CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A man found not guilty earlier this year in an animal cruelty case has been arrested after he had a physical confrontation with police in which he assaulted officers.

James Harley Miranda, 40, was arrested Sunday on a number of battery and drug charges, according to Sgt. Elvis Cook of the Clearlake Police Department.

Cook said that on Sunday at 1:30 a.m. officers responded to the area of Lakeshore Drive and Highway 53 for a male subject who was acting erratic, yelling and chasing vehicles. Clearlake Police Dispatch had received several calls regarding the male.

Sgt. Cook and Officer Mauricio Barreto arrived in the area and contacted a male later identified as Miranda. Cook said Miranda was acting erratic and was screaming irrational statements.

As soon as officers arrived on scene, Miranda became combative, came toward the officers and started to assault them. Cook said Miranda grabbed one officer by the throat and started to punch and kick at the officers as they tried to take him into custody.

In addition to assaulting the officers, Miranda was grabbing at the officers’ gear, Cook said.

At that point, Officer Mark Harden and his K9 partner "Zip" arrived on scene to assist. Cook said Officer Harden gave Miranda several orders to comply, with negative results.

Officer Harden deployed Zip who apprehended Miranda. Cook said Miranda started to comply, however when officers went to place him into handcuffs, he became combative and assaulted the officers again.

Cook said the officers, along with Zip, were able to get Miranda into custody.

Miranda was placed under arrest for obstructing a peace officer, battery on a peace officer, being under the influence of a controlled substance and disorderly conduct-drugs, Cook said.

Cook said Miranda was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was booked on the charges, with bail set at $15,000. Booking records indicated that Miranda is to be arraigned on Tuesday.

In January a jury found Miranda not guilty of animal cruelty by torture and being under the influence of methamphetamine in a case involving his dog, Cocoa, who had been found dead on the side of Highway 53 in September by a passing motorist.

The dog had been tied to a dolly and muzzled, which Miranda said was necessary because the dog – who he said had been hit by a car – was snapping at him. He said he had gone to try to find help, and by the time he returned an animal control officer had picked up Cocoa’s body.

One of the key pieces of evidence that is believed to have led to Miranda’s acquittal was a veterinarian’s examination of Cocoa’s body, which found she had injuries consisting with being struck by a vehicle.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Be sure to reserve Sunday, June 10, for the Lake County Land Trust’s annual Spring Celebration and Fundraiser.

Picture a sunny spring afternoon in a beautiful, shaded setting, a generous selection of delicious hors d'oeuvres and wine, lovely music playing, water fountains sparkling, ... all while supporting conservation of Lake County's remarkable natural lands.

Lynne and Bernie Butcher, proprietors of the Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon, host this wonderful event held in the garden area of the hotel and restaurant facility in Upper Lake.

The Butchers generously donate all services and hors d'oeuvres with proceeds benefiting the Land Trust's conservation work and public programs.

The event will feature Lake County wines, hors d’oeuvres and live music and will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. with tickets costing $50 per person.

All funds raised at the annual spring event will support the Lake County Land Trust and its many projects in Lake County, including preservation of the Clear Lake shoreline and operation of the trust’s Rodman Preserve near Upper Lake and Rabbit Hill Park in Middletown.

The event will provide time to enjoy the company of fellow land trust supporters and to visit with Land Trust board members and hear about updates on the Land Trust’s local projects.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling 707-262-0707 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Payment in advance is requested or you can make reservations and pay online by going to the Land Trust’s Web site at www.lakecountylandtrust.org and click on “Spring Celebration Tickets.” or mail payment to P.O. Box 1017, Lakeport, CA 95453.

The Lake County Land Trust is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of open space and natural habitats in Lake County.

Founded in 1994, the Land Trust owns and operates the Rodman Preserve near Upper Lake and the Rabbit Hill Park in Middletown; the trust co-manages the Boggs Lake Preserve with The Nature Conservancy, and holds two conservation easements on important natural areas in the county.

A major project of the trust is preserving the shoreline of Clear Lake between the Clear Lake State Park and Lakeport and now holds fee title to a 30 plus acre parcel called the Melo wetland area which the trust purchased in 2016 with locally raised funds and a grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board.

The California Department of Water Resources on Monday increased the State Water Project, or SWP, allocation for 2018 to 35 percent – up slightly from the 30 percent allocation announced in April.

In December, SWP contractors were notified of an initial 15 percent allocation that was later raised to 20 percent in January.

“Late season rain and snow in March and April salvaged what would have been a severely dry year, which allows us to make this slight increase in allocation,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Our water storage is currently in fair condition, but the state’s snowpack is still low, so Californians need to continue to embrace water conservation as a crucial part of our lifestyle.”

The statewide snow water content dropped from 44 percent of average on April 21 to 15 percent of average today.

Snowpack accumulation for the year is well below average because warm temperatures brought more rain than snow in the Northern Sierra.

Snow water content and reservoir storage are among several factors used in determining allocations. Most of the state’s major reservoir levels continue to be above their historical averages, but lower in percentage of capacity today than last month.

San Luis Reservoir, the largest off-stream reservoir in the United States where water is stored for the SWP and Central Valley Project, or CVP, is at 79 percent of capacity. Shasta Lake, the CVP’s largest reservoir, is at 89 percent of capacity. Lake Oroville and New Melones Lake are at 69 percent and 83 percent of capacity, respectively.

DWR transports SWP water to 29 SWP contractors who serve more than 27 million Californians and about 750,000 acres of farmland. A 35 percent allocation amounts to 1,481,685 acre-feet of water.

DWR’s California Data Exchange Center website provides current water conditions at the state's largest reservoirs and weather stations and measures current rain and snow precipitation.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Hundreds of people came from around the nation to fish Clear Lake’s waters as part of the 35th annual Clearlake Oaks Catfish Derby.

Organizers said this year’s Catfish Derby, the biggest derby west of the Mississippi and arguably the best-attended event of its kind in North America, brought in more than 900 adult and child anglers.

Participants came from as far away as Delaware, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and all parts of California.

The majority, 60 percent, came from outside of Lake County. All but one of the winners, Dustin Davidson of Gold Beach, Oregon, was from California.

In the adult category, the top prize – a cash award of $4,000 – went to Lee Her of Sacramento for his 24.34-pound catch. This wasn’t, however, the biggest catch of the derby.

The biggest catch brought in was a 27.36-pounder caught by 9-year-old Scarlett Ocheltree of Yuba City. Scarlett competed in the children’s category, 10 years and under, and took home $100, the top award in her division.

The winning catch in the 11 to 15 year old category went to Kelseyville’s Jackson Cline, a first-time derby participant, who also received $100 for his 20.27-pound catch.

Scarlett’s family has been coming to Clear Lake to compete in the derby since 1993 – long before she was born. Her cousin, Ivy Bain, placed first in her category last year.

“Compared to last year, this year’s derby numbers were slightly down,” said Dennis Locke, chairman of the committee that organized the event. “The seven-year average is 907, and we hit 923 this year. Actually, we were a little more comfortable with our available space. It gets pretty tight when we hit the 1,000 mark.”

As in prior years, more than $10,000 in prize money and raffle gifts was awarded, $7,500 total cash awards for anglers and $2,500 in raffle prizes.

The parents of Scarlett Ocheltree and Ivy Bain, the 2018 and 2017 first place winners, respectively, said, “It’s not about the money. It’s about family getting together to continue the traditions of our parents and to give our kids a wholesome experience.”

“It’s especially rewarding to see our local families return year after year,” said Locke, “like Kristal Harris of Clearlake who placed fourth in the adult category this year. Also Mathew Ross Sr. who placed in the adult category and Mathew Jr., who placed third this year in the up to 10 category for his derby win – at only 4 years of age.”

Locke said the Derby is a broad-based community effort, three days of gathering with friends from around the lake as well as return families from near and far.

“It’s a wholesome family activity. We especially love seeing the younger generation get hooked on fishing,” he said.

For more information including all placements and photographs, visit www.clearlakeoaks.org/derby or contact Dennis Locke at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week is scheduled to host one of its cannabis workshops in addition to its regular meeting.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 22, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

In untimed items, the board will consider and possibly adopt a new county purpose statement and motto, and take up an update to “Vision 2028: Reimagining Lake County,” which lays out 10 key priorities to build a brighter future.

The cannabis workshop is set for 1:30 p.m., also in the board chambers.

Topics for the workshop include a report from Community Development Department staff on early activation; review of staff recommendations and setting of priority for amendment to the cannabis cultivation ordinance; review of planning commission recommendations on regulations for manufacturing, distribution and testing; and possible direction to staff to prepare the manufacturing, distribution and testing ordinance for first reading; and review of the existing cannabis cultivation tax measure and discussion of possible additional taxing mechanisms.

The full agenda for the regular meeting follows.

CONSENT AGENDA
 
7.1: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings held Feb. 27, April 17 and April 24, 2018.

7.2: Adopt a resolution designating applicant’s agent for federal and state funding for all open disasters and any other disasters for a three-year period.    

7.3: Approve extended leave of absence for Deputy Assessor-Recorder III Marilyn Higgins.

7.4: Adopt resolution to permit the continuous destruction or disposal of certain records of the office of Lake County Animal Care & Control.

7.5: Approve to appoint Jim Campbell at Step 5 of the chief deputy assessor-recorder - valuations position.

7.6: Approve inclusion of cash handling policy in Board of Supervisors Policies and Procedures Manual and authorize the auditor-controller to update as needed.

7.7: Approve Amendment No. 2 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Star View Adolescent Center OP for specialty mental health services for an increase of $100,000 for a new contract maximum in the amount of $210,000 for fiscal year 2017-18 and authorize the board chair to sign the amendment.    

7.8: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake and I.D.E.A. Consulting for professional consulting services for FY 2017-18 for an increase of $40,000 and a new contract maximum of $50,000, and authorize the board chair to sign the amendment.     

7.9: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Clover Valley Guest Home for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for fiscal year 2017-18 for the amount of $69,300 and authorize the chair to sign the amendment.          

7.10: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Manzanita House for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for fiscal year 2017-18 for a increase of $11,000 for a new contract maximum of $131,450 and authorize the chair to sign the amendment.    

7.11: Adopt resolution expressing support of the Rotary Club of Lakeport's Konocti Challenge bicycling event.

7.12: Adopt resolution expressing support for the Middletown Days Parade and Events; and temporarily authorizing a road closure, prohibiting parking and authorizing removal of vehicles and ordering the department of Public Works to post signs.

7.13: Adopt resolution to establish a list of projects proposed to be funded in FY 2018/19 pursuant to the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1) and authorize the chair to sign.

7.14: Adopt resolution of intention to transfer county property not required for public use, pursuant to Government Code Section 25365 to the Northshore Fire Protection District.

7.15: Adopt resolution of intention to transfer county property not required for public use, pursuant to Government Code Section 25365 to the city of Clearlake for use by the Clearlake Police Department.

7.16: (a) Approve purchase of a 2019 Kenworth T370 2 axle tractor at a cost of $79,343.38 from NorCal Kenworth Bay Area, an approved vendor under the National Joint Powers Alliance and (b) Approve Budget Transfer allocating money from object code 2830 to 6272 in the Sheriff’s Pursuit Replacement Fund 2217 and (c) authorize the sheriff/coroner, assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order.              Not available    Not available

7.17: Approve acceptance of easement deeds on multiple parcels in Anderson Springs for the Anderson Springs Septic to Sewer Project and authorize clerk to sign.

7.18: Approve letter opposing a number of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provisions in the Farm Bill (H.R.2) and authorize the chair to sign.

7.19: Approve Encroachment Permit #18-16 - Temporary closure of Clear Lake in front of Library Park from June 1 through June 3, 2018 for Sprint Boat Races, and authorize the Water Resources director to sign.

TIMED ITEMS

8.2, 9:10 a.m.: (a) Annual presentation from the Sheriff’s Activities League and (b) acceptance of donation from AT&T.

8.3, 9:15 a.m.: Hearing, nuisance abatement assessment confirmation and proposed recordation of notice of lien in the amount of $20,613.57, for 15720 North Road, Lower Lake, CA (APN 012-026-43 - Elizabeth Reinhard).

8.4, 9:45 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of request for extension (SDX 17-12) of subdivision (SD 04-01); Initial Study (IS 04-05) of Clearlake Estates Subdivision; Project Located at 9555 State Highway 281 and 4619 Kaweah Road, Kelseyville (APNs 009-017-07 & 009-004-22); applicant is Mitch Thurston.

8.5, 10 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of major use permit (UP 17-06) and design review (DR 17-07) to allow the construction of a new off-site sign (Billboard); project location is 2325 E. State Highway 20, Nice (APN 004-055-37); applicant is Stott Outdoor Advertising for owners Larry and Frances Montgomery.

UNTIMED ITEMS

9.2: Consideration and possible adoption of: (a) new county purpose statement and motto; (b) update to “Vision 2028: Reimagining Lake County,” Ten Key Priorities to Build a Brighter Future.

9.3: Consideration of the following appointments: Upper Lake Cemetery District.

CLOSED SESSION

10.1: Public employee evaluation: Public Works director.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Friday, May 25, Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College will hold commencement ceremonies on the campus lawn located at 15880 Dam Road Extension in Clearlake.

Students who have earned certificates of achievement will be recognized for their accomplishments at the 1 p.m. certificate ceremony.

The student speaker will be Richard Nutting of Clearlake Oaks. Students will receive certificates in the following areas.

Business

Accounting Certificate of Achievement: Laura Doyal of Lower Lake, DeAnna Jo LaFave of Hidden Valley Lake, and Jennifer Lee Parriott of Middletown.

Clerical Assistant Certificate of Achievement: Lucia Corina Mendez-Fernandez of Hidden Valley Lake.

Culinary Arts

Baking Certificate of Achievement: Emily N. Simmons of Clearlake, and Jennifer Kooyman and Jesus Partida of Clearlake Oaks.

Culinary Arts Certificate of Achievement: Joel Atkins, Holly Garcia, Paloma Karimah Hannah Ildefonso, Nicholas Cody-Ernest Kieffer, Emily N. Simmons, and Renée Jeanelle Skundberg of Clearlake; Jesus Partida of Clearlake Oaks; Maxkenzie Harris of Hidden Valley Lake; Robert James Hanson of Kelseyville; Bianca Arias and Christian Taan Rivera of Lakeport; and Geneva Denise Lewis and Yuli Medina of Lower Lake.

Early Childhood Education

Child Development Associate Teacher Certificate of Training: Alice A. Streckfuss of Clearlake; and Tamarity Arlene McPherson of Lower Lake.

Child Development Teacher Certificate of Achievement: Rene-Michelle Danielle Potter and Laura Jean Hickey of Clearlake.

Diversity Specialization Certificate of Achievement: Laura Jean Hickey, Rene-Michelle Danielle Potter, and Katie Lynn Rick of Clearlake.

Infant and Toddler Specialization Certificate of Achievement: Tamarity Arlene McPherson of Lower Lake; and Rene-Michelle Danielle Potter of Clearlake.

Environmental Technology

Drinking Water and Waste Water Technologies Certificate of Achievement: Brandon Antonio Bell, Jaime Pastor Garcia, Brian George, Edgar Ketchum, Deanna Parenteau, and Nicoletta Lynne Parr of Clearlake; Summer Ann Dahlquist of Clearlake Oaks; Drew Alexander Gillespey, Kyle Eric Phipps-Ball, and Kelly Raymond Pollack of Hidden Valley Lake; Joseph Charles Winslow of Lakeport, Noel Negrete, Stephen Paul Stang, and Marilyn Suzanne Taylor of Lower Lake; Jonathan Richard Ohlen of Middletown; Kerry Buckman of Nice; and Alonzo Frias of Ukiah.
Welding

Welding Technologies Certificate of Achievement: Benjamin Doolaege, Michael William Ernst, Nicole Serina Kent, and Larry Lang of Clearlake, Wyatt Andrew Gaskell of Kelseyville; and Christina Gregore of Lower Lake.

At 6 p.m., students who have earned an associate in arts or associate in science degree will be recognized for their accomplishments at the graduation ceremony, hosted by Executive Dean Annette Lee.

Yuba Community College District Board of Trustees Vice President Richard (Doc) Savarese will confer the degrees. The student speaker will be Lena Murphy of Cobb.

The students graduating with associate degrees are:

Clearlake

Aubree Avina - Associate in Science, General Education: Natural Science & Math
Jonathon Schuyler Benavidez - Associate in Science, Business Administration
Krystal Ann-Marie Boatright - Associate in Science, Accounting; Associate in Science, General Business Management
Kimberly Waylene Carreno - Associate in Science, Human Services
Gary Allen Davis - Associate in Science, General Education: Natural Science & Math
Charles L. Eberitzch - Associate in Science, Culinary Arts
Laura Jean Hickey - Associate in Science, Early Childhood Education
Ian Samuel Lambert - Associate in Science, General Education: Natural Science & Math
Samuel Gerardo Lundquist - Associate in Science, General Education: Natural Science & Math
Kristina Rose Micheletti - Associate in Science, General Education: Natural Science & Math
Jacob Newcomb - Associate in Science, General Education: Social & Behavioral Science
Jose Alfredo Pelaez - Associate in Science, General Education: Social & Behavioral Science
Rene-Michelle Danielle Potter - Associate in Science, Early Childhood Education
Corissa Lynn Schoonderwoerd - Associate in Arts, General Education: Arts & Humanities
Renée Jeanelle Skundberg - Associate in Science, Culinary Arts
Jennifer Yessenia Tena - Associate in Science, General Education: Social & Behavioral Science
Cruz Jesus Torres - Associate in Science, General Education: Social & Behavioral Science
Christian Nicholas Villalobos - Associate in Arts, General Education: Arts & Humanities
Donnalee Villasenor - Associate in Science, Business Administration
KC Lee White - Associate in Science, General Education: Natural Science & Math

Clearlake Oaks

Cherylyn Annette Nutting - Associate in Science, Business Administration
Richard Sean Nutting - Associate in Science for Transfer, Business Administration
Jesus Partida - Associate in Science, Culinary Arts

Hidden Valley Lake

Cassandra Theresa Detrinidad - Associate in Science, General Education: Social & Behavioral Science
Orianna Kai Maupin-Ahern - Associate in Arts, General Education: Arts & Humanities
Lucia Corina Mendez-Fernandez - Associate in Science, Medical Office Skills
Deborah Ann Rosi - Associate in Science, General Business Management
Mitchell Ryan Yates - Associate in Science, Business Administration
Kelseyville
Lena René Murphy - Associate in Arts, Anthropology; Associate in Science; General Education: Social & Behavioral Science

Lakeport

Bianca Arias - Associate in Science, Culinary Arts
Elvina Brown - Associate in Science, Business Administration
Melanie Kristine Pressley - Associate in Science, Early Childhood Education

Lower Lake

Zachery Correia - Associate in Science, General Education: Social & Behavioral Science
Laura Doyal - Associate in Science, Accounting; Associate in Science, Business Administration; Associate in Science, Business Computer Applications; Associate in Science, General Business Management
Hadyn Loren Evans - Associate in Science for Transfer, Business Administration
Barbara Lorene Haas - Associate in Arts, General Education: Arts & Humanities
Tamarity Arlene McPherson - Associate in Science, Early Childhood Education
Shana Morris - Associate in Arts, Psychology
Heidi L. Schmitz - Associate in Science, Early Childhood Education
Cheyenne Snow - Associate in Science, General Education: Social & Behavioral Science

The public is welcome to join the administration, faculty, and staff to celebrate the students’ accomplishments.

For more information, contact the campus at 707-995-7900 or visit http://lcc.yccd.edu.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – With an earlier deadline to abate dry vegetation and weeds now in effect, city of Lakeport officials are urging residents to do the necessary work on their property to help keep the community fire safe.

In April, the Lakeport City Council unanimously approved a new hazardous weed abatement ordinance which changed the date by which dry vegetation on private properties must be abated from early July to June 1, as Lake County News has reported.

That ordinance was part of a larger and more aggressive approach to vegetation abatement that city officials said they had undertaken along with the Lakeport Fire Protection District to protect the community against fire.

The updated ordinance, which is now part of Section 8.28 of the Lakeport Municipal Code, defines dry vegetation creating fire hazard conditions as a nuisance and outlines a procedure that allows the city to abate declared nuisance properties if property owners do not self-abate such identified hazardous vegetation in a timely manner.  

The city reported that property owners are required to abate dry vegetation at least once between May 1 and June 1 each year.

The weed abatement standards are not a one-time observance; the city said a property owner will likely need to remove dry vegetation on their property more than once during the year, especially during the high fire months of April through October.

However, the city said property owners must mow weeds safely, as one small spark from a mower blade hitting a rock can result in a large fire.

All mowing should be completed as early in the morning as possible, while temperatures are low, humidity is high, and grasses are still damp with dew. When mowing, always have a water fire extinguisher or other source and pointed shovel handy. Mow early and often, officials said.

Performing annual visits to properties is an important element in the city’s fire hazard prevention, and so city of Lakeport Code Enforcement staff and members of the Lakeport Fire Protection District will be performing on-site inspections of the parcels within the city beginning June 1, with followup inspections made as needed.  

The intent of the visits is to verify that properties are in compliance with all hazardous weed abatement requirements. Findings from the visits will be compiled by city personnel and presented to the Lakeport City Council.  

For more information visit the city’s Hazardous Weed Abatement page at www.cityoflakeport.com or contact the city of Lakeport Code Enforcement Division at 707-263-5615, Extension 205.

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.

We seem to be living in the age of the strong man, of the dictator and totalitarian. Putin in Russia and Xi Jinping in China and our very own president an admirer of such men (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/world/asia/donald-trump-xi-jinping-term-limits.html).

We’ve come a long way in 225 years.

There used to be a time when “monarch” and “king” were biting epithets people threw at their political rivals – they were shorthand for the despotic and corrupt, for the very antithesis of what Americans had fought so hard to free themselves of. And from the very beginning, our founding fathers took deliberate steps to steer clear of any hint of such power. The most notable example is George Washington.

George Washington’s inauguration ball was held at a dance hall on Broadway in New York City in 1789. It was a lively night with most of Congress and a range of foreign dignitaries in attendance.

With Martha Washington still back home at Mt. Vernon, the newly-elected president paired off with Mrs. Eliza “Betsy” Hamilton for dancing. “Dancing” might be too generous a term, with Mrs. Hamilton later recalling that the new president walked stiffly through the steps, with a certain “gravity.”

George Washington always was a little stiff, but then again he didn’t know how a president was supposed to act. No one did – the position was completely new to everyone, and dignitaries watched Washington closely that night.

John Adams suggested to Washington that he be referred to as “His Highness, the President of the United States and Protector of their Liberties.” Critics of the tubby vice president suggested Adams be referred to as “His Rotundity.” The barb stuck, and Adams added to his list of grievances, which were many.

Many critics of the American Revolution predicted that George Washington would simply take the place of King George III, becoming in fact, if not publicly, the new American sovereign. This was a line of reasoning that Washington was hyper-aware of, and took every opportunity to scuttle.

So, when he received a letter from one of his commanders during the waning days of the war that advocated just that, he was despondent. And angry.

Washington’s response on May 22 was sharp:

“With a mixture of great surprise and astonishment I have read with attention the sentiments you have submitted to my perusal. Be assured sir, no occurrence in the course of the war has given me more painful sensations than your information of there being such ideas existing in the army as you have expressed, [which are] big with the greatest mischiefs that can befall my country. If I am not deceived in the knowledge of myself, you could not have found a person to whom your schemes are more disagreeable … Let me conjure you then, if you have any regard for your country – concern for yourself or posterity – or respect for me, to banish these thoughts from your mind.”

Even when he appeared before Congress in 1783 to “surrender into their hands the trust committed to me” and resigned his commission, people were still skeptical of his true intent.

Those skeptics had a field day when George Washington stood for and was elected America’s first president. And so that inauguration ball was something to be watched.

From that day forth, President Washington was assessed, watched closely by foreign countries and his own alike.

It’s not as if he didn’t have ample opportunity to take as much power as he wished. After all, George Washington was loved by all.

When the question over where to establish the new capital hit the press, one newspaper editor of the day remarked – completely without sarcasm, “The usual custom is for the capital of new empires to be selected by the whim or caprice of a despot.” The editor noted that since George Washington “has never given bad advice to his country,” why not let the new president “point to a map and say ‘here’?”

For the next eight years, President Washington would indeed make some conservative moves, ones that some critics thought outside the bounds of his office and reminiscent of a kingly decree.

When he unilaterally made a treaty of neutrality with England to avoid America getting embroiled in the growing French Revolution, critics declaimed him a tyrant – a King Washington.

Ironically the biggest critic of this overstep by the executive was Thomas Jefferson, who as president in 1803 would in one stroke purchase most of North America for his country without anyone’s consent.

In the end, though, Washington would show that the office of the president was ultimately a limited one, as it should be.

When he decided that he had served his country long enough, President Washington decided the unthinkable – he would step down from office and relinquish all the power he had accumulated.

Checks and balances were built into our Constitution, but it has always been up to the men and women in office to maintain them.

King George III had said that if George Washington ever willingly relinquished his power, he would indeed be the greatest man on earth.

Antone Pierucci is curator of history at the Riverside County Park and Open Space District and a freelance writer whose work has been featured in such magazines as Archaeology and Wild West as well as regional California newspapers.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – With warm weather in the forecast and recreational water sports gearing up for the summer, health and water resource officials across the state are reminding the public to be mindful of harmful algal blooms, or HAB, in lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, and reservoirs, and to keep children and pets away from these HABs if they see one.

HABs are the result of a type of bacterium, known as cyanobacteria. These microscopic organisms are an essential part of the environment and have existed for millions of years. Typically, they live in balance with other living creatures.

When environmental conditions favor their growth, they can proliferate and accumulate in numbers that are sometimes visible to the naked eye, creating what is referred to as a HAB. Some cyanobacteria are capable of producing toxins that can harm pets or people that come into contact with them. Exposure can occur through direct skin contact, ingestion (eating or drinking), or breathing aerosols of affected water.
                                   
HABs occur in water bodies throughout the world. They can be recognized by several features, such as an oily or paint-like sheen on the water’s surface, floating mats, or a “pea soup” appearance of the water. There may be cyanotoxins in the water even if you do not see the description listed above.

HABs have been reported in Lake County in prior years, such as this one photographed last year from Monitor Point in the city of Clearlake.

Although HABs can occur anywhere in a body of water, in lakes they tend to be more concentrated in areas where water movement is limited and is downstream of wind and water currents.

In rivers or creeks, they can be found attached to the sediment on the bottom, floating along the shoreline, or in backwater eddies.
 
It is important to distinguish cyanobacteria (also known as “blue-green algae”) from green algae and water plants that are not thought to pose potential hazards to health.

The state has created a visual guide with photos to help users recognize HABs and differentiate them from green algae or water plant growth. The guide is available online at http://www.ccamp.net/Swamp/images/3/33/SOP-Visual_Guide_to_Observing_Blooms.pdf.

Direct exposure to a HAB, if it is toxin-producing, can result in eye irritation, skin rash, mouth ulcers, vomiting, diarrhea, or cold and flu-like symptoms.

Pets can be especially susceptible because they tend to eat the cyanobacteria mats, drink while in the water and lick their fur after, increasing their risk of exposure and illness.
 
This year, monitoring of water from shoreline sites and around Clear Lake is again being conducted by the Big Valley Rancheria and Elem Indian Colony. Toxin reports are available online at: http://www.bvrancheria.com/clearlakecyanotoxins.
 
The California Water Boards have collaborated with the Bloom Watch App (http://cyanos.org/bloomwatch/), which allows anyone observing a potential HAB to document it and send information to water managers. In using the app, each user will be asked to answer a few basic questions and provide pictures of the potential HAB.

The public can also report the bloom directly to the California Water Boards by calling their free HAB Hotline 1-844-729-6466 or report the bloom through their online HAB Portal http://www.mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/do/index.html#how.
 
The Statewide Guidance on Cyanobacteria and Harmful Algal Blooms recommends the following for waters impacted by harmful cyanobacteria:
 
– Keep pets and other animals out of the HAB-affected water. Do not allow them to drink the water or eat algal material (scum) on shore. If they do get in the water, do not let them drink the water, swim through algal material, scums or mats, or lick their fur after going in. Rinse pets in clean water to remove algal material and potential toxins from fur.
 
– Do not drink, cook, or wash dishes with untreated water directly from the lake. Common water purification techniques such as camping filters, tablets, and boiling do not remove toxins.
 
– People should not eat mussels or other bivalves collected from HAB-affected areas. If fish are consumed, remove the guts and liver, and rinse filets in clean drinking water.
 
– Get medical treatment immediately if you think that you, your family, your pet, or livestock has gotten sick after going in the water. Be sure to alert the medical professional to the possible contact with HABs. Also, make sure to contact Lake County Health Services Department, Public Health Division at (707) 263-1090.
 
Remember to always practice healthy water habits:

– Pay careful attention to all instructions on posted advisory signs.
– Avoid body contact with HABs.
– Keep an eye on children and pets, ensuring that they do not approach areas with HABs growth.
– Do not drink untreated lake, river, and creek water. Common water purification techniques such as camping filters, tablets, and boiling do not remove toxins.
– Do not cook or wash dishes with untreated water directly from the lake, river, and creek.
– Wash yourself, your family, and your pets with clean water after lake, river, and creek play.
– Consume fish only after the guts and liver have been removed. Rinse filets.
 
For more information, please visit the following.
 
California Harmful Algal Blooms Portal:
http://www.mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/
 
Current Toxin Levels Clearlake, Big Valley Rancheria and Elem Indian Colony:
http://www.bvrancheria.com/clearlakecyanotoxins
 
BloomWatch:
http://cyanos.org/bloomwatch/
 
California Cyanobacteria and Harmful Algal Bloom (CCHAB) Network:
http://www.mywaterquality.ca.gov/monitoring_council/cyanohab_network/index.html
 
California Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program Freshwater HAB webpage:
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/swamp/freshwater_cyanobacteria.shtml
 
California Department of Public Health:
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/EHIB/EAS/Pages/HABs.aspx
 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency–CyanoHAB Web site:
https://www.epa.gov/nutrient-policy-data/cyanohabs

The University of California, Berkeley’s Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, whose world-class collections range from Egyptian mummy sarcophagi to Peruvian textiles to Native American baskets, has opened a digital portal to expand public access to its collections of more than 3 million objects, photographs, films, and sound recordings.

Two years in the making, the Hearst Museum Portal will enable researchers and the public at large to go online and examine all of the museum’s cataloged objects and much of the accompanying documentation via a user-friendly interface.
 
“In line with the Hearst Museum’s vision of serving as a place where cultures connect, we view the portal as contributing to the resources on offer to our stakeholders,” said Hearst Museum Director Benjamin Porter, an associate professor of Near Eastern archaeology.
 
With an estimated 3.8 million objects, the museum, housed in the campus’s Kroeber Hall, boasts among the nation’s largest anthropological collections.
 
Michael Black, the museum’s head of research and information, led the project with input from a wide range of stakeholders, including UC Berkeley anthropology students. Staff and volunteers photographed roughly 2,000 items each week at stations with special lighting.
 
“I definitely wanted to be able to explore the collections visually,” said Alex Perkins, an anthropology major who worked on the project. “There are so many objects with fascinating photographs and being able to easily access those was one of the big things I hoped to see in the new portal.”
 
The Hearst Museum teamed up with UC Berkeley’s Research IT Museum Informatics program to create the portal.
 
“This is a great example of how technology can be a strategic enabler of our campus mission,” said Jenn Stringer, UC Berkeley’s chief academic technology officer and assistant vice chancellor for teaching and learning.
 
The portal links directly to the Hearst Museum’s database and can be explored using simple Google-like keyword queries as well as more advanced multifield searches.
 
In particular, the portal is designed to serve people with cultural connections to societies represented in the Hearst Museum’s collections. They include Native Californian educators, spiritual leaders, repatriation coordinators, tribal government officials and artists, who rank among the most frequent visitors to the museum's archives and storage facilities.
 
“We are pleased to serve as a resource for Native California across a variety of research areas, and the portal will greatly expand that access,” said Jordan Jacobs, the Hearst Museum's head of cultural policy and repatriation.

With guidance from the Hearst Museum's Native American Advisory Council (NAAC), access to images of human remains, funerary objects and objects known as “charm stones” is restricted as part of a greater effort to collaborate with Native American communities.
 
For example, people seeking to view images of restricted objects via the portal will need to contact the museum to arrange for permission.
 
“The museum has listened to our input and we have shaped the policies that will help guide them into the future,” said NAAC vice chairperson Kesner Flores.
 
Founded in 1901 by philanthropist Phoebe Apperson Hearst, the museum’s collections span the globe and document nearly 2 million years of human development and innovation.
 
Originally located in San Francisco, Hearst launched the museum with her personal collections of objects, photographs and audio recordings from expeditions to Egypt, Peru, Italy, California and the American Southwest.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has more shepherds and terriers among the dogs available to new homes this week.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Cano Corso Mastiff, German Shepherd, hound, Labrador Retriever, pit bull, Rottweiler and terrier.

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.

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”).

‘Ceasar’

“Ceasar” is a male Cano Corso Mastiff.

He has a short red coat and already has been neutered.

He’s in quarantine kennel No. 7, ID No. 10010.

Shepherd mix

This male shepherd mix has a medium-length black and brown coat.

He’s in kennel No. 8, ID No. 10035.

Pit bull-Rottweiler mix

This male pit bull-Rottweiler mix has a short brown and brindle coat.

He’s in kennel No. 9, ID No. 10024.

‘Emma’

“Emma” is a very sweet senior female German Shepherd who has been through heartworm treatment and is ready for her new home.

She has a short black and tan coat and already has been spayed.

She is available for free to the first approved application.

She’s in kennel No. 11, ID No. 9657.

Female terrier mix

This female terrier mix has a short tricolor coat.

She’s in kennel No. 22, ID No. 10043.

‘Kuma’

“Kuma” is a female German Shepherd with a long black and tan coat.

She already has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 25, ID No. 10038.

Male pit bull terrier

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

He’s in kennel No. 26, ID No. 10000.

Male German Shepherd

This male German Shepherd has a medium-length black and tan coat.

He’s in kennel No. 27, ID No. 10011.

Male Labrador Retriever pup

This male Labrador Retriever mix puppy has a short black and white coat.

He’s in kennel No. 29b, ID No. 10027.

Male pit bull terrier

This male pit bull terrier has a short red coat.

He’s in kennel No. 31, ID No. 10013.

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

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

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

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

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

As we develop more and more powerful tools to peer beyond our solar system, we learn more about the seemingly endless sea of faraway stars and their curious casts of orbiting planets. But there’s only one star we can travel to directly and observe up close — and that’s our own: the Sun.

Two upcoming missions will soon take us closer to the Sun than we’ve ever been before, providing our best chance yet at uncovering the complexities of solar activity in our own solar system and shedding light on the very nature of space and stars throughout the universe.  

Together, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and ESA’s (the European Space Agency) Solar Orbiter may resolve decades-old questions about the inner workings of our nearest star.

Their comprehensive, up-close study of the Sun has important implications for how we live and explore: Energy from the Sun powers life on Earth, but it also triggers space weather events that can pose hazard to technology we increasingly depend upon.

Such space weather can disrupt radio communications, affect satellites and human spaceflight, and — at its worst — interfere with power grids. A better understanding of the fundamental processes at the Sun driving these events could improve predictions of when they’ll occur and how their effects may be felt on Earth.

“Our goal is to understand how the Sun works and how it affects the space environment to the point of predictability,” said Chris St. Cyr, Solar Orbiter project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “This is really a curiosity-driven science.”

Parker Solar Probe is slated to launch in the summer of 2018, and Solar Orbiter is scheduled to follow in 2020. These missions were developed independently, but their coordinated science objectives are no coincidence: Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter are natural teammates.

Parker Solar Probe will swoop to within 4 million miles of the Sun's surface, facing heat and radiation like no spacecraft before it. Launching in 2018, Parker Solar Probe will provide new data on solar activity and may make critical contributions to our ability to forecast major space-weather events that affect life on Earth.

Both missions will take a closer look at the Sun's dynamic outer atmosphere, called the corona.  From Earth, the corona is visible only during total solar eclipses, when the Moon blocks the Sun's most intense light and reveals the outer atmosphere’s wispy, pearly-white structure. But the corona isn’t as delicate as it looks during a total solar eclipse – much of the corona’s behavior is unpredictable and not well understood.

The corona’s charged gases are driven by a set of laws of physics that are rarely involved with our normal experience on Earth. Teasing out the details of what causes the charged particles and magnetic fields to dance and twist as they do can help us understand two outstanding mysteries: what makes the corona so much hotter than the solar surface, and what drives the constant outpouring of solar material, the solar wind, to such high speeds.

We can see that corona from afar, and even measure what the solar wind looks like as it passes by Earth – but that’s like measuring a calm river miles downstream from a waterfall and trying to understand the current’s source. Only recently have we had the technology capable of withstanding the heat and radiation near the Sun, so for the first time, we’re going close to the source.

“Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter employ different sorts of technology, but – as missions – they’ll be complementary,” said Eric Christian, a research scientist on the Parker Solar Probe mission at NASA Goddard. “They’ll be taking pictures of the Sun’s corona at the same time, and they’ll be seeing some of the same structures – what's happening at the poles of the Sun and what those same structures look like at the equator.”

Parker Solar Probe will traverse entirely new territory as it gets closer to the Sun than any spacecraft has come before – as close as 3.8 million miles from the solar surface.

If Earth were scaled down to sit at one end of a football field, and the Sun at the other, the mission would make it to the 4-yard line. The current record holder, Helios B, a solar mission of the late 1970s, made it only to the 29-yard line.

From that vantage point, Parker Solar Probe’s four suites of scientific instruments are designed to image the solar wind and study magnetic fields, plasma and energetic particles – clarifying the true anatomy of the Sun’s outer atmosphere.

This information will shed light on the so-called coronal heating problem. This refers to the counterintuitive reality that, while temperatures in the corona can spike upwards of a few million degrees Fahrenheit, the underlying solar surface, the photosphere, hovers around just 10,000 degrees. To fully appreciate the oddity of this temperature difference, imagine walking away from a campfire and feeling the air around you get much, much hotter.

Solar Orbiter will come within 26 million miles of the Sun – that would put it within the 27-yard line on that metaphorical football field. It will be in a highly tilted orbit that can provide our first-ever direct images of the Sun’s poles – parts of the Sun that we don’t yet understand well, and which may hold the key to understanding what drives our star’s constant activity and eruptions.

Both Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter will study the Sun’s most pervasive influence on the solar system: the solar wind. The Sun constantly exhales a stream of magnetized gas that fills the inner solar system, called solar wind. This solar wind interacts with magnetic fields, atmospheres, or even surfaces of worlds throughout the solar system. On Earth, this interaction can spark auroras and sometimes disrupt communications systems and power grids.

Data from previous missions have led scientists to believe the corona contributes to the processes that accelerate particles, driving the solar wind’s incredible speeds – which triple as it leaves the Sun and passes through the corona.

Right now, the solar wind travels some 92 million miles by the time it reaches the spacecraft that measure it – plenty of time for this stream of charged gases to intermix with other particles traveling through space and lose some of its defining features.

Parker Solar Probe will catch the solar wind just as it forms and leaves the corona, sending back to Earth some of the most pristine measurements of solar wind ever recorded. Solar Orbiter’s perspective, which will provide a good look at the Sun’s poles, will complement Parker Solar Probe’s study of the solar wind, because it allows scientists to see how the structure and behavior of the solar wind varies at different latitudes.

Solar Orbiter will also make use of its unique orbit to better understand the Sun’s magnetic fields; some of the Sun’s most interesting magnetic activity is concentrated at the poles. But because Earth orbits on a plane more or less in line with the solar equator, we don’t typically get a good view of the poles from afar. It’s a bit like trying to see the summit of Mount Everest from the base of the mountain.

That view of the poles will also go a long way toward understanding the overall nature of the Sun’s magnetic field, which is lively and extensive, stretching far beyond the orbit of Neptune.

The Sun’s magnetic field is so far-reaching largely because of the solar wind: As the solar wind streams outward, it carries the Sun’s magnetic field with it, creating a vast bubble, called the heliosphere. Within the heliosphere, the solar wind determines the very nature of planetary atmospheres. The heliosphere’s boundaries are shaped by how the Sun interacts with interstellar space.

Since Voyager 1’s passage through the heliopause in 2012, we know these boundaries dramatically protect the inner solar system from incoming galactic radiation.

It’s not yet clear how exactly the Sun’s magnetic field is generated or structured deep inside the Sun – though we do know intense magnetic fields around the poles drives variability on the Sun, causing solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

Solar Orbiter will hover over roughly the same region of the solar atmosphere for several days at a time while scientists watch tension build up and release around the poles. Those observations may lead to better awareness of the physical processes that ultimately generate the Sun’s magnetic field.

Together, Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter will refine our knowledge of the Sun and heliosphere. Along the way, it’s likely these missions will pose even more questions than they answer – a problem scientists are very much looking forward to.

"There are questions that have been bugging us for a long time," said Adam Szabo, mission scientist for Parker Solar Probe at NASA Goddard. "We are trying to decipher what happens near the Sun, and the obvious solution is to just go there. We cannot wait — not just me, but the whole community."

Micheala Sosby works for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.