0 HOLY NIGHTS: Churches plan Christmas Eve services MORE IN COMMUNITY:Archive, others get funding boost from SAF,B1 AND INSIDE: Holiday greetings from Columbia, Groveland merchants
1 HEMOl HER LODE'S LEADING INFORMATION SOURCE SINCE1854 • SONORA, CALIFORNIA
FRIDAY
DECEMBER 18, 2015
TODAY'S RijLDiRBOAR D BRIEFING
Tuolumne andCalaveras counties
mmIIniza iOn Cam ai nSSIIt:t:eSS II In 2014, the Tuolumne In Tuolumne County, the County Public Health Depart- reported rate ofpersonal ment, Tuolumne County Su- belief exemptions in k i nImmunization public in- perintendent of Schools Office dergartners for the 2013formation campaigns in Tu- and Sonora Regional Medical 2014 school year was 15.41 olumne County have cut the Center launched a campaign percent, one of the highest number of personal belief ex- to inform residents about the rates in the state, according emptions in half. benefits of immunization. to the Tuolumne County By LACEY PETERSON The Union Democrat
Library partyThe Tuolumne County Library hosted a "Polar Express" party Thursday.A2
Public Health Department. The stateaverage rate for personal belief exemptions in kindergartners was 3.15 percentforthe same time period. However, the rate sharply declinedover the next year and for the 2014-2015 school
— A near million-dollar grant will give Columbia College students paying jobs while earning an associate's degree, and do it all at littleto no cost.A2
Decorating prize — Joan's Boutique was awarded first place in the seventh annual Historic Downtown Sonora Best Dressed Window or Holiday Display Contest.A3
By SEAN CARSON The Union Democrat
City Council —so-
Sonora runners, walkers, and sports teams will have to searchfor an alternative venue when the Sonora High School stadium closes next week for an estimated six months. The closure hits hard for Laurel Leslie, 76, and husband Bob, 78, of Sonora, who have walked the track nearly every morning since the early 1980s. "It's the way we start our day," Leslie said. "It's this alone time. It's wonderful. It' s when we catch up with what we' re going to be doing that day, just this nice time when the day begins." Up to 12 other early risers, young andold,getin a m orning workout at the field, Leslie said. The couple may try out the
3 •
nora leaders mull new landscaping rules.A3
f' i
Seen andHeard — This week' s photo opinion asks, "What' s your favorite Christmas tradition?wA3
RoadworkUpcoming roadwork planned in Calaveras County, including times, dates, locations and possible delays.A3
OPInIOn — Harrop: Guy McCarthy/Union Democrat
Purchasephotos online at www.uniondemocrat.corn
Members of the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians share a people's dance Thursday at Pacific Gas Bt Electric's headquarters in San Francisco.
See FIELD/Back Page
News elsewhere
Event celebrates PG8 E discovery of tribal artifacts
— State, nation and world news.Ae-7
By GUY McCARTHY
and these changeshelp archaeeloglsls to dale a site. One group of arlifacmthai are panlcularly useful for dating silas are Ihe
• PREP WRESTLING: Summerville rallies to defeat Waterford.C1 • ACKERMAN: Buck harvest makes 15 years worth wait.C1 • BASKETBALL: Jumpers bounce back, top Cosumnes.C1 • MLB: Cueto ready for 'even year' title.C1 • NFL: Mack, Autry, Edwards starring on Raiders' DL.C1
NEWS TIPS? PHONE: 770-7153,5884534
NBNS:editorLaunIondemocrat.corn FEATUR ES: featureslunIondemocrai.corn SPORTS: sporlslunIondemocratcom EVENTS ANDWEEKENDER: weekeftderlunIondemocrat.corn LElTERS: lettersIuniondemocratcom CAiAVERAS BUREAU:770-7197
Ancestorsof the oldest people in the Sierra Nevada ventured to California's Golden Gate city on Thursday to share song and dance, evoking harvests and families in language that comes from grandmothers and grandfathers going back thousands of years. It was a mountain tribe saying thanks to the utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric. Workers with PG&E recently found grind stones, mortar holes and othertribalartifactstied toancestors of today's Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, in the vicinity of Phoenix Powerhouse. MeWuk and PG&E representatives declined to say exactly where the artifactswere found, but the tribe identified the location as one of their aboriginal villages. According to a history of Pacific Gas & Electric's ditch system in Tuolumne County,the Tuolumne County Water and Electric Power Company, a reincorporation of Tuolumne County Water Company, planned and built the Phoenix Powerhouse in 1898. The powerhouse is below the Tuolumne Main
Abandoned dogs need homes for Christmas
proleclile points Ihat wereattached to spears, darts. andarrows.
The Union Democrat
SPORTS
See HEALTH / Back Page
DunlaVy Field to close for Upgl ades
TUOLUMNE BAND OF ME-WUK INDIANS
Hospitality jobs
On terrorism, Ted Cruz has no idea. Elder: A true Hollywood Christmas story.A4
year, 7.36 percent of Tuolumne County kindergartners hadpersonal belief exemptions. That is still much higher than the state average of 2.54percent, according to
n genemh prolenite po nls became smaner through bme Tne 0 st Imints shown here la and bl lipped dans and are about 3.000ro 3.000 yearsold The bow and arrow were introduced in ceiilral Caliiorn» about 1,300-1,100 years anddale are represented here byihe smaller points lc Ihroughago gl, which Irom Ibo 11.000 lo 130 years ago
By LACEY PETERSON The Union Democrat a ca rt piilnrn
Arrow Points
Dexter, a black coonhound m ix breed dog,fi llsup on food each night and settles into his spot on the fioor at the foot of his foster mom Cathy Scott's bed. Ten days ago he was roaming the back roads between Groveland, Greeley Hill and Coulterville, filling his stomach with leaves and grass. For months, Mariposa County Animal Control had received callsand reports of a stray. Every time they went out to find it, he would be gone, said Darlene Mathews, founder of the local animal rescue group, Friends of the Animal Community.
Artifacts are part of an interpretive display about Tuolumne Me-Wuk tribal history at PG8LE headquarters in San Francisco. Canal junction at Phoenix Penstock, before penstock waters flow into Phoenix Lake. The utility, founded in 1905, has been workingwith Tuolumne MeWuk for the past 30 years because portions of PG&E hydroelectric systems overlap local tribal lands and waterways. In this case, the utility tried to work closer with tribal representatives to ensure anything of historic or cultural significance was
catalogued and preserved. Members ofthe Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians were invited to share prayers, music and dance
with PG&E employees at the utility'scorporate headquarters in the financial district of downtown San Francisco. The event, billed as a celebration of partnership in the general office auditorium on the SeeARTIFACTS / Back Page
NEWSROO MFtDL5324451 SUBSCR IBERSERVICES: 533-3814
See DOGS / Back Page
In '
Calendar.....................................A2 O b ituaries........ Comics........................................C5 O p inion............ Community/Religion................ B1 Sports............... Crime ..........................................A5 T V ......................
COUR ANNUAL D
Today:High 5S, Low 39 S~„: Fi h'4, Lo Sunday:High 50, Low 40
Weather Page C6
II IIIIIII
a
51 1 5 3 0 0 103
CHRISTMAS COMMUNITYLDIMNERX, DECEMBER 18TH,201$ •4:30PN- 8:OOPM • ALL AGES WELCOME! SANTA WILL BE PRESENT TO MINGLE WITH THE KIDS! I
g
I
I
I 0
I
0
I
r