Serving the communities of Valley Springs, Burson and Wallace

Oct. 29

Firefighters of the Foothill Fire Protection District are, front row, from left, John Rouff, Brad Hillious, Spencer Lewis, Raymond Correia; back row, from left, Justin Neufeld, Bryan Gamma, Brett Dickenson, Mike Vitro, John Coutts, Stuart Sant, Brian Hannameyer, Ron Gebo, Jacob Brower, Battalion Chief Ken Dallinger and Fire Chief Michael Siligo. Not pictured: Jacquelyn Galliazzo.

Foothill Fire volunteers finish intense training program

   The Foothill Fire Protection District had a barbecue celebration Oct. 16 at Station 1 in Burson for the recent and previous graduates of the Firefighter I Program.

   Some of the district’s personnel had already completed the program through other agencies or through independent college courses. The district began the program last October for the remaining individuals that had not.

   Classes were held three times a month, consisting of classroom instruction and live hands-on training. The one-year program used International Fire Service Training Association curriculum approved by the California State Fire Marshal. Training consisted of many disciplines including fire behavior, how to conduct fire safety inspections, vehicle extrication, ladders, hose streams, etc.

Oct. 27

The Durand family, from left, Mimi, Edward, sister Alyssa and Lance Cpl. Joe in front of the family home on Priscilla Court at the beginning of Joe’s “Welcome Home” party.

Marine returns home after seven months at front

By Nick Baptista

   A gathering of family and friends Monday afternoon in Valley Springs marked the return of Joe Durand from the deserts of Afghanistan.

   The 20-year-old Marine has been in Afghanistan for the past seven months. He is a lance corporal with the 7^th Engineer Support Battalion stationed at Camp Pendleton.

   Durand’s address in Afghanistan has been Camp Dwyer in the Helmand Province, which has been a Taliban stronghold and center for opium production.

   Lance Cpl. Durand is a heavy equipment mechanic. His duties included repairing roads, building Forward Operation Bases and repairing construction equipment such as the tractors used to complete those tasks.

   “I’m proud of our support for the infantry units and security,” he said about his time in Afghanistan.

   Durand, the son of Edward and Mimi Durand of Valley Springs, has been a Marine for two years. He attended Calaveras High School his senior year and worked at Mar-Val before joining the Corps.

   It was while working at Mar-Val that he met his girlfriend, Jessica Fox.

   Dad was also a Marine.

   “I’m following in his footsteps, but I’m making my own at the same time,” the younger Durand said.

   Durand will be returning to Camp Pendleton and begin training for his next deployment, possibly a year from now back in Afghanistan.

   The lance corporal would like to make the Marines a career, but he's keeping his options open and could return into the private sector in heavy equipment operation, mechanics and maintenance with the possibility of working for John Deere where he has an internship opportunity.

   Durand, who spent his 20^th birthday “sitting in the middle of the desert waiting around,” said family and friends take good care of him with care packages and the public is doing pretty good with providing the service people with random care packages.

   He’s also glad to see friend and fellow Afghanistan veteran Matthew Maddox recovering from injuries he sustained earlier this year and doing his duty as well.

Oct. 22

Ten of the remaining 37 Navajo Code Talkers received Quilts of Honor in a special ceremony Oct. 16.

Quilter group honors Navajo Code Talkers

By Nick Baptista

   The few remaining Navajo Code Talkers, made famous in the 2002 Nicholas Cage movie “Windtalkers,” were honored Oct. 16 when the Valley Springs-based Quilts of Honor presented them with patriotic, handmade quilts for their service and sacrifice to the country.

    Gail Belmont, Quilts of Honor director and founder, said 10 of the remaining 37 Navajo Code Talkers were present for Saturday’s ceremony. Quilts of Honor members made 40 quilts in all for distribution to the Navajo Code Talkers and one of the quilts was donated to the Navajo Code Talkers Museum for permanent display.

   The Navajo Code Talkers, through the transmission of secret, tactical radio messages based on their native language during World War II, were credited for saving thousands of servicemen’s lives. Up until 1968, they were prohibited from telling their stories due to national security interests, Belmont said.

   Although the few remaining Code Talkers are getting up in age and many were in wheelchairs, she shook their hands during the presentations and those handshakes “were the strongest I’ve felt in my life.”

   Another highlight of the trip was a guided tour of the Navajo Nation’s Sacred Canyon, Belmont said.

   Belmont, herself a veteran from the Vietnam era, credited the members of Quilts of Honor for the tremendous effort.

   The nonprofit organization received its status in March and has already exceeded its goal of providing 200 quilts this year to service men and women who have received Purple Hearts, or have sustained post-traumatic stress or brain injuries, she said.

   Many of the service men and women returning from just one tour in Afghanistan or Iraq are experiencing post-traumatic stress, she added.

   Quilt of Honor volunteers have “unbelievable patriotism,” she said, as it takes nearly two weeks of steady work just to make one quilt.

   Prior to starting Quilts of Honor, Belmont was involved with Quilts of Valor. While in the service, one of her duties was to play taps at the burial of those service people who died in Vietnam.

   “It’s easy for me to do this,” she said of her efforts first with Quilts of Valor and now with Quilts of Honor. “As a veteran, I have a passion and I feel for them.”

   Fundraising is a constant activity for Quilts of Honor. Belmont estimates it costs $250 to $300 to prepare each quilt.

   To continue the work, Stitchers For Hope is holding a Halloween Bunco Tournament at 6 p.m. Oct. 30 in the Veterans Memorial Hall. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by calling 772-2686. In addition, there is a Nov. 6 motorcycle run from Lathrop to Valley Springs. The cost is $15. There will be a pre-Veterans Day ceremony at the end of the ride at noontime at Hawg Dawgs in the Valley Oaks Center. For more information, call 772-2686.  

Oct. 20

Valley Springs Elementary band students finish an arrangement with some flair.

Band numbers swell despite tough times

By Nick Baptista

   The band room at Valley Springs Elementary School is busting out at the seams when all 60 members arrive for class.

   Band teacher Robert Wise has an interesting dilemma this school year. He has his largest group of beginning band members in his 10 years of teaching in the Calaveras Unified School District and the trend is not limited to Valley Springs Elementary. Every elementary school in the district has seen an influx of new band students.

   Jenny Lind’s band numbers have tripled from 15 to 45 in one year, all of the fifth- and sixth-graders at Rail Road Flat are in band, 26 out of 30 students at Mokelumne Hill are band members and West Point has a band enrollment of 25 children.

   “We’re seeing the instrumental band program getting bigger and bigger,” Wise said. “I don’t know for sure why it’s happening. It’s a mystery.”

   Wise’s role in the district has been to build up the band programs at the elementary level, which is the feeder system to the middle and high school band programs, and there have been measurable results.

   Calaveras High School went from a low of about 20 band members to about 60 and now has a marching band, he said.

   “It all starts in the elementary schools,” Wise said. “The district made good choices in not cutting programs that keep kids looking forward to coming to school.”

   Parents also play a major role in helping the band program, he added.

   “Despite these difficult economic times, parents are making whatever sacrifices are necessary for their children’s happiness,” he said. “I commend that.”

Oct. 15

Sam Welch of Valley Springs has logged one million miles of safe driving without an accident for Con-way Freight.

Valley Springs man reaches 1 million safe miles mark

   Every industry has certain unique career milestones that set apart an individual as especially skilled and accomplished in their profession. For a professional truck driver, one million miles of safe driving without an accident is the ultimate measure of excellence. It is an elite club that now counts Valley Springs resident Sam Welch as a member.

   Welch is a driver sales representative for Con-way Freight, a less-than-truckload freight carrier and subsidiary of Con-way Inc. He safely drove the one million miles starting in November 1983. The company plans to recognize his achievement in a ceremony at its Stockton service center, where Welch is based.

   "Sam's impressive accomplishment highlights the personal and professional commitment to safety of those of our employees who go behind the wheel of a truck every day, and who make it their business to demonstrate superior safety performance on the highways, in our service centers and at our customers' facilities," said Douglas W. Stotlar, president and CEO, Con-way Inc. "Safety is one of our core values, and we congratulate Sam for his extraordinary achievement."

   Welch has worked for Con-way Freight since 1983 and has been a professional truck driver for 27 years. The company has also recognized him for five, 10 and 15 years of safe driving. Welch typically drives approximately 150 miles per shift, and his route takes him from Stockton to Livermore and Tracy. He has been married for 12 years to his wife, Toni, and has two sons: Jim and Tim; and four grandchildren: James, Connor, Jillian and Cadience. His hobbies include backpacking with his wife, scuba diving and scouting. Welch is a member of the Boy Scouts of America.

   Over the company's 27-year history, more than 1,500 Con-way Freight driver sales representatives have reached the one-million-mile safe driving milestone, while more than 100 have driven two million miles accident-free.  

Oct. 13

Brian Gross being arrested.

License board arrests local contractor

   A former licensed contractor whose state license was taken away this spring has been arrested and now faces several felony and misdemeanor charges associated with contracting with a revoked license and failure to carry workers’ compensation insurance.

   Investigators from the Contractors State License Board’s Statewide Investigative Fraud Team and the Amador County District Attorney’s Office arrested Brian Gross, 47, of Valley Springs on Oct. 1.

    The license board revoked Gross’ General Building contractor license on June 1 for failure to pay two separate administrative citations that total more than $4,000. His license actually expired on Dec. 31, 2009.

   Building officials in Jackson reportedly tipped fraud team investigators to Gross’ attempt to get a local business license using his revoked contractor license number.  The license board and Amador County investigators made the arrest when they found Gross and three employees roofing at a home in Jackson.

   Gross now faces a felony count of fraudulent use of a contractor license number and misdemeanor counts for contracting without a license - which carries enhanced penalties if connected to a revoked license, illegal advertising, displaying a revoked license, failure to carry workers’ compensation insurance, and soliciting an excessive down payment.

   Gross will be arraigned 1 p.m. Friday at the Amador County Superior Court in Jackson.

   Gross’ past administrative citations were for filing false exemptions to avoid paying for workers’ compensation insurance, failure to secure building permits, charging excessive down payments, working outside of his license classification, illegal advertising, and illegal contracts. Even though his license was revoked for failure to pay these fines, the license board says Gross continued to contract and advertise in violation of state law.

   “CSLB values its partnerships with prosecutors and building officials that enable us to help root out these unlicensed individuals,” said CSLB Registrar Steve Sands.  “This is a perfect example of how those who refuse to follow the state’s contracting laws put consumers, their employees, and legitimate contractors at risk.”

   California law requires that any home improvement job valued at $500 or more for labor and materials be done by a licensed contractor.  Licensees must carry workers’ compensation coverage for all employees so that homeowners are not financially liable if a worker is injured on their property.  Roofing contractors must purchase workers’ compensation coverage for themselves in addition to any employees.

   CSLB urges consumers to follow these helpful tips before hiring anybody to do work on their home or property:

   Hire only licensed contractors and ask to see their license and a photo ID to ensure they are who they say they are. 

   Always check the license number on CSLB’s website at www.cslb.ca.gov or www.CheckTheLicenseFirst.com to make sure the license is in good standing.

   Don’t hire the first contractor who comes along.      

   Don’t rush into repairs, no matter how badly they’re needed.

   Don’t pay more than 10 percent or $1,000, whichever is less, as a down payment. There is an exception for about two dozen licensees who carry special bonds to protect consumers. These exceptions are noted on CSLB’s website.

   Don’t pay in cash, and don’t let payments get ahead of the work.

   Get at least three bids, check references, and get a written contract.

   The Contractors State License Board operates under the umbrella of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. More information and publications about hiring contractors are available on the CSLB website or by calling 800-321-CSLB (2752). You can also sign up for CSLB e-mail alerts at www.cslb.ca.gov. CSLB licenses and regulates California's more than 300,000 contractors, and is regarded as one of the leading consumer protection agencies in the United States. In fiscal year 2009-10, CSLB helped recover nearly $42 million in ordered restitution for consumers.  

Oct. 8

Sheriff-elect Gary Kuntz

Kuntz vows to re-open Valley Springs substation

By Nick Baptista

   Sheriff-elect Gary Kuntz will assume office in less than three months and one of his top priorities is to re-open a Valley Springs area substation.

   The previous substation was in the Valley Oaks Center and now is the location for the newly opened Paws & Claws canine and feline grooming center.

   Sheriff Dennis Downum closed the Valley Springs substation in July 2008 citing budgetary reasons.

   “My ultimate goal is to eventually have a fully functional office in the Valley Springs area,” Kuntz said in an interview with The Valley Springs News.

   Valley Springs is the only area in the department’s patrol districts without a substation and re-establishment of one is a key component in Kuntz’s plan to re-instate community policing and a resident deputy program.

   “I’ll swing it one way or another and get it open as soon as possible,” Kuntz said, especially since the Valley Springs area is the most populous of the department’s patrol zones and has the most crime.

   Opening such a substation under Kuntz’s resident deputy program would eliminate the necessity for deputies to report to and work out of the department’s office in San Andreas.

   Under the resident deputy team concept, a deputy would be based in Valley Springs and that would reduce a number of trips going back and forth to and from San Andreas, he added, and give deputies more time to spend out in the field and in the community.

   “My big thing is to get our deputies connected back with the community,” he said. That would include deputies interacting more with students, schools and the business community.

   “Being preventive is the whole answer,” he said. “I want the kids, the public and businesses to know we’re here to help you. That worked well with me and other officers before and it is very important we maintain that bond.”

   Re-opening of the substation would also call for expansion of the sheriff volunteer program to help with staffing the facility. Kuntz said he thought there is a good pool of potential volunteers in the community to help with law enforcement duties that can be handled by non-sworn personnel.

   As for a location, Kuntz said he liked the old site, but since it is impossible to return there, he is open to suggestions and any donation of an office “would be great.”

   Another priority and campaign platform is to hire a fiscal person to put together the department’s budget, with knowledge in auditing and grants.

   “Most cops are not fiscal people,” Kuntz said. “Such a fiscal person would be less expensive than a captain or lieutenant especially when you consider public safety retirement.”

   They would pay for themselves in the short run and work to add more deputies to the department, he said.

   In another move to keep more deputies, Kuntz said he would have a lean administration with only himself, two captains and a lieutenant.

   “That’s more than enough administration for now,” he added.

Oct. 6

 Junior Redskin players and cheerleaders applaud their efforts to get the word out to family, friends and the community that it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Junior Redskins turn town pink as they tackle cancer

By Nick Baptista

   Valley Springs ushered in Breast Cancer Awareness Month with an enthusiastic rally Thursday evening at The Terrace featuring the boys and girls from the Calaveras Junior Redskins football teams and cheer squads.

   The Calaveras Junior Redskins Football and Cheer Association has joined Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital to spread the word about Breast Cancer Awareness and the importance of early detection during October.

   In addition to The Terrace, many businesses in the community have joined in the campaign by displaying pink lights that Calaveras Junior Redskins parents delivered prior to Thursday’s Pink in the Night Lighting Ceremony in front of Common Grounds.

   Denise Meyer, president of the Junior Redskins Football and Cheer Association and administrative assistant at Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital, shared the story behind how the youth program got involved with spreading the word about breast cancer awareness where early and accurate diagnosis is the best tool for fighting the disease.

   She attributed the Junior Redskins’ involvement to 11-year-old Trevor Ramirez who last year noticed NFL teams were sporting pink in their uniforms and after learning the reason the pros were wearing the pink, he wanted to see his team and his league follow their lead.

   She told those in attendance, mostly Junior Redskin players, cheerleaders and their parents, that they should be very proud of themselves for getting the word out about breast cancer awareness and detection.

   The Junior Redskins will continue the month-long information campaign by wearing pink ribbons on their helmets.

   Thursday’s ceremony also included love and support for those who are fighting cancer and those who have lost loved ones to the disease as they lighted candles to mark the occasion.

   The ceremony ended with the pink lights around The Terrace being turned on, which Nicki Stevens, development associate at Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital, said is a symbol of hope.