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- Written by: Robert S. Arrighi
In the summer of 1954, a young chemist named Albert Antoine was visiting Cleveland to interview for a job with a rayon manufacturer, when a former university classmate recommended that he apply at the NACA Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory (today, NASA Glenn).
Antoine took the advice and soon began a career at the center that spanned over four decades and multiple fields of research.
While attending City College in New York City during World War II Antoine was drafted into the military. He qualified for the Army Specialized Training Program and was sent to Ohio State University to study civil engineering.
He completed his Bachelor of Science degree after the war and went on to earn his doctorate in chemistry at Ohio State in 1953.
When Antoine joined the NACA in August 1954, the Lewis laboratory was examining new high-energy propellant combinations that could dramatically increase the performance of military aircraft and missiles. He was assigned to a small group that analyzed boron and hydrazine-based compounds. Although these chemicals did increase energy levels, the toxicity and combustion byproducts ultimately made their use impractical.
Lewis began phasing out its exotic propellants work in the early 1960s, as the clean-burning hydrogen-oxygen combination was selected for NASA’s new upper-stage rockets. Antoine applied his expertise to the study of electrical power systems for spacecraft.
At the time, little was known about the properties of liquid metals being considered as the working fluid for some of the proposed high-efficiency systems. Antoine provided the basic thermodynamic data for mercury paired with either cesium or sodium.
During this period, Antoine joined forces with five Black colleagues to encourage underrepresented and minority students to pursue careers in space. The group’s weekly science club meetings led to NASA-sponsored events at local high schools.
In addition, Antoine’s visits to historically Black universities in southwestern Ohio led to the center’s enduring affiliations with the institutions. Antoine’s mentoring activities continued in various forms throughout his career.
In the 1970s, Lewis began applying its technical expertise to problems on Earth. As a member of the new Combustion and Pollution Research Branch, Antoine helped develop new instruments to accurately measure airborne particulate matter. These tools were used to study pollution in the Cleveland area and in air lanes across the country.
In response to the energy crisis of the 1970s, the center studied both renewable energy sources and alternative fossil fuel sources such as coal and oil shale. Antoine and his colleagues analyzed the composition of these non-petroleum fuels and assessed their storage, stability, and emissions characteristics.
Antoine authored the summary report in 1982, just before the stabilization of global energy resources led to the cancellation of the program.
Antoine retired from government service in 1983, but immediately returned to his work at Lewis as a research associate through a cooperative agreement with Cleveland State University, or CSU.
Over the next 13 years he managed NASA-sponsored research in batteries and fuel cells. Antoine and his CSU colleagues were an integral part of the NASA team that advanced the phosphoric acid fuel cell technology to the point of commercialization.
Antoine retired for good in 1996 after 42 years of work at NASA. He passed away in 2017 at the age of 92.
Robert S. Arrighi works for the NASA Glenn Research Center.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — With thousands of Lake County residents remaining out of power due to this week’s snowstorm, and as another storm is anticipated to arrive on Sunday, officials are extending warming hours and urging community members to be prepared.
The National Weather Service’s Eureka office is forecasting rain during the day on Sunday in Lake County and the potential for more rain and snow on Sunday night.
That is expected to be followed by gusty winds along with more snow falling at the 1,000 foot elevation level on Monday night and into Tuesday.
Forecasters said heavy mountain snow could fall above 2,000 feet from Sunday through Tuesday across the North Coast.
On Friday, Sheriff Rob Howe declared a local emergency in response to the storm that hit earlier this week, bringing low elevation snow that knocked out power across a large swath of Lake County, as Lake County News has reported.
In a Facebook message on Saturday, Howe urged people to be cautious and prepared, and to take care of each other, as the forecast calls for the weather event to continue through the early part of this coming week.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said Saturday afternoon that its crews are continuing to assess damage and restore service to the 33,600 customers in Lake County whose power was knocked out by the low elevation storm, which dropped several inches of snow across the county.
As of 1:30 p.m., PG&E said approximately 19,300 customers remained without power in Lake County.
In the previous 24 hours, PG&E reported that it had restored service to approximately 12,000 Lake County customers.
PG&E said hundreds of PG&E personnel and contractors are on the ground restoring customers in PG&E’s Humboldt Division, which includes Lake, Mendocino and Humboldt counties.
Those crews include 88 four-person electric crews, 26 Tmen — PG&E’s first responders — as well as 45 inspectors and 53 personnel. There also are 138 vegetation-management workers removing trees and limbs from power lines on duty in the Humboldt Division.
Offering a respite from the weather are two warming centers that are now open in Lake County to offer shelter during the winter weather.
The Lakeport warming center, located at 1111 Whalen Way in Lakeport, opened earlier this month to serve individuals experiencing homelessness. It has now extended its hours to seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
In response to the unprecedented snowfall, life-threatening temperatures and the additional weather event on the way, on Friday the city of Clearlake partnered with the county of Lake to open a warming center at the Clearlake Senior Center, located at 3245 Bowers Road.
Initially, the weather event was expected to end on Feb. 26, at which point officials planned to close the Clearlake warming center.
However, with the National Weather Service reporting that another weather event is inbound and could continue until Tuesday, the county said the Clearlake facility’s operation as a warming center will be extended.
The temporary Clearlake Senior Center warming center will close at noon on Sunday, Feb. 26, for maintenance purposes, and will reopen during new evening hours beginning Monday, Feb. 27, and Tuesday, Feb. 28. It will be open from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. both days.
Visitors must register and no pets, weapons, alcohol, or drugs are allowed.
The city of Clearlake, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, the Lake County Department of Social Services and Lake County Behavioral Health are working together to provide cots, blankets, light food and snacks to those in need at the center.
PG&E said it has provided 500 grab-and-go bags that include a blanket, water, snacks and a portable cellphone charger which are being distributed at the Clearlake and Lakeport warming centers. The company said it also has provided a generator at the Lakeport warming center.
PG&E also partners with the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers, including 16 centers in 36 counties, to offer support for older adults and people with disabilities. Customers who are reliant on a medical device or assistive technology for independent living can find resources by contacting 2-1-1. So far, approximately 31 Lake County customers have reached out to PG&E or 2-1-1 for additional support.
The company said it also has been reaching out to Medical Baseline program customers to provide 2-1-1 as a support line and referring customers to available resources based on their needs.
Sheriff Howe reported the county is working to get generators up and running at additional locations, including the Little Red Schoolhouse in Cobb, 15780 Bottle Rock Road; the Kelseyville Senior Center, 5245 Third St.; Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, 3985 Country Club Drive; and the Habematolel Community Center, 9470 Main St. in Upper Lake.
In Lakeport, city officials reported that its personnel are continuing to respond to storm related issues.
The city said that frozen snow continues to cover roadway shoulders and sidewalks in many areas of the city. As such, motorists are asked to drive slowly and watch for pedestrians.
Public Works crews will be clearing downed trees on the city right of way along roads on Monday, the city of Lakeport reported.
Also on Saturday, the Lake County Department of Public Works said crews were making their way through areas including Cobb and Kelseyville to plow snow from the roads.
The agency reported on its Facebook page that a small crew was running a plow and sanding truck through Riviera Heights, Riviera West and Buckingham areas, with more personnel on Cobb trying to open up the remainder of Harrington Flat Road and replowing Gifford Springs Road.
“Secondary roadways in the Cobb area will be scheduled for this coming week,” Public Works reported.
Lake County Public Works said requests for immediate help for road clearing must go through the California Highway Patrol’s dispatch.
INFORMATION AND CONTACTS
County services
Contact information for each County department is available at https://www.lakecountyca.gov.
General information
City of Clearlake: https://www.clearlake.ca.us/
County of Lake on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakecountycagov
City of Lakeport: https://www.cityoflakeport.com/
Law enforcement and first responders
Clearlake Police Department: https://www.clearlake.ca.us/210/Police-Department or https://www.facebook.com/clearlakepolice
Lake County OES on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LakeCountyOES
Lake County Sheriff's Office: Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lakesheriff
Lakeport Police Department: https://www.facebook.com/LakeportPolice
Roads
Caltrans: https://roads.dot.ca.gov/roadscell.php and https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov
Lake County Department of Public Works: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Lakecountydpw/
Solid waste/recycling
Public Services for the Eastlake Landfill: 707-262-1618
Lake County Waste Solutions: 707-234-6400
South Lake Refuse and Recycling: 707-994-8613
Utilities
Pacific Gas and Electric outage map: https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/outagecenter/ or 1-800-743-5002.
PG&E customers who are reliant on a medical device or assistive technology for independent living can find resources by contacting 2-1-1. As of Saturday, approximately 31 Lake County customers have reached out to PG&E or 2-1-1 for additional support.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — In response to this week’s heavy snowfall and its impacts on Lake County, Sheriff Rob Howe on Friday declared a local emergency.
Howe’s local emergency declaration specifically cites the low elevation snow and extreme cold that have left much of Lake County without power and led to closed roadways and crashes.
“As the forecasted weather has the potential to create conditions that are beyond the control and management capacity of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of Lake County, this declaration allows for the County to receive additional support not otherwise available,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a Friday afternoon statement.
This is the second local emergency declaration for Howe, who became sheriff at the start of the year. The first declaration was in response to the series of atmospheric rivers that began at Christmas and extended into January.
Such declarations generally have to be ratified by the Board of Supervisors within seven days. It’s expected the board will take up the declaration as a special item at its Tuesday meeting.
The Sheriff’s Office said the state of local emergency will continue to exist until the Board of Supervisors declares its termination.
The Office of Emergency Services will continue to monitor and coordinate with local, state and federal agencies where appropriate to respond to this winter weather event as it evolves, the agency said.
Meanwhile, across Lake County, residents dealt with issues that included falling trees, damaged roofs and awnings, and other fallout of the storm.
Many longtime residents report that this is either the heaviest snowfall they have seen in Lake County or that they’ve not seen such a storm for several decades.
And the forecast indicates there could be more snow to come.
While forecasters said the heaviest of the snow fell on Thursday, more snow is anticipated to fall beginning on Saturday and continuing through Tuesday.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for Lake County that’s in effect from 10 p.m. Sunday through 4 p.m. Tuesday, with heavy snow possible above the 1,500 foot elevation mark.
In that elevation, the forecast expects snowfall of between 5 and 14 inches, with one to five inches at lower elevations, combined with wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour on exposed ridges.
Chances of rain also are in the forecast through Tuesday night, the National Weather Service said.
INFORMATION AND CONTACTS
County services
Contact information for each County department is available at https://www.lakecountyca.gov.
If departments are managing unusually high call volume with limited staff, some delay in response may occur.
General information
City of Clearlake: https://www.clearlake.ca.us/
County of Lake on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakecountycagov
City of Lakeport: https://www.cityoflakeport.com/
Law enforcement and first responders
Clearlake Police Department: https://www.clearlake.ca.us/210/Police-Department or https://www.facebook.com/clearlakepolice
Lake County OES on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LakeCountyOES
Lake County Sheriff's Office: Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lakesheriff
Lakeport Police Department: https://www.facebook.com/LakeportPolice
Roads
Caltrans: https://roads.dot.ca.gov/roadscell.php and https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov
Lake County Department of Public Works: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Lakecountydpw/
Solid waste/recycling
Public Services for the Eastlake Landfill: 707-262-1618
Lake County Waste Solutions: 707-234-6400
South Lake Refuse and Recycling: 707-994-8613
Utilities
Pacific Gas and Electric outage map: https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/outagecenter/
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake Police Department is attempting to locate a man last seen earlier this week.
John William Amoroso, 42, was last known to be in the Lakeport area, with a last contact on Wednesday.
Amoroso is described as a white male adult, with red shoulder length hair and brown eyes. He is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds.
Police said he was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt and black pants.
If you have information regarding his whereabouts please contact the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251, Extension 1.