Costumed players from the Renaissance Christmas Pageant Troupe will give a “performance preview” of this popular holiday event. Come and see what all the fun is about!

The Middletown Luncheon Club sponsors a monthly speakers program every third Wednesday of the month, except in December.

Local nonprofit groups serve lunch each month, and lunch is only $5 per person. This month, the serving group is Oro Fino Rebekah Lodge.

The club meets at the Middletown Methodist Church Social Hall, 15833 Armstrong St., Middletown.

Reservations are not required. For more information, contact Helen Whitney, 928-9812.

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Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club members display mum specimens they grew and share floral arrangements they created. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT – The Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club will host its Dance of the Mums Chrysanthemum Show on Friday, Nov. 14.

The show will be held at the Lakeport Yacht Club (by the Fifth Street Boat Ramp) in Lakeport. It's open to the public from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

All Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club members are encouraged to enter. This is not a judged competition, rather a fun event to share with our community.

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The three women represented Lake County as three of more than 250 participants from all over the country.

California representatives were able to attend the event thanks to partial scholarships provided by the California State Library.

Participants from 32 states and Canada came together for this national conference to discuss challenges, strategies and opportunities for the future of libraries in rural communities. They attended sessions on library management, technology in the library and library marketing.

“We were happy to be able to assist Lake County Library staff to attend this terrific conference, which was held in California for the first time,” said California State Librarian Susan Hildreth.

A goal of the conference is to provide “hands-on” information and ideas that can be taken home and implemented quickly with little or no cost to the library.

“It was a tremendous opportunity to get to attend this conference aimed specifically at small and rural libraries,” said Susan Clayton of the Lake County Library staff. “We learned a great many things that will help us inform the public about library services.”

Next year’s conference will be held in Gatlinburg, Tenn., Sept. 11 through 13, 2009.

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CLEARLAKE – The Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce will once again be sponsoring the annual Christmas Light Parade and Decorating Contest in December.

It is not too early to start planning your entry. Applications to enter a parade entry are available online at www.clearlakechamber.com under downloads or at the Chamber office, 4700 Golf Ave., Clearlake.

The Christmas Light Parade on Saturday, Dec. 6, will begin at 6 p.m. and follow Lakeshore Drive to Austin Park for the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony and a visit by Santa Claus.

Deadline to enter your float, group, etc. is Friday, Nov. 21.

Volunteers are needed to help with the parade. Call the chamber at 994-3600.

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From left, NAACP First Vice President Rick Mayo, outgoing Supervisor Ed Robey and Lake County NAACP President Aqeela El-Amin Bakheit on Tuesday, October 28, 2008. Mayo and Bakheit presented Robey with an appreciation plaque for his years of service. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT – The Lake County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People recently offered its appreciation to a member of the Lake County Board of Supervisors.

On Oct. 28, branch President Aqeela El-Amin Bakheit and branch founder, First Vice President Rick Mayo, both of Clearlake, presented outgoing District 1 Supervisor Ed Robey with an appreciation plaque for his many years of service to the citizens of Lake County and the city of Clearlake.

Robey retires from the Board of Supervisors at year's end after three terms. He will be succeeded by James Comstock of Middletown.

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LAKEPORT – The Lake Family Resource Center will host the next meeting of the Domestic Violence Council on Wednesday, Nov. 19.

The meeting will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Meeting attendees will meet the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Teams from Lake Family Resource Center. They also will be reviewing the new DVD from the California Attorney General's Office, “First Impressions,” which explores the effects of domestic violence on children.

They will have reports on the current MyStrength Clubs for high school boys, the All That Camp 2008 for middle school girls and plans for a 2009 youth-driven camp, plans for an additional camp for boys next year, success with taking nurturing parenting classes into the jail.

There also will be discussion and an invitation to join the planning committee for the next Men of Influence event, and they will be recruiting for new executive committee leadership for 2009 as well as membership on our Criminal Justice Subcommittee.

Community members who want to be involved in the quest for zero tolerance for domestic and sexual violence in Lake County is welcome to attend.

The Lake Family Resource Center is located at 896 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport, telephone 262-1611.

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