UKIAH, Calif. – Veterinarian/author Richard Perce will premiere his first novel, The High Country, on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. in Room 5310 at Mendocino College.

Perce, who is currently a veterinarian based out of Sonoma County, spent several years crafting the novel which is set in the “high country” of Colorado.

The Friends of the Mendocino College Library is sponsoring the event and will provide light refreshments following the event.

Perce will be on hand to answer additional questions and to sign copies of the new book.

The High Country follows Clay Williams, a 30-year-old racetrack veterinarian whose career ends suddenly and he finds himself in the high country of Steamboat Springs, Colo., in the 1970s.

What Clay finds is a cast of colorful characters from ranchers and Realtors, as well as plumbers and police, and he is transformed by both the clients and patients that inhabit Routt County. Filled with humor and emotion, Perce’s debut is impressive.

Dr. Richard Perce was raised in New Mexico and attended the University of Arizona before graduating from Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine.

He practiced in the “high country” for almost 20 years before moving to Northern California. He now resides with his wife, Chari, in the wine country where he maintains a full time equine practice.

Currently, Perce is working on his second novel, “Above Timberline.”

This reading launches the spring reading series that will precede LitFest on May 19 of this year.

For more information, contact the Mendocino College Library at 707-468-3051 or visit www.mendocino.edu.

The Friends of the Mendocino College are an affiliate group of the Mendocino College Foundation, and they are in their eighth year sponsoring literary activities at the college.

NOTICE OF PROPOSED MITIGATED NEGATIVE

DECLARATION AND PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the County of Lake, State of California, will hold a public hearing for Minor Modification 11-03 to Minor Use Permit 08-24 to allow up to 36 special events annually and a weekly farmers’ market on property located at 13888 Point Lakeview Drive, Lower Lake. Amplified sound is not proposed.

The project applicant is the Clay Shannon of Vigilance Vineyards.

The Planning Commission will consider adoption of a mitigated negative declaration for this project based on Initial Study IS 11–25.

The proposed mitigated negative declaration, initial study and all documents referenced in it will be available for review at the Community Development Department in the Lake County Courthouse, 255 North Forbes Street, Lakeport, California, twenty (20) days before the hearing, and the staff report will be available ten (10) days before the hearing.

The Planner processing this application is Peggy Barthel, (707) 263-2221 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The public hearing will be held in the Board of Supervisors’ Chamber in the Courthouse on January 12, 2012 at 9:10 AM, at which time and place interested persons may attend and be heard.

If you challenge the action of the Planning Commission on any of the above stated items in court, it may be limited to only those issues raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Lake County Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Richard Coel, Director

By: ______________________________________

Danae Bowen, Office Assistant III

 

 

 

A phone call to my mother inspired the dish I’m eating now, namely a rich, succulent roasted winter squash filled with butter, honey and some finely chopped walnuts. It’s the perfect meal for a chilly evening when one doesn’t wish to fuss much with dinner.

Other than the butter (which hails from nearby Sonoma County), all ingredients are Lake County grown.

The little Japanese squash is from one of my treks to Leonardis Organics in Kelseyville; the raw honey is produced by R. B. Landrum of Clearlake and was a summertime farmers’ market purchase; and the walnuts were a recent gift, gathered by a friend in her Clearlake neighborhood.

I love all manner of nuts, and walnuts are my favorite. They seem to go with everything, including my winter squash meal, adding a nice crunch and satisfying texture to the sweet softness of the dish.

Almost all walnuts cultivated in the U.S. are one variety or another of English walnuts, which in Britain are called Persian walnuts or common walnuts. These are native to an area from the Balkans eastward to the Himalayas and southwest China. The ancient realm of Persia is included in this swath of land, hence the name Persian walnut.

It is said that walnuts are the oldest tree food known to man, dating back to 7,000 B.C.

Walnuts were reserved for royalty in ancient Persia, and the ancient Romans greatly revered them, calling them Jupiter’s royal acorn, a reference to one of the most powerful gods in the mythology of their culture.

Walnuts were traded along the ancient Silk Road between Asia and the Middle East. Eventually ships carried walnuts throughout the known world, further spreading their popularity.

Because English merchant marines transported walnuts for trade to world ports, these beloved nuts became known as English walnuts. Ironically, walnuts were never grown commercially in England.

Another species of walnut, the black walnut, is native to North America, with varieties that grow in both the east and west. The Eastern black walnut grows wild throughout eastern North America, and the California black walnut, also known as the California walnut, is endemic to California.

Black walnuts were gathered and consumed by American Indians.

The shell is far more difficult to crack than the English walnut’s thinner one, and the extraction of the nut is also harder.

Black walnuts are harvested in the wild (with 65 percent coming from Missouri) and are shelled commercially for use in foods, particularly ice cream, baked goods, and sweets. Their taste is more robust than that of English walnuts.

Black walnuts are not generally cultivated; however, English walnuts are often grafted onto black walnut root stock to promote a hardier tree for commercial farming.

A lesser known species of walnut, also native to North America, is the white walnut, or butternut. Not often used in food, its light wood is utilized for furniture.

English walnuts flourish in California’s Mediterranean-like climate, something discovered by the Franciscan fathers who were the first to cultivate them here in the late 1700s.

Now the Golden State accounts for a full 90 percent of the nation’s walnut crop. 99 percent of these are grown in California’s Central Valley, with much of the remaining 1 percent grown in Lake County.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake County’s walnuts are particularly prized because of their lighter color. This is due to the county’s high elevations that bring cooler summer temperatures than in the Central Valley. Buyers pay a premium for the higher quality of Lake County walnuts.

According to the “Lake County Food Guide” at www.co.lake.ca.us, there were 2,160 acres of walnuts in Lake County in 2008, bringing more than a million dollars of income into the county. As with the county’s pear crop, much of walnut cultivation is giving way to winegrapes.

I love tossing walnuts in salads, pasta dishes, sauces, all kinds of baked goods, and veggies to add flavor and texture.

I add them to risotto and quiche, toss them with rice, sprinkle them on soup or yogurt, and combine them with dried fruit, spices, and honey to make a flavorful topping for creamy brie cheese.

They’ve been the star in miniature tarts, make a fine substitute for pine nuts in pesto, and are a must-have ingredient in homemade granola.

Toasting walnuts intensifies their flavor and I often take the time to do this before adding them to dishes.

My preferred method is to toast them in a dry sauté pan on the stovetop, stirring or tossing them to ensure even toasting.

They may also be roasted in the oven in a shallow pan, which takes a bit longer than the direct heat of a stovetop burner.

Be sure to watch them carefully in either case, as there’s a fine line between perfectly toasted and burned nuts.

One you begin to smell them they’re close to being done, so keep your eye on them like a hawk on a field mouse.

Rosemary walnuts are one of my favorite savory snacks and are very easily made. Combine walnuts, a handful of roughly chopped rosemary, and some olive oil (local, if you’ve got it) in a pan on the stovetop.

Go through the procedure described above for toasting the walnuts, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste as you go.

Put them out at a party, store them away in a sealed container, or give them away as gifts. They’re good with a hearty Cabernet, and believe me, they won’t last long. You might want to hide a batch just for you.

If you’d like an interesting (and healthier, in my opinion) substitute for a traditional graham cracker crust, try one made with walnuts and a bit of brown sugar. I use about two tablespoons brown sugar to a few handfuls of walnuts for a subtly sweet crust. The sugar may be eliminated if the crust is for a savory dish, such as quiche or a mushroom pie.

Simply toss the walnuts (and the sugar, if you’re using it) into a food processor and pulse until the walnuts have become the consistency of fine crumbs. Be careful not to overdo it, as you may end up with walnut butter instead.

The high oil content of the nuts will make it easy to press into a pie pan, rendering added butter unnecessary.

And speaking of high oil content, walnuts should be stored properly or their oils may become rancid. Shelled walnuts should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge, or they may be frozen for up to a year.

Some people also store their unshelled walnuts in the fridge, but if kept in a cool, dry, dark place, they should be good for at least six months.

Walnut oil has a lovely taste and a light, delicate consistency. Its fresh flavor is short-lived, so is best when used quickly after opening. It makes a wonderful vinaigrette, especially when combined with Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and parsley, but is not good for cooking because of its low smoke point.

The health benefits of walnuts are copious, and scientific research indicates they improve bone and heart health, benefit cognitive function, positively impact those with diabetes, and protect against some forms of cancer.

Walnuts are one of the best plant sources of protein, and are rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol.

Walnuts have significantly higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids than other nuts; in fact, a handful of walnuts provides as much of it as a serving of salmon.

They’re also rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium and antioxidants such as vitamin E.

One of my favorite flavor companions for walnuts is mushrooms. They’re wonderful together in my opinion, and today’s recipe incorporates both in a delicious stuffed mushroom hors d’oeuvre. These are always a crowd pleaser and are fun for holiday parties. (I always make a double batch.)

The best part about eating walnuts (next to their flavor and crunch) is knowing how good they are for you. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mushrooms stuffed with walnuts and cheese

12 medium-sized mushroom caps

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

½ cup finely chopped yellow onion

2 tablespoon coarsely chopped walnuts

1 garlic clove, peeled

5 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thoroughly defrosted and squeezed dry

1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled

1 ounce Gruyere or Fontina cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Remove the mushroom stems and save for another use. (They’re great in homemade vegetable stock and can be frozen for this purpose.) Wipe the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel and set aside.

Heat the olive oil and butter together in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, covered, until tender and lightly covered, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Add the walnuts and garlic to the onion and cook for another minute. Add the spinach and cook for another five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in the cheeses, dill, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the mushrooms, cavity side up, in a baking dish. Divide the spinach mixture evenly among the mushroom caps.

Set the baking dish on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Bake until the filling is browned and the mushrooms are thoroughly heated, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Twelve mushrooms is typically three or four hors d’oeuvre portions.

Recipe courtesy of “The Silver Palate Cookbook” by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.

Esther Oertel, the “Veggie Girl,” is a culinary coach and educator and is passionate about local produce. Oertel 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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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Seventy years and more than 2,000 miles separate four Lake County men from the attack on Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor, but as they gathered on Wednesday to commemorate the history-changing incident, it was clear that time and distance haven’t dimmed its power over their memories.

The Pearl Harbor Survivors Chapter 23 North, Lake and Mendocino Counties, hosted its annual remembrance ceremony in Lakeport Wednesday morning.

The event began with the raising of the American flag at the group’s memorial mast in Library Park and a rifle volley by the United Veterans Council’s Military Funeral Honors Team before it moved across the street into the warmer confines of Lakeport City Hall, where the council chambers were filled with community members who came to mark the day.

Master of ceremonies and honorary survivor Ronnie Bogner of Clearlake Oaks, who along with wife Janeane organizes the annual ceremonies, seated the survivors and sweethearts in places of honor at the front of the chamber.

All four of Lake County’s remaining Pearl Harbor survivors were in attendance this year: Clarence “Bud” Boner, USS Tennessee; Bill Slater, USS Pennsylvania; Henry Anderson, USS Tennessee; and Walter Urmann, USS Blue.

They were joined by two “sweethearts,” the affectionate title given to the widows of survivors: Alice Darrow, whose husband Dean served aboard the USS West Virginia and died in 1991; and Vanya Leighton, whose husband Fred – who died in 2008 – was aboard the USS Ramsay.

Also seated with the group was child survivor Jackie Wages, whose family lived on the naval base at Pearl Harbor. Her father worked on the base, and received a citation for bravery from President Franklin Roosevelt.

Adding to the occasion’s solemnity was the fact, as Ronnie Bogner pointed out, that the local roster of Pearl Harbor Survivors has been nearly cut in half over the last 13 months.

In November 2010 Clearlake Oaks resident Chuck Bower, who served at the US Sub Base at Pearl Harbor, died.

Then, in January of this year, Jim Harris of Lucerne, the local survivors group’s president who as a teenager had served aboard the destroyer tender USS Dobbin and who later was at the D-Day landing in Normandy, died.

Floyd Eddy of Kelseyville, who served aboard the mine sweeper USS Trever, died in May.

Because of fewer members and the advancing age of its leadership, the national Pearl Harbor Survivors Association announced on Wednesday that it would disband on Dec. 31, according to media reports from the ceremony in Hawaii.

Powerful memories of the day

Slater, the “kid” of the local survivors group who every year attends the ceremony with a bloody Mary in hand, recounted being on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania before having to go below deck on an errand.

“The one bomb that hit the ship was right where I was standing,” he said.

The bomb killed 24 men, according to Slater.

Boner, who was in the USS Tennessee’s third turret, also would have to go below deck, where he would remain until after 3:30 p.m. that day, seven and a half hours after the attack began.

Darrow, who graduated from nursing school in 1941, said the military was looking for young nurses, and she eventually decided to enlist in the Navy.

“The boys were the cutest,” she said.

She served at a medical facility on Mare Island, where her future husband was brought for treatment.

He had been blown off the USS West Virginia during the attack. As he was being picked up by a small boat, the Japanese planes strafed the water, with a bullet lodging in his heart.

While he passed out, he later was checked by doctors and released back to duty, only to pass out every time he ran to his station, she explained.

It was later discovered that he had a bullet in his heart, and while doctors believed they could remove it, in 1942 heart surgery was rarely done.

However, Dean Darrow got the young nurse to agree to go on holiday with him if he survived, and when he woke up from surgery he reminded her of her promise.

“He always said the best thing he got out of the Navy was his nurse,” she said, showing off the bullet doctors removed from his heart.

Urmann recalled that his ship, the USS Blue, a 1,500-ton destroyer, was anchored 1,000 yards from Ford Island and Battleship Row, where the USS Arizona sat.

He was on watch that Sunday morning and was acting as messenger when the attack began shortly before 8 a.m.

“It was a beautiful morning,” he said, remembering how he heard an explosion on Ford Island.

He said a Japanese pilot flying low overhead waved at him.

It took Urmann and his shipmates 40 minutes to get the Blue going and out of the harbor. While they were trying to get out, the Arizona blew up.

“I didn’t see it but I heard it,” he said of the Arizona.

He said the Blue blew up a Japanese submarine and would go searching for more Japanese but didn’t find them, and returned to the harbor the next day, a Monday.

“We couldn’t believe the debris and the damage we saw,” he said. “It was terrible.”

Urmann would be aboard the Blue when it was hit by a Japanese torpedo in the Solomon Islands in August 1942.

Despite attempts to tow the Blue in for repairs, historical accounts said the ship kept parting towlines and settling deeper into the water, and her crew was finally evacuated. After earning five battle stars in the war she was scuttled and sunk on Aug. 23, 1941.

Help from back home

Kelseyville resident Steve Davis, the retired commander of the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake office, was the Wednesday ceremony’s guest speaker.

Davis’ father and grandfather were employed in Bethlehem Steel’s San Pedro shipyard during the war, father and son working on a total of 26 destroyers until the war’s end.

With steel at a premium, that material was kept for the ships’ hulls and structure, while the insides of the ships were finished with wood, Davis explained.

He carried with him one of his father’s prized possessions, a tattered notebook filled with the measurements of every wooden item from the ships’ interior, measuring everything from cots to latrine lids.

The soldier and sailors fighting the war had a lot of help from those back home, Davis said.

“When called upon it takes a lot of heroes to save a nation under attack,” he added.

As a result of that kind of collaboration, he pointed out, “We are still free.”

As part of the day’s ceremony, Urmann led the singing of the national anthem and “God Bless America,” and the names of Lake County’s Pearl Harbor Survivors Association members who have died were read, with a bell tolled for each of them.

In honor of the 70th anniversary, Gov. Jerry Brown issued a proclamation and declared Wednesday “Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.”

“Seventy years ago today, the Imperial Japanese Navy mounted a surprise attack on our nation’s fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii,” the proclamation stated. “This assault opened the struggle for control of the Pacific that would claim the lives of over 100,000 Americans. In a speech to Congress the following day, President Roosevelt gave the seventh of December, 1941, its immortal name: “a date which will live in infamy.

“Today, while still deploring the treachery of one country attacking another without provocation, we remember with awe the valor of those who defended Pearl Harbor, and the many more who answered their country’s call in the ensuing mobilization. The 2,402 members of the armed forces who gave their lives that day will always live in our hearts as true American heroes,” Brown’s proclamation said.

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

The video above is from December 2010 shows some of Lake County’s Pearl Harbor survivors, including Walter Urmann and Bill Slater, visiting the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor during the 69th anniversary. Ronnie and Janeane Bogner led a group of survivors on the trip. "Everything in life is luck," Slater noted, explaining how he had to go below deck and while he was down there, the only bomb that hit his ship, the USS Pennsylvania, struck right where he had been standing, killing 24 other men. Sweetheart Alice Darrow, whose husband Dean served on the USS West Virginia, shared how he was shot in the heart and survived.

SACRAMENTO – California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross announced opportunity to serve as a reviewer on the 2012 Specialty Crop Block Grant Technical Review Committee.

The role of the Technical Review Committee is to review, evaluate and make recommendations on proposals to fund projects that will ensure the continued competitiveness of California specialty crops.

CDFA forwards recommendations along to USDA, which funds the block grants through the federal Farm Bill. Individuals interested in serving on the Technical Review Committee are urged to apply by Dec. 16 at 5 p.m.

Up to $17 million will be allocated to California specialty crops, which are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture).

The Specialty Crop Technical Review Committee will consist of individuals who are interested in specialty crops and who may represent government and nongovernment organizations.

Members receive no compensation and are required to complete CDFA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Conflict of Interest form, and the Fair Political Practices Commission’s Statement of Economic Interests form.

Technical Review Committee members are entitled to reimbursement for necessary traveling expenses in accordance with the rules of the California Department of Personnel Administration.

The timeframe for reviewing proposals is between January 2012 and June 2012. The first meeting will be held Mid-January 2012.

By establishing the Technical Review Committee, CDFA is adhering to the Specialty Crop Competitiveness Act, which encourages the development of state plans through a competitive process to ensure maximum public input and benefit.

Individuals seeking consideration should include a letter of interest, which includes a short bio and statement of qualifications identifying two Areas of Emphasis to work on behalf of California’s specialty crop industry.

For a description of the Areas of Emphasis please view the Notice of Funding Availability posted on CDFA’s website at www.cdfa.ca.gov/grants.

The letter of interest should be addressed to Crystal Myers and sent via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

 

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Community members will pause to mark the 70th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack this week.

Pearl Harbor Survivors Chapter 23 North, Lake and Mendocino Counties will host the ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Mast in Library Park on Park Street in Lakeport.

It will then move across the street to the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St., from 9:15 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Steve Davis, the retired commander of the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake office, will be the guest speaker.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor – which occurred on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941 – killed more than 2,400 people, most of them members of the US military but also some civilians at the base in Hawaii.

 

A special invitation is extended to Pearl Harbor survivors and the public to attend.

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