http://www.TheUnion.com Serving Grass Valley, Ca Sun, 26 May 2013 02:30:16 -0600 en 30 A Nevada City man was arrested Thursday night after he allegedly strangled and punched his stepfather in a dispute over bringing a vehicle back late. Nevada County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence in the 13000 block of Cement Hill Road at 9:22 p.m. after receiving a call of a physical fight in progress. According to dispatch reports, a man was strangling his father. The son, identified as Forest Marshall Neff, 20, allegedly had borrowed his stepfather’s vehicle to go to the store and did not return when he said he would, according to Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal. When … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6652820-113/neff-allegedly-nevada-county Grass Valley will welcome more than 40 artists and an expected crowd of about 1,000 Sunday at the 31st annual Sierra Festival of the Arts. The event, which closes down Mill Street from Main to Neal streets, features fine art, access to the artists, music, shopping and more. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., people can wander among vendor booths filled with exhibits of paintings, sculpture, photography and other mediums. This year, the Grass Valley Downtown Association, which organizes the festival, has invited new groups to participate to expand the event with different forms of art “We’re really trying to … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6649015-113/event-art-arts-downtown More than 400 people attended a 1971 ceremony that saw the dedication of 14 bronze plaques in memory of western Nevada County servicemen who died in Vietnam, The Union reported April 26 of that year. On Monday, several local military service organizations will continue the effort to bring hundreds more to view those plaques — and those that have since been installed — in honor of their namesakes with the Local Heroes Memorial Bridge Tour, which offers a trio of tours open to the public. A walking tour of the Grass Valley Memorial Bridges and a bus tour of Nevada … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6641633-113/memorial-nevada-bridge-veterans Seven-year-old Jake Mason stepped forward in front a large group gathered at Grass Valley’s Brighton Street Overpass in late March and, with the help of his mother, unveiled three memorial plaques for three western Nevada County Marines who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country during the war in Iraq. One of those men was Jake’s big brother … … Lance Cpl. John “JT” Lucente was killed Nov. 16, 2005, while serving with four fellow Marines as they performed a sweep for enemy combatants in Iraq’s al-Abar province near the Syrian border. He was 19 years old. Little … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6640153-113/jake-brother-john-mason Sometimes, it’s better not to remember. Sometimes, it’s a good thing not to recall their names. Sometimes, he says, the memories are just too tough to share. It was the only time a twinge of sadness could be spied in his eyes during an hour-long chat about the men with whom he went to war, those who had came before him, along with those who followed in their own service even decades later. “I knew lots of ’em … a lot of them didn’t make it back,” said Manuel “Chick” Cicogni, a 99-year-old Navy veteran who served in World War … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6627780-113/cicogni-stories-iwo-jima http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6651455-113/memorial-park-ceremony-tour Llamas, a camelid originally bred as pack animals by pre-Hispanic Andean cultures endemic to South America, are incredibly intelligent creatures. The domesticated animals’ intelligence will be on full display Saturday at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. On Saturday, attendees will be treated to llamas navigating an obstacle course, said Mary Adams, who along with her husband, Rick, owns Wild Oaks Llama in Grass Valley. “People can really see how intelligent they are and how agile,” Mary Adams said. About 100 llamas from all over the region, coming from as far away as Oregon and Southern California, will descend on Nevada County … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6651244-113/llama-llamas-adams-county While high school seniors prepare to graduate and receive their diplomas, some of their peers already have a college degree. Twelve Ghidotti Early College students received their associate degrees Thursday before their formal graduation from high school. “It’s definitely a lot of work. You have to really know what you want to do as soon as possible and actively seek out the classes you have to take,” said Aaron Hagadorn, who graduated with his associate in natural science. The number of Ghidotti high school and AA degree graduates this year has been the highest in the program’s existence with 12 … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6641595-113/college-students-ghidotti-ortiz Five people were arrested — four of whom had active warrants — after Nevada County narcotics officers went to a property Wednesday to conduct a compliance check on a medical marijuana grow. Members of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force went to the residence in the 26000 block of Sweetland Road, off Highway 49 on the San Juan Ridge, to conduct a compliance check after receiving information that marijuana was possibly being cultivated in violation of the Nevada County ordinance, said Det. Brett LaCosse. A marijuana garden was located with multiple violations, LaCosse said. “The size of the … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6640309-113/marijuana-arrested-lacosse-bell http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6637720-113/reported-caller-block-street http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6641423-113/crash-airport-plane-board Nothing ever came easy to Lincoln Easley. And while he struggled with math and English all his life, he is finally graduating from Sierra College with an associate’s degree in art, which he is using as a way to give back to the community. Easley volunteered to teach art after school at Ready Springs Elementary School and was able to help provide one student, 10-year-old Samantha Robinson, with art supplies and a scholarship. “It was like a personal project I took on,” Easley said. “I went to the art club at Sierra College to see if they would be willing … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6639497-113/easley-art-college-samantha Warren Wittich, a retired Wonder Bread truck driver from Fair Oaks, drives two and a half hours round trip to maintain the Independence Trail. Raised in Colfax, Wittich volunteered as the head of trail maintenance for Sequoya Challenge for 12 years until the group disbanded. Since the dissolution of the group founded by naturalist John Olmsted, Wittich has worked with volunteers from South Yuba River Parks Association to keep the trail open. Since 2011, volunteers have replaced about 50 to 60 rotten, unsafe boards on the trail’s wheelchair ramp by Rush Creek and South Yuba River Overlook. They have cleared … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6638649-113/trail-parks-state-independence If it wasn’t apparent who would take over Ananda when Swami Kriyananda died toward the end of April, he made it pretty clear in his will: “My spiritual successor shall be John E. Novak (generally known by his spiritual name, Jyotish).” Kriyananda’s last will and testament provided that the nine-stone astrological bangle, which Kriyananda wore in his capacity of spiritual director of Ananda, should be “worn by my spiritual successor and his successors.” During a simple ceremony at Ananda Village Sunday, Novak formally received the bangle reflective of his new position. “I’m very excited,” Novak said of taking over as … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6628126-113/ananda-novak-kriyananda-spiritual State Sen. Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, told about 60 Nevada County residents the imperative government must follow is “to figure out how to implement a small government.” Much of the legislator’s message was met with approval and applause from the constituents gathered in Eric Rood Administrative Center board chambers Thursday night, as many wore red Tea Party Patriots T-shirts. Preservation of Second Amendment rights, the need to balance the Democratic supermajority in the California legislature, the need to curtail government spending and waste, the illegality of the State Responsibility Area fee and reform to the California Air Resources Board and the … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6631788-113/gaines-government-california-state Recently, several American Legion members visited William Dobbins, a much-decorated, retired 30-year naval veteran (and a member of Post 130 in Grass Valley) who was present at Pearl Harbor. He was on his way to a church service when the first of seven torpedoes struck his ship, the West Virginia, which fortunately stayed afloat. Dobbins is now nearly 93 and is very sharp and active. Despite a physical handicap, his favorite job is to repair mostly motorized wheelchairs in order to help others in need in our community. The Elks and Knights of Columbus generously underwrite associated expenses, in particular, … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6638464-113/legion-dobbins-130-american A Cedar Ridge man with apparent mental health issues terrified his neighbors — and forced a short standoff with law enforcement — after he began firing a gun inside his house at “bad guys and robots.” One neighbor, who had been heading to the man’s house to check on him during the incident Tuesday night, retreated after noticing puffs of smoke coming from the bullets, which penetrated the door and sides of the house. “We received three separate reports of shots fired,” said Nevada County Sheriff’s Lt. Alicia Milhous. The first call, from a neighbor in the 11000 block of … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6640641-113/deputies-milhous-bell-cedar A pair of talented softball players, who made their way through the Bear River program, will be helping their current teams navigate through the NCAA Super Regionals this weekend. Courtney Ceo, a 2010 Bear River graduate and 2013 first team All-Pac-12 selection, will take the field for No. 3-ranked Oregon as it hosts No. 14 Nebraska in a best-of-three series for the right to play in the Women’s College World Series. Game 1 can be seen 5 p.m. Saturday on ESPNU. Game 2 starts at noon Sunday, and Game 3, if necessary, will be played immediately following. Stephanie Ceo, a … ]]> The idea of a four-year college can be unrealistic for some students, which is why Sierra College offers certifications and associate’s degrees to provide vocational careers and opportunities. The programs were introduced to Park Avenue Alternative Education students May 16 when principal Marty Mathiesen arranged tours around the campus with counselors who discussed classes, financial aid and programs. “We designed this day where students will go to Sierra College, go to classrooms and be exposed to the benefits of AA degrees and certification,” Mathiesen said. Mathiesen also arranged for Kevin Brady, a high school dropout who received his diploma at … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6596436-113/students-mathiesen-college-education http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6628125-113/county-tahoe-deputy-lake http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6626933-113/lundberg-nevada-union-assistant http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6625330-113/caller-reported-block-drive http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6624402-113/bikes-drug-johnson-paraphernalia Don’t be surprised to see more opponents of a United Nations’ planning and development blueprint at local municipal meetings and at the doorsteps of area nonprofits. Rosa Koire, a self-proclaimed liberal and author of “Behind the Green Mask: U.N. Agenda 21,” told scores of people at the Grass Valley Veterans Hall Tuesday that development efforts billed as “sustainable” or “smart growth” are just the tip of an iceberg designed to strip rural communities of their property rights and turn them into dense urban centers. Koire further told the crowd to become proactive, attend government meetings and speak out against Agenda … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6627158-113/koire-agenda-development-tuesday After a couple years as Nevada City’s city manager, David Brennan is formulating plans to find his own replacement. Brennan, whose contract with Nevada City ends at the end of December, has served as the town’s municipal leader in a part-time capacity since June 2011 when he replaced a retiring Gene Albaugh, who has since passed away. During his tenure, Brennan has worked to stabilize the government’s budget, which lost $487,000 of general fund revenue from 2008-09 levels during the economic recession. Those funding shortfalls prompted Nevada City to staff many of its highest department positions with part-time workers. In … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6625015-113/brennan-nevada-manager-full http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6624539-113/klein-evidence-krell-defense The question asked of many children about what they want to be when they grow up finally comes to fruition with the graduation of high school seniors. Nevada County students have the opportunity to explore potential careers through their senior projects, which Nevada Union students completed last week and Bear River students have presented this week. “I gained so much more from my senior project than I ever thought I would. It gave me perspective on what I want to do in the future,” said Bear River student Becca Leaman, whose project covered speech pathology. “It definitely helped me make … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6612494-113/students-project-projects-bear During a board meeting Wednesday, the Nevada Joint Union High School District voted 4-1 in favor of hiring Dennis Houlihan as the new varsity football head coach at Nevada Union High School. Houlihan, who was accused of the misuse of booster funds seven years ago, made a tear-filled speech about how he made mistakes in the midst of a failing marriage but has since turned his life around. “Some years ago, there was an article published alleging lies and deceit … It was a personal deep, dark path I was on,” Houlihan said. “I made bad decisions that weren’t the … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6622802-113/houlihan-board-football-support http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6631823-113/board-crash-identified-national http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6625784-113/poland-federal-according-statement http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6609922-113/reported-caller-block-road http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6612694-113/husband-salinas-allegedly-powell http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6608794-113/farmers-farm-brunswick-market http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6610614-113/open-campgrounds-forest-creek An 83-year-old man was unhurt after he accidentally drive his Ford truck through a plate-glass window Tuesday afternoon. The man, who was not identified, told officers his foot slipped off the brake pedal at about 12:30 p.m., said Grass Valley Police Sgt. Joe Matteoni. The truck ended up hitting a window at a vacant store in the Fowler Center on Nevada City Highway. Firefighters from Grass Valley, Nevada City, and Nevada County Consolidated fire departments responded, as did Sierra Nevada Ambulance. No injuries were reported, Matteoni said. A fire alarm was triggered in the storefront a little after 5 p.m. … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6612207-113/nevada-fire-grass-valley http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6611910-113/myers-county-esparza-francisco http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6612169-113/riddle-terrel-roth-stabbing Daniel Frederick nursed his severely broken elbow and his fractured left foot while his friend, Michael Davis, attempted to calm him as the two hung suspended about 500 feet above the ground at the famed Lover’s Leap cliff. The lifelong friends and climbing partners were perched on the ledge of the precipitous rock formation in South Lake Tahoe for about five hours May 11 before a collaborative rescue effort coordinated by the El Dorado Sheriff’s Office safely delivered Frederick from his close encounter with death. “The fall was unlucky,” Frederick said. “But everything that happened after was extremely lucky.” Frederick … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6611121-113/frederick-davis-cliff-climbing http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6613503-113/district-board-county-grand http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6600612-113/allegedly-marijuana-salivar-alvarado http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6599128-113/enrollment-final-budget-schools One call is all it takes for the stroke team to jump into action at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. In the event of a patient exhibiting stroke symptoms, time is vital. Activating the Emergency Medical System by dialing 9-1-1 when a stroke is suspected is the first step to immediate medical attention. The EMS personnel then provide notification to SNMH emergency department that a potential stroke patient is en route so appropriate hospital resources may be mobilized before patient arrival. These resources include the emergency room physician and nurses, radiology, laboratory, and stroke team coordinator. Additionally, SNMH has access to … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6596511-113/stroke-snmh-brain-care For years, Doug MacDuff dreaded nighttime. Despite his attempts to relax, once the sun went down, he found himself constantly on alert, adrenalin pumping, eyes searching the darkness. Although MacDuff lives in a peaceful neighborhood in Nevada City, it didn’t matter. As a veteran of the First Gulf and Iraq wars, his body continued to tell him that nighttime meant he should be up, ready for action. “I felt as though I should be out watching the perimeter,” he said. “Nighttime was when we generally did our missions.” But things began to change last summer when a friend, Vietnam veteran … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6599330-113/yoga-veterans-class-murphy http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6597109-113/april-county-rate-nevada Two men were in custody late Monday night, while another remained on the loose after the driver crashed a stolen vehicle into a tree, ending a pursuit through downtown Grass Valley. The California Highway Patrol issued a be-on-the-lookout alert for the silver Honda Odyssey after it was reported stolen from the driveway of a residence in Lake of the Pines, said Grass Valley Police Sgt. Clint Bates. According to dispatch reports, a man in the 12000 block of Torrey Pines Drive called to report the theft at 10:15 p.m. Bates and another officer positioned themselves near Highway 49 and La … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6604868-113/grass-police-roberts-valley A Nevada Union committee headed by Principal Mike Blake has recommended Dennis Houlihan for its varsity football head coaching job, and the school board will vote on that recommendation at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. As a coach, Houlihan brings experience, familiarity and a few question marks. Houlihan was NU’s junior varsity head coach last season, leading the team to a 5-5 record. He played football for Nevada Union until 1989 under the tutelage of Randy Blankenship and even topped 1,000 yards as a running back in his junior year. After graduating from the University of La Verne in California, Houlihan … ]]> http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6599281-113/houlihan-coach-union-blake http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6596535-113/reported-caller-block-drive http://www.TheUnion.com/news/6600677-113/agenda-cabpro-koire-author