Monthly Archives: September 2015

Government

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Issues Consumer Alert Regarding Reports of Price Gouging During Wildfires

Kamala Harris Attorney General State of California
Kamala Harris Attorney General State of California

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued a consumer alert on reports of price gouging by businesses, namely hotels, during the devastating wildfires that have swept our state. The Attorney General also issued a warning that the California Department of Justice is prepared to investigate and prosecute those that attempt to wrongfully profit from the destructive fires that are driving Californians out of their homes.

“As first responders fight to save communities from raging wildfires and thousands of Californians face devastation and hardship, it is exploitative and also unlawful for businesses to engage in price gouging,” said Attorney General Harris.

California’s anti-price gouging statute, Penal Code Section 396, becomes effective immediately after the Governor or a local official declares a state of emergency. Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Calaveras and Amador counties on September 11, 2015, and in Lake and Napa counties on September 13, 2015.

California law generally prohibits charging a price that exceeds, by more than 10%, the price of an item before the declaration of emergency. This law applies to those who sell food, emergency supplies, medical supplies, building materials, and gasoline.  The law also applies to repair or reconstruction services, emergency cleanup services, transportation, freight and storage services, hotel accommodations, and rental housing.  Exceptions to this prohibition exist if, for example, the price of labor, goods, or materials have increased for the business.

Violations of the price gouging statute are subject to criminal prosecution that can result in one-year imprisonment in county jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000. Violators are also subject to civil enforcement actions including civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, injunctive relief and mandatory restitution.  The Attorney General and local district attorneys can enforce the statute.

Anyone who has been the victim of price gouging, or who has information regarding potential price gouging, is encouraged to immediately file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office by going to theAttorney General’s website or by calling (800) 952-5225.

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nevada county fair

Draft Horse Classic and Harvest Fair in Grass Valley 2015

Photo courtesy of Nevada County Fairgrounds
Photo courtesy of Nevada County Fairgrounds

September 24 – 27, 2015

Join the beautiful Draft Horses for the 29th annual Draft Horse Classic and Harvest Fair, happening September 24 – 27, 2015 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley.

Featuring six performances by the beautiful Draft Horses, this event has grown to become the premiere Draft Horse show in the western United States.

The Classic spotlights a variety of horses, teams, rigs and performances; featuring everything from farm wagons, carriages, and driving competitions to dancing horses and racing mules.

The stars of the show are the horses, and with more than 120 horses stabled on the grounds, the Classic offers a unique chance to observe them in a multitude of settings.

Like last year, we’ve kept lower pricing on adult admission tickets for evening performances, and we’ve also continued the discounted pricing for the morning performances and children’s tickets.

In between classes, enjoy showcase specialty acts. New this year, enjoy Gladius the Show, an acrobatic equestrian production that incorporates aerialists, fire, and Roman riding.

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nevada county fair

Guided Barn Tours Offered At This Year’s Draft Horse Classic

Belgian in the barns. Photo courtesy of Nevada County Fairgrounds
Belgian in the barns. Photo courtesy of Nevada County Fairgrounds

September 2015

Get behind-the-scenes and meet the stars of the Classic – the beautiful Draft Horses Guided Barn Tours will be offered to visitors to this year’s Draft Horse Classic and Harvest Fair – giving them an up close and personal visit with the magnificent Gentle Giant Draft Horses.  The behind-the-scenes Guided Barn Tours, led by teamster Eleanor Roberts, are another way for visitors to be able to meet and talk with Draft Horse exhibitors, as well as meet the stars of the Classic.

Barn tours will be held on Friday, September 25, at 3 pm and Saturday, September 26, at 2 pm. Advance reservations are recommended, as there are a limited number of openings for each tour. The cost for the tour is $10 per person, and advance reservations can be made by calling the Fair Office at 530-273-6217. If there is still availability, tickets may also be purchased the day of the event at the Arena box office.

Each tour will last approximately 45 minutes and will include meeting the exhibitors and learning about how they got involved with Draft Horses; discussing and seeing the different Draft Horse breeds; a show-and-tell of Draft Horse equipment, and a discussion about the training of Draft Horses and what it takes to put a team together.

You’ll also get to roam to the various barns on the Fairgrounds to meet the beautiful Draft Horses! The 29th annual Draft Horse Classic and Harvest Fair starts Thursday, September 24 and runs through Sunday, September 27 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley.

The Draft Horse Classic features six stunning performances in the arena. If you can’t make it to a guided barn tour, the barns are always open for viewing the horses throughout the event in between performances.

Additionally, live entertainment at the Pine Tree Stage, a world class art show, Treat Street goodies, vendors with western wear and items, a clogging jamboree, and a live horse shoeing competition are all part of the Harvest Fair, which takes place at the Fairgrounds during all four days of the Classic.

For tickets to the Draft Horse performances or tickets to the Barn Tours, call the office at 273-6217 or visit NevadaCountyFair.com for information about Draft Horse Classic.

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Draft Horse Classic Enter Your Exhibits in the Harvest Fair

 

Pumpkin Straw Man - Photo Courtesy of Nevada County Fairgrounds
Pumpkin Straw Man – Photo Courtesy of Nevada County Fairgrounds

It’s free and all exhibitors will receive free tickets to a Draft Horse Classic performance 

Entry forms are now being accepted for exhibit entries in the Harvest Fair, which takes place during the Draft Horse Classic, September 24 – 27, at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. The deadline to turn in entry forms to enter exhibits is 4 pm on Friday, September 18. It’s free to enter, and all exhibitors will receive complimentary tickets to the Friday evening performance of the Draft Horse Classic.

Entry forms are now being accepted at the Fair Office and on-line at www.NevadaCountyFair.com.  There are more than 100 different categories to choose from, including fruits and vegetables, cobblers, harvest pies, scarecrows, jams, honey, cut flowers, produce characters, and birdhouses. There’s even a “Garden Photo Contest” to share the beauty of your own garden and plants; and an Adult Artistic Corner for those interested in showing off arts and crafts. So many fun categories to choose!

There’s a division for youth and teens, which includes categories like apple face dolls, decoupage, Halloween masks, painted pumpkins, wreaths, table settings, and ceramics. Plus, there’s a Special People’s division for those interested in showing off their talents at the Harvest Fair.

Exhibitors must either submit paper entry forms at the Fair office or enter online at www.NevadaCountyFair.com between now and Friday, September 18 at 4 pm.  It’s free and it’s simple!

Complete descriptions of all Harvest Fair divisions and categories are available online at www.NevadaCountyFair.com, at the Fair’s Office on McCourtney Road, or by calling the Fairgrounds Office at (530) 273-6217.

The Draft Horse Classic and Harvest Fair runs September 24 – 27 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. There are six performances featuring the beautiful Draft Horses – Thursday and Friday at 6:30 pm, Saturday at 10 am and 6:30 pm, and Sunday at 10 am and 4 pm.

In addition to the Draft Horse performances, the Harvest Fair is happening at the Fairgrounds throughout the event. Musical entertainment, Art at the Classic, food on Treat Street, a clogging jamboree, Harvest Fair exhibits, and visits to the barns make for a fun family day at the Harvest Fair.

For Draft Horse performance tickets or information about entering a Harvest Fair exhibit, call the Fair Office at (530) 273-6217 or visit www.NevadaCountyFair.com.

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nevada county fair

Wrap up for 2015 Nevada County Fair

Rodeo Nevada County Fairgrounds
Photo Courtesy Barbara Matthews www.mtmmatthews.blogspot.com

Junior Livestock Auction, Ag Mechanics Auction, Treat Street Benefit Nevada County 

Beautiful weather (well, one really hot day), more than $500,000 raised for Nevada County youth, highly-attended arena events, and several community partnerships made for a successful 2015 Nevada County Fair.

  • More than 91,000 people attended this year’s Fair.
  • More than $825,000 was generated on Treat Street by local non-profit organizations. Proceeds raised will allow local non-profit organizations to provide vital services to our community.
  • The Ag Mechanics Auction, featuring 50 custom items handmade by Bear River and Nevada Union FFA students, raised approximately $53,000 for these students.
  • Two hundred and thirty five animals were sold at the Junior Livestock Auction, grossing more than $463,000 for the youth of Nevada County.  This year, there were 584 bumps on 235 animals, which is an average of 2.5 bumps per student. A bump occurs when a buyer offers additional money to the price of the animal, as a benefit to the student.  That’s a supportive community!
  • More than 3,600 students and educators attended Wednesday’s Scholar Student Day.
  • Almost 11,000 attended the Fair’s five arena events – the Flying U Extreme Rodeo, Monster Trucks, Tuff Truck racing, and the Rotary Club-sponsored Destruction Derby.  The arena events sold out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night!
  • Sunday’s special promotion of “Five Until Five,” brought 5,600 visitors to the Fair, and coupled with paid attendance after five, saw more than 15,000 visitors on that day.
  • In the Special Events Tent on Saturday, 11 people – including mother/daughter team, Holly and Lydia Panter – donated hair to Locks of Love
  • This year’s Fair included more than 7,040 exhibits from our community, including 500 photos in our Instagram Contest and almost 30 entries in the new Recycled Fan Art category.
  • One week prior to opening day, the Fair partnered with BloodSource, The Food Bank of Nevada County, Foothill Lions Club, Story Club, NEO, Nevada County 2-1-1, and Sierra Harvest, to offer Community Involvement Day – a day to donate items to these non-profit organizations, while also receiving free tickets to the Fair. As a result of this day, 107 blood donors were registered and 88 pints of life saving blood were collected; more than 700 books were collected (and 100 were given away); garden tools and supplies were collected; 1,800 pounds of food (enough to feed 45 families of 4 for one week) were donated; enough school supplies were received to provide for 20 families; more than $600 worth of crafts were donated to NEO; and 343 prescription eye glasses and seven hearing aids were donated.
  • More than 225 vendors and concessionaires participated in this year’s Fair.

The Fair teamed up with local libraries on their summer reading program and provided carnival ride tickets as prizes to children who read during the summer. During Fair time, more than

2015 NEVADA COUNTY FAIR WRAP-UP

Junior Livestock Auction, Ag Mechanics Auction, Treat Street Benefit Nevada County 

Beautiful weather (well, one really hot day), more than $500,000 raised for Nevada County youth, highly-attended arena events, and several community partnerships made for a successful 2015 Nevada County Fair.

  • More than 91,000 people attended this year’s Fair.
  • More than $825,000 was generated on Treat Street by local non-profit organizations. Proceeds raised will allow local non-profit organizations to provide vital services to our community.
  • The Ag Mechanics Auction, featuring 50 custom items handmade by Bear River and Nevada Union FFA students, raised approximately $53,000 for these students.
  • Two hundred and thirty five animals were sold at the Junior Livestock Auction, grossing more than $463,000 for the youth of Nevada County.  This year, there were 584 bumps on 235 animals, which is an average of 2.5 bumps per student. A bump occurs when a buyer offers additional money to the price of the animal, as a benefit to the student.  That’s a supportive community!
  • More than 3,600 students and educators attended Wednesday’s Scholar Student Day.
  • Almost 11,000 attended the Fair’s five arena events – the Flying U Extreme Rodeo, Monster Trucks, Tuff Truck racing, and the Rotary Club-sponsored Destruction Derby.  The arena events sold out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night!
  • Sunday’s special promotion of “Five Until Five,” brought 5,600 visitors to the Fair, and coupled with paid attendance after five, saw more than 15,000 visitors on that day.
  • In the Special Events Tent on Saturday, 11 people – including mother/daughter team, Holly and Lydia Panter – donated hair to Locks of Love
  • This year’s Fair included more than 7,040 exhibits from our community, including 500 photos in our Instagram Contest and almost 30 entries in the new Recycled Fan Art category.
  • One week prior to opening day, the Fair partnered with BloodSource, The Food Bank of Nevada County, Foothill Lions Club, Story Club, NEO, Nevada County 2-1-1, and Sierra Harvest, to offer Community Involvement Day – a day to donate items to these non-profit organizations, while also receiving free tickets to the Fair. As a result of this day, 107 blood donors were registered and 88 pints of life saving blood were collected; more than 700 books 150 coupons were given to young readers in our community.
  • Seventy three business sponsors partnered with the Fair to provide valuable services – like free shuttle rides, materials for the special contests in the Special Events tent, shavings for the sale ring, and free drinking water.
  • The Fair partnered with Nevada County’s agricultural community for the sixth year to create Ag-Sperience, an area devoted to education in local agriculture.

“Our community is what makes this Fair so special – and successful,” said Rea Callender, CEO of the Nevada County Fair. “We thank our customers and our community partners for making this year’s Fair a success, and for their ongoing support of this Fair and the Fairgrounds.”

The 2016 Nevada County Fair is August 10 – 14. Visit NevadaCountyFair.com for more information.

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Real Estate

Andy Rooney’s New York Home Sells for $2.2 Million

 

Photo courtesy of http://nobodynoonenothing.blogspot.com/

Andy Rooney’s Longtime New York Home Sells for $2.225 Million

For a bushy-browed and curmudgeonly old coot of a commentator, Andy Rooney had another calmer and more streamlined side.

Four years after Rooney’s death, the Upper West Side co-op apartment has been listed for sale by his heirs for $2.385 million.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Rooney and his wife, who preceded him in death in 2004, bought the 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment 15 years ago as a pied-a-terre to use in conjunction with their primary residence in Connecticut. However, Rooney wound up using the apartment more consistently in the last years of his life in order to be closer the CBS studio. Rooney provided a running feature of cutting social commentary on the program for 33 years.

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