1949: Folsom Dam should be done by summer of '54

25 years ago May 31, 2001 Funeral services were held for Glenna Evelyn Renner, 100, a native of Onida, South Dakota, and a resident of Reyman Lane in Loomis. Sheriff Ed Bonner, along with other members of the Placer Sheriff's Department, will relay the Northern California Special Olympics Torch nearly 30 miles from Beals Point at Folsom Lake to the State Capitol. Algae was clogging irrigation canals in a part of Placer County. PCWA suspended its chemical control program following a federal courts ruling that any herbicide use in tributaries to waters must be governed by a federal permit. Since 1986, PCWA used copper sulfate, known as "blue stone." It was dripped into canals at low concentrations to control algae but doing no harm to fish. Bruce and Sue Johnston celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at their Loomis home. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oregon State University were Kelly Anne Fischer of Granite Bay and Chandra Lee Spencer of Loomis. The Placer County Sheriff's Office will honor Mack Tsujimoto's 48 years as a volunteer. He lived in Loomis since the 1940s and was a Sheriff's Reserve Officer since the 1950s. The Del Oro High School girls softball team won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship with a 1-0 thriller over Cordova. Kari Killer pitched a great game, giving up only two hits and striking out seven. Del Oro High School dedicated a memorial plaque honoring Gary Holsclaw and Edwin Blagdon, former students who died in the Vietnam War. The plaque also honored all students who served in the Armed Forces. The project was spearheaded by Jeff Tooker's Junior English students with cooperation of the school, American Legion Post 775, Veterans of Foreign War, the Del Oro Aero Club and the Placer County Sheriff's Department. 50 years ago May 27, 1976 Services were conducted for Sahie Makimoto, 94, a native of Japan and a resident of the Loomis area for 76 years. He was a retired fruit rancher and a member of the JACL and First United Methodist Church of Loomis. The Loomis Fire Protection District studied a proposal to build a sub-station at Tudsbury and Horseshoe Bar roads. Fire Director Frank Law had concerns such as assurance the men wouldn't resign once the district put a truck out there. Also, the siren would cost about $900. To help with the manpower concern, volunteer firemen were sought who live in the area near the proposed sub-station. Tom Matsuda, Mildred Naylor and Wes Naylor were honored for their dedication to the Del Oro Parents Club, the school and the community. Two Penryn residents were convicted for illegal possession of fighting cocks. Nearly 40 roosters were entered as evidence. The AFS Club at Del Oro will host a farewell party for exchange students Cathy Jacquesson of France and Raouf Megdiche of Tunisia, according to AFS advisor Mrs. Valerie Byers. Cathy was staying with the Jaekel family and Raouf with the Jabusches. In June, Jennifer Reeves leaves for Belgium while Janice Kageta and Becky Nielson were waiting to find out if homes will be available to them. Del Oro students were going to vote for class officers. Kristi Jaekel and Michael Takayama competed for student body president; John Steffans for VP; Julie Pingree, Jill Henry and Barbara Lewis, secretary; Ruth Schroeder, assistant treasurer; and Mike Schmidt, athletic commissioner. Yesteryear by Vivian Rasmussen: The Alta Vista Ranch seemed to have an ideal spot to grow Satsuma mandarins. The 40-acre ranch owned by Dick Cook was a deciduous fruit ranch for many years. He sold the ranch to Rufus Struble in 1918, who then sold it to Harold Struble in 1935. Harold and his wife, Ruth, remodeled the large house, which originally had a carbide system for lighting and cooking. (continued) 75 years ago December 1949 Employed on the Folsom Dam project were 2,700 men. The shoreline of the lake would be 57.8 miles for a total drainage area of 1,875 square miles. One of the largest dams in the US, it should be completed in the summer of 1954. The Woman's Club of Loomis supported a drive for clothing, toys and games for children in Bavaria. With winter just beginning, it would be a splendid Christmas gesture. Mrs. Nellie Boller was in charge of the drive. Playing at the State in Auburn was "Brimstone," starring Walter Brennan and Rod Cameron. Valley quail were plentiful throughout the lower elevations so quail hunters enjoyed good shooting. December's birthstone were turquoise, zircon and lapis lazuli. Ancients believed, as some moderns, that the azure turquoise attracted love and great riches. Brilliant zircons were mined in ancient Indochina and brought honor, wisdom and safe travel. Kings of Babylonia and Assyria presented the lapis lazuli as tribute to Egypt's pharaohs. Not all the "rags-to-riches" stories of California's gold rush days started with a bearded miner in the bed of a creek. One story started with a little redheaded girl who could really dance. Such a girl was Lotta Crabtree. It was on Mill Street in Grass Valley where her parents ran a boarding house for miners that little Lotta used to play. And it was on Mill Street that the world-famous Lola Montez first saw the girl dancing and decided she had real talent. Lola started to give Lotta dancing and singing lessons. After long month of lessons, she placed her student before an audience. (continued) Still standing guard - oral histories: Aki Morimoto Matsuda was born in Placer County in 1926. Her parents, Gnichi and Yoshiko, owned and operated a 45-acre farm in Auburn. On Monday, Dec. 8, 1941, Aki went to school at Placer High School and during an assembly the students listened to President Roosevelt's Day of Infamy speech. After that, Aki's friends started treating her and others of Japanese descent differently. "They had labeled us their enemy." (continued)