The

The Rising Voice of the Sierra

Mountain Chronicle

March 2011

The Murphys Historic HotelSince 1856

w w w . M u r p h y s H o t e l . c o mFor More Information Call The Hotel’s Front Desk (209) 728-3444

Happenings at “The Hotel”March 4thThe monthly Grapegrowers meeting held in the Goldroom. 8:30 a.m. All grapegrowers are welcome!

March 10th "Wines of the World" held in the Mark Twain Ball-room - 5:30 p.m. After tasting receive $5 off your entree when you join us downstairs for dinner.

March 11th-13thBear Valley Senior Winter Games! Book your Hotel Rooms now before it's too late. (209) 728-3444

March 13thThe Annual Bridal Fair held @ the Angels Camp Fairgrounds, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Come check out The Hotel's Booth and the Future Plans of our Creekside Wedding Accommodations! March 17thSt. Patrick’s Day! Come down and enjoy some Corned Beef and Green Beer all day long. We will have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks specials all day! Live music starting @ 9 p.m.! "American Made Outlaw." Their style of music stands alone with in-fluences of "Rockabilly," "Irish Punk," & "Alterna-tive and Classic Rock.” Their high level of energy is sure to be contagious! March 19th- Murphys Irish Day! This is one of the biggest Irish celebrations in California! The streets are filled with thousands of people! Street faire, live music, great food, cold drinks, Irish coffees, and a lot more! The party starts @ 9 a.m. in the bar with Brian's Famous Bloodys, Irish Coffees and corned beef breakfast burritos! March 25thAll you can eat Cioppino Feed! This has been a big hit so reservations are highly recommended! (209) 728-3444 March 31st- Our Local Taxpayers Luncheon from 12 -2 p.m. Call Brian @ 209-728-3444 ext. 416.

This Month from the KitchenChef Joel is serving a featured Appetizer:Corned Beef Spring Rolls with a sweet and spicy mustard dipping sauce, served with Irish Slaw!

From the Bar: The Dancing Leprechaun1 oz Citrus Vodka1/4 oz Midori1/2 oz Sweet and Sour1 oz Spritea Splash of Blue Curacao

Put all ingredients into a "Rocks" glass over ice and enjoy!After a couple of these I'm sure you will be chasing a Rainbow!

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March 12th ~$59 p.m.~ Thick Soup "O.B. Joyful" Folk, Rock and "Honest Acoustic Music"

March 18th ~ $59 p.m.~ Featuring reggae band “A la Lune”

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Opinion & Other Important Matters Volume 6, Number 3 March 2011 ● 6The Mountain Chronicle1316 Oak Circle

Arnold, CaliforniaMailing Address:

P.O. Box 26 Avery, CA 95224Phone: (209) 795-2222

E-mail: Ross@MtChron.comwww.TheMountainChronicle.com

Publisher~Ross Alford

From the Publisher: I will consider publishing “Letters To The Editor” of fewer than 300 words, which in-clude a name, phone number and area of residence. I’ll allow a few more words, if it’s really good!

Send Submissions To: Ross@MtChron.com (subject line: “Letter”). If we don’t run your letter you can consider buying an ad!

The Mission:The Mountain Chronicle intends to let the facts tell the story in the news section of the paper and raise hell on the OP/ED page. If you exploit, degrade or injure the community, you’re fair game!

Please remember we can only cover so many stories, so it helps if you send a pho-to and a few paragraphs of an event you attended.

If “The Mountain Chronicle” publishes something under the name of another author, that’s their opinion.

Please ask permission to use anything in the paper, and or, at least attribute material used in a contextually accurate manner.

Lastly, we here at “The Mountain Chronicle” are trying to tell the story of our time. If we make mistakes, we will try to set the record straight.

Breaking News:Please phone the newsroom(209) 795-2222

Cover ArtBy Diane Sanguinetti

Contributing WritersJim Stearns • Peter Bartczak Joe Pesconiac • John BuckleyTed Denmark • David AlfordKristy Moore • Gabe Bridges

Prince Hans-Adam II

Features EditorWarren Alford

Mountain Chronicle Businessross@mtchron.com

Editing & Proof Reading A Group Effort

Thoughts on St. Patrick’s Day

How’s “Supply-Side” Working for You?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day From The Mountain Chronicle Team

“Maybe I finally found it, way down here in the mud. Maybe from down here I can start up again, be something I can be proud of, without having to fake it . . .”

“Gig for Bean!”

“I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. The enemy was in us. The war is over for me now, but it will always be there, the rest of my days. As I’m sure Elias will be, fighting with Barnes for what Rhah called “possession of my soul.”

“$2 Million per show, hmm, apologize.”

-Prince Hans-Adam IIPrince of Liechtenstein

~Ross Alford

Paddy was tooling along the road one fine day when the local police-man, a friend of his, pulled him over. "What's wrong, Seamus?" Pad-dy asked. "Well didn't ya know, Paddy, that your wife fell out of the car about five miles back?" said Seamus. "Ah, praise the Almighty!" Paddy replied with relief. "I thought I'd gone deaf!"

Q. If you were lost in the woods, who would you trust for directions, an in-tune bagpipe player, an out of tune bagpipe player, or Santa Claus?A. The out of tune bagpipe player. The other two indicate you have been hallucinating.

Walking into the pub, Patick said to the bartender,“Pour me a stiff one, Sean. I just had another tiff withthe little woman.”“Oh yeah,” said Sean. “And how did this one end?”“Well I’ll tell ya now,” Patrick replied, “when it was over, herself came to me on her hands and knees, she did.”“You don’t say? Now that`s a switch! What did she say?” She said, “Come out from under that bed, you gutless weasel!

From the outset here I want to say that I do think there should be a more equal balance between public and private worker’s compensation. I also feel there are significant inequities within the public compensation structure, no more so than right here in Calaveras where public schools administrators make $120,000 or more annually and substitute teachers make $97 per day. That’s ridiculous! Regardless, that does not mean that in general I feel public employees should take a pay cut. It more likely means that the income of middle class Americans should be on the same trajectory as the richest Americans. There is ample evidence that proves that in the last three decades the income of the wealthiest Ameri-cans has been increasing and that the income of middle class Americans has not. That is a fact. In addition, in these last few years we’ve gone through the worst recession of most of our lifetimes proving the failure of “supply side economics.” It’s the transitive principal of mathematics: if A = B, and B = C, then A = C. By not taxing the wealthiest Americans we are not adding jobs, we are not adding services and we are not im-proving the incomes of middle class Americans. Supply side economics leads to “C” recession.

The tool workers have against blatant class warfare is forming unions. The biggest problem I have with unions is that far too often they wuss out! Case in point is how unions are dealing with Scott Walker, the Cheez Whiz governor of Wisconsin. Walker admitted on “Meet the Press” that he considered sending thugs into the crowds of protesters, Mubarak style, to disrupt the protests, and only decided against it be-cause it might backfire. That Walker even considered sending in thugs means he’s not fit for office. That he only rejected sending in thugs be-cause it might backfire confirms he’s a despicable human being. Walker was only elected by accepting campaign money from the richest people in America with a quid pro quo agreement to dismantle the only opposi-tion, the public employee’s union. When Walker took office he cut taxes for the rich and in the same breath declared the state “bankrupt” because the public employee’s union was breaking the bank. Hmm, why is it that only Dennis Kucinich seemed to notice the shell game? Finally 14 lawmakers refused to abide and walked off the job. Followed by Walker threatening to layoff public employees. That is when the entire public employee’s union should have walked off the job!

If teachers, firefighters, snowplow guys and cops, the guys who protect Walker from being dismembered by angry crowds, all walked off the job, you would see Walker disappear faster than snowflakes on Charlie Sheen’s lawn!

There are more than the average number of business clos-ing or opening or changing locations in Murphys these days. Downtown Murphys real estate is the Board Walk or Park Place of Calaveras, but a spot on the Board Walk, in these times, does not guarantee success. The commodity that seems to be having the most difficulty is art.

The Art Gallery, the business located kitty-corner from The Hotel, is reportedly moving to another location in Murphys, which is not a total net loss, but after a 20-year run Greg Fichtner is shutting down the Harbinger’s brick and mortar above SNAC. However, Greg will still have an online busi-ness, and periodically have art shows. And to further add to the art blight, the wonderful little Beaux Chevaux gallery is closing. The good news is The Art Building is being taken over by the owners of Val du Vino, Jonathan Phillips and Jeannine Hebel, who told The Mountain Chronicle that they will add a tasting room, but plan to operate an art gallery in the building. So if you’re scoring at home, the arts are taking a beating. It’s sad, but they’re still alive.

Farther down the street Deli Nini’s is undergoing some changes and moving their operation to the spot behind Gold Country Coffee in the old Noto’s spot. Angelo and Marlene are reportedly launching a new project under the name of “Angelo’s.” I’m really looking forward to seeing what they can do with a full-on restaurant.

And as The Deli is moving out and transforming and reinventing itself down the street, Newsome-Harlow is expanding into the old Deli Nini location to presumably add to Melanie’s food division--that can only be described as intriguing.

Then let’s see, rumor has it that apparently Clayton Carpenter, a long-

standing Murphys entrepreneur, is opening an operation in the Express Yourself spot. I’ve not talked to Clayton yet to find out what that project might be, but you can be sure that Clayton will bring a certain amount of flair to the project.

In addition, the renovation of the old Victorian that once housed The Wild Grape is complete, and Renner Winery has opened a very elegant tasting room in that location.

I can’t think of any more changes for the time being, but we’ve only got a few more weeks before the big Murphys Irish Day – I hope everyone in the shuffle gets their leprechauns in a row!

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Terri Wilson’s Dramatic Return to Murphys Creek Theater“Lend Me a Tenor” Opening Night March 18thBy Ross Alford

THE BART– It’s really quite phenomenal that Murphys has a dynamic theatre group. And get this, Terri Wilson is directing the first 2011 production for MCT, Lend Me a Tenor. Wilson has been directing the Calaveras Follies for the past six years, raising money for the Calaveras Mentor Program, but has handed off the Follies responsibility, and without missing a beat has grabbed the reins of the Murphys Creek Theater buggy.

Wilson’s return should be interesting; of course, smart, beautiful and talented tends to lend itself towards that. I asked her what she thought she would bring to the play that would transform the play from an average play to an extraordinary play, and I received one of my favorite quotes in my five years of running this paper: “Well,” she said, “I know what I want, and I know how to communicate what I want.” I immediately believed her.

Wilson has a genuine sense of self confidence, in this I’ve only seen three woman wear red cowboy boots: Diana Krall, Katie Holms and Terri Wilson, but in the back of my mind I was wondering how much substance does she really have? I asked her “how does knowing what you want work in application?” She responded with an almost painfully pragmatic check-off list that made me realize it’s not just about charisma, for her, it’s like a solid game of chess, there’s a strategy. She continued to answer my original question, “It starts with picking a good play, and then choosing a good cast and then getting the scheduling down.” I was looking more for an insight into how an adjustment in chore-ography might sharpen the humor of a farce, when I realized she’s building a foundation, and it may be that she’s still three weeks out, but I know Wilson is also an accomplished painter and I was wondering about the brush strokes, the details. Regardless, I came away from the interview a believer, maybe because of her smile. She can smile easily, her smile betrays a person who is confident, can have fun and remain serious. Don’t miss Opening Night! “Lend Me A Tenor” has a spectacular cast, including Kate Gonzales - I have a feeling this is going to be a great play and a big year for Murphys Creek Theater !

Director Terri Wilson

BLUE MOUNTAIN– “Up from the Understory,” a 30-minute television documentary directed by Jesikah Maria Ross, shows how an isolated rural community in the Sierra Nevada foot-hills has come together to overcome social, economic and en-vironmental challenges after a century of mining and logging. The documentary premieres on Wednesday, March 9, 2011, at 7 p.m. PST on KVIE Channel 6. A broadcast screening and reception featuring rural residents and university scholars in-volved in the project will take place on the UC Davis campus in 126 Voorhies from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

“Up from the UnderStory” documents how a diverse group of rural residents—loggers, environmentalists, Native Amer-icans, urban transplants—in the Blue Mountain area of Ca-laveras County came together to chart a new path for their economically devastated community. The program traces the history of boom and bust resource extraction cycles in the Sierra, how the Blue Mountain community launched a rural revitalization movement to create a more sustainable future, and the recent role UC Davis has played in supporting their ef-forts. The documentary was created in collaboration with Blue Mountain community members who helped script and shoot historical sequences, provided archival images, and created short videos profiling current revitalization projects.

“Up from the UnderStory” is made possible, in part, by a grant from the California Council of Humanities and by fund-ing from the UC Davis University Outreach and International Programs.

For more information: jmross@ucdavis.edu

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Guest Editorial:House Bill Proposes Zero Funding for Employment and Training ServicesThe U.S. House Bill H.R. 1 proposes to “zero out funding” for all Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funded programs serv-ing the business community and job seekers with employment and training resources. The California Workforce Association (CWA) is urging elected officials, business representatives, re-cipients of services, and community members to send a strong message to Congress to keep these important services funded throughout our economic crises. CWA created letter templates to be sent to key figures in Congress. Employment and train-ing services from WIA is crucial to our local communities’ economic health and now is the time for citizens to take action.

The Mother Lode Workforce Investment Board oversees WIA funding in our region of Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, and Tuolumne Counties. Mother Lode Job Training, serving the community since 1983, operates WIA programs through the One-Stop Career Centers, Job Connections; one in each of the four counties available to the public. This bill proposes to cease all funding as of

July 1, 2011, and rescind specialized funding already distributed. This would effectively cause our local employment and training resource to shut its doors,

eliminating access to all services for businesses, job seekers, and those that need

help with re-training. In this economic climate, our rural foot-hill areas simply can’t afford to have these important programs come to an end.

Mother Lode Job Training and Job Connections across the region have played an instrumental role in helping individu-als and heads of households transition from a traumatic lay-off, or through the drudgery of a highly competitive job mar-ket with tools such as resume writing, interviewing skills, skills assessment, and access to job openings aggregated to

www.motherlodejobconnection.org. The centers have friend-ly staff and counselors that truly care about helping others. In addition, the centers are fully equipped “office spaces” to aid in the chore of finding a job, or helping a business in their recruitment efforts.

Businesses are able to utilize Job Connections’ services either remotely via the website, or in person to find out about La-bor Laws, Tax Credits, Interviewing Techniques, and to seek through online resumes to find applicants for job openings. Recently in Sonora, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply utilized Job Connection Tuolumne as a remote office for seeking qualified individuals, interviewing, and other Human Resources ac-tivities. Many large and small business closures often turn to Mother Lode Job Training for assisting their staff during times of reducing hours or lay-offs and closures. When people are experiencing emotional upheaval, it’s important to have quali-fied staff help them navigate the transition.

As the chairperson of the Mother Lode Workforce Invest-ment Board (MLWIB), I am encouraging business represen-tatives, elected officials, labor, and community members to continue to support employment and training programs. It is especially important for the business representatives to assert their support. The California Workforce Association is urg-ing individuals to “flood” letters to your U.S. Senators and Representatives. CWA also recommends letters should be cc’d to Congress members McKeon, Kline, DeLauro, and Senator Murray. CWA created templates for these letters which can be found at www.calworkforce.org. The MLWIB is providing statistics and data on its website, www.mlwib.org.

H.R. 1 poses a real threat to WIA programs and the stronger we support continued funding through letters, the better chance we’ll have of saving these programs. I trust we can come to-gether to help keep our gorgeous foothill community thriving as best as possible for our neighbors, friends, and family. We have strength in our persistence, diligence, and passion to live in this beautiful area. Thank you for your support.

Rebecca Ames-BlockMLWIB Chairperson

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Angels Camp--I met Sheriff Kuntz for coffee on Tuesday afternoon. I’d written an article on the sheriff in June shortly after he’d won the election, but he wouldn’t be starting the job until January, nearly 6-months following the election. I’d been wanting to check in with the sheriff to see how the department was transitioning from the Den-nis Downum era to what I presumed to be a new style of leadership. Plus, a number of issues regarding the department had been piling up on my “to ask” list, and those questions had finally reached critical mass. Initially I asked the sheriff if he’d made any staff changes since assuming command. The campaign had been continuous, and I was interested if there had been any incidents of insubordination or outright mutiny. I didn’t get a good mutiny story, the sheriff said he felt assured he had the support of the officers and had good communication with his lieutenants. He said that he wanted to run the department for a while in “status quo mode” before making any major adjustments. The sheriff said most of what he was implementing was leadership style, he believes that leadership needs to be broad-based and not just top down, noting that those in the field may have good ideas and know if policies work and or how to improve them.

Future “Further” Concerts I was wondering about the lawsuit that the county had been threaten-ing against the fairgrounds for reimbursement for Sheriff Department expenditures during the Further Festival last June. The county was seeking reimbursement for $17,000 and the disagreement appeared to be threatening the possibility of future festival. The sheriff was very forthright. In fact “forthright” is one of the Sheriff’s refreshing charac-teristics. You very rarely get an answer like “I can’t comment on that as we are in the middle of negotiations.” He said he felt the lawsuit was not going to go anywhere, that the county could sue, but it was his feeling that a suit would cost more that it would gain. That led to a discussion of what could be done to avoid similar events in the future. In this the Sheriff has been involved patrolling many concerts in his years and said, “you’re always going to have drug and alcohol issues at concerts, unless it’s a revival meeting type concert,” he said. “The goal is to not have to enter the concert for any other reason than if you absolutely have to save someone’s butt.” The sheriff then talked about the need to preemptively address the professionalism of the security that the concert promoters provide. As well, the sheriff does feel that the fairgrounds has a capacity limit that a super huge concert can ex-ceed. The entrance and exit of the fairgrounds can get swamped and represents a safety problem. So I asked him straight up if he supports future concerts. The sheriff told me point blank that he supports having concerts and that with good preparation and communication with fair personnel and concert promoters they should be able to avoid the dif-ficulties they experienced last June.

Avila & The Jay Smith BustNext I wanted to ask the Sheriff about Deputy Avila, the deputy who arrested Jay Smith, a licensed medical marijuana provider, using a ruse of a legitimate medical marijuana card that had been confiscated from the evidence of an arrest from an unrelated individual. Avila allegedly testified that he didn’t remember who had authorized him to take the medical marijuana permit out of evidence and instigate the sting opera-tion on Smith. In the end Smith accepted a plea bargain to avoid further court costs that had reached $40,000. For related reasons Avila was subject to an internal investigation; the results of which have not been made public. I was wondering if Avila had received any disciplinary action or if the current Sheriff would condone actions like Avila’s ac-tions during the Jay Smith investigation as a matter of policy.

Again the Sheriff was very direct. He said that those events had not occurred on his watch--and that he had thought to move forward and to not have to look backward, but that in light of community interest he would review the file. I was pressing him on the matter, as at best, the investigation was seriously unseemly. A deputy can’t remember

who initiated a sting operation, or who authorized him to take a medi-cal marijuana card out of evidence. That’s not acceptable. And the rest of the sting operation was equally unseemly. Smith had repeatedly refused to sell undercover officers medicinal marijuana without their having the proper documentation, and then when officers did provide a legitimate permit, albeit one that was confiscated or possibly stolen--as medical records are usually considered confidential, Smith sold Avila the medicinal marijuana, but he did so believing the stolen permit was legitimately Avila’s. It’s unclear to me, and many others, how Avila’s actions were not more egregious than Smith’s, yet Smith is apparently out $40,000, and Avila may not have received any disciplinary action.

Regardless, the Sheriff was quite adamant, although not willing to call the incident a black eye on the department, he said it certainly didn’t do anything positive for either the department or the individual that was arrested. He said that the entire episode was a “lose lose” situation, and that the processes that had transpired during the Smith investigation, were not the policies of the current Sheriff’s Department. I left it at that, with a note to myself regarding follow-up questions. The discussion after that turned to medical marijuana in general, and I felt the Sheriff’s comments were quite revealing. He said that he re-spected California law and the law that the people of California had passed. I asked him about the ambiguities in the law and he said that there is a Calaveras ordinance and that the Sheriff’s Department has asked County Council to clarify the language to more reflect the state’s statutes, but that had not occurred, so at this juncture the county ordi-nances is what the Sheriff’s Department is going by.

Guns in CalaverasFor some time I’ve been concerned Calaveras could have an Arizona like shooting event, so I asked the sheriff what procedures are in place to evaluate gun sales in the county and how well the radar worked to detect dangerous deranged individuals. The sheriff said that the gun shops in the county are regularly inspected, but he added that means almost nothing. The guns are already out there. He did say they were planning more awareness education for the schools--reminding stu-dents and teachers to report aberrant behavior. He said that the de-partment had responded to a number of incidents where students were reported to be planning on bringing a gun to campus.

In general, our new Sheriff is a humanist. In his 26-years in law en-forcement he has never had to hit anyone with a club or shoot anyone, and he attributes that to his philosophy that everyone deserves respect. He said that the people he encounters may not have made the right choices or something happened to them that led them down an undesir-able path, but people still deserve respect.

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A Discussion With Sheriff Gary KuntzBy Ross Alford

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Calaveras Sheriff Gary Kuntz

I met the owners of The Art of Cigars, Bob and John, during the Presi-dent’s Day weekend in Murphys in front of the Tanner tasting room on the south end of Main Street. I should say that I’d dropped by my friend John Martin’s house for dinner, he was serving a pot roast Ital-ian style, and he was waving these cigars in the air when I arrived, saying “you’ve got to see these guys downtown, they’re hand rolling these cigars.” I took a quick look and a little squeeze, handed off my bottle of Twisted Oak Syrah that I’d brought for dinner, and said “get this thing breathing, I’m going to see a man about cigars.” When I got there they were just shutting down for the day, but I secured an inter-view with Bob for the next day, in the process he gave me a Torpedo cigar and lit it for me. This was one outstanding cigar.

Bob and John interestingly enough met at a cigar shop in Sacramento. They soon developed a friendship over conversations and quality ci-gars. After traveling to Cigar Aficionado‘s “Big Smoke” in Las Vegas, and a number of rounds of golf, conversations soon led to the opening of a quality cigar shop of their own. They teamed up with Marvin Ruiz a cigar roller from Nicaragua, who resides in Reno and thus be-gan the “Art of Cigars.” Their love of premium hand-rolled cigars is illustrated by the quality of product they provide. They have a steadfast pledge that “no cigar will be sold that does not meet their high standard of quality.”

Serious cigar smokers are finding fewer respected tobacconists in Northern California. One needs to travel to places like the Piedmont Tobacconist in Oakland to find bundles of Arturo Fuentes which one could get in the late 1980s and early 1990s for a fairly cheap price. Or, take the occasional trip to Mexico which always lends itself to availing the legendary Cubans. The difficulty started when Cigar Aficionado took hold of the American conscious and elevated the status of cigars to the “dot-com boomers,” and almost overnight a great cigar went from $5 to $12. Partly because of the cost and the dot-com crash, cigar smoking slowed down, and just when you thought the affordability and availability was going to come around again, there seemed to be fewer cigar shops; people started mail ordering cigars.

Over the years I’ve found that most cigars you get tend to be too dry, because they’ve not been kept in the proper humidity. I’ve also found

that tobacco is harsh or not that sweet if it does not emanate from the tropics. While I was talking with Bob he told me that their partner, Marvin Ruiz, goes on an annual tobacco-buying tour throughout the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua and they allocate extra funds for the purchase of the most premium tobaccos.

Choosing the right cigar is a personal matter, but in general, a cigar needs to smell right, which means it needs to smell something like re-ally sweet fresh cow manure. And, a good cigar needs to squeeze right, it is essential a cigar should feel like the perfect avocado, absolutely no squish but a firm pliability. The cigars I got from The Art of Cigar team are all of this. After that it becomes a matter of deciding upon the ring size, or the diameter of the cigar you like, which has a lot to do with the smoothness of the smoke. Some opt for a medium ring size as it’s more comfortable to handle. While others prefer the smooth smoke of a large ring size.

The Art of Cigars will most likely have an outlet soon in Murphys. Stay tuned to this bat channel for an update, as this will be a most pleasant addition to our booming metropolis. In the meantime, check out their great selection at: www.artofcigars.com.

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Check Web For E-mail Specials !

Cigar Aficionados Rolling Stogies in MurphysHand-Rolled CigarsBy Ross Alford

The cigar guys– John and Bob.

Win a Trip to Ireland Murphys Irish Day RaffleBy Bob ReaganThe luck of the Irish will take on special meaning for one happy couple when they are transported from a gold rush town with Irish heritage to the fabled land of shamrocks and leprechauns as grand prize winners of the Win a Trip to Ireland raffle as part of this year’s Murphys Irish Day celebration.

The prize includes round trip airfare to Dublin or Shannon, a rental car, hotel stay on arrival, and five nights in a variety of bed and break-fast locations sprinkled throughout the country. As is usually the case, some restrictions apply.

Specially created vacation prize packages will be awarded to three runners-up.

The first includes two nights lodging at Milfiore, an historic country retreat in Murphys, breakfast at the Murphys Hotel, dinner at Mineral Restaurant, golf for two at Sequoia Woods Country Club in Arnold, and cave and mine tour activities provided by the Sierra Nevada Rec-reation Corp.

Another package includes two nights' lodging at the Cottages at La Honda Park in Murphys, lunch at V Restaurant, dinner at Grounds Res-taurant, golf for two at Sequoia Woods Country Club, and kayak or snowshoe rental from Sierra Nevada Adventure Company.

The third prize package encompasses two nights' lodging at one of the Murphys Vacation Rentals, breakfast at Aria Bakery, a catered dinner by Melanie Klann from Newsome Harlow Winery, golf for four at For-est Meadows Golf Course, and mine tour activities provided by the Sierra Nevada Recreation Corp.

Raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20. They are available at the Calaveras Visitors Bureau in Angels Camp, and at several locations in Murphys including the Spice Tin, Sierra Garden Center, Creative Cookware, Sierra Nevada Adventure Company, Marisolio Tasting Bar, Bandera Outfitters, Jillian’s Day Spa, Solomon Tasting Room, Tanner Vineyards, Murphys Suites, Tea Antiques, and NEXT. Tickets will also be available along Main Street during Irish Day.

The winning tickets will be drawn at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, as part of the Irish Day Celebration. The winner need not be present. For further information, call Patty Schulz at 728-3753.

Murphys Irish Day is presented each year by the Murphys Business Association with proceeds making it possible for the association to fulfill its goals of sponsoring projects that enhance the community and beautify the business district.

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The Mountain Chronicle March 2011 ● 11 News Items

"Sonntag Treffen" The Annual Spring VWeeee Shindig Murphys–VW fans and VW clubs are invited to the Black Bart Play-house parking lot March 13th. This event is free to attend or swap and open to the public, rain or shine! 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. BBQ, 50/50 raffle. Bring your VW, stuff to swap, easy-up awnings, sand chairs and appetite!

Occupational Therapy Services Now Available in Angels CampCalaveras County – February 15, 2011 – State of the art Occupational Therapy is now available in Calaveras County with the opening of Gold Country Occupational Therapy, 252 N. Main St. in Angels Camp.

Susan Lyneis Sirias, a 25-year veteran in Occupational Therapy, and Amy Nord, with 12 years experience as an Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist, provide a wide range of services for those rehabilitating from stroke, degenerative diseases such as arthritis, tendonitis, fibromyalgia, neuromuscular and vascular disorders, head trauma, brain, spinal cord and central nervous system injuries, acci-dents, infections, and injury to upper extremities such as hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders. Treatment can help patients from birth on.

Gold Country Occupational Therapy can be reached by calling (209) 736-9589 or online at www.goldcountryot.com.

PetSmart Joins Jo-Ann Fabrics in Former Mervyn’s LocationSONORA, CA.--Following the announcement last week that Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts is locating in Sonora, Economic Development Di-rector Larry Cope announced today that PetSmart, Inc. will also be opening in the former Mervyn’s location. “We’re excited to welcome PetSmart to our community. Here is another national retailer who saw a marketing niche, just like Jo-Ann’s, creating even more jobs, includ-ing management positions,” Cope said.

PetSmart is currently accepting applications for all positions, includ-ing pet bathers, cashiers, stockers, assistant manager, salon manager, support manager, and store manager--even pet stylists and pet train-ers. Online applications for these jobs are accessible through Mother Lode Job Training (MLJT) at www.motherlodejobconnection.org. or call Job Connection Tuolumne, MLJT’s One-Stop resource center at (209) 588-1150. Job Connection, Tuolumne is located at 19890 Cedar Road North.

Mother Lode Daffodil ShowIronstone Vineyards–Two days of the largest Daffodil Show on the West Coast, March 19th and 20th, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy thousands of specimens competing for Best of Show. Ironstone has over 500,000 Daffodil bulbs on the grounds. Join the Daffodil Society for dinner on March 19th. No host reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner and a Daffodil Society presentation. Reservations required. Please call 209-728-1251.

GPS & Windows Top Smug’s March MeetingGlobal Positioning System (GPS) and the use of Windows applications on Apple computers will be among the topics covered when the Sierra Macintosh Users Group (SMUG) holds its monthly meeting Tuesday, March 8, beginning at 2 p.m. in the community room of the Murphys Library, 480 Park Lane, adjacent to Murphys Park.

Paul Keaton will be making the presentations and leading the discus-sion. He and other longtime SMUG members will be on hand to an-swer a wide range of computer-related questions.

38th Annual Bjornloppet Ski Race & Festival

BEAR VALLEY– The Bjornloppet is one of California’s most presti-gious and longest running ski races. The festivities begin March 12th with a choice of a 20- or 10-kilometer freestyle race on Saturday, fol-lowed by an awards party complete with prizes and food. The Cali-fornia Senior Winter Games are being held the same weekend in Bear Valley. Racers aged 50 and older who want to register for both events can use their Bjornloppet race times to qualify for a gold, silver or bronze medal in the California Senior Winter Games!

7th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival Kick Off--March 12thBlack Bart Theater– The Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour returns with another incredible selection of films to change your world.This year’s films combine stellar filmmaking, beautiful cinematogra-phy and first-rate storytelling to inform, inspire and ignite solutions and possibilities to restore the earth and human communities while creating a positive future for the next generation.

Black Bart Playhouse | Murphys | March 12, 2011Doors Open 5:30 p.m. 6 p.m. Welcome and Introduction

Ticket prices: Adult: $8 Advance, $10 Door, Student: $5 Advance, $10 DoorFREE ADMISSION with new EPFW Membership. Order tickets online: www.sierrafilmfest.org/tickets.html, or from Sus-tenance Books, 416 Main Street, Murphys, 209-728-2200.

Hospital Reschedules Spring Health Fair“Having a community health fair in the snow just doesn’t make sense” said Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital president Feliciano Jiron. “The forecast for this Saturday in Murphys suggests we should keep as many people off the road as possible, so we rescheduled this event until the weather improves and more residents can take advantage of the ser-vices that will be provided.”

The 2nd Annual Spring Health Fair at Ironstone has been rescheduled for March 26, 2011. This includes the 5K Fun Run/Walk to benefit the Lupus Foundation of America that was scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. All of the screenings, vaccinations, health information and senior services will be available at the rescheduled event. More information about the Health Fair will be announced as the new date approaches.

Herbie, Our Beloved Bug Buddy!

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Angels Food Market

N. Hwy 49 Angels Camp736-4243

In the wine business, Matt Hatcher has “street creds.” When you’ve won a grape stomp with Jennifer Berry wearing the boots you wear to work everyday and you consistently place in the top ten every year, coming in second place last year, you’ve got “creds,” you’re a working man’s wine maker. In fact that’s a good description for the Hatcher wines themselves. I’ve not tasted a Hatcher wine that has any sense of pretension. The Hatcher “Sewell” Rhone blend, named after the Hatcher brother’s dad is one of my favorites, and I feel a good example of what I’m talking about. In 2005 Matt blended Syrah, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Grenache, and Cinsault to create a dry, well balanced and complex wine that has become a local favorite. Hatcher’s flag ship varietal is probably the Zin. They make four of them I believe. The Estate Zin is probably the most well received, but if you want to split hairs I’m a fan of Matt’s Beckman Zin. In addition, and this may be more about the way I’m changing as a wine drinker, I seem to be going in for medium to light reds these days, and Hatcher also makes a great Barbera. The truth of the matter is that you’re not going to go wrong with Hatcher wine--Hatcher is one of the most consistently good wine makers. In fact, I’m drinking the 2007 Estate Zin right now, because as I was writing this article I called Matt up to ask him a question or two starting with what should I have for dinner and what I should pair it with. And he started in with this red sauce for pasta with a splash of Zin to stimulate the sauce idea and I was all in:

Opened the Zin, and started a red sauce--what better way to write a story about a wine make, it’s my new tradition.

In any event, Matt as owner and wine maker is assisted by his brother, Sewell, and assistant wine maker, Scotty Hancock. They make many different wines, and often these lots produce less than 200 cases and are available only to the wine club members. If you were to be cook-ing up a big steak, I’d recommend the 2007 Petite Sirah. Very dark in color, someone said, “it’s like the tule fog on a chilly Central Val-ley winter night.” The flavors dance all over the place, dark, black fruit, ripe plums and tart cherries with a big finish that requires a big old steak to blend with. And new this year Matt’s releasing a stand alone Cinsault.

The Hatcher boys are perfectionists; Matt’s commitment goes well beyond wine maker as he manages the vineyard growing premium fruit to be complemented by the best oak barrels suited for the dis-parate wines. Current production is from fruit grown locally, and in

this Hatcher is committed to the region, but when necessary, he will seek the best fruit from other areas as well.

It’s a funny thing about wine, there’s at least a two year lag time between the time you harvest and the time that you really get to try your product. So while everyone begins to enjoy the 2008, there is the knowledge that 2010 was a rough year for grapes. Although Matt said that some of the grapes that came in early this year were very good, the later rains may have taken the edge off of the later harvest. Yet that is the challenge, how to make a great wine with the grapes you have.

It’s very evident that Matt works hard at the wine business, but at the end of the day he loves wine, and he gets to agonize like no one else over what wine he’s going to pour himself to go with the evening entree. I know he has a strong love affair with wine when one of the options for dinner he offered was tacos with a Rose.

So drop in on the Hatcher brothers; they have a great tasting room on Main Street. I would not kid you, when I get a hold of Hatcher wines I tend to save them for special occasions. I should also mention that the Sewell Rhone blend may be the Astro-Logger’s favorite wine. One last note: Matt is president of the Calaveras Wine Alliance and he is very interested in the overall health of the local wine in-dustry, Murphys in general. During our conversation we spent considerable time talking strategy. Matt Hatcher’s wine is not only very good, his business is about community.

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March MMXI ● XII“Grape Reportage”La Chronicle de la Montagne

Exploring the Wines of CalaverasHatcher VineyardsBy Ross Alford

Matt in the vat !

Larson Private Investigations

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Roy’s SeasoningsStrong & Bold Blends

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Wines of the World– Minerals in Wine?

CWA will host its March Wines of the World event Thursday, March 10 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Murphys Historic Hotel in the Mark Twain Ballroom. Vineyard specialist, owner of Vineyard Concepts and personality extraordinaire, Steve Collum, will explore the types of soils and minerals found in the Sierra Foothills, how they affect the wine, and what minerals can be discovered by taste. Have fun experi-menting with rocks and wine and explore your taste buds!

Wines of the World is an integral part of CWA’s educational program and is presented monthly. Attendance is open to the public with no reservations required. An added plus, you are invited to have dinner at the hotel after the tasting with a $5 discount on each entrée.

Cost: $15 for CWA members and $25 for non-members.

Open Daily 11 to 5pm634 French Gulch Road-Murphys

Phone 209-728-9911www.valduvino.com

TASTING LOUNGE403 MAIN STREET • MURPHYS

Lounge HoursMonday thru Thursday: 12-5

Friday, Saturday & Sunday: 11-5:30

NEWSOME - HARLOW

www.NewsomeHarlow.com209.728.9817

www.beauxchevaux.com

Tasting Room & Art Gallery466 B Main StreetMurphys 209.728.1000

FeaturingPremier wines

&Local art

The Mountain Chronicle’s“Art & Wine Galleria”

Galleria Continued →March’s Featured Artist:

DianeSanguinetti SDD@goldrush.com

Hatcher WineryMain Street - Murphys

www.HatcherWinery.com

425 A Main StreetMurphys

(209) 728-2441

www.Lavender Ridge Vineyard.com

Tasting Room Hours11am to 5pm

Daily

Lavender Ridge

728.1623www.ZuccaWines.com

Tasting Room Hours7-Days 12 to 5pm

“La Galleria”

Tasting Room Open Daily 11-5221 Main Street, Murphys

The Historic Yellow CottageNear Alchemy Restaurant

209.728.2157www.BlackSheepWinery.com

BLACKSHEEPWINERY

221 Main Street Murphys, CA209/728-2157 www.BlackSheepWinery.com

Gold Medal Big Zins, Sauvignon Blanc, Cinsault,

Raspberry Sparkling Wine, Rose and more.

Public invited November 14, 4 to 6 pm at Tasting Room in Murphys

25th Anniversary Celebration!

located in the historic Yellow Cottage near Alchemy Restaurant

Open Daily 11 - 5

“La Galleria”

La Galleria’s Disclaimer:Translation, as they say, is at best an echo - You should see this art for yourself!

METATE HILLVINEYARDS

www.VinoMetate.com

Tasting Room 448-C

Main StreetMurphys

www.HoveyWine.com (209) 601-8814

Impeccable Wines by Chuck Hovey

Available at: Big Trees MarketSierra Hills MarketAngels Food Marketor at www.hoveywine.com

Galleria Continued →

Diane Sanguinetti

Diane Sanquinetti has lived most of her life in the Sierra foothills. A third generation Californian, Sanguinetti focuses on subjects that peek into the past, small towns, and locations in the pristine high country.

Sanguinetti began painting in watercolor, producing architectural illustrations for her building design business. A transformational moment occurred for her when she enrolled in a week-long workshop in Yosemite under the guidance of artist Ben Kudo, "I couldn't believe what fun it was to stand out in all that beauty creating paintings that I could take home and hang on my walls." It was love at first sight. Two years later the owner of a local gallery admired her work and invited her to show her paintings in the gallery.

Though Sanquinetti admits that not every painting captures what she intended, there are times when a painting matches her expectation. "I get a real thrill," she said "when I stand back and realize Wow! I really like this one."

Diane Sangunetti has paintings currently showing:

The Frog's Tooth Gallery in MurphysVentana Gallery in SonoraThe First Street Gallery in Turlock

Tasting Room Hours:11 to 5 Daily

209.728.3485www.StevenotWinery.com

458 Main Street #3Murphys

www.TwistedOak.com209-736-9080

Established 1978

Vallecito & Murphys

“La Galleria”

The End

Open Seven Days 11 - 5

380 Main St. Ste 5, MurphysPhone 209.728.2700www.FrogsTooth.com

Cute Name, Serious Award Winning Wines.

“The Hotel”– Cioppino is a fish stew that originated in San Francisco deriving from the various regional fish soups and stews. Cioppino is traditionally made from the catch of the day, which in San Francisco means a combination of dungeness crab, clams, shrimp, squid, mussels and fish. The seafood is then combined with fresh tomatoes in a wine sauce, and served traditionally with toasted bread, either sourdough or a baguette. Most ethnic regions have a similar dish, the French a bouil-labaisse, the Spanish a “suquet de peix,” I looked it up.

In any event, Cioppino was developed in the late 1800s by Portuguese and Italian fishermen who settled in the North Beach section of San Francisco. Originally it was made on the boats while out at sea and later became a staple as Italian restaurants proliferated in North Beach. Here’s a Wikipedia supplement: “The name Cioppino comes from ci-uppin, a word in the Ligurian dialect of the port city of Genoa, mean-ing "to chop" or "chopped" which described the process of making the stew by chopping up various leftovers of the day's catch. At least one restaurant in San Francisco, the eponymous Cioppino's, describes an apocryphal story in which the name derived from the heavily Italian-accented cry of the wharf cooks for the fishermen to "chip in" some of their catch to the collective soup pot.”

I don’t know about all of that, but I do know that “The Hotel” makes the best damn Cioppino I’ve ever had, and I write this at my own peril, because my mom’s going to read this. Here is the deal though, there is more to it than just throwing all of your leftover fish into a pot. I hung out in the kitchen and watched Chef Joel fill a few Cioppino orders and I learned a thing or two. California cuisine is sophisticated. Chef Joel had a nice tomato sauce simmering on one burner, and every time he got an order of Cioppino he’d start a few other pots that had the dispa-rate sea offerings going in garlic sauce and what not, he then cooked

the fish separately to their desired perfections and then he tossed it all into the red sauce before serving--and that, my friends, makes a world of difference; you don’t end up with rubbery shrimp! So, here is a small bit of advice: don’t try this at home, forget it, just go to “The Hotel” on the last Friday of the month and order it from the pros--it will be a lot less expensive for you, and I guarantee you’ll not make a better Ciop-pino than Chef Joel.

“Me and My Uncle,” a related note: I went to dinner with my Uncle Henry and his super squeeze Sally. My uncle is one of the most par-ticular wine guys I know. Occasionally I’ll run a bottle by him to see if it gets his nod of approval, I was beginning to think the guy didn’t like wine. So, I arranged for a Chuck and Jan Hovey bottle of Barbera to be served with our Cioppino and without provocation he asked how much the bottle would cost, and I gave him my speculation, which I exaggerated for dramatic effect. A few moments later he said, “ I’d buy that wine.” Hovey did a great job on this wine. It’s soft and subtle, yet full-bodied and not too fruity. This is a bottle to choose when you know you have to have a great bottle of wine.

More info: www.hoveywine.com Or: www.murphyshotel.com

HeadwatersCoffee House

BreakfastLunchDinner

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GourmetCoffees & Teas

Bear ValleyVillage

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WiFi

The Mountain Chronicle March 2011 ● 17“The Galley Slave”

Dropped In on The Murphys Hotel Cioppino a Go GoBy Ross Alford

March’s Killer Quick RecipeEasy Cajun Jambalaya

Chef Joel Lacitignola

Meadowmont Shopping Center

6am to

6pm

Bistro Espresso

Open 7 Days A Week11 AM to 5 PM

The Spice Tin457 N. Algiers Street

Behind SNAC In Murphys728-8225

www.thespicetin.com

Over 187 Spices

Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons olive oil * 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts * 8 ounces kielbasa, diced * 8 ounces med.-sized shrimp * 1 onion, diced * 1 green bell pepper, diced * 1/2 cup diced celery * 2 tablespoons chopped garlic * 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper * 1/2 teaspoon onion powder * salt and ground black pepper to taste * 2 cups uncooked white rice * 4 cups chicken stock * 3 bay leaves * 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce * 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Saute chicken and kielbasa until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Sea-son with cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent. Add rice, then stir in chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 18 minutes, or until rice almost tender. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and shrimp; cover 3 minutes before serving.

It seems that almost everyone has something to complain about when it comes to the many layers of government that affect our lives in so many ways. In recent years, with the recession and so many highly polarized political debates, it has become increasingly easy to attack government policies and agency or political decision-makers.

But the truth is that every one of us is highly dependent upon gov-ernment for everything from defending us from foreign invasions (or terrorists) to keeping our water clean, providing quick responses from police or firefighters, maintaining roads, and providing countless other vital needs. Accordingly, in America we’ve come to rely upon govern-ment agencies and officials to be responsible and believable—espe-cially at the county level where actions are local and visible.

That visibility (or lack of visibility) over the past decade has been frustrating for many who serve as watchdogs for Calaveras County. At the least, the County government has not always been a shining example of responsibility and effectiveness. In many key positions (such as the leadership position for county planning), there has been a revolving door of turnovers and a lack of continuity. There have been media articles describing political favoritism, violations of State re-quirements, and lawsuits filed by disgruntled individuals. And there have been glaring examples of the County failing to enforce clear legal requirements.

The contentious, polarizing debate over the illegally constructed Trini-tas Golf Course reflects many of the County’s problems.

The saga of Trinitas is bizarre and difficult for many outsiders to com-prehend. How was a property owner allowed to construct an 18-hole golf course as “landscaping” and then completely ignore two County board decisions that the golf course was not a legal operation? Why has that commercial operation been allowed to advertise, operate, and hold well-publicized events in direct conflict with county planning regu-lations?

What is presently surprising is that despite the County being sued by the Trinitas operators and despite the Trinitas property going through bankruptcy proceedings, Calaveras County has recently moved to take action that could result in the illegal golf operation suddenly becoming legal.

That new twist ties to a recent proposal by the County to adopt new pol-icies that would allow commercial golf courses to be permitted on A-1 agricultural lands anywhere in the County. When alarmed neighbors of the Trinitas project submitted comments of concern in response to the proposed policy, County staff claimed the new policy had absolutely nothing to do with the Trinitas Golf Course. Yet despite a previous le-gal finding by the County that the Trinitas project was not compatible with surrounding agricultural uses, in February County staff produced a report that admitted that once the Board approved the new policy amendments, the Trinitas site could apply for a permit to become legal.

At the February 17th Planning Commission hearing on the County’s proposed golf course–Ag land policy, county counsel stated that it would be “speculation” to consider the possible impacts of Trinitas be-ing legalized by the new policies. Likewise, in the County’s staff report for the hearing, staff insisted that the proposed new golf course policy was not a settlement for the Trinitas litigation or would the new policy allow any entitlements for Trinitas.

Yet based on the bankruptcy court proceedings, County counsel has repeatedly discussed the proposed new zoning policy as potentially af-fecting the litigation. As a result, the judge has at least twice delayed any action until after he hears what the Board decides to do on the new golf course policy. And instead of waiting to make adjustments to agri-cultural use policies until the new General Plan Update is completed in a year or two, it is highly revealing that the County has chosen now (at a critical time in the Trinitas court proceeding) to move the golf course policy matter forward for a decision.

All of this can be confusing for a layperson who struggles to keep up with all the complexities of lawsuits, bankruptcy claims, agritourism trade-offs, or the costs of all of this for taxpayers. But what it boils down to is fairly clear.

Calaveras County is under both legal and political pressure to cave in to supporters of the Trinitas Golf Course operation and find a way to make that project legal. Despite that obvious pressure, the County claims that there is no connection between a sudden proposal to allow golf courses on A-1 lands and the Trinitas matter.

Citizen watchdog groups and Trinitas neighbors are concerned at two levels. Obviously a flip-flop in the County’s position on Trinitas could overturn past decisions and result in legalization of the currently illegal course. But a second frustration is that it appears that the County is once again not being transparent and open. It appears that there is no doubt that the new policy proposal is directly related to Trinitas.

With the long-awaited General Plan Update not far off and long-term planning for the County soon to be determined, those who monitor county government would obviously like to see honesty and openness by the County. The upcoming board decision about the golf course-Ag land proposal on March 15 may provide new transparency, or it may show a continuation of the inappropriate influences and political ma-neuvers that have caused frustration in the past.

On CSERCFor the past 21 years, the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Cen-ter (CSERC) has effectively served as the foremost environmental de-fender of more than 2,000,000 acres of forests, rivers, lakes, wetlands, roadless areas, old growth groves, scenic oak woodlands, and other precious areas within the central region of the Sierra Nevada.

CSERCCalaveras County Government and the Question of Trust – BelievabilityBy John BuckleyExecutive DirectorCentral Sierra Environmental Resource Center

The Mountain Chronicle March 2011 ● 18“The Nature of Science”

www.sol-sierra.com795-3554

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The Embattled Trinitas Golf Course

At one point or another everybody dreams of following the rainbow and finding the pot of gold, or perhaps tripping over the magic lamp and getting our three wishes granted by the genie. In modern terms it might be akin to winning the lottery. It happened to a man recently who was down to virtually his last dollar. He was going to lose his home in a matter of days to foreclosure, and he hit the big one. Or how about the young woman from England named Kate Middleton who went to college and was working in a shop to make ends meet and suddenly finds Prince Charming knocking at her door, asking her to be a princess and future queen? Suddenly her wedding will be the most watched television event in history as she looks forward to a life of luxury and opportunity.

On the other side of the equation there are those who find the polar opposite. A man in Texas whose three children were killed in a house fire found himself arrested, convicted and sentenced to death for what the state called murder. Shortly after he was executed all indications seemed to point to his innocence. Can you imagine the horror of griev-ing for the loss of your children while sitting on death row awaiting execution knowing you were 100% innocent? Or how about the four people who were killed by Somalian pirates after having their yacht hijacked. They were on a round the world dream trip and suddenly it turned into the ultimate nightmare.

Some days are diamonds and some days are stones and most of us live our lives somewhere in between the extremes. Still, while the afore-mentioned examples are clearly on the edge of human experience we can all relate to days of wonder and days of horror in our own lives. On any given day we could and have gained or lost a love, a job, a person close to us, a marriage or our health. We might have awakened with a smile on our face and gone to bed with our agony in our hearts. In the great wheel of fortune or the wonderful circle of life we are often bounced around like a cork in a tumultuous ocean. So we seek comfort and security, try to build our houses, figuratively and literally, out of stone so that we can fend off the wolf at the door when he makes a run at us. Still, we know no matter how thick the walls, how bomb proof the cellar, how solid our insurance policies, how strong the portfolio or how confident the ego, it could all be annihilated in a moment. We might be able to handle the small hits but the big ones take out anyone.So, the challenge is to still stroll in the woods even if the big bad wolf is hiding out there somewhere, because along with the danger are the sweet berries, the beautiful streams, the mountain breezes and the fra-grant and gorgeous wildflowers. The yin goes with the yang and by

trying to block out the down side, the upside often slips away as well. Light and dark, life and death and all dualities are inextricably linked.

Though life is full of uncertainty and risk, there is one thing that moves the odds in the crap shoot a bit more in our favor. It's called attitude. To use another couple of trite expressions, it is learning to see the glass as half full and not only that, the glass is quite attractive too. It’s learning to stop and smell the roses. It’s learning to see the absurdity of sweat-ing the small stuff and realizing that it is almost all small stuff. There is nothing I have found to appreciate just feeling "normal" more than being sick. When I am sick I would give anything to just find my way back to normal again and I vow to never take it for granted again. Of course after a few days I do, but I try not to.

On any given day, at any given moment we can color our world with the perceptions of our attitude. We can see the wonder in our loved ones and ourselves or focus on the failures and the faults. We can wallow in petty miseries, dwell on squabbles, jealousies and broken dreams or we can find the joy in the clouds in the sky, the laughter of our children, the innocence of our pets, the genuine intentions of those who care about us.

Circumstances can suddenly overwhelm us. They have and they will, but most of the time we are in that never-never land where we can af-fect the outcome. It’s a choice every day, every hour, every minute and we can take all those marginal days that could drift toward being stones and nudge them over to diamonds or at least rubies. We don’t have to sit and wait for the big break, the earth shattering, life transforming event that will propel us to our greatest fantasy. We don’t have to find the pot at the rainbow's end to find joy or happiness in this short stint on earth. If we look around, it's already here most of the time for most of us, and it's pretty damn special.

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The Mountain Chronicle March 2011 ● 19“Stearns’ Page”

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Manzanita Writers Press presents a full day of workshops for writers!

Saturday, March 198:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Calaveras County Arts Council Gallery 22 Main St. in San Andreas

All day or half day!

8:30-11:30 a.m. Linda Trapp - Writing from the Heart - writing about pain and healing; memo-rable memoir.

11:30 a.m.-1:00 Lunch with the writers 1-2 p.m. Lucy Hackett—Writing for the Media—protocol and insider tips on how to present your work to the media so that they will take notice. 2-5 p.m. Stephanie Chandler—Internet marketing for authors—Developing your brand and effectively marketing your work. Reserve your space by March 15. Space is limited! $75 for all three workshops, or $50 for either morning or afternoon.Pay by March 15.

Lunch is on your own, 11:30-1 p.m.

To reserve your space:Call 209-736-0222 or 209-754-0577Or email: lindafield@sbcglobal.net Or mrosemanza@jps.net

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This month I am going to tie in some Permacul-ture Principles to the article. Following is a list of some of the Permaculture Principles offered by Dave Holmgren, in his book PERMACUL-TURE Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustain-ability: 1. Observe and Interact—beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 3. Obtain a Yield—you can’t work on an empty stomach. 5. Use and value re-newable resources and services—Let nature take its course. 12. Creatively Use and Respond to Change—Vision is not seeing things as they are but as they will be.

We were spoiled in January with plenty of sun and warm weather. It looked like it was time to start working in the garden as the temperatures were more like spring than winter. Then all of a sudden, WHAM! A big snowfall, it was one of the biggest overnight dumps in recent memory. The snow even fell lower than usual. Many trees couldn’t handle the weight of the snow and lost limbs or were uprooted completely. One common use for these is to cut them up for firewood, but I will offer an alternative use.

I’ll walk you through the principles I’ve connected to as I describe a possible course of action. Then I’ll go into more detail for the project. I observed at the Love Creek Center for Permaculture there were sev-eral alder trees that succumbed to the weight of the snow this year. The next step is to begin the interaction with my observation. My actions will touch on the other three Permaculture principles I’ve offered. I’d like to creatively use and respond to the recent change that occurred. So with the sudden availability of some renewable resources I will place value on it. And in turn the value is that I can use this freshly fallen hardwood to accomplish obtaining a yield. How am I going to do that? I will grow gourmet edible mushrooms on the wood. Let me run you through that again. Seeing that several White Alder trees fell over due to snow this year I needed to come up with action to utilize the resource just made available. Creatively adapting to the change, I see it as a natural cycle of nature that we can interact with. We can help return the wood to the soil and at the same time we can obtain a yield of gourmet edible mushrooms.

Now I’ll run through the possible techniques I’ll use. Hardwoods are best for mushroom cultivation, although conifers can be used for some varieties of mushrooms. Fresh, non-rot-ting logs with intact bark must be used. Any-thing else will likely not work. Mushroom spawn can be obtained from several online sources. I have lots of alder logs and it just so happens that they are the wood of choice for our local oyster mushroom. The most common way to inoculate the logs is with plug spawn. This entails drilling holes in the logs and hammering wooden dowels inocu-lated with the mushroom of choice, into the logs. This works well and I have done several logs with this technique. It does take a long time to drill the holes and then wax over the holes. With a lot of logs available I’m inter-

ested in a technique that is less time consuming. Paul Stamets offers several techniques in his book, Mycelium Run-ning. One way to help insure inoculation is to use chainsaw oil that has spores of the species desired. That way any cut surface will have the inoculum of the desired mushroom. In addition a wedge technique can be used to save time for a large quantity of logs. Simply cut wedges out of the side of the logs lay them down side by side. Then sprinkle sawdust spawn of the mushroom desired over the cut wedges and in between the logs. Cover with fresh wood chips, keep moist and wait for it to fruit. Another technique I’d like to experiment with is sim-ply a cake method of stacking log rounds upright with sawdust spawn in between them. Several stacks can be bundled together to prevent toppling. These are some of the techniques that I’ll be employing this spring when the snow melts and I can access the logs easier. This is an appropriate response to what nature has brought us. With this response we may even add more value to the resource than for previous uses (i.e., firewood). Not only does it make it possible to obtain a yield, but a yield of a highly nutritious and medicinal food source. Feel free to contact me at 1Lovecreekpermaculture (at) gmail (dot) com if you have an abundance of hardwood logs that you need help with.

Gabriel BridgesBachelor of Science in Permaculture- UC Davis

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Permaculture Perspectives The Weight of Winter SnowBy Gabe Bridges

The Mountain Chronicle March 2011 ● 20“In The Garden”

Gabe in the Sierra

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"Being Ready For An Uncertain Future." “The Crash Course” will be held at The World Mercantile in Angels Camp old town section, from 6 to 9pm on the four Monday evenings in March. Cost is only $20 for the entire four sessions.

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Vegetables & Fruit Offerings

The coast continues to provide a bountiful supply of veg-etables: Artichokes, brussels sprouts and leeks from Rodoni Farms, purple baby sprouting broccoli, mini heads of Ro-manesco cauliflower, white cauliflower, fennel, rainbow carrots, gold, red and striped beets and a variety of roots. We'll have broccoli, those fabulous carrots that fly out of the door, more delicious Washington Naval oranges, apples of all kinds, kiwi, limes, lemons and mandarins. Lynne Hunt from Shady Oak Farms will be supplying eggs as will Katy and Larry Giles from Red Earth Farm in Jamestown.

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March 2011 ● 21The Mountain Chronicle “The Zone”

The Astro-Logger

By AEons Astrology (Ted Denmark) Dowd’s Hill at AveryContact: aeons@mindspring.com

The ASTRO-LOGGER “We do our logging in the stars…”

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Terri Wilson Directed

“Lend Me a Tenor”Opening March 18th

In classical mythology, it was the Nereid Thetis, the mother of Achil-les, who dipped the great Greek hero in the River Styx to make him in-vincible … presumably, while holding him by his “Achilles Tendon,” the strongest link between the leg and the foot, which then later tragi-cally became his point of vulnerability in battle. Though these dicta-tors and strong men that we see falling in the popular Arab revolutions begun on the Aquarius/Pisces cusp, are not exactly heros cast in the mold of Achilles (except perhaps in their own minds), they have met with their point of vulnerability at the corresponding time of year and are now falling in battle as the world looks on in shocked surprise. And so the times will roll on to finish Feb. 2011 as the Moon arrives at the sign Aquarius on the last day after making her familiar uncomfortable tête-à-tête with Pluto (speaking of the River Styx) the day before. At least locally, the second phase of our much-hyped frigid super-storm flowing down the backbone of the Pacific Coastal mountains from the northern tundra mostly appears to have headed for the coast along the way ... But fortunately, many of us will stay out of the cold and watch the Academy Awards show on what used to be called the small screen, but what for many of us, has now become the big digital screen. These former “celluloid” (were there ever so analog a term) heros and hero-ines are now more likely to be our companions in adventure and in-trigue more than the storied classical gods and goddesses.

The brave new world of 2011 will soon beckon us in full mettle jacket, and we will start to be glad that it is Spring once again after our wild roller-coaster ride of big winter snow on the bounty. It will not be an unexciting and uninteresting time (in so Piscean an understatement of indirection)! I, as a Pisces with my birthday on the same day as Dr. Seuss (and one day before Einstein), still have a few slowly ripen-ing apples left in the storage box from last Fall, and they are never as sweet as when they finally disappear as a breakfast treat at about this time of year with the advent of warm weather again (soon, let us hope!). The Pisces period usually finds us deep within ourselves, rearranging the interior furniture of our imagination, not wanting to repeat what might have been on the minds of the crew of the Titanic as

they launched forth into the North At-lantic … but integrating ourselves for another emergence into the bright light of the lengthening day, when, like the birds who have been sheltering from the storm, and who can now return to their main bird business, we can now also arise a little earlier as we think of how to seize the day with our own song and dance, whether with a jig on penny whistle and hornpipe or the rush of some later day kind of amplified sounds suitable for our personal parade grounds … grateful survivors all, wishing to open a new chapter in the sweet life after enacting another challenging performance of mountain winter ballet on 4WD snow tires heading for gas at $4 on the gallo-nometer. And don’t forget to tweak all the chronometers in your more enlightened life on March 13 for Daylight Savings (“Spring forward”) as our clocks get to jump into Spring one week ahead of our calendars at the Vernal Equinox on March 20.

And in memory of the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, I would hum-bly offer the immortal opening stanza of his eponymous poem that seems most apt, beyond all clocks, to sum up this deeply resonant sea-son, perhaps particularly for California mountain folk like us, of all ages and stages:

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees Is my destroyer.And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.

Special Note: mark the second week of March for the customary whip-lash, as the Moon first opposes Saturn (3/7) a day before reaching self-indulgent Taurus on Mardi Gras and two days before graven Ash Wednesday to test one’s conscience, at which time Mercury conjoins Prometheus for some kind of wild mind fling or late party thing … and within two hours also moves into Aries, awaiting the sound of the starting gun. These will be unmistakable wakeup calls to get ready for action wherever you may be. The truth or dare game will beckon to its players for another round to test our integrity.

“The Reason Why….”By Joe Pescogniac

“The reason why I’m trying to destroy the collective bargaining rights of public workers is to balance the state’s budget.” –Governor Walker, Wisconsin

“The reason I took all those steroids is because I couldn’t find any vitamins at my local pharmacy.” – Barry Bonds

“The reason I’m marrying Crystal is because she really needs a good home.” –Hugh Hefner

“The reason I’ve been a dictator for 42 years is because my mother wanted me to become somebody.”–Mohamar Gaddafi

“The reason I’m running for president is because I want to apply the same skills I had in my marriage to the whole country.” –Newt Gingrich

“The old rules don’t apply to Sarah Palin because she's such a strong reader. She reads all the details, like how long a governor serves.”–Karl Rove

“The reason why I’m so opposed to legislation limiting emissions is because it cuts into the profits we use on research to improve the environment."–Chairman of the Board, Exxon

“The reason I seem to have lost my moral compass is because I’ve lost my compass.” –Barack Obama

“The reason you don’t have high-speed internet on Love Creek Road is because, ha haa haa, you live in Calaveras.”–Prince Hans-Adam IIPrince of Liechtenstein

“The reason I’m doing my column this way this month is because Ross says there must be a connection between the premise and the conclu-sion, like in logic, that sort of thing.” –Joe Pescogniac

ArtSpirit, the 14th annual High School Juried Exhi-bition will open in Gallery Calaveras on Saturday, March 12. A public reception for the participating art-ists who are from the high schools of Bret Harte, Ca-laveras, and Mountain Oaks, will be held on March 12 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the gallery located at 22 Main, San Andreas, operated by the Calaveras Arts Council. Starting at 2:00 p.m. results of the judging will be announced.

Cash awards will be presented to first and second place winners; ribbons for third place, in each of 12 categories. These include Black and White Photogra-phy, Color Photography, Digital/Computer art, Oil or Acrylic Painting, Watercolor Painting, Pastels, Draw-ing, Functional Ceramics, Sculpture, Printmaking, Other/Mixed Media, and Crafts.

Since March has been designated both nationally and statewide as Arts Education Month, this ArtSpirit exhibit is meant to call attention to the importance of having an education steeped in the arts. The exhibit provides the public with the rare opportunity to ob-serve and possibly purchase art created by the county’s many very talented teens. Last year hundreds of students entered nearly 200 works. Helping them to prepare their works to look professional was the donation of matt board and frames by Larry Mersek of Mountain Frames.

Small groups of students hang and label the show which is an awesome task, given how many works are entered. Judging of the art for the cash awards in each category is by local profes-sional artists.

ArtSpirit was chosen as the title to symbolize that through art, students often feel a spirit to express their innermost feelings, whether it be rage, fear, or joy and spirituality. Visitors will be

impressed with the quality and the diversity and will be able to cast a ballot for their favorite artwork. At the end of the show in April, a Popular Choice cash award will be presented to the student artist with the most votes. Last year, over 250 people voted.

Calaveras Arts Council has been assisting local schools for over two decades with its esteemed Arts in Education program which provides a wide range of visual and performing arts workshops and assemblies.

Gallery Calaveras is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Saturdays, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more informa-tion, phone the Calaveras County Arts Council, 754-1774 or visit www.calaverasarts.org.

Angels Camp– As the mist curls over the green hills, the sound of a lone bagpipe echoes a haunting tune through the valley; a shepherd and his two border collies drive laggard sheep home; the last rays of sunlight shine golden on the stone walls of Edinburgh Castle. Now is the time to dance, as the people of Scotland have for centuries.

Scottish history will be danced on stage, Sunday, March 27, beginning at 3 p.m., at the Bret Harte High School Theater. This performance is the last of five of the Ovations 2011 per-forming arts series of the Calaveras Arts Council.

The dance performance will illustrate four centuries of tradi-tion from lively country dance reels and Highland dances, step dances, as well as elegant strathspeys. Dancing to live fiddle, piano, bagpipe and recorder, the Scottish history of war, free-dom, superstition and oppression unfolds and is the subjects that inspire the various dances.

The Dunsmuir Scottish Dancers hail from the Bay Area and perform at many Highland Games, Celtic Festivals, and ethnic dance festivals throughout the U.S. Known throughout North America and Europe and Scotland, Ron Wallace, director, is the lead instructor of Scottish Dance. When he is not instruct-ing, Ron is a masterful bag pipe player.

All tickets are for assigned seating. Adults are $25; youth un-der 18 years old are $10. Advance on-line orders can be made at www.calaverasarts.org or by calling 1-800-595-4849. Call the Calaveras County Arts Council at 209-754-1774 if you have additional questions.

The Calaveras County Arts Council is grateful to the grants received this season from the California Arts Council, the Na-tional Endowment for the Arts, and the California Department of Justice. Visit www.calaverasarts.org to find out about many more events being planned throughout the year in celebration of our 30th anniversary.

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The Mountain Chronicle March 2011 ● 22“The Scene”

High School Artists Featured in Annual Art ShowGallery Calaveras PresentsPress Release

Art Teachers Mark Waelty from Bret Harte High School; Suzanne Smith, Donna Guadagni and Roger Salter from Calaveras High School.

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“The Master Minstrel”Harvey Reid to Play “The Bart” March 5th

Black Bart Play House– Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Harvey Reid is most widely known for his peerless acoustic fingerstyle guitar work, but is also a former bluegrass picker, a versatile and engaging singer, a powerful lyricist, a solid mandolin and bouzouki player, and a seasoned performer and entertainer. His 6-string banjo work is unmatched, and he is certainly among the best autoharp players ever. Reid has honed his craft over the last 40 years in countless clubs, festivals, street corners, cafes, coffee houses and concert halls across the nation, and absorbed a vast repertoire of American music and woven it into his own colorful, personal and distinctive style. He has re-leased 25 highly acclaimed independent albums on Woodpecker Records that showcase his mastery of many instruments and styles of acoustic music, from hip-folk to country, slashing slide guitar blues to bluegrass, old-time, Celtic, ragtime and even classical.

Reid’s skills and versatility on the guitar alone mark him as an important voice in acoustic music. He won the 1981 National Finger Picking Guitar Competition and the 1982 International Autoharp Contest. He recorded the first album ever of 6 & 12-string banjo music, and his 1990 album "Steel Drivin' Man," was chosen by Acoustic Guitar Magazine as one of 10 Essential Folk CD’s of all time, along with Woody Guthrie and other hallowed names. His music was included in the blockbuster BBC TV show Musical Tour of Scotland, and Reid was featured in the Rhino Records Acoustic Music of the 90’s collection, along with a “who’s who” line-up of artists including Richard Thompson, Jerry Garcia & Leo Kottke.

The Mountain Chronicle March 2010 ● 23

Harvey Reid

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The Celluloid Review“On the Beach”By Peter BartczakPoor Hollywood – Hollywood gets chided for being too shallow and chided when it tries to be relevant. Case in point is “On the Beach,” one of director Stanley Kramer’s finest efforts. I recommend this film as a sobering reminder of the gap between the truth and the glorious or frightening hype spread by the media or the government. Both enti-ties capriciously play it up, or tone it down, depending on some ab-stract evaluation of their market share. Same thing for the film industry, which is probably more influential than newspapers and magazines, but once the smoke and mirrors disappear, it’s us chickens who have to somehow continue with our lives in the aftermath of whatever evil or crazy decisions that our beloved leaders make. At some point we will have to depend on each other to survive, not on any government agency or the experts. But god forbid that celebrities or artists should have an opinion, especially one that questions the “conventional wis-dom,” or calls for calmer heads.

“On the Beach” has a stellar cast (Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, and Anthony Perkins), it is easily a science fiction classic, noted for its restraint (made in the midst of the atom bomb and “Red” scare) intelligence, and compassion. Kramer is known for his liberal, politically controversial movies, like Norman Jewison or Oliver Stone. Kramer’s film is based on a mighty fine novel by Nevil Shute and the ultra-fine cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno makes each frame of film look like a beautiful still photograph. Kramer took all the fun out of nuclear war, in black and white, no less. Is this how the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper?

The movie takes place in an Australia where the folks are waiting for a deadly cloud of radiation to slowly kill them all. How do people react when there’s no future? Well, the answer is kind of complicated but very interesting. Choose one of the following: denial, heavy partying, depression, panic, numbness, or insanity. And, we are given quite a wide range of people to witness—a young couple in love, a new baby, lots of military types, a wanton woman (guess who), and a number of other standard bearers usually found in politically conscious films.

Gregory Peck and Stanley Kramer go together like coffee and ciga-rettes. Both are noble, maybe heavy handed at times and sentimental, but definitely passionate and sincere. Kramer though was one of those socialistic left leaning “Commies” who hated obtuse Americanism. He dared to challenge racism ("The Defiant Ones," "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner"), patriotism ("Judgement at Nuremberg," "The Caine Mu-tiny"), conventional perceptions of honor ("High Noon") religion ("In-herit the Wind"), and so on. In “On the Beach,” he aimed high and got nailed for churning out propaganda and for preaching peace—imagine that—preaching peace—what a wacko!

In typical fashion, Kramer took on a huge political issue and came at it through his personal lens: how the day-to-day life of ordinary people would be changed in the aftermath of a nuclear war. He didn’t show the best part (the war itself) or provide any facts about it, we as view-ers are left just as bewildered as his characters, but we’re in the hands of an expert and Kramer pulled out all of the stops. I won’t ruin it for anyone, but the scene of the submarine in San Francisco is powerful, and shocking. To be perfectly honest, some of the characterizations are dated and the dialogue sometimes too stylized, but all-in-all “On the Beach” is a very powerful movie.

No happy ending, folks. Either for the people in the movie or at the box office or with the critics. “On the Beach” was saying things that no one wanted to hear.

Peter Bartczak Sketching Murphys

AVERY- Avery Middle School math teacher, Tim Weidmann, has been named an Apple Distinguished Educator, one of just approximately 50 ADE’s named each year in the United States. The Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE) program was created to recognize K-12 and higher education pioneers who are using a variety of Apple products to trans-form teaching and learning.

The announcement that Mr. Weidmann was selected as an ADE fol-lows on the heels of the Avery Middle School being selected as an Ap-ple Distinguished School for the 2010-2011 school year thanks to the implementation of the iPads in every day learning at the school. Apple states, "This award is reserved for schools that have become centers of educational excellence and leadership, consistently demonstrating "best practice" qualities of a 21st Century Learning environment utiliz-ing Apple technology."

Michael Wells, the District Information Technology coordinator for the Vallecito Union School District, and other administrators deserve a large chunk of the credit for both the school recognition and the selec-tion of one of Avery’s teachers as an ADE given their role in making the use of the technology a priority for the district.“It is a huge honor for a teacher to be selected as an Apple Distin-guished Educator,” Wells said.

There are now over 1500 ADEs worldwide, from the USA to Japan, Canada to Australia. ADEs are recognized by their peers and by Apple as educational innovators. But according to Apple, the most important membership benefit is what they get to do. ADEs work closely with Apple, participating in and often presenting at education events. And they have the support of innovative and enthusiastic peers dedicated to the same goal — making a difference.

Avery Middle School has become a magnet for educators from around the state who want to learn how this small, rural school is succeed-ing. A recent group visiting from the Central Valley included Andrew Schwab, the IT Director of the LeGrand Union High School District. “You walk into a school like Avery Middle School and you see the fu-ture,” Schwab said. “And you come back to your school and you want to know ‘how do we make that happen’.”

Avery Middle School is on the cutting edge in use of technology in the classroom.

The Mountain Chronicle March 2011 ● 24“The Community”

Apple For Teacher:Avery Middle School Teacher Named “Apple Distinguished Educator”By Warren Alford

Arriving i-Pads at Avery Middle School

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Outer Aisle Goes SolarUnique Community Financing Strategy Keep Power Local

Eric & Christine Taylor, owners of Outer Aisle Foods organic farm and grocery, have turned another great idea for sustainability into tangible reality. Wishing to install solar panels on the roof of their Highway 4 store, the Taylors balked when the bank offered them an unsecured loan with a variable interest rate starting at 10%. They turned instead to the community of local food supporters they have built over 20 years of growing and providing local organic goods in the Motherlode. To raise the capital needed, the innovating duo offered community mem-bers $250 futures called “credit shares” which entitle the investor to $250 credit toward groceries from Outer Aisle, plus a 10% bonus.

The Outer Aisle owners received an overwhelmingly positive response and within nine days had the $9,000 needed for the installation. The solar panels went on the roof less than two weeks later. This kind of micro-loan community financing is a win-win for everyone: investors get an immediate return on their investment (in groceries, cash and the satisfaction of helping to create more sustainable energy), Outer Aisle gains solar power without overpaying the costs over several years, and the money stays here in the local economy.

The Taylor’s next project? Grain. In partnership with organic and bio-dynamic grain farmer, John deRosier of With the Grain farm in San Luis Obispo county, Outer Aisle is offering $500 grain shares that will be payable in a combination of groceries from Outer Aisle and grains and beans from DeRosier. The shares will provide needed capital to meet the growing demand for DeRosier’s heirloom wheats, oats, millet,

corn, lentils, chickpeas, corn, peas and the like as people increasingly recognize the value of locally-produced grains and beans. (For exam-ple, many people with gluten allergies are finding that native, heirloom varieties such as deRosier’s Sonoran wheat cause fewer problems than Midwestern commercial wheat.) The Taylors themselves have pur-chased 10 shares for supply to the store. In this way, they support a fel-low partner in local, organic food production; ensure a secure supply of organic grains and beans to the community over the next several years; and continue to show the way in practices that sustain community and economy. Win. Win. Win.

Outer Aisle’s Store Front

“Out & About in Tuolumne”The Mountain Chronicle March 2011 ● 25

March 20113/1 "Reno Snow Train" We are planning a two night trip to Reno, taking the Snow Train out of Sacramento on Tuesday March 1, 2011. Bring your dancing shoes for some good times in the dance car. The theme is Rockin’ Round The 50’s. Coolers are allowed on the bus and train, so you bring your own alcoholic beverages and we will furnish sodas, bottled water and hor d’oeuvres. We are really looking forward to this one. It should be a great experience. We will be leaving Sonora at 8 a.m. and arriving in Reno at 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday. We will stay 2 nights at the Eldorado and leave Reno at 10:30 and arrive back in Sonora at 7 p.m. You can call us at 209-694-8747 or e-mail us at linklinecharter@aol.com. or visit our website @ www.linklinecharter.com.

3/4 & 3/5 Columbia College Jazz SeriesDogwood TheaterCost: $30 - (209) 588-5126Ten time Grammy Award winner Bobby McFerrin will return to head-line the Vocal Jazz Festival. All tickets are reserved seating.. early pur-chase means more selection.

3/4 “Faux Renwah”The Sonora Pub on Washington St. 6:30 to 9 p.m.Live Music

3/5 Reopening of the Columbia City HotelIn celebration of the reopening of the Columbia City Hotel restaurant, a special dinner, featuring legendary 19th-century American writer and humorist Mark Twain, will be at 6 p.m., Saturday, March 5, at 22678 Main Street, Columbia, California. Hotel guests will experience the finest Cajun Cuisine in the Mother Lode—it’s a 24-karat bonanza of savory faire. 209-532-1479www.cityhotel.com

3/8 “For-Adult-Ears-Only”—StorytellingHours: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.— Cost: $20Location: Stage 3 Theatre—(209) 532-7697Come enjoy an evening of storytelling for adult sensibilities. Join storytellers B. Z. Smith and Cynthia Restivo for the 9th Annual “For Adult Ears Only” spoken word concert. A fund raiser for Mother Lode Reading Council & Delta Kappa Gamma’s community family literacy projects. Tickets are available at Mountain Bookshop and at the door. The evening includes a lovely dessert, served by DKG members. Wine will be available for an additional cost.

3/10 Sierra Arts Council Benefit “Sarah Elizabeth Campbell & Nina Gerber” Sarah Elizabeth Campbell and Nina Gerber in a house concert in So-nora 7 p.m. Tickets are $30. For ticket info email bzsmith@me.com or call (209) 532-7697. Proceeds to pay for performers and additional will benefit the Sierra Arts Council.

3/11 - 3/13 Celtic Faire ~ 25th AnnualSonora - Mother Lode Fairgrounds(209) 533-4420Every year, the Sonora Celtic Faire brings some of the biggest names in Celtic music to the Mother Lode. Plus there’s mystifying magicians, jumping jugglers, beautiful belly dancers. Jousting ~ Spectacular hard hitting action, stunts, falls, sword fights, and galloping horses. The Great Whiskey Tasting Competition is back in its 5th year. And, Bag-pipe Bands.

3/12 Sonora Pub “Fiddles Etc.”Hours: 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.Location: Washington St(209) 586-2042

3/12 Sonora’s 2nd Saturday Art Night Hours: 5 p.m.-8 p.m.Location : Downtown Sonora—Visit local galleries, theatres, restau-rants and clubs for a lively night of art, theatre and live music! Start your night at The George Post Gallery and the Central Sierra Arts Council, 193 S. Washington St., and explore from there.Visit www.centralsierraarts.org

3/19 Wards Ferry Road Race - 13th Annual(209) 533-4995www.velopromo.com/ward-ent.htm

3/19 The Jamestown Run Jamestown SchoolFor entry information call 984-5217, ext. 101.

3/19 to 3/20 Home and Garden Show - 30th AnnualHours: Sat. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.Location: Mother Lode Fairgrounds(209) 532-7151Remodeling, building, improving or just browsing for ways to enhance your home or garden? Featuring home decor, gardening displays and the latest in home trends, products and demonstrations.Free parking, free admission.For more information, call 532-7151.

3/23 to 3/27 Vietnam Veterans Art Exhibit(209) 984-1378The Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 391 is planning an art ex-hibit to coincide with The Traveling Wall Veterans Tribute which will be at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds.

“Our primary goal is to seek out our fellow Vietnam and Vietnam-era veterans who are doing art in any medium," says Frank Smart, coor-dinator of the art exhibition. “We want to find out how many artists in Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties are also veterans of this period of American History.” Linkline Charters & Tours - Yosemite Spring Tour

3/26 Yosemite Spring Tour(209) 694-8747www.linklinecharter.comSpring is a great time for a drive to Yosemite, with all the waterfalls, wildlife and flowers, we can’t think of a better place to spend a day complete with a picnic lunch.

Celtic Faire Jousting

March 20113/3 The Fly ~ Live MusicAngels Camp Mercantile and Cafe The local band “The Fly,” a jazz, alternative, bluesy, funk jam band, lights up downtown Angels Camp every Thursday night with energy, dancing, and some of the best jam music around. From 7-10 p.m. Call for more information: 209-890-7155.

3/3 Ladies Wine NightTallahan’s March Ladies Wine Night 6:30pm.

3/4 Big Band Night in MurphysNative Sons Hall, MurphysThe Murphys Senior Center Presents: The Tradewinds Dance Band6:30-10 p.m.—Donation: $50 Per Person—No Host Bar & Ex-ceptional Hors d’oeuvres, Free Take Home Professional Portrait. Please Dress Casually Elegant for This First Class Affair. This is the Only Fund-Raiser for Msc, All Proceeds Fund the Programs of The Murphys Senior Center. For Questions or Tickets, Please Call 728-1672.

3/5 Reggae Night Tallahan’s 209-795-4005,

3/5 Spring Obsession Artist ReceptionIronstone VineyardsEnjoy An Afternoon of Wine and Food Pairings As You Meet and Greet the Artist of the 2011 Spring Art Show. Starting At 4 p.m. Gen-eral Admission is $25 Per Person and Includes Wine and Food Pairings and Entertainment. Reservations Required. Please Call 209-728-1251 Ext. 11.

3/5 Oakland Interfaith Gospel ChoirAngels Camp The 16-Member Ensemble Choir & Its Band Will Raise the Roof! 3 p.m. at the Bret Harte High School Theatre. Healing, Inspirational & Fun! Call for More Information or Visit www.Calaverasarts.org.

3/8 Tour of SF Moma Exhibit“How Wine Became Modern Design & Wine 1975 to Now” $79 In-cludes Morning Snacks, Guided Tour of SF Moma Exhibit, Wine & Cheese Tasting and Surprises! Bus Departs From Murphys 8 a.m., Re-turns to Murphys at 10 p.m. For More Information and Reservations Call or Visit www.Calaverasconcierge.com.

3/10 Wines of the World Murphys Hotel– Presented By World Renowned Vinter Steve Collum Featuring Mineralities in Wines. 5:30-8:30 p.m.

3/12 Chatom Vineyards Mardi Gras Dinner Celebrate Mardi Gras in Style! With Fantastic Wine and Food and Live Music, This is One of the Most Fun Dinners of the Year—Come Cel-ebrate With Chatom! Catering By Wren Creative Food; Music by The Blues Box; 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. $75 Per Person / $65 for Wine Club Mem-bers Reservations Required; Please Call 209-736-6500 4 Day Mini-mum Cancellation Policy.

3/12 7Th Annual Wild & Scenic® Film FestivalWhere: Black Bart Playhouse, Murphys. When: March 12, 2011, 5:30 p.m. For More Information Check Out www.Sierrafilmfest.org.

3/13 California Senior Winter GamesBear Valley - 209-753-2301Sports Enthusiasts 50 Years Old and Up Will Have an Opportunity to Compete in This Olympic-Style Event That Offers Competition in Downhill and Cross-Country Skiing, Boarding, Snowshoeing. Call or Visit www.Bearvalley.com for Info & Registration.

3/13 Mother Lode Bridal FaireAngels Camp 11 a.m. To 3 p.m. at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds In Mark Twain Hall. Exhibitors With Everything a Bride Needs to Plan a Beautiful Wedding. Caterers, Flowers, Music, Venues, Bridal Wear and More. Call for More Information: 209-736-2580.

3/13 Dance LessonsAngels Camp Mercantile And Cafe - 209-890-61007-8 p.m. Featuring Kate Sim, Professional Dance Instructor. $10/Person. Call Or Visit www.Angelsmerc.com

3/18 Cheese & Wine Pairing Class7-9 p.m. Lavender Ridge & The Calaveras Cheese Lady Present 728-2441

3/19 Murphys Irish Day

3/23 Cooking DemoMurphys - 209-728-8853At Marisolio Tasting Bar: Company Coming for Lunch - Delicious lunches you can serve for special occasions. $30 per person, includes tastings & copies of the recipes. E-mail marisoliotastingbar@gmail.com to reserve your place in the class. Limited to 15.

3/26 Trivia BeeSan Andreas - 209-772-1604The Friends of the Calaveras County Library presents Peace, Love and Trivia. San Andreas Town Hall, 5:30 social, 6:30 dinner with Trivia Bee following. $25 per person. Tickets available starting January at all library branches. Call for more information or visit www.CalaverasReads.com

3/26 Spaghetti Dinner and BingoMountain Ranch - 209-754-5360Mountain Ranch Community Club hosts a Spaghetti Dinner and Bingo at the Mountain Ranch Town Hall. Doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. Bingo begins at 6:30 p.m. Advance dinner reservations are $10. Children under 6 years old are 1/2 off. Tickets will be $12 each without a reservation. Bingo cards are $1 each with cash prizes. Call for more info and to make reservations.

3/27 Dunsmuir Scottish Dancers,Angels Camp - 209-754-17743 p.m. at the Bret Harte High School Theatre. The history and spirit of Scotland is told through County, Highland, and Step dances. Call for more information or visit www.calaverasarts.org.

3/26 & 3/27 Calaveras Gem and Jewelry ShowAngels Camp - 209-928-5579Exhibits & Demos at Frogtown, featuring jewelry, carvings, faceted gemstones, and polished rocks, faceting gemstones, wire wrapping, hard rock carving, and silver smithing. Jewelry-making supplies and tools, beads, minerals, gemstones, meteorites, fossils. $4 for adults, kids 12 and under are free, with a paying adult. Call for more informa-tion or visit www.calaverasgemandmineral.org

Saturdays: Walking Tour of Historic Murphys10 a.m. leaving from the Old Timer’s Museum across from Murphys Historic Hotel. Free. Please call to confirm dates or to set up a group tour of 12 or more.- 209-728-3517

3/25 The Murphys Hotel Cioppino FeedMurphys Hotel - Reservations Suggested

See Page 5 for the events being held at the 19th Hole!

The Mountain Chronicle March 2011 ● 26“Out & About in Calaveras”

403 Main StreetMurphys 728-9200

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The Mountain Chronicle March 2011 ● 27“Out & About in California”

San Francisco's 160th AnnualSt. Patrick's Day FestivalSaturday, March 12th, 2011Civic Center Plaza ~ San Francisco - 10AM to 5PM

Modesto– Winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musi-cal, Monty Python's Spama-lot is the outrageous musical comedy lovingly ripped off from the film classic "Monty Python and The Holy Grail." With a book by Eric Idle and music and lyrics by the Gram-my Award-winning team of Mr. Idle and John Du Prez, Spamalot tells the tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on their quest for the Holy Grail. Flying cows, killer rab-bits, taunting Frenchmen and show-stopping musical num-bers are just a few of the rea-sons audiences everywhere are eating up Spamalot.

MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOTFriday, March 11, 2011 8PMMary Stuart Rogers Theater

Fort Bragg Whale FestivalFORT BRAGG –— Microbrew tasting and whale watching will be the featured attractions of the 29th Annual Fort Bragg Whale Festi-val March 19 and 20.

Along with dozens of microbrews provided by the Fort Bragg Rotary Club, the area’s top chefs will produce their favorite chowders. A marine mammal art exhibit and crafts fair are also part of the two-day festival.

With some 20,000 gray whales migrating north from birthing grounds in Mexico to their winter home in Alaska, there will be plenty of whales to view from the Pomo Bluffs Park in Fort Bragg and miles of beaches in MacKerricher State Park just north of the city.

Chowder Tasting at Town Hall, Saturday from 11am till the chowder runs out, $10 allows you to taste all participants. Corner of Main (Hwy 1) & Laurel St. in Fort Bragg.

Lots More: www.mendowhale.com/events

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Lots More: www.galloarts.org

Sierra NevadaAdventure Co.