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C a l i f o r n i a ’ s O l d e s t N e w s pa p e r – E s t. 18 51
Volume 170 • Issue 68 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Friday, June 11, 2021
westward ho!
State to drop tiers next week Tahoe Daily Tribune
Mountain Democrat photos by Thomas Frey
GOLD RUSH HISTORY LIVES — The lead hitch of the Highway 50 Association Wagon Train trots through Riverton with four wagons following en route from Kyburz to Fresh Pond along Highway 50 Wednesday. The Wagon Train started its 72nd journey Monday in Meyers and will stop in Pollock Pines Friday before reaching the end of the trail in Placerville Saturday. A celebration is planned at the Pollock Pines Community Center Friday and on Main Street, Placerville the Hangtown Wagon Train Days event will be awaiting the Wagon Train as it makes its way through downtown and finally lands at the Regal Cinemas parking lot on Placerville Drive. Clydesdales Rosebud and Angel pull 2021 Wagon Train Queen Cheryl Pritchett, right, and her wrangler. Be sure to wave to the Wagon Train Queen — she'll be riding in the third wagon when the Wagon Train rolls through town.
El Dorado County will remain in the orange tier until next week when the state plans to retire its Blueprint for a Safer Economy as COVID-19 cases continue to subside. State officials announced Tuesday that six counties were moving to less-restrictive tiers but El Dorado remained in orange, where it has been for several weeks. Overall in the state there are three counties still in the red (substantial) tier, 31 are in orange (moderate) and 24 are in yellow (minimal). Three new virus cases were reported by county officials Wednesday with seven assumed recoveries and no additional deaths; the number of county residents who have died of the virus is holding at 115. More than 40% of the county is fully vaccinated, which is 78,937 out of approximately 193,098 total residents, and more than 48% have had at least one dose. The state is expected to fully reopen Tuesday, June 15, which means the color-coded and tiered system of restrictions put in place to protect public health will no longer be in effect. Capacity and social distancing restrictions will be lifted for most businesses and activities. Most sectors may resume operations in compliance with the COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards, public health guidance and other statewide agency guidelines and standards. Large-scale indoor events will have vaccination verification or pre-entry negative test requirements through Oct. 1. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board on June 3 readopted Cal/OSHA’s revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards. Last year the board adopted the health and safety standards to protect workers from COVID-19 but the standards did not consider vaccinations and required testing, quarantining, n
See no more tiers, page A7
Road projects are on a roll Chris Daley Mountain Democrat correspondent
The Wagon Train passes a historical marker for the Pony Express National Historic Trail, which parts of Highway 50 follow and was used in 1860 to deliver mail over the Sierra Nevada.
El Dorado County supervisors unanimously approved a comprehensive road improvement program at Tuesday’s regular board meeting. The two-step process began with a resolution to adopt the 2021 Capital Improvement Program. In the second step Department of Transportation Director Rafael Martinez and DOT staff engineers recommended the addition of six new projects to the CIP. The additions are pavement rehabilitation on Wentworth Springs Road; safety upgrades to guardrails; safety improvements to guardrails on Ice House Road; installation of recessed edge lines; pedestrian safety improvements; and safety improvements on Pleasant Valley Road. Supervisors further directed staff to prepare a workshop within 90 days to begin an in-depth exploration of a broad range of issues relating to funding and governing of road improvement plans and projects. The issue represents a cornucopia of n
Pioneer Energy coming to county next year Carla Hass El Dorado County Chief Administratve Office El Dorado County officials formally announced Tuesday that the county has joined Pioneer Community Energy to bring businesses and residents a choice in electric generation providers starting January 2022. El Dorado County representatives approached Pioneer in summer 2020 expressing interest in receiving the benefits of the Pioneer community choice aggregation program including local control and stable rates for electric generation. “El Dorado County had been investigating
options and alternatives for serving electricity to our residents and businesses for years,” said John Hidahl, chair of the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors. “Constituents have made it clear they want to have more control over our county’s power, the costs and programs," he added. "We chose to join Pioneer not only to gain that control but to also give people a choice in electricity providers and a say in what and how that electricity is purchased.” The move only impacts residents and businesses on the West Slope serviced by PG&E; it does not include the South Lake Tahoe Basin.
Pioneer is a joint powers authority and the process to join Pioneer required California Public Utilities Commission certification of Pioneer’s plan to expand electric generation service to approximately 68,000 meters in unincorporated El Dorado County and the city of Placerville. Currently electric customers in those areas receive electric generation exclusively from PG&E. As a CCA, Pioneer procures electricity and then delivers it over PG&E’s transmission and distribution lines. Customers receive multiple notifications n
See Pioneer energy, page A8
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See Roads, page A3