CDFW: Bear shot dead in downtown Placerville

Krysten Kellum

Editor

A bear breaking into a downtown Placerville chicken coop June 10 was scared off twice by the coop’s owner before the bear returned a third time and wouldn’t back off quite so easily. Feeling threatened by the bear as it advanced toward him, California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers said the Clay Street resident shot and killed the animal.

It was not a criminal act, noted CDFW Capt. Patrick Foy. “The homeowner acted in self defense of his person, safety and in defense of his personal chickens.” for the work it does, including community support following the 2021 Caldor Fire that saw the team working 80-hour weeks, Roby does his best to keep away from the spotlight.

Described as a young or smaller bear by CDFW officers, it first reacted to the resident’s yelling that Saturday morning and reportedly left the area over a fence. The bear returned and was again successfully hazed away.

“A lot of things we do are done quietly to move our initiatives forward,” Roby said. “I don’t want to trumpet the horn of the foundation; I want the foundation to trumpet the horn of the community. That’s what’s important.”

When asked what kept him motivated and engaged for the foundation for so long, he immediately had an answer.

“It’s passion,” Roby explained with enthusiasm. “Passion for what I do. I don’t think someone could do this job without the passion to care, to be engaged 24/7. It’s not something you just walk away from at the end of the work day, it becomes your life. Fortunately I have a spouse who understands that and has been very supportive.”

Current projects for the foundation include the recently launched Building a Better Nonprofit learning events and a series of master classes for the community starting this year that will invite experts from the Sacramento region to talk about public relations, finance and governance. The first Building a Better Nonprofit educational series led to four organizations — Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County Ag in the Classroom, Hands4Hope Youth Making a Difference and Tahoe Youth & Family Services — being awarded $50,000 each for capacity building, such as hiring new staff, hardware and software upgrades and development.

Roby’s involvement with the foundation can almost be chalked up to serendipity. Both equestrians, Roby and his spouse found that living in San Francisco was a barrier to having horses on their property, let alone getting more down the line. One trip to El Dorado County to just spend a weekend turned into looking at property in Shingle Springs — “Before I knew it, we closed escrow in November 2005 a week before Thanksgiving,” Roby recounts.

After the move, Roby was still commuting daily to the East Bay for a year and a half — “surprisingly, I just got tired of the commute and thought, ‘this is

The resident called local law enforcement to report bear activity and went to work to repair his coop to keep his flock from running off; he also armed himself with a pistol.

Back for a third visit, the resident found the bear inside the coop after it had broken in through the enclosure’s back side, according to Foy. The bear was then exiting through the front of the coop when it reportedly moved toward the resident and did not respond to yelling or hazing.

The resident reported the shooting to authorities; CDFW personnel came and picked up the bear’s body. CDFW officials noted the coop was “well constructed.”

CDFW’s Keep Me Wild campaign lists tips for living with bears, including installing motionactivated lights, noise or alarms; installing electric fencing around chicken coops and animal enclosures; installing electric mats or “unwelcome mats;” and deploying sensory deterrent where potential access to insane, I really need to find something closer,’” Roby explained. When looking for new work, with a “real heavy corporate background in finance,” Roby didn’t even look in El Dorado County. When he was offered a job at the California Chamber of Commerce — a Wednesday, Roby recalled — he came home and didn’t seem very excited about the job, so his spouse encouraged him to keep looking. That same evening Roby saw the El Dorado Community Foundation had an opening; he sent his in his resumé, interviewed for the job Thursday and was hired that Friday. Reflecting on his time with the foundation, Roby said there are a few accomplishments he’s particularly happy with. The work the foundation has done alongside Housing El Dorado, “watching the organization become incredibly successful and securing for them some major gifts and grants to further the need of affordable housing in our community,” is high on the list. Expanding the focus of the foundation to also include the south side of Tahoe was also an important shift for the organization. attractants may occur (e.g., place ammonia in shallow bowl).

“We’re not just all centric on the Western Slope and comprise many communities, from the Divide to El Dorado Hills to South Lake Tahoe,” Roby said.

The El Dorado Community Foundation is in the process of selecting a new executive director, and ask that qualified applicants send a letter of intent by July 15 to bill@eldoradocf.org or by mail to: EDCF Search Committee PO Box 1388 Placerville, CA 95667. Information about the position, including preferred experience of applicants and potential salary can be found at eldoradocf.org/executive-director-positionopen.

Roby’s last big project is making sure the foundation is as ship-shape as it can when he hands off the reins at the end of the year. After that, he’s keeping his next steps open.

“I don’t think I’m the kind of person who can just fully retire. I always seem to have a passion and once one passion closes, I tend to find another one. So I don’t see myself just sitting around. All I know is I’m never going to run for public office; I wouldn’t wish that on anybody,” Roby said with a laugh.

Dr. Little’s Dental News

Presented by Jeffery Little, D.D.S.

Preparing For Dental Implants

Receiving dental implants — or having your teeth removed in preparation for implants—is a surgical procedure not to be taken lightly. You will want to treat the implant process like any other surgery by preparing in advance for your recovery. Clear your schedule and plan to spend the first three days resting at home. Don’t make any strenuous plans during the first week after surgery. You will need to eat soft foods for a few days afterward, so prepare soups, smoothies, and casseroles in advance and store them in the fridge or freezer. If you will be under general anesthesia, you will need to fast for twelve hours before the surgery and secure a ride to and from the procedure. We will be glad to discuss implants and other available options of keeping your smile a beautiful, happy one. We believe in an informed patient, and we promise to provide you with information regarding all aspects of your dental care. You can always count on our experienced, honest recommendation for the treatment best suited to your dental needs. Our goals are the same as yours—a healthy mouth and a brilliant smile.

P.S. If you will be taking prescription painkillers after your dental implant surgery, make sure you fill the prescription before your procedure takes place.