KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Taylor Observatory in Kelseyville hosted a Space Exploration Workshop on Saturday, Oct. 13.  

Thirty Lake County decathletes and their coaches attended the workshop to help prepare them for their competition on Russia and the Great Space Race later this year.  

Students were treated to a classroom presentation, full dome planetarium movies and rocket demonstrations.  

Barbara McIntyre and Ed Giannelli led the classroom presentation detailing the chronology of the moon race and the top Russian rocket scientists.  

Student volunteers led the discussion in the planetarium showing the movies Rocketman and Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX).  

Students finished up their day tracking the altitude of a variety of rockets lead by Bill Bordisso with the assistance of Angie and Josh Wade.  

This workshop was offered free of charge to decathletes with the help of the Taylor Observatory and the Lake County Office of Education College-Going Initiative.

Earlier this year students were treated to a movie night at Jellystone RV Park and Camp Resort on Cobb Mountain.  

Decathletes bundled up for a chilly evening showing of the 1968 movie “The Sea Gull” directed by Sidney Lumet on the outdoor screen. The two and a half hour movie was chosen by the coaches of the decathlon.  

“Not only is this an example of Chekhov's style, but is a commentary on the time before the revolution, and as such is related to ‘Dr. Zhivago,’” said Coach Jim Rogers.

In their quest to learn about Russia, students are required to read the novel “Dr. Zhivago.”

Decathletes from Lower Lake, Upper Lake, Clear Lake, Middletown and Kelseyville High Schools will continue to learn about Russia as they prepare to compete for the opportunity to represent Lake County at the state finals in March.  

Students are invited to participate in a scrimmage in November and will start their official testing in January.  

Testing begins in January as they write their official essays and  compete in front of community volunteer judges for speeches and interviews.  

Testing concludes on Feb. 2 followed by the Super Quiz Bowl and awards ceremony.

For more information on the Academic Decathlon or to be a speech/interview judge, contact Tammy Serpa at the Lake County Office of Education, 707-262-4164 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .