Tuesday, 10 December 2024

News

NAPA COUNTY – Thirty cats died in a Napa County fire on Sunday.


The blaze was one of two in unincorporated Napa County that kept county and Cal Fire firefighters busy on Sunday, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief and Napa County Fire Marshal Pete Muñoa.


The fire that claimed the lives of the cats was reported at 4:20 p.m. in the 5600 block of Silverado Trail in Napa, Muñoa said.


An accessory building, described to be a cattery to the rear of a residence, was fully involved by the time firefighters arrived at scene, he said. The 30 animals that died were located in the building.


Muñoa said investigators from the Napa County Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the cause of the fire.


Earlier in the day, Napa County and Cal Fire firefighters responded to a residence on fire in the 2300 block of Stagecoach Canyon Road in Pope Valley, he reported.


When firefighters arrived on the scene of that fire, reported at 3:30 p.m., Muñoa said they found the home filled with smoke from a chimney fire that spread, causing damage to the attic and roof.


Muñoa said the 1,800-square-foot residence suffered approximately $15,000 in damage.


No humans were injured in either incident, Muñoa said.


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An artist's concept of LCROSS approaching the moon in Oct. 2009. Courtesy of NASA.

 


Nearly a year after announcing the discovery of water molecules on the moon, scientists have revealed new data uncovered by NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO – and it's more than just water.


The missions found evidence that lunar soil within shadowy craters is rich in useful materials.


Moreover, the moon appears to be chemically active and has a full-fledged water cycle. Scientists also confirmed that 'moon water' was in the form of mostly pure ice crystals in some places.


These results are featured in six papers published in the Oct. 22 issue of Science.


The twin impacts of LCROSS and a companion rocket stage in the moon's Cabeus crater on Oct. 9, 2009, lifted a plume of material that might not have seen direct sunlight for billions of years.


As the plume traveled nearly 10 miles above the crater’s rim, instruments aboard LCROSS and LRO made observations of the crater and debris and vapor clouds. After the impacts, grains of mostly pure water ice were lofted into the sunlight in the vacuum of space.


“Seeing mostly pure water ice grains in the plume means water ice was somehow delivered to the moon in the past, or chemical processes have been causing ice to accumulate in large quantities,” said Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS project scientist and principal investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center.


In addition to water, the plume contained “volatiles.” These are compounds that freeze in the cold lunar craters and vaporize easily when warmed by the sun.


The suite of LCROSS and LRO instruments determined as much as 20 percent of the material kicked up by the LCROSS impact was volatiles, including methane, ammonia, hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

 

 

 

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These experiments at the Ames Vertical Gun Range helped researchers understand the LCROSS impact. Solid impacts send debris to the side (left), whereas hollow impacts result in a high-angle ejecta plume (right). The primary LCROSS impact was an emptied rocket and acted like a hollow projectile. Image courtesy of Brown University/Peter H. Schultz and Brendan Hermalyn, NASA/Ames Vertical Gun Range.
 

 

 


“The diversity and abundance of volatiles in the plume suggest a variety of sources, like comets and asteroids, and an active water cycle within the lunar shadows,” said Colaprete.


The instruments also discovered relatively large amounts of light metals such as sodium, mercury and possibly even silver.


Scientists believe the water and mix of volatiles that LCROSS and LRO detected could be the remnants of a comet impact.


According to scientists, these volatile chemical by-products are also evidence of a cycle through which water ice reacts with lunar soil grains.


LRO's Diviner instrument gathered data on water concentration and temperature measurements, and LRO's Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector mapped the distribution of hydrogen.


This combined data led the science team to conclude the water is not uniformly distributed within the shadowed cold traps, but rather is in pockets, which may also lie outside the shadowed regions.


The proportion of volatiles to water in the lunar soil indicates a process called “cold grain chemistry” is taking place. Scientists also theorize this process could take as long as hundreds of thousands of years and may occur on other frigid, airless bodies such as asteroids; the moons of Jupiter and Saturn (including Europa and Enceladus); Mars' moons; interstellar dust grains floating around other stars and the polar regions of Mercury.


“The observations by the suite of LRO and LCROSS instruments demonstrate the moon has a complex environment that experiences intriguing chemical processes,” said Richard Vondrak, LRO project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. “This knowledge can open doors to new areas of research and exploration.”


By understanding the processes and environments that determine where water ice will be, how water was delivered to the moon and its active water cycle, future mission planners might be better able to determine which locations will have easily-accessible water.


The existence of mostly pure water ice could mean future human explorers won't have to devise complicated processes to retrieve water out of the soil in order to use it for valuable life support resources.

 

 

 

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A surface temperature map of the lunar south pole made by LRO's Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment. The map contains several intensely cold impact craters that could trap water ice and other icy compounds commonly observed in comets. The approximate maximum temperatures at which these compounds would be frozen in place for more than a billion years are noted at right. Courtesy of NASA.
 

 

 


In addition, an abundant presence of hydrogen gas, ammonia and methane could be exploited to produce fuel.


“NASA has convincingly confirmed the presence of water ice and characterized its patchy distribution in permanently shadowed regions of the moon,” said Michael Wargo, chief lunar scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This major undertaking is the one of many steps NASA has taken to better understand our solar system, its resources, and its origin, evolution, and future.”


LCROSS launched with LRO aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on June 18, 2009, and used the Centaur upper stage rocket to create the debris plume. The research was funded by NASA's Exploration Systems Missions Directorate at the agency's headquarters. LCROSS was managed by Ames and built by Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, Calif. LRO was built and is managed by Goddard.


For videos illustrating aspects of the mission, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/oct_21_media_telecon.html .


Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.


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SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Caltrans said Thursday that striping and other improvements along two south county highways will take place this fall.


The highways in questions, Highway 29 and Highway 175, are the locations of two rubberized chip seal projects that have many south county residents up in arms due to safety and quality concerns.


The projects, totaling $2.1 million, are located along 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.


Caltrans and local officials – along with representatives of the contractor, International Surfacing Systems of West Sacramento – held a public meeting Oct. 12 to address those concerns, a gathering which Supervisor Jim Comstock organized, as Lake County News has reported.


On Thursday Caltrans spokesman Phil Frisbie issued a report that explained that the paint for final striping on the roads has been tested and certified, which should allow all of the striping – including crosswalks – to be completed by the end of this month, weather permitting.


Comstock said reflectors were put down on the chip sealed highway portions on Wednesday, and the piano key-style crosswalks throughout downtown Middletown were being painted Thursday.


A white substance had been visible pooling on the sides of Highway 29 last Sunday during a rain shower. Frisbie said it was temporary paint markings – put down to show where permanent markings belonged – that washed off, although Comstock said he saw the substance in areas where no temporary markings had been placed.


Comstock said during the recent rain he saw a lot of water on the newly resurfaced roadways. “That's not going to increase traction when you have standing water.”


Concerns brought by local residents at the Oct. 12 meeting included the rough, 1/2-inch aggregate chip seal being put down over recently paved areas at the Hidden Valley Lake entrance and the entrance to Twin Pine Casino.


Frisbie said loose aggregate that collected in the highway's centerline rumble strip has been removed with vacuum sweepers. Work to smooth areas on Highway 29 near Twin Pine Casino and Butts Canyon Road are scheduled to be completed by mid-November, he added.


Caltrans District 1 Director Charlie Fielder told community members at the Oct. 12 meeting that the project areas would be repaved late next spring or early summer. His deputy director, Mark Suchanek, said the road work would resemble the new paving on Highway 29 outside of Lakeport.


Frisbie's Thursday report held to that time frame from the updated paving.


Caltrans also plans to have an open house next spring prior to the new road construction in order to present the projects to the community, Frisbie said.


Instead of an open house, “We'd rather have a pavement truck,” said Comstock.


Comstock said he's still getting feedback about the Oct. 12 meeting.


“People are pleased we had the meeting,” he said. “They're less than pleased with Caltrans.”


However, be believes Fielder is sincere in trying to address the community's concerns.


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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Devin Baker is stopped just short of the goal by Andrew Klaes on Kelseyville's first possession. Kelseyville scored on the next play on Friday, October 23, 2010, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

 



KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – In a penalty- and injury-plagued game, the Kelseyville Knights roughed up a bruised Lower Lake Trojans football team Friday night, dominating in the second half and posting a convincing 60-18 win in Friday night’s North Central I – North league game.


The victory extends Kelseyville’s winning streak to six games this season, and brings their overall record to 6-1 (2-0 in league play), while the Trojans fall to 4-3 overall this season and 0-2 in league play.


After the game, Trojans head coach Stan Weiper talked about playing with a significantly weakened team.


“We lost (running back Roy) Percoats this week, and he’s a very, very good player,” Weiper said. “Then EJ Jermany got hurt out there tonight, so there goes our entire backfield. After that, you’re just looking at putting in anyone with two legs in the backfield.”


Also injured was Lower Lake quarterback Devante Scott, who suffered a pulled groin in the first half, and wide receiver Aaron James, who was carried off the field by stretcher with a serious ankle injury while play was halted for 30 minutes in the second half.

 

 

 

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Lower Lake's sack of Knights quarterback Chris Augon in the middle of the second quarter led to the game's first punt during play between Kelseyville and Lower Lake on Friday, October 23, 2010, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.
 

 

 

 


Of the 60 points his team scored against the Trojans, first year head coach Rob Ishihara said, “That’s the most points we’ve ever scored since I started coaching here.”


The two teams traded touchdowns in their opening possessions for most of the first quarter of Friday night’s game, with quarterback Chris Augon scoring on a couple of one-yard quarterback keeps for Kelseyville, while Lower Lake capped touchdown drives with a 16-yard run by Scott and a three-yard dash by Trojan running back Jack O’Hara.


But with the score tied at 12-12, a bad snap on a fourth-down Lower Lake punt attempt deep in their own territory was recovered by Kelseyville at the Trojans’ seven-yard line, and the Knights scored two plays later on a five-yard sweep by running back Mike Allen.


With 2:34 left in the half, the Trojans turned the ball over on downs, and the Knights made good use of the time remaining with a 49-yard Mike Davis touchdown reception that brought the score to 25-12 after Diego Barajas made the extra point for Kelseyville.


Lower Lake tried to close the gap before the half ended, but Mike Davis intercepted a wayward Devante Scott pass at midfield and ran it back to the Trojans’ six-yard line with just 22 seconds on the clock.


Two plays later the Trojans returned the favor when defensive back Marcus Radovan intercepted an errant Chris Augon pass, and the score stood at 25-12 going into halftime.

 

 

 

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Kelseyville's Mike Allen breaks away from the Trojans' Alfonza Daniels to give the Knights an 18-12 lead on Friday, October 23, 2010. Photo by Ed Oswalt.
 

 

 


“Whenever anything positive happens to us, something negative happens,” Scott lamented midway through the game.


After a couple of Kelseyville penalties helped Lower Lake drive the ball down to the Knights’ two-yard line on their opening possession of the second half, the Trojans fumbled and Davis recovered the ball in the Lower Lake end zone.


A sharp, well-timed cutback on a critical fourth-down quarterback option by Augon allowed him to sprint 30 yards downfield for a touchdown and brought the score to 33-12.


After the game both coaches cited this Trojan turnover and the ensuing Knight score as significant, with Weiper adding, “It was probably the turning point in the game.”


Kelseyville went on to score four more unanswered touchdowns in the second half, including touchdowns by Mike Allen (a 1-yard run), Davis (a 19-yard pass), Garrett Huggins (on defense, recovering a Trojan fumble in their end zone) and Braiden Wayent (a 42-yard rush), an offensive onslaught that pushed the Knights out in front of Lower Lake 60-12.


Lower Lake’s only score of the second half came late in the 4th quarter on a wild play, when Scott took a Kelseyville kickoff all the way down to the Knights’ 15-yard line before fumbling to teammate Alphonzo Daniels, who picked up the ball and carried it into the Kelseyville end zone, making the final score 60-18.


Kelseyville’s Chris Augon completed three of six passes (all to Mike Davis) for 90 yards in Friday night’s game, and his team had a whopping 513 yards total offense, while Lower Lake’s Devante Scott completed just two of 18 passes for 17 yards in the game.

 

 

 

 

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Jack O'Hara (22) was one of few running back options left for Lower Lake by the third quarter in the match between Kelseyville and Lower Lake on Friday, October 23, 2010, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.
 

 

 


Defensively for the Knights, Davis had five tackles, two assists, a fumble recovery and an interception, while Devin Baker had four tackles and six assists.


Lower Lake’s Junior Varsity team fared better against Kelseyville, scoring several times late in the second half and walking away with a 41-14 victory.


The Trojans JV squad is now 5-2 overall (2-0 in league play), while the Knights JV team is 3-4 overall and 1-1 in league play.


Next week Kelseyville puts their first-place North Central I – North league standing on the line when they travel to Middletown to face off against a formidable Middletown Mustangs football team, who beat the previously-undefeated Timberwolves at Fort Bragg Friday night by a score of 38-14 and improved their record to 6-1 overall (1-0 in league play), while Lower Lake travels to Willits to face off against the Wolverines, who defeated Upper Lake Friday night and improved their overall record to 5-2 (0-1 in league play).


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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Dustin Thaxton of the Knights leaps to intercept a pass intended for Camari Onwausoeze late in Kelseyville's 60-18 victory on Friday, October 23, 2010, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.
 

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the summer harvest season over, Lake County's unemployment rate rose slightly in September, while state and national unemployment rates stayed the same as in August.


Lake County's unemployment rate rose from 16.8 percent in August to 17 percent in September, ranking it 53 among California's 58 counties, according to the Employment Development Department's Friday report.


In September 2009, the county's unemployment rate was 14.5 percent, based on state records.


California’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 12.4 percent in September, and nonfarm payroll jobs decreased by 63,600 during the month, according to data the state released based on from two separate surveys. In August, the state’s nonfarm payroll jobs were revised upwards 44,200 for a total gain of 10,700 jobs, with the unemployment rate at 12.4 percent.


The statewide unemployment rate was 12.1 percent in September 2009.


The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the nation's unemployment rate also remained unchanged in September at 9.6 percent, down from the 9.8 percent rate reported the previous September.


The state said there were 595,996 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the September survey week, compared with 620,844 last month and 744,924 last year.


New claims for unemployment insurance were 75,316 last month, compared with 65,261 in August and 69,160 in September of last year, the Employment Development Department reported.


Marin continued to have the lowest unemployment rate in the state, with 8.4 percent, while Imperial's 30.4-percent rate ranked it last among the state's counties, according to the report.


In September, Lake County's workforce included 26,030 people, with 4,430 of them out of work. The August workforce was slightly larger, at 26,370, with the same number of people – 4,430 – unemployed.


For September, Lake's neighboring counties posted the following rates and state rankings: Glenn, 14.7 percent, No. 37; Yolo, 11.6 percent, No. 22; Mendocino, 10.7 percent, No. 14; Sonoma, 10.2 percent, No. 9; and Napa, 9.3 percent, No. 4.


Specifically within Lake County, Upper Lake had the lowest unemployment in September, with 8.8 percent, while Clearlake Oaks had 25.2 percent unemployment.


The following unemployment rates were reported for other areas of the county, from highest to lowest: Nice, 24.6 percent; city of Clearlake, 24.3 percent; Lucerne, 18 percent; Kelseyville, 17.3 percent; Middletown, 17.2 percent; city of Lakeport, 16.4 percent; Cobb, 15.2 percent; Lower Lake, 14.3 percent; Hidden Valley Lake, 14.1 percent; and north Lakeport, 13.5 percent.


State job numbers show drop in September


A survey of 42,000 California businesses, which is used to measure jobs, showed a decrease of 43,700 jobs – or a 0.3-percent drop – from September 2009 to September 2010.


Employment Development Department data showed that nonfarm jobs in California totaled 13,808,500 in September, a decrease of 63,600 over the month, according to a survey of businesses that is larger and less variable statistically. This followed a gain of 10,700 jobs in August.


A federal survey of households, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed an increase in the number of employed people during the month. It estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in September was 15,975,000, an increase of 7,000 from August, but down 11,000 from the employment total in September of last year.


The number of people unemployed in California was 2,270,000 – up by 10,000 over the month, and up by 69,000 compared with September of last year, the state reported.


The Employment Development Department report showed wage and salary jobs in the state's nonfarm industries totaled 13,808,500 in September, a net loss of 63,600 jobs since the August survey.


Four categories – trade, transportation and utilities; financial activities; professional and business services; and leisure and hospitality – added jobs over the month, gaining 20,700 jobs, the state reported. Leisure and hospitality posted the largest increase over the month, adding 7,400 jobs.


The report showed that seven categories – mining and logging; construction; manufacturing; information; educational and health services; other services; and government – reported job declines this month, down 84,300 jobs. Government posted the largest decline over the month, down by 37,300 jobs.


Four industry divisions – mining and logging; professional and business services; educational and health services; and leisure and hospitality – posted job gains over the year, adding 82,800 jobs. Professional and business services recorded the largest increase over the year on both a numerical and percentage basis, up 58,500 jobs, a 2.9-percent increase, the state said.


Seven categories – construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; financial activities; other services; and government – posted job declines over the year, down 126,500 jobs, according to the report.


The state said construction employment showed the largest decline over the year on both a numerical and percentage basis, down by 50,700 jobs, a decline of 8.8 percent.


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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Military Funeral Honors Team members at the Veterans Day 2009 commemoration. Photo by Ginny Craven.


 


LAKEPORT, Calif. – Veterans Day will be celebrated at a new location this year.


Lake County veterans, their families and all supporters are invited to Konocti Vista Casino in Lakeport to celebrate those who have served our country.


This year’s keynote speaker will be Lake County District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown.


Annual past participants have included the Clear Lake High School Band, 4-H members, Sea Scouts, Lake County veteran organizations and the Military Funeral Honors Team.


The Veterans Day ceremony will include presentations of the County’s annual “Friend of the Veteran” and United Veterans Council’s “Veteran of the Year” awards.


Through the generosity of Konocti Vista Casino, a complimentary lunch will be provided to those in attendance.


Everyone is welcome to join in the celebration and honoring of our veterans.


Please join the festivities at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11, at Konocti Vista Casino, 2755 Mission Rancheria Road in Lakeport.


For more information call 707-279-2299.


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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Colorful carnival squash from Leonardis Organics of Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Esther Oertel.



 


The rains are upon us, there’s a chill in the air and it’s time for the warm, hearty foods that nourish the soul.


I call this time of year my cooking season – it’s when I get most creative in the kitchen – and one of my favorite cool weather foods is the one which takes its name from the latter part of the season: winter squash.


Though winter squashes are planted in the summer, they’re harvested in their mature state, when the skin has hardened into a thick, protective rind. They’re available from August through March; however, they’re at their best in October and November when they’re in season.


They come in a plethora of colors, sizes and shapes, far more than what the typical local supermarket stocks. Unlike their summer relatives, such as zucchini and crookneck squash, they must be cooked before consuming.


We’re most familiar with pumpkins (which are members of the winter squash family) and acorn, butternut or spaghetti squash, but there are some lesser-known varieties.


Sweet dumpling squashes look like what their name suggests – round little dumplings – and their flesh is sweeter and drier than other squashes. The peel is soft enough to be eaten once cooked. Being fairly small, a half squash is equivalent to one portion. They’re typically pale yellow with orange stripes.


Kabocha squash (also known as Japanese squash or Japanese pumpkin) is a round, orange-fleshed squash with a deep green rind that has lighter green striations. Like sweet dumpling squashes, its flesh is sweeter and drier than other squashes. It tastes somewhat like sweet potatoes.


Hubbard squash has a bumpy, dark green rind that reminds me a bit of an avocado, though it has light green stripes. Its flesh is tasty, but its large size and extra thick rind makes it a bit difficult to handle.


The pumpkin-like golden nugget squash (also known as the oriental pumpkin) has a pleasant flavor, but has less flesh than most winter squashes. Like the Hubbard squash, its rind is thick and a bit difficult to cut.

 

 

 

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Jim Leonardis' delicata squash. Photo by Esther Oertel.
 

 

 


Delicata squash, with its creamy flesh, is known to be one of the best tasting winter squashes. It’s long and oval shaped, with a light yellow rind that sports dark green horizontal bands. It’s sometimes called the sweet potato squash because of its taste. Choose squashes that are heavy for their size.


Squat, green buttercup squashes are known for their good taste, but may be a bit dry. Like delicata squash, they should be heavy for their size.


Long, large, smooth and yellow, banana squash are often sold in the market precut because of their size. The flesh is a rich golden color, which is beautiful as well as tasty.


Lastly (for purposes of this column) is the aptly named turban squash. With its dramatic two-tiered shape and bright colors, it makes a fantastic centerpiece. Unfortunately, its taste is not as interesting as its presentation, so it’s best used for decoration. When hollowed out, it makes for a nice soup tureen.


The variation in color, shape, size and skin type (grooved, smooth or bumpy) of winter squashes is almost unimaginable. To me, nothing says autumn more than a pile of these bright beauties, whether in a farmers’ field or the local market.


Squash is a member of the same family as melons and cucumbers and has been consumed by man for more than 10,000 years.


Today’s squashes are descendants of the wild squash that originated in an area between Mexico and Guatemala. This ancestor of modern squashes was initially cultivated for its seeds, as there was very little flesh and it was bitter.


Winter squashes are a veritable treasure trove of nutrients, with excellent stores of vitamin A, vitamin C, a variety of B vitamins, potassium, dietary fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. As well, they contain an abundance of beta-carotene, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.


Because of its thick skin, winter squash typically has a fairly long shelf life and, depending on the variety, can be stored for as long as six months. If picked fresh from the garden or the farmers’ field, the flavor continues to develop for about a month.


Today’s recipe offering is a duet of soups made with one of my favorite go-to winter squashes, butternut. The golden brown, pear-shaped butternut squash has deep orange flesh that adds a rich, buttery, earthy flavor to dishes made with it.


Both soups are made with pears, and I would suggest hurrying to find locally grown pears before they’re gone. Otherwise, supermarket pears will do just fine.


Farmers’ markets are winding down with this Wednesday and Saturday being the last for markets in Lakeport and Kelseyville, respectively, but winter squashes can be purchased directly from local farmers.


Sky Hoyt Specialty Growers of Kelseyville has grown a generous amount of butternut squash this year, and Leonardis Organics, also of Kelseyville, has the last of various interesting types of squash on hand. Hoyt can be reached at 707-279-0859 and call 707-483-4004 for Leonardis.


The first soup includes bacon, a nice accompaniment for winter squash, and the second one is a vegetarian version flavored with crispy sage. Enjoy!


Butternut squash soup with Lake County pears and bacon


6 strips bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups peeled butternut squash cubes (about 1 small to medium squash)

3 large Lake County pears, such as Comice or Bartlett, peeled, cored and cubed

¾ cup chopped celery (3 – 4 ribs)

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

1 cup half and half

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Fresh thyme – use whole sprigs or coarsely chopped leaves for garnish


Sauté bacon in large stockpot until crisp, then remove to drain on paper towel.


Remove all but 1 tablespoon bacon grease from pot; add onion and sauté over medium heat until browned.


Add broth, squash, pears and celery to pot. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until quite tender.


Let cool slightly, then puree mixture until smooth with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender.


Return back to pot and add herbs and bacon. Simmer for 10 minutes more.


Stir in half and half and season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.


Ladle into bowls and garnish with thyme sprigs or leaves.

 


Butternut squash and pear soup with crispy sage


2-3 tablespoons salted butter

A healthy handful of whole, fresh sage leaves (enough to garnish each bowl, plus ten or so leaves for soup)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil (if needed)

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

4 cups peeled butternut squash cubes (about 1 small to medium squash)

3 large Lake County pears, such as Comice or Bartlett, peeled, cored and cubed

¾ cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)

1 cup half and half

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


Melt butter in large stock pot, allowing it to brown.


Add sage leaves and sauté until crisp. Remove leaves from pot with tongs and set aside.


Add onion (and olive oil, if needed) and sauté over medium heat until browned.


Add broth, squash, pears and celery to pot. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until quite tender.


Let cool slightly, then add about ten sage leaves and puree mixture until smooth with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender.


Return back to pot and simmer for 10 minutes more. Off heat, stir in half and half and season to taste with salt and pepper.


Ladle into bowls and garnish each with a crispy sage leaf.


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..


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

 

 

 

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Young sweet dumpling squash before developing yellow color. The squash is one of those grown by Jim Leonardis of Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Esther Oertel.
 

LUCERNE, Calif. – The driver of a Jeep Wrangler suffered major injuries when the vehicle went into a ditch on Friday.


The crash occurred just before 2:30 p.m. on westbound Highway 20 near Lucerne, according to the California Highway Patrol.


A witness advised that the vehicle began to speed up and served prior to the collision, based on the CHP report.


Officials reported that the subject had to be extricated from a single-vehicle crash and flown by REACH, with the original destination being UC Davis Medical Center.


CHP Officer Joe Wind said the driver was believed to have suffered possible head trauma.


However, the inclement weather required the helicopter be turned back at Lake Berryessa, with it rerouted to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, according to radio reports.


Earlier in the afternoon, just after 1 p.m., another solo-vehicle crash occurred at Highway 20 and Highway 53, with a vehicle rolling over into a nearby field, according to the CHP.


Wind said it's believed that the driver took the corner too fast.


The CHP reported that the driver suffered minor injuries, including cuts to their arms, and sought their own medical aid.


With area roadways being wet due to rain, Wind urged that drivers be cautious.


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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A Cal Fire hand crew works Scotts Creek, felling badly burned trees at a fire on Hill Road in Lakeport, Calif., on Wednesday, October 20, 2010. Photo by Gary McAuley.
 

 

 

 


LAKEPORT, Calif. – A mower is believed to have caused a fire near Lakeport Wednesday afternoon.


The fire occurred at 3385 Hill Road, and was reported at about 1:50 p.m., according to Lakeport Fire Protection District Chief Ken Wells.


He said the fire started because of a mower that was towed behind a quadrunner. Wells said firefighters weren't yet sure if the mower hit a rock or if the quadrunner's hot exhaust ignited dry grass.


The fire ignited a small meadow, and then the blaze jumped Scotts Creek and got into some heavy brush and old down trees, according to Wells.


“It made it difficult to get to both sides, obviously,” Wells said.


Two Cal Fire hand crews were called in to help go after the fire in the brush while a Cal Fire helicopter also dropped water on the blaze, Wells said. The fire was fanned on by 7 mile per hour winds, with Wells also recording 32-percent humidity.

 

 

 

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Capt. Rick Bergem of Lakeport Fire Protection District extinguishes a tree with foam, as water alone is not effective. Photo by Gary McAuley.

 

 


A structure also was in danger at one point, with the fire burning up to it, but Wells said firefighters were able to stop the blaze before it burned the building.


He said a total of three to four acres burned.


Altogether, Wells said more than 40 firefighters were on scene, along with two engines and a water tender from Lakeport, and an engine each from Northshore Fire, Kelseyville Fire and Cal Fire.


Firefighters were being released from the scene after 8 p.m., according to radio reports.


There was a small fire north of that site on Hill Road on Tuesday night, Wells 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 and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .


 

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A Cal Fire hand crew works Scotts Creek, felling badly burned trees at a fire on Hill Road in Lakeport, Calif., on Wednesday, October 20, 2010. Photo by Gary McAuley.
 

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE – Several hundred south county residents were out of power Saturday due to broken power equipment.


The outage in Hidden Valley Lake and Middletown was first reported just after 11:30 a.m., according to Pacific Gas & Electric spokesman J.D. Guidi.


The cause was a broken cross arm on a power pole, Guidi said.


Approximately 252 customers were impacted, according to Guidi.


He said 55 customers had their power restored just after 3 p.m., and by 3:30 p.m. the power went back on for another 60 homes.


The lights came on for the remaining 137 customers at 3:48 p.m., Guidi 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 .

What legal recourse do the surviving heirs of a missing person have to administer that person’s estate?


In California, when a person has been missing for a continuous period of five years or more, the surviving spouse, registered domestic partner, certain family members, and creditors can file a petition in the missing person’s last known county of residence to obtain a determination that the missing person is “presumed dead.”


What then is involved with successfully file such a “missing person” petition?


Section 12404 of the California Probate Code requires the petitioner to state the following: The last known residence the last known address of the missing person; the time and circumstances when the missing person was last seen or heard from; that the missing person has not been seen or heard from for a continuous period of five years by the persons likely to have seen or heard from the missing person and that the missing person’s whereabouts are unknown to those persons and the petition; and a description of the search or the inquiry concerning the whereabouts of the missing person.


Whether the court grants the petition depends most heavily on whether or not the court is satisfied that it has sufficient evidence from your search or inquiry to determine that the person is presumed dead.


Evidence that the missing person is presumed dead can include affidavits and depositions of persons likely to have seen or heard from or know the whereabouts of the missing person, based on section 12406(a) of the Probate Code.


If necessary, the court may require the search or inquiry to be made in any further manner that it considers advisable.


That could include publishing a request for information as to the missing person’s whereabouts in any newspaper or periodical, notifying appropriate law enforcement and public agencies of the disappearance, and hiring an investigator.


Such costs are paid from the missing person’s estate, if funds are available, and otherwise may have to be paid by the petitioner, according to section 12406(b) of the Probate Code.


If the court determines that the person is presumed dead, section 12407 of the Probate Code requires the court must both appoint a personal representative of the deceased missing person’s estate and determine the date of the missing person’s death.


At this point forward, the administration of the deceased missing person’s probate estate is administered in the same manner as any other deceased person’s estate.


Assets held in the presumed deceased person’s trust would be separately administered by the successor trustee.


Lastly, if after the distribution of the estate, the presumed deceased person reappears alive then he or she has five years from the time of such distributions to recover property from the persons who received such property.


The missing person’s right of recovery is limited by what is fair under the circumstances and also by the legal fees, costs and expenses incurred associated with the administration of the presumed deceased person’s estate prior to his or her reappearance.


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.


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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's line item veto of funding for child care services for low-income families has raised concerns that some of those families will go back onto public assistance.


However, Lake County's representative in the state Assembly said the Legislature is looking at a way to turn back the action, taken at the completion of the 2011-11 budget process.


The CalWORKS Stage 3 Child Care Program was the victim of the cut. Schwarzenegger had previously proposed cuts to CalWORKS, but legislators had pushed back.


His office has offered no direct statement on the cuts, which were characterized in the preamble to the new budget document this way: “In order to create a prudent reserve for economic uncertainties, the Governor has exercised his line-item veto authority to reduce General Fund spending by an additional $963 million, raising the reserve level from $375 million to $1.3 billion. These vetoes reflect the Governor’s continued determination to build a reserve and reduce spending to the greatest extent possible, given constitutional, statutory, and court-ordered spending requirements.”


North Coast Assemblyman Wes Chesbro told Lake County News on Tuesday that the CalWORKS funding veto “was not only cruel and vindictive, it was bad for the taxpayers,” and raises the likelihood that the families may have to go back on public assistance.


“It's devastating for the families because these are individuals who have worked their way off of taxpayer supported programs and are supporting themselves and their families,” Chesbro said, adding that Schwarzenegger “pulled the rug out” from under families that have accomplished some measure of independence.


Teri Sedrick, co-director of Rural Communities Child Care, a program of North Coast Opportunities, said the veto “came out of the blue,” and is having devastating effects for some local families.


The state Legislature has been excellent at preserving child care, but Sedrick said Schwarzenegger's action “decimated” the program.


The California Department of Education reported that the program was developed 12 years ago to help working-poor families that are former recipients of aid or are transitioning off of aid by providing child care services so the parents could go to work.


The veto, the Department of Education said, “undermines the efforts of working families, primarily single parents with one or two children, to become and remain self-sufficient.”


The agency said Schwarzenegger's Oct. 8 evening veto terminates needed child care services for more than 55,000 children currently in Stage 3, along with the approximately 1,500 children who will be exhausting their eligibility in Stage 2 on a monthly basis, and will no longer be able to transition into Stage 3 child care services.


In Lake County, Schwarzenegger's action will eliminate child care services for 149 children – from birth to age 13 – and jeopardizes employment for 73 working families and 100 child care providers, Sedrick said. While that may sound like a small number of families, Sedrick said it really isn't.


The Stage 3 program is for families that have been off cash aid for 24 months and are working, said Sedrick.


When a family of two starts to make $1,820 a month, they start paying a family fee which is fed back into the program to support more children, she said.


The program's budget this year put $475,458 directly into the hands of local child care providers, who provide subsidized child care services to the families, Sedrick said.


Based on a 2009 Cornell University study on the economics of child care, Sedrick said every dollar invested in child care provides an economic impact of $3.50 to the economy in goods services and tax revenue, for a local estimated economic impact of approximately $1,664,106.


Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg has announced that he will seek to reverse Schwarzenegger's veto of the funding and restore the $256 million in child care funds, which was applauded by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.


“The governor used his blue pencil to attack California's working poor families,” said O'Connell. “Clearly, these are working parents with children, who are trying to do the right thing to support their families, just the people we should be supporting during these tough economic times.”


But, in the meantime, the state is taking immediate action, Sedrick said.


“We've been told by the state Department of Education that the program ends and all families are to be off the program by Nov. 11 so we've already sent out termination notices,” she said.


Sedrick also cut hours for her 20 employees in Lake and Mendocino counties effective Nov. 1, reducing them as low as possible so they could still get health benefits.


She will reevaluate the situation in 90 days, hoping by then that legislators will have put the fix in place. But if there isn't a fix, Sedrick will have to look at layoffs beginning Feb. 1, 2011.


Sedrick said the impacted families who are currently working, paying taxes and contributing to Lake County's struggling economy will be forced to make difficult decisions between caring for their children or maintaining their employment.


“I don't know what they're going to do,” said Sedrick, adding that the program has never faced such an attack before.


Sedrick said 100 Lake County child care providers, including licensed family child care homes and child care centers, will lose payment for services, placing their businesses at risk of closure.


She said local child care providers are already struggling with high vacancy rates due to the unemployment in Lake County.


Parents search for options


Within days of the veto, the notices began going out to local families.


Maria Shepherd of Hidden Valley Lake, who has a 5-year-old daughter who has benefited from the assistance since she was 9 months old, said the program has helped her considerably as she's raised her children on her own.


Shepherd works four days a week at the Middletown Rancheria tribal office, where she has been employed for four years, and makes too much money to qualify for certain programs, but the subsidized daycare helps her make ends meet and stay employed.


“You really don't want to take away from someone that's trying to help themselves,” she said.


She said she only received three weeks' notice that the services were being cut.


“I have been trying all my options and, actually, I'm just a little stressed,” Shepherd said, adding, “I just really don't know what to do.”


Nakia Brusha, a single mother who lives in Hidden Valley Lake with her three children, said “I work my tail off,” to make ends meet, with no medical benefits and no child support. She signed up for the child care program about a year and a half ago.


Brusha, who works for the Buckingham water district and makes a “decent wage for the area,” said she's extremely grateful to have her job, but the competition is “unreal” in looking for a second job.


That means she would have to commute in order to find more work to make ends meet. “How can I be there for my children if I have to work all the time?”


She added, “I'm not asking for a handout, at all,” explaining that she has worked her entire life.


“This is devastating. It's really devastating. I don't know what we're going to do,” she said.


The cuts also are counterproductive for people who are trying to be independent. Brusha said they may find themselves pushed back into the welfare system. “It's going to knock people backwards.”


Valerie Stark of Lakeport has three children in the program, which she's relied on for three years. The cuts took her by surprise.


She said she's trying to work out something with her daycare provider. At the same time, Stark – who just lost her job, and is separated from her husband – is trying to conduct a job search. She's been approved for unemployment, which makes her overqualified for child care and many social service programs.


Laura Metcalf of Lakeport has three children, all of whom qualify for the program. Metcalf holds certified nursing assistant and phlebotomist certifications, works full-time in the health care field and is taking classes three nights a week to become a registered nurse.


“I'm just a little frustrated,” the single mother said of the cuts.


She has used the subsidized child care program for three years after having worked herself off of welfare.


“I don't want to be on welfare,” she said. “I feel like I've come so far and now they're taking this from me and knocking me back down.”


Metcalf said she doesn't know if she can work and afford child care. “I don't know what I'm going to do. I really don't.”


Care providers worry about children, families


While parents are wondering how to make ends meet and care for their children, local child care providers are looking on with concerns for the impacted families as well.


Terrie Sullivan, whose Precious Moments Preschool in Lakeport has 40 children in three classes, said she anticipates losing two of those children because of the cut in funding.


Sullivan, a child care provider for 33 years, said she's watching parents struggle with choices that will have long-term effects on their children, who are the innocent victims of the governor's action.


Like the parents, Sullivan said providers received very short notice of the changes.


One mother Sullivan knows is facing having to take her 4-year-old and place her in kindergarten early, which Sullivan said may be the mother's only choice, yet could lead to learning problems for the child.


When the 4-year-old child came to her and said, “I can't come here anymore,” Sullivan said, “I had to go in the bathroom and cry.”


She added that she is “extremely, extremely distraught about it” and is waking up at night.


Sullivan said she is willing to offer discounts to parents, but they can't even afford the care services then. She can fill the empty slots, “but I can't help these children,” she added.


“I think there's something wrong with our system when they pay you to bleed the system more,” said Sullivan, who also decried state prisoners having access to the Internet.


She said the tax dollars are well spent if parents are being encouraged to work and make a better life for their children, rather that being forced onto welfare. “We all know children learn by example.”


Kim Beall has run Sunshine Family ChildCare in Lakeport since 1994, offering both daycare and preschool to local children.


Like Sullivan, Beall worries about the parents and children she's worked with for so long. Of the roughly 17 children she serves, she will lose six because of the cuts. Three of those children she said she has had in her care since they were babies.


“The impact is substantial considering that it's mainly affecting those people who are trying to do something to improve their lives,” she said.


Beall says she's watching parents who are trying to go to school and improve their lives have to choose to choose to quit their jobs at a time when jobs are a gift.


With many people out of work now, the need for child care has been reduced, so it's also tough on providers, but Beall said it's tougher on the affected families.


“It's making it impossible for them to move forward,” she said. “These are families where that was their main goal.”


Beall said the cuts, to her, signify that lawmakers – in this case, Schwarzenegger – are far removed from the people whose lives they're affecting.


Some of the state's lawmakers are seeking a way to help those families who need it.


Chesbro said one of the interim solutions the Legislature is proposing to restore the family would include asking the California First Five Commission to provide tobacco tax money to help support the program.


The state Assembly also has accumulated savings from internal budget cuts, and a portion of that money could be used to help, he said.


“That's not a long-term solution, that would just get us through the end of the year,” Chesbro explained.


He said there is hope among legislators that they can do a veto override on Schwarzenegger's action. There's also prospect that whoever is elected governor in November will see the program makes financial sense, he added.


While the Legislature works out those issues, Sedrick and her staff are urging affected families to call state officials to voice their concerns.


Shepherd, Brusha, Stark and Metcalf said they're doing just that, working on e-mails and letters and talking to other parents and their family members to seek support.


“Hopefully we can do something,” Shepherd 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 and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .

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