Governor signs bill designating Mendocino County a wine region

After a two-year, collaborative process working with the Mendocino WineGrowers, grape growers and vintners throughout the county, state Sen. Mike McGuire’s bill creating a “Mendocino County” wine label designationwas signed by Governor Newsom earlier this month.

“Mendocino wine stands out on its own, it’s some of North America’s best, and this law will be a big boost for the region. Establishing this labeling process will honor those who grow and harvest this amazing fruit and the wineries who produce this world-renowned wine,” McGuire said. “We held multiple outreach meetings, workshops, informational seminars and several one-on-one get-togethers which culminated in an overwhelming vote in favor of the legislation. We are grateful to theWineGrowers for their 100 percent partnership and for Governor Newsom’s support of this legislation.”

The practice of conjunctive labeling, labeling awine froma specific region of origin, has shown that it increases county brand recognition, increases wine sales, and raises recognition of newer industry participants across the Golden State. Starting in 1998, the California Legislature has approved conjunctive labeling laws ona bipartisanbasis in several regions including Sonoma County, Napa County and Lodi among others.

“Wewere grateful towork with Senator McGuire on this critical initiative. This law has been a long time coming and we’re truly

This photo was taken of Fort Braggers in February

1934, inside the old Community Club building, which now houses City Hall. The pool was erected in the 1920s and water was pumped directly fromthe ocean. Later, a boiler was installed and the final transition to was to freshwater some years later. grateful to all of the growers and vintners who made this dream a reality. Conjunctive labeling will continue to increase the recognition ofMendocino County wine and grapes, and help promote what we already know — Mendocino County is a premier region for world class wine,” said Bernadette Byrne, executive director of Mendocino WineGrowers, Inc.

Now law, the new “Mendocino County” designation must be included on the front or back of the wine label if the wine is either produced entirely, or within a vineyard designated inMendocino County, on or after Jan. 1, 2023.

Sonoma, Napa, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Paso Robles have previously passed conjunctive labeling legislation.

Longtime Lakeport businessman and entrepreneur

Paul Racine passed peacefully at his lakeside home on July 11, 2020. Born Paul Edgar Racine on August 18, 1943,

Racine was raised in Fort Bragg where his family owned and operated Racine’s, a retail store that has been a fixture of downtown Fort Bragg for many years. Upon graduation from Fort Bragg High School at 17, Racine enlisted in the U.S. Army where he served with intelligence units in Germany and Turkey. He returned· home at age 21 and enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College.

There he met the woman who would become his wife, Olga Carmiggelt. · Together they started Paul Racine Distributor, a small auto parts distributorship in the Napa area and they also began their family. With daughter Tara Darn and son Paul Jobe (known always as "PJ"). The Racines moved to Lakeport and built the family home, a geodesic dome structure that was unique to Lake County at the time. The Racines were avid boaters and water sports enthusiasts.

Racine was a born entrepreneur. He had a keen eye for design and mechanical concepts, and these talents revealed them- selves in the many businesses that he founded and operated over the years. In the late 1970’s he bought and operated "Alga Baby Boat Bottom Cleaner." It was a drive through boat wash that would clean algae and other debris from boat hulls. At the same time, he cleaned local chimneys and stove pipes under the name "Sweeperman and Ashley." Ashley was the vacuum system to keep chimney residue from damaging floors and carpets.

Racine’s signature achievement was "The Dock Factory." He designed and built floating docks, swim platforms and other water- borne structures starting at his home in 1981. Racine’s docks can be found on many lakes throughout California. Rac ine’s company manufactured the docks that today grace the shoreline at Lakeport’s Library Park. Racine’s son, PJ, purchased the business in 2016 to carry on the family tradition. Racine’s latest contribution to the county’s recreation attractions was the building of a slot car track on Soda Bay Road. "Fun Time Slot Car Raceway" was a place where slot car enthusiasts could bring their cars to compete or rent cars by the hour. In addition to his business achievements, Racine was a founding member of the Konocti Youth Soccer League, which thousands of the county’s youths have been a part of growing up, and the Clear Lake Rimlander’s Association. That organization worked to promote the health and access to the lake for business and recreation purposes and many other things. He was also a life-Jong Porsche fan and could frequently be seen about town in one of his many classic Porsches.

Racine is survived by his wife of 52 years, Olga; daughter, Tara (husband Raoul, children Jasmine, Kaia, Luna, and Malia); and son PJ (wife Sausha, children Addison and Riley).

Ashland resident Maureen Robinson Slack, age 73, died Thursday, October 8, 2020, after cancer introduced an eight-year journey of discovery into freedom and a profoundly deep gratitude for life.

Ms. Slack was born in Westerly, Rhode Island, on March 16, 1947, to Betty and Earl Robinson. Her father served as a pilot in the U.S. Navy until his retirement in 1964; thus, Maureen’s early life consisted of much traveling; she attended 26 schools during her childhood and teen years. Upon her family’s settling in California, she completed high school in Concord, and attended the University of the Pacific before transferring to the University of California at Davis. She was a lifetime member of the UC Davis Alumni Association, grad class of 1969.

After graduation, Maureen began what became her life of innovation and service to organizations, individuals, children, and communities, beginning in Public Relations, Community Relations and Adult Training for Monterey Bay Girl Scout Council. Maureen met Hal, her husband of 50 years at Davis; they were married at the Presidio of Monterey in 1970. Hal’s summer work fighting wildfires in California led him to his many years’ employment as a forester with the State of California Department of Forestry.

Hal’s career, in Maureen’s words, "gave me the luxury of doing what I wanted to do." They lived in Davis from 1976 to 1992, and what she wanted to do was work with second and third grade learning handicapped children, helping teach them to read: "breaking the rules," by inviting them to "run to the oak tree," sit in her lap, and read together. Her success meant that she was sent "the unlovable ones," who nevertheless became success stories under her tutelage. She is still in touch with some of those students 40 years later.

During these years, Maureen also studied with a variety of healers, workshop, and religious leaders, serving not only as a learner but also behind the scenes by transcribing and editing many of their teachings for possible publication. It was in Davis that she began her support of cultural organizations as well, beginning first as audience and then as volunteer for the annual Sacramento Jazz Festival.

In 1992, Hal became manager of Jackson State Forest in Mendocino County and the family moved to Ft. Bragg. During their early years there, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, Maureen was the executive director of an AIDS agency. She later became executive director of Mendocino Food and Nutrition Program, Inc., Food Bank of Mendocino County, and garnered a 100 percent success rate in writing grants, as well as innovating procedures to increase both the quantity and quality of food supplies and service. Through partnering with other organizations, she managed to increase awareness of community health and wellness needs and worked to answer those needs.

Hal Slack retired from the Department of Forestry in 2001. That was the year four generations of their family moved to Ashland and became a force of high service. Maureen’s mother, Betty Robinson, became active as a community volunteer; their daughter Anne, also an active volunteer for many years, and their two granddaughters, Samantha and Elizabeth, all of them working, often behind the scenes, at Rotary, Southern Oregon Repertory Singers, Dixieland Jazz Festivals, the Elks, and most prominently the Oregon Shakespeare Festival where Maureen volunteered for 20 years.

Maureen is also remembered for her profound work as a healer, herbalist, seer, and innumerable acts of kindness. Most notably, she supported friends through various health crises; ushered thousands of happy customers to seats in many theatre venues; raised money for charities in the U.S. and Russia; and in general, over and over again, she thoughtfully "noticed what needed to be done and did it."

She is survived by a brother, Kim Robinson and wife Deanna, of Silver Springs, Nevada; her husband Hal of Ashland; her daughter Anne and husband Kris Torrey of Tillamook; and her granddaughters: Samantha Rose Heart and husband Patrick Sanders, of Denver; and Elizabeth Marie, of Tillamook, and countless grateful friends.

In honor of Maureen’s wishes, there will be no formal service. Maureen requests that in lieu of flowers (which would be silly to send since there is no funeral) donations be sent to a favorite charity. Arrangements are in care of Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home, Ashland, Oregon. www.litwillersimonsen.com