Today marks what could be a resolution to the ongoing cliffhanger decision facing the Board of Supervisors. The Board’s pending decision to approve or reject the Intergovernmental Services Agreement with the proposed Buena Vista Casino has been debated for months. After a lengthy Board Meeting last Tuesday that included hours of emotional public input, the Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to postpone their decision until today while they deliberate further details in the agreement. Last Thursday, Governor Schwarzenegger “respectively declined” the County’s recent plea request for his assistance, stating in a letter that he, “stands by the amended compact entered into with the tribe.” Today’s Board meeting begins at 9 am at the County Administration Center in Jackson.

Over the past decade, the leisure activity most closely associated with corporate success in America has been in a kind of recession. The total number of people in the US who play golf has declined or remained flat each year since 2000, dropping to about 26 million from 30 million, according to the National Golf Foundation. Amador County is home to at least six golf courses that have felt the impact. On Highway 49 alone, there are at least 29 golf courses between Sonora and Auburn. With a modest county wide population of 38,000, local courses are dependent on commuter golfers from the Sacramento area.

According to Dominic Atlan, Director of Golf at Castle Oaks Golf Course in Ione, it’s no secret that golf has been on the decline. He has followed a drop in rounds at Castle Oaks by a yearly average of 8000. “It seems more people are giving up the game than taking up the game,” says Atlan. Other local courses, like Mace Meadows in Pioneer, have made staffing cuts. Once popular and promising courses like the Winchester and Dark Horse in Ione are now in foreclosure. The disappearance of golfers over the past several years is part of a broader decline in outdoor activities, according to a number of academic and recreational industry studies. Escalating gas prices in a worsening economy are also being blamed. But golf, a sport of long-term investors who buy the expensive equipment and build the courses — has always seemed to exist in a world above the fray of shifting demographics. Maybe not anymore.

Tensions mounted at Thursday night’s Plymouth City Council Meeting, and not just between the council and the public.  According to Maria Nunez-Simon, Mayor Jon Colburn made a disconcerting statement at Tuesday’s Supervisor’s Meeting in Jackson, where the mayor stated that he was there “representing the Plymouth City Council.”  Several other citizens came forward to state they had heard the same statement.  The mayor disagreed with Mrs. Nunez-Simon by stating that he had said he was there representing the “citizens of Plymouth.” Mrs. Nunez-Simon’s concern was whether or not the Mayor had the right to speak for all members of the council. Additionally, there were brief moments of disagreement about items on the agenda and what would be tabled for the next meeting. 

At one point, the Mayor reminded the council members that all calls to the city attorney should first be approved by the Mayor or the City Administrator.  It was implied that this statement was in response to Vice Mayor Fordyce’s recent call to the city attorney due to the fact that the Mayor had accused the Vice Mayor and one other person of violating the Brown Act.  The Vice Mayor indicated that she would call the city attorney any time that anyone was making “false accusations” about her or another member of the council.  Vice Mayor Fordyce went on to say that her purpose in serving on the city council was to protect the interests of the people of Plymouth. Perhaps one of the most dramatic comments came from Gary Colburn, a citizen of Plymouth and the brother of the mayor. Mr. Colburn stated that the hiring of the new City Administrator, H. Dixon Flynn was a “ray of sunshine” to the city of Plymouth, and indicated that the citizens of Plymouth had been “made to suffer” over the last four years, citing significant “evidence of dysfunction” with the prior members of the city council.  Conversely, another citizen had only criticism for the new city administrator.

According to Jackson’s finest, two fairly new additions to the force have proven to be an invaluable tool in traffic control. Officers Jeff Courtney and Victor Capaz are Jackson’s Motorcycle Officers. Inevitable similarities to the characters in the television show “CHiPs” has earned them both some friendly razzing. The bikes are praised for there many advantages in catching and pursuing law breakers. Courtney’s bike, a dual sport with off-road capabilities, is known for its maneuverability. Capaz drives a standard street cycle more suitable for pursuing traffic violators. But the freedom of being light and maneuverable on the road is also a vulnerability.

Both officers were quick to note the dangers involved in motorcycle riding. “The general public truly does not see a motorcycle,” says Courtney. Both officers recalled times when pedestrians and other vehicles moved right out in front of their path. Based on the tracking of collisions in Jackson, the majority of motorcycle accidents occur between Schober and Frenchbar Roads on Highway 49, a particularly dangerous area for motorcycles.

Overall, the bikes have proved an advantage to the force. Since their addition almost two years ago, the two bike officers have significantly increased the number of traffic stops per day. According to Capaz, a single bike officer makes an average of 15 to 20 more traffic stops per day. The officers operate in random locations and caution motorists to obey the rules of the road. The most common violations include speeding and rolling through stop signs.

A woman was taken to Sutter Amador Hospital and subsequently arrested after a major accident yesterday evening. According to the CHP report, the 52 year-old Valley Springs woman was driving on Highway 26 near the Camanche Reservoir when , “due to her extreme intoxication…she failed to maintain her half of the roadway and drove off the roadway’s edge.” She apparently over-corrected, lost control, and rolled her vehicle several times, just missing a pedestrian. The woman was later contacted at Sutter Amador hospital placed under arrest. 

At 2 a.m. on March 9, 2008, groggy Americans will turn their clocks forward one hour, marking the beginning of Daylight Saving Time. The federal law that established "daylight time" in the United States does not require any area to observe daylight saving time. But if a state chooses to observe Daylight Saving Time, it must follow the starting and ending dates set by the law.

Under new law established in 2007, it is observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, adding about a month to daylight saving time. Until April 2005, when Indiana passed a law agreeing to observe daylight saving time, the Hoosier state had its own unique and complex time system. Not only is the state split between two time zones, but until recently, only some parts of the state observed daylight saving time while the majority did not.

Months after Indiana passed the law that got it in step with the rest of the country, the federal government announced a major change in Daylight Saving Time. In Aug. 2005, Congress passed an energy bill that included extending Daylight Saving Time by about a month. As of last year, Daylight Saving Time starts the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November. More than one billion people in about 70 countries around the world observe Daylight Saving Time in some form. Set your clocks ahead one hour Sunday, March 9th.

Sutter Amador Hospital is still in talks with union negotiators, and, although progress has been made, have yet to come to an agreement. The current union employee contract was up for renewal in February, but initial dissatisfaction and resulting discussions over the contract were initiated in December. According to Sutter Amador’s CEO Anne Platt, hospital management has thus far put down two proposals, neither of which has met the union’s satisfaction. The two major points of contention in current negotiations are pay and health care. The union is currently asking for a higher wages equal to wages in hospitals throughout California.

In the hospital’s most recent proposal from February 26, they’ve offered a 14.5 percent  wage increase over a four year period for all employees and higher equity payments for some positions. At Sutter Amador, the union represents non-exempt and non-management employees. Platt says the hospital recognizes the importance of the union and treating all employees by an equal quality standard, and as a result says Sutter Amador treats non-union employees by many of the same standards as union ones.

Employees can choose whether or not they wish to join the union when they are hired. “They want the same wage as their peers are making in other parts of the region,” says Platt. She points out that Sutter Amador Hospital is a non-profit hospital, and that escalated wages at Kaiser have been difficult and maybe unrealistic to match. “We feel like we’re being very cautious. We’re into maintaining a great experience for our employees. They’re our most important asset,” says Platt. Employees are currently represented by United Health Workers, a smaller branch of the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, which represents 1.5 million public service workers, nurses, hospital staff and nursing home care providers. Talks so far have gone smoothly and there is no indication they’ve been anything less than friendly, but both sides are hoping for a quick resolution.

This week, TSPN will be doing a short series on the Amador Railroad, which will examine the various roles that the railroad has played in the local economy.  As motorists cruise through the heart of Amador County, the bump of rail road tracks beneath their tires is inevitable. Many don’t consider that they are driving over an artifact that dates back to the turn of the century, one that largely shaped Amador County’s terrain, its history, its livelihood, and its fame. The Amador Central Railroad traces its roots to the Ione and Eastern Railroad, which was incorporated in 1904.

The original Ione and Eastern line from Ione to Martell was intended to be extended further to Sutter Creek and then on to Volcano, but only the first rail line of the original plan was ever completed. The Ione Eastern Railroad was only in operation for four years, and primarily served to haul raw gold ore from the Amador County mines to processing facilities in the Bay Area. The Ione and Eastern was sold at foreclosure in 1908, and renamed “The Amador Central Railroad” by its new owners.  The railroad- a much better option began a wagon and pack mules- began to accommodate passengers. Vital goods and services were moved via train, including mail, food, clothing, mining equipment, and feed for animals. The Amador Central Railroad is the steepest and the windiest stretch of rail in California. Trains would have to stop and let their breaks cool for 20 minutes after the decent from Martell to Ione. In all, the trip took about an hour.

Thursday’s Plymouth City Council Meeting revolved around two presentations. The first was from an electronic document repository software company. The program being presented allows small businesses to electronically house documents and make them easily available internally, as well as to the public online.  The council listened to the presentation and commented that it was worth further investigation. The second presentation was on the upcoming 3rd Annual Motorcycle Expo, which will be held May 31st through June 1st at the Amador County Fairgrounds.

An ordinance was discussed which would amend the municipal code regarding the operation of motorcycles, but was tabled until next week’s meeting.  Lorett Kinnicutt, President of “Women’s Motorcycle Events” announced that any Plymouth resident could attend the event free of charge. To prove residency, simply present a copy of your utility bill or other document with a Plymouth address.