Residents of both Amador and Calaveras counties have been invited to participate in efforts looking for ways to find paths to conservation of our region's oak woodlands. The Amador/Calaveras Oak Conservation Group is seeking persons wanting to collaborate with scientists, property owners, government officials and others in examining the current and future threats to our native oak forests. The group's mission is to foster cooperation among public agencies, conservation groups and local property owners.

On Saturday, October 28, local volunteers from the Foothill Conservancy, Earth Team, and U.S. Forest Service spent the day on West Panther Creek monitoring changes in the creek channel where a Pacific Gas and Electric Company dam was removed in 2003. West Panther Creek is a tributary to the North Fork of the Mokelumne River.  “Removing the dam on West Panther allowed fish to swim up and down the creek for the first time in 68 years,” said Pete Bell, Foothill Conservancy Vice President. 

Enrollment for Medicare's prescription drug program reopens this week, and participants should check to make sure their plans are not changing, according to area insurance counseling experts. The new enrollment period, which opens from Wednesday, the 15th to Dec. 31, is also a chance for people who are not already on a plan to sign up, or for people unhappy with their coverage to change to a new plan. Once enrollment closes Dec. 31, customers must remain with the plan they have chosen until next November. 

Good news for Natural gas customers. Natural gas bills in November are expected to drop 26.6% from last year, when market prices were at record-high levels. PG&E's residential customers can expect to pay $15.79 less for natural gas in November of 2006, compared to November of 2005. Reasons For The November Bill Outlook Include the repairs to Hurricane damage improving the vital Gulf Coast infrastructure.

Two popular Amador County holiday traditions continue this year as the Jackson Rancheria once again offers free Holiday Hay Rides and a free Christmas Pageant for the community. The half-hour Hay Rides will be available at the Jackson Rancheria Hotel Monday through Thursday, December 4 through 7, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dress warm and enjoy a festive ride around the extraordinarily decorated Rancheria, followed by a visit with Santa for the kids and refreshments for everyone.

The new Hwy. 49 bypass was unveiled yesterday in an afternoon ribbon cutting ceremony. Dignitaries, both local and state, gathered at the southern end of the bypass at Valley View Drive in Sutter Creek to witness the special event.  Director Will Kempton of the Department of Transportation along with Senator Dave Cox; Kirk Lindsey a California Transportation Commissioner, Board of Supervisor Chairman Richard Vinson and Amador County Transportation Commissioner Bill Breiner all gathered for the long awaited ceremony. The $25 million project was designed to be a two-lane expressway that bypasses the cities of Sutter Creek and Amador City. 

The California Transportation Commission held its quarterly meetings right here in Amador County this week and according to Amador County Transportation Commission Executive Director Charles Field  “The Commission now knows a lot more about Amador County”. The transportation Commission which is based in Sacramento does hold several meetings a year away from their Capital headquarters, but generally those meetings are held in urban areas.

A new school calendar for Amador County Unified District Schools was a discussion item last night at the Amador County Unified school district meeting. The calendar has a long and divisive history here in the county and has evolved over the years into a Modified Traditional calendar- basically it follows a tradition school calendar running from late summer to late spring- but with a few extra weeks of vacation taken from the summer months and added to the break times between quarters in October and March.