Janet Fonseca

Janet Fonseca10/10/2005Janet Fonseca, of Dutch Flat, CA, who founded that town's newspaper, "Community," passed away at age 85 on November 10, 2005.Janet grew up in Belvedere, CA in Marin County. Her father, Stuart Dunbar, served as editor of the San Francisco Chronicle as well as most of San Francisco's major newspapers. Janet maintained that her father insisted that she become a "newspaper man".Janet started her newspaper career when she was 12, by writing a column, "Belvedere News," for the Sausalito paper. When she was in high school, she would often call San Francisco's newspapers to report stories in the Belvedere area. One of her stories, which reported on a Belvedere house fire, made the first page of the San Francisco EXAMINER.After spending many vacations in the Dutch Flat Hotel, the Dunbar family bought a vacation home on Main Street in 1928. Janet claimed she fell in love with the boy next door, Bill Fonseca, when she was 8 years old and pursued him until their marriage in 1992.Janet and Bill had four children,Bill and Pamela who predeceased them and Jack and Toni Fonseca who currently reside in Dutch Flat,CA. Janet and Bill were married for 53 years until his death in 1995.After her marriage to Bill and becoming a full time Placer County resident, she became actively involved in community, county and state causes. She was known as a political activist for her many passions. She was appointed by Governor Ronald Reagan to serve on the State Alcohol Advisory Board and after her son Bill's death, she founded "The Bill Foundation" which raised funds for education, prevention and treatment of teenage alcoholics.While living in Dutch Flat, Janet became a stringer for the Sacramento BEE and the San Francisco CHRONICLE. She worked as a reporter for the Auburn Journal and Editor of the Colfax Record. During the drought in the 1980's she was the Water Conservation Coordinator for the Placer County Water Agency.After her retirement, Janet started the "Community," the Dutch Flat Community Club's newspaper in 1986. She edited and singlehandedly produced the paper for 13 years. The newspaper gained a statewide reputation for providing historic, current and entertaining information.Janet was a founding member of the Dutch Flat Community Club (now the Dutch Flat Community Center) and served for decades on the Dutch Flat Swimming Pool board of directors.Janet and Bill were known for their open door policy to anyone who was in need, and several years ago, appreciative friends erected a monument at the Dutch Flat pool honoring Janet and Bill for their open hearts.Janet is survived by her daughter, her son, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.A memorial service will be held at the Dutch Flat Community Center on November 19, 2005 at 2:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dutch Flat Swimming Pool, with checks made out to the Dutch Flat Community Center, P.O. Box 14, Dutch Flat, CA 95714.