Prospecting
C a l i f o r n i a ’ s O l d e s t N e w s pa p e r – E s t. 18 51
A year-end sojourn. page 9
Monday, January 27, 2020
mtdemocrat.com
Volume 169 • Issue 11 | 75¢
District 1 race
Wayne Haug is fighting for open space Dylan Svoboda Staff writer
Democrat photo by Thomas Frey
Rochelle Lopez, the mother of 11-year-old Roman Lopez who was found dead Jan. 12 in what police are deeming “suspicious” circumstances, is surrounded by supporters and members of the community who came together for a candlelight vigil Thursday evening in downtown Placerville.
Candlelight vigil for Roman Lopez fills Courthouse steps Pat Lakey Staff writer
for a press conference to explain that the youth’s death was being The mother of an investigated as being 11-year-old boy who died “suspicious.” earlier this month under Rochelle Lopez, what Placerville police who with her sister have termed “suspicious” and mother flew to circumstances joined California Friday, Jan. more than 100 local 17, and reportedly left residents Thursday Placerville the following evening in prayer at the Friday to return home Courthouse on Main to Milwaukee, Wis., Roman Lopez Street, their glowing spoke briefly on the candles lighting the way toward hope. Courthouse steps during Thursday’s Hope that young Roman Anthony candlelight vigil, organized through Lopez’ soul is at rest, hope that social media. answers will be made clear as to how Rochelle thanked Placerville and the boy met his death, apparently the surrounding community for at a home at 2892 Coloma St. in gathering that evening, helping Placerville, earlier this month. her and her family get through an Police had issued a bulletin that unimaginably difficult time. “Your Roman was missing Saturday, Jan. 11, love and support mean more than then reported him “located” the next words can say.” day — then later that Sunday called The family in a prepared statement
said they are confident that law enforcement is doing what is needed in the case, thanking them as well. Family spokeswoman Kristin JabsEllenburg, who had not met Roman’s mother nor any other member of the family until she greeted them at the Sacramento airport upon their arrival just over a week ago, did much of the speaking during the evening. Jabs-Ellenburg said the Lopez family, apprehensive about dealing with the media and legal matters in California, had reached out on social media to try to find someone to help them through the ordeal. Her name kept coming up, she said. “I have some background in the legal field and once we got in touch, we talked a lot before they flew out here,” she said. “We just sort of clicked,” she added, speaking not only of Rochelle Lopez but of Roman’s n
See Vigil, page 5
El Dorado Hills attorney Wayne Haug has announced his candidacy for an El Dorado County Board of Supervisors Wayne Haug seat. He is running to represent District 1, which encompasses most of El Dorado Hills. As a county resident for more than 50 years and several years as a community powerbroker, Haug said it’s about time he jumps into a county supervisor race. One issue is far and away the top concern of the Haug campaign: further erosion of open space in El Dorado Hills. “Maintaining sufficient open space is my No. 1 priority right now,” he said. “Right now, we’re dealing with the Central El Dorado Hills Specific Plan that’ll hopefully be turned down by the board of supervisors.” The candidate is so dedicated to preserving undeveloped land that he’s promising to donate 100 percent of his supervisor salary to the EDH Promise Foundation for the preservation of open space in El Dorado Hills. Haug agrees something must be done about PG&E in light of recent power outages and traffic on Highway 50. But even with all the problems facing the region, he still circles back to overdevelopment. “El Dorado County faces many critical issues from catastrophic fires, power outages, overcrowded deteriorating roads, housing for working people of middle and low income, unfunded state mandates — the list can go on and on — but the main issue of my candidacy is to save open space,” he wrote in a statement to the Mountain Democrat. “Once it’s gone we won’t get it back.” He previously worked on the campaign of the man he’s trying to replace, Supervisor John Hidahl. Hidahl’s “unwillingness to stand up to developers” propelled Haug into the race to “keep him to his promises,” though he still thinks of the incumbent supervisor as a friend. And you won’t find evidence of the
Hundreds hold their candles high as the community gathers to mourn the death of the young Placerville boy on the steps of the downtown Courthouse.
n
See Haug, page 3
City of SLT OKs ‘56-acres’ agreement, looks at events center Laney Griffo Tahoe Daily Tribune SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — Discussions last week during an 11-hour South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting could lead to big changes for south shore. Frank Rush Jr., whose last meeting as city manager was Tuesday, Jan. 14, presented a project he’s spent the last year working on with El Dorado County. The “56-acres” agreement would give the city sole authority over 56 acres in South Lake Tahoe that includes the county library, campgrounds and recreation center; property that El Dorado County owns.
In exchange for the control the county would collect 50 percent of the net campground revenue, which would be about $200,000 to $250,000 annually and would allow the county to keep control of the library. Part of the city’s plans would include a new swimming pool, recreation center, senior center and government buildings, allowing city officials to be located within a more central location in the city. El Dorado County voted unanimously at their Jan. 14 supervisors meeting to support the agreement. The city council also voted unanimously for the agreement.
AFTER S TMA CHRIS ! SALE
The Tahoe Events center, depicted in an artist’s rendering, would be located on the northeast corner of the MontBleu Resort Casino and Spa property in South Lake Tahoe. The project would include an event lawn and a remodel of the MontBleu parking lot. Courtesy graphic
Rush hoped Harrison Avenue and the new proposed buildings could act as the “downtown” for South Lake Tahoe.
New events center Lew Feldman, a local attorney, gave a presentation to the council on the
proposed Tahoe South Events Center. If the project proceeds as n
See Events center, page 2
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