Robert Mondavi, the pioneering vintner who put California wine country on the map, is dead at 94. Mondavi died at his Napa Valley home Friday, said Mia Malm, spokeswoman for the Robert Mondavi Winery. Born in Virginia, Minnesota, Mondavi got an economics degree from Stanford University in the 1930s and went to work at the Charles Krug Winery, which his Italian-born parents had bought after moving to California from Minnesota. Mondavi, who was 52 and a winemaking veteran in 1966 when he opened the winery that would help turn the NapaValley into a world center of the industry, traveled the world into his 90s as an enthusiastic ambassador for wine.

When Mondavi opened his winery, California was still primarily known for cheaper wines. But he set out to change that, championing use of cold fermentation, stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels, all commonplace in the industry today. He also made the bold move of holding blind tastings between his own and European wines. His confidence that California could compete with the world's best was rewarded in 1976 when California wines beat some well-known French vintages in the famous tasting known as the Judgment of Paris. Mondavi also was a major philanthropist, giving millions to charity. "It is hard to imagine anyone having more of a lasting impact on California's $20 billion-a-year wine industry than Robert Mondavi," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement. In turn, Mondavi, said the governor, was "a tireless entrepreneur who transformed how the world felt about California wine, and an unforgettable personality to everyone who knew him."

Twenty-three people were injured late Friday evening when a swing ride at the Jumping Frog Jubilee at the Calaveras fair grounds collapsed at nearly full speed. Witnesses on the scene said the giant Yo-yo swing ride was at full capacity when it malfunctioned at nearly full speed and collapsed, sending riders tumbling some 25 feet to the ground. At least 2 air ambulances as well as several ground ambulances were requested to land at the Frog Town location.  “We think the main motor shaft just collapsed in the middle of the ride,” said one fair vendor. “We were afraid the ride would collapse on top of people. Folks were screaming, it was complete chaos.”

According to a Stockton news source, the Yo-Yo ride at the fairgrounds near New Melones Lake and Columbia State Parkchain that swing outward as the ride picks up speed. The arms rise and fall as they spin around a center pole, putting the seats horizontal to the ground. A Calaveras County sheriff's spokesman said three people were severely injured and another 20 fairgoers suffered lesser injuries. Most of the riders were children, and all suffered some form of injury. The three most seriously injured riders, a woman and two girls, were airlifted to three different hospitals. The fair's carnival area was immediately closed, though other fair attractions remained open. The carnival section was expected to remain closed until at least Saturday. Calaveras sheriff's investigators along with Cal-OSHA inspectors were expected to look over the ride for a possible cause of the collapse. The ride was operated at the fair by the company Midway of Fun, based in Oroville. has metal arms, each with a seat at the end attached by a

Two people were killed after a van crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed head-on into another vehicle near Jackson Saturday, Amador CHP officials said. The crash happened on State Route 16 west of Latrobe Road near Jackson around 3:40 p.m. Saturday when a Dodge minivan traveling westbound crossed the center line into oncoming traffic, hitting a Ford Taurus heading eastbound. The driver of the van, identified as a 42-year-old man, and the female driver of the Taurus were both pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said witnesses reported the van had been traveling at a high rate of speed just before the crash and may have been attempting to pass other cars when the accident occurred.

The Plymouth Pool may still open this summer.  At the last Plymouth City Council meeting, the council discussed closing the pool due to rising maintenance costs.  However, at Wednesday’s ACRA board meeting, Plymouth Vice Mayor Pat Fordyce, who sits on the ACRA board, reported that she would keep fighting for the pool to open this summer. Fordyce answered questions from the board regarding the maintenance costs, explaining that “everything has gone up, testing, supplies, everything.” Fordyce also added that the city has lost about 20,000 dollars per year by operating the pool in the summer.  Tracey Towner-Yep, ACRA’s Director, added that it was difficult to even break even operating a pool, saying that “pools drain your budget.” Fordyce indicated she would plan fundraisers to keep the pool open, and also proposed purchasing the pool from the fairgrounds, which would allow the city to apply for grants to cover maintenance and upgrades.  Debbie Dunn, Chair of the ACRA board, suggested having ACRA maintain all pools within the county, which would allow supplies to be purchased in bulk and pool maintenance to be performed all in one day.  Presumably, ACRA would then charge each city for the service at a considerable savings. The matter will again be discussed at the next Plymouth City Council meeting, which is scheduled for May 22nd.

The California Supreme Court, striking down two state laws that had limited marriages to unions between a man and a woman, ruled late last week that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. The court’s 4-to-3 decision, drawing on a ruling six decades ago that struck down the state’s ban on interracial marriage, would make California only the second state, after Massachusetts, to allow same-sex marriages.

The decision, which becomes effective in 30 days unless the court grants a stay, was greeted with celebrations at San Francisco City Hall, where thousands of same-sex marriages were thrown out by the courts fourCalifornia’s constitution to ban same-sex marriages and overturn the decision. Same-sex marriage has been a highly contentious issue in past presidential and Congressional elections, but it was not immediately clear what role the ruling would play in this year’s elections. The Democratic and Republican candidates for president have all said that they believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. Given the historic, cultural, symbolic and constitutional significance of marriage, Chief Justice Ronald M. George wrote for the majority, the state cannot limit its availability to opposite-sex couples. “In view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship,” he wrote, “the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.”

There are about 110,000 same-sex couples in California, according to census data, and the state has a strong domestic partnership law giving couples who register nearly all of the benefits and burdens of heterosexual marriage. But the majority of the justices said that is not enough. The court left open the possibility that the Legislature could use a term other than “marriage” to denote state-sanctioned unions so long as that term was used across the board — for both opposite-sex and same-sex couples. Governor Schwarzenegger, a Republican, said in a statement that he respected the court’s ruling and did not support a constitutional amendment to overturn it. Skip to next paragraph years ago. It was denounced by religious and conservative groups, who pledged to support an initiative proposed for the November ballot that would amend

The Senate passed the $290 billion, five-year farm bill by a strong veto-proof margin Thursday, ensuring that the measure becomes law despite President Bush's threatened veto, which would be the first presidential veto of a farm bill since Dwight Eisenhower's in 1956. The 81-15 Senate vote followed overwhelming bipartisan passage of the bill in the House Wednesday. The measure continues $25 billion in direct payments, mainly to grain growers despite record prices; contains $3 billion in first-ever research and marketing money for California produce growers; and creates a new "permanent disaster" program that will subsidize wheat growers who plant marginal prairie land now set aside for wildlife and watershed protection. California Democratic Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein both voted for the bill after joining an effort last year to radically overhaul the 1933-era subsidy system. When that effort failed, Boxer battled back-door efforts to attach pesticide and wetlands provisions she said would have set back the move toward safer farm production methods and weakened farmer participation in wetlands conservation programs. She went so far as to block the bill the last few weeks until those provisions were removed. Boxer strongly supported a $170 million earmark to bail out Pacific Coast salmon fishermen, sponsored by Representative Mike Thompson. Thompson said the salmon fishermen have beenSacramento River fish. Feinstein said she does not support the $2.5 million annual income limit the bill sets for cutting off crop subsidies to farm couples but that the bill was supported by all agriculture groups in California. severely harmed by the closure of the fishing season in an effort to aid

As many as 50 local teachers and school officials gathered in front of McDonald’s in Martell on Wednesday to voice their opposition to another round of state cuts in education. “The issue isn’t between teachers and the school board, it’s between education and the government,” said Dennis Friis, a teacher at Amador High School. “The rally, which is supported by the Amador County UnifiedSchool District, was planned to coincide with the State recognized “Day of the teacher”. “We’ve been so concerned with cutting taxes and the economy that we need to support the things that society needs,” said Friis. The impetus for the rally came from David Sanchez, President of the California teachers Association. In past years, Sanchez had submitted generalized declarations to fight budget cuts, but this year he personally called each district to organize a rally cry of its own. “People either pay up front for education or pay ten-fold when we encounter the end result,” said Lynn Vasques, a 6th grade teacher in Pioneer and the organizer of the rally. Different teachers have proposed different solutions as to how to solve the cuts in education. According to Vasques, it could be a 1% sales tax hike or reinstating vehicle registration fees. Whatever the outcome, local school officials are keeping a close eye on the latest round of state budget adjustment decisions.

21 Northern California dairy producers seeking a new buyer for their milk after their contract was terminated by Crystal Cream & Butter Company may have relief in sight. Crystal has been a major employer in Amador County and was one of the first major dairy distributors here. A short- term deal has been proposed with Hilmar Cheese Company of Ripon for the purchase of milk from farmers whose contracts with Crystal Cream and Butter Company will be terminated on June 30, following the sale of Crystal last year in Sacramento. The Crystal brand was initially purchased last May by HP Hood LLC, a dairy company based in Massachusetts. Then in October, HP Hood turned around and sold Crystal to Foster Farms Dairy of Modesto. In December, Crystal’s milk suppliers were notified that their contracts would terminate this June.

The deal with Hilmar Cheese Company, the world’s largest single-site cheese and whey products manufacturing operation, would offer a short term fix for the dairy producers, many of whom have been providing milk to Crystal for over 40 years. The deal would begin July 1st and would last 6 months until December 31st, and offers a temporary answer for the producers, who have been anxiously seeking a solution to the situation.  "I applaud Hilmar Cheese's ownership for making room for these folks who were in a very difficult situation," said Western United Dairymen Chief Executive Officer Michael Marsh. Milk and Cream is California’s top commodity, and 2007 was a record year for the industry with total revenue of $7.33 billion, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Many view the major problem facing California’s dairy industry to be the lack of processing facilities within the state. Much of California’s unprocessed Milk is sent out of state, a costly endeavor for smaller companies who face a lack of processing capacity and a simultaneous surge in feed costs.

The debate over the validity of the referendum filed against Jackson’s Final EIR entered round three at Monday’s Jackson City Council meeting. Andrew J. Morris, the city’s attorney, maintains that the certification of the final EIR is not subject to referendum because it is an adjudicatory act and only legislative acts are subject to referendum. Thomas Infusino, the attorney hired by the Foothill Conservancy, contends that the referendum is valid because the very act of certifying the EIR is a legislative one. Infusino, in a letter to the City Council, cites several court cases where the court had made distinctions between adjudicatory and legislative acts, and provides the details of two cases where the court determined that the action of certifying an EIR was “quasi-legislative” in character.  Infusino noted that one appellate court made the distinction by ruling that it “depended upon the nature of the underlying decision” and contends that the underlying decision in the City of Jackson’s case is to amend the General Plan, which is a legislative act.  City Attorney Morris argued that there “is no underlying action in certifying an EIR” and that the “preparation and certification of an EIR is not a legislative act (in itself).”

Although Friends of Jackson filed the referendum, effectively placing the decision in the hands of the voters in November, other members of the public want a decision made now.  Larry Durant, a local resident, says “keeping the general plan in suspension until November is unacceptable.”  In a likewise statement, Janice Cavaliere, a Director with the Amador County Association of Realtors, speaking on the association’s behalf, recommended “staying the course by taking the work completed so far forward, so we can have a general plan in place.”  The council has three options before them.  The first is to decertify the Final EIR, which would be a step backward for the city.  The second option is to place this issue on the November ballot, or hold a special election, and let the voters decide.  The third option is to rule that the referendum is invalid, which would require a court order to have the measure removed from the ballot.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed borrowing against future state lottery revenue to help close a $15.2 billion budget deficit in the next fiscal year. The governor will propose raising $15 billion over the next three years by selling bonds based on anticipated lottery revenue. He will use about $5.1 billion of that for the 2008-09 fiscal year to help erase the deficit. The other $10 billion would be left in a reserve fund the governor wants to create as part of a budget-reform proposal. It would be intended to ease the effect of year-to-year revenue fluctuations. The revenue proposal - which administration officials refer to as "securitizing" the lottery - would require voter approval because the lottery was established through the initiative process. If it fails, the governor will ask the Legislature to approve a temporary 1 cent increase in the state sales tax to pay for the reserve fund. It would last no more than three years.

Schwarzenegger also proposed a surcharge on homeowners insurance policies that would raise $69 million a year for the state's emergency services. The governor, however, dropped a plan to close 48 state parks and cut back lifeguards at 16 state beaches. Instead, he will propose boosting fees $1 to $2 at some of the most popular state park destinations. Earlier Tuesday, administration officials said Schwarzenegger's revised budget will abandon a plan to release 22,000 low-risk prison inmates early. Projections showed that a declining inmate population will save the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation about $300 million, roughly $100 million less than originally estimated. In addition to closing the $15.2 billion deficit, the governor also wants lawmakers to set aside a $2 billion reserve fund for 2008-09. The Assembly speaker's office said it would not comment until it had been briefed on the governor's proposal. In remarks prepared for delivery at a budget briefing Wednesday afternoon, Schwarzenegger said the lottery has been an underperforming asset. His plan would let the lottery pay out more in prizes in hopes of attracting additional revenue. Last year, California's lottery generated $3.3 billion in total revenue.