Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 3, 2010

10

THE WORLD AROUND US

 MountainViews-News Saturday, July 3, 2010 


Voyager 2 Completes 12,000 Days of Continuous Operations

New “Cosmic Café” Opens on Mt. Wilson

 On June 28, 2010, Voyager 2 completed 12,000 days 
of continuous operations since its launch on August 
20, 1977. For nearly 33 years, the venerable spacecraft 
has been returning unprecedented data about the giant 
outer planets, the properties of the solar wind between 
and beyond the planets and the interaction of the solar 
wind with interstellar winds. Having traveled more than 
13 billion miles on its winding path through the planets 
toward interstellar space, the spacecraft is now nearly 
9 billion miles from the sun. Traveling at the speed of 
light, a signal from the ground takes about 12.8 hours to 
reach the spacecraft.

 Voyager 1 will reach this milestone on July 13 after 
having traveled more than 13 billion miles. Voyager 1 is 
currently more than 10 billion miles from the Sun.

 For more information and images: http://voyager.jpl.
nasa.gov/

 MEANWHILE, MUCH CLOSER TO HOME… How 
about a summer family outing to the new “Cosmic Café” at 
Mt. Wilson? Visitors to the world-famous Mount Wilson 
Observatory can once again enjoy a memorable lunch among 
the telescope domes and Ponderosa pines up in the clear 
air overlooking the Los Angeles Basin. The Mount Wilson 
Institute last week announced the opening of the Cosmic 
Café, where they can purchase fresh-made sandwiches, hot 
dogs, soft drinks, snacks and souvenirs. Not since 1992 
has food been available for purchase at the Observatory to 
enhance the visitor experience, or to refresh hikers as they 
reach the mountain’s summit. 

 The Cosmic Café is located in the open-air pavilion 
overlooking the large parking lot just inside the gate to what 
has been known since the 19702 as Skyline Park. The pavilion 
serves as the entry point to the Observatory grounds. 

 “We’re delighted to reopen this food venue to the public 
after all these years,” said Dr. Hal McAlister, the Observatory 
director. “The income from the Cosmic Café will support 
our ‘Second Century Campaign”, in which we hope to build 
a wonderful new visitor center that will entice Southern 
Californians to rediscover this world-class science heritage 
site in their back yards.”

 The Angeles Crest Highway remains closed due to 
washouts following the Station Fire, but the Observatory is 
still readily accessible via L.A. County roads from Sunland. 
“The drive to Mt. Wilson is a bit longer than we are all used 
to,” said McAlister, “but the roads are 
in great shape, and you can witness 
the recovery progress of the forest 
following the massive destruction of 
the Station Fire.”

 While the Observatory is open 
daily to public visitation from 10 
a.m. to 4 p.m. during April through 
November, the Cosmic Café will 
be open initially only on Saturdays 
and Sundays from 10 a.m. until 4 
p.m. The Café will also be open on 
Monday, July 5, for the upcoming 
Fourth of July weekend.

 To reach Mt. Wilson, take Oro 
Vista Ave. in Sunland to the Lower 
Big Tujunga Canyon Road, and 
proceed 11.9 miles to the well-
marked intersection with Angeles 
Forest Highway. Turn left on Angeles 
Forest Highway and proceed 4.6 
miles to another well-marked intersection with Upper Big 
Tujunga Canyon Road. Turn right on Upper Big Tujunga 
Canyon Road and drive 9 miles to Angeles Crest Highway. 
Turn right and proceed 4.2 miles west to Red Box junction. 
Turn left at Red Box and take the 4.5-mile road up to Mount 
Wilson.

 A map showing this route is available at: www.mtwilson.
edu/vis.php.

 You can contact Bob Eklund at: b.eklund@
MtnViewsNews.com.

WRITING SERVICES 

 Could you use help in preparing written communications for your business? I have extensive experience in writing 
and editing business documents including brochures, proposals, newsletters, resumes, customer success stories, press 
releases, and articles for newspapers and magazines. 

 Current work includes writing the column, “Looking Up with Bob Eklund,” in Mountain Views News, and writing 
newsletters for the Mount Wilson Observatory. I recently published a book, First Star I See Tonight: an Exploration of 
Wonder, and am finishing a second book, Winds Aloft. 

For writing samples and resume, see my web site: www.bobeklund.com. Bob Eklund beklund@sprynet.com (310) 216-5947


WEB FOCUS:

Privacy Rights

 Web Focus is a new feature being rolled out in this 
edition of On Line; its purpose is to highlight websites of 
interest. Regular readers of On Line are encouraged to send 
in their requests for websites that they would like featured in 
this section by sending an email to Editor@MtnViewsNews.
com. Although no formal schedule for the frequency of this 
feature has been set as yet the tentative plan is to feature one 
website each month

 We begin this series by featuring the website Privacy 
Rights Clearinghouse (http://www.privacyrights.org). PRC 
bills itself as a non-profit with the dual mission of consumer 
education and consumer advocacy. Among PRC’s stated 
goals is to raise consumers awareness of how technology 
affects personal privacy and to empower consumers to 
take action to control their own personal information by 
providing practical tips on privacy protection. In addition 
to responding to specific privacy-related complaints from 
consumers and interceding on their behalf, PRC routinely 
advocates for consumers’ privacy rights in local, state and 
federal public policy proceedings. Services provided by 
PRC include a hotline for consumers to report privacy 
abuses and request information on how to better protect 
their privacy, fact sheets on privacy issues in English 
and Spanish and a host of other privacy-related material 
including transcripts of PRC legislative and regulatory 
testimony. The Home Page for the PRC website features a 
sidebar for browsing such privacy topics as Privacy Basics, 
Background Checks & Workplace, Banking and Finance, 
Credit and Credit Reports, Debt Collection, Education, 
Harassment and Stalking, Identity Theft & Data, Insurance, 
Junk Mail/Faxes/Email, Medical Privacy, Online Privacy 
and Technology, Privacy When You Shop, Public Records & 
Info Brokers, Social Security Numbers, Telephone Privacy 
and more. These topics are presented in a clear and concise 
manner and provide a wealth of relevant knowledge about 
privacy issues that every consumer should know. 

 Established in 1992 by Beth Givens, the Privacy Rights 
Clearinghouse bases its philosophy of consumer privacy on 
a bit of testimony embedded on its “About Us” page:

 “The real danger is the gradual erosion of individual liberties 
through the automation, integration and interconnection of 
many small, separate record-keeping systems, each of which 
alone may seem innocuous, even benevolent, and wholly 
justifiable.” ---U.S Privacy Protection Study Commission, 
1977.

 This brief summary hardly does the depth and breadth 
of knowledge and information found on the Privacy Right 
Clearinghouse (http://www.privacyrights.org) justice. The 
information found on this site is sure to make a more well-
informed consumer out of the majority of visitors who take 
the time to read and apply the practical tips found there. 

Ask jai………….. 


Ask jai is a weekly column that will strive to honestly answer your job search questions 
relating to job searching techniques, networking skills, resume writing and interviewing. 
The employment situation is getting better, however, it is still a challenge finding were the 
jobs are located and how to get pass the “gate-keepers”. As an Executive Recruiter I was 
privy to working directly with Corporate Recruiters and understanding their process in 
selecting which candidates to interview and hire. I will candidly answer your questions, 
possibly bluntly answering you questions, but I will be totally honest. My objective is to 
help you achieve your employment goal.

Dear Jai: Do I have to attach or include a cover letter when I submit my resume?

Yes. You should always include a cover letter or e-letter when submitting your 
resume. The cover letter is very important and is your first introduction to an 
employer. Your cover letter should be very short and concise since employers will take only about 10 seconds to read it. 
However, you should spend enough time to write a dynamic cover letter that will support your resume. The cover letter 
should be written in 2 or 3 paragraphs. Each cover letter should be customized to target a specific position or company. The 
following questions should be answered in writing your cover letter.

 First paragraph: How did you find out about the position? Why are you interested in the position? Why do you feel you fit 
the qualifications for this position?

Second Paragraph: What would you bring to the company to increase their clients or success? What is your most successful 
accomplishment/s that you feel would bring them added value to hiring you. Explain why you are transitioning (changing 
jobs or industries). 

Third Paragraph: This is considered the “sales closer”. Restate your interest in the position. Lastly write that you will contact 
them to follow-up or that they can contact you for further information and/or to make arrangements for an interview. 

Remember to address your letter to the appropriate person or department and include your contact information.

Don’t be discouraged. Be committed. 

Jai Johnson has over 20 years experience as a national and local Executive Recruiter, Job Search Advisor and Career Coach. She has 
assisted thousands of job seekers to find and secure employment in their chosen field of education and experience. Ms. Johnson is a 
member of NRWA and CPRW. Send your job search questions to her at: j.johnson@mtnviewsnews.com


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