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| | 40 years ago on the comics pages, Snoopy became the first Beagle on the moon; this weekend some real life astronauts are coming to Santa Rosa to acknowledge Peanuts' part in the space program. {mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/1-30-09.mp3{/mp3remote} |
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Even before Cernan (right) adopted the names of Charlie Brown and Snoopy for the spacecraft in the Apollo 10 mission, Cartoonist Charles Schulz had a warm relationship with NASA, developing the Silver Snoopy award for special recognition within the agency, and also contributing customized artwork on several occasions.
The NASA image below shows "Charlie Brown" during one of its 31 orbits around the moon. |
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To the Moon: Snoopy Soars with NASA looks at the history of Apollo 10 and the Peanuts characters' role in that flight and in the NASA Manned Flight Awareness safety program. It will feature a one-third scale model of the Apollo command module from the Johnson Space Center, an Apollo-era flight suit, the actual image of Charlie Brown that was flown aboard Apollo 10, and a special children's area for creative play.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
Curator Jane O'Cain describes some of the details of the exhibit in this audio clip:
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As part of the Apollo 17 mission in December, 1976, Cernan became the last man to walk on the moon (above). He maintains an extensive archive of his experiences as an astronaut at his website , including rare and historic video footage, some of which can be seen here. Below, the crew of Apollo 10, taken shortly before launch: Cernan( left) John Young and Thomas Stafford.
As many as 25% of the homeless in Sonoma County are veterans, people who are entitled to services and assistance they often don't know about. But a new volunteer coalition is working to change that.
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One frequent obstacle that Vet Connect volunteers must often overcome, says Andy Pyburn, is a widespread reluctance to accept the services to which the veterans are entitled.
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Vet Connect gatherings are held regularly at the following Sonoma County locations:
Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building
Every Tuesday, 9 am to noon
Contact Dave: 694-7614
Guerneville Veterans Memorial Building
Second Thursday of each month, 3-6 pm
Contact John: 869-9459
Sonoma Veterans Memorial Building
Third Thursday of each month, Noon -3 pm
Contact Ted: 337-4518
Petaluma, next to the library (310 Payran St.)
Fourth Thursday of each month, Noon -3 pm
Contact Andy: 763-9924
Participating agencies include: The Santa Rosa VA Clinic (left), Sonoma County Veterans Service Office, Sonoma County Department of Health Services, North Bay Veterans Resource Center, and the Vet Center of Rohnert Park.
All Veterans and family members are welcome!
From courts to consumers, mercury levels in tuna and other seafood remains a hotly debated subject.
Jane M. Hightower, M.D., author of Diagnosis Mercury, is a board certified internal medicine physician in San Francisco, California. She published a landmark study that brought the issue of mercury in seafood to national attention. She continues to publish scientific papers and give lectures on the subject.
Research on the risks and safe exposure levels for mercury is fragmentary and inconsistent, as are the recommended tolerances from different governmental watchdog bodies. You can see a comparison chart here. For a history of mercury and fish, click here.
Of course, not all kinds of tuna carry the same levels of mercury and associated risk, nor are those concerns limited to tuna, as Hightower explains.
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All of these concerns are dismissed by the Center for Consumer Freedom, an industry-funded advocacy group which has created an extensive website to debunk claims that mercury in fish is harmful to human health. You can access their fish/mercury safety calculator here.
David Martosko, the Center's Research Director, contends the question of warning labels on tuna cans should have been settled by the outcome of the original court case back in 2006.
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Established with funding from tobacco giant Phillip Morris, the Center for Consumer Freedom has regularly unleashed broad attacks on a wide range of public advocacy groups, including the federal Centers for Disease Control, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. A lengthy expose from ConsumerDeception.com is posted here. The Center for Media and Democracy has posted its analysis here , and the Center for Science in the Public Interest details its own battles with CCF here.
You can view a map of Sonoma County school districts here.
The Santa Rosa City School District has posted the list of potential budget cuts they are weighing on their website. You can view it (pdf) here.
Santa Rosa City Schools Superintendent Sharon Liddell
How many people are homeless in Sonoma County? The bi-annual Homeless Census is attempting to find out.
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Who better than people who are or have been homeless themselves to guide the census takers to the hidden places where other shelterless individuals take refuge, such as underpasses or thickets along creekbeds.
Many local organizations teamed up to support and participate in this year's census, including the following:
You can find out more about Sonoma County's 10-year plan for ending homelessness here.
