Tahoe treasure
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
Take a hike to visit the famous Monkey Rock. Wednesday, August 5, 2020
B1 News, etc.
Volume 169 • Issue 91 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
2 cafés stay open despite county suspending licenses n Apple Bistro, Café El Dorado may request legal hearings Pat Lakey Staff writer Photo courtesy of Cal Fire
The cause of a fire that burned 35 acres off Sophia Parkway in El Dorado Hills is under investigation.
35 acres scorched in Folsom and EDH El Dorado Hills and Folsom fire departments News release The Folsom Fire Department responded to a vegetation fire on Sophia Parkway, near Empire Ranch Road and East Natoma Street, at 12:55 a.m. on Aug. 2. Personnel from Fire Station 39 were first to arrive and found a fast-moving grass fire heading uphill toward homes in El Dorado Hills and the Hildebrand neighborhood in Folsom. The origin of the fire was midslope and moving in several directions. They immediately began extinguishing the fire and requested additional resources to contain it. More than 20 fire engines responded from Folsom, El Dorado Hills and Cal Fire to extinguish the blaze, which burned more than 35 acres. Several chief officers were also requested to manage the separate divisions established specifically due to the access between Sophia Parkway and the homes at the top of the ridge near Beatty Drive in El Dorado Hills. Three water tenders were used to assist. Due to the incident occurring at night, air resources were not used. The fire was contained within a couple hours and no homes were damaged. n
There’s no mistaking the glint of defiance in Apple Bistro owner Jeannette Waldow’s eyes as she says, “We’re open and we’ll continue to be open — no action by the county will close us without due process of the law.” And they were open Monday, the former Apple Café on Highway 50 just east of Placerville, welcoming customers who sometimes wore face masks but most often did not, customers who were sometimes seated inside the eatery, along with those seated in a sheltered outdoor area. The friendly chef there who came out of the kitchen to chat wasn’t wearing a mask either, nor was the man who said he preferred not to give his name but confirmed that he is part of the restaurant’s management team. Apple Bistro and Café El Dorado on Pleasant Valley Road both were slapped late last week with orders that rescind their El Dorado County health permits, essentially ordered to comply with COVID-19 related restrictions or close their doors. Both remained open as of Tuesday, with the chef and manager at Café El Dorado saying the business intends to take advantage of a 15-day period in which to ask for a hearing on the matter. “We have 15 days to request a hearing and we’re going to do that,” said Jack, who declined to give his last name. Told that the Apple Bistro owner has said she intends to stay open regardless of county demands to the contrary, Jack replied, “I know — and we have the same attorney.” That attorney is Rick Martin of the Constitutional Law Group, who has provided a message “to all government
See Sophia fire, page A2
n
See Cafés, page A6
Mountain Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum
Apple Bistro in Placerville was open Monday with signs welcoming diners to wait inside to be seated and cautioning visitors that some coronavirus safety recommendations are not followed at the establishment.
Pollock Pines woman takes her breath back from bug Dawn Hodson Staff writer Andrea Latimer thought she’d be the last person to catch the coronavirus. A healthy and active 40-year-old Pollock Pines resident, she’s employed in Sacramento doing property restoration, had no pre-existing medical conditions and walks 3 miles a day. Then on July 21 she started experiencing several symptoms. First it was fatigue, a headache and diarrhea. Then she lost her sense of taste and smell. Dismissing her symptoms, a week later she was still fatigued and lethargic when all of a sudden a slew of upper respiratory symptoms kicked in and hit her “like a ton of bricks.”
She said she started coughing, couldn’t breathe and couldn’t get out of bed. “That’s what prompted me to call 911,” she said. “When I couldn’t even walk to the kitchen, that’s when I knew I needed help.” Having no idea she had the virus, she said it was the scariest thing that has ever happened to her — not being able to breathe. Admitted to Marshall Hospital July 28, she was in the Intensive Care Unit for a week and released Aug. 4. Latimer said her doctors treated her with five days of an intravenous, broad-spectrum anti-viral drug called Remdesivir plus plasma from patients who had already recovered from the coronavirus. She also received large doses of vitamin D and C, antibiotics and a blood thinner, as COVID-19
patients tend to develop blood clots in their lungs. As to how she contracted the disease, Latimer said she is pretty sure she got it from being around people she works with in Sacramento who had been tested for the disease but hadn’t received their results yet because it can take six to 10 days. It turns out many of those people learned later they had tested positive. Latimer said her contact with them consisted of sharing a meal, shaking hands and hugging some of them. “I believe they were tested because they had some symptoms but chose to go to work anyway,” she said. “It’s the only place where I think I could have Courtesy photo gotten it from. Recovering at Marshall Hospital from a bout of COVID-19, Andrea Latimer figured she’d n See Latimer, page A3 be the last person to contract the disease.
Cal Fire puts grant money to work in Cameron Park Jana Rossi Staff writer
Mountain Democrat photo by Jana Rossi
Jessica Garrison with Cal Fire stands next to new signage reminding Cameron Park residents to stay fire safe. Garrison is one of the staff members who helps residents ensure they are compliant with the local fire safe ordinance.
1 DENTIST!
We Understand Commitment
#
Three Years Straight!
The Cameron Park Fire Department– Cal Fire has begun putting received grant money to good use. In April 2019 Cal Fire was awarded $366,000 from the California Climate Investment — Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Fire Prevention Grant. The intended use of the grant is education for the public on wildfire safety and activities toward reductions in hazardous fuels and greenhouse gas emissions as well as reducing the potential for wildfires. Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jed Gaines told Mountain Democrat that a little more than $250,000 will be used to construct fuel breaks throughout 92 acres surrounding Pine Hill Preserve, widening ingresses and egresses on 5 miles of roadways in the area to
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allow more room for equipment to pass and the remaining dollars are being put toward the education component. Cal Fire sent out 7,500 of its “Get Ready, Get Set, Go!” mailers along with magnets to residents. The items offer defensible space guidelines, evacuation preparedness tips and other useful ideas. Readyforwildfire.org shows how to create a wildfire preparedness plan and lets individuals sign up to receive text message alerts on nearby wildfires, along with offering additional tips on creating defensible space and evacuation plans. Sign up for “Code Red” found on the El Dorado County website, ready.edso.org, by clicking the Code Red link to register a phone for emergency updates. So far this year, according to Gaines, n
See Cal Fire, page A5
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