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
Wednesday, june 3, 2020
Volume 169 • Issue 64 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Police see no violence on West Slope Dylan Svoboda Staff writer After rumors of theft and vandalism coming to the West Slope swirled on social media Monday, the Placerville Police Department and El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office saw no looting or violence on Monday evening. Officials with each agency reported no incidents of social unrest. To guard against potential disturbances, both law enforcement
agencies shutdown several high-traffic areas in Placerville and El Dorado Hills. Main Street in Placerville from Bedford Avenue to Sacramento Street was closed Monday night from 8 p.m.6 a.m. Dozens of stores and businesses boarded up their windows and doors to safeguard against possible unrest. A heavy police presence stuck around the historical thoroughfare late into the night Monday. In El Dorado Hills, the Sheriff ’s
Office shut down Silva Valley Parkway and Town Center at 5 p.m. Monday evening. The agency called in the National Guard to deal with anticipated disruptions. Law enforcement officials placed barricades around Main Street and Town Center to limit access. A Mountain Democrat report found 50 National Guard soldiers, 40 sheriff ’s officers and 15 additional officers from Amador County covering the Western Slope Monday night.
County on high alert
National Guard troops arrived in El Dorado Hills Town Center shortly after 8 p.m., Monday. Town Center remained quiet but well-protected in the event any unrest occurred. Democrat photo by Noel Stack
Democrat photos by Krysten Kellum
Placerville police Sgt. Ron Cannon is posted at the Bell Tower in downtown Placerville Monday night as Main Street was closed precautionarily due to rumors of protests spreading to rural communities. Joining him were dozens of local folks anticipating potentially violent demonstrators.
Threat of potentially violent protests prompts precautions Noel Stack Village Life editor
Dorado Hills, Elk Grove and Roseville caught the attention of El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini. The sheriff told the Mountain Democrat he wanted to prevent in El Dorado County the violence and looting that has plagued larger, more metropolitan areas in the
Near dinner time Monday El Dorado Hills Town Center started closing doors rather than opening them after a message posted earlier on social media encouraging protestors to take their message to places like El
“I didn’t want (violent protestors) to get ahead of us. We made the decision to pull out all the stops — to be prepared.” — John D’Agostini, El Dorado County Sheriff wake of George Floyd’s death. He contacted the National Guard and asked for help. “My biggest concern was ‘if ’ they did (come to El
Dorado County),” he said of the violent protesters seen in other cities across the nation. “I didn’t want n
Placerville police announced Tuesday afternoon Main Street would not be again shutdown that evening but law enforcement presence would be increased. Sheriff ’s Office officials said the National Guard would be on hand and Silva Valley would again be shutdown Tuesday evening. The precautionary shutdowns follow a weekend of disruption in downtown Sacramento and across the U.S. after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.
EDC’s 202021 proposed budget shows 12% decline Dylan Svoboda Staff writer The coronavirus pandemic’s impact on El Dorado County’s budget for the next fiscal year is coming into focus. County staff released its recommended budget for fiscal year 2020-21 Friday. The total recommended budget is approximately $647.7 million, which is $87.3 million less than the 2019-20 “ … it will be budget — a 12% very difficult decrease. “Due to the to adopt a timing and final budget circumstances caused by the in September COVID-19 without pandemic and reducing the unknown impacts on the services or state budget and impacting revenues, the recommended investments budget primarily into our reflects ongoing services and infrastructure, service levels, a including largely statusroads, quo budget, recognizing buildings and that additional information work will take place over the technology.” summer in — Don Ashton, order to present El Dorado County a modified Chief Administrative budget for final Officer adoption in September,” said county Chief Administrative Officer Don Ashton in a press release. Total General Fund appropriations are expected to take a significant hit. County staff is recommending such appropriations at $315.8 million, which is $8 million, or 2%, less than the 2019-20 adopted budget. And the county budget is just the beginning of El Dorado’s financial
See Precautions, page A3
n
See Budget, page A2
George Floyd demonstration canceled in Placerville Kevin Christensen Staff writer
A demonstration organized by the El Dorado Progressives that was set to take place in downtown Placerville in the wake of the death of George Floyd has been canceled due to concerns of violence. Organizers of the event, which was planned for Wednesday, June 3, said they did not want to take any chances with the safety of the community and demonstration participants at stake. “Due to the potential for harm to the members of our community and unwanted damage, this event will be canceled,” said El Dorado Progressives organizer Michael Saunders.
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the country at this time but the state of our county.” Threats made on social media raised concerns for the group and after talking with local law enforcement, the demonstration was nixed. — Michael Saunders, El Dorado Progressives organizer “The murder of Mr. George Floyd and the other national incidents of hate crimes “The events being played out throughout the many and police brutality leading up to last week’s cities in our country show there are those that are video release, and the overwhelming response of willing to use this as an opportunity to continue to community members wanting to do something led sow hate and create chaos. This would have provided to the organized action,” Saunders added. “The same a chance to instigate and incite violence against the factors that caused those events to take place are the children and the elderly that would have been in same factors that caused this event to be canceled. attendance and we cannot responsibly sponsor this event at this time. This not only speaks to the state of n See George Floyd, page A2
“The events being played out throughout the many cities in our country show there are those that are willing to use this as an opportunity to continue to sow hate and create chaos.”
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