Ponderosa livin’
C a l i f o r n i a ’ s O l d e s t N e w s pa p e r – E s t. 18 51
Bruin FFA program thrives despite COVID19 pandemic. Prospecting, page 7
Volume 169 • Issue 93 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, August 10, 2020
“The inspiration for this new building came from our clients and future clients who dream of a better life for themselves.” — Susie Davies, executive director of MORE
Courtesy photo
Ten-year-old Maeson Howard, a resident of South Lake Tahoe, was hospitalized Aug. 1 due to complications of COVID-19.
Tahoe boy fighting for his life Cheyanne Neuffer Tahoe Daily Tribune SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — Ten-yearold Maeson Howard of Christmas Valley is fighting for his life at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. The boy started feeling unwell July 28 and the next day had body aches, vomiting and a fever over 104 degrees. He was admitted into Barton Memorial Hospital Aug. 1 and was transported to UC Davis shortly after. Doctors believe he has multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) which has been showing up in children associated with post-COVID. The condition inflames different organs throughout the body, according to the Center for Disease Control. The CDC says many children with MIS-C have had the virus that causes COVID19, or were exposed to someone with COVID-19. The condition is rare with many unknowns. Luckily, his family got medical attention early enough. “It took me a minute to know exactly what to do. Your mind races,” said Corley Howard, Maeson’s father. “We had no idea he was susceptible to this.” Howard said he is frustrated his son is having to suffer through this and wishes he could trade places with him. He is frustrated that people still don’t believe what’s going on. Howard said he is trying to refocus his frustration and anger to bring awareness to the community. He believes local officials are not doing enough to protect the community. “He is a healthy, happy kid. No one deserves this,” said Howard. “This is my plight to bring awareness that no one is safe. Getting more people aware is key.” Howard sent a letter to South Lake Tahoe mayor and the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors detailing that more needs to be done. n
Mountain Democrat photos by Kevin Christensen
Mother Lode Rehabilitation Enterprises clients Emmeret Aleman, center, and Jared Goff, right, are among the first to get a look inside the organization’s newly renovated facility with Executive Director Susie Davies, left, showing off improvements on a tour Thursday. Mountain
Now capable of MORE facility crosses finish line in renovation project will facilitate a little better now. The MORE facility, located at 399 Kevin Christensen Placerville Drive, now Staff writer can serve twice as many clients — 250 to the 125 hough a they could previously worldwide accommodate. pandemic Customized rooms stalled its programs, it include a commercial could not stop major kitchen, media arts renovations at Mother center, art gallery, Lode Rehabilitation performing arts center Enterprises' Placerville and a computer center facility — and a — all optimized for community is rejoicing. MORE staff and clients. "It looks just "With what I saw beautiful," said today at the new Placerville city engineer Susie Davies, second from left, points to where a portable stage can placed MORE facility the Rebecca Neves as she inside MORE’s new event hall as Placerville city engineer Rebecca Neves and program will be able to and Placerville City Placerville City Manager Cleve Morris join her for a tour Tuesday. greatly expand what it Manager Cleve Morris does," said Morris. joined MORE Executive Plans to rebuild the MORE facility first started Director Susie Davies Tuesday for a tour; completion of becoming a reality Aug. 19, 2019, as Davies signed off on the $5.5 million in improvements is practically complete. final documents. Almost exactly one year later the project "It's a testimony to (Davies) and her passion for the is complete other than minor additions of furniture, clients she serves. The facility is 'night and day' from what exterior landscaping and a few more final touches. it was." But Davies is quick to remind the dream was one that Davies has dedicated the past 35 years of her life to help began years ago and would not have happened without make dreams come true for adults with disabilities and that's just what the new and improved MORE building n See MORE, page 6
n New facility
tours impress
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See Maeson, page 12
Georgetown IOOF Hall needs a little tender loving care Kat and Marty Mendenhall Democrat correspondents A cornerstone of the Georgetown community, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Hall is in need of a little help from its friends. It is the place where Georgetown residents attend music concerts, memorials, town hall meetings, exercise classes, fundraisers and more. A historical building erected in 1859, there is always a need for maintenance. In 2019 a call for help went out due to an increase in the cost of insurance and the community came through in a fundraiser that covered added expenses. Now the Odd Fellows, headed up by Larry Morgan, are again asking for a little
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boost from the community to assist in restoring the hall. With the collaboration of the Native Sons of the Golden West No. 91, Odd Fellows No. 37, the Georgetown Rotary and other volunteers and businesses, work is being done to overhaul the historical hall. Native Sons and Odd Fellows Shane Simmons, Craig Davis, Bill Elliott and Morgan are part of the volunteer team working on the hall every day. “This is fun for me,” said Morgan. Morgan said he and the volunteer crew value the way local organizations and community members continue to step up to restore the IOOF Hall. n
See ioof hall, page 3
Photo courtesy of Ed Hawkins
Native Son Shane Simmons and Odd Fellow Larry Morgan get a lift as they make repairs on the IOOF Hall on Main Street, Georgetown.
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