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171
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Volume 171 • Issue 22 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, February 21, 2022
Mountain Democrat file photo by Dan Burkhart
Stephen A. Tapson, attorney for the defense, was often seen cruising by the courthouse in downtown Placerville in his white Cadillac convertible.
Remembering respected public defender Tapson Eric Jaramishian Staff writer Photo courtesy of California State Parks
Longtime El Dorado County public defender Steve Tapson, 78, died Friday. Tapson was a man who earned the respect of the community with his penchant to conjure a fast quip, his nearly theatrical antics in the courtroom and his overall friendly nature to everyone he met. For his wife of 57 years Judy Tapson and his children Becky Silliman, 57, and Suzie Tapson, 55, he always seemed to be a light that could brighten anyone’s day both in the courtroom and the comfort of his own home. “I think he kind of understood that life and people were complicated and no matter how depraved some of the people he was dealing with were, he always looked for the good in everybody and
The new Gam Saan Trail in Coloma was officially opened Feb. 11 with a with a ceremony including a blessing of the 2.5-mile trail by Venerable Ru Hsian, a Buddhist monk from the Fo Guang Shan Bodhi Temple in Sacramento.
Gam Saan Trail
a tribute to Chinese forty-niners News release
C
OLOMA — California State Parks, the Locke Foundation and members of the Chinese American community recently celebrated the opening of the Gam Saan Trail that connects Hennigsen Lotus Park in Lotus with Marshall
Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma. Gam Saan, meaning gold mountain in Cantonese, was the historical name given to the gold fields of California by Chinese fortyniners and miners. “State Parks is honored to pay tribute to the Chinese miners who were a significant part of California’s
Gold Rush era that saw the greatest migration of people in the world,” said California State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “Through our Reexamining Our Past Initiative, the department continues to understand and n
See Gam Saan Trail, page A7
n
See Tapson, page A8
Rusty rebar adds to delays for Heritage Village Park Sel Richard Staff writer The new Heritage Village Park, a project beset by controversy and delays, faces another setback. “In reviewing the park deliverables … it appears as though rust is coming through the concrete on the courts and on some of the walkways,” PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
revealed El Dorado Hills Community Services District General Manager Kevin Loewen at last week’s EDHCSD Board of Directors meeting. “Rust from the rebar should not be coming through. It appears a re-pour would fix the item.” Loewen went on to express his disappointment. “Those are not easy fixes,” he said. “I am not apt to accept a substandard park, especially a park
that’s taken a ridiculous amount of time to build for a number of reasons, some of which are COVID-related.” Loewen also noted that upon pressure washing the concrete to see if the rust could be removed easily, paint began to peel off the tennis court surfacing.“The contractor, ELS, will have an opportunity to rectify any such n
Rust seeps through the concrete at Heritage Village Park south of Highway 50 in El Dorado Hills. A pressure wash effort to remove the rust didn’t work and also revealed deficient paint used on the tennis courts.
Mountain Democrat photo by Sel Richard
See Park, page A6
find our founders
Lessons on the slopes
Count the founding fathers for a chance to win a commemorative coin.
Program teaches youth how to tackle life’s challenges.
Details on A3
News, etc., B1
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