Sacramento – 10th District Assemblymember Alyson Huber said last week she will continue to fight a decision by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation CDCR) to close the historic Preston Youth Correctional Facility in Ione.

Fresh off her successful bid for a second term in office, Huber chaired a Joint Legislative Audit Committee last Thursday in which she looked to compel the CDCR to answer questions about how this decision was made and how they will mitigate impacts of the closure.

Over 100 Amador County citizens traveled to the hearing in buses jointly commissioned by CDCR employee Richard Forster and the Jackson Rancheria.

Should the closure go forward, hundreds of Amador County citizens would be forced to look for work in other areas of the state.

Huber said in an announcement after the hearing that it “provided a narrow glimpse into the Department’s process, but we still have a lot more to uncover.”

“I will continue to ask questions of the Department and look for opportunities for the public to voice their concerns since they weren’t allowed that chance prior to the closure announcement,” she said.

Huber said there were no economic impact reports or other evidence provided to justify the closure. She focused on the high standard of care and low recidivism rates Preston has long been known for, and compared its closure to a school district closing its best school without justification.

Witnesses at the hearing included Drew Soderborg, Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst in the Legislative Analyst’s Office, Scott Kernan, Undersecretary at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Rachael Rios, Chief Deputy Secretary of the Division of Juvenile Justice.

“I want Preston to stay open to help protect the public and keep badly needed jobs in the community, but even if the facility is one day to be slated for closure it has to be after a process that fully involves the community and prevents economic harm to the community,” said Huber.

In an interview last week with the Lodi News –Sentinel about her goals for her second term, Huber said she will “continue to focus on issues that affect the district.” She said she looks forward to discussing solutions with Governor-elect Jerry Brown and the new legislature.

Another community meeting on the planned closure will be annoucned shortly for December.

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Amador County – A long-awaited new business, the Big 5 Sporting Goods opened Thursday to a line of customers eager to shop the new branch of the big chain store in Martell.

Big 5 opened its doors to a line of people waiting, said the store’s manager, Amanda Stowell. She said the store had received phone calls and drop-ins from passersby all week asking when the store would open, as workers made a mad dash to prepare for the opening.

That happened 4 p.m. Thursday, followed by the “official ribbon cutting,” hosted by the Amador County Chamber of Commerce.

Stowell said the store plans a grand opening celebration November 18th at the store, located next to Mountain Mike’s Pizza and Save Mart, in Martell.

The manager said the store carries everything from firearms to recreation, and snow gear. She said footwear is probably their largest department. Several dozen people were still in the store by 5 p.m., shopping, with other visitors constantly flowing into the store.

Stowell said the store has about 25 employees and will be open seven days a week. She said the store is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 to 9 on Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays, during normal season hours. She said the store will have special extended hours for the holidays.

Big 5 District Manager Pat Reddell said the store in Martell will have one of his two best managers in his district, in Stowell. He said the other is Lisa Wilson, who is the manager of the Big 5 store in Sonora. Reddell said his district now includes 11 stores, from Sonora to Sacramento.

Stowell said the Amador Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony was a word-of-mouth event, and the store gave away raffle tickets for prizes. They also gave away goodie bags to the first 50 customers who came, and had refreshments, including sandwiches from Subway.

Big 5 plans to give away more raffle tickets at its Thursday, November 18th grand opening, Reddell said, and the drawings will be made for the raffles on Sunday, December 5th.

Amador County Chamber of Commerce Executive Board President Mark Borchin spread the word about the Chamber’s ribbon cutting this week, and had planned to attend Thursday.

Big 5’s new store is located at 11974 Highway 88, in Martell. For information, call (209) 257-1304. Online, see Big5SportingGoods.com.

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

Amador County – Several hundred people of all ages lined both sides downtown Main Street in Jackson Thursday to help salute the U.S. military on Veterans Day.

About 30 parade floats rode down sunny Main Street in the second annual American Legion Post 108 Veterans Day Parade, under Grand Marshal Tony Mathos, whose wife and assistant in running the parade also walked down the parade route thanking attendees for coming to the mid-morning event.

School children filled the parking lot of the Jackson Firehouse at the corner of Main and California Streets, where they watched the parade start.

Before the parade, Poncho Villa, president of the American Legion Riders Chapter 108, said he was happy to hear and thankful that TSPN would be “taking the time to cover and report on such a special day to honor our veterans.” Villa said: “It makes me feel that my time serving in the Vietnam War will not be forgotten.”

Several local media outlets covered the parade, including TSPN’s co-founder Tom Slivick, who is also a veteran.

Mathos is Past President of the Riders, and is also a member of the Sons of the American Legion, who were some of the parade marchers and riders.

Mathos said the parade was the second annual Veterans Day Parade, with a kind of a footnote. It was the second in a row after about a 24-year hiatus of the parade here in Amador County.

This is his second year as grand marshal of the parade, after helping get it back in action last year with help from American Legion Post 108, main sponsor, whose membership totals about 1,800, including Legionnaires, the Auxiliary, Sons of the American Legion, and the American Legion Riders.

Mathos said they had double the floats and groups over last year’s parade.

Leading the parade was the American Legion Honor Guard, followed by the Legion float, which had high-ranking officials on board, and veterans from World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam and Desert Storm wars.

Also participating were American Legion Ambulances, and fire engines from every brigade in the county.

Parade entrants included the Jackson and Ione police departments, California Highway Patrol, Jackson Fire, Cal Fire, and the Lockwood and Amador fire protection districts.

Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts also marched, as did the Civil Air Patrol, and several car club members, driving old military vehicles. There was an antique fire truck carrying Jackson Mayor Connie Gonsalves and Councilman Keith Sweet; and Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison drove his old squad car in the parade.

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Amador County - The Amador County Public Health Department announced this week that they will hold one more comprehensive flu clinic designed in part to prevent rising rates of whooping cough throughout the state.

Diane Evensen, the department’s health educator, said Tuesday there are currently over 5,900 reported cases of the virus in California, up drastically from 3,834 cases in late September. California is on track to have more cases of whooping cough this year than any other year since 1958.

Also known as pertussis, the last major wave of infections was in 2005 with 25,000 cases reported nationwide and approximately 3,000 cases in California. ¶ There are currently no cases in Amador County.

“Vaccinations are so important for the prevention piece of the puzzle,” said Evensen. “Pertussis is tragically lethal to infants, and the sad thing is it’s completely preventable.”

She said rates are highest in infants under six years of age because their young systems have yet to develop a natural immunity to the virus. Infants typically get three doses of the vaccine but are not fully protected until after 5 months.

Known medically as pertussis, the disease is considered incredibly contagious, affecting close to 90 percent of those exposed to it, says the CDC. Close to 70 percent of infants under age 1 are hospitalized.

The clinic will offer the “Tdap” vaccine booster for tetanus and pertussis. The Tdap is for people 11 years old and older.

Other vaccines available include the FluMist nasal vaccine, intended for healthy people ages 2 through 49 years old. Also available is the flu vaccine for individuals over 6 months of age who are not eligible for a nasal vaccine.

Pneumonia vaccine shots are available for people 50 years old and older with chronic lung disease.

The clinic takes place November 30th at the Health and Human Services Building, 10877 Conductor Boulevard in Sutter Creek. Flu vaccines can also be received at regular immunization clincs held every first, third and fourth Tuesdays. Call 223-6407 for more information.

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Amador County – Winter is fast approaching, and Caltrans and other road agencies are issuing requirements for motorists traveling upcountry.

Chains are required on all vehicles today except 4-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires from Silver Lake in Amador County to 1 mile west of Woodfords in Alpine County.

Chains or snow tires also may be required on vehicles traveling from 1 mile east of Arnold to Cottage Springs in Calaveras County, and from 7 miles east of Long Barn to 7.2 miles east of Strawberry in Tuolumne County.

Another similar requirement may be in place from 7.2 miles east of Strawberry to 26.4 miles east of Strawberry in Tuolumne County. Check with you your local road service agent for more details or to see if these conditions remain in effect.

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Amador County – Sutter Creek will host the 4th Annual Parade of Lights one month from today.

The event takes place on December 11th, but event organizers have already started spreading the word about the entry deadline, set for November 27th. “If you have a long entry, please call me to find out where you need to go before you come to the staging area to make sure there won’t be a problem with your entry turning around,” said Toni Linde, the main organizer behind the event.

The parade is local staple of the holiday season and attracts a loyal following from throughout the region. It typically features floats consisting of trucks and wagons adorned with lights. Last year, there was also a giant sleigh created by Merzlak Signs owner Kam Merzlak, a number of miniature horses pulling children in tiny sleighs, a glowing tractor from the Sutter Gold Mine and a number of horses wrapped in Christmas light collars.

A visitor to last year’s event named Janine Gariglo told TSPN she was surprised by the sense of community generated by the occasion. The event usually shuts down Main Street for most of the evening.

Staging begins at 5:30 pm, but participants are encouraged to come earlier to work on their entries. All entries must have lights on them and people who will walk in the parade. “The more the better,” said Linde. The 4th Annual Sutter Creek Parade of Lights takes place December 11th. The entry deadline is November 27th.

For more information or to make an entry, contact Toni Linde at 256-1750 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Amador County – The Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency (ATCAA) made a presentation to the Jackson City Council Monday night regarding the planned construction of four single family, low-income houses on Argonaut Drive between Sutter Street and the Sierra View Estates subdivision.

The developments construction does not require the approval of the council, but was made in “a show of good faith,” according to councilmember Keith Sweet.

The housing units will provide a transitional living program for up to two years for families with children, according to Beetle Barbour, ATCAA’s Housing Resource Director.

Barbour said in a memo to the council that transitional living programs “provide stabilized housing with support services for families with children, including focused learning and development for households with a history of serious barriers to getting and keeping permanent housing.”

According to Jackson City Manager Mike Daly, ATCAA applied for funding from the State Housing and Community Development Department for funding from the Proposition 1C program. The application was based on the agency’s evaluation of housing needs in the area and the success of similar housing projects in Columbia. As a result, ATCAA was awarded $1 million to move forward with the project.

Daly said the property has been zoned as medium density residential and allows up to four dwellings per unit acre. Approval is not required because of the property size, and only a ministerial building permit is necessary.

No action was taken by the council. A timeline for when the housing would be completed and who will perform the construction is still being established.

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Amador County – The Amador County Chamber of Commerce has reopened its business office in Jackson, with new members, and existing members volunteering to help.

New Chamber of Commerce Executive Board President Mark Borchin said this week the Chamber reopened its office at 571 South Highway 49 in Jackson, and is working to revamp its website.

The Chamber on October 19th received $15,000 in funding from the Amador County Board of Supervisors, from Transient Occupancy Tax funding. Borchin said the Chamber is reorganiz2ing with non-paid and volunteer staff, and he will serve as president through the end of the year.

He said he has asked the Chamber members to commit to a block of hours each month to help with volunteer office staffing, and the chamber also has gotten some new members to join.

The chamber held a couple of events this week, including its mixer Wednesday at the Bank of Amador in Jackson. The chamber also will host a ribbon cutting for the new Big 5 Sporting Goods store today, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Thursday (November 11th) at the new store’s location, at 11974 Highway 88, in Martell. The event is set for 4-6:30 p.m. Thursday. Borchin also plans to appear on TSPN’s noon news.

The former Chamber executive director, Jacqueline Lucido, is being investigated for improper use of a credit card connected to a former Chamber president. That has prompted a reorganization of the Chamber, including letting go of all paid staff, and revamping as a volunteer organization.

Borchin said the Chamber is working to get past the setback, and he plans to remain the board president until the end of the year, then Chamber members can hold a new election.

The Chamber Executive Board currently includes Borchin, owner of the Glass Doctor in Martell as president. Tom Blackman, a local Realtor is the vice president; Sharon Lundgren of Volcano Telephone is secretary and treasure; and Kevin Blasingame, a Jackson physician, is a director.

Supervisors surprised three local non-profit groups on October 19th when they approved $42,000 in Transient Occupancy Tax spending. That included $25,000 to the Amador Council of Tourism, $2,200 to the Amador Film Commission, and $15,000 to the Amador Chamber of Commerce.

The spending was approved with the idea to promote tourism through the groups, who were all given the stipulation to come back to the board to report how funds are being spent.

Supervisors put nearly 50 percent of total TOT funds into tourism, of $86,000 collected from unincorporated areas of the county.

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