Lake County Skies on Feb. 20, 2008, at 8 p.m.

‘Un-Mooned’? Is there such a word in our language? Probably not. But in Lake County Skies, the full Moon, visible during the evening of the 20th, will slowly disappear, and then reappear.

That will happen because there is a total eclipse of the Moon that evening. Our star chart shows where this will occur – notice that the Moon will be close to the planet Saturn.

Notice in the animation that the Moon does not completely disappear. When the eclipse is full, you can still see the Moon, although it is much dimmer than normal.

When will this happen? Here’s a diagram from NASA that shows the times when different events during the eclipse will occur.

What causes an eclipse? It happens when the earth is between the sun and moon, and the three objects line up to where the earth’s shadow is cast upon the lunar surface. The following diagram shows this.

If the Moon is completely within the earth’s shadow, it’s a total eclipse. But if it’s in only a portion of the earth’s shadow, it’s a partial eclipse.

An eclipse of the moon happens at least twice a year, but the next total eclipse won’t happen until 2010.

Speaking of the Moon, Native Americans had names for the full Moon in each month to help identify the seasons. Some of these names, from the Algonquin tribes in the eastern US, were: Full Wolf Moon (January), Full Snow Moon (February), Full Worm Moon (March) and Full Pink Moon (April).

Aside from the lunar eclipse being the star of February’s celestial show, the planets Mars and Saturn are visible, as shown on our star chart. The constellation of Leo the Lion is rising in the east, and Ursa Major (the Big Bear), which contains the Big Dipper, is again becoming visible.

For more information about astronomy and local astronomy-related events, visit the Taylor Observatory website at www.taylorobservatory.org.

On Feb. 9, starting at 8 p.m., the observatory will be open to the public. The topic for the evening is “From Stonehenge to Hubble,” a presentation that traces the history of astronomy.

John Zimmerman has been an amateur astronomer for 50 years. He is a member of the Taylor Observatory staff, where, among his many duties, he helps create planetarium shows.

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Jose Acevedo Rosas, 36, was injured in the crash, which took place at about 6 a.m., according to Officer Adam Garcia, spokesman for the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake office.

Garcia said Rosas was driving his 1994 Ford Mustang southbound on New Long Valley Road in Spring Valley when he lost control of his vehicle because of the roadway's slick surface.

Rosas traveled across the opposite lane and went over the east shoulder, traveled down a steep, downgraded embankment and struck a tree, Garcia said. The impact crushed the car's hood, roof and windshield.

According to Garcia, Rosas lost consciousness and no one in the area witnessed the collision.

When Rosas regained consciousness – more than two hours later – Garcia said he was spotted climbing up the embankment near the road.

Garcia said Rosas sustained major injuries that were not life-threatening. Paramedics with Northshore Fire Protection District's Clearlake Oaks station transported Rosas to Redbud Community

Hospital.

Officer Erich Paarsch is investigating the collision, which Garcia said is not believed to have had alcohol as a factor.

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Michael Collins Sr., 49, was found lying in the road in the hills above Lucerne Monday, according to a Tuesday report from Sgt. Brian Martin of the Lake County Sheriff's Office Investigations Division.

Martin reported that sheriff's deputies and Northshore Fire personnel responded to a call at 9:38 a.m. Monday from a Lucerne woman who had found Collins lying next to a truck on Robinson Road, a dirt road in the hills above Lucerne.

The woman had been walking her dogs in the area when she found Collins, Martin reported. The woman notified the sheriff’s Central Dispatch and fire and law enforcement personnel immediately responded to investigate.

Upon their arrival, medics determined that the man was unresponsive and he was determined to be deceased by the deputy coroner, according to Martin.

The man was subsequently identified as Collins, said Martin. The truck he was found by was determined to belong to Collins, according to Department of Motor Vehicle records.

Martin said the area of Robinson Road where Collins was found has been the subject of numerous complaints of illegal dumping.

Deputies found Collins’ truck stopped in the middle of the road with the tailgate down, said Martin, with garbage in the back of the truck and on the ground directly behind the tailgate.

A shovel also was found on the ground next to Collins, said Martin. A light dusting of snow was on top of the garbage on the ground and the garbage in the back of the truck.

The investigation into the matter suggested that Collins may have been in that area since the previous evening, said Martin.

Collins’ next of kin were notified of his death shortly after he was discovered, according to Martin.

The investigation found no signs of foul play associated with Collins' death, Martin reported.

An autopsy on Collins has been scheduled, said Martin, with the official cause of death his still pending.

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Last year the scarcity of rain resulted in Clear Lake not being full for the first time in several years, as Lake County News reported last summer.

A full lake, according to Lake County's Water Resources Division, is 7.56 feet on the Rumsey Gage, the unique measure used for Clear Lake. Zero Rumsey, or the lake's natural low water level, is equal to 1318.257 feet above mean sea level.

Last year, the lake peaked at 6.14 feet Rumsey in March, and its lower levels prevented Yolo County from taking its full, 150,000-acre-foot water allocation from the lake. Instead, it received about 57 percent of that amount, or just over 85,000 acre feet.

But as of Saturday, Clear Lake's condition shows continuing improvement. Rain, snow and runoff has bulked up the lake to 4.92 feet Rumsey, well above its Feb. 2, 2007 measurement of 3.54 feet Rumsey.

Kelsey, Putah and Cache Creeks also continue running at well above average because of the precipitation, according to the US Geological Survey. That will mean good news for area wells.

Elsewhere in the state, California's snowpack – depleted last year – is looking healthy once more.

The California Department of Water Resources conducted its second snow survey of the season on Thursday near Lake Tahoe.

Thursday's snowpack readings showed snowpack water content was about 75 percent better than this time last year, Water Resources reported.

On Friday, electronic snow sensor reports showed that the Northern Sierra has a snowpack at 125 percent of normal, with the Central Sierra and Southern Sierra measuring 106 and 125 percent of normal, respectively.

The state's snowpack on Friday showed an overall average of 118 percent of normal, Water Resources reported, up from the 43 percent of normal on Feb. 1, 2007.

“January is typically the wettest month of the water year, and this month’s storms have been an excellent shot in the arm to the State’s water supply,” said DWR Hydrology Branch Chief Arthur Hinojosa in a statement released by Water Resources.

“January’s precipitation has bolstered the snow pack and made up for a sub par December,” Hinojosa said. “Season to date is just above average and 65 percent of the April 1 average peak.”

The snow measurements help state hydrologists forecast the coming year's water supply.

The next manual survey is scheduled for early March.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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THIS STORY HAS BEEN CORRECTED REGARDING THE VOTE TALLY.

SACRAMENTO – A state bill meant to offer help to homeowners facing foreclosure failed to receive the necessary votes to pass the state Senate Wednesday.

The Senate voted 26-14 Wednesday in favor of Senate Bill 926 – one vote short of the number required to send the bill to the Assembly for consideration.

SB 926 is mortgage relief legislation authored by Senate President Pro-Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) and North Coast Sen. Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) is a co-author.

The bill sought to enact a comprehensive package of foreclosure reforms designed to prevent unnecessary residential foreclosures from further worsening the state and local economy and housing markets, according to David Miller, Wiggins' spokesman.

Specifically, the bill would have required a notice to be sent to borrowers prior to projected changes in mortgage payments, required lenders to contact borrowers to arrange an in-person meeting, and to provide a list of Housing and Urban Development-certified counselors to borrowers before filing a Notice of Default on a residential property in default, Miller reported.

The bill is an “urgency measure” designed to take effect immediately if signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Urgency measures require two-thirds approval for passage, but while Democrats hold a 25-15 majority in the Senate, at least two Republican votes are needed to reach the two-thirds threshold. None voted to support SB 926 Wednesday, Wiggins' office reported.

Foreclosures reached a 20-year high in California during the fourth quarter of 2007, as a growing number of homeowners continue to fall behind on their mortgage payments.

According to La Jolla-based DataQuick Information Systems, lenders repossessed 31,676 residences in California in October-November-December 2007 – a 421.2 percent increase from the same period in 2006.

The research firm reported that Bay Area foreclosures rose 482.5 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2006. Contra Costa County, Alameda County and Solano County experienced even greater increases than the Bay Area average.

Over the past year Lake County's foreclosure rates also have skyrocketed to record-high levels, as Lake County News has reported.

“California is facing an unprecedented threat to its state and local economies due to high foreclosure rates adversely affecting property values, and an estimated loss of $111 million in tax revenues due to foreclosures and their spillover effects,” Wiggins said. “SB 926 offered a reasonable approach to strengthening the economic health of California by modifying the foreclosure process to avoid additional unnecessary foreclosures.”

Miller said it's unclear if Perata and Wiggins will try reintroducing the bill this year.

Wiggins represents California’s 2nd Senate District, comprised of portions or all of six counties: Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma.

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President George W. Bush receives applause at the State of the Union Address Monday, Jan. 28, 2008, at the U.S. Capitol. Vice President Dick Cheney and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are seen back right. White House photo by Eric Draper.

LAKE COUNTY – After listening to President George W. Bush's last State of the Union Address Monday night, Congressman Mike Thompson headed back to his office, riding in an elevator with some Republican colleagues.

The Democrat from St. Helena said the bipartisan consensus in the elevator ride up was that Bush's address was “one of the more, if not the most, lackluster State of the Union speeches that we had heard.”

In the hour-long Monday night address, the president outlined his goals for his final year in office. He touched on a wide variety of issues, from the economy and national security, the war in Iraq to education, energy and immigration, and his plan to “advance an agenda of compassion worldwide.”

But Thompson, speaking with reporters following the address, said Bush offered nothing new, and few actual details of how he planned to accomplish his ambitious set of plans.

On important issues like health care and the environment, Thompson said, “I don't think he left anybody with much hope or direction.”

Rather than focusing on green energy – geothermal, wind and solar – Bush is calling for more oil drilling, including a push to drill on the outer continental shelf, said Thompson. “These are things that don't lead to reducing our carbon imprint.”

Bush outlined many important issues, said Thompson, but offered no specifics. To address the country's major challenges, the congressman said it's going to take everyone working together.

He remained highly critical of Bush's strategy in Iraq, saying the surge isn't working, and pointed to the deaths of eight U.S. soldiers that same day.

Thompson said all of the major issues Bush addressed touched the First Congressional District, which includes Lake County.

He turned to immigration, one issue he and the president agree on. “I think he's been on the right track on immigration,” said Thompson, but he added that Bush hasn't done anything about it.

Last year the opportunity to push for immigration reform in Congress was “ripe” – pun intended, said Thompson, referring to the pears left on county trees for lack of workers to harvest in recent years. Yet, nothing happened.

He said he would have loved to hear Bush say he would bring the troops home, but there again Thompson was disappointed.

The president promised greater support for returning veterans, including better health care for wounded service members.

Thompson, a Vietnam veteran, said that was the most “disingenuous” part of the president's speech. A regular visitor to the Walter Reed and Bethesda military hospitals, Thompson said he's seen firsthand the system's failure to help veterans.

He said that when Congress tried last year to give members of the military a 3.5-percent cost of living increase, Bush “fought that every inch of the way.”

There are a whole series of problems with returning vets, said Thompson – from a high number of suicides to brain injuries. “It's more horrendous than past wars.”

Thompson suggested that those problems could be handled, in part, by properly funding veterans facilities, but the president so far hasn't been willing to do that.

When reporters asked him who he's voting for in the presidential primary, Thompson was forthright in saying he chose Sen. Hillary Clinton.

However, he said of Clinton and her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, “I think either one of them would be a great president.”

Thompson said he chose Clinton because he's worked with her on issues important to the First District and Lake County. “She's strong on agriculture issues, she's strong on environmental issues and does a good job representing rural interests in her state.”

He added, “Those issues and understanding those issues are important in our district.”

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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“Driving under the influence (DUI) is a persistent problem,” said CHP Commissioner Mike Brown. “It causes needless and tragic loss of life each year. Prevention is simple, designate a sober driver and arrive alive.”

Last year on Super Bowl Sunday there were 214 alcohol involved collisions statewide. Drinking and driving played a role in the deaths of five people on California roads that same day.

Not only can drinking and driving result in injury and death, it will cause a legal nightmare as well, according to the CHP. On the day of the big game last year, CHP officers arrested 468 people for the driving under the influence.

In an effort to keep impaired drivers off the road, the CHP is encouraging motorists to be part of a team effort by reporting drunk drivers and dialing 911.

When calling, be sure to note the location and direction the suspected drunken driver is traveling. The color, make and model of the car are also helpful, the CHP said.

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District Attorney Jon Hopkins said that his office served the warrant on the Sixth Avenue home of Rowland Mosser, 63, the former executive director of the Lucerne Senior Center.

“We obtained a search warrant so that we could determine whether there was any information that he had that would assist us in proving whether there was an embezzlement at Lucerne Senior Center,” Hopkins said Wednesday afternoon.

As Lake County News first began reporting last February, allegations of missing funds at the Lucerne Senior Center have been examined extensively by the sheriff and district attorney, and were the subject of a grand jury investigation detailed in last year's grand jury report.

The law enforcement investigation – which has included hundreds of pages of documents – has focused on Mosser.

No charges so far have been filed against Mosser, who adamantly maintains that he had nothing to do with funds disappearing from the senior center.

“I didn't take anything from the senior center,” Mosser said Wednesday.

Hopkins did not disclose a monetary amount in connection with the investigation.

However, Jim Swatts, the center's former board chair, previously told Lake County News that his staff could not account for between $150,000 and $175,000 in center funds after he took over supervision of the center in the summer of 2005.

Mosser said he and his wife, Jayne, came home around 10 a.m. to discover three or four District Attorney's Office investigators already in their mobile home, where he said they have lived for five years.

Investigators took some paperwork, a few players cards he holds with local casinos, as well as his laptop and desktop computers, Mosser said.

For the last two and a half years investigations have been going on “behind closed doors,” said Mosser, but nothing has been found.

He claimed that no investigator – either from the sheriff's office, district attorney or grand jury – has ever questioned him, yet he said he's been treated as if he were convicted of a crime.

Mosser suggested others have destroyed or thrown away records that would have shown the center's true financial situation.

“There's no money to take,” Mosser said.

Mosser suggested that he is being used as a political scapegoat by the center to cover for the true issue – dwindling funds for needed programs.

The search warrant service Wednesday caught Mosser off guard. He said he had no clue the investigation was still under way. “I figured they were pretty much done and they hadn't found anything and it was going to go away.”

To make matters worse, Code Enforcement officers were alerted to the condition of the home and property and arrived shortly thereafter.

Code Enforcement staff confirmed to Lake County News that they opened a case on the home after the District Attorney's Office investigators notified them.

Two officers visited the property and red-tagged it Wednesday afternoon for violations including open and outdoor storage, substandard structure, hazard and public nuisance vehicles. The Code Enforcement report stated that the trailer is extremely dilapidated, with problems with its electricity, roof, walls and heating, with other unsanitary conditions including sewage draining on the ground.

Mosser admitted the home was in substandard condition and said he had been planning to remodel. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday he and his wife are no longer able to live there until it's fixed.

Investigators also called Animal Care and Control to check on the condition of one of the many cats in the home, although Mosser said none of the animals were taken.

The entire situation, said Mosser, made him sick to his stomach. “I'm frustrated, I'm angry, I'm upset.”

Mosser suggested he may now hire an attorney and begin filing slander lawsuits against individuals in the community who have pointed fingers at him. He said he may even take a complaint against the grand jury to the state.

In August of 2005, Mosser left his position as executive director at the senior center. During his tenure Mosser failed to pay the center's federal taxes, according to Swatts, which resulted in thousands of dollars in interest and penalties from the Internal Revenue Service.

Mosser has since gone on to serve as treasurer on the board of directors for the Ukiah-based Rural Communities Housing Development Corp., which builds low-income and self-help housing in Lake and Mendocino counties. He also is a director on the board of North Coast Opportunities Inc., and reportedly formerly served as director of the San Diego Board of Realtors.

The grand jury report stated that the Lake County Sheriff's Office received a complaint about missing funds at the senior center in November 2005, which triggered the investigation. Center officials also previously told Lake County News that they submitted evidence in the case to the state Attorney General's Office.

Hopkins said his office took over the senior center investigation from the sheriff's office in March 2006.

He said he hired two part-time employees – and investigator and a prosecutor – to work on the case. The staffers were working out of an office at the senior center, collecting documents and interviewing individuals.

Hopkins said his staff needed to analyze the materials taken from Mosser's home as well as the rest of their findings before making a final determination on whether or not there is a case.

“We are mindful that this is taking a long time,” Hopkins said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Snow fell on the shores of Clear Lake early Monday. Photo by Terre Logsdon.

LAKE COUNTY – Snow levels dropped overnight on Sunday, bringing snow down to Clear Lake Monday morning and leaving area roadways hazardous.

Snow fell in lower elevations around the lake, with some areas along the Northshore melting off early.

In Kelseyville, area resident Ginny Craven reported finding her yard under a thick blanket of snow Monday morning.

In Cobb, resident Roger Kinney said two inches of snow fell overnight.

Weather Underground reported little precipitation around the county Monday in areas other than Cobb, which the service does not track.

Precipitation and runoff continued to fill Clear Lake, with a Monday measurement showing the lake at 4.30 Rumsey, the measurement used for Clear Lake. Zero Rumsey – Clear Lake's natural low water level – is 1318.256 feet, according to Lake County's Water Resources Division. A full lake is 7.56 Rumsey.

Lake County Department of Public Works reported late Monday that all county roads are experiencing snow and ice, with all the department's plow and sand trucks out and at work to clear the way for traffic.

Public Works reported that chains are still required on Elk Mountain Road, but chain restrictions on Bartlett Springs Road and in the Cobb area had been lifted.

A landslide on Lakeview Drive from Hillside to Mesa Drive in Clearlake Oaks has closed the roadway to all traffic, Public Works reported.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento reports that Lake County could experience snow down to 1,500 feet Tuesday, with a snow and blowing snow advisory in effect until 10 p.m.

E-mail Terre Logsdon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Scooter tried out some snow at his Kelseyville home Monday morning. His person, Ginny Craven, said Scooter went back to the house to warm up his cold paws after trying the snow out. Photo courtesy of Ginny Craven.

Snow could be seen low on the hills from the Rodman Slough Monday. Photo by Terre Logsdon.

The snow on the lakeshore Monday quickly melted off. Photo by Terre Logsdon.

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The first meeting was attended by about 50 local citizens.

Many ideas were brainstormed at the first meeting. It was decided by general consensus to begin the focus of energy in five general areas:

• Local resource guide of producers and services;

• Organic community gardens;

• Buyers club as a stepping stone to a retail co-op (co-op literature tells us this can take up to two years to open the doors);

• Organic gardening education opportunities;

• Farmer's market in Clearlake.

All of these are tied to a commitment to support local organic farmers/producers whenever possible and to be available to as many people in community as possible.

The next meeting will be on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. at the Hot Spot Youth Activity Center at 4750 Golf Avenue in Clearlake.

The meeting is open to the public and anyone interested in hearing more about what they are doing or interested in joining this exciting group is welcome to attend.

The agenda will include discussion about a name for the co-operative and developing a vision statement for the co-op.

Also, Allen Markowski will give a brief instructional presentation on navigating Wiki spaces.

For more information check out the Wiki space at clearlakecommunityco-operative.wikispaces.com/ or call Lorna at 274-9254.

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Sgt. Chris Chwialkowski has been appointed to oversee the Clearlake Oaks Community Recovery Task Force. Courtesy photo.

CLEARLAKE OAKS – The Clearlake Oaks Community Recovery Task Force has a new supervisor.

Lake County Sheriff/Corner Rodney K. Mitchell has selected Sgt. Chris Chwialkowski to supervise the Clearlake Oaks Community Recovery Task Force.

The task force was managed during the past 10 months by the Lake County Community Development Code Enforcement Division because of the staffing vacancies in the sheriff's department.

An office in the Oaks was opened for the public in March 2007 and located in space provided at the Clearlake Oaks Fire Station.

"This site will no longer be open as the task force base operation has returned to the second floor of the Lucerne Visitor's Center," said Voris Brumfield, former task force coordinator. "The Northshore Fire Department staff in the Oaks were helpful and supportive of our efforts to provide service and information to the community.”

Persons interested in the agencies within the Community Recovery Task Force may call 263-2309 for Code Enforcement Division, 263-0278 for Animal Care and Control or 262-4200 for the sheriff's office.

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Captain Dave Emmel of Northshore Fire Protection District said firefighters were dispatched to the scene of the explosion, which took place on Eighth Avenue, at 6:43 p.m.

Northshore Fire reported that two men were in the garage working on a car, when fuel from the gas line was ignited by a propane heater.

The result was an explosion which blew one of the men into the shut garage door. One of the men also received second-degree burns, said Robbins.

Four engines responded to the scene, said Emmel. “The fire was pretty much out when we got there.”

Emmel said firefighters stayed on scene to do some mopping up. They also ventilated smoke from the structure, which was left largely undamaged.

Neighbors a few blocks away reported hearing – and feeling – the explosion.

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