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Rasco Sta writerThe remainder of the El Dorado County District Attorney’s O ce case against a Folsom man once suspected of starting the Caldor Fire was dropped after a court hearing April 22.
Travis Shane Smith, 32, was arrested along with his father, David Scott Smith, 66, in December 2021 following an investigation into the origin of the devastating 2021 wildfire. GPS and phone data acquired during the investigation placed the pair near the area
of origin for the wildfire and witness testimony claimed they had been seen driving nearby on an o -road vehicle prior to hearing gunshots a short time afterward. Minutes after the gunshots, the Smiths were said to have come back the way they came, stopping to alert nearby campers of a fire and make a call to emergency services.
Wildfire investigators concluded the fire likely started as a result of an ignition brought about by smoldering bullets coming into contact with drought-stricken vegetation. Investigators
would later search Shane and David’s houses and discover items they claimed were machine gun parts and housings for a silencer, adding gun charges to the case against them.
In early January, El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Vicki Ashworth ruled the DA’s case for arson charges lacked su cient evidence to continue to trial; the gun charges, however, were not dropped at that time.
Approving a request to have the remaining charges dropped, a visit-
Noel Stack
Managing editor
Children’s laughter and sizzling hotdogs marked the grand opening of Saratoga Park in El Dorado Hills April 17.
“We’re pretty darn excited and so is the community,” El Dorado Hills Community Services District General Manager Mark Hornstra said. “It’s a great park.”
Saratoga Park covers 2.1 acres at the corner
of Saratoga Way and Wilson Boulevard. Elliott Homes, developer of Saratoga Estates, funded the approximately $2.5 million park, which was constructed by Olympic Land Construction. This is the EDHCSD’s 29th park in the community, Hornstra noted. The park features
three main play areas — a 2- to 5-year-old playground, 5- to 12-year-old playground with inclusive play elements and an adventure play area between the two playgrounds. Other amenities include three shade structures over picnic tables and two benches, sprawling lawn
News release
As leadership within the Cameron Park Community Service District prepares the 2024-25 fiscal year budget, they’re also preparing once again to discuss the future of fire service and possibly closing Fire Station 88.
“We are anticipating completion of the Triton Report on fire services later this month,” CPCSD
General Manager Alan Gardner notes in his sta report released as part of the April 17 CPCSD Board of Directors meeting agenda. “Sta and the ad hoc committee recognize that the process has been longer than intended and have been diligent in trying to keep the report on schedule through our consultant and calls
Mountain Democrat sta
El Dorado County residents planning a burn this spring will need to obtain a permit beginning May 1, according to a Cal Fire news release.
With fire season on its way, many property owners are working to clean up their yards and remove excess vegetation. All those clippings can be chipped, delivered to El Dorado Disposal or, so long as it’s done using safe methods, sent up in smoke. Get a burn permit online at burnpermit.fire.ca.gov; there is no cost, however applicants must watch an educational video. Cal Fire o cials note “the process provides the necessary information needed to conduct the burn safely, while minimizing the chance for fire escape. Permits must be in possession either by printed copy or digitally.” Permits require annual renewal. They allow for the burning of dry landscape vegetation, not household trash. Guidelines to minimize fire danger are listed on the permit; Cal Fire o cials remind all burn permitees these guidelines must be followed at all times. The use of a burn barrel is illegal in El Dorado County.
For burn permit questions call Cal Fire AEU headquarters at (530) 644-2345.
Before beginning a debris burn, property owners will need to contact their local Air Quality Management District o ce to determine what permit requirements or burning restrictions are in e ect for their area; on days where conditions do not allow for safe burning, burns may not be allowed at all.
The El Dorado County AQMD can be reached at
Fire o cials warn failure to follow these simple precautions may result in a citation and fines. Find tips and information on residential landscape debris burning safety at readyforwildfire.org/permits/burn-permitinformation. For alternatives to debris burning contact the El Dorado County Fire Safe Council at edcfiresafe.org.
News release
The El Dorado County Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration, Central Federal Lands Highway Division, will be performing road work on Ice House Road between the intersection of Peavine Ridge Road to the junction of Wentworth Springs Road
in the Eldorado National Forest, beginning in May and continuing through November 2024.
The construction work will require lane closures for which motorists should expect up to 30-minute maximum delays during the day and up to 60-minutes at night, Monday through Friday.
The closures are necessary to ensure motorist and worker
safety while the contractor resurfaces and restores 17.57 miles of roadway.
County personnel appreciates the cooperation and patience of motorists who use these roadway facilities.
For questions regarding this construction contact DOT’s main line at (530) 621-5900 (select option 3 for engineering).
News release
RENO, Nev. — Second-hand smoke in indoor casino areas is up to 18 times more harmful than outdoor levels, according to a University of Nevada, Reno, study published this month in the journal Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology.
According to the study led by UNR Associate Professor Eric Crosbie, even family-friendly areas inside casinos designated as non-smoking, such as arcades and restaurants, measured unsafe
The following was taken from El Dorado County Sheri ’s O ce logs:
April 17
4:12 p.m. Burglary was reported at a mobile home park on Pleasant Valley Road in Diamond Springs.
4:40 p.m. Brandishing was repotted at a business on Park Drive in El Dorado Hills.
8:38 p.m. Battery was reported on La Canada Drive in Cameron Park.
8:51 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 66-year-old man suspected of driving on a suspended license and displaying false registration on Mt. Aukum Road in Somerset. He was released on $20,000 bail.
April 18
1:40 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 28-year-old woman suspected of check fraud and possession of illegal drug paraphernalia on Merrychase Drive in Cameron Park. She was listed in custody in lieu of $30,000 bail.
1:42 a.m. Deputies booked into jail
The following was taken from Placerville Police Department logs:
April 13
7:34 a.m. O cers booked into jail a 49-year-old woman suspected of trespassing and willful disobedience of a lawful order on Placerville Drive. She was released on $10,000 bail.
7:40 a.m. Vandalism was reported at a gas station on Broadway.
9:05 a.m. O cers booked into jail a 28-year-old man suspected of a parole violation on Mosquito Road. He was listed in custody.
6:50 p.m. O cers booked into jail a 25-year-old man suspected of DUI and reckless driving on Broadway. He was later released.
April 14
8:02 a.m. O cers booked into jail a 27-year-old man suspected of possession of a controlled substance and illegal drug paraphernalia and a probation violation on Fair Lane. He was later released.
levels of second-hand smoke; those unsafe levels of second hand smoke were present when only a small proportion of smokers were actively smoking in a casino.
The research found ventilation systems do not work in preventing unsafe levels of second-hand smoke from drifting to areas where smoking is not allowed, and this finding has nationwide implications for any indoor facility that allows smoking, as there is no safe level of second-hand smoke regardless of the age or
a 39-year-old woman suspected of identity theft and possession of a controlled substance and illegal drug paraphernalia on Merrychase Drive in Cameron Park. She was listed in custody in lieu of $15,000 bail.
2:13 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 44-year-old woman suspected of attempting to bring drugs/alcohol to jail on Merrychase Drive in Cameron Park. She was released on $15,000 bail.
11:08 a.m. Grand theft was reported on Fruitridge Road in Camino.
11:24 a.m. Battery was reported on La Canada Drive in Cameron Park.
1:20 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 70-year-old man suspected of contempt of court and a probation violation on La Crescenta Drive in Cameron Park. He was listed in custody in lieu of $37,000 bail.
2:03 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 31-year-old man suspected of child abuse, oral copulation with a minor and other alleged o enses on Canal Street in Placerville. He was listed in custody in lieu of $230,000 bail.
April 15
11:30 a.m. Battery was reported at a facility on Placerville Drive.
7:52 p.m. O cers booked into jail a 28-year-old man suspected of possession of burglary tools and illegal drug paraphernalia on Placerville Drive. He was released on $15,000 bail.
April 16
3:47 a.m. O cers booked into jail a 24-year-old man suspected of DUI on Main Street. He was later released.
10:21 a.m. O cers booked into jail a 48-year-old man suspected of trespassing on Blairs Lane. He was later released.
3:09 p.m. Vandalism was reported on Fair Lane.
8:40 p.m. O cers booked into jail a 48-year-old man suspected of being under the in uence of a controlled substance on Broadway. He was later released.
8:42 p.m. O cers booked into jail a 53-year-old man suspected of a probation violation on Main Street. He
size of ventilation systems.
“People should be aware that when they go into any establishment that allows smoking, there is an unhealthy level of secondhand exposure, especially for those individuals who have acute risk factors,” Crosbie said. “The only way to eliminate involuntary exposure is to prohibit smoking in all indoor areas.”
Crosbie and his team of researchers measured the amount of PM 2.5 (atmospheric particu-
■ See SECONDHAND SMOKE, page A6
3:20 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 36-year-old man suspected of disorderly conduct on Red Hawk Parkway in Placerville. He was later released.
4:07 p.m. California Highway Patrol
o cers booked into jail a 45-yearold man suspected of driving on a suspended license, operating a vehicle with out a required interlock device and possession of illegal drug paraphernalia on Juniper Lane in Placerville. He was released on $9,500 bail.
9:03 p.m. Battery was reported at an apartment complex on Cimmarron Road in Cameron Park.
11:50 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 24-year-old woman suspected of obstruction, vandalism, battery on a peace o cer and disorderly conduct on Headington Road in Placerville. She was listed in custody in lieu of $13,000 bail.
April 19
11:02 a.m. Battery was reported on Moco Canyon Road in Somerset.
was released on $50,000 bail.
April 17
1:11 p.m. O cers booked into jail a 53-year-old man suspected of being under the in uence of a controlled substance on Fair Lane. He was later released.
2:25 p.m. O cers booked into jail a 40-year-old man suspected of carrying a concealed knife, possession of a controlled substance and illegal drug paraphernalia and probation violations on Clay Street. He was listed in custody in lieu of $60,000 bail.
10:44 p.m. Battery was reported at a bar on Main Street.
April 18
10:12 a.m. O cers booked into jail a 34-year-old man suspected of trespassing on Broadway. He was later released.
8:56 p.m. O cers booked into jail a 45-year-old man suspected of being under the in uence of a controlled substance and a probation violation on Bee Street. He was later released.
11:22 a.m. Deputies booked into jail a 32-year-old man suspected of possession of a controlled substance on Coach Lane in Cameron Park. He was later released.
3:21 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 38-year-old woman suspected of a probation violation on Pleasant Valley Road in Diamond Springs. She was listed in custody.
4:17 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 33-year-old woman suspected of a probation violation on Wentworth Springs Road in Georgetown. She was listed in custody.
4:29 p.m. Battery was reported on Monte Verde Drive in El Dorado Hills.
4:39 p.m. Grand theft was reported on Meadowview Acres Road in Cool.
4:44 p.m. A person allegedly drunk in public was reported at a park on Lotus Road in Lotus.
8:31 p.m. Deputies booked into jail a 44-year-old man suspected of hit and run on Cold Springs Road in Placerville. He was listed in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail.
April 19
7:49 a.m. O cers booked into jail a 48-year-old man suspected of vandalism on Main Street. He was listed in custody in lieu of $25,000 bail.
12:17 p.m. O cers booked into jail a 35-year-old woman suspected of trespassing on Schnell School Road. She was later released.
5:31 p.m. Animal abuse was reported on Canal Street.
7:57 p.m. Petty theft was reported at an eatery on Placerville Drive.
April 20
6:15 a.m. Petty theft was reported at a business on Placerville Drive.
11:10 a.m. O cers booked into jail a 43-year-old man suspected of disobeying a court order on Main Street. He was released on $15,000 bail.
4:21 p.m. Grand theft was reported on Manor Drive.
9:01 p.m. Battery was reported on Fair Lane.
In a test of human versus machine, volunteers evaluated their beach cleanup efficacy against Lake Tahoe beach cleaning robot BEBOT. Volunteers gathered all the trash they could find on a stretch of Nevada Beach in Zephyr Cove, Nev. — then, it was BEBOT’s turn.
Human volunteers retrieved 30 pieces of trash, BEBOT captured 300.
“There is an ugly story that exists just below the surface of the sand that we might not be seeing,” said JT Chevallier, cofounder of ECO-CLEAN Solutions.
The environmentally minded company has brought BEBOT as well as other technology to Lake Tahoe to help clean it up.
In a February presentation at the Tahoe Beach Club regarding his company’s accomplishments and goals Chevalier shared a slide that read, “There is more litter in Tahoe than meets the eye.”
“We like to think challenges are not just challenges, but they’re opportunities,” he stated during the presentation, adding that both humans and technology can be part of the solution.
While traditional human methods of beach cleaning are important for grabbing the wind-blown items caught in bushes or removing litter from protected Tahoe yellow cress areas, it can be challenging and timeconsuming to get at the tiny litter under the sand.
That’s where BEBOT takes the baton, sifting up to 4 inches below the sand’s surface and catching debris as small as 1 centimeter.
Chevalier said he likes to think of his company “as the last stand” against litter making its way into the lake’s ecosystem and becoming even harder to remove.
The work isn’t done after BEBOT’s hopper is emptied. The trash gets sorted and cataloged.
Categories of com-
monly collected litter consist of seed and organic waste, invasive clams, bandaids, plastics, metals such as bottle caps, tent spikes and coins.
The data makes an impact as it is used by the League to Save Lake Tahoe to drive policy and advocacy initiatives.
“We want to partner with organizations around the lake to stop litter at the source,” said ECO-CLEAN Marketing Director Katy Jo Caringer. “Through data-driven solutions we can help local restaurants and retailers move away from using singleuse plastics altogether.”
‘We’re just getting started’
Chevallier and his childhood friend JB Harris started ECOCLEAN Solutions in 2021. “We wanted to be a little bit better than snowboard bums,” Chevallier said. The two had moved to Lake Tahoe from Las Vegas in 2006 to snowboard.
BEBOT deployment began in 2022. Since then, they’ve conducted more than 20 beach cleanups, collected approximately 10,000 pieces of trash and invasive organic debris. Through required Tahoe yellow cress surveys before beach cleaning season begins, the company has supported the preservation and identified new populations of endemic Tahoe yellow cress. Once a new population is discovered a protective fence goes up around it.
Public beaches
BEBOT cleans
• Connolley Beach
• Kings Beach
• Sand Harbor
• Nevada Beach
• Camp Richardson
• Glenbrook
• Zephyr Shoals
• Valhalla
• El Dorado BEBOT has also cleaned private beaches at the Tahoe Beach Club, Lakeshore Private Residences and Ski Beach.
BEBOT comes from the French company, Searial Cleaners. Tahoe is BEBOT’s only western U.S. deployment. The
team has been hitting Tahoe’s beaches in force as evidenced by Co-Founder Harris logging the most operation hours for a BEBOT machine in the world.
After highlighting the work done in BEBOT’s deployments during Chevallier’s Tahoe Beach Club presentation he said, “We’re not done. We’re just getting started.”
of gas in the tank’
The team has no plans of slowing down. “We’re powered by the sun, so we’ve got plenty of gas in the tank,” Chevallier said of the solarpowered machines.
Eight public beach cleanings and six private beach cleanings, including three at the Tahoe Beach Club and others in north Lake Tahoe, are planned for 2024.
ECO-CLEAN will have three BEBOTs in their fleet this year and four at the start of next year. A grant from North Tahoe Community Alliance through its Transient Occupancy Tax and North Lake Tahoe Tourism Business Improvement District funds have made their fleet expansion possible and to expand cleanups further into north Lake Tahoe.
ECO-CLEAN Solutions’ beach cleanings are slated to begin in mid-June, depending on when Tahoe yellow cress surveys are finished. Operations continue through October, when the sand becomes too moist for the machine to efficiently sort sand. Pine needles become a factor as well.
The team operates the machines typically around dawn or in the evening when the beaches see the fewest guests.
ECO-CLEAN is aiming to clean about one million square feet of Tahoe shoreline this year.
“We want to break these things,” Chevallier said. “We want to run them until they’re dead.”
This year the company is receiving help from
Peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage
In order to effectively treat your neuropathy
the peripheral nerves and provide them with the proper nutrients to heal and repair. It’s like adding water to a tree and seeing the roots grow deeper and deeper. The amount of treatment needed to allow the nerves to fully recover varies from person to person and can only be determined after a detailed neurological and vascular evaluation.
“My feet hurt so bad after sitting I could barely take the rst few steps. I have had 11 treatments and no longer feel sharp or shooting pains and most of the tingling is gone. I now have full balance and can walk without pain. As Dr. Mooney explained the treatment is not painful, nothing uncomfortable, and is actually very relaxing.” – Neuropathy Pain Patient
Mounting evidence reveals that Californians are rapidly losing confidence in the state’s political leadership. That loss in confidence is driven by the perception, much of it based in reality, that our elected o cials simply aren’t addressing the real problems facing Californians.
Those in power will contend that voters are satisfied with the current political structure because little has changed over the last two decades. But citizens are fully aware that an entrenched political class is virtually impossible to dislodge. Factors that combine to keep the elected o cials in power include inherent incumbent advantages, a compliant media, overwhelming financial support from public sector labor and changes in election laws designed to protect incumbents (some of which were passed in the middle of an election cycle).
A better measure of voter discontent is reflected in the outcome of local and state ballot measures. In 2020 progressive interests thought that the timing was right to advance the anti-Prop. 13 split-roll initiative raising property taxes on commercial property. But even with several factors in their favor in that election cycle, the e ort failed, as did another 2020 ballot measure seeking approval of a $16 billion school construction bond.
More recently, Proposition 1, the ballot measure to address homelessness heavily financed by the fundraising machine of Gov. Gavin Newsom, barely eked out a win against opposition that spent almost nothing. The thin margin of victor — 50.2% to 49.8% — suggests voters are now reflexively distrustful of what they are being told by politicians.
Looking forward, a major test of voter discontent in California is presented by the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, a proposed constitutional amendment which has already qualified for the November 2024 ballot. It is sponsored by taxpayer and business organizations to restore key provisions of Proposition 13 and other pro-taxpayer laws that give voters more control over when and how new tax revenue is raised.
EDITOR:
Conservatives seemed to be gripped by fear and anger — fear of the future, fear of change, fear of di erence and anger at what they perceive as the dangers of the liberal agenda and lack of economic opportunity. Some in our country have legitimate reasons for this fear and anger due to rapid cultural changes and having been left behind due to loss of manufacturing jobs, the disappearance of the family farm, etc. Unfortunately, these feelings have been exploited and magnified by the right with its constant borage of misinformation and fear-mongering.
Whether because of legitimate or perceived fear and anger many Republicans and even some independents and Democrats have taken a sharp turn to the right in what has become known as white grievance or “whitlash.” Tragically, this sharp turn has enabled a person like Trump to be elected president and has enabled him and some on the far right to be openly racist and homophobic, and to promote divisiveness, hate and violence.
This is fueled by the constant broadcasting of lies and misinformation. Who could imagine Ronald Reagan or the Bushes saying immigrants are animals or that if they were not elected there would be a blood bath? Who could imagine Walter Cronkite saying during a news broadcast that an election was fraudulent when he knew that was a lie?
In addition, there has been severe backlash against the progress made toward true equality by people of color, immigrants, the LGTBQ community and women. This has been manifested by hundreds of laws passed and policies adopted against minority communities and women, and the racist, hate-filled speeches against immigrants.
Tragically, many on the right have come to see Trump as the person who is going to save the U.S. from the “dangers of the liberal agenda and
cultural changes.” They believe Trump has a magic wand that will transport us back to the good old days of the ‘50s.
I hate to break it to you but the days of ”Leave It to Beaver” are long gone. The number of people of color will continue to grow, people from around the world will continue to come to our borders looking for a better life, African Americans are not going to sit in the back of the bus, members of the LGTBQ community are not going back into the closet and women are not going to stand for back-alley abortions. The sooner the Republican Party realizes this, the sooner they will return to reality.
Discriminating against and scapegoating minority groups, immigrants and women will not solve the complex and serious issues that face this country and the world. It only transfers the anger and fear of the majority to minority groups and makes an already very fractured country more divided.
The choice in November is ours. Do we keep our democracy and continue to strive for true equality or do we put our democracy at risk and continue to give a voice to those who preach a message of oppression, hate, violence and division?
SCOTT TAYLOR Placervillet’s clear for everyone to see that today’s proHamas protesters here in America are using their antisemitic rants to justify their hatred of the USA and capitalism in general.
Who are supporting, educating and funding these people who are hell-bent on instilling a totalitarian regime here? The AFT, educators from kindergarten through top-level academia and members of the Democrat Party.
It might be too late for our country. Khrushchev and Joe McCarthy we right.
KEN STEERSread the law.”
April 15 is usually a bad day for everyone; it is the deadline for income tax returns. This year it was an especially bad day for the El Dorado County government and a breath of sunshine for its residents. A negative ruling against El Dorado County, the El Dorado Hills Community Services District and El Dorado Hills Fire (aka El Dorado County Water District) and in favor of the plainti s, Tom and Helen Austin, was rendered by the El Dorado Superior Court. According to recent court filings, the thousands of homeowner refunds should amount to about $23,500,000. This money was due to homeowners for over 10 years, but EDC, the CSD and EDH Fire chose to spend $1,000,000 or more of your money in attorney fees to delay the refunds as long as possible. As to why the Board of Supervisors refused to follow the law, here is one excuse said by Supervisor John Hidahl at a Taxpayers Association meeting a few years ago when discussing the Austin v EDC case. I asked Mr. Hidahl “if he has read the law, i.e., the Mitigation Fee Act and the leading case, Walker v San Clemente?” and his reply was, “I rely on sta to
First, I need to discuss how complete the ruling of the judge was. Every defense attempted by the county, the CSD and EDH Fire was shot down in flames — hit e ectively with 155 mm howitzers. Every argument and authority presented by the defense were ruled against the defense. In other words, they had no legal excuse. Any first-year law student could have told the Board of Supervisors the law, that the county was in violation and refunds were required. Even the county CPA, Auditor-Controller Joe Harn told and wrote the county Chief Administrative O ce and BOS, collectively and individually, starting in early 2013, two-and-a-half years before the Austin case filing, that the county had to refund millions of dollars in TIM fees, EDHCSD’s fees and EDH Fire fees because the county failed to meet the clear ministerial statutory requirements of the MFA under which the fees were collected. The statute clearly mandates if you fail to comply, you “shall refund the money.” The county had a duty to refund.
The problem comes down to honest sta , which the county lacks in many positions. The ruling demonstrates
The problem comes down to honest sta , which the county lacks in many positions. The ruling demonstrates the county had no viable defense, yet sta told county leadership otherwise …
the county had no viable defense, yet sta told county leadership otherwise, even after the landmark case of Walker v San Clemente became the law on complying with the statutory requirements of the MFA. The county continued to fight (delay), wasting taxpayer money, even after another appellate court in Hamilton and High, LLC v City of Palo Alto followed and expanded the Walker ruling.
The Walker case became the law of California on Nov. 12, 2015, when the Supreme Court, after refusing an appeal petition, let the Walker case stand as the law. Walker and Hamilton and High v Palo Alto (Supreme Court also denied review) decisions were extensively quoted by the judge in the Austin ruling. Yet one-time Assistant County Counsel Mike Ciccozzi, County Counsel Robyn Drivon and even CAO Larry Combs at a BOS meeting on Nov. 17, 2015, five days after the day Walker became the law of California, told the board Walker did not apply to El Dorado County, and that was after Ciccozzi claimed reading Walker several times. Maybe relying on sta to read the law is not an intelligent way to govern. The county ignored advice to get an
independent legal opinion.
Austin’s attorney, Mark J. Leonardo of Dordick Law, when asked about the court’s decision, said, “Judge Gary Slossberg’s well-reasoned decision serves as a resounding a rmation that justice prevails even against the mightiest of opponents, echoing the truth that no county, agency, or district, regardless of its stature, is above the law. The MFA is a watchdog statute designed to ensure that the government complies with the law, and while it took over eight years to get this decision, I am glad the court made an honest decision and wasn’t swayed by the magnitude of the refunds the defendants will have to make.”
Calls made to the lawyers representing El Dorado County and the EDHCSD were not returned.
The big question remaining is whether the plainti s are entitled to prejudgment interest (7% per annum) which could add 60% or more (about $14 million) to the refund award. The plainti s have been unlawfully deprived of their money by the illegal actions of the county for over eight
Coupal Continued from A4
Although TPA doesn’t reduce or eliminate any state or local tax, it does impose both enhanced voter approval requirements for fee and tax increases as well as robust accountability and transparency provisions. But because TPA empowers taxpayers, the spending interests have launched a multi-front assault to stop it by any means possible. This included a highly questionable lawsuit by the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom to kick it off the ballot entirely. This lawsuit is now before the California Supreme Court.
The reason political elites are so nervous about TPA is that polling reveals strong support among the electorate. And recent headlines from California provide little comfort to those who argue that the Golden State retains its sheen under the current one-party government. Earlier this month the California state auditor issued a report highly critical of the effectiveness of the state’s expenditure of $24 billion over the last five years on the homelessness crisis. According to the state auditor, California fails to track whether all that spending on the crisis is doing any good at all.
If that story of billions lost to waste, fraud or mismanagement sounds familiar, it should. Like a broken record, this is the
very essence of California. Volumes have been written about California’s high-speed rail project wasting billions with virtually no chance of completion. The same is true with the debacle of the $30 billion lost to fraud by the Employment Development Department and, more recently, hundreds of millions in enrollment fraud in the California Community College system.
Finally, while it is true that other states have their own problems, the California “confidence conundrum” is unique in its depth. In an article in National Review,
Jim Geraghty writes, in most states, the disparity between the perception of whether their states are on the right track or wrong track versus their perception of the federal government, the numbers are evenly split. But the “one glaring exception is California, where just 33% think the state is headed in the right direction, while 57% think the state is off on the wrong track.”
With so many Californians believing that the state is headed in the wrong direction, the environment is ripe for fundamental reforms, especially when it comes to taxes. The timing to put TPA before the voters couldn’t be better.
Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
Weitzman Continued from A4
years since the Austin lawsuit was filed. Now that same money is worth substantially less (inflation). Interest should be added to the refund to make the homeowners whole. Why should the county get to borrow money from homeowners’ interest free? Ignorance of the law is no excuse (Thomas Jefferson). This could be the new government borrowing swindle: charge taxpayers’ illegal fees and then make them go to court to get it back interest free. Perhaps the county should pay for the homeowners’ attorney fees, too. They used the homeowners’ money to pay for theirs.
Larry Weitzman is a former El Dorado County resident.
Park Continued from A1
near playgrounds, lighted parking lot and a two-stall restroom plus a recreation trail.
“We’ve gotten really good feedback from the community,” Hornstra said as children lined up for their turn on the gravity rail. Since the CSD opened the gate to the park earlier in April, the general manager said it has drawn a crowd.
District officials broke ground on the project in spring 2022 and the Saratoga Trailhead connecting to the Promontory Trail, which extends from Saratoga Way to Alexandra Drive (approxi-
Edited by Joel Fagliano No. 0325mately 3 miles), opened in summer 2022. Trailhead amenities include a small parking lot, shade structure and bike fix-it station. Several weather delays pushed park construction back almost a year. Judging by the number of children climbing, spinning, swinging, laughing and jumping, it was worth the wait.
Dozens of kids helped EDHCSD Board President Noelle Mattock cut the grand opening ribbon. “We’re looking forward to a fun summer of activities at Saratoga Park,” Mattock said.
AL-ANON is here for you if you are bothered by someone else’s drinking. Call for meeting times. (916) 3342970. 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) 4177138 eldorado-ca.aauw.net
AMERICAN LEGION POST 119
welcomes Veterans and guests to attend our monthly membership dinner and meeting the first Wednesday of the month at 6:00 PM. Legionpost119.org
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 916-7684452 for more information. Gold Country Cribbers play Wednesday afternoon 4:30 pm at Moni Gilmore Senior Center, 990 Lassen Lane, El Dorado Hills, CA. 95762
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 four-part 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. Come play tennis for fun and friendship. Meet at El Dorado High School, Acacia Street, Placerville, Wed 9 AM – 11 AM. (June - Aug 8 AM –10 AM). Social activities, lessons. Minimal cost. Not a beginners group. Some tennis experience/ability required. Call Cindy 805-540-8654.
MONDAY CLUB BRIDGE seeks more players. The club is a very informal, friendly group and invites interested men and women party bridge players to join. The club meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month at Denny’s Restaurant on Fair Lane in Placerville at 10:00 am. For more information, call (530) 622-1180.
Addiction or Relationship problem? Call 530 231-7728 our free counseling can help you. Positive Realism, 3430 Robin Ln., Cameron Park. Meet first and third Wednesday of every month, 7pm. Come and have a paid lunch with the Retired Public Employees Association (RPEA) for CalPERS retirees and spouses. The meetings are held at 11:30AM on May 20, July 15, September 16, November 18,2024 at Denny’s (3446 Coach Lane) Cameron Park. Call 530 919 7515 for programs and information.
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)621-6304 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. For more information call Louis (530) 622-6763. We are a non-partisan organization.
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‘New toys’
ECO-CLEAN Solutions is plunging into water cleanup. “We got some new toys,” Chevallier announced as he introduced aquabots PixieDrone and Collec’Thor.
The PixieDrone glides across the lake’s surface to gather debris and invasive weeds. They’ve implemented it in the Tahoe Keys Marina east channel and removed around 65 gallons of aquatic invasive weed fragments. Some 1% of materials captured consisted of trash and inorganic materials, most of which were styrofoam particles.
This year ECO-CLEAN Solutions plans to test automated routes in order to identify weed and debris hotspots in the Tahoe Keys Marina.
Potentially in the future, the aquabot can be fitted with hydrocarbon sponges to clean up liquid hydrocarbon pollution from boats. Caringer noted this is still in the testing phase and may not be implemented until next summer.
This summer ECO-CLEAN Solutions is launching the Collec’Thor, a fixed trash and waste collector. The stationary device suctions 320 gallons of water per minute, capturing materials. It’s most effective when used in tandem with a bubble curtain, a wall of aeration that prevents materials from exiting an area of the lake, such
Second-hand smoke
late matter) levels present, which consistently exceed safe thresholds.
PM 2.5 levels, when compared with the more commonly known Air Quality Index, rank within the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category. Exposure to secondhand smoke can cause heart disease, stroke and lung cancer among nonsmokers, and even brief exposure can cause harm, including heart attacks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study calls for policy changes to protect minors, casino employees and other vulnerable populations exposed to unhealthy air during a casino visit.
“Establishing comprehensive smoke-free casinos is the only way to protect against the harms of second-hand smoking,” Crosbie said.
“Given that several casinos in the RenoSparks area advertise their establishments as family-friendly, they should be aware that even during brief visits
ARIES (March 21-April 19). An idea can be every bit as dramatic as the main character in the drama -- in fact, the idea just may be the main character today. It will have as much credence as you give it.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There’s a fine line between an independent spirit and stubbornness. “The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won’t.” -- Henry Ward Beecher
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Worry won’t do you any good and could in fact wear on your immune system. On a spiritual level, worry restricts the flow of good fortune. Stress dissipates when you have a plan on paper that makes sense to you.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Money can be a strangely emotional commodity because it’s never really about the paper it’s printed on. We buy and sell because we’re emotional about money, though this approach is not particularly helpful. Buy and sell based on data. Moods will come and go, but the facts will remain.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The apathetic may not be the enemy, rather, they are uninformed. They just don’t see what’s at stake. Change will happen when people understand things differently. You’ll earn trust by educating without pushing an agenda.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Some things are not meant for pursuit. For instance, chasing things such as happiness and love only makes them run. It may seem the more
desirable a thing is, the less attainable it is, but don’t let that stop you. Attraction is the way.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Though not one for reveling in others’ misfortunes, the woes of a tragic figure of entertainment or someone in your social circle can make you appreciate your own lot -- imperfect, yes, but certainly better off than many.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Balance will be restored. A bit of dialogue and those with surplus will share with those in need, restoring equilibrium. If there’s a question, it will boil down to this: If it seems too good to be true, it is.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Even if you’ve got no news, reaching out to loved ones is worthwhile. You’ll be amazed at the serendipitous tidbits that surface in unstructured conversations.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). So few people are patient these days, and so many rely on patience from others and would be left behind or run over without it. This inequity is why the world desperately needs your patience.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). In new circumstances, take a moment to orient yourself. Knowing your North Star will be key to getting anywhere at all. Without this step, even the best map can’t help.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’re doing your best with your current understanding. You’ll soon know better, do better and miss the stage you’re at right now. So love it while you’re here.
as the Tahoe Keys, and entering the lake.
ECO-CLEAN intends on testing the efficacy of the Collec’Thor, Pixie Drone and bubble curtain working in sync together to prevent invasive weed fragments and debris in the Tahoe Keys from spreading.
One question ECO-CLEAN is wrestling with is what to do with the trash collected. “We want the trash to continue to live,” Chavallier said. “We don’t want it to just end up back in the landfill.”
Some of the litter is used for education and outreach, but they’re having further discussions about potentially creating artwork or repurposing it. Future plans are to partner with Shane McConkey’s foundation called Don’t Drop the Top that uses plastic lids for benches.
“When I think about Lake Tahoe, it’s not our lake. It’s our turn to enjoy this lake,” ” Chevallier said.
ECO-CLEAN Solutions, in partnership with the League to Save Lake Tahoe has created a website with a storyboard of their project for anyone who wants to find out more.
Their eventual goal is to expand beyond Tahoe, inspiring other destination resorts and government agencies to adopt this new technology to promote sustainable tourism practices year-round.
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by minors in smoking and non-smoking areas, minors may be exposed to harmful levels of second-hand smoke. These findings underscore the critical need for immediate action to create healthier indoor environments.”
Other studies have also measured PM 2.5 levels in casinos, including those located in Nevada. A study published last year by the CDC and the University of Washington examined casinos in Las Vegas and found that average PM 2.5 levels were 5.4 times higher in gaming areas where smoking is allowed when compared with a smoke-free casino in Las Vegas. That study also concluded that tens of thousands of casino employees and tens of millions of tourists are exposed to elevated levels of secondhand smoke in Las Vegas casinos each year.
Crosbie recommended Nevada policymakers amend the Nevada Clean Indoor Act and prohibit smoking in all
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and video meetings. We will hold a workshop to provide and discuss the report.”
The next Fire Annexation Ad Hoc Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 7, where the committee plans to look at the numbers and determine if keeping the station open is financially feasible. The CPCSD board would make the final decision and could do so at its May 15 regular meeting.
Last summer residents and fire officials from neighboring fire districts lined up at board meetings to oppose closing Station 88, arguing it would increase response times and put extra burdens on other fire agencies. To save some money in the interim, approximately $180,000, the board dropped ambulance service in the community. The El Dorado Hills Fire Department took over operation of
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ing judge also ordered Shane’s bail be exonerated, as he no longer faces charges connected to the trial.
“What an odyssey,” Shane’s attorney Mark Reichel told the Mountain Democrat. “To have something so catastrophic happen in a community and to face the blame for it? There’s an anguish that is incomparable. So many people in the community were saying horrible things about them. But the Smiths knew they were innocent, and they stayed in the community with their heads held high.”
Though Shane is now clear of the court’s attention, his father still faces charges for alleged possession of a silencer. While investigators
public places, including casinos and bars statewide.
About the study
Crosbie and his team visited 14 casinos and 18 distinct types of indoor casino locations throughout Washoe County, Nev. High levels of tobacco smoke markers were found in casino locations even when zero or a small percentage of active smokers were observed.
The research team observed a relatively small portion of active smokers (1.4% to 20%) in casinos that allowed smoking. Consistent with these findings, a small proportion of smokers can still contribute to high levels of PM 2.5 and contaminate non-smoking areas.
This was also the first-known study to use the AtmoTube, an off-the-shelf, low-cost, user-friendly consumer device with custom mobile apps that measures real-time personal exposure.
Medic 89, now called Medic 86, and runs it out of Station 86 on Bass Lake Road.
Also on the agenda, the board discussed and approved a cleansing project for Cameron Park Lake.
The aeration system includes 12 bubblers that sit on the bottom of the lake and pump out oxygen into the water. The oxygen pumped is designed to make the lake cooler year round and will reduce a lot of algae and aquatic weed growth, creating a better environment for all the wildlife that live in the area.
The $35,000 project was approved April 17 with installation scheduled in June.
“We did our homework on the kilowatt hours,” Parks and Facilities Superintendent Mike Grassle said. “The bubblers will cost about $2 a month per bubbler to operate.”
looked into the Smiths as they built a case around the Caldor Fire, they conducted a search on David’s property. They discovered two hollow metal tubes in a burn pile one expert testified were consistent with what a homemade silencer housing would look like.
“The charge is ludicrous,” Reichel explained. “You don’t have to be that bright to know you can’t hide metal by tossing it into a burn pile. It’s time for prosecutors to quit, be the better person and admit they messed up.”
David’s attorney, Linda Parisi, is still working to have his charges dropped. The next hearing regarding David’s case is set for June.
April 30
El Dorado FamilySearch Center, 3275 Cedar Ravine Road in Placerville, hosts
Solving Tree Problems at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Do pesky problems keep showing up in your family tree? Duplicates?
Wrong relationships? Years that don’t work? Learn how to resolve many of these issues with con dence. For more information call (530) 621-1378.
Ed Wilson will perform 6-8 p.m. at Smith Flat House in Placerville.
May 1
The El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce hosts a business builder bu et, 11:30 a.m. at Hills Church, 800 White Rock Road in El Dorado Hills. To RSVP call (916) 933-1335 or visit eldoradohillschamber.org.
Moving Deep Yoga comes to David Girard Vineyard. Guided yoga sessions will run 6:30-7:45 p.m. Enjoy a glass of wine and relax during the “wine down,” 7:45 -8:45 p.m. Reservations required. Visit davidgirardvineyards.com/ products/moving-deep-yoga.
Capital Stage in Sacramento presents “Cry It Out,” May 1 through June 2. For tickets and more information call (916) 995-5464 or visit capstage.org.
May 2
Smith Flat House in Placerville hosts live music in the courtyard with Hugh Hoeger and Sheri. For more information call (530) 6211003.
May 3
Olde Coloma Theatre presents “She’s in His Line of Fire” or “The Biggest Shot in Coloma,” May 3 through June 9. For tickets and more information visit oldecolomatheatre.com.
Smith Flat House in Placerville hosts live music in the courtyard with Ti any Shiro. For more information call (530) 621-1003.
May 4 Join the Mental Health Awareness Walkathon in honor of the Jenna Sue Souza First Memorial Scholarship Fund. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the Placerville walkathon begins at 9 a.m. going from the El Dorado County Government Center on Fair Lane to the Smith Flat House on Smith Flat Road. For more information call (530) 388-5280 or email jennaswalkathon@gmail. com.
Amani Spring Fest 24 at The Amani Center in Cameron Park features 30 craft vendors, bounce house and kids play zone as well as live music, face painting and cotton candy sales for the kiddos plus Wani’s Taco food booth to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Don’t miss the free photo booth with Star Wars characters/props to celebrate “May The 4th Be With You.” The festival runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2558 Greenwood Lane.
2BGlass, 4191 Business Drive in Cameron Park, hosts a Mother’s Day event, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., featuring live glassblowing demonstrations, ower bouquet building and shopping in the beautiful showroom.
Mellowood Vineyard and Golden Leaves Winery in the Fair Play area celebrate Cinco do Mayo with a Fiesta on Omo Ranch Road, noon to 5 p.m. For more information visit mellowoodvineyard.
The Rotary Club of Placerville marked 80 years as a business and professional service organization with a dinner April 20 at the Sequoia House. Rotary is well-known throughout the community for its service projects, including the Paradise and Caldor fire fundraisers, Rotary Park batting cages, downtown benches, metal art along Highway 50 and cleanup at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds.
The special event featured delicious dinner, appetizers, dancing, a raffle and announcements, including that Area Governor Kurt Raffetto has been selected to be the district governor for Rotary Year 2026-27.
The service group meets Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. at the Smith Flat House for dinner and presentations that include local musicians, the El Dorado Arts Council, Heritage Flyers, local political leaders, King Fire reforestation teams and local candidates for office.
Thursday, May 2, 830 nonprofits in the capital area will rally donors to support local causes/ organizations during this year’s Big Day of Giving, the annual giving day powered by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. Since 2013, this event has raised $91 million for local organizations, including many in El Dorado County. This year, organizers hope to surpass the milestone of raising a collective $100 million for local nonprofits since Big Day of Giving launched.
Donors should visit the Big Day of Giving website, bigdayofgiving. org, to discover a record 830 nonprofits that are participating and find a cause to support. Gifts made on the Big Day of Giving website have the chance to be boosted by Big Day of Giving prizes and match funds secured by local nonprofits.
Karen Brown
Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Di erence
LThe group also hosts fundraisers such as Lobster on the River, Bon Voyage Ball and a new event, the Sock Hop.
The Rotary Club of Placerville was formed on May 8, 1944. The club was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sacramento and previously held meetings at the Sequoia House when that location was known as the Elks Lodge and later the Bee-Bennett House.
As well as service projects, the Rotary Club has sponsored and hosted international exchange students and promoted the education of elementary and secondary students. Other projects include the equipping of Lumsden Park playground; concrete picnic tables, backstop, football bleachers, sidewalks and landscaping at Bennett Park.
And “Welcome to Placerville” signs along Highway 50? You have the Rotary Club to thank for that. For more information visit placervillerotary.org.
ocal nonprofit Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Di erence celebrates three years of operating its Placerville Youth Center with the second annual Open House and Showcase event, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, at the center, 905-A Spring St. in Placerville. This event presents an opportunity for community members to learn more about Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Di erence, a youth-led organization with the mission to inspire and empower youth in leadership and service, what the organization has been up to and how to get involved. In addition, families and parents of
Hands4Hope club, committee and community engagement participants are invited to tour the youth center and learn more about the projects that their children have been engaged in. Lastly, this event o ers supporters of the organization an opportunity to see the impact of their support through youth demonstrations.
Information stations will focus on Hands4Hope’s four Placerville area on-campus Clubs at Markham Middle School, Herbert Green Middle School, El Dorado Union High School and Union Mine High School. Stations will also be o ered for three of Hands4Hope’s after-school committees: the Emergency Food Pantry, ASPIRE
Mountain Democrat le photo
The Placerville Shakespeare Club’s 2024 Giant Spring Rummage Sale will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, May 2, and Friday, May 3, as well as 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the clubhouse, 2940 Bedford Ave. This year’s sale will feature a large selection of jewelry, lots of clothing, housewares, linens, decorative items, a wide variety of garage items, dolls, toys and many other treasures. New items will be put out every day. There will be something for everyone. Come early and bring a really big shopping bag. Plant lovers should also stop by the annual Spring Plant Sale to be held in front of the clubhouse, 8:30-11 a.m. Saturday, May 4, For more information visit placerville-shakespeare.com.
News release
It’s hard to remember exactly how things were in the world 85 years ago. So much has changed. One thing hasn’t changed, however, and that is the devotion of the members of Soroptimist International Placerville to improving the lives of women and girls and empowering them through education in both Placerville and El Dorado County.
The Soroptimist Club of Placerville has a long history of service to the Placerville and El Dorado County communities. Beginning in 1939, its first project, the Milk Fund, provided milk and graham crackers to children at the Placerville Grammar School.
During World War II the Placerville Club heavily supported the war e ort, selling more than $14,000 in war bonds in the county; pooling funds with other clubs in the region to purchase an ambulance for wounded service men; and holding benefits for the USO.
In the 1950s
Soroptimists of Placerville supported a wide variety of public health projects in El Dorado County, such as contributing to the local March of Dimes chapter, purchasing the first baby incubator for the El Dorado Hospital, and collecting $11,000 in pledges for the Marshall Hospital campaign to fund rooms in the hospital. The 1960s saw a focus on youth with more scholarships as well as support of the American Field Service Student Exchange program by contributing the transportation costs of El Dorado County exchange students.
program has assisted women and their families with $500 emergency grants in an amount totaling nearly $140,000. Soroptimists of Placerville awards approximately $7,000 a year in scholarships and grants to deserving young women who are furthering their education. Every year, the club also funds a $2,500 Live Your Dream Award to assist adult women who are working to better their lives through additional schooling and skills training. Through the yearly Ruby Award, they honor a non-Soroptimist woman who is making extraordinary e orts to improve the lives of women and girls by giving $1,000 to her favorite charity.
Other projects through the years include a $5,000 heart machine for Marshall Hospital, support for the Girl Scouts, 4-H and adult literacy.
Soroptimists are a prime example of the saying “Think globally; act locally.” SI Placerville has several programs to empower women and improve their lives right here in Placerville. In the past 15 years the Helping Hands
The Placerville Soroptimist Club has also conducted several Dream It, Be It events. Dream It, Be It is a signature program of Soroptimist International. Soroptimist clubs worldwide work in partnership with secondary school girls in small groups or a conference setting to provide them with the information, resources and career mentoring they need to be successful. Globally, since 2015, 98,000 girls have participated in the program. Soroptimists in Placerville partnered with El Dorado County with a grant for a Human Tra cking Awareness program at Herbert Green Middle School. Members also delivered awareness training to sta at El Dorado Transit Authority. In addition, they helped fund a pleasant and homelike interview room for the Sacramento Police, enabling them to interview victims of human tra cking in a nonthreatening environment.
Learn more at siplacerville.org, visit the Facebook page or call (530) 3441476 and leave a message. and
In international service, the Placerville Club has purchased solar lamps for the Light the World Campaign so that girls in Africa have lights to study, and participated in a regional project as well by donating solar cookers in places where there is no electricity.
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Outfitters and School Supply Drive & Distribution.
and other popup events as needed; distribution site for the Hands4Hope Emergency Food Pantry; and storage and coordination of clothing distribution for ASPIRE Outfitters.
Attendees will have a chance to meet members of the Hands4Hope Placerville Steering Committee, board directors, sta and youth participants while enjoying sweet and savory sacks generously provided by Diane Wilkinson Catering.
The Hands4Hope Placerville Youth Center is a key facility for youth engagement, development and skill building. Designed for middle and high school youth, it provides a welcoming space where teens and preteens can gather and meet to create and implement their service learning projects. Youth of all backgrounds feel safe and accepted, and work collaboratively to serve those most in need in and around Placerville.
Current facility uses include: meeting facility for Hands4Hope clubs and committees; coordination site for the School Supply Drive and Distribution events, toiletries drive
Founded in 2008, Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Di erence is a nonprofit, youth-driven organization with the mission to inspire and empower youth in leadership and service. Hands4Hope o ers hands-on education and community engagement opportunities to youth from K-12th grades through on-campus and after-school programs in Sacramento and El Dorado counties. Hands4Hope was selected as 2023 Nonprofit of the Year for California Senate District 4. In addition to the Placerville Youth Center, Hands4Hope has one other Youth Center facility in El Dorado Hills, which also houses the organization’s administration. For more information visit hands4hopeyouth.org or call (916) 294-7426.
We hear a lot about boundaries these days, but do we understand the scope of them and know how to respect them in ourselves as well as others? There is much to be said about boundaries and whole books are written about them. It is outside the scope of this article to do an extensive review; however, we will look at some fundamentals about boundaries and what they encompass as well as take a look at ourselves to determine our boundary system and how we are exercising our boundaries for our good and the good of others.
Robin Milner MA, LPCC, Care Manager
Let us begin with a definition of what boundaries are. Boundaries define who we are and determine how we interact with and relate to the world, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Boundaries let us know where we end and others begin, experiencing ourselves as separate from others. Boundaries allow me to express who I am and allow you to do the same.
Our physical boundaries establish our need and right for physical space
and safety, including our needs and rights in sexual interactions with others. Emotional boundaries establish our emotional needs, rights, and safety, including our right to our own thoughts and actions. And we are responsible to create and protect these boundaries. Let us look at some distinct types of boundaries.
Having a rigid boundary system is overly protective and nothing can penetrate in or out. This is extreme and hinders our ability to be in a relationship. Another extreme boundary system is having no boundaries, allowing everything to flood in and out, not being able to distinguish yourself from another and leaving one very vulnerable and unprotected. In contrast, a healthy boundary system controls what goes in and out, choosing what it needs and taking action to obtain it. Healthy boundaries protect us and allow for a give and take in relationships. Having a healthy boundary system means we take responsibility for everything that is a part of our whole self. Let us look at all that our whole self encompasses. I like to use the analogy of a yard when talking about our whole self and what we are responsible for. In
our “yard” there are many things and it is our job to take care of, guard and in many cases develop what is in our yard. It is not another’s job to take care of what is in our yard. They have their own yard to care for.
Think of:
• Finances
• Thoughts • Feelings
• Beliefs
• Values
• Body
• Health
• Work
• Time
• Relationships
• Recreation
• Exercise
• Learning
• Growing/education
• Behaviors
• Goals/desires
• Energy
• Choices
• Gifts/talents
There are a couple of instances when we are responsible for another. When we have children, we are responsible for their care until they become adults and take over the care of themselves. They become the decider for their lives and how to care for what is in their “yard.” The other instance when we are responsible for another is when they are unable to care for themselves because they are disabled in some way whether
physically and/or cognitively. It is important when caring for another person that we continue to respect them as an individual and respect his or her boundaries. You may wonder how to do that. First, and foremost, we need to ask if it is OK for us to do something (i.e., “Can I help you with that?”). Second, it is important to empathize with the individual; try to put yourself in their shoes and imagine what it would be like for you. It can be helpful to watch for non-verbal cues like body language, silence or facial expressions. Be receptive. If someone says no, do not push back. And remember to apologize when you know you have crossed another’s boundary.
In summary, boundary systems are invisible and have three purposes.
• To keep people from coming into our space and abusing us.
• To keep us from getting into the space of others and abusing them, and
• To give each of us a way to embody our sense of who we are. Let us determine to respect, care for our boundaries and respect the boundaries of others.
Robin Milner, MA LPCC, is the clinical manager for Elder Options and has a passion to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves, providing them with the care and dignity everyone deserves.
Traci Rockefeller Cusack
News release
SACRAMENTO — Midtown Parks is excited to announce a new season of fun and free Fresh Air: Midtown Parks health and wellness classes available at five popular parks from May through September. The health and wellness activations provide a diverse range of fitness classes including Zumba, Yoga, Bootcamp and more, catering to all ages and fitness levels that take place at Fremont Park, Marshall Park, Muir Park, Winn Park and Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park.
Fresh Air free activations
• Mondays from 4-5 p.m. at Marshall Park (915 27th St.) — Strength & Mobility Training, a lowimpact, full-body exercise aimed at improving joint mobility and mental well-being.
• Tuesdays from 9-10 a.m. at Muir Park (1515 C St.) — Zumba with Jackie for a fun-filled cardio and dance workout that feels like a party.
• Tuesday evenings from 6-7 p.m. at Fremont Park (1515 Q St.) — Yoga with Yoga Moves Us to practice gentle movements, stretching and breathing
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techniques.
• Wednesday evenings from 6-7 p.m. at Winn Park (1616 28th St.) — Bootcamp with Jarita, combining cardio and strength training for a dynamic workout.
• Thursday evenings from 6-7 p.m. at Fremont Park (1515 Q St.) — Yoga with Yoga Moves Us to focus on alignment, balance and relaxation.
• Friday evenings from 6-7 p.m. at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park (2701 L St.) — Yoga to help wind down the week with Yoga Moves Us, promoting alignment and balance in a tranquil setting.
New this year, Midtown Parks is partnering with Xoso Sport & Social League to introduce special kickball activities to add yet another dimension to its community fitness offerings. The kickball activation will take place at Muir Park on Monday, May 20, and again on Wednesday, May 29, from 6-7 p.m. Workouts are open to all ages and fitness levels. Class schedules are subject to change and additional classes may be added at a later date. These outdoor activations are examples of ways Midtown Parks supports the well-being of the community by creating centrally located public spaces designed to
com.
Smith Flat House, 2021 Smith Flat Road, Placerville, hosts a Winemaker Dinner featuring Mica Raas from Myka Estates and a menu by Smith Flat House Chef Scott Tomblin at 6:30 p.m. For more information and tickets link to Myka Winemaker’s Dinner at Smith Flat House event tickets from TicketSource.
May 5
The Sacramento Symphonic Winds presents Dances and Other Spring Things, 2:30 p.m. at the El Camino High School Center for the Arts. This concert features “Suite of Old American Dances”
Jaime Texidor, “Easter Monday on the White House Lawn” by John Phillip Sousa and more. For more information visit sacwinds.org.
Now
Marshall Hospital Auxiliary is looking for volunteers. Help people and make new friends. Interviews are held monthly. For more information call Norma at (530) 676-1844 or email grizzyq98@gmail.com.
Registration is now open for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra Golf for Kids Sake tournament and fundraiser at the Serrano Country Club on May 20. To register call (530)
provide opportunities for recreation, leisure and to build relationships with neighbors.
In addition to enjoying the classes, the community is also encouraged to donate to Midtown Parks on Big Day of Giving on May 2. Launched in 2019, Midtown Parks is nonprofit arm of the Midtown Association that aligns with the mission of the organization to create a center for culture, creativity and vibrancy in Sacramento’s urban core and is dedicated to enhancing community health and wellbeing.
For more information about upcoming activations and/or ways to sponsor or support Midtown Parks on Big Day of Giving and throughout the year visit MidtownParks.org.
In addition to offering numerous public transportation options, Midtown Sacramento is walkable and bike/scooter/car-share friendly with plenty of parking available in nearby garages plus various lots throughout Midtown. For more information about Midtown Sacramento in general, special events and activities and the Midtown Association visit exploremidtown.org or follow on social media — Facebook at facebook.com/ exploremidtown/ and @ExploreMidtown on Instagram and X.
Drive for Marshall golf tournament scheduled for June 21 and hosted once again at Cold Springs Golf & Country Club in Placerville. To register visit marshallfound.org/golfregistration/?blm_aid=30898.
Monday Club Bridge seeks more players. The club is a very informal, friendly group and invites interested men and women party bridge players to join. The club meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month at Denny’s Restaurant on Fair Lane in Placerville at 10 a.m. For more information call (530) 622-1180.
Persons Club is to provide a support group for widowed men and women of all ages and provide a wide range of social activities through which they have an opportunity to make new friends and find a new direction in their lives. Regular breakfasts are held every Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at Denny’s in Placerville. General meeting lunches are held at Cold Springs Country Club in Placerville for members and guests on the fourth Friday of each month at 11:30 a.m. A social time precedes each meeting. The cost is $18 and reservations are required. For those interested in joining or reservations don’t hesitate to
TAHOE CITY — Those who love Tahoe now have a refreshing way to give back to the environment. Starting this spring, Tahoe Artesian Water is donating $1 from every case of still or sparkling water sold to the Tahoe Fund’s $1 for Tahoe program.
“We love partnering with local companies that are passionate about the Tahoe environment,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “With plastic bottle bans taking e ect in the Tahoe region, now is the perfect time to choose glass bottles or cans from Tahoe Artesian whenever you can’t get Tahoe tap.”
Tahoe Artesian Water is high quality, naturally alkaline and sustainable. Sourced from a family owned artesian well in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Tahoe Artesian Water spends decades being naturally filtered through the earthen layers of the mountains. It is bottled to order in Eco Glass high in the Tahoe National Forest.
“Our mission is to rebuild a connection between people and the source of their water, and to share our sacred resource,” said Cory Daiker and Simona Celante, co-founders of Tahoe Artesian Water. “Sustainability and stewardship are fundamental to our practices, so partnering with the Tahoe Fund to give back to the environment and community where we operate is a natural fit for us.”
Started to harness the passion of visitors and residents to help care for Tahoe’s extraordinary environment, participating businesses in the $1 for Tahoe program collect dollars from their guests through their purchases of lift tickets, hotel accommodations, food and drink and other items.
Donations collected through the $1 for Tahoe program contribute to the Tahoe Fund’s e orts to improve the Lake Tahoe environment, including supporting hiking and biking trails, watershed restoration projects, environmental stewardship programs, open spaces for wildlife habitat and scenic views and much more.
View Tahoe Artesian Water’s store locator for a list of locations to purchase or buy online at tahoeartesian.com.
Learn more about the $1 for Tahoe program and the Tahoe Fund at tahoefund.org.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — Angela
Harvey, RN, with Barton’s Intensive Care Unit , was selected as a recipient of The DAISY Award for extraordinary nurses. The award is in recognition of the clinical skill and compassionate care nurses provide to create a superior experience for patients and their families.
Harvey was nominated by a patient whose nomination read, “Thank you, Angela, for your hard work and happy demeanor while I was in the ICU. Today is set to be my discharge day, and I couldn’t have gotten here without you! Your early morning walks, and the way you brightened up the room while I was there in pain made my first few days post-recovery easy and smooth. You’re great! Thank you again, and you 100% deserve this award!” ICU nurses, or critical care nurses, are emergency healthcare providers who care for patients facing severe illnesses or conditions who need close supervision. Not only are they highly skilled and knowledgeable,
they keep calm under pressure often managing multiple critical functions simultaneously.
This is Harvey’s second time receiving the DAISY Award; her first
award was presented in 2019. Harvey has been a nurse for eight years, six of those at Barton. Her favorite part of her job is caring for patients and helping them heal in various ways, as
well as working with her colleagues — to which she expressed gratitude during the DAISY Award ceremony. In her free time, Harvey enjoys spending time with family, mountain biking and skiing.
Nurses may be nominated by patients and their families along with other sta and physicians, and the award recipient is chosen anonymously by a committee at Barton Health. As a winner of The DAISY Award, Harvey received a certificate, a DAISY Award pin and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. Awards are presented quarterly at celebrations often attended by the honoree’s colleagues, patients and visitors.
The DAISY Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999 at age 33 from complications of an autoimmune disease. The care Barnes and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses.
To learn more and nominate a nurse for The DAISY Award visit BartonHealth.org/Daisy.
