Village Life, October 16, 2024 by mcnaughtonmedia

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WHAT’S HAPPENING

Now

The Stage at Burke Junction presents the West Coast premiere of “Rogues” through Nov. 3. All show dates will have 1 and 5 p.m. showtimes. For tickets and more information visit stageatburke.com.

Sutter Street Theatre presents “R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps,” a family-friendly spooky play, through Nov. 3. The show starts at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with a special 4 p.m. Halloween show Thursday, Oct. 31. For tickets and more information call (916) 353-1001 or visit sutterstreettheatre. com.

Sutter Street Theatre presents “Evil Dead the Musical” through Nov. 3. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. on Sundays. There will be a special Halloween showing on Thursday, Oct. 31. For tickets and more information call (916) 353-1001 or visit sutterstreettheatre.com.

Soroptimist of Cameron Park/El Dorado Hills is seeking grant applications from women who serve as the primary earners for their families and require nancial assistance to continue their education or training. Women can now apply for the Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award. Applications are available at bit.ly/LYDA-apply. The application deadline is Nov. 15. (The club number for SICPEDH is #116408.) For more information visit sicpedh.org or call (916) 933-8205.

Oct. 18

The Sierra Renaissance Society presents Sierra Wildlife with Ambassadors by Judy Monestier of Sierra Wildlife Rescue, 1-2:30 p.m. at the Mother Lode Lions Hall, 4701 Missouri Flat Road. Admission free for members; public invited to attend two meetings for free. The Sierra Renaissance Society of El Dorado County is dedicated to lifelong learning and hosts presentations and workshops throughout the year. For more information visit srsedc.org.

The Cameron Park CSD will hold a Halloween Monster Mash featuring trunk or treating and a costume contest at the CSD campus from 5:30-8 p.m. First 50 registrants will also be able to participate in the pumpkin plunge. For more information visit cameronpark.org.

The Shingle Springs Community Center is holding a Halloween-themed Bunko Dinner with baked potatoes, brats and chili. Door prizes and more are available. For more information go to shinglespringscommunitycenter.org.

The Stage at Burke Junction presents an evening of Homegrown Comedy starting at 8 p.m. For tickets and more information visit stageatburke.com.

Oct. 19

The Break Free Run, a race to end human tra cking, will begin at Lakeside Church in Folsom. The event will feature a kids’ fun run, a 5k and 10k all raising funds to go toward human tra cking prevention education. For more details on the run or to register visit 3SGF.org and click on Break Free Run. The event begins at 7:45 a.m. Save the Graves hosts Law and Order reenactments with ■ See HAPPENINGS page A7

STUDENT OF THE YEAR

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The Rotary Club of El Dorado Hills and Rescue Union School District leaders and educators celebrated Mabel Hall as Lake Forest Elementary School’s Student of the Year. Mabel was commended for her excellence in the classroom, her positive attitude and kindness toward others.

Photo courtesy of EDH Fire

Lake Forest Elementary earns blue ribbon

Rescue Union School

District

News release

.S. Secretary of Education

Miguel Cardona

recently recognized Lake Forest Elementary in the Rescue Union School District as one of 356 schools nationwide, and 33 schools in California, as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School. This prestigious recognition highlights schools that excel in academic performance and/or make significant strides in closing achievement gaps among different student groups. Lake Forest Elementary earned the award for both categories:

Exemplary High

Performing Schools: These schools are among the top performers in their state as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.

Exemplary Achievement Gap

Closing Schools: These schools excel in narrowing achievement gaps between different student groups and the overall student body.

Since its inception in 1982, the goals of the National Blue Ribbon School program are to shine a spotlight on the best schools in the United States and to share best practices of outstanding schools across the country. Each year, the U.S. Department of Education works with state departments of education to identify and nominate outstanding schools for this coveted award based on student academic achievement measures and progress toward closing academic achievement gaps. Through a rigorous review process, the U.S. Department of Education awards several hundred outstanding

“This award is a reflection of our commitment to fostering a positive learning environment where every student can thrive academically and personally.”

— Principal Dr. Renee Mallot

schools annually, to celebrate their accomplishment. This prestigious distinction serves not only as a symbol of exemplary American schools, but also as inspiration for schools across the nation. It affirms the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students thrive.

“The National Blue Ribbon Schools Award is a testament to the exceptional achievements of students and educators at each of these schools,” Cardona. While awardees represent a wide array of schools, they share common traits. National Blue Ribbon Schools are led by leaders who articulate a clear vision of instructional excellence and uphold high standards. They showcase effective teaching methods and offer robust professional development for their staff.

Data-driven instruction is a hallmark, and there is a concerted effort to ensure every student succeeds. Collaboration among families, communities and educators is a key component of their success.

“We are incredibly proud of our students and staff for earning this prestigious recognition,” said Dr. Renee Mallot, principal of Lake Forest Elementary. “This award is a reflection of our commitment to fostering a positive learning environment where every student can thrive academically and personally. Our dedicated team, along with the support of our community, has made this achievement possible.”

Michael Gordon, president of the Rescue Union School District Board, also celebrated the achievement. “The National Blue Ribbon designation showcases the hard work, resilience and excel -

lence that defines Lake Forest Elementary and our entire district,” he shared. “This recognition highlights our commitment to delivering high-quality education and ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed.”

“As a parent of children who attended Lake Forest Elementary, I’ve seen firsthand the incredible impact this school and its staff have on students,” added Superintendent Jim Shoemake. “My own children were well-prepared for middle school, high school and college thanks to the exceptional learning environment and dedication of the educators here. This recognition is a welldeserved testament to the outstanding work done every day at Lake Forest Elementary.”

To learn more about Lake Forest Elementary and the Rescue Union School District go to rescueusd.org.

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The Lake Forest Elementary team celebrates the school’s National Blue Ribbon status.

Peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves often causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and may also lead to serious balance problems. This damage is commonly caused by a lack of blood ow to the nerves in the

and

If not properly treated this lack of blood ow may cause the nerves to degenerate. As

GUEST COLUMN by Jen Rimoldi & Brandon Ayers Support EDC sta

“We have El Dorado County employees who are homeless, living in their cars, crashing on friends’ couches. They are scared, stressed and depressed. They have reached their breaking point.”

“As an El Dorado County employee, I either need a raise or I need to nd a better paying job because my family can’t survive. I had to apply for food stamps just to feed my children and, even with that assistance, I’m still not making ends meet.”

“One El Dorado County employee a er paying $1,850 in rent is le with just $350 to cover all other expenses. Imagine trying to survive on that.”

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!

These are just a small portion of the stories shared at the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting on Sept. 10.

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

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

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

“My feet hurt so bad after sitting I could barely take the rst few steps. I have had 11 treatments and no longer feel sharp or shooting pains and most of the tingling is gone. I now have full balance and can walk without pain. As Dr. Mooney explained the treatment is not painful, nothing uncomfortable, and is actually very relaxing.” – Neuropathy Pain Patient

Local 1 members are the real people who keep El Dorado County running; we are your neighbors, parents picking our kids up from the same schools, the friendly faces at community events. The harsh reality is that we are struggling to live in the county we work so hard for. Year a er year, the Board of Supervisors refuses to negotiate reasonably with our union. We are not asking for luxury. We are asking to make a living wage that keeps up with the in ation that we are all experiencing and bene ts that allow us to take care of our families and a ord basic necessities like health care.

We have members who made more money with better bene ts working at fast food restaurants. They came to the county thinking the bene ts and wages would be competitive, only to nd that over time they are taking e ective pay cuts.

Consider this: 52% of Local 1 employees have to work second or even third jobs and a shocking 89% of county jobs represented by Local 1 make below the low-income threshold

Embrace your feelings

EDITOR:

For a long time I’ve asked myself, “How do I live a happy life?” Happiness was all I cared about. I think as I’ve experienced and tried everything that should make me happy, I realized that it isn’t about being happy; it’s about having peace.

I lived a very comfortable life with everything I could ever want but I was the most depressed I have ever been. While great things came from being happy, I realized that the best things that have ever happened to me came as a result of the darkest times of my life.

Happiness is not the goal. Being able to lay on your deathbed with peace knowing you never let life beat you is everything.

Though I may be very uncomfortable, tired and unhappy sometimes, I have peace. People base their whole life o achieving an emotion that is always fading and reappearing. Every time they are sad or not OK, they feel like they are moving backward. Life is about experiencing all of these emotions.

While I may feel longing or sadness, I know it isn’t purposeless because it’s a part of life. I sit in my emotions because we are intended to experience, not ignore. If we were happy all the time there would be no story to tell. The most beautiful thing in life is triumph. Nothing is more rewarding than coming back from the brink of destruction. Without darkness, there would be no triumph.

I’m telling you to face how you feel. Don’t run from it. Face it head on knowing that it will not be the deciding factor. That regardless of how you feel, you will keep pushing. You will keep putting one foot in front of the other.

If all we did was base all of our actions o our emotions there would be nothing. A great dream will always bring you to a roadblock where you’ve been picked apart, pushed down, and shattered. At that point, the why must be greater than the how. While I may not feel like pushing, achieving the dream is more important than how I feel. Sometimes you need to sacri ce how you feel now to reward yourself with peace later. Embrace how you feel, ride it out but don’t allow it to be the deciding factor.

If all we do is run from how we feel, we would never experience anything. There would be no soul making. If everything around you

(compared to 2023 California U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development data for a couple with two children). These are workers like librarians, nurses, security o cers in our courthouses, clean air and health inspectors and the engineers and construction site managers improving our bridges, roads and sidewalks — all essential roles for a growing county and its residents to stay happy, healthy and safe.

The low pay has led us to having the reputation as a training county, where people come to work brie y before leaving for neighboring counties to make better money. Retention rates are so bad that many of us are struggling to keep up with the demands of a growing county. We can’t provide the customer service we know all county residents deserve.

We aren’t just employees managed by the Board of Supervisors; we are also constituents. The board spends millions of our taxpayer dollars on pet projects instead of investing in essential workers. We demand fair wages and respect, and we urge our community to stand up and speak out on our behalf. Learn more at GrowingElDoradoCounty.org.

Jen Rimoldi is the Local 1 president and an o ce engineer for the El Dorado County Department of Transportation. Brandon Ayers is a defensible space investigator in El Dorado County O ce of Wild re Preparedness.

disappeared and all you had was your soul, what would you have? In that very moment, regardless of whether you took the easy path of avoidance or the hard path of change, your soul will re ect it.

RILEY SMITH El Dorado Hills

How far we have drifted

EDITOR:

The current presidential election is one of the strangest ones in my lifetime. The Harris-Walz ticket is obsessed with DEI, open borders, abortion, giving money away that we have to borrow, ban on grocery store gouging, rent control, climate change policies and many others.

Is there a commonality here?

Yes, these are all issues that appeal to various voter blocks: immigrants, women, low-income families, nonproperty owners and radical environmentalists. Is government of the people, by the people and for the people supposed to take care of every faction in the country that has some kind of grievance? Who gets to decide what the next faction to be pandered to should be?

This isn’t America; this is government socialism on the biggest scale in human history. Where does personal freedom enter into the equation when Harvard admits people based on their race? Milton Friedman famously said, “If you chose equality over freedom you will end up with neither.” He also famously said, “De cit spending always causes in ation.” And what have we been doing? De cit spending for years. Free market capitalism, with all of its aws, is the best system designed in human history to provide the greatest happiness and wellbeing to the largest number of people. A country with about 110,000 regulatory rules on the books can hardly be called a paradigm of free market capitalism.

It seems that it is time to look at the real responsibilities of the federal government: national defense, secure borders, regulate international and interstate trade. The rest is pretty much up to the states in our federal system. The closing summary of the 1st Continental Congress in September 1774 should give us pause to think about what we want our federal government to do:

JEN RIMOLDI BRANDON AYERS

Board upholds appeal of Bass Lake Apartments map

Eric Jaramishian Senior staff writer

The Board of Supervisors voted to uphold an appeal to approve a tentative parcel map for the Bass Lake Apartments located in the Cameron Park/Rescue area south of Green Valley Road during its Sept. 24 meeting.

The parcel map that called for approximately 120 affordable housing units was a split one, which would have allowed a parcel map to subdivide approximately a 5.6 acre undeveloped lot to create two parcels, one for 5.311-acres and another for the remaining acreage.

The presence of natural wetlands on the parcel, located on the south side of Green Valley Road at the Bass Lake Road intersection in the Cameron Park/Rescue area currently zoned for commercial/office purposes, came into question.

The appellant Wesly Tonks, Rescue resident, argued that approval of the parcel map would violate California Environmental Quality Act regulations. He states that Affirmed housing seeks to approve a parcel map that would remove natural wetlands from the site to be able to qualify for California Assembly Bill 2011. The legislation allows for approval of affordable housing on commercially-zoned lands as long as the projects meet affordability and environmental criteria.

Tonks further argues that environmental reviews of the parcel map were insufficient because it failed to include analysis of potential environmental impacts.

“The decision you make today will set a precedent which will resound throughout El Dorado County and the state of California,” Tonks told the board that Tuesday. “Should you vote in favor of this parcel map, more dubious parcel maps and AB 2011 applications will follow.”

Jose Lugano, the project’s manager, asked the board to deny the appeal on the grounds that there is no basis for overturning the approval of the parcel map or to require CEQA review, due to the AB 2011 project not requiring CEQA analysis. Affirm Housing representatives further argue that the AB 2011 project parcel map does not come

into conflict with county code, and the appeal would obstruct the application of AB 2011.

“There is only one issue before the board today, and that is the parcel map, which consists solely of the establishment of a new legal boundary creating a smaller parcel and a remainder

Committee revived to address mobile home park concerns

Eric Jaramishian Senior staff writer

El Dorado County reestablished a mobile home park ad hoc committee Oct. 8 to tackle issues regarding mobile home parks.

The committee will work with local stakeholders, including local organizations dedicated advocating for affordable housing in the area, to work on issues and collect data on mobile home parks residents’ concerns about rent increases, old infrastructure and reported predatory practices.

This is the latest effort in addressing the issues noted by the county and local affordable housing nonprofits, including Housing El Dorado. The organization recently released a study into mobile home parks, detailing hardships the some park residents currently face.

Supervisors Brooke Laine, District 5, and George Turnboo, District 2, volunteered to sit on the committee.

“I have received dozens of complaints … there are a lot of concerns,” Laine said. “I also have met with some park owners and have gotten some clarification from them on the problems as they see (them) and where they are able to do more if we would like them too.”

The board unanimously voted to reestablish of the ad hoc.

“There was talk about if we could wait until January to do this, but in my mind this topic is flaring up again and I would rather get in front of it,” said District 4 Supervisor Lori Parlin. Comments were made at the beginning of the meeting on reviewing rent stabilization legislation from stakehold-

ers and mobile home park residents.

Steven Noble, a resident of Sunset Estates in El Dorado Hills, said since 2022 when the park was bought out by an out-of-state company, his rent has gone up by more than 20%, echoing the concerns of many mobile home residents throughout the county who claim many will become homeless due to the rising costs.

Sunset Estate residents also bear the burden of upkeep of the homes while also paying for utilities and dealing with rising costs, which is costing renters $2,500 to $3,000 a month, Noble told the board.

“We are in a situation where in my park people are walking away from their homes; they’re abandoning them because they can’t sell them and they can’t upkeep them,” Noble shared.

Housing El Dorado President

Maureen Dion-Perry said she was pleased to see the ad hoc committee’s reestablishment and asked if a moratorium could be established on rent increases while the ad hoc members work with stakeholders to come up with solutions.

“I think we are putting people in a very hard place,” Dion-Perry said. “We’ve got the positive side of establishing the ad hoc; while we also look at the reality of owners who will use this opportunity to raise prices out of control potentially during this time while the ad hoc does this work.”

Board Chair Wendy Thomas said while it would be beyond the scope of the board to establish anything now, it could be a conversation in the future for the ad hoc committee.

Ballots sent to registered voters

Carla Hass

EDC Chief Administrative Office

Ballots for the Nov. 5 election have been mailed to all registered voters in El Dorado County. Voters will receive a combined county voter information and candidate statement guide along with their ballot. If a voter resides in a district where a local measure is being voted on, they will receive a separate combined measure guide. A state voter guide with statewide proposition information will be mailed to each household.

“Voters have three options for how they can return their ballots,” said Registrar of Voters Bill O’Neill. “Voters can vote in person at our Elections office in Shingle Springs or at one of three Vote Centers, by mail or they can fill out their ballot and return it to any of our 16 official drop boxes.”

Voters can sign up for Where’s my Ballot, a system that allows voters to track their vote-by-mail ballot — when it’s mailed, received and counted — offered by the California Secretary of State by visiting ballottrax.net.

O’Neill reminds voters to sign and date their return ballot envelope for their vote to count and that no postage is needed if it is mailed.

Voters who prefer to vote at a Vote Center can do so beginning Oct. 26 daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Election Day 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“Citizens are encouraged to come to our Elections office and watch the entire process, from the ballot sorting and signature verification process to the ballot extraction process and see how we protect the privacy of the voter, along with the manual audit, ballot n See BALLOTS page A6

Zoning Administrator in August.

Many came to the board meeting requesting the board uphold Tonks’ appeal on the basis that insufficient environmental review was conducted and many findings for the parcel map were either incorrect or needed further review.

“This project in its current state would not be required to follow environmental protections and I do not support its efforts to parcel its way around environmentally sensitive areas in order to bypass the law,” said May Shulman, a resident of Woodleigh Summit in Cameron Park.

Some were in favor of the board at least denying the appeal, citing a need for affordable housing in the county.

Frank Porter, vice president of housing nonprofit Housing El Dorado, requested the board deny the appeal, stating the county has not been productive in its effort to develop affordable housing, citing the slow start to develop such projects as “troubling.”

“As a county, we are dealing with the fact that in the past 20 years, despite policy commitments and public pronouncements to build more workforce housing, we have woefully failed,” Porter said.

Despite the board’s recognition for the need for affordable housing, they ultimately found that the environmental impacts of the project were not fully studied, and that approval of the parcel map would conflict with county codes.

The board also found approval of the parcel map would be “detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare, or injurious to the neighborhood based on the evidence in the record before the board,” with some supervisors recognizing the area as a high-fire danger area and its consistent flooding issues.

Additionally, the board realized a preapplication from Affirm Housing had been submitted, contradicting the fact the conversation was just about a parcel map.

parcel,” Lugano said to the board.

“No development is proposed or currently authorized by the map itself and no development project is before the board on this appeal.”

The parcel map, submitted by affordable and multifamily housing developer Affirm Housing, was approved by the

“I find it disingenuous to do a parcel split first and then say we can’t consider any other development when we already have a preapplication in front of us,” Board Chair Wendy Thomas said. The board voted unanimously to uphold the appeal by Tonks, and applause from the packed board room followed.

Village Life photo by Eric Jaramishian

Supply drive helps hundreds prepare for school

Karen Brown

Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference

For the 11th year, local nonprofit organization

Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference’s youth-led School Supply Committee has collected, sorted and distributed new backpacks and school supplies to nearly 650 students in need.

Operating through an afterschool committee structure, 15 middle and high school age youth who reside from Folsom to Placerville began meeting in early May. First, they worked with local businesses from Folsom to Placerville to host donation collection bins. They coordinated with El Dorado Hills Town Center and the El Dorado County Office of Education to host a Stuff the Bus event on July 17, which was also the ending date for most collection sites. These efforts resulted in the collection of more than 28,000 items, including 745 backpacks; which amount to a collective estimated value of $46,000.

“In the 2023-24 school year, 855 children in kindergarten through 12th grade experienced homelessness while attending El Dorado County schools. These children, and others who are in families living too close to the federal poverty line, may go without items they need at the start of school,” explained Margaret Lewis, the McKinney-Vento services coordinator for El Dorado County Office of Education. “By providing

access to these supplies for free through the Hands4Hope distribution event, their families can then redirect their resources toward other opportunities or needs.”

After the Hands4Hope School Supply Committee held three donation sorting days and one set-up day, they were ready to host the distribution event on Aug. 6 at Louisiana Schnell Elementary School in Placerville. At that event, 530 students in grades kindergarten through high school received

backpacks and supplies, and their families also were exposed to additional community resources to assist with health, medical, educational and other support.

An additional 103 backpacks full of supplies were distributed in the days following the event through community partners and direct distribution, resulting in a total of 640 students served. Remaining supplies continue to be distributed through community partners, benefiting even more students.

All in all, the 15 youth School Supply Committee participants planned and coordinated a total of seven events that involved 118 volunteer spots filled by an additional 19 youth participants. All together, these volunteers, along with six adult and alumni volunteer leaders, contributed 450 service hours toward the overall effort. Along the way, youth learned and practiced real-life skills such as collaboration, communication and leadership.

“My favorite part about leading the Hands4Hope School Supply Drive Committee was being able to see the committee’s hard work pay off when the all the kids got excited to pick out the school supplies they wanted for the upcoming school year,” said Addison Hunt, committee chair, and an Oak Ridge High School senior.

More than two dozen businesses and organizations hosted Hands4Hope collection bins so donors had convenient locations to drop off backpacks and supplies or they hosted their own in-house drives.

In addition to the many donations provided by community members, the drive was generously supported by Fergerson Financial and David and Sharon Handler, whose financial donations allowed Hands4Hope committee members to shop for remaining needed supplies for the distribution and to support a local elementary school with much needed supplies.

Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference is a nonprofit, youth-driven organization with the mission to inspire and empower youth in leadership and service. It offers hands-on education and community engagement opportunities to youth from kindergarten through 12th grades through school-based and after-school programs in Sacramento and El Dorado counties. For more information visit hands4hopeyouth.org or call (916) 294-7426.

Learn about new Medicare options at virtual gathering

News release

A free, one-hour virtual workshop to help Medicare recipients understand drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans available in El Dorado County in 2025 is scheduled 9:30-10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 25. The workshop is open to the public and will be held via Zoom. A one-hour question and answer period will follow the workshop. The workshop is presented by the El Dorado County Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program.

“This important workshop focuses on Medicare options available to El Dorado County residents in 2025 and prepares individuals for Medicare’s open enrollment period, Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2024,” said Rhoda Slagle, regional coordinator for HICAP. “Research shows that people who review their plan choices each year can reduce prescription drug costs by switching to a different Part D drug plan.

“Each year Medicare drug plans can and do change the list of covered drugs or the price of drugs. A major change in 2025 will be a new $2,000 cap on out-ofpocket Medicare drug costs. Drug plans can accommodate this change in various ways such as higher annual premium costs, higher deductibles and/or higher copays for some drugs,” she continued.

The Medicare enrollment period is one of the few times Medicare beneficiaries can change, enroll into, or dis-enroll from a Medicare Part D drug plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan (such as an HMO). If changing plans, enrollment in the new plan will take effect Jan. 1, 2025.

The workshop is offered as a webinar with slides. No registration is required. Individuals may access the online workshop at HICAPservices.net/events. Those with limited computer access may attend on Oct. 25 via workshop-watch-parties at the Placerville Senior Center, Placerville Library, Georgetown Library or South Lake Tahoe Library. Individuals may also listen by telephone (audio only) (669) 900-6833, meeting code: 852 1209 9714 and passcode: 450253 (long

SCHIELD

role in building trust and understanding between young students and law enforcement personnel.

2. Educational sessions on safety — Throughout the week deputies visited classrooms to discuss vital topics such as bicycle, scooter and pedestrian safety. These conversations are aimed at empowering students with the knowledge to stay safe in various situations, particularly when navigating streets and interacting with urban environments.

distance rates might apply). After the workshop, a recording of it will be available at HICAPservices.net/ events.

HICAP can help Medicare beneficiaries review either their Part D drug plan choices or their Medicare Advantage Plan choices for 2025. To receive assistance, El Dorado County residents can pick up and return to the Placerville Senior Center a completed HICAP/Medicare Worksheet for 2025. HICAP Medicare Worksheets are available at the El Dorado Hills Senior Center, the Placerville Senior Center and South Lake Tahoe Senior Center during open enrollment. Worksheets can also be requested at public libraries in El Dorado County or by calling El Dorado HICAP at (530) 621-6169.

Continued from A1

shared her first-ever interaction with law enforcement, saying, “Thank you for coming to our class and telling us important laws and telling us safety stuff! I actually never talked to a policeman or girl; this is the first time.”

These encounters are instrumental in demystifying law enforcement roles for children and fostering a friendly community atmosphere.

Continued community engagement

3. Student engagement and feedback — Students were encouraged to express their gratitude and thoughts on the program through thank-you notes. Luke in fifth grade wrote, “Thanks to your efforts, I was not run over by an electric scooter today. It was fun learning about missions you have been on. My favorite part was when someone was released from prison and walked right into In-N-Out.”

4) First-time experiences — Another student, Diya,

Ballots

Continued from A5

tabulation and ballot adjudication where ballots are reviewed for write-in candidates and corrections,” said O’Neill. “We welcome voters to watch the process in person or via livestream.” For more information about voting in the November Presidential General Election visit the Elections - El Dorado County website or call (530) 621-7480 or toll free at (800) 730-4322.

The SCHIELD program exemplifies a proactive approach to community safety and youth education, emphasizing positive interactions and safety education. It showcases the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office’s commitment to community engagement and the well-being of the children in El Dorado Hills.

“Indeed the Congress intended that Americans should remember that without virtue all kinds of freedom would perish. That the Congress cited frugality, economy, and industry and scourged extravagance and dissipation was no accident. It chose the only words Americans knew, words born of the Protestantism that had existed in the colonies since their founding. The emphasis on the ethics of Puritanism recalled Americans to an older way of life, one per-

haps that they were in danger of forgetting in the urge to get and spend that filled so much of their lives in the eighteenth century. Now in the crisis with Britain they continued to consider what sort of people they were, and the Congress in its incantation to lean and spare living threw up a challenge to them.” How far we have drifted from these concepts.

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Backpacks are always the most needed item for students. This year the supply drive brought in 745 backpacks.

DARWIN THRONE El Dorado Hills

El Dorado Hills Fine Art Festival will be held at the El Dorado Hills Library from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Artists from the El Dorado Hills Arts Association, Folsom Arts Association and Placerville Arts Association will present their creations for viewing and for sale in the Community Room of the library and in the parking lot in front of the library.

The Pumpkin Splash Patch will be held at the El Dorado Hills CSD Pool 1-3 p.m. Participants 1 to 12 years of age will hunt for their perfect pumpkin in a heated pool. Pre-registration is required. For more information visit eldoradohillscsd.org.

The Harris Center presents Nick Carter, former member of the Backstreet Boys. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and more information visit harriscenter.net or call (916) 608-6888.

Oct. 20

El Dorado Western Railroad offers excursion rides with trains running on the hour, 10 a.m. through 1 p.m., weather permitting, at the Shingle Springs Station. For more information visit facebook.com/ElDoradoWesternRailroad.

The Harris Center presents Ahead of their Time, the story of Adelaide Ristori as told by Italian actress Giulia Cailotto as part of The Vita Academy’s Great Composers Chamber Music Series. The event begins at 2 p.m. For tickets and more information visit harriscenter.net or call (916) 608-6888.

The Harris Center presents Life on Our Planet with Dan Tapster, a Netflix Original documentary series starting at 2 p.m. For tickets and more information visit harriscenter.net or call (916) 608-6888.

Oct. 22

The Harris Center presents “Come From Away,” the Tony-winning musical from Oct. 22-27. For tickets and more information visit harriscenter. net or call (916) 608-6888.

Oct. 23

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office will host a blood drive in memory of Deputy Brian Ishmael, 1-6:30 p.m. at the EDSO Public Safety Facility, 200 Industrial Way in Placerville. Make an appointment at donors.vitalant.org and enter blood drive code SMFE332 or call (877) 258-4825and mention the same code. Walk-ins will be accommodated is space allows.

The Harris Center presents a Student Showcase that highlights the creativity, entrepreneurship, and artistic talent of the Folsom Lake College

students from various music groups starting at 6 p.m. For tickets and more information visit harriscenter.net or call (916) 608-6888.

Oct. 24

The Gilmore Senior Center Caregiver Support Group meets 10:30 a.m. to noon at the center, 990 Lassen Lane in El Dorado Hills.

The Shingle Springs/Cameron Park Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly networking luncheon at Red Hawk Casino’s Koto Buffet from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. with El Dorado County Sheriff Jeff Leikauf guest speaking. For more information, call (530) 677-8000 or visit sscpchamber.org.

Oct. 25

El Dorado Hills Bowmen is hosting its annual free family archery event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at El Dorado Hills Bowman Archery Range, 3321 El Dorado Hills Blvd. There will be Halloween themed targets, treats and a youth costume contest and hot dogs and chips after the shoot for all participants. For more information go to ElDoradoHillsBowmen.com.

Enjoy Trick or Treating at Burke Junction is from 4-7 p.m. Wear a costume and get lots of candy at this free family event. There will be free kids crafts. Join the costume parade at 6:30 p.m. Trunk-or-Treat and a Scarecrow Contest will be held 4:30-7 p.m. in the El Dorado Hills CSD parking lot; music and food trucks will also be present. For more information visit eldoradohillscsd. org.

Oct. 31

A Halloween party for seniors will be held at the Gilmore Senior Center starting at 1 p.m. For more information visit eldoradohillscsd.org.

El Dorado Hills Town Center will transform into a Halloween haven from 3-6 p.m. for trick-or-treating and a costume contest during its Halloween Spooktacular.

Nov. 6

The El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce hosts a Business Builder Buffet at 11:30 a.m. at Hills Church, 800 White Rock Road in El Dorado Hills. To register visit eldoradohillschamber.org.

Nov. 9

Friends of the El Dorado Hills Library is thrilled to bring back its annual Bridge Tournament fundraiser, 12:30-5 p.m. at the El Dorado Hills Library, 7455 Silva Valley Parkway. Cost is $70 per pair and advance registration required. Registration forms available at the library or online at friendsoftheedhlibrary.org/bridge-tournament For more details email Mcmnedh@pacbell.net or call (916) 849-0650.

The students at Yale University loved William Frisbie’s pies. They even loved his pie tins!

Tossing empty pie tins became a favorite way to pass time between classes. A firm flick of the wrist and the tin floated through the air. But the metal pie tins hurt when they hit someone. As a safety measure, students started yelling, “Frisbie!” to alert others that they were tossing a tin to a pal.

Flying Disc Games

Many games are now played with a flying disc.

Here is a list of some of them. How do you think each game is played? Look them up and find out if you guessed correctly.

In 1948,Walter Frederick Morrison and Warren Franscioni created a plastic disc that could fly with better accuracy than a tin pie plate.

When Morrison sold the rights to Wham-O in 1957, the company named the disc the Frisbee® (pronounced FRIZ'-bee).

Today, the fifty-year-old Frisbee® is owned by Mattel Toy Manufacturers, only one of at least sixty manufacturers of flying discs.

New Combos

Look through the newspaper for two items that don’t seem to go together. Think of as many ways as you can to invent something new by combining those two things. For example, what could you make with a combination of a camera and sunglasses? • Disc

Flying Disc Golf

Make a course of six or eight “holes” by setting up a series of objects or sites to try and hit with a Frisbee.®

Tie a brightly colored ribbon on a tree or pole as a good place to start. An empty bucket or laundry basket also makes a good “hole.”

Add up your score.

V illage H OMES

Patricia Seide

CalDRE #00892540 (916) 712-1617

patricia.seide@ cbnorcal.com

Nicolette Wichert CalBRE #02041470 (916) 458-1342 nicolette.wichert@ cbnorcal.com

4101 McKay Place, El Dorado Hills

3,091 square feet

4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms 0.22-acre property

Listed at $1,499,000 MLS #224099564

Stunning home has gorgeous details

Welcome to this stunning, single-story home located behind the prestigious, guarded gates of Serrano Country Club in El Dorado Hills. As you enter, the hardwood oors and impeccable architectural details set the tone for this luxurious residence. This home is lled with designer upgrades, showcasing modern elegance and attention to detail in every room.

The heart of the home is the gourmet kitchen, featuring an oversized island with a sink and bar seating, Monogram appliances, ample cabinet and counter space and a generous walk-in pantry. A butler’s pantry, complete with a wine fridge, leads seamlessly to the formal dining room, perfect for hosting memorable gatherings.

The kitchen is part of the home’s great room, which also includes a dining nook and the living room, both of which are bathed in natural light. Nearby is a home o ce with built-in desks and shelving.

A mud room area with storage for coats and more is right outside the laundry room door, where there’s a large washer and dryer and more storage.

The home has four bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms, The primary suite is a true retreat with a seating area and outdoor access. The suite’s bathroom o ers a spa-like experience with a soaking tub, an oversized

shower and a spacious walkin closet. Every detail of this suite is designed for comfort and relaxation.

Step outside to enjoy the beautifully landscaped backyard, nestled against a serene greenbelt for added privacy.

The custom putting green and cozy re pit create the ideal setting for both relaxation and entertainment. The front yard is neatly landscaped with colorful shrubs and trees as well as a small lawn. A paved walkway o the wide driveway leads to a coat front courtyard. The home has two attached garages with three total spaces for vehicles and plenty of storage space. Other home amenities include an owned solar power system that ensures energy e ciency and cost savings.

A rare nd in the exclusive Serrano neighborhood, this home o ers a unique blend of privacy, luxury and modern living. The gated community includes an award-winning golf course, immaculate landscaping and miles of hiking/ walking trails. The gated community is close to shopping, restaurants, great schools and Highway 50.

Interested in a private tour of this beautiful McKay Place property in El Dorado Hills? Contact Realtor Nicolette Wichert, (916) 458-1342, nicolette.wichert@cbnorcal.com, or Realtor Pat Seide at (916) 712-1617, patricia.seide@ cbnorcal.com.

Law & Order

Save the Graves digs up historical crime stories

Special to Village Life

SSave the Graves returns to Placerville Union Cemetery, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19. Attendees can expect a professional theatrical presentation that is equal parts entertainment and education. Organizers hope the performances connects the audience with specific characters in local history, the locales where key events transpired and each other.

ave the Graves returns to Placerville Union Cemetery, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19. Attendees can expect a professional theatrical presentation that is equal parts entertainment and education. Organizers hope the performances connects the audience with specific characters in local history, the locales where key events transpired and each other.

This is year five the Save the Graves, whose mission is to restore, protect and celebrate the county’s rich legacy of historical cemeteries. The 2024 edition features 10-12 minute monologues pulled from the back pages of the El Dorado County Library’s Rare Book Collection and old WANTED posters. All eight characters were involved in one of four sensational crimes that were front page news in their day.

• Susan Newnham Murder — A tale of Victorian spiritualism, unrequited love … and murder in Ringgold.

• John Lowell Murder — Rookie DA Marcus Bennett successfully prosecutes a gruesome Mormon Island murder case but has a change of heart.

• The 1903 Folsom Prison break, manhunt and shootouts in Pilot Hill and Manzanita Hill.

• The Bullion Bend robbery, which cost a young sheriff’s deputy his life; the first line of duty death in the county.

“Most people have never heard of these crimes,” said theatrical

director Kathleen Young, who fleshed out the Law and Order theme with the Save the Graves creative team. She had final say over the crimes being depicted and how the stories are being told. Why aren’t these stories better known? Save the Graves president Mike Roberts shared his theory.

“Most people have never heard of these crimes,” said theatrical director Kathleen Young, who fleshed out the Law and Order theme with the Save the Graves creative team. She had final say over the crimes being depicted and how the stories are being told. Why aren’t these stories better known? Save the Graves president Mike Roberts shared his theory.

“The events surround-

ing the Gold Rush are fascinating; the stories have been told and retold,” he said. “But after that, not so much.”

The first generation of gold miners came and went, for the most part. Pointing at Placerville Union Cemetery, Roberts explained, “Those who followed created the place we live. Lots of them are buried

right here. What better place to tell their stories?

“Our performances explore the lives of the men and women who are part of that overlooked history,” he added. “The first-person perspective lets us dig into these characters, their motivations, their ambitions, their accomplishments.

“These stories connect us to our history,

the place we live, and ultimately to each other,” Roberts continued, maintaining those connections are healthy. “They make us better people. They also make El Dorado County a better place to live, a better place to visit and a better place to be.”

Roberts makes a case for local cemeteries being an ideal place to go about all that connection building. “They’re a great place to start, but we have to make them presentable.”

When he first got interested in local history, local cemeteries were “deplorable,” he said. “They were disgraceful. I couldn’t understand why no one was doing any-

Roberts makes a case for local cemeteries being an ideal place to go about all that connection building. “They’re a great place to start, but we have to make them presentable.”

When he first got interested in local history, local cemeteries were “deplorable,” he said. “They were disgraceful. I couldn’t understand why no one was doing any-

Village Lifet file photo by Noel Stack

Daniel Blair portrayed his great-great-great grandfather Mathew Blair I in the 2023 Save the Graves production, An all Blair Family Affair. This year’s event scheduled on Oct. 19 focuses on crimes in El Dorado County.

Name: LENNAR; Width: 9.875”; Depth: 10.35”;

Village Lifet file photo by Noel Stack

GRAVES

Ed Sengstack

eight times, Oct 22-27.

“Come From Away” tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.

On Sept. 11, 2001 the world stopped. On Sept. 12, their stories moved us all. Charles McNulty of the Los Angeles Times called the show “an a ecting, stirring, and unpretentious new musical. Christopher Ashley’s production lets the simple goodness of ordinary people outshine sensational evil,” and Bob Verini of Variety raved, “Superb! Canadians Irene Sanko and David Hein have forged a moving, thoroughly entertaining tribute to international amity and the indomitable human spirit.”

‘Life

A Best Musical winner all across North America, the smash hit musical has won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (Christopher Ashley), four Olivier Awards (London) including Best New Musical, ve Outer Critics Circle Awards (NYC) includ-

ing Outstanding New Broadway Musical, three Drama Desk Awards (NYC) including Outstanding Musical, four Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards (North American Tour) including Best Production, four Helen Hayes Awards (D.C.)

including Outstanding Production of a Musical, four Gypsy Rose Lee Awards (Seattle) including Excellence in Production of a Musical, six San Diego Critics Circle Awards including Outstanding New Musical, three Toronto Theatre Critics Awards

including Best New Musical, three Dora Awards (Toronto) including Outstanding New Musical/Opera and Outstanding Production and the 2017 Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award (Toronto).

The Grammy Awardnominated original

Broadway cast recording of “Come Fron Away” is available digitally and in stores everywhere.

Grammy Award winner David Lai and Grammy Award nominees Ian Eisendrath, August Eriksmoen, Irene Sanko and David Hein served as album producers. Husband-and-wife

Canadian writing team Sanko and Hein have written a very complex, unconventional musical that breaks all the rules of musical theater. Their main focus has always been on telling these amazing stories, so the stories dictated the storytelling. This is an ensemble show where all character story lines are equally important. Sanko and Hein wrote “Come From Away” following a visit to Gander on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. “Come From Away” takes the stage at Harris Center for the Arts, 10 College Parkway in Folsom, with Tuesday through Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m. and Friday through Sunday matinées at 2 p.m. Individual tickets are on sale at the Harris Center box o ce at (916) 608-6888 or online at HarrisCenter.net.

on Our Planet’ showrunner to share unforgettable experiences

Ed Sengstack Harris Center for the Arts

OLSOM — Harris Center for The Arts pres-

ents “Our Planet Live — Life on Our Planet” with with Dan Tapster, a Net ix Original Documentary Series, on Oct. 20.

Four billion years. Millions of species. Five mass extinction events (and counting). It’s the story of “Life on Our Planet.” From the Emmy Award-winning team behind Net ix’s “Our Planet” series, comes a new natural history speaker series event. Brought to you by Silverback Films and Producer esk in association with Net ix, “Our Planet Live” is a new and immersive live show featuring behind-the-scenes stories from the explorers, lmmakers, scientists and adventurers that created some of the most eye-catching footage of the planet.

Join them live on stage as they bring to life these stories from the natural world. With a focus on climate fragility and climate migration, “Our Planet Live” tells an unprecedented story about overcoming obstacles on a global scale and explores the messages at the heart of these action-packed, emotional and unforgettable sequences. Video and imagery will be used throughout the presentation.

“This has been a true labour of love for hundreds of lmmakers, cinematographers, conservationists, editors, musicians and production teams, all of whom have brought their best work to the most important story that there is — a story that could not be more universal or more timely,” noted Sir David Attenborough.

An eight-time Emmy-nominated showrunner, Tapster started out at the BBC Natural History Unit

in the 1990s where he worked on series, including Attenborough’s “Life of Mammals.” Following a varied career, which included being kidnapped by Quichua Indians in Ecuador and ring cannonballs through houses by mistake, he became the showrunner for a TV show that went on to become the second most-watched factual TV series in history: the phenomenon that is “MythBusters.”

A er leading the show to 12 series renewals and over 18 billion views of content, Tapster le “MythBusters” in 2016, and a er more pop-science shows he joined Silverback lms in 2018. Combining visual air with strong story-telling, at Silverback Films, Dan Tapster was the showrunner for the epic that is “Life on Our Planet” (Net ix). Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, LOOP uses stunning natural history and world-class VFX to reveal the story of life in a way that has never been attempted before.

“Our Planet Live” comes to the stage at Harris Center for the Arts, 10 College Parkway in Folsom, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20. Individual tickets are on sale at the Harris Center box o ce at (916) 608-6888 or online at HarrisCenter.net.

Dan Tapster has traveled all over the world, lming extraordinary things he later shares with viewers. Hear about his adventures at an upcoming Harris Center event.

Courtesy photo

The inspiring and emotional

Courtesy photo

Musical duo brings hits to the Harris Center stage

Ed Sengstack Harris Center for the Arts

FOLSOM — Shawn Colvin and KT Tunstall pack a double dose of star power into a single, aweinspiring concert experience coming to Harris Center for the Arts on the Folsom Lake College campus on Nov. 6. Colvin, the Grammywinning singer/songwriter of “Sunny Came Home” fame, has an emotional depth and on-stage vulnerability that has solidified her as a premier live performer. Her lasting appeal is due, in part, to her willingness to lay her emotions bare, coupled with an unmistakable dry wit. Scottish singer/songwriter Tunstall, best known for hits “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly I See,” captivates audiences with her dynamic vocals and skilled guitar prowess. Her singular knack for balancing introspective folk and propulsive rock, paired with her pioneering looping skills, have established Tunstall as a must-see performer. Yet, Tunstall has never been one for creative stasis. She’s spent the past few years exploring new, electrifying sounds and seamlessly weaving together disparate genres into a style that is uniquely her own.

Colvin stopped the industry in its tracks with her arresting 1989 debut, “Steady On.”

The following spring, Colvin took home the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, establishing herself as a mainstay in the singer-songwriter genre. In the ensuing 30 years, Colvin has won three Grammy Awards, released 13 superlative albums, written a critically acclaimed memoir, maintained a non-stop national and international touring schedule, appeared on countless television and radio programs, had her songs featured in major motion pictures and created a remarkable canon of work. Her inspiring and candid memoir, “Diamond In The Rough,” was published in by Harper Collins in 2012. “Diamond In

The Rough” looks back over Colvin’s rich lifetime of highs and lows with stunning insight and candor. Through its pages we witness the story of a woman honing her artistry, finding her voice and making herself whole.

Colvin was recognized for her career accomplishments when she was honored with the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award by the Americana Music Association. Presenting her with this prestigious award was Bonnie Raitt. “She’s simply one of the best singers I’ve ever heard — and a truly gifted and deep songwriter and guitarist,” Raitt shared. “She was groundbreaking when she emerged and continues to inspire me and the legions of fans and other singer/songwriters coming up in her wake.”

Over the course of three decades, Colvin has established herself as a captivating performer and a revered storyteller, well-deserving of the commendation of her peers and the devoted audiences who have been inspired by her artistry. And as she enters her third decade as a songwriter and performer, she continues to reaffirm her status as a vital voice in music.

Tunstall burst onto the music scene with her 2004 multi-platinum debut, “Eye to the Telescope,” which spawned the global hits “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly I See.” These songs, paired with her pioneering looping skills, established Tunstall as a captivating and dynamic performer, as well as a songwriter with a knack for balancing introspective folk and propulsive rock.

Tunstall recently expanded her musical style by focusing on a trilogy of records, where each album zeroes in on a single concept: soul, body and mind — 2016’s “KIN,” 2018’s “WAX” and 2022’s “NUT” cemented her position as one of the most exciting contemporary songwriters of her time. Tunstall has also moved into writing for musical theater and is currently working as the composer for the adaptation of the 1995 beloved cult classic movie “Clueless.” Colvin and Tunstall perform at Harris Center for the Arts, 10 College Parkway in Folsom, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6. Individual tickets are on sale at the Harris Center box office at (916) 608-6888 or online at HarrisCenter.net.

Artists are invited to submit their work for the 2024-25 upland game bird stamp featuring the whitewinged dove.

CDFW seeks artists to enter Upland Game Bird Stamp Art Contest

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is conducting its annual art contest to select the design for the state’s 2024-25 upland game bird stamp. The California Upland Game Bird Stamp Art Contest is open to all U.S. residents ages 18 and older, excluding current and former CDFW employees. The 2024-25 stamp will feature the white-winged dove. Entries will be accepted Oct. 28 through Dec. 6. The white-winged dove is slightly larger and a bit more plump than the mourning dove. These brown-gray doves have a white edge to their folded wing and a dark cheek line. The iris of an adult is red and is set off by a brilliant blue “eyeshadow.” In flight, this dove surprises with white-tipped outer tail feathers, while the white coverts become a flashy mid-wing stripe stand-

ing boldly against its dark primary feathers.

White-winged doves now commonly breed in the arid southern desert region of the state between April and August. Though they are regular visitors in agricultural communities, their occurrence here is thought to be recent and in part supported by the filling of the Salton Sea. White-winged doves mostly overwinter in Mexico and Central America and play an important ecological role in aiding the pollination of the giant saguaro cactus. While the doves utilize the fruit and nectar of the cactus, they also aid the cactus in distributing its seeds. Entries must include at least one white-winged dove, preferably in a habitat or setting representative of California. Entries will be judged on originality, artistic composition, anan See CONTEST page B5

Courtesy photos

KT Tunstall, above, and Shawn Colvin, at right, come together to perform in Folsom on Nov. 6.

Courtesy photo

Museums present ghoulish fun for the spooky season

Traci Rockefeller Cusack News release

SACRAMENTO — The greater Sacramento area is rich with an amazing array of state-of-the-art museums and historic sites that offer visitors the chance to explore California’s art, history and science treasures all year long. This fall, many members of Sacramento Area Museums offer fun Halloween and harvest-related events.

Acorn Day at the State Indian Museum, Oct. 19 — In an effort to celebrate the cultural importance of the acorn and share a California Native American tradition with visitors of all ages, the State Indian Museum is presenting a special Acorn Day event. The celebratory day will include Native cultural practitioners and special guests providing demonstrations of acorn preparation and processing, basket weaving and flintknapping. Museum docents, volunteers and staff will run craft/activity stations and host guided tours of the park, while community partners will provide information and outreach emphasizing California native plants/oaks and more. In addition, the Maidu Museum & Historic

Site, Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park, Miridae Mobile Plant Nursery and California Highway Patrol will also provide education and outreach to the public. Attendance at Acorn Day is free but there is a charge to visit the museum(s) with bundling pricing available for Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park and the State Indian Museum. For more information visit facebook.com/ events/1002500621668290.

Spooky Stories Evening Event at the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, Oct. 24 — To hear dreadful and extraordinary stories — solved or unsolved — that are too far-fetched to be believed in a movie, make plans to attend a special evening event at the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery. The spooky stories are fascinating, dramatic and presented with as much vivid detail as could be found from old newspaper accounts. Due

to the scary and graphic nature of the stories, only listeners ages 18 and older are recommended. For more information and tickets visit old-city-cemetery-committee.ticketleap. com/spooky-stories/details.

Wee Halloween at the Crocker Art Museum, Oct. 26 — Little ghosts and goblins (and the adults who accompany them) are invited to delight in a family-friendly Halloween festival and enjoy awe-inspiring performances, fun art making activities, spooky stories, a costume contest, trick-or-treating for art supplies and more. Pose for the perfect photo booth portrait and boogie at the dance party. For more information visit crockerart.org.

Pumpkins and Planes Halloween at the Aerospace Museum of California, Oct. 26 — Don’t miss the spooktacular Pumpkins & Planes event at the Aerospace Museum, offering a thrilling blend of aviation and Halloween fun for all ages. Visitors can enjoy interactive trick-or-treat stations, create their own necklaces, make gooey slime, build candy cane structures or challenge friends and family to a game of corn hole. Also, daring visitors can enter the haunted house themed Jolly Green Giant and

enjoy delicious Halloween snacks from the Old Crow Café. For tickets visit aerospaceca.org/product/pumpkinsand-planes-2024/.

Halloween Fun at Fairytale Town, Oct. 31 — Get ready for a fa-boo-lous Halloween at Fairytale Town, which kicks off the day with a notso-spooky dance party where visitors can show off their best dance moves. Then join a friendly scavenger hunt filled with fun surprises and, of course, trick-or-treat with lots of yummy treats, all from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s a day of laughter, costumes and sweet delights — perfect for all ages. For more information visit fairytaletown.org. Trick-or-treat at the Sacramento Children’s Museum, Oct. 31 — Calling all boos and ghouls, the community is encouraged to visit the Sacramento Children’s Museum for trick-or-treating, 10 a.m. to noon featuring multiple candy stations, outside play, art activities and more. Costume dress-up is highly encouraged. The event is free with the donation of a new or gently used children’s book. Capacity is limited and advance registration is required at sackids.org/trick-or-treat-at-scm.

Baseball exhibit showcases diversity in America’s pastime

Danielle Wood California Museum

SACRAMENTO — ¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas takes audiences on a journey into the heart of American baseball to understand the experiences of Latinas/os whose love for the game and incredible talent changed baseball and transformed American culture.

This bilingual California Museum exhibit from the Smithsonian features historical photos and artifacts from Latinx communities nationwide. The museum’s presentation includes historical relics used

thing about it.” He joined the county Cemetery Advisory Committee in 2014 and learned the myriad and complex reasons why the maintenance and restoration of old cemeteries is such a challenge.

“Its all about money,” he said. “People want to see these places better maintained but no one wants to pay for it.”

He co-founded Save the Graves with Andrew Vonderschmidt and Charlie Basham in 2019 to do something about it. Vonderschmidt and Basham had previously volunteered at a long-running theatrical fundraiser staged in a Long Beach Cemetery and set about replicating the formula here.

The inaugural event was staged during rolling PG&E blackouts, but was nonetheless fairly well attended and positively received. The first round of cemetery projects followed in 2020. Most were inexpensive DIY volunteer efforts. The first round of headstone repairs didn’t happen until 2022.

Since then, projects have included large volunteer headstone cleaning efforts, section/row signage, informational signage on notable cemetery “residents” and interesting cemetery lore, brush clearing, terrain improvements, road repairs, plumbing repairs, handrail installation and headstone straightening. Save the Graves partnered with Iron Workers Local 118 on a grand steel entryway arch in 2023 and sponsored the painting of all seven mausoleums this year, thanks to a grant from the Placerville Cannabis Community Benefit Fund.

A Veterans TOT grant funded several veteran projects this year:

• Identifying all the veterans graves in Union Cemetery — LDS volunteers looked up more than 5,000 names to confirm veterans status

• Cleaning hundreds of veteran headstones

• Straightening dozens of “leaners.”

• Ordering and placing headstones on the graves of veterans with no marker.

by California trailblazers, including a jersey worn by California Hall of Famer Fernando Valenzuela, Jaime Jarrín’s Dodgers playbook and Carmen Lujan’s Mercury Senoritas uniform, on loan from the Smithsonian and local collectors.

Baseball has been a social and cultural force within Latino and Latin American communities across the United States over the last century. It is more than simply a game; Latinas/os have celebrated their communities, made a living and challenged prejudice through baseball. Some used their talents to boost diplomacy around the world. Some offered humor and style from their home countries. Some symbolized the American dream, making it big and giving back in the United States and abroad. Those who

• Installing a memorial bench and rock overlooking Union cemetery’s historical Grand Army of the Republic section, which contains many Civil War veterans. In 2023 the work expanded to the historical El Dorado Cemetery, where dozens of veteran headstones have been cleaned, repaired and reset by volunteer Bryan McIntyre.

McIntyre has also repaired a dozen very early headstones at Placerville Old City Cemetery. Several were lying in pieces, often buried up to a foot underground. Anyone who would like to apprentice under McIntyre to learn conservation-grade headstone restoration and repair practices should contact info@ savethegraveseldorado.org. Applicants must be available to work short shifts mid-day, mid-week.

The headstone repair effort at Old City Cemetery is part of a partnership between Save the Graves and Placerville Emblem Club No. 287, which formally adopted the cemetery in 2023. They organized local volunteers to replace the old flagpole and build an attractive bench. The club also funded a thorough cemetery cleanup and worked with Save the Graves to get the headstones cleaned.

Save the Graves work in 2024 and 2025 is being funded by grants, donations, and the purchase of ads in the program for this unlikely theater event staged in an even more unlikely location.

When Young arrived in 2023, she immediately faced the challenge of staging a formal theatrical event and hosting several hundred visitors in a centuryand-a-half-old cemetery with no parking, no running water and exactly one electrical outlet.

“There are burials in the walkways, a moonscape terrain and squirrel holes large enough to house a wombat,” she said. “But we’ve got a dedicated team working on it … (It’s) also it’s incredibly beautiful in the early morning and late afternoon light.”

Stages have become more consolidated and centralized over the years. The 2024 edition has two main

Continued from B4 Contest

tomical accuracy and suitability for reproduction as a stamp and print.

The contest will be judged by a panel of experts in the fields of ornithology, conservation, art and printing. The winning artist will be selected during a judging event in December.

An upland game bird validation is required for hunting migratory and resident upland game birds in California. The money generated from stamp sales is dedicated to upland game bird-related conservation projects, education, hunting opportunities and out-

seized the opportunities afforded by this global game have changed American baseball and culture more broadly.

¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues takes audiences on a journey into the heart of American baseball to understand how generations of Latinas/ os have helped make the game what it is today. Their inspirational stories gesture toward larger themes in American history that connect all, on and off the diamond.

The Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition is on view Oct. 26 through Jan. 19, 2025, at California Museum, 1020 O St. in Sacramento. For more information visit californiamuseum.org/exhibitions/temporary/upcoming/pleibol.

stages on either side of a hilltop mausoleum structure which once housed a fountain. The audience will be seated among the graves. The cemetery is located at 650 Bee St. A third, less formal stage, will host an irreverent depiction of El Dorado County’s first female deputy sheriff, Lulu Cook, by actor Jan Le Pouvoir, who portrayed Suffragette Johanna Pinther Kane in past Save the Graves events.

Between performances, Roberts will discuss Save the Graves projects, the history of Placerville Union Cemetery, the transformation of Placerville Old City Cemetery and Victorian mourning, symbology and death practices.

Grants from El Dorado County, the Community Foundation and The Latrobe Fund, as well as generous donations from Placerville’s leading families and fraternals all helped finance this year’s event and set the stage for even greater accomplishments in 2025. Admission to the Save the Graves event is $15 for adults; kids 17 and younger get in free. Funds raised support the restoration, protection and celebration of El Dorado County’s rich legacy of historical cemeteries. For more information visit savethegraveseldorado. org. Save the Graves hosted several cemetery tours in 2024, with more to come in 2025. Sign up for announcements of tours and other events and work parties on the website.

reach. CDFW sells more than 150,000 upland game bird validations annually.

Any individual who purchases an upland game bird validation may request their free collectible stamp by visiting wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/collector-stamps. For collectors who do not purchase a hunting license or upland game bird validation, or for hunters who wish to purchase additional collectible stamps, an order form is also available on the website.

For contest information and entry forms visit wildlife.ca.gov/upland-game-bird-stamp.

Courtesy photo

Museum events throughout the month will entertain little ones eager to have some Halloween fun.

Best Contractor: Straight Line Construction

E. Durst Painting

Apple Bagels

Celebrating Your Winners!

Best Heating/AC: Gilmore Heating, Air & Plumbing

Address:

the greater Sacramento and El Dorado County area since 1979. In that time, the business has grown to more than 100 employees, all dedicated to the “Get More with Gilmore” motto that promises outstanding customer service. Gilmore provides more than just heating and air conditioning services, in 2016 the business expanded to include complete residential plumbing and drain services.

Best Sandwich

Best Private School: Golden Hills School

the best version of themselves children require the broadest possible set of opportunities delivered by fully accredited teaching professionals in small-group settings. Students participate in academic endeavors, athletics and the arts. Daily physical education, art, music, computer science and Spanish language instruction are integrated into the curriculum. GHS is the only International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program Candidate Private School in the area.

Ultimately, the team believes their eighth-graders graduate with a set of competencies that far exceed their typically excellent performance in standardized tests.

Best Pet Sitting: Bark to Barn

Phone: (530) 313-0048 Website: barktobarn.com

While working long hours and traveling for her previous job, Kelley Jensen realized there was a need for quality, caring pet sitters — someone, like herself, who holds a lifelong passion for animals. She opened Bark to Barn Farm and Pet Sitting in 2018 and oﬀers everything from daily, 30-minute drop-in visits to overnight care. From walking, mucking, milking and feeding, your dogs, cats, horses, chickens, goats and more will all be well taken care of. And for dogs that need a little more stimulation, doggie adventures are oﬀered with outings to a lake or the mountains. Whether you have farm animals or have a cat or dog that needs a visit or two, Kelley will be there.

Best Solar Company: Solar Savings Direct

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in El Dorado County, Solar Savings Direct oﬀers its services as far as the Bay Area, Chico and Lake Tahoe, specializing in residential, commercial and municipal solar and battery projects.

The team at Solar Savings Direct, including COO Jeremy Read, CEO Grant Gluck and CFO Jessica Gluck, helps homeowners cut out the middle man. “You can eliminate all those headaches and hassles by working with an installer directly,” said Grant. Give Solar Savings Direct a call today for a solar power system designed to suit your needs.

Rooﬁng: Nail It Rooﬁng

Brothers Aaron and Christopher Meyer entered the rooﬁng trade by working in all capacities — from laborer to superintendent, project manager and estimator.

This gives Nail It Roofing customer the advantage of accurate bids and expert management over all aspects of their projects. Nail It Roofing is committed to providing the best possible service with seasoned professionals using the highest-quality products to ensure customers are satisfied with the quality of service. Considering much of their business is obtained through word of mouth, that says a lot.

Best Bakery & Cakes: Yellow Button Bakery

Phone: (530) 676-1598

Website: yellowbuttonbakery @gmail.com

When you’re searching for delicious, gluten-free treats, look no further than Yellow Button Bakery. Owner and baker Brenda McDavid saw a need and decided to fill it. She launched her new bakery business out of her own kitchen. Customers can enjoy Brenda’s delicious gluten-free treats in several local haunts: Foxwood Coffee and Tea in Shingle Springs, Caffé Santoro in Diamond Springs and Sweet Pairings in Placerville. You can also meet her at the farmers market in front of the Bell Tower in Placerville, June through October. Brenda also offers dairy-free and vegan choices. “My favorite things to bake are your favorite things to eat.”