LAKEPORT, Calif. – Midway of Fun, the provider of the carnival at the Lake County Fair, will return in 2012.

Midway of Fun has been providing the rides, games, and attractions to Lake County Fair since 2009 and was recently signed to a new five-year contract.
 
“Carnivals don’t change very often at fairs,” said Fair Chief Executive Officer Richard Persons. “But the State Fair date change really upset the routes of a number of carnivals over the last couple of years. As a result, we ended up with a new company in 2009 that everyone was really happy with, and when the opportunity presented itself, we signed Midway of Fun to another five year contract, so they will be here at least through 2016.”
 
According to Persons, the most spectacular ride expected for the fair is a huge Ferris wheel called the Century Wheel.

“We’ve had Ferris wheels before, but the Century Wheel is twice as high as the normal wheels, and it’s got gondola cars that allow a family group to all ride together,” he said. “It’s seventy feet tall, so people will be able to see everything on the fairgrounds, in Lakeport, and across the lake to Nice and Lucerne.”
 
The bumper car ride will return to the Lake County Fair this year. While bumper car rides have been around for decades, it was a number of years since one visited Lakeport prior to 2009.

“That’s always a popular ride for teenagers, who can get a whole group together on the ride, but nobody has be worry about heights or getting sick,” Persons said. “It was really popular the past couple of years, so we’re glad to see the bumper cars return.”
 
Speaking of getting sick, carnival goers who love to challenge the “vomit comets” will find several rides to test their intestinal fortitude, including the Falling Star, Tilt-a-Whirl, Zipper, Flying Bobs and a Sizzler.
 
Less intense rides will include a carousel and the extremely popular giant slide. A variety of kiddie rides, like the tea cups and the kiddie jeeps will also be found in the kiddie carnival area.

 “Our lots usually have room for twenty-five to thirty rides,” said Persons, “how many depends on how they fit into the spaces.”
 
 Events in the grandstand arena include the Lake County Invitational Bomber Race on Thursday evening, a freestyle motorcycle high jump with mud drags on Friday evening, California State Finals of the WGAS Motorsports Tuff Truck and Buggy Races on Saturday evening, and the ever popular demolition derby on Sunday evening.

All grandstand shows start at 7:30 p.m. Local participants are also encouraged in the demo derby, mud drags and the tuff truck races, and entry forms are available at the fairgrounds office.
 
Live local entertainment occurs continuously on two stages. The Sutter Lakeside Hospital Main Stage will showcase national touring act Twice As Good on Saturday at 8 p.m. Other local acts, including the Snake Alley Band, LC Diamonds, the Uncalled Four and the Mark Weston Band, also will play the main stage.

The Mediacom Stage will host a variety of acts including Travis Rinker, Short Stax, Village-Stone & Day, Jim Williams on acoustic guitar, and Barrish & Day. In addition, DJ Ken Steely will provide live karaoke on Saturday afternoon.
 
Regular admission prices for the 2012 Lake County Fair are unchanged from 2012.

Prices are $10 for a regular ticket, $6 for a senior over age 60, and $6 for children ages 6 through 11.

Children under 6 years old are admitted free every day. Children through age 11 are admitted for $3 on Thursday, Aug. 30, only, for “Kid’s Day.”
 
A special admission program is in place for Friday, Aug. 30. Anyone who brings four cans of food to the gate between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. will receive free admission, with the food benefiting local food pantries through Lake County CAN.
 
The Lake County Fair traditionally occurs Labor Day weekend each year at the fairgrounds in Lakeport.

The 2012 fair dates are Thursday, Aug. 30, through Sunday, Sept. 2.

Lake County Fair is one of Lake County’s favorite summertime events, and is enjoyed by nearly 40,000 people each year.

The fair features a variety of entertainment, food, exhibits, a carnival, and livestock shows.

The fair theme for 2012 is “Summer’s Biggest Blast!”

LAKEPORT, Calif. Admission prices at the Lake County Fair remain unchanged in 2012, with the same pricing structure as in 2011.

The 2012 fair dates are Thursday, Aug. 30, through Sunday, Sept. 2.

This year’s fair theme is “Summer’s Biggest Blast!”

Prices are $10 for a regular ticket, $6 for a senior over age 60, and $6 for children ages 6 through 11.
Children under 6 years old are admitted free every day of the event. Children through age 11 are admitted for $3 on Thursday, Aug. 30 only, for “Kid’s Day.”
 
A special admission program is in place for Friday, Aug. 30. Anyone who brings four cans of food to the gate between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. will receive free admission, with the food benefiting local food pantries through Lake County CAN.
 
Advanced sale discounted tickets, which provide discounts of 30 to 60 percent, are available from a variety of sources in Lake County.

The discounts include single day presale admissions of $7 for a regular ticket and $3 for a child’s ticket. Season presale tickets also are available, with a $25 regular ticket good for four days, and a $10 child’s ticket good for four days as well.

Presale outlets include Foods Etc and Safeway in Clearlake, Hardester’s in Cobb, Hidden Valley, and Middletown, as well as Kelseyville Pharmacy, Riviera Foods, Rainbow Ag, Bruno’s Shop Smart, the Lakeport Chamber of Commerce, Umpqua Bank in Lakeport, Lakeview Market, CJS Ranch Supply, Sentry Market, Hi-Way Grocery and the Red and White Market.
 
Senior tickets are discounted every day of the event, and remain $6 for those over 60.

Lake County Fair is one of Lake County’s favorite summertime events, and is enjoyed by nearly 40,000 people each year.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Wine Studio is hosting a wine tasting event featuring the Lake County wine releases from Thorn Hill Vineyards, and artist reception with watercolors on silk and prints by John R. Clarke on Friday, Sept. 7, and Saturday, Sept. 8.

The event will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 7 and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 8.

Musical entertainment during the evening receptions will be acoustic guitarist Stephen Holland, with guests Travis Rinker and Jim Leonardis.

Artist John R. Clarke is known by many in Lake County as an anesthesiologist, but he’s also an artist who each year creates an original painting for the Lake County Wine Alliance to be auctioned off at the annual event as well as reproduced as poster prints for sale and publicity.

Clarke’s colorful paintings on silk celebrate scenes of people, animals and beauty on planet earth, many of which feature Lake County.

Clarke began his art career at age 5, making toys for his brothers and sisters. Being one of nine children in a family where toys were a rare luxury, he created his own array of playthings. Using discarded machinery, wood, electrical parts, nut shells and anything else at hand which could be transformed, he created dolls, trains, horses and other toys.

A talent for drawing and painting emerged in elementary school and Clarke’s teachers put him in charge of art projects to display these talents.

After a brief sojourn into music, his interests returned to the visual arts and he spent several years creating in oils, watercolor, pen and ink, and sculpture in stained glass.

Discovering silk as a medium afforded Clarke a combination of the previous options with improvements.

“I enjoy the behavior of the paints on silk as water color, but, with the brilliancy of oils,” he said. “The fabric can take on the look of stained glass without the sharp edges. I begin with the idea for an image and throw, brush, or scatter paint onto newly stretched silk with the rough image in mind. The more chaotic the arrangement the better. I overlay this chaos with the order of my image, just as one creates a garden by structuring the chaos of nature. One places certain flowers here, does some weeding there. I allow accidents to happen with both line and color to learn what may be possible despite my plan. When my mind and eyes see what they like, I stop.”

He added, “The Zen master Shunryu Suzuki said, ‘In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities but in the expert’s there are few.’ I try to keep this idea in mind when I paint in silk – new, fresh, endless possibilities. Not an expert controlling my image, its completion, or what it says to a viewer. I let the arrow fly from the bow. Where it goes it goes. The image and its creation come from my heart. I hope my eyes and hands have been good messengers.”
 
Signed poster prints of Clarke’s beautiful painting of Brassfield Estate for the 2012 Wine Alliance Auction event will be available for sale during the receptions and throughout the month.

Located in the diverse micro climate of the Red Hills, Thorn Hill Vineyards covers 50 gently sloping acres within a mountainous terrain where elevations range from 1,400 to 3,000 feet above sea level with cooling afternoon breezes.

Owners Jack and Amy Thorn searched more than a decade to find the perfect location for the Thorn’s family winery before choosing the Red Hills in Lake County.

The Thorns were attracted to the Red Hills Appellation because of its ideal conditions for growing Cabernet Sauvignon grapes – rich, shallow volcanic soils from neighboring Mt. Konocti produce compact berries with powerful flavor.

Three general soil types predominate: Glenview-Bottle Rock-Arrowhead, Konocti-Benridge, and Collayomi-Aiken. The shallow depth and rich mineral content of the soils create an ideal environment for growing premium grapes. The trace minerals apparent in the volcanic soils lend earthy or flinty notes that add complexity to the wine.

Red Hills appellation benefits from a unique diurnal temperature pattern, with hot days tempered by afternoon winds that can cool nighttime temperatures by as much as 50 degrees.

During the growing season daytime temperatures easily reach 90 degrees and above, but cool down each afternoon from breezes created by the sloping elevation changes around Mount Konocti and offshore winds from Clear Lake.

The hot days nudge grapes to achieve full flavor and optimal ripeness, whereas the cool nights help preserve the acidity of the grapes and enhance the balance and complexity of the fruit.

Winemaker Amy Thorn focuses on small production, single vineyard wines from properties that are the most distinctive in their appellation.

She personally oversees each varietal’s production and strives to create full bodied, intensely flavored, richly textured wines of structure, depth and balance that reflect the specific qualities of each vineyard site.

The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand, allowing them to go through primary and secondary (malolactic) fermentation. “The greatest gift you can give as a winemaker is to create a bottle of wine that is the purest expression of each varietal, a wine that is a combination of nature and nurture, resulting in a vintage which represents a union between the fruit of the vine, richness of the earth and the passion of the winemaker,” she said.

The $12.50 ($10/per person for studio club members) wine sampler with paired appetizers will feature Pinot Grigio with basil and Chevré scones, Sauvignon Blanc with papaya relish on rice crackers and Red Hills Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon with pork tenderloin and raspberry vinaigrette. Appetizers are by Cache Creek Catering.

There is no charge to those who wish to view the artwork and meet the artists without partaking of the food and wine. Reservations are not required.

Lake County Wine Studio is both a gallery for display of arts and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the fine wines of Lake County.

Artists’ shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month.

The gallery is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake. It is open Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Clarke art show will be on display for the full month of September.

For more information call Lake County Wine Studio at 707-275-8030.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Central Committee will hold its annual legislators’ barbecue on Saturday, Sept. 22.

The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Highlands Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Ave. in Clearlake.  

The special guest speaker will be Secretary of State Debra Bowen.

The event’s master of ceremonies will be Clearlake Mayor Joey Luiz.

Tickets cost $25 per person for seniors, $35 for general admission and $20 for students. Children under 5 may attend for free. Tickets can be purchased online at https://secure.actblue.com/page/lakedembbq2012 .

The event includes a barbecue tri-tip dinner with salads, baked beans, hors de oeuvres, a silent auction  and a live auction.

The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body of the Democratic Party in Lake County.   

Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-533-4885 or by email at    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Tickets are now on sale for the Lakeport Volunteer Firefighter’s Association third annual dinner, dance and auction on Saturday, Oct. 20.

The event will take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St.

Join the association for a night full of fun, dinner, live and silent auctions, multiple raffles and music by the Fargo Brothers.

Tickets are presale only and cost $30 each or $300 for a table of eight. They are available from Lakeport firefighters or the Lakeport Fire Station, 445 N. Main St.

Sponsored tables receive name recognition, premium seating and their choice of two bottles of wine or two buckets of beer.

For more information call Lakeport Fire Protection District, 707-263-4396.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – “Women’s Voices” on KZYX FM will host Lisa Sullivan, Latin America coordinator of School of the Americas Watch, on Thursday, Sept. 13.

Sullivan will join host Janie Rezner at 7 p.m. The show can be heard on www.kzyx.org and will be archived at www.radio4all.net under Rezner’s name.

Sullivan, who will be speaking in Marin on Thursday, Sept. 16, was born and raised in the United States.

After studying in Mexico, Guatemala and Columbia, she accepted a position in Bolivia as a community organizer with the Maryknoll Lay Missioners. In 1988 she transfered to Venezuela where she raised her three children.

In 2005 Sullivan joined Fr. Roy Bourgeois in launching the Latin America initiative of the School of the American Watch, which seeks to engage countries in efforts to close the School of the Americas.

She and Bourgeois have visited 18 Latin American nations that were sending troops to the SOA and have met with eight presidents – Zelaya, Arias, Morales, Ortega, Chavez, Lugo and Lobo. As a result of these visits, five countries have announced they will no longer be sending troops to the SOA.
 
Sullivan has led several task force-sponsored delegations to Latin America, often with Bourgeois, and has given participants a rare opportunity to meet high-level national figures as well as leaders of popular social movements.

Rezner and Sullivan will discuss Chavez and life in Venezuela.