The Davis Enterprise Friday, February 17, 2023

At the Pond: 20 years of wildlife

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en erprise

Getting crafty

Open house highlights Craft Center

By Monica Stark Enterprise staff writer

The “Happiest Place to Craft”

— The UC Davis Craft Center — welcomed students and Davis residents to their open house on Wednesday.

The open house included studio demos by artists and gallery

viewing where items had been made as hybrids between The Maker Space and the other 11 studios: ceramics, wood, photo, glass, arts and crafts, flameworking, jewelry, photography, screenprinting, textiles, and welding.

The newest studio at the Craft

Center, the Maker Space, features a 3D printer, a mini 3D printer, a laser engraver, and a desktop cutting machine that lets crafters make precision cuts in vinyl, cardstock, or fabric. Various other tools like soldering kits, digital calipers and spark boards are available for checkout.

Housed in the South Silo building, the Craft Center has

new lobby furniture, new paint, a countertop, a polished concrete floor, and new LED lighting in the lobby and upstairs hall.

Admin Coordinator of The Craft Center Sanne Stark Fettinger said the open house allows showing all the possibilities when thinking outside the box.

Kicking off the open house, Chancellor Gary May helped the center unveil a large new welcome

Police: Fatally shot man had knife

By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer

The man fatally shot by police as they attempted to serve an arrest warrant in Dunnigan earlier this week was armed with a kitchen knife, authorities said Wednesday as multiple investigations into the incident continued.

Yolo County coroner’s officials had not released the man's identity as of Thursday afternoon, saying they had not yet made contact with his next of kin.

The shooting occurred shortly after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, more than four hours after members of the Yolo County SWAT team arrived in the 3000 block of County Road 88C in Dunnigan to serve the arrest warrant.

The man faced felony charges of sex crimes with a child, police previously disclosed.

Police said the man resided in a trailer on the property and repeatedly ignored commands to surrender. Specific details

that led to the shooting, including the alleged use of the foot-long knife (including both the blade and the handle), have not been released.

According to the West Sacramento Police Department, one of its officers was the sole person to discharge their service weapon, firing two shots at the man, who died at the scene. The officer, whose name was not immediately released, was described as a 7½-year veteran of the agency.

"Body-worn cameras were worn during the incident and video will be released in the coming weeks," West Sacramento police said Wednesday in a social media post. State law requires that footage of officer-involved shootings and use-of-force deaths to be made public within 45 days.

It remained unclear how many members of the SWAT team — comprising See SHOT, Page A3

mat. May also screen-printed a goose on a T-shirt.

The Maker Space has begun collaborating with the UC Davis School of Education as a classroom for students working in the Beta Lab, in which K-12 students are mentored, according to a press release.

Fettinger explained that since

See CRAFT, Page A3

Newsom suspends laws to store more water

By Alastair Bland

CalMatters

Facing an onslaught of criticism that water was “wasted” during January storms, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday suspended environmental laws to give the go-ahead to state officials to hold more water in reservoirs.

The governor’s executive order authorized the State Water Resources Control Board to “consider modifying” state requirements that dictate how much water in the SacramentoSan Joaquin Delta is allowed to flow into San Francisco Bay.

In January, after floodwaters surged into the bay, farm groups, Central Valley legislators and urban water providers complained that people and farms were being short-changed to protect fish. They urged state officials to store more water in reservoirs, which would increase the supply that can be delivered this summer to farm fields in the Central Valley and millions of Southern Californians.

Environmental activists say Newsom’s order is another sign that California is shifting priorities in how

it manages water supply for humans and ecosystems.

They said the order will likely harm Chinook salmon and Delta smelt.

Large numbers of newborn Chinook salmon have perished in recent drought years — the result of low flows in the Sacramento River and its tributaries.

Doug Obegi, a water law attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, called Newsom’s order the latest action in “a breakdown of law and order in the Delta.” In every critically dry year since 2012, Obegi said, the state’s flow rules and water export restrictions have been waived.

“Now, it seems, we’re going to start waiving them in average years,” Obegi said, adding that it’s the first time that the state has waived Delta outflow standards in a year that isn’t designated critically dry.

“The executive order seems to signal the governor’s intention to put his thumbs on the scale in favor of extinction in the Delta.”

The state water board’s Delta flow rules are designed to help enforce See WATER, Page A3

Monica Stark/EntErpriSE photoS

Creativity looms large at the UC Davis Craft Center on campus. Students and non-students 18 and older can access the Craft Center by taking a class.

Briefly

Threat locks down Harper

Students and staff at Harper Junior High School sheltered in place Thursday morning due to a bomb threat.

Davis police Lt. Dan Beckwith said the school received two threats via emails sent shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday and received by the school Thursday morning, resulting in a call to the Davis Police Department at 8:45 a.m.

Officers responded to the East Covell Boulevard campus and cleared the scene after finding nothing suspicious. School district officials lifted the lockdown after about a halfhour.

“We’re just investing the source of the emails at this point,” Beckwith said. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Davis Police Department at 530747-5400.

The threat occurred just two weeks after a Feb. 2 bomb threat at Holmes Junior High School that resulted in the school’s evacuation and early dismissal.

Police also found nothing suspicious during that incident.

Meals on Wheels adds kitchen space in Winters

Special to The Enterprise

An additional 5,300 square-feet of commercial kitchen space in Winters will double the number of seniors currently nourished by Meals on Wheels Yolo County, thanks to a five-year lease agreement executed last week that will expand service to at least 1,300 aging adults throughout Yolo County, and dramatically improve support for seniors in the western county. The announcement was made today by MOW Yolo Executive Director Joy Cohan on Feb. 14.

“Our kitchen is the heart of our operation, so sharing this transformational news on Valentine’s Day seems so appropriate,” Cohan stated. “Over the past year, the MOW Yolo team has been inspired to dramatically deepen our impact upon senior nutrition deficits in the county, which has made the capacity limits of our current kitchen in Woodland very frustrating. American Rescue Plan funding, approved by the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, has made it possible to begin to change this narrative. This particular additional kitchen space means not only nourishing more seniors still grappling with pandemic-induced food insecurity countywide, but also elevates the small business community in Winters still suffering pandemic set-backs.”

Woodland will remain as home base for the organization, and meals will continue to be produced in the existing commercial kitchen in Woodland, as well.

The location at 111 Main Street in Winters has been home to the Buckhorn Restaurant’s catering business for more than 25 years. However, the pandemic caused the catering operation to downsize, eliminating the need for such a large food-production space. Orders now are produced in the restaurant kitchen. But the

Buckhorn still carried the burden of the lease through the better part of 2023, until a community member advised Cohan of the potential for a “win-win” solution.

“Our family and team at Buckhorn Catering put so much love into every Buckhorn customer, and we are thrilled that Meals on Wheels Yolo County will have a place to do the very same thing for their clients,” commented Buckhorn co-owner John Pickerel, in a written statement issued on behalf of co-owner Melanie Bajakian and chief operating officer Emarie VanGalio, as well. “A kitchen is the heart and hearth of all great food production, and I’m sure Joy and her team will make it a warm and fun place to do their very meaningful work.”

Due to a purpose-driven 60% increase in seniors enrolled in the program over the past 13 months, MOW Yolo found by late last summer that the organization was quickly running out of commercial kitchen space to produce and store more meals in the current,

approximately 2,000 square foot facility on N. East Street in Woodland.Nearly 4,000 meals per week are “home-cooked” by the MOW Yolo Food Services team under the guidance of an on-staff Registered Dietitian and delivered as either hot or frozen to provide a total of five meals per senior per week, through three deliveries per week.

The “Weekend Food Project,” delivered twice each month, also provides shelf-stable weekend meals for 200 of the very lowest income seniors on the program. Most meals are delivered by a cadre of volunteer drivers rotating shifts to support almost 45 routes countywide. As many as 615 food insecure seniors depend upon MOW Yolo for consistent nutrition access as of January 31.

“Based upon 2020 Census data, more than 8,100 seniors in Yolo County live in poverty, which typically mirrors food insecurity,” Cohan explained. “Even if we assume that as many as 50% of these seniors might choose not to engage with MOW Yolo for

Citrus Circuits plans RoboCamps

Special to The Enterprise Registration opens on March 2 at 7 p.m. for summer RoboCamps sessions. Hosted by Citrus Circuits, the Davis High School robotics team, RoboCamps is a summer camp for incoming kindergarten through eighth-graders who are interested in robotics and learning about STEM.

This 16-session program is an immersive hands-on camp, offering different levels of experience to teach students how to design, program, and operate with small robots. The camps will run Monday through Friday, June 12 to Aug. 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except for the K-3 program which is half-day only.

Four weeks of the camp are Introductory/Intermediate where no robotics experience is required. The camp uses kits to design, build, and program robots. In addition, there is an online week called “OnLime” which follows the same course as the Introductory/Intermediate camp weeks.

The following two weeks are Intermediate/Advanced programs for students who have some experience with robotics. All of the students will use their robots and compete in a tournament with other students at the end of the week.

RoboCamps concludes with a week of Programming & Skills that allows students to code on prebuilt robots and compete in separate competitions at the end of the week.

The WISE (Women in STEM Empowerment) week will be run by female students and mentors from 1678 to introduce girls to STEM and robotics. Using the same curriculum as the Introductory/Intermediate camps, WISE is a week dedicated to girls for them to be creative and learn STEM in a supportive environment.

The team is also introducing a new camp called Sphero Indi, two weeks of half-day camps designed for students entering K-3. Through the Sphero Indi kit, students use their

imagination and thinking skills to create their own games with color sensing robots, teaching them the basics of coding and problem solving.

The fee for each RoboCamp is $350 a week and Sphero Indi is $175 a week for half-day sessions. Each student is only eligible to participate for one week. Need-based half and full scholarships are available for application upon registration. For more information and to register, visit https://www.citruscircuits. org/robocamps.html.

At the far right-hand end of the building, Meals on Wheels Yolo County’s additional 5,300 square feet of kitchen space at 111 Main Street is adjacent to Historic Downtown Winters. Courtesy photo

nutrition assistance for reasons both good and bad, this still leaves approximately 4,000 vulnerable aging adults in need of nourishing meals each day. Currently, we’re providing for only about 15% of them. With the additional kitchen space in Winters, we’ll now have the potential to extend healthier outcomes to more than 30% of this group. This represents a much bigger impact upon an unfortunately growing trend of food insecurity amongst seniors, due to steep recent increases in food and housing costs.”

Cohan adds, however, that making more meals is only part of what’s required to ensure more nutrition for more seniors. Volunteers are essential to connecting the often mobility-limited aging adults with the meals, and volunteer interest and participation are encouraged countywide at www.mowyolo.org/ volunteer-opportunities.

To connect with services or offer support, visit https://mowyolo.org, email welcome@mowyolo.org, or call 530-662-7035.

Dodd bill would limit money spent on school elections

Special to The Enterprise

SACRAMENTO —

State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, announced legislation this month that would place limits on the amount of money that can be donated to candidates for school boards and special district offices, ensuring fairness in local elections.

“Too often, we’re seeing eye-popping amounts donated to candidates for smaller community offices,” Dodd said. “These well-financed campaigns favor the wealthy at the exclusion of grassroots candidates and people of color. Putting a cap on the money in these races will help ensure fairness in local elections while encouraging a more diverse field that is more reflective of the population.”

California has thousands of publicly elected governing boards managing an assortment of agencies including schools, community colleges and special districts. Elections often receive

little media coverage and even less scrutiny of campaign donations, which are not limited by state law and can exceed money given to candidates for higher office.

Currently the default is to allow unlimited contributions, and only three special districts statewide have adopted voluntary limits.

In response, Dodd introduced Senate Bill 328, which sets an individual donation limit of $5,500 by a person, business or committee to a candidate for school board, community college board or special district board. The contribution limits are equal to those set for the state Legislature. The bill would allow local governments to vote to adjust the limits, but the default would no longer be unlimited.

Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa and Sacramento counties. Learn more at www.sen. ca.gov/dodd.

Registration opens on March 2 for summer RoboCamps by Citrus Circuits. This 16-session program is an immersive hands-on camp, offering different levels of experience.

WATER: Environmentalists criticize governor’s priorities

the federal and state Endangered Species Acts, which protect Chinook salmon, green sturgeon, Delta smelt and longfin smelt.

Changing the rules is “like having a speed limit in a school zone except when you’re in a hurry,” said Jon Rosenfield, science director of the San Francisco Baykeeper.

“We’ve got a violation of water quality standards, a petition (by a state and federal agency) to waive those standards, and a governor’s executive order encouraging the board to waive those standards through his executive order.

“There’s not much difference between a world without environmental laws and a world where, at the stroke of a governor’s pen, environmental laws are eviscerated,” he said.

Farmers encouraged

But farm groups and water suppliers said the governor’s action could bring needed balance to the Delta.

Sarah Woolf, a farmer in the Westlands Water District in the San Joaquin Valley, said that in the past several years, her family has fallowed roughly half of their land. Her family received zero allocation of Delta water in the last two years and relied almost entirely on groundwater.

Saying that the regulations can be too rigid in dry years, Woolf said the governor’s order could provide flexibility in better managing water supplies.

“We’re hopeful that this results in more water supply for a higher percentage of the contract water we are able to receive,” she said.

Randy Fiorini, a Merced County farmer, said farmers and other water users are routinely deprived of water to protect environmental resources. Now, he said, the governor is tipping the balance in the other direction.

“This gives us the chance to capture as much water now as we possibly can,” he said.

Newsom’s order says: “To

ensure adequate water supplies for purposes of health, safety, the environment, or drought resilient water supplies, the Water Board shall consider modifying requirements for reservoir releases or diversion limitations in Central Valley Project or State Water Project facilities.”

His order adds that to enable those actions, two state laws Water Code Section 13247, which requires state agencies to comply with all water-quality rules, and Public Resources Code, Division 13, which ensures environmental quality, and its regulations — “are suspended.”

The order means it’s likely that the water board will allow more water to be stored later this year in Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville, the state’s largest reservoirs, plus more water to be pumped south into San Luis Reservoir in the San Joaquin Valley. Oroville as of today contains 115.6% of its historic average and Shasta is at 88.1%. Because of the boost from the storms, the state recently announced that growers and water providers would get 30% of their requested allocations from the state aqueduct — the highest amount for January in six years.

The order also aims to streamline and increase groundwater recharge projects.

In an immediate response to Newsom’s order, the state Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Monday jointly petitioned the state water board to loosen the Delta flow rules “to ensure the availability of an adequate water supply while also ensuring protection of critical species and the environment.”

Water board officials said in an emailed statement to CalMatters that they “are reviewing the request carefully, in coordination with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.” They said the agency’s decision will come “within the next week.”

Newsom has been under heavy criticism in recent years for using his emergency power to issue orders for handling COVID-19,

the death penalty and other state issues. Newsom said in the order that he hopes to help “maintain critical flows for fish and wildlife.”

Now or later?

Storing more water could “protect cold water pools for salmon and steelhead” later in the year, the order says. During drought, low reservoir levels can lead to lethally warm water for salmon when they spawn in the summer and fall. Holding water in reservoirs now may help the ecosystem later with improved water quality, enhanced flows and cold water for reproducing salmon. But Rosenfield and Obegi said fish need substantial flows now. High river flows push young salmon along in their spring journey from the Central Valley to the ocean, while reduced flows lead to higher mortality.

Put in place decades ago, the Delta flow regulations at stake now are designed to help juvenile salmon reach the ocean and protect the Delta from seawater intrusion, which can occur when flows from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers are reduced.

Many environmentalists say the flow rules aren’t strong enough to protect fish, while some water user groups say they

allow too much water to flow into the ocean.

Triggered by January’s conditions, the rules require that 29,200 cubic feet per second of water flow through the Delta through most of February. But last week, state and federal agencies unveiled a forecast saying flows could drop to 15,000 cubic feet per second. Environmental groups objected in a Feb. 10 letter to the state water board, warning “that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources appear likely to violate the minimum Delta outflow requirements.”

Three days later, Newsom issued his order.

Newsom’s order points out that heavy rains in 2021 were followed by the driest January through March in over a century. A similar pattern, he said, is emerging now, with the December and January storms followed by a dry February, so more water needs to be held back in reservoirs to protect cities and farms from another drought-plagued summer.

“The frequency of hydrologic extremes experienced in the State is indicative of an overarching need to continually reexamine policies to promote resiliency in a changing climate,” Newsom stated.

As of Feb. 14, Delta outflow was measured at 18,000 cubic feet per second, which is

Standing floods a farmer’s field near Dunnigan on Jan. 18, as Yolo County saw a dramatic amount of rainfall and rising water.

just 61% of the flow required under the water board’s restrictions.

John McManus, president of the Golden State Salmon Association, said the governor is using excessive executive force.

“Newsom claims he’s using his emergency authority. What emergency is he responding to?” He noted that snowpack is at high levels so it will feed the reservoirs in the spring and provide more water to people and farms.

The January rains were considered a boon for fish and other wildlife. But “now Newsom is stepping in to kill our salmon runs, as well as other wildlife that were hoping to catch a break,” McManus said.

Water providers, however, say that the flow rules are outdated because climate change has dramatically altered water supplies.

Newsom’s order “provides flexibility to manage across all these beneficial uses … whether that’s protecting water supply or the environment,” said Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors.

“When you’re working with an unknown future, you need to make sure that you’re protecting as best you can your ability to keep your options open through the course of the year,” she said, adding that 2023 “could be a fourth year of drought.”

CRAFT: ‘There are so many cool things’ going on at UCD’s center

the Beta Lab is housed in a vehicle, it was essential to have a classroom for the students to practice with the equipment they would be taking on the road. The Craft Center renovated their upstairs for the Maker Space, and the School of Education purchased the equipment, she said.

A little history

Fettinger explained The Craft Center started as a tool-lending library out of the Memorial Union in 1965. As the program’s popularity quickly lent to instruction, by 1968, the Craft Center began offering classes out of the Freeborn basement and quickly outgrew that too.

The Silo was coming, and the Craft Center expanded into the Gunrock Pub.

In 1992, the South Silo was built, which is the Craft Center’s current location. “It has always responded to the interests of the students. Once there was an auto repair class.

Now, our most popular classes are beginning-level crafts such as pottery, woodworking, welding, jewelry, and sewing,” she said. Proud of a recent cre-

ation, Nick Loftus, a fifthyear mechanical and aerospace engineer double major, made a format camera with 3D printing on carbon fiber and silver parts inside his metal studio. The camera can produce photos with 200 megapixels digitally, a higher resolution than the typical 35-millimeter.

Loftus makes lithophanes, or embossed images, with a 3D printer out of photos he’s taken with the format camera he’s made. Details of the lithophanes, like the one of his daughter Jane, shine through the thin parts of the image.

Loftus, who teaches woodworking at the Craft Center, showed cutting boards in progress that students were working on.

Before attending UC Davis, Loftus ran a cabinet shop in Boise, Idaho. “We have all the same quality of tools in here that I had.”

Craft Center fans agree that ceramics is by far the most popular studio.

“Ceramics is by far our most popular studio, I’d say to get probably 10 to one usage out of the ceramic studio,” Loftus said.

Some students who had never been to the Craft Center came out of the open house excited to

return. Looking to sign up for classes, Simran Bains wants to learn how to sew in honor of her grandmother Baksnish Garcha who sewed all her granddaughter’s clothes and ran a side business selling Indian dresses.

“I don’t fit in them anymore, but I still kept a lot of them,” Bains said. “No one in my family took on that tradition. I want to honor her, and it just looks like really fun. There are so many cool things inside

and everyone’s so nice here. Especially as a beginner, they wouldn’t judge me even if I’m not good at it. They’re all so sweet.”

If needing reassurance of your crafting abilities, the Craft Center operates under a Come As You Are campaign.

“There is always a smile at the front desk for whoever comes through the door. We emphasize process over talent. A person can learn a process (pottery, woodworking, etc.)

and experience great outcomes.

“Anybody with a desire to take an idea and turn it

into a physical object will find success at the Craft Center,” Fettinger said.

Students and non-students 18 and older can access the Craft Center by taking a class. Class registration is usually on the first day of the quarter, with UCD students having priority. The following day is online for everyone else.

For the spring quarter, UCD students can register in person on April 3 at 12:30 p.m. Everyone else can register at rec.ucdavis. edu starting at 12:30 p.m. on April 4. Students who qualify can have their fees waived with the Campus Recreation Well-Being Fee Waiver.

The Craft Center is at 430 Hutchison Drive inside the South Silo building. For information, call 530-752-1475. For more information, visit https://rec.ucdavis.edu.

— Contact Monica Stark at monica@davisenter prise.net.

Andrew Inner ArIty/ CAlIfornIA depArtment of wAter resourCes photo

The wind was howling and the rain was sheeting against the hospital windows on the night that William and Winifred Dicker Jackson’s daughter was born. The nurses said, “You should name her Gale,” but Winifred named her firstborn Barbara after an admired childhood friend.

Barbara’s first home was in Alameda. It was a safe and friendly place to raise Barbara and her younger sister, Frances. Winifred and the two girls walked everywhere since Winifred did not drive and when they were school-age the girls walked to and from school unless it was raining and Uncle Billy was pressed into service to give the girls a ride in his paint truck.

During the World War II years, the sisters took their Little Jim wagon and traversed the streets of Alameda in search of scrap metal, newspapers and grease. It was a celebration day when someone donated an old water heater. Barbara’s fifth grade class was named The Scrap Champions of Alameda complete with photo in the Alameda Times Star local newspaper.

When Barbara was 12, the family moved to San Mateo, which was to be the family home for many years. Barbara attended San Mateo High School, where she appeared in several plays. She loved playing Martha in “Arsenic and Old Lace,” as well as having roles in several other plays. She then attended San Mateo Junior College, which at that time was in a beautiful campus at Coyote Point. She and a friend went to a Forum Club meeting on campus where Barbara met Victor Perkes, her future husband.

Barbara continued her interest in theater and appeared in several plays while at SMJC.

Then it was off to San Jose State to earn her General Elementary Teaching Credential. From early childhood, Barbara knew she wanted to be a teacher. As a child, she lined up her dolls and stuffed animals and taught them lessons while standing next to a miniature chalkboard. After graduating from San Jose State, her first teaching job was in Burlingame. She and Victor were married in 1953 while she was teaching in Burlingame. She taught in Burlingame for three years.

At the end of three years, Barbara gave birth to her son, Mark. Because she wanted to be a full-time mother, Barbara resigned her teaching position and took an evening job in the credit department at Sears. As time passed, Kent, Allison and Emily joined the family.

At this point, Victor decided to go to Stanford to pursue a Doctorate in Science Education which meant that Barbara needed to add to the family coffers, by taking a job in Hillsborough, California as a substitute teacher. She was able to do this for three years while continuing her job at Sears and managing her growing family. She feels qualified to wear a Stanford sweatshirt.

After Victor earned his doctorate, the family moved to Davis where Victor was hired by the School of Education at UC Davis. Because of Victor’s expertise in science education, the family spent summers in Arcata; Boulder and Golden, Colo.; Eugene, Ore.; and Chapel Hill, N.C.,

s f r o m t h e p u b l i c a b o u t t h e

HOME-AR P Fu ndi ng Al lo cati o n Pl an an d for mu late rec ommendations to the City Council The City Council will approve the Allocation Plan at a meeting on March 21, 2023, beginning at 6:30 p m also in the Community Chambers

Project Description: The Department of Housing and Urban Development s (HUD) Office of Community Planning has allocated $5 billion nationally provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) The City has been awarded $1 371 392

Funds are intended to provide housing shelter and supportive services for persons experiencing or at risk of homelessness; fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence sexual assault stalking or human trafficking; and other vulnerable populations at greatest risk of housing instability HUD obligated HOME-ARP grant funds to state and local governments that are HOME participating jurisdictions

HOME-ARP funding provides our community an opportunity to increase the supply of affordable housing or upgrade or expand the stock of shelter for people experiencing homelessness and other populations by creating non-congregate shelter Other options are to also enhance or expand supportive services for households that are homeless or experiencing housing instability

T h i s f u n d i n g p r o v i d e s a d d i t i o n a l f l e x i b i l i t y a n d n e w e l i g i b l e activities to help us meet the needs of qualifying populations a n d m a k e s i g n i f i c a n t l o n g - t e r m i n v e s t m e n t s i n o u r c o mm u n i t y

Specifically, HOME-ARP funding can be used for:

Acquisition rehabilitation adaptive reuse or construction of a f f o r d a b l e r e n t a l h o u s i n g i n c l u d i n g p e r m a n e n t s u pp o r t i v e h o u s i n g f o r q u a l i f y i n g p o p u l a t i o n s

Tenant-based rental assistance to help qualifying populations pay rent security deposits and utility deposits and payments

A broad range of supportive services to prevent homelessness and foster housing stability such as emergency assistance job training childcare and educational services

Acquisition and development of non-congregate shelter to create private temporary units/rooms for households experiencing homelessness or fleeing abusive situations

Capacity Building & Nonprofit Operating to build capacity and financial stability in local nonprofit organizations serving our community with HOME-ARP activities

Administration and planning to hire train and support new staff to select manage monitor and evaluate HOME-ARP projects a nd activities

To access HOME-ARP funds for projects or activities the City m u s t e n g a g e i n c o n s u l t a t i o n a n d p u b l i c p a r t i c i p a t i o n p r ocesses, assessing the needs of qualifying populations in our area and gaps in our housing and service delivery systems allocating funds among eligible uses and establishing preferences among qualifying populations, if applicable From this outreach to the community an d agency service providers a draft HOME-ARP allocation plan will describe how the city intends to distribute HOME-ARP funds including how it will use these funds to address the needs of HOME-ARP qualifying populations

UCD hosts talk on Xianjing

Special to The Enterprise

PERKES

where Victor conducted teacher workshops in handson Science. The family drove across country to Chapel Hill in their brand-new 1967 Buick Sportswagon which is still parked in the family garage.

The Perkes’ children were involved in many activities and Barbara always volunteered to help. She was a Cub Scout den mother, taught Young Chef classes for 4H and served as team chaperone for Bobby Sox Baseball. In addition, she played bridge, belonged to three gourmet groups, was PTA secretary at North Davis Elementary and worked at the monthly PTA hot dog sales.

Barbara’s teaching career resumed when she became a director at Davis Parent Nursery School. Later, she decided to return to the elementary classroom. She taught second grade at West Davis Elementary and when it became Chávez, she transferred to North Davis Elementary, where she taught third grade. During her entire teaching career, she encouraged parents to participate as volunteers in the classroom. So many parents told her so many times, “Barbara, you are so well organized,” that she told them she was going to have that inscription on her gravestone.

After retiring after 30 years in the DJUSD, she delivered Meals on Wheels, helped as a Friend of the

Library and served as scholarship chairman of the Davis Parent Nursery School Foundation. Barbara missed teaching so much that immediately after retiring, she volunteered as an art teacher at North Davis Elementary. Every week she taught a different lesson of her creation to second graders at North. She enjoyed the interactions with the staff and the students and had fun creating the occasional new lesson.

She enjoyed trips to Europe as well as in the United States with fellow teacher and friend Katie Tracy. She was a sports buff and devoted much time to watching the 49ers, San Francisco Giants, Sacramento Kings and Stanford football.

She had a loving family and every birthday and holiday was celebrated at the family home. On their birthdays, Mark, Kent, Allison and Emily got to choose what they wanted for their birthday dinner. Mark always asked for chicken Kiev or spinach lasagna, knowing that Barbara would not make either because they were too much work for a crowd. Barbara was surrounded by the love of her four children, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be on April 8 — RSVP for more details to queenbp000@gmail.com.

To make a donation in Barbara’s memory, donate to Canine Companions Northwest Region, P.O. Box 446, Santa Rosa, CA 95402 or Meals on Wheels in Woodland.

Make submissions to www.davisenterprise.com/ obit-form/. For information about paid obituaries or free death notices, call 530-756-0800.

City of Davis

The City of Davis Social Services Commission will conduct a public hearing at a meeting scheduled for Monday, March 20, 2023, beginning at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in-person in the community Chambers at City Hall, 23 Russell Blvd. Davis, CA, 95616. The meeting is scheduled to hear comments from the public about the applications received for funding consideration under the 2023-2024 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) Request for Proposals.

Project Description:

The CDBG and HOME programs grant federal funds through the Housing and Urban Development Department to cities in order to implement projects that largely benefit very low-, low- and moderateincome persons. The Social Services Commission reviews proposals and makes recommendations to the City Council for grants and loans to local organizations and City departments. The following organizations have submitted applications requesting this funding:

UC Davis East Asian Studies will host James Millward as he discusses the Xinjiang crisis in China. This free event will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, March 2, at the International Center’s multipurpose room on campus.

The Uyghur population is predominantly Muslim and, according to governmental and nongovernmental organizations, has been subject to imprisonment, surveillance,

Death nOtice

religious intolerance, forced labor and forced sterilizations, among many other abuses by the Chinese government since 2014. These organizations have described the abuses as genocide or crimes against humanity, while the Chinese government has denied all allegations of abuse.

Millward is professor of inter-societal history at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Robert William ‘Bob’ Blattner

Enterprise staff

Robert William "Bob" Blattner, 67, of Davis died Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. He worked as a public-school consultant. A memorial service will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at the Veterans Memorial Center theater, 203 E. 14th St. in Davis. There is also a memorial site at bobblattner.memorial.

for Public Hearing: The City makes available the applications for public review/comment period on the city’s webpage at www.cityofdavis.org . Public comment will be accepted from all interested parties up to and including the City Council public hearing on April 18, 2023.

All interested parties are invited to comment at the public hearing by submitting written comments to the City Manager’s Office no later than 12:00 p.m. on the hearing date. Written comments may be submitted by mail to Kelly Stachowicz, City of Davis, 23 Russell Blvd., Suite 1, Davis CA, 95616, or via email to cmoweb@cityofdavis.org. Public Comment may also be submitted by following instructions for public comment on the Social Services Commission Agenda located at https://www. cityofdavis.org/city-hall/commissions-and-committees/social-servicescommission/agendas

By request, alternative document formats are available to person with disabilities. To request alternative document format or to arrange aid or services to modify or accommodate persons with a disability to participate in a public meeting, contact the City Clerk by calling (530) 757-5648 (voice) or 757-5666 (TDD) or emailing clerkweb@cityofdavis. org.

The City does not transcribe its proceedings. Persons who wish to obtain a verbatim record should arrange for attendance by a court reporter or any other acceptable means of recordation. Such arrangements will be at the sole expense of the person requesting the recordation.

Individuals wishing to challenge the action taken on this matter in court are notified that, the challenge may be limited to only those issues raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to City Manager’s Office prior to the public

The Davis Police Department is hiring two Community Service Officers Pay begins at $15 50 for approx 20 hours a week Tasks vary from vehicle coordinator to data entry Please see our website for position details and how to apply https://www cityofdavis org/city-hall/police-department/ recruitment

YARD SALE

Saturday Feb 18, 8 a m -1 p m Housewares, loveseat, stairstep machine, more 902 Santiago St Davis

near Covell Great parking Beautiful wood built ins 600 square feet Call (530) 759-0200 or email rent1105kennedy@gmail com

Barbara Jackson Perkes

Share love with our critters

By Evelyn Dale Special to The Enterprise

February is the month when we think about giving love to others.

Laila Adora is no exception. In fact, she has loved animals for as long as she can remember. She notes, “I have always had a special bond with animals. I feel that some of us came to this place with a purpose and I have always felt mine has been to help heal, care for, protect and advocate for the animals.”

Pets of the week

Special to The Enterprise

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

Among them is Chase (A197910), a 2-year-old Husky with showstopper good looks. Chase loves his walks and knows basic obedience commands. He has mesmerizing blue and brown eyes. Chase is a playful, friendly and a cuddler — he will do best with older children or adults and a family with an understanding of huskies.

Also hoping for a good home is Dingo (A199983), a 2-year-old German shepherd, who will mesmerize you with his flashy black coat and icy blue eyes. Dingo is a charming heartthrob who loves attention and snuggling. Dingo likes to play with other doggie friends if he can be the center of attention; he is always in a happy and playful mood.

adorable neutered 7-year-old male pittie, but he thinks and acts like he’s only half that age. Whiskey grew up in a loving home but now he needs a new loving retirement home. He is great with kids, housebroken, loves to play ball, loves to swim — he’s just a silly goofball.

As a teenager Laila worked parttime at the Solano County SPCA, a family-owned pet store, and veterinary office in Vacaville so she’d have enough money to support her animal rescue efforts.

As an adult and young mother, Laila learned about dogs on a euthanasia list at Contra Costa County’s shelter in Martinez. Initially, Laila focused on adopting and then rehoming these dogs but soon realized she needed a nonprofit to help the more vulnerable animals who were labeled “rescue only” so unavailable for adoption. She notes, “This is where many of the dogs fall through the cracks with being mislabeled and no one knowing they are even there. They are then euthanized without a chance of making it out.”

paws for thought

For information on adopting, contact adoptycas@gmail.com.

All shelter animals are up-to-date on vaccinations, microchipped, and spayed or neutered.

Staff is available to assist via phone during business hours at 530668-5287. Shelter hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. To meet any adoptable YCAS animals, visit friendsofycas.org. To volunteer, sign up at tinyurl. com/yolovolunteerapp. Follow on at @ycas. shelter and Instagram at @yoloanimalshelter.

At Rotts of Friends

Animal Rescue, you’ll find Whiskey, an

Rainbow is a 6-weekold super-friendly, playful female boxer mix. She will be ready to go to her forever home in a couple of weeks, so now is the time to fill out a puppy application and put down a deposit so you will be first in line to make this cutie yours.

Rainbow comes up-todate on vaccines. When she’s old enough, Rotts’ vet spay and microchip her at the shelter’s expense. She also will have free lifetime obediencetraining classes.

ROF is not doing its typical Saturday adoption morning, but it has many animals needing forever homes. Rotts of Friends is doing adoptions on Saturday, Feb. 18, by appointment. Call Renee at 530-681-1326 to set up a time to come out and find a perfect dog for you.

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

All dogs adopted from Rotts of Friends are healthy, microchipped, up-to-date on their vaccines and come with free lifetime obediencetraining classes. For information, visit facebook.com/rottsoffriends.

In 2015, Laila started “Layla’s Animal Cause” a nonprofit named after Layla, a pit bull she’d rescued with the goal of helping all animals. Laila explains, “A nonprofit is allowed to access and rescue ANY dog in the shelter and ... has access to information the public does not have access to. By having a nonprofit, I would also be able to collect donations to help me help the dogs because there are many people that want to help and giving them a tax deduction to help you can get more people involved. Being a non-profit also gave me access to special medical programs at UC Davis Vet school, so I was able to help medical dogs as well.”

After several years pulling dogs from Contra Costa, Stanislaus, Stockton, Solano and Porterville, Laila decided to focus her energies on one shelter. With an annual intake of 10,000-plus animals, Laila knew Front Street Animal Shelter could use her help and contacted the shelter’s Foster/Rescue coordinator Lori Rhoades.

Laila soon learned that Sacramento’s Front Street Animal Shelter was short on time to rescue animals and the nonprofit Friends of Front Street had something rescues need — money. At Laila’s suggestion, a mutually beneficial partnership was approved to save time for the shelter and provide grants to its rescues. To save more at-risk dogs, Laila also encourages the shelter to share its euthanasia list with these rescues.

For Laila it’s all about getting the word out and networking. She shares her behavioral assessments of dogs with rescues so they can better meet their needs. Photos and videos on her Facebook page encouraging individuals to foster or adopt dogs are shared across the nation.

Since the beginning of this year, Laila has helped more than 25 Front Street dogs go to rescues and foster homes. Laila also helps other shelters in a network of love for all animals. Follow Laila @ https://www. facebook.com/laila.adora.547

Finally, in this month of love, remember love is important year round. So go ahead, give your pet TLC every day — and you’ll get plenty back!

Happy Tails

Last November, Ken, a German shepherd at Front Street Animal Shelter, was proving to be quite a

challenge. He loved tennis balls so much he couldn’t stop jumping on dog walkers and trying to get the ball.

Fortunately, Laila Adora came to his rescue. After assessing his behavior, she contacted K-9 Protectors in Cedar Grove, N.J. Ken flew out there Dec. 4 and was renamed Mack. K-9 Protectors thanked Laila and Front Street volunteers who went the “extra mile to get (Mack) tested for our program and flown across the country.” This Facebook post also noted that, “Mack has been settling in very well over the past few days and is showing all the signs that he will excel in his new career as a police canine!”

On Jan. 16, K-9 Protectors posted, “A very sincere thank you to the Friends of Front Street Shelter for the generous $800 grant to our organization. This grant was used to help offset the costs associated with getting rescue K-9 Mack (formerly Ken) flown across the country to begin his training along with providing him with training aids and excellent nutrition and care!”

Mack is currently completing detection training and will soon be a proud member of a law enforcement team. See Mack and other amazing canines at https://www.facebook. com/k9protectors.

—Evelyn Dale of Davis is a volunteer and advocate for shelter animal welfare. Contact her at pawsfor thought.comments@gmail.com This column appears monthly.

Dig into some groundhog facts

By Sara Thompson Special to the Enterprise

It’s February, so groundhogs may be on your mind. Groundhogs are common in much of Canada, the eastern United States and parts of Alaska. They belong to the family of rodents known as marmots and have many nicknames, including woodchuck, whistlepig and land beaver.

Adults range in length between 17-27 inches and can weigh up to 14 pounds. Groundhogs have complex social networks and behaviors, communicating through chirps and whistles. They are very adept to burrowing and are considered habitat engineers, helping to maintain ecosystem health and stability.

Their diets are herbivorous, eating wild grasses, berries, and can often be found in home vegetable gardens. Dandelions and clover are some of the groundhog’s favorite foods. Not often seen drinking water, it was thought that they did not need to drink.

It is now known that they hydrate themselves primarily from the water rich plants they eat, supplemented with water from rain or morning dew.

Excellent diggers, groundhogs will burrow a separate den each year specifically for hibernating. Through the spring and summer, groundhogs are eating constantly. Towards the late summer, they begin the process of storing up fat in their bodies. Groundhogs are their heaviest around October, immediately before they begin their hibernation.

During the hibernation months they drop their body temperature, slow their breathing to less than one breath per minute,

and their heart rate slows to less than 10 beats per minute. Groundhogs will begin to emerge from hibernation as early as February, but some wait until April, and will have lost up to half of their body weight. Groundhogs in lower latitudes will emerge earlier than higher latitudes because the climate begins to warm a little earlier.

Groundhog Day has been officially celebrated in America since 1887, beginning in Punxsutawney, Pa. In Europe, many believed if it was sunny on the holiday of Candlemas, it would mean another 40 days of cold. In Germany,

the tradition included badgers and whether they would cast a shadow or not. When German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania, they brought the “Badger Day” tradition with them and adopted the local groundhog as the local variant.

Now, each year in Punxsutawney, crowds of more than 10,000 gather to see if the famed Punxsutawney

Phil will see his shadow cast on a sunny day, leading to more winter, or not see his shadow, meaning spring is on its way.

Although this tradition is fun, there is no true way to predict how long cold weather will last in an area. Data shows that Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions are less than 50% accurate. The weather does what it does, but groundhogs remain import parts of the ecosystem by keeping grasses at manageable lengths, and their burrows help aerate the ground keeping it healthy.

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

Dingo

Whiskey

Rainbow

Laila Adora says farewell to Mack on Dec. before he flew to K-9 Protectors in New Jersey, where he’s completing training as a detection dog.

simon pierre Barrette/ wikimedia Commons photo

A groundhog from Quebec checks out the scenery.

Twenty years of writing about local wildlife

Twenty years ago, I started this col umn. After devel opers built the North Ponds, and wildlife started showing up, I did almost daily walks to the ponds and saw amazing birds, musk rats, otters.

At the same time, people wanted to develop things that would take away from that nature. Developers wanted to build houses, now the site of the Uplands Open Space on F Street and Anderson Road. Fly fishermen wanted to build four 20-foot concrete fly casting stations around the Northstar Pond. I thought if people knew about the wildlife using the ponds, they would want to protect them and advocate for the wildlife there and in Davis.

In the first column in 2003, I wrote about the river otters frolicking in the Northstar Pond. The Sunday it was published, I went out to the pond with family. People were lined up sitting on the banks of the pond watching the otters. They hung out for several weeks. I later found out that John Whitcomb was stocking it with what drew them, larger fish.

The two North Davis Ponds were developed as part of the Northstar Development. Previously there had been one large rectangular drainage ditch to hold the water that comes off our storm water drains. Developer John Whitcomb said he hoped to attract a few geese. It attracted more than a few.

By 2005, there were 160 eggs in 31 nests. And 81 nests at the West Area Pond. In three years, it went from 25 to 85 breeding pairs. Eggs were oiled so they would not hatch.

In 2005, turkeys appeared at the cemetery and a lone turkey made its way across town. People were delighted. By 2007, turkeys were ubiquitous. Fifty-four of them roosted nightly in the trees of the Covell Greembelt. I celebrated a Thanksgiving with turkeys on my roof, in my front yard and along my back fence. Some turkeys were captured and relocated. Too much of a good thing — like the geese.

In June 2003, Western bluebirds nested in the Davis Cemetery. Biologist Ed Whisler said it was the first time in 30 years that bluebirds had nested in

Davis. Bluebirds need natural tree cavities and there were few to be found as a result of habitat loss. It’s the reason we put up nestboxes.

Thanks to Dr. Melanie Truan’s nestbox trail along Putah Creek, where thousands have been fledged, some went searching for new space. One showed up at the North Davis Ponds, so a nest box trail was developed from the Veteran’s Memorial Building to Northstar Pond, the Covell Greenbelt Trail. A North Davis Channel Trail was added. And we put in five more nestboxes along the Davis Uplands on F & Anderson. Now we see Western bluebirds everywhere. Some of the nestboxes have had pairs with three batches in one season. The nestboxes in North Davis – the Uplands, the Channel and the Greenbelt have produced 234 bluebird fledglings so far.

This year, eager Western bluebirds started searching for nestboxes as early as January and put in some grass to claim their territory. Last year at this time Melanie said, “As a funny side-note, a couple weeks ago I put up a new box on the Covell Greenbelt trail. I heard bluebirds chattering in the area as I approached the tree with my lifter and brand-new

box. The chattering intensified as I selected a branch and began lifting the box into place.

“I had no sooner lowered the lifter pole when a gang of bluebirds swooped in and began excitedly flying about, sparring, dodging and feinting in their attempts to be the first to perch on top and peer into the hole. It was the greatest thing and something I had never experienced before! Our nestbox trails are truly important to these birds, enabling them to recolonize their former habitats and move into the new habitats of our parks and greenbelts. And they are getting very tame! I'm not sure that is a good thing but it sure is fun!”

Over the 20 years, I’ve tried to introduce readers to other nature spots — Stebbins Cold Canyon,

Davis Wetlands, the Yolo Bypass. You’ve also come along as I biked across the country from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and on another bicycle ride from Canada to Mexico where I shared encountering elephant seals and California condors. Readers emailed me nature news for this column as I traveled on those long trips and Davis Bike Club trips along the coast. You’ve come with me on scuba dives in the British Virgin Islands and camping in the Desolation Valley Wilderness. We’ve had visits from fox, mink, muskrats, coyotes and otters at the ponds and surrounding area. Once, about 150 pelicans came for Thanksgiving. We’ve followed the migrations of nearby nesting Swainson’s hawks.

The first Friends of North Davis Ponds meeting was Feb. 23, 2014. People showed up with gifts. Ed Whisler, wildlife consultant who had a hand in creating the pond habitat, brought a list of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and fish at North Davis Ponds and surrounding area. He also volunteered to lead the Great Backyard Bird Count at the pond that year. Chris Dunford brought a list of 175 birds he had observed at the pond or nearby vicinity since 2005. He has a Ph.D. in ecology and sociology and was recently retired as president of Davis-based Freedom From Hunger. Plans were made to have a monthly bird stroll led by experts on the first Saturday of each month. Since June 2014, we have had a first Saturday bird stroll.

First expert stroll leaders were Ed Whisler, Chris Dunford and Ken Ealy, and newer regulars are Joshua Greenfield and Kelli O’Neill. These volunteer leaders have allowed us to have 104 bird strolls, open to all people, often with around 20 participants. There has never been a missed First Saturday stroll. Our Friends group was modeled after the group founded by Gene Trapp and Jo Ellen Ryan for Friends of West Pond and they have been supporters in advocacy, strolls, clean ups, photography and more at North Ponds as well.

Photographers have contributed: Roger Smith, Kelli O’Neill, Joshua Greenfield, Jo Ellen Ryan, Beth Savidge, Larry Snyder, Ken Ealy, Ed Hubbard, Arav Karighattam and many readers with beautiful photos for the column and videos on our Facebook page.

We have recorded more than 200 bird species at the ponds. We have formed friendships and learned from one another at the monthly strolls. And birds are great because they get you in healing nature and looking up — with hope and delight. Join us on our First Saturday Bird Strolls. March 4 at 9 a.m., 3500 Anderson Road or join the West Pond Stroll on first Wednesday at 8 a.m. at Isle Royale and Bryce Lane.

— Jean Jackman is a Davis resident. Her columns appear monthly. Got a story, comment, correction? Contact: Jean Jackman@gmail.com

Jean Jackman/courtesy photo

Western bluebirds are claiming nestboxes at the North Ponds already. This male put grass in a nestbox to mark it.

Sacramento Ballet presents ‘Swan Lake’

By Timothy Nutter Special to The Enterprise

This weekend the Sacramento Ballet will present “Swan Lake” at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center. Featuring staging and choreography by the ballet’s artistic director, Anthony Krutzkamp, this version of the beloved story ballet will feature neoclassical movement, while also incorporating Cuban, Japanese, Korean, Parisian, Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. dance traditions.

The ballet will be performed to a recording of Tchaikovsky’s score, rather than with the Sacramento Symphony Orchestra playing live, as was originally intended. Unfortunately, the ballet and the symphony were just a trifle overbooked this month, what with two other symphony performances in recent weeks and the performance of the opera “Pagliacci” on Feb. 25. With only four “Swan Lake” performances scheduled, all to take place over the next three days, make your plans accordingly.

For his newest work, Krutzkamp described how he had drawn on his years of experience dancing the ballet and seeing what worked well in different professional productions. In particular, he wanted to expand the storytelling aspects of the performance.

If you go

What: Sacramento Ballet’s “Swan Lake”

When: Feb. 17-19

Where: SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, 1301 L Street, Sacramento Tickets: Call the box office at 916-552-5810 or visit https://www. ticketmaster.com/ promo/c5te6x

The character of Prince Siegfried, in particular, has his character shown through more detailed conflict and development in interaction with his mother and his friends. Additionally, the backstory of the lead female character, Odette, will be played out during the prologue music at the top of Act One, helping anyone who doesn’t read the synopsis to more easily follow the story.

The actual dancing will be neoclassical, in the sense of staying true to the technique and aesthetics of the classical era of ballet, an era epitomized by “Swan Lake.” However, where appropriate, technical innovations more prevalent in a contemporary approach to ballet, will also be used, such as higher arabesques and passés. There will also be places in the storytelling where

movement from other dance traditions are incorporated. Far from being an extraneous adhesion onto the main story, Krutzkamp used these traditions throughout the ballet in places where he believes they can function to advance the story and provide effective characterization.

We are talking about rechoreographing a four-act ballet, so this is no small feat. So I wasn’t surprised to learn that someone with so much responsibility gets away from it all, from time to time, reading a good history or science fiction book: “I have two children and a very large job and that’s the one place I can escape to at night.”

Now, I was chatting the other day with one of the book-mad directors of Stories on Stage Davis, about whether one should read synopses on the covers of books. An important debate, no doubt, with much to be said on either side of the issue. But when it comes to a ballet like “Swan Lake,” I certainly advise familiarizing yourself in advance with some of the history and some of the plot of this iconic work.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) and his family moved to what was then the capital of Russia, St. Petersburg, when he was young. Arrayed along the Neva River delta as it flows

into the Baltic Sea, St. Petersburg epitomizes eastwest hybridity. Laced with elegant canals and decorated with Italianate facades, St. Petersburg well deserves its eponym, “Venice of the North.” Though he graduated in 1865 from the conservatory there, he soon moved to Moscow to take a teaching position.

“Swan Lake” premiered in 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and then was revived and revised in 1895 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. It was Tchaikovsky’s first attempt to write music for ballet, something which was considered a little lowbrow for a composer of his stature.

Moscow reminds one of an overgrown riverfront bazaar, the center-city a low maze of jumbled jenga blocks, encircled by a halo of Soviet apartment towers. St. Petersburg, on the other hand, situated on a floodprone river delta, invites comparison to Venice, with

High-energy dancing lights up Opera House stage

By Jennifer Goldman Enterprise theater critic

After a rainy, cold winter, we can slowly feel the season starting to blossom into spring. There is a little more light to enjoy in the evening, but the nights are still very cold. We start to see some flowers bloom, but are careful to avoid the ice on the sidewalks that may slip us up. What does this have to do with Woodland Opera House’s show “An American in Paris”?

Surprisingly, quite a lot.

The show takes place in Paris, France, right after World War II. Everybody was affected and traumatized by the bitterness of war. People were all trying to figure out their lives after the many tragedies and hardships that they faced. Folks were keeping secrets and treading carefully while they waited to see what would come in the next season. The young were hopeful for a new season of love and ambition.

The show follows three friends: Jerry (Marcus Granlund), a musician and composer; Adam

(Alexander Quiñonez), an American soldier and aspiring painter; and Henri (Eric Catalan), a rich son of a prominent French family who wishes to be a song-and-dance man in America. They all fall in love with the beautiful and shy French ballerina Lise (Bryn Skaff), reminiscent of of the movie “Something about Mary.”

Audiences will love famous songs by George and Ira Gershwin like “I Got Rhythm,” “’S Wonderful,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” and “Rhapsody Ballet.”

Ballet and a little jazz dancing is truly the reason you should see this show. The dancing rarely stops and they even use dance to remove the props and set pieces. The whole show flowed with beauty and wonder. I could hardly believe this was a community-theater production as the dances were so incredible and filled with energy.

The challenging lifts really showed off the many talented actors and dancers of Yolo county.

and “In the Heights,” showed

us he can stage any style of dance beautifully. I have never seen such precision in a ballet show before.

The sets were very simple, leaving room for the stage to showcase the dances. There were projection backdrops with exciting special effects that were delightful and whimsical. Lela Rosendale (ensemble) also did a fantastic job with the wigs. They were each so unique and appropriate for the time period that it made it easier to follow the actors identities.

The best singer was Kay Hight (Milo), who played a benefactor and was caught up in the tangled love story herself. The very captivating Quiñonez carried the narrative of the show and held our attention easily. This is the third show I have seen him in and each time he gets more interesting to watch. Catalan, who is usually the star dancer in many past productions, not only sang and danced well, but also had to make his character do it badly and in a comedic style.

Granlund, who was

following Gene Kelly’s signature style from the 1951 movie, also showed a lot of charisma on stage. And that man can dance!

My favorite non-ballet number was jazz ensemble piece “Fidgety Feet.”

Granlund effortlessly partnered with Skaff in the ballet scenes to create graceful silhouettes and made it look easy. These were Skaff and Granlund’s first leading roles after years of dance study. At times, Skaff seemed to be hiding behind her long bangs to avoid the spotlight, which just emphasized her character as the shy hidden young girl. The whole cast did an amazing job with Director Angela Baltezore at the helm and Dean Mora as Music Director.

Unfortunately, the orchestra has not returned yet to the opera house, but don’t let that stop you from seeing this amazing show.

Tickets are available Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 and Sunday matinées at 2 p.m. at WoodlandOperaHouse.org now thru March 5.

Choreographer Jacob Gutiérrez-Montoya, who also led in “Newsies”

Courtesy photo

Bryn Skaff is Lise in the Woodland Opera House’s production of “An American in Paris.”

Lauryn Winterhalder and Eugene Obille dance in the Sacramento Ballet’s production of “Swan Lake.” tony nguyen/ Courtesy photo

See SWAN, Page B2

‘Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ — Diminishing returns

Puerile script and a juvenile tone sink this superhero flick

By Derrick Bang

Enterprise film critic Yeesh. What a mess.

This newest Marvel Cinematic Universe entry is a classic “kitchen sink” movie: Scripter Jeff Loveness has thrown everything on the wall, in the feverish, desperate hope that something will stick.

Paul Rudd’s Ant Man always has been a bad joke in his own series: a smug, defensive, self-deprecating bumbler cast adrift in adventures that suffer from a clumsy blend of smash’em-up special effects and forced humor. They’re silly children’s films, completely at odds with the more traditionally heroic stance he displayed as a supporting character in “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: End Game.”

Director Peyton Reed, determined to maintain the style of Ant Man’s two previous starring outings, has made this third adventure another silly children’s film.

Events begin with this family unit happily reunited, in the wake of “Avengers End Game” — Scott Lang (Rudd), his sweetie-pie Hope (Evangeline Lilly), their now-teenage daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), Hope’s mother Janet (Michelle

Pfeiffer) and father Hank (Michael Douglas).

Cassie has matured into an 18-year-old social activist: a timely nod to current events in this San Francisco setting. She also possesses her grandfather’s passion for science and technology, and — unbeknownst to Scott, Hope and particularly Janet — has been working with Hank to establish a connection to the molecular level of the microscopic Quantum Realm.

When Janet does find out, she’s horrified … because, well, y’see, she never explained what happened during the 30 years she was stuck in the Quantum Realm, or why it’s so dangerous.

Ah, but too late! Just as Janet frantically demands that Hank and Cassie cease

their efforts, all five — along with the contents of Hank’s lab — are sucked into the weird landscapes and even weirder creatures of the Quantum Realm.

Janet’s return isn’t exactly celebrated by this realm’s varied denizens. During her previous threedecade sojourn, she unwittingly rescued an injured traveler (Jonathan Majors) who was less than candid about the fact that he’d been banished to the Quantum Realm. He turned out to be Kang the Conqueror, a longtime Marvel Comics über-villain, with a twisted determination to “save” all multiverse time streams by destroying them.

Janet’s previous departure trapped Kang in the Quantum Realm: a good thing, for the rest of the

multiverse — including Earth — but a bad thing for all the Quantum civilizations stuck with him.

Now, thanks to the tech developed by Hank and Cassie, Kang has the means to escape the Quantum Realm … which, needless to say, can’t be allowed to happen. As an added bonus, Kang’s primary assassin turns out to be Scott’s former nemesis: Darren Cross, aka Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll), now transformed into the grotesquely lethal, bulbous-headed MODOK (Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing).

Difficult as it is to take that acronym seriously, Reed and Loveness worsen the situation by feeding Stoll the

Crowds flocking to Mondavi Center again

By Jeff Hudson Enterprise arts writer

The Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts — which hit the pause button in terms of hosting live events during the first 18 months of the Covid pandemic, and then slowly began easing back into presenting concerts and spoken word events — is currently in the midst of a noteworthy string of wellattended events during the past two months.

Ticket sales have been brisk, as a growing number people seem to have decided it’s time to resume attending the kind of cultural events they missed during the pandemic.

“Beginning with the American Bach Soloists holiday concert in midDecember, audiences have been growing back to — and even exceeding — prepandemic levels,” the Mondavi Center’s execu-

tive director Don Roth told The Enterprise. Events thus far in 2023 that generated nearcapacity or sold-out ticket sales include concerts by violinist Itzhak Perlman; the trio featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Emanuel Ax and violinist Leonidas Kavakos; jazz vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant; the retro pop orchestra Pink Martini; the annual Barbara K. Jackson Rising Stars of Opera concert; comedian, author and actress Tig Notaro; and a talk by veteran NPR Supreme Court correspondent Nina Totenberg.

“There’s a palpable sense, as we greet people in the lobby, of their appreciating the opportunity to share the experience with others of being in the room with a great artist or thinker,” Roth added.

Shows by prominent dance companies — events

that are likely to draw large audiences — are coming up during March and April.

Two performances by the French dance company Ballet Preljocaj, performing choreographer Angelin Preljocaj’s recent and somewhat modernized adaptation of the classic 19th Century Russian ballet “Swan Lake.”

The performance at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 4, will be part of the Mondavi Center’s 20th Anniversary Gala, with proceeds supporting the Mondavi Center’s Artistic Ventures Fund). The gala will include a cocktail reception, a private performance of Ballet Preljocaj’s “Swan Lake,” a postpeformance champagne tower toast and dinner.

A stand-alone performance of “Swan Lake” (without the reception, dinner, and champagne) will be at 2 p.m. Sunday,

March 5. Limited seating is still available, mostly in the Upper Tier balcony, for $65-$30 general, at MondaviArts.org.

The Mondavi Center recently announced two performances in April by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, a celebrated New York company known for its modern dance choreography drawing on the African American cultural perspective.

Shows are on Tuesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. with choreography by Jamar Roberts, Kyle Abraham, and Alvin Ailey; and an altogether different program at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, featuring three pieces choreographed during the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s by Ailey (with one cochoreographed by Mary Barnett.)

Limited seating is available, $65-$30 general, at MondaviArts.org.

Worst. Dialogue. Ever.

The Quantum Realm’s freedom-fighting good guys are a blend of humanoids and CGI cuteness and weirdness; picture the “Star Wars” cantina sequence gone berserk. They include the squishy Veb, a friendly pink blob obsessed with holes (don’t ask); and Xolum, a formidable steampunk warrior with an energy-surging, cylindrical glass head.

The freedom fighters are led by Jentorra (Katy O’Brian), a hard-charging warrior who’d be right at home among Wakanda’s elite guards; and Quaz (William Jackson Harper), a telepath able to discern truth from lies.

Most of these performances are wafer-thin and one-dimensional. Newton

deserves credit for making

Cassie reasonably earnest and passionate; Douglas, in turn, knows how to deliver a quip with crusty impatience.

Majors gets top honors as the quietly malevolent Kang. His Shakespearean regality is quite imposing, and he radiates menace without ever raising his voice: a true bad guy.

That said, he’s clearly powerful enough to extinguish our five heroes and all the freedom fighters, in the blink of an eye … on top of which, he’s backed by MODOK and an endless army of black-garbed Quantumnaut foot soldiers.

The story therefore lurches forward, in the manner of all bad fantasies, only because each character, good and bad, is only as strong — or as weak — as is necessary, for a given scene.

That includes Scott, whose size-shifting abilities take on, um, incalculable proportions at timely moments.

An eye-rolling epilogue sets the stage for the next wave of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; I hope Scott will be allowed to play a more seriously heroic role.

— Be sure to join Derrick when he hosts 1949’s “I Was a Male War Bride” at 7:01 Sunday, as the first in a series of classic military comedies, presented at the Davis Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second St. Read more of his film criticism at http:// derrickbang.blogspot.com. Comment on this review at www.davisenterprise.com.

Performers’ Circle features Katalysst on Feb. 28

Special to The Enterprise Katalysst, a folk-rock duo with a progressive message and powerful sound, will be the featured act at the Village Homes Performers’ Circle on Feb. 28.

The event begins with an open mic. Signup begins at 6:45 p.m., with signup performances (less than 5

minutes per act) from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. The featured act performs from 8:30 to 9 p.m.

The Village Homes Performers’ Circle will be in the Village Homes Community Center, 2661 Portage Bay East, Davis. For information, visit https://www.facebook.com/ villagehomesperformers/.

SWAN: Take a California Fish and Game’s special swan tours

From Page B1 its cartesian avenues, canal interlacement and Italianate architecture. Both, however, neighbor on forests replete with lakes, and have taken turns serving as the seat of government for the Russian empire. These two cities gave birth to “Swan Lake.”

Curiously, scholars have been mystified as to who exactly concocted the plot of this ballet, one which choreographers and dancers have been remounting and amending ever since.

Our story is set in medieval Germany. Prince Siegfried and his friends have been enjoying a night of social dancing and drinking with peasants in the countryside. Unexpectedly, his mother, the Princess, arrives and announces that he will need to choose a bride at a ball held tomorrow for this purpose. Siegfried agrees, then goes back to his dance party. That evening he runs off into the woods in pursuit of

some swans, hoping to shoot them with his crossbow.

By a lake he discovers a flock of magic swan maidens. One of them approaches him and explains that she and the others metamorphose from swan to maiden and back again each day and night.

They are prisoners of an evil sorceress, who keeps them in this watery limbo.

Siegfried falls in love with the maiden, whose name is Odette. He swears his undying devotion to her, an action usually mimed on stage by the dancer raising a hand with two fingers extended.

Cut to act three, where the bride-choosing ball takes place. The Princess has assembled a number of lovely marriageable ballerinas, and they perform a dance for Siegfried’s benefit. Also thrown in here are a handful of dances from other nations, including a Spanish number with castanets, one from Naples, a Hungarian czardas, and a

Polish mazurka. Siegfried thinks only of Odette and declines to choose one of the women his mother has recommended.

But mark the sequel: Just as the Siegfried line of royal succession seems in peril of destruction, a strange magician arrives with a beautiful maiden on his arm, requesting that the prince consider her for marriage. Siegfried is thunderstruck, as the woman appears to him to be Odette, his beloved swan maiden. Sadly, no, her name is Odile, a woman who has conspired with the magician and the sorceress (remember the sorceress keeping the swans trapped at the lake) to entrap Siegfried by impersonating Odette and thereby seducing him so that he will break his vow of fidelity to Odette, thus preventing him from rescuing her and the other swan maidens from their lacustrine prison. And that is as far as I am going to take you; the book cover ends here. Beyond this point choreographers

have resolved the conflict in a variety of ways. Some simple, some complex, some happy and some tragic. We’ll have to wait and see just how the Sacramento Ballet will resolve it in their version.

For the Davisite today, succession plots about medieval German princes who need to choose between a magical swan maiden and her evil twin may seem a bit of a peregrination of mind.

On the contrary: We live in the Sacramento River Valley. All around us stretch the fertile agricultural fields of that valley. Farmers plant great swaths of these fields with rice and then flood them during the winter months. Among the more than one billion birds who annually migrate along the Pacific flyway, number tens of thousands of tundra swans who book annual tickets to spend their winter vacations in these flooded fields, or, if you will, lakes.

Additionally, some smaller number of trumpeter

swans make California their winter home. And finally, a still smaller number of non-migratory, invasive swans live here permanently, disrupting the rivers, lakes and ponds they inhabit by ripping up all manner of sub-aquatic vegetation out of the waters they decorate. Peregrination nothing. We live in our own swan lake of California.

Of course, if you don’t believe me, you could check the evidence for yourself by taking one of the California Fish and Game’s special swan tours, which take place in November, December and January, while the swans are on vacation here just north of Marysville. Or visit one of the other public sites for observing migrating birds, such as the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge (https://www.fws. gov/refuge/sacramento), the Cosumnes River Preserve (https://www. cosumnes.org/), or, of course, the Yolo Basin Wildlife Area (https://

www.yolobasin.org/), once the floodwaters have subsided again. Also mark down on your skeptic’s calendar the California Swan Festival (https://www. sutterbutteslandtrust.org/ event/swan-festival/) in Yuba City, slated for this Nov. 10-12.

And if further evidence were needed for the familiarity of Swan Lake’s mythical arabesques, let us remember that we speak a Germanic language, we engage in all sorts of medieval honor disputes over fidelity, and our national pastime is following the succession plot of our king, who we insist on calling “the President.” I submit to you, dear reader, that we already live in “Swan Lake.” This ballet resembles us. Few ballets could more clearly mirror us to ourselves, whether with neoclassical choreography or otherwise. And I for one will be there to see our reflection in the moonlit lake this Saturday afternoon.

Courtesy photo

Alyssa (left, on bass) and vocalist Kat (right, with guitar) are Katalysst, performing Feb. 28 at Village Homes.

Courtesy photo

Kang (Jonathan Majors, right) makes it clear that if Scott (Paul Rudd) refuses to cooperate, something very bad will happen to his daughter … which Scott then will be forced to re-live for eternity.

Katy M. O’Brian, William Jackson Harper, Bill Murray Available via: Movie theaters

Don’t slash transit funding

David Weiskopf

Special to CalMatters

After a record surplus enabled California to commit an unprecedented $54 billion to address the climate crisis in last year’s budget, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed to scale back that commitment by roughly $6 billion due to a budget shortfall.

A closer look at the proposed budget cuts reveal that transportation, and specifically public transit and active transportation, suffer the most challenging reductions. These proposed cuts take the state’s climate goals on a U-turn California cannot afford.

The transportation sector accounts for about half of the state’s greenhouse gas pollution. If the state has any hope of meeting its 2030 targets or getting on track to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, California will need to rapidly and radically transform how we get around.

Part of that transformation is well underway. Thanks in no small part to state regulations and investments, nearly 20% of California car sales last year were zero-emission vehicles. This shows that we are nearing or past an industry tipping point that will make the state’s goal of 100% ZEV sales by 2035 an inevitability.

But ZEVs alone will not solve transportation’s climate problem. In the 2022 update to the so-called scoping plan, the California Air Resources Board emphasized that the state won’t be able to reach carbon neutrality by 2045 without cutting annual emissions almost in half by the end of the decade. Baked into that 49% reduction is CARB’s goal to reduce car dependence –measured in vehicle miles traveled — to 25% below 2019 levels by 2030.

Yet Californians are driving more than ever, and we have no plans to change that.

Even as the state makes progress on vehicle electrification, a lack of transportation alternatives threatens to cancel out those gains.

Public transportation agencies in California are facing a fiscal cliff. Federal COVID relief funds for transit operations are expiring soon, which could soon result in dramatic service cuts. Experts warn that such measures could trigger a death spiral for public transportation in California.

Neither last year’s budget nor this year’s proposal provide any meaningful support for transit operations. In a January letter to the budget committees, San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener and several of his legislative colleagues pointed out what was at risk: “long-term, possibly irreversible, devastating impacts on California’s transportation system and climate goals.”

Meanwhile, funds for relatively inexpensive cost-saving initiatives like the Active Transportation Program are being proposed for cuts despite the program being oversubscribed, having no shortage of shovel-ready projects.

So what should California’s policymakers do? Well, the Legislature and the Newsom administration should take this year’s budget shortfall as an opportunity to fine-tune its clean transportation priorities.

The governor’s proposal provides numerous alternatives for backfilling its proposed cuts to the ZEV package, offering to reserve billions in future cap-and-trade funds and introducing the idea of a climate bond to make up the funding gap.

This same expansive thinking should be applied to finding alternative funding streams for public and active transportation. These kinds of investments can have impacts beyond reduced emissions — they improve air quality, reduce traffic fatalities and help revitalize local economies. If the state truly faces the threat of a recession and more rising gas prices, Californians will need low-cost alternatives to driving for getting around.

Meeting California’s climate goals means taking an all-of-government approach to decarbonization. California can’t just fund climate programs when it has a surplus. At this moment in time, with public transportation agencies facing service cuts and state revenue streams imposing difficult decisions, investing in active and public transportation is fiscally responsible climate policy.

— David Weiskopf is the senior policy advisor for climate and environmental issues at Next Gen Policy.

California resists bullying on river

There’s one word for what six of the seven southwestern states that draw water from the Colorado River are trying to do to California: bullying.

The good news for Californians is that Gov. Gavin Newsom isn’t standing for it.

No, Newsom hasn’t directly called out the other six states involved (Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada) for their tactics. He’s let his appointee Wade Crowfoot, California secretary of natural resources, do the talking.

But Newsom has a record of standing up to bullies, as in his attack ads during the last campaign season against both Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Both insult California at every opportunity. Newsom fired back in mostly symbolic TV commercials, once calling DeSantis “Gov. DeathSantis” because his laissez faire Covid polities probably resulted in tens of thousands more deaths from the pandemic than if he’d followed shutdown policies like Newsom’s.

The bullying this time comes from the other six Colorado River basin states, which want California to cut its use of the river’s water more than they would their own usage.

It’s a case of bullying, for sure, a matter of 6-1. With 12 U.S. senators to California’s two, the other six states have

Bigotry in Florida

been louder. It’s also a case of several smallish tails trying to wag the big dog, California. More than 20 million Californians depend directly on the Colorado, while the other six states total about that much population among them, not all using Colorado River water. California usage impacts many more people than direct users of the river water, too, because it takes pressure off the state Water Project and cuts the threat of drawing water from wild Northern California rivers like the Trinity, Smith and Eel.

For sure, cuts are coming in water usage along the Colorado. That river’s two big reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, stand at levels not seen since they opened in the early and mid-20th Century.

The other six states want usage cut in part in proportion to how much water disappears en route to a particular state via seepage and evaporation. That puts most of the onus on California, because it’s nearly the end point of the river.

But California is insisting on its rights under the 1920sera compact that governs the

A recent column in The Enterprise by Tom Elias detailed how a notorious antiSemite is leaving California to relocate to Florida — where “he hopes to be more welcome.” His choice of a new home is hardly surprising.

While the current governor of Florida boasts that his state is “where woke goes to die,” for many of us a different description of the current state of affairs in that state is more accurate. Under the current governor’s leadership, Florida is where bigotry goes to thrive.

Alan Brownstein Davis

Medicare

My partner Eric recently had surgery to saved his eyesight. Eric has battled diabetes throughout his adult life. As his caregiver, it is crucial to me that we have health care that meets his needs. Our Medicare Advantage plan

Speak out

President

Colorado. And California is being consistent. For example, this state did not resist when the Central Arizona Project aqueduct opened in 1993, taking billions of gallons daily from the river across hundreds of miles south to the Valley of the Sun, where it allowed huge growth in Phoenix, Tucson and their suburbs. Without that water, authorized under the compact, Arizona would be far shy of its current population of 7.2 million.

California figuratively sucked up its gut and relied more on internal supplies, including Sierra Nevada snowpack and underground aquifers. Now the other states essentially want to scrap the old compact, their main argument seeming to be that they agree mistreating Californians would be terrific.

But Newsom is not standing for it, insisting the law is on California’s side. The dispute could eventually harm Newsom politically, as swing states like Nevada, Arizona and Colorado could be important for him in a future presidential bid.

That’s not intimidating him.

The first referee of all this will likely be President Biden’s Interior Department, which demanded an agreement among the states by late

is what made his recent surgery possible because it offers people who live on a fixed income affordable (but also farreaching!) coverage. Eric’s plan caps out of pocket expenses and eliminates the expense share of cost model that would have made it impossible for us to afford his surgery.

Eric’s eye surgery allowed him to see his grandson’s smiling face for the first time, and that brought true joy to my heart. With that being said, I urge our members of Congress and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to advocate for Medicare Advantage so that it can continue to provide care for more than 50% of seniors in the Sacramento region who rely on it.

Joe Dopson Elk Grove

Delete your digital footprint

I miss the good old days of privacy, don’t you?

In this very public internet era, it seems as though our privacy has been forsaken. Privacy used to be a right, something held dear. The phrase “right to privacy” exists for a reason.

Building, Washington, D.C., 20510; 202224-3553; email: https://www.padilla. senate.gov/contact/contact-form/

House of Representatives

January. That did not happen.

Now Biden is caught in the middle as he looks to a possible reelection run next year. Does he alienate some “purple” states by causing new water rationing there, or does he go after big cuts in California, source of his largest bloc of electoral votes? Any reduced use would especially hit the largely agricultural Imperial Valley, which grows most of America’s winter lettuce, broccoli, melons, onions, carrots and spinach. Reality is there will be slashes in Colorado River usage, despite heavy snowpack at the system’s Rocky Mountain headwaters. Snowmelt will not nearly refill the big reservoirs.

Newsom’s administration has proposed substantial cuts. Said Democratic California Sen. Alex Padilla, “Six other Western states dictating (what) California must give up isn’t a genuine consensus decision, especially (when) they haven’t offered any new cuts” of their own.

A preliminary decision will likely come by mid-summer. Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, “The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Government’s Campaign to Squelch It,” is now available in a softcover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www. californiafocus.net

When I grew up as a kid there were no camera phones. You could get away with embarrassing yourself without being plastered all over the internet for millions of eyeballs.

These days, thanks to big tech, people’s lives are ruined because of it. Our personal information is strewn all over the internet for anyone to read. Type your name into a search engine and dozens of data brokers selling your private information appear. It’s as if privacy is dead.

This poses an obvious threat. Anyone with a computer can find out where you live, your phone number, employment history, embarrassing mistakes and more. This new public era is uncomfortable and dangerous. The question is, how can we get our privacy back?

I’m aware of only one way to go fully private again, and that’s to hire a data cleaner like https://privacyon.com. Data cleaners find and delete your information from the internet, fully removing your digital footprint. To anyone who wishes for real privacy again, this is a fantastic tool.

Shane Bennett Rocklin

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: https://www. feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/ e-mail-me

Sen. Alex Padilla, 112 Hart Senate Office

Rep. Mike Thompson, 268 Cannon Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20515; 202225-3311. District office: 622 Main Street, Suite 106, Woodland, CA 95695; 530-753-5301; email: https:// https:// mikethompsonforms.house.gov/contact/

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

YOLOlaughs

Women’s hoop game canceled

Enterprise staff

The UC Davis women’s basketball team was scheduled to host UC Irvine in a Big West Conference game at the University Credit Union Center on Saturday.

But due to lack of UC Irvine available players, the has been canceled.

The game will not be rescheduled and shall be declared a no-contest.

Anyone who purchased a ticket for the contest or a women’s basketball season ticket holder, expect an email from the UC Davis Ticket Office containing more details.

UC Davis’ next contest is at UC San Diego on Monday at 3 p.m.

Blue Devil forward Madison Lujan(16) gets ready to move the ball away from a McClatchy player in Wednesday’s playoff game at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium. To view more photos, visit www.davisenterprise.com, click on the Sports tab and look for the story.

Blue Devils fall in quarterfinal contest

By Rebecca Wasik

Enterprise correspondent

It was a heartbreaking end to an undefeated season for the Davis High girls soccer team.

Top-seeded Davis (13-1-2) was eliminated from the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I quarterfinal playoff game, as No. 8 McClatchy (18-3-3) posted a 7-6 win on penalty kicks. The game was tied 0-0 after two, 10-minute overtime periods and two halves.

After four made goals from each team in the shootout, a McClatchy shot was blocked by DHS goalkeeper Aubrey McLin, who is only a freshman. However, DHS senior forward Isabella Altofer sent a shot to the right of the goal, keeping the shootout going.

The next shot from the Lions hit the goalpost.

Blue Devil defender Victoria Agnew followed with a kick that was blocked by the Lions’ goalkeeper.

After two more goals made by

each team, the Lions banked a final shot.

Davis’ Sabrina Hazel, a junior forward, then sent a kick that was stopped by McClatchy’s goalie, ending the Blue Devils’ strong season.

The Blue Devils recorded two shots on goal in the first 10-minute period of overtime.

Kicks from sophomore midfielders Audrey Aguirre and Miya Alamares were each stopped by the Lions’ goalie.

Davis fought hard throughout regulation as well, taking several shots on goal and working to capitalize every offensive opportunity they were provided.

Senior midfielder Una Keller took two shots in the second half that were caught by McClatchy’s goalkeeper.

Alamares also recorded a shot on goal in the second half, but it was also caught by the goalie.

One minute into the game, junior forward Grace Fabionar had a good running lead, but her edge was thwarted when McClatchy’s goalie

was able to steal the ball away.

Three minutes later, the Lions sent a penalty kick over the goal.

Senior forward Olivia Johnson followed in Fabionar’s footsteps, taking a large running lead in the eighth minute, but her kick went to the right of the goal.

Fabionar had a shot on goal in the 21 st minute, but it was caught by the goalie.

Blue Devil forward Madison Lujan, another freshman on the team, was incredibly close to banking a shot at the 29 th minute, but the kick veered slightly to the right of the goalpost.

In the 33rd minute, DHS junior goalkeeper Skylinne Avalos stopped a McClatchy kick.

In the final three minutes before halftime, Davis had two corner kick opportunities. The first corner kick by senior midfielder Lauren Lemmo was pushed away by the Lions’ goalie.

— Follow Rebecca Wasik on Twitter: @BeccaFromTheBay.

DHS: Saturday’s game 6 p.m.

From Page B6

advantage.

Then senior defender Emanuel TamesKaimowitz put the ball into the net that pushed up DHS’ lead to 3-0.

Vaca-Lorenzi got past the Vikings’ defense en route to register another goal in the 60th minute of the game, now giving the Blue

Devils a 4-0 score. Davis defender Diego Nieves, went 1-on-1 with the Edison goalie with four minutes left in the game. Nieves shot the soccer ball into the middle of the net for the 5-0 score.

— Contact Mike Bush at mike@davisenter prise.net. Follow on Twitter: @MBDavis Sports.

HOME: Wolbert .351 in 2022 season

From Page B6

off that foundation.”

Leading the returnees is all-everything Mark Wolbert, who led the team with a .351 batting average and a .497 slugging percentage. Nick Leehey returns after leading the Aggies with 29 RBI and five home runs to go with his .265 batting average. James

Williams hit .295 and Nathan Peng .254.

Pitchers Nate Freeman and Bryan Green also return and will be joined on the mound by Ian Torpey, a highly regarded transfer from Northern Colorado. College who can hit for power, Jack Gallagher from Santa Rosa Junior College and infielder Alex Gouveia from Modesto JC.

Mike BuSh/enterPriSe Photo

Big West ConferenCe

UCD men too much for the Matadors

By Bob Dunning Enterprise staff writer

It may not have been pretty, but the end result gave the UC Davis men’s basketball team a critical win over Cal State Northridge before a crowd of 675 Wednesday night at the University Credit Union Center.

The 73-62 decision broke a two-game UCD losing streak and moves the Aggies to 8-6 in the Big West Conference with six games remaining in the regular season. Northridge is now 3-12 in league play and 0-2 against UCD this winter.

Despite the win, Aggie head coach Jim Les was less than enthusiastic about his team’s performance.

“I wasn’t pleased overall,” said the UCD coach. “Our defensive effort just wasn’t there. At the end of the day, you have to show some pride and some desire. We had some spurts, but we have to get better.”

The Aggies again rode the scoring heroics of Eli Pepper who tied his career high with 32 points and now has 179 points in his last six games. Pepper had four 3-pointers and added eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in his night’s work.

Pepper’s efforts were overshadowed, however, by an incredible shooting performance from 6-1 CSUN guard Atin Wright, who hit 7 of 11 3-pointers on his way to a 42-point night in a losing cause. Northridge trailed, 39-34, at half, and Wright had 28 of his team’s points.

He hit back-to-back 3-pointers early to produce a 6-6 tie after the Aggies had taken a 6-0 lead.

“We gave him two wide open looks and that got him going,” Les added.

Wright cooled off a bit early in the second half and Pepper, Kane Milling, Sione Lose and Christian Anigwe keyed an 11-0 run that gave UCD a seemingly insurmountable 59-44 advantage with 8:18 remaining.

But Wright again found his range, going on a personal 9-0 streak to trim the Aggie lead to 61-58 with 4:08 left.

For unexplained reasons at that point, a “mystery” point changed the score to 61-59 on the scoreboards at both ends of the court. After a bit of discussion, the point remained on the board, even though UCD statisticians and The Enterprise’s own play-by-play tally showed the score to be 61-58.

The bogus extra point quickly became moot as UCD guard Leo DeBruhl made the most of his first start in place of the suspended TY Johnson, hitting five straight points, including a dagger of a 3-pointer, to put the Aggies comfortably ahead at 68-58.

DeBruhl finished with eight points, all in the second half, along with five rebounds and a pair of steals.

“I thought he did a really nice job,” said Les of DeBruhl. “We have a lot of confidence in him.”

When fans left the UCUC, the scoreboard still showed the extra point and read 73-63, but UCD statisticians confirmed afterward that the true final score was actually 73-62.

The Aggies return to Big West action Saturday at UC Irvine (1 p.m.), then come home Monday for a 3 p.m. game against UC San Diego.

— Contact Bob Dunning at bdunning@davisenterprise.net.

Boys soCCer playoffs BaseBall

Christoph

photo Davis High forward Simon Vaca-Lorenzi (17) scored two goals in Thursday’s playoff win over Edison at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium.

DHS boys shutout the Edison Vikings

By Mike Bush Enterprise sports

Aggies open season at home today

By Bob Dunning Enterprise staff writer

editor

One goal wasn’t enough for the Davis High boys soccer team in Thursday’s CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I quarterfinal game against visiting Edison.

So, the Blue Devils added some more against the Vikings in the final 40 minutes of the game.

That added up to top-seed Davis (17-0-3) knocking out No. 9 Edison with a 5-0 victory at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium.

“We just turned the energy up,” said Davis midfielder Nicolas Montano, a senior who is one of the team captains. “We really wanted to win. And just kept going at them, time after time after time, because we missed a lot of shots in the first half.”

The victory moves Davis into Saturday’s semifinal game against the winner of the No. 5 Oak Ridge at No. 4 Modesto contest. The winner of the latter game was not available at press time. Game time is scheduled at 6 p.m.

Davis went after Edison hard with four different scorers in the second half.

“We wanted to drop as a team and make sure we stop them on counter-attacks, and then go, go after them hard,” Montano said.

Montano recorded the Blue Devils’ next goal for a 2-0

See DHS, Page B5

Coming off a difficult 6-35 campaign in his first season a year ago, UC Davis head baseball coach Tommy Nicholson sees brighter days ahead as the Aggies open their 57-game 2023 schedule at Dobbins Stadium today in a 2 p.m. contest against Utah Valley.

The opener is the first of a fourgame series against the Wolverines that features a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. and a Sunday finale at 1 p.m.

Nicholson inherited a team in turmoil after the whole program was put on suspension due to a hazing scandal and had no time to recruit before the 2022 season started. For a while, in fact, no one knew for sure if UCD would even field a baseball team last year.

This year’s ambitious schedule features 26 home games and 30 Big West Conference contests spread out in a set of three-game series against each of 10 league opponents.

Nicholson isn’t one to set lofty

goals, but does expect dramatic improvement this spring with a mix of 13 holdovers from last year and 19 hopeful newcomers, including 10 freshmen, eight community college transfers and one four-year transfer.

“As we grow together, we’re going to win and we’ll eventually get toward the top,” Nicholson said.

“I know we’ll get there, but I don’t know when. Santa Barbara is the favorite this year. They will be solid, with guys who will throw a lot of strikes and hit a lot of home runs.”

The challenging non-conference schedule features three games each with UCLA, Arizona State, Seattle, Sacramento State and Santa Clara, home-and-homes with Pacific and St. Mary’s, and single games with Loyola Marymount, USF and Cal.

As far as Nicholson is concerned, “spring training” took place last fall and everyone is playing for keeps from now on. There is no such thing as an “exhibition game” in Division I college baseball.

“Any time you step on the field,

you want to win every game,” Nicholson noted.

“You try to schedule games in the early season that allow your guys to get some confidence, but also so you can use a lot of guys in different situations. We’ll find some things out.”

The Aggies started 0-15 a year ago and there was speculation they might not win a single game with a clearly depleted roster. But they broke through with a win at UC Riverside in early April and had a series win over UC San Diego in May.

Nicholson does not look back with regret.

“Sure, we were 6-35, but we had some great moments, and we’ll build off that experience,’ he says.

“That was definitely a special group last year that was always full of enthusiasm and energy and did everything we asked them to do. I couldn’t be more grateful for that team and the experience we had together. This 2023 team is building

Mike Bush/enterprise photo

UC Davis guard Ade Adebayo (24) goes up for the shot in Wednesday’s Big West Conference game at the University Credit Union Center. To view more photos from the game, visit www.davisenterprise.com, click on the Sports tab and look for the story.

UC Davis baseball player Mark Wolbert, seen here racing toward home plate in a 2022 home game, is one of many players returning for the 2023 season.

lossin/enterprise