Tom
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 18:00
Pine Grove Conservation Camp Targeted for Closure
Amador County – The Pine Grove California Youth Authority (CYA) Camp is being targeted for closure as a way to help solve the state budget crisis, but many camp staff and supporters have vowed not to go down without a fight. For 65 years, the camp has offered a way out for troubled youth by mandating continuous education combined with specialized programs and community service, not to mention training to assist in fire fighting across California. In an open letter to the “citizens of Amador County,” Pine Grove CYA Advisory Council member Laura Imperial said the good deeds and assistance from these youth throughout the county “save this county hundreds of thousands of tax dollars.” Imperial said the camp is a “shining star” because the youth who leave there experience a low rate of recidivism. “With that closure comes the loss, not only of the opportunity for youth offenders to learn a trade, and finish high school, but the chance to give back to the community in the many hours of service they work,” said Mary Vogt, another Citizens Advisory Council member. She said she has “never ceased to be amazed at the thousands of hours of community service the wards have performed.” The state is still considering whether to close the Pine Grove camp or a camp located in Ventura, California. If the Pine Grove camp is chosen, fire protection services would continue under Cal Fire using only adult prisoners, and no community service would be performed. Currently, the youth work 8 hours a day, five days a week, then go to school for 4 hours in the evening. Supporters are encouraging people to attend the camp’s 65th anniversary open house on Friday, March 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The CYA camp is located on Aqueduct Road off of Pine Grove-Volcano Road in Pine Grove. Information will be available there for people who wish to write letters of support. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 02:11
Public Health Investigates Probable TB Case at Jackson Junior High
Amador County – Amador County Public Health announced Monday that it has identified a “probable” adult case of contagious tuberculosis (TB) at Jackson Junior High School. In conjunction with administrators and school officials at the Amador County Unified School District, Public Health is evaluating all students, staff and faculty who may have been exposed. Officials are in the process of contacting parents of all children that were potentially exposed. Amador County Public Health Officer Dr. Bob Hartmann in a release Tuesday said: “Because TB is caused by a germ that is spread through the air, Amador County Public Health will be testing those students, teachers, and other school staff who had close contact with the probable case of TB.” TB can be treated and cured, Hartmann said, and “the most common way to become infected with TB germs is by spending a lot of time with a person who has active TB in an enclosed space.” He said it “is important to recognize that there is a difference between TB infection and TB disease.” People with TB disease “are sick from the germs that are active in their body.” They may cough a lot, feel weak, have a fever, lose weight, cough up blood, or sweat a lot at night. People with the TB disease may transmit the infection to others. People with a TB infection (without the disease) “have the TB germ in their body, but are not sick because the germ is inactive. They cannot spread the germ to others. About 1 out of 10 people with TB infection become sick with TB disease.” Hartmann said Public Health representatives will host an informational meeting, including a question and answer period, for all interested parents and school staff 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 24th at Jackson Junior High gym. “Although it may be a new experience for the parents, students, and school staff involved, communicable disease investigation is a regular activity for Amador County Public Health,” Hartmann said. Any students or staff who test positive for infection will receive further testing and medication to ensure that they do not develop the active form of TB disease. Parents with immediate questions or concerns may also call a school district nurse at 257-5377 or Public Health at 223-6407. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 02:20
BOS Report for 3-23-10 with John Plasse, Supervisor
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News Interview Videos
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 06:09
Michael Krisman - Camanche Homeowner’s Association 3-24-10
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News Interview Videos
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 01:59
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alan Sprenkel 3-24-10
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News Broadcast Videos
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 18:00
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alex Lane 3-25-10
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News Broadcast Videos
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 18:00
ACTC Explores Funding Options for Road Improvement Projects
Amador County – The Amador County Transportation Commission (ACTC) is in the process of developing projects that will utilize a relatively small apportionment of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding while continuing to seek other ways to reach the estimated $237 million needed for local road and highway improvements. An “obligation list” released last week by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) reveals just how small a piece of the $2.54 billion committed to transportation projects throughout the state was guaranteed locally. So far California has received more funding than any other state in the nation, with an additional $456 million in federal stimulus funds expected to be awarded by April 2010. Caltrans says it was able to “leverage those dollars with other sources of state and local transportation funding – putting a total of $3.8 billion into California’s economy.” But only $1,347,232 made it to Amador County to be used for three projects.
Of that apportionment, $567,000 will go to road sign replacements, $215,000 will go towards Latrobe Road rehabilitation and $512,000 will be used to rehabilitate Michigan Bar Road. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field said Amador County’s allotment was ultimately decided by the State legislature, which chose a distribution formula based on population instead of population and road miles. “We have a lot more road mileage per person, and ACTC lobbied hard for more money but in the end we were unsuccessful,” said Field. Efforts by the California State Association of Counties on behalf of rural areas also failed. Ultimately, the majority of funding was committed to urban areas and Caltrans projects. Field said “it’s important to remember that (ARRA funding) for local roads is small compared to approximately $11.8 million that the cities, county, and ACTC presently have in grant awards for local road projects.” He said ARRA projects must first be completed before paperwork requesting reimbursement is submitted through Caltrans and “a lot of red tape.” “The idea that this stimulus funding was going to solve all our transportation issues was never real to begin with, it was just a shot in the arm,” he said. ACTC, the county and local cities are currently exploring ways to acquire the $128 million for local road rehabilitation and capital improvements and $109 million for Highway improvements identified in the 2004 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). Field said both of these numbers will likely be higher in the upcoming 2010 RTP update. Additional stimulus funds are going to Amador Transit for transit purposes, including $46,779 for on board surveillance and $200,000 for a vehicle locator system. $75,000 in ARRA transit money was also given to ACTC for Amador Transit by Alpine County. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 18:00
Plymouth to Consider Fire JPA With AFPA
Amador County – The Plymouth City Council tonight will consider renewing its Joint Powers Agreement with the Amador Fire Protection Authority. City Manager Dixon Flynn will recommend approval of the agreement, in which Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department personnel operate out of the city fire department building and make up Battalion 20 of the AFPA. The council at its last meeting received a report from Mayor Patricia Fordyce on recent happenings with the AFPA. The AFPA board voted to recommend that it follow the suggestion of Amador County to hire California Department of Fire personnel to take over the county fire personnel, who would all be paid by Measure M funds, approved by a county vote. Fordyce said the CalFire “fire service manager” and “training captain” would train all the paid personnel, over 1 to 3 years, then after that period, the county would take over operation of the county-wide fire department. Vice Mayor Greg Baldwin said the biggest obstacle was between the volunteer fire departments and paid fire departments to find someone with experience. AFPA felt that CalFire had many years’ experience and would be able to come in immediately and get things going, then after a couple of years, relinquish control to the formation of a Joint Powers Agreement between the cities and the groups that actually want to continue the program. But the AFPA board earlier this month decided to not follow the county’s recommendation on hiring CalFire. With the agenda is a March 15th letter from Sutter Creek Creek Mayor Gary Wooten, to Supervisor Chairman Brian Oneto, also president of the Amador Fire Protection District. In the letter, Wooten said the Sutter Creek City Council wanted to “express its support for the efforts of Sutter Creek Fire Protection District to contract with the AFPD to provide and supervise paid firefighters.” Wooten said the council believes the “plan is the best method of providing paid firefighters for our community while continuing to augment the existing volunteer department.” The letter said Sutter Creek “further supports the funding and hiring plan developed by AFPD Chief Jim McCart,” and the council “believes this plan provides for better staffing, creates a clearer chain of command and is more economically sustainable.” Wooten urged Oneto’s support of the AFPD plan, as Sutter Creek FPD “has a vested stake in the outcome,” as it “provides for fire service within the city limits.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Fire
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 18:00
Pine Grove Conservation Camp Targeted for Closure
Amador County – The Pine Grove California Youth Authority (CYA) Camp is being targeted for closure as a way to help solve the state budget crisis, but many camp staff and supporters have vowed not to go down without a fight. For 65 years, the camp has offered a way out for troubled youth by mandating continuous education combined with specialized programs and community service, not to mention training to assist in fire fighting across California. In an open letter to the “citizens of Amador County,” Pine Grove CYA Advisory Council member Laura Imperial said the good deeds and assistance from these youth throughout the county “save this county hundreds of thousands of tax dollars.” Imperial said the camp is a “shining star” because the youth who leave there experience a low rate of recidivism. “With that closure comes the loss, not only of the opportunity for youth offenders to learn a trade, and finish high school, but the chance to give back to the community in the many hours of service they work,” said Mary Vogt, another Citizens Advisory Council member. She said she has “never ceased to be amazed at the thousands of hours of community service the wards have performed.” The state is still considering whether to close the Pine Grove camp or a camp located in Ventura, California. If the Pine Grove camp is chosen, fire protection services would continue under Cal Fire using only adult prisoners, and no community service would be performed. Currently, the youth work 8 hours a day, five days a week, then go to school for 4 hours in the evening. Supporters are encouraging people to attend the camp’s 65th anniversary open house on Friday, March 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The CYA camp is located on Aqueduct Road off of Pine Grove-Volcano Road in Pine Grove. Information will be available there for people who wish to write letters of support. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 18:00
AWA to Consider CAWP Finances With or Without GSL
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors today will consider financial plans for the Central Amador Water Project, while looking at forecasts with and without a proposed Gravity Supply Line project. The board opens its meeting 9 a.m. today at the agency office, with the CAWP draft financial plans part of the early agenda. The board reconvenes after lunch at 2 p.m. today at Mace Meadow Country Club, to consider the Gravity Supply Line. The board may carry over discussion of CAWP finances to the later session. The board will look at a rate studies submitted last week. One that includes the GSL, and another excludes the GSL. Financial Services Manager Mike Lee in a report for today’s meeting said the “CAWP financial plan was last updated by The Reed Group in September 2004.” He said the “plan serves as a planning and management tool to ensure that the operations and capital improvement needs of CAWP can be met in a financially sound manner.” Lee said the plans look at the next 7 years. He said the “earliest an increase could go into effect would be June 2010, so the board may want to consider making increases effective July 1st” of this year, 2011 and 2012. Both plans would raise rates a total of 33 percent over the next 7 years, including by 6 percent the first 2 years. In the plan without the GSL, the agency’s “sunk (GSL) costs” of $930,000 would be paid by a 30-year, 1 percent loan from the Amador Water System to 4 separate water districts making up CAWP. With the GSL project, the agency would be financing an $8.3 million USDA loan, with “an annual debt service payment of $375,000.” The plan said an estimated interest payment of $126,000 is projected for next fiscal year. The $930,000 sunk costs “to date would be reimbursed through the USDA financing.” Silver and Tiger Creek pump stations would cost an estimated $20,000 a year to be kept as backups. In both plans, the typical residential user’s monthly bill would go from $54 now to $58, and rise by about $3 a year through 2012. The plans only include 3-year rate plans. The plan without the GSL also included a $1 million CAWP wholesale storage tank in fiscal year 2012-2014, which was also outside the 3-year rate plans. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Water
