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VOLUME 170 • ISSUE 13 | 75¢
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Courtesy photo
The proposed change to the Placerville city seal would omit a noose and possibly the “Old Hangtown” nickname.
City Council to revisit losing noose Thomas Frey Staff writer
Mountain Democrat photos by Dawn Hodson
Patty sits outside her tent with a fellow encampment dweller near upper Broadway in Placerville. The area has a community of homeless individuals living on the hillsides.
‘The deep pit’ of homelessness
— OCCUPANTS OF PLACERVILLE ENCAMPMENT SHARE THEIR STORIES — Dawn Hodson Staff writer People living on the streets will be the first to tell you homelessness is complicated. Some are there by choice. Some had a bad run of luck. Others have serious drug, alcohol or mental health problems. For those living in upper Broadway in Placerville in tents or shelters made of tarps and whatever else they can find, it’s a community of sorts even if they don’t always get along. Patty, 56, who did not want to share her last name, said she’s been at the Broadway encampment with her dog Max for more than four years. Married for 28 years, she said she and her husband used to live in Lotus on 10 acres with their six children and animals. One day Patty said she found out her husband hadn’t paid the mortgage on the property in two-
Patty said she has been at the Broadway encampment with her dog Max for more than four years. Her husband was selected for Project RoomKey, according to Patty, where elderly or immune compromised homeless are provided hotel rooms. and-a-half years and the next thing she knew, they were being forced out of their home. She said her husband is now in the state-funded Project RoomKey program in Pollock Pines where homeless at-risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms are
provided hotel rooms and case management services. Approximately 250 homeless individuals were screened for Project Roomkey with 22 hotel rooms set aside in South Lake Tahoe and 26 in Pollock Pines, the Mountain Democrat
previously reported. Like others in the camp, Patty knows some resent her. “People drive by honking or using a bullhorn, yelling ‘You’re a burden on the economy’ or ‘Get a job,’” she said. Getting a job isn’t always easy, especially during the COVID-19 shutdowns. After the economy was largely shut down in March 2020 due to the pandemic, unemployment in El Dorado County went from 4.7% to 15.3%, according to the Employment Development Department. The unemployment rate has since improved to 7% in December 2020 Some in the encampment can’t break away from drug or alcohol problems, according to Debra, 58, another woman living there who asked to remain anonymous. “Eighty percent of the homeless on Broadway are ■
After delaying a vote July 14, 2020, on whether a noose and the “Old Hangtown” moniker should remain on the Placerville city seal, the issue resurfaced last week at the Placerville City Council meeting. The topic was delayed last year in hopes COVID-19 numbers would have subsided by January to allow for in-person discussion but since that’s not the case, the city made a decision on how to approach making the decision. ■
See NOOSE, page 3
EDC learns of 3 more virus deaths Mountain Democrat staff With three deaths reported Thursday, El Dorado County has had 74 COVID-19 related deaths since the outbreak started in March 2020. Officials announced 15 county residents have succumbed to the virus last week — three deaths were reported last Monday, four Tuesday, five Wednesday and three Thursday. The county also saw 15 deaths reported the previous week — in just three days. The three deaths reported Thursday afternoon were one Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/ Rescue woman 65 or older, one greater Placerville woman 65 or older and one El Dorado Hills woman 65 or older. There were 55 new COVID19 cases recorded Thursday and 8,823 positive cases have
See HOMELESSNESS, page 6
■
See DEATHS, page 3
3-day storm boosts snowpack, more snow in forecast Bill Rozak Tahoe Daily Tribune Winter made a strong comeback last week at Lake Tahoe. After weeks of the occasional mild snowfall measured in inches, the basin was buried in multiple feet of snow and more is in the forecast this week. The National Weather Service in Reno issued a rare Blizzard Warning that went into effect Tuesday, Jan. 26, and ended Thursday morning at 4 a.m. Before the multi-day storm hit the basin, the Tahoe snowpack was at about 53% of average, but officials say this storm could boost that number by over 20%. “It’s going to help a lot; it won’t put us over a normal amount but it will get us closer,” said Jeff Anderson, a hydrologist with the Nevada Resources Conservation Service who performs the
snow surveys during the season. “As of midnight Thursday morning we are at 68%.” Anderson expected that when the storm finally blows out of the region that the snowpack will be about 70-75% of median. “A good recovery considering we’re over halfway through winter,” he said. The three-day storm totals are showing several feet of snowfall. Sierra-at-Tahoe received 10 inches from Thursday into Friday and recorded about 42 inches overall. Diamond Peak Ski Resort capped off the storm with 16 inches and totaled about 3.5 feet. After receiving about 4 feet over the first two days, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe finished with a bit more and totaled about 55 inches. Sugar Bowl capped off the storm with 9 inches and recorded 4 feet over the three days. ■
Mike Peron / Tahoe Daily Tribune
South Lake Tahoe residents were busy digging out of the snow See STORM, page 7 Thursday morning.
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