News Archive (6192)
Amador County – The majority of Californian voters ignored a rolling GOP tide Tuesday by backing Jerry Brown for Governor and Barbara Boxer for U.S.Senate.
Incumbent Boxer will retain her seat while Brown will return to lead the state for a third term after more than 20 years away.
In both cases, Golden State voters bucked the national trend against political insiders and voted for longtime politicians over wealthy female billionaires who were both former heads of major corporations.
California will be one of the few states to remain blue, with Democrats in both U.S. Senate seats, the governor’s office and in majority control of the legislature. Despite voter frustration over government dysfunction and a state deficit of more than $19 billion, Californians opted for seasoned politicians.
Analysts say the state’s blue trend can be credited to a number of factors. Barbara O’Connor, director of the Institute for Study of Politics and Media at Sacramento State, told the Christian Science Monitor that California will serve as a bellwether for the rest of the country in the future. “Women won’t just (automatically) vote for women. Personal wealth won’t buy elections, and the tea party values on social issues don’t appeal to our one-quarter independents. We already had a likeable outsider (in Governor Schwarzenegger) and aren’t willing to try it again,” she said.
According to a CBS Exit Poll, nearly three out of five women voters supported Boxer, while male voters gave her a slight three point advantage. 56 percent of women voters supported Brown compared to 40 percent for Whitman. 56 percent of women supported Boxer compared to 39 percent for her Republican opponent, Carly Fiorina.
One major deciding factor in California’s races was illegal immigration. Two-thirds of the voters believe undocumented workers should get an opportunity to apply for legal status. A study by the Public Policy Institute of California shows 70 percent of illegal immigrants live with a close family member. Latino activists called it hypocritical for Republican Meg Whitman to denounce illegal immigration while at the same time employing an illegal immigrant for many years. Story by Alex Lane.
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Amador County – An announcement Monday by CAL FIRE means the number of unemployed in Amador County has increased, at least temporarily.
101 seasonal fire fighters in the Amador-El Dorado-Sacramento-Alpine Unit (AEU) were laid off in three stages throughout the month of November as the department transitions into its “winter preparedness” level of staffing. Some outlying fire stations will also be closed.
AEU’s Chief Bill Holmes said that “in this challenging economic period, down staffing is prudent based on the current and forecasted weather conditions. We need to manage our resources to the best of our ability and administer our budget responsibly.”
But according to Teri Mizuhara, CAL FIRE Fire Prevention Specialist, these layoffs are usually anticipated by those who choose to serve as firefighters. “We do have some year-round staff, but typically our seasonal firefighters are younger men and women,” she said. “Some do firefighting seasonally or as a career, and many go back to college or school in the off-season.”
She said the competition for these coveted positions is tough. Her department received approximately 2,000 applications last season. Of those, 700 applicants were interviewed and approximately 20 new hires were offered jobs. 81 others were rehires.
Mizuhara said they typically hire and layoff in three stages. An equal but opposite hiring process will take place next year in preparation for the peak of fire season during the summer months. In a typical fire season they generally start hiring at the end of May to early June, she said.
Story by Alex Lane. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Rianda only incumbent to outlast election day challengers
Written by Tom
Amador County – Incumbents in four of five races lost bids for reelection Tuesday in the 2010 Amador County general election, with Sutter Creek City Councilwoman Linda Rianda the only incumbent to keep her seat in a contested race.
Rianda does join the list of first-time elected officials, as she was running for office for the first time after being appointed last year to replace Mayor Pro Tempore Bill Hepworth, who stepped down for health concerns.
Rianda led all vote-getters with 411 votes. Second was Jim Swift, with 401 votes. They defeated third place finisher Bart Weatherly (who had 304 votes) and Ed Arata (who had 241). Election officials reported at 10 p.m. Tuesday that Sutter Creek had 1,368 ballots cast.
In other races Tuesday, Ione City Council members Lee Ard and Jim Ulm finished in a near tie for fourth place, both missing reelection. Three new council members took the three-seat race, led by Ron Smylie with 629 votes. Lloyd Oneto had 518 votes, and Daniel Epperson had 453. Ulm had 370, Ard had 369, and Jerry Sherman had 219 votes.
Two other incumbents, Amador Water Agency President Bill Condrashoff and Vice President Debbie Dunn both fell to their opponents. District 1 challenger Paul Molinelli Senior defeated Condrashoff with 63 percent of the vote, and 1,479 votes, to the incumbent’s 860. The race had 2,347 votes cast, including 178 “undervotes” that did not pick either candidate.
Robert Manassero took just over 60 percent of the vote in District 4, getting 1,332 votes to Dunn’s 865. Dunn’s loss leaves the agency with the need to appoint a new president, as Dunn was on track to be the next president.
In District 5, Arthur Toy won the seat with 887 votes, defeating John Asmus (who had 574 votes) and Dale Turner (who had 234). Toy will take over the Plymouth-area district for retiring Director Terence Moore, who leaves office after three terms.
In Plymouth, the top vote-getter was Sean McGinness, who moved out of town before the election. Peter Amoruso had 64 votes to win the second open seat, and Sandy Kyles had 41 votes. The city council must make an appointment to fill McGinness’ position, which becomes vacant after his win.
Also in Plymouth, the Measure O initiative to raise the Transient Occupancy Tax did not pass. Late Tuesday, Plymouth voters had cast 66 “no” votes and 64 people voted “yes.”
The election office still must count provisional and mail ballots, with several hundred estimated to have come in from all over the county.
Story by Jim Reece. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Amador County – Local supporters of the Preston Juvenile Correction facility plan to stuff two busses and take their concerns to their newly reelected state representative today (Thursday, November 4th) in Sacramento.
Supervisor Richard Forster said two busses, chartered by him and the Jackson Rancheria, will be full would be full by the time they left early today to attend a meeting of the California Legislature’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee set for 9 a.m. at the state Capitol.
Assemblywoman Alyson Huber, an 8 percent winner of District 10, representing Amador County, is chairwoman of the committee, which will have a hearing that Huber said was prompted by the “unjustified decision” by the California Department of Corrections to close Preston.
Huber said in a release Wednesday that the committee “will hold an oversight hearing on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The hearing will focus on the Division of Juvenile Justice and the Department’s process and procedures for closure of youth correctional facilities.”
Huber called for the hearing “after the Department of Corrections abruptly announced that they would be closing Preston” in Ione “with no economic impact reports or other evidence to justify the closure.”
Huber said she “is demanding the department answer questions about how this decision was made and how they will mitigate the impacts of the closure.”
A large number of community members and Preston employees are expected to attend the hearing, which will be televised.
Huber said witnesses will include Drew Soderborg, a senior fiscal and policy analyst of the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Also to appear as witnesses will be CDCR Undersecretary Scott Kernan, and Division of Juvenile Justice Chief Deputy Secretary Rachael Rios.
Public comment will be allowed after witnesses have testified.
Huber in a memo October 29th said the decision to close Preston “was made without prior notice of its intent or the input of the communities most affected by the closure.”
Since then, CDCR has held two meetings in Ione, but “failed to answer the key questions,” Huber said. The “Joint Legislative Audit Committee will hold several hearings on the proposed closure of Preston and will investigate exactly how CDCR comes to a conclusion that a particular facility should be closed.”
The committee will “also focus on what this potential closure means to the employees, businesses and residents of Ione and Amador County, as well as the plan’s potential impact on overall public safety,” she said. It will be an overview hearing, with more detailed committee hearings to follow.
Story by Jim Reece. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Amador County - Jackson Rancheria Casino is encouraging players and employees to shop locally with the new Shop Amador program.
Shop Amador began November 1st and is a follow-up to Shop Jackson, which was done in conjunction with the Jackson Revitalization Committee. The new program is managed entirely by Jackson Rancheria and is open to businesses throughout Amador County.
Local businesses simply agree to offer a discount to Dreamcatcher's Club members and Jackson Rancheria employees to participate in the program. In exchange, and at no cost to the business, they receive a listing in the monthly Arrow magazine and on the JacksonCasino.com website. Club members simply show their club card to take advantage of the discounts offered.
Shop Jackson discounts are also available to Jackson Rancheria employees and are included on their list of community discounts. Employees show their badge to receive the discounts.
“Encouraging our players and employees to visit local businesses has always been important to us,” said Jackson Rancheria CEO Rich Hoffman, “and in these economic times it’s even more critical that we all work together to support our business community and promote Amador County.”
Amador County businesses that would like to participate in Shop Amador can contact Amber Wooldridge at 223-8366, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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Plymouth denied extension to comment on Ione Miwok casino FEIR
Written by Tom
Amador County – Plymouth Mayor Patricia Fordyce and Vice Mayor Greg Baldwin reported speaking recently with Congressman Dan Lungren about the possibility of a tribal casino coming to Plymouth.
The Ione Band of Miwok Indians filed its Final Environmental Impact Report for the casino with the federal government, and Fordyce said the city and Lungren both asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs for an extension on the comment period. Fordyce said “we were both denied.”
They also found that Washington, D.C. knows nothing of the issue, and she asked to whom the Department of the Interior answers. City Manager Dixon Flynn said the Interior secretary answers to the president.
Fordyce said Lungren told them that the city can do a nexus study for federal land. Lungren said Congress cannot create an earmark for funding unless they have a nexus study, and it must be federal land. The Ione Miwok tribe is seeking a fee-to-trust status for the land, to become home to a tribal gambling casino.
Fordyce and Baldwin reported on their meeting during council reports last week.
The council last week voted 4-0 to accept the completion of a wastewater collection system by Twain Harte Construction company. Flynn said the project came in $22,000 under budget, and there were five change orders during the process that were unanticipated. He said being short of the estimate means the city will not be reimbursed for the $22,000.
Baldwin said he thought the city would try to use the funds on other collection lines, and Finance Director Jeff Gardner said the funds came form the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act program, were held to strict use, and could not be applied to another project.
The council also voted 4-0 to approve waiving a first reading of a code enforcement law, which would give the city council final power of approval or denial of appeals of enforcement actions. Baldwin said he did not want to “politicize this” but the council was given power over the final decision of code enforcement.
Flynn said that was his “doing,” because he thought it was best to give the council the last word. He said the city manager has decision power, but if someone is not happy with a decision, they can appeal it to the city council for a final ruling.
Flynn said the appeal is not directly made to the council, as people “must go through the process” of enforcement first. After the decision process, the last resort is the appeal to the city council.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Upcoming community workshop will gather input on proposed Pine Grove-88 Corridor Project
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Amador County Transportation Commission (ACTC) announced yesterday that another community workshop will be held to gather input on the proposed Pine Grove/Highway 88 Corridor Project.
According to a public notice, Caltrans in cooperation with ACTC, is proposing to modify the highway through downtown Pine Grove “in order to reduce congestion, improve operations and enhance safety between the intersections at Climax Road and Tabeau Road.
Speaking at a Town Hall in April, ACTC Program Manager Neil Peacock said the project proposal includes 12 different alternatives for route modifications at a price tag “not to exceed $40 million.” He said the “purpose of this project is three-fold: to improve operations, alleviate congestion and enhance safety.”
All of the proposed alternatives include extensive road widening or the construction of new roads all together through forested, mountainous areas, which would affect existing structures and land parcels.
Caltrans originally determined the need for the project a decade ago based on traffic and safety studies. In subsequent years, Caltrans completed a project study report and acquired federal funding from a variety of sources, including a $356,000 earmark from Congressman Dan Lungren to be used for project planning. In 2008, a cooperative agreement was developed making ACTC the “Implementing Agency” for project management while Caltrans still retains “Lead Agency” status and project oversight.
ACTC and Caltrans are seeking to guide the project along through the concept of “Context Sensitive Solutions,” which, according to Caltrans, are defined in part as a way “to provide for the needs of all highway users in balance with the needs of the local community and the context of the project.”
Representatives from both agencies will lead the workshop with a presentation and project update, including a discussion on alternatives and an opportunity for audience feedback. There will also be an open house which will include “maps, exhibits, graphics, and an opportunity for one-on-one discussions with project representatives.”
The workshop will take place Tuesday, November 16th at Pine Grove Elementary in Pine Grove. The open house begins at 5:30 pm. A formal presentation and public comment period will begin at 6 pm. ACTC will then facilitate a workshop with individuals to discuss the project alternatives and gather ideas and feedback on potential project solutions.
To submit comments to be included in the public record, contact Gail Miller, Senior Environmental Planner for Caltrans at 559-243-8724 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – Amador County voters go to the polls today to decide eight local seats and a variety of state and federal races.
Amador County Elections Office said there will be 21,354 people eligible to vote in Amador County, while a breakdown of districts and municipalities shows the number of votes needed by candidates to clinch their races.
Registrar of Voters Sheldon Johnson said 50 percent plus one of the total possible eligible votes will be needed in each race, including the six-candidate race for three seats on the Ione City Council.
Ione has 2,126 eligible voters for Tuesday’s election, which means one of the candidates can secure a seat with 1,064 votes.
In the Sutter Creek City Council race, four candidates vie for two positions. There are 1,740 registered voters who are eligible to vote. The candidates can assure a position with 871 votes, or one vote over 50 percent.
The Amador Water Agency board of directors has three seats being sought in three different supervisorial districts. Two candidates running in District 1 will be elected by its 4,051 registered voters, and the winning candidate can clinch the election with 2,026 votes.
In AWA District 4, the registered voters total 4,333, and one of the two candidates for the seat can secure a win with 2,167 votes.
Three candidates are running for the AWA District 5 seat, and there are 4,452 voters eligible to vote. The winning candidate can seal a victory by getting 2,227 votes.
Of the 21,354 registered voters in Amador County, 7,077 are Democrats; 9,750 are Republicans; 3,431 are “decline to state”; and 1,096 claim other parties.
A Field Research Corporation poll released Sunday said Proposition 19 to legalize marijuana had fallen behind by 7 percentage points. The poll said opponents of Proposition 19 now outnumber supporters 49 percent to 42 percent, with 9 percent undecided. It showed a “reversal from mid-September,” when supporters led a poll by the same 49-42 percent margin.
The Poll found “continuing opposition to Proposition 23, the initiative to suspend AB 32, the state’s greenhouse gas reduction law.” The poll showed 48 percent of likely voters were against the initiative, and 33 percent supported it.
Prop 25, which “would permit the state legislature to approve a budget with a simple majority vote, is getting the support of 48 percent of likely voters.” 31 percent opposed the proposition, with 21 percent undecided.
The poll talked to 1,501 registered voters between October 14th and 26th.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Caltrans community workshop to gather input on long range Hwy. 49 plan
Written by Tom
Amador County - Caltrans announced Thursday it will hold a community workshop to gather local input on a long range plan it is developing for Highway 49.
Also known as the “Golden Chain Highway,” Highway 49 originates in Oakhurst in Madera County and ends near Vinton in Plumas County, passing through Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa counties on the way. It is considered the primary roadway connecting the communities of the central Sierra Nevada foothills.
According to Caltrans, they will hold community outreach meetings to gather input for a Transportation Concept Report (TCR), a “long range planning document that identifies concepts for how the corridor will be developed and managed over a 20-year period.”
The TCR is developed to review current and future traffic conditions and land use; consider transportation alternatives such as transit services, bicycle and pedestrian; identify planned projects and recommend future improvements; and determine a route concept.
The agency says “safety, mobility and capacity” are currently major issues on the corridor. These concerns include congestion in local communities, encroachment on state highways, a lack of cost-effective transit services, and a lack of a consistent network of pedestrian and bike paths that link communities and visitor attractions.
The development of the TCR is linked to a number of recently approved planning efforts or efforts in progress both in Amador and neighboring counties, including the Amador County 2004 RTP Update, the Amador County Blueprint, and the Amador County General Plan Update.
The local TCR community workshop takes place November 3rd from 6-8 pm at the American Legion Hall, 12134 Airport Road in Martell. For more information, contact Lynn O’Connor, Chief of the Office of System and Advanced Planning at (209) 948-3975.
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D.A. hopes Zimmerman guilty verdict brings “some measure of justice” to O’Sullivan family
Written by Tom
Amador County – Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe complimented his staff on a tough job done well this week after a jury returned a guilty verdict Wednesday in the murder trial of Kenneth John Zimmerman of Fiddletown.
A 12-person jury issued a verdict finding Zimmerman guilty of second degree murder and found it true under a special allegation that Zimmerman “personally and intentionally discharged a firearm causing the death of John Michael O’Sullivan,” according to statement released Thursday by Riebe.
In the statement, Riebe said “after 14 hours of deliberation beginning Friday morning, the jury informed (Superior Court) Judge James E. Cadle that they had reached a verdict.”
The verdict came just after 1 pm Wednesday, indicating the guilty finding, and also saying “the jury found Zimmerman not guilty of first degree murder and criminal threats, but could not reach a verdict on false imprisonment, resulting in a mistrial on that charge.”
Riebe said he was “very pleased with the verdict,” and “the jury listened carefully to all the evidence and worked hard to uncover the truth of what transpired.” He said they “dispatched their duties in a thoughtful and professional manner under difficult circumstances.”
“Most importantly,” Riebe said, “this verdict holds Mr. Zimmerman accountable for what he did by taking away the life of a husband and father.” Riebe said “hopefully,” the decision “provides some measure of justice for his family.”
Riebe said he had “high praise” for his prosecution team, led by Steve Hermanson. He said Hermanson, co-counsel Joe Gasperetti, investigators Noel Dunne and Gary Stevens, paralegal Kim Holland, and Victim-Witness advocate Harla Ward “lived this case for more than a year and put in hundreds of hours of preparation.” He said “this result is a testament towards their work ethic, professionalism and compassion.”
Riebe also complimented Sheriff Martin Ryan’s office for its work in the initial investigation. He said “it demonstrates, yet again, what fine work our local law enforcement team accomplishes by working together.”
Zimmerman returns to court 2 pm Monday, November 29th for sentencing, Riebe said, and the Fiddletown resident “faces a likely sentence of 40 years to life in state prison.”
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
