COBB, Calif. – A community group that has advocated for the preservation of the Cobb area has reorganized.
Hamilton Hess, chairman of the Friends of Cobb Mountain, said the group has reincorporated under a tax-exempt nonprofit status.
Hess said the environmental organization, incorporated with the state in 1975, previously had as its actual membership only its board of directors. When the group met, only the directors and invited consultants could attend.
Friends of Cobb Mountain recently applied for – and received – tax-free status for financial donations, Hess said.
However, to complete the process, Hess said the group was required to disincorporate from its earlier status and then reincorporate under the conditions of AB 501.c.3.
The new status is now in effect. The California Attorney General’s charities registry showed that Friends of Cobb Mountain was granted its charitable registration on Sept. 7.
Hess said the Friends of Cobb Mountain’s goal is the preservation and enhancement of the natural environment of the Cobb region, focusing mainly on the control of negative impacts on water quality, air quality, noise, and visual effects from the activities of the geothermal and logging industries.
“Ideally this is accomplished with the cooperation of county state and federal agencies together with that of the industries themselves,” he said.
In June, the group settled a lawsuit with the county of Lake over the certification of the environmental impact report for the Bottle Rock Steam Power Project, which it alleged that the county approved in violation of state law. Details of the settlement agreement can be found at http://bit.ly/K4t8ej .
The objective of reducing the frequency and magnitude of the earthquakes caused by geothermal production and water injection is always on the agenda, Hess said, and again with the cooperation of earthquake scientists and the geothermal industry, “but the matter is complicated and progress toward reduction is slow.”
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – One of Clear Lake’s native species is the focus of new state and federal Endangered Species Act applications submitted on Tuesday.
Estimating that the Clear Lake hitch’s numbers have plummeted from millions to, more recently, a few thousand, the Center for Biological Diversity on Tuesday petitioned to protect the hitch – a large minnow found only in Clear Lake and its tributaries – under both the federal Endangered Species Act and the state’s Endangered Species Act.
The fish, once a staple food for the region’s Pomo tribes, has been tracked closely in recent years by local tribes and the Chi Council for the Clear Lake Hitch. As the fish’s habitat has dramatically changed their numbers have seen a precipitous decline.
The Clear Lake hitch has long been an important part of the lake’s natural and cultural heritage of Clear Lake but, if it’s to survive for future generations, Jeff Miller of the Center for Biological Diversity said the fish needs to be put on the pathway to recovery, which means it needs to be protected and have its habitat restored.
Miller said the center has been looking at the hitch for about five years.
There is precedent for the disappearance of a local fish species – Miller pointed out that the Clear Lake hitch’s closest relative, the Clear Lake splittail, became extinct in the 1970s through habitat alterations that dried out spawning streams and barriers that prevented fish migration.
“Fisheries and biologists have been warning about the Clear Lake hitch going the same way,” he said. The fish also has been on a California Department of Fish and Game watch list for decades.
Over the last couple of years, with the continuing decline in spawning runs and the dropping number of fish, Miller said the group decided to act and give the fish “a fighting chance.”
The Center for Biological Diversity’s petition proposes recovery measures for hitch, such as removing or retrofitting barriers to fish migration, improving instream water flows, restoring fish to former spawning streams and reducing predation by invasive fish near the mouths of spawning streams.
The center also is proposing that the hitch be reintroduced into Blue Lakes after it’s determined what caused the fish population there to die. He said so far he’s not aware of studies being done on the previous Blue Lakes hitch population.
“I think it’s necessary,” said Paula Britton, environmental director of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, of the proposed Endangered Species listing.
Britton’s work for the tribe includes study of the hitch. One of their projects includes tagging the fish, – she said they’re still tabulating results from last year’s tagging work – and they hope to initiate habitat surveys.
At Big Valley Rancheria, Environmental Director Sarah Ryan said the tribe has given input on the application, and has provided Miller and the Center for Biological Diversity information over the past few years, as has the Chi Council.
“I think it’s probably a positive step because the hitch are declining pretty badly at this point,” she said.
Peter Windrem, president of the Chi Council, said the group was unaware that the Center for Biological Diversity was planning to file the petitions for protection.
He said the group was meeting Wednesday afternoon, and he deferred further comment until he had a chance to discuss the matter with the rest of the council.
Tom Smythe, an engineer with Lake County Water Resources who also sits on the Chi Council, said the petitions weren’t a complete surprise. “There’s been discussion of this for a couple of years.”
He said there are pluses and minuses to a potential Endangered Species listing for the Clear Lake hitch.
On the plus side, it could provide funding for habitat restoration for the hitch, which isn’t a game fish and so doesn’t have much of that funding available. Miller also believes projects like the Middle Creek restoration would likely gain funding as a result of the listing.
Among the minuses, said Smythe, is the potential for the permitting process to become much worse, “even if you’re trying to help the habitat.”
Theoretically, the listing shouldn’t add complications to the Middle Creek restoration project, although there is the possibility, Smythe said, adding that a listing would potentially affect any project that impacts local streams.
Miller said that any projects under way currently, whether beneficial or harmful, would likely be unaffected due to the time it will take for a listing decision to be made.
He said restoration projects, scientific monitoring and tribal harvests of fish “are usually permitted within the framework of listings” as long as there is a conservation component to them.
Changes in habitat threaten fish
“The Clear Lake basin and its tributaries have been dramatically altered by urban development and agriculture,” the Center for Biological Diversity states in its petitions. “Much of the former stream and wetlands habitat suitable for hitch has been destroyed or degraded, and barriers that impede hitch migration have been built in many streams which formerly had spawning.”
The petitions continue, “Hitch can no longer reach the majority of former spawning areas, and are forced to spawn opportunistically in ditches and wet meadows during high flows. In recent years, hitch have been able to spawn in significant numbers in only two streams, Kelsey Creek and Adobe Creek, both located in the Big Valley drainage.”
The hitch spawn has become “sensitive to very localized events,” and, as such, “a toxic spill or water use issues of limited size could results in spawn failure for the entire population,” according to the petitions.
The petitions found no local ordinances or regulations to protect the fish.
While the 2008 Lake County General Plan’s goals and policies seek to ensure the protection of sensitive species, limit encroachment into sensitive habitats and protect riparian corridors, the petitions suggested it didn’t go far enough.
The center said the general plan “only superficially mentions the Clear Lake hitch as a state species of concern. The plan contain goals and policies aimed at protecting water quality and biological resources, but some of the policies are couched in qualifiers such as ‘should’ or ‘shall consider’ and ‘whenever possible.’”
Historically, the hitch spawned in all of Clear Lake’s tributaries. Now, however, due to a variety of impacts – changes in creek habitat, migration barriers, water pumping, in-channel mining, pollution and predation by non-native fish – they’re found spawning only in Kelsey and Adobe creeks.
The Endangered Species Act petitions also raise another future concern. “Increased drought and rapid climate change due to global warming will likely accelerate this trend, causing further spawning failures.”
In the last spring hitch run, Ryan said they found that while the hitch were spawning, there was not enough water in the creeks, such as Adobe Creek, for them to make it back to Clear Lake.
Ryan said that an Endangered Species listing could lead to changed water usage in the creeks, making sure that the fish have the water they need.
“The intent is not to stop projects and not to stop progress and things that are already being planned,” said Ryan, pointing to the Endangered Species Act’s goal of preserving heritage species populations.
If there are actions or activities that are affecting hitch being able to survive and thrive, Ryan said they will have to be modified in conjunction with the act.
Smythe said he’s noted a decline in hitch populations over the past 25 years.
During the spring spawn in 2011, which was a wet year, Smythe said the hitch were seen in streams where their presence hadn’t been noted in years.
However, this year, with late rain – and less rain overall – the hitch were harder to find, he said.
“We don’t really have good data this year because it’s hard to see them in a muddy stream,” Smythe said, adding that, overall, the hitch spawn “looked pretty poor.”
The Endangered Species listing process “takes a lot longer than it should,” said Miller.
There will be a 90 day finding, but Miller said that step rarely is as quick as three months. After that, there is a yearlong status review that’s similar in both the state and federal process.
During the status review, Miller said the government will collect information from stakeholders, hold public hearings and take public comment, followed by a Federal Register notice if the listing is granted.
“Optimistically, you’re looking at a couple of years,” Miller said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
California Attorney General Kamala Harris on Tuesday announced that claim forms will be sent to approximately 432,584 California borrowers who lost their homes to foreclosure between Jan. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2011, and may be eligible for a settlement payment under the $25 billion national mortgage foreclosure settlement.
Borrowers receiving the claim forms had mortgages serviced by Ally/GMAC, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, the servicers that agreed to the settlement with the federal government and attorneys general of 49 states and the District of Columbia.
The settlement, which was signed by the Court in April 2012, earmarked approximately $1.5 billion in payments for 2 million borrowers nationwide. The actual payment amount will depend upon the total number of borrowers who decide to participate. Payment checks are expected to be mailed in mid-2013.
Last week, the national settlement administrator mailed notification postcards to eligible borrowers across the nation.
In California, packets containing a letter from the California Department of Justice, a claim form and answers to frequently asked questions are being mailed to eligible borrowers starting this week and continuing through October 12.
Eligible California borrowers should complete the claim form and return it as soon as possible in the envelope provided, or file the claim form online at www.nationalmortgagesettlement.com . The deadline for all claims is Jan. 18, 2013.
The one-page claim forms are simple to complete. Borrowers who have questions or need help filing a claim should contact the settlement administrator, toll-free, at 866-430-8358, or send questions by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . The information line is staffed Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.
Eligible borrowers do not need to prove financial harm to receive a payment, nor do they give up their rights to pursue a lawsuit against their mortgage servicer or to participate in the Independent Foreclosure Review Process being conducted by federal bank regulators. More information about that program is available at www.independentforeclosurereview.com .
Eligible borrowers may receive payment from this settlement even if they participate in another foreclosure claims process. However, any payment received may reduce payments that a borrower may be eligible to receive in any other foreclosure claim process or legal proceeding.
Borrowers who believe they may qualify for a payment, but did not receive a notice because they have moved, should contact the settlement administrator, toll-free, at 866-430-8358, or send an updated address by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . The line is staffed Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.
Attorney General Harris also is warning all homeowners to be aware of settlement-related scams. Do not provide personal information or pay money to anyone who calls or emails and claims to provide settlement-related assistance. The official claim form does not ask for personal financial information. If you believe someone is conducting a settlement-related scam, please file an online complaint with the Attorney General’s Public Inquiry Unit at http://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general .
The national settlement followed state and federal investigations, which alleged that the five mortgage servicers routinely signed foreclosure-related documents outside the presence of a notary public and without personal knowledge that the facts contained in the documents were correct.
This civil law enforcement action also alleged that the servicers committed widespread errors and abuses in their foreclosure processes.
The settlement resulted in broad reform of the mortgage servicing process, as well as financial relief for borrowers who are still in their homes via direct loan modification relief, including principal reduction.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Although there were no new wildland fires in Lake County on Tuesday, concerned residents reported seeing smoke and haze in the air basin.
Their senses weren’t deceiving them: a new intrusion of wildland fire smoke – this time from several states away – was coming into the area.
Lake County Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said the source of the smoke is a major wildland fire in northern Idaho and parts of western Montana.
A NASA/MODIS satellite image posted above shows the smoke making its way down from Idaho, through Washington, Oregon and into Northern California.
The image shows that the smoke appears to be originating from the area of Idaho’s biggest wildland fire, the lightning-caused Mustang Complex in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, burning just over the Montana sate line.
On Tuesday the fire was at 336,744 acres, with 25 percent containment, according to the US Forest Service.
Gearhart the smoke from Idaho has been passing into the air basin for several days.
“It actually affected our air quality on Friday,” he said, noting that while it didn’t cause state health standards to be exceeded, particulate level was raised.
Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells, who confirmed to Lake County News that there were no reports of new fires in the county on Tuesday, also cited a pressure system moving over Northern California as a contributing factor to moving the smoke to the county.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
NORTH COAST, Calif. – A 4.5-magnitude earthquake shook the Mendocino and Lake County areas on Tuesday morning.
The quake occurred at 8:15 a.m. two miles north of Talmage, three miles east northeast of Ukiah and 14 miles west of Upper Lake, according to the US Geological Survey. It was recorded at a depth of 6.2 miles.
The US Geological Survey had received 285 shake reports from 26 zip codes by 9:30 a.m.
Reports came from up and down the coast, as well as Kelseyville, Lakeport, Nice, Upper Lake and Witter Springs.
The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday morning that no reports of damage had yet been made.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Unemployment numbers reported for August showed slight improvements in Lake County, and across California and the nation.
The California Employment Development Department’s latest report put Lake County’s unemployment rate at 14 percent in August, down from 14.7 percent in July and 15.6 percent in August 2011.
The statewide unemployment rate for August was 10.6 percent, down just slightly from the 10.7 percent rate reported in July and the 11.9 percent rate for August 2011, the agency reported.
Nationwide, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that unemployment in August was 8.1 percent, down from 8.3 percent in July and 9.1 percent in August 2011.
Dennis Mullins of the Employment Development Department’s North Coast Region Labor Market Information Division said Lake County’s wage and salary employment increased 430 jobs between July and August. Farm jobs accounted for the bulk of the increase, thanks to the summer harvest of important local products like pears.
For the year over, Lake is down 220 jobs with government accounting for over three-fourths of the cutbacks. Six industry sectors gained or were unchanged over the year and five declined, Mullins said.
He said year-over job growth occurred in trade, transportation and utilities, +10; and private educational & health services, +20.
Industry sectors with no change over the year were farm, manufacturing, information and financial activities, Mullins said.
Industry sectors with decline over the year included mining, logging and construction, -30; professional and business services, -10; leisure and hospitality, -10; other services, -10 ; and government, -170, according to Mullins.
Lake County was ranked No. 45 among California’s 58 counties for its August unemployment rate. Neighboring counties showed the following rates: Colusa County, No. 54, 15.2 percent; Glenn, No. 51, 14.6 percent; Mendocino, No. 16, 9.3 percent; Napa, No. 4, 7.5 percent; Sonoma, No. 8. 8.3 percent; and Yolo, No. 22. 9.7 percent.
Details about California’s job picture
In August California’s nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 12,000 to 14,346,300, for a year-over-year change of 298,700 jobs and a total gain of 504,000 jobs since the recovery began in February 2010, according to data the Employment Development Department derived from two separate state and federal surveys.
The federal survey of households the agency uses, done with a smaller sample than the state survey of employers, showed a decrease in the number of employed people, estimating the number of Californians holding jobs in August was 16,404,000, a decrease of 38,000 from July, but up 203,000 from the employment total in August of last year.
The number of people unemployed in California was 1,935,000 – down by 27,000 over the month, and down by 243,000 compared with August of last year, the report showed.
EDD’s report on payroll employment (wage and salary jobs) in the nonfarm industries of California totaled 14,346,300 in August, a net gain of 12,000 jobs since the July survey. This followed a gain of 17,900 jobs, as revised, in July.
Six categories – construction; manufacturing; information; financial activities; educational and health services; and leisure and hospitality – added jobs over the month, gaining 23,300 jobs, according to the report. Educational and health services posted the largest increase over the month, adding 8,900 jobs.
Five categories – mining and logging; trade, transportation and utilities; professional and business services; other services; and government – reported job declines over the month, down 11,300 jobs. The report showed that government posted the largest decrease over the month, down 7,400 jobs.
The Employment Development Department said nine categories – mining and logging; construction; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services – posted job gains over the year, adding 329,100 jobs.
Of those categories, professional and business services posted the largest gains on a numerical basis, adding 103,200 jobs, up 4.8 percent. Construction posted the largest gains on a percentage basis, up 6.0 percent, adding 33,000 jobs, according to the jobs report.
Two categories, manufacturing and government, posted job declines over the year, down 30,400 jobs, the Employment Development Department report said. Government posted the largest decline on both a numerical and percentage basis, down by 23,400 jobs, a 1-percent decrease.
The Employment Development Department said there were 501,158 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the August survey week, compared with 518,605 in July and 543,089 in August of last year.
The agency said new claims for unemployment insurance were 51,467 in August, compared with 52,336 in July and 54,463 in August 2011.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed a bill that makes it easier for Californians to vote by allowing same-day voter registration.
Assembly Bill 1436, authored by Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles), allows same-day voter registration, giving Californians the right to vote with a provisional ballot if the conditional voter registration is deemed effective.
“Voting – the sacred right of every citizen – should be simple and convenient,” said Gov. Brown. “While other states try to restrict voters with new laws that burden the process, California allows voters to register online – and even on Election Day.”
A statement from Feuer’s office said AB 1436 is meant to increase voter turnout by allowing potential voters to register in the days preceding an upcoming election, including Election Day.
“This new law will help assure that all eligible Californians will have the chance to determine who speaks for them in Washington, Sacramento and their home towns,” said Feuer. “By recognizing the importance of increasing voter turnout in our state, we are improving the democratic process in California.”
Currently in California, voter affidavits must be hand-delivered or postmarked to a county elections office at least 15 days before the election. Exceptions are made for people who become U.S. citizens 7-14 days before Election Day. These individuals are allowed to register and vote up to seven days prior to the election.
Currently, 10 states allow some form of Election Day registration, including Connecticut, Idaho, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The provisions of AB 1436 will go into statute on Jan. 1, 2014, and the law will take effect when Vote Cal, the state’s federally mandated statewide voter database, is fully implemented by the Secretary of State’s office.
Last year, Gov. Brown signed Senate Bill 397 (Yee) allowing Californians to register to vote online.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris announced Monday that two bills that will make it more difficult for human traffickers to hide their assets have been signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.
Assembly Bill 2466, by Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley), ensures that criminal defendants involved in human trafficking will not dispose of assets that would otherwise be provided as restitution to victims.
Senate Bill 1133, by Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), expands the list of assets that a human trafficker must forfeit and provides a formula for using those resources to help victims of human trafficking. Both laws will take effect on January 1, 2013.
“With these new laws, California prosecutors and law enforcement officials will be able to seize assets of human traffickers, cripple their operations and aid victims,” said Harris. “Human trafficking is big business in California. It is a high profit criminal industry that is expanding rapidly across the globe, including here in California.”
Assembly Bill 2466 (Preservation of Assets for Victims of Human Trafficking), will help to ensure that more victims of human trafficking receive restitution.
Under California law, victims are entitled to mandatory restitution; however there are no laws to help prevent human trafficking defendants from liquidating and hiding their assets before conviction.
Assembly Bill 2466 will allow a court to order the preservation of the assets and property by persons charged with human trafficking.
“We need all hands on deck to confront trafficking,” Blumenfield said. “Trafficking is slavery. Now, the perpetrators of this despicable crime cannot game the system and keep their money when caught and convicted. Justice will come for victims.”
Senate Bill 1133 ensures that those convicted of human trafficking crimes involving minors will not be able to keep the financial benefits reaped from their unlawful activity.
The law expands the scope of property subject to forfeiture and provides a formula to redirect those resources to community groups that aid victims of human trafficking.
“Today we are one step closer to dismantling the economic infrastructure that convicted child sex traffickers rely on to continue to lure young people into the sex trade,” said Sen. Leno. “In addition to taking away the lucrative profits from these horrendous crimes, we are providing much-needed financial support for increased investigations and victim services.”
Attorney General Harris is committed to the fight against this fast-growing crime that deprives persons of basic human rights.
Harris cosponsored the California Human Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2005, which made human trafficking a felony in California. She also has served on the California Alliance to Combat Trafficking and Slavery Task Force.
Last Friday, Attorney General Harris and Mexico Attorney General Marisela Morales Ibáñez signed an accord to expand prosecutions and secure convictions of criminals who engage in the trafficking of human beings.
The accord will increase coordination of law enforcement resources targeting transnational gangs that engage in the sale and trafficking of human beings across the California-Mexico border.
It also calls for closer integration on human trafficking investigations between the two offices and the sharing of best practices for law enforcement to recognize instances of human trafficking and provide support and services to victims.
Human trafficking is estimated to be a $32 billion industry, the world’s third most profitable criminal enterprise behind drugs and arms trafficking.
Human trafficking involves the recruitment, smuggling, transporting, harboring, buying, or selling of a person for purposes of exploitation, prostitution, domestic servitude, sweatshop labor, migrant work, agricultural labor, peonage, bondage, or involuntary servitude.
While human trafficking often involves the smuggling of human beings across international borders, numerous Americans are trafficked around the United States ever year. Human trafficking strips people, especially women and children, of their freedom and violates our nation’s promise that every person in the United States is guaranteed basic human rights.
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A Clearlake Oaks man was arrested late last week for allegedly stabbing another man he had accused of being involved with his ex-girlfriend.
Daryl Eugene Ney, 51, was arrested following the stabbing, which occurred on the night of Thursday, Sept. 20, according to Sgt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Brooks said Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to an address in the 12000 block of Oak Grove Avenue in Clearlake Oaks shortly before 10 p.m. Sept. 20 on a report of a male subject who had been stabbed.
When deputies arrived they contacted the victim, who said Ney had stabbed him, Brooks said.
Brooks said the victim told deputies that he had been at Ney’s residence that evening, socializing with Ney and two additional occupants of the residence.
Ney left the residence to go to the store and returned a short time later, Brooks reported. When Ney entered the residence he noticed his ex-girlfriend was standing in the bathroom with the victim, and he accused them of having a sexual relationship.
Brooks said Ney became upset and starting fighting with the victim inside the residence. As the victim was attempting to leave the residence, Ney allegedly picked up two kitchen knives and told the victim that he was going to kill him.
Ney allegedly chased the victim who was attempting to escape the yard area and stabbed him once in the abdomen, Brooks said. According to witnesses, they could hear the victim yelling that he was hurt. Ney returned to the residence and allegedly was overheard saying that he had just stabbed the victim.
The victim was treated on scene by medical personnel from Northshore Fire Protection District’s Station 75. Brooks said the man later was transported out of county by air ambulance due to the seriousness of his injury.
The victim, who underwent surgery for his injuries, was reported to be recovering and was expected to be released from the hospital in a few days, Brooks said.
Ney was arrested for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, Brooks said.
He said Ney was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.
Jail records showed the Ney remained in custody on Monday, with bail set at $200,000. He was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in Lake County Superior Court.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is offering several young cats as well as some older cats for adoption this week.
The cats range in age from 4 months to 4 years old, with coats of varying color and length.
Cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed and microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Gray male tabby
This gray male tabby is 2 years old.
He has a medium-length coat, weighs nearly 9 pounds and is not yet neutered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 11a, ID No. 34357.
Domestic medium hair mix
This female domestic medium hair mix is 2 years old.
She has a black coat, weighs 6 pounds and is not yet spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 11b, ID, No. 34358.
Orange male tabby
This male orange tabby is 5 months old.
He weighs 4 pounds, has a short coat and has been neutered.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 15a, ID No. 34145.
Male orange tabby
This male orange tabby is 5 months old.
He is not yet altered, weighs 3.5 pounds and has a short coat.
He’s in cat room kennel 15b, ID No. 34146.
Domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix is of undetermined age.
She has a short coat and is not yet spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 15c, ID No. 34147.
Siamese tortie
This female Siamese tortie is 4 years old.
She has blue eyes and a short coat, weighs nearly 9 pounds and has been spayed.
She is in cat room kennel No. 31, ID No. 34313.
Domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix is of undetermined age.
She has blues eyes and a short white coat, and is not yet spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 46, ID No. 34385.
Female gray tabby
This female gray tabby is 4 months old.
She has a short coat and is not yet spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 49a, ID No. 34381.
Domestic short hair mix
This male domestic short hair mix is 4 months old.
He has a white coat and is not yet neutered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 49b, ID No. 34382.
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
A new report from the National Snow and Ice Data Center shows that as of this month arctic sea ice has dropped to what appears to be its lowest level in decades.
The findings, as of Sept. 16, showed that the sea ice extent dropped to 1.32 million square miles, the lowest seasonal minimum extent in the satellite record since 1979.
Officials said the findings reinforce the long-term downward trend in Arctic ice extent.
In response to the setting sun and falling temperatures, ice extent will now climb through autumn and winter. However, a shift in wind patterns or a period of late season melt could still push the ice extent lower.
The minimum extent was reached three days later than the 1979 to 2000 average minimum date of Sept. 13.
This year’s minimum was 293,000 square miles below the previous record minimum extent in the satellite record, which occurred on Sept. 18, 2007. This is an area about the size of the state of Texas.
The September 2012 minimum was in turn 1.27 million square miles below the 1979 to 2000 average minimum, representing an area nearly twice the size of the state of Alaska. This year’s minimum is 18 percent below 2007 and 49 percent below the 1979 to 2000 average.
Overall there was a loss of 4.57 million square miles of ice since the maximum extent occurred on March 20, 2012, which is the largest summer ice extent loss in the satellite record, more than one million square kilometers greater than in any previous year.
The six lowest seasonal minimum ice extents in the satellite record have all occurred in the last six years (2007 to 2012), the National Snow and Ice Data Center reported.
In contrast to 2007, when climatic conditions – winds, clouds, air temperatures – favored summer ice loss, this year’s conditions were not as extreme.
Summer temperatures across the Arctic were warmer than average, but cooler than in 2007. The most notable event was a very strong storm centered over the central Arctic Ocean in early August.
It is likely that the primary reason for the large loss of ice this summer is that the ice cover has continued to thin and become more dominated by seasonal ice. This thinner ice was more prone to be broken up and melted by weather events, such as the strong low pressure system just mentioned. The storm sped up the loss of the thin ice that appears to have been already on the verge of melting completely.
The spatial pattern of ice extent at this year’s seasonal minimum is different than that observed for 2007. This year the ice is more extensive in some parts of the central Arctic Ocean.
However, the ice is less extensive this year compared to 2007 in the Beaufort Sea, the western Laptev Sea, the East Greenland Sea, and parts of the Canadian Archipelago.
The Northern Sea Route opened around mid August this year, compared to 2007 when a tongue of ice extended to the coast, blocking the route throughout the summer.
I have fallen in love with a new flavor, one whose name belies its wicked deliciousness. Roasted sunflower butter is the culprit that has stolen my affection.
Full of nutrition, it does live up to that healthy-sounding name, but watch out, as it’s also sinfully flavorful and extravagant.
As a fan of all kinds of nut and seed butters – peanut, almond, cashew, sesame, you name it – I was a bit surprised that (at least for me) roasted sunflower butter eclipses each of them, and by a wide margin.
It’s so good that I’m actually salivating as I write. Believe me, if its creamy goodness were in the house, I’d be penning this with an oozing spoonful in my hand.
Nut butter aside, I simply love sunflowers just as flowers. Those big optimistic heads, the mad fringe of bright yellow, the towering stalks, the awkward weighty presence – all of this just does something to me.
In my mind they’re the dolphins of the plant world – here to remind us to lighten up a bit, to cultivate joy, to walk on the sunny side of life.
They spend the day following the sun after all, their heads turning to the warmth and light of our marvelous day star, and if that’s not a metaphor for living, I don’t know what is.
Acres of them are cultivated a county or two over along the I-5 corridor, and I always enjoy seeing their bright, bobbing heads stretch out over the fields as I trek up or down that otherwise monotonous stretch of highway. (To be honest, I feel rather disappointed if they’re out of season and unable to brighten my journey.)
This charmingly sanguine flora grows in many temperate regions of the world, including in North America, where the American Indians enjoyed them as a significant part of their diet for at least 3,000 (and possibly as many as 5,000) years. Not only did they use the seeds as a food and oil source, the flowers, roots, and stems were employed for varied purposes, including as a dye.
Sunflowers are thought to have originated in Mexico and Peru, and were one of the first plants cultivated in the United States.
They’re now beloved throughout the world, popular in areas as varied as the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean region, and Eastern Europe.
The world’s largest consumer of sunflower seeds is – surprisingly – Russia, mainly because of their love of sunflower oil, which is the cooking medium of choice in that country.
Sunflower seeds are between 20 – 50 percent oil, with the higher range belonging to seeds with black husks, known as black oil sunflower seeds. Sunflower varieties with these oil-rich seeds are also referred to as oilseed sunflower crops, as they’re typically grown for oil production.
Another 20 percent of the make-up of sunflower seeds is a high-quality protein, a benefit to us when we snack on them. When the seeds are pressed for oil, the by-product, a protein-rich meal, is used as livestock feed.
Sunflower seeds with striped husks are used primarily for food and therefore are called “confectionary” sunflower seeds.
They’re a great snack roasted or raw, and are also a wonderful addition to all kinds of baked goods, with my favorite sunflower-enhanced product being hearty whole grain bread.
My second favorite may be granola cereal or bars, as both benefit from the addition of these nutty seeds.
Sunflower seeds are great to have on hand to toss on salads and soups, as are gangly sunflower sprouts, which add heightened nutrition to food because of chemical changes that take place during the sprouting process. (Powerful enzymes are activated when plants sprout, and vitamin content is increased, in some cases fivefold or higher.)
There are a variety of other ways to add them creatively to foods. Toss them in pasta, over pizza, or into the filling for stuffed bell peppers. They’re great with strongly flavored cheeses and Greek-inspired flavorings.
Roll bite-sized soft cheese balls in them for a fun appetizer, or encrust meats such as lamb with the seeds.
In our house we toss them on all kinds of things – chili, baked potatoes, salads, soups.
A friend makes an immensely tasty salad dressing using sunflower butter, tossing it with apple cider vinegar and a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. It’s that simple, and it tastes fantastic on greens.
The fun thing about sunflowers seeds is that they may be harvested from flowers grown in your backyard. There are all types of sunflower plants, and though most develop a single large head atop a tall stalk, there are multi-headed and short stature varieties, too. Some have faces more than a foot across.
Seeds should be harvested when the flower heads have turned brown in back, the petals are dry, and the seeds are plump and mature. Allowing the sunflower heads to dry on the stalk is one option, but if you’re concerned that squirrels or birds will do a little harvesting themselves, you might consider cutting the heads off (with about 12 inches of stalk attached) and drying them in a garage or shed.
Another cure for unwelcome munching is to cover sunflower heads with a paper bag or cheesecloth. A paper bag may also be employed for catching seeds if drying upside down off the stalk.
After the harvest, seeds should be soaked in a salt water solution prior to roasting.
I found a great instructional video online about the logistics of harvesting and enjoying a backyard sunflower crop, and I’ve posted it below. If you’re considering growing your own sunflowers, the video should help a great deal with some harvesting and roasting basics.
It’s good to know there are very few insects that attack sunflowers, making them very easy to grow organically. They thrive almost anywhere that has sufficient sun and reasonable soil, making them an easy project for the home garden.
You’ll have access to other edible parts of sunflowers if growing them yourself. For example, their oversized flower buds may be steamed like artichokes and the petals can be used like calendula or chrysanthemum petals. (Try tossing them in salads.)
Sunflowers are so high in vitamin E that a one ounce handful provides a whopping 76 percent of our daily requirement. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that assists in preventing the build-up of plaque in our arteries.
The same serving provides access to needed minerals (25 percent of our requirement for copper and 20 percent of pantothenic acid, for example), as well as good stores of folate, vitamin B6, iron, zinc, and selenium.
As with other nuts and seeds, storage in an airtight container in the fridge is best, as high fat content can promote rancidity. Sunflower seeds (raw or roasted) may be frozen for up to a year.
If you’ve got raw hulled seeds and wish to roast them, the oven method works well. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for five to seven minutes in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven until slightly browned with a nutty aroma.
Today I offer two recipes, both from a lovely-sounding organization called the National Sunflower Association. The first, a muffin recipe, features carrots, golden raisins, and the heady flavor of cardamom as companions to sunflower seeds. Sunflower oil is also used in the recipe.
The second, caramelized sunflower kernels, makes a tasty treat to eat out of hand, but can be sprinkled over other foods, such as sweet potatoes or delicate acorn squash. My recommendation is to double or triple this recipe!
I’ll leave you with a quote from Helen Keller: “Keep your face to the sunshine and you can never see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.”
Enjoy, and happy Sunday!
Carrot-cardamom muffins
Sunflower oil for oiling muffin tins 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup cugar ½ teaspoon cardamom ½ cup golden raisins ¾ cup orange juice 1 cup finely grated carrots 1 egg 1 tablespoon sunflower oil ½ cup dry roasted, lightly salted sunflower kernels
Lightly coat muffin pan with sunflower oil and preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine dry ingredients and raisins. Mix together orange juice, carrots, egg, and oil; gently stir wet ingredients into dry. Add sunflower kernels gradually, being careful not to over mix.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Let cool in pan about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.
Makes 12 muffins when using a standard muffin pan.
Caramelized sunflower kernels
1/3 cup sunflower kernels 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Heat sunflower kernels in a non-stick skillet about 3 minutes over medium heat.
Stir in the brown sugar, stirring constantly until melted and kernels are coated.
Turn out onto waxed paper to cool.
Use as a snack or sprinkle on salads, fruit, sweet potatoes, or winter squash.
Makes four servings.
Esther Oertel, a freelance writer, cooking teacher, and speaker, is passionate about local produce and all foods in the vegetable kingdom. She welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
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