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enterprise THE DAVIS
SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020
California adds 900 firefighters as blazes spread
Workshop focuses on Mace traffic
Cosmic
BY ANNE TERNUS-BELLAMY Enterprise staff writer
BY RACHEL BECKER CalMatters California will hire nearly 900 new seasonal firefighters to make up for a dwindling number of firefighting inmates as wildfires already have blackened more acreage than last year. The state has long relied on thousands of incarcerated firefighters as the “infantry” of its forces fighting wildfires. But with an outbreak of the novel coronavirus at a key Northern California training hub, combined with efforts to reduce numbers of prisoners, only 94 of the state’s 192 inmate fire crews are available. “We are now walking right into the thick of firefighting season,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a press briefing Thursday, standing in front of a new Blackhawk helicopter intended to bolster the state’s fire suppression efforts. “Let us be vigilant.” So far slightly more acreage has burned this year compared with last year. But it’s less than half the average annual acreage burned over the past five years; fires scorched 23,640 California acres through July 5, compared to an average of 51,215. In all, 4,112 fires have ignited in California so far this year, far exceeding the five-year average of 2,580 fires through the beginning of July.
WAYNE TILCOCK/COURTESY PHOTO
Comet Neowise hangs in the sky behind the UC Davis water tower before dawn on Friday, July 10. The comet should be visible in the northeast sky during the early-morning hours through the month of July.
Supervisor calls for sacrifice to slow COVID BY ANNE TERNUS-BELLAMY Enterprise staff writer The toll COVID-19 has taken on older adults in Yolo County is evident in data collected over the course of the pandemic, with all 28 COVID-19related deaths so far coming in county residents over the age of 55. Twelve of those fatalities involved individuals over the age of 85. In a social media post on Friday, Yolo County Supervisor Jim Provenza of Davis invoked the sacrifices of the World War II generation and called on county residents to do their part now as the country deals with another national emergency. Provenza described talking recently to his 96-year-old father, “a member of what many have called the Greatest
COVID concerns Typically, roughly 2,200 inmates are on the front lines of firefighting in California. But Thom Porter, director of Cal Fire — the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection — said he expects the inmate crews to reach 75%
SEE FIREFIGHTERS, PAGE A6
VOL. 123, NO. 84
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Generation, in part because of the way they volunteered to serve the country during World War II.” “When our nation was under attack, they volunteered,” Provenza said, “and sacrificed across the board without complaint, without even thinking about it.” They served in the war and made sacrifices at home, he said. “Many of them gave up years of their lives, many giving up their lives entirely to protect the nation.” “The country came together to face a common threat and I think we’re in another period like that now,” Provenza said. “We have already lost more Americans than in many of the wars that we’ve fought.” Many Yolo County residents are sacrificing now,
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With all that has happened in the last five months, the beginning of the Mace mess controversy might seem like a lifetime ago. But it was back in October 2018 that the Mace Boulevard traffic calming and bicycle/pedestrian safety project got underway and criticism of the project began almost immediately. The project had been six years in the making, funded by a $3 million grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments and intended to make bicycle travel along the Mace corridor safer, particularly for children biking to Pioneer Elementary School.
SEE MACE, PAGE A6
New scam targets virus contact tracing
he noted, PROVENZA including Plea for unity farmworkers toiling in the fields and essential workers in a variety of industries and all “are at risk.” “Many have become sick and become threatened by the loss of life,” said Provenza. Meanwhile, other residents have sacrificed their businesses, cutting back services or closing altogether. Provenza’s message to everyone else: “I’m asking all of you to also sacrifice.” That means wearing a face covering, avoiding large gatherings and not hosting family gatherings with members from different households — a key source of recent outbreaks. “I understand how difficult it is,” Provenza
SEE SACRIFICE, BACK PAGE
BY LAUREN KEENE Enterprise staff writer Yet another scam has emerged to exploit fears during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the latest fraud taking advantage of the state’s contact tracing process. In May, Gov. Gavin Newsom launched “California Connected,” a comprehensive tracing and public-awareness campaign in which state health workers make contact with those testing positive for coronavirus, along with others who may have been exposed to them. The program’s goal is to ensure confidential testing, access to medical care and other services to help curb the virus’ spread. Now, scammers are getting in on the act, using the tracing process to convince victims to give
up their money, personal identifying information or immigration status. “Many traditional financial crimes and schemes are now orchestrated through electronics. Now, more than ever people of all ages, including the elderly can be victimized by these criminals,” the California Office of Emergency Services warned in a news release last week. So far, Davis police haven’t received any similar scam reports at the local level, though Chief Darren Pytel said the ruse “does seem like an easy way to scam people.” “We have plenty of victims who unfortunately do provide personal information over the phone or electronically when asked,” Pytel said. Here’s how to spot a contact tracing scammer,
SEE SCAM, PAGE A4
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