Amador County - The latest act of vandalism on Jackson’s Main Street came in the form of smashed flowerpots in front of Hein & Company bookstore, highlighting an ongoing problem in a struggling area. The flowerpots, as documented by Hein & Company co-owner Linda Hein, were discovered while she and her husband were taking their morning walk. “This is just an example of something that happens on an almost monthly basis,” said Hein. “My husband, Wolf, and I are daily walkers in the morning before opening up our business on Main Street, and we are regular viewers of the mess and breakage.” Hein said the damage usually occurs on a Friday or Saturday night. Hein said she calls the Sheriff whenever it seems “over the top.” Cindy Turner, owner of Detailed Events, said her son’s former business was vandalized three times. Past acts of vandalism include graffiti and broken windows. In one incident, vandals cut the internet cable and rigged it to provide service to their residence, located behind the business. Vandals kicked in the door to the business on different occasions. “I just see little business, no tourism and everyone downtown is really suffering,” said Turner. “None of that is good for the future,” she said. Eleanor Caputo, owner of the Studio 18 Gallery, said she has been the victim of numerous vandalisms, including a broken bench, ripped up flowers and broken bottles. She and Merzlak Signs owner Kam Merzlak were reluctant to hang a giant photo banner of Amador County on Main Street, but decided it was necessary in order to “make it all look better.” She said little things, like adding new coats of paint, cleaning up sidewalks and getting rid of “the urine smell on the street” were all good starts. Caputo believes this blight is created in part by individuals who loiter on the streets in front of downtown bars like the Main Event and the Fargo Club. “I’m a smoker myself, but I know it’s disrespectful to stand in front of the bar and smoke where people can smell it and spit on the sidewalk,” she said. The issue of downtown revitalization is an ongoing topic at Jackson City Council meetings. Last summer, the Jackson Revitalization Committee and the Jackson Rancheria created a “Shop Jackson” advertising partnership intended to stimulate downtown business by providing special offers and discounts to the casino’s Dreamcatchers Club members. Nevertheless, vandalism continues. Hein sent out an email seeking suggestions for how to deal with the issue. Caputo believes revitalization is a result of how much people put in. “Negative evokes negative but positive evokes positive,” said Caputo, adding: “If we all walk around with a positive attitude, it will spread and show in our downtown.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - Local residents of Serbian descent gathered together on Thursday for a noisy and festive celebration of the first day of Serbian Christmas, a three day event. The Serbian Orthodox Church uses the traditional Julian Calendar to determine the date of Christmas, which this year fell on January 7th. Celebrators first gathered for a 10 a.m. service at St. Sava Church in Jackson, which, according to church officials, is considered to be the “Mother Church” of the Serbian denomination in North America and the traditional starting point for the Serbian Christmas procession. After the service, a procession led by Amador County residents Beau Gillman and Jess Votaw – both of Serbian descent – made its way down Jackson’s Main Street. A row of trucks honked and passengers shouted “Cestit Ti Bozic!” – which means “Merry Christmas” - before stopping in front of The National Hotel. At that point, at least ten Serbian men proceeded to get out of their vehicles, load single and double barrel shotguns and point them at the sky. “Folks were quite surprised because before they knew it, these men began firing off their weapons in order,” said Kam Merzlak, owner of Merzlak Signs. Kam contributed a video of the procession. Merzlak said the men fired off their weapons two or three different times. He said Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison was on scene to ensure onlookers that this was an approved shooting event. “When I saw the shell casings on the ground, I was glad to see there were no spray painted circles around them,” joked Merzlak. After the raucous procession, the tradition continued as families joined together to spend quality time in different households. Christmas surpasses all other days celebrated by Serbs, with respect to the diversity of applied folk customs and rituals. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.