LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Troop 315 of Middletown Hidden Valley collected 1,180 pounds of food in the annual Scouting for Food drive.

The drive allows the boys to take part in community service by giving back to the community and filling the local food banks.

Scouting for Food is held annually and sponsored by ABC 7 news as well as others.

Scouting gives boys the opportunity to serve their communities and participate in exciting outings like camping, archery, hiking and kayaking, to name a few.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club makes gorgeous holiday wreaths each year and sells them to community members.

The wreaths are made of fresh greenery, grown by garden club members.

Funds raised at this fun event are used for the club's annual scholarship as well as civic beautification projects, some of which include the Ely Stage Stop, maintaining the lovely round planters at Library Park and the Blue Star Memorial that honors our Armed Forces.

Wreaths can be purchased for $20 by contacting any garden club member or Carol Dobusch, 707-279-1169, or Nancy Benkelman, 707-263-6665.

Orders must be made and payment received by Nov 26.

Wreaths are made the first week of December. Wreaths are made at the Bachelor Valley Grange in Upper Lake.

Potential new members and interested parties are welcome to come help and learn about wreath making in this fun fundraiser. Call the above numbers for specific information.

The CLTTGC meets at noon the third Tuesday of every month – except July and August – at the Scott’s Valley Clubhouse, 2298 Hendricks Road, Lakeport.

Anyone interested in gardening and civic beautification and philanthropic projects is invited to attend.

Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club is a member of the Mendo-Lake District, California Garden Club Inc., Pacific Region and National Garden Clubs Inc.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Rotary Club of Clearlake will be hosting its annual community Christmas dinner on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The dinner, open to everyone, will take place at the Burns Valley Elementary School’s Multipurpose Room, 3620 Pine St. in Clearlake.

Westamerica Bank recently presented Rotary with a $500 check to support the event.

The bank has contributed to this community benefit event for 21 years, since Rotary introduced this annual event in 1992.

On the menu this year is ham, a vegetable side dish, potatoes, pumpkin pie, cookies, tea and coffee.

A special visit from Santa Claus also is planned.

All children will receive a photo with Santa, along with a special gift.

Last year, more than 1,000 meals were served, and hundreds of children received photos and a present from the jolly old elf.

Warm for the Winter will once again be on hand, giving away warm coats, warm clothing, and blankets.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The 26th annual Lakeport Holiday Lighted Parade takes place on Saturday, Nov. 30, on Main Street. 

The parade participants will line up this year in the Fifth Street parking lot next to the launch ramp at Library Park. This is a change from lining up at the fairgrounds.

Entry forms have been mailed to prior participants and the form is now available on www.lakecochamber.com . Deadline for entering the parade is Monday, Nov. 25.

The stage for the parade judges will be located between Second and Third streets in front of the Lake County Special Districts office.

Mendo Mill Lumber & Home Center is providing the stage as they have for many years. Savings Bank of Mendocino County is once again the major sponsor for this 26th annual holiday parade, which for the last 11 years has been a lighted parade.

Activities during the afternoon of Nov. 30 sponsored by the Lakeport Main Street Association will include free craft children’s activities, a visit with Santa at Bicoastal Media, located at 140 N. Main St. from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (photos available for $5), an Elf Treasure Hunt and a booth selling funnel cakes, snugglers and hot chocolate.

Hospice Services of Lake County will take to the stage following the parade with their Light Up A Life Celebration, singing Christmas carols, serving free hot chocolate and cookies. Historic walking tours will take place at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

A new addition to this year's festivities is a Festival of Trees, sponsored by the Lakeport Main Street Association. Various businesses will decorate Christmas trees and the public is invited to vote for their favorite tree. Voting closes on Dec. 9.

Following the close of voting, all the trees are being donated to Lake Family Resource Center, which will present the trees to families who would not otherwise have a tree for the holiday.

This year the Lakeport Kiwanis decorated the Lakeport Christmas tree in front of the museum. The evening's festivities culminate with the lighting of the tree on the lawn of Museum Square.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Barbara Flynn will be the speaker at the Soroptimist meeting at Howard’s Grotto in Clearlake at noon Thursday, Nov. 21.

Flynn will talk about business opportunities for women in Lake County.

She was born in Lakeport, raised in Sonoma County and has lived in Lake County since 1972.

Since 1972, Flynn has worked as a real estate agent, owned three restaurants, two inns, a store named Country Classics in the Santa Rosa Plaza, as well as an antique shop or two.

She has always loved the Cobb community, and produced the Cobb Jazz and Blues festival which ran for five years.

She also is behind Cobbtoberfest, and Halloween and Christmas in the Village at Cobb.

Flynn is a director on the Lake County Chamber of Commerce and on the board for Lake Family Resource Center. She currently owns and operates The Brick Oven Pizza, Pasta on Cobb and Bellissimo! Wine Country Catering.

She recently opened Trends Salon and Day Spa with her daughter, Marci, in Middletown.

All interested persons are invited to attend this talk by Flynn.

For more information, please call Wanda Harris at 707-987-9027.

WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) on Monday voted to pass H.R. 2061, the Digital Accountability and Transparency (DATA) Act of 2013.

This bill requires information on all federal spending to be posted to a single, comprehensive and searchable Web site, www.USASpending.gov .

The DATA Act also limits federal agency travel expenses to 70 percent of their fiscal year 2010 travel costs, limits the allowable costs of agency conferences and requires extensive new reporting and public disclosure of conference costs and activities.

“Taxpayers deserve to know their money is being spent wisely and effectively on smart investments that create jobs, grow our economy and move our country forward,” said Thompson. “This legislation will increase transparency, help make sure taxpayers are getting the most bang for their buck, and allow us to hold agencies and individuals accountable for wasteful spending and lavish junkets funded by hard-earned tax dollars.”

In 2012, the General Services Administration (GSA) held a lavish $823,000 conference in Las Vegas and former GSA executive Jeffrey E. Neely spent $40,000 on a trip he and his wife took to Napa.

The extensive new reporting and public disclosure of conference costs and activities would help prevent these kinds of abuses from occurring in the future.

In addition, the bill expands the role of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board that was created by the 2010 stimulus law to oversee stimulus spending.

The DATA Act will require the board to help make sure tax dollars are being spent wisely and effectively by detecting waste and fraud at all levels of federal spending.

H.R. 2061 passed the House and will now go the Senate for consideration.