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“It is hard to believe we've been open two years, it has been a whirlwind of toys and games and kids,” said Jennifer Nunn, co-owner of Funtopia.
Added her business partner and husband, Jason Curtis, "But what better reason for having a party!"
To celebrate their two-year anniversary, and to thank the community for supporting their selection of unique toys and games, Funtopia is throwing a party and sale on Saturday, Feb. 23rd, starting at 10 a.m.
And to mark the occasion, the couple will be unveiling a new sign.
“We moved to our new location at 21208 Calistoga St., right in downtown Middletown, 10 months year ago and we've had a temporary sign ever since,” said Curtis. “At our anniversary, though, we will be unveiling our new, hand-painted sign.”
“It is really special," added Nunn. “It was painted by a local artist and friend of ours, JoAnn Robinson. It captures the spirit and whimsy of our toy store and we are excited to unveil it at 1 p.m. for the public to see.”
In addition to the sale – offering between 25 and 50 percent off a large selection of great toys – but they'll also have popcorn and balloons for everyone.
There's also the new “Book Nook” – a newly created space to hold the store's selection of children's books.
"Over the last two years we’ve enjoyed becoming part of the community, working with the schools, and meeting the kids and parents of Lake County,” said Nunn. “We moved here because of the beauty but we've stayed because of the people. And we hope that everyone enjoys our party as much as we've enjoyed becoming part of the community!”
Funtopia, located at 21208 Calistoga St., in Middletown, California, is a locally owned independent toy store, specializing in unique toys and games that enhance play and creativity for children of all ages. Open Tuesday through Sunday, they are the perfect place to find that special birthday gift and have it wrapped for free.
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SB 1055 was approved 8-0 on Feb. 13 by the Senate Committee on Revenue and Taxation. Machado and Wiggins are both members of the committee.
Under existing law, mortgage debt that is forgiven by a lender is taxable to the borrower as ordinary income (not capital gains) in the year in which the debt is forgiven.
For example, if $50,000 in principal of a $450,000 mortgage is written off by the lender as part of a loan modification or a short sale, the borrower would have to increase his or her adjusted gross income by $50,000 that year. These tax law rules can be a heavy burden for borrowers already having trouble meeting their financial obligations.
The Machado bill will allow a borrower whose lender agrees to forgive some or all of their mortgage debt to exclude that forgiven debt from their income for state income tax purposes. SB 1055 will help borrowers whose lenders agree to a short sale, a short payoff, a loan modification, or a loan refinance in which some or all of the borrower’s original debt obligation is forgiven.
It may also help borrowers who lose their homes to foreclosure, if the borrower refinanced his or her mortgage, and if their lender cannot recover the full amount it is owed on the mortgage debt through the foreclosure sale.
SB 1055 will be effective for debt forgiven in 2007 or 2008, and will only apply to debt forgiven on owner-occupied homes.
“The effects of the home mortgage crisis will continue to be felt for some time,” Wiggins said last Wednesday. “I am glad to support Senator Machado’s badly-needed legislation, which will offer real and immediate relief to qualifying California taxpayers.”
Wiggins represents California’s 2nd Senate District, which includes portions or all of six counties: Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma.
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UPPER LAKE – Lynne and Bernie Butcher, owners of the Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon, have received a special Congressional honor for their efforts to improve the community.
On Saturday, Feb. 9, Congressman Mike Thompson stopped by the hotel to present the couplewith a framed page from the Congressional Record dated August 3, 2007, congratulating them for restoring the Tallman Hotel, rebuilding the Blue Wing Saloon, and for having a positive economic impact on Upper Lake and the Northshore area in general.
The Resolution reads in part:
“Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud the special efforts of Lynne and Bernie Butcher to restore and revitalize the Tallman Hotel, one of the most historically significance – but long neglected – structures in Lake County, California …. Great care was taken to retain, recondition and reuse original materials and to maintain the essential soul of the old hotel building…. The hotel is now drawing tourists into the county and the café is a very popular spot for locals and visitors alike.
“The Butchers have not only beautifully restored a historically significant building, but the project has also acted as a catalyst in the economic revitalization of the Town of Upper Lake and the entire north shore region of Lake County …. Their efforts have brought a wonderful building back into use, and in doing so they have provided new energy and excitement in northern Lake County.”
The Blue Wing is located at 9520 Main St., next door to the Tallman Hotel, 9550 Main St.
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Wiggins, who serves on the committee, said that they could be offered under the CPUC’s directive to include solar subsidies and rebates for low-income housing pursuant to the California Solar Initiative.
According to the CPUC’s energy division director, Sean Gallagher, the commission was still in the process of formulating its “Low-Income Incentive Program,” and that a decision regarding subsidies for owners and/or tenants of apartments or multi-unit buildings had yet to be made.
Senator Wiggins may introduce a bill on the issue given that solar PV installations for buildings must be connected to one meter as a matter of state policy. However, state policy also requires that individual units be separately metered for electricity and other utilities.
Under these provisions, a building owner would have to either foot the bill to purchase inverters for each tenant’s individual electric meter to covert solar to electricity, charge each tenant for the inverter, or figure out a way to sub-meter tenants in order to participate in the CSI program. These options are either cost-prohibitive or seemingly illegal.
“These types of barriers inhibit a major portion of the market from participating in the state’s solar program, or CSI, where consumers can receive rebates as an incentive to install solar PV panels and contribute energy to the power-grid during peak energy demand periods,” Wiggins said.
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