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I’ve always been a pessimist. I’m also a serial complainer. Sometimes — my wife would say often — this makes me hard to live with. It doesn’t help when life gives you lemons, and everyone around you keeps telling you to make lemonade. As a pessimist, you just want to throw the lemons at them instead. It’s [...]
A Cal Fire hand crew walked through a dry field when a fire sprang up, separating the groups in two. One was led by a Cal Fire captain, the only non-inmate of the group; the other group was led by the “swamper,” the second-in-command. Both had to ensure that their groups were able to get into their fireproof shelters, quickly communicating so that everyone would survive.
Each team leader called out names, with a response of “I’m OK” from that person. After the entire group was accounted for, both the captain, Tim Swanson, and the inmate swamper radioed in Capt. Art …
There’s a debate brewing in my household. It’s between me, one of those guys who hates buying a bunch of outlined gifts shown on commercials for Valentine’s Day — flowers, chocolates, jewelry — simply because I’m told to by society, and my wife, who appreciates that said society forces men to show their appreciation on [...]
What: Link-Up Who: Cameron Park Rotary Club and Snowline Hospice Where: Nugget Market and CVS in El Dorado Hills; CVS in Shingle Springs, Safeway and Food 4 Less in Cameron Park and the Safeway and the Walmart in Placerville. When: Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission: Free Information: 530-621-7820 The bells will be [...]
Showdown Between the Sun and Saturn The sun and Saturn in opposition is like a showdown at the cosmic corral between fate and free will. No matter who draws first, no one will go down. These two gunslingers need each other. This dramatic tension will inspire thoughts about the role of fate and what can [...]
Friendly Sagittarius Moon Social scientists have stated that it takes seven seconds to form a first impression, though under these skies you only need three. The moon shifts from Scorpio into the fiery, friendly realm of Sagittarius. From this pioneering station, the lunar energies mingle with the fiery impulse of Mercury in Aries, forging adventures [...]
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 [...]
New Aries Moon The new Aries moon wants your wishes, and he’s in a generous mood, too. You don’t only get three; you get as many as you can think of. They won’t all come true, but they have a much better chance than those wishes you never make. Late at night, the moon shifts [...]
Chuck’s Restaurant, an iconic restaurant in Placerville for 50 years, closed on Saturday, March 23. Located at 1318 Broadway, its current owner, Michael Tong, said he was retiring after running the restaurant for almost 20 years. On Monday, Tong and his family were at the restaurant cleaning it out and loading equipment into a truck. He [...]
Full Moon Fallout On the other side of the full Libra moon, loved ones need to support one another. Thinking about the mistakes and flaws of those close to us won’t help. Disapproval is like a train: One disparaging thought is connected to the next and the next. We’d all do well to put a [...]
In a match that saw leads gained, lost and uneven play on both sides of the net, host El Dorado swept Union Mine 25-12, 27-25, 25-23 Tuesday in the small gym. The second set was the match highlight. Back and forth, the Cougars rallied from a 24-23 deficit to force overtime and win on Tait [...]
25 Years ago March 11, 1988 Huge softball tournament coming to Placerville area El Dorado County’s Western Slope has been chosen as one of 12 sites for the first leg of a national slow-pitch softball tournament that will conclude with the championship in Steamboat Springs, CO. Tournaments will be held here and in nine other states [...]
I remember having to buy gas only on odd or even numbered days back in the early-mid ’70s. The day was determined by the last number of your license plate — either odd or even. I don’t remember if we had designer plates then or how they were classified. I didn’t have one, still don’t. [...]
Tuesday at 2 p.m. El Dorado County government declared a “snow day.” All non-essential employees were sent home and only emergency services personnel remained on duty. The sudden and unexpected dump caught motorists and residents unaware, and workers who had gone to lunch called in to say they wouldn’t be back at their posts. County [...]
I watched “The Dark Knight” recently, trying to get caught up on all of the plot lines of the first two Batman movies before going to see “The Dark Knight Rises,” and while watching I was hit kind of hard by a revelation. Actor Heath Ledger’s character, the Joker, used a tagline of “Why so [...]
Just before Christmas, Robert Bork died. My reaction surprised me. I paid attention, noting his age (85) and trying to recall details about his life. I remembered a little about his failed nomination to the Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan in 1987, but much more about his involvement in Watergate, when he was part of [...]
SHINGLE SPRINGS — If the Ponderosa High wrestling team wanted to stay in contention to win a share of the Delta River League title with Folsom, it had to pin Jesuit Tuesday night in the league finale. Mission accomplished. The Bruins (4-1) rallied from an early deficit to post a 57-17 victory over the Marauders [...]
2012 California wine harvest report SAN FRANCISCO — The 2012 California wine grape harvest yielded generous amounts of high quality fruit, and winemakers across the state are describing this year’s vintage as “excellent,” “outstanding” and “ideal.” “The 2012 vintage will offer consumers in our growing national and international markets fantastic choices,” said Robert P. (Bobby) [...]
The El Dorado girls basketball team worked overtime this past weekend: catching a reprieve with an opening day forfeit Thursday before playing twice on each of the next two days. The Cougars stepped into Johnson’s shoes after the Sacramento team pulled out on Christmas Eve — forcing El Dorado to play both sides of the [...]
“The shelter becomes home for the night for guests,” said Janis Carney, volunteer for the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter that serves the homelesss population of El Dorado County. While some of the homeless are wintering over at Hangtown Haven, Placerville’s legal encampment, families with children and those not meeting the camp’s criterion need a warm, [...]