Inside this issue: September/October 2009 Director’s Take 2 Polaroid Photo Workshop 3 Flag Football 4 Recreation Briefs 4 New Pioneer Disc Golf Course 5 Blue Moon New Year’s Eve Bash 6 Ballet Classes 6 Amador Children in Nature 7 September/October 2009 Director’s Take 2 Polaroid Photo Workshop 3 Flag Football 4 Recreation Briefs 4 New Pioneer Disc Golf Course 5 Blue Moon New Year’s Eve Bash 6 Ballet Classes 6 Amador Children in Nature 7 The Amador County Recreation Agency News 10877 Conductor Blvd., Suite 100, Sutter Creek, CA 95685 (209) 223-6349 . ACRA@co.amador.ca.us Grab Your Lederhosen for ACRA’s First-Ever Oktoberfest!!! Prost! Put on lederhosen, strap up the dirndl and pass the sauerkraut— the Amador County Recreation Agency’s Oktoberfest celebration is here! Proceeds from this fund-raiser will be used to renovate Mollie Joyce Park in Pioneer, including improving its two little- league fields and establishing Amador County’s first permanent year- round disc golf course. Oktoberfest will take place Saturday, Oct. 17 at Mollie Joyce Park, located off Woodfern Drive. This inaugural event kicks off at 3:30 p.m. and the $15 entry fee includes a brat- wurst dinner and a drink coupon. An exciting raffle will also be held, and raffle prize donations are always welcome. ..Live Music! ..Raffle Prizes! ..Beer Tasting! ..German Fare! Thirsty tipplers can enjoy a variety of German fare to help soak up the suds. Bratwurst and streusel will be among the tasty treats to enjoy during the fund-raiser. Both drink and raffle tickets will be available for purchase, with proceeds going to the revitalization project. Enjoy good company, good food and good music for only $15! For more information or to become an Oktoberfest brewer or sponsor, call ACRA at (209) 2236349. Get tickets online at highsierratickets.com! Rock Out at Battle of the Bands Oct. 17 at Mollie Joyce Park Plug in to the Amador County Recreation Agency’s third-annual Battle of the Bands competition! The Battle begins before ACRA’s Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, Oct. 17 at noon. Come early for the Battle and stay for the Bratwurst! Admission to this family- friendly event is FREE!!! ACRA is seeking musicians interested in participating in Battle of the Bands. This could be your lucky break! Winners of this year’s event will get free recording time, courtesy of David Stark. Bands are invited to play four-song sets, with a maximum play time of 30 minutes. They will be judged in various categories, including musical ability, crowd response, professionalism and rockabilty. Come ready to jam, not jelly. The entry deadline for bands is Oct. 13. Registration forms are available at ACRA’s office on Conductor Boulevard. For more information, call Kim at ACRA at 2236349. Amador County Recreation Agency . September/October 2009 Would you like to advertise in our newsletter starting at $25 an issue? Call ACRA for more information! Page 2 Director’s Take “Our mission is to maximize recreation opportunities for all the people in all the areas of Amador County by working collaboratively and thinking regionally.” Change is in the air, and it’s not just the seasons. As you all know, after a brief hiatus, Julie Fisher returned to ACRA to help with programs, the snack shack and a myriad of other opportunities. She is headed to Idaho at the end of October to hang out with her alltoo- cool mom. She is also going to a better paying job with way more responsibility. Julie has learned and grown a great deal with this agency. She has greatly expanded my understanding of esoteric lines from famous (and not so famous) movies. Her humor and willingness to step up and take care of a situation have added a great deal to oil the wheels of progress. We are certainly going to miss her. On the heels of Julie’s notice came Liz MacLeod’s notice. As you may be aware, Liz came to the agency almost two years ago, and at the end of September she will be leaving for Tennessee to try on a new life. It will be a little quiet around here: no more singing through the stress of having too little and giving away too much, no more witty one- liners that keep everyone’s brain a little sharper. (Sigh.) No doubt Clarksville will be a better place because she is there. No doubt we will miss them both mightily! They leave pretty big shoes to fill… if we ever have funds to fill them. I wish them both good health, wild success and profound happiness when they step into their next phase. As to the economic climate, we are trying to do our part by offering a couple of fund-raisers. The Oktoberfest is slated for Oct. 17 and promises to be a great time at the Mollie Joyce fields. The Upcountry Rotary is helping us grill the Bratwurst, and will be help ing us fix up the lower field. Funds from this event will go toward the continued upkeep of the park. The Blue Moon New Year’s Eve Bash promises to be the event of the year, with fireworks, live music, food, beverages, raffle, auction and oh so much more. The fairgrounds and Plymouth will be hopping! Funds raised from this event will help offset ACRA’s general fund, and hopefully we can fill Amador County hotels and households with Blue Moon revelers! When anyone asks you where you are going to spend your New Year’s Eve, tell them you are spending it with ACRA and invite them along! Tracey Towner-Yep, Executive Director I really appreciate the community’s willingness to step up and support us. THANK YOU ALL! Big Wheel It at the Downhill Extravaganza Big kids and little kids Wheels. Come in cosalike are invited to bring tume, if you dare! The their big wheels to event starts at 3 p.m. and Amador City on Satur-helmets are required. day, Sept. Sponsors are needed for A big 12. this event. wheel Contact course will ACRA to be set up in sign up. For downtown. more infor- There will mation, go be two divisions: Cub to goacra.org or amador- Scout Coasters and Big city.com. Visit ACRA on the Web: www.goacra.org www.co.amador.ca.us/depts/acra www.myspace.com/goacra www.facebook.com/goacra Amador County Recreation Agency . September/October 2009 Page 3 Would you like to advertise in our newsletter starting at $25 an issue? Call ACRA for more information! Polaroid Photo Manipulation Workshop Men’s Basketball League Begins in November emulsion manipulations. Either bring your favorite slides or use Sparks’ slides. The workshop fee is $65, plus a film charge of $20, due at the workshop. Call Matt at ACRA, 223-6373, or Sue at 257-1632 for details and to reserve a spot at the workshop. Having an event you want publicized? ACRA can get the word out bydistributing your flyer to more than 100 locations in the county for just$75! Call 223-6349. Shoot some hoops with ACRA’s Men’s Basketball League. Sign up a new or returning basketball team early to ensure your spot on the league for just $750! There will be a preseason meeting for those who are interested in playing, refereeing or running the clock/stats for the Men’s Basketball League lifts this year. The meeting will be held Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. in the Amador County Health & Human Services building off Ridge Road in Martell. We will be discussing the team sign ups, season schedule, referee/stat/ clock information and any other questions regarding the Men’s Basketball ACRA is proud to announce that it will be offering a Polaroid Photo Manipulation Workshop taught by Sue Sparks. The workshop will be held Saturday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sparks’ home in Jackson. Learn how to do Polaroid image transfers, Polaroid emulsion and Polaroid SX70 League. The league is for men age 18 and older. The sea son begins Nov. 8 and runs through March 28. If you want to re-sign your team from last year, sign up a new team or want more information about ACRA’s Men’s Bas ketball League, call Matt at ACRA, 223-6373 . Strum Away with Us at ACRA’s Guitar Lessons There is still room to sign up for ACRA’s guitar lessons, taught by ACRA employee Matt Nestor. Nestor started providing guitar lessons back in November and ever since then, the lessons have been a huge success. Participants have ranged from 8 to 30 years old, with most of them starting as beginners. Nestor currently has ten participants and hopes that the class keeps on growing. Nestor teaches many different styles and genres, including finger picking, blues and metal. Nestor played in many bands in his home state of Texas and is currently playing at open mics around the county and in San Francisco. The class costs $10 for each 30-minute weekly group session. To register or for more information, contact Nestor at 223-6373. Amador County Recreation Agency . September/October 2009 Would you like to advertise in our newsletter starting at $25 an issue? Call ACRA for more information! Page 4 Fall Flag Football Season Begins Sept. 27! A League Fall is fast approaching, 18 and the season starts tory meeting for coaches and with it comes flag Sept. 27. and referees will be held 1st - 3rd grade, noon football! We have reduced the Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. in the Registration forms are cost this year to $50 per Amador County Health & B League now available at the ACRA player, and $40 for addi-Human Services Building office or by calling 223-tional immediate family in Martell. 4th - 6th grade, 1 p.m. 6349. Games are held Sun-members. League sponsor-Call ACRA for more days at Jackson Junior ships are $200. information, (209) 223-C League High School. We are currently seeking 6349, or download a regis 7th & 8th grade, 2 p.m. The deadline to turn in players, coaches, referees tration form from ACRA’s registration forms is Sept. and sponsors. A manda-Web site, goacra.org. Recreation Briefs The 6th Annual Camp Out for Cancer will take place Sept. 12 and 13 at Argonaut High School. Sign-up forms are now available from Amador STARS. ACRA will be showing a film during the event using its 38-foot-by28- foot outdoor cinema screen! Check it out while supporting a worth cause. Visit www.amadorstars.org for more information. • Bluegrassin’ in the Foothills returns to Plymouth Sept. 18 through 20. Returning artists include Grasstowne, Ronnie Reno & The Reno Tradition, Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, Town Mountain and Nell Robinson & Red Level. Our 2009 emerging artists are The Dalton Mountain Gang, Savanna Blu, Tenbrooks and more! For more info, visit www.landspromotions. com. • The Sutter Creek Blues & Brew Festival returns to downtown Sutter Creek Saturday, Sept. 26. Event tickets include entry to music, a commemorative mug and microbrews and nonalcoholic beverages. Ages 21 and older. Tickets are $20 pre-sale and $25 the day of the event. For more information, visit www.suttercreek.org. Enjoy free jazz in downtown Jackson every other Wednesday from noon to 3 p.m. The “Geezers” welcome all music lovers to 35 Main Street for their pick-up jams—musicians welcome, too! It’s a great way to spend a summer afternoon on Main Street. The next performance will be Sept. 9. • Volunteer docents are urgently needed to keep the Monte Verde Store Museum open on a regular basis. Currently, the museum is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays when docents are available. If you are interested in becoming a docent, contact the visitor center, 267-1344, on Mondays or Thursdays through Saturdays. • Amador Farmers Market is now open in Sutter Creek every Saturday and in Jackson every Sunday through October. In Sutter Creek, it is held on Eureka Street from 8 to 11 a.m. In Jackson, it is held in the Busi parking lot from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Vendors will vary depending on the produce season. Come enjoy fresh local produce, bakery goods, local crafts and live music. • Cooking classes will be held every Saturday in September at the A-TCAA Upcountry Community Center from 2 to 3 p.m. Learn the basics of cooking using various styles and techniques to optimize your budget and food re- serves. The cost is $48. Call 267-5622 to reserve a seat. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 … Amador County Recreation Agency . September/October 2009 Page 5 Would you like to advertise in our newsletter starting at $25 an issue? Call ACRA for more information! …CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 • The Mokelumne River Kayak Races will be held Sept. 19 and 20. This weekend whitewater kayaking event includes a three-mile downriver sprint and an 18 to 22 gate slalom course on the Electra Run below the Electra Powerhouse near the Highway 49 bridge. The races are open to all boaters from novice to expert. For information, visit mokeraces.com. • Archery lessons at Lodi Bowmen facility on Buena Vista Road near Lake Camanche begin Oct. 10. The course is designed for all ages, and enables both beginning and experienced archers to reach expert performance level. All equipment is provided for the class, which is conducted by certified instructors on four consecutive weekends from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $100 per individual, or $150 per family. For information, contact Brent at 571-1618 or email archeryplus@pacbell.net. The Mokelumne River provides locals with fun and fishing throughout the seasons. This is your chance to give back. Pitch in during the Great Sierra River Cleanup Saturday, Sept. 19! Call or email to make a reservation at the location of your choice. For the Mokelumne River Day Use Area, contact Dave at johnsond@ebmud.com or 772 -8337. For the Middle Bar Area, Electra Road or West Point, contact Randy at randy@foothillconservancy.org or 295-4900. • The 36th Annual Jug and Rose Benefit Foot Race will be held Sept. 12 from the hamlet of Volcano down the Sutter Creek-Volcano Road to Lyons Park. The race begins at 8 a.m., with registration scheduled at 7 a.m. This fund-raiser benefits the Amador Sponsor a Permanent Disc Golf Basket ACRA is building a permanent disc golf course at Mollie Joyce Park in Pioneer. Now is your chance to get involved! We are in need of Basket Sponsors for the course, which is the first of its kind in Amador County. For just $500, Basket Sponsorship will grant you an opportunity to permanently display your business name while at the same time providing valuable recreation opportunities to the people of Amador County and beyond. Not only will your information be displayed year-round for all who use the course on a day-to-day basis, it will also reach everyone involved with the many tournaments we plan to hold at Mollie Joyce Park. Disc golf has been growing in popularity since it was formalized in the 1970s. There are more than ___ disc golf courses in the United States. High School Performing Arts Program. Registration is $25 until Sept. 8 and $30 thereafter. For more information, call Amador High Drama at 2670108 or 257-0548. • Win a pair of boots at the Clements Stampede Saturday, Sept. 12 at 3 p.m. There is no fee to enter and kids younger than 12 can join in an old fashioned boot scramble. Call 8102180 for more information. • The Preston Castle Wine Tasting and Tour will be held Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Preston Castle in Ione. Live music will be performed by the Speakeasy Jazz Orchestra and accordion player Steve Trucco. The event includes a silent auction and raffle. Doors open at 3 p.m. Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased by calling 274-4112 or on the Web at prestoncastle. com. the player with the fewest number of throws wins. Disc golf can be played by people young and old and from every This fun sport is played much like tra-socioeconomic background. ditional golf, only instead of holes, For more information or to become players aim for baskets. As with golf, a sponsor, call Matt at 223-6373. Amador County Recreation Agency . September/October 2009 Would you like to advertise in our newsletter starting at $25 an issue? Call ACRA for more information! Page 6 Join the Amador County Recreation Agency in celebrating this once-in-a-lifetime event! A blue moon—the second of two full moons in one month— happens rarely, only once in… a blue moon! This year, we will welcome 2010 under a moon that is not only full, but also bonafide blue. This occurrence will not be repeated until the year 2028! Don’t sit this one out! Usher in a new year of hope and possibility with an evening of celebration, great food, fine refreshments, live music, fireworks and camaraderie at ACRA’s Blue Moon New Year’s Eve Bash. Gates will open at 6 p.m., with happy hour and dinner to follow. Fireworks will usher in the new year, along with music, dancing, the countdown and more! A free shuttle will be provided to and from the fairgrounds to participating lodging in Plymouth, Amador City, Sutter Creek, Jackson and Ione. The last shuttle leaves the fairgrounds at 1:30 a.m. Entrance ticket includes: dinner, a drink ticket, a commemorative glass, free shuttle service to hotels, a party hat and horn, a bag of luxurious gifts and amazing discount coupons! Tickets to this event will be available at highsierratickets.com or at ACRA’s office in the county Health & Human Services building off Ridge Road in Martell. We’re currently looking for sponsors and volunteers. If you’re interested, call (209) 223-6349 for more information. ACRA is seeking volunteers for Oktoberfest and the Blue Moon New Year’s Eve Bash. If you are interested in lending a helping hand at these fun and fabulous events, call us at (209) 223-6349. Ballet Classes Begin in Sept. 14 Bound to ballet classes, held Mondays back off the face into a bun or pony tail. starting Sept. 14. Boys should wear black shorts, white t- Creative Movement is a class for ages 3 shirts, black ballet slippers and white socks. and 4. It meets at 3 p.m. The fee is $75 for a six-week session. Pre Ballet is for ages 5 and 6. It meets at Please note all dance wear is available 4 p.m. through Sierra Ballet School. Dress requirements include: For information or to register, call Matt For girls, pink ballet tights with a pink at the Amador County Recreation Agency, leotard and pink ballet slippers (a pink bal-(209) 223-6373. let skirt is optional). Hair should be pulled Amador County Recreation Agency . September/October 2009 Page 7 Would you like to advertise in our newsletter starting at $25 an issue? Call ACRA for more information! Interested in Photography Darkroom Classes? Want to learn more about traditional photography? We’re looking for folks interested in taking classes at ACRA’s dark- room facility at Mollie Joyce Park in Pioneer. You can learn about in- troductory black and white photography methods, pinhole cameras, solarization, printing and matting. Classes would be taught by ACRA’s own Adam Lindsey, who has been teaching photography classes for the past six years and has a B.A. in photography from CSU Sacramento. Examples of his work can be seen at adamlindseyphotography. com. If you’re interested or for more information, contact Lindsey at ALindsey@ co.amador.ca.us or • For Those Who Would Like to Further Support Recreation in Amador County: Just like public television and radio, this newsletter is free. No obligation, honest. But just in case it makes you feel better, here’s a form you can use to make a donation: Please check one: . I’d like to “subscribe” to this newsletter for $10/yr. . I’d love to “subscribe” for $20/yr. . I have too much money and need to unburden myself. Please let me donate to ACRA the following amount: $______________ All donations made to ACRA are tax deductible. . Send me more information about donating to ACRA Send to: ACRA 10877 Conductor Blvd., Ste. 100 Thank You!!! Sutter Creek, CA 95685 Amador Children in Nature: Promoting Outdoor Play for Local Youth The mission of Amador Children in Nature is to promote children’s wellbeing through outdoor play. The next meeting will be held Thursday, Sept. 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the Amador County Health & Human Services Building off Ridge Road in Martell. Amador Children in Nature is a group of local parents, youth organizations and others who are concerned about the well-being of Amador’s youth. The group is working on a Turn Off the TV day (below) as well as other activities and events. For more information, contact First 5 at 257-1092 or visit www.first5 amador.com/acin.html. TV Turnoff Week is Sept. 20 through 26 Take some time this week to encourage the children in your life to explore the natural wonders right in their own backyards. TV Turnoff Week is a national campaign aimed at getting families to turn off their televisions and head outside. Your involvement will help shape a community that once again believes it’s normal and expected for children to be outside and playing in natural areas. In celebration of TV Turnoff Week, the group Amador Children in Nature (above) will publish a nature scavenger hunt in the Ledger Dispatch on Sept. 16. Keep an eye out for it! To show your support of this initiative, sign and return the pledge below: Amador County Recreation Agency . September/October 2009 Amador County Recreation Agency 10877 Conductor Blvd., Suite 100 Sutter Creek, CA 95685 Amador County Recreation Agency 10877 Conductor Blvd., Suite 100 Sutter Creek, CA 95685 September 12th 14th 17th 19th 18th - 20th 23rd 26th 27th October 17th 21st November 8th December 31st Downhill Extravaganza: downtown Amador City, 3 p.m., go to amadorcity.com for info. Camp Out for Cancer: Argonaut High School, visit amadorstars.org for more information. Jug and Rose Benefit Foot Race: 8 a.m., Volcano, $30, call 267-0108 or 257-0548 for info. Ballet Classes: 3 p.m., ages 3 to 6, $75 for six weeks, call Matt at ACRA to sign up, 223-6373. Amador Children in Nature: monthly meeting, HHS building, 5:30 p.m., call 257-1092. Polaroid Photography Workshop: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., taught by Sue Sparks. Sign up at ACRA. Great Sierra River Cleanup: Moke River, contact Dave at 772-8337 or Randy at 295-4900. Bluegrassin’ in the Foothills: Plymouth, visit landspromotions.com for more information. Flag Football Pre-Meeting: for coaches and refs, 6 p.m., Amador HHS building, 223-6373. Sutter Creek Blues and Brew Festival: downtown Sutter Creek, $25, info at suttercreek.org. Flag Football Begins: sign up by Sept. 17, $50 per player, $200 sponsorships, call 223-6373. Battle of the Bands: Mollie Joyce Park, Pioneer, 12 p.m., FREE, call 223-6349 for more info. Oktoberfest: Mollie Joyce Park, Pioneer, 3:30 p.m., $15, tickets at highsierratickets.com. Men’s Basketball League meeting: county HHS building, 6 p.m., call 223-6373 for info. Men’s Basketball League: sign up a team for just $750, men age 18+, call Matt at 223-6373. Blue Moon New Year’s Eve Bash: Plymouth fairgrounds, 6 p.m., $35, fireworks, live music and shuttle to nearby hotels, tickets at highsierratickets.com, call ACRA for info, 223-6349. Amador County Recreation Agency . September/October 2009