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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This is the time of year when many of us entertain thoughts of a turkey dinner with all of the trimmings.

More than likely that bird was plucked from a supermarket's freezer bin.

This turkey talk is about freezer bird's wild cousin, Meleagris gallopavo – the wild turkey.

You have, no doubt been privy to the antics of these large, ungainly, but exceedingly entertaining birds, as they are abundant in Lake County.

Our wild turkeys are native to the Americas, and it is believed that they were birds of interest to the Aztecs, who are thought to have domesticated them at about 10 BC to 10 AD.

The Aztecs made use of the meat of the bird, as well as utilizing its feathers for ceremonial garb.

The wild turkey was brought to California in the 1870s, then again in the 1920s, 1950s and again in the 1970s.

In the 1970s the (then called) Department of Fish and Game brought in turkeys from Texas, the M.gallopavo intermedia. These turkeys took a liking to their new digs in Lake County. Now estimates for wild turkeys in California exceed 240,000.

Over time wild turkey numbers fluctuate, with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, or DFW, allowing hunters to take a set number of birds each fall hunting season as game to keep the bird's population from stressing the environment.

If turkey populations are too large, they can consume more than their fair share of acorns and other foods on which ground-nesting and grassland avian species rely.

The DFW stresses the importance of not feeding wildlife in general, and wild turkeys specifically. In some locals the wild turkey can become not only a nuisance, but have been known to pester people and their property once they are acclimated to being fed.

Since wild turkeys can weigh up to 20 pounds, their droppings are messy, and more to the point, these birds can become destructive and belligerent, sometimes charging folks if they don't get their way.

To avoid problems which can occur with wild turkeys at your residence, the DFW states:

– If turkeys begin feeding under hanging bird feeders, remove the feeders until the turkeys leave the area.
– If turkeys are causing problems in your yard, install motion-detecting sprinklers.
– Wild turkeys typically will not enter yards with dogs.
– If confronted by a wild turkey that has lost its fear of humans, an open umbrella may help steer it out of your path.
– Depredation permits are required to kill wild turkeys that are causing property damage.

Wild turkey habitat includes anything from conifer forests, oak woods to fields, marshes and pastures. Being omnivores, they seek out nuts, acorns, roots, along with lizards and snakes.

Turkeys can be seen feasting on toyon and other berries as well. They are quite ungainly perching and swaying in toyon shrubs while devouring the crimson berries. Turkeys like to get their fill of toyon before robins, coyotes and bears steal them away.

It's interesting to think that if Benjamin Franklin had his say, the wild turkey would now be our national bird in lieu of the majestic bald eagle.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control this week will begin offering dogs rescued from the Sulphur fire area for adoption to the general public, along with the dogs in the general shelter population that also are waiting for new homes.

The dogs offered adoption this week – including the Sulphur fire dogs – include mixes of border collie, Chihuahua, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Lhasa Apso, pit bull, poodle, shepherd, Shih Tzu, 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.

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

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

Female pit bull mix

This female pit bull mix was found on Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake Park in the Sulphur fire area on Oct. 13.

She has a short red and white coat. She is not spayed.

She is available for adoption on Nov. 14.

She is in kennel No. 2, ID No. 8736.

Pit bull terrier

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

Shelter staff said he was tested with a female dog and got along great with her.

He is in kennel No. 3, ID No. 8817.

Labrador Retriever-poodle mix

This female cream-colored Labrador Retriever-poodle mix was found on Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake in the Sulphur fire area on Oct. 9.

She was tested with a male dog and they got along great with each other.

She is available for adoption on Nov. 14.

She is in kennel No. 4, ID No. 8694.

German Shepherd mix

This young male German Shepherd mix was found on Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake in the Sulphur fire area on Oct. 9.

He is unaltered and has a medium-length black and brown coat.

He is available for adoption on Nov. 14.

He is in kennel No. 5, ID No. 8693.

Border collie mix

This female border collie was found on Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake in the Sulphur fire area on Oct. 12.

She has a medium-length black and white coat and is not spayed.

She is available for adoption on Nov. 14.

She’s in kennel No. 8, ID No. 8730.

Lhasa Apso-Shih Tzu mix

This female Lhasa Apso-Shih Tzu has a short gray and white coat.

She came in with a white and tan female in Kennel No. 10b.

She’s in kennel No. 10a, ID No. 8821.

Lhasa Apso-Shih Tzu mix

This female Lhasa Apso-Shih Tzu has a short tan and white coat.

She came in with a female dog in kennel No. 10a.

She’s in kennel No. 10b, ID No. 8820.

‘Marley’

“Marley” is a female pit bull terrier mix with a short tan coat.

She already has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 15, ID No. 8857.

Male German Shepherd

This male German Shepherd has a medium-length tan and brown coat.

He’s in kennel No. 19, ID No. 8798.

‘Joker’

“Joker” is a male pit bull terrier with a short white coat with dark spots.

He is free to an approved applicant.

Shelter staff said he is good with dogs but needs a home with no cats. He’s very people-friendly.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 30, ID No. 8516.

Male terrier

This male terrier has a short red coat.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 31, ID No. 8842.

Pit bull terrier

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

She’s in kennel No. 34b, ID No. 8849.

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

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

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

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

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

An international team of astronomers led by Las Cumbres Observatory, or LCO, has made a bizarre discovery; a star that refuses to stop shining.

Supernovae, the explosions of stars, have been observed in the thousands and in all cases they marked the death of a star.

But in a study published today in the journal Nature, the team discovered a remarkable exception; a star that exploded multiple times over a period of more than fifty years.

Their observations, which include data from Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaii, are challenging existing theories on these cosmic catastrophes.

"The spectra we obtained at Keck Observatory showed that this supernova looked like nothing we had ever seen before. This, after discovering nearly 5,000 supernovae in the last two decades," said Peter Nugent, senior scientist and Division Deputy for Science Engagement in the Computational Research Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who co-authored the study. "While the spectra bear a resemblance to normal hydrogen-rich core-collapse supernova explosions, they grew brighter and dimmer at least five times more slowly, stretching an event which normally lasts 100 days to over two years."

Researchers used the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (LRIS) on the Keck I telescope to obtain spectrum of the star's host galaxy, and the Deep Imaging and Multi-Object Spectrograph on Keck II to obtain high-resolution spectra of the unusual star itself.

The supernova, named iPTF14hls, was discovered in September of 2014 by the Palomar Transient Factory. At the time, it looked like an ordinary supernova. Several months later, LCO astronomers noticed the supernova was growing brighter again after it had faded.

When astronomers went back and looked at archival data, they were astonished to find evidence of an explosion in 1954 at the same location. This star somehow survived that explosion and exploded again in 2014.

"This supernova breaks everything we thought we knew about how they work. It's the biggest puzzle I've encountered in almost a decade of studying stellar explosions," said lead author Iair Arcavi, a NASA Einstein postdoctoral fellow at LCO and the University of California Santa Barbara.

The study calculated that the star that exploded was at least 50 times more massive than the sun and probably much larger. Supernova iPTF14hls may have been the most massive stellar explosion ever seen. The size of this explosion could be the reason that our conventional understanding of the death of stars failed to explain this event.

Supernova iPTF14hls may be the first example of a "Pulsational Pair Instability Supernova."

"According to this theory, it is possible that this was the result of star so massive and hot that it generated antimatter in its core," said co-author Daniel Kasen, an associate professor in the Physics and Astronomy Departments at UC Berkeley and a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley Lab. "That would cause the star to go violently unstable, and undergo repeated bright eruptions over periods of years."

That process may even repeat over decades before the star's large final explosion and collapse to a black hole.

"These explosions were only expected to be seen in the early universe and should be extinct today. This is like finding a dinosaur still alive today. If you found one, you would question whether it truly was a dinosaur," said Andy Howell, leader of the LCO supernova group and co-author of the study.

Indeed, the "Pulsational Pair Instability" theory may not fully explain all the data obtained for this event. For example, the energy released by the supernova is more than the theory predicts. This supernova may be something completely new.

Astronomers continue to monitor iPTF14hls, which remains bright three years after it was discovered.

"This is one of those head-scratcher type of events," said Nugent. "At first we thought it was completely normal and boring. Then it just kept staying bright, and not changing, for month after month. Piecing it all together, from our observations at Palomar Transient Factory, Keck Observatory, LCOGT, and even the images from 1954 in the Palomar Sky Survey, has started to shed light on what this could be. I would really like to find another one like this."

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Kelseyville Unified School District has been “abuzz” with needed site upgrades and modernizations funded by the recently passed Measure U local bond.

The district board of trustees approved all bond projects and the Kelseyville Unified Master Plan/Bond project timeline.

Kelseyville Unified completed the first project in March. A decorative American-made security fence, built by Ameristar, was installed in front of the Kelseyville Elementary School. This ADA-compliant upgrade has been instrumental in helping control the foot traffic in and out of the site.

Several Kelseyville High School projects began during the 2017 summer break, including the preparations to replace seventeen aging portable classrooms.

Seven older portables were removed, and the necessary ground preparation was completed for rebuilding.

The concrete foundations and replacement of these seven classrooms are scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2018.

Additional classrooms in the main building were constructed during the summer break so everyday needs during on-site construction would not be affected.

An area was cleared and necessary ground preparation was completed to build a new 6,700-square-foot wood/metal/auto shop. The construction of the shop is scheduled to start late spring, or early summer of 2018.

Air conditioning was installed the high school gym locker rooms and main court area. This building has never had air conditioning and the staff, athletes and spectators are looking forward to a climate controlled area.

Future Improvements will be scheduled for the high school stadium, including ADA-upgrades, new grandstands, grass/turf renovations and running track improvements.

Site work is also taking place at Mountain Vista Middle School, Kelseyville Elementary School and Riviera Elementary School.

Shade structures were built at Mountain Vista Middle School over student dropoff areas and the entrances to the office and gym, to protect students and staff from the elements.

Aging portable classrooms will be renovated and replaced and the main quad area will be redesigned to better accommodate the sites needs.

The main playground area at Kelseyville Elementary School was repaved. Underground drainage was redesigned and expanded for safety to the students, and to prolong the life of the new surface.

The Mountain Vista Middle School and the Kelseyville Elementary School will be sharing a new multi-use room.

This 9,000-square-foot multi-use room will have a full-sized basketball court, oversized wooden bleachers for spectator viewing, a performance stage and accommodations to serve as a cafeteria.

Riviera Elementary School will be getting interior and exterior modernizations, and needed infrastructure improvements.

Student restrooms will be modernized and ADA-compliant powered doorways will be installed at all sites.

These are just a few of the future upgrades and modernization work that parents, students and the community can expect over the next several years at the Kelseyville Unified School District.

District Superintendent Dave McQueen is extremely excited about the opportunity to upgrade facilities to help in the education of all children in the district.

“Kelseyville Unified School District would like to thank the Kelseyville community for their passage of Measure U and their support for education. Without their support, these great improvements would not be possible,” he said.

All projects and plans approved by the Kelseyville Unified School District Board of Trustees for future bond projects can be located on the district’s Web site at www.kvusd.org.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Habitat for Humanity Lake County is accepting enrollments in its Homeownership Program and is encouraging all qualifying Sulphur fire survivors to apply.

If you were a renter and lost your home, an uninsured or underinsured homeowner and have limited rehousing resources, or are an otherwise qualified low-income family that has resided in the county for at least one year and possess a sustainable income, you are encouraged to contact the Habitat for Humanity office.

Call 707-994-1100, visit online at www.lakehabitat.org or stop by the office at 15312 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake for an intake application and appointment with the family selection staff who will be able to answer all of your questions regarding Habitat for Humanity and how the Homeownership program works.

They will guide you through the application process towards qualification and homeownership.

For those who desire to assist their friends and neighbors to get back into their homes, donations to the Habitat for Humanity Fire Rebuild Fund can be made by mail to Habitat for Humanity Lake County CA Inc., P.O. Box 1830, Lower Lake, CA 95457, in person at the office, or via PayPal.

Anyone wishing to donate buildable lots is encouraged to contact the office at 707-994-1100.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Rotary Club of Clear Lake is requesting donations of new and gently used coats, winter clothing, sleeping bags, and blankets for the Warm for the Winter program.

Specific needed items include children’s items such as socks, thermal underwear, hooded sweatshirts, gloves, beanies, raincoats, and rain boots sized toddler and up.

This program is intended to provide warm clothing and other winter necessities to those community members in need of such items.

Drop off locations are at the Clearlake Community/Senior Center at 3245 Bowers Ave. and The Meals On Wheels Thrift Store at 14773 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake.

For further information please contact Charmaine Weldon at 707-685-5438 or Joyce Overton at 707-350-2898.