C a l i f o r n i a ’ s O l d e s t N e w s pa p e r – E s t. 18 51
Volume 169 • Issue 58 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, May 18, 2020
Sly Park reopens for day use and boating for locals Recreation area’s capacity to be restricted at times n
Democrat staff Break out the paddles, ready those fishing poles and fill up your cooler, Sly Park Recreation Area has opened back up. Sly Park is now open for local residents between 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to a press release issued Thursday afternoon by El Dorado Irrigation District, the agency that oversees the park. The park’s gates reopened Saturday. Visitors can hike, bike or fish, and for those who are members of the same household, boat and picnic. The park is also open for equestrian use. Only credit card payments or exact change will be accepted for park entrance fees until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While some activities are authorized, others must be deferred until state and local restrictions are eased further. Under current guidelines camping is not allowed statewide under any circumstances at this n
Democrat photos by Kevin Christensen
Sheila Kelly, owner of Powell’s Steamer Co & Pub in downtown Placerville, serves up a beer as patrons sit at the bar in a makeshift protective barrier of PVC piping and plastic wrap the restaurant constructed as a way to mitigate the possible spread of COVID-19 as local restaurants opened up for dine-in service Thursday.
Restaurants ready for
See Sly Park, page 12
new normal
Saturday farmers’ market seeks return to parking lot Pat Lakey Staff writer
Dylan Svoboda Staff writer
The flagship Saturday farmers’ market that for decades was held in the Ivy House parking lot at Clay Street and Cedar Ravine in Placerville, then was moved a couple years ago to stretch along the El Dorado Trail with one border framed by a babbling Hangtown Creek, may extend even farther along the trail, due to action taken Tuesday by City Council. Jim and Lois Coalwell, who began the highly popular El Dorado County Certified Farmers’ Market, had requested the city allow vendors to return to the Ivy House parking lot, citing a “lack of visibility” and other problems opined by those selling fresh fruits, flowers and vegetables at the trail site. There also have been complaints from older shoppers, according to the Coalwells, about having to “take a hike” in order to peruse produce along the trail. The trail location is but a peach-pit’s throw from the former location, but is configured in a straight line of perhaps a quarter-mile instead of the squarish, contained shopping area afforded by the former parking lot venue. The city two years ago moved the farmers’ market to the waterside venue, placing vendors along a stretch of paved trail from Clay Street eastward to Locust Street, ostensibly to make use of Hangtown Creek, which affords a pleasant backdrop to the shopping experience. City crews cleared out the area and added rock fill to accommodate the seasonal market. n
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iners sitting 6 feet apart. All staff members in masks. Hand sanitizer at the front door. These are just some of the ways El Dorado County restaurants are preparing to reopen under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s long-awaited, sit-down dining guidelines. So far El Dorado County is one of 18 counties to get the go-ahead to move through Stage 2 of the governor’s reopening plan. With that permission, restaurants can once again open for dine-in seating under significant guidelines and recommendations. Guidelines include: • All customer-facing workers must wear masks. • If possible, offer disposable or electronic menus. • Ensuring diners sit at least 6 feet apart. • No shared condiments, bread baskets, salad bars or buffets. • No table-side food
See Farmers’ market, page 6
preparation. • No self-serve machines or cutlery stations. • No communal tables. • Frequent hand washing. • Checking employee’s temperatures and screening for COVID-19 symptoms. And that’s just a few of the nearly 100 guidelines put out by the Governor’s Office Tuesday inside a 12-page document. View n
See Restaurants, page 5
Diners are distanced at Cascada Thursday as they eat lunch inside the restaurant for the first time in two months.
The patio at Poor Red’s Bar-B-Q in El Dorado is filled with activity again as local restaurants open while practicing new guidelines for restaurants in El Dorado County.
Sheriff’s lieutenant honored by local mental health organization Pat Lakey Staff writer Because of his compassion for those who are mentally ill and for their loved ones dealing with extreme emotional pain, because of his leadership in helping others realize programs and protocols need to improve in El Dorado County, a sheriff ’s lieutenant has received an award from a local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Health. The honor given Lt. Troy Morton, who has been with the local Sheriff ’s Office since 2005, comes during Mental Health Month, with the award presented during the May 5 El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting.
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Local NAMI representative Fred Hjerpe, who serves on that organization’s Board of Directors, presented a proclamation to Morton, praising the officer for his professional understanding and his handling of the issues that surround mental illness. The disappearance of Hjerpe’s 22-year-old son, Louis, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder that led to the young man drowning in the Cosumnes River in 2017, served as a tragic catalyst for Fred’s involvement with law enforcement personnel. While he and his wife at the time of the tragedy expressed frustration with some aspects of how their son’s case was handled — Fred said Lt. Morton’s conduct has been above and beyond expectations.
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The proclamation cites Morton’s “multi-disciplinary approach to the intersection of law enforcement and mental health, his personal commitment to accessibility and the fostering of teamwork and collaboration.” “Lt. Morton’s leadership has been central to the development and expansion of the El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office programs including Crisis Intervention Team/Training (CIT) and Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT), while modeling the way to effective relationships between the (EDSO) and our county’s mental health communities such that we can break down stigmas and provide
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