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LAKEPORT – Over the next four days tens of thousand of people are expected to visit the Lake County Fair, which opens this evening.
The fair's theme this year is “Let the good times roll!”
The annual event begins Thursday at 5:30 p.m. with the fair parade, which starts at Natural High School on Main Street and will end at the fair's main gate on Martin Street, where a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held, according Richard Persons, the fair's chief executive officer. Gates open at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
The fair will open on Friday at 4 p.m., and at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Exhibit buildings will remain open daily until 10 p.m., with all other areas of the fair – including Butler Amusements' carnival – open until 11 p.m.
The fair will run through Sunday, Aug. 31.
Persons said the fair is annually visited by more than 37,000 people, who come to enjoy live entertainment, livestock shows, a carnival and exhibits, among other attractions.
Fair buildings and grounds will feature thousands of displays made, grown or raised for entry by talented residents – both young and young at heart.
Entries for judging in the fair include most types of fine arts, home arts and crafts, photography, amateur wine and beer, many types of agriculture and floriculture, livestock, small animals, and horses.
Walk-on contests this year include the fastest penny rolling contest, a cookie stacking contest, a marshmallow tossing contest and a decorating with candy contest.
Special features for the 2008 fair include a hands-on children's discovery science center, free health screenings, the annual Junior Livestock Auction, and more than 4,000 exhibits entered in various competitions.
Fairgoers can also expect appearances by a variety of local musical acts and attractions on three stages, as well as clowns, magicians, and other strolling performers. Hispanic Day activities will take place in the Solo Flight School Stage area on Sunday, Aug. 31.
Grandstand shows include the REQHA Invitational Cattle Sorting Contest and Sheep Dog Demonstrations on Thursday evening, the traditional demolition derbies on Friday evening, an X-Style Motorcycle High Jump Show on Saturday evening, and the return of the California State Finals of the WGAS Motorsports Tuff Truck and ATV Races on Sunday evening. All grandstand shows start at 7:30 pm, and are sponsored by Robinson Rancheria Bingo and Casino.
Live local entertainment occurs continuously on two stages, and a third stage features karaoke. The Solo Flight School Stage will host the likes of JW's Ranch House Band, the LC Diamonds, Bill Noteman and the Rockets, and the Lost Boy's Band, among others. The Oxyboost H2O Stage will host a variety of acts including Mike Wilhelm, Neft and Dubois, the Carter and Chambers Duo, and the Kustom Cuts. The KWINE Stage will hold regular karaoke sessions throughout the fair.
The annual Junior Livestock Auction takes place on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. in the Baldwin Pavilion. Businesses and individuals are invited to bid on the prize-winning livestock raised and exhibited by local youth.
Various livestock species are displayed throughout the fair, including swine, beef, sheep, goat and horse exhibits from local 4-H and FFA exhibitors. Small animals are represented as well, with chickens, turkeys, rabbits and cavies all residing in the barn areas.
Regular admission prices for the fair are $8 for adults and $5 for children ages 6 through 11. Children under 6 years old are admitted free each day. Parking is $5 per car.
Butler Amusements Co., which has provided the carnival at the Lake County Fair for nearly 30 years, returns in 2008 with all day ride wristbands on each day of the fair. All-day wristbands can only be purchased at the carnival ticket booths, and sell for $22 on Thursday, and for $25 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
More fair information can be obtained on the Internet at www.lakecountyfair.com or by calling 263-6181.
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On the afternoon of Aug. 22, a fire was reported on private timber land near the Mendocino National Forest and within a U.S. Forest Service protection area in Mendocino County, according to a US Forest Service report issued Tuesday.
During a series of water drops, a helicopter pilot observed a man dressed in camouflage, lean over
and start a fire. The pilot reported this incident and firefighting was suspended until law enforcement could secure the area.
The Forest Service had been conducting marijuana eradication operations in the general area earlier in the week, but none on Aug. 22 and nothing in close proximity to these fires, the agency reported.
A Forest Service special agent was just a few miles away, along with three other law enforcement officers, preparing for marijuana eradication operations. These officers and two additional Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies responded to the fire area where they located the man near the fire origin.
The suspect said he was from Mexico and admitted to starting the fires, the Forest Service reported. He
also indicated that there were other people with him. Evidence on the suspect indicated he was associated with marijuana cultivation.
The suspect was arrested and transported to the Mendocino County Jail. The “Island Fire,” which consumed approximately 50 acres, was 100-percent contained as of 6 p.m. on Saturday and is currently undergoing mop up control.
The Forest Service is currently in the process of conducting a thorough origin and cause investigation, as well as searching for other people associated with cultivation sites in the area.
All of the Forest Service officers were recently hired last year due to funding provided by the chief of the Forest Service and Congress. This funding is specifically targeted toward marijuana eradication on public lands.
Marijuana eradications have been a significant problem in recent years on the Mendocino National Forest, which has led the state in the amount of illegal marijuana found on a National Forest.
A joint investigation with the U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE and Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department is looking into the Aug. 22 incident, officials reported.
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“When left in the sun, it only takes a minute for the inside of the vehicle to become like an oven,” said CHP Lt. Mark Loveless of the Clear Lake Area office.
Heat isn't the only danger; children left in running cars can injure themselves or others by accidentally hitting a gear and putting the car in motion.
“Not only is it dangerous, it is illegal to leave a child in a car,” Lt. Loveless added.
“Kaitlyn’s Law,” also known as the “Unattended Child in a Motor Vehicle Act,” states that anyone who leaves a child of six years old or younger inside a vehicle without the supervision of someone at least 12 years old can be fined $100.
CHP Officer Adam Garcia reported that the county had a fatal collision in 2005 caused by children being left in a vehicle unattended. He said they engaged the gear and caused the crash.
To increase awareness of the dangers of leaving children unattended in or around motor vehicles, the organization 4 R Kids Sake has designated the month of August as “Purple Ribbon Month.”
In support of this campaign, the CHP has affixed a purple ribbon to the antenna of all its patrol cars. The ribbons are in memory of children who have lost their lives, including 6-month-old Kaitlyn Russell who died from hypothermia after being left unattended in a parked vehicle Aug. 15, 2000.
“As a driver, you are responsible for all of your passengers’ safety while the vehicle is running and when it is parked,” reminded CHP Lt. Loveless.
The CHP urges anyone who sees an unattended child in a vehicle to immediately call 911.
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Marguerite Feio, 81, and 86-year-old Arne Nordh, both of Clearlake, died as a result of injuries suffered in the crash, which occurred at 11:55 a.m., according to California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Garcia.
Feio and Nordh were passengers in a 1986 Mercury station wagon driven by 39-year-old Michael Whitfield of Corralitos, Garcia said.
Whitfield, who Garcia said was heading eastbound on Highway 20 at Stokes Avenue, was hit head-on by a 2000 Toyota Tacoma pickup driven by 18-year-old Taylor Fales of Red Bluff.
Garcia said Fales, who was driving westbound, drifted into the oncoming lane. Initially, CHP believed that Fales may have fallen asleep at the wheel prior to the collision. She sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
REACH air ambulance transported Feio, Nordh and Whitfield to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Garcia reported.
Feio died later Sunday of her injuries, Garcia said. On Monday, Nordh was reported to have died as well.
Both were wearing their seatbelts when the collision occurred, said Garcia.
Whitfield also sustained major injuries, Garcia said. There was no word on his condition Monday.
Garcia said alcohol is not believed to have been a factor and no arrests have been made at this point.
Officer Brendan Bach is investigating the incident, Garcia said.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports