LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Public Services announced that the Eastlake Landfill and the Lakeport Public Services office will be closed Monday, Feb. 20, in observance of the Presidents’ Day holiday.
Both facilities will reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
Normal operating hours at the landfill are 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
The Public Services office is normally open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you have any questions regarding this subject or any of the solid waste issues in Lake County, please call 707-262-1760.
This week in history is notable for brutal race riots and instances of political corruption.
Feb. 7, 1886
It is a sad irony that a country of immigrants has such a long history of brutality towards those recently arrived.
Few groups in America’s sordid history of prejudice suffered more than the Chinese.
The history of Chinese immigration to America began well before the mid-1860s.
High taxes after the Opium Wars of 1839 to 1842 and 1856 to 1860 had forced many peasants and farmers off their land, and political unrest led to economic desperation in China.
Coupled with several years of severe floods followed by drought, the promise of the “Golden Mountain” in California and elsewhere in the country led to a wave of immigration from China beginning in the 1840s.
Although immigrants would eventually make their way along railroad lines to all corners of the continent, the ports along the western United States were the first points of entry for those recently from China.
The cities of San Francisco, Portland and Seattle developed significant enclaves of Chinese communities that still exist to this day.
Very early on, these Chinese immigrants were forced to the margins of society. Official laws that targeted them directly compounded the personal enmity they experienced from most people.
In California, the new state legislature in 1850 adopted a Foreign Miners License Law, charging all non-U.S. citizens $20 per month.
Although the fee was eventually reduced, the law had served its purpose. When prejudice and xenophobia are made the law of the land, the fearful among us are given free rein to vent their hatred without worry of legal reprisals.
That was certainly the case in Washington, Oregon and California in the 1870s and 1880s as Chinese communities throughout the region were beaten, burned and murdered.
Even isolated Lake County did not escape the racist frenzy of those years.
Lake County in the 1870s had a growing population of Chinese, most of whom worked in one of the quicksilver mines in the area.
The largest concentration of Chinese outside of the mines was in the town of Lakeport, where several Chinese laundromats opened shop.
From the very beginning, anger over these new residents was given voice in the local papers. As the decade drug on, words became actions.
For two weeks at the end of November and beginning of December 1877, one of the Chinese laundromats in town was the scene of regular protests.
Like those similar protests in San Francisco, the ones in Lakeport occasionally turned violent and on a few occasions, bricks were hurled through windows and at the Chinese family living and working inside.
Although certainly violent, these minor protests in Lakeport were nothing compared to the larger riots in cities like Seattle.
On this day in 1886, a mob of several hundred men entered the Chinese quarter of the city. Under the cover of darkness, they bashed in the doors and drug out the occupants of dozens of homes.
Beating and harassing their victims, the mob forcibly removed the Chinese from the city. Some were lucky enough to have money for a fare to San Francisco, but others did not have enough time to collect their belongings before the angry crowd had dragged them from their rooms.
By the time the rest of the city became aware of what was happening, more than 400 Chinese immigrants were homeless.
Rather belatedly, federal troops were called into the city to quell the rioting. When the dust settled, all but a few of what had once been a thriving Chinese community were gone.
Feb. 11, 1812
“If at first you don’t succeed,” so the saying goes, “try, try, try again.”
Or just cheat the system.
That, at least, is what Elbridge Gerry did on this day in 1812. As governor of Massachusetts and a staunch Democratic-Republican, Gov. Gerry feared the growing power of the Federalist Party in his state.
The Democratic-Republican Party was essentially the very first “Republican” party in the United States.
Its champions were Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who advocated for a decentralized government more in line with a republic than a monarchy.
Their opponents, led by Alexander Hamilton, were the Federalists. Friendly towards Great Britain, believers in a strong central government and opponents to Revolutionary France, the Federalists were the polar opposites of the Democratic-Republicans of the day.
Elbridge Gerry had a long history in American politics by the time he won the governorship of his state in 1810.
A delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, a U.S. Congressman for several years and a diplomat to Republican France under President Adams, Gerry remained consistently at the forefront of the nation’s politics.
Upon returning to his home in Massachusetts, he unsuccessfully ran for governor four times between 1800 and 1803.
Once he finally succeeded in attaining the governorship in 1810, the Democratic-Republican Gerry was stymied by the Federalist-controlled state legislature and he was unable to achieve much that first year.
When their party finally gained some control in the state Senate in 1811, Democratic-Republicans sought a means to consolidate their power.
In 1812, they devised a system of reorganizing state senate election districts to ensure a greater number of Democratic-Republican seats. On this day in 1812, Gov. Gerry signed the bill into law.
Although by no means the first time district lines had been altered to benefit one political party over another, some of the districts that resulted in the 1812 redrawing in Massachusetts were so tortured and meandering that the political motives behind the move were all too clear.
When mapped, one district in the Boston area was so contorted that it resembled the shape of a salamander.
A political cartoonist of the day was inspired and drew a hideous monster in the shape of the district and labeled his creation a “Gerry-mander” after the last name of the governor and the resemblance of the district to the amphibian.
To this day, the redrawing of district lines remains a common way for one political party to gain supremacy over another.
Unfortunately for Elbridge Gerry, his illustrious career as a founding father has been overshadowed by his one act as governor in the twilight of his life.
Not many people know who Elbridge Gerry was, but every high school civics student is taught about the corrupt practice of gerrymandering.
Antone Pierucci is curator of the Lake County Museums in Lake County, Calif.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – On Jan. 25 all of Carlé High School took a field trip to Sacramento City College and the state capitol.
When we arrived at the college, we were met by three tour guides who split us into two different groups.
Sacramento City College has many programs dedicated to helping the students with tutoring, aid with book fees and other student friendly services.
They also have programs to help students switch from a community college to a four-year university or even a law school.
Sac City College has a very large gym for working out, and also a very large basketball court. If you’re into sports Sac City seems like a great community college to start your sports career.
Veronica Hernandez, a student at Carlé High School, said, “I had a good time walking around the college and seeing all the different courses they offer, I was impressed by how large it was for a community college.”
After touring Sacramento City College we went on a tour of the Capitol Building, which was beautiful.
When we arrived there, we were met by a tour guide in the treasury office of the Capitol Building. After learning about the treasury, we traveled up three flights of stairs to see the portraits of the governors which was really cool to see.
We really wanted to meet Gov. Jerry Brown in person, however, we didn’t get to see him.
After examining the portraits of the governors we went to the Senate Chambers, which had extremely impressive architecture and design.
The Senate Chambers is always open to the public; so at any time the senators are debating you may go in there and listen to the debate if you would like.
Alvaro Duran, another student at Carlé High, said: “I thought the trip was really exciting, and I eagerly wanted to meet Jerry Brown but he wasn’t there unfortunately.”
We have had two students of the week. Alan Siegel, who nominated winner Shaina Yaquinto as student of the week, had this to say: “I nominated Shaina Yaquinto as student of the week because she always tries to avoid drama and focus on her work, and she always does the right thing. I truly appreciate the hard work she puts in to earn her graduation.”
Our second student of the week was Teagan Tompioner. Principal Heather Koehler said, “When Teagan Tompioner was nominated as student of the week all the staff quickly agreed that she deserves this honor for her hard work and determined mindset.”
Many students entered the Super Hero mug contest, and there were some really amazing mugs the students produced: Poison Ivy, Dead Pool or even their parents.
The ultimate winner of the contest was also this week’s student of the week Teagan Tompioner who made a Joker mug from the Suicide Squad.
Jonathan Killops and Lia Lionetti from the Lake Family Resource Center visited Carlé with the California Prep Program, also know as the Sharp Curriculum. This program helps students make better decisions for their future.
Students Jaime Miller and Taylor Churchill made thank you mugs for these two wonderful people.
During sixth period on Feb. 3 Carlé High School had a “fun activity period” where there was karaoke, and a basketball shooting competition where the student that made the most shots won prizes.
Nicholas Phipps is a student at Carlé Continuation High School.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The senior centers in Lakeport and Kelseyville have released their menus for the week of Feb. 6 through 12.
The centers serve lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with Lakeport also serving Sunday breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m.
This week's menu – which is subject to changes or substitutions – is as follows:
• Monday: Roasted chicken with mashed potatoes. • Tuesday: Buttered white fish with wild rice. • Wednesday: Baked penne pasta topped with cheese. • Thursday: Barbecue chicken with roasted potatoes. • Friday: Chicken enchilada casserole.
The weekday luncheons include soup of the day, salad bar, entrée, dessert and beverage. Non-seniors pay $6 and seniors 60 and older pay a suggested donation of $5.
Soup of the day and salad bar – which includes two to three types of salads plus toppings and fruit – is $4.
The Kelseyville Senior Center is located at 5245 Third St., telephone 707-279-2175.
The Lakeport Senior Activity Center is located at 527 Konocti Ave., 707-263-4218.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Cache Creek Catering and Lake County Wine Studio are presenting a quarterly food and wine series featuring gourmet appetizers paired with select Lake County wines.
Locally produced foods are proudly featured as key ingredients in recipes created by Cache Creek Catering.
The series for 2017 will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on the second Saturday of February, May, August and November. Reservations are required.
Saturday, Feb. 11, will feature a Valentine's menu of aphrodisiac food pairings.
The first pairing will be a salad of arugula, avocado, pomegranate and pepitas tossed with a honey and red chili dressing, served with Hagafen Cellar's Lake County Riesling.
The second pairing features mushroom and spinach manicotti with sun dried tomato sauce served with Noggle Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.
The dessert course will be a dark chocolate truffle tart served with Brassfield Estate Elevado dessert wine.
For reservations and additional information, contact Susan at 707-293-8752 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Lake County Wine Studio is both a gallery for display of arts and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the fine wines of Lake County.
Artists' shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month except in January.
The gallery is located at 9505 Main Street in Upper Lake. The hours of business February through May are Thursday through Monday from 1 to 7 p.m., and Friday from 1 to 8 p.m.
The artist show on display for February is by Bonnie Sears.
The animal rights group PETA has called for a boycott of “A Dog’s Purpose” as the result of the TMZ airing of a video purportedly showing mistreatment of a German Shepherd during a filming sequence.
This review is not going to wade into the controversy, leaving the issue to a reader’s discretion. I contend that, absent this debate, the film, narrated from a canine’s point of view, celebrates the virtues of man’s best friend.
“A Dog’s Purpose” posits the notion, without any sort of explanation, that a dog is reincarnated as a different breed over a period of many decades, with experiences both enriching and troubling.
What is impossible for any dog lover watching this family film is to keep dry eyes for the entire run of its 100 minutes. This film has the virtue of being a tearjerker if you don’t mind having tissues on hand.
The story begins in simpler times in suburban middle America when a young Ethan Montgomery and his mother rescue a golden retriever puppy suffering inside a hot car and adopt the pooch they call Bailey.
As Ethan (KJ Apa) turns into his high school’s star quarterback with a bright future, Bailey remains a constant companion even as Ethan finds his first romantic love with the caring Hannah (Britt Robertson).
While away at college, Ethan leaves his trusty companion at home. When the aging Bailey becomes sick, Ethan makes it to the veterinarian just in time for their final goodbye.
Thus begins the next chapter of Bailey’s life as he is reincarnated as a German Shepherd first responder with the Chicago Police Department where he is partnered with lonely cop Carlos (John Ortiz) and a new bond is forged.
Meanwhile, through the voice of Josh Gad, Bailey waxes philosophically about the meaning of life, asking questions such as “Are we here for a reason? Is there any point to any of this? And why does food taste so much better in the trash?”
There are answers to these questions, as director Lasse Hallstrom shares the heartwarming story of one devoted dog who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love.
If you have seen the trailer for “A Dog’s Purpose,” you probably know the story comes full circle in the present day when the spry older Ethan (Dennis Quaid) connects with a St. Bernard mix named Buddy, and destiny seems to be realized.
TV Corner: 'Training Day' on CBS network
The CBS network effort to reboot the Denzel Washington film “Training Day” into a weekly series turns on a Los Angeles cop so unhinged and abrasive that Gene Hackman’s Popeye Doyle from “The French Connection” looks like a crossing guard in comparison.
In the series version, the concept of Denzel’s training officer for a rookie cop has the paradigm turned on its head, with white actor Bill Paxton as the police officer in charge of coaching a young African-American rookie in off-the-books policing methods.
Paxton’s veteran LAPD detective Frank Rourke could be charitably described as morally ambiguous and yet strangely competent in his pursuit of the city’s most dangerous criminals in his role of heading up the Special Investigation Section.
Yet, LAPD brass has taken notice of Rourke’s penchant for operating in a gray area to fight the war on crime and assigns heroic, untarnished young cop Kyle Craig (Justin Cornwell) to pose as a trainee to spy on the veteran’s unorthodox techniques.
One suspects that Frank would pursue his usual modus operandi even if he knew of Kyle’s undercover role. The twist to their relationship is that Kyle’s murdered father was an LAPD officer who had been a faithful partner with Frank in the same elite squad.
During the recent gathering of the nation’s TV critics, Bill Paxton spoke of his character’s affinity for the Western ethic, noting that he’s a “throwback” and a “gunfighter” who’s “almost been pulled out of a time capsule and put in modern times.”
A little more psychoanalysis from Paxton observed that Detective Rourke operates from an “old kind of gunslinger code of honor. He’s tough, but he’s fair.” This point might be arguable when he fire bombs a drug dealer’s house to flush out the criminals.
As a police procedural, “Training Day” is a bit formulaic and probably not as good as the rogue cop drama that was “The Shield.” However, Frank is such a conflicted, compromised character that his influence is not only corrupting but mesmerizing.
Even Frank’s personal life is hardly ideal. His girlfriend, Holly Butler (Julie Benz), is a well-connected, unapologetic Hollywood madam who happens to provide valuable intelligence. Apparently, Frank never worked with Jack Webb’s upright Detective Joe Friday, and it shows.
All in all, Bill Paxton is probably the best reason, if you must have one, to give “Training Day” a try for a few episodes even though the series seems unlikely to stir memories that parallel the original source material.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Card players throughout the country – and here in Lake County – will be celebrating National Cribbage Day on Friday, Feb. 10.
Cribbage is one of the oldest frequently played card games.
The game was created by Sir John Suckling in the early 17th century, and is derived from the old English game “noddy.”
Although the exact date that cribbage was created is lost to history, the Lake County 29ers Cribbage Club recognizes National Cribbage Day in honor of Suckling’s birthday, Feb. 10.
Millions of Americans of all ages play cribbage with their families at home or with friends at bars and social clubs.
The most common variant played is with two players, and score is kept on a cribbage board with pegs and 121 holes.
Locally, the Lake County 29ers Cribbage Club meets every Monday at 5 p.m. at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.
Contact David Long at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-349-4494 for more information about local club’s social and tournament play or visit the group on Facebook.
The American Cribbage Congress is the governing body of cribbage, and runs tournaments and maintains a national ranking system. More information can be found at www.cribbage.org .
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The next free household hazardous waste dropoff event will be held Friday, Feb. 17, and Saturday, Feb. 18, at Lake County Waste Solutions Transfer Station and Recycling Yard, 230 Soda Bay Road in Lakeport.
Hours will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Households can bring up to 15 gallons of toxic items free of charge. Fees will be charged for amounts over 15 gallons.
Items that are accepted include paint, solvents, fuels, five-gallon propane tanks (empty), pool chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, batteries, fluorescent light tubes (up to 60 linear feet) and other toxic materials that cannot be put in the trash.
Items that cannot be accepted include televisions, computer monitors, ammunition, explosives, radioactive materials or infectious wastes.
To learn how and where to properly dispose these items, please visit www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us or contact the recycling hotline at 707-263-1980.
Household hazardous waste dropoff services are provided to Lake County residential households by the Integrated Waste Management Division of the Lake County Public Services Department and the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).
Businesses also are welcome to use this convenient service to properly dispose of hazardous waste and protect our environment, however, businesses must pay for this county-funded service and first make an appointment. Business appointments can be made by calling Lake County Waste Solutions at 707-234-6400.
Beginning in June, ask about receiving a free puncture-proof sharps container at one of these events to use for free sharps disposal.
Free recycling options for residents and businesses:
· Recycled paint is available to both residents and businesses at Lake County Waste Solutions and South Lake Refuse and Recycling Center first-come, first-served basis in five gallon containers. Colors include tan, brown, gray and pink.
· Used motor oil and cooking oil can be dropped off by businesses and residents, at Lake County Waste Solutions, South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center, and the North Shore Fire Protection District station at 6257 Seventh Ave. in Lucerne. Visit www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us for more locations.
· Electronics (e-waste) can be dropped off at Lake County Waste Solutions and at South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center.
Lake County Waste Solutions 230 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport 888-718-4888 or 707-234-6400 Monday-Saturday, 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. www.candswaste.com
South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center 16015 Davis St., Clearlake Open daily, 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. 707-994-8614 www.southlakerefuse.com
The free Household Hazardous Waste drop off program is subsidized by the Lake County Public Services Department, Integrated Waste Management Division and CalRecycle as a public service to Lake County households.
“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”– Robert Frost
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – When I was an educator it was always fun to take a field trip to the Schoolhouse Museum in Lower Lake.
The museum “lives” in the 1877 Lower Lake Grammar School. My fourth graders' eyes grew wide with surprise when learning about school days in the olden days.
An education in rural Lake County typically went up to the eighth grade, until the early 20th century.
For a more comprehensive, or secondary education students would need to travel to Lakeport's private academy or similar establishments.
The one-room school house was de rigueur for students living in the southern portion of Lake County's Mayacamas Mountains, whose parents worked at the quicksilver mines, to the northernmost areas, near what is now the Mendocino Forest.
The iconic one-room schoolhouse was surely a challenge for one teacher to instruct grades one through eight. The teacher needed to pass a qualifying exam, and it was rare for her to hold a college degree.
It was characteristic for a teacher to be an unmarried female, who would then give up her career after marriage.
Instruction, which was for a shorter period then – about 132 days long, as compared with today's school year of 182 days – included the “three Rs”: reading, writing and arithmetic.
School years were shorter then to accommodate the harvest, since many hands made light work.
As there was no such thing as a gel pen, a Smart Board or a white board back in the day, pupils were expected to work out their sums on a piece of slate.
Slates could be spit upon by pupils and wiped off, and slates were practically indestructible. Slate was much more economical than the use of paper.
Typically, the youngest children were learning their ABCs and, hence, were called “abecedarians.” It was standard procedure for the abecedarians to learn their ABCs when they sat in the front of the classroom, with the older, taller students sitting in the back rows.
During recess, known as “nooning,” the children could play games such as “Annie Over” or “Graces.”
Discipline could be harsh in the 19th century. Depending on the infraction and the child's age, punishment could include anything from holding a book for a length of time with arms held out, getting rapped with a ruler, standing in the corner or worse.
Since there was a woodstove in most one-room schoolhouses this was an additional job to accomplish – that of keeping the classroom warm enough in winter months. Teachers had to get the fire going each morning, and older pupils could bring in the wood and kindling.
Students usually walked several miles to reach their school establishment, and it was up to them to remember to carry their lunches, sometimes in metal pails, to school with them, as no school lunches were provided back then. Lunches often included an apple, biscuit and homemade preserves and some meat.
A water pump provided fresh water then, often with a single tin cup which was shared by all.
For more information visit one of our great local museums, and while you are there pick up Lake County Museum Curator Antone Pierucci's fantastic book called “Lake County Schoolhouses.”
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.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – After a grueling Saturday of tests and quizzes, Upper Lake High and Willits High School won the right to represent Lake and Mendocino counties, respectively, at the California Academic Decathlon.
The Lake and Mendocino County Academic Decathlon was held Saturday at Clear Lake High School's Marge Alakszay Center.
Upper Lake High School won the Lake County championship for the second year in a row and will advance to the state competition in Sacramento next month, along with Willits High School, returning this year to the combined Lake and Mendocino competition for the first time since 2012.
In the Lake County portion of the competition, Middletown placed second and Clear Lake High School Team One finished third. Kelseyville High and one other Clear Lake High team also were in the running.
At Saturday's event, Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg called the participating students and coaches “outstanding.”
Also acknowledged on Saturday were the administrators – in particular, the superintendents and principals – of the participating schools for their efforts to support the Academic Decathlon.
Portions of the competition had begun last month, with the Academic Decathlon culminating in Saturday afternoon's Super Quiz, which the public was invited to attend.
Herman Hughes, a retired Navy captain, college professor and pastor, led the teams through 36 questions on this year's topic, World War II, during the Super Quiz, which Clear Lake High School Team One won.
After the tallying of all the results, however, Upper Lake had come back for a repeat.
Before the final team awards were given, the top finishers in the speech competition – Kaitlyn Salata from Kelseyville High, in second place, and Jack Shrive of Middletown High, in first place – gave their winning speeches. Salata remembered her grandfather, and Shrive discussed advances in technology.
After the winning teams were announced, Upper Lake Coach Anna Sabalone said she was surprised – but in a good way – by the competition's outcome.
“We knew it was going to be close,” she said.
Angel Hayenga, who coaches alongside Sabalone, said this year they were blessed with the same kind of wild and crazy youngsters who they bring to the competition every year.
Also helping coach and comfort the team is Christal Coatney, who called herself the “co-co-coach” or the team's eccentric aunt.
Upper Lake Superintendent Patrick Iaccino called Saturday's repeat win for his team a “nice way to retire.”
Iaccino, who retires at the end of the school year, recalled his first Academic Decathlon 11 years ago, when Upper Lake – which had held onto the title at that point for several years in a row – had lost.
Since then, the school has remained a steady contender. Even through tough economic times for the school, Iaccino said there was never pressure to cut the Academic Decathlon program, which is a class at Upper Lake High.
“These are the programs that you have to keep,” he said, adding that the Mock Trial competition and robotics also fall into that group. Iaccino said it's important to find such programs for all students.
Keeping it as a class is important, said Iaccino, because the students involved also participate in a lot of other activities. If it was simply left for them to meet after school, they would have to choose between that and other commitments – such as sports or other clubs.
Iaccino called his Academic Decathlon team “just a wonderful group of kids,” who come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds.
Their parents also are very involved. “We have such supportive, amazing parents,” said Hayenga.
The students themselves devote countless hours to work and study necessary to succeed at the Academic Decathlon, a competition which Iaccino said is fun to watch.
Hayenga lauded Iaccino for his commitment to the program. “He has been our No. 1 fan.”
The team's top scorer this year was Casey Herman, who also had the most medals, seven, on the Upper Lake team. A senior, this is Herman's second year in the competition.
Asked why she stuck with such a demanding event, before she could answer, another young woman called out, “She's good at it.”
“I think it's a fun experience,” said Herman, who added that her Academic Decathlon classmates are her family.
Sabalone, who was preparing to go out to dinner with her team, said the Academic Decathlon class had been promised a movie day on Monday, and afterward were going to get to work preparing for the state competition, which takes place at the end of March.
Once they get the scoring from the Saturday competition, Sabalone said they will be able to look at areas where they need to strengthen their performance ahead of the state event, which a lot of the team members are looking forward to participating in for the first time.
The full results of this year's Academic Decathlon are shown below.
TEAM ROSTERS
Clear Lake High School Superintendent: Erin Smith-Hagberg Principal: David Chamberlain Coach: Kristi Tripp Team: Brenden Allen, Kaitlyn Avila, Miah Bullard, Alexis Burke, Michael Camacho, Candace Clayton, Zoe Cramer, Anna DelBosco, Dustin Domagalski, Dominik Helms, Brent Hinchcliff, Kyle Jensen, Subhagya Joshi, Christopher Lasher, Carina Martinez Lopez, Clinton Mather, Isabella Mattina, Courtney McIntosh, Nicolette Norcio, Anahy Olmedo, Sarah Pope, Nicolette Rivera, Felix Salinas, Andrew Scott, Connor Simons
Kelseyville High School Superintendent: Dave McQueen Principal: Matt Cockerton Coaches: Erick Larsen and Heather Koschik Team: Andrew Aceves, Samantha Darnell, Kelsie Engle, Cassidy Holmes, Christina Jimenez, Kyle Keener, Artem Laptiev, Sienna Longoria, Anna Pak, Megan Petersen, Tiara Richards, Merin Rixen, Savannah Rodriguez, Kaitlyn Salata, Hannah Smith, Nichole Stevens
Middletown High School Superintendent: Catherine Stone Principal: Bill Roderick Coach: Jeff Mielke Team: Robert Carey, Tyler Chorjel, Ella Dunsford, Donald Elder, Diana Espinoza, Carissa Forest, Olivia Glosser, Rachel Harvey, Ashley Hediger, Justin Hingston, Beckett Hoage, Moyra Horrell-Pyzer, Alixe Olson, Gary Pickrell, Jack Shrive, Colton Soderling, James Stalker
Upper Lake High School Superintendent: Pat Iaccino Principal: Sandy Coatney Coaches: Anna Sabalone, Angel Hayenga, Christal Coatney Team: Cyndal Ader, Daniela Estrada Flores, Jeff Fannon, Megan Franco, Casey Herman, Miranda Huntley, Anisha Kalan, Kehlani McKelvey, Katlyn Minnis, Cristal Nieves, Rue Owen, Elizabeth Rosas Moreno, Breanna Sanchez, Maria Tinoco, Sarah Williams, Jack Wurm
Willits High School Superintendent: Mark Westerburg Principal: Robert Chavez Coach: Mary Colvig Team: Katelyn Abernathy, Jace Atalig, Aiden Bertolino Haley, Oliver Campuzano, Hanna Corey, Eduardo Escobedo, Ryann Hee, Mychaela Nowlin, Tachyna Renick, Cheyanne Turner, Alisabeth Wilcox, Miranda Wilson
TEAM PLACEMENT
Lake County
First place: Upper Lake High School, 33,330 points Second place: Middletown High School, 31,463 points Third place: Clear Lake High School, Team One, 30,911 points
Mendocino County
First place: Willits High School
AWARDS
Poster contest
First place: Breanna Sanchez, Upper Lake High School Second place: Isabella Mattina, Clear Lake High School Third place: Shannon Fronsman, Clear Lake High School
The Lake County Arts Council provided awards of $25, $15 and $10, respectively, for the three top finishers.
Poetry contest
First place: Kehlani McKelvey, Upper Lake High School Second place: Isabella Mattina, Clear Lake High School Third place: Subhagya Joshi, Clear Lake High School
The Lake County Arts Council provided awards of $25, $15 and $10, respectively, for the three top finishers.
Super Quiz
First place: Clear Lake High School Team One Second place: (tie) Clear Lake High School Team Two, Middletown High School Third place: Willits High School
Language and literature
First place: Christopher Lasher, Clear Lake High School Second place: Casey Herman, Upper Lake High School Third place: Miranda Huntley, Upper Lake High School
Art
First place: Zoe Cramer, Clear Lake High School Second place: Maria Tinoco, Upper Lake High School Third place: Anisha Kalan, Upper Lake High School
Social science
First place: Casey Herman, Upper Lake High School Second place: Anisha Kalan, Upper Lake High School Third place: Jack Shrive, Middletown High School
Math
First place: Christopher Lasher, Clear Lake High School Second place: (tie) Alexis Burke, Clear Lake High School; Kaitlyn Avila, Clear Lake High School Third place: Subhagya Joshi, Clear Lake High School
Music
First place: Michael Camacho, Clear Lake High School Second place: (tie) Maria Tinoco, Upper Lake High School; Kaitlyn Avila, Clear Lake High School Third place: Casey Herman, Upper Lake High School
Economics
First place: Megan Franco, Upper Lake High School Second place: Casey Herman, Upper Lake High School Third place: (tie) Justin Hingston, Middletown High School; Jack Shrive, Middletown High School
Science
First place: Felix Salinas, Clear Lake High School; Second place: (tie) Subhagya Joshi, Clear Lake High School; James Stalker, Middletown High School Third place: Nicolette Rivera, Clear Lake High School
Essay
First place: Subhagya Joshi, Clear Lake High School Second place: Moyra Horrell-Pyzer, Middletown High School Third place: Miranda Wilson, Willits High School
Interview
First place: (tie) Anisha Kalan, Upper Lake High School; Ryann Hee, Willits High School Second place: (tie) Moyra Horrell-Pyzer, Middletown High School; Isabella Mattina, Clear Lake High School Third place: (tie) Hanna Corey, Willits High School; Megan Franco, Upper Lake High School
Mendo Lake Credit Union sponsored the interview contest, with awards of $125, $75 and $50 for the first, second and third place finishers, respectively.
Speech
First place: Jack Shrive, Middletown High School Second place: Kaitlyn Salata, Kelseyville High School Third place: Justin Hingston, Middletown High School
TOP FINISHERS FOR EACH ACADEMIC LEVEL
Honors category (3.75-4.00 grade point average)
First place: Christopher Lasher, Clear Lake High School Second place: Anisha Kalan, Upper Lake High School Third place: Kaitlyn Avila, Clear Lake High School
Scholastic category (3.00-3.74 GPA)
First place: Casey Herman, Upper Lake High School Second place: Megan Franco, Upper Lake High School Third place: Miranda Huntley, Upper Lake High School
Varsity category (2.99 GPA or below)
First place: Miranda Wilson, Willits High School Second place: James Stalker, Middletown High School Third place: Nicolette Rivera, Clear Lake High School
SECOND HIGHEST SCORING STUDENTS, PER SCHOOL
Clear Lake High School: Kaitlyn Avila Kelseyville High School: Tiara Richards Middletown High School: Justin Hingston Upper Lake High School: Anisha Kalan Willits High School: Ryann Hee
HIGHEST SCORING STUDENTS, PER SCHOOL
Clear Lake High School: Christopher Lahser Kelseyville High School: Merin Rixen Middletown High School: Jack Shrive Upper Lake High School: Casey Herman Willits High School: Miranda Wilson
The Lodge at Blue Lakes provided $100 scholarships for each of the schools' top-scoring students, along with additional gift certificates to the lodge.
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.
It’s easy to get in to debt over the holidays. You want to spoil your family and friends with great gifts, but maybe can’t quite afford them.
Credit cards seem like the easy solution, but when you receive the bill in the mail a month later you may think differently.
If you are in debt, you’re not alone. A 2015 report by The Pew Charitable Trusts found that 80% of American households hold some form of debt.
However, getting out of debt, especially credit card debt, can start you on the road to financial freedom and wealth creation.
If you want to get out of debt and get your finances in order in 2017, follow these tips from your BBB.
Decide on a strategy
First, figure out how much debt you have; you need an accurate picture before you can figure out your strategy.
Credit cards are known for their high interest rates – this wastes a lot of money over time. See if you can use a balance transfer offer to switch to a card with a lower rate. Just make sure to read the terms and contract very carefully – there may be big penalties if you miss a payment.
If you have multiple cards, decide which debt-paying strategy is best for you. Some experts recommend paying off the card with the highest interest rate first, as it can save the most money.
However, researchers from Georgetown University and Harvard recommend paying off the cards with the smallest balances first – fully paying off a card will give you a sense of accomplishment and inspire you to keep going.
Additionally, try sending in payments throughout the month – put the $5 you would have spent on a morning coffee towards your debt instead.
Start budgeting
Creating a written budget and tracking your spending is one of the best ways to save money and stop spending more than you earn.
Note the difference between fixed expenses, needs and wants. Cut where you can, and stick to your budget as much as possible.
If you have debt, include repayment goals in your budget. If you can, try to factor in retirement and emergency savings as well.
Do your research and read the fine print
When deciding on a bank, credit card or big purchase, make sure to read the fine print and the contract carefully.
Making careful decisions now can save you time, money and headaches later. Research companies at www.bbb.org before doing business with them, and check BBB Scam Tracker ( www.bbb.org/scamtracker ) regularly to see what scams are happening in your area.
Take advantage of free tools
There are many online tools that can help you manage and reduce your debt.
BBB created this Web site in partnership with Accredited Business www.Bills.com to help consumers evaluate their finances, learn how to stay debt free and protect their finances from scams and illegal collection calls.
Additionally, you can use the free and easy-to-use debt solution tool to find options for managing your debt.
Give some things up
A great way to save money is to cut back on your spending. It’s easier to do than you think.
Eat at home instead of going out, stop buying coffee in the morning and take a break from buying new electronics and clothes that you don’t need.
Reorganize and clean out your living space, and try to sell what you don’t need. Instead of using your tax refund to splurge on a new item, put it straight towards your debt or savings account.
Consider an alternate source of income
The gig economy has created many opportunities for part-time work.
Figure out what you’re good at, and do it in your spare time to make extra money.
Whether it be photography, dog-walking or driving, there’s a need for every skill.
Rebecca Harpster works for the Better Business Bureau serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.
The first total solar eclipse in the continental United States in nearly 40 years takes place on Aug. 21, 2017.
Beyond providing a brilliant sight in the daytime sky, total solar eclipses provide a rare chance for scientists to collect data only available during eclipses. NASA is funding 11 scientific studies that will take advantage of this opportunity.
“When the moon blocks out the sun during a total eclipse, those regions of Earth that are in the direct path of totality become dark as night for almost three minutes,” said Steve Clarke, director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. “This will be one of the best-observed eclipses to date, and we plan to take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn as much as we can about the sun and its effects on Earth.”
The August 2017 total solar eclipse will provide a unique opportunity to study Earth, the sun, and their interaction because of the eclipse’s long path over land.
The path of the total eclipse crosses the U.S. from coast to coast, so scientists will be able to take ground-based observations over a period of more than an hour to complement the wealth of data provided by NASA satellites.
The 11 NASA-funded studies cross a range of disciplines, using the total solar eclipse to observe our sun and Earth, test new instruments, and even leverage the skills of citizen scientists to expand our understanding of the sun-Earth system.
The studies are listed below, followed by the name of the principal investigator and their home institution.
Studying the sun
During a total solar eclipse, the moon blocks out the sun’s overwhelmingly bright face, revealing the relatively faint solar atmosphere, called the corona. Scientists can also use an instrument called a coronagraph – which uses a disk to block out the light of the sun – to create an artificial eclipse.
However, a phenomenon called diffraction blurs the light near the disk in a coronagraph, making it difficult to get clear pictures of the inner parts of the corona, so total solar eclipses remain the only opportunity to study these regions in clear detail in visible light.
In many ways, these inner regions of the corona are the missing link in understanding the sources of space weather – so total solar eclipses are truly invaluable in our quest to understand the sun-Earth connection.
The sun-focused studies are:
• Exploring the Physics of the Coronal Plasma through Imaging Spectroscopy during the 21 August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse (Shadia Habbal, University of Hawaii). • Testing a Polarization Sensor for Measuring Temperature and Flow Speed in the Solar Corona during the Total Solar Eclipse of 2017 August 21 (Nat Gopalswamy, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center). • Chasing the 2017 Eclipse: Interdisciplinary Airborne Science from NASA's WB-57 (Amir Caspi, Southwest Research Institute). • Measuring the Infrared Solar Corona During the 2017 Eclipse (Paul Bryans, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research). • Citizen Science Approach to Measuring the Polarization of Solar Corona During Eclipse 2017 (Padma Yanamandra-Fisher, Space Science Institute). • Rosetta-stone experiments at infrared and visible wavelengths during the August 21 2017 Eclipse (Philip Judge, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research).
Studying Earth
Total solar eclipses are also an opportunity to study Earth under uncommon conditions. The sudden blocking of the sun during an eclipse reduces the light and temperature on the ground, and these quick-changing conditions can affect weather, vegetation and animal behavior.
The Earth-focused studies are:
• Solar eclipse-induced changes in the ionosphere over the continental US (Philip Erickson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology). • Quantifying the contributions of ionization sources on the formation of the D-region ionosphere during the 2017 solar eclipse (Robert Marshall, University of Colorado Boulder). • Empirically-Guided Solar Eclipse Modeling Study (Gregory Earle, Virginia Tech). • Using the 2017 Eclipse viewed by DSCOVR/EPIC & NISTAR from above and spectral radiance and broadband irradiance instruments from below to perform a 3-D radiative transfer closure experiment (Yiting Wen, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center). • Land and Atmospheric Responses to the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse (Bohumil Svoma, University of Missouri).
“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.” – Robert Frost
