Ledger Dispatch

James “Jim” Calvin Jordan

Jack Mitchell — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:49:51 +0000

May 13, 1952 – February 16, 2012
James “Jim” Calvin Jordan, 59, of Ione, CA, went home to be with the lord on February 16th. Jim was born in Van Nuys, CA on May 13, 1952, a son of Emma Jean (Mc Combs) and Calvin Coolidge Jordan. He served in the U.S. Army. Jim was employed as a Software Engineer at Intel in Folsom for the past 29 years.

Jim is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Kris Jordan of Ione; son, Jonathan, and his wife, Michelle Jordan, of Oroville; step son, Timothy Tompsett, of Madera; sister, Janet Jordan, of Ione and grandchildren, Steven Jordan, Julian Tompsett, Jizelle Tomsett, Hailey Willberg, Branden Padgett.

Friends are invited to attend a visitation Monday, February 27, 2012 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM and funeral service Tuesday, February 28th, 11:00 AM both at Daneri Mortuary Chapel in Jackson. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Amador and Calaveras Counties P.O. Box 595 Jackson, CA 95642. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.danerimortuary.com and signing the guest book.
Services provided by: entrusted to Daneri Mortuary

Kenneth Joseph King

Jack Mitchell — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:30:21 +0000

December 19, 1943 – February 19, 2012
Kenneth passed away Sunday, February 19, 2012 in Sacramento, CA at the age of 68 years. He was born in Berwyn, IL on Dec. 19, 1943 to Richard Homolka (deceased) and Mildred Kopriva (deceased). Ken went to Quigley North HS and Ignatius HS in Chicago, IL. He graduated from the University of Detroit, MI with an Architectural degree and became an architect in England before moving to CA to major in Chemistry at UC Berkley. Ken worked as a scientist for 26 years at Lawrence Livermore Lab until he retired in 2005. He was an eccentric, kind and loving man who loved living in the county outside Pioneer. He loved snowboarding, jogging and keeping a healthy but simple lifestyle. Ken is survived by his son Shamus “Randy” Peed, his sister Joanne (Richard) Laskowski, and his brother Richard (Carol) King. Friends are invited to attend a viewing on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 10am with a mass at 11am at W. F. Gormley & Sons, 2015 Capitol Ave., Sacramento, CA. After the service, he will be laid to rest at Amador Memorial at approximately 2:30pm. Condolences may be sent to PO Box 736, Pioneer, CA 95666.

Update: Armed suspect killed in high-speed pursuit, criminal history revealed

Scott Thomas Anderson — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:57:14 +0000

Crime scene tape marks the spot where an armed suspect crashed and was killed last night. Ledger Dispatch photo by Bill Lavallie

By Bill Lavallie and Scott Thomas Anderson

It started with flashing lights on a Sheriff’s cruiser and ended — amidst flying glass and twisted steel — in front of the door of the Jackson police station. Though an intense investigation is currently underway, California Highway Patrol officers have been able to confirm only that a dangerous, high-speed pursuit occurred last night in Amador County and ended with a crash that killed the lead suspect, who was reportedly armed with a gun and driving a stolen vehicle.

A CHP sergeant told the Ledger Dispatch this morning that, around midnight, an Amador County Sheriff’s deputy had attempted to pull over a car on Highway 88 near Wicklow Way for expired registration. At the time, a woman was driving the car. When she slowed down, the man in the passenger seat allegedly pushed her out of the moving vehicle, onto the shoulder of the highway. The man then put the gas pedal to the floor. The sheriff’s deputy requested backup from CHP, who quickly took over the pursuit near Jackson while a Sheriff’s sergeant following. The suspect reportedly sped through south Jackson at a high speed before turning onto Clinton Road.

“The pursuit got up to 80 and 90 miles per hour,” the sergeant said, “Though that was on the open highway. Once the suspect was on the back roads, it wasn’t quite that fast.”

The suspect made it onto Tabeau Road, speeding back to Highway 88 in Pine Grove, at which point he turned left and headed back toward Jackson. Two attempts by Sheriff’s deputies to stop him with spike strips around the Pine Grove area were unsuccessful. CHP cruisers backed off as the pursuit continued to unfold, allowing a CHP airplane to be the primary vehicle tailing the fleeing man. Coming into Jackson, the suspect evidently realized that Amador Sheriff’s deputies and Jackson police officers were attempting to stop him with spike strips again. According to Amador County Undersheriff Jim Wegner, the Jackson officer’s spike strip partially disabled the fleeing vehicle. However, the suspect continued on another mile before losing control and crashing into the brick-and-concrete bridge that attaches the Jackson police station to Highway 88. Wegner confirmed the suspect died in a catastrophic collision. He also confirmed the vehicle was stolen and that a handgun was in the car and a 12 gauge “zip” gun was concealed inside inside the suspect’s pant leg.

Early investigation suggests that the original female driver had met the suspect early that day in Stockton. Wegner said she told detectives the two had used methamphetamine and were headed to the Jackson Rancheria Casino when the Sheriff’s deputy attempted to pull them over.

The suspect was identified as 32-year-old Wash Hoyopatubbi of Stockton. Hoyopatubbi was wanted by U.S. Marshals for attempted murder of a peace officer, after he allegedly tried to shoot two San Joaquin County Sheriff’s deputies in November of last year. He was also wanted on earlier parole violations.

This story will be updated as more facts are known.

Your weekend for Feb. 24-26

Claudia Lamar — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:18:51 +0000

Folk duo Dala will perform at Sutter Creek Theatre Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. Photo courtesy to the Ledger Dispatch

1. Dala

Listen to the angelic harmonies and original folk-roots of Dala Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Sutter Creek Theatre. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 the day of show. Sutter Creek Theatre is at 44 Main St., Sutter Creek. For more information, call (916) 425-0077, or visit www.suttercreektheatre.com.

3. Speakeazy Jazz Orchestra

Come dance to the smooth sounds of the 12-piece Speakeazy Jazz Orchestra Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Amador Senior Center, 229 New York Ranch Road, Jackson. The band will play tunes of the 1920s and 30s, using original band instrumentation and vintage music arrangements of the era, featuring vocalist Chrissy Sleigh and others. $5 admission at the door — a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Amador Senior Center. Amador High School Band Boosters will have a dessert table, as well as complimentary coffee. Classic cars and authentic attire are welcome. For more information, visit www.speakeazyjazz.com or call 295-4305.

2. Mary McCaslin & Rick Shea

Drytown Club presents Mary McCaslin & Rick Shea Sunday at 4 p.m. Only 65 tickets are available for purchase at the club. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door — if available. The Drytown Club is located at 15950 Highway 49, Drytown. For more information, call 245-6722 or visit drytownclub.com.

For more events, visit www.ledger-dispatch.com/events.

Scottish fiddle and cello concert in Murphys

Claudia Lamar — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:52:05 +0000

Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Hass. Photo courtesy to the Ledger Dispatch

The musical partnership between Alasdair Fraser, long regarded as Scotland’s premier fiddle ambassador, and the sizzlingly talented young California cellist Natalie Haas may not seem an obvious one. Fraser, acclaimed by the San Francisco Examiner as “the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling,” has a concert and recording career spanning 30 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, television credits and feature performances on top movie soundtracks (Last of the Mohicans, Titanic). Fraser has been sponsored by the British Council to represent Scotland’s music internationally, and received the Scottish Heritage Center Service Award for outstanding contributions to Scottish culture and traditions.

The 25-year-old Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, wasn’t even born when Alasdair was winning national fiddle competitions on the other side of the Atlantic. But this seemingly unlikely pairing is the fulfillment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser, whose cutting-edge musical explorations took him full circle to find a cellist who could help him return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music. Natalie Haas was just 11 when she first attended Fraser’s Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School in California. She responded to Fraser’s challenge to find and release the cello’s rhythmic soul, and four years later, when Natalie was just 15, Fraser and Haas played their first gig together. Now regularly touring with Fraser and creating a buzz at festivals and in concert halls throughout Europe and North America, Natalie is in the vanguard of young cellists who are re-defining the role of the cello in traditional music.

“Cellists are coming out of the woodwork to study with Natalie, to learn how she creates a groove and a whole chunky rhythm section,” says Fraser. “It’s inspiring to hear the cello unleashed from its orchestral shackles.”

One of the inspirations is the duo’s debut recording, “Fire & Grace,” which displays dazzling teamwork, driving, dancing rhythms, and the duo’s shared passion for improvising on the melody and the groove of Scottish tunes. The two instruments duck and dive around each other, swapping melodic and harmonic lines, and trading rhythmic riffs. The recording won not only critical acclaim, but also the coveted Scots Trad Music “Album of the Year” award, the Scottish equivalent of a Grammy. “Fire & Grace” and the duo’s other CDs, “In the Moment” and “Highlander’s Farewell,” and Fraser’s many other recordings are on his own Culburnie Records label.

Fraser is available for master classes and workshops for performers of all ages, with an emphasis on the tradition and techniques of Scottish fiddle music. The classes can be for fiddlers only, or can include musicians playing any stringed instrument, with special focus on playing by ear, improvising and learning to play as part of an ensemble.

Fraser and Hass will perform at Black Bart Playhouse, in Murphys, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 in advance and available at brownpapertickets.com, or by calling (800) 838-3006. Tickets will be $25 on the day of the show. On March 3, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., there will be a workshop, in cooperation with Murphys Creek Theatre. Cost to attend is $35 per student, with a minimum enrollment of 30 students. To register, email mcbooking@gmail.com.

Party with gangsters and cowboys in Sutter Creek

Claudia Lamar — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:50:28 +0000

Last year, Main Street Theatre Works transformed the Native Sons Hall in Sutter Creek into the Hotel Coq d’Or. A ruckus pajama party took place and got everyone in the mood for MSTW’s first summer show, “A Flea in Her Ear.” This year, they’re bringing in silver screen gangsters and cowboys to promote and raise money for their 2012 Summer Season, “Taming of the Shrew” (Shakespeare — Jersey Style) and “The Majestic Kid” (think Roy Rogers).

The fundraiser will be Saturday, March 31, at 6 p.m. at the Native Sons Hall, in Sutter Creek. Guests are encouraged to come as their favorite Guido, Guidette, or cowpoke and maybe win a prize. Dinner will be served, music will be enjoyed, and games will be played to win fabulous prizes. There will also be the popular 50/50 Raffle, where the winner gets 50 percent of the pot. Tickets for the event are $25 per person, and can be purchased online at mstw.org, or at Hein & Company, 204 Main St., in Jackson. Seating is limited and this event has sold out the last two years, so it is recommended to purchase tickets early.

Help celebrate MTSW’s 2012 Summer Season at the Kennedy Mine Amphitheatre, and make plans to enjoy the two summer shows — “Taming of the Shrew,” opening June 22, followed by “The Majestic Kid,” opening August 10. Ticket information for the fundraiser, as well as MSTW’s summer season, can be found at mstw.org.

Ruth “Ruthie” Montgomery Jackson

Jack Mitchell — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:20:34 +0000

March 25, 1911 – January 27, 2012
“Ruthie” passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by the love of her friends and family on January 27, 2012, leaving the small gold country town of Sutter Creek, California with a little less heart, soul, humor, and generosity. Ruth was 100 years old. For the full version of Ruth’s obituary, please go to her website at http://ruthmontgomeryjackson.com/Book/Welcome.html.
Friends and community members are invited to attend a Memorial Celebration on March 4, 2012 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Sutter Creek Auditorium in Sutter Creek. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ruth’s honor may be made to the Amador Community Foundation “Andra J. Fuller Memorial Scholarship” at www.amadorcommunityfoundation.org
Services provided by: entrusted to Daneri Mortuary in Jackson

Marc McLean

Jack Mitchell — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:17:24 +0000

May 6, 1983 – February 15, 2012
Marc was born in Sacramento and his family moved to Amador County when he was 10 years old. Marc graduated from Argonaut High School in 2001 looking forward to a long life of adventure. He loved to travel and was able to go to Europe, Canada, Mexico and much of the United States in his short life. Marc was an avid reader with a large variety of interests and an extensive library. He loved politics, history and was a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West, Excelsior (Jackson) Parlor #31. Marc’s greatest passions were boating and sports. He moved to Sacramento a few years ago to be closer to his work, which was currently with the State Controllers Office. Marc loved spending time with family and friends, always had a smile on his face and gave great hugs. Marc is survived by his parents Steven and Karen McLean, brother Ryan McLean, Grandfather Lloyd McLean, Grandmother Myrna Kennedy, Grandfather Kurt Fishback, four Aunts, two Uncles and 16 cousins. The service will be held at Daneri’s Mortuary in Jackson, February 24, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. The reception will follow gravesite services at the Jackson Native Sons Parlor. Viewing will be held at Daneri’s Mortuary, Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, a cause Marc felt deeply about. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.danerimortuary.com and signing the guest book.
Services provided by: entrusted to Daneri Mortuary in Jackson

Lester Parks, Jr.

Jack Mitchell — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:15:08 +0000

December 16, 1949 – February 18, 2012
Lester Parks, Jr. passed away Saturday, February 18, 2012 at his home in Pine Grove at the age of 62. He was born December 16, 1949 to Lester and Dorothy (Murray) Parks in Iowa City, IA. At the family’s request there will be no services. Inurnment will be private. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.danerimortuary.com and signing the guest book.
Services provided by: entrusted to Daneri Mortuary in Jackson

No ‘Uncle Bob’ or ‘Aunt Myrtle?’

Matthew Hedger — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:15:12 +0000

By Pat Holland
special to the ledger dispatch
Author’s note: for purposes of this article, federal and state taxes, estate taxes and every other way that the government can separate us from our money are not considered.
In the perfect dream world of investing, everyone could use either an “Aunt Myrtle” or an “Uncle Bob.” You remember them. They were the ones born in the Midwest during the 1920s. They lived the Great Depression first hand, going to school in old, worn-out jeans handed down by two older siblings. They really learned the value of a dollar and, even more importantly, they learned the value of a penny. They started working in 1942, just as the depression ended, putting every penny they could spare in investments. The stock market treated them very well, and every time there was a dip in real estate values, they bought a little more. On top of that, they never got married, did not like long, expensive vacations, and never bought a large screen TV. Also, in 1999, after a multi-year boom in the stock market, they moved that money into real estate and rode the California real estate bubble for the next five years. Then, sometime in 2005, you got a call from either “Uncle Bob’s” or “Aunt Myrtle’s” lawyer informing you that he or she passed away and you were the sole beneficiary of the estate. Again, for purposes of the dream, we ignored estate tax laws. You were free to pay off all the credit card debt you accumulated over the years, buy a 100-inch big screen TV, book a year-long world cruise and, most importantly, your financial worries were over unless you made the wrong spousal choice and even then one or two poor choices would not hurt you too much.
However, in the real world, it very seldom works that way. Most of us experience a secular bear stock market like the first decade of this century, or we buy real estate at the peak, instead of at the bottom of the cycle. We also get married and start having children. Instead of putting money into investments, we buy groceries with it, get a car, and discover the wonderful world of credit cards (until we start factoring in the 18-percent-a-year fee). If we are typical Americans, somewhere in our forties we start thinking about how we can finance our retirement years. You have heard of the saying “wise old men” (it also includes women). Most of the time, we do not get really wise until we are old, having made several investment mistakes along the way. Hopefully, we learn from our mistakes.
I will never forget my first big mistake, putting our first IRA investments in four Hollywood movies that turned out to be total bombs at the box office. Even though I had told our broker at that time that I wanted the money invested safely, I did not truly understand the meaning of limited partnerships. The general partners (the movie producers) made money, but the limited partners, my wife and I and the other investors, were left holding the bag.
When it comes to investing, I have found that some of the tried-and-true rules of our grandparents’ age are still valid today. For one, never invest in anything that is too complicated to understand easily, no matter what the person selling the product says. Always try to fully understand the risk involved when you invest. Higher risk should mean the possibility of increased gains, however, higher risk investments need to be monitored consistently. Set a “drop dead” price, and, if it drops below that level, say goodbye.
Everyone has a different risk tolerance. Understand yours and do not deviate from it. If your investment goes down 10 percent, you only need a little over 11 percent on the upside to get even. If it goes down 50 percent, you need a gain of 100 percent to get back to even. On the other hand, unless you are buying and holding forever, have a price in mind at which you will sell if your investment goes up to a certain level. One of the reasons that I prefer index mutual funds or ETF funds is that, unlike individual stocks, you do not fall in love with them and hold them when common sense tells you to sell.
If you are going to manage your own stock market investments, remember that much of stock market volatility is due to emotion, and not fact. Taking advantage of investor sentiment driven by emotion usually means you go against the herd, because the herd is usually wrong. Another factor regarding volatility is when you see an excessive amount of volatility, as we did early last fall, it is usually a negative sign regarding short term market swings. Normal volatility can be your friend, however, and buying on dips in price volatility can benefit you in the long run. The overall trend is either your friend or enemy. In a bullish market, a price dip is an opportunity to buy — it is not a time to reduce your equity holdings.
When, not if, the new bull market occurs, a buy-and-hold strategy will be in favor again. If you are going to adopt any investment style besides a long-term buy-and-hold strategy, always remember the strategy you love today will be out of favor, probably in the not-too-distant future. A buy-and-hold strategy worked great in the nineties in a straight-up-the-wall bull market. It was a terrible strategy in the next decade, when we had two time periods that saw the S&P 500 lose over 40 percent of its value. Using an investment strategy different than a long-term buy-and-hold strategy should mean that you expect to be able to identify major market turns and be able to react to them sooner than later.