Tuesday, 10 December 2024

News

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department is seeking information about two armed suspects who allegedly broke into a home, and beat and robbed a man at gunpoint early Wednesday morning.


Sgt. Tim Celli reported that officers were dispatched to the 3700 block of Howard Avenue at around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday on the report of a home invasion robbery.


The alleged victim, 23-year-old Juan Flores, told police he was at home sleeping when two black men kicked in his door, held him at gunpoint and battered him, Celli said.


Flores reported that one of the men was wearing a ski mask. Celli said that Flores stated that while he was being held at gunpoint, the second man ransacked his home.


After the suspects left Flores' home, he ran to a neighbor's home and police were called, Celli said.


Celli said Flores has not yet been able to identify what property was stolen in the robbery, but items believed to belong to Flores were located in the street outside of the residence and collected for evidence.


Flores was treated for his injuries at St. Helena Hospital Clearlake and later released, Celli said.


Celli said the investigation is ongoing.


He asked anyone with information about the case to call Clearlake Police Officer Paulsen, 707-994-8251.


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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two local women have been charged with grand theft and theft from an elder.


Karen Lee Allen, 51, and Wendie Christine McRae, 46, both of Lower Lake, were arrested by a District Attorney's Office investigator on Dec. 15.


Both women are charged with felony theft from an elder and grand theft exceeding $400 for activities alleged to have taken place in November 2008, according to court records.


In addition, Allen, a paralegal with Attorneys Aren't Us in Lower Lake, is charged with two misdemeanor counts for alleged unauthorized advertisement to practice law, one count for activities alleged in November 2008, the second for activities this past June.


Senior Deputy District Attorney Rachel Abelson said the two women are alleged to have been involved with accessing the estate of an elderly man with dementia.


McRae was a certified nursing assistant at the hospital where the man was receiving care. Abelson alleged that McRae was getting money from the man while he was still alive.


Within a month of meeting him, McRae is alleged to have gotten power of attorney and within two months was inheriting from his estate, Abelson said.


Abelson said McRae was set to get stocks and a house as part of the inheritance, and between $10,000 and $35,000 in cash.


Abelson alleged that Allen's role was typing up the man's trust, giving McRae power of attorney and inserting herself into the trust as well.


“They distributed the estate very quickly to themselves,” Abelson said.


The women were arraigned last Friday, with Ukiah attorney Bob Boyd appearing on their behalf.


“I just did a special appearance for both the ladies to get them out of custody and exonerate a 1275 bond hold,” he said.


A 1275 bond hold is commonly used in narcotics cases as well as in financial cases such as this one, Boyd said.


It's meant to ensure that the money being used to post bond is coming from a legitimate source, and not from proceeds of the alleged charges, he explained.


“We were able to show through family members that these were legitimate bonds,” he said.


The women were then released from custody on Friday, he said. Bail for each had been set at $50,000.


Boyd said he's not yet sure if he'll be retained for the cases going forward.


Court records showed that four county judges – David Herrick, Vincent Lechowick, Richard Martin and Andrew Blum – have recused themselves from covering the case.


Boyd said Judge Blum's wife, Debra – herself an attorney practicing locally – was a witness in the case, so a visiting judge had to be brought in from Alameda County.


Boyd called it “a fairly paper intensive case.”


Abelson said there was a related civil case relating to the matter that was settled.


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 Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing its annual national analysis of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), providing vital information about communities across the country.


The TRI program publishes information on toxic chemical disposals and releases into the air, land and water, as well as information on waste management and pollution prevention activities in neighborhoods across the country.


“The Toxics Release Inventory is an important way to inform American communities about their local environmental conditions. It plays a critical role in EPA's efforts to hold polluters accountable and to acknowledge good corporate neighbors who put pollution prevention efforts in place,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.


In 2009, 3.37 billion pounds of toxic chemicals were released into the environment, a 12 percent decrease from 2008.


This year, EPA is offering additional information to make the TRI data more meaningful and accessible to all communities.


The TRI analysis now highlights toxic disposals and releases to large aquatic ecosystems, selected urban communities and tribal lands. In addition, portions of the analysis are available in Spanish for the first time.


The analysis, which includes data on approximately 650 chemicals from more than 20,000 facilities, found that total releases to air decreased 20 percent since 2008, while releases to surface water decreased 18 percent. Releases to land decreased 4 percent since 2008.


The analysis shows decreases in the releases of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals including lead, dioxin, and mercury.


Total disposal or other releases of mercury decreased 3 percent since 2008, while total disposal or other releases of both dioxin and lead decreased by 18 percent.


The analysis also shows a 7-percent decrease in the number of facilities reporting to TRI from the previous year, continuing a trend from the past few years.


Some of this decline may be attributed to the economic downturn; however, EPA plans to investigate why some facilities reported in 2008 but not 2009.


EPA added 16 chemicals to the TRI list of reportable chemicals in November. These chemicals are reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens, and represent the largest chemical expansion of the program in a decade. Data on the new TRI chemicals will be reported by facilities on July 1, 2012.


Facilities must report their chemical disposals and releases by July 1 of each year. This year, EPA made the 2009 preliminary TRI dataset available in July, the same month as the data were collected. This is the earliest release of TRI data to the public ever.


In California, toxics managed, treated or released into the environment from facilities decreased 14 percent in 2009 when compared to 2008, according to the report. The 6 million pound decline reflects reported decreases in air, water, and land disposals, releases and off-site transfers.


Data from 2009 in California shows:


  • Total reported on-site and off -site disposals and releases decreased 14 percent due primarily to decreases across all media – air, water and land releases and off-site transfers, with the exception of an increase in underground injections;

  • Air releases decreased by 25 percent (3.2 million pounds);

  • Water releases decreased by 24 percent (523,491 pounds);

  • California reported an increase in underground injection releases of 267 percent (279,802 pounds since 2008);

  • The top five released chemicals are lead, zinc and zinc compounds, ammonia, and asbestos.

  • In California, 7 million pounds of total releases of persistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals (PBTs) were reported, a 16 percent decrease or 1.3 million pounds. Lead and lead compounds top the list.


TRI was established in 1986 by the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and later modified by the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990. Together, these laws require facilities in certain industries to report annually on releases, disposal and other waste management activities related to these chemicals.


TRI data are submitted annually to EPA and states by multiple industry sectors including manufacturing, metal mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste facilities.


More information on the 2009 TRI analysis is available at www.epa.gov/tri; for California specific information, visit http://bit.ly/dJuZ0Q .


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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – With the recent heavy downpours and flooding Cal Fire repored that its firefighters and crews have responded to a large number of storm-related emergencies and rescues.


Between Saturday, Dec. 18, and Tuesday, Dec. 20, Cal Fire dispatched and responded to nearly 4,000 emergencies and calls for service statewide, including more than 450 traffic collisions, more than 100 flooding incidents and more than 20 water rescues.


In the hard-hit Southern California counties of Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego, Cal Fire said it responded to more than a dozen additional water rescues and more than 50 new flooding incidents on Wednesday morning alone.


As heavy rainfall continues in many parts of the state, Cal Fire engine companies, fire crews, and personnel continue to be on high alert for additional flooding calls and rescues, the agency reported.


Cal Fire's inmate fire crews often play a large role in flooding incidents since they are also trained in sandbagging and debris removal. Each crew consists of 15 to 17 inmates that are supervised by a cal Fire captain.


Cal Fire reported that it has 196 inmate fire crews across California.


Motorists are urged to use extreme caution when driving on flooded roadways and obey road closure barricades. These are in place for driver safety and the safety of emergency responders.


Prior to traveling, motorists are encouraged to check on current weather and road conditions.


For more information on flooding and winter weather safety visit the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov.


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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a Monday morning fire before it did serious damage to a Kelseyville home.


The fire was reported around 9:30 a.m. Monday.


Initially, reports from the scene indicated the fire was on Point Lakeview Road, but Kelseyville Fire Chief Mike Stone said the fire took place on nearby Terrace Way.


“When units arrived they found some fire in the back deck of the house,” Stone said.


Four units and two chief officers responded, and were able to quickly extinguish the blaze, he said. There were no injuries.


Stone said it took about an hour and a half to mop up the scene.


He said there was no real fire damage to the inside of the residence, although there was some smoke and water damage.


“We are investigating the cause,” Stone 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 Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

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Jan Mezoui, right, is keeping Zino's Ristorante & Inn in Kelseyville, Calif., open and thriving with the help of her family, including her granddaughter Katie Anderson. Mezoui's husband, Zino, a noted local chef, was killed in a hit-and-run collision while riding his motorcycle on September 24, 2010. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.





KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Many people have big dreams, but it's a special person who has a dream that touches and inspires others, even in the toughest of times.


People who knew Zino Mezoui agree that he was that kind of a special person, whose passion and enthusiasm enveloped those who came in contact with him.


On Sept. 24, the 57-year-old restaurateur took his motorcycle out for a long-awaited ride on Highway 29. During the ride, he was hit and mortally injured in a hit-and-run crash.


The tragedy for his family became a tragedy for the community.


An incredible outpouring of grief and appreciation followed his death, and hundreds gathered to remember him at his memorial service at the restaurant this fall.


Since her husband's death, Jan Mezoui has been dealing not only with the grief of losing a beloved husband, she's also attended court appearances for the man accused of hitting him, 31-year-old James Nightingale, who has remained in jail since turning himself in five days after the crash.


But her primary goal is keeping open the restaurant that she and her husband opened in 2007, Zino's Ristorante & Inn, located at 6330 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville.


While Zino isn't there manning the kitchen, the restaurant has continued to serve its patrons as it always has. In fact, the restaurant was open the same night Zino died – with the doors opening for dinner before Jan even had been notified that her husband had died at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.


After the death of a loved one, especially in such a traumatic fashion, it might be considered natural to want to pack it in.


But not Jan.


“I had no thoughts about closing because we worked four years really hard to get it to where it's at,” she said of the ristorante, which overlooks Soda Bay.


Closing down and giving up would be a disservice to Zino – who envisioned making the lakeside restaurant into something truly special – and to the customers, she said.


Customers have been extremely supportive “and very happy that I'm still here,” she said.


Zino may be gone, but he's certainly not forgotten. His warmth, kindness and generosity had endeared him to a countless number of friends and admirers both in Lake County and elsewhere.


His presence at his restaurant remains – in the food, the service and the family who is carrying on his dream. On one wall, there is a drawing of the Disney characters Lady and the Tramp sharing a plate of his pasta, with a cartoon Zino looking on.


While the restaurant business is a tough one – perhaps the toughest, said Jan, who has owned a variety of businesses, including Richmond Park in the 1970s – she enjoys it.


Jan's father was a chef and she's always enjoyed cooking herself, so the restaurant business has been a good fit. “And I love people,” she added.


When Jan and Zino met in 2001, he was just getting out of the restaurant business. He'd been the successful owner for 25 years of the Sonoma-based Zino on the Plaza.


The couple built a new home in Sonoma and also purchased a home in Buckingham, where they began to spending increasingly more time.


Finally, they decided to sell the Sonoma house and make Lake County their permanent home. “We just decided we didn't need two big houses,” she said.


Once settled into their home in Lake County, it wasn't long before Zino wanted to get back to work, Jan said.


Zino – with his seemingly boundless energy and passion – looked back at the restaurant business, and they purchased the restaurant and inn, with its beautiful lakeside location. Previous to the purchase it had housed a British pub.


Two months after buying the restaurant and inn, it was open for business, just in time for the July 4 holiday in 2007, Jan said.


“It was a whirlwind for two months,” she said, recalling how everything in the kitchen had to be rebuilt, with all new equipment installed.


On July 2, they posted the “open” sign, and within a few hours the place was packed, she said.


Along with Lake County residents, Jan said many Sonoma County residents who visited the area or had second homes here knew Zino and flocked to the business.


Moving forward


With private evening parties, luncheons and the usual busy evenings, Jan said business has been steady in the months since Zino's death.


The menu – which bears Zino's distinctive touch – is remaining the same. The food is all based on Zino's own creations, said Jan. “Thank goodness, we have the recipes.”


The restaurant offers some unique dishes like pescatore – a mix of clams, mussels, shrimp and fish, served over pasta in a light cream sauce. They also occasionally serve cioppino, and are known for dishes with great sauces, as well as steaks and desserts.


Jan is aided in the work of running the restaurant by her family.


Her daughter-in-law assists with busing tables, and two of her sons are helping out as are two of her granddaughters, who are servers.


Granddaughter Katie Anderson can be seen hard at work at the restaurant in the evenings, cheerfully and efficiently taking orders, and chatting with customers. She's also the restaurant's dessert maker.


“She was pretty much trained by Zino,” said Jan.


“That I was,” said Anderson, putting on her apron ahead of the dinner crowd's arrival on a recent evening.


Jan plans to enlarge the small bar area into a cocktail lounge and offer a small plate menu.


“Zino and I talked about this before he was killed,” she said.


In addition to the restaurant, the property has three large inn rooms for rent for around $79 a night, said Jan, noting that the inn was regularly full when Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa was open and hosting shows. The resort's closing “impacted everybody,” she said.


The restaurant also offers live music Fridays through Mondays. Performers include pianist David Neft on Saturday nights, and Kevin Stone playing keyboard and flute accompanied by his girlfriend on steel guitar on Sundays and Mondays.


There's plenty coming up at Zino's. Their new chef will start later this month, they'll be open for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and also on New Year's Day, when they'll hold their inaugural “Polar Bear Plunge.”


Jan said she gets rave reviews from customers for food, atmosphere and service. The emphasis, she said, is on service and good food, like Zino wanted it.


Zino used to greet customers with a hug. Jan said she now tells people she gets two hugs.


“I love all my customers,” she said.


The restaurant is open Thursday through Monday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the winter.


Visit Zino's Ristorante & Inn online at http://www.zinoclearlake.com/ or call them at 707-279-1620.


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 Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday reported on the 2010 Census' final tally of the nation's population.


The 2010 count showed the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2010, was 308,745,538.


The resident population represented an increase of 9.7 percent over the 2000 U.S. resident population of 281,421,906.


That increase is the smallest population growth change over a 10-year period since the 1940 Census, when a 7.3-percent growth rate was reported, according to Census date from 1910 to 2010. The largest growth rate during that time was 21 percent in 1910, followed by 18.5 percent in 1960.


Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Acting Commerce Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank and Census Bureau Director Robert Groves unveiled the official counts at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.


“A big thanks to the American public for its overwhelming response to the 2010 Census,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “The result was a successful count that came in on time and well under budget, with a final 2010 Census savings of $1.87 billion.”


The national participation rate for the 2010 Census was 74 percent, based on households that filled out their questionnaire and returned it. That matched the 2000 participation rate.


California had a 73 percent participation rate, down from 76 percent in 2000. Lake County's rate was 61 percent this year, up from its 56-percent 2000 participation rate, officials reported.


Rebecca Blank, now acting deputy secretary of Commerce who has overseen the 2010 Census as under secretary for Economic Affairs, echoed Locke.


“The 2010 Census was a massive undertaking, and in reporting these first results, we renew our commitment to our great American democracy peacefully, fairly and openly for the 23rd time in our nation's history,” Blank said.


The U.S. resident population represents the total number of people in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.


The most populous state was California (37,253,956); the least populous, Wyoming (563,626).


The state that gained the most numerically since the 2000 Census was Texas (up 4,293,741 to 25,145,561).


The state that gained the most as a percentage of its 2000 Census count was Nevada, up 35.1 percent to 2,700,551, followed by Arizona, up 24.6 percent to 6,392,017; Utah, up 23.8 percent to 2,763,885; Idaho, up 21.1 percent to 1,567,582; and Texas, up 20.6 percent to 25,145,561.


Regionally, the South and the West picked up the bulk of the population increase, 14,318,924 and 8,747,621, respectively. But the Northeast and the Midwest also grew: 1,722,862 and 2,534,225.


Additionally, Puerto Rico's resident population was 3,725,789, a 2.2 percent decrease over the number counted a decade earlier.


California's percentage of growth over the last 10 years was approximately 10 percent, the Census Bureau reported.


States and territories that actually showed population declines were Michigan, down 0.6 percent, and Puerto Rico, the population for which declined 2.2 percent.


More specific state and regional data will become available between February and March 31, the Census Bureau reported. That data will be necessary for redrawing U.S. Congressional and state legislative district boundaries.


Just before Tuesday's announcement, Locke delivered the apportionment counts to President Barack Obama, 10 days before the statutory deadline of Dec. 31.


The apportionment totals were calculated by a congressionally defined formula, in accordance with Title 2 of the U.S. Code, to divide among the states the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.


The apportionment population consists of the resident population of the 50 states, plus the overseas military and federal civilian employees and their dependents living with them who could be allocated to a state.


Each member of the House represents, on average, about 710,767 people. The populations of the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are excluded from the apportionment population, as they do not have voting seats in Congress.


Based on the apportionment, states that will gain representatives are Texas, four; Florida, two; and Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington all get one each.


States that lost representatives are New York and Ohio with two each, and Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania each losing one.


California's congressional seats stay flat at 53, the largest number of any state.


“The decennial count has been the basis for our representative form of government since 1790,” Groves said. “At that time, each member of the House represented about 34,000 residents. Since then, the House has more than quadrupled in size, with each member now representing about 21 times as many constituents.”


President Obama will transmit the apportionment counts to the 112th Congress during the first week of its first regular session in January. The reapportioned Congress will be the 113th, which convenes in January 2013.


Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution calls for a census of the nation's population every 10 years to apportion the House seats among the states. The 2010 Census is the 23rd census in our nation's history.


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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Big Read is the first community project that the Lake County Office of Education is instituting to improve literacy countywide.


A fundraiser is being held at the Moore Family Winery, 11990 Bottle Rock Road, Cobb Mountain, on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, beginning at 6 p.m.


The ticket price of $40 per person includes a fabulous dinner with a glass of Moore Family Wine, a fun silent auction with novel themed gift baskets, entertainment provided by local performers, the Gill Brother’s, and selected readings presented by local students and artists.


The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and to encourage citizens to read for pleasure and enlightenment.


It is intended to involve not just the schools and students, but the community as a whole in celebrating reading. The Big Read grant must be matched at least one to one with nonfederal funds.


The Big Read aims to encourage reading on a local level with local events that are diverse in both audience and format. The local steering committee has chosen the poetry, short stories and essays of Edgar Allan Poe for the project launch during October 2011.


The book selection will be supported by local events, including film screenings, keynote speakers, art projects, book clubs, and more, all focused on the chosen reading selection.


Tickets are available at Big Read partner locations: Mountain High Coffee and Books, 16295 Highway 175, Cobb, and at 19849 Hartmann Road, Hidden Valley; Catfish Book Store, 1013 11th St., Lakeport; and Watershed Book Store, 305 N. Main St., Lakeport. The Lower Lake High School will also be selling event tickets.


Become a friend of literacy – purchase tickets and attend the fundraiser on Jan. 8, make a cash donation, donate gift items for the silent auction, or participate in some of the interesting projects planned for next October.


For more information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..


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Shown clockwise from bottom left are jasmine tea made with green tea leaves (the white flecks are jasmine blossoms): Darjeeling tea, also made with green leaves; Lapsong Souchong, a black tea made by drying leaves over a pinewood fire, giving it a characteristic smoky taste; and dried chamomile blossoms for an herbal infusion. Photo by Esther Oertel.


 



 


The Christmas season is one of the busiest times of year for many of us, with parties, shopping, cooking, family visits and the like. In the midst of the busyness, I’d like to extend a special invitation to you to put aside your to-do list for just a few minutes and enjoy a cup of tea with me.


Other than water, tea is the most ubiquitous drink in the world, meaning it’s more common than any other type of food or drink. Its world consumption easily equals all the other manufactured drinks on the planet put together – that is, coffee, chocolate, sodas and alcoholic drinks.


What are the origins of this mysterious liquid and how did it become so popular? Some of that can’t be answered, but let’s explore what’s known.


A few thousand years ago, no one on earth drank tea; however, a few small tribal groups in the jungles of Southeast Asia chewed on the leaves of the plant.


Two thousand years ago, it was drunk by a handful of religious communities in China. Within a thousand years, its popularity reached outside monastery walls and it was drunk by millions of ordinary Chinese.


Over the next five centuries, it spread outside of China, so by 500 years ago, over half the world’s population was drinking tea as the main alternative to water.


By the 1930s, there were enough tea leaves harvested to serve 200 cups of tea a year to every person in existence.


Tea is an evergreen plant grown in tropical and subtropical climates. While it’s known that it originated in the jungles of the eastern Himalayas, it’s unknown by whom it was first domesticated.


Early tribesmen began chewing the leaves for its stimulating and relaxing qualities, and this habit continues today in many places. Some historians speculate that the first humans to try this may have been mimicking monkeys.


It wasn’t until much later that tea leaves were infused in water.


True tea is only from the plant species Camellia sinensis, of which there are two principal varieties. The China plant is used for most Chinese, Formosan and Japanese teas, and the Assam plant is used in most Indian and other teas.


Interestingly, one of India’s most famous teas, Darjeeling (also known as “the champagne of teas” because of its light taste) is made from Chinese leaves.


A tea plant can grow into a tree of 52 feet if left undisturbed, but when cultivated is pruned to waist height for ease of harvesting.


The type of tea – whether it’s white, yellow, green, oolong or black – depends on the processing it goes through after it’s picked.


Tea leaves begin to wilt and oxidize shortly after picking if not dried quickly. During this process, the leaves turn progressively darker as the chlorophyll breaks down and tannins are released. This is known as fermentation, though it’s not a true fermentation caused by microorganisms; rather, it’s enzyme oxidation.


White tea is comprised of wilted leaves that are not oxidized. Yellow tea is the same, but is allowed to turn yellow.


Green tea is not oxidized either, but is made from unwilted leaves. Oolong tea is wilted, bruised and partially oxidized, while black tea is wilted, sometimes bruised and fully oxidized.


Herbal “teas” are more correctly called herbal infusions as they don’t contain true tea leaves; rather, they’re made with flowers, fruits or herbs.


Tea has been considered a potent medicine in Asia since the seventh century, when the practice of using tea medicinally began in China. Today we know that tea has a number of health benefits, almost too numerous to mention.


Green tea has been shown to protect against a range of cancers, including lung, prostrate and breast. Studies on white tea indicate that it may be even more effective in this arena.


Studies show that both green and black tea may help prevent diabetes. Tea boosts the immune system. According to research, it reduces the risk of stroke, promotes cardiovascular health, and has antidepressant properties.


Tea has a positive effect on mental alertness. It has been shown that green tea lowers the rate of change of cognitive impairment in the elderly.


Throughout history tea has performed another purpose: giving humans something safe to drink.


Waterborne diseases spread when city civilizations emerged. Because of boiling water, tea became a safe drink as an alternative to water.


Chinese Emperor Shen Nung (who, by the way, may be mythical) is said to have said, “Tea is better than wine for it leadeth not to intoxication, neither does it cause a man to say foolish things and repent thereof in his sober moments. It is better than water for it does not carry disease; neither does it act like poison as water does when it contains foul and rotten matter.”


Tea was esteemed so highly in ancient China that bricks of it served as early Chinese currency. Believe it or not, tea bricks are still used as currency in remote parts of central Asia.


Different places around the world have their own version of tea culture. Both Japan and China have elaborate tea ceremonies, and the beverage is a focal point in Arab social gatherings.


In North Africa (particularly Morocco and Libya), tea is poured dramatically from a height, both to create a foam atop the glass and to cool it.


In Malaysia, tea pouring from a height has developed into an art form, literally, in which a dance is performed by people pouring tea from one container to another.


In England, tea is both a drink and a meal. The British love their tea, with over 165 million cups of it being served there each year. That’s nearly three cups per day per British citizen.


Tea was first imported into Britain in the 1660s via the marriage of King Charles II to a Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza, who brought her habit of drinking tea to the British royal court.


As is true with much historical trivia, there are conflicting stories as to how English tea (meaning the meal) came to be.


The one I like best is that of a duchess who found it difficult making it through the long stretch between the light lunch and late supper that were traditional in England at that time.


She asked her servants to bring her sweets and tea in her chambers in the mid afternoon and enjoyed it so much that it became a daily event. The tradition spread and is now part of English culture.


Another version is that the English brought the Chinese tradition of dim sum, small portions of food served with tea, back to England. Dim sum originated in the Chinese region of Canton, where rural farmers would go to tea houses after working in the fields.


In Cantonese, going to dim sum is usually known as going to “drink tea.” The drinking of tea is as important to dim sum as the food.


Either way, the tradition of a proper English tea is one I’ve always enjoyed. I love the idea of taking time to savor a relaxing cup of tea. I always feel refreshed afterwards.


One of the participants in a recent tea class I taught said she was going to serve a traditional tea to her mother as a Christmas gift. I love the idea of giving the gift of time to someone (not to mention pampering and delicious sweets). I think that sounded like the beginning of a wonderful tradition!


A traditional high tea (one that is more of a meal than a snack) typically consists of a scone course (think lemon curd and Devonshire cream with scones), an appetizer course (for example, cucumber tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off), and a dessert course (such as shortbread cookies or a trifle).


In case you’d like to share tea with a loved one, today’s recipe is for cream scones infused with lavender. These simple yet rich scones can also be made with orange zest and dried cranberries, blueberries and finely chopped walnuts, or any other delectable combination you can conceive.


Culinary lavender may be purchased at a spice store or online at such places as the San Francisco Herb Co.


Enjoy, and have a very merry Christmas!


Lavender cream scones


2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons dried lavender buds

At least 1 cup heavy cream


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.


Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl.


Add lavender and blend to distribute evenly.


Gradually add just enough cream to form a soft dough.


Knead lightly on a floured board, handling the dough gently to retain the air needed for the scones to rise.


Roll out to a ½ to ¾ inch thickness and cut into rounds with a cookie cutter or sharp knife.


Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving a ½ inch space between them.


Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes eight large or 16 small scones.


Esther Oertel, the “Veggie Girl,” is a culinary coach and educator and is passionate about local produce. Oertel teaches culinary classes at Chic Le Chef in Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., and The Kitchen Gallery in Lakeport, Calif., and 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..


Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

ANDERSON SPRINGS, Calif. – A 3.4-magnitude shook the Anderson Springs area early Tuesday morning.


The quake occurred at 2:10 a.m., according to the US Geological Survey.


It was a “poorly constrained” quake just under the earth's surface, based on survey reports. It was centered three miles west northwest of Anderson Springs, four miles east southeast of The Geysers and four miles south southwest of Cobb.


The US Geological Survey received nine shake reports from Lakeport, Middletown and Santa Rosa.


A 3.7-magnitude earthquake was reported near The Geysers on Dec. 6, as Lake County News has reported.


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 Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

Image
A similar lunar eclipse that took place on November 8, 2003. Credit: Jim Fakatselis.

 




Everyone knows that “the moon on the breast of new-fallen snow gives the luster of mid-day to objects below.”


That is, except during a lunar eclipse.


See for yourself on Tuesday, Dec. 21, the first day of northern winter, when the full Moon passes almost dead-center through Earth's shadow. For 72 minutes of eerie totality, an amber light will play across the snows of North America, throwing landscapes into an unusual state of ruddy shadow.


The eclipse begins on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21st, at 1:33 am EST (Monday, Dec. 20th, at 10:33 pm PST).


At that time, Earth's shadow will appear as a dark-red bite at the edge of the lunar disk. It takes about an hour for the “bite” to expand and swallow the entire Moon. Totality commences at 02:41 am EST (11:41 pm PST) and lasts for 72 minutes.


If you're planning to dash out for only one quick look – it is December, after all – choose this moment: 03:17 am EST (17 minutes past midnight PST). That's when the Moon will be in deepest shadow, displaying the most fantastic shades of coppery red.


Why red?


A quick trip to the Moon provides the answer: Imagine yourself standing on a dusty lunar plain looking up at the sky.


Overhead hangs Earth, nightside down, completely hiding the sun behind it. The eclipse is under way.


You might expect Earth seen in this way to be utterly dark, but it's not. The rim of the planet is on fire!

 

 

 

Image
From first to last bite, the eclipse favors observers in North America. The entire event can be seen from all points on the continent. Click to view a world map of visibility circumstances. Credit: F. Espenak, NASA/GSFC.
 

 

 


As you scan your eye around Earth's circumference, you're seeing every sunrise and every sunset in the world, all of them, all at once. This incredible light beams into the heart of Earth's shadow, filling it with a coppery glow and transforming the Moon into a great red orb.


Back on Earth, the shadowed Moon paints newly fallen snow with unfamiliar colors – not much luster, but lots of beauty.


This lunar eclipse falls on the date of the northern winter solstice.


How rare is that?


Total lunar eclipses in northern winter are fairly common. There have been three of them in the past 10 years alone.


A lunar eclipse smack-dab on the date of the solstice, however, is unusual.


Using NASA's 5,000 year catalog of lunar eclipses and JPL's HORIZONS ephemeris to match eclipses and solstices, author Dr. Tony Phillips had to go back to the year 1378 to find a similar “winter solstice lunar eclipse.”


Enjoy the show.


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


Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

Upcoming Calendar

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