Amador County - The Amador County Recreation Agency Board of Directors bid farewell to four of its members at its last meeting of 2008. Retiring Supervisor Richard Escamilla said he was proud of how far ACRA had come. He said he will be spending more time at the Kennedy Mine, where he has overseen donated lumber, building of a stage, fixing up of the kitchen and installation of a sound system. Escamilla said “one of my goals for the Kennedy Mine is to get more use out of it” for recreation. Amador City Councilman Richard Lynch, who is also retiring from the city council and the ACRA board, expressed his satisfaction at being part of ACRA. “Unfortunately, it’s been a well-kept secret how well we’ve done,” Lynch said. He hopes ACRA increases communications and he offered himself “as a source of any advice or consultation - free of charge.” Chairwoman Debbie Dunn, who was sworn into office in early December as District 4 board member of the Amador Water Agency, is also leaving the ACRA board, on which she represented the Upcountry Community Council. Dunn thanked Escamilla and Lynch for their work on the board and said she hoped Upcountry parks would remain part of the goal of the ACRA board. Sutter Creek Councilman Bill Hepworth also gave thanks to Escamilla and Lynch and outgoing Jackson Mayor Rosalie Pryor Escamilla on their work in recreation, fund-raisers and meetings. Jackson Councilman Wayne Garibaldi, elected to his first term after being appointed to the council, said he hopes to continue to be a part of the ACRA board. He said he also has a goal of helping Jackson become the economic and entertainment center of Amador County. The ACRA board next meets January 14th. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).