- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
Phil and Toni Scully named 2014 Lake County Fair parade grand marshals
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Fair Board has named local pear industry leaders Toni and Phil Scully the grand marshals of the 2014 Lake County Fair parade.
Each year the board of directors selects individuals who have had a large and significant impact on Lake County.
“Phil and I are deeply touched to be honored by the fair like this,” said Toni Scully. “Lake County has been a wonderful place to live and raise a family, and we never expected anything like this.”
The fair parade is the kickoff event for the annual Lake County Fair. The 2014 fair theme is “Hot August Family Fun!”
The Scullys will lead the parade, which this year will begin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28.
The parade route starts at Natural High in Lakeport, travels south on Main Street, and ends at the main gate to the fairgrounds, where the Scullys will cut the ribbon and declare the Lake County Fair open for another year.
In 1974, Toni and Phil Scully moved their young family to Lake County when Phil became manager of Mt. Konocti Growers. Together, they have been a Lake County institution ever since.
While at Konocti Growers, Phil Scully pioneered the practice of packing pears from earlier districts, thus extending the season and increasing the product lines for Lake County packing houses.
In 1984 Phil and Toni formed Scully Packing Co. and leased the Lolita Packing House, which was the oldest operating shed in the county. They purchased the facility two years later and over the years have transformed it into a state-of-the-art pear packing facility.
With the facility now in its 31st season, the couple's sons, Pat and Andy, share in the ownership and management of the family business.
Scully Packing Co. packs, stores, ships and markets the pears grown by 10 Lake County farming families as well as farming families from the Sacramento Delta and Mendocino County.
During the peak season of pear harvest, Scully Packing Co. employs approximately 450 workers, of which more than 30 are current high school students.
Phil Scully has been a strong advocate for Lake County pears throughout his career, and is known in the industry as an honest, dependable marketer with an excellent product to sell.
He has served on the boards of the California Grape and Tree Fruit League and the CA Pear Advisory Board, and serves on the finance committee of St. Mary's Church.
Toni Scully has been selected as a recipient of the 2014 Common Threads Award. The award recognizes Northern California women who have deep roots in agriculture and have chosen to make a difference in their communities through their contribution of time, talent and treasure.
She worked tirelessly with local leaders, school district administrators, and Congressman Mike Thompson to pass a bill that would allow local teens the chance to work in the harvest and packing sheds during pear season. Since its inception in 1996 the bill has been renewed every year.
Toni Scully has also been a staunch advocate of farming practices and programs that protect the health and safety of local and migrant farm employees. She made national headlines in 2006 – including the front page of the New York Times – when Lake County and other California farming areas were up against a severe labor shortage during harvest.
She worked with California Senator Diane Feinstein in support of the AgJobs bill, a farm labor law that would provide agricultural employers with a stable, legal labor force while protecting farmworkers.
Her other achievements include being named Woman of the Year by Wes Chesbro of the Second Senate District in 2006; Lake County Farm Bureau Presidents’ Club member for 23 years; membership in the California Grape and Tree Fruit League since 1984, where she serves as a director and active member of its legislative committee; grower spokesperson for the California tree fruit industry; and charter member of the Lake County California Women for Agriculture chapter, serving as its president from 2010-11, and currently serving as vice president.
Phil and Toni Scully just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have have raised four children in Lakeport, and they have nine grandchildren.
Regular admission prices for the 2014 Lake County Fair 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 only on Thursday, Aug. 28, for “Kid's Day.”
The Lake County Fair traditionally occurs Labor Day weekend each year at the fairgrounds in Lakeport. The 2014 fair dates are Thursday, Aug. 28, through Sunday, Aug. 31.
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.
Visit the fair online at www.lakecountyfair.com .