Calaveras Enterprise

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Calaveras Enterprise
TypeWeekly newspaper
FounderOscar A. Mellin
PublisherCorissa Davidson
Sports editorGuy Dossi
Staff writersTori James
Lance Armstrong
Jason Currier
Founded1963
LanguageEnglish
Headquarters698 E Saint Charles Street,
San Andreas, CA,
Websitecalaverasenterprise.com

The Calaveras Enterprise is a weekly newspaper in San Andreas, California.

History

[edit]

On September 18, 1963, the first edition of the Calaveras Enterprise was published. Its first editor was Jack E. Kemp.[1] The owner and first publisher was patent attorney Oscar A. Mellin.[2] In 1967, the paper entered talks to merge with the Amador Dispatchbut a deal never materialized.[3]

In 1973, a judge cited the Enterprise for contempt of court for an editorial Mellin wrote suggesting the local court was a "Kangaroo court" after the judge ordered a dog seized for trespassing on his property and brought charges against the owner. The case garnered national attention as it was seen as a battle over the First Amendment.[4][5]

In 1980, lawyer Harold "Hal" J. Truett, who helped establish the Marin County Public Defender's office, retired and joined his father-in-law in running the Enterprise.[6][7] Mellin died a year later.[2]

In 1998, the paper was acquired from Hal and Lois Truett by Calaveras First Corp., a group headed by San Francisco attorney Ralph Alldredge. Co-owner Darrell Philips, formerly of the Manteca Bulletin, was named publisher. At that time the Enterprise was twice-weekly and had a circulation of 5,000.[8]

Alldredge became co-owner of Tank Town Media, which purchased the Tracy Press in 2012.[9] Bruce Kyse was hired as publisher in 2015.[10] At some point Alldredge was elected president of the California News Publishers Association. He died in October 2022.[11] That December, Corissa Davidson, the Enterprise's general manager, bought the paper.[12]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "'Calaveras Enterprise' | New Weekly Paper To Start In Calaveras County Sep 18". Lodi News-Sentinel. September 11, 1963. p. 12.
  2. ^ a b "Obituaries | Oscar A. Mellin". The Sacramento Bee. October 22, 1981. p. 4.
  3. ^ "Merger Talks Under Way For 2 Lode Newspapers". The Record. Stockton, California. February 16, 1967. p. 26.
  4. ^ "A Citation On 'Shaggy Do' Story". Daily Independent Journal. San Rafael, California. January 31, 1973. p. 14.
  5. ^ Sani, Marcus R. (February 28, 1973). "Journalism Student Offers New Facts in Controversial San Andreas Dog Case". Oroville Mercury Register. p. 6.
  6. ^ Leader, Lewis (May 7, 1980). "Public defender quits practice, the grapevine has it". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 124.
  7. ^ Fimrite, Peter (June 11, 2004). "Obituaries | Harold Truett - ex-Marin County public defender". San Francisco Chronicle. p. 26.
  8. ^ Moran, Tim (January 16, 1998). "Philips, others by Calaveras newspaper". The Modesto Bee. p. 29.
  9. ^ "Printing press auctioned, dismantled". Tracy Press. November 23, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  10. ^ "Former NYT digital media executive named Enterprise publisher". Calaveras Enterprise. March 10, 2025. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  11. ^ "In Memoriam: Ralph Alldredge, 79". California News Publishers Association. November 13, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  12. ^ "New owner for Calaveras Enterprise". California News Publishers Association. December 16, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2025.