Amador County – Jackson Rancheria CEO Rich Hoffman appeared live on Sacramento television Monday night and presented a check for $10,000 to the American Red Cross to help assist in recovery efforts in Haiti, after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the island nation last week. KCRA channel 3 of Sacramento broadcast live at 5 p.m. Monday from the Jackson Rancheria Casino on New York Ranch Road in Jackson. Hoffman presented an oversized check for $10,000 to a representative of the American Red Cross, saying the number of donations gathered had not yet been tallied. He said the casino was also offering its Dreamcatchers Card Club members a chance to convert their points into cash that could be donated to earthquake recovery efforts in Haiti, and also matched by the casino and tribe. Hoffman and the Rancheria contacted its several hundred thousand members of the Dreamcatchers Club and asked for donations, with an offer to match the funds donated for the cause. Hoffman also issued a challenge to the other Northern California and Nevada casinos to make the same pledge and donations as Jackson Rancheria. Tribal special events coordinator Ron Olivero said Tuesday that the Rancheria placed “a collection box in our lobby for employees and guests,” and the Rancheria is matching each donation that comes in. He said they gave the check for $10,000, and “if we raise more than that, we’ll give that too.” Olivero said the casino also offered to allow the roughly 700,000 members of the Dreamcatchers Club Card to donate their players’ points, accumulated through their gaming play at the casino. Olivero said the Jackson Rancheria would allow 300 points to be traded in for one dollar as a donation to the Red Cross and the Haiti recovery efforts, and the tribe also will match those donations. He said the challenge, issued to other Northern California and Nevada casinos, called for them to “match the $10,000 that we’ve already given.” Part of the donation drive was to “put e-mail blasts out to all of our guests,” who responded well, Olivero said. The e-mails told of the fundraiser and the casino’s plan to match donations. Story by Jim Reece. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - The Amador County Sheriff’s Department announced details Tuesday on the arrest of a former Elk Grove Unified School District employee for “crimes against a child.” On January 13th, Amador County Sheriff’s Detectives, assisted by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mark Steven Tindall, a resident of Sacramento, for “sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 14.” According to Amador County Undersheriff Jim Wegner, the arrest took place at the Elk Grove School District where Tindall had worked for a short period of time as a substitute bus driver. Local authorities were involved because the abuse reportedly took place at the suspect’s former home in Volcano and other locations in Amador County. Wegner said the arrest was based on a report from a 35-year-old male who stated that between 1986 and 1988 he was molested by a friend’s father, identified as Tindall. The victim told police that he never reported the crimes previously because of fear. The victim said Tindall, who at the time was employed by the Department of Corrections, showed the victim a handgun and threatened to harm him or his family if he disclosed the crimes. The victim decided to report the crimes after Tindall attempted to contact him again through Facebook, a social networking site. Wegner said that ”during the investigation, detectives were able to obtain a recorded conversation between Tindall and the victim, wherein Tindall made incriminating statements, including apologizing and stating that he wished he could ‘take things back’.” Based on the investigation so far and a review of evidence seized from Tindall’s home, Wegner said detectives have located two additional victims who reported being molested by Tindall between 1986 and 1995. Wegner said it is believed that Tindall resided in Amador County until 2005 before moving to Sacramento County. Tindall retired as a corrections officer with the Department of Corrections in 2005 and has since worked as a driver with a private transportation firm. An Amador County Superior Court warrant for Tindall’s arrest was obtained and he is now in custody at the Amador County Sheriff’s Office. He was booked for multiple lewd and illegal acts with a child under the age of 14. His bail was set at $100,000. The Amador County Sheriff’s Office believes that, “as the identified crimes happened between 15 to 24 years ago, and having located two additional victims,” other victim’s of Tindall may exist. Anyone with information regarding known or possible victims of Tindall is urged to contact the Amador County Sheriff’s Office at (209) 223-6500. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Transportation Commission will consider recommendations today on its Regional Transportation Plan update “Stakeholder Roundtable Process,” and could also look at reorganizing ACTC and combining it with the Amador Regional Transit System. Program Manager Neil Peacock in a memo recommended revisions to the RTP process, after subcommittee direction by District 2 Supervisor Richard Forster and Ione Councilman David Plank. They seek reducing the Regional Transportation Plan “roundtable” from 24 members to 15 members, after criticism by the ACTC board. Peacock noted that cities asking for a voice on the roundtable should be aware that 7 different “venues exist for relevant public agencies to participate.” Those include quarterly Technical Advisory Committee meetings; public hearings and workshops; and the Stakeholder Roundtables, which are open to the public. The commission will also consider staff recommendations to make “organizational improvements” at both ACTC and the Amador Regional Transit System. Peacock asked that they “have an independent third-party assist ACTC staff in working with city, county, ARTS, and upcountry representatives to investigate, consider, and propose alternatives to implement various organizational improvements.” Those include “potential ACTC-ARTS consolidation, clarifying ACTC’s roles and responsibilities, commission membership,” and miscellaneous recommendations. In a December 9th memo, Moore & Associates of Valencia noted some findings leading Peacock and staff to consider improvements. Those include a “lack of oversight of ARTS performance by ACTC.” Moore & Associates “believe consolidation would result in improved coordination and cooperation between the 2 agencies, whose current relationship appears to range from neglectful to adversarial.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – A scoping session for a Proposition 84 park funding project drew a small but insightful crowd Monday night at the Upcountry Community Center, where the Amador County Recreation Agency took input on community wishes for a park on Tabeaud Road, just off Highway 88. Stephanie Stowers, recreation aid at ACRA, said the handful of public attendees was intimate but gave some good ideas on how they would want the 15-acre park developed. Stowers is working on applications for Proposition 84 funding, and the meeting was specific to the park at Tabeaud and 88, on the 15 acres of land donated by Sharon Lungren and Volcano Telephone Company. The park is currently unnamed, but ACRA is calling it West Coast Communications Park. Stowers said “we don’t really have a set amount that we are looking for,” but “there is a lot of money available” and they have to get enough funding to make the plans happen. She said the first round of Prop. 84 funding includes “well over $100 million, but that’s throughout the state.” Proposition 84 funds recreation projects under the California Clean Air & Water Act. Stowers said she “kept it really informal, so that people could speak their mind” Monday informal, telling what they wanted in Pine Grove, and what ACRA should do and at the park. Stowers said in general, attendees talked about the same things other areas want, such as dog parks, skate parks, and places for kids to hang out. They also wanted community gardens and Wi-Fi access in the park, in an outdoor setting, so people could hang out in the park, using laptops. Stowers said the community already has a Wi-Fi connection a park in Pine Grove. She said “what they really want” is a versatile park similar to those in other areas of Amador County. For soccer, Upcountry residents must drive to Ione, and for swimming must travel to Jackson. Stowers said “they really want a pool and they really want a place to play soccer, and baseball fields, so they don’t have to drive off the mountain.” She said the 15-acre is “pretty spacious,” and ACRA’s “current sketches for it have 2 baseball fields” that are “interchangeable as soccer fields.” Sketches show dog parks, a play structure for kids, walking trails, and a little amphitheater. ACRA would also like to look at getting a community center, to offer indoor as well as outdoor space. The meeting was one in a series ACRA must hold to get public input before they can apply for Prop 84 funds. She said the last meeting for the park at Tabeaud Road is noon Saturday, January 30th at the Pine Grove Town Hall. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The state’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee, chaired by 10th District Assemblymember Alyson Huber, will hold an informational hearing today in order to review the state auditor’s compliance reports related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). “To date California has received an unprecedented amount of federal funds through the American ARRA of 2009, but some state agencies are still struggling with insufficient internal controls and these funds are at risk,” said Huber aid Jennifer Wonnacott in a release Tuesday. She said the hearing will “focus on oversight of ARRA funds and what is being done to prevent the waste and misuse of ARRA funds, as well as the implementation of ARRA funds by two state agencies.” The California Energy Commission recently came under fire after the Auditor found it lacked adequate controls in place to prevent misuse of federal stimulus dollars and may be in jeopardy of losing the money altogether because it is not being spent quickly enough. The hearing will be televised and takes place today, Wednesday, January 20th in the State Capitol. Report by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Plymouth City Council last week awarded 2 contracts for wastewater system improvement projects on city facilities, but the work is contingent on the availability of federal funding through the state. The city last year qualified for $2.25 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and now is waiting for those funds to come through. Gloria Stoddard said Friday that the council awarded 2 “construction and professional services contracts” for wastewater improvements. The council approved resolutions authorizing City Manager Dixon Flynn to execute the project documents. They awarded a wastewater treatment plant “Phase 1” improvement project to Ford Construction. They also awarded a wastewater collection system repair project to Twain Harte Construction. Start of the projects is contingent on the state making the funding available. The California Revolving Loan Fund program will disperse the funds, and Prima said in September that the state found that Plymouth is eligible for a “principal forgiveness” loan – a grant – due to low household income. The council authorized the advertisement for bids in October, after Engineering Consultant Richard Prima told the city council he was confident the city could maintain and complete an aggressive but stringent schedule of work to meet the deadline for a grant award January 29th. Prima said the bid package had to be succinct because the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act grant allows changes, and “any change orders will be done on our own nickel.” Plymouth qualified for a grant for its sewer system improvement, in the amount of $2.25 million. Prima said qualifying paperwork included a “report of waste discharge,” and a “sludge plan.” The city must remove sludge from some ponds at its sewer plant at its own expense, because the work is considered routine maintenance for the operation of the system. The grant will nearly cover the update of the city’s ailing sewer system. Prima said the city will have to pay for nearly $200,000 of the work considered ongoing and necessary maintenance. Prima said the projects should lift a wastewater “cease and desist” order on the system that dates back to 2005. The plant, located about two miles west of the city, treats, stores and disposes of up to 170,000 gallons a day of wastewater. After failing to submit certain technical reports in June 2005, the city paid a $20,000 fine by August of that year. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.