Just when you thought Christmas was over: At the end of the day on Dec. 25, a pair of holiday lights will pop out of the deepening twilight. Jupiter and the Moon are having a Christmas conjunction.

It’s a beautiful apparition, visible all around the globe. Even city dwellers, who often miss astronomical events because of light pollution, can see the show.

Separated by less than 2 degrees, the bright pair will beam right through urban lights.

For anyone who gets a telescope for Christmas, the timing is perfect.

Jupiter and the Moon are among the most satisfying targets for backyard optics. A quick sweep of the telescope from Jupiter to the Moon and back again will reveal Jupiter’s storms and cloud belts, the Moon’s mountains and impact craters, and of course the four Galilean satellites circling the giant planet like a miniature solar system.

Jupiter’s trademark Great Red Spot will also be on display – and it is worth a look.

Astronomers recently announced that the enormous swirling storm, twice as wide as the planet Earth, is “spinning up.”

Actually, explains planetary scientist Glenn Orton of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, “the Red Spot is shrinking.”

He likens it to “the iconic picture of a figure skater pulling her arms in to spin faster. As the size contracts, the spin rate increases.”

John Rogers, head of the British Astronomical Association’s Jupiter Section, noticed the phenomenon in recent pictures of Jupiter snapped by amateur astronomers.

He was able to track a dark cloudy feature as it swirled three times around the Red Spot’s central vortex.

The circulating streak completed the circuit in only 4.0 days, shorter than the 4.5 days Rogers measured in 2006 using the same method.

Looking back in time, “the trend of decreasing rotation period has been consistent at least since Voyager visited Jupiter in 1979,” said Rogers.

As the spot shrinks, it also changes shape. Decades ago the Red Spot looked like a sausage – now it’s more circular.

What happens next is hard to say. “Perhaps the Red Spot will continue to shrink and eventually disappear,” speculated Rogers. “Or perhaps it will be rejuvenated if some new storm arises to reinforce it.”

One thing is certain, Christmas night is a good time to look. The Red Spot will be transiting Jupiter’s middle for observers across North America and will be perfectly positioned for telescopic observations.

But you don’t need a telescope to enjoy the show.

Step outside at sunset on Dec. 25 and look east. After all, Christmas isn’t really over until you’ve seen the holiday lights.

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Winter driving on roads and highways in the snow-capped mountains of California can be a pleasant adventure – or it can be frustrating, tiring and sometimes even hazardous.

The Clear Lake Area California Highway Patrol provides the following information to help make your mountain driving safe and pleasant.

The CHP wishes everyone a safe a happy holiday season. They also remind everyone to buckle up, slow down and if you drink please designate a sober driver.

Before heading for snow country:

• Make sure your brakes, windshield wipers, defroster, heater and exhaust system are in top condition.
• Check your antifreeze and be ready for colder temperatures. You may want to add special solvent to your windshield washer reservoir to prevent icing.
• Check your tires. Make sure they are properly inflated and the tread is in good condition.
• Always carry chains. Make sure they are the proper size for your tires and are in working order. Carry a flashlight and chain repair links. Chains must be installed on the drive wheels. Make sure you know if your vehicle is front or rear wheel drive.
• Other suggested items to carry in your car are an ice scraper or commercial deicer, a broom for brushing snow off your car, a shovel to free your car if it’s “snowed in,” sand or burlap for traction if your wheels should become mired in snow; and an old towel to clean your hands.
• It is also a good idea to take along water, food, warm blankets, hats, gloves, and extra clothing. A lengthy delay will make you glad you have them.
• Put an extra car key in your pocket. A number of motorists have locked themselves out of their cars when putting on chains and at ski areas.
• Allow enough time. Trips to the mountains can take longer during winter than other times of year, especially if you encounter storm conditions or icy roads. Get an early start and allow plenty of time to reach your destination.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Five senior centers, five high schools, three high school programs and eight nonprofit organizations will share the $96,000 raised this year from this September's Lake County Wine Auction.

The Wine Alliance, a nonprofit organization of wineries, winegrape growers, vineyard owners, related businesses and community supporters founded in 2000, has now contributed $991,302 to foster the arts, benefit health services and support the community and looks forward to breaking the $1 million figure in 2013.

This year's Wine Auction, the 13th annual, took place at Brassfield Estate Winery in High Valley, a special venue which contributed not only to successful fundraising but also to the promotion of Lake County as a premier growing region for wine grapes.

The honorary chair for the 2012 Wine Auction was Jerry Brassfield, proprietor of Brassfield Estate winery, who was assisted by committee co-chairs Judy Luchsinger of Lakeport and Sharron Zoller of Kelseyville.

Members of the Wine Alliance board are Kaj Ahlmann, president; Dr. Judy Luchsinger, vice president; Sharron Zoller secretary, Rob Roumiguiere, treasurer; and Marie Beery, and Bill Groody, directors.

The Board of Directors of the Lake County Wine Alliance wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this year's success possible. The community’s support is deeply appreciated, not only by the board but by their beneficiaries as well.

Under the Wine Alliance charter, each category shares equally in the proceeds.

The Arts: $32,000
$6,400 – Lower Lake High School
$6,400 – Kelseyville High School
$6,400 – Upper Lake High School
$6,400 – Clearlake High School
$6,400 – Middletown High School

Community: $32,000
$2,500 – Clear Lake Performing Arts Youth Program
$1,400 – Lake County Museum youth outreach docent program
$1,400 – Team DUI
$700 – Konocti Junior Tennis
$10,000 – Operation Tango Mike
$4,500 – Future Farmers of America. Kelseyville, Upper Lake and Middletown.

Health: $32,000
$3,000 – The Safe House for Homeless Youth
$14,000 – Hospice Services of Lake County
$3,500 – Highlands Senior Service Center
$3,500 – Lakeport Senior Activity Center
$3,500 – Live Oak Senior Center
$3,500 – Middletown Senior Center

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Lake County’s district attorney said Friday that he does not have enough evidence to pursue the prosecution of the suspect in the June death of a Clearlake businessman.

District Attorney Don Anderson said that after six months of investigation, there’s not enough evidence to prove exactly what caused the death of 44-year-old Edward Alden, a popular barber who died June 25 of injuries he sustained days earlier.

Based on the findings of the investigation, review of medical records and interviews with the pathologist, Anderson said he won’t seek prosecution of the chief suspect in the case, Franklin Reed, because the circumstances surrounding Alden’s injuries and actual cause of death cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Complicating the investigation are changing or inconsistent stories from witnesses, Anderson said.

“This is devastating,” said Rochelle Davis, one of Alden’s longtime friends.

Alden’s sister Angela Beatty, who reopened his salon at 14656 Lakeshore Dr., said her family was told Wednesday of the decision.

“None of us are happy,” she said, adding that her mother was “not doing that good” as a result.

Alden’s family said he suffered major head injuries after being assaulted at his W. 40th Avenue home late on the night of June 16, a chronology which differs by less than an hour from that offered by investigators, who believe the fight actually happened shortly after midnight on June 17.

His family has held that Reed attacked Alden and kicked him in the head repeatedly.

Early on the morning of June 17, Alden was found unresponsive in his home by his roommate, Sarah Felder, and flown by air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

He never regained consciousness, and after nine days his family had him removed from life support, as Lake County News reported in an in-depth article on the case earlier this year: http://bit.ly/Rtt2Al .

Anderson’s Friday report said that the investigation revealed that there were several phone calls exchanged between Alden, Reed and a third man, Robert Winter – Alden’s cousin – on the evening of June 16.

There also were several threats made and mutual arrangements to meet and fight, with the report stating that Alden invited Reed and Winter to his home to fight. Anderson said the chronology of events put them at Alden’s home shortly after midnight.

“The accounts of the ensuing fight are conflicting and some witnesses changed their account of the events during the course of the investigation,” Anderson said.

Anderson said it appears that Alden and Reed squared off and began fighting. “The fight appears to be a mutual combat between Alden and Reed.”

Alden was knocked to the ground and may have been kicked while down by either Reed or by Alden’s “girlfriend,” Anderson’s report said.

That female subject is not named, but Alden’s family said Felder had been living at Alden’s home, although they denied the two were romantically involved.

Anderson said the stories from witnesses conflict about whether Alden was knocked unconscious and then drug into the residence by Felder, or whether he walked into the house on his own.

Once he was back inside the house, Alden called another person and related that he was in a fight but was all right. “Alden says he was going to get into the shower and they talk of retaliation,” the report said.

An unconscious Alden is later found by paramedics in the bathtub, with injuries to his head and face, Anderson said. Alden was then transported to the hospital where he was placed on life support and died eight days later.

Anderson said the pathologist who examined Alden’s body suggested that the cause of death might have been caused by the combination of the assault and a high alcohol level.  

Alden’s blood alcohol level at the time of the fight was estimated to be .36, Anderson said. However, the pathologist could not testify with certainty to what the actual cause of death was.

“In the final analysis, based on medical evidence, this office can not determine the exact cause of death, an essential element in a homicide case such as this. If the death was solely caused by the injuries to the head it would have to first prove who inflicted the injuries,” Anderson said in his report.

“It is known Franklin Reed punched Alden and there is conflicting stories that he may have also kicked him,” said Anderson, adding that one witness said Felder accidentally kicked Alden while he was on the ground, when she was trying to kick at Reed.

Additionally, Anderson said his office would have to prove that Alden’s head injuries occurred during the assault and not during “an intervening event.”

Anderson said Alden was conscious and able to have a phone conversation after the fight. He then got into the bathtub, where he was found unconscious.

“There is no evidence that Alden did or did not receive head injuries after the fight, in part because of his extreme intoxication,” Anderson said.

The brief fight between Alden and Reed appeared to be mutual combat, with no weapons used by either. “It can not be proved that one side used extensive, prolonged or aggravated force against the other. The possibility of self defense can also not be ruled out,” Anderson said in his report.

Based on what investigators have compiled so far, Anderson said it cannot be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that any one person is guilty of killing Alden or of any lesser included offense.  

Anderson said that if any additional evidence is obtained at any time, the case will be reviewed for prosecution.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Commercial Dungeness crab fishing season north of Sonoma County will be delayed for a third time, but will finally open on Jan.15, the Department of Fish and Game reported.

New test results from the fishing grounds show that crab from Mendocino County and north have still not developed enough meat for harvest.

“Another round of pre-season quality tests revealed that crab from the Trinidad area are not yet mature and won’t be ready for harvest by the delayed opening date of Dec. 31,” said DFG Environmental Scientist Christy Juhasz. “However, these crab are projected to meet the quality standard by Jan. 15 and so the season will open then.”

The season was originally set to open on Dec. 1, but quality tests have shown the crabs have less than 25 percent of their body weight as meat. At least 25 percent is ideal for harvest.

The Dungeness crab season from Sonoma County south does not fall under the same restrictions. That season opened on Nov. 15.

Regulations allow for delays off California’s northern coast if Dungeness crabs have soft shells or are of poor quality.

The delays may not extend past Jan. 15, so the season will definitely open by that date, the Department of Fish and Game said.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A storm system passing over Northern California over the next several days is anticipated to bring snow to some of the state’s higher elevations, but so far a white Christmas isn’t expected for Lake County.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for the northern reaches of the state, including Lake County, on Thursday.

The storm is forecast to bring as much as three feet of snow above 2,500 feet elevation in Shasta County, a foot in the Coastal Range, light snow as low as 600 feet in the northern Sacramento Valley, and as much as six feet on the slope of the Northern Sierra Nevada, the National Weather Service reported.

Also in the forecast – more wind through the weekend.

Lake County’s forecast doesn’t include snow, with the National Weather Service predicting rain through Monday, tapering off that evening, with wind gusts as high as 28 miles per hour.

On Christmas day, a slight chance of rain is forecast, with partly sunny skies and a high near 49 degrees, according to the forecast.

Rain is expected on the day after Christmas, the National Weather Service said.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. this week reported that its employees and retirees have raised nearly $350,000 to support nonprofit organizations and schools throughout the North Bay and North Coast regions.

The following donations were provided by local employees and retirees through PG&E’s annual giving initiative, Campaign for the Community:

• Marin County: $97,850.67;
• Napa County: $14,810.40;
• Sonoma County: $124,538.60;
• Solano County: $31,321.40;
• Lake County: $4,574.79;
• Mendocino County: $14,386.80;
• Humboldt County: $51,839.61.

Throughout PG&E’s entire service area in Northern and Central California, employees and retirees raised a total of $6 million – the most ever pledged in the campaign’s history, exceeding last year’s total by $700,000.

Tony Earley, chairman, CEO and president of PG&E Corp., praised employees for their generosity, calling it “an incredible outpouring of support for our customers in this time of economic need.”

“Our customers have always been able to count on PG&E and its employees to give back to our communities. That spirit of service is alive through our volunteerism and giving throughout the year, but it has never been more evident than during this campaign,” Earley said.

The money raised by PG&E’s Campaign for the Community will be distributed throughout 2013 to 5,400 schools and nonprofit organizations, including environmental organizations, community centers, food banks, animal shelters, veterans groups and many others, to help keep important programs and services alive in local communities.

Through PG&E’s Campaign for the Community, employees can designate donation recipients and contribute amounts of their choosing through payroll deductions or onetime donations. This year, pledges were made by 8,500 employees, 41 percent of PG&E’s workforce, and more than 400 retirees.

In addition, PG&E’s employee resource groups raised $126,000 through community events, from funny slipper contests and food sales to dinners with PG&E officers. Last year, these employee led fundraising events earned nearly $100,000 for the community.

Since 2000, PG&E employees and retirees have raised more than $43 million through Campaign for the Community benefitting schools and nonprofit organizations in communities where PG&E employees live and work, primarily in Northern and Central California. These monies are in addition to the $23 million that PG&E donates annually throughout its service area.

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced that the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, a landmark package of legislation that extends key mortgage and foreclosure protections to California homeowners and borrowers, will take effect on Jan. 1, 2013.

The new laws restrict dual-track foreclosures, guarantee struggling homeowners a reliable point of contact at their lender and impose civil penalties on fraudulently signed mortgage documents. In addition, homeowners may require loan servicers to document their right to foreclose.

“For too long, struggling homeowners in California have been denied fairness and transparency when dealing with their lending institutions,” said Attorney General Harris. “These laws give homeowners new rights as they work through the foreclosure process and will give Californians a fair opportunity to stay in their homes.”

Gov. Jerry Brown signed the California Homeowner Bill of Rights into law to bring fairness, accountability and transparency to the state’s foreclosure process.

As a result:

• There is a restriction on dual-track foreclosures, where a lender forecloses on a borrower despite being in discussions over a loan modification to save the home.
• Struggling homeowners are guaranteed lenders will provide them a single point of contact with knowledge of their loan and direct access to the banks’ decision makers.
• The statute of limitations to prosecute mortgage-related crimes is extended from one to three years, allowing the Attorney General’s office to investigate and prosecute complex mortgage fraud crimes.
• The Attorney General’s office can use statewide grand juries to investigate and indict the perpetrators of financial crimes involving victims in multiple counties.  
• Purchasers of foreclosed homes are required to give tenants at least 90 days before starting eviction proceedings. If the tenant has a fixed-term lease of one year or less, the new owner must honor the lease unless the owner can prove that exceptions intended to prevent fraudulent leases apply.
• Local governments have additional tools to fight blight caused by multiple vacant homes in their neighborhoods.

The California Homeowner Bill of Rights marks a significant step in Attorney General Harris’ response to the state’s foreclosure and mortgage crisis.

The Mortgage Fraud Strike Force was created in May 2011 to investigate and prosecute misconduct at all stages of the mortgage process.

In February 2012, Attorney General Harris secured a commitment from the nation’s five largest banks of up to $18 billion for California borrowers.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A former Lake County Sheriff’s deputy and two other local men arrested on Wednesday during federal raids in Middletown are accused of having been involved in home invasion robberies in and around Lake County, according to court documents filed this week.

Eric Van Mendonca, 42, and Terry Jacksen, 46, both of Middletown, and Jack David Pollack, 54, of Hidden Valley Lake were arrested on Wednesday morning by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as Lake County News has reported.

The initial court appearance for the three men was on Thursday morning in San Francisco federal court, according to case documents.

FBI agents raided the 160-acre property Mendonca rents at 18795 Grange Road, where Jacksen also lived in a trailer, as well as Pollack’s home at 19280 Deer Hill Road, according to court records filed in the case.

FBI searches of the properties yielded numerous pieces of evidence, including firearms, methamphetamine and marijuana, handcuffs with “LC Jail” engraved on them, and a series of cell phone pictures showing Jacksen and two other individuals posing with firearms and dressed in Lake County Sheriff’s Office t-shirts and uniforms, case documents revealed.

Mendonca, a former Lake County Sheriff’s deputy and Petaluma Police Department officer who was reported to have been retired out of the sheriff’s office on a disability about a decade ago, is charged with conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce.

Pollack was arrested for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; 18 pounds of processed marijuana were found at his home, the complaint said. Jacksen was  arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm, with two rifles, a shotgun and handgun seized during the search of his residence.

The complaint against the three men explained that the Lake County Sheriff’s Office recently had informed the FBI about a series of unsolved home invasion robberies in and around Lake County.

The sheriff’s office specifically referenced multiple home invasion robberies “where the perpetrators had dressed in what appeared to be police uniforms” to commit the crimes, the complaint stated.

One of those incidents occurred on Oct. 4 at a residence in the 21000 block of Yankee Valley Road in Hidden Valley Lake, where 48 marijuana plants valued at $96,000 and a variety of other items were taken, according to the complaint.

The victim reported that he found a male subject – believed to have been Pollack – peeking through one of his residence’s windows, the complaint said. When they spoke, the suspect said he was there in response to a well water maintenance service call. The victim said the water worked fine and followed the suspect down the driveway, watching him get into a white truck that had tools, tool cabinets and metal pipes.

Several hours later, two men dressed in brown Lake County Sheriff’s Office button-up shirts with collars knocked on the victim’s front door. One of the men carried a revolver in his waistband and the other was holding a shotgun, with one of the men wearing a white rancher style cowboy hat, court documents stated.

“The subjects told the victim that the ATF was in town and had observed marijuana on the victim’s property and that they wanted to do a search of the interior of the house before their sergeant and others arrived,” according to the complaint. “Three friends of the victim were present with him at his residence. The subjects conducted pat searches on the victim and his friends and then restrained them using handcuffs and zip ties.”

The two subjects then searched the home looking for “powders, other drugs, and money,” taking the victim with them in an upstairs bedroom away from his friends, court documents said. The victim saw through his window two trucks coming up the driveway, one of them the white truck he had observed the first subject getting into while leaving the property earlier in the day.

The complaint said one of the victim’s friends saw a fourth subject that the home invasion crew referred to as “sarge,” who “appeared to be running the show. The subjects then exchanged the handcuffs for zip ties and left the victim and his friends tied up. The subjects left behind two sets of sunglasses and a silver-colored star badge in the backyard marijuana grow area.

The next day, one of the victim’s friends told a Hidden Valley Lake security guard about the robbery, and the security guard said Pollack had a well pump business and his truck matched the description of the one seen at the victim’s home, adding Pollack was “always up to no good,” the complaint said. Later that night, the security guard drove by Pollack’s home and noted that there was a strong smell of marijuana.

The victim and his friends began searching for Pollack on the Internet and found pictures of him advertising for his business, Pollack and Sons Pumps, as well as his booking photo on the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Web site. “The victim definitively recognized Pollack as the same person who came to his residence for the well maintenance before the home invasion robbery,” the complaint said.

Court documents explained that the victim positively identified Pollack in a photo lineup shown to him during a meeting with FBI agents on Dec. 13, and at the same time picked out a picture of Jacksen, who agents believed was present at the robbery.

In addition, court documents explained that the FBI was told by a confidential source that Jacksen and Mendonca had been part of a crew taking part in multiple home invasion robberies in and around the county, with Jacksen having told the source about taking marijuana during one of the robberies and wearing police uniforms.

Mendonca also had told the confidential informant about the robberies, noting that he was upset after one of the home invasion robberies because someone from the robbery crew had left Mendonca’s flashlight – which was police-issued – at the victim’s property, the complaint explained.

Mendonca had told the source that he was worried the police may be able to trace the flashlight back to him since it was part of his police gear and had a serial number on it, the complaint noted.

Jacksen has at least three prior felony convictions – including convictions for spousal abuse and possession of narcotics for sale, according to court records.

Lake County court records showed that Pollack has a lengthy criminal history, and was sentenced to state prison for seven years in April 2007 for charges including transportation and sales of a controlled substance.

During the Wednesday search of Jacksen’s trailer agents located a cell phone with pictures of Jacksen and two other individuals dressed in Lake County Sheriff’s Office t-shirts and uniforms, and one of them wearing an ATF hat, with the picture date-stamped Oct. 4, 2012, the same day as the Yankee Valley Road robbery, the complaint said.

The agents also seized two rifles, a shotgun, a revolver with a holster that matched the description of those seen by the victim, a user quantity of methamphetamine and a user quantity of marijuana in mason jars, a white rancher style cowboy hat and a pair of handcuffs engraved with “LC Jail,” according to the complaint.

The court documents said deputies who worked with Mendonca when he was on the force told FBI agents that “LC Jail” engraved handcuffs were issued to all deputies when they started working with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

In Mendonca’s home the agents found a set of handcuffs, a police style flashlight, and at least eight rifles, shotguns and pistols, court filings said. At Pollack’s they found 18 pounds of processed marijuana, multiple digital scales, a ledger resembling a pay/owe sheet, plastic bags, multiple jars labeled with different marijuana strains, an unknown number of Fentanyl pills, a powerful opiate, and two toy guns.

The guns found in Jacksen’s trailer all were manufactured out of state and traveled in interstate commerce, the complaint said.

If convicted, Pollack and Mendonca each are facing a maximum of 20 years in prison, with Jacksen facing 10 years, according to the charging document. Jacksen and Mendonca also could each be fined up to $250,000; Pollack could receive a fine as high as $1 million.
                  
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.

If you’re reading this story, it means one thing: The world didn’t end yesterday.

According to media reports of an ancient Maya prophecy, the world was supposed to be destroyed on Dec. 21, 2012.

Apparently not.

“The whole thing was a misconception from the very beginning,” said Dr. John Carlson, director of the Center for Archaeoastronomy. “The Maya calendar did not end on Dec. 21, 2012, and there were no Maya prophecies foretelling the end of the world on that date.”

The truth, says Carlson, is more interesting than fiction.

Carlson is a hard-nosed scientist – a radio astronomer who earned his degree studying distant galaxies.

He became interested in the 2012 phenomenon in the early 1970s  when he attended a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and learned about the lost civilization of the Maya.

Where the rain forests of Mesoamerica now stand, a great civilization once flourished. The people of Maya society built vast cities, ornate temples, and towering pyramids.

At its peak around 800 A.D., the population numbered more than 2,000 people per square mile in the cities – comparable to modern Los Angeles County.  

The Maya mastered astronomy, developed an elaborate written language, and left behind exquisite artifacts.

Most compelling to Carlson was the Maya’s expansive sense of time. “The times Mayas used dwarf any time scales currently used by modern astronomers,” he explained. “According to our science, the Big Bang occurred 13.7 billion years ago. There are dates and time references in Mayan ruins that stretch back a billion billion times farther than that.”

The Maya Long Count Calendar was designed to keep track of such long intervals. “It is the most complex calendar system ever developed by people anywhere,” he said.

Written using modern typography, the Long Count Calendar resembles the odometer in a car. It’s a modified base-20 system in which rotating digits represent powers of 20 days.

Because the digits rotate, the calendar can “roll over” and repeat itself; this repetition is key to the 2012 phenomenon.

What caused the fall of the Maya? Using NASA data, one archaeologist believes he has found the answer.

According to Maya theology, the world was created 5,125 years ago, on a date modern people would write “August 11, 3114  BC.” At the time, the Maya calendar looked like this: 13.0.0.0.0.

On Dec. 21, 2012, it is exactly the same: 13.0.0.0.0.

In the language of Maya scholars, 13 Bak’tuns or 13 times 144,000 days elapsed between the two dates. This was a significant interval in Maya theology, but, stresses Carlson, not a destructive one.  None of the thousands of ruins, tablets, and standing stones that archaeologists have examined foretell an end of the world.

Modern science agrees. NASA experts recently gathered in a Google hangout to review their own findings with the public.

Don Yeomans, head of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program, stated that no known asteroids or comets are on a collision course with Earth.

Neither is a rogue planet coming to destroy us. “If there were anything out there like a planet headed for Earth,” said NASA astrobiologist David Morrison, “it would already be [one of the] brightest objects in the sky. Everybody on Earth could see it. You don’t need to ask the government, just go out and look. It’s not there.”

Lika Guhathakurta, head of NASA’s Living with a Star Program, says the sun is not a threat, either.

“The sun has been flaring for billions of years--long before the Maya even existed--and it has never once destroyed the world,” she said.

“Right now the sun is approaching the maximum of its 11-year activity cycle,” she added, “but this is the wimpiest solar cycle of the past 50 years. Reports to the contrary are exaggerated.”

What would an ancient Maya think about all this hoopla? Carlson believes he knows the answer.

“If we could time warp a Maya to the present day, they would say that Dec. 21, 2012, is a very important date,” he explained. “Many Maya believed that their gods who created the world 5,125 years ago would return. One of them in particular, an enigmatic deity named Bolon Yokte’ K’uh, would conduct old rites of passage, to set space and time in order, and to regenerate the cosmos.”  

The world would be refreshed, not destroyed.

“I have been waiting to experience this day for more than 30 years,” he said.

For him, “experiencing Dec. 21, 2012” means visiting the Maya homeland in the Yucatan, and thinking back to the height of Maya civilization, when ancient humans contemplated expanses of time orders of magnitude beyond modern horizons.

And, of course, appreciating the fact that the world didn’t end yesterday.

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This year’s Corvettes of Lake County’s annual Christmas and installation dinner brought a different approach to the ornament exchange which has been a tradition for years.

The dinner was held at the Riviera Golf and Country Club on Thursday, Dec. 13.

Under the Christmas tree Santa’s helpers placed goodies for shelter animals who need love, food and most of all, good homes, according to club president, John Yde.

The donation of animal gifts was delivered to Lake County Animal Control on Monday, Dec. 17.

Corvettes of Lake County member Jon Trapani dropped off more than 100 pounds of dry dog food, 60 pounds of cat food, dog and cat leashes, collars, boxes of Milk Bones and chew toys.

“The Corvettes of Lake County remains very mindful and supportive of many of the organizations in Lake County, including Troop 42, Boy Scouts and Lake Family Resource Center,” said club member Gail Salituri.

If you are looking for a dog or cat to join your family, visit the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter at 4949 Helbush, Lakeport.

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

For more information about Corvettes of Lake County, visit http://www.corvettesoflakecounty.org/ .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol has released the name of the Clearlake Oaks man who died in a head-on collision near Lower Lake on Wednesday.

Leo Galli, 73, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday on Highway 29 south of Spruce Grove Road North, according to the CHP.

Galli had been driving a 2012 Mazda southbound when, for unknown reasons, he crossed double yellow lines and went into the path of 66-year-old Lower Lake resident Beverly Reynolds’ 1999 Chrysler, the CHP said.

Reynolds tried to avoid the crash by braking but was unable to avoid colliding with Galli’s vehicle, the report said.

The CHP said Reynolds suffered a broken left arm and leg and was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital via air ambulance.

Reynolds’ passenger, a 13-year-old girl from Lower Lake whose name the CHP did not release because of her age, was transported by ambulance to St. Helena Hospital, Clear Lake for treatment of moderate injuries, including complaint of pain to her neck and back.

All three individuals were wearing their safety belts, the CHP said.

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.