News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Late last week, the House of Representatives and the US Senate passed legislation to temporarily suspend a tax on seniors who fail to take a required minimum distribution from their retirement accounts.

HR 7327, the Worker, Retiree and Employer Recovery Act was approved by the House on Dec. 10 and the Senate on Dec. 11.

It waives the penalty for 2009, allowing seniors to recoup some of the losses they have experienced as a result of the poor economy, according to a report from the office of Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena).

HR 7327 now heads to President George W. Bush's desk for his signature.

The bill should prove important to the First Congressional District, where the 2000 Census reports there are 84,000 seniors – nearly 12,000 age 65 and over in Lake County alone.

“In these difficult economic times, we have provided real relief to seniors who would otherwise have faced unfair penalties,” said Thompson. “I’m glad that Democrats and Republicans in both the House and the Senate found a way to work together and quickly pass this important legislation.”

Under H.R. 7327, all taxpayers, those who usually take the required minimum distribution amount monthly and those who take a lump sum amount at the end of the year, would have equal treatment. Under current law, individuals who have reached age 70½ must take an annual required minimum amount from their retirement plan or IRA.

Failure to take the distribution would subject the individual to a 50-percent excise tax penalty on the amount that should have been withdrawn.

The bill also is expected to help the struggles of businesses facing funding requirements for employer-sponsored pension plans. Without the legislation, those businesses would be forced to make significantly increased contributions during these difficult economic times when they are very short on cash.

The bill includes temporary relief for multi-employer plans that have been negatively impacted in this economic downturn.

HR 7327 also would make nominal technical corrections to the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which had required employers to fully fund their plans, which proved a blow to many businesses due to eroding market values where those funds are invested, according to an Associated Press report.

The American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) welcomed HR 7327's passage, saying it will enable pension plan sponsors to adjust to the current market downturn.

Brian Graff, ASPPA executive director and chief executive officer, said passage of the legislation will enable pension and retirement plan management professionals to help retired Americans cope with the current economic condition.

"ASPPA members encouraged Congress to act during this final legislative push of the 110th Congress. Both the House and Senate are to be commended for acting unanimously on this important issue of vital interest to millions," Graff said.

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It’s that gift-giving season again, and are you finished shopping yet? No?

Have you considered a home brewing or wine making kit for that special someone? Well, stop a moment and consider it. This is more than just a gift, it’s a potential hobby that a lot of people would enjoy trying but might not think to get for themselves, and it’s unique enough that it won’t be expected or forgotten. Plus, it saves tons of money over buying wine and beer at the grocery store.

Beer brewers are able to create their own signature brew or create “clone” recipes of their favorite store-bought brew. You should see the look of pride in a person’s eyes when they serve someone a glass of beer or wine that they brewed themselves. They have fun in the making of the brew, then fun in designing a label for the bottles (there are Web sites dedicated to people showing off their personal labels), and they have fun serving and drinking it with others. It’s a pastime that gives a person many different ways to enjoy it.

Yes, I am a home brewer; it’s part of my being a big “do it yourselfer.” But just as you have probably come to expect from me, I do things a little differently. I brew mead, which is essentially wine made from honey. Being a history buff I like the idea of making a beverage with such an ancient and colorful past, and I love the versatility that mead making gives.

Brewing at home is quite simple and not as messy as you might think; my wife has yet to complain. In fact, sanitation is the most important factor in any kind of brewing, so cleanliness is a necessity for brewing.

Home brewing kits vary from idiot-proof countertop kits where you “add water, contents of packet, and *poof!* two weeks later you have beer,” to kits that allow you to control every factor of the process and truly craft your very own distinctive creation.

Another great thing about the process is that most of the equipment is interchangeable so you can easily brew beer this week then switch to making wine a couple weeks later. If you have someone on your gift giving list who already is a home brewer, a new carboy is always a great addition (carboys are big glass or plastic jugs used for fermenting) and they are only about $25 on average. The only thing limiting my own mead making is a lack of carboys. I have two and both of them are in use, and I wish I had many more (my wife reads this column, wink, wink, 6 gallon size, dear).

Since we don’t have a brewer’s supply store here in the county, I’ll point out that you can easily find a brewer’s supply online. Here’s another exception to my usual policy of not mentioning names or brands: my favorite supplier is www.morebeer.com, located down in the Bay Area. They have supplies to make beer, wine, mead, coffee, sake and even soda pop. They also have the technical support and on-line help to assist both the new and the more experienced brewer.

The reason I’m making the exception to mention them by name is that they ship so quickly. If I place an order early in the day the shipment is at my home the very next day. This fantastic and speedy service makes getting that last minute Christmas gift very easy. Their great treatment of me has made me always a happy customer.

There are many stories and myths about how alcohol was discovered. Beer makers like to brag about the existence of writings describing the brewing of beer dating from 6000 B.C.E., and winemakers claim creation of their beverage of preference around the same time, but there is even earlier evidence of mead making going back to 7000 B.C.E..

Despite the disagreements between the factions, mead really is the oldest alcoholic beverage. Mead was the beverage of choice for many millennia, then through the progression of time beer and wine eventually took center stage. But since we mead makers work with sweet honey, we aren’t bitter about it.

The first laws ever written (the Code of Hammurabi) included laws pertaining to daily beer rations. Through much of Europe’s history the water was undrinkable, but the boiling and brewing process of making beer rendered the water it was made with safe to drink and so beer was the beverage that everyone, even children, survived on.

Brewing throughout most of history has been considered woman’s work and brewing equipment was considered the wife’s property in divorces. Not until the last couple of centuries have men really taken the craft into their hands.

When the first Europeans came to America they were greeted by native peoples who offered them wine derived from persimmons and a beer-like drink made from corn. When the Mayflower made its journey to the New World the original destination was to be in the Carolinas, but they ran out of beer and landed on Plymouth Rock in order to build a brewery.

During Prohibition it was still legal to make your own alcohol at home, so America wasn’t as “dry” as some would think. At that time Lake County was just as significant a winegrowing region as Sonoma and Napa were, but instead of switching to making sacramental wines (among other means) in order to continue growing grapes, the winemakers just tore out the vineyards and planted ... you guessed it, walnuts and pears.

Grapevines planted in Lake County have the potential to be much better than those grown in Sonoma and Napa because they are at a much higher altitude, and higher altitude creates better flavors in produce. This fact, in addition to the low cost of Lake County land, has caused our area to undergo the biggest explosion in vineyards in many years. Ten years ago we had only a handful of wineries and now they outnumber my fingers and toes combined!

Being in Northern California makes participation in home brewing a very natural thing. Sure, we live in the middle of the wine country so why not be part of the winemaking community? Some of the local professional winemakers got their start in the industry through home brewing. Just like living on the greatest bass fishing lake west of the Mississippi where there are professionals fishing our lake throughout the entire year doesn’t mean that we the local residents can’t fish in it also.

So try making your own beer or wine, or better yet, give a kit as a gift so that someone can make it for you. The limited creativity “just add water” kits can cost as little as $25, but to set someone up with a nice starter system they can grow with will run about $70.

Lake County features a Home Winemakers Festival; June 2009 will mark the seventh annual presentation, at which I would love to have people sample my own work (if I only had more carboys ... wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more). My Ghirardelli chocolate-flavored mead will be ready to drink in June of 2009, but I only have five gallons of it so sharing might be a little scarce this year. That is, if I can even wrestle a few ounces away from my wife.

Ross A. Christensen is an award-winning gardener and gourmet cook. He is the author of "Sushi A to Z, The Ultimate Guide" and is currently working on a new book. He has been a public speaker for many years and enjoys being involved in the community.

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LAKE COUNTY – As the state's budget crisis continues to build, one of the results is that Lake County schools are facing a forecast calling for stormy weather, with schools already having suffered millions in budget cuts and dozens of lost positions.

On Friday, the county's school superintendents issued a joint statement that said, in part, “We believe that we must help our community become aware of the magnitude of the current proposed cuts.”

County Superintendent of Schools David Geck, Kelseyville Unified Superintendent Boyce McClain, Konocti Unified Superintendent Bill MacDougall, Lakeport Unified Superintendent Erin Hagberg, Lucerne Elementary Superintendent Michael Brown, Middletown Unified Superintendent Korby Olson, Upper Lake Elementary Superintendent Kurt Herndon and Upper Lake High School Superintendent Pat Iaccino say the situation ahead for the schools they serve could be dire as more cuts are proposed.

Lake County schools already cut more than $3.8 million when the state budget was passed in September, according to the superintendents. “Those cuts are already hurting our students.”

Across the schools in Lake County county the current budget cuts have resulted in the elimination of the following:

• 21 teaching positions;

• 25 instructional aide positions;

• Four administrator positions;

• Two school counselor positions;

• 12 office support positions;

• Two health aide positions;

• One library support position;

• Five custodial and maintenance positions.

In addition, 17 part-time instructional aides and office support positions were reduced in hours.

There also have been 25-percent reductions in classroom materials and supplies, reductions in athletics and extra curricular activities funding and closure of one school site, according to the Friday report.

The superintendents noted that these reductions resulted in increased student-teacher ratios, program reductions, reduced training and resources for teachers.

Now, they say additional budget reductions are being proposed.

An additional $4 million or more could be cut in the middle of the school year after employment contracts are signed and classes under way for five months. The superintendents said this is the same as cutting a district an additional $425 per student or $10,500 per classroom.

“To try and balance the budget without additional revenue undermines the future of the 9,500 students in Lake County,” they explained in their joint statement. “Cuts alone would be catastrophic.”

They suggested that what's needed is a balanced approach that includes additional revenues and greater flexibility in categorical budgeting requirements. Time limited solutions like vehicle license fee increases, increased sales taxes and restructured income taxes must be considered in order to reduce the impact to schools and to the other parts of the state budget.

“As local school districts we are meeting with other Lake County agencies in order to look for cost effective ways to provide common services and pool resources for common purchasing,” the superintendents said in their statement. “That is the spirit of cooperation that is needed at the state capital.

“We believe that as a community we must do everything possible to protect the education of our students,” they added. “Please contact your state legislators to insist that they make education a priority. The future of our children is at stake.”

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LAKE COUNTY – Cold daytime temperatures, rain showers and the possibility of snow are in the weekend forecast for Lake County.

Cloud cover will increase throughout the day Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento, as a series of cold weather systems from Alaska and Northern Canada move into Lake County.

Those systems will bring with them a 40-percent chance of rain tonight, and a 50-percent chance of snow in the mountains around Clear Lake by Saturday night.

Temperatures are forecast to reach almost 60 degrees on Friday as clouds and the chance of rain continue to increase throughout the afternoon into the evening. Lows Friday night are predicted to be in the 40s with little or no warming during the day on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

As a colder system moves in on Saturday, daytime high temperatures will only be in the low- to mid- 40s, the National Weather Service reported. Saturday nights' low temperatures are expected to be near freezing.

Chances for snow showers increase to 70 percent on Sunday and daytime highs will again only reach the 40s as another system moves through with increased moisture content.

National Weather Service forecast models for early next predict that snow may fall down to lake level on Tuesday morning, but will change to rain later in the day on Tuesday.

With increased travel during this holiday season, Lake County News reminds everyone to carry chains, advise visiting family members, monitor the changing weather closely, be safe and enjoy the holidays!

E-mail Terre Logsdon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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