The Davis Enterprise Friday, October 21, 2022

Council focuses on homelessness

Approval for winter shelter, Downtown Streets Team

By Anne Ternus-BellAmy Enterprise staff writer

Homelessness was the pri mary issue on the agenda for the Davis City Council this week.

Council members voted unanimously in favor of a win ter shelter housing plan as well

as for a pilot Downtown Streets Team program that offers vol unteer work experience and training for individuals experi encing homelessness.

The Downtown Streets Team will deploy a standing team of about 15 members of the Davis unhoused community who will be trained to clean up high vis ibility areas downtown, and, in exchange, receive case manage ment, employment assistance and a basic stipend that can be used for food, phone service,

medication and other basic needs.

A case manager and employ ment specialist will assess each team member’s skill levels and needs and work with them to develop a plan for resume building, interview readiness, communication skills, literacy resources and more, according to city staff.

“Each team is monitored by a staff liaison and led by a team member who has exhibited suf ficient skills to supervise a

clean-up crew,” according to the staff report prepared for Tues day’s council meeting. “Teams provide meaningful structured daily activity that fosters com munity, kindles confidence, reaffirms dignity, and develops employment soft skills like punctuality, cooperation, and personal responsibility.”

A Downtown Streets Team has reportedly been a big suc cess in West Sacramento and see HOmelessness, PAge A5

Auditor, commissioners discuss oversight

By lAuren Keene Enterprise staff writer

Consultant Michael Gen naco came to Davis in 2018 to review the circumstances surrounding a Picnic Day melee between a group of citizens and three plainclothed police officers that occurred the year before.

Although Davis police initially blamed the crowd for triggering the Russell Boulevard altercation, an internal investigation found the officers violated multiple department poli cies with their actions that day.

Two significant develop ments arose from that con clusion: Gennaco’s hiring as Davis’ independent police auditor, and the

creation of a Police Accountability Commis sion to field public con cerns and provide oversight and transparency in local policing matters.

“It’s important to ensure that the authority that we give (the police) be consis tent with the expectations

End set for COVID emergency

By KrisTen HwAng And AnA B. iBArrA CalMatters

California’s COVID-19 state of emergency will end Feb. 28, 2023, nearly three years from its initiation, officials from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced this week.

The announcement came as new variants spur concerns that there will be another deadly winter surge across the country and as test positivity rates plateau in California following a nearly three-month decline. More than 95,000 Californians have died as a result of COVID-19, according to state data.

The state of emergency gave New som broad, often controversial, pow ers to issue masking and vaccination mandates and temporary stay-athome orders in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. It also enabled the governor to enter into nearly $12 billion dollars worth of no-bid emer gency response contracts with testing facilities, personal protective equip ment suppliers and temporary work force agencies. Some of those contracts were with untested vendors who failed to deliver services.

Today, 27 provisions from the 74 executive orders issued under the state of emergency remain in effect, officials said. More than 500 provisions have

emergenCy, PAge

UC Davis receives food systems grant from USDA

By Anne Ternus-BellAmy Enterprise staff writer

UC Davis has received nearly $1 million from the U.S. Department of Agri culture to build commu nity resiliency and strengthen food systems during emergencies in coastal Northern Califor nia.

The Agricultural Mar keting Service award of $990,752, with a match amount of $499,874, will create additional markets for local food producers in emergency food supply chains to reduce the risk of lost income and strengthen local and regional food systems.

In a press release announcing the award, USDA noted that “over the past five years, North ern California has experi enced catastrophic wildfires, landslides, per sistent drought, the pan demic, and economic downturns, putting increasing pressure on local producers, the local/ regional food system, and emergency food aid.”

The California North Coast Emergency Food System Partnership, the USDA said, “encompasses chronic emergency food assistance (i.e., groceries) and crisis emergency food

Tents line the railroad tracks west of the Cannery in North Davis in January 2021.

Owen Yancher/ enterprise file phOtO

cOurtesY phOtO

Michael Gennaco investigates the public’s complaints about the Davis Police Department.

see AudiTOr, PAge A4

see

Briefly

Jogger attacked on bike path

Davis police are investigating an early morning attack and attempted robbery on a jogger in West Davis.

Lt. John Evans said the 33-year-old victim was running on the bike path along Russell Bou levard between Arling ton Boulevard and Portage Bay East at about 1:30 a.m. Thurs day when he encoun tered what appeared to be a disabled vehicle parked by the roadway.

“As he was jogging by he was approached by the first suspect, who asked if he had any money,” Evans said. The victim said he didn’t and tried to continue jog ging when a second sus pect hit him in the face and knocked him down.

As he lay on the ground, the two sus pects kicked or punched him and patted him down for property.

“Finding nothing, they ran to their car and took off eastbound,” Evans said. The victim, who later sought medi cal treatment at Sutter Davis Hospital, had only limited descrip tions of one suspect and the vehicle.

He described the man who confronted him initially as darkcomplected, 20 to 35 years old, about 5-foot10 with a slim build, wearing a white tank top. The car may have been a silver Nissan Altima.

Call Davis Police at 530-747-5400 with any information.

About

The numbers can make you cringe

WHERE HAVE ALL THE VOTERS GONE?

The good news is that Yolo County’s election turnout in June was 8.5 percent higher than the statewide average. The bad news is that the statewide average was barely 32 percent.

Whether we’ll do better this time around remains to be seen, but a thoroughly scientific study I conducted in the checkout line at Nugget the other day reveals that so far no one has engaged in early voting.

That could be because our dis turbing switch to district elections has left fully 60 percent of the local electorate on the sidelines, but who knows, maybe some of those folks will decide to vote on the statewide ballot between now and Nov. 8.

Then again, if I feel passionately about an issue or a candidate, I suppose I’d rather that all those folks who feel differently just stay home and watch soap operas on TV.

I remember years ago when the late, great Ernie Head and I would make a date to meet at the polls on election day so we could officially cancel out each other’s vote.

We could have both just skipped voting and achieved the same result, but in Davis they’d

probably arrest us for such uncivic behavior.

Another distressing thing to realize concerning that 41 percent turnout in Yolo County in June is that number is strictly among reg istered voters, not eligible voters. When you figure in the number of people in the county who are over the age of 18 and are otherwise legally allowed to vote, that 41 percent figure plummets substan tially.

So let’s say you’re an elected offi cial who received just over 50 per cent of the vote. Given that barely 40 percent even bothered to vote, you actually were elected by just 20 percent of registered voters. Slicing that even more by the large number of potentially eligible vot ers who aren’t registered to vote and now you’re barely over 10 per cent.

In other words, only one in 10 citizens over the age of 18 voted for you, and yet most

EMERGENCY: ‘Ready to phase out this tool’

From Page A1

already ended. The New som administration would not allow the press to name the senior offi cials who participated in an embargoed media briefing about ending the state of emergency.

“The state of emergency was an effective and neces sary tool that we utilized to protect our state, and we wouldn’t have gotten to this point without it,” New som said in a statement.

“With the operational pre paredness that we’ve built up and the measures that we’ll continue to employ moving forward, California is ready to phase out this tool.”

Newsom has extended the state of emergency five times over the course of the pandemic, most recently in June.

The federal government most recently extended its own COVID-19 public health emergency through Jan. 11. Federal officials have said they will give states a 60-day notice before the federal emer gency order is lifted. Some pandemic-era expansions and protections that Cali fornians have benefitted from come from the fed eral order — like expan sions in telehealth services and Medi-Cal’s renewal freeze, which has helped keep thousands insured throughout the pandemic.

The duration of the state of emergency has been controversial among state Republican leaders who attempted to over turn the governor’s power during a Senate emer gency meeting in March. The resolution to termi nate the state of emer gency was voted down 8-4, with senators voting along party lines.

At the time, representa tives for frontline health workers, including the California Hospital Asso ciation, stated flexibilities allowed under the execu tive orders were critical to expanding capacity.

The state’s early adop tion of stay-at-home orders, which lasted onand-off for 10 months, were successful in delay ing spikes in case and hospitalization rates, but the first winter surge in January 2021 saw more than 21,000 hospitaliza tions at its peak. Since that time, hospitals across the state have repeatedly warned of impending col lapse as various waves of the pandemic intensified worker burnout and shortages.

California is currently reporting a 14-day aver age of 1,854 COVID hos pitalizations, two-and-ahalf times fewer hospital izations than the same time last year during the tail end of the delta vari ant surge.

In February, the admin istration unveiled the SMARTER plan, its $3.2 billion long-term strategy for combating COVID-19. The strategy outlined pre paredness measures such as stockpiling 75 million masks, increasing testing capacity to half a million tests per day and invest ing in the health care workforce and local com munity health organiza tions.

The SMARTER plan’s rollout has been a key component in elimi nating the need for emer gency provisions, officials said.

folks who take office act is if they have some sort of mandate.

DOES TURNOUT AFFECT OUTCOME? ... Developer Dan Ramos, whose DiSC project was on the June ballot as Measure H, said after a resound ing defeat that he still felt senti ment in Davis was in favor of the project, but it was killed by low voter turnout.

Now, if DiSC had been defeated, 51-49, it might be plausible to make a case that higher turnout could have swung things the other way. In fact, even lower voter turn out might have produced a differ ent outcome.

But the final numbers show this thing was routed, 64-36, which provides absolutely no wiggle room to make such an argument.

For the time being, that land will continue to raise hay, not homes.

SURVEY SAYS ... I loved that recent survey of Davis residents that determined the older a per son is the more likely they are to read The Davis Enterprise as their primary source of local news.

Makes sense given that The Enterprise has been around since 1897 and I presume most of our original readers are still with us. Talk about a lifetime subscription.

WATER WISDOM ... My friend the Beer Guy, better known as Michael Lewis, the one who pens the always excellent “A Point of Brew” in this very newspaper, cal culates that “it takes about two gallons of water to make a sixpack of beer.”

I don’t know if that includes making the bottles and the card board carrier, but I presume Michael is talking just about the beverage itself.

And yet, I remember a few years ago when our City Council was mandating that local restaurants serve ice water only upon request. A glass of wine or beer, however, was openly encouraged, even though their production required far more water than a simple glass of water.

And that doesn’t even count the amount of water our hardy labor ers in the field consume while tending to the grapes and the hops.

HARD TO EXPLAIN ... Inter estingly, those who were there as witnesses claim that Jesus achieved a 1-to-1 ratio when he changed water to wine at Cana.

Enologists at UC Davis are still trying to figure out how He did it.

— Reach Bob Dunning at bdunning@davisenterprise.net.

GRANT: Will create crisis network

From Page A1

assistance (i.e., prepared meals at evacuation shelters provided during disasters).

“The project brings together a diverse set of project partners including food producers, food policy councils, community-based organizations, local and tribal governments, coop erative extension, and emergency planners to build upon shared experi ences from responding to climate-change induced natural disasters and the pandemic.”

Specifically, the project will create an emergency food network across six Northern California coun ties (encompassing 12,545 square-miles).

Project objectives are to create additional market opportunities for local pro ducers within emergency food supply chains to miti gate risk and maintain income during disasters;

build collective capacity to improve emergency food systems by creating a strong network of partners, develop emergency feeding plans, and inventory local emer gency food supply chain infrastructure; and identify recommendations to address barriers to establishing effec tive local and regional emer

gency food supply chains.

The official recipient of the award is the Regents of the University of California — Agriculture & Natural Resource in Davis, and with the match will total $1.49 million.

The USDA announced a $64 million in grants on Wednesday to 185 recipients.

Pets of the week

Special to The Enterprise

Lots of animals are wait ing for “forever homes” at the Yolo County Animal Shelter, 2640 E. Gibson Road in Woodland.

Among them is Dorinda (A199097), a white 7-month-old female husky. She came to YCAS with three identical siblings. Dorinda is an active puppy with an independent husky personality. She is very sweet, learning to walk on a leash and will need a family ready for a funny bundle of energy.

Ruger

shelter and Instagram at @yoloanimalshelter.

At Rotts of Friends Ani mal Rescue, you’ll find Pebbles, a 6- to 8-monthold spayed female black Chihuahua. Pebbles is a sweet, shy girl that needs a calm, patient owner to help socialize her. She is totally adorable and would love to be your very best friend. Pebbles is up to date on vaccines and microchipped.

Also hoping for a good home is Caty (A198346), a 7-year-old female tri-tabby cat looking for a home that can understand her inde pendent nature. Caty likes attention on her terms; she prefers to be on the ground and does not like being carried, but will happily follow you instead. Caty enjoys going outside but doesn't like being outside too long and enjoys her inside time, too. She would like to be the only cat.

For information on adopting, contact adopty cas@gmail.com. All shel ter animals are up-to-date on vaccinations, micro chipped, and spayed or neutered. Staff is available to assist via phone during business hours at 530-668-5287. Shelter hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Fri day, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. To meet any adoptable YCAS animals, visit friendsofycas.org. To volunteer, sign up at tinyurl.com/yolovolunteer app. Follow on at @ycas.

Ruger is a handsome 1to 3-year-old neutered male Rottweiler with a docked tail. Ruger is a smaller compact male. He’s shy but warms quickly turning into a mushy love bug. Ruger is a kind, reserved dog. He quickly became a volunteer favor ite.

The next Rotts of Friends adoption event is from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at 34505 County Road 29 in Woodland. Come by 10 a.m., as it takes at least an hour to meet and adopt a dog; everyone who will be living with the dog should come out to meet it.

Bring proof of home ownership, such as a mort gage statement or property tax bill. If you rent, please bring proof that you are allowed to have a dog in your home, such as a pet clause in your lease or a note from your landlord.

All dogs adopted from Rotts of Friends are healthy, microchipped, upto-date on their vaccines and come with free life time obedience-training classes. For information, visit facebook.com/rottsof friends.

Making a tough decision easier

By EvElyn DalE Special to The Enterprise

What would you do if you had to rehome a beloved pet? Most people would want to have their pet taken in by a relative or friend. If that’s not pos sible, what about rehom ing a pet from your home to another home?

Mandy Evans, executive director of Better Together Animal Alliance (BTAA) — formerly Pan handle Animal Shelter — in Ponderay, Idaho, knows that people need to rehome pets for many reasons. She also knows that keeping pets in their homes and avoiding the stressful animal shelter environment while they transition to new homes is preferred.

When a significant increase in owner surren ders occurred at her shel ter, Evans realized a new and different approach to animal sheltering was needed. After careful thought, Evans founded Home To Home https:// home-home.org, a non profit designed to help pets remain at home until they can transition into their new home. The result? Evans saw a 33% decrease in owner surren ders at her shelter. Since then, Home To Home has become an international program partnering with animal shelters and res cues in the United States and Canada.

Locally, Front Street Animal Shelter partners with Home To Home. Shelter manager Phillip Zimmerman notes this partnership expands the shelter’s normal reach and empowers owners, who know their pets best, with the ability to find them the right home. With 142 pets adopted without entering Front Street’s facility this year, Zimmer man finds partnering with Home To Home is definitely worthwhile.

Regardless of where you live, Home To Home is a free, interac tive online service to rehome your pet or have it temporarily fos tered. Pet options include dogs, cats, fish, rabbits, rodents, farm animals and others.

Here’s how rehoming works. Pets remain at home while owners create a user and pet

paws for thought

profile with photos at Home To Home, https:// home-home.org/rehome/. Once approved, this infor mation is online for thirty days and can reach inter ested parties within one thousand miles. Anyone interested in adopting or temporarily fostering a pet emails the owner directly. Available pets are at https://home-home. org/findpet. Transactions are between owners and interested parties. Home To Home believes that quality communication, not adoption fees, provide better outcomes for pets, so all adoptions are free — no transaction fees are permitted.

With a success rate of 58% for all animals posted, Home To Home has helped 6,000+ pets find new homes without ever having to go to an animal shelter where their lives are turned upside down by a strange and often frightening shelter environment. Knowing that their pet won’t have to endure time at a stress ful shelter and being able to choose the right home for a beloved pet gives pet parents peace of mind.

Animal shelters benefit. too. On average, there’s a 26% reduction in owner surrenders at animal shel ters that partner with Home To Home. With fewer owner surrenders, shelters are better able to care for animals that truly need their help. In the end, Home To Home is a triple win—a win for pets, a win for pet par ents, and a win for ani mal shelters.

Happy Tails

Thanks to the non profit Home To Home, Daisy dog was rehomed

Thanks to the nonprofit Home To Home, Daisy the dog was rehomed without spending one moment in her local animal shelter.

without spending one moment in her local ani mal shelter.

Daisy’s pet parent, Mindy, writes, “We have found a wonderful home for Daisy! It happened so quickly, which we are so grateful for! Thank you for the amazing service you provide. We truly appreciate how you eased not only Daisy’s stress that can come with rehoming, but ours also! I know she is in a great home with people who

will love and take care of her, because we got to meet them and tell them all about her. I will defi nitely recommend this option to everyone who is faced with the decision of re-homing their pet(s) or looking for a new one to love.”

— Evelyn Dale of Davis is a volunteer and advo cate for shelter animal welfare. Contact her at pawsforthought.com ments@gmail.com. This column appears monthly.

Invites you to

Caty

Dorinda

Courtesy photo

AUDITOR: Looking for deeper patterns in police conduct

From

of the Constitution, the expecta tions of the law and the expecta tions of the community,” Gennaco said Wednesday at a public out reach meeting to discuss his work with the PAC.

The commission — which cur rently meets via Zoom on the first Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. — advises the Davis City Council on policing-related issues, with the goal of building trust between law enforcement and the community it serves.

It’s Gennaco who investigates the public’s complaints about the police, acknowledging the com plaint process can be intimidat ing due to the power differential between officers and everyday citizens.

Whether complaints are regis tered in person or online, Gen naco said it’s crucial to make sure those concerns “are effectively heard. Because without any facts, nothing’s going to be done.”

Complainants can remain con fidential, but Gennaco noted the investigation becomes more chal lenging without that person’s perspective on the incident.

As the independent auditor, Gennaco reviews the complaint, examines officer body-camera video and conducts witness inter views to determine whether the

Obituaries

officer violated any department policies or protocols.

Gennaco also looks at whether police conducted a proper inves tigation, “or did the officer already have their mind made up? I’ve seen both,” he said.

Police use-of-force incidents fall under Gennaco’s purview as well, undergoing evaluation to determine whether the circum stances of the incident warranted the officer’s actions. If not, Gen naco generally recommends fur ther officer training.

If history repeats itself, “in that case, it’s not just the officer that needs to be held accountable, but also the organization,” Gennaco said.

To view Gennaco’s completed reports, visit www.cityofdavis. org/city-hall/police-department/ administration/independentpolice-auditor.

‘More to be done’

The independent auditor works with the PAC in “comple mentary roles that I believe create a symbiosis,” Gennaco said, add ing that he benefits from the per spective of PAC members who live in the Davis community.

Occasionally, Gennaco receives what he called “homework” assignments from the PAC he said he might not have

James Suharik Oct. 30, 1993 — Oct. 13, 2022

With the heaviest of hearts, we announce the passing of James Suharik on Oct. 13, 2022. James passed peacefully while sleeping from natural causes aligned with his medical history.

Born in 1993, he was a bright star and now will brighten the heavens with that amazing smile every one knows so well. Dealt a difficult hand from birth, James overcame every chal lenge he had with a positive outlook and determination.

Growing up in Davis, he leaves behind the best childhood memories with his family and community friends. In his teenage years, James developed his love for the outdoors at Camp Unalayee.

In recent years, he lived near his family in Ohio where he became a proud uncle. James cherished family moments carrying

explored otherwise.

For example, in 2021 the PAC requested a use-of-force audit of the Davis Police Department, a process Gennaco said yielded several findings of inter est, including that Davis’ inci dents fell well below the state average.

First, Gennaco said he had to go “back a ways” to find the seven use-of-force incidents he ulti mately reviewed. Of those, five involved the same police officer, who routinely violated policy by failing to issue warnings before using force. That officer no longer works for the agency.

Five “is a lot, considering there are 60 sworn officers,” Gennaco said. “It shows you how one notso-great hire can have such an impact on the community.”

The analysis also found that all seven use-of-force incidents involved someone undergoing a mental-health crisis, who was

intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, or both.

“So force isn’t being used to stop a bank robber, a sexual assault or a burglar,” Gennaco said. “Force is being used on the mentally ill.”

That realization prompted the city to re-examine how it handles how mental-health service calls.

Last year, a mental-health clini cian began accompanying officers to those callouts with the goal of de-escalation situations that oth erwise might lead to forceful actions.

Currently, the clinician works with officers Mondays through Thursdays, leaving officers with out that support on weekends and overnight. “So there’s more to be done, but this is an excellent start,” Gennaco said.

Gennaco also noted the Police Department offers a restorative justice program for officer inter actions that concern citizens, but might not rise to the level of a formal complaint.

He explained that public encounters “come and go” for police, who might experience dozens of them during a typical workweek.

But from a community per spective, “those encounters that we have with police … are going to stay with us forever,” Gennaco said. “If it wasn’t OK, we’re never

going to forget it, and it’s going to impact the way we think about police.”

For those cases, the Police Department in 2015 launched the Alternative Conflict Resolution program, in which citizens and officers can voluntarily meet in a neutral space, sharing their respective experiences under a mediator’s guidance.

Although the PAC currently meets online, its members expect to resume in-person meetings next spring, which Gennaco said will bring him to Davis more often for those sessions as well as local office hours.

“I would just love to hear from you, because that informs me in a way that body-camera footage does not,” Gennaco said.

Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald, the PAC’s chairwoman, said the panel currently has two vacan cies. Anyone interested in apply ing can do so on the city of Davis’ website, or email PAC@cityofda vis.org for more information.

To contact Gennaco, email pol iceauditor@cityofdavis.org or call 310-906-0529.

— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net. Fol low her on Twitter at @lauren keene

Samuel Ernest Ransdell Sept. 20, 1965 — Oct. 5, 2922

Samuel Ernest Ransdell, 57, of Davis passed away on Oct. 5, 2022, from acciden tal head trauma that exac erbated underlying medical conditions. His last written words were “God is Love.”

SUHARIK

on deep family tra ditions. He was always the first to remind a classic scene from shows like: “The Office,” “Seinfeld,” “Dumb and Dumber,” and more. James had a passion for music, digital media and creative arts. His creative spirit will continue in the heavens, looking down on his loved ones until we meet again.

He leaves behind his brothers Stephen and Bryan, his father Tom, and grandpa Jim to join his mom, Carolyn in heaven watching over us.

A celebration of life for James will begin at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, in his church in Mason, Ohio.

His brother, Fred, and nephew, Jacob, were with him during his last moments at Mercy San Juan.

He was predeceased by his beloved, Amy Med ich, father Dr. James F. Ransdell and mother Wanda Lee Ransdell. He left behind sisters Trinka Macmurrtaugh and Faye

May, brothers Fred M. Ransdell and Tom R. Rans dell, nine nieces and nephews, 10 greatnephews/nieces, and one great-great-nephew.

Sam’s ashes will be scat tered at the Davis Ceme tery, in a private family ceremony later this week. To honor Sam’s memory, there will be a private fam ily celebration of life this weekend.

The Enterprise publishes brief death notices free of charge. These include name, age, city of residence, occupation, date of death and funeral/memorial information. Paid-for obituaries allow for controlled content with the option for photos. Obituaries will be edited for style and grammar. Make submissions at www.davisenterprise.com/obit-form/. For informa tion, call 530-756-0800.

RANSDELL

“One not-so-great hire can have such an impact on the community.”

Michael Gennaco Davis police auditor

HOMELESSNESS: City scrambles to find more capacity

elsewhere in California and Yolo County officials have proposed expansion to other cities in the region. To that end, the Board of Supervisors next week will con sider a staff recommendation for a 100 percent match of the city of Davis’s funding for the program.

The city will spend nearly $380,000 on the pilot project, with $300,000 of that coming from the community benefit fund created when cannabis dispensa ries were permitted in the city. Those businesses pay into the fund. The remaining $80,000 would come from American Res cue Plan funds already desig nated by the council for homelessness services.

If the matching grant is approved by county supervisors on Tuesday, the pilot would be expanded from one year to two.

A Downtown Streets Team has been as a priority for the Davis Downtown Business Association, and Dana Bailey, the city’s new director of social services and housing, told the council on Tues day that she is “really excited to see (Downtown Streets Team) come to Davis.

“I’ve worked with them at the city of Hayward and in Stanislaus County and other locations. They are a volunteer work-experience program, they connect with peo ple who are unhoused, give them life skills training, time manage ment skills, and purpose,” said Bailey.

Winter shelter

Also on Tuesday, the council approved staff recommendations for a winter shelter program.

The council voted unanimously to contract with Davis Commu nity Meals and Housing to oper ate an emergency winter shelter for up to 10 individuals at the city-owned house at 512 Fifth St. (next to the Davis Fire Depart ment headquarters).

Clients will be connected to case management, supportive services and longer-term housing options while on site and will receive dinner, a bed and

breakfast every day. While the shelter is closed during the day, participants will be encouraged to visit the city’s daytime respite center on L Street.

HEART of Davis (previously the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter), has offered to provide meal and material support, out reach to other local congregations to generate support and volun teers, and a matching donation of $25,000 towards emergency hotel rooms.

The council also voted to reserve up to 10 motel rooms for emergency winter shelter for unhoused individuals with underlying medical conditions and seniors.

During much of the pandemic, thanks to Project Roomkey fund ing from the state, several motels in Davis provided rooms for that purpose. But now only the Motel 6 in South Davis is accepting shelter referrals.

And while multiple nonprofits and partners provided services to those individuals, that won’t nec essarily be the case going for ward.

According to city staff, organi zations like St. Vincent de Paul, Grace in Action and Communi Care Health Centers “all are clear they do not have capacity to assign personnel for hotel over sight or to provide consistent financial assistance.”

Instead, the city’s homeless outreach coordinator, in collabo ration with county mobile medi cine and county outreach teams, will provide oversight.

“These teams will develop a consistent daily contact schedule to ensure all participants at the Motel 6 are monitored, receive linkages to support services, receive a health assessment and access to food and supplies,” city staff reported.

Options

Other actions the council took Tuesday included allocating $50,000 over five years to the 4th and Hope Shelter in Woodland, which is also used by unhoused Davis residents.

But many on Tuesday evening

said the actions were going to be insufficient.

A point-in-time count con ducted in February found 181 people experiencing homeless ness in Davis, about 114 of them living unsheltered.

“Certainly there’s … a greater need than what we have the capacity to accommodate,” said Vice Mayor Will Arnold. “But … it’s not a matter of (picking) a number out of thin air ... It sounds like staff really did its due diligence to find out what options exist among hotels, in particular, in Davis, that the capacity that is made available to us … has changed over the course of the last year or so, as COVID restric tions have loosened and as tour ism has expanded and the hotels have renovated. And really, the option that we are left with is what we have. We would poten tially, theoretically, do more if the option was available to us.”

Bailey did note that in past years, the rotating winter shelter typically housed somewhere around 20 to 30 people, “so we really believe that having the 10 proposed rooms at Davis Com munity Meals and Housing and the proposed 10 rooms at the Motel 6 is an accurate number. It is something we can work with.”

A number of Davis residents who have served as key volunteers in the effort of sheltering the homeless in years past, however, believe more beds are needed.

Shoshana Zatz, a board mem ber of HEART of Davis and founding member of Davis

Community Meals, said, “the Fifth Street house will only accommodate up to 10 people. We know from past experience there could be twice or three times that many people needing shelter on a nightly basis, … and the point in time count counted 181 homeless people in Davis.

“Even if the numbers are lower due to the good work of Davis Community Meals and others, we can’t just hope for the best. In particular, we need a contingency plan that would accommodate up to 30 people, we believe, espe cially in cases when the Fifth Street house would have to be closed due to COVID outbreaks, something that has happened at Fourth and Hope and it’s very possible it could happen here.”

Zatz encouraged the city to develop an incentive package for hotel owners “that would maybe make them more willing to pro vide rooms. Some incentives could be higher nightly pay ments, a guarantee of regular payments, damage payment guarantees, or reduction or waiver of the city hotel tax.”

No rooms

Others weighing in on Tuesday night included Maryann Kirsch, a board member of Davis Opportu nity Village, who said, “the plan as proposed by the staff that calls for 10 people in the Fifth Street house and 10 in motels is just not enough. I appreciate the efforts that have gone in to this proposal and working with the people who

are involved in this, and Dana Bailey, of course. However I believe that we need a greater capacity of at least 25, because when we were running the IRWS for 11 years, we averaged about 25, but we would have 40 some times.”

Planning Commissioner Steve Streeter, a member of the Davis Homelessness Alliance and respite center volunteer, sug gested having two individuals per motel room rather than one, pro vided there are no COVID out breaks.

“That could provide some flex ibility there,” he said.

Mayor Lucas Frerichs acknowl edged the concerns and said, “I don’t think there’s anybody who wants less rooms … we want to do more, but the reality is that right now we have one (motel) that is willing to provide rooms.”

He asked staff what the city could do to incentivize motels to do more.

City Manager Mike Webb replied that, “in terms of room rates, I would say rather than waiving (the city’s transit occu pancy tax which motels pay based on stays) which can get compli cated, we may offer a more pre mium rate to hoteliers that would offset that.”

That, in turn, Webb said, might incentivize “hoteliers that may otherwise be on the fence about whether they want to offer rooms to this service. Absolutely, we continue to have … ongoing dia logue with our local hoteliers to keep the door open.”

Council members appeared to support that approach.

Arnold noted that “it’s not as if the city is trying to figure out how to do less than we have in previ ous years, it’s that the capacity we already had was taken off the table and now we’re trying … as we have (for the last two years) to replace that capacity.

The total cost associated with the council’s actions on Tuesday includes $83,489 to run the emergency shelter at 512 Fifth St. and $90,000 for the 10 hotel rooms. Should more motel rooms become available, American Res cue Plan dollars could be used.

Courtesy photo

Motel 6 on Chiles Road in South Davis.

Today

n The Avid Reader will host Patricia Turner, author of “Trash Talk: Anti-Obama Lore and Race in the Twenty-First Century,” from 6 to 7 p.m. The bookstore is at at 617 Second St. in downtown Davis. Find detailed information at www.avidreaderbooks. com.

Saturday

n Bart Wickel and Zane Pickus will lead an Audubon field trip around Yolo County from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. On this trip, the challenge is to find as many species of sparrows as possible. To further the fun of this trip, participants will be able to check sparrows off of a bingo card. The trip is limited to 20 peo ple in five cars. All partic ipants are expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19. For informa tion and reservations, go to the group’s websites, yoloaudubon.org or face book.com/yoloaudubon society.

n The UC Davis Arbo retum hosts a Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Shop the 1-acre Teaching Nursery at 1046 Garrod Drive on campus for an incredible selection of Arboretum All-Stars, California natives and thousands of other attractive, low-water plants perfect for this region. Members of the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden and the Davis Botanical Society receive 10 percent off their pur chases. Join online or at the gate; new members receive a $10-off coupon as a thank-you for join ing.

n Yolo County Library and the Parks Division of the Yolo County General Services Department will team up to launch the free Go Wild Yolo event

to inspire kids and their families to get outdoors and investigate the won ders of the natural world.

A kickoff event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. will be activity-filled with arts and crafts, guided nature walks, live bug demon strations, and will pro vide a sneak peek at the library’s new Nature Explorer Backpacks at Capay Open Space Park, 15603 County Road 85 in Capay.

Sunday

n Capay Valley Vision will host the 21st annual Taste of Capay from 1 to 5 p.m. at Luna Lavender Farms, 7086 County Road 49 in Guinda. Taste of Capay is a longstand ing event in the Capay Valley and meant to cele brate the bounty of food grown in the community. The event will feature a multi-course dinner, music, silent auction and a live auction during din ner. Tickets for the event are available at https:// toc_2022.eventbrite. com. Each ticket is $75, and a table for eight guests is $560.

Friday, Oct. 28Saturday, Oct. 29

n Davis Community Church will offer some spooky fun with tours of the historic church, including a brew of sur prises cooked up by the church’s scouting pro grams. Tour the secret chambers of DCC from the pipe organ in the sanctuary to the hidden vault. The tours will be from 5 to 9 p.m. on both days. Signups are avail able on the church web site at dccpres.org/ events. Enter the church through the main entrance on Fourth Street. The suggested donation is $10. Call the church office with ques tions at 530-753-2894.

Brilliant and baffling bat facts

By Sara ThompSon Special to the Enterprise

There are more than 1,400 described spe cies of bats world wide. Behind rodents, they are the second-largest clas sification and make up 20% of all mammal spe cies. Popular culture has contributed to these ani mals being associated with fear and bad omens, but they are no different to any other animals.

Although they do carry diseases that are transfer able to humans, by leaving them alone and allowing them their natural space, there is no reason for bats to harm you. These crea tures are fascinating and are very different than most other mammals in the world.

Bats are the only mam mals to achieve powered flight. While others, such as flying squirrels and sugar gliders, can glide and soar, bats are the only ones that achieve true flight. Unlike birds, which have feathered wings, bats have a membrane, called the patagium, that stretches between the arm and down the side of their body. The membrane is further supported by the bat’s modified finger bones that are elongated and evenly spaced in the pata gium when the wing is fully extended. The mem brane is covered in touchsensitive receptors, similar to our fingertips, that help it sense differences in air current and can make adjustments while in flight.

Even though bats are feared and associated with vampirism, very few spe cies actually feed on blood. Out of the 1,400, only three feeding exclusively on blood. The others eat either fruit; insects; and a few eat smaller vertebrates such as fish, frogs, and liz ards. Typically, the larger species of bat, the more likely it is to feed on fruit,

exPlorit ScieNce ceNter

with the smaller ones eat ing insects.

Bats are nocturnal and use echolocation to maneuver in their environ ments. They send out sig nals ranging between 14,000-100,000 Hertz, many are beyond the hear ing capabilities of humans to hear. These signals bounce back and are received by specialized structures in the bats’ ears to navigate their environ ments or to track prey. The term “blind as a bat” is a misnomer. It is true that bats have small eyes and poor eyesight, but their ability to echolocate makes them very capable of navi gating the night. It is likely they are more aware of you than you are of them.

Bats are thought to have evolved to be nocturnal to evade predators during the day. Depending on where they live, the main preda tors of bats are birds of prey, such as hawks and owls, snakes, cats and even crocodiles if a bat flies low enough. Bats will roost in bark and damp places such as caves, under bridges and in logs. They have

several modifications that allow them to do their famous upside-down hang. Their legs connect to the hips in a way that they can bend up and outwards during flight. While perched, their tendons naturally want to grasp, and it takes extra effort and muscles to let go.

Bats are unique mam mals, with their echoloca tion capabilities and ability to accomplish sustained flight. Although they can carry diseases harmful to humans and pets, as long as they are left alone, there is no reason for them to harm you.

Exploit’s coming events:

n Explorit is open to the public on Fridays from 1-4pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is $5 per person. Explorit Members, ASTC, and those age 2 and under free.

n A membership to Explorit grants the recipient free visits to

Explorit’s regular public hours, discounts on events, summer camps and work shops, and gives you ASTC benefits to visit other museums throughout the world. To purchase or for more information visit https://www.explorit.org/ membership or call Explo rit at 530-756-0191.

n School programs are available to schedule. We have educational programs that travel to schools and options for field trips at our facility. Call 530-7560191 for more information or to schedule.

n Now is a great time to donate and help Explorit continue to educate and inspire the scientists of tomorrow: https://www. explorit.org/donate.

— Explorit Science Cen ter is at 3141 Fifth St. For information, call 530-7560191 or visit http://www. explorit.org, or “like” the Facebook page at www. facebook.com/explorit.fb.

U.S. NatioNal Park Service/Wikimedia commoNS Photo

A big-eared Townsend bat takes wing.

‘Till’: Absolutely riveting

Powerful acting fuels this slice of grim American history

By Derrick Bang Enterprise film critic

2017’s Academy Awardnominated live-action short subjects included filmmaker Kevin Wilson Jr.’s “My Nephew Emmett,” which dramatizes Moses Wright’s late-night dread, as he awaits the men who he knows will kill his nephew.

It’s a heart-stoppingly solemn, quietly powerful 20-minute experience.

Director Chinonye Chukwu’s “Till” is far from quiet, and even more pow erful. Thanks to her astute direction, along with a meticulously detailed and thoroughly absorbing script — co-written by Chukwu, Michael Reilly

racial slurs

Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall, center) pauses before entering the tiny grocery store, where the next few minutes will forever change his life, and the lives of many, many others.

and Keith Beauchamp — this film is mesmerizing, appalling and unforgetta ble.

(Beauchamp spent 27 years researching Till’s hei nous murder, and his research prompted the U.S. Department of Justice to reopen the case in 2004.)

Chukwu draws an abso lutely amazing perfor mance from Danielle

Deadwyler, cast as Emmett’s loving and pro tective mother, Mamie. When eventually con fronted with what has hap pened to her 14-year-old son — what he looks like, when she sees his brutally maimed body — Deadwyler summons a degree of anguish, heartbreak and fury that I’d not have

thought possible.

This goes far beyond act ing; she becomes Mamie Till.

Few film performances achieve the impact of simi lar work in a live theatrical production, because the screen remains a barrier between us and the actors.

But Deadwyler’s breathtak ing work here is a rare

exception; she unerringly navigates an astonishing range of richly nuanced emotions, as Mamie reso lutely embarks on a path she never would have cho sen for herself, and often dreads walking.

But that comes later.

Equally impressive is the degree of restraint and dig nity with which Chukwu

and her writers allow this story to unfold; this must’ve been quite difficult, considering the heinous ness of what occurred.

Events begin in Chicago, in the summer of 1955. Mamie is a widowed single mother — her husband died in action during

Upcoming arts: Hamlet, horn, harpsichord, and Connie Han

By Jeff Hudson Enterprise arts writer

Contemporary American jazz by a California-born pianist, a chamber music classic by Mozart, an innovative modern take on a Shakespeare tragedy, songs from a vocalist born on a palm-dotted tropical Caribbean island, and some spooky harpsichord music for Halloween are among the diverse performances coming up during the remainder of October.

This Mondavi weekend

There are still a few seats avail able for the Connie Han Trio, performing in the Vanderhoef Studio Theater at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night (Oct. 21) and Satur day night (Oct. 22). Han is a jazz pianist, now in her 20s, who grew up in the Los Angeles area and has released four albums, which have drawn critical praise. $45, MondaviArts.org.

There are still seats available for the two performances of Why Not Theatre’s production of “Prince Hamlet,” a bilingual adaptation of the classic tragedy which will feature Shakespeare’s original language, as well as actors doing their lines in Ameri can Sign Language.

Why Not Theatre is an innova tive, multidisciplinary Canadian theater company based in Toronto, which likes to mount ambitious idea-packed produc tions. Mondavi performances will be on Friday, Oct. 21, and Satur day, Oct. 22, in Jackson Hall, both at 7:30 p.m. $65-$35 gen eral, with discounts for students, MondaviArts.org.

Next Mondavi weekend

The young Latina vocalist Nella, who was born in Venezuela (on the Caribbean Isla de Mar garita, which Columbus visited in

1498) and studied music at the Berklee College of Music in Bos ton, visits the Mondavi Center for the first time on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in Jackson Hall. Her music draws on South American folk music and tradi tional Spanish music from the Andalusia region. Nella’s debut album (“Voy,” 2019) won a Best New Artist at the Latin Grammy Awards, and her second album (“Doce margaritas”) was released in 2021 on the Sony label. $65$37 general, discounts for stu dents, MondaviArts.org.

Horn virtuoso

The Chamber Music Society of Sacramento is once again hosting visiting French horn virtuoso Philip Myers, who served as french horn principal with the New York Philharmonic from 1980 until his retirement in 2017.

Myers has won multiple awards

and accolades over the course of his long career, and he was inducted by the International Horn Society when that organiza tion met in London in 2014. His recordings include a recording of the Richard Strauss Horn Con certo No. 1 with the New York Philharmonic. The Chamber Music Society’s Davis performance with Myers will be on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mar tin’s Episcopal Church, 640 Haw thorn Lane in Davis.

There will also be a Sacramento performance in the music building on the Sacramento State campus on Sunday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. The program will feature the Mozart Horn Quintet in E-flat major (K. 407), and Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s Wind Quintet, Op. 43 (composed in 1922), plus string players from the Chamber Music Society performing the Beethoven String Quartet in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1. $30 general, $25 seniors

(age 60+, $12 students with ID and children), CMSSACTO.org.

In time for Halloween...

UC Davis harpsichord instruc tor Dr. Faythe Vollrath will pres ent a free one-hour noontime recital titled “The Macabre: A Harpsichord Halloween” on Thursday, Oct. 27, in the Pitzer Center on the UCD campus.

Vollrath will play “Spine-chill ing chords and cackling runs (that) bring alive a concert of things that go bump in the night,” including music by Baroque era composers including J.S. Bach and Domenico Scarlatti, as well as contemporary harpsichord music by James Dorsa of the CSU Northridge faculty in Los Ange les. No ticket is required for admission; the concert will also be carried for viewing live (as well as on-demand) on YouTube’s UC Davis Music Channel.

Starring: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison, Sean Patrick Thomas, John Douglas Thompson, Haley Bennett, Whoopi Goldberg, Tosin Cole, Roger Guenveur Smith

Available via: Movie theaters

Courtesy photo

NiNa rodriguez/Courtesy photo

Nella’s latest album, “Voy,” has earned the singer a 2019 Latin Grammy nomination.

Courtesy photo French horn player Philip Myers will join The Chamber Music Society of Sacramento at St. Martin’s Church on Oct. 29.

See

Rowin’s Rattlebox headlines next Odd Fellows Thursday Live! show

Special to The

The Davis Odd Fellows Thursday Live! music series continues Nov. 3 with Lorin Rowan and Rattlebox. Perfor mances are in the Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second St. in down town Davis.

Lorin and his brother Chris moved to Marin in the early 1970s. They joined their brother Peter Rowan to form “The Rowan Brothers” and record their first album. Pro ducer David Geffen signed

them to record albums includ ing “Sibling Rivalry” and “Jubilation," their countryrock arrangements featuring their sterling three-part har monies.

Thursday Live! brings Lorin Rowan’s Rattlebox to play what they call “progressive acoustic Americana.” The band features Lorin on guitar and vocals; Doug Harman, on cello and vocals, a regular with the Norton Buffalo band; Mookie Siegel, on keyboard, who plays with bands

including Phil Lesh, David Nelson and New Riders of the Purple Sage; and Ken Emer son, on dobro/lap steel, who also plays with Todd Rund gren and Steely Dan.

The doors for Thursday Live! open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Donations are encouraged, with all proceeds going to the musicians. Thursday Live! is presented by the Davis Odd Fellows Music Committee with the support of KDRT radio.

TILL: The palpable tension is almost beyond endurance

From

World War II — who is the head of her household, and (tellingly) the sole Black woman working for the Air Force in this city. She dotes on Emmett (Jalyn Hall), nicknamed “Bobo,” her only child; he’s an irre pressibly cheerful bundle of energy.

Hall’s performance is equally engaging; his handling of Emmett is a blend of enthusiasm and joy, with subtle touches of youthful arrogance. He simply loves life, his gaze forever radiant. (It’s difficult to be certain, as a viewer, if we detect the boy’s somewhat reckless streak on its own, or because we already know that this side of Emmett will prove his undoing.)

Emmett has been invited to visit cousins and his Uncle Moses (John Douglas Thompson), down in Money, a small town in the Missis sippi Delta region. Having been born and raised in Chicago, Emmett has no concept of life and the unspoken rules in the Jim Crow-era South; although he lis tens attentively while his mother repeatedly instructs and cautions about proper (read: safe) behavior, we can tell that he really isn’t paying attention.

Emmett asks, during a final shopping spree, for a new wallet to take on the trip. She obliges; cine matographer Bobby Bukowski’s

camera holds, when he returns home, fills the wallet with his mea ger small change, and impulsively retains the stock photo — of a white woman — in the interior window.

Chukwu and Bukowski deftly work our emotions, throughout this film, with subtle and telling cine matographic decisions. Another comes the next morning, when the camera slowly pulls away from Emmett’s mother, standing on the platform, as his train leaves. The implication is clear.

Once among his Mississippi rela tions, who earn their living by working cotton fields, Emmett is the reverse of the old cliché: a city mouse who hasn’t the faintest idea how to navigate life in the country.

The crisis hits after work one day, when he and his cousins head to what passes for the center of town. Emmett wanders into a small gro cery store, where its white propri etor, Carolyn Bryant (Haley Bennett), eyes him coldly from behind the counter. He reaches into a jar to extract some penny candy; Bryant’s expression tightens, and we know that he already has made a mistake.

Emmett remains oblivious, pays for the candy, and then compounds the felony by talking to her in a way that’s wholly innocent (from any rational person’s point of view), but offensively inappropriate (from

hers). And then he makes it even worse

A few nights later, with Emmett and his cousins in bed, Moses is brought to the door by angry pounding. Bryant’s husband Roy (Sean Michael Weber) and his halfbrother J.W. Milam (Eric Whitten), both armed, demand that Moses produce Emmett.

The palpable tension is almost beyond endurance.

Thompson sublimely conveys Moses’ comprehension, terror and impotent frustration; he knows full well that a failure to cooperate could result in the slaughter of everybody in the house. Hall is equally heartbreaking, as the initial confusion and bewilderment in Emmett’s eyes shifts to fear.

Thankfully, what happens soon thereafter takes place off-camera, albeit punctuated by a boy’s shrieks of agony. Which are horrific enough.

What Mamie subsequently does — confronted first with the news, and then, a few days later, with word that her son’s body has been found — is audacious and unbeliev ably brave. It made her a lightning rod in the blossoming Civil Rights movement.

Sean Patrick Thomas shines as Gene Mobley, a barber courting Mamie as this saga begins, and who soon would become her third

husband and steadfast companion until he died in 2000. Here he’s the rock against which Mamie leans, at her lowest moments.

Roger Guenveur Smith is the epitome of dignity as Dr. T.R.M. Howard, who becomes an early ally and invaluable resource for Mamie; Tosin Cole brings passion, intelli gence and shrewd perception to his role as Medgar Evers, soon to become another key Civil Rights icon.

Frankie Faison is excellent in a telling role as John Carthan, Mamie’s estranged father, who abandoned his family and remar ried years earlier. We catch this man in the midst of transition; there’s a sense that he’s already attempting to mend fences, and this crisis gives him an opportunity to step up, and atone for past mistakes. Faison’s earnest performance is heartwarm ing.

I’m less satisfied with Whoopi Goldberg’s portrayal of Mamie’s mother. Unlike all the other actors in this film, who fully inhabit their roles, Goldberg can’t seem to escape being … well … herself.

On the other hand, Bennett’s performance as Carolyn Bryant is sublime … and the stuff of night mares. In a way, this woman’s tightlipped, judgmental, insufferably condescending and viciously racist behavior is even worse than that of

the men who defile and kill Emmett; after all, she sends them.

Each time you think we’ve seen the worst of Carolyn, she descends even further into the well of pure, unrestrained evil.

Chukwu and editor Ron Patane amplify these excellent perfor mances with a telling manipulation of music and ambient sounds, the latter occasionally silenced for dra matic impact. Abel Korzeniowski’s stirring score often plays to the subtler aspect of a given scene, rather than shadow what seems obvious: as when Mamie first sees her son’s body, and the music aug ments not her pain — so obvious in Deadwyler’s shattered expression and body language — but her rising anger and resolve to do something.

When the screen goes black after the story’s final frustrating scenes, several text blocks supply essential “what happened next” information. None is more infuriating than what Look magazine published in Janu ary 1956, which to this day remains a blistering indictment of “justice” in the Jim Crow South.

You’ll not soon forget this film, which is guaranteed multiple Acad emy Awards early next year.

— Read more of Derrick Bang’s film criticism at http://derrick bang.blogspot.com. Comment on this review at www.davisenter prise.com.

© 2013 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jef Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 29, No. 46

Clockwise from top left, Lorin Rowan, Doug Harman, Mookie Siegel and Ken Emerson comprise Rattlebox, which headlines the Nov. 3 Thursday Live! show at the Davis Odd Fellows Hall.

Courtesy photos

The anti-Semitic cancer at UC Berkeley Law

When cancer appears in almost any person, virtually no one puts up with it for long even if it affects “only” 9 percent of their body. Almost everyone acts quickly to cut it out or stop it in its tracks. Why? Because cancers often metastasize and spread.

So why, when almost all col lege and university officials would agree that open discrimi nation in their schools and col leges amounts to academic cancer, does the UC Berkeley School of Law put up with an obvious case? And why don’t campus officials even mention the UC Regents’ ban on antiSemitism at all their campuses?

While they deny being antiSemitic, some Berkeley Law stu dent groups have essentially set themselves up as “Jew-free” zones, as one newspaper termed it. If they singled out anyone but Jews, their actions would be denounced roundly by liberals and progressives as threats to free speech, discipline to follow.

Not that anti-Semitism is new to UC campuses, especially Berkeley, where 10 years ago, Palestinian students set up roadblocks near the landmark

Letters

Extreme and unnecessary

Will voting “No” on Proposi tion 1 take away a woman’s right to an abortion in California? No. California already has some of the most progressive abortion laws in the nation, which guarantee a woman’s right to an abortion, with reasonable limits on lateterm abortions, which are per mitted when medically necessary. Voting against Prop. 1 will not change these laws.

Instead, Prop 1 would bake into California’s constitution one of the most extreme abortion laws in the world. Most states and 47 European countries limit lateterm abortions, including Cali fornia. A recent Harris Poll found that 90% of Americans support limits on late-term abortions.

Likewise, recent polling shows that most California voters sup port limitations on late-term abortions, as well.

Does Prop. 1 allow late-term abortions? Yes. Read Prop. 1 for yourself. Unlike current state law, Prop. 1 contains no limits on abortion, allowing taxpayerfunded, late-term abortions at any time, for any reason, up to the moment of birth — even if the baby is healthy and the life of the mother is not threatened. Vote “No” on Prop. 1.

Lisa Bell Davis

Skin in the game

Many scientists at UC Davis are experiencing climate anxiety and according to UCD News, UCD scientists are dealing with this by turning “climate anxiety into cli mate action.” District 1 candidate

Kelsey Fortune admits to going through the same period of anxi ety and depression. She is young and will likely live to suffer the full consequences of the climate crisis. With skin in the game, she has even more reason to worry.

Today, Kelsey Fortune’s chosen path from climate anxiety to cli mate action is to run for the Davis City Council. She is hoping to implement the policy changes that research tells us are critical to our immediate future.

Kelsey knows first hand that the housing crisis in Davis is real and that creating new infrastruc ture and services is costly. Rather than jumping to large-scale new

Sather Gate, stopping and harassing anyone they thought might be a Jew. Those students went unpunished.

So far, nine law-student groups now have bylaws ban ning speakers who support Israel or Zionism, the concept that Jews are entitled to sover eignty in their historic home land. Under the last four presidents, the United States government has defined this as anti-Semitism.

Among others, the groups include Women of Berkeley Law, Asian Pacific American Law Students, Law Students of African Descent and the Queer Caucus.

Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, a self-described “progressive Zionist,” wrote after the group actions were exposed that he would be excluded under

development on the periphery, she supports reducing green house gas emissions and reducing city costs by building where the infrastructure already exists. This also saves our residents money by helping people bike (as she does) and walk , thereby reducing the cost of owning a car .

Kelsey supports the immediate implementation of the downtown plan that provides 1,000 units of housing adjacent to services, the campus and the train. She cites a need for more townhouses, court yard housing, and flats, some of which could be built on city park ing lots. Further, she supports the implementation of policies (already implemented in Winters and Sacramento) that assist the building of accessory units on residential properties

Business as usual is easy; intro ducing new ideas is not. Without informed young council members willing to fight for doing things differently, Village Homes would not exist. Davis City Council approval of Village Homes was led by then-recent UCD gradu ates Ann Evans and Robert Black who were willing to support outof-the box innovations that time has proven to be highly success ful! We in District 1 have an opportunity to vote for another such creative, forward thinking young candidate.

I feel our council needs her pas sion, vision and energy. I am vot ing for Kelsey Fortune.

Judy Corbett Davis

Sukkot success

The Partnership Committee of Congregation Bet Haverim would like to offer a huge thank you to everyone that helped make our Sukkot Food Truck event such a lively and festive event. It was wonderful to be back together enjoying our beautiful campus.

Thank you to our synagogues sukkah builders for getting the structure up and decorated (and to those that will take it down) and to all the Bet Haverim staff that played a part in helping us pull this event off. A huge hearted thank you to Kado’s Asian Grill Food Truck, that on their own (not the plan) fed all our guests and donated 10% of their sales back to our community.

The scene was set by the fan tastic live music by The Folk Music Folks that also raised funds for the wonderful Biberstein Social Action Fund and desserts were bountiful thanks to our of

enterprise

McNaughton Newspaper

the rule, along with 90 percent of the school’s Jewish students.

This rule was suggested by the Law Students for Justice in Palestine. Ironically, while Pal estinians enjoy self-government in Gaza and the West Bank areas adjacent to Israel, they bring little justice, with killing and torture commonplace for persons who oppose dictatorial regimes there.

Chemerinsky says “only a handful of student groups (nine) out of over 100 at Berkeley Law did this.”

Chemerinsky, previously the founding dean of the UC Irvine Law School, noted that the groups “have free speech rights, including to express messages that I and others might find offensive.”

In the context of polls show ing the vast majority of Ameri can Jews (81 percent in one recent survey), believe it’s important to care about Israel, Chemerinsky wrote that “excluding speakers on the basis of their viewpoint is inconsistent with our commitment to free speech.”

But he’s done nothing about

it. That’s also what other Cali fornia public universities do about on-campus anti-Semi tism: very little or nothing.

When Palestinian students dis rupted speeches by Israelis at the Irvine campus, they were not expelled. When student gov ernments like UCLA’s tried to keep Jewish elected student offi cials from voting in their meet ings strictly because they are Jews, no one was thrown out, even though those actions caused some Jewish students to transfer or hide their identities for fear of physical attacks.

So far, Chemerinsky has not even chastised the groups which adopted the noZionists policy, instead writing that no group has yet acted on it. Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ, called the groups’ new rule “regrettable,” but wrote that “there is no legal basis for sanc tioning, defunding or deregis tering” those clubs. Does this mean the Regents who employ her adopted an illegal rule against anti-Semitism?

Would Chemerinsky or Christ be so passive if these were farright anti-Semites like the Oath

Keepers or Proud Boys? Do left ist anti-Semites get a pass?

There is little doubt the stu dent groups are now part of the new anti-Semitic movement that substitutes the term “antiZionist” for “anti-Semitic” when they push hatred of Jews. That same movement this month papered parts of San Marino and Pasadena on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur with flagrantly false and antiJewish flyers.

It’s no wonder some Jewish students on UC campuses feel compelled to hide a major part of their identity. Which ought to lead the regents who nominally run UC to put some teeth in their anti-Semitism ban. For history repeatedly shows that when authorities leave antiSemites unchecked, they often turn violent or murderous.

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, “The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treat ment and the Government’s Campaign to Squelch It,” is now available in a softcover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net.

Sebastian Oñate Editor

our local teens mitvah project back sale that benefited HIAS, an organization that provides an array of comprehensive, costeffective immigration and citizen ship services to hundreds of individuals and families.

All in all, a super sukkot suc cess!

Raychel Kubby Adler Davis

Kelsey

Kelsey Fortune opposed the measure H (DISC) project on the grounds that the developers exag gerated the benefits and played down the long-term detrimental effects. She said more could be accomplished by implementing the downtown plan, which was completed in 2019. In addition to the 1,000 housing units allotted in the downtown plan, she feels housing for families should be built on the open land currently allotted for development in the general plan. Kelsey’s council opponents were strong support ers of DISC and disregarded its negative impacts.

Kelsey Fortune recognizes the unparalleled threats from climate change and realizes we have to act immediately and aggressively. If elected, she will take the lead on combating climate change, some thing that none of the current Council Members have done.

Speak out President

The Hon. Joe Biden, The White House, Washington, D.C., 20500; 202-456-1111 (comments), 202-456-1414 (switchboard); email: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

U.S. Senate

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20510; 202-224-3841; email: http://feinstein. senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me

Sen. Alex Padilla, B03 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20510;

Over two years ago they declared a climate emergency but did not follow through with any mean ingful action, letting many oppor tunities pass them by.

If you are concerned about our future, please help elect her to the Davis City Council.

Jim Zanetto Davis

District elections

Let me start by saying that I dislike (to put it mildly) having district elections in Davis. The “at-large” system was working well for many many years. And, I dislike even more how Davis was forced to go to district elections as the result of a legal threat. With that said, however, I must com ment on Bob Dunning’s Oct. 16 column about district elections. He simply is not living in the real world.

Specifically, I object to his cheap shot at the city council for not objecting to the legal threat from Woodland attorney (and former Yolo Supervisor) Matt Rexroad unless Davis moved to district elections. Bob is correct when he described Rexroad’s assertion that at-large elections had “produced racially polarized voting” as “pure and simple non sense.”

But, Bob’s statement that the city council lacked “courage” to

202-224-3553; email: padilla.senate. gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me

House of Representatives

Rep. John Garamendi (3rd District), 2368 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20515; 202-225-1880. District office: 412 G St., Davis, CA 95616; 530-753-5301; email: visit https://garamendi.house.gov/contact/ email

Governor

Gov. Gavin Newsom, State Capitol, Suite 1173, Sacramento, CA 95814; 916-4452841; email: visit https://govapps.gov. ca.gov/gov40mail/

stand up to Rexroad’s threat (go to district elections or you will be sued) is simply not based in real ity. Does Bob have any idea how much the city would have had to spend on legal costs to defend the lawsuit? Hundreds of thousands. Maybe millions. And probably more. And with no guarantee of prevailing.

Several California cities have gone to trial and lost. The city of Santa Monica is appealing and to date, according to National Demographics Corporation, has spent between $7-10 million in legal costs, with plaintiffs seeking $2 million in legal fees for the initial trial. (https://www.ndcre search.com/voting-rights-actdemographic-analysis/ cvra-lawsuits-are-expensive-2/).

As I commented in a letter to the editor several years ago when Bob also wrote about district elections and the city council, if the city had gone to court and spent millions of dollars defend ing its position, I’m sure Bob’s column would have criticized the city council for unwisely spending the city’s limited resources on a lawsuit they were destined to lose.

Unless he has a printing press or suggestions on what city ser vices to cut to pay for the legal expenses, his cheap shots are not productive.

Yvonne Hunter Davis

We welcome your letters

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Limit letters to 350 words.

Anonymous letters will not be accepted. We reserve the right to edit all letters for brevity or clarity. Mail letters to The Davis Enterprise, P.O. Box 1470, Davis, CA 95617; bring them to 315 G St.; fax them to 530-756-1668; or email them to newsroom@davis enterprise.net.

Pearls Before Swine

By

By Stephan Pastis

Dilbert

By Scott

Classic Peanuts

By Charles M. Schulz

PUZZLE BY RUTH BLOOMFIELD MARGOLIN

New

Ambitious Sudoku 2 See the Sudoku solutions at the bottom of the page.

Sports

You can root for the Tree this weekend

This week’s picks are as follows:

STANFORD over ARIZONA STATE ... Don’t know if Stanford has exactly become a world power, but it was a nice win over a completely overrated Notre Dame outfit last weekend. Go Tree.

WASHINGTON over CAL ... What has happened to the Golden Bears oncepromising offense? This is a disaster in the making if Cal can’t resume its winning ways down the stretch.

OREGON STATE over COLORADO quick, Beaver fans, when’s the last time Oregon State was favored by 24 points over anyone? And no, Corvallis High School in 1915 does not count. Even the Beavers won’t blow this one, which will allow them to become bowl eligible before Halloween, which is downright scary.

SACRAMENTO STATE over MONTANA ... A late-night ESPN2 show down between the high-flying Hornets and the perennial Big Sky power from

Missoula.

The shine was taken off this one slightly when the Griz managed only 220 yards of total offense in a loss to Idaho last weekend, but this should be a good one.

At this point, the Hornets look unstoppable, but anything can happen in the Big Sky on any given Saturday.

MONTANA STATE over WEBER STATE ... Another Big Sky battle with playoff implications between two of the top teams in the country.

UPSET OF THE WEEK: UCLA over Oregon ... Chip Kelly returns to Eugene with all the pieces in place for a Pac-12

title run, but the Ducks won’t make it easy.

This could be the best game in the country on Saturday. (Upset record: 1-6).

ROUT OF THE WEEK: The Ohio State University over Iowa ... The Hawk eyes have a better-than-average defense, but you won’t beat the Buckeyes with defense alone. (Rout record: 7-0)

DON’T BET ON IT, BUT: Ole Miss over LSU ... The Rebs are rolling. (Don’t bet record: 4-3).

FIVE EASY PICKS: As last week proved, there are no easy picks in college football. This week’s flat-out guesses are Tennessee (over Tennessee-Martin), Notre Dame (over UNLV), Wake Forest (over Boston College), San Jose State (over New Mexico State) and South Dakota State (over North Dakota). (FEP record: 34-1).

AGGIES over NORTHERN COLORADO ... After a tough five-game stretch to start the season, UC Davis

WEEK: Gilliam now has 4,077 yards rushing

From

did lead Montana State, 14-3, last Saturday before running out of gas in the second half in a 37-14 loss.

“I was so proud of our team in the first half,” McCaffrey told the Greeley Tribune after the loss. “We stood toe-to-toe with a top five team in the country. We were fighting them and trading punches.”

Be that as it may, the Bears are riding a threegame losing streak where their defense has been largely absent.

Idaho and Sac State both put up 55 points on UNC in lopsided wins.

On offense, McCaffrey’s son, Dylan, leads the way

at quarterback with 1,071 yards and six touchdowns through the air, while Sacramento State transfer Elijah Dotson is the lead ing rusher with 454 yards and four scores.

“They have a very tal ented quarterback,” Hawkins said of McCaffrey.

“We’re just trying to go 1-0 this week. We need to keep getting better and sharpen our saw.”

Stopping McCaffrey will be up to an improving Aggie defense that includes Devon King, who is now the all-time UCD career leader in solo tackles with 138 after a standout performance against Northern Arizona.

“UC Davis has a great defensive history, so that was a big moment for me to break a record like that.” King offered.

On the other side of scrimmage, all-every thing running back Ulo nzo Gilliam continues to break school records every time he touches the ball.

Gilliam is the all-time leader with 4,077 yards rushing, and also leads in total offense with 5,388 yards.

He is third in scoring with 260 points behind placekickers Brady Stu art (274) and Eddie Loretto (273) and is one of only 12 running backs

in Big Sky history to sur pass 4,000 yards rush ing.

Added Hawkins, “4,000 yards is a school record that will likely never be broken.”

The Aggies return home Saturday, Oct. 29 against Cal Poly, followed by another home date against Idaho State before finish ing on the road at Idaho and Sacramento State.

The FCS selection committee will announce its 24 playoff bids on Sunday, Nov. 20, with first round games to begin Nov. 26 at home sites around the country.

— Contact Bob Dunning at bdunning@ davisenterprise.net.

finally found its footing last Saturday against Northern Arizona. Now they take on another Big Sky “Northern” from Greeley, but the result will be the same.

Look out folks, there’s an Aggie freight train roaring through town. Takes the Ags by 28.

OTHER GAMES: Miami (Fla.) over Duke, Baylor over Kansas, Kent State over Akron, Brigham Young over Liberty, Maryland over Northwestern, Texas over Oklahoma State, Charlotte over Florida International, Texas-San Antonio over North Texas, Missouri over Vanderbilt, Holy Cross over Lafayette, Alabama over Mississippi State, Sam Houston over Utah Tech, Penn State over Minnesota, Texas A&M over South Carolina, San Diego State over Nevada, and Fresno State over New Mexico.

Last week: 22-12, season: 249-56, per centage: .813.

— Contact Bob Dunning at bdun ning@davisenterprise.net.

sports

Aggies focused on one week at a time

UC Davis may be just 2-4 overall and unranked nationally as it enters the second half of the college football season, but Aggie eyes are squarely fixed on a return to the Football Championship Subdivision playoff at season’s end.

Believe it not, things are setting up nicely for the Aggies after they righted their ship Saturday with a convincing and satisfying 56-27 thumping of Northern Arizona.

“We emphasize process a lot, but it’s nice when our guys can see the fruits of their labor,” said Aggie head coach Dan Hawkins after the win. “Happy to see them have something to smile about and have some fun. I relish that they get to experience this success. That does a lot for your soul.”

Smiling was in short supply as the Aggies struggled through a 1-4 start

against the toughest schedule in school history, and Hawkins hopes his troops will have even more to smile about this Saturday (noon PDT) as they travel to Greeley to take on the Northern Colorado Bears, who are 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the Big Sky.

So, how is this all setting up nicely for the Aggies in their quest for a return trip to the FCS postseason?

Let us count the ways.

Football

The Aggies, it turns out, didn’t lose those four games to just anybody. The first was to the FBS California Golden Bears. The selection committee never holds an early-season FBS loss against a team.

The other three losses have been to No. 1 South Dakota State, 24-22, No. 3 Montana State, 41-24, and No. 5 Weber State, 17-12. In other words, the Aggies have shown they can compete with the nation’s best.

Still, having four losses to anyone is a tough sell, and the margin of error the rest of the way has been reduced to zero, but in Northern Colorado, Cal Poly and Idaho State, the Aggies will be heavily favored each time out. They are a three touchdown pick this Saturday.

Being favored, of course, doesn’t guarantee anything, but when you’re in need of a win, it’s better to be playing

Northern Colorado than the Alabama Crimson Tide.

If the Aggies can emerge from this three-game stretch at 5-4, they will be facing two more ranked teams in No. 17 Idaho and No. 2 Sacramento State.

Assuming that those two continue their winning ways.

What better way to convince the selection committee of your worthiness than to finish the season with a pair of wins over highly ranked opponents as part of a 6-0 stretch run?

But first things first. Turns out, Northern Colorado hasn’t agreed to any part of this scenario.

Since three-time Super Bowl cham pion Ed McCaffrey took over as head coach at the start of last season, the Bears have had more downs than ups, but they

WeeK,

At top, Davis wide receiver Sawyer Schoen (18) looks for room to run while running back Cole Broussard (24) sets up to block a Sheldon player in a Delta League game at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium on Oct. 14.

At right, Blue Devil tight end AJ Hasson (44) finds room to run against Elk Grove in another league game on Sept. 30. Tonight, the Blue Devils take on Pleasant Grove. A Davis win could keep its slim playoff hopes alive.

Mike trask/ enterprise File photos

Blue Devils preparing for Eagles

By MiKe BuSh Enterprise sports editor

One week.

That’s how much time that the Davis High football team has left in its regular season. Could the season, somehow, be extended into Novem ber, is the question.

Today at 7:15, DHS (0-4 in the Delta League, 2-6) takes on Pleas ant Grove (0-4 in the DL, 0-8) at Sheldon-Pleasant Grove Stadium on the Sheldon High campus.

Davis head coach Nick Garratt is looking past the Eagles’ winless record.

“I think that they are hungry,” said Garratt on Wednesday. “And it’s their Senior Night. I think they have shown a lot of good things on tape. They have a lot of the pieces there to compete.”

The Blue Devils’ practices this week have been “productive” accord ing to Garratt.

“We’ve had a pretty competitive, enthusiastic practice for competi tion Tuesday,” Garratt said. “Some thing that we want to carry on into (Wednesday).”

The question for the Blue Devils

entering tonight’s game is who the starting quarterback who is going to face Pleasant Grove.

Sophomore Braulio Acevedo, who has started all of Davis’ games this season, handled the snaps in the first quarter against Sheldon, which posted a 38-17 win at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium on Oct. 15.

Then junior wide receiver Sawyer Schoen, who is the Blue Devils’ back-up quarterback, took over in the second quarter through the rest of the game.

“We’re just trying to commit, compete and complete this week,” Garratt said.

DHS running back Cole Brous sard, a senior, has been getting the bulk of the handoffs in recent weeks.

There were other Blue Devil run ning backs who had touches in the game against Sheldon such as Jack Barrera and Elijah Conlan.

“I am looking to build on that momentum that we started,” Garratt said. “We’ll see how it works out (Wednesday).”

Garratt said that running back Jude Vaughn would not be playing in tonight’s game. Vaughn, also a senior, has been nursing a pulled

hamstring in his left thigh.

Should Davis High beat Pleasant Grove tonight, it could still be in the running to grab a Sac-Joaquin Sec tion playoff berth. Only four wins, overall, are needed to earn a spot.

The Blue Devils would need to beat Jesuit (4-0 in the DL, 7-1) in their regular-season finale in Carmi chael on Saturday, Oct. 29, to be considered for an at-large playoff berth.

According to Calpreps’ Website, Davis has a -9.8 rating. Teams with a negative rating, usually in single digits, have made the playoffs last season and recent seasons prior to the pandemic.

Tonight at 7:15, Jesuit takes on Elk Grove (4-0 in the DL, 5-3) in which the winner has the inside track toward winning the league title.

The other Delta League game tonight is Franklin (2-2 in the DL, 2-6) at Cosumnes Oaks (2-3, 3-6) at 7:15.

Sheldon (3-2, 6-3) has the bye week.

— Contact Mike Bush at mike @davisenterprise.net. Follow on Twitter: @MBDavisSports.

UCD’s Pepper earns preseason honors

roundup

IRVINE — UC Davis junior guard Elijah Pep per was named to the 2022-23 All-Big West Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Team, the conference office announced Wednesday.

Pepper is coming off consecutive All-Big West Second Team selections as he led the Aggies with a career-high 15.1 points per game. The Selah, Wash. native was fifth in the conference in scoring, second in steals and second in threes per game at 1.6 and 2.3, respectively.

The 6-foot-4 guard boasted 20 double-digit scoring performances and averaged a career-high 5.4 rebounds per contest.

Pepper has increased his scoring output every season and enters the season averaging 12.2 points and 5.2 boards per game with 119 made 3-pointers.

UC Davis was selected to finish sixth in the preseason coaches’ poll with 54 points. UC Santa Barbara was slated to win the league with 99 points.

The Aggies begin the season on the road at Cal on Monday, Nov. 7. Then UCD will open at home against Cal Maritime on Wednesday, Nov. 9.

DHS girls field hockey

Emma Brayton scored on a penalty corner shot, which proved to be the difference for the Davis High girls field hockey team that posted a 2-1 win over Pleasant Valley on the road Tuesday.

Davis (9-0 in the Eastern Athletic League, 10-5) scored its only goals of the game in the fourth and opening quarters.

Eveyln Soller scored the Blue Devils’ other goal in the first quarter, also on a penalty corner shot.

Blue Devils girls golf

Davis High girls golf team competed at the Delta League’s Center Meet on Monday but were unable to qualify for the Sac-Joaquin Section Meet as a team.

Blue Devil players Saera Ojha and Alessandra Trask qualified as individuals for the section’s Divisional I tournament, which will take place at the Timber Creek Golf Course in Roseville this Monday

Saera also made All-League.

Jr. Blue Devils

The Davis Jr. Blue Devils midget football team fell to the East Nicholas Jr. Spartans 38-8 at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium on Oct. 15.

Brannon Hicklin caught a 28-yard pass from Lucas O’Hare for the lone score. Landry Clark booted the extra-point.

Hicklin finished the night rushing for 41 yards and caught two passes for 32 yards.

Mike bush/enterprise File photo

UC Davis guard Elijah Pepper (40) gets ready to take a shot over a CSU Fullerton player in a Big West Conference game at the University Credit Union in January.

Offered

Rising interest rates depress September home sales and prices, C.A.R. reports

LOS ANGELES — Following a brief sales bounce back in August, rapidly rising mortgage rates slowed California home sales in September and resumed the month-to-month declining trend that began in the spring, the CALIFORNIA ASSO CIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) said.

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a season ally adjusted annualized rate of 305,680 in Sep tember, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associ ations and MLSs statewide. The statewide annu alized sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2022 if sales maintained the September pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales. September’s sales pace was down 2.5 percent on a monthly basis from 313,540 in August and down 30.2 per cent from a year ago, when 438,190 homes were sold on an annualized basis.

Home sales have dipped for 15 straight months on a year-over-year basis, and it was the second time in the last three months that sales dropped more than 30 percent from the year-ago level. The monthly 2.5 percent sales decrease was worse than the long-run average of 0 percent change re corded between an August and a September in the past 43 years. Sales in all price segments contin ued to drop by 25 percent or more year-over-year,

with the sub-$300k price range falling the most at 36.7 percent. Sales of million-dollar homes fell by double-digits again for the fourth consecutive month, with the high-end market segment dip ping 25.6 percent from the same month last year.

“With interest rates rising rapidly since the beginning of the year, buyers and sellers are having difficulties adapting to the market’s new ‘normal,’” said C.A.R. President Otto Catrina, a Bay Area real estate broker and REALTOR®. “As the market continues to evolve in the next 1218 months, REALTORS® will be playing an ev er-more important role as trusted advisors to guide their clients through the complicated buy ing and selling process and help them overcome their obstacles during these challenging times.”

The statewide median home price continued to increase on a year-over-year basis in Sep tember, but the growth rate remained very mild compared to those observed earlier this year. At an increase of 1.6 percent year-over-year, Sep tember marked the fourth consecutive month with a single-digit annual increase. The lessthan-2-percent growth rate in the statewide median price was much lower than the 6-month average growth rate of 6.7 percent recorded between March 2022 and August 2022. The -2.1 percent month-to-month decline in September was slightly lower than the long-run average of -1.8 percent recorded between an August and

a September in the past 43 years. With mort gage rates rising and the average 30-year FRM approaching 7 percent in the past week, home prices will drop further in the coming months as affordability remains a challenge.

“September’s sales and price declines reaf firm our forecast for next year,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Jordan Levine. “High inflationary pressures will keep mortgage rates elevated, which will reduce homebuyers’ purchasing power and depress housing afford ability in the upcoming year. With borrowing costs remaining high in the next 12 months, a pull-back in sales and a downward adjustment in home prices are expected in 2023.”

Other key points from C.A.R.’s September 2022 resale housing report include:

• At the regional level, sales continued to fall sharply from last year, with four of the five major regions falling more than 25 percent from last year. Southern California had the biggest annual drop in sales at 32.6 percent, as every county within the region experienced a sales decline of more than 30 percent in September. The San Francisco Bay Area (-26.6 percent), the Central Valley (-25.9 percent) and the Central Coast (-25.7 percent) also dipped more than 25 percent from last year, as the declines remained consistently high for all three regions. The Far North (-17.7 percent) continued to post the smallest declines of the five major regions, but it also has been dropping by double-digits for four straight months.

• All but three counties tracked by C.A.R. posted sales drops from a year ago. Of the counties that recorded sales drops from last September, 45 of them fell more than 10 percent, and 36 counties plunged more than 20 percent from the same month last year. Mono had the biggest drop in sales at -42.9 percent, followed by Yuba (-41.1 percent), and Sonoma (-38.1 percent). Counties that experienced a sales decline had an average decrease of -25.5 percent in September. Only three counties posted sales increases from last September, with Glenn gaining the most yearover-year at 63.6 percent, followed by Lassen (43.8 percent) and Nevada (6.3 percent). On a year-to-date basis, San Benito had the sharpest decline in sales at -30.9 percent, while Lassen (5.8 percent) had the best sales performance of all counties when compared to last year.

in five counties in September, as compared to seven counties in the prior month. Lassen (31.2 percent) recorded the biggest price increase of all counties, followed by Mono (30.8 percent) and Plumas (19.6 percent). The median price in 17 counties dipped from the same month of last year, with Mariposa dropping the most at -25.4 percent. It was also the only county with a double-digit price dip from a year ago. Santa Barbara (-9.5 percent) posted the second larg est median price decline, followed by Lake (-8.8 percent) and Amador (-7.5 percent).

• Housing supply in California improved from a year ago and was unchanged in September from the prior month despite a decline in hous ing demand. The statewide Unsold Inventory Index (UII) was 2.9 months in September 2022 from 1.9 months a year ago. With closed sales dropping more than 25 percent and pending sales falling over 40 percent, active listings have been staying on the market significantly longer, which contributed to a surge in for-sale properties by 51.5 percent in September.

• All but three counties tracked by C.A.R. recorded an increase in active listings from last September. Only Yuba County recorded a triple-digit year-over-year gain in for-sale prop erties, registering an increase of 116.7 percent from 12 months ago. San Benito came in second with an 89.8 percent boost in active listings in September, followed by Humboldt with a gain of 87.6 percent from last year. Despite an overall improvement in housing supply conditions, three counties experienced a dip in active list ings from the same month of last year. Del Norte dipped the most again in September with a drop of -44.9 percent year-over-year, followed by Plumas (-11.2 percent), and Mono (-10.6 percent).

• The median number of days it took to sell a California single-family home was 22 days in September and 10 days in September 2021.

• C.A.R.’s statewide sales-price-to-list-price ratio* was 97.7 percent in September 2022 and 101.9 percent in September 2021.

• The statewide average price per square foot** for an existing single-family home was $404, up from $393 in September a year ago.

California Association of Realtors/Courtesy graphic

• Nearly two-thirds of all California counties experienced an increase in their median-prices. Prices were up from last year by double-digits

• The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate av eraged 6.11 percent in September, up from 2.90 percent in September 2021, according to Fred die Mac. The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate averaged 4.87 percent, compared to 2.45 percent in September 2021.

—California Association of Realtors

on

by much

from

When your house isn't selling

Home sales have been through the roof in your market, while a for sale sign remains in the front yard. There are a variety of reasons why your house might not be selling.

General appearance

Small details matter, so clean up, straighten up and fix up anything that might trip up a potential purchase. Replace dated furniture or items that are too modern. Pay close attention to odors from smoking or family pets, since that’s one of the main turn offs for buy ers. If you think the job might be too big, or just want to make sure it’s done at a pro level, consider hiring commercial home and carpet cleaners, or a staging professional.

Lighting and layout

Open curtains and blinds to make sure there is plenty of natural light. Switch on the home’s light fixtures too. That gives the space a warmer glow, while showing off its best features. Consider a prospec tive buyer’s preferences when evaluating awkward room layouts or low ceilings. You may have to do bit of renovation to break the log jam.

Structural/environmental issues

Be on the look out for any structural issues, like ceiling or walls cracks and uneven floors. That could point to bigger problems that most buyers would rather avoid. Infestations of mold, pests and as bestos will eventually be revealed during

the home inspection process, so you may as well take care of them in advance. Oth erwise, you’re unlikely to sell the home.

Location and price

You can control price, so focus first on making sure your asking number is in line with area comparables. If the price is right, even homes in poor condition can often find the right buyer. Location, of course, is a different matter. You may have a very difficult time offloading a property that’s near a busy interstate, a flood zone or airport. In that case, pay close attention to the details, like decor and curb appeal.

Be patient

You’ll have to remain patient through constant showings, keeping your home in tip-top condition at all times in case new faces decide to stop by. Keep in mind that even in a seller’s market, some houses simply stay on the market longer than some of their counterparts. That’s because there are so many fac tors involved.

Experts say not to worry until there have been at least six showings without a contract offer. Then it’s time to re-eval uate your property — and perhaps the timing and other market forces — to de termine the next step.

—HomeWise

Associations Jumped 20% Since 2020

WASHINGTON – Charitable giving has continued to rise among Real tor® associations, according to a new report from the National Asso ciation of Realtors®.

The Community Aid and Real Es tate Report – CARE Report – offers insight into the monetary and vol unteer contributions of NAR mem bers, broker-owners and associa tion executives or multiple listing service staff. This year's CARE Re port found that the median dona tion by Realtor® associations was $12,070 last year, compared to $10,000 in 2020 and $5,000 in 2018.

"Realtors® are deeply involved in their communities and this report shines a light on the great volun teer efforts by NAR members," said NAR President Leslie Rouda Smith, a Realtor® from Plano, Texas, and

a broker associate at Dave Per ry-Miller Real Estate in Dallas. "It is inspiring to see Realtor® associ ations across the country continue to boost local charitable efforts, and I'm proud to be part of such a compassionate and caring group."

Two out of three Realtor® mem bers at large – 66% – volunteered monthly, spending an average of eight hours volunteering each month – both figures have re mained steady since 2018. Seven ty-nine percent made charitable donations last year, down slightly from 82% in 2020.

Among broker-owners, 77% vol unteered their time each month, a small decline from 79% in 2020.

The typical amount donated annu ally by all broker-owners increased this year to $2,300 (compared to

$1,800 in 2020) and $3,000 among only those who donated annually (compared to $2,000 in 2020).

Sixty-six percent of association executives or multiple listing ser vice staff volunteered monthly and 87% made personal donations in 2022. Eighty-five percent of AEs or MLS staff said that their associa tions hold events that encourage their members to volunteer.

A recent example of an associ ation volunteering event was the Florida Realtors®' Clean Up Flori da's Waters(link is external) effort, which saw local Realtor® asso ciations join forces to clear over 18,000 pounds of trash and debris from 36 miles of waterways across the state.

"We thank all of our Realtor® members and residents who vol

unteered and dedicated their time to preserving our beautiful water ways," said Florida Realtors® Pres ident Christina Pappas. "This is a sterling example of how we can accomplish so much when we all work together."

Realtors® were most likely to have

volunteered with food delivery for the elderly or food banks to help with COVID-19 relief efforts. More than four out of five respondents – 83% – reported that community involvement is an important com ponent of their business plan.

—National Association of Realtors

Adobe Stock/Courtesy photo