C ALI FORN IA’S OLDE ST NE W SPAPER
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– Weekend Edition – mtdemocrat.com
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2026
Wagon train gets matching funds Noel Stack
VOLUME 175 • ISSUE 36 | $1.00
LEARNING GROWS
Editor
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors waded into budget waters last week, making some early decisions in preparation for the 2026-27 budget hearing ahead — at which an ongoing deficit is expected to be addressed. Among those decisions was a unanimous agreement to allocate matching funds up to $15,000 from designated Community Funding to next year’s wagon train. Steve Downer, president of the Highway 50 Association and the wagon master, told supervisors before their vote the rolling history event’s costs have nearly doubled in the last year. “We’ve managed to do some fundraising to offset some of that, but it still is not filling the gap,” Downer said. The association has depleted most of its funds to finance the 2025 full wagon train, May 31 through June 6. Downer noted the event draws a lot of people to El Dorado County. “I’m definitely an advocate for funding the wagon train,” District 3 Supervisors Brian Veerkamp ■ See BOARD, page A9
City ponders budget funds versus needs Andrew Vonderschmitt Features editor
Mountain Democrat photos by Shelly Thorene
Farm Day brought together El Dorado County’s agriculture industry and curious third-graders at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville. Above, Northside Elementary School students lean in to pet Tomas, a 7-week-old Hungarian Mangalitsa piglet, in the Henningsen Pavilion at the May 5 event.
Farm Day celebrates local ag industry Shelly Thorene ore than 930 third-graders from across the county eagerly engaged with animals and exhibits at Ag in the Classroom’s 23rd annual Farm Day at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds on May 5. Learning stations spread out across the fairgrounds provided a plethora of hands-on experiences for children to learn about El Dorado County’s agricultural resources. Farm day is open to third grade students and teachers from public, private, parochial, charter and home school programs to learn about forests, farming, watersheds, natural resources, food, nutrition, animals and more. The event is traditionally held on the first Tuesday in May. Learning stations are presented by experts in their field, organizations and businesses. Topics include land stewardship, watersheds and irrigation, healthy forests, invasive and beneficial insects, milk and dairy, working animals and more. Popular activities in the Henningsen Pavilion included brushing and giving treats to 16-yearold quarter horse Ed. His owner, Ponderosa FFA student Alice Bock, 17, commented, “He loves
■ See CITY BUDGET, page A9
■ See FARM DAY, page A8
PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
The Placerville City Council met with City Manager Dave Warren and department heads April 30 to begin developing the city’s 2026-27 budget, where officials disclosed an existing 8.04% General Fund deficit even before nearly $1.7 million in new requests for staffing, equipment and maintenance were considered. The workshop marked the start of the city’s annual budget review, during which departments submit requests for equipment, personnel, training and other operational needs. Many of the requests stem from deferred maintenance, staffing shortages or mandated services. “So these are just requests,” Warren said, explaining the purpose of the workshop was to allow council members to hear department needs “before we actually try to balance the budget.” Interim Finance Director Natalie Tornincasa reported the current 2025-26 operating budget is set at $28.44 million and is supported through multiple funding sources, including the General Fund, water and sewer funds, Measures H and L funds, grants, gas tax revenue and parking funds. The budget includes several categories, such as the capital improvement program, capital outlay budget and alternative services budget. Capital outlays focus on equipment purchases,
Staff writer
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Alivia Tatum right, and Jace Tatum, left, hold Ponderosa boards milled on the spot by their grandfather Hardie Tatum, a retired logger from Pollock Pines, during a demonstration in the Forestry Plaza at Farm Day.
There’s no place like the home and garden show
Mountain Democrat photos by Shelly Thorene
The Placerville Home & Garden Show took over the El Dorado County Fairgrounds May 1-3, connecting visitors with Master Gardeners, arborists, landscapers and other professionals showcasing a diverse range of outdoor products and gardening techniques. Above left, Rick Crose of Diamond Springs, right, stops to check out a demonstration by vendor Jenna Garcia of Fresno. Garcia showed the many ways a ceramic garlic grater can be used. Her husband Paul also had a booth selling pickles. Above right, The Timeproof USA roofing company rep Amir Sarofiem, right, hands a swag bag to Bob and Elaine Austerman of El Dorado Hills. The Austermans recently had solar panels installed at their home and stopped by the show to thank the company, Diamond Solar Solutions, for the “fantastic job.”