"Strawberries and Cream" is one of four "Flowery Desserts" photographer Doreen Erhardt will show among 18 images on display and sale through October at the G Gallery. Photo by: Courtesy to the Ledger Dispatch Erhardt will be the featured artist for October at the new G Gallery at the Jackson Rancheria Casino, Hotel and Conference Center. Photo by: Courtesy to the Ledger Dispatch Rose and Allen Mendy, owners of the Mine House Inn in Amador City, hold a copy of 'The Mine House Inn Bed and Breakfast Cookbook' they just produced and are now selling. Photo by: Marcia Oxford Deborah and Terry Sanders display a variety of the stepping and memorial stones they create through Etched In Stone. Photo by: Marcia Oxford This address stone is one example of the Sanders' careful workmanship. Photo by: Marcia Oxford Barbara Nichols (left) co-owner and branch manager of Diablo Funding Group in Jackson, welcomes Gina Grubb, loan consultant to the business. Photo by: Marcia Oxford

Doreen Erhardt, a professional photographer who began her career in 1982 in Gilroy, will be the featured artist for October at the G Gallery inside the Jackson Rancheria Casino, Hotel and Conference Center. An opportunity to meet and talk with Erhardt will take place during artist receptions set Saturday, Oct. 2 from 3 to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 3 from noon until 4 p.m.

Holly Richardson, one of the gallery proprietors said, on seeing Erhardt's work, "Neither Betty (Lloyd, co-proprietor)nor I knew what to expect and we were stunned. Doreen's work is absolutely gorgeous. It's hard to believe, through photography and computer imaging, that you can produce what appears to be a watercolor or oil or other medium. And we're delighted to promote her, because she's a local artist and that's something we love to do. Because Doreen produces such a wide variety of subjects, we know her art will appeal to many different audiences."

New to Erhardt's portfolio are four "Flowery Desserts," images of flowers with mouth-watering names: "Strawberries and Cream," "Orange Sherbet," "Peach Parfait" and "Melon Smoothie." They are among 18 Erhardt images to be featured at the gallery, works that include vintage motorcycles and cars, a seen-better-days pick-up at Daffodil Hill on which one of the hill's grandiose peacocks has chosen to light and a handsome Andalusian horse shot at Columbia.

The last piece Richardson took to the KVIE Channel 6 art auction preview party and "People were flocking to it," Richardson said. "The casino is a big sponsor for KVIE and we were there to promote the casino and the gallery and to meet artists and collectors." G Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to midnight.

Erhardt, who has a lifetime achievement in the art and science of photography from American Image Press, recalled "doing my fair share of weddings, but I wasn't feeling fulfilled about it. I wanted to be far more creative than what clients wanted and I found that frustrating." A full set of classes at De Anza College in the East Bay Area set her on the path she was seeking. The onset of digital photography elicited yet another response. "I realized if I didn't consider switching to digital images and the digital darkroom, there could be a point in my lifetime when I might not be able to do my art, changes were being made so rapidly," Erhardt said. She relies on digital now, she added, because it's more cost effective and environmentally friendly compared to toxic chemicals normally used in darkrooms.

For some years, Erhardt specialized in photographing wild animals in conjunction with her volunteer work for Tri County Wildlife Center. But, she said, "My subject matter is very diverse and going to digital allowed me to do things I could only visualize. I can take bits and pieces of photos and put them together to create the images in my mind." As for her new "Flowery Desserts," she's thinking of expanding them, either by subject or size or both, whatever her muse suggests. Erhardt also has a penchant for western and desert scenics, for her "artful guy" collection on motorcycles and cars as well as diverse other images.

She has operated her Web site, www.Salon-Of-Art.com for several years: it is a spin off from a salon at the St. George Hotel in Volcano where she displayed and sold her works. Erhardt is winner of numerous awards, but is particularly pleased to be placed in G Gallery. "I think it's a wonderful opportunity to be in that beautiful new gallery, one that will bring crowds from outside the area," she said. "Holly and Betty are fabulous to work with. They bend over backward to make an artist feel comfortable."

Innkeepers produce first B&B cookbook in Amador

Somehow, it seemed fitting for Allen and Rose Mendy to unofficially celebrate their 10th anniversary of owning and operating Mine House Inn in Amador City to publish a cookbook. "The Mine House Inn Bed and Breakfast Cookbook" is in an attractive format that also promotes the historic inn, once the offices of the gold-producing Keystone Mine opposite on Highway 49 as well as the inn's luxurious accommodations.

The cookbook offers some 70 tantalizing recipes based on Rose's own culinary expertise and modifications from other cookbooks, friends and family. The book is a compilation of most requested recipes from inn guests and range from delectable appetizers and flavored butter to a variety of breakfast suggestions, fruit offerings, muffins, breads, pancakes, waffles and crepes.

"I had Allen test every one of these," Rose said. "When I'm cooking, they just come naturally so I don't have to think about them. I didn't want anyone else to have to think about them, but just to cook. So Allen went through and prepared everything to see how they worked. They all did, but it took a year to gather and try everything. We are thrilled with the book and hope others are also. Allen and I are also very pleased that this is the first cookbook produced by an Amador County B&B."

The cookbook can be purchased at Lizzie Ann/Bubble Gum Book Store in Sutter Creek and at Story Vineyard in the Shenandoah Valley. Cost is $12.95 plus tax. Copies may also be ordered online at www.minehouseinn.com where B&B specials are also listed. Those purchasing online pay $12.95 plus $2.50 for shipping and handling, plus 94 cents sales tax. Online purchasers receive a 25 percent discount coupon for any two-night stay at the inn, valid any time except holidays or special events and the offer is valid six months from purchase date.

The Mine House Inn offers eight rooms named for their use of each site during the mine's heyday in the 1800s, three suites in the mine superintendent's home and two suites in the Victorian structure adjacent to the original structure.

Bank of Lodi parent company joins Placer Sierra Bancshares

First Financial Bancorp, the parent company of Bank of Lodi, N.A. , with $324.1 million in assets, and Placer Sierra Bancshares, Sacramento, with $1.4 billion in assets, have signed a definitive agreement for Placer Sierra to acquire First Financial in an all-cash deal valued at $50 million or $25.40 per share. On completion of the transaction, the combined company will become the largest community bank in central California, with approximately $1.8 billion in total assets.

The acquired branches, including Bank of Lodi in Plymouth, will operate under the brand name of Bank of Lodi, a division of Placer Sierra Bank. The $50 million purchase price represents 227 percent of tangible book value. Boards of both companies approved the transaction, which is subject to approval by First Financial's stockholders, as well as regulators and other customary conditions of closing. Subject to satisfaction of conditions set forth in the agreement, it is estimated that the closing of the merger will occur in the fourth quarter this year.

In addition to the Plymouth branch, Bank of Lodi, N.A. has branches in Lodi, Woodbridge, Lockeford, Galt, San Andreas, Elk Grove, Folsom and Sacramento. Placer Sierra Bancshares is a California-based bank holding company for Placer Sierra Bank, which has 23 Northern California branches serving Placer, Sacramento and El Dorado counties. Through its nine Southern California branches, Placer Sierra Bank serves Los Angeles and Orange counties.

For other details, call Leon Zimmerman, president and CEO, at (209) 367-2000.

Pioneer couple creates art in stone

Terry and Deborah Sanders, who moved to Amador from Auburn last year, are proprietors of Etched In Stone, a home-based business at which they etch stones of various kinds to be used as address plates, memorials, stepping stones or garden accents. The stones, which lend themselves to customized messages, are featured at Amador Fireside Center in Jackson, where Deborah is office manager.

Prior to relocating, Deborah worked for Valley Yellow Pages, discovering Amador when her Auburn team worked this county. "She loved the people, we fell in love with the area and we both love the mountains," Terry said. "We moved to Pioneer and Deborah has been working at Amador Fireside where their vendor stopped selling similar stones wholesale. Deb was selling some of our stones to people at work and approached Marcia Alexander (Fireside owner) about selling them there. We decided to do this part time and at this point, I think we're the only people in the county who etch on granite stone."

The Sanders's sandblast names, addresses, verses or other personal information on granite stone, pavers or flagstone, painting the incised letters to enhance the graphics. Sanders said it took a couple months for the duo to perfect their techniques, which begins with a computer image and selected fonts, font size and font boldness. That image then goes onto vellum photo-sensitive paper and serves as the template for each piece which is etched to 1/8 of an inch. The couple then apply gold or antique-gold paint as final embellishment. The finished stones vary in size from 8-by-8 inches to 12-by-12 inches, although many are rectangular.

"Right now, other than Amador Fireside, we're accepting orders at etchedinstone2@yahoo.com," Sanders noted. "We're looking to market them to veterinarians for pet memorials as well as to garden places." The Sanders are starting a stone reflecting their family tree, which on Dec. 22, will add another branch with the birth of their first grandchild.

For other information, call 295-4315.

Loan officer joins Jackson office

Gina Grubb, who has had a substantial career in the banking and credit union industries, has joined Diablo Funding Group as a loan consultant. The company opened its Amador office two years ago at 104 Main in downtown Jackson.

Grubb, a Plymouth resident, previously worked at Bank of Lodi in Plymouth and prior to that at Travis Credit Union in Solano County. "It's awesome being here," Grubb said. "This is a wonderful group and I look forward to being here for many years."

Barbara Nichols, branch manager and co-owner with David Pincus, said of Grubb, "Gina will be a definite asset with her experience in handling loans as well as her personal outreach." Diablo Funding Group, with corporate officers in San Ramon, has 43 offices in California, Arizona and Nevada and is licensed in Oregon, though no offices have been established there.

The company, which offers mortgages, bill consolidation, home equity loans and other related financial services, is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 and weekends by appointment. For details, call 223-4227.