LAKEPORT, Calif. – Students of the Lakeport Unified School District on Friday heard from a nationally acclaimed voice over artist and motivational speaker about the dangers of bullying.

Michael Pritchard gave talks to elementary, middle and high schoolers – as well as parents and faculty – during the Friday presentations at the Marge Alakszay Center.

Pritchard has done voice work for episodes of Star Wars and Sesame Street, and worked alongside Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Dana Carvey and Whoopi Goldberg, according to his Web site.

The Sheriff’s Activity League brought Pritchard and his message about being “brain wise and heart smart” and the importance of making wise decisions to the community’s young people.

During the presentation, students also had the chance to share their challenges – from bullying, on the Internet and in person, to the stresses and pressures they face in fulfilling their school obligations and getting into a college, and dealing with depression.

See Pritchard’s full presentation to the Clear Lake High School students in the video above.

Comets are some of the most interesting objects in the solar system.

Water that filled the ancient oceans of Earth might have been delivered by comets. And there is growing evidence that many comets (as well as some primitive asteroids) contain molecules key to life.

NASA has sent space probes to travel hundreds of millions of miles to study these icy interlopers from the outer solar system.

Comets are balls of frozen gases, rock and dust that orbit the sun. Jets of gas and dust from comets form long tails that can be seen from Earth when they fly close enough to our planet.

In 2017 and 2018, three comets will pass near the Earth.

Their names are 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak, 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova, and 46P/Wirtanen. Astronomers call them “41P,” “45P” and “46P,” for short.

At closest approach on April 1, 41P was only 56 times farther from Earth than the Moon. 45P was even closer at 31 lunar distances when it flew by on Feb. 11. And 46P approaches 30 lunar distances, on Dec. 16, 2018.

Kelly Fast, Program Manager in the Near-Earth Object Observations Program at NASA Headquarters says, “This provides a good opportunity to do science without having to launch a spacecraft.”

Telescopes around the world have been trained on the comets as they pass by, studying their structure and chemical compositions.

For the general public, comet 45P was an easy target for small telescopes when it passed closest to Earth in February, and 41P will be an easy telescope target through May of 2017. But 46P will be the biggest attraction. In December 2018, it could be visible to the naked eye from dark sky sites.

Astronomer Tony Farnham of the University of Maryland says, “46P has a small nucleus, but is known to be a ‘hyperactive’ comet. It is probably ejecting ice crystals from its surface, producing higher than normal activity.”

This hyperactivity may contribute to the naked-eye brightness of 46P. It also makes the comet somewhat unpredictable with unexpected surges in activity – and visibility – possible as it passes by.

These comets have been so close that amateur astronomers can help study them, too. Farnham is assisting Nalin Samarasinha at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Ariz., with the organization of the “4*P Coma Morphology Campaign” to coordinate the efforts of amateurs worldwide.

“Amateur astronomers can help us monitor these comets without interruption,” explains Farnham. “With observers distributed around the world, we can get much better coverage, with fewer and shorter breaks.”

“We can then combine amateur observations with observations from professional telescopes to study the structures in the comet’s atmosphere – or ‘coma.’ If we use the amateur data in our studies, then they get to be an author on any papers that result.”

“A few years back, we used this same type of network for our studies of comet ISON, and they proved very successful, with data from 23 different groups around the world.”

For more about objects in and around Earth’s neighborhood, stay tuned to http://science.nasa.gov .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This week in history features the story of the naming of American towns and how Thomas Jefferson, great statesman and imminent writer, was a horrible at it.

April 23, 1784

If you have spent any length of time driving through our beautiful country you will be amazed by the creative flair American pioneers used to name the dusty towns they settled.

Sometimes a name would embody the spirit in which the town was founded: New Era, Michigan; Inspiration, Arizona; Excel, Alabama.

Other times a famous man would lend his name to a town: Tolstoy, South Dakota; Napoleonville, Louisiana; Ringling, Oklahoma.

A favorite was to evoke the virtues of a past (or present) President, in a fit of patriotic zeal. President James Polk gave his name to towns and/or counties in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

At yet other times, since America has always been a country of immigrants we’ve peppered our nation’s atlas with the names of foreign towns: Paris, Texas; New Madrid, Missouri; Holland, Michigan.

Then there are those names that could only have been conceived in the spur of the moment. Ong’s Hat, New Jersey was supposedly so named for a dancer and ladies’ man, Jacob Ong, who regularly attended Saturday night dances with a shiny hat perfectly perched atop his head.

One evening he neglected to pay attention to a certain young woman who, frustrated at being spurned, grabbed Mr. Ong’s hat, threw it on the ground and stomped it out of shape.

Eighty Eight, Kentucky got its name because it is located 8.8 miles away from the county seat of Glasgow (another foreign town name, in case you’re keeping count).

Before you laugh, you should remember that our very own Middletown was so named, supposedly, because it was midway along the stage line between Calistoga and Lower Lake!

Perhaps the most desultory name in America goes to Why, Arizona. When asked why they chose that name for their town, the town elders exclaimed “because we couldn’t figure out why people would want to live here!”

There are names that came about because something was lost in translation. Embarrass, Wisconsin was named first by the French trappers who noticed that the stretch of river alongside which a town would later be built consistently trapped the logs that were floated down to sawmills.

Riviére Embarrassé, or “Tangled River,” the French called it and American settlers mangled it to “Embarrass,” for which we ought to be.

Worse than Embarrass, Wisconsin is Smackover, Arkansas. Seeing that the area around was covered in sumac shrubs, the French trappers and hunters from nearby Louisiana called the area Sumac-couvert, or “Sumac Covered.” If you say it quickly and often enough, it does start to sound like “Smackover” I suppose. Apparently we Americans don’t do well with French.

Perhaps the king of quirky naming goes to our third president, Thomas Jefferson.

Before most of these aforementioned towns were settled, indeed before most of these states were even founded, Thomas Jefferson had a chance to leave his mark on the country’s map. Thankfully for those people who now call the Midwest their home, Jefferson failed.

Behind this somewhat comical story lies a deeper and more important episode in American history. On this day in 1784, Congress enacted the Land Ordinance of 1784, a proposal drafted by Jefferson to divide the new land west of the Appalachian Mountains into 10 states.

Having just won their independence from Great Britain, the Americans found themselves with a mess of land that stretched deep into the continent (how deep, they did not yet know since Lewis and Clark’s expedition across this vast expanse was still two decades off).

Jefferson was a delegate of the state of Virginia and had fought for the past four years over the question of what to do with the land west of the original colonies. This was a major issue, with seven of the 13 colonies already claiming ownership of land west of the Appalachians (sometimes with overlapping borders).

In 1781 Virginia ceded its claim to the vast territory northwest of the Ohio River to the federal government, a move that ultimately made Maryland agree to sign the “Articles of Confederation” that year.

Now, after peace with Britain had finally been achieved, Jefferson was once more called on to take his pen and write up a document that people could stand behind.

This time, rather than a declaration of independence, he was to create an ordinance that would pave the way for new states to be created.

Jefferson and his proponents laid out a plan that, among other things, stated that none of the former 13 colonies should themselves create colonies of this land now or in the future but, rather, allow new areas to be divided for the creation of potential states.

This ordinance, and the ones that succeeded it, laid the foundation for the creation of additional states, each one distinct from the others.

As part of the ordinance, Jefferson also lent his considerable creativity to how the land ought to be divided and named.

Being as he was educated in the myths and history of ancient Greece and Rome, Jefferson proposed the new states of Metropotamia, Polypotamia, Sylvania, Chersonesus and six more besides.

Before you scoff, we should remember that the founding fathers were deeply affected by the ancient world, looking to the Roman Republic and the democracy of Athens as exemplars for their own budding state.

George Washington himself fashioned his public persona from the Roman figure of Cincinnatus (later the inspiration for the city of Cincinnati).

Cincinnatus was a man who rose to the highest level of power in the Roman Republic, saved the city of Rome from invading armies and spurned the position of dictator-for-life that he feasibly could have taken in favor of a quiet life back on his farm.

Sound familiar? It should, because there was as yet no term limits for a president and Washington could have feasibly continued in that high office to the rest of his days, but instead took his cue from that Roman hero and after two terms left office.

So, when Jefferson, in all seriousness, looked to the ancient past as inspiration for the new states, not everyone immediately shouted him down.

In the end Congress thanked Jefferson for the ordinance, and the idea of dividing the states, but turned down most of the proposed names. Eventually, however, some of the names did end up on America’s maps, but none of them were classically inspired.

I suppose we were not destined to have the great state of Metropotamia. The people of Wisconsin can let out a collective sigh of relief!
   
Antone Pierucci is the former curator of the Lake County Museum and a freelance writer whose work has been featured in such magazines as Archaeology and Wild West as well as regional California newspapers.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Knoxville Wildlife Area is another one of Lake County's marvelous wilderness lands that is worthy of investigation.

This 21,000 acre “park” is accessed via Lower Lake's Morgan Valley Road, and is just past the old Homestake Gold Mine.

Knoxville is actually a part of the 300,000 acre Blue Ridge/Berryessa Natural Area located in the counties of Lake, Napa, Colusa and Yolo. The rugged lands vary in elevation from 1,000 to around 2,200 feet.

The roads have taken a beating with the bounteous rains we've been experiencing, so be forewarned. Plans for parking lots are in the works.

Here is a place you can deeply claim epic views of expansive wilderness lands and wildflowers. If you are craving a getaway from the pinging sounds of electronic devices, here is where you can soak in some of nature's soundscapes – the running water in the subtle silver of the creek, and bird call melodies from the abundant avian species that are found here.

If you listen, and “turn on” your imagination you can garner the “daily news” from out-of-doors, fresh as sunburst from the winds.

Here at Knoxville oak grasslands, oak woodlands, chaparral brush and more can be found. These lands are special in that they hold some of the few serpentine-soils habitats that are found in California, and are protected.

Serpentine is our state rock. The out-of-the ordinary serpentine soils are home to a great variety of songbirds and raptors, reptiles and amphibians, along with many mammals like black-tailed deer, bobcats, black bears, and more.

What's interesting is that due to serpentine's chemical make up, it is not conducive to hosting most plant species, but instead, rare and endemic plants are found here that are home to the area's own plants and insects.

Serpentine is a mineral, and can be made up of many hues. It may be yellow to black, but is usually green here in Lake County.

According to local geologist, Dean Enderlin, “The formation of serpentinite is a very complex process. Much has been (and is being) written about it in geology journals. Serpentine minerals form when unstable ultramafic minerals in the deeper parts of an ophiolite complex chemically react with sea water (they hydrate). To put this in layman's terms, millions of years ago Lake County was under the ocean- up to about the Sierra Nevada foothills. The land below this ocean underwent a great collision of earth's tectonic plates. This particular under-ocean movement, called subduction, caused the floor which was west of us to move toward us, and under us. This complex process created our unique serpentine-rich geology.”

Lake County's serpentine is so special that the University of California has been undertaking studies at our county's own McLaughlin Natural Reserve, which is next door to the Knoxville Wildlife Area.

NASA scientist Dr. Jen Blank, PhD, Space Sciences and Astrobiology Division at NASA Ames Research Center, and Dr. Dawn Cardace, also with the NASA Ames team think that Lake County's serpentine formations are an analog to formations of serpentine on Mars.

With their Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory, or CROMO program, they have drilled wells on McLaughlin Reserve's lands to study microbial life which thrives in the high pH waters deep within the serpentine soil areas.

“Bi-products of the serpentinization reaction include reduced gases such as methane and hydrogen – these can be used as energy/food by chemotrophic bacteria,” said Dr. Blank. “Methanogens and sulfur reducing bacteria able to thrive on these gases can support other microbes in a subsurface environment – which may be a place to look for life on Mars.”

Our special serpentine soils hold a place in time and an extraordinary dimension in geologic terms.

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has group of big dogs this week needing loving forever homes.

This week’s available dogs include mixes of boxer, German Shepherd, husky, pit bull and shepherd.

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”).

Pit bull-boxer mix

This male pit bull-boxer mix has a short black and white coats.

He’s in kennel No. 1, ID No. 7296.

‘Haley’

“Haley” is a female German Shepherd.

She has a medium-length black and brown coat, and already has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 18, ID No. 7253.

Male pit bull

This male pit bull has a short blue coat with white markings.

Shelter staff said he is great with submissive dogs, preferably not other males. He has a low energy level and needs a home with no cats or small dogs. He would be good with children age 12 and above.

He’s in kennel No. 19, ID No. 7275.

‘Rosco’

“Rosco” is a male pit bull terrier mix with a short tan and white coat.

He already has been neutered.

Shelter staff said he needs a mellow, low-energy home with no other dogs or cats.

He’s in kennel No. 23, ID No. 6752.

‘Gia’

“Gia” is a female shepherd mix.

She has a medium-length tan and black coat, and already has been spayed.

Shelter staff said she would do best with submissive dogs only and needs a home with no cats and children under age 12. A secure fence also is a requirement.

She’s in kennel No. 25, ID No. 6794.

‘Daisy’

“Daisy” is a female husky mix.

She has a medium-length tricolor coat and blue eyes.

Daisy is in kennel No. 30, ID No. 7341.

‘Kevin’

“Kevin” is a male husky mix.

He has a medium-length tricolor coat, and one blue eye and one brown eye.

He’s in kennel No. 31, ID No. 7340.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

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.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

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.