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 169 • Issue 133 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, November 16, 2020
Mountain Democrat file photo by Shelly Thorene
The big tree at the corner of Main Street and Bedford Avenue in Placerville will be illuminated at 6 p.m. for the Miracle on Main virtual celebration Nov. 27.
Festival of Lights to become a Miracle on Main Street
Mountain Democrat photos by Kevin Christensen
Apple Hill visitors enjoy the outdoor setting at Abel’s Apple Acres in Camino Nov. 1. Ranch owners say their rural setting naturally allows for social distancing amid a pandemic.
Visitors flock to Apple Hill
Kevin Christensen Staff writer
virus or no
Kevin Christensen Staff writer A longtime holiday tradition will be experienced differently this year in Placerville as a result of COVID-19. The city of Placerville has teamed up with the local faith community to bring a unique twist on the annual tree lighting ceremony known as the Festival of Lights. The holiday tradition will evolve to accommodate state-mandated physical distancing restrictions and will be presented virtually, called Miracle on Main Street. The virtual event begins streaming
T
he Apple Hill Grower’s Association membership’s busiest time is during the fall harvest season and despite COVID-19 restrictions visitors still flocked to the popular farming area this autumn, with ranch owners saying they saw more or the same amount of visitors compared to previous years. The health crisis that began in March forced families to stay home and businesses to close their doors leaving people to search for ways to get outdoors in a quest to relieve stress and anxiety. The farms and ranches in Camino offered just that destination this fall. “This has been the busiest harvest season I have ever seen here,” said Apple Hill Growers Association president and owner of Delfino Farms Chris Delfino. “In September and October we have seen around a 30% increase in revenue.”
Schools eye return to full-time
Visitors make their way to Abel’s Apple Acres in Apple Hill from a packed parking lot. Delfino said he planted four acres of pumpkins (his biggest crop ever) in March even though peers were advising against it because they felt everyone would be staying home and not traveling out.
“The advantage to Apple Hill is all the farms can accommodate people in large outdoor settings and allow for social distancing,” explained Delfino. “I n
Thomas Frey Staff writer
See apple hill, page 10
The El Dorado Union High School District announced Thursday it is moving forward with bringing students back to school full-time and is considering four days of in-person instruction to begin Jan. 11. The decision came at Tuesday’s EDUHSD Board of Trustees meeting. Schools will only reopen if, come January, it is legally permissible and safe to return at that level of in-person instruction, according to a press release from Superintendent Ron Carruth’s office. The district now looks to finalize schedules for each campus. El Dorado Union High School District schools include El Dorado, Oak Ridge, Ponderosa, Union Mine and Independence high schools as well as the Virtual Academy. Trustees are monitoring COVID-19 cases and over the holidays additional safeguards to keep classrooms, offices and facilities safe will be added, said district officials. “Based on previous spikes, both here in the county as well as internationally, the anticipation is that numbers will likely be trending downwards as we approach Jan. 11.” Currently high school students in the district have been attending school in a hybrid model two days a week.
BOS votes to opt out of PG&E Dawn Hodson Staff writer
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a joint exercise of powers agreement and proceed with seeking membership in the Community Choice Aggregation program run by Pioneer Community Energy. Community Choice Aggregation is an alternative to an investor-owned utility energy supply system such as PG&E, which currently supplies electricity to most of El Dorado County. Under such an arrangement Pioneer Community Energy would purchase electricity from an investor-owned utility and the investor-owned utility would transmit the electricity for individual customers within a welldefined jurisdiction. Customers will still be able to opt-out and stay with their existing power supplier. Pioneer would choose the power generation source on behalf of its customers. By aggregating purchasing
TM
See Festival of Lights, page 3
n
power it would negotiate contracts with power generators with the goal being to lower costs and give Pioneer more control of the energy mix, including offering “greener” generation. Supervisors also see Community Choice Aggregation as a priority to improve and maintain the county’s competitiveness in attracting and retaining businesses in the county. At Tuesday’s meeting Pioneer’s Executive Director Don Eckert and Chief Operating Officer Sam Kang provided an outline of the program, emphasizing that besides lower rates, other benefits of joining the CCA include more local jobs and pressure on PG&E to reduce public safety power shutoff events. Currently these types of joint powers authorities are available in other states with two existing in the Sacramento region, one of which is Pioneer Energy, operating primarily in Placer County. In September supervisors conditionally authorized the implementation of a Community
Choice Aggregation program within the areas currently served by PG&E in the unincorporated West Slope of the county. The cities of Placerville and South Lake Tahoe were also contacted to determine their level of interest in participating. The Pioneer Joint Powers Authority consists of seven voting members, two from Placer County and one each from the cities of Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, Loomis and Rocklin. If the county ultimately joins the Pioneer JPA along with the city of Placerville, the Pioneer JPA will increase to nine voting members, one each from El Dorado County and the city of Placerville. Their voting shares will be altered with El Dorado County holding 36.81% and the city of Placerville holding 3.72% of voting shares on the board. The county will also have the option to withdraw from the JPA with no financial penalty as long as it gives 12 months advance written notice.
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