FRIDAY FOOTBALL: Sonora gets first win vs. Lodi MORE IN SPORTS:Frogsand Redskins defeated in matches against Valley teams, C1
Giants lose seventh straight, C1
l HEMOTHER LODE'S LEADING INFORMATION SOURCE SINCE1854 • SONORA, CALIFORNIA
i SEPTEMBER WEEKEND 5-7, 2015
lucero trial
TOD AY'S READER BOARD BRIEFING nora Police Department volun13 atTuolumne County SupeShe was then escorted to the defenteer Rick Roberts. rior Court Department 2. She dant's table about 3 p.m. for the readThe jury of four men and faces 25 years to life in prison ing of the verdict. The courtroom was After two days of deliberation, ju- eight women began deliberatwithout the possibility of parole. silent. rors in the murder trial of Cheryl ing Thursday morning and the Before the verdict was read, Lucero kept her head down while Lucero convicted the Twain Harte verdict was in about 2:15 p.m. Lucero Lu c ero, surrounded by three the verdict was read and did not look woman of first-degree murder in the Friday. bailiffs, sat in the jury box of the February2014 shooting death ofSoLucero, 46, will be sentenced on Oct. D e p artment 2 courtroom. See LUCERO/Back Page By TORI THOMAS The Union Democrnt
Strawberry Music
lador Day
CALAVERAS WINERIES
Festival — Festival
Weekend festivities abound in foothills
is in full swing at the West Side properly in Tuolumne. A2
Tribute paidJamestown Highway Patrol office honors slain Texas deputy.A2
Acting winemaker working in Hovey's stead this season
Roadwork — Keep an eye out for upcoming maintenance.A2
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By LYDIA BROWNING The Union Democrat
Rice revealedReporter Guy Dossi pens biography on Calaveras sports star.A3
By JASON COWAN
OPIhIOh —Mons
ing veteran Chuck Hovey suffered a severe stroke in June and a second in July, it left a void in the winemaking industry. But there has not been a drop off in the manufacturing of wine thus far i nt o grape harvesting season — all because of Cody LaPertche. 'Prom a production standpoint, nothing has changed," LaPertche said. LaPertche, who ha s w o rked with Hovey forfour grape harvesting seasons throughout the last five years, has taken over all w inemaker r esponsibilities f or Gianelli Vineyards, Inner Sanctum Cellars and Hurst Ranch as
Mother Lode r e sidents have ample choices for community events this Labor Day weekend. The Southern Tuolumne County Historical Society will
The Union Democrrtt
When longtime area winemakCharen takes on GOP's stance on immigration reform.A4
Poll resultsLocals like bag checks at theatres for safety. A4
SIERRA LIVING
host its seventh annual Labor
Day Country Barbecue from 2 to 7 p.m., at the Pine Mountain Lake Stables in Groveland. Serving 400 to 450 people eachyear,the societywillprovide tri-tip, beans, salad, rolls, and abar at a costof$15 for adults and $10 for children under 12.
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"Last year we ran out of
food, so this year we are prepared," said Joe Hopkins, chairman of the event and member of the Southern Tuolumne County Historical Society. Valley Springs band Suprecret will perform starting at 3 p.m. Activities planned for children include watermelon-eating-contests, tug-ofwars and balloon tosses. A silent auction will also be held at the event, which will include gift baskets, sporting event tickets, wine, manicure and pedicure tickets, hotel tickets and other gift certificates, Hopkins said. "The weather is going to be spectacular. It's a really good time," Hopkins said.
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well as Hovey Winery and River Channel Wine.
"I assumed all of the enology
• ANIMAL SHELTER: Calaveras homeless pets to see improved living quarters.B1 • IN THE GARDEN: Native plants are nice to look at and are good water stewards.B1 • SENIOR CENTER NEWS:Events abound this month in honor of National Senior Center Month.B1 • MASTER GARDENERS:Thedeadline is approaching to be a volunteer gardening buff.B1 • LEARN TO BE WATER WISE:Symposium highlights drought and how gardens can survive. B1 • EUROTRIP:Instructor to lead 2016 European tour.B2
and a little bit of the of the ventri cultural responsibilities that I
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never really had," LaPertche said.
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"I neverreally made calls as far as when to bottle, when to pick.
Things that we' re adding and
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different techniques that we' re using. We haven't done too much different."
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He said it's been challenging, "All ofthe decisions as far as making wine have been mine, which is something I am unaccustomed to. I am used to taking See WINE / Back Page
Jason Cowsn /Union Democrat
Ricardo De La Cruz, picks grapes at Gianelli Vineyards. De La Cruz works for the vineyards.
Sheriff: Marijuana grows persist because loopholes in local laws
NEWS TIPS?
By GUY McCARTHY The Union Democrat
PHONE: 770-7153,5884534 NEWS: editorounIondemocrar.e>m FEATUR ES: featuresiuniondemocrat.cor n SPORTS spori : sluniondemocratcom EVENTS ANDWEEKENDER: iNeekenderiunIondemocrat mm lETTERS :letsrsounIondemocratmm CAlAVERAS BUREAU:770-7197 NEINSR OOMFiute 532-8451 SUBSCR IBERSERVICES: 533-3814
Cultivated marijuana is growing out in the open in s parsely-populated ra n ch c ountry o f
Guy McCarthy / Union Democrat
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Saturday, September 26 7 AM to Noon• At the Hospital
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away from where healthy green marijuana bushes are thriving outdoors. Both locations lie within the same water district. Some residents say they aretryingto organize opposition, but they claim they fear retaliation from whoever' s growing the marijuana and they want to remain anony-
olumne County. A few miles away in Mariposa County last week, deputiesand detectives arrested a man accused of growing mari- mous. juana indoors, a few miles Tuolumne County SherifF
Cultivated marijuana grows on a fenced plot on a hillside Wednesday inthe Lake Don Pedro area.
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Jim Mele says local laws are not black-and-white when it comes to cultivating mari-
juana. "The law is different county to county," Mele said Thursday in a phone interview. "Basically some counties, Fresno County has a county ordinance saying it's illegal to grow. We don't have a county See POT/Back Page
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