LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Fair will open on Thursday evening with a parade and offer four days filled with entertainment, competitions and livestock shows.

The fair kicks off with a parade the begins at 5:30 p.m. and moves along Main Street south from Eighth Street and up to the fairgrounds' main gate on Martin Street, led by Grand Marshals Grant and Ross Hardester.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. at which time the gates will open and the “Party with the Animals” – this year's fair theme – begins.

City officials estimate about 2,000 people will be in attendance for the parade and opening night events.

The Lake County Fair is one of the county's summertime events, and is enjoyed by an estimated 35,000 people each year.

The annual event offers music, contests, livestock shows, exhibits and competitions, vendors, food,
and the Midway of Fun.

Admission rates are $10 for adults, $6 for seniors (age 60 and up), $6 for children (ages 6 through 11), and children age 5 and under have free admission.

Thursday is Kids Day, when children age 11 and under are admitted for $3.

For more information visit www.lakecountyfair.com or follow the fair on Facebook.

The Lake County Fairgrounds are located at 401 Martin St., Lakeport.

The full schedule follows.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 1

Special attractions

– Kid's Day, Children 11 and under – $3 admission.
– Draft horse wagon rides.
– Pig racing, 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
– Family Fun Area in Fiesta Park; a great place for Mom and Dad to relax with youngsters.
– Mickey the Clown, strolling balloon sculptor Fill-up and magician Ken Garr can be found performing throughout the grounds, plus much, much more.

Schedule

8 a.m.: Junior Rabbit and Cavy Show, Junior Swine Show, Baldwin Pavilion
1 p.m.: Junior Sheep Show, Baldwin Pavilion
3 p.m.: Junior Meat Goat Show, Baldwin Pavilion
5:30 p.m.: Parade begins on Main Street   
6 p.m.: Opening ceremonies, main gate; Blue Ribbon Dinner, Academy Park; fair gates open
6 to 9 p.m.: Maker demonstration – Jewelry making by Amy Patton in Lewis Hall
6:30 p.m.: Michael Barrish, singer-songwriter, country soul, Mediacom Gazebo Stage
7 p.m.: Johnny Tsunami, high octane American roots rock, Lake County News Main Stage; maker demonstration, Lake County Arts Council’s Diane Liebe and Richard Schmidt, watercolor sip and paint, Fritch Hall
7:30 p.m.: Fiesta of the Horse, fun-filled horse entertainment event, sponsored by St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake
8 p.m.: Clear Lake Clikkers – Mediacom Gazebo Stage
8:30 p.m.:  Johnny Tsunami, high octane American roots rock, Lake County News Main Stage
10 p.m.: Buildings close
11 p.m.: Fair closes

FRIDAY, SEPT. 2

Special attractions

– Carnival pay-one-price day, $30; purchase in the carnival.
– Walk-on contest, favorite summer flower arrangement at Flower Hall. Walk in your entry between 4 and 5 p.m. and join the competition.
– Children’s Story Time.
– Draft horse wagon rides.
– Pig racing, 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
– Mickey the Clown, strolling balloon sculptor Fill-up and magician Ken Garr can be found performing throughout the grounds, plus much, much more.

Schedule

8 a.m.: Junior Poultry and Turkey Show, Baldwin Pavilion
9 a.m.: Open Dairy Goat Show, Alexander Barn Arena; Junior Beef and Dairy Cattle Show, Baldwin Pavilion
9 to 11 a.m.: School tours
12 p.m.: Junior Dairy Goat Show, Baldwin Pavilion
4 p.m.: Gates open; maker demonstration, Lake County Arts Council’s Richard Seisser, pastels, Fritch Hall
4:30 p.m.: David Neft, Mediacom Gazebo Stage
5 p.m.: Fargo Brothers, Americana, Rock 'n' Roll, blues, Lake County News Main Stage; maker demonstration, custom leather by Don McCown, Lewis Hall
5:30 p.m.: Favorite summer flower arrangement contest, Flower Hall; Junior Dog Care and Training, Alexander Barn Arena
6:30 p.m.: David Neft, Mediacom Gazebo Stage
7 p.m.: MendoLake Mudd Bogg Nationals presented by Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino, Main Grandstands; maker demonstration, Kerri Hershey, free motion machine quilting demonstration in Clothing and Textile Building
7:45 p.m.: Fargo Brothers, Americana, Rock 'n' Roll, blues, Lake County News Main Stage
9 p.m.: Fargo Brothers, Americana, Rock 'n' Roll, blues – Lake County News Main Stage
10 p.m.: Buildings close
11 p.m.: Fair closes

SATURDAY, SEPT. 3

Special attractions

– Junior Livestock Auction and Round Robin Competition, Baldwin Pavilion.
– Carnival pay-one-price day, $30; purchase in the carnival.
– Walk-on contest, favorite summer flower arrangement at Flower Hall. Walk in your entry between 4 and 5 p.m. and join the competition.
– Children’s Story Time with Cookie Mouse appearance.
– Draft horse wagon rides, climbing wall, award winning chainsaw carving, plus much more.
– Pig racing: 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
– Mickey the Clown, strolling balloon sculptor Fill-up and magician Ken Garr can be found performing throughout the grounds, plus much, much more.
– Music on two stages plus evening grandstand events are all free.

Schedule

10:30 a.m.: Gates open; Junior Livestock buyers registration and luncheon, Baldwin Pavilion
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Lake County Library storyteller Barbara Green reading “Cookie Mouse,” Family Fun Area; maker demonstration, Lake County Arts Council’s Marilyn Crayton and Randy Kocker, gourd decorating, Fritch Hall
11:30 a.m.: Majide!, duo of standard jazz classics from the Great American Songbook, Mediacom Gazebo Stage
Noon: Groovy Judy, upbeat, danceable rock, pop and funk, Lake County News Main Stage
1 p.m.: Junior Livestock Auction, Baldwin Pavilion; walk-on contest, Farm Animal Bingo, Lewis Hall; maker demonstration, Lake County Arts Council’s David Stillwell, abalone jewelry, Fritch Hall; kids fun time, candle play with Stephanie Figueroa, Family Fun Area
1:30 p.m.: Majide!, duo of standard jazz classics from the Great American Songbook, Mediacom Gazebo Stage
2 to 4 p.m.: Maker demonstration, Sheila O’Hara, weaving demonstration, Clothing and Textile Building
2 p.m.: Groovy Judy, upbeat, danceable rock, pop and funk, Lake County News Main Stage
2:30 p.m.: Walk on contest, favorite chocolate layer cake contest takes place at Lewis Hall; walk in your entry between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and join the competition.
3 p.m.: Majide!, duo of standard jazz classics from the Great American Songbook, Mediacom Gazebo Stage
3 to 5 p.m.: Maker demonstration, Desiree Todd, cheese making, Lewis Hall; maker demonstration – Lake County Arts Council’s Sandy Stillwell, memory wire jewelry, Fritch Hall
4 p.m.: Walk on contest, knucklebones contest takes place at Flower Hall; Groovy Judy, upbeat, danceable rock, pop and funk, Lake County News Main Stage
5 p.m.: Austin & Owens, neo-Flamenco and jazz duo – Mediacom Gazebo Stage
5 to 7 p.m.: Maker demonstration, custom leather by Don McCown, Lewis Hall
5:30 p.m.: Maker demonstration, Kerri Hershey, free motion machine quilting demonstration in Clothing and Textile Building
6 p.m.: Round Robin, Baldwin Pavilion; maker demonstration, Two Chick’s Tasty Treats Food Fun, chocolate work, Lewis Hall
6 to 7:30 p.m.: Two Chick’s Tasty Treats, Lewis Hall
6 to 8 p.m.: Goat milking, by hand and machine, Mather Barn
6:30 p.m.: Amateur Talent Contest – Lake County News Main Stage
7 p.m.: Motorcycle TT and Flat Track Racing presented by Twin Pine Casino & Hotel, Main Grandstands; Austin & Owens, neo-Flamenco and jazz duo – Mediacom Gazebo Stage
8 p.m.: Hip Replacements, blues, rock, R&B, Lake County News Main Stage
8:30 p.m.: Austin & Owens, neo-Flamenco and jazz duo – Mediacom Gazebo Stage
9:30 p.m.: Hip Replacements, blues, rock, R&B, Lake County News Main Stage
10 p.m.: Buildings close
11 p.m.: Fair closes

SUNDAY, SEPT. 4

Schedule

11 a.m.: Fair opens
1 p.m.: Finger print animal art, Fritch Hall
2:30 p.m.: Favorite fruit crisp contest, Lewis Hall
6 p.m.: Stock car, dirt and boat races, Grandstands
10 p.m.: Buildings close
11 p.m.: Fair closes

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Although the summer season will soon be coming to a close, many Californians will continue to take advantage of the warm weather into the Labor Day weekend.

As the celebrations commence, the California Highway Patrol wants everyone to enjoy their holiday and to remain safe on California’s roadways.

All available CHP officers will be on duty during the Labor Day Maximum Enforcement Period, or MEP, from 6:01 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2, to 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 5.

Drug recognition experts and CHP officers will be on patrol watching for impaired drivers as well as assisting motorists in need throughout the holiday weekend.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched its annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign on Aug. 19, and it will run through Sept. 5.

This law enforcement crackdown is intended to zero in on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs and help reduce injury and fatal collisions.

Research from NHTSA shows that high-visibility enforcement, such as an MEP, can reduce impaired driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent.

“Too many lives are lost on our roadways every year as a result of impaired driving. Let’s end the summer safely and remember to designate a sober driver, wear your seat belt, and obey all traffic laws,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said.

During last year’s Labor Day weekend, CHP officers made more than 1,200 arrests for driving under the influence.

Unfortunately, 32 people were killed in collisions in California during the same weekend, and at least seven of those people killed were not wearing seat belts.

If you see a suspected impaired driver, call 9-1-1. Be prepared to provide the dispatcher a description of the vehicle, the license plate number, location, and direction of travel. Your phone call may save someone’s life.

The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of safety, service and security to the people of California.

Legislation to help businesses recover from natural disasters recently passed the California Legislature with unanimous bipartisan support.

The bill – authored by Lake County's representatives in the state Legislature, Assemblyman Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) – will provide tax relief by allowing impacted businesses to defer tax payments without additional costs.

The idea for the bill was brought forward by Board of Equalization Chairwoman Fiona Ma in the aftermath of the 2015 Valley fire in Lake County.
 
“When residents and businesses are impacted by disasters, the state needs to step up to help them recover. Giving these businesses additional time and flexibility in their tax deadlines is the least the state can do to help the recovery process,” said Dodd. “I’m proud to help lead these efforts with Sen. Mike McGuire and Chairwoman Fiona Ma. I urge Gov. Brown to sign AB 1559 as soon as possible, so taxpayers struggling from recent wildfires across the state can get relief.”
 
“Lake County has seen tremendous devastation in the wake of the Valley fire last year, and now the Clayton Fire and small businesses need assistance in the aftermath of these disasters. We’re grateful to partner with Assemblymember Dodd and BOE Member Ma to ensure local business owners have some peace of mind and needed tax relief during this recovery period,” McGuire said.
 
Over the past several years California has experienced some of the most destructive fires in California's history.

In 2015 Dodd’s Fourth Assembly District contained nearly 58 percent of the total extinguished acreage by Cal Fire across the entire state.

In Lake County alone, the Valley fire destroyed nearly 2,000 structures over a 23-day period, ultimately becoming the third most destructive fire in California history.

The 2016 wildfire season has already devastated communities across the state, with the Clayton fire in Lake County destroying hundreds of buildings.
 
“The 2015 fire season was historically tragic, with the Butte and Valley fires especially catastrophic for communities across Northern California, and I have been grateful to work with Assemblymember Bill Dodd on passing AB 1559, which will provide tax relief for businesses affected by these kinds of disasters,” said State Board of Equalization Chairwoman Fiona Ma, CPA. “The last thing a business owner needs to worry about is having to pay taxes for a business that just flooded or burned down. Assemblymember Dodd introduced this bill in response to last year’s fire season, but every community across California that has ever experienced a disaster understands why this measure is important and common sense when it’s time to recover and rebuild.”
 
Under this legislation, the Board of Equalization could grant filing extensions on a quarterly basis to victims of gubernatorially declared disasters for sales tax, use tax, and other taxes.

The bill now moves on to the governor’s desk, where if signed, the bill will take immediate effect statewide.

This could provide relief to businesses impacted by fires from Lower Lake to Big Sur to San Bernardino County.

The bill also would allow the BOE to help victims recover from future major fires, floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters.
 
Dodd represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Lake, Solano and Colusa counties.

You can learn more about Assemblymember Dodd and the district at www.asm.ca.gov/dodd .

California agencies fighting the spread of invasive quagga and zebra mussels are once again reminding boaters to please remain vigilant over the three-day Labor Day weekend.

Quagga and zebra mussels are invasive freshwater mussels native to Eurasia. They multiply quickly, encrust watercraft and infrastructure, alter water quality and the aquatic food web, and ultimately impact native and sport fish communities.

These mussels spread from one body of water to another by attaching to watercraft, equipment and nearly anything that has been in an infested waterbody.

Microscopic juveniles, invisible to the naked eye, are spread from infested waterbodies in water entrapped in boat engines, bilges, live-wells and buckets.

Quagga mussels have infested 32 waterbodies in Southern California and zebra mussels have infested San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County.

To prevent the spread of these mussels and other aquatic invasive species, people launching vessels at any body of water are subject to watercraft inspections and are strongly encouraged to clean, drain and dry their motorized and non-motorized boats, including personal watercraft, and any equipment that comes into contact with the water before and after recreating.

To ensure watercraft are clean, drained and dry, many local agencies conduct boat inspections. The CDFW website provides a list of these inspection programs ( www.wildlife.ca.gov/mussels ), along with additional information about the invasive mussels and what people can do to help prevent their spread in California.

Prior to traveling, boaters should contact destination waterbodies directly to check for restrictions and requirements.

Take the following steps both before traveling to and before leaving a waterbody to prevent spreading invasive mussels, improve your inspection experience and safeguard California waterways:

– CLEAN: Inspect exposed surfaces and remove all plants and organisms;
– DRAIN: All water, including water contained in lower outboard units, live-wells and bait buckets, and;
– DRY: Allow the watercraft to thoroughly dry between launches. Watercraft should be kept dry for at least five days in warm weather and up to 30 days in cool weather.

In addition to the video above, a detailed guide to cleaning vessels is available on the CDFW Invasive Species Program’s quagga/zebra mussel Web page at www.wildlife.ca.gov/mussels .

Travelers are also advised to be prepared for inspections at California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Border Protection Stations. Over the past nine years, more than one million watercraft entering California have been inspected at the Border Protection Stations.

Inspections, which can also be conducted by CDFW and California State Parks, include a check of boats and personal watercraft, as well as trailers and all onboard items. Contaminated vessels and equipment are subject to decontamination, rejection, quarantine or impoundment.

Quagga and zebra mussels can attach to and damage virtually any submerged surface. They can:

– Ruin a boat engine by blocking the cooling system and causing it to overheat;
– Jam a boat’s steering equipment, putting occupants and others at risk;
– Require frequent scraping and repainting of boat hulls;
– Colonize all underwater substrates such as boat ramps, docks, lines and other underwater surfaces, causing them to require constant cleaning.
– Impose large expenses to owners.

A multi-agency effort that includes CDFW, California State Parks-Department of Boating and Waterways, CDFA and the California Department of Water Resources has been leading an outreach campaign to alert the public to the quagga and zebra mussel threats.

A toll-free hotline, 866-440-9530, is available for those seeking information on quagga or zebra mussels.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Tuesday, the state Wildlife Conservation Board approved funding for a Lake County Land Trust property purchase meant to protect wetlands and shoreline in the Big Valley area, helping the long-term project to move one step closer to completion.

The board said it approved a $135,000 grant to the Lake County Land Trust to acquire in fee approximately 34 acres of land for the protection of shoreline freshwater wetland, riparian woodland
and wet meadow habitats that support the state's-threatened Clear Lake hitch and the western pond turtle, a state species of special concern.

The project also is meant to provide future wildlife-oriented public use opportunities in the Big Valley area, located, on the northwestern shore of Clear Lake.

The funding for the Land Trust project was part of $15 million in grants the Wildlife Conservation Board approved at its Tuesday meeting for 21 projects that are meant to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California.

The state funds for all these projects come from initiatives approved by voters to help preserve and protect California’s natural resources, the board reported.

“We're really excited about it,” Lake County Land Trust President Roberta Lyons told Lake County News on Tuesday after returning from the meeting in Sacramento, which she and several other Land Trust members attended.

Lyons said the Land Trust has been working on the project for about six years, beginning with developing a conceptual area protection plan for the Big Valley Wetlands Protection Area that was needed to apply to the state for the funding.

The keystone property for the project is the 34-acre property owned by George Melo, who entered into an agreement four years ago to sell the property to the Land Trust, Lyons said.

“George Melo has been extremely patient and fabulous in working with us on this project,” Lyons said.

The agreed-upon purchase price was $225,000, and since then the Land Trust has raised more than half that amount, separate from the grant.

She said the wetlands protection area can conceivably include other projects, but Lyons emphasized it has nothing to do with eminent domain.

“It's a cooperative venture” with landowners, she said, noting that it will open up the possibility of conservation easements that could qualify for future state funding.

Lyons said the Land Trust is now looking forward to getting through escrow and seeing the project completed.

The Land Trust project is the second in Lake County to receive a major funding grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board in the last three months.

In June, the board gave a $440,000 grant to Tuleyome to acquire the 1,280-acre Silver Spur Ranch near Clearlake Oaks, as Lake County News has reported: http://bit.ly/1tbHeZH .

In addition to the Land Trust's grant, other funding awards for projects approved Tuesday include the following:

– A $1.2 million grant to the Feather River Land Trust for a cooperative project with the Natural Resources Agency to acquire a conservation easement over approximately 5,530 acres of land to provide protection for deer, mountain lion and oak habitats near the town of Doyle in Lassen County.

– A $1.7 million acquisition in fee of approximately 1,066 acres of land by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to expand the Crocker Meadows Wildlife Area, protect riparian and oak woodland habitat, and for future wildlife oriented public use opportunities near Beckwourth in Plumas County.

– A $3 million grant to Sonoma County Agriculture Preservation and Open Space District for a cooperative project with the State Coastal Conservancy to acquire a conservation easement over approximately 871 acres of forest lands, including large areas of old and new growth redwood located near Stewarts Point.

– A $2.5 million grant to the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust for a cooperative project with the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District to acquire in fee approximately 240 acres of land as an expansion of the Sawmill Pebble Plain Ecological Preserve – rare pebble plain habitat supporting a wide variety of endemic plant species – south of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County.

– An $850,000 grant to the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy for a cooperative project to implement a comprehensive habitat restoration program, remove target nonnative invasive weed species and restore native habitat on 65 acres of coastal wetlands on several sites located at Agua Hedionda, Batiquitos Lagoon and San Elijo Lagoon. These are located from approximately nine miles north to five miles south of Encinitas on privately owned properties and on properties owned by California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the state Department of Parks and Recreation.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.