March 29

Saturday’s grand opening at the Bank of Rio Vista attracted a large crowd, seen hear filling out entry forms for a number of drawings held to mark the occasion. 

Bank attracts large crowd despite inclement weather

   Despite inclement weather, the grand opening for the Valley Springs branch of the Bank of Rio Vista was a tremendous success, said Noella Erichson, branch manager and vice president.

   She received permission from the owners of the soon-to-open Quiznos restaurant to set up tables and chairs in their space across from the bank.

   DJ Walker of KAT Country was broadcasting live and was instrumental in letting people know the bank was continuing to hold the grand opening in spite of the weather, she added.

   In all, the Tri-Dam Lions Club served more than 600 hot dogs to the public. The bank also served popcorn, ice cream and sodas.

March 24

Working on a show-stopping number for April 1’s Calaveras Follies are, from left, Marti Crane, Victoria Erickson, Vicky Henkle, Sherry Moritz and Marisa Casillas.

Valley Springs residents participate in Follies to benefit youth mentoring

By Nick Baptista

   The 2006 edition of the Calaveras Follies is this weekend and a number of Valley Springs area residents plan to participate in the fun event that benefits the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program.

   The Valley Springs Diamond Dolls have a pair of numbers in the show. The group is composed of Marisa Casillas, Marti Crane, Victoria Erickson, Vicky Henkle, Nancy Moritz, Jenny Parks and Rosie Watson with male support from Bill Crane, Jeff Erickson and Richard Silveria. Jennifer Bonomo is director of the Diamond Dolls.

   The event features Calaveras County citizens lip-synching popular songs and show tunes while imitating well-known artists on stage in Mark Twain Hall at the fairgrounds in Angels Camp. The show begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 1, and tickets are $50 per person, which includes appetizers and a post-show cast party.

   This is the second year of the Follies, which is produced by Murphys Creek Theatre. Tickets are available by calling Frogtown at 736-2561. Last year’s event was a sell-out.

   Most of the dolls are first-time cast members. The names of the numbers they will be performing are kept secret to add to the suspense of the evening.

   The Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program is a countywide program based on the Big Brothers Big Sisters model, administered by the Calaveras County Office of Education. For more information about the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program, call 736-6078 or visit online at www.calaverasmentoring.org.  

Mark Bettcher, Laura Evans (center) and Kathy Laughlin of Countrywide Home Loans have moved into their new office in the Valley Oaks Center.

Countrywide opens new office in Valley Springs

   Countrywide Home Loans Inc. has moved to a larger Valley Springs office to help area residents achieve their dream of homeownership.

   The new office is located at 200 Highway 12, the new annex at the Valley Oaks Center.

   Home loan consultants Mark Bettcher, Kathy Laughlin, sales manager Laura Evans and branch manager Claudia Sanders represent Countrywide in the Valley Springs area, working with builders, real estate professionals and prospective homebuyers to provide information on a variety of home financing options for both new and existing homes.

   Bettcher has lived in the area for five years and has more than 20 years in the mortgage and banking industry. He started with Countrywide five years ago in the Stockton office with the promise of a new branch coming to Valley Springs.

   Bettcher is a member of the Rotary Club of West Calaveras, serving as the club’s sergeant-at-arms and will be the president-elect in 2006-07. Bettcher’s wife Celia is a Mother Advisor for the International Order of Rainbow for Girls and Bettcher is a past Rainbow Dad. The couple has two daughters, Jessica, 17, and Jennifer, 15, both Calaveras High School students.

   Bettcher is also a member of the Valley Springs Area Business Association, the Calaveras County Chamber of Commerce, the Valley Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Stockton Jaycees.

   Laughlin and her husband Don have lived in the community for two years. They came here on a vacation “and never went home,” she said.

   Laughlin has been in the real estate and mortgage business for four years. She spends time with her horses and painting when she is not working. She paints mostly in watercolors. One of her pieces recently graced the cover of Anvil magazine.

   Evans has been a Valley Springs area resident for 13 years. She has been in the mortgage and banking industry for 26 years.

   Evans is a member of the Valley Springs Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, an ambassador for the Calaveras County Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Valley Springs Boosters, Valley Springs Area Business Association, and Rotary Club of West Calaveras.

   Her interests include boating on the local lakes in the summer and hitting the nearby slopes in the winter.  

March 22

John Miller has been promoted from assistant manager to manager of the new Starbucks opening at the end of the month in Valley Springs.

Starbucks plans to open March 30 at Valley Oaks

By Nick Baptista

   The new Starbucks in Valley Springs is due to open March 30, according to the manager of coffee house that is being located on the east end of the new retail wing at the Valley Oaks Center.

   John Miller, who has been the assistant manager of Starbucks’ Waterloo Road and Highway 99 store, has been promoted to manager of the new Valley Springs Starbucks operation.

   Miller said the initial hours of operation for the Valley Springs store will be from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Those hours may be adjusted after several weeks of operation, he said.

   Starbucks will celebrate its opening in Valley Springs with a “Friends and Family Night” from 5 to 8 p.m. March 29. Drinks, pastries, cookies and other food will be available free of charge. However, Starbucks will accept donations that will go to the Valley Springs Youth Center.

   “Before we make any money, we want to make sure that we’re helping out the community,” Miller said of Starbucks’ Friends and Family Night.

   The Valley Springs operation is beginning with 26 employees, Miller and an assistant manager. He anticipates the store’s workforce could grow to as many as 35 non-management employees. Starbucks conducted a pair of job fairs to staff the Valley Springs operation.

   Everyone but two of the staffers are new to Starbucks, Miller added. Miller, who resides in nearby Lockeford, himself has been with Starbucks for two years, starting as a barista and working his way to manager.

   The Valley Springs store will offer a new line of prepackaged gourmet salads and sandwiches, said Miller. The prepackaged foods are not available at all Starbucks and offer the convenience of stopping for coffee in the morning and picking up lunch at the same time, he said.

   The Valley Springs Starbucks will be one of nearly 7,000 company-operated or licensed locations in the United States. The company has another 2,700-plus locations worldwide.

March 17

Cornish & Carey out of Roseville is handling pre-leasing for a new commercial development planned for Valley Springs.

Valley Springs attracts office/retail development

By Nick Baptista

   Another project is in the works adding to Valley Springs’ renaissance of commercial development.

   Tom Kuehl, Cornish & Carey Commercial leasing agent in Roseville, said plans for Valley Springs Central Plaza are being prepared for submittal to the Calaveras County Building Department and the owner of the proposed commercial development would like to complete the project by the spring of 2007.

   Kuehl is in the process of lining up tenants for the office and retail complex proposed for property on the east side of Highway 26 between Nove Way and Jean Street.

   The property is zoned for commercial use, Kuehl said, and the owner plans to place a complex of approximately 37,000 square feet at the site. Kuehl said he is seeking mixed uses for the development, which could include cafes, a day spa, pizzeria and professional offices.

   Office space ranges in size from a minimum of 1,200 to a maximum of 5,500 square feet.

  The owner would like to begin construction by the fall and anticipates it will take six to eight months to complete the project, Kuehl added.

   For additional information, Kuehl can be reached at (916) 367-7000.  

March 15

Bud Hoekstra of Glencoe expresses his feelings on Calaveras County planning matters in a non-verbal form at last Monday’s study session before the Board of Supervisors.

Supervisors agree it's time to overhaul county's General Plan

By Nick Baptista

   The first step in a process to update Calaveras County’s General Plan began Monday afternoon when the Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to spend approximately $30,000 for a consultant to evaluate the current General Plan and develop a working plan to move forward with an update.

   The board also voiced its support for several recommendations presented by interim Planning Director Bob Sellman to address the current workload in his department.

   The board provided its thoughts and directions on general plan and planning department matters after a presentation by Sellman and nearly two hours of public comments during the study session held in the San Andreas Town Hall to accommodate an audience of approximately 200.

   According to Sellman, the scope of the $30,000 analysis would be to review each General Plan element and make recommendations on what information needs to be updated, what needs to be revised and to suggest where new goals, policies and implementation measures may be needed. 

   The consultant can also recommend where the county could use language from general plans in other counties, where to combine elements if possible and include a scope of work for proposals to amend the General Plan and where contract work would be needed, Sellman said.

   In addition to identifying the scope of work needed, Sellman said, the evaluation should be helpful in determining to total cost of the update. His report included a rough estimate of $1 million to complete a comprehensive general plan update.

   Sellman also floated the idea of establishing a “General Plan Update and Maintenance Fee” to eventually pay for the upcoming General Plan update and any future updates.

   The board asked the planning director and County Administrator Tom Mitchell to work on proposals for study and consideration. Sellman said he conducted an informal survey of other jurisdictions and their fees are most commonly based on building permit valuations.

   His initial report indicated the county could generate more than $250,000 with the fee and the average fee would be approximately $360 on a 1,500-square-foot dwelling.

   Sellman’s recommendations to help streamline his department’s workload included letting the department accept draft submittals of initial studies for projects from applicants, denying without prejudice projects that have been idle for an extended period of time, and limiting public access to planners during the afternoon to allow them uninterrupted time to process applications.

   District 5 Supervisor Victoria Erickson said she thought the idea of limiting access to the planners would create more work for the department. The office will remain open for all other business and planning technicians will answer phones and work the counter.

   If they do not feel they can answer questions posed to them, the board suggested county planners contacting those individuals asking questions within a day or two.

   Erickson suggested rotating the planners with at least one available to answer questions from the public.

   Public and board comment touched on recent discussion of imposing a moratorium while the General Plan is being updated.

   Sellman outlined strict state regulations concerning imposition of a moratorium.

   The board did not express a willingness to impose a moratorium at this time.  

March 10

Maria Ortner, left, is the new assistant principal at Jenny Lind Elementary School and Amy Hasselwander has been promoted from assistant principal to principal.

Jenny Lind has new principal, assistant

By Nick Baptista

   Jenny Lind Elementary School has a new administration team.

   Although the school has a new principal and assistant principal, the two new administrators are familiar faces to staff and students.

   Amy Hasselwander, Jenny Lind’s assistant principal the past 2 ½ years, last month was promoted to principal when former Principal Karen Dickerson was elevated to director of preschool and after-school care programs.

   Hasselwander’s replace came from in-house as fifth-grade teacher Maria Ortner was selected to serve as the school’s assistant principal for the rest of the school year. Court Henley has been hired to replace Ortner in the classroom.

   Hasselwander began her teaching career in Oakley in 1989. She taught a self-contained sixth grade before teaching seventh- and eighth-grade math and science in the district. She returned to school to finish her master’s degree in educational leadership and obtain an administrative credential at California State University, Hayward. She served two years as an assistant principal in Oakley and two years with the Jefferson School District office in Tracy where she was in charge of overseeing state and federal programs.

   Ortner has been in the education field for the past five years. She started as a substitute teacher in the Lodi and Calaveras school districts and in 2001 she was hired as a long-term substitute at Jenny Lind and has been there ever since. She has taught third grade, fourth and fifth combo and fifth grade.

   Ortner, who lives down the street from Jenny Lind, had been in management prior to getting into education and she sees her prior experience as helpful as she bridges into school administration.

   Hasselwander grew up in upstate New York and her interests include backpacking, especially in the Adirondack s where she keeps track of how many peaks she has climbed.

   Ortner likes to write poetry and now she is busy getting her daughter ready for college.

   Hasselwander and Ortner want to empower students to take learning into their own hands. Teachers and staff provide students with the tools necessary to be good students.

   In an era of school accountability, Hasselwander said it is important to focus on increasing test scores. The school’s test scores have gone up considerably the past few years and she will work with staff and students to continue the trend.

   Increasing student achievement should be a key factor in all school-related actions and decisions, she added.

   Hasselwander said she is pleased to work at a school “with an incredibly supportive parent population. All we have to do is ask for something and the parents will come out and help. That’s real positive for the school.”

   Changes at the school include resurrection of the Student Senate and introduction of a leadership and student safety program.

   Fourth-grade teacher Wendy Evans will have time on Fridays to implement the programs for the school’s sixth-grade students. The student safety program will be similar to a safety patrol. In addition to stressing leadership and safety, the program emphasizes being safe, being responsible and being respectful, Hasselwander said, which important values to live under and the direction she would like to point students toward.  

March 8

Newly elected Valley Springs Chamber of Commerce Board members are, from left, Elaine Alves, Liz Weaver, Kevin Squire, Kathy Gehrke, Laura Evans and Nick Hodgson. Not pictured is Board President Dave Tanner.

New directors at work reorganizing chamber

   The Valley Springs Chamber of Commerce is in the process of reorganizing after seven new members were elected last month to the Board of Directors.

   The new board is composed of Elaine Alves, Laura Evans, Kathy Gehrke, Nick Hodgson, Kevin Squire, Dave Tanner and Liz Weaver.

   The new chamber board met for the first time on Monday and discussed future steps at Wednesday’s general membership meeting.

   Prior to last month’s board election, chamber membership expressed frustration with the direction the chamber had been heading and chamber members are encouraged to attend today’s meeting and participate in the discussion.

   Frank Eckblom had been the chamber president the past six years.  

March 3

The western portions of Calaveras County shaded in peach, yellow and light blue will be surveyed early for the presence of mosquitoes that may carry the West Nile virus.

Search to begin in area for mosquitoes that can carry the West Nile virus

   Preliminary 2006 mosquito surveillance and control measures for the west portion of Calaveras County have been developed.

    The Calaveras County Environmental Health Department and San Joaquin Mosquito and Vector Control District staff will likely begin surveying areas within parts of Supervisorial Districts 1 and 5 within the next few days for purposes of determining early spring and summer mosquito breeding habitat.

   The assessment may result in the chemical treatment of water bodies to help curtail the development of mosquitoes that may carry West Nile virus. Within two miles of the Calaveras/San Joaquin County boundary, the vector control district will survey and recommend treatment at no cost to the county.  The additional and larger area will be treated at no cost to the county as such costs will be covered by a grant secured through the California Department of Health Services.

   If water bodies are to be treated, all applications will be done in accordance with state law and through and by the San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District. Chemical applications are not to include aerial spraying or neighborhood fogging. Treatment of water bodies on private lands will only be done with the knowledge and consent of the property owner.

   This program is designed to help curtail West Nile virus and is aimed at those species of mosquitoes (Culex) that have the ability to carry and transmit the virus.  This program will not be addressing those species of mosquitoes that present themselves primarily as a nuisance.

   Calaveras County Environmental Health staff has and will continue to trap and identify mosquitoes for purposes of determining where treatments should be made within the specified treatment areas.

   In addition, a joint study session - including the Environmental and Public Health Departments - is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. March 13 in the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors chambers. This study session will update the board on mosquito control and West Nile virus within Calaveras County. 

Mail: P.O. Box 1297, Valley Springs, CA 95252 
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