The Davis Enterprise Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Capitol move by strikers

By Monica Stark Enterprise staff writer

Seventeen UC graduate students were arrested on Monday evening for trespassing inside the University of California Office of the President’s downtown Sacramento location.

“I’m engaging in this act of civil disobedience because the stakes are incredibly high, and the UC is not demonstrating that they understand

that,” said Jess Banks, a member of the bargaining team at UC Berkeley. “UC thinks they can end negotia tions and send us back to work, but this strike will continue until they stop breaking the law and settle a fair contract.”

Early in the afternoon, as thou sands of grad students from north ern California UCs descended on Cesar Chavez Park for a rally and

march to the Capitol, one striker pretended to be a delivery service employee to get into the locked UCOP office. Once let in, he held the door open for 16 of his comrades, and together they sat in a circle inside the lobby of the building for about six hours, where Sacramento Police Department officers booked

Saylor closes out 27 years of service

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

Yolo County bid adieu this week to one of its lon gest-serving elected offi cials.

Supervisor Don Saylor served at his final Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, capping off a 27-year career in elected office, beginning as a trustee for the Davis Joint Unified School District, fol lowed by a stint on the Davis City Council, includ ing as mayor, and finally representing the cities of Davis and Winters, as well as UC Davis, for 11 years on the Board of Supervisors.

Along the way, he esti mates he attended some 800 meetings of those elected bodies, on top of countless meetings of sub committees, commissions and regional boards like the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, Yolo County Transporta tion District, Valley Clean Energy and more.

And then there were the countless hours spent in the community, serving even where the job didn’t require it.

“You’re always in every district, helping every supervisor. You’re helping every project. You’re find ing ways to engage stake holders and you report back to staff … you always find ways to get things done,” Supervisor Angel Barajas told him Tuesday. “I want to be like you.”

Supervisor Gary Sandy of Woodland called Saylor “a remarkable public servant” and said the changes Saylor brought to the county were across the board, “from

Supply of COVID antivirals up, but patients don’t use them

By Ana B. Ibarra CalMatters

As California gears up for a winter of respiratory illnesses, health officials and providers often refer ence one encouraging factor — the greater avail ability of COVID-19 treatments and antivirals like Paxlovid. But many patients aren’t using them.

“We have a concerning low rate of outpatient COVID-19 treatments, especially for vulnerable populations,” Dr. Rohan Radhakrishna, chief equity officer at the California Department of Public Health, told doctors in an

online event in Novem ber. “We want to remind the provider community that therapeutics are in ample supply and that most adults have qualify ing conditions.”

Some county health officials agreed that more people should be taking advantage of these treat ments. Patients may not be using them for a num ber of reasons, they said, including lack of aware ness and confusion over who qualifies for a pre scription. Add to that some people’s concerns over “Paxlovid rebound,” when people test positive See ANTIVIRALS, Page A4

County recommends masking indoors

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

Health officials in Yolo County are now recom mending that everyone over the age of 2 wear masks in indoor public places this winter.

The recommendation is based on the increasing spread of several respira tory viruses, including influenza, respiratory syn cytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19.

According to the Sewer Coronavirus Alert Net work, wastewater levels of influenza, RSV, and SARSCoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) are increasing in Yolo County, as are hospitalizations and emergency department

visits for respiratory illnesses.

“This winter is the first in several years where we are seeing significant flu and RSV activity, in addition to COVID-19, so we are now making masking recom mendations based on all circulating respiratory viruses, not just on COVID,” said Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson.

“Wearing a high-quality mask indoors is a great way to protect yourself and oth ers from respiratory viruses

like flu, RSV and COVID19.”

Those viruses, as well as the viruses that cause the common cold, spread through respiratory drop lets.

“Contact with respiratory droplets can occur when an infected person coughs or sneezes near you and you get droplets in your eyes, nose, or mouth,” the county Health and Human Ser vices Agency said in press release announcing the recommendation. “Drop lets can also spread when someone touches a surface with the virus on it, like a doorknob, and then touches their face before washing their hands.

Fred Gladdis/enterprise photo Don Saylor has served in a variety of elected roles in Yolo County for nearly three decades.

Monica stark/enterprise photo

Striking UC grad-student workers arrive Monday in Sacramento for a march on the state Capitol.

SISSON County health officer

Hit-and-run leads to DUI arrest

A Davis man faces drunken-driving charges for his alleged role in a downtown hitand-run collision early Saturday, Davis police said.

The 1:45 a.m. crash at Third and B street caused no injuries, but one of the drivers fled the scene, according to Lt. Dan Beckwith.

Patrol officers later spotted the vehicle on Sunset Court.

John Thomas Reid, 35, was determined to be under the influence of alcohol and taken into custody, Beckwith said.

Mr. Mayor, we hardly knew ye ...

“With all votes in, attention turns to Frerichs’ seat,” said

The Enterprise headline over Anne Ternus-Bellamy’s front-page story.

That would be Lucas Frerichs, Davis City Councilman extraordi naire and the very definition of local boy makes good.

Frerichs is so popular that he was elected as a Yolo County supervisor last June and is slated to be sworn in on Jan. 3, which is all well and good.

There is a slight problem, how ever, in that Jan. 3, 2023, is about two years before his current City Council term expires.

Lucas, it seems, would rather commute to Woodland than ride his bicycle to Fifth and B on Tues day nights.

As Ternus-Bellamy explains, “The City Council cannot legally take action on the vacancy — either by calling for a special elec tion or appointing Frerichs’ successor — until Frerichs is sworn in as a county supervisor.”

I strongly favor turning this one over to the people rather than hav ing council members decide who

they wish to have join them in the high-backed chairs at City Hall. But that’s not as easy as it sounds.

Adds Ternus-Bellamy, “During discussions earlier this year, coun cil members appear to favor a spe cial election, which if called at the council’s Jan. 3 meeting, would likely take place in May.”

So the county makes Frerichs wait a whopping seven months before allowing him to serve and then it takes another four months for the city of Davis to find a replacement for him on the coun cil.

They say good things happen to those who wait, so I guess we’ll wait. And wait and wait and wait.

If the council is forced to mud dle along with just four members

between Jan. 3 and a special elec tion in May, we may see an out break of 2-2 votes and nothing will get passed.

Which, come to think of it, might not be a bad thing at all.

The council could, I suppose, appoint an interim member to serve from Jan. 3 until May, but that can get messy if the person selected decides he or she wants the job permanently and already has a leg up on the competition through incumbency.

Perhaps the council should get creative and force Fre richs to serve out his full term by bringing former Sheriff Ed Prieto out of retirement and having him personally escort Lucas to council meetings until his term expires.

I hear Big Ed is available on Tuesday nights.

Another proposal is to have Fre richs serve both in Woodland and Davis simultaneously, a job I’m certain the multi-tasking Lucas could handle with ease.

There may be a slight problem with that approach in that Califor nia Government Code Section

1099 prohibits a person from holding two public offices at the same time if they are “incompati ble.”

Basically, this has been inter preted to mean offices that have overlapping and conflicting public duties.

Whether being a Yolo County supervisor has substantial over lapping and conflicting duties with a Davis city councilmember is an open question.

The bottom line test of incom patibility is if “either of the offices exercises a supervisory, auditing or removal power over the other office or body, there is a significant clash of duties or loyalties between the offices or there are public pol icy considerations that make it improper.”

The 7 or 8 miles between Davis and Woodland are pretty much taken up with acres and acres of pistachio trees, and at this point we don’t even know if Lucas likes pistachios.

Until that question is answered, I believe we’e at a stalemate.

— Reach Bob Dunning at bdunning@davisenterprise.net.

UCD: Online learning hurt teen mental health, school performance

By Karen Nikos-Rose Special to The Enterprise

The COVID-19 pan demic changed the social and school world for teens as virtual learning or hybrid learning became the norm in 2020-21. The unprecedented shutdown of classroom learning caused undue stress, low levels of social inclusion and low satisfaction with school for many — and mental health issues for some, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Califor nia, Davis.

Problems were especially pronounced for youths identifying as transgender and gender nonconform ing, or TGNC, and youths who attended school online during the pandemic, the researchers found.

“It is clear from this study that certain individu als ended the 2020-21 school year facing more adversity than others,” said Drew Cingel, lead author and associate pro fessor of communication at UC Davis. The study was

published last month in the journal PLOS ONE.

The study found that teens who were able to attend school in-person reported more sense of inclusion in their social group than those learning online. And despite the traditionally high use in this age group, social media failed to compensate for real, in-person social con nections derived from school, researchers suggest.

Data was collected from 1,256 United States adoles cents, ages 14 to 16, to examine how their school context related to feelings of school satisfaction and success, social connection, mental health and media use. The findings suggest that current school inter ventions may be necessary to help teens recover from the disparities experienced during this unique time, researchers said.

Postal worker admits to mail theft

By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer

A former postal worker from Yolo County faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to federal mail theft and drug charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Sacramento.

Shabina Debbie, 54, of West Sacramento, also could be fined up to $250,000 for her conduct, which prosecutors say occurred while she worked for the U.S. Postal Service

between October 2018 and February 2019.

According to court docu ments, Debbie stole items from mail that had been entrusted to her in the course of her duties as a postal employee in Sacra mento, including a package that contained more than three pounds of marijuana. A search warrant served at her West Sacramento home reportedly revealed more than $125,000 in cash, which Debbie agreed to forfeit as part of her plea agreement, U.S. Attorney

Phillip A. Talbert said.

Debbie admitted to charges of theft of mail by a Postal Service employee and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, for which she'll be sentenced March 14, 2023, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Assis tant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case, Talbert said.

Particularly susceptible to health and academic disparities were TGNC adolescents and adoles cents in virtual learning only.

Both reported a more significant drop in aca demic success and less sat isfaction with school in 2020-21 compared to the previous school year.

Youth participating in virtual learning also reported feeling less social connection and higher rates of mental health problems, in comparison to their peers who could attend school in-person or in a hybrid model.

Social media

And while the use of social media by teens was reported as more pro nounced than before the pandemic, the increased socialization online was perceived both positively and as problematic at the same time.

“Importantly, while ado lescent youth are adept and frequent media users, and report using media for social purposes, in this instance in which so much of their in-person social connection was lost, social media and gaming do not appear able to provide a protective mechanism enough to compensate for that loss,” researchers said in the study.

“In fact, problematic media use (both social media and video gaming) was highest by those in vir tual learning contexts. It is critical that we recognize that all youth are not returning to school with the same consequences of the pandemic, and that resources need to be in place to specifically support TGNC youth and those who were studying virtually at the end of last year, par ticularly around social con nection and mental health,” Cingel said.

— UC Davis News

Lev Farris GoLdenberG/enterprise FiLe photo

A member of the Davis Joint Unified School District Parent Coalition joins a rally in February 2021 on the corner of Fifth and B streets to urge DJUSD to offer in-person learning.

mental health to the environment to a whole host of other places …

“You really have, in the truest sense of the phrase, made a differ ence.”

Said Saylor: “Very few people would have predicted that the kid who dropped out of … high school in 1971 would be here today.”

But there he was in the Board of Supervisors chambers on Tuesday, receiving a resolution in thanks for his service and hearing from his colleagues on the board as well as individuals throughout the county grateful for his work.

That most visible work began with Saylor’s election to the Davis school board 27 years ago, but his career in public service began in 1975 when he served as a planning intern for the planning depart ment in Gillette, Wyo.

He spent the rest of his profes sional career in a variety of roles, including 24 years working for the state of California.

But he came from hardscrabble roots, and says his passion for public service was driven by his childhood experiences of near poverty and family struggles.

“I developed a keen sense of fairness,” he said. “Some people made decisions and others bore the consequences of those choices. My focus on children and youth, food security, community engage ment, accessibility of services and fairness all stem from those early experiences.”

And looking back, he takes pride in how that focus has played out.

His first involvement in public service locally came after moving to Davis in 1987, when he got involved as a parent in Davis schools, serving on site council and advocating for a strong Span ish Immersion program, including as president of the Spanish Immersion parent association.

He was elected to the school board in 1995 and spent eight years focusing on creating more opportunities for kids, he said, including athletics, special educa tion and more.

“The idea was to cascade oppor tunities for kids,” he said.

Professionally, he served as an education administrator for the state, including managing Califor nia Youth Authority high schools.

A favorite memory from that time was working with Fred Lange, the longtime band leader at Davis High School, to bring Davis High band students to per form and and meet with band members at one of the CYA schools.

For three years in a row, those Davis students would board a bus and travel to the facility, warned ahead of time not to provide per sonal information to anyone there and, after arriving, going through metal detectors to enter an audito rium.

They sat with the CYA partici pants for lunch and later per formed for them.

“For the youth authority kids, it was an amazing experience,” Say lor said. “But the kids from Davis benefitted even more.”

One Davis student, he added, said the experience was more important than playing at festivals around the county or world.

After eight years on the school board, Saylor was elected to the City Council, where one of his proudest accomplishments, he said, was participating in the cre ation of the Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency.

Other work accomplished by the council during his tenure included infill projects, building

affordable housing like New Har mony and Cesar Chavez Plaza and working with the Interfaith Rotat ing Winter Shelter to serve more of the unhoused community.

But perhaps no work or service better exemplified Saylor’s back ground and experiences than his work on the Board of Supervisors, which he was elected to in 2010.

“I wanted to make services accessible to people,” he said.

To that end, the board estab lished a service center at the county building on A Street in Davis where residents could access Cal Fresh and other programs more easily, as well as a satellite service center in Winters. Prior to that, folks had to travel to Wood land or West Sacramento.

Food insecurity was a priority during Saylor’s tenure as a county supervisor, including ensuring access to healthy food for the lowincome, college students, farm workers and others through new programs.

The resolution approved by county supervisors on Tuesday commending Saylor upon his retirement noted that he “has served as a stalwart advocate on a range of topics including food security, transportation infra structure, climate action, mental health support, children and

youth, improved access to needed services, poverty reduction, fire preparedness, tobacco prevention, COVID-19 safety and building a more just and equitable society.”

Outside of his county work, Saylor also was key in raising funds for nonprofits, particularly through Soup’s On, an annual event he started in 2004 that over the years, raised more than $400,000 for local organizations ranging from environmental groups to arts, suicide prevention, foster children, senior nutrition and more.

And while the Soup’s On run has come to an end, Saylor’s efforts to make a better community, inspired in part by his own child hood, continue.

He and his family have estab lished the Saylor Family Scholar ship Fund, which will support post-secondary education for high school seniors who have faced significant life challenges such as the loss of a parent or other trauma, teen parenting, behav ioral health struggles, involvement with the juvenile justice system, or other obstacles.

In addition to consideration of potential to achieve success in post-secondary education, the award criteria will place a strong emphasis on recommendations

from teachers, coaches, caring professionals, or other adults who commit to supporting the student through completion of high school and the launch of their higher education pursuits.

“My own high school years were erratic,” Saylor said, “but through key interventions by caring adults and peers, and with the unex pected availability of funds to begin college, I was able to finish high school, succeed in col lege and graduate school, and land in a place that allowed me to find and pursue my dream of public service.

“From our own life experiences, we know that young people are resilient and that every person blossoms on their own schedule and in different ways. Life circum stances can present significant challenges and can hinder young people in pursuit of their maxi mum potential. Even a single act of encouragement can open doors of opportunity for a lifetime,” he said.

Those interested in donating can visit https://sacregcf.org/say lorscholarship or mail checks made out to the Yolo Community Foundation, (with Saylor Family Scholarship in the memo line) to P.O. Box 1264, Woodland, CA 95776.

Retirement, Saylor said, is bit tersweet, but he’s looking forward to spending more time with his two granddaughters and traveling with his wife, Julie.

Looking back on his years in service, Saylor said, “it’s been such a pleasure.

“To be able to help people when they come forward is a gift. The trust and confidence is a gift. You learn so much about people,” he said, “those intimate relationships with people I wouldn’t have known otherwise.”

“Over the years I’ve been touched so often to learn of the vision, hopes, struggles and self lessness of the people of the Yolo County community. I’m so grate ful to you all, the people of Davis and Winters and Yolo for your confidence, trust, countless friend ships and shared service.

“I’m so grateful to have had the privilege to be of service.”

— Reach Anne Ternus-Bellamy at aternus@davisenterprise. net. Follow her on Twitter at @ATernusBellamy.

Fred Gladdis/enterprise File photo

Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor listens to the Rev. Kelly Love of the United Methodist Church of Davis relate her experience about 9/11 following the Celebration of Abraham interfaith memorial service at Central Park in 2011.

MASKING: ‘Protect yourself’ from viruses

From

COVID-19 can also be transmit ted through smaller particles called aerosols that stay in the air for extended periods of time and travel over long distances before being breathed in.”

By wearing a mask that fits well and filters well, the county said, “you can protect yourself against respiratory viruses even if others around you are not masked.

“High-quality masks like N95, KN95, and KF94s are the most protective, followed by surgical masks. Cloth masks are the least protective. Choose the best mask in terms of fit and filtration that you can consistently wear. Children under 2 are not recommended to wear a mask due to the risk of suf focation.”

But masks are just one of the lay ers of protection against respiratory viruses and they work best when combined with additional protec tions like COVID-19 boosters, flu

Obituaries

shots, frequent handwashing, stay ing home when sick, and covering any coughs or sneezes, the county noted.

Individuals who have cold- or flu-like symptoms and who test negative for COVID-19 should con tinue to stay home from school, work and other activities until they are feeling better and have been without fever for at least 24 hours, the county said.

The state reported Tuesday that flu activity has reached high levels across California, “which has the potential to add to an already con cerning number of hospitalizations of children due to the spread of winter viruses including RSV, flu and COVID-19,” according to the state Department of Public Health.

“RSV and flu, and now COVID19, are on the rise – leading to the hospitalization of our youngest and most vulnerable Californians who need all of us to help protect them,” said state Public Health Officer and

CDPH Director Dr. Tomás Aragón. “So we’re reminding Californians about the effective mitigation and safety measures they can take to protect themselves and their loved ones, including getting the flu shot, keeping up to date with their COVID-19 booster, and masking in indoor public places.

Hospitals across the state are working to add pediatric beds as quickly as possible, CDPH reported, but the number of chil dren who need hospitalization is currently outpacing that ability to expand.

Hospitals typically have about 35 percent to 40 percent open pediatric intensive care unit beds, but that number is down to about 20 percent statewide and even lower — less than 12 percent — in some regions of the state, CDPH reported.

— Reach Anne Ternus-Bellamy at aternus@davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ATer nusBellamy.

Dean Ryan

July 4, 1926 — Oct. 31, 2022

Dean Ryan died peace fully at the age of 96 on Oct. 31, 2022, at his home in Davis, where he had lived for 63 years. Dean was born in Independence, Kan., on the Fourth of July, 1926.

He attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Okla., letter ing in football, was captain of the wrestling and baseball teams, and was vice president of the senior class. He graduated in 1944 and entered the Naval Air Corps. It was while he was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, that he met Madeline Houli han, from Ventura, Calif. They were married in Tulsa on June 18, 1946, and three days later he enrolled at the University of Illinois. There, he lettered in wres tling and graduated in 1948 with highest honors.

His first job was

Death nOtice

wrestling coach at the Uni versity of Illinois, Navy Pier, Chicago (1948-53). While there he received his master’s degree from Northwestern University. In 1953, he moved to coach wrestling at UC Berkeley, where he also earned his doctorate in educa tion. In 1959, the Ryans relocated to UC Davis, where Dean coached wrestling, helped develop the physical educa tion major, and encouraged and influenced the emerg ing study of sports psychol ogy.

Dean was elected to the California Wrestling Hall of Fame; he was a member of the American Academy of Physical Education; president of the American Academy of Sports Psy chology; and president of the North American Asso ciation of Sport Psychology. At UCD, he served as asso

Marlene Rita Dunaway

Enterprise staff

Marlene Rita Dunaway died Nov. 25, 2022. Born on July 6, 1937, she was 85. Marlene’s optimism, energy and zest for life will be greatly missed. All are welcome to inter ment service at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, at the Davis Cemetery.

ciate dean of the graduate division and spent several years as chair of the physical education department.

He received two yearlong senior postdoctoral fellow ships from the National Institutes of Health to con duct research: In 1968 at the University of Wiscon sin, on aggression, and at Duke University in attribu tion theory in 1976.

His research centered on psychological factors that influence sport and physi cal performance, as reflected in his works pub lished in The Journal of Perception and Motor Skills, The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and The Research Quarterly.

Madeline, Dean’s wife of 70 years, predeceased him on July 7, 2016. He is

Obituary policy

survived by their five chil dren, Susan Magill (Tim), Patty Wolf, Dennis Ryan, Adair Ryan (Carl Bengs ton) and Alison Denton (Brad); 11 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and his friend, Jeanie Sher wood.

He loved spending time with his family, taking trips to the California coast, the Sierra and Scotland. He had many interests: fly fishing, photography, woodworking, cooking, painting and golf.

For all of us who knew and loved Dean, it is hard to imagine a more wonder ful, loving, supportive father, grandfather and friend.

A celebration of Dean’s life will begin at 1 p.m. Sun day, Jan. 29, at El Macero Country Club. Contribu tions in lieu of flowers may be made in Dean’s name to the charity of your choice, or give someone you care about a hug and let them know how special they are.

The Enterprise publishes brief death notices free of charge. These include name, age, city of residence, occupation, date of death and funeral/memorial information. Paid-for obituaries allow for controlled content with the option for photos. Obituaries will be edited for style and grammar. Submissions may be made via www.davisenterprise.com/obit-form/. For further information about paid obituaries or free death notices, call 530-756-0800.

ANTIVIRALS: Providers not clear on medicine supply

From Page A1

again soon after having tested negative. There is also a need for easier and quicker access, experts say. Anecdot ally, people have found some providers more strictly limit which patients get prescrip tions.

The “misperception of drug scarcity” has resulted in some providers denying treatment to eligible people, the state’s public health department noted in a health notice sent to providers last week.

“I can share from personal experience from family members to my colleagues within the Department of Public Health who got COVID this summer although they qualified for

Paxlovid, it was really hard to get,” Radhakrishna said. People shouldn’t have to pull special strings to get these treatments, he said.

The department’s message comes as hospitalizations have more than doubled since Nov. 1, and the positiv ity rate is once again in the double digits — 10.8% as of the latest update on Thurs day.

Paxlovid, the most com monly prescribed treatment, is an oral medication that can help reduce the severity and length of symptoms and decrease the chances of hos pitalization.

Pfizer, which makes the drug, reported in published clinical trials that it reduces the risk of severe COVID by 89%.

DeLaMartre

Joyce DeLaMartre, née Jacobson, passed away on Thanksgiving Day, 2022, after a brief illness and hos pital stay. She was 96 years old.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 50plus years, William DeLaMartre. She is sur vived by her daughter Patricia Gray (John), son Robert DeLaMartre4 (Teri), grandsons Adam DeLaMartre and John C. Gray, and great grandson Nicholas Gray.

Joyce grew up on a farm in Clinton, Minn., and when she graduated from high school, moved to St. Paul to live with an aunt and cousins. There, she met her future husband, Bill, at a VFW dance. They mar ried and raised a family, enjoyed many years

together — building a house, traveling, boating, fishing, gardening, canning and attending church.

DeL aMARTRE

Later in life, they moved to California to be close to family. Joyce loved the warm weather and abun dant fruits and vegetables and found a home in the Davis Methodist church. A piece of her heart, though, always stayed in Minne sota.

Joyce always saw the best in everyone she met and we dearly miss her joyful nature and positive outlook on life. Private services will take place at the Davis cemetery.

RYAN

Joyce

d. Nov. 24, 2022

The Green Page

Chilling news about heat (and other stuff)

FIRST, THE CHILLING NEWS. There was an arti cle in the New York Times titled, “Extreme Heat Will Change Us” and it sent a chill down my spine. It was more pic tures than text, but both were scary.

It focused on present-day Kuwait, and began with a pic ture of a beach with a bunch of pigeons hunkering down under a tree to avoid the 131 degrees Far enheit on the sand. No human in the picture. The birds were shel tering in the shade where the heat index (Measure of heat and humidity) was only 114 degrees.

The photo caption read, “Kuwait City: When the heat hits hard Kuwaitis leave parks and other outdoor areas deserted. By the end of the century, many cit ies from Miami to Shanghai will be subjected to days like this.”

Bringing the human element into the story, the second picture was of a welder working out doors in the city of Basra over a metal bench, presumably on the same day. The outdoor tempera ture at this man’s job site was 125 degrees. The temperature on

his metal bench was 164 degrees.

Quoting the Times, “At these extreme temperatures, normal life is impossible. Ordinary activities can be dangerous. Yet, what the welder was experienc ing “was not a heat wave. It was just an average day in Basra.”

The article focused mainly on how heat affects the body. The welder’s body temperature increased a dangerous 3 degrees before he had to stop. His heart rate had increased from 95 beats per minute to nearly 140. His body was struggling to sweat and cool itself, his heart was laboring to pump blood, and he was at serious threat of heat stroke.

According to the researchers at Harvard University whose study was the basis of this

article, the heat index increase in coastal cities would be felt worldwide, as shown on a graph of the historical average number of days over 103 degrees in cities around the world.

Whereas Kolkata, India, already has 126 such days, that is predicted to increase to 171 by 2050. Guangzhou, China will go from 45 days to 83. Lagos, Nige ria will jump from 12 to 103. Two U.S. cities on the graph, Houston and Dallas, increase from 19 to 61 and 51 days, respectively.

Miami's current level is not specified though the chart pre dicts 41 days by 2050. Chillingly, “Estimates long into the future are inexact but scientists agree that the situation will be cata strophic if emissions aren’t reined in. In that scenario, Miami, for instance, could expe rience dangerous heat for nearly half the year.

ONTO OTHER STUFF. There has been a lot of discussion about siting

solar panels, basically revolving around two questions.

One, can solar, wind and other renewables be built out at a pace that could support electricity demand if we go cold-turkey on fossil fuels. This is a complicated subject deserving of at least a full column so I won’t go into it here.

Two, where is it appropriate and, correspondingly, where is it inappropriate, to locate solar panels. France has a piece of the answer to this second question.

Grist reports that “All large car parks in France will be covered by solar panels under new legis lation approved as part of Emmanuel Macron’s renewable energy drive.”

This applies to new and exist ing parking lots with more than 80 parking spaces. Bigger park ing lots, with between 80 to 400 spaces have five years to comply. Curiously, parking lots with more than 400 spaces get only 3 years.

Also in the “other stuff” cate gory is a report from The Hill’s Equilibrium and Sustainability newsletter that is really thinking out of the (pizza) box. Domino’s

Pizza has been having a hard time finding drivers, resulting in a rise of delivery times, cranky customers, and cancellation of orders, which of course led to losing a boatload of money. What to do? Domino’s decided the best way to recruit drivers, especially those without their own cars, is to provide drivers with a company car, complete with advertising on the sides, top and everywhere to increase visi bility of their brand. And, the cars would be electric.

They contracted with rentalcar giant Enterprise to acquire 800 new Chevy Volts and pro vide them to their franchises. Enterprise provides mainte nance for the cars and installs charging stations at each Domi no’s locations. Presumably, the drivers leave their own car, if they have one, in the parking lot and hop into the EV to make deliveries.

— John Mott-Smith is a resi dent of Davis. This column appears the first and third Wednesday of each month. Please send comments to johnmottsmith @comcast.net

‘Davis Ditch’ turned into an open-space sanctuary

By Eric Newman Special to The Enterprise

Once a mere stormwater drainage channel border ing North Davis for 1.25 miles from Sycamore Lane to F Street, the North Davis Channel, affection ately known as "the Ditch" by locals, has, in the last decade, become a verdant open-space sanctuary. It is now enjoyed everyday by hikers, dog walkers, bikers, bird watchers, runners, school children and wild life enthusiasts.

From 2012 to 2015, with support from a state grant, the city of Davis, the Putah Creek Council, the Yolo County Resource Conser vation District and a raft of volunteers, planted Cali fornia native trees and shrubs throughout the channel. These native plants provide cover and homes for local wildlife. Invasive plant species were removed as possible and the channel was improved with a foot path, foot bridge and interpretive panels.

The Friends of the North Davis Channel was formed in 2019 to provide ongoing volunteer support to assist in protection and continued improvement of this wonderful community resource. The Friends ini tial work is now just about complete, thanks to to a colossal effort by commu nity volunteers, significant community financial donations and consistent City encouragement and guidance.

Please see our Facebook group page at https:// www.facebook.com/ groups/700063117165401 /?ref=share_group_link.

Work on this latest community native-plant restoration project in the Ditch, began in 2019, after the Friends of NDC was established. We began by

locating plants from the initial grant project requir ing additional care to reach their full potential, attending to various ongo ing plant care and mainte nance needs in the Ditch, and providing dog-waste pickup and garbage con trol.

We also assisted in the ongoing effort by Larry Snyder, to maintain the hundreds of milkweed plants planted in the chan nel in 2013 under the direction of Professor Louie Yang by his students at UC Davis. Milkweed provides food and breed ing grounds for endan gered monarch butterflies.

Early on, the Friends worked with the Yolo Audubon Society to help them replace old and

dilapidated bluebird nest ing boxes, with several new and carefully constructed boxes designed to attract the bluebirds for spring nesting. Audubon main tains the boxes and they and UC Davis bluebird expert, Dr. Melanie Truan, monitor annual bluebird nesting activities.

In 2021, with city per mission, the Friends also completely refurbished a once-beautiful, but over grown and rusty 30-yearold gazebo at a primary access point to the chan nel, now named Bird Entry Park (Anderson Road at Flicker Avenue). "Bird Entry" is in reference to the once-visible and wonderful white metal doves flying above the gazebo, to the bird named neighborhood streets there, and to a primary access point to the Ditch.

The formerly shiningwhite metal doves were completely overwhelmed by the Cecil Brunner climbing roses planted around the gazebo in 1990, but not since shaped or pruned. The roses were pruned back and the doves were re-painted a very bright white, the beams forming the gazebo frame work, a lovely natural

green, and the poles sup porting the doves, a won derful sky blue. And the rotten wood ceiling was replaced with beautiful new stained redwood planks.

From 2019 to 2022, the Friends spent most of their volunteer time enhancing

the hundreds of native plants from the initial res toration work, with several hundred additional native plants. Most of the latest native plants come from the Putah Creek and Cache Creek watersheds, and have been planted in an approximately 2-acre

portion of the Ditch assigned to the Friends to manage by the city openspace program, pursuant to an MOU between the Friends and the city.

As a bonus, the Friends also adopted the gardens along the bike path, that runs from Bird Entry Park to Kestrel Place, from City Parks, where we have planted many more native plants. We have also, with the blessing, expert assis tance and financial help of City Parks and its irriga tion specialists, substan tially upgraded the sprinkler system there to ensure adequate coverage of the new native plants. And we have adopted, for long-term care, from City Parks, the two native-plant demonstration gardens and the refurbished gazebo, in Bird Entry Park.

With all initial creative work close to completion, we will soon shift primar ily to long-term mainte nance. We owe a debt of gratitude to all community members who have volun teered and provided the financial support required for this undertaking. And special thanks to the city Open Space Program, the city Parks and Community Services Department, and the city Public Works Department, for working with us and helping this volunteer effort, on cityowned and -managed property, succeed.

The California native plants now in place in the Ditch and adjacent areas are drought tolerant and should do well with mini mal supplemental water once they are established. Look for the new, beautiful and colorful native plants in and around Bird Entry Park, the nearby bike path and the Ditch at their fin est this coming spring and summer.

— Eric Newman is the manager for Friends of the North Davis Channel.

Courtesy photos

The gazebo Bird Entry Park has been completely refurbished. Below, The native plants in place in the Ditch are drought-tolerant and should do well with minimal supplemental water.

Courtesy photo

Once a drainage channel bordering North Davis, the North Davis Channel has become a verdant open-space sanctuary.

One

STRIKERS: Crowd gathers to support sit-in participants

them and released them after dark.

On Monday afternoon, UC Student-Workers Union UAW 2865 released a video from inside the building showing that the occupation temporarily moved from the lobby to a conference room.

A first-year Ph.D. student at UC Davis in clinical biology, Elias Bunting said they’ve been forced at this point by the university to take direct action “because of (UC’s) lack of serious negotia tions at the bargaining table, specifically around wages.”

As previously reported, the bargaining units for the postdoc toral and academic researchers are celebrating a tentative fiveyear agreement with the Univer sity of California for 20% to 23% wage increases by October 2023. After five years in the position at UC, the current lowest-paid post doc would see a 57% salary increase, according to the UAW, the union representing grad stu dents. They remain on strike in sympathy with academic student employees and student research ers.

For the academic student employees and student researchers,

the union demands that pay be tied to housing costs with no cap. These students make up about 36,000 of the 48,000 strikers.

“It’s shameful that, you know, we as grad students have to take this such drastic action because our university is not supporting us in the way that we need,” he said.

Nelson Lichtenstein, a profes sor of history at UC Santa Bar bara, where he directs the Center for the Study of Work, Labor and Democracy, argues in The Guard ian that “it’s a divide-and-con quer strategy” to have settled with two of the four bargaining units.

“Because the federal govern ment pays the salaries of most postdocs and academic research ers — through grants from the National Science Foundation and other funding entities – UC can more easily accede to a wage enhancement, in the case of the postdoctoral students, for more than 20% in the first year, although only 3.5% in subse quent years,” He said. “But since the teaching assistants, whose current pay is the lowest of all those on strike, are funded directly out of the University bud get, school negotiators have taken a hard line.”

When it was evident that those

engaged in the sit-in were being released from side and back doors, protesters ran around the building to hug and hand water to them.

The first to be let out of the side of the UCOP building, Bunting came out with pain in his back and a bloodied knee. Upon enter ing the building, a security guard grabbed Bunting by the back and “started wailing on me,” he said. “Our own people tended to me. We had people that brought first aid because we anticipated some thing might happen.”

Backup

After the march to the Capitol, thousands of strikers came to the UCOP building and held a ban ner that read: “Greedy UCOP” and staged hours of chants as they awaited to see the outcome of the sit-in. The crowd got to hear updates from those strikers inside via cell phone and partici pated in call-and-response chants with those on the inside.

“One day longer,” the group would yell from inside, followed by “one day stronger” from the outside. They also sang choral versions of “Solidarity Forever,” and one joked they should sing “All I Want for Christmas is a

Fair Contract.”

A common message of the day, as the largest higher education strike in the country enters its fourth week, the noontime rally at Cesar Chavez Park included Sacramento labor supporters: Ruth Ibarra from NorCal Resist, a grassroots social justice organi zation; Sacramento City Council woman Katie Valenzuela and Fabrizio Sasso, executive director of the Sacramento Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

Valenzuela, whose district includes the march’s locale, men tioned she received her master’s degree at UCD and worked as a grad student researcher for two years. “I had to hold two other jobs to be able to afford housing at that time in Davis,” she said. “I was barely able to stay awake in class because I was getting up at 5:30 in the morning to work as a barista for four hours before the rest of my day even began. And that was because we were making (low) wages back then. I believe you might even still be making the same wages today.”

Due to the uncertainty of the strike and its impacts on end-ofquarter grades, UC Davis Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan said in a letter to students on Friday evening that

the deadline to request Passed/ Not Passed or Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory grading to the last day of instruction for this fall quarter had been extended to midnight that night and that if students were unable to complete the request by the deadline, to contact their academic advisor.

Because some faculty commit ted to a grade strike, a no grade (NG) will appear on the Student Record before the start of the winter quarter. NG will not impact financial aid status, GPA, academic standing, NCAA eligi bility, veteran benefits or visa status, Croughan said.Each quar ter, colleges identify students subject to dismissal based on academic standing.

In her message, Croughan stated that academic advisors have been asked to work with students who were not in good academic standing when they entered fall quarter and could not improve their academic standing because of the strike. Academic advisors have been encouraged to work with students who are not in good academic standing fol lowing fall quarter as a result of the strike.

— Contact Monica Stark at monica@davisenterprise.net.

Calendar

Today

n The Holmes Jr. High Orchestra Program pres ents its Winter Concert at 7 p.m. in the Richard Brunelle Performance Hall on the Davis High School Campus, 315 W. 14th St. in Davis. The concert is free, and dona tions are accepted — all proceeds of the Holmes Winter concert will go to directly support the Holmes Orchestra Pro gram.

Thursday

n The Avid Reader will host author Catriona McPherson, for the launch of her most recent novel, “Scot in a Trap,” from 6 to 7 p.m. The bookstore is at at 617 Second St. in downtown Davis. Find detailed information at www. avidreaderbooks.com.

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). All skill levels welcome and lis teners are invited. Shortterm parking is available in Visitor Lot 5 on Old Davis Road at Arbore tum Drive. Hourly rates start at $1.75.

n The Davis High School orchestra pro gram will perform its Winter Concert at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, at the Richard Brunelle Perfor mance Hall on the DHS campus, 315 W. 14th St. The concert is free but donations are accepted in the lobby — proceeds will go to directly support the DHS Orchestra Program.

Friday-Sunday

n The Vocal Art Ensemble will present Chrysalis: Reach for a New Day Friday and Sat urday at 7:30 p.m., as well as on Sunday at 4 p.m., at the Davis United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road in Davis. This concert set is a cho ral exploration of change, likened to the metamor phosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Sug gested donation is $1025. For more information please call or text (530) 220-2012.

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 charitable pro grams. The electric 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 examples and history of local Davis points of interest.

n Voices of California, a barber shop chorus, will present its Happy Harmony for the Holi days concert in Davis from 2 to 4 p.m. The concert will take place at Davis High School's Brunelle Performance Hall, 315 W. 14th St.

Guest performers include Three of a Kind, the Woodland Chamber Singers and Artistic License. Tickets can be purchased at www. voicesofcalifornia.org.

Premium tickets go for $30, general for $20, and students for $12.

Sunday

n The Muir Commons Cohousing community invites the public to a Holiday Craft Fair from 1 to 4 p.m., with honey and a variety of crafts for sale, including Japanese Shi bori pieces, international handicrafts, jewelry and felt handicrafts. New this year will be the opportu nity to participate in craft activities, with small charges for the activity supplies. The fair will be in the central lawn area and in the Community Room at 2222 Shasta Drive in Far West Davis; contact laurief@dcn. org for more informa tion.

n The Episcopal Church of St. Martin in Davis will present a Blue Christmas service at 4 p.m. St. Martin’s wel comes all to gather for a special worship service that recognizes the strug gle so many people face at this time of year.

Readings, music, candle lighting, and healing prayer will acknowledge the paradox that there is indeed joy and hope to be found, even in the midst of pain and suffering, and even the longest night does not last for ever. St. Martin’ is at 640 Hawthorn Lane in Davis. For information on this event, see St. Martin’s website.

n Davis Community Church presents its Christmas Concert at 4 p.m., at Fourth and C streets. Highlights include “Ecce Novum” by composer Ola Gjeilo, “Silent Night” by Dan Forrest and Scottish composer Sally Beamish’s a cappella carol “In The Stillness.” The second half of the concert will feature “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” a chil dren's opera by GianCarlo Menotti and the world premiere of “The Gospel According to St. Matthew” by San Fran cisco composer Mark Alburger, written for soloists, chorus and chamber orchestra. Childcare will be pro vided for children under age 3 and children are very welcome to attend the concert. The concert is free and a free will offering will be gratefully received. More info at www.dccpres.org/events

Wednesday, Dec. 14

n Join Project Linus to make blankets for chil dren who are seriously ill or traumatized at the Davis Senior Center, 646 A St., from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Help sew Linus labels on handmade blankets for Yolo County organiza tions that serve children in need. Project Linus members may take home donated fabrics and yarn each month to complete a blanket. Finished blan kets can be brought to the next monthly gather ing or to the Joann Fab ric store in Woodland.

For information, drop-off location questions or fab ric and yarn donations, contact Diane McGee at dmmyolo@gmail.com.

Sunday, Dec. 18

n The Episcopal Church of St. Martin in Davis will present an Advent Lessons and Car ols service, “The Journey to Bethlehem: An Advent Meditation on Las Posa das” at 4 p.m. This short service will be followed at 5 p.m. by a Posada, a reenactment of Joseph and Mary's search for a place to stay. The Episcopal Church of St. Martin is located at 640 Hawthorn Lane, Davis, CA 95616. For more information on this event, please see St. Martin’s website at www. churchofstmartin.org.

More lifelike prosthetics

By Amy Quinton Special to The Enterprise

Nearly half of all arm amputees choose not to use their prosthesis, despite improvements in technol ogy and advancements in robotics.

A UC Davis multimedia feature story, “Making Pros thetic Limbs More Lifelike,” tells the story of how engi neers, neuroscientists and surgeons are working to make life easier for ampu tees through a combination of surgery, advanced machine learning and smart prosthetics. Their goal is “prosthesis embodiment,” to get these devices to mimic a biological limb. Watch it at https://www.ucdavis.edu/ health/news/makingprosthetics-more-life-like.

— UC Davis News

To mask or not to mask

stay healthy during the holiday season

By NaNeh GriGor HUB Staff

When people are traveling from thousands of dif ferent places dur ing the holidays, COVID-19 cases spike, especially now that people have started living life without masks.

In these past years, cases have fluctuated according to the time of year it is. “The country is now aver aging more than 83,000 cases a day since late October — about a 14% increase compared to a week ago, and 12% more than two weeks ago,” said George Rutherford, an epide miologist at UC San Francisco.

Traveling on a plane creates less room for air to flow and if someone were to be infected on the flight, it would spread to others, even with their masks on.

Even now, as many people are vaccinated, there are still groups of people who choose not to be. You cannot have control over other people’s vaccination status and you could be exposed if those infected are on your flight. Wearing a mask, even if you are vaccinated, can make a difference in the safety of travel.

According to an article on Time. com, “if everyone onboard wore a surgical mask, the average risk of infection dropped as low as 3%.”

People that have an autoimmune disease, are of an older age or those on certain medications are still con sidered high risk and may still have trouble going out in public or travel ing in order to see their family with the third upcoming year of a holiday with the virus still present.

Students that are going to be trav eling for the holidays are sur

the protection of masks. These stu dents then go on to travel in planes and visit elederly family which is part of the rising cases. If one per son in one class was infected then they would put the rest of the class at risk.

The virus also affects people that are in a crowded environment every day, like school.

In open places that aren’t as pop ulated, it is understandable why people would remove their masks. However, few travel locations allow for such open spaces.

“I think in crowded places, like airplanes, there should still be a mask mandate,” sophomore Vienna Zhang said.

“I still wear a mask since there are still cases of COVID-19 at DHS. I don’t want to risk getting it and missing school work. And in high school when you miss school it takes a while to catch up,” Zhang said.

As a student in high school there is already a lot of stress over lessons and homework. Many teachers have not adapted to a student getting sick and missing school for up to two weeks. This makes it very easy for students to fall behind and this dan ger can be easily avoided by wearing a mask.

For everyone to have the opportu nity to enjoy holiday festivities and not have to worry about getting sick, students should be wearing masks. This is a small gesture that can lead to very meaningful time with family and friends.

Masks will not only protect our

By SeaN CampBell HUB Staff

Widely avail able vaccines and a decrease in national deaths due to COVID-19 should lead to masks being phased out permanently.

For nearly two years the COVID19 pandemic and all of its social and physical restrictions has limited the quality of life for people around the world. According to the World Health Organization, “In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%.”

The pandemic hit our generation extremely hard as we lost out on many of the most important years for both social and academic devel opment. High school students missed out on things like prom, grad night, rallies and activities that enrich the high school experience.

Physical activity and overall health also decreased during the pandemic, which has impacted stu dent’s physical and mental health.

Sports at the high school level were canceled for nearly a year which impacted every player and team’s ability to improve and get ready to potentially continue play ing at college.

“The pandemic shutdown base ball for almost a year which sucked,” JV baseball player Andrew Keegan said. “But we were lucky as an out side sport that when we came back restrictions were not too tight.”

COVID-19 precautions have gone of long enough, and the amount of deaths due to COVID-19 have decreased immensely.

focuses on worldwide issues of health and equality, the average daily deaths in due to COVID-19 in the United States in November is 313 which is down from its peak of nearly 3,300.

This downward trajectory hope fully will continue as the COVID-19 death toll begins to approach that of the flu due to higher vaccination rates and less deadly recent strands.

According to KHealth, an indepen dent healthcare company, around 87 people in the U.S die from the flu each day.

Vaccinations for COVID-19 are also more widely available in the U.S. 79% of the U.S. population has at least one dose, 68% percent have a second dose, and a third of the U.S. population has a booster dose. One dose is estimated to be 52% effective against the current COVID-19 strands and a booster is nearly 91% effective, according to the CDC.

At this point COVID-19 is just something we are going to have to live with, just the same as the flu, so the more we can go on as normal the better. In my opinion, with all of the new vaccines and lower death rates, we have now reached a point where we need to return to normal.

Life is short as it is, and while health should be a priority, we might as well enjoy what we have to the greatest extent. There is always going to be risk in everything we do, it isn’t worthwhile to sacrifice free dom and normalcy for a small per centage of safety.

If we aren’t willing to take masks

Court could allow California gerrymander

By Paul Mitchell Special to CalMatters

If you want to identify a single reason for the new Republican House majority, it could be as simple as pointing to Califor nia’s independent redistricting.

Thanks to this process, the state’s Demo cratic Legislature has been denied the opportunity to gerrymander districts and maximize the party’s advantage for the past two decades.

While good-government types (myself among them) laud the work of the indepen dent commission, Democratic partisan maximalists are aghast that the state is uni laterally disarming in the redistricting wars. Meanwhile, Republicans in states like Florida and Texas passed egregious gerrymanders, with enough partisan gains to retake the U.S. House of Representatives and dozens of state houses.

Ironically, Republicans are now promot ing an obscure legal theory before the U.S. Supreme Court in Moore v. Harper, a case over redistricting in North Carolina that could give California Democrats the power to gerrymander. It relies on the “indepen dent legislature theory,” and it interprets the constitution as giving legislatures the only say in how federal elections are run in their states — meaning they would have the ultimate authority on congressional maps. Voters would be unable to hand that power to a citizens commission and, potentially, courts could be barred from reviewing redistricting plans.

If Republicans are successful, California’s current commission-drawn districts would be invalidated, with the Legislature in charge of redrawing the state’s 52 congres sional seats.

During the 2020 redistricting cycle, my firm, Redistricting Partners, performed an extensive analysis of California’s congres sional maps and envisioned potential dis trict configurations. We drew some maps by hand using standard geographic infor mation software; we drew some after incor porating maps submitted by other organizations; and we drew literally tens of thousands of maps using computer algo rithms which create “ensembles” of poten tial plans.

If California’s Legislature was to redraw the maps, Democratic staff would find it relatively easy to cut up the seats of the current 12 Republican congressional mem bers into as few as four districts.

Two could be in Southern California, drawn by collapsing the most conservative parts of inland Orange County with the nonLatino portions of Riverside County and the conservative eastern portions of San Diego County. The other two would comprise the Eastern portion of the Central Valley, from eastern Kern County up through Merced and into the foothills, including parts of Placer County and other conservative rural counties. GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy and Congressman Darrell Issa could both find themselves shoved into districts with two other Republican members.

Some Democrats may not like what this does to their districts, either. For example, the North Coast would likely have to be split up, spreading out the Democratic bases in Marin and Sonoma Counties to put more Democrats into the State of Jefferson coun ties. But if it was the difference between hav ing the House majority or not, Democratic Party leaders would surely take it.

In redistricting, when a gerrymander backfires on its creators, it’s called a “dum mymander.” And if Republicans are success ful in convincing the Supreme Court of the independent legislature theory, they could have a huge one — of the legal variety.

A win in this case would give legislatures more control over laws around voter regis tration and election administration, allow ing them to wreak havoc in a number of voting issues. But it would come at the immediate expense of their congressional majority as, given the pen, California would create a Democratic gerrymander which alone would flip the House back to Demo cratic control.

— Paul Mitchell is the Vice President of Political Data, a voter data firm based in California, and the Owner of Redistricting Partners, a firm which does municipal redistricting and consulting nationally.

How much to charge gas gougers?

For many months, there has been little or no doubt that California’s five big gasoline refiners were gouging most of this state’s drivers. The question now is how much of a windfall profit tax to assess and whether to send that money directly back to people who fill their tanks regularly.

Electric car drivers, for one example, probably don’t deserve any of the projected return of cash contemplated in a special session of the Legislature called by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Newsom’s move marks the first time any California gov ernor has actually tried to stop the refiners from cheat ing Californians at the pump.

Sure, there are still folks who take the side of the oil companies, claiming things like California’s high gas taxes, old and decrepit refin eries that need frequent repairs and special seasonal smog-busting gas formula tions are the reason for the sudden price increases that still afflict the state 10 months after February’s sud den $2-plus price increases.

Here’s the problem with that thinking: All those fac tors existed long before Feb ruary and were already factored for years into the prices that prevailed before, so they could not have played

Letters

Soup Night a success

a role in this year’s huge price increase, no matter what refiners might say.

This realization is the why the Legislature last fall over whelmingly passed a new law that will force refiners to report their per-gallon gaso line profits starting at the end of January.

For now, though, it is not all that difficult to calculate the likely profit margins for the big refiners that make 97 percent of California gas: Marathon, Valero, Phillips 66, Chevron and PBF.

“The proof of the gouging always comes out in the com panies’ profit reports,” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, which has emerged as this state’s most active consumer advo cacy organization.

The group’s analyses have rarely proven wrong over the more than 30 years since it made big headlines for writ ing and then running the campaign for the 1988 Prop osition 103, which lowered California insurance rates,

Soroptimist International of Davis would like to thank the Davis community for supporting our recent Soup Night and Silent Auction. We are grateful we could hold the event in person after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. A large variety of soups, breads and desserts were offered, along with the opportunity to connect with community members and bid on items in the silent auction. We give special thanks to the Davis Odd Fellows and Rebekahs for the use of the lodge.

We would like to extend thanks to our sponsors: Lea Rosenberg, Chapman Con sulting LLC and Memmott Consulting.

In addition, we are grateful for the generous donations of many local busi nesses, including Autumn Light Designs, Armadillo Music, Baker Optometry, Blake’s Heating & Air, Cache Creek Casino Resort, Community Fitness Davis, Creative Hair & Spa, Crème de la Crème, The Davis Beer Shoppe, The Davis Food Co-op, Davis Municipal Golf Course, The Davis Musical Theater Com pany, Dunloe Brewing, Elan Advising,

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

made the insurance com missioner an elected offi cial and has so far saved consumers several billion dollars.

Over the last 20 years, says the group’s analysis of the most recent profit statements from the big refiners and their parent oil companies, California refiners averaged about 30 cents per gallon in profits and rarely cleared more than 50 cents per gallon, or about $21 per barrel. “Now,” says Court, “they are raking in more than $1 per gallon in profit. These windfall profits must be rebated to Cali fornia drivers to stop oil refin ers’ price gouging.

“The reason California have paid $2.50 per gallon more for their gasoline is clearly price gouging.”

Valero’s third quarter report revealed a lot about this. The Texas company’s net income was $2.8 billion for the third quarter of this year, ending Sept. 30. This more than quintupled the $463 million reported for the same quarter last year. Valero’s Cal ifornia profits were also higher than in any of its other regions around the nation and the world.

“The oil companies must again treat Californians like customers rather than

Fairytale Town, FIT House, The Growing Groves Plant Shop, Hair by Brooke, and Heretic Brewery & Distillery.

We also thank Karen Duncan (Creative Hair), Karen Lemcke (Lyon Real Estate), M Nails, Newsbeat, Nugget Markets, Pamela Trokanski Dance Workshop, Pure Barre Davis, Sassafras Beauty, Seasons, Sola Bee Farms, Strelitzia Flower Com pany, Sudwerk Brewing, The Avid Reader, The Do Good Shop, The Tea List, The Wardrobe, Trader Joe’s, Upper Crust Baking, Yoga Collective Davis and Zim Cuisine.

We also express gratitude to the many Davis High School art students who donated their ceramic soup bowl cre ations. Our supporters look forward to purchasing them every year.

Thank you also to all the community members who participated by attending, purchasing items though the silent auc tion or by making a donation.

Soroptimist means “best for women” and funds raised allow us to continue to pursue our mission of helping local women and girls achieve economic empowerment through access to educa tion and training. Our core values are gender equality, empowerment, educa tion, diversity and fellowship. To learn more about our club or to find out about

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

House of Representatives

ATMs,” said Court.

Now it’s up to state legisla tors to decide how much of the refiners’ new income is ordinary profit and how much is in the windfall category, the result of corporate collusion or taking advantage of artifi cially created shortages.

Consumer Watchdog ana lysts suggest that if a 50 cent per gallon windfall profit tax were applied to the four instate refiners that report results quarterly (Chevron does it annually), those four would owe motorists more than $930 million for excess profits in the first half of this year.

Add in Chevron, which makes 29 percent of Califor nia gas, and the return to buyers would be well over $1 billion. Returning that would be one way to fight the infla tion that has been fueled to a large degree by refiners. But until they passed the law demanding monthly pergallon profit reports, legisla tors had always handled the oil companies with kid gloves. Now those gloves are off. We will know soon if the legislators really were serious, or whether they will quickly revert to being oil company lapdogs.

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net.

joining visit https://www.sidavis.org/.

Soroptimist International of Davis

Fair pay for our teachers

I’ve been a longtime Davis resident, raised in Davis, went to school here in Davis. I currently have one of my own children in the Davis school district. I think as parents who tried to fill the shoes of our teachers over COVID we can all relate to what a tremendous job they do. In order to retain these amazing instruc tors we need to appropriately compen sate our teachers.

The cost of living alone, especially if these teachers try to live in Davis — these things must be factored in. Many people move to Davis for the sole intention of giving their children what our schools have offered. The reputation would not be possible without the amazing work of the Davis teachers and staff. I know we’re all making tough decisions, when it comes to our futures and our children — we need the resources allocated to con tinue that legacy. We need equity for our teachers. That’s where we start!

Melissa Johnson-Camacho Davis

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 325 G St.; fax them to 530-756-1668; or email them to newsroom@davis enterprise.net.

Lori Hansen

Cycling all over Yolo County

By Lisa Montanero Special to The Enterprise

The Bike Campaign started its work to increase bike ridership in Yolo County in Woodland in 2011 by provid ing free bike clinics to the public in the parking lot of the County Fair Mall on a quarterly basis.

The Bike Garage’s first loca tion opened at the Woodland Adult School providing services once a week and now operates twice a week at Douglass Middle School. Two years ago, The Bike Campaign opened a second Bike Garage location in Davis and continues to offer free bike repair, used bikes, education and support for anyone wishing to reduce their automobile depen dency.

Efforts have led to providing Bike Skills Training at elemen tary schools throughout Wood

Bike Campaign

land and Davis as well as official Bike Maps for both cities and participation in the League of American Bicyclists' certification process for eight business to earn certification as Bicycle Friendly Businesses, and the community of Woodland to earn a Bronze rating as a “Bicycle Friendly City.” For a complete range of Bike Campaign services and accomplishments, see www.The BikeCampaign.org.

Those in Yolo County are familiar with the bike-friendly town of Davis, known for its bike loop, greenbelt paths and copi ous bike lanes. Davis has always been synonymous with the bicy cle. In recent years, however, Davis’ neighbor to the north, Woodland, the county seat of Yolo, has been taking the oppor tunity to provide bike-friendly

improvements throughout town that will make riding to school and work, and for pleasure, a whole lot easier and safer. And with gas prices at a record high, riding a bike is not just an enjoy able adventure, but an economi cally smart one too.

So, Woodlanders, grab your helmet and hop on two wheels! Changes are coming.

The biggest and most welcome change is the new Bike-Pedes trian Overcrossing across High way 113. This new pedestrian-and-bike bridge con nects the Spring Lake commu nity on the east side of 113 to the Sports Park-Community Center area on the west side of 113. This project will enable residents to access the existing north/south bike lane corridors throughout Woodland. Woodland’s Lead Traffic Engineer, Katie Wurzel, described some of the bikefriendly changes taking place as part of the overcrossing project, including a new multi-use path to Pioneer High School, timed traffic lights, and 8-foot-wide bike lanes.

Another bike-friendly addition to Woodland is the new Bicycle Playground, installed at Ferns Park, and modeled after the pop ular European concept of a Traf fic Garden. Traffic Gardens provide a safe way for kids and adults to practice bike skills in a place that mimics real-life street

conditions out of harm’s way.

These facilities have been used in northern Europe for many years and the United States is starting to embrace the concept. The Bike Campaign worked with Woodland Parks and Recreation to create the space, which includes many different traffic scenarios: stop lines, crosswalks, lane merging, a roundabout, a one-way loop, and so on.

Need a place to park your bike while attending class or work ing/teaching at Pioneer High School? What about while enjoy ing the pool at the Swim Center on West Street? You’re in luck!

Through a grant obtained from Yolo Solano Air Quality Manage ment District, the Bike Cam paign was able to install secure bike racks at Pioneer High and the Swim Center, enabling bike riders to safely lock up their bikes in both locations. Secure bike racks will be installed in additional locations in the future as The Bike Campaign works with the Woodland Joint Unified School District to identify areas with the greatest needs for bicy cle parking.

There are also bike-friendly road improvements slated for Kentucky, Gibson and East streets, as well as many roads located within the Spring Lake community, making it easier and safer to take to the roads on two wheels.

These bike-friendly changes in Woodland will reduce car trips while increasing bike safety and joy. The result? Less vehicle con gestion on the roads, cost savings of not paying for as much expen sive gas, decreased air pollution in the environment, a built-in form of fresh air and exercise, and a chance to engage in social interaction. Now those are some changes we can all get behind!

— This article was written by Lisa Montanaro, commissioned by The Bike Campaign. For more information about how to “Drive Less. Ride More.”, contact Maria Contreras Tebbutt at funmaria @sbcglobal.net or www.The BikeCampaign.com.

On strike and not super happy about it

Brewery workers do not often go on strike, although their working conditions can be unpleasant. It’s cold, damp and dim in the cellars and the opposite in the brewhouse.

There are rare but real dan gers, too, of several kinds; for example from CO2 exposure, steam burns, slippery surfaces, and chemical burns in places without automated cleaning regimes. And breweries have to be staffed around the clock.

However, brewers are well paid in general and fairly dealt with. It is true that the overall average wage of the industry has declined in recent years because the emerging craft industry pays less, sometimes considerably less, than the major brewers.

The major breweries are union shops and some craft brewers are unionizing.

I come from a long line of miners and factory workers, and my Uncle Cliff worked on the railways. They were all strong union men and my dad was a union shop steward.

I overheard the chatter of those vigorous hard-working men all my life and a lot of that has stuck with me. I never cross

a picket line, and I think unions are important.

Therefore, I find myself in a somewhat unusual position because I agree with some Republican Senators. Odd, that. However, like them, I am uneasy about the Biden Administration’s decision to prevent a strike by railroad workers. Now, I suspect those senators are in favor of any thing that makes it awkward for the president, but it’s remotely possible they object on principle. That principle is that workers have the right to withhold their labor when reasonable negotia tions with management fail to deliver a practical solution to the problems of the workplace.

It's a strange thing that this is the solution this administration has selected. After all there are two choices: The first is, as stated, to demand that workers

stay at work and accept a pack age they do not want. That, you might say, is the obvious, kneejerk and usual response. The second and alternative choice in my view puts the horse before the cart, which is where the horse belongs: Require that the railroad companies acquiesce to the workers’ demands in every jot and tittle.

Either action will stop the strike and preserve the economy and fight inflation and rescue Christmas and whatnot. But the workers must give.

I understand that this is the time of year when many busi nesses are at their most profit able and a strike would cause economic harm. God forbid that we would see empty shelves where all the schlock we import from India and Vietnam and China should be — but I prefer my option to that of the adminis tration.

I think we should consider the view that corporations, whether they are big ones or smaller ones, are not successful because of the devotion of their shareholders who, at any fickle moment, could sell their company shares to invest elsewhere. So “shareholder value” may be a one-way street.

Nor is a company successful because of the smoke and mir rors management magic of the CEO and CFO and COO who are mostly concerned that the golden parachute their compliant board has engineered will hold enough air when they decide to bail out.

No. Corporations are success ful because they have a workforce that is willing and able and dedi cated to work hard to keep their families housed and fed and edu cated and has few other options.

Therefore, I find it curious that this main enginehouse of corporate success and profit — that is, the work force — stands at the end of the line when corporate profits are being shared out. That is not the way it should be, though it is the common expectation and prac tice; and probably explains why unions arose in the first place.

A worker is not privileged or honored to work in a quarry or mine or factory or store or railyard or, for that matter, at a school district or a major univer sity: He or she has a business interest in the success of the company embodied, for example, in its longevity and profitability. No worker wants to go on strike.

Workers have the same set of interests that management and investors have, and workers have the same interest in reward for that success.

But it’s an odd thing that those who hold the short end of the stick will always hold the short end of the stick, or even be poked in the eye with it. I think being instructed and legally required to work when in dispute with the employer is a poke in the eye. Why should workers be required to stay at their worksta tions when in dispute?

They are but one half of the dispute, but they are the ones who suffer most from it. The cor porations often treat the work force as a cost to be minimized, or, oftentimes to be exploited and even abused. The govern ment should try to ban that bad behavior. Companies should see their workforce as an asset to be nurtured; how laughable is that idea? But such fair dealing would solve the problem, too.

In a society as rich and power ful as this one we should be able to assure that the poor do not have too little nor the rich too much.

Reach Michael Lewis at waleslewis792@gmail.com.

of Technology in Atlanta.

Enterprise staff

Thompson earns kudos from farmers name Droppers

Last week, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena was presented the Friend of Farm Bureau Award from the American Farm Bureau Federation for his service to support farmers, growers, and producers during the 117th Congress.

“The American agricul ture community powers our economy, and their work is vital to the success of our country,” Thomp son said. “I am honored to

receive the Friend of Farm Bureau Award from the American Farm Bureau Federation, and I look for ward to continuing to work with these leaders and our agriculture com munity to deliver eco nomic success for every grower, producer, and farmer.”

“We greatly appreciate the attention Congress man Thompson has

Courtesy photo Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa.

brought in recent years to the issues of disaster assis tance,” California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson

said. ”Our farmers and ranchers depend heavily on accurate and timely

payments when it comes to recovery efforts. Given the challenges relating to Phase 1 and 2 rollouts under the Emergency Relief Program, we applaud the representa tive’s efforts to encourage USDA to move more swiftly on these distribu tions.”

Kunwoo Hong of Woodland earned a mas ter’s degree in analytics from the Georgia Institute

Hong was among approximately 1,660 undergraduate and grad uate students who earned degrees during the Sum mer 2022 semester.

Georgia Tech is one of the top public research universities in the U.S., developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human con dition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, lib eral arts, and sciences degrees. Its more than 46,000 students, repre senting 50 states and more than 150 countries,

study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning.

As a leading technologi cal university, Georgia Tech is an engine of eco nomic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conduct ing more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.

— Do you know of someone who has won an award or accomplished something noteworthy? Email it to newsroom@ davisenterprise.net.

Courtesy photo

The city of Woodland has been taking the opportunity to provide bike-friendly improvements throughout town.

The Woodland City Council OK’d an agreement with Caltrans to design and build a pedestrian overcrossing across Highway 113 linking the southern areas of Woodland.

City of WooDlanD/ Courtesy graphiC

Courtesy photo

The Bike Garage’s original location was at the Woodland Adult School.

By Stephan Pastis

Classic Peanuts

By Charles M. Schulz

"The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley" @ 7pm / $12.50-$23.50 Capital Stage, 2215 J Street, Sacramento

The Variety Preview Theater, 582 Market Street, Suite 101, San Fran‐cisco

"As You Like It" @ 8pm / $12-$70

San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco

"The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley" @ 8pm / $12.50-$23.50 Capital Stage, 2215 J Street, Sacramento

Brian Glowacki (comedian): Laughs Unlimited with Jessica Michelle Singleton @ 8pm Laughs Unlimited Comedy Club and Lounge, 1207 Front St, Sacra‐mento

Iron Front at Thee Parkside @ 9pm Thee Parkside, 1600 17th St, San Francisco

Santa’s Helpers Holiday Gift Faire

@ 10am Dec 10th - Dec 11th

Terri�c Shopping awaits !!! 575 3rd St, 575 3rd Street, Napa. christyl beeman@comcast.net, 707-2254911

Alex Ramon Magic XII @ 3pm / $25

Lesher Center for the Arts - Mar‐garet Lesher Theatre, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek

"As You Like It" @ 3pm / $12-$70 San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco

Sacra‐mento Ballet presents Nut‐cracker with live orchestra @ 2pm / $49-$99 SAFE Credit Union Per‐forming Arts Center, 1301 L St., Sacramento

SF Choral Artists: Christmas Postcards @ 4pm / $15-$35

Acclaimed Bay Area chamber choir performs music from 6 continents and 500 years – with 4 world pre‐mieres! St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 1111 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco. mkaulkin@sfca.org, 415-494-8149

Alex Ramon Magic XII @ 5pm / $25 Lesher Center for the Arts - Mar‐garet Lesher Theatre, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek

Napa HS Jazz Band Fundraiser 2022-2023 @ 6:30pm / $10-$27 Blue Note Napa, 1030 Main Street, Napa

Iron Front: The Unholy Sabbath @ 7pm DNA Lounge, 375 11th St, San Francisco

Gürschach: Insipid Productions presents: THE UNHOLY SABBATH @ 7pm DNA Lounge, 375 11th St, San Francisco

San Francisco Ballet w/ The Nutcracker @ 7pm

War Memorial Opera House, 455 Franklin St., San Francisco

Los Straitjackets @ 7pm

Great American Music Hall, 859 O'‐farrell St, San Francisco

Beetlejuice

@ 7:30pm Golden Gate Theater, 1 Taylor St., San Francisco

"A Cool Yule Christmas" @ 7:30pm / Free

Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness, San Francisco

Edna Vazquez with Pink Martini

@ 7:30pm SFJAZZ Center, 201 Franklin St, San Francisco

AP Dhillon - Out of This World Tour @ 8pm / $99.50-$139.50

The Masonic, 1111 California St, San Francisco

San Francisco Ballet w/ The Nutcracker @ 2pm

War Memorial Opera House, 455 Franklin St., San Francisco

Saturday Dec 17th

San

@ THE RITE SPOT @ 8pm Rite Spot Cafe, 2099 Folsom St, San Francisco

ALASKA

@ 8pm / $25-$249 The Independent, 628 Divisadero St, San Francisco "Shoshana in December: A New Musical" @ 8pm / $20 Phoenix Theatre San Francisco, 414 Mason St., San Francisco

UCSF 17th Annual Conference Sports Medicine for Primary Care @ 8am Dec 9th - Dec 10th This conference is aimed at im‐proving the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of PCPs when caring for musculoskeletal problems. Mis‐sion Bay Conference Center, 1675 Owens Street, San Francisco. sari.will@ucsf.edu

Ophthalmology Update 2022 @ 8:20am / $425-$550 Dec 9th - Dec 10th Join us for this 2 day conference in the areas of glaucoma, cataract, retina, uveitis, pediatric ophthal‐mology, oculoplastic and recon‐structive surgery, neuro-ophthalm Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown Soma, 50 3rd Street, San Francisco. info@ ocme.ucsf.edu, 415-476-4251

Myrtle Press Prints: Portfolio x 2 @ 11:30am Dec 9th - Jan 29th View the Pence Gallery's new ex‐hibit, Myrtle Press Prints: Portfolio x 2! Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis. pencesocialmedia@ gmail.com, 530-758-3370 2nd

@ 6pm Join us at the Pence Gallery for our 2nd Fri‐day ArtAbout reception on December 9, 6 - 9 PM (free admission). This is the opening reception for the new exhibits by Myrtle Press and Steven McGov‐

Sherita Perez Music @ 6:30pm Mare Island Brewing Co. (Ferry Taproom), 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo

Tom Hambridge @ 7pm Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St, San Francisco

Alex Ramon Magic XII @ 7:30pm / $25

Lesher Center for the Arts - Mar‐garet Lesher Theatre, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek

Brennen Leigh @ 7:30pm Gold�eld Trading Post, 1630 J St, Sacramento

Peter Raffoul @ 7:30pm Sofar Sounds, San Francisco

The Young Fables @ 7pm Hotel Utah Saloon, 500 4th St, San Francisco

"As You Like It" @ 7pm / $12-$70 San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco

Rotary Club of Davis Weekly Lunch & Program @ 12pm See website for details. ro‐taryclubofdavis.com Davis Com‐munity Church, 421 D Street, Davis. peterlg.rotary@email.com, 530219-8825

The Unreal Garden | San Francisco @ 3pm The Palace of Fine Arts Exhibition Center, 3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco

The Unreal Garden | San Francisco @ 3:30pm The Palace of Fine Arts Exhibition Center, 3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco

The Unreal Garden | San Francisco @ 5pm The Palace of Fine Arts Exhibition Center, 3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco

Anson Funder‐burgh @ 6:30pm

The Starlet Room, 2708 J St, Sacra‐mento

"As You Like It" @ 7pm / $12-$70 San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco

"The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley" @ 7pm / $12.50-$23.50 Capital Stage, 2215 J Street, Sacramento

Miranda Love: Speakeasy Love @ 7pm Social House Speakeasy, South Lake Tahoe

San Francisco Ballet w/ The Nutcracker @ 7pm War Memorial Opera House, 455 Franklin St., San Francisco

Alex Ramon "Magic" @ 7pm / $45.87

The

@ 2pm / $12.50-$23.50 Capital Stage, 2215 J Street, Sacramento

Francisco Ballet w/ The Nutcracker

2pm

Memorial Opera House, 455 Franklin St., San Francisco

The Young Dubliners @ 8pm Father Pad‐dy's, 435 Main St, Woodland

"As You Like It" @ 8pm / $12-$70

San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco

"The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley" @ 8pm / $12.50-$23.50 Capital Stage, 2215 J Street, Sacramento

The Hooks at Bottom of the Hill - Saturday December 10th 2022 @ 9pm

Bottom Of the Hill, 1233 17th St, San Francisco

2nd Annual Krampus Holi‐day Market

The Unreal Garden | San Francisco @ 5:30pm The Palace of Fine Arts Exhibition Center, 3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco

Los Straitjackets @ 7pm Great American Music Hall, 859 O'‐farrell St, San Francisco

Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle @ 7:30pm / $105.50-$346 Golden 1 Center, 500 David J Stern Walk, Sacramento

Harveys Cabaret at Harveys Lake Tahoe, 18 Hwy 50, Stateline

Smuin's "The Christmas Ballet"

@ 7:30pm / $25-$73

Blue Shield of California Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard St., San Francisco

Beetlejuice

@ 7:30pm

Golden Gate Theater, 1 Taylor St., San Francisco

Jonny West @ 8:30pm

Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 1710 Mission St, San Francisco

Allegra

It" @ 2pm / $12-$70

San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco

Napa HS Jazz Band Fundraiser 2022-2023 @ 3pm / $10-$27

Blue Note Napa, 1030 Main Street, Napa

Elsbach wins achievement award

Thirty different clubs participated in the 14th annual Ross Yancher Brute swimming events, which closed on Nov. 30.

There were 157 total registered Brutes, 79 of whom were from Davis Aquatics Masters. Owen Yancher is the youngest Brute at 24 and your reporter is the oldest Brute at 87 years. I swam the Brute lite and Owen swam the real Brute.

For my finish head coach Matt Zachan organized a resounding cheer for me. I was humbled and deserving.

Owen’s achievement was no less than you would expect from the assistant coach of the UCLA wom en’s swimming team.

The registration period is open until Saturday, so the numbers above may increase. There will also be prizes and awards for those who completed the Brute at our Brute celebration in a couple of months.

n Congratulations to DAM swimmer Kim Elsbach for winning the Pacific Masters Swimming

Personal Achievement Award.

This award is given for long term dedication to Pacific Masters Swimming combined with improvement in skills and times and committing to and meeting personal challenges.

n An incident between a member and coach occurred recently where the member challenged the coach’s direction with inappropriate language and behavior in a way that was both upsetting to the coach and disruptive to the workout in progress. (There is no cussing in swimming.)

The DAM Board of Directors voted to suspend the member for two weeks.

Zachan notes that DAM is now nearly 50 years old and has a unique

camaraderie based on sharing values of respect and trust.

n It has been a great season for UC Davis men’s swimming head coach Dan Leyson and his Aggies.

The Western Water Polo Association recently named coach of the year. The Aggies were knocked out of the NCAA playoff by University of the Pacific, a team they had previously defeated.

Leyson also coaches in his “spare time” for Davis Water Polo Club. His twin boys are on the 12 and under team this year and his daughter is on the 14 and under girls.

n Davis Masters Water Polo’s winter session has begun.

Practices are on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at Schaal Aquatic Center on the UC Davis campus.

From Jan. 4-Feb. 15, the only practice will be on Wednesday nights.

— Mark Braly’s Masters Swimming column is published the first Wednesday of each month. Contact him at markbraly@sbc global.net.

DHS: Wulff coached with San Francisco 49ers

From Page B8

program for years to come.

The 1990 Washington State graduate served as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Sacramento State from 2016-18, coaching the offensive linemen. He also coached at UC Davis in the fall of 2019.

Wulff also has spent time in the NFL. He joined Jim Harbaugh’s staff with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012 as a senior offensive assistant. The 49ers advanced to Super Bowl XLVII during his first season and made a trip to the NFC Championship game the following year.

Wulff returned to college football in 2014 as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at South Florida. He was an offensive consultant at Iowa State for the final five games of 2015 before returning to the Big Sky Conference.

Wulff played collegiately at Washington State and began his coach ing career as an assistant at Eastern Washington in 1993. He was elevated to offensive coordinator in 1998 and became the Eagles’ head coach in 2000.

In his eight years at the helm, Wulff guided EWU to a 53-40 overall record, a share of two Big Sky championships and three

NCAA FCS playoff berths. He was named Big Sky Coach of the Year follow ing the 2001, 2004 and 2005 seasons and was a finalist for National Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2007.

Wulff coached 23 players to FCS AllAmerica honors, including 15 offensive linemen.

Wulff earned the head coaching job at Washing ton State in 2008. In four seasons, the Cougars’ offense improved its pro duction each year.

In 2011, his final year at WSU, Washington State ranked ninth in the FBS in passing offense (322.25 yards per game) and 33rd in total offense (422.42 yards per game). The

Cougars were the only team in Division I to improve in total offense, total defense, offensive scoring and defensive scoring from 2010 to 2011.

Wulff went to Washing ton State after he graduated from DHS.

During his playing days with the Cougars, Wulff was a four-year letterman and earned second-team all-Pac 10 and honorable mention All-American honors as a center in 1989.

He signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1990 and went on to play for the RaleighDurham Skyhawks and the New York/New Jersey Knights of the NFL World League.

WIN: Blue Devils begin next tournament on Thursday

16 points from Malia consistently would help our team drastically. She had some great drives, great shots, and was able to disrupt their offense a couple times and convert out of those steals.”

Natalie Roessler then banked a three-pointer at 3:05, followed by a Schouten two-point shot at 2:30.

From the start of the game until the end, Davis continued to play very cohesively as a team.

Fifteen seconds into the first quarter, Roessler hit a bucket, followed by two field goals from Trotman.

At 4:26, Schouten took an injury timeout after a hard fall. Since Highshoe came out onto the court to check on her, the referees declared that another player must substitute in to take her free throws.

Castillo took the two free throw shots, making one of them.

After a basket from Abrenica, Schouten made a bucket and was given an extra point free throw.

She banked the and one, then hit another field goal with 12 seconds left on the clock.

Strong ball passing allowed the Blue Devils to slightly pull ahead of the Jaguars in the first quarter.

Abrenica led the Blue Devils with 16 points. Schouten followed with 15 points.

Trotman had eight, Roessler recorded five, Castillo had three and Williams banked two.

Davis play at the Vista/ Folsom Tournament, which will be played at Vista del Lago and Folsom high schools. The Blue Devils face Pleasant Valley High of Chico on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

From Page B8

Mike Bush/enterprise photo Davis center Tessa Schouten (11) tries to drive around a Gregori player in Saturday’s consolation title game of the Speck Tournament.

sports

Gregg runs past roadblocks to race at CIM

Enterprise staff

SACRAMENTO — Brendan Gregg wasn’t going to let injury and illness stop him from competing in the 39th annual California International Marathon on Sunday.

After all, the former Davis resident won the 2021 CIM. Despite weather forecasts calling for a rain-soaked race day, Gregg did well at this year’s mara thon. Sans not repeating as the defending champion.

Gregg jumped out to a fast start. But a pack of runners overtook him, resulting in a 38th-place finish with a time of 2 hours and 17.21 seconds.

This was Gregg’s fourth time compet ing in the CIM. Along with his top finish in 2021, he ran in 2018 and 2016.

“The weather ended up better than expected, with the rain holding off during the race, so no adjustments to pre-race plans were necessary,” said Gregg, whose father, Bill, is the Davis High crosscountry head coach. “I had a good idea of the paces I felt confident I could run based on training, so my plan was to just hit those targets as evenly as possible, and when no one else in the field decided to follow me, I made the choice, perhaps foolhardy in hindsight, to just forge ahead alone rather than sit in the pack.”

Brendan Gregg, 38, battled through some roadblocks before Sunday’s race.

“From a hard fall I took at a tune-up race in October and had a mild case of COVID three weeks ago,” Gregg said. “So, I wasn’t quite at 100 percent. But other than that, I had a very good training cycle, better in many ways than last year, so I felt confident coming into the race.”

The marathon, which started in Orangevale to the State Capitol, in which Gregg maintained the lead for 19 miles.

“The wheels were already starting to come off before the chase pack caught up to me there,” said Gregg, “and I knew once they arrived it was already just a matter of survival at that point to salvage pride and limp across the finish line anyway I could, rather than mount a response to try to hold the lead.”

Gregg loves the perks of competing in the marathon.

“CIM is my hometown race, so the support along the course is unlike any other event for me,” Gregg said. “The race organizers do a tremendous job to set up runners to race their best, creating the perfect atmosphere for people to see how far they can push themselves.”

This year’s race also served as the USA Marathon Championships, which saw Paige Stoner and Futsum Zeinasellassie claim the women’s and men’s national titles.

Stoner, a native of Pottsville, Pa. and graduate of Syracuse University, shat tered the women’s course record by 51 seconds — winning in a time of 2 hours, 26 minutes and 2 seconds.

Stoner and Lauren Hurley, a marathon debutant and former triathlete from Boulder, Colo., broke away from the field past the 10-kilometer mark and battled each other in the subsequent miles.

It was Stoner, competing in her thirdever marathon, who edged past Hurley at 30 kilometers and pulled away over the final stretches of the race.

Sports Editor Mike Bush contributed to this story.

Football 49th annual speck tournaMent

Ex-DHS player named new Cal Poly head coach

Enterprise staff

SAN LUIS OBISPO — Paul Wulff wore a Davis High football uniform in the 1980s.

On Tuesday, he became the new Cal Poly football head coach.

The 1985 DHS graduate had been Cal Poly’s offensive line coach and running game coordinator the last three years. Wulff was also the Mustangs associate head coach.

Wulff replaces Beau Baldwin, who resigned last week. Baldwin is going to be the offensive coordinator under new Arizona State Sun Devils under new head coach Kenny Dillingham.

Before coming to Cal Poly, Wulff was the former Eastern Washington and Washington State head football coach

Cal Poly president Jeffrey D. Armstrong and Director of Athletics Don Oberhelman announced Wulff’s new role Tuesday during a press conference in the lobby of Mott Athletics Center.

Wulff has coached at the collegiate level for 28 years, including 12 as a head coach. He was head coach at Eastern Washington from 2000 through 2007 and at Washington State from 2008-11.

“I would like to start by thanking President Armstrong and Athletic Director Don Oberhelman,” said Wulff. “First hand, I have witnessed their professionalism and commitment to Cal Poly and Mustang football. I also want to thank all alumni and boosters during this process. Your commitment and vision for this great university will help lead this

Blue Devils win consolation title

By Rebecca Wasik Enterprise correspondent

A 2-point basket turned into a 3-point play for Tessa Schouten and her fellow Davis High girls basketball teammates just when they needed it on Saturday in the consolation championship round of the 49th annual Speck Tournament.

That helped Davis (2-1) seal the 49-44 victory over Gregori (2-3) in the South Gym on Saturday. The Blue Devils posted a 60-32 win over Roseville on Friday in a loser’s bracket game.

“I’m really proud of the grit and resilience my team showed today,” DHS head coach Heather Highshoe said. “It was physical game and the girls responded well. We found our selves down towards the end of the fourth quarter but closed it out. (center) Tessa Schouten and (guard) Malia Abrenica had huge games for us and really stepped up when we needed them the most.”

With the Jaguars holding a slim 44-38 lead over Davis High with less than three minutes left in the game, the Blue Devils went on an 11-0 run

to close out the contest with a win.

The rally began when Jiana Trotman hit a basket, followed by one free throw made by Schouten. That cut the Jaguars’ lead to 44-41.

Malia Abrenica then made a nice steal and was awarded two free throws on the play. The senior point guard made both shots, which pulled the Blue Devils to 44-43.

A 3-point play gave DHS a 46-44 lead with 1:56 left in the game.

Schouten then made a clutch field goal shot for the lead and was fouled in the process. She made her free throw that and gave Davis the advantage.

She followed her g0-ahead play with another basket at 1:01 for what would be the final tally.

“Tessa battled hard today and left it all out on the court for our team,” said Highshoe of Schouten. “She made some huge plays down the stretch for us and brought us back into the game and sealed it for us. She was a beast on the boards, too.”

Trotman added extra icing on the game cake by making 1 of 2 free throws for the final score.

Davis held a 36-33 lead over

Gregori entering the final quarter.

Abrenica made DHS’ first basket of the quarter at 5:47.

The Blue Devils went into the third quarter holding a very slight 26-23 edge over the Jaguars.

DHS fought hard for possession throughout the quarter, allowing them to hold on to the advantage.

Trotman, Schouten, Abrenica and Kiera Williams each made field goals, dominating in the first half of the third frame. Wiliiams’ basket came after she made a nice steal from the Jaguars.

After several rebounds, Noelani Castillo made the final bucket of the third with only 12 seconds left.

Going into the second quarter, the Blue Devils led the Jaguars 14-12.

Abrenica hit back-to-back-toback field goals for the Blue Devils at 6:03, plus 5:32 and 4:24. On the last play, she was awarded an and one, which she made.

“I’m so happy for Malia to see the game that she had,” said Highshoe. “Malia does an incredible job sacrificing for her team too. Getting

— Enterprise

Mac Fleet/courtesy photo

Former Davis resident Brendan Gregg is on his way to finish Sunday’s California International Marathon. The 2021 winner took 38th place in this year’s race.

owen Main/cal poly athletics courtesy photo

New Cal Poly football head coach Paul Wulff, a 1985 Davis High graduate, speaks during his press conference on Tuesday.

Mike bush/enterprise photo

Davis guard Malia Abrenica (1) slows down the pace in moving the basketball against a Gregori player in the consolation championship game of the Speck Tournament on Saturday. To view more photos, visit www.davisenterprise.com, click on the Sports tab and look for the story.