Tuesday, March 9,
2010
Arnold man arrested
Monday for grand theft, bomb possession charges
A 38-year-old
AWA, Jackson to host
outreach meeting tomorrow afternoon
The Amador Water Agency together with the City of
Amador Resource
Conservation District sponsors speech contest
The Amador Resource Conservation District will sponsor a
speech contest for high school students residing in the Amador Resource
Conservation District next week. The topic is “How the resource conservation
district can assist schools with natural resource education.” The speech must
be at least three minutes, and not more than five minutes. First place award is
$200, second place is $100 and third place is $75. The winner will compete in
the regional speech contest in April. The local contest will take place
Thursday, March 18 at 5 p.m. at the
ACUSD Board to hold
special meeting Wednesday night
The Amador County Unified School District Board of Trustees
will hold a special meeting immediately following Wednesday’s regularly scheduled
meeting. On the agenda is a resolution of non-reelection of probationary
certificated employees. The Board is required by law to give notice to all
employees of their decision to reelect or not reelect them before March 15 of
the employee’s second complete consecutive school year of employment by the
district. After discussion and a vote on the resolution, the Board will
continue with the regularly scheduled Amador County Office of Education
meeting.
ACHS asking for
nominations of endangered Native American, historic sites
The Amador County Historical Society is asking county
residents to nominate the Native American and historic local sites they feel
are most endangered. By taking nominations, the historical society can learn
what Native American and historic sites residents believe the county is in the
greatest danger of losing, and evaluate potential losses and “costs,” if the
county does lose them. When the endangered sites and structures the society and
public doesn’t want to lose are obtained, the society plans to gather and
record information about the site’s history, and will suggest what steps will
be taken to minimize or avoid the loss of endangered sites and structures
around Amador. Information to include in nominations, accepted through March 31
are: the name and location, brief explanation for each site and why you think
it’s endangered, name and contact information, and whether or not you are a
ACHS member. Send nomination lists to: Amador County Historical Society,
Daffodil Hill will
not open until March 19
The Ryan family has decided to delay the opening of
Daffodil Hill this year a week. The Ryans told HomeTown Radio Monday that the
opening scheduled for Saturday would not take place. Instead, the plan is to
now open the Hill Friday, March 19. Winter weather this week and the amount of
blooms on the Hill were cited as reasons for the delay. This year the Ryans
have planted 16,000 more bulbs all over the Hill and erected a monument in
honor of their parents who both passed away last year. While open the Hill
maintains public hours Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call
296-7048 for more information.
Testing for census
jobs scheduled for Friday in Sutter Creek
Testing for census jobs in
Monday, March 8, 2010
Thunderstorms, snow
forecasted for Mother Lode tonight
A quick moving cold storm could bring thunderstorms and
snow to as low as 2,000 feet tonight in the Mother Lode. According to the
National Weather Service, another weather system originating from the
Bay Area couple
life-flighted to a valley hospital after rollover on Highway 4
A Bay Area couple was taken by air ambulance to a valley
hospital Sunday afternoon following a rollover accident on Highway 4 near
President Obama on Monday declared Calaveras and five other
Report of five
missing juveniles Sunday evening has a happy ending
According to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department, a
report of five missing
High rate of speed
contributed to two motorcycle accidents this weekend
Meeting to discuss
future of agricultural education in local schools tonight
Anyone interested in the future of agricultural education
in local schools is invited to attend a meeting tonight in
Vehicle collides with
Pine Cone Drug Sunday morning
Early Sunday morning emergency responders arrived at Pine
Cone Drug in Pine Grove to find a vehicle had driven into the building.
According to reports, Battalion 10 and CAL FIRE crews responded to the call
just after 7 a.m. On scene, it was determined there was the possibility of structural
damage beside the obvious broken front window pane and splintered overhand
supports. Amador Sheriff’s deputies stayed on site until the building and
business owners could access the damages. The reason behind the collision is
still under investigation.
AWA customers have
another way to access the Agency’s newsletter
Amador Water Agency customers will now have another way to
access to the AWA’s quarterly newsletter. The first quarter issue of “Water
News” will be inserted in the March 9 issue of the Amador Ledger Dispatch.
Previously the newsletter was mailed to AWA customers in a water or wastewater
service bill. AWA Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo says that inserting the
Agency newsletter in an issue of the newspaper allows the publication to go out
to the public all at once, rather than spread out over several weeks of billing
cycles. AWA’s newsletter includes information on Agency activities throughout
Unemployment numbers
remain steady in Mother Lode
Unemployment numbers have remained stable over the past month
in the Mother Lode region. According to the California Employment Development
Department California non-farm payroll jobs increased by 32,500 in January,
with eight of 11 industry sectors showing gains. Even so the
Ione to host workshop
focused on rehabilitation of historic buildings
Ione will be the location of a workshop this week titled
Make History: Public / Private Partnerships to Rehabilitate Historic Buildings.
The workshop, part of the California Preservation Foundation 2010 series, will
bring together a panel of professionals from the private and public sectors
involved in adaptive reuse of historic properties for office, retail,
multi-family, and / or community uses. The workshop will be held Wednesday,
March 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Evalynn Bishop Hall on
Census warning from the
Better Business Bureau to be cooperative, cautious
Census forms will be arriving in the mail this month and
Census workers will be shortly behind. The Better Business Bureau is offering
some advice when dealing with Census workers and offering up information,
including being cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of
fraud or identity theft. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will
count every person in the
Friday, March 5, 2010
The Sutter Creek City Council will gather for a special
meeting Monday. Beginning at 2 p.m., the Council will hear discuss the ballot
argument for the Gold Rush Measure, formally called Measure N. The Council will
then adjourn into closed session to the Knight Foundry purchase negotiation.
The meeting will be held in at the
Amador Conservatory
Theatre to offer classes beginning next week
The Amador Community Foundation in partnership with Sutter
Creek Theatre Artistic Director Monica MacLean have announced creation of the
Amador Conservatory Theatre. Spring classes begin next week for students from 6
years old to adults. MacLean says the emphasis will be on process instead of
product. Classes offer the students a relaxed yet professional training to
really learn the very intricate craft of acting. All Classes will be held at
The Community Foundation,
Judge decides Lucido
not personally responsible for funds owed to Merzlak
Citing a technicality the Judge Pro Tem in the case of Kam
Merzlak versus Jacqueline Lucido released her findings yesterday. In her
decision, the Judge wrote Lucido was not personally responsible for the funds
Merzlak alleged she owned him for nonpayment of prize money. The ongoing feud
began in 2008 after Lucido approached him to build the booth, she mentioned
prize money as an incentive, a claim Lucido denied before the Judge Pro Temp in
court last week. Merzlak was seeking $5,369.02 in prize monies awarded for a
Silver Ribbon and the special Superintendents Award, which he was nominated for
by Lucido. Merzlak says the Judge’s response said that Lucido was an employee
of the Chamber, which would be the party responsible for the payout. Merzlak is
still considering his next move at this time.
Ione City Council
considers actions against Scully Robertson Initiative
The Ione City Council is considering its options in dealing
with a proposed ballot initiative that would, if passed, take away control of
the Ione Police Department from the City and give it to the County. Several
councilmembers voiced their strong support of the Police Department and its
leadership, wanting to speed up the pace of the City’s action against the
initiative. City Attorney Kristen Castanos said the City could file suit
against the initiative at anytime, expecting it to cost a couple of thousand of
dollars just to file and as much as $35,000 to see it through to the end. City Manager Kim Kerr says the City Council
has directed staff to put the initiative on the March 16 agenda to determine
whether to pursue litigation or not on the initiative.
San Andreas CHP
looking for driver of stolen vehicle
The San Andreas CHP is looking for a driver of a stolen
vehicle that crashed Thursday on Highway 4. According to reports, officers found
an unreported stolen vehicle crashed into a light post on Highway 4 at
66 empty chairs set
up in front of ACUSD schools to show potential layoffs
The sight of 66 empty chairs caught the attention of many
More bad news on the
education front for the golden state
Thursday, March 4,
2010
Sutter Creek City
Council waived first reading of DA amendments with Gold Rush Monday
The Sutter Creek City Council waived the first reading for
the Development Agreement amendments with the Gold Rush Ranch and Golf Resort
Monday night.
AWA requests
immediate conservation of water use in CAWP
Due to recent storms, the Water Agency is requesting the
immediate conservation of water use in the Central Amador Water System (CAWP).
The CAWP system stretches along the Highway 88 corridor from Mace Meadows to
the vicinity of the
The California Department of Water Resources conducted its
March measurements of the Sierra snow pack on Wednesday. Spokesperson Don
Strickland says
Highway 26 collision
resulted in minor injuries Monday
A vehicle accident on Highway 26 resulted in minor injuries
Monday morning. 54-year-old Steven Paul of Valley Springs was driving his 1998
Nissan Altima east of County View Drive at 30 to 35 miles per hour, when for an
unknown reason he allowed his vehicle to drift off the right edge of the
roadway, causing his vehicle to lose control. Paul’s vehicle crossed into the
westbound lane directly in front of 40-year-old Steven Bryden of Valley
Springs. Bryden was unable to avoid the collision; the impact caused his
vehicle to roll onto the driver’s side and come to a rest in the westbound
lane. Both parties refused medical treatment.
Tour Amador County in
the 49er Treasure Trail later this month
The 49er Treasure Trail adventure is a fun way to tour
Amador County while learning a little bit along the way. This year, Amador
Council of Tourism Executive Director Maureen Funk says there is a new twist. A
geocaching event, also dubbed the 49er Treasure Trail, will be held the same
weekend and will involve finding five caches, retrieving a wooden token from
each and gaining the opportunity to win a special prize all for free. One of
the event sponsors, Volcano Telecommunications, will be offering free wi-fi to
allow people to download the caches onto their GPS units. Funk says she hopes
one day to develop this into a game for tecchies and luddites alike. The game
hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 27 and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday,
March 28. Participants receive a program with rules, clues and Play Spots, a
lanyard and ID, and a gunny sack to hold tokens. Prizes will be given for the
most tokens and play points earned, plus other awards like who traveled the
furthest, most fun team, greenest team, etc. Registration is now open and costs
$10 per person. Online registration is available at touramador.com. For more
information about geocaching, visit geocaching.com.
Amador Vintners host
annual “Behind the Cellar Door” this weekend
The Amador Vintners will host the annual “Behind the Cellar
Door” event again this weekend. The winter wine extravaganza features tastings
of new wines and current releases at 32 Amador wineries, along with gourmet
foods, live music and entertaining seminars designed to enhance attendees’
knowledge and appreciation of wine. The event will take place this Saturday and
Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are available at the Amador Vintners
office on Highway 49 in Plymouth. For more information, visit www.amadorwine.com.
Wednesday, March 3,
2010
MCSP correctional
officer arrested for smuggling contraband, drugs
A Mule Creek State Prison correctional officer is under
investigation after being accused of smuggling and distributing contraband and
drugs to prison inmates. According to prison officials, 38-year-old Wayne
Bullard was arrested in the course of an investigation by the California
Department of Corrections on charges of bringing a controlled substance into a
prison. Further details have yet to be released as the investigation is
ongoing. Bullard has been a correctional officer at Mule Creek since March
1998, and joined the CDCR in November 1996. Investigators searched Bullard’s
home for evidence Tuesday, but did not comment on what they found. Since the
arrest, Bullard has posted bail and is currently out of police custody.
The Ione City Council
dealt with wastewater issues Tuesday evening
Ione City Manager Kim Kerr updated the City Council on a
recent meeting with the California Water Quality Control Board. Kerr says
during the meeting City staff updated Board staff on the progress on the Cease
and Desist Order, the project to address the Cease and Desist Order and other
issues, and discussed the next steps. The City will update the Board again
during the next Quarterly Report issued in April on the status of the items
identified in the Cease and Desist Order. Kerr adds that the City is also
working on the Final Report of Waste Discharge for review by both Compliance
and Permitting at the Board, which should be completed in the next few weeks.
Also during the meeting, the City Council approved the lease on the Ione Train
Depot. Kerr says the next steps include signing the documents, creating a
Committee for the rehabilitation of the Depot, securing the Depot, and
developing a plan to rehabilitate and future uses.
CUSD Trustees vote to
eliminate 23 teachers Tuesday night
A 4-0 vote Tuesday by the Calaveras Unified School District
Board of Trustees decided the fate of 23 teachers. Those teachers will lose
their jobs next year as the District attempts to close a $2 million budget
shortfall. Superintendent Mark Campbell says that cuts to athletics has
been tabled for now as parents have indicated there could be other options for
fund-raising to support those programs. Layoff notices were also given to two
Calaveras High School vice-principals but that number may be reduced upon
further study. All notices must be sent out by March 15 in accordance with the
law, but not all cuts will necessarily be made.
Volunteers needed for
2010 Bypass Run scheduled for March 13
Volunteers are needed for the 2010 Bypass Run, sponsored by
the Amador County Recreation Agency (ACRA). The fourth annual Bypass Run, with
a one mile fun run / walk and 5k and 10k competitions, will be held Saturday,
March 13 with an 8 a.m. start beginning in front of the Wells Fargo ATM in
Sutter Creek. The race is a fun, family event to raise funds for ACRA.
Volunteers are needed for registration, water stations, finish lines and
setting up signs. All volunteers are asked to attend a short meeting with ACRA
staff this Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Health and Human Services Building on
Conductor Blvd in Sutter Creek. For more information on volunteering for the
event, contact Matt Nestor at 223-6349 or just show up at the volunteers
meeting.
Sutter Creek City
Council receives some good budget news
During Monday night’s meeting, the Sutter Creek City
Council received some good news regarding the budget. Assistant City Manager
Sean Rabe says that the City’s 2009-10 budget is projected to have a
deficit of $80,568 by year end.
He adds that this is actually a bit of an improvement over previous
estimates, primarily due to strict expense monitoring. There is, however, an
additional $158,950 deficit that occurred from one-time extraordinary expenses
from the buyouts the Council approved in the beginning of the year for two
employees, from a settlement the City reached with the Police
Officer’s Association and from a settled lawsuit filed by a former
employee. Rabe says those combined totals equal the $239,518 deficit, but the
Council has said that the employee buyouts need not be paid back this fiscal
year because it represented an ongoing savings to the General Fund that
would be realized and fully paid back after two years. The City Council and City
Management is taking the budget situation very seriously and is preparing to
enter negotiations with the City’s two employee groups this month in order to
resolve this deficit as soon as possible.
Amador Child Abuse
Prevention Council requests funding from County
With State funds drying up and donations dwindling, the
Amador Child Abuse Prevention Council appeared before the Amador County Board
of Supervisors Tuesday to request funding. ACAPC Program Coordinator Robin
Valencia presented the board with the organizations activities and
accomplishments last year and explained the need for the Board’s support.
Valencia says the Council receives approximately $15,000 a year from the
Children’s Trust Fund and holds an annual Bowl-a-Thon fund-raiser that brings
in about $7,000. With an operating budget of about $27,000 annually, Valencia
asked the Board to help make up the difference. The Board asked Valencia to
come back to the Administrative Committee of Board Chair Brian Oneto and Vice
Chair John Plasse with a best estimate report of revenue and expenditures
before making a final decision.
Angels Camp PD
warning parents to remind children to be aware of surrounds
The Angels Camp Police Department is warning parents to
remind their children to be aware of their surroundings after an incident last
week involving a 16-year-old female walking home from school. According to
police reports, the female was walking near the intersection of North Main
Street and Dogtown Road around 3:15 p.m. Friday when a white male in a pickup
truck pulled along side her and asked if she would like a ride. The female told
him no, then ran away after he asked her a second time. The driver of the
pickup then left the area driving north on North Main Street. The female
described the driver of the truck as a white male in his 20s, with a shaved
head, wearing a black T-shirt and sunglasses. The truck was described as a
white pickup truck, but it is unknown what the make, model or year is. Police
are asking parents to give direction to their children on appropriate responses
to this type of encounter. If the child is in a public place, the safest course
of action is for the child to enter the closest business and ask the proprietor
or employee to dial 9-1-1.
A Mountain Ranch
woman has at least one of her pets back today
Mary Orr of Mountain Ranch reported that her 6-year-old
Jersey bull named Alex was returned sometime between midnight and 8 a.m., but a
2-year-old black heifer and a 2-month-old calf remain missing. Orr reported the
tri of animals missing from her and her husband’s 46-acre property January 30
to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department. Orr says he is skinny, but at
least back at home. Anyone with information regarding the other missing
livestock can contact Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Hill at 754-6500.