- Elizabeth Larson
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Ruzicka meets with Duchess of Cornwall at London service for journalists
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A well-known local businesswoman had the chance to meet a member of the British royal family in a special service last Wednesday that honored her daughter and British journalists who have died in war zones.
Nancy Ruzicka was in London last week, where she took part in a remembrance service for British journalists killed while covering wars around the world.
According to the United Kingdom's Daily Mail, the Wednesday service at London's St. Bride's Church – attended by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall – included the reading of the names of 48 journalists killed in conflict zones worldwide.
Ruzicka's daughter, Marla, also was honored at the service, her mother said.
Marla Ruzicka was killed in April 2005 while working on humanitarian issues in Iraq.
While working in Afghanistan and Iraq, Marla Ruzicka was a colleague of British journalist Jon Swain of the Times of London, Nancy Ruzicka said.
Even though Marla Ruzicka wasn't a journalist, Swain had nominated her to be honored as part of the commemoration, Nancy Ruzicka explained.
Swain then invited Nancy Ruzicka to the London service. She said she traveled over to England from New York on the Queen Mary II to attend.
Marla Ruzicka was doing humanitarian work on behalf of civilians in Iraq when she died. Her small organization, Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict – CIVIC – didn't have much money, so the young woman knew that to get her message out she needed to rely on journalists, her mother explained.
“Marla worked closely with these journalists,” Nancy Ruzicka said.
A few days before the service, Nancy Ruzicka said she received an e-mail informing her that the Duchess of Cornwall wanted to have a personal meeting with her after the service.
Not recognizing Prince Charles' wife by her formal title, Ruzicka went to the concierge desk at her hotel and asked who was the Duchess of Cornwall.
“That's Camilla!” The young men at the concierge desk replied.
For the next few days, every time Ruzicka passed the desk, the young men asked brightly, “Have you met her yet?”
Nancy Ruzicka called the service – complete with a large choir – at St. Bride's Church “wonderful.”
After the service, Nancy Ruzicka had the chance to meet the duchess, an experience which she called “unbelievable.”
- Lake County News reports
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REGIONAL: Napa man dies from accidental shooting while hunting
THE VICTIM'S NAME AND AGE HAVE BEEN CORRECTED BASED ON AN UPDATE FROM THE SONOMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. – A Napa man who was pheasant hunting died as the result of an accidental shooting on Sunday.
William Daniel Downs, 50, of Napa was killed in the area of 3000 Highway 37 in Sonoma, according to a report from Lt. Steve Brown of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.
At 4:15 p.m. Sunday Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the scene, Brown said.
Brown said a preliminary investigation revealed that Downs was pheasant hunting with his 11-year-old son and two other friends when the incident occurred.
Detectives from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, along with the Department of Fish and Game, were called to the scene to conduct further investigation to find out how the accident occurred, Brown said.
The investigation is ongoing, according to Brown.
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- Dauna Coulter
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Space News: Earth's dust tail points to alien planets
Did you know that the Earth has a dust tail? The Spitzer Space Telescope sailed right through it a few months ago, giving researchers a clear idea of what it looks like. That could be a big help to planet hunters trying to track down alien worlds.
“Planets in distant solar systems probably have similar dust tails,” said Spitzer project scientist Mike Werner. “And in some circumstances these dust features may be easier to see than the planets themselves. So we need to know how to recognize them.”
It's extremely challenging – and usually impossible – to directly image exoplanets. They're relatively small and faint, hiding in the glare of the stars they orbit.
“A dust tail like Earth's could produce a bigger signal than a planet does. And it could alert researchers to a planet too small to see otherwise,” Werner said.
Earth has a dust tail not because the planet itself is particularly dusty, but rather because the whole solar system is.
Interplanetary space is littered with dusty fragments of comets and colliding asteroids. When Earth orbits through this dusty environment, a tail forms in the rear, akin to swaths of fallen leaves swirling up behind a streetsweeper.
“As Earth orbits the sun, it creates a sort of shell or depression that dust particles fall into, creating a thickening of dust – the tail – that Earth pulls along via gravity,” explained Werner. “In fact, the tail trails our planet all the way around the sun, forming a large dusty ring.”
Spitzer's recent observations have helped astronomers map the structure of Earth's dust tail and figure out what similar “tell-tale tails” attached to alien planets might look like.
Like our own solar system, other planetary systems are infused with dust that forms a dusty disk encircling the central star. And like Earth, exoplanets interact with their dust disk gravitationally, channeling and drawing strange features into it.
“In some stars' dust disks there are bumps, warps, rings, and offsets telling us that planets are interacting with the dust,” said Mark Clampin of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. “So we can 'follow the dust' to the planets. So far, we've seen about 20 dust disks in other solar systems. And in some of those cases, following the dust has already paid off.”
Clampin, Paul Kalas and colleagues were looking for a planet around the bright southern star Fomalhaut when they unexpectedly found a dust ring. The shape of that ring led them to their goal.
“We suspected that the ring's sharp inner edge was formed by a planet gravitationally clearing out the surrounding debris,” said Clampin. “We tracked the planet by this 'footprint' in the dust.”
Another Hubble image shows a dusty disk around Beta Pictoris, a star in the constellation Pictor, or “Painter's Easel.”
“Note the smaller dust ring that's tilted with respect to the larger dust disk,” said Clampin. “Like Earth, this planet is shepherding the dust into its orbital plane.”
Clampin explained why it's hard to see the Earth's dust tail from within our solar system: “Imagine looking at fog on the Golden gate from above where you can clearly see the structure. If, on the other hand, you are standing on the bridge, it's a lot harder to discern the shape of the cloud.”
Clampin and Werner said Spitzer's observation of Earth's dust tail and these initial observations of dust structures in distant solar systems set the stage for the planet hunting debut of the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope, targeted to launch in 2014, is a large, infrared-optimized space telescope. For more information, see www.jwst.nasa.gov/ .
They fully expect the huge and powerful new telescope to spot many tell-tale tails ... of the alien variety.
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- Lake County News reports
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'Wreaths Across America' event planned for Dec. 11
The community also is invited to participate and to donate in the event, which places wreaths on the tombstones of veterans in remembrance of their service and sacrifice.
Slick Hultquist and Toni Funderburg have volunteered to organize the Wreaths Across America ceremony this year, which will be held at Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport at 8:45 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 11.
The second Saturday in December will mark the 19th anniversary of Maine wreaths being donated to be placed on headstones at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
This year also is the sixth year of the national wreath sponsorship campaign under the guidance of the nonprofit www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org, which will bring the same remembrance wreaths to national and state veterans cemeteries, monuments and community centers all across the nation.
This will be the fourth year that wreaths have been laid at the Veterans Circle in a ceremony at Hartley Cemetery.
Specially designated wreaths for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, and POW/MIA will be placed on memorials during a ceremony that will be coordinated simultaneously at over 400 participating locations all across the country.
The Motto for Wreaths Across America is: Remember – the fallen; Honor – those who serve; and Teach – our children the value of freedom.
“Teach” is the key word of the motto for 2010, and it's the most important part of the mission. The veterans have done their part, the military and their families are doing their part, and for the community to do its part everyone must instill in their children the importance of the sacrifices of these heroes – and their families.
This year thousands of young people from all over the country will participate in laying wreaths on the graves of more than 200,000 veterans’ graves at 500 locations all over the US and 24 off shore during the holidays.
The Scouts, Sea Scouts and the Royal Rangers will participate in the ceremony which includes raising the colors and laying the seven wreaths at the Veterans’ Circle at Hartley Cemetery.
Pastor Garry Zeek will give the invocation and a brief history of the Wreaths Across America. The Lake County Military Funeral Honors Team will provide the three rifle volleys and the playing of “Taps.”
This year Boy Scout Troop 42 would like to further honor our Veterans by laying wreaths on the individual grave sites at Hartley.
A sponsorship of a wreath is $15. The wreaths will be laid by the Boy Scouts prior to the ceremony. It is their hope to honor the 200 veterans laid at rest at Hartley.
Should you desire to sponsor a wreath for a veteran, please stop by Lakeport Tire & Auto Service, 1901 S. Main St. or call 707-263-5422 for details.
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- Lake County News Reports
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Mustangs overwhelm Wolverines in season finale
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Mustangs football team overwhelmed an injury-plagued Willits Wolverines squad 49-0 in Middletown Friday night, finishing their regular season as undefeated North Central I North league champions for the third year in a row.
The weekend victory ensures a playoff berth for the Mustangs in the upcoming North Coast Section Division IV tournament, while the battered Wolverines – who suited just 14 players Friday night – will sit out the post-season due to extensive injuries.
Also for the third straight year, the Mustangs finish the year with an overall 9-1 record, putting them tied for first place with St. Patrick/St. Vincent and Fort Bragg in the Division IV football standings.
“I think this is probably my best overall team of the last three years,” longtime coach Bill Foltmer said before the game.
After a failed attempt by the Wolverines to open the game with an onside kick, the Mustangs quickly took control, needing just four offensive plays before running back David Pike scored on an eight-yard dash.
After both teams traded interceptions, Middletown struck again on a nine-yard end zone pass from quarterback Kyle Brown to wide receiver Connor Chick, and the Mustangs went ahead 14-0.
Middletown put one more score on the board before the first quarter ended when Pike carried the ball three consecutive plays, capping the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run to bring the score to 21-0.
Pike scored twice more in the second quarter – on carries of 38 yards and 8 yards – breaking Lake County’s all-time record for most touchdowns scored in a single season at 29.
Jereomy Hoefer scored Middletown’s next touchdown on a three-yard scamper, and defensive back Andres Fernandez posted the Mustangs’ final score of the night when he intercepted an errant Willits pass and ran it all the way back to the Wolverine end zone to bring the score to 49-0.
The Friday night win is Middletown’s third consecutive shutout victory – and their six of the season – and extends Middletown’s current winning streak to nine games.
“They’re a class act,” Willits head coach Nat Collicott said of the Mustangs. “It’s an honor to play Coach Foltmer on his field and hey, they’re good. I wish them the best in the playoffs.”
Collicott said of his team, “We’re pretty beat up. We had some very key injuries. We lost all of our running backs and some starting defensive players.”
Foltmer noted the Wolverine injuries and said, “It wasn’t the same Willits team that it was earlier in the season.”
Willits finished the game with just 64 yards total offense on 21 carries, while Middletown had 255 yards total offense on 31 carries.
Kyle Brown completed three of four passes for 67 yards and Pike carried the ball 13 times for 131 yards for the Mustangs.
Looking ahead to the playoffs, Foltmer sounded upbeat about his team’s prospects.
Foltmer specifically cited star defensive linebacker Jake Davis – who was last year’s All North Central I League Most Valuable Defensive Player and sat out the first half of this season with a broken jaw – calling him “my best player, and arguably one of the better players I’ve ever had.”
“We’ve got a pretty strong defense, and I think defense is what will help you go a little bit deeper in the playoffs,” Foltmer said.
He added, “There’s an old saying in football: ‘Offenses put butts in the stands, but defenses win championships.’”
In JV action, the Mustangs beat Willits 38-6, finishing their season with an 8-2 record, while the Wolverine loss to Middletown brought their JV team record to 1-9 for the year.
Middletown’s next game – their first of the post-season – will be determined by North Coast Section Division IV tournament directors on Sunday, Nov. 14.
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- Elizabeth Larson
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REGIONAL: 3.3-magnitude quake hits near Talmage
The quake, reported at 12:34 a.m., occurred at a depth of 1.4 miles eight miles southeast of Talmage, nine miles west of Lakeport and 10 miles southeast of Ukiah, according to the US Geological Survey.
The survey received 27 shake reports from seven zip codes, including Lakeport, Hopland, Ukiah, Santa Rosa, Vacaville and San Jose, an estimated 219 miles away.
A 3.0-magnitude quake was reported near Talmage in August, 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 .
- Elizabeth Larson
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3.0-magnitude earthquake occurs near The Geysers
THE USGS HAS DOWNGRADED THIS QUAKE FROM 3.1 TO 3.0 IN MAGNITUDE.
THE GEYSERS, Calif. – A 3.0-magnitude earthquake occurred near The Geysers geothermal steamfield Monday morning.
The US Geological Survey reported that the quake occurred at 5:58 a.m.
Its epicenter was located two miles north of The Geysers, four miles west of Cobb and seven miles northwest of Anderson Springs. US Geological Survey records said it occurred at a depth of a mile and a half.
Survey records showed a series of smaller quakes – ranging in magnitude from 1.0 to 1.8 – occurred in and around the 3.0-magnitude quake's epicenter during the hour after the larger quake.
The US Geological Survey received three shake reports – two from Santa Rosa and one from Fairfield.
A 3.5-magnitude quake was reported near The Geysers on Oct. 19, 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 .
- Lake County News Reports
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The Veggie Girl: A little culinary history
In just over 10 days, most of us will be celebrating the quintessential American holiday, Thanksgiving.
Roasted turkey with stuffing, bowls of sweet and white potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pies will fill our tables.
While we consider this delicious fare traditional for the Thanksgiving feast, the truth is that what we serve on this day has evolved over time. What the Pilgrims and Indians ate in 1621 New England bears little resemblance to what we serve today.
In 1841, more than 200 years after what we now refer to as “the first Thanksgiving,” New England historian Alexander Young discovered a letter from Edward Winslow, one of the original colonists, mentioning the 1621 feast. It was Young that gave that feast the moniker mentioned above.
Winslow describes four hunters killing enough fowl to feed the camp for a week. While turkey was plentiful in North America – and eaten by the colonists and Wampanoag Indians – it’s speculated that the “fowl” mentioned in the letter consisted of seasonal waterfowl such as ducks and geese.
Turkey eventually became the fowl of choice on Thanksgiving menus, but not right away.
A menu for a New England Thanksgiving dinner circa 1779 mentions roast turkey, but only as one of the meats offered at the meal, not as the star. Also listed are venison, pork, pigeon and goose.
In contrast, this year more than 240 million turkeys will have been raised as the mainstay of our Thanksgiving dinners.
What about the stuffing? Historians tell us that the practice of stuffing the cavities of fowl and other animals with mixtures of breads, spices and other items is ancient. Romans and Arabs employed this cooking technique. The terms “stuffing” and “dressing” as they relate to cookery derive from Medieval European culinary practices.
The English settlers and Wampanoag did occasionally stuff birds and fish, but if stuffing was used, it likely consisted of herbs and onions, rather than bread.
Any cranberries served at the harvest celebration were likely only in Wampanoag dishes. They enjoyed them raw or sweetened with maple sugar.
It would be 50 years before an Englishman mentioned boiling this New England berry with sugar for a “sauce to be eaten with … meat.” Since sugar was expensive in England in 1621, it’s quite possible that there was not any of this imported sweet in New Plymouth at that time.
Today turkey and cranberries are a much-loved food marriage.
The tradition of serving fruit with meat, particularly citrus fruit with fatty meat, goes back thousands of years, likely originating in the Middle East. Examples are found in many cultures and cuisines. The acid in the fruit cuts the fat in the meat. In the case of lean meats such as turkey and chicken, cranberries add flavor to what is generally considered a bland food.
Other classic meat and fruit combos include pork and applesauce, goose and cherry sauce, fish and lemon, and duck l’orange.
It’s hard to imagine Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes, but the original feast didn’t include them.
Potatoes, which originated in South America, had made their way across the Atlantic to Europe, but had not been generally adopted into the English diet. The potato was virtually unknown there in the 17th century. At that point they were not included in the diet of the Wampanoag Indians, either (though they did eat other varieties of local tubers).
Today’s Thanksgiving meals typically include a version of a sweet potato (or yam) dish, but that wouldn’t have been included in the original harvest meal.
The sweet potato, which originated in the Caribbean, also had made its way to Europe, but was rare and available only to the wealthy. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain liked them and had them planted in their court gardens. Their son-in-law, King Henry VIII of England, liked them as well, and considered them to be an aphrodisiac.
Yams are native to Africa and are often confused with sweet potatoes. Most sweet potato dishes – pies included – are just as successfully made with yams.
Like the white potato, neither yams nor sweet potatoes were part of the diet of the Wampanoag Indians or, for the most part, the English at the time of the first feast.
Have you ever wondered why marshmallows are so often paired with sweet potatoes on the Thanksgiving table?
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, marshmallows were very trendy. They were mass produced, plentiful and very inexpensive, and were aggressively marketed by the companies that manufactured them.
The earliest recipes found pairing marshmallows and sweet potatoes date to the 1920s. There were typically casseroles where marshmallows were layered with the potatoes. To a lesser extent, they were also paired with candied yams.
Often signature dishes from the 1920s were very sweet, and some historians speculate that this is a reaction to Prohibition.
Pumpkin, native to the New World, was likely available as part of the harvest feast, but not in the form of pie. It may have been baked, possibly by placing it in the ashes of a dying fire, then mixed with animal fat, maple syrup or honey, and made into a soup, a common way of using it by American Indians.
As for our beloved Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, recipes for stewed pumpkin tempered with sugar, spices and cream wrapped in pastry have roots in Medieval times, when similar pies were made with squash and gourds.
Corn was part of the earliest Thanksgiving feast, though it was hard Indian corn, unlike the corn we know today.
American Indians were cooking with corn long before European settlers arrived, and the English colonists learned to grind it for use in breads, pancakes, porridge and puddings as a substitute for the grains they were used to.
While we don’t know exactly what was served at the first Thanksgiving, historians can be pretty certain that it included at least some of the bounty available to them, such as cultivated parsnips, carrots, collards, turnips, parsley, spinach, cabbage, sage, thyme, onions and marjoram, as well as native cranberries, pumpkin, nuts, grapes, lobster, oysters and other seafood.
In the spirit of the colonial U.S., I’ll leave you with a modern interpretation of Abigail Adams’ pumpkin pie, courtesy of The Thirteen Colonies Cookbook by Mary Donovan, et al.
Enjoy!
Abigail Adams' pumpkin pie
1 1/2 cups pumpkin
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup dark rum or brandy
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Pecans
Whipped cream
10-inch pie shell, unbaked
Mix all ingredients together and pour into the prepared pastry shell.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 40 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Garnish with pecans and whipped cream flavored with rum or brandy.
Esther Oertel, the "Veggie Girl," is a personal chef and culinary coach and is passionate about local produce. Oertel owns The SageCoach Personal Chef Service and teaches culinary classes at Chic Le Chef in Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., and The Kitchen Gallery in Lakeport, Calif. 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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- Lake County News reports
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Kelly named California Teacher of the Year
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A local star teacher has been honored as one of the state's top educators.
On Friday State Superintendent of Schools Jack O’Connell announced the five teachers recognized as California Teachers of the Year for 2011.
Among them was Jennifer Kelly, an eighth grade science teacher at Middletown Middle School.
Also honored were Shannan Brown, fifth grade teacher, Thomas Edison Elementary School, San Juan Unified School District, Sacramento; Darin Curtis, eighth grade physical education, Tierra del Sol Middle School, Lakeside Union School District, Lakeside (San Diego County); Beverly Gonzalez, fourth grade mathematics and writing, Santa Fe School, Baldwin Park Unified School District, Baldwin Park (Los Angeles County); and Khadir Rajagopal, ninth through 11th grade mathematics, Grant Union High School, Twin Rivers Unified School District, Sacramento.
“Our California Teachers of the Year are amazing instructional leaders who have a great passion for helping students reach their full potential,” O'Connell said. “They each have unique ways of teaching and thinking that inspire their students to love learning. The Teachers of the Year inspire me, and I hope they inspire veteran teachers and encourage future teachers to follow their footsteps into the classroom.”
In 1972, California began recognizing outstanding teachers to honor the profession chosen by 300,000 persons in the state and to heighten interest in teaching as a career.
The process results in the annual selection of five teachers statewide who successfully employ strategies to increase academic success and narrow the achievement gap with a range of diverse students.
The five teachers serve as California Teachers of the Year for a one-year term. Their responsibilities include effectively representing the state’s teachers; motivating and inspiring other educators; and championing the positive contributions of the teaching profession.
In May Kelly was recognized as Middletown Unified District Teacher of the Year and soon after she completed the countywide selection process and was nominated Lake County Teacher of the Year.
After submitting a 21-page application in August, she was notified that the state had chosen her as a finalist.
An on-site visit was conducted to observe her teaching, and then she was invited to Sacramento for an intensive panel interview.
During the process, Kelly said this of her profession: “As the world around us becomes more complex, the value of teaching grows even more in importance.”
Only one other Lake County teacher has received such recognition in the California Teacher of the Year's 37-year history – Alan Siegel from Carlé Continuation High School in Lower Lake was selected as 2005 California Teacher of the Year. Additionally, Marc Morita, a seventh grade English teacher from Middletown Middle School, was selected as a finalist in 2008.
“When you walk around campus and ask students about their favorite classes, they continuously rank Mrs. Kelly’s science class as a favorite,” said Middletown Middle School Principal Dan Morgan.
“Her energy and enthusiasm is inspiring,” Morgan said. “She has a huge variety of hands-on projects and tons of activities. Year after year, her students score proficient and advanced on the California STAR Tests, regardless of their demographics, socio-economic status, or ability level in other subjects.”
Kelly grew up in Mill Valley and earned a bachelor's degree in zoology from the University of California, Davis, and three credentials from San Francisco State – a single subject credential in life science, a supplementary credential in chemistry and a multiple subject teaching credential.
A teacher for more than 20 years, Kelly came to Middletown Middle School in 1999. She and her husband, Ron, have three sons – Tanner, Scott and Jacob.
Kelly said she feels fortunate to be teaching in Middletown. “Middletown Unified School District supports teachers; they give you the freedom to teach to your strengths while covering the curriculum.”
Showing students she cares and developing exciting lessons are ways Kelly is able to encourage students to learn the skills necessary for success. She is adamant that educators can have students be successful on state tests without sacrificing creativity in presenting the curriculum.
“I love teaching; I enjoy the challenge of taking concepts and turning them into ideas the students are inspired to question, learn and understand,” she said.
Kelly is enthusiastic about fulfilling her role as an ambassador of the teaching profession. “I am excited about promoting education in Lake County, and helping to educate the public on the challenges and successes of the teaching profession.”
When asked what new endeavors might be in her future, Jennifer is clear. “I am ready and eager to help and support other teachers, but I have no desire to move into any other career focus. I want to keep teaching.”
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- Elizabeth Larson
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Floating island launched at Clarks Island
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – After months of work and planning, Lake County's first “floating island” was launched on Saturday.
As a group of community members looked on, local officials and representatives from the company Floating Islands West launched the 150-square-foot manmade island near Clarks Island, located at 12565 E. State Highway 20, between Tower Mart and the Clearlake Oaks boat launch.
The effort has taken form under the auspices of the Clarks Island Sustainability Initiative, which began meeting last January under the direction of Northshore Supervisor Denise Rushing.
Tule revegetation and natural building projects also are taking place at the 1.48-acre Clarks Island, purchased by the county in late 2007.
The floating island, constructed of 2,250 recycled plastic bottles, is a centerpiece of the plans to revitalize the natural setting. It will be held in place with two 350-pound anchors, the county reported.
Rushing said Saturday that the floating island has the same efficacy for filtering the lake as about an acre and a half of restored wetland.
She said water quality monitoring has already begun in the area.
On Saturday, a boat full of the first Clarks Island “ecotourists” – who came over from the Clearlake Keys – came to see the floating island.
For more information about Clarks Island, visit www.konoctitrails.com/clarks-island or www.facebook.com/pages/Clarks-Island-Sustainability-Initiative/131571996892818 .
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 .
- Kathy Windrem
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Foreman brings fascinating range of experience to Kelseyville High School Music Department
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Kelseyville Unified School District’s commitment to its music program was one of the big draws for new Kelseyville High School music teacher Ted Foreman.
Foreman was hired following the retirement in June of longtime music teacher Tom Aiken.
Foreman grew up in Detroit, where he began playing music in sixth grade.
His first instrument – which continues to be his primary instrument – was trombone, because it was “the loudest instrument that fit on the bus,” he reported.
At age 16 Foreman attended a music camp which fueled a lifetime passion for music, and led to a full ride scholarship to attend boarding school to focus on his music.
After graduation from Southern Methodist University in Texas, with a double major in music and anthropology, Foreman began several years performing music in a variety of venues.
Foreman played trombone with the New Mexico Symphony, taught at University of Colorado, did graduate work at The Julliard School in New York City, and toured with the plays “Les Miserables” and “The Lion King.”
He also toured with the Singapore Symphony, the rock band YES and Moody Blues. One of the high points was to perform with the orchestra of famed tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
Foreman’s desire to share his love for music led him to earn a teaching credential through Project Pipeline’s Fortune School of Education.
His first teaching job was at John Swett High School in Crockett, Calif. He received the honor of District Teacher of the Year in Crockett in his fourth year there.
A desire for a new and unique experience led Foreman to Hoonah, Alaska. The largest Tlingit Village in Alaska gave Foreman yet another opportunity to share his musical talents and ideas.
Following a year in Alaska, Foreman began the search for a small school district in California with a commitment to music.
This search led Foreman to discover Kelseyville Unified School District.
Foreman was hired and began his job with the new school year in September after Tom Aiken’s retirement.
Foreman said of Aiken, “Tom left behind an amazing program. He has been available to answer any questions I have asked of him. I appreciate his – and the district’s – confidence in me.”
Foreman will continue to offer jazz band, concert band, choir and some junior high music classes. He plans to start a “Contemporary Music Workshop” class, which is a “rock band class” where the students will write and perform original music.
Every aspect of producing music – including writing music, sound engineering, album designers, band manager and performer – will be covered in this class. Live shows will be presented by the students.
Foreman expects the many contacts he has made in his previous years in the music industry will be called upon for assistance with the Contemporary Music Workshop class.
Beth Aiken is the music teacher for fifth and sixth grade students in the district. Between Aiken and Foreman, Kelseyville’s music program will continue to offer the “highest quality music education possible,” according to school board member Gary Olson.
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- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
Hidden Valley Lake man arrested on rape, kidnapping charges
Matthew Shane Merrill, 21, was arrested Tuesday morning, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Bauman said Merrill was booked at the Lake County Jail on felony charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment, rape, destroying a communications device and misdemeanor spousal battery.
On Tuesday at about 11 a.m. deputies responded to a residence on Marine View Road in Hidden Valley Lake on a report of a kidnapping and rape, Bauman said.
He said a 22-year-old Hidden Valley Lake woman reported she had just fled from the suspect and that he was still driving around in the area in a blue Mazda sedan.
When the first deputy arrived in the area, he immediately spotted Merrill's vehicle in the area
of Marine View Drive and Deer Hill Road, according to Bauman.
After failing to yield to the deputy’s attempt to stop him for several blocks, Merrill was eventually stopped and detained. Bauman said Merrill had a moderate injury to his head that indicated he had been in some kind of altercation.
Deputies contacted the victim at her home a short distance away. Bauman said the woman also had some minor injuries indicating she had been in an altercation.
Bauman said the woman reported that she and Merrill had a previous dating relationship and he had invited her the night before, to go to the Twin Pine Casino bar. She accepted but when they got there she asked him to take her home and he refused.
After having a drink or two together at the bar, they left the casino at about 10 p.m. but instead of taking her home as she again had asked, he took her to his home on Greenridge Road, after driving her around Hidden Valley Lake for several hours, Bauman said.
The two reportedly argued while in Merrill’s bedroom and at one point, Merrill reportedly broke a cell phone the woman was going to use to call 911 and threw her shoes out of a window to prevent her from leaving the house, Bauman reported.
The arguing apparently continued throughout the night, Bauman said, until Merrill allegedly assaulted the woman and then held the victim down on his bed and forced her to have sex with him.
When Merrill fell asleep after the alleged rape, the victim sneaked out of the house and walked to her own home on Marine View Drive, arriving at about 4 a.m. Bauman said Merrill showed up at her house later that morning and the arguing resumed, with both parties hitting each other.
At one point, Merrill took the woman's car keys in another apparent attempt to keep her from leaving. Bauman said the woman was able to get her keys back and she struck Merrill on the head with them, causing a laceration.
He said the victim was eventually able to leave and go to her mother’s house a short distance away and call the sheriff’s office.
Merrill remains in the Lake County Jail with bail set at $250,000. Bauman said the Lake County Superior Court issued an emergency protection order keeping Merrill away from the victim.
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