WRESTLING: Baza,Torre lead Redskins at own tourney MORE IN SPORTS:Wrestler Gookin leads Wildcats at tourney, C1;Claim Jumpers rolled by Sequoia in first loss in conference play, C1
1 HEMOl HER LODE'S LEADING INFORMATION SOURCE SINCE1854 • SONORA, CALIFORNIA
TIIESBAV
JANUARY 12, 2016
Iltica Hotel
A specialthank you to Union Democrat subscriber Randy Burke of Groveland
TODAY 'S REABiRBOA RB
cracks in it. It's perfect," said Margaretic, a resident of Los Altos Hills, who is originally &om Croatia. "It is not taking longer than expected." The renovation began six months ago. Margaretic ,a contractor,and his crew spent four months cleaning the downstairs, where a bathroom and saloonare located, and have been in th e construction
By JASON COWAN
structures— has been in partial operation throughout the years, it has been a drag on the downtown For thebetter half of a quarter economy, Anne Forest, president of century, the historic Utica Hotel Destination Angels Camp, said. in the heart of downtown Angels That will change in 2016. Pero Camp has been little more than a Margaretic purchased the hotel a shell. year ago in April and hopes to have Though the building — part some areas of the business open by of a seriesof complexes that ex- sprmg. "The building is in good shape tends 25,800square feet and is big enough to hold five two-story structurally. The concrete has no The Union Democrat
BRIEFING
Jason Cowan / Union Democrat
Stairwells at the Utica Hotel are being widened to meetAmericansWith Disabilities Act requirements.
See UTICA/Back Page
STAND-OUT STUDENT
GCSQ
Out with the old
district to
— Crews are busy replacing about 85 outdated fire hydrants in Sonora.A2
dISCUSS
SentenCing — Man
rate hike
sentenced to one year in county jail for October shooting in Mono Vista.A2
By GUY McCARTHY The Union Democrat
OplnlOn — Elias: People who get their
California about to take its political back seat; Saunders: Having courage to do what you can' t.A4
drinlDng
wa t e r
fr om
Groveland Community Services District might be paying more for it soon, and some residents are not happy about it. District sta6'say a proposed rate increase is necessary to help renovate and repair the district's aging system of pipes and pumps and to keep up with
FOOD & DRINK
increased costs of power,
raw water and regulatory requirements. According to members of
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the district water conser-
• PO'BOY:Oysters and shrimp are drizzled with a tangy remoulade in Mario Batali's Oyster and Shrimp Po-Boy. B1 • SNACKTIME:Curry and sugar make ordinary popcorn a sweet and salty treat.B1
NEWS ELSEWHERE • PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH:Ba rack Obama's final State of the Union address to focus on country' s future.A5 • LAST SURVIVOR: The last living survivor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire dies at age 109.A5 • BOWIE DIES:Music icon David Bowie dies of cancer at age 69.AS
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Maggie Beck / Union Democrat
Sonora Elementary School eighth-grader Alee Rutledge aced the SAT exam and was accepted into a prestigious program for advanced learners designed by Johns Hopkins University.
Young student nails SAT, accepted into prestigous program By SEAN CARSON The Union Democrat
When Alee Rutledge walked into Sonora High School to take the SAT in December, he certainly stood out as di6erent. Not only is he 12, but his scoressome nearly double the national average — placed the Sonora Elementary student in a league of his own. Rutledge, an eighth-grader,arranged for the testing as part of an application to Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth
(CTY) Talent Search, a program with online and summer courses designed foradvanced learners in grades two through eight. A few weeks ago, he was accepted and qualified for an elite subset called Study of Exceptional Talent (SET) based on a score of 710 in the critical reading section.Theaverage scoreforthatsection in 2015was 495,according CollegeBoard statistics, Rutledge said. "I' ve always felt a little modest about it. It makes me uncomfortable," he said.
Rutledge's score coupled with his age quali fi ed him forthe program, whichprovidesservicesforstudents not ready for college but who may need something more than the typical high school curriculum. Online courses and summer programs at partneruniversitiesarealsoo6ered, as they are to all CTY students. Months of hard work went into studying for the test, and he took it twicebeforescoringthe above-700 mark required by SET, Rutledge said. See RUTLEDGE / Back Page
Council to weigh pot regs in February By ALEX MacLEAN The Union Democrat
A divided Sonora Planning Commission endorsed potential regulations Monday night that would allow city residents with a medical-marijuana prescription to grow up to six plants at their homes. The commission voted 3-1-1 to approve a proposed ordinance that would lift a longstanding ban on all marijuana
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cultivation in the city and establish a restric tiveprocessforqualified patients to grow the plant legally. Commissioners Chris Gamin, John Richardson and Gary Anderson voted in favor of the regulations, saying they provided a legal path for people with legitimate medical needs to grow the drug and strict enough to prevent a major surge in marijuana cultivation around the city. Voting in opposition, Commissioner
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Darren Eaton said he felt the proposal would be too costly for the city to enforce and for average people to comply with. Commissioner Ron Jensen did not attend the meeting due to a family emergency. "If we' re going to do it, then this is a pretty good way of doing it," Anderson said. "It's got a lot elements in it that I think is going to keep it under control."
vation committee, potential rate increases range from 11.4percent to more than 70 percent, depending on water usage. For example, the current rate for 3,300 gallons a month is $56.84, and the proposed new rate for the same usage is $78.24, a 37.6 percent increase. District staff calculate that a typical home customer uses40,000 gallons a year for about $700: just under 2 cents a gallon. Proposed new rates mean the same amount could annuallycostabout $1,000, or 2.5 cents a gallon. There's a public hearing scheduled at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Groveland Community Hall, 18720 Highway 120, where the boardofdirectorswillhear comments from the public before voting on the potential increase. "I'm always against rate increases," Groveland resident Kevin Russell said Monday. "I'd be against that. I will go to the public hearing." The district has received about 100 letters protesting the rate increase, said Jennifer Flores, the district's office manager. To
See POT/Back Page
Weather Page C6
Today:High 60, Low 44 Wednesday:High 51, Low 35 Thursday: High 52, Low 43
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Join usTUIrkSCI8 $, Febl'UWg 9, 20 1 6 at the Mother Lode I:aitgrotInds Learn fgn ways to improve your heart heath! • Live Music • Educational Booths Screenings (S 15 Cholesterol Screening)
•
Mega Heart (World's only portable walk-through heart exhibit)
4:30-5:30 p.m. —Lecture by cardiologists Dr. Eric Hernminger & Dr. Atul Ramachandran plus a RIFF Ibrmrt'-Ibrmlritf8ydiferter.
5:30-790 p.m.—Screenings, education, music & Mega Heart Tours Sonora Regiona/ Medical Center
IP'IIBIIMI RSVP tar %hl er eVent by Febralary 5 by mlling 209 =5M =5151.
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