Waste Management’s Cal-Sierra Disposal will make every effort to collect both waste and recycling carts.  However, waste collection is our priority, and we may not be able to service all recycling containers. 

Customers who have not received their regular service this week due to these conditions will be serviced double on their next scheduled service day at no additional charge.

For more information on local service and weather conditions, please contact Waste Management at (209) 532-1413.

Justin J. Caporusso
Communications Manager
Sacramento/Nevada Area
Waste Management
(916) 501-4280 – Direct
(775) 335-9705 – Direct

Sonora -The Tuolumne County Office of Emergency Services (OES) would like to inform Tuolumne County residents and visitors that the National Weather Service has posted a notice for periods of heavy rain over the Sierra Nevada and foothills of Central California Friday afternoon, December 17th, through Friday, December 24th.

Tuolumne County residents and visitors are reminded to prepare for this storm by:

• Reducing or eliminating unnecessary travel during the storm period;
• Having emergency supplies on hand: sandbags in flood-prone zones, food/water, flashlights, battery operated radio, live batteries, prescriptions medications, etc.
• Checking in on neighbors who may have special needs – in advance of the storm;
• Preparing for the potential of power outages due to wind, downed trees, etc.;
• Removing debris from gutters and drainage areas;
• Placing sandbags out before storms arrive in flood-prone zones;
• Checking to insure pets/livestock are safe, especially those that live outdoors;
• Listening to your local radio and television stations for changing weather conditions; and
• Please, call #911 only when it’s truly an emergency.

Sandbags Available

The following locations have emergency supplies of sand for use by residents at their homes and businesses:

• Columbia Airport, Airport Road (back of parking lot);
• Tuolumne Road Yard, corner of Birch and Baker Streets; and
• Groveland Road Yard, Hwy 120 and Wards Ferry Rd. (contact Groveland Fire for assistance).

The following stores have empty sandbags for sale:

• Twain Harte Hardware;
• Andy’s Hardware;
• JS West;
• Orchard Supply Hardware;
• Hurst Ranch Supply; and
• Tractor Supply.

Tuolumne County Fire, CalFire, Public Works, public safety, and law enforcement personnel are on standby and will remain so for the duration.

If you’re like our family, during the protracted power outages last week due to early, low snow, you wondered what it was like for PG&E and road crews working outside for days to restore power to thousands of Tuolumne County residents.

While it was certainly cold and dark in our homes (at least one constituent told me her family dined on tomato soup on Thanksgiving), it was exponentially worse out there in the weather.

A friend of our family works for PG&E and sent us a note about his Tuolumne County Thanksgiving week. I thought you might like to read it – he has graciously allowed  me to post it here.

If you’d like to thank him and others for getting the juice back on, post a comment at www.TeriMurrison.com or on Facebook and I’ll see he gets it.

Dear Teri and Rich,

Monday thru Friday I spent in Tuolumne County.  It was a disaster zone in a band that included Mi-Wuk, Twain Harte, Tuolumne, Cedar Ridge and Columbia—trees down, broken poles and crossarms, wires down, all over the place.

We got that second heavy snow on…Tuesday?  That dashed any hopes of going home for Thanksgiving.  The company canceled all vacations.

We had troublemen and crews from as far away as Bakersfield, and contract crews from who-knows-where.  In many cases, access was a huge problem.  Several guys were patrolling lines on snowshoes.  We got a break in the weather for a couple of days, so they were able to bring in helicopters to patrol lines that hadn’t been assessed yet. That was a huge help–they can get more done in 15 minutes than we could do in a week.  It is expensive, but it is the right tool for the job, and it pays for itself in a hurry.

Unfortunately[because of laptop limitations, dealing with contract crews, etc.],  it was not a smooth operation, though…more like mass confusion.  Only a handful could do their jobs the way we normally do them, sending and receiving work via the electronic media.  The rest were on paper.  And it was a huge pile of paper!  That was a bottleneck.

Often we would get a line cleared (or so we thought) and restored, then something else would cause it to go out again.  That was frustrating for all concerned.  By Wednesday, my joints hurt and my fingernails hurt, of all things.  I put my chains on and took them off quite a bit.

Not too many places had turnarounds, so I had to back out of a lot of long driveways and even a mile or so on some county roads with limited snow clearing.  My most challenging driving was trying to travel in reverse about a quarter mile, alone in the back country, with a cliff on one side and a ditch on the other, downhill, in whiteout conditions, while my mirrors were loading up with snow…sheesh.  Forward was bad enough…backward was badder.  The mirrors had heaters, a nice feature, but couldn’t keep up with the blizzard.

Thursday evening, the company catered with Black Oak Casino to bring us a big turkey dinner at the yard.  We ate as we got the chance, a few at a time, on paper plates, but it was good.

By Friday morning, we still had over 1,000 customers out of power.  I worked on my last outage (one of those repeat outages) in Twain Harte Friday night the 26th just after dark. I cut a tree out of the line while a crew replaced a broken insulator, and we got power restored.  By nightfall, we got it down to 27 customers still out (undoubtedly more than that, but only 27 known and reported), so they released us.  I was so happy to go home!

I must say this.  Every person we talked to, without exception, was grateful for our efforts.  People stopped me and thanked me repeatedly.  I found a handwritten note on my truck’s driver side door at the motel early Friday morning saying, “Thanks 4 all your hard work”.

People who had been out of power for days, desperate for heat and electricity and water, were so very thankful that we were there working on it, and especially that we were giving up precious family time to do it.  When we were finally able to close fuses for a test and it held, it was a great feeling, every time.

You guys and gals are heros up here. Thank you, thank you!

Just in case your power is still out: Red Cross has opened a Warming Center for PG&E customers experiencing extended outages from the recent winter storm.

Red Cross volunteers will be providing meals and blankets at Word of Life Fellowship, Inc., 24630 CA-108, Mi Wuk Village, CA 95346 (please note: this location has changed from Twain Harte Elementary).

Thanks to the volunteers at Word of Life for helping out. Happy Thanksgiving!

If not, you wouldn’t enjoy the appointment, trust me. If so, do we ever have an opportunity for you to consider. At our November meeting, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to post a notice of vacancy to fill two Board-appointed committee appointments – one economic and one environmental – to attempt a third rewrite of the Plan.

The Clerk will be out of the office next week and then the entire county will be on furlough the week of Thanksgiving. Your best bet is to contact the County Administrator’s office for an application at 533-5511 next week or contact the Board Clerk at 533-5521 between Nov. 29th and Dec. 6th.

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT TO FILL VACANCY

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF Section 54974 of the Government Code that a vacancy has occurred on the following Board, Commissions, Committees or Advisory Groups:

Title of Office Committee member to work with staff to revise the land use plan/coordination plan for Tuolumne County

2 Vacancies

• 1 environmental
• 1 industry

Applications may be obtained from, and must be returned to, the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors prior to 5:00 p.m. on December 6, 2010. The Board of Supervisors will meet on or after Tuesday, December 7, 2010 and appoint a qualified person [persons?], if applications are received, or as necessary thereafter until the vacancy is filled.

Date posted: November 3, 2010

/s/ Alicia Jamar
Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

Throughout the West today, local governments experience resistance from USFS officials who refuse to coordinate as mandated by Congress and the Secretary of Agriculture. Instead, they encourage local governments to accept cooperating agency status, a much lesser role in decision-making processes.

Local governments that become cooperating agencies lose an opportunity to negotiate for consistency. In fact, they give up coordination status, instead sitting at the decision-making table with no leverage whatsoever.

For several years, Wyoming’s Fremont County Commissioners were involved with the USFS’ interdisciplinary planning team as a cooperating agency. Commissioners grew frustrated because their input during planning sessions was not reflected in USFS plans. Not only were County positions not incorporated, they were never discussed further and no reasons were given for discounting their input.

Ultimately, Commissioners advised the Forest Supervisor they intended to engage in the coordination process. Commissioners said they would stay at the planning table, but insisted the provisions of coordination in statute and USFS rules must be strictly followed. As a result, Fremont County Commissioners’ input began to be taken seriously. Their experience illustrates a considerable difference between coordination and cooperation.

In California Resources Agency v. USDA, (September 29, 2009), the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California held that the USFS is obligated under the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and its own planning rules to coordinate with local and state governments. In that case, the State of California sued USDA, charging that the plans issued for the Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres, and San Bernardino National Forests were issued without coordination with the State as required by law.

The USFS argued that it had talked with the State and listened to the State’s position, satisfying the coordination mandate. The Court disagreed. It held coordination requires far more than just listening to the position of the state or local government. It requires consistency analyses of policies and the consideration of alternatives to resolve them.

The Court also pointed out that USFS failed to discuss the State’s Roadless Rule in its Record of Decision (ROD), and thus failed to address inconsistencies between the State’s Rule and the ROD. The USFS employed the same argument now utilized by Region 5 officials who refuse to coordinate with local governments in the same state – California – where the court decision was issued.

PRESS RELEASE

Sonora, CA – District Three Tuolumne County Supervisor Teri Murrison will be the guest on Mother Lode Views this weekend.

Murrison, who is finishing out her final term in office, will talk about issues facing her district. Five straight Mother Lode Views programs are focusing on the individual Supervisors. It is a chance to hear about issues straight from the elected officials. The following week’s show will showcase District Four Supervisor John Gray and then District Five Supervisor Dick Pland. Previous guests included District One Supervisor Liz Bass and District Two Supervisor Paolo Maffei.

Mother Lode Views will air Saturday morning at 9:30 and Sunday morning at 8:30 on AM-1450 KVML. Mother Lode Views can also be heard Sunday morning at eight o’clock on 93.5 KKBN and an hour later on STAR 92.7.

For our extensive audio archive of past interviews on Mother Lode Views click on the “Multimedia” tab and on “Mother Lode Views” or keyword: mlviews

Written by BJ Hansen

Where’s Gary?  He DID take this photo… Come on, Gary. Post some photos of yourself, will ya?!

Gary Sipperley is an action hero. He’s a Peace Corp volunteer, talented writer, friend, and uber citizen. What he accomplished last Tuesday from Ethiopia was a big win for him and Tuolumne County.

Gary was the editor of the Sierra Mountain Times (SMT) in Twain Harte when I ran for supervisor in 2005/06. When he asked questions, I saw wheels turning. Fast ones. He was not adversarial, but neither did he try to make friends or influence. He told the truth.

He’s become a favorite constituent.

He eventually left the SMT and awhile back joined the Peace Corp in Ethiopia, working to prevent HIV there. Like other Peace Corp volunteers, he exchanged a comfortable home here  for primitive housing and work of great significance. Although his work predominantly benefits the Ethiopian people now, last Tuesday he scored for us big-time.

About two years ago,  he contacted me to ask if there was a way to get his road plowed when it snows. His home is on a non-county-maintained, very steep road that is treacherous in winter. We tried the usual channels and discovered there is a way, but the cost and obstacles to achieving it were insurmountable.

Gary wouldn’t give up. He emailed, made personal visits, spoke before the Board, and emailed some more. He even emailed from Ethiopia. Tuesday, he prevailed.

Anyone who lives on a non-county maintained road in Tuolumne County knows how frustrating it is to drive unplowed roads in the winter. When our Board passed an ordinance allowing property owners to approve a parcel tax to bring their road up to county standards, maintain, and plow it in perpetuity, staff discovered that the advance work was prohibitively expensive. Since those costs can only be recouped when 2/3 of the impacted property owners vote to assess themselves and they might not choose to do so (the advance work alone including engineering is around $10,000)  , Gary couldn’t get past first base.

He politely and respectfully continued his campaign anyway.

The first time the Board considered his request, it didn’t look good. But we asked staff to make it work. And you know what? They did. Public Works Director Peter Rei, his staff, and Counsel Carlyn Drivdahl found a way. Here’s how it will work:

The county will establish a  trust fund to be used to cover the costs of determining parcel assessments to inform the property owners. Folks like Gary and his neighbors will deposit $1,500 in advance and gather signatures from 75% of the property owners on their road so the engineering can start and a measure to consider an assessment can be placed on a ballot. Based on the subsequent high likelihood of success, the county will go ahead. When it’s approved the advance will be added to and the trust fund repaid via their annual assessment.

Gary made it happen – he scored his goal.

Good job, Citizen Sipperley.  You’re a veritable action hero!

So now the question is, what will Gary take on next? He’s got another year or more in the Peace Corp, but before he left there were still improvements in Twain Harte he wanted to see happen. A bocce ball court, for one.

Gary may be in Ethiopia, but hey, it could happen.

If Citizen Sipperley can do what he did on Tuesday, a bocce ball court should be a cake-walk for him.

California Attack     

Bear Attack on Eldorado National Forest

New Mexico Attack     

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTD5RsGPa3Q

Public lands managers note such incidents are on the upswing. Cheryl Carrothers, Regional Wildlife Program Leader for the USFS Pacific Southwest Region, issued an email heads up to regional forests and district rangers on July 2nd, just before the holiday weekend:

“I just wanted to make sure you were all aware.  We have had multiple incidents with bears this year and the frequency is increasing.  Please pass on our concerns to your folks and forest visitors.  Keeping safe distances between bears and humans is a priority, restricting access to food and other attractants is the primary way to ensure this happens!”

We’re posting two videos we found on YouTube below.  Obviously, the views expressed are those of the authors and not this supervisor. Confirm their methods with a ranger before you go and be prepared. And it goes without saying that if you live up here, precautions aren’t just for campers…

Remember, wild things aren’t tame. Be careful, will ya?

A FED BEAR IS A DEAD BEAR: how to take care of your food    

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBvzvfDmzMI&feature=related

SURVIVAL 101: according to Backpacker Magazine, what to do if you encounter a bear    

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dfd18Zfv2U&feature=related

As you know from this blog, the closure of the mill (along with two other SPI mills) last year was devastating to the local economy. MANY jobs (direct and indirect) were lost here and a number of folks moved away to find work.

This is great news from an economic standpoint alone. But we have the added benefit of once again having  a local facility where forest products can be processed – important from a fire fuels management perspective. That’s major!

Thanks, SPI and TCEDA and county staff for the elbow grease it took to make this work.

Go Team Tuolumne!

***********

For Immediate Release Contact: Larry Cope, 209-989-4058

PRESS RELEASE

Sierra Pacific Industries to Retool Sawmill at Sonora: Will Create 130 Jobs

In a Joint Announcement, Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) and the Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority (TCEDA) today announced that SPI is making a major investment in Tuolumne County by retooling its sawmill in Sonora, updating an older mill that closed there in 2009. This facility, when completed, will incorporate state-of-the-art technology to produce lumber from a wider array of log sizes than was possible under the older configuration. Remodeling of the old plant is expected to begin by mid-July, and the updated facility is planned for operation in May of 2011. This announcement does not impact the SPI cedar fencing mill in Chinese Camp, which currently employs about 80 people.

“We are investing in the future of this community,” said SPI area manager Ryan Land. “Lumber markets have improved modestly and by increasing the range of acceptable log sizes we will be able to bring family-wage jobs back to this area,” he added. SPI continues to invest in its forests and mills to grow more trees and enhance productivity while protecting the environment and creating jobs,” Land went on to say. He added that Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority director Larry Cope has worked cooperatively with SPI to retool the mill and restore jobs to the community.

The Sonora mill closed in July 2009 amid weakness in the lumber market, reduced timber harvests on nearby national forest lands, and increasing state regulatory burdens. In addition, the plant was configured to only accept larger-diameter logs. “When combined, these factors left us no choice but to close the plant,” said Land. At that time about 130 employees were affected by the closure. About that same number of employees will be hired when the retooled plant begins production in 2011.

SPI spokesman Mark Pawlicki stated, “Retooling this mill will help California meet its own demand for wood products, rather than importing lumber from faraway places with lower environmental standards.” “The time has come when more of the lumber needed in this state can be produced in California’s mills,” he added.

Retooling of the mill will be managed by Sierra Pacific Industries. It is anticipated that SPI will hire local workers to help with the project.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Sierra Pacific Industries is a third-generation family-owned forest products company based in Anderson, California. The firm owns and manages nearly 1.9 million acres of timberland in California and Washington, and is the second largest lumber producer in the United States. Sierra Pacific Industries is committed to managing its lands in a responsible and sustainable manner to protect the environment while providing quality wood products and renewable power for consumers.

The Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority (TCEDA) promotes the County of Tuolumne, including the City of Sonora, as a dynamic business location and provides business with essential information needed when locating or expanding business in the Sierra – Mother Lode Area of California.

TCEDA’s mission is to facilitate a local economy that is innovative, resilient and diverse, by assisting in business formation, developing a skilled workforce, supporting local businesses, and attracting innovative companies to Tuolumne County.

###