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Letters
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- Written by: Ellen Karnowski
On Saturday, July 20, a successful fundraising tournament was held at the Gard Street courts in Kelseyville. Thanks to all of the merchants who supported the effort to resurface the school courts in Kelseyville.
We had a lot of generous donations that made this tournament a success.
On behalf of the community and the Kelseyville school district, we would like to thank The Saw Shop Bistro in Kelseyville, Disney Water Sports in Lakeport, Carlton Tire in Lakeport, the Grinder Steep coffee shop in Middletown, as well as Jimmy’s Deli, and Lakeport Cinema 5, Steele wines, Nature’s Food Center Kelseyville Pizza, Wildhurst and Jay Buechler of Blue Flame Glass.
Everyone had a good time at this event, and your support allowed us to distribute these generous prizes. We hope to hold another event soon.
Thanks again to our community for your support.
Ellen Karnowski is director of the Konocti Junior Tennis League in Kelseyville, Calif.
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- Written by: Lonne Sloan
I would like to express our thanks to everyone who participated, donated, assisted in putting on our wonderful Lake County Rodeo Parade.
A special thank you to Brian Martin for all his support and help and to the Lake County Farm Bureau for their wonderful entry.
Thanks to all the nameless sideline volunteers who helped put the parade together as well.
Parade results:
Russ and Sandy Kennerly Memorial Award: Karly Petta, Lower Lake, Calif.
Senior Sweepstake: Lake County Farm Bureau
Best Overall: Connie Hawkins, Sonora, Calif.
Matched Pair: Mike and Kelley Patton, Dixon, Calif.
Senior Novelty: Lonne Sloan, Lower Lake, Calif.
Junior Plain Western: Karly Petta, Lower Lake, Calif.
First Place: Diablo Ladies Drill Team
Second Place: Lake County Horse Counsel
First Place: Kelseyville Brewing
Second Place: 1971 Cadillac Pat Sparing
First Place: Shawna with Pet Pig
Lonne Sloan is parade chairperson for the Lake County Rodeo Parade in Lakeport, Calif.
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- Written by: Randy Ridgel
The Lake County Historical Society thanks its members and guests for attending its annual membership potluck picnic on June 30 at Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum barn.
Despite the weather being hot, hot, hot we had a packed “barn,” lots of great food to share, good company and lots of laughs.
Our speaker was great; Dr. Harry Lyons, professor of biology, spoke on “How Did Here Get Here: The Geology of Lake County.” Members and guest were spellbound hearing his stories and graphs showing how nature worked to produce Lake County.
Thank you to Bud Boyce for donating his barbecue, our team of Bob Chalk, Lee Cook and Randy Ridgel who worked in the heat to produce hamburgers and hot dogs; Carlos Fagundes, manager of Bruno’s Shop Smart for donating the hamburger and hot dog buns and the manager of Safeway for donating a $25 gift card for 5 cases of water. Boy, did we need that!
Thank you to Scholarship Chairman Tony Marchese for introducing our two 2013 scholarship winners, Cheyanne Holvath and Jacob Gill, and their families.
Thank you to all who came, brought a dish to share (we had lots of interesting delicious dishes) and to all who volunteered to set-up, serve food, cook and stay behind to help clean-up.
Our next event will be the Lake County Fair, Aug. 29-Sept. 1; come by our Historical Network booth in Lewis Hall and view our time-line of “Finding Great Historic Treasurers.”
Lake County has an incredible history. If you wish to join us, call Nick Voegtly at 707-349-7233. Annual membership dues are $15 a person or $20 a household per year.
Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum is worth a visit; they are open Saturday and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Randy Ridgel is a member of the Lake County Historical Society. He lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
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- Written by: Connel Murray
The recent cancellation of the historic Napa Classic underscores the problems home wine and beer makers are having with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
For fans of the old Barney Google comic strip, his backwoods pal Snuffy Smith was always on the lookout for “revenooers” – the government agents charged with ending the illicit trade in booze.
The California Alcohol Beverage Control agency is a revenue bureau. Their task is to generate as much money as possible from alcohol-related trade.
Some $64 million is spent each year by home winemakers and brewers and very little of it is collected in taxes and fees by the ABC, hence their actions to curtail these activities.
California is not alone in facing these restrictions. Revenue-strapped governments at every level are seeking ways to cash in on this growing hobby.
In 2008 threats to close homemade wine and beer festivals were circumvented by the passage of SB 607, which specifically authorized nonprofit groups to remove their products from the place of manufacture for the purposes of use at “organized affairs, exhibitions or competitions, such as home wine makers contests, tastings or judging.”
This not only brought California into compliance with federal regulations, but also removed the major basis being used by the ABC to restrict these activities.
Since all county fairs, plus the state fair were threatened by ABC rulings, passage of SB 607 was greeted statewide with a wave of appreciation.
The bill also specified that no license or fees would be necessary to engage in these activities, although our own Lake County Home Wine and Beer Makers Festival continued to purchase a permit just to keep peace in the family
Since both federal and state laws specifically prohibit the sale of amateur alcoholic products, we followed the rules religiously, as did, we believe, other similar organizations, to make sure nothing involving our homemade products could be construed as a sale.
Even so it is only human nature that bureaucrats would find ways to reinterpret or circumvent the laws in order to generate a new stream of revenue from these increasingly popular activities.
For example, Jacob Applesmith, the current director of the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control, found an interpretation of the law that had evidently eluded some 80-plus years of his predecessors.
Applesmith asserted that charging an admission fee to nonprofit sponsored “organized affairs, exhibitions or competitions” was tantamount to selling the tastings taking place.
Applesmith’s conclusion has resulted in the cancellation of the decades old Napa Classic home wine makers’ festival, which was the major support for the Dry Creek Volunteer Fire Department.
Only the wholehearted support of our local commercial wineries allowed Clear Lake Performing Arts to continue with a restructured event, with funds earned supporting music programs in Lake County including our Symphony and Youth Orchestras, and young peoples music education programs.
A careful study of the laws governing alcohol beverages in California shows little to support Applesmith’s contention. Yet it appears only an amendment to SB 607 clearly specifying that purchase of an admission to such events is NOT to be construed as a sale, will we be able to reinstate our own Lake County Home Wine and Beer Makers Festival, the Napa Classic, and others like it.
A message to your elected official urging their support of such an amendment would help lead to a favorable resolution of this problem and restore these nonprofit events that are so vital the health of our communities.
Connel Murray is chair of the Chair, CLPA Wine Committee. He lives in Kelseyville, Calif.