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

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!

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.

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What almost certainly will end, however, is an 11-year string of annual military pay increases that exceeded private sector wage growth by at least a half percentage point.

The House this summer had voted to make it 12 consecutive extra-size pay raises, by including a 1.9 percent military pay hike in its version of the 2011 defense bill, over opposition from military leaders and the White House.

The Senate bill embraces the 1.4 percent raise proposed by the Obama administration, which matches private sector wage growth, as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Cost Index (ECI). But it also will be the military’s smallest pay raise since 1962.

Pay officials say blame the poor economy for dampening wage growth nationwide. Consumer prices too have been impacted, which is why military retirees, social security recipients and disabled veterans won’t see a January cost-of-living adjustment for the second consecutive year.

With Republican senators opposed to the defense bill’s provision to repeal the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law, which bars gay military members from serving openly, prospects of passing a final defense bill remained in doubt.

If no defense authorization bill is passed by Jan. 1, existing federal pay law takes hold. It directs that, absent overriding congressional action, military pay is to increase each January based on changes in the ECI, in this case by 1.4 percent.

Even if Senate defense bill is approved, House-Senate conferees tasked to iron out differences for a final bill, are expected to acquiesce to the Senate and administration on the smaller military raise.

Congressional sources cite several factors including the two-year pay freeze planned for federal civilian employees, mounting worries over budget deficits and a jobless rate in the private sector still hovering near 10 percent.

High unemployment helps the services meet and even exceed recruiting and retention targets for quality personnel, despite a grinding pace of operations supporting two war theaters. It also persuades more members of Congress to heed criticism of outside budget analysts that lawmakers have allowed military personnel costs to climb too high.

“Reality has caught up to us,” said a House staff member who has seen support for the larger pay raise weaken.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) posted a statement earlier this month that a federal pay freeze should impact military personnel too, except for those fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq or elsewhere “serving in harm’s way.”

That’s a sharp turnaround. Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), who next month steps down as chair of the House armed services subcommittee on military personnel, said last May that military people continue to deserve bigger pay raises because “the extraordinary high operations tempo has exacted a high penalty on our service members and their families.”

She took that stand, as did the subcommittee in a unanimous 14-0 vote, despite analysis from the Congressional Budget Office that, if housing allowance are counted, growth in military pay actually has surpassed private sector pay growth by 11 percent since 1982, the year the Reagan administration declared that “pay comparability” had been achieved.

Proponents of the larger raise argue that pay growth comparisons using only military basic pay show a gap of 2.4 percent remains. But the Obama administration, just as the Bush administration did, argues the pay gap is gone and that future across-the-board raises should only match changes in the ECI, not exceed that pay growth measure.

From 2002 through 2010, basic pay rose 42 percent and housing allowances 83 percent, compared to a 32 percent rise in private sector wages, Pentagon pay officials contend. If Congress still wants to boost military compensation, any extra dollars should go into special and incentive pays to fill shortages of critical skills.

Obama in late November called for a pay raise freeze for federal civilian employees this January and again in 2012, in sympathy with out-of-work Americans and as a first step toward getting soaring budget deficits under control.

The pay freeze will save more than $5 billion over two years, and more than $60 billion over 10 years, in part because holding down pay raises also dampens future retirement benefits.

The Office of Management, using the most recent ECI data, projects the size of the lost federal pay raise in January 2012 at about 1.6 percent.

“This freeze does not apply to the men and women of our armed forces who along with their families continue to bear enormous burdens with our nation at war,” the president said. He added, “The hard truth is that getting this deficit under control is going to require broad sacrifice, and that sacrifice must be shared by the employees of the federal government.”

A week later, Obama cut a deal with congressional Republican leaders to sustain for two years Bush-era tax cuts including for millionaires, lower payroll taxes in 2011 on most America workers and extend other tax breaks.

In a glaring contrast to the federal pay freeze, these initiatives would raise budget deficits over the next two years by $900 billion. But also, the president argued, they will spur the economy and create jobs.

John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, called it “unconscionable to attack the wages of federal working people while the millionaires and billionaires on Wall Street not only get their bailouts and astronomical bonuses; they also get their tax cuts.”

Reagan, in 1986, was the last president to impose a federal pay freeze President Clinton proposed a pay freeze for both civil servants and the military in 1994 but Congress refused to enact it.

To comment, send e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or write to Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120-1111.

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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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The forum will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, at the center, 5250 Aero Drive, Santa Rosa.

California Indian people are often asked whether they know their traditional language but rarely asked why their languages are not widely used in their contemporary communities.

Today, many California Indians are interested in learning their languages, yet they experience difficulty in finding speakers or teaching materials within their communities.

Historical events and federal and state policies have facilitated the separation of tribal communities and have had a negative impact on the transmission of cultural and linguistic information.

Today, the renaissance of California Indian languages must be pursued through a collective effort of tribal families, governments and organizations.

Despite political differences, diverse dialects and limited resources, active collaboration and cooperation are fundamental to the survival and continuity of Pomo languages.

Join the center for an afternoon of addressing Pomo language preservation topics.

Hear from presenters and speakers that are implementing and participating in important revitalization projects, and learn about upcoming opportunities.

Center staff will present information about current and upcoming activities and discuss how community members can become involved.

Waibax ganu much ganulim – speak our language.

Funding for this project was made possible through a grant from the Administration For Native Americans.

For more information visit www.cimcc.org.

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Reaching adulthood used to mean getting married and having children; today it means completing school, living independently and/or having a full-time job – but that’s increasingly difficult say researchers at the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), who say the trend has resulted in more young adults than ever before who are still living with their parents.

“The transition to adulthood is becoming increasingly protracted and delayed,” says Vanessa Wight, PhD, a senior research associate at NCCP, a poverty think tank at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. “Children are living at home longer than they were 30 years ago.”

In 1970, according to a new NCCP report analyzing data from the U.S. Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, March 2010, 47.3 percent of young adults aged 18 to 24 were living at home.

By 2009 52.8 percent were living at home. In 1970 less than 30 percent were enrolled in school; by 2008, the percentage had increased to 45.5 percent.

NCCP also found that:

• Young adults are also delaying marriage and childbearing. In 1970, the median age at first marriage was 20.8 for women and 23.2 for men. By 2009, median age had increased by about five years for both women and men to 25.9 and 28.1, respectively.

• The average age of mothers at first birth has increased from 21.4 years in 1970 to 25 years in 2006.

“Amidst the backdrop of these dramatic changes in school enrollment, marriage and childbearing, there is a growing number of young adults for whom the transition is considerably more difficult,” write the report’s authors.

“If one of the primary goals of a successful transition to adulthood is the ability to be self sufficient apart from parents, then a growing share of the young adult population … is not connected to any of the various activities that might lead to economic independence, such as being in school, working, or serving in the military,” the study's authors said.

Disconnection varies by age, race, ethnicity, and nativity say the researchers.

• Disconnection is highest among young adults aged 19 to 21.

• The rate of disconnection is highest among American Indian and Alaska Native young adults (28.8 percent).

• Black, Hispanic and other young adults also face a high likelihood of being disconnected relative to their white and Asian counterparts.

• Asian young adults have the lowest rate of being disconnected at 7.4 percent.

• The likelihood of being disconnected is higher among young adults who were born outside the U.S. (18.8 percent) compared with their native-born counterparts (14.4 percent).

Disconnected young adults, when compared with their connected counterparts, are more likely to experience a range of factors that only amplify their precarious economic standing.

They are more likely than connected young adults to be poor, to have a child and to be raising the child outside of a marital union, to be uninsured, and not surprisingly, to be receiving some kind of public assistance.

Since a large number of young adults who wind up disconnected are in school until at least the eleventh grade (the majority receives a high-school diploma), NCCP says high schools can play a role as important sites of intervention and recommends that states take steps to increase school-connectedness and mentorship programs along with providing school-based behavioral health screening and services.

Beyond high school, community colleges and other two-year institutions are positioned to provide educational development and employment training to young adults who might otherwise be barred from pursuing higher education due to academic under-preparation or financial and time constraints.

Another opportunity to improve access to and success in higher education, according to NCCP, is through significant reforms to the current financial aid system.

The study suggests that policymakers can improve the effectiveness of academic financial aid by increasing performance-based scholarships, reevaluating and reorganizing the grants, loans, and text credits programs, and simplifying their application processes to ensure that assistance reaches those students most in need.

The publication can be accessed free online at www.nccp.org/publications/pub_979.html.

The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) is the nation’s leading public policy center dedicated to promoting the economic security, health and well-being of America’s low-income families and children. Part of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, NCCP uses research to inform policy and practice with the goal of ensuring positive outcomes for the next generation.

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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 .

Staff from the Lake County District Attorney's Office and its Victim-Witness Division, California Highway Patrol, Lakeport Police, Clearlake Police and the Lake County Sheriff's Office gathered in Lakeport, Calif., on Friday, December 17, 2010, to begin delivering presents to 86 Lake County children as part of an annual toy drive for children crime victims. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Local law enforcement agencies partnered again this year to bring Christmas cheer to county children whose lives have been touched by crime.

The annual Christmas present drive is hosted by the Lake County District Attorney's Office Victim-Witness Division.

The effort culminated on Friday in the distribution of toys by members of the California Highway Patrol, Lakeport Police, Clearlake Police, Lake County Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's Office.

Debbie Wallace, head of Victim-Witness, said the toy drive has been going on about 15 years.

This year, it served 86 children who she said have in some way or another been a victim of crime – either because they live in a home where domestic violence has been present, they were victims of molestation or because of other crime-related circumstances.

Gifts come from sources such as St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lakeport, which hosts a wish tree with tags for the children, said Wallace.

“They've helped us out through all the years,” Wallace said, adding that St. Peter's Catholic Church in Kelseyville also has been a contributor in past years.

This year the drive was coming up short on gifts, but Wallace said the Lake County Sheriff's Office came through with the rest of the needed items.

She said Victim-Witness collects names of children to receive presents throughout the year. The effort to gather all of the gifts for this Christmas began in October.

Colorfully wrapped presents and gift bags were loaded into police, sheriff's and CHP vehicles and delivered around the county so that they would be waiting for the children on Christmas morning.

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 .

Linda Ann Mafrice, sentenced to state prison for a violation of probation stemming from two criminal cases filed in 2002, is a person of interest in the 2002 murder of Barbara LaForge, according to the Lakeport Police Department. Lake County Jail booking photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A woman who police said is a person of interest in the 2002 Barbara LaForge murder has been sentenced to state prison for failing to repay more than $44,000 in restitution and violating probation in two cases charged at around the time LaForge was shot to death.

Linda Ann Mafrice, 55, a massage therapist from Kelseyville, was transported to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation this week after Judge Andrew Blum sentenced her to four years and eight months in state prison earlier this month.

“She is a person of interest in the murder of Barbara LaForge,” Lakeport Police Det. Lou Riccardi, who was in court for Mafrice's sentencing, told Lake County News.

Riccardi's statement accounts for the first time the Lakeport Police Department has publicly identified a person of interest in the case since LaForge was found fatally shot in her downtown Lakeport frame shop on Oct. 8, 2002.

The 43-year-old LaForge was shot multiple times at close range with a .22 caliber weapon that has never been found.

LaForge's murder is the city's only unsolved homicide.

On Dec. 3, Judge Blum sentenced Mafrice to prison for theft from an elder, grand theft and forgery, charges which arose from two separate criminal filings.

On Aug. 3, 2002, the District Attorney's Office filed three counts against Mafrice – theft from an elder, theft by a forged or invalid access card and forgery.

Then on Oct. 9, 2002, the day after LaForge's murder, the District Attorney's Office filed a case against Mafrice alleging 90 counts, most of them forgery, along with grand theft, which were alleged to have taken place between February 2000 and Aug. 28, 2002, against the Royale Shores Homeowners Association. She was arrested two days later, court records show.

Most of the charges in that second case were dismissed via a Harvey waiver, meaning they could be considered in sentencing but would not be prosecuted.

Mafrice would eventually be sentenced to five years probation and 300 days in jail on the three remaining charges, which she was convicted of in July 2004. She also was sentenced to 200 hours of community service, which court records appear to indicate were never served.

Her sentencing then – as more recently – was delayed by reports of mental and physical health issues. At one point early in the case, she brought a forged doctor's note to court asking for her probation to be modified, according to District Attorney Jon Hopkins in a 2007 interview. A document in Mafrice's file showed her admitting the forgery to the court.

The terms of her probation specified that she was to pay back restitution totaling $113,116.07 to Royale Shores, with credit for $65,000 that she had already paid back. She also was to pay back the elderly woman she had defrauded $1,723.

But time went by, and the restitution to Royale Shores was not fully repaid, court documents showed.

Then, on Oct. 27, 2009, just weeks before her probation was set to expire, Judge Richard Martin issued a $50,000 bench warrant for her arrest for violation of probation because of the unpaid restitution.

Riccardi – a homicide detective from San Mateo County who moved to Lake County after his retirement – was brought in on a special assignment in 2009 to work on the LaForge case.

He said Mafrice is a person of interest because of her relationship with Dan Hamblin, LaForge's husband.

Mafrice and Hamblin were reportedly romantically involved before LaForge's October 2002 murder.

In a 2007 interview, retired Lakeport Police Chief Tom Engstrom told Lake County News that Mafrice was seen packing LaForge's possessions into garbage bags at LaForge's Piner Court home on the day of her 2002 funeral.

In the wake of the recent election, the LaForge investigation appears to have gained a new and important ally.

District Attorney-elect Don Anderson told Lake County News that he is very interested in the case, and plans to meet with Riccardi and Det. Destry Henderson, who also has been assigned to the investigation, to go over the case's details.

Riccardi said a $50,000 reward offered by the Governor's Office remains in place for anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case.

The Lakeport Police Department, which is hosting a series of town halls, will devote a February gathering to giving the community an update on the LaForge homicide investigation.

Neighbor speaks about case

A former neighbor of Mafrice's at Royale Shores helped bring the embezzlement cases to the attention of police.

The woman, who asked not to be named due to concerns for her safety, said Mafrice lived in a unit at Royale Shores owned by a family member, and was the association's onsite property manager at the time when the forgeries and thefts took place.

The neighbor said her name and the name of another person had been forged on checks by Mafrice, who was alleged to have been taking large sums of money from the association for about a year before it was discovered.

Although Mafrice was not supposed to be handling money, “She found a way to get to it,” the neighbor said.

“She knew how to play everybody,” said the woman. “She was very good at what she did.”

The issue with the elderly victim in the other criminal case was happening at the same time, and the neighbor warned the woman's family about Mafrice, who had been caregiving for the woman. That led to the first filing in August 2002, with the larger case involving Royale Shores filed two months later.

The neighbor alleged that members of Mafrice's family were harassing the elderly woman at the center of the first case.

The neighbor said the homeowners association had money in the bank from a lawsuit it had won relating to building defects, and was preparing to use the money for repairs.

“We were in the throes of determining what we needed to do and what needed to be done first,” she said.

The money that Mafrice took was to have been used for a new roof, new decks and other repairs. The woman said the association has since managed to move forward with the repair work.

Mafrice moved from Royale Shores and in with Hamblin within about a week of the LaForge murder, the neighbor estimated.

“There were no secrets there,” the woman noted, explaining that Hamblin had been at the condominium a lot, and Mafrice had purchased him a motorcycle.

A lengthy court process

During the year following Mafrice's October 2009 arrest for violation of probation, she would be scheduled for five different hearings – including pleas and continuations.

In a hearing before Blum on Aug. 27, Mafrice admitted to a violation of her probation by not paying her restitution to Royale Shores in a timely manner. Blum told her she could face a maximum prison sentence of five years, four months for the violations.

At that time, Blum ordered Mafrice to pay the remainder of the restitution by Dec. 3.

Just a few months before, Hamblin – with whom Mafrice has lived since late 2002 – had been awarded $24,931.85 from Stonebridge Life Insurance Co. for a life insurance policy on LaForge, according to court documents.

When Mafrice appeared Dec. 3, her attorney, Stephen Carter, asked for a continuation until Jan. 24, saying that the funds would not be available until later in December.

In turn, Blum read from a Lake County Probation Department report, in which the probation officer stated that he didn't have any confidence that Mafrice intended to pay the remainder of the restitution, and that her request for another continuation was “just another ploy” to delay the proceedings.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Rachel Abelson opposed the continuation based on the Probation Department report, asking for Mafrice to be remanded into custody.

Carter said he didn't think remanding her was necessary as she was trying to make arrangements to pay the funds.

But Blum, pointing out that Mafrice had six years to make payment, said of her request for a continuance, “I'm disinclined to grant it.”

Mafrice's case was put on hold for several hours that day and finally recalled just after 2 p.m.

Blum read both the original probation report from September 2004 and the most recent report from this past November.

“My inclination is to follow the recommendation” of the probation department, which Blum said was for state prison.

Carter said Mafrice still maintained that the money would be available later in December. If probation was to be denied, then he asked for less prison sentences.

Abelson argued in turn, “She has done nothing but play games with the restitution.”

“Basically, her interest is herself,” Abelson added.

Abelson said she didn't think Mafrice's promise of paying more money in the future was realistic, and she asked for the original probation proposal of prison to be imposed.

Blum, finding Mafrice in violation of her probation, ruled, “Probation is permanently revoked,” noting that she has had ample time to comply and hasn't.

Pointing out that there were two separate cases with two separate victims, Blum went on to sentence Mafrice to four years for the first count of theft from an elder, as it was a crime committed in a way that suggested professionalism and planning.

The two other counts were to run consecutively, at two years each, with all but eight months of each term stayed.

The total time given was four years, eight months. By the time credits for previous time served and good behavior are calculated, it's estimated that Mafrice will spend about two years in state prison.

She must also repay $44,681.07 to Royale Shores, plus additional administrative fines, based on Blum's ruling.

After Blum passed sentence, Mafrice was handcuffed and transported to the Lake County Jail.

It's not yet clear where Mafrice will serve her time. There are three women's prison facilities in the state, two in Chowchilla and one in Corona, according to the California Department of Corrections.

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 .

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..

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Thomas Cottiero, 30, a construction worker from Lakeport, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine for sale and possession of a loaded firearm in the commission or attempted commission of a felony following an eviction.

He was taken into custody Thursday night after returning to a residence in the 500 block of Martin Street where he had previously been evicted, according to Sgt. Jason Ferguson.

Ferguson said a Lakeport Police officer was dispatched to the residence to contact the owner who reported Cottiero had not removed his belongings and it appeared that he had planned on remaining on the premises.

While inside the residence the officer located approximately an eighth of ounce of suspected methamphetamine, paraphernalia used to ingest methamphetamine and items commonly associated with the sale of methamphetamine on the bed, Ferguson said.

During the investigation Ferguson said Cottiero returned and was subsequently arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of paraphernalia and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Cottiero also was in possession of a concealed and loaded firearm on his person and was additionally charged with possession of a firearm while in the commission or attempted commission of a felony, Ferguson said.

He was booked at the Lake County Correctional Facility where bail was set at $10,000. Jail records indicated Cottiero posted bail and was released.

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California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner's office said Glenn Neasham, 50, was arrested Tuesday based on an investigation conducted by his agency.

“Insurance agents or brokers who steal from vulnerable seniors will not get away with their shameful tricks,” said Commissioner Poizner. “CDI investigators will continue working to track down any unscrupulous agent who preys on California's seniors.”

Neasham is charged with felony theft from an elder with two special allegations, the first for taking or damaging more than $50,000 in property and the second for a theft that is alleged to have totaled more than $100,000.

Lakeport attorney Mitchell Hauptman, who is representing Neasham, called the case “another one of the DA's famous flights of fantasy.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney said Neasham could face five years in prison if convicted, with four years for the first count, an additional year for the first special allegation and a limitation on probation if he were found guilty of the second special allegation.

The Lake County District Attorney's Office filed the case based on the state investigation, which began in 2008 after the California Department of Insurance received a report from the Savings Bank of Mendocino County.

Neasham, doing business as Glenn Neasham Insurance Agency, is alleged to have sold a $175,000 annuity to a then-83-year-old client on Feb. 6, 2008.

The Savings Bank of Mendocino County alerted local officials after the alleged victim and her elderly boyfriend came in to withdraw $175,000 from a certificate of deposit to purchase the annuity in February 2008, court records showed.

Abelson said banks are mandatory reporters in such cases, with the reports often going to Adult Protective Services, local law enforcement or other agencies.

Hauptman said that the court documents actually allege no wrongdoing, and the alleged victim neither suffered a loss nor filed a complaint.

The California Department of Insurance said the investigation determined that the alleged victim lacked the mental capacity to enter into this contract, and that the terms and conditions of the annuity contract were not in her best financial interest.

In the investigative reports the state investigator found that the woman who purchased the annuity appeared confused at times. The woman also was said to be under the control of her boyfriend, who was named as the beneficiary on the annuity rather than the woman's son, with whom she reportedly had a strained relationship.

The son of the alleged victim told the state investigator that his mother had Alzheimer's, but Neasham told the investigator he was not aware that the woman had any such condition.

“It is insulting to assume that just because she is old she lacks the capacity to manage her affairs,” Hauptman said.

No charges have been filed against the woman's boyfriend. Abelson said the investigation did not yield any findings of wrongdoing against the man, who had been a client of Neasham's for about 10 years at the time of the annuity's purchase, based on investigation documents.

Lake County News could not reach a California Department of Insurance spokesman by the end of Thursday to ask additional questions about the case.

Hauptman said in the nearly three years since the annuity was written, there has been no request for any change in its status, and it has actually shown a greater rate of return than the CD that was the previous financial arrangement.

In that time the woman has never requested any changes be made to the annuity, and she's making money, he said.

He said there is no evidence that Neasham received any particular benefit from the annuity sale, other than his normal commission on such a transaction.

Hauptman said that the state licenses agents to sell annuities, which have stringent requirements attached to them. He said the only thing that's suggested is that the woman purchasing the product didn't completely understand the product, which Hauptman said isn't a crime. “They're confusing products.”

The confusion the state investigator attributed to the woman who purchased the annuity “does not rise to justification for this frivolous criminal charge,” Hauptman said.

Hauptman said Neasham is set to make his first court appearance in the case in February.

The California Department of Insurance invites anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Neasham to call the agency at 707-751-2005.

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 .