Special Education System Fundamentally Conflicted

By Aaron Wright

I wrote “Daisy Has Autism” to give a voice to those struggling with the state of special education services in Davis. “Daisy” was also a sorrowful goodbye to the town that I loved and called home for nearly 20 years. I felt obligated to shed a light upon the neglect, marginalization, and removal of disabled children from our community. I prepared for a backlash to my book, but I believed our community still capable of driving a legitimate discussion about the treatment of children.

Tragically, as publication neared, that confidence was destroyed. When DJUSD student Max Benson was killed at the school where our administration had placed him, the coverage in Davis was anemic. No discussion regarding the absence of an appropriate education program within the community to which he belonged took place. Had any non-disabled child in Davis been made to take a bus 80 miles a day because of a lack of educational materials or teachers, there would have been a furor.

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Planning Commission Meeting Tonight!

City of Davis, California

December 2019

Dear Davis Resident,

You may not have heard our town of Davis is facing an onslaught of new 5G antennas in our city without any public involvement or knowledge.  There has been no public notice given, nor letters sent to any residents living within 500’ of any of these proposed 5G cell sites.  The Davis Enterprise has also refused to publish any of our editorial comments related to 5G, nor do they publish or give comment mentioning any of our group’s multiple appearances at the City Hall giving public testimony during City Council and Planning Commission meetings, even though they were present, each and every time, taking notes.  It is obvious they do not wish to give any publicity on this issue.  They know there is a growing number of people against it and therefore, refuse to create any public stirrings or knowledge that 5G is even being deployed in our town.  I have never seen such stealth treatment by media-based news.

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            I think of you. The sun is struggling through thick clouds, looking to break free. I heard the news of your passing while I was in the midst of snow in cold upstate New York. I closed my eyes and there against the white of snow, in my mind bloomed the biggest most gorgeous flower with big petals. They were deep brilliant red in hue. The center was golden and bright yellow.  Vibrating in color. Surging in quivering glory. Bright. Giving. Receiving. Held.

            Boundless joy and exuberance bubbling into eternity. Living in the dead of frozen winter, yet flooded in light, love and energy. This is who you have been to this earth. The way you so beautifully dressed and shone your light, gave us permission to express ourselves a little more in a world where unbeneficial patterns have been ironed into generations, denouncing the boundless benefits of healing. Lies holding us captive. Trapped. I trust that you have bright light that you need to shine from a different angle. Your petals needed to continue to unfurl above the cloud cover.

            Thank you endlessly for walking up to me and inviting me to create flowers out of wool with you and our planets’ beautiful children. Each of us who have known you might well find out that a little magic ball fluffy light was placed into our pockets so that when we feel sad we can bring it out. Hey you never know- that ball of light might turn into the most gorgeous flower that you can imagine. Cheering you up from the inside out. It might turn into something else- hey you never know! Each one of us must remember the spirit that we truly are and know to be true to exhibit our fullest form. For now, and forever. Thank you for inviting us to blossom. To stand our ground and take root!!! Being light isn’t easy and we each must be a shoulder for each other to lean on.  As you truly have been, eternally.

Shining light.

Grateful. Forever.

Now.

Beaming.

From the heart.

Thank you,

Carey Ann Hunt

Irregularities Continue with ARC Proposal

* see photo credit below

By Colin Walsh

Yesterday afternoon at 3:15 PM, Assistant City Manager Ash Feeney sent emails to several people announcing the deadline would be extended for scoping comments on the ARC supplemental EIR. The new deadline for submitting comments is Dec. 16 at 5pm.

This email came less than 2 hours before the previous, now-superseded 5pm 12/9 deadline.

Feeney pointed toward an announcement on the City website: https://www.cityofdavis.org/city-hall/community-development-and-sustainability/development-projects/aggie-research-campus

This is the second deadline extension for ARC comments.

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Skippy and family camping 1955

By Robert Pratt

It must have been my 8th birthday, I had been bugging my parents for a dog, a friend of mine had just got a golden retriever puppy and I was smitten.

The day of my birthday Dad, and I got in the truck and drove across town to a farm house with a compound of chicken wire, a crude lean to, and a barking dog, I stayed in the truck, I was beyond excited!

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