LUXURY SENIOR LIVING WITHIN YOUR BUDGET! Open your mind and heart to the next BEST chapter of your life! Book your customized tour between now and May 12th to enter a special Mother’s Day raffle. Call (530) 677-9100 today.
Ask About Our Rent FREEZE Promotion!
• Spacious floor plans • Full kitchen with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances • Washer and dryer in your unit • A robust activity calendar and transportation program • Attached garages for every apartment and house Choose the retirement community that offers Independent living, Assisted living or Memory Care. Choose a life without chores but full of friendship and fun!
172
nd
C ALI FORN IA’S OLDE ST NE W SPAPER
mtdemocrat.com
MONDAY, MAY 8, 2023
– E S T. 18 51
VOLUME 172 • ISSUE 52 | $1.00
Latrobe widening drives back into county’s plans Eric Jaramishian Staff writer A Latrobe Road widening project has been added back into the county’s Capital Improvement Program, three years after it was removed. The project will widen Latrobe Road for approximately a sixth-tenths-of-a-mile segment between Investment Boulevard and Golden Foothill Parkway up to four lanes. Some at the May 2 El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting questioned why the widening project was reconsidered. Staff
explained increased development in the El Dorado Hills Business Park area called for a renewed need to widen the road. A decrease in county growth projections called for staff to designate the widening “no longer needed” as part of a 2020 CIP update. Department of Transportation Director Rafael Martinez told supervisors DOT staff looked to find additional funding for the widening project if any additional infrastructure was going to be built. However, n See LATROBE, page A7
Rubicon Trail closure concerns bring clarity Tahoe Daily Tribune Communication, communication, communication. That was a lesson learned after user groups were confused and pushed back as to why El Dorado County closed the Rubicon Trail during the historic winter. The county enacted a closure without a lot of warning Dec. 30, 2022, ahead of forecasted atmospheric river storms that prompted users to question why and if the county had that right. Department of Transportation Director Rafael Martinez told the Tahoe Daily Tribune
the county has been authorized by the Sierra Club and State Water Quality Board to act as stewards of the trail to make sure environmental aspects are maintained. And that’s what led to the closure. Martinez said that if the level of water that runs over the trail becomes too high, it can capture grease and oil and that will eventually make its way into Lake Tahoe. “If we know that there is an atmospheric river storm that will produce that kind of flow, we restrict use,” Martinez said. “And it was closed in advance and that’s
PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
n See RUBICON, pageA6
Mountain Democrat photos by Eric Jaramishian
El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Explorers Jaden Schleg and Austin Curtis pin volunteer Jerry Herrington in an arrest training routine. Explorers from law enforcement agencies from all over Northern California came together for a day of hands-on training April 29 at EDSO headquarters in Placerville.
Law enforcement Explorers
PUT TO THE TEST
Eric Jaramishian Staff writer
A
rrests, traffic stops, vehicle searches, active shooter incidents, hostage rescues and building searches — these are just some law enforcement skills necessary for any peace officer and those exploring the field got a taste of what it takes April 29. “Let me see your hands.” “Stop resisting.” “Face down, on the ground.” “Active shooter in the backroom.” These phrases could be heard at the El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office public safety facility during the seventh annual Explorer Post 457 Regional Training Day. Explorers from law enforcement agencies throughout Northern
Stockton Unified School District Explorers Anthony Tacardon and Heidi Toledo draw their mock weapons in a traffic-stop drill while El Dorado County sheriff’s deputy Shepherd Steven observes their technique. California found themselves testing their abilities in what could be real scenarios. “This is all about learning and seeing where they are at skillwise if they already have these skills,” said
El Dorado County sheriff ’s Sgt. Leslie Schlag, a lead advisor for the Explorer program. Participants could be seen firing off fake weaponry, conducting mock arrests and
simulating other reallife law enforcement scenarios and that morning. About 300 individuals, including students, advisors, n See EXPLORERS, page A8
Take Advantage of Federal Incentives to
FUTURE-PROOF YOUR HOME! Mountain Dem ocrat
2022
Your #1 Locally Owned Solar Installer
•Maximize Savings v.s. PG&E with a no-Obligation Proposal! •Reliable Power During Outages • Zero Down Financing!
2010 20 22
Get A FREE Quote for Solar & Battery Today!
(530) 344-3237 • 3867 Dividend Drive, Suite A, Shingle Springs • info@SolarSavingsDirect.com • solarsavingsdirect.com
Pioneer fights to keep your electricity rates as low as possible, saving most customers 15% or more. Pioneer guarantees savings for 100% of its E1 residential customers and for more than 85% of its residential solar customers. Learn More : Call (916) 758-8969 or visit pioneercommunityenergy.org.