Business News

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Gem Faire, the West Coast’s premier jewelry and bead show, will be in Santa Rosa Oct. 24-26 at Sonoma County Fairgrounds/Grace Pavilion, 1350 Bennett Valley Road.

Hours are Friday, noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $7 per person and is valid for the entire weekend.

More than 70 importers, exporters and wholesalers from around the world will be on site with the largest selection of fine jewelry, costume jewelry, precious and semi-precious gemstones, beads, crystals, minerals, findings and much more at manufacturer’s prices.

Other jewelry and beading essentials, including jewelry tools, displays and boxes will be available all under one roof.

Jewelry repair, cleaning and ring sizing service is on hand while you shop. Be sure to enter a door prize ballot for a chance to win cool items, with hourly drawings throughout the weekend.

For more information, visit www.gemfaire.com , or contact Gem Faire Inc. at 503-252-8300 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Details: Written by: Editor; Published: 03 October 2014

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Lake County Websites & Computer Repair offers computer workshops for novices to intermediate users, and in October will look at “Safety on the Internet.”

The workshop will be held Saturday, Oct. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m. at 15642 Armstrong St. in Middletown in the Jazzercise Center (two blocks behind the post office).

Admission is $15 per person.

The workshop features hands-on learning for beginning to intermediate computer users. Learn about free anti-virus programs, storing passwords, what is safe to click on and what to avoid, how to steer clear of viruses and scams and what to do if your computer or accounts have already been compromised.

The presenter, Mark Rudiger, is the owner of Lake County Websites & Computer Repair in Middletown and has more than 20 years of experience installing, trouble-shooting, and working with computers.

If you have a laptop, bring it along and connect to the high-speed Internet. If you don’t, you will still get all the same information as Rudiger’s laptop screen will be projected on a 120-inch screen so you can follow along.

To keep informed and receive information on future workshops, go to www.facebook.com/lakecountywebsites and “like” the page.

To register, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Mark Rudiger at 707-987-1923 by Oct. 24.

Details: Written by: Editor; Published: 01 October 2014

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Bill 2251, authorizing county officials to respond to consumer complaints about improper California Redemption Value (CRV) charges, was signed by Gov. Brown last week.

Authored by Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (D-Davis), AB 2251 authorizes county agricultural commissioners and sealers of weights and measures, in coordination with the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), to investigate and enforce penalties against retailers who improperly charge the CRV.

“Ambiguity over the authority to investigate complaints and weak enforcement mechanisms provided a loophole allowing some bad actors to overcharge CRV without regulatory oversight,” Assemblymember Yamada said. “Gov. Brown’s signature on AB 2251 protects consumers and also gives California’s unsung consumer protection heroes – our County Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers of Weights and Measures – another tool to ensure that the CRV charge you see on your store receipt is correct.”

Until 2010, CalRecycle referred all consumer complaints regarding CRV overcharges to county agricultural commissioners and sealers because of their statutory responsibility to investigate improper or illegal commodity pricing.

Because the CRV is considered a “surcharge” and not a “commodity,” existing law authorized complaint investigations, yet failed to define who held enforcement authority.

This minor distinction resulted in uninvestigated overcharges with little incentive for self-corrective action when improperly collected monies remained with retailers.

In the summer of 2010, a multi-county pricing and scanning investigation established that Sears and Kmart overcharged advertised prices and that Kmart specifically overcharged and added the CRV for containers not subject to the CRV.

This investigation, led by county agricultural commissioners and district attorneys resulted in a $1.1M settlement against these two retailers.

AB 2251 clarifies and strengthens local investigative and enforcement authority and becomes effective Jan. 1, 2015.

Yamada represents the Fourth Assembly District which includes all or parts of Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

Details: Written by: Editor; Published: 30 September 2014

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will begin accepting applications on Sept. 29 for a second round of funding for the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP), authorized by emergency drought legislation (Senate Bill 103).

SWEEP is a unique opportunity for growers to receive financial assistance to install water distribution systems that save water and reduce greenhouse gases.

Up to $150,000 will be provided directly to agricultural operations for water and energy conservation projects that benefit all Californians.

The funding can support a broad range of irrigation-related projects such as pump improvements, equipment to facilitate water saving measures and other quantifiable water distribution and greenhouse gas reduction management practices.

Prospective applicants must access the “Application Guidelines” at www.cdfa.ca.go/go/SWEEP for detailed information on eligibility and program requirements.

To streamline and expedite the application process, CDFA is partnering with the State Water Resources Control Board, which hosts an online application using the Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST).

All applicants must register for a FAAST account at https://faast.waterboards.ca.gov .

Growers will be able to access the FAAST application system on Sept. 29 at 8:00 a.m. Applications must be submitted electronically using FAAST by Friday, Nov. 10, at 5 p.m.

CDFA will hold three application workshops and one webinar to provide information on program requirements and the FAAST application process. There is no cost to attend the workshops or webinar.

Individuals planning to attend should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with their contact information, number of seats required and workshop location.

Fresno – Oct. 6.
1 to 3 p.m.
Fresno County Ag Commissioner Office
1730 S. Maple Ave.
West Wing Conference Room #1
Fresno, CA 93702

San Luis Obispo – Oct. 8
1 to 3 p.m.
San Luis Obispo County Ag Commissioner Office
Auditorium
2156 Sierra Way,
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Sacramento – Oct. 13
10 a.m. to noon
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Auditorium
1220 N St.
Sacramento, CA 95814

Webinar – Oct. 16.
10 a.m. to noon
Webinar Information will be provided upon registration

Prospective applicants may contact CDFA’s Grants Office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with general program questions.