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Volume 172 • Issue 37 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, April 3, 2023
Bly-Chester takes county to court Eric Jaramishian Staff writer A former El Dorado County planning commissioner is challenging El Dorado County in court, alleging she was wrongfully removed from the commission and subsequently retaliated against. Former District 5 Supervisor Sue Novasel called for Cheryl Bly-Chester’s removal in late August 2021. The board’s decision went 3-2 in favor of BlyChester’s removal with Supervisors George Turnboo and Lori Parlin the two hold-out votes. At the time Bly-Chester said she would file a petition to appeal the board’s decision. She says the action was “a form of retaliation” against herself for calling out Brown Act violations during public Planning Commission meetings. Now, she is challenging the county for defamation, whistleblower retaliation and wrongful termination. She alleges her removal was a result of her complaints and that Planning Commission decisions were driven by County Counsel on behalf of three supervisors, Novasel, John Hidahl and Wendy Thomas, answering to private interests in the county. Bly-Chester’s suit claims that not only did most the Board of Supervisors conspire to remove her from the Planning Commission but the Planning and Building staff retaliated against her by withholding permits from a client and a second dwelling unit permit for her own property. All requirements for the submittal of the second dwelling unit permit had been completed but were ultimately held up in retaliation against her, according to Bly-Chester. The string of events dates back to an April 22, n See Bly-Chester, page A3
Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco
Visitors to the Auburn State Recreation Area at the American River Confluence park along Highway 49 between Cool and Auburn March 30.
Signage, striping, shuttles study suggests solutions for Highway 49 at confluence
Odin Rasco Staff writer
A
years-long study looking into a bevy of concerns regarding a stretch of Highway 49 between Cool and Auburn provides a list of potential fixes. Narrow roadways, tight turns, limited shoulders packed with parked cars, hikers and
river-goers crossing the road to and fro and oversized trucks driving through switchbacks all contribute to exacerbated drive times and raise the risk of possible traffic incidents on Highway 49. The El Dorado County Transportation Commission, in partnership with California State Parks, Caltrans, El Dorado County and the Placer County Transportation Planning
Agency, conducted a study after concerns were raised by local residents and authorities in early 2020. While COVID-19 lockdowns were in place in 2020, many took trips to the great outdoors; visitation to the Auburn State Recreation Area at the confluence increased dramatically in 2020 and 2021, according to the study. n See confluence, page A3
Take Care Tahoe promoting
‘slediquette’ News release
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ith this winter’s seemingly endless snowfall, the Tahoe Basin’s sled hills have been packed with families every weekend. After a day of fun, these locations can become littered with broken plastic sleds and other discarded trash,
creating an excess of waste on the hills and a hazard to other sledders. Take Care Tahoe and its partner organizations have set up sled corrals to help manage this issue at five of the most popular sites for sledding in the Tahoe region. “Cheap plastic sleds lead to an enormous amount of trash because they break easily and are difficult to clean up,” explained
Marilee Movius, senior community engagement manager for the League to Save Lake Tahoe. “Not only are the sharp shards of plastic sleds dangerous for other sledders, they begin to break down into microplastics that will eventually end up in the lake. Take Care Tahoe encourages all sledders to practice “slediquette” n See slediquette, page A2
Photo courtesy of Take Care Tahoe
Take Care Tahoe is promoting the use of sled corrals to reduce plastic waste.
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