Marshall is preparing to bring an expanded suite of services to El Dorado Hills residents.
To launch this e ort, crews have begun remodeling the interior of the building in Town Center West previously owned by Blue Shield.
The 50,000-squarefoot former o ce building at 4201 Town Center Blvd. was recently purchased by the local medical provider with the intent of expanding its footprint in El Dorado Hills fivefold while also providing a more central location. Marshall’s existing Family Medicine clinic has been operating in Business Park 1 since 2005; the location began o ering orthopedic care in 2016.
The clinic’s services are set to be moved to the new Town Center West location in February 2025, according to Marshall representative Fernando Diaz.
The initial demolition phase has completed at the location, and Bogard Construction crews have begun adjusting the space to meet Marshall’s needs. In addition to primary and orthopedic care services relocated from the Family Medicine clinic, the two-floor building will also have space available to provide physical therapy and cardiology services, according to
MARSHALL builds on its goals
Hawk soars after rescue and rehab
Eric Jaramishian
Senior sta writer
E orts by Sierra Wildlife Rescue recently led to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of a redshouldered hawk.
The Diamond Springs-based wildlife rescue organization got a call on July 4 during a heatwave that the hawk had gotten stuck inside a pool filter after falling into the water during a swim party; it’s believed the bird was attempting to take a drink. While the hawk was fighting to keep its head above the water in the filter an SWR volunteer was quick to respond to the call and successfully extracted the hawk from the situation just as it was about to go completely underwater, SWR o cials noted.
SWR volunteers took in the weak and fatigued hawk to a member of the wildlife rescue’s raptor rehabilitation team for care.
“Even though the heatwave registered the day at 110 degrees, the hawk was cold and shivering,” said Debbie Buckles, president and board member of SWR. “Using the low speed of a hair dryer and a very gentle touch, each feather was carefully separated and preened.”
More triage on the hawk was performed after it was dried o and feathers restored; thankfully the organization confirmed the raptor sustained no other injuries. The bird was given food and antibiotics. it regained its strength after 15 days
Eric Jaramishian Senior sta
The El Dorado County Planning and Building Department newly approved long range planning workplan has set county and Board of Supervisors’ priorities, charting a course for now and into future.
The board approved the 2024-25 fiscal year long range plan during its July 30 meeting. The plan prioritizes projects for Planning and Building sta , including a proposed a ordable housing ordinance that would provide a framework for addressing the need for a ordable housing
in the county. That ordinance is expected to be completed by this coming winter.
An a ordable housing task force, which has been formed by housing industry experts to come up with strategies for future implementation, is expected to conduct a series of public meetings in late summer and fall, per board direction.
“The task force will periodically report to the board for further direction on housing initiatives,” reads a county sta memo. “It is important to note that the a ordable housing initiatives project has replaced the infill incentives project identified in prior work plans. The task force will make
recommendations to the Board in regard to providing incentives for infill projects.”
“We’re going to be reaching out to the El Dorado Community Foundation and see if they have any interest in partnering with us,” Planning and Building Director Karen Garner noted. “We believe they may have that interest, and can facilitate, especially with community outreach.”
The board discussed potential issues and ideas to implement a ordable housing; supervisors expressed concerns that new owners of mobile home parks across
Courtesy photo
Sierra Wildlife Rescue releases a red-shouldered hawk after the organization’s raptor team and volunteers rescued and rehabilitated the bird after it nearly drowned in a swimming pool.
Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco Construction crews have been hard at work renovating the interior of a former Blue Shield building in El Dorado Hills Town Center West as Marshall prepares to move in. Services to be offered at the new location include a walk-in orthopedic clinic, primary care and physical therapy.
ESSENTIALS
John Thomas Taylor May 31, 1970 – May 11, 2024
Leslie James McIntyre
Oct. 3, 1925 – July 22, 2024
John Thomas Taylor, 53, of Placerville, CA, passed away on Saturday, May 11th 2024, due to complications of Type 1 diabetes. John was born on May 31st, 1970 in Santa Ana, CA to Thomas and Rosemarie Taylor. John is survived by his wife Cindy Taylor. His parents Thomas and Rosemarie Taylor of Diamond Springs. Brother, Daniel Taylor of Placerville, CA. Sister, Karen Peel and Brother in Law Nicholas Peel of Menifee, CA. Nephews: Liam, Alec, and Danny. Nieces: Zoey, Faith and Hope. A Celebration of John’s Life will be held on Thursday, August 8th, at 1 p.m., at Green Valley Community Church. 3500 Missouri Flat Rd. Placerville, CA 95667
Dale Eugene Jackson
Jan. 12,1958 – March 31, 2024
Passed away March 31, 2024 at home after a heroic battle with cancer. He was born January 12, 1958, in Merced, California, the son of Ronald Jackson and Dorothy Shell. Dale proudly served in the U.S. Army from 1975 to 1979. For the past 29 years, Dale worked for El Dorado Water and Showers, where he managed emergency fire support equipment for multiple agencies during natural disasters and national emergencies. Dale is survived by his wife, Lesa Jackson; daughters, Cacey, Jami, and Julia; Grandsons, Aiden, and Vyvyan; brother, Rod Jackson; and sister, Beth Sargent. A celebration of life to honor Dale will be held at Green Valley Community Church on Thursday, August 15, 2024, at 1 PM. (3500 Missouri Flat Rd. Placerville, Ca 95667
Sue Megee
Sue Megee passed into the land of eternal light on July 15, 2024.
We imagine that she was greeted with open arms by her two sons, Steven Bryan Megee and Darren Henry Megee. May the rose garden where they reminisce about the lives they shared be full of love, laughter and anticipation of reuniting with their beloved father and devoted husband, George Megee.
Sue was born in Chandler, AZ and raised in Waterford, CA. George and Sue moved to Placerville, CA in 1960, calling this small, friendly community home for sixty years.
Sue was an avid reader with a passion for learning and a love for teaching. She spent many years as an elementary school teacher, touching the lives of many children. She especially had a gift of connecting with children that felt like misfits and creating space where they would feel like they belong.
The yard where she spent her evenings with her husband watching deer, turkeys, ducks and geese was filled with luscious trees and beautiful flowers, especially a variety roses. Her home was filled with tokens, trinkets and crystals that brought her joy, comfort and peace.
She will be missed by her family and friends — and the hummingbirds that flit about her gardens as she makes her journey onward.
Richard (Dick)
DeHaven White
Oct. 12. 1948 – July 10, 2024
Richard (Dick) DeHaven White, 75, of El Dorado Hills, California, passed away on July 10, 2024. Born on October 12, 1948, in Orange, New Jersey, Dick is the son of Richard DeHaven White and Margaret Mary Williams. He is survived by his partner of 34 years, Michele and sister, Suzanne Mabe (Pete). Dick was preceded in death by his sister, Marilyn White.
Dick received a Naval Reserve O cer Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree and Ensign rank in the U.S. Navy. He was deployed on the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy CV-67, achieved the rank of Lieutenant, and transferred from active duty to the Naval Reserve in late 1974.
Dick pursued a successful career in manufacturing employing his IT expertise to facilitate the production operations of companies including Mercedes Benz and the toy company Wham-O in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In 1989, he was recruited as Director, Information Technology for Power Wheels in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1994 he moved to California and began working as an independent IT consultant for manufacturing companies in the U.S., Europe, Scandinavia and Asia.
An avid sports fan, Dick has always been a diehard supporter of the New England Patriots and loving Dad to four wonderful Golden Retrievers. In retirement, he renewed his college interest in the game of Bridge and played several times per week. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Dick will be laid to rest at 11:30 am on August 15, 2024 in the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, CA with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, please consider donation to the El Dorado County, CA food bank or the American Cancer Society.
The world has one less true gentleman in it at the passing of Leslie James McIntyre on July 22, 2024. Les was born in Los Angeles on October 3rd. 1925. He was the 3rd. of 4 boys. He moved with his family to northern California during the depression where the family eventually developed a successful turkey farm located o Hazel Ave. in Roseville. Leslie enlisted in the Army Air Corp during WWII and served nearly two years flying 17 missions over Europe as a lower turret gunner in a B17. After an honorable discharge Leslie went home to marry his high school sweetheart, Norma Nelson, and start a dairy business in Ophir, California. Les & Norma had 3 children during this time. Leslie decided the dairy business had developed as far as he wanted to go so, he returned to school & was accepted to UCSF Dental School. After graduating in 1969 he set up a dental practice in Fair Oaks, California. He practiced dentistry for nearly 20 years, retired and served 2 18-month missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One in the Fiji Islands then Zimbabwe So. Africa with his wife Norma. He continued to the end of his life serving family & church faithfully. He was preceded in death by his youngest son Timothy James McIntyre & his wife Norma McIntyre. He is survived by his oldest son Peter L. McIntyre, daughter Priscilla N. Gibson; grandchildren: Leslie McIntyre Lungren, Joel McIntyre, Rory McIntyre, Scott McIntyre, Meghan McIntyre, Natalie Gibson Oakes, April Gi bson Ogren, Turner J. Gibson; great grandchildren: Daniel Lungren, Wyatt Lungren, Alena Lungren, Hayden Lungren, Mikayla McIntyre, Declan McIntyre, Hudson Oakes, Reese Oakes, Paige Oakes, Julia McIntyre, Brock McIntyre, Luke McIntyre, Ellie Rose McIntyre, Gabriel McIntyre, Rylie McIntyre & Jack T. Gibson. Leslie’s funeral service is on August 9th 10:00 a.m. at 3431 Hacienda Dr. Cameron Park, Ca. He will be interned in the Jayhawk Cemetery in Rescue, Ca.
Darlene Ann (Tooch) Wrzesinski
Nov. 8, 1948 – July 6, 2024
Darlene Ann (Tooch) Wrzesinski, born Nov. 8, 1948 in Torrance CA, passed away July 6, 2024. Darlene graduated from Ponderosa High School, married Wesley Wade in 1966, 57 years together, they raised 5 children in Helena, Montana but CA was her special place. Darlene was proceeded in death by James and Mary Tooch, brother James Tooch Jr. and sister Beverly Dollar. She is survived by Wesley Sr., her children, Lisa, Wesley Jr., Clint, Helen, Mary Kate, brothers David and Richard, fourteen grandchildren & one great grandchild.
In honor of Darlene, please remember Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Darlene is in Heaven watching over me and you.
LEGISLATORS’ ADDRESSES
PLACERVILLE CITY COUNCIL
City Hall 3101 Center St., Placerville (530) 642-5200
Mayor Michael Saragosa msaragosa@cityofplacerville.org
Vice Mayor Jackie Neau jneau@cityofplacerville.org
John Clerici
jclerici@cityofplacerville.org
Nicole Gotberg ngotberg@cityofplacerville.org David Yarbrough dyarbrough@cityofplacerville.
org ElL DORADO COUNTY SUPERVISORS EDC Government Center 330 Fair Lane, Placerville
District 1 Supervisor John Hidahl (530) 621-5650
District 2 Supervisor George Turnboo (530) 621-5651
District 3 Supervisor Wendy Thomas (530) 621-5652
District 4 Supervisor Lori Parlin (530) 621-6513
District 5 Supervisor Brooke Laine (530) 621-6577 (Placerville) (530) 621-6577 (South Lake Tahoe)
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR Gavin Newsom 1021 O St., Suite 9000 Sacramento 95814 (916) 445-2841 U.S. SENATE Laphonza Butler SD-G10 Dirksen Senate Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-3841 Alex Padilla 112 Hart Senate O ce Building Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-3553
Sacramento O ce 501 I St., Suite 7-800 Sacramento 95814 (916) 448-2787 5TH CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT Tom McClintock Constituent Service Center 4359 Town Center Blvd., Suite 210 El Dorado Hills 95762 (916) 786-5560 3RD CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT Kevin Kiley Constituent Service Center 6538 Lonetree Blvd, Suite 200 Rocklin 95765 (916) 724-2575 5TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT Joe Patterson District O ce 8799 Auburn Folsom Road Granite Bay 95746 (916) 774-4430
9:20
The following was taken from El Dorado County Sheri ’s O ce records:
June 27
3:31 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 46-year-old woman on suspicion of obstruction on Missouri Flat Road in Placerville. She was listed in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail.
3:03 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 59-year-old man on suspicion of three counts of probation violation on Fair Lane in Placerville. He was listed in custody in lieu of $11,000 bail.
6:01 p.m. Vandalism was reported on Meadow Croft Lane in Pilot Hill.
8:42 p.m. California Highway Patrol o cers booked into jail a 31-yearold man on suspicion of DUI and possession of unlawful paraphernalia on Marshall Way in Placerville. He was released on $70,000 bail.
9:19 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 54-year-old man on suspicion of possession of controlled substance and unlawful paraphernalia on Shingle Springs Drive in Shingle Springs. He was later released.
10:30 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 34-year-old woman on suspicion of vehicle theft and possession of unlawful paraphernalia on Pleasant Valley Road in Placerville. She was released on $25,000 bail.
June 28
7:02 a.m. Grand theft reported on Hillsdale Circle in El Dorado Hills.
10:29 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 30-year-old man on suspicion of possession of narcotic controlled substance and undetectable rearm on Highway 49. He was later released.
10:44 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 59-year-old woman on suspicion of obstruction on Main Street. She was later released.
12:52 p.m. Battery reported on Consolation Court in Shingle Springs.
1:12 p.m. Grand theft reported on Monte Mar Drive in El Dorado Hills.
1:16 p.m. Grand theft reported on Pedro Hill Road in Pilot Hill.
3:11 p.m. Battery occurred on La Canada Drive in Cameron Park.
11:48 p.m. Burglary reported on Rothgarden Court in Placerville.
June 29
3:07 a.m. California Highway Patrol
o cers booked into jail a 39-year-old woman on suspicion of DUI on China Garden Road in Placerville. She was later released.
11:19 a.m. Trespassing reported on Larsen Drive in Camino.
12:09 p.m. Battery reported on Tecolote Drive in Placerville.
1:27 p.m. Battery reported on Flat Creek Drive in Somerset.
2:03 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 62-year-old man on suspicion of probation violation (location unknown). He was later released.
1ST ASSEMBLY DISTRICT Megan Dahle District O ce 113 Presley Way, Suite 2 Grass Valley 95945 (530) 265-0601 State Senator, DISTRICT 4 Marie Alvarado-Gil Capitol O ce 1021 O St., Suite 7240 Sacramento 95814 (916) 651-4004
5:55 p.m. Battery reported on Sly Park Road in Pollock Pines.
7:48 p.m. California Highway Patrol
o cers booked into jail a 52-yearold woman on suspicion of DUI on Greensboro Road in Placerville. She was released on $5,000 bail.
8:53 p.m. Burglary reported on Shilo Drive in Placerville.
June 30
6:57 a.m. Battery reported on Forni Road in Placerville.
8:12 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 30-year-old man on suspicion of multiple counts of vehicle theft along vandalism, burglary and conspiracy to commit crime on Highway 193. He was listed in custody in lieu of $2,820,000 bail.
Central EDH loop open; residents eager for
Noel Stack Editor
Nearly seven months after the El Dorado Hills Community Services District closed escrow on 55 acres of the old Executive Golf Course property, with another 11 acres donated, a new trail has opened for the community to enjoy.
The Central EDH Mile Loop Trail meanders through the hillside near the intersection of El Dorado Hills Boulevard and Serrano Parkway. See the video presentation at youtube. com/watch?v=SuVvH_
y0MLU.
“While the future of this project is still in the visioning process, involving ongoing input from the public, the board wants the community to enjoy this new trail, in addition to the robust trail systems in beautiful El Dorado Hills,” reads an EDHCSD social media post, noting public feedback is welcome; email communications@ edhcsd.org.
The new trail is the first step in the district’s efforts to transform the former golf course property, about half of which is still owned by Parker Development Co. The EDH Board of Directors and staff is currently in negotiations to purchase the remaining 41.5 acres. At last month’s board
meeting, CSD staff shared the results of the Central EDH Park Visioning Community Engagement Survey. More than 2,600 people responded, with the majority being Serrano residents. Nearly half of respondents said acquiring the remaining
Cameron Park ignites fire service annexation process
Malachi Parker
Staff writer
With the spend money to save money mindset, the Cameron Park Community Services District Board of Directors recently approved a not-to-exceed $41,000 contract to begin annexation discussions with the El Dorado Hills Fire Department.
Don Ashton with Municipal Management Solutions will guide those negotiations. Ashton is El Dorado County’s former chief administrative officer and author of the recently released fire services report outlining the CPCSD’s options. The district has contracted with Cal Fire for many years but in recent budget cycles that contract has become too expensive for the CSD, which has also seen other expenses grow while revenue falls short.
“I suggest that it does not have to be a long process to determine if EDH could be a viable partner,” CPCSD General Manager Alan Gardner wrote in his staff report, adding Ashton’s experience and technical knowledge will be an asset to the district.
“At this time staffing resources in the district are limited and, in order to accomplish the necessary tasks as efficiently as possible, someone with knowledge of El Dorado County’s fire and ambulance system and who can adequately represent the interests of the district is needed,” Gardner noted.
“Mr. Ashton has that background and is well respected by fire service providers in El Dorado County, including Cal Fire, El Dorado County Fire and El Dorado Hills Fire. Mr. Ashton also has a strong working relationship with the executive director of LAFCO
which could help facilitate annexation discussions.”
And while no one questioned Ashton’s credentials, members of the public were concerned about yet another contract for services when the district faces a severe budget deficit.
“We keep hearing ‘we can’t’ when it comes to cutting ... and I think that’s bull crap,” Cameron Park resident Barbara Rodgers said. “You guys don’t know what you are doing.
“Uniforms have sat here and watched you guys do nothing,” she added.
“We don’t like spending money but it is important that we invest in this process,” said Director Eric Aiston.
Gardner, along with members and the members of an ad hoc committee formed to explore fire service options, are presumed to be present at the negotiations with EDH Fire. Annexation is something that either party could walk away from if terms are not
able to be met, Gardner shared, and Cameron Park would keep its current with Cal Fire intact. That contract runs through June 2025.
“We are not competing for this annexation,” EDH Fire Chief Maurice Johnson told the crowd at the July 17 meeting. “It has come across as if we are in competition but we all just want to make sure fire service is safe and sustainable.”
Directors faced many questions from irritated residents at the board meeting: “Where is this money coming from and what is going to be cut?” “Does the board even look at the public records request that we send in?”
The public also again asked about the AP Triton report regarding fire services that has never been publicly released. Gardner previously told the public that report was never finished and the contract with the consultant was terminated — a decision
Dental News
by Jeffery Little, D.D.S.
WHY SUGAR IS REALLY BAD FOR YOUR TEETH
Sugar by itself isn’t bad for your teeth, but rather the combination of sugar and oral bacteria that produce enamel-destroying acids. Bacteria thrive on sugar. The more sugar you eat, the faster the bacteria in your mouth reproduce. The existing bacteria respond by overproducing acids that destroy tooth enamel. When bacteria reach the base of your teeth, they multiply even faster and deepen the pockets in your gums, leading to gingivitis and periodontal disease. Sugar also causes extra bacteria that become excess acid in your saliva, leading to a higher risk of acute and chronic dental problems. But there’s good news, too: a twice-daily oral hygiene routine of brushing and flossing significantly reduces the risk by
keeping bacteria in check.
Bacteria and the damage it causes can be controlled if we deal with bacteria-causing plaque on a daily basis. A toothbrush alone, however, no matter how often used, cannot do the whole job. It takes the combined effort of smart eating, conscientious daily brushing and flossing, and professional visits to promote total oral health as well as complete body health. If it’s been too long since you treated your teeth and gums to professional care, now would be a good time to call us for an appointment.
P.S. You don’t have to give up sugar to avoid dental issues. Practice enjoying sugar in moderation and developing a routine to brush and floss soon afterward.
acreage is of very high importance with another 26.45% saying it is of high importance. Regarding use of the property, the results note, “The most preferred overall ‘type’ of recreation development project was open space/nature area, followed by a community park, then a golf course.” The top two amenities suggested by respondents are bathrooms and unpaved trails. Other activities that made the top 10 include a golf course (No. 5), driving range (No. 7), pickleball courts (No. 8) and an amphitheater (No. 10).
At the July 11 board meeting several people supported bringing back golf in some form, possibly a 9-hole course. Speaker Robert Leach
pitched a public/private partnership with the district to build a course and a boutique hotel on the site.
“I’ve been a huge proponent of bringing golf back to El Dorado Hills and not being shy about it,” Director Heidi Hannaman said. “It’s what I want to see happen.”
She suggested a public discussion with Leach to go over his proposal that could not only bring desired amenities to the property but also funding to help the CSD. The second part of the property will cost nearly $10 million.
The board directed staff and consultants with Stantec to develop three conceptual plans for the entire property. Concept 1 will incorporate the top
three priorities — open space/trails, community park, golf. Concept 2 will focus on an 18-hole golf course and Concept 3 will expand on Leach’s hotel/golf proposal. “What we are also doing at this phase is putting ... budgetary numbers on it,”
EDHCSD General Manager Mark Hornstra noted. “And I think that’s where ... Mr. Leach’s plan allows us to look a little bit differently toward the acquisition of the land, and it has a revenue stream, and ... those all need to be (added) into these concepts as well. Right? Because you can’t have champagne taste on a beer budget. The community needs to know the price tag of what they’re asking for.”
Lake Tahoe anglers to help scientists monitor threatened trout species
Katelyn Welsh Tahoe Daily Tribune
LAKE TAHOE — More than 15,000 Lahontan cutthroat trout are settling into their new Tahoe home after a release spanning the last couple of weeks. The Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex released the trout at Meeks Bay, Lake Forest Boat Ramp and Sand Harbor State Park.
That is just the start of summer long stocking plans initiated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Stocking will continue throughout the summer, releasing around 100,000 at various publicly accessible Tahoe locations in California and Nevada.
Despite having brown, rainbow and brook trout, the Lahontan cutthroat trout is actually Lake Tahoe’s only native trout species. The Nevada state fish is also the largest inland cutthroat trout in the world, growing up to 4 feet long and weighing up to 40 pounds.
Truckee River watershed.
But how did these Tahoe-Pyramid based fish wind up miles upon miles away? According to experts with the University of Nevada, Reno, in the early 1900s before the Fish and Wildlife Services existed, a wildlife commission took small fish from Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake and placed them in streams across eastern Nevada and across the Utah border. Although many of those streams already had fish, the Pilot Peak streams did not, which is where the Lahontan cutthroat trout survived and was rediscovered nearly 100 years later.
The type of Lahontan cutthroat the complex released into the lake is known as the Pilot Peak strain. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this is a unique strain of Lahontan cutthroat trout that represents the original lake form evolving in the ancient Lake Lahontan.
In more recent historical times, this lake form existed in Tahoe, the Truckee River, Pyramid Lake and Walker Lake, but went locally extinct around the 1940s due to dam construction, invasive species, over-harvesting, human water consumption and changing precipitation regimes.
However, in the late 1970s fish biologist Robert Behnke suspected he rediscovered the once thought lost species in Pilot Peak streams near the Nevada-Utah border. Genetic analysis advancements to confirm this suspicion wouldn’t develop until the 1990s.
That’s around the time biologist Mary Peacock at the University of Nevada, Reno, performed genetic analysis and compared the found Pilot Peak fish to museum samples of original Tahoe-Pyramid populations from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Through the resulting analysis, Peacock discovered the Pilot Peak strain as descendants of the original Lahontan cutthroat trout that once inhabited Lake Tahoe, the Truckee river and Pyramid Lake. A recovery program followed for the fish, reintroducing it throughout the
The recent fish release is a part of a third year reintroduction and evaluation program at the lake. Lisa Heki, Project Leader, Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, says the program is in its infancy, but seeks to understand the native species, a top predator, and how it can restore the native ecosystem in Lake Tahoe. Scientists are evaluating barriers to the species’ recovery through tracking, investigating habitat use, spawning use and predation, as well as tagging the fish.
About a quarter of the fish released over the last couple of weeks are suited with a T-bar anchor tag, having a unique ID and phone number. The complex wants to encourage anglers who catch these tagged fish to report the catch by calling that phone number.
This will help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists evaluate the success of stocking as well as growth, survival and distribution of the threatened fish.
Other collaborating agencies include the Washoe Environmental Protection Department, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, U.S. Forest Service – Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California State Parks and Nevada State Parks. Lahontan cutthroat trout are a threatened species under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The service is entering the second year of a program tracking how shallows shelves around the lake may provide vital habitat for their reintroduction as it may create a refuge away from Lake trout predation.
“We have much to learn,” Heki said, “and understand about LCT in their home waters of Lake Tahoe.”
Grant funding available to enhance wildlife habitat
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response is accepting grant applications to fund projects that enhance, restore or acquire habitat for wildlife, with available funding totaling $5 million.
These grant funds come from CDFW-OSPR’s Environmental Enhancement Fund , which acquires funds from spill violations in accordance with California’s LempertKeene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act.
Key details of this grant opportunity are:
• Grant range: Minimum $500,000 per project
• Completion deadline: April 1, 2031
• Eligibility: Nonprofits, cities,
counties, districts, state and federal agencies
• Location: Projects must be within or near California waters
• Requirements: Projects must show measurable outcomes and improve habitat or ecosystem function
• Multiple projects may be submitted for funding
The selection committee includes representatives from the California Coastal Conservancy, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and CDFW‐OSPR. This is the largest grant amount available since the beginning of the EEF.
Grant applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Sept. 11. Selected projects will be notified in late fall 2024. For more information go to wildlife. ca.gov/OSPR/Science/EnvironmentalEnhancement-Fund/About.
News release
SACRAMENTO — The Franchise Tax Board recently announced that it will continue to work with the IRS to offer many California taxpayers the option of a free, secure and simple way to file both their federal and state tax returns using the IRS Direct File and California CalFile services.
Both online services offer eligible taxpayers the ability to file their personal income tax returns quickly, safely and directly with the respective tax agency, as well
as claim valuable, cash-back tax credits such as the state and federal Earned Income Tax Credit and California’s Young Child Tax Credit. FTB launched CalFile nearly 16 years ago. After a successful pilot program this spring, the IRS recently announced it would make Direct File a permanent option. The IRS said Direct File served 140,000 taxpayers — including more than 33,000 Californians — in 12 partner states this filing season.
“We have long emphasized that n See FILING, page A5
File photo by Jackie D’Almeida/USFWS
A fisheries staff member opens up the holding tank that features a window where folks can see the Lahontan cutthroat trout pre-release last year.
A SUPER SALE
Filing
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CalFile is fast, easy and free,” said State Controller Malia M. Cohen. “We know taxpayers want their state and federal returns prepared and filed one right after the other. Our plan to create a bridge between the state and federal systems would offer many Californians a faster, simpler way to file both their returns — first the federal, then the state — directly with the IRS and FTB.” With funding recently
Marshall Continued from A1
approved, FTB will begin work to allow Californians who use Direct File to import their federal tax data into CalFile, saving them time and increasing the number of California’s working families that are able to access the federal and state tax credits that they qualify for. This new feature is expected to be available beginning in January 2026. For the 2024 tax year the IRS will continue to provide a
project manager Derek Bogaard. A lab space and X-ray scanning suite are also slated to operate in the new location, saving many El Dorado Hills residents a trip up the hill to Cameron Park or Placerville.
“This will be providing many similar services offered in Placerville and Cameron Park, further expanding Marshall’s services down here,” Bogaard explained. “There is a lot of excitement to see this
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before being released back into its natural habitat.
“On July 19 this red-shouldered hawk was ready to get back to its natural state of living, providing rodent control of mice, voles and gophers and often being heard before being seen,” Buckles said.
Though the participants of the
link to CalFile for Californians to complete their state tax return — the same as during this spring’s Direct File pilot program. Visit FTB’s CalFile page for qualifications and other information. The IRS announced on May 30 this year that it is exploring ways to expand Direct File to make more taxpayers eligible next year. See the IRS’s Direct File page for updates and more information.
location opened up.”
Marshall’s expansion reflects its efforts to provide a wider range of medical services to El Dorado County residents. Marshall is an independent, nonprofit community healthcare provider which operates Marshall Hospital in Placerville and multiple outpatient facilities in Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills and Georgetown, employing more than 1,500 people.
pool party were wise to call SWR for help, Buckles said it is best to safely extract the bird some such situations.
“Don’t be afraid; call us, but do not leave them in the filter,” she explained. “Put a pair of gloves on; put the bird in the box with a few air holes, somewhere where
Continued from A1
the county are raising rents and implementing “burdensome” new rules which are driving residents out. Supervisors shared that tenants are paying double, even nearly triple, the amount in rent since 2018.
“We have a situation (in my district) and I am thinking we have a couple of situations of these predatory practices across the county that we have been told about that weren’t urgent, now are,” said District 4 Supervisor Lori Parlin. “I have a bad feeling this is the start for our county and I think there is going to be more.”
Additionally, Diane Rabinowitz, president of mental illness support and advocacy group NAMI El Dorado County, took the opportunity to express to the board that affordable housing for those with mental illness needs to be addressed, adding that the organization may “aid the effort to fill some gaps in housing.” Rabinowitz said living unstable living conditions worsens mental health conditions.
“I urge you to direct your staff to include people with serious mental illness in the language describing the county’s long and short range plans for affordable housing and to prioritize the development of affordable housing for people with special needs,” Rabinowitz added.
Other housing-related initiatives in the long range plan include the Tahoe commodities incentives for affordable housing and workforce housing projects, which is meant to incentivize future affordable and workforce housing projects in the Tahoe Basin. Those incentives are expected to work in conjunction with the Tahoe El Dorado Area Plan slated for completion by summer 2026.
The Tahoe El Dorado Area Plan would be a jurisdiction-wide area plan that would help simplify the permitting processes and streamline environmental reviews, “allow the county to control
it is warm, dark and quiet, then call us.”
Sierra Wildlife is located at 777 Pleasant Valley Road in Diamond Springs and can be contacted at (530) 6214661. For more information about the organization visit sierrawildliferescue.org.
land use policies and decisions based on each community’s needs and incorporate Tahoe Regional Planning Agency code and state law updates,” according to the staff memo.
Additionally, the county’s housing element and General Plan implementation annual progress reports are expected to be completed by spring 2025, followed by a General Plan five-year review for the 2021-25 fiscal years in 2026.
Future updates to the county’s title 130 zoning code of ordinances, including communications facilities, signs, oak resources conservation and Cameron Park sign standards, are also expected to be updated by summer of 2025.
The county is also creating an interim West Slope design standard for multi-family, horizontal mixeduse and commercial development in community regions and rural centers, which staff will complete by winter 2024. After that is completed, the county will use that to propel an adopted custom design standards for these areas, including Shingle Springs, Diamond Springs, Cameron Park and El Dorado Hills by 2025.
An ecological preserve fee, which allows the county to collect fees from new developments from its mitigation areas, including El Dorado Irrigation District’s service area and rare soils areas, will also get an update; those fees are used to acquire land for the Pine Hill Preserve and to contribute toward its management.
Also included in the long range plan is the intent to draft a scenic corridor ordinance by spring 2025, which would give criteria for protection of identified scenic roads and state highways.
The entirety of the long range planning update and the staff memo can be viewed on the county’s legistar website at eldorado.legistar.com in the July 30 meeting minutes.
Rescue
Mountain Democrat photo by Eric Jaramishian
Placerville resident Stacy Neeley, 57, retrieves jewelry she bought during half-off sale day at the annual St. Patrick Ladies’ Society Rummage Sale. Shoppers came out in force with the bags and bargain-hunting enthusiasm during last week’s St. Patrick
Ladies’ Society Rummage Sale held at the Placerville church hall. The sale, which raises funds for church programs and building maintenance, as well as community causes, included clothing, household items, art, toys and much more. Items that didn’t sell during the three-day event will be donated to other local nonprofits and programs.
OPINION
California Matters
While Newsom brags about CA’s economy, data tells a different story
Gov. Gavin Newsom tirelessly
touts the size and strength of California’s economy, often contrasting it with those of other states.
When, for example, the monthly employment report was issued in June, Newsom bragged on X, formerly Twitter, “California continues to lead the nation’s economy & create good jobs throughout the state. Just this year, the state created over 107,000 jobs — more than doubling … the same time period last year.”
Actually the report, based on May data, was not that positive.
While the state’s 5.2% unemployment rate was slightly lower than April’s rate, it was still the highest of any state. In June it was still unchanged and remains the nation’s highest, albeit tied with Nevada. It also was markedly higher than the jobless rates in Florida (3.3%) and Texas (4%), two red states that Newsom often disparages.
The recent reports on California’s job picture are nothing new. California has consistently had unemployment rates at or near the nation’s highest ever since the COVID-19 pandemic faded away.
About 3 million Californians lost their jobs during the pandemic, thanks largely to Newsom’s orders to shut down businesses.
The e ects of relatively high unemployment are compounded by a decades-long political stalemate over how to make the unemployment insurance fund healthy again, pitting employers against unions …
The state’s recovery has been sluggish vis-a-vis those of other states. There are still more than a million California workers without jobs.
California’s mediocre economic recovery has had many e ects, one being an immense budget deficit.
The Newsom administration’s 2022 projection of a fast recovery and a cornucopia of state revenues turned out to be wildly inaccurate, leading to a wide gap between income and outgo.
■ See WALTERS, page A7
The Balancing Act
Richard B. Esposito Publisher
Letters to the Editor
Notes to other writers
EDITOR:
To Larry Weitzman: Your article about Director Cheatle’s background suggests the director’s work history did not qualify her for that position and that she held that position only as a political appointee when, in fact, her work history includes the Secret Service for 23 years and PepsiCo for three years. This new fact leaves the reader with a slightly di erent picture of the director than the one painted in your article. If this omission was intentional, I want to thank you for driving a bigger wedge in America’s political division. Just know that political appointments in the future will get worse if Project 2025 is enacted.
To Ken Steers: Good article on homelessness but a little short on remedies. Any suggestions?
To Connie Rosen: If you think Biden or Trump is the cause of inflation you missed Economics 101. Raising interest rates is one of the few tools used by the Federal Reserve to discourage consumer spending and it doesn’t seem to be working as exhibited by record holiday travel, car sales, sporting events and other big ticket items. Economists in general are blaming the after a ects of COVID shutdown for low supply, high demand and the spike in consumer spending (.4 % in one month) and consumer debt. So go ahead and blame Trump or Biden as you choose but when nothing changes in November, take a second look at your own spending habits.
BILL MOSACK Placerville
Encouraging news
EDITOR:
In many respects mid- to late-July was one of the most upbeat time periods in quite some time. Ever since the recent debate wherein President Biden’s obvious mental decline eclipsed former President Trump’s persistent lying, thoughtful Americans have feared the worst for the survival of our precious experiment in democracy. Polls showed the former president with a commanding lead in key battle ground states.
Since then, there have been a number of encouraging developments. First came
the selection of a weirdly out-of-touch-vice presidential pick who has quickly become an albatross for the Republicans. His views on wives as baby machines who must remain in abusive marriages has marked him, even among some members of his own party, as an embarrassment.
Most importantly, of course, has been the recognition by the president that his age and mental impairment rendered him unable to attempt another full four years in o ce. His statesmanlike decision to pass the torch to the next generation has been met with approval and enthusiasm.
The poetic justice of a convicted felon running against a former prosecutor will not be lost on those whose vote will determine the outcome of this most consequential election.
ROB PURDIE
Knowing what’s right
EDITOR:
Something I didn’t see after the Trump assassination attempt was that our bureaucrats from the various alphabet-soup organizations in D.C. — FBI, CIA and so forth — warned the world that riots coming from rightwing protesters were the biggest threat to our society.
Now, I can’t speak for all the other rightwingers, but when I watched the incident live on TV, my emotional spectrum went from horror to sadness. I never felt like looting my neighbors’ houses or ransacking Safeway. There are no reports of violent protests around the country by those on the right. Where are the reports by the 4th-5th estate?
What has been reported by the media is the assassination attempt was directly tied to an incompetent bureaucracy and a senile president. And yet no looting or riots. How can this be?
The point is that the government doesn’t fear the right. It won’t see violent reprisals from us; we are far too invested in living our lives and raising our children. The folks on the right know we’ll make our anger and frustration known at the ballot box in November.
KEN STEERS
Cameron Park
Remember this: A leopard’s spots never change
That adage is old, probably as old as a zebra’s or tiger’s stripes never changing. I am not going to discuss zoology here but the human characteristics and behavior that mimic animals. When I was still a teenager I was a “liberal” as I came from a left-leaning family, very union and lovers of FDR, so much so that I was born (coincidentally) on FDR’s birthday.
LARRY WEITZMAN
As I matured, I learned that government, especially centralized government, was the worst solution to most problems — poverty, housing, transportation, energy, manufacturing, markets and so much more. I learned that every time a law (regulation) was passed or issued, people lost more of their freedom. In my first chance to vote, I would have voted for Hubert Humphrey (I was out of the country on Election Day). But a month or two later, when I returned I had to get a job and soon learned about self-reliance. My
political thinking has changed like the quote attributed to Winston Churchill, “If you are not a liberal at 20, you have no heart, but if you are not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”
Current Democrat Party candidate Kamala Harris is attempting a change in philosophy. Because of the media, everything said in the last 60 years is well documented. Harris has strongly let her beliefs and opinions be published. Here are some of those positions. 1. End fossil fuels. 2. End o shore oil (fossil fuel) production. 3. End fracking (natural gas production). 4. Abolish ICE and have open borders. 5. Stop the border wall. 6. Support sanctuary cities. 6. “Free” health care for all. 7. End private health care (physicians will become slaves of the government). 8. Allow violent criminals to vote. 9. Eliminate voter I.D. 10. Allow men to compete in women’s sports. 11. Expand the Supreme Court (to e ectively remove the independent third branch of
Harris is another two-faced politician keeping her true beliefs hidden from the voters while saying to the voters anything necessary to win, mostly lies.
government). 12. Raise taxes on everyone. 13. Ban gasoline vehicles. 14. Keep an open border. Instead of saving democracy, Harris wants to destroy it. Nobody voted for her in any Democratic primary.
These are positions that have been held by Harris for her entire political life of more than 30 years, which has been helped along by former Speaker of the Assembly and San Francisco mayor, Willie Brown. Of course, her long-term relationship with Brown (who is 31 years her senior) has been little reported by mainstream media. But now that Harris has practically secured the nomination in a virtual, democracy destroying convention, without a single vote from any citizen, her spots or stripes are changing. Now she denies that she wants to ban fossil fuels, fracking, natural gas, gasoline vehicles and private health care. She denies she wants to have open borders and to allow illegal aliens a path to citizenship.
She will probably tell people she wants to raise taxes only on “rich” people. No, she wants to raise everyone’s taxes. If the Trump tax cuts that end next year are eliminated, taxes will go up significantly for everyone, especially the lower 60%. Harris is a socialist/communist/ elitist. She is a power-hungry politician in the socialist mold that the government knows best and needs to control our lives. Harris believes you cannot exist without the government. And she is not that bright. She failed the bar exam the first time she took it, and I wonder what role Willie Brown played in helping her pass the second time. Brown was the most powerful politician in California at the time, a California assembly member for 31 years (1965-1995) and Speaker for the last 15 years of his tenure. Harris was appointed to two California political
DAN WALTERS
Cameron Park
Continued from A6
Another impact is the truly sorry condition of the unemployment insurance fund, which provides support payments to jobless workers. When the pandemic hit and unemployment soared, the unemployment insurance fund quickly exhausted its slender reserves and the state borrowed some $20 billion from the federal government to maintain payments.
Not only has California not repaid the loans, but it is one of only two states that have failed to do so (New York still owes about $6 billion). And the unemployment insurance fund’s deficit is growing because the state is still not taking in enough money from payroll taxes to cover its current payments.
Thanks to California’s stubbornly high unemployment rate, the Employment Development Department expects the unemployment insurance fund to receive $4.8 billion in payroll taxes this year but to pay out $6.8 billion in benefits, meaning the fund’s deficit, including federal loans, will reach $21.7 billion by the end of this year and $22 billion in 2025.
The underlying problem predates Newsom’s governorship. Nearly a quarter-century ago, the Legislature and then-Gov. Gray Davis enacted a 50% increase in unemployment insurance benefits, counting on what was then a healthy fund reserve to finance them.
NEW
However, when recession struck shortly thereafter the fund was drained to pay benefits and had only barely regained solvency when the Great Recession hammered the state a half-decade later. The state borrowed about $10 billion to keep benefits flowing and the feds increased payroll taxes on California employers to repay the debt.
The pandemic hit just after that loan was repaid, and employers are again being taxed to repay the even larger debt incurred. However, it’s not enough to prevent the fund’s deficit from increasing.
The effects of relatively high unemployment are compounded by a decades-long political stalemate over how to make the unemployment insurance fund healthy again, pitting employers against unions over whether payroll taxes should be increased or benefits should be curtailed.
Newsom’s bragging about California’s economy in the face of such negative data not only undermines his credibility but illserves the state. The ever-growing unemployment insurance fund deficit is a crisis that should demand political attention, not be ignored.
Dan Walters is a journalist and author who writes for CALmatters. org, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
YORK TIMES CROSSWORD
by Joel Fagliano
Weitzman Continued from A6
positions and as a San Francisco assistant district attorney because of Brown in the early 1990s. And if you think government can produce better cars than private industry and the marketplace, you are dreaming. We have history that absolutely tells us otherwise. Ever hear of the East German government’s attempt at automobiles? It was the Trabant. Considered by experts the worst car ever built. They were so bad that when the “Wall” came down in 1989, East Germans fled to West Germany and when they got to their destination in Trabants, they abandoned the cars. I saw it with my own eyes in 2004 — Trabants still rotting away in Dresden. Harris lives on her color; she was
introduced on television as an Indian American in some TV puff pieces five to 10 years ago. Harris is another two-faced politician keeping her true beliefs hidden from the voters while saying to the voters anything necessary to win, mostly lies. And we already know what a liar she is as she knowingly kept from the public the true state of Biden’s physical and mental decline for the last three years. It’s all on tape.
Now, please remember what I wrote months ago that clearly applies to the Venezuela election as said by Josef Stalin, perhaps the most ruthless communist: “It’s not he who votes that counts; it’s he who counts the votes.” Larry Weitzman is a former El Dorado County resident.
not made or announced at a public meeting, much to the concern of residents who spoke. Resident Brad McMulliin has shown up month after month inquiring about Public Records Act requests. He was joined in July by resident Paul Gilchrest, who told directors they are setting themselves up for possible investigation by failing to respond to those requests.
“Now that I have made you aware of the situation you can not say you knew nothing about it,” Gilchrest said. “It seems that an investigation by the El Dorado County Grand Jury or distract attorney would be appropriate.”
The next regular CPCSD Board of Directors meeting is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, at the Cameron Park Community Center, 2502 Country Club Drive.
Announcements
AL-ANON is here for you if you are bothered by someone else’s drinking. Call for meeting times. (916) 3342970. https://sacal-anon.blogspot.com
AMERICAN ASSOC. OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN Foothills of EDC Branch. Our mission is to advance gender equity for women & girls. Science and Math Camp Scholarships, programs & interest groups. Leave voicemail for Laurel (530) 417-7737 or Sara (530) 4177138 eldorado-ca.aauw.net
AMERICAN LEGION POST 119 welcomes Veterans and guests to attend our monthly membership dinner and meeting the first Wednesday of the month at 6:00 PM. Legionpost119.org
El DORADO COUNTY AMATEUR
RADIO CLUB Dedicated to all aspects of ham radio. Meetings held on the third Tuesday of each month at the El Dorado Sheriff’s office, 200 Industrial Drive, Placerville, 6:30 pm. Visitors and non-hams welcome. Info at www.edcarc.net
LEARN & PLAY CRIBBAGE
Cribbage is a fun, fast paced game that will surely keep you on your toes! **All skill levels **Learn to play by ACC Rules (American Cribbage Congress) **Beginner instruction available **Compete in weekly Cribbage tournaments. Call 916-212-2465 for more information. Gold Country Cribbers play Wednesday, 12 noon at Steve’s Pizza, 3941 Park Dr., El Dorado Hills, CA. 95762
Struggling with life? CELEBRATE RECOVERY is for any Hurt, Habit or Hang-up. We are a faith-based recovery program for life’s issues and struggles. Join us Thursday nights at 6:30pm at Green Valley Church, 3500 Green Valley Rd, Placerville. Doors open at 6:15pm. Children’s programs are available for ages 3 months to 18 years old. Email: celebrate@greenvalley.church. Find us on Facebook: https://m.facebook. com/crgvcc/ DEMOCRATS – Come meet with the United Democrats of El Dorado County at Round Table Pizza–Missouri Flat Rd. in Placerville at noon on the 3rd Thursday of the month. Call (530)391-6414 or see edcdems.org for more information.
GOLD RUSH CHORUS now welcomes both men and women to share the joy of singing four-part harmony in the barbershop style. To learn more or to book a performance, call Howard at (530) 647-6513 or Kent (530) 651-3575
HANGTOWN WOMEN’S TENNIS CLUB. Come play tennis for fun and friendship. Meet at El Dorado High School, Acacia Street, Placerville, Wed 9 AM – 11 AM. (June - Aug 8 AM –10 AM). Social activities, lessons. Minimal cost. Not a beginners group. Some tennis experience/ability required. Call Cindy 805-540-8654. MONDAY CLUB BRIDGE seeks more players. The club is a very informal, friendly group and invites interested men and women party bridge players to join. The club meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month at Denny’s Restaurant on Fair Lane in Placerville at 10:00 am. Addiction or Relationship problem? Call 530 231-7728 our free counseling can help you. Positive Realism, 3430 Robin Ln., Cameron Park. Meet first and third Wednesday of every month, 7pm. Come and have a paid lunch with the Retired Public Employees Association (RPEA) for CalPERS retirees and spouses. The meetings are held at 11:30AM on May 20, July 15, September 16, November 18,2024 at Denny’s (3446 Coach Lane) Cameron Park. Call 530 919 7515 for programs and information. SENIOR PEER COUNSELING Seniors 55 and over who are grieving, depressed or having issues related to aging can meet one-on-one with a caring senior, professionally supervised and trained to listen and encourage. Call (530)621-6304 to leave a message and get started.
TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION OF EL DORADO COUNTY Our mission is to educate the public on tax issues that affect them. Our meetings are held every Monday morning from 7:30 to 8:30 at Denny’s Restaurant, Fair Lane Drive, Placerville. Meetings are open to the public. For more information call Louis (530) 622-6763. We are a non-partisan organization.
Oak Ridge Trojans ready to tackle tough schedule
to join the storm. Seeing there was no storm when they got to the Great Plains, the clouds went ahead and started their own, giving Febold Feboldson a rainstorm and a chance to get back to fishing.
espite the weather, some pioneers settled in the plains. In the 1920s, a newspaper in Gothenberg, Nebraska, entertained readers with tales of Febold Feboldson, a giant farmer who loved the Great Plains and was determined to control the weather.
Malachi Parker Staff writer
Oak Ridge High School Trojans varsity football, last year’s Division I section runner-up, is gearing up to run it back through one of the toughest schedules in the state, as far as public schools go.
“We’re looking forward to get the season going,” said head coach Casey Taylor. “We had a real good spring and good June. We have a great group of guys and are excited to see what they can do.”
With a solid group of returning players headlined by tight end Kaleb Edwards, wide receiver Jasen Womack and quarterback Joaquin Graves-Mercado, along with an injection of youth from the underclassmen, the Trojans have a balanced squad capable of the goals they have set forth.
“Win section,” Edwards said. “We’ve been there twice now and lost both times, so we just have to close it out and from there, win state.”
The confidence level within this team is high and the players credit that to the work that they have put in since January. That work will be put to the test the first week of the season as the Trojans open up against Frontier High School out
Gorden stays blazing hot to capture Forni-Humphreys Classic
The hottest driver on the West Coast continued his impressive run at the Forni-Humphreys Classic Saturday, as Dominic Gorden raced to his first Placerville Speedway victory.
The youngster took home $8,585.85 for his impressive drive in the main event aboard the Gary Silva Ranches/ Fortitude Driver Development No. 10 mount. Joining him in victory lane during the entertaining night of racing were point leader Anthony Slaney with the Late Models, Kevin Jinkerson with the Pure Stocks, who made a thrilling final corner pass to
claim the win, and Dylan Shrum with the Dwarf Cars.
The 30-lap Thompsons Family of Dealerships Winged 360 Sprint Car feature began with Templeton’s Kaleb Montgomery blasting out front. Montgomery set a torrid pace while the action was hot and heavy behind him.
Some of the best racing we have seen all season long certainly gave the fans their monies worth on this night. Cars raced high and low with positions changing on the regular. A long green flag run saw traffic come into play and as Montgomery
Courtesy photo
The Dominic Gorden racing team celebrates victory at Saturday’s Forni-Humphreys Classic in Placerville.
Gary Thomas Placerville Speedway
Mountain Democrat photo by Malachi Parker
Junior Jasen Womack and senior Kaleb Edwards lead the Oak Ridge group out in stretches.
Ellie Spencer, Tiffany Spencer and Chad
success on the course
the
Golfers score big for Marshall
Mountain Democrat staff
The winners of this year’s Bob West Drive for Marshall golf tournament held earlier this summer were (gross) Brian Veerkamp, Chad Spencer, Tiffany Spencer and Ellie Spencer and (net) John Sellers, Matt Kelley, Aiden Harte and Gary Dodge.
With 40 teams playing, the 41st anniversary tournament was sold out and raised more than $177,000. The funds raised will go to many causes, including the “Fund-a-Need” to
support Marshall’s Behavioral Health Initiatives. One such initiative is the new dedicated space being created in Marshall’s Emergency Department to better serve patients experiencing behavioral or mental health crises.
“Thank you to all the sponsors, players and volunteers who made this such a successful event,” said Mindy Danovaro, Marshall Foundation for Community Health executive director.
Next year’s tournament is set for June 20 at Cold Springs Golf and Country Club.
Trojans
Continued from A8
of Bakersfield — a top 70 team in the state. Weeks two and three will not get easier as they go on the road to San Clemente (top 20) and then travel to Tennessee to play the defending state champs, McCallie High.
“I think it’s going to be a challenge but I think it’s good for us,” Edwards said. “These are games that we have to come out strong and these are teams that can exploit our weaknesses.”
All of this occurs for the Trojans before they step into league play, facing teams like Rocklin, which
Races Continued from A8
navigated his way through it, Lincoln’s Tanner Carrick closed in.
After battling for the top-spot tooth and nail, Carrick charged into the topspot on lap 14, with Gorden coming along for second. Gorden then made a beautiful move to grab the lead on lap 16 before third running Shane Golobic got upside with 18 circuits complete. Luckily, Golobic was OK, but his car was damaged too much to continue. Gorden went on to dominate the closing laps for his initial Placerville score. Carrick brought home his third finish of second or better in the last few weeks with Montgomery crossing the stripe to round out the podium. Justin Sanders and Austin Wood finished fourth and fifth respectively. Completing the top 10 in the main event were 13th starter Justyn Cox, Landon Brooks, 18th starting Tony Gomes, Bubba Decaires and Andy Forsberg. Gomes went home with $2,185 for earning the Davy Thomas Hard Charger Award.
A solid 35-car field was on hand for the Mark Forni-CJ Humphreys Classic. Veteran Jimmy Trulli, his final Sprint Car season, began the evening by earning a very popular Fast Time Award with a lap of 10.793. The Mountain Democrat Ltd. Late Model main event was all about Martinez driver Slaney, who claimed his fifth victory of the season in dominated fashion. Slaney picked up the win by a half track margin over Jay Norton, Rod Oliver, Tyler Lightfoot and Dan Brown Jr.
COMICS
finished ranked within the top 25 teams in the state last season, and Folsom, which is ranked in the MaxPreps preseason top 25 for the start of this season.
“That’s why we schedule tough,” Taylor said. “The key is getting better every week and hopefully playing our best football toward the playoffs.”
Meet the Trojans, the annual event showcasing this season’s talent will take place 6-8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10, at El Dorado Hills Town Center. The team hosts its season opener Aug. 24.
The Red Hawk Casino Pure Stocks brought the house down with the phenomenal 20-lap main event. Several cars battled for the lead for much of the contest with multiple grooves in place.
Five-time track champion Nick Baldwin sat out front but had to drive a perfect race to keep a number of competitors at bay. Kevin Jinkerson, Jason Poppert and Dan Jinkerson raced within inches of each other as the crowd roared their approval. With the race winding down Kevin Jinkerson hounded Baldwins’ rear bumper, while trying a higher line on the speedway. he blasted around the high side as they rounded the final corners and nipped Baldwin at the line for the win. Baldwin must be commended as well for driving an excellent race. Dan Jinkerson, Jason Poppert and Tyler Lightfoot rounded out the podium.
The Nor-Cal Dwarf Car feature also provided some outstanding racing as Lincoln’s Shrum rode the high line to victory. Cars raced on every square inch of the quarter mile bullring during the 20-lapper. Mike Reeder, Patrick Weger, Kevin Bender and Mike Grenert completed the top five.
A strong field of 23 dwarf cars competed on Saturday night.
Placerville Speedway on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds now gears up for the Gold Rush Classic on Saturday, Aug. 17, showcasing Kubota High Limit Racing and the Nor-Car Dwarf Car Association.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). As Shakespeare said, “The course of true love never did run smooth.” Even in times when you think it’s going smoothly, there is hot lava burbling inside. But if you stay far from the danger zone, you’ll have the best of all worlds.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). People need to feel needed. Being essential in someone’s world motivates you to do things you wouldn’t otherwise have to. This is how you get strong and become an improved version of yourself.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There are those who are closed off to the possibility they might have gotten something wrong. Not you. When new experiences fly in the face of what you previously thought to be true, you adjust quickly. Being a fast learner will pay off this week.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). The work is more fun than the fun. There’s nobility in it, too. Also, you’ll love how a task can change you. To devote yourself to the aim not only tends to accomplish a goal but it also uncovers the deeper aspects of your character.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). For you to agree to something new, it needs to be an exciting enough idea for you to drop everything else you’ve got going on to take advantage of it. Unless it’s irresistible, the best option will be the polite “no” that allows you to conserve your energy.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ll give your dear ones what they ask for as long as it’s within your control. The problem is that’s hard to know. You have to try first. The trick is to underpromise, so if/when anything happens, it’s a delight.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). One or two new people on the scene is all it takes to change everything. Someone’s smile is the zephyr that makes clouds disappear; the edges of life seem to sparkle when they’re around, an indication that this is special.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). What’s better than
the person you thought. You never know who you influence just by being you. Stay true to your essence and let your light shine. In time, all will be revealed.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Sensitive issues come into the open. Should they be explored or just
n SHOE by Jeff MacNelly
n TUNDRA by Chad Carpenter
n RUBES by Leigh Rubin
n SPEED BUMP by Dave Coverly
by Holiday Mathis
SUDOKU
Courtesy photo
Brian Veerkamp,
Spencer, from left, celebrate their
during
Bob West Drive for Marshall at Cold Springs Golf and Country Club.
Mountain Democrat photo by Malachi Parker Jasen Womack catches a ball during drills in a preseason practice.
NEWS, IN THE KNOW
Aug. 7
Snowline Health
Dementia Connection launches the Living Well with Dementia ve-week series, Wednesdays 5:30-7 p.m. at 1100 Marshall Way, Room D upstairs, Placerville. This free, in person and online class is designed for people with cognitive impairment/ early dementia and their care partners/caregivers.
Try East Coast Swing with instructor Je Freeman at The Green Room Social Club in downtown Placerville at 6 p.m. For tickets and more information visit clubgreenroom.com.
The Amador Sons will perform at 7:30 p.m. at Valhalla Tahoe. For tickets and more information visit valhallatahoe.com.
Aug. 8
A Taxpayers Advocate meet and greet with El Dorado County Sheri Je Leikauf as guest speaker will begin 7:30 a.m. at the El Dorado County GOP headquarters, 3181 Cameron Park Drive, Suite 104. Discussion will focus on an e ort to amend California Proposition 47. Refreshments will be provided and there is no cost to attend. To RSVP, call Gay Willard at (916) 937-5919.
Thursday Night Market at Burke Junction runs through Sept. 26 at the Cameron Park shopping center. Enjoy vendors, food and entertainment 5-8 p.m. El Dorado Hills Town Center will be rockin’ with a free concert, 7-9 p.m., featuring The 3 Queens of Motown Visit EDHTownCenter.com for all the details.
Freaktrain will perform at The Green Room Social Club in downtown Placerville at 7 p.m. For tickets and more information visit clubgreenroom.com.
ArtMix: Pajama Party starts at 6 p.m. at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. For tickets and more information visit crockerart. org.
Participate in Zoo Clues, a self-led mobile scavenger hunt through the Sacramento Zoo to solve puzzles 5-8 p.m. For tickets and more information visit saczoo.org.
The Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra will hold Summer Sing! at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sacramento starting at 7 p.m. Join for a fun, informal event to sing the Faure Requiem. Singers and music lovers of all levels are welcome, and recommended attire is summer casual. Bring your own score or borrow one at the door. Visit sacramentochoral.org/ss2024 for more information.
Aug. 9
The Pollock Pines-Camino Community Center hosts a Taco Night Fiesta, 4-7 p.m. with all-you-can-eat dinner. For more information call (530) 647-8005.
Born N Raised will perform at 5 p.m. at HWY 50 Brewery in Camino. For more information visit hwy50brewery.com/livemusic.
The El Dorado Hills Community Services District will host its National Night Out celebration from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Dorothy Ellenburg Community Park. There will be free barbecue, music and children’s activities, along with presentations by the El Dorado County Sheri ’s O ce
Learn about the fascinating, colorful life of ARTIST TILDEN DAKEN
News release
Join author and researcher Bonnie Portnoy as she reveals the fascinating and colorful life of celebrated early 20th century California impressionist Tilden Daken. The event will take place 4:15-5:45 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10, at Art On the Divide Gallery.
Portnoy is Daken’s granddaughter.
Daken was a prolific artist who held a deep love for the Sierra Nevada and produced more than 400 works of the Tahoe region alone. The late Daken, a former Georgetown resident, is at rest in the Georgetown Pioneer Cemetery.
This program is presented by The El Dorado Historical Society. Tickets are $12 per person, $10 for EDCHS members and the Divide Friends of the Arts & Historical Society members. Receive two tickets free
of charge for purchasing an annual membership for EDCHS for $25.
Controversial Muir biography author to read at The Bookery
China Wall
Things are di erent 20 miles out Foresthill Road in Placer County. The gently rolling hills are crisscrossed with dirt bike trails. The gravel pit o Finning Mill is a popular shooting area. Foresthill Road is a nice drive almost any time of year with impressive views from the top except in winter when the snow is too deep to drive, but people still try. The family and I have gotten our permits from the U.S. Forest Service
to cut a Christmas tree here too.
It is an o -grid recreation paradise, if you don’t mind having
News release
The Bookery in Placerville will host award-winning historian Robert McNally, who will be reading from and discussing his latest book, “Cast Out of Eden: The Untold Story of John Muir, Indigenous Peoples, and the American Wilderness.” The event takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10.
While “Cast out of Eden” rightly chronicles Muir’s legacy and achievements — the establishment of an environmental movement responsible for America’s National Park system — it also expounds on the high cost of those achievements that America’s indigenous peoples had to bear: the loss of their culture and tribal homelands. McNally reveals the complexities of Muir’s character, challenging long-held notions of Muir as primarily a folk hero preservationist. In puncturing the myth, McNally and his book have stirred up controversy in environmental and literary circles, encountering accolades alongside criticism.
“A thought-provoking masterpiece.
no signs to guide you, the sound of distant gun fire doesn’t shake you and you have a vehicle that can traverse some bumpy roads.
The China Wall staging area has a parking lot and vault toilet. No fees. You are on the Tahoe National Forest with 850,000 acres to roam. I went roaming this spring with seasonal creeks still running, flowers blooming and flutter-bys everywhere.
I can’t tell you how long your trail might be, the degree of di culty or the special features you may get to enjoy. I can tell you I enjoyed my custom trail experience and look forward to next time.
Mary West is author of the book series Day Hiker – Gold Country Trail Guide I, II and III (second edition available on Amazon). The books are a collection of the Day Hiker columns where West shares her longtime love of the
Following the life and achievements of John Muir, ‘Father of the National Parks,’ McNally masterfully shows how one of America’s greatest achievements — the preservation of our wildest places — is indelibly tied to one of our most abject failures — the treatment of the Native Americans who lived there,” reads a review from Matthew Kerns, Spur and Western Heritage Award-winning author of “Texas Jack: America’s First Cowboy Star.”
“Robert Aquinas McNally takes John Muir o his pedestal and paints him as a man of his times .... In doing so, McNally provides a helpful, needed context for our own era and its conflicts,” notes Margaret Verble (Cherokee Nation), author of “Maud’s Line,” finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction.
With a newly renovated open-air reading space in back of the store, The Bookery invites the public to listen in and be part of the conversation.
For more information on this free event and/or to purchase a copy of “Cast Out of Eden,” stop by The Bookery, 326 Main St. in Placerville, or call (530) 626-6454.
outdoors, favorite hikes in Northern California’s Gold Country and beyond. West was the recipient of the 2017 and 2019 Craft Award for Best Outdoor Column and the 2020 Craft Award for her second book in the Day Hiker series by the Outdoor Writers of California. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
Mary West Outdoor columnist
Tickets are available online at EDCHS.org, in person at the Fountain & Tallman Museum, 524 Main St. in Placerville, or call (530) 626-0773.
The gallery is located at 6295 Main St. in Georgetown.
“Donner Lake” by Tilden Daken
Photos by Mary West
A beautiful creek flows the Tahoe National Forest, where there are thousands of acres to roam.
Butterflies enjoy the creeks cool water.
News release
H
ands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference has earned a local reputation as a meaningful way for youth to earn service hours while developing their collaborative and leadership skills. At the 13th annual Hands4Hope Youth Recognition Event held in late July the organization announced that the 2023-24 program year had shattered participation records, with more youth service hours earned than ever before. Through the Hands4Hope education and community engagement programs, Hands4Hope Youth participants logged a total of 14,769 hours served, which represents a 20% increase over the previous program year. These hours result in
shine with
Prediabetes class offered at church
Health Ministries at the Church of the Nazarene offers a second Healthy Living class to the community on Aug. 18.
Dr. Jaiwant Rangi, a board-certified endocrinologist specializing in cardio metabolic wellness, will be the speaker. The class will be most appropriate for anyone diagnosed with prediabetes, at risk of diabetes or simply interested in learning more about how to maintain good health.
The El Dorado Health Ministries Association will be co-sponsoring this event and will offer a complimentary light, healthy lunch to participants prior to the event. The class will focus on:
1. Understanding prediabetes
2. The link between prediabetes and heart
3. Preventive measures
4. Lifestyle changes.
Rangi‘s specialties include diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism. She has been in practice for more than 20 years and comes highly recommended by her patients. Rangi has a passion for prevention and her practice focuses on supporting the development of a healthy lifestyle.
Prediabetes: Everything You Should Know takes place 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 at Placerville Church of the Nazarene, 6040 Mother Lode Drive.
Registration for this class is open to all community members. The registration fee is $5/$10 for a family and the deadline for registration is Aug. 11. The lunch requires pre-registration. Call Ruth O’Shea (530) 305-5402 for more information.
more important than the product,” said Nicole Craine, program director.
“Youth participants experience opportunities to explore issues in our community, discover their own strengths and build skills necessary to become the compassionate leaders of tomorrow.”
Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference operates as a certified organization to qualify youth to receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award, a national program led by AmeriCorps to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. Hands4Hope youth participants qualify for the award by achieving the required number of hours of service over a 12-month time period. A total of
Registration open for Student Mock Election
California Secretary of State’s Office News release
SACRAMENTO — To encourage students to become active voters when they turn 18, California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond invite high school and middle school students, teachers and principals to participate in the 2024 California Student Mock Election, which will take place
Oct. 8, just before the Nov. 5 General Election.
“Young people have the potential to be a powerful force in elections,” Weber said.
“The Student Mock Election provides students with a pathway to civic engagement by tapping into the excitement of the campaign season. As students learn about the candidates and issues, they discover how government and politics affect every part of their lives. They gain firsthand
Courtesy photo
Recent high school graduates were celebrated at the Hands4Hope Youth Recognition Event.
Locals Eagles soar onto
Special to the Mountain Democrat
The Eagle Court of Honor held on Sunday, July 21, at the Foothills United Methodist Church in Rescue, which recognized four Eagle Scouts from Scouts BSA Troop 645 – El Dorado Hills, was a prestigious and memorable event, distinguished by the presence of U.S. Congressman Tom McClintock as the guest of honor. The ceremony celebrated the remarkable achievements of four young individuals in achieving Scouting’s highest rank.
The Congressman’s speech focused on broader themes, emphasizing the significance of leadership, service and commitment to community that the Eagle Scout rank represents. The 5th District representative highlighted the unique responsibilities and opportunities that come with being an Eagle Scout, encouraging the Scouts to continue embodying the values of Scouting as they move forward in life.
“I am honored to be here at this Court of Honor to recognize the achievements of Troop 645’s newest Eagle
Scouts: Kyle Evans, Mason Ciampi, Rohan Mulakaluri and Tyler Sunseri,” McClintock told the crowd.
“Being an Eagle Scout is not about how many nights of camping you’ve done or how many merit badges you’ve achieved. It is about one thing and one thing only —
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knowledge of how citizens make their voices heard in our democracy and experience the power of their votes when they are joined by thousands of California students participating in the Student Mock Election this year.”
Registration and other important details for the Student Mock Election are available on the
character,” he continued.
“It’s impossible to become an Eagle Scout without living the virtues contained in the scout law: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
“The hiking and camping and outdoor
activities might make Scouting appealing and enjoyable but what makes it admirable and elevated is not that it produces good campers, but rather that it produces good citizens,” McClintock stressed.
Overall, the Eagle Court of Honor was a momentous occasion marked by
Secretary of State’s webpage at sos.ca.gov/elections/ studentmockelection. The Secretary of State’s office will provide registered schools with all the materials needed to conduct the Mock Election.
For questions regarding the Student Mock Election, contact the Student Mock Election team at MyVote@sos.ca.gov or (916) 651-3070.
inspiring words from the congressman and a sense of pride and accomplishment
among the Scouts, their families and the entire Scouting community present. It served as a significant milestone in the lives of these young men, setting the stage for their future endeavors with a strong foundation of values instilled through their Scouting journey.
The four Eagle Scouts are graduates of Class of 2024 from Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills. All of them are soon to be off to college this fall as undergraduates.
Kyle Evans will attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo to pursue communications and pre-law.
Mason Ciampi will attend Baylor University, Texas to pursue biology and pre-med.
Rohan Mulakaluri will attend California State University, San Marcos to pursue finance and pre-law.
Tyler Sunseri will attend Gonzaga University, Washington to pursue political science and he plans to join the military service.
Day Hiker
Courtesy photo
Kyle Evans, Mason Ciampi, U.S. Congressman Tom McClintock, Rohan Mulakaluri and Tyler Sunseri, from left, pose for a photo at the Scouts’ Court of Honor ceremony last month.
A basic tart-sweet jelly
Traditional balsamic vinegar from Italy starts with whole pressed grape “must” (juice, skin, seeds and stems), cooked until concentrated by half, fermented for several weeks, then matured and further concentrated for a minimum of 12 years, moving through several different types of wood barrels to create a complex flavor. The result is a viscous, dark brown vinegar that moves like syrup. It would be wasted as a cooking ingredient. A few drops over fresh berries or ice cream or used at the end of the cooking of a risotto or roast is where this product will shine.
vacuum chamber and not putting it in wood barrels to age, creating a light, less bitter taste. This recipe comes from The “All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving,” 2023 edition. As this product has a sweet-savory flavor, suggestions for this jelly: a glaze over pork, chicken or a warm round of brie.
White Balsamic Rosemary Jelly
Makes about 5 half-pint jars
2 1/2 cups 100% apple juice
3/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons classic pectin
1 fresh rosemary sprig*
3 1/3 cups sugar
Use “condimento” white balsamic vinegar for the recipe below. If grape must is the only ingredient, that’s a great sign. Some condimentos may contain a little wine vinegar to balance the acidity, but it should not be the first ingredient. White balsamic is made by reducing must in a low-temperature
1. Prepare boiling-water canner or atmospheric steam canner. Heat jars in canner until ready to use, do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.
2. Combine first four ingredients in a 4-quart stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
3. Add sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Discard rosemary. Skim foam,
if necessary.
4. Ladle hot jelly into a hot jar, leaving 1/4 -inch headspace. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place jar in the canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
5. Water must cover jars by one inch in boiling water canner or come to the base of the rack in a steam canner. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner, and bring water to a rolling boil in a boiling-water canner or until there’s a steady stream of steam coming from the steam canner. Start timing and process half-pint jars: 10 minutes at 0-1,000 feet elevation, 15 minutes at 1,001-3,000 feet, 20 minutes at 3,011-6,000 feet and 25 minutes at 6,001- 8,000 feet.
6. Turn off heat. For boiling water canner, remove lid and let jars stand 5 minutes. For atmospheric steam canner, let canner sit undisturbed for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove lid. Remove jars and cool for 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal (they should not flex when center is pressed). Label, date, and store in a cool dark place.
*If you prefer, you can substitute thyme or tarragon for the rosemary.
New to canning and want to learn how to make this delicious jelly? Join the UC Master Food Preservers for an in-person class on the Sweet Taste of Summer, 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 17, in the Bethell-Delfino Ag Building at 311 Fair Lane in Placerville. Learn how to can products using a boiling water and steam canner.
The UC Master Food Preservers of El Dorado County are a great resource for answers to food safety and preserving questions. Leave a message at (530) 621-5506 or email edmfp@ucanr.edu. For more information about the program, events and recipes, visit ucanr.edu/sites/mfp_of_cs. Find the group on Facebook, too (UCCE Master Food Preservers of El Dorado County).
Pixabay image
Rosemary can be added to many jellies to enhance flavor.
Eyes Like Lanterns @ 8pm Gold�eld Trading Post Sacra‐mento, 1630 J St, Sacramento
Bigbabygucci, MDMA @ 8pm / $20.53 Brick and Mortar Music Hall, San Francisco
and Aus‐tralia. Gorman Museum of Native American Art, 181 Old Davis Road, Davis. 530-752-6567
JourneyDay Music: Feast it Forward @ 4pm The Studio by Feast it Forward, 1031 McKinstry St, Napa
"Proof" A play by David Auburn at The Stage @ 7pm / $25 "Proof" Written by David Auburn. Directed by An‐thony D'Juan. Now Show‐ing at The Stage at Burke Junction! August 3rdSeptember 1st The Stage at Burke Junction, 3300 Coach Lane, Cameron Park. stageatburke@ gmail.com
Neverbloom @ 7pm The Boardwalk, 9426 Greenback Ln, Orangevale Lurid @ 7pm The Boardwalk, 9426 Greenback Ln, Orangevale
LUCID. @ 7pm The Boardwalk, 9426 Greenback Ln, Orangevale
Famine @ 8:30pm Neck Of the Woods, 406 Clement St, San Francisco
Stand Tall @ 8:30pm Neck Of the Woods, 406 Clement St, San Francisco
CAB, Falldren, Peddz, TwoDirty @ 9:30pm / $26.19 Brick and Mortar Music Hall, San Francisco
Sturgill Simpson @ 10pm / Free The Independent, San Francisco
MARLOWE @ 10pm Public Works, 161 Erie St, San Francisco
Buns: Outside Lands Festival 2024 @ 12pm Outside Lands Music Festival, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Chance
Corinne Bailey Rae @ 10pm / $59.70 Bimbo's 365 Club, San Francisco
L10 - Reptile Rangers @ 9am / Free Aug 12th - Aug 16th Fairytale Town, 3901 Land Park Dr, Sacramento. 916-808-8884
Futsal Core Skills CampEast Sac @ 9am / $159 Aug 12th - Aug 15th
Bertha Henschel Park, 160 45th Street, Sacramento. 916-837-0336
EDH Library - Coloring and Tea
@ 3:30pm Drink tea, color, and relax. El Do‐rado County Library | El Dorado Hills Branch, 7455 Silva Valley Parkway, El Dorado Hills. 916-3583500
Karrie O'Neill: Main Grape in Vacaville
@ 6pm The Main Grape Vacaville, 444 Main St, Vacaville
Sweet Undertow: Eddy
Solo! @ 7pm McP's Taphouse Grill, 4125 Lake Tahoe Blvd A, South Lake Tahoe
The Burkharts @ 8pm Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 1710 Mission Street, San Francisco
The Burkharts @ 8pm / $21.04 Brick and Mortar Music Hall, San Francisco
Aeon Station @ 9pm The Independent, 628 Divisadero St, San Francisco
BIT @ 9:30pm DNA Lounge, 375 11th St, San Francisco
idobi Summer School @ 5pm / $35.50 The Backyard, Sacramento
Vika & The Velvets/ Girl Swallows Nightingale/ The Fricks @ 8pm / $14.60 Neck of the Woods, San Francisco Kool John & P-Lo
Trombones, Shovels & Pizzaz @ 5:30pm / $10
Yountville
BETWEEN THE COVERS
‘Love Like Olive’ shares nonverbal ways to show affection
Sel Richard Mountain Democrat correspondent
When El Dorado Hills resident Shelby Le Marquand found herself woolgathering in a children’s literature class one morning, she blamed it on the creative juices sparked by the college professor’s reading of her own book about a dog.
“I checked out of class a little bit and started daydreaming,” Le Marquand admitted. “I always wanted to write a book or a novel but I could never figure out an idea and I’d never thought of my dog. I wrote the entire thing sitting in class.”
“Love Like Olive” is Le Marquand’s first children’s book and stars Olive the Aussiedoodle. “I saw a quote about how dogs and animals are the best examples of how we should love because they can never speak to us and yet we feel their love. So I started thinking about how we can teach kids and adults what love looks like,” Le Marquand explained.
“In the book, Olive comes home and realizes her family doesn’t understand her when she’s barking and she has to show them how she loves them. She goes on these little adventures and all of the things that she does are like attributes of love.”
Although Le Marquand kept her book a secret at first, she quickly brought herself up to speed, finding her Indonesian illustrator Yenna Mariana through online resources. Fundraising through GoFundMe paid for illustrations and other selfpublishing expenses. “I didn’t realize how much it cost to have a book illustrated. We had over 70 people donate, some people I never even knew, which was really cool,” she said of her benefactors who gave almost $4,000.
But it was Marina Village Middle School teacher Margaret Cartwright who proved to be particularly helpful. “I am still best buddies with my 8th
Volunteers Continued from B2
41 Hands4Hope youth participants received the individual award.
For the first time since Hands4Hope was founded in 2008, every member of the Hands4Hope Youth Board, a group of 18 high school youth who serve as leaders of each of the on-campus Hands4Hope Clubs and after-school Committees, each earned an individual President’s Volunteer Service Award. In addition, the the students collectively logged 3,446 service hours, making the group eligible for the Young Adult Gold
grade English teacher,” she said of Cartwright, who recently retired after more than 30 years of teaching in the Rescue Union School District and edited “Love Like Olive.”
“It was super special to get to work with her,” said Le Marquand. “As a future teacher, I hope to inspire a student so much that we stay in touch because she was definitely that for me. She’s witty and smart and funny.”
The book pulls heavily from Le Marquand’s own experiences with her 10-year-old dog who passed away only a couple months after Le Marquand began writing. Olive was the last of her litter to get adopted and a surprise Christmas Eve present. “My
President’s Volunteer Service Award.
Some on-campus Hands4Hope Club leadership teams also qualified for group President’s Volunteer Service Awards. The Vista Del Lago High School Hands4Hope Club leaders earned a Young Adult Silver Award, with 639 hours. The Oak Ridge High School Hands4Hope Empower Club leaders earned a Young Adult Gold Award with 1,008 hours. Each of the leaders of those clubs also earned their individual PVSA.
“Hands4Hope has helped me
brother and I weren’t expecting a dog or anything and we were freaking out. It was the best Christmas present for sure,” she said. “The book became a tribute to her. It feels like we get to have a piece of her live on. We miss her a lot.”
Now Le Marquand’s late grandmother’s toy poodle Zoe has inherited the title of family furbaby, and also plays a supporting role in the book. Many of the illustrations are taken directly from family photos and readers will see Olive’s actual toys illustrated in the book as well.
As a recent graduate of California State University, Sacramento, Le Marquand is currently earning her master’s in teaching and English teaching credential at William Jessup University. She also tutors, designs wedding signage and works at the H3 BARN. Ultimately, she said she hopes to become a high school English teacher, motivated by the many English teachers who have taught her.
“And I was definitely a bossy child,” she conceded. “I like helping and delegating and telling people what to do, at least that’s what my little brother says. I tutored kids while I was in middle school and high school and it was just always something that came naturally to me.”
Le Marquand received the Golden State Teacher’s Grant this year, which funded her master’s and credential program. In return she will spend four years at a priority school, institutions with a high percentage of at-risk youth or students on a free or reduced lunch program. “It’s allowed me to start thinking outside the box and consider schools I may not have even heard of,” she said.
As Le Marquand contemplates her next book idea, she continues to be an avid reader in between crafting projects with her mom. “Given recent events, I’m trying to think of a creative way to touch on the loss of a pet in a child-friendly metaphorical way,” she mused. “I’m always thinking of what’s next so we’ll see.”
“Love Like Olive” is published by IngramSpark and is available through lovelikeolive.com, Face In A Book in El Dorado Hills, Amazon, barnesandnoble.com and Target.com.
see how much need there is in our community,” said Mia George, the 2024-25 Hands4Hope Youth Board Executive Committee President and an incoming senior at Folsom High School, in her address to the audience at the recognition event. “Through my involvement in Hands4Hope projects, I have gained friendships, a sense of community and new skills, while making a difference. I am looking forward to the exciting opportunities that the new program year will bring.”
Hands4Hope – Youth Making
A Difference is a nonprofit youth driven organization with the mission to inspire and empower youth in leadership and service. The nonprofit offers hands-on education and community engagement opportunities to youth from kindergarten through 12th grades through on-campus and after-school programs in Sacramento and El Dorado counties. Hands4Hope is now recruiting adult board member candidates. For more information visit hands4hopeyouth.org or call (916) 294-7426.
Photo by Lily Wingfield
El Dorado Hills resident Shelby Le Marquand wrote “Love Like Olive,” a story about the ways to express love beyond words.
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K-9 and Bomb Disposal teams.
Wolf Jett will perform at The Green Room Social Club in downtown Placerville at 8 p.m. For tickets and more information visit clubgreenroom.com.
Aug. 10
The Shingle Springs-Cameron Park Chamber of Commerce and West Coast Dance Arts, 4062 Flying C Road, Suite 51, Cameron Park, host an open house, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a ribbon cutting at 9:45 a.m. Free dance classes will be offered.
Miraflores Winery, 2120 Four Springs Trail in the Pleasant Valley area, is serving its acclaimed Pairings Lunches on the Vineyard Terrace on Saturdays and Sundays with seatings from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2-4 p.m. Pairings 2024 combines a chef’s creativity with the beautifully crafted Miraflores wines. Diners will be able to talk to the chef du jour about the wine and food experience. On Aug. 10 & 11 chef
William “Bud” Walter is preparing a Hot August Nights meal. Call (530) 647-8505 or email info@ mirafloreswinery.com to make a reservation.
Cameron Park residents are invited to participate in a National Night Out celebration at Peak Nutrition, 3392 Coach Lane. Set to run from 4-8 p.m., the event will include food trucks, music, children’s activities, drinks and shakes for residents. Guests from the Cameron Park Fire Department and EDSO will provide demonstrations for event attendees. Local civic leaders and community partners are also expected to attend.
The El Dorado County Historical Society invites all members to the next installment in the 2024 Historical Field Speaker Series: California Impressionist Art in El Dorado County & Beyond - Tilden Daken, 4:15-5:45 p.m. at the Art on the Divide Gallery, 6295 Main St. in Georgetown.
Delfino Farms in Camino presents Folk on the Farm, 6-10 p.m., with Pony Bradshaw. For more information visit delfinofarms. com/folkonthefarm.
Mediterranean Vineyards in the Fair Play area hosts Music in
the Vines this summer with Jacob Benning Trio. RSVP by calling (530) 240-8386 or email info@ medivineyards.com.
Sutter Street Theatre presents “The Secret Garden,” Aug. 10 through Sept. 8. Shows run Saturday and Sundays at 1 p.m., with a 4 p.m. showing Saturday, Aug. 24. For tickets and more information call (916) 353-1001 or visit sutterstreettheatre.com.
Sutter Street Theatre presents an Old Tyme Radio show at 4 p.m. Enjoy classic radio programs and music from the ’40s and ’50s performed live and in costume. For tickets and more information call (916) 353-1001 or visit sutterstreettheatre.com.
Rootsafari will perform at 5 p.m. at HWY 50 Brewery in Camino. For more information visit hwy50brewery.com/livemusic.
Sierra Vista Vineyards & Winery hosts Live in the Vines with music by Darth Mozart, 5-8 p.m. For more information visit sierravistawinery.com/ upcoming-events.
Historic Knight Foundry in Sutter Creek welcomes the public at its monthly second Saturday Demonstration Day, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The crew is firing up the antique blacksmithing forge, pouring and crafting hot metal and demonstrating the magnificent and still-intact
machinery. For more information call (209) 560-6160.
The Kings Beach Art Tour features 29 artists who will open their studios to display and sell their art in a fun and interactive way, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 10 & 11. For more information visit northtahoebusiness.org/kingsbeach-art-tour.
When Doves Cry — The Prince Tribute Show will take the stage at the Harris Center at 7:30 p.m. The multi-talented 8-piece tribute show will be performing Prince’s iconic “Purple Rain” album in its entirety to celebrate its 40th anniversary as well as a set of Prince’s greatest hits. For tickets and more information visit harriscenter.net or call (916) 608-6888.
Ryder Thieves will perform at The Green Room Social Club in downtown Placerville at 7 p.m. For tickets and more information visit clubgreenroom.com.
Radio Bamdad’s 15th anniversary Concert featuring an exceptional performance by the sensational 25BAND at The Sofia in Sacramento. The show begins at 8 p.m. For tickets and more information call (916) 4435300 or visit bstreettheatre.org.
California Stage in Sacramento hosts Proxy Moon for its Second Saturday Bandstand from 7-9 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit calstage.org.
Now
El Dorado County Certified Farmers Markets offer fresh fruit and vegetables and much more: Burke Junction in Cameron Park, 8 a.m. to noon Wednesdays; Placerville Cinema, 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays; and El Dorado Hills Town Center, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays. For more information visit eldoradofarmersmarket.com.
general circulation, printed in this county: Mountain Democrat. This order has been filed on JULY 10, 2024. /s/ Gary Slossberg GARY SLOSSBERG, Judge of the Superior Court 7/17, 7/24, 7/31, 8/7 13460 FICTITIOUS
Olde Coloma Theatre presents “The Whirling Dervish of Coloma” or “Ladies, Gentlemen and Others?” through Aug. 11. For tickets and more information visit oldecolomatheatre.com.
Broadway At Music Circus presents “Waitress” at the UC David Health pavilion in Sacramento through Aug. 11. For tickets and more information call (916) 557-1999 or visit broadwaysacramento.com.
