Davisite Banner. Left side the bicycle obelisk at 3rd and University. Right side the trellis at the entrance to the Arboretum.
  • Deceptive phone calls about Nishi’s air quality “mitigation”

    Nishi-picBy Thomas A. Cahill

    Davis citizens are reporting phone calls from the pro-Nishi folk implying that I support their proposal just because they are using the ultra-fine filters we developed in their mitigation efforts.

    In fact, I strongly oppose the Nishi proposal since the mitigation they propose will be grossly inadequate to address the severe air quality conditions at Nishi. The 95% mitigation they mention is based on work in a wind tunnel, not dwellings.

    The best we have been able to achieve in occupied dwellings is well below 50%, and thus seriously inadequate to mitigate the Nishi air quality threats.

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  • Statement from the Dean Johansson for Yolo DA Campaign

    DeanRecently the DA’s office put out a press release stating that they may soon start doing what what we’ve been advocating for since this campaign began…voluntarily reducing or dismissing convictions for marijuana-related offenses.

    In response Dean made the following statement

    “Although this announcement is clearly politically motivated — and it is unclear whether the DA is exceeding or merely fulfilling his duties under Proposition 64 — I sincerely hope that the DA keeps his promise to help these individuals get their lives back. I’m also proud that our grassroots campaign is already having an impact and changing the conversation about drug enforcement in our county.

    “If the current DA is truly committed to restoring justice I would urge him to be transparent about the harm that his past policies have caused. We all know that the war on drugs has disproportionately harmed communities of color, yet the DA’s office claims they do not track drug cases by race or ethnicity. The DA should also explain his past decisions to target medical marijuana growers. Did he truly believe that this was in the public interest and a wise use of our resources?”

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  • Live blogging from the CivEnergy City Council Forum

    Image

    Here is a brief summary of each candidate's positions on the questions asked. These are my paraphrases, not quotes – I did the best I could, typing on a cranky iPad!

    I left off opening statements in what follows; the four questions that I blog about below are:

    1. Unique food identity for Davis?
    2. Instance of one City decision making process and your evaluation of it.
    3. One issue in your platform, why important, how you will address
    4. Closing remarks 

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  • Annihilation (2018): Movie Review

    Hero_Annihilation-2018

    This week I had the pleasure of seeing Annihilation, the second feature film of writer/director by Alex Garland. You might remember him from his directorial debut with Ex Machina (2013). Annihilation is a strange, emphatic, and nihilistic science fiction tale of horror, and seeing as I am an enormous fan of everything in that sentence it should come as no surprise that Garland’s latest film (in my opinion) is one hell of a cinematic experience! With that being said, Annihilation is NOT for all audiences. There’s more than a few scenes featuring gruesome granger that will undoubtedly stick in the nightmares of those who are faint of heart, and the narrative makes for many unanswered questions. I LOVE when movies leave themselves open to interpretation, but I know not everyone feels the same way so if you consider yourself squeamish and prefer your movies with clearcut conclusions then stay far away from this one. But if you enjoy “hard” science fiction stories that challenges the audience and is so ensanguined with Lovecraftian cosmic horror that the screen’s practically sporting tentacles then why are you still reading this review? GO SEE IT WHILE IT’S STILL IN THEATERS!!!

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  • Is the Vanguard systematically deleting links to the Davisite — and only the Davisite?

    Why
    It seems that the Vanguard is systematically deleting links to the Davisite — and only the Davisite.  The following screenshots show three examples of this, with the original versions, as posted by the author with links to the Davisite, and then later versions without links to the Davisite, apparently removed by the blog owner or one of the blog moderators.  Yet links to other sites like Facebook remain.

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  • Five Council Candidates State Positions on Measure J/R

     

    West from Rd 30B - Sac skyline

    View from Mace curve – one of the areas subject to Measure J/R

    Last night (2/28/2018), the Davis College Democrats held a forum for candidates for Davis City Council. Well, not all candidates — you had to be a declared Democrat to participate, even though the City Council is supposed to be non-partisan. Forum participants also had to answer a series of loaded questions. Here's one:

    Our city is running out of room to accommodate future growth, with a severe housing and financial crisis. Measure R has placed a stranglehold on any annexation efforts to deal with this problem by requiring a ballot measure for any significant development. In 2020 Measure R will go on the ballot for reauthorization. If elected how will you augment Measure R to stave off another city housing or financial crisis?

    Davisites might be surprised to learn how the five candidates (out of nine running) in attendance answered.

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  • CivEnergy Will Host Davis City Council Candidates Forum

    Download(Press release) CivEnergy is sponsoring a Davis City Council candidates forum from 3 to 5 pm Sunday, March 18, in the Davis Community Church Fellowship Hall, 421 D Street. Each of the nine declared candidates for the two open council seats has agreed to participate in this free community event, moderated by former Davis Mayor Ann Evans. They include: Ezra Beeman, Mary Jo Bryan, Dan Carson, Linda Deos, Eric Gudz, Larry Guenther, Gloria Partida, Luis Rios Jr. and Mark West. Visit www.civenergy.org to see candidate responses as to why they are running for office, what their platform is, and how they will be an effective city council member.

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  • Measure J, Measure R… and now Measure J again? A guide for the perplexed

    West from Rd 30B - Sac skyline

    View from Mace curve – one of the areas subject to Measure J/R

    I think most Davisites know that measure letters get reused, so that a Measure A of today might be different from a Measure A of yesterday. But in this June's election, things get very confusing – the successful Measure J of 2000 is what permits Davisites to vote "no" (or "yes) on the Measure J of today. Hunh?

    Here's an attempt to clarify the situation.

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  • Linda Deos on Measure R

    DeosMeasure R

    My name is Linda Deos and I am a candidate for Davis City Council. I am writing on Measure R because of its continued importance to all of us here in Davis. Let me begin by stating in as clear as terms as possible that I support Measure R. I unequivocally support direct citizen participation in land use decisions affecting City policies for compact urban form, agricultural land preservation and adequate housing supply to meet internal City needs. I voted to renew Measure R in 2010.

    After attending numerous commission and council meetings over the past year, I have been especially struck by the lack of information provided to city commissioners who are asked to weigh in on many development proposals brought forward. I have also seen the real frustration from our volunteer commissioners that their respective efforts and time have been for naught due to their inability to truly weigh in on proposals.

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  • The Greatest Showman (2018): Movie Review

    -5a67ea07af953-the-greatest-showman-41060502-1800-776

    Alright, let’s get the harsh stuff out of the way first. This film is NOT about the life and times of the self-made 19th-century showman, entrepreneur, and civil rights activist, Phineas Taylor Barnum. The Greatest Showman is a romanticize “follow your dreams,” movie musical starring Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum’s superego; specifically focusing on Barnum’s creation in a little venture that would eventually become the world-renowned Barnum & Bailey Circus. Now if you’ve paid any attention to the film’s marketing, you might’ve gathered that historical authenticity has been not so subtly replaced with a brand of magical realism common in many musicals of Hollywood. The “twist,” (I suppose) is that while the film takes place in the late 1800’s, the music and dance is anachronistic with an emphasis on a more contemporary arena rock/pop music sound. In many regards, The Greatest Showman is almost identical to Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 movie musical, Moulin Rouge! (2001), except for the fact that The Greatest Showman is good. Director Michael Gracey has made a wonderfully shot and brilliantly executed cinematic cabaret of charismatic actors, mellifluous vocalists, and ebullient dancers. This production is one of those rare occasions where the film’s alteration of its source material both heightens the viewing experience but also contributes to the ideals and vocations of P.T. Barnum. The Greatest Showman may be leaning more towards the “fictional” end of historical fiction, but it’s still an impressive feat of cinematic entertainment that’s sure to instill a feeling of childlike wonderment in your heart long after the credits stop rolling.

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