Marathon meetings may become norm

By Kristine Williams/ The Calaveras Enterprise Posted on May 17, 2013 In a marathon board meeting that lasted well past 8 p.m., Calaveras County supervisors approved new board policies that might make Tuesday’s nearly 12-hour meeting the norm. In a revision of board policies and procedures, supervisors voted 4-1 – with District 3 Supervisor Merita Callaway opposed – to allow for an additional public comment period during public hearings so that... Read More

Foothill-Jenny Lind fire merger approved

By Nick Baptista/ The Valley Springs News/ May 22, 2013 Consolidation of Foothill and Jenny Lind fire protection districts into one entity should be completed by July1 when the new fiscal year begins. Calaveras County’s Local Agency Formation Commission has adopted a resolution disbanding the two separate districts and reforming them as one called the Calaveras Consolidated Fire Protection District. The consolidated district will cover the west... Read More

Lack of growth sparks bank to close VS branch

Valley Springs will become a one-bank town when Bank of Rio Vista closes its branch at 2 Nove Way on July 3o. The bank opened its doors in January 2006, but after seven years in operation could not attract enough business to justify remaining open, said David Greiner, Bank of Rio Vista president and CEO. With July’s closure, Umpqua Bank will be Valley Springs’ lone financial institution. “I wish we could have made it work,” Greiner said. The... Read More

New general plan pushed back a year

By Kristine Williams | Posted: Friday, May 17, 2013 8:16 am Calaveras County should have a completely updated general plan by November of 2014 – probably. In a new timeline unveiled at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Planning Director Rebecca Willis announced the new deadline. It provides nearly an additional year tacked onto the original December 2013 deadline approved by the former board last fall. The first deadline, deemed to have... Read More

CCWD to approve contract for Fly-In Acres

Posted: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 /The Calaveras Enterpise The Calaveras County Water District board of directors will  take potential action to approve a contract with Weber-Ghio &  Associates for the design and engineering of the recently approved  Fly-In Acres assessment district in Arnold at its meeting Wednesday. The meeting will commence at 9 a.m. in San Andreas, 423 E. St. Charles St. Fees from the assessment district will be used to replace... Read More

Supervisors face deficit of $2 million

By Kristine Williams | Posted: Friday, May 10, 2013 / The Calaveras Enterprise Calaveras County supervisors had harsh words Tuesday for  Administrative Office staff after a special presentation of the next  fiscal year’s draft budget. Supervisors’ final comments questioned a  “nebulous” introduction to the budget, one that lacked sufficient detail to allow the board to give meaningful direction on how to balance a  near $2 million initial... Read More

School garden blooms in VS

By Kristine Williams | Posted: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 / Tha Calaveras Enterprise A movement is growing at Valley Springs Elementary School.  Parents and their kids got together last month to share in a campus-wide work and donor appreciation day. The all-ages volunteers worked under  the sun to clean up their campus, put plants in the ground and share in a  “local as it gets” lunch, with food provided straight out of the  school’s garden. “We’re... Read More

Fracking’s bad news in California:

Sullied water. Greenhouse gas  pollution. Threatened wildlife. Learn more about the Center for Biological Diversity’s fight to halt  fracking in the Golden State: Don’t Frack With California  Read More

CCWD setting ceiling for rate hikes

Written by Sean Janssen, The Union Democrat  May 06, 2013 12:30 pm http://www.uniondemocrat.com/News/Local-News/CCWD-setting-ceiling-for-rate-hikes Calaveras County Water District directors set the ceiling  last week for impending rate hikes on water and sewer bills. The board Thursday approved a notice to be mailed out to  customers in about two weeks laying out a proposal to increase monthly water  bills up to 25 percent in the coming year... Read More

New planning commissioner signs on

By Kristine Williams | Posted: Tuesday, May 7, 2013    Filling a seat that has been vacant for more than five  months, Valley Springs resident and businesswoman Karen Sisk was appointed to  serve District 5 on the Calaveras County Planning Commission. Sisk, who works as an insurance broker at Placer  Insurance in Valley Springs, stepped forward at the request of District 5  Supervisor Darren Spellman. Former District 5 Commissioner Greg Gustafson... Read More