The City of Jackson Planning Commission and Cemetery Committee both have some new members.  Three new members were appointed to the Cemetery Committee last week.  Walter Hoeser and Warren Carleton were both re-appointed to the committee, and Margot McIntire was newly appointed.  Both Hoeser and Carleton have been on the committee for several years, and Carlton is the current chairman.  McIntire grew up on Church Street and has knowledge of the cemetery.  At a special meeting Monday night, Derek Selman of Martell was appointed to the Jackson Planning Commission, filling Terri Works vacant position.  And finally, Leticia Sexton was re-appointed to the commission as Chairwoman.  Both the Planning Commission and Cemetery Committee positions constitute two year terms.

The deadline for entries in the upcoming and highly anticipated Amador County Fair, which takes place July 24-27, is drawing near. Entry forms and fees are due by 6:00 pm, Saturday, July 12. The Fair showcases the talents of the local residents, and neighboring counties, who would like to share their best needlework, beautiful blooms, tasty jams and jellies, and outstanding garden produce.  According to CEO Troy Bowers, the fair is truly a reflection of the lifestyle of the Foothills, with community spirit and neighborly attitudes. Artists can enter paintings, sculptures, or photographs. Rock hounds can show off their collections, handcrafted jewelry, or that rare find. Most categories are open to residents of Amador, Calaveras and El Dorado Counties. 

Home Arts, Art, and Photography are also open to Tuolumne County and Gems and Minerals can be entered by all California residents. Entering your best work in the County Fair makes attending the Fair even more fun with the anticipation of searching through the displays to see if a ribbon is prominently displayed on your exhibit. You also have more of an appreciation for the effort that has gone into the other entries and the hours spent on the displays, said Bowers. Submitting your entry forms by July 12 allows building supervisors to plan and set up for the displays during the Fair.  Forms and guidebooks are currently available at the Fair Office, and the 4-H Office, feed stores and County libraries.  The guide is also posted on the Internet at www.amadorcountyfair.com.  If you need assistance, the Amador County Fair staff is glad to help and explain the rules. Call the Fair office at 209 245-6921. A complete schedule of the due dates and locations for actual exhibits, judging and release dates is included in the Entry Guide.

A two-year dispute over who should pay the multi-million dollar cost to clean up a former Amador County Gold Mine has been settled. After a lengthy stalemate, the subsequent legal proceedings between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Honeywell International Inc. and land developers came down to a court decision over who should cover the 4.3 million dollar cost of removing arsenic near a residential neighborhood. The mine in question is the Central Eureka near Sutter Creek, which produced gold worth an estimated 36 million dollars between 1855 and 1958. Years later, nearby property was purchased by Nehemiah Development company as the site for a development constructed in 1977 called Mesa De Oro. But like many potential areas of development in our County, the future of Mesa De Oro was threatened unstable soil, the accumulated result of years of mining tailings.

In this case, the mesa was actually an eleven foot mound of crushed ore. After a contractor digging at the site showed signs of arsenic exposure in 1994, the Environmental protection Agency, or EPA, declared the mine and surrounding property a Superfund site. The EPA took extensive measures to render the land usable, including the removal of contaminated soil, fence construction and a sediment basin to capture run-off. The dispute began when the EPA sued the Central Eureka Mining Company’s successor, Honeywell International and its partner Nehemiah Developers to recover the cleanup costs. While Honeywell settled for 2 million, Nehemiah filed cross complaints against 36 other developers and property owners. On June 12, a Contra Costa County Court judge approved the last of the settlement agreements. Charles Bruner, the developer of the Vista Ray subdivision in Sutter Creek, agreed to reimburse 20,000 dollars of the cleanup costs. The remaining costs went to the EPA and totaled 1.75 million. The case is being looked at as a cautionary tale for property owners and Real Estate developers who live and work within the Mother Lode region.

With the 127th Annual Italian Picnic and Parade coming up this weekend, many may wonder a little about the Italian Benevolent Society, or IBS. The “Societa de Unione e Beneficenza Italiana” was formed in 1881 with 33 charter members, all of Italian ancestry, and was stationed in Amador City.  The purpose of the society was to provide aid to sick Italian-Americans who could not work, and to provide proper burials for deceased members when their families could not. That year, a private picnic was held by the society, and the annual Italian Picnic was born. In 1897, the picnic moved to the Fuller Brothers’ Grove between Jackson and Sutter Creek, and in 1912, to its present location on Highway 49 in Martell. 

In 1981, the IBS celebrated its centennial anniversary, which was recognized by then President Ronald Reagan in a personal letter where he thanked the society for its contribution to “the propagation of Italian culture here in America.” Over the years, the society has made numerous improvements to the grounds, including planting over 100 trees just last year, according to society member Rick Wagstaff.  More renovation plans are in the works, including expanding the current dining hall, and the society will break ground after this weekend’s picnic. Since 1881, the picnic has grown from a gathering of friends to a full three-day weekend of fun events, including a carnival, rodeo, music, dancing, and great food.  This year’s event starts this Friday, May 30th at 5 PM and also features bingo, a bocce ball tournament, Italian food, Tri-tip BBQ, rock and roll music Friday and Saturday nights, and the traditional parade on Sunday, June 1st in Sutter Creek.  For more information, visit the society’s website at www.italiansociety.net and click on “Picnic Information.”