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Month: May 2024

  • Whole Earth Festival Sunday – Women’s Music Day – “Double Maya Rainbow! Oh, my God—it’s a Double Maya Rainbow all the way! Whoa, that’s so intense!”

    Download (1) DownloadSunday at the Whole Earth Festival has traditionally been held on Mother's Day, and for many years has highlighted women artists on Sunday.  

    This year is no exception, with the Sunday lineup on "Quad" Stage including: 

    11:20-12 SOPHIE SENG

    12:20-1 LILLIAN FRANCES

    1:20-2:20 MAYA MCNEIL AND THE SILVER APPLES

    2:40-3:40 MAYA BURNS

    4-4:50 JESSICA MALONE

    and yes, it's a DOUBLE MAYA RAINBOW from 1:20 pm to 3:40 pm !!!!

    Maya Burns first wowed WEF audiences years ago when at the age of ten she sang a perfect acapella version of "White Rabbit".  Now a Singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer she floats from Monterey to Ensenada to México City and annually visits the Whole Earth Festival in Davis.  She presents her music in English and Spanish, inspired by her cultural surroundings growing up in Mexico.

    Maya McNeil is a native of Davis who's solo music is now blossoming as she premiers her amazing band, the Silver Apples, for the first time Sunday!  Maya has a few singles online now such as "Waiting for the Light to Change" and "Main Stream", in anticipation of her first album, "Waiting for the Light to Change".  Maya was Art Space Director of the Festival years ago and has deep roots with the Festival.

    Images Maya Mc

    Do note that the Whole Earth Festival has temporarily moved to Russell Field this year, the big grassy area along Russell Blvd.  It's going to be hot this weekend and Russel Field is treeless, so bring a hat, sunscreen, water, and take advantage of the Whole Earth Misting Station between Quad Stage and the Staff Dome (teal, lavender and tan dome), as well as the 26 large shade structures towards the eastern side of the field.  Quad stage is the eastern of the two stages.

    Also, be sure to check out Maya Burn's parent's (Jim & India) tie-die booth, the colorful booth nearest Quad stage – they have shirts, hats, dresses and much more!

  • Final I-80 EIR released – an embarrassment of errors that sets up Caltrans for Legal challenge

    I-80- causeway narrower lane cross section
    By Alan Hirsch

    On Wednesday May 1, the 1971 page (plus 345-page appendix)- final EIR for yolo80 was released. The 139 comments take up nearly 71% of the pages.   – 108 of the 139 were from individuals, not government agencies, cities or  environment groups with paid staff.  This highlights the  fact this science-defying proposal from Caltrans has become “the most controversial freeway project in the state.” 

    ———————–
     NOTE: The last chance to comment on the funding will be at California Transportation Commission Meeting Thursday May 16, By Tuesday send any comments. (esp inadequately funded mitigation plan, induced demand negates any congestion relief, no environmental justice plan for tolls)
    to CTC@CATC.CA.GOV
    Subject: Widening I-80 with a Expensive Toll lane.
    Pro-Tip: use 14 or 16 pt font for short email.

    ————————–

    The EIR concluded that despite the widening the freeway will generate 158M more miles of driving (VMT) a year…equal to adding over 11,000 more cars to the road and should be built based on “Statement of  Overriding concern” as it has benefit to reducing congestion- Even  though everyone agree this is wrong as congestion will return within less than ten years.  It is also strange given  their VMT Mitigation plan only offsets 55 Mil VMT miles year of the additional driving and ignores the nearly 50Million of additional a truck.

    Adding capacity via toll lanes only guarantee richest member of community- and groups of Tahoe travelers  never faces congestion.

    The EIR also ignores any analysis of increased danger from narrowing lanes and permanently removing shoulders. (see diagram)   

    The ability of the proposed mitigation plan to provide a carbon/VMT offset is taken to higher degrees of absurdity to somehow claim the project tolls will fund adequate mitigations- and have money left for a social equity/environmental Justice  program into perpetuity.

    Public not told about public hearing on toll levels.

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  • Open Discussion: Bob Dunning Terminated by Davis Enterprise Owners (an Al’s Corner Exclusive)

    Adfc46d7-dadc-4553-a16a-0777ff3b922bIn a bozo move by the owners of the Davis Enterprise, Bob Dunning was terminated without so much as a thank you after 55 years of service to the paper (and Davis).

    Shelley Dunning pays a very sweet tribute in a 7-minute video on her Facebook page:

    facebook.com/shelleydunning

    She also outlines how cold the termination was.  I doubt that will sit well with the Davis community.

    Bob's column will continue at: 

    thewaryone.com

    Please share your thoughts here in comments regarding this poorly-handled move by the owners of the Davis Enterprise.

    Full disclosure:  Bob Dunning once wrote a column about how I should be on the City Council 😐

    Note:  Pardon the pictured haircut, Bob, this is what A.I. gave me when I described the incident!

  • Open Forum on the Pro-Palestine Encampment on the UCD Quad

    598f7067-85aa-4d13-8b6b-0aab5b7ef1c9I went to two Seders this year.  At the first one, no one mentioned the Israel-Gaza war.  It did seem a bit the elephant in the room.  Just before the second Seder, I received an email from the host, referencing an online blog essay by author Ilana DeBare.  It suggested:

    I suggest opening up your seder to discussion, not just readings. Ask guests—in advance so they have time to consider—to bring their own thoughts and feelings about Passover and this war, and suggest that they come with open ears and an open heart. Let down the defensive walls that we’ve been carrying for months. At the Seder table, we can hopefully feel safe and able to listen to others, even if their views are different from our own.

    So in that spirit, I'm inviting the citizens of Davis to express their thoughts about the encampment on the Quad on the UC Davis campus.  While y'all are hashing this out, I'll be in the kitchen eating gefilte fish.

     

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  • Al’s Corner – MAY the Farce be with Ewe

    F0c1e298-a6b9-4787-8d01-7b930495390cWelcome to MAY on Al's Corner.  Where you MAY discuss the clown-show that is Davis politics.  At 5:30pm on Tuesday, the AWARDS will be given out.  Maybe we'll finally learn who the person nominated is who does "good" and "bad" according to at least one commenter, and what "bad" they did. 

    But I doubt it.

    So talk about anything 😐

  • Estates, Wills & Trusts is topic of May 22 Soroptimist talk

    Silva

    Raquel M. Silva (Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) Estate Planning, Wills & Trusts will be the topic of the Wednesday, May 22 meeting of Soroptimist International of Davis. The free program will be from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in the conference room at University Inn and Suites, 1111 Richards Blvd., Davis.

    Soroptimist International of Davis is empowering local women by offering a series of financial literacy talks. The programs are educational and free from sales pitches. They focus on the issues females face in the financial and legal world, including a gender pay gap, smaller pensions than men, and patriarchal attitudes.

    Davis family law attorney Raquel M. Silva will share some steps people can take to make sure their estates avoid probate and other problems. This is the fourth in a four-part series that covered Women & Investing, Life & Liability Insurance, and Taxes & Accounting. Lunch is provided by the club, with donations accepted to cover meal costs. First-time Soroptimist guests are always free.

    Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. It was founded in 1921 in Alameda County. Soroptimist International of Davis was chartered in 1954. Local members join some 75,000 Soroptimists in 122 countries and territories to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women and girls. Its core values are gender equality, empowerment, education, diversity and fellowship.

    SI Davis offers cash Live Your Dream Awards to female heads of household seeking education or training, and assists King High students through its Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls program. It also funds high school scholarships, and grants to nonprofits that align with the Soroptimist mission.

    SI Davis members meet twice a month on Wednesdays – once at lunchtime and once in the evening – and connect for other fun activities and service. Learn more at https://www.sidavis.org/.

  • Four Million CA Households Fleeced for Utility Profits and Never-Ending Rate Hikes.

    Objecting to cpuc

    By Scott Steward

    State leadership is about to let utilities gouge you. Three days before the end of the 2022 legislative session, legislators passed AB 205, a utility flat tax introduced by Newsom as a rider. The bill passed without public discussion.  

    Now, the CPUC is allowing utilities to hit four million ratepayers with a $24/month utility tax. The hardest hit will be those with a small energy footprint, working families and seniors living in apartments and small homes, as well as people with rooftop solar. (Find out more about the STOP THE UTILITY TAX here). (CALL TO ACTION, MAY 9TH IN SACRAMENTO).

    The Utility Tax will add to the pain that these four million households are already feeling from never-ending rate hikes, which have increased by over 30% in California in the last two years.

    The CPUC is letting the utilities increase taxes, electricity, and gas rates without a cap, which means the pain will only get worse in the years to come. The $24/month tax is just the start. Utilities have made it clear that they intend to raise the utility tax to $80 a month or more.

    More than 250 nonprofit groups and 20 legislators supported AB 1999, which would have capped the Utility Tax at a sensible $10/month and pegged any increases to inflation. But Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas pulled the bill out of the Assembly Utility and Energy Commission (that had the votes to pass the bill).

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  • Join the Conversation on Davis Housing Solutions

    (From press release) "Davis Housing Solutions: A Community Conversation", a forum organized by Interfaith Housing Justice Davis (IHJD) promises to be an insightful event addressing pressing housing issues and exploring potential solutions. Scheduled for May 16th from 6:30-8:30pm at Davis Community Church, the forum aims to bring together local and regional experts such as Roberto Jimenez CEO of Mutual Housing California and Reverend Connie Simon of the Unitarian Universalist Church, to name a few and moderated by our Mayor, Josh Chapman.  Voices from immigrant mothers in our Davis Joint Unified School District ¿Un Cafecito? will be featured, as well as stories from housing-insecure students, the unsheltered, and those striving to purchase their first homes. The forum will explore topics such as affordable housing, social services, and the city's Housing Trust Fund.  Attendees will gain insights into how the Housing Trust Fund can effectively address housing challenges in Davis, with a focus on ensuring sustainable funding for its initiatives.

    Following the formal presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to question a panel that includes City Council members and city staff, local housing experts and non-profit housing experts.  Additionally, representatives from Northern California Legal Services, Mutual Housing California, Empower Yolo and League of Women Voters will be available–offering opportunities for community involvement and contributions to housing equity efforts.

    The forum is open to all and free of charge, with donations to the Housing Trust Fund welcomed during registration. Livestreaming information will be provided after registration, allowing broader participation in the conversation.

    IHJD urges all community members to participate in shaping the future of housing in Davis.

    Register for the forum at  Https://bit.ly/interfaithhousing

    To contact Interfaith Housing Justice Davis, email Ellen Kolarik at interfaithhjd@gmail.com