C ALI FORN IA’S OLDE ST NE W SPAPER
– E S T. 18 51
– Midweek Edition – VOLUME 175 • ISSUE 26 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2026
Baskets full of fun
Mountain Democrat photos by Shelly Thorene
Carrie Mitchell of Fair Oaks, left, and Bonnie Parker of El Dorado Hills stand together at the March 28 No Kings rally before a march through EDH Town Center.
Rally cry of ‘No Kings!’ gets loud in the county
Little ones, baskets in hand, got a jump on Easter and enjoyed a fun community egg hunt hosted by the Cameron Park Community Services District at Rasmussen Park on March 28. Above, Roman Henderson, 4, of Cameron Park gets ready to drop his first Easter egg in his basket while, Lily, 5, of El Dorado Hills rides her hobby horse on the hunt with mom Jessica at the Eggstreme Egg Hunt. The Plonsky family of Rescue, right, poses for a photo with the Easter Bunny at Rasmussen Park on Saturday. Left to right are mom Katelyn, Miley, 4, Riley, 4, Callie, 5, and dad Lance, holding their dog Taquito.
Shelly Thorene Staff writer
Mountain Democrat photos by Shelly Thorene
EID pursuing ‘ambitious’ study timeline
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Chris Woodard Staff writer
The El Dorado Irrigation District Board of Directors reviewed a timeline for the forthcoming cost of service analysis before hearing an informational presentation on maintenance and capital needs for the district’s hydroelectric penstock system. EID General Manager Pravani Vandeyar outlined the schedule for the cost of service analysis, noting the board awarded a contract on Feb. 23 to Water Resources Economics to conduct the study. “A comprehensive cost of service analysis is needed for 2028 in order
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to develop cost-based, equitable and fair water and wastewater and recycled water rates to support the operating and capital needs of the district,” Vandeyar said at the March 23 meeting. The study is intended to develop rates that “meet but do not exceed the costs required to provide services” and ensure compliance with Proposition 218 requirements for water, wastewater and recycled water rates, she added. The district held a public workshop March 3 and the Water Resources Economics team plans to conduct the analysis between
Gold Mine
The
Published bi-monthly in the Mountain Democrat and Village Life
■ See STUDY, page A11
More than 2,400 protestors, according to Indivisible El Dorado’s count, took to the streets and overpasses from Camino to El Dorado Hills and Lotus on Saturday, March 28, in conjunction with a national day of protest in which an estimated 8 million people in 3,000 cities nationwide voiced their concerns about the Trump administration. Hundreds attended a rally in El Dorado Hills Town Center, welcoming speakers Jackie Jolly, board member of the Northern California ACLU and NorCal Resist; Sacramento City Council member Mai Vang; Ann Block, senior staff attorney with Immigrant Legal Resource Center; and Kyle Kane, Veterans For Peace. U.S. Congresswoman Doris Matsui was scheduled but unable to attend. Jolly encouraged the crowd to push back in other ways beside protest, sharing one of her favorite ways is providing mutual aid to marginalized communities. “We can actively resist the predatory and violent actions of the current administration with constant pressure,” she added. “Resistance for you may mean attending meetings at city hall, phone calls and letters, boycotts and strikes, running for office or standing side by side like they do in Minnesota, Chicago and other places.” Vang, the daughter of Hmong refugees and the eldest of 16 children, told the crowd, “Courage in this moment is contagious. It takes courage to stand up to bullies. Something powerful happens when you show up. You are saying to your friends and neighbors, ‘I refuse to be afraid and refuse to let them make me feel alone.’” “In this moment we need all of you,” she continued. “Fifty years from now we will ask where were you in this moment?” Kane, a veteran who served in Afghanistan spoke against the human cost of war and asked who is profiting from the latest military engagement. Heidi Mayerhofer, chair of El Dorado County Democrat Party, asked the crowd if they knew the ■ See PROTEST, page A11
Lori Polk, 69, of El Dorado Hills, right was joined by her sister Joni Calder, 67, of Redding (behind banner) to protest on Saturday. Polk said she “couldn’t think of anything more important to do,” adding her sister was “pissed off about all of it.”
15 YEAR 15 YEAR 3.250 3.61 15 YEAR 15 YEAR 3.250 HOME LOAN3.250 HOME LOAN 15 YEAR 3.250 3.61 3.613.61 4.750% 5.05% Fixed Rate
Annual Percerntage Rate
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