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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall meeting this month included a visit from Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-curry and discussions on community projects and board nominations.
MATH will meet Nov. 9, at the Middletown Community Center.
Aguiar-Curry gave an update on legislation and issues at the state level and her efforts to help Lake County.
The group also received an update from Community Development Director Bob Massarelli on community project, discussed the Middletown multi-use path and digital signage, and nominations for board seats were submitted for next year.
The full meeting can be seen in the video above.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Wednesday, members of the Clearlake Police Officers Association delivered Thanksgiving dinners to families in the city of Clearlake.
The Thanksgiving dinner delivery to families in need has been a tradition for the Clearlake Police Officers Association for many years, according to association President Jared Nixon.
Throughout the year, members of the police officers association meet numerous families and children who are going through difficult times, Nixon explained.
Through these contacts and assistance with community organizations, Nixon said families are chosen and contacted to receive a Thanksgiving dinner.
Nixon said this program means a lot to the Clearlake Police Officers Association and has been successful because of community support.
This year, Nixon said the association sent a special thank you to the Clearlake Safeway for its donations to, and support of, the Clearlake Police Officers Association Thanksgiving Program.
“The Clearlake Police Officers Association would also like to wish our community members a Happy Thanksgiving,” Nixon said.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This Thanksgiving season, California Water Service and Golden State Water, two of the water companies that serve portions of Lake County, once again participated in the annual “Operation Gobble” giveaway to community nonprofits.
On Wednesday morning, California Water Service’s Redwood Valley District Local Manager Darin McCosker and Superintendent Donny Breedlove visited the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, where they presented a check for $3,500 to center officials.
Lucerne Alpine Senior Center Executive Director Kent Benson said the funds will be used for building repairs, specifically, new compressors.
McCosker said the funds are meant to be used where it makes the most sense and does the most good.
Cal Water reported that through its Operation Gobble program this year it donated a total of $11,000 to the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, Redwood Empire Food Bank, West County Community Services and North Bay Fire Relief Effort through The charitable organizations provide senior services, housing, meals, rehabilitation services and more.
“We work hard to be a good neighbor and provide donations throughout the year, but Operation Gobble provides us with a chance to assist families that are struggling during the holiday season,” said McCosker. “By partnering with local organizations, we can more effectively reach and impact those who need assistance in our communities.”
Cal Water serves approximately 1,900 service connections in the Redwood Valley area and about two million people through 480,300 service connections in California.
McCosker said Operation Gobble donations come from the utility’s philanthropic giving program, not from water rates.
Companywide, $166,000 has been donated this year through the philanthropic program, McCosker said.
In Clearlake, Golden State Water partnered with members of the Clearlake City Council to distribute turkeys to local nonprofit organizations in the Northern District that serve individuals and families in need as part of its Operation Gobble outreach program, which has been a company tradition since 1990.
This year, Golden State Water reported that it distributed more than 7,700 turkeys to nonprofits serving individuals and families with limited resources.
Throughout the 27-year tradition, Golden State Water said it has donated more than 231,700 turkeys to charitable organizations through Operation Gobble.
In addition to Clearlake, Golden State Water employees delivered turkeys throughout November to community-based organizations that serve the areas of Arden Manor, Bay Point, Gold River, Rancho Cordova and Sutter County.
Organizations that benefitted from Operation Gobble donations included Rancho Cordova Community Food Locker, River City Christian, Elks Lodge #2484, Yuba-Sutter Food Bank, Alliance for Hispanic Advancement, Yuba-Sutter-Colusa United Way, Craftsmen for Christ, Marysville Mission, River Bottoms Ministry, Salvation Army Yuba-Sutter Corps, Clearlake Charities, St. Ignatius Parish, Ambrose Lions Club and CCC Café.
“We appreciate the partnerships with elected officials and community leaders to help ensure the turkeys find their way to those in our community who need them most,” said Paul Schubert, Northern District general manager for Golden State Water. “Our employees look forward to Operation Gobble every year, because they take pride in serving the community and understand how a warm holiday meal can positively impact an individual or family that is less fortunate.”
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Wednesday the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today that additional disaster assistance is available to the state of California.
The additional assistance authorizes an increase in federal funding for emergency protective measures undertaken in the state of California as a result of wildfires beginning on Oct. 8, and continuing.
Under the president’s major disaster declaration issued for the state of California on Oct. 10, federal funding was made available for public assistance, hazard mitigation, and other needs assistance at 75 percent of the total eligible costs.
Officials said that on Wednesday President Donald Trump authorized a 100-percent federal cost share for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, for a period of 30 days.
The additional assistance authorizes an increase in federal funding for emergency protective measures undertaken in the state of California as a result of wildfires beginning on Oct. 8, and continuing.
Under the president’s major disaster declaration issued for the state of California on Oct. 10, federal funding was made available for public assistance, hazard mitigation, and other needs assistance at 75 percent of the total eligible costs.
Officials said that on Wednesday President Donald Trump authorized a 100-percent federal cost share for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, for a period of 30 days.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Thanksgiving is almost here and Cal Fire is reminding Californians about the dangers that can happen in your home this holiday season.
“While we are with our family and friends, it is so important to not get distracted while cooking,” said State Fire Marshal Chief Dennis Mathisen. “On Thanksgiving day we tend to have multiple items cooking on the stove with many family members surrounding us. With that, make sure to always stand next to the oven or stove when you are cooking to avoid any accidents in the kitchen. Thanksgiving Day is one of our busier days responding to home cooking fires, and we want to reduce that number by practicing fire safety.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
“Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires, with Thanksgiving having four times the average number,” said Lynne Tolmachoff, chief of public education. “That is why it is important to always watch what you are cooking and never leave it unattended. One critical safety measure is to ensure you have working smoke alarms installed throughout your home. It’s an added measure to protect you and your family from fires in your home.”
To help reduce the chance of fire and injuries associated with holiday cooking fires, Cal Fire offers the following tips:
– Always stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen for even a short period, turn off the stove and oven.
– Regularly check on food that is simmering, baking or roasting, and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.
– Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Someone walking by is less likely to bump them or pull them over.
– Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away.
– Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
– Have activities that keep kids out of the kitchen during this busy time.
– Make sure a fire extinguisher is handy always. Never use water to put out a grease fire.
– Ensure you have working smoke alarms installed in your home.
– When using a turkey fryer, be sure to follow instructions closely. Don’t exceed the recommended oil level and only use the device outdoors!
For the cooking fire safety fact sheet, visit http://www.fire.ca.gov/.
“While we are with our family and friends, it is so important to not get distracted while cooking,” said State Fire Marshal Chief Dennis Mathisen. “On Thanksgiving day we tend to have multiple items cooking on the stove with many family members surrounding us. With that, make sure to always stand next to the oven or stove when you are cooking to avoid any accidents in the kitchen. Thanksgiving Day is one of our busier days responding to home cooking fires, and we want to reduce that number by practicing fire safety.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
“Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires, with Thanksgiving having four times the average number,” said Lynne Tolmachoff, chief of public education. “That is why it is important to always watch what you are cooking and never leave it unattended. One critical safety measure is to ensure you have working smoke alarms installed throughout your home. It’s an added measure to protect you and your family from fires in your home.”
To help reduce the chance of fire and injuries associated with holiday cooking fires, Cal Fire offers the following tips:
– Always stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen for even a short period, turn off the stove and oven.
– Regularly check on food that is simmering, baking or roasting, and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.
– Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Someone walking by is less likely to bump them or pull them over.
– Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away.
– Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
– Have activities that keep kids out of the kitchen during this busy time.
– Make sure a fire extinguisher is handy always. Never use water to put out a grease fire.
– Ensure you have working smoke alarms installed in your home.
– When using a turkey fryer, be sure to follow instructions closely. Don’t exceed the recommended oil level and only use the device outdoors!
For the cooking fire safety fact sheet, visit http://www.fire.ca.gov/.
For the first time ever astronomers have studied an asteroid that has entered the Solar System from interstellar space.
Observations from ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile and other observatories around the world show that this unique object was traveling through space for millions of years before its chance encounter with our star system.
It appears to be a dark, reddish, highly-elongated rocky or high-metal-content object. The new results appear in the journal Nature on 20 November 2017.
On Oct. 19, the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawai`i picked up a faint point of light moving across the sky. It initially looked like a typical fast-moving small asteroid, but additional observations over the next couple of days allowed its orbit to be computed fairly accurately.
The orbit calculations revealed beyond any doubt that this body did not originate from inside the Solar System, like all other asteroids or comets ever observed, but instead had come from interstellar space. Although originally classified as a comet, observations from ESO and elsewhere revealed no signs of cometary activity after it passed closest to the Sun in September 2017. The object was reclassified as an interstellar asteroid and named 1I/2017 U1, or `Oumuamua.
“We had to act quickly,” explained team member Olivier Hainaut from ESO in Garching, Germany. “`Oumuamua had already passed its closest point to the Sun and was heading back into interstellar space.”
ESO’s Very Large Telescope was immediately called into action to measure the object’s orbit, brightness and colour more accurately than smaller telescopes could achieve.
Speed was vital as `Oumuamua was rapidly fading as it headed away from the Sun and past the Earth’s orbit, on its way out of the Solar System. There were more surprises to come.
Combining the images from the FORS instrument on the VLT using four different filters with those of other large telescopes, the team of astronomers led by Karen Meech of the Institute for Astronomy in Hawai`i found that `Oumuamua varies dramatically in brightness by a factor of ten as it spins on its axis every 7.3 hours.
Meech explains the significance: “This unusually large variation in brightness means that the object is highly elongated: about ten times as long as it is wide, with a complex, convoluted shape. We also found that it has a dark red colour, similar to objects in the outer Solar System, and confirmed that it is completely inert, without the faintest hint of dust around it.”
These properties suggest that `Oumuamua is dense, possibly rocky or with high metal content, lacks significant amounts of water or ice, and that its surface is now dark and reddened due to the effects of irradiation from cosmic rays over millions of years. It is estimated to be at least 400 metres long.
Preliminary orbital calculations suggested that the object had come from the approximate direction of the bright star Vega, in the northern constellation of Lyra.
However, even travelling at a breakneck speed of about 95 000 kilometres/hour, it took so long for the interstellar object to make the journey to our Solar System that Vega was not near that position when the asteroid was there about 300 000 years ago.
`Oumuamua may well have been wandering through the Milky Way, unattached to any star system, for hundreds of millions of years before its chance encounter with the Solar System.
Astronomers estimate that an interstellar asteroid similar to `Oumuamua passes through the inner Solar System about once per year, but they are faint and hard to spot so have been missed until now. It is only recently that survey telescopes, such as Pan-STARRS, are powerful enough to have a chance to discover them.
“We are continuing to observe this unique object,” concluded Hainaut, “and we hope to more accurately pin down where it came from and where it is going next on its tour of the galaxy. And now that we have found the first interstellar rock, we are getting ready for the next ones!”