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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – When you consider the span of human history, it was not too long ago at all when what is now Lake County was inhabited strictly by American Indians.
There were numerous villages, or what some anthropologists like to call “city states,” here.
The Pomo, Wappo, Miwok, Yuki and Patwin Indians lived here in Lake County for thousands of years.
Anthropologist A.L Kroeber wrote that California Indians comprised the most diverse cultural range found in what is now the United States, before being decimated by the missionaries, settlers and a host of other negative impacts.
There were different kinds of homes utilized then. At every permanent home site a sweat house could be found and a dance abode, as well.
The elders of each group, along with the small children inhabited permanent village sites. The men who hunted and fished occupied various temporary, or seasonal, villages.
Each person in the group knew his place and job. The occupation of tool-maker, or arrowhead chipper, was extremely important.
Obsidian, the volcanic glass that abounds in the unique geologic area of Mt. Konocti, a dormant volcano, provided bountiful, igneous obsidian rock that was used to form a variety of tools and arrowheads.
Borax Lake obsidian has been excavated at other archaeological sites at Indian villages throughout California, as it was a valuable trading commodity by American Indians.
This special volcanic region, now known as Clear Lake Volcanics, produced a unique translucent, gray-black to light gray-colored glass that was used for many kinds of spear tips, arrowheads and tools.
These once-valued volcanic remnants were mightily important in the Pomo and other Indian cultures. The rock was painstakingly fashioned into arrowheads, fishhooks, scrapers and tools of all description. Jasper and chert were sometimes used to fashion arrowheads and tools, as well.
Obsidian is a volcanic or igneous rock that forms when almost crystal-free magma that has flowed to earth's surface solidifies.
Not considered a true mineral, obsidian is sometimes called a mineraloid because it is glass and not crystalline.
Found worldwide where certain types of volcanic eruptions have occurred, such as in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Italy and more, obsidian is usually black but can be found in gray or, even more rare red-brown colorations.
The obsidian found here in Lake County could be found at Borax Lake, Cole Creek, Mt. Konocti and other special quarries, and was highly prized as a tool-making and trading medium.
There were times when access to a rich source of obsidian was denied by a group of Indians, for example, if there were attempts at thievery in an obsidian quarry, but it was more common for all to share and trade.
The shiny, sharp material was there for all tool makers to use to create spears, hooks, drills, arrowheads and cutting tools.
Through the study of American Indian trade routes in California, Lake County obsidian tools and obsidian cores – the unfinished piece of obsidian – have been found north and south of here, as well as in the eastern Sierra Nevada and west, to the coast regions.
Scientists learn a great deal from a tiny obsidian flake, via obsidian hydration and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, the study of the rock's hydration bands which can reveal both the age and type of obsidian and its source.
For more information on American Indian tools, visit one of our great museums, such as Ely Stage Stop in Kelseyville, Gibson Museum in Middletown, Lakeport Historic Courthouse Museum or the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum, or visit archaeologist Dr. John Parker's interesting Web site, http://wolfcreekarcheology.com/Elempoints.html .
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This week Lake County Animal Care and Control has a group of mixed breed dogs – both small and large – available to new homes.
This week’s dogs include mixes of boxer, Catahoula Leopard Dog, Chihuahua, dachshund, German Shorthaired Pointer, Labrador Retriever and pit bull.
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”).
Dachshund-Chihuahua mix
This young female dachshund-Chihuahua mix has a short black and tan coat.
She’s in kennel No. 3, ID No. 7148.
'Miles'
“Miles” is a young male pit bull terrier mix with a short brindle coat and gold eyes, and he’s a shelter favorite.
Shelter staff said he is great with other dogs and a little shy of people, but show him some kindness and he will learn to trust you. He would do great in a home with children ages 10 years old and up. He’s also OK with cats, based on an introduction with shelter kitties. He’s looking for a calm, quiet home.
She's in kennel No. 6, ID No. 6875.
‘Love’
“Love” is a male German Shorthaired Pointer mix with a short black and white coat.
Shelter staff said he is a big, young, happy, bouncy boy would will be a lot of fun for an active family that is willing to include him in their activities. He would benefit from training classes for basic manners. He does well with other dogs that tolerate his level of play, but would do best in a home with no small dogs or cats due to his size and energy level.
He’s in kennel No. 7, ID No. 7057.
Catahoula Leopard Dog
This female Catahoula Leopard Dog has a short red merle/brindle coat.
Shelter staff said she is a very sweet girl, and is very submissive with people and other dogs. She will be a great dog with a little work and someone to build her confidence. She needs an experienced dog owner or someone willing to go to training with her.
She’s in kennel No. 8, ID No. 7058.
‘Asha’
“Asha” is a female boxer-pit bull terrier mix.
She has a short brown brindle coat with white markings.
She’s in kennel No. 10, ID No. 7079.
Female pit bull terrier mix
This female pit bull terrier mix has a short white coat with black markings.
She’s in kennel No. 12, ID No. 7156.
Male pit bull terrier
This male pit bull terrier mix has a short cream-colored coat.
Shelter staff said he is an overgrown puppy that loves to play and jump around. He needs a home with a family willing to start from the beginning and teach him manners and boundaries with other dogs, sometimes he is too playful. He would do best in a home with children ages 12 and above and an experienced dog owner or someone willing to go to training with him.
He’s in kennel No. 13, ID No. 7032.
‘Daisy’
“Daisy” is a female pit bull terrier mix.
She has a short coat coat with tan markings.
She’s in kennel No. 15, ID No. 7059.
‘Trixie’
“Trixie” is a female boxer-Labrador Retriever mix.
She has a short tan coat with white markings, and has already been spayed.
Shelter staff said she is very bouncy and playful needs an energetic family that will give her lots of exercise and guidance. Trixie does well with other dogs her size that will tolerate her playfulness. She would do best in a home with no small dogs, cats or livestock,and has great manners.
She’s in kennel No. 17, ID No. 7036.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
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
The first to map active lava flows from space.
The first to measure a facility’s methane leak from space.
The first to track re-growth in a partially logged Amazon forest from space.
After 17 years in orbit, one of NASA’s pathfinder Earth satellites for testing new satellite technologies and concepts comes to an end on March 30, 2017.
The Earth Observing-1, or EO-1, satellite will be powered off on that date but will not enter Earth’s atmosphere until 2056.
Launched on Nov. 21, 2000, EO-1 was designed as a technology validation mission focused on testing cutting-edge satellite and instrument technologies that could be incorporated into future missions.
Commissioned as part of NASA’s New Millennium Program, the satellite was part of a series of missions that were developed at a cheaper price tag to test new technologies and concepts that had never been flown before.
“EO-1 has changed the way spectral Earth measurements are being made and used by the science community,” said Betsy Middleton, EO-1’s Project Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
EO-1 was launched with 13 new technologies, including three new instruments.
EO-1’s most important technology goal was to validate the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) for future Earth-observing satellites.
The ALI provided a variety of Earth data including observations of forest cover, crops, coastal waters and aerosols.
The ALI’s instrument design and onboard technology directly shaped the design of the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8, currently in orbit.
EO-1’s other key instrument is a hyperspectral instrument called Hyperion that allows scientists to see chemical constituents of Earth’s surface in fine detail with hundreds of wavelengths.
These data allow scientists to identify specific minerals, track vegetation type and vigor of forests and monitor volcanic activity.
The knowledge acquired and technology developed from Hyperion is being incorporated into a NASA concept for a potential future hyperspectral satellite, the Hyperspectral Infrared Imager, that will study the world’s ecosystems, such as identifying different types of plants and assessing wildfires and droughts.
With both of these instruments, the EO-1 team was able to acquire images with high spatial resolution of events and natural disasters around the world for anyone who requested it.
The EO-1 team could point the instruments at any specific location and gather images every two to five days of a particular spot, which was very useful for scientists as well as disaster relief managers trying to stay informed of rapidly changing events. (Landsat typically looks at the same area once every 16 days.)
EO-1 captured scenes such as the ash after the World Trade Center attacks, the flooding in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, volcanic eruptions and a large methane leak in Southern California.
EO-1 also served as a valuable pathfinder for a variety of space technologies. Technologists installed and tested autonomy software on EO-1 that allowed the satellite to make its own decisions based on the content of the data it collected.
For instance, if a scientist instructed EO-1 to take a picture of an area where a volcano was currently erupting, the software could decide to automatically take a follow-up image the next time it passed over the location.
The mission also validated software that allowed “formation flying” that kept EO-1 orbiting Earth exactly one minute behind the Landsat-7 satellite, already in orbit. The original purpose was to validate the new ALI technologies for use in Landsat 8, which was accomplished.
EO-1 was originally only supposed to last one year, but after that initial mission, the satellite had no major issues or breakdowns.
On a shoestring budget contributed by NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Reconnaissance Office and Naval Research Laboratory, the satellite continued to operate for 16 more years, resulting in more than 1,500 papers published on EO-1 research.
On March 30, 2017, the satellite will be decommissioned, drained of its energy and become inert. Without enough fuel to keep EO-1 in its current orbit, the mission team will shut down the satellite and wait for it to return to Earth.
When EO-1 does reenter the earth’s atmosphere in about 39 years, it is estimated that all the components will burn up in the atmosphere.
“We’ll probably just see EO-1 as a streak in the sky as it disintegrates,” said Middleton.
For more information about EO-1 visit https://eo1.gsfc.nasa.gov/ or https://eospso.nasa.gov/missions/earth-observing-1 .
Kasha Patel works for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
KONG: SKULL ISLAND (Rated PG-13)
The fact that the producers behind the 2014 “Godzilla” film re-imagined the origins of the one of the most powerful monster myths of all in “Kong: Skull Island” is an important enough reason to stay for the end credits.
From the old Fay Wray 1933 classic to more recent outings, the legend of King Kong has held sway over the public imagination. “Kong: Skull Island” may fascinate more for its special effects than the human drama behind an expedition team.
At the film’s opening, Skull Island is seen as a forbidden place in the South Pacific when World War II jet pilots crash and an American and Japanese survivor face-off on a cliff when the giant beast appears.
Fast forward to the end of the Vietnam War in 1973 to find American explorer Bill Randa (John Goodman) hustling the halls of Congress to fund an exploration of the South Pacific island shrouded in clouds and powerful storms.
As soldiers shut down in Vietnam, Lt. Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), an alpha male with a trigger finger, is looking for his next wartime adventure, and Randa easily convinces him to run a squadron of helicopters over to Skull Island.
The team of soldiers, scientists and researchers is not warmly greeted by Kong, as he swaps the choppers out of the sky as if he were brushing aside annoying insects. The survivors of this mission must then face the treacherous jungle terrain.
Former British operative Captain James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) is on board as an expert tracker, yet he clashes with Packard’s gung-ho style. Wartime photojournalist Mason Weaver (Brie Larson) also can’t resist an adventure as dangerous as the battlefields.
The most interesting discovery, aside from giant lizards and spiders, is that of World War II fighter pilot Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly), who has been living with a mute indigenous tribe that views Kong not only as a god but the savior of their existence from external forces.
Marlow has been living with the tribe for 28 years and he’s not only desperate to reunite with his wife and the son he has never met in Chicago, but also to find out if his beloved Chicago Cubs ever won a World Series, an event that still remained far off in 1973.
In a fleeting homage to previous “Kong” films, there’s a brief “beauty and the beast” moment when Kong holds Mason in his giant paw after rescuing her from drowning. Other than that tender moment, this “Kong” is all about the action.
Protector of his domain, Kong displays, through terrific special effects, his physical process in fierce combat with prehistoric beasts. It’s all a warm-up for the battle with Godzilla yet to come. All in all, “Kong: Skull Island” is a greatly enjoyable action romp.
TV Corner: ‘Trial & Error’ on NBC Network
John Lithgow, an actor of wide-ranging talent in television and movies and on the stage, is a known quantity who can be a draw for the new comedy series “Trial & Error” on the NBC network.
Playing an eccentric character is not a stretch for a man of Lithgow’s aptitude, and thus his new role of daffy poetry professor Larry Henderson in a small South Carolina town is an easy fit.
As the show’s title may inform, Larry’s predicament is that he’s been accused of murdering his beloved wife, and his family decides to hire what they euphemistically refer to as a “Northeastern lawyer” for defense counsel.
Arriving on the scene in this tiny Southern town is not exactly the high-powered attorney the family expected. Instead, the arrival of bright-eyed but untested New York associate Josh Segal (Nicholas D’Agosta) sets the stage for fish-out-water comedy.
Spoofing any number of crime shows littering the television landscape, “Trial & Error” is filmed in the spirit of a true crime documentary, where we are exposed to the inner workings of the defense team going up against a youthful, but determined prosecutor.
Joining Josh on the defense team is the bumbling lead investigator Dwayne (Stephen Boyer) and office manager Anne Flatch (Sherri Shepherd), who suffers from “facial blindness,” a disability that keeps her from recognizing anyone she already knows.
Settling into his makeshift office behind a taxidermy shop with his quirky team of local misfits, Josh suspects that winning his first big case will be made difficult for a variety of reasons, not the least of them being how his client always makes himself look guilty.
During the winter TV press tour, Lithgow summed up the essence of his strange character in a way that makes complete sense. He referred to Larry as “completely unedited” and having “no sense of priority or proportion.”
Larry is so out-of-touch that during his 911 emergency call upon discovering his wife’s bloody corpse in their home he interrupts the operator to connect with the cable guy to arrange a long-awaited service appointment.
Whether the essential joke of “Trial & Error” can hold up for a series run may depend on John Lithgow’s ability to sustain the comedy, a mission for which he is certainly capable.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Ginny Craven, Operation Tango Mike founder, spoke to Lake County Republican Women, Federated, or LCRWF, on March 8 at the group’s meeting at Howard's Grotto in Clearlake.
A very interested membership learned a great deal about the organization, now in its 14th year.
Initially Operation Tango Mike started in Craven's kitchen as she prepared support packages for a military friend. He was so grateful for his package, and seeing no one was supporting his buddy, asked if someone could send his buddy a package.
From there, with Craven's organizational expertise, Operation Tango Mike has grown to have sent 19,000 packages to our Lake County overseas military.
At this time each package costs $17.35 to ship and is delivered within one month of leaving Lake County, not randomly, but to the individual to whom it is addressed.
A troop wish list was distributed. Would you have thought one-gallon plastic bags would be on the list?
Craven left her audience much wiser about the great work being done and in a position to encourage others to become involved. Visit the Operation Tango Mike Web site at www.operationtangemike.com .
Two very supportive businesses in Lake County are Umpqua Bank in Lakeport, where items can be contributed and where packaging takes place monthly, and Red and White Grocery in Clearlake Oaks, where there is an in-store donation barrel. People can find donation barrels at other locations throughout the county.
“Thoughts from a Legal Immigrant,” a letter from a member's former colleague, also was presented at the meeting.
The author, born in England, now a retired electrical engineer, worked in the Middle East for many years prior to becoming a U.S. citizen legally. Today, he still has many friends in the Middle East.
A small portion of the letter on becoming a citizen follows:
“I jumped through the necessary hoops to complete the relevant requirements, I have paid my taxes and I hope have contributed to the country in some way... Having done that, I do find it, let's say, ‘disrespectful’ to then see active encouragement for illegal immigration by attempting to circumvent the law with such things as ‘sanctuary cities,’ etc. Surely ‘illegal’ is ‘illegal’ whether it is associated to drugs, sex acts with minors, dangerous driving, etc., and I don't see why when ‘illegal’ is attached to ‘immigration,’ the word suddenly takes on a different meaning. So if someone is here illegally, irrespective of where they originated or the reason why they have come, they are breaking the law and the law should apply to them just as it does for any other illegal activity.”
The letter contained much more relevant to what is happening in our country today. Viewing the reaction of the membership, his words rang true.
The meeting closed with all attendees signing a letter to President Donald J. Trump. The letter, posted immediately, stated:
“On Feb. 28, our members listened carefully to your speech to the joint session of Congress and the American people. We stand behind you and for you in everything you covered in your speech, as should all Americans, no matter what their political affiliation might be.”
LCRWF will hold its next meeting on April 12. Anyone interested in joining LCRWF is invited to come to the luncheon.
The organization is encouraging past members to rejoin and is seeking new members to join this active group. For reservation and membership information contact Marcia Chauvin at 707-994-3543.
Leona M. Butts is a member of Lake County Republican Women, Federated.
COBB, Calif. – The Lake Family Resource Center will host two upcoming community socials in Cobb and Middletown.
The first social will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at Cobb Elementary School, at 15895 Highway 175.
The event will feature free family fun, including a nutritious meal, games and an “open mic.”
On the following Monday, March 27, from 5 to 7 p.m., another community social will be presented at the Middletown Methodist Church at 15833 Armstrong St.