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august 2017
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SPOTLIGHT
Antiques and Upcycled Market coming Labor Day Continue your Summer quest for new experiences and join the 11th annual Relics on Railroad festivities around the Museum of the San Ramon Valley. Expect the unexpected from the 50 plus visiting vintage dealers, artisans, antiques aficionados and flea market diggers. In addition to the Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco and Retro Modern period artifacts, this year’s September 4th Monday market
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Congratulations to everyone on the 2017 HOOTS Connie Mack team, players and coaches for an outstanding season to advance to the Connie Mack National Championship Finals. (L to R) Row 1: Sitting; Mike Winaker, Matt Jew, Luke O’Brien, Mark Molz, Nick Santiago, Ryan Cole, Brandon Greim, Mason Legate, and Sam Dinnerman. ROW 2: Kneeling; Mitch Benson, Nate Jessell, Trevor Wallace, Paul Griessel, Russ Stevenson, Khalid Johnson, Jared Wilson, and Tyler Schultz. ROW 3: Standing; Coach Dan Ward, Nick Krauth, Coach Chris DeClercq, Brett Tressen, Will Bishop, Gabe Giosso, Gio Mijares, Zack Patterson, Coach Pat Massoni, and Manager Don Johns. For the story see page 9
The American Badger active in Las Trampas by James Hale
The American Badger (Taxidea taxus), is the second largest member of the weasel family found in North America. Only the Wolverine is larger. American Badgers range from the western and central United States, northern Mexico, and southcentral Canada to specific areas of southwestern British Columbia. The American Badger is covered with a long, dense coat of grizzled, brown, yellowish-gray, black and white coarse hair or fur, giving it a mixed brown-tan or silver appearance. The pelage is longer on the sides than on the back and belly, providing camouflage in grassland and prairie habitats. Badgers are trapped by humans for their pelts, and their fur is used for shaving and painting brushes. A white stripe originates on the nose and runs back onto the shoulders, or sometimes beyond. Dark brownish
black, crescent-shaped “badges” mark the cheek between the ears and eyes. The triangular face and head are whitish or pale buff. These short-legged, muscular mammals have a f l a t t e n e d o r c o m p re s s e d appearance of the body. The tail is short and moderately furred. Badgers prefer areas with sandy loam soils where they can dig more easily for available prey. Grasslands, high mountain meadows, rolling foothills bordering valleys, and open riparian woodlands are preferred habitat. Powerful forefeet are modified for semifossorial digging, with the three sharp, central claws on each forefoot greatly elongated and recurved. An American Badger den may exceed thirty feet in length, with
elliptical burrow diameters of about twelve inches. The American Badger preys predominately on pocket gophers, ground squirrels, voles, kangaroo rats, prairie dogs, marmots, pikas, woodrats, and deer mice. Badgers often dig to pursue prey into their dens, sometimes plugging entrances. The American Badger is a significant predator of snakes, and is considered the most important predator of rattlesnakes in South Dakota. Ground-nesting birds, amphibians, lizards, fish, carrion, skunks, insects, snails, eggs, and some plants including corn, green beans, mushrooms, and sunflower seeds are also eaten. Badgers make an incredible variety of sounds, including barks, growls, hisses, squeals and
This month’s Special Section:
Kids & Teens Back to School
page 8
snarls, to name a few. Badgers are generally nocturnal, however with no human encroachment, they are routinely observed foraging during the day. Badgers do not hibernate. Instead, they become less active during winter and inclement weather, spending time in cycles of torpor or inactivity that last around 29 hours. The American Badger has been seen working with Coyotes and Red-tailed Hawks, with the coyotes benefitting with an See BADGER page 4