News Archive (6192)
Thanks to the Jackson Cemetery Committee and
some industrious high school
students, the city cemetery is receiving some much-needed repairs and a new
monument. The committee chairman, Warren Carleton, introduced the
committee members and provided an overview of the committee’s recent efforts. A
wooden gazebo that was originally constructed by Jackson Boy Scout Troup 478
had fallen victim to vandals over time. With the help of Parkey’s
Welding, the committee used city funds and private donations to rebuild the
gazebo out of steel to make it more durable and vandal-proof.
Also, new signs have been mounted at cemetery entrances that bear the City of Jackson logo and ask visitors to “Please respect the cemetery.” Additionally, a new sign is in the works to honor and mark the graves of the miners killed in the 1922 Argonaut Mine Tragedy. The committee has also completed some gravesite repairs with the help of the County Probation Department’s community service program. In addition, the committee has plans to revitalize the children’s cemetery, a project spearheaded by Cemetery Sexton, Charline Buckley.
Those plans include installing a low-post
boundary fence and better marking some of the gravesites. Buckley says she wants to provide visitors
and relatives with a nice area to visit. Most of the children in that area died
in the 1950’s and 60’s. And finally, ten
students from Argonaut High School have volunteered to erect a Chinese monument in the cemetery as part
of their leadership class. Sydni
Nicolici, the student chairperson on the project, says they are
building the monument so “they can help everyone understand” about the
Chinese aspect of the cemetery. The project will add an inscription to an
existing pillar, and the finished monument will include a ceremonial stone, a
dedication stone, bamboo, trees, and a small rock wall. The students are working with a contractor
and have thus far drawn up plans. Their
next step will be to seek out donated materials and labor to complete the
project.
Years of fundraising to rescue two imperiled
gold rush Chinatown buildings in Fiddletown have
paid off with an announcement by the California Culture and Historical
Endowment, or CCHE, last week. CCHE awarded a grant of $208,000 to the
Fiddletown Preservation Society, or FPS. The small foothill village of Fiddletown
is unique for having four gold rush era structures remaining from its 19th
century Chinatown. Most early Chinatowns in California were
destroyed by arson or demolition. Fiddletown’s Chinese gambling hall and general store, both constructed
around 1860, are in danger of crumbling due to deterioration from time and
weather. Since 2001, the FPS has been seeking public and private funds
to save these remainders of a once-vibrant Chinese community.
The buildings are
across the street from the rammed-earth Chew Kee Museum, a historic Chinese herb store
that was restored in the 1980s. This first phase of the Fiddletown Restoration of Chinese Structures project
will stabilize and weatherproof the two endangered Chinese buildings.
Additional money was raised from local grants, Chinese organizations and
private donations. CCHE is a grant program designed to preserve stories of the
many people who together make up an historic and modern California. CCHE has awarded a total of $122
million dollars from the California
Neighborhood Parks
and Coastal Protection Act of 2002 — more commonly known as Proposition 40.
Yesterday marked the 3rd in a series of educational yet entertaining performances by Amador High School’s “Earth Club”. Preschool and Kindergarten aged children sat watching in fascination as half a dozen high school students performed an ecological fable about the negative effects of deforestation. Members of the Earth Club developed a performance that will promote the Waste Management Department’s guiding priorities: REDUCE-REUSE-RECYCLE, or the 3R’s. The performance told the story of a group of woodland creatures whose habitat is threatened by a greedy developer. The children’s reaction was anything but negative, however, as they enthusiastically asked questions about trees and recycling after the show. The children were then invited by the cast to help pick up cans and bottles.
The Earth Club’s two remaining performances will take place at Pioneer Elementary at 8:15 a.m. on April 8th, and Pine Grove Elementary at 9:30 a.m. on April 8th. Teacher Joe Anooshian and Waste Management Staff Leader Anne Short discussed the need for a campus beautification make-over at Amador High School. Over the years, the landscaping has deteriorated, while littering and vandalism on campus have increased. Since high school seniors are required to complete 10 hours of community service, they could apply the hours earned from the project towards their credits. For more information, please contact the Amador County Waste Management Department at 223-6429.
Heinz Hamann, Amador Water
Agency director for District 1, announced he will resign from the board
effective Feb. 1. Hamann said
he will go with great reluctance, but his wife’s health needs require that they
move to Sacramento.
Hamann has served on the Water Agency Board since 1998 – he took office
right in the middle of the controversy over construction of the pipeline. He
said he is honored to have served the people of Amador County.
The Agency achievements he is most proud of from his tenure are the Amador
Pipeline, the Buckhorn Water Treatment Plant, the Agency’s Recycled Water Plan,
and the Regional Wastewater Master Plan. Hamann’s term runs until 2010. The
water agency board is expected to invite letters of interest from candidates in
District 1 interested in being appointed to serve out the remainder of Hamann’s
term.
Sutter Amador Hospital is still in talks with
union negotiators, and, although progress has been made, have yet to come to an
agreement. The current union
employee contract was up for renewal in February, but initial dissatisfaction
and resulting discussions over the contract were initiated in December.
According to Sutter Amador’s CEO Anne Platt, hospital management has thus far
put down two proposals, neither of which has met the union’s satisfaction. The
two major points of contention in current negotiations are pay and health care.
The union is currently asking for a higher wages equal to wages in hospitals
throughout California.
In the hospital’s most recent proposal from February 26, they’ve offered a 14.5 percent wage increase over a four year period for all employees and higher equity payments for some positions. At Sutter Amador, the union represents non-exempt and non-management employees. Platt says the hospital recognizes the importance of the union and treating all employees by an equal quality standard, and as a result says Sutter Amador treats non-union employees by many of the same standards as union ones.
Employees can choose
whether or not they wish to join the union when they are hired. “They want the
same wage as their peers are making in other parts of the region,” says Platt.
She points out that Sutter Amador Hospital is a non-profit hospital, and that
escalated wages at Kaiser have been difficult and maybe unrealistic to match. “We feel like we’re being very
cautious. We’re into maintaining a great experience for our employees. They’re
our most important asset,” says Platt. Employees are currently
represented by United Health Workers, a smaller
branch of the Service Employees International Union,
or SEIU, which represents 1.5 million public service workers, nurses, hospital
staff and nursing home care providers. Talks so far have gone smoothly
and there is no indication they’ve been anything less than friendly, but both
sides are hoping for a quick resolution.
Argonaut High School will
have a familiar face in the principal’s office next school year after the
retirement of current principal, Peggy Gardner. The Amador County Unified School District announced the
appointment of Dave Vicari as the principal of Argonaut High beginning in the
07-08 school year. According to the release this will allow Vicari and
Gardner to work together for a seamless transition. Vicari is currently a
popular principal at Jackson Junior High School and a graduate of Jackson High
School as well. His ties with his Alma Mater, now called Argonaut High School
have remained close, both as a parent and the former head coach of the Varsity
baseball team. He will continue as principal at the Junior High School for the
remainder of the year.
A local Pioneer businessman who says he is looking to
support Amador County commerce has run into some intense opposition. Danny McCauley, owner of Sierra Homes & Properties in Buckhorn, and
property manager of Buckhorn Plaza, has plans in the works to open an upscale
liquor and wine store featuring Amador county wines, cheeses, breads,
olive oils, and related items. McCauley has been in contact with numerous local
vintners who want the store to be a distributor for their fine wines. McCauley lives and works in
Buckhorn, and “wants to make it a destination spot,” and says “my sole
intention is to promote the Buckhorn area for the Buckhorn people.” The
proposed store site, located in the Buckhorn Plaza, was left empty when
Buckhorn Liquors moved to the Buckhorn Village a few hundred yards away.
McCauley decided to lease the space
for his new store, and started renovating the interior, which is now nearly
complete. After McCauley filed with the California Department of Alcohol
and Beverage Control, or ABC, he received copies of numerous complaint letters
sent to the state from local residents. Last week, McCauley contacted one of
those residents, Richard Vinson, to discuss his concerns with the store. According to McCauley, he has heard the same
comment from all those opposed to the store – that Buckhorn doesn’t need liquor
store. In response to that, McCauley says the
majority of his products will be Amador County-produced wines and goods, as
well as liquor and cigarettes, and adds that he wants to provide a larger
supply of quality products so that locals don’t have to drive all the way to
Jackson or Folsom for liquor and wine. The matter is scheduled to go before the
Board of Supervisors at tomorrow’s meeting; however, McCauley is looking to
postpone this until he has a chance to meet with the board, noting that he just
received notice of the agenda item last Tuesday the 15th.
The major topic of discussion in Sutter Creek Monday night was on the future of Amador County’s water services. The Sutter Creek City Council heard a presentation by Gene Mancebo, Amador Water Agency Manager of Engineering and Planning, on the AWA‘s “20 Year Strategic Plan”. The plan outlines a number of infrastructure expansions that the AWA is seeking in order to deal with a projected increase in demand for water services. The plan states that the AWA is currently servicing 5,474 connections into the Amador Water System. With the current system, an additional 16,000 household connections could potentially be made. However, the AWA forecasts that the County’s major water resources will be exhausted by the year 2030 due to a large increase in demand caused by the construction of several large subdivisions.
Three of the County’s largest planned developments, the Gold Rush Ranch, Jackson Hills, and Wicklow Way, will create a need for approximately 2,420 new residential hook-ups total. To deal with the perceived increase in demand for water and waste-water services, the AWA is planning several measures. The first is to increase the use of reclaimed water countywide, with the goal that 20% of Amador’s Water Usage will be reclaimed by the year 2020. A second undertaking will be to raise Lower Bear Reservoir 32 feet in order to “insure a firm supply” of county drinking water. In addition, Mancebo stated that the Agency will seek partnerships with Calaveras County, East Bay Mud, and San Joaquin County to implement an ‘Integrated Regional Conjunctive Use Project’ for a more regional, efficient approach to problems of shortages, over-drafted ground water, and saltwater intrusion. The city council had a mixed response to Mancebo’s presentation. The biggest
complaint from council members about the presentation was that Sutter Creek’s contributions to water service regionalization went largely unmentioned. City Manager Rob Duke stated, “I think we should have it on record that Sutter Creek is firm in its steps towards regionalization, and has been since the 1950s.”
The Amador Air District has announced the availability of
Grants Available to Reduce Pollution from Diesel Engines Operating in Amador
County. The California Air Pollution Control Officers Association
(CAPCOA) has grant funds
available under the state’s Carl Moyer Program to assist rural air districts in
reducing air pollutants from mobile sources and agricultural engines. CAPCOA has $977,000 available to qualified
applicants that meet the requirements of the Carl Moyer Program.
Last week's Plymouth city
council meeting showed a city divided by the looming concept of a proposed
casino that the town has been fighting for three years now. A number of citizens spoke out
during public comment telling the city council that it is time to sit down with
the Ione Band of Mi-Wok tribe and "make the best of their situation."
Plymouth business owner and resident Maria Simon stated, "For 3 and a half years we have been fighting
the battle and I am tired of it. I understand everybody's fear, but just as you
respect Mr. Reeder's right to seek permits for subdivisions in our city, you
must give the tribe that same respect.
