EDC hoops preview
Olympic dreams
Local squads shooting on all cylinders in 2021.
Film showcases Squaw Valley’s winter games.
Sports, A8
News, etc., B1
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C a l i f o r n i a ’ s O l d e s t N e w s pa p e r – E s t. 18 51
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Volume 170 • Issue 145 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Friday, December 10, 2021
Man and son accused of sparking Caldor Fire Eric Jaramishian Staff writer A father and son who are accused of arson in connection with the Caldor Fire that burned more than 220,000 acres in El Dorado and Amador counties were arrested Dec. 8. Somerset resident David Scott Smith, 66, and Folsom resident Travis Shane Smith, 32, are charged with “reckless arson” that caused inhabited properties to burn and resulted in great bodily injury to multiple victims, according to a press release from the
El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. The Caldor Fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes and structures and injured five people, according to Cal Fire. The suspects were arrested on a Ramey warrant, which is issued before criminal charges are filed, the press release states. Sacramento criminal defense lawyer Mark Reichel, who said he was hired in August to represent the Smiths after their homes and phones were searched, maintains his clients are “100% innocent.” “There’s no evidence
whatsoever that we have been aware of that they were termed guilty of this,” Reichel said. Reichel said reckless arson means starting a blaze by accident but “to such a degree that it was considered reckless.” The Smiths were out “enjoying the land like anyone would,” according to Reichel. He said his clients called 911 to report the fire and warned people on their way out of the area. “No one was out there to say what happened,” Reichel said. “Right now all we have is n
See Caldor fire, page A3
david scott Smith
Travis Shane Smith
Homekey Christmas wishes come true discussion pushed back T Noel Stack Managing editor
Eric Jaramishian Staff writer
El Dorado County leaders have moved their discussion to purchase a hotel in Pollock Pines to convert into a homeless shelter to Feb. 22, 2022. In the Board of Supervisors Dec. 7 meeting agenda closed session item 51, it states that Chief Administrative Officer Don Ashton and Health and Human Services Director Don Semon recommended supervisors postpone their hearing of the matter to allow county officials to hold community meetings on the purchase. The county has been negotiating the purchase of the Best Western Stagecoach Inn and assessing its viability as a homeless shelter since May. The community has accused county leaders of a lack of transparency. A lack of nearby resources for the homeless, increased trash and drug activity and cold weather are concerns the community has been most vocal about. During a phone interview last Tuesday, Semon told the Mountain Democrat the county was in the process of appraising the hotel’s viability to be used for Project Homekey, which would allow the county through state funding to purchase the hotel. Semon also said the county was waiting for the appraisal process to be completed to hold community engagements for Pollock Pines to discuss plans for the hotel. The appraisal was completed Nov. 3, according to Semon. Semon in an email to the Mountain Democrat wrote that the community engagement process will start in January, after the holidays. Plans on how the county will handle engagement are in development. PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
he annual Snowball Heroes & Helpers Shopping Event on Saturday, Dec. 4, took over the Placerville Target, bringing together 167 kids in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra, Child Advocates of El Dorado and New Morning Youth and Family Services programs with more than 240 volunteers. “It really does take a village,” Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra CEO Brenda Frachiseur said of the event. California Department of Fish and Wildlife warden Chad Volheim had his hands full with his shopping buddy — 3-year-old Graysin. The joyful toddler enjoyed exploring more than picking items from his list. Volheim, a first-time volunteer, kept his sense of humor and shared many laughs with the little boy who barely held still long enough to try on his new coat. Four-year-old Matthäus decided to sit n
See wishes, page A10
Mountain Democrat photo by Noel Stack
CDFW warden Brian Patrick has a laugh with children who couldn’t resist meeting K-9 Karma (not that she minded all the petting one bit). Behind them is CDFW warden Tim Bolla with his K-9 partner Luna.
Strategically speaking: City Council aims for a plan Andrew Vonderschmitt Staff writer The Placerville City Council held a special meeting Nov. 29 with a single discussion item on the agenda — development of a strategic plan. Mayor Dennis Thomas kicked off the afternoon. “It is critically important, as a city, that we have an active strategic plan,” he said. A strategic plan with the endorsement of all council members and participation from city staff would enable the council and staff to prioritize future agenda items and projects and steer how they are discussed.
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“One of the things the county does is, most of the agenda items (at a meeting) are tied to its strategic plan,” he explained. City Manager Cleve Morris started the process with a tried and true tool for strategic planning — the SWOT analysis. This is an exercise that focuses on four major aspects of how a city or organization works and how it is perceived: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A round table discussion involving the council and the city’s department heads ensued. Under the strengths category, things like sound budget, central location, engaged community, rich history, strong police department and active lifestyles were mentioned.
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In the weaknesses category, public opinion was mentioned, prompting a discussion on the need for more public relations efforts to better inform residents on what the city faces and how the staff and council work to achieve common goals. Revenue, deferred maintenance and staff retention were also on the list. Opportunities allowed a discussion on broadband internet attracting tech professionals and businesses to Placerville. Expansion of city holdings like Gold Bug Park, infrastructure funding and possible annexations, therefore expanding TOT revenue, made the opportunities list. n
See Strategic, page A6
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