CHAMPS REMEMBERED: '95 'Cats finished perfect IN'DP D IU N siN slDE MORE IN SPORTS: Poseyslams Giants past LA, C1
BACK PAGE: Suspect in custody after Tuolumnestandoff, AS
THE MOTHER LODE'SLEADING INFORMATION SOURCE SINCE 1854 • SO NORA, CALIFORNIA
WEEKEND
JUNE 20-22, 201
TODAY 'S REABiRBOA RB BRIEFING
Matthew Personius
o never one or a ero seven "That being said, I wouldn't trade it water polo coach at Sonora Kgh School. for anything because of the way it has But aside from all that, Matthew had a positive impact in my life and Dr. Matthew Personius just might Personius is a father — to seven. my family's life." "Is it hard to fit eve~ g i n ? Ab- Although the Personius family origbe the busiest man in town. He is a family medicine doctor with solutely, without a doubt. Sometimes I inally consisted of five children, Julian Sierra Housecalls Medical Group Inc. feel like I am drowning," he said of his Personius, now 24, Christian Persoand the varsity men's and women' s schedule demands. nius, 22, Bennett Personius, 20, Ruby By JASON COWAN
Fair fun —The Mother Lode Fair this year is holding its first queen contest, and applications are due Friday.A2
Fish faire — The
The Union Democrat
Pinecrest Fish Faire is today and all youngsters ages 15 and under — with fishing gear and accompanied by a responsible adult — are invited to attend the free event.A2
Personius, 18, and Josie Personius, 15, adoption was an idea that Matthew Personius considered with his wife, JulieAnn, throughout their marriage, just never had the opportunity. 'The years rolled by, we had lots of See FATHER / Back Page
lodefire conditions
TWAIN HARTE
'rapidly
News NotesUpcoming events in the Mother Lode.A2
escalating'
Collision —california Highway Patrol reports a head-on collision Friday on Highway 4.A3
Homeowners urged to keep defensible space
Motorcycle wreck
By GUY McCARTHY
— Mountain Ranch man, 31, injured in motorcycle wreck.A3
The Union Democrat
As dry heat continues bearing down onfederall y managed lands blanketed with parched vegetation, Stanislaus National Forest fire officials are scheduling fire restric tions togointo effectas of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. M eanwhile Bureau ofLand Managementstaffannounced
Wildfire- Five acres burned in Vallecito.A3
ROadWOrk-A list of roadwork in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, including times, dates, locations and possible delays.A3
fire restrictions effective
OPlnlOn —Local
Purchase photos online at www.uniondemocrat.corn.
Views Q&A with George Segarini: The lowdown on downtown business. A4
People visit Twain Harte Lake Friday, the day of the lake's reopening.
Poll question-This week's poll question asks, "Do you think racism is still common in America?"A4
today for 230,000 acres of public lands overseen by the bureau's Mother Lode Field Office in El Dorado Klls. "Rapidly escalating wildland fire potential conditions" exist in the 1,400-square-mile Stanislaus National Forest, Shelly Crook, a fire planner forthe forest,advised administrators, fire personnel and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration staff on Friday.
Maggie Beck /Union Democrat
Chamber president: 'Business has already picked up' By ALEX MacLEAN The Union Democrat
SIERRA LIVING
Members of the Twain Harte Lake Association weren't the only
See FIRE / Back Page
ones celebratingthe private,recre-
ational reservoir'sreopening Friday. Many business owners in town said they' re just as excited that Twain Harte Lake is open for the summer, following months of uncertainty. The lake was closed and drained last August due to cracking in the granite dome abutted by the
Yosemite
Lightning fires still
s
concrete dam. • HERITAGE GARDENS:Mother Lode ripe with longestablished flowers, shrubs, trees.B1 • YOUR HOME, YOUR HAVEN: Improvements help elderly, disabled stay at home.B1
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"Business has already picked up," said Ronda Bailey, president of the Twain Harte Area Chamber of Commerce. The 140-acrefoot lake is accessible only to the roughly 800 members ofthe association, or people renting cabins from members. Diane Kurgan, owner of Shadow Ridge Vacation Rentals, isn't a member herself but rents cabins with lake association membership. She said people began cancelling their reservations within hours of news
Gathering for the Twain Harte Lake ribbon cutting are (from left) Twain Harte Lake Association board president Lynn Crook, Twain Harte Lake general manager Dennis Wyckof, Mark Steichen with OakValley Community Bank, Spencer Freberickon with Syblon Reid, Scott Lewis with Condor, Roger Olsen with Olsen Excavation. Board director Bill Salsig cuts the ribbon. owner of China House of Twain Harte at 22968 Joaquin Gully Road. Nieh said his business and many others in town have struggled to weather a seemingly endless stream of bad news, including the 2013 Rim Fire, back-to-back dry winters and then Twain Harte Lake's early closure last summer. "People who don't live here don' t realize how fragile this economy is," he said. "One thing goes off and throws the whole thing out of bal-
about the lake's closure spreading on social media last August. "Now, the phone is ringing off the hook," she said. "People that cancelled are calling to ask if they could havetheirreservations back." Restaurants in Twain Harte also ailce. benefit from the tourism the lake The Twain Harte Lake Associadraws, according to Larry Nieh, tionBoard ofDirectorsstaged a rib-
smoldering By GUY McCARTHY The Union Democrat
bon cutting at the lake gatehouse Friday morning to celebrate the reopening. Engineers, geologists and construction contractors who worked on the project to repair and reinforce the dam were among the doz-
Firefighters in Yosemite National Park are monitoring severalfires sparked by lightning during thunderstorm activity in recent weeks, including onenear the Tuolumne County line, a popular campground and Tioga Road. Smoke from the 600-acre Sky Fire in the Sierra ¹ tional Forest near Oakhurst was drifting at times into Yosemite Valley, the park's most popularmagnet for tourists.
ens of attendees.
Param Dhillon, area engineer with the state Division of Safety of Dams, said the main goal from the beginning was to get the lake reopened in time for summer. "It's an important part of the com-
A nother 6 0-acre f ir e
was
burning Friday near East
See LAKE / Back Page
NENSROOM FAX:532-6451 SUBSCR IBERSEfMCES:533-3614
SeeYOSEMITE / Back Page
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Meet Dr. Parsa. An expert in women's health. And kindness.
Monday:High 91, Low 57
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