LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Due to the end of daylight saving time on Sunday and with darkness falling an hour earlier, some drivers may find themselves struggling to stay alert.

The California Highway Patrol, Office of Traffic Safety and the California Department of Transportation are partnering to promote Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, Nov. 3 to 10, to remind people of the dangers of drowsy driving at any time of year.

“Drowsy drivers put themselves and others at risk through a slower reaction time and the inability to pay attention,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley. “A sleepy driver can be just as impaired or dangerous as one under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”

Data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System showed an average of almost 7,000 collisions involving sleepy or fatigued drivers in each of the last three years.

Those collisions resulted in the deaths of 73 people in California in 2016, 47 people in 2017, and 47 in 2018.

“Driving when you are tired is risky and dangerous,” Office of Traffic Safety Director Barbara Rooney said. “The last thing you want to do is doze off behind the wheel. It is important that we all act responsibly and get enough rest before driving.”

Reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that getting enough sleep on a daily basis is the only true way to protect against drowsy driving.

“In a state the size of California, long drives between cities are common. Without enough rest, all of us may feel drowsy behind the wheel,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “We encourage drivers to stop at one of our 86 rest areas to stretch their legs or get a few minutes of shut-eye.”

Caltrans encourages motorists to take advantage of the more than 80 safety roadside rest areas it maintains throughout the state.

To find a rest area or to check for the latest travel information on state highways, visit http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council this week will discuss a proposal to allow for control burnings in the city limits and consider appointing two of its members to an ad hoc committee of local governments that will address the public safety power shutoffs.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Community Development Director Kevin Ingram will ask the council to consider and discuss allowing the Lakeport Fire Protection District to sponsor and supervise controlled burning to mitigate fire hazards within the Lakeport city limits.

Ingram’s report explained that last year the council revised the Lakeport Municipal Code requiring hazardous weeds and dry vegetation that create a fire hazard to be abated by June 1 rather than the first week of July.

“As a part of that discussion staff was provided with direction to explore other possible ordinance revisions aimed at reducing wildfire hazard risks, most notably a possible revision to Section 8.11 of the Lakeport Municipal Code that prohibits ‘burning of all kinds’ within the City limits,” Ingram wrote.

He said that over the past few months, the city has been working with the Lakeport Fire Protection District, Lake County Air Quality Management District and interested citizens on possible amendments to the city code. They’ve identified potential revisions that would establish a permit procedure allowing for outdoor burning on properties larger than one acre in size, similar to what is permitted within the unincorporated areas of the county.

Permit requirements would include review and approval of individual properties by the Lakeport Fire Protection District and the review and approval of a smoke management plan by the Lake County Air Quality Management District, Ingram said.

Before bringing forward a formal ordinance revision, Ingram said the group is suggesting some supervised controlled burns to monitor the effectiveness of the revisions.

Ingram is seeking direction from the council on what actions to take next.

Also on Tuesday, City Manager Margaret Silveira will present to the council a proposal to select two council members to participate with the county of Lake and the city of Clearlake in an ad hoc committee that will draft communications and advocate for Lake County residents with regards to Pacific Gas and Electric’s public safety power shutdowns.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on Oct. 22, the emergency meeting of Oct. 31 and the special joint meeting of Oct. 31; the Oct. 30 warrant register; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the Mendocino Complex fire; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the February 2019 storms; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the October 2019 public safety power shutoff; receipt and filing of the draft minutes of the Oct. 9 MZAC meeting; authorize out-of-state travel for Officer Ryan Cooley to attend the Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings Training Course in Socorro, New Mexico.

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.

110519 Lakeport City Council Agenda Packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this will discuss more issues related to power shutoffs and honor a local fire district.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

Items on the agenda include untimed discussions related to the public safety power shutoffs and emergencies.

The board will discuss possible changes to policy as it relates to county employees and their work situations during times of disaster, power shutoffs and other related events.

There also will be consideration of appointment of two supervisors to serve on a committee with two city council members from Clearlake and from Lakeport to develop, propose and demand solutions to Pacific Gas and Electric-imposed public safety power shutoffs.

In an item scheduled for 9:10 a.m., the board will present a proclamation recognizing the South Lake County Fire Protection District for 50 years of ambulance.

The full agenda is below.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Adopt proclamation recognizing the South Lake County Fire Protection District for 50 years of ambulance.

5.2: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Management Connections for temporary clerical/analyst and appraiser aide personnel in the Assessor-Recorder's Office in an amount not to exceed $180,000 and authorize the chair to sign.

5.3: Approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Paragons LLC for the coordination of activities involved with the No Place Like Home and SB2 Grants for Fiscal Year 2019-20 in the amount of $50,000 and authorize the chair to sign.

5.4: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Lake County Wrap Program, Foster Care Program and Intensive Services Foster Care Program for Fiscal Year 2019-20 for a contract maximum of $850,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.5: Authorize CSAC-EIA to assign Carl Warren & Co. as Lake County’s third party claims administrator.

5.6: Approve budget transfer and new capital asset in the amount of $32,186 for the purchase of a 2019 Ram Promaster van and authorize the board chair to sign.

5.7: (Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors) adopt resolution accepting the relocation of sewer facilities in Middletown Project, Bid 18-23, as complete and authorize the Special District administrator to sign the notice of completion.

5.8: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river event of 2019.

5.9: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex fire incident (River and Ranch fires).

5.10: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee fire incident.

5.11: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Clayton fire. not available not available

5.12: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river storm of 2017.

5.13: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire incident.

5.14: a) Adopt Resolution Amending Resolution No. 2019-127 Establishing Temporary Position Allocations For Fiscal Year 2019-2020, Budget Unit No. 1671, Buildings And Grounds; and b) authorize the Public Services director to appoint Dave Hendricks as interim facilities maintenance superintendent at Step 1, retroactive to Oct. 03, 2019.

5.15: Accept the irrevocable offer of dedication for roadway and public utility purposes - unnamed access road off Highway 29, 1 mile Westerly of Kits Corner – Rich-Ted Trucking (Siri) / Neasham lot line adjustment.

5.16: Approve the commercial lease between the county of Lake and Skypark Properties LLC, for property at 900 Airport Blvd, Lakeport, to be used as a pilots lounge for a three year term at $1,000.00 per month; and authorize the chair to sign the lease.

5.17: Approve long distance travel for Lake County Water Resources Invasive Species Coordinator Angela De Palma-Dow to attend and present at the 39th Annual International Symposium of the North America Lake Management Society in Burlington, Vermont, from Nov. 11 to 15, 2019.

TIMED ITEMS

6.2, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation recognizing the South Lake County Fire Protection District for 50 years of ambulance service.

6.3, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transportation, and disposal of fire debris for the Mendocino Complex fire.

6.4, 9:20 a.m.: Public hearing (THIS ITEM WILL BE CONTINUED TO THE NOVEMBER 19, 2019 MEETING) consideration of a resolution amending the master fee schedule for departmental services rendered by the county.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Continued from the Oct. 22, 2019, meeting: Discussion and consideration of letter of intent to sell 7175 South Center Drive, Clearlake to Lake Transit Authority.

7.3: Addendum: Discussion of possible changes to policy as it relates to our employees and their work situation during times of disaster, public safety power shutoffs and other related events.

7.4: Consideration of appointment of two supervisors to serve on a committee with two city council members from Clearlake and from Lakeport to develop, propose and demand solutions to PG&E-imposed public safety power shutoffs.

7.5: Consideration of (a) board appointment of delegate and alternate to the Rural County Representatives Board of Directors for 2020; (b) board appointment of delegate and alternate to Golden State Finance Authority Board of Directors for 2020; and (c) board appointment of delegate and alternate to the Rural Counties Representatives of California Environmental Services Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors for 2020.

7.6: Discussion and consideration of area plan updates.

7.7: Consideration of a resolution amending Resolution No. 2019-70, Adopting a Policy for the Collection of Taxes Due Pursuant to the Lake County Cannabis Cultivation Tax Ordinance.

7.8: Consideration of an ordinance amending specified sections of Chapter 13 of the Lake County Code relating to administrative fines for violations of county code relating to the failure to obtain cannabis cultivation permits.

7.9: Consideration of Change Order No. One for Three SB1 Rehabilitation Improvement Projects, Bid No. 19-10, for a decrease of $5,334.02 and a revised contract amount of $560,718.23.

7.10: Consideration of (a) purchase of four fully equipped 2020 Ford Transit 150 PTV Jail Transport Vans from Redwood Ford from the Sheriff/Pursuit Vehicle Replacement Budget Unit 2217, Object Code 62.72 and (b) authorize the sheriff/coroner or his designee to issue a purchase order to Redwood Ford in the amount of $258,176.

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(2), (e) (3): Claim of Robinson.

8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(2), (e) (5): One potential case.

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. – The Lake County Association of Realtors reported that September real estate sales in Lake County were up nearly 25 percent from sales in September 2018.

There were 76 sales of single-family residences in September compared to 61 sales in September 2018.

Month-to-month sales dropped by 5 percent. August had 80 sales, the association reported.

Median sales prices performed the opposite of the number of sales. Month to month the median sales price increased 5.8 percent going from $259,500 in August to $274,500 in September.

The year to year median sales price dropped from $281,500 in September 2018 accounting for a 2.5 percent change.

“Interest rates are nearly at the best they have been in three years,” said Lake County Association of Realtors President Mary Benson. “With prices remaining relatively flat more buyers are able to qualify to purchase a home and realize the dream of homeownership.”

On the financing side of the business cash buyers purchased 25 percent of the sold homes, conventional loans 46.25 percent and FHA 7.5 percent. VA loans accounted for 7.5 percent of the sales and USDA loans 2.5 percent.

On a statewide basis the California Association of Realtors, or CAR, reported that the median sales price in California for September was $605,680, down 1.9 percent from August and up 4.7 percent from September 2018.

Existing, single-family home sales totaled 404,030 in September on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, down 0.5 percent from August and up 5.8 percent from September 2018.

The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 3.61 percent in September, down from 4.63 percent in September 2018, according to Freddie Mac. The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate was an average of 3.38 percent, compared to 3.68 percent in September 2018.

LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

September 2019
Median price: $274,500
Units sold: 76
Median days to sell: 57

August 2019
Median price: $252,500
Units sold: 80
Median days to sell: 46

September 2018
Median price: $281,500
Units sold: 61
Median days to sell: 58

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Every year, drivers 65 years of age and older look to the California Highway Patrol for assistance in maintaining or improving their ability to drive safely.

In response, the CHP provides the Age Well, Drive Smart program to equip senior drivers with the necessary tools to remain safe and confident on the road.

The Age Well, Drive Smart program covers various topics ranging from California driving laws, safe driving practices, and the effects of aging on a person’s ability to drive safely.

It is not uncommon for senior drivers to be unaware or deny changes in their physical or mental conditions which negatively affect their ability to drive safely.

Therefore, the Age Well, Drive Smart program was designed with a self-assessment component to assist senior drivers with identifying these changes and providing possible corrective options.

“The Age Well, Drive Smart program is an excellent course that helps address the many changes that affect our ability to drive as we all become senior drivers one day,” said Clear Lake Area CHP Commander Lt. Randy England. “We are happy to see that this has become a well-attended course, serving to educate our seniors so they are better drivers and our Lake County roads are safe.”

The Clear Lake Area CHP will be hosting the next Age Well, Drive Smart class on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11, from 9 to 11 a.m.

The class will be held at the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St.

This class is an excellent opportunity for senior drivers to refresh their knowledge of California driving laws, evaluate their driving abilities and improve their driving skills.

If you or a family member would like to attend the Age Well, Drive Smart class, please contact the Middletown Senior Center at 707-987-3113 for reservations, space for these classes is
Limited.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club invites the community to celebrate the splendor of fall flowers at its annual mum show.

The show will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, at the Lakeport Yacht Club, next to the Fifth Street boat ramp in Lakeport.

The event is free and open to the public.

The theme for this year's show is “Mum Masquerade.” The arrangements will be created around this theme.

Organizers said the buds on the chrysanthemum plants are bursting with color and want to show off their beauty.

Growing mums is an all-year process. There are many varieties: incurve, reflex, decorative, pompom, single, semi-double, anemone, spoons, quill, spiders, brush and thistle, exotic or unclassified, gnomes, cascades and garden cushion.

The Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club, or CLTTGC, has held judged chrysanthemum shows for many years.

Now members create a non-judged show – just for the pure joy of enjoying these beautiful flowers with all the varieties and share them with our community.

The flowers are presented in the form of floral arrangements and single stems. Last year they had more than 100 guests attending to view more than 50 arrangements.

The show is sponsored by the Kabatin-Red Bud Arrangers of CLTTGC. Shirley Estrem is the project manager, coordinating placement and classification, and Barbara Swanson is advising the Red Bud arrangers in assembling their “mum” creations.

Refreshments of cookies and cider will be available for your pleasure as you enjoy the show.

The CLTTGC is affiliated with the Mendo-Lake District and the California Garden Clubs Inc.

For more information visit www.clttgc.org or call Debra at 707-263-0889.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The hypnotic poetry of Clear Lake has a way of sustaining the soul with its dramatic moods, colors and water-patterns.

True, this lake has its problems, but just being near the oldest lake in North America, and the largest lake wholly within California has a way of filling the senses.

Its rich and lively freshwater scent tells you that this lake attracts enormous numbers of waterfowl and holds a tremendous quantity and variety of fish.

Several varieties of grebes, geese, mergansers, bald eagles, golden eagles and more find the lake attractive.

With rugged mountains as a backdrop, the scene is set for a grand day of exploring at the lake's shores.

American coots, those plump duck-like birds about the size of a chicken are paddling about this morning.

The coots' discerning features of dark gray plumage and white bill ringed with black confirm that they are indeed coots, and not the pied-billed grebes with which I seem to confuse them.

Coots, relative of the rail, are otherwise distinguished by their habits of diving and dining on plant-life fresh from the lake, and can also be seen foraging along the shoreline.

They dine on a variety of worms, bugs, fish and even other bird's eggs from time-to- time.

Coots also make use of aquatic plants and stems to build their floating platform-like nests which both the male and female construct together.

During nesting season the males can be quite aggressive, punting intruders with their lobed toes while defending their territory.

Different than ducks, coots do not have webbed feet, and instead possess clown-like oversized feet that help them maneuver muddy flats. When they take flight they need to dash across the water before lifting off.

To make up for their awkward appearance during flight, coots can boast about their swimming and diving skills, since they excel at these underwater maneuvers.

Something else to look for: Coots have a habit of bobbing their heads back and forth while swimming – some call it a “funky chicken” look.

These hardy birds are seen almost all over North America, especially during the winter months when they flock to marshes, ponds and lakes.

Be sure to listen for their unusual croaks and grunts while bird-watching on Clear Lake.

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, freelance 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.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has several new dogs, including little terriers and a big dog who lost her owner.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of American Staffordshire Terrier, Brussels Griffon, chow chow, Labrador Retriever, pit bull, wirehaired terrier and Yorkshire Terrier.

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”).

‘Brighton’

“Brighton” is a female Labrador Retriever who was brought to the shelter after her owner recently died.

She is estimated to be between 5 and 7 years of age, has a short black coat and weighs about 90 pounds.

Brighton is friendly and in need of a new, loving home. Friends of her late owner are having her groomed so she is ready for her new family.

She is in kennel No. 28, ID No. 13171.

'Honey'

“Honey” is a female Labrador Retriever-chow chow mix with a short black coat.

She has been spayed.

She's in kennel No. 22, ID No. 13146.

Pit bull terrier

This male pit bull terrier has a shot gray and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 24, ID No. 13172.

‘Gracie’

“Gracie” is a female Yorkshire Terrier with a long black and brown coat.

She is in kennel No. 25, ID No. 13150.

‘Scrappy’

“Scrappy” is a female wirehaired terrier with a coarse tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 27a, ID No. 13174.

‘Scruffy’

“Scruffy” is a female Brussels Griffon with a medium-length tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 27b, ID No. 13175.

‘Corn’

“Corn” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier with a short red coat.

He has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 29, ID No. 12967.

‘Max’

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

He has been neutered.

Max is in kennel No. 31, ID No. 13173.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – With containment lines continuing to be strengthened around the Kincade fire, more Sonoma County residents who had been forced to evacuate were allowed to return home on Saturday.

The Kincade fire remained at 77,758 acres again on Saturday, with containment edging up to 74 percent by day’s end, Cal Fire reported.

As the fire’s containment rises, the number of threatened structures continues to drop. It was down to 400 by Saturday evening; during the height of the fire, more than 90,000 structures had been in danger.

The latest damage assessment number put the number of destroyed structures at 372, with another 59 structures damaged.

Thanks to the progress on containing the fire, more evacuation orders were reduced to warnings on Saturday in the Pine Flat Road area, and the area west of but not including Chalk Hill Road, South of W. Soda Rock Lane and north of the Windsor town limits.

Evacuation warnings also were lifted for areas to the south and east of Shiloh Meadow Road, and the area north of but not including Pine Flat Road, Dillingham Road and Socrates Mine Road.

Cal Fire said 4,032 firefighters, along with 363 engines, 64 water tenders, three helicopters, 102 hand crews and 29 dozers remain assigned.

The fire is expected to be fully contained on as of Thursday, Cal Fire said.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Residents of Lake County reported getting shaken by a Saturday morning quake in northern Sonoma County.

The 3.7-magnitude quake occurred at 7:05 a.m. Saturday northwest of The Geysers, according to the US Geological Survey.

The survey said the quake was centered in Sonoma County, 3.8 miles west northwest of Cobb and 13.5 miles southwest of Clearlake, right under the earth’s surface.

That location places the quake in the Kincade fire footprint.

The US Geological Survey reported receiving 48 shake reports from around California. The most reports came from Kelseyville, as well as many from the Bay Area, and others from as far away as Monterey and King City.

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.

In the early 1980s, heliophysicists needed answers.

They wanted to learn how to protect astronauts and assets around Earth from the potentially damaging space weather that results from our tumultuous Sun.

To do that, they needed to better understand the constantly changing, dynamic space system around our planet – including measurements of the properties of the solar wind, the constant billowing of charged particles coming off the Sun.

Answering this call was the aptly named “Wind Mission,” which launched 25 years ago, on Nov. 1, 1994.

Wind currently orbits at the first Lagrange point, L1, a spot of gravitational balance between the Sun and Earth, which allows the spacecraft to face the Sun at all times.

For the past 25 years, Wind has been studying the heated gas of charged particles – known as plasma – that fills the space between planets.

The observations have allowed scientists to gain an understanding of the solar wind and its interactions with the near-Earth environment.

Wind data has been instrumental in elucidating solar wind properties, intense space weather, and interstellar space, as well as assisting other spacecraft that have gone on to study the Sun up close.

So far, Wind’s data has been used in over 5,000 publications, and supported almost 100 graduate degrees. It has been steadily taking data for 25 years, and has enough fuel at its current orbit to last until 2074. Wind's scientific results are prodigious – here are some of the coolest results from the last 25 years:

1. Solar Radio

Early in its mission, Wind tuned in to the radio frequencies of the Sun. By listening in, Wind was able to detect a hum coming from our star; the Sun was singing.

By tracking the minute changes in this frequency, scientists can remotely observe the surface of the Sun and the space weather that comes towards Earth.

2. Interstellar Dust

In the early years of observations, scientists noticed something interesting happening with Wind’s electric field detectors aboard the mission. Every now and then, a large spike would appear in the data.

Eventually, scientists determined the spikes’ origin: hyper-fast dust particles impacting the spacecraft. When these dust particles hit Wind, they create tiny explosions of plasma on impact, which resulted in electric field spikes on the instruments.

Such particles can come from inside or outside the solar system, but most interstellar particles are kept out due to the influence of the solar wind. We do not have many tools in space to detect them.

So far Wind has measured well over 100,000 dust particle impacts. Scientists can use the information to determine where this dust comes from and better understand the properties of space outside our Sun’s influence.

3. Hit or Miss?

Wind has been a big part of helping scientists understand coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. Wind was designed to measure the magnetic fields of CMEs as they passed by.

Coronal mass ejections are gigantic clouds of solar material that burst off the Sun, pulling solar magnetic fields along for the ride. Since the 1980s, scientists have improved their ability to determine which CMEs would hit Earth, and which would miss Earth, based on what Wind observes as a CME passes.

This allowed space weather scientists today to make more accurate models that let them determine where a CME will hit, just by seeing what it looks like as it comes closer to Earth.

4. Made to Last

After 25 years, Wind isn’t done yet. Wind has enough fuel to keep orbiting and taking data until 2074 – another 55 years of science.

But how does it stay up there for so long?

For one, it’s in a spin-stabilized orbit. This means that it’s spinning around itself like a top, which keeps it steady in its orbit. This also means Wind doesn’t need to use much fuel to stay in place.

It’s also very well protected – highly conductive, so that the solar wind and other particles that interact with it are of no concern to the spacecraft.

5. High Certainty

On top of the spacecraft engineering, the instruments were designed for triple redundancy, which means there are three independent measurements of plasma density.

Having these redundant systems allows for highly accurate data analysis, and means Wind can be used to calibrate instruments on other spacecraft.

Wind records this data on two tape recorders – much like a VHS or cassette tape. The satellite sends the data back to Earth, and only once that data is received will Wind write over that data.

6. One Full Solar Cycle

Wind’s longevity has allowed it to observe a full 22-year solar cycle, the recurring cycle during which the entire solar magnetic field reverses polarity. That is, each magnetic pole switches from positive to negative or vice versa, then switches back again.

Wind’s long-term, high-accuracy observations have given scientists the only single-source, continuous observation of the solar wind over one full solar cycle.

7. Magnetic Reconnection

During a detour through Earth’s magnetic field, Wind serendipitously flew through a region undergoing a process called magnetic reconnection.

Magnetic reconnection happens when magnetic field lines twist and eventually snap. Near Earth, our planet's magnetic fields fly back towards the poles, bringing high-energy particle beams of plasma along for the ride and exciting particles in Earth’s upper atmosphere.

When Wind measured this process, scientists discovered something interesting: The process appeared to be collisionless. That is, instead of being pushed along – the way a drop of water pushes the next in a chain event that creates a current – the particles moved because they were guided by the magnetic field.

This was not what was expected. Particles tend to react to each other, but in the collisionless shock, they essentially ignored each other’s existence.

The discovery helped explain why the observed magnetic reconnection was so much faster than previously predicted by reconnection that depended on collisions.

8. Plasma Instability

Solar wind, despite the name, does not behave like wind on Earth. The farther the wind gets from its source, the Sun, the faster and hotter it gets – unlike any phenomenon we experience on Earth.

Recently, Wind’s data suggested that there is something happening in the solar wind that could account for this mysterious property – ion cyclotron waves. It’s a mouthful, but ion cyclotron waves are just electromagnetic waves where the fields rotate in wave-like rhythms while also propagating out in the solar wind.

Wind showed that these ion cyclotron waves appear in the solar wind near Earth. Missions like Parker Solar Probe have the capability to test whether such waves explain the solar coronal heating problem.

9. Helium and the Solar Wind

One of the instruments on Wind spotted an interesting quality of the solar wind. The solar wind experiment uses a Faraday cup – a charge-collecting plate – to measure the speed, density, and temperature of hydrogen and helium in the solar wind.

While studying the solar wind over 10 years with over 2.5 million measurements, scientists noticed the solar wind never traveled slower than 161 miles per second. Any slower, and the solar wind couldn’t escape the Sun’s surface.

They also saw that the faster the solar wind, the more helium was present in it – with barely any helium observed at the lowest speeds.

This tells scientists that helium is somehow helping set the speed of the solar wind, but they’re still searching for the exact process that causes this.

Other missions flying closer to the Sun – such as NASA's Parker Solar Probe and ESA's Solar Orbiter, scheduled to launch in February 2020 – may provide additional clues.

10. Flux Ropes

Wind’s high-resolution data offered new insight into the frequency of a solar phenomenon called flux ropes, thin strands of magnetic field bundles that come off the Sun and interact with Earth’s magnetosphere.

Unlike the larger CMEs that occur more often during solar maximum, these flux ropes appear more frequently during solar minimum. Scientists continue to study them to understand how they interact with our magnetosphere.

Over the last 25 years, Wind’s observations have offered new insights into multiple solar and plasma phenomena, including gamma ray and kinetic physics.

As it continues its observations of the Sun and near-Earth space, Wind will answer the call for plasma and solar wind observations, and possibly introduce even more mysteries to study into the future.

Susannah Darling works for NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After weeks of fires and blackouts, it’s time to “fall back.”

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3.

This year, it began on Sunday, March 10.

Daylight time goes into effect on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November, dates that went into effect in 2007 as established by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, according to the US Naval Observatory.

States that do not observe daylight saving time are Arizona and Hawaii; the US territories of American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also don’t hold to it.

Despite Californians voting last year in favor of a proposition to get rid of it, California’s Legislature has not yet taken action on getting rid of daylight saving time. Once it does, it must still have approval from Congress.

The National Weather Service said this is a good time to prepare your home and family for emergencies.

Preparations the agency suggests including doing fire drills at home and writing a family escape plan, and replacing batteries in important devices like weather radios, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

Cal Fire also urges people to use daylight saving time as a reminder to check smoke alarms, which it said should be installed in all sleeping rooms, hallways that lead to sleeping areas, basements and each additional level of the home, because most fatal fires occur at night.

For more information about smoke alarms visit Cal Fire’s Web site at www.fire.ca.gov or contact your local fire department.