News Archive (6192)
Amador County – Amador County Supervisors disbursed an expected $14,000 from local prescription discount cards to two programs that help local seniors.
The Board voted 5-0 to split funds from the Coast to Coast Rx discount card program, with half going to the A-TCAA’s “Lifeline” program, the other half to Common Ground’s “Meals on Wheels.”
Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said it is at “zero cost to the county” that Coast to Coast RX cards are used, giving discounts on medication purchases, even for pets. He said “we actually receive a small royalty of about $14,000 a year.”
Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency’s Lifeline program Supervisor Virginia Manner said “we have not raised our fees in seven years.” She works closely with Meals on Wheels, operated by Common Ground Senior Services, and they refer clients to one another.
Manner said: “I thank you on behalf of our 225 clients in Amador County, and it will be eight years that we don’t have to raise our rates.” Lifeline has two part-time employees, and groups of volunteers, who pay check-in calls on clients, and send them birthday and holiday cards. Many clients have no family here.
Manner said “the money you have given us has allowed us to upgrade equipment and batteries” and other items, “so your money helped sustain this program.”
Supervisor Brian Oneto thanked Plasse for bringing the Lifeline program to the Board. Supervisor Louis Boitano said Lifeline “brings a great peace of mind to the families.” His father is a client, even though he lives right next door. “We are right there, but things happen.”
Supervisor Ted Novelli said funds would help with the Meals on Wheels for the increased cost of gas, and for wear and tear on vehicles. Oneto said the Meals on Wheels budget has been cut in recent years, so it could use the help.
Novelli said “Miss Manner does a good job on checking on Upcountry people on these Lifelines.” He said it is best to keep people in their homes, rather than in care homes, so they “do not have to go where they do not want to be.”
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Jackson City Council takes a virtual tour of its wastewater treatment
Written by Tom
Amador County – Jackson City Council last week took a virtual tour of the municipal wastewater treatment plant, to get an idea of the root of some of the cities recent problems, and look at what lies ahead as the city plans for a new plant.
City Manager Mike Daly introduced Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Eric Neuschmid, who has been with the city for a year, and helped meet new legislative requirements on the plant’s discharge into Jackson Creek. Daly said now he is helping as the city starts planning toward a new plant that would discharge onto land.
Daly said the city plant treats between “400,000 gallons a day, up to 2 million gallons a day, depending on rainfall.”
Neuschmid helped the plant get a second “oxidation ditch” operating, which takes about a month to start up, he said, as they must cultivate the microorganisms that live within and which in effect eat and cleanse impurities as part of the system.
He said the ditches are constantly monitored for dissolved oxygen levels, to “make sure your bugs are healthy.” He said “you can kill off the bugs and you can have a dead system in a day or 2.” A slide presentation showed a “floc mass,” the activated sludge, which Newschmid said is “like cooking,” and “kind of an art form” to develop sludge microorganisms.
He uses a microscope to assess the floc, and in the lab tests ammonia and nitrate and other content levels. He said they switched in the last year to remove “caustic sodas” from the plant, saving about $100,000 a year in the process. Daly said having both oxidation ditches running at the same time also helped with costs.
Neuschmid said you also “can’t have too many bugs, and you can’t have too few,” so they are constantly killing off some to balance the levels.
Daly said 24/7 sensor analysis has a pager and call-out system if anything needs attention. Neuschmid said “this is another area where we are antiquated. Most places have SCADA.” He said a lot of times when you respond to alarms, you don’t know what has gone wrong, but it would be nice to know. He said SCADA allows that, and also allows remote adjustments and changes. Daly said the system is 26 or 27 years old.
A resulting, “earthy smelling” sludge separated from the water is taken to a Class B waste facility in Stockton, and it fills a tractor trailer bin once a week, at costs of about $50,000 a year, Daly said. Neuschmid said the Stockton facility likely applies the sludge to land, something the city has as its goal in a new system.
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Supervisors discuss the need for a Gravity Supply pipeline
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors last week voted 5-0 to support and encourage the Gravity Supply Line project in the Central Amador Water Project service area, after discussing the need.
Volunteer Rich Farrington presented the GSL during the Board’s meeting last Tuesday, saying savings from PG&E alone would pay for the project. And he said only Upcountry Amador Water Agency customers will pay for the GSL, not those from Jackson or Ione.
Supervisor Richard Forster said it will be like putting solar power on a house. Savings will not be seen quickly, “but eventually we are going to be saving a lot of money.” Supervisor Louis Boitano said they will see immediate savings on fire suppression insurance ratings.
AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo said part of the existing Central Amador Water Project system was built with used pipes when it was installed in the 1970s, and the “pipe has couplings that were never designed to be put in the ground.” Failure will eventually happen, and the GSL is a “$30 million savings versus replacing the existing system.”
Boitano said “it’s all used pipe now because it’s been there over 40 years.” He said it was built in an emergency, when drought dried Upcountry wells. Boitano, who once worked for AWA, but not on CAWP, said “it just makes sense to have a gravity project.”
Supervisor Ted Novelli said 30 California “Mountain Counties” are “little by little getting off pumped water and going to gravity.” Mountain Counties think “it’s the best way to do it,” Mancebo said.
Novelli also asked about electricity usage tapering off, between 2006 and last year in Central Amador. Mancebo said electricity for pumps cost $300,000 in 2006-2007 when 1,130 acre-feet of water was sold. Last year, pumping cost $250,000, because sales dropped to 950 acre-feet.
Novelli said revenue dropped not because rates went down but “because customers have not used that water.” Boitano said a recent study found 2,000 uninhabited houses in Amador County, which could contribute to less usage.
Supervisor Brian Oneto said he thought power costs would go up, along with costs of mandated “green power,” to be implemented by 2020. Forster said: “This is about as green as you can get.”
Oneto said he had previously discussed “redundancy” with Mancebo in having the Central Amador Water Project connect with the Amador Water System. Mancebo said: “I think it’s a good idea.” AWS backs up the Central Amador system, and vice versa. He said it would be a 2-mile gap of pipelines, and trailer-mounted pumps.
Mancebo said the existing Central Amador pipeline and pumps “will stay as a backup, but at some point it will deteriorate, and there will come a point when you cannot use the pump system.”
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CEO Bowers honors Doris Helms for 50 years of entries into the Amador County Fair
Written by Tom
Amador County – Doris Helms was presented a special award at the annual Amador County Fair’s Sponsor Recognition Dinner by the Western Fair Association.
The Western Fair Association, established in 1922, has more than 160 fair members in 11 states including Canada and Alaska. The “Blue Ribbon Award” is the highest commendation given by Western Fair Association, for dedicated support of their members, and very few people have received the honor.
The award was earned by over a half century of support for the Amador County Fair in various ways highlighted by 50 years of continuous entries including but not limited to baking, candy, canning, clothing, textiles, and gem & minerals.
This is a very prestigious award, and well deserved.
Doris Helms has made 50 years of continuous entries, and she started entering the Amador County Fair when her children were in 4-H. They lived in Ione and Evelyn Bishop was the Community leader.
Doris was a 4-H leader for 14 years, with 12 in clothing and 2 in cooking. She said Evelyn always insisted her students enter their items in the fair. So Doris decided to enter a few things too. She entered 3 items in clothing her first year, and can’t remember exactly what they were.
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Jackson City Council hears about problems with city Wastewater Treatment Plant
Written by Tom
Amador County – Jackson City Council last week heard about problems the city is facing during a virtual tour of the city Wastewater Treatment Plant.
City Manager Mike Daly said staff works every day of the week at the site, nights included, monitor the plant. Former senior operator Terry Colter still comes to help out when needed, and the old system has had frequent violations, including levels of chlorine, lead and other issues.
After sludge is removed, the water is sent to sand filter cells, and the need for new filters, to remove metals and other problems, is one of the biggest issues, said Eric Neuschmid, Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator. It is where the city gets the most “minimum mandatory fines,” up to $6,000 per violation.
Daly said the city qualifies to use those fines to make its system compliant. He said the city population is under 10,000 and it meets the median household income. But the needed filter will cost $150,000 and the city faces $300,000 in other work, so the fines get eaten up quickly.
The city takes samples to local Sierra Foothill Labs for analysis, costing about $60,000 a year, testing water before discharging it in the Jackson Creek. Neuschmid said the water is clean enough that you could drink it. He said 5,000 gallons a day was flowing out of the plant and into the creek at the end of June.
Daly said “because we did have a pretty wet spring, the creek is still flowing.” The plant has an emergency generator capable of running the entire plant. It is exercised automatically, and after the Amador Air District found out about the diesel generator, Daly said, “we have a new permit for the generator,” for emissions.
Neuschmid said one additive from the Amador Water Agency has led to a lot of violations for “zinc orthophosphate.” Daly said it was more harmful to aquatic life in the creek than people.
In public comment, Thornton Consolo asked “if we get out of the creek, how much drier will the creek be?”
Daly said “three years ago, we were discharging into a dry creek bed,” causing issues with the state, but “it does not compare to the 1977 drought.” He said “because we have so much data from the 1977 drought, it will be used to set the scale, to put the fire to our feet.”
“It’s a handful,” Daly said, and he will be talking with the Regional Water Quality Control Board soon about the new city project, and environmental plans. He may be able to report on that meeting at the Aug. 22 City Council meeting.
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U.C. Cooperative Extension says that reorganization will not hurt Amador County service
Written by Tom
Amador County – Amador County Supervisors considered defunding the University of California Cooperative Extension office last week, then agreed to leave the funding in place, and check the programs after a year.
Cooperative Extension Regional Director Scott Oneto said “this is about cooperation.” The 1913 Smith Cleaver Act brought local communities together, with land grants, and university resources to study cutting edge agricultural methods, and “bring that technology to the community.” Federally based, he said, “we are the conduit,” echoing what Supervisor Chairman John Plasse in a more critical tone, when he introducing the proposed reconsideration and apparent ultimatum.
Plasse wasn’t sure if it was the only way to get funding for various programs. He and the other supervisors said they should check out the reorganization for another year, and see if the ultimatum returns, and if services are affected.
Oneto said the $154,000 the County puts forward is a “very important piece to our budget,” and “without that 16 percent, our partnership falls apart.” Reorganization will remove one of two county employees, a part-time clerical post. The other will become an academic University of California position, to interact with academics and with the community, replacing 4-H Coordinator Larry Fossen, after he retires next year.
The federally funded academic post would do county research, and be a new youth development advisor. Supervisor Richard Forster said: “We have not had this. Why do we need it now?” Oneto said it is to make sure they have an academic at the college working with academics locally. Forster said “sometimes it can do more harm than good,” and this is not big city 4-H. He said the new coordinator would need to be familiar with the rural level.
Supervisor Ted Novelli asked Oneto to elaborate on cuts they keep hearing about in UCCE. Scott Oneto said: “We can’t get any leaner than we are.” So they will pool resources in Amador, El Dorado, Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties, where programs and needs are quite similar, and “there is no reason we can’t provide the same services in Amador without the extra work. We may add some resources, but we may be draining some of the resources that we already have.”
The main, administrative office will be in El Dorado. Satellite offices in the other counties will be staffed part- or full-time. Scott Oneto said “we will have a stronger presence in making sure that we are meeting needs.”
Farm Bureau District 14 Director Jim Spinetta urged Supervisors to “please continue funding” Cooperative Extension. He said agriculture is the nation’s number 1 employer, and the $154,000 “pulls together $891,000,” giving Amador a 450 percent return.
Supervisor Brian Oneto said he would like to be on the selection committee for the new hire.
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2011 Amador County Fair sees attendance and junior livestock proceeds rise over 2010 numbers
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Amador County Fair wrapped up an important year with rises in gate attendance, and also the amount of income in the sale of stock, and crowned the 2011 Fair Queen, who was also the Queen of the Ione Home Coming.
Amador Fair CEO Troy Bowers said “it was everything we expected and more than we hoped for,” as the Amador County Fair wound down Sunday evening. Attendance for the first three days was trending higher with an increase in attendance of 37 percent over 2010 on Thursday. Attendance was up 16 percent on Friday and 6 percent on Saturday.
“With parking, carnival and concessions all showing gains, the support of the county for their hometown Fair was readily apparent,” Bowers said. Final numbers will not be available until later in the week.
The annual Junior Livestock auction also showed a significant increase with a gross sale of nearly $322,000 for 214 lots sold. The gross in 2010 was about $276,000 for 250 lots sold.
The other highly acclaimed contest of the 2011 Fair was the Miss Amador County Scholarship Competition. Kylie Ohm was named Miss Amador County. Ohm earlier this year was also selected as the 2011 Ione Home Coming Queen.
Ohm’s court of the Amador County Fair was made up of Julianne Nevin, Chelsey Anderson, and Morgan Hirschel.
Bowers said with the four-day party for 30,000 people behind them, the Amador County Fair staff is still hard at work tearing down, cleaning up, writing checks for entry winners, and returning hundreds of exhibits.
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Jackson discusses makeup and intention of Architecture Design Review Committee
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Jackson City Council on Monday discussed its city Design Review Committee, after its 5-0 approval.
City Manager Mike Daly said having meetings twice a month would probably be frequent enough to not delay any project in the city, and if there were no projects, they could cancel meetings.
City Planner Susan Peters said the Committee would not review all issues. She said any major or controversial issues could be passed to the Planning Commission. It would also only review projects in historic downtown, while city staff would review projects outside those areas.
Planning Commission Vice Chairwoman Kathryn Devlin thanked the Council for recently reappointing her, especially “on the heels of the big meeting,” last week’s approval of the renovation designs of the Rosebud’s Café. Devlin liked the approach the Council approved in selecting Committee members, by preference seeking Jackson residents first, and then Amador County residents second.
In public comment, Judy Jebian wondered about problems that are technical, such as engineering in particular. Vice Mayor Keith Sweet said the Rosebud’s issue was about materials, and “we had people involved who were not engineers.”
Sweet said people may have an issue with keeping the Design Review Committee from “monitoring their own work,” but there would be no conflict of interest, unless they receive money from a project. If they did, then they must step down.
Jebian said she “feels that the Planning Commission does a pretty good job, and since the guidelines are voluntary and not mandatory,” they already may be flexible enough, and maybe the city would not need the extra layer of government.
Sweet said the Committee adds another layer, but as professionals in construction and building business, it is assumed that they would have a better understanding of that industry, and appeals can be made to the Planning Commission, and City Council.
Councilman Wayne Garibaldi said “the purpose of the Design Review Committee is to review projects in keeping with design guidelines we adopted.” He said it is not intended to give leeway, and the Committee is not expected to “interpret the guidelines.” Garibaldi said he also would not want to have, nor was it intended to have, appeals of design decisions by non-applicants.
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Calaveras County man helps his elderly neighbor flee the recent Middle Bar wildfire
Written by Tom
Amador County – A Calaveras County man helped a neighbor and his dog evacuate their home last Friday during the 100-acre “Middle Fire” as the two drove vehicles through flames and smoke to escape the fast approaching fire line.
Rick Gregorich was sitting with friends and family on Middle Bar Bridge about 4:45 p.m. last Friday when they noticed thick smoke near the home of their friend, Jim Pipes, 80, on Gwin Mine Road, in Calaveras.
Gregorich found “a truck fully in flames,” the grass “burning a good 20 feet up the side of the hill toward Jim’s house.” He drove his truck around the burning truck, partly through the ditch, to Pipes’ gated driveway. He unlocked the gate, went to the house, and warned Pipes, who was unaware of the approaching fire.
Gregorich called for help on Pipes’ cell phone, saying two houses were threatened. The fire was about 100 yards from the house and topping the trees. Just as Gregorich thought the house might be lost, a big fire plane came right over the roof of the house and “dropped its full load of red fire deterrent.” He said “the whole load dropped all around us and was a direct hit on the fire blazing in the trees.”
A fireman drove to the house as “a huge blaze topped the trees,” the wind seeming to blow at 100 mph. The fireman said: “You guys have to get out of here now.”
Pipes drove his car, and Gregorich drove his truck. “The fire had changed directions and it was burning right toward the road” they were on. “At the bottom of the hill where the road runs parallel to the creek,” he “noticed the fire burning on both sides of the road,” and trees were “burning over the road.”
Gregorich told Pipes they should stay there as long as they could, then make a break through the fire: “We only sat there for about 4 minutes when the fire was upon us,” he said. “We drove through such thick smoke that you couldn’t see anything. But, flames were on both sides.” Pipes followed “right on his bumper,” straight through.
The first thing they saw, coming out of the smoke, was a fire truck and 10 firefighters in the creek trying to save East Bay MUD’s walking bridge. He said: “There are 2 houses up there that need saving.” They headed up toward the houses, and other crews followed, including one spraying the burnt truck, which was “already a pile of ashes.”
Both houses were saved. It burned “right up to and all around his house and outbuilding, but his house was saved.” Authorities said Pipes’100-foot clearing of weeds is what saved the house. Gregorich said: “He does it every year, but this year he saved his own home.”
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Supervisors defend their support of the AWA Gravity Supply Line
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board on Tuesday received support of the Amador County Board of Supervisors for the Gravity Supply Line project in the Upcountry, while Supervisors defended their decision to support it.
Supervisors passed a resolution that urged AWA’s Board of Directors to pursue the GSL’s completion, with the aid of a $5 million USDA grant, and accompanying loan. Supervisors said it would help with water reliability, needed for decades in the Central Amador Water Project service area, and increase reliability for everyday water use and fire suppression.
Former AWA Vice President Debbie Dunn criticized the resolution, saying “fire issues are not the primary responsibility of water purveyors or water agencies.” She said: “To adopt a resolution endorsing this $14 million project for its exemplary fire protection is a public manipulation and not an honest position.” She said they did not make a “comprehensive consideration of the entire project” and its costs relative to the economy.
Supervisors defended their “homework” and the GSL project, and criticized Dunn for working against it. They also lauded former federal forester Rich Farrington for his volunteer work in studying the GSL, and work with Amador Fire Chiefs’ Association, and Amador Fire Safe Council, both which support the project, and the potential to get a fire flow of 2,000 gallons a minute, at hydrants along the proposed pipeline. Farrington said it gave access to 76 million gallons of water in the PG&E Regulator Reservoir, which in the pipeline would be “under pressure continuously.”
Supervisor Brian Oneto said “fire does what it wants, and you are at its mercy,” and they “need a good source of water that’s pressurized and dependable.”
Wendell Peart of Pine Grove asked about the GSL bringing enough water for 7,000 homes in the Upcountry. Supervisor Richard Forster said that was the capacity, but it did not mean they would be built overnight.
Forster said it was about reliability, and in 1992, when he was on the AWA board, it fully supported the GSL, but did not have funds to build it.
Mancebo said in a power outage, the CAWP system has storage to last for about 1-and-half days in the summer, but the supply could last maybe three days in winter.
Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said pumps are not infallible, and the gravity line increases reliability and removes the affects of power outages, or burned pumps, while water pressure helps with fire suppression. He said the “faster you can fill the trucks, the better.”
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