On the same day that county supervisors finalized a reduction of  the speed limit at Ridge Rd and New York Ranch Rd to 45 mph with the hope of reducing traffic accidents on that stretch of road – there were 2 more accidents at that intersection. The California Highway Patrol reported that a Lodi man turned off of New York Ranch Rd onto Ridge Road, but failed to see a Pine Grove man traveling east on Ridge Road at about 50 mph. The resulting collision caused property damage to both vehicles. An hour later, a West Point woman was westbound on Ridge Road Tuesday morning when she turned left onto New York Ranch Road directly into the path of a car driven by a 16-year old Sutter Creek girl. The 2 cars collided, causing moderate injuries to the West Point woman who was transported to Sutter Amador Hospital for treatment.

Last night, Jackson City Council heard presentations from 7 candidates for the city council seat left open when councilman Drew Stidger resigned. Eight citizens sent letters to the council expressing their interest in filling the remaining city council term – one applicant, Kathy DuBois, withdrew her name from the process before last night’s special meeting. The council allowed 7 minutes for each of the candidates to present their qualifications to the council members and audience. The council drew candidate’s names at random.

Amador County, along with the rest of Northern California, is still cleaning up the mess left by the powerful storm that hit the area Friday. The unusually high winds blew shingles of off of roofs, lifted the metal roof off of a winery on Ridge Road and blew trees and light poles onto homes and cars.

Last week’s Amador Government 101 workshop on city government was visited by State Assemblyman Alan Nakanishi, and former Lodi city councilman, who shared his lessons learned: He told the audience: First, just because you lose, you are not a loser – he did not win his first election. Second, when you lose or fail, you are stronger – he learned from his losses and kept trying, and finally -- persevere, persevere, persevere – if you do, victory can be attained and the is proof is his election to the California Assembly. He believes serving in public office is honorable and encouraged citizens to consider running for office.

The Amador County Fair Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Troy Bowers as the new Chief Executive Officer for the Amador County Fair, effective November 1 of this year.  The Directors are looking forward to both the enthusiasm and experience Mr. Bowers will bring to the Fair.  Troy has worked with most of the Fairs in California throughout his career. His first stint came as a youngster pulling weeds for his father who was the Kings District Fair manager. Along the way, his family developed electronic data processes for the fair industry, and Troy worked with many of California’s fairs during 12 years with the company.  Subsequently he worked at the Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster, and then 16 years with the San Joaquin Fair in Stockton where he eventually served as Deputy Manager.

The September 19th Amador County Transportation Committee meeting saw discussion of several proposals that would improve county roads. Project Manager Scott Moss gave a brief presentation on a proposed Pine Grove Bypass. He discussed possibilities of a bypass to either the north or the south of the city, as well as the possibility of widening the route through town. He stated that the ACTC was in the process of completing a more thorough report through Cal-trans. Moss also says that Cal-Trans will be instating a survey crew at the highway 49 bridge in Sutter Creek, in order to monitor the bridge through the winter and ascertain why the bridge is deteriorating.

At Monday’s Amador County Administrative Committee meeting, Supervisors Louis Boitano and Richard Forster were briefed on a couple of issues related to Amador County history: the County archives and the County museum. Recently,county staff had raised concerns about document shredding at the former Amador County courthouse where county archives are now stored. Amador County Superior Court Executive Officer Hugh Swift assured the supervisors that all documents older than 1911 must be retained in paper form, and that the court policy is to keep all records back to 1950 in paper form, to the extent possible.

The 2008 Argonaut High School football season starts on August 15th, but players are wasting no time in preparing for the occasion. 31 Varsity players, consisting of 12 seniors and 19 juniors, are undergoing vigorous conditioning and weight training during the off season. Head Coach Rick Davis and Assistant Coach Gary Landergen are pushing their team to be the best it can be. The students typical exercise regimen involves parking their cars by the old Safeway and running up Hoffman Street to the school’s football field, then running back down to go home. The other half of their conditioning centers on weight training in the school gym. Landergen is impressed with the team thus far, calling them “awesome.” One of the team’s most promising players this year is first string quarterback John Hickman, who, weighing in at 205 pounds, proves to be a formidable opponent. Also preparing for the upcoming season are the Junior Mustang Cheerleaders. 44 girls are participating this year, compared to 25 last season. According to Coach Lisa Gaebe, cheerleading is a great way for young girls to stay healthy, active, and in good spirits. Stay tuned to TSPN for more details on the upcoming football season.

If you attend enough public government meetings, you will inevitably hear a debate revolving around a particularly pesky piece of legislation: The Brown Act. Originally a 686 word statute that has grown substantially over the years, The Brown Act was enacted in 1953 in response to mounting public concerns over informal, undisclosed meetings held by elected officials. City councils, county boards, and other local government bodies throughout the State were avoiding public scrutiny by holding secret 'workshops' and 'study sessions.' The Brown Act solely applies to California City and county government agencies, boards, and councils. Now, a local official and a concerned citizen have formed a free workshop designed to educate citizens on the complicated language of the statute.

Roseanne Chamberlain, Executive Officer of LAFCO will host the event along with upcountry resident and reporter Debbie Dunn. Chamberlain will present the basic premise behind this often misunderstood legislation. A number of topics pertaining to the act will be covered, including common misconceptions that the State yields its sovereignty and that the people, in delegating authority, give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the public to know. The free workshop will be held today, July 29th, from 7 to 8:30 pm at the Amador County Administration Building, 33 Court Street in Jackson. If you require additional information, please contact Roseanne Chamberlain at 418-9377, or Debbie Dunn at 223-6470.

The proposed Sutter Creek Crossroads Shopping Center will be the hot-button topic at the upcoming Sutter Creek Planning Commission meeting. Petrovich Development company is helming the massive development planned for the 11 acre lot on the corner of Highway 49 and Ridge Road. The development includes a 90,560 square foot shopping center with 381 parking spaces. Project proponents are touting the development for its ideal location on the corner of two major thoroughfares in Sutter Creek. The Planning Commission will determine the feasibility of the project and how it will affect the area. The public is encouraged to attend the Planning Commission meeting at 7pm on Monday, July 23 at 33 Church Street in Jackson.