Amador County - We have an update on a fatality accident that occurred Sunday near Tabeaud Road. James Hamilton, a 48-year-old Mokelumne Hill man, was killed from injuries sustained when his motorcycle struck a minivan in a head-on collision Sunday morning on Highway 88 east of Tabeaud Road in Amador County. CHP reported that Hamilton was riding a 2004 Harley Davidson alongside Michael Fleming from Railroad Flat, also on a motorcycle, headed west on Highway 88. Both motorcycles crossed the double-yellow lines in the center of the road and into the path of an oncoming Toyota Sienna minivan. The van was unable to avoid the motorcycles, colliding head-on with Hamilton and swiping Fleming. Fleming suffered a broken left ankle and sprained wrist. Hamilton was pronounced dead at the scene. Story by Alex Lane and Jim Reece

Amador County - Amador County Supervisor Brian Oneto was among the many elected officials who attended a rally in French Camp last Friday urging the federal government to choose the area as the site for a proposed medical facility for veterans. Newly elected Assemblywoman Alyson Huber and Calaveras Supervisor Steve Wilensky were also reported to have attended. An estimated 200 people gathered in a parking lot by San Joaquin General Hospital to show their support. The rally comes in the wake of efforts by Democratic Congressman Jerry McNerney of Pleasanton and Chula Vista Democrat Bob Filner. Together they are urging Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shineski to reconsider a decision by his predecessor to transfer the existing nursing home and outpatient care center off the Livermore campus and into San Joaquin or Stanislaus County. Both men outlined their recommendation for the new facility, which would also serve veteran’s in Livermore’s aging current facility if it closed. Veterans Affairs is studying various sites for a new hospital and will make a decision within 60 days. If approved, the new facility would open in 2015. The proposed facility is being praised by officials from Livermore to the Mother Lode for its central location and a projected 900 new local jobs. "We have to provide the best possible health care for our veterans," said McNerney, a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Elected officials from Manteca, Tracy, Stockton and Lodi city councils also appeared onstage to plead their case. In a letter to Shinseki, McNerney said that “America's veterans made a solemn promise by wearing the uniform of the United States and serving in harm's way overseas…we owe it to them to do everything we can to provide adequate health care when they return home.” Story by Alex Lane

Amador County - Amador County residents up in arms about proposed septic system regulations are being encouraged to attend a set of workshops in Santa Rosa. The State Water Resources Control Board is hosting the forum, and there will be opportunities for the public to comment on proposed regulations and waivers for onsite wastewater treatment systems and the associated Draft Environmental Impact Report. Prompted by Bill 885 signed by Governor Gray Davis in 2000, the proposed updates would further regulate discharge of wastes that threaten surface and groundwater quality. The California Water Resources Control Board has been holding workshops across California to gather public comment on the issue, including a workshop last month in Amador County. The proposal under consideration includes a number of costly requirements to be paid by owners should their tanks not meet updated standards. Owners must have their tanks inspected for solid accumulations every five years at a cost of $325. Owners of tanks within 600 feet of a surface water body that does not meet water quality standards could be required to retrofit their systems at a cost of $45,000. New septic systems must have filters that retain a certain amount of solids, malfunction alarms and maintenance manuals, plus regular site inspections by certified professionals. Estimates by county officials indicate that a large portion –approximately half- of Amador County uses septic systems. Other Gold country counties are voicing there dissatisfaction with the regulations. Placer County Supervisors will be sending written comments to the State Water Board and coordinating with legislators and lobbyists to fight the proposals. Amador Water Agency Board Member Debbie Dunn is stressing to dissenters that “the voice you can unleash on the State is solely regarding implantation procedures, not ‘should they do it.’” She added that the upcoming meeting “is the public’s and the County’s last opportunity to provide input.” The public meetings are scheduled to be held February 9 from 1 to 5 pm and 7 to 11 pm at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road in Santa Rosa. A Sacramento hearing originally scheduled for February 9 was postponed until further notice. For further details about the proposed regulations, visit www.waterboards.ca.gov. Story by Alex Lane

Amador County – The Amador Water Agency Board of Directors holds a special meeting Wednesday morning at the agency office on Ridge Road, with a Water Rights Workshop as the headline item, and three topics of litigation to be discussed in closed session. Cris Thompson, executive clerk of the AWA board, announced the special meeting last Friday. Board President Terence Moore, District 4, has referred to the Water Rights Workshop in past meetings, urging the four new board members to attend as he said it would bring a better understanding to many upcoming issues. AWA Attorney Steve Kronick will host the workshop, and give an “update on the history of the Amador Water Agency's water rights for the Amador Water System and the Central Amador Water Project system. The special meeting of the AWA board includes 3 items to be discussed in closed session. One includes a conference with agency Attorney Kronick on pending litigation regarding Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s “Application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a Pumped Storage Project. The board will also confer with Kronick on pending litigation regarding the AWA’s Mokelumne River Water and Power Authority Water Right Applications before the State Water Resources Control Board. A third closed-session item regards potential initiation of litigation for 1 case. The meeting is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday at the AWA office, 12800 Ridge Road, Sutter Creek. Story by Jim Reece

Amador County – Plymouth officially joins the Amador Regional Planning Committee this week. Plymouth City Councilwoman Patricia Fordyce has attended several meetings over the last few months and was impressed enough to recommend joining the Regional Planning Committee. Fordyce has said that she was the skeptical member of the council when it came to the committee, but was convinced otherwise by its members’ professionalism and willingness to cooperate. Fordyce will represent Plymouth on boards of LAFCO and Amador County Recreation Agency and also the city PR & Community Events and Public Service committees. She will be the newest member of the board, which now has four new members for 2009. Those are Supervisor Chairman Ted Novelli and Supervisor Brian Oneto, and Amador County resident Rene Chapman. Chapman was selected January 7 by the Planning Committee as the “public member at large” on the committee. Fordyce said Chapman was selected from 10 “excellent” and “very qualified applicants,” for the post, vacated by Fiddletown resident and former Plymouth Councilwoman Elida Malick. The remainder of Planning Committee members are Councilman Tim Murphy of Sutter Creek, Mayor Connie Gonsalves of Jackson, and Councilwoman Andrea Bonham of Ione. Plymouth City Council in its December meeting approved membership in the Amador Regional Planning Committee, to be represented by Fordyce. Fordyce said last week that she took note of comments by Plymouth Councilman Greg Baldwin for some suggested changes to the Planning Committee’s “Memorandum of Understanding.” The annual review of the MOU is the topic of one of Wednesday’s agenda items, with possible updates listed as potential action. Also on the agenda is a “City of Plymouth Update.” Another agenda item will allow individual committee members to give updates on the status of the potential standardization of “Traffic Impact Analysis Guidelines.” Also, there will be a presentation by the City of Sutter Creek entitled “Revenue sharing as an Economic Development Tool” … “followed by discussion of the committee’s plans for this open agenda item.” Rounding out the agenda will be discussion of potential committee projects for 2009. The Amador Regional Planning Committee meets at 7 p.m. today in the Sutter Creek Community Building, 33 Church Street, in Sutter Creek. Story by Jim Reece

State - Congressman and Amador County representative Dan Lungren joined fellow Republicans in casting a “no” vote for the Democrat proposed $825 billion stimulus bill which passed 244 – 188 along party lines last Wednesday. The approval is still a big victory for President Barack Obama, despite failed appeals for bipartisanship. Obama says the plan will create more than three million jobs over the next few years. But Lungren sees the 647-page bill as “a virtual laundry list of government programs, most of which will do nothing to stimulate the economy.” Republicans are complaining that the package is loaded with items that seem more likely to promote liberal agendas than to stimulate the economy. “Tonight we had an opportunity to really implement vehicles that would have an immediate effect on our ailing economy but when you look at the frivolous spending in this bill, along with what it will cost my constituents, there is no way I could vote for it,” Lungren said. Democratic strategists believe the GOP blundered by unanimously opposing Obama just after he made a high-profile attempt to reach across the aisle. Despite strong opinions for and against, it is still too early to tell how this package will effect California. Of the $63-billion projected for California, approximately $44 billion would go towards “shovel ready” infrastructure projects, unemployment benefits and improving healthcare for the poor. 12.5 million of the state's residents are expected to benefit from a tax break of up to $500 per individual and $1,000 per couple, says the Center on Budget, Policy and Priorities. According to Lungren, the cost estimate for residents of the Third Congressional District comes to $2,700 for every man, woman and child. Lungren sees much of the spending as unnecessary, including $1 billion for Amtrak; $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts; $400 million for global-warming research; and $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects. While Democrats like San Jose Representative Zoe Lofgren say “the package is a step in the long journey to economic recovery,” Lungren and his colleagues see it as a step in the wrong direction. “These are difficult circumstances we face and let’s not allow the current economic situation to be an excuse to engage in a spending spree which will add to a growing mountain of debt,” Lungren said. Story by Alex Lane

Amador County - Congressman Dan Lungren announced last Wednesday the hiring of Peter Tateishi as his new Deputy Chief of Staff. “I am fortunate to have Peter on my team...I will surely benefit from his counsel and knowledge of local issues,” said Lungren. Until recently, Tateishi worked as spokesman for the Ione Band of Miwok Indians concerning the controversial casino the tribe has proposed to build in Plymouth. That casino has faced intense local opposition for years. Tateishi faced controversy himself in 2007 when he resigned from his former position as Congressman Lungren’s Intergovernmental Affairs Director and subsequently accepted the position as a contract employee for the Ione Miwok tribe. He held that position for approximately one year. Peter Tateishi rejoins Congressman Lungren's staff after taking time off to spend with his wife who is serving in the Armed Services. He is a native of the Sacramento area, active in his community and a graduate of Jesuit High School in Carmichael. "Peter is a tremendous asset and is well respected throughout the third Congressional District. He is a hard worker who is always one step ahead," said Lungren. Alex Lane, Staff

Amador County - An injury accident in Jackson last Thursday evening left a man injured and temporarily stranded at the bottom of a steep embankment. Reports indicate that the accident occurred sometime between 6 and 9pm. A sedan carrying an adult male, adult female and young child lost control and plunged down a deep embankment off of Ridge Road. The vehicle came to rest approximately 200 feet from the roadway. The female occupant left the vehicle and climbed the embankment while carrying the small child. The injured male, who had suffered a serious leg injury during the wreck, was left with the vehicle. The first to respond to the scene were Amador Fire District personnel, who swiftly began procedures to host the male passenger back up the hillside. The hoisting operation was an arduous process considering the man’s condition, weather conditions and the steepness of the slope. The young child was taken by helicopter to an area hospital. California Highway Patrol officers are still investigating the accident. Story by Alex Lane

Amador County – In the wake of a county lawsuit dismissal against 1 of 2 new casino projects being sought in Amador, the Ione City Council heard from casino foes and voted to support the county in its legal battle last week. Mayor Lee Ard was the only “no” vote in the 4-1 passage of a city resolution urging Amador Supervisors to keep up its legal challenge of an Indian gaming compact between the Buena Vista Band of Miwok Indians and the State of California. Councilman David Plank asked if the council was being premature on the resolution, and if it should wait until she had read the ruling. City Attorney Kristen Castanos said Amador County apparently filed the suit without the appropriate cause of action and it may be able to re-file that suit, but Castanos said it was not premature to send a resolution of support. City Manager Kim Kerr said the resolution states the city’s support for the county in what it does. She reminded the council that it had voted to allow Amador supervisors to negotiate on behalf of the city of Ione. Flying Cloud Casino opponents Jerry Cassesi and former Ione city administrator George Lambert both stated support for the resolution. Cassesi told the council to look at the $100,000 it was getting out of an agreement now in place, negotiated by Supervisors. He said the funds would cover about one police officer and one vehicle for one 8-hour shift a day, with no funding going to fire or emergency services. Lambert said the “Supervisors look like they are already headed in the right directions, trying to get the decision overturned.” Lambert said there is “too much at stake, and having 3 casinos in this little county is just too much for anybody to bear.” Castanos said the $100,000 for Ione was part of the agreement put in place by the mandatory arbitration decision. Councilman Lee Ard asked if it was true that the casino can go forward with its plans. Castanos said the project can only be stopped with a court injunction. Councilman Jim Ulm said they gave the county negotiating power for the city so that they could act as one on the issue. Councilman Skip Schaufel said a Home Town Radio non-scientific poll found that 75 percent of listeners were in favor of the county continuing to oppose the Flying Cloud Casino. 25 percent were against that opposition. Ulm said “if we are going to oppose the casino, we should continue.” Ard said “I don’t want casinos, but I feel that this one will go in.” He thought that supervisors should not continue the fight, and should “know when to cut their losses and run.” Story by Jim Reece

Amador County – The Sutter Creek City Council two weeks ago assigned committees for council member, while last week the Planning Commisison agreed to resume regular business in its first meeting this month. Planning Commissioner Bob Olson pointed out last week that a placard sign that normally sits on the Main Street sidewalk near Gopher Flat was an illegal sign. He said the sign, which points to and advertises Chaos Glassworks, took up about half of the sidewalk and cause pedestrians passing more than two abreast to have to walk in the street. He hoped that a future Planning Commission agenda would have that item on its agenda. The commission agreed to resume its regular business at its Monday, February 9th meeting and then get back to the Gold Rush Rach & Golf Resort’s Specific Plan, at its 23rd meeting. The City Council in its January 20th meeting selected Mayor Gary Wooten and Mayor Pro Tempore Bill Hepworth to remain as mayor and vice mayor for 2009. They council also welcomed new Councilwoman Sandra Anderson and made committee appointments for the year. Wooten will sit on committees for the Air Quality Control Board, Amador Disposal Rate Increase, Amador Regional Sanitation Authority, Central Sierra Resource Conservation & Development, East Ridge Annexation & Company Tax Split, Finance, Fire District, Gold Rush General Plan, Local Community Benefit and Personnel. Hepworth will sit on committees for the Amador County Recreation Agency, Kennedy Mine Foundation, and Promotions & Public Relations. Councilman Pat Crosby will sit on the Amador County Transportation Commission and committees for Amador Water Agency sewer, Development Review, East Ridge Annexation, Finance, Planning, Promotions & PR, Sewer Public Works and Sutter Creek Crossroads. Councilman Tim Murphy will sit on committees for the Airport, Disposal Rate Increase, AWA Sewer, Development Review, Gold Rush Ad Hoc and General Plan, LAFCO, Regional Oversight, Sewer Public Works and Solid Waste. Anderson will sit on committees for ACTC, Airport, ARSA, Gold Rush Ad Hoc and Personnel. Sutter Creek council meets at 7 p.m. tonight. The agenda includes clarification of Finance Director Jeffry Gardner’s duties, a request for proposals for solid waste and refuse services, and City Manager Rob Duke’s financial recommendations and an action plan for 2009. Story by Jim Reece