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Wednesday, 27 January 2010 10:31
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alex Lane 1-28-10
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Video
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:00
Some Jackson Merchants Perturbed by Proposed Liquor Store Move
Amador County - Many business owners on North Main Street in Jackson are up in arms over an application by owners of the Bottle Shop liquor store to move their business from its current location downtown to the head of Main Street. A group of merchants say they will strongly object to the transfer when it comes before the Jackson Planning Commission for approval on February 16.
Most believe the move will hurt the downtown’s image by transferring drunk and disrespectful liquor store clientele to a central and visually unavoidable location. The application for a premise to premise transfer is posted in the window of the former home of the Biggest Little Kitchen Store, located at the intersection of Highway 49/88 and Main Street. The building has remained empty since the Kitchen Store moved its business further down the street and expanded last summer. Bottle Shop owner Max Ghuane says the move is necessary to ensure the survival of his store. “We’ve been close to going out of business, and that’s the only perfect spot I can think of with convenient meters and parking spots on the side of main street,” he said. “I personally think it would probably be the straw that breaks the camels back,” says Hein & Company bookstore owner Wolf Hein, citing the already deteriorating business atmosphere along the city’s main thoroughfare. “We already have enough vandalism and drunks hanging around our place already. This is just bad for business,” he said. Vandalism in the form of graffiti, broken windows and smashed flowerpots is now commonplace on a monthly basis. Many merchants believe customers at the two remaining downtown bars and the Bottle Shop are the culprits. One concerned citizen said he regularly sees Bottle Shop clients loitering, spitting on the sidewalk, tossing cigarette butts in the gutter and even urinating on the street. He is encouraging everyone to write the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in Sacramento and protest the liquor store’s application. But Ghuane said he has taken great strides and eliminated the vagrancy that plagues his store’s image. He said he is upset that no one has approached him in person to voice their disapproval. He called it a case of “jealousy.” “I’ve talked to the state. The next step is taking it to the city for their approval,” he said, adding: “I don’t want to have to go out of business.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:00
Ione Parks & Rec Recommends Against New City Pool Project
Amador County – The Ione Parks & Recreation Commission on Tuesday decided to make a recommendation to the Ione City Council to not pursue building a new swimming pool, noting that the city would be about $1.2 million short of the cost to build it, with no source identified for operating funds. City Manger Kim Kerr said she will be putting more information together, to take to the Ione City Council in mid-February. Kerr said the recommendation would forego a state grant of $500,000, in part because it would cover only a portion of the estimated cost of $1.7 million of the original project to build a new swimming pool and facility at Howard Park. Recreation commissioners agreed that raising the remaining $1.2 million and then finding operations and maintenance funding were more that the city should attempt. It agreed to recommend releasing the grant back to the state. Kerr said it is “not final, but it is the commission’s recommendation.” She said the city “can’t reprogram funds” to use the money for a different project, and it “becomes an issue of operations and maintenance.” She said the city would have to raise $1.2 million to fund the rest of the project. Kerr will follow up with Ione Junior High School and Ione Marlins Swim Team, to make sure they still support the city in giving up the grant and keeping the junior high school’s pool in use, and helping with maintenance. Kerr may look at other ways to get funding for a new pool operation, and plans to take the commission’s recommendation, with additional data, to the City Council for its February 16th meeting. Kerr said the council must determine whether it is “a viable project to build another swimming pool.” She said when the council realized it had the grant about 6 years ago, the council reportedly held a lot of discussion, and many people came out and many told the city council not to build the pool. The grant money must be spent by 2012. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Recreation
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:00
Lungren Backs Bill to Monitor Miranda Rights for Terrorists
Washington, D.C. – House Republicans on Tuesday introduced legislation requiring the Department of Justice to consult with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense before giving terrorists Miranda rights. The “Ensuring the Collection of Critical Intelligence Act of 2010” requires the Justice Department to consult with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense before charging a foreign terrorist as a criminal, according to a release by Congressman Dan Lungren. Lungren, representative of California District 3, including Amador County, said: “Apprehension of a foreign national who is trying to kill Americans, presents us with the urgent need to obtain information for the protection of our citizens rather than convincing terrorists they have the right to remain silent.” Lungren said: “These are individuals whose sole purpose is to destroy the fabric of America and the freedoms we enjoy. Giving terrorists the same constitutional rights as American citizens – when they themselves follow no legal code of conduct – is unacceptable and will only weaken our ability to protect the public.” Lungren Communications Director Brian Kaveney in a release said following a Christmas Day bombing plot, Nigerian terrorist Abdulmutallab admitted to FBI agents that he was an al Qaeda operative who had received explosives training from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Despite confessing to being a foreign terrorist affiliated with al Qaeda, Abdulmutallab was informed of his Miranda rights and charged as a civilian criminal, Kaveney said. He said neither the FBI nor Department of Justice consulted with the intelligence community before filing the complaint. According to news reports, Abdulmutallab claimed to be one of many terrorists training with al Qaeda to attack Americans. But now that he has been given access to an attorney, Abdulmutallab has stopped cooperating with investigators. Lungren’s release said: “In other words, our ability to gather critical intelligence about pending attacks against Americans has been lost.” A recent Investor’s Business Daily poll found that 61 percent of those polled oppose giving Miranda rights to captured terrorists. Lungern, a House Judiciary Committee member, introduced the bill Tuesday joined by 17 Republicans. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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National
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:00
Sac Man Arrested Again for Deer Poaching
Amador County – A Sacramento man has been arrested a second time for allegedly poaching deer in Amador, El Dorado and Calaveras Counties. Lofoo Saeturn, 43, along with his girlfriend, were arrested on similar charges in January of 2009. Laboratory testing in that case proved that he had parts from 28 different deer stored at his home on Elder Creek Road in Sacramento. At the time, California Department of Fish and Game Warden Patrick Foy said “what is so significant is that they are killing so many deer and selling them for personal profit.” The majority of deer poaching involves individuals killing deer for their own consumption, he said. Foy said the suspects were selling the deer for $150 a piece. Upon Saeturn’s return home from a sentencing hearing in that case on December 2nd, wardens served a probation-related warrant in which they discovered evidence of at least two more deer killed since his initial arrest. Foy said Saeturn killed them between his initial arrest and his sentencing on December 2nd. Foy told the Sacramento Bee that “(Saeturn) is the worst deer poacher our lab has ever seen.” For his initial crime, Saeturn was sentenced to 270 days in jail which was suspended in favor of home monitoring. He had two prior citations for wildlife related crimes, including possession of 88 juvenile salmon and possession of a sturgeon illegally caught with salmon as bait. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:00
AWA Says Any Central Amador Improvement Requires Rate Hike
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors this month discussed improvements to Central Amador Water Project, and possible rate hikes. The board discussed rate increases meeting a Proposition 218 rejection. President Bill Condrashoff said last week if AWA approves the Gravity Supply Line project, then tries to get a rate increase, and there is enough protest, they “cannot do project, period.” He said he couldn’t continue with such a project in good conscience. Interim General Manger Gene Mancebo said Wednesday that: “Any time Prop 218 is involved, if it’s not approved, we’re not able to continue with the project.” He said any improvement on the Central Amador Water Project would take a rate increase to make debt service payments. Mancebo said they would “not be able to raise the rates and would have to look at other options.” He said “there are some improvements we need to do to be sure we will have a reliable water supply,” and the agency is “hoping through a process of a number of meetings to gain public understanding and support, whether it is for the Gravity Supply Line or some other alternative.” Mancebo said he hopes people can recognize the need and support one of the projects. A rejection through Prop 218 “all depends on the reasoning,” Mancebo said. If it is rejected only because people do not want to pay higher rates, they would face that fate with either a Gravity Supply Line, or upgrading the pump stations. Each would require a rate increase. Mancebo said: “It may prevent us from doing any kind of significant project that would have a rate increase associated with it.” Condrashoff said the Central Amador Water Project is “in the red,” and if the agency fails to get a rate increase, “really, the only choice is to cut costs in the system.” AWA hosts a “brainstorming” meeting 6 p.m. Monday on alternative projects in the CAWP. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Water
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 00:58
AWA Committee to Look at Interagency Loans
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors discussed charging interest on interagency loans earlier this month, and sent the issue to a committee to be discussed in early February. The discussion focused on an impending rate increase in the Central Amador Water Project, which will be subject of a “brainstorming meeting Monday to look at possible alternatives to a “Gravity Supply Line” pipeline in the Upcountry. It would replace electrical pumps feeding the Buckhorn plant, serving 4,020 parcels in Central Amador. Board President Bill Condrashoff said he was worried about the low percentage on a long term loan of 30 years. He said he did not believe other customers were subsidizing the CAWP, but the agency has “had some issues with money loaned interest free.” On board direction, staff is in the process of trying to formalize a loan with interest. He said the Amador Water System is loaning money to the CAWP system, and it’s “been an unofficial loan until now,” loaned with no interest. Central Amador Water Project, in rough numbers, he said, is about $800,000 in the red in its retail division, while its wholesale division has borrowed $930,000 to finance studies, engineering and other work on the Gravity Supply Line. He said its retail is in the hole because AWA hasn’t raised rates since 2006. The AWA board sent the issue to the Budget & Finance Committee, made up of Condrashoff and District 3 Director Don Cooper, which will discuss the topic February 3rd. Condrashoff said discussions will look at loan terms, interest rates, caps and payoff terms, and “if money becomes needed, it needs to be very liquid,” so that it can go back to its source system in an emergency. Cooper said “the economy has changed from the days of 5 percent” interest on loans. Condrashoff said the “agency could potentially do better for a long-term loan,” and the “indexed fund” loan is “at about 1 percent right now” in a “very liquid fund.” He asked if it was fair to the loaning system to loan at such a low rate, in the long-term loan of 30 years. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 00:50
AWA Looks to Answer Gravity Supply Line Critic
Amador County – Coming off a 12-hour meeting 2 weeks ago, the Amador Water Agency board of directors will hold its second meeting of the year Thursday with 7 regular agenda items, leading off with an audit of last year’s fiscal year. The board will also discuss the agency “Water Conservation Plan;” and a grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy for a regional water reuse plan. The board is scheduled to discuss its strategic plan; “workload prioritization”; and agency’s “Conditional Will Serves.” The second item on the agenda will be consideration and discussion of a draft response to a letter received by the agency from Marty Stein of Jackson Pines, who criticizes the agency for its pursuit of the Gravity Supply Line in the Central Amador Water Project. Interim General Manger Gene Mancebo said the letter, received December 27th, was considered a comment on the Gravity Supply Line and its environmental impact. But agency attorney Stephen Kronick advised that the letter was separate from that issue and that “a response to the letter could occur separately from the environmental responses.” Stein wrote that the AWA has “already decided on the approach” to water flow needs, “and will proceed with the more expensive alternative.” Stein criticized the agency for not hiring a third party to analyze the cost of upgrading existing pumps on the Buckhorn pipeline, and said the Gravity Supply Line “would not break even until some time after” 2029. AWA Board President Bill Condrashoff drafted a response letter, which the board will consider Thursday. In part, Condrashoff wrote that “some current AWA board members have studied the proposed Gravity Supply Line project to the point that they believe it is the best project alternative for CAWP customers.” He wrote that “other current AWA board members believe that more investigation of ways to improve the current pump system is needed before a decision can be made.” Both Condrashoff and Vice President Debbie Dunn have criticized AWA staff for not having other alternatives to consider for CAWP. Condrashoff invited Stein to attend future meetings on the subject. The AWA board meets 9 a.m. Thursday at the agency office on Ridge Road. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 27 January 2010 00:56
Huber Addresses Concerns Related to Prison Reductions
California – Assemblymembers Alyson Huber and Ted Lieu joined law enforcement officials and members of Crime Victims United on Monday to address public safety concerns related to prison population reductions. A new state law took effect on the same day requiring the state’s prison populations to be reduced by as many as 6,500 inmates over the course of a year. The law was approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last year. The controversial plan is intended to help reduce severe overcrowding by allowing some low-risk offenders to leave prison early by earning credits through education and rehabilitation programs. Critics say the plan will actually spark an increase in crime throughout the state. “As a tidal wave of prisoners are released back into our community, many of them without rehabilitation services or parole supervision, it is imperative that common-sense public safety protections be in place to protect the public and help local law enforcement shoulder the burden of the early release of convicted criminals,” said Lieu. Huber and Lieu announced the introduction of Assembly Bill 1678 to mandate public safety protections. “We are calling on CDCR to work closely with local law enforcement,” said Huber. “They are the ones who must deal with the realties of these choices and the more information that is available the better prepared law enforcement will be to ensure our continued protection.” Provisions of AB 1678 include a requirement for CDCR to notify local law enforcement agencies with critical information about identity, location and criminal history within a reasonable time period prior to their release; enabling local law enforcement agencies to object to the release of a convicted felon into Non-Revocable Parole status; and an increase in transparency by making public a list of crimes committed by prisoners being released without parole supervision. “Public safety must be our number one priority,” said Huber. The discussion panel included Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness, Crime Victims United President Harriet Salerno and Amador County Sheriff Martin Ryan. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 27 January 2010 00:59
22 More Reports of Shots Fired in Valley Springs
Calaveras County – The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office announced on Tuesday reports of an additional 22 shots fired in the Valley Springs area. Calaveras County Sheriff Sergeant Dave Seawell said 15 calls of shots fired in the Rancho Calaveras area of Valley Springs were reported on Saturday, January 23, between 6:44 pm and 6:53 pm. Another 7 reports occurred on Sunday, January 24, between 9:56 pm and 11:44 pm in the Rancho Calaveras area of Jenny Lind. At least 37 separate reports of shots fired have left the area’s residents on edge since weeks before Christmas. In past incidents, shots were usually fired by an unknown person or persons in the direction of moving vehicles or homes. No injuries have been reported in any of the shooting incidents so far. Seawell said his office does not have any information linking the latest shootings to the current investigation. He said “investigators from the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office, ATF, FBI and CHP continue to work the investigation aggressively.” The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF) has offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction for the person or persons responsible for the rash of shootings. Leading up to last weekend, there had been a total of 15 reported shootings in to both vehicles and homes in the Valley Springs and Burson areas in western Calaveras County. Anyone with information is asked to call the Calaveras County Sheriffs Office Tip Line at (209) 754-6030 or (209) 754-6500. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and firearms tip line is 1-800-ATF-GUNS. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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