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LAKEPORT – This month the Lake County Fairgrounds is sponsoring a free seminar for business owners and non profits on how to get the most from a booth or sponsorship.
Every year, Lake County hosts a single event that draws 40,000 people, by far the largest gathering in the county.
The Lake County Fair is a celebration of our local culture, and the numbers suggest that nearly everyone in the county makes an appearance at least once.
Booths pitch everything from cotton candy to real estate and most things in between. It's the only place a local business can reach that many Lake County residents all at once.
The seminar will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, March 27, at the fairgrounds in Lakeport, 401 Martin St..
Participants will be walked through the process of transforming a blank patch of ground into a compelling marketing opportunity that will help them reach their goals.
Even veteran booth purveyors can benefit from new marketing ideas and the exchange of information among participants.
The seminar will kick off with an exploration of setting realistic, measurable goals and how those goals determine the size, shape, layout and personality of a booth.
Participants will learn where to locate booths to reach a particular target market. They also will discuss the logistics of creating an effective display that is inviting to the public and presents a professional image.
Budgeting for booth space costs will be covered, and businesses will be given an opportunity to finance the cost of hosting a booth. This new initiative will help many organizations that were previously unable to host a booth.
“By facilitating the budgeting process, we hope to include as many business owners as possible into the opportunities afforded by the event,” said Lake County Fair Chief Executive Officer Richard Persons.
The seminar will also cover sponsorship opportunities and other ways to take advantage of the Lake County Fair to promote businesses and nonprofits.
Interested business owners and managers should RSVP for the seminar to the Lake County Fair office at 707-263-6181.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmen Mike Thompson (CA-01) and Chris Gibson (NY-20) announced on Thursday that they have joined together to introduce H.R. 4096, The Storage Technology for Renewable and Green Energy 2012 Act (STORAGE) in the United States House of Representatives.
The STORAGE Act would provide a tax credit to individuals and businesses when they invest in energy storage systems.
Energy storage systems allow businesses and consumers to keep excess energy generated when energy is in low demand and then use it during periods of peak demand, reducing consumers’ electricity bills, greatly enhancing the reliability of alternative energy sources, and making our electric grid more efficient and secure.
“When it comes to addressing American’s energy challenges, we need to use every tool in the box,” said Thompson. “These tax incentives will move us closer towards energy independence by making our electric grid more reliable, using energy more efficiently, reducing costs and creating jobs.”
Businesses and individuals would both be eligible for tax credits under the STORAGE Act. Businesses and factories that generate energy via large compressed air systems, flywheels, and large arrays of fuels cells and batteries would be eligible for a 20 percent tax credit.
Households and businesses that purchase energy storage systems for their property would be eligible for a 30 percent tax credit.
The tax credits would also help improve our alternative energy infrastructure. The current alternative energy electricity infrastructure is highly inefficient. Right now, alternative energy sources are often shut down if the energy cannot be used immediately.
Energy storage systems can help fix this problem by storing energy temporarily and delivering it when it is needed.
Energy storage systems also help cope with peak demand. By allowing consumers to store energy, rather than draw on the system during peak demand time, it can reduce the number of power plants that are needed.
A companion bill, S. 1845, was introduced in the United States Senate last fall by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Susan Collins (R-ME).
Congressman Mike Thompson represents California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa and Yolo.
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SACRAMENTO – “In recognition of the vital role California’s Division of Measurement Standards and our County Sealers play in protecting consumers and businesses throughout the state, I recognize March 1-7, 2012 as Weights and Measures Week in California,” Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. said in a letter announcing the designation.
Gov. Brown’s recognition supports the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Division of Measurement Standards and its partners, the county Sealers of Weights and Measures, as they celebrate National Weights and Measures Week.
Weights and measures inspectors play an essential role in our economic system by protecting buyers and sellers in virtually all sales of goods in the country.
Inspectors monitor routine transactions in commerce and keep pace with rapidly advancing technologies to ensure fairness in the marketplace.
“California’s150-year history of regulating weights and measures goes back to the Gold Rush,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “Our marketplace has evolved from measuring ounces of gold on the simplest of scales to evaluating intricate mechanical devices and highly sophisticated, software-based weighing and measuring systems. Regardless of the methods and machines, though, the goal remains the same: ensuring the accuracy of our transactions.”
Technological advancement has transformed the world of weights and measures. Gasoline stations and supermarkets employ state-of-the-art weighing and measuring equipment.
Railway cars and highway vehicles are weighed “in-motion.” Coal is weighed while moving rapidly across belt-conveyor scales.
Weights and measures officials also are challenged with the development of performance specifications and laboratory testing of evolving fuel sources such as ethanol, biodiesel, biobutanol and hydrogen. Regardless of the technology in place, inspectors are well-trained to secure accuracy and equity.
National Weights and Measures Week is declared by the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM), which is a professional, nonprofit association of state and local weights and measures officials, manufacturers, retailers and consumers.
In 1905, NCWM was formed to develop model standards for uniform enforcement from city to city and state to state.
The organization has set the example for bringing stakeholders to the table to develop and amend national standards to keep pace with innovative advancements in the marketplace.
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LAKE COUNTY – In partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Energy Training Center, the following free energy classes are being hosted by Lake County Energy Watch.
On Friday, April 27, “Auditing Electricity Use in Homes” will be held at the Best Western-El Grande Inn, 15135 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This class is designed for solar/PV designers, energy consultants, and contractors: electrical, residential, home performance contractors and more.
Topics for this class include audit protocols, power monitors and effective control strategies.
“Solar Electric Basics for Residential Customers” and “Solar Water Heating Basics for Residential Customers” will be held in Middletown Saturday, May 19 from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. respectively.
Both of these classes will be held at the Calpine Geothermal Visitor Center, 15500 Central Park Road.
These classes are designed for homeowners interested in learning the fundamentals of solar power and will also provide an overview of the design, specification and installation aspect of solar water heating systems.
Registration is required for all classes, and complimentary lunch will be provided. You may find the registration links and more information on the Lake County Watch Web page at www.energy.co.lake.ca.us , and select “Free Training Opportunities” on the left-hand side of the page, or you may register and find additional free training opportunities at www.pge.com/energyclasses .
Lake County Energy Watch is administered by PG&E using funding from California utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. Energy Watch partnerships are designed to help local governments and their communities lower their energy bills and enjoy a cleaner environment.
For more information about the Lake County Energy Watch program, contact Michalyn DelValle at 707-263-2221 or visit www.energy.co.lake.ca.us .