Stunning Scenery
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
Nature shots are Cockrell’s niche. News, Etc., B1 Friday, August 21, 2020
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Volume 169 • Issue 98 | 75¢
Apple Hill preps for unprecedented fall Dylan Svoboda Staff writer
weekend, was down about 30%, Visman said. But that wasn’t Apple Hill is necessarily bad news.. preparing for what’s “If you take into sure to be the most — Christine Noonan, Apple Hill Growers consideration the unusual fall in its Association spokeswoman weather — last year 60-year history. was about 87 degrees With the coronavirus and this year it was continuing its spread 100 degrees — we did pretty well,” he said. throughout the U.S., ranchers like Jerry “So realistically, this was a normal opening Visman of High Hill Ranch are scrambling weekend given the circumstances.” to prepare for the tourist season, safety- and The abnormal conditions caused by the business-wise. pandemic have Visman on his feet. He added It was the opening weekend for Visman’s Mountain Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum two more outdoor barbecues, separated each Signs posted above a sanitizer dispenser remind visitors to social distance and farm last weekend. Business at High Hill, table more than 6-feet apart and shifted all wear masks inside the Apple Barn at High Hill Ranch in Camino as farms take which debuted weeks before most other n See Apple Hill, page A6 precautions in anticipation of Apple Hill harvest season crowds. Apple Hill destinations open on Labor Day
“We can pretty much bring all of our operations outside, and we’re doing just that.”
Placerville leaders seek ways to ease traffic woes Pat Lakey Staff writer Labor Day is right around the corner — and coming around that corner, too, will be Apple Hill-bound traffic on Highway 50, joining an already crowded freeway full of “Apple Hill is forest-seekers just going to and Tahoe-bound travelers who just be extreme want to get out of this year …” the house amid the coronavirus — Mark Acuna, pandemic. Placerville City The Placerville Councilman City Council has asked staff to come up with suggestions that could help alleviate the resulting overflow traffic bound to clog surface streets throughout the town, particularly those byways that GPS devices whisper are shortcuts around the three traffic lights that bring Highway 50 to an annoyingly long stop as folks try to get back to Sacramento and the Bay Area. And they’re asking staff to make those suggestions by this Tuesday, Aug. 25. Now that Caltrans has said because of COVID-19 the ambitious and intriguing possibility of having the three traffic lights stay green for hours and hours on specific weekend days won’t happen this year, the city is scrambling to come up with other ways to ease headaches locals will suffer as out-of-towners fly through neighborhoods, seeking a route their GPS says will shave off a few seconds of travel time. As harvest time at Apple Hill gets under way, the City Council directed staff last week to offer up some plans, and some suggestions were offered by callers into the Zoom-assisted meeting. One local resident said perhaps there needs to be a way to assure fewer people visit Apple Hill. “I know we can’t close Apple Hill,” began caller Ruth Michelson, saying she realizes traffic headed to the U.S. Forest lands and to Tahoe already is a problem, one that is “exacerbated by Apple Hill.” Michelson speculated that “fewer permits” might be given out to Apple Hill ranchers and farmers, fewer permits to put up fruit stands and the like. “We need to look at ways to discourage so many people from coming,” she said. Michelson pointed out the highly n
See traffic, page A6
Mountain Democrat photo by Dawn Hodson
Nurse and Vitalant Donor Care Supervisor Jessica Fazio disconnects Bob Byrne from a Trima machine after he donated some of his valuable convalescent plasma. The plasma will be used to help in the recovery of COVID-19 patients.
Antibodies in demand COVID-19 survivors give patients a boost
Dawn Hodson Staff writer
A multipurpose device, it uses “The FDA fast-tracked it and it’s currently the a centrifuge to only antibody treatment and one of the few e take separate whole blood for blood into its treatments the FDA can authorize at this point.” granted components — — Drew Fowler, Vitalant marketing and communications manager until we need platelets, plasma it. Today it has and red blood become even more cells. recently highlighted in a Mountain valuable as it’s Byrne said he thinks he was the enlisted in the war against COVID- Democrat story about a patient first COVID-19 ICU patient at at Marshall Hospital recovering 19. Marshall Hospital and also the from COVID-19 with part of her On the frontline is a nonprofit first person to donate convalescent treatment including an infusion of organization called Vitalant that plasma at Vitalant. convalescent plasma to help boost collects whole blood, platelets, Recounting his experience with her immune system. plasma and red blood cells from the disease, he said his symptoms “It’s a different level of saving about 250 donors a month. started March 15 when he began to lives,” said Jessica Fazio, a donor A new addition to its life-saving feel very tired and suffered a severe care supervisor and nurse at the efforts — convalescent plasma — is headache. “The headache was the Placerville Vitalant center. plasma collected from people who worst of it,” he recalled. One of those giving blood last have contracted and recovered At first Byrne thought he was Wednesday was Cameron Park from COVID-19. The plasma can getting pneumonia as he struggling resident and former COVIDbe given to patients suffering to breathe, coughed and had a fever 19 patient, Bob Byrne, who was from COVID-19 to help in their on and off. He checked into the hooked up to what’s called a Trima treatment and recovery. machine. n See antibodies, page A8 An example of its use was
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