LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake and Mendocino Counties Stand Down/Homeless Veterans Resource Fair will take place at American Legion Post 437 in Clearlake, Sept. 10 and 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Several agencies and veterans service groups will be on hand for the fair, including the California Department of Veterans Affairs, Disability Services & Legal Center, Lake County Veterans Service Office, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program, Mendocino County Veterans Service Office, VA Tribal Outreach and many others. Lunch will be provided for all attendees.

Organized by United Veterans Council of Lake County Inc., the event will provide support services to local veterans as well as active duty personnel and their families, and will address the needs of veterans who are homeless.

In preparation for the fair, employees of Paratransit Services, operator of Lake Transit, will be assembling hygiene kits from items donated by the community. These kits will be available free of charge to registered veterans.

Items needed for the kits include shampoo/body wash, toothpaste, combs and brushes, toothbrushes, shaving cream, tooth floss, disposable razors, mouthwash, deodorant, washcloths, hand and body lotion, wet wipes and female hygiene items.

Items can be dropped off with staff at Paratransit Services’ Lake Transit office, located at 9240 Highway 53 in Lower Lake, from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Donations will be accepted through Aug. 24.

SACRAMENTO – Total attendance at the California State Fair grew by eight percent this year representing the highest attendance levels in six years, fair officials reported.

More than 750,000 guests came to see “The Best” of California on display during the 17-day State Fair (July 11-27).

For the first time in more than 10 years, State Fair attendance levels exceeded 70,000 visitors on four separate days, three weekend days (7/19, 7/26 and 7/27) and the second Tuesday of the Fair (7/22) which was Wells Fargo Kids Day drawing 75,957 guests.  

Additionally, the California State Fair became the most “liked” fair in the Western United States on Facebook with a new fan level of 108,196.

A combination of expanded programming and entertainment that attracted a diverse group of individuals, positive social media messages by Fairgoers who helped spread their excitement virally, a strategic shift in the marketing campaign that focused on the best of California and the iconic blue ribbon, the addition of professional soccer games, and a doubling of advance ticket sales were some of the factors contributing to the overall increase.  

State Fair organizers were pleased with these new records, noting that a number of challenges were overcome this year, including impacts of the drought, five days of temperatures in excess of 100 degrees, four wild land fires in the past three weeks on or near Cal Expo’s portion of the American River Parkway, a freeway closure on Wells Fargo Kid’s Day due to the fires, record viewership in California of the World Cup on the State Fair’s first Sunday, and rain on the State Fair’s second Sunday.

“Setting new attendance records during a summer of adverse weather, drought and fires, is a testament to the resiliency of the people of California and to the evolving relevance of the State Fair,” said Rick Pickering, CEO of the California Exposition and State Fair.  Pickering stated that, “The 2014 State Fair’s theme of ‘The Best’ was designed to help celebrate, preserve, and inspire California’s most valuable asset – it’s people.”

2014 State Fair by the numbers:  In addition to the number of attendees, officials estimate the following:

Guest services

• 159,242 cars parked
• 47 lost phones returned to their owners
• 6,000 Bandaids given out by guest services
• 3,864,000 feet of toilet paper used

Social and Web

• 51,921 new Facebook fans since June 1, 2014 bringing the total to 108,196 – the most "liked” fair in the western United States
• 589 social media posts by the State Fair, including 162 Facebook, 361 tweets and retweets and 66 Instagram posts during the Fair
• 756,459 total visits to the CAStateFair.org website since June 1, 2014
• 3.3 million page views on the CAStateFair.org website since June 1, 2014

Food and beverage

• 75,000+ corn dogs eaten
• 40,000+ funnel cakes served
• 7,600 free, personalized Coca-Cola cans given out to guests
• 2.5 tons of whole wheat flour,  1,000 lbs. of cream cheese and 1 ton of cinnamon sugar used to make the Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls
• 2,156 State Fair Brewers’ Festival attendees
• 13,119 wine slushies served in the Save Mart Supermarkets Wine Country
• 12,191 scoops of gelato served by Colossal Gelato

Animals

• 38 animals born in the Baby Barn
• 6,393 livestock animals
• 2,725 yards of manure removed from the livestock area
• 214,710 dollars raised by 58 youth in the Tractor Supply Jr. Livestock Auction

Entertainment

• 2,601 jumps in the Jack in the Box Freestyle Motocross show
• 62,201 monorail rides
• 612 guests hypnotized on the PG&E Center Stage
• 500,000 dollars in horseracing capital improvements

Exhibits

• 3,696 pounds of fresh food harvested from The Farm presented by Save Mart Supermarkets and donated to local food banks during fair.
• 2,500 completed Read to Ride book reports turned in for 5,000 free rides by Butler Amusements
• 10,700 tree seedlings given out to guests in Forest Center
• 14,400 kids completed the passport program in The Farm presented by Save Mart Supermarkets
• 9,000 water efficient nozzles given out to guests by Toro to help save water
• 29 pieces of art sold from the fine art exhibit

The 2015 California State Fair will be held in July and will include three weekends of exciting horse racing.

For more than 160 years, the California State Fair has showcased the best of the Golden State. During the 2014 State Fair more than 750,000 people experienced the best and made memories that will last a lifetime. Initiated by Governor Pat Brown and opened by Governor Ronald Reagan in 1968 the current Cal Expo facilities were dedicated as a place to celebrate California’s achievement, preserve a slice of Americana, and provide a window into the future.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The SPCA of Clear Lake's kennels are at capacity with an abundance of cats, kittens, dogs and puppies, so the organization is holding another adoption event.

All of the new adoptable family friends come with their first shots and are already spayed or neutered.

From now through Sunday, Aug. 10, all cats, dogs, kittens and puppies are priced half off. That’s just $35 for a cat or kitten and $75 for a dog or puppy.

The SPCA of Clear Lake is now open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If you or a friend has been thinking of getting a pet, the staff and volunteers at the SPCA of Clear Lake would love to see you and assist in helping you pick out just the right cat or dog.

Don’t forget that the SPCA also is your place to go for low cost spay or neuter, as well as vaccinations. Contact their friendly staff regarding dates and times.

The SPCA of Clear Lake is located at 8025 Highway 29 in Kelseyville.

Have a question? Please give them a call at 707-279-1400 or visit http://spcaofclearlake.org/adopt-a-pet/dogs/ . The SPCA would love to hear from you.

Brenda Crandall is public information officer for the SPCA of Clear Lake.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest will be selling surplus vehicles, miscellaneous equipment and furniture by public Internet auction this week to the highest bidder.

As of Monday, July 28, bid items became available on the GSA Web site, www.gsaauctions.gov .

Internet bidding began July 28 and will continue through Monday, Aug. 4, until the posted deadline time per sale item, Central Daylight Time.

On the GSA Web site, type in sale number: 91QSCI14006 in the “Enter Search Text” box. Only Forest Service items will be displayed.  

With each item if this search there is an assigned number, description, photo(s) if available, and a contact name and phone number if further inquiry is needed.

Bidders are cautioned to view the “Terms and Conditions” (in the blue tool bar at the top of the page) for all requirements regarding registering, bidding, payment, warranties and removal of successful bid items.

Internet sale vehicles and equipment are available for public viewing weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, July 28, through Friday, Aug. 1, at the Willows office, located at 825 N. Humboldt Ave.

For additional information, please contact Hank Foushay at 530-934-1119 or 530-635-7002.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Sons of Norway’s Vikings of Lake Lodge No. 6-166 is proud to announce that its president and editor, Mary Beth Ingvoldstad, was elected president of District Six at the 32nd biennial convention in Palm Springs on June 25.

District Six encompasses seven states – California, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Hawaii – and currently has close to 6,000 members.

Vikings of Lake Lodge hosts monthly Heritage & Culture afternoons on the second Sunday of the month at 1 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Galilee Lutheran Church, 8860 Soda Bay Road.

After a meal, there is a program related to one of the Scandinavian countries.

Watch the calendar in the Lake County News for the exact date, time and location of events, or call Carl Peter Ingvoldstad at 707-987-2404.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – KZYX's “Women's Voices” on Monday, Aug. 4, will host Suppressed Histories Archives scholar and researcher Max Dashu.

The show runs from 7 to 8 p.m. on KZYX and KZYZ 90.7 FM Philo, 88.1 FM Fort Bragg and 91.5 FM Willits, and will be streamed live on the Web at www.kzyx.org .

Dashu has researched global women's history and cultural studies, and her legendary Suppressed Histories Archives ( http://www.suppressedhistories.net/aboutmax.html ) holds a collection of more than 15,000 slides, with tens of thousands more images in hard copy and digital formal.  

She will screen excerpts from her DVD “Woman Shaman: The Ancients,” with commentary and discussion at Spirit House in Fort Bragg on Sunday, Aug. 10.