During a May 31 workshop that ran more than two hours interim City Administrator Steve Albright presented the proposed 2011-12 budget.

He said the budget will go back to the council for further discussion and possible adoption on Thursday, June 9.

Over the last few years, city budgets had been getting adopted later. In 2009, the budget was adopted in July, and last year, the council approved the 2010-11 budget in October. That's despite a state constitutional requirement that cities accept their budgets by June 30.

Breaking that rule usually only earns a city a slap on the hand and not much more, Albright said.

This year, however, Albright – who has been with the city since February – has a document that's ready to be considered for approval by June 30.

The proposed budget is balanced, offers modest cost of living increases for employees who have received no raises and taken on additional job duties over the last few years, and will begin to rebuild the city's depleted reserves, hit hard in the economic downturn.

“We still have a tight budget,” Albright cautioned, but the city can now start doing things that haven't been done in several years, including tackling deferred maintenance and equipment replacement.

The proposed budget's general fund expenditures for 2011-12 are $4,029,000, with projected revenues at $4,049,000, for a small surplus of $20,900.

That $20,900 difference, coupled with the $388,410 surplus Albright projects the city will realize at the end of the 2010-11 fiscal year, will add up to a two-year surplus of $409,310.

Albright said the money to improve the city's situation has always been there. “The city has had, on its balance sheet, a substantial amount of money that is owed to it for quite a while,” creating somewhat of a logjam, he said.

Some of that logjam was on the redevelopment side, where a new strategy Albright proposed will help the city redevelopment agency satisfy the Clearlake Housing Now lawsuit settlement from 1998 – with an amended settlement in 2008 – by the end of the 2011-12 budget year.

As of June 30, 2010, approximately $1,579,139 was still owed to the agency's low and moderate income house fund as part of the settlement, which had resulted from the city borrowing redevelopment housing funds for other uses in the late 1990s.

Albright said the city had previously sold bonds to create a revenue fund of $8 million. In an effort to get the lawsuit settlement paid off, those bond proceeds were used to repay debt service on the redevelopment agency bonds themselves.

That, he said, freed tax increment revenue – the increased property tax value realized in a redevelopment area – for other purposes, such as repaying the low and moderate income housing fund to satisfy the lawsuit.

That's an acceptable use of the bond money, he emphasized, noting the city reviewed the bond documents and checked with the city's attorney to make sure they were complying with the rules.

One payment of $1,199,242 this year and $389,732 by June 30, 2012, will satisfy the settlement repayment, Albright said. Then an audit will be done.

Previously, the city was paying off the settlement as it was able to, Albright said. At that rate, it was going to take the city 30 years to pay off the debt.

Once they kicked the logjam loose and freed up tax increment revenue – which provides the city with “a substantial amount of money” every year, he said – the city's finances started to look better.

Albright, who will act as interim redevelopment agency executive director through year's end, said the agency also must repay a loan it took from the city.

He said the agency still owes the city $2,377,176 at a 10 percent interest rate as of this June 30. The agency will make an interest-only payment of $241,489 in the coming fiscal year.

With there now being money available from the agency to pay back the city, “Suddenly the city's revenues look better,” Albright said.

The improvements to the city's balance sheets means the redevelopment agency will have about $5.5 million available for low and moderate income housing projects.

“We need to start doing projects,” he said.

As part of the budget, Albright proposed a 2.5-percent cost of living increase increase for all noncontract employees, the first such increase since July 1, 2007.

He also is proposing the realignment of management salaries, which will set salaries lower for the city administrator, police chief and finance director, while increasing the lowest management salary.

Other suggestions include adding a land use/transportation planner and a clerical position to enable code enforcement, rehiring a laid off maintenance worker and hiring four part-time seasonal public works staffers.

Vice Mayor Joey Luiz told Lake County News that he would rather have the money proposed for the public works positions be spent on restoring a police officer position.

By taking that money and rolling the proposed 2.5-percent cost of living increase back to 1.5 percent, Luiz suggested it's possible that as many as two police officer jobs could be added if some changes were made to the budget.

Council member Judy Thein came out against the cost of living increase at the May 31 budget workshop. She has since written a letter to the editor (Thein: Public safety is in jeopardy) advocating for restoring police officer positions instead off offering staff the increase.

Even so, Albright said the cost of living increase is still included in the budget and will be up for consideration this week.

Albright's budget also tackles deferred maintenance projects, and includes $25,000 for badly needed repairs for city hall's leaking roof. He's recounted at council meetings needing to keep buckets in the city offices to catch rainwater.

There is also $50,000 included for a new public works vehicle, $25,000 for a new animal control vehicle; two new police cars covered under a grant, plus a third new car that's funded by insurance after the recent totaling of a patrol vehicle; and proposed renewal of the city's code enforcement functions.

He said staff will have a resolution for adopting the budget ready for Thursday's meeting.

“Is any document ever perfect? No,” said Albright. However, he feels the proposed budget is strong and the city can proceed with it.

If the council has serious concerns or can't agree on the document, they could still adopt the budget resolution at the June 23 meeting and meet the state deadline, Albright said.

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Winegrape growing has a long history in Lake County. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Winery Association.

In commemoration of the 150^th anniversary of the founding of Lake County this year, Lake County News is publishing a series of historical stories about the county, its people and places. In this week's story, the focus is the county's long history of winegrape growing and winemaking.

Friday, May 20, 2011, marked Lake County’s sesquicentennial anniversary – 150 years since its establishment as a California county.

Lake County has a long history of fascinating stories – stories of a pioneering spirit and entrepreneurship, of agriculture traditions and preservation, of heroes and visionaries, and of a thriving pre-Prohibition wine industry.

In 1884, Lake County boasted 600 acres of wine grapes. Vineyards were established by notable arrivals to the county such as Seranus C. Hastings, founder of Hastings Law School, and Lillie Langtry, a colorful theater star in Europe and America.

Lillie Langtry, purchased the Langtry property in the Guenoc Valley in 1888. The property’s wine history dates back to 1854 when grapes were first planted at the site.

The famed actress claimed that the property would produce the “greatest claret in the country,” and she proceeded to produce the finest Bordeaux wines in the region.

Rumor has it that one of California’s oldest vines continues to grow on the Langtry Estate at the top of Tephra Ridge. It is thought to be part of Mrs. Langtry’s original vineyard.

Professor Ohmo of UC Davis, one of the world’s experts on viticulture – now deceased – came across the vine some years ago, smiled and said, “This is one of the oldest vines in California and I think it is a Syrah.”

Being a lady of the theater from the city and thereby a landlady in absentia of the Langtry Estate, Mrs. Langtry sold the property in 1906 just after the “big one,” the massive earthquake that devastated San Francisco.

The Lillie Langtry House still stands today, overlooking the property and welcoming guest to its door. Built in 1874, this two-story Folk Victorian has been restored and is often a place of hospitality for visitors to the Langtry Estate.

The Lillie Langtry House near Middletown, Calif., once was home to the famed British actress. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Winery Association.

To commemorate the 150-year anniversary of Lake County, the Lillie Langtry House will be open for tours, when it is not housing the guests of the estate now owned by Malulani Investments, which acquired the 22,000 acre property in 1963. Contact Langtry Estate & Vineyards at www.langtryestate.com or 707-987-2385 for more tour information.

On Saturday, Nov. 5, the Lake County Winery Association will host the People’s Choice Wine Awards at Langtry Estate and Vineyard from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. This event is the premier consumer wine competition event showcasing the finest Lake County wines. It is a fun and informative blind tasting where the ‘people’ determine the final winners of the competition.

In honor of Lake County’s Sesquicentennial celebration, the People’s Choice Wine Awards will include tours of the Langtry home.

Other Lake County wineries offering a glimpse into their fascinating history and agricultural traditions include the following.

Six Sigma Ranch, Vineyard and Winery will offer a one-hour Pinzgauer historical tour of the ranch and homesteads. For time, cost, and reservations contact Six Sigma Ranch at www.sixsigmaranch.com or 707-994-4068.

Brassfield Estate Winery invites you to visit the original 150-year-old farmhouse at the Brassfield High Serenity Ranch. To schedule a self-guided tour, contact Brassfield Estate at www.brasfieldestate.com or 707-998-1895.

The owners of Wildhurst Vineyard, Marilyn and Myron Holdenried, have a wealth of historical information to share with anyone who asks. Stop by the Wildhurst tasting room in Kelseyville for 150th celebration tidbits. www.wildhurst.com or 707-279-4302.

The Lake County Winery Association (LCWA) is proud to support and participate in Lake County’s 150th Sesquicentennial Celebration.

The Lake County Wine Adventure, the winery association’s annual signature event, is scheduled for July 30-31 and will proudly feature the 150th logo on the event’s recyclable four-bottle wine bags.

The Lake County Winery Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 by a dozen wineries. Today, LCWA serves over 40 vintners and associate members who share a mission to promote awareness of Lake County’s excellent wine industry, high elevation wines and tourism opportunities.

Through partnerships with the County of Lake, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, Lake County Winegrape Commission, Lake County Farm Bureau, and others, LCWA strives to promote the County’s unique and distinct rural attributes – our lake, our mountain, our air, and our land. LCWA is committed to sustainable farming and winery operation practices and is committed to our community and its members.

To learn more about LCWA, visit www.lakecountywineries.org or call 707-355-2762.

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A winegrape vine believed to be the oldest in Lake County, Calif., grows on the Langtry Estate at the top of Tephra Ridge near Middletown, Calif. The vine is believed to have been part of Lillie Langtry's Langtry

Those arrested were 44-year-old Lisa Renee Berry of Kelseyville, 46-year-old Lana Doreen Hazen of Lucerne and 58-year-old Johanna Maria Orr of Lucerne, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

On Friday, June 3, narcotics detectives were conducting surveillance operations in Lucerne, Bauman said. At approximately 3 p.m. detectives observed a purple Pontiac coupe occupied by three women make an unlawful turning movement from Country Club Drive onto 12th Avenue.

Bauman said detectives stopped the Pontiac and identified the occupants as Berry, Hazen and Orr.

When narcotics detectives contacted the three women, all three allegedly displayed symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance, Bauman said.

While the three were being detained for further examination, a narcotics interdiction K-9 team arrived to assist. Bauman said the narcotics detection dog was led to the vehicle and alerted on the vehicle’s trunk and on the passenger side of the back seat where Hazen had been seated.

A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a quantity of rock cocaine on the back floorboard of the car and several bags of marijuana in the trunk, Bauman said.

Bauman said all three women were arrested. As Berry was being escorted to a sheriff’s cruiser, she divulged that she had a bag of methamphetamine concealed in her bra and was allowed to retrieve the bag for detectives.

All three women were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility for booking, Bauman said.

Lisa Berry was charged with possession of a controlled substance, transportation of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and being under the influence of a controlled substance, with bail set at $15,000.

Hazen was charged with possession of a controlled substance and being under the influence of a controlled substance, with bail set at $10,000.

Orr was charged with being under the influence of a controlled substance. Her bail was not listed early Saturday.

All three remained in custody early Saturday, according to online booking sheets.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be contacted through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

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The festival will showcase the culinary and pairing skills of local restaurants and chefs who will be competing for awards in five categories – best presentation, most creative, best of show, best use of local products, and consumer favorite pairing.

Professional judges will judge four categories and event attendees will get to vote in the consumer favorite pairing category.

Attendees will stroll between the two wineries along the vineyard trail that overlooks the beauty of Anderson Marsh and Clear Lake.

Special transportation accommodations will be provided for guests who require them.

Tickets to the event are $40 per person and include a commemorative wine glass as well as tastings and pairings at both winery venues.

Creative cuisine will be paired with fine wines from a variety of local restaurants and chefs.

Proceeds from the festival will benefit Konocti Regional Trails and the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association.

Attendees will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a two-night stay at Vigilance Villa and other great prizes.

Gregory Graham Winery is located at 13633 Point Lakeview Road and Vigilance Winery & Vineyards is located at 13888 Point Lakeview Road, both in Lower Lake.

For more information, call 707-995-3500 or 707-994-9656 or go online to www.ggwines.com or www.vigilancewinery.com.

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A Martian sunset photographed by Spirit on May 19, 2005. Photo courtesy of NASA.

The Voyagers are, perhaps, the best known example. Launched in the 1970s to explore the outer planets, the iconic spacecraft have zoomed far beyond their original targets to the edge of interstellar space itself, 9 billion miles from Earth and still making discoveries.

Pioneer 10 and 11, Ulysses, Stardust-NEXT, Deep Impact, and others have similar track records. It has become almost routine for superbly-engineered probes to wrap up their prime missions, then travel a few million (or billion) bonus miles for extra science.

Against this backdrop of sweeping overachievement, we pause to salute a robot that might never move another inch.

Well done, Spirit.

“For the past seven years, Spirit has been on a journey as extraordinary as any mission in NASA history,” said Mars Exploration Rover project manager John Callas of JPL. “But now it may be time to say thanks and farewell.”

NASA hasn't heard from Spirit in more than a year, and on May 25 the agency sent a final transmission in its series of attempts to regain contact.

The trouble began in April 2009 when the rover trundled into a sandtrap in a place called “Troy,” breaking through an apparently safe crust into soft sand below.

Stuck in place, Spirit couldn't turn its solar panels squarely toward the sun; at the same time, dust accumulated on the panels, reducing sunlight even more. These impediments curtailed power just when Spirit needed power most, during the deep freeze of an approaching Martian winter.

The Comanche Outcrop on Mars suggests a hospitable environment for life in the distant past. Photo courtesy of NASA.

“Where Spirit is, winter temperatures drop as low as -130 C, far colder than any place on Earth,” said Callas. “Without sufficient electricity to power internal heaters and warm critical systems, Spirit went into hibernation.”

NASA has used Deep Space Network antennas and two of the agency's Mars orbiters to try to reestablish contact – but no luck.

Whether the rover is damaged or merely “sleeping,” no one can say, but most engineers believe the possibility of contact is now extremely remote.

Spirit landed on Mars on Jan. 4, 2004, for a mission designed to last merely three months.

After quickly accomplishing its primary science goals, the rover went on to work for almost six more years.

In all, Spirit has traveled almost eight kilometers, explored several large craters, scrutinized thousands of rocks, scraped off topsoil to reveal hidden minerals, photographed Martian dust devils and sunsets, observed the moons of Mars, and took the first picture of Earth in the night sky of another planet. Bonus-time, indeed.

This may be the last thing that Spirit ever saw

Charles Thomas Jones was returned to prison after Judge Andrew Blum denied a second attempt to suppress evidence, according to Deputy District Attorney Susan Krones.

Jones was represented by J. David Markham who took over the case after the death of Jones’ previous attorney, Stephen Tulanian.

Jones originally was sentenced on Nov. 16, 2007, to 10 years in prison for a felony charges of transportation of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine) on a separate date, Krones said.

Jones also had a prior strike conviction as well as a prior prison term that resulted in a total prison term of 10 years, she said.

Krones said the First Appellate District Court remanded the case back to Lake County for a new motion to suppress evidence hearing. The hearing was held before the Judge Blum on April 27 and May 3.

During the hearing Sonoma County Deputy Greg Piccinini, previously with the Clearlake Police Department, testified that on Feb. 26, 2006, he saw Jones fail to make a complete stop at a stop sign, Krones said. As a result, he initiated a traffic stop that eventually led to the recovery of 40 grams of methamphetamine concealed on Jones’ person.

In making his ruling Judge Blum indicated that he found Deputy Piccinini’s testimony as to what he saw very credible. On the other hand, he was not persuaded by Jones’ testimony, nor that of the witnesses Jones produced.

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The incident – alleged to have taken place at a tattoo conference at the Konocti Vista Resort and Casino outside of Lakeport – involved the Vagos and the Hells Angels, both outlaw motorcycle gangs, according to a report from Capt. James Bauman.

Bauman said a member of the Vagos was brutally beaten, allegedly by a group of full-patch members of the Hells Angels.

At approximately 1:20 p.m. Saturday, sheriff’s deputies responded to Konocti Vista Casino after security reported that four to five Hells Angels were involved in a physical fight, Bauman said.

He said deputies arrived within minutes of the call and stopped a group of full-patch Hells Angels members who were walking out of the resort’s conference center.

As the group of Hells Angels allegedly were telling deputies that they knew nothing about a fight, resort security personnel alerted deputies to a green SUV leaving the resort that was reportedly occupied by the victim, Bauman said.

The green SUV was stopped by deputies a short distance from the resort. Bauman said the passenger in the SUV, identified as 39-year-old Michael Anthony Burns of Lakeport, was bleeding about the head and face, his face was swollen and he had a laceration under his right eye.

Burns, however, denied being involved in any altercation and alleged that his injuries occurred as the result of a “fall,” Bauman said.

Although Burns was a known validated member of the Vagos, a rival gang of the Hells Angels, he was released from further detention since he adamantly denied being assaulted. Bauman said the group of Hells Angels also left the resort.

Deputies later reviewed footage from the resort’s security surveillance system. Bauman said they were able to determine that two of the as-yet unidentified Hells Angels members allegedly had followed Burns and another subject out of the casino.

As Burns and the other subject entered the foyer in front of the casino, Burns allegedly was struck by one of the Hells Angels and all four men began fighting, Bauman said.

Four to six more Hells Angels then entered the foyer and while some of them allegedly joined in the assault on Burns, others blocked resort security personnel from trying to stop the assault, according to the report.

Bauman said Burns allegedly was left lying on the floor bleeding as the Hells Angels left the foyer. Burns eventually got up and left the foyer as well.

The Hells Angels allegedly seen assaulting Burns in the surveillance footage did not appear to be the same group contacted by deputies on their arrival, Bauman said.

He said the investigation continued into the night.

The sheriff's office said the Hells Angels and the Vagos “have a documented history of extreme violence and retaliation.”

Based on that history, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it expects retaliation and further acts of violence.

Individuals wearing Hells Angels patches – featuring a helmeted skull – or the bright green Vagos insignia are members of the gangs and should be considered dangerous, the agency said.

The reported incident comes less than a month after a large group of Vagos showed up in Lakeport for an annual meeting.

When the Vagos showed up on May 14, Lakeport Police – assisted by several other local law enforcement agencies, including the sheriff's office and the California Highway Patrol – shut down some of the city's downtown streets because of safety concerns, as Lake County News has reported.

Police had reportedly received intelligence that the group's appearance was in connection to the beating of one of its members by two Hells Angels members some weeks before.

As law enforcement was monitoring the situation May 14, they received reports that a group of motorcycle riders – possibly Hells Angels – were heading toward the county.

Sheriff Frank Rivero allegedly directed deputies to block any Hells Angels if they tried to enter the county that day, an occurrence that has led to allegations of potential civil rights violations now under investigation by the Lake County District Attorney's Office.

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The body of 37-year-old William Kim was located Saturday morning, according to a report from Mendocino County Sheriff's Lt. Dennis Bushnell.

On May 28 Kim was abalone diving in the area of Mitchell Creek near Fort Bragg when he and another diver were caught up in the breaking surf, officials reported. A third diver went for help and a boat responded, saving the second diver but Kim was washed away.

Shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday approximately 30 of Kim's friends and family began searching for his body, Bushnell said.

Bushnell said many of the divers in the group searching for him were prior Republic of Korea Marines and were all very experienced divers.

He said Kim's body was located within 100 yards of where he was last seen.

Bushnell said a final ruling on Kim's cause of death is pending an autopsy.

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“Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, each year claiming the lives of an average of 480 people,” said acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover. “And sending more than 20,000 people to emergency rooms across the nation.”

Carbon monoxide, or CO, is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced from heaters, fireplaces, furnaces and many types of appliances and cooking devices.

The best way for homeowners to stay protected from carbon monoxide is to have a carbon monoxide detector installed on every floor and outside each sleeping area, Cal Fire said.

A recent study found that nearly nine in 10 California households did not have a carbon monoxide detector.

“Having a carbon monoxide detector is a small investment that really can help save your life and the lives of your family,” said Chief Hoover.

To help educate homeowners about the new law and to encourage them to install a carbon monoxide detector, Cal Fire/Office of the State Fire Marshal is teaming up with fire departments across the state, the Home Safety Council, First Alert and Lowe’s to host “CO Saturday” on June 4.

“CO Saturday” will be a special day-long safety celebration to teach families how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Though previous laws only required newly-constructed homes to have carbon monoxide alarms, the state’s new Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act (Senate Bill 183) requires owners of all existing single-family homes with an attached garage or a fossil fuel source to install carbon monoxide alarm devices within the home by July 1, 2011.

Owners of multifamily leased or rental dwellings, such as apartment buildings, have until Jan. 1, 2013,

to comply with the law.

For more information on how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning visit the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov.

For more information on “CO Saturday,” please visit www.homesafetycouncil.org.

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This pair of honey bees harvests nectar from a sunflower at the Leonardis Organics farm in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Esther Oertel.

I’m not the first one to revel in this sweet made by bees. The human longing for honey goes back to prehistoric times, as revealed by a 10,000 year old cave drawing in Valencia, Spain that depicts two women using sticks to retrieve honey from wild hives.

The Egyptians are credited as being the first civilization to keep bees some 5,000 years ago. Not only did honey sweeten their cakes, it was an ingredient in all their medicines, was used in mummification processes, and Cleopatra is said to have made it central to her beauty regime.

The ancient Egyptians began the practice of keeping bees, but the ancient Romans perfected it. Being fond of sweet foods and beverages, honey was a key ingredient in many of their recipes. In fact, some say that honey was a fixture on Roman tables and was put on their food at every meal.

Honey provided another boon to Roman citizens. During the reign of Julius Caesar, it was acceptable to use honey instead of gold to pay taxes.

Honey was also cultivated in other ancient civilizations, such as China, where books were written about the art of beekeeping, and in Mesoamerica, where the Mayans used honey from the stingless bee native to that area.

Robert Landrum of RB Honey offers his locally-produced honey at many of the farmers' markets in Lake County, Calif. Photo by Esther Oertel.

Honey has significance in a variety of religions around the world. In Hinduism, honey is considered one of the five elixirs of immortality. Buddhist legend has it that honey brought by monkeys sustained Buddha while he retreated to the desert.

The Hebrew Bible is riddled with references to honey, including the famous phrase about milk and honey flowing in the Promised Land. In the Qu’ran, the holy book of Islam, the Prophet Mohammed recommends eating honey for health.

Honey has captivated the imagination – not to mention the taste buds – of humankind almost as long as we’ve been around.

A quick Internet search for the use of honey in world cuisines yielded recipes from Morocco, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan and Malaysia, all for chicken prepared with honey. Clearly, honey has worldwide appeal; in fact, it’s cultivated for culinary use in almost every country.

The sheer magnitude of honey varieties made from the nectar of specific plants is astounding. These can range from herbal plants, such as lavender and thyme, to flowers, such as clover and heather, to unique trees, such as eucalyptus and pine.

Honey made from the blossoms of various food plants is also harvested, such as avocado, pumpkin, buckwheat, macadamia or blueberries, often with flavor components borrowed from the nectar source.

Each honey has a unique taste and color. Sometimes special properties are associated with a particular variety. For example, Manuka honey harvested from tea tree bushes along the New Zealand coast is said to have a medicinal taste and healing characteristics.

Honey lovers throughout the world are indebted to the industrious creatures that produce this sweet and versatile food, namely honey bees.

Amazingly, bees must visit more than two million flowers to produce a pound of honey, something akin to traveling three times around the world, and the average honey bee will only produce one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. Honey-making is a community effort, and hive communities are immensely efficient.

Nothing reflects this more than the language bees use to describe the location of flora for nectar collection. A scout, known as a forager bee, goes out from the hive to locate flowers nearby. When he returns, a complex dance is performed to detail the exact location of the plants based on the position of the sun.

Even though the sun moves one degree each four minutes, bees are able to adapt the scout’s directions to adjust for this. Knowing such details makes me appreciate each drop of honey all the more.

Bees collect nectar from blossoms via their proboscis, a long straw-like facial appendage. The nectar goes into one of their two stomachs, either one for their own nourishment or one for conversion of nectar into honey for the hive. The latter gets deposited into the wax cells in the hive for storage.

Honey has been used medicinally in cultures throughout the world over the last 2,700 years and modern scientific research confirms many benefits to the human body.

Raw honey has antiseptic qualities – it’s antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral – and a plethora of studies confirms that applying honey to burns and other wounds not only speeds the healing process, but prevents infections.

Most impressive was a study done in India on more than a hundred patients that found that 91 per cent of honey-treated burns were infection-free, compared with 7 percent of those treated conventionally.

Interestingly, an enzyme in honey produces hydrogen peroxide when combined with water.

Honey has been shown to stabilize blood sugar, lower cholesterol, keep free radicals at bay, suppress coughs and provide healthy bacteria for digestion, among other things.

And we all know how good honey feels on a sore throat when mixed with hot tea and lemon.

Raw honey – that which hasn’t been pasteurized – contains healthy phytonutrients, as well as small amounts of the resins contained in propolis, the “bee glue” that seals the hive to keep it free from contaminants, both of which have been shown to possess cancer-preventing qualities.

Honey has a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more, as well as B vitamins.

If you’re in the mood for honey, below are two recipes for your enjoyment. First is a version of honey infused butter from “The New Basics Cookbook” by food mavens Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, and following that is a recipe for figs roasted with honey and wine courtesy of the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) website, to which I’ve added chopped walnuts.

Here’s to happy, healthy eating! Have a honey of a day.

Honey pecan butter

Try this atop waffles, pancakes, biscuits or scones.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 cup pecan halves

¼ cup light clover honey

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse on and off several times to blend; the pecans should remain chunky. Transfer to a small bowl or individual ramekins, and serve.

Makes 1-1/4 cups

Roast figs with honey and Marsala

8 large fresh figs

2 tablespoons or so runny honey

A splash or two Marsala wine (or port or Madeira)

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional preparation)

Vanilla ice cream, custard or mascarpone cheese for serving, if desired

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut a deep cross into each fig, nearly to the bottom, and then squeeze the sides to expose the juicy flesh. (If using walnuts, stuff a portion of chopped walnuts into each fig and omit the step of squeezing the sides.)

Place the figs into a lidded baking dish.

Drizzle the honey and wine over the figs, ensuring some runs inside them.

Cover with the lid and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Serve them immediately with ice cream, custard or mascarpone cheese, along with the syrup from the baking dish.

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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These bottles of honey reflect the variance of color depending on the nectar source. Photo by Esther Oertel.

Clearlake Police officers arrested Joshua Smith on Friday, June 3, 2011. Police had been searching for Smith, Clearlake's most wanted suspect, for several weeks based on several incidents and warrants. Lake County Jail photo.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A man who had been listed as “Clearlake's most wanted” has been arrested after officers found him hiding under a house.

Clearlake Police officers arrested Joshua Gordon Smith, 28, at around 5 p.m. Friday at a Clearlake home, according to a report from Sgt. Tim Celli.

Celli said police have been searching for Smith – recently featured as Clearlake’s most wanted suspect – for several weeks, with officers attempting to locate him at various residences around the city.

Police had received information from confidential sources that Smith was residing in the county areas of Lower Lake and Middletown but the information was unable to be confirmed, Celli said.

However, police got a break on Friday, when they received information that Smith was at a residence located at 15890 28th Ave., Celli said.

Celli said he, along with Sgt. Tim Hobbs and Sgt. Martin Snyder, and Officers Winslow and Lenz, responded to the 28th Avenue residence.

Officers searched the residence and eventually located a large makeshift hole in the floor located in a corner of the master bedroom leading under the house, he said. The hole was haphazardly covered by a rug.

Celli said he and his fellow officers searched the area and located Smith hiding under the house. Smith was taken into custody without further incident.

He said Smith was arrested for several outstanding warrants including a felony warrant, stemming from a case in which Smith allegedly broke into a residence and was confronted by the resident. Smith allegedly attacked the owner after being confronted.

Smith also faces charges of allegedly making terrorist threats to his girlfriend while armed with a knife and then leading police on a high speed pursuit, which Celli said led to an officer being injured after a collision with a tree.

Smith has been booked at Lake County Jail where he remained in custody early Saturday with bail set at $50,000.

The Clearlake Police Department thanked everyone who came forward for the assistance provided, which eventually led to the capture of Smith, who police called a “dangerous fugitive.”

The agency reminded citizens that with the community's help and working in partnership with the police a difference can be made.

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Thomas Lee Carter, 59, of Upper Lake has reached a plea agreement with the US Attorney's Office, according to federal court documents.

Case documents show that on May 9, Carter made an appearance before Judge Jeffrey S. White in the U.S. District Court's Northern District of California in San Francisco.

There, Carter was placed on the witness stand and entered a guilty plea to one count of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute marijuana. The court accepted the plea and ordered the filing of a plea agreement.

According to federal documents, that charge carries a five-year minimum and 40-year maximum prison sentence and a $2 million fine. Supervised release terms range between a minimum of four years and a lifetime maximum.

Carter's federal public defender, Geoffrey Hansen, did not return calls seeking comment.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Oct. 6 in San Francisco.

In advance of the October sentencing date, the court ordered that Carter's case go to the US Probation Office for a presentencing report.

Carter had previously pleaded not guilty to two counts of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute marijuana plus a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana. The latter charge carries a minimum 10-year sentence and $4 million fine.

Carter was arrested in August 2009 along with Brett Bassignani of Nice, who worked for Carter's contracting business.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents alleged Bassignani had agreed to sell 500 marijuana clones to two undercover agents and an informant in May 2006. The DEA had alleged Carter had been privy to the transaction.

The DEA also alleged that in August 2009 Carter had possessed with intent to distribute 100 or more marijuana plants.

The government would link the two men to several other people who were alleged to have been part of a marijuana distribution operation.

The other codefendants – all of them connected with medical marijuana dispensaries on the North Coast and in Southern California – included Scott and Diana Feil of Upper Lake and Redwood Valley; and Diana Feil's stepfather, Steven Swanson of Sebastopol. Later, yet another defendant, Mark Garcia of San Diego, was added to the case in a superseding indictment.

As part of the case, the federal government has sought millions of dollars in asset forfeiture from the group of defendants.

Court documents state that the defendants recently have reached a “global agreement” to resolve the case.

As a result, some of Carter's codefendants also have gone to court to change their pleas.

On May 26, Garcia went before Judge White and pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, with sentencing set for Oct. 27. The charge carries a minimum five-year sentence and $2 million fine.

On Wednesday, Swanson also went before Judge White to enter a change of plea, pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, with case documents stating that prison time ranges between a 10-year minimum and lifetime maximum, and a $4 million fine, and a minimum five-year and maximum lifetime supervised release.

Swanson also pleaded guilty to tax evasion, which carries a five-year prison sentence, three years of supervised release and $100,000 fine plus costs of prosecution.

His judgment and sentencing is set for Nov. 3.

The Feils also have reportedly reached an agreement “in principle” with the proposed agreement still being finalized, according to a May 26 filing.

Scott Feil's attorney, Charles Lindner of Santa Monica, did not respond to a request for comment on the case.

The latest filings did not mention any scheduled dates or any plea agreements specifically related to Bassignani.

White approved an order continuing matters in the case until June 23 at the request of the defendants.

Carter remains out on $200,000 bond, secured by one of his Upper Lake properties, until his October sentencing.

Stipulations of his release require him to stay in the Northern District unless traveling for work or family reasons to the Eastern District, with advance notification to the supervising pretrial services officer required.

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 , on Tumblr at http://lakeconews.tumblr.com/ and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .