LAKEPORT, Calif. – Delta Iota Tau is continuing its efforts to raise funds for local scholarships and worthy causes through the sale of See's Candy.

The group sells the candy regularly at North Lake Pharmacy in order to raise funds for its scholarship fund and causes including Meals on Wheels, Hospice Services of Lake County, the Allegro Scholarship Fund and more.

Starting on Dec. 12, they also will be selling the candy at Bruno's Shop Smart on Lakeport Boulevard.

WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, Congressman John Garamendi, a core conferee for the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, signed the act's conference report to protect nearly 10,000 current and former California National Guardsmen from attempts by the Department of Defense to reclaim the bonuses and incentives they were paid upon enlisting or reenlisting during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The report must now be adopted by both chambers of Congress before being presented to President Obama for his signature.
 
Under this provision, guardsmen’s debts will be waived and any money they’ve already paid back will be returned to them unless the department can definitively prove that a service member fraudulently took an incentive they knew they were not eligible for.

This language will also ensure that the Department of Defense conducts its previously announced review process in a manner that is as fair as possible to the affected service members, and legally binds the department to meeting their stated goal of completing their reviews by July 30, 2017.

The Department also will provide any possible assistance to repair guardsmen’s credit if necessary.
 
“I’m very pleased that a permanent legislative fix is one step closer to President Obama’s desk, but our job isn’t done yet,” said Garamendi (D-Fairfield, Yuba City, Davis, CA)s. “As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I will be keeping close watch to make sure that the Department of Defense lives up to these commitments to our veterans.”

Garamendi also is the author of the National Guard Pay Integrity Act, a standalone piece of legislation that would remove any repayment obligation for the Guardsmen who accepted their bonuses and incentives in good faith.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Chi Council for the Clear Lake Hitch will resume meetings for the fall starting on Wednesday, Nov. 30.

The group will meet at 3:30 p.m. at the Lake County Agriculture Center, 883 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport.

Minutes from the May 25 meeting are posted at http://lakelive.info/chicouncil/pdffiles/5.25.16minutes.pdf .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Parks and Recreation Committee's regular meeting on Thursday, Dec. 1, has been canceled.

City officials said the committee is next scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

Lake County has a program for memory challenged adults which provides activities and meals in a social atmosphere.

This program offers respite for the caregivers as well as support group meetings. There are openings in all three programs countywide (see below).

November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month. Many people are affected by this disease and many more are in the entrance stage.

A person with a memory problem may not remember when to eat or if they have taken their medications. Many of them wander away and get lost. They may get confused about where they live or how to get home.

They probably do not remember how to use the telephone. They can’t follow directions as they can’t remember them.

Some advance to not knowing who their spouse is or recognizing their children. It is not safe to leave them alone. When they can’t live alone they must have a full-time caregiver. This caregiver is responsible 24 hours a day.

Some of us caregivers have found a wonderful solution to help us through our days with a little bit of respite.

We take our loved ones to the Elder Day Care Program on Memory Lane in Clearlake. At the program, they are given breakfast and lunch, social conversation time, exercise, games, music and friends. They are welcomed and become part of the group.

The group meets from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday in Clearlake, Thursday in Lucerne and Friday in Middletown.

We caregivers have this time to attend to our other responsibilities like grocery shopping, appointments and other projects. We also are part of a support group to help each other with ideas of how to handle our new found situations.

My husband has a memory problem. I am his caregiver. He needs me to fix his meals, give him his meds, watch over him to keep him safe.

We have had a beautiful marriage of 66 years. This new direction our lives have gone has been very tiring for me as it leaves me responsible for everything both of us used to do.

Another group friend’s husband has a memory-related illness. She has the same problems I have – but in addition her husband has gone for walks in the woods and been lost all afternoon. He also forgets where the bathroom is. He is “mister fix it” so takes working things apart to fix them.

Still another group friend’s wife has an Alzheimer’s situation. She is always on the move, going out the door, going into the kitchen, emptying drawers, packing suitcases. She has trouble sleeping so he must be up at night to keep her safe. He is exhausted taking care of her.

We also have in our group a couple who have brought the wife’s father to live with them as he is no longer able to live alone. This has altered their lives and they are making adjustments.

Also attending the program are moms who are now living with their daughter or son’s family, another life altering situation for both of them.

All of these folks have enjoyed many years of living wonderful, interesting and fulfilling lives, but now need care because of Alzheimer's or memory problems.

We caregivers are so thankful to be living in Lake County where we have a program for our loved ones for happy times to spend with friends.

There will be a pizza party fundraiser for scholarships for the Adult Day Care group in Clearlake on Dec. 14 at DJ’s Pizza in Lower Lake from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

For information on the Day Care Program on Tuesday and Wednesday in Clearlake or Friday in Middletown call Jenny at 707-350-3030. For information on Thursday’s program in Lucerne, call Caroline at 707-263-9481

Dee Parker lives in Clearlake, Calif.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The 1951 Walt Disney animated classic, “Alice in Wonderland,” screens at the Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 1 and 6 p.m.

Follow Alice down the rabbit hole and into a world full of odd and unforgettable characters.

With superb music and production design, this adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s novel features the voices of Kathryn Beaumont as Alice, Sterling Holloway as the Cheshire Cat, Verna Felton as the Queen of Hearts and Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter. The film was nominated for an Oscar for best musical score.

The movie is sponsored by Michael Lorenzini and Michael Adams and is rated G, with run time of one hour 15 minutes.

Entry to the film is by donation.

The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport, 707-263-0577, www.soperreesetheatre.com .

U.S. Air Force Airman Emma P. Mitcham graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Mitcham is the daughter of Andrea Powers of Oakley, Calif., and Jack Mitcham of Clearlake Oaks, Calif., and granddaughter of Helen and Jack C. Mitcham of Clearlake Oaks, Calif.

She is a 2016 graduate of Lower Lake High School, Lower Lake, Calif.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson’s (CA-5) bipartisan legislation, the Small Business Healthcare Relief Act, passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday as a part of a larger bill, the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 34), which combined a number of healthcare provisions.
 
Thompson’s legislation would allow small employers to continue to offer Health Reimbursement Arrangements, or HRAs, as a benefit for their workforce.

Employees can use the account to pay insurance premiums or pay for qualified health expenses. The law gives small employers who are not obligated to offer health insurance a way to help employees purchase a quality, affordable health insurance plan that fits their individual budget and healthcare needs.

The bill changes Treasury Department rules limiting the use of HRAs for small businesses.
 
Thompson’s legislation was included in the bill text of the 21st Century Cures Act, a package of bipartisan, bicameral health provisions.

The bills included in the package will improve our mental health system, provide funding for opioid abuse programs and strengthen the Medicare program for millions of beneficiaries.

Further, the legislation will provide more than $4 billion in additional funding to the National Institutes of Health to support Vice President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot and other initiatives.

Finally, the bill streamlines the Food and Drug Administration’s review of medical products to bring much-needed treatment to patients faster, while protecting the high standards of the drug and device approval processes.
 
“By allowing small business owners to offer the support of an HRA, my bill will help small business owners who want to do right by their employees and offer health benefits despite not have the capacity to provide employer-sponsored coverage,” said Thompson. “My Small Business Healthcare Relief Act will make a big difference for hard-working folks across our country, and I’m proud to see my legislation included in the broader 21st Century Cures Act, which will help us make significant progress when it comes to keeping Americans healthy, and keeping America on the forefront of medical innovation.”
 
“As a key driver of efforts to include HRAs in some type of year-end legislation, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) was thrilled to see it added to the 21st Century Cures Act. We applaud Representatives Thompson and Boustany for championing this cause and pushing to get the bill approved,” said NAHB Chairman Ed Brady, a home builder and developer from Bloomington, Ill. “This is a critical step in allowing small business owners to provide health care for their employees and protect employers against outrageous fines.”
 
On Sept. 13, 2013, the Department of Treasury issued guidance disallowing businesses from using HRA’s as a tax-free means to reimburse employees, stating these arrangements were disqualified under Affordable Care Act’s annual dollar cap.

The Small Business Healthcare Relief Act restores flexibility and choice into the marketplace by:
• Ensuring that small businesses are allowed to use pre-tax dollars to give employees a defined contribution.
• Allowing employees to use these funds as an HRA to purchase health coverage on the individual market, as well as for qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses.
• Protecting small business employers from being unnecessarily financially penalized for providing this option to employees.
 
The legislation is budget-neutral, meaning it won’t add a single dollar to our deficit. The bill is supported by the United States Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), the National Association for the Self-Employed, and the Coalition for Affordable Healthcare (CAHC).
 
The Small Business Healthcare Relief Act previously passed the House of Representatives in June as H.R. 5477.
 
The 21st Century Cures Act now goes to the Senate for consideration and passage.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

SACRAMENTO – Incoming California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley, along with the heads of the University of California and California State University, on Tuesday formally asked President-elect Donald J. Trump to continue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – or DACA – program, which allows children of undocumented immigrants to pursue higher education in the United States.

“California’s three systems of public higher education are committed to supporting all students, including those pursuing their higher educational goals through this important program,” Oakley said. “It is vital that these students, who were brought to this country as children, have the ability to learn without fear of being deported. The California community colleges stand with these students because they represent some of the best qualities that our state and nation have to offer.”

As outlined in the letter, the California Community Colleges, UC and CSU systems each have thousands of DACA students at campuses across the state.

Oakley, UC President Janet Napolitano and CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White ask that as he assembles his cabinet and prepares to take office Trump let DACA students know that they will be allowed to remain in the country and pursue their dreams.

A full copy of the letter can be found at http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/Portals/0/DocDownloads/PressReleases/NOV2016/UC-CSU-CCC-DACA-Letter-FINAL-11-29-16.pdf .

“DACA is rooted in the fundamental premise that no one should be punished for the actions of others,” the joint letter states. “In order to be eligible for DACA, an individual must have been brought to this country as a minor, stayed out of trouble, and continued to pursue an education.”

Oakley will take over as chancellor of the nation’s largest system of higher education on Dec. 19.

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year.

For more information about the community colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/ , https://www.facebook.com/CACommColleges or https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges .