Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-18-12 - TSPN's Tom Slivick talks with Father Stephen Tumbas of Saint Sava Church about the 57th Annual Goat Barbecue, set for Memorial Day Weekend.

Amador County – The Kennedy Mine California History Day in Jackson took 400 fifth grade Amador County Unified School District students back in time Thursday in Jackson.

Students, teachers and parents from the six grade schools in Jackson, Sutter Creek, Ione, Pine Grove, Pioneer and Plymouth started the day with a sing-along with Geoff Crawford and Masha Goodman Crawford, of the band the Old Soles, at the Kennedy Mine Amphitheater. The children and adults were then blessed by Arvada Fisher, an elder of the Northern Sierra Miwuk tribe, and resident of the Westpoint area.

Organizer Dennis Price said it was the first time they had a blessing to start History Day and he later thanked Fisher for the positive beginning. Fisher was in full regalia for the blessing, then the kids were released to walk up the hill from the Amphitheater to start the activities, staged around the Kennedy Mine head frame and other buildings.

Price on Wednesday said they expected the 12 fifth-grade class teachers and all their kids. He expected about 400 local students, 100 parents and 80 volunteers. They had several new activities including branding a wood plaque with a CHD brand, for California History Day. Other new activities were pouch making, Miwuk Language taught by Fisher’s nephew, and pine seed bracelets.

Price said the itinerary included 25 activities, and groups of children rotated through 20-minute sessions of the different activities. A dinner bell rang every 20 minutes to let the groups know when to switch to a different activity. Volunteers included ACUSD trustee Rose Oneto and her husband, Ione City Councilman Lloyd Oneto, dressed in cattle poking duds. Students also got to try a turn at the two-handled “whip saw,” trying to cut short rounds out of a large log. Students also got to put on harnesses and take turns at pulling a plow through the rocky soil next to the parking lot.

There was also rope making with Twin Cedar K9, and demonstrations with horses and costumes by members of the National Pony Express Association’s California Division, based in Pollock Pines. Also attending were the “Mormon Battalion” and the Company C Civil War group.

Another station demonstrated hand and wheel spinning wool into yarn and using a loom. A pioneer cook was preparing wooden coals to cook bacon and cabbage and also to bake apple pie in a cast iron Dutch oven. Kit Carson Mountain Men let the students throw axes at a large wooden round, and they displayed animal pelts.

There was also stations for a Miwok display, toy making and stone tool making and language lessons, along with a pine needle basket making demonstration, Chaw’se stick game playing, and pine seed bracelet and leather pouch making.

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

Amador County – The Ione City Council on Tuesday heard its budget has improved another $45,000 over projections through the month of April. ¶ Interim City Manager Jeff Butzlaff said: “It’s a moving target but it’s moving in the right direction.” The council hadn’t had monthly budget reports and finally got the financial situation to the point in January that they were able to start tracking monthly budget reports.

The April budget report showed finances improving, and “no more new surprises,” Butzlaff said. They will try to keep expenditures well within the adopted budget and try to exceed general fund revenues. He said adjustments and retirements set up the 2012-2013 budget balance further.

Butzlaff said an acting police chief approach will save money. Ione Police Chief Michael L. Johnson’s last day with Ione is May 21 and Sergeant Rocky Harpham will take over as acting chief of police. Johnson submitted his formal resignation last week, to be chief for the city of Anderson in Shasta County. Johnson announced some time ago that he was in the application process.

The acting chief will have less pay, and the Ione Police Department will be an officer short for a while, Butzlaff said. They will cover it with overtime and volunteer reserve officers.

Budget changes enacted since Butzlaff took over are lining up future financial stability, he said. The adopted budget in February showed the city would end the year with a $230,000 general fund shortage but the recent budget workshop showed a higher revenue stream, reducing the deficit by $45,000 to about $189,000. The rest of the fiscal year should reduce it more, he said.

Effects would not fully show until October, because of retiring costs related to payouts for sick leave and vacation accumulated. The city will receive the benefits of reductions in the next fiscal year. He said the $230,000 deficit was less than half of what they started with, and in the new fiscal year in 2012-2013 with a fresh slate, and will fully realize the reductions.

He said Vehicle License Fees are not in the budget, but “we are confident that is going to be dealt with by the Legislature.”

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

Amador County – Amador County Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster represented the county and the Regional Council of Rural Counties board of directors on Wednesday in testifying before a regulatory hearing in strong objection to imposing fire fees on structure owners in the State Responsibility Area.

Forster, chairman of the RCRC board’s regulatory committee, testified on behalf of rural counties against State Responsibility Area fees, also referred to as a fire fee, during the San Diego implementation hearing of the California Board of Forestry. RCRC communications director Jehan Flagg said, Forster recognized the hearing was to gather public input for regulatory implementation of existing law, passed in 2011 as Assembly Bill 29X. Forster then took the opportunity to share rural county concerns with the law, just the same.

Forster said: “RCRC has opposed SRA fees throughout this process, and we remain opposed. While we understand the Board is required by statute to adopt permanent regulations imposing the fee, RCRC still believes the repeal of AB 29X is the best approach.” The RCRC includes 31 member counties and represents more than 2.7 million residents.

Flagg said a “number of arguments against SRA fees were made, including the potential long-term liability to the state by assuming a greater role in fire prevention when homeowners paying the SRA fee expect that Cal-Fire has made their homes fire-resistant.” Subsequently, if “homes are destroyed in a wildfire, and it is discovered that Cal-Fire has done little prevention work, those homeowners could have a legitimate claim against the state.”

Forster said “Cal-Fire needs a healthy and strong local fire protection infrastructure to achieve its mission and protect California from the effects of wild fires. SRA fees weaken the state’s mutual aid system by unraveling” the “respond-first-and we’ll-figure-out-the-cost-later” approach to fire fighting.

Forster said: “I can assure you that the rural fire districts I represent will begin to contemplate the costs involved in responding to mutual aid efforts on behalf of the state.”

Flagg said SRA fees also erode grant opportunities. According to calculations by the California Department of Finance, which were presented to the California Board of Forestry at their March meeting, there will be no local fire grants available for a minimum of five years because money generated will be used to administer this new program.

Also, Flagg said, many landowners in the State Responsibility Area have already agreed to assess themselves for fire protection and prevention services. Therefore, imposing an SRA fee effectively taxes people twice without any additional benefit.

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

Amador County – Jackson City Council on Monday approved a municipal trash rate increase of 3.68 percent as requested by ACES Waste Service due to increase costs at the landfill.

City Manager Mike Daly said the rate increase was based on a landfill tipping fee increase at Keifer Landfill in Sacramento County. ACES President Paul Molinelli Senior said the rate increase was based on a 25 percent increase, and Keifer’s fee is increasing from $20 to $25 per ton on July 1.

Daly said he received a letter from Martell resident Ken Berry urging the Council to not approve the rate increase without a Proposition 218 notification, for the purpose of protesting fees. Daly said he would read the letter into the record if any council member wanted to hear it but none asked for it.

City Attorney Andy Morris said Proposition 218 notifications, are related to fees that are mandatory. He said in the case of the recently settled Prop 218 protest suit regarding ACES rates, the city of Sutter Creek had a law that made trash service mandatory, making Proposition 218 apply to trash rates.

Morris said in Jackson, “self-hauling is an option,” so Proposition 218 does not apply. Daly said since Sutter Creek’s rate increase was challenged, they have amended their ordinance and no longer have mandatory collection and to allow self-hauling.

Councilman Wayne Garibaldi noted that the increase on a $17-dollar-a-month trash bill, with the increase, would raise it to $17 dollars and 70 cents. Mayor Pat Crew said it seemed like rates had been changed before and asked if this is an annual occurrence.

Molinelli said normally it is a Consumer Price Index increase, but this 25 percent increase is significant, and we have never had this much of an increase in a dump fee before.

Councilman Keith Sweet said the franchise agreement with ACES includes a regular review of costs. He also urged ACES, when they notify customers of their rate increase to also notify customers of their opportunity to have a senior discount. Molinelli said he would do that.

In public comment, Judy Jebian said she has a small amount of trash, while the rest is sent as recycling, and green waste, and she assumed ACES got money for it.

Molinelli said they currently get $21 dollars a ton for recycling. He said even though customers pay for the recycling program, ACES must pay $17 dollars a ton to get rid of green waste at Vicini Brothers, which gets what they can for selling it.

Kam Merzlak said the value was better than the cost of driving to the landfill, and the recycling charge is far less than the trash charge.

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

 131st Annual

Italian Picnic and Parade

Amador County – A Texas-based smokehouse calling itself the world’s largest barbecue franchise announced Thursday it has signed a lease for an Amador County franchise.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit will take Suite 74 in the Amador Ridge Shopping Center in Martell. 

Franchise owners are Richard Wolcott and his wife, from Pioneer, who signed a lease and will begin construction. Wolcott said he and his wife will be going to Texas for training for the smokehouse restaurant.

Dickey’s franchise support begins at “Barbecue U, an intense three-week training session where owner-operators learn how to run the restaurant from open to close.

Dickeys.com’s location finder already lists the Martell franchise on its map, on Highway 49 near Oko Sushi and Jamba Juice. 

In Dickey’s release, Wolcott said: “Amador County has a true need for a fast and friendly restaurant that serves great food and that is open regular hours every day of the week.” He said an excitement has spread as they talk about bringing a Dickey’s to town and “everyone is chomping at the bit.” 

The past 25 years Wolcott worked for a financial services company, George Ballard Company, which he eventually bought and served as president the last 15 years. Before that, Wolcott worked in numerous food service businesses and construction. 

Wolcott said: “My wife and I have been searching for a business where we can deliver a great product and service, while being an active and important part of the community. We see Dickey’s as being our avenue to fulfill this dream.”

Dickey’s Barbecue offers a quality selection of signature meats, home style sides and tangy barbecue sauce. All meats are slow smoked on-site in each restaurant.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit was founded in 1941 in Dallas and after 71 years stakes claim to being the “world’s largest barbecue chain,” according to its release, and it has more than 220 franchises in 42 states.

The Martell smokehouse, not yet open, will be at 12240 Industry Blvd., Suite 74.

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

Amador County – Adam Dalton this week said the Amador County Park Restoration committee provided a new ADA pool lift and eight new barbecue units to the city of Jackson.

The Lift was donated by the Jackson Band of Miwuk Indians, which he thanked for “standing beside me, supporting my dream and assisting us as a community in reaching our goals.”

The Park Restoration committee is already hard at work on the next park in “one of the most amazing towns ever, Volcano,” Dalton said, but he noted that the committee is still able to assist others with minor improvements.

Renovation at Mollie Joyce Park is complete and he credited the transformation and success to the dedicated people of Amador County: “Volunteers were comprised of a group of talented, hardworking and committed people who shared the same vision to begin something profound, and see it through to the end.”

He offered special recognition to them, along with donors Cannery Casino Resorts, Swinerton, Simms Metal Management, Premier Access Insurance Company, Mr. & Mrs. Michael Graninger, Thomas Graninger and Goldman Sachs & Company.

Dalton said “if you didn’t make it up to Mollie Joyce and you’ve been waiting for the right moment to jump in and volunteer, now is the time.” They will be in Volcano Monday through Friday between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

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

Amador County – Saint Sava Church is sponsoring its 57th Annual Goat Barbecue over Memorial Day Weekend.

Father Steve Tumbas said the Goat Barbecue regularly draws more than 100 people but a decade ago, a lot more people from the community would come. So he would like to let everyone know it is still occurring and they would like to get more people to attend.

The Goat Barbecue is open to anyone and Saint Sava Church is taking reservations. Tumbas said it is kind of “exclusive” because they must limit seating to 130 people to ensures they have enough food and seating.

Tumbas said the barbecue is made with a specially designed and built pit that holds 16 goats. Roasting begins at daybreak, around 5:30 a.m., and lasts until noon, when carving begins. Lunch begins at approximately 1 p.m.

Tumbas said “we’re trying to remind people” about the event which has been a mainstay of the local Serbian community for more than half a century. He said it got its start from the local practice of eating goats, and “50-some years ago, it’s what people ate. Goats are very undemanding animals. They eat just about everything” and “it was just cheap food.”

He said in the Mediterranean region, goat meat is commonly consumed, and more goat meat is consumed worldwide than beef or chicken.

He raises a few goats himself, not for the barbecue, but just to remove vegetation that is harmful to horses. He said goats “eat everything that our horse shouldn’t.” He rotates goats and horses into pastures to keep down the harmful vegetation.

The 57th Annual St. Sava Church Goat Barbecue is noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 27 at the Church Social Hall on North Main Street. It will have live traditional Serbian folk music with strings and accordion.

Cost is $30 per adult, and includes a buffet with pasta and meat sauce, and Serbian pastries.

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