Judge Rules Against Trinitas

Posted to CalaverasEnterprise.com: Friday, February 10, 2012 9:17 am | Updated: 9:35 am, Fri Feb 10, 2012. After nearly three years of motions, hearings, and appeals, the Trinitas battle appears to have reached a major turning point. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Ronald Sargis has decided to allow the Community Bank of San Joaquin to foreclose on the 280 acres of land which is the principal asset claimed by Michael and Michelle Nemee. Last month, Sargis... Read More

Forest industries of Amador, Calaveras getting $16 million boost

By Dana M. Nichols Record Staff Writer February 03, 2012 12:00 AM SAN ANDREAS – Economically depressed Amador and Calaveras counties are about to receive millions of dollars in forest-restoration funding from the federal government. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced Thursday a 10-year commitment of up to $16 million to revive the health of forest-related industries on national forest lands in the two counties. The Cornerstone... Read More

New Auto Emission Standards Approved

LA Times/SR/Jan 28, 2012 LOS ANGELES- California, long a national leader in cutting auto pollution, pushed the envelope further Friday as state regulators approved rules to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars and put significantly more pollution-free vehicles on the road in coming years. The package of Air Resources Board regulations would require auto manufacturers to offer more zero- or low-emission cars such as battery electric, hydrogen fuel... Read More

Nemees Appeal Federal Judge’s Trinitas Decision

Written by Sean Janssen, The Union Democrat January 03, 2012 12:37 pm The owners of the controversial Trinitas golf course near Wallace are appealing a federal judge’s ruling that the course is not permitted under county code. Ken Foley, the San Andreas attorney representing Michael and Michelle Nemee, filed Thursday to have the appeal heard by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. In October, Judge Ronald Sargis presided... Read More

In Gold Rush Country, Golden Years Lose Their Luster

From the LA Times By Esmeralda Bermudez, Los Angeles Times January 4, 2012 For seniors who arrived in the Sierra Nevada foothills with retirement plans and enough money to buy homes, a dreary economy has turned everything upside-down. Now many are scraping by on a fixed income, a tough task in a place so isolated. Reporting from the Sierra Nevada foothills ~ It was a dream to retire here — in a quaint little town atop a hillside, among the pines... Read More

Final Judgement in Agritourism Trial Entered December 16

Courtesy of the Keep it Rural News Update On December 15, Judge Sargis signed and filed a four-page final Judgment, based upon his 65- page Memorandum Opinion and Decision. The Judgment was entered on the docket December 16. IN BRIEF, THE JUDGMENT: granted the County’s motion to dismiss the Nemees’ claim for injunctive relief; entered judgment for Calaveras County on all claims, denying the Nemees relief “on each and every claim asserted in... Read More

Judge Holds Off Trinitas Bank Seizure

Golf goes on as foreclosure sale put off until 2012 By Dana M. Nichols Record Staff Writer December 08, 2011 12:00 AM MODESTO – It appears that golf will continue until at least Jan. 27 at the troubled Trinitas golf course near Wallace, after a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge Wednesday denied a bank’s request to seize the property and sell it at auction. Community Bank of San Joaquin had asked Judge Ronald Sargis to lift a stay that has been... Read More

UPUD Announces Open Seat on Water Board

The board of directors of the Union Public Utility District is calling for applications to fill a vacancy on the board. Director and Vic President of the Board, Raymond Behrbaum resigned on November 7. His resignation was accepted at the November 16th board meeting and the board is now looking for someone to complete his term until the next scheduled election in 2013. UPUD is a special district serving Murphys, Douglas Flat, Vallecito, the Six Mile... Read More

Nemees Will Appeal Trinitas Decision, Attorney Says

Calaveras Enterprise Read the original article here. Trinitas owners Michael and Michelle Nemee plan to appeal a federal judge’s ruling that their golf course does not constitute agritourism, their attorney, Ken Foley of San Andreas, said Wednesday. In a 65-page opinion released last week, U.S. bankruptcy court Judge Ronald Sargis declared golf as an ineligible form of agritourism in Calaveras County. “The Board of Supervisors has used... Read More

Trinitas Bankruptcy Court Supports County Definition of Agritourism

In a 65-page decision filed November 21, 2011, Judge Ronald H. Sargis upheld the Calaveras Board of Supervisor’s decision that golf is not Agritourism, and rejected the Nemee’s argument that they were misled by the County. The judge went on to grant the County’s request for an injunction on commercial golfing at Trinitas. Unless the judge’s decision is appealed, the injunction will take effect on January 27, 2012. The decision is part of... Read More