An artist’s rendition of NASA’s Lucy mission, the first to explore the Trojan asteroids. Image courtesy of NASA. In the 1970s four spacecraft began their one-way trips out of our Solar System. As the first human-built objects to ever venture into interstellar space, NASA chose to place plaques on Pioneer 10 and 11 and golden records on Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft to serve as messages to any alien spacefarers that may someday encounter these spacecraft.
Continuing this legacy, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft will carry a similar plaque.
However, because Lucy will not be venturing outside of our Solar System, Lucy’s plaque is a time-capsule featuring messages to our descendants.
As the first-ever mission to the Trojan asteroids, Lucy will survey this enigmatic population of small bodies that orbit the Sun beyond the main asteroid belt — trapped by Jupiter and the Sun so that they have led and followed Jupiter in its orbit.
As these never before explored asteroids are in many ways “fossils” from the formation and evolution of the planets, the Lucy spacecraft is named in honor of the fossilized human ancestor discovered the year after Pioneer 11 began its journey out of the Solar System.
Lucy’s name was inspired by the Beatles’ song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”
After Lucy finishes visiting a record number of asteroids for a single mission in 2033 (eight asteroids on six independent orbits around the Sun) the Lucy spacecraft will continue to travel between the Trojan asteroids and the orbit of the Earth for at least hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years.
It is easy to imagine that someday in the distant future our descendants will find Lucy floating among the planets.
Therefore, the Lucy team chose to put a time-capsule aboard the Lucy spacecraft in the form of a plaque, messages this time not for unknown aliens, but for those that will come after us.
The plaque was installed on the spacecraft in a ceremony at Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, on July 9.
This time-capsule contains messages from prominent members of our society; individuals who have asked us to contemplate the state of the human condition as well as our place in the universe.
These thoughtful leaders were asked to provide words of advice, words of wisdom, words of joy, and words of inspiration to those who may read this plaque in the distant future.
These messages were solicited from Nobel Laureates in literature, United States Poet Laureates, and other inspirational figures including the members of the band that indirectly inspired the Lucy mission’s name.
To date this time-capsule, the plaque also includes a depiction of the Solar System on the day of Lucy’s anticipated launch of Oct. 16.
The original trajectory of the Lucy spacecraft, traveling between the Trojan swarms and the Earth’s orbit, is shown as well.
NASA places this plaque with the hope that space exploration continues and someday astro-archeologists may travel among the planets and retrieve this spacecraft as an artifact of the early days when humanity took its first steps to explore our Solar System.
Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado is the principal investigator institution. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland provides overall mission management, systems engineering and safety and mission assurance. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado is building the spacecraft.
Lucy is the 13th mission in NASA’s Discovery Program. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Discovery Program for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council has given the go-ahead for the sale of city-owned property that’s proposed to be used to build the city’s newest — and largest — hotel.
In a unanimous vote, the council on Thursday evening approved a proposal to sell a 2.5-acre parcel to MLI Associates LLC for the development of a 75-room Fairfield Inn by Marriott.
MLI Associates also is considering adding a small conference center and possibly some retail to the plan, according to City Manager Alan Flora.
The property is located at 6356 Armijo Ave. and is a portion of the city’s former Pearce Field airport site. Flora said the site is on the far northern part of the property, at the end of what was once the runway.
The sale price is $305,000, with the city to hold the note during the construction process. The proposal calls for the city to forgive portions of the note if the company meets specific deadlines.
Flora went over the deadlines, explaining that the first one is 14 months after closing, when the company needs to complete the process of getting all of the necessary entitlements.
At the 20-month mark, MLI Associates must begin construction, he said. The new hotel is proposed to be opened within 36 months of the closing of the sale.
If each deadline is met, Flora said the remaining payment on the note would be forgiven.
It’s the first tangible project at the airport site, so there is increased risk to the developer, said Flora, adding there are other projects the city is excited about that staff will be bringing to the council soon.
Flora said the plan includes the city installing road and utility infrastructure at the site, which over the years the city has attempted to market for a shopping center.
MLI Associates owner Matt Patel attended the meeting via Zoom.
“It’s been a pleasure working with Alan and the rest of the team over the last few months,” Patel said.
He said Marriott has approved the site for the hotel project.
Patel said he’s looking forward to developing the hotel and having a long-term relationship with the city.
He said he’s working with local companies and individuals on the project, including Bridges Construction.
During public comment, City Clerk Melissa Swanson read an email from a community member questioning the sales price and the process.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton said many cities give away property for development if it will provide taxes and jobs, and Flora also noted that the property has been for sale “for way too long.”
Flora said the existing parcel is 200 feet wide and the Fairfield Inn plan requires a 240-foot-wide parcel. There are paper roads on both sides of the site, so the agreements with MLI Associations envision the city abandoning those rights of way. There will be a public hearing in the future to finalize the road abandonment.
Councilman Russ Cremer moved to approve the agreement, with Overton seconding and the council voting 5-0.
A ‘significant’ addition
There are more than 1,100 Fairfield Inns in the United States, with nearly 70 in California, according to the company’s website.
Flora told Lake County News that the new hotel project will be a “significant” addition to the city’s hotel inventory.
“Some of the existing hotels are very dated with a lot of travelers choosing to stay in other locations around the county. Lake County in general has a deficit of quality rooms,” Flora said.
Flora said the city of Clearlake has five properties that are considered hotels, and a total of 12 properties that currently offer lodging, including campgrounds, vacation rentals and hotels.
Flora said he didn’t have a total number of rooms that he trusts very much, but he estimated the total number of rooms in the city now is at about 150, with the Best Western having the most at 68.
A year ago this month, the city had begun negotiations with King Management over the Armijo Avenue site and later entered negotiations with the firm for a hotel development on a portion of Redbud Park that’s currently the site of the ball fields, which the city plans to move to a newly purchased property on Burns Valley Road behind Safeway.
In January, the council approved extending the negotiations.
Flora said MLI Associates is a completely different company than King Management.
“King was interested in the airport as well as Redbud, but MLI was willing to do the airport much more quickly,” he said.
“The Redbud project is moving very slowly, but we still hope to keep that deal alive too. We have other folks that are interested if King doesn’t come through. There are a couple of legal things we are working through at Redbud in order to finalize a deal,” Flora said.
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.
Exceptional heat waves from coast to coast helped push June 2021 to the No. 1 spot on the list of hottest Junes on record for the U.S.
The first six months of 2021 also brought eight billion-dollar weather disasters, ranging from destructive severe weather to a historic deep freeze, according to experts from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.
Below are more highlights from NOAA's U.S. monthly climate report for June:
Climate by the numbers
June 2021
The average June temperature across the contiguous U.S. was 72.6 degrees F (4.2 degrees above average), making it the hottest June in 127 years of record keeping and surpassing the record set in June 2016 by 0.9 of a degree.
Eight states — Arizona, California, Idaho, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Utah — also saw their hottest June on record. Six other states — Connecticut, Maine, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming — marked their 2nd hottest June.
The average June precipitation across the U.S. was 2.93 inches, matching exactly the historical average for the month, though some states had extremes in rainfall — either too much or too little. For example, South Dakota saw its driest June on record while Mississippi had its second wettest.
Year to date, January through June 2021
The year-to-date, or YTD, average temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 49.3 degrees F, (1.7 degrees above the 20th-century average) and placed in the warmest third of the record. Maine saw its third-warmest YTD, and both California and New Hampshire had their fifth warmest.
The precipitation total was 14.64 inches, 0.67 of an inch below average, which ranked in the driest-third YTD on record. Nine states across the interior West, northern Plains and New England logged a top-10 driest YTD on record.
A U.S. map plotted with 8 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters that occurred in the first six months of 2021.
Billion-dollar disasters to date
The U.S. experienced eight weather and climate disasters in the first six months of 2021, each with losses exceeding $1 billion. They were:
— 4 severe storms including tornadoes, hail and high wind damage; — 2 flooding events; — 1 winter storm with a deep freeze; and — 1 heat wave-influenced drought.
The costliest event so far was the February 10-19 winter storm and cold wave that incurred direct losses of approximately $20 billion. The next costliest was the severe weather outbreak of April 27-28 in Texas and Oklahoma that caused $2.4 billion in damages.
The 2021 YTD inflation-adjusted losses from all eight disasters were also at a near-record high for the first six months and came in at nearly $30 billion – only behind 2011.
The U.S. has experienced 298 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2021). The total cost of these 298 events exceeds $1.975 trillion.
Other notable climate events
— Claudette battered the South: Tropical Storm Claudette formed on June 19 and brought heavy rainfall and flash flooding to the South, causing at least 13 deaths. Tornadoes spawned by Claudette also brought significant damage to parts of the region.
— The nation’s drought intensified: According to the June 29 U.S. Drought Monitor report, a little more than 47% of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, up from nearly 44% at the beginning of June. Drought intensified or expanded across portions of the West, northern and central Plains, Midwest, New England and Hawaii. Drought improved across the Carolinas, Virginia and Puerto Rico.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control continues to have a big selection of adoptable dogs.
The newest dog is at the top.
“Tinsel.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Tinsel’
“Tinsel” is a female American pit bull terrier mix with a short brindle and brown coat.
She is dog No. 4433.
“Bear.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short brown coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 3476.
“Cleo.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Cleo’
“Cleo” is a female Doberman pinscher mix with a short gray coat who is new to the shelter.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 4865.
“Dusty.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Dusty’
“Dusty” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier with a tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 4750.
“Girly.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Girly’
“Girly” is a senior female Chihuahua mix.
She has a short tan coat.
Girly is house-trained.
She is dog No. 4940.
“Gizmo.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Gizmo’
“Gizmo” is a senior male Chihuahua mix with a short tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 4902.
“Ike.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Ike’
“Ike” is a senior male Chihuahua.
He has a short tan coat.
He is dog No. 4942.
“Jake.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Jake’
“Jake” is a senior male Chihuahua mix.
He has a short tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 4941.
“Lucky.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Lucky’
“Lucky” is a male Labrador retriever mix with a short yellow coat.
He is dog No. 4908.
“Mara.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Mara’
“Mara” is a female Rottweiler mix.
She has a short black and tan coat.
He is house-trained.
She is dog No. 4628.
“Mary J.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Mary J’
“Mary J” is a female pit bull terrier mix.
She has a white and tan coat.
She is house-trained.
She is dog No. 4927.
“Mitzy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Mitzy’
“Mitzy” is a female shepherd mix with a medium-length black and white coat.
She is dog No. 4648.
“Mojo.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Mojo’
“Mojo” is a male Chihuahua mix with a short black and tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 4881.
“Oakley.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Oakley’
“Oakley” is a male pit bull terrier mix.
He has a short red and white coat.
He is dog No. 4934.
“Patches.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Patches’
“Patches” is a male Chihuahua mix with a short tricolor coat.
He is dog No. 4903.
“Sassy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Sassy’
“Sassy” is a female American bully mix with a short black coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 4602.
“Tanisha.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Tanisha’
“Tanisha” is a female shepherd mix with a short orange and white coat.
She is dog No. 4647.
“Terry.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Terry’
“Terry” is a male Dutch shepherd mix with a smooth brindle coat.
He is dog No. 4880.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
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.
Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) announced Thursday that AB 156, the Broadband Budget Bill, passed the Assembly with a 78-0, bipartisan vote.
The bill later passed the State Senate by 39-0 margin.
Aguiar-Curry was a member of the Assembly negotiating team that reached the deal with Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Senate on the package.
AB 156 revolutionizes the state’s broadband deployment program under the California Advanced Services Fund Program, and provides new and increased funding to bring California into the technological 21st century.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the massive gaps in internet connectivity at sufficient speeds for too many Californians.
As more Californians have struggled to conduct distance learning, virtual work, access telehealth services, and safeguard small business participation in the virtual marketplace, the need to connect the state at sufficient speeds with adaptable technology has reached crisis proportion.
"Even before the pandemic, which shone a glaring light on Californians’ lack of reliable, affordable internet services, we knew access to the internet is essential for participating in the promise of today’s online world," said Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters).
She said that with the passage of SB 156, “California has committed to a generational investment in providing for all Californians the access they need to internet-based services like education and job training, telehealth, and the digital economy.”
She added, “The California of today cannot lead our people into the future with the technology of the past. We must now pass the policy companions in AB 14 and SB 4 to complete the roadmap to Internet For All in our State."
“Today’s unanimous vote in favor of SB 156 is a huge milestone in our efforts to close the digital divide in California,” said Sen. Lena A. Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), one of Aguiar-Curry’s partners in negotiating the legislation. “This investment to modernize our broadband infrastructure is sorely needed and was long overdue. Expanding access to affordable, high-speed internet will empower future generations, provide them better opportunities and greater upward mobility. We cannot leave any child, senior, individual or family behind.”
Gonzalez said the bill will also spur a competitive environment amongst local internet service providers and California small businesses of all sizes to drive technical innovation and increase broadband affordability.
She said it’s now important to pass SB 4 and AB 14 as well in order to secure continuous funding and strengthen policy to advance Digital Equity through Broadband for All.
The Broadband Budget Bill prioritizes the deployment of broadband infrastructure in California’s most vulnerable and unserved rural and urban communities by extending the ongoing collection of funds deposited into the California Advanced Services Fund to provide communities with grants necessary to bridge the digital divide.
AB 14 offers a vital pathway to connect California’s workforce to gainful employment, harness the life-saving technology of telemedicine, democratize distance learning, enable precision agriculture, and sustain economic transactions in the 21st Century E-Marketplace.
The Act extends eligibility for grants administered by the California Public Utilities Commission to local and tribal governments, who are willing and able to quickly and efficiently connect households, community anchor institutions (including educational institutions, fairgrounds for emergency response, and healthcare facilities), small businesses, and employers.
AB 156 is a measured and meaningful approach to building a statewide fiber middle-mile “backbone” network, and last-mile connections to homes and businesses, that will provide higher speeds and access to connectivity to all those who are unserved along the path of deployment.
Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.
As hot and dry conditions continue to fuel dangerous wildfires across the West, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced the deployment of additional firefighting resources to Oregon to help combat the Bootleg fire and support the response to new fires.
This action follows the deployment of California firefighting support sent to Oregon last week through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
Climate change impacts are contributing to wildfires that are increasingly dangerous and destructive across the Western U.S. California’s latest mutual aid deployment to Oregon comes just a day after the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group elevated the National Preparedness Level to Level 5 — its highest level — due to high fire activity across the country and resources committed to large fires.
Responding to a request from Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, Gov. Newsom has directed the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to send the additional resources, which entail one Type 6 (wildland fire fast attack) strike team, and one task force, consisting of three Type 3 fire (wildland fire) engines and two Type 6 fire engines to the Bootleg fire in Klamath County, Oregon.
California is also sending two Type 1 (structure protection) strike teams to preposition in Southern Oregon in advance of new fires.
In total, California has sent eight strike teams/task forces, or 40 fire engines with firefighting crews, to Oregon.
Type 3 and Type 6 engines are the most used engines for wildland urban interface fires and are known for their off-road capabilities.
The Bootleg fire has burned more than 227,000 acres and impacted transmission lines used to import electricity to California. Local government firefighting personnel deployed on Cal OES engines to Oregon include staff from the following agencies: Cosumnes, Sacramento Metro, Lake Shastina, Placer Hills, Mosquito, San Francisco, Napa, Ben Lomond, Mountain View, Alameda County, Monrovia, Arcadia, Monterey Park, Santa Fe, Huntington Beach, Loma Linda, Big Bear, Idlewyld, Corona and Riverside.
California has regularly offered support to assist in response and recovery for disasters throughout the United States and internationally through Emergency Management Assistance Compact, or EMAC, requests.
EMAC, which includes the participation of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, is a nationally recognized mutual-aid system that provides the foundation for states to request and send resources across their borders when impacted by a disaster.
For more information on the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, follow this link.
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