The Davis Enterprise Sunday, November 20, 2022

Musical protests, teacher unrest at school board

By Aaron Geerts Enterprise staff writer

District teachers’ discontent with their compensation con tinued to be a theme at the Nov. 17 Davis School Board meeting. Preceeding the meeting filled with its usual updates, however, was the DHS concert band fill ing the cold air with robust sounds of musical protest.

The students were there to urge board trustees to keep using specialist teachers to

teach music classes.

“They’re showing up to have a word and stand up for having a specialized-music model,” said Shyla Steen, a parent of a Davis High sophomore who is a con cert band member. “The district dismissed a lot of teachers that used to be specialists and brought in generalists. A lot of kids are leaving band and choir because of this.”

In addition, district teachers of all subjects gathered outside the doors of the community

chambers at 23 Russell Blvd. in their continued effort to receive better compensation.

“I’ve been giving my service to the district for 22 years,” said Carlette Hartsough, an Emer son Jr. High health teacher. “My feeling is that Davis has always offered an excellent education. I want that to continue and I want to put the students at the center of everything that we do.

“We won’t be able to attract and retain highly qualified edu cators if we can’t make a decent

salary. I really feel for our younger teachers, I don’t know how they can afford to continue. I see these wonderful, young teachers coming in but they can’t afford to live in town and out of sheer survival, they’re going to different districts.”

The public-comment section of the meeting was — as it has been for several past meetings — filled with various teachers from around the district

Wrongful-death suit gets court date

By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer

WOODLAND — Attor neys made their initial court appearances last week in the civil lawsuit involving the May death of a UC Davis student.

The parents of Trisha Nicole Yasay filed the wrongful-death suit in July, about two months after the 19-year-old collided with a garbage truck while riding her bicycle to class on May 25.

Ross Lampe, the attor ney representing defen dants Regents of the University of California and Francisco Gonzalez, told Yolo Superior Court Judge Dan Wolk on Mon day that his firm filed a

response to

lawsuit on Nov. 10.

‘Strike Kitchen’ nourishes picket line

By Monica Stark Enterprise staff writer

Five days of a historic UC aca demic-worker strike have left a mark on the UC Davis campus. As more classes have been canceled and graduate students have increased their numbers on the picket line, Friday’s noontime march through campus was so large that it took over seven minutes to pass through at any given location.

According to the UAW, as of Fri day afternoon, UC has not agreed to schedule sessions for the weekend, and the union has filed four addi tional unfair-labor-practice charges against UC for unlawful intimida tion of striking workers and unlaw ful interference in the bargaining process through direct surveying of bargaining-unit members, according to a press release.

About 48,000 UC workers began striking on Monday, Nov. 14, calling for an end to UC’s “unlawful behav ior,” which they say prevents agree ments on fair contracts. These include living wages to address “rent burden, increased childcare subsi dies for parent scholars, sustainable transit benefits, and greater rights for international scholars,” according See BOARD, Page A4

State health officials urge prevention as holidays near

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

The state’s top health official is urging Califor nians to take precautions during the upcoming holiday season as respira tory infections continue to rise.

Those precautions include testing for COVID-19 before attend ing gatherings, getting flu and COVID vaccines and boosters, staying home when sick and consider ing wearing a mask at indoor gatherings, espe cially after traveling long distances, according Dr. Mark Ghaly, Califor nia’s secretary of health

and human services.

He said Thursday that “the lower to moderate COVID transmission trends we’ve enjoyed across California have started to shift, and unlike the past two years when we discussed a COVID and flu collision, this year we’re actually starting to see it.

“And if that weren’t enough, the pressure on our youngest Califor nians, and some of our older Californians, (but) especially infants and toddlers, is worsened by an earlier than usual RSV season. We usually

Davis music students showed up at Thursday’s school board meeting with messages for the trustees.

AAron Geerts/ enterprise photo

the

Jason Siegel, attorney for Reuben and Therese Yasay, confirmed his receipt of the

response and said both law firms will continue to exchange information “and explore whether we can

CAleb hAmpton/enterprise file photo

A memorial on campus marks the location where UC Davis student Trisha Yasay was killed after colliding with a garbage truck in May.

MAILING ADDRESS

We survey the trees all the time ...

There are a number of ways to move up the prestige lad der in the city of Davis, but on my side of the tracks at least, having the Arbor Day Foundation solicit your opinion is right at the top of the list.

The Arbor Day Foundation is not to be confused with the Har bor Day Foundation that pro motes shipping or the Barber Day Foundation that promotes hair cuts.

The Arbor Day folks apparently had some extra cash lying around, so they decided to send a member of our family a fat packet that was so big it had to be folded in half to fit into our humble East Davis mailbox.

Turns out we were being solic ited to take the “2022 California Tree Survey.”

First time we’ve been so hon ored, but I suspect it’s because we have one of the oldest front yard hackberry trees in North America and the ADF no doubt fears it might come crashing down when the north wind howls this fall.

“You have been selected as part of a representative sampling of

California residents to participate in this year’s survey. To thank you for your input, I’ve enclosed an offer for 4 free gifts,” it begins.

Small detail: three of the “free” gifts actually require a donation that would make Johnny Apple seed happy, but no donation is too large to receive two “Crapemyr tles” in exchange. And yes, I’ve always treated the lovely Crape Myrtle as two words, but truth be known it can be one jammedtogether word or two beautifully separated words and can even be spelled “Crepe” instead of “Crape.” Your choice entirely.

Or, if you want to prove to your friends and neighbors that you have a Ph.D. in botany, you can just call it Lagerstroemia and let it

go at that.

“We’re sending this survey to a sampling of people throughout the state of California, and you’re one of a small percentage of resi dents chosen to participate — so it’s very important that we get your answers. Your response is critically needed — for clean air, healthy drinking water, fertile soil, and abundant wildlife.”

Not to mention preservation of the horribly irritating Oxford comma.

With so many pressing issues on the line, we called a family meeting and filled out the “Official Ques tionnaire” together.

“Have you ever climbed a tree?”

Only if it had fruit on it.

“When you were a child, did you ever play amongst trees?”

We didn’t have any amongst trees. Mostly apricots and pome granates.

“Did you ever collect acorns or pine cones for a school project?”

Apricots don’t have acorns or pine cones.

“Do you think the California Redwood is an appropriate choice

as the state tree of California?”

The California Redwood is God’s gift to the world.

“Do you think in general, resi dents of California care more about trees than people in the rest of the country?”

Do we care more about trees than people? Depends on who the trees voted for.

“Can you identify the trees near your Davis home?”

Hackberry, hackberry, hack berry, hackberry, hackberry and hackberry.

“How many trees do you have on your property — 0, 1-3, 4-7, more than 7 or I don’t own the property where I live.”

Not sure how property owner ship affects how many trees we have, but I just circled the house and counted 18 trees, including the world’s largest pecan that so effectively blocks the sun we can’t get a single tomato to ripen.

And, of course, one Crape Myr tle.

Glory Hallelujah.

— Reach Bob Dunning at bdunning@davisenterprise.net.

helps feed picketers

From

to a statement provided by union organizers.

During the entire strike thus far self-organized group of academic strikers and undergraduate stu dents fed thousands this week at the UC Davis picket line.

Known as the Strike Kitchen, this “ragtag team of strikers” started strate gizing how they would get food to the picket line.

Since then, they have col lected thousands of dollars in donations, not to mention the daily drop-offs of baked goods, fruit, vegetables, and dishes prepared by strikers and supportive community members, said Morganne Blais-McPherson, a teaching assistant and Ph.D. candi date in the department of

anthropology.

Blais-McPherson said as bargaining is underway, the growing Strike Kitchen has raised over $7,000 and received food donations from dozens of Davis co mmunity members.

“It has been heartwarm ing to witness multiple strikers come up to us dur ing lunch service and state that the communal meal is a major part of what keeps them energized to return to the picket line every day,”

added Pratik Gandhi, a Ph.D. candidate in the department of physics and astronomy. “It really dem onstrates the power of grassroots organizing and the kind of impact it can have on a larger move ment.”

Giving a sort of food tour, Blais-McPherson said the menu on Friday con sisted of curried butternut squash, garbanzo beans, fruit salad with pomegran ate, apple, persimmon green salad with persim mon, carrots, and radishes in a vinaigrette made with olive oil, salt, ginger, and orange juice). “There are mixed greens with a kick in it because I was feeling spicy today and also egg plant because I’m also feel ing spicy with that,” she said.

“We wanted to be healthy, but we also ordered 80 pizzas just in case. We want to have a balanced diet,” Blais-McPherson added.

Ben Rivera and Marie Fleming, striking graduate students from the ecology department, have been enjoying the food all week.

“Frankly, I’ve loved every day. Lots of love,” Rivera said.

“It’s delicious, healthy, real food,” Fleming said.

“I don’t know if I’ve felt this healthy in a while,” Rivera said.

“Getting more nutrients now,” Fleming said. “And exercise and sun light,” Rivera added.

As of Friday afternoon, strikers plan on returning to the picket line on Mon day.

Monica Stark/EntErpriSE photo

Members of the “Strike Kitchen” work to feed striking UC Da vis grad students on Friday.

With Thanksgiving and Black Friday approaching, I encour age you to focus on your family instead of online deals. Then, support family business in town by taking part in Shop Small Weekend, Nov. 25 through 27.

Davis Downtown is spreading that news: ‘Small Business Satur day continues to be an annual holiday shopping tradition — just one part of the larger Shop Small movement that supports small businesses every day, every where,’ it said in an email.

‘Shopping at a family-owned framing spot or buying hand made jewelry from your favorite small business helps to promote more vibrant communities.’

Need more incentive? Custom ers earn raffle tickets for every $10 they spend at each establish ment, up to 10 per business. Fill out the tickets at the store, and Davis Downtown will announce the winners the following week. First place earns $500 in gift cards to downtown businesses. Second place is $200 in gift cards, and third place is $100 worth.

But you don’t have to limit your shopping to downtown. Several other retailers are offer ing special sales and events beginning Friday. For example, Sassafras Beauty in The Market place is joining forces with popups Do Good Shop, Hidden Gemini jewelry and Owlhaired Designs, with a portion of pro ceeds benefitting Thriving Pink

In May, The Davis Enterprise downsized its office, moving from 315 G to 325 G St. Earlier this month, McNaughton Media moved some of that office staff to

Fairfield, home to its flagship paper, The Daily Republic, at 1250 Texas St.

The news staff continues to work remotely, while advertising and other office employees are working in Fairfield. (I am a free lancer but former managing edi tor.)

Taylor Buley, publisher-atlarge with McNaughton Media, said, ‘We relocated some of our sales and operational staff to headquarters in Fairfield. Although now only open to the public by appointment, we con tinue to operate out of both of our beloved (but still quite rent able) spaces on G Street, at 315 and 325.’

Davis brothers Foy and Burt McNaughton and their family own the newspaper company, started in 1961 by their father Dean. The portfolio also includes The Mountain Democrat in Pla cerville, The Winters Express, El Dorado Hills’ Village Life, Cam eron Park Life, and The Divide’s Georgetown Gazette. In Davis, McNaughton Media owns the properties from 301 G St. (leased by Pho Tasty) down to 325 G St., along with the former pressroom and parking lot at 302 G St., leased by FIT House Buley, who is Burt McNaugh ton’s son-in-law, recently joined Forbes.com full-time as an engineering manager.

The Enterprise phone number for news, obituaries and the busi ness office remains 530-7560800. Subscribers may still reach the circulation department by calling 530-756-0826. Payments may be mailed to The Davis Enterprise, P.O. Box 1470, CA, 95617.

Meanwhile — and I was not asked to say this — if you know someone who wants to lease the 7,900-square-foot office space at 315 G St., contact KidderMatthews brokers Jim Gray (916-947-5142) or Nahz Anvary (916-284-8385). Thank you for subscribing, and supporting local journalism that’s not corporateowned.

Thriving Pink has a new office space and community room at 501 Second St., next to Coldwell Banker Select Real Estate. The nonprofit is celebrating with a ribbon-cutting event on Monday, Dec. 5.

Thriving Pink helps those in Yolo County who are impacted by breast cancer, and supports them along their journey. It previously had a small office inside FIT House, 302 G St., but transi tioned to remote work soon after COVID hit.

Board chair Joni Rubin said, ‘We provide financial grants, peer mentorship, educational work shops and support groups. Through local grant funding we have received, we are also able to offer some of our programs in Spanish, and educational resources for mothers and daughters on prevention, early detection and dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis.’

She said the new office gives the organization space for its

programs as well as a place for gathering, community-building and volunteer recruiting.

‘There is a small resource and lending library with materials in English and Spanish. During the month of November, we are ask ing for donations of slightly used or new books on breast cancer and related wellness topics that we can gift to anyone in our com munity going through this diag nosis.’

The grand opening event begins at 6 p.m. on Dec. 5. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, or by appointment. For additional information, visit https://www. thrivingpink.org/.

The Christmas tree lot orga nized by the Davis BSA Scouts will open the day after Thanks giving. The Scouts (no longer exclusive to boys) have sold trees in town since 1961. This year, it’s in a new location: 4600 Fermi Place, across from Target

The lot will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25. After that, business hours will be 4:30 to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.

Janet Brown, a mom from Troop 139, said the lot is staffed by about 150 local scouts and their parents/guardians/leaders. All proceeds stay local and go to help kids participate in scouting.

I heard back about Bull ‘N Mouth, the American restaurant filling the former De Vere’s Irish Pub space at 217 E St. However, there isn’t any news to report. They promise I’ll know as soon as they do.

There doesn’t seem to be much

action at the site of the future Frenzy Coffee Co., a coffee house filling the former La Piñata res taurant space at 305 First St. The Mexican food restaurant closed in 2020.

The cafe has a website under construction — https://www. frenzycoffee.com/ — saying it’s coming soon.

The Elephant Shack, a restau rant and deli at 39492 Kentucky Ave., Woodland, closed sometime before Oct. 1.

I sent a message several days ago, but did not receive a reply. There’s a for-lease sign out front. According to a manager’s post ing on Yelp, Vickie Limas opened the deli in 2008, with the help of her daughter Jackie. Vickie Limas was an employee of the former tenant, Cocodeli, and changed the motif from croco diles to elephants. The original name was The Elephant Hut, but was changed because of copy right restrictions.

The deli served sandwiches as well as burgers, deep-fried foods and all-day breakfasts.

Missed a column? Wondering when a new Davis business is opening? Check my paywall-free Google spreadsheet, which includes more than 325 Davis businesses coming or going. It’s at https://bit.ly/DavisBusinesses.

— Wendy Weitzel is a Davis writer and editor. Her column runs on Sundays. Check for fre quent updates on her Comings & Goings Facebook and Instagram pages. If you know of a business coming or going in the area, email her at wendyedit@gmail. com

UCD Health and Illuminate implement abdominal aortic surveillance program Davis-based PairAnything wins grant

Special to The Enterprise

SACRAMENTO — UC

Davis Health and artifi cial-intelligence software company Illuminate have developed a centralized abdominal aortic aneu rysm surveillance pro gram that is saving lives.

The effort identifies atrisk abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients who may have been ‘lostto-follow-up’ because they missed care during the pandemic or other factors.

In its first six months, the program has identified over 11,000 patients with some mention of AAA who could benefit from monitoring. Over 10,000 patients were reviewed and 1,119 patients who were lost to care are now under active surveillance and management by nurse navigators.

Of those, 81 patients visited UC Davis Health,

which resulted in 146 diagnostic imaging stud ies, one diagnostic angio gram, and 10 life-saving AAA surgical procedures.

‘Abdominal aortic aneu rysms that have been dis covered prior to rupture need to be measured, closely monitored and evaluated for treatment,’ explained Matthew W. Mell, medical director of the Vascular Cen ter. ‘Small aneurysms, those less than five centi meters in diameter, can often be left untreated, yet they need to be observed periodically to check for growth.’

An abdominal aortic aneurysm is the balloon ing of a portion of the aorta, the largest artery in the body. Aneurysms are

the result of weakening and thinning of the aortic wall. When a portion of it stretches and swells to more than 50 percent of the original diameter, it is called an aneurysm. Aneu rysms in the abdominal portion of the aorta — below the diaphragm — are the most common.

As a leading academic medical center with a patient-centered focus on digital health, UC Davis Health has implemented Illuminate, Inc.’s Discov ery 360 Services and Act Knowledge AI software.

The goal is to identify existing patients in the UC Davis electronic health record who may have an abdominal aortic aneu rysm and who need follow-up care.

to The Enterprise

Davis-based Pair Any thing Inc. earned funding from the Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund by SIA Scotch.

SIA Scotch Whisky, the award-winning spirits brand founded by a first generation Hispanic entre preneur, is supporting entrepreneurs of color in the food-and-beverage industry with $10,000 grants plus mentorship with Carin Luna-Ostaseski, the founder of SIA Scotch Whisky.

The fund launched in 2021, with a commitment to donate a quarter-million dollars to multicultural small business owners in need of support.

Inspired by the founder’s own journey as a Hispanic entrepreneur, this ground

breaking

make

Special

grant program offered recipients the opportunity to be matched with the capital, resources and mentorship needed to

their dreams a reality. PairAnything was selected as one of 11 recipi ents of The Entrepreneur ial Spirit by SIA Scotch.

Davis police arrest suspect in Target retail-theft ring

By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer

The law caught up to a Sacramento woman believed to be part of a series of large-scale thefts from area Target stores.

Dessie Rhodes, 48, was arrested Thursday morning at the Davis Tar get on Second Street, where police responded at about 8:30 a.m. to reports of a known female gathering items in a shopping cart as loss-

retention officers monitored her, Lt. James MacNiven said.

According to MacNiven, Rhodes stole more than $1,000 worth of mer chandise from the Davis Target last Monday. Offices detained her Thurs day as she again left the store without paying for $965 worth of laundry detergent, clothing and alcohol.

Rhodes was booked into the Yolo County Jail on suspicion of organized retail theft, a felony charge.

“It was determined Rhodes is part

of a group of suspects involved in organized retail thefts at multiple Target stores throughout the region,” MacNiven said, noting that Target currently has 29 open cases involving these suspects.

At the time of Monday’s theft, Rhodes was accompanied by an unidentified male suspect who remained at large as of Friday. Any one with information about his iden tity is asked to contact the Davis Police Department at 530-747-5400.

COURT: D.A. has results of police investigation

From Page A1

take care of this early or not,” suggesting a settle ment may be in the works.

Wolk agreed to revisit the case on May 1, 2023, “to see how it all plays out.”

The Yasays’ lawsuit seeks damages for medical, funeral and burial expenses; legal fees and further compensation for the loss of their child and for the pain and suffering Yasay endured prior to her death.

Yasay was riding her electric bike eastbound on Hutchison Drive near the Dairy Road intersection at about 8 a.m. when the col lision occurred. She suc cumbed to blunt-force injuries later that day at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

“After being struck by Defendant’s vehicle, and

Obituaries

before her death, Decedent Trisha Yasay sustained sig nificant bodily injury. ... These injuries led to her death,” the complaint states. Yasay’s parents fur ther alleged that “negli gence was the legal cause of the fatal injuries” their child suffered.

The complaint doesn’t specifically identify Gonza lez as the garbage truck driver involved in the colli sion. UCD officials said the driver was placed on leave following the incident but did not disclose the per son’s name.

Meanwhile, a Davis Police Department investi gation into the fatal crash, completed in August, remains in the hands of the Yolo County District Attor ney’s Office to determine whether any criminal charges are warranted.

Chief Deputy District

Attorney Jonathan Raven said earlier this month that his office has requested some additional informa tion from police to review before making that deci sion.

UCD police initially responded to the collision scene but turned over the probe to the Davis Police Department’s Major Acci dent Investigation Team due to the advanced tech nology available to that unit.

In an October interview with The Davis Enterprise, Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said UCD asked Davis police to assume the inves tigation at about 9:20 a.m. on the day of the collision.

MAIT investigators first arrived on scene about 25 minutes later and began taking photographs, inter viewing witnesses and col lecting physical evidence.

Investigators also secured footage from two nearby security cameras “that showed what hap pened from different view points,” Pytel said. From there, the team developed an analysis of how the colli sion occurred, including a computerized diagram of the incident.

“Even though there was video, the reconstruction was very complex,” Pytel said.

The Davis Police Depart ment plans to publicly release a summary of its findings. Although colli sion reports are confiden tial under California law, the involved parties will receive complete copies of the investigation report and “can release anything they wish,” Pytel said. — Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenter prise.net. Follow her on

BOARD: Students, teachers air grievances

From Page A1

echoing the same discon tent for their wages. They warned that students are unable to receive the quality education the dis trict is known for when teachers are living pay check to paycheck or when positions aren’t suf ficiently filled to adminis ter said education.

Then came the DJUSD strategic plan update given by Superintendent Matt Best. He covered the statistical analysis going into the planning process, student learning, instruc tional effectiveness, empowering infrastruc ture and the various goals the plan strives to achieve.

“The core planning team and the instructional focus team have gotten to this goal development phase, and these are some of the things that are trending in terms of goal focus areas,” Best said.

“Goal 1 is having a safe school environment focus ing on the emotional, mental and physical well being of students while they’re with us. Goal 2 is focused on equitable access and opportunity. This goal has come to the forefront since the last strategic plan. The third goal is about realized, edu cational potential. This is

what I call the ‘student agency goal.’

“The idea here is that students are going to take a more active role in their education, set goals for themselves and work with the adults in the organiza tion to realize their poten tial in the classroom. And goal four is titled ‘confi dent and prepared for life.’

This idea being that our students leaving here need the skills for college, career and life. Those are social/ emotional skills, technical skills like how to balance a checkbook and have soft skills like interacting with others.”

At the meeting’s end, Trustee Joe DiNunzio suggested in the near future the board put on the agenda an overview and examination of the district’s music program. The next board school board meeting is sched uled for Dec 15.

ogy under the direction of Prof. John R. Pappenheimer. He was awarded the Ph.D. in 1951 for his thesis on capillary permeability.

Eugene (Gene) Marshall Ren kin, husband of Elizabeth (Libby) Russell Renkin died surrounded by his loving family on Nov. 11, 2022, in Davis.

Renkin was born in Boston in 1926, the oldest of the three chil dren of Harry and Mary Renkin. The others are sister Elaine and brother Herbert Louis. He grew up in the nearby city of Revere, and attended public schools there. He graduated from Revere High School in 1945, and entered Tufts College (now Tufts Univer sity). He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1947 and graduated in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, summa cum laude.

With support of a Pepsi-Cola Foundation Fellowship, he entered the pre-doctoral program in medical sciences at Harvard University and studied physiol

After graduation, Dr. Renkin began a long and satisfying career of teaching and research in physi ology. His first research position was in the biology division of the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Subsequently he engaged in research at the National Insti tutes of Health and in teaching and research at the medical schools of the George Washing ton University, Duke University and lastly UC Davis, where he was appointed chairman of human physiology in 1974. He did sabbatical research at the Karolinska Institute in Stock holm in 1960-61, and at Oxford University, England in 1972.

Dr. Renkin was active in the affairs of the American Physio logical Society and of the APS Circulation Group. He was a member of the Microcirculatory Society and its President in 1974.

He also held membership in the International Union of Physio logical Sciences, the American Heart Association (Basic Sciences Council) and the American Asso ciation of University Professors. He served on the editorial Boards of the American Journal of Psy chology, Physiological Reviews, Circulation Research, Journal of Vascular Research and Microvas cular Research. He served on several postdoctoral fellowship and research review panels for government and private agencies.

During his career, Dr. Renkin earned many honors, including the APS Bowditch Lectureship Award and the C.J. Wiggers award of the APS Circulation Group. From the Microcircula tory Society he received the E.M. Landis Award and the B.W. Zweifach Award; and from U.C. Davis, the faculty Research Award. He received numerous invitations to lecture on his research and to take part in sym posia. He published over 100

research papers and reviews, was co-editor and contributor to sev eral research compendium, and contributed chapters on micro circulation to two physiology textbooks.

His first marriage was to Bar bara Denison Zaun; they had three children, Miriam Lohr, Hadley Zaun and Joshua Nathan. After divorce in 1967, he married Elizabeth Gilland Russell; they had one child, Daniel Russell. In Davis, he and Elizabeth became members of Congregation Bet Haverim, and participated actively in its religious, educa tional and social programs. They also contributed to the support of cultural and musical presenta tions of the university, including the UCD Symphony.

Dr. Renkin retired as the chair of human physiology at UC Davis in 1994, but continued his research program until 1998, and participated in departmental teaching as a volunteer until 2001. In 2000 he and Elizabeth

moved from their home of 27 years to the newly opened Uni versity Retirement Community at Davis.

He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; sons Daniel, Joshua (Jen) and Hadley (Guntra); daughter Miriam (Harry Posey); grandchildren Adey Gene, Charles and Hilda Muriel (Rob ert Martinez-Cross); greatgranddaughter Pepper Wren; sister Elaine Berkowitz; brother Herbert (Bernice); and nurse Nonny, the wonder dog.

Gene Renkin was laid to rest on Nov. 16 in the Davis Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Congregation Bet Haverim, 1715 Anderson Road, Davis, CA, 95616; the Yolo County Animal Shelter, 41831 Gibson Road, Woodland, CA, 95776; Davis Community Meals and All Weather Shelter, P.O. Box 72463, Davis, CA, 95617; YoloCares; or the donor’s favorite charity.

Malcolm Roff MacKen zie died at home on Oct. 6, 2022, at the age of 87.

Born in Oakland in 1935 to Roberta Wells and Sher win Clarence MacKenzie, Malcolm attended school in Oakland, where he pur sued his sports interests running track and playing football in high school, and his musical interests play ing trombone in the high school band and the Bay Area Young People’s Sym phony. He continued these diverse interests as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, running track and singing in the Glee Club.

Another interest, ball room dancing, led to his meeting his wife, Natalie. This was the start of a lifelong enthusiasm for danc ing — they loved to waltz at weddings — and of a long life with Natalie, with whom he shared 63 years of marriage.

From UC Berkeley, Mal colm moved on to study medicine at UC San Fran cisco, where he also com pleted his internship and residency in internal medi cine. He completed his first post-doctoral fellowship in physiological chemistry at the University of Wiscon sin, Madison, then returned to UCSF to com plete his second postdoc toral fellowship, this time in hematology.

Malcolm’s goal of com bining research and clinical work, seeking new and bet ter treatments for his patients, led him to his career in academia. He served as an instructor and as assistant professor in residence in the Depart ment of Hematology and Immunology at UCSF and was an attending physician at San Francisco General Hospital. He then became an assistant professor in the division of immunology at the University of Cincin nati and was an attending physician at Cincinnati General Hospital and a consulting physician at Cincinnati Children’s Hos pital.

Returning to California, he joined the faculty at the nascent School of Medicine at UC Davis as a professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, where he spent the rest of his academic career, teach ing, seeing patients and doing research. Malcolm retired from UC Davis medical school at age 60. He then became director of the Center for Blood Research of the Sacra mento Medical Foundation Blood Center for 10 years before he (once again) retired.

Moves for his career also coincided with expansion of his family. Oldest daugh ter Leslie was born in Wis

consin, daughter Tracie in California and son Kenneth in Ohio. The final move to Davis added a dog to the family.

As a leading oncologist and hematologist, Malcolm played an important role in the development of the field of immunology. Mal colm was extremely pas sionate about his research, which he saw as helping to inform his treatment of his patients, and which he pur sued in the laboratories he maintained on the UCD campus and during his research sabbaticals in Melbourne, Australia, Southampton, England and Uppsala, Sweden.

Although most of his research involved cancer studies, he also published papers on identifying mark ers for simian AIDS with the UC Davis primate center, to help further understanding of treatment of human AIDS patients. A pioneer in the study of mul tiple myeloma, he pub lished many papers identifying the markers on specific types of blood cells. Often ahead of his time, he had the satisfaction of see ing several of the concepts he had developed become part of standard theory and protocol.

Malcolm was a lifelong devotee of music, as evi denced by his vast and eclectic collection of records and his passion for attending concerts and opera performances with his wife, even long after

mobility became more diffi cult. He and Nata lie sang in the Davis Commu nity Church choir for many years, and he was the baritone soloist for many of the DCC choir concerts. Malcolm was an early and enthusiastic member of the Davis Comic Opera Company, perform ing in many roles over the years, where he was noted for his comedic timing.

His love for social inter action, which he shared with his wife, could be seen from the numerous DCOC cast parties held at their home. This same hospital ity was exhibited on many occasions, professional and personal. Holidays were often enriched by the inclu sion of friends or acquain tances who were far from family, and there was always a seat at the table — be it a fancy meal or the infamous “refrigerator clean-out” — at the MacK enzie house for anyone who stopped by around dinner time.

Possessed of a great thirst for knowledge and culture, Malcolm was always quick to support the efforts and accomplish ments of others. One of his proudest moments was when his son, Kenneth, joined him among those who have earned the rank

of Eagle Scout. As a Boy Scout growing up, Malcolm had been introduced to camping and hiking, both of which became passions he went on to share with his family. Summers would find the MacKenzie family in Yosemite or Lake Tahoe, camping, hiking and, of course, singing around the campfire.

Having spent his child hood summers going to the Santa Cruz beach, Malcolm taught his children to love and respect the ocean. But no one could out-body-surf Malcolm, a 6-foot man who could ride a wave all the way to the ankle-deep water on the beach.

Malcolm’s final days were spent where and how he had hoped: he was at home, surrounded by his music, his books, and his loved ones. Malcolm is sur vived by his wife, Natalie;

daughter Leslie and son-inlaw Jonathan Blackie; daughter Tracie and sonin-law Augusto Sarti; daughter-in-law Heather K. MacKenzie; grandchil dren Lindsay and Stuart Blackie, and Alexander, Sean and Kevin Sarti; and brother Sherwin MacKen zie. He was preceded in death by his son, Kenneth MacKenzie.

His wife and family invite all who knew Mal colm to a memorial cele bration at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30, at Davis Commu nity Church. The service will also be livestreamed on the church website.

Donations may be made in Malcolm’s memory to Yolo Cares Hospice, Davis Community Church Music, the American Cancer Soci ety, or a charity of your choice.

Eugene Marshall Renkin

Malcolm MacKenzie 1935 — 2022

MacKENZIE

“I really feel for our younger teachers, I don’t know how they can afford to continue.”

Carlette Hartsough Davis teacher

Coyote comes visiting in North Davis

Coyote came calling at the First Saturday Bird Stroll at the North Ponds. She or he was walking along the Uplands Habitat Area on F Street and was spotted by one of the young boys in the group.

Kelli O’Neill, a stroll leader, said, “We watched it trot along the F Street side of the property, heading south, stop for what appeared to be a sip of water from one of the swales then casually move along. It did not seem concerned we were all there and watching it and it did not rush to get away from the crowd …

“As it approached the southern end of the site it ran into the street and looked as if was going to cross it but redirected and ran down the middle of the road until it took a right onto Grande. I was nervous when it was in the street, but cars slowed down and stopped to avoid hitting it.”

I last saw a coyote in town on Thanksgiving Day 2003, I wrote in that column 19 years ago: Count yourself lucky if you were out at our North Area Habi tat Pond on Thanksgiving. Many people were out watching the pelicans, which like relatives, came for a week and then left the day after Thanksgiving. There were over 100 of them when I was there on Thanksgiving Day, and who else decided to visit right within the fence in broad day light? COYOTE.

Wild America right before our eyes. I guess Coyote wanted a Thanksgiving bird, too. I don’t think s/he scored since I didn’t see any feathers around the next day. Just one lone pelican. And

then that disappeared. One neighbor said he counted over 150 pelicans at the peak. There would often be several groups, with one group flying. The fish ing group displayed perfectly synchronized choreography. They’d all dip their bills at the same moment. They came up with some pretty good-sized fish, too.

The pelicans seemed to attract great blue herons and egrets, but the Canada geese cleared out. As soon as the pelicans were gone, the geese came back. They must not be kissing cousins.

Back in 2003, there was more water in the pond, now called the Julie Partansky Wildlife Ref uge, because it’s a drainage pond for our streets. And back then, people over-watered their lawns, it rained more and there was lots of runoff.

While doing habitat restora tion at the Uplands, we’ve watched a river otter cross F Street and go under the fence into the Julie Partansky Wildlife Refuge. Perhaps that coyote hunts in the Uplands and goes under the fence, too.

We can coexist with coyotes. According to ProjectCoyote.org., “They eat large numbers of rodents and rabbits as well as fruit, vegetables, insects and car rion. They help keep ecosystems vital, clean and healthy. Make sure that you are not leaving pet food outside or small pets. Pick up your small dog if you see a coyote and don’t let pets roam. We’ll start hearing coyotes dur ing the December to February mating season and when juve niles are dispersing from family groups September through November.”

Please keep your cats inside or get a catio, an outdoor cat enclosure for them in your yard.

According to Cornell Bird, “Cats are estimated to kill more than 2.6 billion birds annually in the U.S. and Canada. This is the No. 1 human-caused reason for the loss of birds aside from habitat loss.”

I don’t currently have cats because I travel more, but I once had outdoor cats before I under stood what bird killers they are. If they don’t kill them, they often damage them, and the birds die later. Two of my cats were poi soned. Our daughter, a huge cat lover now, keeps hers inside as the two favorites were hit by cars. There are five different cats that I find in my yard though the minute they see me, they run. I always say, “scat!” The Audubon 2022 U.S. State of the Birds report shows plummeting bird populations across almost all habitats.

Interesting things in our back yard. Every morning this past week, a hermit thrush tap-taptaps on the backyard window. Then s/he clings to the screen, flies to the tiny tip of a bird of paradise plant and goes back to tap on the window.

Every morning this happens

for about half an hour.

My husband sets his phone outside on our deck and turns on the Merlin App sound ID. In eleven minutes at 7:30 a.m., he recorded western bluebird, North American mockingbird, black phoebe, great horned owl, Canada goose, American robin, yellow-rumped warbler, white throated sparrow, California scrub jay, lesser goldfinch, Amer ican crow and white crowned sparrow. A dozen birds. It makes me

look up, focus more and remem ber all of the wildlife we can appreciate if we slow down, look and listen. That Merlin app is free and fun to use to ID birds or hear their sounds. Plus, you are contributing to citizen science. Be well and kiss each day.

— Jean Jackman is a Davis resident. Her columns appear around the third Wednesday of each month. Got a story, question or comment? Contact her at JeanJackman@gmail.com.

Jean Jackman/courtesy photo

On Thanksgiving Day 2003, over 100 pelicans visited what is now called the Julie Partansky Wildlife Area, the larger of the North Davis Ponds off F Street. A coyote showed up at the pond that day.

kelli o’neill/courtesy photo

Anna’s hummingbird was one of 47 species tallied at the Friends of North Davis Ponds First Saturday Bird Stroll at the North Davis Ponds.

Joshua Greenfield/courtesy photo

A coyote strolls along the Uplands Habitat on F Street, providing excitement for the 15 people on the First Saturday Bird Stroll sponsored by Friends of North Davis Ponds.

HEALTH: Youngsters more at risk

experience RSV in sort of late January, February and into March. And this year we’re seeing it in the late fall and winter of this cal endar year.”

RSV, respiratory syncy tial virus, is a common respiratory virus that usu ally causes mild, cold-like symptoms and most people recover in one to two weeks without treatment. How ever, RSV can be serious, especially in infants and older adults, causing pneu monia and bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) in chil dren under the age of one.

“(T)he reality is that RSV for most kids will cause an inconvenience of a cold with symptoms like fever, cough, running nose and feeling tired,” Ghaly said. “So if that’s all it were, we’d be a lot less concerned.

“But for infants and young toddlers in particu lar, RSV can cause a much worse experience. For infants who are developing stronger immune systems and have developing respi ratory systems, a little bit of inflammation and irritation in the airway from RSV can cause pretty significant respiratory symptoms and even respiratory distress. And this is, in particular, why we are very worried about it as a pediatric and health community.”

Ghaly said the most vul nerable are children under two or three years old and especially those who were born premature and who have underlying respiratory

and cardiac conditions.

“So how do we protect the youngest Californians?” Ghaly asked. “Well, I like to think we all have a part.

“First, for those who take care of or interact with the most vulnerable kids, please wash your hands, cover your cough, stay away if you’re sick or try to iso late as much as you can, and, if possible, wear a mask indoors… especially because some of the young est kids I’m talking about, infants and young toddlers, they can’t wear a mask and certainly not wear it very well.”

Ghaly said those plan ning to visit families with infants and toddlers over the holidays, particularly those most vulnerable to RSV, should “take time to ensure that you’re not sick yourself and if you are, avoid that contact if possi ble and consider wearing a mask if you do.”

“We’ve already experi enced levels of test positiv ity for RSV infections among the youngest Cali fornians that rival peaks from other years and we’re not sure if they’re going to continue to go up or start to level off.

“We have some initial data that things may be leveling off, but we’re not sure if that’s a trend or not.”

In any case, current high levels of RSV, he said, are translating into emergency rooms and hospitals that are working at capacity levels.

“They are certainly expe riencing fewer open beds, especially as you get into

the more intensive care units like the pediatric intensive care units across the state.”

But RSV is not the only respiratory illness on the rise, Ghaly said, with test positivity, case rate num bers, wastewater surveil lance, clinical surveillance and hospitalizations show ing increases of flu and COVID-19 as well.

“As it relates to COVID, over the past one to two weeks, as we continue to track our typical COVID data, we’ve seen a roughly 25 percent increase in COVID transmission, both test positivity and case rates. And although the models aren’t nearly as concerning as they’ve been in the past, we are dealing with three threats at once, so together, they do add up.

“Many people are experi encing illnesses and some of them are severe,” Ghaly said, which is why the state is working with healthcare delivery partners to ensure that they are well prepared to provide as much care and service as needed.

But all residents can help alleviate the burden on health care providers, he said.

“If you are experiencing mild symptoms, there are many things you can do before going to the emer gency room. You can reach out to your provider, call a nurse advice line, register for a tele-visit… the health care visit technology we’ve improved over the last couple of years are readily available and really helpful solutions.”

sports

Let’s add Niners to Thanksgiving menu

On Thanksgiving Thurs day, there will be three NFL games on TV.

The Detroit Lions host the Buffalo Bills at 9:30 a.m.

Then at 1:30 p.m., an NFC East showdown in Texas between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.

The tripleheader concludes when the Minnesota Vikings entertain the New England Patriots at 5:20 p.m. This is the Vikings’ ninth time playing on Thanksgiving since 2006, and their record is 6-2 on a day we feast on a turkey, ham and all the side dishes, beverages and des serts.

The Bills, along with the Lions and Cowboys, played on Thanks giving Day 2021.

This is where a multi-media journalist is going to educate you.

The Lions have been hosting NFL games on Thanksgiving since 1934. The Cowboys started in 1966.

In 2006, the NFL went with the tripleheader idea. Although the league tried it in 1975 and 1977, too.

Now, don’t you think it’s time for a change?

First off, let’s add the San Francisco 49ers to the Thanks giving Day menu and play a game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Next, drop the Cowboys from the playing list.

Local Cowboy fans, if you don’t like this idea, too bad. More than 90 percent of 49er fans despise the Cowboys.

And Dallas fans, don’t bring up the fact that your team has a better record than the 49ers at this time. The difference is only one win.

In my opinion, the Cowboys no longer deserve the opportu nity to host an NFL game on Thanksgiving.

Making a splash

So, starting in 2023 or 2024 if we have to wait until we get into an even-numbered year, let’s have the Lions, Bills and 49ers host games.

Keep the Lions in place, since they have been playing the lon gest on Thanksgiving. The Bills would be perfect for the second game and the 49ers ending the day.

Another idea I could live with is the Lions, Cowboys and 49ers hosting on Turkey Day. Three NFC teams.

Here’s another idea. Have the Bills play at the Lions, Cowboys and 49ers on a rotating basis.

Buffalo can play at Dallas in 2023, at Detroit in 2024 and make the West Coast trek to the Bay Area in 2025.

Let’s try this approach. Still have the Lions, Cowboys and 49ers host, but facing AFC teams.

But no matter if the Lions and Cowboys remain hosting games on Thanksgiving, or there is a change at some point, as long as we get good games.

What’s really important for Thanksgiving is that you, your family, friends and people in your life enjoy this day.

Remember: Be thankful for whom and what you have in your life.

— Contact Mike Bush at mike@davisenterprise.net. Fol low on Twitter: @MBDavis Sports.

Stapleton continues to be positive influence

By Rebecca Wasik Enterprise staff writer

For the first time in pro gram history, the Davis High boys water polo team has a chance to win a Cali fornia Interscholastic Fed eration NorCal Championship Division II.

Leading the team is Tracy Stapleton, who has been Davis head coach for the last 35 years.

There is more to his story outside of running one of the most successful water polo programs in the SacJoaquin Section.

He also credits people along his journey. Most importantly, his upbring ing on the East Coast.

Stapleton, a Turlock native, made his way to Davis in the fall of 1983 as an undergrad at UC Davis.

He chose UCD after he fell in love with the campus and community. Being able to participate on an NCAA water polo team was a bonus in addition to UCD being an excellent aca demic institution.

“I have great respect for the ‘Aggie Way’ as it was called then — excellence in academics and athletics,” said Stapleton.

After graduation, Staple ton enrolled in UCD’s teaching credential pro gram. It was then that he applied for the DHS boys’ water polo head coach vacancy.

He was offered the job and never looked back.

Once a social studies teaching position became available at DHS, he took that job as well.

Stapleton and his wife, Tara, who is the school sec retary at Willett Elementary decided to settle in Davis and raise their family.

“Davis is a wonderful place,” said Stapleton.

When he was at Turlock, one of Stapleton’s best friends joined the Bulldogs’ water polo team. So, Sta pleton did as well, and the rest is history.

Growing up, Stapleton played Little League base ball as well as flag football in junior high.

However, water polo and swimming are the sports that led him to his storied career.

When not coaching water polo, Stapleton enjoys spending time with his family. He stays active, taking daily walks with his two dachshunds as well as spinning classes.

He also loves spending his free time reading his tory books, watching sports, and collecting

sports memorabilia.

Stapleton teaches eco nomics and AP economics at DHS. This is his 33rd year teaching social studies, 31 of those years at DHS. The first two years of his teaching career were spent at Holmes Junior High.

Being a celebrated coach doesn’t happen without influential leaders inspiring you to get to that stature.

Some of those mentors for Stapleton include his high school coach Steve Feaver.

Next were his first club coach Flip Hasset, DHS girls water polo head coach Doug Wright, UCD men’s water polo head coach Dan Leyson, Jamey Wright, Kandace Walthaler, Rick West, Larry Rogers, Steve Heaston, Randy Burgess and Ricardo Azevedo.

When asked what advice he would give to a young, up-and-coming water polo coach, Stapleton high lighted that it is vital to understand the ‘what, how, and why’ of the knowledge you are passing down to the athletes.

“Not only identify “what” to teach, but share “how” and “why” you are teaching those skills,” said Stapleton. “Be willing to learn from others. I have coached over 1,000 high school games — I still learn something new just about every day.”

Having so much success in a sports program is a col laborative effort. Stapleton believes he has achieved so much in his career thanks to athletes who are willing to work hard, parents who are willing to support the athletes and coaches who are willing to devote the

Walker, Wright earn water polo awards

Enterprise staff

Kenzie Walker and Malaya Wright are reap ing the rewards of their hard work they’ve put in with the Davis High girls water polo team.

Both seniors, the two Blue Devils were named the Sac-Joaquin Section’s girls water polo co-MVPs by high school water polo coaches in the Sac-Joa quin Section.

“They felt strongly that Malay and Kenzie dem onstrate the very best in what it is to be an MVP and student/athlete,” said Davis head coach Doug Wright.

Walker, who has made a verbal commitment to Cal, was Davis’ leading scorer this season with 98 goals. The defender had 166 shot attempts.

Malaya Wright, whose coach is also her father, led Davis with 65 assists and second in scoring at 71. She also had 53 steals and accounted for 136 points.

Making first team were Lucie Lapuz and Leila Meraz, both juniors.

Kyla Cutler, Hailey Pis tochini, Rylie Johnson and Sierra Johnson were placed on the second team.

Ava Portello was selected to the honorable mention list.

All-league honors

Walker picked up her first MVP, as she was named the Delta League’s MVP.

Eight other Blue Devil girls who were recognized in Malaya Wright, Meraz, Lapuz, Kyla Cutler, Hai ley Pistochini, Portello, Rylie Johnson and Sierra Johnson.

Success

Doug Wright is proud of the Blue Devils’ success that has been accom plished since he became the head coach in 1995.

Davis won its sixth con secutive section title in a row. The Blue Devils have been in 18 of 23 section appearances since 1996.

The Blue Devils’ overall

record is 710 wins and 154 losses.

“We have been top four in the section for 25 years,” Wright said. “We have also finished top eight at the Nor Cal Invite 20 times.”

Wright shares his thoughts on coaching this year’s team, as well as pre vious teams.

“I immensely enjoy watching players improve and teams come together,” Wright said.

Wright has coached Malaya and Walker the last 10 years. This includes winning the National Junior Olympic Gold Medal team 10U title.

“They play so well together,” said Doug Wright. “Kenzie has been such a great player, leader and person... love her like a daughter.”

Malaya Wright is the oldest of six children.

“Words cannot express the love I have for her and how grateful I am that I was able to be her coach and dad,” said Doug Wright. “She put up with so much as I can be at times less than enjoyable to be around. Loved by her teammates, she always made people laugh through her own selfdeprecation and in an indirect way was allowing her teammates to ... have fun and relax.

“She led in such a unique way. I learned way more about coaching from her than she ever learned about water polo from me and for that, I’m forever grateful.”

Fred Gladdis/enterprise photo Davis defender Kenzie Walker waves her hand to a teammate to pass the ball in Saturday’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division I game against Granite Bay on Nov. 12.

Mike Bush/enterprise photo

Davis High boys water polo head coach Tracy Stapleton shouts instructions to his players during the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title game against Jesuit at the Roseville Aquatic Center on Nov. 12.

Mike Bush/enterprise photo

Davis High boys water polo head

coach Tracy Stapleton (center) talks with his players in the pool during a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I game against McClatchy at American River College on Nov. 4.

See SPLASH,

Fred Gladdis/enterprise photo Davis attacker Malaya Wright looks for a teammate to pass the ball in the SacJoaquin Section Division I title game against Granite Bay on Nov. 12.

Farewell to a radio man

By Llewellyn King Special to The Enterprise

Agreat voice is stilled. James “Jimbo” Bohannon died of cancer of the esoph agus on Nov. 12. Only weeks earlier, he had to resign from his “Jim Bohannon Show,” the overnight broadcast that aired on 500 radio stations, largely AM, week nights from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. ET.

Jim was a big man with a big voice, a big curiosity and a big heart. Over most of the 29 years that his show was on the air, I had the pleasure of being a guest from time to time.

At first, my wife, Linda Gasparello — a writer, broadcaster and an occasional guest on the show — and I would journey to a studio in suburban northern Virginia — the building always looked forbidding in the dark of night. Later, the show moved to the CBS studios on M Street in Washing ton. But in recent years, Bohannon broad cast from his home in Westminster, S.C.

As with most of us in the trade, I believe “in studio” trumps virtual. But one of the pleasures of radio is that it is portable and can be done with a phone anywhere. Before Jim took over the show, it was the springboard for Larry King, who once interviewed me in a bedroom in the Algon quin Hotel in New York. That was odd, but I was used to guesting on the radio from odd spots, like sitting in a parked car in a hotel lot overlooking the River Moy in Bal lina, Ireland.

Jim’s show was a mixture of guests, whom he interviewed with genuine curios ity and gruff respect for views other than his own, and call-ins. He also was kind. I asked him to interview a friend, Ryan Prior, who was establishing a charity to support research medical education on chronic fatigue syndrome. Bohannon asked informed and perceptive questions and elicited an interesting hour of broad casting with his skill as an interviewer.

He was less indulgent of crazy folks. If you do call-in radio, you get crazies. When their rants began, Jim simply cut them off. No apology, but no indulgence either. Some were regulars and went to lengths to circumvent the security provisions of Westwood One, the show’s syndicator.

One technique was to use a different phone for each attempt, say a wife’s or a neighbor’s phone. I once said, “George, in St. Louis, did you take your medicine today?” Jim chuckled, but I doubt he would have addressed a caller that way. Jim had a superficial toughness — he was a Vietnam veteran — but his kindness always broke through.

Unlike many in the star business, Jim didn’t yearn, that I could discern, to emu late his predecessor, Larry King, becoming a television star. Like many, if not most, broadcasters, he loved radio. It is flexible, mobile and not slaved to technology and big crews.

That isn’t to say Jim didn’t enjoy doing television, but he was a radio man, having started in it, like many, when he was in high school — in his case, in his native Missouri. He found his footing in Wash ington, where he did some television and a lot of radio before taking over the latenight slot that uniquely fitted him.

Jim seemed supremely happy in the wee hours. So were his listeners from coast to coast who enjoyed his camaraderie, humor, wisdom and masterful interview ing.

The one talent that great commercial broadcasters must have is the skill in “hit ting time” to accommodate syndicated radio advertising. Jim seamlessly guided his interviews to a full stop without the interviewees knowing they had been diverted to silence. It takes skill to do that. It also takes skill — and the love of craft — to be fresh night after night; and skill to elicit gems of truth and wisdom from reluctant subjects.

Jim had those talents, but I shall remember especially his talent for friend ship. He has signed off but won’t be forgot ten by those who knew him and shared the time of stars in the sky with a true star of the microphone.

— Llewellyn King is executive producer and host of “White House Chronicle” on PBS. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.

California has a home-ownership crisis

When the California Legislature recon venes in a few weeks, it will have dozens of new members, thanks to term limits and legislative districts redrawn after the 2020 cen sus.

There is no shortage of crit ical issues that the Legisla ture, and a newly re-elected Gov. Gavin Newsom, should address but none is more important than a chronic shortage of housing. That shortage not only causes severe overcrowding, particu larly in urban areas, but rents that are the primary factors in California’s highest-in thenation poverty and homeless ness rates.

Much of the political debate over housing has, for good reason, centered on the lack of affordable rental hous ing for low- and moderateincome families. Building more of that housing is the flashpoint in the running conflict between the state and local governments.

That said, there’s another dimension to California’s housing quandary — the increasing inability of fami lies, even those with six-figure incomes, to purchase homes and build generational wealth.

Fewer than 55% of Califor nians live in homes they or their families own, the sec ond lowest rate of any state and just slightly higher

Letters

than New York.

Why? It’s that houses cost more in California than in any other state except Hawaii, with a current home sale median well above $800,000, reflecting both the lack of supply and the state’s high construction costs.

Construction overhead includes high land and labor costs, heavy regulatory hur dles, mandatory features and fees that add tens of thou sands of dollars to the cost of each unit. Even construction of relatively small rental apartments meant for lowand moderate-income fami lies averages over $500,000 a unit and can range as high as $1 million.

The bottom line, according to the California Association of Realtors, is that only 18% of California households can afford a median-priced sin gle-family home of $829,760. That’s because it requires an income of at least $192,800 to make payments on a 30-year mortgage with a 5.72% interest rate. Since

Last in teacher salaries

My wife and I recently moved our family back to our shared hometown of Davis. We had many reasons for coming back, but one of the most important was Davis itself. We are home to one of the top research universities in the country. Our Covid testing program was proba bly the best in the country. We are world-renowned for our Farmer’s Mar ket and bike culture. And we have a liv able, family-friendly vibe that reflects universal shared values of community. Davis is an exceptional place.

But I recently learned we are excep tionally bad at one important thing.

As my wife began looking for teaching jobs after our move, she told me that salaries for Davis teachers are embar rassingly low compared to surrounding districts. “Nah,” I thought. “That can’t be right. That doesn’t sound like the Davis I know.”

Well, folks, I have bad news: Davis has the lowest starting salary for teachers of any school district in the area.

When you consider the cost of living,

enterprise

A McNaughton Newspaper Locally owned and operated since 1897

Foy S. McNaughton President and CEO R. Burt McNaughton Publisher

Sebastian Oñate Editor

Official legal newspaper of general circulation for the city of Davis and county of Yolo. Published in The Davis Enterprise building, 325 G St., Davis, CA. Mailing address: P.O. Box 1470, Davis, CA 95617. Phone: 530-756-0800. An award-winning newspaper of the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

Speak out President

those data were calcu lated, mortgage interest rates have climbed to more than 7%, reducing affordability even more.

The relationship between home prices and income is the key to understand just how affordability has taken a beating in California.’

Yes, California families have relatively high personal incomes vis-à-vis other states, well over $100,000 on aver age. But they are low in rela tion to home prices.

Recent research by a Southern California real estate broker age, Los Feliz Realtors, tells the story. It assembled data on incomes and home sizes and prices for each state to determine relative affordabil ity.

It found that West Virginia is the nation’s most affordable housing market. The average home of 1,714 square feet (larger than California’s aver age) costs $129,103, or just twice the state’s average fam ily income of $66,332. Not surprisingly, West Virginia also has the nation’s highest rate of home ownership, 77.8%.

California, meanwhile, has the nation’s second lowest affordability index, with only Hawaii lower. At the time the data were collected, Califor nia had a $760,000 average

the news is even worse. Davis has the highest median home prices by far and the lowest starting salary for teachers in the area. And it’s not just starting sala ries — we rank near the bottom across all levels of experience on the teacher pay scale.

For the sake of brevity, I’ll assume our thoughtful readers grasp the obvious problem here. If you don’t care, you can stop reading here.

But if you, like me, are having a “this doesn’t seem like the Davis I know” moment, please join me in insisting that we do better. Contact the school district or school board to support Davis teachers as they negotiate respect able salaries.

Budgets reflect priorities, and invest ing in teachers is the single most impactful thing we can do to support our schools. It’s time to make some tough decisions and fix this shameful problem in our otherwise exceptional community.

Chris Theg Davis

Avoid a holiday tragedy

The holiday season comes with family gatherings, social time with friends, and

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

House of Representatives

home price, nearly seven times as much as its average income of $111,622.

Texas, California’s archrival in economic, cultural and political fields, isn’t as affordable as West Virginia, but is the 12th most afford able state, with an average price of $289,896 and an average income of $89,506. Underlying these numbers is a socioeconomic crisis. Cali fornia has evolved into a twotier society and one of its many divisions is between those who own their homes and those who have little or no hope of ever becoming homeowners as their rent receipts pile up. It also explains why so many Califor nians are fleeing the state for more affordable locales.

— CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to Commentary.

office parties. These joyful events can lead to life-altering consequences, like drunken driving.

When I was 16 years old in 1992, a drunken driver hit me. I had a four month coma, broken bones, paralysis and brain injuries. My gait and speech are affected and I lost my driving and hearing abilities. For 30-plus years, I read lips and cannot enjoy holiday music anymore.

Music is special to me and I would love to hear Stevie Mello at The Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg on Dec. 3. Viewing him would bring me joy but I would have problems hearing the music and words. Drunken drivers injure lives many ways, and I know.

Planning to take Interstate 5 to attend a holiday gathering? Make smart deci sions now if you plan to drink: Don’t drive drunk. The law enforcement and I urge you to have a sober friend, taxi, etc. drive you to and from this location.

My continuous message to drive sober will never get old because it saves lives. Having a sober driver is a superb way to begin 2023.

Lori Martin Tracy

We welcome your letters

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;

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/

Addresses and phone numbers should be included for verification purposes; they will not be published.

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.

The bottom line ... is that only 18% of California households can afford a medianpriced singlefamily home ....

Living

Adopt-a-Family is the holiday cheer we all need

On my list of column top ics that I keep, I have some pegged to a certain time of year. For example, today’s topic comes from the running list, which says, “In NOVEM BER: STEAC adopt-a-family.” See how NOVEMBER is all in caps, so it will grab my attention and I will write this story in NOVEMBER?

But damned if I wasn’t too late with this story, because all the families were already adopted before I told you to consider adopting one! I mean, on the one hand, yay everybody!

From the website of the Short Term Emergency Aid Commit tee, the good souls who have sponsored the holiday adoption program for 55 years: “Thank you to all 2022 adopters! Our generous community has done it again. All 464 families/individu als who applied to be adopted have matched with an adopter!”

That is very awesome. A lot of people in need of support for the holidays will have festive food, along with both practical and fun gifts to open. Equally impor tant, they will have the psychic

boost of knowing an anonymous stranger cares about them.

On the other hand, with what I’m about to tell you, you’re going to feel so cheated that you don’t get to adopt a family this season. So sorry for that. Still, maybe some of you reading this have never adopted a family, so let me share some insights.

As longtime readers know, I worked at The Davis Enterprise for almost 17 years as an associ ate editor and reporter. Many NOVEMBERS, then-editor Debbie Davis would coordinate our office STEAC adoption, and we would be assigned either a medium family (4-5 members) or large family (6-7 members).

Debbie would put a sign-up sheet on the break room door, and we’d write our names next to

the item/items we would pro vide.

I usually went to the list ASAP, pen in hand, to sign up for my favorite things to provide: gifts for the children, or stocking stuffer/ treats for the whole family.

A note about the gifts for the children: Sometimes the list would say something very practi cal, like “girl’s jacket, size 8.” While I knew that was an essen tial gift, I felt terrible for the young girl not getting something fun. So I would sign up the jacket, and make sure all the kids on the list also received a little extra fun item.

My favorite thing to get for the family is always the treats. STEAC suggests for this item that you buy something like a gingerbread house, tree orna ments, a small game, etc.

I’m not gonna lie, though ... I feel a lot of pressure to get treats for people I’ve never met, nor will I ever meet, that they will love. When the only information you have to go on is something like your gift recipient is a girl who wears size-8 in jackets, you really don’t know if your choices

are hits-or-misses. But I try to get into the headspace of size-8 girl and imagine what she’d think is an extra-special gift.

Even getting straightforward items on the list such as “Target gift card” gives me a little trepi dation. I realize gift cards make it so the recipients can choose what they want, but I feel like I’m letting them down by not presenting a surprise.

Some years that I participated in The Enterprise’s Adopt-aFamily Program, I’d also sign up for another family that the Perez household would be responsible for. Our kids and I would shop together for the fun stuff, as well as the food — “D, go get one box of mashed potatoes; T, go pick a cake mix that looks good.” And then we would all wrap the gifts, box up the food, and take it to First Baptist Church of Davis where they efficiently collect it all and spread massive gobs of holiday cheer.

By the way, props to STEAC for expanding the food menu for the program recipients. While it’s probably been happening for years, last year I noticed that the

list of food choices had grown beyond traditional American fare. The small family we adopted last year requested Chi nese food, and the grocery list was an adventure in shopping for me as I looked for spices and things like certain dried mush rooms I’ve never cooked with.

While I could go on and on about how great of an experience this is and how you’ve missed the chance to adopt a family, there are still ways to help.

Start by looking at the STEAC holiday program overview at http://steac.org/HP2022_start. php. There you will see that vol unteers are needed for December to help with gathering and dis tributing the donations. And, of course, there is always a need for financial contributions.

And might I also suggest you add to your 2023 calendar, “In OCTOBER, STEAC adopt-afamily.”

— Tanya Perez lives in Davis with her family. Her column is published every other Sunday. Reach her at pereztanyah@ gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter at @californiatanya.

Finding peace at the end of the story

Craig Dresang Special to The Enterprise

When YoloCares

affiliated with the California Hospice Network in 2021, it acquired the collaborative energy and leadership of some of California’s leading minds in end-of-life care.

One of those individuals is Mike Milward who serves as CEO of CHN. Milward, an attorney and hospice chap lain who was also CEO of Hospice of Santa Cruz County, recently penned an article called “Finding Peace at End Of Life.” His writing is so on-point and poignant that we decided to share it with the Davis community.

“In my work as a hospice chaplain, it has been my privilege to be with hun dreds of patients and their families as they lived into the last months, weeks, and days of their lives.

This is a time when pallia tive medicine and hospice care can be especially pres ent, address symptoms and alleviate pain, both physical and existential. But also, it is a time in which we are living with the emerging truth that cure is no longer an option.

In this precious and rari fied space, we come to understand that finding peace at the end of life has very much to do with what our life has meant, to us and to those we love.

Dad lived remarkably well with pancreatic cancer for a year. At almost the one-year anniversary of his diagnosis, his scans looked good as he underwent surgery to allevi ate a stomach blockage.

As soon as they opened him up, they knew — he was full of cancer. They closed

YoloCares

him up after placing a gastric tube to make him comfort able and we were told that he had six weeks to live.

The surgeon, who was so candid with my dad and all of us, gave us a great gift. It was time to say what needed to be said, and as friends and extended family came to visit, there awere heartfelt farewells and many tears.

I think it gave Dad a great sense of peace to go through with me the home repairs that Mom’s house would need in the coming years. He was finishing up his business as we assured him that we would be there for Mom.

Over these weeks we would catch Dad staring at the family picture above the fireplace — the one we had gathered to have taken the summer before. The photo included him and Mom, their four kids and spouses, and their 10 grandchildren. Who knows what thoughts and feelings were alive in him during these times of quiet reflection?

My dad wasn’t per fect, and I recall one afternoon the hospice chaplain emerging dry eyed from his bedroom asking for a box of Kleenex. We were so thankful he had this man to talk with. A summing up for my dad meant a clear-eyed look at the times he had missed the mark as well. I am reminded of what Leonard Cohen writes in his song, “Anthem”:

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offer ing

There’s a crack in every thing

That’s how the light gets in.

A life well lived does not mean a perfect life. As we look at the vast landscape of the life we have lived, finding peace is about seeing the cracks and looking for the light. It is not by any means a report card, and at the same time, our work is, in many ways, to come to terms with all that our life has been. Our ability to do this with equanimity and com passion for ourselves and others is most helpful in our journey toward peace.

Surgeon and author Atul Gawande says it this way in his New York Times best seller, Being Mortal (2015): “Our ultimate goal, after all, is not a good death, but a good life to the very end.”

In my experience at the bedside, I was deeply attracted to what I came to call the “really real.” As my patient (and his/her family) grew connected to the deep reality of approaching death, the unimportant and trivial would fall to the wayside and what mattered most would come to the forefront.

In the space of the “really real,” finding peace has almost everything to do with relationships. As we are able, peace is found in conversa tions of gratitude and recon ciliation, where stories of our shared lives abound.

This was true for my dad. In his last six weeks of life, we were able to forgive and seek forgiveness, express our love and gratitude for his life and what that life had meant to all of us. And importantly, he was able to do the same with dear friends and his

UCD team wins at Entomology Games

Kathy Keatley Garvey Special to The Enterprise

The UC Davis Entomol ogy Games Team edged out Alabama’s Auburn University 75 to 70 to win the national championship at the Entomological Soci ety of America’s Entomol ogy Games, waged Nov. 15 at the ESA meeting in Vancouver, British Colum bia.

This is the fourth national championship for UC Davis since 2015.

The 2022 UC Davis team included four doc toral candidates from the department of entomology and nematology: Zachary Griebenow of the Phil Ward lab, captain; Jill Oberski of the Ward labo ratory; Erin “Taylor” Kelly of the Geoffrey Attardo lab; and Madison “Madi”

Name Droppers

Hendrick of the Ian Grettenberger lab.

“The 2022 Entomology Games were once again a highlight of the ESA Annual Meeting for stu dents in entomology from all over the country,” said Games Committee chair Meredith Spence Beaulieu, university program man ager of Global One Health Academy, North Carolina State University.

“My fellow members of the Entomology Games Committee and I congrat ulate the University of Cal ifornia, Davis, team on their victory, and we com mend all the teams and students.”

The highly anticipated event is a lively questionand-answer, college

bowl-style competition on entomological facts played between university-spon sored student teams.

The question included biological control, behav ior and ecology, and medi cal and urban and veterinary entomology.

Preliminary rounds took place Nov. 13 with UC Davis defeating the Uni versity of Wisconsin, Mad ison. The finals proved to be a close match between the two powerhouses; only one correct question sepa rated them. Auburn won the national championship in 2020 and was runnerup in 2004.

— Do you know of some one who has won an award or accomplished something noteworthy? Email it to newsroom@davisenter prise.net.

family. He was able to express gratitude for his life and the deep sad ness of leaving. Both were an integral part of his journey toward peace.

Along that journey, he had to also reflect on the times where he missed the mark. It meant, that to the greatest extent possible, he needed to face the truth of his circum stances. It is in the reality of this emerging truth that meaning and peace can be found.

Dr. Sherwin Nuland in his book How We Die (1995) said it this way: “Of the many ways to die alone, the most comfortless and soli tary must surely take place when the knowledge of death’s certainty is withheld. Here again, it is the ‘I couldn’t take away his hope’ attitude that is so often pre cisely how a particularly reassuring form of hope is never allowed to materialize. Unless we are aware that we are dying and so far as possi ble know the conditions of our death, we cannot share any sort of final consumma tion with those who love us.”

We live in a time in which almost all of us will die a death that we will see com ing. For most Americans, as recently as 1976 death came suddenly, from acute illness or event (Kiernan, 2006).

Today, the opposite is true. We live much longer and the overwhelming majority will die gradually, often from a combination of co-occurring

diseases associated with aging. Thus, finding peace at the end of our lives is, in fact, not something we are lucky to stumble upon, but is a process in which we can engage, today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives.

Ancient wisdom and vol umes of contemporary writ ings speak of the value of reflecting on our mortality and on planning ahead. Both can help to bring us peace. And both require intentionality and courage.

My teacher and friend, Frank Oste seski, says it this way in his seminal work, The Five Invitations—Dis covering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully (2017): “To imagine at the time of our dying we will have the physical strength, emotional stabil ity, and mental clarity to do the work of a lifetime is a ridiculous gamble. Reflecting on death can have a profound and posi tive impact not just on how we die but how we live.”

The Roman philosopher Seneca teaches: “Let us pre pare our minds as if we had come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day. …The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time.”

We need not wait to tell those we love how loved they are and how much their lives have meant to how our lives have unfolded. Let them know how grateful we are that the path of their star crossed the path of ours. And if we have unfinished busi ness, now is the time to talk this through. We need not

wait until we are on our deathbed to have conversa tions of gratitude and recon ciliation.

How we die matters. A lot. Completing an advanced directive and having conver sations about our choices is an act of compassion.

Our loved ones never for get our last days, the conver sations we have, or don’t have. Peace, for us, at the end means to leave those we love in peace, too. So let us have the conversations about what we want and do not want as we are dying—and what we want after our death. It brings peace to the bereaved to know what our loved one wanted—and to be able to see those wishes through.

A number of years ago my friend Mark was dying of alcohol-related cirrhosis — he was afraid, guilt ridden, and grief stricken. Told he was not a candidate for a liver transplant, he did not have long to turn toward his leaving.

We sat on his porch in the warm September sun and talked about how important how he died would be to his beloved 19-year-old son and to his wife Sarah. As hard as it was, he knew that he needed to express, and they needed to hear, his regrets, apologies, and deep sad ness—and he was desperate to express his boundless love.

We talked about how his son would live the rest of his life with the memories of how he left him and the world. Mark and his family were heroic in his last days. Through the cracks they found the light. And, I think, peace.”

— Craig Dresang is the CEO of YoloCares.

MILWARD California Hospice Network CEO

n The Western Yolo Grange Hall will host a Holiday Craft Fair at 16787 Forest Ave. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Guinda. On hiatus for two years because of the COVID pandemic, Holi day Craft Fair, returns in 2022 with craft ven dors; luscious food; and volunteers to prepare and serve chili, and sell Grammy Wyatt’s home made almond roca. Available crafts include handmade shopping bags in a great variety of fabric; hand-knitted cowls and hats; screenprinted bandanas; rose mary and other herbal products; prepacked nuts; natural deodorant, goat milk soaps, salves, lotion bars, lip condi tioner and activated charcoal tooth powder; hand-crafted jewelry; organic samosas from local ingredients; gour met coffee; sweet tama les; linens; beeswax candles and honey; handmade woodwork décor; and a free kids’ crafts table.

Friday

n The UC Davis Arbo retum hosts a Folk Music Jam Session from noon to 1 p.m. Folk musicians are once again invited to bring their acoustic instruments and play together informally dur ing this jam session at Wyatt Deck (next to the redwood grove). Pull out your fiddles, guitars, mandolins, penny whis tles, pipes, flutes, squee zeboxes (you name it). All skill levels welcome and listeners are invited. Short-term parking is available in Visitor Lot 5 on Old Davis Road at Arboretum Drive. Hourly rates start at $1.75.

Saturday

n The annual Davis model train display will be up and running at the Davis train station (Amtrak) at 840 Second St. in downtown Davis. Sponsored by the Davis Sunrise Rotary Club (davisrotary.org) and the Davis Model Train Club, admission is free. Any donations received will be directed to local chari table programs. The elec tric train display will be open from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and features two layouts (Lionel O and HO gauges) with interactive components for children as well as the history of local Davis points of interest.

Thursday, Dec. 1

n The city of Davis will kick off the holiday

season with the 41st annual candlelight parade and holiday tree lighting downtown. Fes tivities begin at 6 p.m. when the candlelight parade departs from the Davis Food Co-op park ing lot at 620 G St. Walk ers, strollers, wagons and decorated bicycles are all welcome to join the parade to the E Street Plaza. Park in the free parking structure behind the Signature Stadium 5 Theaters at Fourth and G streets. At 6:30 p.m., Mayor Lucas Frerichs and the rest of the City Council will light the tree in the E Street Plaza.

Musical performances will include the Davis Youth Choir (at 6 p.m.); the Davis High Jazz Choir (at 6:15 p.m.); the Davis High Madrigals (at 6:35 p.m.); Mariachi del Valle (at 6:50 p.m.); Davis Local Vocals (at 7:05 p.m.); and Davis Musical Theatre Compa ny’s Young Performers’ Theatre (at 7:20 p.m.).

Friday, Dec. 2

n The Avid Reader will host best-selling science fiction author Kim Stan ley Robinson at Davis Community Church from 7 to 9 p.m. Robinson will discuss his newest book, “The High Sierra: A Love Story,” followed by a Q&A and author signing. The church is at 412 C St. in downtown Davis.

Tickets are on sale for $10 on The Avid Reader website and in-store at The Avid Reader.

Dec. 2-3

n The 54th annual Madrigal Dinner returns to the California Agricul tural Museum, 1958 Hays Lane in Woodland. The event features per formances by the Davis High School Madrigal Singers under the direc tion of new DHS choral director Amanda Bis tolfo. Junior Madrigals, seventh- to ninth-grad ers, will carol and enrich the holiday experience. The fundraising event includes appetizers, wine, dinner, dessert and a silent auction. Tickets are $75 and must be pur chased in advance by Nov. 21 at https://www. davismadrigals.org/ madrigal-dinner.

How do fish survive in winter?

By Sara Thompson Special to The Enterprise

Fish are cold-blooded animals, meaning they cannot regulate their own body tempera ture and require heat from their surroundings to be able to function and live. If fish need a warm environ ment, how then can they survive in cold water dur ing the wintertime?

Freshwater fish in lakes and rivers at the end of the fall and are still there in the spring. Most freshwa ter fish have adapted and evolved to deal with the changing seasons and tem perature. While the tem peratures get colder at the surface of the water, it is actually slightly warmer closer to the bottom for the fish.

The opposite is true dur ing the summer, when the surface is warmer than the bottom.

During the fall the water temperature begins to even out and it goes through a turnover where the warm and cold levels reverse.

During the winter, ice cover insulates the water a little, adding to the warmer depths. The water at the bottom would still be considered cold to most organisms, ranging around 35 to 50 degrees,

Explorit SciEncE cEntEr

but when the surface is freezing or below, that might feel comparatively warmer to a fish.

While the fish are gath ering toward the bottom of a body of water, they also have the ability to slow down their metabolism.

Reduced activity reduces their need for food and oxygen. Plants in the water will still perform photo synthesis if light is able to penetrate the surface.

However, as the ice and snowpack get thicker, this process can stop and potentially cause anoxic environments. Fish need to be responsive to the oxy gen levels where they are and move to a new loca tion if necessary.

During the winter, fish not only use their gills to gather oxygen from the water, but also absorb it from through their blood vessels, skin and organs. Some fish also can gulp air bubbles that form under the ice.

Slower metabolisms can help reduce the fish’s need for food but does not elim inate it. The underwater food web is still active dur ing the winter, albeit a lit tle sluggish. Fish will

continue to search for food during the warmer parts of the day or lay and wait for something to swim by it.

Ice-fishers have learned to use bright colored lures and long lines to attract fish at the bottom of lakes in winter.

The fish tank at Explorit is heated throughout the year, so our fish are always active. Come visit Explorit during our public hours to check out the fish and liv ing plants in our tank in the Animal Alcove. Explo rit is open Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Explorit's coming events:

n Thanksgiving Extended Public Hours: Monday-Wednesday, Nov. 21-23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 25, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

n A Membership to Explorit grants the recipi ent free visits to Explorit’s regular public hours, dis counts on events, summer camps and workshops, 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 Explorit 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. Please call 530-756-0191 for more information or to sched ule.

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.

UCD researchers get help spreading native plant seeds

By Tiffany Dobbyn Special to the Enterprise

Bus stops, bike paths, sidewalks and other spots often overlooked in the community will become areas of beauty — for the sake of science. That’s the idea behind the Seed Pile Project, which asks com munity members from as far east as Sacramento and as far west as the East Bay to drop a pile of native wildflower seeds near their home or office and monitor the growth.

Haven Kiers, assistant professor of landscape architecture and environ mental design at UC Davis, and Billy Krimmel, a UCD alumnus and co-founder of Miridae Living Labs, launched the project with the goal to find out which plants are most successful

in urban areas without any maintenance — places you wouldn’t find plant life such as cracks in sidewalks or streets.

The project aims to high light the critical role of native plants in conserving and enhancing biodiversity while creating habitat for insects, birds and other wildlife.

In its third year, the proj ect expands from Sacra mento and Yolo counties into the East Bay, including Vallejo, Fairfield and Tracy. A full list of participating communities is here.

The seeds will be avail able at various locations including Jackrabbit Brew Co. in West Sacramento, Sudwerk Brewing Co. in Davis and through the Mir idae Mobile Nursery.

Seeds dispersed will include California poppy,

lupine, clarkia, baby blue eyes, sunflower and tar weed.

Kiers said preliminary results from 2021-22, in which about 1,000 people participated, showed that the most successful loca tions for flowers and plant growth were within cracks in asphalt or concrete and along roadways. However, the least successful areas were those near manicured lawns and gardens where routine maintenance oper ations likely removed plant seedlings.

“Some of the best photos were of flowers growing up through garbage, where

the maintenance people couldn’t get to it,” Kiers said.

Volunteer seed spreaders this year will be encouraged to use a smartphone app called CitiSci, enabling par ticipants to easily share their observations and pho tos with researchers.

Data will be shared with UCD entomology profes sors Neal Williams and Emily Meineke, who will explore how urban condi tions impact native bee spe cies and other pollinators.

“I’m very excited to monitor insects on the plants people seed in their spaces,” Meineke said. UC Davis News

Building Code International Fire Code International Residential Code National Electrical Code, Uniform Mechanical and Plumbing Codes The Califor nia amendments to these codes enhance the public health and safety standards for homes commercial buildings public s c h o o l s a n d h o s p i t a l s a s w e l l a s o t h e r o c c u p a n c i e s t h r o u g h o u t t h e s t a t e T h e 2 0 2 2 C a l i f o r n i a G r e e n B u i l d i n g S t a n d a r d s C o d e i n c l u d e s r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r r e s i d e n t i a l a n d commercial projects While most cities do not require it the City of Davis has required Tier 1 compliance as mandatory not optional Staff also recommends adoption of Appendix G, F l o o d R e s i s t a n t C o n s t r u c t i o n f o u n d i n t h e 2 0 2 2 C a l i f o r n i a Building Code with some minor revisions in order to be com pliant with FEMA s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements All of the local amendments included in the or dinance have been previously approved during the preceding code adoptions and reach codes

The above summary constitutes the major highlights; to ob tai n a fu ll u n de rs tan di n g of the o rd i na nc e a r ea d in g of th e document in its entirety may be necessary A certified copy of the full text of the proposed ordinance may be viewed in the City Clerk s Office 23 Russell Boulevard Davis California and/or copies may be obtained at a nominal charge

Published November 20 2022 #2083

U.S. FiSh and WildliFE SErvicE/ WikimEdia commonS photo

A youngster checks for fish beneath the surface while ice-fishing in the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge in Illinois.

By Scott Adams

Pearls Before Swine

By Stephan Pastis

Classic Peanuts

By Charles M. Schulz

Time of the season for baseball managers

Wondering how the NFL’s Prime Video streaming games on Thursday nights is going?

n Depends more and more on who you get your info from. Amazon claims the service is “meeting expectations.” Internet sites that track streaming num bers aren’t nearly as optimistic.

n It’s the “time of the season” for old-school baseball manag ers. Dusty Baker, 73, won the World Series with the Houston Astros. New York Mets’ Buck Showalter, 66 and Cleveland Guardians’ Terry Francona, 63, were named National and Amer ican League Managers of the Year.

n Score a knockout for Sirius radio talker Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo.

After retired Pittsburgh Steel ers coach Bill Cowher criticized Indianapolis Colts hiring Jeff Saturday, who had no previous college or pro coaching experi ence as head coach, Russo fired back, “What about (Cowher) going right from the sidelines to

the CBS pregame show with no previous TV experience.”

n Happy 82nd birthday to Sam Waterston. You know him better as Jack McCoy on the original “Law & Order” series.

n Longtime friend and high school classmate Mike Thibault retired this week as WNBA Washington Mystics coach. He’ll stay on as the team’s general manager. Thibault has more WNBA wins than anyone, 379 in all. He didn’t have to look far for his successor. His son, Eric, now occupies the lead seat on the Mystics’ bench.

n The World Cup futbol (soc cer) tournament gets underway Sunday. The host nation is

Qatar, near Saudi Ara bia. Qatar has a popula tion of just 3 million people.

Thirty-two teams sur vived qualifying rounds and will compete first in pool play. The United States team is in a group with Wales, England and Iran.

With the World Cup being literally a worldwide event, television viewership is high. FIFA, the international govern ing body for the sport, estimates that five billion people will watch all or part of the month-long tournament.

That may be a stretch, but suf fice to say that the Olympic Games and World Cup are the two most-watched sporting events in the world. Thanks to Rich Perelman for the update.

n In case you missed it, Justin Verlander, age 39, can still get hitters out.

Now a free agent, Verlander helped pitch the Houston Astros to a World Series title. This week

he was chosen as the American League’s Cy Young Award recipi ent.

It is the third “Cy” for Ver lander, who has won 244 games over a 17-year career with Detroit and Houston.

The National League winner was Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins. Both Verlander and Alcantara were unanimous selections.

n Football may be winding down, but coaches Jennifer Gross and Jim Les have the UC Davis women’s and men’s bas ketball squads in full swing. Let’s rustle up some fan support for both programs.

n When it came to the wild men of rock ’n’ roll, none fit the bill like Jerry Lee Lewis. Lewis, 87, died at his Mississippi home last month. The Associated Press called him the “untamable rock ’n’ roll pioneer whose talent, energy and ego collided on such definitive records as ‘Great Balls of Fire’ and ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.’”

Lewis worked hard, played

hard and did most everything to the extreme. Speaking of him self, Lewis once said, “There was no rock ’n’ roll before Jerry Lee Lewis kicked in the door.”

n The term “Black Friday” used to be applied to the day after Thanksgiving, when the retail industry officially opened the holiday shopping season.

But “Black Friday” ads are being pushed further and further on the calendar.

So come 2023, “Black Friday” will be the Friday after St. Pat rick’s Day.

n Happy Thanksgiving, every one. Be happy, be kind to others and don’t concern yourselves about watching too much foot ball. It can’t be done.

The longtime radio and tele vision color man on UC Davis football broadcasts, Doug Kelly is director of communications for Battlefields2Ballfields and man aging general partner of Kelly & Associates. Contact him at DKelly1416@aol.com.

SPLASH: Stapleton makes sure to keep focus on the here-and-now

time and energy needed to help the athletes develop.

“I love working with a group of people on a shared goal to perform our best,” said Stapleton. “I enjoy the sense of mission and wit nessing our progress over the season and over the years.”

Many of the studentathletes on this year’s DHS boys water polo team have been coached by Stapleton since they were 11-or-12 years old.

“Excellence is a full-time commitment,” said Staple ton. “The pursuit of excel lence is not dependent on your talent — anyone can

pursue excellence if they choose to do so.”

Stapleton credits the lon gevity of his career to his parents. Born and raised in West Virginia, his mother and father instilled a very strong work ethic into their son. He also credits his wife and family, who he says are his “bedrock.”

Thirty-five years is a long time, but Stapleton isn’t ready to stop.

He says he plans to con tinue coaching for as long as he enjoys it.

“Retirement is not on the immediate horizon,” said Stapleton.

When the time does come for Stapleton to step

away from his coaching and teaching careers, he and his wife would like to travel. Of course, he would stay involved in the sport of water polo in some way, just not at the level he is involved now.

However, Stapleton is not worried about the future quite yet, he was still focused on this year’s team, entering Saturday’s NorCal title game against San Ramon Valley.

“The highs of this season were those times we played well as a unit, even if we did not win,” said Stapleton.

“The lows were the times our attentiveness and focus were lacking in training. Every day is an opportunity

to get better; we want to use each opportunity wisely.”

When his players move on from his program, Sta pleton hopes they take many lessons with them on their journey into the real world.

“I want them to be fully present in their lives,” said Stapleton. “There are so many distractions in their lives, such as social media, which provide little real interpersonal connection. Focusing on the shared task as a member of a group yields amazing results over time. The chal lenge is for everyone to be in the moment. In a team

environment, the shared experience can be genu inely transcendent to the participants.

“Many of my former players continue to attend games and follow our team. They often share that the experience on the team was a positive influence on their lives growing up.”

Water polo is a lot like life; there are ups and downs, wins and losses and lessons to be learned in every game.

“All things that require you to be fully present teach great lessons — the pain, sacrifice and commit ment invested in the endeavor provide the opportunity for the reward,

which is a great feeling of accomplishment,” said Sta pleton. “All things in life that are worthwhile require great effort. I strongly believe young people must identify a passion to which they can fully immerse themselves. This is vital for their social-emotional development.”

Coach Stapleton has made a difference in count less young people’s lives and will continue to do so for years to come.

For anyone interested in trying water polo, visit daviswaterpolo.org.

— Follow Rebecca Wasik on Twitter at @BeccaFromTheBay.