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Volume 171 • Issue 19 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, February 14, 2022
COVID-19 consultant is hired Eric Jaramishian Staff writer
Mountain Democrat photo by Eric Jaramishian
Friends of Julianna Abballo, the 14-year-old victim of a fatal hit-and-run along Carson Road in Camino, embrace each other in mourning for their lost friend at a vigil at Camino School Thursday evening.
Community mourns loss of Julianna’s joyful spirit
Eric Jaramishian Staff writer
I
t was an evening of remembrance and grieving for Camino community members who came together at a candlelight vigil for Julianna Abballo, the 14-year-old who was tragically killed in a hit-and-run last week. Held at Camino Elementary School on Snows Road Thursday, family, friends and classmates who knew Julianna came out to support the Abballo family. “We are going through every parent’s nightmare with this,” said Christian Abballo, father of Julianna, speaking to the crowd of supporters. Julianna’s life was taken Feb. 8 as
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she walked along Carson Road past Barkley Road in Camino. A Pollock Pines man, 23-year-old Anthony Smith, faces manslaughter and DUI charges related to the hit-and-run. Those at the vigil embraced as tears fell, mourning the tragic loss. “Let’s remember her for what she was. She wouldn’t want anyone to be sad,” Christian said. “The best thing for us to do to remember our daughter is to do the things she would want you to do — the first thing she would do is smile.” One of many of Julianna’s friends who also spoke at the vigil said she always thought of Julianna as “having a great big smile on her face.” “She was always so positive and loving,” she said. “Everyone always
“Let’s remember her for what she was. She wouldn’t want anyone to be sad.” — Christian Abballo, father of Julianna enjoyed her company and made everyone laugh.” Christian told mourners Julianna was a happy person, remembering her “goofy” laugh and how she “lit up the room” wherever she went. Her friends, longtime and new, described her as “full of joy,” fun-going and one of the sweetest individuals they ever met. n
See Vigil, page A8
El Dorado County will work on COVID-19 community recovery with a Texas-based health consulting company headed by Colleen Bridger, former San Antonio city manager and San Antonio Metropolitan Health District director. The consulting services will last through May 31, 2023. The county agreed to pay $248,864 from county coronavirus response and relief funds, which needs to be spent by May 2023. Bridger will work to understand the toll of the pandemic on county communities and develop a five-year recovery plan, with an emphasis on high-risk and underserved community populations. At Tuesday’s El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting, county program manager and epidemiologist Olivia ByronCooper said uncertainty in differences in how county subpopulations, varied by age and zip code, fare with any illness is a driving factor in contracting with Bridger. Byron-Cooper listed communities such as Georgetown, Somerset and South Lake Tahoe as areas of particular concern with health discrepancies. “We can use this funding to help us figure out why those differences exist and what we might be able to do about them,” Byron-Cooper told supervisors. Byron-Cooper said that Bridger’s work with rural counties and particular expertise in root/ cause analysis are the reasons Health and Human Services staff recommends her firm. “I would really like this consultant to lead us through a process involving all of our partners, the board and the public in figuring out what we can do as n
See Consultant, page A3
Volunteers needed for point-in-time count Mountain Democrat staff Volunteers are needed for a point-intime count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness in El Dorado County. An effort led by El Dorado County Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care, the count is planned for Feb. 23 on the West Slope and Feb. 24 in South Lake Tahoe. Point-in-time counts are taken from 5-7 a.m. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires each Continuum of Care nationwide to conduct the count to help determine future available state and federal funding to help support homeless people. In 2019 the count identified 613 homeless persons in El Dorado County, according to HUD
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data. The count includes people who on the night of the count are: Sheltered (living in emergency shelters or transitional housing) or Unsheltered (staying outdoors or places not designed for habitation including vehicles, streets, parks and abandoned buildings) According to the El Dorado County Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care point-in-time count informational website at sites.google.com/edcgov.us/2022-pitcount/home, the data gathered from the census shows not only how many people are homeless in El Dorado County but who is homeless and why. “The (point-in-time count) presents a great opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges our homeless citizens face, hear personal experiences from
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those experiencing homelessness and demonstrate the compassion and generosity of our community,” reads a statement posted to the website. Volunteers will conduct surveys of people experiencing homelessness either on paper or via an app on their mobile devices. Prior to the count volunteers will select a preferred region and sign up as a group or individual participant. Completion of online point-in-time count training is required for volunteers. The training includes information on how to engage vulnerable populations, basic information about the point-in-time count and homelessness in El Dorado County and how to complete surveys via a mobile app. A link to this training will be made available to all registered volunteers. To volunteer for the point-in-time count go to tinyurl.com/3tjh8w7w.
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