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Author: davisite2

  • Residents United to Demand a Cannabis Exclusion for Greater Capay Valley

    The following group-written letter was sent to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, several of whom also shared the letter with the Davisite and suggested that other people concerned about this issue can contact the Board at: "Oscar Villegas, 1st" <oscar.villegas@yolocounty.org> "Don Saylor, Chair, 2nd" <don.saylor@yolocounty.org>, "Gary Sandy, 3rd" <gary.sandy@yolocounty.org>, "Jim Provenza, 4th" <jim.provenza@yolocounty.org>, "Angel Barajas, 5th" <angel.barajas@yolocounty.org>, "Patrick S. Blacklock, Co Admin’r" <patrick.blacklock@yolocounty.org>

    [Updated to add signatories].

    Dear Supervisors: 

    We are residents of the rural communities along Highway 16 west of the 505 in Yolo County, with most of us living and some of us farming in and around Madison, Esparto, Capay, Brooks, Guinda and/or Rumsey. This area is a special one, renowned for the quality of its produce and sustainable farming, and variously called the “Capay Valley” or “greater Capay Valley.” We submit this letter to express our strong and united opposition to the cannabis industry in our communities.  

    Since the County first began experimenting with the cannabis industry four years ago, and authorized cannabis cultivation without any prior analysis or environmental review, the greater Capay Valley quickly became overwhelmed with cannabis grows. As you stand ready to approve an Ordinance that will bring some permanence to this industry, we ask you to hear us.  While we recognize the County wants this industry because of the revenues it will generate, the Board needs to consider the real costs this industry poses to our way of life.  

    Many of our families have lived in this region for generations. We have personally witnessed – and experienced – the harmful impacts of this industry. We want to make it clear to you, the elected Board of Supervisors, including our District 5 Supervisor Angel Barrajas, that we want the cannabis industry out of the greater Capay Valley, which needs to be protected from cannabis cultivation and related uses with an express exclusion or ban.

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  • Davis for Real Public Safety Bike Caravan/Teach-in

    (From press release) Many Davis community members have been re-thinking public safety after episodes of police brutality and a long-time lack of adequate services for mental health issues, drug use, and houselessness. These issues have exacerbated racial disparities, which are particularly pronounced in Davis.

    This is why Davis leaders have been sending hundreds of emails and public comments to the Davis City Council, urging council members to create a Department of Public Safety independent from the Police Department. Organizers argue that such a department could employ social workers, civil servants and mental healthcare professionals to take on tasks like welfare checks, code enforcement, traffic enforcement, noise complaints, and more.

    This Saturday, May 15th, 1pm-3pm at Davis Central Park, Solidarity Space (4th and C), the Davis for Real Public Safety Coalition will be hosting a bike caravan followed shortly by a teach-in at Davis Central Park. This event will include a panel discussion to examine why Davis needs an independent public safety department and what community members can do to bring about a more just City of Davis.

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  • Letter: Don’t turn Capay Valley into a Sacrifice Zone

    The following letter was sent to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors and shared with the Davisite

    Hello Yolo County Supervisors,

    Allow me to be frank. Although each county supervisor is elected by the voters of their district, you represent all the residents (whether they voted for you or not) of the entire county.

    That means your unspoken eagerness for pot revenue needs to be balanced against how the carpet-bagging influx of most pot grows being located mostly in District Five could undermine what was already here and growing.

    “The “California Travel Impacts” report, prepared for Visit California by Dean Runyan Associates, shows visitor spending reached $454.3 million and supported 5,219 jobs in Yolo County in 2019.”

    While our county’s three large cities get the credit, recreation in Capay Valley is also a significant factor, with river rafting, Almond Festival tourism, lavender farms and wine tasting, the Yocha Dehe Golf Club, Cache Creek Casino Resort, Séka Hills Olive Mill, Mother’s Day garden tours, and 3 decades of Full Belly Farm’s Hoes Down events drawing considerable crowds. The county took in $15 million in local tax revenue in 2019 from visitors.  https://www.dailydemocrat.com/2020/05/16/new-economic-report-highlights-importance-of-tourism-to-yolo-county/

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  • Davis Pride Festival set for June

    2019crosswalk

    Davis Pride volunteers spray temporary chalk paint on a sidewalk on Fifth Street in Davis in May 2019. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) The rainbows will return this year, with a modified Davis Pride Festival in June. Events include live music, drag queens, Rollerblading and more.

    While organizers finalize the details, here’s an outline of the plans so far:

    Thursday, May 27: At 10 a.m., Davis Phoenix Coalition representatives will speak at the virtual Davis Chamber of Commerce meeting. The presentation will offer practical tips on how businesses can be welcoming to LGBTQ individuals. Participants will receive a rainbow poster to hang in store windows that show their support of Davis Pride.

    Sunday, May 30: Volunteers will paint rainbows on the crosswalks surrounding Central Park. Painting will begin at 5 a.m. on Sunday, May 30 and continue until about 11 a.m. To volunteer, go to http://bit.ly/rainbowcrosswalks. Meanwhile, the city will hang Davis Pride rainbow banners throughout town, on display throughout June.

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  • Yolo SPCA now has kids face masks as well as new fabric designs in adult sizes for fundraiser

    Spring kids and adult mask sizes

    Children’s and Adult’s Mask Patterns: (Note: only children’s masks have adjustable elastic)
    Small child’s masks (3-4 year old or small 5-year old) (top row) #17 Rainbow hearts and paws; #20 – Happy kitties; #23 – Happy dogs
    Medium child’s masks (5-12 year olds) (center row) #18 – Rainbow hearts and paws; #21 – Happy kitties; #24 – Happy dogs
    Adult masks (bottom row) #19 – hearts and paws; #22 – Happy kitties; #25 – Happy dogs

    Yolo County SPCA now has masks for the entire family in our “Spring-has-Sprung” fundraiser for the Community Cat Kindness Fund. There are also some new fabric patterns! The children’s sizes come in 3 fabric designs have adjustable elastic (via beads) and come in a small size for a 3-4 year old (or a small 5 year old), or a medium child’s size for 5-12 year olds. We also have the matching adults’ sizes in these 3 newest fabrics (see photos). These masks make wonderful gifts as well, particularly if you need to mail a gift since they are so easy and inexpensive to mail.

    #19 Rainbow hearts and paws adult mask

    #19 – Rainbow hearts and paws – adult (close-up)

    We encourage ordering early for the best selection and since some of the original fabric designs are in limited supply. To cover its costs, we ask for a minimum donation of $15 per mask. These masks make great gifts and are easily mailed to gift recipients inexpensively. All of the masks have bendable nose bands and are made of quality materials, including the Cali Fabrics elastic and made with 100% cotton fabrics, including a very soft tea-dyed muslin for the inner fabric.

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  • Invitation to a virtual Ramadan event

    DEIN 1-2Dear Davis Community

    Muslim Davis Engagement and Interfaith Network (DEIN) would like to invite you to participate in a virtual Ramadan event. Ramadan is the month where Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. Normally Muslim DEIN holds a community iftar (end of day breaking of fast) where we invite the community to share a delicious meal with us. This year, we hold this event virtually, on Thursday, April 29th beginning at 6:30 sharp. The event is called, “Fasting Across Faiths” and we will be hearing not only about how Muslims fast during Ramadan, but learn how people from other faiths fast as part of their traditions. The flyer is enclosed. Please register for the event at this link:

    https://bit.ly/2QSPSNI

     or by using the QR code (which will take you to the registration link) in the flyer.  After the event, we will share electronically with each of you a collection of recipes from our presenters of different faiths – recipes of meals which they enjoy to break their fasts. We look forward to seeing you on April 29!

    Members of Muslim DEIN

  • Letter: Petition to Save the Davis Arroyo Park Zipline

    Please help by adding your name to the Petition to Save the Davis Arroyo Park Zipline here:

    https://www.change.org/p/davis-residents-save-the-arroyo-park-zipline?recruiter=1197256268

    And please email the Davis City Council at citycouncilmembers@cityofdavis.org and include City Manager Mike Webb at cmoweb@cityofdavis.org and Parks & Community Services Director Dale Sumersille at dsumersille@cityofdavis.org to request the zipline reopens.

    And join the discussion on the FaceBook page here where you will find some history and can lend support:

    https://www.facebook.com/savethezipline

    Let’s get the zipline running again!  Hope to see you out there.

    Diane Schwartz
    Davis, CA

  • Valley Clean Energy Joins California Community Power

    VCE(From press release) Valley Clean Energy is pleased to announce that it has joined nine other Community Choice Aggregation programs (CCAs) across California in a new Joint Powers Authority (JPA), California Community Power. Membership in this JPA enables CCAs to achieve their ambitious climate and resilience goals in a cost-effective manner by combining their purchasing power.

    The new JPA serves more than 2 million customers in more than 140 municipalities from Humboldt to Santa Barbara. Member CCAs include Valley Clean Energy, Central Coast Community Energy, East Bay Community Energy, MCE, Peninsula Clean Energy, Redwood Coast Energy Authority, San Jose Clean Energy, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Sonoma Clean Power and CleanPowerSF.

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  • Irregularity infests Commission appointment process

    Staff Report ManipulationThe following public comment by Matt Williams was delivered last night to the City Council regarding the Commission Appointments agenda item.

    Madam Mayor, members of Council and City Staff, it has come to my attention from multiple disparate sources that the published Report for Item 7 on tonight's agenda was tampered with so that it does not reflect the actual results of the Subcommittee deliberations by Mayor Partida and Councilmember Carson. It is not clear from the information I have received whether the tampering was malicious or not, but it is crystal clear that Mayor Partida's views on the appointments were edited out of the document and Council member Carson's views were provided instead.

    The Commission appointment process is supposed to be non-partisan, and free of personal political agenda. Unfortunately, all three of the Commission appointment processes since Dan Carson has been involved have been anything but non-partisan and have consistently advanced his own personal political agenda and higher office ambitions.

    Some will say that Carson's actions in each of the last two appointment cycles was simply political infighting, but tampering with an Item Report, as has been done this evening, is much more sinister, and dare I say immoral. Council should insist on Councilmember Carson recusing himself from tonight's vote on Item 7, and the tampering should be openly and publicly investigated.

    In case anyone might think that I am personally butt-hurt by Dan's conspiring to not have me reappointed to the Utilities Commission last cycle, he actually did me a huge favor by doing so, because today I began a 12-week course of hormone and radiation therapy treatment for cancer, Not having the responsibility of Utilities Commission duties has made my life simpler as I move forward with that course of treatment. Sometimes less is more. Thank you, Dan for making my life easier in that currently very important way.

    In closing, the decision not to appoint Kelsey Fortune to the Utilities Commission needs to be addressed. Kelsey's credentials are a PhD in the Economics of Electric Energy. Those are skills and experience that perfectly matches what Davis needs on its Utilities Commission. Please take the wise step of appointing Kelsey to the Utilities Commission tonight.

  • Let’s have a parade!

    Bob Dunning Parade Map(From press release) The popular Picnic Day Parade and the Davis Children’s Christmas Parade were canceled by the pandemic. But the community is invited to enjoy a do-it-yourself parade Saturday, April 24, to honor Davis Enterprise columnist and sportswriter Bob Dunning on his 51-plus years with the newspaper.

    All types of vehicles — cars, trucks, bikes and other wheeled contraptions — are welcome, and decorations are encouraged. Participants (no registration is required) are asked to gather before 11 a.m. Saturday in the Veterans Memorial Center parking lot, 203 E. 14th St.

    The parade will make a huge loop featuring 1.4 miles of right turns only. Coming out of the parking lot, vehicles will head west on 14th Street, pass Dunning and his family in front of Davis High School on the corner of 14th and Oak Avenue, turn north on Oak, then east on Covell Boulevard, south on F Street and west on 14th. Vehicles wishing to depart the parade may go straight or left at any point.

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