California-based U.S. Ninth Circuit District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips issued the injunction.

Her ruling stops the Department of Defense “from enforcing or applying the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Act and implementing regulations, against any person under their jurisdiction or command.”

Phillips also ordered the Department of Defense “immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation, or discharge, separation or other proceeding, that may have been commenced under the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Act.”

“We have just learned of this ruling,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith. “We are now studying it and we will be in consultation with the Department of Justice.”

The case that won the injunction, Log Cabin Republicans vs. United States of America, was originally filed in 2004.

Last month Phillips had ruled after a two-week trial in the case that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was unconstitutional on First and Fifth Amendment grounds.

At that time Phillips also reportedly indicated her intent to issue an injunction barring further discharges in light of that finding.

Servicemembers United, the nation's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans, celebrated the decision.

“This order from Judge Phillips is another historic and courageous step in the right direction, a step that Congress has been noticeably slow in taking,” said Alexander Nicholson, executive director of Servicemembers United and the sole named veteran plaintiff in the case along with the Log Cabin Republicans.

However, Nicholson added, “While this is certainly news to be celebrated, we would also advise caution in advance of a potential stay from the Ninth Circuit.

“If the appellate court wishes to put itself on the right side of history, however, it will allow this sound and long-over due decision to remain in effect,” Nicholson said.

A signed copy of the three-page injunction can be found at www.ServicemembersUnited.org/injunction.

The full text of the ruling follows.

United States District Court Central District of California

LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS, a nonprofit corporation,

Plaintiff,

v.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and ROBERT M. GATES,

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, in his official capacity,

Defendants.

Case No. CV 04-08425-VAP (Ex)

JUDGMENT AND PERMANENT INJUNCTION

TO ALL PARTIES AND THEIR ATTORNEYS OF RECORD:

This action was tried by Judge Virginia A. Phillips without a jury on July 13-16 and 20-23, 2010. The Court filed a Memorandum Opinion on September 9, 2010 (Doc. 232), and an Amended & Final Memorandum Opinion, and Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, on October 8, 2010. For all the reasons set forth therein, the Court:

(1) DECLARES that the act known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"* infringes the fundamental rights of United States servicemembers and prospective servicemembers and violates (a) the substantive due process rights guaranteed under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and (b) the rights to freedom of speech and to petition the Government for redress of grievances guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

(2) PERMANENTLY ENJOINS Defendants United States of America and the Secretary of Defense, their agents, servants, officers, employees, and attorneys, and all persons acting in participation or concert with them or under their direction or command, from enforcing or applying the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Act and implementing regulations, against any person under their jurisdiction or command;

(3) ORDERS Defendants United States of America and the Secretary of Defense immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation, or discharge, separation, or other proceeding, that may have been commenced under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Act, or pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 654 or its implementing regulations, on or prior to the date of this Judgment.

(4) GRANTS Plaintiff Log Cabin Republicans' request to apply for attorneys' fees pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. §2412; and

(5) GRANTS Plaintiff Log Cabin Republicans' request to file a motion for costs of suit, to the extent allowed by law.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: October 12, 2010

VIRGINIA A. PHILLIPS

United States District Judge

*Codified in statute at 10 U.S.C. § 654 and implemented by regulations comprising Department of Defense Directives 1332.14 (1993), 1332.30 (1997), and 1304.26 (1993), as modified by Department of Defense Instructions 1332.14 (2008) (incorporating March 29, 2010 changes) and 1332.30 (2008) (incorporating March 29, 2010 changes).

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The full, 12-page Proposition 19 analysis can be found at www.boe.ca.gov/news/pdf/Proposition%2019%20draft%20analysis.pdf.

Proposition 19 on the November 2010 ballot would make personal use of marijuana legal on a statewide basis with no statewide commercial sale provision.

Proposition 19 also would authorize local governments to regulate and control specified commercial marijuana activities, in addition to allowing local governments to impose marijuana fees or taxes at their discretion.

“Proposition 19 gives Californians an opportunity to have a serious, healthy debate regarding the legal status of marijuana in our state,” Chairwoman Yee said. “However, it is important for Californians to have the information to understand the differences between this proposal and other marijuana legalization proposals that have been debated in the Legislature.

Yee referenced BOE’s 2009 analysis of Assembly Bill 390 by Assembly Member Tom Ammiano, which proposed to legalize commercial sale of marijuana, in addition to legalizing recreational use of marijuana.

Moreover, AB 390 proposed specific revenue-generating provisions including a $50 per ounce excise fee on marijuana sales, in addition to facilitating sales tax collection on retail purchases of non-medical marijuana by legalizing those sales.

The BOE estimated that these provisions could generate up to $1.4 billion in revenue to the state.

"The BOE's revenue estimate was a sound analysis based on a specific proposal with specified revenue measures applicable to a defined commercial market, where supply, demand, and price could reasonably be estimated," said Yee.

In contrast, Proposition 19 would authorize personal use of marijuana only on a statewide basis, while containing no provisions for statewide legalization of commercial marijuana sales. It does not enact any specific tax or fee.

The ballot measure allows local jurisdictions to regulate the commercial production and retail sale of marijuana. It also allows local governments to choose to impose licensing fees or implement differing tax schemes or rates within their local jurisdiction.

The sale of marijuana is a taxable activity under current sales and use tax law. Sales tax revenue generated from such sales would depend on how many and which localities choose to make those sales legal and the amount of marijuana purchased, both of which are unknown at this time.

"Proposition 19's proposal to give local governments the option to authorize marijuana sales, with local regulation and taxes, leaves too many unknown variables to develop a credible statewide revenue estimate," said Yee.

Yee was elected to her post in November 2006. Her district includes many of California's coastal counties, from Del Norte to Santa Barbara, and includes the entire San Francisco Bay Area and Lake County.

The five-member California State Board of Equalization (BOE) is a publicly elected tax board. The BOE collects more than $48 billion annually in taxes and fees supporting state and local government services.

It hears business tax appeals, acts as the appellate body for franchise and personal income tax appeals, and serves a significant role in the assessment and administration of property taxes.

For more information on other taxes and fees in California, visit www.taxes.ca.gov.

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Because the earthquake did not involve slip near the surface of the Earth, the study suggests that it did not release all of the strain that has built up on faults in the area over the past two centuries, and so future surface rupturing earthquakes in this region are likely.

The paper also suggests that similar events may be hidden from the prehistoric earthquake record both in Haiti and in other similar tectonic settings such as the San Andreas fault in California.

Gavin Hayes, a U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist, along with colleagues from USGS, California Institute of Technology, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the University of Texas at Austin, used a combination of seismological observations, geologic field data and satellite geodetic measurements to analyze the earthquake source.

Initially the Haiti earthquake was thought to be the consequence of movement along a single fault, which accommodates the motion between the Caribbean and North American plates.

By modeling the patterns of surface deformation, the team was able to assess which fault was responsible. Their results showed that the earthquake may not have been caused by the simple rupture of a single fault, but instead may have involved a complex series of faults.

The pattern of surface deformation was dominated by movement on a previously unknown, subsurface thrust fault, named the Léogâne fault, which did not rupture the surface.

Hayes, a post-doctoral researcher, is contracted to work for the USGS by Synergetic, Inc.

This is one of several papers to be published this month in a special issue of Nature Geoscience on the Haiti earthquake.

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The woman and child riding in this Pontiac escaped injury on the night of Monday, October 11, 2010, when the vehicle went off Highway 29 and 250 feet down an embankment near Upper Lake, Calif. Photo by Gary McAuley.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – A young woman and a toddler escaped injury Monday night when the vehicle in which they were riding went off the highway and down an embankment.

The crash occurred at around 7:15 p.m. Monday on Highway 29 between Highway 20 and Mockingbird Lane, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The driver told officials at the scene that she swerved to avoid a deer, which resulted in her two-door Pontiac Sunfire going off the roadway and 250 feet off the roadway, coming to rest about 35 feet below Highway 20.

The car didn't overturn and missed a tree before a fence post punctured its oil pan, officials reported.

Both airbags deployed and the 16-month-old child, riding in a safety seat in the rear of the car, was kept safe.

The woman and child were reportedly transported from the scene by a family member. Neither were hurt, the CHP reported.

One engine, a medic unit and Battalion Chief Ken Petz from Northshore Fire responded to the scene, along with the CHP.

Firefighters worked to salvage the driver's license, registration and other personal items before A1 Towing came to remove the vehicle from the scene.

Additional information about the driver and the child was not available late Monday.

Another crash that occurred about a half hour later near Middletown also involved a vehicle going off Highway 29, this time an SUV that rolled over while going into a ravine, the CHP reported.

The two people in the SUV were able to get out. The CHP reported they had minor injuries.

Gary McAuley contributed to this report.

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Firefighters investigate the scene of a crash on Monday, October 11, 2010, near Upper Lake, Calif. Photo by Gary McAuley.

Supervisor Jim Comstock has organized the meeting with Caltrans' District 1 Director Charlie Fielder and his staff, which will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12, at the Calpine Visitor Center, 15500 Central Park Road, Middletown.

“We want to get Caltrans' attention,” Comstock said. “We just weren't getting any answers that fit right.”

This summer, Caltrans completed two rubberized chip seal projects, one along 12 miles of Highway 29 from the Lake/Napa County lines to the Coyote Creek Bridge, and the second along 8.5 miles on Highway 175 from Cobb to Middletown, as Lake County News has reported. Pavement striping was just finished on the Highway 29 portion last Friday.

Caltrans reported that the total combined cost of the two projects – completed by International Surfacing Systems of West Sacramento – was about $2.1 million.

Caltrans reported that the rubberized chip seal strategy was intended to seal and preserve the existing pavement while providing increased winter traction and a good binding surface for future paving projects, Frisbie explained.

The chip seals in Lake County were the first in the district to use half-inch aggregate rather than the more common 3/8-inch aggregate, Caltrans said.

The agency said such chip seals allow the treatment of three times more pavement than an asphalt thin blanket overlay could. Caltrans said it's also a green technology, using 40,000 recycled tires just for the Lake County projects alone.

But south county residents are none too pleased with the outcome of the projects, said Comstock.

He took a road trip around the county with Fielder and some of his staff to look at the work, and Comstock said Fielder agreed that there were issues.

Comstock said several years ago Caltrans did an open grade asphalt project, which provided a good road surface but failed sooner than expected.

“There are areas where it's completely worn through,” said Comstock.

However, he was told a grinder was broken which resulted in no asphalt grinding to prepare the road surface before the chip seal projects began. Instead the contractor put the chip seal over the areas where the pavement was worn through.

That, coupled with the larger aggregate, provided what Comstock said is not an ideal driving surface.

“It is dangerous to drive on. It does throw you around a little bit,” he said, adding that it's worse if you're pulling a trailer.

Comstock said the chip sealed was put over brand new pavement done in front of the Hidden Valley Lake and Twin Pine Casino entrances.

“We went from some bad to some good to all bad,” he said.

Frisbie said Caltrans has received complaints about the road work. He said the larger, half-inch rock isn't the kind of finish that Caltrans wants to be on the road for a long time, and they plan to repave.

He said people have expressed concern that the projects have been a waste of money. However, he said the chip seal does a good job of sealing little cracks in the pavement and waterproofing it. It also will help new asphalt bind to the old. Because of that, they often will put down a chip seal and then immediately pave over it.

Repaving a portion of Highway 175 – which also will include a section of the highway at Highway 101 in Mendocino County and another section of Highway 175 bounded by Highway 29 – won't take place until next summer's construction season, he said.

The repaving on Highway 29, however, is probably two or three years down the road, Frisbie said.

Comstock said Fielder indicated to him that they're making an effort to get funds to redo the highway sooner.

Comstock said people are not happy.

“Two to three years, that's just not acceptable,” he said.

Comstock pointed out that Caltrans was able to quickly get funds to repave an eight-mile portion of Highway 29 outside of Lakeport earlier this year.

Middletown businesswoman Linda Diehl-Darms started a petition for area residents to express their concern, said Comstock.

They've collected more than 1,000 signatures, with the petitions gathered up around Sept. 15, he said.

“I told the folks in Middletown I would hand deliver them to Caltrans,” Comstock said of the petitions.

He said he plans to hand the petitions over to Caltrans on Tuesday.

If anyone hasn't signed the petition and wants to, Comstock said he'll make sure they get the chance at the Tuesday meeting.

He said Caltrans will present information on the projects and what they're going to do about the situation. Community members also will have the chance to ask questions.

Comstock said Middletown's streets are county maintained roads that until recently were in “atrocious” shape, and he's worked with county Road Superintendent Steve Stangland and Public Works Director Brent Siemer to address the problem.

The county put $50,000 for asphalt toward a paving project, and county workers assisted by inmate laborers did the work. Comstock said they've been able to get many of the town's streets repaved that way.

“They're way better than the highway now, which isn't much of a standard to go by,” he said.

Comstock said the Caltrans chip seal projects hadn't looked good to him, even before they started. “The finished product seems to have borne out my concerns.”

All state jobs are supposed to have an inspector on site during such projects, and Comstock wondered why the chip seal work continued.

“We haven't gotten an answer to that yet,” he said.

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Middletown's Jereomy Hoefer on a two-yard touchdown carry to give Middletown an early 7-0 lead over the Clear Lake Cardinals on Friday, October 8, 2010. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – By a score of 42-0, the Clear Lake Cardinals of Lakeport fell victim to a decisively superior Middletown Mustangs football team in Middletown’s homecoming Friday night.

Amid pageantry that included a parade of floats, flag presentations by horses in full gallop and military personnel, and the crowning of the homecoming king and queen, the Mustangs ran up the score early in the game, leading 28-0 at the end of the first quarter.

“We just seem to be wrapping up the game in the first quarter in our last three games,” Middletown’s head coach Bill Foltmer said after the win.

The Mustangs have won their last four games, three of them shutouts.

Clear Lake quarterback Steven Edwards throws a pass against the Middletown Mustangs on Friday, October 8, 2010. He later left the game with an injury. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

Scoring highlights of the first quarter included a two-yard scamper by Jereomy Hoefer after a botched Cardinal punt attempt on their opening possession, a 32-yard dash by Middletown running back David Pike and a 15-yard screen from quarterback Kyle Brown to wide receiver Connor Chick, all resulting in touchdowns for the Mustangs.

Due to injuries and other factors, Clear Lake head coach Schad Schweitzer said his team was using their third string quarterback for most of the game against Middletown.

“We knew what we were up against,” Schweitzer said after the loss. “Today, Goliath won. David didn’t win.”

The Mustangs continued to dominate in the second quarter, when Pike took a handoff from Brown in Middletown’s opening drive and ran it six yards into the Cardinals' end zone for his second touchdown of the game.

After Danny Cardenas made his fifth extra point of the evening, Middletown held a commanding 35-0 lead going into halftime.

Middletown's Chris Oatman after one of his two receptions against the Cardinals on Friday, October 8, 2010. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

Foltmer noted Clear Lake had “a key lineman that was hurt” and due to injuries and other factors the Cardinals were “not the same team as they were earlier this year.”

The Mustangs scored quickly to open up the third quarter, capped by a 57-yard run by David Pike that broadened their lead to 42-0.

The Cardinals' only threat of the game came late in the fourth quarter, when they took 10 plays to drive the ball from their own seven-yard line to Middletown’s two-yard line.

Clear Lake’s Tyler Beets nearly scored on a 46-yard run, but with seconds to go, the Cardinals failed to convert on a first-and-goal opportunity from Middletown’s four-yard line and time ran out.

“The team didn’t quit,” Schweitzer said of his Cardinals, calling this game “something to build off of.”

Jamie Lopez (No. 3) was forced into quarterbacking duties for the Cardinals on Friday, October 8, 2010. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

Middletown quarterback Kyle Brown completed eight of 12 passes against Clear Lake for a total of 158 yards, and the Mustangs ran the ball 20 times for 264 yards rushing and 422 yards total offense against the Cardinals.

Looking ahead to Middletown’s Oct. 22 match against Ft. Bragg (5-0), Foltmer said, “We have a tough game coming up.”

He added, “the (North Central 1 – North) league is going to be a little bit tougher.”

The Clear Lake Cardinals host the Cloverdale Eagles (0-5) in Lakeport next Friday, Oct. 15, while the Mustangs travel to St. Helena (1-4) to take on the Saints.

In JV action, the Cardinals were more competitive, but still lost to Middletown 35-22.

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Middletown's Luke Parker and DJ Brookshire stop a run by Clear Lake's Tanner Mansell on Friday, October 8, 2010. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

The most recent financial reports, which candidates had to file last week, covered the period of July 1 through Sept. 30.

The reports show that, altogether, candidates in the races for district attorney and sheriff have raised $139,937.54. A committee supporting incumbent Sheriff Rod Mitchell raised another $1,300, bringing the full campaign fundraising total for the two races to $141,237.54.

The candidate who has raised the largest amount of money so far this year was Mitchell, with $56,442.

Mitchell also raised the most of any candidate in the three-month reporting period, $27,333, of which $26,933 was cash contributions. That's more than the combined total raised by Mitchell's opponent, Francisco Rivero, and the two district attorney candidates, combined.

Rivero brought in $10,058 in contributions for the period, of which $5,000 was a loan to himself. So far this year, Rivero has loaned himself $35,000 of the $48,700.22 in contributions he has reported.

From July 1 to Sept. 30, Mitchell spent $14,292.56 and Rivero $9,454.46; for the year, expenditures for Mitchell totaled $47,077.95, with Rivero spending a total of $37,742.27 so far.

In support of the two sheriff candidates, two committees have formed: Family & Friends of Lake County Law Enforcement in Support of Sheriff Rod Mitchell-2010, which qualified as a committee on Sept. 1, and Families and Friends for Democracy & Justice in Lake County, which has not yet qualified, according to statements of organization.

In the district attorney's race, Doug Rhoades raised more than his opponent, Don Anderson, in the latest finance reporting period, raising $7,927 compared to Anderson's $6,426.

However, Anderson edged past Rhoades in the total contributions for the campaign so far, with $17,603.32 to $17,192 for Rhoades.

For expenditures, Anderson reported $5,779.45 for the reporting period and $17,978.45 year-to-date, with Rhoades reporting $7,158 and $16,631, respectively, for the two time periods.

The full details of the financial statements follow.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Don Anderson

Total contributions received this period: $6,436

Monetary contributions: $3,399.50

Nonmonetary contributions: $3,036.50

Itemized contributions: $2,661

Unitemized contributions: $738.50

Loans: $0

Expenditures: $5,779.45

Itemized expenditures: $2,643.88

Unitemized expenditures: $99.07

Beginning cash balance: $39

Total cash ending balance: $695.55

Outstanding debts: $0

Total contributions received year-to-date: $17,603.32

Total loans received year-to-date: $0

Total expenditures year-to-date: $17,978.45

Itemized contributions: $2,661

Law Office of Bill Feeney, Lakeport, attorney; $500 ($700 year-to-date)

R.H. Henning, Kelseyville, retired; $250 ($450 year-to-date)

L.R. Russ Addiss, Kelseyville, self-employed accountant; $500 ($1,125 year-to-date)

Donald Anderson, Lakeport, attorney and candidate; $300 ($1,062.54 year-to-date)

Robert Riggs, Kelseyville, attorney; $250

Robert Bridges, Lakeport, deputy county counsel; $100

Olga Martin-Steele, Clearlake Oaks, retired; $110 ($235 year-to-date)

Barbara Galvan, Huntington Beach, retired; $175 ($320 year-to-date)

First Pick Builders, Lakeport, self-employed general contractor, $106

Mary Ann Schmid, Upper Lake, owner of Lodge at Blue Lakes; $170

Norman J. Valdez Jr., Witter Springs, disabled/unemployed; $100

Janina and Mike Hoskins, Hidden Valley Lake, contractor, Hoskins & Sons; $100

Itemized nonmonetary contributions: $2,610.50

Maurice Kemp, Hidden Valley Lake, attorney, wine for silent auction at fundraiser; $251

Barbara Galvan, Huntington Beach, retired, wine for silent auction at fundraiser; $434

Ceago Winery, Nice, wine for silent auction at fundraiser; $192

Jim and Olga Steele, Clearlake Oaks, retired, wine for silent auction at fundraiser; $289

Colleen Chatoff, Glenhaven, Realtor, Chatoff Realty, wine for silent auction at fundraiser; $250

Jody Galvan, Middletown, office manager, Storybook Mountain Vineyards, wine for silent auction at fundraiser; $470

Colleen Williams, Calistoga, vice president, Storybook Mountain Vineyards, wine for silent auction at fundraiser; $100

Donald Anderson, Lakeport, attorney and candidate, silent auction gifts; $624.50

Itemized expenditures: $2,643.88

Lake County Fair, Lakeport, booth; $350

UCC Rentals, Lakeport, tank for balloons; $140.22

Mary Ann Schmid, Upper Lake, food and venue; $928.22

Lake County Registrar of Voters, Lakeport, filing fees; $276.43

Lake County Registrar of Voters, Lakeport, filing fees; $812.83

Wildhurst Winery, Kelseyville, wine for fundraiser; $136.40

Douglas Rhoades

Total contributions received this period: $7,927

Monetary contributions: $5,869

Nonmonetary contributions: $2,058

Itemized contributions: $4,787

Unitemized contributions: $1,082

Loans: $0

Expenditures: $7,158

Itemized expenditures: $4,980.54

Beginning cash balance: $1,303

Total cash ending balance: $2,055

Outstanding debts: $0

Total contributions received year-to-date: $17,192

Total loans received year-to-date: $0

Total expenditures year-to-date: $16,631

Itemized contributions: $4,787

Laurel Groshong, Lakeport, retired state administrator; $50 ($325 year-to-date)

Nancy Rhoades, Kelseyville, educator, Lake County Probation Department; $500 ($1,390 year-to-date)

Ron Green, Lower Lake, attorney; $100 ($250 year-to-date)

Bill Wolfe, Kelseyville, retired tire salesman; $100 ($200 year-to-date)

Gary Hill Investigations, Finley, investigations; $50 ($150 year-to-date)

Lake County Democratic Central Committee, Clearlake; $500 ($700 year-to-date)

Douglas Rhoades, Kelseyville, attorney; $1,100 ($2,600 year-to-date)

Lowell Grant, Lakeport, Realtor; $50 ($150 year-to-date)

Dana Kearney, Kelseyville, pharmacy tech; $100 ($250 year-to-date)

Jim and Susan Herrmann, Kelseyville, retired utility/nurse; $250 ($350 year-to-date)

Judy Conard, Lakeport, attorney; $100

Wally Holbrook, Kelseyville, Lake County superintendent of schools; $205

Susanne La Faver, Hidden Valley Lake, retired; $100

Bob Borghesani, Kelseyville, lumber company owner; $160

Barry Parkinson, Lakeport, attorney; $300

Lake County Stonewall Club, Clearlake; $200

John Norcio, Lakeport, retired restaurateur; $100

Steve Davis, Lakeport, retired California Highway Patrol commander; $200

Robert Chalk, Kelseyville, retired law enforcement; $200

Dan Christensen, Lakeport, retired businessman; $100 ($199 year-to-date)

Larry Juchert, Lakeport, flooring installer; $120 ($219 year-to-date)

Pam Cochrane, Kelseyville, county auditor; $200 ($299 year-to-date)

Wanda Harris, Hidden Valley Lake, retired; $102 ($127 year-to-date)

Itemized nonmonetary contributions: $1,978

Lakeport English Inn, Lakeport, one night's lodging; $150

Villa La Brenta, Lakeport, wine reception event; $100

Tallman Hotel, Upper Lake, gift certificate; $100

Wildhurst Winery, one case premium wines; $120 ($340 year-to-date)

Doug Rhoades, Kelseyville, attorney and candidate, various items for silent auction; $220

Doug Rhoades, Kelseyville, attorney and candidate, campaign brochures – advertising; $499 ($3,457 year-to-date)

Doug Rhoades, Kelseyville, attorney and candidate, fair booth and worker passes; $560

Doug Rhoades, Kelseyville, attorney and candidate, additional large campaign signs; $239

Itemized expenditures: $4,980.54

Lake County Registrar of Voters, Lakeport, candidate's statement of qualifications for the ballot )June and November), copes of other candidate's 460s; $1,089

Lake County Record-Bee, Lakeport, eight advertisements in newspaper; $467

Saw Shop Gallery Bistro, Kelseyville, candidate fundraiser on Aug. 13; $537

Voter Information Guide G10, Sherman Oaks, slate mailer, full feature listing on Voter Information Guide; $940

American Button Machines, Plano, TX, 1,000 campaign buttons; $103.94

Direct Image Printing, New Hope, MN, campaign material leadership brochures, $243.60

Digital Printing Services, New Hope, MN, 12 4-foot by 8-foot campaign signs, $265

Election Education Guide, Reseda, slate mailer, full feature listing on Election Education Guide, $1,335

SHERIFF

Rodney Mitchell

Total contributions received this period: $27,333

Monetary contributions: $26,933

Nonmonetary contributions: $400

Itemized contributions: $19,318

Unitemized contributions: $7,615

Loans: $0

Expenditures: $14,292.56

Itemized expenditures: $12,890.58

Beginning cash balance: $134.04

Total cash ending balance: $13,700.93

Outstanding debts: $0

Accrued expenses: $926.45

Total contributions received year-to-date: $56,442

Total loans received year-to-date: $0

Total expenditures year-to-date: $47,077.95

Itemized contributions: $19,318

Ken Parlet, Lakeport, Lakeview Market; $100

Helen Behn, Middletown, retired; $200 ($400 year-to-date)

Carl Braito, Kelseyville, Braito's Marina; $150

Frank Grossman, San Carlos, retired; $100

Jessie and Shirley Head, Hidden Valley Lake, retired; $100

Tom Marshall, Hidden Valley Lake, retired; $100 ($200 year-to-date)

James and Hettie Hendrickson, Middletown, Clover Dairy; $50 ($350 year-to-date)

Greg Scott, Lakeport, retired; $100 ($200 year-to-date)

Pamela Irwin, Lakeport, assistant, Wildhurst Vineyards; $100

Denise Hinchcliff, county of Lake investigator; $10 ($109 year-to-date)

Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association, Lakeport; $500

Toni Scully, Lakeport, Scully Packing Co.; $75 ($175 year-to-date)

Robert and Jeanette Bartley, Lakeport, Bartley Pumps; $100 ($200 year-to-date)

Dave and Gerri Brown, Kelseyville, retired; $100 ($150 year-to-date)

Debbie Burnett, Middletown, Lake County sheriff/coroner assistant; $370

Mike and Denise Curran, Kelseyville; county of Lake investigator; $100 ($128 year-to-date)

Steve Davis, Lakeport, retired; $100

Wally Holbrook, Kelseyville, Lake County superintendent of schools; $100

Tom and Ruth Lincoln, Lakeport, Lincoln-Leavitt Insurance; $250 ($450 year-to-date)

Jacob and Lynda Steely, Kelseyville, county of Lake law enforcement; $120

Lloyd and Carol Stottsberry, Cobb, retired; $100

Mark Borghesani, Kelseyville, Kelseyville Lumber; $90 ($189 year-to-date)

Joseph Dutra, Kelseyville, county of Lake law enforcement; $90 ($189 year-to-date)

Kathy Fowler, Lakeport, Fowler Chevrolet; $100

Bill and Dana Kearney, Kelseyville, Northlake Pharmacy; $430 ($630 year-to-date)

Amelia Lincoln, Berkeley, student; $205

Calvin and Irene McCarley, Lower Lake, retired; $70 ($170 year-to-date)

Jerry and MaryAnn McQueen, Lakeport, Northport Trailer Resort; $100

Gil Schoux Sr., Kelseyville, retired; $170

Paul and Lisa Vartabedian, Lakeport, Vartabedian, DDS; $200

Terry and Linda Stewart, Clearlake, Discount Shades and Blinds; $100

Bill Brunetti, Lakeport, Bruno's Property Management; $500

Andrew and Maxine Peterson, Lucerne, retired; $300

Rick Kemp, Kelseyville, retired; $100

Lake Elephants, Lucerne; $1,500

Scott and Nathalie Anthus, Clearlake, survey party chief, DK Consulting; $130

Dorothy Emerson, Cobb, retired; $200

Robert Malley Sr., Clearlake, retired; $50 ($149 year-to-date)

Patricia Moshell-Johnson, San Mateo, retired; $100

Chris Vallerga, Lower Lake, Vallerga Fire Investigations; $100

Carl Webb, Clearlake, retired; $120 ($219 year-to-date)

Ken and Joann Avila, Kelseyville, retired; $100 ($200 year-to-date)

Richard Gorman, Clearlake Oaks, retired; $300 ($500 year-to-date)

Anthony and Claudia Marchese, Lucerne, retired; $50 ($150 year-to-date)

Robert and Patricia Sullivan, Lucerne, Sullivan Termite Control; $170

Bob Borghesani, Kelseyville, Kelseyville Lumber; $50 ($150 year-to-date)

Judy Conard, Lakeport, Conard law office; $100

Gary Hill, Lakeport, Gary Hill Investigations; $100

MaryGrace McMahon, Middletown, not employed; $271

Ron Minudri, Middletown, Minudri Insurance; $590 ($740 year-to-date)

Barry Parkinson, Lakeport, Parkinson law office; $200

Armand and Trena Pauley, Kelseyville, Polestar Computers; $300

Joe and Marian Sanfilippo, Lucerne, retired; $100

Peter and Mary Ann Schmid, Upper Lake, the Lodge at Blue Lakes; $300

Roland Nell Shaul, Kelseyville, retired; $150 ($350 year-to-date)

George and Anita Speake Jr., Kelseyville, retired; $100

John and Joanne VanEck, Kelseyville, VanEck Equestrian Center; $100

William Wolfe, Kelseyville, retired; $100

Mount St. Helena Vineyard, Middletown; $100

Larry and Carolyn Boardman, Finley, retired; $300 ($800 year-to-date)

Patrick Buckley, Lakeport, county of Lake law enforcement; $134

Robert Stack, San Anselmo, retired; $310

Gene Renner, Kelseyville, Tire Pros, $100 ($150 year-to-date)

Marie Ady, Clearlake, Lakeshore Feed & Grain; $220

Ronnie and Janeane Bogner, Clearlake Oaks, Weed Tech; $410

John J. Candido, Lakeport, retired; $170

Susan Constable, Lower Lake, Wynacht Memorials and Monuments; $170 ($220 year-to-date)

Karen Detweiler, Lower Lake; controller, Fowler Chevrolet; $210

Phil Garner, Clearlake Oaks, retired; $75 ($175 year-to-date)

Anne Garner-Austin, Clearlake Oaks, registered nurse, Sutter Lakeside Hospital; $135

Thomas Hewlett, Clearlake, Cooper & Hewlett Dentistry; $100 ($300 year-to-date)

Hedy Montoya, Hidden Valley Lake, director of Catholic Charities; $230

James and Frances Peretti, Lucerne, retired; $50 ($150 year-to-date)

Jim and Teddi Walker, Kelseyville, county of Sonoma electrician; $70 ($170 year-to-date)

Doug and Arlene Carter, Clearlake, retired; $100

John and Pat Norcio, Lakeport, McDonald's; $170 ($320 year-to-date)

Chris and Teena Macedo, Kelseyville; county of Lake law enforcement; $150

Jim and Carolyn Bolander, Middletown, retired; $100

Rodney and Charla Field, Hidden Valley Lake, site manager, Ledcor Construction Co.; $115

Craig Flynn, Cotati, Windsor Holdings and Windsor One; $1,500 ($4,000 year-to-date)

Richard Kuehn, Lucerne, Copper Cross Vineyards; $250 ($500 year-to-date)

George Lafave, Hidden Valley Lake, Lafave Construction; $390

Kristina Ryan-Rockwell, Hidden Valley Lake, not employed; $100

Charles and Kathleen Sloan, Hidden Valley Lake, Kann Du Construction; $225

James Totten, Hidden Valley Lake, JT Auto Glass, $1,003

Ben Lawson, Clearlake Oaks, Island Park Resort; $100

Cindy Radoumis, Kelseyville; county of Lake law enforcement; $100

Dennis Pluth, Clearlake Oaks, retired; $100 ($199 year-to-date)

Ed and Michelle Lavelle, Middletown, Crump, Bruchler & Lavelle Law Office; $174

Bob and Paula Piveronas, Lakeport, retired; $111

Mike and Ramona McKell, Middletown, retired; $1,000 ($1,500 year-to-date)

Thomas Moore, Kelseyville, retired; $175

Itemized nonmonetary contributions: $400

Albert H. League III, West Sacramento, Mentor Research, research time; $400

Itemized expenditures: $12,890.58

Kelseyville Lumber, Kelseyville, miscellaneous supplies for outdoor signage; $937.25

Lee's Sporting Goods, Lakeport, embroidered shirts; $365.40

Lake County Rodeo Association, Lakeport, advertising at rodeo event; $250

Lake County Registrar of Voters, Lakeport, balance for candidate's statement, candidate's statement, voter file; $1,311.72

Lake County Fair, Lakeport, fair booth fee, admission tickets and parking passes; $677

Chris Jones, Newcastle, consultant fee; $1,500

Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Lakeport, event admission and booth fee; $129

Lake County Welders Supply, Lakeport, helium tanks; $373.04

Computel Computer Systems, Waltham, MA, document research and retrieval; $116.50

Displays 2 Go, Bristol, RI, display items; $451.99

Banners on the Cheap, Austin, TX, printed banners; $2,330.03

Signs on the Cheap, Austin, TX, printed lawn signs; $1,868.14

Vistaprint, Lexington, MA, campaign literature and T-shirts; $1,480.19

Lake County Wine Alliance, Kelseyville, event admission; $125

Loeb's Ink Spot, Lakeport, printing; $134.85

Next Day Flyers, Rancho Dominguez, literature; $679.94

The Flag Co., Acworth, GA, American flags; $160.53

Accrued expenses: $926.45

Kelseyville Lumber, Kelseyville; $926.45

Payments made by an agent or independent contractor: $2,514.63

Bill and Dana Kearney, Kelseyville, fundraiser expenses; $1,436.55

Jessie and Shirley Head, Hidden Valley Lake, fundraiser expenses; $116.33

Ron Minudri, Middletown, fundraiser expenses; $675.36

Rob Brown, Kelseyville, fundraiser expenses, $286.38

Francisco Rivero

Total contributions received this period: $10,058

Monetary contributions: $5,058

Nonmonetary contributions: $0

Itemized contributions: $700

Unitemized contributions: $4,358

Loans: $5,000 (from self)

Expenditures: $9,454.46

Itemized expenditures: $7,673.53

Beginning cash balance: $10,316.39

Total cash ending balance: $10,919.93

Outstanding debts: $35,000

Total contributions received year-to-date: $48,700.22

Total loans received year-to-date: $35,000 (from self)

Total expenditures year-to-date: $37,742.27

Itemized contributions: $700

Patricia Meyer, Cobb, self-employed, Patricia Meyer & Associates; $200 ($290 year-to-date)

Lake County Democratic Club, Kelseyville, $500 ($700 year-to-date)

Itemized expenditures: $7,673.53

Lake County Registrar of Voters, Lakeport, fee for candidate's statement on ballot; $812.83

Perfect Painters, Clearlake, campaign literature; $278.51

Election Guide, Sherman Oaks, advertisement; $2,275

R.A. Hamilton, Hidden Valley Lake, signs and banners; $989.19

Middletown Times Star, Middletown, advertising; $750

The Outlook, Clearlake Oaks, advertising; $556

Rosemary Martin, Kelseyville, catering; $770

Watercolors Restaurant, Kelseyville, catering; $370

Lake County News, Lucerne, advertising; $872

Family & Friends of Lake County Law Enforcement in support of Sheriff Rod Mitchell - 2010

Date qualified as committee: Sept. 1, 2010

Treasurer: Jillian Burnett, Lower Lake

Total contributions received this period: $1,300

Monetary contributions: $1,300

Nonmonetary contributions: $0

Itemized contributions: $1,100

Unitemized contributions: $200

Loans: $0

Expenditures: $1,188

Itemized expenditures: $1,188

Beginning cash balance: $0

Total cash ending balance: $112

Outstanding debts: $0

Total contributions received year-to-date: $1,300

Total loans received year-to-date: $0

Total expenditures year-to-date: $1,188

Itemized contributions: $1,100

David Michel Jr., Kelseyville, retired; $1,000

Robert Jordan, Kelseyville, county of Lake law enforcement; $100

Itemized expenditures: $1,188

Lake County Publishing, Lakeport, newspaper advertisement; $1,188

Families and Friends for Democracy & Justice in Lake County

Date qualified as committee: Not yet qualified

Treasurer: Lawrence Ross, Kelseyville

Total contributions received this period: $0

Monetary contributions: $0

Nonmonetary contributions: $0

Itemized contributions: $0

Unitemized contributions: $0

Loans: $0

Expenditures: $0

Itemized expenditures: $0

Beginning cash balance: $0

Total cash ending balance: $0

Outstanding debts: $00

Total contributions received year-to-date: $0

Total loans received year-to-date: $0

Total expenditures year-to-date: $0

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 .

A driver escaped serious injury when his pickup overturned on Scotts Valley Road on Sunday, October 11, 2010. Photo by Gary McAuley.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A driver escaped injury when his vehicle overturned on Sunday.

The single vehicle collision occurred shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday on Scotts Valley Road just south of Highway 20, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The late model Ford pickup with a camper shell rolled over but the driver was able to get out on his own, based on reports from the scene.

Along with the CHP Northshore Fire Protection District sent a battalion chief, an engine, ambulance and a medic unit.

Additional information about the crash's cause wasn't immediately available late Sunday.

Gary McAuley contributed to this report.

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 .

Northshore Fire personnel and California Highway Patrol responded to the scene of the crash, which took place about a quarter mile from Highway 20 outside of Lakeport, Calif. Photo by Gary McAuley.

On Saturday, October 9, 2010, volunteer Dennis Locke captained the Clearlake Oaks Key's Property Owners Association weed-harvester cleaning the shoreline around Clarks Island. Photo by Miguel Lanigan.

The Clarks Island Sustainability Initiative sponsored and promoted a cleanup day at the island, which is located between Tower Mart and the Clearlake Oaks Boat Launch, near Island Drive on East Highway 20.

Following the county redevelopment agency's purchase in 2008 of the former trailer park, the redevelopment agency has relocated the dozen mobile home residents, removed debris and rezoned Clarks Island as open space, as Lake County News has reported.

The community-based Clarks Island Sustainability Initiative formed earlier this year under the direction of District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing to begin the process of rehabilitating the island.

Volunteer Holly Harris pulled overgrowth by hand during the Clarks Island cleanup on Saturday, October 9, 2010, in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. Photo by Miguel Lanigan.

On Saturday the group of volunteers cleaned up debris and mowed, and hauled some invasive weeds out of the water.

When Clarks Island was a trailer park, locals planted many plants and trees which have been left in place for now, including apricots, black and green figs, persimmons, many verities of hollyhocks, choke cherries, crab apple and blackberries.

Still head, the county has hired a contractor to remove and replace a crumbling break wall on the island's Highway 20 side.

The group also is looking for a contractor who will donate time to pulling the many rotting piers left behind from the days when the island was a trailer park.

Plans for the island include creating floating islands to help control algae blooms in the area.

Volunteer Chuck Lamb stacked cuttings for later removal during the Clarks Island cleanup on Saturday, October 9, 2010. Lamb and his wife, Holly Harris, also are very active members of Konocti Trails, which has helped publicize the Clark's Island project. Photo by Miguel Lanigan.

A natural building project is set to start soon, with volunteers needed to help make adobe bricks, and build walls, roofing and other details.

Call 707-263-2580 for a schedule or more information.

Miguel Lanigan contributed to this report.

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Volunteer, local anthropologist Dr. John Parker, hauled away debris during the Clarks Island cleanup on Saturday, October 9, 2010, in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. Photo by Miguel Lanigan.

Lake County Parks director Kim Clymire dispatched two parks workers to help in the cleanup on Saturday, October 9, 2010, in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. Above is county park staffer Bill Chapin using a chainsaw to trim a broken fig tree branch. Photo by Miguel Lanigan.

Carol Ruttan, a biologist with Lake County Department of Water Resources, came as a volunteer for the Clarks Island cleanup on Saturday, October 9, 2010, in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. Photo by Miguel Lanigan.

The bridge leading over to Clarks Island from the E. Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. Photo by Miguel Lanigan.

Dr. Shermain Hardesty of the University of California, Davis, will discuss the economic and social benefits generated by a regional food system and the history of food production in Lake County at a workshop on Thursday, October 21, 2010, in Lakeport, Calif. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – As a follow up to the Local Foods Forum held in March of this year, the Health Leadership Network (HLN) and Lake County’s UC Cooperative Extension Office are organizing an afternoon workshop on Thursday, Oct. 21, entitled: “Growing Our Local Food Economy.”

The workshop is sponsored by a grant from the California Department of Food & Agriculture and Lake County Public Health Department.

The workshop will focus on post-harvest considerations including food processing, storage, distribution and markets.

The afternoon will open with demonstrations by the Lake County Community Co-Op (www.lakeco-op.org) and the Lake County Farm Bureau (www.lakecountygrown.com) of their respective online food ordering systems.

Ted Herrera and Maria Giovanni, of Local Added Value Agriculture (LAVA), also will talk briefly about the products they are currently making and selling in Lake County.

As a follow up to her March 2010 presentation at the Local Foods Forum, Dr. Shermain Hardesty, extension economist, agricultural and resource economics at the University of California, Davis, will review the economic and social benefits generated by a regional food system and the history of food production in Lake County.

Her October presentation, entitled “Building the Nuts & Bolts of Local Food Systems,” will be participatory, asking those in attendance to help identify core infrastructure components needed for a regional food system and determine which already exist in Lake County.

That step will be followed by an exercise to estimate total food demand in the county, brainstorm a list of the specific crops and processed foods that have the potential to be produced in Lake County, and prioritize the top ten crops/products on the list.

Next, attendees will help Dr. Hardesty compare the infrastructure needed to produce and market those products highlighting critical missing components. The final step will be to outline the next steps to move forward with the development process, emphasizing partnerships, utilizing existing resources and/or rebuilding those that existed in the past.

Workshop participants will also hear from Ben Ratto about how the Bay Area Collaborative’s food distribution system works as well as from Colleen Rentsch and Michelle Malm about the Farm-to-School program they’ve created for students of the Kelseyville Unified School District.

Colleen Rentsch is a local farmer and operator of Seely’s Farm Stand; Michelle Malm is Kelseyville Unified’s Director of Food Services.

California Farm-to-School expert Gail Feenstra will present

The meeting will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Clearlake Oaks Moose Lodge, at the corner of Highway 53 and Highway 20.

The town hall is one in a regular series of meetings hosted by District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing.

Topics will include updates on local projects and the health of Clear Lake. Thompson also will give an update on issues and events in Congress.

The agenda also includes an open forum to discuss issues of interest to the community of Clearlake Oaks.

Free tables will be set up for local groups, businesses or organizations wishing to distribute informational literature.

Parking at the Moose Lodge is limited, so carpooling is encouraged.

For more information, contact Rushing at 707-263-2368 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Yearling goats at Yerba Santa Dairy in Lakeport, Calif. Photo by Esther Oertel.

Lake County’s only commercial dairy lies outside Lakeport on picturesque Scotts Valley Road. Named for the herb that grows wild in nearby hills, Yerba Santa Goat Dairy is run by cheese-making brothers Javier and Daniel Salmon.

The only access into the dairy is via a rustic bridge slung over a shallow gorge in which a swollen creek flows after the winter rains. Three low-lying meadows are home to 87 milk goats, and a couple dozen yearlings – milk goats in waiting, so to speak – make their home in a fenced area at the edge of the meadow.

It is here that the brothers from Lima, Peru create the cheeses that are sought after locally, as well as throughout much of the San Francisco Bay Area.

This is the time of year that cheese production slows, as the milk goats have been carrying young since mid-September. Two very busy bucks have impregnated the entire herd, and the twice-a-day milking cycle has dwindled to one.

Bags of cheese hang overnight at Yerba Santa Dairy in Lakeport, Calif. Photo by Esther Oertel.

Come November, the does will not be milked at all. Instead, they’ll spend the winter wandering the hills, eating brush and the coveted Yerba Santa herb. Their babies will arrive in late February and early March, and after they’ve had a month or so to nurse, milking and cheese production will once again begin.

The Salmons also produce cheeses under the Bodega label, carried over from the dairy’s former location in Sonoma County. Generally their cheeses are available from April through October, though some locations may have a supply they can sell beyond October.

Milking more than 80 goats is a three-hour process, which means that in the peak of season, a full six hours of each day is spent coaxing milk from the does. Milking begins on machines (they have four in their milking barn) and is finished by hand.

The milk is pumped directly to a bulk tank, where it’s stored for a day at 38 degrees. The tank can hold up to 250 gallons, but peak-of-season production is generally about 80 gallons a day.

After a brief storage in the bulk tank, the milk is pumped into a neighboring room where handcrafted French and Spanish style cheeses are created. Both raw and pasteurized cheeses are made at the dairy.

Tubs of fromage blanc at Yerba Santa Dairy in Lakeport, Calif. Photo by Esther Oertel.

Younger brother Daniel handles making the raw cheeses, which include a hard shepherd’s cheese, wonderful for grating; chevito, a semisoft cheese; and cabrello, which is similar to manchego, the historic sheep’s milk cheese made in Spain.

Raw cheeses are aged and allowed to mature for 60 days, while the pasteurized cheeses are sold fresh to stores, restaurants and the public.

Older brother Javier is in charge of pasteurized cheese production, which is generally a two-day process. After the milk is pasteurized, a culture is added. Once the cheese reaches the desired acidity, vegetarian rennet is thrown into the mix, causing the cheese to “clabber” or thicken.

The thickened product is put into cheesecloth bags and left to hang overnight, allowing the whey to drain from the cheese. The Salmons feed the resulting whey, a yellow liquid, to their goats. I was told by Javier that goat’s whey is traditionally drunk in Russia for longevity of life.

By morning, the content of the hanging bags is ready to process into fromage blanc, a creamy, spreadable cheese in tubs; chevre, fresh cheese shaped in soft balls; or fresco, a feta-like cheese with a short shelf life sold in tall wedges.

The Yerba Santa herd includes Alpine, Swiss Saneen and La Mancha goats. Photo by Esther Oertel.

While many of the cheeses are flavored only with natural sea salt, others have ranch-grown herbs or peppers added. While I was there, a bowl of roasted Serrano peppers, bright green with blackened skin, stood ready to be mixed in with a batch of fromage blanc.

Goat’s milk doesn’t have to be homogenized. Unlike cow’s milk, which separates with cream rising to the top, the fat molecules in goats’ milk remain suspended in the liquid.

Goat’s milk is lower in fat than cow’s milk, and because the fat molecules are much smaller, it’s easier to digest. Its molecular makeup is closer to that of human milk, in fact, which gives many unable to tolerate cow’s milk an alternative for dairy products.

Cheese has been made from goat’s milk for thousands of years, and is likely one of the earliest made dairy products. While cow’s milk cheese has dominated the scene in the U.S., most of the world eats more cheese made from goat’s milk than from cow’s.

Like cow’s milk, goat’s milk is a very good source of calcium and the amino acid tryptophan. It is also a good source of protein, phosphorus, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and potassium.

Yerba Santa