On 05/10/15 at about 4:20 PM, the Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an Illegal roadside vender on the corner of Cambridge Road and Country Club Drive in Cameron Park. At the intersection, a deputy contacted 27 year-old Marta Flores of Stockton. Flores was seated near a table under two umbrellas selling cherries and flowers. The deputy confirmed Flores did not have a county business license or a permit to operate as a roadside vendor in El Dorado County.

Marta Flores was issued a citation for County Ordinance violation 5.08.060, business license required and County Ordinance section 5.14.020, permit required. She was released at the scene.

Below is the main reason for this type of enforcement. It is part of an ongoing campaign involving the El Dorado County Farm Bureau, the County Agriculture Department, El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce, County Environmental Management Division, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Placerville to protect our citizens, local growers, and our businesses. Below is a copy of a press release published on July 29, 2013 by Mike Applegarth, formerly with the County CAO’s Office, for information:

Who is That Guy on the Corner?
(Placerville, Calif.)—Capitalizing on residents’ need for strawberries for tonight’s dessert, or those last minute anniversary flowers, roadside vendors are seemingly everywhere. But, who is that guy on the corner?
“We are seeing an influx of vendors from outside of the county,” said El Dorado County Agriculture Commissioner Charlene Carveth. “In most instances, roadside dealers are not selling produce that is locally grown, or in compliance with basic local and state food safety requirements.”
In response, a coalition of public and private organizations including the County of El Dorado, Sheriff’s Office, Agriculture Department, Environmental Management Division, City of Placerville, El Dorado County Farm Bureau, and the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce is launching the “Protect Local Growers Campaign.”
“The idea of the campaign is twofold,” said Farm Bureau Executive Director Valerie Zentner. “We want to educate the public about the risks of purchasing produce from illegal roadside vendors, and in doing so protect the law-abiding local growers in our community.”
Risks from roadside produce include consuming food that is not in compliance with safe handling, pesticide, refrigeration, packaging and labeling requirements. Pest importation and spread may also occur in roadside vendor operations which have eluded compliance inspections. Illegal vendors also impair the ability of local growers to offer safe, healthy produce through legitimate means such as certified farmers markets.
Over the next several months, organizations from across the county will be coordinating resources to help bring awareness of the risks of roadside produce operations, and ultimately enforcement against violators. Residents are encouraged to call the county hotline at (530) 642-4968, to report suspected illegal roadside vendors.

Lt. Tom Murdoch

On 05/10/15 at about 9:15 AM, deputies responded to two more cluster mailbox break-ins. The first was on Trinidad Drive in Cameron Park and the second one was a block away on Gailey Circle. Both looked to have the back of the cabinet pried open to expose the mail inside. The method used to break into the mailboxes appeared to be similar to the four cluster mailboxes that were damaged last week. Neighbors are encouraged to be vigilant in the area of these mailboxes and contact the Sheriff’s Office at (530) 621-6600 or www.edso.org if any suspicious activity is noticed.

Lt. Tom Murdoch

On 05/05/15, the Sheriff’s Office responded to four different locations regarding vandalized cluster mailboxes. The first call was received at about 7:30 AM where the rear doors were pried off of about 12 mailboxes in the area of Tourmaline Way and Spinal Circle in Cameron Park. A second mailbox cluster had been broken into in the same area, the same way, on Tourmaline Way and Hastings Drive.

Deputies responded to another mailbox cluster where the rear mailbox doors were pried open. The size of the mailbox cabinet was about the same, containing about 12 mailboxes. They were located in the 2800 block on Aquamarine Circle.

The fourth report was taken in the area of Buckhorn and Starbuck Road. At 8:46 AM, the Sheriff’s Office was notified the rear panel was pried or peeled off of a cluster mailbox cabinet. Without knowing what was in the mailboxes at the time, it is difficult to determine what, if anything was taken.

Anyone who may have seen a person or vehicle in the vicinity of the mailboxes that didn’t look right, please contact the Sheriff’s Office at (530) 621-5655 or send us a message at www.edso.org by selecting the Anonymous Crime Tip tab on the left side of the page. If you receive your own mail in a cluster mailbox near your home, please be diligent and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement, day or night. Any descriptions or license plate numbers of the suspicious activity would be very helpful.

Lt. Tom Murdoch