March 25

Merced County Spring Fair

Few couples uphold the Merced County Spring Fair’s mission like Danny and Sandy Fialho. It was only natural that their hard work and dedication be recognized at this year’s fair. At their monthly board meeting in February, the Merced County Spring Fair board of directors selected longtime Los Banos residents Danny and Sandy Fialho as Grand Marshals of the 2008 Merced County Spring Fair. "The Merced County Spring Fair board of directors voted unanimously to name Danny and Sandy Fialho the 2008 Grand Marshals of Spring Fair," said Ron Brandt, fair manager. Every year the Merced County Spring Fair board of directors is charged with selecting the Grand Marshal. Selection is based on an individual's spirit of community involvement, residency and support of the fair's mission to create memories worth repeating by providing quality education, entertainment and courteous service at a safe facility. “We are thrilled to recognize Danny and Sandy,” said Ron Brandt, fair manager. “Through their longstanding contributions and involvement, they have created a tradition of volunteerism and commitment to the youth in our community.” The Fialho’s live in Los Banos, on the same land for the past 80 years! Danny showed at the Merced County Spring Fair in the early 1960’s. In the early 1980’s he was the 1st Vice President and a founding member of the FFA Ag Boosters. The Fialho name has been listed on the list of supporters for both the Livestock Auction and the Small Animal Sale, where ducks, chickens (when they were included in the auction) and rabbits are favorites. Throughout the years, generations of kids have received a helping hand on their beef projects through Danny’s generosity and leadership. As farmers and ranchers, the Fialho’s run Cattle and crops that have ranged from cotton to corn, alfalfa to safflower. When not in one field or another, you’ll spot Danny and Sandy on the “Fialho Beef Cooking Team” – look for the denim shirts and aprons! Favorite events held at the Elk’s Lodge with the help of the Fialhos include the Law Enforcement Night at the Elk’s Lodge and cooking for the Los Banos High School football team. A personal favorite for Danny is cooking for the folks at Kings View each Christmas. In keeping with the Fialho family heritage at the fair, Danny and Sandy have watched their children and grandchildren take part in the Merced County Spring Fair. The public is invited to honor the Fialho’s at the upcoming Merced County Spring Fair kick-off dinner on Saturday, April 12, 2008. Tickets are on sale now at the fair office or by calling Patti at 831.209.5166. The Merced County Spring Fair will kick off five days of family fun Wednesday, April 30th. The theme this year is Celebrating our Farmers! For more information about the 2008 Spring Fair visit the web-site at www.co.merced.ca.us/springfair/fair.html.

Napa Valley’s Rubicon Estate Winery, owned by Francis Ford Coppola, donated thirty French oak wine barrels to the Atwater FFA to be used for Atwater High School Agriculture and FFA student horticulture projects this spring. The barrels will be cut in half and prepared as planter barrels by students in the agriculture mechanics classes with students in the horticulture classes creating various plant and landscape barrels for the community. The projects will be sold during the annual Atwater FFA Spring Plant Sale on May 31st with all profits going towards the purchase of horticulture supplies/equipment for the high school agriculture program as well as student funds to reinvest in individual student SAE (Supervised Experience Programs) projects and college expenses.

The wine making team at Rubicon Estate Winery load up thirty oak wine barrels that were donated to the Atwater FFA Horticulture program.

“This was an exciting opportunity for our program and students,” said FFA advisor Dave Gossman, “We truly appreciate the generosity of Rubicon Estate and their staff in providing our students a resource to support their educational and horticulture interests!”

The opportunity was coordinated through Rubicon Estate Winery’s #1 tour guide and ambassador Harold Francis. “It was an opportunity to support high school students and agricultural education in a positive way,” said Francis. Wine maker Scott McLeod and celler master Ricardo Patlin combined their efforts in making the donation possible. “The students are looking forward to utilizing their horticulture skills and creativity in making beautiful planter barrels for the community,” said Gossman.

For more information on Rubicon Estate, check out their website at www.rubiconestate.com. More information on the Atwater FFA is available on their website: www.AtwaterFFA.org.

Written by: Lauren Navarro, Atwater FFA Reporter

FFA Advisor Sam Meredith meets Francis Ford Coppola's #1 Tour Guide and Ambassador Harold Francis during a VIP tour of the underground cellar.

Collyn Roper

Click picture to enlarge

The undertaking the Merced Fish & Game,Inc is proposing will be a professionally designed project consisting of:
• 40 Trap fields, 12 of which will be overlaid with Skeet fields,
• A sporting clays course in future plans,
• A meeting house,
• A registration building,
• Several bathroom facilities,
• The California Waterfowl Association Museum,
• RV parking with full hook-ups,
• Additional RV parking,
• Several storage facilities,
• One workshop,
• One pre-manufactured home for the resident manager,
• General parking for additional vehicles.

For Information or Questions:
Contact MERCED FISH & GAME, INC
by email:mercedfishandgame@yahoo.com

Merkley grew up and worked on the family farm in Dixon and is a former member of the Solano County Farm Bureau board of directors. He has also been active in a number of other agricultural and community organizations and graduated from the California Agricultural Leadership Program.

Daniel Merkley, legislative director of water resources for the California Farm Bureau Federation.

The California Farm Bureau Federation, the state's largest farm organization, works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of 91,000 members statewide.

Article courtesy of California Farm Bureau Federation. cfbf.com