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Davisite Banner. Left side the bicycle obelisk at 3rd and University. Right side the trellis at the entrance to the Arboretum.

Author: davisite2

  • Smoke menace

    PastedGraphic-1 5
    By Darell Dickey

    Polluted air makes me sick.

    Every year when the cold settles in I am precluded from working in my yard and taking walks. I cannot participate in outdoor activities due to the air pollution produced from fires lit by Davis residents.

    The EPA informs us that burning organic matter releases numerous toxic air pollutants including benzene, formaldehyde, hydrocarbons, and of course fine particles. Smoke can trigger asthma attacks as well as heart attacks, stroke, and heart failure. In my case the smoke from fireplace burning aggravates my autoimmune disease and advances my heart disease. Though many people in Davis suffer serious health risks associated with air pollution, and though the city has declared a Climate Emergency, the City of Davis has no firm rules against fireplace burning.

    Instead of treating the toxic smoke appropriately as a health hazard, the City of Davis defines it as a “nuisance,” the same as an over-grown yard or another unsightly condition. And the smoke is considered a nuisance only under limited conditions.

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  • Social Service Groups Receive Biberstein Social Action Fund Grants

    (From press release) Fourteen (14) nonprofit social service groups in Yolo County have received grants totaling $18,475 from a fund established by Congregation Bet Haverim, Jewish Fellowship of Davis. The Biberstein Social Action Fund was established in 2002 to honor longtime Davis residents Ernie and Hannah Biberstein for their contributions to community service and social justice.  The fund sponsors efforts to address problems related to poverty, discriminations, abuse and neglect.

    The following organizations were funded:

    The Bike Campaign; Celebration of Abraham; Davis United Methodist Church – Grace Gardens; HEART of Davis (formerly Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter) ; iDream – The Mac Give Back Project; Meals on Wheels Yolo County; Mercer Veterinary Clinic; Personal Care Pantry (Woodland United Methodist Church); Purple Tree Café; STEAC; St. James Conference Society of Vincent de Paul; Suicide Prevention of Yolo County; Yolo County Continuum of Care; Yolo Crisis Nursery.

    “We are very happy to make these awards,” said Ernie Biberstein.  “We think they will make a meaningful difference to the organizations selected and to the Yolo County community.

    The winners, who were chosen by a committee of Bet Haverim members, will be recognized at a ceremony at the Bet Haverim Religious School in Davis in February.

    “With the loss of Hannah, we continue to feel that it is even more important to show our religious school students the value of supporting the needs of their community,” continued Biberstein. Hannah Biberstein passed away in April of 2011.

    Biberstein Social Action Fund awards are given annually on the basis of proposals made to the synagogue committee. Contributions to the fund may be made through Congregation Bet Haverim, 1715 Anderson Road, Davis, CA 95616. Please note that the donation is for the Biberstein Social Action Fund.
          

  • Greetings of the season from the Davisite!

    Xmas kitty Xmas kitty

    Xmas kitty

    Welcome to the party

    Xmas kittyThe Davisite wishes you a Merry Christmas, a Happy (8th night of) Hanukkah, and a Happy Solstice!!

    – your friendly admins, Colin & Roberta

  • Electrify Uman!

    Electricity for Uman(From press release) The first of Davis' Sister Cities was Uman, Ukraine. Due to the on-going war, their electrical grid is spotty; they get, at most, electricity for half the day. It is cold in Ukraine. We have been in direct contact with the mayor of Uman and their Sister City liaison. Their most pressing need is power to heat their shelters.

    The Davis Odd Fellows, Davis Ukraine Relief Committee (DURC), and the Davis Sunset Rotary are teaming up to get generators purchased and shipped to Uman early in January. This is a tall order and we need your help.

    We are hosting a benefit to raise money to purchase and ship these generators on Wednesday, December 21st, from 5-8 p.m. at the Odd Fellows Lodge, located at 415 2nd St., Davis.

    There will be complimentary appetizers, a silent auction, no-host bar, and a video message from the Mayor of Uman! Food and drink are being donated by caring individuals and beer has been donated by Dunloe brewery. Can't make the event? Donations can be made at any time by scanning the QR code, or clicking the "Donate" button at the URL below.

    https://www.davislodge.org/lodge-programs/odd-fellows-ukraine-relief-fund/

    Working together, the Odd Fellows and the DURC have previously collected over $9,000 in donations from members of our community. Since everyone involved is a volunteer, over 99% of all donations received have gone directly to those in need. Initially, money we raised went to Ukraine via the international Odd Fellows organizations where money was used to relocate and rebuild a hospital and birthing center that was bombed in Lviv. Since our connection with the DURC, donations have stayed closer to home as we have helped four families get established in our extended neighborhood. A family of six, a single mother with three children, a family of four whose father stayed to fight in Ukraine, and a woman with an elderly father and a special needs daughter have all received financial assistance. During the month of December, all proceeds to the Ukraine Relief Fund will got to purchase and ship generators to our Sister City, Uman. We need to raise $10,000-$15,000 by December 31st. Will you help?

    Help us keep our sisters and brothers in Uman warm for the winter!

  • Davis Farmers Market open on Christmas and NY eves

    HolidayClosuresAfterTgivingSquare2022(From press release) The Davis Farmers Market will be open regular hours every Saturday during the holidays, including Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. It will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 28.

    The Saturday market is bustling this time of year, with local crafters, holiday music and carolers. Along with abundant produce, there are preserves, honey, vinegars, olive oils, nuts and nut butters, granola, baked goods, dried fruits, chocolate candies and local wine. Other items include handmade soaps and lotions, flowers (including poinsettias) and market-logo merchandise. Shoppers can enjoy coffee and hot food while they shop for the perfect items to fill personalized gift baskets.

    GiftbasketIn fact, the market’s Gift Basket Central, near the Market Shed, offers free baskets and wrapping of market items on Saturdays. The service is available to anyone who purchases three or more items at the Davis Farmers Market, at 301 C St. in Central Park.

    The Davis Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Wednesday hours are 3 to 6 p.m. November through March, and 3 to 7 p.m. April through October.

    For more information, visit https//davisfarmersmarket.org or visit it on Facebook or Instagram.

  • Yolo SPCA adoption event Saturday Dec. 17th at Pet Food Express

    Peppermint Mocha a 6-month old tabby male

    Peppermint Mocha is an adorable 6-month old male tabby hoping to have a home for the holidays!

    (From press release) Yolo SPCA is holding a kitty adoption event Saturday, Dec. 17th at 11am -2pm at Pet Food Express in Oakshade Shopping Center at 2171  Cowell Bvd. in south Davis. There are an array of kittens and some older kitties waiting for their forever home for the holidays! To see the kitties available for  adoption with some information about than as well, please see the Yolo SPCWE website at  https://www.yolospca.org/adopt.html. If you are interested in adopting, it helps to fill in an adoption request form ahead of time on line at https://form.jotform.com/52328506444151/.

     For additional information, contact Yolo SPCA at yolospcafoster@gmail.com. To support and continue their work helping animals, Yolo SPCA welcomes and appreciates monetary donations which can be made online under “donate” at https://www.yolospca.org/.

  • Yolo County Needs a “Just Transition” Climate Action Plan

    Wetlands
    Wetlands at the Patwin-Wintun Tending and Gathering Garden are the keystone project for Yolo County’s plan to turn 30 former gravel pits into 900 acres of recreational lakes and habitat. The feasibility study for the Cache Creek Parkway was conducted by economic consultants now hired for Yolo County’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

     

    By Marlen Garcia, Anuj Vaidya, and Juliette Beck

    Yolo County has a lot at stake in how we address the climate crisis. In September 2020, the Board of Supervisors passed a visionary resolution calling for a Just Transition approach to climate action and community resilience planning.  Just Transition is a critical policy framework for ensuring that historically marginalized communities are centered and empowered to actively participate in the development of climate solutions. It is deeply relevant to Yolo County, which has the deepest levels of inequality in California. 

    Unfortunately, Yolo County’s recent choice of a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) consultant team that did not include a Just Transition approach in their proposal is squandering a critical opportunity to address worsening socio-economic disparities.  As members of a team that also submitted a proposal, we are intimately familiar with the process and motivated to share our concerns by a sense of moral obligation to our community and future generations.

    Yolo County’s houseless, BIPOC, rural communities, outdoor workers, and youth are already being hit first and worst by climate breakdown. Summer temperatures in Woodland and West Sacramento average ten degrees hotter than in greenbelt-lined Davis; air pollution has worsened along the 1-80 corridor; eviction rates have increased by 57% since last year. Alarmingly, multinational companies are mining groundwater to feed thousands of acres of perennial orchards, while small, family farms and the wetlands at the Patwin-Wintun Tending and Gathering Garden in the heart of Yolo County have gone dry.

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  • Gift Basket Central returns to the Davis Farmers Market

    GBC2017(From press release) After a two-year hiatus, the Davis Farmers Market’s Gift Basket Central is back, offering free baskets and wrapping of market items on Saturdays.

    On Saturdays in December, shoppers can compile items for custom gift baskets, and have them wrapped for free at the market’s Gift Basket Central station. There are red, green and blue tissue options, neutral and red baskets, cellophane wrapping and various colored ribbons. The service is available to anyone who purchases three or more items at the Davis Farmers Market, at 301 C St. in Central Park.

    The market will be open regular hours (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.), every Saturday, including Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. It will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 28.

    Looking for ideas? Besides the abundant produce, market sellers offer preserved jams and sauces, lemon curd, honey, balsamic vinegars, olive oils, dried herbs, nuts and nut butters. There are sweets like dried fruit or chocolate-covered almonds, pistachio brittle, and local wines. Other items include handmade soaps and lotions, wreaths, hats and scarves. Enjoy coffee and hot food, and peruse artisan crafts, market-logo merchandise, and surprising local ingredients for gift baskets.

    There’s also “The Davis Farmers Market Cookbook, Revised Edition,” which features seasonal recipes from market produce. Also at the Market Shed, there are shopping baskets, market-logo aprons, hats, totes, mugs and T-shirts. Shoppers have access to an ATM, and the Market Shed accepts credit and debit cards.

    Still need inspiration? Market staffers are prepared with a list of gift basket ideas for chefs, bakers, party hosts, chocolate lovers, and youths, or with themes like breakfast or relaxation.

    The rest of the year, the Davis Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Wednesday hours are 3 to 6 p.m. November through March, and 3 to 7 p.m. April through October.

    For more information, visit https//davisfarmersmarket.org or visit it on Facebook or Instagram.

  • Tree Davis Welcomes New Executive Director

    Torin DunnavantBy Torin Dunnavant and Greg McPherson

    In this interview Torin Dunnavant, Tree Davis’ new Executive Director is interviewed by Tree Davis Board President Greg McPherson.

    Greg: Torin, it’s great to have you at the helm of Tree Davis. You spent the last five years as Director of Education and Engagement with the Sacramento Tree Foundation. Prior to that you were Director of Engagement and Partnerships with TreePeople in Los Angeles. How will you be applying your experience with Tree Davis?

    Torin: Thank you Greg, I am so excited to be a part of the Tree Davis team. It’s a fantastic organization and I am humbled to step into this role. I have been a part of the urban forestry world for fourteen years now – and a big part of my focus has been canopy equity. One of the greatest predictors of the health of a community is its urban forest – healthy trees means healthy people. Some neighborhoods have greater obstacles than others to plant trees, but that doesn’t mean that we should wait for the obstacles to remove themselves, it means the opposite – that we need to work harder to plant trees in places where there are less, so that more folks can be supported by the many benefits that trees bring. I look forward to connecting with the groups that partner with Tree Davis and learning from community leaders throughout the area to understand how Tree Davis can support them.

    Davis is in the process of developing a new Urban Forest Management Plan and is hosting feedback sessions (the first virtual public meeting was on Nov. 10). Why and how should Davis residents get involved?

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  • Tree Davis announces 2022 Tree Stewardship Awards

    By Greg McPherson, Luke Vitanza, and Don Shor

    Tree Davis Stewardship Awards honor individuals and groups who have worked to enhance our urban forest. Just by helping to water young trees, pull weeds and spread mulch, organize school plantings, caring for older trees in neighborhoods and commercial parking lots, this year’s award recipients help to establish and sustain our city’s canopy and the landscapes beneath.

    Award for individual(s): Ann Trump Daniel and Judy Hecomovich

    During the hottest days of a sizzling summer, Judy and Ann were diligently watering and weeding recently planted trees and other plants in the Memorial Grove.  Every other week they would tend to the needs of over five hundred groundcovers and shrubs, as well as a dozen trees in the Wolk and Generations’ Groves. Their efforts helped to keep these demonstrations of Climate-Ready Landscapes alive and well. We wish we had more folks like them to help keep Davis clean, green, and cool. 

    Location: Tree Davis Memorial Grove, 1549 Shasta Dr., Davis, CA

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