LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake Family Resource Center was recently awarded a RedRover Relief Safe Housing grant, enabling the Northern California shelter to build on-site housing for pets of domestic violence victims.

RedRover, a national nonprofit organization based in Sacramento, provides grants for financial assistance and support for victims of domestic violence through its RedRover Relief program, enabling domestic violence victims to safely escape abusive situations with their pets.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, more than 70 percent of pet-owning women entering domestic violence shelters reported that their batterer had injured, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or psychological control.

As many as 65 percent of domestic violence victims are unable to escape their abusers because they fear what will happen to their pets when they leave.

According to Sheltering Animals and Families Together (SAF-T), a national initiative that guides family violence shelters on how to welcome families with pets, only a fraction of the 2,500 domestic violence shelters in the United States report having the ability to house animals onsite.

RedRover’s Safe Housing program provides essential funding to domestic violence shelters to enable them to fund the creation of on-site space to house pets.

“Sadly, many domestic violence victims stay in abusive homes because they are afraid to leave their pets,” said Nicole Forsyth, RedRover president and chief executive officer. “Their pets are often also victims of abuse, suffering from injuries and neglect. RedRover’s Safe Housing grants make it possible for victims to receive life-saving sheltering services, reassured that their pets are protected.”

In September, the Lake Family Resource Center’s Freedom House Domestic Violence Shelter was awarded a $3,000 grant from RedRover to construct an on-site housing center for pets of domestic violence victims.

“We believe that the Freedom House must provide safety for pets – this is vitally important to victims’ recoveries,” said Lake Family Resource Center Executive Director Gloria Flaherty. “We also believe that pets deserve rescue from domestic abusers and need to accompany their fleeing family members.”

Flaherty added, “On-site services will support the safety of families and their pets. We feel passionate about this project and wouldn’t be able to start it without funding from RedRover.”

The Lake Family Resource Center will be using the grant funding to build an on-site facility furnished with kitty hotels, kennel runs and dog crates.

However, additional donations are needed to provide families arriving with their animals with essential pet care basics.

The Lake Family Resource Center’s Freedom House Domestic Violence Shelter is seeking donations to purchase pet food, bowls, grooming products, cleaning supplies and other needs for pets staying at the shelter.

“No family should be turned away due to lack of resources,” said Flaherty. “With RedRover's help, safely housing pets is one more service that we can offer to our community and so that we can help protect more families.”

To help purchase basic pet care items for Lake County pet owners affected by domestic violence, visit www.LakeFRC.org/Support-Us .

Support RedRover’s lifesaving domestic violence programs at www.RedRover.org/DonateRelief .

Scifi movies are sometimes criticized when explosions in the void make noise. As the old saying goes, “in space, no one can hear you scream.” Without air there is no sound.

But if that’s true, what was space physicist Don Gurnett talking about when he stated at a NASA press conference in Sept. 2013 that he had heard “the sounds of interstellar space?”

It turns out that space can make music … if you know how to listen.

Gurnett is the James Van Allen professor of physics at the University of Iowa and the principal investigator for the Plasma Wave Science instrument on Voyager 1.

At the press conference, he played some plasma wave data for the audience. The sounds, he explained, were solid evidence that Voyager 1 had left the heliosphere.

The heliosphere is a vast bubble of magnetism that surrounds the sun and planets. It is, essentially, the sun’s magnetic field inflated to enormous proportions by the solar wind. Inside the heliosphere is “home.” Outside lies interstellar space, the realm of the stars.

For decades, researchers have been on the edge of their seats, waiting for the Voyager probes to leave. Ironically, it took almost a year for NASA to realize the breakthrough had occurred.

The reason is due to the slow cadence of transmissions from the distant spacecraft. Data stored on old-fashioned tape recorders are played back at three to six month intervals. Then it takes more time to process the readings.

Gurnett recalls the thrill of discovery when some months-old data from the Plasma Wave Instrument reached his desk in the summer of 2013. The distant tones were conclusive: “Voyager 1 had made the crossing.”

Strictly speaking, the plasma wave instrument does not detect sound. Instead it senses waves of electrons in the ionized gas or “plasma” that Voyager travels through.

No human ear could hear these plasma waves. Nevertheless, because they occur at audio frequencies, between a few hundred and a few thousand hertz, “we can play the data through a loudspeaker and listen,” said Gurnett. “The pitch and frequency tell us about the density of gas surrounding the spacecraft.”

When Voyager 1 was inside the heliosphere, the tones were low, around 300 Hz, typical of plasma waves coursing through the rarified solar wind.

Outside, the frequency jumped to a higher pitch, between 2 and 3 kHz, corresponding to denser gas in the interstellar medium. The transition music to Gurnett’s ears.

So far, Voyager 1 has recorded two outbursts of “interstellar plasma music” – one in October-November 2012 and a second in April-May 2013. Both were excited by bursts of solar activity.

“We need solar events to trigger plasma oscillations,” said Gurnett.

The key players are CMEs, hot clouds of gas that blast into space when solar magnetic fields erupt. A typical CME takes 2 or 3 days to reach Earth, and a full year or more to reach Voyager.

When a CME passes through the plasma, it excites oscillations akin to fingers strumming the strings on a guitar. Voyager’s Plasma Wave Instrument listens … and learns.

“We’re in a totally unexplored region of space,” said Gurnett. “I expect some surprises out there.”

In particular, Gurnett is hoping for plasma waves not excited by solar storms. He speculates that shock fronts from outside the solar system could be rippling through the interstellar medium.

If so, they would excite new plasma waves that Voyager 1 will encounter as it plunges ever deeper into the realm of the stars.

The next “sounds” from out there could be surprising indeed.

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

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A man convicted of a 1995 Lake County murder was denied parole following a hearing earlier this week.

On Tuesday, the state Board of Parole Hearings denied parole for convicted murderer Fred Gene Stillman, 55.

Lake County Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff attended Stillman's lifer hearing at California State Prison Solano in Vacaville, where Stillman is housed, to argue against his release.

A jury found Stillman guilty of second degree murder in the stabbing death of Bart Jackman, and also convicted Stillman of the assault with a knife on Michael Betts, the District Attorney's Office reported.

Stillman originally was prosecuted by then-Deputy District Attorney Gary Luck and was represented by defense attorney Judy Conard.

On Jan. 29, 1996, Superior Court Judge Robert Crone sentenced Stillman to 16 years to life. Stillman's minimum eligible parole date was Dec. 29, 2009.

According to the investigative reports, on July 28, 1995, Stillman found out from his wife and 16-year-old daughter that the girl had been involved in a verbal altercation with some individuals at Austin’s Resort, and that when they left the area the children of a friend had been left at the resort.

Stillman armed himself with a knife and gave his daughter a baseball bat for protection, and the three of them returned to Austin’s Resort.

According to Stillman, when they returned to the resort, a group of people tried to attack them so they left the area, and he stopped outside the Landmark Lounge in Clearlake Park to make a phone call.

Witnesses reported that Stillman’s daughter was standing outside the bar door and Bart Jackman, who had been inside the bar with Michael Betts, asked her to leave because she was underage. This started a verbal altercation between Jackman and Stillman’s daughter.

Stillman approached Jackman and they started shoving each other. At that time Stillman’s daughter began hitting Jackman with the bat.

Based on the investigation, the Stillmans started to leave and Jackman approached and tried to take the bat away from the girl.

At that point another physical altercation started between Stillman and Jackman and witnesses saw Stillman hitting Jackman. Betts intervened to assist Jackman and he also was hit by Stillman.

Stillman, while hitting Jackman and Betts, used a knife to do so. Jackman suffered stab wounds to his aorta, lung and liver and died. Betts suffered stab wounds to his chest and abdomen and survived.

During the altercation, Stillman also accidentally stabbed his daughter in the leg.

Stillman was arrested a short distance away hiding in some bushes, and the knife used to stab Jackman and Betts was recovered.

Hinchcliff appeared at the parole hearing to ask the Board of Prison Hearings commissioners to deny Stillman parole on the grounds that he still presented an unreasonable risk of danger to the public if released.

In addition, Hinchcliff argued that Stillman failed to sufficiently participate in prison rehabilitation programs that would alleviate that danger.

At the commencement of the hearing Stillman asked if he could stipulate to a three-year denial in exchange for a waiver of the hearing, potentially to avoid the commissioners granting a longer denial.

The Board of Prison Hearings commissioners accepted the waiver and issued a three-year denial of parole.

Stillman’s next parole hearing will be in 2016, and a representative of the Lake County District Attorney's Office will be appearing at that hearing, Hinchcliff reported.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Author Carolyn Wing Greenlee was featured in a Lake County Big Read program sponsored by the Lake County Friends of Mendocino College and the Friends of the Mendocino College Library, affiliates of the Mendocino College Foundation.

Held last Sunday, Oct. 27, at the Mendocino College Lake Center in Lakeport, the event was one of many offered during October through the auspices of the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest in cooperation with the Lake County Office of Education and the Literacy Task Force.

Greenlee discussed the power of books to change lives and how everyone’s story is important.

She is a third-generation Chinese-American who has spent more than two decades interviewing six generations of family and friends, publishing 13 books and has edited and brought to print more than 20 books, some of which she has illustrated, also.

Greenlee’s publishing company, Earthen Vessel Productions, also has published history booklets for the Lake County Museum to preserve local history and ensure that the books can be reprinted when needed.

In researching the early documents, records and artifacts at the museum she discovered that there was history of Chinese people working in the quicksilver and borax mines in early Lake County.

A resident of Lake County for 36 years, Greenlee has enjoyed contributing to the activities and culture of the area.

She has taught writing, art, singing and drama to all ages. For six years, she co-produced the Lake County Arts Council Summer Theatre Workshop, a teen musical theater group, and co-authored two of its full main stage productions.

She received the Lake County Arts Council’s Artie Award for her support of the arts, and the Lake County Stars award for best professional artist of the year.

In 2004, she was named Lake County’s Poet Laureate and served for two years.

Greenlee said she values each individual experience, and the ability of a person to overcome adversity in difficult circumstances or catastrophic loss.

Her personal heritage and circumstances have inspired Greenlee to give a voice to those who are not often heard.

These include her mother’s memoir of childhood growing up in a Chinese laundry in the 1920s, “Inside the Oy Quong Laundry;” her parents’ escape from Confucian slavery and how they changed the world with their freedom, “Eternal River” (volumes I, II and III); and Greenlee’s own descent into blindness and the surprising healing that happened during her month at guide dog school several years ago, “Steady Hedy.”

Her latest book in the Eternal River series details how her father, Dr. Thomas W. Wing, invented microcurrent machines that revolutionized health care, and how chance meetings often change the direction of our lives.

The Lake County Arts Council will host a reception and book signing at the Main Street Gallery for Greenlee’s new book on Sat., Nov. 9, at 2 p.m.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Need a partner on your walks or someone to hang out with you at home?

Lake County Animal Care and Control has an eclectic mix of dogs ready for new homes this week, from terriers and Chihuahuas, to lab and shepherd mixes, and other breeds as well.

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”).

Female Labrador Retriever mix

This female Labrador Retriever-border collie mix is 6 months old.

She has a short black coat with white markings, weighs 30 pounds and is not yet spayed.

She is currently being fostered, ID No. 38319.

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix is 1 year old.

He has a short white coat, weighs 9 pounds and has been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 3, ID No. 38357.

Male dachshund mix

This male dachshund mix is 1 year old.

He weighs nearly 12 pounds, has a short gold-colored coat and has been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 4, ID No. 38337.

Pomeranian mix

This male Pomeranian mix is 3 years old.

He weighs 12 pounds and has a short coat. Shelter staff did not report if he has been altered.

Find him in kennel No. 5, ID No. 38280.

Female wirehaired terrier mix

This female wirehaired terrier mix is a year and a half old.

She has a short coat and weighs 26 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if she was altered.

She's in kennel No. 6, ID No. 38363.

Female fox terrier mix

This female fox terrier mix is 1 year old.

She has a short black and white coat and weighs 26 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if she had been altered.

Find her in kennel No. 10a, ID No. 38368.

Female fox terrier mix

This female fox terrier mix is 2 years old.

She has a short brown and white coat and weighs 20 pounds. It was not reported if she had been spayed.

She's in kennel No. 10b, ID No. 38369.

Male German Shepherd mix

This male German Shepherd mix is 2 years old.

He has a short brown and black coat, weighs nearly 80 pounds and has been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 11, ID No. 38245.

'K.C.'

“K.C.” is a 2-year-old blue heeler mix.

She weighs 30 pounds, has a short tricolor coat and has been spayed.

Shelter staff said she is good with other dogs, and is quiet and calm.

She's in kennel No. 12, ID No. 38218.

Female Labrador Retriever mix

This female Labrador Retriever is 1 year old.

She has a short black coat and weighs nearly 56 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if she has been altered.

She's in kennel No. 27, ID No. 38257.

Terrier-Chihuahua mix

This male terrier-Chihuahua mix is 1 year old.

He has a short fawn-colored coat. It was not reported if he has been altered.

He's in kennel No. 32a, ID No. 38295.

Terrier-Chihuahua mix

This female terrier-Chihuahua mix is 1 year old.

She has a short fawn-colored coat; shelter staff did not report if she has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 32b, ID No. 38296.

Terrier-Chihuahua mix

This female terrier-Chihuahua mix is 1 year old.

She has a short fawn-colored coat. It was not reported if she has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 32c, ID No. 38297.

Boxer-pit bull terrier mix

This male boxer-pit bull terrier mix is 1 year old.

He has a short brown brindle mix coat, weighs 72 pounds and has been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 33, ID No. 35680 .

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, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – With Daylight Saving Time ending this weekend, it's also the right time to check smoke alarms to make sure they're working.

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3.

Also this weekend, as part of the effort to help reduce the number of home fire fatalities, Cal Fire is reminding all Californians to make sure they have working smoke alarms in their homes.

Nearly two-thirds of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no working smoke alarms. A little attention to these important life saving devices can go a long way in increasing your chance of surviving a devastating fire.

“Smoke alarms give you and your family an early warning when there is a fire so you can quickly escape to safety,” stated California State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover. “Making sure you have a working smoke alarms in your home will help keep you, your family and guests safe.”

Smoke alarm safety tips:

• Place properly installed and maintained smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas and on every level of your home.
• Interconnected smoke alarms are best, because if one sounds, they all sound.
• Get smoke alarms that can sound fast to all types of fires. Cal Fire recommends that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.
• Inspect, test and clean smoke alarms and change alkaline batteries at least once every year, or when the alarm signals (“chirps”) the end of the battery life. You can use a date you already know, like your birthday or when you change your clocks as a reminder.
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions if you have a 10-year smoke alarm which uses a long-life lithium battery.
• Never paint over a smoke alarm.
• Replace your smoke alarm at least every 10 years.
• Practice exit drills so everyone understands what to do when they hear a smoke alarm.
• Keep your smoke alarm working. Never remove batteries from your alarm.

For more information on smoke alarms, visit the Cal Fire’s Web site at http://www.fire.ca.gov/communications/communications_firesafety_smokealarms.php .

In an effort to reduce the number of fatigue-related collisions and reinforce our mission of saving lives, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) joins the California State Transportation Agency and Office of Traffic Safety in a campaign to remind motorists to stay alert during “Drowsy Driving Prevention Week,” Nov. 3-10.

“Many people do not understand the dangers associated with driving drowsy,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “This is our opportunity to educate the public on the potential life-threatening consequences of driving while fatigued behind the wheel.”

Drowsiness can impair judgment, reaction time, and a driver’s attention. This annual campaign provides public education about the risks of driving while drowsy and countermeasures to improve safety on the road.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 crashes a year, resulting in 40,000 injuries and contributing to 1,550 deaths.

The American Automobile Association estimates that one out of every six deadly traffic accidents, and one out of eight crashes requiring hospitalization of drivers or passengers is due to drowsy driving.

Preliminary data for 2011 from CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System indicates more than 1,600 people lost their lives in collisions where fatigue was a factor on California’s roadways.

“Driving while drowsy or sleep-deprived can be a lethal combination,” said Russia Chavis, Acting Director of the Office of Traffic Safety. “While most people are aware of the dangers of drunk or distracted driving, many don’t realize that sleepiness also slows reaction times, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of crashing, all similar to the effects of driving under the influence of alcohol.”

The following warning signs to indicate that it is time to stop driving and find a safe place to pull over and rest:

• Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, or heavy eyelids;
• Difficulty keeping daydreams at bay;
• Trouble keeping your head up;
• Drifting from your lane, swerving, tailgating and/or hitting rumble strips;
• Inability to clearly remember the last few miles driven;
• Missing exits or traffic signs;
• Hitting highway rumble strips, the ridged edges to the road meant to jar drivers;
• Yawning repeatedly;
• Feeling restless, irritable or aggressive.

Drivers who experience any of these drowsy-driving symptoms should stop driving. Drivers who are far from home should use a reset stop, parking lot, or hotel to take a quick nap. Twenty minutes of napping helps clears fatigue. Caffeine can also improve wakefulness.

“Know the signs of fatigue and take the time to rest when you find yourself feeling drowsy,” added Commissioner Farrow. “We want everyone to arrive at their destination safely and remain alert while behind the wheel.”’

CHP recommends planning ahead to reduce the risk of drowsy driving. This starts with ensuring drivers have adequate sleep to maintain proper alertness during the day.

Drivers also should schedule route breaks during long trips – every 100 miles or two hours.

For more information on drowsy driving, visit www.drowsydriving.org .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Academic Decathlon students tested their knowledge of World War I on Saturday in a scrimmage event.

Eleven students from Kelseyville High and six students from Upper Lake High were early risers as they arrived at the Lake County Office of Education Clearlake Office to take seven subject exams.

Students challenged themselves in mathematics, art, economics, social science, music, science and language/literature.

Although no medals are awarded for their performance at this scrimmage, results are given to the coaches and students.

These students – along with the rest of their teams and schools from around the lake – will meet again on Jan. 25 for the speech and interview portion of the completion and then for the last part of the county competition on Feb. 1.

For more information about the Academic Decathlon, please contact Tammy Serpa at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-350-3116.

Some Halloweens are scarier than others.

Ten years ago, in late October 2003, space weather forecasters experienced a frission of dread when two gigantic sunspots appeared.

Both had complex magnetic fields that harbored energy for strong explosions. If the spots turned toward Earth and erupted …

That's exactly what happened. From Oct. 19 through Nov. 7, 2003, there were 17 major eruptions on the sun, including a record-setting X28 flare.

One after another, CMEs (coronal mass ejections) slammed into Earth's magnetosphere, causing geomagnetic storms and Northern lights seen as far south as Florida and Texas.

On Halloween itself, many trick or treaters witnessed blood-red auroras – very spooky indeed.

At the peak of these “Halloween Storms,” as solar physicists began to call them, airlines had to re-route polar flights to lower latitudes, the power went out in parts of Sweden, and more than half of NASA's satellite fleet experienced problems ranging from temporary shut-downs to permanent damage.

The FAA's Wide Area Augmentation System (a network of radio transmitters that improves GPS navigation for aircraft) was offline for approximately 30 hours due to the storm, and the Japanese ADEOS-2 satellite was severely damaged.

Fast forward 10 years to October 2013, and the sun is storming again.

A week before Halloween 2013, a new coven of big sunspots appeared. As of Oct. 31, they had unleashed more than half a dozen major flares including four X-class events.

Earth is not experiencing the same kind of effects as 10 years ago, however, because the eruptions have not been as energetic and, moreover, most of them have missed our planet. This makes the Halloween Storms of 2013 less scary than their 2003 predecessors.

An X2-class solar flare recorded by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on Sept. 29, 2013.

“This spate of activity is inconsequential when compared to the 2003 events,” recalled Joe Kunches, a longtime forecaster working at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo.

He pointed out that geomagnetic storm indices now are an order of magnitude smaller than they were ten years ago.

Nevertheless, the current storms are remarkable because they are the “flariest” thing to come along in a while. Solar activity waxes and wanes in 11-year cycles.

In 2003, the sun was ramping down from a strong Solar Max. The potent Halloween storms of that year were, if not actually predicted, at least not surprising. 2013 is different.

The current solar cycle is one of the weakest in a century. This makes the mini-Halloween Storms of 2013 a bigger surprise even as they do less damage.

Also mitigating the damage in 2013 is a decade of improvements in space weather forecasting.

Using data from NASA science spacecraft such as the twin STEREO probes and the Solar Dynamics Observatory, NOAA analysts are able to predict the arrival of solar storms with better accuracy than ever. This gives satellite operators, NASA mission controllers, and airline flight planners extra time to safeguard life and property.

Ultimately, the ending of this spooky tale may require a re-write. Why? Because it's not over yet. As Halloween 2013 comes and goes the sun is still peppered with large and active sunspots.

One of them may yet send a powerful flare and CME directly toward us, sparking storms akin to the ones from a decade ago.

When you knock on the door and shout “trick or treat,” you never know what you might get when the door opens. The sun is much the same way.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – “November” is derived from the Latin word Novem which means nine. In the old Roman calendar it was the ninth month in the year.

When January and February were added, November became the 11th month, but retained its name.

The November night skies are dominated by Pegasus, the flying horse. Flying upside down, this magnificent beast is directly overhead, with The Great Square of Pegasus clearly visible:

Above Pegasus are four constellations that represent celestial royalty: Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda and Perseus.

In Greek mythology, Cepheus was the king of Ethiopia. His wife, Cassiopeia, was the queen. Andromeda was their daughter.

As for Perseus, he stars in the following drama.

Cassiopeia bragged that her daughter was the most beautiful of all women. This angered the gods, so they chained Andromeda to a rock, ready to be eaten by a sea monster.

Along comes Perseus to the rescue, and you guessed it! He comes riding in on Pegasus to save Andromeda! He later becomes her husband.

Perseus has one of the night sky’s most beautiful telescope objects, The Double Cluster. This is two star clusters close enough to be seen together in a telescope.

John Zimmerman is a resident of Lake County and has been an amateur astronomer for more than 50 years. For more information about Astronomy and local resources, visit his Web site at www.lakecountyskies.com .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Friday Congressman Mike Thompson was honored for his years of work to make sure service members who were subjected to the Department of Defense’s chemical weapon testing are able to receive full medical care and disability compensation for their service-connected medical conditions.

In late 2002, the DOD revealed for the first time that between 1962 and 1974 it had tested harmful chemical and biological agents by spraying them on ships and sailors.

These tests – known as Project 112, which included Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD) – exposed at least 6,000 service members without their knowledge to harmful chemical and biological weapons, including some of the most deadly chemicals on Earth: Vx Nerve Gas, Sarin Nerve Gas and E. coli.

Thompson was presented his award on Friday in Vallejo at the Cal Maritime Academy by Cal Maritime graduate and former Senior Navy Officer Jack Alderson.

Alderson commanded some of the ships used in the Project 112/SHAD experiments. He has since been diagnosed with malignant melanoma, several types of skin cancers, prostate cancer and doctors have found four occurrences of asbestos in his lungs.

As a senior officer, Alderson was notified of some military chemical tests performed on animals on his ship while he was in service. Once he started getting sick, he asked Thompson to investigate whether or not there could be a link between his health problems and Project 112/SHAD.

“It is a high honor to receive this recognition from a true American hero,” said Thompson. “I will not stop working until every veteran who was unknowingly subjected to these harmful chemical tests gets the full benefits they have earned.”

Many veterans who were subjected to chemical tests as part of Project 112/SHAD have developed serious medical issues but do not currently receive priority care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or disability benefits because the VA does not officially recognize any long-term health consequences from exposure to the chemical agents from these specific tests.

In 2002, Thompson led Congress to direct the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to conduct a study of the health effects associated with the chemicals used during Project 112/SHAD.

Numerous reports by other agencies and departments within the U.S. government, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, say exposure to these substances have long-term health consequences.

However, after five years of research, the IOM study found no connection existed between the substances tested and the health problems now widely seen among known SHAD veterans.

As a result, the VA does not recognize any long-term health consequences from the Project 112/SHAD tests.

The IOM has since conceded that the first study did not adequately sample the full universe of Project 112/SHAD veterans, and that the study panel could not obtain sufficient information to assess levels of exposure to specific agents.

The initial study also failed to account for the job and duty assignments of various personnel on board all the ships and tugs involved in the chemical testing. Because of this, the first study failed to take into account the different levels of exposure.

For instance, some personnel were exposed during training and testing to multiple weapons, experimental vaccines, trace elements, stimulants, and decontamination agents, whereas other personnel would have had limited exposure because of where they were stationed.

For these reasons, Congress passed a provision in 2010 co-authored by Thompson requiring the VA to contract with IOM for a second study considering the health impact on veterans that were part of Project 112/SHAD.

If the scientific study by the IOM finds a connection between the chemical testing and long-term health consequences, the VA will likely be compelled to provide all service members exposed to this testing priority medical care and full disability compensation.

“Jack, and all the people who served with him, deserve to know the truth,” Thompson continued. “If we don’t get these service members the care they need, then how can we ask our current service members to put their lives on the line knowing that harm from the enemy may not be the only danger they encounter?”

Thompson added, “Many brave men who served our country are now sick or have passed away because of Project 112’s chemical and biological testing. It is our duty to right this wrong and get our service members the care they need.”

For more about Project SHAD, see this Lake County News story from 2008: http://bit.ly/A55Q89 .

NICE, Calif. – A vehicle stop conducted by the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force has resulted in on arrest and the seizure of methamphetamine.

Christopher James Bynum, 55, of Nice was taken into custody on Wednesday night, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

At 9:30 p.m. Wednesday a narcotics detective noticed a motorcycle traveling in front of him on eastbound Highway 20 in Nice with a tail light which was not working, Brooks said.

Brooks said the detective conducted an enforcement stop in the area of Lakeview Drive and Highway 20. As the motorcycle was pulling over he noticed the driver throw something into the grass as he came to a complete stop.

The detective contacted the driver, who he identified as Bynum, and examined what Bynum had thrown, which appeared to be wadded up paper, Brooks said.

Brooks said the detective opened the paper and located four bags containing a white translucent crystalline substance, which he recognized to be methamphetamine.

Bynum admitted that he was going to both sell and use the methamphetamine the detective had located. He also told the detective that he was not selling too much dope and that the people up the street were more of a problem than he was, Brooks said.

Bynum was arrested for possession of methamphetamine for sale, transportation of a controlled substance and destroying or concealing evidence. Brooks said Bynum was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.