Wednesday, 09 October 2024

News

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As we approach the rainy season, the California Highway Patrol is during drivers to remember some safety tips as they drive in wet weather.


Many crashes result from driving too fast, so the first and foremost tip is slow down, the CHP said.


It’s a simple matter of physics that your vehicle can’t stop as fast or turn as accurately on wet or icy pavement. In fog, reduced speed is equally important because vision is impaired.


Prepare for potential inclement weather by leaving early, allowing plenty of time to get where you’re going. Make sure your gas tank is full. Always leave ample distance between your vehicle and the one ahead.


Check to see that your windshield wipers are in good condition. And don’t forget the law requires you to have your headlights on anytime the windshield wipers are operating continuously.


Check in advance for road conditions by calling: 1-800-427-7623 (when inside California); 1 916 445 1534 (when outside California); 1-702-793-1313 (Nevada road conditions).


According to the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) in 2008 (the most recent year of finalized data), 175 victims were killed and another 12,737 were injured in vehicle crashes that occurred in rainy, foggy or snowy conditions throughout the state.


If you’re heading to mountain country or anywhere you may encounter snow bring chains, chain tighteners, and warm, waterproof clothing. Other items which may prove useful: flares, flashlight and strong batteries, small shovel, windshield scraper, blankets, drinking water and snacks.


Studded tires may be used only between Nov. 1 and April 1 with this exception: The law now allows the use of pneumatic tires with retractable metal-type studs year round, as long as the studs are retracted between May 1 through Oct. 31. The law prohibits a tire with retractable metal-type studs on a vehicle from being worn to a point that the studs protrude beyond the tire tread when retracted.

 

If you’re driving in rain stay alert for potential hydroplaning, apply brakes slowly, be sure headlights are on, and maintain proper following distance.

 

If you’re driving in fog keep headlights on low beam, don’t stop on the roadway (except in emergency), move away from a stalled or disabled vehicle, watch for CHP pace vehicles which may be guiding traffic through fog, consider turning off the road and waiting until the fog eases.


Winter Driving Tips are available at www.chp.ca.gov.


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Lakeport, Calif., businesswoman Nancy Ruzicka (left) meets Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in London on Wednesday, November 10, 2010, following a service at St. Bride's Church for journalists killed in conflicts around the world. Photo courtesy of Mark Moody, OK! Magazine social editor.




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.”

 

 

 

 

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Nancy Ruzicka and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, talk as Rev. Canon David Meara, rector of St. Bride's Church in London, looks on. Ruzicka was invited to the service because her daughter, humanitarian activist Marla Ruzicka, was honored at a service at St. Bride's Church in London on Wednesday, November 10, 2010. Nancy Ruzicka said she had received a message informing her that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, wanted to meet her. Ruzicka said she had fun with the duchess.

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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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Two Arizona residents were arrested in Middletown Saturday on a number of drug charges.

Lance Boyd Smith, 43, and Annette Marie Hunkler, 41, both of Cottonwood, Ariz., were arrested Saturday afternoon following a traffic stop by California Highway Patrol Officer Rob Hearn, according to a CHP report.

Hearn was flagged down at around 2:30 p.m. Nov. 13 while he was driving in Middletown. The report from CHP Officer Steve Tanguay said Hearn was advised of a dog mauling incident that had just occurred a block away from his location.

Hearn responded to the corner of Armstrong and Lincoln streets to meet with the victim. Tanguay said witnesses reported that there were two pit bull dogs running loose that attacked another dog. The witnesses then reported that the owners of the dogs were leaving the area.

Tanguay said Hearn located the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. Smith exited the vehicle and approached Hearn, who could smell the odor of marijuana coming from inside a trailer that was being towed by Smith.

During a search of the vehicle Hearn located a loaded sawed off shotgun, more than 2 pounds of processed marijuana, other drugs, drug paraphernalia, drug packaging equipment and approximately 43 growing marijuana plants, Tanguay said.

Smith and Hunkler were arrested and booked into the Lake County Jail.

Smith was charged with eight felonies related to marijuana and firearms, including being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, with bail set at $30,000. Hunkler faced four felonies related to drugs, with her bail set at $20,000.

Both remained in the Lake County Jail Tuesday night.

Tanguay said Lake County Animal Control also arrived on scene to assist with investigating the dog mauling incident.

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The annual “Wreaths Across America” commemoration will return to Lake County once again this year, thanks to the work of local volunteers and organizations.


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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Middletown players, led by captain Jake Davis (44), just before their final regular season game on Friday, November 12, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.





 

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.

 

 

 

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Middletown's Luke Parker, Lake County sack leader, pressures Willits quarterback Brent Horger on Friday, November 12, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.
 

 

 


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.”

 

 

 

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Middletown running back David Pike takes off on a 28-yard run for his third touchdown run of the game on Friday, November 12, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. He later added a fourth touchdown, his 29th of the season, setting a Lake County record. Photo by Ed Oswalt.
 

 

 


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.”

 

 

 

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Middletown tight end Chris Oatman makes a remarkable one-handed catch for a 40-yard completion from quarterback Kyle Brown on Friday, November 12, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.
 

 

 


“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.


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

 

 

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Middleton junior Nolan Thachenko breaks a tackle in the second quarter of Middletown's 49-0 win over Willits on Friday, November 12, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.
 

 

 

 

 

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Retiring Middletown High School Athletic Director Geri Giovannetti receives the Middletown Sports Boosters Community Service Award in a halftime ceremony on Friday, November 12, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.
 

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – An Upper Lake man has been arrested on multiple felony charges stemming from his alleged false imprisonment and sexual assault of a 22-year-old Ukiah man.


Arturo Pedro Gutierrez, 50, was taken into custody over the weekend and booked for kidnapping, false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, forced oral copulation and misdemeanor brandishing of a weapon, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.


The victim went to the Ukiah Valley Memorial Hospital last Friday night for the treatment of multiple injuries he sustained while allegedly being held captive for about two weeks at Gutierrez’s ranch on Bridge Arbor Road in Upper Lake, Bauman said.


While being treated at the hospital, the victim gave a preliminary account of his ordeal to the Ukiah Police Department, and then met with Lake County deputies in Lakeport, according to Bauman.


Bauman said the victim reported that in late October, he had arranged to work for Gutierrez trimming marijuana at his Upper Lake ranch.


At some point during the first several days of working for Gutierrez, the victim apparently broke down in a vehicle owned by Gutierrez while transporting another worker back to Ukiah, Bauman said.


Angered about the car, Gutierrez reportedly assaulted the victim. Bauman said that when the victim tried to quit working for him, Gutierrez allegedly forced him to stay on his ranch and work for the cost of the vehicle’s repair.


Gutierrez took the victim’s cell phone and for about two weeks, he was allegedly forced to work on the ranch against his will, Bauman said. During that two weeks, the victim was allegedly beaten with an electrical cord, shot in the leg with a pellet gun, choked with a rope and struck with a piece of firewood.


Bauman said the victim was allegedly forced to snort and smoke methamphetamine with a kitchen knife held to his throat, locked in a shed for several days and, at one point during the second week of captivity, he was forced to perform oral sex on Gutierrez.


After spending the last several nights of his ordeal in a tent on the property, Gutierrez took the victim back to Ukiah and threatened to kill him if he reported the events that had taken place, Bauman reported.


On Saturday night at about 11 p.m. deputies contacted Gutierrez at his Upper Lake home and arrested him without incident for the above charges. Bauman said the property was secured pending a search warrant and Gutierrez was booked at the Lake County Jail with an enhanced bail of $500,000.


Bauman said there were no indications of an active marijuana grow on the property, however, deputies did locate about 25 gallon-sized bags of processed marijuana and about 10 garbage bags full of marijuana.


He said there were reportedly some medical marijuana cards found on the premises but none belonged to Gutierrez.


Potential charges relating to the apparent marijuana processing operation are pending further investigation, Bauman said.


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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 .

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Veggie Girl Esther Oertel looks at the culinary history of Thanksgiving. Courtesy photo.

 

 


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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LAKEPORT, Calif. – While the preliminary results in this year's general election were reported nearly two weeks ago, the work to count absentee ballots and certify the election goes on.


Lake County Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley and her staff have until the end of this month to finish the process.


Fridley said ballots were mailed to absentee, or vote by mail, voters on Oct. 4. The ballots that were returned by Oct. 28 were included in the preliminary ballot count issued early on Nov. 3.


Still being counted are 4,500 vote by mail ballots turned in between Oct. 29 and Nov. 2. Of those, 1,834 were turned in on election day, Fridley said.


Fridley's staff has already entered the 4,500 absentee ballots in the elections office computer system and checked the signatures, but the count continues because she said there are many checks and balances for accuracy.


The elections office also has to count 872 provisional ballots, 721 of which were issued at the polls on Nov. 2, according to Fridley.


In the June primary, Fridley's office still had 3,081 vote by mail ballots to count after the preliminary results were reported, along with 537 provisional ballots, she said.


This month approximately 174 local voters used the electronic eSlate voting machines, compared to 148 in the June primary, Fridley said.


There have been no problems with the eSlate machines, although Fridley said they are “a lot of work,” and require their own verification and paper trail.


Voter turnout in the June primary was 47.5 percent, according to the final certification. That was 11.4 percent higher that the turnout estimated in the preliminary vote count.


The preliminary voter turnout for Nov. 2 is 48.8 percent, based on county records. That number is likely to change after the final count is done, as it did in the primary.


Fridley said the full count will be completed within the alloted 28 days.


“My goal was to have it done before Thanksgiving,” although Fridley said she may not make that goal.


Also slowing the process is a required manual count, or sample, of a minimum 1 percent of randomly selected precincts for the general election. That tally started Monday and will take two to three days to complete, Fridley said.


The manual count isn't as fast as putting 1,000 cards a minute through a ballot counter, she said. Also, it requires about four people.


“Things kind of stop during the manual count,” she said.


In preparation for that delay, Fridley said she and her staff worked on Veterans Day in order to try to get ahead.


On election night, Fridley and her staff struggled when two of their three ballot counting machines stopped working.


The paper on the ballots for the general election were a little bit thicker, which caused the problem, she said.


A vendor was at Fridley's office last week working on the machines. She said he was able to adjust them to work with the different paper thickness.


The ballot counting machines are older – Fridley said one of the machines was purchased in 1983. But other than the election night glitch, they've worked fine, she said.


E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

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Volunteers work on Clarks Island and on a floating island to be towed out into the lake near Clearlake Oaks, Calif., on Saturday, November 13, 2010. Photo by Mike Hardy.



 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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Volunteers launch the floating island at Clarks Island in Clearlake Oaks, Calif., on Saturday, November 13, 2010. Photo by Miguel Lanigan.
 

 

 


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 .

 

 

 

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The floating island is towed out from land on Saturday, November 13, 2010. Photo by Miguel Lanigan.
 

 

 

 

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A group of community members gathered to watch the work on the floating island on Saturday, November 13, 2010. Photo by Mike Hardy.
 

 

 

 

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The floating island will be anchored in Clear Lake and used to filter the water. Photo by Mike Hardy.
 

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Kelseyville High School Music Teacher Ted Foreman in the Kelseyville High School Music Room. Courtesy photo.


 


 


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.


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

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