KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — The Kelseyville Father-Daughter Dance Committee announced the upcoming 20th anniversary celebration, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 17.
This highly anticipated event, open to participants of all ages, promises an enchanting evening dedicated to fostering and celebrating the cherished bonds between generations.
This year's dance will be adorned with the theme of love, friendship and hearts — Valentine's.
Attendees can expect a night filled with music, laughter, and memories as they revel in the joy of new and long standing connections.
The event proudly features dozens of prizes generously donated by local businesses, with Lake’s Limos and Tutti Frutti sponsoring a spectacular limo ride and frozen yogurt adventure for one lucky guest and eight of their friends.
The event will be held at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, 5340 Third St.
On the evening of Feb. 17, there will be two dances. The first dance will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with the second dance scheduled for 8 to 10 p.m.
Tickets cost $30 for one adult and one child. Additional tickets for children or adults available for purchase.
The ticket price includes a carnation flower for each child, a professional photo shoot with a souvenir photo, and a lavish box of sweet treats and refreshments.
Purchase your tickets early. Tickets can be purchased at Studebakers Coffee and Deli located in Kelseyville or online through their Facebook page, Kelseyville Father-Daughter Dance or through Eventbrite. Act fast, as tickets sell out every year.
Join them for an unforgettable night of love, laughter and community spirit at the 20th annual Lake County Father-Daughter Dance.
The Father-Daughter Dance team is dedicated to bringing joy to the community and 100% of the proceeds from this event contribute to post-high school scholarships for students in Lake County.
For inquiries or to make a donation, please contact Allison Panella at 707-483-2383.
NASA’s history-making Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has ended its mission at the Red Planet after surpassing expectations and making dozens more flights than planned.
While the helicopter remains upright and in communication with ground controllers, imagery of its Jan. 18 flight sent to Earth last week indicates one or more of its rotor blades sustained damage during landing, and it is no longer capable of flight.
Originally designed as a technology demonstration to perform up to five experimental test flights over 30 days, the first aircraft on another world operated from the Martian surface for almost three years, performed 72 flights, and flew more than 14 times farther than planned while logging more than two hours of total flight time.
“The historic journey of Ingenuity, the first aircraft on another planet, has come to end,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “That remarkable helicopter flew higher and farther than we ever imagined and helped NASA do what we do best – make the impossible, possible. Through missions like Ingenuity, NASA is paving the way for future flight in our solar system and smarter, safer human exploration to Mars and beyond.”
Ingenuity landed on Mars Feb. 18, 2021, attached to the belly of NASA’s Perseverance rover and first lifted off the Martian surface on April 19, proving that powered, controlled flight on Mars was possible.
After notching another four flights, it embarked on a new mission as an operations demonstration, serving as an aerial scout for Perseverance scientists and rover drivers. In 2023, the helicopter executed two successful flight tests that further expanded the team’s knowledge of its aerodynamic limits.
“At NASA JPL, innovation is at the heart of what we do,” said Leshin. “Ingenuity is an exemplar of the way we push the boundaries of what’s possible every day. I’m incredibly proud of our team behind this historic technological achievement and eager to see what they’ll invent next.”
Ingenuity’s team planned for the helicopter to make a short vertical flight on Jan. 18 to determine its location after executing an emergency landing on its previous flight.
Data shows that, as planned, the helicopter achieved a maximum altitude of 40 feet (12 meters) and hovered for 4.5 seconds before starting its descent at a velocity of 3.3 feet per second (1 meter per second).
However, about 3 feet (1 meter) above the surface, Ingenuity lost contact with the rover, which serves as a communications relay for the rotorcraft.
The following day, communications were reestablished and more information about the flight was relayed to ground controllers at NASA JPL. Imagery revealing damage to the rotor blade arrived several days later.
The cause of the communications dropout and the helicopter’s orientation at time of touchdown are still being investigated.
Triumphs, challenges
Over an extended mission that lasted for almost 1,000 Martian days, more than 33 times longer than originally planned, Ingenuity was upgraded with the ability to autonomously choose landing sites in treacherous terrain, dealt with a dead sensor, cleaned itself after dust storms, operated from 48 different airfields, performed three emergency landings, and survived a frigid Martian winter.
Designed to operate in spring, Ingenuity was unable to power its heaters throughout the night during the coldest parts of winter, resulting in the flight computer periodically freezing and resetting. These power “brownouts” required the team to redesign Ingenuity’s winter operations in order to keep flying.
With flight operations now concluded, the Ingenuity team will perform final tests on helicopter systems and download the remaining imagery and data in Ingenuity’s onboard memory. The Perseverance rover is currently too far away to attempt to image the helicopter at its final airfield.
“It’s humbling Ingenuity not only carries onboard a swatch from the original Wright Flyer, but also this helicopter followed in its footsteps and proved flight is possible on another world,” said Ingenuity’s project manager, Teddy Tzanetos of NASA JPL. “The Mars helicopter would have never flown once, much less 72 times, if it were not for the passion and dedication of the Ingenuity and Perseverance teams. History’s first Mars helicopter will leave behind an indelible mark on the future of space exploration and will inspire fleets of aircraft on Mars – and other worlds – for decades to come.”
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observed the smallest exoplanet where water vapor has been detected in its atmosphere.
At only approximately twice Earth’s diameter, the planet GJ 9827d could be an example of potential planets with water-rich atmospheres elsewhere in our galaxy.
“This would be the first time that we can directly show through an atmospheric detection that these planets with water-rich atmospheres can actually exist around other stars,” said team member Björn Benneke of the Université de Montréal. “This is an important step toward determining the prevalence and diversity of atmospheres on rocky planets."
However, it remains too early to tell whether Hubble spectroscopically measured a small amount of water vapor in a puffy hydrogen-rich atmosphere, or if the planet’s atmosphere is mostly made of water, left behind after a primeval hydrogen/helium atmosphere evaporated under stellar radiation.
“Our observing programme was designed specifically with the goal of not only detecting the molecules in the planet’s atmosphere, but of actually looking specifically for water vapor. Either result would be exciting, whether water vapor is dominant or just a tiny species in a hydrogen-dominant atmosphere,” said the science paper’s lead author, Pierre-Alexis Roy of the Université de Montréal.
“Until now, we had not been able to directly detect the atmosphere of such a small planet. And we’re slowly getting into this regime now,” added Benneke. “At some point, as we study smaller planets, there must be a transition where there’s no more hydrogen on these small worlds, and they have atmospheres more like Venus (which is dominated by carbon dioxide)."
Because the planet is as hot as Venus at roughly 425 degrees Celcius, it definitely would be an inhospitable, steamy world if the atmosphere were predominantly water vapor.
At present the team is left with two possibilities. The planet is still clinging to a hydrogen-rich envelope laced with water, making it a mini-Neptune. Alternatively, it could be a warmer version of Jupiter’s moon Europa, which has twice as much water as Earth beneath its crust. “The planet GJ 9827d could be half water, half rock. And there would be a lot of water vapor on top of some smaller rocky body,” said Benneke.
If the planet has a residual water-rich atmosphere, then it must have formed farther away from its host star, where the temperature is cold and water is available in the form of ice, than its present location.
In this scenario, the planet would have then migrated closer to the star and received more radiation.
The hydrogen was then heated and escaped, or is still in the process of escaping, the planet’s weak gravity. The alternative theory is that the planet formed close to the hot star, with a trace of water in its atmosphere.
The Hubble programme observed the planet during 11 transits — events in which the planet crossed in front of its star — that were spaced out over three years. During transits, starlight is filtered through the planet’s atmosphere and carries the spectral fingerprint of water molecules.
If there are clouds on the planet, they are low enough in the atmosphere that they don’t completely hide Hubble’s view of the atmosphere, and Hubble is able to probe water vapour above the clouds.
Hubble’s discovery opens the door to studying the planet in more detail. It’s a good target for the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to do infrared spectroscopy to look for other atmospheric molecules.
GJ 9827d was discovered by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope in 2017. It completes an orbit around a red dwarf star every 6.2 days. The star, GJ 9827, lies 97 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pisces.
On Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation declaring Jan. 26 through Feb. 2 as CalEITC Awareness Week.
The proclamation explains that the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, “is one of the most effective tools we have to help lift working families and their children out of poverty. Beyond providing a critical immediate boost in family income to help meet basic needs, research shows that the EITC improves the health and educational outcomes of children in families who receive it.”
It continues, “Here in California, we have not only created our own California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) – which last year provided nearly 3.5 million California filers additional resources to make ends meet and provide for their families – but significantly bolstered the program by promoting more equitable access. California expanded the CalEITC, the Young Child Tax Credit, and the Foster Youth Tax Credit to include immigrant families who file with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN), individuals who file taxes but are ineligible for most federal tax benefits.
“Our state is committed to reaching all the hardworking families eligible for these important supports to help set our kids – California's future – up for success. I encourage all Californians to check if they qualify for the California Earned Income Tax Credit, Young Child Tax Credit, or Foster Youth Tax Credit by visiting ftb.ca.gov/caleitc.”
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Several Lake County fire agencies, nonprofits and Pacific Gas and Electric are joining together to take a new approach to keeping Lake County fire safe and resilient.
The Hometown Wildfire Safety Collaborative is a partnership whose members include Pacific Gas and Electric, the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, Northshore Fire Protection District, Lake County Fire Chiefs Association, California Fire Chiefs Association, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, US Forest Service and Cal Fire.
An event to celebrate the collaboration’s launch was held outside, at the Library Park gazebo, during an unseasonably warm Friday afternoon to announce the launch of the Hometown Wildfire Safety Collaborative .
PG&E said the collaboration will provide financial support for local fuel reduction projects; an updated community wildfire protection plan specific to Lake County, which utilizes computer modeling to predict wildfire pathways to inform community discussions on the most effective and strategic locations for fuel reduction projects; and an environmentally friendly biomass usage program.
Will Evans, president of the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, or CLERC, said his organization focuses on economic and environmental problems facing Lake County, with wildfire being one of the biggest.
An example: The Konocti interface in and around the Kelseyville Riviera, which was the focus of a Cal Fire fuel break project in 2017, is one of the most dangerous places in California for evacuations, Evans said.
Evans said they faced three key questions: How to stabilize funding for their work; how to prioritize projects; and what to do with the massive amount of wood from dead and dying trees across Lake County, the result not just of wildfires but of disease and insects.
He said the best minds in California have been thinking about these questions, and the collaboration is meant to further that work.
At the collaboration’s heart is the fuel reduction partnership between CLERC and the Northshore Fire Protection District, which created the Hogback Ridge fuels crew.
In the fall, PG&E launched the collaboration with a $500,000 grant to CLERC, which Evans said will allow them to increase the crew’s wages and stabilize their wages.
Evans said CLERC also is developing a dynamic fire pathways model that will protect people and interrupt the progression of damaging fires.
When it comes to what to do with all of that wood, Evans said they are conducting a pilot project with a mobile biochar manufacturing machine.
Last year, CLERC received a grant to replant 1,065 acres of forest land. That will require removing the dead trees already there, which Evans said has been estimated to be 75,000 tons of biomass.
He said that led to the question of what it will take to get a biochar facility going.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines biochar as a “stable solid, rich in carbon that is made from organic waste material or biomass that is partially combusted in the presence of limited oxygen.”
Evans said they are looking at rolling out the project in the Mendocino National Forest and in the Cobb and Middletown areas over the coming 12 months.
Chief Dave Winnacker of the Moraga Orinda Fire Protection District, a board member of the California Fire Chiefs Association, said wildfire is a pressing problem.
While most of the focus has been on the focus of fire and its destruction, not as much attention has been placed on the fact that California is a fire dependent landscape. Winnacker emphasized the necessity of all residents to work together to be a “fire adapted” community.
He said there also has been a lot of effort to address fire itself, but fewer efforts to reduce loss and nonrenewals in the fire insurance space.
Lake County can be an example of success at adapting and thriving in the fire landscape, with Winnacker suggesting that the collaboration can set conditions for longer term goals of improving the health of landscapes that depend on fire.
Genny Biggs of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation focuses on special projects that include wildfire. She said too many communities are vulnerable to extreme wildfire.
She spoke of the work with PG&E to protect communities and disrupt fire pathways, and effort that requires innovation. Based on the collaboration, Biggs said Lake County will be a strong example across the western United States.
Northshore Fire Chief Mike Ciancio thanked the agency partners, his own staff and board, and CLERC for their support and faith in his vision for forming the Hogback Ridge fuels crew, which he started “from zero.”
He said he believes reputation shows through work, and the crew is working very hard every day.
“It’s a village, right? We’re a village here,” said Ciancio, explaining it will take collaboration to make the plan work and have a more resilient community.
He described how he went to the Habematolel Pomo tribe first to explain his vision for the fuels crew, and the tribe ran with it and funded it — including the crew’s wages — for the first year.
Then the Board of Supervisors heard his presentation and the county of Lake purchased the equipment.
The crew is keeping busy year-round with fuel reduction projects. PG&E said that, since September, the crew has completed several local wildfire safety projects that include creating defensible space between dwellings and vegetation.
They’ve also focused on vegetation management work around some of Lake County’s elderly and assisted living facilities that may not have the resources to execute the wildfire safety work themselves.
Team members told Lake County News they’re now working on a project along Elk Mountain Road near Upper Lake.
Ciancio said they’re also trained to fight fires, and have worked on a dozen so far. That allows his department to release resources back to their stations during incidents.
He said PG&E’s financial support through the collaboration is allowing them to increase wages and to add more members. Five new crew members will be hired, bringing the total crew size to 16.
The crew also will work on community wildfire protection plan projects, and Ciancio said his agency will work with CLERC to determine priorities.
Tom Nixon, a retired State Parks ranger and CLERC board member, said of the collaboration, “It’s all about building partnerships.”
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors kicked off the year by approving a contract for a new solar installation to serve the Lake County Courthouse campus.
Public Services Director Lars Ewing presented a resolution and a contract with Staten Solar Corp., totaling $2,284,131, for design, installation and commissioning of the new solar installation to the board at its Jan. 9 meeting.
The planned solar array will serve the courthouse, District Attorney’s Office and the courthouse museum, which Ewing said are all served through the same meter.
Ewing’s report explained that, over the last few years, his staff — working along with the county’s Space Use Committee and Capital Improvement Committee — has worked on a photovoltaic and electric vehicle charging station project at the courthouse campus “to implement a high-visibility clean energy project.”
He added, “The purpose of this item is to consider a resolution making findings that the project will result in energy cost savings greater than the cost of the project, as well as a contract with Staten Solar Corporation to design, build, and commission the project.
Ewing said that in September 2022 the board heard a presentation summarizing the findings of a preliminary energy audit report for county facilities.
The report identified the courthouse, as well as the District Attorney’s Office parking lot that sits behind it, as good sites for solar photovoltaic panels and electric vehicle charging stations.
Ewing said the board approved funding for the project in its fiscal year 2022-23 budget, and in October of 2022 hired Optony Inc. “to provide procurement and selection assistance as well as third-party financial and design analysis for the project.”
Optony was tasked with soliciting requests for proposals to design and construct the project. Six companies submitted proposals and San Jose-based Staten Solar Corp. was selected.
The project the board approved is a 444 kilowatt solar photovoltaic carport array at the main parking lot situated west of the District Attorney’s Office building.
Ewing said both the courthouse and District Attorney’s Office buildings are currently powered by Pacific Gas and Electric, with typical annual energy consumption and PG&E charges of approximately 870,000 kilowatt-hour and $210,000 at the courthouse, and 290,000 kilowatt-hour and $70,000 at the district attorney’s building.
The proposed solar array will produce an estimated 670,000 kilowatt-hours for the two buildings.
Ewing told the board during the Jan. 9 meeting that funding for the project was allocated in this year’s budget.
It was decided that the best project was a carport parking lot array just west of the District Attorney’s Office. “Typically you might consider a roof project,” Ewing said, but both the courthouse and DA’s Office are heavily in use and generating revenue for the county through facility space leases with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon for telecommunications equipment.
Having a rooftop array would make future roof repairs and general roof access very challenging, while Ewing explained in his written report that a carport array will provide an additional benefit to employees and visitors alike.
The financial analysis completed by Optony assumes a 3% assumed annual PG&E rate escalation, a 0.5% annual panel degradation rate, the county paying for operations and maintenance costs after the 10th year and the county’s receipt of a 30% investment tax credit, Ewing’s written report explained.
That analysis anticipates that the array the county is planning will offset 58% of facility use at both buildings and provide a payback period of approximately 10 years, resulting in total savings of approximately $3.27 million over the 25-year system life. “The modules are power warranted for 30 years, so the cost savings may very well exceed these figures,” Ewing’s report explained.
“Ultimately this project is intended to save us money in the long term,” Ewing told the board.
In addition, the project includes three dual-port electronic vehicle charging stations. “These stations were included in the project with the vision that the County would soon add electric vehicles to its fleet. Whether or not that occurs, the charging stations will be available on a pay-for-use basis for non-County EV’s (this potential revenue was not included in Optony’s financial analysis),” Ewing’s report explained.
The county worked with the city of Lakeport’s Community Development Department staff to evaluate the project under the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. Ewing reported that the city of Lakeport has confirmed it is ministerially exempt from CEQA.
Board Chair Bruno Sabatier said he thought he would see more than three connections for electric vehicles and he wanted to be prepared for future growth. He asked if it’s easy to add more connections. Jonathan Whelan of Optony, who attended the meeting virtually, said the answer was yes, with some additional costs.
“I’m thinking 25 years from now, our parking lot will look drastically different in the vehicles that we have,” said Sabatier, adding that he would love to see them being able to prepare for expansion of charging stations.
Supervisor Moke Simon agreed, suggesting they could at least put conduit in the ground so the system is expandable.
Ewing noted during the discussion that the EV charging stations will eliminate some regular parking stalls in the DA’s Office parking lot. “I think the reward is better than the risk.”
Simon also asked about battery backup in the future. Whelan said the project originally was designed with battery storage as an alternative. While it added additional savings, it was not enough to cover the additional cost.
However, Whelan said that will change in the coming years, and the system can be retrofitted with a battery energy storage system.
Possible locations for battery storage included an equipment pad on the north side of the DA’s Office as well as inside the DA’s Office sally port.
The supervisors unanimously approved both the resolution to authorize the contract and the agreement.
Ewing’s report said that it’s expected that the project will be commissioned by the fall. Once the contract is in effect, there will be a detailed construction schedule and schematic design.
Lake County has been doing major solar projects since 2007, when it began work on a 3 megawatts array that was credited as being the largest solar-energy system on county property in California at the time.
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.
Elaine Howard Ecklund, Rice University; Brenton Kalinowski, Rice University, and Denise Daniels, Wheaton College (Illinois)
Many Americans – especially young adults – want to do work that feels meaningful. Creating meaning for oneself may be especially important as fewer workplaces provide good pay and benefits to their employees.
Those who are religious or spiritual often want to connect their faith to their work through a sense of calling. But there can be unexpected downsides for those who do so. People who say they feel “called” report better work and life satisfaction, but they may also be less likely to address workplace problems or unfair treatment when it arises.
Faith in workplaces
As scholarswho studyreligion in the workplace, we have found that about 1 in 5 American workers agree with the statement, “I see my work as a spiritual calling.” Most of those who see their work in this way link it to religious sensibilities and practices.
Even though faith can be deeply connected to work, there are few comprehensive studies on this topic. In 2018 and again in 2021, we gathered responses from across the United States on how people see their faith in relation to their work.
Over 15,000 people representing a cross section of American adults filled out our surveys. These respondents included individuals from many different faith traditions and also those who did not follow a religious tradition. We also conducted in-depth interviews with over 250 of our survey-takers.
We found that 53% of Americans who feel called to their work are “very satisfied” with their current job compared with 39% of those who do not feel called.
Religious calling in work
The “concept of calling” has roots in Christian history, where people felt called to serve the church. More recently, calling has been extended to a possibility for any person in any job that serves the world.
There is no widely agreed-upon definition of what a modern-day spiritual calling might entail. Business scholars Mitchell Neubert and Katie Halbeslebendefine it as “a summons from God to approach work with a sense of purpose and a pursuit of excellence in work practices.”
Findings that relate calling to positive workplace outcomes are consistent with previous research that shows viewing work as a calling has a positive effect on worker satisfaction, mental health and well-being, including feeling one’s talents are being well used. As one respondent whom we interviewed told us, “I definitely feel more fulfilled in my work because of my faith, and vice versa. I feel like I’m being a better Christian by doing the work that I do …”
Yet, less is known about the specifics of how people see their work as a calling. Interviews we conducted found that a sense of calling provides workers with higher purpose in their work, especially when facing work that is either extremely challenging or mundane.
For example, teachers talked about dealing with the bureaucracy of state educational systems, and medical service workers discussed the daily grind of mopping floors and handling bodily waste. However, despite the challenges of their work, these people also acknowledged that they were able to get through the day-to-day aspects of their jobs because they felt spiritually called to their work.
Being called to work has downsides
There is reason to be cautious, however, in touting the advantages of viewing work as a calling without also considering the detrimental effects that can emerge.
For example, people who feel that God intended them to be in their current workplace or industry might be more disposed to stay in their current role regardless of unfair treatment or working conditions that take advantage of them, such as being underpaid or overworked. Specifically, in previous work we found that people who do feel called to their work report higher job satisfaction – even when they are experiencing discrimination – than people who do not feel called to their work.
A sense of calling may make people less likely to initiate changes to problematic workplace situations. Indeed, as we found in our research, those who view their work as a calling but also perceive discrimination in the workplace report being less likely to speak up in these situations compared with those who do not attach the same meaning to their work.
This can be especially detrimental for those of racial and religious minority groups who are more likely to experience discrimination at work in the first place. As one woman who works in government told us, “It is difficult being an African American woman in my field, so my faith allows me to step back sometimes and remove myself from the situation.”
This also shows how religion may help individuals cope with discrimination at work, but sometimes in a way that could detract from actively seeking change.
The double-edged sword
Experiencing work as a calling can be a double-edged sword. Because those who feel called to their work have a high level of commitment to their jobs, they tend to be more likely to tolerate, endure or ignore work situations that are unreasonable, inequitable or even discriminatory.
According to organizational ethics scholars Stuart Bunderson and Jeffery Thompson, workers who feel called to their jobs are “more likely to see their work as a moral duty, and to sacrifice pay, personal time and comfort for their work.” Thus, it can become easier for organizations to exploit these employees, whether they do so intentionally or unintentionally.
Having and being led by a sense of calling is also linked to financial stability. According to our data, 68% of people who do not feel called to their work agree that “the primary reason” they do the work is to make money. In comparison, 47% of those who experience a sense of calling view making money as their primary reason for working.
The discrepancy could also speak to gender, race and class privileges. In her research on the “passion principle” – the idea that Americans feel the need to follow their passion and choose jobs they find fascinating, intriguing or fulfilling – sociologist Erin Cech notes how the concept of pursuing paid work that one loves or feels called to can inadvertently foster structural and cultural inequalities. According to Cech, race and class can influence the freedom to choose their work. Not surprisingly, Cech found that white, upper-class men who did not need to worry about money as much enjoyed the most liberty to do so.
Our research also shows that when workers see their job as a spiritual calling, it can blind them to the difficulties others experience at work. They may be less able to empathize with those who feel stuck in their job because of money concerns, are unhappy or unfulfilled in their work, or are struggling to find a job.
Our surveys reveal that 60% of those who view their work as a calling agree that “anyone can find a good job if they try hard enough,” whereas only 49% of those who do not view their work as a calling concur.
Based on these findings, we suggest that leaders in organizations can help cultivate a sense of calling in workers by helping them identify their particular gifts and interests and facilitate their development along these pathways. At the same time, they can and should encourage feedback that can lead to a healthier workplace for everyone.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.
The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the city clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 29.
On the agenda is the approval of a supplemental agreement and contract change order with Square Signs LLC dba Front Signs for the HSIP Sign Repair and Replacement Project. The new contract amount is $46,514.
The council also will approve the plans, specifications and working details and award a construction contract to Wylatti Resource Management Inc. for the GSL Pavement Rehabilitation Project and authorize the City Manager to execute the construction contract for the bid amount of $444,113.35.
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The UC Davis Center for Community and Citizen Science and Center for Regional Change invite educators working with youth to contribute their skills and experience in developing environmental education materials for the Clear Lake region.
These materials will support ongoing local efforts dedicated to enhancing the health of Clear Lake, its watershed, and its communities.
This project was recommended by the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake and funded by the California Natural Resources Agency.
Over the past year and a half, the project team spoke to over 50 community members, presented at organizational meetings, attended outreach events, and organized a Tribal Environmental Education Advisory Committee.
These efforts were undertaken to gather Tribal and community priorities and needs for environmental education in the region.
Community perspectives helped inform the environmental education materials, and a draft is now ready for further feedback and pilot testing.
They are drafted for use by non-formal educators working with third through fifth grade youth in non-formal expanded learning settings.
Opportunities for community involvement:
• Review and provide feedback: Community members are encouraged to review the drafted materials and share their feedback. The drafted materials are available for public review, and feedback can be submitted through February, 2024. • Training, piloting and feedback (compensation available): Formal and non-formal educators interested in a more hands-on experience can receive training on the materials, pilot the materials with youth, and then provide feedback on the pilot experience to the project team. Compensation is available for this time commitment and participation.
How to get involved:
• Interested community members can fill out the involvement form available on our project page. Alternatively, you can contact Sarah Angulo (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) directly to be added to our interest list.
Important 2024 dates:
• Public review of drafted materials: January through February. • Training for educators: March. • Piloting of materials with youth in Lake County: April and May. • Feedback on the pilot experience: May and June.
Join in this collaborative effort to empower the youth of Lake County with environmental education and participatory science. Your involvement can make an impact on the future health of Clear Lake and its surrounding watershed.
For further information, please contact Sarah Angulo at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Center for Community and Citizen Science, or CCSS, helps scientists, communities, and individuals collaborate on science to address environmental issues as a part of civic life. We research ways to improve scientific learning using citizen science, and broaden and improve participation in science by diverse communities.
Through our programming, we develop resources and tools to build successful citizen science programs. The CCSS is housed within the School of Education at UC Davis.
The Center for Regional Change, or CRC, is a catalyst for collaborative and action-oriented research that centers social and environmental justice.
The CRC brings together multi-disciplinary campus partners and multi-sector community partners to explore topics that transcend jurisdictional boundaries.
The CRC collaborates with partners, including youth, toward healthy, equitable, prosperous, and sustainable regions in California and beyond. The CRC is housed within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has a full house of dogs of every size and breed waiting for their new homes.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Alaskan husky, Australian cattle dog, Australian shepherd, border collie, boxer, bulldog, chihuahua, Doberman pinscher, German shepherd, hound, Labrador retriever, pit bull, Queensland heeler, Rottweiler, shepherd and terrier.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
Those dogs and the others shown on this page 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.
The shelter is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport.
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.
WillowsFoster(Yukon)
Kennel#31
Kennel#8
Kennel#7(Lexi)
SadieFoster
Kennel#5(Benji)
Kennel#3(Holly)
Kennel#10
Kennel#22
Kennel#9
Kennel#12
Kennel#13(Rex)
Kennel#29
Kennel#16(Mocha)
Kennel#4
Kennel#23
Kennel#11a
Kennel#11b
Kennel#17a
Kennel#17b
Kennel#26a
Kennel#26b
Kennel#14a
Kennel#14b
Kennel#30a
Kennel#30b
Kennel#30c
Kennel#33
CatroomA#63
CatroomA#66
CatroomA#20
Kennel#28(Rambo)
Kennel#24(Bubbles)
Kennel#25
Kennel#6
Kennel#21
Kennel#32(Luna)
Kennel#19a
Kennel#19b
Kennel#19c
Kennel#20a
Kennel#20b
Kennel#20c
Kennel#18
Scott Jasechko, University of California, Santa Barbara; Debra Perrone, University of California, Santa Barbara, and Richard Taylor, UCL
If you stand at practically any point on Earth, there is water moving through the ground beneath your feet. Groundwater provides about half of the world’s population with drinking water and nearly half of all water used to irrigate crops. It sustains rivers, lakes and wetlands during droughts.
Groundwater is a renewable resource, but it can take decades or even centuries for some aquifers to recover after they are depleted. Current understanding of this challenge is based mainly on where and how frequently people record measurements of water levels in wells.
In a newly published study, our team of data scientists, water specialists and policy experts compiled the first global-scale dataset of these levels. We analyzed millions of groundwater level measurements in 170,000 wells located in over 40 countries and mapped how groundwater levels have changed over time.
Our study has two main findings. First, we show that rapid groundwater depletion is widespread around the world and that rates of decline have accelerated in recent decades, with levels falling by 20 inches or more yearly in some locations. Second, however, our research also reveals many cases where deliberate actions halted groundwater depletion. These results show that societies are not inevitably doomed to drain their groundwater supplies, and that with timely interventions, this important resource can recover.
Portrait of a thirsty planet
Many factors determine groundwater levels, including geology, climate and land use. But groundwater levels that are dropping deeper and deeper in a particular location often signal that people are pumping it out faster than nature can replenish it.
Some of the 300 million measurements we compiled were recorded by automated measuring devices. Many others were made in the field by people around the globe. And these measurements paint a worrying picture.
They show that groundwater levels have declined since the year 2000 in far more places than they rose. In many locations, especially arid zones that are heavily farmed and irrigated, groundwater levels are falling by more than 20 inches (0.5 meters) per year. Examples include Afghanistan, Chile, China, Peninsular India, Iran, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Spain and the U.S. Southwest.
Our second and more concerning finding is that in about one-third of the areas where we compiled measurements, the rate of groundwater decline is accelerating. Accelerated groundwater decline is common in dry climates where large swaths of land are used for agriculture. This suggests a potential link between groundwater-fed irrigation and intensifying groundwater depletion.
What happens when groundwater is overused?
Rapid and accelerating groundwater-level declines have many harmful effects.
Drinking-water supplies from wells and springs can run dry when groundwater levels decline. People and communities who rely on those wells can lose access to what may be their sole source of accessible fresh water for drinking.
Farther from the coast, land subsidence can damage infrastructure. It poses a critical challenge in areas where groundwater levels have declined, including Tehran and Mexico City. In many cases, the main culprit is excessive groundwater pumping.
Finally, falling groundwater can cause seawater to move inland underground and contaminate coastal groundwater systems – a process known as seawater intrusion. When seawater intrudes, coastal aquifers can become too saline to use for drinking water without energy-intensive desalination.
How to replenish groundwater supplies
We also found places where groundwater levels are recovering. The strategies that communities used to replenish their groundwater sources included developing new alternative water supplies, such as local rivers; adopting policies to reduce demand for groundwater; and intentionally replenishing aquifers with surface water.
The town of El Dorado, Arkansas, saw its groundwater levels drop by roughly 200 feet (60 meters) from 1940 through 2000 as local industries pumped water from the aquifer. In 1999, a new policy established a pumping fee structure, giving businesses an incentive to find a new water supply. By 2005, a pipeline had been built to divert water from the Ouachita River to El Dorado. This new source reduced demand for groundwater, and groundwater levels have risen in the area since 2005.
In a valley near Tucson, Arizona, groundwater levels declined by 100 feet (30 meters) as withdrawals for irrigation increased after the 1940s. To help replenish the depleted groundwater, leaky ponds were constructed. These ponds are filled with water from the Colorado River that is moved hundreds of miles to the area via canals. As these ponds leak, they refill the depleted aquifer. Because of these leaky ponds, groundwater levels in the valley have risen by about 200 feet (60 meters) in places.
Our analysis shows how important it is to monitor groundwater levels in many locations. With groundwater levels declining in many places, communities and businesses that depend on it need accurate information about their water supplies so they can act in time to protect them.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has an additional set of dogs waiting to be adopted this week.
The Clearlake Animal Control website lists 49 adoptable dogs.
The adoptable dogs include “Flounder,” a male chihuahua-dachshund mix with a black coat.
There also is “Daisy,” a four-month-old female pit bull terrier mix with a short tan coat.
The shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, call the shelter at 707-762-6227, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
This week’s adoptable dogs are featured below.
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.