Centauride

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A determined young woman is taking a cross-country odyssey with her best four-legged friend to raise awareness of domestic violence.

Meredith Cherry and her horse, Apollo, passed through Lake County over the past few days on one of the legs in the “Centauride,” which is named for the female half-human, half-horse creatures of Greek mythology.

Saturday was day 14 of the trip. Cherry called it “Absolutely the prettiest ride yet” on her Facebook page.

Cherry and Apollo set off on their journey from Penn Valley on Jan. 1. They will travel 14,000 miles through 48 states, and may take as long as four years to complete the ride, which has Maine as its final destination.

In Cherry's words, the Centauride is an “epic” effort that has a heroic purpose: to raise awareness of domestic violence, of which Cherry herself is a survivor.

“I'm hoping to mostly open the dialogue about domestic violence,” which Cherry called “a silent but very prevalent issue.”

Along the way she plans to visit state capitals, domestic violence and women's shelters, schools and community centers to bring attention to domestic violence and to share with victims the resources available to them.

Cherry said it's estimated that one in three women will experience a violent relationship in their lifetimes. “And yet you never really hear about it until you're in it yourself or you have someone very close to you who's in it.”

People who are in abusive relationships often are very isolated, and the silence about domestic violence makes it just that much harder to break the cycle, Cherry said.

Four years ago Cherry, now 33, broke the cycle for herself. “When I left my abusive marriage, I was trying to figure out what was important to me and I started my life over.”

The idea for the Centauride came out of a synthesis of the things that mattered the most to Cherry – horses, travel and advocating on domestic violence issues.

Cherry is a city girl who moved to the country. She writes about gardening, food, nature and travel, and has authored two travel guides about California missions.

She has been riding horses for 20 years, worked as a wrangler in the Colorado Rockies and did a horse trek in India. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in equine science from Colorado State University.

But after getting married she went 10 years without having any horses in her life. “I definitely missed them and needed to get that aspect back to my life,” she said.

So when she began planning for her ride three years ago, she began looking for just the right horse – one that would be big enough to carry her and 50 pounds of gear, is intelligent, friendly, very people-oriented and confident.

And that's where Apollo entered the scene three years ago. Cherry said he checked all the boxes, especially when it comes to being clever. “Sometimes he's too smart.”

Plus, it was love at first sight, and it's easy to see why.

Apollo is an 8-year-old Peruvian Paso-mustang cross gelding named for the Greek sun god.

He fits his name. Just shy of 16 hands, the tall palomino is athletic, steady and friendly – he came right up and gave a kiss to this reporter.

He's an easy keeper, and doesn't need a lot of extra feed to keep on weight despite the long days on the road. Cherry said he is very healthy, with good feet and sound legs.

For the last three years Cherry has been working on the logistics of the journey and training Apollo for the ride. At 8 years old, he's the ideal age for starting a ride of this length, Cherry said.

Setting off on New Year's Day from Penn Valley, Cherry and Apollo began working their way across Northern California.

Cherry said they've been averaging around 15 miles a day. They're always moving at a walking pace of about 3 miles per hour, and Cherry is either riding or walking along with him.

Including riding and breaks for Cherry to eat and Apollo to graze, they're on the road for about six hours per day, Cherry said.

She said they're both getting stronger every day and used to the physical effort the trip requires.

Apollo is adjusting to the busyness they're encountering along the way. He had been boarded on a quiet road, but now he's finding himself traveling out along highways for short stretches, Cherry said.

“We try to take more side roads and back roads and country lanes,” as well as bike trails, according to Cherry.

The recent storms caused her to lose two days on the road, she said. “This storm washed out some of the roads I was going to take.”

That caused her to need to hitchhike with her horse and get trailer rides for a couple of the washed out sections, which ended up getting her back on target as far as where she expected to be at this point in the ride.

However, Cherry added that she's not on a real schedule, and it's not a race, so losing time wasn't a big deal.

Passing through Lake County, she and Apollo came through Lower Lake on Friday and up through Kelseyville on Saturday, traveling along vineyards, passing the old Kelseyville Creek School and up through Highland Springs.

Apollo has had two water crossings so far, both in Lake County, which Cherry said on her Facebook page is “quite an accomplishment for a horse that hates puddles.”

On her ride, Cherry is an official flag carrier for the Long Riders' Guild thanks to being the first woman in the group to do a 48-state ride.

The group has assisted her with figuring out her route and the trip's logistics. One of the guild's members also has mentored her.

Cherry's mentor is a part of her support team, which includes about half a dozen individuals who get daily GPS updates letting them know where Cherry and Apollo are at and that they've arrived at their destination for the day. Team members also can offer phone support in case Cherry requires assistance or has an emergency.

Cherry is supporting her ride through a small savings, fundraising and donations. She said people will sometimes stop her along the road to give her cash for her trip, “which is amazing.”

She has a Go Fund Me page to help support the trip. The page has a $20,000 goal, and as of Saturday night had raised $770.

She said people have been “wonderfully supportive,” and she's been amazed at how nice and helpful people are.

Cherry said people stop her to ask about her journey, adding, “Kids want to pet Apollo, of course, which is cute.”

While she has brought along her own food, she's hardly had to break any out because, as she noted, “Everyone wants to feed me.”

One of her ongoing needs is finding a place to stay the night for her and Apollo.

She stayed at the Gaddy Shack Ranch in Kelseyville on Friday night before setting off through Highland Springs and up the Toll Road on the way to Hopland, where she stayed Saturday night.

People have helped her network along the way to find places to stay, and she asked for continued assistance in locating overnight stops where she and Apollo can rest.

From Hopland her route goes to Ukiah then out to Mendocino, and then north along the coast up into Oregon.

Her tentative route – which can change due to weather, road conditions and other issues – can be seen at her Web site at http://www.centauride.org/p/centauride-route-schedule.html .

She said she also will be posting regular updates on her progress at her Facebook page.

When she gets to Maine sometime within the next several years, she plans to hire a trailer to bring Apollo home.

She hopes that her effort will encourage people to be more open about domestic violence in an effort to end it.

Cherry said she's grateful for the opportunity to make the journey, and wants to help others who are suffering as she did.

She said she's “just trying to put myself out there and say, see, here I am, there's other people like me.”

Follow the Centauride on Facebook and Twitter (@meri_cherry), and spread the word using the hashtag #centauride. Emails can be sent to Cherry at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or to Apollo at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . More information about Cherry and Apollo also can be found at her Web site, www.centauride.org .

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.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As you are out and about wandering where puddles of water mirror the sky and mountains are silhouetted by clouds white as satin you may enjoy an encounter with a covey of California Quail – our state bird.

The California Quail was listed as our state bird back in 1931, and was seen as a symbol of prosperity and abundance.

Quail are one of the easiest birds to identify, running around as though they were equipped with wheels for feet.

A quail's call, “chi-ca-go,” is distinctive, and lovely to listen to, and if you ever surprise a covey of quail, their thunderous winging-away as they are flushed up will all but stop your heart!

Quail's distinguished plump chests and their black, white, gray and tan markings, along with their unique topknots seal the deal on their identities.

Quail are social birds, with distinct roles. You will find the male quail keeping watch over his covey by standing on boulders, fence posts or other elevated positions. When spring arrives the male overlooks the nest-building of his mate, and keeps watch for her.

It's not easy being gray, since everyone, it seems, in the animal kingdom loves a quail dinner.

Quail are prey for bobcats, skunks, jays, ground squirrels, hawks and humans. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife quail is a popular bird to hunt, with more than two million quail bagged in a year.

We are very lucky indeed to know these beautiful birds here in Lake County as, in more populated areas, they are in decline due to their habitat being overtaken by humans.

There is hope, however, since cities like San Francisco have feral cat controls in place and have worked extensively on habitat restoration in places like Golden Gate Park.

In the past, many California Indian tribes trapped quail and also incorporated their pretty topknot into special baskets which they wove.

In fall months quail organize themselves into quite large flocks, or coveys – in some cases 75 or more! They tend to keep warm in winter months this way, when they roost in these groups.

They patrol their grounds, keeping watch over one another and send out a call when food is spotted, whether it is insect or seed.

The quail consumes poison oak berries, acorns and manzanita berries as well. Quail make use of protozoans located in their intestines to aid in digestion.

California quails have adapted to their dry summer environments by utilizing the moisture in vegetation and insects to replace water, however, in a prolonged drought they do need water to drink – the quaff of life.

Quail generally weigh in at about 5 to 8 ounces and lay 12 to 16 eggs, with one or two broods. When hatched the tiny, downy pipsqueaks peck right away! Their nests are often constructed next to rocks or by shrubs on the ground.

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 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 several dogs, including some seniors, waiting for new homes this week.

This week's dogs include mixes of American Bulldog, Australian Cattle Dog, border collie, bullmastiff, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever 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”).

Border collie-Australian Cattle Dog

This male Border collie-Australian Cattle Dog has a short black and white coat.

He already has been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 16, ID No. 6710.

'Tesa'

“Tesa” is a senior female shepherd mix.

She has a medium-length tan and white coat.

She's in kennel No. 17a, ID No. 6783.

'Tye'

“Tye” is a senior male bullmastiff mix.

He has a short brown and white coat.

He's in kennel No. 17b, ID No. 6784.

German Shepherd

This male German Shepherd has a medium-length black and tan coat.

He's in kennel No. 26, ID No. 6771.

Chocolate Labrador Retriever

This male Labrador Retriever has a short chocolate-colored coat.

He's in kennel No. 30, ID No. 6729.

'Tina'

“Tina” is a female American Bulldog with a short white coat.

She's in kennel No. 32a, ID No. 6708.

'Dolly'

“Dolly” is a female American Bulldog with a short white coat.

She's in kennel No. 32b, ID No. 6709.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Lake County Narcotic Task Force operation on Friday resulted in the confiscation of hundreds of methamphetamine pipes, thousands of nitrous oxide canisters and more than a dozen weapons.

Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said that on Friday Narcotic Task Force detectives executed a series of search warrants throughout Lake County for retail “smoke shops” illegally selling methamphetamine glass pipes and for distribution of nitrous oxide gas for the purposes of intoxication.

Brooks said warrants were served at the two “Cheaper Cigarettes” locations on Lakeshore Drive and Olympic Drive in Clearlake, “Ed and Linda’s” on Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake, “Smoke on the Water” on Highway 20 in Lucerne and Mystic Barrel on Highway 20 in Nice.

Employees at two of the locations actually sold glass methamphetamine pipes to undercover detectives just prior to the raids, Brooks said.

During the search, narcotics detectives located a total of 803 glass methamphetamine smoking pipes, two 12 gauge shotguns, a .380 auto pistol and a .22 revolver, Brooks said.

In addition, Brooks said detectives seized 3,812 nitrous oxide canisters along with the canister “crackers” and balloons for inhalation.

He said criminal complaints are being sought for the owners of each establishment and several employees for selling/furnishing drug paraphernalia and distribution of nitrous oxide. A potential penalty for a violation of these sections is the revocation of the issued business license.

The firearms were seized, due to the fact that the person in possession was unable to explain where they came from and she was not the registered owner, Brooks said.

Sheriff Brian Martin expressed his dismay that business owners would try to profit by selling methamphetamine smoking pipes to members of our community.

“The methamphetamine epidemic that plagues our community contributes to countless quality of life issues, and brings additional crime to our neighborhoods,” Martin said. “Our deputy sheriffs and police officers work around the clock battling the effects of drug abuse in Lake County. We will take every action available to ensure that commercial dealers of paraphernalia are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

California and federal law make it illegal to use nitrous oxide as a recreational drug to get high. It is also a misdemeanor to be under the influence of nitrous oxide deliberately, unless the gas was administered for medical, surgical, or dental care by a licensed person, such as a dentist, Brooks said.

A UCLA-led research team reports that the moon is at least 4.51 billion years old, or 40 million to 140 million years older than scientists previously thought.

The findings – based on an analysis of minerals from the moon called zircons that were brought back to Earth by the Apollo 14 mission in 1971 – are published Jan. 11 in the journal Science Advances.

The moon's age has been a hotly debated topic, even though scientists have tried to settle the question over many years and using a wide range of scientific techniques.

“We have finally pinned down a minimum age for the moon; it's time we knew its age and now we do,” said Mélanie Barboni, the study's lead author and a research geochemist in UCLA's Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences.

The moon was formed by a violent, head-on collision between the early Earth and a “planetary embryo” called Theia, a UCLA-led team of geochemists and colleagues reported in 2016.

The newest research would mean that the moon formed “only” about 60 million years after the birth of the solar system – an important point because it would provide critical information for astronomers and planetary scientists who seek to understand the early evolution of the Earth and our solar system.

That has been a difficult task, Barboni said, because “whatever was there before the giant impact has been erased.”

While scientists cannot know what occurred before the collision with Theia, these findings are important because they will help scientists continue to piece together major events that followed it.

It's usually difficult to determine the age of moon rocks because most of them contain a patchwork of fragments of multiple other rocks. But Barboni was able to analyze eight zircons in pristine condition.

Specifically, she examined how the uranium they contained had decayed to lead (in a lab at Princeton University) and how the lutetium they contained had decayed to an element called hafnium (using a mass spectrometer at UCLA). The researchers analyzed those elements together to determine the moon's age.

“Zircons are nature's best clocks,” said Kevin McKeegan, a UCLA professor of geochemistry and cosmochemistry, and a co-author of the study. “They are the best mineral in preserving geological history and revealing where they originated.”

The Earth's collision with Theia created a liquefied moon, which then solidified. Scientists believe most of the moon's surface was covered with magma right after its formation.

The uranium-lead measurements reveal when the zircons first appeared in the moon's initial magma ocean, which later cooled down and formed the moon's mantle and crust; the lutetium-hafnium measurements reveal when its magma formed, which happened earlier.

“Mélanie was very clever in figuring out the moon's real age dates back to its pre-history before it solidified, not to its solidification,” said Edward Young, a UCLA professor of geochemistry and cosmochemistry and a co-author of the study.

Previous studies concluded the moon's age based on moon rocks that had been contaminated by multiple collisions. McKeegan said those rocks indicated the date of some other events, “but not the age of the moon.”

The UCLA researchers are continuing to study zircons brought back by the Apollo astronauts to study the early history of the moon.

Co-authors of the Science Advances study are Patrick Boehnke, a former UCLA graduate student who is now a University of Chicago postdoctoral scholar; Christopher Keller, a UC Berkeley postdoctoral scholar; Issaku Kohl, a UCLA research geochemist; and Blair Schoene, associate professor of geosciences at Princeton University.

The research was funded by NASA, and Barboni received support from the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Lake County's two members of Congress on Friday voted against the effort to begin dismantling the Affordable Care Act.

Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) and Rep. John Garamendi (CA-03) both voted against S.Con.Res.3, a budget resolution that begins the process to repeal the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, which is being pushed by Republicans in Congress.

The bill passed by a 227 to 198 vote, which Garamendi said throws America’s health insurance market into a period of volatile uncertainty.

Thompson said the Republican Majority in the House “looked a lot like the dog that caught the bus as they took the first step in their campaign promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act. I do not believe they have fully thought this through.”

He said 30 million people could lose their health coverage because of the actions taken Friday.

“Protections for preexisting conditions will evaporate. Children will no longer be able to stay on their parents’ insurance policies. Three million jobs across the country are at risk. Hospitals will lose the resources and funding they need to keep our families healthy. California hospitals stand to lose over $14 billion, and my district alone would lose roughly $343 million. It is clear this slash and burn approach will cost Americans dearly,” Thompson said.

During statements on the House floor, Thompson said the Republicans have maintained their “repeal and replace” plan regarding health care. “After seven years and more than 60 votes, they still have not come up with the replace. This isn’t just a talking point. This is literally a matter of life and death for people – like Raymond from Napa in my District, who was diagnosed with stage 3 renal cancer in 1996.”

Thompson said Raymond's premiums rose year after year until the ACA was passed. “Before the ACA, Raymond worried about losing his insurance because of his pre-existing condition. In fact, his cancer returned in 2014. Thanks to the ACA, he got the treatment he needed,” Thompson said.

He added, “What are Republicans going to do for Raymond if they repeal the ACA and his premiums go up? Or his insurance drops him because he had cancer over 20 years ago? Or he hits his lifetime cap on coverage? Republicans need to ask themselves if they’re willing to return Americans like Raymond to a time when the care they needed was always beyond their grasp.”

Garamendi said that over the past six years, House Republicans have voted more than 60 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, “yet we’ve never seen a comprehensive plan to replace it. Today’s vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act puts the insurance of up to 30 million Americans in jeopardy – 30 million Americans who would be one serious injury or disease away from destitution or worse.”

He continued, “Prior to the Affordable Care Act, 45,000 Americans died every year due to a lack of health insurance and people with pre-existing conditions were routinely denied coverage. I’ve said from day one that the Affordable Care Act can and should be improved, but we can’t go back to the dark days of regular denial of lifesaving medical care.”

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate voted at 1:30 a.m. to also begin the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Both repeal votes were rushed in the first weeks of the new Congress without any committee hearings or an alternative to the existing system, Garamendi said.

By contrast, in considering the Affordable Care Act, the House held 79 bipartisan hearings and markups over the span of two years, according to Garamendi.

Garamendi cited a number of important facts about the ACA in his support of it.

Those include that the uninsured rate is now the lowest on record – with the uninsured rate currently at 8.6 percent. Under the ACA, the uninsured rate has been slashed almost in half from 16.3 percent in 2010 to 8.6 percent today.

In addition, 20 million previously uninsured Americans have gained health insurance coverage since enactment of the ACA, and the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund has been extended by 11 years.

Other key facts about the ACA Garamendi cited include the following:

· More than 11 million seniors have saved more than $23.5 billion on their prescription drugs since 2010 – an average savings of more than $2,000 per senior.

· Under the ACA, unnecessary hospital readmissions in Medicare have fallen for the first time on record, dropping 8 percent between 2010 and 2015. Cumulatively since 2010, Medicare beneficiaries have avoided 565,000 hospital readmissions.

· Up to 129 million Americans have a preexisting condition. Before the ACA, this group could have been denied coverage or charged an exorbitant premium if they needed individual market insurance. Now, health insurance companies cannot discriminate against people based on their medical history.

· Before the ACA, 105 million Americans, most of them with employer coverage, had a lifetime limit on their insurance policy. The ACA prohibits annual and lifetime limits on policies.

· Since enactment of the ACA, health care costs are growing at the slowest rate in 50 years, resulting in savings for those with employer-based coverage. The average family premium for family coverage rose only 3.4 percent in 2016 – compared to an average rate of 7.9 percent from 2000 to 2010. Indeed, family premiums are $3,600 lower today than if growth had continued at the pre-ACA rates.

· Due to the ACA, all health plans now have limits on out-of-pocket costs, benefiting 22 million Americans with employer coverage who lacked this protection prior to the ACA.

· Under the ACA, health plans must cover preventive services – like flu shots, cancer screenings, contraception, and mammograms – at no extra cost to consumers, benefiting 137 million Americans, most of whom with employer coverage.

· An estimated 2.3 million young adults have benefited from the ACA provision allowing children to stay on their parents’ health insurance up to age 26.

· 87,000 lives and nearly $20 billion have been saved, due to a 17 percent reduction in hospital-acquired conditions, such as infections, from 2010 to 2014, under the ACA.