Come for the Music

The Coloma-Lotus Valley is home to many musicians and music lovers. Music fills the air in a myriad of venues, from simple gatherings at private homes to venues at many of the local restaurants. In particular, look for great music of all kinds — typically on summer weekends — at the Sierra Nevada House, Marco's, River Shack, Gringo's and the Coloma Club.

Three times a year, the valley hosts musical events that draw folks from all over the state. Saturday, June 5th, it's Coloma Blues Live! Don't miss this all-day blues festival, staged along the shore of the American River at Henningsen Lotus Park. This year's star-studded lineup includes the Robert Cray Band, Charlie Musselwhite, Coco Montoya, The Laurie Morvan Band and Shane Dwight. Tickets are $45 in advance and $55 at the gate. Net proceeds benefit the El Dorado Arts Council (EDAC) which is a non-profit organization that enriches and educates the community in all of the arts. For more information, call the EDAC office at (530) 295- 3496, or visit www.colomablueslive.com.

In August, learn to nurture the musician & songwriter within you with professional instruction and guidance hosted by Joe Craven and other fine Northern California musicians at the American River Acoustic Music Camp. Located on the river at the beautiful American River Resort, the camp runs from August 1st to the 5th, 2010. For more information, call (530) 333-1018 or visit www.americanriverfolk.org.

September 17-19, 2010, all the stops are pulled out for the 4th Annual American River Music Festival, which features acoustic, Americana, folk & blues. It is primarily staged along the river at Henningsen-Lotus Park, with support from several valley campgrounds. This year's performers include Jesse Winchester, Slaid Cleaves, Karla Bonoff with Kenny Edwards & Nina Gerber, Handful of Luvin, Mike Beck & the Bohemian Saints, Ann Weiss & David Jacobs-Strain, California Honeydrops, Walter Strauss Trio, Berkely Hart, Leroy Bell & His Only Friends, Forest Sun, Dana Hubbard, Garrin Benfield, Johnny Mojo and more! Celebrate music and moving water with live performances, workshops, kids activities, art, vendors, food, and wine tasting. Several different ticket packages are available. www.americanrivermusic.org.

Go Locol Bike Rental Program

This summer, residents of the Coloma- Lotus valley should start looking for a fleet of shiny, baby-blue bicycles in town and along Highway 49. The bikes are part of a new program by the local community group Go Locol, which aims to make Coloma/Lotus a more ecologically and economically sustainable place to live.

For over a year now, the group has been collecting used bikes from donors, thrift stores, Freecycle, and Craigslist, and giving them makeovers. After replacing rusty chains and flat tires, and fixing their brakes and gears, Go Locol volunteers paint the bikes a charming shade of baby blue and give them personalized license plates with names like Don Juan and Winifred.

The low cost bike program will officially begin in May as a way for both permanent and seasonal (a.k.a. river guides) residents to buy/rent a bike. Here's how it works: Purchase the bike for $30. When you’re done with it, sell it back to Go Locol for $20. Essentially, you get a bike for as long as you need it for $10.

Go Locol hopes that this program will encourage more local people in our area to ride bikes, and provide affordable, green transportation for river guides who might have to abandon their bikes at the end of the rafting season anyway. Currently there are 15 bikes ready for use, and Go Locol is requesting donations of gently used bikes to add to the fleet. For more information on the bike program or to donate a bike please contact Deanna Lloyd at deannalloyd81@yahoo.com.

&mdash Emily Underwood

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park Threatened with Closure

Due to California state budget shortfalls, our much loved Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park (MGDSHP) has found its way to the state closure list. According to Scott Nakaji, superintendent of the Park Department's Gold Fields District, the park will likely close for at least two years, unless other funding sources are found.

Every year 70,000 school children visit this park to learn about the discovery of gold that led to the 1849 Gold Rush, which resulted in one of the the greatest mass migrations in history. They learn about its effects, both positive and negative, on history, economics, environment, native peoples and culture. Closing the park would cut off this education resource.

Information obtained from Gary Lyons, Marshall Sector Superintendent, puts operational costs for July 2008 through June 2009 at around $729,000, with wages and benefits about 87% of the total cost of operations. Income for the same period was $174,757. The resulting deficient is $554,243. However, it should be pointed out that, even if that is the projected deficit, it does not represent what the state will "save"should the park close. Best guess projections would put operating costs of while in closure status at about $200,000. The resulting deficit — or money "saved" would only be about $350,000/annually — a very small amount given the actual state budget.

Since the publication of pending closure, multiple meetings with park officials and Supervisor Briggs have been held, and a two prong strategy developed. One prong focuses on letter writing campaigns, media attention, with a primary focus on getting the schools and school children that visit the park each year involved. This effort is being spearheaded by Lois Fortress and the Gold Discovery Park Association (GDPA).

The second prong involves the financial aspect, and looks at economic impact to the community, solutions to the deficit, and potential partnerships. The Coloma Lotus Chamber of Commerce (CLCC), Marjorie Sanborn, Chamber President, is leading this endeavor.

Not only is the issue of closure an emotional one — the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill precipitated the Gold Rush and is one California's most defining events — it is an issue of public safety. With MSDSHP divided by Hwy 49, it will be virtually impossible to "close" the park. Visitors will continue to stop, and without monitoring and supervision, the potential safety risk and probable continued deterioration of the park is certainly foreseeable.

What You Can Do

Join in our letter writing campaign, and attend public meetings, the details of which can be found at www.keepsuttersmillopen.org. If you are a local business, when you receive your survey about the potential economic impact to your business, complete it. If you are a Facebook member, please join our cause and share the word with your friends.

Updates

The decision(s) about park closures are expected to be made by Labor Day. Even if the park remains on the list, the battle will not be over. We will continue our campaign, and will continue to develop an economic plan that makes long-term sense.

If you are a Chamber member, you will get email updates. Additionally, if you would like to participate in our Economic Impact sub-committee, please contact the Coloma-Lotus Chamber, or call Marjorie at (541) 622-6919.

The Water is Flowing and Your Shuttle Awaits!

If you are ready for some fun whitewater rafting or kayaking, come to Coloma. The South Fork American River has guaranteed flows most days out of the week, and the Middle and North Forks are great options too! We have many outfitters equipped to take you and your group on a rafting trip that is right for you, from gentle to wild. See our Whitewater Rafting Directory for a list of licensed and experienced whitewater outfitters.

This is also a great place to learn and build whitewater kayak skills, and you can choose from several kayak schools in the area.

Even better, the River Store Shuttle is running for its second season. Leave the headaches behind and spend all your energy riding the river, not the roads!

Enjoy lots of fun on the water at the American River Festival September 11-13. It's a good time for kids and families as well as whitewater playboaters and slalom racing competitors. The weekend also offers great music, food, and a chance to check out all the latest gear. Come to Coloma-Lotus and enjoy!

p.s. Thanks to Hotshot Imaging for letting us use another of their great American River rafting photos!

History is Alive in Coloma

Coloma's characters from the past come to life this summer! On the 3rd Saturday of each month, May through September, come into the historic past through the new Summer Performance Series at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma. Meet some of the colorful and diverse people who set the stage for the powerful and tumultuous history of California. 

On May 16th, Rex Ruth portrays Captain John Charles Fremont. He takes you through his military career with passionate stories of the man who organized the first California Volunteer Militia, became one of the State's first Senators, and was appointed Major General in the Union Army during the Civil War. The Cemetery Players bring to life the stories of those who lived, died, and are buried in the cemeteries of Coloma on June 20th. John Sutter, Sam Brannan, and James Marshall share stories on July 18th around an evening bonfire. Kimberly ShiningStar will be at the Grinding Stone on August 15 with Native American history and storytelling. A grand finale September 19 brings characters from the previous performances together for visitors enjoyment. Signs will be posted in the park for the exact location of each performance.

Each event is from 7:30 to 9:00 pm with free parking beginning at 7:00 pm. Tickets may be purchased the evening of the performance or in advance at the Gold Rush Mercantile in the park. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under. Please provide your own seating—bring a blanket or lawn chair and pick your spot.

The Gold Discovery Park Association sponsors this event series and all money raised goes to support the educational and interpretive programs in Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. For more information visit the GDPA website, call (530) 622-6198, or email gdpa@marshallgold.org. Come join us in the park, have fun, and help keep Coloma's Gold Rush history alive.

South Fork American River Trail Nears Completion

Imagine being able to travel on foot, bicycle or horse from the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area all the way to the rural beauty of the South Fork American River in the Coloma-Lotus Valley. Imagine doing so on a trail dedicated to recreation and the enjoyment of oak woodlands, conifer, chaparral, and the riverside.

That long-held hope is now on its way to being a reality. The final land parcel that completes the 20-mile route (see a PDF map) was sold by a couple who decided to protect its natural habitat for the public to enjoy. Funds that purchased it were provided by the State Wildlife Conservation Board, the State Resources Agency's River Parkways Grant Program, and over 400 private donors. All this, plus the work that had been done on the rest of the trail route, was coordinated by the American River Conservancy (ARC).

The 20-mile trail has been 20 years in the making. Its completion is a source of great excitement for those who have been hoping and working for it since 1989, as well as the many who have come along since then and enjoy the prospect of traveling so far in the richness of nature in their own back yards.

Funds are still needed to bring the trail into reality. The ARC estimates it will cost $175K to complete trail construction and provide a few pedestrian bridges at stream crossings and interpretive signage at the trailheads. The official ribbon cutting is planned for the late spring of 2010. Contributions to the South Fork American River Trail Campaign can be sent to: The American River Conservancy, P.O. Box 562, Coloma, CA. 95613. For further information regarding trail project donations, please contact: David Morrill, ARC Marketing and Development Director at (530) 621-1224.

The completion of the South Fork American River Trail brings an even greater dream closer to reality. With regional coordination, it could become a key segment within a larger regional trail that would span the approximately 50 miles from downtown Sacramento (Sutter’s Fort) to Coloma (Sutter’s Mill). Parcel by parcel, this dream is moving to reality.

January 24: Gold Discovery Day

The 161st anniversary of James Marshall’s momentous discovery of gold in the tailrace of Sutter’s Mill will be celebrated on Saturday, January 24, 2009, from 10 am to 4 pm at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, Highway 49, in Coloma.

The day features a gold discovery re-enactment along the American River, at the very site where James Marshall found gold in 1848. The event will have mill carpenter demonstrations at the saw mill, gold panning, cooking, blacksmithing and Gold Rush period music and entertainment. Gold Rush authors will introduce their writings and sign publications at the museum store. In addition to the Gold Discovery festivities, the museum and visitor center will open at 10 AM.

What's it all about? It's an event that changed the world. It started as a piece of ambitious business: in 1847, John Sutter asked James Marshall to build a sawmill along the banks of the American River. Sutter needed lumber for his expanding agricultural enterprises in California’s Sacramento Valley and Marshall, a carpenter, was looking for a job. Marshall and Sutter chose Coloma as the site for the sawmill. It provided a rushing river for power and a forest of pines for lumber. As the sawmill neared completion in January 1848, it became clear that the tailrace, where the water leaves the mill, needed to be deepened. Marshall’s solution was to use the force of the water itself to scour out a deeper channel.

Then came the extraordinary moment. On the morning of January 24, 1848, James Marshall was standing in a shallow pool of water in the tailrace when he noticed a glimmering rock the size of his fingernail. “Hey boys,” he called out to the workmen around him, “by God, I believe I’ve found a gold mine.” It was a moment that was to change the course of history. It was the start of the California Gold Rush -- with all its excitement, pains, and hopes.

Enjoy this special commemorative day, visit the park that features a Miwok Bark House and a Chinese Store, and see park volunteers and docents in period dress bring the gold discovery to life. Parking on this special day is $7 per car. For more information call (530) 622-3470 or (530) 295-2162.

And do come back -- visitors are welcome to visit Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, and enjoy the river, all year round. The Park is open from 8 am to 5 pm, and the Museum is open from 10am to 3pm seven days a week, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. The Park is located on Hwy 49, between Placerville and Auburn, about 1 hour east of Sacramento. The event is sponsored by the Gold Discovery Park Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the interpretation and conservation of Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park.