Thursday, June 15, 2006    

Sheriff Ed Bonner and retired Sgt. Bob McDonald, an Auburn resident with more than 25 years of service with the Placer County Sheriff's Department, hold a proclamation from the Board of Supervisors in appreciation for McDonald's work. Courtesy

By: Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer

Placer County supervisors approved $1.7 million in funding Tuesday for park and playfield improvements in Foresthill, Ophir, Newcastle and rural acreage between Auburn and Lincoln.

The largest expenditure is at the 221-acre Didion Ranch property in the Garden Bar area between Lincoln and Auburn. Work is expected to start in late July, with the park - recently renamed Hidden Falls Regional Park - opening in the fall.

Albert Richie of the Department of Facility Services reported to supervisors that the public sees the regional park as the cornerstone of the county's Placer Legacy program to conserve land.

Seven miles of trails have already been constructed and supervisors voted 4-0, with Supervisor Ted Gaines absent, to fund the building of a paved access road, a 50-space paved parking lot, an equestrian staging area, and restroom facilities. Cost for the work is $1.18 million.

Foresthill's Leroy E. Botts Memorial Park is also in line for $400,000 in improvements, following board approval to free parks funding for upgrades to the park's baseball and softball fields, replacement of a tot lot to reflect more stringent safety standards, and installation of new restrooms between the tennis courts and Little League field.

Supervisor Bruce Kranz also inquired about the possibility of future county funding assistance on the park's pool, which he described as "not in good shape." Richie said the pool is owned and operated by a nonprofit corporation and the county's policy is not to contract with nonprofits. But Richie agreed with Kranz that funding for a pool could possibly be arranged if one were to be built at the Foresthill High School.

Supervisors also approved $65,000 in funding from park fees to renovate the playground area at Ophir Elementary School and $50,000 for field renovations at Newcastle Elementary School.

In other board action on Tuesday:

Supervisors voted 3-1 to approve an extension on Home Depot's option to lease a 10.8-acre site at DeWitt Center the corporation hopes to build a store on. Auburn-area Supervisor Jim Holmes was the lone dissenting vote, stating that he has serious concerns about the cumulative traffic growth on Highway 49. County CEO Tom Miller said the anticipated date for an appeal hearing before supervisors on a use permit for the Home Depot is July 31.

The retired head of the Sheriff's Department crimes against persons unit was honored for a body of work that stretches back to the 1970s. Sgt. Bob McDonald said he was honored and proud of his career in Placer County and his years "serving such a great law enforcement agency." The Auburn resident is president of the International Homicide Investigators Association and has also served on the board of the Auburn Area Recreation and Park District.

Supervisors approved expenditures related to a geotechnical engineering examination of the house and surrounding area during a cave-in that took the life of 32-year-old Alta resident Jason Chellew. A total of $17,500 was spent on the work.

The board approved a resolution designating 20 fire stations in Placer County as newborn "safe surrender" sites. Hospital emergency rooms were initially designated as safe havens to confidentially drop off newborn babies to protect them from harm or death when they are abandoned. The board of supervisors can also designate other locations, including fire stations.

The Journal's Gus Thomson can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com.