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I make it a habit of checking out the police blotter or “News of Record” pretty regularly on the Union Democrat. Most of the crimes reported for Tuolumne County tend toward the rather mundane side of news.

Due to the sheer number of empty vacation homes, we usually see more break-ins than most communities. Tuolumne County is experiencing many of the issues that go along with a depressed community, mainly drug addiction and alcohol problems and all that entails.

Mountain Liquors

What you won’t find here are muggings, rapes, murders and certainly not robbery, well at least until Thursday evening, when a lone robber entered the Fashion Bug demanding money from two frightened female employees. [Read the news account of the incident...]

What they failed to mention in the report is that the Fashion Bug is located just three doors down from the local “Community Service Center” (read: Police Station), which is housed in the Junction Shopping Center. Now that takes some big ones. Wouldn’t a smart robber have picked something a little closer to the entrance of the Junction Shopping Center? The Fashion Bug is located way back in the corner, just about as close as you can get to the police center.

Then on Friday, Mountain Liquors, in the Twain Harte Shopping Center, was robbed by what police believe to be the same man. Mountain Liquors was robbed in the same fashion and around the same time of day as the Fashion Bug. [Read the news account of the incident...]

The robber has been described as “a Caucasian male standing six feet two inches tall and weighing 150 pounds. He was wearing blue jeans, a blue or black hoodie sweatshirt, the bandanna and dark wire rim copper colored glasses,” during the Fashion Bug robbery.

Apparently the crook isn’t hurting for clothing. In the Mountain Liquors robbery witnesses said he was wearing a green hoodie sweatshirt and black turtleneck sweater. Police believe this may be the same man that robbed the Lake Ridge Inn last week and the Fashion Bug in the Junction Shopping Center Thursday evening.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office immediately at (209) 533-5815. Your call can remain anonymous.

Apparently, the man isn’t that familiar with Twain Harte, where the police can be found patroling Twain Harte quite frequently — especially on the weekend when vacationers like to let their hair down and party at the local pubs.

‘Tis the season, not for Christmas but for door-to-door salesman. Just today a fast talking young man was dropped off in our neighborhood by a large black SUV, with a slick story about a speech contest he was trying to win that would net him a trip to the Caribbean. He tried to enlist our support — and all we had to do was purchase magazines, so he could earn points for his contest. His attitude took a sharp turn when he found out we weren’t buying.

Late last week, I was tempted with a free carpet cleaning — courtesy of Kirby Vacuum Sales — at least that was the claim by the solicitor. I turned him down as well.

The problem is these are not locals, these people are brought up in large vehicles and dropped off. They could just as easily be casing out your home. With home invansions and crime on the upward rise, letting a stranger into your home could end up costing you more than you want to pay for that “free” shampooing.

Rumors tend to run wild in small communities and Twain Harte is no exception. Those who have their ear to the ground will have heard that the Sierra Mountain Times is changing hands beginning the first of the year.

Shawn and I are excited to hear that our dear friend Tim McCaffrey, son of the proprietors of the elegant McCaffrey House Bed & Breakfast Inn, located at 23251 Highway 108, Twain Harte, CA has purchased the local business. Tim was previously the director of advertising while employed with the Twain Harte Times, the precursor to the Sierra Mountain Times.

Congratulations Tim! The Hall family will look forward to the changes Tim is sure to implement at the Sierra Mountain Times.

Wishing all of you mountain folk a very Merry Christmas. The weather now quite nippy, according to the Dodge Ridge website they are preparing to open up the slopes. They are expecting plenty of snow over the next four or five days. Chances are good they could open up at any time. That’s good news for the Christmas Ski Bunnies.

From all accounts business is good for many local merchants but people are cautious about the coming months and are tightening their belts in anticipation of a further economic downturn. On the other hand, there are some terrific bargains to be had this Christmas season. Shop with care…

One last thing, I almost forgot. A few of the surrounding communitities seem to have developed crime waves as the economy has suffered in recent months. Twain Harte residents and vacationers would do well to keep a watchful eye out, just in case vandals and thieves decide to commit their dastardly deeds in our neighborhood.