CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Thanks to help from the community, local officials were able to locate two dogs responsible for attacking a man and his small dog earlier this month.

Jim Young and his small Pomeranian, Brandy, were attacked early on March 12 as they walked on Island Drive in Clearlake Oaks, as Lake County News has reported.

Young was bitten and knocked to the ground, his dog was mauled and left with serious injuries, and the dogs' owner reportedly gave a false name before leaving the scene in a Mitsubishi Montero with the California license plate 5BGV640.

Lake County Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson told Lake County News on Monday that his agency received an anonymous call over the weekend giving the location of the vehicle and the two dogs alleged to have been involved in the March 12 attack.

An Animal Care and Control Officer went to Plaza Drive in Clearlake Oaks to investigate, confirmed that they were the same dogs and impounded them pursuant to a vicious animal investigation, Davidson said.

Davidson said the officer also had Young positively identify the dogs.

One of the dogs was a neutered male boxer mix, while the second was an unaltered female pit bull mix, Davidson said.

The quarantine is already over and both dogs appear healthy, so Davidson said there is no further need or concern regarding rabies.

He said the dogs' owner was very apologetic about his “lack of clarity” regarding what happened.  

The man indicated to the Animal Care and Control officer that the female pit bull mix – which Davidson said was the more aggressive of the two – was a stray that adopted the man several months ago. The man identified the male boxer mix as his dog.

“We will be examining the matter further to ensure a vicious abatement order is warranted and may even pursue other legal action regarding his lack of compliance with quarantine,” Davidson said in an email.

Leah Young, Jim Young's granddaughter, said he's doing well.

She said he's taking care of Brandy, who recently came home from Wasson Memorial Veterinary Clinic in Lakeport.

Brandy suffered a broken leg, broken law, punctured lung and multiple bite wounds all over her body in the attack. Young said Brandy came home with casts on her leg and jaw.

“She's gonna pull through,” she said. “We didn't expect it.”

To help the family with the veterinarian bill, contact Jim Young at 707-350-4867 or Leah Young at 707-245-3049.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A new report released by the California Department of Public Health showed a drop in the state’s teen birth rate, but on the local level the numbers experienced a slight increase.

The California Department of Public Health’s report on the teen birth rate, released last week, said the state rate for the two-year period of 2008-10 declined to 29 births for every 1,000 females aged 15-19.

That’s down from the rate of 32.1 births for 2007-09 and 35.2 in 2006-08, according to state statistics.

The most recent numbers showed a significant drop from the teen birth rate of 70.9 births per 1,000 teen females recorded in 1991, when the number reached a the record high.

“Teen pregnancy has been a long-standing public health challenge associated with increased maternal and infant morbidity and mortality,” said Dr. Ron Chapman, the state public health officer. “Early teenage childbearing has been recognized to have negative health and social consequences to adolescent mothers, but we must continue to work together if we are to reduce the state’s teen birth rates even further.”

By comparison, Lake County’s teen birth rate is well above the state average.

For the 2008-10 reporting period, Lake’s teen birth rate was 43.4 percent, up from 41.8 percent in 2007-09 and 43.2 percent in 2006-2008, according to state statistics.

The local epidemiological data on which the state report is based lags by a minimum of two years, which is how long it takes the state to collect and process it, according to Jane MacLean, Lake County’s maternal and child health director.

The state report said teen birth rates across California declined in all major racial/ethnic groups.

Teens aged 18-19 experienced a decline of 9 percent – from 53.5 in 2009 to 48.6 in 2010 – and teens aged 15-17 saw a drop from 17.5 to 15.2, representing a 13 percent reduction, the report showed.

While Hispanic teens aged 15-19 continued to have the highest birth rate in 2010, they demonstrated the second highest decline at 11 percent between 2009 and 2010. Hispanic teen birth rates dropped from 50.8 in 2009 to 45.0 in 2010.

African-American teen birth rate was 37.0 in 2009; it dropped to 34.0 in 2010, representing a decrease of 8 percent, the state said. Asian/Pacific Islander teens and white teens had reductions of 14 and 8 percent, respectively.

California’s teen population appears to be leveling off, however changes in its composition can influence the teen birth rate, the state reported.

In 2000, nearly equal proportions of female teens were Hispanic (39%) and white (38%); by 2010, Hispanics comprised 47 percent and whites 33 percent, according to the report.

The state Department of Public Health credited public and private teen pregnancy prevention efforts with bringing about the decline in the teen birth rate.

The agency said its funds programs including the Information and Education Program, the Adolescent Family Life Program and the Family PACT (Planning, Access, Care and Treatment) Program.

However, Lake County is being impacted by the loss of important grant funding to assist such efforts.

Lake Family Resource Center formerly ran a teen pregnancy prevention program in partnership with local schools, said the center’s executive director, Gloria Flaherty.

However, Flaherty told Lake County News that all of the state funding for that program was eliminated in the last budget year. As a result, the program was discontinued.

Flaherty said the program had been run on a relatively small annual budget of $127,000.

“We were always so amazed with what we could do with that,” she said.

Lake Family Resource Center began providing the services in the 2003-04 fiscal year. During the period from 2003 to the end of the program in 2011, she said the local teen pregnancy rate dropped, and she said she believed their program contributed to that decline.

With the elimination of state funding, the only programs the center now offers for teen pregnancy prevention focus on stopping second pregnancies, Flaherty said.

Last year, the California Department of Public Health received a Personal Responsibility Education Program grant from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration to focus services in 19 counties in California with teen birth rates that have consistently remained higher than the statewide teen birth rates.

With Lake among those 19 counties, Flaherty said Lake Family Resource Center and other local stakeholders – including the Lake County Office of Education, Lake County Public Health and the Lake County Department of Social Services – responded to a recently released request for proposals from the state for the grant funding. That would help the center revive a teen pregnancy prevention program.

“So hopefully there will be funding coming again starting July 1,” Flaherty said.

The new funding amount would be $50,000 annually. Because of the lower amount of funding, Flaherty said Lake Family Resource Center would not be able to entirely replicate its previous program.

If funded, the new teen pregnancy prevention program would again be school-based, and would focus on abstinence, as the previous program did, Flaherty explained.

“We’re really hoping we’re funded,” she said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

2012 CDPH Teen Birth Rate Slides

The cold and rain couldn’t dampen my excitement when I spotted almonds for sale during a recent farm visit.
 
There they were, nestled in a wooden bushel basket on the floor, with their light brown, roughly textured shells calling my name.
 
As soon as I spotted them, a rush of childhood memories flooded over me.
 
When I was a kid, nearly every family I knew had a bowl or basket full of mixed, unshelled nuts on their table. There was always a nutcracker lying on top as an invitation to dig right in and start cracking.
 
It was hard work to get some of those shells open (the filberts and Brazil nuts in particular), but that made the nut meat inside all the more satisfying.
 
Thankfully, almonds aren’t hard nuts to crack, so my son and I made quick work of the little pile when I got home. As I suspected, he’d never seen almonds in the shell before, and I was happy to share the experience with him.
 
Almonds are cousins of peaches, nectarines and apricots, which you might have suspected if you’ve seen them in the shell, since in that state they look similar to the pits of those fruits.
 
Like their relatives, almonds are drupes, not true nuts, meaning they’re comprised of a seed contained within a hard shell and outer hull. The almonds we consume are the seeds of the almond tree.
 
Almond trees are native to the Mediterranean climate region of the Middle East, stretching east as far as the Indus River in what is now southern Pakistan, and were spread by ancient man along the shores of the Mediterranean into northern Africa and southern Europe.
 
Almonds are one of the earliest domesticated trees because of the ease with which they grow from seed. It’s estimated they’ve been cultivated since 3000 B.C., before the introduction of grafting to agriculture.
 
California is responsible for all the U.S. almond production, and we’ve just passed the season for almond blooms, which happens each year in February.
 
Sometimes I’m lucky enough to have an excuse to drive from Lake County to Sacramento when almonds are in bloom, and I happily wind through fields of blooming almond trees on my way to Interstate 5.
 
After blossoms fall, green almond buds appear on trees, and they’ll continue to mature until June, as the shell hardens and the kernel forms within it.
 
The surrounding green hull, which can be compared to a thinner version of the fleshy portion of a peach, splits in the heat of summer, exposing the almond shell and allowing it to dry.
 
As the season progresses, the split widens and the hull becomes tough and leathery.
 
Shortly before harvest, which occurs from mid-August to November, the hulls open completely. Mechanical tree shakers are utilized to knock nuts to the ground during the harvest.
 
Bitter almonds, a cousin of the sweet almonds we eat, are used in such products as almond extract, almond liqueur and cosmetic almond oil, but are illegal to sell to the public in the United States because of their high levels of cyanide.
 
The poison is processed out during the making of these products; however, if eaten raw, a generous handful or two of bitter almonds (between 20 and 50, depending on the source) can kill an adult.
 
Almond oil is often used in massage or as a moisturizer, and I have to say it’s one of the sweetest things I’ve ever smelled.
 
Almond flour may be used as an alternative baking product for those sensitive to gluten, almond milk is available for those who prefer to avoid milk from cows, and almond butter is a substitute for peanut butter for those with ground nut allergies.
 
All these products, in my opinion, are worthy of consumption based on their own merits, rather than as substitute for other things.
 
Marzipan (oh, delightful sweet!) is a confection consisting mainly of almond meal and sugar. It’s used in making pastries (it fills almond croissants, for example) or candies, such as a filling for molded chocolates.
 
Because of its malleable consistency, it’s often used for molding sweets, such as the brightly painted miniature marzipan fruits seen in gift packages at Christmastime.
 
If purchasing marzipan, beware of cheap imitations made with soy paste and almond essence.
 
Horchata, a cold, sweet beverage popular in Mexico, is sometimes made with almonds, though can also be made with rice or even melon seeds.
 
Almonds are sold in many forms: whole, slivered, sliced, flaked, halved, diced, or as almond meal, and each of these variations can be natural or blanched, meaning the brown skin surrounding the nut has been removed.
 
Unshelled almonds, such as the ones I purchased, will store much longer than those without their shell.
 
If purchasing almonds from bulk bins, be sure the nuts smell sweet and not bitter, which is an indication of rancidness. A good rule of thumb is to buy bulk from stores which have a quick sales turnover.
 
The fat in almonds is wonderful for our health; however, care should be taken when storing them, as their high fat content makes them susceptible to spoiling.
 
A sealed container in a cool, dry place away from sunlight is best. Cold storage prolongs shelf life, and refrigerated almonds will last for several months. Almonds stored in the freezer will last up to a year.
 
Studies have shown that almonds contain an array of health benefits, including lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, prevention against diabetes and cardiovascular disease, improving blood fats, assisting in weight loss, prevention of weight gain, protection against gallstones, and production of energy.
 
In addition, they’re full of a powerful antioxidant in the form of vitamin E, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and trace minerals such as copper, manganese and phosphorus.
 
Almonds are a protein powerhouse, with a quarter cup containing more protein than an egg. They contain tryptophan, the essential amino acid which some believe has sedative effects.
 
Today’s recipes, almond-butter crisp and almond-parsley pesto, can be used as ingredients in a variety of dishes.
 
The almond-butter crisp, for example, makes a wonderful topping in place of bread crumbs for oven-baked casseroles. Or try it atop cooked veggies like asparagus or green beans.
 
Use almond-parsley pesto wherever traditional pesto might be used, such as a sauce for pasta, a spread or a dip.
 
And before I go, I’d like to introduce you to green almonds, which are gaining popularity as a delicacy in the culinary world. They’re available for only eight weeks a year, between late April and mid June, and have a very distinct taste.
 
Within the green fuzzy hull are a jelly-like inside and a skinless, white almond with a gelatinous texture, similar to a firm grape. Chefs in high-end restaurants are using them in dishes such as gazpacho or as a component in an entrée.
 
If you have access to developing almond buds in an orchard, perhaps you can pick one, open the hull with a knife and try the tender seed inside for yourself. Let me know what you think.

 
Almond butter crisp

1 head garlic, roasted and squeezed from skin
3 ounces butter, at room temperature
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted almonds
 
Combine all ingredients, except almonds, and mix well. Gently fold in almonds, trying not to crush them.
 
Mixture can be dotted atop casseroles or other dishes before going in the oven, or melted to drizzle over cooked vegetables.
 
To store until ready to use, cover and refrigerate.
 
Almond parsley pesto

2 garlic cloves
2 cups flat-leaf (Italian) parsley (one bunch of leaves)
1 cup or more finely grated aged Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
 
With food processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop. Stop motor and add parsley, cheese*, almonds, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil, blending until a smooth paste is formed.
 
*Begin with one cup of cheese and add more to taste.
 
Hint: When using as a sauce for pasta, pesto may be thinned with a bit of the cooking water for ease in coating.

Esther Oertel, a freelance writer, cooking teacher, and speaker, is passionate about local produce and all foods in the vegetable kingdom. She welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

California State Controller John Chiang updated his Web site on Monday with new figures showing the salary, pension benefits and other compensation for land reclamation and levee maintenance, health, hospital, and water districts in calendar year 2010.

The Web site can be found at http://sco.ca.gov/compensation_search.html .

The new posting includes 42,000 positions across 544 districts, with wages totaling $1.94 billion.   

The new posting is the latest in a series of wage updates for all of California’s 2,379 special districts.  Police, fire transit operators and transportation planning districts were added last month.  The remaining districts will be added throughout the Spring of 2012.  

For Monday's posting, 56 districts across California did not file in time or filed incomplete records.

Lake County has approximately 33 special districts listed. Of those, 21 provided data that has been published, with data from seven others expected to be published in May and data from three more set to be released in June.

No data was available for two districts, Konocti County Water District and Scotts Valley Water Conservation District. Both districts have been added to the list of noncomplying districts.

The site originally was created by Controller Chiang in late 2010, after he ordered local governments to provide salary and other wage information for their employees to his office.

The controller already has collected and posted wage information from 2009 and 2010 for more than 600,000 city and county employees.

In addition, the site includes wage data for state civil service and California State University employees.

The Web site covers elected officials as well as public employees. It includes the following information for each position:

• Minimum and maximum salary ranges;
• Actual wages paid;
• The applicable retirement formula;
• Any contributions by the employer to the employee’s share of pension costs;
• Any contributions by the employer to the employee’s deferred compensation plan; and
• Any employer payments for the employee’s health, vision and dental premium benefits.

A list of agencies that failed to file payroll records with the state can also be found on the Controller's Web site.

Each noncomplying agency could face a penalty of $5,000.

The Controller’s Office will continue to review and post the relevant data from these local governments as it is reported to the state.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With “National Puppy Day” having just passed, the Lake County animal shelter has numerous puppies and several adult dogs who would like to make their home with you.

Border collie and hound mix puppies, labs and pit bulls are available this week.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

Hound mix puppies

These bluetick coonhound-treeing walker coonhound puppies are 10 weeks old.

There are two males and two females with black and white coloring, short coats and floppy ears.

They are in kennel No. 33, ID No. 32170.

Female border collie mix

This female border collie mix, called “Delilah,” is 3 years old.

She has black coloring and a short coat. She is not yet altered.

She is in kennel No. 26, ID No. 32044.

‘Lucy’

“Lucy” is a female Labrador Retriever-Rottweiler mix.

She is 1 year old, has black brindle coloring, and is not yet altered.

Find her in kennel No. 29, ID No. 32057.

Heeler-border collie mix

This male blue heeler-border collie mix is 7 months old.

He is black and tan in color, and is not yet altered.

Find him in kennel No. 7, ID No. 32009.

Border collie mix puppies

These border collie mix puppies are 14 weeks old.

Some of them have black coloring, and some chocolate coloring, with short coats.

They are in kennel No. 25, ID No. 32045.

Female pit bull terrier mix

This female pit bull terrier mix is 5 months old.

She has a short coat with reddish coloring. She is not yet altered.

Find her in kennel No. 21b, ID No. 32038.

Adoptable dogs also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dogs_and_Puppies.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

Please note: Dogs listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A Glenhaven man remained in custody on Monday after allegedly leading a Lake County Sheriff's deputy on a high speed chase while driving a stolen vehicle over the weekend.

Romondis Tyron Thompson, 25, was arrested following the chase, which occurred early on the morning of Saturday, March 24, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Early Saturday a deputy observed a green-colored Cadillac driving on Keys Boulevard near Venus Village in Clearlake Oaks. The agency reported that the deputy recognized the vehicle and knew that it was associated with Thompson.

The sheriff's office said the deputy observed the vehicle cross over the double yellow centerlines on Keys Boulevard while turning onto Konocti View Road, a violation of California Vehicle Code Section 21650, which requires that a vehicle be driven on the correct side of the road.

The deputy attempted to stop the vehicle, and Thompson allegedly turned onto Lakeland Drive and accelerated to approximately 70 miles per hour on the residential street, the report said.

The deputy activated his emergency lights and siren and the pursuit continued on Second and Schindler streets at speeds of between 50 and 60 miles per hour, according to the sheriff's office.

Thompson allegedly turned off the vehicle’s lights while on Schindler Street and pulled into a vacant lot near Schindler and Lake streets. The sheriff's office report said the deputy saw Thompson exit the driver’s door and continue to flee on foot.  

The vehicle then rolled over a berm in the lot and collided with an oak tree, the report said.

The sheriff's office said the deputy and his K9 partner pursued Thompson, but were unable to apprehend him at the scene.  

During the investigation, deputies learned that the vehicle Thompson was driving was also reported as stolen, according to the report.

Thompson later was located by another deputy at a nearby residence. He was arrested for felony evading, auto theft, driving on a suspended license, resisting arrest and a probation violation, the sheriff's office reported.

When Thompson was arrested, deputies observed that he was displaying signs and symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance. Jail records show he was additionally charged with being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Thompson remained in custody at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Hill Road Correctional Facility.  He has a no-bail probation hold and a $100,000 bail on the other charges.

Two Republicans are challenging Congressman Mike Thompson in this year's race for Congress.

Randy Loftin of Napa and Stewart Cilley of Rohnert Part are challenging Thompson for the newly redrawn Fifth Congressional District seat, which includes the southern portion of Lake County along with Napa County.

Loftin, a Vietnam-era veteran, lives in Napa and owns a successful tax and retirement planning business.

He wants to pursue private sector job creation to spur economic recovery, and pledges to work to cut taxes to put more money in the pockets of consumers.

Cilley is a certified public accountant concerned about addressing restrictions on personal freedom and bringing about a “less over-arching control by an invasive, unwelcome federal government,” he states on his Web site.

According to his Web site, Cilley pledges to “work like crazy to radically reduce the size of the federal government, lessen its controls over our behavior and, consequently, lower the burden of taxation on all of us who 'yearn to breathe free'!”

Earlier this month Loftin received the endorsement of the California Republican Party. California’s new open primary system replaces the customary ballot process to determine Republican nominees.

Loftin expressed his gratitude for the state party's endorsement, and said he is determined to build strong affiliations with other Republican leaders to “take on” the issues that strangle the counties, the state of California and the people nationwide.

He also has received the endorsements of the Republican central committees for Napa, Lake, Solano and Contra Costa counties.

Loftin's Web site is www.loftinforcongress.com ; Cilley's is http://cilleycampaigncommittee.danielpatrickcilley.com .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Wine Alliance is proud to announce that the work of noted Lake County artist John R. Clarke will once again be featured on this year's event poster.

Over the past 13 years, Clarke has captured both the essence of the events venues and of Lake County itself.

This year the magical light of Brassfield Winery in the High Valley region of Lake County seems especially appropriate for Clarke's unique style of work.

In the coming months, copies this new poster will go on sale at winery tasting rooms, other venues around the county and at a series of special events where Clarke will sign copies.

This year's poster may be purchased for $20 with proceeds going to the beneficiary organizations and programs associated with The Lake County Wine Alliance.

Clarke, a former anesthesiologist, has been painting on silk since 1994. Each year he has created an original piece of art for use as a poster by the Wine Alliance.

The original painting will be on view at the Saw Shop Bistro in Kelseyville.

Then on Sept. 15 it will be among the special items up for bid during the live auction of the gala charity event.

This is the 13th year that the Lake County Wine Alliance has sponsored this major fundraising event in support of the arts, health and community in Lake County.

In that time, more than $896,000 has been raised for local programs.

Tickets for the Wine Auction, at $150 per person, are available by calling the Wine Alliance at 866-279-WINE or online at www.winealliance.orgwww.winealliance.org .

COBB, Calif. – A weekend storm brought not just rain to Lake County but snow to its higher elevations, including Cobb.

An estimated foot of snow was to be found at Boggs Mountain on Sunday, which offered local residents the chance to have some fun.

Marni Johnson, Kathy Fitts and Samantha Edrich spent the afternoon building a proper “snowgal” and even did what Johnson called “super luging.”

The latest National Weather Service forecast predicts precipitation will taper off at the start of the week, but rain could return to the area toward week's end.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – More rain, thunderstorms, as well as snow in higher elevations are part of the forecast for the remainder of the weekend based on a storm system moving over interior California.

On Saturday snow was reported in Lake County's higher elevations, including on the hilltops along the Northshore, in Cobb and over the Hopland Grade.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory and hazardous weather outlook for Lake County on Saturday evening due to the potential for more precipitation.

Agency forecasters are predicting more rain Sunday, with totals estimated at two-tenths of an inch at most.

Thunderstorms could occur later in the day and into the evening, according to the forecast.

At the same time, light snow accumulations are possible in higher elevations – above 2,000 feet – around the region.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .