Tom
Tuesday, 10 August 2010 06:29
Ione Reports Mountain Lion Sightings Near Junior High
Amador County – The Ione Police Department this week announced that there have been confirmed sightings of mountain lions in Ione city limits, and warned people to beware of the big cats, especially at night. Ione Police Sergeant Rocky Harpham in a release Friday said that 2 or 3 mountain lions had been seen around Depot Road and West Marlette Street in Ione. Harpham said: “Recently the city of Ione has seen an increase in mountain lion sightings within the city limits.” He said sightings occurred on Saturday, July 31st, and again on Thursday, August 5th. The “mountain lions were seen along the back fence of the residences at the end of Depot Road, off West Marlette Street,” Harpham said. The “area is where the train tracks run and is immediately adjacent to Ione Junior High School.” Residents on Depot Road said “the lions appear to be targeting their horses, which are pastured there.” On one night there were two cats and on the other there were three. Harpham said “it appears to be a mother with cubs.” Ione police officers also saw the lions on the night of July 31st. IPD has notified the California Department of Fish and Game and Amador County Animal Control about the incidents. Harpham said the Ione police is concerned for the safety of citizens in the community and their livestock. He said the IPD “would like to warn parents against allowing their children to use the railroad tracks as a means of a shortcut, especially with school starting soon.” He said they “would also like to warn citizens to not walk in the area alone, especially after dark.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Tuesday, 10 August 2010 06:27
AWA's GSL Approved for $5M USDA Grant, $8M Loan
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors received notification that it has been approved for a $5 million USDA loan and a grant for another $8 million toward building a “gravity supply” pipeline to serve central Amador County customers. The board in a 3-2 vote last Tuesday authorized its general manager to sign two documents that would acknowledge the grant and loan (but not obligate the agency) pending the agency’s adherence to a list of conditions and final acceptance. General Manager Gene Mancebo signed and sent the two documents to the USDA later that Tuesday. Mancebo, in an e-mail to the board and department heads July 30th, said the “USDA approved our application for the (Gravity Supply Line) in the amounts of a $5.07 million and an $8.33 million loan” at not greater than 3.25 percent. Finance Manager Mike Lee said Monday that the grant and loan were exactly the amounts staff expected. The agency must now set about meeting a list of conditions to qualify for the funding. Lee said the conditions are similar to those required with other USDA-funded projects, including the Plymouth and Amador Transmission pipelines. He said staff felt that the conditions largely could be met in three months if they do not run into problems, such as with right-of-way acquisition. Engineering for the project is more than 90 percent complete, Lee said, and part of the nearly $1 million in “sunk costs” for which the AWA would be reimbursed if the spending of USDA funds is approved. Mancebo requested that the matter be placed on last week’s special meeting agenda, saying that he had learned of the approval on July 29th and the agency was being asked to sign the two form documents. One is a “request for the USDA to obligate the funds” and the other indicates the “agency’s intent to meet the letter of conditions,” Mancebo said. “The water agency would have one year to meet funding conditions and may during that period conclude whether or not conditions can be met.” Mancebo said Frank Risso, USDA community program coordinator, told him that the documents do not commit the agency to accept the funding. The 3-2 approval included Directors Terence Moore, Gary Thomas and Don Cooper in favor of the actions, with President Bill Condrashoff and Vice President Debbie Dunn dissenting. The board in the same 3-2 vote in March approved the environmental documents for the Gravity Supply Line project, which would be the new water supply conveyance system for the Central Amador Water Project service area. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Water
Tuesday, 10 August 2010 06:24
Historical Society Leads Inspection of Amador Museum
Amador County – Jackson historians set about getting a second opinion on the structural status of the Amador County Museum Monday, with the hope of reopening the old building. Jackson Councilman Keith Sweet and Planning Commissioner Dave Butow joined Larry Cenotto, president of the Amador County Historical Society, and former museum Curator Georgia Fox to lead an assessment tour of the building, looking for a second opinion on upgrades needed for the facility. Fox said the museum has items that took decades to gather, but it was unfortunate they could not be seen by the public. Sweet agreed, saying that history and museums are a major draw for tourists to the Mother Lode, and to Jackson in particular. Sweet said that at a recent Jackson Farmers Market, three people who approached him asked him how to find the museum. He said they could look around the outside, but the interior of the museum has been closed to the public for two years, while the Historical Society and the county have sought to make the building both accessible to the disabled and safe for inhabiting. Fox said the tour by a civil engineer and a construction contractor on Monday was to “get a second opinion, like you do from a doctor.” The museum, a relic of a building itself, has been shuttered since its roof began leaking. It was fixed, but at a cost that was triple the original estimate. Fox said the $400,000 final cost led to the Historical Society looking for a second opinion for the remaining structural integrity issues of the building. Cenotto, longtime Amador County Archivist, said the Historical Society has a signed contract with Amador County to work on getting the museum’s scale model of the Kennedy Mine open to the public. Cenotto said the contract includes “preliminary plans on what we need to do to be ADA compliant,” and managing the grounds of the museum. Two Nevada business representatives on Monday toured the museum to work on a free estimate for repairs. Paul Ferrari, president of Ferrari Shields & Associates Engineering (of Reno), toured the museum with Lee Johnson, of Reyman Construction, located in Sparks, Nevada. Lee said one place to start would be to install exterior French drains around the museum in order to divert water from the building’s foundation. Lee and Ferrari also looked at the old county courthouse and Kennedy Mine Wheel Number 4, which Sweet said is getting to be in bad shape. The Nevada companies have previously worked on restoring a tailing wheel at the Kennedy Mine. The pair planned to inspect the museum and purported structural weaknesses. The Reyman firm is noted for its preservation work at the Stanford Mansion in Sacramento. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 09 August 2010 06:23
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alan Sprenkel 8-9-10
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Monday, 09 August 2010 06:08
Fist Fight Breaks Out on Main St. Jackson
Amador County – The Jackson Police Department confirmed Thursday that a bare-knuckle street brawl occurred on Jackson’s Main Street at approximately 3:40 p.m. last Monday. The incident is the latest in a growing number of fights and vandalisms reported from the struggling historic thoroughfare. The JPD said Jackson resident Tim Francis made comments to a man he passed on the street, resulting in a fist fight between the two individuals. The fight was immediately reported to law enforcement by workers at Agave restaurant who witnessed the commotion from inside the establishment. Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison, Captain Christy Stidger and three other officers were reportedly on scene within minutes. The Amador County Sheriff’s Office also sent deputies. Morrison reported that it appeared that Francis had started the fight and also received the majority of injuries during the altercation. Francis was transported to Sutter Amador Hospital, where he was treated for a deep gash above his right eye and swelling in his face. The JPD subsequently arrested him for public drunkenness. It could not be verified whether Francis and the other man were familiar with one another. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Monday, 09 August 2010 06:04
ACT Announces Social Media Marketing Session
Amador County - Amador Council of Tourism invites local business owners to the third session of Social Media Marketing on Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 8:30 a.m. in the banquet room of Mel and Faye's Diner. Non-members of ACT are welcome. Cost is $5. ACT wants to inform local businesses of the many free tools available on the Web. Businesses can improve relations with customers and bring traffic to their doors. Two of these sessions were held in late May at the Sutter Hill Transit Center. Participants learned how to do basic listings and business profiles, check online business reviews, learn about website optimization and choose at least one social medium that fit their business profile. Those attendees felt the program was worthwhile, whether they were experienced with social media or new to it. “The more information Amador has in multiple places on the Internet, the easier it is for people to find us,” said Maureen Funk, executive director of ACT. “By the same token, presence on the Web will bring visitors to your door, when they are here in Amador.” For reservations or questions, call ACT at 267-9249 or e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Via Press Release This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 09 August 2010 06:06
UC California Extensions Expected to Close Local Offices
Amador County – Local University of California Extension offices in Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, and El Dorado counties may be closed and replaced with a single regional office to serve the area, if a new UC Extension proposal comes to pass in the Mother Lode. While the 4 counties have been invited to participate in the regional cluster, it is unclear what will comprise the regional center. Scott Oneto, Amador County director of the UC Extension program said that restructuring is an “exciting opportunity” that would allow for cost-saving measures in “eliminating redundancies and pooling resources.” Oneto said “the overall goal of restructuring is not to cut programs and services but instead to expand them.” The proposal to consolidate U.C. Extension offices in Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, and El Dorado counties has the goal of streamlining operations and continuing to provide services while simultaneously cutting mounting costs. One of the expected changes in the redesign is the potential closure of the 4 aforementioned existing county offices, with the intention to open a regional office covering the 4 counties. The proposed changes to the Mother Lode area are the first of their kind, but further changes to the UC Extension system are expected to follow throughout the state. The UC Extension Cooperative is a partnership among county, state, federal, and private resources. It operates roughly 50 Extension offices throughout the state. Each local Extension office works to tailor its programs and services to meet specific needs of a region. While the Extension offices provide much needed services to the community at large, the costs associated with running the program from both the UC and the county side is not minimal. County governments often contribute funds toward local services in providing office space and staff and other expenses. The University of California contributes its support as salaries for the researchers, advisers, and scientists assigned to work in county offices, as well as other researchers based on the participating UC campuses. In Amador County programs sponsored through the UC Extension include: Master Gardeners, 4-H, Farms of Amador, Viticulture, and Orchard Crops among others. Although cost cutting measures must be implemented, those services that some counties view as crucial must remain. The services include educational and outreach tools, working with families on issues such as nutrition and physical activity. Extension programs also aid farmers in marketing their produce and sponsor youth development programs. Extension programs also give opportunities for various demonstrations, meetings, conferences, and workshops in the local community. Story by Judee Schmidt This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 09 August 2010 06:10
Amador Residents Warn Against Fraud Census Workers
Amador County – Several Amador County residents have reported suspicious activities perpetrated by individuals claiming to be employees of the U.S. Census Bureau. In a series of emails distributed county-wide last week, several residents commented on their personal experiences dealing with these suspicious contacts. Pine Grove residents Mike and Bonnie Evans said they received “several phone calls” from a person claiming to be an employee of the Census Bureau who said he was “auditing the response.” They said the phone calls “felt suspicious” and the man threatened to make a note that they weren’t willing to cooperate. “We had enough self confidence to refuse the phone interviews but are concerned about elderly residents who may feel intimidated or bullied into responding with personal information,” they said. Another concerned citizen, Lynette Lipp, said a man had spoken to her while she was home alone and asked her information about a house across the street. She said she was concerned because the man came to her door when she was “the only one home at that time of the 8 homes very close to that particular house.” An Ione woman who asked to remain anonymous told TSPN that she received several phone calls two weeks previous from a man who “spoke poor English” and asked for personal information including her address and phone number. She said she asked questions about the man’s work location and credentials before he put her on hold and then eventually hung up. “I used my gut instinct and decided that this was someone I don’t think they’d ever put on the phone to call people for verifications,” she said. Sonny Le (LEE), Regional Media Specialist for the Census, confirmed that they are currently in the process of gathering information pertaining to statistical surveys, but warned that “they are literally finished with verifications for 2010 Census operations in Amador County.” Local Census operations are based in Placerville. Le said the census continues throughout the decade to gather information for government surveys pertaining to everything from commute time to small business income. “This is what we’ve been doing since 1790,” he said. Le said an official Census worker will have a badge with their picture and identification number, as well as the ability to recite a confidentiality disclaimer. He said Census workers are trained to stay put if someone they speak with decides to call law enforcement, while impersonators will likely run away. “Our workers go through four days of training in order to remember and recite all the information necessary to verify their identity,” he said. He encourages residents to contact the Census if they have more questions. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 09 August 2010 06:02
Mammography Screenings Set for Safeway
Amador County - Women can conveniently receive mammography screening at the Jackson Safeway store on August 7 through an innovative partnership between Catholic Healthcare West-St. Joseph’s Medical Center and the Safeway Foundation. The screenings are available by appointment to any women with a physician’s referral and target underserved women. The Safeway Foundation is proud to continue its partnership with St. Joseph’s by renewing its $500,000 grant to continue the valuable services provided by the Mobile Mammography Unit. St. Joseph's Mobile Mammography Unit (MMU) is a full-service, self-contained mammography clinic on wheels featuring the latest in state-of-the-art digital mammography technology and service. Improved breast cancer treatments and increased awareness resulting in early detection are the two leading factors identified for decreasing the number of deaths from breast cancer in the United States. Grants from the Safeway Foundation and other groups across the U.S. have made great strides in raising funds to support research and awareness of this deadly disease. The Safeway Foundation - through Safeway’s Northern California Division - is proud to share in this effort and awarded $2.8 million dollars in 2009 alone to organizations fighting breast cancer. “Together with our employees and customers, the Safeway Foundation is making a significant impact by funding programs focused on finding a cure for and raising awareness of this disease,”said Karl Schroeder, President, Northern California Division of Safeway. The full-service mammography clinic, housed in an 18-wheel tractor-trailer, is licensed by the state of California and accredited by the American College of Radiology and the Food and Drug Administration. It meets all requirements for performing screening mammography. The digital images from all screenings are read by licensed radiologists, with results sent to patients and their physicians within two to three weeks of their exams. The screening takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on August 7 at the Safeway located at 12110 Industry Blvd in Jackson. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 09 August 2010 06:23
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alan Sprenkel 8-9-10
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