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- Written by: Marie-Claire Beaulieu, Tufts University
Artemis I will send a rocket without a crew on a monthlong journey around the Moon. The program aims to increase women’s participation in space exploration – 30% of its engineers are women. In addition, the Artemis I mission will carry two mannequins designed to study the effects of radiation on women’s bodies so that NASA can learn how to protect female astronauts better.
Female astronauts are currently less likely to be selected for missions than men because their bodies tend to hit NASA’s maximum acceptable threshold of radiation earlier. NASA expects to bring the first woman and person of color to the Moon on Artemis III sometime after 2024.
As a scholar of Greek mythology, I find the name of the mission quite evocative: The Greeks and Romans associated Artemis with the Moon, and she has also become a modern-day feminist icon.
Artemis was a major deity in ancient Greece, worshiped at least as early as the beginning of the first millennium B.C., or even earlier. She was a daughter of Zeus, the chief god of the Olympians, who ruled the world from the summit of Mount Olympus. She was also the twin sister of Apollo, god of the Sun and oracles.
Artemis was a virgin goddess of the wilderness and hunting. Her independence and strength have long inspired women in a wide range of activities. For example, in a poem titled “Artemis,” author Allison Eir Jenks writes: “I’m no longer your god-mother … your chef, your bus-stop, your therapist, your junk-drawer,” emphasizing women’s freedom and autonomy.
As the goddess of animals and the wilderness, Artemis has also inspired environmental conservancy programs, in which the goddess is viewed as an example of a woman exercising her power by caring for the planet.
However, while the Greek Artemis was strong and courageous, she wasn’t always kind and caring, even toward women. Her rashness was used to explain a woman’s sudden death, especially while giving birth. This aspect of the goddess has faded away with time. With the rise of feminism, Artemis has become an icon of feminine power and self-reliance.
NASA has a long history of naming its missions after mythological figures. Starting in the 1950s, many rockets and launch systems were named after Greek sky deities, like Atlas and Saturn, whose Greek name is Cronos.
Atlas and Saturn weren’t just gods, they were Titans. In Greek mythology, Titans represent the untamed, primordial forces of nature, and so they evoke the prodigious vastness of space exploration. Although the Titans were known for their immense strength and power, they were also rebellious and dangerous and were eventually defeated by the Olympians, who represent civilization in Greek mythology.
Following the advent of human space flight, NASA began naming missions after children of Zeus who are associated with the sky. The Mercury program, active from 1958 to 1963, was named after Hermes’ Roman counterpart, the messenger god who flies between Olympus, Earth and the underworld with his winged sandals.
Starting in 1963, the three-year-long Gemini program featured a capsule designed for two astronauts and was named after the twin sons of Zeus – Castor and Pollux, known as the Dioscuri in Greek – who were cast in the stars as the constellation of Gemini. They were regularly represented with a star above their heads in Greek and Roman art.
The space shuttle program, which lasted from 1981 to 2011, diverted from mythological monikers, and the names Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour were meant to evoke a spirit of innovation.
With Artemis, NASA is nodding back to the Apollo program, which lasted from 1963 to 1972 and put the first men on the Moon in 1969. Over 50 years later, Artemis will pick up where her twin brother left off, ushering in a more diverse era of human space flight.
Marie-Claire Beaulieu, Associate Professor of Classical Studies, Tufts University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The council approved the creation of the new division, located within the city’s Administrative Services Department, in June.
Tina Viramontes, the city’s facilities coordinator/deputy city clerk, also is the recreation and events coordinator and gave the council the brief report on Thursday evening.
Viramontes said staff is pursuing grants, including some that could give the city funds for new baseball fields.
They’re also working on summer camps and low impact exercise for adults, in particular active seniors, Viramontes said.
The city has hosted a three-show summer concert series, has plans for a circus from Sept. 8 to 11; movies in the Park on Sept. 17, Oct. 15 and Oct. 29; Trunk or Treat and Hocus-pocus Movie Night at Halloween; and on Dec. 3, Breakfast with Santa and the Christmas parade.
Other events Viramontes said the city has planned include a comedy show fundraiser dinner, Bunny Brunch, kayaking on the lake, the soap box derby and cornhole tournament. The 2023 summer concert series is slated to expand, with five shows.
Viramontes said they are working on partnerships with a number of local organizations, including Konocti Unified School District, the Rotary Club of Clearlake, Hope Rising, Blue Zones, Clearlake Campground, PEG TV, the Lake County Office of Education and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.
She said they also are working on a policies and procedures manual and doing outreach through social media, radio advertising, and sharing information with schools and businesses.
For more about city-sponsored events visit the city’s calendar page.
To find out more about the recreation and events division, including details about partnerships, call Viramontes at 707-994-8201, Extension 131.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: COUNTY OF LAKE
Triple-digit temperatures are forecast by some outlets for portions of Lake County into early next week, and many members of the community will be seeking opportunities to escape the heat.
In recognition of projected extreme heat, staff from the county-operated Redbud Library in Clearlake and Peer Support Centers located in Clearlake Oaks, Lakeport and Clearlake will be opening their facilities’ doors for portions of the holiday weekend.
The county offered its thanks to the facilities’ staff for making these holiday weekend options available.
Visiting indoor exhibits at the Lake County Fair, shopping at local businesses and eating at local restaurants with air conditioned facilities can also be great ways to get a brief reprieve.
Labor Day Weekend cooling options at county-operated facilities
Saturday, Sept. 3:
• Clearlake: Redbud Library, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 14785 Burns Valley Road, telephone 707-994-5115.
• Clearlake Oaks: The Big Oak Peer Support Center, open noon to 4:30 p.m. 13340 East Highway 20, Suite O, telephone 707-998-0310.
• Lakeport: Circle of Native Minds Cultural Center, open noon to 4 p.m. 525 N. Main St., telephone 707-263-4880.
Sunday, Sept. 4:
• Clearlake: La Voz de la Esperanza Centro Latino, open noon to 4:30 p.m. 14092 Lakeshore Drive, telephone 707-994-4261.
• Clearlake Oaks: The Big Oak Peer Support Center, open noon to 4:30 p.m. 13340 East Highway 20, Suite O, telephone 707-998-0310.
Monday, Sept. 5:
• Clearlake: La Voz de la Esperanza Centro Latino, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 14092 Lakeshore Drive, telephone 707-994-4261.
• Clearlake Oaks: The Big Oak Peer Support Center, open 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 13340 East Highway 20, Suite O, telephone 707-998-0310.
• Lakeport: Circle of Native Minds Cultural Center, open 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 525 N. Main St., telephone 707-263-4880.
• All County Library branches are closed each Monday, including Labor Day.
While none of the county’s libraries or peer support centers are formal cooling centers, and capacity is limited at each site, they are invaluable community resources, as temperatures rise.
Here is information on normal operating hours and services available at each facility.
County library facilities
Lake County’s four public library branches are open during their normal business hours, with the exception of Saturday, Sept. 3, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.
Only the Redbud Library location in Clearlake will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
While you cool off, check out the many new materials and digital services the Library has to offer — there is something for everyone.
The following is a list of Lake County Library locations, and their customary hours of operation.
Lakeport Library
1425 N. High St.
Telephone 707-263-8817
Hours: Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Redbud Library
14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake
Telephone 707-994-5115
Hours: Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Middletown Library
21256 Washington St.
Telephone 707-987-3674
Hours: Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Upper Lake Library
310 Second St.
Telephone 707-275-2049
Hours: Tuesdays through Fridays, noon to 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Peer support centers
Lake County Behavioral Health Services also reminds their peer support centers are open as a refuge from the heat.
Each provides an air-conditioned place to sit and rest. Water and light snacks are offered to guests, and restrooms are available.
Referrals to social services can also be made. All are welcome.
Below is a list of peer support centers, with their customary and Labor Day Weekend Hours and locations:
The Big Oak Peer Support Center
13340 East Highway 20, Suite O, Clearlake Oaks
Telephone 707-998-0310
Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; weekends, noon to 4 p.m.
Labor Day Weekend: Saturday, noon to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4:30 p.m.; Monday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Circle of Native Minds Cultural Center
525 N. Main St., Lakeport
Telephone 707-263-4880
Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Labor Day Weekend: Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.; Monday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Harbor on Main
154 S. Main St., Lakeport
Telephone 707-994-5486
Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
No Labor Day Weekend availability
La Voz de la Esperanza Centro Latino
14092 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake
Telephone 707-994-4261
Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; weekends, noon to 4 p.m.
Labor Day Weekend: Sunday, noon to 4:30 p.m.; Monday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
For the last few years the agency has been unable to enforce timed parking violations due to staffing issues.
During this time, the Lakeport Police Department conducted public outreach to gain voluntary compliance with parking.
The department said it continues to receive many complaints about violations where vehicles are left well past the two-hour limits.
Complaining parties report that some violators are business owners or employees who work in the area.
These parking violations are a serious concern for many businesses that rely on short-term street parking for customers, police said.
Persons working at a downtown location that does not have off-street parking should consider using available nontimed city parking lots near the lakefront, police said.
The Lakeport Police Department said it now has staff resources to dedicate to regular parking enforcement and will start that enforcement soon.
The areas people should be aware of and not exceed parking limits include the downtown areas on both Main Street and Forbes Street, around the courthouse and the surrounding side streets. All the timed parking in these areas is well-marked with signs.
Persons receiving a jury summons from the Lake County Superior Court should be aware they will receive a parking pass with the summons that allows parking over the time limit if that pass is properly displayed.
The only other general exception is that two-hour limits do not apply to marked handicap spaces.
Contact the Lakeport Police Department with questions and concerns at 707-263-5491.