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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As winter gives way to spring, March shows us the greatest number of bright stars in the sky.
It’s time for a bright star tour!
The brightness of a star is measured by its magnitude. Magnitude is a scale. The lower the number on the scale, the brighter the object.
Very bright objects, such as the Sun and the Moon, register -26 and -12.5 on the scale, respectively.
Out of the 22 brightest stars in the sky, this month has nine of them. They are shown on our star chart.
Sirius is the brightest star in the sky at magnitude -1.46. It’s in the constellation Canis Major, the Big Dog.
Capella is the next brightest at magnitude 0.08.
The remaining stars are Rigel (0.12), Procyon (0.38), Betelgeuse (0.5) Aldebaran (0.85), Pollux (1.14), Regulus (1.35) and Castor (1.57).
What makes one star brighter than another? It’s a combination of the star’s age, size and how far away it is.
Sirius, the brightest star, is relatively small, but is young and close (8.6 light years).
In contrast, Betelgeuse is old, far away (520 light years) and huge (700 million miles in diameter).
John Zimmerman is a resident of Lake County and has been an amateur astronomer for more than 50 years. For more information about Astronomy and local resources, visit his website at www.lakecountyskies.com .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In researching what is believed to be a historic sawmill site near my home I came across information on the subject of sawmills by past Lake County historian, Henry Mauldin, and through Donald M. Griner’s book available at both the Lakeport Museum and Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum, entitled “Early Saw Mills of Northern Lake County.”
People have relied on wood for thousands of years for homes, tools, and a myriad of other uses, albeit not to the large, and often irresponsible scale that came about during and since the Industrial Revolution in our country.
Before we understood the repercussions and consequences of logging, pioneers here in Lake County were considered as brave souls for taking on some of the most dangerous work around.
They typically lived in logging camps, enduring all manner of weather and labored long hours each day.
Because of the dangers involved in the occupation, many songs and stories were produced in the style of Paul Bunyan and Babe the giant blue ox.
According to the “History of Lake County 1881,” there were five sawmills in our county in 1868, nine mills in 1873 and three by the time 1880 rolled around.
They were powered both by water and steam. The mills relying on water for power had to depend on the stream flow, as large water wheels constructed of wood turned to produce power. Years when drought or freezing conditions occurred had a definite impact on their businesses.
One has to admire the ingenuity and tenacity that was necessary to run a sawmill in the 19th century.
For example, the Pine Mountain Mill built by J. Bateman and M. N. Young in 1865 on Bartlett Mountain, and sold a year later to H.A. Humphrey, was located in such rugged terrain that the ox teams were unable to handle dragging the logs.
Humphrey decided that if he couldn’t get the logs to the mill site, then he would move the mill site to the logs! Can you imagine transporting heavy equipment up to the mountaintop? The old steam threshing machine was, at last, relocated up the hill!
Pine Mountain Mill was later sold to the first sheriff of Lake County, M. H. Manlove, who in turn moved it to Saw Mill Flat.
Manlove devised a way for sawed lumber to be transported by lumber wagons to Lucerne and down to Clear Lake where it was loaded on barges and sent to its destination, often Lakeport.
As difficult as it must have been to secure the equipment and manpower for the milling ventures back then one can only imagine the hardships endured by the employee’s families who were homesteading in the mountains.
Despite the hardships, a school called Mountain Mill opened in 1885 on Snow Mountain. Unfortunately the school building was crushed in 1890 by heavy snowfall, which also destroyed two nearby mills.
Today, lumber is still in high demand. In times of prosperity people want new homes, and, conversely, after natural disasters like fire or floods, a need is also created for wood.
Logging remains a controversial subject as the precious state’s redwood trees and our own local forests remain threatened.
Hats off to the Lake County Land Trust and their long, hard work in saving the Black Forest of Mount Konocti!
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an 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.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The “Coffee with a Cop” made its local debut in Middletown this past week.
The California Highway Patrol held the event at the Cowpoke Café on Wednesday as part of an effort to increase its outreach to the community.
In addition to several CHP officers, Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin joined the morning event.
A video wrap up of the event can be seen above.
Officer Kory Reynolds said the CHP will host its next “Coffee with a Cop” event on April 21 at Suzie Q's donut shop in Lakeport.
The Clearlake Police Department also will host its own event on March 25 at Main Street Bar & Grill.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – It's a shelter full of cool dogs of varied breeds at Lake County Animal Care and Control this week.
This available dogs include mixes of cairn terrier, cattle dog, Chihuahua, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, terrier 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.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .
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”).
Cattle dog mix pup
This cattle dog mix pup has a mottled black and white coat.
He's in kennel No. 2a, ID No. 4429.
Cattle dog mix pup
This cattle dog mix pup has a white and tan mottled coat.
He's in kennel No. 2b, ID No. 4430.
'Leah'
“Leah” is a sweet girl pit bull terrier mix with a short tan and white coat.
She's in kennel No. 3, ID No. 4513.
'Mom'
“Mom” is a female cattle dog mix with a short black and white mottled coat.
She's very sweet, quick to learn, and good with other dogs and cats. Her puppies are in kennel No. 2.
She's in kennel No. 4, ID No. 4428.
Chihuahua-terrier mix
This male Chihuahua-terrier mix has a short brown and white coat.
Shelter staff said he already is neutered so he will be available for adoption at a lower fee.
He's in kennel No. 7, ID No. 4272.
'Monkey'
“Monkey” is a male pit bull terrier with a gray and white coat.
Shelter staff describes him as an adorable and wiggly love bug. He's very friendly and loves to play.
He's in kennel No. 9, ID No. 4498.
Male German Shepherd
This handsome male German Shepherd has a short tan and black coat.
He's friendly and likes to play.
He's in kennel No. 10, ID No. 4514.
'Peabody'
“Peabody” is a cairn terrier with a medium-length tan coat.
He's in kennel No. 11, ID No. 4502.
Female pit bull
This female pit bull terrier mix has a short brown brindle coat.
She's in kennel No. 13a, ID No. 4515.
Female shepherd mix
This female shepherd mix has a short tan and black coat.
She's in kennel No. 13b, ID No. 4516.
Labrador Retriever-pit bull mix
This female Labrador Retriever-pit bull mix has a black coat with white markings.
She has a sweet personality, according to shelter staff.
She's in kennel No. 15, ID No. 4486.
Male Chihuahua mix
This male Chihuahua mix has a short tan coat.
He's in kennel No. 17, ID No. 4466.
Male terrier mix
This male terrier mix has a medium-length tan coat.
He's in kennel No. 18, ID No. 4522.
Male pit bull terrier mix
This male pit bull terrier mix has a short gray and white coat.
He is energetic and likes to play.
He's in kennel No. 21, ID No. 4432.
'Buddy'
“Buddy” is a handsome male shepherd-pit bull terrier mix with a short tricolor coat.
Shelter staff said he would do great in a home without livestock.
He's in kennel No. 22, ID No. 4487.
Male Doberman Pinscher
This male Doberman Pinscher has a short brown coat with tan markings.
He is a mellow dog, well-trained and well-behaved.
He's in kennel No. 23, ID No. 4461.
Male shepherd mix
This male shepherd mix has a short light brown coat.
He's in kennel No. 24, ID No. 4525.
Labrador Retriever puppy
This male Labrador Retriever mix puppy has a short black coat with white markings.
He's in kennel No. 28, ID No. 4423.
Female pit bull mix
This female pit bull mix has a short brown brindle coat with white markings.
She loves cuddles and attention, and does very cute play bows, enjoys playing and is great with other dogs.
She's in kennel No. 29, ID No. 4337.
Chihuahua mix
This male Chihuahua mix has a short tricolor coat.
He same in as a stray and is now looking for his new family.
He's in kennel No. 30, ID No. 4475.
Chihuahua mix
This male Chihuahua mix has a short brown coat.
He's in kennel No. 31, ID No. 4488.
Pit bull-shepherd mix
This male pit bull-shepherd mix has a short tan and white coat.
He's in kennel No. 34, ID No. 4508.
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
Our solar system contains one massive object – the sun – and many smaller planets and asteroids.
Now researchers from Duke University in Durham, N.C. have proposed a new explanation for the size diversity, which is found throughout the universe and is called hierarchy.
Adrian Bejan, the J.A. Jones Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Duke University, says there's a very good reason why objects in the universe come in a wide variety of sizes, from the largest stars to the smallest dust motes – and it has a lot to do with how paint cracks when it dries.
In a paper published March 1 in the Journal of Applied Physics, Bejan explains how the need to release internal tension shaped the universe as we see it.
"Since the 1700s scientists have known that gravity causes objects in the universe to get bigger, but the phenomenon of growth does not explain the hierarchy," said Bejan. "To my huge surprise this question has been overlooked."
Though unknowably large and spread out, the very early universe can be thought of as a finite volume of suspended particles.
And because every object in the universe exerts a gravitational force on every other object in the universe, this volume was in internal tension.
It was only a matter of time before particles began coming together to form larger objects. But why did they come together to form objects in such a wide variety of sizes, rather than in a uniform manner?
"We know from common experiences that things in volumetric tension crack, and they crack instantly everywhere," said Bejan. "The easiest example is paint drying on a wall. As it dries, it shrinks, putting the entire system in tension. Then boom, it suddenly cracks overnight, relieving the tension. And the design responsible for that relief is hierarchical, meaning few large and many small."
According to Bejan – whose specialty is thermodynamic – this pattern of relief follows the constructal law, which he penned in 1996.
The constructal law states that any flowing system allowed to change freely over time will trend toward an easier flowing architecture (see http://us.macmillan.com/thephysicsoflife/adrianbejan ).
For rivers, roots and vascular systems, this means a few large channels carry massive flows to numerous smaller branches for evacuation.
For a young universe with particles pulling every which way, this means its internal tension released in the fastest way possible.
Bejan had already applied the law of evolution to explain the shape of snowflakes, river basins, lungs and even airplanes, when a conversation with an undergraduate student prompted him to consider how the constructal law would manifest itself in the cosmos.
"This is my first trespass into planetary science," he said.
Bejan and his student, Russell Wagstaff, started by calculating the tension caused by gravitational attraction between bodies of the same size, uniformly distributed in space.
They showed that if the bodies coalesce into some large bodies and some small bodies, the tension is reduced faster than if the bodies merged uniformly.
In a series of thought experiments and simple physics equations, Bejan's paper shows that the fastest way for the tension to be released was through the formation of bodies in a hierarchy.
That is, he demonstrates that if all bodies formed were of the same size, the tension would not be released as affectively as when a few large bodies were formed along with many smaller bodies.
Just like the cracks in the paint.
"The discovery is that hierarchy 'snaps' from the very beginning, spontaneously," Bejan said. The break-up of the uniform suspension of bodies into a few large and many small bodies occurs because it's the fastest way to ease the internal tension caused by gravity, he said.
The natural tendency of a system to evolve toward a state of reduced tension is a manifestation of the constructal law, Bejan said, and can be seen in other phenomena, such as soil cracking under a drying wind. "The working title for our paper was actually 'The Universe as Cracked Mud,'" he said.
"All volumetric cracking is hierarchical. You never see uniform cracking or shattering," said Bejan. "In celestial mechanics, there is this very old idea that bodies coalesce and grow due to gravity, which is of course correct. Growth is one thing, but growing hierarchically rather than all in the same size is another, which is called nature."
Bejan said he hopes the application of the constructal law to the cosmological scale will inspire other researchers to consider how the law could be applied in their own fields.
"I never thought I would have anything to say about celestial bodies in pure physics, but by chance I realized I have a key to open a new door," he said. "Everything has evolution and the constructal law can help predict it. The plan is to keep exploring."
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Saturday's storm has resulted in thousands of Lake County residents being without power temporarily, but by the evening many of them had the power back on.
Pacific Gas and Electric has been working to get power restored throughout the day as the storm situation has continued.
The wet and windy weather system has been hitting customers across PG&E's service area, said company spokeswoman Megan McFarland.
In addition to Lake County, outages were reported across the North Coast and Bay Area, according to PG&E's online outage center.
McFarland said a number of storm-related outages in the Lakeport and Kelseyville areas began at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
As of about 6:30 p.m. Saturday, McFarland said 33 Kelseyville customers were still waiting to have power restored, with no estimated time for restoration. That was down from more than 1,800 customers who initially had been impacted.
In Lakeport, a total of 2,150 customers had been impacted, but power was restored to them by 4:50 p.m., McFarland said.
In Finley, 270 customers had power restored and a smaller outage on Cobb also had been resolved, McFarland added.
With the continuing storms, there are expectations of more potential outages caused by falling trees, McFarland said.
She said anyone who sees power lines down should assume they are live and dangerous, and call 911 or the PG&E Customer Service Center at 800-743-5000.
Email Elizabeth Larson at