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ADIEU, LA BELLE SANDS — Well over 200 people, mostly local oldtimers, showed up in the Old Auburn District Cemetery on this past sunswept Monday to bid farewell to Anne Elsie Sands, who died October 18 after a long and heroic battle against cancer — and to extend their sympathy to her husband of 55 years, Harry Sands, and their kids, Senior Deputy DA Tim Sands and USAF Lt. Col. Claudia Sands, as well as their spouses, Colleen Sands and USN Cmdr. Kevin McCarthy, and let’s not forget Claudia’s and Kevin’s cute sons Brendan and Michael Patrick McCarthy. Anne’s also survived by siblings Lillian Pierce, Robert Kovach and Tony Kovach, all of Oregon, and a sister-in-law Alalee Kennon of North Carolina. For the benefit of you latecomers, Anne — Annie to her pals — and Harry Sands owned and operated the Chapel of the Hills in Auburn and Sands Foothill Chapel in Loomis from 1955 to 1988. They handled the final needs of thousands of locals with class and dignity and even humor when the occasion needed some. Annie herself was a registered nurse in Auburn when she met and fell for Harry, who’d come home from service in World War II, attended mortuary science college on the GI Bill and was working as an apprentice undertaker in the early ’50s.
Father Ron Brennan, the retired pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church,
spoke softly and eloquently of those days during his graveside eulogy
Monday afternoon. He spoke of Annie’s vocations — as a nurse and as a
wife and mother. Before Father Brennan did the honors, the Catholic
liturgy service was led by another longtime family friend, Father Tom
Relihan. Tim Sands spoke on behalf of the family and reminded one and
all that refreshments were awaiting them at Ty Rowe’s Bootleggers Old
Town Tavern and Grill in Auburn. And oh yes, the sendoff was splendidly
directed by Brian Hoke and his swell staff from, you guessed it, the
Chapel of the Hills....I didn’t take notes at the sendoff but I do
remember the names of some of the Annie Sands fans who were there —
Irene Yamasaki, Rudy Wagner, Gordon Seck, Jane Cameron, Kay McCreary,
Cheryl Maki, Annabell McCord, Kathy Sands, Mike Holmes, Jim Dougherty,
Jim Carlisle, Bill Wilson, Kevin P. Eckard, Laurie Cassidy, Dorothy
Fujii, Mae Ebara, Carol Taylor, Jerry and Betty Patton, Ralph Roper,
Dwight Odom, Tom Jones, Bill Briner, Judges Gene Gini and Jeff Penney,
Gene Scott, Hal Bonner, Brad R. Fenocchio, Jackie and Byron Van Metre,
Scott Owens, Tom Beatty, Jerry Burns...at this point I’m fading, so
over and out and back to walking Rufus the Jack Russell Terrorist. * * * CITY BEAT — A tip of the derby is due Andy Heath, the bright lad whom
City Manager Bob Richardson stole from the City of San Jose a few years
ago. A prestigious outfit called the Government Finance Officers’
Association of the United States and Canada just awarded the City of
Auburn a certificate of achievement for the work Heath and his super
staff did in putting together the city’s comprehensive annual report
for 2005-06...The city council routinely approved a new contract with
the Auburn Police Officers’ Association this week. The pact runs from
July 1 of this year through June 30 of 2010 and includes a 3 percent
COLA raise for this fiscal year with 3 percent hikes to start July 1 of
next year and July 1 of 2009. There also are some things like
classification survey/equity adjustments, night shift premiums,
premiums for advanced police training, and a 5 percent incentive for
cops to obtain college bachelor’s degrees. The contract covers only
police officers and sergeants. The new annual salary range for POs is
$46,000-$53,000 and for sergeants it’s $54,000-$65,000....In a somewhat
related matter, top city officials are said to be exploring the
possibility of setting up a revolving fund from which to lend cops and
maybe even school teachers enough down payment money for the chance of
buying homes in Auburn, where the cost of housing is so atrociously
high that folks like the aforementioned are obliged to live outside the
city. A good idea and I hope something comes of it. * * *
POLITICAL POTPOURRI — The last time we heard from Margie Spalding was
during the well-intended but failed move to unify school districts. Now
comes a press release from Margie with news that anyone interested in
forming a new Placer County League of Women Voters should plan on
attending a meeting next Tuesday the 30th at Unity of Auburn at 1212
High Street in Auburn, starting at 6:30 p.m. Writes Margie: “The League
of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization of women and men whose
purpose is to encourage the informed and active participation of
citizens in government and to influence public policy through education
and advocacy.” Call Margie at (530) 823-0252. (I can recall when the
League of Women Voters had a very busy chapter in Placer County and
I’ve often wondered whatever became of it.)...We’re taking a closer
look at the proposed merger of the Ophir and Loomis school districts
that voters in those two baliwicks will decide on November 6 and hope
to have more information in the next edition...From Rocklin’s William
Jessup University comes word that its 3rd annual fundraising dinner on
November 10 will have as its theme “An Evening with the Press,” the
meaning of which escapes me since the guest of honor will be Bill
Halldin, a Roseville-based p.r. executive. The flyer promoting the
$25-per-couple event features a photo of Tim Leslie in a tux and a
non-tuxed gent who might be Bill Halldin. In any case, if you’re
interested, call (916) 577-1800 for more information. * * * DOOLITTLE DRIPPINGS — If you’re really into this Doolittle thing, plan
on attending the Placer County Republican Central Committee’s gala crab
feed in the Rocklin Community Center this Friday the 26th, starting at
6:30 p.m. It should be quite a scene if the embattled congressman shows
up and goes face-to-face with some or all of his announced or would-be
June 2008 primary election opponents — gents like Auburn’s Mike Holmes,
who’s in for the whole nine yards, and rookie Assemblyman Ted Gaines,
who’s “thinking” of running. Why, maybe even Eric Egland, who’s already
declared his candidacy and is raising campaign moolah, will be on hand.
The central committee did Gaines a big favor two weeks ago when it gave
Bruce Kranz’s proposed resolution to censure him the Deep Six. John
Doolittle attended last month’s PCWA 50th anniversary party but Gaines
ducked it and instead sent an aide, a move that set off rumbles that
he’s gunshy about facing the guy whose connections got him elected
twice to the Placer County Board of Supervisors and, just a year ago,
to the Legislature’s lower house. Tickets to the GOP affair are $50 and
can be reserved by phoning Lynn Kyme at (916) 791-2640... Regular
readers of this column know that I scan a lot of news outlets and
usually attribute the sources from which I gather stuff that interests
me. Today I’m acknowledging the Sacramento Bee (again) for its October
21 report on the turmoil in Placer County Republican circles over the
overt and even covert moves to force Doolittle’s retirement despite the
fact that federal corruption investigators have NEVER charged him with
a crime. As far as I’m concerned, while I personally hold JTD in
disrespect for his harsh and at least one-time illegal campaign tactics
in past years, the guy is innocent until proven guilty. Doolittle keeps
insisting that he and his wife Julie have not broken any laws. So for
him not to seek a 10th term in the House next year would be tantamount
to surrendering to the Republican wiseguys who want him out while
suggesting that all things considered, he’d done something wrong. I
never thought I’d say this but, Hang in there, John! Tell those feds to
charge you with something or get off your back and announce to the
world — well, to the 4th CD in California at least — that their
three-year investigation has netted nothing and that you’re in the
clear! Subscribe to the Sentinel and receive this weekly newspaper (the only general circulation newspaper in the area that is locally owned and operated) delivered right to your mailbox. Call the Sentinel at 530-823-2463 for more information.
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