LAKE COUNTY – The PEG Channel, TV Channel 8, is broadcasting a Middletown District 1 supervisorial candidates debate this week.

The debate can be seen from 10:05 p.m. to 11:04 p.m. each day this week.

Supervisorial candidates Susanne La Faver of Hidden Valley Lake and James Comstock of Middletown have debated twice, once on Sept. 17 in Lower Lake and again on Oct. 1 in Middletown. It's the second debate in Middletown being broadcast this week.

Both debates were videotaped by PEG Manager Allen Markowski for rebroadcast on the station.

Comstock and La Faver will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot. Both are vying to succeed Supervisor Ed Robey, who is retiring from the Board of Supervisors.

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This bill is follow-up legislation to SB 108 (Wiggins), which Schwarzenegger signed in 2007.

"That legislation expanded the number of nonprofit organizations that can hold wine tasting events where wineries can take orders for the purchase of their wine after the event," Wiggins said. "My new bill will create a single set of nonprofits, the same as those included in SB 108, for two other related statutes in current law.”

Under existing law, a person issued a winegrower's license is authorized to conduct wine tasting of wine produced or bottled by, or produced and packaged for, the licensee, either on or off the winegrower's premises.

Existing law also provides that when a wine tasting is held off-premises and at an event sponsored by a nonprofit organization, the winegrower would be permitted to accept orders for the sale of wine when the sales transaction is completed at the winegrower's premises. They cannot fill orders at the nonprofit event.

The state Alcoholic Beverage Control Act permits wine orders to be taken at wine tasting events held by eleven types of nonprofit organizations described in the Revenue and Taxation Code: Section 23701a (agricultural, horticulture or labor groups); 23701b (fraternal orders); 23701d (public safety, literary or educational groups, amateur sports, or humanitarian corporations); 23701e (chambers of commerce, or real estate boards); 23701f (civic leagues); 23701g (social organizations); 23701i (voluntary employees' beneficiary associations); 23701k (religious corporations); 23701l (domestic fraternal societies); 23701r (political organizations); and, 23701w (veteran's groups). The ABC Act also permits licensed winegrowers to apply to the Department of ABC for a permit to sell bottled wine at festivals, state, county, district, or citrus fairs, civic or cultural celebrations, or similar events sponsored by eight types of nonprofit organizations described in the Revenue and Taxation Code (e.g., Section 23701a, Section 23701b, 23701d, 23701e, 23701k, 23701l, 23701r, and 23701w).

Wiggins, who chairs the Senate Select Committee on California's Wine Industry, represents the premium wine-growing counties of Lake, Mendocino, Napa & Sonoma.

Her bill, SB 157 does the following:

• Enacts the "nonprofit Organization Equal Participation Act" for the purpose of providing continuity and equal participation for nonprofit organizations in sanctioned wine related events and to provide orderly direction for wine producers;

• Modifies an existing provision of law that allows winegrowers to sell bottled wine at events sponsored by certain tax-exempt organizations as specified by the Revenue and Taxation Code to include three additional types of nonprofit organizations (e.g., civic leagues, social organizations and voluntary employees' beneficiary associations);

• Expands the list of nonprofit organizations that are authorized to receive or purchase wine at prices other than those contained in schedules filed with the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control;

• Clarifies that nothing in state law precludes beer and wine wholesalers from donating or selling wine and beer at reduced prices to organizations defined as nonprofits by the federal Internal Revenue Code.

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The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Loconoma High School, located on Washington Street.

Agenda items for the Thursday meeting include expanding Middletown underground utilities district boundaries; a presentation on the water ski lake development proposal by Gary Johnson and Ken Steil of Bona Vita Estates; nominations to the MATH board; and the District 1 supervisor’s report to MATH.

MATH meetings, which are open to the public, are subject to videotaping. Meeting proceedings may be available for viewing on public access television and/or the internet.

The group is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (includes HVL), Long Valley and Middletown.

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At the event, held Aug. 30 in San Diego, 2007 Vikings of Lake Lodge No. 6-166 President Mary Beth Ingvoldstad accepted the 2007 International Lodge of the Year plaque.

Only two lodges each year are awarded this prestigious honor.

Sons of Norway International is comprised of 400 lodges in the United States, Canada and Norway.

Vikings of Lake Lodge No. 6-166 was formed three years ago and has more than 120 members.

Celebrating Norway, and all Nordic countries, the lodge shares Heritage and Culture events at the Galilee Lutheran Church Community Center, 8860 Soda Bay Road each month.

For more information about Vikings of Lake Lodge, call Joyce at 998-3583 and check out the lodge's Web site at www.vikingsoflakelodge.org.

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Existing law, under the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, requires each city or county source reduction and recycling element to include an implementation schedule showing that a city or county must divert 50 percent of solid waste on and after Jan. 1, 2000.

The act also requires each city, county, or regional agency to annually submit a report to the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) summarizing its progress in reducing solid waste, and requires the report to contain certain information (e.g., calculations of annual disposal reduction, information on changes in waste generated or disposed, progress in diverting construction and demolition waste material).

Wiggins served as a member of the CIWMB after being termed out of the Assembly in 2004, and prior to being sworn in as a member of the State Senate in late 2006.

According to the CIWMB, Wiggins noted, "California diverted more than 46 million tons of solid waste away from landfills into recycling, composting and transformation programs in 2005, for an estimated statewide diversion rate of 52 percent. Diversion has increased nine-fold since the Integrated Waste Management Act was passed in 1989."

Wiggins added that her bill is “intended to focus on disposal reduction and enhanced program implementation efforts."

According to CIWMB, the benefits of moving to a disposal-based system include: increases timeliness and accuracy; streamlines review by allowing jurisdictions that are in compliance to be reviewed every four years instead of every two; and, maintains allowances for rural jurisdictions.

The specifics of the bill, SB 1016, are as follows:

• Requires that on and after Jan. 1, 2009, CIWMB will determine compliance with the diversion goals established by the 1989 act by comparing each jurisdiction's "per capita disposal rate" with the jurisdiction's "50 percent percent equivalent" per capital disposal rate on Jan. 1, 2007;

• Specifies that CIWMB consider the per capita disposal rate when determining compliance with the 1989 act, but that the rate is not the only factor in determining compliance (also requires CIWMB to evaluate the need for a review of a jurisdiction's program implementation should the rate exceed the 50 percent equivalent;

• Specifies how CIWMB determines the per capita disposal rate (total annual disposal divided by population);

• Authorizes CIWMB to use an alternative per capita factor for developing the per capita disposal rate if a representative rate cannot be determined using the specified factors;

• Specifies how CIWMB determines the 50 percent equivalent disposal rate using years 2003-07 waste generation information;

• Retains CIWMB's authority to establish an alternative per capita disposal rate for rural jurisdictions;

• Revises the 10 percent diversion "credit" for transformation to reflect the per capita disposal rate;

• Clarifies and consolidates the information required for the annual report submitted by jurisdictions to CIWMB, including an update of the jurisdiction's source reduction and recycling element and household hazardous waste element include any new or expanded programs, an update of the jurisdiction's non-disposal facility element to reflect any new or expanded non-disposal facilities, and disposal characterization studies or other studies showing the effectiveness of program implementation;

• Requires CIWMB staff to visit each jurisdiction at least annually to monitor the jurisdiction's implementation and maintenance of diversion programs.

SB 1016 also revises the requirements relating to CIWMB review of each jurisdiction as follows:

A. For jurisdictions meeting the 50 percent equivalent per capita disposal rate, permits CIWMB to complete a review of the jurisdiction not less than every four years, beginning Jan. 1, 2012, rather than every two years, as required by existing law.

B. For jurisdictions failing to meet the 50 percent equivalent per capita disposal rate or failing to make a "good faith effort" to do so, permits CIWMB to complete a review of the jurisdiction not less than every two years, beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

C. Establishes a sunset for this provision on Jan. 1, 2018.

Finally, the Wiggins bill makes conforming changes to the provisions requiring state agencies and large state facilities to divert 50 percent of all solid waste.

Wiggins represents California’s large 2nd Second District, which includes portions or all of Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

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NORTH COAST – The Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for Lake and Mendocino Counties will host community forums on long-term care issues as part of the 2006-09 Area Plan.

The plan sets forth goals and objectives to address needs of seniors and people with disabilities in Lake and Mendocino counties.

The AAA is interested in receiving input from older adults, persons with disabilities, family and volunteer caregivers, agencies and advocacy groups serving these individuals, and other interested community members.

AAA will also be sharing information about the services available to seniors throughout Lake and Mendocino counties.

The forums dates and locations are:

– Ukiah: Thursday, Oct. 16, 2 p.m., Valley View Skilled Nursing, 1162 S. Dora St.

– Lakeport: Friday, Oct. 17, 2 p.m., Lakeport Skilled Nursing, 625 16th St.

With all of the recent budget cuts to senior programs, this meeting will be helpful to both those who use the services and those who provide them.

For more information call AAA, 463-7923.

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