Amador County – Emergency irrigation spraying on Mace Meadow Golf Course has helped the Amador Water Agency reduce the level of its treated wastewater storage pond, and led to the lifting of a voluntary water conservation order for Upcountry water customers.

27 days after issuing a voluntary conservation order due to heavy rains, the AWA Wednesday announced that it was lifting the order, after the level of water in the storage ponds at Mace Meadow was brought below the level the state considers critical to the system.

AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo announced the easing of the voluntary conservation order, saying “the backwash pond at the Mace Meadow Golf Course is now below the two-foot freeboard emergency level, as determined by the Regional Water Quality Control Board.”

He said dry weather, coupled with the agency’s agreement with Mace Meadow “allowing significant irrigation on the golf course, has reduced the pond level.” He said irrigation spraying on the golf course will continue through the upcoming weekend, “which will reduce the pond level by at least another foot.”

Mancebo said: “We will be monitoring the weather and the pond level closely and work with the Golf Course Board to reactivate early irrigation before the pond reaches the two-foot freeboard elevation, should that be necessary.”

The voluntary water conservation order was put into place on Jan. 6, after heavy rains. On Wednesday, it was lifted. It covers all public water customers of Mace Meadow Mutual Water Company, Rabb Park Community Services District, Pine Grove Community Services District and AWA’s Retail System in the Central Amador Water Project. Water usage can return to normal in all of those districts.

Mancebo said the agency wanted “to thank all of the Upcountry water users for their cooperation in conserving water over the past month.” He said when they “ask for help, our customers always go above and beyond.”

AWA Operations Manager Chris McKeage has been working on installing a filter system to recycle backwash water that flows into the Mace Meadow storage pond. McKeage said agency crews are on track to have the second-hand backwash recycling plant online in two weeks. It’s expected that recycling will reduce backwash water sent to the ponds by at least 80 percent.

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Amador County – The Ione Police Department intercepted more illegal narcotics in its jurisdiction, after a traffic stop early Wednesday, which led to the arrest of a 23-year-old Valley Springs man.

Ione Police Chief Michael Johnson said Wednesday afternoon that more narcotics has been intercepted by Ione PD, a week after IPD arrested two people in a high-crime area of Ione, Jan. 25 on narcotics charges for possession and possession for the purpose of sale.

The arrest this week began in the early morning hours Wednesday, Feb. 2, at about 12:45 a.m. Johnson said a “graveyard shift Ione police officer observed an unsafe vehicle being operated on the public roadways.”

“The Ione officer stopped the vehicle for California Vehicle Code infractions and contacted the solo occupant,” he said. “After discovering the driver, 23-year-old Robby Ross of Valley Springs, was operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, a more detailed investigation into the observed unsafe driving behavior was pursued.”

A search of the subject’s vehicle produced hypodermic syringes and illegal narcotics, Johnson said. The suspect’s vehicle was towed from the scene. Ross was booked into the Amador County Jail on possession and transportation of illegal narcotics, and traffic-related charges.

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Amador County – The University of California Cooperative Extension is hosting a “Fruit Tree Grafting Clinic” from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 5 at the Amador County GSA Building, at 12200-B Airport Road in Martell.

The “hands-on” clinic on grafting techniques is for home gardeners and will be hosted by U.C. Cooperative and Amador County Master Gardners.

The Master Gardeners program announced the clinic this week, saying that “grafting is the art of inserting a piece of one plant into another in a certain way expecting that the parts will grow together and form a permanent union.”

Discussion will include grafting different varieties of fruit trees, including “pit to pit,” for peach, nectarine, apricot, and plum; or “seed to seed,” for apples. The technique allows gardeners “to create a variety of fruits that will mature at different times on the same tree. This also allows the necessary cross pollination of some trees, including cherry.”

Materials and procedures will be presented. Scions are collected when pruning during the dormant period and stored in a damp, cool location until it is time to graft. Related tools such as a “whip, tongue and cleft grafts will be demonstrated and practiced.” Bud grafts will be discussed, and a variety of fruit tree scions will be available.

For information, or to ask questions about the class, or for other gardening questions, call the Master Gardeners at the U.C. Cooperative Extension Office from 10 a.m. to noon, Tuesday or Thursday, at 223-6838; or send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Amador County – A USDA forum on jobs, economic development and sustainable communities will be held in Plymouth Feb. 15, with an appearance by the state director of USDA Rural Development.

Valerie Klinefelter, president of the California Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils, said the forum is for all of Amador County, and she lobbied successfully for it to be held in Plymouth this year. It is the follow-up to last year’s forums, held to gather information from residents of every rural county in the United States, not to mention nearly every county in California. But not every county hosted its own forum.

Klinefelter, a former mayor of Plymouth, said: “Amador County did not get one last year,” so she “was insistent on getting one in Amador County this year.”

Last year, Amador County was lumped into a forum held in El Dorado County. Klinefelter said there is a distinct difference between the needs in the two counties. This year, a forum will be held in Plymouth City Hall.

Klinefelter said she has notified Assemblywoman Alyson Huber’s office about the forum, and given the proposed closure of the Preston Youth Correctional Facility, she hoped someone from Huber’s office will attend.

Besides being the state association president, Klinefelter is executive director of the Central Sierra Resource Conservation & Development Council, based in Jackson, and covering Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, Mono and Tuolumne counties. She said the workshop would be worthwhile to attend just to hear Dr. Glenda Humiston speak. Humiston is the California State Director of USDA Rural Development.

Klinefelter said Humiston will attend the forum and will probably speak for about 45 minutes, talking about last year’s forums, the resulting report, prospects in the state, and USDA Rural Development’s “role in helping turn California’s economy around.”

Humiston was appointed by President Obama in 2009. She worked as a western states consultant on environmental and agricultural issues, during which she “developed a Rangeland Water Quality Management plan for the state of California that has become a model in many western states.”

Humiston completed her Ph.D. at U.C. Berkeley in 2009, with her dissertation entitled “Sustainable Agriculture as U.S. Farm Policy: Opportunities and Threats to Reform.”

The report to be discussed at the forum is the USDA Rural Development’s “Jobs, Economic Development and Sustainable Communities” report, written after 43 community forums were held around rural California, talking to nearly 900 people about their concerns.

The forum is 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Feb. 15, at Plymouth City Hall, at 9426 Main Street in Plymouth. To see a copy of the report online, see USDA’s website.

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Amador County – Amador County Public Health on Tuesday said it is “not too late to vaccinate,” and incidents of flu are reportedly on the rise. ¶ Amador County Health Officer, Dr. Robert Hartmann said Tuesday that “flu cases are increasing across the United States,” and “25 states are now reporting” what they call “widespread flu activity.”

Hartmann said California just increased the state’s flu activity status rating to “regional,” a “designation shared with 15 other states, meaning that many regions in California are reporting laboratory confirmed influenza cases.”

Amador County Public Health recommended that everyone receive their seasonal flu vaccine if they have not already received it this season. Public Health clinics are held 2-6 p.m. each first and third Tuesdays of the month, and 9-11:30 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month. The cost for a flu vaccination is $10, and Medi-Cal billing is available. Private providers, clinics and pharmacies may also still have a supply of flu vaccine.

Hartmann said flu prevention measures are also important. Key recommendations include washing your hands often with warm soapy water for at least 30 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizers.

Another important practice is to “cover your cough and your Sneeze, and if you cough or sneeze into a tissue, throw it away and then wash your hands.

Hartmann said a third important way to prevent spread of flu is to “stay home if you are sick.” He said: “Current guidelines are asking our community members to stay home for at least 24 hours after they are fever-free.”

Flu symptoms include a fever of 100 degrees or higher, in addition to a cough or sore throat. Other symptoms that could also be present are a headache, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

For information, call Amador Public Health at (209) 223-6407.

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Amador County – The Ione Police Department intercepted more illegal narcotics in its jurisdiction, after a traffic stop early Wednesday, which led to the arrest of a 23-year-old Valley Springs man.

Ione Police Chief Michael Johnson said Wednesday afternoon that more narcotics has been intercepted by Ione PD, a week after IPD arrested two people in a high-crime area of Ione, Jan. 25 on narcotics charges for possession and possession for the purpose of sale.

The arrest this week began in the early morning hours Wednesday, Feb. 2, at about 12:45 a.m. Johnson said a “graveyard shift Ione police officer observed an unsafe vehicle being operated on the public roadways.”

“The Ione officer stopped the vehicle for California Vehicle Code infractions and contacted the solo occupant,” he said. “After discovering the driver, 23-year-old Robby Ross of Valley Springs, was operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, a more detailed investigation into the observed unsafe driving behavior was pursued.”

A search of the subject’s vehicle produced hypodermic syringes and illegal narcotics, Johnson said. The suspect’s vehicle was towed from the scene. Ross was booked into the Amador County Jail on possession and transportation of illegal narcotics, and traffic-related charges.

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

Amador County – A USDA forum on jobs, economic development and sustainable communities will be held in Plymouth Feb. 15, with an appearance by the state director of USDA Rural Development.

Valerie Klinefelter, president of the California Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils, said the forum is for all of Amador County, and she lobbied successfully for it to be held in Plymouth this year. It is the follow-up to last year’s forums, held to gather information from residents of every rural county in the United States, not to mention nearly every county in California. But not every county hosted its own forum.

Klinefelter, a former mayor of Plymouth, said: “Amador County did not get one last year,” so she “was insistent on getting one in Amador County this year.”

Last year, Amador County was lumped into a forum held in El Dorado County. Klinefelter said there is a distinct difference between the needs in the two counties. This year, a forum will be held in Plymouth City Hall.

Klinefelter said she has notified Assemblywoman Alyson Huber’s office about the forum, and given the proposed closure of the Preston Youth Correctional Facility, she hoped someone from Huber’s office will attend.

Besides being the state association president, Klinefelter is executive director of the Central Sierra Resource Conservation & Development Council, based in Jackson, and covering Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, Mono and Tuolumne counties. She said the workshop would be worthwhile to attend just to hear Dr. Glenda Humiston speak. Humiston is the California State Director of USDA Rural Development.

Klinefelter said Humiston will attend the forum and will probably speak for about 45 minutes, talking about last year’s forums, the resulting report, prospects in the state, and USDA Rural Development’s “role in helping turn California’s economy around.”

Humiston was appointed by President Obama in 2009. She worked as a western states consultant on environmental and agricultural issues, during which she “developed a Rangeland Water Quality Management plan for the state of California that has become a model in many western states.”

Humiston completed her Ph.D. at U.C. Berkeley in 2009, with her dissertation entitled “Sustainable Agriculture as U.S. Farm Policy: Opportunities and Threats to Reform.”

The report to be discussed at the forum is the USDA Rural Development’s “Jobs, Economic Development and Sustainable Communities” report, written after 43 community forums were held around rural California, talking to nearly 900 people about their concerns.

The forum is 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Feb. 15, at Plymouth City Hall, at 9426 Main Street in Plymouth. To see a copy of the report online, see USDA’s website.

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