FOOD: Steamed broccoli, salty feta make asavory pesto MORE IN FOODAND DRINK: Vine to wine: Italian wines send tasty message; Easyprep for low-maintenance lo mein, B1
1 HEMOl HER LODE'S LEADING INFORMATION SOURCE SINCE1854 • SONORA, CALIFORNIA
TUESDAY
FEBRUARY 23, 2016
TuolumneCounty District Attorney'sOffice
A special thank you to Union Democrat subscribers Mark and Louise Wildoner, of Sonora.
Grant sought to aid elder-abuse victims By ALEX MacLEAN
TOQAYS REAQE RBOARQ
A rise in elder-abuse crimes is prompting the Tuolumne County District Attorney's Officeto seek funding for addi-
NOTICES
ra Kriegto apply fora federal grant through the California Office of Emergency Services that would provide about $218,000 annually over the
tional resources to help victims. The Tu- Pi~y, olumne County Board of Supervisors has apKrieg proved DA Lau-
The Union Democrat
pecially elder abuse, is oken against the most vulnerable members of our community," said District 5 Supervisor Karl Rodefer. next five years. Cases of elder abuse pros"Any kind of abuse, and es- ecuted by the District Attor'
ney'soffice have risen 59 percentoverthepastthreeyears, from 51 in 2013 to 81 in 2015. The number of suspected elder-abuse cases referred to SeeABUSE /Back Page
Pudlic meeting — The Vision Sonora Committee will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday at City Hall, 94 N. Washington St., Sonora.
AB 2249
PRESERVING HISTORY
Bill aims
to prevent trademark disputes in state parks
BRIEFING
Efforts underway to restore building to its original glory
Pic of the Week — To submit your original photos, email a high-resolution jpg file to editorINuniondemocrat.corn. Include a caption with information about the photo. Please, no more than one submission per month per photographer. This weekly feature typically runs Tuesdays.A2
By LACEY PETERSON
By ALEX MacLEAN
The Union Democrat
The Union Democrat
Sonora's iconic Red Church is getting much needed steeple work this week, part of an ongoing efFort to restore the church to its original glory. St. J a me s Ep i scopal Church, known as the Red Church, is a California Historic Landmark and was built in 1860. On Monday, Robbie Kerr, of Kerr Roofing, and Chris Everett, of Tri-County Construction, started work on the church's75-foot tall steeple. They will be doing "rehab
Imagine the names of historic places like the Jack Douglass Saloon or City Hotel in Columbia State Historic Park suddenly being changed to something new because of a trademark dispute. That's what state lawmakers are hoping to prevent through bipartisan legislation aimed at prohibiting concessionaires from claiming ownership over names associated with California state parks, similar to the legal argument at the heart
maintenance" on the entire
BuFglap — owner
Fall InfO — Lighter limits set for swine weight at Calaveras fair.A2
Town hall — sheriff to host meeting in Twain Harte.A2
Arrest madeMan suspected of firing gunshots at a Groveland home arrested.A3
SPORTS
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gagg !' 'I,«,
written statement released
Maggie Beck /Union Democrat
Roofing and construction workers perform rehab maintenance Monday on the steeple of the historic Red Church in downtown Sonora. They will replace nails with ceramic screws that will allow for expansion and contraction, and will hold longer.
Chris "Prairie Flower" Stevenson (left) and "Cactus" Bob Cole pick and fiddle at a potluck celebration held Sunday by residents and others who opposed a developer's effort to build a Dollar General store about a quartermile from Columbia State Historic Park.
NEWS: edItorlunIondemocraLcom FEATUR ES: faaturesluniondemocrat.corn SPORTS ! sporlsluniondemccra!.corn EVENTS ANDWEEKENDER: weekend erlunIondemocrai.cor n LHTERS: lerers@unIondemccrat. corn CALAVERA SBUREAU:770-7187 NENSROOM FAX:532-8451 SUBSCR IBERSEIMCES:533-3814
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Ferry Road, a quarter-mile from the old town center. "I'm here to celebrate how CoMore than 50 people came to the lumbia got together and beat Dolgazebo Sunday in Columbia State lar General," said John Hand, who Historic Park for a potluck to cel- previously owned the St. Charles ebrate Tuolumne County's recent Saloon, also known as "the Charlie," denial of a developer's effort to build a Dollar General store on Parrotts See COLUMBIA/Back Page By GUY McCARTHY The Union Democrat
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Monday. "I'm proud to coauthor AB 2249 to protect historic sites up and down California."
Columbia potluck celebrates - victory over Dollar General
Guy McCarthy / Union Democrat
Inside
"I have the privilege of representing Yosemite National Park and know first-hand how treasured these landmarks are by the people of our state," Bigelow said in a
888-5a4187
See CHURCH / Back Page
PHONE: 770-7153,5884534
counties.
I,/I
ey forseveral projects in the
NEWS TIPS?
in Yosemite National Park. A sse m b l y B ill 2249 i n t roduced l a t e l ast week, i s co-authored by Big elow Assemblymembers Ken Cooley, D-Rancho Cordova, Adam Gray, D-Merced, and Frank Bigelow, RO'Neals, who represents both Tuolumne and C alaveras
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tion are working to raise mon-
• COUEGE HOOPS: Jumpers fall to West Hills in double overtime. C1 • WRESTUNG:Calaveras wins Division V Championship; Sonora, S'ville send combined 7 to Masters.C1
of acurrent lawsuit over the names to iconic landmarks
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steeple, Kerr explained. Over time, the old nails have pulled out and, with each storm, they loosen even more, said Faye Choate, bishop's warden of St. James Episcopal Church. Missing boards will be replaced on the steeple, Kerr said. Instead of nails, which always loosen over t ime, ceramic-coveredscrews will be used,Everett explained. That will allow for expansion and contraction and will hold longer. Neither Kerr or Everett was sure how long it will take to repair the steeple, but on Monday they said they are going to need a taller boom. The church went many years without repairs, and the administration and congrega-
of Bob's Greenley Pharmacy says suspects in a Saturday burglary stole money and narcotics. Back Page
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