SANTA ROSA, Calif. – Following the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters in Japan, the American Red Cross has made an initial contribution of $10 million to the Japanese Red Cross Society to assist efforts to provide medical care and relief assistance.

“Our hearts go out to the people of Japan and all of the survivors of the earthquake and tsunami, in Japan and California,” said Tim Miller, chief executive officer of American Red Cross in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties. “We are grateful that local donors have been so generous and that we are able to contribute to the fundraising effort that enables the Red Cross to help so many.”

American Red Cross and Japanese Red Cross have a history of mutual support. The Japanese Red Cross sent support to the American Red Cross after September 11 and Hurricane Katrina. The American Red Cross aided the Japanese during the Kobe earthquake in 1995.

The Japanese Red Cross is a highly experienced disaster relief organization with two million volunteers.

These local volunteers in Japan are distributing relief items, hot meals and deployed nearly 171 medical teams, as well as 2,400 nurses trained to provide emotional support and counseling for those affect by the disasters.

Evacuations from the exclusion zone around the nuclear power plant are also being supported by the Japanese Red Cross.

According to the federal government, Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. Territories and the U.S. West Coast are not expected to experience any harmful levels of radioactivity. Public health officials for the state

of California and counties are updating information frequently (links to their sites are available at the local Red Cross Web site, www.arcsm.org).

The American Red Cross works in close coordination with local and federal government agencies to be ready to respond to the large-scale needs created by catastrophic events.

Searching for U.S. citizens and other loved ones

Those trying to contact U.S. citizens living in or traveling in Japan should contact the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at 888-407-4747 or 202-647-5225.

People in Japan and other countries in the Pacific can register at www.redcross.org (or

http://www.icrc.org/familylinks) to inform their family and friends that they are safe and provide their current contact details.

People in the U.S. looking for loved ones can check the ICRC list for information. They can also register the names of family members and friends, encouraging them to get in touch.

As of March 16, the Red Cross family linking site, available in six languages, had logged more than 4,500 inquiries of people looking for loved ones or others letting them know they are safe.

Currently, all American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces staff stationed at military installations in the Far East are preparing for noncombatant evacuation operations in Japan to support military

operations involving registration of evacuees, escort duty and assisting in military sheltering operations.

Scam/fraud alert

There are several scams and frauds in the form of email and text messaging for donations on behalf of the American Red Cross for Japan, New Zealand and Haiti; the purchase of American Red Cross first aid supplies that are to be shipped abroad; and the impersonation of the British Red Cross.

Red Cross is asking the local media and the public to be aware of these scams, which may:

• Direct individuals to phony or fake Web sites;

• Request donations of monies through money transfer companies, such as Western Union;

• Offer “employment” for individuals to collect monies on behalf of the American Red Cross for a percentage;

• Attempt to buy American Red Cross first aid kits, etc. from chapters to be shipped overseas (South Africa, India, Japan, etc.), but first the chapter must pay “a shipper” via Western Union, with cash or use of a credit card. The “buyer” of American Red Cross first aid kits will supply the chapter with either stolen or unauthorized credit cards to send money to the “shipper;” and/or state there is an appeal from the “British Red Cross” and request individuals to send monies to an email address, Western Union or via other transfer companies.

How people can help

Individuals can assist the Red Cross response effort, both internationally and locally, by making a financial donation in a variety of ways:

• All of Redwood Credit Union’s branches are now accepting donations from members and the public to assist the Red Cross response effort in Japan; along Friedman Brothers who has donation cans available in Santa Rosa and Ukiah stores and G & G markets, with donation cans located in Santa Rosa and Petaluma stores.

• Secure online sites: www.arcsm.org or www.redcross.org .

• By phone: 707-577-7600.

• By texting REDCROSS to 90999; this enables donors to make a $10 donation to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific.

• By U.S. mail to: American Red Cross, Sonoma, Mendocino, & Lake Counties, 5297 Aero Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403.

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The region's winter weather took an odd twist, literally, on Monday when a tornado was spotted touching down in neighboring Colusa County.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento issued a tornado warning Monday for north central Colusa and south central Glenn counties shortly after trained weather spotters saw the tornado in an open area west of Maxwell in north central Colusa County at about 3 p.m.

The tornado was reported to be moving east toward Delevan at a rate of 15 miles per hour, the National Weather Service reported.

The National Weather Service's tornado watch stayed in effect until 4:15 p.m. Monday.

The agency said later Monday that the tornado did not do any damage and was subsequently classified as an “F0,” the lowest ranking on the enhanced Fujita Scale.

Tornadoes in that rating are estimated to have wind speeds less than 73 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center.

At about the same time as the Colusa County tornado was spotted, a funnel cloud was reported near Highway 25 south of Gilroy, according to another National Weather Service Statement.

The agency said that funnel in Gilroy retreated back into the cloud before it touched ground.

Such funnel clouds usually extend a few hundred feet down from the base of the parent cloud, rotate and then dissipate within a few minutes, according to the statement. However, anyone who sees a funnel cloud is still urged to seek shelter inside a sturdy and safe structure.

Monday's tornado news comes just days after what was believed to be a small tornado touched down long enough to hit a business and some homes in Santa Rosa, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

That tornado, which hit last Friday, left damage in its wake, including tearing off a large section of a commercial building's roof, the newspaper reported.

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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Police officers conducting a probation search on Saturday arrested a local man for possession of several illegal drugs and paraphernalia, and for being a felon in possession of firearms.

Brandon Charles Thomas, 28, of Clearlake was arrested Saturday afternoon, according to a report from Sgt. Tim Hobbs.

At 2 p.m. Saturday Clearlake Police officers responded to Thomas' residence on Vista Street to conduct a probation search, Hobbs said.

The residence, Hobbs explained, is located in one of the city's newly formed community oriented policing beats that has had a high level of reported narcotics activity.

During the search Thomas was found to be in possession of approximately 2 pounds of processed marijuana, cocaine, large quantities of Ecstasy and morphine sulfate, numerous types of packaging material, a digital scale, a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun and a loaded, sawed off 12-gauge shotgun, Hobbs said.

Thomas was booked into the Lake County Jail on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of a controlled substances for sales (Ecstasy), possession of a narcotic controlled substance for sales (cocaine), possession of a narcotic controlled substance for sales (morphine sulfate) and possession of marijuana for sales, Hobbs said.

Officers obtained a bail enhancement to $100,000, according to Hobbs.

Jail records indicated Thomas remained in custody late Sunday.

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The Cache Creek Dam release near Lower Lake, Calif., at 9:30 a.m., Monday, March 21, 2011. Photo courtesy of Lake County Water Resources.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH INFO ON FREE SAND AND SANDBAGS FOR CLEARLAKE RESIDENTS.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Monday Clear Lake's level continued to rise closer to flood stage, which it's expected to hit by Wednesday because of more rain that's predicted to fall this week.

Early Tuesday morning, Clear Lake was at 8.54 feet Rumsey, according to a US Geological Survey gauge on the lake. Flood stage is at 9 feet Rumsey.

The stream gauge at the Cache Creek Dam showed it was releasing 3,170 cubic feet per second early Tuesday in an attempt to keep the lake level from hitting the flood stage.

Lake County Water Resources Engineer Tom Smythe said the dam is designed to release four and a half times as much water as can get down Cache Creek.

Yet, with the heavy rains the creeks are running with more water than can get down to the dam to be released, he said.

“They'll continue releasing pretty much at capacity,” he said.

Cache Creek Dam currently is releasing almost 2 inches per day off of Clear Lake, but on Monday morning inflow was approximately twice the outflow, Water Resources reported.

For every 1 inch of rain that falls at lake level, Clear Lake will rise approximately 5 inches, and with an estimated 3.9 inches of rain set to fall over the coming week, county Water Resources staff estimated Monday that the lake could hit the flood stage on Wednesday and 9.5 feet Rumsey on Friday.

Smythe said the last time the lake was at flood stage was in 1998, when it reached 11.4 feet Rumsey.

Even with the lake not quite at flood level, many homes in low lying areas in Lakeport were reported to be flooding or in danger of being flooded.

Smythe said portions of Esplanade are close to 7.3 feet Rumsey, and residents there last week reported that they already were getting sandbags ready.

“Some of those lower areas are going to flood,” said Smythe, adding that many houses built since 1978 are now elevated because of flooding potential.

For those concerned about flooding, Water Resources said sandbags are available at the following merchants: Rainbow Ag, Lakeport, 707-279-0550; Mendo Mill, Lakeport, 707-263-8400; Kelseyville Lumber, 707-279-4298; and Lake Builders Supply, Nice, 707-274-6607.

Additionally, sand can be picked up at the following locations: R.B. Peters, 78 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport, 707-263-3678; Mendo Mill, 2465 S. Main St., Lakeport, 707-263-8400; Kelseyville Lumber, 3555 N. Main St., 707-279-4298; Pivniska Trucking, 85 W. Highway 20, Upper Lake, 707-275-3203; Layne Paving and Trucking, 3700 Old Highway 53, Clearlake, 707-994-6324; Clear Lake Lava, 14572 E. Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks, 707-998-1115.

The city of Clearlake also is making sand and sandbags available to city residents. Officials have staged the materials outside of the city's corporation yard, located at Old Highway 53 and Airport Road. An estimated 15 yards of sand is available, along with the sandbags, on a first-come, first-served basis.

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SACRAMENTO – A federal grant is assisting the California Highway Patrol with the push to reduce driving under the influence on state highways.

California continues to record a drop in the number of deaths related to driving under the influence (DUI).

While the news is encouraging, it is important to remember the factors that contributed to the decrease, among them, enforcement.

“Law enforcement throughout the state continues to do their part by removing impaired drivers from the roadway,” said California Highway Patrol (CHP) Commissioner Joe Farrow. “With renewed grant funding we can continue to turn up the heat on drunk drivers before they kill or injure innocent people.”

The CHP’s “Border to Border II DUI Enforcement Program” is funded by a federal grant which will enable officers to combat impaired drivers thus continuing to reduce the number of alcohol-involved fatal and injury collisions statewide, as well as the number of people affected by the devastation it causes.

Utilizing grant-funded overtime, the CHP will conduct sobriety and driver license checkpoints, DUI task force operations and deploy DUI enforcement patrol operations statewide.

However, enforcement alone will not solve the problem. Education through public awareness campaigns is another key component in reducing the number of people killed and injured every year by impaired drivers.

“Drinking alcohol then getting behind the wheel is not acceptable behavior,” said Commissioner Farrow. “Not only do you endanger yourself and your passengers, you put the lives of everyone on the road at risk.”

Of the more than 65,000 collisions in California in 2008, 14.5 percent of the crashes were alcohol-involved. These collisions resulted in 837 people killed and more than 13,000 injured.

“Impaired drivers destroy lives,” added Commissioner Farrow. “Our goal is to get these drivers off the road, and we will do that through enforcement and with the help of the motoring public.”

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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SACRAMENTO – In his first YouTube address since taking office, Gov. Jerry Brown is calling on state legislators to let voters have a voice in deciding how to solve the state’s budget crisis.

Brown gave Californians an update on budget negotiations in Sacramento during a three minute check-in filmed in his Capitol office.

The state Legislature made a series of tough cuts to the state budget last week, eliminating billions in programs and services. A decision is still pending on the future of redevelopment.

Now, Brown wants to let the people vote on whether to extend currently existing taxes or make even deeper cuts.

“This is a matter that’s too big and too irreversible to leave just to those you have elected,” said Brown. “This is a time when the people themselves can gather together in a special election and make the hard choice.”

Without an extension of currently existing taxes, Brown said balancing the budget would require “drastic cuts” to “our university, to education, to health care, to police services, to fire services, and many, many other things.”

Brown asserted the right of the people to vote and said he is working hard to make sure they get a chance to decide in June whether to extend currently existing taxes or make deeper cuts.

“Would you like the chance to cast this vote, or would you think it’s appropriate to shut out the people of California?”

Brown also reminded Californians that there is no time for partisan squabbles when the state is facing a severe budget crisis.

“I don’t see this as a Republican or a Democratic issue,” said Brown. “This is a matter of all of us thinking as Californians first and acting in solidarity to grapple with problems that have been avoided too long.”

Brown concluded: “If we pull together, if we make the tough decisions, if we exercise the measure of discipline that the times call out for, California will continue to prosper in the years ahead.”

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UPPER LAKE, Calif. – A 13-hour Search and Rescue (SAR) operation coordinated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in the Mendocino National Forest on Sunday has resulted in the safe return of two visitors from out of county.

Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said 34-year-old Ambrosio Maldonaldo of Ripon and 60-year-old Gilberto San Miguel of Modesto were found cold, hungry but otherwise unharmed on Sunday night.

At 11 a.m. Sunday sheriff’s dispatch received a call from Lake Pillsbury resident Steve Bettencourt, who reported that two relatives, Maldonaldo and San Miguel, had left his home on Saturday and were stranded in the snow somewhere in the Elk Mountain area of the National Forest, Bauman said.

The men were reportedly visiting Bettencourt in Lake Pillsbury and had left to return home on Saturday at about 4 p.m., Bauman said.

Several hours after leaving Lake Pillsbury, Maldonaldo and San Miguel called Bettencourt and told him they had become stuck in the snow on their way down the mountain. Bauman said they told Bettencourt they were going to remain with their vehicle until the following morning when they would attempt to walk out.

By mid-morning on Sunday, the two men had been unable to walk out due to weather conditions but did manage to get within cell phone range to call Bettencourt again for help, Bauman said.

As sheriff’s Search and Rescue personnel were being alerted, U.S. Forest Service personnel attempted to access the area from the Mendocino County portion of the forest but could not get through due to adverse conditions, according to Bauman.

He said sheriff’s personnel and Search and Rescue volunteers staged at the Middle Creek campground in Upper Lake to coordinate search efforts. A Sonoma County Sheriff’s helicopter was requested to respond to assist with the search but the aircraft was canceled while en route due to weather conditions.

At approximately 1 p.m. Sunday, a Search and Rescue four wheel drive team attempted to reach the area the two men were believed to be in but Bauman said the team was forced to turn around before reaching the summit of Elk Mountain due to conditions.

He said additional resources were called to the area to assist, including a Mendocino County Search and Rescue snowmobile team, snow plows from the Lake County Public Works Department and a Cal Fire “snow cat” stationed out of the Boggs State Forest. The Sheriff’s Mobile Command Post also was deployed to the Middle Creek Campground to act as an operations center.

As night time fell, resources worked to clear the roadway into the search area and Search and Rescue coordinators continued to try and narrow down the exact location of the men, Bauman reported.

Bauman said that once the route on Elk Mountain Road had been cleared by county snow plows, the Cal Fire “snow cat” was hauled to the summit of Elk Mountain and then deployed with Search and Rescue and Cal Fire personnel on board to venture further north in search of the two men.

At approximately 9:45 p.m., the Cal Fire snow cat located Maldonado and San Miguel sheltered in their vehicle on Elk Mountain Road, approximately four miles north of Horse Mountain, Bauman said.

The two men were transported down the mountain to the Sheriff’s Command Post where they were fed, and then lodged for the night in a local motel. Bauman said family members were scheduled to pick up both men on Monday.

Bauman said the sheriff’s office was very pleased with the coordination and outcome of Sunday’s Search and Rescue operation.

Sheriff Frank Rivero expressed his deepest gratitude to the Search and Rescue Coordinator Lt. Chris Macedo and to the Lake County Search and Rescue volunteers for their efforts.

Rivero also commended and thanked the allied agencies that supported the rescue, including the U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue and the Lake County Public Works Department.

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A water main break caused a major slipout on Widgeon Way above Clearlake Oaks, Calif., with the erosion extending down to Highway 20 below. Photo by Bill Rett.

Firefighters, police and road crews were among the first responders dealing with the fallout from the winter weather.

Some of that fallout included stranded subjects – including an elderly man – caught in the snow on Elk Mountain Road above Upper Lake since Saturday. Radio reports from the scene indicated Lake County Search and Rescue located the man and at least one other person late Sunday night after it appeared the search was being called off for the night.

Meantime, Clear Lake's level was going up, rising to 8.45 feet Rumsey early Monday morning, and pushing closer to the flood stage, which is at 9 feet Rumsey. Lake County Water Resources officials had estimated last week that the heavy rains could take the lake to 8.50 feet Rumsey by Wednesday.

The US Geological Survey's gauges around the county showed streams and creeks running at high levels.

County Road Superintendent Steve Stangland said Sunday evening that the rising lake level made flooding a possibility in the areas of Lakeshore Boulevard in north Lakeport, shoreline areas of Nice including that town's Lakeshore Boulevard, and the Clear Lake Keys subdivision in Clearlake Oaks.

Stangland said his road crews worked through Saturday night and into Sunday morning, responding to flooding, and rock and mud slides.

Clear Lake left behind debris at Library Park in Lakeport, Calif., following storms on Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20, 2011. Photo by Terre Logsdon.

The high water had caused some flooding on Lakeshore Boulevard in north Lakeport late Saturday night, with road crews removing debris there as well as from the Lakeshore Boulevard area of Nice, and removing a downed tree from Black Oak Drive in Nice, with that roadway reopened later Sunday, Stangland said.

With the ground already saturated, an early Sunday morning water main break on Widgeon Way in Clearlake Oaks resulted in a large landslide that closed the road between Hillside Lane and Laurel Avenue and ran down the hill toward Highway 20, according to nearby resident Chuck Lamb.

Lamb said water was out at his home and that of many other residents in the area.

Stangland said Clearlake Oaks County Water District Crews planned to work through Sunday night to get the water line fixed.

In Clearlake, Sgt. Tim Hobbs said Clearlake Police officers responded on Sunday morning to about five calls of trees down and blocking city streets. He said city Public Works crews responded to clear the downed trees from roadways.

While Hobbs said that, as of Sunday afternoon, they had not received reports of flooding, during a check he made of Lakeshore Drive he saw the water line was within a few feet of many houses and their docks were up at the top or over the top of their pilings.

A houseboat that broke loose from its mooring near the Lakeport Yacht Club in Lakeport, Calif., on Saturday, March 19, 2011, came to rest near the Regency Inn. Photo by Terre Logsdon.

He said police also received several reports of docks that were floating around near the shore not attached to their pilings, and added that creeks in the city were a few feet from overflowing.

In Lakeport, Clear Lake lapped at the edges of Library Park, and the shoreline was littered with debris.

Big wind gusts overnight were blamed for damage done to some area resorts, including the Skylark Motel.

Priya Dias, who along with husband David DeLuca has owned the Skylark since 2005, said their fence was blown down and their metal docks were damaged.

“The wind broke our dock in the middle,” she said Sunday afternoon.

With parts of their docks floating free, two ramps that led out to the docks had fallen into the water, with both of them being totally submerged, Dias said.

She said the ground was totally saturated, with the lake filled “to the brim,” raising her concerns for what might happen if the lake hits flood stage. “It's scary,” she said.

After a night of high winds and torrential rains on Saturday, March 19, 2011, these boats at the damaged docks next to the Regency Motel in Lakeport await repair. Photo by Terre Logsdon.

Donna Queenen, who lives nearby, reported a 35-foot houseboat came loose from its moorings at the Lakeport Yacht Club and hit her deck, eventually lodging between a stump by her deck and the Regency Inn's retaining wall.

She also reported the docks had come loose at the Anchorage Inn, Regency Inn and Lucky Four Resort.

Downed trees in various parts of the county contributed to fallen power lines, with a report Sunday morning that a falling tree hitting lines caused a pole to snap in Nice.

Pacific Gas & Electric reported several outages around the county that resulted from damaged equipment or other, unspecified causes. Listed in PG&E's outage reports were Hidden Valley Lake, Kelseyville, Cobb, Lakeport and Nice, with no estimated time of restoration available on any of those locations late Sunday.

Downed power lines closed Westridge Drive in Riviera Heights and a slide closed one lane of Siegler Canyon Road south of Perini Drive near Lower Lake, Stangland said.

Although Clear Lake isn't yet at flood stage, at Lakeside County Park near Lakeport, Calif., some park fixtures like these benches and picnic tables were close to being submerged on Sunday, March 20, 2011. Photo by Terre Logsdon.

Elsewhere, flooding caused a closure on Scotts Valley Road at mile post marker 3.50, with a detour available on Hendricks Road. Stangland said Eickoff Road in Lakeport also was closed Sunday due to flooding, and a large slipout has resulted in a one-lane closure on Stubbs Road in Clearlake Oaks.

Stangland said Elk Mountain Road and Bartlett Springs Road were restricted to vehicles with four-by-four capability and chains because of snow.

Other parts of the region also were getting pummeled by the wet winter conditions, with neighboring Glenn County reporting damaged homes, flattened orchards and flooded roads and high streams.

Glenn County Sheriff Larry Jones reported the roof of one woman's trailer was peeled off, while many of the area's almond trees fell over because of the wind – with gusts reported at 60 miles per hour – and saturated ground.

Jones, who deployed more deputies to react to conditions, reported no injuries or evacuations as of Sunday evening.

Glenn County's Office of Emergency Services activated an operations center, with monitoring going on along several stretches of the Sacramento River, predicted to be above flood stage on Monday.

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Piles of debris were deposited along Clear Lake's shoreline in Lakeport, Calif., as a result of the storm on Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20, 2011. Photo by Terre Logsdon.

The National Weather Service issued the advisories on Saturday.

Among them was a flood watch – due to the continuing heavy rains coupled with saturated ground – which is set to be in effect through Sunday afternoon.

The National Weather Service said a power storm system coming in from the Pacific is expected to continue to bring rain to Northern California through Sunday.

The recent rains have pushed Clear Lake to 8.07 feet Rumsey as of Saturday night, according to a US Geological Survey gauge on the lake. Flood stage is at 9 feet Rumsey.

Lake County Water Resources Officials said late last week that they were expecting the lake to be close to 8.5 feet Rumsey by this coming Wednesday.

Late Saturday, flooding concerns were already becoming a reality, as water was covering Lakeshore Boulevard at Park Way outside of Lakeport, with debris all over the roadway, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The National Weather Service also warned of snow levels ranging between 5 to 10 inches above 3,000 feet through Sunday. On Saturday there were reports of snow in Cobb and Kelseyville, as well as in Clearlake and on the hills above the Northshore.

Besides the rain, snow and flood concerns, forecasters were urging Lake County residents to be prepared for strong winds from Saturday night and into Sunday morning below the 3,000 foot elevation mark.

The agency reported that a deep low pressure system moving ofaf the coast of San Francisco was expected to move northward into southern Oregon on Sunday, bringing with it rain, mountain snow and potentially damaging winds to Northern California’s interior.

The saturated ground coupled with the wet winds could lead to downed power lines and trees, the National Weather Service warned in its wind advisory.

Southerly winds were predicted to increase from 15 to 30 miles per hour, with late night and early morning gusts at about 40 miles per hour.

Forecasters said rain is expected to continue through Monday, tapering off on Tuesday. Then rain is likely on Wednesday and Thursday, with a chance of showers the rest of the week.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A number of moderate-sized earthquakes have shaken parts of Lake and Mendocino counties over the last several days.

The most recent was a 3.5-magnitude quake recorded just beneath the earth's surface and centered 11 miles west of Ukiah at 1:42 p.m. Monday, according to the US Geological Survey.

The US Geological Survey received 68 shake reports from 15 zip codes regarding the quake, with most of the reports coming from Ukiah and other areas of Mendocino County, but some coming from Brookings, Ore., 346 miles away, Los Angeles, 719 miles from the quake, and Palm Desert, 871 miles distant.

Other recent quakes of note included a 3.1-magnitude temblor reported at 8:29 a.m. Thursday, March 17, one mile northeast of The Geysers, four miles west southwest of Cobb and six miles west northwest of Anderson Springs, the survey reported.

That quake, which occurred at a depth of 2.5 miles, resulted in 14 responses from 10 zip codes, including Kelseyville, Lakeport, Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake, as well as Cottonwood, 170 miles north.

On Sunday, March 20, at 1:17 a.m. a 3.5-magnitude earthquake, monitored at four-tenths of a mile underground, was reported two miles east southeast of The Geysers, four miles southwest of Cobb and four miles west of Anderson Springs, the US Geological Survey reported.

For that quake, 17 responses in 13 zip codes were submitted to the survey. No county residents made reports, but residents in San Francisco, San Mateo, Chico, Sacramento, Stockton and San Jose did.

Also on Sunday there was a 3.2-magnitude quake reported at 3:08 p.m., which the survey said occurred at a depth of seven-tenths of a mile. Its epicenter was located two miles west of Cobb, four miles northeast of The Geysers and five miles northwest of Anderson Springs.

Six shake reports from six area codes were submitted to the US Geological Survey. Areas that were the source of reports included San Francisco, Hayward, Pittsburg, Oakland, Petaluma and Modesto.

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Olive oil tasting with Sierra d'Oro at the second-annual Kelseyville Olive Festival on Sunday, March 20, 2011. Photo by Terre Logsdon.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Olives, olive oils, olive trees, local wines and locally-brewed beers formed the centerpiece of this year's Kelseyville Olive Festival, a family-friendly event held Sunday, March 20, at the Chacewater Olive Mill in Kelseyville.

Rainy weather didn't dampen the spirits of the eventgoers at the second annual festival, which highlighted all things olive-related.

A silent auction, beer and wine tasting, and wine store sale proceeds from the event benefit the programs of the Lake Family Resource Center, while admission to the event – including games such as the popular olive pit spitting contest – is free of charge.

Held mostly indoors, festival goers enjoyed sampling olive oils from Apollo Olive Oil, Canino Ridge, Ceago Vinegarden, Chasewater Olive Mill, Clearlake Oaks Olive Oil, Olivino, Robledo Family Winery, Rosa d'Oro, Sierra d'Oro, Sutter Buttes Olive Ranch, the Villa Barone and Loasa Farms, as well as offerings from Christensen Foods and Main Street Bakery.

Kelseyville-based wineries were also featured including Robledo Family Winery, Rosa d'Oro, Wildhurst, Moore Family Winery and Bell Hill.

Beer also was offered by the Lake County Homebrewers – including one with plans to open a beer-tasting brewery by the end of the year in downtown Kelseyville – who will return to the annual Amateur Wine & Beer Festival held each June in Lakeport's Library Park.

The festival proved the perfect way to usher in spring in Lake County: with lots of local goods including olive oils, wines, beer and bread.

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Wines grown and produced in Kelseyville - including Bell Hill, Robledo Family Winery, Rosa d'Oro Vineyards, Moore Family Winery and Wildhurst Vineyards offered their wines for sale at the second-annual Kelseyville Olive Festival on Sunday, March 20, 2011. Photo by Terre Logsdon.

Chris and Carolyn Ruttan of Canino Ridge Olives in Lower Lake, Calif., took part in the festival. Photo by Terre Logsdon.

The varied colors in this mound of olives awaiting pressing at the Chacewater Wine Co. and Olive Mill in Kelseyville, Calif. reflects their differing stages of ripening. Photo by Esther Oertel.

Hundreds of olive-lovers will make their way to Kelseyville today to enjoy the second annual Kelseyville Olive Festival, making it a good day to write about this lovely little fruit.

Though I’ve touched on the subject of olives in past columns, it was in a roundabout way.

My inaugural column as “The Veggie Girl” was about olive oil, and in January I did a pictorial essay on “A Day in the Life of an Olive Press,” depicting local olives being pressed into rich, golden oil.

However, I’ve never written solely on the source of this goodness, the olive itself.

It’s quite possible that olives are the most symbolic fruits the world has ever known. They were not only beloved, but considered sacred in many ancient Mediterranean cultures spanning the millennia.

It’s estimated that the cultivation of olive trees began more than 7,000 years ago, and olives were grown commercially as far back as 3,000 B.C. In fact, commercialization of the olive crop may have been the source of wealth for the ancient Minoan civilization on the island of Crete.

The olive is one of the plants most cited in literature. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus crawls beneath two shoots of olive that grow from a single stock.

In Greek mythology, Athena won the patronage of Attica from Poseidon through the gift of the olive.

The Roman poet Horace refers to olives as a staple of his simple diet: “As for me, olives, endives, and smooth mallows provide sustenance.”

Olives and olive trees are mentioned more than 30 times in the Old and New Testaments, being one of the first plants mentioned in the Bible, as well as the most significant. For example, it is an olive branch that the dove brings to Noah to indicate the flood waters receded.

As for the Koran, there are seven mentions, including a reference to its being a “precious fruit.”

The olive tree, leaves and fruit have been symbolic of a variety of positive attributes through the ages, including peace, wisdom, glory, fertility, power, purity and abundance throughout history.

The leaves were used to crown victors of athletic games, as well as the victors of battles of war.

The olive tree is known for its longevity, and there are dozens of trees in southern Europe and the Middle East that are reputed to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years old. In some cases, scientific studies have confirmed this.

Interestingly, these trees still bear fruit.It is said that an olive tree bears fruit as well at 200 years of age as it does at the age of 20. One might say that it bears just as well at 2,000 years of age.

The olive is native to the eastern Mediterranean coastal region, including southeastern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. They’re now grown in a variety of places in the world that have a climate similar to that of the Mediterranean, including California.

Olives in our hemisphere are harvested in the fall and winter, typically beginning in November. Depending on their intended use, they may be harvested prior to ripening as green olives, fully ripe as black olives, or somewhere in between.

There are dozens of olive varieties – more than a hundred – and they vary wildly in terms of size. Color in their ripened state can vary from shades of brown to purple to black.

The Cerignola olive is large (almost the size of a small plum) and can be found in both green and black. In contrast, the tiny Nicoise olive is about the size of a fingernail. It hails from southern France and is purplish brown in color.

Sicilian green olives, also known as Sicilian colossal due to their size, are dense and somewhat tart, and the Gaeta, a small brownish-black olive, has a flavor reminiscent of nuts.

A good, all-round olive for cooking and salads is the Kalamata, a purplish-black Greek olive that has become quite popular in recent years and can almost always be found in local markets.

Olives in their raw state are bitter and unpleasantly sour, so prior to consumption, olives are cured to remove their bitterness.

There are a number of methods to achieve this, including using brine (salty liquid), lye, dry salt or even oil. If olives are cured in oil, they’re wrinkled and usually a bit tougher than when cured by other methods.

A variety of flavor components, such as garlic, lemon, peppers, herbs such as rosemary, and even nuts, may be used during the curing process to add unique taste to the olives.

Olives are among the healthiest foods on the planet, packed full of nutrients and health-supporting elements such as iron, vitamin E, dietary fiber, copper and monosaturated fats.

Antioxidants in olives protect against heart disease and promote colon health, including protecting against colon cancer. Olives have natural anti-inflammatory effects, making them useful in reducing the severity of diseases such as asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

This little black fruit wooed the ancient world, and, now that we’re aware of its benefits beyond its flavor, a resounding “wow” is added to the woo.

The Kelseyville Olive Festival runs March 20 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Chacewater Wine Co. and Olive Mill (formerly the Kelseyville Wine Co. and Olive Mill) on Gaddy Lane just opposite the Kelseyville Post Office. The event is free, though beer and wine tasting will be available for a fee.

According to event organizers, a day of family fun focused on the olive is planned, and opportunities to learn about the history, cultivation, processing, types, and health benefits of olives and olive oil will be available.

Those attending may, among other things, sample products and vote for their favorites, visit arts and crafts booths, enter an olive-spitting contest, or get involved in an olive oil sensory evaluation or cooking demo.

In case of rain, much of the event is under cover.

Today’s recipe is for a mixed olive risotto from a culinary class I did a couple of Septembers ago to celebrate local olives and oil. It makes a hearty main course, and can be prepared as a vegetarian dish, if desired.

The olives used should be high-quality, rather than mild canned olives, such as those purchased at a deli olive bar. Many supermarkets carry high-quality jarred Mediterranean-style olives if an olive bar is unavailable.

The lemon zest added at the end off heat provides a pleasant counterbalance to the saltiness of the cheese (and prosciutto or bacon, if using).

This might be a lovely dish to make upon returning home from a day of fun at the Olive Festival. Enjoy!

Risotto with mixed olive medley

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large leek, well cleaned, light green and white portions thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup Arborio rice

1 cup high-quality mixed pitted olives (such as Kalamata), quartered

Grated zest of ½ lemon

½ cup Asiago cheese, grated

½ cup Prosciutto, diced, OR ½ cup Feta cheese, crumbled, OR 4 slices crisp bacon, crumbled

Bring broth to boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat so that broth stays at a constant gentle simmer.

In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add leeks and cook five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and rice; cook one minute, stirring frequently.

Using a large ladle, transfer about one cup of the simmering broth to the rice mixture. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Continue adding broth, one ladleful at a time, until rice is slightly firm to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping the rice mixture at a constant simmer.

Stir in olives and Prosciutto; heat through. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Grate lemon zest into risotto and stir to combine. (You may wish to add ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted or packed in oil, and/or ½ cup artichoke hearts, roughly chopped. They should be added along with the Prosciutto.)

Recipe by Esther Oertel.

Esther Oertel, the “Veggie Girl,” is a culinary coach and educator and is passionate about local produce. Oertel teaches culinary classes at Chic Le Chef in Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., and The Kitchen Gallery in Lakeport, Calif., and gives private cooking lessons. She welcomes your questions and comments; e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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