enterprise THE DAVIS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2020
COVID takes more lives in Yolo County
Marcelo Lopez, a fourth-year UC Davis student studying sociology and Chicano studies, sits for a portrait near the student housing complex where he and his wife live. Lopez is part of several campus groups that support and advocate for students who have gone though the criminal justice system.
Testing delays hamper efforts to stem spread BY ANNE TERNUS-BELLAMY Enterprise staff writer
allows primarily non-violent offenders to avoid having criminal charges on their record. Qualifying offenses include shoplifting, battery, possessing a switchblade, public drunkenness and petty theft. Offenders who opt in participate in a confidential “conference” with volunteers — usually three panelists and a facilitator — from the area where they committed the crime. Neighborhood Court volunteers suggest options for apology tasks. Nothing participants say can be used against them if their cases return to court. During conferences before the coronavirus pandemic, the offender, the volunteers and
A coronavirus outbreak at a residential facility for the developmentally disabled in Woodland has taken three lives in recent days. They include the only Yolo County resident under the age of 55 to have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began. That individual, whose death was reported Sunday, was between the ages of 45 and 54. A total of six residents and four staff members have tested positive at Woodland Residential Services, an intermediate care facility that serves vulnerable and high-risk individuals who are developmentally disabled, need nursing or rehabilitative care and live in a congregate setting. The family-owned company, in operation since 2002, operates seven intermediate care facilities and a day program, according to its website. The facility has been working closely with county health officials to stem the outbreak, Brian Vaughn, the county’s public health director, told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Meanwhile, an outbreak at 4th & Hope in Woodland has taken a life as well. The homeless shelter has seen 13 residents test positive for COVID19 as well as one staff member. Efforts are now underway to use CARES act funding to get many of those homeless individuals out of congregate settings and into individual hotel rooms.
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ANNE WERNIKOFF/ CALMATTERS PHOTO
Finding a different pathway Restorative justice offers a way to avoid prison time BY JANELLE MARIE SALANGA CalMatters A hit-and-run offender sits on a Zoom call with three other people: a facilitator and two community members. The facilitator asks the offender to explain the hit-and-run and how it felt to abandon damaged property. The community members also ask questions: Were you speeding? What was the weather like? When everyone understands what happened, the offender creates a list of harms to self and community — and agrees to write apology letters to people they may have disappointed
and to complete a defensive driving workbook. If the offender doesn’t do those things, this case returns to court. But if they do, they won’t have a conviction on their criminal record. It almost sounds like a kindergarten class — sit down and talk about what you did wrong. But it’s a program for adults, designed to reduce incarceration and reimagine criminal justice: Neighborhood Court. Conversations about revamping the criminal justice system, from policing to prisons, are taking place in book clubs and on the streets. Over 95% of American adults sur-
veyed in a June AP-NORC polls said the system needs at least minor changes. California underwent its own criminal justice shift starting in 2011 with legislation giving county legal systems more control over nonviolent, nonserious and non-high risk offenders released from state prison. This realignment was aimed at reducing California’s prison population. Neighborhood Court has been a part of Yolo County’s realignment plan since it was established in 2013 under District Attorney Jeff Reisig. A voluntary pre-filing and pretrial diversion program, it
Darrah first to file for school board race BY JEFF HUDSON Enterprise staff writer Lea Darrah, a parent and PTA activist, filed candidacy papers for the Davis school board on July 13. Darrah is seeking the seat representing Trustee Area Two, which covers portions of North Davis, Mace Ranch, and neighborhoods south of Covell Boulevard and east of Pole Line Road, north of Loyola Drive, and west of Monarch Lane. Darrah has served on PTA boards at several local elementary schools (Valley Oak, North Davis and Fairfield), as well as Holmes Junior High, and Davis High School. Darrah has also been active with SITE Council at the above elementary and middle
schools. She has also served on the Superintendent’s Parents Advisory Committee, and Career Tech Education Advisory Committee, currently is the chair of the school district's Parcel Tax Oversight Committee. “I have worked with a wide range of parents, administrators and students and had the opportunity to learn about our district makeup,” Darrah told The Enterprise. Trustee Area Two is currently represented by incumbent Alan Fernandes, who has not yet indicated publicly whether he intends to seek another term on the school board. There are two school board seats at stake in the Nov. 3 general election — Trustee Area Two and Trustee Area Five, which covers portions of South
Davis and is currently represented by incumbent Bob Poppenga. The filing period for school DARRAH board candidates School-board was originally schedcandidate uled to close on Friday, Aug. 7. Because Poppenga has decided not to run again, the filing period for Trustee Area Five was automatically extended to Tuesday, Aug. 11. And the filing period for Trustee Area Two could conceivably be extended as well in the event that Fernandes decides not to run again. — Reach Jeff Hudson at jhudson @davisenterprise.net or 530-7478055.
UC will offer paid family leave for employees starting next year BY CALEB HAMPTON Enterprise staff writer Beginning July 1, 2021, the University of California will enact a new paid family leave benefit for employees, UCnet reported last week. The new policy will provide eight weeks of leave at 70% of wages for UC faculty and staff.
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UC’s Council of Chancellors unanimously approved a recommendation for the new benefit, which was also supported by UC President Janet Napolitano and Systemwide Human Resources. The recommendation was developed by a workgroup that included members from Human
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Resources, Academic Personnel, UC Legal, staff representatives and leadership. “The chancellors were in agreement that this is the right thing to do for our employees,” said Interim Vice President of Systemwide Human Resources Cheryl Lloyd. “Offering paid family leave adds the
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Business Focus A6 Forum . . . . . . . .B2 Sports . . . . . . .B1 Classifieds . . . .B4 Living . . . . . . . . A5 The Wary I . . . . A2 Comics . . . . . . .B3 Obituaries . . . . A4 Weather . . . . . .B6
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University of California to the list of other top employers that recognize how important it is to have family friendly policies and practices to recruit and retain the best.” According to UCnet, the implementation of a paid family leave benefit comes
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Hair and nail salons can reopen outdoors BY ANNE TERNUS-BELLAMY Enterprise staff writer Hair and nail salons were given the green light this week to open for business if they can move their services outdoors. Gov. Gavin Newsom made the announcement on Monday, allowing outdoor operations for hair salons and barbershops, skin care, cosmetology, nail services and massage therapy. By Tuesday afternoon, the county had issued guidance for outdoor services by hair salons and barbershops and guidance on other services was expected. Likewise, the city of Davis on Tuesday was allowing hair salons and barbershops in Davis wishing to expand onto public property such as sidewalks and streets to apply for temporary permits from the city to do so. Operators of nail salons
and other services permitted by the state to reopen outdoors would be able to apply for those permits as well, according to Diane Parro, the city’s director of community and business engagement. Under the state’s guidance, “outdoor operations may be conducted under a tent, canopy or other sun shelter as long as no more than one side is closed, allowing sufficient outdoor air movement.” Personal services that the state said would require a more hygienic environment than could be provided outdoors — including tattooing, electrolysis and piercing — will not be allowed to resume inside or out. For those businesses given the green light, services that would require a customer to have to enter the establishment would be prohibited and face
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