The Davis Enterprise Wednesday, April 19, 2023

— Page B1

109th Picnic Day in the books

By Monica Stark Enterprise staff writer

From the parade and the Battle of the Bands to the Doxie Derby and the Fashion Show, the 109th UC Davis Picnic Day on Saturday truly ignited the university’s moments of creativity, passion, excellence,

academics and organization.

A “top-ranked university that thrives with talented minds and a communal spirit of friendship,” Chancellor Gary May said he appreciated Picnic Day’s theme, Ignite Your Moment.

“Speaking of bright minds and community building, I’d like to

start by thanking our outstanding student volunteers who worked so hard to bring this UC Davis to life every year. We’re expecting 70,000 people to enjoy the fun today, so this is no small task.”

He said the Picnic Day founders would be incredibly

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19,

City gets another

2023

development proposal

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

Another housing development has been proposed for the periphery of Davis, this one on the southeastern edge of the city.

The Pioneer Community Master Plan is now one of five proposals for peripheral housing developments — the others being Village Farms, northwest of the intersection of Pole Line Road and Covell Boulevard; Palomino Place and the Shriner’s property, both on the north side of East Covell Boulevard; and “On the Curve,” on the outer edge of the Mace Boulevard curve. All four of those are in northeast Davis while the newest proposal sits to the south of El Macero in unincorporated Yolo County.

proud. “We have gone through so many ups and downs through the decades, especially over these past three years.” And yet, determination and innovation had been at the root of our campus since those early days

See PICNIC, Page A4

County honors Osborne for library work

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

The longtime president of the Friends of the Davis Public Library was honored by the Yolo County Board of Supervisors for his service on Tuesday.

Rory Osborne has served as Friends president for the last 10 years, a period during which the organization “has enjoyed unprecedented financial prosperity and community support for this non-profit entity,” according to the county resolution honoring Osborne.

“During Osborne’s administration, the Friends scheduled book sales have risen from six to 12 times annually and the quantity

and variety of the items displayed to the public for sale has steadily increased,” the resolution noted.

Osborne was also key in the Friends purchase of downtown book store Logos Books, which “immediately afforded a second and ongoing purchase option for area book lovers seeking quality used books and which translated to a doubling of additional revenue for the Friends.”

During Osborne’s tenure as president, Friends has donated about $680,000 to the Davis library.

At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Osborne thanked library staff and volunteers, saying, “I’m just a figurehead on

this; they do all the hard work …”

He added that, “I came from the era when you didn’t talk above a whisper in the library or you got your knuckles rapped. And what I found out is libraries are community centers now and provide a number of services.

“So we’re very proud … to provide additional funding,” he said, adding that the Friends will be giving $115,000 to the Davis library in the coming year “and we hope to continue doing the same.

“And we’re looking forward to moving ahead with a south Davis addition

See LIBRARY, Page A3

The Pioneer Community proposal features a mixed-use residential community with a focus on the “missing middle” of housing options as well as affordable units and senior housing, according to project applicant Angelo K. Tsakopoulos.

The city had not yet posted preapplication documents on its website

See DEVELOPMENT, Back page

Make It Happen supports underserved youths

By Aaron Geerts Enterprise staff writer

Transition-age youths in the foster-care system face going into independent living situations with many having nothing more than a name and a backpack full of clothes.

That’s where the nonprofit organization Make It Happen for Yolo County (MIH) steps in — to provide furniture, toiletries, household necessities and other resources so these youths can move into a brighter future.

MIH was first started back in 2014 by community members Jan Judson

and Joan Gerriets — who are still active in the organization today. In 2022, MIH served 35 youths with the goal in 2023 being 40.

“We provide gentlyused furniture, household goods, small appliances, cleaning supplies and all sorts of items like that to youth who have transitioned out of the foster system and have secured independent living of some kind,” explained MIH Executive Director, Cathi Schmidt. “Our age range is loose in that they can be as young as 16

See SUPPORTS, Page A3

The Picnic Day parade let’s people get an up-close look at campus and community groups.

Monica Stark/ EntErpriSE photo

Briefly

DHS hosts speech and debate camp

The Davis High School Speech and Debate Team will partner with Ascend Speech & Debate, a leading California-based speech and debate camp, to run a free workshop at DHS from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at 315 W. 14th St. in Davis.

The DHS Speech & Debate Team will sell snacks and hold a silent auction. To attend, fill out the sign-up form at www.ascendspeech.org/ davis-public-speakingworkshop. For questions email info@ ascendspeech.org.

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Better to let the people weigh in

Our beloved mayor, Will Arnold, is seemingly tired of the political divisions that have overtaken our country and sometimes our community. I share that sentiment.

However, I disagree with the mayor’s opinion that development proposals should be kept off the ballot scheduled for the presidential election in November of 2024.

According to Anne Ternus-Bellamy’s recent front-pager, “Davis voters will likely see a revenuegenerating measure on the November 2024 ballot, but not any of the four peripheral development proposals currently in the works.”

Which, presumably, will push things off until some time in 2026, unless we have a special election before that, which is unlikely.

Let’s just say the housing crisis in Davis isn’t going to get any better in the next three years as we delay development proposals to concentrate on tax measures.

blown crisis, with no relief in sight.

“The City Council expressed their preference for dedicating staff time, limited as it is, toward community engagement on a tax measure that would go before voters during the presidential election, while community engagement continues on what residents want as far as peripheral development,” Ternus-Bellamy’s report goes on.

strong preference for having the final say when we attempt to turn tomatoes into townhomes. I know it’s a hurdle for developers, sometimes an expensive one, but if you can’t respect the voters of Davis, who can you trust?

Ionce had a long debate with a former professor of mine who said citywide votes on development issues are bad government. He contended the people have their say when they elect council members, and they should let the council make these decisions. If we don’t like their decisions, we can always recall them and elect someone else.

Fair enough, but I still prefer letting the people decide these projects through a citywide vote.

election in the next 18 months is 10 times scarier than having four development proposals on the ballot all at the same time.

Arnold, noting how heated some of the Measure J/R/D campaigns have become, said “One piece of this that hasn’t been brought up is what these elections do to our community. They are flashpoints. They are causes of schisms.”

But they’re also a great way to let voters know that elections matter.

“There is something to be said for the community having at least one election cycle off from these fights.”

And on that point, the mayor and I disagree.

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What crisis? you might ask. Well, I guess if you’re a homeowner in this town, there’s no crisis at all. But if you’re a renter or someone who lives elsewhere and commutes here to work, it’s a full-

“There are now four projects proposing some 2,500 housing units in total along East Covell Boulevard and south on Mace Boulevard. All would require a vote of the public under Measure J/R/D.”

Ah yes, the famous — and infamous — Measure J and its offspring, Measures R and D. Voters in this town continue to express a

Noted the mayor of the Most Relevant City in America, speaking of four development proposals coming forward at the same time, “We’re in uncharted territory where we have several that have come in front of us simultaneously and they’re all jockeying to be the first one and all are targeting November 2024 as the election date, because we know it’s going to be a huge presidential election.”

I don’t know about you, but having another presidential

The potential for divisiveness is present in almost every election, seemingly now more than ever. JFK vs.Richard Nixon was divisive. But it’s much more tolerable than Kim Jong Un vs. Nobody. When a development issue is on the Davis ballot, community engagement is guaranteed to be at an all-time high.

And that’s never a bad thing.

Reach Bob Dunning at bdunning@davisenterprise.net.

School board looks at high school class offerings

Warren Consulting Engineers Inc for topographic surveying for the proposed Transitional and Extended Day Kindergarten initiative. The cost of these services is set at $24,500.

Following suit will be a presentation on Measure M Bond Program prioritization. This presentation/ discussion will be facilitated by Superintendent Best regarding the project prioritization for the second phase of the Measure M Bond Program.

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The meeting will also encompass the approval of bond and facilities agreements. This will regard the approval of the professional services agreement with

There will also be an update on the Local Control Accountability Plan, which includes modifications from 2022-23. The LCAP itself was created as part of the district’s commitment to locally developed programming, maintaining clear goals and processes while also seeking the input of educational partners to inform the implementation of the 2021-24 DJUSD LCAP.

The meeting will then shift gears to the presentation of collective bargaining sunshine proposal from the Davis Teachers Association (DTA) to the DJUSD. The presentation itself is to make the proposal public and is referred to as a “sunshine” process. The Rodda Act provides that the public has a right to know what is being negotiated and to have the opportunity to make comment on it before the negotiation takes place.

On the flip side of that, there will also be the presentation of collective bargaining sunshine proposal from the DJUSD to the DTA.

Finally, there will be the approval of the employment

contract for the associate superintendent of instructional services. The contract for the new Associate Superintendent of Instructional Services will be finalized during closed session

and made available prior to the open session on April 20.

The meeting itself will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 20 at the Community Chambers, 23 Russell Blvd.

office: 530-756-0800 Local A2 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2023

— they could be out on their own that early. Usually, they’re about 18 and we go up to about 24-25 years old. But we’ve helped people older than that as well. They might have been in the foster system then found themselves in a homeless situation and are coming to us with some kind of need.”

Although MIH doesn’t provide housing, it does everything in its power to provide these transitionage youths with items they need to fill their homes.

Schmidt further explained that those they help are working with other agencies who refer them like the Yolo County Health and Human Services (which is broken up into foster youth and mental health youth), Probation Department, Yolo County Office of Education, Communicare, CASA, Yolo Crisis Nursery, the Dependency Legal Services Group and the UCD Guardian Scholars Program.

“When a student comes to UCD and they selfidentify as being in the foster-care system at some point in their life, they become eligible for support,” said Schmidt.

“There’s a complete program at UCD called the Guardian Scholars Program. If they come in as a freshman living in dorms, they don’t really need our support. But, if they came in as a transfer student or they’re in their second year moving out on their own, we’ll work with them and they fill out a wish list. Then we have a big day where they come down to our storage units and they pick out what they need.

“In the past, we’ve served about 16 students. Today, we have a young woman who’s on our board as an intern who

Obituaries

Melvin Gagnon, 92, a longtime Davis resident, passed away on Dec. 31, 2022, at a private care facility in Davis, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Born Feb. 26, 1930, to Joseph and Rose Gagnon in Artesia, he grew up in Buena Park, as the youngest of six siblings. Growing up during the Depression, and losing his dad at 9 years old, taught Mel resourcefulness, resiliency and “how to make do.”

Later on, he taught himself how to fix, repair or build just about anything. He shared these valuable skills with family and friends throughout his life, always willing to build a shelf, fix a sticky door or help with a remodeling project.

He attended Fullerton Union High School, graduating in 1947. A favorite high school memory was flying to Minnesota in a World War II plane that had been rebuilt by his high school buddies. Mel carried a picture of that plane in his wallet his entire life. Also while in high school (and junior college) he worked weekends and summers at Knott's Berry Farm taking pictures of park visitors and developing a lifelong love of photography. After high school he attended Fullerton Junior College and later

COurtesy

Volunteers from Discovery Christian Church put in the work to help Make It

touches in our studio and we are so happy with our little home,” said one benefactor of MIH’s efforts.

was part of the UCD Guardian Scholars Program.”

Typically, the partners MIH works with have a social worker who gives it a referral. The referral MIH requires helps it know the person being helping is getting the wrap-around services they need and that efforts aren’t duplicated.

From acquiring and cleaning donated furniture and household goods to facilitating the delivery and heavy lifting, the impact MIH has made on these transition-age youths’ lives can only be described in their words:

“I just wanted to give a huge thank you for taking the time to go through our wish list and get us what we need for a smooth move-in. Everyone was so nice and helpful, it really warmed our hearts and made me feel so welcome in the community. Last night, we put the finishing

“Make it Happen has helped me start on the right foot and made living on my own less stressful. I am lost for words, thank you for making my transition into my second year easy. It’s foundations like these that keep students motivated in school and allow us to overcome the challenges in life,” said another beneficiary.

“He was very particular about setting up his items. It made his new apartment feel like his. Thank you so much for all you do for these kids. It is much appreciated. He was very happy and humbled that all of this stuff belongs to him,” said a transitionyouth probation officer.

To learn more about MIH, how to donate or get involved, one can visit their website at https:// www.mihyolo.org/. One can also stay up to date on the MIH social media accounts by searching @ mihyolo on Instagram and Make it Happen for Yolo County on Facebook. The MIH number is 530-3412423 and email is info@ mihyolo.org.

— Reach Aaron Geerts at aaron.geerts@ mcnaughton.media.

LIBRARY: Work crucial during pandemic

From Page A1

coming soon,” he added.

The Friends of the Davis Public Library was founded in 1965 for the purpose of providing financial and volunteer staff support to the Davis library.

Their work was crucial during the pandemic, the county resolution noted, when retail operations, government buildings and

public gatherings were suspended and later restricted under health orders.

“President Osborne decreed that the Friends would continue to offer books to our loyal and sequestered supporters by setting up weekly book sales in the parking lot of the Davis library,” the resolution stated.

And Osborne “has been ever mindful of the needs

and the value given by the Davis library professional staff and is a frequent physical presence and source of support for this and neighboring libraries in Yolo County,” according to the resolution.

— Reach Anne TernusBellamy at aternus@ davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ATernusBellamy.

Downtown gallery hosts poetry night

Enterprise staff

The Poetry Night Reading Series will feature Julia Levine and Susan Cohen at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20, on the roof of the John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St. in Davis.

Levine, the Davis poet laureate, is the author of five poetry collections, including “Ordinary Psalms” and “Small Disasters Seen in Sunlight,” winner of the Northern California Book Award for Poetry. She is also a recipient of the Discovery/The

Nation Award and the Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry from Nimrod. Her work has been widely published in journals such as Ploughshares, Prairie Schooner, and the Southern Review.

Cohen is the author of a new book, “Democracy of Fire,” as well as “Throat Singing” and “A Different Wakeful Animal,” which received the 2015 David Martinson-Meadowhawk Prize from Red Dragonfly Press. Her individual poems have won significant

recognition, including the Rita Dove Poetry Award from the Center for Women Writers and theHarpur Palate’s Milton Kessler Memorial Poetry Prize and the Annual Poetry Prize from Terrain.org. An open mic will follow the featured performers. Open-mic performances will be limited to five minutes or two items, whichever is shorter. The open mic list typically fills by 6:50 p.m. Find out more at http:// www.poetryindavis.com.

transferred to San Jose State to study journalism and photography.

Mel married his high school sweetheart, Carol Riley, in 1950 and after graduating from college in 1951, he and Carol moved to Yuba City, where he took a job as a reporter/photographer for the Appeal Democrat in Marysville. In 1955 he moved to The Sacramento Bee, covering agricultural and human interest stories. After one of his photographs of then Gov. Edmund G. “Pat” Brown ran on the front page of The Bee, Mel received a personal letter from the governor expressing his delight with the photo.

Mel and Carol, who now had seven children, moved to Davis in 1962. In 1966, after 11 years with The Bee, Mel began a 21 year career at UC Davis with Cooperative Extension as a communications specialist writing about the research developments of UC agricultural scientists. Mel’s friendly nature along with his curiosity served him well as a journalist, reflecting, “I’m grateful for a wonderful career in writing that allowed me to explore — and share with readers — all the beautiful people, places, history and ideas to be discovered in our world.”

Retiring from UC Davis

in 1987 gave Mel lots of time to pursue his passions. He traveled the world with trips to Easter Island and the Galapagos being favorites. He enjoyed the arts and was a longtime supporter of the Davis High School Madrigal choir, the Pence Gallery, the Elk Grove Strauss Festival and the Sacramento Theatre Company. Another passion was people. With his outgoing and gregarious personality he was always befriending new people from all walks of life. He treasured relationships and loved visiting friends and family, usually bringing something to share like homemade soup, fruit or veggies from his backyard garden, or a newspaper clipping (or several) of interest.

Of course, his biggest passion was his family. He lovingly and enthusiastically supported them in all their various endeavors, whether it be attending a grandkid’s talent show, running errands for a son’s business, or getting on board with another son’s plan for an authentic luau (which included digging a pit in the backyard and lining it with lava rock to roast the pig). To him, being there for each other was what family was all about. Through lots of family camping, backpacking and road trips, Mel shared his love of the outdoors and exploring with his kids

while they were growing up. He instilled in his kids the values of hard work and responsibility, a “can do attitude” and a love of life.

You taught us well Dad, you will be missed!

Mel is survived by six of his seven children — Dan (Jerrie) Gagnon of Cordova, Alaska, Kati (Skip) Mezger of Sacramento, Jeff (Jodi) Gagnon of Marysville, Wash., Andy (Laurie) Gagnon of Woodland, Don (Sally) Gagnon of Woodland, and Marcia (Ted) Parker of Stockton. His daughter Kim (Tom) Graham, predeceased him in 2013. He is also survived by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild, and his ex-wife, Carol Kearney. He was predeceased by longtime companions Dorothy Chichester and Virginia Nordgreen.

A celebration of his life will be held May 13 at 11 a.m. at the California Agriculture Museum, 1958 Hays Lane in Woodland.

Lane Walmer

Johnson

Feb. 7, 1955 — March 28, 2023

Lane was born in Glendale. He attended the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, where he later became a beloved instructor. His kindness and generosity were exceeded only by his tremendous work ethic.

He is survived by his sons, Seth and Devon; and siblings Carole, Bruce and Karen. A memorial will be held at Putah Creek Lodge on the UC Davis campus at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 20. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Sacramento SPCA.

Melvin N. Gagnon

Feb. 26, 1930 — Dec. 31, 2022

GAGNON JOHNSON

Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, right, presents a resolution to Rory Osborne honoring his 10 years as president of the Friends of the Davis Public Library.

Happen’s operations.

“He was very particular about setting up his items. It made his new apartment feel like his.”

Aggies celebrate all things UCD

back when UCD was a university farm that was asked to make advances in agriculture and provide handson training for new generations of experts.

“From those humble beginnings, we’ve grown to one of the nation’s top-ranked public universities with 40,000-plus students. This is where world-class dedicated staff and proud alumni come together with those students. We’re the changemakers who shape a better tomorrow.”

From campus clubs to community organizations, the parade included 61 participants, each with their style and presentation.

“This year, we want to focus on everyone choosing their path and taking charge,” said parade director Julia DeLaMare.

From floats to marching bands, animals, vintage cars, and even dance performers, DeLaMare says, “The parade encompasses Davis and Picnic Day as a whole, providing that welcome community I fell in love with four years ago as a first-year.”

As the parade’s grand marshal Cecelia “Cece” Maikai-Beard, a beloved principal food-service worker at Cuarto Dining Commons, said in the opening ceremonies, “By working together in numbers, we will bring strength to our UC Davis students to successfully overcome any swerve that is in the road.”

When put up for a vote, Cecilia was the most famous among students, especially for her motivational quotes, such as Marvelous Mondays, Terrific Tuesdays, and Superb Sat-

urdays. “As a parent herself, Cece understands the hardships that students go through when they’re away from home. Her positive attitude and bright disposition help students to feel more at home on this vast campus. She inspires students to strive for their dreams and ignite their moment,” DeLaMare said.

Riding in a red-hot convertible with her son, Nelson Beard, and granddaughters Malia and Elaina Beard, MaikaiBeard said along the parade route, students came up to her and called out, “Cece!” She said they all had a blast at Picnic Day and that she committed to helping student organizers next year.

As the parade ended, folks dispersed throughout campus to the more than 200 events campuswide, many flipping through the

schedule of events to find where the day would take them.

Over at the Cruess Hall Makerspace Courtyard, 12 student-created collections displayed a wide range of concepts from sustainability, minimalism, and craftsmanship to cultural diversity merged into the aesthetic qualities of each outfit. “Our designs this year are truly unique. We have a lot of fun surprises from our students this year,” said Fashion and Design Society executive director and President Julia Dang.

Eighty-four dachshunds were registered in the soldout Doxie Derby. Excitement erupted in the last heat, with Baby Tomei competing against returning champion Bennie O’Toole in the final round.

Nearly a photo finish, the two doxies gave it their all, running as fast as they could to their loving owners.

Three-year-old Bennie had been training during the offseason, so he was “very ready” to go on Saturday, said owner Blake Hannah, adding that “he only has energy because his little brother has so much energy. They run around a ton together, and it keeps him going.” Bennie’s younger brother Teddy raced on Saturday, taking second place in the mini Doxie race.

Bennie’s challenger, Baby, ran in memory of her mom, Pat Tomei, who brought her to a past race, according to Baby’s owner, Joel Tomei. Joel said Baby’s inspiration during a run is simply seeing him at the end of the course.

When Bennie and Baby were off in that final round, it was initially unclear which dog won. But after the esteemed judges conversed, it was announced that Bennie was the top wiener.

One of the announcers, Veterinary School student Jessica Sarmiento, said her favorite parts of the derby included those close calls and those slow and confused doxies that didn’t know what to do. “It was so cute,” she said.

Throughout the day and into the evening, the Davis community celebrated with one of the largest studentrun events in the nation across campus, engaging in the offerings of the nearly 200 events.

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City, county declare support for reproductive freedom

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

Both the city of Davis and Yolo County declared support for reproductive freedom via resolutions passed by the City Council and the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

The actions come in the wake of a federal court decision limiting access to medical abortions as well as state actions prohibiting abortions.

“As states around the country enact abortion restrictions and outright bans on abortions, the city of Davis can serve as a model and commit to defend and fight for reproductive freedom and welcome all those seeking to fully exercise their reproductive rights and access to safe legal abortion,” the resolution passed by the City Council on Tuesday stated.

That resolution also declared Davis “a champion and defender of health equity and reproductive freedom for all, so that anyone may have access to the reproductive services they need, when they need them.”

Additionally, the city resolution called on Congress “to protect reproductive freedom nationwide by enacting legislation to protect

access to abortion and other reproductive care without government interference.”

Earlier Tuesday the Yolo County Board of Supervisors passed a similarly worded resolution, which noted that “sufficient access to reproductive care is central to individual’s ability to retain autonomy over their body, their choice to have children or not have children, and parent the children they have in safe and sustainable communities.”

The county resolution also noted that “abortion is health care and is a safe and common procedure, with one in four women obtaining an abortion by age 45.”

Both resolutions also noted that abortion restrictions, bans, and limitations to reproductive freedom “disproportionately impact populations that already face barriers to accessing care, including communities of color, individuals with low income, immigrant communities, youth, and rural communities.”4

— Reach Anne TernusBellamy at aternus@ davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ ATernusBellamy.

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It wasn’t just the Aggie band in the Picnic Day Parade. Here, the Falun Dafa marching band takes its turn.

Is 1.5 degrees really the magic number?

Two articles caught my attention. These two spoke to the now generally accepted warning that if global temperature increases to a level 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial days the world will be, in the words of a friend, in deep yogurt.

There’s no one specific tem perature below which everything is fine and above which everything is very much not fine, but scientists agree 1.5 degrees C and temperatures above that can reasonably be where the various tipping points of climate disaster are likely to kick in.

Most of the policies and programs countries around the world enact or initiate that aim to prevent us reaching these tipping points are calibrated to keep us below a 1.5 degree increase. We are currently at an estimated 1.2 degrees C (2.2 degrees F) above pre-industrial global temperature, an increase attributed to our use of fossil fuels.

Which leads me to the two articles. First, an EcoWatch newsletter brings our attention to a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. The newsletter report bears the title, “Agricultural Emissions to Push World Past 1.5 degrees C of Warming, New Study

Warns.” Basically, the study concludes that if food production and consumption remain the same as today, but scale up to feed a growing population, emissions from that production and consumption will, by itself, push the world past the 1.5/2.7 degree threshold.

Specifically, “The analysis found that emissions from current global food systems, which are primarily focused on meat, dairy, and rice production could contribute at least 0.7 degrees C of warming by 2100, or up to 0.9 degrees C of warming with high population growth.”

According to the study, 75 percent of agriculture’s contribution to climate change can be attributed to methane released in the systems that produce and distribute meat, dairy products, and rice.

As with seemingly all reports about potential problems related to emissions, the authors of the

report say it’s not too late, we can change business as usual. They estimate that more than half of warming associated with agriculture can be avoided “with a few key changes.” Specifically, they suggest, “improvements in production processes … adoption of healthier diets and reduction in food waste”.

The second article, again a newsletter, this one from Grist, an organization focused on “Climate. Justice. Solutions” with the title, “A looming El Niño could give us a preview of life at 1.5 C of warming” with the subheading, “The hotter weather pattern might push the Earth into unprecedented territory next year.”

Though our winter here in Davis was notable for cold days and nights the article starts out by reminding us that the last three years were among the warmest (I’d argue for “hottest”) since record keeping began in 1880. But the article quickly clarifies that these high temperatures were “tempered by a climate pattern that slightly cools the globe, La Niña.” So, it could have been worse.

The expectation is that La Niña will soon be replaced by El Niño, characterized by warm

surface waters in the tropical portion of the Pacific Ocean, a weather pattern that affects drought and rainfall around the globe. The article points out that the number one hottest year ever was 2016, the last time the planet experienced a strong El Niño. So, combining those two things, that the last three years have been among the hottest ever and a looming El Niño that tends to heat things up, the article suggests that we may experience an increase in global temperature over and above what we saw in the last three years.

Ominously, this could be enough to send global temperature past the 1.5 degree marker set by scientists, a level that was not expected to be reached until 2030 or slightly thereafter. The head of longrange prediction of the UK Office of Weather and Climate Change has stated that, “The chance that El Niño could push the planet above that mark (1.5 degrees) for the first time has about a 50-50 chance of happening in the next five years.”

Interestingly, the article poses this as an opportunity, arguing that since the La Niña and El Niño teeter-totter back and forth, the coming few years may not be permanent and global

temperature could slip back below the 1.5 degree level when the next La Niña arrives. The “opportunity” appears to be that we could experience the negative effects on a temporary basis, learn from them, and find motivation and consensus for bigger and more effective emission reductions. A wake-up call. Don’t put the alarm on snooze.

Of course, this is risky business. One can hope the increase in global temperature, while it may affect the frequency and intensity of fires, drought, flooding, and melting, will leave tipping points alone. However, this is big-stakes poker. If, in fact, exceeding 1.5 degrees actually does activate one or more tipping points, by their once-itgets-started-there’s-no-stopping-it nature, there is no going back. That’s what “irreversible feedback loop” means.

At that point, our options may be limited to the hackneyed, over-used, and feeble ”thoughts and prayers” response to disasters that could have been avoided had sufficient action been taken earlier.

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

News both great and alarming for local birding

It’s an exciting time for bird watching in Davis.

Nesting is happening all over town. Migrating birds continue to come through making their way to breeding grounds. Give yourself time to sit, listen and watch as more information is being published on how bird watching has mental health benefits.

There is a correlation between happiness and the number of bird species around, so we are fortunate in Davis. We have happily saved areas for birds, planted many trees, put up nest boxes and created and protected green areas with water. According to the “Checklist of the Birds of Yolo County 2019,” 370 species have been recorded in Yolo County with 140 confirmed as nesting.

Out at the North Davis Ponds, Western bluebirds and tree swallows have completed nests. Goslings

are already swimming and growing. Great horned owls have a nest at the ponds, but at a nearby greenbelt area northwest of the soccer fields, two great horned owlets are rapidly growing. Swainson’s hawks had altercations with white-tailed kites and there are two Swainson’s hawks nests in the area. Black phoebe, a regular at the ponds, chose to nest under the eve of the roof of a house across from the pond on Anderson. At the West Pond, a hummingbird is nesting a second time this year.

My North Davis back

yard with feeders hanging from big trees, water in big saucers sitting on a table, bushes around the sides of yards good for bird hiding, is regularly attracting about 15 species.

The white crowned sparrows are recently back in numbers. Four of them delighted in vigorously bathing in a large saucer shooting water all over.

Now for alarming news.

Three billion birds have been lost in North America since 1970. This should be a shrill warning that we need to take drastic action to save us all. Habitat loss threatens birds. Collusions in windows kills birds. And cats kill more birds than window collisions.

The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) has been reporting every few years since 2009. Duck, goose and swan populations are exploding because of concerted wetland conservation. But more than half of all U.S. bird species are dwindling.But you can do something about it, even if you live in an apartment.

I’ll never forget meeting a couple in a laundry room of the Stanford campus. I was living in married student housing while going to graduate school. The couple was living in the seventh story floor of the campus apartment and spoke enthusiastically about the hummingbirds they were feeding on a window attachment.

If you have a yard, you

can easily help bird species. If you still have a lawn, start to create new areas. Lawns come with heavy carbon costs. Maintaining them contributes to global warming. The mowers, irrigation systems, use of water, fertilizers, add to your household

carbon footprint and pollute ecosystems. An article by paleBLUEdot says that running a gas-powered lawn mower for one hour produces 11 times more emissions than running the average new car for the same duration.

Lawns do allow rainwater

to absorb back into the earth; however, shrubs, trees, and flowers should be prioritized and they will enforce biodiversity. Lawns are bad for pollinators, which we need to produce our food. Bee

RogeR Smith/CouRte Sy photo

Western bluebird, the colorful male and the female stand on their nestbox where they have completed their nest now ready for egg laying at the North Davis Uplands.

See POND, Back page

RogeR Smith/CouRte Sy photo

A Swainson’s hawk and a white-tailed kite compete for territory at the North Davis Ponds.

DEVELOPMENT: Backers promise to be ‘revolutionary’

as of Tuesday afternoon, including the number and mix of housing units.

But Tsakopoulos called the proposal “revolutionary” in reimagining “what residential community projects can look like for the future by meeting and exceeding sustainability goals for the city of Davis.”

According to Tsakopoulos, the project is designed for 100 percent of its electricity to be generated, stored and delivered onsite and includes 597 acres of agricultural land mitigation. Other elements include land for a city-owned sports park to be built next to the Legacy Soccer Complex.

“This project will combine an onsite energy park and a community microgrid, which will not only allow the Pioneer Community to be self-sufficient in its

energy needs, but it is also expected to generate an excess of clean energy that will flow back into the power grid to help power (approximately 1,000) Davis homes yearly with true clean green energy and daily deliver green hydrogen for the transportation sector,” said Tsakopoulos. According to Michael Faust, president of Velocity Strategies and project manager, “The community will redefine how housing projects are envisioned and built in the future by incorporating not only daily energy storage but also seasonal storage that will allow the community to run on green energy all day, every day of the year.”

The energy park has the capacity to export clean green electricity back into the city of Davis and

POND: Redefine what a great yard looks like

From Page A5

populations are in decline so we need to help them too.

It’s hard to change our ideas of what makes a beautiful yard. A lush, green lawn used to be the standard of beauty. But as we experience our climate chaos and educate ourselves, that standard is changing. Thirteen years ago, we removed almost all of our lawn and created areas with natives and drought tolerant plants. And what a pleasure it has been. There is always some new blooming.

The yard attracts more birds and bees, and we can go out of town for a while without a noticeable yard change. We planted trees that grew faster than we ever imagined and now have shade over almost the entire yard. It is ten degrees cooler that the same house unshaded and we seldom use an air conditioner. However, we also can’t put in solar and we spend a lot of time raking leaves. A trade-off.

We are all busy, but we can make changes in little steps. April 22 is Earth Day. Celebrate it with new plants that will feed the birds and bees, choose the UC Davis all-stars, plants that are good for our climate There is a public plant sale April 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Join bird experts for slow moving bird strolls at two locations: At West Pond, First Wednesday, May 3, 8 a.m., Isle Royale and Bryce Lane and at the North Ponds, First Saturday, May 6, 8:00 a.m., 3500 Anderson Road parking lot. Bring your binoculars. Then there’s the annual Yolo Basin California Duck Days, Saturday, April 29, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Headquarters, 45211 Country Road 32B with activities for the whole family.

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

the power grid during peak hours as well as export green hydrogen for the transportation sector, according to the applicants.

“This concept showcases an innovative strategy for carbon neutrality and cutting out fossil fuel usage entirely in the

residential sector for electricity generation and usage,” said Tsakopoulos.

“I am proud to help the city of Davis continue to lead the nation in its sustainable development and environmental goals.”

The Pioneer Community proposal includes about 46 acres of land to be developed by the city into the City of Davis Sports Park and approximately 280 acres of combined multi-family and single-family housing units, including a senior retirement community with continuum care. The residential portion will include green spaces, multi-use paths, a community clubhouse and center, and other commercial amenities

“to create an enjoyable living experience for its residents,” said the applicants.

“Finally, the Pioneer Community Master Plan will include a Zero-Emission Energy and Transportation Center, an approximately 32-acre site along Interstate 80, which will provide refueling and charging for light and mid-sized vehicles as well as heavy trucks. The site will be easily accessible for those traveling along I-80 and utilize both electricity and hydrogen produced from the energy park.”

The applicants envision the project going before Davis voters in 2026.

The City Council earlier this month decided not to put any Measure J/R/D proposals before voters during the next municipal election (November 2024), though John Whitcombe, developer of the Village Farms proposal, is urging the council to reconsider, insisting his project would be ready for the ballot in November 2024.

RogeR Smith/CouRte Sy photo

A lesser goldfinch feeds on the native fiddleneck at the North Davis Uplands. There are two nesting pairs there.

RogeR Smith/CouRte Sy photoS Canada geese protect their goslings at the retention pond in the Julie Partansky Wildlife Area in North Davis. Below, Two owlets peer from a high tree nest along a North Davis greenbelt. The mother great horned owl watched from a nearby tree.

CouRte Sy map

Another peripheral housing development has been proposed, this one in southeast Davis.

Track and Field

Weidler sets new record for Aggies in SoCal

Enterprise staff

AZUSA — Brianna Weidler continued her terrific season for the UC Davis women’s track and field team over the weekend.

Competing at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Weidler set the new Aggie record in the 5000-meters race with a time of 15 minutes, 48.57 seconds.

The performance also was the fastest ever by a Big West Conference runner.

Her record-breaking performance landed her the Big West Conference Track Athlete of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

Sarah Graessley, in the pole vault, and Elizabeth Churchill, high jump,

Baske TBall

had strong finishes for the Aggies, who had eight, top 10 finishes at the invitational.

Graessley leaped to 12 feet, 3 1/2 inches. Churchill had the measuring tape at 5 feet, 5 3/4 inches.

The competition included competition from all around the United States.

On the men’s side, Corey Moore had the best finish of the day for the Aggies, taking third place in the shot put at 52’ 9 1/2”.

The Aggies will wrap their regular season on Friday, April 28 as they host Sacramento State at Woody Wilson Track.

BaseBall

Brianna Weidler, seen here competing for the UC Davis women’s cross-country team last fall, continued her success on the school’s women’s track and field team last weekend in setting a new record in the 5000-meter race.

Mike BUsh/enTerprise phoTo Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (left) watches Golden State’s Draymond Green (right) pass the basketball to teammate Andrew Wiggins (22) in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoffs at the Golden 1 Center. To view more photos, visit www.davisenterprise.com, click on the Sports tab and look for the story.

Kings take 2-0 lead on Warriors

By Mark DeVaughn Enterprise correspondent

SACRAMENTO — A late run and De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis sharing the scoring chores proved to be the difference for the Sacramento Kings.

That led to No. 3 Sacramento posting a 114-106 win over No. 6 Golden State in Game 2 of the Western Conference first round at the Golden 1 Center on Monday night.

The victory gives the Kings a 2-0 series lead on the NBA defending champion Warriors.

Sacramento went on a 12-5 run toward the end of the fourth quarter to secure the win.

Fox, a point guard, and Sabonis, a center, scored 24 points each.

Now the attention shifts to Chase Center in San Francisco on Thursday. That is where the Kings and Warriors play Game 3.

Game 1

SACRAMENTO — Sacramento threw a block party to celebrate the end of a long drought.

Saturday afternoon’s pregame fiesta flooded the senses.

Generations of Kings fans filled Downtown Commons hours before this city’s first NBA Playoff game since 2006. Street preachers barking Old Testament verses couldn’t stop the carousing outside Golden 1 Center. A blend of barbecue and marijuana smoke drifted from K Street toward cloudless skies.

This is what anticipation feels and smells like.

With so much passion on the fringes, it was fitting to see the Kings harness their emotions in a 126-123 win over Golden State in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoffs. Sacramento head coach Mike Brown lifted his team’s psyche.

By the time they trailed by 10 points late in the third quarter, the Kings had missed 22 of 26 3-point attempts. They would shoot 10 more times from long range during the game — and make eight. Brown attributed the reversal to an optimism he and his staff preached throughout.

“We kept encouraging our guys: ‘if you’re open just even a tad bit, let it fly,’” he explained. “Trying to instill that confidence in our guys, even when we weren’t shooting it well, was big. They kept letting it fly, and we finally caught fire enough to knock a few down towards the end of the game.”

The Kings prevailed after overcoming some less-thanstellar stretches. De’Aaron Fox scored a game-high 38 points. The premier point guard missed 10 of his first 13

See KINGS, Page B2

Gaels score often to defeat UC Davis

By Mike Bush Enterprise sport editor

Tommy Nicholson and his UC Davis baseball team were looking to carry over good vibes at Dobbins Stadium on Tuesday.

The Aggies skipper and his players had beaten No. 22 UCLA on the Bruins’ field on Sunday 6-3 to end a three-game series. In one of the other two games, UCD came close but UCLA held on to post a 3-2 win on Friday. The Bruins recorded an 8-2 win in between those two games on Saturday.

Fast-forward to Tuesday, where Saint Mary’s squad paid a visit for a non-conference game. The Aggies and Gaels played a close one for four innings.

But UCD will quickly forget the ninth inning of the contest, plus three of the remaining four. Saint Mary’s certainly enjoyed its drive home back to Moraga, leaving the stadium with a 14-2 victory over UCD (12-20).

‘Felt good’

“We felt good after the weekend,” Nicholson said. “The whole week (last) a pretty good week; (beating Sacramento State 4-3 on April 11). We had a bus ride for the third weekend in a row.”

Saint Mary’s (15-17) scored seven runs in the top of the final inning to secure the win. The Gaels held a 7-2 lead, keeping the door slightly opened for the Aggies in any hopes of staging a come-from-behind win if they can get out of the inning with minimal runs and hits. That wasn’t to be.

The Gaels banged out six hits in the final inning. Christian Almanza tripled to the left-center field wall and Coleman Schmidt doubled to left field were some of the highlights during that time. Four Saint Mary’s players belted out singles.

The Aggies got one runner at first base in their final at-bat of the game with two outs. Riley Acosta walked, but the game ended when Ethan Kang grounded to Gaels first baseman Matteo Bellisimo, who quickly ran to first base for the unassisted play.

“We couldn’t turn it back on quick enough today,” Nicholson said.

Saint Mary’s, which had 16 hits in the game, made it 7-2 in the top of the eighth inning when Jared Mettam singled, stolen second and scored on Seth Hager’s single that went to left field.

Infield hit scores two

The Gaels led 4-2 entering the top of the sixth inning. Then Saint Mary’s made it 6-2 thanks to two singles — one of which was an infield hit that allowed two players to score — walk and a fielder’s choice.

Saint Mary’s scored a run in the fifth, one in the third and two in the opening inning.

UCD scored its only runs in the bottom of the third inning, which trimmed the Gaels’ lead to 3-2.

“We were in the game for a while,” Nicholson said. “Had a chance, showed a little bit of life there in the dugout... I think mentally, we just weren’t able to flip the switch.”

Alex Gouveia walked with two

outs for the Aggies. Then Damian Stone singled to right-center field, moving Gouveia to second.

Then James Williams doubled down the third base bag into left field, scoring Gouveia and Stone. Stone had two of the Aggies’ three hits in the game. His other hit was off a 3-2 pitch that went to right field in the bottom of the first inning.

The Aggies had no hits after the third.

‘Learning experience’

“There was a lot of moments in the game that we would like to have back and do better,” said Nicholson, “but it’s a learning experience for our guys coming off a win (against UCLA) like that.”

The Aggies beat the Gaels 6-4 in Moraga on April 4.

Now UCD shifts its focus back to Big West Conference action starting Friday. The Aggies will host UC Riverside (0-12 in the Big West, 6-26 overall) at 2:30 p.m.

Then UCD (3-9 in the Big West) and Riverside play single games on Saturday and Sunday, both starting at 1 p.m.

“It’s going to have a couple of days home, don’t have to travel on a Thursday,” said Nicholson, whose Aggies have played 11 of 13 games on the road since March 31. “They are going to get a chance to sleep in their own beds for a few nights in a row, not having to pack up that suitcase and take that bus ride again.”

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

UC Davis runner James Williams races toward first base in Tuesday’s non-conference game against Saint Mary’s at Dobbins Stadium.

DHS baseball, girls lacrosse teams keep winning

Enterprise staff

The Davis High baseball team improved to an 8-2 in the Delta League and 14-6 overall with a 5-3 win over Pleasant Gove on the Eagles’ field on Monday.

The host Eagles led 3-0 entering the top of the sixth inning. Then the Blue Devils erupted for all of their runs to eventually get the win.

Davis had six hits in the game. Blue Devil players Reyan Islam, Gizaw Baker, Selassie Campos, Koen Carston, Brian Chin and Christian Reyes had a hit each. Reyes’ hit was a double.

On the bump, Chin pitched four innings for the Blue Devils. He gave up four hits, struck out three and walked only one.

Today at 4 p.m., DHS will host Pleasant Grove in their three-game series.

DHS softball

Beatrice Taormino had the only hit, a double, for Davis in Monday’s Delta League road game at Sheldon, which posted a 10-0 victory.

The Huskies had nine hits.

Today at 4 p.m., DHS (0-5 in the Delta, 4-8) will play at Cosumnes Oaks.

Blue Devil girls lacrosse

Davis (4-0 in the Delta, 12-2) had an easy time against Woodcreek at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium on Friday, posting a 21-1 victory.

Tory Agnew had five goals for DHS, and Katie McMullen contributed with four. Gabby Laugero, along with Blue Devil teammates Ruby Adler, Maraux DeGagne and Elise Thompson had two each.

The Blue Devils had 32 shots on goal.

Davis goalie Amel Seleman had one save in the game.

Today at 4 p.m., DHS will play at Rio Americano of Sacramento.

Then the Blue Devils welcome Vista del Lago of Folsom to Ron and Mary Brown Stadium on Friday at 7:30 p.m. This will be DHS’ last regular game of the season.

Sacramento Kings

SACRAMENTO — Kings guard

De’Aaron Fox has been named the 202223 KIA NBA Clutch Player of the Year, the NBA announced Tuesday. Fox’s play in clutch situations led to him receiving 460 points (91 first-places votes) from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.

Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Fox is the first-ever recipient of The Jerry West Trophy after leading the NBA this season in clutch points (194), which are the most by a player since LeBron James (197) during the 2017-18 season and the fourth-most over the last 10 seasons.

A 2023 NBA All-Star selection, he led the league in clutch points per game (5.0) and finished the season with 72 made field goals in the clutch, which ranked first in the NBA. Fox shot 52.9% from the floor in clutch time situations, the third-highest shooting percentage among players with at least 50 clutch field goal attempts.

In his sixth season, Fox helped lead the Kings to the most clutch points (508), highest scoring average (11.5) and best field goal percentage (50.7%) in the NBA this year.

Sacramento’s 11.5 clutch points per contest are the most since the Portland Trail Blazers (11.6) during the 2006-07 season. In 44 clutch games in 2022-23, Sacramento went 25-19 (.568), tied for the sixth-most clutch wins in the NBA.

Fox totaled 547 points in fourth quarter play this season and scored 10 points or more in the final frame in a league-leading 26 games, including two games with 20+ points. He was one of three players this season with multiple 20-point fourth quarters.

Behind Fox, Sacramento ended the season ranked second in total points (2,356) and points per game (28.7) in the fourth quarter.

The Kings also held the second-highest fourth quarter field goal percentage (49.4%) and 3-point shooting percentage (38.3%).

KINGS: Game 3 on Thursday

From Page B1

attempts from the floor but made 10 of his last 14 shots.

After one quarter, Domantas Sabonis led all scorers with eight points. The all-star center scored only four points the rest of the way, while making only 5-of-17 (29%) from the field overall.

“We gotta play fast. If you pass up a shot to drive and all that other stuff, you’ll probably get a worse shot,” Brown said. “We can shoot. I thought we had some wide open looks in the first half that we nor-

mally make, and they just didn’t go down.”

Sacramento won a duel that was historically close. Game 1 featured 24 lead changes, the second-most in an NBA playoff game in the last 25 seasons. The Kings’ poised reserves made the difference.

Trey Lyles made 4-of-6 from long range and scored 16 points. With the Warriors leading 86-76 in the third, his three-pointer sparked the comeback effort.

Malik Monk poured in 32 points. Fox’s college teammate at Kentucky made all 14 of his foul

shots, including a pair with 2.9 remaining that provided the final score.

“You could feel Malik’s confidence,” Brown said.

“We need that in games like this. He ain’t afraid of the moment—which is what we need.”

Golden 1 Center seized the moment in its playoff debut. The atmosphere was loud and festive from the start.

n To read the rest of Mark DeVaughn’s story, visit www. davisenterprise.com and click on the Sports tab. — Follow Mark DeVaughn on Twitter: @ OrangeMarkD.

Mike Bush/enterprise fiLe

Blue Devil batter Selassie Campos watches a pitch go inside in a Delta League baseball game at Franklin on March 30.

YOLOlaughs

By Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Stephan Pastis

Charles M. Schulz

PUZZLE BY MICHAEL B. BERG

Who killed Yolo County walnut farming?

In an excellent 2009 ESPN documentary called, “Who killed the USFL?” the unmistakable conclusion was the owner of the New Jersey Generals, Donald Trump, was primarily responsible for driving that league into insolvency.

Trump wanted the upand-coming spring football competition — in business from 1983-85 — to merge with the NFL, making his franchise many times more valuable.

To accomplish that, Trump demanded USFL games be played in the fall by 1985, competing directly with the National Football League.

Trump expected his antitrust lawsuit against the NFL would force a merger if they played at the same time.

It didn’t and the USFL folded before the 1986 season.

In 2023, California orchardists may be asking, “Who killed walnut farming?”

The primary answer appears to be the erstwhile owner of bankrupt businesses — Trump Airlines, Trump University, Trump Hotels and Casinos, etc.

Starting in early 2022, I noticed large, seemingly healthy walnut orchards in our region were being uprooted.

One day I rode my bicycle past a 320-acre orchard on Road 19 north of Esparto with all its trees knocked over.

Police killing

The next time I was there, those walnuts had been mulched and were stacked in high mounds.

Shortly after that, an even larger walnut orchard on both sides of Road 99, just north of Road 29, was felled.

That was about 640 acres of 15-year-old trees.

More recently, along Putah Creek Road in Solano County near Winters, the landscape has dramatically changed.

A half-dozen large walnut farms and a few smaller ones have been removed.

One of the largest growers — his trees were on both sides of that road — burned all of his English walnuts after the roots, trunks and branches were chopped and stacked in piles 12-15 feet high. The red flames burned for weeks.

Walnuts in our region are harvested from late September to early November. It’s not unusual to see one or two old orchards taken out of service early each new year.

According to UC Davis, “The average life span of a walnut orchard in California is about 35 years.”

I read with interest the article in your March 31 issue about the joint law enforcement apprehension of Hector V. Perez near Dunnigan.

From a non-law-enforcement perspective, it seemed like it was a model case of cooperation with multiple entities including the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department and two police forces smoothly working together.

For four hours they attempted apprehension by using non-lethal rounds, drones, robots, calls to relatives and, ultimately, tear gas to dislodge him from his trailer.

This all seemed very professional and well directed.

Unfortunately after he emerged, an officer inside an armored vehicle shot him to death.

By my estimate, there were at least 8-10 officers on the scene with guns trained waiting for the man to exit his trailer home.

The video shows Mr. Perez stepping outside his trailer brandishing a knife and approaching a group (which we are told but cannot see) of law officers located on the opposite side of a fence.

The video shows a heavyset 63 year old man, clearly not agile, descending the steps of his trailer.

Why shoot him to death? A shot to the leg or arm would have rendered him incapacitated and defused the whole situation. There was no need for this to become a fatality.

Time and again we read about law enforcement making a fatality out of a case that could have been resolved another way. The law needs to change to stop these “legal” homicides.

This conduct is clearly immoral if nothing else.

David F. Anderson Davis

So unless market conditions dramatically worsen, the trees — which take 5-7 years to produce a harvestable crop — will not be destroyed before they are 20 years old.

Yet, at least half of the walnut orchards I have seen taken out of service since early 2022 were planted this century.

As far as I know, there has been no widespread disease leading to this outcome. (I asked experts at UCD, but did not hear back.)

Rather, what appears to be going on is a precipitous drop in the price paid to growers that no one believes will soon reverse.

In 2018, President Trump decided we needed to fight trade wars with China, India, South Korea, Japan, Europe and Latin America.

Trump imposed 25% tariffs on a variety of products we were importing from China, and he elevated our duties on products we brought in from other lands. Everyone retaliated.

China almost immediately placed tariffs from 40-50% on our tree nuts, including almonds, walnuts, pistachios and pecans.

Before the bellicosity, Chinese tariffs had mostly been 10%.

While those new levies hurt American growers of all nuts, California’s large walnut crop was especially vulnerable.

The majority of walnuts grown in California had been exported to China, and Chinese buyers have been able to partially replace our crop with tariff-free walnuts from Chile.

Also, China has greatly increased its production of tree nuts.

In 2021, California growers were barely breaking even when the price was 71 cents per pound.

Last year, walnut prices fell to 40 cents per pound.

With the cost of labor, fertilizer, pesticides, equipment and maintenance, continuing is a money loser and many growers have decided to quit the walnut game.

While Mr. Trump’s trade tactics have been the largest single factor in killing California’s treenut profits, they are not the only cause of this

calamity.

Walnut prices peaked in 2013 — $1.86 per pound — several years before the former USFL team owner moved into the White House.

That high price was partly due to drought in California, which reduced supply.

When Trump became president in 2017, the price was still a profitable $1.25 per pound.

A year later — having lost most of the Chinese market — prices fell to 68 cents a pound.

In 2020, the price was just 61 cents. COVID played a role in 2020.

Due to restrictions at ports in Asia and beyond, it was hard to export a wide variety of agricultural products, including walnuts.

In 2021, the price was 10 cents higher.

But in 2022 farmers

received just 40 cents, 57% of the previous year’s price.

Oversupply is another factor in the death of walnut profitability. I could not find reliable figures from China, but most sources report its production has been increasing.

In California, which still grows most of the world’s walnuts, bearing acreage increased every year for 20 years from 2003 (213,00 acres) to 2022 (400,000 acres).

The story is the same close to home. Yolo County plus Solano County doubled our locally harvested acres of walnuts from 2001 (13,264 acres) to 2021 (26,798 acres).

Almost exactly seven years ago, in a column titled, “What happened to the view?” I wrote that tree nuts in Yolo County had been for 15 years replacing field crops, especially tomatoes. They had become so prolific on a bike ride to Winters I could no longer see the Berryessa Gap.

But if nuts are not profitable, that trend will reverse in the next decade.

We may be able again to see the Pacific Coast Range where orchards had blocked the view.

— Rich Rifkin is a Davis resident; his column is published every other week. Reach him at Lxartist@yahoo.com.

school district. I believe that our schools are meant to be places that welcome all, no matter their race, creed, beliefs, or sexual orientation and where all children/families/people are treated with respect and kept safe.

There have recently been a few individuals that are spewing hatred towards Transgender/LGBTQIA children and adults that support them in our community.

This is deplorable and hurtful.

I can only imagine the immense challenges these families face growing up in a society that, on the whole, doesn’t understand them. Having this cruelty hurled at them is not helpful in any way.

I believe that love, education, support and a positive environment are the best solutions in this situation.

Vote for Neville

Donna Neville will be an outstanding addition to our Davis City Council.

I have gotten to know Donna over the past few years working with her on projects to help those living with mental illness.

Donna is board chair of Yolo National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

I am an active NAMI member and also serve as chair of the Yolo County Local Mental Health Board. Donna is thoughtful, kind, caring, passionate, and compassionate.

She also pays special attention to detail which makes sense considering she spent most of her career in public service as chief counsel for the state Auditor’s Office.

It’s no wonder Donna has endorsements from many Davis luminaries including Delaine Eastin, Helen Thomson and Lois

Speak

President

Wolk. A vote for Donna is a vote for reason.

Jonathan Raven Davis

Praise for school board

Dear Davis Joint Unified School District School Board,

My name is Alexandra Lee-Jobe, she/ her/hers pronouns, founder of the Davis Phoenix Coalition, Asian American Pacific Islander community activist, an active member of the Unitarian Universalist church of Davis on Yocha Dehe Wintun land.

I am writing to state my approval of your support of LGBTQIA students and families.

I am also a retired teacher, having taught in the DJUSD pre-Covid.

My children also graduated from this

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

House of Representatives

When I taught at the state preschool, I met children that were gender fluid. Their parents supported them and I did everything in my power to create an accepting and safe classroom climate to enhance their learning.

I would never do anything to contribute to the alarming suicide rate in this community. As a member of a marginalized community myself I felt it my duty to encourage that child to develop in an affirming climate.

I deeply appreciate the strong stand the school board is taking against these individuals who seek to instate repressive policies towards the LGBTQIA community.

I see this is not always the case in other communities.

Many thanks to the DJUSD school board for respecting, supporting, and keeping every student safe and not being pressured by a small, yet vocal, minority.

Alexandra Lee-Jobe Davis

We welcome

Sebastian Oñate Editor

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/

rich rifkin/courtesy photo

Walnut trees chopped into kindling along Road 94B in rural Yolo County.

Save money, time and maybe the planet

n Editor’s note: This column first ran on Feb. 20, 2019.

When I worked in a grocery store and then a restaurant, I was surrounded by food, much of it not only free but part of my job to eat — that chili needs to be tasted repeatedly for seasoning and someone has to decide what cheddar to feature.

2018 was the first time in more than two decades that I had a non-food industry job. It was a revelation in many ways (Paid holidays! Weekends! Chairs!). The lack of ready food, however, had to be dealt with.

People in offices usually arrive at work with take-out coffee and sometimes breakfast — coffee and oatmeal, a latte and a scone, etc. At lunch, they run out for a sandwich or salad to eat at their desks. While that seems convenient, it may actually not be — not only do you spend time every day standing in line, but it’s pretty expensive.

At breakfast, for example, if you just get plain things, say a large coffee and oatmeal, you’ll probably spend around $8. (Including a tip for your barista, of course!) Assuming you work 235 days a year (paid holidays! Vacation!) you’ll spend $1,880 a year on breakfast to go.

Assuming you go to a coffee shop that’s relatively speedy, you’ll also spend about 31 hours a year parking and standing in line. If you do this every working day, you’ll throw away 235 coffee cups, oatmeal tubs and plastic spoons. If everyone in your 20-person office does the same, that’s more than 14,000 pieces of landfill.

(Perhaps you recycle or compost these things, and hurrah for Davis and curbside recycling and green waste. Nonetheless, those items are manufactured in a plant somewhere, wrapped in plastic, shoved in boxes and transported to us using fuel, then taken away and processed using more fuel.)

The obvious answer is to make coffee at home and bring your breakfast with you. It takes me less than a minute to set up coffee the night before: sugar in the travel mug, paper filter in the cone on top of it, coffee in that, water in the electric kettle. In the morning, I flip the kettle switch on the way to the bathroom, add milk to the mug and pour water in the filter before I feed the cat, and have coffee to go in under 5 minutes. Total cost: under a buck if you buy the good coffee. (Do buy the good coffee, you’re worth it.)

Breakfast is equally easy. Every Sunday I queue up five breakfasts ready to grab

and go. At the moment, I’m keen on yogurt with fruit and granola: whole milk plain yogurt sweetened with maple syrup and divided between five-pint mason jars, plus five little tubs of granola. In the morning, I fill a jar the rest of the way with frozen blueberries and drop the jar, granola and spoon into my bag.

Oatmeal is similar — half a cup of oneminute oats in the jar along with a pinch of salt, a spoonful of sugar and a spoonful of dried cranberries. When I’m ready to eat, I add water from the hot water dispenser, stir and wait a minute. If you buy the best quality organic (again, you’re worth it!) of all these ingredients, you’d still be hard-pressed to spend more than a dollar a meal, and putting it together for the week takes no more than 10 minutes.

The net savings in the year for breakfast, then, is $1,428 and about half an hour a week of your morning life back, plus those 14,000 pieces of landfill you didn’t generate. Add to that the fact that you’ll probably be eating a bit better, since you won’t be faced with the temptation of cinnamon rolls or extra syrup in your coffee. (As a side note, though, if one of the things that drives you to stop for coffee is flavored syrup, I’ve given you two delicious recipes below.)

Lunch is much the same story, with the caveat that you probably can’t make lunch cheaper or quicker than the dollar menu at the fast food drive-thru. Since you are an adult, however, you can probably work out for yourself both the quality and the environmental cost of prepared food that can retail for that price.

Making lunch at home shouldn’t be a terrible burden. Some weeks I cater to my inner 5-year-old by packaging a variety of foods that I can grab & stuff into my insulated lunch box:

n carrot sticks, made all at once on Sunday, because they’ll keep just fine

n tiny avocados, washed and tucked in with a picnic knife

n grapes, washed and ready to go

n applesauce, see my January column for the recipe

n cheese, a big block cut into cubes

n salami, portioned and frozen

n tuna, egg or ham salad

n hard boiled eggs, cooked on Sunday

n ham, cubed and frozen

n almond butter, scooped out into small containers

n pretzels

n tortilla chips

n crackers

n nuts

Other times I’ll make a big batch of some kind of salad — grains mixed with veg and protein, or potato salad with chopped ham or a noodle salad with a nut butter dressing — stored in the fridge in lunch-sized tubs so I can grab and run.

The easiest of lunches, of course, is to cook too much dinner and store the leftovers in your lunch box. I’ve been doing a traybake of hanger steak and vegetables that works beautifully for this. Leftover roast chicken works well, too, and most plain, steamed vegetables are very nice the next day.

How much money and time you save on lunch packed at home is more difficult to calculate, since your lunch can vary pretty widely. If you save only a dollar on food and spend five minutes a day less in line, though, you’ll end the year up $235 and 19 hours, which is nothing to sneeze at! You’ll also save all the plastic clamshells, paper wrappers and bags generated by take-out lunches.

If this all seems a bit overwhelming, then start small. Take your lunch once a week, maybe on Mondays. Make your own coffee, but buy a package of muffins to take for breakfast this week. As with

any change, you’ll do great if you start from where you are and work up!

— Email Julie at jacross@dcn.org or visit her on Facebook at The New Home Ec.

Rich Mocha Syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup cocoa

1 cup cold coffee

Putting it together:

Mix sugar and cocoa. Add coffee and stir to dissolve. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat. Let cool before straining. Will keep, refrigerated, 2-3 weeks.

Vanilla Coconut Sugar Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut sugar

1 cup water

1 vanilla bean

Putting it together:

Mix sugar and water and stir to dissolve. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and add to syrup. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat. Let cool. Remove vanilla bean and reserve for another use. Strain if desired – some people don’t like the tiny vanilla bean specks. Will keep, refrigerated, 2-3 weeks.

Bonus: Add vanilla bean to a bottle of vodka and refrigerate five days for vanilla vodka, or two weeks for vanilla extract. Be sure to remove bean at the end of that time — it gets an unpleasant flavor as it ages.

Light wines for big sun and long-delayed warmth

Almost as exciting as find ing a new wine to love is re-finding an 'old' wine and loving it anew. I had this experience recently with a Cre tan red, the Domaine Pateriana kis Melissokipos Red Blend, that I had forgotten about.

“You've had that before,” Amy at The Pip said when she saw me perusing the bottle ($19). And, indeed, the label started to seem familiar. Although I didn't really remember the wine, I was again intrigued by the grapes — Crete natives kotsifali and mandilari.

What a lovely and delicious light red it turned out to be! It transformed our Friday mushroom and spinach pizza into a feast with its bright, energetic, and juicy cherry/pomegranate — and plenty of spice and verve. How could I have forgotten it? I wondered.

Domaine Paterianakis is in the hands of the third generation of the Paterianaki family, sisters Emmanouela, Nicky and Georgia, all passionate about the terroir of their island. They've been pioneers in growing organic grapes on Crete — five indigenous grapes, like the ones used in this bottle, and several international varieties. This unusual blend smells as well as tastes wonderful — blossomy and spicy. I took several deep sniffs before I even began to taste —

just because it conjured sitting at a small table in the afternoon sun at a Cretan cafe (not that I've ever been in a Cretan cafe).

I can't wait to try this elegant wine with the first of the spring eggplant, baked perhaps with penne, fontina, and tomato sauce. If you're a lamb fan, you're in luck — Melissokipos would be a perfect companion.

The good news about light reds like this one: they can be wonderful, unusual, exciting, and a good choice for wine lovers who prefer reds even in warm weather. I prefer my reds light even when it's cold and windy and the atmospheric rivers are blowing in.

Wines in Tandem did a cabernet franc tasting last weekend with two light ones, both under 13% alcohol. One was from the Loire, and I liked it immediately. And then I tasted the I. Brand and Family 2020 Bayly Ranch Cabernet Franc. Oh my. OK, it's $10 more than the Loire pick,

but so very lovely that I had to have a bottle. I'm still trying to imagine its perfect dinner — a spring lamb stew? Mushroom lasagna? Roasted duck? A hearty loaf of bread with an assortment of briny cheeses, some paté and smoked salmon? Maybe the most salient adjective for this red is “earthy,” but that doesn't mean you don't get cranberry and strawberry along with lots of good spice — like oregano, peppercorn, and laurel. The I. Brand label was created by Ian and Heather Brand to showcase the best vineyards in their region: “We did not set out to make these wines. We discovered great vineyards at the edge of sensible farming and decided to bring them to light.” And they have certainly coaxed the best qualities of cab franc and the best qualities of their terroir from these organic grapes.

That terroir? “We are not in 'wine country' nor do we have trophy wineries. This is farm land, desolate hills, and solitude. What we do is simple, without artifice ...” This “not in wine country” country lies in San Benito County between Salinas and Fresno. Who would have thought? And it's pretty incredible that this wine clocked in at 11.7% alcohol — “but we rounded up (to 11.9%) on the label because we were a little

ashamed it was so low. Don't tell anybody.” Actually I suspect they're pretty proud of making such a lush, flavorful wine so low in alcohol.

When the sun shines in early spring, the rosés come out to play along with the light reds. My first of the season's new rosés was a lucky choice—the 2022 Ovum "PNK Salt" from a single organic vineyard in the Columbia Gorge. I've long been a fan of Ovum's “Big Salt” white, a blend of riesling, gewurztraminer, early muscat, and sauv blanc; there's a bit of that blend in the PNK, Ovum's first rosé, but the other 98% is cabernet sauvignon, soaked for 8 hours and lightly pressed, native yeast fermented, bottled unfiltered.

While fresh and lively and light, this rosé has a lot of character and stands up to all manner of spring treats. We drank it with a big mixed green salad and fish and chips, a pairing that was very much fun. Next time, though, I'll roast a couple of pieces of steelhead just to pink up the dinner table. One reviewer said “It's a musky, dusky wine, a sunset hue, with astonishing depth and power.”

I've noticed an uptick of late in the alcohol level of rosés, so this is quite a compliment for a

12.5% bottle. Although completely dry, it has lovely flavors of sweet cherry, strawberry, and pomegranate with good minerality and a touch of (appropriately enough) salt on the finish. Take it to the beach with you. Take it to a fancy restaurant with you. In other words, it's an easy-going sipper but serious and unusual enough to classify as a treat — and to spark conversation and complement a good dinner.

You can pick up a bottle at the Co-op for $19. And speaking of the Co-op, apologies to readers who went in for a bottle of the Donnafugata Lighea I recommended in my last column. When I purchased it just the week before I wrote about it, it cost, as mentioned, $18. When I went back for more the next week, it was $24! Quite a markup. I decided not to buy it just on general principle.

Meanwhile, the Co-op wine shelves continue to be filled with supermarket selections, including a whole section of a ubiquitous brand easily found at Target, Safeway — and on Amtrak. Save your pennies for the good stuff.

— Reach Susana Leonardi at vinosusana@gmail.com. Comment on this column at www. davisenterprise.com.

UC Davis entomologist earns fellowship from national ecological society

Enterprise staff

UC Davis urban landscape entomologist Emily Meineke has been selected an Early Career Fellow of the Ecological Society of America (ESA).

Meineke, an assistant professor who joined the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty in 2020, is one of 10 faculty members to

Name droppers

receive the honor from the ESA Governing Board. She will be recognized at ESA’s Aug. 6-11 meeting in Portland, Ore.

“This is one of the most prestigious awards an ecologist can receive,” said nominator Rachel Vannette, community ecologist and associate professor in

the UC Davis department of entomology and nematology.

“Early Career Fellows are members within eight years of completing their doctoral training (or other terminal degree) who have advanced ecological knowledge and applications and show promise of continuing to make outstanding contri-

butions to a wide range of fields served by ESA,” an ESA spokesperson announced. “They are elected for five years.”

Meineke received her bachelor’s degree in environmental science, with a minor in biology, in 2008 from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She obtained her doctorate in entomology in

2016 from North Carolina State University, studying with major professors Steven Frank and Robert Dunn. She wrote her dissertation on “Understanding the Consequences of Urban Warming for Street Trees and Their Insect Pests.”

At NCU, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded her with the Science to

Achieve Results (STAR) fellowship. As an EPA STAR Fellow, Meineke pioneered research characterizing the effects of urban heat islands on insect herbivores.

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

Julie Cross/Courtesy photo

The easiest of lunches is to cook too much dinner and store the leftovers in your lunch box.

Diablo Debutante returns kicking

By Lily Schroeder and Alex Miyamoto HUB Staff

Prospective Diablo Debutantes lit up Brunelle Theater with their talents, wit and style on April 13, finishing the night with a group dance to ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!”

Senior Mia Williams based the event on a pre-pandemic Davis High tradition called Mr. Blue Devil. Unlike Diablo Debutante, Mr. Blue Devil only allowed male senior contestants, but Williams hoped to make a tradition for everyone at DHS.

“I love that they made it gender inclusive and all grades so everyone has someone to (represent them),” sophomore contestant Sahda Bhinder said.

DHS Student Government has made a recent effort to make all school activities non-gendered. Homecoming MVPs, Powderpuff and Diablo Debutante now allow all students to participate regardless of gender identity.

Senior Mollie Dyer, who won the Judges Choice award, believes this was a necessary change for the pageant. “It’s weird being one of the only people not in the

because that wouldn’t have happened before,” Dyer said.

Dyer went into the competition with little preparation and with a positive mindset of just having fun with her performance. “I was surprised (by my win), but not really at the same time,” they said.

Dyer memorably answered “Barbie” when asked who she would want to be stuck on an island with, because “(Barbie)’s had every job ever.”

For their talent, Dyer serenaded Blue Devil with a blue rose while lip synching to Justin Bieber’s “One Less Lonely Girl.”

As far as preparation goes, “I learned my lip synching song the night before… I also had a lot of caffeine and some food before too,” Dyer said.

Dyer attributes her win to their genuine joy at being onstage and her approach of putting fun first.

“I just try to have fun with it… I really like being on stage and I like being the center of attention I guess,” Dyer said.

Dyer highly recommends participating in this event to future Debutantes.

“There is no harm in doing it at all; it’s

think anyone should do it,” Dyer said.

Dyer performed well, but thought that the other competitors had an edge on her in specific categories.

“There was definitely some big competition,” Dyer said.

Dyer thought that sophomore Mako Barrios, throwing flips on stage and even doing a duck walk, might win it all.

Instead, Barrios won the Audience Choice award with his dance to “Strong Enough” by Cher.

“I was not expecting the competition to have such moves,” junior contestant Sidney Johnson said.

Barrios was nervous prior to walking onto the stage. “I was worried my act wouldn’t hit with the audience, and that it would be boring,” he said.

Despite his worries, his act turned out to be a crowd favorite.

One moment in particular that got the crowd cheering was “when the beat dropped, I dropped with it, and the audience really liked it,” Barrios said.

Other highlights of the night included Johnson’s lip sync to a Minecraft parody while dressed as a creeper and junior Jonatan Arzi’s talent of catching goldfish

in his mouth after throwing them in the air.

Arzi was also on stage earlier in the show helping his fellow contestant and friend, sophomore LJ Dixon, with his talent of eating a cake in three minutes without using his hands.

Prior to the event, Barrios was informed that the Judges Choice would win a cash prize, in the form of a variety of gift cards.

“I wanted to win Judges Choice… but I was really hoping I would win something, I just wanted a sash to be honest,” Barrios said.

In the end, everyone won. The day after the event, “Mollie (Dyer) got everyone’s fifth period and distributed all the gift cards she won to fellow contestants, so we were all winners,” Barrios said.

Contestents agreed that the revival of the DHS tradition was a success. “I’ll be back next year,” Barrios said.

“It’s been a positive experience (with the other contestants), even though we’re competing against each other,” Bhinder said. “It’s a little family that we made.”

Judges’ Choice Audience Choice

LiLy Schroeder/hub photoS

Top: The contestents close out the night with a dance to ABBA’s “Mamma Mia.”

Left: Junior Sidney Johnson lip syncs to a Minecraft parody in her creeper costume.

Right: Junior Jonatan Arzi helps sophomore LJ Dixon in his skill of eating a cake in three minutes without using his hands.

LiLy Schroeder/hub photo

From left to right, contestants Sidney Johnson, Jonatan Arzi, Samuel Gaytan, Mollie Dyer, Mako Barrios, Sadha Bhinder and LJ Dixon perform their final dance.