Mountain Democrat, Friday, September 22, 2023

American Christian Heritage Month rescinded

Eric Jaramishian

Staff writer

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Sept. 19 to rescind a proclamation that recognized July as American Christian Heritage Month.

The proclamation brought forth by District 1 Supervisor John Hidahl during the board’s July 18 meeting drew attention and controversy among county residents. The intention of the declaration, according to Hidahl, was to recognize how the United States and its history are rooted in the values of the Christian faith.

He previously told the Mountain Democrat he

Legal fights expand on California homeless camps

Jeanne Kuang

Cal Matters

Fed up with homeless encampments, California local officials are seeking guidance from the nation’s most powerful judges.

In a legal brief filed Tuesday with the U.S. Supreme Court, the California State Association of Counties and League of California Cities told the justices that a string of federal court rulings over the last five years that restrict cities’ abilities to sweep camps and order residents off the streets have made addressing health and safety concerns “unworkable.”

“The state of California and its cities and counties are engaged in unprecedented efforts to address homelessness through the creation of significant new policy initiatives and funding investments,” the league and association wrote. “However, camping ordinances can be a useful tool in appropriate circumstances in addressing the complex conditions that exist in our homeless populations.”

California cities made a similar appeal in 2019, but the court declined to hear that case.

It all stems from a landmark 2018 decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in an Idaho case that was binding on California local governments. Judges then decided that it’s unconstitutional to criminally penalize people camping in public when they lack “access to adequate temporary shelter.” Since then, cities have often landed in court when trying to enforce camping bans, but the organizations said those cases haven’t clarified what’s allowed or required. Also since 2018 and during the COVID pandemic, the state’s homelessness crisis has only worsened, with more than 170,000 unhoused people this year. Most of them are unsheltered, living outdoors because most cities don’t have enough shelter beds. In some cases, unhoused people refuse available shelter beds for a variety of personal circumstances.

n See homeless camps page A7

was inspired by a George Washington documentary and came across a previous proclamation adopted in 2021 by the Constitution Party of Pennsylvania (formerly known as the U.S. Taxpayers Party). Hidahl used excerpts from that document to construct the county’s own proclamation in the spirit of Independence Day.

While intended to be ceremonial, Hidahl said the county’s proclamation had “unintended consequences” and he subsequently called for it to be rescinded.

“Given the possibility of litigation, which has been posed, the fact that I don’t want the county to spend any funds on a proclamation trying to defend it and that I believe it’s incumbent on elected officials to

correct things and to pull them back if they haven’t achieved their positive influence,” Hidahl explained during the Tuesday board meeting.

“The intent wasn’t accomplished and when that happens, that is when we need to reconsider. That is what this is all about,” Hidahl continued, stating his intention on calling to remove the proclamation.

During the July meeting residents expressed concern over the proclamation, stating it was dismissive of other religious groups, along with other cultures and ethnic groups, in the county.

Additionally, the proclamation came into question for blurring the lines between separation of church

n See proclamation page A8

Cannabis growers ask county to ‘kush’ion permit process

Eric Jaramishian Staff writer

Commercial cannabis cultivation growers got together in the later part of 2021 to file a lawsuit against El Dorado County, citing unfair application practices during the county’s background check process.

That has since been resolved in a seemingly peaceful manner, according to county staff, and one commercial farm got the green light to cultivate cannabis legally. But the jurisdiction’s ordinance on cultivating commercial cannabis needs fine tuning, growers maintain. Helping spearhead that project is Lee Tannenbaum, the CEO of the only county-approved cannabis cultivating farm, Cybele Holdings.

“I don’t believe that the intent of the voters was to have one grower in five years since the ordinance was passed,” Tannenbaum said to the board Sept. 12. “(We) ask at a broad level to make this easier and cheaper for the growers to get through.”

As part of an agreement with the El Dorado County Growers Alliance and the county, its leaders are looking into changing the commercial cannabis ordinance to make it easier for growers to break into the industry in the area. However, county leaders still want more data before officially making any decisions.

While no executive decisions were made to change the ordinance, which requires a resolution

n See cannabis page A9

Mountain Democrat file photo by Eric Jaramishian Cannabis plants are organized by strain at the Cybele Holdings cannabis farm in south El Dorado County May 30. The county Board of Supervisors conducted a review session Sept. 12 with the El Dorado County Growers Alliance in an effort to make changes to the cannabis ordinance.

OBITUARIES

Obituaries on this page are written and paid for by the families or funeral homes. They are edited minimally by the Mountain Democrat. To submit an obituary, call (530) 622-1255, e-mail obits@mtdemocrat.net, fax (530) 344-5092, or visit mtdemocrat.com under “Submission Forms” at the bottom of the website. Include contact information with all submissions.

Bonnie Hearn

Oct. 27, 1929 - Sept. 13, 2023

Bonnie Hearn, a long-time resident of Volcanoville and in her later years Garden Valley, was born in Oklahoma. Her family moved to California when she was a small child, where they settled in the Salinas Valley.

When she graduated from college, her degree was in physical therapy. During the 1980s through early 2000, she worked as a physical therapist for Placer County doing home visits and took care of many patients in the Georgetown Divide area.

Bonnie was a horse lover and was very active for a long period of time in the local Horse and Rescue group. She also was devoted to her dogs, of which she had many during her life. She spent a great deal of time training them, and entered them in many dog competitions in Placerville and other areas of California.

For the last five years, Bonnie lived in a senior living complex in Folsom. She had many friends and acquaintances in the area of Georgetown and Garden Valley, and she will be missed by those who knew her.

John Edward

Van Alen Jr.

Jan. 8, 1932 – Aug. 23, 2023

John Edward Van Alen Jr. was born January 8, 1932 in Manhattan, New York and passed away peacefully August 23, 2023 at the age of 91 with his wife and family at his bedside.

He grew up in Brooklyn, New York and after high school joined the United States Navy. He served during the Korean War. After discharge from the Navy he married Carol Joan Sailor and they moved to California where he found employment testing rocket engines at Aerojet.

His pride and joy was his ranch in Shingle Springs where he raised his family and had a few horses.

“Jack,” as he was a ectionately known, enjoyed many di erent hobbies including CB radio communicating and flying RC planes. He put together an awesome four foot long paddle wheeler boat with all the intricate parts. He was especially meticulous with whatever he set out to do.

He was preceded in death is by his sister, Alida Delaney, and his wife Carol Joan. He is survived by his daughter, Debbie Pick, his son, John Van Alen III, his daughters Cindy Woodel, and Susan Stullich. His wife, Carol Jean also survives him as well as numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. Services will be private.

Noble Sprunger

Jan. 17, 1934 – Aug. 4, 2023

Noble (Nobie) Sprunger, 89, a Georgetown, CA resident passed away in his home August 4, 2023. He was with his niece, Kim and her husband, David and surrounded by love. Nobie was born January 17, 1934 to Noble and Florence Sprunger in San Antonio, TX. His father was a pilot for Pan American Airlines and his family moved around a bit as part of the Pan Am family. He graduated High School in 1951 from Mountain View High School in California. It wasn’t long after graduation that he joined the United States Coast Guard. He talked about the positive influence it was to be part of the Coast Guard and how it helped to shape the man he became. He continued with the Coast Guard Reserves as a detective.

Noble went on to college and then law school. After receiving his degree and passing the California State Bar he moved to Placerville, CA and accepted a position with the El Dorado County Counsel’s o ce where he served for 20 years. After retiring from the County he went into private practice. He contracted with the El Dorado Irrigation District (EID) which formed a large part of his practice.

Noble loved the mountains and all things outdoors. He was a longtime jeeper in the county and very involved with Jeep Jamboree USA and Jeepers Jamboree. He was involved on the legal side of things but also as a rock roller and guide on the trail. There were countless trips around the country but most of the best stories came from our own local Rubicon Trail.

He is survived by his former wife, Arlene Bethell, his three sisters, Carol Higgins, Jane Wesner and her husband, Ray, and Mary (Bunny) Sprunger, as well as nieces, nephews and many friends.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on September 25 at 2 PM at the Greenstone Country Barn, Greenstone Gated Community, 2900 Stagecoach Rd., Placerville, CA. 95667

Patrick Shepard Couch

Dec. 26, 1934 – July 18, 2023

Patrick Shepard Couch passed away peacefully on July 18th, 2023, at the age of 88. He was born December 26, 1934, to Robert W. and Helen J. Couch in Je erson City, Missouri.

He attended school there graduating in 1952 from St. Peters High School. He went on to study engineering in college, graduating from Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and after completing O cer Candidate School at Newport, Rhode Island, he was commissioned and ordered to serve in the Public Works Department at Mare Island Naval Shipyard; the Naval Hospital at the Marine Corps Base in Camp Pendleton, California; and finally at the Marine Corps Base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Altogether, Patrick’s active-duty service with the Navy covered almost five years. He returned to civilian life and to Missouri School of Mines and in the summer of 1964 received his master’s degree in civil engineering. He continued his military service later that year after moving to Sacramento, California, and served for another 18 years in the Naval Reserves (Seabees), rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. In his civilian life, he worked for the State of California as a design engineer for the Department of Water Resources on the California Aqueduct, Napa’s turnout reservoir and its pipeline surge tank. After 4 years at DWR, he transferred to Caltrans and over the next 13 years he wrote construction contract specifications and worked on subventions for city and county road projects. In 1980 he transferred to the Department of Parks and Recreation, from which he retired in December 1984.

Patrick loved the great outdoors, especially creeks, hunting and fishing, and did his best to pass that love and appreciation on to his children. He deeply loved El Dorado County, where he and his family settled in 1967, and he especially loved the hills, streams and meadows surrounding Pleasant Valley, including Sly Park Lake, Clear Creek, and the Cosumnes River. Patrick believed in conservation, and for several years he helped the El Dorado Rod & Gun Club do monthly cleanups of illegal dump sites in El Dorado National Forest.

Patrick had a wry, self-deprecating sense of humor. He always loved a simple, clever joke. He was a devout Catholic, although attending Mass became physically di cult for him in his later years. While he was never one to ask for favors for himself, he would ask you to pray for the peaceful repose of his soul. He would certainly say with a smile that he would do the same for you if he indeed made it to the great campground in the sky.

Patrick was preceded in death by his brother, William Robert Couch, his sisters Mary Bob Palermo and Marilyn “Susie” Couch, and his former wife Peggy Helen Couch, who passed away in December 2022. He is survived by his six children, and 12 grandchildren: Kevin Couch, (Jenny Anderson; Colin); Kitty (Katherine) Light (Nicole Alvarez (Matt) and Ethan Suaste (Charla); Julie Dunn (Tony; Chrystal Garrett (Joe) and Melissa Mutzig (Scott); Sara Easterbrook (Keith; Ian Lange, Amelia Hughes(Sean), and Elizabeth Easterbrook); Rachel Couch (Natalie Hurt); and Tony (Anthony) Couch (Sequoya Campbell, Kai Lee Campbell, and Denali Campbell). Patrick also leaves behind six great-grandchildren: Clayton Garrett, Evelyn Mutzig, Alison Mutzig, Spencer Mutzig, Isaiah Morgan, and Jett Alvarez. Services will be held at St. Patrick Catholic Church, at a later date.

MISSED

CRIME LOG

The following was taken from El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office records:

Aug. 31

12:06 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 54-year-old man suspected of possession of a controlled substance for sale on Northern Lights Road in Pollock Pines. He was listed in custody in lieu of $110,000 bail.

12:21 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 33-year-old woman suspected of possession of a controlled substance on Northern Lights Road in Pollock Pines and attempting to smuggle an illegal substance into the jail. She was listed in custody.

1:10 p.m. Petty theft was reported at a store on Town Center Boulevard in El Dorado Hills.

1:43 p.m. Vandalism was reported on Foothill Drive in Shingle Springs.

7:36 p.m. Grand theft was reported on Oxford Road in Cameron Park.

8:03 p.m. Brandishing was reported on Barkley Road in Camino.

9:15 p.m. A person allegedly drunk in public was reported at a campground on Ice House Road the Crystal Basin Recreation Area.

Sept. 1

2:10 a.m. California Highway Patrol officers booked into jail a 42-year-old man suspected of DUI on Cambridge Road in Cameron Park. He was later released.

9:50 a.m. Burglary was reported on Clubhouse Drive in Placerville.

11:13 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 53-year-old woman suspected of trespassing on Post Street in El Dorado Hills. She was later released.

12:03 p.m. Battery was reported at a school on Green Valley Road in Rescue.

12:55 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 38-year-old man suspected of vehicle theft on Mount Aukum Road in Somerset. He was listed in custody in lie of $25,000 bail.

3:16 p.m. Grand theft was repotted on Royal Drive in Cameron Park.

9:54 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 58-year-old man suspected of DUI and driving on a suspended license on Cherry Acres Road in Cool. He was released on $15,000 bail.

Sept. 2

1:36 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 57-year-old man suspected of disorderly conduct on Coach Lane in Cameron Park. He was later released.

2:21 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 37-year-old man suspected

of driving on a suspended license and being a fugitive from justice on Ponderosa Road in Shingle Springs. He was listed in custody in lieu of $5,000 bail.

2:56 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 40-year-old woman suspected of a post-release violation on Knollwood Court in Cameron Park. She was listed in custody.

3:05 p.m. California Highway Patrol officers booked into jail a 39-year-old man suspected of DUI on Sly Park Road in Pollock Pines. He was released on $15,000 bail.

6:35 p.m. A person allegedly drunk in public was reported at an eatery on Town Center Boulevard in El Dorado Hills.

9:06 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 20-year-old man suspected of assault with a firearm and battery with serious bodily injury on Oak Lane Court in Placerville. He was listed in custody in lieu of $150,000 bail.

9:40 p.m. Battery was reported on Badger Hill Road in Pollock Pines.

Sept. 3

12.42 a.m. A prowler was reported at a store on Durock Road in Shingle Springs.

8:56 p.m. Trespassing was reported on China Garden Road in Placerville.

9:30 p.m. Vandalism was reported on Hazelnut Circle in El Dorado Hills.

11:31 p.m. Grand theft was reported on Cold Springs Road in Placerville

Sept. 4

2:55 a.m. Battery was reported on Brogan Way in El Dorado Hills.

3:19 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 43-year-old man suspected of failing to register as a sex offender on Coach lane in Cameron Park. He was released on $210,000 bail.

4:30 a.m. Trespassing was reported at a store on Coach Lane in Cameron Park.

5:23 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 45-year-old man suspected of transporting narcotics for sale on Red Hawk Parkway in Placerville. He was released on $100,000 bail.

8:39 a.m. Trespassing was reported on Highway 193 in Placerville.

11:25 a.m. Trespassing was reported on Thornhill Drive and Harlington Circle in El Dorado Hills.

6:59 p.m. Burglary was reported on Brown Bear Court in Cool.

8:46 p.m. Battery was reported at a jail on Forni Road in Placerville.

8:58 p.m. Petty theft was reported at a store on Francisco Drive in El Dorado Hills.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Yost-Thomson

Another day, another Dollar General truck stuck

Odin Rasco

Staff writer

Snows Road in Camino was blocked for an hour and a half Tuesday evening when a Dollar General truck became stuck while attempting a tight turn.

Drivers were caught in a traffic backup shortly before 8 p.m. as the truck slowly worked its way backward and around for an hour and a half. The driver was able to return to the road without requiring a tow vehicle, according to CHP officials. Road maps indicate the truck jackknifed near Weber Creek.

The scene is not an unfamiliar one for some El Dorado County drivers, who have seen over-length trucks for Dollar General and other companies get stuck while navigating the region’s winding roads; area residents say they have reported similar scenes on Snows

multiple times in the last year. On the Divide truckers attempting to take a shortcut to Cool created multiple traffic back-ups in 2022, leading to a series of public discussions about what could be done. Increased patrolling and signage has been proposed, as well as the construction of a possible roundabout in Cool for trucks to turn around rather than making the nigh-impossible trip to the confluence along Highway 49. CHP officials were uncertain if the driver on Snows Road was cited for the incident. Though there is signage indicating vehicles longer than 35 feet are not advised to attempt the road, the sign is located at a spot where turning around will already be a difficult proposition. Limited signage is just one of the woes for travelers on Snows Road, which has significant damage to the road in multiple areas, including sizable pot holes.

New Zealand mudsnails found in Lake Tahoe waters

Jeff Cowan

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

Divers monitoring

Lake Tahoe have discovered invasive New Zealand mudsnails in areas off its south shore, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Tahoe Resource Conservation District announced Thursday. This is the first time the species has been detected in the Tahoe Basin.

The Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program includes comprehensive monitoring of Lake Tahoe for aquatic invaders. Contract divers with Marine Taxonomic Services surveying invasive weeds on the south shore discovered tiny snails on the bottom of the lake nearly a half mile

free

offshore from the mouth of the Upper Truckee River. Consultation with experts and a DNA lab analysis confirmed the species is New Zealand mudsnail, an aquatic invasive species that has been detected in nearby waterways, including the Lower Truckee River downstream from

Courtesy photo

Lake Tahoe near Reno, Nev. No other aquatic invasive species, such as the destructive quagga and zebra mussel, have been detected, according to the agencies.

Following rapid response protocols under the federally

Our unbreakable connection to God, infinite Love. gives us permanent worth and purpose. It lifts us from dark times to healing and progress.

hOsts Christian

Practitioner member

Peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves often causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and may also lead to serious balance problems. This damage is commonly caused by a lack of blood ow to the nerves in the hands and feet. If not properly treated this lack of blood ow may cause the nerves to degenerate.

Healthy Nerve

Diseased Blood Vessels

Nerves Shrivel when

Blood Vessels Weak and Disappear Figure 1

In order to effectively treat your neuropathy 3 factors must be determined.

What is the underlying cause? 1

Placerville, CA – Currently the most common method most doctor’s recommend to treat neuropathy is with the use of prescription drugs. Although these drugs may temporarily reduce your symptoms they may cause a feeling of discomfort and in some cases lead to a variety of terrible unwanted side effects. We have a different method!

How much nerve damage has been sustained? 2

Our advanced treatment method has 3 main goals

Increase

Blow ow

The treatment to increase blood ow utilizes a specialized low-level light therapy (not to be confused with laser therapy) using light emitting diode technology. This technology was originally developed by NASA to assist in increasing blow ow.

The low level light therapy is like watering a tree. The light therapy will allow the blood vessels to grow back around the peripheral nerves and provide them with the proper nutrients to heal and repair. It’s like adding water to a tree and seeing the roots grow deeper and deeper.

The amount of treatment needed to allow the nerves to fully recover varies from person to person and can only be determined after a detailed neurological and vascular evaluation.

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A Dollar General truck was caught on a tight turn Tuesday night, and took an hour and a half to get turned around and clear the road for traffic.

New Zealand mudsnails found in Lake Tahoe are shown with sand particles from the lake.

n See mudsnails, page A6

Having the nation’s highest poverty rate, again

Congratulations

California, you’ve done it again — retained your title of having the highest level of poverty of any state.

The Census Bureau released new economic data, including both o cial poverty rates for 2022 and what are called “supplemental” rates.

The former, based on formula several decades old, involves only a few basic factors and applies them to all states, regardless of their economic and sociological di erences.

Economists consider the o cial rates to be misleading because of their simplistic factors, but they remain in the law because they are the basis for many federal and state programs.

The nationwide o cial poverty rate released Sept. 12 is 11.5% and California’s is virtually identical at 11.4%. Other states range from as high as 18.3% in New Mexico to as low as 7.1% in neighboring Utah — an anomaly that itself should warrant deeper investigation.

Letters to the Editor

Fantastic theater

EDITOR:

We have an absolute gold mine here in El Dorado County. In addition to the ones underground, the above ground ones are well worth their weight in gold. People at Imagination Theater, The Stage at Burke Junction and numerous local high schools work their hearts out to bring us quality theater at our front doors.

SUMMARY

More than a decade ago, those who study poverty persuaded the Census Bureau to adopt a more realistic method of gauging poverty, one that takes into account di erentials of living costs and other factors.

The “supplemental” rates are calculated on three years of data and California has held the top spot for a number of years, almost entirely because of its extraordinarily high costs of housing, utilities, fuel and other consumer needs. Nationally, the new supplemental rate is 9.8% but once again California tops the states at 13.2%, more than a third higher than the national rate.

Guest column

Among the many that I have attended, I can’t say enough good about the current production “Clue” at Imagination Theater. It is hilarious and fun-filled entertainment. The acting is superb, the directing fantastic and very creative and the rotating stage and stage settings are flawless. Do not miss this production that is running until Sept. 30. Please support all our local theaters’ endeavors so we don’t lose the great opportunities we are so lucky to have available to us. Bring your friends and spread the word.

NORMA ECHABAME Diamond Springs

Let’s turn red

EDITOR:

Mr. Taylor, I think you need to look carefully at the Democrat Party you’re supporting. I know that both our parties have changed from the past, but the Dems have gone way left to the point that you are supporting nine-month abortions, open borders, an over-thetop Green New Deal, going all electric, the woke agenda, sex changes for children, biological men competing in women’s sports and in women’s locker rooms and bathrooms. I can go on. That’s not what the Democrats were like; I used to be one. You may not be hearing what is going on in our White House due to the corrupt news media! Cocaine, money laundering, fictitious names used by Joe to his son (good old Hunter), drugs from the cartels crossing the border, sex tra cking. Would you call Joe a patriot? One stroke of a pen by Joe could close the border. Why doesn’t he address this problem?

A senator for 50 years becoming a millionaire — wow. Funny how Obama being a simple senator who was never heard of became president and then

a millionaire leaving o ce. Open your eyes and think about our country, not the leftside agenda.

Yes, I am supporting Trump and concerned how one sided our judicial system has become. Your party supports defunding our police. Who can we trust? The DOJ, CDC,CIA, FBI … we even have Democrat district attorneys who won’t prosecute criminals and instead put them back on our streets.

I truly believe Dems are throwing everything they can think of to prevent Trump from getting back in o ce. They are so afraid he will get back in and clean house in the swamp.

I have to say when Trump was our president we were much safer than we are now, Mr. Taylor. Joe is a puppet right now and the Dems don’t want Harris as president. No one does.

It’s sad to think that so much of our money is being spent on trials, special councils and foreign countries that are our enemies. We are buying dirty oil from Venezuela, shipping it here and refining it; those fumes go up in our air.

We are being pushed to go all electric when we don’t know what to do with the old lithium batteries (from China) when they are done. And the expense of buying new ones is ridiculous. We are still having blackouts because we don’t have the electricity to cover all our appliances, including the electric cars.

You may not like Trump but things were sure a lot better when he was our president. Hey, I’m open to almost any Republican who can get us out of this mess.

California needs a new governor! He left San Francisco a mess and now all of California is a mess. You know who I’m talking about. We need a change. Get rid of Feinstein, Hadler, Shi — just clean house. We need new blood in o ce and term limits please.

It’s time for California to turn red.

TERRI ELDERD Placerville

Unleashing aerial firefighting’s heavyweights

From the shores of Hawaii to the forests of Canada, this summer has provided a sobering reminder of the fury of wildfires.

My home of El Dorado County knows this all too well after the Caldor Fire burned 221,835 acres in 2021. The Caldor Fire was the 15th largest and 16th most destructive in California history. Saving lives and property requires us to think of firefighting as a military exercise — attacking flames on the ground and from the sky — so it’s appropriate that our latest tool has been used for military transport for decades.

Thanks to the collaborative e ort of lawmakers from across the political aisle, California soon should have seven C-130 U.S. Coast Guard aircraft, greatly enhancing our ability to drop water and other fire retardants on the largest and most dangerous fires. Credit goes to the early initiative of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the determined leadership of Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Alex Padilla, Representative

Ken Calvert and Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler, along with the rest of California’s congressional delegation.

The Senate and House versions of the National Defense Authorization Act include the transfer of seven C-130 aircraft to Cal Fire for wildfire suppression, search and rescue and emergency operations pertaining to wildfires.

In a crucial moment of bipartisan unity, Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas provided invaluable support by rallying support from his Republican peers, assisting Sen. Padilla in driving the e ort to fruition.

The bill now sits with the conference committee — a group of House and Senate members charged with reconciling any di erences between the two versions of the bill. Vulnerable communities like mine need the transfer of these C-130s to be included in the version sent to the president’s desk.

In terms of delivering a payload of retardant, a single C-130 is equivalent to six S-2T Airtankers

currently used by Cal Fire. This strategic move translates to the equivalent of 42 standard firefighting aircraft for California: a testament to our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities.

If the transfer remains in the final version of the bill, the next steps will be to retrofit and finalize the aircraft for certification by the Federal Aviation Administration. If all involved parties act with dispatch to get this across the finish line and into production, the first of the seven aircraft could be available prior to the 2024 fire season and the remainder could be ready to deploy by the beginning of the 2025 fire season. This timeline is crucial as these aircraft promise to be a game-changer in our wildfire response strategies.

This proposed legislation not only underscores the importance of cross-party collaboration but also demonstrates the profound impacts of policy on everyday lives. Putting the seven C-130 aircraft in the hands of California firefighters will save lives

and livelihoods.

Lawmakers from both parties also appreciate the urgency of maintaining federal wildland firefighters’ pay, which will drop significantly Oct. 1 with the expiration of temporary di erentials approved last year. The cost of the higher pay — about $60 million — is a bargain compared to the economic toll alone of destructive wildfires. Neither of these monumental wildfire prevention victories would be possible without bipartisan support and it should serve as an example of good government going forward.

The only place I’ve called home, El Dorado County, was reduced to ashes in the Caldor Fire. We know what it’s like to lose everything to a wildfire, wondering if something could have been done to stop it. We now know that if the Trestle Forest Health Project was completed on time, Grizzly Flat would never have burned. Current wildfires are a

GEORGE TURNBOO

California has retained its position as having the worst poverty of any state, thanks to its very high living costs and a large lowincome underclass.

DAN WALTERS

Driver flees crash scene, leaves behind injured passenger

Ashleigh Goodwin

Tahoe Daily Tribune

South Lake Tahoe police responded to reports of a vehicle collision on Julie Lane Sunday, Sept. 18, just after 11 p.m., where the driver crashed into a tree on the east side of the road before fleeing the scene.

“There was a passenger in the front seat that sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Barton via ambulance,” South Lake Tahoe Police Department Lt. Scott Crivelli said.

“The driver fled the scene of the collision prior to our arrival.”

Due to the nature of the accident and driver fleeing the scene leaving behind an injured passenger, the driver now faces charges classified as a felony hit and run.

South Lake Tahoe police detectives have taken the case for further investigation regarding identifying the driver of the collision.

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NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

Crossword

Walters Continued from A4

Other states with double-digit supplemental rates are mostly in the South, such as Alabama and Arkansas, while on the other end of the scale are states with low single-digit rates, the lowest being Wisconsin’s 5.1%.

California’s high poverty rate reflects not only its high living costs, but its substantial underclass of low-income families, many of them recent immigrants who struggle to keep roofs over their heads and food on their tables.

The Public Policy Institute of California has used a methodology similar to that of the Census Bureau to calculate poverty variations within the state and has found that in 2021 more than a quarter of Californians were living in poverty or near-poverty.

The PPIC also found that the state’s highest level of functional poverty is in Los Angeles County, which has a huge underclass but very high housing costs. Lowest poverty rates are largely found in the San Francisco Bay Area, where high technology industry incomes are better able to cope with high housing costs.

The ultimate irony of California’s high poverty rate is that it’s a deep-blue state where all political power is held by left-leaning Democrats who profess to sympathize with the plight of the poor.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislators have acknowledged the state’s shameful position atop the poverty ladder and enacted a number of programs aimed at lowering the rate.

Most have involved e orts to increase incomes of the poor through tax credits, increases in welfare

benefits, raising minimum wages and encouraging union membership in low-income economic sectors. However, whatever increases the poor see in their incomes are often rapidly absorbed by increasing costs of living, particularly for housing.

Meanwhile, the many state-level e orts to increase the housing supply — and thus moderate costs — have failed thus far to have more than a marginal impact on the chronic shortage of shelter.

The state’s other high living costs, especially for utilities, are equally resilient and if anything will grow even more as the state makes its muchvaunted conversion into a net-zero emission economy.

In all likelihood, therefore, California is destined to continue its unenviable position as the nation’s poverty leader.

Dan Walters is a journalist and author who writes for CALmatters.org, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Turnboo Continued from A4

harrowing reminder that meaningless bureaucracy, regulatory burdens and the lack of responsible forest management failed us terribly.

We cannot a ord to become complacent about wildfire risk. Canadian wildfires have exposed residents of the East Coast to dangerous air pollution that has become all too common in the West and now the world’s attention has turned to the catastrophic devastation in Maui. Counties like mine watch in horror, knowing all too well what those families are facing, haunted by the knowledge it could happen again. The smoke is a reminder of how crucial it is to manage forests and deploy new tactics for wildfire management. Heavy winter rains mean rich summer vegetation, which fuels more severe wildfires. No other communities should su er through what those in El Dorado County did in 2021 — or what Lahaina did just last month. The physical, economic and psychological scars linger for decades. While we can’t eliminate destructive wildfires, we owe it to our communities to do everything we can to reduce risks. Paying our firefighters fairly and giving them the right tools is a good start.

George Turnboo is the El Dorado County District 2 supervisor.

Announcements

AL-ANON is here for you if you are bothered by someone else’s drinking. Call for meeting times. (916) 334-2970. https://sacal-anon.blogspot. comt

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) 417-7138 eldorado-ca.aauw.net

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 916-768-4452 for more information. Gold Country Cribbers play Wednesday afternoon 4:30 pm at Steve’s Pizza, 3941 Park Dr., El Dorado Hills, CA. 95762

Struggle with a hurt, hang up, or habit? CELEBRATE RECOVERY meets at Radiant Church on Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm, 4602 Missouri Flat Road, Placerville. We are a Christ centered recovery program to find healing from our hurts, hang ups, and habits. Email CR@radiantedc.church. Find us on Facebook at: https://www. facebook.com/CRradiantchurch.

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 fourpart 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. Join fun-loving women Wednesdays 8am-10am at El Dorado High School. Lessons, social events, only $50/year. 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. For more information, call (530) 622-1180.

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.

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)6216304 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 nonpartisan organization.

EDSO brings the heat to wing competition

Odin Rasco

Staff writer

Staff from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office took a trip to the Fall Ale Fest and Wing Competition at Heavenly Village Saturday, taking home a first-place win while raising money for Sheriff Explorer Post No. 457.

Law enforcement agencies and local businesses brought their best sauces to the competition, vying

to be the lords of the wings at the ale fest. The EDSO team, named Grill Dorado, took first place in the law enforcement category at the competition and third place overall with their grilled and smoked wings slathered in a mango habanero sauce. Deputy Bryce Probert, Det. Benjamin Scholtz, property technician Jay Plassmeyer and Explorer Isabelle Hutto worked the booth, raising around $450 in donations for the Explorer post, according to EDSO Sgt. Kyle Parker.

The Explorer program affiliated with law enforcement agencies that gives young adults hands-on experience and training in various aspects of law enforcement. The program can help those interested explore potential careers in law enforcement and gain skills and knowledge through activities like ride-alongs, training sessions and community service. Explorer posts are run by full-time sworn deputies who provide leadership.

Visitors pay no fees on National Public Lands Day

News release

National Public Lands Day

Saturday, Sept. 23, is a great day to get outside because entry fees will be waived at national parks and other federal public lands, including national monuments, forests, recreation areas, seashores, wildlife refuges, historical sites, battlefields and grasslands.

There are also 60 volunteer events throughout California for National Public Lands Day. The National Environmental Education Foundation coordinates Public

Lands Day in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies, state and local parks and nonprofits. This year marks the 30th annual event. People can find and register for hundreds of already-planned volunteer events and other activities by searching the NPLD Map at neefusa.org/npld-event-search.

Volunteer events in or near El Dorado County include a cleanup at Woods Lake and watershed

n See Public lands, page A9

Mudsnails Continued from A3

approved Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan, TRPA convened an incident team comprised of staff from TRPA and Tahoe RCD and partner experts. The

team is rapidly deploying scientists, beginning with lake-wide dive surveys to determine the extent of the infestation and sharing all available information with state and federal

wildlife managers through the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinating Committee.

“Lake Tahoe is one of the most protected waterbodies in the U.S.

EL DORADO COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

El Dorado County’s Best

and our aquatic invasive species monitoring program is credited as the reason for this concerning discovery,” TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan said. “It is critical that everyone remain vigilant and adhere to the mantra of Clean, Drain and Dry. Every boater, paddler and angler shares the responsibility to protect Lake Tahoe’s native species and the waters we enjoy.”

As climate change continues to affect Lake Tahoe’s native ecosystem, the threat of new invasive species taking hold in the region is increasing. Under the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, the aquatic invasive species Program is helping protect water quality and native species and is a key program to improve the climate resilience of the region, according to TRPA.

Invasive species can be carried on boats, fishing gear, paddle craft, life vests and beach toys, according to the national Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! campaign. The most effective way to prevent their spread is to clean, drain and cry boats and gear before entering a new waterbody.

Since 2008, the Lake Tahoe AIS Program has served as the national model and maintained one of the lowest risk profiles in the nation for introduction of new invasive species.

“Lake Tahoe’s robust watercraft inspection program, and commitment from the public, shows that preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species is possible,” said Lisa Heki, Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex Project Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Now more than ever,

we have to support and strengthen our work with anglers, boaters, paddlers, and everyone who interacts with the waters of Lake Tahoe and its 63 tributaries.”

Periodic monitoring for invasive species in the basin is an integral part of the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan. Early detection and rapid response also helps agencies control the spread of aquatic invasive weeds that were introduced before the inspection program, such as the ongoing weed removal project in Emerald Bay.

“Lake Tahoe has a well-established network of regional and national partnerships that are all working together to reduce the threat of aquatic invasive species,” TRPA Aquatic Invasives Species Program Manager and incident team co-lead Dennis Zabaglo said. “The incident team and our partners are dedicated to protecting Lake Tahoe and will be working together to evaluate options for responding to this new finding.”

TRPA advocated for federal funds to be set aside for early detection and rapid response actions throughout the nation. Tahoe agencies are using critical federal funds to address the New Zealand mudsnail introduction.

About New Zealand mudsnails

Not to be confused with highly destructive quagga and zebra mussels which have not been detected in Lake Tahoe, New Zealand mudsnails are often smaller than a grain of rice (2-6 mm). Like many aquatic invasive species, without natural predators or controls, they can outcompete

Woods Lake will see volunteers hit the trail around the lake to do trail work as part of the Sept. 23 National Public Public Lands Day.

native species and harm ecosystem functions. First discovered in 1987 in Idaho, New Zealand mudsnails are currently found in 22 states, including California and Nevada. They are able to colonize new waters quickly and due to their small size are difficult to detect. More information on the species is available from the U.S. Geological Survey.

About the Lake Tahoe Watercraft Inspection Program

TRPA and Tahoe RCD initiated the Lake Tahoe watercraft inspection program in 2008 when quagga and zebra mussels were discovered in Lake Mead, just 300 miles from the basin. Under the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, more than 107,000 vessels have been inspected since the start of the program, which is considered a gold standard for the nation. Strict protocols reduce the risk posed by watercraft of spreading these species by requiring every vessel to be decontaminated that is known to have been in water associated with New Zealand mudsnails or other AIS. This process is enforced for both motorized and non-motorized watercraft at all ramps, launches and staffed public beaches. Vessels visiting Echo and Fallen Leaf Lakes are required to be decontaminated regardless of where they have been. Learn more about the watercraft inspection program and how to clean, drain and dry at tahoeboatinspections. com. Paddlers, anglers and other non-motorized watercraft users have many resources available at tahoekeepers.org.

Courtesy photos

The Grill Dorado team, left photo, brought El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office staff together to sling hot wings in Tahoe Saturday, serving out an irresistible snack. Grill Dorado was no stranger to the podium at Heavenly Ski Resort Saturday, middle photo, taking first place in the law enforcement category and third place overall with their mango habanero wings. An EDSO deputy, right photo, gets a taste of one of the zesty chicken wings.

Mountain Democrat file photo by Krysten Kellum

COMiCS

n SHOE by Jeff MacNelly

WORLD Of OUTLAWS

Kofoid outduels teammate

for victory in Placerville

World of Outlaws

Four years passed since the World of Outlaws sprint cars last visited Placerville Speedway. But the wait proved to be worth every minute.

In a race Saturday night that featured battles all over the quartermile, none could match the intensity of the war that waged for the win.

Roth Motorsports teammates Buddy Kofoid and James McFadden threw everything they had at each other. Dramatic slide jobs. Searching different lanes for grip. The two gave it their all as they each hoped to give their California car owner a taste of home state glory.

In the end it was Kofoid who made his way to victory lane when the checkered flag waved. The Penngrove native climbed all the way atop the wing of his No. 83JR as chants of “Buddy!” rang out from the Placerville grandstands.

“That’s badass for sure,” an ecstatic Kofoid said. “It’s even more special to do it here at Placerville where I cut my teeth in sprint cars. Man, I’m just so fortunate to have Dylan Buswell in my corner. He’s a wizard. Actually, I felt not great in the beginning of the day and we just got better and better and better. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my time with Roth Motorsports.”

While Kofoid won last week’s Gold Cup prelim, the Placerville score is his first official World of Outlaws victory since joining forces with the California team. The 21 year old became the 16th driver to top a race with The Greatest Show on Dirt for Dennis and Teresa Roth. Kofoid now owns a trio of World of Outlaws wins, and he became the eighth competitor to win at Placerville in the series’ 10th visit.

After topping the Toyota Racing Dash, it was James McFadden leading the field to green with Justin Sanders to his outside. McFadden managed to power ahead when the race began to lead the opening circuit.

Kofoid started the 40-lap tilt in third and quickly challenged Sanders in the opening laps. On the fifth trip around, Kofoid slid Sanders to put the

Homeless camps

Roth duo atop the scoreboard. A few cautions interrupted the pace inside the opening 10 laps.

A green flag run as the race neared halfway allowed the battle between the Roth cars to ignite. Kofoid reeled in McFadden and attempted a slide job on lap 15 in turns three and four to no avail. A lap later Kofoid tossed another slider in the same set of corners and again came up short.

On the 18th lap Kofoid pulled alongside McFadden heading to the finish line, and then on the next lap Kofoid used the bottom to take the top spot. McFadden responded by heading to the low side in turns three and four to slip right back by Kofoid. The back and forth continued on the next lap as the two swapped lines again and Kofoid rolled under McFadden in turns one and two. Down on the other end of the racetrack, Kofoid’s slider attempt on a lap car came up short allowing McFadden to peek to the inside. The two came down the front straightaway side by side but Kofoid held on.

“I figured out the top down in (turns) one and two pretty early,” Kofoid explained. “I started third, fell back to fourth and got right back to second running the top and sliding people into (turn) three. When I got to James, it had already gotten dirty to where I’d fire one off and get really loose across and kill my momentum. It wasn’t going to clear and I wasn’t going to send one off into anyone, especially James.”

“Those guys have done a lot of laps around here growing up,” McFadden said of the battle. “You could pick which line to get on and I had absolutely no idea of where I needed to be. The cushion was tricky and really dirty up there. You sort of had to lean against it, then get away from it at some points.”

After taking over the top spot, Kofoid began to inch away from the rest of the pack, adding a tenth or two to his lead each time around. He gave McFadden hope a couple times as the cushion tripped him up, but ultimately Kofoid stayed comfortably ahead on his way to the checkered

n See WORLD Of OUTLAWS, page A8

Continued from A1

The crux of the legal debate now, CalMatters reported this month, is what makes a person “involuntarily homeless” — and whether cities can sweep camps and cite residents even if it doesn’t have sufficient shelter to accommodate each resident’s individual circumstances. The California associations filed the amicus brief supporting an Oregon city which the 9th Circuit this year ruled cannot enforce a camping ban because the city doesn’t have enough shelter beds for its entire population.

On Wednesday, more California officials weighed in. The state’s sheriff’s association and police chiefs association, as well as a group of Orange County cities, filed their own brief arguing the Idaho ruling “may have expanded the rights of those suffering from homelessness [while] the rights of business owners, taxpayers, children and other housed citizens to clean, safe, drug-free streets and public areas have been completely ignored.”

Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho filed his own brief, too. And San Diego, which recently began enforcing a sweeping new camping ban, will sign on to a brief being circulated by the city of Seattle, a spokesperson for Mayor Todd Gloria said.

Will Knight, decriminalization director at the National Homelessness Law Center, previously

n TUNDRA by Chad Carpenter

told CalMatters he doesn’t think the Supreme Court will take up the case, given that the question has not come up prominently in federal courts in other parts of the country. Knight criticized cities for trying to get around the technical boundaries of the Idaho ruling and said they should focus instead on expanding individualized housing options for residents.

Meanwhile, political pressure is mounting on cities to more strictly enforce their camping ban. Democratic big-city mayors and Gov. Gavin Newsom have blasted federal judges for rulings that halt encampment sweeps.

On Tuesday, Ho sued the city of Sacramento, accusing it of inadequately enforcing a number of recent camping bans such as those near schools and of ignoring residents’ requests to safety issues at camps.

City officials have not used criminal citations in the recent bans, instead opting for “voluntary compliance” that does include ordering people to move their tents. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg called Ho’s suit a “performative distraction.”

Homelessness increased more than 60% in Sacramento County between 2019 and 2022, to 9,300 individuals on any given night; the city and county combined have about 2,400 shelter beds.

n RUBES by Leigh Rubin

n SPEED BUMP by Dave Coverly

HOROSCOPE by Holiday Mathis

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’ll be your own babysitter and a challenge to watch over. Maintaining a friendly line of discipline will get you to a deadline. Set a reasonable goal and do not allow yourself a diversion until you hit it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Though the world can be fickle, you are loyal and constant. That’s why it’s important you also model it. Keep your appointments even when they become inconvenient. And hold fast to your word.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Things are only as important as you make them. Relatedly, this is one of those rare times when the value you assign to something will hold. You can name your price and you’ll get it, if not now, then eventually.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). There’s something you’d pursue if it weren’t so outside your norm. You just might be very good at this. If you need a reason to take the risk, consider this: You can’t share your gifts if you don’t know what they are.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The gleam in your eye is because you’re thinking of something you won’t share. Your private takes are part of the fun of being you. The mystery attracts interest from others. You get to choose which kind, if any, to entertain.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ve no formal training in the art of happiness, but enough natural talent to become a teacher to those around you. The lessons will be delivered subconsciously and through example.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). In the days of caves and saber-tooth tigers, being the focus of attention was dangerous and often preceded attack. It’s natural that performing is a primal fear producing the requisite heartbeats. You’ll overcome this and be brilliant. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The ever-present option of checking out what the neighbors, internet, or competition are doing can suck up time rather joylessly. You’re better off with the mantra: “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). People will forget what you tell them, but they won’t forget what you help them do. You have a gift for this. You will be an excellent guide of both the body and mind as you teach through practice.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). There are arguments so fundamentally polarized that they can’t be resolved, only outgrown. You’ll decide to drop one for good and feel immediately lighter, like your mind is now free to take on more productive pursuits.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Keep the action moving. If you let a conversation go on for too long it will seem like you don’t have much else to do, which is not a good look. There are too many interesting things going on to let one person monopolize you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Computers give you answers. People give you wisdom. You’ll appreciate the value of lived experience and the specificity that comes from a human who understands the larger context and the nuances of the heart.

Photo by Trent Gower

Buddy Kofoid celebrates his World of Outlaws win at Placerville Speedway.

Alex Nieten

$8.6M in grant funding aims to improve boating access

CDFW is accepting proposals through Nov. 3 for the 2023-24 Boating Access Grant Program. CDFW will also hold a public solicitation workshop Oct. 4 at 10:30 a.m. to provide an overview of the program, including eligible

n See boating access, page A9

Proclamation Continued

and state.

The approval of the proclamation caught the attention of civil rights groups, including the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union, both who sent letters to the county.

The ACLU in August found the proclamation was twice in violation of the California Constitution. The group, in its letter to the county, states the proclamation specifically violated Article I, section 4 of the constitution, which states, “Free exercise and enjoyment of religion without discrimination or preference” and prohibits laws “respecting an establishment of religion.” The ACLU also claims the county violated the No Aid Clause that “forbids official aid to any ‘religious sect, church,

creed or sectarian purpose;’” the clause was meant to ensure separation of church and state.

“Our state constitution protects the rights of individuals to practice and promote their religion as they see fit and, at the same time, prevents the government from promoting a specific religion or religion in general,” the states the letter, penned by ACLU Director Angelica Salceda.

A letter from the FFRF, dated July 28, states the organization received numerous complaints regarding the proclamation and calls it a “false narrative perpetuating the myth that we are a Christian nation.”

“This proclamation is a clear breach of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States

Constitution,” continues the letter authored by the nonprofit’s staff attorney Christopher Line. “By issuing this proclamation advancing Christian nationalism and the debunked myth that we are a Christian nation, El Dorado County is ironically violating the country’s true heritage of religious liberty based on a secular government.”

Rabbi Evon Yakar with the Reform Congregation Temple Bat Yam in South Lake Tahoe told the board Tuesday he felt his 10 years of service to the county was undermined.

“What angered and disheartened me the most was the relationship that I’ve had with some of you over recent years didn’t seem to be carried forward, that no one reached out to the Jewish community or any other faith

communities, to my knowledge, that are not of the Christian faith,” he said, adding he did commend the board’s intent to remove the proclamation and would be willing to have discussions about creating an inclusive and interfaith culture.

Ruth Michelson, a downtown Placerville business owner who identified herself as Jewish, expressed gratitude for Hidahl bringing the topic back for board discussion.

“It’s not antiChristian,” she told the board. “I think the issue is … practice in your church, practice in your home. That’s great, everyone do that. And I (expect) all religions to do that. The issue here is formally the government doing something that I think (it) should stay away from.” Some remained displeased with the idea of removing the proclamation.

Kelley Nalewaja,

flag. While the prelim win at Silver Dollar Speedway was nice, the one that’ll officially go in the record books tasted a little sweeter for Kofoid.

“Happy to get a full Outlaw win and to do it kind of at a home track for me,” Kofoid said. “That was a tough race but such a fun race.”

Carson Macedo capitalized on a late mistake by McFadden to claim the runner-up spot aboard the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41. The Lemoore native worked his way forward from the sixth starting spot to take his 17th World of Outlaws podium spot of 2023.

“I felt like the restarts kind of went my way,” Macedo noted. “When I started on the top, I was able to get off the corner nice. Even when I started on the bottom, I could get through (turns) one and two nice on the bottom and get down the backstretch and slide guys in (turns) three and four.”

After leading the opening 19 laps, McFadden wound up completing the top three. Even though losing out left him feeling slightly disappointed, McFadden said he was proud to be a part of a special night for Roth Motorsports in its home state.

“What a night for Dennis and Teresa Roth,” McFadden said. “We’d like it to be the other way around but it’s still cool for the team; unreal for the team. They put a lot in it, so it’s cool to get a first and third in California for them … I feel like I’ve struggled a bit on short tracks over the past couple months and we turned it around tonight.”

Justin Sanders and Corey Day rounded out the top five.

The World of Outlaws now heads east for two nights in the Buckeye State. First is a one night stop at Rossburg, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway on Friday, Sept. 22, for the BeFour the Crowns Showdown. The next night brings the final Ohio stop of 2023 as Hartford hosts the Showdown.

El Dorado County GOP secretary, said the action was “discrimination against a heritage of Christians who are just looking to be equally acknowledged and represented.”

She gave examples of other jurisdictions recognizing other groups, including a nationally recognized Jewish American Heritage Month and a state of Utah recognized Muslim Heritage Month.

“There is nothing unconstitutional about recognizing the Christian heritage that helped form this country, our universities and most of our hospital systems that provide social services and adoptions that were also Christian based,” she added.

Another commenter, Realtor and Placerville resident Ruth Carter, was also against rescinding the proclamation and claimed Christian

values and principles have played a role in shaping U.S. culture and the legal system, adding it is “essential to celebrate and honor the contributions that Christianity has made in our community.”

Board Chair and District 3 Supervisor Wendy Thomas called the saga of events a “learning opportunity” before the board voted to rescind the proclamation.

“This role is not about any one of us,” Thomas said. “It’s about staying true to our core functions of providing essential services to the residents of El Dorado County, and to do that effectively, I think we’ve all realized it is incumbent to refrain from anything that would divide us as a county.”

The board previously gave staff direction to bring back a draft policy on the process of coming up with proclamations for the county.

Boating access Continued from A8 activities, program requirements and the grant process.

“California’s waterways, from our coastline to majestic lakes and a vast network of rivers, provide unparalleled recreational opportunities for every boater,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Ensuring safe and reliable access for our anglers and every boater statewide remains a high priority.”

Supported with federal funds through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program, funding for the program comes from revenue via taxes on sport fishing equipment, fishing tackle, pleasure boats and the portion of the gasoline fuel tax attributable to small engines and motorboats. The Boating Access Program provides funding for a broad range of access facilities and associated amenities that benefit recreational boaters. To find out more about eligible activities visit wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/BoatingAccess.

Project activities eligible for Boating Access Grant funds include:

• Planning, permitting, design and construction of boating access facilities

• Amenities for boaters that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act

• Launching and landing facilities for paddle craft and non-motorized boats

• Outreach to boaters about available boating access and amenities

• Aquatic invasive species information and education (inspection but not enforcement)

• Vegetation management related to boater access

• Pump out facilities for vessels with on-board sanitary holding tanks

• Fueling docks for boaters

• Potable water supplies for boaters

• Dinghy docks

• Operation and maintenance of boating access facilities

• Administration and coordination of boating access programs (including personnel, travel, training and planning)

• Maintenance and operations projects for boating access sites, facilities and structures

For questions on CDFW’s Boating Access Grant Program email boatingaccess@wildlife.ca.gov.

Public lands Continued from A6 work in the Markleeville area, with both events still taking volunteer sign-ups as of Thursday afternoon; restoration work planned at Wilson Meadow near Wrights Lake had already reached its volunteer quota.

In the Markleeville area, including Hope Valley and Grover Hot Springs State Park, volunteers will assist with an initiative launched in 2001 by the Alpine Watershed Group that aims at watershed restoration tasks like installing willow stakes, trash removal and addressing erosion issues.

At Woods Lake volunteers will help with minor trail work and

Cannabis Continued from A1

of intent from county staff at a later date, supervisors were all in agreement the barrier to entry for cannabis cultivators needs to be addressed. Summarizing the sentiments of the board, District 2 Supervisor George Turnboo said an ordinance that benefits small businesses would environmentally, economically and criminally benefit the county.

“Under a legal system, cannabis production would move from a black market to a green market that produces environmentally beneficial practices,” Turnboo explained. “What’s more is that legal sales would bring in tax dollars, bring in jobs and benefit the community.”

The El Dorado County Growers Alliance, led by Tannenbaum, gave a presentation to the Board of Supervisors introducing numerous ideas on changing ordinance language it feels needs further consideration.

The alliance, composed of legal commercial cannabis advocates, is looking to decrease the 800-foot setback of cannabis cultivation farms from property lines or public right-of-ways, is requesting expanding the maximum cannabis growing area to more than 2 acres on farm parcels and that cottage licenses allow further exceptions to outdoor and indoor cultivation.

The alliance also made requests to the county to consider allowing indoor growing, cannabis processing and non-volatile manufacturing on any commercial cannabis location regardless of zoning.

Growers are also asking the county to consider lower cannabis tax rates, to implement the tax based on gross sales tax instead of maintaining the square footage tax requirement and for the county to conduct a countywide environmental impact review to consider changing cannabis from a commercial to agriculture crop.

Tannenbaum told the board these changes, along with others proposed, would help cultivators get through the application process in a less costly, fair and timely fashion.

“The burden that you are putting on the cannabis cultivators and other cannabis businesses to do this … you are asking us to take our money, put it in a fund that we can’t show any profit or return on our investment for three to four years,” said Tannenbaum, who previously stated he spent millions of his own dollars to get through the application process. He further commented the

clearing of woody debris around the lake while Wilson Meadow volunteers will help with willow plantings and vegetation biomass sampling.

National Public Lands Day also brings learning opportunities such as the Leave No Trace Fair that will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Crystal Basin Information Station in the Crystal Basin Recreation Area in the Eldorado National Forest. Pacific Ranger District personnel are planning a day of fun activities, meaningful knowledge and prizes centered around the seven leave no trace principles.

purpose of the ordinance is to get more people legally cultivating and have less illegal grows in the county.

“If this board really wants that to happen, which is the intent of the voters, we have to make the cost and the barriers of entry easier,” Tannenbaum said.

Tannenbaum himself spent several years in the application process to finally be able to cultivate on his Somerset farm. Currently, there are 10 different cultivation applications in process through the county with a majority of them slated for the Somerset area.

After Tannenbaum’s presentation was done, eager cannabis cultivators and residents showed support of the county changing the ordinance.

Philip Barrier, a prospecting cannabis cultivator, pleaded to the board to change the ordinance for small cultivators to get into the business easier.

“I want the ability to participate in this along with other small farmers,” Barrier said. “I don’t think it is right for the county to not provide any type of area for us to get into the game. We can do things a lot differently than the bigger companies because we are small and we can zig and zag and come up with good properties.”

Hemp farmer David Hardy, 43-year Somerset resident and hopeful cannabis cultivator, called regulations set in 2018 “obsolete” and noting they do not benefit growers at all.

“Time is of the essence,” Hardy said. “The necessary changes are few but no less imperative to amend and incorporate rational regulatory standards to our local codes and regulations.”

Saying more data needs to be collected to address some of the concerns of the Growers Alliance, the board did give direction to staff to make a resolution of intent to change certain regulations including changing tax structures for cannabis cultivation and to change the definition of “owner” of the cannabis farms, which was another request by the alliance. Owner is defined as someone with any stake or financial interest in the cannabis cultivation business.

The board is also sending the ordinance back to the Planning Commission for further review and recommendation of the setback and grow size recommendations, nonvolatile manufacturing and consideration of a multi-year cannabis license, which took the bulk of hopeful growers’ concerns.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Queen Of The Night! Remembering Whitney

OCTOBER 6, 2023

Queen of the Night! Remembering Whitney, starring Trina Johnson Finn is a 90-minute live entertainment show that brings the top selling hits of the late Whitney Houston to the stage and transports the essence and persona of Whitney for a night of exhilarating and gripping performances. Showcasing fan-favorite songs from Whitney Houston’s past albums, along with snappy dialogue providing personal insight behind each song, some of Las Vegas’ hottest musicians, two incredible background vocalists, and four dynamic dancers, this amazing production will be a wonderful treat for all the Whitney Fans around the world!

On Your Feet!

NOVEMBER 2-5, 2023

THEIR MUSIC, THEIR STORY, THEIR PASSION...

On Your Feet! is the story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, two people who— through an unwavering dedication to one another and their pursuit of the American dream— showcased their talent, their music, and their heritage to the world in a remarkable rise to global superstardom.

SOME OF THE MOST ICONIC SONGS OF ALL TIME... Featuring music by Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, and Miami Sound Machine, including Grammy Award winning songs “The Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Conga,” “Anything for You,” “1-2-3,” “Get On Your Feet,” and “Here We Are.” Prepare to be on your feet from start to finish!

Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken - Twenty | The Tour David Sedaris

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken are thrilled to reunite 20 years after captivating audiences during their historic run on the second season of Fox’s American Idol in 2003. Due to overwhelming demand, and on the heels of the first leg of their critically acclaimed Twenty | The Tour, the multi-platinum recording artists are hitting the road again for the second leg of their reunion tour. From Clay’s iconic rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” to Ruben’s soulful single “Flying Without Wings,” join America’s favorite odd couple for an unforgettable evening of music and memories, delivered as only these true superstars can.

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

One of America’s pre-eminent humor writers with over 16 million copies of his books in print, David Sedaris is a master of satire and one of today’s most observant writers. Beloved for his personal essays and short stories, he has been nominated for five Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word and Best Comedy Album. He has been awarded the Terry Southern Prize for Humor, Thurber Prize for American Humor, Jonathan Swift International Literature Prize for Satire and Humor, Time 2001 Humorist of the Year Award, and the Medal for Spoken Language from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

608-6888

Photo by David Grenier

Photo: DJ Corey

Photo: DJ Corey

In the KNOW

Sept. 22

Sierra Wildlife Rescue hosts its Wildlife Bazaar Yard Sale and Food Festival 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 22 and 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 23 at 777 Pleasant Valley Road on Diamond Springs. All proceeds support programs to help injured wildlife.

Sherwood Demonstration Garden is open every Friday and Saturday for open garden days, 9 a.m. to noon. Take a leisurely stroll through all 16 themed gardens. Docents are on site to assist with any gardening questions.

Check the website before visiting at ucanr.edu/sites/ EDC_Master_Gardeners/ Demonstration_Garden.

The Fabulous Liars will perform at 5 p.m. at HWY 50 Brewery in Camino.

For more information visit hwy50brewery.com/livemusic.

1850 Wine Cellars in Placerville hosts Wine, Dine & Vibe, 6-8:30 p.m., featuring live music by L84DNR and a Caribbean inspired pre fixe dinner menu by Chef Lisa Scott. For tickets and more information visit 1850winecellars.com/ pages/events.

Drew Butts, The Numinous and Phantom Spires will perform at The Green Room Social Club in downtown Placerville, 7-11 p.m. For tickets and more information visit clubgreenroom.com.

Ariel Jean Band will perform 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Casino Stage Bar at Red Hawk Casino in Placerville. For more information visit redhawkcasino.com.

Catherine Russell will perform at 7 p.m. at The Sofia in Sacramento.

For tickets and more information call (916) 443-5300 or visit bstreettheatre.org.

Sept. 23

UCCE Master Gardeners of El Dorado County hosts Greenhouse Gardening, 9 a.m. to noon at the El Dorado Hills CSD Teenz Center. Learn what kind of structures and materials work best for growing from seed and beyond, what accessories are a must for success and a hands-on demonstration of how to sow seeds.

The Placerville Arts Association hosts its 2023 Artists Open Studio Tour Sept. 23 & 24 For map and complete details go to paastudiotour.com.

Check out the Handblown Glass Pumpkin Patch at Delfino Farms in Camino, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 23 & 24. See demonstrations and find one-of-akind pieces. For more

Surprise art

Baum-Davis’ passion for creating art began when she was a little girl happily decorating the walls of her parents’ home with her crayons. Her love for jewelry and ceramic arts came from her mother and her father introduced her to ferrous metals at a young age by teaching her to weld and use a lathe. She became classically trained in goldsmithing at the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco and went on to become part of the faculty. Although she “retired” from a career of teaching, she continues to instruct art classes and workshops and also shares her passion for her favored media through her published works.

Baum-Davis learned about polymer and metal clays during the mid-1990s, with the malleability and permanence of these materials greatly appealing to her. While

polymer clays contain no clay minerals, the dry polymer particles become clay-like when moist (and like clay, harden when baked), she explained. The artist mixes various polymers together into blocks, which she slices and then combines the slices.

“The result is always a surprise,” she said cheerfully.

Baum-Davis’ technique of melding metal, fused glass and clays to produce forms with startling colors, fascinating organic textures and intriguing geometric patterns and shapes — squares, halfmoons, drops and abstract forms — creates one-of-a-kind bracelets, necklaces, earrings and other pieces of wearable art. Her latest stunning assemblage of jewelry pieces looks like she infused them with gold, by working tissue-thin, goldtone flakes into translucent polymer clay, then added rich, deep blues to make her series of Blue Magic earrings. For her Red Magic series, she used a deep ruby red hue. She also created a line of elegant earrings with bright tints, tones and shades of gray embellished with silver patterns

and designs to highlight their silvery luminescence.

Baum-Davis’ award-winning jewelry and sculpture designs are elevated to the level of fine art by the excellent quality of her craft and the extensive history and experience that comprise it. While her mother may have felt consternation at her daughter’s naughtiness of using the walls as a canvas, her creativity adds more beauty to the world.

Nature’s harmony

Smith’s artistic journey began when she was a little girl, inspired by stories her mother read to her as a child, especially from books with illustrations. Smith loved drawing the animals and people she imagined. Smith’s journey has always been along an artistic path, from her childhood pencil sketches to being an art student at San Jose State, where she honed her skills and explored painting with acrylics on small canvases as well as doing large mural

D. Lee Reyes Special to the Mountain Democrat

old Country Artists Gallery, an award-winning artists’ cooperative located in Placerville features the beautiful work of Jean Stiles, Barbie Smith and Lorrene Baum-Davis in September.

“Blue Magic” earrings by Lorrene Baum-Davis

“Fresh Lavender” by Barbie Smith

n See Gallery page B6

cantare chorale the little group that could continues its musical journey

Angela Meadows News release

When an organization has been around for more than 30 years, it can be easy to assume it will always be there.

This might’ve been said about the Cantare Chorale of the Sierra Foothills, a group established in 1992 with the goal of bringing quality choral music to the community through concerts and charity performances.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected many performing arts groups and Cantare was no exception. After a two-year hiatus, some wondered if it would even be possible to reunite the previous members in addition to adding new talented singers to reanimate the ensemble.

Embracing an indefatigable “I think I can” attitude, the group managed to not only reconvene, but things were looking and sounding great by the spring of this year when the musicians scheduled their first concert season after the pandemic. Then a fresh local COVID outbreak happened and forced another delay, moving concerts to the fall season.

Rather than seeing it as a negative, Cantare Chorale, under the direction of Mariia Pechenova, embraced the opportunity to gain mastery over the music. The group recently returned from its annual retreat at Zephyr Point near Lake Tahoe where the singers rehearsed with a laser focus on excellence, including sublime musical accompaniment by local pianist Wendy Payton, some surprising accompanying instruments and soaring, engaging solos.

Cantare Chorale is thrilled and ready to perform its fall concert series entitled, Invisible Stars. Director Pechenova, whose singing and conducting experience includes

work with professional, university, choral groups and orchestras, was inspired to create this set celebrating the beauty and wonder of nature after hearing a science podcast where she learned about the concept of invisible stars.

The group will perform diverse music by composers from all over the world, including “Stars” by Eriks Esenvalds, “Blackbird” by John Lennon & Paul McCartney, “Blue Moon” by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart and more.

Cantare Chorale ConCerts

• Saturday, Sept. 23 — 3 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, 1001 Olson Lane, El Dorado Hills

• Saturday, Sept. 30 — 6 p.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 3109 Sacramento St., Placerville

• Saturday, Oct. 7 — 3 p.m. at Foothills United Methodist Church, 3301 Green Valley Road, Rescue For tickets and more information visit cantarechorale.com.

church concert to spread joy

News release

El Dorado County Federated Church presents Make a Joyful Noise! — a free concert series open to the public.

The inaugural concert features Placerville’s Gold Rush Chorus in a night of barbershop singing, 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22 at 1031 Thompson Way in Placerville. Admission is free

Damn gooD time

and seating is first come, first served. El Dorado County Federated Church is a Presbyterian USA and United Methodist welcoming congregation practicing the love, compassion and radical hospitality of Jesus Christ. All are welcome, all the time. For more information about the work of Federated Church visit eldoradofederatedchurch.org.

Courtesy photo

Cantare Chorale of the Sierra Foothills performs at local concerts and at community events including the Memorial Day ceremony this year at Green Valley Cemetery and Mortuary to honor our fallen soldiers.

Courtesy photo

Placerville’s Gold Rush Chorus will perform a special concert this Friday at El Dorado County Federated Church.

Officials cut ribbon on the Tahoe Blue Event Center

Tahoe Daily Tribune

STATELINE, Nev. — Officials from Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority, Visit Lake Tahoe, and OVG360 met Monday, Sept. 18, to cut the ribbon on the Tahoe Blue Event Center, an occasion more than a decade in the making.

What started as an “easy build on a parking lot” turned out to be a much larger undertaking, according to Lew Feldman, Lake Tahoe Visitor Authority attorney who took a trip down memory lane with a crowd of more than 400 Monday evening.

Just before the first private event, a wedding on Sept. 2, the proper permitting was received, he added.

Originally slated to open July 2023, Feldman said the journey did not come without complications, from early planning stages to fully realizing the multi-use event center.

Thanks to unwavering support from 20 bi-state partnerships in California and Nevada the venue is set to welcome more than 125 ticketed events annually, starting this weekend, Lake Tahoe Comic Con on Sept. 23 & 24.

Through the arduous building process, International Coliseums Company President and CEO Rick Kozuback said, “The coordination somehow seemed to get there to get the job done.

Photo by Ashleigh Goodwin / Tahoe Daily Tribune

The Tahoe Blue Event Center Ribbon cutting event included a tour of the freshly finished building, which will host its first public event this weekend.

“I hope you enjoy this building, this is your building,” he added.

To make it a reality more than 60 tradespeople, contractors and subcontractors, as well as 30-plus appliance and furniture vendors, coordinated to get the desired result, a state-of-the-art 5,000-seat multi-use event center with 10,000 square feet of additional meeting space, according

to Kozuback.

The time has finally come to see it in action.

“We’re going to bring the best entertainment here and it’s OVG360’s goal that the fans have the best time. We are ready to rock this place and bring something for everyone,” said Rick Hontz, Oak View Group 360’s regional vice president.

Hontz also tipped his proverbial hat to Tahoe Blue Vodka brand, TBEC’s naming partner.

“It’s the best vodka and I always take some home to Colorado with me,” Hontz said.

The calendar of TBEC events is filling quickly. Tickets are already on sale, starting with Comic Con, then Pitbull the following week, with Lindsey Stirling, WWE wrestling and Adam Sandler after that.

Hontz said more announcements will be made as dates are confirmed.

Another exciting milestone is on the horizon is the naming of Lake Tahoe’s first pro hockey team, thanks to partnerships with celebrity Tim Tebow.

“This is the time the community gets to come together,” said a representative of the Lake Tahoe Hockey’s Anthony Benge, who flew from Savannah, Ga., for the event.

Benge said he will relocate to the Tahoe community in advance of the ECHL’s debut to manage the front desk with Oak View Group 360 and be a part of this “amazing community.”

When Tebow came to Tahoe for the announcement of the ECHL hockey team, he called the event center “a place of character, strength and honor” and “a place for families in the community to build faith, hope and love.”

ZElDA (A154467) Clad in black & white this cutie would make a great silent film or talkie leading pooch. M, 20mo. Anatolian shepherd X

vAlENTiNO (A151469)

lEiA (A154632)

She is a benevolent princess looking for some loyal subjects to spend all her years with. 2 yr. Calico.

His favorite word may be “squirrel” or perhaps “walk”. Come for a meet ‘n’ greet and see for yourself. Black & tan Hound, 26mo.

HUNTER (A154112)

Ashleigh Goodwin

n See center, page B6

Last year a Korean film called

“Return to Seoul” was one of my favorite films of 2022. That film, as well as other releases from Korean filmmakers over the last few years, convinced me “the land of morning calm” is releasing some of the best character-based cinema (and television for that matter) in the world right now. Korean-American writer/director Celine Song’s directorial debut confirms that theory. This is a beautifully executed film about longing and fate that each member of the audience will come away thinking a little bit differently about, depending on their life experiences.

In “Past Lives,” Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later they are reunited in New York City for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny. I suppose there are some shades of “Before Sunrise,” “Before Sunset,” and “Lost In Translation” painted into this premise and, if so, you can’t have better romance/

dramas to stand shoulder-toshoulder with. This is a film about deep connections and missed opportunities, which, if we are being honest with ourselves, most of us have experienced at some point. What works for me is the film’s vulnerability and the ability to ask honest questions that adult human beings quietly consider or struggle with when it comes to matters of the heart. Everyone is different but in love and relationships there is always a gray area. Romantic life decisions aren’t always black and white. These two characters had a deep connection as kids, which they got the opportunity to re-ignite as adults 12 years later. Will both share these feelings for each other or will one suffer in silence with unrequited love? What if one gets married but still has a deep connection to the other person? What are the emotional implications of loving their partner but having a lifelong kinship to another soul?

This is a film where most audiences won’t recognize any of the lead actors. It’s a mid-level budgeted film that Hollywood just seems incapable of making these days and, frankly, would be afraid to do so as constructed.

It’s made by a Korean woman who immigrated to Canada and then New York (just like one of the main characters) so there is a lot of Korean language in the film, even when the characters are in New York together. The relationship and outcomes are unconventional and I can’t see Hollywood being comfortable making this type of film. Luckily there is a distributor like A24 that excels at getting this type of drama out there with unique perspectives behind the camera. On one of the special features on the Blu-ray disc filmmaker Song shares that this story is very close to an experience she had in the last decade so it’s quite personal to her. You can feel it with every frame and shot composition.

A24 (“Everything Everywhere All at Once,”

“Uncut Gems,” “Lady Bird”) is one of the production companies that produced and distributed this film and its exceptional record of finding creative filmmakers to tell distinct, emotionally generous stories from a personal perspective is unblemished here.

As I said earlier, this is the type of film the big Hollywood studios would never greenlight and if they did would pour $100 million into (as opposed to the reported $15 million-$30 million it was made for) and change the script to just focus on this couple getting together, the big reveal and the romantic pomp and circumstance to end the film. Instead we get complex adult characters, inner conflict and the ability for the filmmakers to let moments breathe. And breathe they do. There are emotional moments that stay on the two leads for a good amount of time without cutting away from the shot and the film is more affecting for it. I loved a specific choice at the end of the movie that had Hae Sung and Nora facing each other in a wide shot, never cutting away, letting the moment and performances do all the talking, even though the characters never said a word.

Call me a sucker for a quiet, life-affirming romantic drama about unrequited love and the personal angst that can come with it but “Past Lives” immediately places itself as one of my favorite films of 2023 so far. There are some wonderful Korean/ Korean American voices coming to the forefront of cinema. Half of this film takes place in Seoul, Korea, and after visiting there a few weeks back I understand why a city larger than New York is a special place with such a focus on art, music, literature and film. It’s no surprise the world is finally catching on. Highly recommend!

Joshua B. Porter is a writer/director/producer. He will one day shoot a film in Seoul, South Korea and can be reached at @joshuabporter or joshuabporter@mtdemocrat.net.

Cruise over to new museum exhibit

Traci Rockefeller Cusack News release

SACRAMENTO — In partnership with the Sacramento Lowrider Commission, and with support from Sol Collective and the many Sacramento lowrider car clubs, the Sacramento History Museum has put together an all-new Boulevard Dreams exhibit opening Sept. 23.

Born in California, lowrider and cruising culture is quintessentially American — an expression of our diverse community. Sacramento has a rich history of cruising culture with more than 40 lowrider car clubs dating back to the 1970s. Sacramento History Museum’s Boulevard Dreams exhibit introduces some of the stories of the clubs, fashion, music, and art, through memorabilia shared by local lowrider club members. The exhibit also explores the

discrimination and prejudice that led to the citywide ban on cruising in the 1980s, the grassroots efforts to rescind that ban in 2022 and the electric future ahead.

The Sacramento History Museum is working in collaboration with The California Museum, which is debuting a Boulevard Dreams exhibit in late October that also focuses on lowrider culture but with a statewide focus.

The SHM exhibit continues through through Jan. 21, 2024.

Located at 101 I St. at the Old Sacramento Waterfront, the Sacramento History Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). For more information about Boulevard Dreams or other exhibits and programs offered by the Sacramento History Museum visit sachistorymuseum.org.

W orship D irectory

Courtesy photo

The Boulevard Dreams exhibit at the Sacramento History Museum explores the community’s lowrider culture.

Wild & Scenic festival ask artists to submit their best

News release

NEVADA CITY — The Wild & Scenic Film Festival, in collaboration with Nevada County Arts Council, invites local and regional artists to submit their environmental artwork for consideration in the 22nd annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival Art Exhibition, taking place Feb. 15-19, 2024.

Wild & Scenic uses environmental and adventure films to inspire activism and seeks art submissions that do the same. The WSFF Art Exhibition is an integral part of the immersive nature of the festival that includes not only film, but workshops, panels, discussions, parties, an Enviro Fair and outdoor experiences. Artists are encouraged to submit pieces that address a broad interpretation of the theme of “environment” and highlight the beauty of the natural world.

“We are thrilled to continue bringing this incredible art exhibition to our community. Nevada City and Grass Valley are full of amazing artists, and we look forward to showcasing many of them and introducing non-locals to the

art scene here,” said Festival Director Lívia Campos de Menezes. “Each year, we reaffirm our commitment to Wild & Scenic’s message. As gorgeous as this exhibition is, the

festival’s mission drives action so potent as to inspire more than 8,000 festival attendees to lend their voice to all that is at stake for our natural world, locally and globally,” added Eliza Tudor, executive

director at Nevada County Arts Council.

Submissions will be accepted in three categories:

• 3-Dimensional

• 2-Dimensional

• Photography

Artists can submit up to three pieces per entry in a single category.

“While all artwork will be considered, we are especially interested in pieces that interpret our theme this year, Reel Action,” continued Campos de Menezes. “The theme pays homage to the festival’s mission to inspire activism. The aim is to select artworks that are a call to action, inviting audiences to learn about the most pressing environmental problems and initiatives anyone can take to improve the natural world and lives around the globe.”

Selected artists will have the opportunity to exhibit their work in person at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in front of an audience of more than 3,000 environmental filmmakers, celebrities and social activists. Featured artists will be eligible for top three awards in each category, a Best of Theme award and Judges’ awards. The Jury will look for work that stands out within the greater themes of the festival. Piper Johnson, awardwinning painter and owner

Courtesy photo

Artists are encouraged to submit pieces to the Wild & Scenic Film Festival that address a broad interpretation of the theme of “environment” and highlight the beauty of the natural world.

n See WSFF page B6

Artist presents a soulful show at Placerville’s Green Room

The Green Room Social Club’s own Alison Tomei returns to the club to share her latest art show, Archetypes and Soulscapes through Oct. 17.

As a member of the original Green Room family and resident artist at Just Exactly Perfect festivals, not to mention creator behind the one-ofa-kind doors that welcome visitors to the club, Tomei is excited to invite the public to her show.

The finished piece from JEP will be available for silent auction, with proceeds going to The Green Room Artist Fund through El Dorado Arts and Culture Incubator program. Tomei will also offer two creative

Gallery Continued from B1

Courtesy art

Alison Tomei’s paintings are created intuitively with the artist working each piece as a ritual and embedding it with sacred symbols, written word and guided messages.

immersion workshops during the run of the show. Look for coming announcements concerning these unique events.

work. The result was a deep sense of purpose and satisfaction that she found in no other activity.

Her journey led to lessons given by a friend who was teaching a class in beginning oil painting. It was this encounter that was life changing for her. She also credits the many fine artists whose workshops and mentoring helped her achieve fluency in the language of expressive blade and brushwork.

She is drawn to strong patterns of light and shadow and the spectacular colors found in nature. A scene of a pond near her home called to her with its dramatic late afternoon light and peaceful composition. On the surface of the pond the bright reflections of the lingering sunlight are brought into lovely balance with the cool shadows created by the “Falling Light” that inspired her to paint this scene.

One day she stopped at a nearby lavender farm run by a local family. At the entrance to the shop, a crate with bundles of lavender caught her eye and her paints and brushes came out soon after. The seeming simplicity of the image contradicts the skill and mastery of technique that Smith brings to her artwork. With a few deft strokes for implied detail, Smith presents a scene of “Fresh Lavender” the viewer can almost smell in this still life painting.

Her favored techniques include “alla prima,” a wet-on-wet style of applying the oil paint quickly without allowing it to dry between layers. She uses a variety of brushstrokes, textures and the colors found in nature to provide balance and harmony to her work. Sometimes, however, a scene may just catch her attention with little time to paint it so she takes advantage of the moment by memorializing it in a photo, to be painted later. “Summer Grazing” was inspired by a moment like this.

“I was driving toward Shenandoah Valley and saw this herd of cows grazing. They were beautifully positioned,” she said. “I love cows! Sheep, chickens, horses … I love to paint them all!”

Know Continued from B1 information visit handblownglasspumpkinpatch. com.

Scout BSA Troop 460’s annual Rummage Sale Spectacular will be held at the Mother Lode Lions Hall parking lot 8 a.m. to dark Sept 23 and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 24. Call Sandra at (530) 295-3327 to donate items or more information.

Tomei is an intuitive painter, muralist and teacher, specializing in therapeutic creativity and artistic ritual/ceremony.

With muted colors and simple shapes, Smith creates a feeling of serenity in her artwork. Of her artistic journey, she says there were times she felt blocked by her own fear of failure, but was inspired to act and literally paint over that fear.

“I try to reflect the beauty of God’s creation in my paintings,” she said, explaining that all her work honors her love and devotion to God. It is that spiritual love that elevates her work to a higher plane.

Endless inspiration

Stiles was walking along Main Street in historical downtown Placerville when a window filled with artwork caught her eye. She opened the door to a gallery filled with wonderful art created by dozens of local artists. She always wanted to join an art gallery and Gold Country Artists Gallery seemed a perfect fit for her. Stiles joined the group of talented artists she met there, becoming a member in 2000.

Her passion for art was a constant companion as a child growing up in the Bay Area. She earned her degree in fine arts from Scripps College and subsequently enjoys memberships in many art organizations, including Diablo Studio Potters, the Sierra Pastel Society and the Placerville Art Association. Focusing on her broad artistic interests, Stiles is intent on working to improve her craft by enrolling in workshops for oil painting, watercolors and pastels.

Stiles describes her style as both representational and impressionistic. She said design is a strong element of her work and she delights in the little things she must figure out to create a cohesive artwork. She particularly enjoys the challenge of capturing the light and shadows of landscapes and finds endless inspiration in the many places she visits and memorializes in her vast collection of photographs. Several of her images are set in the

Omo Ranch Road wineries unite to offer complimentary tastings, food pairings and discounts, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participating wineries are Mirador, Lost Arrow, Mellowood, Golden Leaves and Kehret Vineyards. Order tickets at cellarpass.com.

Shadow Ranch Vineyard in Fair Play hosts Yoga in the Vines at 10 a.m. Join Lisa for a gentle

The Public Square

“I believe that the state of creativity is an integral part of the human experience and can not only enrich our lives but also aid in understanding ourselves and our experiences,” she said.

Her paintings are created intuitively and hold the intention she brings to the canvas, working each piece as a ritual and embedding it with sacred symbols, written word and guided messages. Common themes of archetypes and mythologies of the feminine psyche fill the space of this show and Tomei is honored to share it with everyone.

The Green Room Social Club is located at 251 Main St. in Placerville. For more information about Tomei visit her Facebook page.

medieval town of Minerve in the south of France. “Road to Minerve” and “Church in Minerve” exquisitely capture the French Impressionistic style she favors. She easily communicates her love for these scenes and the intense colors and varied textures that the medium of pastels provide.

Stiles is a skilled oil painter who especially appreciates painting plein air (French words for “open air”), where the artist captures their subject in the outdoor air and light. Stiles describes painting plein air as a wonderful way to spend her time, experiencing it not only as a painter, but where she can also partake of an intense and constant focus of observation. Her floral portraits capture the play of light on shapes to create texture, as she accomplished with the multiple flowers in “Iris Dreams.” Stiles’ adept use of her palette of oils brings the blooms of purple, blue, yellow and white, and the bladed leaves in soft greens to life. The viewer’s eye is drawn to the vivid purple building set among the iris and background foliage, complementing the scene. In another floral study, she painted “Bird of Paradise” with its proud blue “face” topped by a crown of orange spikes and nestled amid other buds on the verge of erupting into bloom.

Stiles found her place and her endless inspiration in not only the world around her, but also in the work of other artists. Her passion is to share the results of her inspirations with the viewers of her striking artwork.

Gold Country Artists Gallery, 379 Main St. in Placerville features the work of many awardwinning regional artists working in fields as diverse as fine jewelry, photography, fused glass, wood turning, pastels, colored pencil, scratch board and watercolor, acrylic and oil painting. The gallery is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information call (530) 642-2944 or visit goldcountryartistsgallery.com.

and relaxing yoga class in the Shadow Ranch grove. Brunch and Shadow Ranch mimosas will be served after the class. To make reservations for yoga visit shadowranch.com/Events. Fair Play Market Days follows, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. No reservations required.

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. On Sept. 23 % 24 chef Liz Freehand is preparing a Mediterranean Afternoon menu. Call (530) 6478505 or email info@mirafloreswinery.com to make a reservation.

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The list of benefits, according to Carol Chaplin, president & CEO Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority, is robust and will impact the whole region.

Chaplin said the building is poised to have a larger impact on the “sustainability and stewardship of the entire region.”

The TDVA, with 17 other organizations regionally, collaborated to form Tahoe Stewardship Plan, which will aim to protect and preserve the area’s beauty.

The TDVA is also charged with the

The Fabulous Liars will perform at Poor Red’s in El Dorado, 4-7 p.m.

Stone Planet will perform at 4 p.m. at HWY 50 Brewery in Camino. For more information visit hwy50brewery.com/live-music.

Girls Night Out Flower Power takes over historical Main Street in Placerville, 5-9 p.m. Visitors will enjoy a far out fashion show, costume and hula hoop contests, outta sight live music, photo ops and more. Goodie bags for the event are available at Ambiance and Robinson’s Pharmacy.

planning, construction and operation of a multi-use events center.

John McLaughlin, TDVA board chair and president & CEO of Edgewood Companies, echoed Chaplin’s sentiments.

“A rising tide lifts all boats,” McLaughlin said, adding he sees the event center as a catalyst to growth and redevelopment that will benefit the entire region. “In three years you’ll see a much healthier economy, more jobs, more capital investment and more revenue for the community that we love to live and play in.”

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of the Piper J Johnson Gallery in Truckee, is already confirmed as an art judge for next year’s contest with the others to be confirmed soon. Award-winners will be recognized and presented with certificates at the Artists Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony.

Early Bird deadline is Sept. 29 with the final deadline to apply being Nov. 28 with discounts available for earlier submissions. To submit artwork and get more information go to WildAndScenicFilmFestival.org.

The DaughTers of The american revolu Tion (DAR) is a women’s organization. This nonprofit, nonpolitical volunteer women’s service organization is dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history and securing America’s future through better education. DAR consists of over 190,000 members in 3,000 chapters across the world. These vibrant, active women are the heart of the organization - we invite You to begin your journey to your American Family History and membership by emailing: ElDoradoCountyRegent@yahoo.com

The uniTeD sTaTes c onsTiTu Tion stands as a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties and freedoms and to ensure those unalienable rights to every American. The tradition of celebrating the Constitution was started by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The aims of the c onstitution Week celebration are to:

• Emphasize citizen’s responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution.

• Inform people that the Constitution is the basis for American’s great heritage and the foundation for our way of life.

• Encourage the study of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.