Nov. 30

The R3 Real Estate office crew, from left, Marianne Schurawel, Christina Acierto, Cheryl and Perry Willard, in front of their 65-foot Redwood illuminated for the holiday season near the corner of Cedar and Daphne streets.

Downtown tree becomes focal point for holidays

By Nick Baptista

   New York has its famous Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center and all eyes in Washington, D.C., at this time of year turn to the Christmas tree at the White House.

   One Valley Springs woman hopes to implement a similar tradition here.

   Marianne Schurawel, an 11-year resident of Valley Springs, convinced her boss, Perry Willard, R3 Real Estate broker, to decorate the 65-foot tall Redwood tree at their 101 Cedar St. office and the public’s response has been outstanding.

   “Folks have always said, ‘Somebody ought to decorate that tree at Christmas time,” Schurawel said, and she went about doing just that with the help of her firm and Dave Beyette of Beyette’s Tree Service.

   She believes it is the first time the tree, one of the tallest in town, has been decorated for the holidays. Her source? Diane Ponte, a 65-year resident.

   Beyette donated the use of his boom truck and subcontracted a “climber” with spikes on his heels to illuminate the very top. The lights were hung Nov. 18 and the tree was lit for the first time on Nov. 23.

   Schurawel said people can see the tree from miles around and she is getting positive feedback.

   “Several people have even called the R3 Real Estate office with praise and thanks,” she said. “It has brought a lot of joy to town.”

   “At night you notice a lot more traffic going by the office and it is slowing down to get a good look at the lights,” said Cheryl Willard, Perry’s wife.

   The tree is decorated in blue lights and the office is illuminated in blue and white lights.

   “If I had to do it over again, I would, but I would have used larger, brighter lights,” Schurawel said.  “Hopefully, next year, and in future years, the town can get together with volunteer groups and illuminate it as a tradition.”  

Nov. 28

Sheng Chi took best cultural demonstration and best of show at last year’s Christmas Parade.

Annual Christmas Parade, Craft Faire Saturday

  It’s predicted Mother Nature will cooperate for the Valley Springs Area Business Association’s 24th annual Christmas Parade & Craft Faire on Saturday.

   Although it does not appear umbrellas will be necessary, warm dress is recommended.

   Weather forecasts predict a cool, partly cloudy morning on Saturday with highs in the high 50s after lows in the mid 30s. The parade begins at 10 a.m. rain or shine on Daphne Street, turns right at the Veterans Memorial Hall and then right at Sequoia where it will disband.

   Parade categories include float (commercial/adult); float (kids organization); walking group (commercial/adult); walking group (kids); vintage auto; vintage fire/farm equipment; honor guard; band; mounted and auto (group).

   “We have 25 parade entries so far and we expect more are on the way,” said Liz Weaver, parade chairperson.

   On the day of the parade, the registration table will be located at the corner of California and Chestnut streets and if you have not already pre-registered, registering prior to 9:30 a.m. is requested.

   After the parade, pictures with Santa Claus will be taken in the tent behind the Vets Hall.

   The Craft Faire at the Vets Hall will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  More than 30 vendors have lots of gift ideas for you and your family, including quilts, ornaments, ceramics, jewelry and baked goods.

Nov. 23

Burson Postmaster Wendi Sherman displays the new Christmas stamps and the convenient Flat Rate Box for holiday shipping.

Local post offices ready for holidays

   The U.S. Postal Service predicts it will deliver 20 billion pieces of mail across the country and around the world up until Christmas and post offices in West Calaveras County are ready for the holiday rush.

   “The Burson Post Office has plenty of Christmas stamps,” said Postmaster Wendi Sherman. “Come in for our fast, friendly service.”

   “We have plenty of Christmas stamps and we’re well staffed going into the holidays,” said Valley Springs Postmaster Dann Myers.

   The earlier postal customers send their cards and packages, the better were words of advice from Myers.

   The Postal Service recommends that all First-Class Mail and Priority Mail be sent by Dec. 20 and that Express Mail be sent by Dec. 22. Mail sent by Parcel Post, the most economical service, should be in the mail by Dec. 15.

   Mail destined for servicemen and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan should be sent by Dec. 4. Mail destined for any other military installation around the world should be mailed no later than Dec. 18. All military mail, regardless of destination, is sent at domestic mail rates.

   Postal customers can go on-line to usps.com and take advantage of Click-N-Ship from the convenience of home, Myers suggested. Customers can pay for postage via credit card, request parcel pick-up and print shipping labels at the site, he added.

   Labels can be printed for domestic and international expedited services - Priority Mail, Express Mail, Global Express Guaranteed and Global Express Mail. Need insurance? Another click and it's done on USPS.com/insurance.

   Going away for the holidays? Myers said it is easy to go on-line at the Postal Service website and make a “Mail Hold” request.

   Another convenience is Priority Mail’s Flat Rate Box that costs only $8.95 to ship anywhere in the U.S., Sherman said.

   To make sure holiday mail arrives on time, the Postal Service has 700,000 employees and more than 200,000 trucks and delivery vehicles. Air cargo transport of the mail increases by 30 percent during the period.

   The busiest mailing day is projected to be Monday, Dec. 17. More than 275 million cards and letters should be mailed that day, more than three times the average daily volume of 82 million. Total mail volume - cards, letters, catalogs, packages, and magazines - for the busiest day should approach 1 billion, up from an average daily volume of 703 million pieces.

   The busiest delivery day is expected to be Wednesday, Dec. 19. Staff at the National Operations Center report for “24-7 duty” on Dec. 1 to help navigate, literally, mail movement around the world.

   “This is one of the most challenging and exciting times of the year for us,” said Pat Donahoe, deputy postmaster general and chief operating officer. “Whether you’re sending a holiday card to Idaho or a care package to Iraq, our employees across the country are committed to success.”  

Nov. 16

Sal Manna with the scales box from the Genochio Store in Camanche.

Preservation society reveals latest treasures

By Nick Baptista

   Numerous artifacts recently acquired by the Society for the Preservation of West Calaveras History were displayed during Wednesday’s meeting of the Valley Springs Area Business Association.

   Sal Manna, founder and president of the society, was the guest speaker and he provided a glimpse to the area’s past through rare photographs, an 1881 remembrance book, an 1886 San Joaquin and Sierra Nevada Railroad bill, and a look inside a wooden box from the Genochio Store in Camanche that contained the gold scales in use at the store from the 19^th century through the 1930s.

   Two of the photos Manna showcased link Calaveras County to two of the nation’s major conflicts. The society has acquired an 1864 photo of Union Capt. Hiram Messenger and a 1917 photo of a then-Southern Pacific Railroad train leaving the Valley Springs Train Depot in 1917 with a passenger carload of local recruits for “The Great War in Europe.”

   A similar photo of the 1917 departure of local enlistees appears in the recently published book “Images of America: Northern Calaveras County” authored by Manna, Judith Marvin and Julia Costello, but the newly discovered photo shows the enlistees shaking hands and waving as they depart Valley Springs and below them along the side of the passenger car is the banner “Calaveras Line.” In other photos, the temporary Calaveras Line banner was unreadable, Manna said.

   Hiram Messenger of Campo Seco discovered copper near the town and used the wealth from his mine to raise and outfit a company of soldiers for the Union. The photo of him in uniform was taken in 1864 in a San Francisco studio.

   Manna said it is extremely rare these days to find photos of Civil War officers from California.

   Another artifact that gave insight to the social connections of early Valley Springs families was an 1881 remembrance book for Katie Maley. Her sister Ellen Folsom gave the book to her and guests would write in it when they came to visit. Manna read several passages penned by area pioneers and Katie’s eventual matrimony was a central topic.

   The look inside the scale box from the Genochio Store had some unique items such as a vial of gold dust and a collect of gold teeth. The box is on loan to the society from Mary Jane Genochio. The town disappeared in the 1960s due to the Camanche Dam project.

   Manna also promoted the first-ever Train Times set for April 26, 2008, at the Valley Springs Train Depot. Depot restoration is under way and the event will rededicate the depot 123 years and one day after the first train rolled into town. 

The all-female Mountain Melody choir along with the Columbia Kicks Big Band will usher in the holiday season Dec. 16.

Arts Council sponsors family holiday concert

   The Calaveras Arts Council is presenting a special holiday concert, “Prelude to the Season,” for families at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, in the Bret Harte Theatre in Angels Camp.

   The event – a kick-off to the arts council’s annual “Ovations” series – promises to be a fun experience to bring the whole family to, dressed up for the holidays or not. The energy of Rod Harris and the 25-member Columbia Kicks Big Band will resonate with a truly American classic holiday repertoire such as “Winter Wonderland,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Frosty” and dozens more. 

   In addition, the program will feature another local group, the 20-member all-female Mountain Melody choir directed by Julie Shelby. Some of their songs will be “Amazing Grace,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and “Pastoral Symphony.”  The band and the choir will join together for a spirited public sing-along of holiday favorites and the two groups will jubilantly conclude with the “Joyful, Joyful.”

   Tickets are only $10 each for adults and $5 each for youth under 18. Proceeds will benefit the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program and the Arts in Education Program of the Council. 

   The actual 2008 season of “Ovations” begins with two concerts featuring the ever-popular “The Sons of The San Joaquin” on Sunday, Jan. 13.  The shows featuring the cowboy trio of Jack, Joe and Lon Hannah are scheduled for 3 and 7 p.m. in the Bret Harte Theatre. Tickets will be $25 each for adult and $10 youth under 18. Ticket sales begin Nov. 19.

   The tickets for all “Ovations” performances can be ordered on-line at www.highsierratickets.com.  For more information, call the Calaveras Arts Council at (209) 754-1774.  

Nov. 9

Jeff Allen, left, and son Brandon S. Allen at Brandon's recent promotion to Master Sergeant (E-8).

Brandon Allen, '90 CHS grad, promoted to Master Sergeant

   Sgt. 1st Class Brandon S. Allen, a 1990 graduate of Calaveras High School, was promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant (E-8) on Oct. 1.

   Allen is the son of Jeff and Tami Allen of Valley Springs. His proud parents flew to San Angelo, Texas, where he is stationed and serving as an instructor at the military intelligence school for the promotion ceremony.

    Jeff had the distinct honor of placing the new rank of E-8 on Brandon at his the ceremony. In addition to senior ranking officers, Brandon’s class and military associates, the ceremony was attended by his wife of 15 years, also a 1990 Calaveras High graduate, Kimberly Ann Allen, and his 10-year-old daughter, Michaela Beth Allen.

   “We cannot believe that in three years Brandon will have served our country for 20 years and have the option to retire,” his father said. 

   Brandon’s career in Army Intelligence has taken him on training missions with the first Green Beret Units at Ft. Lewis Wash., to Alaska, Korea, Canada, Hawaii, California and Texas. He studied Chinese at the language school in Monterey and has the opportunity to attend college in China. After a tour of duty in Hawaii, he was assigned to Texas to continue his military intelligence service. Upon arrival in Texas, Brandon became an instructor in the intelligence school.  He just finished an assignment of drill sergeant at the same base.

   Brandon has been taking full advantage of the education opportunities available to U.S. service members. During his time of service, he has completed two associate arts degrees and his Bachelor of Science. He is currently working on his master’s in business.

   In March, Brandon was inducted in to the prestigious Audie Murphy Club.

   He has received orders to leave for training and a tour in Iraq in January 2008. 

Nov. 7

Maninder Gill and her family are the new owners of Pliler's Market in downtown Valley Springs.

Historical Pliler's Market comes under new ownership

By Nick Baptista

   Pliler’s Market, with roots going back to the early days of Valley Springs, is under new ownership.

   Ranjit and Maninder Gill and their two children assumed ownership of the market at the end of last month from Stephen and Trisha Couch and Jimmy and Tina White.

   The Gill family does not plan to make any sudden changes to the Valley Springs institution and will retain the name, which dates back to the early 1900s. The family has other businesses, but this is their first entry into the retail market business.

   “It’s something different,” said Maninder. “We like the people here and we’ll try our best to keep the public happy. We have a lot of customer service experience and we look forward to serving the people of Valley Springs.”

   The store, located at 54 W. California St. (Highway 12), will remain open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., but hours may be changed in December, said Maninder, and they may expand operating hours during the summer.

   The Gill family lives in Tracy, but a move to Valley Springs could be in the plans.

   “We were looking at a lot of businesses to buy,” Maninder said. “We like small towns and we heard this was a great place for living and it was a good community.”

   Staff will remain the same, she said, with at least one member of the Gill family at the store most of the time.

   “Come and give us a chance to serve you,” she said. “You’ll be a happy customer.”  

Stuart Anderson with a one-of-a-kind Silver State Helicopter Orange County Chopper.

Valley Springs man chosen for project on O.C. Chopper

By Nick Baptista

   An Orange County Chopper paid a brief visit to Valley Springs this past week as a local man designed and began manufacturing a display stand for the expensive bike.

   Stuart Anderson, owner and Fabricator of Circle A Ranch Equestrian Services and Fabrication, was selected to complete the work on an OCC motorcycle made for Silver State Helicopters based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

     OCC is a custom motorcycle manufacturer founded by Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Jr. The company has gained widespread fame by being featured on American Chopper, the reality TV show that first appeared on the Discovery Channel.

   Silver State Helicopters recently arranged a swap with Orange County Choppers: a helicopter for a custom-themed OCC chopper. A helicopter was customized for the Teutuls to use. In exchange, OCC created a custom-themed chopper for Silver State Helicopters, which will be auctioned off with all proceeds being donated to the Children’s Health Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, Ariz.

   Silver State Helicopter began in 1999 primarily as a helicopter flight training business and it has expanded its operations to include search and rescue, air ambulance, aerial tours, photography, law enforcement air support, agriculture and fire fighting.

   Silver State Helicopter wanted to display the bike and Silver State employee Pat Dayton knew "the perfect guy" to build a custom display stand. That is when Anderson - who has been welding for 35 years - entered the picture. He and Dayton grew up together and Anderson was contacted to complete the project.

   The bike, estimated to be worth $350,000 was delivered to Anderson's shop so he could do the measurements and design the stand.

   "An opportunity like this doesn't come along too often," Anderson said. "It was a neat little thing to be dropped on me."

   It did come with some sleepless moments as Anderson, who has lived in the area for the past 10 years, worried somewhat about having such an expensive bike on his property until the past weekend.

   Custom features of the Silver State bike include a wind speed indicator, helicopter pedals, helicopter oil cooler, and the words "Prepare For Takeoff" on the chain guard along with the Silver State logo.  

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