Village Life, Thursday, January 19, 2023

resident fighting through severe COVID-19 complications

Sel Richard Staff writer

ithin a couple of hours, I couldn’t breathe and we rushed to the ER,” recounts El Dorado Hills resident Rich Downing. “My chest hurt like crazy. It was like an elephant was sitting on me.” Downing, owner of Window Screen Solutions & More, has been installing screens in the area for 25 years. Formerly from Pleasanton, he and his wife Gina visited close friends for dinner one evening. They were so enamored with El Dorado Hills, they bought a house in the same neighborhood the very next day. An active member of the community, Downing has volunteered at the EDH Chamber of Commerce for 17 years, winning Ambassador of the Year multiple times.

Then, in November 2020, Downing’s life turned upside down.

A er contracting COVID-19 a week a er his wife came down with the virus, his initial symptoms were nothing serious. But within days, he developed what is now known as COVID lung. Downing’s lung nodes had swelled to a degree that it made it impossible for him to cough anything up and clear his lungs. That was the beginning of Downing’s journey into what has become an unusually severe case study for long-haul COVID.

“I was taking three breaths for every normal breath,” he said. Hooked up to an IV for hydration and pain, his condition worsened with ulcerations on his tongue. “If I ate anything other than water, my tongue felt like it was on re and at that time I would

EDH cityhood advocates aim for the ballot

Sel Richard Staff writer

The prospect of El Dorado Hills’ incorporation is once again being promoted as several factors spur cityhood advocates into action, including the prospect of Costco and Parker Development’s plans for the defunct golf course.

At the January El Dorado Hills Community Services District Board of Directors meeting, resident Lewis Hampton, who recently lost a bid for a CSD board seat to incumbent Michael Martinelli, presented a comprehensive plea for the CSD to move forward in what he terms “the road to independence.”

Hampton pressed the board to kickstart the process, which he said would give the area a long-term sense of community. He called for the CSD to be the lead agency to allocate the funds to put the cityhood issue on an upcoming ballot.

“Let’s not worry about who at the county level will oppose our stake on independence, or which developers will collude to maintain the status quo they so much enjoy,” Hampton urged. “Let us forget all that for a moment and think bigger and better about the right thing to do to make El Dorado Hills the best it can be.”

Hampton cited the preliminary scal analysis completed by the CSD and EDH Chamber of Commerce

“Let’s not worry about who at the county level will oppose our stake on independence ...”

— Cityhood proponent Lewis Hampton

A Cameron Park duo is featured in the upcoming Gallery at 48 Natoma art exhibit.

What’s happening

Jan. 20

The Stage at Burke Junction, 3300 Coach Lane, Suite E1, Cameron Park, presents Homegrown Comedy with Paul Conyers, Chadd Beals and Colby Lawson. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Get tickets at stageatburkejunction.com.

Keyboard Conversations wit Jeffrey Siegel, featuring love-inspired music, takes the stage at 8 p.m. at Harris Center for the Arts, 10 College Parkway in Folsom. For tickets and more information call (916) 608-6888 or visit harriscenter.net.

Jan. 23

Grandparents Aglow, a group dedicated to grandparents raising grandchildren, presents What You Should Know About Guardianship with guest speaker Karen Russell, 6-7:30 p.m. 1101 Investment Blvd., Suite 115, El Dorado Hills. For more information contact Kristi Massey at (209) 230-3698 or Marilyn Halk at (916) 334-2126.

Jan. 24

Shen Yun 2023 will dazzle audiences Jan. 24 & 25 at Harris Center for the Arts, 10 College Parkway in Folsom. For tickets and more information call (916) 608-6888 or visit harriscenter.net.

Jan. 25

The Shingle SpringsCameron Park Chamber of Commerce hosts its monthly lunch, 11:30 a.m. at Los Pinos Mexican restaurant, 3420 Palmer Drive in Cameron Park. The guest speaker will be the Sierra Business Development Center. For more information visit sscpchamber.org.

Jan. 31

The El Dorado Hills Community Services District hosts Summer Job Fair, 6-8 p.m. at the EDHCSD gym. The CSD seeks responsible, positive role models who enjoy working with children and teens to fill a variety of positions. For more information visit eldoradohillscsd.org.

Feb. 1

The El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce hosts a Business Builder Buffet, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hills Church in El Dorado Hills. The speaker will be Phillip Chan from the Law Offices of Buchalter, discussing the new 2023 labor laws. RSVP at eldoradohillschamber.org.

taLK

Do you think Congress will get much done this session?

Jay Martin

Placerville

erik Martin

Shingle Springs

phOtO Of the WeeK Flying high

SACRAMENTO — U.S. District Judge

Troy L. Nunley Jan. 10 sentenced Liana Karapetyan, 42, of El Dorado Hills, 10 to 18 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and one count of conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Karapetyan and her husband, Akop Atoyan, owned and controlled home healthcare and hospice agencies in the greater Sacramento area: ANG Health Care Inc., Excel Home Healthcare Inc. and Excel Hospice Inc. On behalf of the agencies, Karapetyan and Atoyan certified to Medicare that they would not pay kickbacks in exchange for Medicare

beneficiary referrals to the agencies. Despite their certifications, from at least July 2015 through April 2019, Karapetyan and Atoyan paid and directed others to pay kickbacks to multiple individuals for beneficiary referrals, including employees of health care facilities, as well as employees’ spouses. The kickback recipients included John Eby, a registered nurse who worked for a hospital in Sacramento; Anita Vijay, the director of social services at a skilled nursing and assisted living facility in Sacramento; Jai Vijay, Anita Vijay’s husband; and Mariela Panganiban, the director of social services at a skilled nursing facility in Roseville.

In total, Karapetyan, Atoyan, and others caused the agencies to submit more than 8,000 claims to Medicare for the cost of home health care and hospice services. Based

Federal Aviation Administration,

presents the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award to El Dorado Hills resident Don Schltz, right, who was joined by his wife Michelle at the special event held Dec. 17, coincidentally the anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903. To receive the award a pilot must hold a U.S. Civil Aviation Authority or Federal Aviation Administration pilot certificate; have 50 or more years of civil and military piloting experience or 50 or more years combined experience in both piloting and aircraft operations (up to 20 years of the required 50 years may be U.S. military experience; be a U.S. citizen; and have not had any airman certificate revoked.

on those claims, Medicare paid the agencies approximately $31 million. Of that amount, Medicare paid the agencies at least $2 million for services purportedly provided to beneficiaries referred in exchange for kickbacks paid to, among others, Eby, Anita Vijay, Jai Vijay and Panganiban. Because the agencies obtained the beneficiary referrals by paying kickbacks, the agencies should not have received any Medicare reimbursement.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen prosecuted the case.

In separate cases, Atoyan, Eby, Jai Vijay, Anita Vijay and Panganiban pleaded guilty for their roles. They await sentencing.

peOpLe

Photos and question by Sel Richard

eden Zerai

El Dorado Hills

“No, because they’re always bickering and fighting. I wish they would all come to the middle.”

Liam Muirhead

El Dorado Hills

“They usually don’t. The McCarthy elections are indicative of how things will probably go.”

Michael

Kuhlmann Folsom “Hopefully.”

“I don’t think a lot will get done. Both sides are going to sit there butting heads.”

“What’s different about this year? Fifteen tries just to get a Speaker of the House doesn’t bode well.”

Courtesy photo Paul Koscheka, agency manager with the

left,

by Julie Samrick

Don’t stop the music

Last summer our 14- and 16-year-old daughters pleaded to see the artist Bazzi in concert in San Francisco. All they asked for was permission to go, but I didn’t want them driving to the city by themselves. My husband agreed quicker than I would have expected to take the girls to the concert, which happened to be on a school night. I think it’s because he’s missing his football-watching buddies, now away at college, and realizes how quickly the girls will y the nest, too.

When the show date arrived, a Monday night in November, my husband was mostly looking forward to time with the girls and having dinner together in Japantown, which is a walk to the Filmore. Throughout the night my delighted, Bazzi-loving daughters sent me pictures, in which they looked very happy indeed. I was delighted to eventually receive a text from Brian. “Being here makes me feel old and young at the same time,” he wrote, “but mostly old.” By the time they were heading home, he shared, “We had a great time! Both girls gave it a 10 out of 10.”

Live music has a powerful e ect and it can turn just about anyone into a fan. Live music can also turn an already doting fan into a more loyal one. Growing up in Concord, I was fortunate to have the Concord Pavilion in my backyard. I even graduated from high school there. I was able to see many shows over the years, something I didn’t fully appreciate at the time. I remember when I saw Engelbert Humperdinck as a young teen with my mom. Why didn’t my generation like him too, I wondered as we le . A few years later it stung to hear Milli Vanilli weren’t really singing a er I’d heard them at the Concord Pavilion. Yes, my hus-

band’s Bazzi experience was a reminder; if I’d braved the trip, I’d have had just as good a time. Because my husband and I share the same birthday, it’s customary for us to nd something fun to do together for our birthday instead of buying gi s. It’s not like the year when he took the day o work only to spend that rainy birthday at the Sunrise Mall’s Play Area with the kids and me. “When can we start having fun birthdays again?” he queried. So, this was the rst time in a while we celebrated on a weeknight a er work. He’d found tickets to see 1980s and ‘90s ballad king Richard Marx at the Crest in Sacramento.

It’s not that we’ve been lifelong fans, though I was a big fan for a time (“Hold on the Night” was even my 1988 freshman homecoming dance’s theme and I have the big-haired picture to prove it).

Marx sounded as smooth as he did 30 years ago and my fatigue when we rst got there turned into perma-grin the whole night. When we le , the spell was broken; we listened to Richard Marx songs on the drive home and it wasn’t nearly as magical.

In 2023 it’s one of my resolutions to see more live music. Seeing live music doesn’t have to be a fulledged concert; any live music leaves us feeling better. It happened when we got to 36 Handles recently and didn’t know there was a band. I was calm about seeing a Def Leppard cover band at Saureel Vineyard until I heard them play and my love for Def Leppard was reawakened. My 16-year-old is currently guring out how to see SZA at the Oakland Coliseum in March … I think it’s mom’s turn to drive.

Julie Samrick is an El Dorado Hills mother, teacher and writer.

As 2022 turned to 2023, I am grateful for the excellent work done last year — the projects accomplished and those just beginning — and that we were able to surmount emergencies like the devastating Caldor Fire. At the same time, I look forward to tackling the challenges that face us on the horizon with determination and expectation of continued success.

One thing that remains steadfast is El Dorado Irrigation District’s aim to continue to maintain our community’s lifeblood: safe and reliable water and wastewater treatment. As a special district, EID is a true community agency “owned” by you, each ratepayer in our service area. We are not a private, for-pro t corporation led by outof-area executives. We are your neighbors, fellow parents, friends and members of your community led by a ve-member board of directors elected to represent the community’s best interests.

EID is your agency and it succeeds with your support.

EID’s board members represent ratepayers, set policy and approve funding for EID’s multi-year capital improvement program and budgets. These “road maps” guide our ongoing replacement and rehabilitation of 220-square-miles of infrastructure worth more than $1 billion in historical costs.

New customers buy in with new connection fees (facility capacity charges) and our ongoing ratepayers help us keep our portfolio of services in good working order with every bimonthly bill paid with their hardearned dollars. This money directly bene ts customers and the community by helping to pay for the work we do day and night, year round.

As long as drinking water treatment has been a cornerstone of communities, public water agencies like EID have delivered the services that customers rely on and, in EID’s case, the portfolio of services has expanded over the decades to provide wastewater treatment and recycled water to our growing service areas. In addition to that, we produce electricity at our federally licensed hydropower plant and o er recreation opportunities in some of the most beautiful settings in our county and the state.

Voters created special districts like EID to meet the needs of their communities. We perform specialized functions, sta ed by highly trained professionals who protect public health, enhance local economies through nonpro t public services and maintain a high quality of life in our beautiful county. Unlike generalpurpose governments, such as cities and counties, that provide myriad of municipal services, special districts have a more focused mission.

Since its earliest days as an irrigation district — nearly 98 years ago — the local community has entrusted EID to work on their behalf and we take that charge just as seriously today as when our community-owned organization was founded.

Over the decades the job of managing and delivering water and providing sewer and recycled water services has grown more complex and highly regulated — and that o en results in costly additional processes. EID sta strives to minimize the regulatory costs at every opportunity. This includes seeking grant funding for large and small projects as well as making required projects do even more for our communities. One such high-impact project was the recently completed

Forebay Dam modi cation.

The Forebay Dam, built in 1923, did not meet modern safety requirements, so costly modi cations were required. The multi-year project EID undertook saw the dam rise 10 feet in addition to making it resilient and compliant with all modern standards. That extra rise in the dam’s height took from having less

face on a daily basis, the cost of rebuilding that infrastructure has increased signi cantly and is beginning to a ect our ability to repair and replace EID’s aging assets. We need to continue our e orts to avoid disruptions to the key water and wastewater services our community relies on to function.

To that end, EID will be engaging in a cost-ofservice study that takes into account the increasing costs of doing business and considers a corresponding ve-year series of rate adjustments. These rate dollars are so vital for our ability to continue to invest in some of our community’s most important services.

One example of the impact of increasing costs is the steel treated water storage tanks located throughout our service areas. Recently EID has had to extend its schedule to recoat and rehabilitate the district’s more than three dozen water tanks due to inadequate funding in the face of increasing costs. These tanks are a necessary and vital part of delivering water to our customers. Because the costs have outstripped EID’s ability to pay for a workable and timely recoating/ rehabilitation schedule, this increases the possibility of failure in our most fundamental service area.

The rate adjustments will fund this project and others like it. In addition to ongoing ume and water line replacements, there are many more projects needing investment that make our services reliable and safe.

Agencies like EID fund most of their operations through direct rates or charges for services provided. The rate, or fee, is established by the agency and, under state law, must be reasonable and directly re ect the cost of providing that service.

When we go through the Proposition 218 process later this year following the cost-of-service study to propose rate adjustments, we will provide information to our customers about why we need these rate changes, how each customer rate class will be a ected and where we will invest these funds.

The district and its employees know the impact of rate adjustments — we live and work in the communities we serve. It is our intent to use our customers’ investments carefully, judiciously and transparently.

This has been our mission from the beginning and it will continue to guide our operations going forward.

Jim Abercrombie is EID’s general manager.

Jim Abercrombie

Cityhood

in October 2021, in which the executive summary states, “The new city’s budget forecast shows adequate positive cash ows and reserves to fund service levels at least equal to or greater than EDHCSD and county service levels.”

“Since EDH provides an estimated 40% of the county’s revenue with about 25% of its population, it is self-evident that the town of EDH would be nancially viable and then some,” Hampton insisted, arguing that ve locally elected city council members who live in EDH would serve the community more e ectively than the elected supervisors who place the county’s needs and wants rst.

“They use our tax revenues as their piggy bank,” he observed, going on to point out the median population of incorporated cities and towns in California, not including Los Angeles, is approximately 30,000 whereas EDH’s population is pushing 50,000. “EDH is much larger than the majority of existing cities in California and is the only area that is the largest population center in its county that isn’t already incorporated,” he asserted.

Hampton listed a host of reasons to incorporate, including the autonomy to make decisions and long-term strategic plans, improved law enforcement with locally de ned priorities, local control of tax income, street maintenance and repair, economic development, a ordable housing policies as well as access to funds only available to cities.

Furthermore, control of growth was a major factor he outlined. “Most residents of EDH are adamantly opposed to golf course rezone, but other districts in the county actually bene t from the fees associated with the new homes,” he

Downing

physically cry,” he said, describing lacerations so deep, they penetrated almost his whole tongue.

In addition, Downing’s short- and long-term memory were deteriorating. “I don’t remember much of my childhood,” he said, describing old photos of his family in which he does not recognize himself. “We got married in Hawaii and I don’t remember most of that. It hurts. I don’t remember my oldest and youngest kids being born. I tested for Alzheimer’s, dementia and three other brain diseases and I don’t have any of them.”

A er two years Downing is only recently able to eat so , bland foods and still su ers pain with eating, although his sense of taste is back. “Before COVID I was the spice king, the hotter the better,” he boasted. “But not now. Now I can eat a piece of bread without crying.”

And it doesn’t stop there. As a mild type 2 diabetic, Downing is convinced the COVID-19 virus caused his diabetes to erupt. “For three months my blood sugar was between 530 and 480 because they were just working on getting me to breathe,” he said, currently on regular insulin. He also now su ers from a condition that causes pain in his hands, which turn black or yellow in hot weather.

Then last May, thinking the worst was past, Downing began experiencing shoulder pain. MRI scans revealed three out of four tendons had detached from the bone, one of them so badly disintegrated the doctor deemed it nonrepairable. Then he began experiencing pain in his other shoulder. Two of the tendons in that arm had detached with another on its way, along with a torn bicep. A month later ankle pain prompted further MRIs, which showed more tendons detaching.

Downing’s doctor was convinced the tendon damage was caused by old injuries until he saw a video of Downing arm wrestling his son just a few months prior. “It has to be related to COVID,” Downing insisted. “How could all this

noted. “The county supervisors from other county districts will likely approve the golf course rezone at higher density with less input from EDH since they get to keep the tax revenue in the rest of the county.”

In light of the EDH Chamber of Commerce’s subsequent reticence toward the cityhood issue, CSD board president Noelle Mattock suggested future CSD actions be brought back to the CSD ad hoc committee, with a survey as the rst step.

“Just knowing that there’s an impending decision that’s going to completely change El Dorado Hills if the BOS decides to move forward with the executive golf course development, I would like to move forward versus waiting and moving it back another month,” she said. “I want to hear from the community: Is this where you want us to invest your dollars?”

CSD General Manager Kevin Loewen estimated polling costs at $30,000 to $35,000 for 600 respondents.

“Costco is coming to town and if we’re not on the ballot in 2024, we’re at great risk of losing the retail sales tax that would come through that company,” CSD Director and longtime cityhood proponent Steve Ferry warned.

Hampton urged the CSD to fund a comprehensive scal analysis at an estimated cost of $135,000 and allocate funds to take the cityhood process to the ballot. “It’s important to remember that when people say that it’s going to cost half a million dollars today, to remind them that we’re talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars in today’s money to get millions of dollars every year forever,” he said.

happen just within a few months? If it had been years in the making, I would have been having pain.”

Downing is recovering from his rst shoulder surgery, but is looking at two more procedures down the line to repair his ankle and other shoulder. Despite the prospect of nearly two years of physical therapy looming before him, Downing is remarkably upbeat and even calls himself lucky.

He credits the UC Davis Health Pulmonary Rehabilitation Clinic for much of his recovery over the past two years. “It took me four-and-a-half months to learn to walk and breathe at the same time,” Downing shared. “They helped me every step of the way.”

A UC Davis patient long before COVID-19 reared its ugly head, Downing noted that UC Davis was one of three hospitals in the world that was going to study COVID lung at the time. “I was very blessed; God’s been great during this whole time.”

Downing continues to make sales calls for his business, but has to delegate physical labor. He tells his customers not to get o ended if he doesn’t recognize them the next time he sees them. “I feel useless at home. I feel useless at work,” Downing shared. “My wife has to do everything for me — bathe me, clothe me. This woman is incredible.”

He has sought therapy for depression, but asks his wife to join him. “My wife is my memory,” he explained. “I might as well not even go if my wife doesn’t go.” He says Beautiful Minds Medical in Auburn and its NeuroStar transcranial magnetic stimulation treatments have been surprisingly helpful.

“I don’t know the reason I’m still here,” Downing said, speculating that perhaps it is to educate those around him on long-haul COVID. “The person who had COVID shouldn’t feel weird about saying what they feel, even if it sounds weird, even to the doctor. And other people have to believe that this is really what this person is going through.”

illage

EDH chateau an entertainer’s dream

This elegant petite chateau reminiscent of those found in Loire

Valley features classical French architecture true to the period. The home located in the prestigious Serrano gated community in El Dorado Hills was designed by award-winning architect David Joseph.

The double-door entry boasts a groin vault ceiling and mosaic inlays in the natural travertine tile and beckons residents and guests into the sun- lled living room with Frenchframed walls, a hand-cast Renaissance-styled replace and co ered ceiling.

Chevron-patterned white oak ooring accentuates the formal dining with corinthian-detailed crown moulding, hand-glazed painted walls and French doors opening onto courtyard. A timeless chandelier and recessed lighting further brighten the space. And selecting the perfect vintage to complement dinner is easy with the home’s temperaturecontrolled, walk-in wine cellar.

The home’s great room is an exceptional place to entertain and relax. A stacked-stone replace warms the family

room, which also features generous furniture-grade cabinets. The room seamlessly transitions into the adjacent game room with double French doors and balcony access as well as the kitchen.

Chefs will love creating in the beautiful kitchen with a Thermador gas stove with grill and pasta ller, double ovens, a warming drawer, built-in microwave, Sub-Zero refrigerator plus two additional refrigerator drawers and dual Miele dishwashers. Old Worldinspired custom Tu cabinetry and a gorgeous Azul Bahia blue granite island with Murano glass lighting imported from Italy make this a truly spectacular space.

The kitchen also has a family dining with a terrace view and a butler’s pantry that o ers additional preparation space and cabinetry.

An extra o ce space area o the kitchen is the ideal place to take care of household matters. Also on the main level is a stylish, private o ce with custom cherry wood millwork,

marble surround gas replace and sliding doors. Interior symmetrical columns and arches add elegance throughout and the home features luxury nishes with interiors by top local cra smen.

The main oor primary suite boasts French

tri-panel wall moulding and carved sculptures embedded in the Carrara marble replace as well as a terrace with a backyard view. Amenities in the plush primary bathroom include shimmering granite counters, heated oors, a make-up

area, a raised jetted tub with lion head spigot, eur de lis patterning in the steam shower and smart Lutron lighting and dimmer switches.

The adjoining primary closet has a built-in, three-way mirror and ample shelving, drawers and hanging space for an expansive wardrobe.

Ascend the circular stairway with a beautiful wrought-iron banister to the home’s second oor with three spacious bedrooms, one with a Juliet balcony.

A utility room with generous storage connects the home to one of the two attached garages — an extra-long upperlevel garage with twocar space plus golf cart parking and lower-level garage that includes an exercise room plus additional storage.

The spacious backyard backs up to a greenbelt, o ering privacy, and is perfect for celebrations with an outdoor kitchen featuring a barbecue, refrigerator, sink and granite counter as well as a pool, elevated spa and ample open patio space.

Interested in a private tour of this lovely Gresham Drive property in El Dorado Hills? Contact Realtor Pat Seide at (916) 712-1617, patricia.seide@cbnorcal. com.

Fiber artists showcased at gallery

Cynthia Abraham Gallery at 48 Natoma

FOLSOM — There is more to contemporary quilting than your grandmother knew. Many fiber artists use a myriad of techniques to convey thought provoking messages.

Commentaries in Cloth, featuring quilts by the Pixeladies and sculpture by Susan Else, will be on exhibit at the Gallery at 48 Natoma Jan. 27 through April 6. Small art quilts from Quartz, a mini-group from the Folsom Quilt and Fiber Guild, will be on display in the Community Gallery Jan. 19 through April 3. The group shares and discusses art quilt techniques, books, historical quilts and challenges. Currently members are working on challenge quilts determined by a random drawing of “prompts” provided by the group.

The Pixeladies, Deb Cashatt and Kris Sazaki, have been collaborating since 2003.

“We love language and word forms. Combining that love with a strong sense of social justice drives us to make art out of headlines,” the two

artists say about their work.

After cutting and pasting words and phrases from a wide array of publications, they collage them to form everyday objects or people. They then scan the collages into the computer and have the final version printed onto fabric. The resulting whole-cloth quilt is densely quilted by machine or by hand.

“Collaboration is fun but also challenging. How we settle on a topic is often the result of hours-long, if not dayslong, negotiation,” the artists explained. “But it’s that give and take that helps us create artwork we can both be proud of. Don’t be fooled, though. We’ve sat on projects for years because we can’t yet come to an agreement on how to execute a certain idea.”

Their studio is located in Cameron Park, where they have dedicated studio days for the construction of their artwork. They also spend a lot of time in front of the computer, collaborating online and preparing their designs for printing. Their work has been widely published and exhibited nationally and

internationally, including Canada, Japan and South Africa.

Susan Else describes her work as “stealth art” — the comfortable ambiance of sewn cloth draws viewers in, where they are confronted with the uncomfortable paradoxes of contemporary life. Her work is part of the art quilt movement, but she is one of the few artists making figurative sculpture — often incorporating sound, light and movement — from this medium.

“I use vibrant cloth to create an alternate universe, and the resulting work is whimsical, edgy, mundane, surreal and engaging, all at once,” Else explained.

The power and beauty of the collaged and quilted surface play off the form and narrative content of the work, resulting in a dynamic seesaw of meanings and possibilities.

“My sculpture often incorporates cloth-covered bones, a powerful

“Language of Color 9” by Pixeladies

Young EDH artist stays true to herself and her music

Samrick Special to Village Life

Sophie Yoder is just getting started making music full time. The El Dorado Hills resident’s single “girlfriend” dropped in October, spotlighting the 2021 Oak Ridge High School graduate on a larger stage.

Describing her musical style as “sadgirl pop,” Yoder, 19, turned to a producer to create the song’s instrumentals, while she sings and wrote the lyrics to the soaring and heartfelt “girlfriend” herself.

“The lyrics are all my own,” she explained. “They come from my own experiences and I want to stay true to that. Being authentic is important to me.”

“‘Girlfriend’ is about a specific relationship with someone I was friends with for a long time and it turned into more, but they weren’t going to call me their girlfriend,” Yoder continued. “The song is a reflection on the dating scene now; it’s hard to find someone who wants to be in a committed relationship.”

Yoder’s musical roots formed locally. She and her family moved to El Dorado County when she was 5 years old. She attended Blue Oak Elementary School and then Camerado Springs Middle School. She credits Marble Valley Academy for helping her find her love for performing the latter part of middle school. As a member of the school’s Performing Groups for Youth, “Marble Valley is where my creativity and love of music was nurtured,” Yoder explained.

Yoder jumped into El Dorado Musical Theater and then the Oak Ridge Theater program in ninth grade. In 2019 Yoder starred as Sandy in

Gallery

symbol evoking both human mortality and human history,” she added. “I am interested in daily life and its instant mutability and my best work conflates conflicting human impulses into a single image.”

An opening reception for both exhibits is planned at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27. Entrance is free and open to the public with live music and complimentary refreshments.

The Gallery at 48 Natoma is located at 48 Natoma St. in Folsom. It is managed by the Folsom Parks and Recreation Department and displays art by regional and national professional artists, area museum collections

the school’s production of “Grease.” She was set to perform in “The Odd Couple” when the COVID pandemic hit mere days before live shows were set to open. “I struggled with depression, especially after COVID,” Yoder said.

She turned to music as her outlet. She taught herself to play piano, guitar and “a little” ukulele, discovering that music is her greatest passion in life. “Live performances are like fuel … It’s when I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing,” she shared.

Yoder counts Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams among her musical influences and she also gets inspired by attending other artists’ live shows.

Locally Yoder has performed at El Dorado Hills Community Services District events and at the Town Center Thursday night concert series. Does she ever get nervous? “I get nervous every single time,” she offered. “It’s way easier to play a character, but playing on my own is nerve-wracking, but also very freeing. I’ve realized it doesn’t have to be perfect; audiences know that … There’s a magic to live performances.”

Would she like more gigs? “Yes, but I want to do it the real way. I want more of my own songs,” Yoder said. “I don’t want to be the cover band. I want to be the opener and eventually be the main act.”

Where would she like to see herself, say five to 10 years from now? “I will always write my own songs. It’s very raw and real when I’m writing,” she explained. “To have people listen to what I write and find solace in it, my dream has already been achieved.”

With an EP on the way, Sophie Yoder’s music is on all music streaming platforms. Follow her on Instagram at sophie.yoder.

and traveling exhibitions — offering high quality, original art exhibits to the community that otherwise may not be experienced in this area. More information is available at folsom.ca.us , the Gallery at 48 Natoma.

The Folsom Art Center and Gallery at 48 Natoma are open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and evening hours from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; call (916) 461-6601 for current hours or to reserve a free tour appointment time. For more information contact Gallery Director Cindy Abraham cabraham@ folsom.ca.us.

Jason Jackson owner Jason Jackson owner

Photo by Hayden Bliss El Dorado Hills musician Sophie Yoder has found her passion in music and performing.

Julie