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For California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens, 2009 was a busy year of investigating and crack- ing down on poaching- for-profit cases. Many involved repeat poach- ing offenders who were apparently undeterred by prior convictions and the related sentences. Other dangerous law enforcement encounters involved high-speed chases, physical restraint of dangerous suspects and apprehen- sion of a murder sus- pect. "Fish and Game war- dens do much more than check fishing licenses … they put their lives at risk every day to protect California's citizens and natural resources," said Nancy Foley, chief of the Law Enforcement Division. "Our game wardens are expertly trained to investigate complex wildlife crimes, arrest suspects and ultimately protect the resources that belong to all Californi- ans. Although the vast majority of California's hunters and anglers are law-abiding and respect- ful of our resources, these repeat poachers and other criminals pose a constant challenge to our investigators." From deer poachers in the Sierra foothills to repeat offenders who poach endangered black abalone to sell for profit, 2009 included many dif- ficult cases that required wardens to confront sus- pects with little or no backup. Some of the more dangerous cases included the following: Binh Chau, age 35, of San Diego was arrested for the fifth time in less than three years for poaching lobsters in the La Jolla Conservation Area. Chau gained noto- riety after his second lobster poaching arrest, when he was found to be hiding six lobsters in his pants. Chau has been on DFG's list of most egre- gious poachers since his fourth arrest in 2008. A Sacramento deer poaching ring was exposed after poachers were observed killing deer in the Sierra foothills and then arrest- ed in the act of selling the meat. Deer DNA analysis by DFG's Wildlife Forensics Lab- oratory identified 28 individual deer recov- ered at one suspect's residence. A Lassen County poacher shot five ante- lope from Road A25 near Herlong. Two females were pregnant with a total of three fetuses, effectively removing eight antelope from the local popula- tion. The poacher left some of them behind to suffer and die, making no effort to retrieve the animals. The case remains unsolved. Over the last few years, five separate groups of Monterey County poachers have taken hundreds of black abalone, many of which were later offered for illegal sale. Shortly after Monterey County black abalone were federally listed as a endangered species in February 2009, wardens arrested Jerry Jones, 37, of Mon- terey, and Terry Calla- han, 47, of Seaside on charges of illegally pos- sessing 51 black abalone. Other high-risk cases included the apprehen- sion of a murder suspect by Fish and Game war- dens, several standoffs at gunpoint and numer- ous high-speed chases, one of which ended in a fiery crash of the sus- pect vehicle. During another pur- suit, the passenger in the suspect vehicle was observed throwing poached abalone out the window along several miles of Highway 1. In the fall of 2009, Fish and Game added 15 wardens from the 2009 Warden Academy to the field. The 2010 Warden Academy is underway with 42 new warden cadets. If successful, they will enter a three- month field training pro- gram in September 2010. 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ADVANCED HYDROPONICS Indoor Lighting 1417 SOLANO ST., CORNING 824-1100 & Gardening Paid Political Advertisement Dave Hencratt for Sheriff/Coroner ★ Tri Tip Dinner $ 15 00 Paid for by the committee to elect Dave Hencratt for Sheriff/Coroner February 26th, 2010, 6pm Red Bluff Community Center Auction & Silent Auction • Door Prizes Music by: Chad Bushnell Ticket available at: Crossroads Feed 595 Antelope Blvd. or call 526-5675 Dear Annie: ''Still the Mom'' was jealous that her daughter has found her birth parents. Adoptive par- ents get the short end of things when we see TV shows and read articles about this. The public gets teary over the joyful reunion, and the adoptive parents are rarely men- tioned. Searching for birth par- ents is about the adopted child knowing their biolog- ical roots, which helps them form a more complete image of them- selves. But on an emotional basis, it is difficult for adoptive parents, even though studies show over- whelmingly that adoptees feel clos- er to their adoptive parents after meeting their birth parents. I'd advise this mother to let go a little. Her daughter will, in time, appreciate the woman who rocked her as a baby, dried her tears and shared in her accomplishments. This is a bond the birth parents don't have. — Adoption Counselor in California Dear California: Thank you for your comforting words. We received hundreds of letters in response to ''Still the Mom.'' Read on: From Richmond, Va.: Your answer was correct. The majority of adoptees searching for their birth parents are not trying to replace their adoptive parents. They want to fill the gaps in their histories. My adoptive mother said it best: ''The reunion is not about me as a mother or my relationship with my daugh- ter. It is about her finding what she needs to become whole.'' I can offer two more good resources: The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute in New York (adoptioninstitute.org) and the American Adoption Congress (americanadop- tioncongress.org). Boston: Forty years ago, my teenage daughter relin- quished her newborn baby girl. The remarkable, fear- less adoptive mother told the child often that her birth mother thought of her daily. She kept a duplicate treasure album of the girl's photos, report cards, awards and poems to some- day present to her birth mother, and at 18, the child was encouraged to do a search. The relationship with our family has evolved nicely and allowed us the pleasure of seeing her become a wife and mother. The adoptive mother IS her mother, my daughter is her loving friend, and our gratitude is forever. New York: I am a therapist who works with adoptive families. It is normal to feel her daughter shares something with her birth family that she doesn't. The birth family feels the same way because she shares something with her daughter that they never will. Here's another resource for adoptive families: the North American Council on Adopt- able Children (nacac.org). California: Ten years ago, my daughter was contacted by a day- time talk show, saying someone from her past wanted to meet her. She was reunited with her birth family on national TV. I was totally stunned, but when called up on stage, I said, ''I want to give the birth mother a hug and thank her for giving me the opportunity to become a mother.'' Neither my daughter nor I has much contact with the birth mother now, and my daughter told me she is thankful we chose her. Louisiana: I am the birth mother of a 45-year-old man. His adoptive parents loved and nurtured him. When he was an adult, he found me. For the first year or so, it was like a honeymoon. When I met his mom, we were polar opposites except in one area: We both wanted the best for her son. At 45, my birth son still calls his real mother first, and I am privileged to hear from him from time to time. Chicago: My son was not inter- ested in contacting his birth mother until he married and wanted his medical history. She was so happy to have the contact. I told my son, ''You can never have too many peo- ple who love you.'' Texas: As a birth mother, I can tell you that birth parents feel just as uncomfortable. When ''Still'' com- plains that she has to share her daughter with strangers, she is being shortsighted. The birth moth- er shared her daughter with strangers and didn't get to know her. Instead of being jealous, she might be thankful someone gave her the opportunity to be a mother. Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Adoptive parents share stronger bond Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar FEATURES DEAR DR. GOTT: I hope you can help my daugh- ter, as I am worried about her. She is not getting the help she needs. In February 2009, she started suffering from a skin condition on her scalp, which flakes. She also started losing large amounts of hair. She then developed a rash on her face and body. She has been seen by three doctors and four der- matologists all connected to a local medical center, which is part of a college. One of them said she had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and another said she didn't. She has had nine lab tests, including a CA- 125, a testosterone test and a DHEA test. She is still wait- ing for some of the results because the doctors and medical center are being lax about sending the informa- tion to her new off-campus physician. When this first started, my daughter suggested to one of her doctors that per- haps her birth-control pills were the problem, but the physician refused to change them until my daughter quit smoking, which she did. She also suggested that my daughter get her tubes tied instead. My daughter, 41, has no children but hopes to some day. This new doctor did an ultrasound and found a black mass on one of her ovaries that he is watching, but he does not respond to her repeated calls about her lab results. The lab has said it sent some of the results to him and that they cannot help her. She just graduated college and is trying to find a job, but it is being made hard by the fact that she has this rash and is losing her hair. She is getting very dis- couraged and depressed, and cries all the time. She also doesn't have insurance, so this whole thing is costly. Please help. DEAR READER: Based on your description, the first thing that comes to mind is psoriasis or some other type of dermatitis. However, if she has seen four dermatolo- gists, this common skin con- dition should have been rec- ognized and diagnosed quickly. Psoriasis causes the body to overproduce skin cells, which it then cannot flake off as normal. It results in skin plaques that are red with silvery-white scales. When scratched or picked at, the plaques may come off but will result in bleeding. Scalp psoriasis typically starts within the hairline and may present as nothing more than dandruff. Mild cases may even respond well to over-the-counter dandruff-control shampoos or treatments. More severe cases eventually spread beyond the hairline, down onto the neck, ears and forehead. Psoriasis may also appear on other areas of the body. It commonly affects the arms, elbows, knees and lower legs. There are sev- eral types of psoria- sis, and each carries its own distinct appearance. For example, psoriasis of the nail can cause thickening, pitting and ridging of the fingernails that may, at first appearance, resemble a nail fungus. Psoriasis also carries complications. Scratching can lead to bleeding and increased risk of skin infec- tions. In severe cases, it can cause feelings of social iso- lation, anxiety or depression because of the sufferer's reaction (or that of others) to their appearance. As for her diagnosis of PCOS based on her rash, I cannot comment other than giving general information about the condition. The Androgen Excess and PCOS Society devel- oped criteria for the diagno- sis of androgen excess to include PCOS. The criteria currently consists of having excess male hormones, ovarian dysfunction and the exclusion of related disor- ders. However, newer deter- minations find there are forms of PCOS without overt evidence of increased male hormones. Additional research results are pending with regard to clarification. PCOS may also be asso- ciated with obesity, infertili- ty, pre- or type 2 diabetes, and a skin condition known as acanthosis nigricans (AN), which causes dark- ened, velvety patch of skin, commonly on the nape of the neck, armpits, inner thighs or under the breasts. It may occur on any part of the body where folds or creases are present, such as the fingers. AN is not a rash but a simple darkening of the skin. It may itch, but this is rare, just as it does not typ- ically affect the scalp or other areas of the body that do not bend or crease. I believe your daughter needs to find a physician who will work with her to determine the cause of her problems. There is a saying among doctors and other healthcare providers that goes something like, "If you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." It seems to me that her physicians have been looking for zebras. I am sending you "Der- matitis, Eczema and Psoria- sis." Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Daughter needs attentive physician Dr. Peter Gott 2009's extreme poaching cases