Operation Care, a local non-profit organization providing domestic violence and sexual assault support services, is offering a 10-week support group for women survivors of  Domestic Violence. The workshop is intended to provide a confidential setting for women to connect with each other and build healthy friendships. Discussion topics will include the cycle of violence, the effects of violence on children and building healthy relationships. Amador County has received reports of domestic violence, and at least 3 fatalities resulting from violence against women in the last decade. These figures may be skewed, as many victims of Domestic Violence do not report abuse. The first session begins on Thursday, February 21 at 5:30pm. For those interested in attending, please call  Denise at 223-2897. For the Operation Care 24-hour crisis hotline, call 223-2600.

Last weekend, the Volcano Theater Company gave its annual acting and directing workshop titled “Oedipus for Dummies”. Aspiring actors of all ages participated in this year’s workshop lead by Chris Thebaut. Thebaut encouraged attendees of all ages  to participate. One focus of the workshop was a dry and plodding play made light-hearted by a blend of traditional Greek tragedy themes and modern day interpretations and costuming. The costumes and masks were created by the participants, who also gave input on the “direction” of their characters. Giles Turner, the AmadorHigh School drama teacher, called the amateur creation “Bold and Impressive”. Turner credited Thebaut for creating a “conduit for community participation”. Attendees of the workshop told TSPN that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

At Monday’s Administration Committee meeting, County Assessor Jim Rooney presented a proposal to amend an Ordinance for Reassessment of “Substantially Destroyed Property”. The Ordinance addresses property that has lost value as a result of misfortune or calamity through no fault of the owner. Updates to this ordinance primarily address the minimum dollar amount of damages and the period in which to apply for reassessment of taxes. These changes will bring the county into compliance with the State Revenue and Taxation Code. Currently, reassessments of taxable property with a minimum of 5,000 dollars worth of damage must be done within two weeks of the initial damage. The new minimum is set at 10,000 dollars with a 6 month filing period. The suggested changes were approved by Supervisor Forster. The resolution will be voted on by the Board of Supervisors.

The Amador Fire Safe Council is reminding citizens to take advantage of funding still available for defensible space grants. The grants are available for qualified full time county residents who are low to moderate income seniors age 65 and older, or disabled full time residents. Defensible space is considered to be the area around a structure that has been landscaped to reduce fire danger. This space reduces the risk that fire will spread to the structure, and also provides firefighters a relatively safe area in which to work while protecting the structure. Cathy Koos Breazeal, Executive Director of the Fire Safe Council, says the recent wildfires that swept Southern California are a perfect example of defensible space at work. Homes cleared for defensible space had a far higher success rate in surviving the fires. The Council was originally granted 150,000 dollars in grants last fall with the commitment that they would raise matching funds of 75,000 dollars. The funding was predicted to cover some 140 homes. Breazeal says there is still funding available for 35 to 40 homes. Fund availability will expire in August or when funding is no longer available. If you think you qualify and would like to apply, contact Cathy Koos Breazeal at 296-6220.

A hot issue at last Thursday’s School Board meeting was the still unapproved school calendar. The board voiced their disappointment in the California State Employees Association and the Amador County Teachers Association for not yet voting on the proposed school calendars for 2008, 2009 and 2010. The board decided to table the matter for one more meeting, even though talks have been delayed twice previously. Although union negotiators accept the proposed calendars, the members of each union must still vote on whether to adopt the calendar. The board can approve the proposed calendar based on acceptance by the other two unions, however, if all four unions are not in agreement, Amador County Schools could end up with 2 calendars - a predicament they would prefer to avoid.

Amador County Election Department has begun the official canvass votes from the primary election Tuesday. AmadorCounty voters turned in 826 vote-by-mail ballots and 159 provisional ballots at the polls on Election Day – those ballots still need to be counted. During the canvass, precinct returns will be reviewed, all remaining vote by mail/provisional ballots will be processed, and a manual recount of 1% of the county vote will be conducted. Anyone desiring to observe the canvass is welcome. The canvass must be completed by March 4, 2008.

At its meeting next Tuesday afternoon, the Amador Fire Protection Authority may make a decision to place a sales tax initiative to pay for county fire services on the November ballot. In 2006, Amador County voters defeated Measure L which would have levied a quarter-cent sales tax increase to fund some paid firefighter positions throughout the county. At the board’s January meeting, Sutter Creek Fire Chief Butch Martin asked the AFPA Board to make a decision on whether or not it would try a sales tax initiative again this year.

The AFPA board will also consider making a request to the Amador Board of Supervisors to allocate a portion of the county’s property tax revenues to fire protection. That came at the request of Amador Fire Protection District Chief Jim McCart, who asked the Board to consider a property tax proposal be put on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting. The February 12th meeting will be held at 4:00 p.m in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at the County Administration Center in Jackson.

 

Responding to reports from around the state that independent voters were denied their legal right to participate in California’s presidential primary on Tuesday, California State Senator Dean Florez, a Democrat from the Fresno area, has introduced legislation aimed at ensuring that votes by “decline-to-state” voters are counted in future California primaries. Florez is also calling for a statewide performance audit of poll worker training with an emphasis on the Los Angeles County Voter Registrar, after non-partisan voters in L.A. were reportedly turned away at dozens of precincts, and those who did vote were confused by the ballot’s design.

Jackson City Council will appoint a new planning commissioner at its regularly scheduled meeting tonight. The City Council invited Jackson residents to apply for the open seat after the appointment of commissioner Wayne Garibaldi to the City Council left an opening on the planning board. Kathryn Devlin was the only applicant for the job. She is co-owner of New York Fitness in Jackson, has been active with the Kennedy Mine Foundation and is a member of the Amador Community Foundation Board of Directors.