News Archive (6192)
Amador County horse quarantined with a neurological EHV-1 Virus was “caught early”
Written by Tom
Amador County – An Amador County horse is one of 10 from the state that has contracted the neurological strain of the Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1), but it was “caught early,” is quarantined and is being treated.
Amador County Agriculture Commissioner Mike Boitano said Wednesday that one animal from Bakersfield was euthanized, and another is being treated at U.C. Davis. “The one here was caught early and is being treated,” and its facility is under quarantine.
Boitano said California Department Food & Agriculture’s veterinary services are working to try to prevent the spread and they have a pretty good system of detecting diseases. CDFA’s Dr. Catherine “Flynn has been working all week on this.” She got the names of the horses and the owners’ names from the Ogden, Utah, cutting horse show, and contacted them. Dr. Flynn has also met with private veterinarians in the state on the individual cases.
Boitano said there is a bunch of concern about the junior rodeo going on at the Amador County Fairgrounds (Wednesday) through this weekend, but he wanted to get out information and help curb rumors.
He said the virus is killed by sunlight. It has been recommended that the Fairgrounds get a thorough disinfection after the rodeo. The virus has a 14-day incubation period, and the neurological strain of the disease has no real treatment. If horses are treated early on, they will come out of it.
Boitano said: “There is no labeled vaccination for it, but there are some vaccines that may help – and that’s a big may.” Some treatments work, some do not, “and that doesn’t stop the vets from trying.” Some animals they save, and some of them don’t.
He said the industry is doing the best thing in canceling cutting horse shows, stopping the movement of animals, to help contain spread.
The National Cutting Horse Association announced Tuesday that “all NCHA-approved shows for the weekend of May 20-22 have been cancelled. NCHA officer Pam Robison said the association “appreciates this proactive move by show producers in a nationwide show of precaution and solidarity to help stop the spread of the contagious and potentially deadly EHV-1 virus among horses.”
Robinson said the Texas Quarter Horse Association cancelled its cutting classes for a May 24-25.
She said: “While the NCHA does not want to unnecessarily alarm horse owners, we do want to stress the severity of this virus, and be a clearinghouse of factual information so you can make informed decisions on this matter regarding your personal horses.”
Robinson said unofficial reports showed cases of EHV-1 in Colorado, Utah, Washington, Idaho, Arizona and Western Canada.
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ARC of Amador will again host Push America bicyclists with a “friendship picnic”
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Arc of Amador and Calaveras counties for the 23rd year will greet a group of college students who are riding bicycles across the United States to promote understanding of people with disabilities.
Sherri Pitto of The Arc of Amador and Calaveras said that on Tuesday, June 14th, The Arc “will again host a welcoming picnic for the inspiring Journey of Hope cyclists.” She said the “young men are part of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity,” and “their philanthropic organization Push America sponsors the Journey as part of their campaign to promote a greater understanding of people with disabilities.”
This year’s PUSH America Journey of Hope 2011 will include more than 70 cyclists, who will leave San Francisco on June 11th on their “Journey of Hope” to Washington DC. Half of the riders will come through Jackson after leaving Sacramento on their way over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The other half takes a route that goes through Southern California before heading east.
This will be the 23rd year the group has stopped in Jackson before heading over the Sierras, and the 22nd year The Arc has provided the group with a “friendship” picnic with “lots of camaraderie, food, drink, and fun,” Pitto said. The Arc has provided services to people with disabilities since 1971, and the Journey of Hope has become as much of an annual anticipated event for Arc participants as it has for the riders. Pitto said returning cyclists and crew members have said that “the Amador County experience is one of the best experiences of the Journey of Hope, year after year.”
The welcoming picnic will be at the St. Sava’s complex in Jackson between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 14th in Jackson. Pitto said other local sponsors include Jackson Family Sports, Jackson Lions’ Club, and Mel and Faye’s Diner.
Pi Kappa Phi is the only national men’s fraternity to establish and maintain their own service project. Fraternity members have raised over $10 million for Push America since 1977.
Pitto said: “It’s an amazing adventure and a tribute to the character of the young men who make up Pi Kappa Phi.” Each cross-country trip takes 63 days, and the bicyclist’s average 75 miles per day. Every day, the riders meet with disability groups and promote events to raise awareness and understanding of people with disabilities.
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Amador County – The California Department of Food & Agriculture announced Tuesday that 10 horses in California have contracted the neurological strain of the Equine Herpes Virus, including confirmed cases in Amador, Kern, Napa, Placer and Stanislaus counties.
CDFA Public Affairs Director Steve Lyle said: “One horse in Kern County was euthanized after showing severe neurological signs often associated with the disease. All of the infected horses recently attended the National Cutting Horse Association’s Western National Championships in Odgen, Utah on April 30 to May 8” where they “were most likely exposed to the virus.”
Lyle said “all California horses that have been in contact with an infected horse and show signs of disease or test positive for (the virus) will be placed under a CDFA quarantine in order to limit spread. This disease outbreak is evolving and CDFA will continue to investigate cases and provide updated information.”
Lyle said CDFA “contacted all 54 exhibitors from California who participated in the Odgen, Utah event and asked them to isolate and monitor their horses for clinical signs” of the virus. “A rectal temperature in excess of 102-degrees Fahrenheit commonly precedes other clinical signs” and “horse owners with potentially exposed horses are urged to take temperatures on each individual horse twice a day. If a temperature above 102F is detected, the horse’s private veterinarian should be contacted immediately for evaluation and laboratory testing.”
“Equine Herpes virus is a contagious disease and may spread quickly among horse populations,” Lyle said, but it “is not transmissible to humans.” It is spread by “horse-to-horse contact, aerosol transmission, and contaminated hands, equipment, tack and feed.”
Horses infected with the neurologic strain of the virus, may show clinical signs such as “nasal discharge, lack of coordination, hind-end weakness, lethargy, urine dribbling and diminished tail tone,” Lyle said. The neurological strain has no specific treatment, but other strains have various treatments. “Immediate separation and isolation of identified suspect cases and implementation of appropriate biosecurity measures are key elements for disease control.”
Lyle said: “Currently, there is no equine vaccine that has a label claim for protection against the neurologic strain of this virus.”
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Amador County – In a move aimed at trimming $750,000 from its budget in three years, the Amador Water Agency Board of Directors on Friday approved a reorganization plan for the agency, which could have the affect of laying off three department managers.
AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo announced approval of the reorganization on a 3-0 vote, “with the stipulation that the staffing plan presented was tentative and that further changes would be considered by the Board.”
Director Robert Manassero was away on vacation and Director Gary Thomas was absent from the meeting. He had recused himself from previous discussion due to a “common law” conflict of interest, because his boss is the brother of Barry Birge, a manager at AWA.
The board voted 4-0 the previous week to approve the draft reorganization concept. For that vote, Manassero was present and Board President Don Cooper was participating via teleconference from Massachusetts, while Thomas was recused. On Friday, Cooper and Directors Art Toy and Paul Molinelli consented in approving the reorganization, which Cooper called “Phase One in a series of moves to get the Water Agency budget to balance in 2011–2012.”
The adopted reorganization plan would reduce total employees from 46 to 43 and cut the number of managers in half. Mancebo said since 2008, AWA has reduced staffing from 62 to 46 full-time positions. Staff cuts, a hiring freeze and furlough days have already reduced labor costs by $1.5 million.
“The Agency is facing an estimated $750,000 budget shortfall in spite of eliminating infrastructure projects and slashing operating expenses,” Mancebo said. In discussion, Directors “emphasized that the proposed staff reorganization alone would not close the budget gap.” They agreed that “further operational cuts and employee concessions are needed, along with water and wastewater rate increases.”
The reorganization is expected to help the agency save an estimated $232,000 the first year, depending on the number of retirements, severance pay packages and staff changes, Mancebo said. By the third year, savings could reach $450,000 a year.
Cooper said: “We wish we didn’t have to do this. Government everywhere is facing the same problems – the current economy, the rising cost of employment benefits, gasoline prices are going up. On top of that, there have been no rate increases in some of our systems over the past five years. We have no choice but to take drastic measures if we are to meet our responsibility to provide water and wastewater service to the community.”
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Amador County – Authorities said two traffic stops on different nights last week by different Ione Police Department Officers led to separate arrests for two out-of-towners on charges including for illegal drugs.
Ione Police Chief Michael L. Johnson said the first traffic stop occurred at about 3 a.m. last Monday, May 9th, and led to the arrest of 33-year-old Sourideth Saradeth of Stockton. Saradeth was booked into Amador County Jail for possession and transportation of a controlled substance and a parole violation.
The second traffic stop occurred at about 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10th, and led to the arrest of 50-year-old Frankie Koen of North Highlands. Koen was booked into Amador County Jail for possession and transportation of a controlled substance.
Chief Johnson said “these arrests demonstrate the diligence of the Ione Police Department’s continued effort to curtail drug trafficking in Ione.”
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Amador County – Plymouth officials last week said the city is facing a major hurdle in its intersection improvement project for the corner of Main Street and Highway 49.
City Manager Jeff Gardner said Plymouth has been asked to provide 30% engineering plans for each of its intersection alternatives, so that the California Department of Transportation can make comments on the individual alternatives. Gardner said the city was having its $1 million project being held to the same standards as multi-million-dollar projects in the Valley. He said the project has its funding frozen pending the engineering.
Mayor Greg Baldwin said comparatively, Caltrans is doing an in-house intersection improvement at Ridge Road and New York Ranch Road, and it looked like it would probably cost $50,000 to complete, as compared to the $1 million estimate for Plymouth, the difference between a state highway project, versus a strictly county road project.
Gardner said Plymouth’s funding for the intersection has been frozen pending the engineering work, and the engineer already has done work on the project and is sitting on those bills. Plymouth has $1.3 million in funds available for the project, including $200,000 from the Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee program, operated by the Amador County Transportation Commission.
Caltrans ultimately will make the decision on the alternative for the intersection, with recommendations from the Plymouth City Council.
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Amador County – The Ione City Council at its last
meeting rejected a draft noise ordinance and set a public workshop to
work on solutions.
City Planner Christopher Jordan presented his draft ordinance, which he said would set limits for amplified sound, prohibit noise, and allow for a “noise deviation permit.” It had exemptions for type, location and time of day, and would necessitate buying a $3,100 decibel meter, and calibration equipment.
City Manager Kim Kerr said the city receives regular complaints, which Ione Police often can resolve, but sometimes cannot. The city only has a “public nuisance” ordinance that doesn’t apply to every noise complaint, nor do all complaints concern time of day, so interpretation “becomes very subjective.”
Mayor David Plank opened a public hearing, with many people requesting that citizens or police continue to handle the issue. Vice Mayor Ron Smylie said: “This to me is a little bit too detailed and extensive.” He said a good community working out the problem was “better than having a five-page ordinance.”
Kerr said “we do have complaints which we can’t resolve at that level.” She would much rather be able to say it was a civil matter, and let parties handle the issue themselves, but “we have had someone who requested this.”
Plank said he thought they should “make something very simple to address this issue.” Councilwoman Andrea Bonham said she felt “a lot of hostility toward staff even presenting this. It’s their job” and it was not right for them to be “attacked for doing their job.” She made a motion to reject the ordinance, which passed 5-0.
Kerr then told the council: “You need to give us direction,” and Councilman Lloyd Oneto said: “Is procrastinating a direction?” Kerr said they could tell staff to “do nothing.” Smylie said: “I think we need to forget about it and drop it. Not do anything,” and “table it.”
Resident, Dominic Atlan asked for a “point of order,” saying: “What upsets me with what just happened here” is that “your job is to read that package.” Staff brings a solution then the Council should look at specifics to discuss, such as decibel levels. “Now you want to throw it out,” because “you have not done your homework.”
Bonham said: “We need to give direction,” and suggested establishing a threshold, using warnings and trying to fill the gap in the public nuisance ordinance.
Kerr asked how they wanted to handle the issue of limiting loud noise. Plank said it should have wording about “extremes of noise” including high degree and hour of night. Kerr said “some of our complaints do not have to do with the time of day.” She said they could play with the civil nuisance aspect of it.
The council set a public workshop for June 7 to work on the issue with the public.
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Amador American Legion 108 Riders embark on a “Run For The Wall"
Written by Tom
Amador County – Nine Amador County American Legion Post 108 Riders embarked on a cross-country motorcycle mission early Monday in a tribute to the military, and especially to those killed, missing, taken prisoner or wounded in the Vietnam War.
The 23rd annual cross country trek is called a mission for the serious nature it holds, especially for veterans of that war themselves, according to Post 108 Riders President Albert “Poncho” Villa, who with two other riders last week discussed the meaning of the ride. All nine locals are going on the ride, called the “Run For The Wall,” for their first time.
Villa and Vice President Brian Dommes said they know it will be a tough ride, emotionally, but they’ve heard about the great reception in some towns where they will stop at Legion Halls along the way, in New Mexico, Kansas and West Virginia.
Villa said “this is the first time to do this for all of us.” Amador American Legion 108 Riders on the trek include Denver Strauss, Jim Mote, Sam Real, Brian Lapworth, Steve Gast, and Ed Medford. The big ceremony is on Memorial Day at the Vietnam Wall. As first-timers, they will all be allowed into the Arlington Cemetery.
They will also stop in Angel Fire, New Mexico, on the way, for a long memorial service, and where a past Amador Rider last year said the “outpouring of support and response from the public is tremendous,” and he rounded a corner and saw thousands of people with flags lining the road on either side.
They left before 8 a.m. Monday, heading to Rancho Cucamunga, from where they set out to Washington, D.C. They expected 200 riders to leave from Rancho Cucamunga, with riders from as far as Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and throughout the United States commonly making the Run For The Wall. Villa said some people ride from the East Coast to California to make the ride.
Rider Vice President Brian Dommes said he is not a combat vet like Villa and some of the other Riders on the trip, but is a Vietnam era veteran, and has talked to many guys “about some pretty bad stuff over there.” He said the Run For The Wall is part of that healing process.
Dommes said past riders say: when they set out, in their 30-bike “platoons,” they will “meet total strangers” and “by the end of the journey, they are going to be your best buddies.”
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PG&E is funding $9,000 in grants for regional economic development
Written by Tom
Amador County – Pacific Gas & Electric will fund $9,000 in grants for regional economic development in the four-county area of Amador, Tuolumne, Calaveras, and Mariposa Counties.
Beth Hartline of the Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority in Sonora said PG&E contributed funding to the Central Sierra Economic Partnership, as a whole, and to each of the four counties. The contributions have helped more than 155 retail and manufacturing businesses in the four-county region save more than $280,000 during 2010.
Larry Cope, Chairman of Central Sierra Economic Partnership, said PG&E is “continuing its long-standing commitment to support the economic vitality of the communities it serves.” PG&E again awarded grants, funded by its shareholders, to the Partnership.
Cope said the partnership “focuses on the economic development of Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne counties and works to bring together public and private resources to ensure the success of businesses in the Central Sierra Region.”
In 2011, PG&E has granted $9,000 to support regional economic development in the four counties. PG&E presented $5,000 to the CSEP, as well as $1,000 to each county. Over the past two years, PG&E has contributed a total of $18,000 to the organizations “for the purpose of holding local energy summits, promoting the use of PG&E’s energy conservation programs to our small and large retail businesses and manufacturers, recruitment of businesses, and toward increased economic viability of our rural communities.”
PG&E generated $200,000 in income to local contractors and provided jobs for 13 people in Tuolumne, Calaveras, and Mariposa counties.
Plans for 2011 include energy summits in Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa, to reach more business owners with cost- and energy-saving programs, including lighting and refrigeration replacement.
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Amador County – A recent arrest of a suspect in a burglary in progress at Fred’s Mini Mart in Ione had the Amador County Sheriff and business owners commenting on the success of local law enforcement agencies.
Amador County Sheriff Martin Ryan said the case showed how sharing information between law enforcement agencies can lead to the interruption of a crime in progress. Ryan has often stated that “law enforcement in Amador County is a team sport” and he said “this case demonstrates how our local law enforcement agencies depend on each other and work together to apprehend offenders.”
The mini storage owners, Deb and Fred Van Anda, in a letter to Ione City Manager Kim Kerr commended the Ione Police Officer and K9 officer involved in the arrest, saying “Fred’s Mini Storage has had a rash of break-ins and it was so rewarding to finally catch the bad guys.”
Deb Van Anda said she “watched the interaction of the Amador County Sheriff Deputies, Sutter Creek Police and the Ione Police and saw how well they work together. It was very clear to me, even at 4 a.m., that there was mutual respect for each other and their departments.”
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