Community

SACRAMENTO – The State Senate gave unanimous approval Wednesday to Senate Bill 157, legislation by North Coast Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa).

The vote means the bill now heads to the Assembly for consideration.

If approved by the Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, SB 157 would establish the “Non-profit Organization Equal Participation Act,” for the purpose of providing continuity and equal participation for non-profit organizations in sanctioned wine-related events and to provide orderly direction for wine producers.

Wiggins, who represents the premium wine-growing regions of Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties in the Senate, says her bill is “simply intended to provide continuity and clarity within the ABC Act for both winemakers and non-profit organizations participating in sanctioned wine related events.

Wiggins, who also chairs the Senate Select Committee on California’s Wine Industry, introduced related legislation in 2003 and 2007.

Under existing law, licensed winegrowers can conduct wine tastings off premises, and can accept orders for purchase of their wines off premises, but any sales transactions must be completed back at the winegrowers’ place of business.

Existing law also authorizes the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to issue a wine sales event permit to allow a licensed winegrower to sell their bottled wine at festivals, county fairs, civic/cultural celebrations or similar events held by a range of non-profit organizations as defined in the state Revenue and Taxation Code.

Until last year, the ABC permitted orders to be taken at wine-tasting events held by eight categories of non-profit organizations, but SB 108, authored by Senator Wiggins and signed into law by the Governor, expanded the list to include 11 types of nonprofit groups.

Visit Wiggins' Web site at http://dist02.casen.govoffice.com.

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KELSEYVILLE – The Rivera Hills Restaurant had a full house of dinner guests waiting to hear Tom Del Beccaro's topic, "The New Conservative Paradigm,” at a special evening hosted by the Lake County Republican Women Federated and the Lake County Republican Central Committee.

Tom Del Beccaro is the vice chair for the California Republican Party, has been of several talk radio shows and manages an informative Web site called, Politicalvanguard.com.

Several months ago I sat at the Northern Republican Women's Convention in Monterey, absolutely in awe listening to several important topics from US economic policies to social programs.

On Monday night I has the chance to recapture and listen intently to each point of discussion; after the speech several important questions where asked, and then Del Beccaro spent time speaking and signing his book with new friends from Lake County.

The food and service at Rivera Hills Restaurant provided a wonderful atmosphere for Del Beccaro's sensational dinner engagement.

Martha Steward is vice president of the Lake County Republican Women.

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LAKE COUNTY – The Lake County Department of Social Services, in partnership with Butte, Trinity and Tehama counties, has received a grant from the Federal Administration for Children and Families for $1.5 million to be paid over a three year period.

These funds will be utilized to address the significant issue of methamphetamine use and its impact on families involved with Child Welfare Services by establishing models for assessment, intervention, treatment services and recovery from addiction.

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