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VOLUME 172 • ISSUE 34 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023
Courtesy photo
California State Parks staff captured this photo of Emerald Bay beginning to freeze over the week of March 6.
Mountain Democrat photo by Eric Jaramishian
Marco’s Café owners Veronica and Justin Boyd stand outside the now closed café and concert venue off Highway 49 in Lotus March 21. Despite their best efforts to reach an agreement with the property owner to buy the land, the Boyds will not reopen the once popular community hub.
THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED Lotus property slips away from Marco’s owners
Eric Jaramishian Staff writer Just off Highway 49 in Lotus are the remnants of a popular community hub. The last time Marco’s Café saw life — a Halloween weekend farewell party last year. Once a place where friends could meet up for summertime fun of food, spirits and a variety of live music not far from the South Fork of the American River’s whitewater, the fate of Marco’s Café is looking bleak.
Marco’s Café owner and Lotus residents Justin Boyd and his wife Veronica say after the land owner increased rent on the property, located at 7221 Highway 49 in Lotus, and rising tensions between the two parties, they chose not to renew their lease. Subsequently, the owner looked to sell the land Marco’s sat on, which Justin wanted to purchase to continue Marco’s legacy. Neither party could come to an agreement before property owner and president of Bay Area-based
California Canoe & Kayak Keith Miller told the Boyds he had made a sale with another buyer. Miller declined to comment when the Mountain Democrat contacted him. With summer and rafting season on the horizon, area residents are discouraged by the news that the community will lose a family-friendly hot spot for tourists and locals. So family-friendly that Julie Boucher, owner of Sierra Nevada ■ See MARCO’s, page A6
Emerald Bay chills out after three decades Tahoe Daily Tribune “The Lake of the Sky” is grabbing attention this winter for more than one reason. Emerald Bay froze, including the inlet, for the first time in decades. David Antonucci, a civil/environmental engineer and writer, who lives in Tahoma told the Tahoe Daily Tribune it’s not extremely rare, since it froze over, or mostly froze, before. Emerald Bay last froze over to this extent in the winters
of 1993 and 1989, according to what information California State Parks officials gathered from research. Antonucci shared some archived newspapers that covered freezes in the past. The Sacramento Daily Union reported March 22, 1880, that the bay had entirely frozen over for the first time since being “settled by the whites.” Another set of newspaper clippings ■ See EMERALD BAY,
page A6
Oak Ridge graduate now an Olympic hopeful Jana Rossi Staff writer
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You can almost say Oak Ridge High School track and field athlete Brandon Jetter fell into his current Olympic journey. On the track he set records while competing in the 100-
meter dash and 110meter high hurdles. At University of California, Davis he was a team walk-on and by his second year was offered a full-ride scholarship. In 2019 another sport — one he had never considered — entered the picture. Due to his size and speed, friends
encouraged him to try out for the Bobsleigh Combine in Chula Vista. Living in San Diego, he made a spontaneous decision that changed the trajectory of his life. The combine consisted of sprints, broad jump and shot toss, where his impressive numbers
Brakeman Brandon Jetter and pilot Kris Horn shoot down the track. The duo hopes to make it to the next Winter Olympics, representing Team USA.
Courtesy photo
■ See JETTER, page A6
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