LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — With high temperatures of more than 100 degrees forecast for the next several days, the county of Lake reported there are several facilities — specifically, libraries and peer support centers — where community members can go to beat the heat.
Lake County’s four Public Library branches are open during their normal business hours and Behavioral Health Services’ peer support centers also are open as a refuge from the heat.
The library branches and peer support centers are not formal cooling centers, and capacity is limited, but they are a valuable community resource when temperatures climb.
At the peer support centers, water and snacks will be offered, and restrooms are available. Referrals to social services will also be made. All are welcome.
While you cool off at the libraries, check out the many new materials and digital services the libraries have to offer.
If you are planning to visit, be advised face coverings are required for people that are not vaccinated. Library visitors self-attest they are fully vaccinated by entering the building with no mask on.
Below is a list of Lake County Library locations and their hours of operation, and the peer support centers.
Lake County libraries
Lakeport Library 1425 N. High St. 707-263-8817 Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Redbud Library (Clearlake) 14785 Burns Valley Road 707-994-5115 Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Middletown Library 21256 Washington St. 707-987-3674 Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Upper Lake Library 310 Second St. 707-275-2049 Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Peer support centers
The Big Oak Peer Support Center 13340 East Highway 20, Suite “O” Clearlake Oaks 707-998-0310 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Weekends, noon to 4 p.m.
Circle of Native Minds Cultural Center 845 Bevins St. Lakeport 707-263-4880 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Harbor on Main 154 South Main St. Lakeport 707-994-5486 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
La Voz de la Esperanza Centro Latino 14092 Lakeshore Drive Clearlake 707-994-4261 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Weekends, noon to 4 p.m.
Family Support Center 21389 Stewart St., Suite “E” Middletown 707-987-9601 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — With the theme of “Breaking Out,” Middletown Days returned last weekend amid much community spirit, perhaps in part because last year’s festivities had to be skipped due to the pandemic.
Last year was the first time in its 60-year history that Middletown Days wasn’t held.
Traditionally celebrated each Father’s Day weekend, Middletown Days includes multiple rodeo competitions, a parade, dance and other activities scheduled from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.
The event was first held in 1961 and the moneys raised fund the maintenance and upkeep of Middletown Central Park and its rodeo arena.
This year marks the first time that the event will be extended over three weekends, rather than just one.
The junior rodeo, usually held on Father’s Day, will take place instead this weekend, June 26 and 27, and the Middletown Days Queen and Princess competition was held on June 12 and 13.
This year’s Middletown Days festivities kicked off with the “Saddle & Spurs” team roping competition on Friday evening.
Saturday morning opened with a traditional parade, with people thronged on both sides of Highway 29 in Middletown from Perry’s Deli at the south end of town to Hardester’s Market in the north.
This year 54 entries were included, a strong showing representing more participation than the parades of the last several years.
Middletown Days Queen Emalee Pickens and Princess Rylie Slaight led the parade with their royal court of 11 girls, some as young as age 6, all riding horses decorated with ribbons and glitter.
These girls went through an extensive competitive process the prior weekend that included horsemanship and public speaking and spent months before that in practice and preparation.
The grand marshal for this year’s parade was Hope City, chosen for their work helping rebuild homes for Valley fire survivors.
Gehlen Palmer, longtime Middletown librarian (now retired), was honored with the Pioneer Award for his tireless work to secure a new senior center and library complex in Middletown.
The parade included a poignant tribute to Middletown business owner, pack mule enthusiast and avid Middletown Central Park Association volunteer, Wayne Jackson, who died in 2019. Jackson’s hat, saddle and boots were carried on muleback in his memory along the parade route.
Post parade activities in Central Park included a barbecue lunch, vendors, entertainment, kids’ activities, and cowboy team races.
Some new events made their debut on Saturday afternoon — a cutest cowboy and cowgirl contest for children five and under, line dancing lessons, a cornhole tournament and cow chip bingo.
The evening ended with an outdoor dance with music provided by Breaker One 9, a local band led by Middletown High School graduate Tony Zagajowski. Zagajowski also opened the parade with his solo singing of The Star-Spangled Banner.
On Sunday morning, an outdoor Father’s Day breakfast was held thanks to the Middletown Lioness Club, and vendors, entertainment and children’s activities continued.
The Bloody Mary Horseshoe Tourney took place on Sunday (so dubbed because the Middletown Lions Club donates a bloody Mary cocktail to each participant), as did the gymkhana event, a variety of timed competitions done on horseback which has been part of Middletown Days for 59 years.
Event organizers especially wish to thank the community for their support, as well as the many volunteers who made Middletown Days happen. The turnout was beyond expectation.
Tucker Chorjel, parade organizer, perhaps said it best: “It was great to see so much of the community come out. Through the whole weekend everyone was happy and excited, especially after being in lockdown for more than a year. It’s as though the community was saying, ‘We’re still here, we’re still strong, we still support each other, let’s have a great weekend.’”
Winners of many of the various events are listed below.
Parade Koontz Mercantile, small commercial Twin Pines Casino, large commercial Lake County Theater Company, organization Scouts of Middletown Troop 315, youth group Lake County Jazzercise, marching band or group Rhett McMahon, fireman entry Renyonds family, senior comic Hicks family, classic car Lake County Pride, decorated car Griffin Mobile Repair, decorated mini go-cart Weston Wright, decorated ATV Ken Gonzales, farm equipment West Gate, most unusual Los Vaqueros de Pope Valley, mounted group Lonnie Sloan, California Horsemen’s Association
The overall sweepstakes award went to the Renyonds family for their “Covid car” with a masked grill.
Team Roping Jacob Slaight, saddle winner, 2 and under Donny Boydston, second place Jace Hower, third place Mark Luchetti, saddle winner, 3 and over Doug Parker, second place
Cowboy team races
Junior division: Triple Threat Team — Stella Aleman, Braelynn Munk, Jadyn Owens, 1st place Lead Mares Team — Rylie Slaight, Kailey Snell, Lynzi Snell, 2nd place
Senior division: The Chicks Team — Emalee Pickens, Brookelynn Nigro, Sofi Evans, 1st place Goal Diggers Team — Tamara Slaight, Shelby Myers, Alisha Mackey, 2nd place
Hide race Buck Menzio Greg Pachie
Horseshoes Ed Peterson and Dustin Peterson, father and son
Cow chip BINGO Krissy Tighe
Royal Court Emalee Pickens, Queen Rylie Slaight, Princess (winner, western equestrian) Kaitlyn Counter Jadyn Owens (winner, horse mastership, winner, western wear) Emmy Hayes Ciara Francis Gracie Schnabl Kailey Snell (winner, queen’s waive) Lynzi Snell Payton Schuster (winner, barrels) Faith Myers Emilia Lord (winner, speech) Stella Brand (winner, showmanship and halter, winner reining pattern)
Esther Oertel is a freelance contributor to Lake County News. She lives in Middletown.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Fire officials are continuing to investigate the causes of wildland fires over the past week, but in some cases it’s already been determined that vehicles or mowing sparked blazes.
Pomo fire: Thursday, June 17
Northshore Fire Chief Mike Ciancio said the Pomo fire on June 17 burned 42 acres.
It burned on Reclamation Road off Highway 20 near Nice.
Initial reports from the scene said it began with a vehicle fire.
However, Ciancio said the fire remains under investigation.
Ciancio said the vehicle in question remained at the site this week, sitting out in a field.
He said he didn’t know if the vehicle had just been abandoned.
“It’s not stolen, we’ve determined that,” he said.
Blue fire: Saturday, June 19
This fire occurred on Saturday afternoon near Blue Lakes.
Ciancio said it burned less than an acre.
That fire began when a homeowner was operating a tractor, causing brush to ignite, Ciancio said.
Hill fire: Sunday, June 20
The Hill fire was first reported at around 7:30 p.m. Sunday along Highway 29 near Hill Road in the north Lakeport area.
Officials said it originally was reported as five small fires along the highway that burned into three fires that totaled about an acre, based on reports from the scene.
Those fires “appear to have been started from a malfunctioning vehicle,” Sheriff Brian Martin told Lake County News.
He said a dark-colored sedan was seen in the area that may have been connected to the fires.
“In any event the Hill Road fire did not appear to be intentionally set,” Martin said.
Wilkinson fire: Monday, June 21
The Wilkinson fire was reported just after 5 p.m. Monday on Wilkinson Avenue and Dam Road in Clearlake.
It burned a total of 25 acres and spurred some mandatory and advisory evacuations in nearby neighborhoods in the Avenues, said Lakeport Fire Chief Willie Sapeta.
Sapeta said 17 engines from local, state and federal fire agencies responded to the fire.
He said the cause is still under investigation.
Sapeta said the fire quickly worked into several debris piles and homeless encampments, causing big columns of black smoke. When firefighters arrived on scene, there were probably half a dozen cars and motor homes involved.
The area also has a lot of brush, he said.
Sapeta said there were no injuries and no missing parties reported.
“We did a thorough area check of those debris piles,” he said, with no findings of any animal or human remains.
Crews are expected to remain on scene for a few more days to patrol, because Sapeta said the fire could go down to the roots of the brush and come out in another location.
Chief asks for people to use caution
Sapeta asked community members to be cognizant of their surroundings during this hot summer.
He said it’s going to be a dry and potentially active fire season if people don’t pay attention and be cautious about mowing.
Sapeta said not to mow after 9 a.m., especially with bladed equipment or metal heads that can hit rocks and spark fires. After that time, fuels are primed and can easily catch fire.
He said another recent fire, which took place on Noble Ranch Road near Lower Lake and burned a quarter of an acre, also was caused by mowing.
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.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders of both the Senate and the Assembly on Friday announced a proposed extension of California’s statewide evictions moratorium, and an increase in compensation for California’s rent relief program.
The three-party agreement on AB 832 — which extends the current eviction moratorium through Sept. 30, 2021 — will ensure that California quickly uses the more than $5 billion in federal rental assistance to help the state’s tenants and small landlords and protect vulnerable households from eviction.
The agreement widens rental assistance by enhancing current law.
Provisions include increasing reimbursement to 100% for both rent that is past due and prospective payments for both tenants and landlords.
Additionally, the bill ensures rental assistance dollars stay in California by prioritizing cities and counties with unmet needs, and uses the judicial process to ensure tenants and landlords have attempted to obtain rental assistance.
Gov. Newsom said the economic impacts of COVID-19 continue to disproportionately impact so many low-income Californians, tenants and small landlords alike. He said he was thankful for the Legislature’s action and looked forward to signing the bill into law as soon as he received it.
“Our housing situation in California was a crisis before COVID, and the pandemic has only made it worse — this extension is key to making sure that more people don’t lose the safety net helping them keep their home,” said Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego). “While our state may be emerging from the pandemic, in many ways, the lingering financial impact still weighs heavily on California families. People are trying to find jobs and make ends meet and one of the greatest needs is to extend the evictions moratorium — which includes maximizing the federal funds available to help the most tenants and landlords possible — so that they can count on a roof over their heads while their finances rebound.”
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — During a brief Thursday morning meeting, the Clearlake City Council approved the contract with the city’s new finance director.
The council, sitting side by side and unmasked on the dais for the first time in nearly 16 months, voted unanimously to authorize City Manager Alan Flora to sign the employment contract with Kelcey Young.
“As you’re all aware, we’ve been recruiting for a permanent finance director for some time,” said Flora.
During the city’s last recruitment, they attracted the interest of Young, who is currently working with the city of Dallas, Texas, Flora said.
Flora said Young is originally from California. She’s a Humboldt State alumna and is looking to come back to California with her family.
“She’s going to be a great fit on the team,” he said.
Young’s employment contract, on page 19 of the council packet published below, calls for her to receive an annual base salary of $118,667.20.
She also will receive relocation assistance and a $10,000 recruitment incentive.
As the city has been recruiting, Police Chief Andrew White has helped cover the finance director duties.
Councilman Russ Cremer asked when Young would arrive in Clearlake so the council could meet her.
Flora said her start date is July 19 and so she’ll likely make her first appearance at the council’s Aug. 5 meeting. However, he said they can meet her at City Hall before then.
Councilman Russ Perdock said he met Young when she came to visit the city for her interview. He said she’s very sharp, he’s looking forward to working with her and Flora made a good choice.
Cremer moved to approve Young’s contract, with Perdock seconding and the council voting 5-0.
Also on Thursday, the council approved the first amendment to the agreement between the city of Clearlake, city of Lakeport and county of Lake for operation of the public, educational and governmental, or PEG, cable television channel.
The new amendment will extend the agreement through June 30, 2023.
“There’s no significant changes to the agreement,” said Flora, noting that it had been time to update it.
He said the amendment includes the in-kind contribution of $8,000 from the city. That covers space at City Hall and the senior center, insurance and other assistance.
Cremer moved to approve the agreement, with Councilwoman Joyce Overton seconding and the council voting 5-0.
After an open session that ran just over eight minutes, the council adjourned into closed session to discuss labor negotiations and an existing case of litigation.
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.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also visit the city’s town hall site and submit written comments at https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/327/forum_home. Identify the subject you wish to comment on in your email’s subject line or in your town hall submission.
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 10 a.m. Thursday, June 24.
On the agenda is a proposed employment contract with Kelcey Young for the city’s director of finance job.
City Manager Alan Flora said in his report that Young is available to start on July 18 after she moves from Dallas, Texas.
Flora said staff is recommending a base salary at Step E of the salary scale of $118,667.20 annually, relocation assistance, a recruitment incentive of $10,000 and the other standard department head benefits as defined in the management benefit plan.
“We believe Ms. Young’s education and experience are well suited for the position and the City’s needs and welcome her to Clearlake,” Flora said.
Young’s proposed employment contract is in the council packet published below, beginning on page 19.
Young will take over from Andrew White, who over the past year has been doing double duty as city police chief and finance director while recruiting efforts have been underway.
Also under business, the council will consider adopting the first amendment to the agreement between the city of Clearlake, city of Lakeport and county of Lake for operation of a public, educational and governmental, or PEG, cable television channel.
City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Melissa Swanson’s report to the council explains that the amendment continues the PEG station’s current funding mechanisms, including the city’s in-kind contributions of operational facilities at City Hall and the senior and community center, insurance and other operations assistance, in place of an annual monetary contribution of $8,000.
The amendment continues through June 30, 2023.
The council also will hold a closed session for labor negotiations with the Clearlake Municipal Employees Association, Clearlake Police Officers Association and Clearlake Middle Management Association, and to discuss existing litigation, Jane Wang v. City of Clearlake, et al.
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.
A person’s incapacity to manage their own financial, property, legal and health care decisions often authorizes the following persons, as relevant, to act in a representative capacity: The successor trustee, and agents under powers of attorney for finances, property and legal affairs and advance health care directives.
Estate planning allows a person the opportunity to say both “who steps in” upon their incapacity and also “how” and “who” decides that they are incapacitated.
Estate planning documents often define the term incapacity based on a person’s legal disability or health condition. Legal disabilities (prohibitions) include a conservatorship or minority (underage).
The following mental and/or physical health conditions (inabilities) often determine incapacity: Inability to provide properly for one’s own needs for physical health, food, clothing or shelter; or inability to manage substantially one’s own financial resources, or resist fraud or undue influence.
Who decides when a person is incapacitated for purposes of implementing transfers of authority?
Oftentimes a so-called, “certificate(s) of incapacity” issued by either one or two physicians (independent of each other) is used.
Sometimes, the decision can also involve a close relative, friend or even committee executing one or more declarations stating the facts supporting and the determination of incapacity.
Such certificates have to say that the incapacity standard used in the estate planning document has been satisfied to be legally effective.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic the difficulty to see a physician often delayed transferring an incapacitated person’s authority to the person’s successor trustee or activating the incapacitated person’s power of attorney or health care directive.
Once the appropriate certificates of incapacity are obtained, next is implementation. With a trust, a successor trustee will need to sign a declaration of successor trustee.
The declaration states the incapacity standard, the factual basis why it is met, and incorporates the certificates of incapacity as attachments.
With powers of attorney and advanced health care directives, the incapacity certificates are simply attached when providing the document to a third party (e.g., a bank). That is, these documents are only effective with the certificates attached without any additional declaration by the agent.
Executing a living trust, powers of attorney and advance health care directives while one still has capacity can help to avoid a conservatorship, based on the standards of incapacity provided in the probate code, at a later date.
Like a probate of a decedent’s estate, a conservatorship of an incapacitated person is a time consuming and expensive court proceeding.
It can involve litigation among family members over whether the conservatorship is necessary, and if so, who is to be appointed conservator and what powers the conservator is granted over the conservatee’s person (i.e., custody and health care) and/or estate (property, finances and legal affairs).
The foregoing is not legal advice. Consult an attorney if confronting any of these issues.
Dennis A. Fordham, attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, California. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and 707-263-3235.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff's Office, Lake County Office of Emergency Services and their public safety partners are launching the “Know Your Zone” campaign as part of a new emergency preparedness effort.
In order to better communicate with Lake County residents and businesses during evacuations or emergencies, an interactive map has been launched online that will provide important emergency information during an event.
All of Lake County has been divided into specific zones. During an emergency these zones will be used to identify areas affected by the event that is occurring.
The map, developed by Zonehaven, can be accessed at https://community.zonehaven.com and includes all evacuation zones in Lake County.
Residents can enter their address, record their zone number and review zone details before the next emergency to be able to map their best path to safety.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will host a community meeting on Tuesday, June 29, between 5:30 to 7 p.m., to provide information about the Zonehaven map and answer any questions.
The meeting will be held online via Zoom and livestreamed to the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
The Zoom link is here. The meeting ID is 984 5261 8853, pass code is 897589.
Residents are encouraged to attend the online community meeting and visit the sheriff’s office website or Facebook page for information pertaining to Zonehaven.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Museums and Lake County Parks and Recreation is inviting the community to meetings early in July to share ideas on possible improvements to the museum grounds.
The meetings will take place at the Lakeport Courthouse Museum, 255 N. Main St.
The first is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, July 1.
The second meeting will take place from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 3.
A conceptual list of improvements and amenities for a competitive state grant funding opportunity will be available for review.
This is an opportunity for community members to tell the Parks and Recreation Department what they would like to see at the museum.
County staff also will be holding an online survey soon to offer more opportunities for community members to have their voices heard.
If you are unable to attend any of the meetings in person please visit any of the following locations in person or online for other ways to share your comments or ask questions:
Historic Courthouse Museum, 255 N. Main St., Lakeport; open Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Historic Schoolhouse Museum, 16435 Main St., Lower Lake; open Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Gibson Museum and Cultural Center at 21267 Calistoga Road, Middletown; open Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
NASA is finally headed back to Venus. On June 2, 2021, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced that the agency had selected two winners of its latest Discovery class spacecraft mission competition, and both are headed to the second planet from the Sun.
This is the first time since the Magellan mission in 1989 that NASA has committed to sending spacecraft to study the shrouded planet just next door. With the data these two Venus missions – called VERITAS and DAVINCI+ – will collect, planetary scientists can start tackling one of the biggest mysteries in the solar system: Why is Venus, a planet almost the same size, density and age of Earth, so very different from the world humanity calls home?
An Earth gone wrong?
Venus is a rocky planet about the same size as Earth, but despite these similarities, it is a brutal place. Although only a little closer to the Sun than Earth, a runaway greenhouse effect means that it’s extremely hot at the surface – about 870 F (465 C), roughly the temperature of a self-cleaning oven. The pressure at the surface is a crushing 90 times the pressure at sea level on Earth. And to top it off, there are sulfuric acid clouds covering the entire planet that corrode anything passing through them.
But perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Venus is that it may have once looked a lot like Earth. Recent climate models suggest that in the past the planet could have had liquid water oceans and a mild climate. It may have been habitable for as long as 3 billion years before succumbing to some sort of climate catastrophe that triggered the runaway greenhouse. The goal of these two new missions to Venus is to try to determine if Venus really was Earth’s twin, why it changed and whether, in general, large rocky planets become habitable oases like Earth… or scorched wastelands like Venus.
Fresh eyes on Venus
What might come as a surprise is that in the 1960s and 1970s Venus was the central focus of space exploration like Mars is today. The U.S. and Soviet Union sent more than 30 spacecraft in total to the second planet from the Sun. But since 1989, only two missions have gone to Venus, and both were focused on studying the atmosphere – the European Space Agency’s Venus Express and Japan’s Akatsuki.
In contrast, the VERITAS and DAVINCI+ missions will take a holistic view by exploring the geological and climatological history of Venus as a whole, in two very different but complementary ways.
The thick, global layer of sulfuric acid clouds covering Venus make it almost impossible to see the surface with normal cameras. That’s why the VERITAS orbiter – short for “Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy” – will carry a powerful radar system. This radar can peer through the clouds and gather images and topographic data up to 10 times higher-resolution than any previous mission to Venus. This will allow scientists to look for clues about Venus’ earlier climate that may be preserved in rock formations on the surface and might also answer whether the planet is geologically active today. And, finally, this exciting mission will use a special, infrared camera to peer through the atmosphere at very specific wavelengths to take the first global measurements of what Venus’ rocks are made of – something scientists know very little about.
VERITAS’ stablemate is DAVINCI+, or “Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry and Imaging.” The DAVINCI+ mission also involves an orbiter, but the real star of the show will be the meter-wide atmospheric probe. The probe will drop into Venus’ atmosphere and free-fall through the thick clouds for about an hour before reaching the surface.
On the way down, it will take samples of the atmosphere, specifically measuring a variety of gases including argon, krypton and xenon. Different climate histories for Venus would lead to different ratios of these noble gases in the atmosphere – and so by analyzing these ratios, scientists will be able to work out how much water the planet formed with, and even how much water it has lost over the past 4.5 billion years.
But that’s not all the probe will do. Just before impacting crash landing into an area called Alpha Regio that has some of the oldest rocks on the planet, the probe will take infrared images of the surface as it comes into view through the gloom of the lower atmosphere. Those images will be the first ever taken from above the surface but below the cloud deck, showing planetary scientists Venus as never before.
Now is the time to go back to Venus
I have argued before for returning to Venus, so to say I’m enthusiastic about these missions is an understatement. Venus may hold the key to understanding the past – and possibly the future – of Earth. As astronomers discover more and more Earth-size worlds around other stars, they need to understand whether the outcome we see on Earth – blue skies, water oceans and even a thriving biosphere – is the norm, or if the hellish, barren wastelands of Venus are the rule.
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Several decades of sustained Mars exploration have shown that each mission answers earlier questions and also raises new ones. I don’t know what surprises VERITAS and DAVINCI+, scheduled to launch in the late 2020s, will uncover at Venus, but I do know they’ll discover aspects of the planet that no one had ever imagined. Scientists and mission teams across the world have worked hard to realize a “Decade of Venus,” and it’s starting to pay off. In fact, only a week after NASA’s announcement, the European Space Agency declared its plans for a Venus mission, too. With these new missions, it’s my guess – my hope – that we’re at the start of a new, golden age of Venus exploration.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control continues to have a full kennel of dogs waiting for new families.
The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster. The newest dog is listed at the beginning of the list.
‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short brown coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 3476.
‘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’
“Dusty” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier with a tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 4750.
‘Gizmo’
“Gizmo” is a senior male Chihuahua mix with a short tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 4902.
‘Lucky’
“Lucky” is a male Labrador Retriever mix with a short yellow coat.
He is dog No. 4908.
‘Mitzy’
“Mitzy” is a female shepherd mix with a medium-length black and white coat.
She is dog No. 4648.
‘Mojo’
“Mojo” is a male Chihuahua mix with a short black and tan coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 4881.
‘Patches’
“Patches” is a male Chihuahua mix with a short tricolor coat.
He is dog No. 4903.
‘Princess’
“Princess” is a female American pit bull terrier mix with a short fawn and white coat.
She is dog No. 4840.
‘Sassy’
“Sassy” is a female Labrador retriever and pit bull mix with a short black with white markings.
She is house-trained.
She is dog No. 4602.
‘Tanisha’
“Tanisha” is a female shepherd mix with a short orange and white coat.
She is dog No. 4647.
‘Terry’
“Terry” is a male Dutch shepherd mix with a smooth brindle coat.
He is dog No. 4880.
‘Toby’
“Toby” is a friendly senior male boxer mix.
He has a short tan and white coat.
Toby is house trained and neutered.
He is dog No. 4389.
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.
The last decade was free of recessions and from the opening bell in January 2010 to the closing bell in December 2019, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 soared 173.60% and 189.35%, respectively.
The Gross Domestic Product increased from $14.992 trillion to $21.433 trillion.
Yet, during that same period, the labor force participation rate actually declined.
So, how could it drop when the economy was booming and labor force participation rates among the working-age population grew in every age category?
The solution to this labor market puzzle: rise in the percentage of the population ages 65 and over.
The oldest baby boomers were 64 in 2010 and 73 in 2019. As they aged, a large segment of the population shifted into 65 and older age groups.
Because older Americans are less likely than younger ones to be in the labor force, this demographic shift reduced the overall labor force participation rate.
Labor force participation includes working-age adults who are either working or looking for work.
This article uses estimates from the 2010 and 2019 American Community Survey, or ACS, 1-year.
Labor force participation by age
The national labor force participation rate for the total population ages 16 and over decreased from 64.4% in 2010 to 63.6% in 2019.
Despite the overall dip, the labor force participation rate went up across all age groups from 2010 to 2019:
— Ages 16 to 19: 37.7% to 39.9%. — Ages 20 to 64: 77.5% to 78.3%. — Ages 65 to 74: 24.8% to 26.8%. — Ages 75 and older: 5.7% to 7.2%.
This apparent discrepancy in the rates can be explained by the sea change in the age distribution of the U.S. population.
Effect of aging on labor force
From 2010-2019, as the U.S. economy improved, the percentage of the population ages 65 and older grew nationally (from 13.1% to 16.5%) and in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
These increases affected both the national and state labor force characteristics.
The labor force participation rates of people ages 65 to 74 and 75 years and older were lower than for the population ages 16 to 19 and 20 to 64 in 2010 and in 2019.
Even so, older Americans were still more likely to be in the labor force in 2019 than in 2010.
Labor force trends in states
This seemingly contradictory pattern of an overall decline in labor force participation but increases in every age group was evident at the state level as well.
Only one state (Utah) and the District of Columbia experienced increases in their labor force participation rates for the total working-age population ages 16 and older while 38 states experienced decreases.
However, just as it played out nationally, labor force participation rates went up in most states in every age group from 2010 to 2019:
— Ages 16 to 19, up in 26 states and D.C., and down in four. — Ages 20 to 64, up in 26 states and D.C., and down in three. — Ages 65 to 74, up in 25 states and down in two. — Ages 75 and older, up in 36 states and down in none.
Aging and unemployment
People without jobs searching and available for work are considered unemployed.
Unemployment rates trended downward overall from 10.8% in 2010 to 4.5% in 2019. They also declined for each age cohort:
— Ages 16 to 19, from 29.7% to 14.9%. — Ages 20 to 64, 10.1% to 4.2%. — Ages 65 to 74, 7.9% to 3.0%. — Ages 75 and older, 6.9% to 3.0%.
The unemployment rates of the population ages 65 to 74 and 75 and older were lower than the unemployment rates of the population ages 16 to 19 and 20 to 64, in both 2010 and 2019.
As the nation and labor force aged, older Americans’ lower unemployment rates and continued presence in the labor force drove down the overall unemployment rate.
This effect was compounded by the improving labor market that reduced unemployment rates for all age groups between 2010 and 2019.
Aging out, not dropping out
These demographic subtleties matter because labor force participation and unemployment rates are key measures of economic health.
Conventional wisdom about falling labor force participation rates is that discouraged workers are dropping out of the labor force. But that conclusion can be misleading, especially when the country is experiencing significant demographic shifts, such as changes in the age distribution of the U.S. population in the last decade.
As a result, demographic changes rather than economic and labor market conditions may be the driving factor behind labor force participation and unemployment rates.
David Howard is a survey statistician in the Census Bureau’s Social, Economic and Housing Statistics Division.