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Davisite Banner. Left side the bicycle obelisk at 3rd and University. Right side the trellis at the entrance to the Arboretum.

  • Tree Davis and Central Park Gardens Seek Volunteers to Help Grow Public Green Spaces!

    IMG_0384

    Master Gardener Peggy Smith teaches volunteers about propagating perennial plants in Central Park Gardens

    Application Deadline: January 10

    (From press release) Are you passionate about the environment and looking for a meaningful way to give back to your community? Tree Davis, in collaboration with Central Park Gardens, is excited to announce its Green Volunteer Training program, inviting individuals to take an active leadership role in nurturing sustainable green spaces in Davis.

    Through this program, volunteers will have the unique opportunity to contribute to the beautification and sustainability of local parks, gardens, and trees. Tree Davis and Central Park Gardens welcome all who want to make a positive environmental impact, whether they are an experienced gardener or someone eager to learn.

    Following a Zoom orientation session on January 23rd from 6-7 pm, the training will be held on Sundays from 9 am to 1 pm on January 26, February 2, and February 9. Hands-on training with expert instructors will include planting, pruning, and weed management for the care of young trees and a variety of native and drought tolerant garden plants. Trainees will also learn leadership skills and tips for engaging volunteers in landscape improvement and stewardship projects.

    After completion of the training, volunteers will be asked to commit to volunteering at least once a month for a year with either Tree Davis or Central Park Gardens. Both organizations offer flexibility in scheduling with options for assisting as a team leader for weekend events or working more independently on weekdays.

    Apply today

    Don't miss out on this opportunity—apply now to secure your spot and be part of this impactful program! Have questions? Contact Hope from Tree Davis at hope@treedavis.org.

    Become part of the Central Park Gardens and Tree Davis volunteer teams and help maintain and enhance the city’s greenspaces, playing a key role in creating vibrant urban landscapes across Davis.

    Learn more and apply by January 10 at https://www.treedavis.org/green-volunteer/. A $20 training fee is requested to cover materials.

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  • Make No Funding of War Crimes a New Year’s Resolution

    ThompsonHuffman

    By Scott Steward

    There has been a significant outpouring of support and media coverage for the class action lawsuit filed Dec. 19th to hold Reps. Thompson and Huffman are accountable for illegally funding war crimes, including genocide. 

    What is the case about?  At the core of the lawsuit is the argument that Thompson and Huffman ignored clear evidence of war crimes committed with U.S.-provided weapons, effectively forcing their constituents into moral complicity. Plaintiffs describe profound emotional and moral injuries resulting from their representatives' actions, emphasizing the ethical responsibility to prevent taxpayer dollars from funding human rights violations.

    A recent December 30th "Law and Disorder Radio" podcast features the Taxpayers Against Genocide case. Heidi Bohhosian and Stephen Rohde host the episode "Taxpayers Against Genocide: Lawsuit Filed Against Congress Members For Approving $26.38B In Military Aid To Israel". (first 28 minutes)

    https://lawanddisorder.org/2024/12/law-and-disorder-december-30-2024-2/

    I know a lot of us started asking our representatives to stop funding Israel with weapons over a year ago. We are traumatized by the horror of all the killings, especially month after month of the deliberate annihilation of Palestinian, Lebanese, and now Syrian civilians. Ceasefire and aid are asked for and illegally denied by our representatives.

    For your New Year's Resolution, after you have had a look at the rationale for holding Thompson accountable for illegally using our tax dollars to fund war crimes, please consider joining the class action suit as a member. Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG) is a grassroots, non-partisan, multi-peopled volunteer effort presently including just Congressional Representatives Thompson and Huffman’s districts. 

    Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG) "Sign-On," Donation, Press Coverage, Endorsements, Instagram, X, and BlueSky links at the touch of a button. https://linktr.ee/taxpayersagainstgenocide

    Many other congressional districts are now asking how to start their own class actions to hold their Federal Congressional and Senate representatives accountable. Questions and interest can be sent to classactionagainstgenocide@proton.me. Please join the lawsuit or form your own.

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  • Join the UC Davis Campus Safety Lighting Walk

    Help Brighten Our Community!
    When: Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, 5-8 p.m.
    Where: UC Davis Memorial Union (MU) Quad Flagpole
    RSVP: UC Davis Campus Safety Lighting Walk

    (From press release) UC Davis Facilities Management invites all students, faculty, staff, and community members to participate in the annual Campus Safety Lighting Walk on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, from 5-8 p.m.

    For 15 years, the Campus Safety Lighting Walk has been a proactive community tradition at UC Davis.

    Participants assess lighting conditions around campus, identifying areas with low light, non-functional lighting, or obstructed light sources — such as those hidden by plant growth. Insights gathered during the walk will help guide repairs and improvements.

    Why Attend?

    • Make a Difference: Your observations will contribute to safety upgrades and future planning.
    • Free Food & Swag: Enjoy complimentary pizza (while supplies last) and snag free swag if you’re among the first 100 participants.
    • Volunteer Hours: Earn volunteer credit—perfect if you’re looking to meet service requirements.
    • Community Spirit: Join fellow Aggies in a fun and purposeful evening outdoors.

    The evening will kick off at the Memorial Union Quad Flagpole. Teams will be organized to cover various zones of campus, equipped with flashlights provided by event organizers. Please wear comfortable shoes and a warm jacket for the walk.

    (more…)

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  • UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden Seeks Weekly Volunteer Gardeners

    Volunteers next to large weed bin

    Apply by Monday, Jan. 13

    (From press release) Are you passionate about nature, eager to learn new skills, and ready to give back to your community? The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden invites you to join its dedicated team of gardening volunteers in 2025!

    Volunteering with the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden is an opportunity to connect with others who share your love for the outdoors, gain hands-on experience in sustainable gardening practices, and enjoy perks like early access to plant sales at the Arboretum Teaching Nursery, and seasonal events. It’s a rewarding way to spend your time while contributing to one of UC Davis’s most beloved spaces.

    Gardening volunteers work alongside expert horticultural staff to maintain and beautify Arboretum and Public Garden landscapes and work in teams that focus on specific areas. Each week, volunteers and staff collaborate to ensure these landscapes remain vibrant and inviting for the community.

    Key Details:

    • Application Deadline: Jan. 13, 2025
    • Commitment: One year, with weekly team shifts of two hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday mornings (flexible schedules accommodated).
    • Training Program: A comprehensive training program will be held in winter 2025. Classes include expert instruction and hands-on projects covering topics like plant identification, pruning, tool care, and weed management.
    • Training Dates: Thursdays, 9 a.m.-noon (Jan. 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27, March 6).
    • Training Fee: $20 materials fee, payable on the first day of training.

    Apply Today

    Space is limited, so don’t wait to secure your spot! Have questions? Contact UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden Headquarters at (530) 752-4880 or arboretum@ucdavis.edu.

    Join the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden weekly gardening volunteer team and help them continue to create beautiful, thriving landscapes that inspire and engage the community.

    Learn more and apply by January 13, 2025:  https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/volunteer

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  • Tone Deaf Department? Christmas Sirens – Ho Ho Humbug

    Three fire trucks pass through a small town neighborhood, with eerie sirens, warning lights, and amplified voice warning. It is actually a failed attempt to lift spirits by amplifying "Merry Christmas Ho Ho Ho", but the townspeople think it's an emergency because they can't hear the words so they cower in fear in their houses

    The sirens on the night of Wednesday the 18th sounded eerie and odd. The emergency vehicles weren't moving fast. A muffled, highly amplified voice penetrated the foggy night. Was it an evacuation, a flood, a wall of fire, a killer on the loose? I hadn't heard such confusing and scary chaos in Davis since the evening Natalie Corona was killed.

    I ran outside and saw three emergency vehicles in the distance winding slowly onto my street a few blocks north, then slowly winding off of it. The muffled warnings continued, inaudible and invoking concern. None of this was helped by the sonically-delayed echoes of the sirens and muffled voice off the recently-constructed 5-story student apartments behind me.

    I ran towards the vehicles, hoping to hear what the emergency was and what we should do. Finally I heard:  "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas".

    First of all, I'm Jewish. But no, I was not offended by the lack of a menorah on the hood.  Celebrate Christmas all y'all want.

    But I have rarely experienced such a display of tone-deaf foolishness from a local government entity. I mean, nothing says "Peace on Earth" like sirens and emergency lights and what sounded like an amplified public emergency warning. You already got your Davis-subsidized ladder-truck because y'all were awarded for not cooperating with UC's fire department, and now you want a new fire station and the rebuilding of another.

    To gain public respect and support please considering how some residents of Davis may react to a "well meaning" act that included the extended presence of emergency vehicles, emergency lights, sirens and amplified warnings in our neighborhoods.

    Bah Humbug

    Three fire trucks pass through a small town neighborhood, with eerie sirens, warning lights, and amplified voice warning. It is actually a failed attempt to lift spirits by amplifying "Merry Christmas Ho Ho Ho", but the townspeople think it's an emergency because they can't hear the words so they cower in fear in their houses Three fire trucks pass through a small town neighborhood, with eerie sirens, warning lights, and amplified voice warning. It is actually a failed attempt to lift spirits by amplifying "Merry Christmas Ho Ho Ho", but the townspeople think it's an emergency because they can't hear the words so they cower in fear in their houses

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  • Menopause is topic of Jan. 8 Soroptimist talk

    OB-GYN Carol Darwish will discuss and answer questions about menopause at the Wednesday, Jan. 8 meeting of Soroptimist International of Davis.

    The meeting is from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in the conference room at University Inn and Suites, 1111 Richards Blvd., Davis. Open to the public, this is one of a series of talks on women’s health that the club plans for its 2024-2025 year.

    Darwish is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist in practice for more than 20 years. She completed her medical training at Tulane University in New Orleans. She practiced at Kaiser Napa Solano for 11 years and at Sutter Davis for four years. For the past nine years, she has worked in hospital settings throughout the Bay Area, Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes, and most recently in Santa Cruz County, Woodland and San Francisco. She lives in Davis with her family.

    Lunch is available for $15. First-time attendees are free. Please RSVP by 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 6 for lunch by emailing president@sidavis.org. Guests are welcome to bring their own lunch.

    Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. It was founded in 1921 in Alameda County. Soroptimist International of Davis was chartered in 1954. Local members join some 75,000 Soroptimists in 122 countries and territories to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women and girls. Its core values are gender equality, empowerment, education, diversity and fellowship.

    SI Davis offers cash Live Your Dream Awards to female heads of household seeking education or training, and assists King High students through its Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls program. It also funds high school scholarships, and grants to nonprofits that align with the Soroptimist mission.

    SI Davis members meet twice a month on Wednesdays – once at lunchtime and once in the evening – and connect for other fun activities and service. Learn more at https://www.sidavis.org/.

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  • Thurs, Jan 23: New book on Aldo Leopold’s land ethic at the Avid Reader

    Millstein Avid Reader Event AnnouncementFrom the Department of Shameless Self-Promotion, I bring you an announcement of an upcoming event for my recently-published book: The Land Is Our Community: Aldo Leopold’s Environmental Ethic for the New Millennium (University of Chicago Press).   Mark your calendars now for this free event, one month from today!

    Event info:

    Thursday Jan 23rd, 2025
    6:30 PM-7:30 PM
    Avid Reader
    617 2nd Street
    Davis, CA
     
    Publisher's book description:

    (more…)

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  • California EBike Incentive’s Disaster Rollout

    When Climate Action meets Tech meets Social Justice

    By David Abramson

    Unnamed

    The California Air Resources Board alongside Pedal Ahead, a San Diego-based 501c3 whose stated goal is to ‘foster a transportation system that is both environmentally friendly and accessible to all’ just launched their first program to provide up to $2000 for 1500 low-income folks to purchase eBikes, called the California eBike Incentive Project.

    They announced the launch of the program to the public via what appeared to be a quite sizable multi-channel marketing campaign, with applications set to open on Wednesday, December 18 at 6PM. Fanfare and nervous, excited anticipation presumably ensued.

    As the local neighborhood techie, I supported a friend and their sibling in shooting their shot to be one of the lucky 1500. First off, my friend’s family comes from a disadvantaged background and economic status for whom this program was presumably intended, and truly needed the money in order to be able to buy an eBike so she and her sibling were quite excited about the prospect of getting support for this!

    I knew the odds were stacked against them once I saw how this program was going to go down, but we worked towards having the best chance possible to make it in.

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  • Opportunities to help our homeless neighbors

    Hello fellow advocates for our homeless neighbors,

    Please see the letter below. We have created a "Compassion Fund" to provide motel rooms for people who need them this winter. The letter explains this more in detail, but if you can find it in your hearts to contribute, your donation will go a long way toward getting vulnerable folks off the street and into a warm, safe environment, at least temporarily. Each motel night costs $80-100, depending on size and amenities.  Donate here.

    Secondly, Davis Community Meals and Housing and HEART of Davis would like to make Christmas and New Year's Days special for the guests of the congregate Winter Shelter (1111 H Street). Please consider signing up to bring food for lunch and breakfast on those days. More information here:

    https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4CAEAA23A46-53931782-christmas

    Additionally, we need 1 volunteer per shift to help out on Christmas day, Wednesday 12/25/2024 and New Years Day, Wednesday 1/1/2025. The volunteers need to be over  the age of 18. Responsibilities will be: passing out food and other resources and making sure no one but shelter guests enter Paul's Place.

    The shifts available on the 25th and 1st are:

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  • Letter to Chancellor May from Fossil Free UCD

    The following was emailed to Chancellor May on December 11, 2024.

    Dear Chancellor May: 

    We write with appreciation for the actions campus staff are taking to reduce UC Davis’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and to ask you to ensure that UCD sets strong goals for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions reductions in response to UCOP’s call for campus targets for all UCs to be submitted by 1/1/2025 (for background see here).

    Specifically, we would like UCD to officially establish targets of 75% reductions in Scope 1 and 2 emissions below the 2019 baseline by 2030, 81% by 2035, and 95% by 2040, which are the feasible potential reductions identified by our own Fossil Fuel-Free Pathway Plan (FFFPP).

    We view the strong intermediate 2030 target from our campus FFFPP as particularly important, given the urgency of the climate crisis. Communicating around near-term goals that are meaningful for our undergraduate students will show them our commitment to leading on the climate crisis. 

    We would also like to encourage campus to accelerate the process for tracking and reducing Scope 3 emissions (those generated off-campus, for example by travel and commuting). The state is requiring public and private companies to submit annual reports of such emissions by 2030 (a date which may be moved up to 2027), and strong near-term Scope 3 reductions will be needed to set us on a track toward UCOP’s goal to “reduce total emissions (scope 1, 2, and 3) at least 90% by 2045 without relying on carbon offsets.” We would like to be a part of campus discussions around Scope 3 targets and processes.

    Finally, we would like to let you know that a group of us has formally asked the Academic Senate to consider a detailed proposal for a Climate Crisis General Educational (GE) Requirement so that all UCD undergraduates will graduate with some background in climate science, action, and justice concepts. This one-course requirement would probably be allowed to overlap with other GEs so as not to increase time-to-graduation. We are happy to provide further details, and hope we can count on your support to make UCD a climate education leader. UC San Diego adopted such a requirement last year, starting for the class entering Fall 2024.

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