Mountain Democrat, Monday, December 7, 2020

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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 169 • Issue 142 | 75¢

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Monday, December 7, 2020

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on Page 10

Dorado Hea

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Adult Protech and Human Services Agency tive Service s

School sued as student alleges racist taunts n Gold Trail principal allegedly

knew about abuse for months without taking action Thomas Frey Staff writer

Courtesy photo

Sierra Corps Forestry fellow Luis Vidal clears away shrubs so tree seedlings can reach sunlight and help to regenerate forest destroyed by the King Fire in 2014.

Forest making a return — with help — Reforestation after the King Fire calls for planting, clearing

S

ix years after the King Fire scorched more than 97,000 acres in El Dorado County restoration efforts are making progress to bring the land back to life.

As part of his fellowship on the Georgetown Ranger District of the Eldorado National Forest, Sierra Corps Forestry fellow Luis Vidal has been working closely with U.S. Forest Service Silviculturist Dana Walsh, who started planning for reforestation soon after the King Fire was contained.

Restoration has been a complex undertaking because wildfires are burning “hotter” than ever before, causing areas to be burned at different levels of intensity, explained Vidal during a virtual Zoom meeting Nov. 19. “There is a learning curve for many

The King Fire burn scar remains a barren place six years after the blaze but a restoration team is working to replant and facilitate regrowth. organizations and the more data we record the more helpful it will be to land managers and decision makers in the future,” he said.

He said different species of plants and trees require multiple n

See Forest return, page 9

Supes urge local pandemic response Dawn Hodson Staff writer After a lengthy hearing Wednesday the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution that advocates for more local control over how the county responds to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The resolution notes, “El Dorado County is best served by an ability to respond locally to the COVID19 virus in accordance with our local data and circumstances, as specified, for instance, in the attestation filed with the California Department of Public Health …

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors and the County Public Health Officer, along with our partners at the city of Placerville, city of South Lake Tahoe, Marshall Hospital, Barton Hospital, business chambers and education leaders, are best suited to collaboratively determine which tier of the state’s

‘Blueprint for a Safer Economy’ is most suitable for El Dorado County businesses and residents.”

In the discussion that followed El Dorado County Chief Administrative Officer Don Ashton said based on input from local health officials and the recent spike in the number of COVID-19 cases statewide, he didn’t think it would be a good time to submit the resolution and didn’t believe the resolution would go anywhere.

Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams concurred, saying the spike in cases had changed the situation from when the resolution was first proposed.

Supervisor John Hidahl said he had yet to find information that indicates restaurants, gyms or churches are any more at risk of spreading COVID-19 than a grocery store or Costco, asking why it’s OK to spend money that generates revenue for the government but not for businesses

that don’t generate revenue for the government.

Supervisor Sue Novasel argued that restaurants, gyms and churches do pose more of a risk, saying that’s why the regulations governing their operations are stricter.

When it came to public comment a number of people called in on both sides of the issue.

Andy Nevis, president of the El Dorado County Taxpayer’s Association, supported the resolution, saying the state has a “boy that cried wolf problem” that has resulted in “a majority of people in El Dorado County not listening to them anymore.” He also suggested a letter be sent to the federal government asking for more support for small businesses.

El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Laurel Brent-Bumb noted

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See lawsuit, page 3

EDC sees 5th COVID-19 death Bill Rozak Tahoe Daily Tribune

Kevin Christensen Staff writer

TM

The mother of a Black student who attended Gold Trail School has filed a lawsuit against the Gold Trail Union School District and Principal Boyd Fuller alleging that nothing was done to prevent racist and homophobic taunts aimed at her son.

Sacramento attorney Kellan Patterson is representing the student known as “J.K.,” filing the lawsuit Tuesday in Sacramento federal court.

J.K. went to Gold Trail School for seventh

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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — El Dorado County has suffered its fifth coronavirus-related death, officials announced Thursday.

A Lake Tahoe man in the 65 years and older age bracket has succumbed to COVID-19. He is the third person from Tahoe to die from virus implications.

The death is the first for the county in about three months, since mid-September.

There were also 98 new COVID-19 cases reported Thursday coming from all parts of the county, including 12 in the Tahoe region, 24 in the Placerville area, 16 in El Dorado Hills and 19 in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs areas. Ten of the cases are still awaiting address confirmation. Active cases have jumped to 951.

Thirteen residents are hospitalized, but just one is in intensive care between Barton Memorial Hospital and Marshall Medical Center in Placerville.

Gov. warns stay-at home order coming n El Dorado lumped in with 13

other counties Kevin Christensen Staff writer

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced likely closures of businesses and new stay-athome orders due to the growing COVID-19 health crisis that he said is threatening to overwhelm California’s healthcare system.

Newsom said he was “pulling an emergency brake,” declaring a “regional” stay-at-home order in the state based on a region’s hospital intensive care unit capacity dwindling.

The governor’s benchmark for the new orders to come into effect is when a region’s ICU bed availability falls below 15%.

When regions have 15% ICU capacity or less the state will order the closure of hair salons and barbershops, bars, breweries and distilleries, casinos and indoor and outdoor playgrounds.

Restaurants would be limited to take-out and delivery only, while retailers must limit customers inside their stories to 20% capacity.

See Covid response, page 8

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Monday, December 7, 2020

Mountain Democrat mtdemocrat.com

ESSENTIALS OBITUARIES Obituaries on this page are written and paid for by the families or funeral homes. They are edited minimally by the Mountain Democrat. To submit an obituary, call (530) 622-1255, e-mail obits@mtdemocrat.net, fax (530) 344-5092, or visit mtdemocrat.com under “Submission Forms” at the bottom of the website. Include contact information with all submissions.

Ralph Baldwin

Feb. 11, 1947 – Nov. 20, 2020

On Friday, Nov. 20, Ralph Baldwin, loving husband, father, coworker and friend, passed away at the age of 73.

Ralph was born Feb. 11, 1947 in Evansville, Ind., to Cornelius and Helen (McGee) Baldwin. Ralph served in the Naval Reserves, worked as a surveyor’s assistant and ultimately became an RN in 1980.

He married Susan Hathaway Ward on Jan. 8, 1983.

Ralph lived life to the fullest and his passion was motor racing. He was an active member of SCCA for more than 40 years and he drove the Pursuit Vehicle for Montreal Formula One races for many exciting years.

He is preceded in death by his father and mother as well as his sister Kim. He is survived by his wife, daughter Jennifer, sister Kay and his three grandchildren. A celebration of life is planned for 2021, post-COVID-19.

WEATHER

Coloma 70/50 Placerville 66/49

Cameron Park 66/44

News release SACRAMENTO — California business owners needing financial assistance can receive immediate tax relief from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration in the form of automatic filing extensions, interest-free payment plans or a hiring tax credit of up to $100,000 to offset income or sales and use taxes.

“Small business owners need our help and support,” stated Director Nick Maduros. “The governor’s action provides immediate assistance for businesses impacted by COVID-19. We recognize that many of our taxpayers are facing extreme challenges due to the pandemic and our hope is that these relief efforts will enable businesses to weather this difficult storm.”

Automatic filing extension Taxpayers filing CDTFA returns for less than $1 million in sales tax will automatically be granted a three-month extension on payments and returns originally due between Dec. 1 and April 30.

For example, fourth quarter 2020 returns and payments will now be due in April 2021. Eligible taxpayers are not required to make a request to take advantage of this extension.

Interest-free payment plans

Georgetown 65/47

El Dorado Hills

Tax relief offered for small businesses

Diamond Springs 67/49

South Lake Tahoe 44/21

Pollock Pines Camino 61/45 64/48 Somerset 68/50 Fair Play 68/50

Map shows today’s Highs and overnight Lows

PLACERVILLE 5-DAY FORECAST

Qualified small businesses can apply for a 12-month, interest-free payment plan to defer payment of up to $50,000 for fourth quarter 2020 and the first quarter of 2021 in sales and use tax liability. The deferred tax would be paid in twelve equal monthly installments with the first payment not due until April 2021.

Businesses with annual taxable sales of $5 million or less will be eligible for the new payment plans, including those taxpayers already in existing payment arrangements with the CDTFA. All

CRIME LOG The following is from Placerville Police Department logs:

Nov. 18 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

HIGH: 66° LOW: 49°

HIGH: 66° LOW: 48°

HIGH: 63° LOW: 47°

HIGH: 60° LOW: 42°

HIGH: 58° LOW: 43°

A mainly sunny sky. High 66F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.

A mainly sunny sky. High 66F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

Abundant sunshine. High 63F. Winds light and variable.

Mostly sunny skies. High near 60F. Winds light and variable.

Partly cloudy.

High 58F. Winds light and variable.

9:30 a.m. A stolen vehicle was recovered on Skyline Drive.

3:31 p.m. A vehicle was vandalized on Schnell School Road.

9:38 p.m. A 61-year-old man was arrested on Broadway on suspicion of public intoxication.

Nov. 19 2:47 a.m. A 61-year-old man was arrested on Mosquito Road on an outstanding warrant.

10:03 a.m. A 44-year-old man was arrested on Cold Springs Road for allegedly throwing a rock through a glass door.

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1:03 p.m. A 30-year-old man on probation was arrested on Main Street on suspicion of public intoxication.

5:42 p.m. A 51-year-old man on probation was arrested on Crescent Street for reportedly possessing methamphetamine and parphernalia.

7:58 p.m. Fire from a motorcycle engulfed in flames spread to a homeless encampment on Mallard Lane.

Nov. 20 2:39 p.m. A 27-year-old man was arrested on Broadway on charges of possessing narcotics with the intent to sell.

9:33 p.m. A vehicle was stolen on Simas Way.

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2:34 p.m. Suspect(s) stole a catalytic converter from a vehicle on Placerville Drive.

Nov. 22 10:45 a.m. A 24-year-old man on probation was arrested on charges of possessing illegal drug paraphernalia.

9 p.m. A 60-year-old man was arrested on Cedar Ravine for allegedly violating his parole.

Nov. 23 1:42 a.m. A 36-year-old man on probation with a restraining order against him was arrested on High Street on vandalism charges.

existing interest-free payment plans will remain in place.

Businesses with sales greater than $5 million in sectors particularly impacted by operational restrictions due to the pandemic may also apply for an interest-free payment plan. CDTFA will extend these payment arrangements to all businesses demonstrating a significant drop in sales, regardless of annual sales volume.

More information on extensions and payment plans will be available soon at cdtfa.ca.gov/services/ covid19.htm or contact CDTFA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 400-7115 (TTY: 711).

Small business hiring tax credit Beginning Dec. 1 and continuing through Jan. 15, CDTFA is accepting applications through taxcredit. cdtfa.ca.gov for qualified small business owners to reserve up to a $100,000 hiring tax credit. The small business hiring tax credit provides a credit a small business employer can use to offset income taxes or sales and use taxes when filing tax returns.

The tentative credit reservation is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Within 30 days of receiving an application CDTFA will notify each applicant via email whether a tentative credit reservation has been allocated to them and the amount. To learn more about qualifications and how to apply view the Frequently Asked Questions available on the CDTFA website.

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration administers California’s sales and use, fuel, tobacco, alcohol and cannabis taxes, as well as a variety of other taxes and fees that fund specific state programs. CDTFA-administered programs account for over $73 billion annually, which in turn supports local essential services such as transportation, public safety and health, libraries, schools, social services and natural resource management programs through the distribution of tax dollars going directly to local communities.

LAKE LEVELS Nov. 24 9:49 a.m. A woman pulled glasses off another woman’s face and spit in her face.

11:44 a.m. A 39-year-old man was arrested on Main Street on suspicion of public intoxication.

10:40 a.m. A bag of tools was stolen from inside an unlocked vehicle on Oak Terrace Road.

3:10 p.m. A 30-year-old man on probation was arrested on Main Street for reportedly being under the influence of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.

5:50 p.m. A tablet was stolen from a parked unlocked vehicle on Oak Terrace Road.

10:30 p.m. A man was arrested on Main Street for violating parole.

Nov. 28 1:12 a.m. A 29-year-old man was arrested by a citizen on David Circle for trespassing.

11:08 a.m. A 19-year-old woman was arrested on Marshall Way for being under the influence of a controlled substance.

12:44 p.m. A 39-year-old man was arrested on Ray Lawyer Drive after he barricaded himself in an apartment and was determined to allegedly be under the influence of controlled substance.

Warning

Stumpy Meadows Reservoir as of Dec. 2 Water elevation 4,239.29 Feet Storage level 13,204 acre-feet Percent full 66% Inflow 7.40 cfs Outflow 3.79 cfs Folsom Reservoir as of Dec. 2 Water elevation 390.40 Feet Storage 318,993 acre-feet Percent full 33% Inflow 632 cfs Outflow 1,246 cfs Union Reservoir as of Dec. 2 Water elevation 4,817.08 Feet Storage 140,728 acre-feet Percent full 53% Inflow — Outflow — Loon Lake as of Dec. 2 Water elevation 6,383.50 Feet Storage 37,000 acre-feet Percent full 53% Inflow — Outflow — Ice House as of Dec. 2 Water elevation 5,419.21 Feet Storage 25,129 acre-feet Percent full 58% Inflow 1 cfs Outflow — Lake Aloha as of Dec. 3 Water elevation 0.00 Feet Storage 0 acre-feet Percent full 0%

Ski resorts are allowed to remain open as part of the governor’s guidelines to campgrounds, RV parks, ski operators and other outdoor recreation.

Newsom categorized the state into five regions: Southern California, Northern California, the San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area and greater Sacramento.

El Dorado County falls into the greater Sacramento region with Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba.

As of Thursday El Dorado County had 952 active COVID-19 cases and 13 hospitalizations with one COVID-19 patient in intensive care.

The county has a total of 29 intensive care beds with 20 at Marshall Hospital in Placerville and nine at Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake

Caples Lake as of Dec. 3 Water elevation 46.45 Feet Storage 13,472 acre-feet Percent full 60% Inflow 0.65 cfs Outflow 5.70 cfs Silver Lake as of Dec. 3 Water elevation 10.67 Feet Storage 3,247 acre-feet Percent full 38% Inflow 4.36 cfs Outflow 13.20 cfs Sly Park as of Dec. 3 Water elevation 97.25 Feet Storage 27,237 acre-feet Percent full 66.4% Inflow 0.87 cfs Outflow 38.1 cfs American River as of Dec. 3 Flow 41.29 cfs

Tahoe.

The greater Sacramento area’s ICU capacity is 22%, according to state data.

While no region has yet met the 15% threshold that would implement the new orders, Newsom said four of the state’s five regions, not including the San Francisco Bay Area, are expected to hit 15% in coming days.

Newsom tried to remain upbeat during the announcement Thursday.

“This is the final surge in this pandemic,” Newsom said. “We do not anticipate having to do this again.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Regions below 15% ICU capacity will have 48 hours to adapt to the new orders and would remain under the lockdown for three weeks.

Newsom also said all non-essential travel would be suspended.

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Echo Lake as of Dec. 3 Water elevation 0.00 Feet Storage 0 acre-feet Percent full 0% Inflow 0.22 cfs Outflow 0.22 cfs * Note that Lake Aloha and Echo Lake contain water, but the lake elevations are below the points measured/operated by EID. The outflow at each lake is a function of the natural inflow.

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mtdemocrat.com Mountain Democrat

Lawsuit

Continued from 1

and eighth grade during the 201819 and 2019-20 school years and is described in the lawsuit as a “Black student with Haitian roots” who was “often the only Black student in his classes.” His principal at Gold Trail School was Boyd Fuller.

The suit alleges J.K. was “bullied by his peers based on his race and perceived sexuality. Throughout his tenure at Gold Trail School schoolmates have called him (a racial slur) in person and over text messages. They have also called him ‘gay’ in a derogatory manner,” as well as another homophobic slur.

The lawsuit says J.K.’s parents on Oct. 14, 2019, noticed J.K. “was seeming down. They noticed he was not talking to his ‘friends’ as he often does.”

The next day on the bus after school, the suit continues, “a girl was videotaping J.K. while another student started asking about the meaning of (a racial slur) and what about the word is racist. A student also started to untie J.K.’s shoelace to further annoy him.

“J.K. became terribly upset and demanded the kids to stop. J.K. told the bus driver about the incident and messaged his teacher Ms. Garcia.”

The next day when J.K. got on the bus to head home after school, the bus driver allegedly asked J.K. to sit behind her because “he had used foul language when he was demanding his bullies to stop harassing him.”

The suit says J.K. got off the bus and called his mother. Once his mother arrived at school, she went with J.K. to have a meeting with Holler to discuss what had happened.

Holler explained to J.K. that the (racial slur) began in the 1950s when people were being lynched, states the lawsuit.

“Holler further explained that there are three ways to take the (racial slur). (1) A friend calling you that as a buddy; (2) a friend who calls you that just to be an asshole and then asks for forgiveness and then you forgive and forget about it; and (3) it is used in a hateful manner,” according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit says the mother looked at her son and said “under no

circumstances do you let someone call you the (racial slur), the word is extremely offensive.”

Holler also asked “why (J.K.) had never said anything about the bullying as if this information was learned for the first time.”

About six months earlier on April 2, 2019, the lawsuit alleges the mother emailed Holler screenshots of racial and homophobic text messages J.K. had received from classmates. “(The mother) was confused, upset and disappointed that Mr. Holler hadn’t done anything to protect J.K. after learning that J.K. was the victim of bullying,” the lawsuit says.

On or about Feb. 24, 2020, J.K’s mother filed a written claim with GTUSD “for the injuries, disability, losses and damages suffered and incurred …”

GTUSD rejected the claim in its entirety June 2, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges Holler and GTUSD didn’t protect J.K’s rights under Code Section 220 that says, “No person shall be subject to discrimination of the basis of … race or ethnicity, … sexual orientation …, in any program or activity conducted by an educational institution.”

Holler failed to perform his statutory duty to immediately respond to racial and homophjobic harassment, according to the lawsuit, which goes on to say Holler’s indifferent behavior resulted in J.K. “being denied the right to equal access to his education and school resources.”

Holler did not respond Thursday to an email sent by the Mountain Democrat asking for comment.

The lawsuit says GTUSD and Holler were “negligent and careless in that Holler allowed students to harass and bully J.K. without official consequences on the school grounds of Gold Trail School.”

Gold Trail School Superintendent Carey Buchanan said in an email to the Mountain Democrat, “Because this is a personnel issue and involves potential litigation we cannot comment at this time. We take very seriously the safety, health and welfare of all our students and staff.”

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4 Monday, December 7, 2020 Mountain Democrat mtdemocrat.com

OPINION

Richard B. Esposito Publisher/Editor

Noel Stack Managing Editor

Krysten Kellum Associate Editor

California Commentary

Plenty to be thankful for

A

popular meme making the rounds shows a row of Porta-Potties engulfed in flames. Underneath is written, “If 2020 were a scented candle.”

No two ways about it, 2020 has been a very bad year for millions of Americans who have Jon Coupal suffered from all the fallout associated with the pandemic. Many have been furloughed or lost their jobs entirely while others lost loved ones. It is doubtful that anyone hasn’t been negatively affected in some way from what has been a difficult year.

It’s even worse here in California, as hard as that might be to believe. We have the highest poverty rate in the nation when the cost of living is taken into account and both residents and businesses are leaving the state in distressing numbers due to high taxes, high unemployment, burdensome regulations and deteriorating public safety.

To add insult to injury, we have clueless political leaders who issue edicts while they themselves ignore those rules. While they expect us to remain shut down, they take trips to Hawaii, go to hair salons and attend dinners at high-end restaurants.

And yet, there are a few things for which California taxpayers can actually be grateful this Thanksgiving season.

First and foremost is the successful defense of Proposition 13 by the defeat of Proposition 15, the so-called “split roll” initiative. For 42 years Proposition 13 has remained essentially intact despite countless efforts to weaken it. The split roll proposal, advanced mostly by public-sector labor unions and radical progressive organizations, was the most serious challenge to homeowners in four decades.

The importance of the Prop. 15 victory is difficult to overstate. The proponents had several advantages that made this election cycle their most favorable for weakening Prop. 13, and yet they still lost. While taxand-spend interests will surely continue to pursue higher taxes, such as even higher income taxes and sales taxes, it is doubtful that another assault on property owners will occur again any time soon.

Taxpayers are also thankful for the result of other ballot measures. A proposal to permit more rent control in California was soundly rejected, which is good news for those who believe in rational, marketbased housing policies that actually incentivize more residential construction. Voters also approved an initiative that allows app-based drivers to retain their status as independent contractors, a blow to an ill-advised state law that has restricted economic freedom. Perhaps now Assembly Bill 5 will be fully repealed.

But being thankful does not mean taxpayers can let their guard down. The California Legislature still has progressive supermajorities in both the Assembly and the state Senate.

An even bigger threat may appear in the form of n

See CouPal, page 5

Letters to the Editor End gerrymandering EDITOR: f this past election has taught us anything, it’s that each of our votes truly matters and must be counted. To make sure that a fair election process happens every time we must have fair electoral maps and end the practice of gerrymandering. We all need to play an active role in how our political maps are drawn during the upcoming redistricting process.

Redistricting is the process of redrawing our districts to reflect the change in our population recorded by the census, which occurs every 10 years. Gerrymandering happens when politicians manipulate this process in order to draw electoral maps that ensure their party wins more districts which are out of proportion to the actual percentage of the population. Gerrymandering changes the value and weight of every vote. It’s unfair and it’s cheating — no matter which party tries it.

Our political system is broken and politicians are making it worse by using gerrymandering to ensure they get re-elected. Gerrymandering contributes to hyper-partisanship in our politics and allows politicians to pander to special interests, but ignore the people they represent.

2021 is an important year because we the people can call and lobby our elected officials as they draw maps. We can demand and attend hearings. We can make it known that it’s time to end gerrymandering.

I’m asking my neighbors to join me and push for fair maps.

Representative democracy is not possible if gerrymandering is allowed to control the configuration of any Congressional district. We must stop gerrymandering.

JIM WILSON Placerville

I

Your tax dollars not at work, part 2 EDITOR: recently wrote regarding the excessive fund balances in the El Dorado County Ambulance Program (CSA7). Recall that fund balance was north of $9 million and growing all the while

I

ambulance services had been reduced to taxpayers.

Turns out that the amount of CSA7 tax monies sitting around is even more than first described.

Of the five fire districts that contract with the ambulance joint powers authority (JPA) to operate and staff paramedic ambulances, there are two local fire districts managing contracts with the JPA spending less annually than the contract provides.

While ordinarily a good thing for taxpayers, for one agency — the El Dorado County Fire Protection District — it turns out to be a cash cow. You see that agency runs four paramedic ambulances on contract with the JPA and, as a result, pockets nearly $800,000 annually. The money is kept by the fire district and placed in a “side account” for who knows what. The other agency spending less than the contract allowance is Cameron Park Fire, which provides one ambulance on contract to the JPA. The difference between the two agencies is that Cameron Park Fire returns unused funds to the JPA and El Dorado County Fire keeps the money. That $800,000 is enough money to operate most of a 24/7 ambulance somewhere else on the west slope.

That additional would increase services and reduce paramedic ambulance response times for taxpayers.

Fire Chiefs and board members must manage taxpayer dollars ethically, keeping in focus the best interest of providing excellent service. Kudos to Cameron Park Fire management and its board of directors for doing the right thing on behalf of taxpayers. I wonder what happened to the ethics at El Dorado County Fire? Returning the money back to the JPA to provide additional needed funding is what should be done.

Moreover, this is not a surprise to the El Dorado County Chief administrative Office, which has ultimate oversight responsibility for how CSA7 ambulance dollars are utilized. Contract or not, they know it is not the best use of the tax money.

Our elected officials, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors, need to fix this. As directors of CSA7 they are charged with this. The CAO needs to stop ignoring this misuse of tax dollars.

RICK TODD Georgetown

Belltower

Diving over the roses Dec. 7, 1941, at Hickam Field

In the words of Tom Raffety ... y Uncle Tom Raffety arrived in Portland in October 1940 for basic training with 29th Engineer Topographic Battalion.

He had 17 cents in his pocket. It was still the Michael Depression. After a night on the town after his training pay of $17 a month was raised to $30 for a full private, he came back to find the next day he had been “volunteered” for transfer to the “cadre of a new battalion of aviation engineers to be activated in Hawaii.”

“Someone looked at my files again and I was assigned to the 7th Air Force Engineer at Hickam Field. This was a break because I got to do stuff like runway layouts and camouflage instead of digging in the dirt with the Aviation Engineer battalion.”

For an interlude Tom was temporarily assigned to the island of Kauai to lay out camouflage for a fighter strip there.

“And, oh my, that was a fun island.”

Later he was assigned to the civilian Corps of Engineers office at Hanapepe and he was attached to a Kanaka battalion, where he ate nothing but fish and poi, danced with local girls and was invited to a luau that started at 9

M

a.m. and “went on until everybody fell down.”

“Unfortunately, someone remembered where I was, or found out I was having too much fun for a soldier, so I was ordered back to Hickam.”

On the last Sunday in November he had dinner on the carrier Enterprise through a friend who Raffety had a cousin on the ship.

“Lordy, lordy! How those sailors ate! We had chicken, which the overstuffed Navy types referred to as ‘seagul,’ mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh vegetable, milk, pie, and, Lord, how I pigged out! After all the good stuff I’d had on Kauai, eating at the Hickam mess hall had been like garbage detail.”

Probably broke, my uncle stayed on base Saturday night, Dec. 6, but had a tennis date Sunday morning so he was up early.

“It was a lovely day, the kind of day that made life worthwhile in the islands. In Salem in December the place would be wet down with unending Oregon mist — too heavy to be fog and not heavy enough to be rain. But on Oahu it was beautifully clear and sunny, warm with just enough of a breeze to keep comfortable. Even breakfast that morning had been better than usual.

The fried eggs didn’t have the usual

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black lace around the edges and you could even tell the original color of the bacon.

“I saw the supply sergeant standing in the company street and it seemed a good time to hit him up for some extra underwear …. It was such a nice day and who could say no when it felt so good? We were casually exchanging insults as we stood looking north across Pearl Harbor — it was so clear that the big fuel tanks could be seen all the way across the harbor, on the northside hills.

A group of silver planes banked sharply and dove down toward the harbor in a shining line. ‘Geez!” said the sergeant, “That’s gotta be the Marines. Only Marines would be stupid enough to be holding practice drills on a Sunday!’

“A cloud of heavy black smoke plumed over the harbor, then a plane roared over our heads, so low we could see the rivets in the wings --- a long, fat bomb slung under the fuselage and great read circles on the wingtips. At that instant, the Army stopped being fun.

“There were explosions as the hangar line was attacked — the sounds of aircraft diving full bore, machine guns firing, more aircraft. I don’t remember starting to move, but suddenly I was diving headfirst over a bed of roses and sliding under the shelter of a barracks building, curling up next to one of those pier supports and making love to the ground.

“As I went over the bushes a tracer

bullet twanged over my head (as the years get longer, the bullet gets closer),” my Uncle Tom wrote in 1987 in response to a request from my mother to write down his World War II memories. He wrote 16 pages single spaced.

“And I thought, Christ! Somebody’s shooting at me!

“We decided that the best we could do was to keep under cover until we found there was another wave — which there was — and then run back to the company area and draw some weapons, and there was a last wave, but not before a buddy and I got out to have our picture taken, because, who knows?

“The supply sergeant handed out every weapon he had in stock, on the basis of first-come, first-served. I got a submachine gun and a heavy load of ammunition for it and for my .45, then staggered back to my post, ready to defend democracy to the last.”

Somewhere along the way at Hickam Tom Raffety put in for officer candidate school and was transferred to Virginia.

He wound up in San Luis Obispo, which the supply officer from Missouri called “Saint Louis Episcopal.”

Tom was promoted to captain and his Black Hawk unit was preparing to deploy to the Pacific. “Then along came the Battle of the Bulge … and we got on a train for Rhode Island and wasn’t that

Snail Mail: Letters to the Editor P. O. Box 1088, Placerville 95667

n

See raffety, page 5

Main Office: 2889 Ray Lawyer Drive Placerville 95667

mtdemocrat.com Mountain Democrat Monday, December 7, 2020

Coupal

Announcements

Continued from 4

proposed constitutional amendments emanating from the Legislature. We saw this with Proposition 19, a billion-dollar tax increase on parent-child transfers of property. The complex measure, regrettably, was narrowly approved by voters who may not have been aware of what was in the fine print.

Still, California taxpayers can be grateful that we still have the power of the initiative, referendum and recall. Although these tools can be abused by powerful special interests, in the hands of taxpayers they are

Raffety

a critical weapon to affect positive change for fiscal restraint and open government.

Finally, for all of its failed political leadership and foolish public policies, we should be grateful to be residents of California. While we sympathize with those millions of former residents who have fled to less oppressive states, let’s appreciate that we have the tools to make this even a better place to live.

Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

Continued from 4

surrendered to MacArthur on the USS Missouri, ice and snow fun after Southern California?

In Europe, “We went up the ‘Ruhr Pocket’ and really Tom’s outfit was sent to a place 70 miles south of Manila in the Philippines. learned about the confusion that’s inherent in all “Our job was to round up Japanese troops and combat situations. There was one town we took, then convince them the war was over, a fact some of them lost and took again. I remember going up on a hill wouldn’t accept. Pretty soon, my accumulation of and looking back at the village we’d just left getting a points were high enough to get me a free ride home.” pasting from artillery fire and not being sure whether So my uncle went from experiencing the “Day of we were doing it or they were doing it. Anyone who Infamy” 79 years ago today to the war in Europe and tells you about ‘lines’ or ‘fronts in WWII is lying, or back to the Pacific. else they just weren’t there.”

“You do things you don’t want to or are afraid to, My uncle’s mission was to build bridges and scout simply because you can’t let the guy next to you down. out and assess bridges and river crossings and general routes as well as make maps, though he found the best It’s a simple as that,” Tom Raffety concluded in the letter to my mother. maps of Germany were Michelin guides.

Michael Raffety is a retired editor of the Mountain Back in America he had 30 days leave and his Democrat. The late Tom Raffety’s last job was outfit of engineers spent two months in the Ozarks, president of the Airport Directors Association. then headed back to the Pacific. After the Japanese The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Monday, Dec. 7, 2020

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD Crossword ACROSS

1 Hacky ___ (game)

5 Loud, mocking call

9 Wash with vigor

14 Sound of a chuckle

15 Stare at, as a creep might

16 Principle to fight for

36 Part of a test that may produce a hand cramp 37 Thurman of “Pulp Fiction” 38 Was gentle with 41 Before, in a poem 42 Tinker Bell, for one 44 Locale of the anvil and the stirrup 45 Vehicle that travels in only one direction 46 One version of poker 50 Actor Nielsen of “Airplane!”

51 Pants might burst at them 55 “S.N.L.” offering 59 Commuting option 62 Grand achievement 63 Root used in making poi

64 “Party on, ___!”

“Party on, Garth!”

65 Jane Austen novel 66 Lake that feeds into Lake Ontario 67 Newspaper opinion pieces 68 Optimistic 69 Ballpoint points

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PUZZLE BY LUKE VAUGHN footprint 7 Furry red 32 Whimper 28 Prior to now 40 Botch something 54 High heels, e.g. monster of children’s TV 35 ___ and tonic 29 YouTube clip, 43 Take back, as an 56 Version that’s informally offer 8 Having a new just for show life ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 45 Add sugar to 30 Ceased 57 Some 9 Made a bust?

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E T A T C A E R P H I L L Y 62025Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 Artist’s stand S T L O U N D E R R A T E D Read1-800-972-3550 about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

For Information Call: S E E N D I S P O S S E S S 26 Panic

For Release Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Crossword ACROSS

1 Australian avians 5 Absolutely delights

10 “I didn’t see you there!”

15 ___ it down a notch

16 “Too rich for my blood!”

17 Company with a spokeslizard

18 *Classic TV show starring a cowboy puppet 20 Hazardous gas

21 Country whose stamps use glue that’s certified kosher 22 Take over responsibilities from 24 Sailor’s song

26 Kind of card for a phone 27 Harvard rival

30 “How you doin’?”

31 Opus ___

33 Path between buildings 35 Doggedly pursued 39 Smooth-talking 40 *Nursery rhyme character seen in Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass” 42 Proust title character 44 Ex-spousal support 45 Designer dog that crosses a Pomeranian and terrier 47 Neutral shade 48 Flavor-boosting additive, for short 51 A little off 52 Opal or onyx 55 “That’s what they tell me, anyway” 58 Asinine 61 Country between Venezuela and Suriname 62 National mammal of the United States

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35 *Peachy-keen 46 A braggart has a 36 Prefix with potent big one 37 Polish before 48 Scoundrel publishing 49 ___ Oh, first Asian woman to host 38 Alexandre who a major awards wrote “The Count show of Monte Cristo” 40 Last name of two 50 Not as sunny 53 Actor Hawke U.S. presidents

54 Mazda sports car 56 Alternative to the pill, briefly 57 Marriott competitor 59 Road trip accommodations 60 Site with tech tips 62 Undergrad degs.

63 Wedding vow 65 E, in Morse code

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

AL-ANON is here for you if you are bothered by someone else’s drinking. Call for meeting times. (916) 3342970. www.ncwsa.org/d6-10/ American Assoc. of University Women, Foothills of EDC Branch.

Our mission is to advance gender equity for women & girls. Science & Math Camp Scholarships, Speech Contests, monthly programs & interest groups. Call Melanie 530-306-6604 or Laurel 530-417-7737 eldorado-aauw.ca.net El DORADO COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB Dedicated to all aspects of ham radio. Meetings held on the fourth Thursday of each month at Federated Church, 1031 Thompson Way, Placerville, 7:15 pm. Visitors and non-hams welcome. Info at www.edcarc.net The El Dorado County of Republican Women Federated meet on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 5:30PM. We are currently meeting at the Herrick Building, 301 Main Street, (across from Cary House).

We are looking to have other conservative women join our group. Feel free to come to a meeting and check us out.

Please contact -chilcoat_ edcrwf@ netzero.com CANTARE CHORALE of the Sierra Foothills performs all styles of choral music and is always looking for talented new members. For information, audition, or to schedule an event see www. cantarechorale.com, call (530) 677-8463. or (530) 676-4432.

PLAY CRIBBAGE! **All skill levels** Learn to play by ACC Rules. **Beginner instruction available.** Compete in Weekly Tournaments. Gold Country Cribbers play Wednesdays at 6:00 pm. Call 916-768-4452 for more info!

DEMOCRATS – Come meet with the United Democrats of El Dorado County at Denny’s in Placerville, at noon, on the 4th Thursday of the month. Call (530)391-6414 or see edcdems.org for more information.

Fleet Reserve Assoc, Br 275, Active Duty or Retired Veterans, USN, USMC, Coast Guard. Regular meeting on 4th Wednesday each month, social 5:30 pm, dinner 6:00 pm, and meeting 7:00 pm.

Veterans Memorial Building 130 Placerville Drive, contact Larry (530) 677-3925 GOLD RUSH CHORUS now welcomes both men and women to share the joy of singing four-part harmony in the barbershop style.

To learn more or to book a performance, call Howard at (530) 647-6513 or Kent (530) 651-3575 Hangtown Women’s TENNIS Club. Women of every level welcome! Come play for fun & exercise! $30 annual membership includes monthly lessons. Weds 9-11 am. El Dorado High School courts, Acacia St., Placerville.

Includes monthly social activities. (925) 250-4656.

MARINE CORPS LEAGUE DET 697 Marines & FMF Corpsman social hour 6 pm, meeting 7 pm, second Wednesday monthly.

Veterans building 130 Placerville Dr. New members welcome Contact Richard Akin (530)622-9855 or MCL697.org NAMI FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS (free) designed for family members and caregivers/friends

supporting a loved one living with a mental health condition. 2 support groups are held monthly. For info: namieldoradocounty.org Placerville: 1st Tuesday at 7:00pm; County Gov Center, 330 Fair Lane, Conf-room C. South Lake Tahoe: 2nd Tuesday from 6:00 pm; Library, 1000 Rufus Allen.

Do your feet or hands tingle, feel numb, or hurt. The Placerville Neuropathy Support Group meets the 2nd Wed. of each month, 1 PM, Senior Center, 937 Spring St. Except: July, Aug. & Dec. Jan., Feb., March telephone meeting. Call Bev (877)6226298 for instructions.

Placerville Senior Softball Club. Welcomes all men and women ball players, slow pitch, 55 and older. Season is April through Sept. Contact Dean Panell simplefolk1028@yahoo.com (530) 620-4755, or Kelly Heavin sfd5r5ter@aol.com (530) 919-0386 POLLOCK PINES-CAMINO ROTARY CLUB is seeking people interes ted in community service and interested in exploring a Rotary club of friendships, reasonable dues and endless satisfaction. Please call 530305-0872 for information regarding Rotary and an upcoming meeting.

Senior PEER COUNSELING Seniors 55 and over who are grieving, depressed or having issues related to aging can meet one-on-one with a caring senior, professionally supervised and trained to listen and encourage. Call (530)621-6304 to leave a message and get started.

Soroptimist International of Placerville wants to meet you! Are you looking to impact your community, make new friends with dynamic women, and feel good about your efforts? Our mission is to improve the lives of women and children. Explore the joy of being a member of a Club that makes a significant difference in many lives.

Contact us at (530) 3441476 or sipplacerille@ soroptimist.net or visit https://siplacerville. org/. (Meetings can be attended in person or via Zoom, until COVID19 distancing is no longer required.)

TOPS Club, Inc. meets Tuesday 8:00-11:00 am, Veterans Hall (downstairs) 130 Placerville Dr. For more information call Bonnie (530) 644-4668 Helping millions take off pounds sensibly since 1948.

UPPER ROOM DINING HALL located at 1868 Broadway, Placerville. Feeding the hungry 365 days a year.

Food served from 4 to 5:30PM daily. Hall opens at 2 pm, open all holidays.

Avail for families, seniors, veterans, and any who need a meal. Help us Feed the Hungry. Volunteers and monetary contributions always welcome P.O. Box 484, Placerville CA 95667 or (530)497-5146.

VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS POST 2680 Looking for new members. First years dues paid by the Post.

Meeting is the 2nd Friday of each month at 6:30 pm. Call Primo at (530) 626-5753 WOMEN VOTERS League of Women Voters of El Dorado County voter education.

For information go to lwveldorado.org or (530) 672-3141.

To include your service organization information or meeting announcements call (530) 344-5028.

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6

Mountain Democrat mtdemocrat.com

Monday, December 7, 2020

PROSPECTING

COMICS ■ SHOE by Jeff MacNelly

■ TUNDRA by Chad Carpenter

■ RUBES by Leigh Rubin

Courtesy photos

Lee Asher and his pooches encourage people to adopt shelter pets. They hit the road ofter, traveling all over the United States and Canada.

Tahoe man travels country with his dogs promoting adoption Laney Griffo Tahoe Daily Tribune

S ■ SPEED BUMP by Dave Coverly

SUDOKU Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9

OUTH LAKE TAHOE — For South Lake resident Lee Asher, the solution to most of life’s woes is some quality time with his dogs.

Asher wanted to help people find similar joy.

That’s why, three years ago, he started Asher House.

“I hit a point in my life where I really just wanted to focus on doing what made me happy, which has always been saving animals and helping people,” Asher said.

Asher and his dogs have been to every state, except Hawaii, and many parts of Canada.

They help shelters and humane societies set up adoption events where they encourage and promote adoption of shelter pets.

“We’ve gotten over 600 dogs adopted at our adoption events and thousands of dogs adopted through social media,” Asher said.

He currently has nine dogs as pets; Tony the German shepherd, Lillie the Saint Bernard, Callie

He might make it look easy, but Lee Asher says life on the road with several dogs can get a bit rough, the golden retriever, Bo the chocolate lab, Sam the pit bull and four Chihuahuas named Butters, Queen, Molly and Penny. He is also fostering Tobi the Rhodesian ridgeback, Kai the Chihuahua and Pom Pom the Pomeranian.

The 13 of them drive around the country and Canada in his campervan, spreading

joy.

“The biggest thing that people want, even the people who are most spiteful and hateful, all anyone wants is love and connection,” Asher said. “Like, at the end of the day, if you drop the ego and just get to the point of what humans need, it’s love and connection. And that’s ■

See ASHER, page 8

Solutions to puzzles in Classified section of newspaper.

HOROSCOPE by Holiday Mathis ■ TODAY ARIES (March 21-April 19). Those who don’t know what to think are better off than those who do. To fall back on the established facts isn’t really thinking so much as enforcing previous thoughts. You’ll push forward with curiosity.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Power inequalities can have a deleterious effect on relationships, and this is why the socially astute will be extremely careful not to act on advantages and will downplay differences while striving toward egalitarianism.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’ll come across some brilliant salesmanship. Admire the skill, but don’t let it hook you in. The worse the product, the more seductive the marketing will be.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). If you are what you think about, are you the news or the chore? The sandwich, the hunger, the chef? You’re on to something with this sense of being the puppet, the puppeteer and the cross-legged child watching the show from the floor.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). By demanding too much of yourself and then scaling back, you will eventually land on a sweet spot that you would not otherwise find if you were to simply watch the others and aim down the middle.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Just when the scene teeters on the brink of total boredom, you’ll bring out the mischievous side of someone. It’s a delicious discovery -- the funny little wicked streak you find in an otherwise-straight-and-narrow persona.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). This spot you’re in has obvious limitations and less obvious (at least to you) opportunities.

Outsiders will be the best source of insight, ideas and information. Collect now; filter; and sort your findings later.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Problems push you along. It’s actually an easier way to get there than having to come up with the entire enterprise yourself. In a way, you’ll be glad for all that has inconvenienced and opposed you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). It’s a day when you’re likely to gather loads of incomplete and unreliable data, only because that’s what’s out there. Later, you can lay it all out on the table and put your critical-thinking skills to excellent use.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). If your success is solely based on how your actions measure up to your expectations of yourself, then no one in the entire world can thwart or spawn your success except you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). By noon, you’ve come up with theories and solutions that are the best the day will bring, and the rest of the time will be spent applying them -- hopefully. Otherwise, the morning work will have been for nothing.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll get another crack at a puzzle and end up solving it differently than the way you did the first time. Try it again and again and a pattern of solutions will emerge. This pattern will work on other puzzles, too.

Dogs bring a lot of joy to Lee Asher’s life. Through his organization he returns the favor by helping shelter dogs whenever he can.

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mtdemocrat.com Mountain Democrat Monday, December 7, 2020

7

Between the Covers “Lost Ski Areas of Tahoe and Donner”

By Ingrid Wilken Published by The History Press Available at local bookstores, The History Press, Amazon and from the author at skilibrary.com Roberta Long Democrat correspondent

W

hen Ingrid Wicken’s friend took her cross-country skiing in the San Bernardino mountains, Wicken hung up her tennis racket. She was hooked.

Not only did she fall in love with the snow sport, but she also became fascinated with the history of winter sports and snow resorts in California.

Wicken is a recognized authority on California ski history, having won many awards. She founded the California Ski Library, which now holds 4,700 books, historical photographs, brochures, magazines and other rare memorabilia.

“Lost Ski Areas of Tahoe and Donner,” released Nov. 9, is Wicken’s fifth book on California ski history. To tell this story Wicken expanded beyond her own resources, including information and images from historical societies, ski clubs, libraries and personal interviews. As a guest of longboard ski expert and an organizer of the annual Snowshoe Thompson Ski and Snowshoe Celebration at South Lake Tahoe Nina McLeod and South Lake Tahoe historian Dave Wakeman, she toured Highway 50, visiting lost ski area sites.

In this book Wicken traces the transition of the Sierra Nevada mountains east of the Sacramento valley from an area of summer resorts to winter playgrounds, beginning in the late 1920s to the present. Not only is it the story of the development of skiing as a sport, but it marks the influence of transportation, entrepreneurship, weather, marketing, tourism, U.S. Forest Service, mountain architecture, economics, war, ski schools, amenities, engineering and technology.

She describes the focus of her book as three areas that make up the Sierra Loop: the Lake Tahoe basin, U.S. Highway 50 and U.S. Highway 40/Interstate 80.

Stalwart skiers found their way to Lake Tahoe by the late 19th century. However, the first ski lodge in California was built by a group of professors at the University of California, Berkeley, and other professionals, who formed the Sierra Ski Club in 1925 for their members. They purchased 67 acres at Norden, elevation 6,939 feet, near Donner Summit. The Southern Pacific Railroad had a station there. The lodge was designed and built by members and opened in 1926.

Their timing was good. By 1930 the California Chamber of Commerce turned its attention to the prospects of creating revenue for businesses normally closed in winter.

Magazine covers showed stunning images of Lake Tahoe and healthy people on skis in pristine alpine landscapes under sunny skies.

A National Ski Tournament was held at Lake Tahoe in 1932, bringing thousands of visitors.

During the early days of California’s skiing

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8

Mountain Democrat mtdemocrat.com

Monday, December 7, 2020

Troop 919 Girl Scouts earn their silver Julie Samrick Special to the Democrat

M

embers of Girl Scout Troop 919 in El Dorado Hills have earned the Girl Scout Silver Award, the highest award a Girl Scout cadette may earn. Sophia Libby, Catherine Samrick, Evelyn Gutierrez and Kaitlyn Shedd spent much of sixth through eighth grades volunteering to help the greater area’s less fortunate and homeless populations. They planned, advertised for and managed several community drives, including ones to collect gently used coats and toiletries.

After reaching out to youth organizations in the area that serve the less fortunate to see if a free Halloween costume for each child was a need, the girls set the goal to collect 1,000 costumes. In 2019 the cadettes advertised to collect costumes from the community and were able to collect 250 in the first year, including many barely worn dance costumes. The girls sorted the costumes by size and gender

COVID response

Photo by Julie Samrick

Members of El Dorado Hills Girl Scout Troop 919 Sophia Libby, Catherine Samrick and Kaitlyn Shedd, left to right, along with fellow Scout Evelyn Gutierrez (not pictured) recently earned the Silver Award by holding a Halloween costume drive in 2019. and delivered them to several organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club.

For the sustainability portion of the project, the Scouts pitched the Halloween Costume Drive idea to Count on Kids, only days before the pandemic shut down schools in March. At the time the group’s founder agreed to carry the torch with assistance, but the pandemic has canceled events at this time. Count on

Kids is a nonprofit that serves the Sacramento region. Its mission is to create tomorrow’s socially conscious leaders through participation in and facilitation of community improvement projects.

Led by Troop Leader Julie Samrick, Troop 919 formed when the girls were in kindergarten. They are now ninth graders at Oak Ridge High School.

Continued from 1

that she’s had chamber members tell her they have “nothing left to lose” by not complying with the Governor’s order. Calling state regulations arbitrary, she encouraged the board to submit the resolution.

A South Lake Tahoe restaurant owner called in to say her businesses is one of those with “nothing left to lose” by not complying with the governor’s order. She also agreed with Hidahl that there is no evidence restaurants transmit COVID-19; restaurants, she said, are already held to very strict health standards by the county health department.

Another caller complained about inconsistencies in who is and isn’t allowed to operate as beauty salons, barbershops and massage parlors have been allowed to stay open, but restaurants have not.

The Tahoe Chamber of Commerce CEO Steve Teshara also supported the resolution but said it was not the best time to submit it with most of the state,

including El Dorado County, being in the purple tier.

Other callers opposed the resolution, citing fear of spreading the disease and concerns of putting profits over people.

In concluding remarks Chairman Brian Veerkamp said the board owed it to businesses and residents in the county to make the case for local decision making to the state, adding that it would be done in consultation with local health officials and other experts.

Put to a vote, the motion to send the resolution to the State passed 4 to 1 with Chairman Veerkamp and Supervisors Hidahl, Lori Parlin and Shiva Frentzen supporting it and Supervisor Novasel voting no.

The resolution will be sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom with copies to all the subsidiary government agencies as well.

The Public Square

A local marketplace to find what you are looking for…To post your message, call us at 530-622-1255, Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Employment Freelance reporters The Mountain Democrat, California’s oldest newspaper, is looking for a community-minded reporter to take freelance assignments.

Assignments will range from news coverage to features.

Freelance reporters must have interviewing skills and photography experience and be able to meet deadlines. The ideal candidate will possess a degree in journalism or equivalent experience, knowledge of AP style, photography skills and familiarity with social media.

Interested candidates should email a resume, writing and photography samples and a brief cover letter to Krysten Kellum at kkellum@mtdemocrat.net.

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Solution to Puzzle 1

Ski

Continued from 7

popularity downhill skiers had to climb up the slopes. Relief came in 1938 when Johnny Ellis, a pioneer ski tow builder, helped the Sierra Club build a ski tow near the club lodge at Norden on Donner Summit. The ski tows led to ski schools and the proliferation of public huts, lodges and resorts that catered to families, eventually leading to the full-service resorts with high-capacity, high-speed chairlifts.

Stories about business and industry often focus on successes, but Wicken’s straightforward illumination of lost ski areas lays out significant insights that are crucial to understanding the development of skiing in California’s Sierra Loop.

Asher

Continued from 6

what’s so beautiful about dogs is that they love you unconditionally.”

His love for dogs started when he was a child. He said he was actually allergic of dogs when he was a kid but still turned to them for comfort.

“There was a school that I went to where I was bullied, I wasn’t really welcomed by friends or anything and right by the school was an animal shelter,” Asher said. “So I used to run away from school and spend my time at the shelter.”

He said it was then when he developed his compassion and as a kid, he didn’t understand why all the dogs were in cages.

“I really kind of made a promise to myself and to the animals at such a young age that one day I would save them all,” Asher said.

When the Asher House goes on tour the crew can be on the road anywhere from three to five months, depending on what part of the country they are visiting or if they are going into Canada.

He stops driving every two to three hours to let the dogs out and they stop at campsites or public land to sleep.

“I don’t want to say it’s easy because I know that we make it look easy but it’s just so meaningful that we don’t really focus on the hard parts of it,” Asher said.

He said that he has a good relationship with the dogs so they don’t have to be on leashes when he stops.

The Asher House has a huge following on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Donations from his followers, as well as sales from his online store, help pay for his trips.

He is currently home in South Lake Tahoe but new tour dates will be announced on the website, theasherhouse.com.

“I don’t look at my social media supporters as followers, I look at them as supporters and family,” Asher said.

“I don’t promote the language that people suck, I think people are amazing. When you’re a compassionate person, you don’t only show compassion to dogs, you show compassion to all living things, including humans.”

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Solution to Puzzle 2

Online

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For Rent PLACERVILLE-88 cents a square foot, includes utilities, 200sf – 720sf each, office, stora ge, light industrial? 4600 Missouri Flat Rd, (530) 622-2640

Would you like to submit a letter to the editor?

Submission forms are now available online at www.mtdemocrat.com/ letters-to-the-editor.

Cambridge Garden Apartments

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El Dorado Irrigation District is seeking:

Construction Inspector I/ II

Temporary Utility Worker – Wastewater/Collections

The Human Resources Department is currently accepting applications for the position of Construction Inspector I/II in Engineering.

Under supervision conducts field construction inspections for District facilities including commercial/residential development and capital improvement projects, involving the inspection of pipelines, pumping stations, and treatment facilities, and other District projects; reviews and inspects construction plans to ensure compliance with approved plans, specifications and Federal, State, and local regulations.

Possession of a State of California Water Distribution Operator Certificate desirable.

For a complete job description and the REQUIRED application, please visit our website at www.eid.org or call 530-642-4020.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

2890 Mosquito Road Placerville, CA 95667 Fax: (530) 622-1134

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El Dorado Irrigation District is seeking: Salary: I: $28.93-$35.16; II: $31.96-$38.85 per hour FFD: December 15, 2020

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Pay Range: $20.04/ per hour FFD: OPEN UNTIL FILLED, FIRST REVIEW OF APPLICATION DECEMBER 11, 2020 The Human Resources Department is currently accepting applications for a Temporary - Utility Worker within the Wastewater / Collections Division of Operations.

Do Business with a Professional You Can Meet in Person

Under direct supervision performs a variety of manual labor assisting District staff with maintenance and construction activities of tasks associated with the installation, repair and maintenance of Wastewater/ Collection systems.

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For a complete job description and the REQUIRED application, please visit our website at www.eid.org or call 530-642-4020.

Drop By or Make an In-Home Appointment - We’ll Come To You!

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

2890 Mosquito Road Placerville, CA 95667 Fax: (530) 622-1134

mtdemocrat.com Mountain Democrat Monday, December 7, 2020

Forest return

Continued from 1

approaches in helping the land to a full recovery.

“In areas like the Rubicon Canyon of the King Fire scar there is little to no vegetation left,” said Vidal. “In these areas the trees that did not survive at all don’t drop pine cones to regenerate organically so this is where we come in and plant seeds strategically to help spur growth.”

Vidal said he has also spent much of the year clearing out shrubs because tree seedlings that sprout, whether they have been planted by reforestation efforts or have organically been dropped by trees that survived the blaze, must be able to reach sunlight in order to grow. The excess of shrubs in the King Fire scar can create shade over tree seedlings trying to flourish, according to Vidal.

Walsh explained the majority of shrub removal is done using an herbicide with some completed manually. “It’s more cost-effective to remove the shrubs with an herbicide and less labor intensive,” she said.

The terrain burned presents other challenges with steep canyons to contend with.

The King Fire scar also has “exclusion zones” in areas of low or mild intensity fire that are left alone because they do have trees that survived and an understory that allows seedlings to grow.

“This is an example of where in the past wildfires did not burn as hot or intense and acted as a natural process that could be beneficial to the resilience and longevity of a forest,” Vidal said.

“California wildfires were always a part of the natural ecology of forests,” continued Vidal.

“Ultimately we are learning and want to help restore the natural balance to the King Fire scar.”

King Fire reforestation’s new vegetation source

is primarily coming from the U.S Forest Service’s Placerville Nursery. Established in 1957, it’s the only federal nursery operational in California, providing around 4 million seedlings for reforestation efforts primarily on lands impacted by wildfire and insect activity.

“There are a lot of logistical advantages of having the nursery close by,” said Eldorado National Forest spokesperson Jennifer Chapman, who also took part in the online meeting Thursday. “It means we have a local place to store seedlings and its cuts down our transportation costs.”

The nursery produces seedlings for 18 national forests in the Pacific Southwest Region. Orders for seedlings are placed 1 to 2 years in advance of anticipated reforestation and restoration projects as seedlings must be adapted to the intended site.

A diverse species of trees were, and are, still found in The King Fire scar including ponderosa pines, black oaks, incense cedar, sugar pines and white/ Douglas firs. Shrubs like mountain whitehorns, manzanitas, gooseberries, deer brush and cherries are making their way back to the land as well.

The Placerville Nursery is providing mainly sugar and ponderosa pine seedlings that were planted in 2017 and 2018 with more to come, according to Vidal.

Vidal said in the future the restoration project will include more shrub removal and possibly even drones and increased personnel to help monitor growth. “Using drones could speed up monitoring efforts and complement the on-the-ground monitoring taking place.”

The Sierra Corps Fellowship program Vidal is a part of is primarily funded by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and two grants, the Timber Regulation

Public Notices  FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. FB2020-1058

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. FB2020-1003

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HIGHWAY 50 INSURANCE, located at 6718 Diablo View Trail, Placerville, CA 95667 Registered owner(s): Francine Marie Schuler, 6718 Diablo View Trail, Placerville, CA 95667 This business is conducted by an Individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 11/17/2020 Signature of Registrant: /s/ Francine Marie Schuler FRANCINE MARIE SCHULER I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).)

This statement filed with the county clerk of El Dorado County on 11/18/2020.

NOTICE-IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (see section 14411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions Code) 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14 8415

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VIRTUAL DRIVER INTERACTIVE, located at 5137 Golden Foothill Pkwy, Suite 150, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762/Mailing Address: 110 Bi-County Blvd, Suite 124, Farmingdale, NY 11735 Registered owner(s): Cemtrex XR Inc., 5137 Golden Foothill Pkwy, Suite 150, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 This business is conducted by a Corporation, State of Incorporation: Nevada The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A Signature of Registrant: /s/ Saagar Govil SAAGAR GOVIL, CEO I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).)

This statement filed with the county clerk of El Dorado County on 10/30/2020.

NOTICE-IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (see section 14411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions Code) 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14 8417

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. FB2020-0980 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: POPPYTREE GARDENS, located at 2800 Poppytree Ln, Georgetown, CA 95634 Registered owner(s): Floating Lotus Designs LLC, 3782 Winding Creek Ln, Garden Valley, CA 95633 This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company, State of LLC: CA The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 10/25/2020 Signature of Registrant: /s/ Patricia Low PATRICIA LOW, OWNER/MANAGER I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).)

This statement filed with the county clerk of El Dorado County on 10/26/2020.

NOTICE-IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (see section 14411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions Code) 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14 8416

9

SUMMONS CASE NO. PC 20200421 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: JOSHUA L. WILLIAMS, GARY D. WELLS, SANDRA G. WELLS, DONALD W. MELLO and ANNICK E. R. MELLO as Trustees of the Mello Family Trust, VINCENT PEREZ, CYNTHIA R. PEREZ, RANDOLPH T. CHRIETZBERG and NANCY L. CHRIETZBERG as Trustees of Chrietzberg Family Revocable Trust, RICHARD FISCHER, AARON MICHAEL JOSEPH ANDERSON, THOMAS BECKMAN, GLADYS L. BECKMAN, TERRY DAVID STEPHENS and YVONNE EVELYN STEPHENS, as Trustees of the Stephens Family Revocable Living Trust, BOBBY S. DUTTA, as Trustee of the Bobby S. Dutta Revocable Trust, CHARLES SCHWAB, MICHAEL SCHWAB, CHARLES R. BUCHIGNANI, DAISY M. BUCHIGNANI, FRANK V. TURNER, CAROLYN J. TURNER, and DOES 1 through 100, inclusive, YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLANTIFF: GILBERT GROTTA and ROSEMARY Y. GROTTA NOTICE! You have been sued.

The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you.

Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

and Forest Restoration Fund, as well as the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program.

The King Fire broke out Sept. 13, 2014 near King of the Mountain Road in Pollock Pines. The forest fire, sparked by the hand of arsonist Wayne Allen Hunstman, burned in a northeasterly direction through Oct. 9, 2014, destroying mostly forest and 12 residences. Hunstman in 2016 was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Suppression costs for the King Fire exceeded $118.5 million.

“An Affiliate of California’s Oldest Cannabis Focused Medical Practice since 1996”

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Providing Cannabis recommendations for qualified patients under Proposition 215.

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY:

(530) 888-9020 24/7 Verification and Free ID Cards Beverly A. Mikuriya M.D. & Associates

Get more info online: coolconsultations.com NOTICE TO CONSUMERS: The Compassionate Use Act of 1996 ensures that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use cannabis for medical purposes where medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who has determined that the person’s health would benefit from the use of medical cannabis. Recommendations must come from an attending physician as defined in Section 11362.7 of the Health and Safety Code Cannabis is a Schedule I drug according to the federal Controlled Substances Act. Activity related to cannabis use is subject to federal prosecution, regardless of the protections provided by state law.

• E-mail your public notice to legals@mtdemocrat.net • Be sure to include your name and phone number

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements.

You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

The name and address of the court is: EL DORADO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT 3321 CAMERON PARK DR. CAMERON PARK, CA 95682 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: ROBERT J. ENOS, ESQ. 2339 Gold Meadow Way, Suite 101 Gold River, CA 95670 P: (916) 966-2260 DATE: August 24, 2020 by /s/ A. Leeman, Deputy 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21 8419 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The name(s) of the business(es): Douglas Custom Homes Located at: 6155 Shad Way, Pollock Pines, CA 95726, El Dorado County.

Is (are) hereby registered by the following Owner(s): Glenn D Padlicki, 6155 Shad Way, Pollock Pines, CA 95726 Deborah J Padlicki, 6155 Shad Way, Pollock Pines, CA 95726 This business is conducted by: A Married Couple The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 12/31/1989 I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) /s/ Glenn D Padlicki NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the filed date. This statement was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code).

I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.

By: Janelle K. Horne Recorder/Clerk, El Dorado County Assigned File No.: FB2020-1013 On November 3, 2020 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21/20 CNS-3419749# THE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21 8429 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The name(s) of the business(es): Old Town Grill Located at: 444 Main St., Placerville, CA 95667, El Dorado County.

Is (are) hereby registered by the following Owner(s): Debbi Sanders, 4255 Grannys Lane, Shingle Springs, CA 95682 John Sanders, 4255 Grannys Lane, Shingle Springs, CA 95682 This business is conducted by: A Married Couple The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 12/01/1999 I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) /s/ Debbie Sanders NOTICE: This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the filed date. This statement was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business

name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (See Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code).

I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.

By: Janelle K. Horne Recorder/Clerk, El Dorado County Assigned File No.: FB2020-1018 On November 4, 2020 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21/20 CNS-3419763# THE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21 8430 NOTICE OF ELECTION TO BE HELD March 23, 2021 MANY OAKS LANE ROAD ZONE OF BENEFIT No. 98132 MEASURE A NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to the qualified electors of the Many Oaks Lane Road Zone of Benefit that the Board of Supervisors has called for an election to be held March 23, 2021.

“Shall an annual special tax in an amount of $250.00 on each parcel of land within the Many Oaks Lane Road Zone of Benefit commencing fiscal year 2021/2022 and continuing for an unlimited duration, to be used only for road improvements and maintenance services and generating annual revenue of $24,250.00, be adopted to replace the current benefit assessment of $125.00?”

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that this measure shall be called Measure A. Arguments for and against this measure may be submitted between the dates of Monday, December 7, 2020 and Friday, December 11, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. Primary arguments for and against this measure shall not exceed 300 words in length and shall not be accepted unless accompanied by the name(s) and address(es) of the person(s) submitting them. Person turning in an argument MUST be a registered voter in the district. No more than five signatures shall appear with any argument and original signatures are necessary.

BE FURTHER ADVISED that rebuttal arguments for or against said measure must be submitted no later than Thursday, December 17, 2020.

Rebuttal arguments shall not exceed 250 words in length and follow the same laws as primary arguments with regard to names, signatures and argument submission. All arguments and rebuttals must be submitted in person, or by certified mail to the Registrar of Voters, Elections Department, 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville, CA 95667.

The Elections Department shall be open from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, March 23, 2021.

The ballots will be counted at the Elections Department, 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville, beginning at 8:00 p.m., following the close of the polls.

The public is invited to observe.

If you have any questions, please call (530) 621-7480.

Bill O’Neill Registrar of Voters County of El Dorado Dated: December 2, 2020 12/7 8437 NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS PLACERVILLE STATION II – PARK-N-BUS Notice is hereby given to Qualified Civil Engineering Consultants that Proposals will be received at the City of Placerville (3101 Center Street, Placerville, CA 95667) until, Tuesday, December 22, 2020 at 3:00 P.M. local time, for furnishing all labor, materials and equipment, and performing all work necessary and incidental to: Provide construction management services including Resident Engineer, inspection, materials testing, construction staking quality control, coordination of environmental monitoring, and contract administration services for the Federal, State, and locally funded Placerville Station II – Park-N-Bus. Construction work will include grading, paving, striping, storm drain improvements, lighting, and landscaping associated with the construction of the new park and ride, and the widening of Mosquito Road and the adjacent US-50 off-

ramp.

Proposals shall be addressed to: City of Placerville Engineering Department 3101 Center Street, 3rd Floor Placerville, CA 95667 Attn: Cory Schiestel, P.E. City Project Manager Email: cschiestel@cityofplacerville. org OBTAINING OR INSPECTING REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS DOCUMENT: The RFP Documents are available and may be previewed and downloaded from http// cityofplacerville.org by clicking on the “RFPs, RFQs & Projects Out to Bid” button under the “Government” tab: https://www.cityofplacerville.org/rfprfq-projects-out-to-bid Consultants wishing to propose in response to this RFP are invited to notify the City of their intent to propose by emailing Cory Schiestel at the address indicated above to be added on the Proposer List. The City reserves the right of amend this RFP by addendum prior to the final submittal date and will email any addendums to the RFP directly to the Consultants on the Proposer List.

Questions shall be addressed to Cory Schiestel in writing according to the timelines indicated herein and at the address indicated above. Verbal explanation or instructions shall not be considered binding by the City of Placerville. Any modifications to this solicitation will be issued by the City of Placerville in the form of written addenda as indicated above.

The RFP does not commit the City of Placerville to award a contract or pay any costs associated with the preparation of a proposal. The City of Placerville reserves the right to cancel this solicitation at any time or to extend the submittal deadline.

12/7, 12/9 8438 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. FB2020-1096 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DIAMOND VAPE, located at 622 Pleasant Valley Rd, Diamond Springs, CA 95619/Mailing Address: PO Box 1115, Diamond Springs, CA 95619 Registered owner(s): Diamond Vape, LLC, 622 Pleasant Valley Rd, Diamond Springs, CA 95619 This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company, State of LLC: CA The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: Not Applicable Signature of Registrant: /s/ Deep Rai DEEP RAI, MANAGER I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).)

This statement filed with the county clerk of El Dorado County on 12/02/2020.

NOTICE-IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (see section 14411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions Code) 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28 8439 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. FB2020-1094 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 1. JP LANDMARK CONSTRUCTION, 2. CFM, located at 1961 Rocky Springs Rd, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 Registered owner(s):

1. Jonathan A Prettol, 1961 Rocky Springs Rd, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762, 2. Karen D Prettol, 1961 Rocky Srpings Rd, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 This business is conducted by a Married Couple.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 11/16/2010 Signature of Registrant: /s/ Jonathan A Prettol JONATHAN A PRETTOL I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).)

This statement filed with the county clerk of El Dorado County on 12/02/2020.

NOTICE-IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (see section 14411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions Code) 8440 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. FB2020-1085 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TRANSCENDENCE, located at 6273 Linda Dr, El Dorado, CA 95623 Registered owner(s): Shelli D Johnson, 6273 Linda Dr, El Dorado, CA 95623 This business is conducted by an Individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 11/29/2020 Signature of Registrant: /s/ Shelli D Johnson SHELLI D JOHNSON I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct.

(A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).)

This statement filed with the county clerk of El Dorado County on 11/30/2020.

NOTICE-IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (see section 14411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions Code) 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28 8441

10 Monday, December 7, 2020 Mountain Democrat mtdemocrat.com