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VOLUME 170 • ISSUE 107 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2021
Supes remove Bly-Chester Eric Jaramishian Staff writer
Mountain Democrat photo by Andrew Vonderschmitt
Workers from multiple agencies were in the heart of Grizzly Flat Thursday readying the area for repopulation. Roads must be cleared and hazard trees and limbs removed. The community is also faced with inoperable drinking water infrastructure.
Grizzly Flat reopened Eric Jaramishian Staff writer Residents of the Grizzly Flat neighborhoods hardest hit by the Caldor Fire were expected to start going home Sunday. The El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office announced Thursday homeowners would be allowed back in on a “staggered” schedule based on address that was expected to continue through today. The Caldor Fire remained at 53% containment Friday morning despite adverse weather conditions overnight Thursday. Firefighters contended with winds that gusted up to 40 mph on ridge tops. Thunderstorms moved through the fire area but crews on the Caldor Fire say they saw minimal lightning. “Crews monitored and increased (containment) line depth adjacent to lower and upper Echo Lake, patrolled for areas of heat in Christmas Valley where felling crews worked throughout Thursday to remove hazard trees and ensure the containment line north of Strawberry Creek held through the adverse weather,” fire officials reported during Friday morning’s briefing at Incident Command on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville. A red flag weather warning was in place through Friday night with gusts up to 60 mph on the ridges and 40 mph in the valley forecast, creating a risk of more active fire behavior. Evacuation orders were downgraded east of Sly Park Road from Park Creek Road to Mormon Emigrant Trail and the intersection of Park Creek at Mormon Emigrant. El Dorado Irrigation District, which
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Photo by Adale van Dam
A Siller Helicopters Sikorsky S-61A out of Yuba City flies over Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service engines on Highway 88 near Silver Lake, one of the more active areas on the Caldor Fire. owns and manages Sly Park Recreation Area, announced reopening for day use Sept. 9 and camping Sept. 10. Evacuation orders were lifted for all residences in Meyers north of Highway 89 and east of
Highway 50 to include all streets accessed from Apache, Mandan, following Pioneer Trail northeast just past Elks Club. However, Hwy 50 remains closed as crews ■
See GRIZZLY FLAT, page A8
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 31 to remove District 2 Planning Commissioner Cheryl Bly-Chester from her appointed position. District 5 Supervisor Sue Novasel called for Bly-Chester’s removal, citing at a meeting last month at which she said Bly-Chester exhibited innapropriate and abusive behavior toward planning staff and repeated accusations the county Planning Commission was in violation of the Brown Act. Those Brown Act violations, according to Bly-Chester, took place at an April 22 commission meeting. The commission was considering commercial cannabis retail selection in Meyers. First was when a member of the public was kicked out of the meeting after making comments about the Planning Commission, prompting Bly-Chester to abstain from voting on the cannabis matter. Bly-Chester said county counsel, which was present, did not do their job advising on the Brown Act. “If county counsel had been doing their job, I wouldn’t have had to say a single thing,” Bly-Chester said. “I wouldn’t have had to get upset. I wouldn’t have been the target of anything.” Bly-Chester also accused county counsel of giving bad legal advice and further Brown Act violations at that meeting. Bly-Chester said she left the planning meeting and was accused by county counsel of intention to disclose confidential information. “County counsel wrote me an email accusing me of wanting to disclose confidential
information and something about suing the county. I said, ‘I wasn’t going to the county,’” according to Bly-Chester. “I said if anyone called me to testify about whether this was a Brown Act violation, I’d have to testify against them.” District 1 Planning Commissioner and Chair John Vegna before the Board of Supervisors Aug. 31 said there is an unwillingness to acknowledge clear violations of professional discourse in business conduct at the Planning Commission. “What I am opposed to is the recent personal attacks to one’s integrity by being accused of corruption, which has been directed toward staff as well as a fellow commissioner,” Vegna explained. “I am also opposed to the constant attacks of staff ’s credibility, specifically our legal counsel by those who have no legal credentials.” According to County Counsel David Livingston, BlyChester’s removal only required a majority vote from the board, calling the situation a “personnel matter.” “You have a member who has served at your pleasure, who has been abusive to county staff and it is your responsibility as employers to protect your county staff,” Livingston said to the board. Bly-Chester’s removal was divisive among supervisors. Novasel started the conversation saying she received numerous comments and concerns from the public and staff about the planning meetings, noting BlyChester’s tone and behavior toward staff is unacceptable. “We should have commissioners who can have a ■
See BLY-CHESTER, page A6
Lighting strikes spark multiple fires Krysten Kellum Associate Editor While the rain was much needed in the region, a thunderstorm brought lightning strike fires to El Dorado County Thursday night. Firefighters jumped on multiple fires from Rescue to Georgetown, keeping all under control. The biggest fire as of press time has reportedly burned more than 6 acres near Kanaka
Valley Road and Donkey Lane in Rescue. Flames there were reported at about 10:40 p.m. Thursday. Firefighters with Cal Fire and the Rescue and El Dorado Hills fire departments reported the fire’s progress had been stopped just before 8 a.m. Friday. The blaze did not pose a threat to homes but was burning in heavy brush on steep terrain. Lightning strike fires also broke out in Garden Valley, Georgetown and Cool. Garden ■
See LIGHTING STRIKES, page A8
Photo courtesy of El Dorado Hills Fire Department
Flames burn overnight Thursday in Kanaka Valley after lightning strikes caused a 6-7 acrea wildland fire.
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