Rise and shine, neighbors! 💛
Summer’s moving along, and things around the community are definitely staying busy. There are some encouraging moments, a few important conversations, and plenty of reasons to stay tuned in. We’ve pulled together what’s worth knowing before the weekend gets here. Let's dive in! 👇
📢 Today's highlights:
Japan exchange, local teen wins big, and liquor delivery threats. 🚨
Yoga, sun prints, a mixer, creative workshops and a full symphony await. 🎶
Community Corner 🤝 Are license plate cameras helping safety or raising privacy concerns?
Featured local listings from affordable to luxury options. 🏡
FREE lash tint, local ad spots + Pokémon card auctions. 💎
🎥 Don't miss out! Follow @lilcitymedia on Instagram for local videos, Behind the Business spotlights, and much more happening around town.
Get Ready, EDH—Olivia & Lash Is Here! ✨
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📰 What’s Buzzing Today
EDH Teen Wins Big on International Stage
13-year-old Saanvi Palem returns from Houston with multiple titles, awards and a message of confidence and kindness. Read more →
Local Students Head to Japan for Cultural Exchange
Students traveled to Japan for a cultural exchange focused on friendship, language and global understanding. Read more →
El Dorado Hills Leaders Call for LLAD Overhaul
Board members want changes to how landscaping and lighting assessments are calculated for property owners. Read more →
YogaSix Opens Its Largest Studio in the World
Folsom’s new Palladio studio opens Monday, August 17, with free classes and a weeklong community celebration. Read more →
Craft Distillers Face a Fight to Keep Direct Delivery
California craft distillers, including an El Dorado Hills business, face a potential end direct-to-door craft liquor deliveries. Read more →
Former El Dorado County Teacher Pleads Guilty to Sex Crimes
Former Oak Ridge teacher admits to six felony counts and faces more than six years in state prison. Read more →
Know something we should cover? Send us your tip or story here. 📩
📆 Weekend + Events Guide
Your go-to list for family-friendly events and happenings:
🧘♂️ Yoga in the Park with YogaSix – Aug. 16 | 9 AM | Saratoga Park, EDH
Stretch, flow, and connect outdoors with free family-friendly yoga sessions. See more →
🖼️ Magic Sun Prints Workshop – Aug. 16 | 10 AM | AmayzArt Gallery, Fair Oaks
Make frame-ready cyanotype prints using sunshine and treasures from nature. See more →
💼 Town Center Connect Mixer – Aug. 19 | 4:30 PM | Mimosa House, EDH
Meet local business owners and professionals at this free networking mixer. See more →
🎨 DIY Sign & Decor Paint – Aug. 20 | 4 PM | Create, Make & Mingle Studio
Paint your own fall-inspired sign or décor in this creative workshop. See more →
🎶 Live Music–Folsom Lake Symphony – Aug. 20 | 7 PM | Marshall Amphitheater, EDH
Hear beloved movie themes performed live by a full symphony orchestra. See more →
💐 Wildflower Wreath Workshop – Aug. 22 | 2 PM | Art & Bloom Studio, EDH
Bring seasonal beauty home with your own handcrafted wildflower wreath. See more →
🧺 Reed Basket Weaving – Aug. 22 | 2 PM | The Crafted Canvas, Fair Oaks
Learn traditional basket-weaving basics and create your own handmade basket. See more →
Got exciting events to share? Let our community know by sending in local happenings here. 📩
🎥 Behind the Business: Meet the Locals Behind the Logos
Every business has a story. We’re highlighting the hardworking locals behind the brands serving El Dorado Hills. Be featured for FREE here. 👉
Lil City Voices | Community Corner
Why Towns Across the Country Are Ripping Out Their License Plate Cameras?
— by Lil City Staff
Communities across the country are pulling back from Flock Safety, one of the largest providers of license plate reader cameras, over growing concerns about privacy, data sharing, and how the technology could be used beyond its stated purpose of catching crime. More than 20 jurisdictions dropped or began dropping the cameras in July alone, the highest number recorded in a single month since tracking began in 2021. What's notable is how the opposition is forming: officials describe it as unusually bipartisan, with one North Carolina commissioner noting the pushback brought together "work boots and Subarus" in equal measure.
Concerns nationally center on how the data collected by these cameras could be used, tracking people traveling to places of worship, medical appointments, or protests, or being shared with federal immigration enforcement. Flock has said it no longer runs pilot programs with federal immigration agencies and holds no active contracts with them, though the company briefly partnered with agencies last year on efforts related to trafficking and fentanyl distribution. Flock maintains the cameras are a valuable public safety tool, pointing out that far more cities are signing on than backing out. Still, some officials who canceled contracts elsewhere said the promised results simply didn't materialize.
This isn't just a national story. Flock cameras have already been spotted locally, and the same debate is starting to surface closer to home, in our neighborhoods and surrounding communities.
It leaves a question worth sitting with locally, not just nationally: how much surveillance is a reasonable tradeoff for public safety, and who should get a say in that decision before the cameras go up rather than after?
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🏠 Real Estate: Home Sweet Home
Handpicked properties in El Dorado Hills that you won’t want to miss 🛣️
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🎟️ Neighborhood Perks
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THE LIL CITY TEAM IS GROWING! ⭐
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Want to help local businesses grow with Lil City? Reply "TEAM" to this email to connect. 📩
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Are you a local business owner or know someone who is?
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Let’s build something great together for our community.
👀 Missed the Last Drop?
Catch up on our last issue: Historic two-year run, STEM camp overseas & student protection lawsuit. Read 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.
