CURRENT NEWS & REPORTS

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2013

New general plan pushed back a year
Calaveras County should have a completely updated general plan by November of 2014 – probably... A whole host of "things" still threaten the timely delivery of the plan, including countywide buildout numbers... –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, May 17, 2013

Calaveras' blueprint hits another roadblock
Pretty much everyone involved, including the developers, environmental groups and county leaders, agrees they want the finished plan to stand up in court. "I want to thank the Calaveras Planning Coalition for their letter and input," Callaway said... –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, May 16, 2013

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... –Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, May 10, 2013

Supervisors face deficit of $2 million
Calaveras County supervisors had harsh words Tuesday for Administrative Office staff after a special presentation of the next fiscal year's draft budget..."This doesn't bode well," said District 3 Supervisor Merita Callaway in her closing comments.–Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, May 10, 2013

New deadline for general plan
Planning Department staff members will present a new timeline and scope of work plan to supervisors and seek direction regarding amending the county's contract with Raney Planning...–Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, May 10, 2013

New planning commissioner signs on
Valley Springs resident and businesswoman Karen Sisk was appointed to serve District 5 on the Calaveras County Planning Commission... "Going to those community meetings started it," she said. "I came from the Bay Area and I didn't like the way it grew." –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, May 7, 2013

Water element gains steam
After a failed initial attempt to add a water element into Calaveras County's general plan, General Manager Mitch Dion of the Calaveras County Water District hopes to breathe new life into the effort. "The water element is essential because water is closely tied to economic growth and development..." –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, May 7, 2013

CCWD setting ceiling for rate hikes
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 and a cumulative 71 percent by mid-2017. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, May 6, 2013

CCWD set to raise its rates
20 percent boost first year
Board member and former CCWD President Don Stump said that years of neglecting capital expenditure upgrades has forced the district's hand. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 30, 2013

New push to increase housing
Calaveras County is seeking to make housing more available and more affordable to residents who need it most. That was one of the main findings in an annual status report... –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 30, 2013

General plan won't be on time
Back in the fall of 2012, supervisors set a 12-month deadline, a time frame Willis described as "hugely optimistic and accelerated" and District 2 Supervisor Chris Wright characterized as a "politically motivated" move by the former board. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 26, 2013

Water manager lays out vision
Freshman Calaveras County Water District General Manager Mitch Dion has been fascinated by water since his days as a young man adventuring in the Sierra Nevada..."We need to really embrace adaptive management," he continued. "We can't afford to sit back and study and study and study."–Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 26, 2013

Copper holds town hall meeting with a twist
Supervisor Ponte was pleased with the turnout..."Hopefully other districts might do the same kind of thing. It's important that we provide some level of outreach to our communities," she said.–Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 26, 2013

CCWD on verge of rate hikes
The district needs to fund about $40 million to $45 million in improvements...The highest sewer system priority is to upgrade pumps and additional storage near Tulloch Reservoir in Copperopolis –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, April 23, 2013

Fire districts fight tight budgets
Extra precautions for fire safety may be prudent this summer. Lacking money, the 11 fire service districts in Calaveras County are struggling to make needed upgrades and to hire reliable paid staff. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 23, 2013

Builders constructing environmental agreements
Near the peak of last decade's building boom, air quality officials approved an innovative yet controversial rule holding developers accountable for new pollution caused by growth. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, April 23, 2013

Nemee civil rights case dismissed
The case, which is an appeal from a loss in a lower court, was dismissed without prejudice by Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill, after San Andreas attorney Ken Foley missed a deadline...–Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 23, 2013

$12M suit against Calaveras dismissed
A would-be Wallace-area developer's $12 million lawsuit against Calaveras County and its former employees, for alleged civil rights violations, has been dismissed by a U.S. District Court judge. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, April 18, 2013

County lags in building rebound
A Bureau of Labor Statistics report released earlier this month noted a single bright spot for March's Employment Report – construction-related jobs are trending upward across the nation, and Calaveras County is no exception. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 16, 2013

Tulloch vacation-rental regs back
Willis said the publication is now lined up for a vote on the ordinance at the next supervisors' meeting April 23. If approved, it will take effect on May 23. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, April 15, 2013

'Hopper' to connect residents to retail
A trip on public transit to the grocery store might become a little less convoluted in Calaveras County... and the final route would connect Rancho Calaveras to in-county retail and grocery services and beyond, also ending in Jackson. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 12, 2013

Wagon Trail project still moseys along
Yet another public meeting was held to discuss the contentious Wagon Trail Realignment Project Wednesday evening in Copperopolis. The project affects a roughly 6.5-mile winding stretch of Highway 4 between Copperopolis and Angels Camp. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 12, 2013

Work set for 2018 on winding Highway 4
About 100 people attended an open house with project planners and engineers Wednesday night to hear and see the latest on the project estimated at $56 million to complete. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, April 11, 2013

Supervisors to add extra night meeting
In order to further encourage attendance during the evening... the meetings will deal with specific topics likely to draw crowds. July's meeting will center on the General Plan update. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 12, 2013

Calaveras board adds on meetings
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors is preparing to meet more often and sometimes in the evenings... four board members agreed when a board member chooses to abstain from a vote...they will be recorded as having voted with the majority. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, April 10, 2013

Animal Services making 'huge, huge' strides
The "future" involves a potential new 17,000-square-foot building complete with formal adoption viewing areas and space to house large animals next to the new county courthouse and jail. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 12, 2013

New site for Cal animal shelter eyed
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday directed Animal Services management to focus on a parcel of land next to the new courthouse as the site for a new animal shelter.–Click here for article—The Union Democrat, April 10, 2013

New animal shelter isn't going very far
It now looks like a new, modern Calaveras County animal shelter will rise just a stone's throw away from the dilapidated concrete block building that houses the present shelter. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, April 10, 2013

TUD wants promised NM water
Some Tuolumne Utilities District leaders want to see water from New Melones in local hands... Board members said they want to find a way to pursue that water despite the fact that state and federal agencies now say it is no longer available.–Click here for article—The Union Democrat, April 10, 2013

Rebounding Home Prices
The housing bubble burst around 2006, and the Calaveras County Association of Realtors reports that prices made strong gains over the first quarter of this year. Median property values jumped by 17.5% over the past quarter, and 24.52% compared to the same quarter of last year. –Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, April 5, 2013

Angels Council discusses, defines tree ordinance
Reesman said although a city's general plan needs a protected tree ordinance, she suggested Angels Camp's "not be so burdensome that the city couldn't enforce it." –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 5, 2013

CCWD chief warns of water grab
Concern is growing about the future of water supplies throughout the foothills, especially in light of a new Central Valley Delta water plan being rolled out and a continuing population increase throughout the state. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 5, 2013

Report: Calaveras 'Cash Cow' needs reining in
If your neighbor puts up an enormous, ugly and illegal sign that spoils the view from your front window, you might have to just live with it for a while. At least that's true if you live in Calaveras County. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, April 3, 2013

Report: Building code not enforced
Building code enforcement officials are overwhelmed in Calaveras County despite the fact the county should have ample funds to do something about it, according to an interim Grand Jury report released late last week. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, April 2, 2013

Code Compliance fails to do its job, grand jury says
Overworked staff faces pile of complaints
"Designed for disaster," was the phrase used by Calaveras County's Chief Building Official Jeff White in regards to the high volume of code complaints the Building Department addresses regularly. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 2, 2013

Calaveras OKs bike path despite sharp criticism
Calaveras County is going ahead with plans to build a sidewalk and bicycle path to Jenny Lind Elementary School despite a bitter dispute with school officials over the path. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, March 31, 2013

Disputed school path OK'd
Deadline forces county to act
Calaveras County's Public Works Department was given the go ahead Tuesday to proceed with the first phase of a federally funded Safe Routes to School project for Jenny Lind Elementary School despite a lack of support from Calaveras Unified School District. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, March 29, 2013

Supervisors hear call for more jobs
"I didn't hear a lot of commonality," said Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Davidson at the session's conclusion... "We do have some very talented and smart people in this county and I would ask that those folks come forward and get involved. We're talking about our future here," said Edson. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, March 29, 2013

Calaveras' sagging economy spurs gathering of business leaders, officials
Cliff Edson, one of the newest members of the Board of Supervisors, knows firsthand the dismal economic conditions in Calaveras County... –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, March 28, 2013

Calaveras wants to bolster economy
The economic situation of Calaveras County leaves a lot to be desired. "Today, the county's shrinking," Davidson said. "Who are we shrinking? We're shrinking our workforce." –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, March 27, 2013

Board adopts Tulloch rental ordinance
The new ordinance requires all short-term rental property owners in Lake Tulloch subdivisions to file an administrative use permit prior to renting their properties. Permits can be revoked if property managers fail to control their tenants...–Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, March 29, 2013

Tulloch rental regulations approved
It will take effect in one month, but at that point rental owners have three months to apply for permits, and capacity and off-street parking rules will not be in effect for the first year. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, March 27, 2013

Ordinance may keep peace at vacation hub
Homeowners in Lake Tulloch area will need special permit for renters After years of discussion and months of revisions, Calaveras County has a new ordinance regulating the popular waterfront vacation rental houses on the shores of Lake Tulloch near Copperopolis. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, March 27, 2013

Valley Springs growth projected for a steep decline
The Valley Springs area, which along with Rancho Calaveras has been the juggernaut of Calaveras County's population growth the past three decades, has been earmarked for relatively little growth under a proposed General Plan Land Use Map discussed Tuesday... –Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, March 22, 2013

County puts its future on the map
General plan takes a big step forward
As promised, Calaveras County's emerging general plan envisions more open space on the outskirts of larger, core communities...Yellow was the designated color of rural housing tracts that largely lay outside existing town centers. Instead, the new map transformed these lands to green and they are now labeled "resource production" lands. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, March 22, 2013

Calaveras sees more green in future
The "sea of yellow" is on its way out. Calaveras County officials use that term for areas marked in yellow on planning maps that have long designated huge swaths of the county for future rural housing tracts. Instead, a new map being created... designates those areas in green... –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, March 21, 2013

Calaveras leaders tackle land plan
Years-old discontent about a policy long chided as Calaveras' "40 acres and a mule" and planning for the Valley Springs area were voiced at a public hearing Tuesday on the latest draft land use map... –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, March 20, 2013

California Ranchers Worried About Drought
...about two-thirds of the state is dealing with less than half of the average rainfall... Cattle and calves are the state's fifth leading commodity. –Click here for article—CAP Radio, March 20, 2013

S.J. County General Plan—Land-use hearings cover wide swath of ground
As officials continue to update the San Joaquin County General Plan, more property owners Tuesday made their pitches to add homes where there is now farmland, put industry where there are homes, add new retail centers or otherwise change how land is used... –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, March 20, 2013

Shrinking county still eyes growth
Calaveras County is now shrinking but is planning for an estimated 80,539 more residents in the next 22 years, according to calculations in a staff report on the ongoing General Plan land use guide update released late last week. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, March 18, 2013

General plan's land use map to debut Tuesday
The communities of Copperopolis, Valley Springs, San Andreas and District 2... are now included. "This is the kick off to proceed with developing general plan goals, policies and the requisite general plan elements. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, March 15, 2013

County eases rules on residential building
Property owners looking to add a second small home or tenant space to their property will navigate through a much simpler bureaucratic process... supervisors unanimously adopted a proposed zoning amendment to allow accessory dwellings by right in any parcel zoned as single-family residential. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, March 15, 2013

Report: CEQA Helping, Not Hindering Renewable Development
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California's landmark environmental law, has taken a lot of heat lately with accusations that special interests have used the law to obstruct necessary projects... But a new report released this month says that far from hindering the development of a new, greener infrastructure for the state, CEQA may have actually promoted such development... –Click here for article—KCET.org Rewire, March 14, 2013

Parties to go on at Lake Tulloch homes
When the vacation rental code amendments come back to the board on March 26, they will be modified to give the owners of vacation rentals a way to avoid, for another year, new county rules that would limit how many people they can pack into each home's bedrooms. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, March 14, 2013

'Granny flats' get go ahead
A decade after California enacted a law to make it easier to construct secondary housing, better known as "mother-in-law" units or "granny flats," Calaveras County is coming in line with it. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, March 13, 2013

Calaveras broadens homeowners' rights to build on property
Building a second home or in-law cottage behind an existing house just got easier in Calaveras County... Previously, county code limited second units to lots of an acre or larger. The new code, in contrast, sets no minimum lot size and allows a second unit on any lot zoned for single-family homes. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, March 13, 2013

Ranch preservation
Kermeen is hopeful a successful completion of the conservation easement at the famous ranch will lead to more interest and activity for the land trust. "There are a lot of misconceptions out there we want to alleviate," he said. "It's not a taking. It's completely voluntary. It's not government coming in and preserving open space on people who don't want it." –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, March 13, 2013

Many buildings vacant in Calaveras County
No one tracks exactly how many vacant commercial buildings there are in Calaveras County. But government officials, real estate professionals and property owners say the number remains high half a decade after the housing crash threw the region's economy into reverse. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, March 8, 2013

CCWD refinances loans to save $324,000
During its Feb. 27 board meeting, Calaveras County Water District announced that its staff has closed a loan with BBVA Compass to refinance some of the district's 2004 revenue bonds at a lower interest rate. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, March 8, 2013

Noise regs miff Tulloch Resort's owner
A "special events" ordinance that will take effect Tuesday in Calaveras County is designed by planners to streamline the permit process but the owner of The Resort at Lake Tulloch calls it "a joke"... –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, March 6, 2013

River group agrees on projects
After more than five years, a stakeholders' group of Stanislaus and Tuolumne river interests has reached agreement on a list of projects for which they will seek an estimated $3.6 million in funding... –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, March 1, 2013

Lode project turned down Castle & Cooke loses bid to build 580 houses in Copperopolis
Sometimes, love isn't enough..."I think Castle & Cooke is an honorable developer," Ponte said. But she also reluctantly concluded that Sawmill Lake is "a project we really can't approve."–Click here for article—The Stockton Record, March 4, 2013

Sawmill Lake struck down in a 5-0 vote
For Copperopolis resident Eva Keyzer, Copperopolis Town Square was reason enough to deny the project. "The majority of businesses are vacant. There are seven developments in Copper and not one is built out. Please consider what our county needs before you approve a project that jeopardizes what we have to offer"… –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, March 1, 2013

Board rejects Sawmill Lake 5-0
A controversial 580-home housing development adjacent to Copperopolis Town Square must go back to the drawing board after a 5-0 vote Tuesday to deny the project "without prejudice." –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, February 27, 2013

Error drives up cost of new lode jail site
An architect's error this week added almost $300,000 to the cost of the new Calaveras County Jail and Sheriff's Office administration building under construction in San Andreas...it initially looked like it would cost as much as $531,489 to add the dampers.–Click here for article—The Stockton Record, March 2, 2013

Shooting rules are up for renewal
In an open letter distributed Wednesday, Calaveras District Ranger Teresa McClung writes that the two-year provisional rules that limit the hours weapons can be fired at the quarry — infamously within earshot of Hathaway Pines subdivisions — will be renewed.–Click here for article—The Union Democrat, March 1, 2013

Fire districts ready to take another step to consolidate
The proposed merger calls for Foothill and Jenny Lind fire districts to be dissolved and the formation of the consolidated district covering 163 square miles. The proposed new district would encompass nearly a quarter of the county's landmass and a third of its population, approximately 15,000 residents.—Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, March 1, 2013

Why planning directors don't last in Calaveras County
There must be a reason that six different people have held the top land use planning job in Calaveras County over the last seven years... The same people who say they want to make Calaveras County an easy place to do business somehow balk at taking all the steps needed to achieve that goal. –Click here for article—Dana Nichols Blog, February 28, 2013

California starts year with record dry conditions
California is poised to shatter an all-time weather record by notching the driest January-February period in recorded history across the northern Sierra Nevada. –Click here for article—The Sacramento Bee, February 27, 2013

Latest General Plan update expenses draw public ire
The slow and costly Calaveras County General Plan update came under public criticism at Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting. The board's consent agenda...contained two General Plan update expenditures that were lifted for further discussion.—Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, February 27, 2013

Economic development to highlight study session
Calaveras County is hoping to get down to business on economic growth with a study session Tuesday, March 26...The session is open to anyone who has concerns or ideas to share regarding economic development in the county.–Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, February 26, 2013

Wagon trail project keeps rolling along
A necessary "boots on the ground" deadline for securing continuance of the contentious Wagon Trail Realignment project was met earlier this month. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, February 22, 2013

Historic Lode road straightening inches along
Ranchers whose refusal to allow biologists onto their properties threatened to delay a $60 million highway project by a year and add millions to the cost have relented, Calaveras County officials said. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, February 22, 2013

This Valentine's Day give the gift of infill
With all (and all and all) the talk about the need to "modernize" (i.e. weaken) CEQA to, among other things, facilitate infill, it seems so called CEQA Reform proponents can't take "yes" for an answer. –Click here for article—NRDC Switchboard, February 20, 2013

In need of overhaul? Objection over planned truck stop west of Lodi adds new fire to debate over California Environmental Quality Act
Virtually no one objected to developer Kevin Huber's plans for a new truck stop. Not the environmental groups. Not the air quality cops. Not the county bureaucrats...there has been only one objection on record: that of the rival truck stop across the street. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, February 19, 2013

County charting growth for the next 20 years
Unincorporated areas focus of public hearings The blueprint for how San Joaquin County will look as it grows through 2030 is taking shape now, continuing today at the first of two hearings scheduled before the Board of Supervisors. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, February 10, 2013

Calaveras overhauls entertainment codes
Calaveras County is trying to let the good times roll a little more easily... The new rules also allow longtime events that have operated for at least 10 years - such as Murphys Irish Days in Murphys or Lumberjack Day in West Point - to avoid paying any fee for their annual permits. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, February 17, 2013

New rules approved for the big events
After months of fine tuning and tweaking, Calaveras County has a new special events permitting process. "We're not looking to over-regulate," explained Planning Director Rebecca Willis. "We're trying to encourage economic development." –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, February 15, 2013

Columbia to boost Calaveras offerings
Columbia College plans to offer a substantial number of courses in Calaveras County... Beginning as early as this summer, Columbia could offer enough courses for 100 students to take a full class-load. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, February 15, 2013

BOS Notice of Public Hearing Sawmill Lake Feb. 26
The Board of Supervisors will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. or soon thereafter to consider Denial Without Prejudice of the Sawmill Lake Project and no action on the DEIR –Click here for Notice—Calaveras Enterprise, February 15, 2013

Tulloch rentals plan sent back
"I support this kind of ordinance," said Supervisor Ponte, though she agreed to revisit the issue at a later date. "I do believe we need some kind of permitting process in place. … I would hope that we could all be responsible and neighborly but it has clearly gotten out of hand." –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, February 15, 2013

Changes stall crackdown on rowdy renters
A month ago, a solid majority on the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors signaled it was ready to crack down on unruly vacation rentals that neighbors say make life miserable around Lake Tulloch. But somehow the ordinance never was adopted. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, February 14, 2013

Refuge may fix 'shocking' neglect
Uncle Sam wants to extend a big wildlife refuge into San Joaquin County. That could mean getting something this county is shamefully short of: hiking trails...trails serving folks from the Sierra to the Bay all abruptly end at the San Joaquin County line. Did I mention the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail? –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, February 8, 2013

Summer at Lake Tulloch on agenda
The board will consider adoption of a special events ordinance that will institute a better-defined permitting process for events ranging from controversial "bump parties" at Lake Tulloch Resort to church bazaars. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, February 11, 2013

Copper tweaks community plan
Tuesday evening's Copperopolis Community Plan Advisory Committee meeting was a struggle for semantics...Policies were worded to directly support the community plan's overall goal of retaining the town's "country character" and protecting the natural landscape while integrating new development in a way that expands Copperopolis residents' quality of life. –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, February 8, 2013

Wagon Trail tops list of road priorities
Calaveras County transportation projects for 2013 are about to get rolling. The Calaveras Council of Governments, the county's lead transportation planning and funding agency, held its first 2013 meeting... –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, February 8, 2013

Copper shooting range has compliance issues
Calaveras County may look to shut down an unpermitted Copperopolis shooting range this month, the first to see such action since gunfire was broadly exempted under a county noise ordinance passed by supervisors in September. –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 29, 2013

Time to weigh in on elderberry beetle
The process that may lead to the de-listing of a beetle with habitat in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties from Endangered Species Act protection is being stretched at least a month longer. Several public and private projects in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties have been held up in recent years by concern for the insect's solitary host plant — the valley elderberry bush. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, January 25, 2013

Bear Valley gets green light on major expansion project
Now that the resort has reached several key milestones in its master development plan, the groundwork is laid for the realization of long-planned renovation and expansion... –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 25, 2013

Trustees kill CUSD theater project
Worry over a tenuous budget and other pressing facilities projects led to the 2-3 vote by the Calaveras Unified School District board of trustees against constructing a performing arts center at CHS. –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 25, 2013

Party homes to face the music
Supervisors looked to tame some of Calaveras County's loudest party spots this week, moving an ordinance aimed at quieting dozens of popular vacation rentals along the shores of Lake Tulloch. The ordinance...requires rental owners to annually renew a county administrative use permit that caps the number of cars and tenants allowed at Tulloch's lakeside vacation homes.–Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 25, 2013

Calaveras favors new rental rules for Tulloch
Property owners near Tulloch Reservoir can expect a costlier and more tightly regulated process for offering homes as short-term vacation rentals in a couple months. Many of their neighbors hope they can now expect some peace and quiet. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, January 23, 2013

Calaveras cracks down on rowdy lake parties
The famous around-the-clock parties at rented shorefront mansions on Lake Tulloch may be a little tamer this summer. For the first time this year, owners of vacation rental homes at Tulloch could be required to get county permits for the businesses... –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, January 23, 2013

Bird numbers soar
The number of bald eagles in the Mother Lode has soared this winter, particularly at New Melones Reservoir. The Central Sierra Audubon Society counted 68 bald eagles at the reservoir during its 2012 Christmas Bird Count, which is 63 more than the previous year... –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, January 23, 2013

Lode arts center killed in emotional vote
The Calaveras High School band will never play the national anthem in a 500-seat performance hall once proposed for the campus in San Andreas. The vote was 2-3 against a motion to proceed with construction of a $5.4 million arts center design already approved by the state. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, January 23, 2013

Garcia raise offers glimpse behind curtain
Defeated supervisors allege political intrigue led to downfall "...occasionally I am clever, but not in that kind of way or to that extent," an indignant Wilensksy said. "If this is a web, the people who spun it are caught in it," he continued. "It was not a plot to make them look bad." –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 22, 2013

Slower growth seen for Calaveras
[Editorial correction: there is no Feb. 3 cutoff date. According to Calaveras County Planning Dept. any comments received will be accepted and reviewed and there is no formal comment period on the prelim. draft document]
Calaveras County is projected to grow at a rate of less than 1 percent through the year 2050, according to figures released last month as part of the county's ongoing General Plan land use document update. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, January 22, 2013

Viewers wowed by eagles on Pardee tour
Four tour groups, each containing about 16 people, motored across Pardee and Camanche reservoirs last weekend to observe eagles, hawks and other wildlife. The East Bay Municipal Utility District offers free tours to the public each year. –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 18, 2013

CCWD to award construction contract
Jackson-based Vinciguerra Construction beat out contractors in Mokelumne Hill and Loomis for work on the new project, which is meant to further safeguard the Jenny Lind plant from possible flood damage. –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 18, 2013

What Tom Garcia's raise actually cost
No elected official remembers the events leading up to Tom Garcia getting a $19,000 pay raise in quite the same way. Such discrepancies leave a very blurry picture of what actually occurred. –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 18, 2013

Valley Springs gets new substation
A long-awaited feature of "community policing" was realized Wednesday with the opening of a Calaveras County Sheriff's Office substation in Valley Springs. "You can be at Mar-Val and come by, it's kind of a one-stop shop," Kuntz told the public... –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, January 17, 2013

High-speed Internet: Slow going
Construction for high-speed Internet in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties could be coming to an end this spring, after the area's rocky terrain put the federal stimulus project several months behind schedule. Work is about 82 percent completed in Calaveras County...–Click here for article—The Union Democrat, January 17, 2013

Dead golf course alive in courts
More than seven months after foreclosure laid the controversial Trinitas golf course in northwestern Calaveras County to rest, its woeful story lives on in courts from San Andreas to Fresno and San Francisco. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, January 15, 2013

New road fees kick in next month for developers
Development in Calaveras County will get a little more expensive beginning next month thanks to a 3 percent road fee increase adopted by the Board of Supervisors in December. –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 15, 2013

New Cal County leaders sworn in
The new Calaveras County Board of Supervisors got seated Tuesday and quickly got to work appointing an interim county administrative officer and sorting out assignments to powerful commissions and agencies. –Click here for article—The Union Democrat, January 9, 2013

County land-use update on track
General Plan Coordinator Brenda Gillarde calls Calaveras County planners' most recent sketch of area forest, wildlife and population centers an early "milestone" in the latest push to update a decades-old county land-use map. –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 8, 2013

Trinitas saga sees no quick finish
The legal battle over the former Trinitas golf course continues, even though the course no longer exists... the Nemees are arguing that the issue is not moot because it is also the basis of their $12 million civil rights lawsuit. Calaveras County officials have until Jan. 30 to file their own brief. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, January 8, 2013

Supporters cheer ban on hunting with dogs
According to a senior state director of the United States Humane Society, state Senate Bill 1221, which bans the hunting of bears and bobcats with hounds, stops a cruel and unsporting practice. –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 8, 2013

Forest Service forced to rethink off-highway-vehicle plan in light of ruling
Stanislaus National Forest officials failed to comply with a federal rule that requires them to minimize damage caused by dirt bikers and other off-highway-vehicle recreationists, a federal judge ruled last week. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, January 8, 2013

Eagles bounce back
America's national bird - the bald eagle - is also one of the nation's greatest environmental success stories. And it is easy to see that success this time of year along the rocky shores of major lakes in the foothills. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, January 7, 2013

Sitting on a gold mine, residents fear for their water
Neighbors of the old mine are alarmed about the proposal That's because about 17 years ago, miners hit a major water source and drained 14 nearby wells. –Click here for article—National Public Radio, January 7, 2013

S.J., East Bay revive water-sharing plan
Is 15 years long enough to open minds? Once more, San Joaquin County and a major urban water supplier are discussing a plan to put the Mokelumne River's precious flow to better use. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, January 7, 2013

Saving for after a rainy day in Lode
Officials seek method to store surplus water underground
Most folks would probably say they were happy if they found that there was no sign of nuclear bomb fallout in their well water. For officials studying how to recharge depleted groundwater tables in western Calaveras County, however, it's a problem. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, January 6, 2013

Calaveras County maps out details, takes inventory of land
A previous attempt in 2007 to establish a "base line" map of existing development and land use was so wildly inaccurate that it contributed to the collapse of efforts to update the General Plan. –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, January 3, 2013

Lode water district behind on repairs
The Calaveras County Water District has fallen almost $6 million behind on its maintenance of pipes, pumps, valves and other equipment, and district officials are studying whether to raise rates…If all goes as scheduled, water and sewer customers could see higher bills in July… –Click here for article—The Stockton Record, January 2, 2013

State calls off the dogs
A long and storied tradition of bear and bobcat hunting came to an end in California today... "There are bears in Valley Springs, all over Bear Mountain (between San Andreas and Valley Springs) and around Angels Camp," Oller said. "There are so many bears, they are spreading to new places." –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 1, 2013

New supervisors eager to start 2013
Incoming county supervisors' 2013 to-do list is a little longer and costlier than the average spate of New Year's resolutions in Calaveras County, but at least as ambitious. –Click here for article—The Calaveras Enterprise, January 1, 2013

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