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Thompson, who said he had been touring the district during a week-long Congressional recess, presented a 20-minute budget slideshow in an effort to reduce federal fiscal realities to some easily understood statistics and policy choices.

“Do you know why this wine is so good?” the seven-term Democrat asked a visiting reporter. “Because it was grown by a conscientious, passionate grower.”

And that would be … him.

“Everybody's very worried,” said Naomi Fuchs, chief executive officer of Santa Rosa Community Health Centers, a network of eight clinics that serves 34,000 patients. “We hope the funding is restored.”

The Santa Rosa organization would lose $1.5 million, forcing cutbacks in staffing and services, including a planned expansion of medical care and other services to the homeless, Fuchs said.

A Superfund site in Davis has become the first federal groundwater cleanup project powered by solar energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said.

EPA officials on Wednesday unveiled the Frontier Fertilizer Superfund site's new solar photovoltaic system, which will help power the treatment of contaminated groundwater beneath the east Davis neighborhood.

Congressman Mike Thompson hosted the nearly two-hour-long session - nearly a half-hour longer than originally anticipated due to the numerous questions posed by community members - in the Board of Supervisors' chambers.

About 50 people - including Supervisor Jim Comstock, county Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook and County Administrative Office Kelly Cox - attended.

After voting against President Barack Obama's budget for the 2011 fiscal year last week, Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), held a meeting about the country's fiscal future in the Board of Supervisors' chambers in the Lake County Courthouse Tuesday.

Sixty people gathered in the chambers for the nearly two-hour meeting, which is the first of three meetings Thompson will be holding throughout his district, California's 1st congressional district, which includes Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties and parts of Napa, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

Environmental Protection Agency officials switched on a new underground heating system Wednesday to expedite the toxic cleanup at the Frontier Fertilizer Superfund site in Davis.

Electric probes inserted into the soil of the 5-acre cleanup area at 3901 Second St. will vaporize contaminated water and the gas will be treated on-site. Cleanup at the 5-acre area will be complete in two years, said EPA Project Manager Bonnie Arthur, who led a media tour of the site Wednesday afternoon.

On Saturday, Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), a senior member of the House Committee on Ways & Means, voted against House passage of H.R. 1, the continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through the end of fiscal year 2011.

While the continuing resolution does include some meaningful cuts to wasteful spending, it also includes irresponsible cuts that would hurt working families in Northern California and across our country.