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CAMERON MEADOWS
Tahoe Daily Tribune photo by Ashleigh Goodwin
Attendees at a vigil in memory of four people found dead of a suspected overdose in a South Lake Tahoe home hold their candles high as they gather at Lakeview Commons Feb. 16.
South Tahoe residents hold vigil in wake of overdoses “If you know someone who can’t say no to substances, it’s been difficult — especially how I’m grieving right now.”
Ashleigh Goodwin Tahoe Daily Tribune
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Seven overdoses in just as many days, four of which were fatal, have left the community of South Lake Tahoe reeling and four families forever altered. While some question whether it was an overdose or poisoning, the “bottom line,” according to South Lake Tahoe Mayor Cody Bass is, “There is no safe street drug. If you’re going to do something, choose something that’s not going to end your life. There are so many alternatives that you don’t have to worry about a day being your last. “I don’t want to support alcohol but the fact is we know that people are going to continue to do drugs, it’s not a new thing despite a multi-trillion-dollar war on drug use (that) has just gone up,” Bass said. In the long-term, policy changes are needed, Bass added. The short-term solution is having fentanyl test strips available and Narcan but he admitted that’s not even a safe choice. The Centers for Disease
— Emanuel Maze, friend of South Lake Tahoe man who died in drug-related incident Control website states, “No test is 100% accurate and your drugs may still contain fentanyl or fentanyl analogs even if you receive a negative result.” Toxicology reports and subsequent answers are still pending to give a name to the substance that caused the four friends’ overdoses that followed Superbowl Sunday. On Friday, Feb. 16, more than 200 people gathered at Lakeview Commons as the sun lowered for a vigil held in honor of Abraham Lemus, Keely Pereira, Adam Joy and Clifford Joy. All were South Lake Tahoe residents except Joy, who lived in Douglas County, Nev. Emergency responders found the four unresponsive in a Roger Avenue home the morning of Feb. 12. Some in attendance stepped up to speak on drugs and about their friends.
“If you know someone who can’t say no to substances, it’s been difficult — especially how I’m grieving right now,” said Emanuel Maze. Maze grew up with Lemus and addressed the grieving group by ending with a call-and-answer chant — “Never again.” “Back in the ‘80s you were worrying about someone overdosing on coke and now you’re worried about a person overdosing on fentanyl that’s not even supposed to be in cocaine,” Maze told the Tahoe Daily Tribune. Others said the deaths have led them to choose abstinence, even if they didn’t know one of those who recently passed. “Drugs have impacted all of our lives, somehow,” commented one vigil attendee. “There’s something in ■ See VIGIL, page A6
Mountain Democrat photos by Odin Rasco
Community members opposed to the Cameron Meadows development project flocked to the Cameron Park Community Services District Assembly Hall Feb. 15, airing their concerns about potential ecological impacts the project may cause. The meeting was hosted by the El Dorado County Planning Department as part of the development’s environmental impact report drafting, a vital step in the California Environmental Quality Act process.
Development opponents show up en masse Odin Rasco Staff writer
The Cameron Park Community Services District Assembly Hall was filled past capacity the evening of Feb. 15 as community members attended a public scoping meeting regarding a controversial development planned to be built around Rasmussen Pond. The True Life Companies LLC has been pursing plans to build Cameron Meadows, a 161-lot subdivision of single-family homes and 16 accessory dwelling units on a 104-acre plot of land locals have used as an unofficial nature park for decades. When “for sale” signs first popped up in the area in 2021, heralding the possibility of future development, a grassroots opposition group called the Rescue Rasmussen Pond Alliance began to come together. The groups has swiftly grown in the past three years — according to a representative ■ See CAMERON MEADOWS, page A8
Workshop brainstorms equitable economy Odin Rasco Staff writer
As part of a broader initiative to a lasting and forward-thinking economy that meets the needs of modern Californians, Valley Vision and the Sierra Business Council held an inaugural Ideation Workshop at the Boys & Girls Club — El Dorado County Western Slope
Feb. 14. The workshop brought together an assortment of county residents from various fields and walks of life, and presented them with one core question: How might we create an inclusive and sustainable economy where all life prospers? “We’re here to bring people together to have collaborative conversations about
complex situations,” said Valley Vision Communications Manager Alana Ramsey. “This is a big region, with a varied range of opportunities. Only 34% of our region’s jobs pay a livable wage and provide benefits; 52% of children are growing up in families that are struggling to make ends meet. That’s the reality we’re trying to design
better than.” The discussions are the first part of a process that will eventually see $600 million from the general fund distributed across 13 regions across the state as part of California Jobs First. Projects set to receive funds will be selected that fit the needs and potential opportunities in each region, aligning local strategies with
a consideration for equity, job quality and sustainability. The ideal projects will also have an identifiable avenue toward longterm success; the funds distributed by the state will be a catalyst, but long-term funding structures will have to be planned for, be it federal, philanthropic or ■ See WORKSHOP, page A7
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