Amador County – Sutter Amador Hospital on Wednesday gave local media a sneak preview of the Emergency Department which, pending a state inspection on Friday will be opening to serve Emergency Room patients next Tuesday.

Sutter Amador Hospital CEO Anne Platt and Karen Woods, Emergency Department Director led members of the media on a tour of the new wing, part of an Emergency Department expansion that will eventually increase the ER at Sutter Amador Hospital to 14 critical care treatment rooms, and three full triage rooms.

Department personnel were working to prepare for the inspection, which Platt said should be passed and allow the wing to open. It will give the current six-room emergency department 11 total critical care treatment rooms, which are large enough to allow five specialists in the room with one patient.

The new area also has a central help area, a waiting room with a vending area for more customer comfort, and a triage area.

The new area will be linked to the existing area with a door. The project was not yet fully complete but Sutter Amador Hospital officials wanted to invite the media for a preview because they anticipate opening a large portion of the new Emergency Department to see patients starting next week on Tuesday, May 29 pending our inspection by the California Department of Public Health on Friday.

Emergency Department Director, Karen Woods showed the new department, which includes a large locker room and break room for personnel, something the existing ER Department does not have. 

Platt said Woods will be retiring at the end of June. Platt said this is the second expansion made since she has been here, and the current ER was sufficient compared to the old department, but the new facilities will be that much more better, and are that much more needed.

The Sutter Amador Hospital Emergency Department has treated more than 18,000 patients since 2011, which is an increase of more than 12 percent since 2007.

Platt said the hospital, even with the six-bed ER, is consistently high in patient satisfaction scores, and the Emergency Department physicians’ currently score a 90 percent.

The full expansion of the Emergency Department is expected to be complete late this year or early next year. The square footage will increase from 5,600 to more than 9,000 square feet.

May 29’s anticipated opening will be completion of Phase 3 of the project will include 12 operational patient rooms, including eight new rooms to open, combined with four existing rooms.

It will have a new central monitoring system, and an “eMAP,” that is an “electronic Medication Administration Program.”

Expanded waiting room beside vending machines will have a public restroom, a private consultation room, and easy access from the Emergency Department waiting room to hospital and outpatient buildings.

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

Amador County – University of California Cooperative Extension Officer Scott Oneto reported to the Amador County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, saying the state’s first multi-county Cooperative Extension office ended the year with a total budget of $3.025 million, of which $1.1 million came from volunteers.

Oneto said the U.C. Extension program created the first multi-county partnership in the state last fiscal year, with $134,000 contributed by Amador County, $148,000 from Calaveras, $144,000 from Tuolumne and $270,000 from El Dorado County. He said the office has worked on researching controls for apple disease and a winegrape virus, evaluating new Christmas tree species, and also did a master food preserving class in El Dorado, that it wants to take to other counties.

Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster asked if the partnership has investigated the Glassy Winged Sharpshooter, a grasshopper that is detrimental to grapes, and has caused million of dollars in damage. He said in a tour of Napa, officials there told him they had released sterile males in the wild, and found that they were helping decrease breeding.

Scott Oneto said the partnership counties have not been infected, but are looking at pest detection. He said his U.C. Extension colleagues are working in areas where the Glassy Winged Sharpshooter are already present, and they are looking at biological controls of the species with pathogens and insecticides.

Supervisor Brian Oneto asked about studies the Extension partnership is doing to look at the effects of cattle on the water source. He asked if, besides cattle grazing, they would also look at the effects of hiking and other human activities.

Scott Oneto said the study will look at hiking, forest service operations, beneficial use of grazing, and all other impacts to water quality in the Sierra, along with sediment runoff and construction impacts.

Brian Oneto said that some people had told him that Mace Meadows looks like a “toilet paper garden,” and that is “not from cattle.” Forster said that deer outnumber the cattle up there. Scott Oneto said the studies would also look at the impacts of deer and human waste on the water quality.

Scott Oneto said U.C. Extension’s “new organizational structure has saved both participating counties and University funds while putting additional savings back into local programs.” The 2011-2012 budget included $590,000 in grants, $450,000 in federal and state funding and $110,000 in fundraising and indirect county funding.

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

Amador County – A three-day benefit in June celebrates Amador County’s living history at the Amador County Fair Grounds in Plymouth.

Promoters are holding the event because: “We need you to save our fair.” The events are free, family fun and donations will be accepted.

Amador Home & Lifestyle Show will be held on Friday, June 8, Saturday, June 9, and Sunday, June 10. The Home & Lifestyle Show will have products and services for home, garden and leisure time. It includes home energy saving products, seminars, pest control, crafts, wine, beer and food.

Amador County Fair Aid is Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10. Fair Aid features all day music, a dutch oven cook-off, a rib cook-off, beer, food pairing, a horse show, a horse shoe tournament and kids’ activities. The event will help save the Amador County Fair.

The Amador Sawmill & Mining Association will be “operating under a full head of steam” to run its First Annual Steam Power Exposition, Saturday and Sunday, June 9 & 10. The Steam exhibition, in support of Amador County Fair Aid, includes a 1904 Corliss steam engine, a 1920 Sullivan air compressor, a 1900 steam sawmill, a 1945 Triple Drum steam logging donkey, a 1918 Navy “K” Steam Cutter Engine, and an 1890s Smith & Sayer steam engine.

There will also be unique models and full size steam engines. All three events have free admission and free parking.

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

Amador County – Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort hosted the Top Cop Challenge Awards Banquet last weekend and raised more than $17,000 for the Wounded Warriors Project.

The event was held Saturday, May 19 at the Jackson Rancheria Hotel, hosted by Gold Country Firearms and sponsored by Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort and American Legion Post 108. 

Winners of the Top Cop challenge included individual competition winners. First place winner was Jose Arevalos of the Jackson Police Department. Second place was Brian Bila of El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department.

Team competition winners included first place winners Scott Goebel and Steve Kent of the El Dorado Sheriff’s Department. Second place went to Jon Kent and Bob Palk of Jackson Rancheria Tribal Security.

Proceeds from the event, almost $18,000, will benefit the Wounded Warriors Project, which raises awareness and aid for the needs of injured servicemen and servicewomen.

The event was coordinated by Joe Dirickx of Gold Country Firearms. Committee members included Joe Dirickx, Dean Bennett, Curt Campbell, Brad Crisp and Dan Quinn. The committee gave special thanks to Bo Marks, Robert Dalton Junior, Alan Lennox, Ron Olivero, Emily Tirapelle, Julie Sterner and Alissa Hartwig.

Awards were provided by JB’s Awards and Custom Apparel. Music was performed by 10 Gallon Heart. Master of Ceremonies was Jeff Seaton

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

Amador County Fair Aid 

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-23-12

• Amador County Supervisors look at the potential for 20 layoffs next year due to budget shortfalls.

• Jackson City Council approved an urgency exemption to the city sign code for sign businesses.

• An Ione man was killed Monday when his motorcycle struck a car that pulled into his path on Highway 88, west of Lower Ridge Road

• Three arrests reported on otherwise quiet Ione Homecoming.

• Amador Supervisors, and union representatives agree budget will likely be finalized after June 30.  

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-23-12 - TSPN's Tom slivick sits down with Mike Sweeney to discuss his upcoming retirement as Executive Director of the ARC of Amador and Calaveras.

Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors hosted a third budget workshop Tuesday hearing that budget shortfalls could require more than 20 layoffs if county employees do not return to furloughs in the new fiscal year, or if other revenue is not realized.

County Administrative Officer Chuck Iley requested a budget analyst assistant in his budget, among those submitted by department heads and elected officials. He said they are “looking at well over 20 total cuts to the county.” Some smaller divisions are losing more personnel but many in public comment spoke about the loss of 2.47 full time equivalent positions as proposed in the budget submitted by Animal Control Director John Vail.

Iley reported that a budget error was found Monday that gave the county $100,000 more in contingencies, which would climb to $600,000. But he said contingencies were lowered from $1 million to balance the budget.

Iley said the budget analyst position would help with the budget full-time about eight months of the year, then be an analyst the rest of the year. He has borrowed employees to shore up his shortfalls. He said he cannot be in multiple places at one time, and there is only so much time in a week.

Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster said Iley has spent an inordinate amount of time on the budget, let other areas slide, and employee negotiations would take even more time. Iley said state regulations now require that before they can declare an employment salary negotiation impasse, they have to go and do “fact finding.”

Iley said he has been waffling on this position because he understands the nature of this climate, and he did not want to ask for something that we don’t truly need. Forster said last year, the union took action, and Iley had to respond to the Public Employees Relations Board. Iley said the “fact finding would make that pale in comparison.”

Supervisor John Plasse said both of Iley’s predecessors, Terry Daly and Patrick Blacklock had assistant CAOs under their charge, and he handles all of the work, which is more difficult in a budget environment. Iley said with the correction on contingencies, and modified revenues, the numbers look to be pretty correct now.

Plasse commented on an earlier public comment about Animal Control being disproportionately cut. He said the General Fund revenue is consumed by each department at a particular percentage share, and each department head was required to cut their budgets by that percentage. He said most of our department heads and elected officials were not able to make the required percentage of cuts.

Forster said some were “not willing to make those cuts or layoffs so it becomes the responsibility of this board.”

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

Amador County – Jackson City Council voted 4-0 with one absence Tuesday to approve an urgency ordinance amending city code to allow sign manufacturers to be exempt from the city sign code, for signs that are being constructed or waiting for pickup by customers.

City Manager Mike Daly said the urgency ordinance needed a 4/5ths vote to pass, and with Councilman Keith Sweet absent, it needed all 4 votes to pass or it would have to come back to a regular agenda. During public comment, Judy Jebian urged the council to simply place an exemption on political signs and allow any size political signs. Jack Georgette agreed and said “what about my 4 by 8 sign.”

Kam Merzlak of Merzlak Signs said he felt like he was on trial. Complaints about political signs on his property prompted a return to the sign ordinance. Several local business owners spoke in support of Merzlak.

Councilman Wayne Garibaldi said he wanted to clarify that the council was advised by the city attorney that the new sign ordinance approved in March, as the ordinance was written, would apply to commercial sign shops and all businesses.

Garibaldi said he was guilty that two years’ work to revise the city sign code had missed handling what had started the whole process. Councilwoman Connie Gonsalves apologized for the same reason and said “I think an exemption is appropriate,” as did Mayor Pat Crew, who said “it was just a lesson in civil discourse.”

Councilwoman Marilyn Lewis said: “I’m sorry you feel like you’re on trial,” but “we are having a meeting specifically for you to talk about this and approve this.” She said she made no apology because “I voted against the sign ordinance.”

Garibaldi said he thought the exemption for someone working with signs was OK, but he asked that it not be abused.

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

Amador County – An Ione man was killed Monday afternoon when his motorcycle struck a vehicle driven by a Jackson man who reportedly misjudged the distance of the motorcycle and pulled into the man’s path on Highway 88 just west of Lower Ridge Road.

The Amador County Unit of the California Highway Patrol released details of the fatal crash Tuesday. The motorcycle driver, B. Gene Curry, 71, of Ione, suffered multiple severe traumatic fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by American Legion Ambulance personnel.

CHP in the release of details said at about 5:38 p.m. Monday, May 21, James Edward Church, 70, of Jackson was west-bound on Hgiohway 88, driving his 2009 Toyota Camry, west of Lower Ridge Road. CHP said Church “had slowed and pulled into the two-way left turn lane to enter into the Rainbow Bread store.”

Curry was traveling east-bound on his 2000 Harley Davidson motorcycle, toward Church, CHP said. “Church failed to properly judge the distance between himself and Mr. Curry and proceeded to make his left turn directly into the path of Mr. Curry and his Harley.”

CHP said: “Curry applied the brakes to his Harley Davidson but was unable to stop prior to striking the right side of the now broadside Toyota Camry.” Church sustained minor injuries and was checked by emergency medical service personnel at the scene.

CHP said the crash is still under investigation.

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