Lake County News: Thompson discusses Valley fire, legislative priorities at annual ravioli feed

By Elizabeth Larson

The Valley fire, health care, the upcoming election and important legislation all were topics on Saturday night when Congressman Mike Thompson hosted his annual ravioli feed.

Hundreds of people were on hand for the popular 25th annual event, held this year for the first time at Boatique Wines in Kelseyville.

Owned by Robert and Madi Mount, the venue overlooks Mt. Konocti and features classic cars and antique wooden boats that Thompson called works of art.

The popular fundraiser dinner for the Fifth Congressional District representative once again drew people from all across the political spectrum, who came out to enjoy local wines and a pasta dinner served by local officials, and hear from Thompson about what he's working on in Washington, DC.

This year, the Valley fire was a key topic, and Thompson invited forward Carol Huchingson, who takes over next month as the new county administrative officer, to share an update.

“This has been my passion,” Huchingson said of the fire recovery.

In addition to her longtime role as county Social Services director, Huchingson volunteered last fall to take on the task of the county's recovery coordinator.

A Hidden Valley Lake resident, Huchingson recounted seeing the destruction of the fire in her own community, even on her own street.

Huchingson shared with the group the results of a recent survey of Valley fire survivors.

She said the survey received more than 400 responses, which revealed that 67 percent of survivors are still living in Lake County. Up until the survey was complete, Huchingson said county officials didn't have a solid idea of where many of the survivors had gone.

Huchingson said 56 percent of respondents indicated they will rebuild, 20 percent said they won't and 24 percent said they are unsure.

“Rebuilding really is under way,” she said, noting that dozens of permits for new homes have been issued. There also are 66 temporary structures in the fire area and 50 manufactured housing units from the Federal Emergency Management Agency housing survivors.

During his remarks, Thompson noted, “This fire was horrific. It was absolutely horrific.”

He added, “I've never seen anything like this before in my life.”

All of Lake County changed overnight as a result of the fire, Thompson said.

Thompson was in Georgia when the fire broke out on Sept. 12. He said he flew back to Lake County right away, recalling the devastation he found when he arrived with his longtime district representative, Brad Onorato.

He credited the county's residents for the exceptional way they came together in the time of crisis. “Everyone had their shoulders to the wheel.”

Surrounding communities also offered assistance, including Thompson's home county of Napa, which opened its fairgrounds for fire evacuees.

Thompson gave special recognition to the first responders, volunteers, Pacific Gas and Electric, and the government officials from all levels who were part of the response.

Among that last group, Thompson singled out Supervisor Rob Brown and Sheriff Brian Martin for their extraordinary efforts in the response and recovery.

Thompson said the Lake County Winegrape Commission and the Lake County Winery Association created the Lake County Rising effort, which has raised $800,000 in fire assistance. In a Washington, DC event, Thompson also was able to raise $100,000 toward that effort by auctioning off Lake County wines.

Lake County Rising is holding a fundraising event at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena on Sunday, Thompson noted.

He went on to outline the millions in federal assistance that has been granted – including $16 million in small business loans.

Thompson pledged to remain with the county as the recovery continues. “We'll get through this. We'll get it done.”

Moving on to other priority issues, Thompson said Social Security and Medicare need to be preserved for generations ahead, veterans must get the help they need when they return home and afterward, and the nation needs a strong health care system.

He said the Affordable Care Act has resulted in 20 million people signing up for health care who didn't have it before.

While there have been more than 65 votes by Congress to repeal the act, “It's not going to be repealed,” he said.

Rather than spending time trying to overturn the legislation, Thompson suggested it would be better to fix the parts of it that need fixing. He said he sponsored such legislation to extend a provision allowing doctors to make home visits under certain circumstances.

He said he also intends to continue working to prevent gun violence and keep mentally ill people from acquiring firearms.

Regarding the country's education system, Thompson said there is growing need for more strength in math and the sciences, with the nation needing 2.3 million new scientists.

Thompson said he wants to make sure people have opportunities as a result of their education. “That's what it's all about.”

Last week he spoke to Kate Rubins, a Napa native who will lift off on June 21 on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to join the crew of the International Space Station.

He said Rubins has dreamed of going to space since she was a child. She went on to get her education in the sciences when the opportunity to join the National Aeronautics and Space Administrative came up. Her educational background allowed her dreams to become a reality.

“I want every kid to be able to live their dreams,” said Thompson.

Thompson also touched on the dedication which he attended earlier in the day for the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which encompasses some 331,000 acres in Lake, Napa, Yolo, Mendocino and Solano counties.

For many years Thompson had sponsored legislation to create the monument before launching an effort to get President Barack Obama to use his executive power to make the monument designation, which he did in July.

In his remarks Thompson also touched briefly on the upcoming presidential election, saying that the country can't allow candidates to further divide it.

He called the current presidential race a “very, very serious” situation, adding that the angriest voices in the nation can't be allowed to choose the next president.