171
C ali forn ia’s Olde st Ne w spaper
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Volume 171 • Issue 109 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, September 19, 2022
Photo courtesy of Cal Fire
Burning operations continue to slow down the progress of the Mosquito Fire but warm, dry weather Friday was expected to make the firefight a bit tougher before a wet system from the Gulf of Alaska moves into the area Sunday, possibly bringing rain through Tuesday.
Mountain Democrat photo by Eric Jaramishian
Georgetown Divide community radio host, identified as Marco in the Morning, sorts through what possessions he has with him in his car since his Quintette neighborhood was evacuated Sept. 6 due to the Mosquito Fire. On Sept. 15 he was living out of his vehicle at the Cameron Park Community Services District facilities.
Community supporting Mosquito evacuees Eric Jaramishian Staff writer Thousands of El Dorado County residents remained evacuated Sept. 16, waiting to return home while the Mosquito Fire burns. At Green Valley Church in Placerville and the Cameron Park Community Services District facilities, north county residents of Georgetown, Quintette and Volcanoville have resorted to camping out in their trailers, cars or tents. One 65-year-old Quintette man, who said he is known as KFOK community radio host Marco in the Morning, was visiting his wife in Mammoth when he expected to return home. He was turned around by law enforcement due to evacuations,
Mosquito Fire evacuees Bobby Howard, Robert Peterson, Gary Howard and Ken Howard eat a meal at the Cameron Park Community Services District Sept. 15. leaving him no time to retrieve anything from his home. He ended up at the Cameron Park CSD only with what he had
packed in his car. He said the Mosquito Fire was n
Mosquito Fire remains ‘stubborn’ Noel Stack Staff writer
The Mosquito Fire stayed calm Thursday night but that didn’t mean firefighters took a break from the battle along the Placer County/El Dorado County line. “Instead of saying persistent, I’m going to say now it’s just stubborn,” said Cal Fire fire behavior analyst Jonathan Pangburn at Friday morning’s fire briefing. “You have the really, really dry heavy fuels, and especially in this previously unburned area (pointing to the fire’s southeast corner) … that’s going to create just a stubborn, persistent mess out there that is going to take a lot of effort to get around.” As of Friday morning the Mosquito Fire had scorched 69,908 acres, destroying 73 structures and damaging 13 structures in its path. Another 9,236 structures are threatened and more than 11,270 people remain evacuated. The fire was 20% contained and its cause remains under investigation. More that 3,870 personnel were assigned to the challenging firefight. In El Dorado County 36 structures were destroyed predominantly along Volcanoville Road. Of those 16 are single family homes, four are mobile homes and two are motor homes, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office. Sheriff ’s officials say when they are ready to repopulate an area, they plan to provide those with
See Evacuees, page 7
n
See Mosquito Fire, page 7
EDHCSD at odds with grand jury Sel Richard Staff writer El Dorado Hills Community Services District board members accused the El Dorado County Grand Jury of subpar performance in a draft of its formal response to an investigation regarding PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
the CSD’s management of Landscape and Lighting Assessment Districts. “… the district expresses its dismay at the slipshod manner in which the grand jury conducted and concluded its investigation,” the 16-page letter reads. The term “strategically forced ignorance” is being suggested as a possible edit. “Both the oral testimony and the documentation provided by the district demonstrated the inaccuracy of many of the inquiries made by the grand jury during its investigation.” Released June 30, the grand jury report focused on calculation of assessment amounts, the appeals process, rental income credits and possible conflicts of n
See edhcsd, page 3
Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen floral tributes have been laid at sites across the U.K.
Photo courtesy of the Royal Family
A recollection of Queen Elizabeth II Noel Stack Managing editor
W
hen Queen Elizabeth II died Sept. 8 at age 96, Placerville resident Patrick Patterson took pause. The Fiji native had the honor of marching behind her majesty on one of her royal visits to the island nation. Wearing a freshly pressed school uniform under the bright sun, Patterson stood shoulderto-shoulder with his friends, schoolmates and neighbors — all anxiously waiting on the post office steps in Levuka, an east coast community on Ovalau, Fiji. “The excitement overwhelmed the whole island,” Patterson recalled, telling the Mountain Democrat
everyone helped make the town shine prior to the queen’s arrival. He spent hours at marching practice with schoolmates, school prefects recited their short speeches over and over while others perfected the meke, a traditional Fijian dance. “She arrived in a horse and carriage to grand applause,” he said. “She led the parade as we marched down the main street.” Speeches, food and drink, as well as performances followed. The queen then departed to rest before a ball at Queen Victoria Memorial Hall. It was a long day, Patterson said, but all day he heard people marvel at the experience — it’s n
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