The Board of Supervisors heard a letter of public convenience this week from MCD Pine Acres resort, as part of an application to sell beer and wine at the newly established Jellystone Park in Pine Grove. The applicant hopes to build a convenience store on site which will make alcohol available to people at the campsite, as well as members of the general public. At the meeting however, planning director Susan Grijalva noted that there were items in the application that gave her some concern. Namely, she wasn’t sure if the convenience store planned conforms to the limitations of the legal nonconforming section of the park’s conditional use permit. Grijalva expressed that she did not wish to mislead the applicant into thinking that the way was clear, when there may be some stumbling blocks down the road in the application process. Grijalva then said that she would research the situation, and report back to the board in two weeks.  

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation honored two employees at Mule Creek State Prison on Friday, for distinguished service above and beyond the normal demands of correctional service.  The awards were presented by CDCR Secretary James Tilton at a ceremony on the West Steps of the State Capitol.  Nearly 100 employees received awards, ranging from the Medal of Valor to Unit Citations. The Distinguished Service Medal is for an employee’s exemplary work conduct with the Department for a period of months or years, or involvement in a specific assignment of unusual benefit to the Department.

In the first event, Distinguished Service Medal recipient Michael E. Doud was honored for his service at Mule Creek State Prison.  In January 1985, Michael Doud began his career with CDCR as the Vocational Cabinetmaking Instructor at Mule Creek State Prison.  He brought 17 years of cabinetmaking experience, a Contractors License, and Union Membership. Mr. Doud believes that learning of the cabinetmaking trade is but one aspect of a successful rehabilitative process.  The emotional and social requirements of his students are equally important to their successful reintegration into society. The Mule Creek Vocational Cabinetmaking Program students have designed and built approximately 2,000 projects for the local community.  The very desk that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger uses was build by Mr. Doud and the inmates in the vocational program. In the second event, Correctional Supervisor of the Year recipient Rhonda Baker was honored for her six years of service at Mule Creek Prison.

The Plymouth City Council heard from Matthew Franklin, chairman of the Ione Band of Miwok Indians, during the public comment portion of their agenda at Thursday’s meeting. Franklin requested a government to government meeting between the City Council and Tribal Government, and also invited them to the Tribe’s General Meeting on Saturday, May 10th at the County Fairgrounds. Across California, tribes are entering into compacts with the Governor regarding tribal gaming.  As a result, the income from the casinos is no longer going to the surrounding city but to the state and the county. Franklin asked “who then is going to protect Plymouth? At the capitol we were met with open arms…in Plymouth the tribe has been pushed away continually.” Gary Colburn, a resident of Plymouth, reminded the council that in his opinion they “were elected to represent and protect the citizens of Plymouth, and, with the current situation underway, Plymouth is left completely unprotected.” Maria Nunez-Simon also commented, saying that “people are coming in and offering assistance, and the council keeps denying it” and asked the council “to give respect to the tribe. If the Governor and Senators are listening, why aren’t you?” Direction was given to staff to bring back the item as a regularly scheduled agenda item in a future meeting.

Jackson Police helped make a very happy Chinese New Years Day for a young Chinese exchange student on Thursday. About a week ago, Wang Hong, 15, one of 11 foreign exchange students staying in Calaveras County with host families – had all of her trip money stolen when she left her purse in a restroom while shopping in Martell.

Yesterday was the first day of the Chinese Year of the Rat. According to Chinese astrologists, it will be a year of great intellectual development and introspection, while sharing the bounties of the harvest with loved ones. Accordingly, Fiddletown Preservation Society is already reaping the bounty of a major grant from the California State Library. The California Cultural and Historical Endowment awarded the Fiddletown group more than $200,000 in grant monies to help restore the town’s Gold Rush era Chinese general store and gambling hall. Competition for the state grant money was stiff, but the Fiddletown site is unique, says Elaine Zorbas, Fiddletown Preservation Society historian. Chinese settlers were instrumental in building California, yet very little remains of their first settlements in the Sierra foothills.

“It's an historic moment!  This is terrific!!!  Amazing!!! Stellar!!! Fantastic!!! Incredible!!!” These words from Amador County Recreation Agency director Tracey Towner-Yep on Tuesday when Mollie Joyce park in Pioneer officially became the property of the recreation agency. Amador County educator Fred Joyce signed 79-acres of his family’s historic ranch land to ACRA – after a 3-year effort to complete the transfer.

Jackson’s Downtown Merchants have mixed reviews on the “new and improved” program to revitalize downtown Jackson. Some merchants didn’t want to be interviewed yet, preferring to wait and see if the enthusiasm behind the current push for change on Main Street will continue, or if it will fizzle out as in past attempts. Some believe there’s not a problem with Main Street and that there are some really good businesses downtown. One merchant said constant negative attention by the media towards downtown just sends out the message that downtown is in trouble. This same merchant suggested we take a look at vacancies in other shopping centers.

The county has made available to the public several draft documents related to the County’s General Plan Update. The County is now entering into the Land Use and Alternatives segment of the General Plan update process -- the updated General Plan will set the policy for land use and development decisions in the county over the next 20-plus years. The Land Use Working Paper, the Land Use Classification System and Alternatives Workbook, and Map Packet are available on the General Plan website. Full-size colored maps are also available for review in the Planning Department office. The Working Paper provides information on current land uses and general plan land use designations.

To fill in the canal or not to fill in the canal? That is the question. Amador Water Agency board members need an environmental study before they can decide which way to go. With the new Amador Transmission Pipeline completed and carrying the water that most of Amador County’s water, the next step is to run a small water pipe in the old ditch to serve about 134 customers who still receive raw water directly from the canal. After this pipe is installed in the canal and current canal customers are hooked up, the agency will stop pumping any water into the canal.

The Amador County Election Department has begun mailing out vote-by-mail, or “absentee,” ballots. If you would like to vote by mail, the last day to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot is Tuesday, January 29.  The deadline to register to vote in the February 5 Presidential Primary Election is Tuesday, January 22. The state pamphlet on the first three ballot propositions was mailed to voters in December by the Secretary of State’s office. The supplemental state pamphlet for the four gaming compact propositions will be mailed to voters soon. If you have any questions about vote-by-mail, voter registration or the location of your polling place, please call the county Elections Office at 223-6465.