Serving the communities of Valley Springs, Burson and Wallace

Aug. 27

Josie Martinez Ornum, program director for the soon-to-open Mountain Oak Health Center in San Andreas, in front of the “giving tree” acknowledging those who have donated time or money to open the non-profit clinic.

Non-profit clinic preparing to serve region's uninsured

By Nick Baptista

   A vision by several concerned citizens to provide free or low-cost health services to the growing number of people in today’s tough economic times who are finding it difficult to obtain medical care is about to become a reality.

   Josie Martinez Ornum, the program director for the soon-to-open Mountain Oak Health Center in San Andreas, said the idea to start a non-profit clinic to serve the region began last December and the center is expected to open the first week in October at 556 Mountain Ranch Road, across the street from the CalWorks building.

   “Our mission is to provide primary care to anyone with or without medical insurance within the valley and Sierra foothills communities,” she said.

   Mountain Oak Health Center has passed the first step of licensing through the California Department of Health Services to be a community clinic and is waiting to be certified by the department, she said.

   Staffing is in place and training will begin soon “so when we get the green light from the state to open we’ll be all set, trained and ready to go,” she added.

   In addition to Ornum, who is a Family Nurse Practitioner, the staff will include Dr. Edmund Yao as medical director, a Registered Nurse, a Physician’s Assistant, Medical Assistant and receptionist. There will also be many volunteers working behind the scene, some of who are in the health field.

   The center will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Ornum anticipates they can handle 25 to 30 appointments a day. Dr. Yao will be at the center once a week to oversee the operation of the clinic and also see patients.

   Mountain Oak Health Center will accept all major health insurance including Medi-Cal and Medicare.

   Patients without insurance will be charged for services on a sliding-fee schedule from $0 to $25 based upon their salary and ability to pay, Ornum said. In addition, as a non-profit, they’ve been able to negotiate for low-cost lab fees.

   Obtaining the right location was a key to opening the clinic and Jean Fox of Fox Realty and Management in Valley Springs “was very instrumental in getting us this site,” she said.

   She also praised the owners of the building, David and Sheila Howard, “who have been very generous and understanding of our mission.”

   The 1,700-square-foot center has five examination rooms. Much of the equipment has been donated or purchased at reduced cost and volunteers have spent many hours preparing the center for its opening.

   The clinic has nearly 30 volunteers who “are working day and night,” Ornum said. “It’s exciting and a lot of people understand our cause. The people working and volunteering at the clinic feel ownership. Without the volunteers, this place wouldn’t be where it’s at and ready to open.”

   A focal point in the center’s lobby is a “giving tree” that acknowledges those who have made donations or volunteered toward the opening of the clinic with a leaf placed on the tree containing their name.

   Funding has been through private donations and several fundraisers are scheduled. Ornum has a master’s degree in public health administration, which has proven useful in the paperwork necessary to open the clinic and with the help of several volunteers, they are seeking grants.

   However, it is difficult for a start-up to receive such funding without a track record, she added.

   “But that doesn’t stop us. Unless we ask, we’ll never get an answer and we’re not shy at knocking on doors.”

   One such donation has come from the Cache Creek Casino and the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians. Tribal Chief Marshall MacKay made a three-hour drive to visit the center and quickly gave his blessing to the project.

   “He saw the need and took us at face value,” Ornum said. “It was so wonderful.”

   To help raise additional funds, the center will have an Oct. 9 tournament at La Contenta Golf Club. For more information, call Meryl Parreira at (209) 869-2691, or Sheanna Castillas at (209) 304-7071.

   Plans for a Halloween costume ball at the Preston Castle are also in the works, along with a 2011 calendar featuring the area’s men and women in public service. The calendar is being titled “Rescue Me” and Ornum is looking for six more models. She can be reached at (415) 699-5078.  

Aug. 25

Gail Belmont, left, Willene Seavey and Jan Evans were among the nearly 50 people to participate last month in a Valley Springs Empty Bowls decorating class. 

   The upcoming Valley Springs Empty Bowls event benefiting the community’s food banks is gaining momentum.

   Recent Empty Bowls painting and decorating classes leading up to the Sept. 22 fundraiser for local food banks have attracted about 100 participants and nearly 200 bowls have been completed for the event with more due in.

   The food banks at Good Samaritan and Community United Methodist Church are the beneficiaries.

   West Calaveras County residents can participate from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, by purchasing a decorated bowl for $15 and enjoying a simple lunch of soup and bread donated by area restaurants, community and church members.

   The meal will be served at the Methodist Church, located at 135 Laurel St., Valley Springs. Drive through will also be available and there will be a raffle. The number of raffle tickets a person receives will be based on how many cans of food they donate. Bring five cans, get five raffle tickets, 10 cans, 10 tickets, etc.

   When finished, those who bought the lunch take their beautifully handcrafted bowls home as a reminder they helped ease someone else’s hunger.

   One hundred percent of each meal’s proceeds will be donated to the food banks of the two participating churches.

   Valley Springs Empty Bowls event organizers have a goal of 200 decorated bowls being made before the Sept. 22 event. They have 140 so far.

   Empty Bowls is a program initiated in 1990-91 by art teacher John Hartom. His idea was to organize a charitable event to give artists and arts students a way to make a personal difference. Empty Bowls allows participating artists and groups to create and donate bowls to be served with the simple meal.

   The merchants of the Valley Oaks Center and The Valley Springs News are hosting the Valley Springs Empty Bowls event.

   Advance tickets are available at the churches; The Valley Springs News, 1906 Vista Del Lago, Ste. L; Showtime Video, 200 E. Highway 12 in the Valley Oaks Shopping Center, and Gallery Calaveras, 22 Main St., San Andreas.

   The public is encouraged to help with the event by donating raffle items, gift certificates, their time as volunteers, or donating soups and breads for the meal.

   In addition, local artists are encouraged to participate by creating decorated bowls. The bowls can be food safe or simply for decoration. In some communities, ceramic artists are joined by wood turners, glass blowers, fiber artists, metal smiths, painters, sculptures and craftspeople.

   To participate, call The Valley Springs News at (209) 772-2234. Bowls, donations and gift items can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the office, 1906 Vista Del Lago, Ste. L. In addition, donations can be sent to the Bank of Rio Vista, Valley Spring, CA 95252, made out to “Valley Springs Empty Bowls.”

   For more information, or to charge tickets or donations, contact Vip Hale at 772-2234.  

Aug. 20

Valley Springs artist Marchand Heimann poses with her colorful wild women.

County's biggest visual arts event approaching

   Over the past four years, the Calaveras Artists Studio Tour has worked its way into the heart of the community and is now one of the county's biggest annual celebrations of the visual arts.

   The fifth annual Artists Studio Tour coming up on Sept. 25 and 26 brings artists and art lovers together in relaxed and friendly studio environments where the various elements of art are shared and enjoyed.

   More than 30 artists will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days for questions and discussion as they “show their process” and reveal how, why and where they create their artwork. Purchase original art or prints or unique gift items directly from the artist.

   The tour is self-guiding through the purchase of a $10 per person “Passport.” Pocket or purse-size, use it as a road map and a collectible. Artists are represented with a color photograph of their work and studio address with directions. Select those you would like to visit, then locate the studio numbers on the map. Spread your trip over both Saturday and Sunday. Travel the backroads and enjoy the early fall landscapes. Simply pack up family and friends and discover that Calaveras County’s art is as delectable as its wine and gold rush towns.

   To help sort through all the different styles and types of art available, Gallery Calaveras in San Andreas starting Sept. 10 has a preview show of participating Studio Tour artists. Plan your personalized trip of which of 35 artists you’d like to visit. From the sun-washed Tuscany-style studio of Sarah Switek or the woodsy cozy studio of Ruth Morrow, or the eight artists clustered together in Glencoe, the tour provides a once a year treat to the general public to enter the intimate setting of where artists create.

   There’s art for all tastes, including photography to jewelry, pottery to painting, fine woodworking and iron work and garden gates, even rug hooking. Invite family and friends and have fun for two days winding your way through backroads to reach Arnold, Murphys, Angels Camp, Copperopolis, Valley Springs, Mokelumne Hill, Glencoe and Mountain Ranch.

   Artists on the tour this year include James Aarons, Mary Anderson, Sharon Baker, Roxi Berlin, Frank Bianchi, Kevin Brady, Judie Cain, Kathleen Canning, Randy Carlins, Cate Culver, Melinda Englebrecht, Bonnie Gill, Carol Goff,  Marchand Heimann, Susie Hoffman of Galerie Copper, Susan King, Debra Lawlor, Ann Nancy Macomber, Larry Mersek, Ruth Morrow, Cathi Newlin, Bambi Papais, Robin Price, Pamela Quyle and Quyle Kilns Studio, Marilyn Richards, Margaret Roberts, Emily Ryslinge, Edie Schembri, Claudio Schwalm, Sarah Switek, Joani Taylor, Andy Trinkle, Janet Trinkle, Martha Wallace and Carrie Zaro.

   Some artists will be sharing their studios for the ones who are too remote. Artists will be able to accept cash, check or credit cards for art purchases.

   The map and brochures called Passports can be purchased during the tour at the studios or in advance starting Sept. 1 at Gallery Calaveras at 22 Main St., San Andreas, or at several outlets that will be listed on www.calaverasarts.org. For more information, or to reserve Tour Passports, call (209) 754-1774.

Dan Klement, the new principal at Valley Springs Elementary School.

New VSE leader plans to become a familiar face

By Nick Baptista

   Valley Springs Elementary School has a new principal and one of his goals is to become a familiar face at the campus for many years to come.

   Dan Klement, formerly the assistant principal at Jenny Lind Elementary School, has been promoted to the principalship at Valley Springs Elementary.

   He replaces Tim Garrison, who was the VSE principal for two years, and due to retirements and promotions, the school has had four principals in the past half-dozen years.

   “I keep hearing the question ‘how long are you going to be around’ and it’s one of my goals to provide stable leadership,” Klement said. “I don’t see this as a stepping stone.”

   Klement has been in the education field for 10 years and was a vice principal for two years at a middle school in Sacramento before he and his wife decided to move to the foothills to raise their family. His wife Sinead is from Amador County and that is where they now reside with their daughter Maeve.

   Upon making the move, Klement taught fourth grade for a year at Jenny Lind and was the assistant principal the past two years.

   To help familiarize himself with the parents and the community, Klement has started a monthly “Coffee with the Principal” meeting where he receives feedback and input.

   The first coffee meeting attracted 25 parents and one of the first questions was how long did he plan to stay at VSE.

   “It’s nice to feel connected to the community,” he said. “I love living up here and being a part of the community and I plan to stay a long time.”

   Reflecting on the opening weeks of the school year, Klement said, “I’m absolutely loving it. We have a wonderful, caring staff. We have a strong PTO, great parent involvement and we hope to continue the great work done in the past.”

   One of the challenges facing him and the staff in the opening days of school has been a new drop off and pick up arrangement since the lot previously used for that purpose is the site for the new veterans and community hall and construction plans are moving ahead.

   “It was pretty incredible,” Klement said. “Everything shifted to the front of the school and the whole staff got out there with orange vests and made the transition as smooth as possible. We still have some things to address, but it’s a big challenge with 500 kids.”

   Another challenge is budget reductions. Klement said he has been impressed with the number of people, organizations and churches stepping forward and asking how they can help to soften the blow of budget cuts, which include the elimination of sports programs at the elementary level.

   “One of my goals is to connect with the community and reach out and see how we can strengthen these partnerships and serve the children,” he added.

   The elementary band program is being looked at as an area for future cuts and Klement said that would be a shame as the program is seeing a record number of students signing up.

   “We have 75-plus kids signed up – so many that we don’t have enough room for them. This is going to be a tremendous program and I hope there is an opportunity to keep the elementary band program going.”

   The school also has a vibrant after-school program, Klement said, that supports homework and provides enrichment programs. Applications are available in the office and there are scholarships and fee-based slots.

   Klement graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in business. He spent a year in private business before switching to the public sector.

   He is finishing his master’s thesis at California State University, Sacramento in educational leadership.

   Klement said he has obtained a board perspective on different educational systems as a child being a student in another county – England – and attending a variety of schools during his childhood, along with teaching and being an administrator at the elementary and middle school levels.

   “It’s all been very useful to me,” he added.  

Aug. 18

Tim Brown, formerly the postmaster at Copperopolis, has taken over the helm as the new postmaster at the Valley Springs office.

New postmaster for Valley Springs

By Nick Baptista

   Tim Brown is Valley Springs’ new postmaster.

   Brown, formerly the postmaster at Copperopolis, replaces Dann Myers who moved to his hometown post office at Bethel Island in mid-February.

   Brown has been with the U.S. Postal Service for 16 years. He started as a clerk in the Salida Post Office and was the postmaster in Copperopolis for 12 years. In addition, he has been the officer-in-charge at Atwater and Turlock and a customer service manager in Manteca.

   “This is a good opportunity for me – it’s one level higher than Copperopolis,” Brown said about his move and promotion.

   Brown is familiar with the Valley Springs community through his years working within Calaveras County at the nearby Copperopolis office and frequently boating at New Hogan.

   “It’s a good office, with good employees and a nice community,” he said.

   He does not see any changes at the Valley Springs office in the foreseeable future.

   Brown, who began his duties as postmaster at the Valley Springs office at the beginning of August, said he is a stickler for customer service, right after employee safety.

   He lives in Escalon with his wife Gina and their daughter Megan, who is a college student. Gina is a Registered Nurse in Modesto.

   Brown’s official swearing in ceremony as Valley Springs’ postmaster is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24.

The former Schwoerer residence at 169 Daphne St., the second oldest residence in the Valley Springs townsite, is on the market.

 One of town's oldest homes on the market

By Nick Baptista

   One of the oldest homes in Valley Springs is on the market.

   The former residence of George "Dutch" and Lucy Schwoerer at 169 Daphne St. is listed by Debbie Shaw at Realty World Classic Foothills Properties in a short sale for $119,000.

   According to local historian and author Sal Manna, the house is the second oldest residence in the Valley Springs townsite. It was built in 1889 by the Methodist Episcopal Church as the parsonage and served as the home for Methodist preachers until a new parsonage was built in 1950.

   The building was subsequently used for Sunday school, group meetings, as a social hall and as housing for non-resident ministers.

   The property in the late 1950s was sold to the Schwoerers, who owned it until Dutch's death in 2006.

   The house is 992 square feet with two bedrooms and a bathroom, while the lot is 5,663 square feet and also has an oversized detached garage.

   A short sale is a sale of real estate in which the sale proceeds fall short of the balance owed on the property's loan. It often occurs when a borrower cannot pay the mortgage loan on their property, but the lender decides that selling the property at a moderate loss is better than pressing the borrower.

   If there is no buyer, the property could go into foreclosure and be auctioned off.  

Aug. 13

Motorists traveling along State Route 26 near South Burson Road were subjected to some inconveniences for approximately an hour Wednesday morning after a solo big-rig accident. No injuries were reported. Photos by Steven Judson.

Big rig spill spells trouble on State Route 26

   Sukha Singh of Hayward escaped injury last Wednesday morning after he lost control of the big rig he was driving on State Route 26 near South Burson Road.

   According to Rebecca Myers of the CHP, Singh was westbound on State Route 26 transporting a load of riprap from Valley Springs to the Bay Area at about 8:10 a.m. He was traveling at approximately 40 mph when he entered a curve near South Burson Road and due to his unsafe speed, the trailer flipped on its right side. The entire rig came to rest on the right side of the road and blocked both lanes of travel.

   Traffic flow was disrupted for nearly an hour as the accident scene was cleared.  

Aug. 11

District 5 Supervisor Russ Thomas points toward Hogan Dam Road and down the project route for a new local road he envisions to relieve rush hour traffic woes in downtown Valley Springs.

Supervisor offers inexpensive option to intersection work

By Nick Baptista

   Motorists’ workday morning and late afternoon frustrations navigating the State Route 12/26 intersection through Valley Springs could be alleviated at no cost to the taxpayers, in a relatively short time and without spending $2.5 million to $4 million on a project with the potential to ruin the downtown.

   District 5 Supervisor Russ Thomas would like to see the county pursue a local connector road linking Hogan Dam Road with Lime Creek Road.

   The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday was scheduled to discuss the SR12/26 Intersection Improvement Project and Thomas expected some of the talk to focus on the local bypass he favors.

   It’s clear from the engineering firm working on the intersection improvement project that neither a signal nor a roundabout will solve the morning and late afternoon traffic woes at the intersection, Thomas said.

   “The signal (or roundabout) in and off itself will not be enough of a solution to alleviate the traffic congestion problem,” Thomas said. “Add to that the fact it will change the flavor of that area of Valley Springs forever. It will severely compromise people’s ability to conduct business at that intersection.”

   Draft plans for the four-way signal solution call for the acquisition of 5,891.7 square feet and elimination of 11 of 31 on-street parking spaces, while the roundabout would require 7,939.9 square feet and eliminate 17 of 31 on-street parking spots.

  It will take a series of improvements to accommodate existing and future traffic demands in the Valley Springs area, he said, and construction of the local connector road will go a long way to alleviating the existing rush-hour congestion.

   In addition, the connector road would remove the pressure to make the irreversible decision to tear up much of the downtown to accommodate a signal or roundabout, he said.

   He has been in discussions with the Ponte family and the Calaveras County Water District to place the proposed connector on a strip of land that previously – many decades ago - served as a road. Much of the old roadbed is still visible.

   The proposed new roadway in between Hogan Dam and Lime Creek roads is approximately 4,800 feet long and Thomas estimates it would cost approximately $1 million to $1.5 million to pave it 20 feet wide.

   It follows a small ridge and is above the sensitive wetland area along Springs Valley Creek.

   The county has $7.5 million in its Road Impact Mitigation fee account, and while those funds would be tapped for the initial work, Thomas envisions the county entering into a development agreement with the Pontes and the up-front, public funding eventually being reimbursed as building occurs in the area.

   Such an agreement would call for the dedication of a 100-foot right-of-way so it does not foreclose future transportation options in the area, he said.

   The timeline for completion of the connector project could be within 18 months, he added.

   The intersection improvement project projects a 24- to 30-month timeline.

   Thomas and District 1 Supervisor Gary Tofanelli are holding a public meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 11, at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 189 Pine St., Valley Springs.

   Topics include Cosgrove Creek flood mitigation and creek maintenance, the Valley Springs Community Plan update and comments will also be accepted on the intersection improvement project.  

Aug. 6

Former Jenny Lind Fire Chief Brian Chavez-Ochoa.

Bogus letter used to fan flames in Jenny Lind Fire feud

By Nick Baptista

   Personnel matters plaguing the Jenny Lind Fire Protection District the past month could be heading toward litigation and at the root of the potential legal action is what is now being called a bogus letter from a former firefighter alerting the public to command staff improprieties.

   In the wake of the letter, Fire Chief Brian Chavez-Ochoa resigned and the district’s Board of Directors last week indicated they intended to place Division Chief Scott Mullin on paid administrative leave.

    Chavez-Ochoa this week issued a statement saying “the letter was a hoax and the inspiration of a conspiracy hatched by both present and former Jenny Lind firefighters as well as others in the community.”

   The letter, which first appeared July 14, 2010, on thepinetree.net was attributed to a Josh Coscellar, a “former Jenny Lind Fire Probationary Firefighter.”

   Chavez-Ochoa said he was skeptical of the letter since Joshua Castellar’s name was misspelled. That prompted Chavez-Ochoa to contact Castellar who has written the former chief saying he did not write the letter in question.

   The letter accused the command staff of physical harassment, misappropriating public funds, dereliction of duty and inept leadership.

   Chavez-Ochoa said thepinetree.net provided him with the original e-mail containing the bogus letter and subsequent postings in response to the original e-mail.

   “Each post contained the IP addresses of the senders thereby allowing identification of the individuals posting the blogs,” Chavez-Ochoa said.

   The former fire chief said the original letter, several of the subsequent blogs and faxes of the letter have been tracked down to a computer and fax number at the Mokelumne Hill Fire Protection District.

   In addition, five blogs in response to the letter e-mailed to thepinetree.net were sent from the computer and/or router of the Central Calaveras Fire and Rescue Protection District.

   One firefighter, in particular, works for both districts and was on duty each day the e-mails and faxes were sent, Chavez-Ochoa said.

   “It is also equally clear that more than one individual engaged in the scheme to libel the chief officers of the Jenny Lind Fire Protection District,” Chavez-Ochoa said in his statement. “We are making every effort to hold all of the individuals responsible for these fraudulent and libelous act(s) accountable to not only the community but also having to answer for their fraudulent behavior in the Superior Court.”

   The former fire chief, who also practices law in Valley Springs, said he has spoken with the Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office and is asking for “a criminal investigation to determine whether or not any criminal culpability is inherent in this noted malicious conduct.”

   In the meantime, Chavez-Ochoa said he is pursuing civil action against those behind the letter and blogs.

   An official from the Jenny Lind Firefighters Association credited the letter for an increase in public participation at last month’s regular meeting of the Jenny Lind board.

   “I wonder what the people will think that have attended the last two board meetings of the Jenny Lind Fire Protection District when they learn that their anger is precipitated by a lie and the lie was promulgated by individual(s) with present and former ties to the Jenny Lind Fire Protection District based upon selfish and fraudulent motivations,” Chavez-Ochoa added.

   The former chief is also representing Mullin and has placed the district on notice that it has violated the division chief’s employment rights and expectation to privacy regarding personnel matters.

   The board at a July 30 special meeting reached a consensus to place Mullin on paid administrative leave after receiving a letter of no confidence from some of the volunteers and a harassment complaint for one firefighter.

   The matter was not on the agenda and Mullin never received notice of the pending action against him, Chavez-Ochoa said.

   Mullin has received a “Right to Sue” notice under the provisions of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.

   In a complaint of discrimination, Mullin said he is being harassed because he took “good faith discipline actions against an employee for significant safety and health violations.”

   Chavez-Ochoa said Mullin is seeking an order to restrain the district from further discriminatory actions and monetary damages.  

Aug. 4

Reviewing an aerial view of possible improvements, including a four-way traffic signal at the State Route 12/26 intersection, at Monday’s public workshop are, from left, Don Powlesland, Andy Ballantyne and Gene Quarton.

Intersection work draws skepticism

By Nick Baptista

   Details concerning two new intersection plans for Valley Springs were revealed at a Monday evening workshop that raised concerns whether there would be much of a downtown left once one of the projects were completed.

   “Your project will be a nightmare,” said Andy Ballantyne of Rancho Calaveras.

   He said the proposed intersection improvements would ruin the downtown’s character, disrupt too many businesses, substantially reduce the number of downtown parking spaces and most of all harm pedestrian access.

   He called for a feasibility study before any one of the projects moved forward.

   A recent survey of Valley Springs’ residents indicated they were in favor of a bypass to solve the downtown’s traffic woes, said Pat Perreira of Campo Seco. No project was the public’s second choice, she added, and there was no support for a roundabout at the intersection.

   Matt Boyer of Dokken Engineering outlined his firm’s findings so far.

   Right-of-way acquisition and construction of a traffic signal at the intersection will cost $3 million to $4 million, while a roundabout will be $2.5 million to $3 million, a local bypass will cost between $5 million and $7 million, and a state highway bypass will be from $40 million to $50 million-plus.

   The county’s share for construction would be between zero and 12 percent, except for the local bypass, which would have to be 100 percent funded by the county.

   The four-way signal solution would require the acquisition of 5,891.7 square feet and eliminate 11 of 31 on-street parking spaces, while the roundabout would require 7,939.9 square feet and eliminate 17 of the 31 on-street parking spots. Both proposals cut into the Tri-Dam Realty office on the southeast corner of the intersection.

   Both of those projects could be completed within 24 to 30 month time spans, while it could take 30 to 42 months for a local bypass/connector and 76 months to 10 years for a state highway bypass.

   Seanna Hogan of Valley Springs questioned whether now was the time to spend any money on highway improvements given the state of the economy and the debt being piled up by the state and federal governments.

   Valley Springs developer Guy Myers said the money has already been collected through gas taxes and development fees and it is Caltrans’ responsibility to fix the intersection, something it should have done 20 years ago.

   Valley Springs developer Jeff Davidson said a number of traffic improvement projects could be done in phases, with the bypass being the final solution.

   “We need to keep doing something,” he said, and not stand still.

   Work could begin with improvements in the downtown and private proposals, such as his Mission Ranch subdivision, could work with the county to have new roads alleviate some of the existing traffic problems, he said.

   Davidson said he was concerned with the loss of parking in the downtown and suggested that the final intersection plan should address how those spaces will be replaced.

   District 5 Supervisor Russ Thomas said he agreed with Davidson’s idea about phased solutions and working with landowners to provide new routes, such as the one through the Ponte Ranch and identified in Dokken’s study as a bypass alternative alignment.

   A study session on 12/26 intersection improvements is scheduled for next Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting, Boyer said.