The presidential primary campaign made a stop in Jackson on Saturday afternoon. Elizabeth Kucinich, wife of Democratic primary candidate Dennis Kucinich, stopped at Jose’s Restaurant on a campaign tour through the foothills and Central Valley. The Democratic Club of Amador County announced the upcoming campaign stop on Friday, and by Saturday afternoon had assembled an enthusiastic group of Amador and Calaveras County Democrats at Jose’s Restaurant. Richard Blackston, Regional Vice Chair of the Democratic Rural Caucus, said that the Democratic Central Committee was making a special effort to get Democratic Party candidates to the foothills and the Central Valley, where Republican voters have long been in the majority.

The Amador Water Agency will make a decision critical to the development of the Gold Rush Ranch project proposed for Sutter Creek. When a new development is proposed, the Water Agency must assess the availability of water to meet the needs of the new homes and businesses. On Thursday morning at their regular meeting, the Amador Water Agency Board of Directors will review the completed Water Supply Assessment for Gold Rush Ranch and Golf Course and decide whether or not to adopt the report. The Water Agency is also holding a Board Workshop on the Agency’s strategic plan on Wed, January 23. The Planning workshop is open to the public and will be held at 8:30 a.m. at the Jackson Rancheria Hotel in the Fire Conference Room.

The upcoming Plymouth City Council meeting should prompt some lively discussion this week – issues on Thursday night’s agenda include initiating interaction with Native American tribes regarding the proposed casino in Plymouth, requiring permits for riding motorcycles and 4-wheelers on private property, and shortening up the time speakers are allowed for public comment at council meetings.  Plymouth citizens at the last City Council meeting accused the council of intentional inaction on the casino issue – Thursday night the council will discuss entering into an agreement between the County of Amador and the City of Plymouth to form a joint committee for future consultation with the Ione Band of Miwok Indians and/or the Historic Band of Miwok Indians.

State Senator Dave Cox, has presented a bill in the state legislature to place a measure on the ballot asking the voters to take back 2.5 billion in tobacco tax dollars held in reserve by local and state First Five Commissions. Voters created these commissions when they passed Proposition 10 in 1998. The initiative created a 50-cent per pack tax on cigarettes that generates about $580 million per year to be used for early childhood development programs. $2.5 billion of collected tobacco tax is sitting in local and state First Five reserve accounts.

Mel & Faye’s Diner may be serving hamburgers from a spiffy new building down the highway, but the original site of the classic burger stand will not be forgotten. Yesterday, the city of Jackson dedicated the parking lot built on the site of the much-loved restaurant to Mel Gillman and unveiled a bronze plaque commemorating Mel and Faye’s contribution to Jackson. Family, friends and city dignitaries gathered for the unveiling of the plaque featuring a photograph of Gillman and of the restaurant circa 1956.

A 39-year old Pioneer woman suffered minor injuries in an accident on Hwy 88 Tuesday. According to the California Highway Patrol, the Pioneer woman was eastbound near Lodge Rd when she allowed her 1989 Toyota pick-up to run off the road where it then hit a tree. The driver was taken to Sutter Amador Hospital for treatment.

At the Jackson City Council Meeting Monday, the council approved a request for 2 new fire department vehicles: a Quick Attack Mini-Pumper and a 2,000 Gallon Tanker. Fire Chief Mark Morton told the Council that, after carefully assessing the needs at the fire department, these two pieces of equipment would serve the community best. These two new vehicles would also be replacing one of the older engines, allowing the fire station to sell the older engine to bring back some additional funding. The Water/Sewer Rate Study Committee, the Oro de Amador Committee, and the Economic Development Committees were each ratified by the Council. The four city council members present tabled making City Council Assignments since newly appointed Councilmember Wayne Garibaldi wasn’t present at the meeting Monday evening, and the council felt that he should be present when committee and agency seats are assigned.

Mayor of Jackson Rosalie Pryor-Escamilla will run for the District 1 Supervisor’s seat -- something she’s said in the past that she would not do. Pryor-Escamilla told TSPN that she has changed her mind about running and has taken out a petition for signatures in lieu of a filing fee. County planning commissioner John Gonsalves and rancher John Plasse announced months ago that they will run in the June primary for the district 1 seat. Pryor-Escamilla said she hopes her candidacy will make things “more interesting.”

All federal, state, county and city offices and most banks will be closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Post offices will be closed and there will be no delivery of regular mail. Amador County Schools are closed for the day. Most retail and service businesses stay open for the holiday. The holiday has affected some scheduled meetings: The Board of Supervisors and Sutter Creek City Council meetings are cancelled this week, and the Jackson Planning Commission meeting has been moved to Tuesday night.