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The task force will act as liaison between the industry and the department in matters relating to equine health and economic data.
“California’s equine industry touches every part of this state – from companion and competition horses to working equines and rodeos,” said CDFA Secretary A.G. Kawamura. “This task force will assist the department in addressing important issues impacting the equine industry.”
The Equine Advisory Task Force is a 12-member committee established by the secretary following a recommendation from the California State Board of Food and Agriculture.
The task force is intended to increase the collaboration between the industry and department on equine issues. Members receive no compensation.
“We look forward to hearing from the task force as it works with the department in addressing some of the key issues facing the equine industry,” said Al Montna, president of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture. “The social and economic value of this industry is an important component of California agriculture.”
Members of the Equine Advisory Task Force:
Sandy Arledge, Sandy Arledge Quarter Horses Inc.;
Dr. Jerry Black, Pioneer Equine Hospital, Inc.;
Mike Boitano, California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association;
Don Burt, Equestrian Consultants Inc.;
Dr. Greg Ferraro, University of California, Davis, Center for Equine Health;
Bob Fox, industry consultant;
Vince Genco, Pacific Airlift Inc.;
Ruth Gerson, Recreation and Equestrian Coalition;
Ross Jenkins, California Cattlemen’s Association;
Christopher Korby, California Authority of Racing Fairs;
Frank Vessels, Vessels Stallion Farm LLC;
Johnny Zamrzla, Showdown Rodeo Inc.
CDFA’s Animal Health and Food Safety Services Division provides services to protect public health and protect the health of California’s livestock and poultry.
The department’s equine programs regulate the interstate movement of horses into California; establish controls for domestic and foreign disease concerns; and deter the misuse of drugs in show and sale horses.
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CLEARLAKE – The Lake County Marketing Department has contracted with the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce to facilitate the Lake County booth at the Bay Area Travel Show held in Santa Clara this month.
The show will take place Jan. 24 and 25.
The chamber will be running an hourly raffle at the booth to encourage attendees to fully check out Lake County information.
They are looking for the following suggested items: local wine and accessories, local giftables, prepackaged walnut and pear edibles, fishing and sport, gift certificates, rock hound, birding, framed Lake County photos or art and local lore. The chamber would like items that showcase Lake County .
If you or your business would like to donate items to be used for the raffle, please contact the Clear Lake Chamber at 994-3600.
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“This settlement prevents H&R Block from marketing high-cost loans as early tax refunds,” Attorney General Brown said. “This is especially important because often these loans go to those who can least afford them.”
The company has not commented on the agreement.
Attorney General Brown filed suit against H&R Block in early 2006 regarding its marketing and sale of income tax refund anticipation loans and a related product called refund anticipation checks.
H&R Block continues to deny any wrongdoing.
During the course of the investigation, Block has worked with the Attorney General to improve its practices.
A refund anticipation loan is a short-term loan secured by a taxpayer's anticipated income tax refund. The complaint alleged a variety of deceptive practices by H&R Block including:
Deceptive advertising designed to disguise refund anticipation loans, which carry fees and other costs, as tax refunds, which the IRS provides without charge; and
Unfair debt collection practices by which customers' refund proceeds were garnished to pay off debts they supposedly owed.
The settlement provides for up to $2.45 million in restitution for consumers who purchased a “Refund Anticipation Loan” or a “Refund Anticipation Check” through H&R Block between Jan. 1, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2008.
In addition, H&R Block will pay $500,000 in penalties and $1.9 million in fees and costs.
H&R Block will be prohibited from marketing these loans and related products in a deceptive or misleading manner and will be required to make clear and conspicuous disclosures to consumers prior to their purchase of these products. Terms of the settlement are limited to three years.
A settlement administrator will be contacting eligible consumers directly. Eligible consumers may also write to the Attorney General’s Public Inquiry Unit at P.O. Box 944255, Sacramento, CA 94244-2550, or may send an e-mail at http://ag.ca.gov/contact/.
Attorney General Brown previously settled claims against Jackson Hewitt and recently concluded a trial against Liberty Tax Service, the second and third largest tax preparation companies in the country, respectively. All three lawsuits involved refund anticipation loans and related products.
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In 2008, Clusters began holding meetings at the Greenview Restaurant in Hidden Valley Lake. Then, moved to Mugshots Espresso, also in Hidden Valley Lake.
Regarding the design of Clusters, there are no dues, elected officers, bylaws or articles of incorporation needed for a governmental agency. This is simply a forum designed to help people help each other regarding business promotion.
What’s unique about this particular SIG is the forum's versatility and potential. Clusters focuses upon nurturing small groups of caring people (ideally four) who desire to help one another succeed. When needed, one small group connects to another, and another and so on. Eventually, there will be Cluster groups around the globe.
Since this is the age of online communication, a virtual person is added as a mentor to help educate each small group concerning free online resources which may prove extremely helpful.
For the record, the term "SIG" is not meant here to be political. In the early years of computing, people brought their computers to computer user group SIG meetings to solve problems and learn new things.
Clusters is meant to be a place to solve problems and learn new things. If you do not know how to use a cell phone to send group messages with a single toll-free call, Clusters can teach you how to do that. If you not know how to program a photo digital frame you recently purchased at Wal-Mart and turn it into your own advertising network, Clusters is a place you are likely to find someone who can do that for you. If being able to create a video to promote your business online without the need of a video camera would be good for your business, through Clusters you are likely to find the help you need to get that done.
Clusters is also a place for mutual collaboration – be it in creating signature advertising pages, sharing a trade show booth or making something extra-special happen ... maybe even a business mixer.
Small businesses that need to s-t-r-e-t-c-h their advertising dollar should seriously consider becoming involved in Clusters. For example, any place where large groups gather on a regular basis – parks, campgrounds, restaurants, coffee shops – are great places for FREE Wi-Fi. But, the larger the location the less likely it is to provide free Wi-Fi due to the cost, unless splash page advertising by small businesses is introduced.
However, there is now a program in Lake County where this very concept is being successfully implemented. Just visit Ting's Thai Kitchen in the Hardester's Shopping Center in Hidden Valley Lake and see for yourself. (Be sure to take your laptop with you.) Or, go online and visit the restaurant via its Squidoo lens at www.squidoo.com/TTK.
Keep in mind that the advertising being done is both physically within the restaurant via Wi-Fi and online at numerous locations which are constantly increasing. Why? Because that is the way the system was designed to work.
The restaurant customers win because now they have a wonderful place to eat excellent Thai cuisine, can freely check email, surf the Web and make VOIP phone calls. The advertisers win because they now have a cost-effective multimedia advertising option. (Advertisers can even request marketing feedback to see who is paying attention to their advertising.) The restaurant wins because it gets increased customer traffic and has advertising revenue to pay for the public's free Wi-Fi.
Question: What resource is available to bring both the would-be advertisers and the free Wi-Fi hot spot locations together? Answer: Clusters.
Below are some online resources currently available to Clusters:
Our Ryze Business Network: http://clusters-network.ryze.com (FREE to join).
Our Squidoo Lens: www.squidoo.com/Clusters.
Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/clustering (FREE to join).
If you have never taken a look at the site designed to help move Middletown forward, please take a look at www.squidoo.com/TMMF. Be sure to play the videos. What you learn will amaze you.
For more information about Clusters – including scheduling a special group presentation – please call Lamar Morgan at 709-8605.
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