Amador County – Donations of gravel, time, trucking and labor helped prepare Kennedy Gold Mine for its 2011 tour season Friday in Jackson.

Members of the Kennedy Mine Foundation board of directors put their hands to about 40 tons of gravel with the help of local donations, as they prepared the entry road to the mine for another season of surface mine tours at the Historic Kennedy Gold Mine.

Supervisor Chairman John Plasse, and Bill Braun of the Kennedy Mine Foundation, brought their tractors to help spread the gravel along the 2,000 feet of winding driveway road that leads into the mine. Supervisor Brian Oneto helped arrange the donation of the gravel by George Reed, from his Jackson Valley Quarry.

The gravel was brought to the Kennedy Mine by dump trucks donating their services. They included Merv Vicini of Amador Mechanical, who brought a truck and trailer load in the morning. Rick Vance of Vance Trucking also donated a truck and trailer load, which he delivered in the afternoon.

Plasse was working through the day with Braun to spread the gravel on the road, which spans about 2,000 feet from the Highway 49/88 entry gates to the base of the Kennedy Mine head frame. Braun said the above ground mine tours opened the previous weekend. The season starts at the beginning of March and runs through to the end of September. The mine tours are open Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., for guided, or self-guided tours.

Braun said the foundation already has booked about 900 kids for school tours through June. Last year, kids’ tours were taken by 1,100 children, and the overall total number of visitors was a little over 1,800 people. Braun said: “Last year and the year before has been good for us,” and they hoped for another busy year of mine tours through this season.

The Foundation website said the Kennedy Gold Mine is a non-profit, volunteer historical landmark, giving school tours with historically accurate, educational and fun experience for students of all ages and grades. “The tours are aligned with California State History Standards for grades four and five, but tours are suitable for all grades and ages, including youth groups, special needs, high school, home school and college students.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.