A generous donation from the estate of a retired teacher to the Amador County Library will update the libraries books for children and teens. The Amador County Board of Supervisors have approved the increased library budget from this cash donation which will in turn be used to buy the new books.  According to Laura at the Amador County Library, the library wants to attract more young people, and the best way to do that is to provide books that are current and relevant to today’s youth.  Many of the books that will be replaced date back to the 1950’s and ‘60’s. Although interesting from a historical standpoint, the books on topics such as science and social studies are no longer accurate.

Now here’s a creative idea to make Halloween more fun and easier on the pocketbook. Jackson Girl Scout Troop 360 has planned a Halloween Costume Exchange for Monday, October 8th in the Jackson Elementary School cafeteria. Costumes for the whole family – infants to adults -- are being collected for Monday night’s event. Families are invited to come to the costume exchange and find costumes for the big night – and it’s all free – no charge, no donation required.

Do you know CPR? Do you need CPR/Defibrilator certification for your job? Do you wish you were trained in case you needed to give CPR to a family member in an emergency? The American Red Cross is offering 2 classes in Adult CPR and Automatic External Defibrilator training this fall in San Andreas. Classes on Wednesday October 24 and Wednesday November 28 will run from 6 – 10 pm at the American Legion offices at 265 West St. Charles Street. Red Cross CPR classes have been recently updated with latest techniques and information, and Red Cross certification is widely recognized and accepted throughout the U.S. For more information or to register for the classes, call the Sonora office of the Red Cross at 209-533-1513.

State Treasurer Bill Lockyer released a report Monday on California’s financial outlook for the next 20 years. Lockyer says it’s critical the state invest in highways and schools as the population grows.  But the report warns if California can’t do a better job balancing the books, it could be more than 14 billion dollars in the red in 20 years. Lockyer recommended a combination of cuts and taxes… “Basically, what Ronald Reagan and Pete Wilson did,” said Lockyer.

Fire fighters from Battalion 10 and CDF responded quickly to a house fire off of Ridge Road near Ponderosa Way Monday night, averting a total disaster at that residence. When the Battalion 10 commander arrived they had a “working fire” which could have become a “fully involved” structure very quickly. Fire fighters knocked down the fire quickly and determined the area of the source of the fire to be around a computer system in an upstairs room. The fire is still under investigation but evidence points topaper products piled in front of and around the computer which choke off air circulation for cooling and ventilation of the device. Computers and computer equipment should be well ventilated and flammable items such as paper and paper products should never been stored near or on top of the system.  A Bill Lavallie report

The historic Kennedy Meadow Resort lodge near Dodge Ridge Ski Resort burned down early Monday morning. Seven cabins and several other buildings were destroyed in a fire that began around 1 a.m. The resort is located near Strawberry in the Stanislaus National Forest on Highway 108. According to CalFire officials, the fire was first reported just after 2 a.m. The owners, Matt and Leslie Bloom, said the lodge, including the restaurant and store are destroyed as well as six or seven cabins. The Blooms and others succeeded in limiting the fire’s spread, saving a number of cabins as well as the saloon and the corral and pack station where hundreds saddle up each summer for trips into the nearby Emigrant Wilderness. All the customers got out safely. Kennedy Meadows Resort was built in 1917. Tuolumne County Fire spokesman Craig Hart said fire escaping from a wood stove pipe set the lodge roof ablaze. A Stockton Record story.

Mark your calendar for a one-stop health services opportunity -- This year’s Sutter Amador Hospital’s annual Health Festival on Friday, October 12, 2007 from 4 – 7 pm. The hospital is partnering with Amador County Public Health, and the festival will focus on free and low cost services and screenings, plus fun and healthy activities -- all held in the parking lot of the hospital’s new Outpatient Services Center. The event will also serve as the Amador County Public Health Department’s fall flu vaccine kick-off by administering flu shots and nasal mist immunizations as well as pneumonia and tetanus boosters. “We highly encourage community members to get a flu shot every year,” says Lori Jagoda, Public Health Nurse for the Amador County Public Health Department. “It is the best way to prevent getting the flu during flu season.”

As furnaces start firing up for the colder weather and other seasonal fire dangers approach, the Jackson Fire Department is holding Jackson Fire Safety Night on Monday, October 8, 7 pm at the Jackson Civic Center. This will be an informal presentation of Fire Safety information by Jackson Volunteer Fire Department Chief, Mark Morton. Information on the following topics will be available: • Get Out Safely! Fire Escape Planning • On the Safety Circuit - Home Electrical Fire Prevention • A Season for Sharing in Fire Safety - Holiday Fire Prevention • Exposing an Invisible Killer - Dangers of Carbon Monoxide • Bedroom Fire Prevention - Sleep Sound at Night • Fireplace and Home Fire Safety - Rural Fire Safety and Prevention • This is Fire! - A fact sheet on the Nature of Fire • Winter Storm Fire Safety. Again, that’s Jackson Fire Safety Night, Monday, October 8, 7 pm at the Jackson Civic Center for an informative evening to protect yourself from the hazards of a residential fire.

 

The state has banned widely used indoor ozone air purifiers, saying the devices aggravate many of the problems their advertisements claim to relieve. The California Air Resources Board called the ban, enacted Thursday, the first of its kind in the nation. According to the air board, some manufacturers of ozone generators have argued that ozone has the ability to reduce levels of indoor air pollutants, and recent research has shown that the opposite is true. The new regulations, which take effect in 2009, ban the sale of devices that produce more than .050 parts per million of ozone, a concentration the board says is enough to harm human health. The board estimated that about 500,000 Californians had been exposed to excessive levels of ozone because of the devices. Mary Nichols, chair of the Air Resources Board, said in a statement on the ban: "People with respiratory problems need to be protected from ozone. Consumers bought these devices hoping to reduce suffering for themselves or a loved one, only to make the situation worse."