Timing of Civil Suit Questioned as Trinitas Trial Reaches First Tee

By Dana M. Nichols Record Staff Writer October 14, 2011 12:00 AM MODESTO – A long-awaited trial on whether commercial golf is legal on farmland in Calaveras County opened with fireworks Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Modesto. The owners of the 280-acre Trinitas golf course on the west edge of Calaveras County say their course is “agritourism” needed to support their olive orchard. County officials say golf is not... Read More

EPA Puts Tuolumne, Stanislaus on List of Polluted Waterways

Written by Union Democrat staff October 12, 2011 12:38 pm Portions of the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Merced rivers have been added to a list of polluted California waterways. The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday announced the rivers’ inclusion on its list of “California Impaired Waters,” making the determination based on high water temperatures, an indication of poor water quality. The report focused on 24 California waterways... Read More

Jenny Lind Fire Goes 24/7 with Paid Staffing Next Month

The Valley Springs News, October 5, 2011   By Nick Baptista The Jenny Lind Fire Protection District is moving forward to have round-the-clock coverage beginning Nov. 1. The district’s Board of Directors last month approved a plan by Fire Chief Kim Olson to have at least one firefighter at the main station 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The predominately volunteer fire department has two paid positions, with the board’s action adding... Read More

Chase Away the Dark Fundraiser

Sunday, October 23, from 3 to 5 pm at the Hotel Lejer on Main Street in Mokelumne Hill.  Join your friends and neighbors for a fun afternoon of tasty appetizers, drinks. lively conversation and an opportunity to find out how you can help preserve the beauty and rural values of Calaveras County.  Your hosts will be the Comnnunity Action Project (CAP) and the BOS “on call Project. We have the opportunity to create a future for our county that... Read More

Bluegrass for the Moke! Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum in Concert

Friday, October 28, 7:30 pm Mokelumne Hill Town Hall Don’t miss this special bluegrass concert to benefit efforts to Save the Mokelumne River!  Laurie Lewis (vocals, fiddle. guitar) and Tom Rozum (vocals, mandolin, guitar) are among the finest performers in bluegrass today.  They’ll be appearing at the Mokelumne Hill Town Hall on Friday, October 28, in a special concert to Save the Moke. Click here for more information. Save the... Read More

Is California Violating Fish & Wildlife Protection Laws?

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – September 21 – A coalition of conservation and sportsmen’s groups formally notified the state of California today that the state’s management program for timber harvest is out of compliance with laws designed to protect the state’s fish and wildlife. Recent changes in program funding have largely eliminated California Department of Fish and Game review of decisions by the California Department of Forestry (Cal Fire),... Read More

National Forests In California Provide Benefit To Local Economies

VALLEJO, Calif., Sep. 14, 2011—Outdoor recreation activities in California’s national forests contributed $2 billion dollars to local economies and helped sustain an estimated 38,000 jobs in 2010. The U.S. Forest Service’s National Visitor Use Monitoring report released Aug. 19 shows that national forests attracted 170.8 million recreational visitors nationwide and sustained approximately 223,000 jobs in rural communities across the country. “The... Read More

Big Bar Put In on the Mokelumne is Open

A new Mokelumne River access point along Highway 49 is open for business. The Big Bar “put-in/take-out” facility for boaters opened to the public Sept. 5 with 18 parking spaces, rest rooms and an interpretive kiosk. Jim Eicher, an associate manager in the Bureau of Land Management’s Mother Lode field office, said the agency began exploring the idea for a recreation facility at the site about 25 years ago. “This opens up more recreation... Read More

Mokelumne River Annual Clean Up Day – September 17th

By The Record August 31, 2011 12:00 AM MOKELUMNE HILL – The Foothill Conservancy is inviting volunteers to join in the annual cleanup day Sept. 17 for the Mokelumne River.  The cleanup will take place at six sites stretching from Pioneer in the mountain portion of the river to the banks of the lower Mokelumne near Clements, in San Joaquin County.  The Mokelumne cleanup day is held along with cleanups of other Sierra Nevada rivers as well as... Read More

San Joaquin County Supervisors Oppose Bird Refuge Expansion

By Alex Breitler Record Staff Writer August 31, 2011 12:00 AM STOCKTON – County leaders on Tuesday condemned the concept of a national wildlife refuge in San Joaquin County, even before one has been formally proposed. After hearing from farmers with a truckload of worries, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to oppose the expansion of the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge from Stanislaus County in the south to an area roughly west of... Read More