Take advantage of tax credits

News release

Far too many El Dorado County residents, especially those struggling to make ends meet, are missing out on financial assistance simply because they don’t file taxes.

In the Sacramento Region, more than 400,000 people, including 100,000 families with children, are eligible to benefit from the California Earned Income Tax Credit and the Young Child Tax Credit — two state refundable tax credits that put money back into the pockets of low and middle-income Californians through tax refunds.

This means that, right now during tax season, millions of dollars are available to El Dorado County residents struggling with rising costs of living and basic needs due to inflation.

That’s because tax credits entitle many Californians to get a bigger tax refund — which could be up to thousands of dollars back when they file their taxes. For example, a family with an income of $15,000 and three dependents could receive a total of $8,156 between CalEITC, YCTC and federal Earned Income Tax Credit. All people need to do to take advantage of these programs is file their taxes.

Money from these tax credits can help put food on the table, gas in the car and cover the rent. But because many low-income Californians aren’t legally required to file taxes, individuals and families are missing out on money they’re eligible to receive. El Dorado residents should visit myfreetaxes.com to take advantage of the free tax filing support. They can learn about their options for virtual filing support or in-person support at a tax preparation site, both at no cost.

Crime Log

The following was taken from Placerville Police Department logs:

March 16

2:33 a.m. Officers arrested a 34-year-old woman who allegedly fled during a traffic stop on Placerville Drive.

March 17

9:49 a.m. Officers arrested a 40-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man on suspiocn of trespassing on Quartz Mountain Drive.

5:29 p.m. Officers arrested a 31-year-old man who had two felony warrants and was allegedly found in possession of drugs on Forni Road.

March 18

7:23 a.m. Burglary was reported on Canal Street.

8:32 a.m. Officers arrested a 44-year-old woman on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance on Forni Road.

7:43 p.m. Officers cited a 34-yearold man suspected of trespassing on Placerville Drive.

March 20

4:10 a.m. A possible burglary was reported on Broadway.

10:55 a.m. Vehicle vandalism was reported on Clay Street.

March 21

8:50 a.m. Windows were reported broken at a Mosquito Road business.

3:46 p.m. Officers arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of public intoxication on Fair Lane.

5:02 p.m. A tailgate was reported stolen on Placerville Drive.

Mary Susan (Sue)

Craig

April 18, 1938 – Feb. 17, 2023

Thirty-two years to the day after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, Mary Susan (Sue) Craig, was born at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, CaliforniaApril 18, 1938. She was predeceased by her mother, Mary Virginia Olson, previously of Santa Barbara and Happy Camp, CA. Sue was surrounded by a loving family who saw to it that she was as spoiled (in a good way!) as she was loved.

Sue’s independent streak first glowed when her grandmother, whom she referred to as Mom, would chastise her for some misdeed and threaten to go after her. Sue, about 3 years old at the time, would run for her bedroom and throw herself under her bed where Mom knew she was hiding but couldn’t get her out. That rebellious nature never fully deserted her. She scored many firsts for getting into trouble at a young age… for example, riding horses far and wide across the hills of Castro Valley, testing the boundaries of her familiar territories and of Mom’s patience.

One summer in the 50’s she spent a couple of weeks on horseback working a cattle drive to move a herd from near Folsom (a small town at the time) to summer pastures in the High Sierra. She was in her element!

For years, she attended a Girl Scout Camp up in the glorious Redwoods. From age 8 on into her late teens, Sue went the entire summer. They had tents but they could also make a sleeping nest in the trunks and roots of the huge trees. She was about as natural as they come!

She was not only California born and bred but also lived and died within her beloved state. It suited her, especially her love of nature, everything flora and fauna, and also her love of history: places, artifacts and tools that spoke of an earlier time.

There was a part of Sue that could easily have been born 100 years ago and she would have thrived: she was a cowgirl, loved everything about black-smithing, never owned a power tool and preferred to split wood with a maul and wedges well into her 80’s. She had vehicles but if someone else would drive, all the better.

She never met an animal she didn’t like, except for rattlesnakes. Wherever she went, she ended up with something in her arms or on her lap, petting, stroking, smiling, and snuggling: dogs, cats, someone’s pet snake, interesting insects, deer, goats, raccoons, newts, salamanders, chickens, llamas, donkeys, or horses….All of these critters were pets at one time or another.

She graduated high school and went to San Jose State and LaVerne University for her BA. Her first career employment was California Youth Authority and in a few years she was the youngest Head Supervisor on the force. After several years, she returned to Cal Lutheran for her Masters program In psychology while working at Camarillo State Hospital as a teacher and a researcher within the Autism Program.

Under Ivar Lovass and his Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program at UCLA, she participated in some of the earliest educational research on behalf of children with autism. The method of ABA and Intervention remains a standard model for working with early autism to this day. It was also embedded in Sue’s teaching methods when she spent another 20 years teaching children with special needs including autism, and especially ones with reading difficulties at Gold Oak Union School District and with the El Dorado County Office of Education.

In 1978, Sue and a cohort of friends, moved onto 70+ acres outside Placerville, CA. They built a large geodesic dome, another country elegant home and a big barn that was completely Women Built. There was a large organic garden, running and hiking trails on the property, and through the years it was filled with hundreds of animals. From dogs and cats, to horses, a donkey, and a magnificent stud llama along with milking goats and their babies, several dozen laying hens, and a couple of attack geese.

Sue was an avid cheese and tofu-maker. Most people don’t know it, but warm tofu just out of the press is about as tantalizing as freshly baked bread! She was an active volunteer in El Dorado County. She used her many years as a horsewoman and years of teaching to assist Kris Van Winkle with the Ride N Shine program that used horse-back riding to provide therapy to handicapped and severely handicapped children.

During the 80s and early 90s, she was instrumental in the revitalization of the El Dorado County Humane Society. Sue was active in many areas of the Society from donations and sales, to the Feral Cat Spay, Neuter, and Feeding program, and to finding homes for hundreds of homeless animals.

Sue was also a Docent at Coloma’s Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in the Blacksmithing Shop. She had a deep love of hand wrought and used tools. Although she came to blacksmithing as a mature adult, she loved every aspect of it and spent many an hour at shows, forge-in gatherings, and buying and selling tools of the trade. Sue helped many new blacksmiths outfit new shops. Educationally, California History is a mandated class for all 4th graders and for most of the school year, they came by the busloads a couple of days each week. Her teaching and blacksmithing skills blended nicely!

Sue was always active in sports, starting as a competitive gymkhana rider, then a catcher in softball, and she was a fearless volleyballer who dove head-first for the dig. She also enjoyed cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and both summer and winter camping, She and a group of friends would go tent camping in Yosemite Valley in the dead of winter. She loved long car trips throughout Canada and the USA, and enjoyed international travel to Latin America, South America, Europe and the Middle East.

One of Sue’s greatest gifts was her artistic eye that found beauty and meaning in obscure articles of nature and humanity. She could visit an antique store, or yard sale, or walk through someone’s barn or backyard and find something incredible, and walking through her home was like visiting an interestingly curated museum. Numerous talented artists and artisans loved Sue, and unsolicited, they would ‘make her something’ — they really appreciated her ‘eye.’ Sue’s business card read ‘Rust-N-Dust’ which was a tongue in cheek homage to her love of many things old.

In the mid-90’s, Sue was introduced to Buddhism by a good friend.

The calm, quiet, meditative, and self-inquiry required within Buddhism worked for Sue. Always a person to step up and help, she had no trouble with the concept of loving-kindness for all living beings. She practiced both with the Davis Shambhala Center and a small group of Buddhist friends until her death.

Sue was a breast cancer survivor of nearly 20 years. Her later years included facing Parkinson’s and Lewy Body with concomitant dementia. She was a trouper and didn’t let her situation keep her from living life. What she could no longer do alone, she did with friends or friends did for her. She took off her boots for the final time about a week before she passed.

During a profoundly quiet moment in the middle of the night with her long-time partner present, Sue slipped away into the Cosmos. She left us with a gentle smile.

Sue was both a force of nature, and a quiet hero, well-remembered and beloved by her Chosen Family and numerous friends. As she did with everything she touched, Sue did Life, Her Way.

A Celebration of Life, outdoors of course, will be held when the weather is warmer — Sue was an outdoors woman as we all know!

Keep watching this site and as soon as we can secure a proper venue, we will post the Date, Time, and Place. It will be towards late April when the weather warms up a bit. Bring any Sue Snaps or Sue Stories to share!