Statement by Assemblymember Olsen on Governor Brown’s 2011 State of the State Address

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Kristin Olsen, R-Modesto, today issued the following statement in reaction to Governor Brown’s 2011 State of the State address:

“California is an incredible state and still has potential for tremendous prosperity if we get our budget deficit under control and our economy back on the right track. I want to work with Governor Brown to set priorities, reform government and create jobs.

“I believe we need to work to resolve our fiscal crisis without raising taxes. At a time when double-digit unemployment persists and many Californians can’t even afford to pay their mortgage – their most important asset – they certainly cannot afford to pay the government more in taxes. There has already been a vote of the people on the exact same taxes that the Governor is proposing and over 60% of voters rejected the increase. Another vote on the same taxes will waste time and money that we don’t have.”

Follow up on Arrest of Horse Owners

After the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office issued a search warrant for animal neglect at 3139 Beaver Court, 10 horses in various states of malnutrition and living in squalor were removed and owners Nigh Lawhon, 71 years, was arrested at the scene for assaulting a peace officer and resisting arrest, his wife Melva Lawhon, 71 years, was arrested for resisting arrest and delaying a peace officer. Nigh's bail has been set at $6,250.00, Melva's bail has been set at $5,000.00.

PRESS RELEASE 


Update 4:10 -

Both of the Lawhon’s were released on a citation and promise to appear in court February 15^th on the charges for which they were booked.

The report regarding animal neglect has been sent to the District Attorney’s office.

McDillard's Feed, Your Local Connection to Feed the Rescued Horses

On Saturday morning 10 horses were rescued from appalling conditions at a Copperopolis residence. ReHorse Rescue will be taking care of 9 of those ten horses at their rescue ranch in Jamestown. ReHorse is in dire need of donations, food, and volunteers. If you would like to help locally McDillards Feed Store has offered to make weekly deliveries of any products purchased for Rehorse through the feed store.

You can help the rescued horses by purchasing one, two, three or however many bales of alfalfa from McDillards Feed and Chandler, owner of McDillards, will make weekly trips to ReHorse Rescue with our gift of food for the horses.

One bale of alfalfa will help feed one of these starving horses for up to 5 days. Please help if you can.
McDillards Feed is located at the top of Spangler Lane past the Lake Tulloch Shopping Center entrance. Their hours are 9-5 mon thru sat. 785-8000.

Welcome New Advertiser ~ Copperopolis Olive Oil Company

Copperopolis Olive Oil Company, located in the Copperopolis Town Square, offers so much more than their superbly blended 100% organic handpicked Tuscan olive oils. One step inside their front door and you are greeted with sights and smells that sooth, invigorate, calm, entice, and have you creating a wish list a mile long. The store is packed with everything olive, from carved olive wood creations to olive oil soaps and lotions. They even carry olive trees. Everything you could possibly need to serve your guests or yourself premium olive oils in style is offered right here in Copperopolis. 

From olives grown at their 4/J+1 Ranch in Copperopolis, owners Josie and John Ribeira create oils that leave your taste buds wanting more. Offering olive oil from a variety of olives entices the taste buds while enhancing everything edible. However they do not stop at olive oils, offering an extensive line of balsamic vinegars for every palate. Balsamic vinegars come in apple, fig, peach, pear, pomegranate,cherry, rasberry and now offering juniper.

For those of you with an olive grove and an entrepreneurial spirit, owners John and Josie embrace that spirit and welcome you to bring your olives to the Copperopolis Olive Oil Company where they will mill them and bottle the oil for you, fees vary from a bucket to a ton.

The store is open M-Sun 11-5 and Sat 11-6, 785-6868.
Weekly raffles; buy any oil or balsamic vinegar and enter to win a bottle of balsamic or olive oil.

 Courtesy photo.

Basketball Clinic for Copper 4th and 5th Grade Boys ~ By, Jessica Welch

Copperopolis Elementary School has started hosting basketball clinics for 4th and 5th grade boys to develop basketball skills.  Last Friday, a group of boys got to work with Coach Troy Welch and Coach Ray Belluomini.  The boys worked on individual basketball skills, such as dribbling, passing, and shooting. The coaches are planning to have more clinics in the future.  

Courtesy photos.

And the Chili Cook-Off Winner is...Copper Fire!

The Copperopolis 2011 Chili Cook-Off was a sizzling hit!

People from as far away as San Jose, Burlingame, and Sacramento came to our wonderful local event.

The yearly event is hosted by the Copperopolis Town Square and raises much needed funds for the Copperopolis Firefighters Association (the new name for the volunteer association).

There was pork chili, been chili, veggie chili, chili of unknown origins and then there was the winning chili, a secret recipe from CFPD volunteer Scott Nordvik's Uncle Kurt. Not only did the volunteer firefighters win the public's vote as best chili, they also won the judges choice as 'favorite chili'. Accepting the awards were Scot Nordvik, Kurt Nordvik and Don Rollings (recipient of the Volunteer Firefighter of the Year Award).

'Burn Baby Burn' chili from Sign Co in Modesto won best booth AND best costumes. They were the ones dressed like red hot smiling devils. The team consisted of Shirley & Jim Dysen and Dan & Judy Casy.

Best name went to 'Red Hot Liquid Love' from Modesto.

Winner of the judges most unique award went to our own Fancy Pans.

Chili was not all that was being judged at the chili cook off, little Ethan Harrington won 'mechanical Bull Riding Champ 2011.' Well done Ethan.

It was an amazingly beautiful day with a fabulous turn out, all raising funds for a good cause. Copperopolis Fire Protection District is considered a combination district, meaning it has both paid and volunteer personnel responding to calls. Therefore, training and outfitting of the volunteers is a must. One set of structure gear, those tan space like suits with reflector tape on them, cost approximately $900.00 per set. Not to mention the wildland gear that all firefighters must have and the training that is required for wildland fires, structure fires, and  medical aids. All this adds up. The funds from the chili cook off helps to offset those costs and allows the association to outfit more volunteers for more coverage to the residents.

MORE PICTURES

By, Charity Maness

A Thank You From ReHorse

All horses are safe in ReHorse's custody. 
Thank you to all of you for your calls and for not giving up. 
A Big THANK YOU to everyone that helped safely load and transport these horses - Julie Maddox, Kelly Vermeer, Paul Kezis, Lori Teichert, Leeann & Bob Kenyon, Sue Andrus, Maggie, Sharon, and Dr. Tom - Angels Camp Vet

 

All of the horses are in bad shape and have a long rehabilitation ahead of them. Now the real work and journey begins!

 

 We need to rally the troops again to raise funds to help these horses.

 

If anyone would like to help the rescue and these horses - ReHorse Rescue Ranch is a 501(c)3 -

DONATIONS CAN BE MADE AT - www.rehorserescue.org or mailed to P.O. Box 494, Jamestown, Ca 95327 -

Donations can also be made at any of our local feed stores - Sonora Feed, Radovich Hay, Hurst Ranch Feed and Tractor Supply

Overturned Vehicle Hunt Rd and Hwy 4

Emergency vehicles responding to an overturned vehicle at Hunt Road and Hwy 4. 6:55 am. Use caution when entering that area.

Copper Kids Idol

Copper Kids Idol Contest Orientation Date Change

Does your child have what it takes to be a Copper Idol?
If so, come to the CopperKids Idol Contest Orientation Tuesday February 1, 2011 at Black Creek Community Center 7-9pm.
Parents and Kids Invited!
Sign Up now CopperKidsIdol@yahoo.com.
Open to all Copperopolis Kids up to age 18.

More Photos of Horse Rescue

For more photos of the initial response to the home of the horse rescue click the more photos link below.
MORE PHOTOS

Horse Rescue Underway

 After  owner Nigh Lowhon, was taken away in handcuffs rescuers that had lined the streets with their trailers were finally allowed on to the property.

Escorted by Sgt Laurie Murray, Veterinarian Tom from Angels Camp Veterinary Clinic began the long process of examining each horse, drawing blood, and rating them on the Henneke Scale, a scale designed to rate the body condition of a horse. A normal healthy horse will rate between 5 and 6, the first horse Dr. Tom rated landed at 2. It was the Stallion.

The Stallion, the owners claim to be so old they wouldn’t be able to find them a home and who lived in squalor of a 10’ by 10’ dog kennel, turned out to be approximately 5 or 6 years old, with more testing needing to be done to determine correct age.

While the stallion was being assessed the volunteers from Re-Horse Rescue along with local volunteers Paul Kezis, Bob and Leeann Kenyon, Sharon McCormick  and more began to coordinate the removal of the remaining 9 horses from a pen so deep with mud, feces, and stagnant scum covered puddles, the horses struggled simply to walk. In each pen the water troughs were empty save for a few rocks.

At a court date on June 1, 2009 neighbors were summoned and had to testify to the conditions. Again in early 2010 reports were made to the Animal Control. As the complaints mounted the horses living conditions grew worse. Finally a realtor and horse lover , Sue Andres, saw the condition of the horses and began a movement to save them.

The question that was repeated so many times was “What took so long?” Though answers varied, they all seemed to follow one trend, ‘there’s a new Sheriff in town.’

The group that gathered today had one purpose in mind, ‘save the horses.’

Re-Horse Rescue, located in Jamestown will be taking the majority of the horses while Remington Ranch in Soulsbyville will be taking the Stallion for foster care. With this new influx of needy horses Re-Horse is in serious need of donations and or volunteer help. If you want to help please visit their website at rehorserescue.org.

 

By, Charity Maness

WWII Veteran's Request

                     

This gentleman is an American WWII Veteran, now 91 years old, who is so supportive of our troops in the Middle East and around the world.  He would like to remind us of the camaraderie and moral support our troops had for one another during WWII and is hoping to see a particular character updated.  If anyone remembers “Kilroy”, he was everywhere our troops went.  For instance, this gentleman tells of the time he found himself alone in a bombed out section of a village and had to make his way back to his unit.  Slipping carefully through old buildings and feeling alone and afraid, he came across a familiar phrase scratched on a back wall, “Kilroy was here”.  He says he was encouraged by the realization he was not the first American soldier to pass through that dangerous area and he knew that he would make it out of that area, just as those who had gone before him.  The Russians actually thought Kilroy was either a spy or a code word and they went to great effort to locate and capture him or de-code the phrase.

He also tells of how the troops entertained one another (remember, they didn’t have much contact with anyone outside their unit).  One skit they would act out had to do with a sentry or guard calling out in the darkness, “Who goes there?”  Not realizing the response was his echo, he next would say, “Who dat?”  It would snowball into a routine of, “Who dat say ‘who dat’ when I say “who dat?”  Yes, Who Dat? was around many years before the New Orleans Saints began using the phrase.  Long story short, this wonderful WWII Veteran now jokingly says Whodat? is Kilroy’s great grandson. 

 

His request is this:  There are occasional Kilroy sightings but very few compared to WWII.  The next time our US and Allied Troops find yourselves in a place far from home, know you have millions praying for your safe return and blaze that trail, leave either “Kilroy was here” or “Whodat? was here” for those who will follow you.  God bless you all and thank you for your Service and Sacrifices.           

KILROY WAS HERE                                 WHODAT? WAS HERE