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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

  • Five women earn Soroptimist cash awards

    LYD2025

    From left, Jennifer Penrose, Jessica Garcia, Molly Malm and Madeline Duncan were four of the five Live Your Dream Award winners for Soroptimist International of Davis. They were recognized at a club meeting on April 16 in Davis. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

    Soroptimist International of Davis awarded $12,000 in grants this spring through its signature Live Your Dream program, providing cash and mentorship to women seeking education and training.

    Women are encouraged to apply for the annual awards if they are the primary wage earners for their families, and need financial assistance to further their education or training. Recipients often persevere through hardships or challenging circumstances.

    This year, SI Davis gave a boost to five women, with cash awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. These unrestricted grants may be used to offset costs that a scholarship would not cover, such as child care, transportation or other financial obligations that hinder a woman’s ability to reach her goals. Soroptimist International of Davis members remain in contact with the recipients, offering them mentorship and support.

    The club’s top 2025 awardee is Molly Malm, 36, of Yolo County. Soroptimist International of Davis members offer her support and an award of $5,000. Her application was selected for another $3,000 award at the Sierra Nevada Region, which covers all clubs in Northern California and Nevada. Malm has four children between the ages of 11 and 5. She attended Santa Rosa Junior College, Woodland Community College and Sacramento City College, earning an associate’s degree. In December, she expects to complete her bachelor’s of science in nursing from Sacramento State.

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  • Save the date for 2025 Davis Pride events

    Performer2024

    Amelia Need entertains the crowd at the 2024 Davis Pride Festival. This year’s event is June 7. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) The Davis Phoenix Coalition plans a month full of events to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride, beginning with its 11th annual festival on June 7. Activities also include a fun run, skate and comedy nights, and plenty of drag queens.

    The activities share the theme “Forever Loud and Proud!”

    The 11th annual Davis PrideFest is at Civic Center Park, at Sixth and B streets. The community-focused, family-friendly event includes a music festival, resources, vendors, food, drinks and more – from 3 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 7. Organizers have a great lineup of performers scheduled. Watch for an announcement of the headliner in early May. Returning entertainment includes the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus, the marching band Noise Violation, and the always popular Drag Revue. There will be activity zones for children, teens and seniors. The event is free but donations are welcome. The event’s title sponsors are Dignity Health and Woodland Clinic Medical Group.

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  • Davis City Council Agenda Item 7- 2025 Pavement Management Update Recommendation

    By Dan Carson and Elaine Roberts Musser

    • Direct City staff to provide funding in the forthcoming two-year budget of $14 million per year (from all sources), including an increase in General Fund resources of $5.5 million per year from Measure Q sales tax increase funding approved by Davis voters, for support of the Pavement Maintenance Program. The $14 million amount represents the funding identified by city staff in a December 2024 presentation to Council that would be needed over four years to make up for previous shortfalls in funding for road and bike path maintenance that have occurred in recent years.
    • Direct city staff to return to Council with a recommendation in regard to the additional staff and contract resources, if necessary, that should be incorporated into the 2025-27 budget plan to implement the program at the funding level provided above.
    • Restore the process the Council established in 2019 for commission review and oversight of the Pavement Maintenance Program. The Fiscal Commission should:
      1. Examine why the reported condition of street and bike path pavement improved significantly in recent years, nearly reaching the original goals set by Council, despite significant funding shortfalls, and evaluate whether future technical adjustments are warranted to reassess the model used to project the level of funding required for the program.
      2. Evaluate the potential impact of the planned Cool Pavement federal grant program to determine whether any further increases or decreases are warranted for city funding levels for pavement management, due to improvements to roads expected to be achieved under the federal grant program.
      3. Review the specific proposed funding components of the 2019 Council-approved plan for pavement maintenance to:
        • Determine whether, and to what degree, they have been implemented by city staff, and why;
        • Determine which, if any of them, are still feasible and available to assist in future funding of the Pavement Management Program;
        • Estimate the fiscal impact of frontloading rather than backloading funding to maintain roads and bike paths over the next ten years. The Council should direct city staff to assist the Fiscal Commission in all four areas of this review.

    Background

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  • Open House at Bike Garage Davis, Apr 26

    SavetheDateThe Bike Campaign is a 501(c)3 non-profit providing free bike repair at our Bike Garage location, free Davis Bike Maps, and lots of support and encouragement for anyone wanting to be a part of the biking lifestyle in our community. We have an open house on Saturday, April 26th, from 1-4pm at our 606 Pena Dr. #300 location in Davis and everyone is invited who would like to experience how we support our community members in how to BIKE MORE. Drive Less.

    Questions?  Contact Maria Tebbutt at funmaria@sbcglobal.net and check us out at www.TheBikeCampaign.org

  • Errant Water Permit Puts Good Humus Farm at Risk

    Good humus at risk

    By Scott Steward

    Boundary Bend was cited by the County in August 2023 for its non-permitted well drilling in the Hungary Hollow region of Capay Valley. So how, after two years of evidence showing that the well is out of compliance, is County staff recommending upholding Boundary Bends agricultural well permit # 23-022W?  The County and Boundary Bend know that the new well is too big and too close to Good Humus farm. 

    Good Humus and other family farms have already had to modify their wells to sustain their table crop farms. Nearly three generations of care have gone into the land craft of organic farming in Hungary Hollow. Without much help, these farms have entered our region's food markets and succeeded in producing some of the healthiest food on earth. Capay has inspired farm-to-fork land care nationally.  

    Boundary Bend (application #23-022W) took advantage of one-time replacement well criteria that the county was obliged to put in place for farms and residents short on water following the seven-year drought. Replacement well designation was allowed for existing agricultural operations and drinking water. Boundary Bend did not meet the criteria for a replacement well. Instead of reapplying as a new well, Boundary hired lawyers at Kronick to lean on the county.

    Here are some of the facts that show that Boundary Bend application #23-022W did not and does not qualify for the approved "replacement well" status. The application:

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  • HandsOff Rally at Capitol, Saturday April 5

    Joint Announcement by Sacramento Region Grassroots Organizations

    Copy of Sacramento 50501 Movement_20250317_085853_0000_20250318045316158496

    (From press release)

    WHAT: Mass Mobilization to Stop the Trump/Musk Corruption and Power Grab
    WHEN:  April 5, 2025 11 a.m.
    WHERE: State Capitol West Steps, Sacramento [and in multiple outlying areas*]

    On April 5, local grassroots organizations from around the Sacramento region are calling on all people concerned about the direction of our country to join the 50501 Picnic Protest in tandem with the national Hands Off! mass rally to protest the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities.

    Events across the country, in major cities and small towns in every state, will show that the people—the majority—are taking action to stop the corruption and power grab.

    Why we’re mobilizing on April 5th

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  • Go See “No Other Land” Davis Varsity Tonight – Thursday

    Nootherland

    Hamdan Ballal (left) jointly won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for "No Other Land" earlier this month. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)

    By Scott Steward

    The film "No Other Land," showing at the Davis Varsity for three more nights, does not answer the questions about why we are all suffering this terrible attempt at erasing Palestine.  It does show the result of hatred between the Israelis and the Palestinians.  It does not show why this colonial act of creating a state of Israel saturates US society or why we are funding this genocide if Israel is an independent state. 

    It begins to show what peace could look like, and for the crime of showing the reality on the ground in Palestine and for showing what peace could look like, Israelis beat Academy Award-winning director Hamdan Ballal nearly to death when he arrived back in his homeland yesterday.

    Now showing at the Davis Varsity Theater.  The people who might be most opposed to this film are the people who most need to see it.  Do we keep paying for the killing, or do we stop?

    "No Other Land" shows 6:30 and 8:30 tonight through Thursday.

  • Picnic in the Park returns to Davis on May 7

    ChasePIP2024

    Patrons enjoy the first Picnic in the Park of the 2024 season. The annual Davis Farmers Market tradition returns in May, and runs every Wednesday through September from 4 to 8 p.m. in Central Park. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photos)

    (From press release) The music, food and family fun of Picnic in the Park returns to the Davis Farmers Market on Wednesday, May 7.

    The popular event is every Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m., May through September. A local band plays each night. There’s children’s entertainment, loads of food vendors, and plenty of opportunity to gather as a community. October through April, there’s a traditional farmers market on Wednesdays, from 3 to 6 p.m.

    Bands on the 2025 Picnic in the Park schedule are: Cold Shot (dance party) on May 7; Kindred Spirits (folk rock) on May 14; The Teds (rock) on May 21; According to Bazooka (indie, folk, pop) on May 28; The Geoffrey Miller Band (rockabilly) on June 4; 5-Star Alcatraz (indie, alt rock) on June 11; Julie and the Jukes (classic blues) on June 18; Now and Then (“back in the day” covers) on June 25; The Hey Nows (folk rock, Americana) on July 2; It’s About Time (big band) on July 9; Stout Rebellion (Irish folk with a rock edge) on July 16; Vaca Jazz Society (big-band jazz) on July 23; Katalysst (indie folk rock) on July 30; Island Crew (beach tunes) on Aug. 6; The Ron Goldberg Quartet (classic covers) on Aug. 13; Wealth of Nations (classic rock, acoustic) on Aug. 20; New Harmony Jazz Band (big-band jazz) on Aug. 27; Odd Man Out (folk rock) on Sept. 3; The Teds (singable, danceable rock) on Sept. 10; sKeTcHy (rock, pop, folk) on Sept. 17; and Penny Lane (Beatles covers) on Sept. 24.

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  • Schumer Should Step Aside as Minority Leader

    (From press release) Minority Leader Schumer, as chair of the Democratic Caucus in the Senate, broke with the vast majority of his caucus to allow a GOP funding bill to advance, without any restrictions on the ongoing efforts from Donald Trump and Elon Musk to dismantle the federal government. Indivisible Yolo issued the following statement:

    Under Senator Chuck Schumer’s Leadership, Senate Democrats just surrendered a rare moment of leverage to rein in the chaos and harm of Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Congressional Republicans. By voting to advance the GOP government funding bill, rather than demanding anything in return, Schumer handed more power to the extremists destroying the government. This was not just a strategic mistake – it was a demonstration that Schumer is not prepared to lead the Democratic opposition to fascism and protect our democracy. We thank him for his years of service, and call on him to step aside as minority leader.

    After working hard throughout 2024 to flip Republican Congressional seats in California, including playing a key role in the razor-close win in nearby CA-13, Indivisible Yolo members were shocked and dismayed by the November results. We quickly pivoted to resisting the fascist Trump agenda however we could.

    Specifically, we contacted our Senators many times to urge them to use the leverage provided by Senate rules – particularly the filibuster which had been used against progressive legislation so often in the past – to avoid or mitigate the damage caused by Republicans. We are very grateful to Senator Padilla and Senator Schiff for recognizing the stakes and voting “no” on March 14. Despite a “no” vote by nearly 80% of the Democratic caucus, Senator Schumer surrendered to the Republicans and thereby authorized nine other Senators to vote yes. We feel cheated by the losses we suffered due to the filibuster being used against us in the past, and betrayed by Senator Schumer’s refusal to use the filibuster when we needed it to save democracy. The first branch of government now is merely an advisory body and we are deprived of our democratic representation while being subjected to the tyrannical oppression of the Trump administration.

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  • Again? Freeway-to-Sac’s Closure Postponed – now Indefinitely

    By Alan Hirsch

    Below is the core of Caltrans press release issued Wednesday 3/12 at 3:28pm announcing postponement of the Eastbound 50 Freeway in West Sac closure for this weekend. They say indefinitely—but it could be forever as they may figure out how to do the pavement rehab work while keeping some of regular 3 lanes up.

    But if they reschedule total closure another weekend later in March, drivers will have to contend traffic from with opening of the A’s and River cat baseball season to Sutter Health Park.

    This will may push out the work… and could conflict with the schedule to begin work to widened i-80 with toll lane- which is set to begin just next month. The Toll Lane construction work – Phase I of it– will continue into 2028.

    For previous articles on evolving (potential) freeway closure, click here , here2.and here3. 

    Note the bike lane will also be continue thru Monday 3/17 next week- but could go longer as Caltrans notes unhelpfully “weather permitting”.

    Editorial: This indefinite postponement could be due to pushbacks to Caltrans from local city council members and state representatives- after receiving calls from constituents. We will likely never know.  It is strange the freeway closure was not announced or discussed during YoloTD board meetings even though Caltrans was present – only in public comment. One wonders, for example, if there will be a total west bound closure too.

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