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On March 15, Mountain Counties Water Resources Association, in conjunction with the Association of California Water Agencies Region 3, met at the Ridge Golf Course and Event Center in Auburn to hear the latest on climate change. John Kleppe, whose home is on the shores of Fallen Leaf Lake, brought evidence of a 300-year-drought in [...]
On March 15, Mountain Counties Water Resources Association, in conjunction with the Association of California Water Agencies Region 3, met at The Ridge Golf Course and Event Center in Auburn to hear the latest on climate change. THE QUESTION NASA defines climate change as changes in the long-term averages of daily weather. Long-term forecasts are [...]
LUNAR ADVICE: John Chapman provided the following “Advice from the Moon” T-shirt statement: “Live life to the fullest * Be someone to look up to * Don’t be phased by difficulties * Take time to reflect * Enjoy a little space * Honor the cycles of nature * Light up the night!” OPEN HOUSE PARTY: [...]
Local attorney David Weiner took advantage of the Open Forum portion of the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday morning to share his legal opinion regarding allegations of wrongdoing by District 2 Supervisor Ray Nutting. Representing the supervisor, Weiner summarized a large packet of documents at the public podium and concluded that according [...]
EDITOR: Functions of the EDC Grand Jury: Contrary to the May 1, 2013 article, “Grand Jury applications sought,” the primary function of each California County Grand Jury is defined by state law; a) To weigh allegations of misconduct against public officials and to determine whether to present formal acquisitions requesting their removal from office (California [...]
As a columnist routinely in search of new ideas, it’s much easier to cover a negative topic than a positive one. There is always something to complain about, and it takes far less energy to find something that ticks you off and vent on it than it does searching out a positive story. One of [...]
A marijuana trafficker with grows in multiple counties was sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison Monday. Uriel Ochoa-Espindola, 44, of Fresno, was the leader of a massive marijuana manufacturing operation and an interstate drug distribution ring, a press release from U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. He and his partners grew tens [...]
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors got a look at what’s wrong in the county and what can be done to rectify the problems. Ron Wolsfeld from the Georgetown Divide presented a tutorial recently on steps the county can take to boost employment, particularly in the building industry, and maybe just fix a lot [...]
Staying on a farm was, for many recent generations, a family reunion sort of thing. Grandchildren went to live with their grandparents, helping out with chores, as their relations reconnected. For many youth, it was how they spent summers or holidays. However, that all began to change as America evolved from an agrarian, to an [...]
A diverse group was on hand for the local presentation of “Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and A Land Ethic for Our Time.” Emmy award-winning director Steve Dunsky’s new film is about a 20th century conservationist who shared values on both sides of current party lines. Host and organizer Tripp Mikich of the El Dorado Chapter [...]
Any new ideas for regionalizing anything came up against a fairly solid wall of skepticism at last week’s El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting. The Chief Administrative Office recommended the board consider and adopt a resolution in support of a new project known as the “Next Economy Capital Region Prosperity Plan.” The resolution eventually [...]
Tuesday’s board meeting of the Georgetown Divide Public Utility District was long and rancorous, although it could have been much longer except for the absence of General Manager Hank White. Out due to illness, board member Norm Krizl initially suggested postponing the meeting until White returned. Krizl went on to complain about the length of the [...]
In view of recent and potential changes in water laws and regulations, water leaders in the Sierra Nevada mountain counties are concerned that the historic rights to the use of their waters are in jeopardy. At the quarterly joint meeting of Mountain Counties Water Resources Association (MCWRA) and the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) [...]
The whirring sounds of almost 50 portable sewing machines competed with the voices of very busy women in Gurnell Hall at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Placerville on Thursday. It was a monster blanket-making event with the Sacramento area chapter of Project Linus. Sitting beside each woman was a plastic bag of fabric strips and [...]
The Grizzly Flat Community Services District (GFCSD) may be small, but it seems to get everything right from its choice of general manager, to its board, to the way it does business. Previously a private water company owned by the developer of Grizzly Flat, in 1987 it was formed as a public utility by the [...]
25 Years ago Jan. 20 1988 Fugitive’s home burglarized COOL — While homicide suspect Jesse James Felcman was hiding out in San Jose last weekend, a Cool resident allegedly burglarized his mobile home on Indian Rock Road. Felcman’s neighbors called sheriff’s officers about 6 p.m. Sunday after they reportedly saw someone walking around inside Felcman’s [...]
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office received a request on Jan. 12 at 11:03 a.m. from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office for assistance in searching for two missing persons possibly in El Dorado County. Deputies from Santa Clara had received a missing persons report for John Hearne, 70, of Lost Altos, and his sister [...]
EDITOR: On Dec. 12, I hit the Mountain Democrat’s trifecta by being taken to task by three different letter writers over my letter on Boone County, Ky. It’s a mystery why, post-election, the MD keeps printing letters I obviously wrote pre-election. The European reporter I quoted citing Boone County as the poorest in the U.S. was [...]
A special meeting of the Georgetown Divide Public Utility District on Friday afternoon was continued after three board members failed to show. The board was notified on Tuesday, Dec. 4, of the need for the meeting in order to vote on amending the district’s CalPERS contract. But board members Bonnie McLane, Kathy Otermat, and newly [...]