LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has four cats waiting to meet you this week.

Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.

The following cats at the shelter have been cleared for adoption.

Female domestic shorthair

This 2-year-old female domestic shorthair cat has a gray tabby coat.

“She is an adult cat with some playful kitten tendencies when toys are brought out. She has a sweet little meow and likes to have playful chats with you,” shelter staff said.

She is in cat room kennel No. 10, ID No. LCAC-A-3661.

‘Mama’

“Mama” is a 2-year-old domestic shorthair cat with an all-black coat.

She is in cat room kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-3884.

Female domestic shorthair

This 1-year-old female domestic shorthair has a buff coat.

“This lovely lady may take a little bit of time to warm up to you, but once she does you'll get to meet one of the sweetest kitties. She will make your hand tired from all the pets she wants,” shelter staff said.

She is in cat room kennel No. 56, ID No. LCAC-A-3972.

Male domestic shorthair cat

This 1-year-old male domestic shorthair cat has a black coat.

Shelter staff said he is a sweet, talkative kitty, who loves head scratches and will rub all over your legs as you walk through the room.

He is in cat room kennel No. 60, ID No. LCAC-A-3932.

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.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. — The history of Anderson Marsh State Historic Park and its latest milestone were celebrated on Saturday with music, memories and gratitude.

Gathered in the shade of the same ancient oaks clustered around the ranch house that retired California State Parks Ranger Tom Nixon said the Pomo once gathered acorns under, community members marked the park’s 40th anniversary.

Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, or AMIA, hosted the event, which included a hike, educational and historic displays, and a great big anniversary cake. The group formed two years after the park’s creation and today has an active hand in running and supporting it.

The 1,605-acre park officially opened on Aug. 15, 1982. Its grounds encapsulate a layering of history and cultures. The park includes an area of unspoiled natural habitat filled with Indigenous cultural sites, and a time capsule of Lake County’s ranching families in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The park’s main building is the historic ranch house that was built in 1856 by the Grigsby brothers, who came from Tennessee on an ox cart, with additional phases of building continuing through 1923, when the Anderson family owned it.

There also are numerous outbuildings and barns, a windmill, and many hiking trails that take visitors out through a rich and varied landscape complete with all manner of wildlife — fish, birds, otters, muskrats, deer, mountain lion and bears.

Rita Durgin, a representative from Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry’s office, presented a resolution from Aguiar-Curry and Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire commending the park on its anniversary.

The resolution noted that the park was created to protect 27 Native American archaeological sites, including those of the Koi Nation, and other cultural artifacts that date back as far as 14,000 years.

The park also holds “one of the oldest and most complete records of Native American cultural history in the California State Parks system,” the resolution stated.

The resolution also noted that the 540 acre portion of the park known as the Anderson Marsh Natural Preserve “constitutes one of the sole remaining natural wetland tule marshes in the County, protecting multiple native habitats for many species of birds like the Great Blue Heron and other wildlife.”

The park’s creation and continued operation are testament to the power of community — when people have ideas, the willingness to follow through on them, attentive lawmakers and the support of their neighbors.

Since its inception in 1980, its creation in 1982 and up to the present day, Anderson Marsh has been the little park that could.

It has endured numerous challenges, from early opposition from the property owners, to a state bureaucracy that wasn’t initially interested in the park plan, a building project contractor who was caught digging up artifacts and arrested, and staffing and budget cuts in the 1990s.

In 2008, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggar proposed to shutter dozens of state parks to address budget shortfalls. That year, his list included Anderson Marsh and Clear Lake State Park. Another proposal in 2009 also listed Anderson Marsh. Schwarzeneggar eventually relented and withdrew the proposal.

In 2016 the Clayton fire came close to destroying the park’s buildings, reaching the park entrance and causing park staff to evacuate the contents of the ranch house.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and caused some of the park’s favorite events, such as its Christmas celebration, to be canceled.

However, the park, which continues to be championed by a devoted group of volunteers and supporters, has survived and thrived.

In 2021, AMIA received a grant from the Department of Parks and Recreation in restoring and rehabilitating the three-acre entrance meadow that burned in the 2016 Clayton fire.

Other projects are underway, with HistoriCorps volunteers to paint a portion of the ranch house and repair windows, and stabilize and paint the outbuildings later this month.

In June, the city of Clearlake committed $21,000 to plant 100 valley oak trees at the park this fall.

In the spring, AMIA will launch its new twice-monthly “senior days” events, which include free bus trips, educational programs and lunch at the park, funded by a $9,220 “Parks Improvement” grant from California State Parks Foundation.

“This is a beautiful, beautiful place,” said Chris Glenn, the supervising ranger for both Anderson Marsh and Clear Lake State Park.

A vibrant history

During the Saturday celebration, the South Barn was opened so visitors could see exhibits,

Gae Henry, one of the park’s stalwart volunteers, shared the history of the native peoples and showed displays of taxidermy — from bobcats to owls to herons — that have made their home on the property.

Henry showed stone replicas of petroglyphs found on the property as well as some artifacts, including stone points and round sling stones.

She has an encyclopedic knowledge of the property, explaining that the South Barn’s original roof collapsed in a 1948 snowstorm, with the roof later being rebuilt with the original wood.

Henry said the teenage Grisgby brothers came to the property in 1855, riding in an ox cart from Tennessee.

They began construction of the original portion of the ranch house, and lived on the property for 15 years, Henry said.

During those years, a huge flood put Sacramento under 16 feet of water. The dam on Cache Creek was blamed, and vigilantes burned the mill and took down the dam.

“It didn’t help,” as it wasn’t about the dam, Henry said.

The Grigsbys sold the land to the Clear Lake Water Works Co. In 1885 John and Sarah Anderson — who Henry said traveled from Edinburgh, Scotland — purchased 1,300 acres the Grigsbys had owned from the water company.

The family had six children. Mora Anderson, the youngest, lived on the property until her death in 1966.

The fight to preserve the past

In 1980, when archaeologist John Parker began lobbying local and state leaders to create the park and protect its extensive Indigenous cultural sites, it wasn’t on any state list of properties planned for a park, according to former parks area manager, William Beat, who was on hand for Saturday’s celebration.

Beat said he didn’t think many people understood how much work went into getting the property in the first place.

The owners of the property that became the park were not initially willing to sell it to the state, Beat said. One of those owners, Ray Lyon, had planned an extensive development there that was to include condominiums, and he went to the Board of Supervisors to ask for the necessary zoning change.

The community rallied against the plan, and Beat said when Lyon’s attorney drove by and saw the parking lot for the meeting filled with cars, Lyons decided to go back and renegotiate with the state.

One of the people Parker enlisted to help with rallying the community to form the park was Roberta Lyons, who grew up with members of the Anderson family. At the time, Lyons was a reporter for the Clear Lake Observer American, which her family, the Hanchetts, owned at the time.

She wrote the first and most important stories about the effort to create the park. Today, Lyons is the AMIA president and one of the county’s greatest environmentalists, according to Nixon.

“The people make it happen,” Lyons said of the effort.

When the state finally agreed to create the park, Beat said he received a budget that he recalled as being up to $750,000 to cover park acquisition, renovation of the buildings and staffing.

Nixon and his wife, Valerie, both retired as rangers, worked in Lake County. He said propagating some of the younger oak trees at the park’s entrance are among his proudest accomplishments, and said they came from a time when rangers had more latitude for such projects.

“When it’s all said and done, it all comes down to the people in your life,” he said, crediting Parker for his efforts.

Nixon said Beat also had tried to get Indian Island to add to the park, an effort that didn’t succeed. However, Beat’s efforts to save the state’s redwoods in parks in other parts of the state did.

“He is a legend,” Nixon said.

Nixon recognized local Pomo leaders, including the late Nelson Hopper, and the Brown and Beltran families for their work and for sharing their knowledge and culture.

Others critical to the park’s creation and preservation include AMIA Board members Henry Bornstein and Gae Henry; Nixon said he didn’t know where the park would be without them.

“This place just got under my skin,” but in a very good way, Nixon said.

Beat also told Lake County News that Anderson Marsh has always been a special place for him.

Members of the Anderson family remain involved in the park today.

Gordon Haggitt, one of the descendants who retired in 2021 as the county of Lake’s longtime surveyor, today is a member of the AMIA Board.

Both he and his cousin, Winifred “Winnie” Anderson Lea — who came with her daughter and son-in-law — remembered herding cattle on the ranch with their great aunts and uncles.

Speaking of those who worked to make the property a state park, Haggitt said, “We’ve got an extra sense of gratitude.”

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.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. — The U.S. Postal Service recognized the centennial birth of cartoonist Charles M. Schulz with a first-day-of-issue ceremony, unveiling a pane of 20 new Forever stamps at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center on Saturday.

“The Postal Service is pleased to present its new Forever stamps commemorating the birth centennial of Charles M. Schulz — the beloved creator of ‘Peanuts’ … the most popular and influential comic strip in history,” said Luke Grossmann, the Postal Service’s finance and strategy senior vice president, who served as the stamp’s dedicating official.

“This isn’t the first time the Postal Service has featured ‘Peanuts’ characters on postage stamps. Snoopy appeared as the World War I Flying Ace in 2001. And in 2015, we issued stamps to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ — which like the strip itself, was created with both adults and children in mind,” he said.

“The joy of ‘Peanuts’ — matched with the joy of sending and receiving mail — is a wonderful way to commemorate Sparky’s life and the happiness his comic strip continues to bring to the world. From holiday mail to personal collections, we hope these stamps brighten the lives of ‘Peanuts’ fans and stamp collectors alike,” said Jean Schulz, widow of Schulz, referring to the cartoonist by his nickname.

Other participants at the ceremony were Gina Huntsinger, director of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, and Paige Braddock, chief creative officer of Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates.

Sparky’s story

Within days of Schulz’s birth on Nov. 26, 1922, an uncle nicknamed the infant after the laughable racehorse Spark Plug, a trending character in the newspaper funny pages. The nickname “Sparky” stuck for life, and so did Schulz’s ties to the comics.

Schulz’s “Peanuts” became the most popular and successful comic strip in the history of the medium.

Its characters, including Charlie Brown and Snoopy, became some of the best-known and most-beloved characters in all of American art and literature, gaining worldwide adoration through the comic strip itself, then via books, greeting cards, television, cinematic films, advertising campaigns, a Broadway musical, and countless other media and products.

Charles Monroe Schulz (1922-2000) was born in Minneapolis and grew up in neighboring St. Paul, Minnesota.

An only child, the avid reader with a knack for drawing was promoted from third grade directly to fifth. Consequently, he was younger and smaller than his classmates, forever feeling like an outsider and an observer.

At age 14, Schulz’s first published drawing appeared in the popular newspaper feature “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” Its subject, his eccentric pet dog, would later serve as his inspiration for Snoopy.

After high school, Schulz furthered his art education through a Minneapolis-based correspondence course. When World War II intervened, Schulz was drafted into the Army, serving in France and Germany, and rising to the rank of staff sergeant.

After the war, he returned to the correspondence school, this time as an art instructor, where his friends included a fellow teacher named Charlie Brown.

Schulz also found work lettering comic books and drawing single-panel cartoons for a local newspaper. He also sold several cartoons to the Saturday Evening Post.

“Peanuts” debuted in seven newspapers on Oct. 2, 1950. That number would eventually balloon to more than 2,600, in some 75 countries and 21 languages, with 355 million readers worldwide. Charlie Brown and Snoopy were soon joined by Schroeder, Lucy, Linus and Pigpen. Through its cast of children, the strip found humor in life’s often painful realities, such as insecurity and unrequited love.

In the late 1950s, Charlie Brown’s baby sister, Sally, joined the cast, and Schulz and his growing real-life family moved to Sonoma County, California, eventually building an ice arena in Santa Rosa. (The adjacent Charles M. Schulz Museum opened in 2002.)

As “Peanuts” became a worldwide phenomenon — with beloved television specials, books, a Broadway show, feature films and countless consumer products — Schulz added other favorite characters, including Peppermint Patty, Franklin, Marcie and Snoopy’s bird companion, Woodstock. NASA sought Charlie Brown and Snoopy as morale-building mascots.

In 1969, Apollo 10 astronauts orbited the moon in paired spacecraft called Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

Schulz’s characters all reflect aspects of the cartoonist’s inner life, his rich imagination and his great humanity. Charlie Brown faces constant defeat and rejection, but never loses his resolve — whether it’s to kick the football before Lucy pulls it away, to get a kite aloft or to win a single baseball game.

For five decades, Schulz steadfastly wrote, drew, inked and lettered every “Peanuts” strip — nearly 18,000 of them.

On Feb. 12, 2000, he died following a battle with cancer. The final installment of “Peanuts,” a farewell from the cartoonist to his fans and his unforgettable cast of characters, appeared in newspapers the next day.

In addition to the many awards received during his lifetime, Schulz was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress, in 2000. “Peanuts” continues through the re-publication of his unparalleled body of work.

Stamp artwork

The stamp artwork is by Schulz and Greg Breeding was the designer and art director.

During its five-decade run — Schulz created daily strips from 1950 to 2000 — “Peanuts,” featured Charlie Brown and his beagle Snoopy. Eleven members of its beloved gang, all in a celebratory mood, adorn 10 stamp designs on a pane of 20.

The six stamps on the first row feature Charlie Brown in his familiar zig-zag-stripe shirt. Long-suffering, but never truly defeated, he is the center of the cast and largely reflects Schulz’s own insecurities and resilience.

Second, the headstrong Lucy Van Pelt, often the antagonist, is all smiles here in her blue dress. Third is Franklin, introduced to the strip in 1968, triumphant in a red tee shirt.

Fourth on the first row of stamps is Sally, Charlie Brown’s little sister, shown in her pink polka-dotted dress. Sally joined the strip as an infant in 1959. Pigpen, charming and self-assured, is seen on the fifth stamp in his perpetual cloud of dust, a layer of soil, and blue overalls. Sixth is Linus, Lucy’s sensitive, intelligent, and capable younger brother. He wears his typical red-and-black-striped shirt.

The second row’s four stamps begin with Snoopy, whose many alter-egos demonstrate Schulz’s own fanciful imagination. On this stamp, his bird companion, Woodstock, flutters about as Snoopy does his celebratory dance. Second is Schroeder, a prodigy often seen leaning obsessively over his piano — much as Schulz leaned tirelessly over his drawing board. Schroeder is shown here in his purple-and-black-striped shirt.

Peppermint Patty, seen third on the second row, is casual in sandals and her vertically-striped green shirt. Athletic and definitely not academically minded, her baseball team routinely defeats the hapless team headed by “Chuck,” as she calls Charlie Brown. Peppermint Patty’s loyal friend Marcie appears next on the row’s final stamp. Marcie’s no-nonsense outlook contrasts with Peppermint Patty’s; together they make a great team.

A 1987 photograph of the cartoonist, taken by Douglas Kirkland, appears in the center of the pane. The portrait is framed by the characters Schulz brought to life.

Postal products

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide.

Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1‑ounce price.

A feature story about the stamp will be available at facebook.com/usps following the ceremony. Information for ordering first-day-of-issue postmarks and covers is at usps.com/shop.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has eight dogs of various breeds ready and waiting for new homes.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of border collie, German shepherd, hound, husky, Labrador retriever and Rottweiler.

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.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.

Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.

Male border collie

This 2-year-old male border collie has a black and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-3995.

Labrador retriever mix

This 2-year-old female Labrador retriever mix has a short black coat.

She is in kennel No. 19, ID No. LCAC-A-3994.

‘Harley’

“Harley” is a 6-month-old female German Shepherd puppy with a black and tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-4024.

Male husky

This 3-year-old male husky has a short tricolor coat.

He is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-4014.

Male German shepherd

This 2-year-old male German shepherd has a black and tan coat.

Shelter staff called him a “handsome sweet dude who is motivated by treats and does well walking on a leash.

He is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-3870.

German shepherd mix

This 7-month-old female German shepherd mix has a black and tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 26, ID No. LCAC-A-4011.

Female husky

This 1-year-old female husky has a cream and black coat.

She is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-3893.

German shepherd mix

This 7-month-old male German shepherd mix pup has a black and tan coat.

He is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-4012.

Rottweiler mix

This 4-year-old female Rottweiler has a short black and tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 34, ID No. LCAC-A-4013.

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.

 

Wetlands are areas of land that are covered by water, or have flooded or waterlogged soils. They can have water on them either permanently or for just part of the year.

Whether it’s year-round or seasonal, this period of water saturation produces hydric soils, which contain little or no oxygen. But this doesn’t mean that they are lifeless: Wetlands are full of unique water-loving plants and wildlife that have adapted to wet environments.

Wetlands can take many different forms, depending on the local climate, water conditions and land forms and features. For example, swamps are dominated by woody trees or shrubs. Marshes often have more grasslike plants, such as cattails and bulrushes. Bogs and fens are areas that accumulate peat – deposits of dead and partly decomposed plant materials that form organic-rich soil.

Trillions of dollars in ecological benefits

Wetlands are important environments for many reasons. They provide ecological services whose value has been estimated to be worth more than US$47 trillion per year.

For example, wetlands support very high levels of biodiversity. Scientists estimate that 40% of all species on Earth live or breed in wetlands.

Wetlands are critical homes or stopovers for many species of migratory birds. In the central U.S. and Canada, for example, wetlands in the so-called prairie pothole region on the Great Plains support up to three-quarters of North America’s breeding ducks.

Along with providing important habitat for everything from microbes to frogs to waterfowl, wetlands also work to improve water quality. They can capture surface runoff from cities and farmlands and work as natural water filters, trapping excess nutrients that otherwise might create dead zones in lakes and bays. Wetlands can also help remove other pollutants and trap suspended sediments that cloud water bodies, which can kill aquatic plants and animals.

Because wetlands are often in low-lying areas of the landscape, they can store and slowly release surface water. Wetlands can be extremely important for reducing the impacts of flooding. In some places, water entering wetlands can also recharge groundwater aquifers that are important for irrigation and drinking water.

Wetlands also act as important carbon sinks. As wetland plants grow, they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They they die, sink to the bottom of the wetland and decompose very slowly.

Over time, the carbon they contain accumulates in wetland soils, where it can be stored for hundreds of years. Conserving and restoring wetlands is an important strategy for regulating greenhouse gases and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Resources at risk

Despite the many valuable services they provide, wetlands are constantly being destroyed by draining them or filling them in, mainly for farming and development. Since 1970, the planet has lost 35% of its wetlands, a rate three times faster than the loss of forests.

Destruction and degradation of wetlands has led to the loss of many organisms that rely on wetland habitat, including birds, amphibians, fish, mammals and many insects. As one example, many dragonfly and damselfly species are declining worldwide as the freshwater wetlands where they breed are drained and filled in. A marsh or bog may not look like a productive place, but wetlands teem with life and are critically important parts of our environment.

Jon Sweetman, Assistant Research Professor of Ecosystem Science and Management, Penn State

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

 

People have been exploring the surface of Mars for over 50 years. According to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, nations have sent 18 human-made objects to Mars over 14 separate missions. Many of these missions are still ongoing, but over the decades of Martian exploration, humankind has left behind many pieces of debris on the planet’s surface.

I am a postdoctoral research fellow who studies ways to track Mars and Moon rovers. In mid-August 2022, NASA confirmed that the Mars rover Perseverance had spotted a piece of trash jettisoned during its landing, this time a tangled mess of netting. And this is not the first time scientists have found trash on Mars. That’s because there is a lot there.

Where does the debris come from?

Debris on Mars comes from three main sources: discarded hardware, inactive spacecraft and crashed spacecraft.

Every mission to the Martian surface requires a module that protects the spacecraft. This module includes a heat shield for when the craft passes through the planet’s atmosphere and a parachute and landing hardware so that it can land softly.

The craft discards pieces of the module as it descends, and these pieces can land in different locations on the planet’s surface – there may be a lower heat shield in one place and a parachute in another. When this debris crashes to the ground, it can break into smaller pieces, as happened during the Perseverance rover landing in 2021. These small pieces can then get blown around because of Martian winds.

A lot of small, windblown trash has been found over the years – like the netting material found recently. Earlier in the year, on June 13, 2022, Perseverance rover spotted a large, shiny thermal blanket wedged in some rocks 1.25 miles (2 km) from where the rover landed. Both Curiosity in 2012 and Opportunity in 2005 also came across debris from their landing vehicles.

Dead and crashed spacecraft

The nine inactive spacecraft on the surface of Mars make up the next type of debris. These craft are the Mars 3 lander, Mars 6 lander, Viking 1 lander, Viking 2 lander, the Sojourner rover, the formerly lost Beagle 2 lander, the Phoenix lander, the Spirit rover and the most recently deceased spacecraft, the Opportunity rover. Mostly intact, these might be better considered historical relics than trash.

Wear and tear take their toll on everything on the Martian surface. Some parts of Curiosity’s aluminum wheels have broken off and are presumably scattered along the rover’s track. Some of the litter is purposeful, with Perseverance having dropped a drill bit onto the surface in July 2021, allowing it to swap in a new, pristine bit so that it could keep collecting samples.

Crashed spacecraft and their pieces are another significant source of trash. At least two spacecraft have crashed, and an additional four have lost contact before or just after landing. Safely descending to the planet’s surface is the hardest part of any Mars landing mission – and it doesn’t always end well.

When you add up the mass of all spacecraft that have ever been sent to Mars, you get about 22,000 pounds (9979 kilograms). Subtract the weight of the currently operational craft on the surface – 6,306 pounds (2,860 kilograms) – and you are left with 15,694 pounds (7,119 kilograms) of human debris on Mars.

Why does trash matter?

Today, the main concern scientists have about trash on Mars is the risk it poses to current and future missions. The Perseverance teams are documenting all debris they find and checking to see if any of it could contaminate the samples the rover is collecting. NASA engineers have also considered whether Perseverance could get tangled in debris from the landing but have concluded the risk is low.

The real reason debris on Mars is important is because of its place in history. The spacecraft and their pieces are the early milestones for human planetary exploration.

Cagri Kilic, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Robotics, West Virginia University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

LUCERNE, Calif. — A chase involving law enforcement on Friday afternoon ended in Lucerne with a man wading into the lake to evade capture.

Traffic throughout Lucerne was backed up for some time at around 3 p.m., as the incident was taking place.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it was only assisting with the situation and deferred statement on the matter to the CHP.

The CHP could only confirm to Lake County News on Friday afternoon that a foot pursuit was taking place and a subject was being sought. At that point, no further information was available, since the incident was ongoing, said Officer Efrain Cortez.

The subject waded into waist deep water offshore of Lucerne near the intersection of Country Club Drive and Hwy 20. The water there appeared too shallow for the Lake County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol, which waited further offshore.

Approximately one dozen law enforcement from various agencies including the California Highway Patrol, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Lake County Probation held positions along the beach.

There was an ongoing conversation between law enforcement and the subject, who walked around in the shallow water.

As he moved around just out of reach he was heard repeating, “Am I under arrest?” He also said, “If I come to shore right now, I'm going to jail,” and “I'm not going to jail.”

As the conversation continued on, several law enforcement personnel appeared to be preparing to be in the sun on the beach for some time by positioning themselves in the shade of a nearby pier.

Another stood with a long gun, blocking the subject's path to the east.

It was unknown at press time if the subject was eventually taken into custody.

Email John Jensen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Michelle Martin is the Beverly Cleary Professor for Children and Youth Services in the Information School at the University of Washington. She primarily teaches students who will be youth services librarians who work with children and young adults in libraries or other information science spaces. Below are highlights from an interview with The Conversation U.S. Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.

How did you get to where you are today?

I have a doctorate in English, specializing in children’s and young adult literature. I spent the first half of my 25-year career in English departments, teaching education and English majors. And then I shifted to social science when I joined the University of South Carolina’s library school in 2011. Since 2016, I have taught future librarians at University of Washington in the Information School (which began as the Library School).

What would surprise someone about the work you do if they don’t know about what you study?

Some of my publications have more to do with children in books than with real children who read books. Those who study children’s literature from an English studies perspective look at children’s books as literary and artistic artifacts and attend to aspects like the art, character development and applying different theoretical readings to texts for young people rather than focusing on what children and young adults do with books. But I care deeply about children and how they interact with books, which is often more of a focus of those who teach children’s literature in library science and education departments. My teaching, research and service cross all three disciplines.

A lot of the work that I do now really helps adults understand the importance of exposing children to diverse perspectives in books and for children to be able to see their own experiences in the books that they read. The books that you grew up on might not necessarily be good for or the most entertaining to children you’re working with now.

I need to really do my homework and read widely to be able to teach and recommend books that represent kids’ life experiences and families who come from different backgrounds.

How has the role of libraries shifted as a result of the pandemic?

Libraries have been under a lot of the same stresses that everyone else has. But even though many libraries closed physically, they continued to serve their communities. Libraries have worked hard to to meet their communities where they are, especially those that have been hardest hit by the pandemic – from providing virtual storytimes to career assistance. For instance, many libraries extended their Wi-Fi into the parking lot so that parents could drive their kids to the library, download their homework and go home and do it. Even though many students had a laptop provided by the school, if they lived in rural areas where there’s no internet, they did not have what they needed to succeed in school. Libraries helped to support many of these families.

I’ve heard so many stories of ways libraries met the needs of the community during the pandemic, such as providing clothing or food or enhancing information access by offering no-contact, curbside pickup, or turning personal vehicles into a bookmobiles to deliver books to those who could not get to the library.

Some readers might think of libraries as institutions that don’t change. And maybe the pandemic has proved that libraries can adapt and change with the times as we need them to.

I’m working on a research project right now called Project VOICE that seeks to help libraries plan outreach with, not for, their communities with a social justice lens and with participatory design. We recommend that librarians work closely with the community and community partner organizations to discern what the community’s assets and values are and take a strengths-based approach to creating outreach programs rather than the deficit model that focuses on weaknesses and needs.

We’re encouraging libraries to depart from the approach that says, “Hey, we’re the library, here’s what we do well. Can you use it?” and instead ask, “As members of this community, you know best what the community’s values and assets are. How can we, as the library, partner with you to support your goals and aspirations?”

Because communities across the country are more diverse than ever, and becoming more so, it’s really important for librarians to spend time and effort building relationships with those in the community. This will ensure that libraries continue to understand the nuances of how to best serve their community, especially as the face of that community changes rapidly.

Michelle H. Martin, Beverly Cleary Professor for Children & Youth Services, University of Washington

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Building on the Administration’s Roadmap with California Community Colleges and Compacts with the University of California and California State University, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced the signing of legislation to boost graduation and transfer rates and offer debt cancellation at community colleges.

“California is increasing resources, adding services, and advancing equity to boost graduation and transfer rates throughout our higher education systems,” said Newsom. “Thanks to the Legislature’s leadership, we’re building on my administration’s efforts to ensure all of our students are well-equipped to succeed and prepared for California’s future.”

“Today is a groundbreaking moment in the future of higher education as we finally turn the page on antiquated placement tests that pressure students into classes that do not count toward their graduation requirements,” said Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) said Friday. “Since the implementation of my bill AB 705 in 2018, there have been significant improvements towards closing racial equity gaps, especially for Black and Latino students who historically have been overrepresented in remedial courses, but systemic barriers remain. The signing of AB 1705 & AB 1187 coupled with the $64 million investment in tutoring students to earn college credits, will ensure that students and faculty receive the resources they need to make students successful. My sincere thanks to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, Chancellor Gonzales, and advocates for steadfast commitment to these reforms.”

The bills signed Friday will:

Ensure that students attending California Community Colleges enroll directly into transfer-level math and English courses, if their program requires it or they are seeking to transfer.

Expand supervised tutoring offered for foundational skills and transfer-level courses.

Offer debt cancellation to encourage students to re-enroll and enroll at community colleges, building on budget appropriations.

“The California Community Colleges are grateful to the leadership of Governor Newsom for signing transformative legislation that will advance student success and further the goals of the Roadmap for the Future,” said California Community Colleges Interim Chancellor Dr. Daisy Gonzales, Ph.D. “Reforming remedial education and expanding access to tutoring will help millions of Californians complete their education faster, and many more will continue their dreams because of new opportunities possible when we eliminate the burden of prior debts owed. We thank the many student and campus leaders who advocated for these changes, and stand ready to continue to lead an equitable recovery in higher education.”

“Along with the historic compacts with our public colleges and universities, addressing placement practices at our colleges is good news for students,” said Michele Siqueiros, President, Campaign for College Opportunity. “We are thankful to Governor Newsom for signing AB 1705 into law today, and for his genuine student-centered leadership on higher education in California. Community college students will no longer be deprived of the opportunity to take the transfer-level courses they need. Along with significant investments in funding enrollment, expanding financial aid, and improving transfer pathways – under this Governor our college students have a greater chance to succeed, earn a degree, and contribute to a brighter future for our golden state.”

A full list of the bills signed can be found here:

AB 288 by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon (D-Whittier) – California Ban on Scholarship Displacement Act of 2021.

AB 1705 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) – Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012: matriculation: assessment.

AB 1187 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) – Community colleges: tutoring.

AB 1712 by Assemblymember Jose Medina (D-Riverside) – Public postsecondary education: campus safety: online survey tool.

AB 1958 by Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra) – The Community College Student Access, Retention, and Debt Cancellation Program.

AB 1942 by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) – Community colleges: funding: instructional service agreements with public safety agencies.

AB 1997 by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) – California State University: emergency response programs: report.

AB 2315 by Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) – Community colleges: records: affirmed name and gender identification.

AB 2482 by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon (D-Whittier) – Public postsecondary education: student health: pilot program: wellness vending machines.

AB 2810 by Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) – Student nutrition: CalFresh: student eligibility: Federal Application for Student Aid data.

AB 2881 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) – Public postsecondary education: students with dependent children.

SB 684 by Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) – California State University: doctoral programs in public health.

SB 893 by Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) – Community colleges: San Mateo County Community College District: California College Promise.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has 17 dogs needing homes.

The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.

Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.

The following dogs are available for adoption. New additions are at the top.

‘Babs’

“Babs” is a female Labrador retriever mix with a short black coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 49505856.

‘Andy’

“Andy” is a male American pit bull mix with a short gray and white coat.

He is dog No. 48995415.

‘Bear’

“Bear” is a male Labrador retriever-American pit bull mix with a short charcoal and fawn coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 48443153.

‘Big Phil’

“Big Phil” is a 13-year-old male American pit bull terrier mix with a blue coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 49951647.

‘Buster’

“Buster” is a male pit bull mix with a short tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 50762164.

‘Foxie’

“Foxie” is a female German shepherd with a red, black and white coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 49702845.

‘Hakuna’

“Hakuna” is a male shepherd mix with a tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 50176912.

‘Hondo’

“Hondo” is a male Alaskan husky mix with a buff coat.

He has been neutered.

He’s dog No. 50227693.

‘Keilani’

“Keilani” is a 3-year-old female German shepherd mix with a black and tan coat.

She has been spayed and she is house trained.

She is dog No. 50427566.

‘Luciano’

“Luciano” is a male Siberian husky mix with a short black and white coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 50596272.

‘Mamba’

“Mamba” is a male Siberian husky mix with a gray and cream-colored coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 49520569.

‘Matata’

“Matata” is male shepherd mix with a tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 50176912.

‘Mikey’

“Mikey” is a male German shepherd mix with a short brown and tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 51012855.

‘Sadie’

“Sadie” is a female German shepherd mix with a black and tan coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 49802563.

‘Snowball’

“Snowball is a 1 and a half year old male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short white coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 49159168.

‘Teddy’

“Teddy” is a male retriever mix with a cream-colored coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 49583194.

‘Terry’

“Terry” is a handsome male shepherd mix with a short brindle coat.

He gets along with other dogs, including small ones, and enjoys toys. He also likes water, playing fetch and keep away.

Staff said he is now getting some training to help him build confidence.

He is dog No. 48443693.

‘Willie’

“Willie” is a male German shepherd mix with a black and tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 50596003.

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.

 

In a world first, NASA has crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid in an attempt to push the rocky traveler off its trajectory. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test – or DART – is meant to test one potential approach that could prevent an asteroid from colliding with Earth. David Barnhart is a professor of astronautics at the University of Southern California and director of the Space Engineering Research Center there. He watched NASA’s live stream of the successful mission and explains what is known so far.

1. What do the images show?

The first images, taken by a camera aboard DART, show the double asteroid system of Didymos – about 2,500 feet (780 meters) in diameter – being orbited by the smaller asteroid Dimorphos that is about 525 feet (160 meters) long.

As the targeting algorithm on DART locked onto Dimorphos, the craft adjusted its flight and began heading towards the smaller of the two asteroids. The image taken at 11 seconds before impact and 42 miles (68 kilometers) from Dimorphos shows the asteroid centered in the camera’s field of view. This meant that the targeting algorithm was fairly accurate and the craft would collide right at the center of Dimorphos.

The second-to-last image, taken two seconds before impact shows the rocky surface of Dimorphos, including small shadows. These shadows are interesting because they suggest that the camera aboard the DART spacecraft was seeing Dimorphos directly on but the Sun was at an angle relative to the camera. They imply the DART spacecraft was centered on its trajectory to impact Dimorphos at the moment, but it’s also possible the asteroid was slowly rotating relative to the camera.

The final photo, taken one second before impact, only shows the top slice of an image but this is incredibly exciting. The fact that NASA received only a part of the image implies that the shutter took the picture but DART, traveling at around 14,000 miles per hour (22,500 kilometers per hour) was unable to transmit the complete image before impact.

2. What was supposed to happen?

The point of the DART mission was to test whether it is possible to deflect an asteroid with a kinetic impact – by crashing something into it. NASA used the analogy of a golf cart hitting the side of an Egyptian pyramid to convey the relative difference in size between tiny DART and Dimorphos, the smaller of the two asteroids. Prior to the test, Dimorphos orbited Didymos in roughly 16 hours. NASA expects the impact to shorten Dimorphos’ orbit by about 1%, or roughly 10 minutes. Though small, if done far enough away from Earth, a nudge like this could potentially deflect a future asteroid headed towards Earth just enough to prevent an impact.

3. What do we know already?

The last bits of data that came from the DART spacecraft right before impact show that it was on course. The fact that the images stopped transmitting after the target point was reached can only mean that the impact was a success.

While there is likely a lot of information to be learned from the images taken by DART, the world will have to wait to learn whether the deflection was also a success. Fifteen days before the impact, DART released a small satellite with a camera that was designed to document the entire impact. The small satellite’s sensors should have taken images and collected information, but given that it doesn’t have a large antenna onboard, the images will be transmitted slowly back to Earth, one by one, over the coming weeks.

4. What does the test mean for planetary defense?

I believe this test was a great proof-of-concept for many technologies that the U.S. government has invested in over the years. And importantly, it proves that it is possible to send a craft to intercept with a minuscule target millions of miles away from Earth. From that standpoint DART has been a great success.

Over the course of the next months and years, researchers will learn just how much deflection the impact caused – and most importantly, whether this type of kinetic impact can actually move a celestial object ever so slightly at a great enough distance to prevent a future asteroid from threatening Earth.

David Barnhart, Professor of Astronautics, University of Southern California

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild presents Carrie Fondi as the featured artist at the guild’s 20th annual Falling Leaves Quilt Show.

The show will take place Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, in Fritch Hall and Little Theatre at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St., Lakeport.

Show hours are Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Carrie Ann Fondi, who has been quilting since 1992, is accomplished in the unique art form of Hawaiian Quilting, which evolved in the islands in the early 1800’s. She has studied from many master Hawaiian quilters.

As Hawaiian quilting became a full-time passion, she created Aloha Quilt Designs in 2010 to sell her Hawaiian quilt patterns and to promote the art of Hawaiian quilting. Her designs are inspired by the beauty of nature, and from her love of the Hawaiian Islands.

Carrie teaches on a regular basis; many forms of appliqué in quilt shops, guilds and shows throughout the United States. Prior and present schedule includes classes at Road to California Quilters Conference, AQS, QSC Expos, and quilting cruises.

Fondi will be present Saturday and Sunday to talk with guests, present demonstrations at her booth and have products, patterns and fabric available to sell.

More information on Fondi and her quilts can be found at https://www.alohaquiltshop.com/.

The show includes a judged quilt display, VIP award-winning quilts, the Country Store boutique, a vendor mall, quilting demonstrations, a silent auction, themed gift baskets, and an opportunity quilt.

The Country Store contains beautiful fabrics and fabric panels, homemade items, notions, thread racks, quilting books and magazines all at bargain prices.

Vendors this year include lovely fabrics and notions, homemade items, and the Cutting edge Sharpening Service. So don’t forget to bring scissors and knives that need sharpening.

Door prizes to be announced throughout the show will include a range of gifts from the vendors, guild members and the main prize: a sewing machine from Village Sewing.

They have six wonderful theme baskets for our raffle this year. The themes include Quilting for All, Birds, Turkey Dinner, Movie Night, Knitting Fun and Gardening. Buy your tickets at the Theme Basket table in front of the stage in the Little Theater.

The system for buying tickets will require only one signature, no matter how many tickets you purchase.

The silent auction will have a variety of items to tempt you including several sewing machines, a variety of quilt kits, collector plates, fabric, and much more.

The auction ends on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Winners can claim their items at 3 p.m. on Sunday. You do not need to be present to win but must claim the item within seven days.

The 2022 Opportunity Quilt is “Black Magic.” It was made from a single jelly roll and black yardage.

“I used the jelly roll because the colors were already ‘associated' (‘played well together‘),” said maker Jane Alameda, LLQG’s president.

Marj Sweeney of Lower Lake quilted the quilt.

The quilt will be on display in the Little Theater throughout the Falling Leaves Quilt Show and tickets will be available at the show until midafternoon on Sunday when the winning ticket will be drawn. It could be yours, so be sure and get your tickets.

There will be demonstrations throughout the show in Fritch Hall at the Featured Artist’s booth by the front door and at the demonstration area near the large roll-up doors.

The schedule is as follows:

Saturday:

11 a.m. : Learn to make crazy quilt yo-yos with Jane Alameda
12 p.m.: What’s a kitchen towel boa? with Kerry Hansing
1 p.m.: How to recycle/reuse denim with Linda Morrison
2 p.m.: Denim recycle projects with Kerry Hansing

Sunday:

11 a.m.: Ideas for making a crazy quilt with Barbara Haddon
12 p.m.: Make a magic pillowcase with Renee Shultz-Hein
1 p.m.: What’s a kitchen towel boa? with Kerry Hansing

More detailed information on the demonstrations and the show can be found on the guild’s website at http://www.LLQG.org/quilt-show.html. There’s a $ 1 off coupon there as well.

Editor’s Note: Suzanne Lee is vice president for the Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild.