David Pike leaves a trail of Saints behind on his way to his 34th touchdown of the year, giving Middletown a 49-0 lead on the last play of the first half on Friday, November 19, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Mustangs continued to roll through their football season, winning the first round of the North Coast Section (NCS) Division IV Tournament – their 10th victory in a row – and handing the St. Helena Saints a season-ending 56-0 trouncing Friday night in Middletown.

The shutout victory – the Mustangs' fourth in a row and their seventh in the last 10 games – was capped by a 66-yard David Pike run in the second quarter that gave him the all-time Lake County scoring record.

Middletown has outscored their opponents by a whopping 473-28 in their last 10 outings.

“We’ve had it fairly easy for the last nine weeks,” Mustangs Head Coach Bill Foltmer said after the game.

“We were overmatched,” a circumspect St. Helena Head Coach Brandon Farrell said about the Middletown squad. “They’re an awesome football team, and they’re well-coached, and they do everything right.”

Things started going right for the Mustangs early, when Pike reversed direction on Middletown’s opening possession of the game and swept 82 yards downfield for a touchdown and a 7-0 Mustang lead.

Before the first half ended, Pike had scored three more touchdowns – on carries of 37 yards, four yards and the 66-yard dash that landed him in the Lake County record books.

Middletown quarterback Kyle Brown eludes St Helena's Jacob Gallagher and throws to running back Jake Davis during first round of the North Coast Section Division IV Tournament on Friday, November 19, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. Brown completed 4 of 6 passes for 70 yards. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

“Well, obviously, Pike had a great game,” Foltmer said about the prolific running back. “And if Pike has a good game, that means your line is playing well. Defensively, I thought that we played solid across the board.”

Adding to the first half scoring total of 49 points for the Mustangs were scores from Jacob Davis (from 16 yards out), a 56-yard completion from quarterback Kyle Brown to John-Wesley Davis and an Andres Fernandez interception – initially deflected by Davis – run back 16-yards for a Middletown touchdown.

After Danny Cardenas went a perfect 7-for-7 in extra point attempts, the Mustangs took a commanding 49-0 lead going into halftime, and played their second string offense for the remainder of the game.

“They’re just a better football team,” Farrell said about Middletown. “There’s not much else you can say.”

Junior running back Nolan Tkachenko had the only touchdown of the second half – a 28-yard run – and backup kicker Tyler Drew made the point after to bring the final score of the night to 56-0.

“They did everything that we thought they were going to do,” Farrell said about the Mustangs. “They just did it really well.”

Middletown's Connor Chick (right) bounced off St. Helena's Charles Bertoli (left) and made it to the endzone after this second-quarter reception, but the play was negated by a holding call on Friday, November 19, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

Middletown finished the night with 449 yard total offense, led by Pike’s 133 yards in seven carries for three touchdowns, and Jacob Davis’s 110 yards in seven carries, with one touchdown.

“I think this might be the breakout game for Jake Davis,” Foltmer said about his running back. “He was much more physical and much more noticeable out there than the last couple of games. Hey, he’s playing on all cylinders along with Pike, so we’re where we need to be for the next phase.”

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The Mustangs play the second round of the NCS tournament starting at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27, when they’ll face off against the El Molino Lions (seeded fifth in the tournament), who are 7-4 following their first round win Saturday night over the Kelseyville Knights (now 7-4 and seeded 12th in the tournament).

During the first round of the North Coast Section Division IV Tournament on Friday, November 19, 2010, Danny Cardenas continued his nearly perfect season with seven point after conversions in as many attempts, but this field goal attempt was too low. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

“Getting by the second round has been a little bit tough for me,” Foltmer said, noting his team has lost in the second round of the NCS tournaments the last two seasons.

He added, “But you do what you can do, you prepare like you’ve been preparing all year long, and you hope that, later in a game, because they’re seniors, they’re going to step up.”

“I’m going to expect a little bit more out of them,” Foltmer said.

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Charles Bertoli on a nine-yard run for the Saints on Friday, November 19, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. His 46 yards on 11 carries accounted for all of the Saints' offense. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – For another month unemployment figures remained flat statewide and across the nation, while Lake County's rate moved up a tenth of a percent.

The California Employment Development Department's report on October unemployment figures put Lake County's unemployment at 17.1 percent for last month, up from 17 percent in September.

The state derives the unemployment rate based on a federal survey of 5,500 California households.

Lake County was ranked No. 53 out of the state's 58 counties for its October rate, the Employment Development Department reported. The county's October 2009 unemployment rate was 16 percent, according to state records.

The Friday report showed that California’s unemployment rate remained at 12.4 percent in October – the same as it was in September and August – and nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 39,000 during the month. California's October 2009 rate was 12.2 percent.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the nation's unemployment rate in October was 9.6 percent, also unchanged over August and September. That's down from the October 2009 rate of 10.1 percent.

The Employment Development Department said there were 592,475 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the October survey week, compared to 595,996 in September and 740,272 last year.

At the same time, the state said new claims for unemployment insurance were 67,168 in October 2010, compared with 75,316 in September and 83,475 in October of last year.

Once again in October, Marin and Imperial counties represented the two ends of the spectrum in employment figures – Marin, with the lowest, at 8 percent, and Imperial with the highest, at 29.3 percent.

Lake County's October work force was composed of 25,210 individuals, 4,310 of them unemployed. That's compared to the 26,030 workers and 4,430 unemployed people reported in September.

Lake's neighboring counties registered the following unemployment rates and statewide ranks in October: Colusa, 15.4 percent, No. 45; Glenn, 13.3 percent, No. 34; Yolo, 11.6 percent, No. 22; Mendocino, 10.2 percent, No. 10; Sonoma, 9.7 percent, No. 9; and Napa, 8.9 percent, No. 4.

In Lake County, Upper Lake continued to maintain its spot as the community with the lowest unemployment, 8.8 percent, while Clearlake Oaks remained the area of highest unemployment, at 25.2 percent.

The following unemployment rates were reported for other areas of the county, from highest to lowest: Nice, 24.7 percent; city of Clearlake, 24.3 percent; Lucerne, 18 percent; Kelseyville, 17.4 percent; Middletown, 17.2 percent; city of Lakeport, 16.5 percent; Cobb, 15.3 percent; Lower Lake, 14.4 percent; Hidden Valley Lake, 14.1 percent; and north Lakeport, 13.6 percent.

Surveys explore unemployment situation

The Employment Development Department's report on payroll employment – wage and salary jobs – in the nonfarm industries of California totaled 13,857,500 in October, a net gain of 39,000 jobs since September, according to a survey of businesses that is larger and less variable statistically. Revised numbers for September showed a loss of 53,600 jobs.

The state said a survey of 42,000 California businesses measures jobs in the economy. The year-over-year change – October 2009 to October 2010 – showed a decrease of 27,400 jobs, down 0.2 percent.

The Employment Development Department reported that the federal survey of households, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed a decrease in the number of employed people during the month.

The survey estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in October was 15,972,000, a decrease of 3,000 from September, but up 33,000 from the employment total in October 2009.

The number of people unemployed in California was 2,258,000 – down by 10,000 over the month, but up by 42,000 compared with October of last year, the survey showed.

The state reported that eight categories – construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; other services; and government – added jobs over the month, gaining 46,500 jobs. Professional and business services posted the largest increase over the month, adding 14,800 jobs.

Three categories – mining and logging; information; and financial activities – reported job declines this month, down 7,500 jobs. Financial activities posted the largest decline over the month, down by 4,300 jobs, the state.

The state said that, in a year-over-year comparison – October 2009 to October 2010 – nonfarm payroll employment in California decreased by 27,400 jobs, down 0.2 percent.

Five industry divisions – mining and logging; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services – posted job gains over the year, adding 87,000 jobs, based on the report.

The state said professional and business services recorded the largest increase over the year on a numerical basis, up 58,600 jobs, a 2.9-percent increase. Mining and logging recorded the largest increase over the year on a percentage basis, up 3.7 percent, an increase of 900 jobs.

Six categories – construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; and government – posted job declines over the year, down 114,400 jobs, the state said.

Construction employment showed the largest decline over the year on both a numerical and percentage basis, down by 45,700 jobs, a decline of 7.9 percent, according to the report.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

Sutter Lakeside Hospital kicked off its campaign to raise $156,000 for its stroke telemedicine program in December 2009, according to Sutter Lakeside Hospital Foundation Director Tammi Silva.

The hospital is just $2,000 short of its goal to have the state-of-the-art equipment – including a camera, screen, computers and technology infrastructure – in place by January, Silva said.

As a result, the hospital is asking for community assistance to wrap up the campaign for the equipment, which officials said will make a life-saving difference in the care they can offer local stroke patients.

Silva said Sutter Lakeside treats an average of 100 stroke victims annually.

Dr. Vivek Reddy, medical director of Sutter Lakeside Hospital's imaging department, vice chief of staff and a brand new member of the Sutter Lakeside Hospital Foundation Board, said stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States.

“Generally, it's a disease of the old,” he said, noting that because of Lake County's large number senior population, the technology would be extremely beneficial to the community.

Dr. Bruce Deas, medical director for Sutter Lakeside's emergency department, said stroke is a major cause of death for people age 65 and over, after heart disease, nationwide.

“It is a big issue for us,” he said.

The National Stroke Association said stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and a leading cause of adult disability. Up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable, the group said.

Deas said 85 percent of all strokes are the result of a damaged blood vessel or a blood clot. “It's all about getting rid of that clot if you can.”

Dr. Karen Tait, Lake County's health officer, said the 2010 County Health Profiles included an objective of no more than 50 age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 people for cerebrovascular disease, which includes stroke.

“Lake County actually met it,” Tait said of the goal.

The report, which covered 2006 to 2008, showed Lake County's age-adjusted death rate was 46.2, Tait said.

“The really good news is that represents a decrease of 31.5 percent,” she said.

From 2003 to 2005, the death rate for cerebrovascular disease was 67.4, according to Tait.

“We have really seen a significant improvement,” she said, but added, “We still rank 41 out of the 58 counties in the ranking, so we're not doing as well as 40 others.”

Deas said the new telemedicine equipment will reside in the hospital's emergency department.

Currently, many serious stroke patients who come to the hospital have to be transported elsewhere for care, Deas said.

The new equipment will allow Sutter Lakeside's physicians to use telemedicine to connect with the cutting edge stroke treatment team at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, who Deas said is “an amazing group to work with.”

It's important to treat stroke patients as soon as possible, Deas said.

He explained that with strokes, “Time is brain.” In other words, the longer a patient waits for treatment, the longer critical blood flow is kept from the brain, which results in brain damage and other long-term affects.

When someone thinks they've had a stroke – they experience weakness on their left side, slurred speech or are unable to speak – it's critical to go to the hospital immediately, otherwise, “You take yourself out of the window for time of treatment,” Deas said.

At Sutter Lakeside, when a stroke patient comes into the hospital, physicians do a “code stroke” alert in which important tests – labs, CT scans and EKGs – are completed within an hour's time, he said.

Reddy said his department has brand new MRI and CT equipment critical in the work of diagnosing stroke patients.

“The whole department now is digital. We're filmless,” he said.

As soon as Deas or another doctor has examined a patient and diagnosed stroke, the patient is immediately brought in for a CT scan, Reddy said. His department conducts the imaging and then relays the results to help doctors decide on treatment.

When the telemedicine equipment is in place, Deas said they anticipate being able to go over cases and test results with California Pacific Medical Center doctors immediately, in a highly interactive, online process. That will help them make quicker, more exact decisions about what treatments – such as clot-busting medications – patients should receive.

“We can try to decrease the amount of damage that happens to your brain from the stroke,” Deas said.

While in the past doctors could only assess the damage afterward, the new technology puts physicians in a more proactive, life-saving position, according to Deas.

“It's going to be really seamless,” he said of the new equipment and accompanying process.

Reddy said he's been very involved in the fundraising for the project. “It's really a valuable asset to this small community.”

Deas said stroke results from health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking and heredity. With the exception of heredity, the other risk factors are controllable, he said.

He said people can adopt healthier habits to help avoid stroke.

If, however, a stroke occurs, he emphasized the need for immediate action, both from patients and doctors.

“One of the problems with treatment of stroke is that the vast majority of people who show up don't meet the criteria of treatment because they've waited too long,” he said.

Deas added, “If you have symptoms that look like a stroke, got to the hospital now.”

Donations to assist with purchasing the equipment can be made with a credit card by phone at 707-262-5189 or online at www.sutterlakeside.org/giving/telemedicine.html , or with a check to Sutter Lakeside Hospital Foundation for the "Stroke Telemedicine Campaign" and mailed to 5176 Hill Road East, Lakeport, Ca 95453 c/o Tammi Silva.

To request a Stroke Pledge Sheet, to ask questions or to make a donation, call Silva at 707-262-5189 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

Snow powdered the hills above Upper Lake, Calif., following a stormy day on Saturday, November 20, 2010. Photo by Terre Logsdon.

Snow fell in the higher elevations, including Cobb and Upper Lake, according to reports received from residents.

There were reports of snow falling briefly in downtown Upper Lake, but the snow didn't stick.

However, snow was visible on the hills above the Northshore and on Cobb, as well as on the Hopland Grade.

The California Highway Patrol reported receiving a report of 4 inches of snow on the ground on Bartlett Springs Road in the middle of the afternoon.

Shortly after 5 p.m. a pickup was reported stuck in snow on Mt. Pitney, the CHP said.

Caltrans reported early Sunday morning that Highways 20, 29 and 175 remained open with no travel restrictions.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather alert, in effect until noon Sunday, warning of continued snowfall above 2,000 feet across Northern California.

In southern Lake County, between 2 to 5 inches of snow were expected to fall above 2,000 feet by Sunday morning, and 8 to 12 inches near or above 3,000 feet, the National Weather Service predicted.

The agency reported that scattered snow showers around the North State may continue until Monday.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

The event – featuring Renaissance music, food, and entertainment – will held at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, and Saturday, Dec. 4, and Friday, Dec. 10, and Saturday, Dec. 11. Sunday performances at 3 p.m. will be held on Dec. 5 and Dec. 12.

The entire evening, which takes place in “Greystone Castle” – also known as the Middletown Community United Methodist Church – is set during the Renaissance period, and hosts will be in character throughout the event.

Entertainment includes Renaissance and traditional Christmas music sung by a lavishly costumed choir, an exciting drama (this year, pirates invade the Castle!), plus Renaissance dances and games in which all guests – known for the night as “nobles” – are encouraged to join.

Guests are encouraged to come costumed as nobles, peasants, or pirates – costumes are not required, although best-dressed guests may be recognized by the host. Also true to the Renaissance era, guests dine on a three-course sit down feast while all of the drama and music unfold around them.

Advance tickets are from $35 to $44 per person. Price discounts are available on tickets purchased before November 15, and on blocks of tickets sold to groups of four or more.

A substantial portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible, as this is a major fundraiser for the support of community services and programs.

Call 707-987-2653 for more information. Tickets also are available for purchase at Neft & Neft Realtors in Middletown.

All tickets are by advance sale only; tickets will not be available at the door. Vegetarian meals are available if requested at the time of ticket purchase.

The United Methodist Church is located at 15388 Armstrong St., off Washington Street, one block east of Highway 29, www.middletownmethodist.org.

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A strong polar jet stream that began pushing the first of two cold fronts into Lake County Thursday is forecast to spread snow showers into the Interstate 80 corridor this morning according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

Anyone planning travel to the Sierra Nevada or Cascades are advised to prepare for winter weather, including strong winds combined with blowing and drifting snow, which will make for hazardous travel conditions on Friday, forecasters advised.

A second cold front will move across Northern California and Lake County on Saturday, bringing the first true arctic blast and snows of the season, the National Weather Service said.

Forecasters believe snow levels will be down to 2,000 feet by late Saturday, and all mountain areas above 2,000 feet will be susceptible to winter weather.

In the high elevations above 5,000 feet, 2 to 4 feet of snow may fall by Sunday night, coupled with bitterly cold winds and temperatures below zero. Interstate 80 and Highway 50 are likely to become impassible this weekend, forecasters said.

Friday's outlook will feel much like winter, with rain showers throughout the day and temperatures just reaching into the 40s. The National Weather Service predicted showers will increase overnight with lows in the mid-30s.

Saturday will be winter – a good day to cozy-up indoors – with heavy rains and daytime highs only in the mid-30s to 40s, with below-freezing temperatures forecast overnight throughout most of the county, the National Weather Service said.

Snow and rain showers will taper off throughout the day on Sunday, while forecasters said temperatures will inch upward but remain in the 40s during the day and at or below freezing overnight.

Winter weather conditions continue through Tuesday morning as the wet cold front slowly moves out, allowing dry and sunny weather to build back for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, forecasters said.

Although counter-intuitive, make sure to water any potted outdoor plants well on Friday – it will help ensure they can withstand the freezing temperatures moving in.

Drivers also should remember to carry chains if traveling over high mountain passes.

For up-to-the minute weather information, please follow the links on the Lake County News home page.

E-mail Terre Logsdon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.@lakeconews.com . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

Ramon Celedon, 34, was arrested for robbery and possession of stolen property following a search by law enforcement, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Just after 11 a.m. Friday the Hopland Tribal Police Department was notified of an armed robbery which took place in the parking lot of the Hopland Sho-Ka-Wah Casino, Smallcomb said.

Smallcomb said Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies and Hopland Tribal Police officers contacted the victims and learned that Celedon and the victims had a previous relationship and possibly worked together on a Potter Valley or Lake County vineyard.

Celedon allegedly had offered to give the four victims a ride to Southern California. Smallcomb said they met at the casino parking lot, at which time Celedon allegedly took – at gunpoint – approximately $5,000 to $10,000 from the victims, along with their personal property, and fled the location in the pickup.

A description of Celedon and his pickup was broadcasted via radio to local law enforcement and subsequently was seen driving in the area of West Clay Street in Ukiah, Smallcomb said.

Ukiah Police officers, Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies and California Highway Patrol officers attempted to locate Celedon's vehicle, which Smallcomb said they located hidden at a Highland Drive Residence in Western Ukiah.

Law enforcement officers started checking the western hills above the location where Celedon's vehicle had been located. Smallcomb said the officers found two handguns, one long rifle and ammunition located inside a rifle case, on the hill area above Celedon's pickup.

Mendocino County Sheriffs K-9 Deputy Don Scott and his K-9 “Hondo” were summoned to the location and a search was initiated, Smallcomb said. Approximately 15 minutes later Celedon was located by Deputy Scott and Hondo and taken into custody.

A search warrant was obtained for Celedon's pickup and Smallcomb said Mendocino County Sheriff's detectives located several items belonging to the victims, along with approximately 25 pounds of processed marijuana.

Celedon was subsequently booked into the Mendocino County Jail, with bail set at $75,000, Smallcomb said.

Smallcomb said the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office wanted to thank the passing motorist who assisted in calling law enforcement and advising them of Celedon's driving location on Clay Street in Ukiah.

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Though the first batch of payments did go out the middle of the following week, the relatively small number – about 1300 claims worth $8 million – reinforced the fact that the process for calculating retroactive payments is timely and complex.

Veterans Affairs (VA) expects to produce a steady stream of rating decisions and payments each week for these diseases, perhaps in the thousands.

But there will not be a November geyser of checks as some veterans had hoped.

Most of the 163,000 veterans or survivors with pending claims for these diseases should expect a longer wait, at least several more months. The VA goal is to have all these claims processed and paid by October next year.

After VA published its final regulation Aug. 31 to add these diseases to its list of ailments presumed caused by herbicide exposure in Vietnam, Congress had 60 days to block it. To veterans’ relief, it chose not to do so.

VA used that time to do preliminary work on many claims but had to stop short of assigning disability ratings. That’s because VA computers are programmed to assign a payment date with each rating and, by law, none of these claims could be paid before the 60 days had passed.

Claim specialists don’t have all the information they need yet to rate a lot of the old claims. Many veterans and survivors in line for retroactive payments, some going back 25 years, are being asked to provide letters from private physicians explaining when the ailments first were diagnosed.

VA also will try to develop timelines for a disease’s progression in individuals so appropriate disability ratings can be assigned at different stages, and back payments are calculated as accurately as possible.

For ischemic heart disease, for example, a patient initially needing medication might have been rated 10 percent. Years later, when an x-ray showed an enlarged heart, the rating could have been raised 30 percent. As stress tests showed the disease progressing, higher ratings and higher compensation would be made.

Barton F. Stichman, co-director of the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), said he doesn’t know how many claims will need to be developed this way or how many can be paid without VA waiting for more information. His organization, NVLSP, is certified counsel for the class of veterans filing Agent Orange claims.

More than 1000 claim specialists in nine VA resource centers are working solely on 93,000 claims filed for these diseases between Sept. 25, 1985 and Oct. 13, 2009. The end date is when VA Secretary Eric Shinseki announced his decision to add these diseases to the list of presumptive diseases for Agent Orange exposure.

The earlier date is when VA first published a regulation on presumptive AO diseases, sparking a successful court challenge on behalf ailing Vietnam vets. This resulted in an appeals court ruling, Nehmer v. Department of Veterans Affairs, ordering that VA compensate veterans retroactively for any claim they filed for a disease later deemed service-connected because of new medical evidence linking it to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

Shinseki’s announcement triggered Nehmer protection for 93,000 previously denied claims. Since then, 70,000 more veterans and survivors have filed new claims for these diseases. The more recent claims are being worked at VA regional offices by another army of claim specialists.

VA has trained hundreds of rating specialists specifically for these new Nehmer claims using a new 100-page instruction manual. These retroactive claims often require complicated calculations and, if veterans have died since claims were filed, often long searches for next of kin.

VA officials know their computers runs haven’t identified all previously denied claims for these diseases. The fault lies with a legacy data system, the Benefit Delivery Network. It was programmed to retain only six conditions claimed by a veteran. So if a veteran claimed 10 ailments, four of them, once denied, would not be found today in the electronic record. The lost conditions could include one of the diseases now deemed compensable.

All claimed conditions would appear in a veteran’s paper record. But only computer records have been used to identify previously denied claims for ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and B-cell leukemia.

Veterans or survivors who want to be sure their denied claim is being reviewed can call their VA regional office to learn if they are among the 93,000 being eyed for retroactive compensation.

“There’s no time limit on this,” said a VA official. “So if they don’t get some notice that we are working on their claim in the next six months or so they should say ‘Hey, what about me?’”

VA expects five to 10 percent of the 93,000 to involve ailments still not linked to Agent Orange and so they will be denied once more. Officials blame imprecision in use of diagnostic codes found in the case files.

About 10,000 of the older claims were filed by veterans now deceased. For these, award notices will be mailed to last known addresses. If past experience is an accurate guide, 90 percent will be returned as undeliverable. VA will take a few more steps to reach next of kin and then pass on these files to the NVLSP to continue the search.

“We’ve been able to locate a lot of these people in the past” for VA, Stichman said. But for some cases “it’s taken us a few years.”

As certified counsel for the class, the NVLSP also gets a copy of every Agent Orange claim decided so it can monitor VA compliance.

Given the resources VA has committed to these claims, Stichman believes the department is trying to make payments as quickly and carefully as it can. He also isn’t concerned that VA’s own completion deadline is 11 months away.

“That doesn’t surprise me. It’s a hell of a lot of cases,” he said. “We’re not going to complain when they are putting this much effort into it.”

To comment, send e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or write to Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120-1111.

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This contrast-enhanced image obtained during Deep Impact's November 4, 2010, flyby of Comet Hartley 2 reveals a cloud of icy particles surrounding the comet's active nucleus. Photo courtesy of NASA.

NASA has just issued a travel advisory for spacecraft: Watch out for Comet Hartley 2, it is experiencing a significant winter snowstorm.

Deep Impact photographed the unexpected tempest when it flew past the comet's nucleus on Nov. 4 at a distance of only 700 km (435 miles).

At first, researchers only noticed the comet's hyperactive jets. The icy nucleus is studded with them, flamboyantly spewing carbon dioxide from dozens of sites.

A closer look revealed an even greater marvel, however. The space around the comet's core is glistening with chunks of ice and snow, some of them possibly as large as a basketball.

“We've never seen anything like this before,” said University of Maryland professor Mike A'Hearn, principal investigator of Deep Impact's EPOXI mission. “It really took us by surprise.”

Before the flyby of Hartley 2, international spacecraft visited four other comet cores—Halley, Borrelly, Wild 2, and Tempel 1. None was surrounded by “comet snow.”

Tempel 1 is particularly telling because Deep Impact itself performed the flyby. The very same high resolution, high dynamic range cameras that recorded snow-chunks swirling around Hartley 2 did not detect anything similar around Tempel 1.

“This is a genuinely new phenomenon,” said science team member Jessica Sunshine of the University of Maryland. “Comet Hartley 2 is not like the other comets we've visited.”

The “snowstorm” occupies a roughly-spherical volume centered on Hartley 2's spinning nucleus. The dumbbell-shaped nucleus, measuring only 2 km from end to end, is tiny compared to the surrounding swarm.

This plot compares the infrared spectra of particles surrounding Comet Hartley 2 (black crosses) to spectra of pure water ice grains in the laboratory (purple lines). Micron-sized grains provide the best match. What it means: Hartley 2's snowballs are made of small bits of H20. Photo courtesy of NASA.

“The ice cloud is a few tens of kilometers wide – and possibly much larger than that,” said A'Hearn. “We still don't know for sure how big it is.”

Data collected by Deep Impact's onboard infrared spectrometer show without a doubt that the particles are made of frozen H2O, i.e., ice. Chunks consist of micron-sized ice grains loosely stuck together in clumps a few centimeters to a few tens of centimeters wide.

“If you held one in your hand you could easily crush it,” said Sunshine. “These comet snowballs are very fragile, similar in density and fluffiness to high-mountain snow on Earth.”

Even a fluffy snowball can cause problems, however, if it hits you at 12 km/s (27,000 mph). That's how fast the Deep Impact probe was screaming past the comet’s nucleus.

An impact with one of Hartley 2's icy chunks could have damaged the spacecraft and sent it tumbling, unable to point antennas toward Earth to transmit data or ask for help. Mission controllers might never have known what went wrong.

"Fortunately, we were out of harm's way," notes A'Hearn. "The snow cloud does not appear to extend out to our encounter distance of 700 km. Sunlight sublimates the icy chunks before they can get that far away from the nucleus."

The source of the comet-snow may be the very same garish jets that first caught everyone's eye.

The process begins with dry ice in the comet's crust. Dry ice is solid CO2, one of Hartley 2's more abundant substances. When heat from the sun reaches a pocket of dry ice – poof! – it instantly transforms from solid to vapor, forming a jet wherever local topography happens to collimate the outrushing gas. Apparently, these CO2 jets are carrying chunks of snowy water ice along for the ride.

Because the snow is driven by jets, “it's snowing up, not down,” noted science team member Peter Schultz of Brown University.

Ironically, flying by Hartley 2 might be more dangerous than actually landing on it. The icy chunks are moving away from the comet’s surface at only a few m/s (5 to 10 mph).

A probe that matched velocity with the comet's nucleus in preparation for landing wouldn't find the drifting snowballs very dangerous at all – but a high-speed flyby is another matter. This is something planners of future missions to active comets like Hartley 2 will surely take into account.

Comet snowstorms could be just the first of many discoveries to come. A’Hearn and Sunshine say the research team is only beginning to analyze gigabytes of data beamed back from the encounter, and new results could be only weeks or months away.

Stay tuned for updates from Comet Hartley 2.

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An artist's concept of Comet Hartley 2 shows how CO2 jets drag water ice out of nucleus, producing a

While it’s a nearly 3 percent decrease from the previous year’s total number of DUI arrests statewide, impaired driving remains a major traffic safety concern.

“Every day in California officers are apprehending impaired drivers; however, some of these individuals fail to appear for court,” said California Highway Patrol (CHP) Commissioner Joe Farrow. “The DUI warrant service teams were established so these individuals can be held accountable for their actions.”

The CHP spent the past several months attempting to right that wrong, using a grant to deploy teams of law enforcement officers throughout California in counties with an overwhelming number of outstanding arrest warrants issued for individuals charged with DUI who failed to appear for court.

“Through the efforts of the warrant service teams, hundreds of people were brought to justice,” said Commissioner Farrow.

CHP spokesperson Jaime Coffee said the warrants were served in the agency's Southern, Central, Valley and Golden Gate divisions, stretching from Central to Southern California.

Warrant service team operations during this 12-month grant period resulted in 327 people being cited or arrested.

Officers also attempted to serve an additional 545 DUI warrants, which will remain active until these people are arrested or cited. Those totals represent a 22.5 percent increase from warrant service team operations in 2009.

Grant funding also provided training of 33 additional warrant service team members who will aide in future missions.

Warrant service operations are by nature more dangerous than traditional law enforcement operations due to officers entering into either the home or workplace of a subject who is involved in criminal activity.

Additionally, officers may enter a confined space and, being unfamiliar with the structure, inherently they are put at a higher risk.

Funding for the “Driving Under the Influence Warrant Service Project” was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – In the followup action to a discussion held last week on district reconfiguration scenarios, the Kelseyville Unified School District Board of Trustees voted Tuesday night to look at an option involving leasing or selling some district properties.

The board held a special Nov. 9 meeting in which several scenarios were reviewed, the more controversial ones involving school closures, as Lake County News has reported.

However, the board was unanimous in being against the school closure options, although its members admitted that with declining enrollment and funding, budget cuts are facing the district in the near future.

At the Tuesday meeting, Board member Chris Irwin moved to consider scenario No. 4, with Board member Gary Olson offering the second. The board approved the motion 4-1, with Peter Quartarolo voting no, according to district Superintendent Dave McQueen.

Scenario four, which the configuration study suggests has “no upheaval and change for students and community,” proposes no change in current campus configurations.

However, it does suggest leasing or selling district properties such as Gard Street, the historic Hells Bend school property and a property on Main Street.

McQueen said Irwin's motion removed Hells Bend from sales consideration.

The district's property on Main Street is currently leased to Lake Family Resource Center, it was noted at the Nov. 9 meeting.

“Obviously we're not going to do anything with that,” McQueen said.

With Hells Bend and Main Street off the table, that leaves Gard Street, where a number of classes are held now, said McQueen. The property also is the location of the transportation yard and some sports facilities.

McQueen said the vote gives district staff some direction on what to consider going forward.

In other district news, a teenage boy collapsed during basketball practice at Kelseyville High School on Tuesday night, at around the same time as the meeting was taking place, McQueen said.

McQueen said the teen, whose personal information can't be released by the district because of his minor status, remained in the hospital on Wednesday.

The boy's parents were giving the district updates on his condition, McQueen said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .