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171
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C ali forn ia’s Olde st Ne w spaper
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Volume 171 • Issue 123 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
Wednesday, October 21 , 2022
stor i es a r is e
History enthusiasts flocked to Placerville Union Cemetery Saturday, Oct. 15, for Buried History’s Save the Graves fundraiser, at which historical Main Street merchants returned to life to share their stories. Eight influential figures entranced visitors with their tales of triumph, perseverance, loss and legacy.
Supes support Forebay Park Noel Stack Managing editor
Mountain Democrat photos by Noel Stack
Dorothea Zeisz (portrayed by Erika Maruri) shares her life story at Buried History’s Save the Graves event at Placerville Union Cemetery Saturday, Oct. 15. In the late 1800s Zeisz had 10 children before her husband vanished so she turned his failed brewery into a boarding house and offered hearty meals for 25 cents to support her large family.
Applause and cheers followed the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors’ unanimous vote to move forward with the Forebay Park project. Tuesday’s decision to adopt a conceptual park design kickstarts the environmental review process, which should wrap up next spring. The conceptual design presented to the Board of Supervisors includes a dog park with separated areas (one for larger dogs and another for smaller pooches), benches for dog owners and drinking fountains, plus an 18-hole disc golf course broken into two, 9-hole sections, a group picnic area, basketball and pickleball courts, an all-abilities playground with two play areas, exercise equipment for seniors, an unpaved perimeter walking loop, two parking lots and a maintenance road. The design retains the 13.5-acre park’s long-standing ball field, the community lodge and horseshoe pits and also has buffers between the park and neighboring residents. “This is it. We need this,” said longtime Pollock Pines resident Ginger Swigart. “It’s not just the community that needs this park. All of El Dorado County needs this park. You just cannot have enough parks for everyone to play in — and play is so important for all of us, no matter what age.” The county has $3.3 million ($3 million in American n
See Forebay Park, page A7
$28K in sick time overpay settled Eric Jaramishian Staff writer
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Henry Numbers Tracy (portrayed by Dan Trainor), left photo, made quality shoes for decades in downtown Placerville. His skill and reputation earned repeat business from all over the country and his name is still seen on one of downtown’s oldest buildings. Maggie Akins O’Keefe (portrayed by Ronnie Duska Fowler), right photo, reflects on the losses she suffered during her life in Placerville. The businesswoman who ran the local furniture shop and undertaker services and never married outlived most of her family. Henry S. Morey (portrayed by Tom Loeprich) ran Placerville’s foundry. The actor who took this role currently lives in Morey’s home, the third oldest in Placerville.
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El Dorado County expects to get back money overpaid to a former Human Resources director mistakenly paid $28,149 for unused sick time. The county notified Tameka Usher of the mistake in late February. Months later she agreed to pay back the county in monthly installments. Usher left the county for a human resources job with the city of Rocklin. In an email to the Mountain Democrat, county communications director Carla Hass reported that Usher has been cooperative in resolving the matter and has made the first required monthly payment. The county expects the full amount to be paid back per terms of the agreement. Auditor-Controller Joe Harn noted Usher also agreed to pay the county a lump sum of $12,000 within 30 days of Sept. 8, but as of Oct. 18 that money had not been received. Harn specified one monthly payment of $570 did come in. Cutting Usher's last paycheck in April 2021, Harn said his office did not catch the overpayment error. Department heads are not paid sick leave if their tenure is short of five years, Chief Administrative Officer Don Ashton previously told the Mountain Democrat. Usher came on board in July 2017 and left El Dorado County in February 2021 Current HR Director Joseph Carruesco notified Harn after finding the error.
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