Serving the communities of Valley Springs, Burson and Wallace

Jan. 28

Dick Brown is all smiles after receiving the award as Jenny Lind Fire Protection District’s Firefighter of the Year. Brown has been with the district for 20 years, is a captain in the department and a former chief.

Jenny Lind Fire recognizes efforts of firefighters, citizens

By Nick Baptista

   A 20-year member of the Jenny Lind Fire Protection District has been recognized for his contributions to the department.

   Capt. Dick Brown was selected as Jenny Lind’s Firefighter of the Year. Fire Chief Brian Chavez-Ochoa announced the selection at the district’s annual awards dinner on Jan. 24.

   The district’s firefighters make the selection and it was the fourth time Brown has received the honor. He is one of the district’s four captains and during his 20-year span with the organization he has served time as the fire chief.

   Barbara Boston, the wife of board member John Boston, received the Fire Chief’s Award. Chavez-Ochoa said the award recognizes non-firefighters for their contributions to the district.

   Barbara has been a member of the fire district’s auxiliary since its inception, the chief said, and participates in all of its events. In addition, she was instrumental in putting together and overseeing the auxiliary’s scholarship program. The auxiliary awards two $1,000 scholarships annually.

   A moment of silence was observed at Saturday’s dinner for the 114 firefighters nationwide and eight in California who died in the line of duty last year.

   Chavez-Ochoa said it is a reminder that all firefighters, whether they serve in a large department or a smaller one such as the Jenny Lind district, can never become complacent.

   Firefighters were also recognized for their years of service to the district. First-year pins were awarded to David Azevedo, Hunter Halsted, Thomas Land, Mathew McKelroy, Jessica Mullin, Zach Roy and Drew Utterback, while Mickayla Cochran and Krystle Gleason received two-year pins.

   Three-year pins were presented to Tony Daniello and Joel Smith, with Joe Butler and Jason Robitaille receiving five-year pins.

   Six-year pins were presented to Mike Cammisa, Naser Estakhri and Kris Hinds, while Al Engel received an eight-year pin.

   Recognized for serving a dozen years for the district were Virginia Greenough, Scott Mullin and Kirk Tanner, while Brad Palmer has served 14 years, Steve Buettner 15 and Brown and Ron Cleland received 20-year pins.

   The Jenny Lind district consists of volunteer, part-time and full-time personnel who serve an area consisting of Rancho Calaveras, Jenny Lind and rural west Calaveras County generally along Highway 26 to the San Joaquin County line.

   The auxiliary, board, several members of the public, and the firefighters’ spouses and significant others were also acknowledged for their contributions to the district.    

Jan. 23

File photo of Jeff Palm when he was serving as Foothill's fire chief.

Foothill Fire board member in program to drop felony plea

By Nick Baptista

   A “Deferred Entry of Judgment” was granted during a sentencing hearing Tuesday for Foothill Fire Protection District board member Jeffrey Brian Palm, 37.

   If Palm successfully completes a drug diversion program, a felony drug charge he pleaded guilty to last month will be dropped.

   Palm was arrested Oct. 25 in Tuolumne County on suspicion of transporting controlled substances, and misdemeanor counts of having a concealed firearm in a vehicle, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.

   At a Dec. 17 court date, Palm entered pleas of guilty to possession of a controlled substance, a felony, and having a concealed firearm in a vehicle, a misdemeanor.

   The potential sentence for the felony was three years in state prison.

   Palm will be in the deferred entry of judgment program for up to three years. Within 30 days he has to show proof he has enrolled in the substance abuse program through Tuolumne County or another authorized provider. He has nine months to complete the substance abuse program.

   In addition, he cannot use or possess any unauthorized drugs, narcotics or controlled substances and submit to drug or narcotics testing as directed by probation or peace officers.

   The deferred entry of judgment may be ordered terminated and sentence imposed at any time if he fails to comply with the conditions.

   Superior Court Judge Eric L. DuTemple granted the deferred entry of judgment.

   The Oct. 25 arrest was made shortly after Palm left his job near Sonora and stopped to check the sticker price of a car on display at the local Subaru dealership on Mono Way. Palm said he was carrying his prescription medication in a zip-lock bag and he had a permit for the weapon, which in court documents was described as a pistol.

   Palm was elected to the fire protection district board in 2007. He also served as chief of the district before being demoted to assistant chief and eventually dismissed from the district’s volunteer list.  

Jan. 21

Dave Tanner discusses what’s taking place at La Contenta Golf Club, including plans at his left for a new hotel.

Plans for 44-room hotel at La Contenta revealed

By Nick Baptista

   The first phase of a major facelift at La Contenta Golf Course has been completed and plans for a 44-room Best Western hotel at the site were revealed Thursday morning at a meeting of the Rotary Club of West Calaveras.

   Dave Tanner of Tanner Consulting was the speaker at the club’s weekly meeting and he outlined what has transpired and what is in the works since builder Ryan Voorhees purchased a major portion of the partnership running the golf course a year ago.

   A 1,600-square-foot pro shop at the north end of the La Contenta parking lot has been completed and work is under way to remodel and expand the existing clubhouse, Tanner said.

   “Wonderful things are happening a La Contenta,” he said. “We are going in a new direction and Ryan has made a tremendous investment.”

   The investment comes at a time when the economy and the golf industry are experiencing hard times, he added, but improvements will make La Contenta a community asset for many years to come.

   The banquet facility in the clubhouse is being doubled in size to accommodate 300 people and the facelift includes an outdoor wedding and event area, patio dining, and a redesigned and expanded cocktail lounge, Tanner said.

   But the piece de resistance to the renaissance at La Contenta will be the addition of the on-site hotel.

   La Contenta has been working with Best Western, which is excited about eventually having a facility in this area, Tanner said.

   Best Western does well in the foothill communities of Angels Camp, Jackson and Sonora and believes a hotel in Valley Springs will also be successful since it will be located just off Highway 26 and there is limited competition in the area, Tanner added.

   The 44-room hotel will include two banquet rooms and situated on a “limited foot print” to the south of the parking lot.

   The new pro shop, remodeled clubhouse and hotel will match architecturally with a modern mission theme. Some exterior ornamental work still needs to be completed at the pro shop, where a grand opening ceremony is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday Jan. 30.

   Dave Rider, La Contenta’s director of golf, welcomes the new pro shop, which includes a number of other improvements at the golf course, such as the introduction of a golf GPS system. GPS has been installed to La Contenta’s entire fleet of golf carts to help speed up play and the pro shop has monitors to see what is happening at the T-boxes.

   If play is slowing down, the pro shop can quickly send a marshal to the bottleneck and maintain the pace of play, Rider said. The GPS system is great for tournament play, featuring a live leader scoreboard and scorecards can be printed out in the pro shop.

   Golfers can also order meals off the system and there are advertising opportunities available for local businesses, Rider added.

   He’s also pleased with the ability of the larger pro shop to offer a wider variety of soft goods such as clothing and sporting goods.  

Jan. 16

The 2009 Valley Springs Jazz Festival logo.

Valley Springs to host jazz festival in April

By Nick Baptista

   Plans have been announced for Valley Springs to follow in the footsteps of communities such as Monterey and Newport, R.I., by hosting a jazz festival.

   The 2009 Valley Springs Jazz Festival has been scheduled for April 25 at The Terrace Plaza at the corner of Highway 26 and Vista Del Lago.

   The Valley Springs Boosters will present the one-day festival, with proceeds going to the music programs at Calaveras and Bret Harte high schools, the Calaveras Arts Council and the Boosters, said Dave Tanner, who is helping organize the event.

   Plans call for the main parking lot at The Terrace to serve as the stage with a huge tent covering the venue. Tanner said the tent and stage would accommodate seating for about 500 people.

   The jazz fest will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a number of bands already committed to the event, he added.

   World-renowned brass, trumpet and trombone player Mic Gillette of Tower of Power fame will serve at the festival’s master of ceremonies, Tanner said.

   “This event is scheduled to be an annual event that is destined to grow both in size and over the next few years, grow in days,” Tanner said. The Terrace Plaza will serve as the venue for the next two years, but plans call for the festival to switch to La Contenta Golf Course following renovation of the course and clubhouse and the addition of a Best Western hotel.

   Artists for the event include the Mario Flores Latin Jazz Band, the University of the Pacific’s Dave Brubeck Institute Big Band and the Blue Note Combo, the Columbia College Big Band and big bands from Delta and California State University, Stanislaus, and more are being added, Tanner said.

   The Mario Flores Latin Jazz Band is the event’s special guest star. The group delivers rhythmically vibrant soundscapes in the tradition of Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Chano Pozo, Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo, Tanner said.

   Gillette recently moved to Calaveras County, Tanner said, and his Mic Gillette Band is recording its second album and will perform at the festival.

   In addition to TOP, Gillette is famous for being a member of Cold Blood and The Sons of Champlin. He has toured and recorded with The Doobie Brothers and Santana, and has released a solo CD entitled "Ear Candy" on the BKA Records label.

   The site will include 46 vendor booths featuring local art, music CD’s, food and beverages. The festival is working with local restaurants to provide the food services.

   Admission will be in the neighborhood of $25, Tanner added.  

Jan. 14

Operation Military Support volunteers, from left, Maxine Vidas, Flo Butera, Jann Hart and June Downum receive a $500 donation from Bill Brinlee Post 102 American Legion presented by Post Commander Don Powlesland, Past Judge Advocate Ben Kirby and 60-year member Lee Phifer.

Legion post challenges community to donate to Operation Military Support

By Nick Baptista

   Bill Brinlee American Legion Post 102 in Valley Springs has donated $500 to Operation Military Support and has issued a challenge to other organizations and individuals to do likewise.

   Operation Military Support is a grassroots, volunteer, non-profit organization based in Calaveras County with a goal to make sure every man and woman in our country’s military service is reminded that his or her sacrifice and work is appreciated "back home.”

   The organization receives names of military men and women overseas who do not receive regular mail from home and connects them with volunteers who want to boost the spirits of our military personnel.

   Operation Military Support sends letters and packages to service people overseas on a weekly basis and the Legion’s donation will go toward helping defray those postage costs, said Post Commander Don Powlesland.

   “Without cash contributions they would have to shut down,” he added.

   In all, Operation Military Support averages about 100 packages overseas a month and the cost ranges between $7 and $10 a package, so expenses are nearly $1,000 a month.

   The VFW post in San Andreas recently stepped up with a $500 donation and its auxiliary contributed $100.

   Operation Military Support is beginning its seventh year of operation and can be reached by emailing oms@operationmilitarysupport.com. They also have a website at www.operationmilitarysupport.com.

Jan. 9

CHP Lt. Tim Port 

Area CHP office has new commander

   The California Highway Patrol office in San Andreas has a new leader.

   CHP Lt. Tim Port has been selected as the new area commander.

   Port is no stranger to Calaveras and Alpine counties. He was assigned to the San Andreas area office between May 1997 and November 2001.

   He graduated from the CHP Academy in March 1982 and was promoted to sergeant in 2003. His promotion to lieutenant came in 2006.

   In addition, Port’s previous CHP assignments have included State Capitol Protection Section, State Terrorism Threat Assessment Center and the Counterterrorism and Threat Awareness Section dealing with state homeland security operations.

   His most recent assignment was as executive officer for the Stockton CHP.

   Lt. J.R. Pelfanio, the former CHP area commander out of San Andreas, has been transferred to the Office of the Assistant Commissioner in the Sacramento area.  

Jan. 7

Gary Tofanelli, left, Tom Tryon and Steve Wilensky take the oath of office at the beginning of Tuesday’s Calaveras County Board of Supervisor meeting. Tofanelli and Tryon were elected in November, while Wilensky won in last June’s primary race.

Russ Thomas wins power play for board chairman

By Nick Baptista

   District 5 Supervisor Russ Thomas was elected chairman of the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning after several turns and twists that resembled a plot out of a Shakespearean play.

   Thomas, who served as vice chairman of the board last year, assumed he would be selected as board chairman in 2009. However, on Monday Thomas said he received a New Year’s Eve phone call from newly elected District 1 Supervisor Gary Tofanelli.

   According to Thomas, Tofanelli said he was going to make a motion to appoint District 3 Supervisor Merita Callaway as the 2009 chair at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting “for the good of the county.”

   “He and others sense that - if I become chairman - Steve Wilensky’s ‘running of the county’ will simply continue,” Thomas said.

   When it came time for the board meeting, and the appointment of a new chairman, Tofanelli at first was silent.

   The board on a 3-2 vote, with Callaway and Tofanelli voting in opposition, opened the matter up to public discussion.

   Several members from the audience urged the board to follow the practice of selecting the vice chair to chair the board, while one member said District 4 Supervisor Tom Tryon should have been the vice chairman last year, but Thomas nominated himself for the position.

   District 5 resident Les Martin said he didn’t come to the board meeting to see Tammany Hall in progress, referring to the corrupt politics of New York City in the 19th Century. Martin said the board should follow normal procedure and select Thomas as its chairman.

   “It’s childish what is going on here,” Martin said.

   Catherine Jackson of Wallace urged the board to avoid conflict by following the established protocol of selecting the past vice chairman as the new chairman, while Darryl Rusk of Burson also called for selecting Thomas as the new chairman.

   Rusk said it was the logical pattern to follow.

   Tryon argued that there is no established precedent that the vice chairman automatically becomes the chairman. Callaway agreed and said the selection is based on merit and is totally up to the board’s discretion.

   Tryon, not Tofanelli, made a motion to select Callaway as the new board chairman.

   Before Tryon could get a second to his motion, Callaway announced she did not want the position at this time and “out of respect for the recent practice” nominated Thomas for the position. Tofanelli seconded the motion.

   Tryon said he would not vote for Thomas because it would be a “repudiation of my election.” He added it also was a repudiation of Tofanelli’s election and the 2007-08 Calaveras grand jury report.

   Tryon went to the grand jury last year and among a number of issues accused Thomas, Wilensky and former District 1 Supervisors Bill Claudino of violating the state’s open meeting law and protecting former Community Development Agency Director Stephanie Moreno from scrutiny from allegedly mismanaging her department.

   Tryon characterized his past two years on the board with 2008 Chairman Wilensky and Thomas as “a living hell” and “less than honorable relationship.”

   Wilensky thanked Callaway for setting aside personal considerations and nominating Thomas. He praised her for adding a level of civility and congeniality to the board and it was a good start to the new year.

   The vote was 4-1 in favor of selecting Thomas as chairman with Tryon as the lone vote of dissent.

   Thomas said it was not his style to have controversy on the front page of the newspaper, but each supervisorial district should be represented in a proportional manner as board chairman.

   If Tryon last year had been selected as vice chairman, and made the chairman this year, that would have been three times he has been chairman in the past 10 years, while District 5 supervisors have had the honor only once in the past 10, Thomas added.

   “That’s not fair to the citizens of District 5,” Thomas said.

   Thomas provided the final twist in the series of events when he made a motion for Tryon to serve as the vice chair in 2009. Tryon declined the seat and nominated Callaway. Tofanelli seconded the motion and Callaway was approved on a unanimous vote.  

Jan. 2

Jenny Lind Veterans Memorial District President Andy Ballantyne, left, presents a donation from the district of an All Pro Selfpriming Pump to Foothill Fire Chief Michael Siligo and Jenny Lind Fire Chief Brian Chavez-Ochoa.

Fire departments receive help from memorial board

By Nick Baptista

   The Jenny Lind Veterans Memorial District has donated a piece of spare equipment that should find good use with the area’s two fire protection districts.

   Memorial District President Andy Ballantyne on Wednesday presented an All Pro Selfpriming Pump to Foothill Fire Chief Michael Siligo and Jenny Lind Fire Chief Brian Chavez-Ochoa.

   The pump, according to Ballantyne, was one of a number of items the district purchased in bulk at a substantial discount from a tool vendor. The district was able to put most of the equipment – which included two generators - to use or sell it. However, the pump was a different story and the board decided the fire departments could make better use of it.

   The pumps value is estimated at $500.

   Neither department has a portable pump, and the fire chiefs agree the new piece of equipment will come in handy.

   Chief Siligo said the pump would be carried on Foothill’s ladder truck and available to Jenny Lind when requested.

   Designed to remove water, the chiefs said such a pump would have come into use during the Cosgrove Creek flood of 2006.

   Chief Siligo added that the donation is timely since his department next month will conduct flood operations training.

   “It’s a nice tool to have and we’re thankful,” said Chief Chavez-Ochoa.