Mountain Democrat, Friday, April 7, 2023

Hippity hoppity

Legislation would protect retardant amid litigation

n Lawsuit claims adverse habitat impacts, need for EPA permitting

Eric Jaramishian

writer

Staff

Representatives Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) have introduced a bill to Congress that would create Clean Water Act exemptions for federal, state and local firefighting agencies to continue using fire retardant to fight wildfires while its environmental impacts are considered in a federal lawsuit.

Fire retardant, which is dropped from firefighting aircraft onto forests, structures and grassland, is used to contain or slow the spread of wildfires, but its use is currently being challenged by the Forest Service Employees For Environmental Ethics in a lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service. The suit was filed Oct. 11, 2022, in the Federal District Court of Montana.

n See RetaRdant, page A8

City to fill gaps in Broadway sidewalks

Odin Rasco

Staff writer

After years of studies, surveys, discussions and paperwork, Broadway in Placerville is poised for improvements.

During its March 28 meeting Placerville City Council approved a resolution that will direct $1.9 million toward the Broadway Sidewalks Project. The project is intended to ease walkability of Broadway, closing gaps in sidewalks along Broadway between the Mosquito Road and Schnell School Road intersections and adding sidewalks along the greater portion of the north side of the street.

“This is a much-anticipated item to bring to the council, as it proceeds to put the Broadway sidewalks project into the construction phase,” City Engineer Rebecca Neves said in a report to the council.

Bidding on the project is expected to open April 27, and the bid is anticipated to be awarded at the May 23 council meeting. Neves said construction would likely begin sometime in June. The sidewalk

n See sidewalks page A9

Easter

hunting continues this weekend with hunts planned across the West Slope. On April 8 hunting begins at 9 a.m. at Promontoy Park in El Dorado Hills and at 9:30 a.m. at Lions Park in Placerville. Also on Saturday is a 10:30 a.m. hunt at Georgetown Park in Georgetown and at noon a hunt begins by the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park sawmill in Coloma. On April 9, Easter Sunday, a hunt is planned at Indian Creek School that begins at 1 p.m.

Children receive assistance from their parents and grandparents while gathering colorful plastic eggs containing goodies in the 5 and younger age zone at the CPCSD Easter egg hunt.

Katie Baldasano of Rescue, above, takes a family photo of her husband Kyle and daughters left to right Natalie, 5, and Maddison, 4, before the start of the Cameron Park Community Services District EggStreme Egg Hunt April 1 at Rasmussen Park. Sisters Bailee, 10, and Elaina, 5, of Cameron Park, right, have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny.

egg

Photos by Laurie Edwards

Obituaries on this page are written and paid for by the families or funeral homes. They are edited minimally by the Mountain Democrat. To submit an obituary, call (530) 622-1255, e-mail obits@mtdemocrat.net, fax (530) 344-5092, or visit mtdemocrat.com under “Submission Forms” at the bottom of the website. Include contact information with all submissions.

John Patrick Musholt

Aug. 9, 1958 – March 27, 2023

John Musholt was born and raised in Dobbins, Calif., and resided for many years in Pollock Pines, Calif. John worked in various areas of the logging industry for 46 years. He was also the proud owner/operator of JP Musholt Trucking. John was well respected in the community and known for his sense of humor and huge personality. He impacted many lives along the way. He loved nothing more in this world than his grandchildren and the time he spent with them and the memories they made.

He is proceeded in death by his Mother Elizabeth Musholt and his Father Patrick Musholt. His brothers Joseph Musholt, Raymond Landstedt & Edwin Driscoll. His sister Elizabeth Musholt & his nephew Randall Landstedt.

He is survived by his children Patrick Musholt and LaDonna Garrett. His siblings Danny Landstedt, Shirley Driscoll, Polly Bartlett, Peggy Beck & Patty Musholt.

His grandchildren Abigail Garrett, Joseph Troupe, Adeline Musholt, Ian Musholt, Summer Pinkston, Zachary Pinkston, Aaron Pinkston, Eric Hawkins & Kendra Hawkins.

His funeral will be held April 16th at 11 am at the Alcou e Community Center located at 9185 Marysville Rd., Oregon House, Calif.

Stanley Kubat

Stanley Roger Kubat, better known as “Stan the Man”, passed away at 60 years old on March 5, 2023. His celebration of life will be held on Monday June 19, 2023, in South Lake Tahoe. RSVP to stanleyrkubat@gmail. com

Stan was born on June 19, 1962, to Lorraine and Stephen Kubat. He graduated from Mater Dei High in 1980 and went on to own his own construction business, where he created beautiful masonry and lovely homes. He was a good businessman, but not a great businessman. His heart was too big to allow him to be that, always wanting to help his customers out by lowering his prices so much, he hardly made a profit. But that selflessness and giving nature was just one reason why he was so loved by so many. He was also courageous, manly, thoughtful, gentle, one of a kind and overall, hilarious. To spend time with Stan was to have a front row seat at your own comedy show. He was a wonderful brother, spending hours on the phone with his siblings anytime he could. He was also a doting husband to his late wife, Peggy Kubat, whom he adored until his last day. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www. danerimortuary.com and signing the guest book.

Barbara F. Russo

Sept. 25, 1930 – March 13, 2023

Barbara F. Russo passed away in the late evening of March 13 in Comfort Care at Marshall Hospital after su ering an incapacitating stroke. She was born in London, England on September 25, 1930 to Frances and Arthur Batchelor. She is preceded in death by her younger Brother Robert Batchelor, and is survived by her loving husband Frank P. Russo II of 55 years, four step children, eleven grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

When Barbara was a young girl the German Nazis bombed her family’s home fatally wounding her mother, while her father was a Sergeant Major in the British Army fighting in WWII, he was captured and held for 4 1/2 years in a Japanese Internment Camp. Barbara’s father was instrumental in the construction of the Bridge on the River Kwai and also survived the Bataan Death March of 1942. Barbara attended a British Girls Boarding School where she practiced Ballet, she was a long distance swimmer practicing to swim the English Channel, and became a professional diver and swimmer in a water show, training and performing with Johnny Weissmuller. She earned a Master’s Degree in Archaeology from Cambridge University, as well as becoming a licensed Certified Public Accountant. After graduating she traveled all over Europe and Morocco, then moved to Canada before moving to Santa Barbara, California, where she met the love of her life, they married in 1968, where they lived until moving to Placerville, California in 1978.

Barbara joined Placerville’s Shakespeare Club in 1991, was very active and committed within this organization, in fact she was just honored with the Lifetime Member Award last month after over 30 years of contributing and participating. There will be a private Celebration of Life held.

Christopher Jay Humphreys

March 27, 1963 - Feb. 8, 2023

Christopher Jay “C.J.” Humphreys passed away February 8, in Sacramento Calif., at the age of 59. To comfort and support him at his bedside, were his mother, daughters, partner and friends. C. J. was an organ donor. Before the family said their final goodbyes, a walk of honor was held in the hospital to recognize this compassionate act. The hall was lined with friends and sta , as his family walked one last time beside him. C. J. was able to save multiple lives with his generous donation.

Christopher was born in Sacramento March 27, 1963. In the early ‘70’s he and his family moved to Rescue, Calif., where he grew up, he attended school and was a volunteer firefighter. His family raised many farm animals and had large gardens. Though he liked the animals and helped with the chores; unless it had wheels and speed, he wasn’t too interested. He graduated from Ponderosa High School, class of ‘81 and went on to receive an AA degree from American River College in Auto Mechanics. He went on to follow that passion by becoming a well known and respected race car driver in Placerville, Calif. Apart from his love of racing, he was an incredibly creative hardworking man. A true jack of all trades and perfectionist. He had a long career with Rawles Engineering, over 20 years, where he ran big machinery and everything he touched was always done with care.

From 1989-2022 C. J. a ectionately known as the “Happy Camper”, in the #85 car, ranks number five in all-time winged 360 sprint car wins at the Placerville Speedway. He also holds the honor of being the original North vs. South Civil War Series Champion in 1991. C. J. was larger than life on and o the race track. He was loved by his fans — his love for them is what drove his desire and passion for the sport.

He was also a doting and gentle father, grandfather, son, friend and animal lover. He enjoyed a good conversation, helping others, and had the warmest smile. Both proud and humble, he will be deeply missed by many.

C. J. is survived by his Mother, Penny; his four daughters — Cassandra; Jacquelin; Anastasia; Peyton and his partner Vallean. A grandfather to five, he also leaves behind Soleil, Sylvie, Emalyn, Braelyn, and Daxton.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, May 5th at 11:00 a.m. at Green Valley Community Church o Missouri Flat Rd with food and refreshments to follow at Placerville Speedway. On Saturday May 6, there will be a memorial lap in his honor at the Speedway. Memorial shirts will be sold to benefit his daughters.

Irene Guinevere (Watkins) Ford

Feb. 22, 1927 – March 26, 2023

Irene G. Ford, 96, of El Dorado Hills, died Sunday, March 26, at home. Irene was the daughter of the late Henry C. P. Watkins and the late Irene Robertson Watkins. She was born in Fresno, where she grew up. She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in zoology from Fresno State College and a Master’s Degree in education from the University of Kansas in Lawrence. There she met her husband of 67 years, Robert Whittier Ford, who preceded her in death in 2017. She taught grade school in Claycomo, MO for several years. She and Robert moved to California where she took a break from teaching to start a family. When the children were older, she went back to teaching. She taught second grade for over twenty years for the Rescue School District, first at Rescue School in Rescue, then at Jackson School in El Dorado Hills, where she was one of the founding teachers. She was a long-time member of Journey Church in Folsom, where she sang alto in the choir for many years.

Irene was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Ford, brother, Henry Watkins, half-sister Westra Ingalls and half-brother, Mahlon Watkins. She is survived by her son Keith Ford (Patricia) of Los Gatos, daughter Rebecca Poole (Mark, late) of Ga ney, SC, and daughter Catherine Hack of Diamond Springs, as well as 15 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 16 at Journey Church, 450 Blue Ravine Rd, Folsom, Calif.

Segrid Laughlin

Salmon

July 30, 1933 – March 30, 2023

Segrid Laughlin Salmon, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother died March 30, 2023, in Placerville, California. She was 89 years old.

Segrid was born July 30, 1933, to Stanley Joe Laughlin and Olive May Foster Laughlin in Chanute, Kansas. She grew up in Prescott, Kansas and Ft. Scott Kansas, meeting her future husband, Harold (Sam) Salmon, when she was a 13-year-old freshman at Fort Scott High School. She was in a Spanish class with seniors and was so in awe of them she never spoke to anyone the entire year. After High School, Segrid worked various jobs, including in the o ces of the Kansas Ordnance Plant, a munitions factory located in Parsons, Kansas. While working there, Segrid and Sam carried on a long-distance courtship and in the summer of 1952, they were married at the old Methodist church in Hiattville, Kansas. Four children were born to them in ensuing years, as they moved from Hiattville to Newton, Kansas; Manhattan, Kansas; and Edmond, Oklahoma. Segrid was a devoted Mother to her children and stayed home to care for them, later working for several years in the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was deeply interested in genealogy and was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, National Society Colonial Dames, First Families of the Twin Territories (Oklahoma), and the Wing Family of America.

Segrid and Sam began spending winters in Oro Valley, AZ in 1995 and eventually retired there. Segrid enjoyed quilting, hiking, and exploring the Southwest. An avid sports fan, she enjoyed following Kansas State football and basketball, and Diamondbacks baseball for the 20 years they lived in Arizona, and then San Francisco Giants baseball after Sam and she moved to Placerville, Calif., in 2016.

Segrid was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Olive (Foster) Laughlin, and her dear husband of 70 years Harold Ross (Sam) Salmon. Her surviving family members, who will miss her dearly, include her brother Dan Laughlin (Jan), Mapleton, Kansas; four children and their spouses, Phyllis (Salmon) and Bryan Hunter of Lawrence, KS; Denise (Salmon) and Jim Brownlee of Surprise, AZ; Joe and Cyndy (Reno) Salmon of Placerville, CA; and Scott and Melissa (Scallan) Salmon of Tomball, TX; nine grandchildren, Erica Hunter, Nicole (Hunter) Jones, Dan Brownlee, Rebecca (Brownlee) McEfee, Billy Brownlee, Tom Salmon, Je Salmon, Melanie (Juneau) Luttrell, and Trevor Salmon; and 14 great-grandchildren. A private family celebration of Segrid’s life is planned for a later date.

Segrid was most of all a loving wife, mother and grandmother who was devoted to her family. She will be dearly missed by all of us.

Mountain Democrat

El Dorado Funeral & Cremation Services

obituarieS

Christopher Justin Hayes

June 25, 1975 – March 13, 2023

It is with heavy hearts that the family of Christopher Justin Hayes announces his passing on Monday, March 13 at the age of 47. A loving brother, friend, and father of three. Chris was born June 25, 1975 in Placerville to Samuel and Susan Hayes (Tripp). He was an accomplished artist who expressed himself through his art and tattoo work for the last 32 years up and down the west coast and Tennessee.

Chris had a passion for art, fishing and skateboarding to name a few. His career was spent creating personalized tattoo experiences around the world while immortalizing tattoo culture. He expressed himself through his artwork and did everything with all his heart. Chris had an enormous heart and an unfaltering love for all those he crossed paths with. He was known for his quick wit, his infectious smile, his laugh, and his kind and compassionate spirit. He was also known to have raised some hell from time to time.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents O’Neal and Sue Hayes and Don and Marilyn Ferguson. He is survived by his parents, Samuel Hayes Bismarck ND; Susan Tripp (Wesley) of Placerville; three children - Corbin; Eamon and Freya Hayes of Gualala; his siblings Melissa Lundin (Bismarck, ND); and Erin Rose (Covington, Tenn); Aunt - Jane Ferguson Meyers (Michael) (Pollock Pines, CA); Uncle - Joe Ferguson (Grizzly Flats, CA.); three nieces- Ieree and Mesa Lundin of Bismarck, and Olive Rose, Covington; and several cousins and close friends he called family.

Chris’s friends and family would like to personally thank the Hoopa Valley Community for their outpouring of love and endless support of Chris over the years. they would also like to extend their personal gratitude to Tim. They are forever grateful and their love is with you as his was with Chris.

TheGold Mine

Mark A. Villalta

Sept. 10, 1958 - March 26, 2023

He will be missed. Survived by daughter, Desiree, son Mark E and sister Taya.

Marlene Joy Van Winden

Dec. 30, 1934 - Feb. 24, 2023

Marlene Joy Van Winden, peacefully returned to the Lord’s care at the age of 88, the morning of Friday, February 24, 2023, in Sacramento Calif., surrounded by her loving family. Marlene was born to Walter and Maryan Lewis, December 30, 1934, in Oakland, California. She attended Saint Elizabeth’s High School, where she met her future husband, Arnold Paul Van Winden. They were married on September 12, 1953. In 1959, they moved to Lafayette, California and raised their five children. Marlene was a homemaker and helped Arnold with his wood shutter business, Van’s Shutter House and later for a short time at ARCO Wood Products. Marlene was very involved in community activities as her family was growing up. She volunteered as a school Room Mother, 4-H Leader, and was a member of the Native Daughters of the Golden West. Later, she entered the job market, working part time in sales at J C Penny’s and Emporium Capwell’s department stores. When her children were grown, she went to work full time for the Contra Costa County Office of Education. There she worked with special needs students as an assistant to the teacher in the classroom. She and Arnold retired in 2000, and moved to Diamond Springs, California. Marlene got right to work there volunteering at St. Patrick’s Upper Room, The Clothes Closet, and as a Eucharist Minister. Marlene also enjoyed gardening, traveling, cruising, and spending time with friends and family. In 2020, Marlene moved to Elk Grove, California to be closer to her family, while continuing to make new friends and lasting memories.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Maryan Lewis; her husband, Arnold Van Winden; her brother, Robert Jensen; and her sister Barbara Turner. She is survived by her children, Loretta, David, John, Allen, Arnold and three grandchildren, Jacob, Britany, and Troy.

A Rosary is scheduled for Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 5:00 pm at Chapel of the Pines, 2855 Cold Springs Road, Placerville, California.

A Funeral Mass will then be held on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at 11:00 am at St. Patrick Church, 3109 Sacramento Street, Placerville, California, 95667.

criMe log

The following was taken from Placerville Police Department’s records:

March 25

7:56 a.m. Officers arrested a 58-year-old man on suspicion of trespassing on Broadway. The suspect also had a warrant.

10:21 p.m. Officers arrested a 28-year-old man and a 29-yearold woman on suspicion of conspiracy to sell a controlled substance on Broadway.

March 26

3:58 a.m. Officers arrested a 27-year-old man on suspicion of drug-related offenses on Highway 50. The suspect also had a warrant.

6:59 a.m. Officers arrested a 32-year-old woman on suspicion of trespassing and possession of illegal drug paraphernalia on Stonecrest Court.

9:33 a.m. Officers arrested a 37-year-old woman on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance on Smith Flat Road.

3:01 p.m. A residential burglary was reported on Debbie Lane.

March 27

1:51 a.m. Officers arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of burglary on Sacramento Street.

2:54 a.m. Officers arrested a

The following was taken from El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office logs:

March 25

7:48 p.m. California Highway Patrol officers booked into jail a 43-year-old man suspected of DUI on Highway 50 at Ice House Road. He was later released.

9:52 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 40-year-old woman suspected of burglary on Missouri Flat Road in Placerville. She was listed in custody in lieu of $100,000 bail.

11:11 p.m. California Highway Patrol officers booked into jail a 38-year-old woman suspected of DUI on Cameron Park Drive in Cameron Park. She was listed in custody in lieu of $35,000 bail.

11:48 p.m. California Highway

37-year-old man who had a warrant on New Morning Court.

7:15 a.m. Officers arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of making criminal threats on Schnell School Road. The suspect also had a warrant.

9:14 a.m. Vandalism to a vehicle was reported on Middletown Road.

12:33 p.m. Officers arrested a 24-year-old man who allegedly sold alcohol to a minor on Broadway.

2:19 p.m. Officers arrested a 46-year-old woman who allegedly sold alcohol to a minor on Placerville Drive.

5:08 p.m. Officers arrested a 40-year-old woman who had a felony warrant on Grandview Street.

6:57 p.m. Shoplifting was reported at a store on Placerville Drive.

7:03 p.m. Officers arrested a 35-year-old woman on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance on Morrene Drive.

10 p.m. Officers cited a 31-yearold man and a 35-year-old man reportedly found in possession of a controlled substance and allege drug paraphernalia on Missouri Flat Road.

March 29

6:09 p.m. Officers arrested a 67-year-old man on suspicion of public intoxication on Fair Lane.

Patrol officers booked into jail a 33-year-old man suspected of DUI on Davidson Road in Placerville. He was later released.

March 26

12:38 a.m. Grand theft was reported on Red Hawk Parkway in Placerville.

5:21 a.m. Battery was reported on Red Hawk Parkway in Placerville.

8:01 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 65-year-old man suspected of a felony probation violation on Red Hawk Parkway in Placerville. He was later released.

1:19 p.m. Grand theft was reported on Wandering Way in Camino.

4:11 p.m. Burglary was reported at a business on Durock Road in Shingle Springs.

9:28 p.m. Battery was reported on Equus Way in Shingle Springs.

Guest Column

Republicans’ commitment to small business

The U.S. economy has shown tepid signs of improvement in recent months.

Inflation has moderated, though we are not yet out of the woods, and recently the unemployment rate dropped to its lowest level in decades.

But small businesses are still very much in the doldrums, according to two new surveys.

In January the National Federation of Independent Business released its most recent Small Business Optimism Index, which showed that small-business confidence has sunk steadily since June 2022.

Meanwhile, a Goldman Sachs survey published Feb. 6 also revealed a gloomy outlook. Of 1,838 small business owners from across the country, 70% gave the federal government a “C” grade or below for its e ectiveness in delivering smallbusiness support. Inflation remained among entrepreneurs’ top concerns.

Sound pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur policies matter to the success and survival of small businesses. That’s why it’s encouraging to see Republicans using their new House majority to lend these firms a helping hand.

From lessening costly government interference in small business operations to encouraging fair competition, policy action thus far has been focused on alleviating uncertainties and encouraging innovation and investment. For example, the House majority has advanced legislation to protect small businesses from IRS overreach and intrusive audits.

The Republican’s policy agenda, called the “Commitment to America,” includes an array of reforms and accountability measures that aim to further restore economic stability and growth. The plan works to address the current pain points of small business owners — including overregulation, regulatory threats and uncertainty with regard to important tax relief and incentives — while curbing the rampant government spending that’s been fueling inflation.

The Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act noted above would, among other things, cut tens of billions of dollars from the IRS budget over the next decade. Lawmakers are rightfully concerned that overfunding the agency would result in expanded targeting of the self-employed and small businesses, where burdensome audits impose greater hardships and stress on business owners — rather than the handful of billionaires the new funding is supposed to target.

The Commitment to America also pledges

■ See KERRIGAN, page A5

Guest Column

Letters to the Editor

Postal service

EDITOR:

Agold star for the local post o ce ... at least for now. I have done my share of billowing about the oh-so-poor mail delivery service on Big Cut Road the last several years and now I am pleased to say we are closing in on three consecutive weeks of mail delivery every day. Someone finally got their eye on the ball and I thank them. And, as my old pal Bill used to say: “All’s well that ends well.”

NICK TONE Placerville

Marco’s in Lotus

EDITOR:

Marco’s in Lotus is a very unique and special place to hang out on a warm summer night — a wonderful outdoor gathering spot for the community. People of all ages come together and enjoy the friendship, the good food and the most vibrant live music scene in the county.

I was shocked when I read the article in the Mountain Democrat on March 27 titled “Day the music died — Lotus property slips away from Marco’s owners.” What a loss, if it can’t be worked out.

KATHLEEN PARKER Placerville

Wake up call to parents

EDITOR:

First, let me state my acknowledgement that, for the most part, we have good schools and teachers in El Dorado County. At the same time, parents and family members don’t necessarily know what goes on in each classroom.

This is my call to action to stop a direct takeover of our school boards by the progressive socialist who call themselves Democrats. Those who proclaim to know “what is best for your children,” but also you (us).

It is time to stand up for parental rights at all levels of government. And everyone needs to be

fully aware of what has already been signed into law, along with that which is being proposed — all of which directly impacts our children’s schools, education and a child’s health and welfare.

The state Legislature has been under the total control of the Democrats/progressives since 1997, whose campaign co ers are funded in the millions by the CA Teachers Association and also American Federation of Teachers, whose President Randi Weingarten is paid a whopping $564,236 annually. Nationally in 2020 the AFT donated $43,460,966 to political campaigns, with 99% going to Democrats and 1% to Republicans and others. Weingarten was instrumental in convincing the Biden administration and the Centers for Disease Control to keep schools shut down longer than needed be and pushed for mask mandates; this has left our school children with learning losses and mental health issues.

Here are some of the titles of books that are found in American school libraries the left have no problem with. First for toddlers and kindergartners are “Sparkle Boy” and “Call Me Max” and for elementary, “Gender Queer.” By the way, some of the language and illustrations cannot be shown or read on TV news stations.

We cannot lose this generation of children and one thing I know ... parents love their children and will do all in their power to save and protect the heart, soul and mind of their child. This is not a partisan issue. Protecting and loving their children crosses all racial, cultural, religious, gender and party lines. We have to come together and fight those whose agenda for America’s children is “Dumb ‘Em Down and Drug ‘Em up!”

Take action today. Call the members of the Assembly Committee of Education. Speak up and let them know we are the taxpayers, the parents, the local citizens who are directly invested in the lives of our communities’ children and our schools. We decide who the decision makers are to be seated on our school boards. And please people, drive it home in yours and others heads — the government does not fund schools; we do. Remind them as well, that as Assembly members their seats are all up for election next year.

TERRY GHERARDI Cameron

Sitting VP charged with murder and tried for treason

What does not come to mind when you hear the name of Aaron Burr is that he was a hero of the American Revolution, a Founding Father of America, an attorney general of New York and senator from New York. It is rarely noted that in 1800 Burr won the highest number of electoral votes in the presidential Election, tied with Thomas Je erson at 73-73, and only losing after 35 votes in the House of Representatives.

Burr is probably most remembered for having fired the shot that killed Alexander Hamilton in an illegal duel in 1804. Hamilton played a dramatic role in breaking the tie in the 1800 election run-o . For Burr, the duel settled that grievance.

Sadly, Burr’s mark in history carries the tainted distinction for being the subject of the “Trial of the Century” in which he was placed on trial for treason by his former running mate, Thomas Je erson. Burr’s legacy firmly rests in being remembered as a murderer of the gentleman on our $10 bill and as America’s first insurrectionist.

Naturally, after the duel, Burr

was out of favor in the political world of the Capitol. All too soon, the sitting vice president faced charges for murder in two states, New York and New Jersey. It is easy to understand why Burr headed south to Georgia where some of his attorney friends were able to get the charges of murder dismissed, even though dueling and murder were clearly illegal. Subsequently, Burr returned to Washington, D.C., and finished his term.

Shortly after leaving o ce, Burr developed a scheme to allegedly seize part of the Louisiana Territory and likely even part of Spanish Territory, including Texas, California and New Mexico. Some argue his eyes were only on land outside the U.S., just Texas and Mexico. His main conspirator was Gen. James Wilkinson (commander of U.S. forces in the southwest and military governor of Louisiana). Many settlers in those territories were sympathetic to the cause because they were troubled with Spanish rule.

Eventually, a well-armed militia of several hundred men was formed and headed toward Louisiana to establish

the new empire, presumably with Burr as emperor. Wilkinson turned on Burr and relayed information about Burr’s plans to President Je erson. Je erson became furious and had Burr charged for his intention to raise war and rebellion against the United States. He was additionally indicted for the violation of the Neutrality Act for his seditious outreaches to both Britain and Spain. In 1807 Burr was arrested in the Mississippi Territory (Alabama today) and brought to Virginia for trial.

The case was assigned to the U.S. Circuit Court of Virginia. President Je erson’s political rival, Supreme Court Justice James Marshall, presided over cases in this district. Je erson played a major role in the prosecution of the case.

Burr’s trial set precedents that firmly established the separation of powers between the Judiciary and Executive branches of government — the powerful role of the court to interpret the Constitution and every American’s right to due process. A precedent-setting moment in the trial took place when Je erson was

subpoenaed to provide documents, establishing that a president could be subpoenaed.

Marshall insisted on a strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution’s section on treason. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. — Article III, Section 3, Clause 1, Treason

In addition, Marshall limited the testimony that could be submitted as evidence. The prosecution therefore could not provide “two witnesses” to the covert action. Consequently, the jury’s verdict was “not guilty,” to President Je erson’s dismay.

Burr was able to keep questionable evidence from being submitted in the trial. One item was a cipher letter allegedly authored by Burr that was sent by Gen. Wilkinson to Je erson.

■ See SABATO page A5

Park

... Burr headed south to Georgia where some of his attorney friends were able to get the charges of murder dismissed, even though dueling and murder were clearly illegal.

GEORGE SABATO

KAREN KERRIGAN

It was not an original document but one that was “deciphered” by the general. It outlined the plot and led Jefferson to bring charges of treason against Burr. Years later, it was revealed at the time Wilkinson was a spy for Spain. Did Wilkinson set up Burr to distract attention from his activities? The “lack of evidence” admitted in the trial that Burr’s plans included U.S. territories was a contributing factor to Marshall finding Burr “not guilty.” Burr was freed, but his reputation was irreparably damaged.

At this point in time we should remember Burr almost became the third president of the United States. If Burr had successfully politically maneuvered to get one more vote than Jefferson in the House of Representatives he would have won. If Jefferson had died during his first term in office, Burr would have succeeded to the office of president to be the fourth president of the United States. Some speculate he may have been the next person elected president following Jefferson, if Jefferson had not had him arrested and tried for treason.

A question has arisen in modern time as to whether or not a sitting president could be charged and tried for a criminal offense. Well, in the case of Burr, a sitting vice president was charged with murder. Is that precedent enough to establish any member of the Executive branch is as subject to the law as any American citizen?

While Burr escaped conviction of the murder of Hamilton and then conviction of treason, Jefferson’s

public statements about the defendant had already permanently branded Burr a traitor. After the trial, Burr fled the country to Europe only later to return under an assumed name. To this day, Burr’s record of being a Revolutionary War hero, a successful businessman and politician and the former vice president are all but forgotten.

Another look at Burr could redeem his reputation by looking beyond his duel with Hamilton and his trial for treason. As a New York assemblyman, he introduced legislation to abolish slavery. He founded a bank that eventually became JPMorgan Chase & Co. As a U.S. senator from New York he helped Tennessee become a state. The victory of Jefferson came about in part because Burr weaponized the political machine of Tammany Hall to win New York’s electoral votes.

There is no doubt Burr left his mark on the pages of American history and most recently on the Broadway musical, “Hamilton.” In the end, unfortunately, it appears Burr stands “guilty” in the court of public opinion to this day.

This episode in American history reveals how the new nation in its formative days was plagued by partisan rivalries and their influence on the government of the American people. In his farewell speech on Sept. 14, 1796, President George Washington warned of the dangers of the rise of political parties whom he felt would accumulate and use power for their own interests at the expense of the will of the people. The shadow of this warning

hangs over our nation to this day.

George F. Sabato is the program author of Savvas Learning Company’s “myWorld Interactive World History” and “myWorld Interactive Geography,” grades six and seven, a national social studies program adopted by the California Board of Education. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stanford University and was twice a Fulbright Scholar. He is a past president of the California Council for the Social Studies and currently president of Sierra Community Access Television. Find educational material related to this column’s topic and others at sites.google.com/site/ mrsabatosite.

Kerrigan Continued from A4 greater investments in protecting American companies’ data security. Cybersecurity is a major priority — in a survey conducted by my organization, the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, roughly two-thirds of respondents said they want Congress to focus on this issue. And for good reason. The typical worker at a small business receives 350% more phishing and other social engineering attacks than a worker at a larger corporation.

House Republicans are also working to support the U.S. life-science industry, where small-tomedium-sized entities employ over 70% of the more than 1.8 million workers. As part of the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats pushed through drug price controls for Medicare. If allowed to stand, these market distortions will undermine critical research and development at biotech firms and put some of them out of business.

While it will be difficult for House Republicans to completely reverse these price controls given Democrats control the Senate and the presidency, they can lay the groundwork to repeal this misguided law.

House Republicans are off to a good start in 2023 and entrepreneurs are counting on their success to see these commitments through to pave the way for a more stable economic environment in the months and years ahead.

Karen Kerrigan is president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.

Announcements

AL-ANON is here for you if you are bothered by someone else’s drinking. Call for meeting times. (916) 334-2970. https://sacal-anon.blogspot.com

AmericAN AssOc. Of UNiversity WOmeN Foothills of EDC Branch. Our mission is to advance gender equity for women & girls. Science and Math Camp Scholarships, programs & interest groups.

Leave voicemail for Laurel (530) 417-7737 or Sara (530) 417-7138 eldorado-ca.aauw.net

el DOrADO cOUNty AmAteUr rADiO cLUB Dedicated to all aspects of ham radio. Meetings held on the third Tuesday of each month at the El Dorado Sheriff’s office, 200 Industrial Drive, Placerville, 6:30 pm. Visitors and non-hams welcome. Info at www.edcarc.net

LeArN & PLAy criBBAGe Cribbage is a fun, fast paced game that will surely keep you on your toes! **All skill levels **Learn to play by ACC Rules (American Cribbage Congress) **Beginner instruction available **Compete in weekly Cribbage tournaments. Call 916-768-4452 for more information. Gold Country Cribbers play Wednesday afternoon 4:30 pm at the Moni Gilmore Sr Center, 990 Lassen Lane, El Dorado Hills, CA. 95762

Ready for real change?

ceLeBrAte recOvery meets

Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm at Bayside Church of Placerville, 4602 Missouri Flat Road, Placerville. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. We are a Christ centered recovery program to find healing and recovery from our hurts, habits, and hangups. Email elebratercovery@ baysideplacerville. com. Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/ CRBaysidePlacerville.

Struggling with life? ceLeBrAte recOvery is for any Hurt, Habit or Hang-up. We are a faith-based

recovery program for life’s issues and struggles. Join us Thursday nights at 6:30pm at Green Valley Church, 3500 Green Valley Rd, Placerville. Doors open at 6:15pm. Children’s programs are available for ages 3 months to 18 years old. Email: celebrate@ greenvalley.church. Find us on Facebook: https://m.facebook. com/crgvcc/ DemOcrAts – Come meet with the United Democrats of El Dorado County at Round Table Pizza–Missouri Flat Rd. in Placerville at noon on the 3rd Thursday of the month. Call (530)391-6414 or see edcdems. org for more information.

GOLD rUsH cHOrUs now welcomes both men and women to share the joy of singing fourpart harmony in the barbershop style. To learn more or to book a performance, call Howard at (530) 647-6513 or Kent (530) 651-3575

Hangtown Women’s teNNis club. Join fun-loving women Wednesdays 9am-11am at El Dorado High School. Lessons, social events, only $50/year. Call Cindy 805-540-8654.

seNiOr Peer cOUNseLiNG Seniors 55 and over who are grieving, depressed or having issues related to aging can meet one-on-one with a caring senior, professionally supervised and trained to listen and encourage. Call (530)6216304 to leave a message and get started.

tAxPAyers AssOciAtiON Of eL DOrADO cOUNty

Our mission is to educate the public on tax issues that affect them. Our meetings are held every Monday morning from 7:30 to 8:30 at Denny’s Restaurant, Fair Lane Drive, Placerville. Meetings are open to the public except the first Monday of each month. For more information call Louis (530) 622-6763. We are a nonpartisan organization

Alaska from 2002-04 and as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in 2002. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Northeastern University School of Law. She is registered without party preference.

Eric Jaramishian

Staff writer

El Dorado County is adding $275,000 to its 2022-23 facilities capital work plan for emergency repairs to the Veterans Memorial Building in Placerville after it sustained winter storm damage.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a money transfer from risk insurance and accumulative capital overlay funds. The entire bottom floor of the building was flooded and $300,000 was requested for the rebuild, according to county spokesperson Carla Hass.

Drainage issues in the parking lot caused water to pool after heavy precipitation hit New Year’s Eve day. Water seeped into the first floor of the building, causing damage and prompting staff to cancel events for a

month, the Mountain Democrat previously reported.

The damage is classified as category 3 water damage, meaning action is needed to mitigate serious health risks. The bottom floor of the Veterans

Memorial Building will remain closed until the rebuild is complete. The county is currently filing an insurance claim for the flood damage, Hass noted. The deductible will be covered by accumulative capital overlay funds.

High, fast rivers and streams anticipated this spring

News release

SACRAMENTO — California

State Parks’ Division of Boating and Waterways, the Department of Water Resources and Cal Fire are urging the public to take extra precautions and to be aware of cold-water dangers this spring to avoid a tragedy.

Record snowpack is causing rising river and stream flow levels not seen in years. The eventual spring warm-up will

bring fast flows and cold temperatures when all that snow starts to melt. All Californians are being encouraged to wait until summer to recreate in the water, when conditions are safer.

“After successive low-water drought years, it is imperative that Californians understand water safety in and around rivers, streams, lakes and Sierra reservoirs,” states State Parks Director Armando Quintero in a news release. “As the temperature rises, snowmelt-

fed waterways can quickly induce incapacitating cold-water shock to even the strongest swimmers. We encourage everyone to follow the advice of public safety officials and avoid entering waterways if asked to do so.”

“California has one of the largest snowpacks on record,” notes DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “As this snowpack melts in the coming months, the waterways will be especially cold, fast and running higher than normal.

Be aware of fluctuating water levels. We want everyone to always make safety a top priority when recreating.”

“This year is very different from the last several years, in that the excessive snowpack and rain will continue to create challenges for us in the weeks and months ahead. Rising water levels in rivers and streams will be very cold, very fast and can easily overwhelm n See RiveRs page A9

LeaNNe Mayberry Courtesy photo

The parking lot at the Veterans Memorial building on Placerville Drive flooded with water entering the building’s ground floor.

COMiCS

The Easter Eggstravaganza at Placerville Speedway will

winged 360 sprint cars, pure stocks and mini trucks, as well as the Nor-Cal Dwarf Car Association.

Drivers on the hunt for Easter wins at Speedway

Gary

Thomas

Placerville Speedway

Fast and furious championship

auto racing rumbles into Placerville

Speedway this Saturday as the El Dorado County Fairgrounds bullring entertains with an action-packed Easter Eggstravaganza.

“We know that Easter is often a time when families get together and it’s been a long-standing tradition to have a race on Easter weekend here at the track,” commented Placerville Speedway Promoter Scott Russell. “I think we’ve had a solid start to the season with our first two shows and hopefully that continues Saturday. As always, we encourage everyone to please bring a friend or somebody new that’s never experienced dirt track racing.”

This Saturday’s Easter Eggstravaganza showcases winged 360 sprint cars, pure stocks, mini trucks and dwarf cars. The second championship point race of the year marks the start of a busy stretch on the red clay, with the 20th Tribute to Al Hinds convening at the track next week.

The Easter weekend spectacle will be the 2023 debut for both the mini trucks and the colorful coupes of the Nor-Cal Dwarf Car Association. Purchase tickets online at bit.ly/ SpeedwayEaster or at the gate on race day.

Placerville’s Speedway’s dancing

Easter Bunny will be on hand for photos during the night and there will be a raffle for $100 gift cards to Adrian Blanco Jewelry in Folsom.

This Saturday’s happy hour entertainment will feature live music by the band Mix Up from 4-6 p.m.

The pit gate will open at noon, with the front gate opening at 3 p.m.

The Placerville Speedway is located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville. For more information on Placerville Speedway log onto placervillespeedway.com

SPEEDwAy SCHEDULE

April 15: Winged 360 sprint cars, limited late models, pure stocks and Bay Cities Racing Association Lightning Sprints | Tribute to Al Hinds

April 22: Tri-State Pro Stock Series, limited late models, pure stocks, mini trucks and vintage hard tops | Tilford Tribute

Complete

Solutions

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Today’s organization will lead to tomorrow’s action. Make your list. Even if you don’t cross anything off it yet, just having the organizational tool will ensure that eventually your efforts will add up to something satisfyingly substantial.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The best way to get the job done is through teamwork. It will involve some amount of taking turns. But if you’re constantly having to dim your light so another person can shine, you might be in the wrong constellation.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There’s hardly a situation that can’t be improved by a dose of levity. Playfulness counteracts stress and keeps you healthy for the challenges ahead.

Spend time with goofballs, sillies and children of all ages.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). What’s the difference between a shelter and a cage? Access to an unlocked door. You’ll check for such a door. Maybe you don’t want to use it, but knowing it’s there is the difference between feeling protected and being kept.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). People often blame others for qualities they notice and dislike in themselves, which is why people rarely look powerful while calling out an accusation. While there are certainly instances that call for justice, many minor infringements are best ignored.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Consider why you feel the need to take control of the situation. Does it actually require your intervention or are you trying to prove something? Could it go safely on without you? Is it worth your attention? These are all questions only you can answer.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll labor on. Some admire you for your work ethic. Others sympathize, as it seems you do more than your fair share. If they knew the satisfaction you found in your work, they would be jealous.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). It’s flattering when someone wants you all to themselves, but you’ll be happier when you give your attention to many. So, avoid social monopolies and be as inclusive as possible. Collect friends and influences. You’ll learn best from a diverse group.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’ll get in touch with your own preferences. Taste is knowing what you like and why. The “why” part helps you find more to fit the criteria, which adds up to not only having taste, but also having style.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You care about what your friend cares about. Maybe you have no genuine interest beyond the fact that it matters to your friend; this is what selfless support looks like. Don’t just give it; make sure you get it, too.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You sense things and pretend you didn’t. It’s often the polite and gentle thing to do. Feelings are a kind of territory. It takes experience, maturity and a lot of paying attention to honor invisible boundaries. Good for you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Though you often know the right thing to say in a moment, you more often recognize where the silence goes. You’re not afraid to let the pause linger. There’s power in space. Without it there is no resonance, no ringing, no echo.

n SHOE by Jeff MacNelly

n TUNDRA by Chad Carpenter

n RUBES by Leigh Rubin

n SPEED BUMP by Dave Coverly

Photo courtesy of D&P Photos and Tim Holland Photography

feature

2023-2024

School Enrollment has Started!

Mother Lode Union School District is enrolling students in Transitional Kindergarten through Eighth Grade.

Please contact our school offices for more information:

Indian Creek Elementary TK-4 (530) 626-9695

Herbert Green Middle 5-8 (530) 622-4668

Is your child 4 years old?

He or she may be eligible for our Transitional Kindergarten program. Contact Indian Creek Elementary to get more information.

El Dorado County Resource Advisory Committee to meet

USDA Forest Service

The El Dorado County Resource Advisory Committee, authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act and in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, will hold an in-person administrative meeting with a virtual option Wednesday, April 12, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in the Pyramid Room at the Eldorado National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 100 Forni Road, Placerville, CA 95667. The virtual meeting option will be held via Microsoft Teams.

The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the U.S. Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with Title II of the Secure Rural

Schools legislation, as well as make recommendations on recreation fee proposals for sites on the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit within El Dorado County, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

To attend the meeting via internet or phone go to bit.ly/RACApril12 or call +1 202-650-0123, 17199720# (conference ID: 171 997 20#). Meeting details can also be found on the RAC website at bit. ly/EldoradoRAC.

The agenda for the upcoming RAC meeting is as follows: introduce RAC members and forest staff; discuss RAC projects and program updates; and discuss recruitment strategies for RAC membership vacancies.

Written and oral public comments

Retardant Continued from A1

The suit claims more than 761,282 gallons of retardant were discharged into national forest waters between 2012 and 2019. The Forest Service reported using nearly 23 million gallons of retardant nationwide in 2021.

FSEEE’s suit argues such retardant, used more frequently in fire seasons seeing larger fires, is a pollutant due to its inorganic fertilizers such as ammonium phosphate or inorganic salts and not in line with the Clean Water Act.

Whether you are going away for the weekend, an extended vacation, or it’s just another day at the of ce, Bark to Barn Pet & Farm Sitting will be there to feed, walk, play and scratch on your pets - both the inside kids & the barn critters! The bonus for you is the absolute peace of mind knowing that your pet family is receiving plenty of love, care & attention while you’re away.

SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE! WONDERFUL UPDATES, ATTENTION TO DETAIL, AND KNOWLEDGE OF MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES MAKE THIS SERVICE SECOND TO NONE. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

VERY PROFESSIONAL AND ATTENTIVE, KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT DOGS, COMMUNICATIVE; WE GOT DAILY UPDATES AND PICTURES; WE COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR MORE. WHAT A BLESSING TO HAVE SOMEONE TO TRUST YOUR PETS AND HOME WITH.

Studies and reports show the firefighting tool could have adverse effects to habitat. The Forest Service conducted an environmental impact study in 2011 that found retardant was a high risk to rodents, insects and amphibians and can affect water quality in ponds and pools without flowing water and no chance of dilution, leading to excessive nutrient production and causing algae to flourish and starve water of oxygen.

Other adverse affects found the ammonia in retardant damages organs and gills in aquatic life and can affect their reproduction success in addition to being fatal. Retardant is also known to cause invasive plant species to grow faster than native plant species, which can lead to more wildfire fuel in the dry summer season.

The Clean Water Act regulates discharges of pollutants into U.S. waters.

FSEEE maintains a National Pollutant Discharge System permit from the Environmental Protection Agency is needed to drop retardant near waters.

The office of LaMalfa claims it could take years before such a permit

WE’LL BE BACK!

KELLEY IS A GENUINELY KIND AND TRUSTWORTHY PERSON, AND WE SLEEP WELL KNOWING THAT SOMEONE OF HIGH INTEGRITY IS IN OUR HOME.

FINDING SOMEONE YOU CAN TRUST WHO’LL HAVE YOUR ANIMALS’ BEST INTEREST IN MIND IS HARD, BUT KELLEY WAS VERY ORGANIZED, KEPT ME UPDATED, AND I HAD FULL CONFIDENCE ALL OF MY ANIMALS WERE WELL LOOKED AFTER.

n See RAC page A9

is granted, the reason why the Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act of 2023 was created.

“If the injunction is granted and fire retardant is not available for use in the year 2023 fire year, firefighters and individuals living in forested areas would be in peril, millions of acres of forested land would be in danger and billions of dollars of infrastructure would be at risk,” states a press release from LaMalfa’s office.

The bill was introduced to Congress March 14. Representative Kevin Kiley (R–CA), along with 23 other members of congress, joined LaMalfa and Panetta in supporting the legislation.

“Firefighters must have every tool available to fight California’s catastrophic wildfires and save our towns and forests from destruction,” reads a statement from Kiley. “Fire retardant is a vital and lifesaving component of those efforts and I am proud to join my colleagues in ensuring fire retardant is available to the firefighters depending upon it to protect our communities.”

Other sponsors of the bill include Dan Newhouse (R-WA), John Duarte (R-CA), Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Tom McClintock (R-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Austin Scott (R-GA), Amata Radewagen (R-AS), Troy Nehls (R-TX), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Young Kim (R-CA), Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Blake Moore (R-UT), Burgess Owens (R-UT), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Trent Kelly (R-MS), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Mary Miller (R-IL), Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Jim Costa (D-CA) and Harriet Hageman (R-WY).

Rattlesnake Avoidance For Dogs

April 29–30, 2023

June 24–25, 2023 All sessions are full.

Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco

A Doug Veerkamp General Engineering crew began work Wednesday to repair damage to the storm drainage system and fill a sinkhole that opened up next to Placerville Drive during heavy rainfall in early January. Placerville City Council apportioned close to $50,000 to go toward the repairs in January.

project will also improve and repair gutters and storm drains in addition to water system work. $1.5 million of the funds for the project come from federal grants and aid. Additional funds of as much as $750,000 may come from the Vulnerable Road Users apportionment, which will be discussed when the bid is awarded.

“These projects, they take so long so I am really excited to see this come to fruition,” said Councilmember Jackie Neau.

The Broadway Maintenance Project, an undertaking that will act as a complement to the Broadway Sidewalks Project, was also given the go-ahead by the council, with just shy of $350,000 approved to go toward its budget.

The maintenance project includes:

• Utility relocation

• Replacement of water distribution systems, storm drains and sewer collection facilities

• Repaving the road

RAC

Continued from A8

will be accepted from anyone wishing to provide them.

Anyone wishing to make oral comments during the meeting must pre-register by April 10 for a speaker slot of three minutes or less. Written comments must be received by April 10 to be considered by the committee prior to the meeting but can be submitted after this date. Written comments can be sent by email or regular mail with email being preferred.

Written comments and registering to provide oral comments during the meeting should be directed to El Dorado County RAC Coordinator Michelle Wolfgang at michelle. wolfgang@usda.gov or by mail to Eldorado National Forest, 100 Forni Road, Placerville, (805) 588-8675.

All comments, including names and addresses when provided, are placed in the record and are available for public inspection and copying. The public may inspect comments received upon request.

Rivers Continued from A6

those that aren’t prepared or don’t heed warnings,” adds Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler.

“Our teams will continue to focus on localized flooding risks, potential for major flooding, water rescues and our operational capabilities to support our communities moving into the spring and summer months.”

All three departments hope to educate not only regular water enthusiasts but occasional visitors to high, fast-running waterways who may venture near the edge to test the water or take selfies. Just one slip or unwatched child can become a devastating drowning statistic.

Here are some key safety points to know before heading outdoors:

Plan ahead

• Prior to leaving home, check the status of the park unit you want to visit to find out what restrictions and guidelines are in place.

• Know your GPS coordinates so you can provide your location in case of emergency.

• Alert someone where you are going and your expected return time. Be sure to let them know when you return safely.

Know the water

• Do not enter cold, fastrunning water. It can be dangerous not only to you but also for first responders.

• Many unseen obstacles can be lurking below the water’s surface — this is especially the case with this year’s expected high runoff following low water years. Drought-stricken forests and storm-driven landslides have filled rivers with submerged trees and rocks. Swift water can make these obstacles even more treacherous.

• Sudden immersion in cold water can stimulate the “gasp reflex,” causing an involuntary inhalation of air or water and can start the drowning

Additional work was added to the scope of the project following the severe storms that hit the county early in 2023, necessitating the replacement and repair of storm drains.

A conduit for broadband service will also be placed underneath Broadway, according to City Manager Cleve Morris. The initial funding source for that element of the project did not bear out, so city staff are working to find alternatives.

“It’s extremely important to get that conduit in the ground while we’ve got the road opened up,” Morris explained to the council.

Bidding on the project will open June 13, with the contract expected to be awarded in July. In an effort to expedite the process and keep it in time with the sidewalk improvements, federal funding was avoided for the maintenance project. A savings was brought to the city by having the consultant on the sidewalks project also consult for the maintenance, according to Neves.

process immediately. It can even trigger cardiac arrest, temporary paralysis, hypothermia and drowning.

• Never enter the water to rescue a victim. Throw something that floats and call 911.

Know your limits

• When faced with cold, swift water, even the strongest swimmers may be easily overwhelmed.

• Swimming in open water is more difficult than in a swimming pool — people tire more quickly and can get into trouble.

• Never go on the water alone. If available, guided trips for solo or inexperienced floaters or paddlers are recommended.

Know about life jackets

• Although life jackets are strongly recommended when recreating in or near waterways, this year’s expected high runoff in rivers can be dangerous even with

the use of life jackets.

• Conditions change quickly in open water and even the best swimmers can misjudge the water and their skills when boating or swimming. Wearing a properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket can increase survival time.

• Learn more about life jackets at BoatCalifornia.com. Know how to supervise

• Actively supervise children in and around open bodies of water, giving them your undivided attention. Do not assume that someone is watching them. Appoint a designated “water watcher,” taking turns with other adults.

• Teach children that swimming in open water is not the same as swimming in a pool — they need to be aware of uneven surfaces, river currents, ocean undertow and changing weather.

Thank You For Voting Us Best Breakfast!

“Come for the food, stay for the mimosas!”

, how could you not have a great time at the Dedier family restaurant, The Mimosa House? If you think choosing from more than 100 different varieties of mimosas is hard, try deciding which delicious item to order from the vast menu! Try a delicious breakfast or lunch starter of Toasties (French donuts covered in powdered sugar) before indulging in another decadent treat, the Island Crepe, filled with flambéed bananas, shredded coconut,

macadamia nuts and caramel.

The breakfast menu also includes more than 20 omelets, 9 eggs Benedict options, plus tasty south-of-the-border food. For a more traditional lunch, check out the updated menu featuring an array of burgers, go to handhelds like their Club Sandwich and the Taco

Truck section with a good variety of tacos, including tons of meat options. family.

We invite you to come on down, get lost in our endless options, treat yourself to THE Mimosa House Experience, and let us celebrate you becoming a part of our

Mountain Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum Segments of Broadway in Placerville, including this stretch east of Blairs Lane, do not have sidewalks.

Change CAT into DOG by changing just one letter in each word along the word ladder. r in each ladder

word a

Buzz and Beeper Bunny like to play games together. Find somebunny to be your buddy and do this page together! If the page looks easy, share it with somebunny younger than you. If it looks hard, share it with somebunny older.

You Need:

Each player needs 8 markers. Buttons, pebbles or even small squares of paper make good markers.

Goal:

Be the first person to get to the sum of 23.

How to Play:

1. The first player puts one marker on a number and says the number aloud.

2. The second player places a marker on another number, adds that number to the previous number and says the total aloud.

3. Play continues until one player reaches exactly 23.

Buzz’s Eggs-tra Challenge: Change the numbers in each egg above, using the numbers 5 through 8.

Beeper’s Eggs-tra-ordinary Challenge:

Begin with 23 and subtract the amounts to reach zero.

Who won the egg roll race? Trace the winning egg’s path to find out.

Standards Link: Eye-hand coordination.

Solve Beeper’s message by writing the next number in the patterns below. You may need to add, subtract, multiply or divide. Then write the matching code word beside the number on the message line.

Message:

Spring Hunt

Look through the newspaper for signs of spring. Can you find:

• a flower

• an egg

• a baby animal

• another sign of spring?

Color It!

Decorate the Easter Egg

Code:

basket = 29 bunny = 3 egg = 16 Every = 12

a = 80 buddy = 10

happy = 39 needs = 50

Buzz and Beeper have hidden chocolate bunnies all over this page.

How many can you find?

Whom do you trust? Do you know why?

Can you find a picture in the newspaper of someone you trust? Can you find a picture of someone you would not trust? Think about why you selected each picture.

GAMES

This week’s word:

TRUST

The noun trust means a firm belief in a character, strength or truth of someone or something.

I left my cat in the trust of my neighbor.

Try to use the word trust in a sentence today when talking with your friends or family members.

The Easter Bunny has been spotted and you’re the reporter covering the story. Be sure to tell who, what, when, where, why and how

© 2016 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 32, No. 15

In the KNOW

April 7

Sherwood Demonstration Garden is open every Friday and Saturday for open garden days, 9 a.m. to noon. Take a leisurely stroll through all 16 themed gardens. Docents are on-site to assist with any questions regarding the garden or your personal garden. May be closed for inclement weather or poor air quality. Check the website before visiting: ucanr.edu/sites/ EDC_Master_Gardeners/ Demonstration_Garden.

Live music at Red Hawk Resort + Casino continues with live music at the Stage Bar, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. See Thunder Cover (classic hits) April 7; Popular Demand (dance) April 8; Violin on Fire (Latin/rock) April 14; Fast Times (dance) April 15; Flat Busted (dance) April 21; Sons of Rock (rock/ classic rock) April 22; Mike Furlong Band (classic rock) April 28; and Maxx Cabello (blues/rock) April 29. Visit redhawkcasino.com for more details.

April 8

Cars and Coffee invites car people to meet up and hang out the first and second Saturday mornings of each month, 7-9:30 a.m., rain or shine, in the rightside parking lot of the Regal movie theater in El Dorado Hills Town Center. Everyone and every type of vehicle is welcome. The motto is “If it rolls, it goes.” Check out the cars and enjoy free coffee and doughnuts, while they last.

The El Dorado Hills Community Services District hosts the free Community Easter Egg Hunt for youth ages 0-12, 9 a.m. at Promontory Park. Fill a basket and get a photo with the Easter Bunny.

The Placerville Kiwanis host the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Lions Park in Placerville. The fun begins at 9:30 a.m. (ages 3-5). Hunts also take place at 10 a.m. (ages 6-8) and 10:30

Andrew Vonderschmitt Mountain Democrat correspondent

There’s a new art gallery in town, but Iron Willow Gallery is not Barbara and Tom Tankersley’s first rodeo, nor will it be their last, apparently. They have previously owned six art galleries in Placerville, with their earliest venture opening on Main Street in 1998.

Before relocating out of state the couple owned a gallery on Cold Springs Road that opened just prior to the pandemic and closed in August 2020.

“It just wasn’t worth being open,” said Barbara. “So we closed (and) then we moved.”

The couple has moved out of town almost as many times as they have owned galleries.

“We’ve moved to New Mexico, Arizona, the Central Coast and Texas but every time we come back to El Dorado County,” Barbara shared. “Something keeps bringing us back.”

Texas was the most recent relocation. The couple returned to El Dorado County in July 2022. And just five months later they moved into Iron Willow’s current location on Placerville Drive.

By Barbara’s own admission, owning an art gallery can be a challenge.

“People appreciate it, but the buyers are harder to get up the hill,” she explained.

However, challenge or not, Barbara maintains that local art

lovers support the gallery and local artists.

“That’s why I wasn’t worried about opening here,” she said of the location across from Home Depot.

The Tankersleys love to support local artists.

“I think everybody in here is a one-ofa-kind artist,” said Tom. The gallery is chock full of local and unique pieces of art as well as curated estate sale collectibles that Barbara finds.

Tom is a woodworker and metal artist.

“I do metal work, furniture, western stuff,” he said explaining that some of his work is created from recycled materials. “When you look real close you can identify plumbing parts, electrical parts, that kind of stuff.”

Many artists they represent have been with the Tankersleys over the years. When word got out that they were back in town, “They came knocking,” said Barbara.

“They want to be in our gallery, you know because they’ve been in them before,” said Tom referring to the solidarity of the local art community.

“Besides bringing beautiful art to Placerville, we love having a gallery because it connects us to the people here,” remarked Barbara.

“We love the community of people,” she added. “This is our home and it’s where we fit and obviously where we belong

Mountain Democrat photos by Andrew Vonderschmitt

Owner Barbara Tankersley stands ready to welcome art lovers to Iron Willow Gallery on Placerville Drive just across from Home Depot.

An ethereal depiction of women lounging in the woods from Pamela Findleton adorns a tucked away wall in the art gallery

A whimsical, wood and metal front gate made by Tom Tankersley greets gallery guests.

n See Iron WIlloW page B10

n See KnoW, page B6

of the American wilderness. Opening April 8 at the de Young, Ansel Adams in Our Time brings more than 100 works from this selfdescribed “California photographer” to the site of his very first museum exhibition in 1932, placing him in dialogue with 23 contemporary artists who are engaging anew with the landscapes and environmental issues that inspired Adams. The exhibition is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in partnership with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and enhanced at the de Young by the addition of works from the permanent collection and new interpretive framing exploring Adams’ close connection to his hometown of San Francisco.

“Ansel Adams’ photography is renowned for its formal beauty and technical prowess, but his work is equally one of advocacy,” remarked Thomas P. Campbell, director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. “Adams was a tireless conservationist

and wilderness preservationist who fully understood the power of images to sway public opinion. Ansel Adams in Our Time is exceptional in underscoring his brilliant legacy and the critical role that his works and others’ before him have played in safeguarding our national parks and other public lands.”

Instrumental to Adams’ development as a photographer was Yosemite, one of the oldest national parks in the country, which he visited regularly from the age of 14 with his Eastman Kodak

Brownie camera in tow. Ansel Adams in Our Time examines the critical role that photography has played in the history of the national parks, with Adams following in the footsteps of predecessors such as Carleton Watkins, whose efforts first secured Yosemite as protected land. A longtime member of the Sierra Club, Adams would go on to perfect the rich detail and tonal range of his landscapes in service of what he called the “spiritualemotional” aspects of

n See AdAms page B11

Courtesy of the Etherton Gallery

View from the handrail at Glacier Point overlook, connecting views from Ansel Adams to Carleton Watkins, 2003, Mark C. Klett (American, born in 1952), photograph, archival pigment print.

The Lane Collection

Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, 1942, by Ansel Adams, photograph, gelatin silver print.

Folsom Lake College student art on display

News release

FOLSOM — The Annual Folsom Lake College

Student Art Show is on display at the Harris Center for the Arts in the Bank of America Gallery through Sunday, May 7. A diverse mix of media from drawing and painting to printmaking, ceramic, sculpture, photography and digital arts is exhibited. The show is representative of the wide range of styles, techniques and approaches supported by the FLC Visual Arts faculty and exemplifies the strong foundation each student receives while pursuing their visual arts studies at Folsom Lake College.

Participating student

artists: Cailyn Abreu, Madison Albain, Sofia

Ali, Christian Barcelo, Molly Bides, Isabella

Bogetti, Autumn

Boustead, Crystal

Bowles, Quinn Brandt

Bane, Lisa Branum, John Buhman, Linda Carr Schmitt, Desiree

Clark, Juliana Cook, Lilah Cruz, Izzy

Darwin, Audrey De La Garza, Stephanie

DeLizo, Jenny Donald, Daria Dziubovets, Alex

Freitas, Shirley Gao,

Carnella Gritzan, Logan

Henderson, Kathleen

Horita, Hillary Janes, Olivia Jizrawi, Hanna

Kortan, Catherine

Kuehnis, Tim Quinn, Lilly Lewis, Morgan

Mattoch, Taylor McFall,

Patty Mimmack, Fiona Morgan, Tristin Morino, Isabelle Oleson, Mya Ortiz, Leslie Osgood, Joan Oxford, Liliya

Pachuliya, Elias

Peterzell, Brodie

Rogers, Gabby Runyan, Serenity Samadhana, Ludwig Schulz, Sara Schulz, Mark Sereda, Sergey Sereda, Timofey Sereda, Jillian Sommers, Katherine Stewart, Trinity Stringer, Blake Tallo, Derya Tekin, Desiree Thomas, Kacey Tilley, Jarrett Tovar, Suzanne Tovar, Heather Willis, Makenna Wittman, Lana Wright, Katy Wykoff, Marjorie Vaught and Jeanette

Young.

The Bank of America Gallery is open noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday while classes are in session, as well as one hour before, and during intermission of, performances in Stage One at the Harris Center, or by appointment by emailing FLC art professor Marisa Sayago at sayagom@flc.losrios. edu. Admission is free and parking permits are not currently required. For more information on the Harris Center for the Arts and the Bank of America Gallery visit harriscenter.net.

“Meema” by Catherine Kuehnis

Art exhibit to bridge divides

The Center For The Arts

GRASS VALLEY — The Center for the Arts is pleased to present Voices of Our Story

— Shifting Perceptions; Bridging Divides curated by Susan M. Davis in the Granucci Gallery beginning on April 21 through May 13. See a special evening of art and refreshments to celebrate the opening of this dynamic group show, featuring the works of four local artists — Marylou Falstreau (painting and poetry), Dee Anne Dinelli (photography), Aaron Davis (painting and tattoo), and Hollie Dilley (sculpture) — with a reception on April 21 at 5 p.m. in the Granucci Gallery. This is a great opportunity to meet the artists and the curator and get up close and personal with the art.

There are so many “isms,” all of which reflect divides.

Art has the power to bridge divides. Artists communicate story and meaning, tapping into the emotions of the viewers and shifting perceptions in subtle and not so subtle ways. The arts can intensify divides when used as a tool of propaganda or can act as a bridge to connect us. The meaning expressed in the works of the four artists represented in Voices of Our Story: Shifting Perceptions; Bridging Divides, serve as bridges to bring us together.

Artist bios

Davis was born in Mountain View in 1987. Drawing, graffiti and skateboarding appealed to him in his youth, which led him to explore the craft of tattooing in adulthood. He completed his apprenticeship in 2012, focusing his style on Japanese and traditional motifs. His paintings are a representation of Japanese images through the lens of a western perspective, with a focus on the Ukiyo-e time period style of paintings in Japan. He currently works at Royal Peacock Tattoo in Sacramento and creates his fine art paintings in the time between work and playing with his new son, Beaux.

Dinelli, owner of Shadow Dance Photography, is a portrait photographer, with work most recently shown at the Museum of Northern California Art in Chico and The Center for the Arts in Grass Valley. She is especially drawn to photographing artists, musicians, poets, playwrights and actors in their most comfortable settings. Edgy and creative work, such as “Art on the Body,” and “Faces of Change” can be viewed on her website, ShadowDancePhotography. com. Her interest in photographing women with tattoos began in 2005, when she returned to college to study digital photography. Encountering young women who were heavily tattooed, she began a project to photograph and document stories, “Art on the Body,” with the intent of producing an art book.

In 2017, Dinelli was a primary collaborator with A-Place-To-CallHome, an ongoing project funded, in part, by grants from California Humanities and California Arts Council. Her portraits of unsheltered people in Nevada County are part of several multi-media film shorts and videos. She was one of the featured artists in the gallery show at The Center For the Arts, Granucci Gallery, in Grass Valley titled, A Place To Call Home: Stories Inspiring Transformation. Her photographs were also the featured visual for the 2018 A-Place-To-CallHome Compassionate Action Wall Calendar, published as part of this artsrelated, grant-funded project. In 2018, Dinelli was one of the 15 artists chosen to participate in “Belonging, I Am

Here,” a grant-funded project created by Ruth Chase, artist in residence, Nevada County Arts Council. Dinelli is a member of the Nevada County Camera Club and Four Eyes, a collaborative photography group.

Dilley stated, “My art is born from an animalistic world that calls to me, a world I do not understand, but I am extremely drawn to it. Every piece I make brings me that much closer to understanding this realm. I cannot define it, all I can do is bring these inspirations into temporal reality with my art. Luckily I have found ceramics and taxidermy and have been able to add to the effects with small metal work and detailed glazing techniques. These techniques have helped me realize my vision. I do not spend too much time critically dissecting the reasoning behind my artistic motives, and that is fine for me, because it liberates me and gives me the freedom to channel these inspirations without feeling trapped inside walls. All I seek in life is profound freedom and I need that to transcend into my art. I am always creating something — when not sculpting I can often be found hovered over a wheel throwing cups for local restaurants or creating custom roller skates for my boutique. For years I worked with clay, bronze and small metals to achieve my vision. But one fateful weekend I attended a pair of taxidermy workshops at Paxton Gate in SF and everything fell into place. I dove headfirst into taxidermy, at first approaching it from a traditional sense, learning the delicate techniques and processes. My community got word that I was doing taxidermy and every week people would bring me dead animals (in varying degrees of decay) that were found on roads and in the woods. My alpaca vet even brought me a stillborn alpaca. I feel like this was all meant to be. Once I became acquainted with the skills of taxidermy, I was able to fuse this ancient and misunderstood art form into my own. My foray into creating these mythical creatures had finally received this last element, a piece I didn’t know was missing until it was right there in my hands.”

Falstreau remembers the delicious feeling of coloring when she was a child. It was as if something clicked inside and felt just right, a feeling she calls upon and uses as her compass when painting and writing, today. Was it her destiny to create or merely a story that provided a sensitive child and her parents an answer? What Falstreau knows now is that becoming a working artist takes commitment, resolve, ingenuity and hard work, magic too. Sensitivity helps. Her paintings are mostly womencentric, and she considers herself strong in the use of bold colors and pattern, creating depth with symbolism, design and her desire to tell stories.

Self-taught and independent, Falstreau enjoys the process of learning as she goes. Making perceived mistakes that have shifted the direction of her life and art is the river that’s carried her to her current and most surprising age. She is best known for her line of inspirational art and gifts for women called the “Women and the Hourglass” series and for sharing her late partners’ channeled messages, “Whispers in My Ear.”

Voices of Our Story — Shifting Perceptions; Bridging Divides begins in the Granucci Gallery with an opening reception on April 21 from 5-7 p.m. The Granucci Gallery is located at The Center for the Arts, 314 W. Main St. in downtown Grass Valley. Hour are Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

For more information go to bit. ly/3HijtI2 or call (530) 274-8384.

Artists invited to create SAFE stickers

News release

FOLSOM — SAFE Credit Union is celebrating Financial Literacy Month by tapping into the talents of area high school students to help create the credit union’s three sticker designs for 2023.

The popular decals — often used for water bottles or on laptop covers — show off SAFE’s YOU logo and incorporate images from the Greater Sacramento region and communities. The contest runs through Sunday, April 30.

In recognition of April’s Financial Literacy Month, this year’s design theme is: What Motivates You?

“We want our young applicants to use their creative talents to show us and their communities what motivates them in making financial decisions with their families,” said SAFE Credit Union Vice President of Marketing Amber DiBernardo.

“We are asking students, ‘What excites and inspires you about today, tomorrow and the future?’” DiBernardo continues. “For example, do their family and friends motivate

their choices and experiences? Are they driven by getting good grades? Creating fine art? Playing sports? Or participating in band or drama? Or maybe by traveling and exploring new places on the weekend?”

First-place, second-place and thirdplace winners will be awarded $500, $300 and $100 SAFE Visa Gift Cards, respectively. Each design will be incorporated into one of this year’s SAFE sticker designs. Winners will be contacted by Monday, May 15.

To be eligible, contest applicants must attend high schools in one of the 13 counties SAFE serves: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba.

Design entries must be submitted as a pdf or jpg. Each submission needs to include the SAFE YOU logo. If selected, original artwork will also need to be submitted.

Students younger than 16 will need their parent or guardian to enter the contest on their behalf. For complete contest rules visit safecu.org/stickers.

Green Room is rockin’ this weekend

Stacey Vreeken

News release

The Grateful Bluegrass Boys, an acoustic string band from the Santa Cruz-San Francisco Bay Area, gets the audience singing and dancing to beloved songs by the Grateful Dead, the Eagles, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Led Zeppelin — just what the audience might not expect from a string band.

The group performs at 8 p.m. April 7 at The Green Room Social Club.

While the name of the band references the Grateful Dead, gratitude is at the core of the band. The musicians feel incredibly fortunate to play music for people all over the country and keep their set lists fresh and diverse. Recent shows include music by Ray Charles, Dire Straits, Neil Young, the Cars and more. The band also has a healthy respect for traditional bluegrass and the audience can expect fiddle tunes and raucous bluegrass songs. The Grateful Bluegrass Boys previously shared the stage with Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Lukas Nelson, Bill Nershi and many more incredible musicians.

The audience will enjoy the violin playing of Aaron Redner, who

The Grateful Bluegrass Boys, an acoustic string band, comes to

is classically trained but spent more than a decade with Hot Buttered Rum. He’s settled into the Grateful Bluegrass Boys with guitarist Sean Lehe (Poor Man’s Whisky), bassist Scotty Brown and banjo player Isaac Cantor.

Another Damn Disappointment, otherwise known as A.D.D., brings the high energy of the

Sacramento punk scene to Placerville at 8 p.m. Saturday.

A.D.D. has released three full-length albums, toured the country many times and shared the stage with the best bands in the business. The bandmates have played thousands of shows since their formation in 2001.

The latest album, “Relentless” on Felony

Records, was released in 2009 and then re-released on vinyl through Punk & Disorderly Records in 2020. The latest release is a remaster of “Hooligan,” which was originally released in 2004. The Green Room is located at 251 Main St., Placerville. For tickets and more information visit tickets. clubgreenroom.com.

Soulful, folk-roots artists come to The Center

News release

GRASS VALLEY

— The Center for the Arts presents the gorgeous sounds of Rising Appalachia in the Marisa Funk Theater on April 11.

Founded by sisters Leah and Chloe Smith, Rising Appalachia established an international fan base due to relentless touring, tireless activism and no small degree of stubborn independence.

Remarkably the band has built its legion of listeners independently — a self-made success story that has led to major festival appearances and soldout shows at venues across the country. They have toured British Columbia by sailboat, traversed the U.S. and Europe by train and engaged in immersive cultural exchange programs in Bulgaria, Ireland, Southern Italy, Central and South America — not to mention countless miles in a van, all to inform and create their unique sound along the way.

Leah and Chloe grew up in urban Atlanta as the city’s hip-hop scene began to flourish. They absorbed those rhythms

through the music they heard at school, then traveled with their family to fiddle camps all across the southeast on the weekends. The young girls weren’t all that interested in the old-time playing, but their parents prioritized diversity and cultural richness and as such, Leah and Chole were incredibly devout in their study and practice of Appalachian music, developing an a nity for the forests, groves and hidden treasures of rural Appalachia.

After moving to New Orleans in 2007, the sisters sought to assist in the process of healing

and rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, collaborating on restoration education and post-storm artistic o erings with the organization Alternate Roots. They bore witness to New Orleans’ resolve post-Katrina, Leah and Chloe solidified their voice as grown women and their embryonic songs came to life, while cutting their teeth busking in the French Quarter. Performing music was just one component of a greater overall vision — one that includes advocating for social justice, racial justice, environmental justice and indigenous

rights.

“We’re able to filter in so many of our passions into this project,” Chloe said. “We do a lot of activism work. We do a lot of outreach. Leah is a visual artist and she can funnel her visual eye into the project. I love to write, so that comes in. There’s a big container and canvas for our life’s work here. Music is part of it, but there are a lot of other creative vehicles that are driving Rising Appalachia.”

For their seventh studio album, “Leylines,” they opted to bring in legendary producer Joe

■ See THE CENTER, page B11

Courtesy photo

The Green Room this Friday.

Courtesy photo

Rising Appalachia brings its sensational sound and message to Grass Valley April 11.

Know Continued from B1

Celebrate owner and winemaker Milan Matulich’s 87th birthday and Dobra Zemlja’s April club release, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Plymouth winery. Listen to the jazz funk sounds of Volcano Cool and enjoy delicious locally sourced and seasonal food available to purchase from Chef Andy’s Mobile Cross Over Kitchen. Get your photo taken with Milan and even have him sign your favorite bottle.

The El Dorado Hills Community Services District hosts the Aqua Egg Hunt, 2-4 p.m. at the EDH Community Pool. Register online at eldoradohillscsd.org.

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino hosts the Elemental Immersion Experience beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Throughout the day, attendees can take part in several wellness classes led by industry experts. Sessions range from a coldwater immersion in Lake Tahoe to breathwork and sound healing classes. For reservations call (775) 886-6745.

April 9

Nello Olivo Winery hosts an Easter Sunday Wine Brunch, 10 a.m.

S

“Warp and Woof: Dogs in Space!” plays April 8, 15, 22 & 29 at noon at California Stage. Admission for this all-ages show is $10 per ticket, but audience members can get a discount on April 8 & 15 by donating pet food at the theater.

Everyone donating a can or a box (or whatever they would like to bring) will get a $5 discount on one ticket. All food will be collected by local Girl Scout Troop 3980 and taken to the city of Sacramento’s Front Street Shelter at 2127 Front St.

to 1 p.m., and a Grownup Easter egg hunt at 1 p.m. at the Camino tasting room. For tickets and more information call (530) 3033617 or visit nelloolivo.com.

Shadow Ranch Vineyard hosts Easter Peepza, noon to 4 p.m. at the Fair Play area winery. To reserve a spot visit shadowranch. com.

The Mother Lode Lions Club hosts its annual Easter Egg Hunt, 1 p.m. sharp at Indian Creek School, 6701 Green Valley Road in Placerville. Bring your baskets and join the fun.

April 11

Check out the Senior Resource Fair, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gilmore Senior Center in El Dorado Hills. The event is free with no registration required. Learn about resources to help and engage seniors while enjoying snacks, raffles and more.

The California Grand Jurors Association – El Dorado County Chapter hosts civil grand jury informational meetings that will cover many topics related to the civil grand jury process.

All pet food is welcomed, but cat food is especially needed at this time. For more information on the shelter, see Front Street Shelter’s website.

ACRAMENTO — Bring the entire family to a hilarious, one-hour show that will challenge the imagination and reach for the stars.Come watch the dogs take on the cats in an epic battle for a new planet. Written and directed by Linda Taylor, guests can expect lots of audience participation to keep young audiences engaged in the action. Tickets are available online at R25theater.org. For reservations call (916) 2538033 or email R25theater@gmail.com.

“Warp and Woof: Dogs in Space!” is on the big stage at California Stage, 1725 25th St in Sacramento. Patrons should enter the theater through the signed red door on the R Street side. Parking is free. Concessions will be available.

Presentations are scheduled at 6 p.m. April 11 at the Cameron Park Library; 6 p.m. April 12 and the Placerville Library; and 1:30 p.m. April 13 at the El Dorado Hills Library. For more information email EDCchapter.CGJA@gmail.com.

April 12

The Sons in Retirement – Gold Country branch meets the second Wednesday of the month at the Cameron Park Country Club. Check out the club and be a guest for a complimentary lunch. Contact Branch 95’s membership chairman at SIRBranch95@gmail.com for more details.

Vitalant will hold Lotus community blood drive, 2-5:30 p.m. at Andrea Dodson Properties, 7308 Highway 49, Suite E. Make an appointment at donors.vitalant.org and use blood drive code SMFD800 or call (877) 258-4825 and mention the same code. Walk-ins will be accommodated if space allows. Donors will receive one $10 Amazon gift card from Vitalant which can be redeemed through email.

n See Know page B7

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BOBA TEA (A152242) Prefers couch sitting to steeping in hot water. Cats are good companions. F torti DSH 3yr.

CORNELIUS (A135292)

News release

Celebrate spring with a sweet treat

Spring has sprung ... finally. Celebrate with this sweet treat suggested by El Dorado Hills resident Dale Race.

Whimsical springtime cupcakes

(makes 9-10 cupcakes)

Cupcake ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs + 3 tablespoons water

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ teaspoon almond extract

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup buttermilk

7 ounces sweetened coconut (shredded)

Mini chocolate eggs (optional)

Buttercream frosting

1 pound powdered sugar

¼ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

Know Continued from B6

The El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce hosts a mixer, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Window Screen Solutions and more, 330 Green Valley Road in El Dorado Hills. To RSVP visit eldoradohillschamber. org.

The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera hosts a pop-up concert, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Rancho Cordova Food Locker, 10497 Coloma Road.

April 13

Placerville FamilySearch Center, 3275 Cedar Ravine Road in Placerville, hosts FamilySearch Catalog at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. The FamilySearch Catalog is a guide to many kinds of records that contain genealogical information. Many of these records are searchable online. For more information call (530) 621-1378.

Bring the family to the Cameron Park Library’s Spring Fling, 5-6:30 p.m. Activities include face painting, games, live music and more.

The Limelight Variety Show takes the stage 8-11 p.m. at The Green Room Social Club in downtown Placerville. For tickets and more information visit tickets.clubgreenroom.com.

April 14

Ponderosa High School Foundation hosts the Green & Gray Gathering, 6-9 p.m. at Saureel Vineyards in Placerville. This much-loved tradition includes a Chef John Sanders buffet dinner paired with for purchase wines by Ponderosa alum Scott Harvey other local vintners and brewers, and a raffle. Ponderosa instrumental and vocal jazz programs will entertain the crowd. For tickets and more information visit pondofoundation.com/ events.

Steelin’ Dan performs 8-11 p.m. at The Green Room Social Club in downtown Placerville. For tickets and more information visit

Directions: Preheat oven 325ºF.

Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes (scraping down the sides of bowl). Add eggs, vanilla and almond extracts to mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

With the mixer on low, add half the flour mixture and half the buttermilk alternately, then add the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk (don’t over mix). Mix in 3 ½ ounces coconut.

Scoop batter into a lined muffin/cupcake tin (it’s easiest to use a spring loaded ice cream scoop). Fill cups to the top and bake 30 minutes until golden brown (check with toothpick).

Cool cupcakes in the pan on a baking rack for a few minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely.

Frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat all five ingredients for 1-2 minutes (scraping down the sides of bowl). Frost the cupcakes and immediately sprinkle remaining 3 ½ ounces coconut on top (gently press coconut into frosting). Press 3-4 mini chocolate eggs into the coconut. Enjoy!

Baker’s note: Butter and eggs should be room temperature.

tickets.clubgreenroom.com.

Falcon’s Eye Theatre at Folsom Lake College presents “Antigone,” April 14-30 at Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom. For tickets and more information call (916) 608-6888 or visit HarrisCenter.net.

Sacramento City College, 3835 Freeport Blvd. in Sacramento, hosts a community open house, 4-7 p.m. Enjoy great food vendors, music and entertainment while learning about the college’s classes, programs, clubs, student talent and more. Admission and parking at this family-friendly event will be free.

The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera hosts a pop-up concert, 5:30-8 p.m. at the Mills Station Arts & Culture Center, 1091 Mills Station Road in Rancho Cordova.

Now

The El Dorado Roses are searching for candidates to run for the 2023 El Dorado Rose. Candidates must be at least 60 years old, have lived in the county for 10 years and have many hours of volunteer service to her community. The El Dorado Rose dresses in period clothing from 1849-1910 and then becomes the official hostess of El Dorado County for one year. For more information call Carole Burnley at (530) 626-4949.

The California Native Plant Society – El Dorado Chapter hosts a spring plant sale online through April 8. Pick-up event will be held April 15. For more information visit shop.eldoradocnps.org.

B Street Theatre presents “Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson” through April 16 at The Sofia, 2700 Capital Ave. in Sacramento. For tickets and more information call (916) 443-5300 or visit bstreettheatre. org.

“Heroes of the Fourth Turning” runs through April 16 at Capital Stage Theatre, 2215 J St. in Sacramento. For tickets and more

information call (916) 995-5464 or visit capstage.org.

The MACC in Rancho Cordova presents the fourth annual Student Art Show through April 22. Admission is free. For more information visit rcmacc.org.

The California State Fair Home Wine Competition is open. This competition supports and promotes winemaking as a home craft and provides an impartial evaluation of wines. Be recognized for your talent and increase your knowledge and abilities as an amateur winemaker. Entry deadline is April 25. For more information visit calexpostatefair.com/participate.

Freelance Reporters Wanted

The Mountain Democrat, California’s oldest newspaper, and Village Life newspapers are looking for community-minded reporters to take freelance assignments.

Assignments will range from news coverage to features. Freelance reporters must have interviewing skills and photography experience and be able to meet deadlines. Journalism experience preferred. Interested candidates should email a résumé, writing and photography samples and a brief cover letter to Krysten Kellum at kkellum@mtdemocrat.net.

The Public Square

A local marketplace to find what you are looking for…

To post your message, call us at 530-622-1255, Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. -

El Dorado Irrigation District is seeking:

Seasonal Groundskeeper/Park Aide

Salary: $16.00 per hour

FFD: Continuous recruitment. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. The Human Resources Department is currently accepting applications for open positions as Seasonal Grounds Keeper/Park Aides in the Parks and Recreation Department.

This position will require weekends, holidays and possible overtime.

For a complete job description and the REQUIRED application, please visit our website at www.eid.org or call 530-642-4074.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

2890 Mosquito Road Placerville, CA 95667 Fax: (530) 622-1134

El Dorado Irrigation District is seeking:

Development Services Technician I/II

Salary: I: $30.02–$36.49; II: $33.17–$40.32

FFD: Open until filled. First review of applications on April 6, 2023.

The Human Resources Department is currently accepting applications for the position of a Development Services Technician I/II for an eligibility list to fill current and future positions in Engineering.

For a complete job description and the REQUIRED application, please visit our website at www.eid.org or call 530-642-4074.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

2890 Mosquito Road Placerville, CA 95667 Fax: (530) 622-1134

If you enjoy the beautiful outdoors and working with children, we currently have an amazing opportunity as a Cafeteria Assistant at our Sly Park Conservation and Environmental Education Center near Pollock Pines.

$17.23

Click here to apply today: http://www.edjo.in/1746010 Maintenance

If you have experience performing custodial and general maintenance services and enjoy the beautiful outdoors, we currently have an amazing opportunity as a Maintenance Custodian at our Sly Park Conservation and Environmental Education Center near Pollock Pines.

Starting Hourly Rate: $20.47

Click here to apply today: http://www.edjo.in/1745652

Verge Center for the Arts marks a decade of exhibits

Traci Rockefeller Cusack News release

SACRAMENTO —

Verge Center for the Arts celebrates the 10th anniversary of the center’s groundbreaking with a special exhibition. The First 10yrs debuts April 8 and continues through May 20.

The limited time anniversary exhibition will showcase artwork in a variety of disciplines and mediums that include eye-catching imagery, paintings and performance, thoughtprovoking threedimensional objects, textiles and sculptures plus emerging digital and video work. Free to experience and enjoy, The First 10yrs is the inaugural biennial exhibition of works produced during the

50

first 10 years of Verge’s Resident Artist Studio Program and created by

Saturday, April 8, and will include meet-andgreet opportunities with a number of the participating artists. Free to attend, the opening reception will also include complimentary bites and beverages and interested community members are encouraged to RSVP.

“It’s hard to believe it has been 10 years since the groundbreaking of our incredible space that has been the catalyst for and held the works of so many amazing Sacramento area artists and creatives,” said Liv Moe, founding director of Verge Center for the Arts. “We are incredibly grateful to our supportive community and valued partners for their welcoming and collaborative spirit that has helped pave the way for our continued success. We look forward to looking back with The First 10yrs exhibition and looking forward to future possibilities about what the next decade holds for us all.”

Verge was originally established in 2006 by the Center of Contemporary Art Sacramento (that later merged with Verge Center for the Arts in 2014). Verge moved into its current location in the spring of 2010 with the dream of a permanent home for contemporary art and ideas in Sacramento.

Built in the late 1960s, the downtown S Street

building was originally designed to serve as a furniture and drapery warehouse with a small showroom in front. Verge was able to successfully purchase the building and closed escrow in 2013. Purchasing the building not only afforded Verge ownership, it also enabled the organization to undertake the necessary improvements to safely welcome the public into the building for exhibitions and public programs beginning in 2014.

To date, Verge has served close to 100 career and emerging artists through RASP, providing low-cost or no-cost workspace to those in need. The celebratory The First 10yrs anniversary exhibition features approximately half of those artists and will be the first in what will become an ongoing series of biennial exhibitions designed to showcase the artists who utilize the resources that Verge provides.

Always free to attend, Verge Center for the Arts gallery open hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday (closed Monday through Wednesday and in between exhibitions).

Verge Center for the Arts is located at 625 S St. in Sacramento and more information is available at vergecontemporary. org.

because every time we leave, we end up back home.” Barbara said that she loves owning a gallery, not only because she can help promote local artists, but because she loves being part of the community in a way that she can meet new people and connect with old friends.

“It also gives me the chance to create beautiful, inviting spaces where people enjoy being.”

Iron Willow Gallery showcases local artists Thomas Tankersley, Pamela Findleton, Randy Honerlah, Sharon Honerlah, Jim Englehardt, Thaleia Georgiades, Stephany Nickel Stubbe, Victoria Mott, Jack Nissen, Spike Mills and Liz Shelstad.

The gallery also features home décor, both handmade and consigned furniture, garden gates and art, rare collectibles, glass art pieces (including Fenton glass), vintage dishes, western art and wine, nautical and nature-themed art.

Iron Willow, is located at 621 Placerville Drive. The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays or by appointment.

Iron Willow Continued from B1

talented local artists who have contributed to the success of Verge over

the last decade. An opening reception will take place 5-8 p.m.

Courtesy photo

Verge Center for the Arts celebrates its 10th anniversary with a special exhibit.

STOP BY FOR A FREE PRE-TRIP SAFETY CHECK

A hand-cut piece of jewelry by Victoria Mott is displayed at Iron Willow Gallery.

The Center Continued from B5

Henry, ushering in their first recording sessions outside of the South. The album title alludes to the concept of invisible lines believed to stretch around the world between sacred spaces, bonded by a spiritual and magnetic presence. That deep sense of connection is key to understanding Rising Appalachia as a whole.

Although Leah and Chloe Smith consider their voices as their primary instrument, Leah also plays banjo and bodhran on the album, while Chloe plays guitar, fiddle and banjo. They are joined on “Leylines” by longtime members David Brown (stand-up bass, baritone guitar) and Biko Casini (world percussion, n’goni), as well as two new members: West African musician Arouna Diarra (n’goni, talking drum) and Irish musician Duncan Wickel (fiddle, cello). Special guests on “Leylines” include folk hero Ani DiFranco, soulful songwriter Trevor Hall and jazz trumpeter Maurice Turner; a sense of unity and immediacy can be

Adams

Continued from B2

parks and wilderness, conveying their restorative power to as wide an audience as possible.

Presenting President Gerald Ford with a print of “Yosemite: Clearing Winter Storm” (ca. 1937) in 1975, Adams urged, “Now, Mr. President, every time you look at this picture, I want you to remember your obligation to the national parks.”

At the de Young, the exhibition delves further into the artist’s Bay Area connections with new interpretive framing and works from the Fine Arts Museums’ permanent collection. Adams became a truly modernist photographer in San Francisco in the 1920s and 1930s, experimenting with the large-format camera that would yield the maximum depth of field and razor-sharp detail that are today considered his signature. He was a tireless champion of photography as a legitimate form of fine art. From his pristine Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras (1927), a landmark work in 20th-century photography, to images of oil derricks, ghost towns, drought conditions and the sand dunes of Death Valley, Ansel Adams in Our Time spans the scope of the artist’s nearly seven-decade career and efforts to establish both environmental stewardship as a pillar of civic life

heard throughout the album.

In January 2021 with the pandemic in full swing neither Rising Appalachia nor Preservation Hall, a quintessential pilgrimage in the birthplace of Black American music, were staging events with live audiences. Instead, the band was invited to collaborate with the distinguished institution and produce a livestream concert. A medicinal balm broadcasted to their fans around the globe, the lasting effects of that salve are preserved on the group’s 2022 latest release, “Live at Preservation Hall,” a love letter to their “soul home” NOLA, infused with their signature southern spirit.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. at The Center for the Arts, 314 West Main St. in Grass Valley. For tickets and more information visit bit. ly/3Xconev or call (530) 274-8384.

and the photographic medium as a widely accepted art form.

The works of 23 contemporary artists, including Catherine Opie, Abelardo Morell, Binh Danh, Trevor Paglen, Mitch Epstein and Victoria Sambunaris, among others, provide a new lens for Adams, drawing on his legacy of art as environmental activism to confront issues such as drought and fire, mining and energy, economic booms and busts, protected places and urban sprawl. The exhibition’s five thematic sections — Capturing the View, Marketing the View, San Francisco: Becoming a Modernist, Adams in the American Southwest, and Picturing the National Parks — open up new conversations around Adams’ work, looking both forward and backward in time to present a richer picture of the relationship between photography, art, environmentalism and conceptions of landscape.

“Ansel Adams had close ties to San Francisco and the California landscape and the de Young museum was among the first institutions to celebrate his work when he was a rising artist,” noted Lauren Palmor, associate curator of American Art, who organized Ansel Adams in Our Time at the Fine

Arts Museums. “His reverence for our region’s natural beauty drew him to photograph the natural diversity that can be found throughout the Bay Area over the course of his lifetime. Adams was also a tireless advocate for the environment and the Bay Area shares that spirit as a global center of innovation in conservation and wilderness preservation today.”

The de Young museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive in San Francisco, is open to the public 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more information visit deyoungmuseum.org/visit-us.

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