By Alex Lane - A vehicle pursuit between Sheriff’s officers and a man suspected of vehicle theft ended in a dramatic crash Monday evening. Around 7 pm, a Sheriff’s deputy received a report that a person suspected of possession of stolen property had almost struck another vehicle on Shake Ridge Road . The Sheriff radioed other deputies to be on the lookout for the white vehicle the suspect was driving. A CHP officer in the area soon spotted the vehicle on Pine Grove Drive, but when he tried to stop the vehicle the suspect sped away. The pursuit wound through the curvy back roads of the Pine Grove area and it soon became apparent to the officer in pursuit that the chase was becoming very dangerous due to the speeds of the driver. The car lost control and came to a stop at the roads edge of the intersection of Manzanita Way and Dew Drop Road . When the suspect backed up and tried to drive again, the CHP officer chose to end the chase by ramming the vehicle and forcing it off the road into the trees. The suspect then ran into the woods and evaded officers. The suspect has yet to be found.

By Alex Lane - A decision was put before the Board of Supervisors at Tuesday’s Meeting as to how to handle a decaying and abandoned property in the River Pines area. Linda Van Vleck, County Code Enforcement Officer, presented the results of a recent Administrative Abatement Hearing in which a Hearing Board found the property in violation of several health and safety statutes. These include unsafe buildings, an abandoned septic tank, and more than 200 square feet of junk. The estate was under the ownership of the recently deceased Andrew Charles Payer, and his only known relatives have expressed no interest in the property’s upkeep. The County became aware of the property after neighbors complained of decaying structures, potential safety hazards for children, and a vagrant who slept in a decaying trailer behind the house. “I thought it was important for you all to see how the…money would be spent,” said Van Vleck. The Board unanimously agreed with the findings of the Hearing Board. The cost of demolition and removal of junk on the property will be at the expense of the property owners, the Estate of Andrew Charles Payer.

By Alex Lane - Another successful blues and brews festival drew crowds from far and wide to Sutter Creek last weekend. Two separate blocks on Randolph and Eureka Streets were fenced off to create beer gardens and high-energy musical venues for two highly-rated blues rock bands. The Shane Dwight Band, winners of the Monterey Bay Blues Festival, kept the crowd moving on Eureka Street . Over by the Palace Bar and Restaurant, local favorite Daddy Chillin’ kept things funky long into the night. “I come here from Stockton every year just for the people and the atmosphere,” said Sheryl Hillman, a devoted attendee of the event. In addition to the music, a number of local vendors served food. Susan’s Place, located across the street from the Eureka Street parking lot, offered lasagna and French bread. Each beer garden offered a variety of imported beers. We’ll look forward to another successful event next year.

By Alex Lane - As fall begins and students return to school, many people believe that fire season also ends at the same time. CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Dennis Townsend is reminding all Californians that fire danger remains high across the state and, even though the threat has decreased in some areas, the chance of large and damaging fires still exists. “Historically, late September and October are when we see the worst fires,” said Chief Ruben Grijalva, director of CAL FIRE . “Even though we have seen cooler temperatures and little moisture, it only takes one day of dry winds to bring the fire danger back to extreme,” he added. Throughout the past decade, California has seen many of its large and devastating fires during this time period. On October 20, 1991, the Oakland Hills Fire quickly burned over 1,500 acres, destroyed 2,900 structures and took the lives of 25 people. On October 3, 1995 , the Vision Fire in Marin County burned over 12,000 acres and destroyed 48 structures. On October 21, 2003 , over a dozen fires burned across Southern California charring over 750,000 acres, destroying 3,710 homes, and taking 24 lives. And just last year, another siege began in late October blackening over half a million acres, destroying over 3,000 homes and taking the lives of 10 people. California’s unique climate and topography lend themselves to severe wildfire conditions year round. To combat these natural conditions, the state is fully prepared with an array of equipment including fire engines, air tankers, helicopters and bulldozers. As October draws to a close, CALFIRE will strategically reposition some of its resources to areas with continued high to extreme fire danger.

By Jennifer Wilson - The Gold Rush Development will be donating 17 acres of land for a dedicated school site once the developer’s project is approved. Bill Wright, legal counsel for the development, stood up at last week’s Unified School District Board meeting to announce the deal. Mike Flynn, an engineer and geologist and 35-year Amador County resident, voiced his concerns over the Allen Ranch tailings in that area. Flynn indicated that in the late 1990’s, the EPA had done some remediation on the Mesa De Oro property by removing some tailings and depositing them on the Allen Ranch property, a process that can release arsenic into the soil. According to Flynn, the EPA claims “nothing (else) has been done since 1999.” Flynn went on to say that the Department of Toxic Substance Control, or DTSC, has an entire unit devoted to school sites, and asked developers to “proceed with caution.” Wright thanked Flynn for his questions and comments, and remarked that they were “excellent calls.” Wright also informed the Board that the tailings in question have been covered and gone through the EPA remediation program, with the arsenic levels being acceptable to the DTSC. “We know that it’s an issue we need to address,” added Wright. “If it wasn’t this site, it’d be another site (with the same issues).” School Board Member Chuck Anderson thanked Flynn for his concern, and noted the “long, long process” of the Gold Rush Development. Anderson also added that the Gold Rush developers have “been very willing to work with us” and that “virtually every piece of property we looked at” had some sort of environmental issue. The 17-acre property will house a school, with a public library directly adjacent to it, a project that Anderson and Board Chair Mary Walser say will be “setting a precedent for Amador County .”

By Jim Reece - The Plymouth City Council voted 5-0 Monday to cut red tape on its long-planned water pipeline. The vote sends notification letters for a November 17th public hearing for a possible water and sewer rate increase. It also allows the Amador Water Agency to go out for bids on the pipeline and was required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a grant qualification. City Manager Dixon Flynn said USDA and the AWA “requested that we have a financial plan backed by rates.” He recommended two options. Plan A would adjust fees around a 50,000-dollar annual earmark for work on the Arroyo Ditch. Plan B would remove the 50,000 dollars for the ditch to save on fees. The council chose Plan A. After the vote, Mayor Jon Colburn said that 3 years ago, when they first talked about the pipeline, the council agreed that “under no circumstances would we jeopardize the Arroyo Ditch – and I thank you.” City staff will send letters of notification to water customers and record owners of each identified parcel in the city. A public hearing will be held 45 days from Monday – on November 17 – to discuss possible rate hikes. Flynn said he was “very optimistic that there are going to be solutions” before the November 17th meeting. Planning Commissioner Marla Moreno backed Plan A, saying “we need to remember that the Arroyo Ditch has been with us for a long, long time.” Colburn agreed, saying “I see no way that we could throw the potential of a 100 million dollar water right under the train for this project.” Councilman Michael O’Meara said “we need to keep working on (the ditch) to preserve the rights we do have.” Colburn said the council would not vote for a rate increase, adding that “we are looking for the developers to bail us out on this.” He said zero funding for the Arroyo Ditch is “basically saying that you are giving up on the water rights.” O’Meara noted that the notification letter does not represent a city council endorsement of a rate increase.

By Jim Reece - Amador County Transportation Commission Executive Director Charles Field will be among the local, regional and international experts at a Smart Growth Conference October 9th and 10th in Tuolumne County . Lieutenant Governor John Garemendi will be keynote speaker at the event’s gala dinner. Field will be one of five program presenters, and will talk about his work in Amador County , coordinating a multi-county “Blueprint.” Field will explain how he uses the Blueprint to integrate transportation, land usage and housing planning. Steve Frisch, executive director of the Sierra Business Council, will present a program on “demographic challenges and the need for smart growth in the foothills.” Frisch will also review three kinds of capital: social, financial and natural. Steve Wilensky, chairman and district 2 supervisor for the Calaveras County Board of Directors, will give a program on “moving forward to build a viable community and how to bring sometimes opposing factions together for common goals.” Patrick Lucey, senior aquatic ecologist with Aqua-Tex Scientific Consulting, will come from Canada to talk about “watershed-sensitive urban planning, design and implementation.” Lucey is collaborating with the Schwarzenegger Administration on California watershed issues. Garamendi, born and raised in Calaveras County , owns the “Touch The Earth” working cattle ranch near San Andeas. In a release, Garamendi said “Smart growth is healthy, well-managed growth with the intent to better serve the goals of the communities.” The conference with touch on smart growth in historic towns, with a presentation by Autumn Bernstein, of Climate Plan, a group of California organizations that came together to “educate decision makers about global warming and land use.” Rudy Ortega will discuss his successful Murphys project and the “new-urbanist” center in Copperopolis.

Staff Report - Sheldon D. Johnson, Amador County Registrar of Voters announced yesterday that vote by mail ballots for the November 4, 2008 General Election will be mailed beginning October 6, 2008 to permanent vote by mail voters and voters who have submitted applications. Applications received after this date will be processed on a daily basis. Any registered voter who wishes to vote by mail must complete and sign a vote by mail application form. Application forms will be available on the back cover of the sample ballot, at the Elections Department or on the Election’s website at www.co.amador.ca.us/depts/elections. Completed application forms may be mailed to the Elections Department, 810 Court St., Jackson , CA 95642 or faxed to (209) 223-6467. The last day for the Elections Department to receive a request for a ballot to be mailed is October 28, 2008. Voters should mail their voted ballots at least five days before Election Day, November 4, 2008, to allow sufficient delivery time by the post office. Voted ballots may also be dropped off at any polling location in Amador County on Election Day. Additional information may be obtained by calling the Elections Department at 223-6465.

Staff Report - Throttle Therapy, a local Off-Road Race Team, took two first place trophies in races at Prairie City, California, as part of the Valley Offroad Racing Association Competition. The team’s Driver, Brett Yochheim and Co-Driver Jessie Noland fought through some extensive course runs in their fully custom fabricated Ford Ranger. The truck is equipped with a 600 horsepower NASCAR engine and monster truck style suspension. Throttle Therapy competes in the "Best of the Desert" series all over the West Coast. Brett's brother, Bart Yochheim also has a trophy truck and competes as well. Brett and Bart are the twin sons of local business owners Cathy and Eric Yochheim.

Staff Report - An upcoming bridge dedication ceremony will honor the only Amador County soldier whose life was taken in Iraq . Private First Class Jay-D Ornsby-Adkins, whose funeral was held in August, was killed in action while serving in Baghdad , Iraq . A bill was recently passed to name Amador Creek Bridge on the new bypass in honor of Jay-D Ornsby Adkins. The memorial program will include a Color Guard and Honor Guard ceremony and a fly over. Speakers will include Senator Dave Cox, County Supervisor Richard Forster, American Legion Department Commander Al Lenox and Ione City Manager Kim Kerr. Donations are being accepted by the American Legion in Sutter Creek. This invitation is extended on behalf of Jay-D's Mother, Robyn Ornsby, of Robyn's Nest hair salon in Ione. The ceremony takes place Sunday, October 5th at 11 am at the American Legion Hall, 12134 Airport Road in Sutter Creek.