Forty-six Ione residents attend a planning workshop at the Evalynn Bishop Hall on Wednesday. Photo by: Jerry Budrick Bill Bunce of Rancho Arroyo Seco presents the Ione Fire Association with a $10,000 check Tuesday. Photo by: Jerry Budrick Roman Catholic priest Thomas Relihan, who served 25 of his 61 years in the priesthood as the pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Ione, is presented with a plaque by Ione Mayor Andrea Bonham Tuesday night. Photo by: Jerry Budrick

Keeping up with the city of Ione's active schedule of meetings and events was especially difficult this week.

Four gatherings in seven days had the normally somnolent western Amador County town casting attention on subjects as diverse as organization, planning, awards, revitalization and upgrades.

On Tuesday night, the city council honored retiring Roman Catholic priest Thomas Relihan, who served 25 of his 61 years in the priesthood as the pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Ione. "I think Ione is the hidden gem of Amador County," Relihan said, as he was presented with a plaque by Mayor Andrea Bonham.

The Ione Fire Association was presented with a check from Bill Bunce of Rancho Arroyo Seco, his side of the matching-amount fundraiser and barbecue last month at the Big Red Barn that raised more than $20,000. The community chipped in $10,099 and Rancho added $10,000.

On Wednesday night, City Planner Christopher Jordan's firm, PMC Consulting, conducted a workshop at Evalynn Bishop Hall, tallying votes from members of the community on their preferences for various land use alternatives.

PMC's Daniel Hamilton presented the alternatives as images on the wall, while attendees leaned over large triptych maps on numerous round tables, showing the three alternatives side-by-side. Small groups at the tables spent considerable time picking and choosing among the pieces of the city's puzzle.

"Community feedback has been 250 responses so far," Hamilton said. Of major concern to the respondents, he said, are small town atmosphere, community safety, family orientation, retirement and business/jobs. Hamilton expressed some amazement at learning that many of Ione's residents walk to work. Fully half of the people who filled out the online survey get to work on foot.

Onsite polling done by electronic voting devices at the workshop will be taken into consideration in planners' recommendations to the city council. The 46 voters on Wednesday night showed some definite preferences.

When asked whether the downtown should be expanded southward for another city block, the vote was 64 percent for expansion, 36 percent opposed. Placement of high density affordable housing east of town, fronting on Highway 124, was preferred 74 percent to 26 percent over a possible location at the entrance to Mule Creek State Prison. The highest margin of the evening came in replies to a question posed by Ione rancher Dan Port, who asked whether residents would like to see future development in the triangle formed by highways 104, 124 and 88. A whopping 83 percent answered yes.

Thursday night marked the first public use of the newly renovated community gathering place known as Clark's Corner. The Ione Community Business Association held their monthly mixer in the former home of Orville's Saloon in the historic Scully Building on the corner of Main Street and Highway 124.

The Clark family, with Bonham, has moved their Images and More operation into the spacious new quarters across the street, following months of intense construction activity. The well-lighted room will feature coffee, pastries, art and entertainment and is hoped to play a major role in the city's ongoing Main Street revitalization.

On Saturday morning, interested members of the community will be boarding a bus to see the city's possible wastewater future. Ione City Manager Kim Kerr is leading a "sewer tour" to a modern wastewater treatment plant at Mountain House near Tracy. The plant was built by Pacific Environmental Resources Corporation, an innovative and successful company that designs, builds, operates and finances state-of-the-art sewage treatment plants in Arizona, New Mexico and California.