Tom
Friday, 30 April 2010 04:13
U.S. Post Office Launches New Stamp Aimed At Encouraging Shelter Animal Adoptions.
Amador County - On April 30th, the U.S. post office launches a new stamp - Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet stamps. This campaign continues the Postal Service's 50+ year tradition of raising awareness of serious social issues with special commemorative stamps. The 44-cent stamps feature photos of five cats and five dogs who were all adopted from shelters. Ellen DeGeneres, a long-time advocate for helping animals, is the celebrity face for the campaign. Coinciding with the campaign is a one-day only Animal Shelter Open House where locals can “find love for less” by adopting cats and dogs for reduced adoption fees. The event includes at least 15 booths from local vendors, many with animal-related businesses, and a bbq with cooking done by the 49er Sports Grill. There will also be raffle prizes and information on volunteer opportunities. The Animal Shelter Open House takes place on Saturday, May 1st from 10 am to 2 pm at 12340 Airport Road in Jackson. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Thursday, 29 April 2010 07:01
Hail Storm Coats Amador County
Amador County – A strong and uncharacteristic hail, thunder and lighting storm pummeled Amador County for a brief period late Wednesday afternoon. At the time this story was written, the National Weather Service forecast additional pressure systems to bring more of the same weather through Wednesday evening. Pea-sized hail pellets coated downtown Jackson in white in a sudden downpour before giving way to sunshine. An Amador High School employed confirmed that lighting struck somewhere on campus, but no major damaged occurred. The National Weather Service forecast predicts clear skies and sunshine the rest of the week and into the weekend. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Thursday, 29 April 2010 07:03
Sue Slivick's Brother Restarts Father's Mexican 1,000 Offroad Rally
Amador County – TSPN this week celebrates a familial tie to the 2010 Mexican 1000 Off-Road Rally race, which started Wednesday (April 28th). TSPN TV co-founder and Vice President Sue Slivick said her father, Ed Pearlman, founded the original Mexican 1000 race across the deserts of Baja California, Mexico, in 1967. 43 years later, her brother, Mike Pearlman, has brought back the race this week. The race kicked off on Wednesday and is a “rally” format, instead of the marathon format of the original races. The race goes for 3 days across the Baja peninsula, with overnight stops at hotels along the way. The race is sponsored by the National Off-Road Racing Association, and aims at honoring the association’s “hot rodding traditions and the forward thinking pioneers of the early days.” NORRA.com tells about the history of the races and fetes Ed Pearlman, saying his “legacy of contributions to the development of off-road motorsports is undeniable.” The site said Ed Pearlman first organized the Mexican 1000, and co-founded the national Off-Road Racing Association. He also founded the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. Pearlman, Don Francisco and other off-road racing enthusiasts in Riverside founded the National Off-Road Racing Association in 1966, and with Francisco’s help they established the inaugural Mexican 1000 in 1967. The race began in Tijuana and 68 vehicles raced from Ensenada to La Paz. The winner was the Myers Manx Buggy driven by Vic Wilson and Ted Mangels. Organizers tout the 2010 Mexico 1000 as a “Who’s Who of the Off-Road Motorsport Hall of Fame.” It features racing categories that honor the sport’s past, and it has forward-looking categories, such as one for “alternative fuel technology vehicles.” The “all star line up” of entrants is called the “highest concentration of off road champions anywhere.” Race progress can be tracked online at NORRA.com. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Thursday, 29 April 2010 07:04
Sutter Creek Defers Decision on Gold Rush Amendment
Amador County – The Sutter Creek City Council earlier this month put off a second reading of an amendment to its development agreement with Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort, in part to avoid unnecessary legal fees. The item was briefly discussed, then the council voted 4-1 to follow City Attorney Dennis Crabb’s recommendation to table the second reading until after the June 8th election. Crabb listed options of proceeding with a second reading and dealing with legal challenges that may arise; or, the council could “drop the ordinance (to amend the agreement) and accomplish the same purpose through an operating memorandum as authorized in the approved agreement.” Councilman Pat Crosby said he would “like to see the council vote on it, so people can see where the council stands.” Mayor Gary Wooten said it would be better to avoid unnecessary legal costs. The council voted 4-1 to continue the second reading of the ordinance until the council meets after the election. Mayor Pro Tempore Tim Murphy dissented. The ordinance reading was continued to June 21st, after the June 8th referendum titled “Measure N,” which will allow registered voters in Sutter Creek to decide whether the city council’s approval of ordinances related to Gold Rush will be upheld. The decision on the second reading of the amendment ordinance “was continued from the last council meeting based upon an objection filed a few minutes before the meeting by the attorney for the local environmental group,” Crabb said. The filing said “that since a referendum measure has been filed an amendment to the development agreement cannot be processed until the referendum is decided.” Crabb said “on its face, the argument has merit, but is contradicted by the specific facts in this case.” He said the “proposed amendment does not make a material change to the already approved agreement or create any rights not already conveyed.” The agreement would charge fees for golf course related sales that were not taxed by the city. Crabb said it would presumably increase revenues from Gold Rush to the city “if the project is approved in the referendum.” Crabb said “while that debate might be of esoteric interest to the attorneys involved it has little or nothing to do with the realities.” He said if the “council decision is upheld in the referendum the objection fails. If the council decision is not upheld the entire development agreement is set aside.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Thursday, 29 April 2010 07:06
Plymouth Places 4% TOT Increase on November Ballot
Amador County – The Plymouth City Council last week voted to call an election for a 4 percent increase in the city’s Transient Occupancy Tax from 6 percent to 10 percent. The council passed a resolution that will call for the election and place the question on a city-wide ballot in the November election. The council on April 8th directed staff to prepare the resolution for an increase of the Transient Occupancy Tax on hotels, motels and mobile home parks inside city limits. The change would occur only with a 50 percent plus 1 vote of registered Plymouth voters. A non-binding advisory measure will accompany the TOT measure on the ballot. City Manager Dixon Flynn recommended a 12 percent TOT tax, or a 6 percent increase. The council unanimously agreed to start the paperwork for 10 percent earlier this month, and on Thursday approved the new resolution. City Attorney Steven Rudolph in a report said the ordinance and resolution would submit the changes to the voters, along with “an advisory measure,” as prepared on city council direction. The advisory would be “asking voters whether 2 percent of revenue form the increase in the Transient Occupancy Tax should be used for streets, parking and landscaping, and whether the remaining 2 percent should be used for tourism including promotions, events, signage, advertising and other related expenses.” Rudolph said the “transient occupancy tax is a type of tax that a city may levy on the privilege of occupying a room in a hotel or a similar place of lodging within a city.” He said the 6 percent TOT in Plymouth has remained the same since the tax went into effect in 1980. Plymouth’s 6 percent TOT tax raised $75,000 last year, and Finance Manager Jeff Gardner said the 4 percent increase could add another $50,000 to that total. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Thursday, 29 April 2010 07:07
Jackson Approves Ordinance Prohibiting Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Amador County – The Jackson City Council on Monday unanimously approved adoption of an emergency ordinance prohibiting the establishment and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries and other businesses prohibited by state or federal law. City Manager Mike Daly said staff brought the issue back to the council for “clear guidance” after receiving inquiries from at least three concerned citizens who sought clarification on current medical marijuana laws. Daly said there remained many unanswered questions since the state electorate voted to approve of Proposition 215, also known as the compassionate Use Act of 1996, and Senate Bill 420, also known as the Medical Program Act of 2003, which clarifies the scope and application of Proposition 215. In response to those acts, Jackson adopted Ordinance No. 640 in 2004 “regulating the location and operation of medical cannabis dispensary operations,” but repealed that ordinance in 2007 shortly after the federal Drug Enforcement Administration began prosecuting dispensary operations. Daly said state and federal laws are “contradictory.” He said federal guidelines announced in 2009 by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder “clarify that so long as people comply with state and local law regarding medical marijuana, they will not be the ‘focus of federal resources’.” Even though dispensary operations are still illegal under federal law, Holder’s announcement sparked a surge in dispensary applications throughout California, and Daly said the number of “potential applicants” in Jackson has increased over the past month. The new ordinance, known as Ordinance No. 664, declares that “the fact that the City has received two inquiries within the past month concerning the process for opening a dispensary in Jackson suggests that there is an imminent risk that a dispensary will attempt to open in Jackson.” It states that “some California cities that have been permitted the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries have witnessed an increase in crime, such as burglaries, robberies, and sales of illegal drugs in the areas immediately surrounding such dispensaries,” as shown in various studies and reports. One audience member, a lady who chose not to identify herself, raised questions about the status of a dispensary versus a cooperative under the law. Daly told TSPN that U.S. Attorney General’s guidance documents
state that a cooperative or a collective must get a business license or permit from the city, and that a collective is not a business. The council approved the ordinance 4-0. The new ordinance prohibits “in all zones medical marijuana dispensaries and other land uses that are illegal under state or federal law.” Councilmember Marilyn Lewis was absent from the meeting. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Thursday, 29 April 2010 07:11
Blake Roberts - Downtown Revitalization 4-29-10
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