171
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Volume 171 • Issue 38 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Oak Ridge sanctioned following taunts Noel Stack Managing editor The California Interscholastic Federation has handed down punishment for an Oak Ridge High School student’s racist heckling at the March 5 Division 1 CIF NorCal girls soccer championship between ORHS and Buchanan High School. The Trojans took the title but loud, derogatory taunts from the student marred the team’s victory. The sanctions include: • ORHS is on probation for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year and through the 2023-24 school year. • During the probationary period, any post-season home girls varsity soccer match against Buchanan High
School will be hosted by Buchanan. • All school administrators, athletic directors, coaches and students must complete an annual sportsmanship workshop that includes a section on racial/cultural sensitivity training. • School administrators and athletic directors must complete game management training ahead of the spring 2022 CIF championships. • Administration from both schools are encouraged to develop a positive relationship between the school communities. • Oak Ridge must submit an action plan by Aug. 1 to the CIF that outlines how it will comply with the sanctions, but also outline other strategies it chooses to implement to avoid the repetition of the incident.
County seeks $28k overpay from former HR director
“It is now time for us to put listening into action.” — Aaron Palm, Oak Ridge High School principal
Principal Aaron Palm said the school will not appeal the CIF’s decision. “We’re accepting the sanctions,” he said. “We think these … are all doable.” Oak Ridge has created a coalition of teachers, students and parents tasked with educating students about racial/ cultural awareness and ensuring every student feels welcome and safe on the El Dorado Hills campus, Palm told the Mountain Democrat. The ORHS Trojans and BHS Bears, each ranked nationally in the top 10, played near-flawless soccer through regulation and overtime before heading into penalty kicks, tied 2-2, on
the Oak Ridge field. When the referee signaled for Buchanan Bears player Daisy Torres, who is Hispanic, to take her shot one person in the Trojans’ bleachers barked loudly like a dog before Torres missed over the goalpost. When Ciara Wilson, a Black player who scored both Bears’ goals in regulation, took her penalty kick, a spectator blared monkey noises. The head referee immediately huddled with two other officials before bringing in the Oak Ridge coaching n
See Sanctions, page A2
Main Street movie set
Eric Jaramishian Staff writer El Dorado County is seeking reimbursement from a former human resources director after she was mistakenly paid $28,149 for unused sick time on her final paycheck issued April 2, 2021. County Auditor-Controller Joe Harn said his office didn’t catch the mistake when cutting Tameka Usher’s last paycheck. Usher came on board in July 2017 and left El Dorado County in February 2021 for a human resources job with the city of Rocklin. Chief Administrative Officer Don Ashton said when a department head resigns before five years of service they are not entitled to any compensation of unused sick leave. After Usher’s resignation, an administrative technician completed a computation of final wages due form, which was reviewed by a fiscal manager, an agency chief fiscal officer and Usher herself before the payment was processed by the Auditor-Controller’s Office. “Ultimately, you can blame me,” Harn said. “I want the Board of Supervisors and the public to know about it. “I’m hoping the county aggressively seeks the reimbursement of this money.” “The law is very clear — if there is an overpayment on a check to a person, the public sector organization is required to collect that money,” Ashton told the Mountain Democrat. Ashton said the error was caught by current Human Resources Director Joseph Carruesco, who then notified Harn. “I think it was simply an oversight by everyone who looked at it,” Ashton said. “It is a big oversight and I don’t want to dismiss that, but it was an oversight.” The county’s chief financial officer called the former department head on Feb. 23, explaining the situation and requesting n
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Mountain Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum
This scene on the corner of Cedar Ravine Road and Main Street in downtown Placerville, above, caught the attention of passersby over the weekend. Not to worry though as the wreckage was not from an injury collision but rather a movie crew filming a scene involving a fiery crash. An ambulance sped down Main Street Thursday night, colliding with police cars staged in the parking lot of the old Inter County Title Co. building, right photo. Details of the movie are being kept under wraps but it is reportedly a horror film set at Christmastime, which explains the fake snow on the ground and Christmas lights and decorations put up around town. The producer, who was not named, said the movie is currently untitled, according to El Dorado County Film Commissioner Kathleen Dodge. A small independent company is producing the project that features new, young actors.
See Overpay, page A3
Photo courtesy of Steve Martinez/I Love Placerville Facebook page
Small water systems to get drought checkup Eric Jaramishian Staff writer As California continues to experience dire drought conditions, the El Dorado Water Agency is addressing the impact of water shortages on the county’s small water systems. It is conducting assessments on the systems to determine how they are affected and if they need maintenance or replacement, as part of the agency’s drought contingency plan for the West Slope. El Dorado Water Agency General Manager Kenneth Payne said it could take three to five years to complete assessments
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on the county’s small water systems, which service around 14,000 residents throughout the West Slope. That number goes up to 35,000 if secondary-home residents are included. “It’s a pretty significant amount of water connections that we have to address,” Payne said. Some of these areas include rural Georgetown, south county and others along Highway 50. More than 120 small water systems operate in the county, servicing anywhere from five to 100 units. A small water system serves anywhere from five to 14 service connections used by year-long residents. The assessments will cost around
$300,000 to conduct. Payne said the El Dorado Water Agency will apply for grants to offset assessment costs. No estimated costs were given for the maintenance or potential replacement of water systems found to be deficient. The agency, in coordination with the county, will continue to focus on seeking support funding for improving these systems while in compliance with new water system regulations. “There are some grants for small water systems but before these areas can apply for them we have to assess what the problems are and what they need,” Payne n
See checkup, page A3
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