Amador County – The Jackson City Council took the advice of its revitalization committee recently and approved $2,500 in preliminary engineering for a creekwalk project that would skirt Jackson Creek along Busi Park, behind the former Safeway building.

The council approved $1,500 in city funds for the engineering work, and Supervisor Chairman John Plasse of District 1 contributed $1,000 from his discretionary funds toward the project. The Jackson Revitalization Committee made the creekwalk one of its goals for 2011, and recommended the preliminary engineering, after a subcommittee toured the proposed creekwalk site with local engineers Grant Reynolds and Robin Peters.

The engineers “reviewed some of the mapping needs required to begin the formal project design process,” and visited the site to look at the work needs.

City Manager Mike Daly said the city did not have the land in its name yet, and the Central Sierra Resource Conservation and Development District has applied for a Proposition 84 grant for the creekwalk, which “horseshoes around the back of Safeway,” in preliminary mapping. He said he has been working with the Fuller Family Partnership.

Daly said engineers identified pathway locations, below the Busi parking lot, to get to the creek bank area, and they need a detailed contour map to work on the design. After the meeting, Reynolds received a cost estimate of $2,500 from Ward Associates. Daly said the company was “frequently engaged for this type of work,” and they “would work from some preliminary property mapping completed by Peters associated with the boundary line adjustment planning necessary for the city to acquire some of the property in the project area.”

Daly said city funds would come from the Measure E Transient Occupancy Tax fund, used for tourism, economic development and revitalization.

In other news, Jackson City Council meets tonight, Monday, Feb. 28, and in ceremonies will award two Jackons Volunteer Fire Department Annual Awards. The David Gardella Memorial Award will go to Jessica Fulton, and the Volunteer Fire fighter of the Year Award to Paul Nelson.

Other agenda items include review of the city audit for fiscal year 2009-2010. They will also review a Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee annual report by the Amador County Transportation Commission, and an ACTC transportation planning tool. The council may also receive a greenhouse gas emissions inventory report.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Jackson City Council took the advice of its revitalization committee recently and approved $2,500 in preliminary engineering for a creekwalk project that would skirt Jackson Creek along Busi Park, behind the former Safeway building.

The council approved $1,500 in city funds for the engineering work, and Supervisor Chairman John Plasse of District 1 contributed $1,000 from his discretionary funds toward the project. The Jackson Revitalization Committee made the creekwalk one of its goals for 2011, and recommended the preliminary engineering, after a subcommittee toured the proposed creekwalk site with local engineers Grant Reynolds and Robin Peters.

The engineers “reviewed some of the mapping needs required to begin the formal project design process,” and visited the site to look at the work needs.

City Manager Mike Daly said the city did not have the land in its name yet, and the Central Sierra Resource Conservation and Development District has applied for a Proposition 84 grant for the creekwalk, which “horseshoes around the back of Safeway,” in preliminary mapping. He said he has been working with the Fuller Family Partnership.

Daly said engineers identified pathway locations, below the Busi parking lot, to get to the creek bank area, and they need a detailed contour map to work on the design. After the meeting, Reynolds received a cost estimate of $2,500 from Ward Associates. Daly said the company was “frequently engaged for this type of work,” and they “would work from some preliminary property mapping completed by Peters associated with the boundary line adjustment planning necessary for the city to acquire some of the property in the project area.”

Daly said city funds would come from the Measure E Transient Occupancy Tax fund, used for tourism, economic development and revitalization.

In other news, Jackson City Council meets tonight, Monday, Feb. 28, and in ceremonies will award two Jackons Volunteer Fire Department Annual Awards. The David Gardella Memorial Award will go to Jessica Fulton, and the Volunteer Fire fighter of the Year Award to Paul Nelson.

Other agenda items include review of the city audit for fiscal year 2009-2010. They will also review a Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee annual report by the Amador County Transportation Commission, and an ACTC transportation planning tool. The council may also receive a greenhouse gas emissions inventory report.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Regional Planning Committee announced last week that it is planning a forum that will help build Amador County’s future around its unique characters.

Committee Chairman Keith Sweet of the Jackson City Council announced plans for the forum to be held March 29, which is entitled: “Building a Prosperous Future On Amador’s Unique Character: Coordinating Tourism, Growth, and Economic Development.”

Sweet said the forum, hosted by the Amador Regional Planning Committee, should be attended by people “interested in positive economic development … that enhances the character of our county,” and who would “like to know how other communities have used vision, planning and asset-based economic development to build a positive future.

The forum will be presented by Ed McMahon, a “nationally renowned authority on sustainable economic development, environmentally sensitive land development, urban design and historic preservation.” McMahon “will discuss how heritage and cultural tourism, growth, and economic development can exist and thrive together through regional planning that preserves Amador’s picturesque beauty, a major economic driver.”

McMahon said the two “presentations are expected to generate practical ideas, implementation strategies and possible future projects for city and county planners and elected officials. Future speakers and presentations will continue the dialogues generated by this event.”

He said: “Good city and county planning is the result of hard work by elected officials, appointed planners and paid staff, concerned citizens and planning consultants. It also involves a constant updating of skills, implementation of proven strategies and the willingness to be open to new ideas.”

This public forum is hosted by the Amador Regional Planning Committee, which is made up of elected officials and members of regional county organizations. The committee invited McMahon to speak at two public presentations on Tuesday, March 29th, 2011.

Sweet said a free luncheon is offered, as space is available. The two public presentations will take place in the Supervisors Chambers, at the county admin building, 810 Court Street, Jackson, CA.

At 9-11 a.m. is “The Dollars and Sense of Preserving Community Character.” From 7-9 p.m. is “Tourism and Economic Development: What’s the Link?”

The free, “space available” luncheon and “focused discussion for all city and county elected officials, planning department personnel, appointed planners, sponsors and members of the public” will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at Thomi’s Banquet Room, in Jackson. As seating is limited seating, attendees are asked to RSVP by contacting Keith Sweet at 419-3770.

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Amador County – An Ione resident reportedly was fooled by a scammer and sent $4,800 to a person claiming to be a grandson needing money to get out of jail.

The Ione Police Department took the report of a telephone scam from a senior citizen, who said it occurred Wednesday, Feb. 23.

Ione Police Chief Michael L. Johnson said: “In this instance, a subject claiming to be the grandson of the victim called and stated he had been arrested” for “having alcohol on his breath” after involvement in a collision in Kansas City, Missouri.

“The victim was convinced to send over $4,800 via Western Union” for “bail and court costs,” Johnson said. “Later in the day, the victim discovered their grandson had actually been at work and was never arrested, nor in the state of Missouri.”

Scams are becoming more commonplace, especially in the current state of the economy, Johnson said. Scams may take place via the Internet and e-mail, through the postal service, or by telephone.

Some of the more common scams being perpetrated include someone posing as a “wealthy foreigner who needs help in moving millions of dollars from his homeland.” He “promises a large portion of the fortune as a reward for helping him.” Another scam includes announcements that “inform a person that they have won a large sum of money from a foreign lottery.”

Another scam has an “e-mail that appears to be from a bank that claim the ATM/Debit and PIN numbers must be updated” due to numerous “identity theft attempts” or to “update records.”

Johnson said if people find themselves as victims, it is important for them to report the incident to the local law enforcement agency. He said: “A lot of victims do not want to report these incidents,” because “they feel embarrassed that they fell for the scam.”

He said citizens should understand that “this type of criminal behavior is the perpetrator’s ‘job’ that they do every day. The criminals get very good at it and are very convincing.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – A documentary about revitalizing rural communities in the foothills may have a story to tell that is common to other areas of the region.

A 30 minute TV documentary, “Up From the UnderStory,” will air on KVIE TV March 9 at 7 p.m., after the Blue Mountain Community in West Point “united to face social, economic and environmental challenges,” said Holly Mines, who promoted the film locally in Amador County.

Mines said she believed it “will be of interest to a much broader audience than just West Point of Calaveras County since most of our counties are facing similar challenges and searching for ways to address them.”

Directed by Jesikah Maria Ross, the documentary “shows how an isolated rural community in the Sierra Nevada foothills has come together to overcome social, economic and environmental challenges after a century of mining and logging.

Ross said the film “documents how a diverse group of rural residents – loggers, environmentalists, Native Americans, urban transplants – in the Blue Mountain area of Calaveras County came together to chart a new path for their economically devastated community.

The program traces the history of boom and bust resource extraction cycles in the Sierra, how the Blue Mountain community launched rural revitalization movement to create a more sustainable future, and the recent role UC Davis has played in supporting their efforts.

The documentary was created in collaboration with Blue Mountain community members who helped script and shoot historical sequences, provided archival images, and created short videos profiling current revitalization projects.

The film “emerged from an innovative university-community engagement project designed to support the Blue Mountain community’s rural development efforts,” Mines said. Coordinated by media artist Jesikah Maria Ross, the project brought university students and scholars together with rural youth and community leaders to create videos that provided a previously undocumented local history and profiled the diverse change efforts happening in the community. These videos could then be used to raise awareness of important projects underway and galvanize public support to help sustain the revitalization movement.

The film project launched the UC Davis Art of Regional Change program, a joint initiative of the Davis Humanities Institute and the Center for Regional Change, of which Ross is director.

The film was made with a grant from the California Council of Humanities and by funding from the UC Davis University Outreach and International Programs.

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Amador County – Amador County Little League East is looking for umpires for its upcoming baseball season. Steve Oneto, umpire chief said high school students who are looking for a way to earn community service or to earn a little extra money may be interested in umpiring for Amador County Little League East baseball.

Oneto said they are also looking for adults to umpire the games, and reimbursement is available. Amador Little League East is part of Little League International. Umpiring experience is not required, and the league will be holding an umpire clinic. For any questions, call Umpire Chief Steve Oneto at (209) 419-3369, or go online to ACLLE.Com.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.