News Archive (6192)
Amador County – A California initiative aimed at legalizing recreational marijuana use has received enough signatures to be included on the November ballot. Oakland businessman Richard Lee successfully collected the 690,000 signatures required to put the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act up for public vote. Limited pot use is already legal for medical purposes under Proposition 215 passed in 1996. In a recent interview with ABC News, Lee equates a revenue stream created by marijuana to the role lifting alcohol prohibition played in helping the country out of the great depression. A 2006 report released by a marijuana public policy analyst contends that “California is responsible for more than a third of the (U.S.) cannabis harvest, with an estimated production of $13.8 billion that exceeds the value of the state's grapes, vegetables and hay combined,” as reported by the LA Times. “The bad economy has definitely helped us out a lot as far as opening up a lot of people's minds to seeing that this is a waste of money and that we need to use our public funds better and tax these people,” Lee said. But there are mixed feelings about what this legislation will mean to the health and security of our state, especially amongst those in law enforcement. According to Amador County Sheriff Martin Ryan, legalizing marijuana would compromise public health. “The fact is, the potent marijuana people smoke today isn’t your grandma’s marijuana from the 70’s,” he said. Ryan referenced a statement made by White House Drug Czar Chief R. Gil Kerlikowske before the California Police Chiefs Association in March. Kerlikowske noted a number of scientific studies that associate marijuana use “with dependence, respiratory and mental illness, poor motor performance, and cognitive impairment, among other negative effects.” He said “legalizing marijuana would also saddle government with the dual burden of regulating a new legal market while continuing to pay for the negative side effects associated with an underground market whose providers have little economic incentive to disappear.” Ryan added that “California should not be in the business of trying to regulate a drug that has been deemed illegal by the federal government.” The federal government still classifies marijuana as a schedule 1 narcotic, or a category of drugs not considered legitimate for medical use. If pot were legalized on a state-by-state basis, there is some grey area as to what action the feds would take. The Obama administration announced last year they are moving toward a policy to treat drug use as a health issue and prioritize treatment and prevention above imprisonment. Obama has pledged to end the Bush administration's raids on medical marijuana patients and caregivers in states where marijuana is legal for medical use, but progress is slow. The November ballot measure would allow adults 21 or older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana for personal use. It also would allow the growing of up to 25 square-feet of marijuana per residence. An ABC News/Washington Post poll in January found that 46 percent of Americans support legalizing small amounts of marijuana for personal use, up from 39 percent in 2002. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 05 April 2010 18:00
Ione Mayor Notifies Community of City Council Law Enforcement Stance
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Ione City Council today could discuss the local effort to force a ballot initiative for law enforcement services, and will see a letter that the mayor sent to residents notifying them about the city council’s actions on the issue thus far. City Manager Kim Kerr reported to the city council March 31st on recommendations regarding the ballot initiative for law enforcement services, being sought by Jackson Valley resident Jim Scully and Ione resident Denise Robertson, who are trying to place the initiative on the November ballot. The city council directed staff to draft a letter to send out with the city’s sewer billing statement regarding its actions at its March 16th regular meeting. The report included “no new information,” but shared a copy of the letter, prepared by City Attorney Kristen Castanos and Mayor Schaufel and signed by the mayor. The undated letter was addressed to citizens of Ione, and stated that its purpose was “to make you aware of a petition currently being circulated to Ione residents seeking to place a measure on the November ballot that would transfer law enforcement services from the city of Ione to the Amador County Sheriff’s Office.” The letter said Castanos “has provided the necessary title and summary as required by California elections law,” and Scully and Robertson have until August 17th to return the petition (with 206 signatures that necessary) to the city for certification. Schaufel said in the letter that during the March 16th meeting at Evalynn Bishop Hall, representatives from the Amador County Sheriff’s Office and a majority of residents in attendance “spoke in support of keeping local control of law enforcement services.” Schaufel’s letter said the “city council voted 5-0 not to support the ballot initiative and in support of keeping law enforcement service with the Ione Police Department. In a separate action, the “council voted 3-2 not to pursue litigation against the ballot initiative proponents at this time,” Schaufel said. The letter urged residents to contact Ione Police Chief Michael Johnson or Kerr with “any questions or concerns you have regarding the services provided by the Ione Police Department.” The city council meets 6 p.m. today at city hall. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County - The Amador Farmers Markets starts its seventeenth season next month in Jackson. The schedules have been established for the upcoming season, which are: Jackson Market at the Busi Municipal parking lot (at Mel and Faye's Diner), Sundays, 9 am to 1 pm, starting on May 16th; Sutter Creek at the Eureka St. parking lot, Saturdays, 8 am to 11 am, starting on June 5th; Pine Grove at the Community Park, Wednesdays 3 pm to 6 pm, starting on June 16th. Markets will feature live music and special events as well as an abundance of local produce and products. Local support for ongoing expenses includes a grant from the Amador Community Foundation as well as the Plymouth Rotary and the Amador County Board of Supervisors. For more information about the Farmers' Market, contact the market manager at 209-419-2503, or go to www.amadorfarmersmarket.com. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County - Sutter Creek’s most popular annual event, the “Great Sutter Creek Duck Race,” is just around the corner. On April 24th, hometown residents and visitors alike will gather at Minnie Provis Park to watch thousands of ducks “race” through the creek as part of this unique hometown tradition. Proceeds from the 23rd annual event will go to benefit 13 different local charities. Over $8,500 in cash and prizes will be awarded. The first place duck will get $2,500, second place receives $1,500, and third place gets $1,000. As a special added incentive this year, duck owners will also get a chance at winning $1 million! Also at the park will be plenty of booths with kids games, food, drawings, music and a parade. Duck adoptions are $5 or 5 ducks for $20. Ducks can be purchased at many local businesses or look for a charity booth located on the downtown Sutter Creek bridge on weekends. For the first time, coordination of the annual race will fall under the Amador County recreation Agency. The race takes place Saturday, April 24th from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Contact ACRA at 223-6373 for more details. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – The Plymouth City Council on Thursday will consider an amendment to the agreement that creates the Amador Fire Protection Authority. The amendment, unanimously recommended by the AFPA board of directors, includes shifting from a regional, consolidation-oriented organization, and into a “sub-regional” organization. Plymouth City Manager Dixon Flynn will present a staff report to the Plymouth City Council Thursday detailing the amendment. Flynn in the report recommends the Plymouth City Council approve the first amendment to the AFPA “Joint Powers Authority” agreement, and authorize Flynn to sign it. Flynn’s report was prepared by Kim Kerr, city manager of Ione, and one of the 7 member entities of the AFPA. AFPA’s membership includes the cities of Plymouth, Ione and Jackson, the Amador Fire Protection District, Jackson Valley Fire Protection District, Sutter Creek Fire Protection District, and Lockwood Fire District. Kerr in the report said that since Measure M was approved in 2008, the half-cent sales tax took effect and has been accumulating since April 1st, 2009. “Final distribution formula details recommended by AFPA were approved” by the Amador County Board of Supervisors last December. Kerr said “other revenues resulting from AFPA efforts” are community facilities district assessments on new development in most areas of the county, and re-allocation of Proposition 172, a state-wide ½-cent sales tax, which was switched from paying entirely toward law enforcement, to a 50-50 split with fire services, for the next 10 years. Kerr’s report said after Measure M was approved, AFPA recognized the need to amend its forming agreement. One change “is a slight de-emphasis on consolidation of fire services,” Kerr said: “The original agreement clearly stated that consolidation was one of the purposes of” AFPA, but “efforts among some agencies to focus on their own region, particularly the city of Ione and Jackson Valley Fire District, have moved this objective in a direction of sub-regionalization rather than a full consolidation of all departments within the county.” The amendment to the AFPA Joint Power Authority agreement must be approved by a majority of its 7 members. The amendment includes language to deemphasize full consolidation, though Kerr said “all agencies continue to state that full consolidation at a future time is still a worthy objective.” The amendments would also remove an “advisory team” that “does not need to be specified in the agreement.” Kerr said the AFPA board unanimously recommended the amendment for approval, and Jackson City Council was the first member entity to review the amendment. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – Animal Outreach of the Mother Lode, which provides low-cost spay and neuter services for cats and dogs, seeks donations as it moves its clinic. The El Dorado County-based organization provides services to El Dorado, Sacramento, Placer, Amador, Yolo and Stanislaus counties. To accommodate the increasing need for its programs, including a cat shelter and adoptions, and spaying and neutering of feral cats, Animal Outreach moved its clinic to 6106 Enterprise Drive Suite B, in Diamond Springs March 15. Items needed for the new clinic include a laryngoscope, heated top hydraulic surgery table, T-Kennels for dogs, large-capacity washer and dryer, kennel cage cups for food and water, large metal food and water bowls, collapsible cages for cats, new or lightly used cat trees of all sizes, dry and canned cat food, kitten food and kitten formula, large cat pans, non-clumping litter, letter and legal size paper, and stamps and envelopes. Monetary donations are also welcome. For more information, call Animal Outreach of the Mother Lode at (530) 642-2287, or see www.animaloutreachcats.com. A TSPN TV Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 05 April 2010 01:57
Specialty Crop Block Grant to Benefit Agricultural Education
Written by Tom
Amador County - El Dorado County Ag in the Classroom has been awarded a Specialty Crop Block Grant by the California Department of Food and Agriculture to expand their specialty crop agricultural education and outreach programs in the El Dorado County region, including Amador County. Through a highly competitive process, Ag in the Classroom was selected to receive $120,000 over a two-year period to increase educational opportunities for teachers, students and the public by developing three new projects and expanding existing programs. For more information, call (530) 622-7116. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 05 April 2010 01:59
ARTS Mobility Manager Mobilizes Organizations, Volunteers
Written by Tom
Amador County – Partly cloudy skies last week over Amador County did not diminish the spirit of philanthropy at the first-of-its-kind Volunteer Fair Wednesday at the American Legion Hall in Martell. Amador Regional Transit System hosted the Volunteer Fair, in conjunction with Common Ground Senior Services, with personnel from at least 15 nonprofit organizations chatting up potential volunteers, and signing up those more willing to donate time to the causes. Mel Welsh, director of ARTS’s new “Mobility Management” department, and assistant Caitlin Grillo, spearheaded the volunteer drive. The volunteer fair was attended by representatives who gave out material about their respective groups and signed up hopeful volunteers. Some of the agencies were ARTS’s Mobility Management Center, Common Ground Senior Services, and Amador County Health Department. Lisa Heimeyer attended, representing Interfaith Foodbank; Lori Halvorson handed out information about the Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency’s different programs; and Ann Methered spoke with people about the various programs offered by Hospice of Amador and Calaveras Counties. Nina Machado said she was representing 2 groups at once, including the Amador First 5 program for children ages zero to 5, and also the Amador Support, Transportation And Resource Services, for which she is a member of its volunteer board of directors. She said STARS is looking for volunteers to lead committees on its next Camp Out For Cancer fundraising walk-a-thon, coming in the fall. All of the organizations were taking volunteer information, but most were also giving out pamphlets and brochures about their programs. Common Ground talked about its “Meals On Wheels,” A-TCAA had its “Mentoring Works,” and most booths had sheets to sign up for specific programs and projects. STARS also gave info on its other fundraisers, the Coldwell Banker Golf Tournament, and Bunco For Breast Cancer. A-Pal’s booth included its “Cat Lovers” program, with head cat-lover and Feed Barn owner, Susan Manning at the booth. Public Health recruited for its “Disaster Healthcare Volunteers” program, after a successful series of volunteer-staffed clinics through flu season for the double threat of the H1N1 and seasonal flues. Another was Amador County Recreation Agency, which this year has taken over administration of the 23rd Annual Great Sutter Creek Duck Race, set for April 24th at Minnie Provis Park, and which in turn raises money for 13 different local non-profit beneficiaries. Organizations also represented included Sierra Wind Wellness & Recovery Center; Area 12 Agency on Aging; Operation Care; Senior Peer Counseling; and The Resource Connection. For information, call one of the agencies. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – The Amador County Planning Department began a Subsequent Environmental Impact Report on Wednesday toward reopening the former Cogen facility on Coal Mine Road. The public scoping session began for a request by Buena Vista Biomass Power to amend the plant’s permit to no longer burn lignite as fuel, and to replace the fuel there as only wood, agriculture and other organic matter. BVBP would reopen the plant using original and updated environmental documents. Several people questioned the plans for the plant, saying they did not give enough detail. Jerry Cassesi of Jackson Valley burning all woody biomass could be “more harmful that lignite burning.” Donna Ogelvie of Camanche Parkway North worried about truck trips, particulate matter, truck noise and ambient light; and Butch Cranford of Plymouth said BVBP documents have internal contradictions, sometimes “in the same paragraph.” He said the public deserves project descriptions and more detailed plans, including the size of the fuel trucks and the quantity of fuel being burned, and how much emissions would come out. Without those, he said scoping comments were pretty much irrelevant. Kathleen Dubois worried about hazardous material, hydrology and water quality, and said the Amador Water Agency should be contacted. She also asked “what is clean urban waste,” (a fuel listed by the applicant), and who would monitor it. Dubois said the plant needs trees and slash to make money, and supplies need to be guaranteed. And with using all biomass as fuel, she wondered how far the truck hauling would occur outside a 50-mile radius. Rux Oneto, Cogen plant co-owner, said truckers pay $500 annual permits to offset their impacts of hauling heavy loads. Steve Brink of the California Forestry Association, a trade organization, said the region would benefit by the plant reducing emissions though reducing outdoor burning in national forests. He said the Highway 50 and 88 corridor would supply about 100,000 tons of slash a year, through forest management cutting. He said that would be about 70 percent of what Buena Vista Biomass Power would need to operate annually. Brink said that amount of forest management slash is now “being piled and burned.” Controlled internal combustion of wood reduces “criteria pollutant emissions” by 98 percent over open-air burning. Brink said “we have not controlled vegetation in 60 years and it shows,” in the density of air emissions from wildfires. He said wildfires are the Number 1 supplier of particulate emissions, accounting for 30 percent. Number 2 is residential wood smoke, accounting for 14 percent, and diesel fuel accounts for 5 percent. He said there is a national question about whether wood burning should be considered “carbon neutral.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County - The Federal Communications Commission is in the midst of processing applications from 9 groups competing for an open radio frequency in Sutter Creek. The application window for the frequency became available February 19th and stayed open for less than two weeks, but interested parties have known of its availability since last October, when the FCC announced it would open at least 66 FM channels in towns across the country for “non-commercial, educational” broadcast purposes, or NCE. In California, channels were opened in McKinleyville, Westley, Hemet and Sutter Creek. Competing applicants for Sutter Creek are the Sonora Sierra Heritage Foundation, Hispanic Family Christian Network, Indiana Educational Broadcasting Corporation, Sutter Hill Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Educational Media Foundation, Calvary Chapel of Amador County, Farms of Amador, Grace Public Radio and Mother Lode Public Radio. Four of these applicants have affiliations or backing from Christian groups who also support, operate or fund numerous other frequencies throughout the country. The Hispanic Family Christian Network is also applying for the Westley and Hemet channels, while Grace Public Radio has a second application in for McKinleyville. Representatives of locally-based, smaller groups like Farms of Amador have made it clear that there mission is to offer “an alternative to corporate media and its incredible influence on the information people receive nationwide.” As an example, they cited massive corporate entities like Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and Clear Channel Radio. After the FCC’s initial announcement of its intent to open low-power channels five years ago, community activists across the country hailed the move as an opportunity to give the “little man” a voice on a medium dominated by conglomerates. But the multi-step process takes years of proactive follow-up through a maze of bureaucracy, not to mention stiff competition from well-funded Christian organizations. “Church groups make up roughly half the 344 applicants licensed by the Federal Communications Commission for stations with a broadcasting range of about five miles,” according to a 2005 article in the San Francisco Chronicle. An FCC release says the Sutter Creek frequency “is designated as a Class A station, with a maximum contour distance of about 17 miles.” The FCC says it “will select from among the competing NCE FM applicants by using a point system,” although the specifics of that system are hard to verify. One source involved with the Sonora Sierra Heritage Foundation told TSPN there are a number of factors involved in the selection process, including “the existence of your non-profit organization for at least two years,” whether you have previously applied or already operate a station on another frequency, and the educational mission of your group. The local frequency, FM 107.5, will be a full-power station with the capability of reaching Sacramento once it is fully operational. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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