Tom
Monday, 21 June 2010 06:18
Red Cross Chapters Merge to Increase Operational Efficiencies
Amador County – Three area chapters of the American Red Cross are merging in order to increase efficiencies during the economic recession. The Sacramento, Sierra, San Joaquin and Stanislaus chapters will merge July 1 and collectively serve Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, El Dorado, east Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Tuolumne and east Yolo counties under one large chapter. “This is an exciting time as we explore new opportunities to make our communities safer and better prepared for life threatening emergencies,” said Dawn Lindblom, regional chief executive officer, in a news release. The release said the consolidation will create a stronger Red Cross presence throughout the 11 counties as the operation becomes more efficient. All six offices - in Auburn, Modesto, Sacramento, Sonora, Stockton and Tracy - will remain open. A TSPN TV Staff Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Region
Monday, 21 June 2010 06:14
Amador County Fair Release Its Exhibitor Handb4ook
Amador County - Whether you hand-stitch quilts, grow plump produce or use digital photography to capture your world, there will be a category of competition to showcase your talents in the Amador County Fair. The Exhibitor Handbook is now available for the annual County Fair to be held in Plymouth from July 29 to August 1. “Fair exhibits and competition for a blue ribbon are a showcase of the community’s talents,” explains Troy Bowers, CEO. “From the hundreds of categories available, anyone can find a place to show off their projects.” Most entry forms are due by 6:00 pm, Saturday, July 10, with actual exhibits not due until just before the Fair. Residents of Amador, El Dorado, Calaveras and Tuolomne Counties are eligible to enter most divisions. The Exhibitor Handbook is available on-line at www.AmadorCountyFair.com and limited printed copies are available at the Fair office, libraries and feed stores. There are dozens of categories relating to the 2010 theme “Amador County Fair Safari – It’s a Jungle Out There.” Livestock exhibitors are encouraged to decorate their stalls and campsites with the theme, and all stalls and sites will be judged during the Fair. For more information about the Fair or assistance in entering the Fair competition, please visit www.AmadorCountyFair.com or call 209 245-6921. A TSPN TV News Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
Friday, 18 June 2010 06:20
Sutter Creek Sinkhole Compounded Problems, Should Open Soon
Amador County – Sutter Creek Acting City Manager Sean Rabe last week reported on the sinkhole that has kept part of Spanish Street closed for 3 months. The March 16th collapse of the Gopher Creek Canal left a 5-foot wide, 6-foot deep hole in the asphalt in the center of Spanish Street, he said, and it was created by the collapse of the metal roof of the canal. The hole exposed several utility pipelines, including an old Knight Foundry water line, and a 3-inch PG&E natural gas line. Rabe said the canal’s “metal roof collapsed and was sitting on top of the gas line. That’s why the council declared an emergency.” The Sutter Creek City Council sent Rabe to the board of directors of the Amador Water Agency, and a cost-sharing agreement was made with AWA, which also had service lines exposed by the sinkhole. Rabe said heavy April and May rains delayed repairs, but it was now finished, except for curing of the concrete, which he said June 7th could take a couple of weeks, then people should be able to drive on it. In part of the repairs, 45-degree bends were put in the water pipe, to make it go under the underground canal, which carries Gopher Creek across town. Metal decking was used to keep down concrete costs. The city council last week also heard a report from ACTC consulting engineer Matt Griggs on work to realign Prospect Drive to meet in a T-intersection with Bowers Drive, to cross Highway 104 in Sutter Creek. The project will build a cul-de-sac at the end of the existing intersection of Bowers Drive and 104, and build a new extension of the road past the Italian Picnic Grounds to Bowers Drive. Griggs said construction was estimated at $1.8 million, and would use about $600,000 gathered in the Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee Program. He said they may be able to fund 70 to 90 percent of what they want to do in the project. In the future, the intersection will install signals, and they may be able to set poles on foundations, depending on how bids come in. The council approved a mitigated negative declaration of impact for the project. Vice Mayor Tim Murphy said the project had been before the council several times and it has “always been a real priority for the city.” Griggs said it would move Prospect Drive about 230 feet to align with Bowers Drive, and should help with traffic flow. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
News Archive
Friday, 18 June 2010 06:22
Supreme Court Considers Legality of Federal Order
Amador County – The U.S. Supreme Court is considering the legality of a three-judge panel’s decision to put a cap on prison populations in California. The nation’s highest court agreed Monday to hear an appeal by the Schwarzenegger administration to reconsider whether the federal judiciary can force a reduction in population in order to improve inmate health care. “We continue to believe federal judges do not have the authority to order the early release of prisoners in our state,” said the governor in a statement. “California should be able to take action on its own to keep its citizens safe without interference from the federal courts.” The special federal court panel ordered the ruling last year, saying current overcrowding conditions are unconstitutional and amount to “cruel and unusual punishment.” They ordered California to reduce its prison population by nearly a quarter in two years. The Governor tried to address the court’s order last November by proposing a series of steps, including construction of new prison space, shortening sentences, the early release of non-violent offenders, and shipping some inmates out of state or to county jails. The state legislature passed a trimmed-down plan, but the panel said it did not go far enough to reduce overcrowding. That plan is on hold while the state pursues the appeal. Mule Creek State Prison near Ione is a prime example of the conditions that led to the panel’s decision. For years now, inmates there have been sleeping in three-tiered bunks in the gymnasium. The facility was originally built for 1700 inmates, but currently is holding over 4000. California’s prison population is now about 158,000, well above the 84,000 for which it was designed. Opponents of the panel’s decision worry what will happen if the Supreme Court decides to uphold the ruling. Tuolumne County Sheriff Jim Mele, who presides over the region near the Sierra Conservation Center, wonders who will take over the monitoring of parolees. Supporters of the decision say the estimated $35,000 it costs to house an inmate for one year is money being thrown away, and there has been no reduction in the crime rate. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the population cap this fall, with a ruling expected by early next year. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
News Archive
Friday, 18 June 2010 06:17
Jackson Rancheria Donates $7,535 to the Friends of the Amador County Library
Amador County - Jackson Rancheria has donated $7,535 to the Friends of the Amador County Library (FACL) to help pay for new shelves in the children’s section of the Jackson Library. FACL President Susan Staggs says the existing shelves were installed when the library was built 45 years ago and are unstable and limited in their uses. “We really appreciate this generous donation from Jackson Rancheria,” she added. The donated funds are from the Dennis Dalton Fund, which has been dissolved with half of the money going to the Library and the other half to the Upcountry Community Center. TSPN TV Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
News Archive
Friday, 18 June 2010 06:19
LAFCO Considers New Sphere for PGCSD, LFPD
Amador County - The Local Agency Formation Commission, also known as LAFCO, will consider a number of proposed changes to local spheres of influence next week, as well as vote on a proposed CALAFCO Board Regional Reorganization. Locally speaking, Spheres of Influence are considered to be a region or area over which a city has a significant impact, both politically and economically. It is also considered a county area that is subject to the influence of city planning because it is destined to become annexed.
According to state government code, LAFCO must take into account a number of factors when considering amendments to spheres of influence, including the present and planned uses in the area, including agricultural and open-space lands; the need for public facilities, and the existence of any social or economic communities of interest in the area. In a 1977 opinion, the California Attorney General stated that sphere of influence should “serve like general plans, serve as an essential planning tool to combat urban sprawl and provide well planned efficient urban development patterns, giving appropriate consideration to preserving prime agricultural and other open-space lands.” On Thursday, LAFCO will consider adoption of a Sphere of Influence for the Pine Grove Community Services District and the Lockwood Fire Protection District. They will also consider amending the Sphere of Influence of the City of Sutter Creek, specifically in the Sutter Hill East Area. That reorganization includes annexation to the City and detachment from the Amador Fire Protection District. The reorganization area is located near Ridge Road east of State Route 49 and north and south of Ridge Road. LAFCO has sole responsibility for establishing a city's sphere of influence. In a related matter, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday discussed the contents of an agreement between the City of Jackson and Amador County regarding development in the City’s Sphere of Influence. At least one LAFCO member is expected to participate in that meeting.
The regular LAFCO meeting takes place next Thursday, June 24 at 7 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors chambers in the County Administrative Building in Jackson. The public is welcome to attend. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
News Archive
Friday, 18 June 2010 06:23
Jackson Revitalization Committee Looks at Biz Assoc. Survey Results
Amador County – The Jackson Revitalization Committee saw survey results of the business community on Thursday, with the number 1 priority being the “attraction of new business.” The Jackson Business Association Steering Committee conducted the survey, and received 98 completed responses. One question asked people to rate issues according to their importance to their “business environment.” The top ranked issue was attracting new businesses to Jackson, including “restaurant and service business to draw people to our city.” A majority (78 of respondents) were in favor of a Jackson Business Association having a “voluntary membership with yearly dues.” 56 people were not in favor of a city-wide business improvement district with an “officially mandated yearly fee,” while 31 people said they were in favor of the idea. There were 40 people who said the member fees should be $75 annually, while 29 people supported a fee of $125. The report form said “15 surveys wrote in about making Main Street a one-way road with diagonal parking and suggesting that it at least be tried.” 5 surveys said they would like a “more prominent presence” by the Jackson Police Department on Main, to “discourage bad behavior and make shoppers and tourists more comfortable.” The top 5 priorities among survey respondents were listed in the report, led by the idea of attracting new business, favored by 51 percent of respondents. Second top priority (36%) was beautification, including “painting, landscaping, lighting and signage.” Third priority (25%) was events, such as car shows, Heritage Days, and Christmas Delights. Fourth priority (21%) was “promotion out of our area,” using “newspaper, radio, television, flyers, handouts and tourist information.” Fifth priority (with 19% of respondents preferring it) was historic preservation, including Jackson history, the Kennedy and Argonaut mines and the Amador County Museum. City Manager Mike Daly also circulated an overview of the “Jackson Façade Improvement Program,” which “offers up to $1,500 in matching city funds” and possible “design assistance to businesses in the historic downtown Jackson area in order to improve the appearance of individual building facades.” The program would “improve signs and awnings, as well as the overall look of the district.” Daly said any “building owner or store proprietor/tenant with lease authority or authorization from the owner can apply for funding.” Design guidelines in part “protect the historic integrity of the building and improve the overall appearance of the downtown area.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
News Archive
Friday, 18 June 2010 06:23
Jackson Revitalization Committee Looks at Biz Assoc. Survey Results
Amador County – The Jackson Revitalization Committee saw survey results of the business community on Thursday, with the number 1 priority being the “attraction of new business.” The Jackson Business Association Steering Committee conducted the survey, and received 98 completed responses. One question asked people to rate issues according to their importance to their “business environment.” The top ranked issue was attracting new businesses to Jackson, including “restaurant and service business to draw people to our city.” A majority (78 of respondents) were in favor of a Jackson Business Association having a “voluntary membership with yearly dues.” 56 people were not in favor of a city-wide business improvement district with an “officially mandated yearly fee,” while 31 people said they were in favor of the idea. There were 40 people who said the member fees should be $75 annually, while 29 people supported a fee of $125. The report form said “15 surveys wrote in about making Main Street a one-way road with diagonal parking and suggesting that it at least be tried.” 5 surveys said they would like a “more prominent presence” by the Jackson Police Department on Main, to “discourage bad behavior and make shoppers and tourists more comfortable.” The top 5 priorities among survey respondents were listed in the report, led by the idea of attracting new business, favored by 51 percent of respondents. Second top priority (36%) was beautification, including “painting, landscaping, lighting and signage.” Third priority (25%) was events, such as car shows, Heritage Days, and Christmas Delights. Fourth priority (21%) was “promotion out of our area,” using “newspaper, radio, television, flyers, handouts and tourist information.” Fifth priority (with 19% of respondents preferring it) was historic preservation, including Jackson history, the Kennedy and Argonaut mines and the Amador County Museum. City Manager Mike Daly also circulated an overview of the “Jackson Façade Improvement Program,” which “offers up to $1,500 in matching city funds” and possible “design assistance to businesses in the historic downtown Jackson area in order to improve the appearance of individual building facades.” The program would “improve signs and awnings, as well as the overall look of the district.” Daly said any “building owner or store proprietor/tenant with lease authority or authorization from the owner can apply for funding.” Design guidelines in part “protect the historic integrity of the building and improve the overall appearance of the downtown area.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
