I typed a 150 word description of the library incident into ChatGPT.  I then asked ChatGPT to write a country song about the incident.  With no further prompting, and in about five seconds, this is what ChatGPT wrote:

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Late to the Race but Right on Time: NJ Mvondo Joins the Race for Yolo County Supervisor District 4 Seat

+++ From Press Release +++

NJ Mvondo is announcing her candidacy for the Yolo County Board of Supervisors’ District 4 seat in the March 2024 primary election. A social entrepreneur and grassroots organizer, it is Mvondo’s love for her community and desire to address the pressing environmental concerns that have driven her to run for local office. Mvondo looks forward to tackling three major issues if elected: achieving sustainability via the implementation of an environmental justice framework in the decision-making in Yolo County, building a resilient economy, and reducing housing insecurity. With record breaking heat across the globe this summer, this is a wakeup call for everyone as to the urgency of the climate crisis. People need to be housed, our economy needs resiliency, and we need to combat climate change.

As the Chair of the City of Davis Human Relations Commission, NJ Mvondo works to create bridges and understanding in the community in an era of deep political divides and racial tensions. As a leader in the Davis environmental and civic realm, Mvondo encourages dialogue and collaboration across sectors to find ways to address the issues at hand, including in her work as Chair of the Yolo County Climate Action Commission. Mvondo would be honored to continue uplifting the community’s voice through the work of Yolo County Supervisor for District 4.

Sandy Holman, Davis’ Citizen of the Year 2023 and founder of the Culture C.O.-O.P., is excited to support Mvondo in this race. She shares that “NJ Mvondo is one of those rare, exceptional political candidates who has personally experienced many of the issues we are trying to address in our communities. This fact, along with her incredible professional experiences, outstanding leadership, and committed and endless service to our communities, in a variety of capacities, makes her an extraordinary choice for the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.”

Mvondo shares, “Davis and Yolo County are my home and the first places I felt I belonged in the United States. Davis is one of the few places I know to have extraordinary standards for the well-being of its residents and its environment. We have set ambitious and necessary goals for our city and county, and we can achieve them if we work together.”

One of these extraordinary goals is to ensure that Yolo County meets its promise to be carbon negative by 2030. And with the recent bomb threats towards the LGBTQ+ community at the public library in Davis, she condemns any attempts to create fear and hostility in our city, and any threats to the safety of our residents. Buildings like the public library are not just public spaces, but a home for many, especially historically marginalized groups. Mvondo champions equity, inclusion and transparency in all she does. She looks forward to bringing this care and determination to the Board of Supervisors to uplift safe communities in all of Yolo County.

To learn more about NJ Mvondo, her priorities, and her run for Yolo County’s District 4 Board of Supervisor, visit her website at  https://www.nj4supervisor.com/. You can also follow her social media platforms on Facebook and Instagram @nj4supervisor for the latest updates.

By Janet and Joe Krovoza

On Tuesday, August 27, 2023, Yolo County Superior Court judge Timothy Fall ruled that the City of Davis is not required to complete any additional environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) before proceeding with relocation of the Sky Track from its original location. The ruling isn’t final yet. A formal order will be issued in a few weeks.

The case turned on Judge Fall accepting the city’s use of the “small accessory structures” categorical exemption of CEQA. The CEQA guidelines provide examples for this category of exemption as “garages, carports, patios, swimming pools, and fences.”  The guidelines describe accessory uses as: “(a) On-premise signs; (b) small parking lots; and (c) Placement of seasonal or temporary use items such as lifeguard towers, mobile food units, portable restrooms, or similar items in generally the same locations from time to time in publicly owned parks, stadiums, or other facilities designed for public use.”

We disagree that such an exemption is appropriate. Unlike the CEQA guidelines’ examples, the Sky Track is permanent, not “temporary or seasonal,” and creates an inescapable abrasive industrial sound that ports sound directly into homes whenever it is in use, interrupting sleep, rest, and concentration, and impacting physical and mental health. Accessory structures aren’t known to have moving mechanical parts proven to violate a noise ordinance standard.

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