Amador County – Assemblywoman Alyson Huber announced Monday that she will be hosing a Joint Legislative Sunset Review Committee Hearing to discuss “Sunset Review Best Practices and Lessons Learned,” in a live televised and webcast meeting of lawmakers from around the country.

Huber, Chair of the Joint Legislative Sunset Review Committee, will convene the committee “for an informational hearing to examine the best approaches to the Sunset Review Process.”

Huber’s Chief of Staff Tim Reardon announced the committee meeting, and said the “hearing will bring together officials from Delaware, Florida and Texas to discuss with committee members the sunset review process in their respective states and suggest best practices to establishing a fair, effective and transparent sunset process in California.”

The newly comprised Committee of both Assembly and Senate members was established by legislation put forward by Huber and signed into law last year, Reardon said. “The Committee is charged with reviewing the many branches of state government and determining if they are operating effectively and efficiently. This oversight will help ensure that taxpayer money is being spent wisely and that duplicative or ineffective programs are eliminated.”

The Joint Legislative Sunset Review Committee will meet form 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, June 8, in Room 126 of the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The hearing will be televised on the California Channel and webcast at CalChannel.com.

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Amador County – An El Dorado County man was convicted of cockfighting last week and ordered to serve 45 days in jail, and pay $4,900 in fines, fees and restitution.

El Dorado County announced the sentencing Thursday, saying Saul Cuevas Ayala of Garden Valley, pled no contest to the misdemeanor crime for possession of game cocks for fighting purposes. Another man arrested with Ayala in February, Rogelio Reyes-Higareda, was not charged, but was deported.

As part of the plea, Ayala cannot possess fowl in the future or implements that could be used for cockfighting, and he must reimburse Animal Services for costs of response and investigation. That includes $4,200 in restitution. After serving jail time, Ayala will be on searchable probation for 3 years.

Chief of El Dorado County Animal Services Henry Brzezinski said cockfighting operations are a growing problem and he wanted the “message to get out into the community that these operations are going on.”

Brzezinski said: “Cockfighting is not just a concern because it involves cruelty to animals. Typically, large amounts of money, drugs and weapons are involved in cockfighting matches. There are also often other crimes and violence involved.” He said people “who see suspicious activity that could be associated with cockfighting should report it.”

Ayala and Reyes-Higareda were arrested Feb. 13 when injured game birds and cockfighting instruments were found in their vehicle. A search warrant and raid found more than 250 game fowl on Ayala’s Garden Valley property, with fighting implements and other evidence of cockfighting. All of the birds found were either in bad shape physically or too aggressive to be rehabilitated, and had to be humanely euthanized, Brzezinski said.

Cockfighting birds are bred to be aggressive and injected with powerful chemicals, stimulants and hormones. Prior to fighting, a knife, called a slasher, is attached to one leg of each rooster and the birds are taunted into fighting until one usually dies from its injuries.

Cockfighting is illegal in the United States. In California, where it is a misdemeanor, penalties can include jail time and fines up to $5,000 for a first offense and $25,000 for a second offense. States surrounding California consider cockfighting a felony, Brzezinski said and “this may be one of the reasons why we are seeing more cockfighting operations here.”

Since 2008, there have been more than 110 law enforcement incidences involving cockfighting in 35 of California’s 58 counties. More than 21,000 birds have been found dead or alive in connection with the bloodsport in that time. The U.S. Humane Society offers rewards up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in illegal animal fighting.

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Amador County – For the fifth year, Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency’s Camanche Lake and Upcountry Community Centers and Generation Life Church, with the Jackson Rancheria, are sponsoring the Back-Pack 2 School Project.

Ruthella Turner, A-TCAA Site Coordinator & Community Educator of the A-TCAA Upcountry Community Center at 19386 Highway 88 in Pine Grove, announced the fifth annual Back-Pack 2 School date, set for July 23.

Turner said: “This is a county-wide project which provides backpacks filled with grade appropriate school supplies for children whose families are financially stressed living in Amador County. Without the generosity of local individuals, businesses, and community organizations, many families would struggle to provide these much needed supplies.”

She said all together, 511 children received a backpack and school supplies for the 2010-2011 school year, and “this year our goal is to reach all of the families in our county who would like this assistance.”

Those who would like assistance with school supplies for the 2011-2012 school year can find applications at the A-TCAA Upcountry Community Center, the Jackson A-TCAA office, Generation Life Church or the Interfaith Food Bank.

To qualify, families must reside in Amador County, qualify for the free or reduced lunch program, and students must be entering grades K-12.

People who would like to sponsor a student can find a list of supplies online or by calling (209) 296-2785. The Stuff The Bus Program is set for noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 23 in the Save Mart parking lot in Jackson.

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Amador County – Foothill Conservancy President Katherine Evatt announced in late May that the East Bay Municipal Utility District board of directors decided not appeal a court decision against East Bay Municipal’s 2040 water plan. Instead, it will get under way on redoing parts of the plan.

Evatt said the Conservancy is “glad to hear they’ll be holding more hearings in Amador and Calaveras this time around.” She said in 2009, “we had to beg them to hold foothill meetings, and when they did, the response was overwhelming in opposition to the proposed expansion of Pardee Reservoir.”

Plaintiffs in the suit included Foothill Conservancy, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Friends of the River. Evatt said they had “never seen such a diverse group” of “people, organizations, and governments so unified on a conservation issue.”

She said “we’re not just looking for (East Bay Municipal) to do a better (Environmental Impact Report). But this time, they’ll have to do a better analysis of alternatives to the Pardee expansion and not gloss over the serious damage a larger reservoir would cause to the Mokelumne River’s recreational, public safety and cultural resources.” She said “now they know that people who love the Mokelumne are serious about protecting our river and we will fight for it.”

The suit said East Bay MUD’s proposed expansion of Pardee would submerge nearly two miles of the Mokelumne River, including a section known as the Middle Bar Run. Evatt said the “historic Middle Bar Bridge that crosses the affected section of river is also a critical link for emergency response and evacuation.”

She hoped a “fresh look” at impacts and alternatives will lead East Bay MUD to “drop the Pardee expansion in favor of their other water options and work with us to protect the Mokelumne with National Wild and Scenic River designation instead.”

Amador County Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said the ruling means East Bay MUD must return for more study, at more cost to the utility. He said a letter to Supervisors from the Foothill Conservancy alluded to the 2040 Plan ruling, as the Conservancy sought changes to the Amador County General Plan Update.

The Foothill Conservancy submitted 54 pages commenting on the preliminary General Plan and related documents. Plasse said it was part of the cause to increase a consultant contract to address such detailed comments. The consultant’s contract with Amador County on the General Plan update increased $180,000.

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Amador County – In early May, Dick Cooper of Cooper Vineyards sought a permit for a Barbera Festival in the Shenandoah Valley. On Thursday, promoters said festival tickets are now sold out.

Organizers said: “If you haven’t purchased tickets for the first-ever Barbera Festival, scheduled for June 11 in Plymouth, you’ll have to wait until 2012 to taste from the 80-plus participating wineries as the event is completely sold out.”

Brian Miller, organizer of the Barbera Festival, said: “We anticipated selling about 1,200 tickets our first year, but ended up selling out yesterday at 1,500 tickets. It’s a testament to wine lovers’ interest in the barbera varietal. We appreciate the continued support from those that are eager to be there, but we must adhere to our attendee limit.”

Miller said it is intended to be an annual event with net proceeds benefiting the Amador Community Foundation. The festival will be held on the west side of Shenandoah School Road, about a mile south of the intersection of Shenandoah Road.

According to Miller, there are no tickets available online or at the door. He recommended people become Facebook fans and submit their email address at the event website to receive alerts about the 2012 event and take advantage of early bird ticket discounts.

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OAKLAND – The East Bay Municipal Utility District Board of Directors voted unanimously to not appeal a ruling against its 2040 water management plan, but it will focus on concerns raised by court.

East Bay MUD public information officer Charles C. Hardy announced the decision in a release May 24, saying the board voted “to comply with the court’s order to set aside” its Water Supply Management Program 2040 and related program approvals and conduct further analysis.

The board voted unanimously in closed session “not to appeal the decision in the litigation that set aside its” 2040 Plan but instead voted “to follow the court’s recommendations for supplementing the environmental analysis in the District’s 30-year water plan.”

In a ruling April 11, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Frawley directed Eat Bay MUD “to study several areas in greater detail, including potential impacts on the Middle Bar segment of the Mokelumne River to the Miwok ancestral gathering places and the potential for involvement in neighboring Contra Costa Water District’s Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion,” Hardy said.

East Bay MUD staff has been directed by its Board to supplement its existing environmental analysis for the 2040 Plan “to include the detailed analysis recommended by Judge Frawley,” Hardy said.

John A. Coleman, president of the East Bay utility’s Board of Directors, said: “We’re going to listen really closely to the judge’s criticism and correct the areas he thought we could have done better in. The process will be open and involve all interested parties.”

Hardy said the “District will begin the process in June, holding meetings in local and Upcountry areas near Mokelumne River in July with the goal of publishing a new draft document for review in October.” He said the “issuance of the draft would be followed by more public meetings locally and Upcountry, a lengthy comment period before the Board would consider certification of a final Program EIR and approval of the program in February 2012.”

East Bay MUD serves drinking water for 1.3 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and wastewater treatment for 650,000.

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Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-6-11 - TSPN's Tom Slivick sits down with Amador County Planner Susan Grijalva.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-6-11

·       East Bay Municipal Utility District will begin new Upcountry meetings on 2040 Plan in June and July.

·       The first-ever Barbera Festival has sold out at Cooper Vineyards

·       The Foothill Conservancy celebrated a lawsuit win over East Bay MUD, which will lead to further study for the utility.

·       An El Dorado County man was sentenced to 45 days in jail for his role in a Grass Valley cockfighting operation

·       A-TCAA plans its fifth annual Back-Pack 2 School Stuff the Bus program July 23.

Daneri Mortuary

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-6-11

·       East Bay Municipal Utility District will begin new Upcountry meetings on 2040 Plan in June and July.

·       The first-ever Barbera Festival has sold out at Cooper Vineyards

·       The Foothill Conservancy celebrated a lawsuit win over East Bay MUD, which will lead to further study for the utility.

·       An El Dorado County man was sentenced to 45 days in jail for his role in a Grass Valley cockfighting operation

·       A-TCAA plans its fifth annual Back-Pack 2 School Stuff the Bus program July 23.