Sutter Creek – The Amador Water Agency has set a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Plymouth water pipeline for Monday morning, and has also called a special meeting for Thursday afternoon to continue items left over from last week’s regular board meeting. Board President Terence Moore called the special meeting for 3 p.m. Thursday at the AWA office on Ridge Road, because the meeting was not continued. The agenda Thursday includes reports from committees, including Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority, Mountain Counties, engineering, public relations, rates & rules and the California Rural Water Association. The board will also get reports from the Amador County Joint Water Committee and the General Manager’s monthly report. Board members may also report on various activities or meetings “that they have been involved in within their respective districts.” Reports will be for discussion only, and anything “requiring action will be placed on an upcoming agenda for consideration.” Closed session also may be called for a conference with labor negotiators. The board last week hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on the Gayla Manor wastewater treatment system upgrade. The board had about 6 special meetings scheduled over 2 weeks that began Monday with a La Mel Heights rate hearing. They will also hold a rate hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday for the Wastewater Improvement District Number 1, which includes the systems at Eagle’s Nest, Surrey Junction, Wildwood Estates, Gayla Manor, Viewpoint, Fairway Pines, Mace Meadow, Jackson Pines, Pine Grove and Tiger Creek Estates. The rate hearing is at the AWA office on Ridge Road. The AWA board also has scheduled a special meeting starting 9 a.m. Friday at Thomi’s Café & Bakery, at 627 South Highway 49 in Jackson. The Thomi’s meeting is a “Strategic Planning” session, which is open to the public. The meeting in the past has been an all-day affair. The AWA board continues its special meetings with another at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Plymouth water treatment plant, for a dedication of the AWA-Plymouth potable water pipeline. The agency will host the “Plymouth Pipeline Project Valve Turning and Dedication” ceremony, which will kick off with comments from AWA Board President Terry Moore, representative of District 5, including Plymouth. The AWA announced that “distinguished guests” will also make comments. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Plymouth – The Plymouth water treatment plant suffered a power outage earlier this month, and the condition apparently went unreported for several hours. Mayor Jon Colburn told the Plymouth City Council Thursday that the outage was discovered on the morning of October 16th by the Amador Water Agency, but it was not reported to the city until about 4 hours later. City Manager Dixon Flynn said that at about noon on October 16th, the AWA asked him if he knew that the Plymouth water treatment plant’s power was out. Flynn said a city maintenance worker went to the plant and found the alarms going off, and a note from 8 a.m. that morning, saying that the power was off and “someone needs to call (Pacific Gas & Electric).” City staff did not know who should call the utility company. City Clerk Gloria Stoddard said PG&E finally sent a truck after she called and told them that the plant and tank are the city of Plymouth’s water supply. Flynn told the city council that in the time between the note being left and the power being reactivated in the afternoon, at about 3 p.m., the 500,000-gallon tank’s water level had gone down 2 feet. He said AWA operations manager Chris McKeage “wasn’t too concerned” about the outage. Flynn told him “any time the power goes down, the water agency should notify Plymouth.” Colburn said he was told by AWA that they could have activated the water pipeline to Plymouth, but if they did, the city would have to start the contract of service with the agency. Flynn said the AWA plans a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Plymouth-AWA pipeline on November 2nd, but the system still is in need of state permitting. Finance Director Jeffrey Gardner reported on first quarter revenues and expenditures, saying sales tax was lower than expected. He said he had anticipated water and sewer fund revenues to be a little under normal, but “actually it was a little over.” He said he expected water usage and revenue might be less because some big users were getting water from the Arroyo Ditch this summer. Water was sent down the Arroyo Ditch this summer, after work by the Shenandoah Water Company, which is now negotiating with the city. The water was used for irrigation at the 49er Village mobile home park, and by the Amador County Fair. Colburn said meters possibly in use at the fairgrounds and 49er Village should be used to bill those customers. Colburn said: “We want to bill them $100 per acre foot” because “we don’t want to be gifting that Arroyo Ditch water.” Gardner said sales tax in the city is off a little bit, and Colburn said sales tax is down about 20 percent statewide. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Plymouth – Plymouth City Councilman Greg Baldwin last week suggested sending a letter of thanks to U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer for a support letter she sent to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, urging consideration be given to a project on Main Street in Plymouth. In the letter, dated September 30th, Boxer urged Secretary Ray LaHood to give serious consideration to Plymouth’s application for Recovery & Reinvestment Act funding, and a request for $1.7 million to complete the Highway 49 and Main Street intersection improvement project. She said the project “would help bring the intersection up to current safety standards,” and “could improve traffic safety in Plymouth and create jobs.” Baldwin, Vice Chairman of the ACTC board of directors, reported on recent developments. He said the Sutter Creek City Council “agreed with a lot of impacts submitted by the ACTC board,” regarding the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort. He said ACTC’s recommended mitigations were estimated to cost between $4 million and $9.35 million. Among the work, he said was in 3 years looking at widening the intersection of Highways 49 and 104. In other discussion, Mayor Jon Colburn said about 10 people attended the first Regional Traffic Plan update meeting hosted by ACTC last week in city hall. He said the ACTC is looking for volunteers to work on the project. In other traffic related issues, the council voted to create a loading zone on Sherwood Street, in front of the gate of the Plymouth Elementary School, at the intersection of Hay Street. Public Works Director Selby Beck said the school’s Principal Rose McProuty requested the designation because cars often parked in front of the gate, making it dangerous for children being picked up or dropped off. The council discussed an 18-foot no-parking zone on each side of the gate, on Sherwood Street. Beck said he agreed with McProuty that it was a safety issue; and the school will provide the paint. The council voted 4-0 to direct City Attorney Steven Rudolph to prepare a resolution to create the no-parking zone. Rudolph said city code requires that “to make a no parking zone, you must have a resolution and signs.” Baldwin said “there is no reason we can’t paint it.” Flynn said: “We’ll go ahead and paint it.” The resolution designating the zone, and signs, will allow for citations to be given to vehicles that park in the no parking zone. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Stockton – Juvenile offenders at the N.A. Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility in Stockton have donated $5,193 earned behind bars to Amador County’s witness and victim assistance center. Three other counties- San Joaquin, Tuolumne and Mendocino- will receive equal donations. According to Bill Sessa, state prison system spokesman, that amounts to 15 percent of the wages earned by those working for private companies inside the San Joaquin County youth prison system. The money is extracted from workers paid minimum wage and is given to charities. The Merit Corporation, a firm that recycles electronics, and Earthwise Recycling, which turns outdated baked goods into animal feed, both employ teenagers inside Chaderjian. Sessa said what makes this decision unique is that those locked up voted to give the money to groups that help crime victims and witnesses. Amador County’s Sheriff Department and Department of Emergency Services both thanked the boys and girls for their donation. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sacramento – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Recovery Task Force announced this month that another $53 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding has been allocated by the California Transportation Commission for transportation projects statewide, including here in the sierras. The current allocation will help fund a $1.5 million project to resurface 14.6 miles of Highway 89 and Highway 4 near Markleeville, adjacent to Amador County. “My administration is working hand in hand with President Obama’s team to pump Recovery funding into California quickly and responsibly to help drive our economy,” said Schwarzenegger. This latest funding block is part of a series of grants designed to fund transportation-related improvements and employ thousands in California. Future allotments could include major repairs in Amador County. Formula programs in the ARRA apportion to California approximately $2.57 billion for infrastructure projects and $1.07 billion for transit projects. Nationally, the bill provides more than $48 billion for transportation. The lion’s share of this most recent allocation goes to San Luis Obispo County, where $45.9 million will be used to “make a wide range of improvements to U.S. 101 in and near Atascadero.” Santa Barbara County will receive $4.2 million to resurface 18 lane miles of highway, Santa Clara County will spend $6.4 million to install 170 closed-circuit cameras along freeway ramps, and the Inland Empire will get $1.4 million to develop a geographical information system that will enable Caltrans to maintain an inventory of important archaeological sites. According to a release, the California Transportation Commission also “allocated an additional $214 million to 44 transportation projects statewide, including $73.9 million in non-Recovery Act funding to Doyle Drive, the 73-year old southern access to the Golden Gate Bridge and a vital transportation link between San Francisco and Marin Counties.” That project has also received $50 million in Recovery Act funding. “Investing in California’s infrastructure helps put Californians back to work and supports long-term economic growth, while also reducing traffic congestion and improving our very quality of life,” said Schwarzenegger. For a comprehensive list of all projects that receive allocations funding, please visit the state’s website at dot.ca.gov. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jackson - Jackson Rancheria Executive Chef Ed Wickman will carve a 700 pound pumpkin for Halloween on Friday, October 30. The carving will take place at 10 a.m. just outside the Casino Lobby door. The pumpkin was grown by Richard Larson of Granite Bay and given to Jackson Rancheria. "It was so pretty I thought it should be displayed somewhere," said Larson. And Wickman, an experienced giant pumpkin carver, was glad to take it on. The pumpkin is part of the decorations for the Casino's $275,000 Mad Money promotion and Halloween festivities. Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel is located at 12222 New York Ranch Road, Jackson, CA 95642. For more information, call 800-822-WINN or visit JacksonCasino.com. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Plymouth – Plymouth City Councilman Greg Baldwin last week suggested sending a letter of thanks to U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer for a support letter she sent to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, urging consideration be given to a project on Main Street in Plymouth. In the letter, dated September 30th, Boxer urged Secretary Ray LaHood to give serious consideration to Plymouth’s application for Recovery & Reinvestment Act funding, and a request for $1.7 million to complete the Highway 49 and Main Street intersection improvement project. She said the project “would help bring the intersection up to current safety standards,” and “could improve traffic safety in Plymouth and create jobs.” Baldwin, Vice Chairman of the ACTC board of directors, reported on recent developments. He said the Sutter Creek City Council “agreed with a lot of impacts submitted by the ACTC board,” regarding the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort. He said ACTC’s recommended mitigations were estimated to cost between $4 million and $9.35 million. Among the work, he said was in 3 years looking at widening the intersection of Highways 49 and 104. In other discussion, Mayor Jon Colburn said about 10 people attended the first Regional Traffic Plan update meeting hosted by ACTC last week in city hall. He said the ACTC is looking for volunteers to work on the project. In other traffic related issues, the council voted to create a loading zone on Sherwood Street, in front of the gate of the Plymouth Elementary School, at the intersection of Hay Street. Public Works Director Selby Beck said the school’s Principal Rose McProuty requested the designation because cars often parked in front of the gate, making it dangerous for children being picked up or dropped off. The council discussed an 18-foot no-parking zone on each side of the gate, on Sherwood Street. Beck said he agreed with McProuty that it was a safety issue; and the school will provide the paint. The council voted 4-0 to direct City Attorney Steven Rudolph to prepare a resolution to create the no-parking zone. Rudolph said city code requires that “to make a no parking zone, you must have a resolution and signs.” Baldwin said “there is no reason we can’t paint it.” Flynn said: “We’ll go ahead and paint it.” The resolution designating the zone, and signs, will allow for citations to be given to vehicles that park in the no parking zone. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Plymouth – The Plymouth water treatment plant suffered a power outage earlier this month, and the condition apparently went unreported for several hours. Mayor Jon Colburn told the Plymouth City Council Thursday that the outage was discovered on the morning of October 16th by the Amador Water Agency, but it was not reported to the city until about 4 hours later. City Manager Dixon Flynn said that at about noon on October 16th, the AWA asked him if he knew that the Plymouth water treatment plant’s power was out. Flynn said a city maintenance worker went to the plant and found the alarms going off, and a note from 8 a.m. that morning, saying that the power was off and “someone needs to call (Pacific Gas & Electric).” City staff did not know who should call the utility company. City Clerk Gloria Stoddard said PG&E finally sent a truck after she called and told them that the plant and tank are the city of Plymouth’s water supply. Flynn told the city council that in the time between the note being left and the power being reactivated in the afternoon, at about 3 p.m., the 500,000-gallon tank’s water level had gone down 2 feet. He said AWA operations manager Chris McKeage “wasn’t too concerned” about the outage. Flynn told him “any time the power goes down, the water agency should notify Plymouth.” Colburn said he was told by AWA that they could have activated the water pipeline to Plymouth, but if they did, the city would have to start the contract of service with the agency. Flynn said the AWA plans a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Plymouth-AWA pipeline on November 2nd, but the system still is in need of state permitting. Finance Director Jeffrey Gardner reported on first quarter revenues and expenditures, saying sales tax was lower than expected. He said he had anticipated water and sewer fund revenues to be a little under normal, but “actually it was a little over.” He said he expected water usage and revenue might be less because some big users were getting water from the Arroyo Ditch this summer. Water was sent down the Arroyo Ditch this summer, after work by the Shenandoah Water Company, which is now negotiating with the city. The water was used for irrigation at the 49er Village mobile home park, and by the Amador County Fair. Colburn said meters possibly in use at the fairgrounds and 49er Village should be used to bill those customers. Colburn said: “We want to bill them $100 per acre foot” because “we don’t want to be gifting that Arroyo Ditch water.” Gardner said sales tax in the city is off a little bit, and Colburn said sales tax is down about 20 percent statewide. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jackson - Jackson Rancheria Executive Chef Ed Wickman will carve a 700 pound pumpkin for Halloween on Friday, October 30. The carving will take place at 10 a.m. just outside the Casino Lobby door. The pumpkin was grown by Richard Larson of Granite Bay and given to Jackson Rancheria. "It was so pretty I thought it should be displayed somewhere," said Larson. And Wickman, an experienced giant pumpkin carver, was glad to take it on. The pumpkin is part of the decorations for the Casino's $275,000 Mad Money promotion and Halloween festivities. Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel is located at 12222 New York Ranch Road, Jackson, CA 95642. For more information, call 800-822-WINN or visit JacksonCasino.com. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sacramento – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Recovery Task Force announced this month that another $53 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding has been allocated by the California Transportation Commission for transportation projects statewide, including here in the sierras. The current allocation will help fund a $1.5 million project to resurface 14.6 miles of Highway 89 and Highway 4 near Markleeville, adjacent to Amador County. “My administration is working hand in hand with President Obama’s team to pump Recovery funding into California quickly and responsibly to help drive our economy,” said Schwarzenegger. This latest funding block is part of a series of grants designed to fund transportation-related improvements and employ thousands in California. Future allotments could include major repairs in Amador County. Formula programs in the ARRA apportion to California approximately $2.57 billion for infrastructure projects and $1.07 billion for transit projects. Nationally, the bill provides more than $48 billion for transportation. The lion’s share of this most recent allocation goes to San Luis Obispo County, where $45.9 million will be used to “make a wide range of improvements to U.S. 101 in and near Atascadero.” Santa Barbara County will receive $4.2 million to resurface 18 lane miles of highway, Santa Clara County will spend $6.4 million to install 170 closed-circuit cameras along freeway ramps, and the Inland Empire will get $1.4 million to develop a geographical information system that will enable Caltrans to maintain an inventory of important archaeological sites. According to a release, the California Transportation Commission also “allocated an additional $214 million to 44 transportation projects statewide, including $73.9 million in non-Recovery Act funding to Doyle Drive, the 73-year old southern access to the Golden Gate Bridge and a vital transportation link between San Francisco and Marin Counties.” That project has also received $50 million in Recovery Act funding. “Investing in California’s infrastructure helps put Californians back to work and supports long-term economic growth, while also reducing traffic congestion and improving our very quality of life,” said Schwarzenegger. For a comprehensive list of all projects that receive allocations funding, please visit the state’s website at dot.ca.gov. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.