Tom
Wednesday, 05 May 2010 04:04
BLM Announces Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program
Amador County - Residents of Grass Valley and the surrounding region will have the opportunity to add a horse or burro to their families when the Bureau of Land Management brings its Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program to the Nevada County Fairgrounds on Saturday, May 8th. The BLM will offer 40 horses, mostly yearlings, and 10 burros for public adoption. Anyone interested can preview the animals when they arrive at about 3 p.m. on Friday, May 7. “With spring and summer days ahead, this is a good time to begin training an adopted mustang or burro,” said Doug Satica, manager of BLM’s Litchfield Wild Horse and Burro Facility. The horses are from herd management areas in Northeast California and Northwest Nevada. Burros came from Southern California deserts. All available animals have received de-worming treatments and vaccinations for West Nile virus, rabies and common equine diseases. Adopters receive complete health records for their animals. To qualify, adopters must be at least 18 years old and have no convictions for inhumane treatment of animals. BLM staff members will interview all prospective adopters to be sure they meet the BLM adoption requirements. At the adoption event, Adopters must provide a halter and lead rope. Title to adopted wild horses and burros remains with the federal government for one year. “Wild horses are strong, loyal, intelligent and very trainable,” Satica said. Wild horses and burros are protected by a federal law, the Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The law recognizes the animals as “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the west,” and requires the BLM to manage the wild herds. There are about 37,000 wild horses and burros roaming on public rangelands in the western states. The BLM periodically gathers horses and burros to control herd populations on ranges shared with wildlife and domestic livestock. The adoption takes place May 8th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. For additional information, contact the BLM at 1-866-4MUSTANGS or the Litchfield Corrals at (530) 254-6575. Information is also available online at www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov. Almost 225,000 animals have been placed in private care since the BLM’s Adopt-a-Horse-or-Burro Program began in the early 1970s. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Wednesday, 05 May 2010 03:49
BOS Report for 5-4-10 with Richard Forster, Supervisor
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Local
Wednesday, 05 May 2010 03:37
AM Live - 5-5-10: Wine, Dine and Good Times with Gale
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Wine, Dine, & Good Times
Tuesday, 04 May 2010 06:21
ARTS Board OKs Search For New Transit Manager
Amador County – The Amador Regional Transit System board of directors last week authorized the hiring of a new transit manager, and also looked at possible changes in the Mobility Management program. The board, in a special meeting held last Thursday, April 29th, appointed a committee of 3 of its members to interview candidates for the manager position. Requests for qualifications have already been made for the position, which included in-depth job duty descriptions, as recommended by the ARTS ad hoc budget committee. Supervisor John Plasse will also discuss the Mobility Management program this week, in a conference call with the California Department of Transportation. Mobility Management program manager, Mel Welsh is also expected to attend the conference call. The board reportedly took steps toward terminating the current contract with Welsh as Mobility Manager, and will look into the future of the program. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field said ARTS will be consulting with Caltrans about whether or not they can continue the Mobility Management program, and also about how to continue the program. As the board took steps toward terminating the contract, ARTS staff and Welsh have looked at the possibility of removing Mobility Management from the ARTS umbrella and reorganizing it under the Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency. The board took steps toward ending the contract for the mobility manager, but they are going to consult with the state about whether they can continue the program, and how they can continue the program. Mobility Management is funded through a federal grant award of $125,000 a year over 2 years. Field said if the money is not used on the program, the funds go back to the federal government. The Mobility Management program must satisfy its spending and duties as outlined in its grant application. The special meeting Thursday also included a closed session conference with legal counsel regarding potential litigation. Also in closed session, the board made a “public employee performance evaluation” for Assistant Transit Manager Joyce Jones. The next regular ARTS board meeting is May 19th. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Tuesday, 04 May 2010 06:17
AWA Discusses Amador Water System Rate Increases
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency held a financial plan and rate workshop last week, hearing a recommendation to raise rates 5 percent next year in the Amador Water System. Bob Reed of the Reed Group presented a plan with a 5 percent increase across the board in the Amador Water System next year, and 3 percent increases each in fiscal years beginning in 2011 and 2012. The board hosted the workshop and took public comment, on Reed’s 3-year plan, and accompanying rate study. Amador Water System, or AWS, has about 3,500 customers, including about 2,900 single family homes. Reed’s financial plan included a 3-tiered rate system for single family customers based on water amounts used. He said rates currently are $1.83 per unit in metered, single family homes in AWS. A unit is 50 gallons. He said winter use for a family is about 200 gallons a day, or 8 units, with no outdoor use. That was basis for the first tier rate, which would go to $1.87 a unit in the first year of the plan, $1.93 in the second year; and $1.98 in the third year. Reed said the second tier of water users, using 9 to 55 units, would pay $2.34 a unit the first year of the plan, the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The rate would be $2.41 a unit in the second year and $2.48 a unit in the third year. Third tier flows were based on July peak usage of 56 or more units a day. The rates for third tier users would be $2.92 a unit next year, $3.01 a unit the second year, and $3.10 the third year. Vice President Debbie Dunn disagreed with Reed’s growth projections for new retail customers, and was concerned that the plan listed construction inflation at 4 percent beginning in 2012. Dunn said the agency was predicting construction costs could come in under bids, for projects such as the Gravity Supply Line, but Reed’s numbers didn’t seem to indicate that. General Manager Gene Mancebo said the agency continues “to get construction bids coming in under estimates.” As an example, he said a recent Jackson road project estimated at $800,000 received a bid of $580,000. President Bill Condrashoff said he would like the board to go through the entire financial plan, then give direction to staff and Reed. Dunn said she wanted to change the construction inflation rate and if they could not, they “might as well go home now.” Reed said actual revenues from water sales are a couple hundred thousand dollars under projections. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Tuesday, 04 May 2010 06:16
National flood Insurance Rates to Increase
Amador County - Homeowners and business owners in Amador County have less than a month left to purchase flood insurance at the best possible rates before the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency's ( FEMA ) new National Flood Insurance Program ( NFIP ) rate maps go into effect. The new maps, part of FEMA’s nationwide Map Modernization initiative, are considered important tools in the effort to protect lives and properties throughout Amador County. By showing the areas of the community at high risk for flooding, the digital maps will help local officials manage floodplain development more efficiently, allowing business and property owners to make informed decisions about protecting their properties. The new digital flood maps for Amador County will become effective on May 20, 2010. Property owners in a special flood hazard area with federally-backed mortgages are required to purchase flood insurance. “Homeowners and business owners who take out a policy before May 20, 2010, can take advantage of lower flood insurance premiums that could save hundreds of dollars annually,” says a news release. Any flood policy purchased on or after May 20 could receive a higher rate if it is determined the insured property resides in a high-risk flood zone. Residents of Amador County are encouraged to purchase flood insurance at the best rates available. For more information on the new digital maps and flood risks, residents should contact local community floodplain managers or insurance agents. Information can also be found at www.fema.gov, or www.floodsmart.gov. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Tuesday, 04 May 2010 06:20
Amador County Sheriff's Media Releases, Call Logs
Amador County – A bystander asking for a driver to slow down was then hit by the vehicle in an Upcountry mobile home park, according to a recent report from the Amador County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s dispatch received a call just after 1 p.m. Friday, April 23rd to report an assault with a deadly weapon by use of a motor vehicle. The caller said a black diesel dually pickup truck (with signs on its sides) was driving erratically though the Meadow Pines Estates mobile home park on Carson Drive. The reporting party asked the male driver of the truck to slow down. The truck then ran over a telephone box, ran into the reporting party, and left the park on Carson Drive. The caller was not hurt and refused medical aid. Another caller on April 24th reported suspicious circumstances in Ione. The caller said he believed his ex-girlfriend was possibly at his residence in Ione on Highway 88, and he believed she stole his black Volvo the night before from his ex-wife’s home in Rancho Murieta. The caller feared the ex-girlfriend took keys to his car and shop from his jacket. He said he has a restraining order that states that the ex-girlfriend must stay away from his home, and he requested a deputy to check the area for her. On April 21st, a caller reported a suspicious person at Lake Pardee on Stony Creek Road. The report said a newer model black Corvette entered the park and subjects from the vehicle were on foot, approaching people and attempting to sell a wrist watch to get money for gas. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Tuesday, 04 May 2010 06:18
County Fair Releases This Year's Poster
Amador County - The Amador County Fair Board of Directors recently released the poster for this year’s annual event, sure to be a roarin’ good time. “Amador County Fair Safari, It’s a Jungle Out There!” will be the theme for the 2010 county fair, taking place July 29th to August 2nd. The poster captures that theme in a simple but striking portrait of a lion drawn by local artist Rand Huggett, who has been creating the fair’s posters for over 28 years. Amador County Fair officials say they are in the process of printing the posters and hope to have them distributed throughout the county by mid-May. This year’s theme has generated a lot of excitement among fair coordinators. “I can’t wait to see the decorations and fantastic fun ideas that our exhibitors, staff and community will come up with for this year’s Amador County Fair,” said Amador County Fair Board President Robert Manassero after the theme’s announcement last December. He said “pith helmets, expedition gear, exotic animals and fun” will be used to set the mood. In choosing this year’s theme, the board considered the tough economic times and wanted to create an exciting affordable adventure here in Amador County. “We always look for a fun theme that our staff can decorate around, we can create fun contests for exhibitors, and coordinate our entertainment so that we can keep things fresh for fair visitors to enjoy,” explained Sherri Elliott, Amador County Fair office manager. In related news, the Fair office announced Monday that entry guidebooks are now available at the fair office in Plymouth. Beginning May 10, look for the guides in the usual outlets, including Amador High, Sutter Hill Cooperative Extension Farm Advisory Office, Jackson Library, Chamber of Commerce in Jackson, Argonaut High and the Drytown General Store. The Amador County Fair is the largest community event in Amador County and is proud to partner with local organizations such as 4-H and FFA, Interfaith Food Bank, Jackson Lions Club, Jackson and Plymouth Foothills Rotary and others to raise funds for community services. This year will be the 72nd edition of the Amador County Fair. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Tuesday, 04 May 2010 06:25
Charlotte Mitchell - California Agriculture Water Supply Summit 5-4-10
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