Category: Uncategorized

Greetings Residents of Davis!

Let us introduce you to the Davis Post Carbon Association, a grassroots organization bringing together the community to address climate issues both locally and globally. We want to transition out of a carbon-based economy to a post-carbon economy by 2040. Post-carbon means (1) sequestering more carbon than we are emitting (also called being carbon negative), (2) designing our communities so that we regenerate natural resources, eliminate waste, and live in alignment with the needs of nature. We have six core goals to help the community fulfill this intention before it may be too late for our planet.

1. Include everybody in our community so we can transition together instead of having to figure it out on our own
2. Educate each other about the science of sustainability and how to apply it to our lives as individuals and members of a community
3. Work with homeowners and businesses to help private organizations transition. 
4. Work with government to help public infrastructure transition
5. Support labor unions, activist groups, faith-based groups, and other organizations in their efforts to transition
6. Raise funds to support the efforts of community organizers, educators, project facilitators, and to finance modifications of private and public infrastructure, lands, and operational systems (transportation, waste-management, energy utilities, etc)

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By Carey Ann Hunt

Quickly out of nowhere it hovered in the air

Not more than 3-4 feet away.

Me? I just sat there sipping tea.

The bird sipped too, though English Breakfast was not his flavor. 

Nectar for him as he lingered there.

Sipping the red abutilon flowers,

The hummingbird vibrated, stirring the air.

The whirr of those wings

I could tangibly feel it.

My heart was pounding,

Hovering.

Quivering.

I sat there beaming perched on my chair

I waited, stretching the moment as long as I could.

He chest was dipped in emerald

Ruby throated with opalescent wings.

His wings were see-through they fluttered so fast.

Grateful I was to him so close.

I was enamored of every part of that moment.

The morning, the sun, and sweet nectar. 

The breeze in my hair,

The last of the sweet smell of Jasmine until next year.

He finished his mission,

But, before he left

He flew in right close and looked at me

Startling me and causing me to splash my tea.

My heart was racing but my mind was still.

My body felt like it was vibrating just like those wings.

That little body, with that much power

Hovering.

Quivering.

The moment grew larger,

As did my smile.

His shiny bright eyes

Gazing right there at mine.

No more than my arm’s length away.

I was left stunned as his lifted off,

His wings left an impression as I closed my eyes.

Sipping the moment and hovering there.

Grateful to you little bird for your courage to look me in the eye.

If UC Irvine can produce affordable on-campus student housing, so can UCD

Mesa Towers, UC Irvine: three 6-story buildings, opened Fall 2016, houses 800+ students

By Eileen Samitz

As a follow up to the recent excellent article by Roberta Millstein on the need for UCD to build far more on- campus student housing, I wanted to add to this subject and a few more points which were raised at the Oct. 22 City Council meeting regarding the UC finance overview presentation.

To begin with, I completely agree with Roberta’s key message that our community needs to keep pressing UCD to build far more on-campus housing than the City-UCD MOU is trying to get away with, 2) much higher density housing on campus needs to be built than UCD is building, and 3) the projects need to be built sooner than later and not dragged out until 2033 as the MOU allows for at least 3,000 of the 6,000 beds to be provided by UCD.

With UCD having 5,300 acres with a 900-acre campus. UCD is the largest UC in the system. However, UCD is unwilling to provide at least 50% on-campus housing like the other UCs have committed to. Why not?

Further, UCD had its second biggest fundraising ever this past year, raising $234 million dollars. Yet, why isn’t any of it going towards helping to building far more, and higher density housing on-campus as it is fully capable of?

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By Maria Usacheva

In view of concerns raised about a proposed homeless shelter in Davis I’d like to share this piece that I wrote a while ago but never shared with anyone. I think it’s time. The issue of homelessness is much more complex than what I could ever depict in this extremely oversimplified essay. I also believe that all feelings and attitudes toward the homeless are valid, as they are culturally- and experience-based. So, the only reason I’m sharing this essay is to offer another perspective.

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Council Members,

Unfortunately, the city council district mapping process is backwards. The boundaries are merely being drawn by a mapper based on the mapper’s own unguided sense of what constitutes a “neighborhood.”  The criteria for defining a neighborhood and determining how to draw the boundaries for those neighborhoods should have been defined by the city council in advance of drawing any maps.

By selecting the rules first, we simplify the decision process, streamline any future updates (next year?), and minimize political mischief.

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By Jon Li

When Davis was forced to “district elections” in July, it changed all the rules of the political game for the 1% who pay attention to everything, and the 5% who are involved in an ongoing basis.

Brett Lee and Lucas Frerichs were gearing up for their third terms.  They have had to pull back and be in the middle of the decision about the district boundaries.

The only argument I can see for 7 districts is that it guarantees Lucas a seat in a district independent of Brett.  (In some of the 5 seat maps, Lucas and Brett would be in the same district and have to run against each other.)

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UCD needs far more on-campus housing

Rare opportunity to testify at today's Tuesday City Council Oct. 22, at 6pm meeting to testify for the need for far more UCD on-campus student housing at Community Chambers at 23 Russell Blvd

By Eileen Samitz

For the vast majority of the community who were not informed in time to attend the community “Town Hall” 2X2X2 City Council-County Supervisor-UCD meeting this past Thursday, here is a rare opportunity to testify directly to UCD.

Unfortunately, the “Town Hall” meeting to address the UCD housing was held, not in town, but at a remote and inconvenient location on the UCD campus at 6:30 until only 8pm. As a result few community members were able to attend. The meeting was ended early by Vice Chancellor Ratliff and no questions were allowed, although an attendee requested a questions section.

So today, Tuesday Oct. 22nd is a rare opportunity to address UCD on this issue at the City Council meeting. Usually, you are allowed 3 minutes (sometimes less) to testify on an item when it comes up on the agenda.

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By Colin Walsh

On Thursday 10/17 UCD, the City of Davis, and the Yolo County Board of Supervisors held a public meeting to discuss housing. Both the Enterprise and the Vanguard blog have written about it, but here is a list of 10 significant or interesting points that have been left out of those articles.

1) This was not a “Town Hall” style meeting despite being characterized as such (see May, Lee and Saylor’s oped ). This meeting was held in a traditional public meeting format, with limited public comments in the beginning, then speeches made by the panelists from UCD, City of Davis and Yolo County Supervisors. The last speakers final slide said "Questions?" in bold letters, but was quickly taken off the screen. At the end of the meeting Vice Chancellor Ratcliff noted the meeting was ending early. At that point I very politely asked if the panel would be willing to take questions. VC Ratcliff stated that no questions would be taken. By comparison the October 14 Congressman Garamendi Town Hall had over 1½ hours of Q & A.

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By Carey Ann Hunt

Notes with words.

Rhythm inviting rhyme with or without reason.

Pausing in anticipation.

Awaiting the next pluck of a low C.

Deep. Accompanying. Notes mingling in the air.

Sharing space. Breathing. Becoming.

Growing in intensity. Building and strengthening.

Filling the air. Sound pounding walls and bodies.

Carving into the chilly Davis night.

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A 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Blue Mango Cooperative Restaurant & Coffeehouse will take place at the Davis Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second Street, on Saturday, October 19, 2019, from 6pm until 10pm. A group of founding members are hosting a Vegetarian Potluck and Live Music to accompany a reunion of workers, musicians, artists and community members commemorating the Blue Mango (1979-1994). For information or to RSVP contact mango40th@gmail.com. *

The Blue Mango Cooperative was incorporated as a workers cooperative on August 24, 1979, by a group of Davis residents associated with the Fly By Night Dance & Music Troupe (1978-1980). The Blue Mango Restaurant & Coffeehouse opened on October 19, 1979, and became a cultural institution over the next fifteen years, employing hundreds of worker-owners, serving nutritious vegetarian cuisine (mostly organic when organic food was a novelty), and providing a lively venue for hundreds of musicians, artists and activists. The collective defined its purpose as promoting nourishment, consciousness and creativity.

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