By Alex Lane -

Artistically inclined prisoners at Mule Creek State Prison near Ione are readying for an annual art show that showcases their talents and gives back to the community. Hosted by the Amador County Arts Council, the “Inside/Out” art show and sale is a 20 year tradition drawing art collectors from far and wide with a special interest in works done behind bars. “The art and woodwork are of exceptional quality and sell quickly on the first day,” said Jean Walker, Community Partnership Manager for Mule Creek State Prison. “This is one of the ways that the inmates’ give back to neighboring communities in the county of Amador. They participate with the knowledge that their artwork will be sold with the proceeds going to Operation Care which helps victims,” she said. Last year’s show profited more than 13,000 dollars, with 9,000 donated directly to Operation Care. The balance was used to cover the cost of putting the show on this year. According to Walker, there may be only 10 to 15 artists participating, but the show will feature over several hundred pieces, with the majority being ceramic items. “Due to quick sales on the first day, we are planning to balance the inventory evenly between both days of the show and sale,” she said. But this isn’t the only way Mule Creek is giving back to the community. Approximately 3,800 inmates housed there are involved in a variety of activities such as automotive repair, digital mapping and educational opportunities, as well as work with the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Forestry. Walker believes this is just one more way to partner with the community, saying, “the show is one of the many programs we provide to help our inmates work on the rehabilitation process.” The art show takes place Friday and Saturday, November 7th and 8th, beginning at 9am. For more information call Jean Walker at Mule Creek at 274-5019 or Lynn Shield at Operation Care at 223-2897.

By Jennifer Wilson -

The October 6th resignation of Andy Rodriguez has put the Jackson City Council in somewhat of a quandary. With just three weeks until the November 4th election, the open seat was the subject of a legal discussion at Monday evening’s council meeting. Per government code, the council has three options, including appointing a person to serve the remainder of Rodriguez’s term, which was to expire in November 2010, calling a special election to fill the spot, or leaving the spot vacant until the November 2010 election. According to City Manager Mike Daly, this year’s election would be too soon, as the code states that a special election to fill the spot must be held no less than 114 days after the vacancy was created. The three present council members, Vice Mayor Connie Gonsalves, Wayne Garibaldi, and Al Nunes, all agreed that filling the vacancy was the appropriate and necessary thing to do, and decided to appoint a new member. “City business must go on,” noted Gonsalves. Per the code, the council must do this within 30 days of the commencement of the vacancy, which created a deadline of November 5th, just one day after the election. Marilyn Lewis, who is running for the council, proposed continuing the decision until after the new council is sworn in, but since the council must act within 30 days, that option was not possible, a position that Lewis called, “awfully convenient.” Bill Condrashoff pointed out that it might be a conflict of interest if the current council members were to make the selection, as Garibaldi and Nunes are running for re-election, but the council went ahead with their decision to fill the spot and voted to accept applications for the vacant seat and set a deadline of October 30th at 5 PM. Current candidates will be able to submit letters of interest for the vacant spot as a backup in case they are not elected November 4th. City Attorney Andrew Morris informed those present that the application letters would be contingent on the applicant not winning a council seat.

By Jim Reece -

Ione elected officials and staff hosted a General Plan Workshop Sept. 8 with 45 people attending and nearly all contributing with the help of a digital instant polling mechanism and a slide show. Daniel Hamilton of Rancho Cordova hosted the meeting and called the General Plan a “blueprint for growth and planning now and in the future” and a reflection of community goals.” He said it was a framework for land use decisions, housing, economic development, cultural and natural resources and transportation. Of the 45 attending, 66 percent were residents of Ione for 10 years or less, including 34 percent less than 5 years. 24 percent were residents for 20 or more years.

84 percent said Ione was their primary resident and 95 percent owned their home rather than rented. 94 percent of the crowd thought Ione’s pedestrian system was inadequate. To improve circulation locally, 45 percent supported expansion of the city’s sidewalk system while 34 percent preferred building or designating bicycle lanes. Of the 45 in the crowd, three raised their hands to say that they had a walking destination in town that they could reach entirely on paved sidewalks. Others criticized the bicycle lane idea, said there were no shoulders on streets and no room for the lanes. 58 percent said it was very important for Ione to encourage more entertainment, festivals and nightlife, while another 37 percent said that was somewhat important. Hamilton said some aspects of festivals included large commercial spaces dedicated to such use, while nightlife events would include neighborhood communication about such events for noise and light impact. The crowd split exactly 50-50 on whether the city’s parks were adequate, which Hamilton said was a good place to finish and encourage conversation. One person said Ione needed more small neighborhood parks, while another said small parks were the problem because they were so small. For an overall poll of the biggest areas of concern, 58 percent said attracting new businesses and industry was the top priority. 45 percent chose improving downtown, 37 percent picked preserving open space, 34 percent said managing the pace of growth and a high number picked improving roads, traffic and transit.

By Jim Reece -

Ione City Manager Kim Kerr gave a presentation on the Measure M half-cent sales initiative last week, which would pay full-time firefighters in Amador County. “Whether this passes or not, the city of Ione will be looking at getting a paid fire department,” Kerr said. The department, she said, would consist of one full-time firefighter, on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Kerr last week said Ione has 60 calls a month, 720 calls a year, with 70 percent of those medical emergencies. Kerr said volunteer firefighters must be EMT certified and current, hence Ione’s 35 volunteers are employed at various fire departments. If they work outside the county, it is hard for them to respond on work days. The Amador Fire Protection Authority formed in 2003 to help create paid county firefighting. AFPA estimated county fire coverage would cost 2.4 million for personnel alone. That would give 50,000 dollars to each city and divide the rest based on call volume and population. Call history would give Ione 24,000 dollars for 10 percent of the county’s fire calls. But Kerr said that Ione actually should get 20 percent, as about half of Ione’s calls are routed through a Camino dispatcher. Local calls to the firehouse are not routed through Camino and not counted. Kerr said that would change, increasing Ione’s expected cut in the Measue M funding.

Part of the AFPA vision is the Tax Force Plan Implementation. Kerr said the “biggest thing we could do is to not have duplicate service.” She said one option for Ione would be a 24-7 firefighter, shared with the Jackson Valley Fire District. The on-duty firefighter could split time three days a week at Ione’s station, and four days a week at Jackson Valley’s station, then switch the following week. The on-duty person would do required maintenance and give 24-hour coverage. City Councilman Lee Ard said with full-time coverage, there was a good chance insurance rates would go down for Ione residents. “This is a use tax,” Ard said. “All visitors pay sales tax, so this is one way for us to bring those tax dollars back down to work for Ione.”

Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to seek reauthorization of federal funding for work on the Highway 104, Prospect Drive and Bowers Drive intersection. The board voted 5-0 to work with the county’s federal government relations specialist, David French of ENS Resources, on efforts to secure federal funding for regional transportation projects in Amador County. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field said supervisors would join a Sutter Creek City Council resolution supporting the project on Sutter Hill. To qualify for funding, the “project must be funded itself 80 percent” and be ready to commence work. There is an 80 percent local match in funds required by “the new 5-year Federal transportation funding authorization package,” for which Congressman Dan Lungren is accepting nominations. Field said the Sutter Hill project is expected to complete its design, National EPA environmental clearance, and acquire all rights-of-way using Regional Traffic Mitigation Fees by June or July. It also has a $730,000 dollar commitment in additional (mitigation funding) that should become available for the project in the next 5 years.” He said the project is timely because with its completion, the county “will get access to that intersection, where Walgreens is about to start” work. Supervisors asked about right-of-way acquisition costs. Field said “we own it already, except for a sliver from Ed Swift on Bowers Drive.” Field said ACTC has spoken with Swift, “he is a willing seller, and it’s manageable. (Swift) has offered a dedication free to the city of Sutter Creek, but we are not counting on that.” Supervisor Louis Boitano said a discussed new intersection would help with “internal circulation” in the area, and Supervisor Brian Oneto said “it would probably be prettier than it is there now.” Boitano said it would also be “greener because you don’t have to go as far to get your commodities.” Field still must approach other councils in the county for approval on the project. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - 3rd District Congressman Dan Lungren took Amador County by storm last week, laying out his ideas and policy plans for improvements to the local economy. All this revolved around an awards ceremony at the Board Chambers last weekend honoring Lungren for “his dedication to local business.” Earlier that same day, in an exclusive interview on TSPN, Lungren emphasized the importance of small business in his political ideology. Lungren’s local tour continued as he addressed constituents in Martell in a session sponsored by the Amador County Republican Central Committee. While Lungren’s speech covered a wide range of topics, certain subjects – like proposed Indians Casinos – stood out as hot button issues. Lungren answered to the concerns of Plymouth residents and anti-casino activists like Butch Cranford by giving his rundown of the complicated history of tribal-federal government relationships. Lungren took a much harsher stance when it came to international affairs, and disapproved of President Barack Obama’s “soft” approach to diplomacy in Europe during the G20 Summit. He referred to Obama’s dealings with Turkey as “apologizing for America.” Answering one audience members query about the feasibility of a nuclear free word, Lungren said “I’m going to surprise you.” He outlined recent legislation he co-authored with Democrat Jim McGovern called the Global Security Priorities Resolution, with the intent to “reduce the number of and accessibility to nuclear weapons and preventing their proliferation.” The proposal would redirect funds currently used for nuclear proliferation to help educate children in Africa. Lungren called this method “soft diplomacy.” Lungren’s stumping culminated with visits to Amador and Calaveras County food banks. Lungren had previously expressed his support of the new San Andreas Food Bank facility. The 5000-square-foot facility, which opened earlier this year and was celebrated in a ceremony in late March, is only the latest improvement in operations for The Resource Connection. Lungren referred to the new operation as “a grand step in the right direction.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Plymouth City Council last week approved a resolution that will notify developers that the city is in the process of updating its General Plan, and once completed, their projects will have to adhere to the new version. Consultant Richard Prima presented the resolution, saying that the General Plan Update began several years ago and should be completed this year. He said: “During that time, some project applications have been submitted that rely on the current General Plan and Zoning and others are tied to the new General Plan.” He said once an application is “deemed complete,” it must be “processed under the then-current terms of the General Plan,” and city law. But Prima said a provision in California code “allows the city to utilize the standards set forth in the new General Plan.” He said passing the resolution “would implement that provision by providing formal notice that the General Plan Update process has begun.” The resolution was brought before the city council in its late March meeting and the council directed staff to revise the resolution “to make it clear” it was not a “preapproval of the General Plan.” The council voted 4-0 to approve the resolution. The Plymouth planning department and consultants have prepared the General Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report and have taken public comment letters and have also hosted a council workshop. The council will advertise a public meeting in a May 22nd publication and the Plymouth Planning Commission will meet June 4th to receive recommendations on the General Plan and Final EIR. In another noticed meeting: On June 25th, if the city and staff keep with the planning department’s timeline, the city council could consider adopting the Final EIR and the General Plan. Comment letters must be postmarked by March 22nd, per the California Environmental Quality Act. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - An entry deadline of May 1st has been announced for those wishing to participate in the popular Miss Amador scholarship competition. Hosted by the Amador County Fair board and held during there annual event, the “competition offers the opportunity to reach and grow as a young person of accomplishment and achievement. Participating in a pageant is an exciting and rewarding experience for young women who use the process to sharpen their talents, expand their leadership skills, and broaden their community service.” The competition and pageant will be held July 30th at the fair grounds on the Central House Stage. The event is tailored for ambitious young women between the ages of 16 and 23. Scholarships awards are $2000 for the grand prize of Miss Amador, $1000 to the First- Runner-Up, $750 to the Second Runner-Up, and $500 to the Third Runner-Up. Winners will also represent Amador County and the Fair as ambassadors throughout the year. According to Karen Spencer with the Amador County Fair, “women compete in the areas of community service and fair experience, a personal and fair industry interview focusing on the entrant’s sense of value, attitudes, goals and aspirations, communication skills before a live audience, and an on-stage presentation.” Entry forms for the pageants are available on-line at amadorcountyfair.com or from the Amador County Fair office at Sherwood and School Streets in Plymouth. They can also be found at local high schools. Completed entry forms are due in the Fair office by May 1, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. or more information call the Fair office at 209 245-6921. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Plymouth City Council on Thursday will hold a public hearing to take comments on a federal grant and will also consider directing staff to apply for another grant, costing $80,000 to the city, for a potential of $80,000 dollars worth of work. The public hearing will be part of the final report for a Community Development Block Grant “Technical Assistance Grant,” to be submitted to the State Department of Housing and Community Development. Funded work was the preparation of sewer plans and specifications at a cost of $35,000 dollars, and the circulation element of the General Plan, also costing $35,000 dollars. The public hearing will include a staff report and a public comment period. The council will also consider applying for a “Safe Routes to School Grant.” The project cost would be $818,250.00, with the city’s 10 percent matching share of the grant to be $81,825. Staff will recommend authorizing submission of the application. A late addition to the Plymouth agenda is a closed session conference with property negotiators for discussion of the city’s Arroyo Ditch and related water rights. Plymouth’s negotiator, City Manager Dixon Flynn, will attend the meeting with Peter Smith, a representative for the Shenandoah Water Company, which is pursuing an agreement with the city to operate and also solidify water rights for the Arroyo Ditch. The closed session, which will follow the regular session, includes negotiation of the “price and terms of sale, lease or transfer” of the ditch. The council will also consider a resolution to approve a Wastewater Grant Application and a “Notice of Exemption” for rehabilitation and improvements to the city Wastewater Collection System. The council will also hear a report from Steven Rudolph on the “Redevelopment Plan Adoption,” with a presentation on procedural requirements and adoption of the budget allocation. The city General Plan Update and Project Review will also be discusses, and staff will recommend adoption of a resolution initiating adoption of the General Plan Update and a Zoning Ordinance Regulating Development in Plymouth. The council will also consider an ordinance amending the city municipal code relating to sewers, and will discuss a request from the city of Jackson asking Plymouth City Council to join them in urging the East Bay Municipal Utility District to increase its conservation levels instead of expanding Pardee Reservoir. The consideration includes a draft Resolution urging those sentiments. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Sutter Creek Planning Commission looked at fire readiness in the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort’s Specific Plan last week, urging the need for specifics in fire suppression verbiage. Gold Rush Project Manager Jim Harnish said it was the “13th or 14th dedicated meeting” on Gold Rush, and he urged that the “change of a word should not scrap a whole section.” Commission Chairman Robin Peters said he agreed, and he knew the intent of the specific plan’s wastewater section, but didn’t like the wording. Commissioner Mike Kirkley wondered if the payment amount mentioned for fire included the $550 per unit that goes to the California Department of Forestry. Consultant Anders Hauge said that is all included. The commission asked for clarification of fire suppression in the specific plan, which said “projects shall either provide or fund acquisition of an adequate fire station site to meet service standards.” Hauge said they could include things like response time and number of firefighters needed to respond. Peters said he would prefer that “they look into service standards” and include that specific information so “future planning commissions” know the meaning and intent in the verbiage. Peters also asked when property for a 15-acre community park would be dedicated. Hauge said it would normally be done with approval of the subdivision map. Harnish said it will be done with the “first small-lot dedication,” after the large-lot dedication. He said it was part of the conditions of approval. They also agreed to remove language about city-furnished affordable housing, after Commissioner Frank Cunha wondered whether the city really wanted to “be in the affordable housing business.” And he argued against an “affordable housing fee” paid to the city, saying he thought “the developer should build” those units, because “it would take forever for the city to build,” and such housing would end up “lost in the shuffle.” The Commission takes up the Gold Rush specific plan work again Monday, starting at 7 p.m. in the Sutter Creek community building on Church Street. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.