Amador County - The Upcountry Community Council, or UCC, met Thursday evening primarily to set forth an upcountry community consensus input letter regarding the General Plan for presentation at the Amador County Planning Commission meeting on December 16, 2008. Bob Curral, Co-chair of UCC and Amador Regional Planning Committee representative will present the input letter. Ted Novelli, District 3 Supervisor addressed the group, comprising of UCC council member Debbie Dunn, representatives from five upcountry homeowner associations, and area business owners, regarding four possible Land Service Centers or Town Centers for development under the General Plan. The group discussion encompassed topics ranging from Regional Plan Mitigation, unfunded mandates, traffic concerns, agricultural designations, water supply, fire safety, finally focusing on the area of highway 88 known as Buckhorn. Alternative C in the General Plan currently proposes a town center sphere centered at Highway 88 and Pioneer Creek Rd, adding an additional 1,000 housing units and approximately 40,000 feet of commercial square footage. The group defined the Buckhorn sphere as beginning at King James Orchard, ending at Silver Drive and extending 1,000 feet on either side of highway 88. The group will initiate a community poll to discern the types of commercial sites to be recommended for the Buckhorn sphere, i.e., medical facilities, eateries, retailers, etc. The group would also like an architectural design plan, giving the sphere a consistent, possibly alpine appearance. As the meeting drew to a close the discussion moved to the proposed Pine Grove sphere beginning at the intersection of Ridge Road and highway 88 ending at Tabeau. The General Plan would increase the number of residential units from 30 to 900 within the town center. The plan also calls for an increase in commercial square footage from 36,000 to 75,000. The group disputed the figures used in the plan, recommending increasing the additional commercial square footage to 175,000. Story by Debi Brodie

Amador County - A hay truck carrying large 1,200 pound bales of hay lost part of its load on the sharp curves of Climax Road near Highway 88 last Thursday at approximately 11:40 am. The driver was not quite clear on how or why the load shifted, but it is clear that it was not secured properly. Witnesses say it was lucky that no traffic was coming in the opposite direction, as the heavy bails would surely have caused significant damage or a wreck. Fortunately, a Cal Trans crew that was working roadside near the incident quickly cleared the bails from the road, allowing for thru-traffic. The hay truck driver had to wait for a special lifting tractor to be transported from the Lodi area so the bales could be put back on the trailer. The driver of the truck was cited by California Highway Patrol. By Bill Lavallie with Alex Lane

Amador County – Sutter Creek’s annual Parade of Lights last Saturday proved once again why it is one of Amador County’s favorite holiday pastimes. As the popularity of the parade has grown each year, so have the entries. This year’s parade consisted mostly of traditional entries, but there were quite a few new offerings as well. One parade organizer said it was the largest Parade of Lights to date. Besides the usual trucks and wagons adorned with lights, there was also a giant sleigh created by Merzlak Signs owner Kam Merzlak, a number of miniature horses pulling children in tiny sleighs, a glowing tractor from the Sutter Gold Mine and a number of horses wrapped in Christmas light collars. A visitor to Amador County named Janine Gariglo said she was surprised by the sense of community generated by the occasion. The event shut down Main Street for most of the evening. Story by Alex Lane

Amador County - The Board of Supervisors last week heard a presentation on what progress has been made towards developing a community college program in Amador County. Amador Community College Foundation Vice-President Richard P. Vinson gave a brief history of development, describing it as “a long and arduous journey.” He said Amador County is only one of two or three counties in California not aligned with a Community College. Efforts to erase that statistic include a generous offer by Sacramento County’s Cosumnes River College, or CRC, to allocate 40 percent of its marketing budget towards advertising and promoting the newly established Amador Learning Center. Vinson called this “quite a generous offer”, considering that Amador County currently has 1 percent of the student population of CRC. That’s roughly 140 students compared to 140,000. Stephen McGloughlin of CRC said “140 students may not seem like an awful lot, but from zero it’s quite an increase.” Officially established last year, the “learning center will establish a formal community college presence in Amador County”, according to the Amador County website. Vinson said the much-needed funding will be used to grow and promote the local community college presence. He said it is essential that they fill classes. Currently, Learning Center classes are being held in temporary classrooms by Independence High and in Sutter Creek. Vinson said the developers behind the Gold Rush Ranch and Golf Resort had made an informal offer to donate 10 to 20 acres for a community college campus. Discussion of that donation is ongoing, as the Gold Rush Resort has not been finalized. Supervisor Richard Forster thanked Senators Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer for stepping up with the initial grants to develop a local college, saying “we hadn’t gotten any help or leverage before them.” County Grant Writer and Learning Center Co-developer Renee Chapman said that one of the first questions asked by businesses looking to develop a local presence is whether the County has a community college. The Supervisors took no action but thanked the presenters for their hard work so far. Story by Alex Lane

Amador County – Two Amador County supervisors will discuss the current condition of Amador County’s forests and associated problems, including the potential for catastrophic fire, at the upcoming Amador-El Dorado Forest Forum. Brian Oneto, District 5 Supervisor since January 2007 and John Plasse, Supervisor Elect for District 1, will cover this and other matters during this installation of the semi-monthly forum. They will also address county government's role in shaping future policy on public and private forestland. The Amador-El Dorado Forest Forum is a group of forestry professionals, forest educators, and others interested in forestry practices and issues in the two-county area. The Forum meets once a month in fall, winter, and spring months at various locations in the two-county area. The Forum awards scholarships to local college students with forestry majors and sponsors the California Forestry Challenge. The meeting is Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at El Torero Restaurant, located at 10898 North State Highway 49 / 88, in Jackson. Social Hour begins at 6:00 p.m., and dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. To reserve a space for dinner contact Diane Dealey Neill at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (530) 672-9350 by December 15. Raffle tickets to support the Forest Forum may be purchased at the door. Donations help support scholarships and forestry education efforts. Staff Report

Amador County – A former employee of Starbucks in Martell will receive $5000 in settlement funds on behalf of other employees as part of a class-action lawsuit over mileage reimbursement. Calaveras County resident Jonelle Lewis, 60, who is acting as representative plaintiff on behalf of a class, worked in three retail management positions and used her personal vehicle extensively to perform work-related duties. But the multi-million dollar corporation’s policy dictates that “as a matter of company policy, Starbucks does not reimburse employees for mileage expenses.” This is seemingly a double-standard, since executives and upper management are reimbursed for like expenses. U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. approved the settlement Friday, stating that managers “regularly drive their own vehicles to perform work-related tasks, such as making bank deposits, getting supplies and attending meetings.” The net settlement proceeds will be used to pay an average of $86 to approximately 6,000 people who joined the class action suit and filled the three types of retail manager positions in California stores between March 12, 2003, and March 19, 2008. Starbucks Corporation’s net revenues increased 3 percent to $2.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with $2.4 billion for the fourth quarter 2007. Story by Alex Lane

Amador County – Coming back from a slim early deficit to take a 3-vote re-election win November 4th, Councilman Greg Baldwin took another victory last Thursday in being named Vice Mayor of Plymouth. He will be second to Mayor Jon Colburn, who was chosen remain as mayor for another year, on a 3-1 vote. Councilwoman Patricia Fordyce was the only “no” voter, saying before the vote that her only problem with it was that she would rather see the rotating representation in the mayor position. Councilmen Baldwin and Colburn and Councilwoman Patricia Shackleton took the oath of office near the end of the regular session, with the oath administered by City Clerk Gloria Stoddard. Fordyce then passed the baton of vice mayor by nominating Baldwin, and the council approved the nomination 4-0. Councilman Michael O’Meara was absent. Mayor Colburn then appointed Fordyce to represent the city council on the Amador Regional Planning Committee, which has members from the Amador County Board of Supervisors and the cities of Ione, Sutter Creek and Jackson. Fordyce said the committee originally met on Thursday nights but moved the meeting day to accommodate Plymouth City Council’s membership. She said the committee also is looking for a public member, preferably a resident of the unincorporated area of the county. Former public member, and Plymouth veterinarian Elida Malick resign the position in November. To get information about the committee, contact Sutter Creek City Councilman Tim Murphy. Story by Jim Reece

Amador County – A study 2 years in the making brought hopes for redevelopment at the Plymouth City Council last Thursday. City Grants Administrator Teri Cox and consultants presented a study funded by a Community Development Block Grant that identified a section of Plymouth that qualifies for formation of a Redevelopment Agency, with ensuing grants for urban renewal. Stephen Prestwood of PMC gave a preliminary redevelopment report and said the city was well on its way toward forming the agency, saying the next step was to do an Environmental Impact Report. He said a suitable area was identified and met criteria for the agency formation, including 83 percent being urban settings and incidents of blight in 53 percent of lots and structures. Prestwood said potential projects included public infrastructure, property acquisition, site development and commercial and housing rehabilitation assistance. He said current assessed value of the property in Plymouth was $60.295 Million, which in a 30-year plan with the redevelopment was projected to increase by more that triple to $299.5 Million. Estimates included increased retail space by 67,000 square feet and commercial space by 350,000 square feet. Prestwood predicted $6 Million in bond issuances in 7 years, and $3 million more in about 12 years and again in 20 years. City Manager Dixon Flynn asked how long it would take to finish an EIR and adopt a Redevelopment Plan. Prestwood said it must be accomplished by August 2009. City Planner Paula Daneluk said they did not yet have an estimate on the cost of an EIR. Flynn said “under the Redevelopment Agency concept, you incur debt” though deficit spending, then are reimbursed through the financing mechanisms and “pay ourselves back … You are borrowing money before you are even spending.” That included paying for the EIR then being reimbursed. He said that included staff work on the agency, such as his own and staff. Jim Carney of PMC said the “Next big step is the EIR.” He said they are hearing from Washington, D.C., that there is going to be a stimulus package to pay for infrastructure. Daneluk said she would like to bring the project back with better numbers, but “it’s a sure thing that you’ll get money from having a Redevelopment Agency.” Baldwin said “Plymouth is 1 square mile and (the cost of an EIR) can’t be that bad. We need these number, A.S.A.P.” Story by Jim Reece

Amador County – The Sutter Creek Business Association gathered together last Friday for a group photos symbolizing the strength of the business community and its overwhelming support for Gold Rush Ranch and Golf Resort. Approximately 94 percent of the association’s 100 plus members are in favor of the Gold Rush Ranch, a massive development project that will essentially double the size of the small city. Before the photos were taken, members gathered to socialize at the American Exchange Hotel. The first group photo was taken in the banquet room at the hotel. The group then made its way over to humbug hill for a second set of photos. City Manager and Police Chief Rob Duke graciously consented to shutting the street down until the photos were taken. At least one of the pictures was solely comprised of Gold Rush Ranch endorsers. Association members questioned by TSPN have said they are very happy with the association and the family of businesses it represents. Story by Alex Lane.

Amador County – Several hours into its first board meeting, the new faces of the Amador Water Agency Board of Directors picked its oldest face to remain president, Thursday morning at the agency office. The board kept District 5’s Terence Moore as president and selected a newly elected member, District 1 Board Member Bill Condrashoff as Vice President. Both were selected on 5-0 votes. Debbie Dunn (District 4) in discussion said she thought all 4 new members would make capable presidents. District 3’s Don Cooper nominated Moore as president, Condrashoff as vice president and then suggested the new rotation put Dunn third in line to be president in three years, followed by District 2’s Gary Thomas and then Cooper himself. Thomas seconded the nomination then suggested just the two nominees be voted on, with the rotation order to be addressed later. Dunn said that they were looking at five people that have never worked together before, and after a year, she did not want to make the next appointment automatic for someone who might not work well with the others. Condrashoff asked if the president had power over other board members, and asked if placing items on the agenda was such a power. General Manager Jim Abercrombie said the board can set agenda items only by vote. AWA attorney Steve Kronick said that under the Brown Act, the president had the power to call a special meeting, something the board cannot change. Regarding policy, the board can determine public speaking time limits (currently 5 minutes) or other policy. Kronick suggested the board look through board policy and come forward with suggestions. Condrashoff said he “would like to be vice president” and he would “like to be president in a year,” but he wanted to learn the job and did not think he would have the “band width to be able to lead” until after a year on the board. Moore said he would like to have the new members lead the discussion and sound off on issues – something not as easily done from the president’s chair, because the president runs the meeting and comments only at the end of the discussion. The board next meets January 8th. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).