Tom
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 18:00
Ione Policeman Collars Dune Buggy Driver Off Road, Foot Pursuit
Amador County – An Ione man was apprehended by authorities while attempting to make an off-road escape in an illegal dune buggy when his vehicle conked out while he was trying to take the vehicle off-road Tuesday night. Ione Police Department Sergeant Rocky Harpham said the incident began at about 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, when Ione Officer Joshua Long “attempted a traffic stop near Ione Shopping Center on an unregistered dune buggy that was being operated on public streets illegally.” The vehicle is illegal because it was not fully equipped with safety items such as lights and mirrors. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as 39-year-old Timothy Nichols of Ione, refused to stop for the officer, Harpham said. “Nichols attempted to speed away and led police on a pursuit down Main Street” in Ione, “then out Highway 124 to the railroad tracks near Howard Park.” Harpham said “Nichols attempted to lose Officer Long by going off-road in his buggy along the railroad tracks but the buggy’s engine died.” Nichols then “feigned compliance with the police” before he “fled on foot into the woods.” Harpham said Long pursued the fleeing suspect and eventually placed him into custody without incident. Nichols was then booked into jail and his dune buggy impounded. Nichols was booked on charges of evading police and resisting arrest. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Law Enforcement
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 18:00
Jackson Revitalization Committee Will Review Strategic Plan
Amador County – The Jackson Revitalization Committee makes an annual review of its strategic plan today, and will also discuss the “Shop Jackson” program, as well as discretion funding of $5,000 in “Measure E” funds. The committee’s annual review will look at updates of the strategic plan, and will identify action plans for accomplishing objectives. City Manager Mike Daly said the strategic plan will be reviewed for possible updates and discussion of new efforts to work on some of the listed goals. The 2008 revitalization committee’s strategic plan included improving visual appeal, creating a coordinator and/or facilitator position, and evaluating the use of public facilities and properties. Other strategies were to establish development areas, defining “connectivity corridors,” gathering and disseminating information, and identifying unmet business and service needs. Strategic planning will be among the subcommittee reports, which could include business recruiting, finance, community identity and public relations subcommittees. The agenda also includes a review of participation and a discussion of the raffle program for the 2nd season of the “Shop Jackson” program, being led by the Jackson Rancheria. The Revitalization Committee also has its “Clean It & Green It” event Saturday, April 24th, and it also will be one of the beneficiaries of the 32nd Anniversary Mother Lode Hot Jazz Party, Saturday, April 25th in Jackson. Nine bands will play at the Elks Lodge, American Legion Hall, Mel & Fayes, Thomi’s, Denny’s and Teresa’s Place. Benefits go to Jackson Revitalization Committee, and ARC of Amador and Calaveras counties. The Jackson Revitalization Committee meets at 6 p.m. today (Thursday, April 8th) in the Jackson City Council Chambers at 33 Broadway. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 18:00
County Assessor Urges Property Owners to Seek Assessments
Amador County - Amador County Assessor Jim Rooney is encouraging Amador County property owners to request assessments of their property in order to determine the fair market value. “Looking back over the past year, it is apparent that property values have continued to decline, resulting in further reductions in assessments for many of Amador County property owners,” said Rooney in a release. He said properties can request a review, resulting in a lowered value or one that remains the same. In a recent interview on TSPN, Rooney said the advantage to getting your property assessed is a potential savings of thousands of dollars each year. He said there are about 10 to 12,000 residencies in the county that are all affected by what his office does. “We don’t have a high profile sometimes…but everybody who gets a property tax bill is affected by the Assessor’s office,” he said. “We all know there has been a decline in real estate in recent years, and the office has proactively reduced assessments, and we did it with a reduced staff,” he said. Rooney said “the Assessors Office is obligated to reduce assessments when the fair market value of a property is less than the original adjusted assessment, more commonly known as the Prop 13 value.” Prop 13 was a 1978 amendment to the California Constitution which capped the tax rate for real estate. Rooney said the Prop 13 value will not be raised as a result of an assessment review. Rooney’s office is just beginning the task of reviewing all the assessments that may be too high. It is estimated that over 3,500 assessments were reduced last year, which is a substantial portion of the residential properties in the county. If an assessment has been reduced in the past few years there is no need to request another review as it will be reviewed automatically. “A goal of this office is to have no property in the county assessed higher than its fair market value and with the help of taxpayers reviewing their own assessments, we hope to achieve this goal,” said Rooney. For any questions or more information, visit the Assessor page on the county website at www.co.amador.ca.us, email the office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the office at 223-6351. If you believe that you are eligible for a reduced assessment, just contact the Assessor’s Office to request an Assessment Review, go by the office in Jackson, or visit the Assessor’s website. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 18:00
Jackson to Host, Sweet to Chair Amador Regional Planning Committee
Amador County – The Amador Regional Planning Committee selected a new chair last month, and with it will move its meetings to Jackson, starting with its April 28th meeting. Jackson City Councilman Keith Sweet was elected chairman of the committee March 24th, and on Wednesday he announced that “the committee’s Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) requires the chair to provide support staff – thus the change.” Sweet said the April 28th meeting, and all future meetings for 2010, will be at the Jackson Civic Center at 33 Broadway. Sweet, in an e-mail Wednesday to members and interested people, said he will attempt to have an agenda and supporting documents to the committee and interested people a week prior to each meeting. Agendas will be sent by Jackson City Clerk Gisele Cangelosi, via e-mail. Sweet requested that committee members send him the names of their alternates for 2010. He also requested that they send him any topics the members or their councils or groups may want the committee to pursue. Sweet said: “I would like to include as many subjects as possible in this next agenda so that the committee can review and agendize them for the coming year.” Any interested people receiving his e-mail were also invited to submit topics, as he assumed they have an interest in the committee’s activities. He said topics already submitted were “General Plan comparisons; revenue and/or personnel sharing,” and review of the Jackson wastewater study. In early March, Amador Regional Planning Committee members selected a new meeting day, and will meet 7 p.m. every 4th Wednesday of the month. Future agenda items discussed at the March 24th meeting included recirculation of the updated committee MOU and General Plan update presentations. Also discussed was drafting “a program document supporting the sharing of revenues from major new and relocated commercial developments,” as well as “establishing a system to share personnel and material resources between jurisdictions.” Amador Regional Planning Committee members are Sweet, Sutter Creek Mayor Pro Tempore Tim Murphy, Amador County Supervisors Ted Novelli (District 3) and Chairman Brian Oneto (District 5); Ione City Councilwoman Andrea Bonham; and Plymouth Mayor Pat Fordyce. For information, e-mail Gisele Cangelosi at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; call Jackson City Hall at 223-1646; or call Sweet at 419-3770. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 06:10
Flynn Urges East-Coast Volunteer Fire Program in Plymouth
Amador County – The Plymouth City Council on Thursday discussed its contract with the Amador Fire Protection District, with the availability of Measure M sales taxes that may not meet a draft plan proposed by the city last week. AFPD Chief Jim McCart addressed the board, which looked at a plan brought by City Attorney Steven Rudolph, that included an ambitions 24/7 station with 3 personnel. The city has a new potable water pipeline and is in the process of revitalizing its wastewater treatment system, in an effort to lift a 3-decade building moratorium. It has multiple developments planning hundreds of homes in the city. But City Manager Dixon Flynn said the city right now cannot pay for the full staffing. Flynn recommended an east-coast styled volunteer system. He said volunteers on the east coast are asked to commit to 4 years of service, and in exchange get “good training,” a stipend and money for college, much like military service. When terms end, volunteers can move on with their lives, either to further firefighting or another career. Vice Mayor Greg Baldwin said the city of Wilton already has a similar program, and asks for 2-year commitments to its volunteer fire department. The city is negotiating a contract with AFPD that expires June 1st. McCart said since 1998, Plymouth has contributed $222,000 to its fire Battalion 20, and in that time, AFPD has spent $450,000 on it. Councilman Mike O’Meara disagreed with the budget listing volunteers as having “no financial impact.” He said volunteers have been serving on the department in the more than 20 years he has lived in Plymouth. McCart said “our volunteers are currently getting snapped up,” and they lose many to fire season surges in Cal Fire manpower. Battalion 20 Chief Antonio Moreno said in 1999, before the AFPD agreement, they spent about $35,000-40,000 a year at Plymouth Fire. Plymouth spent about $28,000 on the battalion last year. Moreno said it is difficult to keep volunteers. He gets applications for volunteers all the time, but when they see the training requirements involved, they change their minds. Moreno said “right now I have no volunteers living in Plymouth who work in Plymouth – no daytime coverage.” Baldwin said training is costly, and often paid for by volunteers themselves. After training, they often move on to paying jobs elsewhere, Moreno said, “not unlike myself.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 14 April 2010 06:04
USDA Announces Water Enhancement Funds Of $61M
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday that $61.2 million will be available nationally in the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program. Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Dave White announced that the financial assistance will help agricultural producers conserve surface and ground water and improve water quality on farmland. White said that by working with partners, “we will see more water conservation on working lands and more opportunities to improve water quality.” Ag Water Enhancement projects are implemented by Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in partnership with eligible entities, White said. He said NRCS works with the partners to “help landowners plan and implement conservation practices in project areas established through the agreements. The USDA said of the $61.2 million, about $40.4 million will be made available to Ag Water Enhancement Program partners whose projects were approved in the last fiscal year, and approximately $20.7 million will be available for new project proposals. White said partnership entities may include federally recognized Indian Tribes, states, units of local government, agricultural associations, irrigation associations, and ag land trusts. When a water enhancement project area has been approved and announced, individual producers may apply for program benefits through their local NRCS office. USDA intends the program to assist water quality and conservation plan development. It also intends to help projects restore or enhance water conservation, quality or quantity; and to enhance the efficiency and quality of irrigation systems. It would help “activities designed to mitigate the effects of drought,” and “activities determined to help achieve water quality or water conservation benefits on agricultural land.” Deadline for partner organizations to submit a proposal is May 17. For information, see www.nrcs.usda.gov. A TSPN TV Staff Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 14 April 2010 06:05
AWA to Consider $3.1M in Internal Loans
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board Thursday will consider internal loans of $3.1 million for 5 water and wastewater systems around the county, and could also direct staff to prepare to run a line of credit to fix “cash flow” problems. The board will consider loan documents for “external funding,” that would be a “safety net” or contingency plan for the board. The board has looked at rate adjustments for the Central Amador Water Project retail system, and now will consider an internal loan for CAWP, and 4 other systems. The loans under discussion will include $1.5 million to 2 Camanche systems, and $800,000 to CAWP. Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo said the internal loans have been previously discussed by the board, and staff prepared resolutions for board consideration. One would authorize a loan from the Amador Water System’s “replacement reserve account” to CAWP Retail. Mancebo said Tuesday that it would be separate from an “external loan.” Finance Manager Michael Lee recommended the internal loan in a staff report prepared for Thursday’s meeting. The board will also consider the “draft financial plan and rate study” for CAWP, and will consider sending out rate increase notices to CAWP customers, per Proposition 218 requirements. Lee in the report said the CAWP plan has been reviewed several times, and the board will be given a financial plan update for the Amador Water System. Lee’s report said “several systems have not been meeting their cost of operations and have accrued operating deficits.” Resolutions with the item would approve loans and fund transfers from the AWS. The loans would include $800,000 to the CAWP retail system; $700,000 to Lake Camanche Wastewater District Number 11; $600,000 to Wastewater District Number 1; and $200,000 to the La Mel water system. The board will also consider approving a loan of $800,000 from the Martell Wastewater Replacement Reserve Account, to Lake Camanche Water District Number 7. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 14 April 2010 06:08
CA Farm Bureau Reps Take Ag Issues to Washington, D.C.
Amador County – The California Farm Bureau Board of Directors traveled to Washington, D.C., last month to discuss agricultural issues with elected representatives of California. As reported by the Farm Bureau, directors stressed “issues including water supplies, estate tax reform, food safety and maintaining the economic viability of agriculture.” Discussions took place “with both U.S. senators from California, and with 33 members of the House of Representatives or their staff members.” Jim Spinetta, a grapegrower and vintner from Plymouth, was there representing Amador, El Dorado, Placer and Sacramento counties. He stressed the importance of preserving the estate tax exemption. He said “30 percent of the farms in this country go to a second generation, and fewer than 15 percent of farms pass to a third generation. The number one cause of this loss is the death tax. It isn't because we are bad farmers; it is this death tax that pushes people out.” Spinetta also addressed the gift tax and “the stepped-up basis for determining land value for taxation purposes.” “Both of these will revert back to much more severe levels for landowners if Congress doesn't act,” he said. Spinetta said he brought his wife and kids along on the journey because “it benefits the members of Congress to know that there is another generation of farmers coming up, and…it benefits the children who learn by doing that it is important for agriculture to send its message.” Also on hand were board members Mat Conant, a walnut grower from Rio Oso, Norm Groot, a nursery producer from Asuza, and Norm Yenni, a grain farmer from Sonoma. Conant agreed that “reforming the estate tax is one more tool we would have to preserve ag land in California, which is always under extreme development pressure.” He said it is currently difficult for winegrowers to pass their estates to future generations because their real estate prices are extremely high. “If we're going to keep that in agriculture, we need to keep these estates going and not have them divided into such small areas that they're useless,” he said. Groot said he is “amazed that our country continues to function” because “there seems to be only partisan politics now and we witnessed that firsthand as we observed the process that passed the health care reforms the week we were there.” He said representatives, including U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, are “taking a more active interest in the estate tax issues.” He said the conversations also included “open discussions on invasive pests and funding for eradication programs.” Yenni said they focused a lot on immigration and ways to deal with the issue while benefiting agriculture. Reflecting on the visit, Groot said he believes “that each time we are there the importance of California agriculture registers a bit higher in their collective minds.” This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 14 April 2010 06:11
Pioneer Man Arrested For Continuous Sexual Abuse Of a Child
Amador County – The Amador County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday released details on a developing sexual abuse case in Pioneer. Pioneer resident Thomas Devaney, 49, was arrested April 1st and booked into the Amador County Jail on a Local Warrant Bail of $1.2 million. He is charged with two counts of violation of California Penal Code related to the continuous sexual abuse of a child. On March 16, Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the report of a sexual assault that had occurred in Pioneer. Deputies interviewed two female victims, now young adults, who reported years of molestation since they were children. “The two victims relayed events which started when they were approximately eight years old and continued for several years,” reports Amador County Undersheriff Jim Wegner. “The victims reported similar instances of being directed to perform lewd acts upon Keith Thomas Devaney, now a 49 year old resident of Pioneer.” Devaney was interviewed and a subsequent investigation was conducted. “During the interview, and upon being confronted with the evidence, Devaney confessed to the unlawful acts,” said Wegner. On April 1st, the Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant and Devaney was arrested without incidence at Cost Less Foods in Jackson. Since then, detectives have identified two additional juvenile victims. Wegner said “Sheriff’s Detectives are working with prosecutors from the Amador County District Attorney’s Office on additional charges to be filed against Devaney.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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