Amador County - NFL Football Official Pete Morelli spoke to a full house at the Sutter Creek Community Center Wednesday evening as part of a scholarship benefit for the Sutter Creek Women’s Club. Morelli, who is considered the cream of the crop among NFL officials and fans, is also the 20-year Principal of St. Mary’s High School in Stockton. He has served 6 years as a white hat and 6 years as a field judge in the National Football League. A crowd of professional football fans and curious newcomers to the game listened intently as Morelli regaled them with tales of his career refereeing famous and word-renowned athletes. Morelli is a product of Stockton and said he was always interested in becoming a professional official since his high school days. He was discovered by NFL scouts while reffing college games in the late 1980’s and recruited into the NFL in 1989. Besides requiring at least 5 years of near flawless refereeing at the college level, the NFL puts each potential referee through a rigorous series of tests to even be considered. These include a psychological test, an FBI background check, cholesterol and health tests and a physical. Referees well into their sixties are regularly timed in sprints and sustained running to make sure they can handle the physical requirements of running alongside professional athletes. He said refs typically run six miles in a game. His first game was the Oakland Raiders versus the Dallas Cowboys, and he recalled an amusing story where running back Emmett Smith crawled between his legs, tied his shoes almost without him knowing it, and said “welcome to the game, rookie.” Morelli said, “We consider ourselves the third team on the field.” His obvious ambition and great success resulted in being selected as a top referee for the 2002 Superbowl. His Super bowl ring received many compliments from the audience. “Success is a measure of time, energy and commitment,” said Morelli, adding that he is proud of what he has achieved. All donations from the event will go to benefit the Sutter Creek Women’s Club scholarship program. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – First-term District 10 Assemblywoman Alyson Huber took public comment in her town hall meeting Wednesday in Jackson, while sharing ideas that have landed her a top committee assignment in her first half-year of service. Huber said unemployment is 18 percent in Stockton, while Amador has seen Prospect Motors and other businesses close. She said she has been in office 6 months and is “now chairing the Joint Legislative Audit Committee,” looking under every rock to end fraud and wasteful spending. She encouraged attendees to help with her contest, “There Ought To Be An Audit,” looking for suggestions on curbing state bureaucratic waste. Huber said the Assembly allowed her to form a “select committee on lowering California’s high school dropout rate.” She said the statewide dropout rate is 24 percent. But in Stockton Unified, the dropout rate is 54 percent. Nina Machado of First 5 Amador asked how vocational training fit her plans, and Huber said there are bills now addressing funding cuts that have impacted high school ROP and career technical programs. But she said it is “hard to do without a public-private partnership.” Al Lennox, state commander of the American Legion, said California ranked 50th among states for National Guard wages and benefits. Huber said she was also appointed to the Veterans Committee, and hopes to see that vets are getting services that the federal government should be giving them. She said a software tracking system for services rendered to vets could save an estimated $230 Million Dollars. Jim Spinetta, of Charles Spinetta Wineries, asked about the 10-cents per drink tax, costing vineyards $226 a ton. Huber said: “Would it make you feel any better if I said I was against it?” ACRA Executive Director Tracey Towner-Yep asked about the Preston CYA school in Ione, and how it is said to be among the top 3 in such schools being considered for closure. Towner-Yep said ACRA uses Preston cadets quite a bit in her recreation work. Huber said she dissuaded a legislator from carrying a bill to close Preston. She said the problem is the $200,000 dollars a year cost to house each kid there, due to lawsuits. But Huber said she did “not think it is a possibility” of closure, and she will work to “make sure it’s fully utilized.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - The Board of Supervisors heard comments from opponents of the proposed Pardee Reservoir expansion and subsequently took action to oppose the project. The minimum 33-foot dam expansion proposed through the EBMUD 2040 water plan would flood miles of the Mokelumne River in order to provide additional water capacity to millions of customers in the east bay. An Amador Water Agency quorum that included Board members Debbie Dunn, Bill Condrashoff and Chief Engineer Gene Mancebo were on hand to present an AWA letter approved 5-0 in opposition to the EBMUD proposal. Condrashoff said he has “been to two meetings where 400 people combined have spoken out against this project, and only one person has spoken out for it.” Dunn said that EBMUD’s consultants “definitely listened” enough to change their presentation to focus on Pardee at Monday’s town hall meeting. Members of the Foothill Conservancy were also present to give their take on comments from the capacity crowd that filled the San Andreas Town Hall during an EBMUD meeting Monday night. The Foothill Conservancy, which has been at the forefront of local opposition, detailed reasons for rejecting the EBMUD plan, from environmental to economic. Judy Jebian, speaking on behalf of the Amador County Historical Society, said her organization was against the flooding because it would destroy some 43 areas of historical interest, including the Middle Bar Bridge, which was entered into the National Historic Registry in 1985. While not expressing any opinions as to whether they support or oppose the proposed plan, the Supervisors were unanimous in their disapproval of the way EBMUD has worked with Amador County and conducted workshops so far. Supervisor Louis Boitano asked rhetorically if meetings thus far were only a dog and pony show. He said the best plan of attack in terms of opposing the project was forming a “united front” with Calaveras County. Supervisor Ted Novelli said that if it wasn’t “for the efforts of Pete Bell and the Foothill Conservancy, EBMUD wouldn’t have given me the chance to speak,” referring to a workshop at the Amador Water Agency two weeks ago. Supervisor Brian Oneto called EBMUD’s efforts so far “irritating” and suggested writing a formal letter urging EBMUD to extend the comment period for more public input so citizens had the chance to read the 1,500 page Environmental Impact Report outlining the project. The Supervisors approved of the letter unanimously. They also will include a statement of opposition to the project because of the minimum comment period, which was set to expire April 6. County Counsel Martha Shaver recused herself during the discussion because she has property adjacent to the proposed dam site. EBMUD subsequently announced Wednesday afternoon that they will extend the comment period another month. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – A man was reportedly arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs early Wednesday after a crash totaled his car and hospitalized his passenger on China Graveyard Road. The passenger was trapped in the vehicle “and had to be removed, they basically had to take the car apart,” a witness said. The passenger was then flown by helicopter ambulance to a regional hospital. The car was reportedly travelling at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control and the vehicle struck a large tree nearly head-on, crumpling the front end of the vehicle on the passenger’s side of the car, at about 2 a.m. Wednesday on China Graveyard Road. The early morning crash put Jackson Fire Department personnel into high gear with all of their hydraulic powered portable Hurst Rescue Tools, which they have been trained to use to rescue trapped car crash victims. A witness said “the rescue played out on a dark corner on China Graveyard Road, where the driver’s red sports car had come to rest with a tree imbedded into the right front of the vehicle, crushing the metal around the passenger’s lower body.” Jackson Fire personnel methodically sheared, pried, spread with the Hurst Tools and dismantled the vehicle until they could get the victim out. At the scene were personnel from Jackson Fire, Jackson Police, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, American Legion Ambulance, the California Highway Patrol, and the Amador County Sheriff’s Office, all assisting at the crash scene. The driver of the vehicle is suspected to have been operating the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and was taken to Sutter Amador Hospital. The passenger was flown by helicopter to an area hospital trauma center. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Another hay tractor trailer truck failed to make it down Highway 88 Tuesday in Pioneer, toppled off the roadside, and spilled its double trailer load of hay. What observers say “has become an all too often occurrence, another hay truck lost control on a curve, tipped over and lost its entire load” on the steep roadside along Highway 88 near Cooks Station. Eye witnesses said that the truck was moving at a fast pace along the tight curves leading up to Cooks station. Apparently something went wrong and the rear trailer began to tip over to the right and soon the rest of the rig followed. The tractor and front trailer soon ricocheted off of several trees and the load from both trailers tumbled into the road and down the embankment. An observer at the scene said “lucky for the driver, the cab came to a stop upside down between the embankment and some trees, leaving it severely damaged but not crushed.” The driver was able to crawl out and he later sought medical attention when the ambulance arrived. It took a couple of hours for road crews to clean up the mess and a tow truck crew to right the truck and tractor. Amador Fire Protection District, Calfire, CalTrans and CHP personnel were all on scene working on various parts of clearing up the road. A tractor-trailer-sized wrecker and a smaller wrecker from ATR were used to remove the vehicle from the side of the hill and right it. The cause of the crash was still under investigation. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission broke its meeting on the update of the Draft General Plan last week by voting to omit 3 development projects from the land designation maps. Principals of Golden Vale, Garbarini Ranch and Pine Acres North housing developments sought to have their projects amended from the General Plan, and the 10-member panel voted 6-4 to do just that last Thursday. The 3 applications were received before a moratorium on appeals was established by the panel. 2 of the projects were awaiting the joint panel’s ruling before starting environmental work, while the third, the Pine Acres North project, was already having its Environmental Impact Report developed. County Planner Susan Grijalva said Pine Acres North developers chose to continue the EIR work, outside of the ruling, as allowed because the appeals for amendment were filed before the moratorium. Grijalva said last week that the planning department is “expecting (Pine Acres North’s) EIR” and “should be getting that in the near future.” The joint panel ruling will allow all three to go forward with their project and later seek to amend the general plan land uses. Pine Acres North, located at the southeast corner of Highway 88 and Tabeaud Road in Pine Grove, would re-designate approximately 44 acres from a mix of Commercial, Residential Low-Density and Residential Suburban to all “Residential Low-Density, “for residential development of 66 single-family units, five 4-plex lots, and a 12-unit apartment complex. The Garbarini Ranch at Stoney Creek development application is to designate approximately 225 acres as a “Special Planning Area” for mixed-use senior housing and commercial development. Golden Vale, located on the north side of Highway 88, just west of Sunset West, applied to designate approximately 383 acres as a “Special Planning Area” for a proposed mixed-use development of single-family, multiple-family and commercial projects with open space. The General Plan Update joint panel meeting will reconvene for 1 or 2 more days, starting Wednesday, April 8th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Calaveras County - A new emergency food bank building in San Andreas is a big relief for local organizations whose resources have been stretched thin during the economic crisis. The building, which opened earlier this year and was celebrated in a ceremony in late March, is only the latest improvement in operations for the Human Resource Council, which changed its name last week to The Resource Connection. Russ Thomas, a Calaveras County Supervisor, was quoted as saying “I think there is some divine intervention in this” as he observed the opening of the 5000-square-foot facility on March 20. The new food bank includes modern multi-storage racks, a giant walk-in freezer, and meeting rooms where families can sit down with staff and assess their needs. The building was dedicated to Carol Phelps who served on the Resource Connection Board of Directors from 1986 to 2008, mostly as chairwoman. Calaveras Supervisor Steve Wilensky said the goal is to make sure Calaveras is the one county in California where no one goes hungry. He was also referring to another program recently launched by the Supervisors called Farm to Family, which encourages home gardeners and farmers to plant an extra row of food for donations to the food bank. The Resource Connection was started in 1977 by a small group of local women looking to solve local issues related to families, hunger and child care. It now employs over 170 people and runs locations throughout Amador and Calaveras counties on an annual budget of $8 million. Money comes from a variety of sources, from federal and state grants to local contributions. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Calaveras County - A crowd of nearly 300 people filled the San Andreas Town Hall Monday evening in vehement protest of the proposed Pardee Reservoir expansion under the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s 2040 Water Plan. A meeting in Calaveras County was not included in EBMUD’s original schedule, but was scheduled after an overflowing meeting in the Amador Water Agency two weeks ago and public outcry. Three members of the EBMUD Board and 3 consultants sat quietly as officials and emotional residents from Calaveras and Amador Counties made pleas for the mammoth water company to scrap their proposal or consider alternatives. Consultant David Blau began by presenting a slideshow that outlined the history of the project and the potential impacts a 33-foot dam expansion and subsequent river flooding would have on the environment. “This does not mean (a dam) is being built, it only suggests what the district would spend its funds studying,” said Blau. The East Bay is dependent on the 600-square-mile watershed, which is where 90 percent of its water originates. Blau said there would be “potential benefits” for Amador and Calaveras counties if the proposal were implemented, but did not go into further detail. “This is all based on a very, very preliminary study,” he said. Public comment began with Calaveras District 2 Supervisor Steve Wilensky, who secured the venue for the meeting. “We have water and you need water, which brings us together,” he said. Wilensky referred to the latest meetings as “almost afterthoughts” and said “real partners don’t treat each other this way,” to thundering applause. His main suggestion was to “follow in the path of the country” and invest in technology and the local economy. Calaveras Water Agency Director Bob Dean reiterated Wilensky’s point, saying “the problem can not be solved with the same ideas that created it.” Bill Condrashoff of the Amador Water Agency read portions of a letter declaring his agency’s opposition to the proposed plan, and asked if any EBMUD board members had read it, to which he received a mute response and promptly provided them with copies. Chris Wright, Executive Director of the Foothill Conservancy, called it an “environmental justice issue.” He pointed to a map detailing current dams along the river every few miles, and said it was all the more important to preserve the 3-quarter mile reach of the Mokelumne proposed for flooding. One Calaveras citizen recalled her frustration at there being only one copy of the 1,500 plus page Environmental Impact Report for public viewing in the San Andreas library – the only copy readily available for public viewing in either county. She said the document was not received there until March 28th and she had to remain in the library to read it. A host of other Calaveras residents, including members of local Indian tribes, told stories of the river’s personal and historical significance. Most asked for EBMUD to either extend the public comment period or abolish the plan altogether. EBMUD Board President Doug Linney said in closing that he appreciated all public comments and they would all be taken into consideration. The comment period presently closes April 6th. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The 35-year-old Home & Farm Kitchen Store is preheating the oven for a new location, a few doors down from its corner at Highway 49 & 88 and Main Street in downtown Jackson. “We are on our third generation,” said Janie Williams, who co-owns the Kitchen Store with her sons, Jess, 28, and Travis, 24. “Out sons are both heavily involved in the business.” It began as a butcher supply shop, opened by her parents, Monty and George Kenourgios. Janie said early on, her mother went to a supply convention in Kansas City and bought a few kitchen supplies. 3 years later, it was the Kitchen Store. Now, they carry 5,000 different kitchen items and have 300 different suppliers they order from. She bought into the company from her parents 24 years ago, and Jess and Travis bought in 5 years ago. They bought the former Pizza Factory Building, at 165 Main Street, from John Masters “a year ago and sat on it until January, not knowing what we were going to do.” Janie said now, her sons are working “7 days a week, 12 hours a day and pretty much they are the heart of all the construction over there and that’s what’s keeping it in our price range.” They have had some contractor help, but she was proud to say they have made all purchases for the new Kitchen Store at local, mostly Jackson sources. The new store will have a half-moon bar with 12 barstools. Janie said they already have a guest demonstration, Thai cooking by Helen Chin, scheduled for August. The old stained glass windows with the Kitchen Store logo, created by Cathy Wilson, are moving too, turned into oval windows by Volcano Glassworks, they will hang on either front of the building. It will have entrances on Highway 49 & 88, across from Mel & Fayes, and it will have an entrance on Main Street. The building is 2,600 square feet, up from the current building’s 900 square feet. They plan to open sometime between Mother’s Day and July 1st. Online, see www.biggestlittlekitchenstore.com, or for information, call (209) 223-0264. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Ione City Council will host a special meeting Thursday for a workshop on historic preservation, and to consider opposing the expansion of Pardee Reservoir. The resolution would urge East Bay Municipal Utility District to increase conservation instead of expanding Pardee Reservoir. The council will discuss a letter from the Jackson City Council, with a copy of a similar resolution the Jackson council passed March 9th. The draft resolution states, in part, that expansion of Pardee Reservoir “would inundate the Middle Bar Bridge, Middle Bar Run, and part of the Electra Run, reducing the (Mokelumne River’s) value as a recreational, historical and natural resource.” It says “loss of these priceless resources would directly impact the tourism-based economy in Ione and surrounding communities.” The special meeting starts at 6 p.m. Thursday at Evalynn Bishop Hall. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.