This was the year of the Cat.
More precisely the Wildcats.
Sonora defeated Bret Harte, Calaveras and Summerville in 2012 preseason action.
Then these Cats took second place in the ever-robust Valley Oak League, earning a postseason berth.
In the first-round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV Championships, Sonora dismissed Ceres 9-1.
Then these Cats took 2 of 3 from El Dorado and advanced to the section-championship game.
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All-Area First Team laden with skill, athleticism; chock full of Wildcats
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Bustos flies the skies
Many teenagers look forward to getting their driver’s licenses after they turn 16, but Sonora High School student John Anthony Bustos dreamed of a solo airplane flight and made it come true.
Bustos, who grew up in Groveland, has been taking flight lessons at Columbia Airport since he was 13. He celebrated his 16th birthday in April by flying a Cessna 172 alone for the first time.
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Dems dismayed by Assembly shutout
Democratic Party leaders throughout the State Assembly 5th District were in a sour mood Wednesday as their party will have no representative on the Nov. 6 ballot for the legislative seat.
Though there had been a handful of special elections for vacant offices in the state since voters approved the Proposition 14 “top two” primary in November 2010, Tuesday’s primary marked the first regular statewide election using the system.
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Railtowners scramble after ‘C’ fails
With a July 1 closure date looming, local and state supporters of Railtown 1897 State Historic Park have a short window to figure out how to keep the park open in the wake of Measure C failing at the polls.
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Third-placers weigh in on runoffs
Would-be Calaveras County supervisors eliminated from running for the office Tuesday were still hoping to have influence Wednesday on the campaigns’ outcomes.
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News of record for June 7, 2012
TUOLUMNE COUNTY
The Sheriff’s Office reported the following:
TUESDAY
7:41 a.m., Sonora area — A woman on the 20200 block of Sparrow Lane claimed a home health care worker took several blank checks and cashed them.
8:31 a.m., Jamestown — A newspaper box was stolen from in front of a business on the 18100 block of Highway 108.
10:19 a.m., Jamestown — A man on the 10300 block of App Street said someone removed a license plate sticker from his girlfriend’s vehicle. He found part of the sticker on the bumper of his roommate’s bumper.
10:46 a.m., Sonora area — Someone at a business on the 18900 block of Industry Way said printed company data was stolen.
12:06 p.m., Sonora area — A man on the 14800 block of Blue Bell West said his boat trailer’s license plate was stolen six months ago.
1:51 p.m., Strawberry — About $2,000 worth of tools were stolen from a business near Crabtree Road and Highway 108.
2:07 p.m., Mi-Wuk Village — A woman on the 20600 block of Muheli Road said checks were stolen from her and forged.
3:08 p.m., Sonora area — A man on the 18100 block of Wards Ferry Road said there were $200 in fraudulent charges made to his credit card in Moreno Valley.
10:23 p.m., Sonora area — A man on the 19500 block of Callahan Road said his cell phone was stolen by an unknown suspect earlier in the day.
The Sonora Police Department reported the following:
TUESDAY
7:33 p.m., fight — Someone said there were five women fighting in front of a business on Sanguinetti Road. The caller said one woman was with a baby who was screaming and appeared to have been taken down in the scuffle. A few of them got into a vehicle and left the area. Officers conducted a traffic stop and confirmed the woman and baby were fine. They admitted pushing and shoving had occurred between two of the family members, but no one wanted to pursue criminal charges.
Fire calls
TUESDAY
4:04 p.m., Jamestown area — A wildfire on the 9000 block of Rock River Drive burned 17 acres of vegetation. Cal Fire units from Groveland, Standard, Copperopolis, Twain Harte and Green Springs battled the blaze with the assistance of crews from Sierra Conservation Center’s Baseline Fire Camp. The fire, which Cal Fire said was started by a vehicle, caused an estimated $3,400 worth of damage to the property. No one was injured and the fire was extinguished by 7:36 p.m.
CALAVERAS COUNTY
The Sheriff’s Office reported the following:
TUESDAY
12:26 p.m., San Andreas — A vehicle was vandalized at Gold Strike High School.
12:54 p.m., Valley Springs — A residence was burglarized on Danaher Drive.
3:19 p.m., Valley Springs — A fight occurred on Laurel Street.
3:26 p.m., Valley Springs — A report was taken for battery on Bergsma Lane.
Felony bookings
TUESDAY
5:02 p.m., Angels Camp — Dustin James Pruden, 26, of the 400 block of North Main Street, was booked on suspicion of assault, after an arrest on the 700 block of Mark Twain Road.
7:40 p.m., Valley Springs — Shelly Ann Weldy, 34, of the 1800 block of East Birch Street, Fresno, was booked on suspicion of drug possession, after an arrest on the 4400 block of Baldwin Street.
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Obituaries for June 7, 2012
Lee Francis Pacholl
April 24, 1959 — May 31, 2012
Lee Francis Pacholl, of Sonora, died May 31 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Stockton. He was 53.
A native of San Jose, Mr. Pacholl spent seven years in the military and was a truck driver for 10 years. He lived in the Sacramento area, Sonora, and Rapid City. S.D., over the years, and recently returned to Sonora from Rapid City.
He is survived by his father, Francis Pacholl, of Sonora; his mother, Joan Dorstad-Lynch, of Sunnyvale; sons, Steven Pacholl and Rick Pacholl, both of Brentwood, Frank Pacholl, of Cameron Park, brfthers, Jon Pacholl, of Navarre, Fla., and and Robert Pacholl, of Sunnyvale; and a sister, Lynn Frasher, of Sacramento.
A private gathering will be held. Heuton Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.
Frank Glenn Munger
June 11, 1925 — May 19, 2012
Frank Glenn Munger died May 19 at Avalon Care Center after a long illness. He was 86.
He was born in Detroit, Mich., to Glenn W. and Ella Elizabeth “Betty” Munger. He was raised in Grosse Pointe, Mich., where his father was an administrator at Hudson Motors and his mother was a housewife.
Two major interests which lasted throughout his lifetime were music and golf, which started during his school years. After high school, he went on to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He joined Alpha Tau Omega and played clarinet in the University of Michigan Marching Band. He majored in engineering.
World War II began while he was still in college. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was assigned to duty as a radio operator in Europe. After the war, he returned to the University of Michigan and graduated in business administration.
His parents moved to California when his father retired, and he came with them. They moved to a home on a golf course in Santa Cruz, and he moved to San Francisco where he worked in a bank and lived in a boarding house where he met his first wife. They settled in Los Altos, where their two children were born and raised.
He had by then taken a job as a sales representative for Insul-8, an electric company in San Carlos with affiliates in Canada, England and Australia. The company made electrical rail for transportation systems such as amusement park rides, airport people movers and port cranes. He soon became controller of the company and was its president for the last 10 years of his 35-year career.
His marriage foundered in 1975, and he married his second wife, Jackie Munger, on Feb. 11, 1978. They lived in Belmont and San Mateo.
He retired in 1987 and worked several years as a business advisor in Brisbane. Real retirement began when they moved to Gold Springs in 1993, where they lived for 16 years before moving to Sonora Hills in 2009.
He joined the Newcomers Club and Friends of the Library, where he tutored English and math for the English as a Second Language program. He submitted many of the questions used in the library’s annual Trivia Bee, and enjoyed playing bridge (including duplicate bridge), Sudoku and crossword puzzles, listening to music, gardening, watching golf tournaments and playing with his calico cat, Luna.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, George Munger, of Daytona Beach, Fla.
He is survived by his wife, Jacquelyn “Jackie” Munger, of Sonora; daughter and son-in-law, Janet and Bill King, of Newhall; son and daughter-in-law, Robert “Bob” and Tamara Munger, of Danville; stepdaughter Jan Wiesenfeld, of Olympia, Wash.; grandchildren, Adam King, Brian King and Kevin King, all of Newhall, and Scott Munger and Katie Munger, both of Danville.
Services will be private. Donations may be made in his name to the Humane Society of Tuolumne County, 10040 Victoria Way, Jamestown, CA 984-5489.
Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home handled arrangements.
Sherard Michael Andrews
Oct. 8, 1996 — June 1, 2012
Tuolumne County native Sherard Michael Andrews died June 1 at his home in Sonora. He was 15.
He was born in Sonora to Paul and Theresa Andrews, of Groveland. He attended Tenaya Elementary school, where his father was a teacher, from the age of 2 ½ and continued there until his graduation in 2011. While at Tenaya, he participated in basketball and track.
He attended Sonora High School for the 2011-12 school year, where he played freshman football and participated in wrestling.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by grandparents, Paul Andrews Sr. and Annie Jo Andrews, of Campbell; his uncle, Steve Pullen, of Groveland; and many other aunts, uncles and cousins.
Services were scheduled for 1 p.m. today at Sierra Bible Church. Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home handled arrangements.
Donna Eileen Davis
July 20, 1942 — June 4, 2012
Donna Eileen (Lumsden) Davis, of Sonora, died Monday at Avalon Care Center in Sonora of cancer. She was 69.
She was born in Stockton, the daughter of Howard and Olga Lumsden.
Mrs. Davis was a homemaker, property manager and retired caregiver. She was active at the Calvary Temple in Merced, where she helped with the senior food pantry and other food ministries.
She was preceded in death by her parents and by her husband, Richard Davis.
She is survived by her children and their spouses, Maureen Lindsay, of Merced; Rhonda and Ron Trout, of Twain Harte; Howard and Victoria Judge, of Sonora, Margueritte Davis, of Merced; grandchildren, Thomas Judge, of Sonora, and Daylon Stoddard, of Sonora; a sister,and brother-in-law, Marcia and Dan Bennett, of Sonora; and many stepchildren, step-grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Visitation is from 2 to 5 p.m. today and a funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, both at Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home in Sonora.
Burial will be at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Groveland.
Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
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Letters to the editor for June 7, 2012
Bravo Summerville Elementary School
To the Editor,
Congrats to Summerville El. Just wanted to say thank you, for Steve Artzer bringing back the bell tradition for the kids at Summerville El.
Also, as someone who goes to all the grammar schools to watch sporting events, Summerville El’s campus is always the cleanest, and best kept in the whole county, another accomplishment of Mr. Artzer’s.
Thanks for your dedication.
Mark Aquilino
Sonora
Planning difficulties
To the Editor,
I am very pessimistic about our Calaveras County General Plan Update. Individual choice and property rights are not included in that grand vision of our future.
Getting a permit from any planning department is an expensive and daunting process for even tiny, mundane projects.
My experience with planning tells me that land planning in California is not about planning. It is about control dictated from Sacramento, Washington D.C. and ultimately the U.N.
For example, an organization of planners and “experts” called the Local Government Commission (LGC) met at the Ahwahnee hotel in Yosemite and compiled a document called, The Ahwahnee Principles.
Ahwahnee Principles say we are impairing our way of life by intruding on open space and polluting the air with our cars. It would rescue us with strict government controls over how we live and develop our property. LGC promises Livable Communities, meaning high density Agenda 21 Smart Growth communes.
In effect, we will live as the planner wishes rather than how we, ourselves choose to live. What a rotten bill of goods. They deem us incompetent to make our own life decisions without strict, overreaching government oversight.
If you own land where you hope to build or develop, I strongly recommend that you visit the planning department soon to get a list of the requirements, restrictions and fees before you proceed.
Otherwise you might spend thousands of dollars just for the privilege of hearing “no.”
Even if you do clear all the hurdles, the process could take years. Be warned.
Robert Mulvaney
Murphys
Mother Lode
fish planting
To the Editor,
I’ve heard a few negative remarks from some very disgruntled fisherman whose comments and accusations lack knowledge and substance.
I want to send my thank you’s out to all who work at Moccasin Trout Hatchery. I see them working their butts off almost every week. Their dedication and commitment to our communities is amazing.
Thanks to them my 4-year-old caught his first fish. They also let him throw some fish in the river. For the man who was complaining — shame on you for trying to educate others on things you know nothing about.
Thank you Moccasin Hatchery-Dept. of Fish and Game for everything you do!
Larry Stewart
Sonora
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Election: All but 381 votes counted
With all but 381 provisional votes now counted in Tuolumne County, three local races remain close.
County Supervisor Liz Bass added cushion to her lead over Jim Hildreth for Board of Supervisors District 1. She was up by 28 votes Thursday after county election workers released updated numbers.
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TUD rate vote Tuesday
While the Tuolumne Utilities District is looking at a smaller rate increase for its water customers than the last proposal, some members of the public who attended a special meeting Thursday still believe the district can do better.
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Olsen, Lungren, Denham no longer to represent district
Three soon-to-be former Mother Lode lawmakers will head into the November election in their new districts with healthy leads over their nearest opponents.
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Cal races still up in air
The Calaveras County Elections Office says it will still be days before all of the nearly 1,800 uncounted ballots are processed.
Election officials say the 1,556 mail-in ballots are expected to be counted by the end of today, while the 243 provisionals won’t be counted until early next week.
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CHP worried about DUIs
A Valley Springs man involved in a high-speed crash on Hogan Dam Road earlier this week died from his injuries, making it Calaveras County’s third fatal wreck associated with suspected intoxicated drivers since the beginning of the year.
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$75K match to help save Railtown?
The Sonora Area Foundation and a partner organization have offered $75,000 in matching funding to maintain Railtown 1897 Historic Parking Jamestown.
The foundation’s announcement Thursday followed the defeat Tuesday of Measure C, which would have raised a county lodging tax to support the county fairgrounds and Railtown, which the state has threatened to close July 1 due to budget constraints.
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Rosy Sonora budget forecast
City leaders held a special study session Thursday to discuss the budget for the next fiscal year beginning July 1, and it painted a more stable financial outlook for a city that has struggled with recurring deficits in recent years.
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GCSD fire services in limbo
Representatives with the Groveland Community Services District don’t have a lot of time to figure out how their fire protection services will be structured now that the district Fire Department is losing about a third of its budget.
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News of record for June 8, 2012
CALAVERAS COUNTY
The Sheriff’s Office reported the following:
WEDNESDAY
11:51 a.m., Mokelumne Hill — A burglary occurred on Center Street.
4:58 p.m., Angels Camp — An assault occurred on Pinto Drive.
6:24 p.m., San Andreas — A vehicle was burglarized at a business on West Saint Charles Street.
Fire calls
WEDNESDAY
6:28 p.m., Copperopolis — A tractor cutting grass sparked a small wildfire on the 2000 block of Quail Hill Road. The blade of the tractor struck a rock and started the fire, which burned a half-acre of grass worth an estimated $100 before Cal Fire and Copperopolis fire crews extinguished it at 7:44 p.m. Cal Fire said no one was injured in the incident.
Felony bookings
WEDNESDAY
5:45 p.m., Valley Springs — Samuel Rudy Campa, 29, of the 4600 block of Railroad Flat Road, Wilseyville, was booked on suspicion of manufacturing concentrated marijuana and possession of concentrated marijuana, after an arrest at the Acorn Campground near New Hogan Lake.
TUOLUMNE COUNTY
The Sheriff’s Office reported the following:
WEDNESDAY
8:13 a.m., Tuolumne — A woman on the 18400 block of Pine Street said her purse with prescription medications in it was stolen Tuesday night.
10:56 a.m., Tuolumne — A man said a tire on his grandson’s vehicle was slashed while parked at Summerville High School.
12:29 p.m., Jamestown — A woman on the 17500 block of Wild Oak Drive said she saw her stolen vehicle at a baseball field in Willow Springs on Tuesday.
12:40 p.m., Tuolumne — A woman said her husband’s wallet was stolen from a restroom counter at Black Oak Casino.
Fire calls
WEDNESDAY
7:32 a.m., Columbia — A fire destroyed an unoccupied single-wide mobile home on the 23000 block of Rancho Castanea Road. Cal Fire crews and local units from Columbia College, Sonora and Columbia battled the blaze. The fire also spread to a quarter-acre of brush. It was extinguished by 12:24 p.m. The mobile home worth an estimated $70,000 was a total loss and the cause of the fire is under investigation. Cal Fire said someone owns the mobile home but it’s not a permanent residence. No one was injured and Red Cross was not notified.
Felony bookings
WEDNESDAY
2:38 p.m., Sonora — Michael Martin Snow, 55, of the 400 block of Barretta Street, was booked on suspicion of drug possession, after an arrest at his home.
The Sonora Police Department reported the following:
WEDNESDAY
12:25 p.m., public intoxication — A 47-year-old woman was cited and released for public intoxication after being found “passed out” on a bench in Courthouse Square.
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Letters to the editor for June 8, 2012
Assembly endorsement
To the Editor,
Perhaps surprisingly, given my recent absence of the past few years from the Mother Lode, the third place finish in the Assembly District here was a validation of my campaign for reform in California of its institutions and system of governance in spite of inter-party rivalry that plagued the campaign almost from the start.
And not wanting to burn any bridges, as I may well want to try again in a couple of years, I want to speak frankly to my supporters and those that were not included in the apparent Republican sweep Tuesday in our District.
Though failure to secure a spot in the run-off may well lay at the lack of voter turnout in Tuesday’s election, we are going to have to choose between two establishment Republicans. And I want to go on record that it is my candid and honest opinion the best representation this District can now get in the next term is unquestionably from former State Legislator Rico Oller.
As an engaged participant in the many facets of the spring campaign, it is my informed opinion from direct observation, that Rico most closely aligns himself with concerns of both democratic values, and personal views, that we often both shared during the election, and that will best represent the interests of those who now live in the district.
There were to be true, specific issues that he and I took sharp differences over. That is the nature of our democratic practices in this nation. But the choice is now clear. I thank you again for your unrelenting support and encouragement throughout the district.
Tim K. Fitzgerald
Sonora
Fitzgerald was a Democratic candidate for Assembly District 5.
Tuolumne
County budget
To the Editor,
Just what in the world is going on with county administrator Craig Pedro? One day we have a surplus, the next we have a deficit.
One day we have to sell the mine property for pennies on the dollar because it is so contaminated you can’t even stand on it.
Now it’s OK to build anything you could possibly dream of on it, and we still do not know if the county will be liable for any more clean up costs.
The amounts of money that Mr. Pedro seems to find and then again lose are considerable.
This is not pocket change.
Now the fault lies with the spreadsheet?
That is a simple piece of paper. Who filled it with information? If a computer program was used, I refer to bad info in, bad info out.
Does no one listen to what he says? Can’t anyone remember what he said last month? Now we have overhead revenues?
I could not find a definition for that in the dictionary. This guy needs to step aside and let an independent audit take place and find out where the money is, or is not, and why.
Richard Shears
Columbia
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Stockton duo arrested on drug charges
Sonora
police Friday night arrested a pair of Stockton residents, including one out of prison on parole, on numerous drug charges.
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News of Record for June 15, 2012
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