The Perseid meteor shower, an annual celestial event beloved by millions of skywatchers around the world, returns to the night sky this week. And because the Moon will be just past new, no moonlight will hinder the view.

Sky & Telescope magazine predicts that the Perseid shower will be at or near its peak late on Sunday night (late on Aug. 11 and early morning on Aug. 12) and on Monday night (August 12-13).

"The nearly moonless sky this year means the viewing will be excellent," noted Alan MacRobert, a senior editor at Sky & Telescope.

Although an occasional Perseid meteor might catch your attention shortly after evening twilight ends, the prime viewing hours are from about 11 p.m. or midnight (local time) until the first light of dawn.

This is when the shower's “radiant,” its perspective point of origin, is high up in your sky. The higher the radiant, the more meteors appear all over the sky.

To enjoy the Perseids, you need no equipment but your eyes. Find a dark spot with a wide-open view overhead. Bring a reclining lawn chair or a ground cloth so you can lie back and watch the sky in comfort. Bundle up in blankets or a sleeping bag, both for mosquito shielding and for warmth; clear nights can grow surprisingly chilly under the open stars (due to radiational cooling).

“Relax, be patient, and let your eyes adapt to the dark,” said Robert Naeye, Sky & Telescope's editor in chief. “With a little luck you'll see a ‘shooting star’ every minute or so on average.”

Perseids can appear anywhere and everywhere in the sky. So the best direction to watch is wherever your sky is darkest, usually straight up. Faint Perseids appear as tiny, quick streaks. Occasional brighter ones may sail across the heavens for several seconds and leave a brief train of glowing smoke.

When you see a meteor, track its path backward. If you eventually come to the constellation Perseus — which climbs the northeastern sky as the night progresses, as seen at right — then a Perseid is what you’ve just witnessed.

Occasionally you may spot an interloper. The weaker Delta Aquariid and Kappa Cygnid showers are also active during Perseid season, and there are always a few random, “sporadic” meteors. All of these track back to other parts of the sky.

Any light pollution will cut down the numbers visible. So will the radiant's lower altitude if you’re viewing early in the night.

But the brightest few meteors shine right through light pollution, and the few that happen when the radiant is low are especially long — skimming the upper atmosphere and flying far across the heavens.

In fact, a recent NASA analysis of all-sky images taken from 2008 to 2013 shows that the Perseids deliver more bright meteors (those that outshine any star) than any other annual meteor shower.

How and why

Meteors are caused by tiny, sand- to pea-size bits of dusty debris streaking into the top of Earth's atmosphere about 80 miles up.

Each Perseid particle zips in at 37 miles per second, creating a quick, white-hot streak of superheated air. The nuggets in Grape Nuts cereal are a close match to the estimated size, color and texture of typical meteor-shower particles.

These particular bits were shed long ago by Comet Swift-Tuttle and are distributed all along the comet's orbit around the Sun. Earth passes through this tenuous "river of rubble" every year in mid-August.

More about the Perseids and how to watch them appears in the August issue of Sky & Telescope magazine and at www.SkyandTelescope.com/Perseids .

Anyone can download Sky & Telescope's new free ebook, “Shooting Stars,” at http://media.skyandtelescope.com/documents/meteors-free-ebook.html .

For more skywatching information and astronomy news, visit www.SkyandTelescope.com or pick up Sky & Telescope, the essential magazine of astronomy since 1941.

This story begins with a simple question: Who from Lake County died in World War II?

The answer is complex, or perhaps it’s more accurate to say the answers are complex.

When I asked this question of Lake County’s Veterans’ Service Office, Nancy Mitchell responded with two lists compiled by the National Archive and Records Administration (NARA).

One list shows Army personnel and the other lists the Navy personnel. There are 28 names between the two lists.

The NARA’s Army list provides these names: Clement W. Anderson, Duane L. B. Anderson, Varges Anderson, Donald H. Barnes, Hubert D. Bell, Joseph T. Beuter, Wayland R. Clem, Thomas C. Ferron, Ralph M. Gallette, Lester D. Grigsby, Lawrence E. Harris, A. M. Hendricks Jr., Charles A. Mach, Merwin McKee, Willard G. Megown, Harvey R. Mosher, Charles F. Nordahl, Louis F. Patriquin, Robert W. Pinckney, Edward F. Simons, Donald G. Simpson, Kenneth L. Steadman, Stephen L. Stockton, Charlie C. Williams and Herbert N. Wilson.

From NARA files come the names of Lake County’s Navy, Marine and Coast Guard casualties: Charles H. McBee, Eric C. Peterson and Merrill C. Rannells.

With these names and this information, what else can be learned about these men and their families? Who were their parents, their siblings, their wives and children? Where had they lived in Lake County? When were they born and where did they go to school?

The censuses for 1940, 1930, 1920 and 1910 are available online and filled in pieces of many puzzles.

The Index to Births, Marriages and Deaths in Lake County Newspapers shows that local newspapers published obituaries for the men. More names turned up in the pages of old Lake County newspapers on microfilm at Lakeport Library.

More research shows that the simple original question becomes complex. Some of these men don’t seem to have lived in Lake County at all. Some seem to have had relatives here and used Lake County as a home of record.

Other names are not on the NARA lists because some men had left Lake County and used other homes of record when they enlisted, but the local newspapers published obituaries about them.

Some names not on the NARA list appear in the Clear Lake Union High School’s Cardinal and Black memorial sections during WWII.

Lake County men who died during the war but who are not on the NARA lists are: James E. Butler, Ray Ege, Donald Fish, “Teddy” Flodberg, William S. Harrison, Ted Martin, Sydney Stokes and Donald Woods.

Clerical errors may account for some of the discrepancies. Hubert D. Bell appears on the NARA Army list with Lake County, Calif., as his home of record.

In the 1930s a man named Hubert Edwin Bell, born in 1917 in California, lived in Lake County, Calif. He is probably the Hubert Bell who enlisted in 1942 in San Francisco. He died in 1979 in Lake County.

A Hubert Dale Bell, born in 1924 in West Virginia, is probably the man on the NARA list because the serial numbers match. To add to the fun, another Hubert Bell, born in 1922 in Alabama, lived in Lake County, Florida, in 1940.

Local newspapers tell more of the stories about Lake County’s casualties, who died around the world, in all theaters of the war and in the United States.

Tom Ferron died in the crash of training flight in New Mexico. Sydney Stokes died of “polio of the throat” in an Army hospital in Texas.

Lake County lost Joe Beuter, Charles Mach, Ted Martin, Merrill Rannells and Donald Woods in the South Pacific, from New Guinea to Iwo Jima. The war in the Philippines claimed Donald West, Lester Grigsby and Archie Hendricks.

Others died in Europe, some on the ground, some in the air over Germany, Italy and Belgium. Some were prisoners of war and others were missing in action, their fates not known for many months.

Some are buried in Lake County, others in military cemeteries on foreign soil.

They served in the infantry, the Marines, the Navy and in the Air Corps. Archie Hendricks, an expert horseman, taught cavalry warfare in the Philippines as a member of the 26th Cavalry. Donald Simpson served in the famed 10th Mountain Division.

This story is still a work in progress. For some of these men there is much information both online and in other sources. For others, almost nothing has yet been found. Perhaps other names have not been found yet.

There are more chapters to write in this story.

Jan Cook has lived in Lake County for about 40 years. She works for the Lake County Library, is the editor of the Lake County Historical Society's Pomo Bulletin and is a history correspondent for Lake County News. If you have questions or comments please contact Jan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The county's animal shelter has a wide variety of dogs available for adoption this week.

Mixed breed dogs with Yorkshire Terrier, Labrador Retriever, bluetick coonhound, pit bull, Chihuahua and terrier are needing new homes.

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”).

Yorkshire Terrier mix

This male Yorkshire Terrier mix is 2 years old.

He weighs 8.6 pounds, has a medium-length tan and brown coat, and has not yet been altered.

He's in kennel No. 3, ID No. 37402.

Pit bull terrier mix

This female pit bull terrier mix is 14 weeks old.

She weighs nearly 20 pounds, and has a short white and brown brindle coat. Shelter staff did not report if she had been altered.

Find her in kennel No. 4, ID No. ID: 37433.

'Zeus'

“Zeus” is a 9-month-old male Labrador Retriever-border collie mix.

He has a short chocolate- and white-colored coat, weighs 56 pounds and has been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 6, ID No. 37370.

Male Labrador Retriever mix

This male Labrador Retriever mix is 7 months old.

He has a short brown coat and weighs 29 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if he had been altered.

Find him in kennel No. 8, ID No. 37318.

Pit bull terrier mix

This male pit bull terrier mix is 3 years old.

He has a short blue coat and has been neutered.

Shelter staff said he's an outstanding, calm and charming dog that was attacked by another dog before entering the shelter.

He has no food aggression. A cat-free home would be best for him.

He’s in kennel No. 10, ID No. 36931.

'Dee'

“Dee” is a 10-month-old bluetick coonhound.

She weighs nearly 22 pounds, has a short blue merle coat and has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 14a, ID No. 37287.

'Missy'

“Missy” is a 4-year-old bluetick coonhound.

She weighs 39 pounds, has a short blue merle coat and has been spayed.

She's in kennel No. 14b, ID No. 37288.

Pit bull terrier mix

This female pit bull terrier mix is 4 months old.

She has a short brown and white coat, weighs 18 pounds and has not yet been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 15, ID No. 37430.

Female Chihuahua mix

This female Chihuahua mix is 3 and a half years old.

She has a short black and white coat, weighs almost 11 pounds and has been spayed.

She's in kennel No. 18, ID No. 35315.

Female hound mix

This female hound mix is 8 years old.

She has a short black coat and weighs 54 pounds. It was not reported if she had been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 25, ID No. 37390.

Male terrier mix

This male terrier mix is 3 years old.

He has a medium-length tan and white coat, and has not yet been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 29, ID No. 37185.

Labrador Retriever-hound

This male Labrador Retriever-hound is 14 weeks old.

He has a short black coat, weighs nearly 20 pounds and has been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 30a, ID No. 37282.

Labrador Retriever-hound

This male Labrador Retriever-hound is 14 weeks old.

He has a short black coat, weighs more than 20 pounds and has been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 30b, ID No. 37283.

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.

NICE, Calif. – An Alabama man was injured Friday night when he was hit by a motorist in Nice.

Shane D. Nelson, 41, of Oneonta, Ala., suffered moderate injuries after being struck in a crosswalk on Highway 20 at Keeling Avenue at 9:10 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP said Julie Bywaters, 64, of Nice was driving her 1990 Nissan eastbound at approximately 40 miles per hour through town.

She failed to see Nelson crossing the highway from the north to the south and struck him when she entered the crosswalk, the CHP said.

Nelson was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport for treatment of his injuries, according to the CHP. Bywaters was uninjured.

Alcohol is not considered a factor in the crash, the CHP said.

The crash remains under investigation by CHP Officer Glen Thomas.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Tickets are still available for the 17th annual food and wine event, A Taste of Lakeport.  

On Saturday, Aug. 24, five blocks of Main Street in downtown Lakeport will be closed to make room for the fine wines and foods of Lake County.  

The tasting runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a street dance following until 10 p.m. Event tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door, and include all activities and a souvenir wine glass. A $15 ticket is available for food tasting only.
 
An expected 20 wineries will offer tastes from fine wines either produced in Lake County or made from grapes grown in the county. Local restaurateurs and caterers will provide tasty bites to sample with the wines.  

This year, all the tastings will be offered from booths located in the middle of Main Street in Lakeport.  To keep the fun going, live music will play throughout the tasting by Polecat Rodeo and Without A Net. An antique car collection will be on view as well.  

After 8 p.m., the party turns into a lively street dance under the stars with music by the LC Diamonds.
 
Tickets are available at these outlets:

• Soper Reese Community Theatre online at www.soperreesetheatre.com , or at the box office on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 375 S. Main, Lakeport, 707-263-0577;
• Lake County Chamber of Commerce, 875 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport, 707-263-5092;
• Hillside Honda, 460 S. Main, Lakeport, 707-263-9000;
• Clearlake Chamber of Commerce, 3425 Bowers Road, Clearlake (cash or check only).

Proceeds from The Taste of Lakeport benefit the Lakeport Main Street Association and its work toward the continuing revitalization and renovation of downtown Lakeport.

For more information contact LMSA at 707-243-8843, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.lakeportmainstreet.com.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has detected a new kind of stellar blast called a kilonova, which happens when a pair of compact objects such as neutron stars crash together.

Hubble observed the fading fireball from a kilonova last month, following a short gamma ray burst (GRB) in a galaxy almost four billion light-years from Earth.

“This observation finally solves the mystery of short gamma ray bursts,” says Nial Tanvir of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, who led a team of researchers conducting this research.

Gamma ray bursts are flashes of intense high-energy radiation that appear from random directions in space. They come in two flavors – long and short.

“Many astronomers, including our group, have already provided a great deal of evidence that long-duration gamma ray bursts (those lasting more than two seconds) are produced by the collapse of extremely massive stars,” explained Tanvir.

The short bursts, however, were more mysterious.

“We only had weak circumstantial evidence that short bursts [might be] produced by the merger of compact objects,” he adds. “This result now appears to provide definitive proof.”

Astrophysicists have predicted short-duration GRBs are created when a pair of super-dense neutron stars in a binary system spiral together.

This event happens as the system emits gravitational radiation, creating tiny waves in the fabric of space-time.

The energy dissipated by the waves causes the two stars to sweep closer together. In the final milliseconds before the explosion, the two stars merge into a death spiral that kicks out highly radioactive material. This material heats up and expands, emitting a burst of light.

The resulting “kilonova” is about 1,000 times brighter than a regular nova, which is caused by the eruption of a white dwarf.

In a recent science paper Jennifer Barnes and Daniel Kasen of the University of California at Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory presented new calculations predicting how kilonovas should look.

They predicted the same hot plasma producing the radiation also will block the visible light, causing the gusher of energy from the kilonova to flood out in near-infrared light over several days.

An unexpected opportunity to test this model came June 3 when NASA' s Swift space telescope picked up the extremely bright gamma ray burst, cataloged as GRB 130603B.

Although the initial blast of gamma rays lasted just one-tenth of a second, it was roughly 100 billion times brighter than the subsequent kilonova flash.

From June 12-13, Hubble searched the location of the initial burst, spotting a faint red object. An independent analysis of the data from another research team confirmed the detection.

Subsequent Hubble observations on July 3 revealed the source had faded away, therefore providing the key evidence the infrared glow was from an explosion accompanying the merger of two objects.

The team's results appeared Aug. 3 in a special online publication of the journal Nature.

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

People should know the legal requirements for the proper execution (signing) of wills.

Under California law, the execution of a will must be witnessed by two persons generally competent to act as witnesses.

Wills are not notarized. An exception exists for handwritten wills – so-called “holographic wills” – which do not require any witnesses.

Let us examine the significance of witnesses when the will is later offered for probate.

California requires that the subscribing witnesses be present together when the testator either signs or affirms his/her signature, and the witnesses must understand that the instrument is the testator’s own will.

If a testator is unable or unwilling to find two disinterested witnesses then he or she might decide to proceed with a holographic (handwritten) will and avoid the witness requirement.

Furthermore, the two witnesses should be disinterested persons who receive nothing under the will. Otherwise, the law presumes that the interested witness procured such gift by duress, menace, fraud or undue influence. In that case, unless the presumption is overcome, the gift is invalidated.

When an unopposed will is offered for probate, these requirements must be shown to be satisfied. Accordingly, the subscribing witnesses sign an “attestation clause” under penalty of perjury to that effect.

Such so-called “self proving” wills may then be admitted without further evidence regarding execution. Otherwise, an affidavit or declaration of a witness and a copy of the will must also be submitted. This may become a problem if the witness is unavailable after the testator’s death.

If the will’s attestation clause is irregular or incomplete, then provided there is proof of the genuineness of the subscribing witnesses' signatures, this may be sufficient to show due execution.

When one of the witnesses’ signatures cannot be proven to be genuine then the person offering the will must then establish by clear and convincing evidence that the testator intended the document to constitute his or her will.

Such evidence may be credible testimony from someone to whom the testator declared the document to be his or her will.

When a will is opposed, an additional requirement applies. Then each subscribing witness must be produced and examined both as to whether the will was properly executed and whether the testator had testamentary capacity.

If a witness is forgetful or doubtful when examined then the proper execution of the will may be proved based on other evidence as discussed above.

A presumption of proper will execution exists when the testator's and the witnesses' signatures are proven to be genuine.

If the genuineness of any signature on the will comes into question, the court may order the will to be examined by a handwriting expert.

Accordingly, the names of each subscribing witness are typically printed below the signature together with the witnesses’ legal street address. Otherwise, an illegible signature without any way to prove the identity and genuineness of the signature may result in the court finding that the will was not properly executed.

What if one or both subscribing witnesses is unavailable?

If one subscribing witnesses is unavailable then the court may admit the will based on the testimony of the other subscribing witness.

If neither subscribing witness is available the court may then consider the evidence of other non-subscribing witnesses, if any, to prove the will’s proper execution.

In sum, a person making a will should have two credible and disinterested persons, who are expected to outlive the testator, witness either the signing of the will or affirmation of the testator’s signature on the will, as relevant.

The subscribing witnesses should sign the will’s sworn attestation clause regarding the proper execution of the will. Notarization is not required.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney (LL.M. tax studies), is a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law. His office is at 55 First St., Lakeport, California. Dennis can be reached by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 707-263-3235. Visit his Web site at www.dennisfordhamlaw.com .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Hospice Services of Lake County is preparing to move forward on the project to renovate a property it purchased last year to be its headquarters.

Hospice Services, which has served the community since 1979, provides medical, emotional and spiritual care to persons with serious illnesses in their homes, as well as support for impacted families.

Last December, the organization purchased the former Calvary Baptist Church location to be its headquarters facility.

The 4.5-acre property is located at 1862 Parallel Drive in Lakeport.

The new location includes a 5,700-square-foot main building, a 1,600-square-foot residence and a garage.

The main building will be remodeled and expanded to 6,500 square feet to house the organization’s administrative and clinical staffs.

Hospice Services Executive Director Anja Koot said it's hoped that the project will begin by month's end.

Koot said the organization is committed to using local consultants, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers for the project, and intends to obtain financing for the project through a local bank.

She said they also will follow green building procedures and recycle usable materials and debris.

Following a review of submitted bids, the Hospice Services Board of Directors selected Lakeport-based Mitchell Construction for the project, which is expected to take six months to complete, she said.

At its June 12 meeting, the Lakeport Planning Commission approved the organization’s remodel plans.

Lakeport Planning Services Manager Andrew Britton said the commission eliminated a few conditions of approval, including a last-minute proposal to add a Lake Transit Authority bus stop.

Britton said that after hearing testimony at the well-attended meeting, the commission determined that a bus stop wasn’t warranted based on Hospice Services’ intended use of the property.

Hospice Services currently is headquartered at a 3,300-square-foot building on S. Main Street in Lakeport.

Because of the increased demand for services, Hospice Services has outgrown its current space, Koot said.

“We’ve been looking to expand for a number of years because our daily patient load has doubled since 2009,” said Koot.

Koot said Hospice Services also rents additional offices for part of its administrative staff in a separate location in Lakeport.

For more information about hospice care, call 707-263-6222 or visit www.lakecountyhospice.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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The annual North Bay Stand Down, an outreach event for veterans in need, will take place this October.

This year the dates are Tuesday, Oct. 15, through Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Dixon-May Fairgrounds in Solano County.

The Stand Down event is a community effort to bring services, support and dental, medical and mental health care to veterans who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

The area of operation for the North Bay Stand Down includes the counties of Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

The “stand down” concept comes from the military. The term designates a specific status – when a combat unit in the field has been withdrawn and moved back to a base camp for rest, recuperation, training and reequipping.

In some ways, homeless veterans are comparable to combat soldiers in a war zone – living exposed in the field, surviving by their wit with limited rations, enduring extreme conditions.

Life on the street is both dangerous and debilitating and for many veterans leads to a self-generating cycle of despair and isolation.

Begun in 1988 by Vietnam veterans in San Diego, Stand Down was conceived as an intervention to bring a wide range of essential services to homeless veterans, while raising their morale and awakening their motivation.

The goal was to break the cycle of homelessness and change the lives of many of the veterans who attend the Stand Down.

Homeless veterans need the same things as the vast majority of our society enjoys such as dental care, medical and mental health care, eye care, hot showers, a clean, safe and secure place to sleep, hot food and new clothing.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs supports stand downs events all across the nation with medical and mental health care.

The state of California allows the use of many of the fairgrounds across the state for stand downs. But the event could not exist without the involvement of the surrounding communities.

Local communities – businesses, community organizations, veterans’ service organizations – provide the greatest amount of support for a local stand down.

You can help our veterans return to a normal life in our society by participating in any of the following ways: make a tax-deductible donation, volunteer to help where needed, sponsor a meal, donate professional services and donate food, clothing or other items.

Veterans also can help by talking to our homeless and at-risk veterans.

If you want to help our veterans, you may call 707-344-3743, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.nbstanddown.org .

COBB, Calif. – The Lake County Land Trust will present a fun and educational fundraiser to benefit the Boggs Lake Reserve on Mt. Hannah on Sunday, Aug. 25.

The event will start at 5 p.m. at the Moore Family Winery, also on Mt. Hannah off of Bottle Rock Road.

The fundraiser is $30 per person, with reservations required by calling 707-262-0707 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Featured speaker for the event will be Carol Witham, vernal pool ecologist and management specialist.

Witham will present a virtual tour of the wonders of vernal pools, and discuss answers to questions such as: “what makes a vernal pool?” and “why are they found almost nowhere but California?”

A special feature of this event will be a short field trip at Boggs Lake, led by Witham. The field trip will start at 3:30 p.m. and is only open to those supporting the fundraiser.

Boggs Lake, currently owned by The Nature Conservancy and being co-managed by the Lake County Land Trust and the conservancy, is a vernal pool featuring some of the most unique native plants in the state of California.

“Vernal pools provide a kaleidoscope of brilliant life as the pools progress through seasonal transitions from wet to dry,” said Lake County Land Trust Executive Director Cathy Koehler.

She explained that vernal pools support a short-lived, weird-looking, fascinating fauna that evolved millions of years ago, and dazzling swaths of tens of thousands of tiny flowers that change from week to week through a two to three month “season.”

The ticket price includes delicious appetizers and a glass of wine from the Moore Family Winery. The winery is located at 11990 Bottle Rock Road, Kelseyville.

The Lake County Land Trust is a private, local, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the natural habitats of Lake County.

For more information about the Land Trust, go to www.lakecountylandtrust.org or “like” the Lake County Land Trust page on Facebook.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Office of Education has announced the new vision for its Southshore campus.

The campus, located at 6945 Old Highway 53 in Clearlake, formerly housed the Lake County Office of Education's alternative education programs.

Those programs were relocated to the Hance Education Center on Argonaut Road in Lakeport last year in an effort to consolidate programs and spending.

The Clearlake campus is now home to two exciting programs: The Creativity School and the Career Technical Education/College-Going Initiative Department.

“These programs enable us to fully utilize this facility,” said LCOE Senior Director Brock Falkenberg. “We are pleased to be able to provide additional jobs and services in our Southshore communities.”

The Career Technical Education/College-Going Initiative Department is working to bring expanded opportunities for learning to Lake County with future programs such as a certified nursing assistant course, medical assistant course and a phlebotomy course.

The Clearlake campus is also home to the new Community Computer Lab. High school students and adults can take classes on computer programs and tutorials on basic skills.

The lab also offers practice exams and customizable lessons for a variety of assessments, including GED, SAT, CBEST and more.

Students may choose to take scheduled classes or work independently for a flat fee of $25 per month.

Starting in January, this facility will become the sole testing site for the GED as it converts to a computer-based exam.

WorkForce Lake also is offering services out of the Clearlake campus and will be working with LCOE to help local communities with their educational and employment needs.

For more information on any of these opportunities, contact Tammy Serpa at 707-995-9523.

The Creativity School provides educational opportunities for students who have emotional difficulties and struggle in school, helping them build upon their strengths that often lie in areas that are not typically emphasized in the classroom.

Robotics, growing a garden, raising chickens and selling eggs are among the activities planned.

“Our new school draws on the universal strength of creativity through project-based learning, the arts, and technology to re-engage students in academic and entrepreneurial experiences in creative, meaningful ways,” according to Dr. Ruth Aldrich, LCOE senior director of SELPA & Student Services.

“For example, for this summer’s Ocean Odyssey thematic unit, our students took on the roles of project manager, architect, engineer, carpenter, and accountant and designed and built bridges out of toothpicks and full-size boats using only duct tape, cardboard and plastic bottles,” Aldrich said.

She added, “Ultimately, our vision for the Creativity School is for students to gain the skills they need to make positive, healthy choices and successfully return to their home school with a renewed love of learning.”

For more information on the Creativity School, contact Principal Melissa Webb at 707-995-9523.