6th Annual Children's Holiday Festival: "Winter Festivals Around the World" will be held Friday, November 30 from 5:30-8 pm at the Sutter Creek Auditorium. This a totally free event with holiday fun designed for the youngest children – and their older siblings and parents. Santa Claus will be there along with activities, music, snacks and holiday entertainment. Bring the whole family! This event is sponsored by First 5 Amador. For more information call 257-1092.

The Amador Water Agency has joined in new technology, which has opened a new world of possibilities in allowing them to offer better customer service and employee efficiency.  Continuing in its efforts to seek innovative ways to save time and money and perform functions more efficiently, the Amador Water Agency is beginning an Automated Meter Reader program. 

A theft in San Joaquin County could impact Amador County Citizens that are clients of the United Cerebral Palsy. Lat week a thief broke into the building that houses the United Cerebral Palsy of Amador, Calaveras and San Joaquin Counties. The charity serves more than 2,000 clients from the 3 counties.

Starting this coming Monday August 13, Amador County kids are heading back to school.  That means you'll be seeing more big yellow school buses on the road. Every day, millions of school-age kids begin and end their day on the bus. The Amador County School District is reminding all residents that on school mornings, drivers need to be alert for children heading to school even if no school bus is present. 

Sutter Amador Hospital has announced the reopening of popular off site draw station at 815 Court Street, Suite 4. This is located in the office of Dr. John Ellyson. The draw station opens this coming Monday, August 6th and will be open 6:30 am to noon Monday thru Friday.

 Next Monday the Amador county negotiation team representing the county’s interests in negotiations with the Buena Vista Rancheria will head to Sacramento for yet another round of negotiations with the Tribe.

If you lease an airport hanger at Westover Field your rent will be increasing upon your lease renewal after cost of living increases were approved by the Board of Supervisors yesterday. Leanne Macintyre of the Department of General Services explained to the board that a cost of living increase is provided for in all leases, however in some of the leases the increases are automatic at renewal and others it is left to the county’s discretion.  This will impact lessees as the lease anniversary dates come up in this fiscal year. The amount of the increases is 3.46 percent or about 1.56 per month on the average. The Board approved the increases unanimously.

Amador County  Public Health is seeing a sharp increase in the number of residents who are being exposed to bats in their homes. This carries a risk for rabies exposure. In the last month 10 Amador County residents have received rabies post exposure treatment for in home exposure to bats. According to Amador County Health Officer, Dr. Bob Hartmann, “Anyone who has touched a bat or has been sleeping in a room where a bat is found will be considered exposed to rabies”.

The Amador County Recreation Agency is once again raising funds to continue with the recreation build out in Amador County. Each year the agency relies heavily on local government agencies to finance the bulk of the annual budget. ACRA Executive Director Tracey Towner-Yep said during 2006-2007 member contributions came to $117,660 while the actual ACRA budget grew $220,000 a difference of $102,340 or 87%. Towner-Yep said as ACRA grows and becomes more self-sufficient, it is apparent that the base funding used to seed this operation needs to increase as well.  Although ACRA’s budget has more than doubled in size since 2004-2005, the member contributions have increased by only 8% per year, thus leaving a funding gap for the expanding agency and budget.

Sutter Creek’s Historic Knight’s Foundry received a face lift this last weekend after years of relative inactivity. A group of 10 volunteers, coordinated by Supervisor Louis Boitano, gathered early Sunday morning and spent 5 hours battling blackberry brambles and brush that had grown up around most of the property. The foundry property was at the point where it posed a serious fire hazard to the surrounding neighborhoods, including downtown, and the city had reportedly received several complaints about its condition.   The City of Sutter Creek has not yet completed its long time goal of purchasing the foundry, but is only 180,000 dollars short after years of pursuing grant money for the acquisition.“It was very rewarding to spend Sunday morning with a group of volunteers willing to donate their time in order to benefit the whole community,” said Duke. The City hopes to complete its purchase of the foundry this year, and eventually restore the property and create a learning center which will include a museum, public tours, and internships and apprenticeships. If you would like more information on the Historical Knight’s Foundry and the Knight’s Foundry Corporation, visit www.knightfoundry.org. The cleanup effort included City Manager Rob Duke, who had spent the previous day working on the Sutter Creek pool.