NICE – Sons of Italy is holding an indoor flea market this Saturday, Nov. 7.

The market will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the group's hall, 2817 Highway 20 in Nice.

Gates open at 7 a.m. to set up inside the building.

Inside tables are available for $10, first-come, first-serve basis.

They will have a holiday bake sale inside the building and lots of vendors will be selling nice items.

The club’s kitchen and bar will be open to sell drinks and Italian sausage sandwiches.

Everyone is welcome.

For information about this event or renting the hall for your own call 707-274-9952 or 707-263-1606.

H.R. 1831 makes permanent an expiring incentive that allows modest-income landowners to receive meaningful tax deductions for donating conservation easements that permanently protect important natural or historic resources on their lands.

Congressmen Mike Thompson (D-CA) has now recruited 232 co-sponsors for their Conservation Easement Incentive Act, H.R. 1831. This proposal has solid backing from every part of the country and from across the ideological spectrum, including a majority of both the Democratic and Republican members of the Ways and Means Committee.

“We’ve seen a 50 percent increase in the number of conservation easement donations since Congress passed my provisions to enhance these tax benefits on a temporary basis in 2006,” said Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA). “It’s time we made these protections permanent. By making sure that landowners can count on this, we’ll take a big step forward in protecting environmentally important lands and family farms.”

“In this time when partisan conflict seems to be the norm, we are thrilled that Democrats and Republicans can agree on the importance of conservation,” said Land Trust Alliance president Rand Wentworth. “Unless Congress acts, this important tool for conserving special places across America will expire at the end of 2009. We look forward to working with all 232 co-sponsors to enact the bill this year.”

Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and ranking member Charles Grassley (R-IA) have secured 30 co-sponsors for companion legislation in the Senate, the Rural Heritage Conservation Extension Act, S. 812.

For a complete list of House and Senate co-sponsors, please visit www.lta.org/easementincentive/cosponsors .

The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation group that works to save the places people love, working with nearly 1,700 local, regional and national nonprofit conservation organizations. It works to increase the pace and quality of conservation by advocating favorable tax policies, training land trusts in best practices, and working to ensure the permanence of conservation in the face of continuing threats.

It's time to order fresh wreaths handcrafted for the holidays by the Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club. Photo by Linda Pyers.

LAKE COUNTY – Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club (CLTTGC) is now taking orders for fresh greenery holiday wreaths.

Wreaths are made of a variety of fresh greens on a 12-inch wire frame with a large wired ribbon bow (red, green, gold, or plaid).

The wreaths cost $20 each, prepaid, with orders due by Nov. 17.

A three-day workshop will be held on Dec. 2, 3 and 4 to create the wreaths. To place your orders, contact President Jo Jameson at 707-263-4039 or any garden club member.

The profits from this fundraiser enable the garden club to present two $1,000 scholarships to local high school students. The 2008-09 scholarships were given to Maille McCallister and Hannah Johnson.

For information about the garden club, visit Web site www.clttgc.org .

The 16th annual Renaissance Pageant and Feast will take place in December 2009. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY – Tickets are now on sale for 16^th annual Renaissance Pageant and Feast.

There will be seven performances from Dec. 4 through 6 and Dec. 11 through 13 at Greystone Castle, aka the Historic Middletown Community United Methodist Stone Church.

Tickets are on sale at the Lake County Arts Council's Main Street Gallery in Lakeport, Neft & Neft Realtors on Calistoga Street in Middletown and by phone at 707-987-2653.

This is a family experience to enhance the Christmas season featuring a three-course dinning experience unfolding around a 90-minute musical event. Each year the drama changes and this year the cast includes eight new featured members with exceptional voices.

"I have been to the pageant numerous times over the years and I have always been moved by the story, the music and the food is delicious," said south county resident Meriel Medrano.

"The audience becomes the honored guests at the castle of Lord Greystone and the evening includes four-part harmony of Renaissance and traditional Christmas songs I selected with exceptional sets, dancing and games," said Claudia Listman, music director and founder of the pageant. "Costumes are frequently worn by guests, but not required."

The pageant is produced by the Middletown Community United Methodist Church and community players. All tickets are priced pre-sale only for $30 per person until Nov. 23; $35 per person thereafter.

Friday and Saturday night performances begin at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Guests are asked to arrive between 15 and 20 minutes early as there is no late seating. Special seating is provided for groups of four or more.

"Greystone Castle” is located at 15843 Armstrong St., at Washington, one block east of Highway 29.

For more information call 707-987-2653, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or check www.middletownmethodist.org .

The Who’s Who Celebrity Lip Sync wants you and your favorite group to participate in our Lip Sync fundraiser for the Lake County Chamber.

The actual performances will be March 13, 2010, at the Soper-Reese Community Theater.

Many community members have already signed up for acts. The songs and acts have been identified, but they have a few songs left which have not been assigned any actors/dancers/or singers.

Join us at TJ’s in downtown Lakeport at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. Bring your friends and sign up for an act. Many acts have as few as three actors or as many as 20.

For more information call the chamber office at 707-263-5092 or Jan Parkinson at 707-349-2919.