Animal Tails
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
Molly awaits secure forever home. Prospecting, B1 Volume 169 • Issue 63 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, June 1, 2020
Driven to succeed
Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum
The El Dorado County Fair may not take place this summer as mass gatherings may not yet be permitted come July under the state’s COVID-19 reopening plan. The El Dorado County Fair brings in about $650,000 each year, which is roughly half of the fairgrounds’ annual budget.
El Dorado County Fair in trouble Dylan Svoboda Staff writer
Democrat photo by Kevin Christensen
The COVID-19 pandemic is jeopardizing one California institution with roots that reach back to the Gold Rush days. The El Dorado County Fairgrounds, “We never along with dozens of other local expected to fairgrounds across have to use all California, are facing insolvency as the of our savings coronavirus-forced for one loss.” shutdowns take away much-needed — Jody Gray, revenue streams. El Dorado County Fair “Your local and Event Center CEO fairgrounds are the go-to place during disasters in your community — such as wildfires, floods, pandemics ... ” a press release from the El Dorado County Fair Association states. “They are the hub of the community … All of this could change due to the consequences of COVID-19.” The coronavirus pandemic is endangering the county fairgrounds’ main revenue stream. Fair organizers announced in early May they will move this year’s event to July 9-12, barring further complications. El Dorado County Fair and Event Center CEO Jodi Gray was lucky enough to re-book the vendors, entertainers and judges for the event, which was originally planned for June 18-21. But the longer the virus lingers, the less likely El Dorado County families and friends will enjoy corn dogs, cotton candy and carnival rides this summer. Mass gatherings, like county fairs, will be the last events approved by the state under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reopening plans. n
El Dorado High School graduating senior and Cougars quarterback Danny Bell pops his head out of his family’s SUV as the class of 2020 rolls into downtown Placerville Thursday evening to pick up their diplomas in a graduation ceremony adapted for COVID-19 social distancing. While the weekend would have seen area high schools mark this milestone achievement more traditionally without a global pandemic — students, teachers, parents and administrators put their heads together to best the health crisis.
2020
Cruisin’ with the Class
of
Democrat photos by Thomas Frey
An enthusiastic cheering squad at Union Mine High School, above, put out hundreds of balloons around campus and rallied for every graduating senior as they passed by. Union Mine High School graduate John Poirot, right photo, celebrates as he takes the stage with his well-earned diploma in hand. Union Mine also held an event to celebrate seniors Thursday night with grads able to practice social distancing in a drive-through graduation. Union Mine may still have a more traditional ceremony later this summer.
See County fair, page A5
3 men believed drowned in Cosumnes River Dylan Svoboda Staff writer Three Sacramento men have possibly drowned in the North Fork of the Cosumnes River. El Dorado County sheriff ’s officers were dispatched to the Happy Valley Cut Off area of the river Thursday around 4 p.m. It was reported that three men, two 20-year-olds and a 24-year-old, all from Sacramento, had been swept into the river and were no longer visible, according to sheriff ’s spokesman Anthony Prencipe. After a search by the El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office Dive Team, with the aid of a helicopter and multiple fire and rescue crews, the three men couldn’t be located yesterday. The EDSO Dive Team began another search Friday morning, Prencipe said.
TM
The parade of El Dorado High School graduates arrives in downtown Placerville Thursday night. The grads were escorted by friends and family who shined up and decorated all sorts of vehicles to ride in the diploma-pick-up parade. Crowds lined Main Street, awaiting the graduating seniors and cheering them on.
Check out more photos of Thursday’s graduation events on B5 and online at mtdemocrat.com.
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