First and second prizes will be awarded for the best business decorations and best residential decorations.

This is an opportunity to shine in your neighborhood or have your storefront windows invite holiday shoppers.

Applications may be picked up at the offices of the city of Lakeport and Lakeport Main Street Association at 225 Park St. or at the Lake County Chamber of Commerce at 875 Lakeport Blvd.

The form may also be downloaded from the city’s Web site at www.cityoflakeport.com.

Applications need to be returned to the city of Lakeport or Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce no later than 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 15.

Judges will tour the neighborhoods and businesses on Monday, Dec. 19, to review the properties that have been nominated or who the judges feel have gone the extra mile to show holiday spirit.

Prizes will be awarded at the Lakeport City Council meeting of Tuesday, Dec. 20.

The first prize for each category will be $300, and the second prize will be $100.

For more information, please contact the city of Lakeport at 707-263-5615, Extension 12, the Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce at 707-263-5092, or the Lakeport Main Street Association at 707-263-8843. You may also send an email to City Clerk Janel Chapman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Jameson plans the activities, gathers needed supplies using mostly reconditioned or reusable articles and guides the participants through their projects which they take home each day.

The program was extended last year to include a project each month always with a certain theme.

Many of the garden club members contribute to the project, collecting containers, fall leaves, greenery, art supplies and flowers.

The program maintains that beautiful things can be made without a lot of expense while having lots of fun in the process. Reusing and reconditioning also saves the landfills.

The participants made greeting cards recently with pressed fall leaves with the poem by Joyce Kilmer "Trees" inserted.

The December project will include Christmas baskets filled with several types of greenery and red carnations. Valentine bags and Easter cards are planned for the Lakeport Meals on Wheels recipients.

Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club meets at noon on the third Tuesday of the month at the Scotts Valley Women's Club House, 2298 Hendricks Road in Lakeport.

President Helen Turley invites all interested in garden and related activities to join us.

The annual Christmas Wreath making will be held later this month. See more information at www.clttgc.org.

The club is a member of Mendo-Lake District, California Garden Club Inc., Pacific Region and National Garden Club Inc.

A black bear cub. Photo courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Game.

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is seeking talented teen filmmakers for its first-ever “Bear Aware” Youth Film Contest.

Cash prizes will be awarded for the top three short films that most effectively educate the public about the importance of keeping black bears wild and preventing them from becoming habituated to humans, with a focus on bears in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

“Human carelessness with food and garbage is attracting bears to populated areas and putting them at risk,” said DFG Bear Program Coordinator Marc Kenyon. “People who live in or visit bear habitat have a responsibility to the wildlife whose habitat they are sharing. We hope that by recruiting young, talented filmmakers, we can get the message out about what the public can do to help keep bears in the wild.”

High school students are asked to create 90-second films using specific messaging provided by DFG. The top three films (as selected by DFG) will win $500 for first place, $300 for second place and $200 for third place.

The general public will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite entry online.

The People’s Choice Award will receive a $100 gift card donated by REI.

In addition, the first-place winners will have the opportunity to accompany DFG staff on a rehabilitated bear cub release in spring 2012.

DFG will use the videos as part of a “Bear Aware” campaign to educate residents and visitors to the Tahoe area.

Because of the focus on the Tahoe Basin, the contest is open to high school students in DFG’s North Central Region, which includes the following counties: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba.

The deadline for entries is Jan. 31, 2012.

Full contest details, stock bear footage available to the entrants and approved “Bear Aware” messages are provided on the film contest website at www.dfg.ca.gov/BearFilmContest.

The closure will allow the replacement of culverts.

Area residents will be allowed access to and from their property.

Please drive with caution in the area.

For more information call the Lake County Department of Public Works, 707-263-2341.

Lakeport Boulevard will be open to traffic, however traffic control will be in place, and minor delays are possible.

Other construction activities in the days following paving will consist primarily of adjusting utility vaults and traffic stripe installation.

Those activities will not require a road closure but will cause minor delays and inconvenience for traffic in the area.

For more information call the city of Lakeport, 707-263-5615.

The group will meet from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Clear Lake Riviera Community Association building, 9689 Soda Bay Road.

All meetings are light potluck and coffee is provided.

Joan Moss, community activist and musician, will make a presentation concerning her run for the Lake County Board of Supervisors District Five position.

District Five covers Kelseyville, the Rivieras, Buckingham, Loch Lomond and parts of Cobb.

There will be a question and answer period after her presentation.

The Green Party meets on the third Sunday of every month. All meetings are free and open to the public, party membership is not required. The Green Party is an international party.

More information is available on www.cagreens.org and www.gpus.org.

The party can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-263-3391.