EDH’s Newest Café + The Sinkhole That Closed Your Drive

Massive Sinkhole Shuts Down Intersection
Folsom road closure causes traffic disruptions as crews assess storm damage. Read more →

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Your go-to list for family-friendly events and happenings:

🧳 Travel Talk – April 24 | 2:00 PM
Location: El Dorado Hills Library
Travel tips, smart planning hacks, and answers for your next adventure. See more →

🚣 Dragon Boat Festival – April 25 | 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Location: Black Miners Bar, Folsom
Dragon boat races, teams compete, free spectator event. See more →

🏊‍♂️ April Pool’s Day – April 26 | 1:00-3:00 PM
Location: EDHCSD Community Pool
Free swim day, meet staff, learn summer programs, family fun. See more →

🍪 Llama Love Cookie Decorating – April 28 | 5:30-7:00 PM
Location: Painted. Studios, Folsom
Learn to how to pipe and decorate four cookie designs. See more →

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Weekly updates on practices, standout players, and upcoming matches:

— by Lil City Staff

Scroll through Instagram or TikTok for more than a few minutes, and you'll find them: families posing for the camera in matching outfits, children smiling while packing for a trip or getting ready for school. At first glance, it looks like a glimpse into picture-perfect family life. But look closer, and you'll see the hashtags: #ad, #gifted, #sponsored. What looks like a home video is actually a business transaction.

When children become the primary source of a family's income, the line between family life and work blurs. There are the hours spent setting up lighting, doing multiple takes, and coaching young kids to smile on cue. There are the products being sold—hairbrushes, water bottles, protein powder, all tied to the charming children in the frame. And then there are the more troubling cases, like the influencer jailed for child abuse after presenting a perfect family image online for years.

Some states have started introducing laws to protect these young content creators, limiting their work hours, requiring parents to set aside a portion of earnings. But the law is a blunt tool for a subtle problem. Most of these situations aren't legal dilemmas. They're moral ones. The question isn't whether a child is being paid. It's whether a childhood is being traded for likes.

This isn't about judging parents who share photos of their kids online. Most of us have done it. But there's a difference between sharing a moment and manufacturing a brand. And as more families turn their daily lives into content, it's worth asking: what are we teaching children about privacy, about consent, about the difference between being loved and being watched? The conversation we need isn't about banning phones. It's about how grown-ups choose to use them.

We're giving away 1 professional local business website EVERY MONTH! Reply "WEBSITE" with a business name to enter.

PLUS, 50% OFF WEBSITE BUILDS for all El Dorado Hills & local businesses for the rest of the year!

Handpicked properties in El Dorado Hills that you won’t want to miss 🛣️

766 Bonita Dr, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 – $499,900
3 Bed | 2 Bath | 1,594 sq ft

1106 Clearview Dr, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 – $2,875,000
5 Bed | 7 Bath | 6,000 sq ft

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We’re featuring local businesses in upcoming issues of the Lil City newsletter—and we’d love to include yours. Whether you want to share your story, highlight a service, or sponsor a local giveaway, just reply to this email and let us know.

Let’s build something great together for our community.

Catch up on our last issue: Life-saving transplant advocacy, campus layoffs & device learning concerns. Read it here 👉

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Thank you for supporting Lil City—a student-led newsletter sharing local news, events, and community stories, while empowering youth and giving back to causes that matter. We’re growing city by city, building chapters to help more students lead and serve their communities.