Caltrans had reported plans for International Surfacing Systems of West Sacramento to complete the pavement repairs on Highway 29 from the Lake/Napa County line to Hidden Valley Road. But the plans were first rained out late last month, then winter temperatures ended the work last week.

Caltrans spokesman Phil Frisbie the plan was to grind down to the main asphalt layer on a 1,000-foot stretch of highway.

“That's an area where the previous asphalt, the open grade asphalt, had been deteriorating,” leaving ruts in the area of tire tracks, Frisbie said.

“Unfortunately the chip seal doesn't fill in very much on those ruts” and they were just covered over, Frisbie said.

The idea with the proposed grinding was to make the ride smoother for drivers in advance of the spring repaving project that Caltrans has promised will take place in response to south county residents' complaints about the large, 1/2-inch aggregate chip seal and its impact on their cars.

Area residents also have argued that the road is no longer safe, as Lake County News has reported.

“I think it's an economic recovery act for the tire shops, because it does wear out your tires faster, there's no doubt about that,” said District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock, who has been a critic of the work.

Originally, International Surfacing Systems was scheduled to conduct the repairs on Dec. 28 and 29.

However, Frisbie said the repairs were rained out then. They were then rescheduled to Jan. 4 and 5.

But that didn't work out either, with Frisbie reporting that the grinding had been suspended because the temperature had dropped too low to use a “fog seal” to seal the pavement after the grinding.

“Not sealing the pavement would allow gravel on the surface to work loose this winter and create more of a problem for drivers,” he said.

With the temperature not likely to go up before the spring, when the repaving is supposed to take place, Frisbie said all work has been suspended in the area for the time being.

International Surfacing Systems received a total of $2.1 million for the chip seal projects, which took place on 12 miles of Highway 29 from the Lake/Napa County lines to the Coyote Creek Bridge and 8.5 miles on Highway 175 from Cobb to Middletown.

The company would have received additional funds for the repair work, but won't now since the grinding project was canceled, Frisbie said.

In an October meeting with south county residents hosted by Comstock, Caltrans District 1 Director Charlie Fielder had guaranteed that the 20 miles of highway would be repaved.

Frisbie confirmed that the repaving project has funds committed to it from savings on other work.

“Most projects are coming in well under estimates due to competition among the contractors, and these leftover funds are funding additional projects statewide,” he said.

The California Transportation Commission will formally allocate the funds at its meeting on March 23 and 24, Frisbie added.

Comstock said residents of his district still aren't happy with the road work, although they're getting used to it.

He said he found Fielder “upfront,” adding, “he listened and he admitted that there was a problem. And he was the first one who did. Nobody else would.”

Although the grinding didn't happen, the highway was striped, Comstock said. The lack of striping had been another concern for drivers, who were having trouble seeing the lanes on the highway, according to statements at the October meeting.

International Surfacing Systems also is in discussions with the Lake County Air Quality Management District over settling a case involving fines the district assessed against the company for allegedly failing to get the proper air quality permits when conducting the chip seal project, as Lake County News has reported.

Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart previously estimated that the company's potential liability ranged between $825,000 and $2,475,000 for 33 alleged violations.

Gearhart said last week that he was waiting for the company to respond any day to the settlement agreement, which would allow total fines of less than 10 percent of the total liability.

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The plan calls for massive pollution reductions for the California portion of the river, including a 57 percent reduction in phosphorus, 32 percent in nitrogen and 16 percent in carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD).

The plan also calls for annual reductions in the river's reservoirs of more than 120,000 pounds of nitrogen, and 22,000 pounds of phosphorus.

The Klamath River, a federally protected “Wild and Scenic River,” flows 255 miles southwest from Oregon through northern California, and empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Klamath River drains an extensive watershed covering over 12,600 square miles, and has been called the "Everglades of the West.”

The Klamath River and its tributaries support the highest diversity of anadromous fishes of any river in California, including salmon, cutthroat trout, steelhead and sturgeon.

Upstream in Oregon, the river hosts the state's most robust population of redband and bull trout. In 2002, a massive die-off of more than 33,000 salmon brought national attention to this area.

The tribes that live along the Klamath rely on the river for subsistence, transportation and ceremony, as they have for thousands of years. These tribes include the Yurok, Hoopa Valley, Karuk, Quartz Valley and Resighini Rancheria on the lower stretches of the river (California), and the Modoc and Klamath in the upper basin (Oregon.)

Under the Clean Water Act, states and authorized tribes are required to develop a list of waters that do not meet water quality standards.

For these “impaired” waters, jurisdictions must calculate the maximum amount of pollutants allowed to enter them so they can meet water quality standards into the future. These pollution limits are called Total Maximum Daily Loads or TMDLs.

The entire Klamath River is listed as “impaired.” In 1992, the California State Water Quality Control Board (Water Board) proposed that the Klamath River be listed for temperature, organic enrichment/low dissolved oxygen, and nutrients, requiring the development of TMDL limits and implementation plans.

The Water Board subsequently added sediment and microcystin (an algal toxin) to this list for parts of the Klamath. The Klamath River’s aquatic habitat degradation is due to organic enrichment/low dissolved oxygen, excessively warm water temperatures and algae blooms associated with high nutrient loads, water impoundments, and agricultural diversions.

Algal blooms can release toxins, posing moderate to significant health risks. Harmful results range from skin rashes and fevers, to livestock poisoning and liver toxicity.

Since 2004, levels of cyanobacteria and microcystin toxins at several locations on the lower Klamath have exceeded World Health Organization standards.

TMDLs for several water bodies in the Klamath Basin – the Trinity River, Scott River, Shasta River, Lost River, and the Klamath Straits Drain – are also being implemented to address impairments due to excessive pollution.

Reductions vary for each reach of the Klamath River, with the most significant reductions required from Stateline through the Klamath Hydroelectric Project reservoirs.

“This historic Klamath River plan charts the path to restoring one of our nation’s largest, most scenic and biologically important watersheds,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “By establishing clear benchmarks and accountability this plan will ensure that Klamath River can thrive long into the future.”

This plan reflects a multi-year collaborative effort to develop pollutant limits for the full Klamath River. A partnership between EPA, California’s North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality began in 2003.

California’s plan received extensive public review and was approved by both the Regional Board and the State Water Board prior to EPA’s approval.

The companion plan for the upper reaches of Klamath River in Oregon was released by Oregon DEQ on Dec. 21, 2010; EPA’s Pacific Northwest region is expected to act on Oregon’s plan in January 2011.

“The Klamath particularly is a troubled river system, and once supported the third largest salmon runs in the nation. Implementation of these Klamath Mainstem TMDLs will go a long way toward helping restore those key salmon runs, and the jobs those salmon once supported,” said Glen Spain of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations.

“It is truly good news that the current round of water quality planning for the Klamath River is complete,” said Catherine Kuhlman, Executive Officer of the North Coast Regional Board. “Now, it’s time for action to reduce water pollution and restore the river in order to enhance the myriad of beneficial uses of the river.”

The state’s plan identifies actions to improve water quality to restore salmon and other fisheries in the River, protect Native American cultural uses and enhance general recreational uses of the Klamath River.

Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality, the Regional Board, U.S. EPA and many other partners are developing a watershed-wide tracking program to increase the pace and reduce the cost of improving Klamath Basin water quality to support all water-related uses in the Basin.

The plan also addresses water quality impacts of the Klamath Hydroelectric Project, establishes a policy to protect thermal refuges (cooler areas in the river that provide critical habitat for fish during high temperatures), and addresses nonpoint sources of pollution such as roads and agriculture.

This action is the culmination of 13 years of state and federal efforts to develop TMDLs for 17 North Coast water bodies. The Klamath River in California is the last of those water bodies in the North Coast covered by a 1997 legal settlement under which EPA and/or the state was to develop TMDLs.

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Previously, uncompensated agents were not liable unless the loss resulted from the attorney-in-fact's bad faith, intentional wrongdoing or gross negligence. That immunity allowed some uncompensated agents to act irresponsibly to the detriment of the principal.

Although an agent appointed under a power of attorney still does not have an affirmative duty to act (unlike a trustee), whenever such agent chooses to act under the power of attorney then the agent must do so prudently and responsibly under the circumstances known to the agent.

Even agents who act without compensation and breach this duty may now be held liable by a court for any loss or depreciation in value of the principal's property resulting from the breach of duty, with interest; for any profit made by the attorney-in-fact through the breach of duty, with interest; or for any profit that would have accrued to the principal if the loss of profit is the result of the breach of duty.

Consider, for example, a son who manages (without pay) his parents’ brokerage account as their agent for financial affairs.

As agent the son makes investment decisions and buys and sells securities using his parents’ money.

Now when the son as agent makes these investments, he is held to a similar standard of care as a trustee responsible for trust investments.

Thus, if the son acts negligently – such as making unsound investments without reliance on an qualified investments advisor – he can be held liable in the ways described above; such as for any loss resulting from a breach of this duty.

How would the negligent agent ever be held liable?

A court proceeding initiated by a petition to impose the liabilities (penalties) would have to be filed. That petition could be filed by the principal, by a subsequent agent or by a subsequent conservator for the estate of the principal.

The court would then hear the facts and circumstances related to the agent’s actions and would then decide whether or not to impose the penalties.

The court has discretion to excuse the negligent attorney-in-fact in whole or in part from liability if the attorney-in-fact acted reasonably and in good faith under the circumstances as known to the attorney-in-fact, if the court finds that it would be fair and just to do so.

Clearly, the purpose of the law is to protect the principal (the parents in my example above) from an unreasonably negligent agent by holding the agent accountable.

An agent is, therefore, well advised to seek relevant professional help to properly undertake any endeavor on behalf of the principal.

Accordingly, if the agent is signing the principal’s tax return, the agent should hire a qualified tax preparer to prepare the tax return.

If is selling real property, the agent should hire a qualified real estate agent to assist in the sale. If the agent is managing investments, the agent should hire a qualified financial advisor.

And, lastly, if when any legal issues arise, the agent should consult a licensed attorney for advice.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney (LL.M. tax studies), is a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law. His office is at 55 First St., Lakeport, California. Dennis can be reached by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 707-263-3235.

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A firefighter douses a toy hauler trailer that caught fire near Clearlake Oaks, Calif., on Saturday, January 8, 2011. Photo by Steve Hart.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Firefighters from the Northshore and Clearlake responded to a morning fire that destroyed a recreational trailer.

Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Steve Hart said firefighters arrived on scene after 9 a.m. at the intersection of Walker Ridge Road and Indian Valley Reservoir Road to find a 38-foot “toy hauler” – used to transport ATVs – on fire.

Two men had traveled from Fairfield with their quad runners and were off riding when “for some unknown reason the trailer caught fight,” Hart said.

The two men and some other witnesses reported it, although Hart said the reporting was complicated by bad cell service in the area.

Hart said Northshore Fire responded with two engines, Cal Fire sent an engine, a helicopter and a fire chief, and Lake County Fire Protection District in Clearlake responded with a water tender.

It took about 15 minutes to knock the fire down, but more than an hour to mop up, with firefighters leaving the scene at 11:30 a.m., Hart said.

Hart said the trailer's owner suffered some superficial burns to his face when the relief valve on the propane tank purged.

“He refused treatment at the scene,” said Hart.

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Firefighters inspect the remains of a burned toy hauler trailer that burned Saturday, January 8, 2011, near Clearlake Oaks, Calif. Photo by Steve Hart.

Kevin Ray Stone, 28, was taken into custody following a brief foot pursuit with Clearlake Police officers, according to a report from Field Training Officer Michael Carpenter.

Shortly after midnight Friday morning Sgt. Rodd Joseph and Officer Andrew Jones

were performing a patrol check of the Clearlake Apartments, located at 7145 Old Highway 53, when they observed a male – later identified as Stone – acting suspiciously, Carpenter said.

When officers approached Stone, he began to walk away from them. Carpenter said the officers ordered Stone to stop, and he disobeyed them and instead ran away.

Carpenter said a foot pursuit ensued and Joseph caught Stone at the apartment complex's playground.

Officers discovered a loaded handgun in the area where Stone was caught. Carpenter said they believe Stone tossed the firearm while attempting to flee from the officers.

Stone is currently on probation and prohibited from owning a firearm, Carpenter said.

Stone was booked into the Lake County Jail on misdemeanors including two counts of violation of a court order and misdemeanor obstructing a police officer; and felonies that included carrying a loaded firearm in public, being a prohibited person possessing a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon and being a prohibited person possessing ammunition, according to jail records.

His total bail was set at $10,000, jail records indicated.

He remained in the Lake County Jail late Friday.

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A search team found the body of Jesma Bailey in Middle Creek, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Bauman said deputies responded to Bailey's residence on Dewell Road shortly before 10:30 a.m. Wednesdsay when her husband, Daniel Bailey, reported that she had disappeared from their residence some time during the previous night.

Daniel Bailey told deputies he had last seen his wife at about 9 p.m. Tuesday when he went to bed, Bauman said. The following morning when Daniel Bailey woke up, his wife was gone and a door leading outside from her room had been left open.

Prior to the deputies’ arrival, Daniel Bailey had found a pillow, a blanket, his wife's reading glasses and some DMV paperwork outside about 40 feet from the home, Bauman said.

Daniel Bailey told deputies that his wife had been troubled about her fourth driving under the influence arrest last November, but had otherwise expressed no thoughts of hurting herself. Bauman said the husband also reported finding empty liquor bottles about the home and a bottle of recently filled prescription medications was found nearly empty.

Additional deputies arrived to assist with looking for Jesma Bailey around the property and the area of Middle Creek, which is directly across Dewell Road from the home, Bauman said. After failing to locate the woman in the immediate area, deputies requested that a search and rescue operation be launched.

Bauman said an incident command center was established at the US Forest Service Station on Elk Mountain Road by Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue and Office of Emergency Services coordinators. Members of the K-Corps joined Search and Rescue volunteers to expand the search area.

Efforts to get air support from outside of the county were thwarted by weather conditions, Bauman said. However at about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday a locally assigned REACH helicopter was able to respond.

While flying the area, the REACH helicopter located what appeared to be clothing along the banks of Middle Creek, Bauman said.

Acting on that information, Bauman said a search team proceeded to an area more than a mile downstream from the Bailey home and at about 3:20 p.m. they found Jesma Bailey deceased in the water.

Upon recovering the body, Bauman said detectives called to the scene found the woman had sustained some superficial injuries, but there were no obvious signs of foul play or significant trauma.

He said the exact circumstances surrounding Jesma Bailey’s death are pending further investigation and her exact cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy scheduled for next Monday.

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Cinnamon in stick form is pictured with many of the other spices that go well with it. Going clockwise from cinnamon are star anise, nutmeg, cloves, fennel, ginger and cardamom. A vanilla bean rests on the edge of the plate. Photo by Esther Oertel.

Cinnamon – a warming, sweet and exotic spice – is especially appreciated by me during these cold winter months. Its aroma wafting through the house, whether from warm spiced cider, mulled wine or an enticing item in the oven, is especially comforting this time of year.

Cinnamon may be most often thought of as an ingredient for sweet baked treats, but it’s equally as wonderful when it lends its flavor to savory dishes. It’s one of the world’s oldest spices and holds a place of honor in many cuisines.

In Nigeria it’s used to spice yams, in Mexico it flavors mole sauce, in India it’s used in the spice blend garam masala, China’s five spice powder contains it, Greek lamb is flavored with it, the English toss it in rice pudding and in Morocco chicken is cooked with it.

And that’s just a partial list. It’s arguably the most popular spice in the world.

Cinnamon is sold in both powdered and stick form, also known as quills. These pleasantly pungent tubes are made from the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree. The bark is harvested during the rainy season when pliable, and then dried into curls.

Flakes left over from this process are called featherings and are used to make powdered cinnamon or distilled for extract. Cinnamon trees can yield productive bark for about 45 years.

Cinnamon is native to Ceylon, but is now grown in tropical climates throughout the world, including Java, Borneo, Guyana, the West Indies and South America. Depending on which botanist you speak to, there are between 50 and 250 varieties of the tree.

Cinnamon sold in the U.S. is actually cassia, a relative of true – or Ceylon – cinnamon. Cassia has a stronger, more pungent flavor, while Ceylon cinnamon is subtle and more delicate. For this reason, many favor true cinnamon over cassia.

Other forms of cinnamon include Indonesian cinnamon and Vietnamese (or Saigon) cinnamon.

Cinnamon may be abundant now, but in past centuries it was rare and highly prized. The quest for cinnamon was a major factor in the European exploration of the world. Portuguese sailors braved the trip around the horn of Africa, and – most famously – Columbus sailed to the west.

Because of cinnamon, Ceylon was overtaken and controlled by the Portuguese in the 15th century. By the 17th century, the Dutch had wrested away Portuguese control of Ceylon, and in the following century, the British took it away from the Dutch.

Today cinnamon is cultivated in many tropical areas of the world, leading to a generous supply and making it affordable for most people.

Cinnamon’s history, however, goes back much further than European trade wars.

It was mentioned in Chinese writings as early as 2800 B.C. The Chinese used it medicinally as a treatment for colds, flu and digestive problems.

Cinnamon was an important medicinal spice in other ancient cultures. It was mentioned in the writings of the first century Roman naturalist and philosopher, Pliny the Elder, the Greek physician, Dioscorides, also of the first century, and Theophrastus, a student of Plato and Aristotle who lived in the fourth century.

According to Hebrew Scriptures, Moses used it as an ingredient in his anointing oils. The ancient Egyptians used it to embalm mummies and the ancient Romans burned it during funerals.

Cinnamon has anti-microbial properties, so it has often been used as a meat preservative through history. This property is but one of many benefits cinnamon has been shown to have on our health.

Studies have shown consumption of cinnamon aids in lowering LDL cholesterol, helps regulate blood sugar, relieves arthritis pain, boosts memory, and even helps reduce the proliferation of certain cancer cells.

Like the ancient Chinese, many swear by cinnamon’s effectiveness in combating a cold and use a teaspoon in tea for this purpose.

I love pairing cinnamon with a variety of fruits, including apples, pears, bananas and blueberries. It’s fantastic on winter squashes (including popular pumpkin and butternut) and with yams or sweet potatoes.

I add cinnamon to French toast and pancake batter, sprinkle it on my coffee, spice walnuts or pecans with it, stuff it into apples for baking, and throw the sticks into simmering cider on the stove or into poaching sauce for pears.

I also love to experiment with the ways it’s used in Moroccan, Greek, Indian or Mexican cooking.

Today’s recipe is for a rustic pear tart with a warm spice sauce that I created for a class on cooking with seasonal foods. Cinnamon and pears complement each other well; however, the warm spice sauce can be used in a variety of other ways, including as a sweetener in a warm cup of tea. Enjoy!

Rustic pear tart with walnuts and warm syrup

For crust:

¾ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour

3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon water

For filling:

3 large ripe pears, peeled, cored, thinly sliced

½ coarsely chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

For syrup:

1 cup water

1cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

Prepare crust by blending flour, sugar and salt in food processor until combined. Add butter, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk and water, using on/off turns, until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball and flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 40 minutes and up to two days.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 12-inch round. Remove top sheet of parchment and transfer dough, with bottom parchment, to rimmed baking sheet.

Place filling ingredients in large bowl and toss to combine. Spoon pear mixture into center of dough, leaving a 1 ½ inch border. Using parchment as aid, fold up outer edge of dough over edge of filling.

Bake until pears are tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 325 degrees F and cook an additional 20 minutes, or until pears are tender and juices are bubbling. Allow tart to cool.

Meanwhile, make syrup by simmering ingredients in small saucepan until reduced to about ½ cup and mixture thickens to a syrupy consistency. Typically this takes about 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and cloves from syrup once it begins to thicken.

To serve, cut tart into wedges and drizzle with syrup. If desired, serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Recipe by Esther Oertel / Crust recipe courtesy of www.epicurious.com.

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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On Friday the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 9.4 percent in December, and nonfarm payroll employment increased by 103,000.

Employment rose in leisure and hospitality and in health care but was little changed in other major industries, the agency reported.

The Friday report showed that the number of unemployed persons decreased by 556,000 to 14.5 million in December, and the unemployment rate dropped to 9.4 percent. Over the year, these measures were down from 15.2 million and 9.9 percent, respectively.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (9.4 percent) and whites (8.5 percent) declined in December.

The unemployment rates for adult women (8.1 percent), teenagers (25.4 percent), blacks (15.8 percent), and Hispanics (13.0 percent) showed little change. The jobless rate for Asians was 7.2 percent, not

seasonally adjusted.

In December, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs dropped by 548,000 to 8.9 million. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little

changed at 6.4 million and accounted for 44.3 percent of the unemployed.

The civilian labor force participation rate edged down in December to 64.3 percent, and the employment-population ratio was essentially unchanged at 58.3 percent.

The number of persons employed part-time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) was essentially unchanged in December at 8.9 million. These individuals were working part-time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.

About 2.6 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force in December, little different than a year earlier. These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. The report said they were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the four weeks preceding the survey.

Among the marginally attached, there were 1.3 million discouraged workers in December, an increase of 389,000 from December 2009, the report explained.

The bureau said discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them.

The remaining 1.3 million persons marginally attached to the labor force had not searched for work in the four weeks preceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibilities.

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 103,000 in December. Employment rose in leisure and hospitality and in health care but changed little in other major industries.

Since December 2009, total payroll employment has increased by 1.1 million, or an average of

94,000 per month.

Employment in leisure and hospitality increased by 47,000 in December. Within the industry, job gains continued in food services and drinking places (+25,000). Since a recent low in December 2009, the food services industry has added 188,000 jobs.

In December, health care employment continued to expand, with a gain of 36,000. Over the month, job gains continued in ambulatory services (+21,000), hospitals (+8,000), and nursing and residential care facilities (+7,000).

Within professional and business services, employment in temporary help services continued to trend up in December (+16,000) and has risen by 495,000 since a recent low in September 2009.

Employment in retail trade changed little in December (+12,000). A job gain in motor vehicle and parts dealers (+8,000) offset a loss in health and personal care stores (-8,000). Employment in most other

service-providing industries changed little over the month.

In the goods-producing sector, mining employment continued to trend up in December, reflecting a job gain in support activities for mining (+5,000).

Manufacturing employment changed little over the month (+10,000). Following job growth earlier in 2010, employment has been relatively flat, on net, since May. Construction employment also was little changed overall in December (-16,000). Within construction, there were job losses in heavy and civil engineering (-13,000) and in residential building (-6,000).

The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls held at 34.3 hours in December. The manufacturing workweek for all employees declined by 0.1 hour to 40.2 hours, while factory overtime remained at 3.1 hours.

The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 0.1 hour to 33.6 hours.

In December, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 3 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $22.78, the report showed.

Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 1.8 percent. In December, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 2 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $19.21.

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for October was revised from +172,000 to +210,000, and the change for November was revised from +39,000 to +71,000.

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The district will receive a grant of just over $1 million and a loan of approximately $600,000 allocated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development program, according to Congressman Mike Thompson (D- St. Helena), who announced the funding Wednesday.

“This solar array system will meet all the energy needs for the water reclamation plant, reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and cut their green house emissions,” said Thompson. “These kinds of projects are a win-win situation; not only is it supporting green technology and jobs, but benefiting our environment.”

The Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District provides water, sewer and reclaimed water to approximately 7,000 residents in southern Lake County.

The district’s water reclamation plant is the largest source of energy demand in the area, requiring approximately 423,000 kilowatt hours which produces 123 metric tons greenhouse gas emissions annually.

The solar array system will ensure sustainable energy costs, cuts to greenhouse emissions and provide reliable sustainable service as the Hidden Valley Lake service area builds out.

“The district board and staff have worked long and hard to make this solar project a reality for the Hidden Valley Lake community, but it would not have become a reality without the continued support and advocacy of Congressman Thompson,” said Linda Herndon, president of the Board of Directors of the Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District.

Herndon added, “His advocacy for rural and less affluent communities has been consistent over the years and provided the critical opportunity for us to be heard in an arena where it really counts. As a result this project has been made possible.”

Visit the district online at www.hiddenvalleylakecsd.com/ .

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What's that behind Titan? It's another of Saturn's moons: Tethys. The robotic Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn captured the heavily cratered Tethys slipping behind Saturn's atmosphere-shrouded Titan late last year. The largest crater on Tethys, Odysseus, is easily visible on the distant moon. Titan shows not only its thick and opaque orange lower atmosphere, but also an unusual upper layer of blue-tinted haze. Tethys, at about 2 million kilometers distant, was twice as far from Cassini as was Titan when the above image was taken. In 2004, Cassini released the Hyugens probe which landed on Titan and provided humanity's first views of the surface of the Solar System's only known lake-bearing moon. Photo taken on Jan. 27, 2010. Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, ISS, JPL, ESA and NASA.

“… we are children equally of the earth and the sky.” – Carl Sagan

In sci-fi movies, the first stirrings of life happen in a gooey pool of primordial ooze. But new research suggests the action started instead in the stormy skies above.

The idea sprang from research led by University of Arizona's Sarah Hörst. Her team recreated, in the lab, chemical reactions transpiring above Saturn's largest moon, Titan.

“We're finding that the kind of chemistry an atmosphere can do has intriguing implications for life on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system,” said Hörst. “Titan's skies might do some interesting chemistry – manufacture the building blocks of life.”

Hörst and her colleagues mixed up a brew of molecules (carbon monoxide(1), molecular nitrogen and methane) found in Titan's atmosphere. Then they zapped the concoction with radio waves – a proxy for the sun's radiation.

What happened next didn't make the scientists shout “it's alive!” but it was intriguing. A rich array of complex molecules emerged, including amino acids and nucleotides.

“Our experiment is the first proof that you can make the precursors for life up in an atmosphere, without any liquid water. This means life's building blocks could form in the air and then rain down from the skies!”

Titan is unique in our solar system. Dotted with lakes and dunes and shrouded in a thick atmosphere of nitrogen and methane, it's a frozen time capsule of early Earth. While the liquid on Titan's surface is methane instead of water, it's the only body in the solar system other than Earth with liquid on its surface.

“We didn't start out to prove we could make 'life' in Titan's skies,” explained Hörst. “We were trying to solve a mystery. The Cassini spacecraft detected large molecules in Titan's atmosphere, and we wanted to find out what they could be.”

In hopes of obtaining clues to the mystery molecules, Hörst used computer codes to search the lab results for matches to known molecular formulas. She decided, on a whim, to look for nucleotides and amino acids.

“When I pressed the enter key, I expected a big 'nope, not there.'”

She left for a break, and got a big surprise upon returning.

“The computer was printing out such long lists I thought I must have made a mistake!”

But there was no mistake.

“We had about 5,000 molecules containing the right stuff: carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen. We knew we had the elements for organic molecules, but we couldn't tell how they were arranged. It's kind of like Legos – the more there are, the more possible structures can be made. And they can be put together in many different ways.”

Among the structures identified in the lab experiment so far are five nucleotides found in DNA and RNA, and two amino acids. But she says there could be more amino acids in the mix.

How could Titan's atmosphere generate them?

A window into Titan

“California is facing a huge deficit and it is necessary to find savings throughout all of government We all have to make cuts and I’m starting with my own office,” said Brown.

As part of the $7 million in cuts, Brown's office reported that is administration is returning 84 percent – or $650,000 – of the $770,000 allocated in the 2010 budget for his transition to the state treasury. His administration spent $120,000 on the transition.

The governor also is cutting spending in his office by 25 percent – $4.5 million – in the budget that will go the Legislature on Monday.

His budget also eliminates funding for the Office of the Secretary of Education. This will save the state $1.9 million.

To achieve the 25 percent savings in his own office, Brown is making cuts that include cutting his Washington, DC office staff and press and communications staff; eliminating the position of cabinet secretary and all deputy cabinet secretaries; eliminating the Office of the First Lady; closing the governor’s field offices in San Diego, Fresno and Riverside; and eliminating the Office of the American Reinvestment and the Recovery Act Inspector General six months ahead of schedule.

The 2010 Budget Act included a total of $18 million for the Governor’s Office. After the 25 percent reduction, the total Governor’s Office budget in 2011 will be $13.4 million.

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U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer takes the oath of office in a reenactment ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber with Vice President Joe Biden and her husband, Stewart Boxer, on Wednesday, January 5, 2011. Photo courtesy of U.S. Senate Photo Studio.

LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS – On Wednesday U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) was sworn in for her fourth term as a United States senator.

Boxer took the oath of office at noon on the U.S. Senate floor.

Sen. Boxer later participated in a reenactment ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber with Vice President Joe Biden and her husband, Stewart Boxer.

She won reelection last year after a long and contentious campaign in which she battled with Republican senatorial nominee Carly Fiorina.

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