open Carry Movement and California Open Carry Movement.

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UPPER LAKE, Calif. – A head-on collision near Blue Lakes on Saturday evening resulted in minor injuries for the people involved but a horse in a trailer towed by one of the vehicles was treated at the scene by a vet.

The crash occurred shortly after 6 p.m. on Highway 20 at Blue Lakes, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A pickup towing a horse trailer collided with another vehicle. The CHP’s initial reports did not indicate what led to the crash.

The crash blocked the roadway, and one horse was reported to be down shortly after the incident occurred, the CHP said.

Originally the downed horse was reported as dying of its injuries at the scene, however on Sunday the CHP said a vet who responded to the scene treated the animal for shock and it survived.

The two horses involved were later transferred to another trailer and safely removed from the area.

One lane of traffic was open shortly before 7 p.m. The CHP did not report when the rest of the highway was cleared.

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The National Weather Service issued another wind advisory for Lake County that will be in effect until 6 p.m. Saturday.

Forecasters said northeast winds of 20 to 35 miles per hour with gusts of wind up to 45 miles per hour will be possible. It’s expected to be the windiest during the day on Saturday.

Lake County also is under a hazardous weather outlook for winds and lower temperatures.

The National Weather Service is predicting daytime temperatures in the high 50s and nighttime temperatures in the mid to high 30s into the first part of next week, with nighttime temperatures dipping into the low 30s in the week’s latter half.

The winds that have hit California over the past week have left hundreds of thousands of utility customers without power at various times, including a small number in Lake County, according to Pacific Gas & Electric.

By Friday afternoon PG&E said it had restored power to 90 percent of the 500,000 customers in Northern and Central California impacted by the outages.

However, the company’s last update on Friday said 51,000 of its customers still were without power, mainly in the Chico, Santa Cruz and Fresno areas.

PG&E reported late Friday that as many as 49 customers in the Nice area were impacted by an outage that had started shortly before 5 p.m.

The outage was expected to be resolved by 10 a.m. Saturday once a transformer is replaced, PG&E said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews, on Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

Anthony Guidry Sr., also known as “Ant,” 46, of Vallejo, was sentenced on Friday to 220 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for leading a nationwide conspiracy to distribute California-grown marijuana via the mail and common carriers to distribution outlets in approximately a dozen states across the country, including Virginia, according to the US Attorney’s Office.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Daniel Cortez, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service; Earl Cook, Alexandria Chief of Police; and Colonel David Rohrer, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

“Mr. Guidry led an extensive, nationwide marijuana distribution ring that targeted young markets, especially college campuses,” said MacBride. “He told conspirators that getting caught with marijuana means nothing but a slap on the wrist. Today, he was slapped with an 18-year tour in prison. We are committed to going after traffickers that make millions while placing young people at risk to this dangerous, addictive gateway drug.”

“The FBI continues to work with our law enforcement partners to eradicate drug traffickers who penetrate our communities and ply their illegal trade in our neighborhoods,” said McJunkin.

“This investigation once again puts those who choose to use the U.S. Mail to distribute marijuana or any other illegal narcotics on notice that they will not just get a slap on the wrist. They will be prosecuted to the fullest for their criminal activity,” said Cortez.

Guidry was among 19 individuals charged in June of this year for their involvement in the conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. To date, 18 of those individuals have pleaded guilty, the US Attorney’s Office reported.

According to court documents, Guidry was the ringleader of a nationwide conspiracy to distribute premium California-grown marijuana to high-demand markets across the country.

Guidry focused on extending his enterprise as far as possible, recruiting distributors to help open distribution centers in cities and college campuses in states including Virginia, Georgia, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

He and several co-conspirators possessed firearms and used threats of violence to further and protect their criminal enterprise.

Over the course of several years, Guidry managed and controlled the distribution of marijuana by co-conspirators. The investigation showed they were able to obtain wholesale amounts of the drug for as little as $1,200 a pound, which they then resold at the retail level for as much as $5,000 per pound.

Members of the conspiracy, including Guidry, controlled numerous bank accounts through which proceeds from marijuana sales were laundered, as well as used couriers to fly around the country to pick up bulk cash payments and return them to California. Investigators conservatively estimate that the conspiracy generated more than $3 million in proceeds.

The arrests of these 19 individuals were a result of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation being conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Alexandria and Fairfax County police departments. Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa Owings and Sean P. Tonolli are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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Waking up before sunrise can be tough to do, especially on a weekend.

However, on Saturday, Dec. 10, you might be glad you did. A total eclipse of the Moon will be visible in the early morning skies of western Northern America.

The action begins around 4:45 a.m. Pacific Standard Time when the red shadow of Earth first falls across the lunar disk.

By 6:05 a.m. Pacific Time, the Moon will be fully engulfed in red light.

This event – the last total lunar eclipse until 2014 – is visible from the Pacific side of North America, across the entire Pacific Ocean to Asia and Eastern Europe.

For people in the western United States the eclipse is deepest just before local dawn. Face west to see the red Moon sinking into the horizon as the sun rises behind your back. It’s a rare way to begin the day.

Not only will the Moon be beautifully red, it also will be inflated by the Moon illusion.

For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, low-hanging Moons look unnaturally large when they beam through trees, buildings and other foreground objects.

In fact, a low Moon is no wider than any other Moon (cameras prove it) but the human brain insists otherwise. To observers in the western USA, therefore, the eclipse will appear super-sized.

It might seem puzzling that the Moon turns red when it enters the shadow of the Earth – aren’t shadows supposed to be dark?

In this case, the delicate layer of dusty air surrounding our planet reddens and redirects the light of the sun, filling the dark behind Earth with a sunset-red glow.

The exact hue (anything from bright orange to blood red is possible) depends on the unpredictable state of the atmosphere at the time of the eclipse.

As Jack Horkheimer (1938-2010) of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium loved to say, "Only the shadow knows."

Atmospheric scientist Richard Keen of the University of Colorado might know, too. For years he has studied lunar eclipses as a means of monitoring conditions in Earth's upper atmosphere, and he has become skilled at forecasting these events.

"I expect this eclipse to be bright orange, or even copper-colored, with a possible hint of turquoise at the edge," he predicted.

Earth's stratosphere is the key: "During a lunar eclipse, most of the light illuminating the moon passes through the stratosphere where it is reddened by scattering," he explained. "If the stratosphere is loaded with dust from volcanic eruptions, the eclipse will be dark; a clear stratosphere, on the other hand, produces a brighter eclipse. At the moment, the stratosphere is mostly clear with little input from recent volcanoes."

That explains the brightness of the eclipse, but what about the "hint of turquoise"?

"Light passing through the upper stratosphere penetrates the ozone layer, which absorbs red light and actually makes the passing light ray bluer,” said Richard Keen. “This can be seen as a soft blue fringe around the red core of Earth's shadow."

Look for the turquoise near the beginning of the eclipse when the edge of Earth's shadow is sweeping across the lunar terrain, he advised.

A bright red, soft turquoise, super-sized lunar eclipse: It’s coming on Saturday, Dec. 10. Wake up and enjoy the show.

For an interactive visibility map, visit http://shadowandsubstance.com/.

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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121011 Lunar Eclipse Global Visibility Map

The CHP said the crash occurred shortly before 3 p.m. on Phillips at 18th avenues in Clearlake.

Children were on the Konocti Unified School District school bus, and although the CHP reported that the children were very shaken up, they were otherwise unhurt.

The CHP – which oversees testing and certifications for all local school bus drivers – were called to the scene to investigate.

The Konocti Unified School District did not return a call late Friday afternoon for more information about the incident or the damage to the bus.

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They are "sold" on that approach, but is it the right decision under present law?

Transferring ownership on the remote chance of receiving Medi-Cal is usually ill advised.

What if one never receives Medi-Cal and one's home is lost? Questions to first ask include: Should I transfer my house, if so when; to whom should I transfer my house; and how should I transfer my house?

Only assets in which a Medi-Cal recipient had some ownership at death are subject to recovery claims.

While one's principle residence is exempt for purposes of determining Medi-Cal eligibility, it is subject to Medi-Cal estate recovery after the Medi-Cal recipient and spouse die. Transferring such residence before death prevents future Medi-Cal recovery.

That said, anyone who expects to receive Medi-Cal soon and wishes to protect their residence should examine their options. One should act while they still have legal capacity to sign a deed. Many hedge their bets by using instructions in their power of attorney and living trust that authorize gifting.

Then there are income tax considerations. Gifting means that all appreciation in the home's value since it was originally purchased may be taxed to the beneficiary when they later sell the home.

If the property were inherited at the owner's death, rather than gifted during lifetime, then any appreciation in the owner's hands is eliminated from income taxation because the death beneficiary gets a so-called "stepped-up" basis for inherited assets.

For example, if someone purchased his home in 1980 for $75,000 and it is worth $175,000 at his death, then when the child who inherits avoids income tax on the $100,000 appreciation when he sells.

Gifting entails transferring ownership. Married persons typically transfer their residence to their spouse; if they are incompetent, then a court order is needed unless legal authority for gifting is already in place.

When children from prior relationships exist, concerns over disinheritance by a step-parent arise. In such case, the home may instead be instead left to their own children subject to a life estate, or right of occupancy, favoring their spouse.

The gift to one's children can either be through a deed to the children, as (equal or unequal) tenants in common, or through a transfer in to a trust for their benefit. Either approach can also be combined with a retained life estate that allows the transferor to continue to live in (or rent) the residence until they die, and for their beneficiaries to receive a "stepped-up" basis at their death.

An irrevocable trust can serve multiple purposes. Like a reserved life estate, it can protect the donor's right to live at home.

In addition, a trust can further allow for the home to be sold and for a new home to be purchased while the donor is alive, and/or for the sale proceeds to go to other beneficiaries, either immediately or over time.

It can also retain and protect the assets of the beneficiaries from their creditors. Again, a

life estate can be used to get a "stepped-up" basis.

Currently, an irrevocable trust is often unnecessary. One can either transfer the home with a reserved life estate or sell the home and gift the proceeds over time ("stacked gifting") without creating any ineligibility period.

Gifting all the proceeds as a lump sum within the present 30 month look-back period, however, creates an ineligibility period.

Eventually, when California implements the 2006 Federal DRA changes all gifting will create an ineligibility period. For now flexibility exists.

Lastly, consult a qualified attorney before proceeding.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney (LL.M. tax studies), is a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law. His office is at 55 First St., Lakeport, California. Dennis can be reached by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 707-263-3235. Visit his Web site at www.dennisfordhamlaw.com.

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An international team of scientists who monitor the rapid changes in the Earth’s northern polar region say that the Arctic is entering a new state – one with warmer air and water temperatures, less summer sea ice and snow cover, and a changed ocean chemistry.

This shift also is causing changes in the region’s life, both on land and in the sea, including less habitat for polar bears and walruses, but increased access to feeding areas for whales.

Changes to the Arctic are chronicled annually in the Arctic Report Card, which was released Thursday, Dec. 1.

The report is prepared by an international team of scientists from 14 different countries.

“This report, by a team of 121 scientists from around the globe, concludes that the Arctic region continues to warm, with less sea ice and greater green vegetation,” said Monica Medina, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration principal deputy under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

“With a greener and warmer Arctic, more development is likely,” said Medina. “Reports like this one help us to prepare for increasing demands on Arctic resources so that better decisions can be made about how to manage and protect these more valuable and increasingly available resources.”

Among the 2011 highlights are:

• Atmosphere: In 2011, the average annual near-surface air temperatures over much of the Arctic Ocean were approximately 2.5° F (1.5° C) greater than the 1981-2010 baseline period.

• Sea ice: Minimum Arctic sea ice area in September 2011 was the second lowest recorded by satellite since 1979.

• Ocean: Arctic Ocean temperature and salinity may be stabilizing after a period of warming and freshening. Acidification of sea water (“ocean acidification”) as a result of carbon dioxide absorption has also been documented in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas.

• Land: Arctic tundra vegetation continues to increase and is associated with higher air temperatures over most of the Arctic land mass.

In 2006, NOAA’s Climate Program Office introduced the State of the Arctic Report which established a baseline of conditions at the beginning of the 21st century.

It is updated annually as the Arctic Report Card to monitor the often-quickly changing conditions in the Arctic. Peer-review of the scientific content of the report card was facilitated by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program.

The Report Card tracks the Arctic atmosphere, sea ice, biology, ocean, land and Greenland.

This year, new sections were added, including, greenhouse gases, ozone and ultraviolet radiation, ocean acidification, Arctic Ocean primary productivity and lake ice.

The Arctic Report Card can be found at www.arctic.noaa.gov/reportcard/.

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Breaking up Arctic ice, pictured from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship. Credit: NOAA.

A view of the Arctic from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Web cam. Credit: NOAA.

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Justice on Friday released the annual “Homicide in California 2010” report showing the rate of homicide crimes per 100,000 in population decreased 7.8 percent from 2009.

The total number of homicides declined from 1,970 in 2009 to 1,809 in 2010, the report showed.

In Lake County, the homicide rate remained flat in 2010, at four, the same as in 2009, according to the report. The peak year in the last decade for homicides was 2006, when there were seven in Lake County.

The homicide clearance rate, or percentage of reported crimes that have been solved, has increased for the fifth consecutive year. This year's rate of 63.8 percent is the highest since 2001.

The “Homicide in California 2010” report details information about the crime of homicide and its victims, demographic data on persons arrested for homicide, and information about the response of the criminal justice system.

Also included is information on the death penalty, the number of peace officers killed in the line of duty and justifiable homicides.

Among the highlights:

• 80.3 percent of homicide victims were male, 19.7 percent were female.

• 44.5 percent of homicide victims were Hispanic, 29.6 percent were black, 18.2 percent were white, and 7.4 percent were categorized as “other.”

• Females were more likely to be killed in their residence, while males were more likely to be killed on streets or sidewalks.

• When the victim-offender relationship was identified, 44.4 percent (the largest proportion) involved victims who were killed by friends or acquaintances. However a greater percentage of black victims were killed by strangers than were white or Hispanic victims (47.7 vs. 25.4 and 35.4, respectively).

• Of homicides where the weapon was identified, the majority (71.2 percent) involved a firearm.

• Of the homicides where the contributing circumstances were known, 36.1 percent were gang-related.

By the end of 2010, there were 709 persons under sentence of death in California. Of these, 34 were sentenced in 2010, 10 of which were in Los Angeles County.

Four California peace officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2010.

The full report can be seen below.

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Homicide in California 2010

The US Postal Service is considering folding the operations of the North Bay Processing and Distribution Center in Petaluma, which opened in 1986, into the Oakland Processing and Distribution Center.

A public meeting was held on the proposal on Nov. 16 in Petaluma, and community members can still comment on the proposal by sending written comments to Theresa Lambino at the US Postal Service’s San Francisco District, P.O. Box 193000, San Francisco, CA 94188-3000.

Postcards must be postmarked by Saturday, Dec. 3.

A Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/StopTheClosure.NorthBay, has been set up in opposition to the proposed closure.

Several people posting on that page said they had received little or no notice about the proposal.

Postal service spokesman James Wigdel said the proposed consolidation was announced back in September. He said the postal service doesn’t do a blanket mailing, but does inform the unions, employees, members of Congress for the area, local mayors and the media.

“It’s an established protocol that’s used across the county,” he said.

Earlier this year, the US Postal Service consolidated the North Bay center’s originating mail processing operations into Oakland’s as the result of a 2010 area mail processing study, Wigdel said.

Another area mail processing study conducted earlier this year on the remainder of the Petaluma facility’s operations led the postal service to conclude that it could realize a savings of about $2.5 million a year by moving all operations to the Oakland processing center, said Wigdel.

“In order to do that, we will have to change our service standards,” he said.

Currently, overnight delivery in local areas ranges between one and three days. Wigdel said that would change to two to three days.

The consolidation study going on with the Petaluma center is part of a nationwide effort, said Wigdel. “We’re trying to become efficient.”

There are about 500 such facilities nationwide, said Wigdel, and the US Postal Service is proposing to close about 250 of them.

“The reason that we’re looking at that is our volume is going down dramatically and has since 2006,” which Wigdel said was the postal service’s peak year for volume, with 214 billion pieces of mail.

The postal service’s nationwide system is designed to process and deliver 300 billion pieces of mail annually, but in fiscal year 2011 it only handled 168 billion pieces of mail, Wigdel said.

That’s because more people are becoming competent in using the Internet and paying bills online, said Wigdel, adding that the poor economy is causing businesses to put out fewer mailers.

“We lost just over $5 billion last year,” he said. “We don’t see us being in the black anytime soon.”

That loss would have been $10.5 billion if Congress hadn’t allowed the postal service to put off its required payment into its employees’ retirement plan. Even so, Wigdel said the US Postal Service has stated it can’t make the payment this month, when it’s required.

Wigdel said that once the comments period closes at the end of the day Dec. 3, comments and letters from the public will be evaluated and forwarded to the postal service’s Washington, DC headquarters.

He said headquarters hasn’t stated when it will make a decision, but one is expected early in 2012, Wigdel said.

No employees would be laid off; Wigdel said they will be transferred to other positions in surrounding areas, in accordance with union contracts.

It’s not yet been determined what would be done with the facility itself, Wigdel said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews, on Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

111611 North Bay Processing Center Meeting