Mountain Democrat, Friday, October 14, 2022

County bike park getting into gear

Noel Stack Managing Editor

Bicycle riders ready to show o their flair, flatspins and half-cabs will get their chance when the Old Depot Bike Park opens at the end of this year.

Construction ramped up in mid-July this year at the 2.2acre property at 40 Old Depot Road in Placerville, which was acquired by El Dorado County in May 2018 to develop the park. In February 2020 the county received a $2 million grant via Proposition 68 — the Parks, Environment and Water Bond Act of 2018 — to fund the project.

“This is something the community has wanted for so long,” said Parks Manager Vickie

Sanders.

The site is adjacent to the El Dorado Trail, making access easy for cyclists. Sanders told the Mountain Democrat the property perfectly fit her vision. “You see it; you feel it. It’s a bike park,” she said while standing at the construction site as crews poured concrete into one of the staircase railing forms. “I think it’s pretty ideal.”

The bike park includes playground equipment for toddlers to older youth, climbing/ bouldering structures accessible to a wide age range, a BMX track for youth and adults plus a freestyle slope-style course that caters to youth and adults.

The Caldor Lumber Company loading dock at the site has been incorporated in the design. The

Local

Eight-year-old Max Hook jumped out of a perfectly good plane into the big blue sky and in the process earned the title of California’s youngest skydiver.

“It felt like I was jumping into a tornado,” exclaimed Max. “When

lumber company at one time owned the property. Bathrooms, fencing and picnic tables are also in the works as is an art installation using Caldor rails pulled from the site.

When the bike park opens parking will be available in the small El Dorado Trail parking lot o Missouri Flat Road or along Old Depot Road. A parking lot with 32 spaces will be built in front of the bike park along Missouri Flat Road at a later date. The county is currently using the future parking area as a storage site for dirt to be used during the next phase of Missouri Flat Road construction.

Original bike park plans included an array of exercise

DECISION 2022

MEET THE EDUHSD CANDIDATES

Why are you running to serve as an El Dorado Union High School District governing board member?

Iam running for reelection to the El Dorado Union High School District Board because I have devoted my entire life to public service, including serving as a school board member in El Dorado County for the past 32 years and serving

Iwas appointed to the El Dorado Union High School District Board of Trustees on Feb. 28. I am running to continue serving the families, students and community of our great county.

My family moved from Chicago in

Iam horrified by the damage Gov. Gavin Newsom and his progressivecorrect activists have done to our children with disruptive school closures, draconian mask mandates and divisive curricula like critical race theory

Iam running for the El Dorado Union High School District governing board for my 2-year-old son Owen. I would do anything for him (as every parent would for their child).

Education is very

Ihave a passion for public service. I started out as a military medic, then went on to become an EMT/paramedic and retired as a firefighter. I now wish to continue serving the residents of El Dorado County

Courtesy photo

Max Hook enjoys the rush of a tandem jump with Ben Lowe, Ultimate Skydiving Adventures owner/instructor.

TIMOTHY CARY

BROOKE VAN KOMEN

JESSICCA RODGERS

RAY NUTTING

GERMAN SIERRA

Ethel Denise (Lawyer) Klein Apr. 19, 1957 – Oct 8, 2022

Mrs. Ethel Denise (Lawyer) Klein, age 65, of Murphy, N.C., and Lotus, Calif., passed away peacefully with her husband at her side on Saturday, Oct. 8, at her home in Murphy. She was born April 19, 1957, in Placerville, Calif., to the late Raymond Lawyer, cattle rancher and former county supervisor, and mother, Marie Lawyer.

She enjoyed chasing waterfalls, long walks on the beach, and traveling.

She was preceded in death by half-brother Douglas Purrier, half-sister Dee Purrier, and aunt Ethel Tidd.

Survivors include her husband, Kevin Klein, and brother, Archie Lawyer.

Nancy Ellen Noble

June 26, 1936 – Sept. 24, 2022

Nancy Ellen Noble, 86, of Shingle Springs has passed from our lives but not our hearts.

Previously a long time resident of Folsom Calif. Missed by sons Leonard (Nancy) Noble, Dave Noble, brother Eugene (Charlotte) Kendall, several grands and greatgrands. Predeceased by children Ann, Dee and Anna.

Nancy enjoyed volunteering in EDC with Meals on Wheels, Senior Lunch Program, Master Food Preservers & Senior Peer Counseling.

She loved baking, cooking and canning. Nancy enjoyed trying new recipes, sometimes to the chagrin of her family who looked forward to her traditional dishes.

She loved to read a good book or knit, sitting in her recliner with her dog Coco sitting on her lap.

An avid SJ Sharks fan, Nancy enjoyed watching hockey games, especially with her family all wearing their teal jerseys.

A Celebration of Life will be held 10/22/2022 at 1:30 P.M. at Rescue Community Center.

Remembrances may be made to Snowline Hospice or EDC Food Bank.

Edwin Allen Colegrove

July 21, 1944 – Sept. 17, 2022

With much sorrow we share with you that Edwin Allen Colegrove, 78, passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 17, surrounded by his loving family.

Ed was the third son of 6 children, born in Wellsboro, Pa. on July 21, 1944 to parents Albert Arnold Colegrove and Velma Fratarcangelo ( Van Schaick.) He grew up in the Lawrenceville, Pa. area spending much time on the family farm. In high school, Ed was an avid athlete playing on the soccer and basketball teams. Upon graduation from Williamson High School, Ed joined the US Navy and spent 3 years adventuring around the globe on Uncle Sam’s dime as an aircraft electrician. He loved flying and aircrafts throughout his life.

Edwin met Lola Joanne Frost during his tour in Norfolk, Va. and it was love at first sight. They were married in 1966 enjoying 56 years of wedded bliss. In addition to Lola, Edwin is survived by his daughters Amy Butts (Larry Wayne) and her three children and Natalie Tache (Chuck) and her 3 children, and siblings Tom Colegrove (Roseann), Judy Muscarella (John) and Cindy Preston (Roger). Uncle Ed was a favorite to a multitude of nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews.

Edwin is preceded in death by his parents, and two brothers, Terry Colegrove and James Colegrove.

Big Ed worked at McClellan as an air craft mechanic, then as an iron worker out of the Navy until he found a perfect match as an electrician with SMUD. During his 31 years with SMUD, Ed worked on the substations, Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant, eventually joining the Hydroelectric Plant division on the upper American River Project as a Power Plant Operator.

Ed was a true mountain man enjoying hunting, fishing, and many other adventures.

Ed was well known for his big heart, big hugs, generous spirit, kindness and Christian love toward all he met.

Celebration of life will be held at the Placerville Seventh Day Adventist Church, 6831 Motherlode Dr. Placerville Calif. 95667. Friday Oct. 21, 2022 at 1:00 PM Reception TBA

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Disaster Relief E ort whom Ed appreciated following the Caldor Fire. Website https://www. disasterrel

Joseph L. Clara

Jan. 25, 1938 – Sept. 3, 2022

Joseph L. Clara of Placerville Calif. passed away at Sutter Hospital in Sacramento, Calif., Sept 3, surrounded by family at the age of 84.

Joe was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and a friend to many. He was born Jan 25th, 1938 in Hanford, Calif. and is survived by his wife, Esther Clara, 5 Children, 12 grandchildren, 17-great grandchildren & two great-great grandchildren. Joseph is preceded in death by his parents, a sister and his previous wife, Betty Clara.

Joe was a devoted Jehovah’s Witness who was baptized in 1987 in Fremont, Calif. He believed in the resurrection hope and shared his knowledge of God’s Kingdom with others.

Services for Joseph will be held at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Placerville at 1:00 P.M. Saturday October 22, 2022. Following the service there will be a Celebration of Life gathering at the El Dorado Fairgrounds (Organ Room).

LEGISLATORS’ ADDRESSES

PLACERVILLE CITY

COUNCIL

City Hall 3101 Center St. Placerville 95667 530-642-5200

Mayor Kara Taylor 530-683 -5669

Vice Mayor Michael Saragosa (916) 267-3060

Patty Borelli, (530) 622-5253

Jackie Neau (530) 642-5200

Dennis Thomas (530) 306-0954

DISTRICT 1 SUPERVISOR

John Hidahl Office, 530-621-5650

DISTRICT 2 SUPERVISOR George Turnboo Office, 530-621-5651

DISTRICT 3 SUPERVISOR

Wendy Thomas 530-621-5652

DISTRICT 4 SUPERVISOR Lori Parlin 530-621-6513

DISTRICT 5 SUPERVISOR

Sue Novasel Office, 530-621-6577

So. Tahoe office, 530-621-6577

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR Gavin Newsom State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: 916-445-2841

Fax: 916-558-3160

U.S. SENATE Dianne Feinstein 331 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510 202-224-3841 No. 1 Post St., Suite 2450 San Francisco 94104 415-393-0707

Alex Padilla 112 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: 202-224-3553 Fax: 202-224-2200

Sacramento Office 501 I Street, Suite 7-600 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-448-2787 Fax: 202-228-3865

4TH CONGRESSIONAL

DISTRICT Tom McClintock 2200 A Douglas Blvd., Suite 240 Roseville, CA 95661 Phone: 916-786-5560 Fax: 916-786-6364

El Dorado Hills Constituent Service Center 4359 Town Center Boulevard, Suite 112 El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 Phone: 916-933-7213 Fax: 916-933-7234

5TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT Frank Bigelow State Capitol, Room 4158 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-319-2005 Fax: 916-319-2105

2441 Headington Rd. Placerville, CA 95667 Phone: 530-295-5505 Fax: 530-295-1905

33 C Broadway Jackson 95642 209-223-9140

6TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT Kevin Kiley State Capitol, Room 4153 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-319-2006 Fax: 916-319-2106

Granite Bay District Office 8799 Auburn-Folsom Road, Suite A Granite Bay, CA 95746 Phone: 916-774-4430 Fax: 916-774-4433

STATE SENATOR Brian Dahle State Capitol, Room 2054 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4001 Fax: (916) 651-4901

EL DORADO IRRIGATION DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2890 Mosquito Road, Placerville, 95667 Phone: 530-622-4513

Division 1: George Osborne, 530-647-0350

Division 2: Pat Dwyer, 530-642-4055

Division 3: Brian Veerkamp, 530-642-4055 Division 4: Lori Anzini, 530-642-4055 Division 5: Alan Day, 916-235-3295

Mountain Democrat

CONTACT US

Of

MISSED DELIVERY

CRIME LOG

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

Oct. 6

9:27 a.m. Vandalism was reported at an apartment complex on Town Center Boulevard in El Dorado Hills.

12:07 p.m. Deputies cited a person allegedly drunk in public at Union Mine High School on Koki Lane in El Dorado.

4:07 p.m. A battery was reported on Blue Tent Court in Cool.

4:16 p.m. Deputies arrested a person suspected of trespassing on Buckeye Road in Shingle Springs.

6:06 p.m. A battery was reported at a market on Mt. Aukum Road in Mt. Aukum.

Oct. 7

10:24 a.m. Battery was reported at a bar on Coach Lane in Cameron Park.

12:51 p.m. Grand theft was reported on Pedro Hill Road in Pilot Hill.

3:21 p.m. Grand theft was reported at a restaurant on Highway 49 in Lotus.

4:24 p.m. Vandalism was reported at an apartment complex on Virada Road in Cameron Park.

5:07 p.m. Battery was reported at a restaurant on Grizzly Flat Road in Somerset.

Oct. 8

12:41 a.m. Vandalism was reported on Snows Road in Camino.

10:03 a.m. Grand theft was reported on Bear Rock Road in Placerville.

10:25 a.m. Burglary was reported on Rainier Drive in Garden Valley.

3:23 p.m. Grand theft was reported on Madrid Drive in El Dorado Hills.

5:11 p.m. Battery was reported at a saloon on Embarcadero Drive in El Dorado Hills.

Oct. 9

8:39 a.m. Shots were reported at a dwelling on Fort Jim Road in Placerville.

9:03 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 32-year-old man suspected on taking a vehicle without the owners consent and probation violations on Red Hawk Parkway in Placerville. He was listed in custody in lieu of $15,000 bail as of press time.

9:50 a.m. Vandalism was reported on Amer Way in El Dorado Hills.

11:09 a.m. Grand theft was reported on Perry Creek Road in Fair Play.

12:35 p.m. Burglary was reported at a mobile home park on China Garden Road in Placerville.

3:09 p.m. Illegal entry was reported on Rickety Road in Somerset.

5:51 p.m. Deputies arrested a suspect after responding to a grand theft report on Pony Express Trail in Pollock Pines.

8:14 p.m. Vandalism was reported at an apartment complex on Market Court in Shingle Springs.

8:30 p.m. Deputies arrested a 43-year-old man on suspicion of unauthorized entry of a dwelling, possession of burglary tools and other offenses after responding to a burglary report on Moco Canyon Road in Somerset.

Oct. 10

8:46 a.m. Battery was reported at a motel on Coach Lane in Cameron Park.

8:49 a.m. Vandalism was reported on Highway 50 in Camino.

12:41 p.m. Grand theft was reported at an apartment complex on Creekside Court in Shingle Springs.

7:33 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 46-year-old man suspected of felony vehicle theft, possession of s stolen vehicle and grand theft on Bayne Court in Garden Valley. He was listed in custody in lieu of $25,000 bail as of press time.

Oct. 11

6:58 a.m. Vandalism was reported at a gas station on Coach Lane in Cameron Park.

9:09 a.m. Vandalism was reported on Hazel Valley Road in Pollock Pines.

9:24 a.m. Grand theft was reported on Calido Court in Cameron Park.

10:07 a.m. Deputies cited a suspect allegedly drunk in public at Independence High School on Pleasant Valley Road in Diamond Springs.

11:12 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 45-year-old woman suspected of disorderly conduct on Saratoga Way in El Dorado Hills. She was later released.

2:39 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 42-year-old woman suspected of misuse of 911, resisting arrest and making criminal threats on Dusty Camp Road in Georgetown. She was listed in custody in lieu of $55,000 bail as of press time.

3:22 p.m. Grand theft was reported at a shop on Town Center Boulevard in El Dorado Hills.

5:26 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 19-year-old man suspected of possession of narcotics for sale, transporting narcotics for sale, conspiracy and a probation violation on Missouri Flat Road in Placerville. He was listed in custody in lieu of $60,000 bail as of press time.

5:31 p.m. Deputies booked into jail an 18-year-old man suspected of possession of narcotics for sale, transporting narcotics for sale and conspiracy on Missouri Flat Road in Placerville. He was released on $60,000 bail.

6:32 p.m. Burglary was reported on Smith Flat Road in Placerville.

VACATION HOLDS

Noel

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Click “Staff

Healthy Nerve

Wrong-way driver suspected of DUI

Eric Jaramishian Staff writer

Placerville police officers arrested an Oakland man Oct. 8 after he was reportedly driving the wrong way on Highway 50 while under the influence of alcohol, causing a crash that injured a teenage passenger.

The Placerville Police Department received report of a wrong-way driver at 12:32 a.m. Saturday. Anthony Estrada, 36, was driving west in Highway 50’s eastbound lanes near Smith Flat Road at a “high rate of speed,” according to a PPD news release.

Responding with sirens and emergency lights to intercept the driver, police say they discovered Estrada had crashed into an oncoming

vehicle just east of Bedford Avenue.

A 15-year-old passenger of the vehicle Estrada hit was transported to Marshall Hospital. Police report the teen sustained non-life threatening injuries.

A search of Estrada’s vehicle revealed he had an open alcoholic beverage inside his 2004 Honda Civic, PPD officials noted. Police also learned that Estrada was driving on a suspended license.

Estrada was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries and later booked into the El Dorado County Jail. He faces felony charges connected to causing injury while driving drunk and causing injury while driving the wrong way on a divided highway.

Estrada was released on $110,000 bail, according to inmate records.

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

Two men sought in Walmart AirPod heist

Eric Jaramishian Staff writer

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office is searching for two men suspected of stealing thousands of dollars worth of Apple AirPods from the Placerville Walmart.

The Sheriff’s Office posted surveillance video captured Sept. 26, showing the two suspects entering the store around 8 p.m.

Sheriff’s investigators say one of the men, described as a white male with tattoos and facial hair wearing a blue shirt, pried open an electronics

case while the other male, described as a larger white male with facial hair wearing a red shirt, pushed a shopping cart containing an ice chest.

The AirPods, which are wireless audio earbuds that can range in price from $150-$250, were placed in the ice chest.

Surveillance footage later shows the suspects passing through a register and not paying for the items.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects. Anyone with information that could aid in the investigation should contact Det. Aaron Lopez at lopeza@edso.org or (530)-642-4715.

Auditor’s Office earns state reporting award

El Dorado County AuditorController Joe Harn was presented the Award for Financial Transaction Reporting by State Controller Betty Yee at the State Controller’s annual Conference for County Auditors Oct. 7.

“El Dorado County’s reporting excellence helps the State Controller publish accurate and useful local government financial data in the Counties Annual Report,” Yee said. “Policymakers and other interested parties throughout California rely on

the quality of this uniformly reported information.”

Counties must follow the eligibility criteria specified by the State Controller to qualify for this award. Key criteria include the timely submission of the financial transactions report and county budget, the proper classification of revenue and expenditure data and complete and proper reporting of outstanding debt.

Harn is a certified public accountant and is the chairperson of the State Controller’s Advisory Committee on County Accounting Procedures.

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!

1

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.

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.

feet hurt so bad after sitting I could barely take the rst few steps. I have had 11 treatments

now

no longer feel sharp or shooting pains and most of the tingling

can walk without

full balance

Mooney

gone.

Photo

The

Courtesy photo

This Honda Civic driven by an Oakland man who was traveling west in Highway 50’s eastbound lanes crashed into an SUV just after midnight Saturday.

Twitter keeps many secrets

Ilove Twitter.

I love it because when I joined, I “followed” people so I get to learn what they think. I also learn what the crowd thinks and sometimes I get breaking news. Hooray for Twitter.

I also hate Twitter. After I read my Twitter feed, I often feel disgusted with myself. Social media algorithms cleverly show me more of what gets me engaged, what I look at a moment longer. That often includes posts that make me angry. So they send me more of those. Fights. Sarcasm. Snarky putdowns. When I stop reading, I feel sad and anxious.

For those of you not familiar with social media feeds: We “follow” people on Twitter, “friend” them on Facebook, etc. Customers think the companies show us all our friends’ posts, but they don’t. (We wouldn’t like it if they did.) Twitter features only some posts from people I follow, mixed with posts from people who pay, some who might anger me, popular people and ... well, I don’t know; they keep that secret.

I post a new Stossel TV video every Tuesday. Lots of people signed up to receive them, but Twitter won’t send my tweets to most of them.

A million people chose to follow me on Twitter, but Twitter shows my posts to only 5 or 10% of them.

Which ones? I don’t know. That’s secret.

I will post a link to this column, too. Ninety percent of my followers won’t see it.

Twitter is a private company and can do whatever it wants. But I wish the rules were applied consistently. I can’t know if they are. The process is secret.

Twitter will bury most of my tweets deep in my followers’ newsfeeds, below paid tweets, below “trending” tweets, below ... who knows what? They bury them so deep that most people never see them.

Do they bury them because some employee doesn’t like me? Doesn’t like libertarians? I don’t know. The algorithm is secret.

Twitter is a private company and can do whatever it wants. But I wish the rules were applied consistently. I can’t know if they are. The process is secret.

Twitter does carry plenty of posts from libertarians and conservatives. But their “content moderators” favor the left.

Just weeks before the last election, the New York Post reported, accurately, on the sleaze on Hunter Biden’s computer. Twitter blocked the Post’s account for two weeks. Twitter’s CEO later called that “a mistake.” But did Twitter change? We don’t know.

Twitter blocks former President Donald Trump, but the Taliban’s account is open.

Now Twitter’s blocking some posts that criticize government’s COVID policies. How often? We don’t know.

Enough people on the right have been Twitterbanned that several sites have sprung to welcome

The Not So Weekly Daley

Letters to the Editor

Crossword

EDITOR:

Just a short note to say thank you for acting on a request to make the font and print of the Crossword bigger so old guys like me with poor eyesight can read it easier. Sadly the larger font has not improved my ability to complete it though.

Action needed

EDITOR:

LEE HOLIFIELD Camino

A. After some seven-plus years Trump must be a super villain to avoid jail all this time.

B. The justice system must be beyond incompetent if after seven-plus years it still can’t put him in jail.

C. The Democratic Party was so embarrassed by the first loss that it will do what ever it takes to get even with him. That includes lying, making false accusations to paint him as the Antichrist, using the state police and FBI to go after political rivals and so on.

Might I point out the way Biden is using the FBI reminds me of a certain World War II country that did the same thing when it came to power.

How long are you going to go along with this?

A

couple months ago I sent a letter about all the bushes and trees that were growing in the creek that goes through downtown Placerville. And since then, I have seen no change in the trees or brush.

Oct. 3 there was a letter from Theresa Storlie about the same subject. What is it going to take to get some action going to protect our town?

We certainly don’t want Old Hangtown to go up in flames.

KAREN CLEVELAND Camino

It should bother any sane person that this goes on and on with no results.

Indisputable facts

EDITOR:

Promotion of crime

EDITOR:

These days crime is rampant from coast to coast — zero bail, DAs who don’t charge criminals. People in the major Democratrun cities are being victimized, assaulted, killed, blindsided just walking on a sidewalk.

Here in California we released thousands of violent felons by not telling the voting public that only their last crime was considered in determining whether they were violent and armed parolees caught with guns and ammo were being released after just 10 day timeouts in jail.

A good analogy is the farm with the crops as the criminals. The Democrats as farmers plant the seeds of crime and the innocent reap the harvest.

GEORGE ALGER Placerville

This should be an easy test

EDITOR:

I ’ve made an easy multiple choice quiz that should answer this lingering question about Trump and him going to prison. It’s quite simple; you can only pick one:

ERIC KRAUSS Cameron Park

The California Democratic Party has waged a single-handed war against U.S. energy and mining. Its members have run a campaign (claiming) that by destroying our industries that manage U.S. natural resources the world will be a cleaner and safer place.

On the surface, how can anyone argue that battery-operated electric vehicles (EVs) are not clean and safe, right? Especially if you see that the California Democrats plan is to use solar to charge our vehicles. Anyone who disputes their strategy is branded an ignorant heretic.

EVs need cobalt to fuel their batteries and 70% of all the cobalt mining in the world comes from the Republic of the Congo. These mines owned by the Chinese Communist Party are some of the most deadly and polluted places on the planet. The Chinese use child labor to mine the cobalt by hand. The pollution from these mine fields leaches into the great Congo River and has destroyed the fish and made one of the greatest sources of fresh water on this planet unsafe to drink.

What I am telling you is fact. The question is: just how much influence does the Chinese Communist Party have on the California Democratic Party?

Both are responsible for raping Africa’s natural resources and causing long-term, physical harm to the people of Africa. This is a fact that can’t be

T’is the dark, dreary season ... blah, blah, blah

I’ve mentioned a time or two over the years that I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. It’s that time now. Typically, it starts around the middle of August when I notice a change in sunlight and shadows.

A couple degrees of cooling during the day confirms that other major changes are on the way.

Admittedly, 85 beats the heck out of 102 for a day‘s high temperature. And one could relish the relief inherent in that change. Yet we “SAD Sacks” can’t appreciate a welcome cooling trend because we are hard wired to mostly see cold, dark days and even colder, darker nights just ahead.

As a retired guy, SAD isn’t as sad as it was when I was a worker bee. As a worker, I had to get up every

morning in the feeble light of dawn when all I could think of was pulling the covers back over my head and sleeping four or five more hours. And it didn’t depend on how much I liked or disliked whatever my job was at the time. I mostly liked my jobs, not counting trying to teach U.S. history to eighth-graders. SAD greatly exacerbated that experience and vice versa.

For me, SAD doesn’t automatically indicate that I’m actually “sad” in its traditional sense. It’s more like unmotivated, disinterested, not energy-depleted exactly, rather just a “system-wide” absence of energy and no interest in changing that reality.

I remember foggy, drizzly mornings when I literally had to convince myself that getting fired

I mostly liked my jobs, not counting trying to teach U.S. history to eighth-graders. SAD greatly exacerbated that experience and vice versa.

would not be an acceptable response for my employer to take — as long as I could go back to sleep for a “while.” Not all day. That would just be crazy. All I really needed was not to feel compelled to get out of bed and go to work while it’s still foggy or drizzly and dark outside. Is that too much to ask of life and the universe once in a while? Like how about “today!”

The holiday season tends to alleviate some of my SAD symptoms. That’s probably why they invented a fall-winter holiday season. I don’t need those distracting events in April or May or June. Halloween through New Year’s is when we need the cozy togetherness of family and friends around the Thanksgiving table, the Christmas

tree or Yule log, the horn-tooting and stranger-hugging that welcomes in a new year. Suddenly, and almost mysteriously, hope is in the air. Spring is around the corner then. The light and shadows are different from what they have been since mid-August. Baseball starts soon. Politics is at a bit of a hiatus while the taste of fresh, ripe peaches and tomatoes is now much more than the dim memory that arrived back in mid-October.

Assuming the sorrow and tragedies that befall most of us at times may already be on the horizon, let’s pull together to get all of us over what’s just another SAD season. No more, no less. Am I right?

Chris Daley is a biweekly columnist for the Mountain Democrat.

ChrIS DALEy

JohN SToSSEL

Stossel Continued from A4

conservative content: Parler, Rumble, Odysee and now Trump’s Truth Social.

None is as popular as Twitter.

I see why. I don’t want to talk to just people on the right. I want to talk with everyone.

Now it appears that Elon Musk will take control of Twitter.

Good.

Musk calls himself a “free speech absolutist.” He said he invested in Twitter because he believes in “its potential to be the platform for free speech.” Twitter should be the “town square” where everyone has a voice.

That’s great.

But what if tweeting gets ugly? What if a tweet threatens someone or spreads “misinformation”?

Musk says, “If it’s a gray area, let the tweet exist.”

I agree. Censorship rarely works. It causes hate to bubble up in secret places, where fewer sensible people are present to refute it. The best antidote to ugly speech ... is more speech.

Still, any discussion site needs content moderation. Platforms can become cesspools. People drawn to conspiracy theories tend to be drawn to more than one.

But allowing some of that is better than trying to stop it all.

When the news first broke that Musk might buy Twitter, the totalitarian left was upset. For years, their content moderators have dominated Twitter. Now that’s threatened.

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich even called Musk’s vision for a freer internet “the dream of every dictator.”

That’s just nonsense. Dictators are most eager to censor. Simple-minded leftists just hate independent businessmen rocking their socialist boats.

Musk trying to buy Twitter is the market at work. If his vision fails, users will move to another site.

Let the competition begin.

Every Tuesday John Stossel posts a new video about the battle between government and freedom at JohnStossel.com.

Letters

swept under the rug by self-righteous Democrats who virtue-signal they are saving the planet by driving an EV.

KEN STEERS Cameron Park

Evacuees to get food supply boost

Eric Jaramishian Staff writer

The Food Bank of El Dorado County is organizing a distribution event for Mosquito Fire evacuees Monday, Oct. 17, to help restock food that spoiled while residents were evacuated.

Georgetown Veterans of Foreign Wars will host the drive-thru event from 10 a.m. to noon at VFW park, 6297 Main St. in Georgetown, where people can restock their refrigerators, freezers and cupboards on items such as cheese, canned foods, bread, meat and other miscellaneous items.

Helping with the distribution are Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints JustServe volunteers as well as the Shingle Springs Bank of Miwok Indians Fire Department.

More information can be provided by emailing info@foodbankedc.org or calling the Food Bank at (530) 621-9950

State tax filing deadline Oct. 17

News release

SACRAMENTO — The Franchise Tax Board reminds taxpayers that Monday, Oct. 17 is the deadline for filing 2021 state personal income tax returns to avoid a late filing penalty.

Each year Californians file close to 20 million state personal income tax returns, with more than 2 million taxpayers taking advantage of the state’s automatic sixmonth filing extension.

As of Oct. 3 nearly 18.3 million personal income tax returns had been filed with the state, 94% of them filed electronically. So far this year, California has issued about 13.4 million refunds to individuals,

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 the Moni Gilmore Sr Center, 990 Lassen Lane, El Dorado Hills, CA. 95762

Ready for real change?

ceLeBrAte recOvery meets Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm at Bayside Church of Placerville, 4602 Missouri Flat Road, Placerville. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. We are a Christ centered recovery program to find healing and recovery from our hurts, habits, and hangups. Email elebratercovery@ baysideplacerville. com. Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/ CRBaysidePlacerville. 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 9am-11am at El Dorado High School. Lessons, social events, only $35/year. Call Cindy 805-540-8654.

seNiOr Peer cOUNseLiNG of El Dorado County is seeking volunteer counselors. Do you possess such qualities as warmth, empathy and nonjudgement, as well as having varied life experiences, and being over the age of 55? If you do and would like to help and listen to fellow seniors who are dealing with age related issues such as loneliness, isolation, health and grief, we would love to talk to you. Counselors receive training and are supervised by a professional in the field. SPC Clinical Supervisor Jayann Askin, MFT, shares “We are looking for volunteers who are interested in psychology, counseling, and mental health and would like to be a part of a supportive group of ongoing learners in this field.” For more information on this greatly rewarding volunteer opportunity, please call 530-621-6304

Maggie’s House Cleaning

a cage that sets everyone free.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You will change what you say based on the ears that are around you. It’s not because you’re wishy-washy, but because you are sensitive to those who are younger, older or have a different sensibility.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). A good question will sweeten the day. Try these: What captures my curios ity here? Is there something I could do to see things more clearly? How can I lighten things up?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ve figured out what’s beneficial to you and it will benefit others too. Don’t be surprised when people imitate you. You’re a leader whether you feel like one or not. Success breeds fol lowers.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The presence of physi cal pain indicates something is harmful to the body. Emotional pain warns of harm to the soul. You’re listen ing to all the messages now, positive and negative, and moving in the direction of happiness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You love some of what you are doing, which gives you new guidelines and a direc tion to work in. When you start loving it all, that’s when life will shift. Drop any resistance to the challenge and dive right in. You’re up to this.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The sense of order in your environment will support you as you move freely toward your goals. Just don’t overdo it. An excessive amount of order is uninspiring and strangely demotivat ing. Maintain a balance.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). To master a thing takes time and attention, but that is not all. The intel ligence you bring to deciding what to pay attention to and for how long will be key to your success. A mentor can help with this.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Having the same opin ion as many other people doesn’t make your opinion right or wrong, it only makes your opinion popular or unpopular. You’ll seek truth over validation, reality over consensus.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Hearing stories of cour age doesn’t make a person courageous. The test of bravery is always action. You welcome fear. It gives you the opportunity to be brave. You’ll learn what you can count on about yourself and what needs work.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The day brings a handful of positive outcomes peppered with a few frustrations. Just when you start to think that your life is hard, someone with a truly difficult circumstance puts it all in perspective.

Record broken

two years in the U.S. Peace Corps as a volunteer in the Philippines as an agriculture adviser. I have proved through my decades of work I am deeply devoted to public service.

I am running for reelection to the EDUHSD Board because I want to continue making our district, already one of the best in California, even better. Our current board is truly dedicated to achieving educational excellence and providing a strong educational experience to all students, from a career-technical education program that offers 47 different CTE courses in a multitude of fields, to one of the best Advanced Placement programs in our region, enabling our students to enter top U.S. universities.

What makes you a good candidate to represent the district?

I am deeply committed to our community and to our students. In addition to my decades of experience as a board member, I have been an education lawyer for 27 years, providing services to school districts and school administrators. My deep knowledge of California and federal education law makes me a strong asset to our board and to our district. I am also a dedicated fiscal conservative and watch carefully over district finances.

I am also a good candidate to represent EDUHSD because I am dedicated to carefully listening to everyone in our community and trying to develop consensus and unity in the face of the many challenges we face today in our county, state and nation. Many who have observed me during my long service have made positive comments on my ability to find creative solutions to complex problems while maintaining a sense of humor and trustworthiness.

Do parents have the right to shape what is being taught to their children?

I strongly believe parents have the right to participate in shaping what their children are being taught in

our district. This is evident in our board’s commitment to listening carefully to all public comments at each board meeting no matter how long it takes, and deeply considering input from all our parents, students and community members.

I personally read every email I receive from parents, take and respond to any and all phone calls from parents, and I have listened to thousands of parents in my 32 years as a school board member in El Dorado County.

I personally, along with our entire board, always take into account the views and concerns of our parents and community when we adopt curriculum for our district’s students. We have curriculum committees that include parent representatives who guide our process for deciding what we teach to our students.

What are the most pressing issues for the district right now?

The most pressing issue facing our district today is recovering from the remaining effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though we were one of the first high school districts in the state to return to in-person instruction, the students in our district, along with those in school districts across our nation, suffered negative educational and emotional effects from the pandemic.

We are working hard, and successfully, to provide additional mental health and educational resources to overcome these effects. We’ve expanded our counseling resources, provided additional academic support for struggling students and focused on identifying students in crisis to provide early help.

I truly believe in, and have been amazed by, the resilience and courage of our students, parents, teachers and staff, and thanks to them our district is strongly moving back to “normal” life. I hope to be reelected so I can continue to lead this critical recovery work.

SPEED BUMP by Dave Coverly

Cary

Courtesy photo

Golden Sierra High School senior Jackson Klahn scored eight touchdowns in a single game, breaking the school record of five. He had six rushing TDs, one receiving and one interception return Sept. 2 against host Western Sierra Collegiate Academy. The Grizzlies won 76-6. “I believe (Jackson’s) commitment to the team was the driving force behind the high level of play he displayed that night,” said head coach Gregory Horsfall. “When our ‘why’ extends beyond ourselves greatness happens. That greatness resonates with every player on our team and beyond.”

Whitney

Galt

Rosemont

Van Komen

2009 and we looked diligently for a place to raise our children with the values we treasure. I am proud to raise my children here and appreciate the education and opportunities that have been part of living in El Dorado County. I want to work for and support all students and families in our district by continuing to serve on the EDUHSD Board of Trustees.

What makes you a good candidate to represent the district?

I am a parent of a high school student within our school district. My children have been continually enrolled in the EDUHSD since 2010. I am keenly aware of the frustrations, concerns and needs of students and families right now. As parents have been so vocal and desiring input on education, I am that voice. I am the only parent of high-schoolage children who is a candidate as well as a sitting board member.

Second, I have also been in the community and working as a parent volunteer for our high school students and schools for the past 12 years. Attending school board meetings, leading action groups, volunteering and working to understand the needs and ways to improve our schools, has been a priority to me. I feel that my

Continued from A1

experience and unique qualifications are essential to balance the needs of our school board and community.

Do parents have the right to shape what is being taught to their children?

As a parent of a current student, I absolutely support parent involvement in our school system. I want to be heard and contribute and I want all parents to take interest and participate.

As we have seen over the last few years, there have been countless school board meetings with large groups of parents commenting and wanting to be heard. While I do endorse respectful and interactive conversation, I hope that constructive, collaborative involvement continues. We need parents to be involved at all times, not just during crisis. With school board meetings each month, more parents should take time to come and listen and give input on what decisions and challenges are facing our schools.

I welcome all viewpoints that want to collectively unify to support and grow the next greatest generation.

What are the most pressing issues for the district right now?

First, we are actively evaluating the loss of instruction from the interruption over

and The 1619 Project.

Our schools seem to be transforming into political indoctrination factories rather than quality learning centers.

I am worried for our children’s future and seek to serve as an El Dorado Union High School governing board member to make sure our young people are taught how to think, instead of what to think. To succeed in life our young people must be taught to think, reason and solve problems for themselves.

We must go back to what works and teach the wholesome skills and ideals we learned that encouraged us to love our country, become productive parts of our community and succeed in career pursuits.

What makes you a good candidate to

the past few years.

Understanding what subjects and concepts need to be retaught and reinforced is important and a priority.

Second, ensuring safety for our campuses is paramount. Facility improvements and up-to-date technology to improve how students, teachers and sta learn and work will benefit all. Focusing on the wellness and needs of learners will help secure our campuses as we partner with law enforcement and the community.

Third, continuing to strengthen and grow career and college readiness. We are a leading high school district in our area in both of these categories but we must continue to expand and give all students the tools for successful and confident futures.

While there are more issues facing us as a district, I feel confident that when we unify our collaborative e orts, we will be successful.

represent the district?

I have been a credentialed teacher, parent of four district graduates (three at Union Mine High School and one at El Dorado High School), local businessman and served as your county supervisor.

My record includes helping get Union Mine High School built and securing a future school site off Latrobe Road. I understand the needs of our individual communities and offer my experience at balancing multimillion-dollar government budgets without raising taxes and saying no to the never-satisfied spending lobbies.

Do parents have the right to shape what is being taught to their

children?

Teachers and school administrators do not own our children, our children belong to their parents. Parents should always have control of what their children are taught and have an absolute right to be a part of the adoption of the school curricula used and development of the school rules their children must abide by.

What are the most pressing issues for the district right now?

Our El Dorado Union High School District enrollment is declining while its budget is increasing. This is not fiscally sustainable.

Our taxpayerfunded schools must understand that they are in competition with privately funded schools and

homeschooling parents who no longer trust our public schools to provide the high standards of excellence they demand.

In addition, not every student is interested in preparing for college. We must recognize that our parents are our investors and our students are our customers. To meet their needs, we must do a better job at preparing our students for college while also providing greater vocational education opportunities for those students who want to learn a trade. Anything short of preparing our students to leave our high schools with the skills to succeed in the job market of tomorrow is unacceptable.

NEW PROPOSED ROUNDABOUT

CROSSWALK IN MEYERS

VISITORS CENTER IN MEYERS

CURRENT ROUNDABOUT IN MEYERS

Work with Caltrans to improve the roundabout with a dedicated right turn lane from Highway 89. We also need clear and concise signage.

MEYERS COMMUNITY PLAN

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COUNTY SERVICES Ensure we have the

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City Of South Lake Tahoe, Meyers, Kyburz, Pollock Pines,

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Venado Declaration topic of Forest Forum

DIAMOND SPRINGS – Janet Barentson and Ken Pimlott, retired from Cal Fire, will be the speakers at the next Amador-El Dorado Forest Forum. The meeting is at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19 th at Colina Del Oro Mexican Restaurant, 694 Pleasant Valley Road in Diamond Springs.

The Venado Declaration is a call to action from California’s scientists, land managers and former government

important to me. I graduated from this district in 2009. My education from EDUHSD was instrumental to success later in life. I want to make sure when Owen attends high school he will get a better education than I received. I believe that means we need highly trained teachers, access to career training programs, college prep courses, quality sports, clubs and visual/performing arts programs and an overall positive and welcoming environment.

When I graduated from this district, I felt like most of these things were present — but we can do better. Our job isn’t just to teach students math, English, science and history. It’s to prepare them for their lives as adults and open doors for success.

What makes you a good candidate to represent the district?

I believe I’m a good candidate because of my character, passion and ability to work with others. I go all-in when I commit to something. I am

leaders. In September 2021 former Gov. Jerry Brown convened a group of California experts and managers to discuss the fire crisis and identify solutions to guide the management of our landscapes and the resilience of our communities.

The group identified key principles that included making sustained investments in proactive solutions across every acre of forest land using all of the tools in our toolbox. The declaration continues to be an open

honest, reasonable and optimistic about our future.

I understand that we are in a phase of healing from a very challenging time but this is our opportunity to come out stronger and more united if we do this right.

I represent the parents whose children will be attending our schools over the next 10-15 years. This group is the future of this county and we all want what’s best for our kids. That’s why I’m doing this — to give young parents a voice in shaping what high school looks like by the time their kids are old enough to attend our schools.

I welcome any parent in the community to reach out to me to discuss their ideas or concerns.

Do parents have the right to shape what is being taught to their children?

Legally, parents have a right to participate in their child’s education. There are many opportunities where

discussion as California and the western U.S. are impacted by severe drought and catastrophic wildfire.

Social hour begins at 6 p.m., and dinner is at 6:30 p.m. To RSVP, contact Diane Dealey Neill at dianedealeyneill@gmail.com or (530) 417-1960 by Monday, Oct. 17. Dinner can be ordered from the menu with entrees from $15-$20 per plate. Raffle tickets to support the Forest Forum may be purchased at the door. Donations help support scholarships

parents can get involved to help shape what’s being taught at schools. This includes committees on curriculum, budget, career technical education and more. One priority of mine is to work on communicating those opportunities to parents so they are more aware of ways they can be involved.

While we are obligated to teach the subjects mandated by the state and federal government, there are many ways that we have a say in what’s being taught. Too many times parents become disconnected once their child reaches high school (let’s be honest, high school is even more complex than it was when we were kids) but I hope we can get parents re-engaged and make sure those who want to participate, can do that.

What are the most pressing issues for the district right now?

Some of the most pressing issues begin with staffing. The challenges of the pandemic created a wave of people

and forestry education efforts.

The Amador-El Dorado Forest Forum is a group of forestry professionals, forest educators and others interested in forestry practices and issues. The Forum meets once a month in fall, winter and spring months at various locations in the two-county area. The forum awards scholarships to local college students majoring in forestry and sponsors the Forestry Challenge. For more information visit forestforum.org.

leaving the education field and our district wasn’t immune to that. While we are managing much better than other districts, we are having a hard time finding enough staff to fulfill important roles (bus drivers, food service workers, paraprofessionals, teachers, tutors and more).

Another pressing issue is ensuring students are engaged in learning and successfully passing courses. While our district was the first to open schools in the county, today there are still students struggling to catch up from virtual learning. We need to continue to provide supports for those students to graduate on time.

Lastly, a big issue is our facilities. Buildings and infrastructure are aging. We have needs to update classrooms, technology/internet, parking and parent drop-off zones (just to name a few).

As we move forward, these and many others are going to be a high priority for me if re-elected.

GUCCI

BOOTS

CHP focusing on motorcycle safety

California Highway Patrol

release

The California Highway Patrol is implementing a yearlong federal grant to help save lives and reduce the risk associated with riding a motorcycle.

The goal of theGet Educated and Ride Safe (GEARS) grant is to decrease the number of motorcycle-involved crashes and victims through education and enforcement efforts across California through Sept. 30, 2023.

From Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021, there were 7,078 motorcycle-involved crashes resulting in 354 deaths and 6,400 injuries within CHP jurisdiction, an increase of 3% over the previous 12 months.

“Motorcycle riders are statistically more likely to be injured or killed when involved in a crash,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “In an effort to ensure every motorist reaches

their destination safely, the CHP will continue to use enforcement and non-enforcement strategies, including education and community engagement, to target the leading causes of traffic deaths.”

During the grant period CHP will participate in traffic safety education campaigns to promote the use of U.S. Department of Transportation compliant helmets for all riders and raise driver awareness of sharing the road with motorcyclists.

The CHP will also increase enforcement in areas with a high number of motorcycle-involved crashes, which resulted from speed, improper turns and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

BIG HEAD TODD AND

Continued from A1 equipment for all ages and trick area/ bowl for teens and adults but higherthan-expected bids resulted in those being shelved.

“Unfortunately with COVID, prices and the availability of products changed so costs have gone up,” Sanders explained. “But the goal was to get a bike park with the funding available and that is what we have done. Hopefully we can add those amenities in the future.”

TJR Resources based out of Rancho Cordova is constructing the bike park, with the ramps and jumps designed by American Ramp Company. The $1.486 million contract was awarded in April 2022.

Project Manager Tom Nordyke with TJR said construction has gone smoothly despite some minor supply chain issues. The most challenging part? Moving all the dirt.

Tax deadline Continued from A5

totaling more than $17.5 billion.

Taxpayers can file electronically free of charge using FTB’s CalFile program. CalFile is available at FTB’s website ftb.ca.gov.

E-filing provides faster refunds, increased accuracy and immediate confirmation that FTB has received a return. To ensure a timely refund, FTB encourages taxpayers to opt for direct deposit to their bank accounts.

Taxpayers are also encouraged to make use of FTB’s electronic payment options. Web pay allows taxpayers to authorize a payment from a bank

Sierra Continued from A1

by becoming the newest member of EDUHSD board. I have a lot of experience with both K-12 and K-14 education and will use that knowledge and skills to serve our students, our faculty and staff and the residents of El Dorado County. I believe collaboration, compromise and common sense are best when dealing with trying times like the ones we find ourselves in today.

What makes you a good candidate to represent the district?

I know the world of education from the inside. I have been a department chair, program coordinator and a teacher, and part of those duties included outreach to our K-12 partners, the high schools. I believe my professional experience, skills and abilities along with my passion will be great assets as a board member for EDUHSD. I value collaboration among all stakeholders but in the end it is all about our students and one must not lose sight of that.

Do parents have the right to shape what is being taught to their children?

I believe we should start with the end in mind. Education is designed to create independent individuals with critical thinking skills. As a parent of an EDUHSD sophomore, I believe that is exactly what our teachers are doing in the district. I welcome feedback from anyone, always have, but in the end our

account to cover tax return balances. Individual taxpayers can also go to their MyFTB account to securely access their tax information and to view and schedule payments.

Working taxpayers who are 18 or older and considered low income, can take advantage of the California Earned Income Tax Credit. Those eligible can receive up to $3,160 cash back. Additionally, those who qualify for CalEITC and have at least one child under the age of 6 may be eligible for up to a $1,000 Young Child Tax Credit.

teachers are the professionals and it is their purview to teach the curriculum adopted.

That is not to say that parents can not be an integral part of their children’s education. In my child’s middle school I used to volunteer weekly in his classroom two to four hours per week, I was involved and helped the teacher grade papers, make copies, etc., but did not suggest or tell the teacher what I thought of the curriculum.

What are the most pressing issues for the district right now?

I believe one of the most pressing issues is the state of our facilities. I am specifically referring to both the academic setting and our sports facilities — they are old and outdated. The basic infrastructure that supports learning could be improved.

Recently I spent time visiting a number of high schools in the Bay Area in eastern Contra Costa County and west Santa Clara County. All of the schools I visited had a new buildings going up and were making major improvements to accomodate a techheavy curriculum, which is a legacy of COVID-19. We should provide our educators the best possible tools for them to educate our children. I cannot think of a more deserving project for us in El Dorado County than to invest in our children’s futures.

Tickets Now On Sale!

Mountain Democrat photo by Noel Stack American Ramp Company designed the jumps at the bike park currently under construction off Missouri Flat Road.

Trump rallies for Republicans

Skydiving

I was parachuting down, it felt like I was in a real-live simulation of Google

The Jackson Elementary School thirdgrader is a rollercoaster aficionado, his favorite being the Yukon Striker at Canada’s Wonderland, and several others roll off his tongue. “I’ve loved rollercoasters ever since I was a baby, but I wanted to do something crazier so I went skydiving,” Max explained.

Although the young thrill seeker has braved parasailing, indoor skydiving and wire skydiving, he felt he was ready for more.

Some parents might have balked at such aspirations, but Max’s dad, Chris, was happy to oblige. He explained that one skydiving outfit in the United States takes kids on the parachuting adventure.

“It’s very safe,” he assured of Ultimate Skydiving Adventures in Delta, Colo.

“The owner is the only person who is allowed to take kids on a tandem jump and I think he told us he’s done just under 12,000 jumps. He’s very experienced and won national awards so you’re dealing with someone who’s held in incredibly high regard as a

professional. We felt pretty comfortable that Max would be fine.”

Chris, who took his first plunge and jumped alongside his son, suspected Max might be the youngest in the Sacramento area. However, when the skydiving company checked its records, the family discovered Max had even bigger bragging rights. “I was a little surprised that he was the youngest in California,” Chris said.

As for Max’s mom and sister, both decided they were more comfortable on the ground. “I have a really healthy fear of heights,” admitted Shawna, Max’s mom. “I’m good at about the second rung on a ladder. I like the ground.”

And 6-year-old Anna found her brother’s escapades a little tedious and would just rather not. “You keep going down and down and down and down and it takes forever,” she shrugged.

The Hook family, Canadian natives, moved to El Dorado Hills in 2019. “We love it,” shared Shawna. “Jackson is such a great school and great community. We love our home and we love being close to Tahoe.”

When Max isn’t air-bound, he is an avid reader and enjoys doing art,

science, cooking classes and theater at school. And he always manages to find time to watch “Phineas and Ferb” on weekends.

Max has already scoped out other areas with skydiving companies that allow kids to skydive, such as some as New Zealand and Canada.

As to how he felt upon landing his

first skydive? “I kind of just felt like I wanted to do it again,” he said.

Don’t expect young Max to sit still for long. “Next year I’m going base jumping in Moab, Utah.”

And on one particularly important issue, Max was clear. “I like ice cream,” he said. “I don’t have a favorite flavor. I like them all.”

Photos

Laurie Edwards

Courtesy photo

El Dorado Hills eight-year-old Max Hook skydives over western Colorado Sept. 24.

Trump’s jet touches down at the Minden Airport.

As the sun sets in the eastern Sierra, Save America rally attendees wait for Trump to take the stage.

IN THE KNOW

Oct. 14

Visit the Sherwood Demonstration Garden 6699 Campus Drive in Placerville, open to the public, 9 a.m. to noon Fridays and Saturdays. See the many plants, trees, succulents, natives and more. Wander through the 16 individual gardens at your own pace or ask a docent for help. Garden may be closed for inclement weather; check the website before visiting: ucanr.edu/sites/ EDC_Master_Gardeners/ Demonstration_Garden.

Musician Ed Wilson performs at The Vine in El Dorado Hills, 6-8 p.m.

Christian Youth Theater’s Folsom chapter presents “SpongeBob The Musical,” Oct. 14 & 15 and Oct. 21 & 22 at Oak Hills Church, 1100 Blue Ravine Blvd. in Folsom. For tickets and more information visit cytsacramento.org/shows.

Join Broken Compass Bluegrass for a fantastic night of jamgrass, bluegrass, country, Grateful Dead material and originals. 8-11 p.m. at The Green Room Social Club in Placerville.

Reserved table seating and general admission tickets are available at tickets. clubgreenroom.com.

Oct. 15

Placerville Seventh-day Adventist Church will hold a community blood drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church campus, 6831 Mother Lode Drive in Placerville. Donors are encouraged to make an appointment at donors. vitalant.org and enter blood drive code SMFR645 or call (877) 258-4825 and mention the same code. Walk-ins will be welcome if space allows.

Third Saturday Art Walk – Historical Downtown presents Merchants; Past and Present, 2-8 p.m., to coincide with the Save the Graves event. Come downtown and make a festive cork wreath at Batia Wines for $10. Enjoy discounts at Kitchen Goods, Placerville Antiques, The Trading Post, Mattywag’s, Artistic Beads, Vibes Up and Full of Chic Boutique plus delicious specials at Amore Mio, Powell’s Steamers, Sourdough, World of Pies and TW Bonkers. Toogood Winery hosts outstanding poets, 6-7:30 pm. Six galleries will entice visitors with special offerings.

Singer/songwriter Jonathan Foster , a musician from Redding, will perform 5-7 p.m. at The Green Room Social Club, 215 Main St, in Placerville. Tickets are available at tickets.clubgreenroom. com.

Diggin’ up history one facinating story at a time

Andrew Vonderschmitt Staff writer

For the third year running, the folks over at

Buried History will be metaphorically resurrecting several of the region’s more colorful individuals of antiquity for a one-dayonly event that truly brings history to life.

This year’s theme for the fledgling organization will focus on the commerce of yesteryear: Honoring History’s Main Street Merchants.

The entire point of the theatrical event is to tell the real, human stories lurking behind the inevitably mundane list of dates, events and places you will find while researching people from our notso-distant past — that ... and to raise money. Buried History’s mission is to celebrate, preserve, protect and promote the history interred in El Dorado County cemeteries.

The event, Save the Graves at Placerville Union Cemetery on Bee Street, unabashedly celebrates the history that, excusing the pun, lives in cemeteries in communities everywhere.

Eight characters are chosen by the small group during an extensive vetting process. Once a list is agreed upon each character is

painstakingly researched and all supporting documents and materials are vetted and verified. When possible, living descendants are invited to speak with actors and directors to add color to the agreedupon narrative of a person’s life.

Once a script is written and the actor is recruited the director and actor work together refining the encounter. Rewriting and rephrasing occurs as the voice of the character reveals itself to those in the rehearsal room. What guests see during the event is the result of countless hours from multiple people

all focused on telling someone’s story.

This year’s personages include a colorful crew of ambitious merchants whose businesses could be found on Main Street, Placerville.

• William Combellack was a young man who traveled to Gold Country from Cornwall, England, to discover his calling was not in the gold mines but in a menswear store.

• The first woman to register to vote in El Dorado County, Gertrude Kirk Cornelison, owned the first Dodge dealership in town and famously drove her father’s Model T up the downtown

Courthouse steps to prove a car could do anything a horse could.

• Civil War veteran band master Henry S. Morey was the man who not only owned the only foundry in the region becoming a vital part of much of the commerce in the region but founded the Placerville Philharmonic Society.

• Maggie Akins O’Keefe was the female undertaker. She took over her stepfather’s O’Keefe Furniture and Undertaking business, running it for nearly 40 years.

• Mollie Reynolds left Placerville for a long and productive career with the State Surveyor

Courtesy photos

Dorathea Zeisz, back row third from left, had 10 children and ran a successful business after her husband’s brewery and her marriage failed. Learn more about her life during Saturday’s Save the Graves event at Placerville Union Cemetery.

General’s O ce in San Francisco and upon her return opened a successful Millinery shop on Main Street

Built Ford tough — Gertrude Kirk Cornelison intentionally drove a Ford Model T up the downtown Courthouse’s steps to prove it could do anything a horse could do. Hear more about this adventurous woman at the Buried History event.

■

HISTORY

William Combellack ran a menswear store on Main Street — a family business that stayed open for more than 130 years.

Get down

to The Green Room for some great shows

n Trulio Disgracias

What do you do when you’ve already co-founded one of the most seminal punk/funk/ska bands out of Los Angeles?

If you’re Norwood Fisher, you play around with all the top musicians you can find in a fun, rotating cast of characters known as Trulio Disgracias.

They perform a late-afternoon show Oct. 16 at The Green Room Social Club in downtown Placerville.

Bass player and vocalist Fisher is the co-founder of Fishbone, which became incredibly popular in the 1980s and remains a top draw today. The musicians incorporate every kind of sound in one band, defying stereotypes to just about everyone’s delight and they’re known for dynamic stage shows.

Trulio Disgracias started in 1987 as a side project

n Todd Sheaffer & Chris Thompson

Stacey Vreeken Special to the Mountain Democrat

when people showed up and Fisher said, “Let’s play.”

As the ringleader of an evolving lineup to talented singers and players, Norwood describes their performances as “nuttiness.”

What audience members will hear is a lot of enthusiastic slap-funk bass, topped by layers of sound. It’s a journey of lavish riffs, heart pounding one-drops and deep descending valleys resulting in a seamless, two-hour set. The band has performed continuously with a revolving all-star lineup, combining powerhouse music veterans and up-andcoming stars on one stage.

The Trulio family includes current and former members of Parliament/Funkadelic, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bad Brains, Freestyle Fellowship, Spearhead, Weapons of Choice, Ozomatli, the Untouchables, Gap Band, Suicidal Tendencies, Slightly Stoopid and, of course, Fishbone.

The show starts at 4:20 p.m. at The Green Room Social Club, 251 Main St. in Placerville. Tickets are available at tickets.clubgreenroom.com.

Offering

a taste of the upcoming Hangtown Music Festival, which moved Grass Valley, Todd Sheaffer, of Railroad Earth, and Chris Thompson, with Coral Creek, team up for a midweek Placerville show Oct. 19 at The Green Room Social Club.

Sheaffer is the front man, guitarist and principal songwriter for the legendary jamgrass ensemble Railroad Earth and New Jersey roots rockers From Good Homes. A prolific songwriter, Sheaffer is revered by his fans and admired by his peers for his genius songcraft, his melodic guitar solos and the power and character of his voice. Sheaffer’s audience spans three generations of avid music fans who readily hop on “Todd-tour” for a chance to hear their favorite songs.

Thompson heads Coral Creek, a Colo-Caribbean newgrass band. Inspired by the islands and the mountains alike, Thompson’s music conjures a unique vibe, delivering big sounds and highenergy shows that appeal to audiences across the newgrass, rock and jamband spectrum.

Coral Creek was launched into the heart of the Colorado music scene with the release of “The Road Ahead” (2010) produced by Bill Nershi of the String Cheese Incident, followed up with an acoustic album, “40 Years” (2012), “Coral Creek” (2015) and “Free Dog” (2018) — the latest albums both produced by Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth. “Free Dog” has all the lyrical imagery, tasteful harmonies and outstanding musicianship that you’ve come to expect from one of

Colorado’s hottest up-and-coming bands, once again transporting listeners from the heights of the Rockies to the sweet sands of the Caribbean Sea — hitting every honky tonk, bayou and beach bar along the way.

The show includes two sets with Colorado songwriter, bassist and guitarist Thompson beginning the evening at 6 p.m., followed by guitarist and songwriter Sheaffer. These intimate shows feature the songs that have made Railroad Earth one of the most soughtafter tickets on the newgrass and jamband festival circuit, presented by Sheaffer in a solo format with instrumental accompaniment by Thompson on guitar and bass.

“Todd and I are psyched to kick-off Hangtown Festival weekend in Hangtown (Placerville),” Thompson said.

“The spirits of Placerville are alive in the lyrics of Railroad

Earth and remain at the heart of the Hangtown Halloween Ball … and we love The Green Room. It’s definitely gonna be a special night.”

With fans that travel to see them, Railroad Earth was the anchoring and main multi-day headliner for the 10 years the Hangtown Music Festival was held at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. Sheaffer even wrote a song, “Hangtown Ball,” alluding to the town’s vigilante past, which was faithfully played every festival.

With the festival moved to the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley and scheduled to be renamed next year, this is a prime opportunity to see talented performers playing some of their well-known and original songs, in the town where it all started.

The Green Room Social Club is located at 251 Main St., Placerville. Tickets are available at tickets.clubgreenroom.com.

Trulio Disgracias led by Norwood Fisher will jam at The Green Room Social

Stacey Vreeken Special to the Mountain Democrat

Courtesy art

Railroad Earth frontman Todd Sheaffer and Coral Creek frontman Chris Thompson take The Green Room stage Oct. 19.

Grammy winner Robert Cray to perform at Harris Center

FOLSOM — Touring the United States for the first time since the 2020 release of the album

“That’s What I Heard,” The Robert Cray Band will perform at Folsom’s Harris Center for the Arts on Saturday, Oct. 15.

“Funky, cool and bad,” is how Cray described the Grammy-nominated album, produced by longtime collaborator, Steve Jordan, who added, “I thought, if we could get this thing that Sam Cooke used to have, the kind of sound early Sam Cooke records had, that we could pull this off.”

“Robert Cray is not only making music, he’s making history,” writes Guitar Player Magazine.

Over the past four decades, Cray has created a sound that rises from American roots, blues, soul and R&B, with five Grammy wins, 20 acclaimed studio and live albums that punctuate the Blues Hall of Famer’s career. On “That’s What I Heard,” Cray celebrates the music of Curtis Mayfield, Bobby “Blue” Bland, The Sensational Nightingales and more, alongside Cray’s own songs.

Cray and Jordan go way back, having met during the making of the Chuck Berry documentary “Hail! Hail! Rock ’n’ Roll” in 1987. They started working together in 1999, when Jordan produced the Grammywinning “Take Your Shoes Off” and the recent Grammy-nominated LP “Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm.” “That’s What I Heard” is their sixth album.

“Once you start working with Steve, it’s kind of hard to get away from him,” said Cray.

“Robert is just a great person besides being an extraordinary talent,” added Jordan. “People gravitate to his guitar playing first, but I think he’s one of the best singers I’ve heard in my life. Not only because of his singing ability, but his interpretations. He’s such an honest soul in my opinion.”

Cray’s band features Richard Cousins (bass), Dover Weinberg (keyboards), Terence F. Clark (drums) and Steve Jordan (drums, percussion).

The show begins at 8 p.m. at Harris Center for the arts, 10 College Parkway in Folsom. For tickets and more information call (916) 6086888 or visit at HarrisCenter.net.

Call Today for Your

Shower Package

Photo by Turner Cray

The Robert Cray Band performs Saturday, Oct. 15, at Harris Center for the Arts on the Folsom Lake College campus.

Tahoe Art Project dances back on stage after hiatus

Ashleigh Goodwin Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — Tahoe

Arts Project has been bringing art and cultural education in the form of entertainment since 1987. Programs presented to the Lake Tahoe Basin by TAP are toured through schools, reaching more than 5,000 students from kindergarten to high school.

The most recent program presented, Kulaiwi, was its first after a two year hiatus, according to Executive Director Peggy Blowney. In 2020 shows were thwarted by surging COVID-19 cases then, in 2021, by smoke and terror-stricken skies as the Caldor Fire chased locals from the basin.

As the schools settle into the cadence of their new normal TAP is welcomed back into school buildings once again with a full line up of shows such as Living Voices in November, TJ Carter & Band in January 2023, Puppet Art Theatre Company in February 2023 and Caminos Flamencos in March 2023. Each group’s tour ends with a public performance available for the community to enjoy.

According to TAP “Current research validates TAP’s philosophy that these experiences help students develop their own creative and

problem solving abilities, foster intellectual development and success in all academic areas.”

Blowney said many schools couldn’t afford to pay the fees to have groups visit their school alone. The fundraising and planning efforts of TAP allows for many schools to have an otherwise impossible experience

in a unique environment to learn about the world.

One of the largest of nonprofit’s fundraisers, coming Oct. 15, is Dancing with the Tahoe Stars. This will be the ninth year of the collaborative event. Just like on the big screen TAP turns the lens on the who’s who of locals.

All donations collected from ticket sales, sponsorships and donations made to the individual couples will go toward the overall fundraising effort and directed to bring more programs to the schools and community.

A prize is awarded to the couple who raise the most money in addition to it being a deciding factor for the ultimate winners of Dancing with the Tahoe Stars.

The winning couple is determined by judges scores, audience votes and most money raised for the cause.

A quote from James D. Wolfensohn, former chairman of The Kennedy Center, lives on the home page of TAP’s website and aptly describes the significant difference art can make in the future of the community’s youth. “The arts must be at the heart of every child’s learning experience if … they are to have a chance to dream and to create, to have beliefs, to carry a sense of cultural identity.”

This year’s dancing couples include 10 pairs of lively individuals dancing for art and for the educational experiences of the youth in the surrounding communities. For a full list of dancers, purchase tickets/ sponsorships and to donate visit TahoeArtsProject.org. For more information call (530) 542-3632.

"I was in a very bad place when I called The Center. They helped me navigate from crisis to stability to transformation.

I am healing. I am

I am stronger.

year, there were 1200 women, just like me

The Center today to

the cycle of abuse.

W orship D irectory

Photo by Ashleigh Goodwin/Tahoe Daily Tribune

Uncle Shawn, Uncle Kawika, Auntie Pono and Auntie Lehua, members of musical group Kulaiwi, teach students Hawaiian words in a song during a Tahoe Arts Project event.

a.m.

Fairytale Town presents the

climb and carry items through obstacles (including mud). This event is a fundraiser and 100% of the funds go toward sponsoring the Sacramento Adventure Playground. For more information visit sacadventureplay.org or call (916) 222-3831.

The Sierra Foothills Rose Society celebrates its 57th anniversary with an amazing Rose Show, 1-5 p.m. at Green Acres in Folsom. Many types of roses, arrangements and photos will be displayed. Master Rosarians will also be on hand to answer any rose related questions. For more information visit sierrafoothillsrosesociety.org.

Pioneer Bible Church hosts Live a Fruitful Life, an event featuring keynote speaker Shari Fitzpatrick, chocolate desserts, a jewelry auction and more at 6851 Mt. Aukum Road in Somerset. Doors open at 1 p.m. Get tickets online at pioneerbiblechurch. breezechms.com/form/e73d380.

Shadow Ranch Vineyard in Fair Play hosts Yoga in the Vines, 10-11 a.m. with Lisa Marie. For more information visit shadowranch.com/Events.

Colton Mountain performs at Sierra Vista Vineyards & Winery in the Pleasant Valley area, 5-7:30 p.m. For more information visit sierravistawinery.com/upcoming-events.

Vino Noceto in Plymouth hosts a Fall Faire. Stop by the patio to sip and shop local. Enjoy live music by Dylan Vroom and delectable pies from Blue Stone Pizza. For more information visit noceto.com/events/Drink-Local-Week.

Resort at Squaw Creek announces a community Oktoberfest event. The event will feature multiple pop-up bars providing Oktoberfest beer selections and several family-friendly activities. It will also showcase traditional Bavarian dining options specially prepared by the resort’s General Manager Manfred Steuerwald, who is originally from Austria. For more information visit destinationhotels.com/squawcreek or call (530) 412-7034.

Oct. 16

Station, 4650 Oriental St. Trains leave on the hour beginning at 10 a.m. with the last train departing the station at 1 p.m., weather permitting. For more information call (530) 663-3581. Miraflores Winery, 2120 Four Springs Trail in the Pleasant Valley area, is having Brunch and Bubbles with chef Tara Martinez Oct. 16. Reservation times are 10 a.m. to noon or 1-3 p.m. Call (530) 647-8505 or email info@mirafloreswinery.com to make a reservation.

Shadow Ranch Vineyard in Fair Play presents Music & Pizza on the Patio, 1-4 p.m., featuring Bart Vogel. For more information visit shadowranch.com/Events.

The Great Composers Chamber Music Series presents Gestures of Hope and Beauty with TriMusica (clarinetist Sandra McPherson, cellist Susan Lamb Cook and pianist John Cozza) at 2 p.m. at Harris Center for the Arts on the Folsom Lake College campus. For tickets and more information call (916) 608-6888 or visit harriscenter.net.

Oct. 17

The Food Bank of El Dorado County hosts a free food distribution to Mosquito Fire evacuees, 10 a.m. to noon in the VFW parking lot at 6297 Main St. in Georgetown. For more information email info@foodbankedc.org or call (530) 621-9950.

Oct. 18

The Roots & Gold Dust Genealogical Society presents Digging into Find-a-Grave, without the Mess! by Glenda Lloyd, popular genealogy lecturer at area schools and organizations,1 p.m. in Room 12 (primary room) in the LDS Church at 3275 Cedar Ravine Road, Placerville. Visitors are welcome. For more information call (530) 344-7122.

The rescheduled Arts and Culture El Dorado event honoring Carpenter Award recipient Bill Roby will be held 6-8 p.m. at David Girard Vineyards in Placerville. To purchase tickets visit artsandcultureeldorado.org/benefit-2022.

Learn to line dance, or keep practicing at the Green Room in downtown Placerville every Tuesday, 6-7:30 p.m., with instructor

Cathy Paris. Cost is $10. Paris is an experienced teacher and dancer who includes a variety of rhythms and musical genres. You’ll dance to country, pop, Latin music and more. Boots are not required to kick up your heels, but wear comfortable clothing you can move in. Beginner’s lesson take place the first half hour, then advanced instruction, for an hour and a half of fun. Tickets are at tickets.clubgreenroom.com.

Now American River Conservancy hosts a fundraiser to give the 320-acre property known as Ladies Valley to the Miwok-Nisenan members of Cosumnes Culture and Waterways in perpetuity. This fundraiser aims to raise at least $25,000 to benefit CCAWW and help them steward the land upon acceptance. Buy natureinspired art to benefit this worthy cause through Oct. 22 at bit.ly/lvlb-auction and/or attend the live event Oct. 22, which will include Native American music, storytelling, art auction, refreshments and local wines. Join the event or make a donation at the event registration link: bit.ly/lvlb-event.

There are a few openings for Volunteer Tax-Aide counselors for the next tax season to provide free personal income tax assistance in El Dorado County, for seniors and low- to moderateincome residents under the AARP Tax-Aide program. The program operates Feb. 1 through April 15, 2023. Self-study materials are provided in November. Classroom training on federal and California income taxes and form preparation takes place in November and January. Contact George Samaniego prior to Nov. 1 at TaxesElDorado@gmail.com or (916) 933-8537.

High School students may apply now for the CongressBundestag Youth Exchange program to study abroad in Germany. ASSE has 50 scholarships available to American youth from the western and northwestern regions of the USA. Students are encouraged to learn more and apply at UsaGermanyScholarship.org. The deadline to apply is Dec. 1.

The Stormy Weather exhibit at Gallery at 48 Natoma in Folsom runs through Jan. 12, 2023, in the main gallery with the Folsom focus Photography Contest in the community gallery through Jan. 10, 2023. An opening reception takes place 6-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14. For more information call (916) 461-6601.

Hauling

El Dorado Western Railroad offers train rides at the El Dorado

The suspense is deadly at Sac Theatre play

SACRAMENTO —

Sacramento Theatre presents a murder mystery that never goes out of style.

In this fast paced, dynamic adaptation of one of the most stylish and suspenseful mysteries, “Murder on the Orient Express” tells the tale of strangers turned suspects stranded on a train and a race against time to find the killer before they strike again.

The journey begins just after midnight where a snowdrift has stopped the famed Orient Express in its tracks. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment and the

passengers must rely on the famous detective Hercule Poirot to solve the mystery. Poirot, the creation of bestselling fiction writer of all time Agatha Christie, is played by Chris Vettel, last seen at STC in “HMS Pinafore in Concert” this past March. This stunning cast is rounded out by STC Associate Producer Natasha Hause, Janis Stevens, James Ellison III and Ian Hopps as well as other top Sacramento talents.

The show runs through Oct. 30 on the Sacramento Theatre Company main stage, 1419 H St. in Sacramento. For tickets and more information visit sactheatre.org.

Applauded folk musicians return to Nevada City stage

News release

NEVADA CITY —

Recording artists

Paul Kamm and Eleanore MacDonald return to the Nevada Theatre with guitarist Nina Gerber for a concert Saturday, Oct. 15.

The husband-and-wife duo have been writing and performing original, contemporary folk music for over three decades. A blend of contemporary and traditional styles, their music is graced by exquisite harmony, compelling songwriting, deceptively simple arrangements and intricate guitar work. They’ve been applauded internationally for

The

their lyrics and vocal blend, a haunting style which weaves unique harmonies into a

rich tapestry of guitar and storytelling.

They are Kerrville, Telluride

and Rocky Mountain New Folk award winners.

The quiet way they live and work flows through their music. Listeners get the impression that working for issues like peace and justice shouldn’t keep us from dropping everything to help a stray animal in need and that ambition is nothing without love, because one thing follows another; one hand connected to the other.

Their songs are filled with stories. Whether it’s love or politics, war and peace, old farmers, old women or the earth and children, their music brings to life both history and today with a powerful mix of inclusion and

compassion.

After carving a career out of what some might call the shadows, guitarist Gerber is at last beginning to dare the light. Since her accompaniment of Kate Wolf first earned her recognition, her acute skills as performer, producer and arranger have continued to deepen. Her contributions to acoustic music have earned her a loyal following — proving the shadows equal to the spotlight in the creation of honest, powerful and beautiful music.

The show begins at 8 p.m. at the Nevada Theatre, 401 Broad St. in Nevada City. For tickets and more information visit paulemerymusic.com.

Class

Greenstone Country Community Services District (GCCSD)

of

County

Garage Sale

NEW TODAY RANCH AND 4 FAMILY SALE

GARAGE SALE

For Rent

Sale

Park

Photos by Charr Crail

III and Natasha Hause star in the classic whodunnit “Murder on the Orient Express,” now playing on Sacramento Theatre Company’s main stage.

Hercule Poirot is played by Chris Vettel.

Photo by John Taber

Recording artists Paul Kamm and Eleanore MacDonald take the stage with guitarist Nina Gerber Oct. 15.

buttered and salty

It wouldn’t be spooky season without Michael Myers, the third Halloween movie in four years (and the 13th overall!) and the final entry in filmmaker David Gordon Green’s franchise relaunch trilogy featuring original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis that started with 2018’s uniquely titled “Halloween.”

This entry promises that the saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode will come to a spinechilling climax. I’m sure that the executive producers will keep their word this time. Right?

I’ve always been a fan of the “Halloween” franchise. The first movie came out the year I was born and it didn’t take long for me to catch John Carpenter’s horror masterpiece when I was old enough to do so. Over a dozen sequels with different levels of quality and success (or sometimes lack thereof) later, here we are — finishing out the new trilogy that started with 2018’s aforementioned “Halloween” (* * *), continuing on with “Halloween Kills” (* *), which attempted to be heady but not very scary and ends with, well, “Halloween Ends.” This “final” entry is apparently the last installment we will ever see with the wonderful Curtis, who literally changed the definition of “scream queen” in the 1978 film and shaped what the “final girl” was in horror films. Curtis continues to be the best aspect of these films and it’s always a pleasure to watch her on screen. Having her back as Laurie Strode was

a great “get” that helped propel the 2018 film to being the best film in the franchise since the original (though I will still die on the hill of 1982’s “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” being a cheesy, underrated gem). Each film in this new trilogy feels different from the last, which I suppose is a compliment to director David Gordon Green, but this film falters in a similar way that “Halloween Kills” did last year. It takes a heady (for this genre) idea and lets it get in the way of showing us what we came to see — the final showdown between Strode/Curtis and Michael Myers.

I understand when you are trying to bring a fresh take on a 44-year-old franchise you have to swing for the fences, but this film falters in the area it should have excelled; there’s not enough Michael Myers in it. The character doesn’t even show up for at least the first 35 minutes of the story and when he does, he’s relegated to the sidelines for most of the film in lieu of another character the film chooses to spotlight. It’s a choice, and one that a lot of fans of this franchise will probably not like very much. Personally, I generally liked some of the choices Green and writer Danny McBride make here, but I could understand the frustrations of one moviegoer at the press screening I attended loudly criticizing the film afterward for focusing on this other character. It’s like making a new “Jaws” film but focusing on a killer Dolphin instead.

All in all, the film was an improvement over the mess that was “Halloween Kills” but still gets in its own way by trying to shove other story elements into the script when most will want the showdown that was promised. You do get that, but you’ll have to wade through an hour and a half of weeds first.

Joshua B. Porter is a writer/director/producer. His most recent project, the feature film “No Evidence OF Man,” recently won Best Original Screenplay of a Feature Film at the 2022 Madrid International Film Festival. He can be reached at @joshuabporter or joshuabporter@mtdemocrat. net.

CDFW promotes nonprofit partnerships

News release

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife invites nonprofits to help support wildlife, wildlife habitat and scientific research by auctioning big game hunting tags for the 2023-24 hunt season.

Proceeds from the sale of these tags are returned to CDFW to fund projects that benefit bighorn sheep, deer, elk and pronghorn antelope. Last year’s auctions raised more than $750,000 for the research and management of big game species. Past projects funded by the sale of these and other hunting tags have included crucial habitat

conservation, post-wildfire forest restoration, wildlife population studies and the installation of artificial watering devices to support wildlife during drought conditions.

Up to 18 big game tags will be reserved for 501(c) (3) nonprofit organizations to sell or auction. Nonprofit organizations compete through an application process for a chance to auction these special tags, which can only be purchased by members of the public through these auctions.

The required application form is available at wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/hunting/fundraising. Applications must be received by 3 p.m. Oct. 24.

Stay

Men’s ensemble to perform at Grass Valley church

release

—

G RASS VALLEYAll music has the ability to evoke emotions, but there is something essentially exquisite about the oldest and most complex instrument, the human voice. InConcert Sierra presents Cantus, an eight-member, male vocal ensemble in a wondrous performance at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16.

Drawing its title from Walt Whitman’s inspirational poem, “Song of the Universal,” Cantus’ program explores how people across time and geography experience the divine. Touching on traditions across cultures, the program ranges from chant by Hildegard von Bingen to A.R. Rahman’s pulsating “Zikr.” American

Hey, Horse Lovers!

while Paul John Rudoi’s “Song of Sky and Sea” reflects how others do so through nature.

“There’s a deep joy I experience when I hear a perfectly tuned chord ringing out into a concert hall, all the individual voices blended into a singular expressive instrument,” said Rod Kelly Hines, Cantus baritone.

Now in its 28th season, Cantus is one of only two male, professional, full-time singing groups in the United States. The second ensemble is the San Francisco based Chanticleer, which performed for InConcert Sierra this past March to a sold-out audience. Cantus began as a student-run organization at Minnesota’s St. Olaf’s College in 1995.

Masters of repertoire

spanning music of the Renaissance to the 21st century, the low-voiced (tenor, baritone, bass) ensemble is known for its trademark warmth and blend, engaging thematic programming and riveting performances. Working without a conductor, the members of Cantus rehearse and perform as chamber musicians, each contributing to the entirety of the artistic process, creating programs that give voice to shared human experiences.

“Cantus is unlike any other vocal group you will see or hear. Every program we stage and each piece of music we perform has eight artists’ fingerprints on it.

The artistic product of Cantus is collaborative in every sense,” said Samuel

Green, Cantus bass.

This concert was originally scheduled for April 2020, but had to be postponed due to the pandemic shutdown.

“We’re so pleased to have Cantus at last,” said Ken Hardin, ICS artistic director. “I’m equally delighted that we are resuming our preconcert forums, when I interview the artists about themselves and their music. The forum is noted by many as a favorite part of the ICS concert day.”

The 1:15 p.m. preconcert forum is free with admission. The concert begins at 2 p.m. at the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 12889 Osborne Hill Road, Grass Valley. For tickets and more information call (530) 273-3990 or visit inconcertsierra.org.

composer Joan Szymko’s spirited “Ffe Mwe, Mwe Ffe” celebrates

how some encounter the divine through building community,

Courtesy photo

Cantus is one of only two male, professional, full-time singing groups in the United States. See the singers Sunday Grass Valley.