The meeting will begin at 12:15 p.m. in conference room C on the third floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Lakeport Yacht Club, 15 Fifth St. in Lakeport,

Parker will give a presentation on “12,000 years of Clear Lake Prehistory,” using pictures and artifacts to conduct a 12,000-year ride with the first people to make Clear Lake their home.

His talk, based on 20 years of research, will cover the timing and means of their arrival, explore environmental changes, and discuss the ways these changes affected the culture, technology and population of the native peoples of the Clear Lake basin.

A graduate of Sonoma State University with advanced degrees from UC Davis and UCLA, Dr. Parker played an instrumental role in the establishment of Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, taught archaeology at Mendocino and Yuba Community Colleges, and served as a Clearlake Planning Commissioner.

More recently, he took the lead in establishing the eligibility of Rattlesnake Island for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

Dr. Parker's presentations are always both informative and engaging. His last appearance at a Lake Group meeting drew a standing room only crowd, so it would be a good idea to arrive early to get a good seat.

The meeting is free and the public is invited.

For more information contact Juliana Vidich at 707-279-1903 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Rotary's free community Christmas dinner this year will be held on Saturday, Dec. 11, at the multipurpose room at Burns Valley School from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

They will serve baked ham, cranberry sauce, cooked sweet yams, vegetables, pumpkin pie, egg nog, milk, tea and coffee to drink.

There will also be a special guest: Santa Claus will be there to take pictures with the children, all of whom will receive a free gift.

A choir will sing Christmas Carols.

Everyone is welcome to come.

Rotary is an international organization of more than 125 million members, mostly business people and community leaders who live by the ideals of Rotary, which is to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

The basic principle of Rotary is “Service Above Self.”

For more information about Rotary or the Rotary Club of Clearlake, contact Carl Webb at 707-994-3336.

Garden Club Member Thelma Dangel helps Ollie with her wreath table decoration. Photo taken by Mary Beth Ingvoldstad.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Each month Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club Chairman Jo Jameson presents a garden therapy program for the clients at the Adult Respite Program at St. John's Lutheran church in Clearlake and also at the First Lutheran Church in Lucerne.

Jameson gathers containers, flowers, greenery and decorations for the clients, with the help of the volunteer workers, to create a flower arrangement for them to take home.

The clients enjoy this activity. And this is one of the ways that the garden club shares with our community.

Garden Club members Jo Douville and Claire Grieve helped gather dried plant materials and pines cones to make small wreaths for a table decoration.

The North Lake Garden Club meets at noon on the third Tuesday of the month, September through May, at the Scotts Valley Women's Club House, 2298 Hendricks Road, Lakeport.

Members, guests and all interested are most welcome. President Linda Waterstraat, 707-245-4731, invites interested gardeners to join the group.

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

For more information see www.clttgc.org .

Visitors in full Victorian dress enjoy an English High Tea. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – This holiday season find yourself indulging in another place and time, even if for only a day or two.

Between Nov. 20 and Dec. 19, visitors to the Lakeport English Inn, 675 N. Main St., Lakeport, will delight in the sights of Christmas, sounds of carolers, and the tastes and smell of delicious edible creations as innkeepers Karan Mackey and her sisters Jill and Marlene present their annual Victorian Christmas Fair including a traditional English High Tea.

Common rooms and halls of the inn are filled with holiday ornaments and colorful decorations, garland, tinsel, lighted trees, wreaths, and varieties of gifts available for purchase.

They include handmade candy canes, soaps, candles, tea pots, saucers and cups, table decorations, wall hangings, yard enhancements, and holiday ornaments hanging on trees and displayed among many decorative settings.

During the Victorian Christmas Fair, the Lakeport English Inn is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Thanksgiving Day.

Innkeepers and tea servers help transport you to a different era as they appear in full Victorian costume.

Carolers, too, dress in the theme of the day and stroll throughout the inn’s Christmas Fair and Tea Room to serenade visitors.

English Victorian High Tea is served to the public every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday during the Christmas Fair. Seatings are at noon and 2:30 p.m.

However, groups of more than 15 people may schedule tea on other days during the Christmas Fair.

For reservations, call the inn at 707-263-4317.

A world class, traditional English High Tea is presented by the three sisters and staff.

Delicious scones, tarts, tiny sandwiches, Devonshire cream, desserts, shortbread cookies, all prepared with care and attention to detail, complement the tea.

“It is like having tea at the London Ritz,” said Marlene.

“Come enjoy a glimpse of England,” said Karan, who takes pride in presenting her English High Teas in traditional fashion.

She has visited many tea rooms in England, and she is unrelenting in making her tea experiences as true to the English tea as possible. Only a few tea rooms exist in Northern California, and she visits those when she has the opportunity.

A variety of wonderful treats are served at an English High Tea. Courtesy photo.

The Mackeys’ Lakeport English Inn is a bed-and-breakfast located in the downtown area along Main Street in Lakeport. While guests are invited to stay longer than a day in one of the inn’s comfortable rooms, visitors may enjoy a day trip to the Lakeport and Lake County area located within two hours driving time of north Bay Area regions. Shopping, lakeside parks, wildlife viewing, boating and lake views, wineries, casinos, and dining can be enjoyed in Lakeport and the surrounding areas.

On Nov. 27, complete your trip in time with a tour of downtown Lakeport as the city becomes an old English village celebrating the eighth annual Dickens’ Christmas Market.

Individuals attending the market are encouraged to join merchants and townsfolk who will be dressed in costume to give the streets the look of the 1800s.

The day’s festivities will include musical entertainment, carolers and strolling minstrels, and free sleigh rides provided by Eleven Roses Ranch.

Santa Claus will greet youngsters at the Santa’s Workshop, and the annual Christmas Lighted Parade will start at 6 p.m.

SACRAMENTO – The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) $171 million to improve service on its highly successful intercity passenger rail service.

"The federal funding for intercity rail provides the impetus to expand and greatly improve passenger rail service statewide," said Caltrans Director Cindy McKim.

The largest component of the grant, $100 million, is targeted for the purchase of 40 new rail cars and six locomotives for the San Joaquin, Pacific Surfliner and Capitol Corridor routes.

The Pacific Surfliner route received more than $28 million for track and signal upgrades, bridge work,

curve realignments, and other infrastructure enhancements.

Additionally, more than $38 million will fund safety improvements through the installation of Positive Train Control technology, which reduces the risk of train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments and injuries to railway maintenance workers.

The funding was part of more than $901 million awarded to the state that included $731 million for the California High Speed Rail Authority's projects in the Central Valley and San Francisco.

"Amtrak stands ready to offer our expertise to our state partners to help implement these important projects to improve our national intercity passenger rail network," said Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman.

California is home to the second (Pacific Surfliner), third (Capitol Corridor), and fifth (San Joaquin) busiest intercity passenger rail corridors in the nation.

With five million annual passengers, California has more than 20 percent of all Amtrak riders.

Since 1990, the state has invested more than $1.3 billion in infrastructure and equipment for intercity passenger rail and about $1 billion in operating support.