June 30

Mina, left, and Samira Nasser are owners and operators of the new Valley Springs Quiznos Subs.

Quiznos Subs opened its doors Friday to the public at the Valley Springs Plaza at Highway 26 and Nove Way.

Mina Nasser is the owner of the new Valley Springs Quiznos Subs and her daughter Samira Nasser is the manager.

The mother-daughter team the past few days has been busy putting the finishing touches on the new business and training a staff of approximately 15 employees.

Samira said Quiznos Sub’s initial hours will be from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

The new Valley Springs Quiznos is situated in the front corner of Valley Springs Plaza across the street from Norm’s Chevron. The 1,100-square-foot sandwich shop has an adjacent outdoor patio area for dinners.

Quiznos Subs is the No. 2 franchise according to Entrepreneur magazine’s 27th annual “Franchise 500” rankings. Subway is ranked No. 1.

In addition to eat-in and take-out dining, Quiznos can cater meals. Samira added that the Valley Springs shop would feature a wide variety of drinks including energy drinks for its customers.

The phone number for the local Quiznos is (209) 772-8822 and the fax number is 772-3129.

Mike Dell’Orto, CRV Enterprises representative, presents a check to Valley Springs Public Utility District Administrative Secretary Dee Myshrall, Director William Whitaker and President Lucille Allee at the June 28board meeting.

The district received the money June 28 after entering into a service availability agreement with CRV Enterprises, Inc. to provide 63 sewer and water connections to Charboneau Estates, a moderate-income housing development proposed for an area in the vicinity of Valley Springs Elementary School past Oak Street and between Cedar and Chestnut streets.

The stick-built homes on a site previously approved for a mobile home park will range in size from 1,500 to 2,000-plus square feet, said CRV Enterprises representative Mike Dell’Orto.

PUD General Manager Mike Fischer said approximately $440,000 will go toward sewer improvements, especially Regional Waste Quality requirements that need to be completed on the system, and $220,000 will be used for water system improvements, which eventually include the addition of another well to the system.

Dell’Orto said an application to develop the property will be submitted next week to the county and if it is processed within six months, construction could begin next spring.

Fischer said the district has somewhere between 10 to 15 additional connections available at this time.

The cause of a 200-acre grass fire that began late Monday afternoon near the Whiskey Creek Recreation Area on the south shore of New Hogan Reservoir was still under investigation as of mid-day Tuesday.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the blaze was contained at 9:30 p.m. Monday and crews were expected to be in the area most of Tuesday mopping up at the scene.

Two outbuildings were destroyed in the blaze, but no homes were threatened, according to CDF.

Four CDF air tankers and an air attack helicopter responded to the fire along with six CDF engines, four CDF water tenders, three bulldozers and five CDF ground crews.

Volunteers from Foothill and Jenny Lind fire protection districts responded to the call, along with water tenders from Altaville, Mokelumne Hill and San Andreas.

A Vallecito Conservation Camp crew constructs a covered picnic area at the park.

Crews from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Vallecito Conservation Camp have been busy constructing a covered picnic area in the Jenny Lind Veterans Memorial District Park.

Barring any fires or other emergencies that could draw the crew away from the project, the 20- by 40-foot covering is expected to be completed by July 4, according to Hugo Scotto, a director on the Jenny Lind Veterans Memorial Park District board.

“Give these guys (the Vallecito work crew) credit,” Scotto said. “Without them many of the improvements at the park would not get done.”

The Vallecito Conservation Camp is one of 39 CDF is currently authorized to operate statewide that house nearly 4,000 inmates and wards. The camps are operated in conjunction with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The crews are available to respond to all types of emergencies including wildfires, floods, search and rescue and earthquakes. When not responding to emergencies, the crews are busy with conservation and community service work projects such as the covered picnic area and last year they constructed a trail in the park.

When the covered picnic area is completed, the crew will begin fixing up the area near the gazebo, Scotto said.

These combination fans/growing lights evenly distributed air and light to some 200 marijuana plants discovered in a sophisticated growing operation in the Jenny Lind area.

By Nick Baptista

Calaveras County deputies uncovered a sophisticated indoor marijuana growing operation last Friday morning at a secluded, six-acre compound at the end of Ricky Court in the Jenny Lind area.

Acting on an anonymous tip, and after a 10-day investigation, seven officers used a search warrant to gain access to the property at 8:35 a.m. Friday and found the property owner, Clydene Taylor, 44, hiding in a shower. Once located, he surrendered without incident.

Taylor, believed to be a resident of Clayton in the Contra Costa County area, was arrested on suspicion of cultivating marijuana, possessing marijuana for sale and maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of selling marijuana. He was booked into the Calaveras County Jail, but was later released on $85,000 bail.

Approximately 200 plants were growing in the residence and a secondary building. A member of the county’s narcotics unit said most signs and the suspect indicate the growing operation had been going on for two months. The plants were in their first cycle. There had been a small harvest and some of the plants were in the process of being cloned.

The two structures had been set up nearly wall-to-wall for nothing but growing marijuana. There was a drip irrigation system and a sophisticated ventilation system that pumped room air out the ceiling to reduce the chance of anyone smelling the plants when they walked past the structures. All of the windows were covered in black plastic from the inside.

Sophisticated growing lights situated at the end of fans hovered over the plants to evenly distribute air and light. The narcotics officer said approximately $25,000 was spent on the growing operation and it was designed to provide maximum yields with little or no daily supervision.

A system was also set up to steal electricity to power the operation.

Taylor’s visits to the property had become less frequent as the operation became more automated, the deputy said.

“With all of the sophistication involved, you can tell he’s been doing this for a while,” the deputy said. “He’s a good gardener.”

Taylor, who listed his occupation as a contractor, bought the property in 2001 with his wife at the time. The property changed hands several times until 2004 when he became the sole owner, according to deputies.

The sheriff’s department will look into whether Taylor’s property and his belongings qualified for asset forfeiture and seizure by authorities.

In addition to the six acres and two building, there were two boats, several vehicles, a couple of tractors and a trailer.

David Molina uses the new optical scanning voting system obtained by the county when he finished voting in Tuesday’s Primary Election inside the Jenny Lind Veterans Memorial Hall in Valley Springs.

Challenger Russ Thomas was the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s election to determine who will represents the Calaveras County communities of Rancho Calaveras, Jenny Lind and Copperopolis on the Board of Supervisors for the next four years beginning in January of 2007.

Incumbent Victoria Erickson finished second with 649 votes, or 36.42 percent, while Mike McDaniel trailed the trio with 387 votes, or 21.72.

The need for a runoff would have been eliminated if any of the candidates had received 50 percent plus 1 vote in the primary.

Erickson’s colleague on the board, District 3 Supervisor Merita Callaway, managed to collect 56.58 percent of the vote in a three-candidate race in her district to avoid a runoff.

McDaniel, although he was eliminated for the supervisor race, could provide the key to victory in the fall.

Thomas and Erickson both said they would work hard the next few months to attract McDaniel’s supporters.

Thomas said he thought the outcome was “remarkable” taking into account that he was outspent three times by Erickson and came out as the frontrunner.

Thomas said last-minute campaign literature saying he would not represent the Rancho area was inaccurate and he will strive to make those constituents aware he will represent them.

“I was where I thought I was going to be,” said Erickson. “I thought it was going to go to a November runoff.”

Erickson said she was going to drop her political consultant, Spinnovations, going to the fall campaign. Erickson said she thought the move of hiring a consultant would save her time, but it didn’t.

Erickson said her strategy will be to “stay on message, talk to McDaniel’s supporters and see what their concerns are, understand them and meet their needs better than in the past.”

“The vote was not as good as we would have liked,” said McDaniel. He cited his late entry into the race and limited exposure as factors in this third-place showing.

“I intend to keep issues alive and represent the people who are not being heard,” he said.

The Calaveras County Arts Council will present Blame Sally at its free “Music in the Parks” concert Wednesday, June 28, at the Ball Field above the school in Valley Springs.

Blame Sally is an all-woman-band from San Francisco with a folk-pop sound that has been described as passionate and compelling with a unique command over the song. Pam Delgado, Renee Harcourt, Jeri Jones and Monica Pasqual are four exceptional artists from very different musical backgrounds who sing, play and write, each with her own distinctive voice.

Sitting between Pasqual's classically influenced keyboards and Delgado's world-influenced percussion, Harcourt and Jones effortlessly trade back and forth on bass and guitar, bringing their own Americana and pop flavorings to the mix. It's like Tori Amos meets Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young or ... The Beatles meets Rickie Lee Jones. Whatever you call it, it seems to be working.

In February of this year, Blame Sally performed to great acclaim at the International Folk Alliance Conference in Austin, Texas, finishing the weekend of showcases with performance offers from all over the country. This summer, in addition to performing at Music in the Parks, they will be touring the Rocky Mountain states, performing at several music festivals - including the world renowned Strawberry Music Festival - and releasing their third album.

Their second album has received airplay on non-commercial stations all over North America, charting in several different markets. Three songs from that album were featured on United Airlines’ in-flight programming last spring and they were the honored "One to Watch" on the nationally syndicated radio program Acoustic Cafe. On the strength of that album, Blame Sally was invited to perform three concerts last year in Sardinia, Italy.

Valley Springs Principal Mike Merrill is flanked by students who donned facsimiles of his typical wardrobe.

It was a festive morning June 5 at Valley Springs Elementary School as students and staff honored their soon-departing principal, Michael Merrill.

When school resumes in July, Merrill will take over as principal of Calaveras High School, replacing Mark Campbell, who has been promoted to assistant superintendent.

Campbell is replacing Betty White, who recently retired, and Jan Matson is scheduled to move from Toyon Middle School to Valley Springs Elementary to replace Merrill.

San Andreas School Principal Jep Peckler will move to fill Matson's shoes at Toyon.

Valley Springs students gathered in the morning to say goodbye to their principal all wearing paper shirts and ties to resemble Merrill’s common appearance.

The students, accompanied by the school band, sang “Merrily he goes along to Calaveras High” and there was a big sign on the playground saying “Thanks Mr. Merrill, we’ll see you again in 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 years.”

Kathy Laughlin, left, and Laura Evans inside the new Countrywide Home Loans office featuring the works of local artists. Photo by Rocio Miller

Anyone stepping into the new Countrywide Home Loans office in the Valley Oaks Shopping Center at 200 Highway 12, Suite E6 might be confused for a moment thinking they have entered an art gallery.

Wall space once an endless sea of light blue paint is now adorned with beautiful paintings and photographs produced by local artists

"We've strayed from the conventional ‘printed posters’ office theme to encompass local artists and local subject matter,” said Laura Evans, Countrywide sales manager.

Kathy Laughlin is a home loan consultant for Countrywide and also a published artist. Her watercolor painting of a draft horseshoe placed on an anvil has been published on the cover of Anvil magazine, which features artistic trades such as horseshoeing, metal art and blacksmithing.

Laughlin was visiting clients in Prestige Gallery of Angels Camp when she came up with the idea to feature area artists in the new office.

"We wanted to expose the local community and those who wouldn't normally visit a gallery to fine art," she said.

The subject matter in most of the art work is wholesome, showing home and landscapes around Calaveras County, Paloma Road, Murphys, Lake Alpine and everywhere in between.

You might even recognize the two men standing by an antique car in the painting "dirt in the fuel line" by Marylin Hindsdalen, as one customer already has.

Margaret Roberts of Valley Springs also has many beautiful pieces on display. The price range of each piece varies from $35 to $2,000. Even though the building may seem like a professional art gallery, artists who display their pieces are not charged a commission if they sell.

Countrywide does not handle any of the transactions between artist and buyer, they just display the art and interested buyers can contact the artist directly from the business cards that they leave with each piece.

Area artists get a chance to sell their art, ordinary people get to view fine art, and people who are processing a home loan might see art that would look nice in their new house; it all works out to everyone’s benefit.