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– Weekend Edition – FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2024
VOLUME 173 • ISSUE 66 | $1.00
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County needle exchange ban halted by judge Eric Jaramishian Senior staff writer
Mountain Democrat photos by Noel Stack
Laurel Brent-Bumb and Jim Bumb stand outside their new Coloma home build using local contractors and vendors. The couple lost their old home in a fire.
■ El Dorado
County Chamber CEO keeps it local Noel Stack Editor
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he first thing Laurel BrentBumb did after walking into her newly built Coloma home was make the bed. “Because I was spending the night, no matter what,” she shared. It had been nearly 13 months since Laurel and her husband Jim Bumb spent the night in a house of their own. They lost their home of 32 years in an accidental fire on April 18, 2023. On May 9, 2024 — on the same lot in the same serene setting — the couple finally returned home for
A judge ruled last Friday that El Dorado County cannot enforce its syringe-exchange program ban, for now. The preliminary injunction issued by El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Gary Slossberg prevents officials from enforcing the urgency ordinance passed late last year prohibiting operation of syringe exchange programs in the county’s unincorporated areas. A similar ordinance was passed by the city of Placerville, leading to a lawsuit against both municipalities. A ruling on the city’s ordinance will be released at a later date. “The El Dorado County ordinance is a duplicate of the Placer County ordinance that was passed a year ago. Like Placer County, we do not want to look like San Francisco, so we purposefully modeled our ordinance after Placer County because the state did not challenge that ordinance,” El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson told the Mountain Democrat. “Yet, ■ See EXCHANGE, page A11
Laurel Brent-Bumb and local builder Mike Pettibone talk about her home reconstruction project. The two worked hand in hand to build the home of her dreams. Everyone involved “It’s easy to trust good. Laurel insisted, hit it out of the park, when you work as she sipped a glass she declared. with a neighbor and of wine at the dining “It feels like room table home,” Laurel firefighters were said less than a able to save, she "Using local folks week after she couldn’t have promotes a strong and and Jim moved done it without into their new the local partners vibrant community.” house. “It is who helped make — Laurel Brent-Bumb home.” her vision a At Laurel’s reality. side throughout As CEO the process was Mike community member,” of the El Dorado Pettibone, owner of Laurel told the County Chamber of Pettibone Builders in Mountain Democrat. Commerce, Laurel Placerville. Together “Using local folks has uttered the words “shop local” thousands promotes a strong and they designed the house from the ground vibrant community. of times. After the up, using the same I have had such a smoke cleared last foundation footprint great experience with year, she put those as the old home “but Pettibone Builders, words into action. with a totally different WZT Electric, Rich Local contractors and layout,” she explained. and Mikes Cabinets, vendors were given Showing off the Edwards A-1 the task of helping the Appliance and Floors couple rise from the to Go — all local.” ashes. ■ See HOME, page A11
Cameron Park board addresses fire report change-up Malachi Parker Staff writer
Comments at recent Cameron Park Community Services District Board of Directors meetings indicate the district’s motto of “Yes We Can” has a way to go when it comes to building trust with the public. “Deception is not transparency,” Cameron Park resident Bradford McMullin said at the June 19 regular board meeting. “There are holes in the ship and the ship is sinking.” His harsh criticism was echoed by others who showed up Wednesday night as well as from residents who attended last week’s workshop to go over the district’s recently released fire services report. At that June 12 meeting the first question raised by the public, and more than once was, “Where is the AP Triton report and when do we get the chance to see it?” The CPCSD board last year signed an approximately $73,000 contract with AP Triton to complete a fire services analysis report that was to focus on annexation options; however, ■ See CPCSD, page A11
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