News Archive (6192)
Amador County – The Fiddletown Preservation Society made a request before the Board of Supervisors Tuesday for a loan of $100,000 to assist in paying outstanding bills associated with the restoration of historic buildings in Fiddletown. The restorations referred to are for the Chinese Gambling Hall and Chinese General Store, both over 150 years old. The buildings came very close to imploding as the walls bulged and the cracks widened and were only months away from becoming ruins when the restoration crew completed restorations last December. Repairs have been going on over the course of seven years as funding comes in. Society member Carl McDanel recapped the long history the Society has had with the county, both in applying for grants and as caretakers for the historic Chinese buildings. He said the Society is facing a “Catch-22.” The California Cultural and Historical Endowment and Prop 12 require a holdback amount of their grants until all invoices are paid, but the Society can’t pay off the invoices until the grant funding is released. In addition, the Prop 12 resolution to release the funds expires on June 30th of 2009. “Your support so far…has made it all possible, but we need more help,” said McDanel. The Supervisors sympathized with McDanel as he outlined the complex requirements of obtaining funding through the state. “It seems like they hold all the strings and pull them the way they want to,” said Supervisor Louis Boitano. Supervisor Brian Oneto asked County Counsel whether the county would become liable for not helping the Society with its debts. “If we don’t help them, it becomes our problem.,” he said, adding: “We’ll be happy to do what it takes to help the Society.” The Supervisors approved 4-0 a motion for County Counsel to draft an agreement for a bridge loan to the Society in the amount of $100,000. Supervisor Richard Forster was absent from the meeting. McDanel said the money will be paid back “the day we get our checks.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – The Amador County Recreation Agency this week announced that it has won a grant of $2,500 dollars that will be used to hold a free flag football tournament at Howard Park in Ione. CRA Recreation Specialist Matt Nestor said the grant is from the National Recreation and Parks Association for a flag football program, and it will help ACRA bring a Youth Flag Football Tournament to Howard Park on Memorial Day weekend, May 23rd and 24th, starting at 10 a.m. each day. Nestor said the double-elimination tournament was made possible by the grant from NRPA and USA Football. ACRA’s application was one of more than 450 agencies from parks and recreation departments, schools and independent youth associations seeking a NRPA/USA Football Youth Football Grant. Each applicant submitted details on “the state of youth football in their community” in order to qualify for funding through this competitive process. Both tackle and flag football programs were considered for support across the country. Of the 450 applicants, 126 received funding totaling $300,000, the NRPA said, “to enhance programs and create stability for the future of youth football at the grassroots level.” ACRA Executive Director Tracey Towner-Yep said the $2,500 dollar award “will allow us to offer local youths age 8 to 16 a chance to participate in a team sport opportunity free of charge.” She said ACRA is “looking forward to a weekend of fun, teambuilding, and good competition. This can only serve to have a positive effect on the youths of our community.”
USA Football Executive Director Scott Hallenbeck said “millions of American youngsters, like those in Amador County, weave flag football into the fabric of our cities and towns. The game brings us together and instills team-first values for the kids who love to play it. USA Football and NPRA grant “financial help for equipment, uniforms and other needs to keep America’s favorite sport and its character-building qualities thriving.” For more information about the youth flag football tournament, visit ACRA’s new Web site, www.goacra.org, or call (209) 223-6349. E-mail Nestor at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Staff Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – A $185,000-dollar slice of the federal pie prompted the Amador County Transportation Commission to draft a “modest thank-you letter” to Congressman Dan Lungren, who added the earmark to a recent federal spending bill. The ACTC board considered the letter, which Executive Director Charles Field said should also be directing thanks to the work of the Amador County Board of Supervisors and its staff. Field said actually getting the funds is still difficult, but project coordinator Neil Peacock and ACTC are already “beginning to work with stakeholders in Pine Grove.” Peacock has attended meeting of the Upcountry Community Council and the Pine Grove Community Council. The supplemental appropriation will ensure that the study work and public meetings will go through, Field said earlier this week. At Wednesday’s meeting, he told the ACTC board that “we are just waiting for the final red tape to get cleared.” Peacock also requested a late addition of the agenda: a resolution of support for a grant application that is due to be sent April 1st. The “Community-based Transportation Planning Grant Application” is being applied for by ACTC on behalf of the cities of Jackson and Ione, for work on Highways 49, 88, 104 and 124. Peacock said ACTC’s “Overal Work Program” list “anticipates submitting a grant request for $300,000, with a required local match of $75,000.” Peacock said the “project will use land use and traffic demand forecasts to analyze transportation improvements required to maintain acceptable levels of service based on the cities’ existing guidelines. Then, a prioritized funding strategy will be created to implement the identified improvements over a long-range planning horizon.” He said the “final product is expected to be a dynamic implementation program that can be used by the cities to plan, prioritize and fund transportation improvement projects that support the cities’ visions as outlined in their General Plans.” He said a ACTC has a “goal of fostering a consistent, county-wide approach” and “has previously undertaken a similar effort in Martell and is currently beginning a similar project in Plymouth.” The ACTC board approved the resolution unanimously. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – Several hours into its first board meeting, the new faces of the Amador Water Agency Board of Directors picked its oldest face to remain president, Thursday morning at the agency office. The board kept District 5’s Terence Moore as president and selected a newly elected member, District 1 Board Member Bill Condrashoff as Vice President. Both were selected on 5-0 votes. Debbie Dunn (District 4) in discussion said she thought all 4 new members would make capable presidents. District 3’s Don Cooper nominated Moore as president, Condrashoff as vice president and then suggested the new rotation put Dunn third in line to be president in three years, followed by District 2’s Gary Thomas and then Cooper himself. Thomas seconded the nomination then suggested just the two nominees be voted on, with the rotation order to be addressed later. Dunn said that they were looking at five people that have never worked together before, and after a year, she did not want to make the next appointment automatic for someone who might not work well with the others. Condrashoff asked if the president had power over other board members, and asked if placing items on the agenda was such a power. General Manager Jim Abercrombie said the board can set agenda items only by vote. AWA attorney Steve Kronick said that under the Brown Act, the president had the power to call a special meeting, something the board cannot change. Regarding policy, the board can determine public speaking time limits (currently 5 minutes) or other policy. Kronick suggested the board look through board policy and come forward with suggestions. Condrashoff said he “would like to be vice president” and he would “like to be president in a year,” but he wanted to learn the job and did not think he would have the “band width to be able to lead” until after a year on the board. Moore said he would like to have the new members lead the discussion and sound off on issues – something not as easily done from the president’s chair, because the president runs the meeting and comments only at the end of the discussion. The board next meets January 8th. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
Amador County – Interfaith Food Bank Director Kathleen Harmon has pledged to spend today hosting a turkey drive for Amador County’s less fortunate. She plans to be at the Food Bank all day today to accept donations of turkeys to meet a deficit. The charity is struggling to get Thanksgiving dinners together in a season when needy families have nearly doubled over last year. Harmon said last year they had 500 applications for Thanksgiving dinners. This year the received 940 applications and two weeks ago were still 400 birds short of fulfilling those wishes. The number narrowed to about 300 by last Friday. She said they “don’t want anybody to not have a turkey on their table.” The Turkey Drive will start with Harmon’s appearance at 7 a.m. today on AM Live here on TSPN, then continue throughout the day at the Interfaith Food Bank at 12181 Airport Road on Sutter Hill. Harmon showed a filling warehouse Friday, with donations pouring in and 100 turkeys in cold storage, but all spoken for. They were being held for a local church. The economic downturn has sent people to the food bank who have never had to go there before. Harmon said “what has happened overwhelmingly across the country is that the demand is up and the donations are down.” She said the federal emergency food program normally gives out 15 to 20 items a month in Amador County. This month, it gave out 5 items. She said “As everybody gets that flurry and that fear, jobs start to go away.” Post-Christmas layoffs make January and February the Food Bank’s busiest months. She said the Food Bank is run by a staff of volunteers of all ages, including her parents and many others. And she had faith, saying “when you say something to this community, it gets the word out.” Donate a turkey at the Food Bank,, 12181 Airport Road, Sutter Hill. For information, call (209) 267-9006. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
Amador County - A spell of warm, dry weather has forced two Sierra ski resorts to postpone their season openings. Heavenly and Kirkwood resorts had planned to open this week after a wet start to November. But a week of warm and dry weather during the middle part of the month has pushed back their opening dates to at least Thanksgiving weekend. Heavenly, which has Lake Tahoe's most expansive snowmaking operation, announced on its Web site that the resort will open when conditions allow. “The forecast for the next five days calls for a cooling trend that should give us better snowmaking temperatures,” said resort spokesman Russ Pecoraro. Kirkwood said it will open Thanksgiving weekend, conditions permitting. With the recent high temperatures, resorts have been unable to maximize their snowmaking capabilities. Staff Report (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
The Plymouth City Council on Thursday voted to approve its potable water pipeline project and followed it by cancelling a plan to raise city water rates and also set staff to work studying the city’s current developer impact fees. The council directed staff to study the current fees and to bring back the findings with a recommendation on whether or not the fees were adequate. The pipeline was approved to be awarded to Mountain Cascade Inc., and City Manager Dixon Flynn recommended the council cancel a rate increase challenge meeting, and with it cancel plans for a rate increase. Flynn said “one of the items here tonight is to cancel that meeting. We don’t need it. Our current rate structure will pay for the project.” Instead, he urged that the city guarantee its 5 Million Dollar loan for the pipeline project with those developer water impact fees. Flynn urged approval of the pipeline before the vote, saying that the 10.9-Million-Dollar project would cost the city an estimated 3.8 Million Dollars. He said the water rates might be an issue for Plymouth ratepayers until completion of the project, but once it is completed, they can sit with staff and determine rates. Flynn said the rates may not come down but they may be able to delay or stop the future rate hikes in the current rate schedule, including the next hike, a 16 percent increase to take place in June 2009. Jon Colburn was the only “no” vote in the 4-1 passage of the Pipeline Project. Councilman Mike O’Meara said he was pretty happy with the numbers. O’Meara and Councilwomen Patricia Shackleton and Patricia Fordyce said they understood Colburn’s opinion, but did not back it. Shackleton said “We don’t have a choice. We need this project.” Story by Jim Reece
By Alex Lane -
The Jackson Civic Center, located next to the Jackson Police Department, was alive with activity Thursday afternoon as residents lined up to donate blood through the BloodSource blood drive. Community volunteers prepared the building by setting up chairs and tables before the drive opened its doors at 11am. The spacious room is also the home to Jackson City Council meetings. Volunteers from the hospital and other area health facilities were there to draw blood from donors who looked utterly content in relaxing, high-backed chairs. After they submitted to a relatively painless needle prick, donors were offered their choice from a number of blood sugar raising treats. “I’ve been on this earth some 64 years now, and this is the first time I’ve bothered to donate blood- I’m not going to make that mistake again,” said Bill, a resident of Plymouth. Established in 1948 as a not-for-profit community blood bank, BloodSource provides lifesaving services to millions of people in 25 counties throughout northern and central California. BloodSource was created entirely by community members in response to a growing need-the need for a safe and adequate blood supply. Through a network of 15 blood centers and over 40 hospitals in cities from Merced to the Oregon border, the BloodSource mission remains simple: To provide blood and services to those in need. To learn more about BloodSource, visit www.bloodsource.org.
By Jennifer Wilson -
It was standing room only at the Pine Grove Town Hall Wednesday evening, where over 150 residents came to hear speakers from Caltrans and the Amador County Transportation Commission, or ACTC, give an overview of what happened to the Pine Grove Bypass. Together, Charles Field, Executive Director of ACTC, and Dan Brewer from Caltrans, gave a six-year history of the events leading up to the decision to scrap the bypass option. Originally, in 2002, a series of town halls were held, at which residents narrowed about a dozen options down to three: a northern bypass, a southern bypass, or widening Highway 88 through Pine Grove. According to Field, the two predominant choices were the southern bypass and the Highway 88 widening. Field reported that in 2002, the cost of a southern bypass was estimated to be about 22.5 million dollars, and that after a 2007 Caltrans study, that amount climbed to 45 million. Latest cost estimates put the southern bypass option at over 83 million dollars, a cost that the State of California called “unrealistic.” According to Field, the bypass was voted down by ACTC this summer due to the “lack of funding” and “high cost” of that option. Their plan now is to conduct a series of public workshops beginning in late January of next year, where they hope to find out “what (Pine Grove) wants to look like, feel like, and be like,” says Field. Many citizens had comments and questions. Carmen Enyeart questioned the state’s motive in upgrading the highway 88 corridor. “Isn’t this just a way to get the skiers up to Kirkwood?” This inquiry sparked others, including a request for data on the ratio of locals and tourists traveling through Pine Grove. Field indicated that as of 2004, a little more than half was local county traffic. Although questions were posed relating to the cost and purpose of the proposed projects, many of the concerns centered on safety. “Where’s the school going to go? Where are the safe zones?” asked one Pine Grove Elementary mother. This prompted more comments, one of which was that the primary concern should be the safety of pedestrians crossing Highway 88. Andy Byrne, Chair of the ACTC board, assured the public that “all of these concerns will be covered in an environmental impact report.” All in all, over twenty people spoke from the audience, some of which requested copies of maps and other data. Lynda Burman, President of the Pine Grove Civic Improvement Club, volunteered to post the specific Caltrans web links on their website at www.PineGroveCA.com. The next step in this process will be the series of public workshops early next year, and TSPN will bring you more information as details develop.
By Jim Reece -
Potential zoning changes across the county will be the subject of a 3-day hearing to map out land use for the new Amador County General Plan. Amador County supervisors and planning commissioners will host the hearing October 14, 15 and 16 to discuss the General Plan Land Use Map and its affect on land use zoning throughout the county. The Amador Planning Department Land Use Agency sent a notice of the hearing last week to all property owners in the county. The public hearing is the first in a series that will “begin the process of developing a Preferred Alternative Land Use Map for Analysis in the Environmental Impact Report” of the General Plan. With the letter came a list of 20 descriptions of particular or general zoning area changes that could affect many different properties around the county. The letter indicated that “this is not a complete, or detailed, list,” and urged property owners to visit the county website to “view and obtain the written information and maps that have been developed to this point.” Paper copies are available at the Planning Department at 20 cents a page. The letter said “because all of the various changes currently under consideration cannot be set out in this notice, we urge you to contact the Amador County Planning Department at (209) 223-6380 to personally discuss with staff the potential effects the proposal may have on your specific property.” The department said the list is subject to change throughout the process of the public land use map hearings. Specific areas mentioned included approximately 800 acres in the Martell area; 18,000 acres northwest, west and southeast of Ione; the Camanche Village area; property just northwest of the intersection of Camanche Road and Camanche Parkway North; Open High Country east of Dew Drop; Open Forest west of Dew Drop; River Pines; Rabb Park; an area at the southeast corner of the western most junction of Highway 88 and Jackson Valley Road; and parcels on the southwest and southeast corners of the Highway 16 and 49 junction.
