KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The question of life outside planet Earth fascinates the entire human race. It is perhaps the most intriguing topic in all of astronomy.

This coming Saturday, Sept. 24, Lake County’s Taylor Observatory’s County's Window to the Universe Lecture series presents “The Diversity of Alien Worlds.”

The speaker is Professor Stephen Kane of the Department of Astronomy and Physics at San Francisco State University.

Professor Kane will explain the term “habitable zone” which is used to classify the probability that bodies in the universe could harbor alien life.

Kane is an internationally recognized expert in exoplanet discovery. He has personally identified several hundred exoplanets using novel techniques developed by him and by colleagues in this intriguing branch of astronomy.

In addition, Kane heads a group of 14 scientists searching for potential habitable zone planets using the Kepler Space Telescope: www.kepler.nasa.gov .

The Window to the Universe series is sponsored by Friends of the Taylor Observatory-Norton Planetarium and includes the lecture, a show in the Norton Planetarium and viewing through the observatory’s several telescopes.

The first planetarium show is at 7:30 p.m., followed by the lecture at 8 p.m. and a second planetarium show at 9 p.m., all for an admission price of $5. Lake County K-12 students are admitted with no charge. 

The observatory is at the end of Oak Hills Lane in Kelseyville.

For updates and further information check the Facebook page for Friends of Taylor Observatory or call 415-209-3084.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife's (CDFW) Northern Region Inland Fisheries Program and Heritage and Wild Trout Program staff will soon reintroduce a small population of rare rescued trout to their native waters in the McCloud River in Shasta County.
 
McCloud River Redband Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss stonei) is one of several sensitive and unique fish species that has required human intervention in order to ensure their survival during California's continuing drought.
 
“The drought continues to be devastating on the populations of these important fish,” said Andrew Jensen, a biologist with CDFW's Northern Region Inland Fisheries Program. “If we did not take action to save them during the summers, small, independent populations may have succumbed. Our proactive rescue efforts will help maintain this unique species for the future.”
 
CDFW biologists monitoring McCloud Redband streams (tributaries of the upper McCloud River) from late 2013 through mid-2015 found that drought effects were causing perilous conditions for the fish in both winter (with sections of the streams freezing over) and summer (with sections of the streams going dry). 

McCloud Redband, a state-listed Species of Special Concern, are in no immediate risk of extinction but their populations are small, fragmented and exist only in a few small streams.

Rescue operations by CDFW in 2013-15 greatly reduced the drought mortality of the species.
 
Anticipating potential drought impacts on sensitive wild fish populations, CDFW installed self-contained Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) at several CDFW hatcheries throughout the state last year.

The RAS enable the hatcheries to safely house rescued wild fish until environmental conditions improve.

One of these facilities, CDFW's Mt. Shasta Hatchery, was selected to serve as a drought safe haven for the McCloud Redband due to its proximity to the imperiled streams.

More than 1,000 McCloud Redband were brought to the facility, where many were spawned by CDFW staff.
 
Today much of California remains in a drought, but the upper McCloud River watershed received some relief in the first half of 2016, with near-normal precipitation during the winter and spring.

CDFW fisheries biologists believe that these improved habitat conditions (and forecast conditions) will support the release of the rescued McCloud Redband Trout.
 
Both the rescued adult fish and the hatchery-origin juveniles will be released beginning this week in sections of the stream that will provide the best chance of long-term success with minimal impacts to the existing natural-origin population.

All the released fish will be tagged, allowing fisheries biologists to track their movement and survival after release into the river.

LUCERNE, Calif. – The Northshore Community Center and Lucerne Alpine Seniors Inc. will present its first Rockin' Dancin' BBQ on Friday, Sept. 23, from 3 to 11 p.m.

This will be an all-day music festival featuring your favorite local bands and special guest artists joining in for the day; with a barbecue or vegetarian dinner and no-host beer and wine bar – all to be had for the most reasonable prices in the county.

Your $5 full-day admission (additional donations gratefully accepted) will afford you the many and varied talents of the music line-up: Stonelion (alternative, original blues), The Background Kings (pop/rock), Kurt @ Work (original, eclectic), Hella' Mella' (dance jam), FOGG (classic rock, dance – Open Mic Lucerne's faithful house band), Hearts & Bones (original rock 'n' roll), and special out-of-town guests Amadou Camara, Mariah Soumah & Guest (drumming, music and dance from Guinea, West Africa) and Jeff Curtis (unique, original acoustic guitar compositions, from New York).

David Howard, the stalwart and talented master of ceremonies for Open Mic Lucerne will emcee, as well as perform with his band, The Background Kings.

There will be a no-host beer and wine bar, and a choice of dinner options. Hippie Joe Fernandez is generously donating and cheffing up a tri-tip barbecue with all the fixins', available at $10 per plate. There also will be a vegetarian lasagna dinner for only $5.

All dinners include bread, salad, dessert and a cold drink, and will be served from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Rockin' Dancin' BBQ is sponsored by Odd Fellows Lodge No. 241, Upper Lake; Hippie Joe Fernandez of Upper Lake; the Lake County merchants and vendors who support the efforts to maintain and improve the quality of life on the Northshore; and the staff, volunteers and board of directors of the Northshore Community Center / Lucerne Alpine Seniors, Inc.

All proceeds to benefit the Lucerne Alpine Seniors, Inc. and the programs they support and provide to the Northshore Community.

The Northshore Community Center is located at 3985 Country Club Drive. Lucerne, between Ninth and Tenth avenues. Just turn inland from (north of) Highway 20 at the Foster's Freeze, proceed one block, and you're there.

For program details, please call Peter at 707-998-3121; Verge at 707-671-3465; or call the Northshore Community Center at 707-274-8779.

California’s 2016 deer season continues with the opening of the D3-D5, D8-D10, X8 and X10 Zones on Sept. 24.

Drought and dangerous fire conditions persist in many areas of the state, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) urges hunters to be mindful of wildfires and forest closures that could affect the area where they plan to hunt.

CDFW does not refund tag fees due to wildfire closures.

CDFW does not close or open areas due to fires, but leaves that authority to incident commanders with CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service.

Current information on forest closures can be found at the following links:

– CDFW: www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/area-alerts ;
– Cal Fire: www.fire.ca.gov/general/firemaps.php ;
– U.S. Forest Service: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/closures .

Hunters are encouraged to check these links frequently in order to obtain the most up-to-date information.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Public Works Department said that there will be a closure on a portion of First Street on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

From 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. First Street between Main and Park streets will be closed to all traffic while Pacific Gas and Electric crews work in the area.

Community members are asked to drive with caution in the area and be aware of the workers.

On Sept. 14, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service co-hosted a most interesting and engaging public meeting in Upper Lake, as the first of three important community conversations to discuss the management plan for the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. 

Attendance was so large most of the agency representatives remarked on it, but given the tremendous community support for the proper protection and management of these lands that was expressed during the campaign for permanent protection a large turnout probably should have surprised no one.

The format did not include a formal presentation. Instead, the plan was to give people from our community an opportunity to talk face to face with the folks from our federal agencies, and to examine an impressive array of maps, fact sheets, photographs and other resources, including such specialized items as a rainfall map of the national monument, and a map showing fire scars on the landscape.  

These conversations are powerful opportunities for the public to express what they value most in the management of this region. 

Public input – both oral and written – was requested continually, and agency staff displayed an obvious keen interest in what we had to say.

For those who were not able to attend, do try to get to one of the remaining meetings: Sept. 28 at the Winters Community Center, 201 Railroad Ave;  and Oct. 4 at the Holiday Inn Express, 545 N. Humboldt Ave in Willows. Both take place from from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Victoria Brandon is chair of the Sierra Club Redwood Chapter. She lives in Lower Lake, Calif.

SACRAMENTO – The governor signed two bills strongly supported by the chairwoman of the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) Fiona Ma, CPA, to help victims of domestic violence and businesses devastated by natural disasters.
 
AB 1399 (Baker) will create a checkoff box on California personal income tax return forms which will allow Californian’s to donate to the newly created Domestic Violence Victims Fund.

Domestic violence shelters will be able to apply for a grant from the new fund, administered by the California Office of Emergency Services, to help provide much-needed assistance to victims.
 
According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), nearly one-third of all women murdered in the United States in recent years were murdered by a current or former intimate partner.

In 2010, 1,017 women, more than three a day, were killed by their intimate partners. A survivor's safety and well-being is most at risk during episodes of violence and when attempting to leave an abuser. Domestic violence shelters are a key part of safety planning to prepare ahead of time and be as protected as possible.
 
“Women and children who have endured physical, mental, and emotional abuse need our help putting their lives back on track. AB 1399 (Baker) will help keep the shelter doors open and provide a place where women and children can sleep soundly, without fear,” said Chairwoman Ma.
 
During her six year tenure in the Legislature, Chairwoman Ma served as Chair of the Domestic Violence Select Committee and witnessed how many California domestic violence shelters were forced to turn away women and children because of a lack of funding.

In 2013 NNEDV conducted a 24-hour survey of domestic violence programs across the nation and reported 66,581 adults and children had found refuge and assistance, while an additional 9,641 requests for services were unmet because of a lack of resources. Each one of those unmet requests is another lost opportunity to break the cycle of violence.

Now that Gov. Brown has signed AB 1399 (Baker), shelters will receive greatly needed financial resources.
 
Another bill signed by the governor, AB 1599 (Dodd) will allow the BOE to provide business owners in disaster areas more time to file returns and pay their BOE tax obligations.
 
“California business owners who have been severely impacted by natural disasters are focusing on the recovery of their business, which will affect their ability to file and pay their taxes,” said Chairwoman Ma.
 
“The Board of Equalization can now grant tax relief to countless businesses across the state that have been impacted by natural disasters. I’d like to thank Governor Jerry Brown for recognizing the urgency of this bill and acknowledging that California needs to do more to assist victims in the recovery process,” said Assemblyman Bill Dodd.