Looking Back, Loomis: Anything for a friend, even a kidney

10 years ago Sept. 26, 2013 Michelle Guardino of Loomis donated a kidney to her high school friend Lance Ward of Honolulu. She described Lance as having "a heart of gold" who you might lose touch with but would do anything for - which for Michelle meant donating a kidney. Lance said, "If anyone, it would be Michelle. She's a very loving and giving person." Brent Smith was promoted to director of technical services for the Placer County Water Agency. He and his family moved to Loomis 13 years ago. His wife, Nicole, was a Del Oro High School English teacher. They had four daughters: Brittany, Jourdan, Nicole and Sierra. Brian Hogan, owner of Loomis Self Storage, spent about $18,000 for landscaping along Taylor and Rippey roads. "We were proud we dressed up that corner. We thought it made Loomis look a little better." Unfortunately, landscape thieves stole the more expensive trees and bushes. Willie Nelson, 80, headed up his 28th Farm Aid. The music and food festival took place in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Del Oro High School varsity football team lost 41-3 to national powerhouse De La Salle. Running back Dylan Kainrath said, "They're big, real athletic, and strong. They were the De La Salle of all that talk." For the Del Oro JV team. it was good news as they upset De La Salle 28-21. A Celebration of the Arts at the Flower Farm featured intricate quilts created by Janie Krig. Her quilts will grace the walls of the cafe. Also on hand was Victoria Brooks, an impressionistic painter. Kim Tarabetz of Penryn escaped the flooding of the Big Thompson River in Colorado. It was 8-12 inches of rain in 48 hours that created the flood. Rushing water destroyed two cabins and a lodge at the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch where Kim was staying. She and husband Rob, a Placer County Sheriff's deputy, along with their children Jacob and Ashley, were moved to help the Jessup family, owners of the guest ranch, by setting up a fundraiser to help rebuild. 25 years ago Sept. 24, 1998 Funeral services were held for Suey H. Quong, 73, a retired fruit and poultry rancher in Loomis for over 50 years. A veteran of WWII, he served in the South Pacific with the 1st Cavalry Brigade. Suey was an active member of the American Legion John A. Stacker Post #775. During the Loomis Eggplant Festival, Nancy Morgan's Eggplant Tamale Pie won the People''s Choice Award. Bonnie McKinnis, a Loomis School fifth-grader, won the Most Original award for her eggplant during the Egganapolis 500 event. Jan Clark of Indian Creek Country Club, along with Nancy Bitner, presented the grand prize to Ellen and Jack Derby at the Eggplant Festival golf tournament. Green Tree Studio dancers displaying their talent were Mallory Naake, Lindsey Tooker, Katrina Leupp, Celia Crane, Aubrey Rose and Ashley Smith. Joanne Daly of Loomis was awarded the first place Juror's Award for her oil painting in the Sierra College Student Art Show. A candidate for Loomis Town Council, Russ Kelley was one of those people who believed in being active in the community. He was a member of Paul's Place Association, Placer County Parks Commission, Loomis Basin Heritage Group and leader of many youth group activities. Also running for the town council was Rosemary Johnson. She pursued a career in health care for over 14 years. A service-oriented business owner, she provided current and vital medical information during 911 calls. Over the years, her home was a haven for children in need, providing access to professional help when called upon. Cal Ripken, the Baltimore Orioles third baseman, sat out in the game against the New York Yankees. That was a significant event because during the game prior, Cal broke Lou Gehrig's seemingly unbeatable record of 2,130 straight outings. Cal played in 2,632 games before sitting out. 50 years ago Sept. 20, 1973 Elton Paulson of Rocklin, Calvin English of Newcastle and Wes Hanson of Loomis were injured in a three-car crash. Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Phillip Owens, son of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Owens of Penryn, was deployed in the Pacific with Patrol Squadron 46. The squadron conducted anti-submarine operations, ocean shipping surveillance and search and rescue missions. The First United Methodist Church of Loomis was participating in the Heifer Project, Inc., an interdenominational Christian agency providing livestock donated by churches to families and villages in overseas countries. Dr. Steve Barooshian shared his thoughts on "What Price Freedom" at the Auburn Library. He was an outstanding speaker and a stimulating and provocative teacher at Placer High School and Sierra College. Steve spent last year as a volunteer teacher in Lebanon. US Senator Daniel Inouye shared his insights about Watergate as a guest speaker at Sierra College. Connie Mickelson of Auburn skipped up and down 81 steps as she worked at the Mount Howell Lookout to scan for signs of fire. She admitted she had problems initially with the smoke from Southern Pacific engines. Military aid going to South Vietnam was reduced from $2.2 billi0n to $1.1 billion. Many now doubt whether South Vietnam could survive without massive American aid. A brief history Loomis was offered by Vivian Rasmussen. This beautiful wooded section of the country was the hunting grounds for the Maidu tribe. They lived off the land with its abundance of wild game in the woods, the fish in the streams and the acorns from the oak trees along with berries and pine nuts. The Gold Rush in 1848 brought miners from all over the country, making life difficult for the Native Americans. In this section, the first big strikes were along the American River at Horseshoe Bar and other bars along the river. 75 years ago February 1948 After arriving at the post office in Loomis for work, Mrs. Lena Dias learned her home was destroyed by fire. Marvin Coburn, her nephew, was staying with her, and he also lost all of his things. The Woman's Club surprised Lena with a shower and presented her with useful gifts along with a purse of money. Mr. and Mrs. George Gatt sold their store and meat market in Loomis the week of Feb. 29. The family had been here since 1920, building up a thriving meat and grocery business. Boy Scout Troop 13 of Newcastle was presented a charter to become the latest addition to the scouting family of the Tahoe Area Council. The troop was sponsored by the Newcastle Methodist Church. S&H green stamps were offered at many local businesses, including Al Doll's Chevron Station on Highway 40 and Lincoln Road. A fundraising auction will be held to support Boy Scout Troop 12 of Loomis. Les Call, auctioneer of the Saturday auction in Roseville, was donating his services. Placer County dairy herds averaged 25 pounds of butterfat per cow. The two high herds were owned by C.M. Pomeroy of Lincoln and Francis Dobbas of Newcastle. The Loomis Woman's Clubhouse was the scene of a Malay Wedding Feast. The rooms were decorated in bamboo and the tables festooned with magnolia, seaweed and fruits. Grace Fieser, Agnes Longley, Lavina Pilliard, Lorena Laird, Bess Logerwell, Beulah Nelthorpe, Nellie Boller, Dorothy Day and Beth Stokes helped make it a fun time. All local pear and peach growers were requested to attend the California Tree Fruit Agreement meeting. Playing at the State in Auburn was "Fun and Fancy Free" starring Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Edgar Bergen, Mortimer Sneed, Jiminy Cricket and Dinah Shore.