HOT LAPS
Sculpting a ‘thank you’
Nor*Cal Posse Shootout launches big week of racing in Golden State.
Pollock Pines artist pays tribute to Caldor Fire heroes.
Sports, A7
News, etc., B1
171
C ali forn ia’s Olde st Ne w spaper
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Volume 171 • Issue 103 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
Friday, September 2, 2022
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Mountain Democrat file photo
The Placerville jail was built in 1988. Expansion plans estimated to cost $26.2 million include adding more room for female inmates and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements.
County building on its facilities Noel Stack Managing editor
Mountain Democrat photo by Eric Jaramishian
Jose Luis Valencia Lua cuts grapes from the vine at Boeger Winery in Placerville Aug. 30. Winemakers say this year’s crop
Harvest hurdles
Smoke last year, frost this year Eric Jaramishian Staff writer
A
s El Dorado County grape growers begin to harvest their crop, some are preparing for a smaller harvest than usual this season due to a late spring frost. Madroña Vineyards owner Paul Bush said while his harvest has not yet begun, he estimates he will get 35% of a normal crop. Bush reported Madroña’s vineyards in Pleasant Valley and Camino were significantly affected, specifically his chardonnay and nebbiolo
notice
In observance of Labor Day the Mountain Democrat will not publish Monday, September, 5. PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
“It is difficult having smoke impact one year then the very next year having a significant series of frosts.” Paul Bush, owner of Madroña Vineyards varieties. “It is unusual to get subsequent frosts in a single year,” Bush said. Frost events like what county wineries experienced in late April led to loss of buds, decreasing yield and quality of the harvest. Vineyards’ lower elevations were affected the most, according to local winemakers. Madroña, an estate grown
winery, is not planning to outsource for grapes and has its own strategies to overcome lost crops. “We can utilize some of the 2021 vintage to carry into the 2022 vintage (and) bank on 2023 not seeing a frost or smoke aspect to it,” Bush said. Josh Bendick, part owner of Holly’s Hill Vineyards in Pleasant Valley, is outsourcing n
Despite a shortage of funds and staff, El Dorado County continues to move forward and upward with its facilities work plan with staff and contractors tackling several big-ticket projects. The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors received an update Tuesday from Laura Schwartz, deputy chief administrative officer – Central Services, outlining the status of county facilities and this fiscal year’s work plan. El Dorado County has about 1 million square feet of facility space — about 131,400 square feet leased and the remainder owned.
Placerville jail expansion The estimated $26.2 million project in the works for several years is expected to go out to bid soon, Schwartz told the board; however, she warned, the cost estimate included in the budget might not cover construction as building costs have substantially increased. “We are really not sure what those costs are going to come back in at until we get those bids,” she said. “We did have quite a bit of contingency built into that number but there is a possibility those costs may come in higher.” Funding for the project comes from a $25 million grant as well as a county contribution. The expansion includes adding more room for female inmates and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements. Concerned about more out-of-pocket expenses, District 4 Supervisor Lori Parlin asked if staff had identified additional funding sources should the
See harvest, page A9
n
See county facilities, page A8
Anchored Eats: The floatin’ food boat Sel Richard Staff writer Craving a juicy burger fresh off the grill after carving up the wake on a balmy afternoon on the lake? If it’s Folsom Lake, just look for some tall flags and hungry boaters and you’ll probably find Anchored Eats — the area’s first floating food boat. Although open since July 2021, Anchored Eats launched for the first time Memorial Day weekend 2022. A former line cook at Selland’s Market-Cafe and currently a virtual sales specialist for Apple, Ruby Shields moved to El Dorado Hills from San Jose at the age of 3. But it wasn’t until she met her wife Rebecca that
she began boating. Upon purchasing their first boat seven years ago, the Shields met Ben Shirley at Browns Ravine Marina and became fast friends. Between the three of them, the idea of a restaurant on the water germinated from a dream, spurred by Ben’s insistence that customers were constantly asking if the marina, where he worked, sold burgers or hot dogs. After years of looking for the perfect boat, they settled on a 1969 Kayot which is wider than newer houseboats, allowing room for a full. commercial kitchen. “We did the whole thing ourselves,” Ruby said of the equipment, flooring and paneling
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Mountain Democrat photo by Sel Richard
If you find yourself at Folsom Lake cooling off from this weekend’s triple digit temperatures, boat or swim your way to Anchored Eats, a food truck on the water. installation. “My wife’s dad is a plumber so he did all the plumbing for all the sinks. We had a lot of help from family and friends. It
Brand New!
Our There’s No Place Like Home
was a blast building it.” After a grueling 30 days, Anchored Eats opened on a trailer in the Lake Natoma parking lot due to
Folsom Lake’s low water levels last year. Since then, the food n
See anchored eats, page A5
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