Thursday, November 10, 2011

Water district no longer using website dropped by Google News

Central basinCentral Basin Municipal Water District officials said they were unaware of questions over the authorship of stories written about the agency by a news website and have instructed their public relations consultant to stop using the site.

The Times reported this week that it could not verify the biographical information of many staff writers at News Hawks Review, which published more than 30 articles about the water district over the last year. The Times found that photos purporting to be of some News Hawks writers were available on other websites as stock images.


Central Basin agreementThe district, which serves more than 2 million residents in southeast Los Angeles County, became aware only recently that some of the reporters listed on the site were “fictional,” spokeswoman Valerie Howard said Thursday.

“This website, and the bylines and the people who wrote for it, we didn’t know anything about it,” Howard said. “As far as we knew these were real writers.”

News Hawks’ coverage of Central Basin began after the district hired public relations consultant Ed Coghlan last year. Under the deal, the district agreed to pay Coghlan’s firm in exchange for services that included producing positive stories and placing them as news articles on Google News.

After The Times first reported on the website in September, Google News removed News Hawks from its search index. It was at that point that the district instructed Coghlan to no longer use the website, Howard said.

Central Basin officials found out about the bylines from Coghlan later, she said, adding that the district would have stopped using News Hawks had it known about the issue.

Most of the articles about Central Basin appeared under the byline of Mike Adams, whom News Hawks claimed was a former magazine writer and TV veteran with a degree in construction sciences from Westminster College.

Occupy Oakland: Mayor says shooting shows that protest must end

Occupy Oakland shooting
Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said Thursday night that the fatal shooting near the Occupy Oakland site shows that the encampment must shut down.

The shooting did not appear to be related to campers or the protest, Oakland Police Sgt. Christopher Bolton told The Times.

Nonetheless, Quan said, it was time for the campers to pack up and leave the downtown site where they have been staying for weeks. Jean quan

PHOTOS: Occupy Oakland

"Tonight's incident  underscores the reason why the encampment must end. The risks are too great," Quan said in a statement. "Camping is a tactic, not a solution."

The encampment, she said, has drained the financially strained city as it has been forced to pay for police protection and other services to deal with the protesters.

In recent days, Quan has come under criticism by City Council members and business owners who say she has failed to show leadership in dealing with the Occupy Oakland supporters.

Police Thursday night were investigating the shooting and had not apprehended anyone in connection with the incident. Witnesses told The Oakland Tribune that the shooting took place after a fight broke out in the ecampment.

ALSO:

Alleged Arkansas gang member arrested in L.A.

No weddings on 11-11-11 at L.A. County clerk's office

Santa Monica raises campaign contribution limit, after 19 years

-- Lee Romney in Oakland and Robert J. Lopez in Los Angeles

Photos: At top, an Occupy Oakland medic, wearing red, and others tend to a shooting victim near the encampment. Credit: Jane Tyska / HOEP / Associated Press. At bottom, Quan at a news conference last month. Credit: Noah Berger / Associated Press

 

Man stabbed outside Charger-Raider game in San Diego

A 26-year-old man was stabbed in the stomach in a fight in the parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego during the Thursday night game between the Chargers and Oakland Raiders, police said.

The victim refused to describe his assailant or explain the reason for the fight, police said. He was taken to a local hospital with wounds that police described as non-life-threatening.

In terms of fan misconduct, games against the Raiders have historically been the rowdiest of Charger contests at Qualcomm Stadium.

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Man wounded in gang-related shooting at Venice park

Venice shooting scene
One man was wounded Thursday night at Oakwood Park in Venice in what police said was a gang-related shooting.

The man told investigators that he heard two attackers yelling about 8 p.m. near Broadway Street and 7th Avenue. That was was followed by six to eight gunshots, Officer Bruce Borihanh of the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The victim was hit once and was in stable condition, the LAPD said. He was believed to be about 45 years old.

Investigators were at the scene Thursday night gathering evidence. No other details were immediately available.

ALSO:

Alleged Arkansas gang member arrested in L.A.

No weddings on 11-11-11 at Los Angeles County clerk's office

Santa Monica raises campaign contribution limit, after 19 years

— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Map shows Venice neighborhood where shooting took place. Credit: Times' Mapping L.A.

Cash-strapped Montebello receives loan

Photo: A view of city of Montebello. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times For months, officials in Montebello have worried that they might run out of cash by the fall, or be forced to make drastic cuts to stay in business.

But on Thursday, officials in the beleaguered city announced that it had gotten a $2.5-million loan as it seeks to get back on firm financial footing.

The loan must be paid back by June, said interim City Manager Larry Kosmont.

Kosmont said the city is borrowing at an interest rate of 4.85% -- higher than he would have liked, but a rate that reflects investors’ worries about a city that has been the subject of a drumbeat of negative headlines about its financial stewardship.

The city has also been the subject of seven separate audits over the last year, including several from the state controller’s office that found the city mishandled millions of dollars.

Kosmont, who said he plans to step down from his temporary post in December, said the loan is  good news, in that it will help the city as it seeks to hire a permanent city manager.

ALSO:

Black bear seen walking through Glendale

Occupy movement plans Rose Parade protest

Middle school teacher had sex with former student, police say

-- Jessica Garrison

Photo: A view of the city of Montebello. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

Father, son die in separate freeway crashes within four hours

Truck
A teenage boy and his father from Alpine were killed within hours Thursday in separate freeway collisions on Interstate 8 in eastern San Diego County, officials said.

The 16-year-old boy was a passenger in a Toyota pickup truck driven by his mother, Natali Sambhi, 55, that went off the freeway and rolled after possibly suffering a blown tire. The boy, whose name was not released, was thrown from the vehicle and killed instantly.

About four hours later, the boy's father, Sumil Sambhi, 48, was killed in a head-on collision while driving the wrong way on I-8, officials said.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the collision as a possible suicide. Sambhi was reportedly distraught over the death of his son and angrily blamed his wife for the earlier accident.

A father and his 19-year-old son from Imperial County, who were in the Mercury Grand Marquis struck by Sumil Sambhi's Toyota Scion, were airlifted to local hospitals with injuries described as moderate.

ALSO:

Alleged Arkansas gang member arrested in L.A.

No weddings on 11-11-11 at L.A. County clerk's office

Santa Monica raises campaign contribution limit, after 19 years

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Toyota truck driven by Natalie Sambhi. Credit: KSWB-TV Channel 5.

One man killed in Winnetka, two wounded in Westlake

Westlake homicides
Los Angeles police Thursday night were investigating two separate shootings that left one person dead  in Winnetka and two others wounded in Westlake.

The first attack took place shortly before 5 p.m. at West 5th Street and South Burlington Avenue in Westlake and appeared to gang-related, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

A man reported that he and a passenger were shot as they drove in a vehicle. The assailant and at least one other person fled, the LAPD said.

Both victims were shot in the back. One was in critical condition, and the other was in stable condition, Officer Bruce Borihanh said.

About an hour later,  a man believed to be in his 40s was struck at least once in the chest when a gunman fired multiple rounds near Corbin Avenue and Sherman Way, the LAPD said. The gunman ran away.

Borihanh said the the victim was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. It was unclear Thursday night what sparked the shooting.

ALSO:

Alleged Arkansas gang member arrested in L.A.

No weddings on 11-11-11 at Los Angeles County clerk's office

Santa Monica raises campaign contribution limit, after 19 years

--Andrew Blankstein (twitter.com/anblanx) and Robert J. Lopez (twitter.com/LAJourno)

Map shows homicides reported in Westlake since January 2007. Credit: Times Homicide Report

Pasadena police prepare for Occupy Rose Parade protest

Photo: The "Pac Man's 30th Anniversary Party" float at the 122nd Rose Parade on Janurary 1, 2011. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times Following reports of an Occupy L.A. organizer’s call for a demonstration at the Rose Parade, the Pasadena Police Department issued a statement Thursday that the agency is “well-equipped to handle emergencies and unusual occurrences” at the parade.

“As the primary agency responsible for safety [during the Rose Parade], the Pasadena Police Department is well-equipped to handle emergencies and unusual occurrences,” the statement reads. “Parade groups are encouraged to respect the rights of all who attend the parade, many of whom travel great distances with their families.”

PHOTOS: Occupy protests around the nation

Peter Thottam, a former financial analyst, has called for economic justice activists to occupy the Rose Parade on Jan. 2.

Pasadena Police Lt. Phlunte Riddle told the Pasadena Sun that officials “want people who plan to use their scarce dollars to come here to know that they will be safe.”

ALSO:

Black bear seen walking through Glendale

Occupy movement plans Rose Parade protest

FULL COVERAGE: Occupy Wall Street protests around the nation

-- Joe Piasecki, Times Community News

Photo: The "Pac Man's 30th Anniversary Party" float at the 122nd Rose Parade on Jan. 1, 2011. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Occupy Oakland: One person fatally shot near protest site

A fatal shooting near the Occupy Oakland encampment did not appear to  be related to campers at the protest site, police said Thursday evening.

Officers responded to reports of multiple shots fired near 14th Street and Broadway on the fringe of the encampment about 4:30 p.m. and found one person sprawled on the ground, the Oakland Police Department said.

Sgt. Christopher Bolton told The Times that the shooting appeared to be connected to the encampment only “in proximity” and did not appear to involve Occupy Oakland protesters.

PHOTOS: Occupy Oakland

News footage from a helicopter showed emergency crews working on the shooting victim as crowds of onlookers gathered in the plaza where the protest has been going on for weeks.

Barucha Peller, who is part of Occupy Oakland, said that medics from the encampment were among the first people to render aid to the mortally wounded victim, according to Bay Area media reports.

A person acting as a representative for the Occupy Oakland told KGO-TV that the victim may have been hiding out from a person or a group of people at the encampment shortly before the incident.

“If someone does something wrong in their community, they may want to come here and this is not the place for that,” Shake Anderson told KGO-TV.

The Oakland Tribune reported on its Twitter account that a news cameraman filming the chaos was beaten by people at the scene.

The area was cordoned off with crime scene tape as investigators scoured the area for evidence. People were lighting candles in a vigil around the shooting scene.

ALSO:

Alleged Arkansas gang member arrested in L.A.

No weddings on 11-11-11 at Los Angeles County clerk's office

Santa Monica raises campaign contribution limit, after 19 years

--Lee Romney in Oakland and Robert J. Lopez in Los Angeles

Occupy Oakland: Police respond to reports of shots fired

Oakland police were responding Thursday evening to reports of shots fired and a person down at the Occupy Oakland area near downtown.

It was unclear whether anyone was actually injured, the department said. Officers were swarming the scene.

PHOTOS: Occupy Oakland

The Oakland Tribune reported on its Twitter account that bystanders said that at least six shots were fired and that people were screaming at the scene. The attackers fled. One person was injured, according to the Tribune.

No other information was immediately available.

ALSO:

Alleged Arkansas gang member arrested in L.A.

No weddings on 11-11-11 at L.A. County clerk's office

FULL COVERAGE: Occupy protests around the nation

— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Family of woman killed by falling 70-foot tree explores lawsuit

Tree
The father of a woman who was killed when a nearly 70-foot  eucalyptus tree fell on her car in a Costa Mesa intersection has hired a Beverly Hills lawyer to explore filing a lawsuit.

Haeyoon Miller, 29, was sitting at a red light near Newport Harbor High School when the tree, planted in a median, crashed onto her blue Hyundai.

According to witnesses, emergency crews were able to lift the tree but then it slipped back onto the car.

Miller’s father, Sunyl Chung, has now hired the law office of Richard D. Hoffman, the Daily Pilot reported. Daniel Boasberg, an attorney with the firm, would not discuss what legal avenues the firm is exploring.

By law the family must first file a claim for damages with Newport Beach, which was maintaining the tree under an agreement with Costa Mesa. Only after a claim is denied by a government agency can a lawsuit be pursued. No claim has thus far been filed

Miller's long-term boyfriend, George Osorio, of Tustin said that Chung is making the legal arrangements from South Korea.

Since the crash, more than 140 eucalyptus trees in Newport Beach have been removed.

ALSO:

Black bear seen walking through Glendale

Occupy movement plans Rose Parade protest

FULL COVERAGE: Occupy Wall Street protests around the nation

— Joseph Serna

Photo:  Firefighters lift the trunk of a eucalyptus tree  off a Hyundai driven by Haeyoon Miller, 29, of Tustin. Credit:  Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

L.A. couple win essay contest to adopt dog dragged behind truck

Riverside dog draggedA Los Angeles couple won an essay contest to adopt a dog that was abandoned after being dragged behind a pickup truck, officials said Thursday afternoon.

The white German shepherd suffered injuries on all four paws after being dragged through the Riverside neighborhood last week by a driver in a red pickup truck. The driver untied the animal and fled after being seen by a witness near Claycroft and Peacock lanes in the city's La Sierra area,  the Riverside County Department of Animal Services said.

After the story was reported by The Times and other  media organizations, officials were flooded with calls from as far as West Virginia and New England, agency spokesman Jose Arballo said.

"We started getting calls literally within an hour of the story being published," he told The Times.

Officials decided to hold an essay contest to determine who would adopt the animal. The winners were Nancy Vernon and Wolfgang Matthes of Glassell Park.

"All I can say is that we would guarantee the beautiful ... dog a warm loving home with couches and beds," the couple wrote in their essay. "We want her to feel secure, stable and happy."

No arrests have been made in connection with the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call officials at (951) 358-7356.

ALSO:

Alleged Arkansas gang member arrested in L.A.

No weddings on 11-11-11 at L.A. County clerk's office

Santa Monica raises campaign contribution limit, after 19 years

— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Dog that was dragged by pickup. Credit: Krista Stewart/Riverside County Department of Animal Services

Appeals court rules cities can ban medical marijuana dispensaries

A crowd of demonstrators wave signs at passing cars in front of the Federal courthouse in downtown Sacramento this week as medical marijuana advocates from across California protested federal government crackdown on marijuana dispensaries and landlords. Credit: Randall Benton / Sacramento Bee / MCT

In a decision that could have immediate fallout for medical marijuana dispensaries, a state appeals court has ruled that California law allows cities to ban the stores.

The contentious issue has bounced around state courts for years, but the opinion issued Wednesday is the first published one that directly tackles it and does so in unambiguous language. The decision, which upheld Riverside’s ban, could embolden cities and counties to enact bans and spur those that have them to seek court orders to close defiant dispensaries.

“I think its impact will be significant throughout the state,” said Jeffrey Dunn, the attorney who argued the case for Riverside in an appeals court hearing last week and praised the decision’s simplicity. “It’s not wishy-washy. It squarely addresses it. And it makes it very clear.”

In the case, a three-judge panel in the 4th District Court of Appeal in Riverside rejected an appeal from Inland Empire Patient’s Health and Wellness Center, concluding that state medical marijuana laws do not prevent cities and counties from passing regulations, including bans.

The same judges also issued a nearly identical unpublished opinion Wednesday, upholding Upland’s ban on medical marijuana dispensaries and an injunction against G3 Holistic.

Reader photos: Southern California Moments Day 314

Click through for more photos of Southern California Moments.

Nice view: Sydney Golombek photographs Angel's Point in Elysian Park Aug. 10.

Every day of 2011, we're featuring reader-submitted photos of Southern California Moments. Follow us on Twitter and visit the Southern California Moments homepage for more on this series.

Keystone pipeline delay draws cheers, dismay

Keystoneprotest
President Obama's decision Thursday to put off the decision of whether to permit the controversial Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico drew cheers from his environmentalist supporters but heightened criticism from opponents eager for jobs and fuel for the ailing U.S. economy.

The 1,700-mile pipeline would carry oil extracted from Canada's tar sands to the Gulf of Mexico, crossing plains states and the enormous Ogallala aquifer. It has been the target of increased protest and opposition from environmentalists and residents of those states, who complain that the corrosive oil poses a spill threat. In addition, extracting tar sands oil requires a great deal of energy, making the fuel's carbon footprint high, environmentalists say.

To be built, the pipeline requires approval of the U.S. State Department, which on Thursday announced it would study alternative routes, effectively delaying the permit process until after the presidential election next November.

Leading environmental groups said the pipeline proposal was effectively dead, while labor, energy and Republican factions decried the loss of an opportunity to boost supplies of oil and create jobs.

“The lobbying groups pushing for delay are using a whole raft of phony arguments, like air quality. They are ignoring the obvious: Every barrel of oil from Canada means one less from OPEC –- improving national security and reducing the risk of oil spills from tankers," said S. Fred Singer, a senior fellow for environment policy at the Heartland Institute, a conservative group that casts doubt on climate change.

"This will merely show voters that the Obama administration cares more about appeasing its environmental activist allies than doing what is right for our economy and our nation’s energy security," said James Taylor, another senior fellow at the policy group.

Courtney Hight, a former Obama White House staff member and co-director of the Energy Action Coalition, said the move encouraged the mostly young protesters who had pressed the administration to stand up to oil companies and meet its environmental promises made during the 2008 campaign.

"For the last three months, young voters have been calling on President Obama to stand up to Big Oil and deny the Keystone XL pipeline," the group said in a statement. "In this next round of review, young voters  will continue to hold the Obama administration accountable to their commitment to fully consider the climate and environmental justice concerns surrounding Keystone XL. This is a major step in President Obama fulfilling his campaign promises to end the tyranny of oil in the United States and usher in a clean energy economy." 

The Center for American Progress praised the State Department's new caution toward the pipeline.

"The State Department’s announcement that it will take the time to carefully examine alternative Keystone XL pipeline routes is essential to protect the Sand Hill region over the Ogallala Aquifer from pipeline leaks. The aquifer is life blood for farmers in eight states. Any analysis of alternative routes must ensure that the entire Ogallala is protected, as well as other vital water resources, particularly the Missouri and Mississippi river watersheds," the groups said in a statement.

"The Keystone XL tar sands pipeline that we’ve been fighting for months has been effectively killed," said Bill McKibben, head of 350.org, an international climate group. "The president didn’t outright reject the Keystone XL pipeline permit, but a few minutes ago he sent the pipeline back for a thorough re-review that will delay it til 2013. Most analysts agree: The pipeline will never get built." 

House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) blasted the decision as a job killer.

“By punting on this project,” Boehner said, “the president has made clear that campaign politics are driving U.S. policy decisions at the expense of American jobs.”

TransCanada, the pipeline developer, appeared to hold out hope that the State Department would agree to a revised route.

“This project is too important to the U.S. economy, the Canadian economy and the national interest of the United States for it not to proceed,” said TransCanada President Russ Girling.

ALSO:

Obama proposes CO2 regulations

NOAA greenhouse gas index climbs

Keystone XL pipeline decisions to be probed by State Department

-- Geoff Mohan

Photo: Protesters in front of the White House recently voiced opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: Evan Vucci/Associated Press

Los Angeles fire captain held in heroin sting

A Los Angeles City fire captain has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to purchase heroin,  authorities said Thursday.

Mike Phillipsed was arrested about 12:10 p.m. Wednesday near Avenue 61 and Figueroa Street during a sting operation conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department's Northeast Area narcotics unit.

LAPD Lt. Andy Neiman said Thursday that Phillipsed  was "apprehended while attempting to purchase seven balloons of simulated heroin from undercover officers."

Phillipsed was booked on suspicion of intent to possess heroin and was held on $10,000 bail, Neiman said.

Los Angeles fire officials did not comment on the specifics of the arrest but issued a statement:

"The Los Angeles Fire Department has recently learned that a member of the department was arrested on Wednesday November 9th 2011 in the Northeast section of Los Angeles for a narcotics violation," the statement said.

"The matter is currently under investigation by the LAPD. The Los Angeles Fire Department's professional standards division has been notified and will be conducting an investigation concurrent with any criminal investigation."

ALSO:

Black bear seen walking through Glendale

Occupy movement plans Rose Parade protest

Middle school teacher had sex with former student, police say

--Andrew Blankstein

Twitter.com/anblanx

Playa Vista plan gets court approval

Playavista
A state appellate court has upheld the city of Los Angeles' approval of Playa Vista's second and final phase.

Wetlands activists had challenged a revised environmental impact report for the Village, as Phase 2 of the big project south of Marina del Rey is known.

Wednesday's decision comes after a long trail of litigation, revision and further appeals.

The Los Angeles City Council initially approved the environmental analysis for the Village in April 2004. Challengers sued, alleging that the report was flawed. In January 2006, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge upheld the city's approval.

The activists appealed, and a three-judge panel in the 2nd District Court of Appeal agreed that three aspects of the environmental impact report should be revised.

The City Council approved the revised EIR in 2010. Activists once again challenged that approval in Los Angeles Superior Court. The trial court upheld the council's approval in January 2011, and the challengers appealed again.

The three-judge panel that affirmed the trial court's ruling on Wednesday was the same panel that ordered the EIR revisions. The wetlands activists have 40 days to petition the California Supreme Court for review.

Rex Frankel, president of the Ballona Ecosystem Education Project, one of the Playa Vista challengers, said his organization planned "soon" to petition the state high court. He contended that there "is a good likelihood the Supreme Court will take our case."

Playa Capital President Patti Sinclair said the company would vigorously oppose his filing. She added that the high court seldom takes rulings that are "unpublished," as this one is. She said the company expected to begin construction on the Village early next year.

The Village is intended to be the link between the Phase 1 residential community and the commercial campus that is home to Facebook, USC and a division of Fox Sports, among other employers. The Village will include retail stores and restaurants as well as parks, office space and multi-family residences.

ALSO:

Christo river wrap gets BLM approval

Grand Canyon mining ban moves forward

Super committee could gut national parks budget

-- Martha Groves

Photo: Playa Vista's first phase can be seen behind the Ballona Fresh Water Marsh. Environmentalists eager to preserve wetlands have sought to limit development. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

Super committee could gut national parks budget

Yosemitesnow600
National Park Service funding could potentially be gutted if the so-called congressional super committee doesn’t find those elusive $1.3 trillion in budget cuts this month.

According to a new report released today by the National Parks Conservation Assn., a parks advocacy organization, failure by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (colloquially known as the super committee) could trigger a sequestration process that would mandate cuts in National Park Service funding by as much as 9%.

This would mean a $231 million cut to the national parks budget that is currently at $2.6 billion, said Craig Obey, senior vice president of government affairs at NPCA, in a press conference today. That would come on top of nearly $140 million in cuts made in 2011.

Overall, the National Park Service budgets are down almost $400 million from where they were 10 years ago.

“I’m watching this cut like everyone else and we’re very worried,” said Obey at the conference. “The issue with the national parks –- if you think of the budget like a tire, right now the tire has a slow leak. If we get a 9% cut, it’s a blow-out. Either way, you have a flat tire. We’re looking real soon at some tough results in the national parks.”

Those results, say the report, could include the closure of some parks, campgrounds, visitor centers and other services, the virtual elimination of seasonal rangers, a curtailment of law enforcement staff and resources for endangered species monitoring and other scientific work.

Gathered at the press conference were a group of experts concerned about the economic effects of any drop in visitors to the country’s popular national parks. Obey pointed out that the money going into the parks was a direct economic investment, returning $4 in economic benefit for every $1 spent, for a total direct annual contribution of $13.2 billion to the U.S. economy.

“I’m a Republican, a former two-term county mayor in a county that is the northern gateway to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park,” said Iliff McMahan, former mayor of Cocke County in Tennessee. “The park is a driver for economic activity in our area.”

“I implore that the lawmakers see that as an investment in the economic driver, the engine that drives that part of the U.S., and they do the right thing and keep that economic engine going.”

Obey and others noted that any cuts made now to National Park Service budgets would come mostly from basic operating budgets. More flexible accounts like construction and land acquisition have already been drastically curtailed.

John Garder, budget and appropriations legislative representative for National Parks Conservation Assn., pointed out that, even before the super committee process, the parks were already likely to experience budget challenges for the next decade. The Budget Control Act of 2011, passed in August, set discretionary caps for spending through 2021 that, depending on how they are interpreted, would mean flat budgets for the National Park Service for the next 10 years.

“Because of the real uncontrollable costs with rent increases, utility, cost of living increases for employees, and general increased expenses, the practical effect of a flat budget is a reduction in real terms,” said Garder. “It is less money that they have to work with. So we are already looking at a challenging climate for the NPS for the next decade.”

RELATED:

Christo river wrap gets BLM approval

Grand Canyon mining ban moves forward

Decision postponed, again, on Yellowstone snowmobile rule

-- Dean Kuipers

Photo: The floor of Yosemite National Park covered in snow. Budget cuts could sharply curtail park services. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times.

NOAA greenhouse gas index climbs

Windmillsky600
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its Annual Greenhouse Gas Index (AGGI) number today, which measures the direct climate influence of a select set of greenhouse gases, and the news is not good. The numbers continue to climb, further evidence that the greenhouse effect is on the rise.

This comes on top of a staggering report released by the U.S. Department of Energy last week saying that global emissions of carbon dioxide –- a key, and long-lived, greenhouse gas –- had jumped by the biggest amount on record in the year 2010. The figures showed a 6% increase over the year before. That rise was steeper than worst-case scenarios that had been laid out by climate experts only four years before. That news was met with headlines worldwide calling it a “monster” increase and “the biggest ever seen.”

The Annual Greenhouse Gas Index number, by contrast, looks small, but has big impact. The index is a measure of the combined heating effect of the top greenhouse gases during their life spans as the gasses float around in the atmosphere. The number increased from 1.27 in 2009 to 1.29 in 2010, which is essentially a 2% increase. Since the index started in the Kyoto Protocol year of 1990, which the NOAA team chose as a baseline, the increase has been 29%.

“The way you have to look at these things is over time. So we’re up over 20% over where we were in 1990, in our effort to cut greenhouse gases. So we’re not doing very well,” says Jim Butler, director of the Global Monitoring Division of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., which produces the Annual Greenhouse Gas Index.

Numbers on the Annual Greenhouse Gas Index, Butler points out, do not correlate directly to degrees difference in temperature. But when it goes up, warming potential increases.

“The sum of all of those tells you how much we’re increasing the warming potential of the atmosphere,” says Butler. “The analogy I use is the electric blanket. The numbers on the electric blanket don’t correlate to specific temperatures. If you’re really comfortable with it set on 3, and then you gradually turn it up to 6 to get warmer, at first you don’t notice anything. But in a little while you will, and then you’re going to stop turning it up, but you’re going to continue to get hotter.”

NOAA measures the gases in the atmosphere that most directly affect global warming, which it can do, Butler says, “with extreme accuracy.” The top five gases –- carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and two chlorofluorocarbons called CFC11 and CFC12 –- are responsible for more than 95% of the warming effect. About 15 other gases make up the last 5%.

Carbon dioxide is the biggest and baddest, as it is the longest-lived and most abundant. CO2 levels rose to an average of 389 parts per million in 2010, compared with 386 ppm in 2009. Back in the 1880s, before the Industrial Revolution, the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere was about 280 ppm. Other gases are showing similar increases.

One bit of good news in the report: Concentrations of CFCs 11 and 12 are dropping, albeit very slowly. Remember the ban on ozone-depleting aerosol spray propellants? It evidently works. The 1989 Montreal Protocol banned chlorofluorocarbons and they are gradually being reduced.

Perhaps this is an indication that another global protocol might have similar effects on greenhouse gases. Just an idea.

The Annual Greenhouse Gas Index is just a way to make unsexy science into a concept that people can easily grasp. The heat-trapping potential of a gas is called “radiative forcing” and is measured in watts per square meter. Who the heck knows what that means? Butler hopes the index makes it more clear.

“This looked like a good way of presenting much of what we do within our organization, so people can understand the real effects,” he says.

RELATED:

Hewlett-Packard tops Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics

Obama proposes CO2 regulations

EPA's secret list shows pollution unchecked

-- Dean Kuipers

Photo: Giant wind turbines at sunset near Albacete, central Spain, part of Spain’s effort to reach Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Credit: Paul Hanna / Reuters

Sandcastle contest in Imperial Beach has seen its final summer

Sand
The national recession has claimed another victim: the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition is shutting down after 31 years of holding its summer event in Imperial Beach in southern San Diego County.

"Sandcastle has had a long, successful history and put Imperial Beach on the map," Mayor Jim Janney said.

Last summer the nonprofit, free-admission, three-day event drew upward of 400,000 people.

But increased costs and the mounting difficulty of finding volunteer workers and sponsors has led the event's board of directors to call it quits.

The decision "was not one taken lightly and weighed heavily upon us," said board chairwoman Debbie Longley.

ALSO:

O.C. sheriff probes helicopter joyride

State high court considers future of redevelopment agencies

Laguna Beach girl turns 11 on 11/11/11 -- and that's just the start

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Competitors working on their underwater roller-coaster design at the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition in Imperial Beach. Credit: Courtney Hergesheimer / Los Angeles Times

Alleged Arkansas gang member arrested in South L.A.

Image: Map shows approximate location of where Smith was found in South L.A. Source: Google MapsAn alleged Blood gang member wanted for murder and robbery in Little Rock, Ark., has been taken into custody at a house in South Los Angeles, authorities said Thursday.

U.S. marshals and L.A. County sheriff’s deputies arrested Christopher T. “Big Curious” Smith, 20, on Tuesday night at a house near 60th Street and Harvard Avenue, according to a sheriff’s report.

In May, Smith allegedly shot and killed two people during a robbery in Little Rock, then fled and was said to be hiding out with Blood gang members in Los Angeles.

Smith was featured in several news media broadcasts, including "America’s Most Wanted," according to the report.

He was booked on an out-of-state felony murder warrant and was being held without bail pending extradition to Arkansas.

ALSO:

Black bear seen walking through Glendale

Occupy movement plans Rose Parade protest

Middle school teacher had sex with former student, police say

 -- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Image: Map shows approximate location of where Smith was found in South L.A. Source: Google Maps

Orange County no longer No. 1 when it comes to municipal bankruptcy

Cirton
Orange County is losing one of its lesser distinctions: ground zero to the largest municipal bankruptcy in  U.S. history.

After an inglorious 17-year run, Orange County’s $1.6-billion bankruptcy is being eclipsed -- dwarfed, even --by Jefferson County, Ala., which has filed for Chapter 11 to help deal with $4 billion in debt.

Jefferson County’s financial undoing is being caused in large measure by the refinancing of a sewer system upgrade that relied on exotic interest-rate swaps, according to Nation Now.

Orange County was done under by the risky investments of then-county Treasurer, Robert L. Citron, who borrowed money to bet on speculative high-yield securities that depended on interest rates remaining low.

When rates shot up, $1.64 million in public money vaporized.

Some county leaders at the time conceded that they didn’t not understand Citron’s strategy all that well and blindly put trust in him because his investments had historically done well.

As in Jefferson County, politicians in Orange County initially predicted financial Armageddon, a deeply troubling thought in a county that was known for its conservative, tight-fisted ways.

One national business writer described a "mushroom-shaped cloud that hangs over Orange County." Others predicted that government would lurch to a standstill, schools would be shuttered, parks sold off.

But it didn’t happen that way.

Real people did lose real jobs and county services were slowed, even frayed. But, while Orange County probably won’t pay off its bankruptcy debts in 2026, the wheels of government did not grind to a halt.

"I wouldn't ever say bankruptcy was good for the county. But, ironically, Orange County is a very well-run county now," said Matthew Newman, the director of the California Institute for County Government .

"Bankruptcy has had a lot to do with that," he said. "It got people to focus on what's important and run as tight of a ship as they could."

ALSO:

O.C. sheriff probes helicopter joyride

South American kinkajou found in Santa Ana

Laguna Beach girl turns 11 on 11/11/11 -- and that's just the start

-- Steve Marble

Photo: Former Orange County treasurer Robert L. Citron is sentenced to one year in county jail for his involvement in the county's bankruptcy. Credit: Al Schaben / Los Angeles Times

New terminal set to open at John Wayne Airport in O.C.

New terminal at John Wayne Airport
Travelers will soon have more room to stretch out and more spaces to park in, once John Wayne Airport officially opens its new Terminal C on Monday.

Officials on Wednesday previewed the building with six additional gates, a 2,000-space parking structure, and the latest security and ticketing technology.

Originally proposed to meet bursting air travel demand, Terminal C opens amid a tepid market and weak economy. John Wayne operates under its limit of 10.8 million passengers annually, but officials expect traffic to pick back up, the Daily Pilot reported.

Terminal C is the capstone of $543 million in airport expansion and renovations, first approved by the County Board of Supervisors in 2004. For the most part, the project has been delivered on time and within budget.

The new terminal continues the same look and feel of the existing buildings. Architects shaped the roof like the older building's recognizable metal fuselage, and used mostly the same materials inside.

Newport Beach officials post own cash for Reagan statue reward

Ronald Reagan statue vandalizedThree Newport Beach City Council members have posted their own money as a reward for the Ronald Reagan statue vandal.

Councilman Keith Curry told the Daily Pilot Wednesday that the money would come from personal accounts, and not from council members' discretionary public funds, the city's general fund or campaign contributions.

Newport Beach police officially announced the $5,000 reward Wednesday for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who nearly yanked the bronze statue in Bonita Canyon Sports Park off its base this past weekend.

Throughout its short history, the statue commemorating the late president's 100th birthday has generated heated debate about political artwork on public property and methods to pay for such an effort.

"They're not city funds," Curry said Wednesday. "Given the divisiveness about this, in our view this was a better way to handle it."

Curry said he would contribute $2,500. Mayor Mike Henn plans to give $1,500, and another council member, who wishes to remain anonymous, plans to give the remaining $1,000.

It is still unclear who would pay for the statue's repair. Private donors raised $80,000 for the piece and city staff commissioned the sculptor.

Individuals with information about the vandalism are urged to contact Det. Pete Carpentieri at (949) 644-3772 or pcarpentieri@nbpd.org.

ALSO:

O.C. sheriff probes helicopter joyride

Woman frees herself after thieves invade her home

Conrad Murray gave NBC interviews without telling attorneys

— Mike Reicher, Times Community News

South American kinkajou found in Santa Ana

A kinkajou, or honey bear, looks through a fence at the Nature of Wildworks sanctuary on Topanga in 2005

A South American rain forest mammal found in Santa Ana is now resting peacefully in San Diego.

The kinkajou, a relative of the raccoon, was found wandering near a Santa Ana elementary school in October, said Santa Ana Zoo Director Kent Yamaguchi.

The animal is now at a rescue shelter in San Diego after a stint with animal control and a stop at the zoo, he said.

Susan Carey, founder of Ramona’s Mostly Monkeys, received the raccoon relative last week. She said no one is likely to come forward to claim the lost kinkajou because a permit is needed to own one in California.

Possible pipe bomb in West Hills neighborhood

The device that prompted an evacuation order in a West Hills neighborhood Thursday morning may be a pipe bomb, police said.

The evacuation of 20 homes in the area of the 6600 block of Royer Avenue remained in effect and bomb squad personnel were inside the home where "possible pipe bombs" were found, said Sgt. Bruce Alvarez at the LAPD's Topanga station.

No one was home when the officers entered the residence, and it was unclear who called to report the possible explosives, he said.

ALSO:

Black bear seen walking through Glendale

Occupy movement plans Rose Parade protest

Middle school teacher had sex with former student, police say

-- Abby Sewell

O.C. sheriff probes helicopter joyride

Orange County sheriff's officials are investigating allegations that a helicopter supervisor took a woman for a joyride on an agency helicopter.

Sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino confirmed Thursday an investigation is underway after the department received an anonymous letter stating the allegations.

The Orange County Register reported that the supervisor allegedly took his girlfriend for a ride Oct. 10. Amormino said the alleged passenger was a female employee, but it was unclear what the relationship between the two was.

"If we find there was any wrongdoing, the department will take appropriate action," he said. The supervisor has not been placed on leave.

ALSO:

10 families displaced in Brentwood blaze

Woman frees herself after thieves invade her home

Conrad Murray gave NBC interviews without telling attorneys

-- Abby Sewell

Four-Star Vegetables From Eleven Madison Park

Delicious no-meat recipes for your holiday table.

The long-awaited cookbook from Daniel Humm, celebrated chef of Eleven Madison Park in New York, becomes available this week, but it is, admittedly, not for the faint of heart.

The book, a lofty white tome weighing in at more than six pounds, is beautiful to explore, with tantalizing photos that will send you immediately to your phone to book a restaurant reservation. But will you be able to cook from it?

“The simple answer is yes-ish,” Mr. Humm writes in the book’s introduction:

If you never cook, this is probably a book that should stay on your coffee table. Many recipes require a significant time commitment, a certain level of skill, a reasonably equipped kitchen and a healthy dose of persistence.

Even so, Mr. Humm reassures readers that every recipe has been tested multiple times and if you follow them exactly, they will work — and your palate will be rewarded.

“We did not think about making it simpler,” Mr. Humm said in an interview. “It was our intention to make it exactly the way we serve it at the restaurant. It’s really doable and achievable. You need a decent kitchen, but mostly you need time. Cooking is time consuming.”

Mr. Humm’s gorgeous book is, in fact, suitable for the coffee table, but it would be a shame to not venture into the kitchen with it. The recipes are arranged by season, so we turned the pages to autumn to find three show-stopping vegetable recipes perfect for any Thanksgiving table: butternut squash cannoli; beet salad with chèvre frais and caraway; and cauliflower roasted with grapes, almonds and curry. And if you’re looking for more traditional Thanksgiving flavors, be sure to check out the contributions from Chef Humm last year, which included a simple cranberry chutney, a brioche and fig stuffing and a tantalizing mashed parsnip écrassé.

Visit Well’s interactive recipe collection to see more Vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes; we will be adding new dishes daily.

Eleven Madison Park’s
Butternut Squash Cannoli

Butternut Squash Mousse:
3 sheets gelatin (optional, or substitute 2 teaspoons powdered vegetarian kosher gelatin)
2 cups butternut squash juice (from 4 quarts peeled and diced butternut squash, juiced)
1 1/4 cups cream
Juice of 2 limes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon grated ginger
2 N2O cartridges

1. Bloom the gelatin*, if you are using it, by placing the sheets in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, until pliable. (If you are using vegetarian gelatin, soften in water according to directions.)

*Chef Humm notes that the recipe works fine without gelatin, though he adds gelatin at the restaurant so the mousse can hold up longer.

2. In the meantime, reduce the butternut squash juice by half in a small saucepan over low heat.

3. In a mixing bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks.

4. Stir softened gelatin into the warm reduced butternut squash juice. (If you are using gelatin sheets, squeeze to remove excess moisture.) Remove from the heat and season with lime juice, salt and ginger. Strain through a chinois into a mixing bowl. Cool over ice, stirring constantly, until the mixture is just below room temperature. Do not allow the gelatin to begin setting.

5. Fold the whipped cream in 3 parts into the butternut squash mixture and transfer to a whipped-cream canister. Charge the canister with the N2O cartridges and refrigerate until ready to use.

Roasted Butternut Squash:
2 medium butternut squash
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash halves, cut side up, in a roasting pan. Using a brush, coat with olive oil and season with salt.

3. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender. Cool to room temperature. Scoop out the flesh to yield 4 cups.

Butternut Squash Tuiles:
1 cup tapioca pearls
4 cups Roasted Butternut Squash
4 cups canola oil

1. Bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add the tapioca pearls and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, until tender. Drain the tapioca and rinse under cold water.

2. In a blender, blend 1 1/2 cups cooked tapioca with the Roasted Butternut Squash until smooth.

3. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

4. Cut 32 rectangles of acetate, measuring 4 by 8 inches each. Using an offset spatula, thinly spread about 2 teaspoons of the tuile batter onto each sheet of acetate.

5. Place the rectangles on a baking sheet and bake for 2 hours to dehydrate the tuiles. Cool to room temperature before removing the acetate.

6. In a large saucepan, heat the oil to 325 degrees. Working quickly, fry the tuiles, one at a time, for 10 seconds. As you remove each tuile from the oil, immediately roll it around a copper tube measuring 1/2 inch in diameter and 3 inches in length to form a hollow cylinder. Drain off the excess oil and allow to cool. Remove the tube. Repeat this process until all 32 tuiles are fried and shaped. The tuiles can be kept in an airtight container for up to 6 hours.

To finish the crisps:
Butternut Squash Mousse
Butternut Squash Tuiles
1/4 cup sliced chives

1. Expel the mousse from the canister into a tuile until the tube is completely filled. Smooth the ends with a spatula and sprinkle each end with chopped chives. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, to make 32 crisps. Serve immediately after filling.

Yield: 32 cannolis.

Beet Salad With Chevre Frais and Caraway

Roasted Beets
1 1/2 to 2 pounds large red beets
1 1/2 to 2 pounds large Chioggia beets
1 1/2 to 2 pounds large golden beets
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup salt
4 tablespoons sugar
3 cups red wine vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash the beets thoroughly under running water. Trim off the top and bottom of each beet. Toss in the olive oil, salt and sugar, coating evenly.

3. Separate the beets by color, and place them in 3 individual roasting pans. Pour 1 cup red wine vinegar and 1 cup water in each pan. Cover the pans with aluminum foil and roast for 30 minutes.

4. Remove the beets from the oven, uncover and, using tongs, turn them over in their liquid. Cover them again and continue roasting for another 30 minutes, or until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife.

5. Once the beets are done, uncover them, and cool them in their cooking liquid. Peel the beets, cut them crosswise into 1/2- inch slices, and punch the slices with ring cutters of varying sizes.

Goat Cheese Mousse:
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 cup chèvre
3/4 cup cream
2/3 cup sheep’s milk yogurt
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons salt
1 N2O charger

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, chèvre, cream and yogurt. Season with lime juice and salt and continue to whisk until thoroughly combined.

2. Transfer the mousse to a whipped-cream canister and charge with the N2O cartridge.

Caraway Tuiles:
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
2/3 cup rye flour
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup glucose syrup
4 egg whites

1. In a small sauté pan over medium heat, toast the caraway seeds for 1 minute, until fragrant. Allow to cool before grinding in a spice grinder.

2. Sift together the rye flour, flour, caraway seeds and baking soda. Place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. With the mixer running on medium speed, slowly add the butter.

3. In a small saucepan over low heat, heat the glucose syrup so that it is runny and add it to the mixer ingredients.

4. Once the butter and glucose are thoroughly incorporated, pour in the egg whites. Whip until the batter becomes slightly puffy.

5. Pass the batter through a fine-mesh tamis and refrigerate for 1 hour.

6. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line an 18-by-26-inch baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. Spread the tuile batter evenly and thinly, using 3 different round stencils, measuring 1 1/4 inches, 1 1/2 inches and 2 inches in diameter, to create 10 tuiles of each size. You can create your own stencils from thin sheets of acetate. Bake for 10 minutes.

7. Allow the tuiles to cool completely at room temperature, and gently remove them with an offset spatula. Store in an airtight container.

Rye Crumble:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup rye flour
1 cup bread flour
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon milk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Slowly incorporate the rye flour, bread flour, caraway seeds and salt. Add the milk and continue to mix until small clusters of dough begin to form.

3. Flatten out the dough to 1/2 inch thick on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool to room temperature. Grind to a powder in a spice grinder. Makes 4 cups.

Beet Vinaigrette:
2 cups red beet juice
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 cup raspberries
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (0.6 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, reduce the beet juice to 1 1/3 cups.

2. In another small saucepan, bring the vinegar to a boil, remove from heat and add the caraway seeds and black peppercorns. Steep in the vinegar for 20 minutes and strain.

3. Add the raspberries to the reduced beet juice, and muddle them with the back of a spoon. Steep for 10 minutes and strain.

4. Whisk together the vinegar mixture, reduced beet juice, salt and xanthan gum, whisking until the xanthan gum is completely dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to use.

5. Add the olive oil before serving to break the vinaigrette. Makes 2 cups.

To finish the salad:
Roasted Beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fleur de sel
Caraway Tuiles
Goat Cheese Mousse
3 tablespoons Beet Vinaigrette
3 teaspoons Rye Crumble
32 dill blossoms

1. Brush the roasted beet slices with olive oil and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Place 5 slices of varying colors and sizes on each plate.

2. Rest 1 of each size tuile on the beets. Expel 3 tablespoon-size dollops of Goat Cheese Mousse in between the beets.

3. Spoon the beet vinaigrette around, and finish with the Rye Crumble and dill blossoms. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Yield: 8 servings.

Eleven Madison Park’s
Cauliflower Roasted With Grapes, Almonds and Curry

Curry Oil:
2 cups canola oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced Granny Smith apple
1/3 cup thinly sliced white onion
1/2 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
1 kaffir lime leaf

1. Heat 1 cup of the oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the apple, onion and lemongrass, sweating until translucent, without caramelizing, about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, and lightly toast with the vegetables for 2 minutes.

2. Add the remaining oil and the kaffir lime leaf and heat the oil to 160 degrees.

3. Remove from the heat, cover and steep for 20 minutes. Strain through a coffee filter. Makes 2 cups.

Brown Butter:
1 pound butter
5 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic, crushed but kept whole

1. Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for about 40 minutes. At this point, the butter should be clear and a light caramel color.

2. Continue to simmer the butter, and whisk vigorously until the color is walnut brown. Place the thyme and garlic in a chinois lined with cheesecloth. Strain the Brown Butter over the thyme and garlic. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Roasted Cauliflower:
1 head cauliflower
1/4 cup Curry Oil
1/4 cup Brown Butter
1 tablespoon salt

1. Slice 4 cross sections of the cauliflower, each 3/8 inch thick. The cross sections should have the florets intact.

2. Cut each slice in half lengthwise, yielding 8 pieces. Reserve the remainder of the cauliflower to use in the Cauliflower Purée (see below).

3. To roast the cauliflower, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat 2 large oven-safe sauté pans over high heat and divide the Curry Oil and Brown Butter between the 2 pans. Place 4 pieces of cauliflower in each pan and lower the heat to medium.

4. Sear the cauliflower for about 4 minutes on each side so that both sides are evenly browned, continuously basting the cauliflower with the hot Curry Oil and Brown Butter. Transfer the 2 pans to the oven and roast until the cauliflower is cooked through and dark golden brown, about 10 minutes. Season with the salt.

Sous Vide Cauliflower:
1 head cauliflower
1/4 cup Curry Oil
1/4 cup Brown Butter
1 teaspoon salt

1. Slice 4 cross sections of the cauliflower, each 3/8 inch thick. The cross sections should have the florets intact.

2. Use a 1 1/4-inch ring cutter to punch out 16 cauliflower rounds from the slices that include florets and stem. Trim 16 florets from the remaining cauliflower. Save all other trim for the Cauliflower Purée and the Cauliflower Couscous (see below).

3. Place the rounds and 2 tablespoons Curry Oil, 2 tablespoons Brown Butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a sous vide bag and vacuum-seal.

4. Place the cauliflower florets and the remaining 2 tablespoons Curry Oil, 2 tablespoons Brown Butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt in another sous vide bag and vacuum-seal.

5. Steam the bags of cauliflower in a combination steam oven at 185 degrees for 20 minutes, until tender. Transfer to a bowl of ice water.

Cauliflower Couscous:
2 cups cauliflower trim (from the heads used for the Roasted Cauliflower and Sous Vide Cauliflower)
1 tablespoon Brown Butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Finely chop the cauliflower trim so that it resembles the size and texture of couscous.

2. Place in a small mixing bowl and season with the Brown Butter, lemon juice and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Curried Raisins:
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apple
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
1 pod star anise
10 black peppercorns
1/3 cup white port
1 kaffir lime leaf
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup golden raisins

1. In a medium straight-sided sauté pan, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the apple and shallots and sweat until translucent, without caramelizing, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the curry powder, star anise and peppercorns, and toast with the apples and shallots for 1 minute.

3. Deglaze the pan with the port and reduce until the pan is almost dry.

4. Add 2 cups water and the kaffir lime leaf and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and steep for 10 minutes. Season with the salt.

5. Place the golden raisins in a heatproof container. Strain the hot liquid over the raisins. Cool to room temperature. Keep the raisins in their liquid until ready to serve.

Carrot Curry Sauce:
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
1 cup thinly sliced white onion
1 tablespoons thinly sliced ginger
1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes, drained
3 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1. In a large saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and ginger and sweat the vegetables until the carrots are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Add the curry powder and toast for 1 minute.

3. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce until almost dry.

4. Add the tomatoes, cooking until they are almost dry, about 3 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan, toast the coriander and cumin until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the toasted spices and stock to the vegetables and bring to a slow simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes.

6. Strain the sauce and reduce it to 1 1/2 cups. Season with salt and chill over ice.

Dehydrated Grapes:
2 cups sugar
32 seedless red grapes

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees, or set a dehydrator to 125 degrees.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. In a large straight-sided sauté pan, combine the sugar and 2 cups water and bring to a low simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the grapes and remove from the heat. Steep for 5 minutes, remove from the syrup, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.

4. Dehydrate the sugared grapes in the oven for 2 hours or in the dehydrator for 4 hours.

Cauliflower Purée:
3 cups cauliflower (or cauliflower trim), 1/4-inch dice, about 11 ounces
2 cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons Brown Butter
2 teaspoons salt

1. Place the cauliflower in a large saucepan and cover with the half-and-half. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the cauliflower until tender, about 25 minutes.

2. Drain the cauliflower, reserving the liquid. Purée in a blender, adding the cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the purée is smooth but not too loose. You should need about 4 tablespoons of liquid.

3. Blend in the Brown Butter and season with the salt. Pass through a fine-mesh tamis and cool over an ice bath, stirring constantly to quicken the cooling process and to prevent a film from forming on the purée. Makes 2 cups.

Curry Raisin Purée:
1 1/2 cups golden raisins
1/4 cup Curry Oil
1 teaspoon salt

1. Place the raisins in a bowl. Pour hot water over the raisins and bloom at room temperature until they are soft, 2 hours. Drain, discarding the water.

2. Purée in a blender until smooth, slowly incorporating the Curry Oil with the blender running. Season with the salt. Makes 2 cups.

To Finish:
8 tablespoons Cauliflower Purée
8 teaspoons Curry Raisin Purée
Carrot Curry Sauce
2 tablespoons Curry Oil
Sous Vide Cauliflower
2 tablespoons vegetable stock
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
Roasted Cauliflower
Curried Raisins
Dehydrated Grapes
32 Marcona almonds
Cauliflower Couscous
Madras curry powder
16 sprigs celery leaves

1. In 3 small pots over low heat, reheat the Cauliflower Purée, Curry Raisin Purée and Carrot Curry Sauce. Add the Curry Oil to the Carrot Curry Sauce.

2. Open the bags of Sous Vide Cauliflower, pour off the liquid, and reserve it. Using 2 medium sauté pans, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable stock in each over medium heat and add equal amounts of the cooking liquid from the Sous Vide Cauliflower. Bring to a simmer, and add the cauliflower discs to one pan and the florets to the other. Add 1 tablespoon butter to each pan and reduce to glaze, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

3. Spoon Cauliflower Purée and Curry Raisin Purée on a plate. Place a Roasted Cauliflower cross section on top of the purées. Arrange 2 cauliflower rounds, 2 cauliflower florets, 3 Curried Raisins, 4 Dehydrated Grapes, 4 Marcona almonds and a spoonful of Cauliflower Couscous around the Roasted Cauliflower. Finish the plate with 1 tablespoon Carrot Curry Sauce, a dusting of Madras curry powder and 2 sprigs celery leaves. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Yield: 8 servings.

Medical Schools Neglect Gay and Gender Issues

The middle-aged patient with long dark hair made it very clear that this was not her first urinary tract infection. “It’s because when I urinate,” she said, “I need to use a catheter.” She opened the leather satchel on her lap and, to prove her point, pulled out a thin, red sterile length of tube covered in plastic.

“Just ask one of the older nurses or doctors,” she said, smiling. “They all know me.”

But as I would learn, it was not because of her recurrent infections that so many of my colleagues knew her. Several years earlier, she had come in for a routine operation. The doctor had evaluated her before the operation, learned that she was a homemaker and met her husband. But on the morning of her operation, as he pulled down the sheets to begin inserting the urinary catheter into his now sleeping patient, he was startled to discover that the patient was not exactly who he had assumed she was.

She was transgender, and where he had been expecting to find female genitalia, he found male genitals instead.

The operation had gone well; but years later the doctor’s glaring oversight continued to haunt the rest of us. The patient had obviously not felt comfortable disclosing her transgender identify, and the doctor had clearly not asked the right questions. We knew that any one of us could have made the same mistake. While we had been trained well in treating cancer with the best chemotherapy regimen, curing flesh-eating infections with the most powerful antibiotics or transplanting organs with the greatest of ease, when it came to caring for patients who were transgender, we were lost. For many of us, the same could be said for lesbian, gay and bisexual patients as well. The only thing most of us knew how to do was ask about a single issue: “Whom are you having sex with? Men, women or both?”

A study published recently in The Journal of the American Medical Association shows that the situation has not changed much for young doctors. Researchers from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Medical Education Research Group at Stanford University School of Medicine surveyed medical school deans in the United States and Canada and asked about the curriculum devoted to topics like gender identity, coming out as gay and disparities in health care access for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients. While nearly all the students were learning to ask patients about the gender of their sexual partners, a majority of medical schools devoted only five hours to teaching anything more than that simple question. Fully one-third of schools allotted no time at all.

“These results should serve as a call to action for the health profession to include L.G.B.T. health as part of the standard curriculum,” said Dr. Desiray Bailey, an anesthesiologist and president of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.

What little training medical students do receive — focusing on sexual behavior or H.I.V. infections — ignores the many other complex health-related issues these patients often deal with. As documented in a report issued this year by the Institute of Medicine, L.G.B.T. patients tend to be more isolated and have higher rates of chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. And because of the discrimination they face and fear, many also have difficulty gaining access to care and thus face an increased risk of suicide, substance abuse and unaddressed domestic violence.

Just “seeing the doctor” can be fraught with tension, as it entails coming out to one’s physician.

“These patients need to feel that they can tell their doctor they are gay and that their doctor will accept them,” said Dr. Mitchell R. Lunn, senior author of the study and a resident in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

But while the federal government has recently announced several initiatives to address disparities in L.G.B.T. health care access, the study confirms that most medical schools are lagging behind. Those schools that do integrate the material into standing courses, offering electives or inviting outside experts to speak on topics like gay parenthood, lesbians’ health or the use of hormones in transitioning from one gender to the other. At other schools, medical students can discuss sexual identity issues with actors who have been trained to play the part, asking them whether they feel different from the identity assigned by society at birth, for example, which helps the students to eventually discuss these topics with real patients in a nonjudgmental but confident way.

But it’s unlikely that most medical schools will change how they teach medical students anytime soon. Organizations responsible for accrediting medical schools and licensing physicians do not require that prospective doctors know about health care issues for lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender patients. And because research in this area is relatively new, it’s difficult for medical schools to find experts qualified to teach.

Nonetheless, many still view the study results as hopeful because of the level of insight from most of the medical school deans. More than a quarter characterized what their school taught in regards to L.G.B.T. patients as “poor” or “very poor,” and almost half called their offerings only “fair.” “This honest appraisal gives me hope that they might already be making plans to improve what they teach,” Dr. Bailey said.

And those kinds of improvements, the study authors believe, would benefit all patients.

“This is about being a good doctor, because a trusting relationship is not just about a patient’s physical or even mental well-being,” Dr. Lunn said. “It’s about learning who that patient is.”

Ex-college accounting assistant embezzled $500,000, police say

A former accounting assistant at Antelope Valley College has been arrested and accused of embezzling $500,000.

Mandy Borquez, 33, could face charges of grand theft and identity theft, according to an arrest report by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

Borquez was arrested after a 10-month investigation by sheriff’s commercial crime investigators, who were contacted by school administrators after noticing discrepancies in their accounting, according to the report.

She is being held at a jail in Lynwood in lieu of $250,000 bail, and is expected to appear in court Dec. 14.

ALSO:

Los Angeles college district moves to fire a third contractor

Occupy L.A. campers damaging City Hall grounds, official says

L.A. County sheriff investigates captain who oversaw troubled jail

 -- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Black bear seen walking through Glendale

Black bear in Glendale Nov 10 2011
A large black bear took a midnight stroll through the Glendale area.

The bear was first spotted at Franklin Street and Lowell Avenue. It was then seen wandering through the parking lot of a nearby home improvement store on Foothill Boulevard, KTLA-TV reported

Authorities followed the animal to Cerro Vista Drive and La Reina Avenue in Tujunga, where it disappeared into the foothills.

It's not uncommon to see wildlife in the foothill communities of Los Angeles County, but officials advise residents to be cautious.

ALSO:

Los Angeles college district moves to fire a third contractor

Occupy L.A. campers damaging City Hall grounds, official says

L.A. County sheriff investigates captain who oversaw troubled jail

-- KTLA-TV

Photo: Black bear seen in Glendale and Tujunga. Credit: KTLA-TV.

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