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171
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Mountain Democr mtdemocr at.com
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C ali forn ia’s Olde st Ne w spaper
Volume 171 • Issue 30 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Friday, March 11, 2022
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Courtesy photo
Motorists complied last year when patrol units were in place to enforce right-turn restrictions in South Lake Tahoe, according to Department of Transportation officials.
Tahoe’s no rightturn pilot program gets another go Bill Rozak Tahoe Daily Tribune SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved sanctioning the right-turn restriction pilot program in Meyers cut short last year due to the Caldor Fire. The board on Tuesday voted 5-0 to reenact the program that restricts right-hand turns from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays and holidays from Sawmill Road and North Upper Truckee Road onto Highway 50. The program will run May through October. The program last year was stopped Aug. 20 and El Dorado County Department of Transportation Director Rafael Martinez said his staff couldn’t finish gathering crucial data during the Labor Day holiday weekend in September. During its short stint last year the program was successful in that navigation applications were not re-routing travelers through residential neighborhoods to bypass traffic on the highway. District 5 Supervisor Sue Novasel credited Jeff Spencer, a longtime transportation planner who was in attendance, for spearheading the plan and also thanked Martinez and his staff for trying to solve a problem that “was very bad,” she said. The purpose of the pilot program is to evaluate whether tourist traffic can be safely routed on Highway 50 during peak weekend and holiday traffic periods, whether or not emergency vehicle response time is improved and if there are any other unforeseen issues that would be made worse by the proposed turn restrictions. District 1 Supervisor John Hidahl asked if the California Highway Patrol was again on board for enforcement. He said with enforcement he thinks the program can “be very favorable.” He also floated the idea of a traffic camera for enforcement. Martinez said CHP and the El Dorado County n
See Turn restrictions, page A9
Mountain Democrat photo by Sel Richard
Oak Ridge High School sophomores Gillian Miller, Katherine Rodman, Reagan Manning, Lauren Lallana and Connor Carlson protest racism in front of the El Dorado Hills school Wednesday.
Oak Ridge students take a stand against racism n Demonstrators call for school’s administration to take more action Mountain Democrat staff Oak Ridge High School’s lesson plans cover far more than math and science these days as students protest the racist rant of a fellow student during the Division 1 CIF NorCal girls soccer championship earlier this month. School officials, reviewing video and conducting student interviews, have identified the offending student and are taking appropriate action, according to a message shared with the community by Oak Ridge Principal Aaron Palm. The student’s name has not been released. Per Education Code 49073: “The superintendent or designee may limit or deny the release of specific categories of directory information to any public or private nonprofit organization based on his/ her determination of the best interest of district students.” “Whether done on purpose or out of ignorance, a monkey/ape noise being made while an African American athlete is attempting a shot is unacceptable,” Palm’s message reads. “This individual does not represent the values at Oak Ridge, the district or our community. We are
“It’s still going on and it doesn’t even have to necessarily be for racist motivations.” — Reagan Manning, Oak Ridge sophomore committed to creating a school environment that respects everyone and celebrates differences. “In light of this incident, we are going to need to reface and decide how to move forward from this,” his message concludes. This week students spoke up as well, hoping their voices would drown out the noises that put Oak Ridge in the negative spotlight. Many gathered in front of the school Tuesday to share the message that one person’s actions don’t define the student body. When Mountain Democrat stopped by campus Wednesday, a handful of students stood with signs and talked about the incident and what changes they hope to see at their school. “I don’t understand why Oak Ridge has so many people (who) don’t know why what n
See Protest, page 10
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Spring forward Mountain Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum
It’ll be time to set clocks one hour ahead Sunday, March 13, as daylight saving time begins and we spring forward like these daffodils popping up in bloom along the El Dorado Trail in El Dorado.
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