LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has some small dogs and big dogs waiting to join their new families.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of bluetick coonhound, German Shepherd, pit bull, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Shiba Inu and treeing walker coonhound.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).
Male Labrador Retriever
The male Labrador Retriever mix has a short brown and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 4, ID No. 13360.
Female German Shepherd
This female German Shepherd has a medium-length black and brown coat.
She’s in kennel No. 8, ID No. 13352.
Male pit bull terrier
This male pit bull terrier has a short blue and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 10, ID No. 13345.
‘Mo’
“Mo” is a male pit bull terrier mix with a short white and gold coat.
He has been neutered.
He’s in kennel No. 11, ID No. 13300.
Female Shiba Inu
This female Shiba Inu has a medium-length black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 12a, ID No. 13362.
Male Shiba Inu
This male Shiba Inu has a medium-length tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 12b, ID No. 13372.
‘Patsy’
“Patsy” is a female treeing walker coonhound/bluetick coonhound mix with a short tricolor coat.
She is in kennel No. 20, ID No. 13290.
‘Max’
“Max” is a male bluetick coonhound-treeing walker coonhound with a short tricolor coat.
He is in kennel No. 25, ID No. 13289.
‘Daisey’
“Daisey” is a female treeing walker coonhound/bluetick coonhound mix with a short tricolor coat.
She is in kennel No. 29, ID No. 13291.
‘Goofy’
“Goofy” is a young male Rhodesian Ridgeback with a short tan and black coat.
Shelter staff said this boy is great with other dogs, although he is high energy and would benefit from obedience training. He would love to go jogging everyday, he is very food motivated and willing to learn new things.
Goofy has been at the shelter since Nov. 5. He was originally taken from someone in Upper Lake and found on the highway in Clearlake. If anyone has any information on his owner please contact the shelter.
He’s in kennel No. 33, ID No. 13210.
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
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.
Though today regarded as the literary titan of the Victorian age, in late 1843 the 31-year-old Charles Dickens worried that his popularity was fading. His latest novel was not selling well, his finances were strained and his wife was pregnant with their fifth child.
Dickens had recently visited the industrial city of Manchester, an experience that left him deeply moved by the plight of the poor. He understood their circumstances on a personal level – as a boy, Dickens had been humiliated when his father was forced into debtors’ prison.
Initially intending to voice his concerns about the poor as a pamphleteer, Dickens instead crafted a story about the redemption of an old miser, believing that it would garner more public attention and support.
Today that story remains perhaps Dickens’ most celebrated work, A Christmas Carol. Adapted in many forms, it has never been out of print. I take students in my course on philanthropy to see a stage production of the work each Christmas season.
Three ghosts, three lessons
The story begins on Christmas Eve. The “grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner” Ebenezer Scrooge is toiling in his office, where he turns away two fundraisers seeking to provide for the poor, rudely rebuffs his nephew Fred’s invitation to Christmas dinner and berates his underpaid clerk, Bob Cratchit, for expecting to get Christmas Day off with pay.
At home that night, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his partner Jacob Marley, who “died seven years ago, this very night.” Now wandering the earth dragging heavy chains forged by his own avarice, Marley warns Scrooge that he will meet the same fate if he does not listen to the three spirits who will visit him during the night.
The first of the spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge to scenes from his earlier life, where he is reminded that he was once a kinder and gentler person.
At his old school, he reexperiences what it is like to be lonely at the holidays until he is rescued by his sister. He then visits the holiday party of his employer, Mr Fezziwig, who despite modest means embodies the spirit of celebration.
He then sees his younger self with his fiancée Belle, to whom he intended to devote the rest of his life, until he was gradually overmastered by the love of money. Belle eventually breaks their engagement and marries another man, whose large and happy family Christmas the ghost takes Scrooge to witness.
The Ghost of Christmas Present whisks Scrooge to celebrations of Christmas in different settings throughout the land. They then travel to the home of Fred, who valiantly defends his uncle against criticism, choosing to pity rather than condemn him. Then Scrooge finds himself at the modest holiday feast of the Cratchit family, where he meets Tiny Tim, their ailing youngest child, and learns that unless the course of events changes, this will be the boy’s last Christmas. Finally, the ghost shows Scrooge two starving children, Ignorance and Want, mocking Scrooge’s expressions of concern with his own words from earlier in the day, “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?”
The ghost of Christmas Yet to Come transports Scrooge to the holiday one year later, where he witnesses the reactions of various people to the recent death of a “wretched man.” A businessman states that he will attend the funeral only if a lunch is provided, and various people sell stolen items from the dead man’s estate to a fence. The only people who feel any emotion at his passing are debtors who now have more time to repay their loans. After returning to the Cratchit home, where Scrooge sees the family mourning the passing of Tiny Tim, he is taken to a neglected grave, where to his horror, he sees the name Ebenezer Scrooge.
Awakening on Christmas morning, Scrooge realizes there is still time to act. He sends a prize turkey to the Cratchits, gives Bob a raise and becomes a “second father” to Tiny Tim. Once a miserable old miser from whose heart “no steel had ever struck out generous fire,” Scrooge becomes “as a good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew.” Some laughed at the alteration in him, but he was happy to let them laugh, “and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us. And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us, every one!”
The wonder of an open heart
A Christmas Carol is a tale of redemption. Scrooge is blessed by a series of spiritual visitations that enable him to obey the Socratic injunction, “Know yourself,” from multiple different spatial and temporal points of view.
Having glimpsed in so short a time the course of his whole life, Scrooge is able, for the first time, to perceive its true trajectory. He realizes that, despite his growing wealth, his greed is alienating everyone around him, making him a boon to no man and a curse to many. Hoping against hope to write a different final chapter, Scrooge embarks on a new life.
In attempting to capture a new spirit of Christmas, Dickens reminds us of the power of the past and the future to change the way we see the present. In confronting Scrooge with the stark contrast between the spirit of generosity in his youth and the isolated, desolate circumstances of his death, Dickens invites readers to contemplate our own life trajectories and begin redrafting our own eulogies while there is still a chance to make changes. Perhaps we, like Scrooge, can rediscover the wonder of an open heart, recognizing that warmth and vitality lie not in the accumulation of wealth but in the dedication of time, talent and treasure to others.
Some historians credit Dickens with helping to establish many of the patterns that mark the contemporary observance of Christmas. Some two centuries before, Oliver Cromwell had attempted to refocus the holiday away from elaborate celebrations to a time of strict piety and prayer.
In Dickens’ hands, however, Christmas is restored to a time for gathering with family, celebrating the spirit of generosity, and feasting. Above all, the Christmas season is an opportunity to tune in to a higher frequency and to lend our voices to the chorus chanting one of the oldest and best tunes of all – the song of love’s redemptive power.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – At its most recent meeting, the Lakeport City Council approved a letter to the county supporting the city of Clearlake’s efforts to have issues with the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office addressed, particularly regarding the need to increase sales of properties in tax default.
Over the course of the last several months, the city of Clearlake, led by City Manager Alan Flora, has sought to get Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen to increase the sales of tax defaulted properties, a key task Flora said she’s failed to do.
In a special meeting in November, the Clearlake City Council approved sending letters to the Board of Supervisors, the Lake County Grand Jury and state officials seeking recourse that includes investigations into Ringen’s performance, as Lake County News has reported.
At the Lakeport City Council’s meeting on Dec. 17, its last of the year, council members considered a request from Flora to join in support of getting the property sales increased.
Lakeport City Manager Margaret Silveira said Flora brought the issues to the city’s attention.
A list provided to Flora by the assistant treasurer-tax collector shows that 3,652 properties of 14,191 properties in Clearlake are delinquent on their taxes. In Lakeport, there are 1,334 delinquent properties with 414 eligible for tax sale, Silveira reported.
She said the total defaulted amount of property tax countywide is about $18.3 million. “That's a huge impact in the county and the city,” said Silveira, adding that not only is it a huge loss of funding and revenues but it creates blight.
Silveira said it is a big issue for Lakeport but an even bigger issue for Clearlake and the county of Lake.
Councilwoman Stacey Mattina asked if the county has given a reason why it hasn’t done more sales.
“I think there's just a lot of excuses,” said Flora.
He said the county is intending to have a tax sale in March of up to 300 properties. No tax sale was held this year; one had initially been scheduled but canceled.
Over the last 11 years, there have been seven tax sales; over the last five years, there have been two, Flora said.
Even having a sale of 300 properties is not addressing the problem, said Flora, adding that between 500 to 700 properties a year are going into default.
Flora said Riverside County had a similar problem 10 years ago. Once officials there started regularly doing tax sales, more people paid their taxes.
Tax default is a real big problem in Clearlake, where Flora said nearly 25 percent of all properties are delinquent on their taxes. It contributes to blight, hinders investment and impacts special districts like fire departments.
While the county has to make up the 1 percent of property tax that is delinquent and owed to the cities and other agencies, it’s not required to do the same for the assessments implemented by fire and other special districts, he explained, adding he hasn’t analyzed how significant of a problem that is.
Flora said that property tax default has the greatest financial impact on the county itself.
In his 11 years in Lake County, Flora said he's never been involved in an issue in which more community members and organizations have contacted him to thank him for finally addressing the situation.
Flora and Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White went to the Board of Supervisors in September to ask for action to be taken. Mayor George Spurr asked Flora what action the board took.
At that time, Ringen said she intended to sell 300 properties in March, based on what has been budgeted. Flora said they told the board they didn’t think that was enough and they requested that they be allowed to submit priority properties.
Flora said he put together a list of 166 such priority properties and submitted them to Ringen’s office, which subsequently informed him that approximately 15 of those would be added to the tax sale list.
It was at that point that Flora said they lost patience, and moved forward with asking for the grand jury, the California Controller’s Office, the California Treasurer’s Office and the Board of Equalization to start investigations into Ringen’s actions.
Flora alleged that Ringen has been negligent of her statutory obligations.
During the discussion, Spurr noted that the last county tax sale took place in March 2018. Flora said 100 to 150 properties were sold at that time.
Silveira wondered if the county can contract to get the properties sold. Flora said he thinks there are a number of options, and that’s one of them.
He said the letter the city of Clearlake sent to the Board of Supervisors presented a number of ideas that haven’t previously been explored.
Councilman Kenny Parlet said the situation showed an “epic” amount of irresponsibility that is costing everyone in Lake County money, and setting a tone to encourage blight and crime. He said he had no idea this was happening.
During public comment, Lakeport resident Michael Green said it wasn’t fair to attack a department head without them being there, adding that Clearlake has done a good job of “stirring the pot.”
Green said doing tax defaulted property sales is not Ringen’s only duty, noting she also has to collect taxes. He said accusing someone of negligence and willful omission of their duties borders on slander.
The situation, Green said, is decades in the making, and it’s not in Ringen’s or the county’s capacity to fix it. He said there are other options they can consider, adding that he didn’t think they were asking the right question.
Councilwoman Mireya Turner suggested approving the letter to the Board of Supervisors Flora was requesting with focus on providing Ringen’s office with the resources needed to have a second tax sale in 2020, to enter into an agreement with the city of Clearlake for reduction of fees and penalties for eligible properties, pursue options to facilitate regular tax sales, and provide additional support to facilitate annual tax sales that address the backlog of defaulted properties and meet the statutory requirements.
The council approved the amended letter 5-0.
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 image above from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Perseus Molecular Cloud, a massive collection of gas and dust that stretches over 500 light-years across.
Home to an abundance of young stars, it has drawn the attention of astronomers for decades.
Spitzer's Multiband Imaging Photometer, or MIPS, instrument took this image during Spitzer's "cold mission," which ran from the spacecraft's launch in 2003 until 2009, when the space telescope exhausted its supply of liquid helium coolant. (This marked the beginning of Spitzer's "warm mission.") Infrared light can't be seen by the human eye, but warm objects, from human bodies to interstellar dust clouds, emit infrared light.
Infrared radiation from warm dust generates much of the glow seen here from the Perseus Molecular Cloud. Clusters of stars, such as the bright spot near the left side of the image, generate even more infrared light and illuminate the surrounding clouds like the Sun lighting up a cloudy sky at sunset.
Much of the dust seen here emits little to no visible light (in fact, the dust blocks visible light) and is therefore revealed most clearly with infrared observatories like Spitzer.
On the right side of the image is a bright clump of young stars known as NGC 1333, which Spitzer has observed multiple times. It is located about 1,000 light-years from Earth.
That sounds far, but it is close compared to the size of our galaxy, which is about 100,000 light-years across. NGC 1333's proximity and strong infrared emissions made it visible to astronomers using some of the earliest infrared instruments.
In fact, some of its stars were first observed in the mid-1980s with the Infrared Astronomical Survey (IRAS), a joint mission between NASA, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The first infrared satellite telescope, it observed the sky in infrared wavelengths blocked by Earth's atmosphere, providing the first-ever view of the universe in those wavelengths.
More than 1,200 peer-reviewed research papers have been written about NGC 1333, and it has been studied in other wavelengths of light, including by the Hubble Space Telescope, which detects mostly visible light, and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.
Many young stars in the cluster are sending massive outflows of material — the same material that forms the star – into space. As the material is ejected, it is heated up and smashes into the surrounding interstellar medium.
These factors cause the jets to radiate brightly, and they can be seen in close-up studies of the region. This has provided astronomers with a clear glimpse of how stars go from a sometimes-turbulent adolescence into calmer adulthood.
An evolving mystery
Other clusters of stars seen below NGC 1333 in this image have posed a fascinating mystery for astronomers: They appear to contain stellar infants, adolescents and adults. Such a closely packed mixture of ages is extremely odd, according to Luisa Rebull, an astrophysicist at NASA's Infrared Science Archive at Caltech-IPAC who has studied NGC 1333 and some of the clusters below it.
Although many stellar siblings may form together in tight clusters, stars are always moving, and as they grow older they tend to move farther and farther apart.
Finding such a closely packed mixture of apparent ages doesn't fit with current ideas about how stars evolve.
"This region is telling astronomers that there's something we don't understand about star formation," said Rebull. The puzzle presented by this region is one thing that keeps astronomers coming back to it. "It's one of my favorite regions to study," she added.
Since IRAS's early observations, the region has come into clearer focus, a process that is common in astronomy, said Rebull. New instruments bring more sensitivity and new techniques, and the story becomes clearer with each new generation of observatories.
On Jan. 30, 2020, NASA will decommission the Spitzer Space Telescope, but its legacy has paved the way for upcoming observatories, including the James Webb Space Telescope, which will also observe infrared light.
The Spitzer-MIPS data used for this image is at the infrared wavelength of 24 microns. Small gaps along the edges of this image not observed by Spitzer were filled in using 22-micron data from NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).
To learn more about Spitzer and how it studies the infrared universe, check out the Spitzer 360 VR experience, now available on the NASA Spitzer channel on YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpitzerVR.
Joanna Clark has been interested in geology ever since she was a child.
Today, the University of Houston doctoral student is turning that curiosity into a career and getting noticed by NASA, which awarded her a $285,000 grant to develop a technique that could one day be used to better understand past climate conditions on Mars.
"We hope to have samples from Mars one day and when we do, we need to be ready to evaluate them. This could help give us a better understanding of how the planet has changed over millions of years," said Clark, who is studying the geochemistry of Mars.
For now, Clark's research will focus on creating silica minerals in the laboratory to discover how they form in subzero temperatures, such as those on Mars. Silica minerals, including quartz, are commonly found in Earth surface sediment, but silica was also detected in rocks and sediment on Mars by NASA's Curiosity Rover.
The initial experiments have begun. "I am working on how to get the silica out of solution as a solid with all the right chemistry. Once I am able to do that, I will take the solid and analyze it for oxygen isotopes," explained Clark, who has done previous studies on cryogenic opal-A, which is silica that forms in brine veins between growing water ice crystals.
Tom Lapen, Clark's research advisor and chair of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in the UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, said silica might be able to preserve the conditions under which it actually precipitated, or became a solid, from a liquid. In other words, silica found on Mars is a potential source of past climate information.
Lapen and Clark are working with Zach Sharp, who runs the Center for Stable Isotopes at the University of New Mexico. Sharp developed the analytical technique and Clark will build upon it by investigating silica samples formed below zero degrees Celsius.
"Joanna is competing with some of the best scientists in the country. Most of them are professors and researchers who have been doing this a long time," said Lapen, referring to Clark's NASA grant. "It indicates that the community views this project on really high merits and if successfully accomplished, it could have a big impact."
Other project collaborators are Henry Chafetz, UH professor of geology and Elizabeth Rampe, an exploration mission scientist in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division at the Johnson Space Center.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The 28th annual Middletown Rotary Small Town Big Heart Gala fundraiser will be held on Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Twin Pine Casino & Hotel Event Center.
Hors d’oeuvres and music kick off the event at 4:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6 p.m. and a live auction follows.
Middletown Rotary President Belinda Joy describes the club’s Gala as, “An evening of great fun and friendship with a big purpose.”
Kathey Crothers has been the organization’s fundraising chair for several years and served as the Middletown Club’s President last year.
“Our club of dedicated volunteers makes this event bigger and better every year. The results are truly amazing. Our Gala is the ‘big heart’ of our fundraising goals and we can’t do it without you,” said Crothers.
The funds received support “service above self” projects that empower youth, support our senior citizens, benefit our communities and support worthy international projects.
The club’s fundraising efforts have provided dictionaries and friendship benches to elementary schools, funding for High School scholarship programs, fire prevention and recovery assistance in addition to supporting the ‘Meals on Wheels’ food program at our local senior center.
“With your help, Rotary volunteers can continue to provide a variety of services for our youth and our seniors and offer support for our entire community,” said Joy.
The event is co-sponsored by Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital and Clearlake Grocery Outlet.
To purchase Gala event tickets, which are $60 each, or to inquire about table sponsorship, or if you or your organization would like to become an event sponsor, donate a silent auction item or contribute to the live auction, call 707-355-0393 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
For further information about the Gala or the Rotary Club of Middletown, contact Belinda Joy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Along with the waterfowl migrating into and through the region now, we’re also seeing an influx of songbirds and sparrows that will winter here and then fly off toward their breeding grounds in the spring.
Three of the easiest ones to spot are the golden-crowned sparrow, the white-crowned sparrow and the dark-eyed junco.
Some populations of these birds migrate great distances, stopping over in our part of the state to rest before they move on.
The white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys), for example can travel over 2,500 miles from Alaska to Southern California. Other species simply move up and down from one elevation to another.
Adult white-crowns are very easy to identify when you see them in the field. Their bright white-and-black striped heads are unmistakable. The juveniles have similar markings, but those stripes are tinted a diluted tan and brown.
A fun fact about these birds is that the males learn their songs from the areas where they are born rather than from their parents. And because many of them stick close to their natal sites when they’re breeding, flocks of the birds develop regional “dialects”.
Golden-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla ) are aptly named for the bright golden stripe found in the center of the head of the adults that shifts to gray at the back of the head. In juveniles, the golden color is less pronounced.
Not a lot is known about the golden-crowned sparrow because no in-depth scientific studies have been done on it. Most of we understand about these birds, therefore, comes from naturalists’ field journals – which exemplifies just how valuable these hand-written journals and the observations they contain really are.
Modern naturalist training programs, like those taught annually by Tuleyome in Woodland, teach modern-day naturalists how to collect data in field journals and then take that hand-written data and enter it into online applications like iNaturalist.
iNaturalist is one of the many online community science projects through which members of the public can collect and report data in the field and upload it for use by scientists all over the globe.
Because the golden-crowned sparrow hasn’t been studied a great deal, we don’t know very much about its breeding habits, except that it leaves our area to breed in the tundra areas up north in the summer months. These the birds are believed to be monogamous.
Another community science project, the Christmas Bird Counts, also seems to suggest that its populations are increasing throughout the United States. They’re usually the first migrants to show up in our region, and the last ones to leave.
Like the white- and golden-crowned sparrows, dark eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) are also sparrows and are actually considered to be the most abundant species in North America. They come in a broad variety of color morphs.
The color type we see most often in our region is the “Oregon” color pattern, but other colors include slate, pink-sided, white-winged, red-backed and gray-headed. Juncos with the Oregon color have a dark head, brownish-gray wings and a rusty-to-pink blush on the sides. Its beak is pale (usually pink or off-ivory).
At first, scientists believed that the different colors denoted different species, but recent studies seem to indicate that the color variations we’re seeing in the birds right now is actually the result of the process of evolution happening in real time. Many of the Juncos interbreed, so it’s not known which color morphs will survive and which ones will vanish over time.
Although they are not considered threatened or endangered at this time, the populations of dark-eyed juncos have decreased by 50 percent since 1966. What’s causing the decline isn’t yet fully understood.
Most of these sparrows will come to your wintertime birdfeeders to augment their diet, so set out feeders and suet for them where you can. White-crowns like sunflower seeds, juncos like millet, and golden-crowns will eat just about anything including seeds, flower buds and fruit.
Mary K. Hanson is a Certified California Naturalist, author and nature photographer. She developed and helps to teach the naturalist program at Tuleyome, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland. For more information, visit http://tuleyome.org/.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – A Lakeport woman died on Christmas day in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 20 in Mendocino County.
The California Highway Patrol’s Ukiah Area office identified the crash victim as Janice Kespohl, 80.
The CHP said the collision occurred at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on Highway 20, west of Eastside Potter Valley Road.
Kespohl was driving her 2017 Hyundai westbound on Highway 20 within the No. 2 lane, as Cielo Alavezos, 24, of Ukiah was driving her 2014 Toyota SUV in the No. 1 lane, also westbound, approaching Kespohl from the rear, according to the report.
The CHP said that, based on the investigation so far, it appears that Kespohl attempted to make a u-turn from the No. 2 lane directly in front of Alavezos.
As a result, the front of Alavezos’ Toyota hit the left side of Kespohl’s Hyundai, with both vehicles coming to rest within the westbound traffic lanes, the CHP said.
Reports from the scene indicated the highway’s westbound lanes were shut down due to the wreck, with Caltrans called to help with traffic control.
The CHP said Kespohl – who radio traffic said was trapped in her vehicle – succumbed to her injuries at the scene.
The report from the CHP did not indicate that Alavezos was injured.
Both women were wearing their seat belts, the CHP reported.
As of the time of the CHP’s update on the crash, the agency said it hadn’t determined whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the collision.
The CHP said the wreck remains under investigation.
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 U.S. population is aging at such a rate that within a few years, older Americans will outnumber the country’s children for the first time, according to census projections. But rising rents, health care and other living costs mean that for many entering their retirement years, balancing the household budget can be a struggle.
To get a better understanding of how much of a struggle, a team at the University of Massachusetts Boston established a benchmark against which to measure the financial security of Americans aged 65 and over. Jan Mutchler is Professor of Gerontology and Director of the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging in the Gerontology Institute at UMass.
What is the Elder Index?
Jan Mutchler: The Elder Index is a measure looking at how much income is needed for older people to maintain independence and meet their daily living costs while staying in their own homes. It is based on the bare-bones budgets of singles and couples aged 65 or over. For 2019, we found that the average income needed by an older individual in rental housing to meet all basic needs was $25,416, and for a couple in rental housing it was $36,204. The index breaks this figure down county by county.
Why did you create it?
Mutchler: The brainchild of researchers at the Gerontology Institute at UMass Boston, including myself, the index was created to provide a realistic benchmark for what it costs older people to get by and remain independent. It can help guide and support the development of policies meant to promote the well-being of older adults and also serve as a financial planning tool for older people and their families to help alleviate economic insecurity.
How does economic insecurity differ from poverty?
Mutchler: The federal poverty line is widely used to summarize hardship and insecurity, but we know that the benchmark is way below what an adequate lifestyle requires. The Elder Index defines economic security as the income level at which older people can cover basic and necessary living expenses without relying on loans, gifts or income support programs like food subsidies and housing assistance. It is also uniquely focused on thresholds specific to older adults’ expenses.
What are the major living costs faced by older Americans?
Mutchler: Housing and health care top the list. Medical bills in particular can be very expensive, especially as people move into their 70s and 80s and encounter chronic conditions that require ongoing treatment and medications. For couples, health care is especially costly — there is no family plan for Medicare, meaning couples pay twice the individual rate. Social Security plays a critical role in meeting these costs. Many older people also draw on pensions, savings or other assets to pay the bills or continue to work into later life, at least on a part-time basis. But even so, a significant number of older Americans are forced to make ends meet by holding back on the health care they need, going into debt, or using other strategies that do not support health and well-being.
How big a problem is economic insecurity among the elderly?
Mutchler: Our research shows that in 2019, half of older Americans living on their own lacked the income needed to pay for their basic needs, as did 23% of couples. Taken together, we estimate that more than 10 million people aged 65 or older and living independently have incomes below the Elder Index. In short, it is a big problem.
Who are most financially vulnerable among Americans over 65?
Mutchler: Older people in regions with low average incomes, such as in Mississippi and Louisiana, are vulnerable. But there is also a problem in more affluent areas that have seen jumps in the cost of living and housing, such as in parts of Massachusetts and Vermont, and notably in the San Francisco area. Older people who live alone also tend to be at higher risk. To some extent, this just reflects economies of scale in their household budgets. But people living alone are also more likely to be women and are older on average, which would also put them at a higher risk. It is important to note that the vulnerability seen in later life is a reflection of lifelong disparities in the ability to earn an adequate wage, accumulate Social Security credits and save for retirement. For these reasons, women and older people of color both are more likely to be at risk.
What measures can be taken to better support older Americans?
Mutchler: Any effort has to include protecting and enhancing our Social Security system, as many older people rely on it for most or all of their income. Likewise Medicare, which forms the basis for receiving medical care for nearly all older Americans. Meanwhile, subsidies and benefits targeting low-income older people can really help. But these programs need to be widened, as typically the only people eligible are at or very near poverty levels, rather than being economically insecure. Communities, too, need to better promote economic security through affordable senior housing and making sure older residents receive the benefits available to them. Finally, we really need more conversations about what the true cost of retirement living is and how people can plan for that. At present, people are not adequately informed. As a result, too many people enter retirement without financial security.
Jan Mutchler, Professor, Department of Gerontology, McCormack Graduate School Director, Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging, Gerontology Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston
Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plants and animals.
However, excessive phosphorus in surface water can cause explosive growth of aquatic plants and algae.
This can lead to a variety of water-quality problems, including low dissolved oxygen concentrations, which can cause fish kills and harm other aquatic life.
Rivers connect our terrestrial landscape with downstream lakes, reservoirs, and coastal environments.
High phosphorus concentrations and associated water-quality degradation are a key water-quality concern in many of our nation’s rivers and streams.
A team of US Geological Survey scientists recently published a paper that investigates the potential sources of phosphorus that contribute to degraded river water quality.
Here’s what the lead author, Sarah M. Stackpoole, had to say about the study.
Q: What question were you trying to answer with your recent study?
Stackpoole: The link between agriculture, excess phosphorus, and excess algal growth in freshwater ecosystems is well established.
Management efforts to reduce the movement of excess agricultural phosphorus to surface waters have been in place for decades, but we have not seen widespread improvements in water quality.
This may be because the source of phosphorus leading to degraded water-quality conditions may not actually be linked to the manure and fertilizer currently being applied to nearby farms and fields.
Phosphorus contributions to current river water-quality degradation can also come from older, historical manure and fertilizer inputs that have built up in soils, and sometimes these phosphorus sources can be more than 20 years old.
We wanted to determine if historical phosphorus was a nutrient source to rivers and whether it was masking the effects of current conservation efforts.
Q: What’s unique about this study?
Stackpoole: Previous studies that have looked at current and historical phosphorus sources and their effects on water quality have been more limited in either space (number of watersheds) or time (period of analysis). Our study looked at water quality at 143 river sites for a 20-year time period, 1992–2012.
Q: What insights did you gain about current agricultural phosphorous management?
Stackpoole: The way we evaluated current agricultural phosphorus management was called an agricultural phosphorus balance, defined by phosphorus inputs and outputs. Two key inputs were fertilizer and manure applications to soils. One key watershed phosphorus output is crop uptake and removal of crop plant material in harvest.
You can think about the agricultural phosphorus balance in a similar way as a bank balance. Based on how many dollars that you put in compared to how many dollars you take out, you can have a deficit, a zero balance, or a surplus (also called a savings).
The difference between your bank balance and an agricultural phosphorus balance is that you usually want a surplus in your bank account, but most conservation efforts have been trying to reduce the surplus of phosphorus on the landscape and are aiming toward a zero balance.
We found that 7 percent of the river sites had deficits, meaning that the inputs were less than what was taken up by the plants, 25 percent were balanced, meaning that the inputs were equal to what was taken up by the plants. However, 68 percent of the river sites had surpluses, meaning that inputs were greater than outputs.
Q. What insights did you gain about historical phosphorus sources?
Stackpoole: We documented that historical phosphorus was a source of river phosphorus at 49 of 143 sites. The agricultural balances at these sites showed us that older legacy phosphorus sources, probably manure and fertilizer inputs from the 1980s, were still having an effect today as a source of river phosphorus.
The study documented increased phosphorus transport by the Kansas River at Desoto, Kansas, between 1992 and 2012.
Q: Did you see any indication that current conservation efforts are working?
Stackpoole: Yes, there is some good news in our story. At 43 river sites, where the agricultural balance has decreased over time, the water quality improved.
Q. What insights did you gain about current agricultural phosphorus management and water quality?
Stackpoole: Agricultural management efforts to reduce non-point P sources have been effective in improving water quality in some watersheds. However, additional strategies are needed to promote the adoption of nutrient-conserving practices without compromising agricultural yields.
Because of legacy sources, reductions in agricultural phosphorus inputs alone may not be enough to reduce phosphorus. The most effective management actions will be system-specific and account for both the long-term effects of total historical P storage and reductions in contemporary surpluses.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office will conduct a driving under the influence and driver license safety checkpoint on the evening of Friday, Dec. 27, somewhere within the unincorporated area of Lake County.
The goal of the CHP is to ensure the safe passage of each and every motorist by targeting roads where there is a high frequency of intoxicated or unlicensed drivers.
A sobriety/driver license checkpoint is a proven effective tool for achieving this goal and is designed to augment existing patrol operations.
Vehicles will be checked for drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or driving unlicensed.
The CHP said the objective is to send a clear message to those individuals that consider driving and mixing alcohol or drugs, or driving when unlicensed, that you will be caught and your vehicle will be towed away.
Funding for this program was provided from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has 10 dogs waiting to go to their new homes this holiday week.
The kennels also have many dogs that need to be reunited with their owners. To find the lost/found pet section, click here.
The following dogs are ready for adoption.
‘Blue’
“Blue” is a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix with a short blue and white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 2420.
‘Burke’
“Burke” is a male Labrador Retriever with a short black coat with white markings.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 2628.
‘Charlotte’
“Charlotte” is a female Akita mix.
She is dog No. 3040.
‘Clarice’
“Clarice” is a female German Shepherd mix puppy.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 3402.
‘Deejay’
“Deejay” is a female German Shepherd mix with a short tan and white coat.
She is dog No. 3413.
‘Fable’
“Fable” is a female Alaskan Malamute mix with a brown and buff coat.
She is dog No. 3044.
‘Linus’
“Linus” is a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix with a short gray and white coat.
He is dog No. 3255.
‘Precious’
“Precious” is a female Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a short black coat.
She is dog No. 3268.
‘Roxy’
“Roxy” is a female Miniature Pinscher with a short red coat.
She is dog No. 3406.
‘Woodrow’
“Woodrow” is a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a black and white coat.
He is dog No. 3281.
Clearlake Animal Control’s shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53, off Airport Road.
Hours of operation are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays; the shelter offers appointments on the days it’s closed to accommodate people.
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.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or at the city’s Web site.
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.