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  • Letter: Deos for positive change and community engagement

    Deos-for-supervisorI'm writing in support of positive change and community engagement and thus in support of Linda Deos for the 4th District of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, which covers most of north (of Covell) and east (of Hwy 113, J and L Streets) in Davis. I've read with interest various letters in support of both Linda and the incumbent, Jim Provenza; both appear to be good people who support their community. Letters in support of Mr. Provenza stress his accomplishments while on the Board and, as one might expect when a person sits on the Board for twelve years, there is a notable list. Board members are paid to accomplish things.

    The question one might ask, then, is why make a change? Incumbents traditionally have this advantage in a campaign. To this question, my response is, the making of public policy is strengthened locally by representation on our Board from as many segments of our community as possible. In these troubled times, such inclusivity matters tremendously, not only at the national and state level but also locally—it starts here.

    Diversity of representation, however critical, should not be gratuitous, however. Linda Deos—not as part of her job but in her passion for giving back to her community—has volunteered on six area boards and commissions, including the Yolo Basin Foundation, health, cannabis and disability access advisory groups.  All of this effort has been carried out on top of her legal work with members of the community who are facing bankruptcy, or who are overwhelmed by credit and student debt. With this record of contributions in an unofficial capacity, imagine what she can achieve as a County Supervisor! Linda has the capability to meet and to exceed Mr. Provenza's record if she is given the opportunity.

    I encourage voters in the 4th District to vote for the future by electing Linda to serve the district and to represent your interests to the County.

    Michele van Eyken

    Davis

  • UC Davis Survey: City Apartment Vacancy Rate Eases Some

    UC Davis Press Release

    By Julia Ann Easley

     

    Green_feature_300

    The Green at West Village, scheduled to open its first 1,000 beds in fall 2020, leads a list of upcoming projects for student housing at UC Davis. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)

    While the city of Davis rental market remains tight, a few more apartments are vacant compared to last year, according to a survey commissioned by Student Housing and Dining Services at UC Davis and released today (Feb. 5).

     

    The blended vacancy rate — including apartments leased by the unit and by the bed — is estimated to be 1.0 percent, compared with 0.5 percent in fall 2018. Rents increased by an average of 5.5 percent.

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  • Letter: Beyond foolish to lose such an effective advocate

    Jim Provenza-1018
    I am writing to encourage a vote for Jim Provenza for Yolo County Supervisor.  There are many good reasons to support Jim, including his efforts on behalf of children, seniors, our schools, and those in need.  But I would like to focus on another important, probably less well known, achievement – his acquired expertise and knowledge of regional water policy and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.  This includes Putah Creek, Cache Creek, both tributaries to the Yolo Bypass, and the Yolo Bypass itself.

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  • Letter: Re-elect Jim Provenza for Yolo County Supervisor!

    EnterprisePic (4) - cropI have known Jim Provenza for over 25 years.  Jim is a dedicated advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves.  For most of his life, he has worked tirelessly for equality, social justice, and civil rights. 

    In his first jobs after law school, he represented victims of domestic violence, child abuse, civil rights violations, and housing and job discrimination.  As legislative counsel, he was instrumental in the enactment of California’s current hate crimes law.  As legislative advocate, he sponsored legislation that made sexual orientation and disability protected classes.

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  • So many reasons to vote for Provenza

    EnterprisePic (4) - cropI am writing in strong support of Jim Provenza to be re-elected to County Supervisor for many reasons. Jim has been an extremely dedicated and effective Yolo County Supervisor since he was first elected, and we need him to continue his work.

    Jim has had a long history of public service. Early on, as an attorney with the Legal Aid Foundation, Jim worked as an attorney to help protect women and children against domestic violence. Later, when he worked at the State Capital, he successfully created legislation to help enforce protection from stalking and against hate crimes as well.

    Jim has been an advocate for children, families, seniors and the disadvantaged for decades. He has stepped up to be a leader on committees such as chairing First 5 Yolo for at-risk children under 5. Jim prevented Yolo County Crisis Nursery from being shut down by successfully securing emergency funding.

    Jim is also chair of the Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance Non-profit and the Yolo Aging Commission. He is working on getting a new County Adult Day Care Center to help families with aging family members, particularly with dementia.

    Jim has been great on land use and environmental issues, including addressing climate change and protecting ag land and habitat. I was impressed to see that Yolo Farm Bureau (who rarely endorse candidates) was happy to endorse Jim.

    As an animal lover, I especially have appreciated Jim working on helping to get our County a much needed new animal shelter. Jim currently represents the county on a city-county task force that is working to form a new agency to govern shelter operations and to consider construction of a new state-of-the art shelter. Jim is a strong advocate of a new shelter and is also participating in fundraising efforts to make this goal a reality.

    Finally, while I am a feminist, I always base my vote on who I see as the most qualified and effective candidate, not on their gender. After watching the LWV forum of the supervisorial candidates, I knew I would be voting for Jim Provenza, and encourage others to also.

    Eileen Samitz

  • Livingston: A vote for Jim is a vote for a positive voice on the Board of Supervisors

    I am writing in support of Jim Provenza's reelection. As a Supervisor Jim has been a consistent supporter of human rights. He has stood in support of minorities especially recent immigrants; He has worked to help disadvantaged and Seniors where and when needed. As a past member of the Davis Board of Education he knows the important educational needs of our community. His consistency in backing many who may often be ignored is an important value and an important reason that he is needed and why I support him. A vote for Jim is a vote for a positive voice on the Board of Supervisors.

    Richard and Rachel Livingston

  • Vanguard Publishes Demonstrably False Information

    Misinformation persists even after the author and board members are notified

    VanguardBy Colin Walsh

    On Monday February 3rd the Davis Vanguard published a story titled “Monday Morning Thoughts: Strange Decision on Commissioner Punctuates a Strange Night for Council” by David Greenwald (link). This is not a big groundbreaking story; it mostly focuses on the Council’s decision to suspend a Commissioner for two meetings and takes the opportunity to make fun of people who spoke at public comment. Sadly, it also had the effect of again dragging a hard-working City of Davis volunteer Commissioner’s name through the mud. What is most notable about the Vanguard article is that it has specific false information that distorts what actually happened.

    The third paragraph of Greenwald’s article about the January 28th City Council meeting states,

    The council then attempted to split the baby so to speak – instead of ousting Mr. Edelman, they suspended him for two meetings, February and March, with some sort of conflict resolution process.  That was not enough for the three commissioners who all resigned, leaving the commission short of a quorum.

    The second sentence is demonstrably false. This sentence clearly states that three commissioners resigned after the January 28th Council meeting, but the January 9, 2020, BTSSC agenda had already announced the departure of Commissioners Andrews and Gudz (link). If it was on the January 9 agenda, then the announcement was made at least several days before, possibly as far back as the December BTSSC meeting (link).

    Jan 9 BTSSC agenda_highlighting

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  • Letter: Provenza for preservation of open space and farmland

    EnterprisePic (4) - cropSupport Jim Provenza

    I am delighted to write in support of Supervisor Jim Provenza. I have known Jim for a long time. He is very accessible to the residents of the county. In several incidents, I reached out to him to solve issues with the county. He contacted the right persons and resolved the issues in no time.

    Jim's priorities at Yolo County include the preservation of open space and farmland in Yolo County, the protection of our water supply, and the promotion of services for children, crime victims and senior citizens. He is committed to ensuring that Yolo County delivers essential health care and effective public safety protection.

    Supervisor Provenza has 30 years of county and state government experience, and a long career in public interest law. For the 23 years, he has worked as a special assistant district attorney. He is also a past member of our school board. We are fortunate to have him as our supervisor.

    Hamza El-Nakhal, 

    Davis

  • Poppenga Letter: Provenza strong advocate for educational excellence

    EnterprisePic (4) - crop     Jim Provenza is an outstanding public servant who has represented District 4 on the Yolo County Board of Supervisor with distinction.  His list of accomplishments is long, but his commitment to providing support for our youngest citizens has earned my endorsement for his re-election. 

         As a current Trustee of the Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD), I am acutely aware of the importance of helping every child enter public school with the best chance for long-term success.  Jim serves as Chair of Yolo First 5 and is past Chair of the Yolo County Children’s Alliance (YCCA).  First 5 Yolo’s mission is to assist our community to raise children who are healthy, safe and ready to learn from day one.  YCCA helps to empower our young children, especially our non-English speaking children, by providing their parents access to essential services and helping to develop their parenting skills. 

         Jim previously served two successful terms on the DJUSD Board of Trustees and was a strong advocate for educational excellence and children with special needs.  As a lawyer, he has represented women and children in domestic violence and child abuse cases.  Jim understands that helping children succeed is hands down the best long-term investment that a community can make.  Jim has many other interests as well (e.g., environmental sustainability and protection and programs to support our elderly) but his demonstrated commitment to our children and their families deserves continued support as Yolo County Supervisor.

    Robert H. Poppenga

    Davis

  • Abramson: Davis Vote to Spray More Pesticides is Disappointing

    Spray 2The Davis City Council voted to increase the City of Davis's use of pesticides, with only Will Arnold voting no, on Tuesday January 28th at almost 11pm. This rolls back the Councils previous decision on November 7, 2017 to move the city away from using a range of pesticides. No City Commissions were consulted before the item came to council, despite extensive involvement from Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Commissions prior to the 2017 decision.
     
    County Supervisor  Candidate David Abramson provided Davisite a letter he wrote to the City Council following the decision. Abramson is a Candidate for Yolo County Supervisor for the 4th district.
     

    Hi City Council Members Brett, Gloria, Dan, Lucas, and Will.

    I am quite disappointed in the 4-1 decision of council to green-light the pre-emergent pesticide. Had I known this was going to be an action item instead of an "informational item" as highlighted in the agenda, I and likely many others would have been there to speak out against it.

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