The Davis Enterprise Wednesday, June 14, 2023

DAVISt Bold & Blue

The graduating Class of 2023 enter the Ron & Mary Brown Stadium on Friday night for Davis High’s graduation ceremony. For more images of Friday’s festivities, go online to www. davisenterprise. com

Mike

DHS Class of ’23 walks into future

By Aaron Geerts Enterprise staff writer

Friday, June 9, is a day the Davis High School seniors will remember as the day they officially graduated. Although many Blue Devils have come and gone before, the class of

erprise

2023 distinguishes itself as the one that bore the brunt of covid and showcased a ravenous resiliency to make it all the way to graduation.

It was a picturesque spring evening with the sunset painting the background of the

ceremony taking place at Halden Field. Hundreds of friends and family filled the stadium bleachers and seats on the field below, all cheering and clapping as the Blue Devils took their seats facing towards them. When the clamoring settled, Principal Bryce Geigle addressed the audience and the graduates — after a taking a selfie with them.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2023

COVID unemployment reckoning goes national

By Lauren Helper CalMatters

A former federal technology official enlisted by Gov. Gavin Newsom to triage California’s pandemic unemployment response details in a new book how technical and political failures combined to block payments to workers while enabling fraud.

Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code

For America and former U.S. deputy chief technology officer, writes that the turmoil at California’s Employment Development Department is a prime example of failures that have also plagued other major civic tech efforts, such as the post-Obamacare implosion of healthcare.gov or archaic IT systems at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

“Tonight, we gather to celebrate the remarkable journey you embarked upon,” he said. “A high school experience like no other. From the very beginning, you faced unexpected trials with your sophomore year commencing through computer screens and digital classrooms. Then, fast-forward to the

See FUTURE, Page A7

Activists pressure UCD to drop Pepsi

By Monica Stark Enterprise staff writer

The UC Davis Beverage Rights Industry Working Group will soon decide whether to renew an exclusive contract with PepsiCo, the beverage choice on campus, for the past decade. A new PRC would lock UC Davis into another decade-long contract that limits beverage choices on campus to only Pepsi products.

Activists say that without an exclusive contract, opportunities for UCD to partner with smaller companies with “better track records in promoting health and the environment” would be possible.

The contract expires on

Monica stark/enterprise photo UC Davis student activists march on campus on June 1, protesting the university’s exclusive pouring deal with Pepsi.

Aug. 31, 2024. Many group members have expressed serious concerns about continuing with pouring rights contracts. The group meets next on June 23.

Because the contract and others she read do not align with UC Davis and UC Davis Health’s mission and

See PEPSI, Page A3

“Of all the tech disasters I’ve witnessed and tried to help untangle, the one I’ve come to see as most emblematic of these forces — and the ways we consistently misunderstand them — is the story of California’s unemployment insurance in the first year of the pandemic,” Pahlka writes in the book “Recoding America: Why Government is Failing In the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better.”

See RECKONING, Page A3

Odd Fellows announce 2023 scholarship awards

Enterprise staff

The Davis Odd Fellows Lodge No. 169 recently awarded $18,000 in scholarships to highschool and college students pursuing their higher education goals.

Veronica “Phoenix”

Pederson of Davis received a $5,000 scholarship through Davis Odd Fellows Charities Inc., a nonprofit corporation that provides funding for students who have gone through the foster care system while maintaining high grades.

“This is a special scholarship funded entirely by a major corporation back east,” said David

Rosenberg of the Odd Fellows. “It targets deserving orphans and foster children who have struggled through those systems and have persevered.”

Pederson, a Da Vinci High School graduate, will attend Sacramento State University in the fall.

Six students each received $1,500 from the Officer Natalie Corona Davis Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship, created in honor of Corona, who was killed the line of duty on Jan. 10, 2019, while investigating See SCHOLARSHIP, Page A3

Bush/ enterprise photo

Briefly

Cops make arrest in burglary

Davis police arrested the suspect in a May 28 burglary at the AAA Auto Repair Center.

Robert Limley had been identified as the suspect in the break-in, during which he allegedly stole a vehicle from the Second Street business, Lt. Dan Beckwith said. The incident was caught on camera.

Officers patrolling the Target parking lot Saturday morning spotted Limley riding his bicycle and took him into custody at an Alhambra Drive apartment complex following a short pursuit, Beckwith said.

Limley, a 43-year-old Davis resident, was booked into the Yolo County Jail on burglary, vehicle theft and vandalism charges, as well as for an outstanding felony warrant.

Death notice

Linda Bates

Linda Bates, aged 77, died May 27, 2023, in Aptos after dealing with Alzheimer’s disease for eight years. She and her husband Bob lived in Davis from 1976 until 2010. Bates received her Ph.D. from UC Davis, taught at the department of English for many years, and was the director of the Campus Writing Center.

Field of dreams for a real DHS diamond

AMUCH-DESERVED HONOR ... I am immensely pleased that from now on Davis High School will play its varsity baseball games on Dan Ariola Field.

It’s a rare honor to have a field or arena named after you unless maybe you wrote a check for $10 million, which Dan did not do. No, he was selected for this honor because of the person he is and the numerous and varied ways he helped countless athletes through their teenage years.

Indeed, he was Davis High’s head baseball coach for 24 years and led the team to an impressive 474 wins, eight Delta League championships and three Sac-Joaquin Section titles in that span. In other words, Dan Ariola molded Davis High School baseball into a consistent contender in Northern California baseball.

But he was so much more than balls and strikes and stolen bases and teaching his team how to score more runs than the other guys.

He was a teacher, a mentor, a leader and a friend. He took seriously the lives of the young men entrusted to his care through the sport of baseball.

I’ve watched how he coached in

practice and in games. He was a consistent and inspirational presence. He taught his players how to win and how to lose. His teams were known throughout the region for their sportsmanship.

In Davis they generally make you wait until you die before they name anything after you. Not so with Dan.

It will be great to see him sitting in the stands next spring, a Blue Devil through and through, watching as kids round the bases on a field that bears his name.

Nice to see one of the good guys of this sport so honored, though I know Dan would say the honor truly belongs not to him, but to all the folks who helped him along the way.

Partly true, to be sure, but Dan Ariola Field is named for the man who pulled it all together.

Can’t wait to hear the words

“Play Ball” when spring rolls around once again.

DAVIS HIGH GRADUATION HITS A HOME RUN ... Graduation ceremonies at any level can be highly emotional for participants and parents and other involved individuals, but they can also be boring and predictable, especially when it comes to keynote speakers.

Davis High School’s graduation last Friday night on the football field was the exception to the norm, bringing in a famous keynote speaker who brought down the house and certainly had the undivided attention of the 600 or so graduates decked out in their all-blue caps and gowns.

Chris Gardner, author of the bestselling “The Pursuit of Happyness,” had everyone’s attention from the second he climbed the steps to the stage and approached the microphone.

He didn’t talk about himself or his compelling story, but about the students and their individually evolving stories. His words were short, but moving and very much to the point. In a word, he was brilliant.

Don’t know who was responsible for arranging this treat, but he

or she deserves an “A” on their final transcript.

ABOUT THOSE BLUE DEVIL GRADUATES ... Having attended both the Davis High Senior Awards night several weeks ago and last Friday’s graduation ceremony, it was hard to ignore the amount of talent and dedication and desire to change the world for the better all wrapped up in the Class of 2023.

Student commencement speakers Emily Haws, Nicolas Montano and Niko Doss all had perfect words of advice and encouragement for their classmates, who responded with long and loud and heartfelt rounds of applause.

Many of these students will go off to some of the top universities in the land, while others will serve their country in the military or enter the workforce or take gap years to assess their future in a meaningful way.

Best wishes and Godspeed to them all.

In the words of St. Ignatius, “Go forth and set the world on fire.” — Reach Bob Dunning@ bdunning@davisenterprise.net.

Rangeland Trust celebrates 25 years of conservation

Special to The Enterprise

Last month, the California Rangeland Trust celebrated the fruits of its labor, commemorating 25 years of rangeland conservation at its signature event, A Western Affair. On May 20th, 400 people gathered at Yolo Land and Cattle Co. in Esparto for a pasture-toplate dinner while honoring the bounty of the land and the Golden State’s western heritage. An exclusive pre-party was also held the evening prior to the signature event at the California Agriculture Museum in Woodland.

The celebratory weekend kicked off on Friday, May 19th at the California Agriculture Museum with 80 people in attendance. The evening featured food and wine pairings from acclaimed local chefs and wineries throughout the region. Participating chefs included: Juan Barajas of Savory Café (Woodland, Calif.), Steven Gordon of Lucy’s Café (Esparto, Calif.), Bobbin and Patrick Mulvaney of Mulvaney’s B&L (Sacramento, Calif.), and Elena Winks of Franquette (West Sacramento, Calif). Participating wineries included: Beryessa Gap (Winters, Calif.), Grindstone Winery & Vineyards (Esparto, Calif.), Great Bear Vineyards (Davis, Calif.), and Haarmeyer Wine Cellars (West Sacramento, Calif.). A special presentation was also made by Scott and Karen Stone of Yolo Land and Cattle Co.

By Andy Jones

1. Science. The name for the softest commercial hardwood comes from the Spanish word for “raft”

Name it.

2. Pop Culture — Television. What is the last letter in the German name for Sesame Street?

3. Film. Born in the 1860s, what was the last name of notable filmmaker brothers Auguste and Louis?

4. Books and Authors. Whose best-known novels include “Sons and Lovers,” “The Rainbow” and “Women in Love”?

who conserved their ranch in perpetuity through the Rangeland Trust in 2005.

The Stones talked about the positive impacts of the conservation easement and the peace of mind they have knowing that the property will forever remain an open working landscape thanks to their partnership with the Rangeland Trust.

On Saturday evening, guests gathered outside on the ranch at Yolo Land and Cattle Co. for the main event. Surrounded by lush grasslands and towering oak trees, attendees enjoyed the setting’s scenic beauty. Following a lively cocktail hour, which featured an array of western specialty items in the silent auction, guests were treated to a delicious family-style dinner consisting

of slices of beef steamship round, paired with local produce cooked to perfection. A highlight of the evening was the presentation of conservation awards during the dinner program.

Steve Sinton, a rancher in San Luis Obispo County and the founding chairman of the California Rangeland Trust was honored as the 2023 Conservationist of the Year, which recognizes extraordinary achievement in volunteer conservation by a private landowner in California. In addition to helping get the Rangeland Trust off the ground 25 years ago, Sinton and his family chose to voluntarily conserve their ranch in 2017 through a conservation easement held by the Rangeland Trust. Sinton and his

family have prioritized the sustainability of their property so that it may be productive and working for generations to come.

Sinton remarked, “While I am honored to follow in the footsteps of many past recipients of this award, I want to acknowledge that conservation is the effort of many not just one. The work that the Rangeland Trust and their landowner partners are doing in this state is making a huge difference for our industry and the state.”

Dr. Jaymee Marty was also recognized as the recipient of the 2023 Conservation Impact Award, which recognizes an individual who has excelled in environmental protection and made significant contributions to the advance-

ment of conservation. Throughout her career, Marty helped tackle many complex conservation issues; notably, her research has shown the beneficial role grazing plays in the management of California’s vernal pool ecosystems.

Following the awards presentation, the event was capped off with an exciting live auction and dancing to live music by Buck Ford. Overall, the event raised $360,000 to support rangeland conservation efforts throughout California.

“We are humbled by the amount of support that we received at A Western Affair this year,” said Michael Delbar, CEO of the California Rangeland Trust. “This event brought together friends and supporters from throughout California to celebrate 25 years of rangeland conservation and help us raise significant funds to conserve more of California working lands that are so critical to our state’s social, cultural, environmental, and economic well-being. Together, we are working to keep ranchers ranching and secure a brighter future for all.”

A Western Affair 2023 was made possible by a wonderful group of sponsors including: Visit Yolo, Farm Credit, Raley’s, Van Vleck Ranch, Cook CPA Group, and Wells Fargo Advisors.

5. Countries of the World. What country whose name starts with N has 29 places named after Queen Victoria?

Answers: Balsa, Sesamstraße, so the letter E, Lumière, D.H. Lawrence, New Zealand.

— Dr. Andy Jones is the former quizmaster at de Vere’s Irish Pub and author of the book “Pub Quizzes: Trivia for Smart People.” His pub quiz is now seeking a new home. Meanwhile, Dr. Andy is also sharing his pub quizzes via Patreon. Find out more at www.yourquizmaster.com.

Courtesy photo

RECKONING: Policy a bigger problem than outdated software

From Page A1

Three chapters of the book chronicle Pahlka’s time co-leading a “Strike Team” deployed by Newsom in mid-2020, as long benefit delays and outlandish stories of fraud began to dominate headlines. In the months to follow, state officials would find that payments were delayed to some 5 million workers and may have been improperly denied for another 1 million, all while the

state lost as much as $32 billion to fraud, according to varied state and industry estimates.

Among the problems and potential solutions detailed in the new book: Why it was easier for scammers to file successful unemployment applications than it was for some workers, how a $100 million-plus tech modernization project by state contractor Deloitte buckled during the pandemic, and why the furor about outdated online systems has more to do

with flawed state and federal policy than old software.

“Modernizing technology without rationalizing and simplifying the policy and process it must support seldom works,” Pahlka wrote. “Mostly, it results in much the same mess you had before.”

An EDD spokesperson declined to comment.

The new details come amid a national reckoning over pandemic unemployment failures, including millions in federal

funding recently made available for new tech modernization efforts. More than 150,000 workers in the state are still facing long appeals backlogs as they fight for delayed or denied unemployment benefits.

Early in the pandemic, this dynamic played out in tandem with an unprecedented wave of online fraud targeting nationwide unemployment systems. California was a particularly big target, fraud analysts say, because of the

state’s large size and online systems that proved easy to game.

Much of the fraud can be traced back to organized criminal rings that used stolen identity data to file fake unemployment claims in bulk — an approach, Pahlka wrote, that made it easier for scammers to auto-file successful applications with precise stolen data than for some real workers who made minor mistakes, like typos or listing a middle initial instead of a full middle name.

PEPSI: Professor wanted to contribute her expertise

From Page A1

values, including health, nutrition, and sustainability, Professor of Human Ecology Jennifer Falbe got involved with the working group. “I wanted to contribute my expertise in public health, nutrition, and pouring rights to solve this problem.” Falbe is the faculty lead for the UCwide Healthy Beverage Initiative (HBI), which promotes tap water access and reduces the ubiquity of sugar-sweetened beverages across the UC system.

Set up by the university’s Preferred Partnership Program (UP3), which the administration oversees, the working group is also being asked to consider whether we should continue pouring rights contracts at all.

Falbe’s ongoing research on pouring rights has identified multiple ways these contracts negatively impact public health, sustainability, choice, equity, and university reputation while generating only relatively small amounts of money for campuses. “The current contract brings in under $1 million per year, compared to UC Davis’ over $6 billion annual budget. In comparison, there are individual faculty members who bring in more money in federal grants, and Davis received a single $50 million donation last year,” she said.

She said it’s “absolutely possible” for the university to sell beverages produced by smaller companies and to do so without a pouring rights contract. “A pouring rights contract is not just a purchasing and procurement contract. It restricts choice while requiring the university to actively market and sell drinks — in this case, mostly unhealthy or unsustainably packaged drinks — to students, staff, faculty, and community members.”

Falbe said if UC discontinued pouring rights contracts, it could easily purchase beverages produced by smaller companies through its existing purchasing agreements with general food and beverage distributors. It could also set up purchasing agreements directly with smaller companies.

UCSF, the University of Vermont, Humboldt State, and San Francisco State University do not have

pouring rights contracts. Also, the University of Michigan, a huge undergraduate university, does not have a pouring rights contract that affects campus dining (they have an athletics pouring rights contract, though).

“Leaving a pouring rights contract does not mean there will no longer be any Pepsi or Coke products on campus. Those could still be sold among a much wider selection of beverages.”

Because of this contract, she said, UC Davis is out of compliance with their single-use plastic elimination policy. “If we were not stuck in an exclusive contract, we could shift beverage service away from a throw-away model toward one that uses refillable bottles and beverage dispensers with some single-use aluminum cans.” She said this is exactly what many employers do to innovate their workplace food service. “Universities should be leaders in innovation, not stuck in outdated contracts that limit our autonomy.”

Relatedly, Falbe stated the contract states there’s a minimum number of cases of single-use containers the university must purchase to get sponsorship payments. It also contains a “volume incentive fund” that gives the university more money if it purchases more cases. “This incentivizes selling and marketing more Pepsi beverages and reliance on single-use containers rather than beverage dispensers with refillable bottles and tap water,” she said.

Falbe said the contract requires the university to actively market Pepsi products to the campus in various ways (e.g., large signage across campus, radio, scoreboards and videoboards, print media, and email blasts). The contract even requires athletes to drink water from Gatorade merchandise, giving the impression that they are drinking it: “Water and any other beverage can be placed in or near Players’ Areas as long as it is placed in Gatorade Merchandise.”

Further, she said the contract appears to market sugary drinks to children through “Marketing Program Support” for a “Disadvantaged Youth Program” and providing “Gatorade Product and

Gatorade Merchandise” to UC Davis summer camp.

Other issues, Falbe lists include a choice limit. Not only does the contract require that 90% of beverages come from a single company, it further limits the product mix from that company. For instance, she said the contract requires the availability of specific sugary drinks: “Pepsi shall have the right to make available a Product mix that shall include at a minimum the following Packaged Products: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Mountain Dew, Dr Pepper, Crush, Gatorade, Lipton, Aquafina, Rockstar, Muscle Milk, Starbucks, Sobe Lifewater, O.N.E. Coconut Water, Ocean Spray Juice; and shall have the right to maintain a Packaged Product mix throughout the Term of the Agreement similar to the Packaged Product mix of the Fall 2014 quarter....Pepsi shall have the right to discontinue the distribution of any one or more of the Products during the Term...”

Healthy choices, meanwhile, are especially limited. A working group audit on campus showed that most beverage brands available and advertised are sugary drinks, which the CDC and World Health Organization recommend limiting in workplaces and universities.

Also, she acknowledges these anti-competitive contracts create monopolies on campus and lock out small and diversly-owned businesses, counter to UC

SCHOLARSHIP: Awards honor Corona

From Page A1

a Fifth Street traffic collision.

These scholarships, bestowed upon graduates of high schools in Davis and Corona’s hometown of Arbuckle, recognize Corona’s hard work, community service and dedication to law enforcement that served as inspiration to her colleagues and the Davis community.

Scholarships went to the following students, who plan to pursue law enforcement, criminal justice or first-responder careers: Davis High School:

n Milena Kahan, Rochester Institute of Technology.

n Maya Moore. UC

Santa Cruz.

n Mohamed Al-Ghlai, UC Davis. Davis School of Independent Study:

n Ahna Meyer, Ventura Community College.

Pierce High School:

n Cynthia Corona, Sierra Community College/Sacramento State University.

n Dante Muzzi, community college/Sacramento State University.

The Odd Fellows Lodge also offers annual $1,000 academic scholarships to active members or dependents of active members attending colleges, universities or accredited trade schools.

This year’s recipients include:

n Mackenzie Walker,

granddaughter of Mary Ann Doerzbacher. Walker is a 2023 Davis High School graduate who will major in molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley.

n Analiza Gonzales, granddaughter of Rick Gonzales. She’s a current Sacramento State University student majoring in nutrition science.

n Riana Gonzales, granddaughter of Rick Gonzales. A 2023 Davis High School graduate, Gonzales plans to major in psychology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

n Dylan Raven, son of Jonathan and Jennifer Schramm Raven, currently majoring in engineering at UC Irvine.

values around supporting diversity and smaller companies.

Higher prices, she said, are due to annual price escalations; beverage prices increase by a large amount over the life of the contract. In Falbe’s research, dining directors have reported that students are “subsidizing the contracts” by paying higher prices. “These contracts undermine the university’s integrity and create a reputational risk. It is not a good look for a university to undermine its own health and sustainability priorities and policies with pouring rights contracts with soda companies.”

For decades, pouring rights contracts had been viewed as low-hanging fruit for obtaining a small amount of sponsorship money. However, in the l ast 10-15 years, these contracts’ ethics and reputational risks have changed,

Falbe said.

“In addition to being among the top three plastic polluters worldwide, Coke and Pepsi spend large amounts of money lobbying and campaigning against public health and sustainability policies. Evidence has accumulated documenting the harms of sugary drinks. Sugary drinks are the leading source of added sugar in the diet, and just one 20-ounce bottle a day exceeds the entire daily limit for added sugars and markedly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. In the meantime, universities have rightfully strengthened their commitments to health and sustainability, further highlighting the inherent incompatibility between university values and pouring rights contracts.”

Another factor is that most students and faculty

are unaware of these contracts and unaware of their provisions. Although they generally know that they are being marketed to and have limited choices on campus, they are unaware that it is because of these contracts.

Falbe is the only faculty member on the working group, with only one undergraduate and one graduate student. “Given that UC Davis operates through a system of shared governance between faculty and administration, it will be important for the decision to consider faculty and student views heavily. We would do a better job making this decision if we had adequate faculty and student representation proportional to their composition and key role on our campus.”

A student group, Pepsi Off Campus, held a demonstration on June 1, where they marched to Mrak Hall and back from the Quad, where they answered student questions. Leo Hecht, the spokesperson for Pepsi Off Campus UC Davis, said in a press release: “As students, we must show the administration that we will not stand for a contract that limits student choice and supports the second largest plastic polluter in the world.”

Falbe said, “Public universities have a unique responsibility to serve society and to do so with integrity. I do not believe that public universities should compromise their autonomy and values for sponsorship money, let alone such a small amount, from companies with a long track record of harming health and the environment.”

Monica Stark/EntErpriSE photo

Protesters take position at the UC Davis Memorial Union on June 1, demonstrating against UCD’s pouring rights contract with Pepsi.

National Outdoors Month at the Cache Creek Preserve

By Jim Smith

Special to The Enterprise

June has officially been designated as “Great Outdoors Month’ and judging by the events taking place across Yolo County, there are plenty of things to get people out of the house and into the open air.

“Great Outdoors Week” began under President Clinton in 1998 and has grown under the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations into a month-long celebration of the outdoors.

Since 2008, governors from across the country have joined in designating June as a month to celebrate the great outdoors and more than half the states have already proclaimed June 2019 as “Great Outdoors Month.”

This celebration is designed to bring not only health benefits, but social and economic benefits as well, according to the White House.

Nationally, there are celebrations such as National Trails Day and “Urban Kids Fishing Derby,” both of which are set for the first Saturday in June. There are also other activities such as the Great Outdoors Day of Service.

In Yolo County, there are a variety of activities scheduled to get people into the open and under the trees.

At the Cache Creek Nature Preserve, two events are planned, the first being “Sunrise Sunday” and the second is “Yoga Under the Oaks” this Sunday.

“Sunrise Sunday” gets underway at 5:30 a.m. at the Nature

Obituaries

Preserve, 34199 County Road 20, when visitors are welcome to come by and greet the sunrise (scheduled for 5:44 a.m.) by walking out to the storage pond or hiking among the 130-acres of grass- and woodland, or do some birding. There is no charge and no registration is required.

“Sunrise Sunday” is sponsored by Teichert Inc., Granite Construction, CEMEX, and Vulcan Materials. It will be held the first Sunday each month through September, with future events set for 5:30 a.m., July 2; 6 a.m., Aug. 6; and 6:15 a.m., Sept. 3.

People can simply show up to take a hike, take photographs or enjoy the early-morning sounds of birds and other wildlife.

The early openings were requested by photographers and birders who wanted to enjoy the “golden hour,” which is the first hour after sunrise. The Conservancy will continue to close at its regular time of 4 p.m. each Sunday.

For those who want to get in tune with nature, after greeting the sunrise, they can stay for an 8 a.m., yoga class titled “Yoga Under the Oaks,” being taught by Christine Pollard, a certified yoga instuctor.

The course costs $15 and will be held in the amphitheater of the Memorial Garden to the northeast of the Preserve’s parking area. Yoga classes will be offered each Sunday throughout the summer. Under Pollard, there will be no advance sign ups. Rather an informational page will be posted

Douglas Lyle Minnis

April 23, 1928 — May 28, 2013

Dr. Douglas Lyle Minnis passed away peacefully at home on May 28, 2023. He was 95 years old.

Doug was born on April 23, 1928, in Trinidad, Colo., to Jack and Edna Minnis. On the date of his birth the local hospital burned down and Shirley Temple was born. He was pleased that he started his life on a rather eventful day.

Doug got his first job at the age of six, milking a cow, and worked until he was 80 years old. He joined the United States Marine Corps shortly out of high school and was discharged in 1947 when he returned to his education. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Denver in 1950.

Doug was a life-long educator. He began his teaching career in his hometown where he taught in the public school system for several years before moving to Menlo Park, California in 1954 where he continued teaching. In 1957, he earned his MA from California State University, San Jose and in the fall of 1959, he accepted a position at the University of California at Davis to create a teacher education program. In 1964 he was appointed Head of Teacher Education and the program graduated more than

three hundred teachers each year.

In 1974, Doug transitioned into university administration and was appointed the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at UC Davis. He retired in 1991 but continued his relationship with the university as he was recalled numerous times to head special projects, such as a Joint Doctoral Program between UC Davis and California State University, Fresno, in Education Leadership. Doug finally retired altogether in 2009.

Doug enjoyed cooking and was famous for his 4th of July Barbeque and the Annual Pomegranate Harvest held each year for family and friends. Ribs, hot links, chicken and corn on the cob were consistent menu items. Breakfast was either eggs benedict or waffles and ham.

In addition to spending time with family and friends, Doug filled his retirement by indulging in his love of jazz music and red wine. He frequently traveled to Oakland, San Francisco, and Monterey to attend jazz festivals and concerts. During his life he visited most of the wineries throughout Northern California, especially enjoying his favorite varietal, zinfandel, grown in the foothills

Philip James Snow

d. May 31, 2023

Philip James Snow passed away on May 31, 2023, at his home in the loving care of his four children. He was 92.

Phil moved from Calistoga to Winters as a sophomore in high school and there he met and married the love of his life, Isabel Martinez. He served in the Navy for two years as a builder and continued with that trade throughout his life. Phil is survived by his four children, Debra, Phil, Tim and David; nine grandchildren; 15 greatgrandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

His three main passions were his family, his faith and sports. Being a tremendous athlete himself, he had an opportunity to pitch for the Red Sox. But as fate would have it, the call back date fell on the

very day of his wedding and a hard choice was made.

However, in his fiery passion for sports were forged many athletes from his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren ranging from talented high school and college athletes to scratch golfers, an NFL coach, college tennis player, a Division I football player and, coming full circle, a Red Sox second baseman. At 91 he hit a 200-yard drive straight down the fairway at Davis Municipal Golf Course.

His deep and personal faith was his anchor and the anchor for his family.

His well-used Bible was always by his side. His prayers at family gatherings always included an invitation for each one to know Jesus Christ as Savior. His faith was also evidenced by his

region.

rebecca tyrOn/cOurtesy phOtO

Birders took in the sunrise at the Cache Creek Conservancy earlier this year for the Great Backyard Bird Count. Through Sept. 3, the Conservancy will open 15 minutes before sunrise for those wanting to welcome the day.

on the Conservancy’s website www.cachecreekconservancy.org.

Still later in June, the Yolo County Library, Yolo County General Services County Parks Division, Tuleyome and Latino Outdoors are planning a festival and resource fair to share information and promote the benefits and joys of being outdoors.

This family-friendly event is set from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 10, (which is “National Get Outdoors Day) at Capay Open Space Park, 15603 County Road 85, outside of Capay in the Capay Valley.

Emily Huerta, associate parks planner for the Yolo County

General Services Department, has reported that organizations have been invited to provide interactive resources and activities for children and adults.

“In addition to information tables, we plan to have a Casa de Flores, an interactive bilingual musical group, bilingual story times and nature walks at scheduled times throughout the event,” Huerta reported.

The event is also a kick-off activity for Yolo County Library’s All Together Outside Parks Pass grant from the California State Library.

“The grant provides funding for programs throughout the

Jeanette Nunn Copley

summer to increase access to outdoor recreation opportunities and promote the library’s free circulating State Parks Passes, especially to underserved communities,” Huerta reported.

“Our goal with this resource fair is to provide as much information as possible in English and Spanish to help reduce potential language barriers to outdoor recreation, share information about our local wildlife and ecosystems, provide access to low or no-cost outdoor equipment and supplies, and increase knowledge of and confidence about the outdoors and outdoor activities,” she added.

MINNIS

Doug is preceded in death by his former wife, Beatrice Minnis, from Julian, California, as well as his daughter, Kevin Brick, of Discovery Bay. Doug is survived by sons Neil Minnis of Ithaca, N.Y., and Dorrick Minnis (Lolly) of Clovis; daughter Adrienne Cornish (Chris) of Davis; granddaughter Dorian Merritt (Chad) of Los Gatos, whom he raised like a daughter; grandchildren Alden Medina (Mayari), Alexander Medina (Katy), Elizabeth Quimpo (Stephan), Vanessa Minnis and Morgan Allerton-Minnis (Sindy); and great-grandchildren Alexandra and Dean Momsen and Emerly and Finley Medina.

In addition to his direct descendants, he is survived by siblings, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and generations of cousins, none of which he considered “extended” family. In his eyes, all family was close family.

At Doug’s request, there will be no formal memorial service. Rather, lift a glass to the strains of “Satin Doll.” In lieu of flowers, contribute, as he did, to feeding those less fortunate.

contribution to the building of the Pioneer Presbyterian Church in Winters and Winters Community Gazebo.

His wit and humor were extraordinary. He kept nurses, doctors, housekeepers and family all in stitches. He’s especially known for his quips, so unique, we could call them “Philisms.” Among them are “bonkers for Bennie,” “shukies cheesus,” “attaboy Philly,” “unhitch the caboose” and “he’s from Central City.”

Join us, the family in saying “Attaboy Philly, job well done. You will be missed.” Graveside service will begin at 10 a.m. June 23 at Winters Cemetery. A memorial service will follow at Pioneer Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m., with lunch following.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Yolo Hospice to whom we are deeply grateful.

d. April 1, 2023

Jeanette and Duane Copley moved to Davis in 1965 when there was only one stop light, at the intersection of 5th and B Streets. They fell in love with the Davis community and raised their family here.

Jeanette was born in Salinas and raised on a farm in Visalia. She graduated from College of the Sequoias and Cal State University San Jose with a bachelor’s degree in commercial art. Many knew Jeanette from her paintings at the Pence Gallery, but she started as a graphic artist, and illustrated the original “Davisville ’68” history book.

“Jeanette Copley created a stylized version of a highwheeler bicycle for the cover of the new Davis history book, and the bicycle was on its way to becoming a Davis icon,” according to Davis and High-Wheel

Bike History. In addition to designing the first highwheeler bike logos, Jeanette designed what became the first bike lane signage in the United States, as well as numerous logos for the City of Davis and local businesses. As a painter, her subjects included local barns and historic homes, as well as several renditions of the Davis Depot.

Jeanette was an active community volunteer as well. She served as a board member for the Friends of the Nelson Art Gallery at UC Davis; raised money for the Pence Gallery; was a leader for Yolo County 4-H, and a volunteer art teacher in the Davis schools.

Jeanette died peacefully of natural causes on April 1, 2023. She is survived by children Kent Copley of Visalia, Kari Copley of Manteca and Kevin Copley

of Woodland; daughtersin-law Staci Copley and Christy Copley; and grandchildren Tori, Britni, Haven, John and David. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Duane Copley. A celebration of life service will be held at Woodland Presbyterian Church, 1324 Columbia Drive in Woodland, at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 17. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the Pence Gallery at 212 D St, Davis, CA 95616

Jeanette is greatly missed by her family, but they recall her frequent words: “When I am gone, don’t mourn my passing, instead do something kind for someone living.”

COPLEY

FUTURE: ‘Hard work, dedication’ and ... what else now?

From Page A1

beginning of senior year when bats postponed your homecoming dance. Yea, that happened,” Geigle continued. “Despite the hardships and the moments of separation from your friends, teachers and councilors, you are still here. In the face of adversity, you not only found who you want to become, but supported one another with unwavering determination and resilience. And now, here you stand triumphant having achieved your goals.”

After that, the audience got to hear from a few Blue Devils themselves. First to take the podium was senior class President Nicolas Montano.

“We’re all here because of hard work, dedication and the occasional use of Quizlet and ChatGPT. Joking aside, we should all look back, reflect and be very

proud of our accomplishments. After hours of homework, early alarms, sleepless nights and a worldwide pandemic, we finally made it to today… graduation,” said Montano.

“For those of you who don’t know, I love taking polaroid pictures, and have been taking them since the beginning of high school.

“My photos capture friendships, random moments of laughter, a division 1 state soccer championship, the senior prom and everything you can imagine goes on throughout high school. In the end the photos capture a connection. Just like a friendship, a polaroid takes time to develop. It’s something that doesn’t happen instantly, but evolves. That’s what makes them special. The relationships that are built on shared memories over time are the ones that last.”

Next came words from Blue Devil student speaker Niko Doss: “Class of 2023, we made it! Graduating is a feat, no matter where you came from, is an exemplary act of great courage that you’re here.

“Though we’re here as a collective class, this voyage through high school has been different for each of us. Some were nervous not knowing what the years ahead would bring, and some were bold certain of what remaining years will be. Some of us had an effortless and easygoing path, while others battled and struggled through personal and academic struggles,” said Doss. “In spite of what our experiences were, we had supporters advocating for us like our parents and guardians who made sure we stayed on top of our schoolwork with unwavering love.”

Finally, came the words of the last student speaker, Emily Haws. “Some of you know me and some don’t, but the funny thing is although we may not know each other, we’ve been through similar circumstances. We went to the same school and graduated

in 2023 which bonds us for life, right? 23 is a prime number, and the lowest prime. Like the number, we are quite unique. We each had our own experiences, struggles, triumphs and feelings throughout high school,” she said.

“Nevertheless, if you

examine our full graduate year, 2023, you can see we’re all connected as 2,023 has six factors. But don’t worry if you haven’t thought about multiplication since third grade. Maya Angelou once said, ‘I’ve learned people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but will never forget how you made them feel.’ There’s two things I take away from this quote. The first is that eventually people will forget what you do or say, so go do that thing you were too scared to try. The second message is while we can’t control everything, we can make an impact on those around us.”

After parting words of life advice from keynote speaker, Chris Gardner, the senior song was sung, the diplomas were distributed and the class of 2023 left the stadium in triumph with their tassels on the opposite side of their caps.

Mike Bush/Courtesy photos

Davis High Principal Bryce Geigle takes a selfie with the graduating seniors Friday night at the DHS graduation ceremony.

Geigle

Robert McGinnis, the first Blue Devil to receive his diploma Friday night at the DHS graduation ceremony. At top right, Nicole Risch receives her diploma. At right, keynote speaker Chris Gardner, author of “The Pursuit of Happyness” addresses the graduating class. The student speakers are Niko Doss, center, and Emily Haws. Mike Bush/enterprise photos

Davis High Principal Bryce

congratulates

atHlete oF tHe Year

30.

Wright made a splash in two sports for Blue Devils

By Mike Bush Enterprise sports editor

Malaya Wright has made a splash at Davis High the last four years.

The former DHS girls water polo and swimmer made another dive toward the end of May. An award she never expected to receive.

Wright was informed to go to the school’s Career Center. That is where she would be announced as the Female Athlete of the Year at the school’s Senior Awards Night inside the Richard Brunelle Performance Hall on May 30.

“I was honored and shocked,” Wright said. “I was looking around at everyone, and they all had a bunch of smiles on their faces.”

Doug Wright, an art teacher at DHS who is Malaya’s father and was her water polo head coach all four years, was inside the Career Center at the time she was

traCk anD FielD

informed she was this year’s winner.

“I looked straight at my dad, and he was smiling and crying,” recalled Malaya. “I was just really happy and honored.”

The male honor went to Holt Klineberg, who starred on the Blue Devil boys soccer and lacrosse teams.

Malaya Wright said that the night of receiving the award in front of her family, friends and now fellow seniors who graduated Friday was special.

“Just to see a lot of seniors get rewarded for their accomplishments,” Wright said. “It was really nice seeing a bunch of my friends and seeing all of the (families) coming to support. It was real nice to see how close these families are, how supportive these families are.”

Wright craved out a name for herself the last four seasons on the DHS girls water polo team.

During the 2022 season, she led Davis with 65 assists and second in scoring at 71. She also had 53 steals and

accounted for 136 points.

In the 2021 season, Wright led the Blue Devils in steals at 57 and assists at 51. She was third in scoring at 74 goals and second in shots at 166.

One highlight that could stay in Wright’s mind for the rest of her life was the night of Nov. 18, 2021.

Davis hosted Soquel in the California Interscholastic Federation NorCal Girls Water Polo Championships — Division I semifinal game at River City High’s swimming pool in West Sacramento. Wright had the game-winning goal in the third overtime period, which gave DHS a 9-8 win and advanced to the championship game against eventual regional winner Miramonte.

The 2022 and 2021 seasons saw Wright and DHS capture another Delta League and Sac-Joaquin Section Division I titles.

See WRIGHT, Page B8

Weidler finishes strong, earns All-American status

Enterprise staff

Brianna Weidler never thought she’d be an all-American.

But the long-distance runner for the UC Davis track and field team has done just that.

On Saturday night, the Aggie sophomore shined at the NCAA National Championship meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.

She took 21st place overall in the women’s 5,000 meters race with a time of 16 minutes, 21.70 seconds.

“I had a different approach at this race because we really didn’t know how the other girls were going to run their race,” said Weidler of this race to the NCAA West Preliminary Round

at Sacramento State on May 27. “I was planning on staying behind the top five girls (at Sacramento State).

For nationals, we didn’t know if they were going to play along with the paces or just go out at really fast pace the entire time.

“We had to just trust my instincts at the national race and how I could respond to that one.”

Weidler was running toward a top 20 finish. But taking 21st works for her too.

“Honestly, I was really happy with how the race went,” Weidler said.

“Twenty-first place was just as (good) to me. I was able to finish strong.”

She’s already thinking about future races at a national-level. Other

than herself.

“I’m excited to learn from the experience for next year, and to hopefully bring some of my teammates along with me,” Weidler said.

In a season that showcased a school-record performance and three championships, Weidler caps off an epic athletic year. The Aggie won the cross-country individual title, then the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation 3,000m championship and then competing in Saturday’s race. Her accomplishments also earned the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s

See WEIDLER, Page B2

Malaya Wright (left) receives her Davis High’s Female Athlete of the Year award from athletic director Jeff Lorenson during the Senior Awards Ceremony at the Richard Brunelle Performance Hall on May

Brianna Weidler (No. 1416) runs with a pack in the women’s 5,000 meters race at the NCAA West Preliminary Round at Sacramento State on May 27.,

FC Davis women navigate shorthanded roster

By Henry Krueger Enterprise correspondent

FC Davis women’s soccer head coach Zach Sullivan has learned to embrace the unpredictability that comes with managing a semi-professional summer soccer team.

It’s a miracle when the Lionesses get to play with a full squad, considering players are forced to balance their team commitment with college schedules and other plans.

“We’ve had so many different players playing for us,” Sullivan said. “Some are still in college, some are going home for the summer, some are just coming back to Davis for the summer. Not having a core group that plays every game has been the biggest hurdle.”

FC Davis (2-2-1) has relied on its depth to overcome an ever-changing roster, as seven different players have tallied at least one goal across five games this season. Two of those goals came during the team’s 2-2 tie against

the Fresno Freeze (4-0-2) on Saturday.

Forward Baylie Jackson and midfielder Miranda DiazCasarrubias each scored against the Freeze, whose fourgame winning streak was snapped. Fresno remains the first-place team in the Pacific North Conference standings.

While tying the Freeze boosts FC Davis’ resume, the club faces another tough test today when it plays the California Storm (2-1-0).

The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Davis Legacy Soccer Complex.

After winning the WSPL national title last season, the Storm opened the summer by winning two of their first three games, including a 10-0 victory over the Diablo Valley Wolves on Saturday.

Meanwhile, California is also competing in the USL W League, where the team has a 5-2-0 record.

With a pool of players large enough for two teams, Sullivan anticipates his squad will be outnumbered.

WEIDLER: Set UCD record in the 5,000 meters earlier this year

From Page B1

all-America accolades.

For her finish in the 5,000m, the Temecula native was named honorable mention.

“That did come as a surprise,” said Weidler of earning all-American status. “I’m proud of myself for that as well.”

Weidler set the school record in the 5,000m earlier in the outdoor season en route to winning the event at the Big West Championship for her third title of the athletic calendar year.

In a year that started with the individual Big West Conference crosscountry title and the first

appearance by an Aggie at the NCAA National Championship since 2008, she came full circle to cap off the year.

After a short break from track and field and finals, Weidler will begin training for her junior year in crosscountry, which begins in September.

“The Storm is playing in two leagues and so they have a huge player pool,” Sullivan said. “I don’t know exactly which group we’re going to play against.”

Regardless of who’s on the field for the Storm, Sullivan sees the matchup as a chance for his players to improve and get more experience.

“I think the USL W League and the WPSL are pretty even leagues as far as talent right now, so we know we’re playing against top-level college players,” Sullivan said. “Every game is an opportunity for players to get better and challenge themselves.”

After facing the Storm, the Lionesses will remain in Davis to play San Ramon FC on Saturday, June 24 and Diablo Valley on July 1.

— Henry Krueger is a Gonzaga University and working as a correspondent for The Enterprise this spring and summer. He was an intern at the newspaper in 2022. Follow him on Twitter: @henrykrveger.

Mike BuSh/enterpriSe file photo

UC Davis’ Brianna Weidler (10) and other women take off to start the 5,000 meters at the NCAA West Preliminary Round at Sacramento State on May 27.

Don’t treat crisis as an emergency

By Peter Laugharn and MigueL Santana Special to CalMatters

As her first official act as the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass declared a state of emergency over homelessness. She was later joined by the mayors of neighboring Long Beach, Santa Monica and Culver City, and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.

Following these five declarations, the supervisors also announced the largest-ever investment in the county’s homeless response: $609 million dollars over the next fiscal year. In May, the L.A. City Council approved a record $1.3 billion for homelessness programs.

For the 10 million people living in L.A. County, home to the worst of the state’s homelessness crisis, this feels like a turning point – one that all of California can get behind.

We witnessed how emergency declarations escalated the response during the pandemic when FEMA covered the cost of filling motels and hotels with vulnerable unhoused people, and the state allocated substantial funding for housing and emergency services.

Just as the pandemic sparked action, these declarations can unlock resources at a moment when everyone is eager for change.

But there are drawbacks to applying an emergency label to homelessness. For one, it gives the impression that homelessness is a natural phenomenon like an earthquake rather than the result of policies that should not be repeated.

It can also imply a need for temporary solutions and short-term funding. A onetime infusion of cash can’t overcome a systemic failure that is decades in the making. We demand long-term accountability from our homeless service providers but fail to make the long-term financial commitment they need to budget, plan and build on their successes.

The crisis frame can also push resources toward temporary shelters and away from permanent housing. That would be a mistake, since permanent housing has proven to be the most effective intervention. According to a recent report, 92% of supportive housing residents stay housed after six months.

Shelters certainly have a role to play, but they shouldn’t distract us from achieving true success.

These emergency declarations are a phenomenal way to electrify our stalled approach to homelessness, but they will ultimately fail if we do not think in terms of permanent change. That means permanent funding for service providers, permanent homes for people living on the streets, and permanent reform to our tangled web of interconnected bureaucracies.

To start with, creating a more collaborative way for local governments to work together could improve how quickly housing is permitted and services are delivered. This approach has succeeded elsewhere: Houston made a 60% reduction in homelessness in four years by aligning all levels of government and the civic community on a single plan of action.

That level of collaboration would be a paradigm shift in sprawling L.A. County, where a hundred different quarterbacks call their own plays and then look for someone to blame for system failings. If we succeed here, as they have in Houston, other California cities could follow.

In fairness, our actions so far have laid a critical foundation. It’s a testament to the many individuals working to solve homelessness that over the last five years: 84,000 unhoused people in L.A. County moved into permanent housing. Thanks also to investments by taxpayers and philanthropy, L.A. is rehousing more people every year than any other large city in California.

Significant progress has been made, but we cannot expect Californians to see it that way when the scale of homelessness remains enormous.

Homelessness is both an emergency and an ongoing challenge. It’s good to hear our leaders recognize it. Let’s take this energy and get to work creating a lasting model for change that can inspire cities and counties across the state.

— Peter Laugharn is the president and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Miguel A. Santana is the president and CEO of the Weingart Foundation. wrote this for CalMatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's Capitol works and why it matters.

Changes keep coming to vocabulary

Language evolves. Because English has no governing body to enforce its norms and rules, our idiom changes faster than most others.

The accepted standards of English grammar, spelling, punctuation and diction and what words mean are usually what authoritative groups, companies and institutions say they are. Academia, book and magazine publishers, Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, the Associated Press and the New York Times often decide these questions in the United States and the rest of us follow.

We have, for example, agreed upon norms for objective and subjective pronouns.

It’s deemed wrong to ask, “Who did you buy that bike from?” Authoritative sources decided a long time ago that “who” is subjective and “whom” is objective (and some disdain a dangling preposition). So correct English demands the question be, “From whom did you buy that bike?”

But most anglophones today never use whom, other than in formal writing. In cases where most English speakers don’t follow a rule laid down by “authoritative” sources, it ceases to be a rule.

The “mistake” becomes the norm and eventually what is grammatically accepted adjusts.

This bottom-up evolution is more widespread when it comes to new definitions for words. Common English terms that meant one thing hundreds of years ago have different significance today.

For example, bully came into English from Dutch (boel), meaning “sweetheart.” Over time bully came to mean a “good fellow” and later a “daredevil.” From there it evolved into our current definition, “one who is habitually cruel, insulting or threatening to others who are

Help kids learn to read

weaker, smaller or in some way vulnerable.”

Where American English is currently changing fast is with terms that fall under the umbrella of gender, sex and sexual orientation. Davis Enterprise contributor Wendy Weitzel recently shared with me an update in this regard published by the Associated Press that our newspaper follows.

The AP guide starts by defining words. “Sex refers to biological characteristics, such as chromosomes, hormones and reproductive anatomy. … Gender refers to internal and social identity and often corresponds with but is not synonymous with sex,” according to the update.

“Experts from organizations including the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association and American Psychological Association say gender is a spectrum, not a binary structure consisting of only males and females.”

Prior to the 1960s, the American people and the institutions listed by the AP believed there were just two genders, male and female. Biblical literalists (then and now) would have quoted Genesis 2:7-23 to bolster that case.

However, as more gays, lesbians, transgenders and others came out of the closet, that consensus broke down. The vast majority of Americans now support same-sex marriage. It was just the opposite less than 20 years ago. We have evolved.

By more than sixto-one, Americans believe the law should protect transgender people from discrimination. There is less of a consensus on the question whether a person’s gender “can be different from sex assigned at birth.”

In a recent column, regarding levels of testosterone, I wrote, “A normal biological male has from 10 to 35 nmol/L; a biological female 0.5 to 2.4 nmol/L of testosterone.”

My terminology apparently violates the new AP Stylebook.

“Avoid terms like biological sex, along with biological male and biological female, which opponents of transgender rights sometimes use to refer to transgender women and transgender men, respectively.”

The preferred term now is cisgender male or female. While I used that adjective also, I think the AP prejudice against the synonymous biological is nonsense. It’s not just “opponents” of transgender rights who use the term biological male. I’m sure the vast majority of people who have no anti-trans prejudice use it to contrast with transgender.

Another change favored by the Associated Press regards the term gender-affirming care. That “refers to a swath of mental and medical treatments (such as counseling, hormones or surgery) that help bring a person’s gender expression (such as voice, appearance or anatomy) in line with their gender identity.”

I don’t have a problem with that term, as long as the user clearly defines what is meant by “gender-affirming care.” Until an activist informed me that she meant the medical use of hormones and puberty

blockers for trans youth, I thought the reference was to sex-reassignment surgeries. If it’s not surgery, say that explicitly.

It’s not progress if a new term is so vague as to confuse the readers as to what is meant. Along those lines, the change from the word “rape” to “sexual assault” has the same problem. The replacement term, which came into use in the 1990s, is vague. It sounds more like unwanted touching than the violent crime of rape.

The new guidelines accept the use of plural pronouns for individuals who prefer them. “AP also uses they/them/their as a way of accurately describing and representing a person who uses those pronouns for themself.”

While I hate this violation of English norms, I realize I am in a shrinking minority. Aside from nonbinary individuals who don’t want to be called him or her, I notice most people now employ the third person plural they/them as neutral singular pronouns. Traditionally, he, him and his were used for both male and neutral singular pronouns. “A chef loves his kitchen.” That neutrality is not only seen as sexist, but it’s often misleading. Today, just about everyone younger than I am would say, “A chef loves their kitchen.” My choice would be, “Chefs love their kitchens.”

Yet our language has evolved from what I was taught. New definitions, terminology and rules won’t be decided by folks my age. Younger Americans are changing English. Their standards will rule the future.

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

Each summer, the Davis Joint Unified School District provides programming for elementary students needing to improve their reading skills. Beginning in 2016, the Davis 1,000 Mentors for Youth Challenge has recruited and coordinated volunteers to provide these students with extra special one-on-one reading time.

In 2019, the program sponsored 60 volunteers who donated 400 hours of their time to read to 200 students. Following a pandemic pause, our 2023 goal is to contribute 500 volunteer hours to Davis children to foster their love of reading.

Please consider volunteering an hour or more of your time. The program takes place at North Davis Elementary School on Thursdays from 9 to 11:30 a.m., June 29 to July 27. You select the number of hours and times you will volunteer to read with children in the classroom. Both English and Spanish readers are needed. All ages are welcome.

There will be a mandatory orientation session on Tuesday, June 20, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room at North Davis Elementary School, 555 E. 14th St. We invite you to attend to learn more, or contact volunteer coordinator Suzanne Hinton at 1000MentorsChallenge@gmail.com to volunteer.

You can make a difference in a child’s life. Take a summer reading break with our kids.

Susan Lovenburg, former DJUSD trustee

Hiram Jackson, DJUSD trustee

A whole new world

I could not disagree more with Derrick Bang’s review of “The Little Mermaid,”

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

Speak

President

published on May 26. The film was not “a sad failure,” but an explosive and enchanting upgrade. I have done my share of railing against Disney’s new liveaction reimaginings and refused to see them, but “The Little Mermaid” was different. The 1989 “Little Mermaid” was the first film my mom took me to see. I am not a Disney stan, or even a “princess” kind of person, but the film means a lot to me. When I took my mom last weekend, we were prepared to hate it and spend the drive home spouting our upset. We loved every minute. The updates were not “overkill,” and the inclusivity was not “a sledgehammer.” Being a fan of the original, I felt new version smoothly gave kids (and adults) important shifts in representation.

Instead of being flippant, singing bimbos put on display, Ariel’s sisters are rulers of their own seas. Instead of needing to be rescued by a prince, Ariel takes Ursula down to save Eric and Triton. Instead of

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

being a sea of white people, people of color abound.

I especially appreciated the lyric changes in Ursula’s song to better represent body acceptance. Were Scuttle and Eric’s songs Lin-Manuel Miranda’s best work? No, but I enjoyed that we saw more of their characters. The water animation and attention to ocean-life details were fantastic, and I loved that we spent time exploring the island. Its ostensibly a kid’s movie, so the “kumbaya tableau” at the end felt just right and aligned with the 1989 ending.

I will say that Bang was spot-on about Halle Bailey as Ariel. She is truly a marvel. Daveed Diggs crushes it as Sebastian, and his version of “Under the Sea” slaps.

In the words of the high school students my partner teaches, “The Little Mermaid” 2023 ate it up and left no crumbs.

See you under the sea, Emily

Castano Davis

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

House of Representatives

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/

Just remember, the best is yet to come

I distinctly remember the first time after having kids that I walked across the park playground not holding one of them in my arms.

It was winter at Land Park in Sacramento and our youngest child who was 13 months old did not want to be carried. He wanted to walk.

I remember thinking, “Will I ever carry my kids in my arms again?”

It probably wasn’t the last time I carried him. But eventually, not too long after that, there was a last time.

And from that early moment in my parenthood, I learned to pay attention to the “lasts.”

I didn’t mourn them because almost always, I didn’t realize they were happening. But as I passed through those precious moments in my life, I recognized them in hindsight.

The last time I carried a baby across the playground.

The last time I read a bedtime story.

The last time I pushed a child in a swing.

The last Little League game I would cheer for.

The last “Nutcracker” performance.

The last track meet or volleyball game.

So many lasts.

It was those “lasts” I suppose that led me to begin a mantra that would carry me, and perhaps my kids, through their childhood into young adulthood. That mantra – a manifestation of what I needed to believe and what I needed my kids to believe – was this:

The best is yet to come.

I would say it after so many

hard days that we thought would never end. Days when kids ate alone at lunch. When friends were mean. When hard-fought student council elections were lost. When they didn’t make the team.

This day might be hard, but better days were ahead for sure.

And I would say it on the best days, days that were so wonderful, you didn’t want them to end. When awards were won, new friends were made, good grades were achieved. So many good days. This day might feel like the best day, but guess what? Even better days are ahead. You can’t even imagine all the happiness that’s yet to come.

Last week, our youngest child graduated from high school. On Wednesday morning, I dropped him off at school for the last time. For 19 years, school dropoff has been a cherished part of my life. In later years, it might not be every day, as kids rode bikes, drove or got rides from friends. But on lucky days, when a bike tire was flat or someone was running behind, I would enthusiastically jump in my van to chauffeur them to school. And for the eight minutes it took to weave our way through town, I would soak up their presence next to me, listening to their plans for the day or singing

along to whatever new song had made their playlist.

My last school drop-off was uneventful. Eight minutes of quality time with my favorite 18-year-old, talking about how to get the wrinkles out of his graduation gown, finalizing details of his family party on Sunday and listening to his music on the car stereo.

And then we were there at the curb with our usual exchanges of “I love you” and “Best day ever.”

As he walked away, the song that was playing on my stereo — Macklemore’s “Good Old Days” — began to cut out and fade as the Bluetooth connection was lost.

As I watched that tall young man saunter away from me, I

held back tears and repeated to myself, “The best is yet to come. The best is yet to come. The best is yet to come.”

And I know this is true because for every one of my “lasts,” there will be a “first” for them.

The last time I read a bedtime story? The first time Maev read a chapter book.

The last time I pushed a child on a swing? The first time Emme learned to pump her legs and touch the clouds with her toes.

The last time I watched a child perform in the “Holiday Nutcracker”? Molly’s first time as a grown up group leader guiding the Bears and Dolls.

The sadness that I felt when I realized I would never again

carry a child across a playground or drive one of my kids to school cannot begin to compare to the joy I felt as I watched Mick stride across the stage on graduation night. Or to the excitement he will feel as he heads off on a summer trip with his friends. Or to the pride and anticipation he will feel as he begins his college career at Santa Cruz.

For every last, there will be a first. A first love, a first college graduation, a first job, a first apartment, a first baby, a first promotion. So many firsts.

The best is yet to come and I can hardly wait.

— Shelley Dunning is a Davis resident and a mom of four. Reach her at dunningsm@ gmail.com.

Finding summer fun in a bottle — or a can

Sometimes wines just want to have fun. And what better time than early summer when farm ers’ market stands overflow with the most beautiful fruit and vegeta bles?

Strawberries, fresh corn, eggplant, rhubarb, basil, tomatoes, spring shallots, garlic scapes — I can’t help filling my bags with these reds, yellows, greens, and purples. Fortunately I have a good appetite, especially in anticipation of some of my favorite summer dishes — like farfalle with corn and basil sauce.

Our first corn arrived before the tomatoes did, so I added a few sun-dried tomatoes to the basil and scallion greens in the fresh corn sauce. The result was a colorful, tasty dinner that practically begged for a colorful, light, and fresh rosé, and the one I picked had the added perk of a smattering of bubbles. In other word, great fun.

Amy at The Pip had just gotten in this 2022 Sol

Real Vinho Verde Rosé. Its deep pink caught my eye, and Amy was an enthusiastic advocate. The wine brought not only color but the summer flavors of strawberry and rhubarb (and did I detect the faintest note of basil?) to the

meal. A blend of two native Portuguese grapes, touriga nacional and espadeiro, it’s a project of well-known winemaker Carlos Teixera, who has, since the early 2000s, overseen the transition of his family vineyards from producing bulk local wines to estate bottlings. He makes, said one critic, “textbook Vinho Verde at an unimpeachable level of quality.” Or as Amy described this bottle, “not serious but still structured and layered.” In other words, great fun. I immediately went back for another bottle ($15).

The Vinho Verde region always offers affordable, food-friendly, unpretentious wines. Even the $10 ones like Raza and Casal Garcia are easy-going and eminently quaffable; Sol Real goes a step beyond. Whatever the price point, you’ll be happy having many bottles of VV in your wine rack for the coming heat, especially since they

tend to be among the lowest alcohol wines—the Sol Real clocks in at 10.5%.

And they’re perfect for easy summer fare like big salads, nachos, BLTs, and simple pastas with summer veg.

Fun summer wines don’t have to be white or pink. At The Pip you can find a wonderfully fun red just perfect — with an hour’s chill — for a warm evening. Also a new arrival, it’s called, whimsically, Raisins Gaulois ($22) and has an equally whimsical label.

I first tried this wine over a decade ago (a lot cheaper then, of course).

One summer evening R. and I dined on a lovely patio in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley and chose this bottle to accompany a nicely blistered pizza. I might have overlooked the silly name and label if I hadn’t noticed the importer, Kermit Lynch, which pretty much guaranteed its quality. I’ve had it several times since — whenever I see it on a wine shelf — so I was delighted when The Pip brought in this new vintage. I approached it warily because a couple of vintages hadn’t managed to

Local students earn academic kudos

Enterprise staff

Charlotte Rosendale of Woodland was named to the University of Alabama President’s List for fall semester 2022. A total of 12,791 students enrolled during Fall Semester 2022 at The University of Alabama were named to the dean’s list with an academic record of 3.5 (or above) or the president’s list with an academic record of 4.0 (all A’s). These driven students are making waves across UA’s more than 70 undergraduate programs and 12 colleges and schools. The UA dean’s and president’s lists recognize

Name Droppers

full-time undergraduate students. The lists do not apply to graduate students or undergraduate students who take less than a full course load. For more information visit news.ua.edu.

The University of Mississippi announced students named to the Spring 2023 Honor Roll lists, including Dean’s Honor Roll. The following local students made the list: Andrew Dettling of El

Macero, majoring in management, and Jenna Price of Woodland, majoring in criminal justice.

The Dean’s Honor Roll is reserved for students who earn a semester GPA of 3.50-3.74. In order to be eligible for honor roll designation, a student must have completed at least 12 graded hours for the semester and may not be on academic probation during the semester.

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

live up to my first-time memory (enhanced no doubt by the idyllic setting), but as soon as I tasted the 2022, I was in love again.

That first bottle was made by Marcel Lapierre, a famous champion of “nothing added, nothing taken away” organic wine-making. Now his children Mathieu and Camille are carrying on the tradition. The estate is well-known for its Morgons, but the grapes for this “jolly, carefree” bottle are too young to merit the Morgon designation, so looking at the bottle you’d never know it’s 100% gamay from one of the most prestigious areas in France.

In honor of the ambiance of that SF patio meal, I served this recent bottle with a Friday-night pizza — topped with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, grated fresh fennel, garlic scapes, and young spinach leaves. I would happily drink this juicy, tart, lively red with every single one of our summer pizzas. I

might even use it as an excuse to expand our pizza-eating to Wednesday night when I could take a break from cooking and fetch a pie from Upper Crust (to my mind the best pizza in Davis, only available on Wednesdays).

Wine might have even more fun living its life in a colorful, whimsical can — like Xarmant Txakoli.

Made with several indigenous Basque grapes (honduarrabi zuri, gros manseng, petit manseng, and petit corbu), this light, stony, citrusy wine has a touch of summer stone fruit and a hint of sea salt.

Unsurprisingly, “xarmant” means “charming,” while “txakoli” is the happy light spritzzy white that the Basque like to share with friends and family. And this little can pours out just such charm and joy. The 250 ml. cans are perfect for picnic-going and other informal occasions, but the wine itself is, unlike most canned wine, of high quality and from sustainably farmed estate vineyards — on Spain’s

rugged northern coast. I once read a suggestion (only half facetious) that if you’re faced with shelvesful of unfamiliar wines, you should just look from one with an “x” in its name. Xarmant-txakoli has two. Draw your own conclusion.

You can pick up a can or more ($8.50 each) of this fun-loving white at Wines in Tandem (D St. between The Pence Gallery and The Mustard Seed). The lightweight can is eminently recyclable. Even better, upcycle it for use as a charming pencil-holder or to enclose a small gift for a recent graduate or otherwise celebrating friend. If you go on a Friday or Saturday, you can take advantage of the best wine-tasting deal in town. Just $15 for several small production gems, handpicked by owner Ryan Crosbie. ($5 off that fee for each bottle purchased.) Fun guaranteed. Happy Solstice!

— Reach Susana Leonardi at vinosusana@ gmail.com. Comment on

Courtesy photo

So many lasts, so many firsts.

By Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Stephan Pastis

By Charles M. Schulz

E-Bikes on ‘Timeout Radio’

There are millions of e-bikes on our roads. These are bicycles with an electric motor that you can activate to help with pedaling. On the latest episode of “Timeout Radio,” host Rohan Baxi talks to Susan Handy, a UC Davis professor and director of the National Center for Sustainable Transportation, who will talk about the environmental policy challenges that the road to sustainable transportation faces in the U.S.

Hear about how e-bikes influence travel and how city planners can get people to drive less and use more e-bikes. In this episode’s travel segment, listeners will learn about Amsterdam, a city built on clay and supported by 11 million wooden poles. This Dutch city is home to 1.2 million bikes, 320 miles of bicycle lanes, 165 canals, a cat shelter on a houseboat, and stroopwafels.

“Timeout Radio” is a radio show and podcast based in Davis for youth.

It airs on KDRT 95.7

FM from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and 8 to 8:30 a.m. Saturdays. All episodes are archived at https://kdrt.org/program/timeout-radio.

You can follow Timeout Radio on Instagram @ timeout.radio and Facebook @TimeoutRadio.

STEAC gives away books

Marguerite Mont-

gomery Elementary School students got an unexpected surprise last week — they got to pick out 10 books to take home for summer reading. The Short Term Emergency Aid Committee’s new Book Giveaway for Low-Income

Children dispersed over 1,400 books to 108 children whose families may not have the resources to purchase extra reading material.

All 18 classroom libraries were also enhanced with additional books. Students were thrilled to receive the books with one fourth grade boy exclaiming, “I’m so excited to read.” MME school librarian Nora Brazil noted how grateful she was “getting books to our students who need them most.”

City unveils 2022 water-quality report

By Dawn Calciano Special to The Enterprise

Do you have questions about water quality in Davis?

The cty has answers! The 2022 Water Quality Report is now available online at https:// CityofDavis.org/WaterQuality.

The city is pleased to report that in 2022, as in past years, the City’s water supply did not have any violations of the maximum contaminant levels for water quality.

The U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act requires all community water systems to report annually on any regulated contaminants that were detected in the drinking water supply and provide this information to their water customers. The Annual Water Quality Report covers water quality data from January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022. The report was posted to the City’s website in May 2023 and customers received notice of the report in their June City utility bills.

In addition to listing the various minerals and other elements (that are known collectively as “constituents”) detected in the City’s drinking water, the report also contains mandatory reporting on topics such as the sources of drinking water and how it is treated, potential sources of constituents and other related educational information. The report

EnvironmEntal UpdatE

also contains information on water conservation and tips on understanding your water usage as presented on the City utility bill.

There are several ways to view the City’s Water Quality Report. The 2022 report and reports from previous years are posted online at https://CityofDavis.org/WaterQuality. You can also visit http:// GreenerDavis.org/ and click on the “Water Quality Report” icon. Customers can contact the City of Davis Water Division at Water@ CityofDavis.org or call the Public Works Utilities and Operations Department at 530-757-5686 to request an electronic (PDF) or paper copy of the report.

Water hardness questions

One of the most frequent questions the City receives about water quality relates to the issue of water hardness. The delivery of surface water (which started in 2016) and the use of groundwater from the deep aquifer has significantly decreased the water hardness level of the city’s drinking water when compared to hardness levels prior

to 2016.

In 2015, the average level of water hardness (weighted average) was 306 parts per million (ppm) or 18 grains per gallon (gpg), which is very hard water, and many households owned/rented a water softener to reduce the buildup of calcium and magnesium (minerals) on faucets, glass shower doors and dishes. In 2022, with approximately 87% of delivered drinking water being surface water, the weighted average for water hardness was 55 ppm or 3.2 gpg.

This significant reduction means that throughout the year the water in your pipes is moderately soft water and residents can choose to remove the additional cost of a water softener (salt, water and energy) and enjoy using less soap to clean bathrooms, dishes and clothes.

Water conservation, rain or shine

As aptly demonstrated since the start of the 2023 year, the weather in California is highly variable with prolonged dry periods and intervals of significant precipitation. The City has permanent mandatory water-use restrictions in place to conserve water yearround, no matter the weather.

Although some emergency drought restrictions have been lifted, the State-wide water-waste restrictions enacted in 2022 remain in place. Learn more at www.SaveDavisWater.org.

Sprinkler irrigation is currently limited to a maximum of three days per week. The water restrictions only apply to sprinkler/spray irrigation and do not apply to other methods of irrigation such as drip systems and hand-watering.

To help conserve water during the upcoming months, carefully examine your outdoor irrigation systems and reduce overall summer water usage. Now is a good time to ensure that irrigation systems are functioning properly or invest in drought resistant landscaping.

If you are not already registered for the city’s online water-use portal, AquaHawk, consider registering so that you can view and monitor irrigation water usage. Find registration instructions for AquaHawk and information on other water conservation resources at www.SaveDavisWater.org.

—Dawn Calciano is a Conservation Coordinator and Sherry Kimura is a Water Quality Compliance Specialist with the City of Davis. Both can be reached at PWWeb@CityofDavis.org

OneCreek technician program is open for summer 2023

Enterprise staff

The Putah Creek Council’s OneCreek seasonal restoration technician program is back for summer 2023.

The prrogram is a paid ($15.50/hour) part-time, seasonal position designed to give participants experience working with local partners and stakeholders along the Putah Creek Watershed. With the help of partner agencies, the OneCreek Program provides work experience in field work days, nursery work days, and skill development days.

The Summer 2023 OneCreek season will run for nine weeks: the second week of July through the

533-8224

first week of September, with the first week of August off. The time commitment is between 6-8 hours a week and includes a combination of on-site field work and independent reading/research, depending on participants’ availability. Previous restoration experience is not required and applicants do not need to be enrolled students in order to participate. Join us this summer to work with and learn from experts selected for the educational opportunities they provide in habitat restoration, native plant landscaping, outdoor recreation management, native plant propagation, and nursery operations. Technicians

receive an introduction to Restoration and Conservation career paths from regional professionals.

These experts will give guided presentations and engage in discussion activities about the concepts learned. The program will include exposure to the science behind the various restoration projects and research being conducted in the region. In addition, participants will receive the contact information of the agency representatives they gain hands-on experience and job training from during employment. The oneon-one opportunity to gain experience in the field with prospective employers is not often presented

through college courses.

Work days will be held primarily outdoors within Solano and Yolo Counties and vary depending on the day. Transportation to the worksite is not provided. Applicants may apply via Google Forms, found on our website, and submit their resume and cover letter to the Education Program Manager Brenda at brenda@putahcreekcouncil.org and cc Stewardship

Program Manager Nicolle at nicolle@putahcreekcouncil.org

More information about the 2023 OneCreek Program is available at https://.putahcreekcouncil.org/who-we-are/joboppurtunities/, by emailing Brenda at brenda@putahcreekcouncil.org, Nicolle at nicolle@putahcreekcouncil.org, or by calling the Putah Creek Council office at 530-795-9000.

Newpane is hiring individuals who are ready to work installing windows & patio doors Looking f o r h a r d w o r k i n g i n d i v i d u a l s t h a t w i l l p r o v i d e g r e a t c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e J o b d u t i e s i n c l u d e b u t n o t l i m i t e d t o m o v i n g a n d l i f t i n g m a t e r i a l s , i n s t a l l i n g a n d r e m o v i n g w i n d o w s a n d p a t i o d o o r s , c a u l k i n g , o p e r a t i n g p o w e r t o o l s , s e t t i n g u p & b r e a k i n g d o w n a n d c l e a n i n g u p a t t h e j o b s i t e M U S T b e r e l i a b l e and have reliable transportation to our shop, in Dixon W e p a y f o r d a i l y l u n c h e s & d r i v e t i m e t o a n d f r o m j o b - s i t e s , a n d a l s o o f f e r m e d i c a l a f t e r 9 0 d a y s D e p e n d i n g o n e x p e r i e n c e , p a y r a t e i s b e t w e e n $ 1 8 0 0 - $ 2 1 0 0 p e r h o u r N o e x p e r ie n c e n e c e s s a r y , w i l l t r a i n o n t h e j o b

Please inquire at Nancy@newpane com or call office at 707 678 9970

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF

ROBERT WOOLLEY CASE NO PR2023-0137

To all heirs beneficiaries creditors contingent creditors and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate or both of: ROBERT WOOLLEY

A Petition for Probate has been filed by: NIKKI D EFIGENIO in the Superior Court of California County of:

Yolo

The Petition for Probate requests that: NIKKI D EFIGENIO be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent

The petition requests the decedent's will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court

The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval Before taking certain very important actions however the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action ) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as fol-

lows: Date: July 21 2023 Time: 9:00 A M Dept : TBD

Room: Located at 1000 Main Street Woodland CA 95695

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Notice is hereby given that the County of Yolo Department of C o

If you object to the granting of the petition you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney

If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code,

It’s a rough time this year for peach trees

Special to The Enterprise

Question: I have a fabulous peach tree that has produced luscious white peaches for almost 20 years. It has had some peach curl in prior years and usually I just plucked off those leaves. This year, suddenly, about two weeks ago, I found my tree just covered with peach curl and looking very sad. Please tell me what I should do.

Answer: We’re sorry to hear about your peach tree. Unfortunately, it is something most of us with peach or nectarine trees are dealing with this year.

Peach leaf curl is a disease that affects peaches and nectarines. It is caused by a fungus Taphrina deformans. Peach leaf curl is rampant this year because infection is promoted by cool wet weather. We have certainly had our share of that this year. Disease symptoms begin to show shortly after leaves emerge. The fungus, which infects the areas between the cells of the leaves, causes the leaves to redden, thicken and curl. They will eventually fall from the tree. It may also infect new growing shoots, causing them to thicken and often die.

The fungus survives as spores on the surface of the tree during the heat of summer. Once the weather cools and rains start, the spores bud and multiply. As rain falls, the spores are splashed from one area of the tree to another. In bad years like this one, the entire tree is likely to show severe symptoms. There is nothing you can do once the infection begins to manifest.

The good news is that even a bad leaf curl infection will not kill the tree. The infected leaves will fall and new leaves will emerge. By that time, warmer conditions will not favor the fungus and the new leaves will be fine. But a bad infection that requires the tree to produce a second set of leaves

Calendar

Today

n Davis Science Café is back Wednesday with

“Using Nanoparticles to Stimulate Your Immune System to Fight Cancer,” from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at G Street WunderBar, 228 G St. in downtown Davis. Each month, Professor Jared Shaw with the UC Davis Department of Chemistry hosts the Davis Science Café, featuring scientists who are studying some of today’s cutting edge topics. This month’s speaker is Prof. Kit Lam from UC Davis departments of biochemistry and molecular medicine, and chemistry, who works on the development and application of combinatorial library methods for basic research and drug discovery including cancer drug development and drug delivery. The event is free to attend, with complimentary soft drinks courtesy of the UCD College of Letters and Science. Contact Shaw for information at jtshaw@ucdavis. edu or https://twitter. com/DavisSciCafe1.

n Summer House will celebrate its 50th anniversary of providing service to developmentally disabled adults in Yolo County. This will be celebrated at our annual meeting which is planned from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Yolo County fairgrounds in Woodland. All are welcome to join, but RSVP at juliekirby@ summerhouseinc.

Ask A MAster GArdener

will likely cause the tree to drop most or all of its developing fruit, because it will have less energy to devote to fruit production.

Copper-based fungicide sprays containing copper ammonium complex are the only products available to the home gardener to manage peach leaf curl. There are several brands available on the market. The current recommendation is to spray once after the leaves have fallen in late December. In a particularly wet year, a second application in early February is recommended. The effectiveness of the spray can be increased by adding horticultural oil or similar product to the spray to increase adherence to the bark of the tree. But even two applications had little effect in a year like we just had.

Peach Trees are shortlived (15 to 20 years) so you may want to consider taking yours out and planting a new one. Choosing a resistant variety is a good option. Currently available resistant peach varieties include Frost, Indian Free, Muir and Q-1-8. We recommend planting resistant varieties whenever possible. The regular spraying of copper products results in a buildup of copper in the soil. There it harms the beneficial soil organisms, bacteria and fungi that plants, including your peach tree, rely on for healthy growth. More information can be found by following this link: https://ipm.ucanr. edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/ pn7426.html,

Question: I have a semidwarf Valencia orange tree in my front yard and this year, it seems, none of the blossoms are staying on. What is left on the tree falls off with the slightest touch. There are no other

visible signs of any disease on the tree. What could be the cause of this and how can I prevent this from happening next season?

Answer: Thanks for

contacting UCCE Master Gardeners Help Desk. Citrus is generally quite easy to grow without many serious problems. Citrus will normally self-thin. It

is possible that with all the rain this year, your tree simply produced more blossoms than it can support.

From your photo it looks like your tree is planted in lawn, which is not recommended because the lawn absorbs nutrients your tree needs, and is watered too frequently and shallowly. We suggest that you remove the lawn at least two feet away from the trunk of your tree on all sides. Make sure your tree gets regular (every two to six weeks, depending on temperature) deep watering at the drip line (the outside edge of the canopy) during the dry season.

Also, be sure your tree is being adequately fertilized. Most citrus experts recom-

mend applying fertilizer two or three times a year. The first application should be in the winter, again in early spring, and if needed, in June, before the weather gets really hot.

Finally, all fruit needs to be harvested before your tree blooms in the spring. You want the tree to be putting its nutrients into spring growth and developing new fruit, not maintaining the old.

— If you have a gardening question, contact the Master Gardener Help Desk at 530-666-8737. Or send an email, with pictures attached if that would be helpful, to mgyolo@ucdavis.edu. Stop by the Master Gardener desk at the Davis Farmers Market to ask a question in person.

org. Summer House began in the summer of 1973 as a six-week pilot program to determine the success of group home living for adults with disabilities. Today, it supports 12 residents in the Woodland home, 12 in the Davis home, and approximately 50 other adults in Woodland, Davis, Esparto, West Sacramento and other parts of Yolo County through independent living and supported-living services.

Wednesday, June 21

n The Woodland League of Women Voters will host its first Summer Solstice Event , featuring dinner followed by a presentation by Mindy Romero, Ph.D. Dr. Romero is the founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy (CID), formerly known as the California Civic Engagement Project. The event will take place at the historic Woodland Hotel, 436 Main St. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Dinner tickets are $32. The League’s Annual Meeting for members, which the public may also attend, will follow the presentation. More information about the event, how to become a sponsor and to purchase tickets is available on the League’s website at https://my.lwv.org/ california/woodland.

Courtesy photo

Peach leaf curl is a disease that affects peaches and nectarines, caused by a fungus Taphrina deformans.

WRIGHT: Club water polo and more weight-lifting this summer

From Page B1

The 2021 DHS girls water polo team played in the spring, a season that was forwarded to this time because of the pandemic. The Blue Devils finished with a 16-2 record.

Wright continued to make a splash that spring for the Blue Devils, with a team-high 30 assists and second in shots at 82.

The last four years, Wright was in the DHS girls swimming program. She competed in breaststroke and distance races. She also competed in the 50 and 100 freestyle races and the 200 IM.

Leading up to her graduation on Friday, Wright admitted to thinking of her accomplishments over the last four years.

“I have a little bit,” Wright said.

But now that the final

chapters of her high school career are in the books, Wright is focused on writing new chapters in her academic and athletic lives.

She will be attending Santa Clara University, where studio art will be her major.

Wright made a verbal commitment to SCU earlier this spring.

“I’m really looking forward to college,” Wright noted. “I think all of the work that I have put in high school swimming, high school water polo, club polo, club swimming, I think has really set me up to be a really good college athlete.”

She’s thankful for her dad, plus other coaches and numerous teammates being with her along her journey in and out of the pool.

“I’m really thankful for

everyone who has gotten me this far,” Wright said.

Wright is enjoying her last year being eligible to compete on the Davis Water Polo Club team this spring/summer. Club swimmers can compete until they turn 19 years old.

She’s also been in the weight room in preparing to compete in women’s water polo.

Lynne Arcangel, Wright’s aunt who is a trainer, has been working with her niece in the weight room and cross-fit.

“I’m really grateful for her to keeping me motivated and making workouts fun and getting me stronger so I can do the best that I can in college,” Wright said.

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

Malaya Wright (black cap) tries to slow down a Lodi player in a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I girls water polo playoff game at American River College in Sacramento on Nov. 8, 2022. Wright and the Blue Devils cooled off the Flames with a 20-3 win en route to winning the section title.

Mike Bush/enterprise photo

Malaya Wright (back) walks down the isle after receiving her diploma as a member of the Class of 2023 at Davis High School at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium on Friday.

Mike Bush/ enterprise file photo