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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A thermal airship will be conducting aerial operations over the Lake County area on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
The four-seat blimp, sponsored by Greenpeace, will be inflated at Crazy Creek Gliderport in Middletown at about 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, and will likely be back on the ground about 8:30.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Police said Sunday that a suspect in the early morning stabbings of two people remained at large while a vehicle he was believed to have driven from the scene was found abandoned later the same day.
Ronald James Blesio, 34, of Nice, was identified by the Lakeport Police Department as the suspect in the stabbings, which took place shortly before 1:30 a.m. Sunday at the Shell station at 975 S. Main St. in Lakeport, as Lake County News has reported.
Blesio allegedly drove a dark-colored 1990s model Toyota from the scene, according to police.
Police said Blesio is armed and dangerous, and being sought for two counts of attempted murder in connection with the incident.
Later on Sunday, the dark green Toyota – registered to an Upper Lake woman, according to radio reports – was found.
“We located the vehicle unoccupied in Lakeport and have confirmed it is the suspect vehicle from last night,” said Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.
Rasmussen said the vehicle was impounded for evidence processing.
Blesio, however, remained at large on Sunday, Rasmussen said.
The two stabbing victims had been taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital before one of them was airlifted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, according to Lakeport Police Sgt. Jason Ferguson.
On Sunday afternoon, Ferguson said the victim at Sutter Lakeside Hospital had been released, while the other, who had been taken to Santa Rosa, had undergone surgery.
Blesio had been arrested by members of the Sheriff's Narcotics Task Force on May 6 after a vehicle stop in which he was found with 165 marijuana plants, processed marijuana and other cultivation-related items in his car, as Lake County News has reported.
At the time of his May 6 arrest, Blesio had a $40,000 warrant for his arrest for possession of marijuana for sales, possession of a dangerous weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a sheriff's office report.
In January, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office had reported that a 34-year-old James Blesio of Nice had been stabbed in an altercation at Lake Mendocino, but it wasn't clear if the two men were the same person.
Ronald Blesio, who according to his most recent booking sheet works in construction, is described as a white male adult, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 190 pounds, with blue eyes and blond hair.
If Blesio is spotted don't confront him; call 911.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
If “life is just a bowl of cherries” as the song implies, then we’re truly blessed.
The welcome sight of these bright, shiny fruits snuggled together in a bowl is almost guaranteed to lift one’s spirits.
Colorful, sweet and tasty, cherries are nearly universally loved. And they’re healthy to boot, all of which bode well for a positive life.
The cherry blossoms of spring lead to fruit in the early summer (the peak of season is late June), and local farmers’ markets have them available now, fresh from the tree.
There are two species of cherry, sweet and sour.
Sweet cherries are the ones we find most often in markets (whether farmers’ or otherwise). High in sugar content – from 10 to 20 percent – sweet cherries are perfect for eating out of hand.
The popularity of sweet cherries is reflected in the astounding amount of cultivated varieties, about 900 in all. Among the best known sweet cherries are the deep burgundy Bing and the yellow, rosy-cheeked Ranier.
Sour cherries, also known as pie cherries, are tart due to high acidity, but when mixed with sugar, this quality makes for a wonderful cobbler or pie. There are about 300 varieties of sour cherries.
Both sweet and sour cherries are descendants of the wild cherry, which had a native range that extended through most of Europe, Western Asia and parts of North Africa. They were consumed in these areas since prehistoric times, and cultivation dates back to 300 B.C.
Cherries are known as “super fruits” because of their high levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants. Tart cherries, in particular, have among the highest levels when compared to other fruits.
In addition, cherries have beta carotene (more than strawberries or blueberries), vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate.
Cherries also contain melatonin, a substance which has been found to regulate the body’s sleep patterns in addition to preventing memory loss and delaying the aging process.
Emerging evidence links cherries to a variety of health benefits, from helping to ease the pain of arthritis and gout to reducing risk factors for diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
Bright, sweet cherries make a nice pairing on a platter for ripe cheeses such as brie or strongly-flavored goat cheese, and in recipes with mild ricotta cheese.
Cherries are wonderful with both the mild sweetness of white chocolate and the bittersweet taste of dark, either dipped whole or in recipes. Another sweet that works well with cherries is caramel.
Alcohols such as brandy, Gran Marnier and cognac complement cherries, as does kirsch (which in German means “cherry water”), a brandy made with cherries, most often served as an aperitif.
Nuts go well with cherries, too, such as almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and walnuts. A favorite scone of mine is one with cherries (either fresh or dried), chocolate (either dark or white) and almonds. A heavenly combination!
A refreshing “black fruit salad” – perfect for summer – may be made by combining pitted fresh dark cherries, black grapes, blueberries and black currants with a bit of brown sugar and fresh lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for about two hours, tossing a few times.
Combine the fruit juices that settle on the bottom with sour cream for a topping and garnish with mint.
Cherries soaked in brandy (fantastic over vanilla ice cream or custard) make a nice gift and are easily made.
To do this, fill a container with firm whole cherries, either sweet or sour, add sugar (about one cup to every two pounds of cherries) and fill container to within an inch of the top with brandy. Allow cherries to macerate at room temperature a month or two, and then move to the fridge.
If tart cherries are used, use more sugar, about one and a half cups per two pounds of cherries.
A large portion of the U.S. cherry crop is grown in Michigan, and when a friend of mine returned from visiting her home state, I was presented with a gift of the largest, sweetest, most succulent dried cherries I’ve ever seen.
Other than tossing them in salads, including them in granola and using them in baking, dried cherries, especially the tart ones, may be combined with other fruits, ginger, spices, vinegar and sugar to make an especially pleasing chutney.
I made a cherry-red wine reduction with some of my dried cherry treasures, which I used over puff pastry that I stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese, spinach, walnuts and dried cherries. It can also accompany roasted chicken.
My recipe for the sauce is below, but first, a bit of history.
Below the words to “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries” are written. It was recorded in 1931 at the height of the Depression, making it especially poignant. Songwriters Lew Brown and Ray Henderson used cherries as a metaphor for enjoyment of the fleeting happy moments of life.
Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries
Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Don't take it serious; it's too mysterious.
You work, you save, you worry so,
But you can't take your dough when you go, go, go.
So keep repeating it's the berries,
The strongest oak must fall,
The sweet things in life, to you were just loaned
So how can you lose what you've never owned?
Life is just a bowl of cherries,
So live and laugh at it all.
And along the way, don’t forget to stop and smell the cherries. (They’re a member of the rose family, after all.)
Red wine-cherry reduction
1 cup red wine, any variety (other than dessert wine)
½ cup unsweetened 100 percent cherry juice *
½ cup reserved water from rehydrating dried cherries *
¼ cup dried cherries (not rehydrated)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
*Or 1 cup cherry juice.
Use wine to deglaze skillet in which chicken was seared.
Add cherry juice (and water, if using) to pan, along with dried cherries.
Simmer steadily, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by about half and coats a spoon.
Add butter and swirl pan or stir until melted.
Note: For vegetarian version, combine liquid in small saucepan rather than skillet and proceed as above.
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
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The stabbings were reported at around 1:30 a.m., with the victims at the gas station at 975 S. Main St., according to radio reports.
A possible suspect was reported leaving the scene driving a blue or black 1990s model Toyota toward downtown, reports indicated.
Paramedics and police responded to the scene.
Additional information on the victims and the incident was not immediately available.
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Evelyn and George Hertslet embarked on a journey from England to California in 1885.
George’s brothers and a friend accompanied the two on their voyage across the Atlantic, and the family purchased a ranch at Burns Valley where a good-sized English community was based.
Being only in their 20s, the couple probably knew what a culture shock awaited them, but being young, they figured that they would adapt quickly to these life changes.
When the party reached their destination, they had about 500 pounds [$2,430 U.S.] left to buy their farm, build a house, and acquire livestock and other necessities.
If they had no other outlets to acquire more revenue, they would only have 100 pounds [$486 U.S.] a year to live on between all of them.
Born and bred accustomed to city life, Evelyn had to get used to bumpy dirt roads, living in a remote area, washing clothes and making almost everything from scratch by herself
George and his brothers, previously stock exchange workers, also had no experience whatsoever with outdoor labor, let alone farm life.
Despite all of that, they gave their all into roofing their new home, building fences, tending to animals and other strenuous tasks.
Eventually George would partner up with a gentleman named Beakbane, and get into the real estate business.
The main goal of the two partners was to encourage more English to relocate to the Burns Valley colony which had also established the game of Cricket in the area. The love for this game soon spread to other Lake County residents who came to enjoy and compete in it.
Evelyn wrote detailed accounts of her experiences on the ranch. One thing she didn’t count on though was the loneliness that she would experience, and having no one to understand her being so.
She mentions that “of course the boys, after working and joking together all day” didn’t understand her depression and thought she was just dissatisfied.
Another hardship was the weather. Evelyn wrote of it being 102 degrees at 9 o’clock in the morning. Preparing and cooking meals was an ordeal for a time. Evelyn continues, “I have not got over my disgust at touching raw meat, and especially the innards, the liver was most repulsive to touch and cut up.”
Evelyn eventually came to take great pleasure in her newly acquired cooking skills and in her farm animals, her “beloved” cow Becky and her calf in particular.
She wrote about the calf’s antics of trying to steal milk from its mother as she tried to extract some for herself. The calf would flick its tail in her face so she would have to brush it away, and then the calf would quickly move in and suckle.
Animals were such a big part of their life that George would even dream about them. “He [George] wakes me up three or four times with pouncing about in the wildest manner, and one night when he was clawing about all over the bed, I asked him what the matter was and he said he was catching the chickens!”
The Hertslets only lasted about 18 months before they realized that despite all of their efforts to make ranch life work for them it wasn’t going to happen.
Although it must have been a sad realization they had to have been satisfied with their efforts. They were not cut out for ranch life, and it was time for them return to England.
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