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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
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Volume 170 • Issue 125 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, October 25, 2021
Mountain Democrat file photo by Eric Jaramishian
As Grizzly Flat slowly recovers from the devastation of the Caldor Fire, an effort to build a community center there is under way.
If you build it, they will come Thomas Frey Staff writer Building a community center in Grizzly Flat has been talked about for years and now with the Caldor Fire taking down so many landmarks, it “will happen,” said local business owner Gordon Vicini. He’s one of many coordinating a fundraising effort for the cause. “Instead of having everybody dispersed “The community everywhere, it’s going to allow and the friendships everyone to come are kind of what back at least you’re there for, for gatherings, for meetings, without those, it’s for events,” said not home.” Jennifer McKimHibbard. — Robin Kelley, McKim-Hibbard Grizzly Flat resident and her family lost their Grizzly Flat home. “It’s providing the entire community with a resource they didn’t have before,” McKimHibbard said. “With the fire it was pretty apparent from the very beginning we needed a resource like this that we could fall back on if things got bad.” Donations are already rolling in. Organizers say they would like to raise roughly $750,000 and start construction in the spring. There are a number of different locations they are looking at, including one spot that is 5 acres. The idea for the community center is something that has perked up some Grizzly Flat residents, according to Robin Kelley, a resident herself who along with husband Mel is also helping out with the community center fundraising effort. She talked to a lot of people who lost everything and many are deciding where they want to live in the future. “We really think if you don’t build it, n
See community center, page 9
Mountain Democrat photos by Eric Jaramishian
Samaritan’s Purse volunteers sift through what remains of a home burned by the Caldor Fire in Grizzly Flat Wednesday, Oct. 20. Samaritan’s Purse will be present in the county as long as they get requests from homeowners to search through their debris.
Sifting for memories group offers recovery service to Caldor Fire victims Eric Jaramishian Staff writer Samaritan’s Purse is helping Grizzly Flat residents whose homes burned in the Caldor Fire to safely recover unperished items from structure debris. Based in North Carolina, Samaritan’s Purse is a nonprofit Christian humanitarian aid organization with a nationwide mission to provide aid to those in need, especially during major disasters like wildfires. The nonprofit staged their operations at Pioneer Bible Church in Somerset Oct. 13, knocking out four houses a day with two volunteer crews. Volunteers who live as close as Elk Grove and as far as North Carolina came to El Dorado County to help Grizzly Flat residents to recover any valuable items that made it through the blaze. North Carolina resident Jacob Rutz, a 2020 graduate from Liberty University Virginia and a Samaritan’s Purse staff member, said this was his first
Caldor Fire victim Charlene Ank converses with Samaritan’s Purse volunteers who helped her recover a hotplate, a precious item for her. wildfire response and it has been a learning experience. “Fire responses are always very different compared to other disaster responses because in a fire the whole house, or a lot of
times the whole town, is gone,” Rutz said. “(With) hurricanes and tornadoes some things survive and you can kind of look through and salvage some n
See Samaritans, page 9
Camino Heights intersection deemed safety risk Thomas Frey Staff writer With the construction of a $53.6 million continuous concrete median barrier on PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
a 3-mile stretch of Highway 50 from Still Meadows Road to upper Carson Road in full swing, Caltrans officials have decided left turns at the Camino Heights Drive intersection are no longer safe and it will be closed as part of the project. The turn lane was originally scheduled to remain open until the median project was complete, but after consulting with the California Highway Patrol, El Dorado County Department of Transportation and the El Dorado County Transportation Commission, that is no longer viable. Emergency access points for first responders will be provided.
Caltrans crews have already installed barriers restricting left turns at Still Meadows Road, lower Carson Road, 5 Mile Road/Paul Bunyon Road and upper Carson Road. Those restrictions will also be permanent. “We understand this restriction will require additional travel time during construction of the project but safety always comes first for the department when deciding on difficult decisions such as this,” said Caltrans District Director Amarjeet Benipal. A Pondorado Road undercrossing is being built to provide the Camino Heights area access north and south of Highway 50. In September a wildlife undercrossing was
Photo courtesy of Caltrans
Caltrans crews construct a median barrier on Highway 50 that will run from Still Meadows Road to upper Carson Road. constructed as a safety improvement to reduce collisions. Caltrans will host a virtual public meeting Oct. 26 from 5:30-6:30
p.m. to provide the community with updates on the ongoing Highway 50 Camino Safety Project. To access the meeting go to
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