The final Amador County Fair numbers have at last been released, and the results are good. Amador County Fair CEO Troy Bowers reports that attendance was about 29,500, up from last year’s 28,815. “Paid gate (sales) were actually down. What we did well with (this year) was our presale (tickets). A lot of people took advantage of the discount.” Also, about 200 youngsters took advantage of this year’s promotion, which was free admission for all those dressed as a crawdad. The fair drew people from as far away as Livermore, reports Bowers. “The rodeo was a big draw this year, but the rodeo and the derbies both did extremely well.” The junior livestock auctions also did well. Bowers says it was “a good, solid auction,” slightly less than last year, which was a “record auction” for the fair. Overall, 227 lots, or animals, were purchased for a total of 300,444 dollars, all of which goes straight to the kids for upcoming college expenses, and for “socking away for next year’s projects,” says Bowers.

With the Amador County Transportation Commission, or ACTC’s, recent decision to scrap the Pine Grove Bypass project already one month in the past, TSPN found that many upcountry residents were not even aware of the change. When told that ACTC is in instead in favor of widening the highway, residents’ responses were all over the map. Some feel widening the highway will hurt the area’s businesses and prosperity. Local resident Debbie Dunn feels that adding lanes to the highway will wipe out essential parking, especially in busy lots like the Pine Grove Village, which houses the Pine Grove Post Office and the Pine Cone Drug lot, in addition to Pioneer Travel, Pine Grove Donuts and Frank A’s Pizza. Thanh Nguyen, owner of Pine Cone Drug, doesn’t like the widening project “if it’s going to affect my parking,” and added “I don’t see where widening the highway is going to decrease traffic congestion.” Pine Grove resident Ted Wilson wants things to stay the same. “I like the way it is now. We don’t want a big boulevard like in Elk Grove, and we don’t want traffic diverted. We get a lot of recreational traffic going up to Kirkwood, and that’s good for business.”

Jill Wade, owner of Sierra Homes & Properties in Pine Grove, isn’t really opposed to widening the highway, just as long as “it doesn’t affect businesses in a negative way.” “It’s better than the bypass, because that would be worse,” says Wade, referring to the amount of traffic that would essentially be diverted away from her business. Another option that is still in its infancy is moving Pine Grove Elementary School, the Post Office and several other large businesses to a location just outside of Pine Grove. Mark Bowman, a local real estate developer, wants to use the tax dollars available to move the school and businesses that cause traffic congestion to a prime spot along the straight-away between Aqueduct-Volcano and Aqueduct-Grove Roads. Bowman said, “Pine Grove is second in the county for the number of cars per day (behind Jackson’s Hwy. 49). Highway 88 through Pine Grove sees over 14,000 cars per day.” And with school starting up again this Wednesday, Bowman noted the growing conflict between school traffic and local businesses. With limited funds and ever increasing traffic congestion putting pressure on the situation, ACTC must now carefully consider all of the elements before it proceeds with a solution. We’ll have more on this project for you in a later news broadcast.

A series of vandalisms across Amador County may have been used as a deliberate distraction from the theft of an ATM machine at a mini-mart in Pine Grove. On July 23, at approximately 4 am, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of an alarm at the Pine Grove Stage Stop market in Pine Grove. Upon arrival, deputies found the glass entry door leading into the business had been broken and the ATM had been stolen. Across the County, a series of supposed break-ins were occurring almost simultaneously. Kelly Chisholm, who works the night shift at New York Fitness in Jackson, was cleaning when several large rocks were hurled through the building’s side windows. “I was scared. These were big rocks and I wasn’t going to find out who was throwing them,” said Chisholm. Elsewhere in the County, police officers responded to calls of similar break-ins. Chisholm believes these vandalisms were used as a way to distract police. But this is not the first time the theft of an ATM has occurred.

On July 9, the Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of an alarm sounding at the Red Corral Mini Mart in Pioneer. Sheriff’s Investigators are conducting follow up investigations which have included reviewing the surveillance video obtained from both locations, which show the suspects breaking out the glass doors, securing the ATM machines with chain and then using a truck to pull the ATM out of the business.  The ATM is then loaded into the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle flees the area. The suspect vehicle is an extended cab Dodge truck with tinted rear side windows and a tinted sliding rear window. The suspect captured on the surveillance video at Red Corral Mini Mart appears to be a white male, approximately 5’10” tall, weighing approximately 180 lbs, wearing a ball cap, black mask, black tee shirt, light color pants and black gloves. Two suspects were captured on the surveillance video at the Pine Grove Stage Stop. The first was a white male, approximately 5’10” – 6’ tall, wearing a white/green ball cap, green short sleeve shirt, black pants, black gloves and tan boots.  The second was a white male, approximately 5’10” – 6’ tall, wearing a blue/tan ball cap, blue short sleeve shirt, blue pants, black and white gloves and off-white sneakers. The ATMs were valued at 4500 dollars and 5000 dollars. Anyone with any information regarding the suspects or suspect vehicle is asked to call the Amador County Sheriff’s Office at 223-6500 or Amador County Secret Witness at 223-4900.

The Amador County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an on-going investigation into a shooting which occurred two weeks ago in Pine Grove.  As part of that investigation, the Sheriff’s Office secured an Amador County Superior Court Ramey Arrest Warrant for suspect Joshua Cornell Walker, 23, who fled the scene of the incident after allegedly shooting his girlfriend’s husband and former roommate three times with a shotgun.  Bail was set at 750,000 dollars for the warrant which alleges Walker committed attempted murder, was a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, possessed an unlawful firearm, used a firearm in the commission of a felony, discharged a firearm resulting in great bodily injury and that he committed a felony resulting in great bodily injury. On Friday, July 11, the Sheriff was contacted by a member of the Office of Correctional Safety - Fugitive Apprehension Team, which is a task force operated in cooperation with the United States Marshal's Office. 

The Fugitive Apprehension Team offered to assist in locating and apprehending Walker, as Walker was also wanted for violation of parole. On Monday, July 21, the Fugitive Apprehension Team, assisted by the Reno Police Department and the Sparks Police Department, conducted surveillance of multiple locations in the Reno, Nevada area.  After several hours of surveillance, it was determined that Walker, along with Caitlin Jaye Steinmeyer, 24, of Pine Grove were living at a Reno area residence.  Walker and Steinmeyer were subsequently taken into custody at that location without incident.  Steinmeyer is the wife of the shooting victim. Walker is currently in custody in the Washoe County Jail on the Amador Superior Court Arrest Warrant. The Reno Police Department has arrested Steinmeyer for harboring a fugitive.

Before the conclusion of the Plymouth City Council meeting last Thursday evening, concerns were raised regarding the 3rd Annual Motorcycle Expo held at the Amador County Fairgrounds earlier this month. The concern did not arise from the roughly 3,500 motorcycles that roared into Plymouth, nor did it stem from the violent ongoing tensions between the Hell’s Angels and the Mongols. Concern centered around the large police presence at the event, and the potentially negative impacts that could have on business and the community. Councilman Michael O’Meara introduced the issue, stating that although he understood the reasons that such a large turnout of law enforcement were called in, he felt as though the citizens of Plymouth were “living in a police state.” Mayor Jon Colburn echoed O’Meara’s sentiment, saying that Plymouth felt like a “war zone” during the event. Another issue raised was the perception of a high number of vehicles pulled over for unnecessary reasons. Local business owners claimed that if a large group of motorcyclists were in front of their businesses to eat or purchase items, they tended to disperse as soon as law enforcement was spotted. Councilman Baldwin, whose father was a CHP officer in the 1970’s, spoke from another perspective. He “understood the need” for such a high population of law enforcement as things can slip out of control quite rapidly. At the conclusion of the discussion, O’Meara stated that he would draft a statement summarizing the concerns raised so Council could prepare for similar events in the future.

A vehicle accident in Pioneer left one man injured late last week. The driver of a pickup truck lost control of the vehicle on Pioneer Creek Road Friday evening around 6:30PM and wound up on its side in the oncoming lane. Luckily no one was traveling in the opposite direction when the accident occurred. CHP arrived quickly on the scene and wereevaluating the driver for possible impaired driving issues. At the time of this report, no suspicion of driving under  intoxication has been reported.

The Amador County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, or OES, in partnership with Cal Fire, conducted a successful multi-agency disaster preparedness exercise on Thursday.  Headquartered at the Amador County Fairgrounds, the exercise was meant to give each agency an opportunity to evaluate current response concepts, plans and capabilities for conducting a large-scale neighborhood evacuation in case of a catastrophic wildfire. According to Martha Shaver, the county’s Public Information Officer, a catastrophic wildfire swept through Amador County in 1961, destroying several ranches and burning about 25 to 35 thousand acres.  If that were to happen today, that would put at risk 1400 parcels, as well as multiple businesses, and cause an estimated 215 million dollars worth of damage, and “that’s just the assessed value” says Shaver. “Are we equipped to deal with that?” In addition to OES and Cal Fire, the exercise included the California Department of Forestry, or CDF, the Amador County Sheriff’s Department, the Ione and Jackson Police Departments, Animal Control, the American Red Cross, and the county’s Administrative Office.

The exercise started off with teams meeting at the fairgrounds to discuss evacuation plans and inter-agency coordination.  The Valley Division of the CHP was on hand with their Rapid Response Vehicle, which contains everything needed to rapidly respond in an emergency.  The Chevy Tahoe, packed full with sophisticated video and satellite equipment, can easily interface various agencies, as well as pick up live video images from agency aircraft overhead. The video can be downloaded to the vehicle via satellite, which can then be linked back to CHP headquarters. As part of the mock evacuation, sheriff deputies and local city police went door-to-door in the Burke Ranch area of Plymouth, making contact with residents and handing out fire safety information. For those residents that weren’t home, police left information in an envelope attached to a balloon. Burke Ranch resident David Brattstrom, who received information from an Amador County Sheriff’s deputy, says “fire is always an issue up here.” After the evacuation, personnel regrouped at the fairgrounds and spent the afternoon evaluating the exercise.  The OES says that they “view this exercise as an excellent opportunity to bolster interagency cooperation, establish communications and to provide for a more efficient use of limited resources.”

Common Ground Senior Services, a local group committed to Amador County’s elderly, is feeling the effects of economic tightening across the board. As a result, the group is reaching out to community members for badly needed funding for the Meals-on Wheels program. Since its inception decades ago, the Meals on Wheels program has become a life-line between the elderly and infirmed and outside assistance. Drivers regularly provide food for those who may have difficulty making it to the store to buy themselves, as well as provide social support and assistance in daily living. 

Common Ground Director Elizabeth Thompson estimates a scheduled delivery of 40,000 meals this year. California’s budget crisis, along with the national economic downturn, have only added to the tight budget constraints Common Ground already faces. Common Ground is providing maximum coverage at minimum operation cost. In some areas, this means regularly scheduled stops can only receive one meal per week. Common Ground will be holding a Fiesta De Sol, or Festival of the Sun Dinner on Friday May 16th. They are hoping for a large turnout and plenty of generous donations. Alcohol service will begin at 5pm followed by a dinner of chicken enchiladas and chile verde at 6. There will also be live entertainment and raffle prizes. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for children 14 years and under. The Amador Senior Center is at 229 New York Ranch Road, Jackson. For tickets or more information, call 223-3015.

A newly approved designation could mean big future benefits for Amador County, as well as an official title for  being an important part of American history. During Monday’s Administrative committee meeting, grant writers and Supervisors Richard Forster and Ted Novelli discussed the pros and cons of applying for a Preserve America Designation. According to the proposal, “Amador County is a genuine, unique remnant of early California and the Wild West. A “Gold Mine” of opportunity exists in our charming towns, historical structures, old churches, mining areas, and settlements.” Amador’s Kit Carson and Emigrant Trail areas could also be used as major selling points.

However, the most enticing aspect of the Preserve America designation was the potential future financial benefits. The county could qualify for grants that would both benefit historical preservation and boost tourism. Supervisor Forster was particularly pleased by the cost-free designation process, with the exception of grant writing fees. Now that the Supervisors have given their recommendation, the next step will be to work closely with the State Historic Preservation Office and stakeholders to develop the Preserve America Community Designation Application. Although the potential benefits of such a low-cost designation seem obvious, the Supervisors did not fail to discuss the limitations. The Preserve America grant does not fund any repairs, rehabilitation and acquisitions of historic properties; reconstruction of former historic properties, or work performed prior to the announcement of the award. As the grant process continues, more presentations on its progress
are expected at future Board Meetings.

California's vast network of reservoirs - which destroyed more than 5,000 miles of salmon habitat when their dams were erected decades ago - could turn out to be a savior for a species on the brink of collapse, according to a newstudy. Those dams store cold water, which the study says will be vital to the salmon's survival as climate change is expected to warm California's rivers."Paradoxically, the very thing that is constraining fish now, we could use those to our advantage," said study author David Yates, a project scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. The peer-reviewed paper will appear in a future issue of the Journal of Climatic Change. It comes at a time when the number of salmon returning to spawn in Central Valley rivers, which are crucial to the West Coast stocks, are at historic lows.

Earlier this month, federal fisheries regulators recommended that fishing along California's coast and most of Oregon be suspended for the year. It was the first time the Pacific Fishery Management Council had taken such a drastic step, one that is jeopardizing the $150 million West Coast salmon industry. Unfavorable ocean conditions, habitat destruction, dam operations, agricultural pollution and climate change are among the potential causes. Federal authorities declared the West Coast ocean salmon fishery a failure Thursday, a move that opens the way for Congress to appropriate economic disaster assistance for coastal communities in California, Oregon and Washington. Yates'  research projects that an increase in air temperature of 3.6 degrees to 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit could be lethal for the young winter-run and spring-run salmon in the Sacramento River. The increase in water temperatures would vary depending on the depth and flows of the river. Higher water temperatures can be offset if federal water managers preserved the cold water stored behind Shasta Dam, near the head of the Sacramento River, and released it when the salmon head upriver. Salmon that once headed far upstream to cooler, mountain streams are now forced to spawn in valley waters because the dam blocks their path.