Articles related to Calaveras County in “California History,” the scholarly magazine of the California Historical Society published quarterly since 1922, are rare. But the lead essay in Volume 85, Number 4, available this month, not only partly concerns West Calaveras but was written by local author Sal Manna, President and Founder of the Society for the Preservation of West Calaveras History, and monthly "Something From Nothing" columnist for the Valley Springs News.

Calaveras County author Sal Manna will autograph his new book, “The King of Sting: The Amazing True Story of a Modern American Outlaw,” a true crime biography penned with its subject, Craig Glazer, on Friday, August 1, from 5-7 p.m. at the Ice Cream Depot in the Historic Valley Springs Train Depot (corner of Hwys. 12 and 26). Recently #1 in True Crime Biographies on Amazon.com, the book has been called “a high-flying, adrenaline-filled story” by the American Library Association. The nationally published hardcover may be purchased from the co-author at the signing for $24.95.

The Society for the Preservation of West Calaveras History thanks everyone who helped make the inaugural Valley Springs Train Times such a tremendous success, including all of our vendors, and especially Mike and LeAnn Jurek, Dave Valladao, Linda Belli, Valley Springs Area Business Association, Valley Springs News, Sheng Chi Kung Fu, Toy Train Operating Society, Recreational Railroad Coalition, E Clampus Vitus, The Train Gang, Never The Same, Patricia Jackson & Jason Smith, The Paul Wood Express and Joe Doris, Calaveras Gunfighters, Glenn Wasson, Bill Renwick, Bill Claudino, Russ Thomas, Dann

The 21st Annual La Contenta Pro-Am Golf Tournament benefiting the Calaveras Community Foundation (CCF) will be a Cinco de Mayo celebration this year. The always popular event, which features a prize purse of $4,000 for pro golfers and more than $2,000 for amateur players, will take place on Monday, May 5, at the Valley Springs golf course. The tournament’s proceeds aid the work of the nonprofit CCF, the only countywide philanthropic organization serving residents from children to seniors in areas from health and education to the arts.

One hundred and twenty-three years and one day after the first train of the San Joaquin & Sierra Nevada Railroad pulled into Valley Springs, the town will celebrate that event with a rededication of its historic train depot, a huge model railroad layout, and more. The Valley Springs Train Times event at the intersection of Highways 12 and 26, on Saturday, April 26, 2008, free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., is sponsored by the Society for the Preservation of West Calaveras History (SPWCH), the Valley Springs Area Business Association and the Historic Valley Springs Train Depot.

ANGELS CAMP, CA -- September 19, 2007 -- The Calaveras Community Foundation (CCF) focused on youth with its first set of 2007 grants, announced today by Board President Susan Crosson. The Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program, Calaveras Children’s Dental Project, Mountain Ranch Community School and Calaveras High Band Boosters were each granted their full funding requests.

Judith Marvin, Julia Costello and Sal Manna have written the "Northern Calaveras County" volume in the Images of America series for Arcadia Publishing, released August 27, 2007. The book is filled with some 200 vintage photographs spanning Burson, Wallace, Valley Springs, Jenny Lind, Campo Seco, Paloma, San Andreas, Mokelumne Hill, Mountain Ranch, West Point, Rail Road Flat, and more. To obtain a copy, please send $23.95 (includes sales tax and shipping) to the Society for the Preservation of West Calaveras History (SPWCH), PO Box 714, Burson, CA 95225.

CALAVERAS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
CALLS FOR GRANT PROPOSALS FROM NONPROFIT GROUPS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
ANGELS CAMP -- June 20, 2007 -- The only philanthropic organization serving residents from all parts of the county by funding a wide range of projects from education and health to the arts and history, the Calaveras Community Foundation (CCF) announced today that 2007 grant proposals from nonprofit groups and other community organizations may be submitted beginning June 20. The deadline for submissions is September 1. Grant recipients will be announced beginning September 17.

The only eyewitness account ever written of Black Bart’s last holdup will be revealed and recreated for the public for the first time at “Who Really Shot Black Bart: The Untold Story,” presented at 6 p.m., Thursday, May 24, at The Metropolitan (59 Main St.) in San Andreas by the Calaveras County Historical Society.

The Society for the Preservation of West Calaveras History will present the first-ever exhibition of photographs of the San Joaquin & Sierra Nevada Railroad not only in the last remaining depot of that rail line in Valley Springs but also on the 122nd anniversary of its first train pulling into town. The exhibition will be unveiled on Wednesday, April 25, at a mixer sponsored by the Valley Springs Area Business Association which will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m at The Ice Cream Depot (25 Highway 12/California St.).