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Jackson Rancheria Comedy Show
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Forest Service Extends OHV Discussion Period
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Amador County Natives Featured On Discovery Channel’s “The Deadliest Catch”
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Blood Donations Today 7-5-07
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Newly Proposed Childhood Vaccine Mandates: Public Health Officer Dr. Hartmann Responds
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Sutter Amador Receives A Record Donation From The Jackson Rancheria
Jackson Rancheria Tribal Council Member Adam Dalton this afternoon presented the Sutter Amador Hospital Board of Trustees and Sutter Foundation Board with a check in the amount of $1,000,000.
Where Have All The Golfers Gone?
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.
Young Wrestlers Look For Help
Local efforts are underway to send two talented
young wrestlers to the
National Wrestling Tournaments. Wrestling Coach Rodney Plamondon is going
public in his fundraising efforts to send Marissa Foreman and Hannah
Collins, both members of the Argonaut Wrestling Squad, though the Nationals in
March. Funds raised are expected to cover air fare, a rental car, motel rooms,
food, and registration fees for the tournament.
The girls need to fly in a day
or two before the events for weigh-in. Because of budget restrictions, the girls’
regular coaches and assistants will be unable to attend. Foreman has been a four year Captain
of her squad, has previously scored 12 and 6 in the Nationals, and is
ranked as one of the top 6 girls in the state. Collins is ranked second place in the girls All-State
division and was awarded the Outstanding Wrestler Award for the
Heavyweight Division. According to Plamandon, the girls will return with a
“priceless experience to share with the high schools and wrestling clubs in the county.” If you’d like
to make a donation, please call Jeff Collins at 763-5533 or 256-5550.
Ready to Quit Smoking?
Tobacco
Reduction of Amador County is offering a chance to help smokers fulfill a New
Years Resolution. Tobacco
Reduction and the American Lung Association are giving an 8-session “Freedom
from Smoking” course beginning January 29th. This free
program is one of many steps the organization is taking to reduce tobacco use
in AmadorCounty. Other objectives include
reducing access to tobacco products for minors, countering pro-tobacco
influences and reducing exposure to second-hand smoke. In order to achieve
these goals, the organization will be educating tobacco retailers and
collaborating with Amador
County schools, among
other activities. One of the programs notable accomplishments is the adoption
of an ordinance prohibiting smoking near the doors and ventilation systems of
county buildings.
According to a study specific to Amador County, there were 68 smoking-related deaths and 74 potential years of life lost in 1999 alone. The County’s direct smoking costs that year was over 13 million, and the resulting loss of productivity cost the county an additional 8 million plus. Since this study, the local population has grown rapidly and there are still a significant number of smokers. For more information on the stop-smoking program, call 223-6638, or visit Tobacco Reduction of Amador County’s webpage at www.co.amador.ca.us.
Assembly Bill 105 to Prevent Minors from Tanning in Tanning Booths
If a new law, Assembly Bill
105, passes through the State Assembly, teenagers under the age of 18 will be
banned from using tanning beds. AB105 raises the minimum age
kids may use tanning devices to 18. Under current law, children 14 to 18 can
use tanning booths with parental permission. According to leading
dermatologists tanning beds can be even more dangerous than natural sunlight
because they primarily use ultraviolet "A" wavelengths. The ultraviolet "A" that you get in a tanning booth is
hundreds or even a thousand times more intense than what you get from natural
sunlight and with malignant melanoma now
the leading cause of cancer deaths among woman aged 25 to 29 Assemblyman Ted
Lieu, D-El Segundo wrote the bill. If it passes and is signed into law, the
teen tanning booth ban would take effect January 1, 2008.