Elevate, Escape, Explore El Dorado County wineries offer a WINEcation.
Good Living, page 7
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Volume 171 • Issue 106 | $1.00
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Monday, September 12, 2022
Health CEO to retire this fall News release
Photo courtesy of Cal Fire
The Mosquito Fire crests the Georgetown Divide Thursday afternoon as winds drove it across Oxbow Reservoir and up the canyon to the community of Volcanoville.
Flames storm through Divide’s back door GRape growers watching fire Lee Hodo Mountain Democrat contributor With about 20% of the grape harvest completed in the vineyards of El Dorado County’s wine region on Sept. 8, the region’s winemakers are observing the movement of the Mosquito Fire cautiously. The Mosquito Fire is about 20 miles to the north and started Sept. 6 in the evening. Originating in Placer County, it’s grown and is 0% contained and has jumped the Middle Fork of n
See Growers, page 6
Mountain Democrat staff After firefighters saw the Mosquito Fire explode 4,000 acres overnight Wednesday and another 5,000 the next afternoon, the blaze grew 9,000-plus acres Thursday night. Acreage burned in the Mosquito Fire was mapped at 29,585 acres midday Friday. Firefighters had not gained any containment, according to U.S. Forest Service data. When the Mosquito
Fire sent embers across Oxbow Reservoir and into El Dorado County Thursday it sparked a 5,000-plus-acre run up to Volcanoville, reported Cal Fire Amador-El Dorado Unit Chief Mike Blankenheim. He told attendees of a community briefing Thursday night some structures in Volcanoville were lost. “I don’t have a good handle on it yet but it’s definitely not the whole n
See Mosquito Fire, page 6
Upon completion of the new 30,000-squarefoot center in October, El Dorado Community Health Centers CEO Terri Stratton will retire after leading the center since 2014. She will hand over the keys to Caleb Sandford, MBA. Since taking over leadership of EDCHC, Stratton has led significant growth adding several new sites in Cameron Park and a corresponding increase in positions and budget. Proactive in securing grants, Stratton has brought in more than 25 grants during this time. “It has been an honor to serve my community as we expand these needed services” Stratton said. “I want to thank our board and leadership team and I look forward to watching EDCHC continue to grow and serve our community’s health needs.” On Aug. 4 the El Dorado Community Health Center board announced Sandford had been appointed the new CEO to succeed Stratton. An experienced healthcare leader, Sandford will assume this leadership role in late September. Stratton will continue to oversee the completion of construction of the new clinic on Missouri Flat Road, expected to open in October. In addition to the services of medical, behavioral health, dental, substance use treatment, and
Terri Stratton pharmacy, optometry and lab services will be added to this new site. Sandford has nearly a decade of leadership experience in the healthcare industry, most recently working as the chief transformation officer and chief operations officer at Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center in the Bay Area. He previously served as deputy chief operations officer at Clinica Sierra Vista, one of the largest federally qualified health centers in the country. “Caleb brings years of executive level experience in the FQHC world and is well suited to take over my role and continue to steer EDCHC toward continued success,” Stratton said. “I am thrilled to be joining the high performing team at El Dorado Community Health Center.” Sandford shared. “I am proud to lead an organization that provides comprehensive n
See Stratton, page 5
15-year-old readjusting after losing left arm Eric Jaramishian Staff writer On July 12 Eric and Jamaica Wexelman received a call no parent wants to get. PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
Their daughter Trinity, 15, had gone out with a friend that evening to visit another friend. Trinity was traveling down South Shingle Road in a UTV, near the Wexelman home, when the Polaris Ranger turned over onto its side and the roll cage of the vehicle came down on her left arm. “It was fortunate she had a friend with her who had the presence of mind to take his shirt and create a tourniquet on her arm and called 911,” Wexelman said. “She was bleeding very badly.” Trinity was lifeflighted to U.C. Davis where she underwent 13 hours of surgery as well as skin grafting.
like cutting her own food, tying her shoes, even putting her hair in a ponytail, Trinity is adjusting to do without her left arm, her dominant arm. “We’ve had days where she wakes up and is chipper and out with our horses and goats and feeling very positive,” Eric said, adding that other days aren’t so easy. “It does not help that she is 15, which is a tough age where everything is about how everybody else saw them, especially physically,” he noted. Trinity is a talented equestrian, according to Eric. She is a 100
Courtesy photo
Shingle Springs teen equestrian Trinity Wexelman lost her dominant arm in a UTV rollover. Surgeons recognized the arm was a loss but were able to create a nub for Trinity to take a prosthetic in the future.
Trinity would not be released before spending seven days in the pediatric ICU. “She was enthusiastic
that life could be not exactly 100% normal but pretty close,” Eric said. Day-to-day activities
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