Delgado to compete at LA World Games MORE IN SPORTS:Youth shooters compete, C3 INSIDE: Arrest made in Jamestown stabbing,AS
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THE MOTHER LODE'SLEADING INFORMATION SOURCE SINCE 1854 • SO NORA, CALIFORNIA
WEEKEND
MAY 23-25, 2015
TuolumneCounty
CalaverasCounty
TODAY 'S REABiRBOA RB
Board to vote on housing element
BRIEFING
Museum
Volullt eerS — The Angels Camp Museum is looking for volunteers to help preserve and interpret the museum's collection of historical artifacts.A2
By AUSTEN THIBAULT The Union Democrat
News NotesThe Calaveras County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will vote whether to adopt the Housing Element of the General Plan. The long-awaited General Plan is years in the making, and its dry was released to the public in December for a vettingperiod before offi cial
Upcoming events in the Mother Lode.A2
Holiday closures — What business and public offices will be closed Memorial Day? A2
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RoadWork — Alist of roadwork planned in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, includes times, dates, locations and possible delays.A2
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adoption.The document's
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Carey paroledMan accused of 1994 hammer attack paroled. A3
OPlhloll —Lessons go unlearned at Columbia.A4
Poll questionThis week's poll question asks, "Do you think rents in the Mother Lode are too high?"A4
SIERRA LIVING • STUDENT GROWTH:Annual tour will feature school gardens.B1 • BUZZ WORTHY: Obama has plan to fight bee decline.B1
NEWS ELSEWHERE • WATER DEAL: Regulators accepted a historic offer from a group of farmers to voluntarily reduce their water use to stave off deeper, mandatory cutbacks.A5 • INCOME INEQUALITY: Lawmakers are advancing three bills to aid lower income workers.A5 • TRADE BILL:The Senate passed bipartisan legislation Friday night to strengthen the administration's hand in global trade talks, clearing the way for a highly unpredictable summer showdown in the House.A6
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c .,/ Maggie Beck /Union Democrat
Purchase photos online at www.uniondemocrat.corn
Rick Spurlock, general manager at Pacific Ultrapower biomass plant in Chinese Camp, explains how fuel is moved at the plant (above). Spurlock (below) looks over a bag of urban fuel.
County leaders say proposed bill would be a win-win for environment and economy
purpose is to guide the county's growth and development over the next two decades. Tuesday's proposed Housing Element, however, is more a lightly amended renewal of the 2010 Housing Element than part of the new plan, according to Planning Director Peter Maurer. The county is required to update the housing element every five years. But this 2014-19 Housing Element will serve as one of the eight new General Plan elements, if it i s approved Tuesday. "Ifthere are programs or policies concerning housing, now would be the time to bring them up," Maurer said. The Housing Element uses state-generatedestimates of populationand demographSee BOARD / Back Page
By ALEX MacLEAN The Union Democrat
Biomass is one of California'soldestrenewable energy sources and a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. However, industry leaders say many of the state's 33 biomass plants — including the Pacific Ultrapower facility in Chinese Camp — are at risk of closing in the next few years because they' re struggling to stay economically competitive with other subsidized forms of renewable energy, such as solar and wind. "Most biomass plants in the statebegan operating 25 to 30 years ago," said Rick Spurlock, southern region gen-
Services Corporation, which operates the Chinese Camp plant. "We' re looking at losing up to half in the next three years." The Pacific Ultrapower biomass-energy plant has operatedsince 1986.Item ploys24 people and generates enough electri city per hour to serve 18,000 homes through the burning of woody waste, such as tree trimnungs and undergrowthcleared from forests. Proponents say biomass energy production serves multiple environmental and public benefits beyond producing power by diverting wood material from landfills, reducing the need for open burning of forestand agricultural wood
i
TUD rate increase
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again on agenda By GUY McCARTHY The Union Democrat
The Tuolumne Utilities District Board ofDirectors on Tuesday will discuss setting a public hearing for raising district water rates. Diligent conservation by TUD customers has reduced
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eral manager for the Orange
County-based IH I
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See BIOMASS / Back Page
district water r evenues by
II.S. Census Bureau population estimates
Calaveras ticks up, Tuolumne still down County shrank from 53,911 residents to 53,831, a loss of 80 people. Calaveras County grew from 44,614 The U.S. Census Bureau's 2014 to 44,624— a gain of 10 people — acpopulation estimates were released cording to the estimates. this week and show Tuolumne County Both counties had been losing a hunshrinking slightly and Calaveras Coun- dred or more people a year in annual esty growing slightly. timatesreleased sincethe2010 census. Both counties had been slowly shrinkIn 2010, Tuolumne County had ing since 2010, and this is the first year 55,365 people and Calaveras County since then that Calaveras grew. had 45,578. Per the latest estimates, Tuolumne Tuolumne County's population had By AUSTEN THIBAULT The Union Democrat
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already been shrinking prior to the census, whereas Calaveras County had slight gains. "It's news, but not unexpected," said Calaveras County Planning Director Peter Maurer of the new estimates.
"We' re recognizing that the economic downturn is slightly recovering. We' re finally beginning to see the effects here. We have seen an increase in our departSee CENSUS /Back Page
SeeTUD/Back Page
Today:High 7S, Low 52 Sunday:High S4, Low 56 Monday:High S4, Low 51
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Meet Dr. Parsa. An expert in women's health. And kindness.
more than $1.8 million, according to District General Manager Tom Scesa. At a May 19 special board meeting, the consensus of the Board of Directors was for staff to immediately initiate a Proposit ion 218 process to raisedistrict water rates for "drought revenue recovery." The 218 process is a set of steps public agencies must take when they try to raise rates, taxes or fees. 'The intent of staff was to ask theboard to call for the
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