New California residential building codes are going into effect January 1st, and anyone who works in residential construction -- contractors, builders, architects, handymen --are invited to attend an overview of the new code requirements presented by local building departments. Topics include state’s new fire safety regulations; new structural requirements; and a review of major California Energy Commission regulation changes over the past 5 years. There is no charge for the seminar, which will be held Tuesday, December 4th from 4 – 6 pm at the Jackson Civic Center. Call the Jackson City office at 223-1646 to RSVP – you must reserve a spot as space is limited to 125 people. The Cities of Jackson, Ione, Sutter Creek and the County of Amador are sponsoring a seminar, with support from the California Building Officials Association.

If you own a 1991 through 2001 Ford Explorer, the Ford Motor Company may have some good news for you. Ford has reached a settlement agreement Wednesday in Sacramento Superior Court in a massive class-action lawsuit. Attorneys for the plaintiffs say 1 million Explorer owners in four states will get vouchers toward the purchase of a new Ford vehicle. Affected Explorer owners will be able to apply for $500 vouchers to buy new Explorers or $300 vouchers to buy other Ford or Lincoln Mercury products. The vouchers will be good for one year and will be transferrable from one owner to another. The company admits no wrongdoing in the settlement. Ford has faced lawsuits across the country stemming from a series of rollover accidents that involved earlier models of the popular Explorer. Ford says it’ll notify everyone affected by the settlement in late December or early January.

Registration is now open for a Symposium on Climate Change presented by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. This free Symposium will take place on Wednesday, December 5th, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Miners Foundry in Nevada City and will feature in-depth discussions with experts from the academic, government, business and non-profit fields on the vital topic of climate change in the Sierra Nevada. In an attempt to reduce the carbon footprint as much as possible, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy is encouraging Symposium participants to carpool. To register for the event phone (530) 823-4670  or go to their website Sierranevadaconservancy.ca.gov

Now it’s time for TSPN’s Home for the Holidays series – featuring fun, free or low cost activities for the whole family to enjoy right here in Amador County, now through New Years Day! Here’s a look at what’s coming up this weekend:

An Ione woman received major injuries in an accident Tuesday evening. According to the California Highway Patrol, Tamara Lyons, 43 of Ione, was southbound on Camanche Road when her 1996 Buick crossed the double yellow line, ran off the roadway through a fence and struck an oak tree. Lyons was transported to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment.

The new Amador Transmission Pipeline is completed and is carrying the water that most of Amador County drinks -- from Lake Tabeaud to the Amador Water Agency treatment plant on Ridge Road. But the historic Amador Canal that the pipeline is replacing still has water flowing through it – mostly. The 9 mile pipeline replaces an old canal system built in the 1860’s that supplied water from the Mokelumne River to the Sutter Creek, Jackson and Ione areas. The “ditch” served Amador County for over a century but pressures to conserve water and maintain water quality prompted the replacement pipeline. The earthen canal leaks about 40% to 50% of the water that is put into the ditch. The water in the canal is subject to surface water contamination along the 23 mile route. The canal has also reached its capacity to transport water and is subject to “blow outs” – this landslide recently wiped out an entire section of the canal and interrupted water service to customers.

The Jackson Fire Department will start paying firefighters to staff the fire station on weekends – in a seven month trial  period beginning December 1st . Jackson City Council approved the Fire Department Weekend Staffing Program, for an estimated cost of $17,360, to be paid for with surplus funds from the Police Department budget. The program will pay for one Officer, one Engineer, and one Firefighter for two 24 hour shifts on weekends. This plan would cover calls during evening and overnight hours, allowing other volunteers in the department to be relieved of responding to calls at all hours of the night, unless a call required more than the 3 responders.

The Amador County Chamber of Commerce has a new location at the Mother Lode Plaza behind Jose’s Restaurant in Jackson. Their official move was November 21st, to 571 S. Highway 49. Their hours are Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm. We spoke to Jacqueline Lucido who said she was thrilled to announce that, with the new location, they have doubled their office space, are now ADA compliant, have more parking and a better work environment for their volunteers. Lucido says the new space gives them the opportunity to further develop tourism in the county. They also have conference rooms available for use. You can get more information at 223-0350.

The Amador County Fair has announced the Fair Theme for next year’s big event. The new CEO of the County Fair, Troy Bowers announced that the 2008 Amador County Fair will be held JULY 24 -27 and the theme will be: Barnyard Mardi Gras -- 70 Years of Family Fun. If you’re interested in participating in next year’s fair, applications for commercial exhibits, food concessionaires, and window displays, and the Vendor Information and Rules Booklet are now available, online, at the fair’s website: amadorcountyfair.com.