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- Written by: Editor
Fair officials are working out the details of a partnership with the newly formed Lake County Vintner's Association to produce a display of as many locally produced wines as possible.
The display will take the place of the commercial wine competition that has been produced by the fair during the past decade.
The number of wines entered in the competition has varied widely from year to year, with as few as 75 wines entered in some years and nearly 300 wines entered in other years.
"We've sometimes had more wines from outside Lake County entered in the competition than wines produced here. We're trying to showcase the local industry through this partnership, and give our patrons a single place to see the huge variety of great wines from Lake County," said Fair CEO Richard Persons.
Competitive classes for amateur wines and beers are still being offered, with cash prizes for winners in a variety of categories.
Information about entering the amateur wine and brewing competitions can be found at the fair's Web site, www.lakecountyfair.com, in the Exhibitor Handbook, which contains information about all of the prize competitions offered at the Lake County Fair.
Fair officials hope the Lake County Vintner's Association display will grow in future years to include a wine tasting opportunity for Fair patrons.
"Wouldn't it be great to be able to attend the fair and view several hundred wines produced right here in your neighborhood, and then purchase tastes of a few wines that you've never tried before?" pondered Persons.
Wine producers interested in participating in the new Lake County Vintner's Association display can contact the fair office at 263-6181 for more information.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LUCERNE – After 44 years in business, “Gypsy” Jim Harris has decided it's time for retirement.
Harris has announced that he's holding a retirement sale for his business, Gypsy Lure and Tackle Co. Distributors, and everything has to go.
The sale will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 3 through July 16 at 5825 Highway 20, Lucerne.
The Boy Scouts are helping Harris set up for the sale, and he said there will be an abundance of items for the devoted fisherman.
Harris, 83, is a World War II veteran who was at both the bombing of Pearl Harbor and later at the D-Day invasion, he remains active in local veterans groups and activities.
Harris was in the insurance business after he got home from the war, and after he left that business he began running a bait shop.
He first came to Lake County on a part-time basis in 1962, after meeting a county resident who told him about it. Harris said he liked Lake County because it was easy to get to the mountains or the ocean. He moved his family here permanently in 1973.
Harris' retirement sale will include all of his inventory: all types of rods and reels and rod and reel units; salt water lures; split shot, assorted sinkers in packs; flies, import, domestic, steel head salmon; import snelled hooks; all types of fillet knives; bait knives; replacement nets; B.B. swivels, snap and brass swivels; connectors; beads No. 2 through 10 and fancies; all domestic lures, nets, gaffs, fly and jig vices; and all bulk lures and components.
Harris said everything goes, “including my mistakes.”
Dealers and the public are welcome to take part in this “opportunity of a lifetime” as Gypsy Jim closes his business.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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CLEARLAKE OAKS – Shannon Ridge Winery celebrated the grand opening of its new tasting room on Saturday and Sunday.
The event also offered the winery to show of it's newly completed demonstration “vinegarden” and picnic area. The vinegarden aims at increasing visitors’ awareness about the Lake County wine grape growing region.
A portion of the proceeds from the grand opening event benefited Operation Tango Mike, a community group that sends care packages to U.S. troops overseas.
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"This is good news for American travelers," said Thompson. "Right now, passengers are at the mercy of the airlines. When delays occur, passengers have absolutely no assurance that they'll be provided with basic necessities, like food, drinking water and a reasonable temperature. This bill is an initial step toward ensuring passengers are treated fairly and decently when flying."
The House FAA Authorization bill requires that airlines develop emergency contingency plans, including how each aircraft will "provide food, water, restroom facilities, cabin ventilation and access to medical treatment" during delays. It also requires that airlines make a plan for accessing facilities and gates during an emergency or extended delays so passengers can deplane.
The House Transportation Committee conducted a mark-up of the bill today. The Senate version of the FAA Authorization has already been finalized, but has not been voted on by the full Senate.
In March, Thompson introduced comprehensive Airline Passenger Bill of Rights legislation, which requires airlines provide passengers with basic necessities during delays and deplane passengers after a four-hour delay (or three hours if departure is unlikely to occur before four hours).
Thompson's bill also calls on the Department of Transportation and the FAA to review airport policies and infrastructure to help ensure airlines can meet these new standards.
"While the FAA Authorization language is a good start, we need concrete standards for the treatment of passengers, including a limit to the amount of time people are held on the tarmac,” added Thompson. "The airlines have promised Congress multiple times that they'd stop stranding passengers, but nothing has changed. We want to keep our airlines in business, but there must be a minimum standard for treatment of passengers."
“The coalition is encouraged that now both the House and Senate FAA bills include the concept of passenger rights,” said Kate Hanni, executive director of the Coalition for an Airline Passenger's Bill of Rights. "We intend to work with our champions, Sens. Barbara Boxer and Olympia Snowe and Rep. Mike Thompson, through the floor and conference process to make sure that the final bill guarantees stranded passengers enforceable rights including a clear and explicit right to deplane when left on the tarmac. While we are excited that passenger rights is further down the runway than ever before in Congress, the bills aren't ready for takeoff."
The FAA Authorization also requires the Department of Transportation to provide monthly statistics on diverted flights and the amount of time passengers are held on an aircraft during diversions. This is the first time the government would be collecting this information, and Thompson applauded the committee for including it.
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