MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Middletown residents who want to grow their own vegetables but lack the land are being offered the chance to participate in a new community garden project.

Calpine is proposing to host a community garden on a lot next to its visitor center, located on Central Park Road, according to a presentation made at the Middletown Area Town Hall meeting on Thursday evening.

Danielle Matthews Seperas, manager of Calpine's Government and Community Affairs division, briefly outlined the plan.

She said Calpine owns the empty lot next to the visitor center. “I've always envisioned some kind of community project there. There's been ideas but nothing's ever really come together.”

However, when North Coast Opportunities reached out and suggested the possibility of a community garden in that area, Seperas said she thought it was a great idea.

“It just seems like a really great fit,” said Seperas.

She added that it won't be the Calpine community garden, it will be the Middletown community garden. “So before we move forward we would want complete community buy-in from everyone.”

Seperas then introduced Ava Ryan, Lake County Garden Project coordinator for North Coast Opportunities.

Ryan explained that the gardens project is one of North Coast Opportunities' community wellness projects, focusing on food, nutrition and food access.

North Coast Opportunities launched The Gardens Project in Mendocino County in 2007, and since that time has established 38 community gardens in Lake's neighboring county to the west, with most of those gardens located in Ukiah, Ryan said.

She said some of those gardens are quite big – up to 40 family plots – and are producing many tons of food annually.

“We're feeding a lot of families and that's really our mission with these community gardens,” Ryan said, adding that the gardens create access for those people who don't have land.

Ryan said the program goal is to help provide access to food, and alleviate poverty and food insecurity.

In November, North Coast Opportunities received a three-year US Department of Agriculture Community Food Project grant to expand The Gardens Project into Lake County, she said.

With that grant in hand, Ryan said she has been actively looking for properties and communities that want the gardens, which she will help build and facilitate.

Ryan said a key and core philosophy of the program is community ownership. “They're not my gardens at the end of the day,” but rather belong to the community members.

North Coast Opportunities has money for infrastructure, including fencing, trenching, installing water lines for irrigation, and building raised beds, and they get donations of compost and seeds, she said.

She said a group has been started to support the garden at Calpine, they are doing outreach and have had two meetings so far, with interest from the community.

Ryan said the grant was written and awarded since last year's wildland fires that devastated parts of Lake County, including the Middletown area.

“Since the fires happened we really wanted to move into this area when Middletown residents are ready, because I think that gardens are healing spaces as well as food production spaces,” she said.

The gardens are places not just for physical and nutritional health but mental health, Ryan said, adding she felt it would be great to have a beautiful garden located along the highway.

On Thursday afternoon a 100-foot by 100-foot area was staked out for the garden in the middle of the lot, Ryan said. There are plans for a mix of raised and in-ground beds of different sizes.

She said the program likes to create leadership teams in the gardens so there is a resource in the community from which to draw. There also will be leadership training, contracts for use and the establishment of laws for the garden.

Those rules include opening hours and keeping gardens locked, as Ryan acknowledged that thefts have occurred.

She said the program charges a nominal fee of about $20 to $40 per year per plot, which goes into a pool fund for events, tools, waters or other needs.

“Ultimately, we want all the gardens to be self-sustaining,” and for the most part, they all are, said Ryan, explaining that it is wonderful to watch people working together.

Ryan noted during the discussion that she's also working to put a community garden in at Highlands Senior Center in Clearlake, where a work party took place on Saturday.

When asked how long Calpine has agreed to allow the community garden to be located on its property, Seperas said that detail hasn't yet been worked out, as they first wanted to make sure the garden was wanted.

Another key question related to water supply, with Ryan explaining that how water will be paid for and supplied is still being worked out.

When an audience member asked if Callayomi County Water District had been asked about helping with water supply, a water district board member who was in the audience replied that, following the Valley fire, the district had lost 40 percent of its income, so it would be difficult for the district to give away any water.

Anyone interested in participating in the garden program or wanting more information is encouraged to contact Ryan via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 707-994-4647, Extension 131.

The Gardens Project can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gardensproject/ or at www.gardensproject.org .

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

Newsflash: Assembly of the next great space observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), is now underway at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Launch target: 2018.

JWST is an infrared telescope, which means it will sense the heat of stars and galaxies millions and even billions of light years away.

Eric Smith, JWST Program Director and Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC said, “It will show us the first stars and galaxies that formed in the early universe. We’ll be able to watch the universe light up for the first time!”

A really big mirror is required to collect light from objects more than 13 billion light years away. The telescope’s mirror is so large – 21 feet 4 inches across – that it will have to be folded with its sunshield when it's time to fit in a rocket for launch.

There are 18 mirror segments, each 4.3 feet in diameter, that have recently been mounted on the structure that will ultimately hold them in place and let them perform as if they were part of a single giant hexagonal mirror.

Once the telescope is fully assembled and attached to the instrument module, the whole unit will be vibration and acoustic tested.

Final cryogenic testing takes place at Johnson Space Centerin early 2017in the same vacuum chamber that tested the Apollo lunar lander.

Then the telescope will be integrated with the spacecraft and sunshield at Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, California.

Next, it will be placed in a special transportation container on a large ship to voyage from California through the Panama Canal to Kourou, French Guiana, where it will catch a ride to space on an Ariane 5 rocket supplied by the European Space Agency.

And then?

In addition to showing us the universe’s first “fireworks,” the world's largest infrared telescope will be a canny explorer of planets circling faraway stars.

JWST will be able to carry out detailed, high precision followup studies of the myriad of exoplanets other telescopes have been flushing out of hiding.

“It will be like taking a deep breath of an alien planet’s atmosphere,” Smith said.

The JWST telescope will be very good at observing and taking spectra of gas giant planets where it could detect, water, carbon dioxide and methane among other compounds.

It will also be used to take some spectral data on smaller planets. Webb will also zoom in to study newly discovered super Earths.

Using a technique called coronagraphy, the telescope will even be able to find planets on its own.

There will no doubt be surprises – in addition to exoplanets – along the way.

“The science community is very creative,” said Smith. “They’ll think up things for JWST to do that we never even imagined.”

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – An Upper Lake man was injured and later arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence following a single-vehicle wreck Thursday night.

Derek Franklin Killough, 32, sustained major injuries in the crash, according to a report issued Saturday night by the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.

The CHP said the crash occurred on Elk Mountain Road north of Rancheria Road at approximately 9:38 p.m. Thursday.

Killough was driving a 1996 Toyota 4 Runner westbound at an undetermined speed when, for reasons yet to be determined, he allowed the vehicle to travel off the west side of the road and into a wire fence, according to the report.

After hitting the fence, Killough's Toyota continued in a northwesterly direction onto private property and rolled multiple times, the CHP said.

The CHP said Killough, who was wearing a seat belt, was unable to get out of the vehicle by himself.

Authorities evaluated Killough at the scene and arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, the CHP said.

Killough suffered major injuries, according to the CHP, including lacerations to his head and face, and a complaint of pain to his shoulder.

The CHP said Killough was transported by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Smokey, Tanner, Chip, Frankie, Misty and Penny are waiting to meet their new families at Lake County Animal Care and Control this week.

The cats – five females and a male – all are domestic short hair mixes, in a variety of age ranges and coat colors.

In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).

'Smokey'

“Smokey” is a young female domestic short hair mix with a gray coat.

She's in cat room kennel No. 12, ID No. 4725.

'Tanner'

“Tanner” is a young male domestic short hair mix with a buff-colored tabby coat.

He's in cat room kennel No. 24, ID No. 4671.

'Chip'

“Chip” is a female domestic short hair mix cat with gray tabby and white coat.

She's in cat room kennel No. 28, ID No. 4669.

'Frankie'

“Frankie” is a young female domestic short hair mix with an all-black coat.

She's in cat room kennel No. 31, ID No. 4724.

'Misty'

“Misty” is an adult female domestic short hair mix with a gray and white coat.

She's in cat room kennel No. 32, ID No. 4727.

 
'Penny'

“Penny” is an all-black domestic short hair mix.

She's in cat room kennel No. 87, ID No. 4726.

 Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Oct. 14, 2001, Gov. Gray Davis signed Senate Bill 41, which requires new educational information and materials be introduced in California school to boost California Indian culture and history.

As a fourth grade teacher I applauded these efforts. It wasn’t all that long ago that textbooks ignored this important, and vast subject – California Indians.

Unless a teacher took great pains to enhance the curriculum with outside sources, it appeared that California Indians ceased to exist after the end of the 19th century.

Some of the Indian tribes of what we now call Lake County included the Pomo, Miwok, Patwin, Yuki and Wappo Indians.

Wappo Indian territory included southern Middletown, the valley of the Napa River by Yountville, the base of the Sonoma Valley, also near the Geysers and Geyserville/Russian River area.

It is more than likely that they traveled to Clear Lake, as well as the Pacific Coast during the summer months, as there was a Wappo fishing village at the south shore of Clear Lake, near Soda Bay. Some of the Wappo probably made annual summer excursions to the Pacific Ocean as well.

The name “Wappo” is said to have come from the Spanish word, “guapo” – which in some usages means brave – a name given to them in Mission era time.

No one can be sure just how large their numbers were initially, but by 1908 there were, sadly, only 40 Wappo counted.

Wappo belongs to a small family of languages including Coast Yuki, Yuki, and Huchnom. Wappo has always stood as a separate language, being the most unique, or different of the four.

Laura Somersal, the last speaker of the Wappo language felt that “c o-noma” might have been the origin of the name for Sonoma. It meant “abandoned camp.”

The archaeology of Napa Valley shows occupation from about 2,000 to 4,000 years ago. They may have been the first settlers after the people of the Borax Lake complex.

Archaeologists wonder about the division of the Wappo language by Pomo land from other languages to which it is related.

Did the Pomo interrupt and separate the Wappo, or did a group of Yukian speakers migrate? The evidence is scarce, but seems to lean toward migration.

They were probably always in the minority, and it appears that they got along well with the people around them.

One of the few known exceptions to their generally nonviolent reputation among the other tribes was the Wappo-Pomo war.

The Wappo seemingly attacked the Alexander Valley Pomo, which had carried off some Wappo supplies of acorn – an important food staple. Unfortunately, because of the two attacks, an unspecified amount of Pomo were killed.

The Pomo sought after peace, which was readily established, but the Pomo never returned to their Alexander Valley villages.

Other times of retaliation occurred during the Mission era, when Napa Valley Wappo fought bitterly against the Spanish.

They fought to keep their lifeways, but many were kidnapped to work the missions. Some were held at the mission at Sonoma between 1823 and 1834.

Another time of altercation occurred because of a disagreement over the Cole and Kelsey creeks fishing rights that ended in the Wappos using their digging sticks to create a diversion of the creeks near their mouth.

Somersal related a story about a gathering of Indians in the Russian River area who had decided to leave, for good, their permanent homes, for a great religious gathering.

As their numbers swelled, and the amount of Indians gathering became “too great,” the army was called in to disperse, or drive off the Indians, They fled to Clear Lake. Among this group was Somersal’s grandmother.

A Wappo village, like many other tribal villages, was usually conveniently located on a creek or near other water sources. Their village included one or two sweat houses.

Their chief could be elected, or chosen for any given position. It wasn’t uncommon for there to be more than one chief at a time. In Wappo society a woman could become a chief as well as a man could.

The chief had four main tasks: assuring dealings with other villages, both in times of peace and strife; domestic functioning of the village; ceremonies; and dispersing news. The position of chief was held until death.

In the Wappo culture, the birth of a baby was followed by one of the most complex customs to be found in North America.

For at least four days both the baby’s parents were confined to their beds, under strict taboos whose purpose was to secure the welfare of the child.

The games played by those of the Wappo tribe were like those of the Pomo: the game of shinny, the grass game, dice, and a variety of guessing games, and games involving comparisons of the players’ strength and physical prowess.

Homes of the Wappo included grass huts over poles. Each house had a door and a smoke hole. If more than one family shared a dwelling, there was a smoke hole for each family living there.

Tools utilized by the Wappo included wedges, fire drills and axes. There were tools to scrape animal skins, and there were shells and baskets for dishes.

Wappo Indians were known as skilled basketmakers, having been influenced by the master basket weavers, the Pomo.

The Wappo, like other tribes used clamshell bead money, and magnesite cylinders were in use both for money and decoration.

Exceptional qualities of the Wappo included both their humbleness and kindness in spirit. They greatly loved their children, and had a tendency to spoil them. Children were usually raised by any senior female relative.

They dearly loved their lands and families; however, property ownership per se was not held as a concept. It was believed that if someone owned something, then it was at the expense of someone else.

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a wide range of dogs of all ages that are in need of new homes.

The dogs available this week include mixes of border collie, boxer, cattle dog, Chihuahua, hound, Labrador Retriever, pit bull, Rottweiler, terrier and shepherd.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

'Smee'

“Smee” is a young male Chihuahua with a short tan coat.

He's in kennel No. 2, ID No. 4736.

Female Chihuahuas

These two female Chihuahuas have short multicolored coats.

They're in kennel No. 3a and No. 22, ID Nos. 4637 and 4636, respectively.

'Luther'

“Luther” is a male pit bull terrier mix who is listed in "urgent" need of a home, as he has been at the shelter since Feb. 28.

He has a short black coat with white markings.

Shelter staff said he is great with other dogs, both male and female, is very sweet and while he gets excited he doesn't jump on people.

He walks well on a leash and has basic commands.

In addition, he allows handling of his ears, mouth, paws and allowed nail trimming, has no food guarding, avoided cats and didn't mind the horses.

He's in kennel No. 4, ID No. 4511.

Female boxer mix

This female boxer mix has a short gray coat with white markings.

Shelter staff said she needs basic leash training, but is manageable for her size. She also allows handling of her ears, mouth, paws and body, and tolerated nail clipping without pulling away.

She has no food aggression, and would do great in a home with no cats. Staff said she has been tested with another dog and got along well.

They believe she will be happiest in a quiet home and will form a very strong bond with her handler.

She's in kennel No. 5, ID No. 4551.

'Cali'

“Cali” is a female Labrador Retriever.

She has a short yellow coat.

She's in kennel No. 6, ID No. 4683.

Cattle dog-pit bull terrier

This male cattle dog-pit bull terrier has a short white coat with black markings.

He's in kennel No. 7, ID No. 4694.

Male shepherd mix

This male shepherd mix has a short brown coat with white markings.

Shelter staff said he needs leash training but is very manageable, and in the play yard came when called when food was used as a motivator. He doesn't know basic commands yet, but did volunteer the behavior when another dog was doing it for treats.

He has no food aggression towards people or dogs, and allows handling of ears, mouth, paws and tail without any problems. He avoided the cats.

He's in kennel No. 8, ID No. 4560.

Labrador Retriever mix

This young male Labrador Retriever mix has a short black coat with white markings.

He's in kennel No. 10, ID No. 4738.

Rottweiler-border collie mix

This female Rottweiler-border collie mix has a short black coat with tan and white markings.

She's in kennel No. 11, ID No. 4722.

This female Labrador Retriever mix puppy is in kennel No. 15f, ID No. 4681. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Labrador Retriever mix puppy

This female puppy is a Labrador Retriever mix.

She has a short brown coat with white markings.

She's in kennel No. 15f, ID No. 4681.

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix has an all-white coat.

He's in kennel No. 17, ID No. 4591.

'Snowball'

“Snowball” is a female Chihuahua mix with a short tan and white coat.

She's in kennel No. 19a, ID No. 4705.

'Smokey' and 'Sandy'

“Smokey” and “Sandy” are two Chihuahuas in need of a new home.

They are in kennel No. 19b and 19c, ID No. 4706 and 4707.

Hound-Labrador Retriever mix

This female hound-Labrador Retriever mix has a short white coat with black markings.

She's in kennel No. 21, ID No. 4641.

Female Chihuahua

This female Chihuahua mix has an all-white coat.

She's in kennel No. 23, ID No. 4733.

'Bronco'

“Bronco” is a male cattle dog mix.

He has a short white and brown coat.

Shelter staff said he needs some basic training and has a lot of potential.

He's in kennel No. 24, ID No. 4592.

Female pit bull mix

This female pit bull mix has a short gray and white coat.

She's in kennel No. 25, ID No. 4588.

Male pit bull terrier mix

This male pit bull terrier mix has a short brown coat with white markings.

He's in kennel No. 27, ID No. 4673.

'Rosie'

“Rosie” is a female boxer-pit bull mix.

She has a short brown brindle coat with white markings.

Her adoption fee will be less expensive due to already being spayed.

She's in kennel No. 32, ID No. 4670.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.