Serving the communities of Valley Springs, Burson and Wallace

August Archives

Aug. 30

Foothill firefighters for the time being are prohibited from entering burning buildings.

OSHA limits rescue work by Foothill firefighters

By Nick Baptista

   Individuals trapped inside a burning building or automobile within the Foothill Fire Protection District will have to wait at least an additional four minutes for certified firefighters to come to their rescue.

   The state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration earlier this month imposed restrictions on Foothill prohibiting fire district volunteers from entering any burning buildings or automobiles until they had completed certification to use their self-contained breathing equipment.

   In the meantime, certified firefighters from Jenny Lind, San Andreas and the California Department of Forestry will perform those duties inside the Foothill district. Foothill firefighters are allowed to roll on those calls and provide whatever assistance possible.

   Foothill can also respond to call such as medical emergencies that do not require them to wear air tanks.

   Jenny Lind Fire Chief Brian Chavez-Ochoa said his department more than likely would be the first on the scene able to use their air tanks to enter burning buildings and automobiles.

   Although it has been procedure in the past to immediately dispatch Jenny Lind for structure fires in Foothill, the chief said, his department would now be dispatched immediately for any automobile fire in the Foothill district.

   Even with the immediate dispatch in both instances, Chavez-Ochoa said there would be a four- to five-minute delay from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for his crews to travel from Jenny Lind Station No. 1 at Highway 26 and Jenny Lind Road to the Foothill border and an additional three to four minutes in the evening.

   “It’s not optimal, but we’ll do our best,” he said.

   Chavez-Ochoa added that Jenny Lind has offered Foothill any assistance it might need to become compliant with Cal OSHA regulations.

   “It’s unfortunate and I hope they can come into compliance quickly so they can respond to their calls,” Chavez-Ochoa said.

   The restrictions were imposed Aug. 19 and Foothill is working to comply with the regulations, which require physical examinations to determine whether the volunteers are healthy to wear the protective masks and a “fit test” to determine whether each firefighter’s face mask fits properly.

   Jenny Lind has not received a time frame as to when Foothill will be ready to respond to calls within its district requiring the use of air tanks, Chavez-Ochoa said.  

Aug. 25

Developers Dave Swarbrick and Greg Thompson say high sewer connection fee are deterring two restaurants from coming to the new commercial center at Highway 26 and Vista Del Lago.

Developers take high fee concerns to CCWD board

By Nick Baptista

   The owners of Valley Springs’ newest commercial development want some relief when it comes to paying for sewer connection fees.

   Dave Swarbrick and Greg Thompson of Thompson Swarbrick Development Co. presented their case Wednesday before the Calaveras County Water District’s Board of Directors.

   The two men are building the commercial center on the southeast corner of Vista Del Lago and Highway 26 and have two “upscale” restaurants interested in locating at the site.

   However, the restaurants have balked at signing leases after learning it will cost $141,000 each in sewer connection fees.

   In all, CCWD sewer connection fees for the complex at build-out could hit $373,791.

   The utility district is looking at updating its connection fees for water and sewer and a rate hearing has been set for Sept. 27.

   Swarbrick presented the board with a paper comparing CCWD’s connection fees with fees for the Tuolumne Utility District, Amador Water Agency, Murphys Sanitary District, Valley Springs Public Utility District and the city of Jackson.

   CCWD “is way beyond any of them,” Swarbrick told the board.

   For a similar 100-seat restaurant, Amador had the next highest connection fee at $56,490, while the city of Jackson had a fee of $9,500 that compared to CCWD’s fee of $313,866 for one building at the center.

   The equity of CCWD’s calculations also came into question. While it costs $14,100 for a dwelling unit in CCWD’s La Contenta sewer system to hook up, it costs $5,500 for sewer hook-ups in the rest of the district. However, the district is proposing substantial increases in water and sewer fees in several areas.

   Swarbrick also questioned the reasoning for saying a 100-seat restaurant is equal in connection fees to 10 dwelling units.

   Commercial development in the area has been slow at least in part due to excessive connection fees, he said.

   District 5 Director Jeff Davidson said he agreed that the high fees retard commercial development, especially when the county’s Road Impact Mitigation fees are added to development costs.

   However, Davidson went through Swarbrick’s comparison list and pointed out that the districts charging lower connection fees may not be the most solvent and CCWD’s rates have not changed and should not be a shock to the developers at this time.

   Davidson urged the district to consider allowing the connection fees to be paid in installments. Board Chairwoman Bertha Underhill echoed Davidson’s thoughts.

   “I’m hearing the same thing,” she said. “By the time they pay this fee what do they have left?

   District 2 Director Bob Dean supported the installment idea and suggested at 20 percent deposit to go along with monthly payments.

   The district could also consider looking at the number of fixtures in the buildings and charging per fixture.

   CCWD General Manager David Andres said that method could arrive at some different cost numbers.

   Davidson said CCWD’s connection costs would go down if the district were able to receive a discharge permit from the state. The permit could reduce sewer costs in half, he added.

   Andres also suggested reconsideration of the seating numbers in an effort to reduce the hook-up costs.

   Thompson said the two restaurants they are looking at would not consider signing leases with the connection fees at $141,000.

   He urged the board to act quickly on the matter.

   “We can’t hold them for months,” he said. “They’ll go elsewhere.”

   Thompson he and his partner had told the prospective tenants that they would split the costs of the connection fees and the restaurants felt the charge was still too high.

   Tillie Soyland, past president of the Valley Springs Area Business Association, lives nearby the new commercial development and said she thought the fees were excessive.

   “It seems unfair that La Contenta sewer fees are higher than everywhere else in the county,” she said.

  Soyland said she was looking forward to a greater choice of restaurants in the area and urged CCWD to work quickly on the matter.

  The center is nearing completion and Curves is the lone tenant at this time, Thompson reported. He said a bank is looking to move into the center and if the hook-up fees can be reduced an Asian Bistro is very interested in moving in, which will complete one wing at the complex.  

Recently sworn in a Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department volunteers or sergeants were, from left, Shirley Sattler, Mike Gamerl, Helena Bitter, Georgia Hemrich, Carla Pedrini, Jim Aguilera, Donna Franz and Bill Cook.

Locals joins Sheriff's Department volunteers

   Calaveras County Sheriff Dennis Downum swore in six new members of the Sheriff’s Volunteer Unit during the August Volunteer meeting.

   The new volunteers are Bill Cook of Burson, Georgia Hemrich and Carla Pedrini of Valley Springs, Jim Aguilera of Arnold, Helena Bitter of West Point and Donna Franz, Copperopolis.

   The swearing in of volunteers is more than just ceremonial as it confirms their responsibility to work closely with the Sheriff’s Department in its mission of upholding the law in Calaveras County.

   Volunteers offer a wide range of assistance to the Sheriff’s Department by staffing the five substations, patrolling residential areas, businesses, schools and parks, providing crowd control at major county and community events and performing clerical and other assistance to various departments within the Sheriff’s office. Volunteers are not involved in actual law enforcement activities.

   In addition, Shirley Sattler of Valley Springs and Mike Gamerl of Copperopolis were recently promoted to volunteer sergeant. These positions include the supervision of the volunteers in their respective areas and the responsibility for all volunteer activities in the area.

   Although the addition of six new members has helped the volunteers come closer to meeting their commitment of performing crime-prevention activities, more help is needed, according to the department. Anyone interested in joining the volunteer group is asked to visit any of the five Sheriff’s substations located throughout the county.

Aug. 23

Phase One of the fire station in Burson should be enclosed by the end of the week.

Foothill's Burson fire station taking shape

By Nick Baptista

   Work is progressing rapidly on the Foothill Fire Protection District’s Burson firehouse.

   Located off Highway 12 at Helisma and Fitzgerald roads, installation of the steel skeleton for the garage is under way and the structure could be enclosed and insulated by the end of the week, according to Foothill Board Member Wayne Fry.

   The 3,200-square-foot garage has three bays. The second phase encompasses pouring a foundation for two modulars currently sitting at the corner of Highway 12 and Burson Road. The modulars, approximately 1,400 square feet in size, will be moved closer to the garage and serve as offices.

   “We’re getting some pride back into our community,” Fry said. “Things are coming along and we’re progressing.”

   Earlier this month, the fire district’s board of directors accepted a $16,900 bid from Allan Askew for installation of the steel garage. Fry said a vote on the type of doors to install at the firehouse is expected soon. He sees the garage structure ready for occupancy in early October.

   The modulars have been at the site for several years. Despite some vandalism, they don’t look that bad, Fry said.

   Earthwork is also under way for the installation of a 30,000-gallon water storage tank the district is receiving as a donation from the Clements Fire Department.

   The fire board earlier this year received criticism from the Calaveras County Grand Jury for its slowness in completing the Burson project.  

Aug. 16

Ambulance and fire crews assist those injured in a two-vehicle accident Monday evening on Highway 12 in front of the Valley Oaks Shopping Center.

5 injured in rush-hour accident

   Five people were injured in a two-vehicle accident at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 14 on Highway 12 near the south entrance into the Valley Oaks Shopping Center.

   According to the California Highway Patrol, a 2006 Ford driven by Albert M. Araujo, 24, of Burson was exiting the parking lot and pulled out on to Highway 12. The CHP said Araujo apparently did not see an eastbound 2002 Mitsubishi driven by Veronica Campbell, 33, of Wallace.

   Campbell’s vehicle struck Araujo’s auto broadside and then overturned.

   Araujo sustained moderate injuries and was transported to Doctor’s Medical Center in Modesto for treatment. Ben Silva, 23, of Fall River, Mass., a passenger in Araujo’s vehicle, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Memorial Hospital in Modesto.

   Campbell and two of three children in her vehicle sustained minor injuries. She was going to seek treatment on her own, while Hayden Campbell, 8, and Ryan Campbell, 6, were transported to U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

   The accident snarled downtown traffic for more than an hour while the injured were removed from the vehicles and two medical helicopters were landed to transport several of the victims to hospitals.  

Aug. 11

Bill Watts, owner of Valley Springs Tire and Auto Repair, in one of six cars he had competing in the Amador County Fair's Destruction Derby.

Valley Springs Tire enters six cars in Amador derby

   Bill and Tammy Watts, owners of Valley Springs Tire and Auto Repair, entered six vehicles in the Amador County Fair Destruction Derby held Sunday, July 30, in Plymouth.

   Best finish for the group was in the top four of the Hard Luck competition.  Bill was doing fine, but the ignition switch went out.

   Mindy Cox made it to the finals in one of the six vehicles.  The Amador Fair does not have a “Powder Puff” event for women only, so Cox was in a tough fight with all of the other contestants until her starter went out about half way through the event.

   Other drivers for Valley Springs Tire were Sean Cox, Andrew Trudeau, Steve Bryant and Jennifer Beardsley.

   Bill received sponsorships from local area businesses: Valley Springs Napa, Paradise Pool, DJs Hair, Bronze Lounge, Monster Electronics, Top Quality Insulation, Elite Nails, Bank of Rio Vista, C&J Music, Mail Depot, Etc. and Beardsley Services. Out of town sponsors Blackjack Enterprises, CPD Wireless and North & South Shore Camanche Lake.

   Bill and the crew plan on entering their next destruction derby Sept. 3 and 4 at Cal Expo in Sacramento. 

Aug. 9

Paul James Coca and his mother Noreen at the family's new Firefall Jewelers store in the Valley Springs Plaza.

Firefall Jewelers opens new store at Valley Springs Plaza

By Nick Baptista

   Firefall Jewelers is the latest addition to the Valley Springs Plaza at 10 Nove Way in Valley Springs.

   The new Valley Springs jewelry store is the Coca family's second retail operation. The family opened its first store nearly three years ago in Angels Camp.

   Paul and Noreen Coca are the owners and their son Paul James manages the Valley Springs store. He is a graduate of the Gemologist Institute of America and he encouraged the family into going retail. His father is a master goldsmith with more than 20 years of experience and he was servicing several stores in the Bay Area. Prior to getting into the field of making jewelry as a hobby, he was a mechanical engineer in Silicon Valley.

   "We wanted a change and we sold our house and made a move to the foothills," said Noreen. "It was the best move we ever made."

   Prior to the move, Paul James was a manager for several jewelry stores in the Bay Area.

   In addition to retail sales, Firefall Jewelers offers custom jewelry and repairs. The business has two pieces of equipment seldom seen in an operation of its size - a laser welder and a CAD/CAM graphics and milling machine. The laser welder can fix almost any jewelry, while the father and son jewelers can use the CAD/CAM machine to produce custom jewelry.

   The family goes to Antwerp, Belgium, once a year to buy diamonds for its jewelry and belongs to the Independent Jewelers Organization, the largest diamond-buying group in the world.

   Firefall Jewelers offers a collection of colored stones from Phillip Zahm and the Bart Leddell International Collection. The Zahm collection has won the Spectrum Award two years in a row for colored stones. Both are colleagues and personal friends of the Cocas and Leddell will make a rare visit to the store.

   Firefall Jewelers offers free cleaning and jewelry inspection in its stores. Repairs make up 30 percent of Firefall's business and all repairs are done within the store, except for watches.

   "We get tons of repairs because of our reputation for excellent work," said Paul James.

   The hours for the new store at Suite L in the plaza are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The store will be open seven days a week during the holidays. The phone number is (209) 772-7388. Firefall Jewelers also offers in-house financing on its sales.

The growth of vegetation along the banks of Cosgrove Creek has raised an alarm of concern.

Supervisors back plans to clear Cosgrove Creek

By Nick Baptista

   Calaveras County’s Public Works Department received authorization from the Board of Supervisors on Monday to begin channel maintenance efforts on Cosgrove Creek prior to the beginning of the rainy season.

   Public Works Director Rob Houghton outlined three phases regarding flood control issues in the county during Monday’s study session and the board voiced support for Houghton to begin work on the first phase, which concentrates on channel maintenance along Cosgrove Creek to avoid a repeat of April’s flooding.

   Phases two and three, which call for the county to take a greater role in flood protection and the possibility of establishing a flood control district, will continue to be discussed, said Board Chairwoman Merita Callaway.

   Phase one calls for the county to secure rights of entry along the creek, obtain the proper permits from state and federal agencies and schedule and coordinate channel maintenance between now and early October.

   Property along the creek is in private hands, Houghton reported, and the county though its 1992 Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance has generally viewed it is the property owner’s responsibility to maintain such channels.

   Supervisors voiced displeasure with the county’s policy of notifying property owners that they are in a flood plain, but allowing them to build anyway. The county has issued approximately 100 building permits within the Cosgrove Creek 100-year flood plain.

   “It’s unconscionable that the county issued building permits,” said District 4 Supervisor Tom Tryon. “It has to stop in my opinion.”

   Tryon backed efforts to clean the channel this year, but he did not want the county to assume the role as “the main ditch tender.” He said residents within the flood plains should form benefit district and self-assess themselves for on-going maintenance costs.

   Cosgrove Creek couldn’t be in any worse shape than it is now, District 1 Supervisor Bill Claudino said. He predicted there would be problems even in a normal winter if no action were taken.

   Area residents Joseph Bechelli and Dave Wilcox voiced concern at the status of the creek.

   “I see it happening again,” Wilcox said of the flooding. “The creek is a forest.”

   Wilcox’ condominium on St. Andrews Drive was flooded in April.

   In addition to the removal of vegetation, Bechelli suggested the removal of sediment that has been allowed to build up in the channel.

   Becky Hannah, owner of the Thomas Center at Highway 26 and St. Andrews Road, the site of heavy flooding in April, said she is powerless to try to solve the flooding situation in her immediate area because her property does not include the creek and she doesn’t have the right or responsibility to maintain that portion of the channel. The flood cost her $35,000 in repairs and she has seen her property go from being in a 200-year flood plain when she bought it to a 100-year designation.

   She was told the change was made due to all of the development in the area.

   If she had known the property was in jeopardy of constant flooding, she said she would never had bought it.

   District 5 Supervisor Victoria Erickson said it was important for the county to begin work on phase one. She added she looked forward to further discussions concerning the county’s eventual role in flood control.

   District 2 Supervisor Steve Wilensky said it was important to determine how the county got into the present situation and it would weigh on his decision as to how much responsibility to county should shoulder. One of the county crews is doing brushwork in his district and he said he would be “happy” to lend them in the efforts along the Cosgrove channel.

   Wilensky added that if Cosgrove Creek has flooded five times in the past 10 years, it is actually in a two- not a 100-year flood plain.

   Houghton estimated it would cost $25,000 to perform the channel maintenance, while Claudino and County Administrator Tom Mitchell identified $50,000 in expenses. Mitchell said the county has funds for the project.

   Valley Springs resident and planner Dave Tanner said the detention basis he is working on with the Calaveras County Water District will be helpful in decreasing the area’s flooding problems. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers likes the plan and could pay a majority of the costs, he added.

   Clearing the creek takes care of some of the smaller problems, but you can only go so far, he said.

   The county should look at establishing larger retention basins in the area, funded through future development, he added.

   The likelihood of residents taxing themselves for flood control maintenance is doubtful, Tanner said, so doing it right in the first place will decrease the need for ongoing maintenance fees.  

Aug. 4

Gail Belmont, left, is seated with about half of the patriotic quilts prepared with the help of Valley Springs Elementary School students for the October Quilt Show.

Quilt guild, pupils team up for show

   The Oct. 7 and 8 Quilt Show put on by the Loose Threads Quilt Guild of Valley Springs will benefit Valley Springs Elementary School.

   Working with members of the guild, students in the school’s 21 classrooms last school year drew patriotic quilt blocks and those blocks were placed on 21 quilts the guild completed and will showcase at the event. Plans call for the quilts to be auctioned off to the public and the proceeds returned to each class.

   The quilts are in a variety of themes including Red, White and Blue, Frog and Flags, The Cat in the Hat, the Twin Towers and Patriotic Stars.

   “The kids were really excited about the whole thing,” said Virginia Belmont of the Loose Threads Quilt Guild. Twenty-nine members of the guild assisted the children with the project.

   The guild members also told the students about the history of quilts and their Quilts of Valor program to provide a handmade quilt to each service man and woman wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

   The average quilt has 20 blocks prepared by the students and range from throw-sized to twin-sized.

   The students also wanted a contest. The public will have an opportunity to vote for the best student quilt at the show and the winning quilt will receive a “People’s Choice Award.”

   The show will be at the Valley Springs Elementary School multipurpose room and the hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 7 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 8.  

Aug. 2

State Sen. Dave Cox discussed the importance of upcoming bond issues when he addressed the Rotary Club of West Calaveras.

Area legislator outlines his views on ballot issues

By Nick Baptista

   Three bond issues on the November ballot were under the spotlight when State Sen. Dave Cox paid a visit July 27 to the Rotary Club of West Calaveras County.

   Sen. Cox, who district includes Calaveras as well as Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Plumas and Sierra counties, and portions of Nevada, Placer and Sacramento counties, voiced his support for Proposition 1B, the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006.

   At the same time he was not enthusiastic about Proposition 1C, the Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2006, nor 1D, the Education facilities: Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2006.

   1B if adopted would authorize the state to sell $19.925 billion in state general obligation bonds for specified purposes, including high-priority transportation corridor improvements, State Route 99 corridor enhancements, trade infrastructure and port security projects, school bus retrofit and replacement purposes, state transportation improvement program augmentation, transit and passenger rail improvements, state-local partnership transportation projects, transit security projects, local bridge seismic retrofit projects, highway-railroad grade separation and crossing improvement projects, state highway safety and rehabilitation projects, and local street and road improvement, congestion relief, and traffic safety.

   Sen. Cox said the 1^st District would receive hundreds of millions of dollar in improvements. It is estimated Calaveras County would receive $4.5 million if the bond were passed.

   1C if adopted would allow the state to sell $2.85 billion in general obligation bonds. Proceeds would be used to finance various existing housing programs, capital outlay related to infill development, brownfield cleanup that promotes infill development and housing-related parks.

   1D would authorize $10.4 billion in bonds to construct and modernize public education facilities. Cox said he supported the bond in theory, but he was against provisions that gave Los Angeles an uneven portion of the funding.

   “I don’t think LA kids are worth 10 percent more than ours,” Cox said.

   He urged voters to take a look at the propositions and develop their own criteria to determine whether or not to support the measures on the Nov. 7 ballot.

   Although the state budget was passed on time, Cox voiced his reservations about the spending plan.

   The budget is “theoretically balanced,” Cox said, but it has “structural deficits.”

   He said the difference between what the state brings in for the new fiscal year and what it spends could be $7 billion.

   He was pleased the state is setting aside $2.9 billion for debt relief and $2 billion for a reserve. In addition, he reported education funding is up $8 billion and lawmakers are continuing a grant program to local law enforcement, which in Calaveras County’s case means the Sheriff’s Department will continue to receive $500,000.

   Cox said he would continue to be supportive and help the county with its jail problem. He added that the governor is calling a special session of the Legislature to address the problem of overcrowding in the state system and maybe there could be a joint funding measure with some of the additional beds going to county facilities.

   Sheriff Dennis Downum was in attendance and he thanked Sen. Cox for working to add Calaveras County to funding that combats methamphetamine manufacturing and distribution.

   On the question of illegal immigration, Cox said he was opposed to amnesty, but rounding up all illegal immigrants won’t work. The government should consider a legitimate guest worker program, he added. In addition, the nation needs to secure its borders, develop a tamper-proof ID system and database and then begin to hold employers accountable for hiring illegal immigrants.

   “We can’t sustain continued erosion of our immigration laws,” he said.