News Archive (6192)
Lucky San Fransisco gamer wins $200,000 at Jackson Rancheria Casino
Written by Tom
Amador County – A lucky San Francisco gambler sought and was given anonymity by the Jackson Rancheria Casino after taking home a $200,000 jackpot at the casino last week.
The San Francisco resident won $200,000 last Thursday night, Dec. 8 at Jackson Rancheria Casino. The player, who wishes to remain anonymous, won the jackpot on a $100 Double Diamond machine in the Casino’s High Limit Room.
“I think it’s going to be a very happy holiday for our lucky but shy winner,” said Marketing Director Mark Bommarito, “but he’s just one of many lucky winners we will have in the month of December.”
Bommarito said the Jackson Rancheria Casino features more than 1,500 of the most popular slot machines, ranging from one cent to $100 machines, with new games coming in frequently.
Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel is located at 12222 New York Ranch Road in Jackson. For more information visit JacksonCasino.com.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – Amador County Local Agency Formation Commission voted unanimously to amend Plymouth’s “Sphere of Influence” last week to include the Shenandoah Ridge and Zinfandel residential projects, precursor to annexation of the two projects.
LAFCO Executive Officer Roseanne Chamberlain said positive determinations included that Plymouth proposes and plans annexation and extension of service within the near term. It was found logical because of proximity and It was well planned.
Amador County did not request a conference with the city on the issue because the annexation is expected to occur in a reasonably short period of time, she said, and it is “estimated that Plymouth will be able to supply services to this area in 10 years.”
Consultant Richard Prima said Plymouth’s own attorney did not review the Environmental Impact Report to save money, but Reeder Sutherland, the project’s developer, must defend the EIR for the city.
LAFCO’s counsel Robert Laurie said one part of the EIR said Reeder Sutherland would pay its “fair share” of water and wastewater impacts was inadequate, because it did not quantify the amount to be paid. He said it should also tell what enhancements of plants would be made. Laurie said because time had run out on any legal challenge to the certified EIR, they could not require a Subsequent EIR, because that could be done only if it has a change in circumstances or new information.
Chamberlain said the financial impact normally would not be included in the EIR, but only in the reorganization, or annexation. Laurie said the Commission could only approve the Sphere of Influence amendment, and the city and developer would have to determine the fair share in the Development Agreement.
Supervisor Vice Chairman and Commissioner Louis Boitano said “it will be handled by the development agreement.” He said he would remember this, and in the future would “prefer that they do it the way we do things around here,” and “have the city attorney look through the city’s EIR.”
Chamberlain said comments by the Foothill Conservancy generally focused on sprawl, saying the projects were going to be built where planning had not taken place, and there was no plan for development in the area. Chamberlain said we can all define sprawl, but this project was extensively planned by Plymouth and the developer. Chamberlain said the projects would help protect the economic viability of surrounding ag land.
She said the Foothill Conservancy also said that Plymouth’s USDA grant did not allow for water in its new pipeline to serve new development. Chamberlain said “I think there is some capacity for new development.”
Amador Water Agency General Manager Gene Mancebo said the pipeline will supply existing demand “and will meet anticipated growth out to 2025 and it would be adequate for the subdivisions being considered tonight.”
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Business groups resolve to form one economic development entity
Written by Tom
Amador County – Members of two economic development organizations signed a joint resolution last week to form a single economic development organization, and to create a private-public organization to generate revenue to fund development actions in Amador County.
Amador County Board of Supervisors in the past has urged the two groups to team up together and work together. During a meeting of the Amador County Business Council last Thursday, Dec. 15, Sutter Amador Hospital CEO Anne Platt, president of the Business Council signed a joint resolution with Doug Ketron, president of the Amador Economic Development Corporation. The resolution of intent by AEDC and the ACBC “is to form a single economic development entity.”
The resolution noted that the two groups “recognize that the most effective economic development efforts can be best achieved by a unified economic development entity.” It noted that the “present challenges and obstacles to economic development are such that new and expanded effort is necessary, with new and different approaches.”
The resolution stated that “a private/public partnership with participation and support from private and local government sectors of the community will be the basis for a stronger financial and organizational effort.”
In the resolution, the Amador County Business Council and Amador Economic Development Corporation agree to “combine AEDC and ACBC’s new economic development effort as a single, economic development organization for Amador County,” and to “establish a private/public organization with a secure, broad-based revenue stream, adequate to fund strong economic development actions.”
Also Thursday, members of the Amador County Business Council attended the Amador County LAFCO meeting and encouraged the Commission to approve Plymouth’s request for a Sphere of Influence amendment. Jim Conklin, ACBC Executive Director, delivered a letter of support, saying its members voted unanimously on Nov. 17 to request LAFCO to approve the sphere of influence amendment and annexation of the properties.
Conklin told LAFCO: “We need a shot in the arm not only for Plymouth, but for a number of areas in Amador County.” He said: “We strongly support the annexation and sphere of influence amendment.”
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LAFCO ameds Plymouth Sphere of Influence to include Bob Reeder's projects
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Amador County Local Agency Formation Commission amended the city of Plymouth’s “Sphere of Influence” last week to include Reeder Sutherland’s two residential development project, and in January will continue the public hearing, to consider annexation requests for the two properties.
About 30 people attended LAFCO‘s Thursday, Dec. 15 board meeting with area business groups and officials speaking in support. Some property owners near the Zinfandel and Shenandoah Ridge developments discussed unsigned agricultural buffer agreements. LAFCO asked the developer to have signed buffer impact mitigation agreements with all neighboring properties that have agriculture zoning, and developer Bob Reeder said three of the agreements were not signed. One of those is JTS Properties, which owns 1,109 acres north of the one of developments.
Bill Greer, representing JTS, said: “We’re not opposed to the projects.” He said they are concerned about residents throwing harmful vegetation over the fence, into a 50-foot wide buffer zone, the default buffer built by Reeder into the project. Greer also worried about dogs chasing livestock, or kids shooting them with BB guns. He also worried about how the buffer zone would be cared for, and whose trash would be on it. He said he’s dealt with Home Owners Associations, and they are a difficult “animal.” He also wondered how long it will take a complaint to get attention.
Greer said “we’re not against the buffer,” but it has some engineering issues, and “we don’t want to manage it.”
Plymouth Mayor Greg Baldwin said “Plymouth fully endorses the projects,” and some of the issues have been discussed before in past public meetings. He noted that a JTS letter in which they differ on the buffer also “talks about working together to achieve excellence.”
Plymouth Vice Mayor Jon Colburn worried about placement of gates on the buffer fence, and access. Consultant Richard Prima said the city would keep the keys to locks on those gates, and clearing the buffer areas of weeds would likely be done by the city, either by hand or by weed whacker. LAFCO approved the Sphere of Influence amendment and left the agreements to cover the buffer to be decided during the annexation or “reorganization” of the city’s boundary lines.
Joseph Merten identified himself as an investor in the projects and said he has known Reeder for 40 years. He said “Bob Reeder got me involved in this several years ago.” Merten said in the agreements with adjacent landowners, the “assurances he’s given” are new and very good.
Merten said he invested in the project because it will benefit himself, Reeder, and the city. Creating houses creates taxable assets, he said, and it will have financial benefits for Plymouth.
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Amador County man was charged with felony cruelty to animals for killing a puppy with an axe
Written by Tom
Amador County – An Amador County man was charged with felony cruelty to animals last week after allegedly killing a puppy with an axe.
Amador County Undersheriff Jim Wegner released details about the incident, saying that Jeffery Eugene Kay, 28, of the Oaks, was charged with felony animal cruelty, burglary and violation of probation. Kay was also arrested on two active Amador Superior Court Arrest Warrants, one for domestic violence and one for violation of a domestic violence restraining order.
At about 10 a.m. on Dec. 9, Amador County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the report of a disturbance in the Oaks Mobile Home Park. Upon arrival to a residence on Park Circle, Deputies contacted a very distraught, 23-year-old female victim, who reported that Jeffery Kay had entered her residence and let her dog outside.
She reported that Kay followed the dog outside, at which time she heard the dog yelp. The victim said she went outside to check on the dog and found Kay holding an axe and the dog dead at his feet.
The victim reported Kay apologized to her and then fled towards Oak Drive. The victim said the canine was a 7-month-old Australian Shepherd named Big that she had rescued when it was weeks old.
Amador County Sheriff’s Deputies searching the park for Kay learned that he was possibly within a residence on Oak Drive. Deputies entered the residence and found Kay, who was compliant and was taken into custody without incident.
In an interview, Kay told deputies he had been contemplating killing the dog for several months and that it was on his list of things to do before he was arrested again and returned to jail. Kay said he felt the dog was aggressive and did not behave well.
Kay was booked into Amador County Jail. The deceased canine was subsequently transported to a local veterinary clinic pending a necropsy.
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First Five Amador hosted its first Children’s Festival at its new location
Written by Tom
Amador County – First Five of Amador County announced in October that it has finally moved into its new location in the Margaret Dalton Children’s Center. ¶ Last week, after weeks of unpacking and rearranging, the Center opened for the annual First Five Children’s Festival for Christmas.
First Five calls home to the new Margaret Dalton Children’s Center, along with the Amador Child Abuse Prevention Council and the Amador Cooperative Preschool. Nina Machado, Executive Director of First Five Amador said the three organizations plan a grand opening, open house and dedication later in the year for the new facility, after they get all settled in.
Last Friday, Dec. 13, was a preview of the new facility, a former chapel, which was filled with children and parents, doing crafts, visiting Santa Claus and tasting snacks from stations based on countries of the world.
First Five Amador’s new address is 975 Broadway in Jackson, next door to the CHP office. Their phone number, fax number and emails remain the same.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Jackson tables discussion on a McClintock bill that would amend the Water Pollution Control Act
Written by Tom
Amador County – Jackson City Council on Monday tabled staff recommendation of support for a Congressional bill introduced by Congressman Tom McClintock that would amend the federal Water Pollution Control Act for publicly owned wastewater treatment plants.
City Manager Mike Daly recommended supporting McClintock’s House of Representatives Bill 3544, saying there are concepts in the legislation that will benefit the city.
Daly’s report included text of a speech that McClintock delivered Dec. 1 when he introduced HR 3544. The speech, titled “The Plunder of Colfax,” detailed issues of the town of 1,800 people, who were subjected to “predatory environmental law firms” which “have discovered how to take unconscionable advantage of that law to reap windfall profits at the expense of working-class families like the townspeople of Colfax.”
McClintock’s bill seeks to limit private-party lawsuits; shield local agencies from liability for acts beyond their control; and install a 60-day waiting period for legal action to allow cures to violations. It also seeks a15-year life for plant licenses; and limiting “attorney fees to the prevailing fees in the community.” It also seeks to “require a cost-benefit analysis before new regulations can be imposed” on any wastewater treatment plants permits.
Councilman Keith Sweet said he also looked into the issue, reading newspaper articles that said Colfax was charged $40,000 in attorney fees which it did not pay, and which were more than the city’s annual budget. But he said Colfax did pay $30,000 to a lobbyist. Sweet thought having a cost-analysis on all projects might also be costly in itself.
Sweet said in 2008, Colfax’s sewer pond leaked 12,000 gallons of raw sewage onto a neighbor’s property, the neighbor has not been able to grow crops on it, and Colfax has not been able to meet a court ordered clean-up. Mayor Pat Crew agreed that some of this may benefit Jackson, but “Colfax has been a gross violator,” and regarding the penalties, “they’ve got it coming.”
Councilman Wayne Garibaldi asked if the council had a reasonable idea that HR-3544 will benefit the city. Daly said: “I’d say the concepts in this legislation would benefit municipalities.” Daly said after reading up on the issue, “Colfax is probably not the best poster child” for the issue, “because of some of their actions.” On the other hand: “Do we need to spend $5 million to protect a tadpole,” and “have $200 sewer bills?” Daly said a single-family home in Colfax is paying a sewer bill of $100 a month.
Daly said it was just introduced last week, and the council agreed to table it, as Crew said, and “see how it goes.”
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Jackson backs AB-1191 fix for Amador and Mono Counties
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Jackson City Council on Monday passed a resolution supporting a bill by Alyson Huber that would change state law that affects two counties in California, including Amador County.
City Manager Mike Daly recommended approval, saying Huber’s amendment bill is probably most important to the city of Jackson, but all jurisdictions in the county are affected by the tax shifts enacted in 2004.
Daly said Mono and Amador County are the only counties where 100 percent of their school districts are classified as “Basic Aid,” and cannot get funding from any “Revenue Limit” school or college districts, which in other counties are used to “backfill” the loss of property taxes by cities or counties. Daly said the 2004 “Triple Flip” and “Vehicle License Fee Swap” programs are “completely contrary” to the intention of 1992 Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF).
The 2004 laws were written to repay Gov. Schwarzenegger’s new deficit revenue loans, but did not consider a housing market flop, home devaluation or dramatic reductions to the vehicle license fees, Daly said.
Ione was affected more so than other cities, and the county was hit hard too because of the way the ERAF was harder on counties. Daly said Jackson lost nearly $100,000 last year and the current budget omits the same amount of funds. Amador County in total lost $1.52 million. Daly said: “Ione lost $190,000 last year, and their general fund budget is smaller than ours.”
The Amador County Unified School District is not getting any more money than it normally gets, he said. Councilman Wayne Garibaldi said the district is getting Jackson’s money, or the state is keeping Jackson’s money.
Daly said city officials are talking with Huber and Senator Ted Gaines about legislation. Mono County was affected by the funding shortfall a year before Amador and already worked with California State Association of Counties and League of California Cities toward a solution. A fix attached to the state budget failed to move forward.
Huber’s AB 1191 includes language to require county auditors to make appropriations from the ERAF when funds swapped or flipped do not cover missing taxes. Daly said it seeks to restore “an undisputable condition of this maneuver,” the Flip and Swap, which intended cities and counties to continue to receive funding as if the full sales tax and Vehicle License Fees were still in place.
Daly said it “addresses the hole in the promise from the state that was made at the time the Triple Flip and VLF Swap funding formulas were developed.” He said Mono and Amador counties and cities “should not be shorted these revenues that are paid by its taxpayers and received by the same local governments in every other county in the state.”
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Amador Environmental Health reports a Norovirus “stomach flu” outbreak in the county
Written by Tom
Amador County – Amador County Environmental Health
On Tuesday announced an outbreak of Norovirus in Amador County.
The notice said a significant increase in acute nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea is being reported county-wide. Norovirus (a disease most commonly associated with cruise ship outbreaks) has been reported by private physicians, emergency rooms and local facilities in several individuals. Staff from Public Health and Environmental Health have investigated and provided direction and recommendations to facilities and establishments in the County that have been associated with multiple reports of illness.
The illness is spread by eating food or drinking liquids infected with norovirus or by touching contaminated surfaces. Outbreaks can happen to people of all ages and in a variety of settings. Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne disease outbreaks in the United States.
Symptoms of norovirus infection usually include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach cramps. Other, less common symptoms may include low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and general sense of fatigue.
Though most individuals do not require medical attention and begin recovery within 1-2 days, norovirus illness can be serious in young children, the elderly, and people with other health conditions. Dehydration is a key concern. Symptoms of dehydration include a decrease in urination, a dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up. If you think you or someone you are caring for is severely dehydrated, contact your doctor’s office.
In order to prevent the spread of norovirus wash your hands carefully with soap and warm water for 15 seconds, especially after using the toilet and always before eating or preparing food. Since a relatively small number of virus particles are capable of causing infection it is especially important to wash as thoroughly as possible. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. These alcohol-based products can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but they are not a substitute for washing with soap and water.
Food service workers who are experiencing these symptoms, as with any illness, should stay home, should not engage in food preparation or service while they are ill and should be especially diligent about hand washing after they return to work.
For additional information, contact Amador County Environmental Health at (209)223-6439.
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A-TCAA launches INFONETtc, an online social services search source
Written by Tom
Amador County – Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency has started its new online social services search and registry website, INFONETtc.org. The TC stands for Tuolumne County, and the website serves a three-county area of Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties, with a list of services in each county.
Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency operates the website, which now lists 360 different community assistance and service sources, including 248 in Tuolumne, 93 in Calaveras and 63 agencies in Amador County.
Adding a new listing first requires registering with the website, and until Dec. 20, visitors to the site can answer a survey and get a chance to win several computer prizes from INFONETtc.org. Taking the survey gives the chance to win one of the three prizes they are offering: A Netbook, an iTouch or a Kindle.
The site, INFONETtc.org, allows people and agencies and foundations to make entries and register and post their listings, or edit a listing they have already posted.
Groups from Amador listed on the site included Amador Community Foundation, A-PAL Humane Society, Amador County Artists Association and many others. The website lists agencies by the county, and also by other categories, including populations served, broken down into adults, older adults and youths.
There are 476 listings of services on the site, and the agencies can appear in more than one search category, such as Resource Connection, which appear under food services, child care and other categories. Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency itself is filed under seven categories, including youth, adults, older adults, utilities, food, housing & shelter, and individual and family support services.
INFONETtc.org allows users to look for services with searches by type of assistance, such as food or housing, or searches can be made by agency names. Names of counties or cities can be made to further refine the search.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
