UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon Restaurant in Upper Lake have announced the lineup for their tenth annual Blue Wing Blues Festival from Friday, Aug. 5, through Sunday, Aug. 7.

Details of a followup show on Labor Day, Sept. 5, will be announced shortly.

Headliners this year include Barry “The Fish” Melton and his band, the Daniel Castro Band and Chris Cain and his band.

Opening performances are by the Bill Noteman Trio and blues vocalist Rev Rabia plus guest appearances by sax great Nancy Wright

Starting at 6:30 p.m. each day of the event, these top blues musicians will perform on the veranda of the hotel with the audience gathered in the intimate garden between the hotel and restaurant. 

“It’s a nice time of day and a pleasant spot to enjoy world-class music,” says owner Bernie Butcher.  “With a top quality barbecue dinner thrown in with the price of admission, it’s a great value for music lovers.”

On opening night on Friday, Aug. 5, local blues harp legend Bill Noteman and his trio will open for Melton and his band of veteran rockers and blues musicians. 

Melton was half of the famed Country Joe and the Fish in the 1960s and 1970s and has remained active in the business while pursuing a law career in Sacramento and now in Lake County. 

He will be joined by his long time bandmates Lowell “Banana” Levinger on keys, Peter Albin on bass and Roy Blumenfeld on drums.

Headlining the show on Saturday, Aug. 6, is the dynamic blues guitarist and vocalist Daniel Castro.  Popular throughout the Bay Area and beyond, Castro and his original music are now well-known locally.

Joining Castro will be the core of his trio, Johnny Yu on bass and David Perper on drums supplemented by Tony Lufrano on keys and Nancy Wright on sax.

Referring to his partnership with Yu and Perper, Castro said, “We have something special. It’s hard to describe, but we feel it and so do our audiences.”

Opening both the Saturday and Sunday shows will be the popular East Bay blues vocalist and guitarist Rev Rabia accompanied on guitar by Keizo Yamazawa.

Rabia fronted several blues and rock groups before forming a duo with Yamazawa six years ago.

The dynamic and talented Chris Cain and his band will top the bill on Sunday, Aug. 7.

Cain, now based in San Jose, grew up on jazz and blues and has melded the two into a searing style that sets him apart on the blues scene. He is well connected locally having recorded extensively with Ukiah’s Patrick Ford and his Blue Rock-it Records.

Cain will be joined by his longtime band members Greg Rahn on keys, Steve Evans on bass and Mike Mestek on drums with special guest Nancy Wright on sax.

“I invite Nancy to play with us as often as possible at our Tuesday gigs at Biscuits and Blues in San Francisco,” said Cain. “It should be fun having her join us for the Blue Wing Festival.”

“Our staff puts a lot of effort into this festival every year and we look forward to giving our guests a great time and serving them a fabulous barbecue dinner while they enjoy the music,” said Tallman Hotel Manager Susan Mesick.

Tickets are limited to 100 each evening and may be purchased directly at the Tallman Hotel, located on Main Street in Upper Lake, or by calling the hotel reception desk at 707-275-2244, Extension 0.

Ticket prices are $50 plus tax if purchased in advance and $55 at the gate.

More information can be found at www.tallmanhotel.com/concerts .

Forty years ago, NASA's Viking mission made history when it became the first mission to successfully land a fully operational spacecraft on Mars.

This mission gave us our first real look at the Martian surface, as well as the fundamental science that has enabled continued missions to the Red Planet, laying the foundation for NASA's Journey to Mars.

The spacecraft, dubbed Viking 1, touched down on the Martian surface July 20, 1976 – its counterpart, Viking 2, followed suit and landed Sept. 3 of that same year.

The mission objectives were carefully laid out: Obtain high-resolution images of the Martian surface, characterize the composition of the Martian surface and its atmosphere, and search for life.

After years of imaging, measuring and experimenting, the Viking spacecraft ended communication with the team on Earth, leaving behind a multitude of data that scientists would study for the next several years.

As engineers and scientists planned for later missions to Mars, the rolls of microfilm containing the Viking data were stored away for safekeeping and potential later use. It would be another 20 years before someone looked at some of these data again.

NASA's deep archives

David Williams is the planetary curation scientist for the NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The archive houses much of NASA's planetary and lunar spacecraft data stored on microfilm and computer tapes, including the Viking data. Williams works to digitize all of the data so that it can be easily accessed from the web.

“At one time, microfilm was the archive thing of the future,” Williams said. “But people quickly turned to digitizing data when the web came to be. So now we are going through the microfilm and scanning every frame into our computer database so that anyone can access it online.”

In the early 2000s, Williams received a call from Joseph Miller, associate professor of cell and neurobiology at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles requesting data from the Viking biology experiments. But all that was left of the data was stored on microfilm.

“I remember getting to hold the microfilm in my hand for the first time and thinking, “We did this incredible experiment and this is it, this is all that's left,'” Williams said. “If something were to happen to it, we would lose it forever. I couldn't just give someone the microfilm to borrow because that's all there was.”

The archive team decided to tear open the boxes of microfilm and begin digitizing the data.

Lasting knowledge

Miller wanted to analyze the data from Viking's biology experiments to see if the Viking science team had missed something in the original analysis. He concluded that one of the Viking biology experiments did, indeed, offer proof that life may exist on Mars.

In one of the experiments, known as Labeled Release or LR, the Viking landers scooped up soil samples and applied a nutrient cocktail. If microbes were present in the soil, they would likely metabolize the nutrient and release carbon dioxide or methane.

The experiment did indicate metabolism, but the other two Viking experiments did not find any organic molecules in the soil.

The science team believed the LR data had been skewed by a non-biological property of Martian soil, resulting in a false positive. While arguments continue, this remains the consensus view.

This was not the first time scientists disagreed about the results of the Viking biology experiments. Since the very first data analysis, scientists argued about whether the experiments proved that Mars really was harboring life.

“The data were very controversial,” Williams said. “But, in a way, it helped push for continued Mars missions and landers. The very next missions were planned around what we found with Viking, and then the next group of missions built upon those. But even our most current Mars missions still refer back to Viking.”

One such mission is Curiosity, which landed on Mars Aug. 6, 2012. Equipped with an instrument suite known as Sample Analysis at Mars, or SAM, the Curiosity rover is capable of searching for organic compounds on the Martian surface.

SAM is able to detect a lower concentration of a wider variety of organic molecules than any other instrument sent to Mars, including those on Viking.

“We built SAM based on a lot of experience and heritage from Viking,” said Danny Glavin, associate director for Strategic Science in the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA Goddard and former planetary protection lead for SAM. “The capabilities of the Viking landers and instruments were very advanced for the technology at the time. Just demonstrating that you could land a spacecraft on the Martian surface successfully was a huge feat.”

Unlike Viking at the time, data from Curiosity's experiments are uploaded to the Planetary Data System for easy accessibility.

“Viking data are still being utilized 40 years later,” Glavin said. “I know the same will be true for SAM. The point is for the community to have access to this data so that scientists 50 years from now can go back and look at it.”

In 2016, the Viking legacy continues.

Lessons learned from Viking technology blazed the trail for future Mars missions, which have vastly improved our understanding of the Red Planet.

Today NASA has a fleet of orbiters and rovers on and around Mars, making key discoveries such as evidence of liquid water near the surface of Mars and paving the way for future human-crew missions.

The Mars 2020 rover recently passed an important mission milestone toward launch in 2020, arriving on Mars in February of 2021.

Its mission is to seek signs of past life and demonstrate new technologies to help astronauts survive on Mars, with the goal of sending humans to the Red Planet in the 2030s.

For more information about NASA's Viking program, visit http://www.nasa.gov/viking .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Several participants will be firing up their grills to vie for bragging rights at the seventh annual Grillin’ on the Green, the yearly fundraiser for Westside Community Park.

The event will take place Saturday, Aug. 6, and will feature the friendly barbecue competition and entertainment for all ages.

Presented by the Westside Community Park Committee, the event will kick off at 5 p.m. at Westside Community Park, 1401 Westside Park Road.

Attendees will enjoy a variety of barbecued dishes, accompanied by side dishes and beverages, and three hours of entertainment including live music by the Funky Dozen, children’s activities, a car show featuring vintage vehicles, and horse-drawn wagon rides touring the future equine site at the park.

Ticket prices for the event are $25 per adult, $10 per child between the ages of 5 and 12, and no charge for children 4 years old or younger. Tickets are available in advance and will be sold at the function.

All proceeds benefit the Westside Community Park development. Call Cindy Ustrud, 707-263-7091, or Dennis Rollins, 707-349-0969, for more information.

Advance tickets for “Grillin’ on the Green” may be purchased at the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Bicycles and The Travel Centers, all in Lakeport, and at Polestar Computers in Kelseyville.

Local organizations, individuals and professionals go head-to-head in the cook-off, preparing their best barbecue recipes for attendees who then cast People’s Choice votes for their favorites.

This year’s competition will include winners from previous years and some newcomers.

The cook-off challengers include the city of Lakeport, Nor Cal Cuts (Adrian Hoaglen), the Bru Cru (Adam Bruch), Beef Cake (Jessie Richardson), the Lakeport Lions Club, Joe Wind, Fresh and Bangin’ Eatery, Delta Iota Tau Sorority, JQ (Jason Strickler), Passion for Food (Ben Cisneros) and People Services Inc.

While attendees will vote for their favorites in the cook-off, three “celebrity” judges will select their favorite griller. They are Record-Bee Editor Dave Faries, retired Superior Court Judge David Herrick, and Certified Financial Planner Jennifer Strong, owner of Strong Financial Network in Lakeport.

Side dishes including salads, beans, peach crunch and lemon bars will be provided by the Westside Community Park Committee, Lakeview Market, the Lakeport English Inn, the Kelseyville Unified School District, and Lake Event Design. Beer, wine and other beverages will be available. Snow cones by Marta and Domingo Avillea may be purchased at the event.

Horse-drawn wagon rides by Susan and Kenn McCarty of the Live Oak Belgians Ranch are on the list of featured activities. The wagons seat 12 and are pulled by the McCarty’s Belgian draft horses. Rides will begin at 6 p.m.

Sponsored by the Lake County Horse Council, the wagon rides will offer 20-minute tours of the horse facilities site at the park.

Members of local car clubs will park their vintage vehicles for viewing during the event. Grillin’ on the Green attendees will be able to vote for their favorite vintage vehicle and favorite “make-out” vehicle.

Information about the event can be found on the park’s Web site, www.westsidecommunitypark.org , or on Westside Community Park’s Facebook page.

Sponsors of the event will be recognized at the Grillin’ on the Green event. The Keeling-Barnes Family Foundation is for the seventh year offering a sponsorship match. The foundation will match up to $4,000.

Sutter Lakeside Hospital has pledged a sponsorship of $2,500. Representatives of the hospital and the foundation challenge the community to match and exceed the combined $6,500 amount.

Additional 2016 sponsorship commitments have been made by the Ustrud-Rollins Family, Clear Lake Redi-Mix, Kathy Fowler Auto Center, Lake County News, Lake Event Design, Mendo Lake Credit Union, Alexander McGeoch DDS, Brian Grey DDS, Savings Bank of Mendocino County, Susie LaPointe, attorney William Kranz, Lakeport Tire & Auto Service, Yin McDonald’s, Lake Parts/NAPA Auto Parts, Jim and Wilda Shock, and Kelseyville Lumber & Supply Co.

Levels of sponsor recognition are $100 (Home Run - includes two event tickets), $300 (Grand Slam - includes a sign display at the event and four event tickets), $500-$1,000 (World Cup - includes a sign display, eight event tickets with a reserved table and two bottles of wine). Contributions of any amount may be sent to 1350 Berry Street, Lakeport, and made payable to Westside Community Park Committee.

Contributing in-kind donations to the event are Lake County News, KNTI, Lake County Publishing and the Lake County Record-Bee, S2 Tutoring & PR, Lake Event Design, Kelseyville High School, RAHamilton, and Disney Trophies and Awards.

Westside Community Park is a city of Lakeport recreational facility that has been in development for 17 years.

The nonprofit Park Committee is developing the park in conjunction with the City of Lakeport, volunteers, and numerous contributions by individuals and businesses dedicated to constructing a recreational facility for the youth and adults of Lake County.

For more information, visit the Web site, www.westsidecommunitypark.org .

“The poetry of earth is never dead.” – John Keats

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lately, I have been awakened by the distinctive sounds of a bobcat's call in the twilight hours.

I have been lucky enough to see bobcats, several times, in south Lake County.

From what I gather, bobcats are usually solitary animals which travel their own territories, that range anywhere from five to 30 square miles.

These gorgeous animals of the genus Lynx have been around for almost two million years, and range south from Mexico all the way up to Canada.

They contribute much to the delicate dance of the ecosystem by consuming rodents. They have been known to take down a deer, as well as small ranch animals.

Once upon a time bobcats were hunted for their beautiful fur, which is patterned with camouflage spots, varying from tan to black.

Adults are more than 18 inches to 50 inches long and stand around one and two feet tall – about twice the size of a house cat.

Both fashions and laws have changed to protect the bobcat, and their numbers are increasing.

Bobcats den in shelters such as caves or downed trees and for an auxiliary den they may select a handy brush pile.

They mate in winter, then gestate for over 50 days, with between one to six kittens per litter.

The bobcat is considered to be crepuscular in behavior, that is mainly active just before dawn and prior to dusk – the twilight hours.

During the winter their behavior leans toward diurnality, or becoming more active during daylight hours.

There are many Indian myths that feature Lynx as the protagonist. One story is from the Nez Perce group, which ranges from today's central Idaho to Oregon, and were one of the largest tribes met by explorers Lewis and Clark.

In “The Story of Lynx” the many dualities of life are studied. It is common in some North American tribes and South American tribes to find that the concept of duality or sameness occurs, as well as opposites in nature.

Anthropologists studying myths of different Native American cultures understand that through the retelling of myths, much is lost in the translation.

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

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control this week has a variety of big adult dogs with a cute puppy, too.

Dogs available for adoption this week include American Staffordshire Terrier, collie, German Shepherd, Great Dane, Labrador Retriever, pit bull and shepherd.

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

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

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”).

Pit bull terrier mix

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

She's in kennel No. 5, ID No. 5378.

'Kush'

“Kush” is a female adult pit bull terrier mix.

She has a short tan coat and already is spayed.

She's in kennel No. 6, ID No. 5249.

Shepherd mix

This male shepherd mix has a short tan and black coat. He already is altered.

He's in kennel No. 13, ID No. 5299.

American Staffordshire Terrier

This male American Staffordshire Terrier has a short black and white coat and has already been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 14, ID No. 5194.

Pit bull terrier mix

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

Shelter staff said she is very sweet and just wants attention.

She's in kennel No. 15, ID No. 5456.

'Storm'

“Storm” is a female pit bull terrier mix with a brown and white coat.

She's in kennel No. 24, ID No. 5363.

'Cooper'

“Cooper” is a male shepherd mix with a black and tan coat and white markings.

He's in kennel No. 25, ID No. 5377.

Great Dane-Labrador Retriever mix

This male Great Dane-Labrador Retriever mix has a short black coat with white markings.

He's in kennel No. 26, ID No. 5104.

Collie mix

This adorable collie mix puppy has a soft tricolor coat.

He's in kennel No. 27, ID No. 5521.

Labrador Retriever mix

This male Labrador Retriever mix has short black coat.

He's in kennel No. 31, ID No. 5344.

Labrador Retriever mix

This male Labrador Retriever-shepherd mix has a short all-black coat.

He's in kennel No. 32, ID No. 5158.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Northshore man convicted last year of the 2011 murder of an Upper Lake woman has been sentenced to life in prison.

On Friday, Judge Stephen Hedstrom sentenced Daniel Ray Loyd, 54, of Nice to life without the possibility of parole for the shooting death of 48-year-old Cindy Quiett.

Before beginning to serve his life sentence, Loyd must first serve 36 years and four months in state prison based on the other charges and allegations he was convicted of at trial, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney John DeChaine.

Authorities said Loyd drove to Lucerne in a borrowed van on the morning of Sept. 13, 2011, intending to rob Quiett's boyfriend, Patrick Ryden, who Loyd said owed him for methamphetamine he had fronted him to sell.

Loyd, using a loaded .357 pistol he had borrowed from the van's owner, confronted Ryden, sticking the pistol in his face. The men struggled, with the gun pushed in the direction of Quiett, who was standing across the street direction.

The gun went off, she was struck in the stomach and died a short time later.

Lake County Sheriff's Det. John Drewrey, the case's lead detective, arrested Loyd on the day of the murder. Loyd has remained in custody since then.

Jury selection began on April 15, 2015. DeChaine prosecuted the case, with David Markham serving as the Loyd’s trial counsel. Judge Hedstrom presided at the trial.

DeChaine credited thorough detective work for the prosecution's ability to present the evidence leading to Loyd's conviction.

Loyd took the stand in his trial, admitting to being a drug dealer and testifying that he had been high on meth at the time of the shooting, at which point he also hadn't slept for 10 days.

A jury member told Lake County News after the verdict was handed down that Loyd's testimony had hurt him, rather than helped him, at trial.

In finding Loyd guilty, DeChaine said the jury unanimously rejected the defense counsel’s argument that Loyd was not the legal cause of Quiett’s death.

At trial, the defense contended that Ryden’s act of swatting the gun from his face was an intervening act and Quiett's subsequent death was unforeseeable. However, by arguing that Quiett’s death was unforeseeable, the defense unsuccessfully argued that Loyd should be absolved of legal responsibility. 

On June 5, 2015, the jury reached its verdict, convicting Loyd of Quiett's murder.

In addition, the jury handed down guilty verdicts for assault with a firearm on Ryden, attempting to rob Ryden, being a felon in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of ammunition. 

The jury also determined that Loyd had personally used a firearm in the commission of the murder, attempted robbery and assault with a firearm. 

In a separate proceeding, following the jury verdicts, the court ruled that the special allegations the prosecution had alleged against Loyd were true.

Specifically, the special allegations included that Loyd had a prior strike conviction for attempted robbery in the state of Indiana, and that Loyd had two prior prison terms. 

Shortly after his conviction last year, Loyd filed a motion seeking a new trial. Attorney William Conwell represented Loyd for the purposes of the new trial motion and for his sentencing, which was allowed to go forward after Loyd's new trial motion was denied on July 1, DeChaine said.

At the conclusion of the Friday sentencing hearing, Judge Hedstrom ordered that Loyd be delivered to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to begin serving his sentence, DeChaine said.

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

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Clear Lake Area California Highway Patrol will offer a free “Start Smart” traffic safety class for soon to-be-licensed, newly licensed, and teenage drivers and their parents or guardians on Wednesday, Aug 3.

The class will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Clear Lake Area CHP office, located at 5700 Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville.

The leading cause of death for Americans 15 to 19 years old is motor vehicle collisions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The CHP's goal is to reduce the death rate among young drivers as the result of these collisions.

“The CHP is committed to mitigating traffic collisions involving young, inexperienced drivers, because they are preventable,” said Lt. Hector Paredes, commander of the CHP's Clear Lake Area office. “Start Smart is an excellent program that promotes safe driving for young new drivers.”

The “Start Smart” program is aimed at helping newly licensed and future licensed teenage drivers understand the critical responsibilities of driving and to understand that accidents happen, but collisions are 100-percent preventable. 

The program is designed to provide an interactive safe driving awareness class which will illustrate how poor choices behind the wheel of a car can affect the lives of numerous people.

“Start Smart” also focuses on responsibilities of newly licensed drivers, responsibilities of parents or guardians and collision avoidance techniques.

Space is limited for this class. For more information or reservations, call Officer Kory Reynolds at the CHP office, 707-279-0103.