The Davis Enterprise Friday, June 23, 2023

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Can these two navigate an awkward relationship? —

Affirmative action back on ballot?

By Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters

California voters may soon vote on whether they support using state money to fund programs that improve the health, education or economic wellbeing of specific racial, ethnic and sexual or gender groups.

“Didn’t we already vote this down in 2020?” a voter may rightfully ask, referring to

the failed campaign of Proposition 16, which sought to undo California’s voter-approved 1996 ban on using race, sex, national origin and ethnicity as a factor in public university admissions and other state programs.

The latest effort, known as Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7, wouldn’t fully overturn Proposition 209, which created the country’s first

ban on affirmative action 27 years ago. Instead, it would allow state agencies to send the governor a waiver request to avoid Proposition 209’s restrictions, as long as the exception is based on scholarly research.

The aim is to have the constitutional amendment appear as a proposition on the November 2024 ballot, when voters will decide the country’s next president. To get there, the measure

FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2023

Council moves ahead with two land projects

By Monica Stark Enterprise staff writer

After continuing a discussion that went to nearly 2 a.m. at the June 6 Davis City Council meeting on key decisions regarding the future of peripheral development in Davis, members voted Tuesday 4-1 (Bapu Vaitla dissenting) to advance the environmental impact reports of the proposed Village Farms and Shriner’s projects. The vote pushes the proposals for ballot measures for March 2025 for Village Farms and June 2026 for Shriner’s.

needs to clear each chamber in the state Legislature by a twothirds vote.

So far the measure has passed two committees in the state Assembly and awaits a hearing in a third.

Beyond those basic details, though, there’s little agreement over what impact the measure would have on California.

See BALLOT, Page A4

Native American students unveil mural

Special to The Enterprise WOODLAND — Woodland-area community members came together to celebrate the unveiling of a cultural mural created by Native youths as part of a project on June 16 — and attendees were able to add their own handprint to the mural.

The mural at Douglass Middle School is the culmination of a series of cultural workshops for Native American students organized by Native Dads Network and in collaboration with the Woodland Joint Unified School District’s American Indian Parent Committee. It comes two weeks after the district held its first-ever Native Student

school

Promotion and Graduation Ceremony in June.

“This mural encapsulates what I hope to bring to my collaborative role at the

See MURAL, Page A4

Regarding the two timelines, City Manager Mike Webb said the process would be akin to running on parallel tracks but at potentially very different speeds. “There’s pros and cons to each of those speeds for various reasons.”

Spanning from the northern to the eastern farmlands, a crescent of five parcels is in city design review in a process that includes environmental review before hitting the ballot box. To Vaitla, the city is facing a situation it has never faced before and may never face again with all of the

See COUNCIL, Page A4

Competency doubt declared in road-rage case

By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer

A Yolo Superior Court judge delayed next month’s scheduled trial for a Davis road-rage suspect after his attorney declared a doubt regarding his mental competency.

Andre Chevill Wilson will now undergo a psychiatric evaluation “due to significant delusions,”

Deputy Public Defender Dan Hutchinson, standing in Wednesday for Wilson’s public defender Aram Davtyan, told Judge Daniel Maguire earlier this week.

“It is our opinion that he is not competent to proceed with a jury trial,” Hutchinson said, also noting that Wilson had twice refused transport to court for his proceedings.

Maguire suspended Wilson’s criminal case and vacated the jury trial that was scheduled to

WILSON “Significant delusions” See RAGE, Page A4

Students walk past the Doe Memorial Library UC Berkeley in 2022.

Thalia Juarez/ CalMaTTers phoTo

CourTesy phoTo

A mural at Woodland’s Douglass Middle School is the culmination of a series of cultural workshops for Native American students organized by Native Dads Network.

district,” said Joshina Cluff, Chair of the Woodland Joint Unified

Blue Devils off to their next steps

Many of us have known for a long time that Davis High School's newspaper, The HUB, is one of the best student-produced papers in the country.

And, while I read every issue of this newspaper I never worked for during my days as a Blue Devil, my favorite edition every year is the final one of the spring semester that lists all the things DHS grads will be pursuing in the fall.

No one's privacy is being invaded because no names are listed without the student's permission, but most students are happy to see their names in print.

The list is stunning. It also reveals just how much brain power is floating around the Davis High School campus. I'm pretty sure you can get smarter just by walking along 14th Street between B and Oak Avenue.

A number of students have decided to take what they've learned in all those years of school and enter the workforce right away. Others have elected to serve their country in the military. Many more have decided to take a gap year to enjoy the world and sort out their options.

While many of those graduates who have decided to attend college

will be scattered all over the United States — not to mention British Columbia — a great number have decided to stay within the Golden State.

California has an incredible system of higher education, with 116 community colleges, 23 campuses in the California State University system and nine more in the University of California realm.

I'm incredibly fond of the community colleges, which are spread throughout the state so that no student should have to travel far from home to attend.

Virtually tuition-free, they offer AA degrees in a wide variety of subjects and also allow students the guarantee of being able to transfer to a UC or CSU if they meet certain requirements. It's a system like no other in the country and one all Californians should be proud of.

Counting all colleges and universities together, Davis High

School will be represented at 110 institutions of higher learning just from the Class of 2023.

Of those 110, Sacramento City College is far and away the leader, with 54 Blue Devils enrolled for fall classes that begin in August. SCC, founded in 1916 on the top floor of Sacramento High School, has flourished ever since as one of the oldest community colleges in the state. It has rightly earned its reputation for excellence.

Davis High graduates will be attending no fewer than 15 community colleges, 15 CSU institutions and all nine UC campuses.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC Davis have been rivals in athletics and academics for decades, perhaps because they are the two main agricultural campuses in the state. Both even have the mighty "Mustang" as their mascot and when they meet on the football field every year, it's called "The Battle for the Golden Horseshoe."

And never mind that most students don't major in ag at either campus, it's still a rivalry for the ages.

When the HUB publishes these college choices each spring, I've noted that Cal Poly SLO and UC Davis are neck and neck in attracting DHS students. This year is no

exception.

Cal Poly has 26 Davis High grads heading there and UC Davis has attracted 23 from DHS.

Other big draws are UC Santa Cruz with 27, Cal with 24 and UC Irvine with 17.

Across the country there will be five Blue Devils at Oregon State, three at Smith, Arizona State, Montana State and Cal Poly Humboldt, two at Alabama, Pellissippi State, Gonzaga, St. Mary's and Willamette, and one each at Wellesley, Northwestern, Duke, Princeton, Brown, Clark Atlanta, Colorado College, George Mason, Mount Allison, Illinois, Puget Sound, Minnesota, the Naval Academy, St.Olaf, Portland State, Whittier, Auburn, Lewis and Clark, Bryn Mawr, Denison, Oberlin, Penn State, Amherst, American, Colorado, CSU Channel Islands, Michigan State, Rice, Purdue, Reed, Portland State, Chapman, Oregon, Cincinnati, Wheaton, Pitzer, University of San Francisco, Vermont, CSU East Bay, Boston U., and the Colorado School of Mines. Or is that the Colorado School of Minds?

And many, many more. May they all excel on the paths they have chosen.

— Reach Bob Dunning at bdunning@davisenterprise.net.

Davis mail-theft probe yields two arrests, massive mail recovery

with an April 21 mail-theft report from a resident of the 600 block of Alvarado Avenue who also reported having a stolen credit card used. A second victim living on Glide Drive reported a similar incident on May 8. Tracking the credit-card purchases, detectives identified two potential

suspects and served a search warrant on June 17, Beckwith said. Jasmine Huff, 28, of Vacaville, and 36-year-old Conrado Fierros of Modesto were booked into the Yolo County Jail on charges of conspiracy, identity theft, possession of false credit cards and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Beckwith said detectives continue to sort through the hundreds and perhaps thousands of pieces of mail — including about 100 stolen credit cards, debit cards and gift cards — recovered during the search, and will follow up with the victims of those thefts.

Courtesy photo

Davis police say they recovered numerous checks while serving. search warrant in a mail-theft investigation.

Dodd’s water-shutoff bill clears state Assembly committee

Enterprise staff

Legislation that expands protections from water shutoffs for low-income Californians on Wednesday cleared the Assembly’s Environmental Quality Committee.

The bill, authored by state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, had previously

Obituaries

passed the California Senate.

“Today’s vote is a step toward ensuring the tap does not get turned off just because someone falls behind on their bills,” Dodd said in a statement. “Access to water is a fundamental right. This bill enhances my previous legislation by covering people in

Diane Cowden

April 25, 1936 — May 29, 2023

Diane Cooley Kessler Cowden died on May 29, 2023, at her home in Davis, at the age of 87. She passed away peacefully in her sleep with her family at her side.

She leaves her sons Stephen (Ann) and Ronald (Sherri); granddaughter Ashlan Falletta-Cowden (Sveinn Sigurdsson); grandsons Neal FallettaCowden, Kevin Cowden and Ross Cowden; greatgrandsons Stefán Björn and Anders Kristofer Sveinsson; special family member Cherie Jarvi; niece Lisa Echols; and nephews Brian Kessler, Curt Kessler, Troy Cowden and Mark Cowden.

Diane was preceded in death by her beloved husband Robert Earl Cowden in 2006, her much-loved son David Scott Cowden in 2016, her brother Bill Kessler and his wife, Lyn Kessler in 2021.

Born to Ruth and Horton Kessler on April 25, 1936, in San Diego, where her father was stationed during his early naval career, Diane grew up living in various Naval communities, including Norfolk, Virginia, Corpus Christi, Texas, San Diego and Oxnard, California during her father’s 30-year military career until they settled in Coronado.

Diagnosed with rheumatic fever when she was five years old, Diane was ordered to have complete bed rest. Her parents were told to enjoy her while they had her because the doctor felt she wouldn’t reach her sixth birthday. Amazingly, three years later, her parents were told that she no longer needed bed rest, at the same time warning them that she shouldn’t be allowed to get over-tired. Her school physical education classes were then restricted to table tennis, jacks, croquet, horseshoes, and exercising.

She graduated from Oxnard Union High School in 1953, attended San Diego State College, then transferred to the University of California at Davis to attend with a high school friend. It was there that she met her future husband “Bob”. He often kidded that he didn’t know whether it was her red hair or her ’46 Ford convertible that he had fallen in love with.

Diane earned an Associate of Arts degree before marrying Bob in Reno, Nevada. They raised their family in Davis where Bob was on the University’s Agricultural Engineering staff. In addition to typing thesis for University Master’s and Doctoral candidates, Diane was

Shannon Peterson Callahan

Dec. 14, 1983 — May 8, 2023

Shannon Peterson Callahan (39), wife, mother and instructor at Sonoma State University, died on May 8, 2023, at the UC Davis Medical Center, just five weeks after being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.

Shannon is survived by her husband of five years, Landon Christensen; son Lewis Christensen (3); mother Ellen Peterson; sister Megan Callahan (Christopher Sierzchula); nephews Paxton (9) and Xander (6); Landon’s parents, Lynn and Laura Christensen; brother-inlaw Gary Christensen; and sister-in-law Katie Manzer and her family.

Shannon was born in

Woodbridge, NJ. Growing up she enjoyed playing trombone with the school band, acting, choir, soccer, and future problem solving.

Shannon received her Ph.D. from UC Davis and taught social psychology at numerous colleges, including UC Davis and Sonoma State University.

There will be a celebration of life at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Davis on Saturday, July 8. Details are available at this Everloved memorial website: https://everloved. com/life-of/shannoncallahan/

Guests are asked to RSVP.

smaller, rural communities who are struggling financially. It will allow them to continue using water for drinking, cooking and necessities such as washing clothes while they get caught up on missed payments.”

Dodd authored the Water Shutoff Protection Act of 2018.

Among other things, it affords those served by water systems of 200 customers or more a 60-day grace period to cover past debt and establishes a system for making payments. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The latest effort, Senate Bill 3, would extend those same

protections by reducing the threshold for compliance to water systems of 15 customers or more.

“The change is expected to affect thousands of low-income families across California and extends an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom that has expired,” the statement said.

active in the University’s “Temp” pool, doing clerical work in various departmental offices.

COWDEN

Because their sons were so involved with aquatic sports — both the Davis Aquadart swim team and the high school’s swim and water polo teams, it’s not surprising that later both Diane and Bob joined the Davis Masters swim program.

When Bob retired from the University in 1986, they moved to a lakeside home they had designed in northeast Oregon on the shores of Wallowa Lake. They enjoyed fishing for Kokanee salmon in front of their lakefront home and also made an annual trip in the fall to fish for king and silver salmon out of Sekiu, Washington on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Interestingly, Diane consistently outfished Bob who insisted that he enjoyed being her fishing guide.

During their retirement years Diane spent many happy hours digitally editing pictures she had taken and was an active member of the county hospital’s auxiliary. She was also a member of the local PEO chapter, a philanthropic

organization of women whose goal is to raise money for scholarships, grants, awards and loans to aid in the educational advancement of women. She also actively supported Bob’s interest in trapshooting and they enjoyed traveling in their fifth-wheel trailer to many competitions in Nevada, Washington, Montana and Oregon until his death in 2006.

She began spending half of each year at her Oregon home, the other half at the Davis home her son Ron had found for her just one block away from his family’s house. Still interested in PEO goals, she became active in the Davis’ chapter SE of the organization.

Just days after returning to her Wallowa Lake home, in June 2016 a sudden medical emergency necessitated that she be airlifted from NE Oregon to a Washington hospital. After over 70 years her rheumatic heart disease was taking a turn for the worse. Encouraged by her sons she moved back to Davis where she lived till her death.

A private memorial service will be held next year on an Oregon mountain near her lake home. At that time her ashes will be scattered with those of her husband and son.

A celebration of life will be held in Davis. For details visit www.smith-funerals. com.

Marian Rae Fargo

d. June 3, 2023

Marian Rae (Kronick) Fargo passed away peacefully on June 3, 2023, just shy of her 95th birthday. Her life was celebrated at a family gathering which included her children, Laurel Sousa (Frank) of Davis, former Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo (Alan Moll), and Dan Fargo (Diana) of Columbia, S.C.; as well as extended family Natalie and Mark Greenfield, and David, Keiko and Sarah Golden. Also remembering her are grandchildren Marianna, Emily, Beatrice Akers

(Ryan), Frank (Jessica), Dan (Caroline) and Matthew (Eilidh). Her great-grandchildren honor her memory as well: Carl, Victor and Isadora of Davis, and Cecily and Flora of London, England. She was predeceased by her parents Morris and Bertha Kronick, her sister Jackie and her husband of 60 years, Frank.

Helen Elizabeth Kota (Marshall) passed peacefully from this life on May 13, 2023. She was supported by her family and close friends during the last days of her life.

July 30, 1943 — May 13, 2023 KOTA

Helen had a brother, Frank, who predeceased her and is survived by her daughters Victoria Shams and son-in-law Ahmad of Piedmont, Melissa Rodriguez of Oxnard, and Tiffany Comito of Davis; grandchildren Leila, Alexander, Michael, Andrew and Brooke; great-grandchildren Zoey, Leon, Reyah and Bentley; nieces Joan and Barbara; nephew Frank Jr.; and many dear friends.

Helen was born July 30, 1943, to Cora Catherine Phillips and William Frarer Marshall. She was born in New York and eventually made her way to California, living the majority of her life in Westlake Village and ending in Woodland and Davis.

Helen graduated from Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology in 1966 and then also obtained her master’s degree in educational administration from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks in 1982.

For the majority of her career Helen was a beloved science teacher, teaching mainly at Westlake High School in Westlake Village.

She was a high school teacher of chemistry and biology and loved helping children get interested in science.

Throughout her life, Helen was an avid soccer player, tennis player and hiker. She loved all of nature and always had a wide variety of different plants and flowers that she cared for. Helen also loved to travel and visited many different countries throughout her life.

Helen was a proud member of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), celebrating over 25 years of sobriety prior to her passing. As a longtime member, she strived to help others lead a positive and fulfilling life.

Helen lived a life dedicated to her family, friends, and education. She will be remembered for her love of life, nature, and her exuberant infectious laugh.

A celebration of life will be held Sunday, July 30, in Davis. Due to limited space please contact Helen’s daughter Tiffany at tiffanycomito@yahoo.com for further details.

In lieu of attending or sending flowers please consider donating to the Sierra Club, one of Helen’s favorite charitable organizations.

The Enterprise publishes brief death notices free of charge. These include name, age, city of residence, occupation, date of death and funeral/memorial information. For further information about paid obituaries or free death notices, call 530-756-0800.

Helen Elizabeth Kota

BALLOT: Backers look for legal way to tackle problems

Would it bring back racial preferences in admissions? Unclear. Will it permit new race-based programs that clear federal law and court precedent? Another unknown.

The point

As with the 2020 ballot measure, the current effort is meant to compensate for the myriad effects historical prejudice has had on specific groups of people, such as housing discrimination or police profiling. It’s a concept known as equity: making up for past racial injustices by using race as a factor in programs that can help undo those injustices.

The measure is an “acknowledgment that Prop. 209 was a failed experiment,” said Assemblyman Corey Jackson, a D-Perris who’s the author of the am,endment.

He wants state law relaxed so that lawmakers and state agencies can directly support Black and other marginalized state residents — such as by deploying public funds to address the much higher death rates of Black women giving birth or the lower life expectancy rates of Black and Native American people — while still work-

ing within some of the confines of Proposition 209.

The amendment’s focus on identity groups is “making sure that there are interventions that are specifically made for them to help solve the problems that are unique to them,” Jackson said.

The emphasis on using academic evidence is an attempt to persuade voters that state programs using race as a factor wouldn’t be subjective but would have to meet a high research bar to waive Proposition 209, Jackson said.

That data is also relevant in other ways. Frequently, the groups with poorer life outcomes have small populations. For example, Black and Native American residents combined make up less than a tenth of the state’s population. That means broader programs meant to help low-income Californians may still miss the specific needs of relatively small communities, including in higher education.

Using research-backed approaches to fund state programs is a way to ensure those smaller groups also get help, Jackson said.

That equity framework, however, is at odds with what backers of Proposition 209 sought — equality.

“If passed, this

MURAL: Students take pride in hard work

From Page A1

School District American Indian Parent Committee.

“Representation, cultural pride, empowerment, and awareness of our Native heritage. I think it’s meaningful that the mural is a catalyst for creating dialogue, since that is something that’s needed for Native families in the educational system.”

“The whole purpose of the mural is to prevent indigenous erasure,” said Mike Duncan, Founder and Executive Director of Native Dads Network. “Specifically of Patwin people from this area. Number two, I believe it’s super important for future generations to understand that we’ve been here for thousands of years and that they get to be part of the link that leads to a future generation of healing. Involving the youth of this project and inviting the community out to participate is super important. It brings recognition. It gives them a sense of pride, a sense of culture, of sustainability, and a sense of pride

of being indigenous to this land.”

Native American students from the Woodland area in grades 7 to 12 designed and painted the 60 x 30 foot mural in just five days with support from the Hope Through Art Foundation.

“It was tough at first,” said Joseph White, one of the student artists. “I wasn’t really sure about the process of it, but as we did the scribble grid and as they took a picture of it and turned down the transparency, it really showed that it’s not that much of a big project that we thought it was. If we have the right amount of teamwork, the right amount of communication, and the right amount of team-building, we could get this done. Now it’s done and everyone is proud of it.”

“It was a lot of hard work,” said Younique Wethington, a student artist who graduated from Woodland High School this year. “But I think the project really showed me that hard work can get things done.”

RAGE: Judge halts trial for evaluation

From Page A1

begin July 3. Wilson, 54, of Elk Grove, faces two counts of attempted murder and multiple weapon-related charges in connection with the alleged road-rage shootings that occurred Feb. 10, 2022, on the Mace Boulevard overpass.

According to court testimony, Wilson called his girlfriend while driving that morning, telling her he feared an assassination attempt on his life. From there he exited the freeway at Mace Boulevard, then opened fire with an assault rifle at two vehicles whose drivers told police they'd had no prior contact with Wilson. Both escaped injury.

Afterward, Wilson drove off the roadway and fled from his truck, hiding from authorities for about two hours before his apprehension along Second Street.

amendment will significantly weaken California’s constitutional principle of equal treatment for all,” wrote Wenyuan Wu, executive director of Californians for Equal Rights Foundation, in a letter to lawmakers. She told CalMatters she expects state Democrats to prevail in placing the measure on the ballot, but her group will fight it — and has the experience. Wu and other foundation officials played key roles in successfully campaigning against Proposition 16.

The foundation she leads recently sued various city and state agencies for using race and sex as a factor in eligibility for public social programs.

The effect

Unlike Proposition 16, this latest constitutional amendment effort to change Proposition 209 wouldn’t permit the state’s public universities to use race as a factor in admissions, Jackson said.

Wu doesn’t believe him.

His measure would “bring back racial preferences, as long as racial preferences can be used to improve outcomes,” she said.

That’s basically undoing Proposition 209 without

saying so, her group argues.

For now, the state’s private universities can consider race in admissions, but federal education watchers expect that to change as soon as tomorrow. Most predict that the U.S. Supreme Court will strike down affirmative action nationally sometime in June, undoing a court precedent first established in 1978 in a case that concerned the University of California — auguring the system’s central role in setting the national debate around racial preferences.

Should the measure reach voters, convincing them to amend Proposition 209 will be a tall order.

California’s liberal voting block wasn’t persuaded that the state needed to use race as a factor to solve its biggest problems. Even in progressive Los Angeles County, while a majority of every major racial and ethnic group backed Joe Biden, a Democrat, for president in 2020, most county Asian and white voters voted no on Proposition 16, according to The New York Times.

Gary Orfield, a professor at UCLA who focuses on civil rights in law and education, said Jackson’s measure could create a new legal terrain for the state’s

many cultural groups to push for changes in state programs.

“Who knows how the state Supreme Court would interpret language like this or what kinds of issues would be invented that would require interpretation,” Orfield said, who added he’d probably vote for the measure if it appeared on the ballot.

However, it’s hard to predict what those issues or interpretations would look like because the measure’s language and scope are so broad.

So broad, in fact, that like Wu, he thinks the language could permit California public colleges to use race as a factor in admissions — though, again, that permission would be overruled if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action as expected.

Of course, a future court could overturn a ban on affirmative action — the U.S. Supreme Court has a long history of overruling precedent. So in an era in which affirmative action were legal nationally, Jackson’s measure is, in Orfield’s view, “ambiguous” enough that a state agency could point to studies showing that race-based affirmative action does lead to educational gains for students of color.

Will it work?

Jackson’s proposal isn’t likely to reach that goal of overcoming past racial and ethnic injustices, said Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a decades-old organization that NBC News in 2016 described as “the law firm of the Latino community.”

Saenz told CalMatters that he doesn’t see how the amendment could make a difference in California.

Saenz said that under current federal law and court precedent “something that specifically excludes everyone else based on race probably can’t meet the ‘narrow tailoring’ requirements” in place that tell government agencies to use race as minimally as possible.

Instead, state lawmakers would have to include far more specific race-neutral eligibility criteria to target underrepresented identity groups, which is time-consuming, difficult and, in his view, insufficient.

“If you want to eliminate racial discrimination, you have to use race, and that’s what’s been prohibited by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Saenz said, except in college admissions, which likely won’t be the case by the end of June.

COUNCIL: New system will score projects

From Page A1

proposals. “That puts us in a very, very strong position — a position that I don’t think we’ll ever have, a position that affords us the ability to create a vision for what we want to see.” He urged the council to create a satisfying vision rather than a “binding route” that could give up hundreds of possible housing units.

At the northwest intersection of Pole Line Road and Covell Boulevard, Village Farms is surrounded by development, except on its northern border. While it’s been referred to as the only infill peripheral development proposal, the city’s general plan defines infill as “urban development or redevelopment on vacant or ‘underutilized’ urban-designated land within a city’s boundaries, as an alternative to accommodating growth through expansions of city boundaries.”

Amid this, the city is struggling to finalize its Housing Element in a way acceptable to the state. They don’t have to prove they will produce, but they must make it possible through zoning and other means to reach the housing targets.

City Attorney Inder Khalsa said while the California Environmental Quality Act, which was developed in the 1970s, favors open space — the denser the project, the

more environmental impacts occur — the council could look at higherdensity alternatives more frequently, allowing council more flexibility.

“Because then you have done the homework of analyzing the environmental impacts, and it’s already in your EIR, and then you don’t end up in a situation … where you find yourself with a final EIR, but you’d actually like a higher density project.”

Many preferred to see infill as the priority while acknowledging some city expansion may also be needed.

Stating the overall density is “quite low at 3.5 units/acre, and far more creative and sustainable site designs are possible” for the Village Farms location, UC Davis Professor of Human Ecology Stephen Wheeler challenged eight teams of students to propose Peripheral Development Standards for Davis and to propose alternative site plans for the East Covell site that would have at least double the density of the proposal as well as have other sustainability advantages. A subset of the class presented Peripheral Design Standard recommendations to the council on June 6.

During public comment this week, Davis resident Alan Miller said he was disturbed by the lack of cohesion between

alternative transportation options brought forth with the various proposals. “I’m just disturbed by how there are these blobs, and then everything gets put in the blob. And there’s no connectivity to the blob next to it and the future blobs.”

Criticizing a comment by a developer at the previous council meeting, stating their project was to include a multimodal center, Miller said, “The Amtrak station is a multimodal center; having a bus stop at your development is not a multimodal center.”

Additionally, this week, council members voted unanimously to approve a tool to score developments submitted for planning review. Developers get to self-score, though their completed rubrics are reviewed by council. Vaitla acknowledged the time they took to fill it out but stated there are some aspects that he disagrees with. “But that’s OK. That’s the kind of conversation we can have.”

Stating the rubric had already been “showing its usefulness,” Mayor Will

Arnold said, “We know more about some of the projects that are in front of us at this stage in project presentation than we ever have prior to starting an EIR process.”

As modifications to the rubric, including “ideal residential density,” were suggested, the city lowered the number of dwelling units per acre to make points more attainable for peripheral projects, as Webb explained.

Councilwoman Donna Neville said the rubric solicits information that sometimes “just isn’t known from the outset.” In other cases, it’s “giving points to an applicant for doing things that are actually required by law — things that are given, that you would do, regardless,” she said. Where the real added value stems from whether a project is making a meaningful impact or achieving the city’s state housing obligations, it also determines if a project is well-integrated with the community, Neville added. — Contact Monica Stark at monica@ davisenterprise.net.

Wilson, who remains in Yolo County Jail custody, returns to court July 24 following his evaluation by a court-appointed doctor to determine whether he understands the nature of his court proceedings and can assist his attorney in preparing a defense.

— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise. net. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene

The biggest survey of homeless Californians in decades shows why so many are on the streets

By Marisa Kendall CalMatters

Losing income is the No. 1 reason Californians end up homeless — and the vast majority of them say a subsidy of as little as $300 a month could have kept them off the streets.

That’s according to a new study out of UC San Francisco that provides the most comprehensive look yet at California’s homeless crisis.

In the six months prior to becoming homeless, the Californians surveyed were making a median income of just $960 a month. The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in California is nearly three times that, according to Zillow. And though survey participants listed a myriad of reasons why they lost their homes, more people cited a loss of, or reduction in, income than anything else.

The study’s authors say the findings highlight the idea that money, more than addiction, mental health, poor decisions or other factors, is the main cause of — and potential solution to — homelessness.

“I think it’s really important to note how desperately poor people are, and how much it is their poverty and the high housing costs that are leading to this crisis,” said Margot Kushel, a physician who directs the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, which conducted the study.

Already the study — which the authors say is the most representative homelessness survey conducted in the U.S. since the mid1990s — has drawn attention from high places.

The initial idea for the survey came from California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly, Kushel said. Ghaly’s office has been involved along the way, though the state didn’t fund the research.

“As we drive toward addressing the health and housing needs of Californian’s experiencing homelessness, this study reinforces the importance of comprehensive and integrated supports,” Ghaly said in a news release.

“California is taking bold steps to address unmet needs for physical and behavioral health services, to create a range of housing options that are safe and stable, and to meet people where they are at. We are grateful for the voices of those who participated in this study, as they will help guide our approach.”

The survey comes as local governments press Gov. Gavin Newsom to distribute ongoing funding to fight homelessness, arguing the one-time grants he has doled out so far don’t allow them to make lasting

progress. Newsom has resisted that kind of multiyear commitment, although his administration has allocated nearly $21 billion toward homelessness and housing since he took office.

The UCSF team surveyed 3,198 unhoused adults throughout California between October 2021 and November 2022, and conducted in-depth interviews with 365 of those participants.

What drives crisis?

When asked why they left their last home, respondents cited conflict between roommates, not wanting to impose on the person or people they were living with, domestic violence, illness and breakups.

A loss of or reduction in income was the most common response, with 12% of people saying that’s what caused their homelessness.

Just 4% blamed their own substance use or drinking.

All of those varied factors that led people to lose their homes often have underlying roots in economic instability, said Jennifer Wolch, a professor emerita at UC Berkeley specializing in homelessness.

“This lack of income and severe instability and housing precarity, it has spillover effects on people’s relationships, their use of alcohol and other kinds of problematic substances,” she said. “It impinges on their health status.”

The story told by one survey participant, identified as Carlos, shows how someone can gradually descend into homelessness. He had to stop working after falling off a ladder and injuring his spine, but wasn’t eligible for workers’ compensation because he had been paid in cash. Unable to afford his rent, he moved out of his apartment

and rented a room in a new place. He soon left due to conflicts with his roommates. He then briefly lived with his sister’s family, until they faced COVID-related job loss and he moved out to avoid becoming a burden. He lived in his truck until it was towed due to unpaid parking tickets. Now, he lives in an encampment in a park.

Most of the homeless Californians surveyed said a relatively small amount of cash would have saved them from the street. Seventy percent said a monthly rental subsidy of $300$500 would have kept them from becoming homeless, while 82% believed a onetime payment of between $5,000 and $10,000 would have worked.

Jennifer Loving, CEO of Santa Clara County nonprofit Destination: Home, hopes the study’s findings will help debunk what she says is a common myth that people are homeless because of their individual failings, rather than because rents are outpacing wages. She’d like to see California’s leaders take notice.

“Hopefully it will inform a statewide strategy,” she said, “because we need a statewide strategy to be able to manage how we are addressing homelessness.”

Another myth

Another myth the study attempts to dispel is that most homeless people flock to California cities because of warm weather, liberal policies and generous services. In reality, 90% of the people surveyed said they were last housed in California, and 75% live in the same county as where they lost their housing.

That’s important to remember, Wolch said, because it’s easy to disregard unhoused people who

we think “aren’t from here” and haven’t paid taxes here.

“People who are homeless are your neighbors,” she said. “People who are homeless live in the same city that you do and they possibly have lived there longer than you have.”

The survey painted a bleak picture of the traumas and tragedies that made survey participants more vulnerable to ending up on the street. People reported growing up in depressed communities with few job opportunities, where they experienced exploitation and discrimination. Nearly three-quarters said they had experienced physical violence during their lives, and one-quarter had experienced sexual violence.

One in three people surveyed attempted suicide at some point.

Mental health and addiction also were a common undercurrent in the lives of many of the unhoused people surveyed, which is to be expected in a population that has suffered so much trauma, according to the researchers. Two-thirds of people reported experiencing mental health symptoms — including depression, anxiety or hallucinations — in the past 30 days. Homelessness and all it entails, including lack of sleep, violence and difficulty accessing medication, exacerbated their symptoms, many people said.

About one-third of

people reported using drugs three or more times a week — mostly methamphetamines. And 1 in 5 people who reported regular drug or heavy alcohol use said they wanted addiction treatment but couldn’t get it.

Jail to streets

The study also emphasizes the relationship between incarceration and homelessness, said Alex Visotzky, senior California Policy Fellow for the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

More than three-quarters of people surveyed had been incarcerated at some point during their life. And in the six months before becoming homeless, 43% were in jail or prison, or were on probation or parole. The vast majority of

those who had been incarcerated received no help signing up for housing, healthcare or benefits upon release.

“That drove home for me this point: Incarceration, homelessness and then subsequent criminalization are fueling a really vicious cycle for marginalized people, especially Black and Latino Californians, that’s both causing and prolonging homelessness,” Visotzky said.

‘We don’t have enough housing for poor folks’

To solve the homelessness crisis, the main problem California needs to address is the lack of housing that’s affordable for extremely low-income residents, according to the researchers. The state has just 24 affordable and available homes for every 100 extremely low-income households, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Among the solutions the researchers proposed: expanding vouchers that use federal, state and local dollars to subsidize people’s rent. They also suggested piloting shared housing programs where multiple households live together and split costs, while also providing funds to help people remain with or move in with family or friends.

Kushel hopes the study helps drive public support for these ideas, which in turn will spur politicians to act.

“I hope that it really focuses our efforts on housing, which is the only way out of homelessness,” Kushel said. “It’s almost so obvious it’s hard to speak about. We don’t have enough housing for poor folks.”

Larry VaLenzueL a/ CaLMatters, CatChLight LoCaL photo

A man starts a fire while his wife sleeps inside their makeshift tent along a barbed wire fence near Highway 99 in southwest Fresno on Feb. 11, 2022.

What to do with pear tree hit by blight?

Special to The Enterprise

This column is written by the Master Gardeners of Yolo County each month. It provides answers to selected questions that recently came into the UCCE Master Gardener — Yolo County Help Desk.

Question: My 3-year-old Asian pear trees seem to have fire blight. All the blossom/small fruit clusters turned black and shriveled up and died. The black is now creeping up the branches.

At this point, should I try to prune back all the branches? Or should I remove the trees?

I have a 20th Century and Shinseki. Thank you for your help!

Answer: We are sorry to hear about your Asian pear trees. What you describe is consistent with fire blight. Fire blight is a disease caused by a bacteria, Erwinia amylovoras. Pome fruits (apple, pear and quince) are susceptible. The bacteria become active once temperatures reach 65 degrees. Rapidly growing shoots are the most susceptible, so symptoms generally begin to show up in the spring. The bacteria can enter through damaged bark or leaves and through blossoms. Once blossoms are infected, the bacteria can be carried from blossom to blossom by pollinators. Because of that, the first sign of fire blight is often shriveled blossoms.

The treatment of fire blight is severe, so you need to be sure of the diagnosis. You may want to take cuttings, in completely sealed plastic bags, to the Master Gardener office (or the MG desk at Farmer’s Markets; see details at yolomg.ucanr.edu), to a local nursery, or to consult with a certified arborist.

Visible symptoms are leaves and branch tips that look “scorched”, hence the name. The ends of young branches will generally have a “crook” which is one of the most characteristic identifiers. But the infection moves under the bark, below the visible symptoms. The only treatment is

Ask A MAster GArdener

to remove the infected wood. To locate the correct site to cut, find the lower edge of the visible infection in the branch, trace that infected branch back to its point of attachment, and cut at the next branch juncture down without harming the branch collar. (The branch collar is the slightly thick area at the base of each branch) This will remove the infected branch and the branch to which it is attached.

With tree varieties that are less susceptible the disease will progress fairly slowly, so it is advisable to wait until the disease slows down in the heat of the summer or even winter to cut out diseased wood. Unfortunately, most Asian pear varieties are particularly susceptible to the disease and young trees even more so. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, we recommend you remove diseased wood as soon as possible. If possible, you should remove the branch that is infected and the branch it is connected to down to the branch collar. That is the slight thickening where the branch connects. This is because the disease will have traveled under the bark beyond the area of symptoms you can see. Sanitize your pruners or pruning saw with ten-percent bleach solution between cuts to prevent further spread of the bacteria. Fire blight can easily kill a young tree once the disease reaches the trunk. If that appears to be the case, you will unfortunately need to remove the tree.

Should you need to remove the trees and want to continue to grow Asian pear trees, Shinko is the only Asian pear variety that is resistant to fire blight. The fruit is reported to be excellent. The sites below provide further descriptions of fire blight with photos.

n https://www2.ipm.ucanr. edu/agriculture/pear/fire-blight/

n http://ipm.ucanr.edu/ PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7414. html

Question: Hi, I have a question about a tomato plant that disappeared overnight. I have a 2-foot deep raised bed that's on top of compacted gravel. Yesterday I planted three tomato plants. This morning, one of them was gone, with only a few leaves left where the plant was. Nothing else in the garden was disturbed and I've never seen this happen before. It was quite a large tomato plant at just under a foot tall. Do you have any ideas of what could have done this, and how to prevent it happening in the future? A Yolo Gardener.

Answer: We are sorry to hear about your tomato plant. Tomatoes are members of the Solanaceae family and are mildly toxic. Even so, a surprising number of critters and insects will eat them. If you haven't already disturbed the area too much, it would be good to start with some investigation. Look closely at the area to check for animal droppings, feathers, snail trails, or other indications of animal activity.

Given that your entire tomato plant disappeared in one evening, the culprit is likely a small mammal. A raccoon might have eaten your plant although they are more often interested in the fruit. Raccoons are common in rural areas and some Yolo County towns. It could also have been a squirrel which is ubiquitous in our urban and rural areas. They are more likely to eat the fruit but nibbling the plant is not unheard of if they are hungry. Pocket gophers are another good possibility. They could pull a plant that size down below the ground. If a gopher, you will be able to find a tunnel below the spot your plant previously lived. Gophers can get into raised beds from below unless the beds are covered with wire mesh scale on the bottom, but the compacted gravel should be a deterrent.

Plants can be protected from most small mammals with a wire or plastic protector. If you're interested in that, you can find it at a nursery, or find instruction online for making them yourself. These will not help with gophers, but here are

several traps on the market that may help eliminate them. Some articles that may help with your investigation are listed below. This information may be helpful background for your vegetable gardening in any case. A one-foot tomato plant disappearing in a single night is an unusual event. We hope you are able to replace your tomato plant. UCCE Master GardenersYolo.

n https://ucanr.edu/blogs/ blogcore/postdetail. cfm?postnum= 23564#:~:text=They%20 feed%20primarily%20on%20 roots,a%20gopher%20 pulled%20it%20under.

n https://ipm.ucanr.edu/ PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427. htmlhttps://ipm.ucanr.edu/ PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427. html

— If you have a gardening question, contact the Master Gardener Help Desk at 530-6668737. 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 Farmer’s Market to ask a question in person.

Pets of the week Belle

Enterprise staff

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

Among them is Cha-Cha (A202882), a handsome, 2-year old, 60-pound husky-shepherd mix. ChaCha is very calm, quiet and super gentle, whether walking or playing. ChaCha loves tummy rubs and cuddles. Cha-Cha has a unique look and a precious personality to match.

Also hoping for a good home is Hunk (A203046), an 8-week-old male orange tabby kitten that just returned from his foster home and is ready to join his forever family.

Chuck is playful and nonstop cuteness all day long. For information on adopting, contact adopt ycas@gmail.com. All shelter animals are up-to-date on vaccinations, microchipped, and spayed or neutered.

Staff is available to assist via phone during business hours at 530-6685287. Shelter hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. To meet any adoptable YCAS animals, visit friendsof ycas.org. To volunteer, sign up at tinyurl.com/yolovolunteerapp. Follow on at @ ycas.shelter and Instagram at @yoloanimalshelter.

At Rotts of Friends

Cha-Cha

Animal Rescue, you’ll find Darcy, an adorable 1-yearold Anatolian shepherd mix. Five weeks ago, Darcy gave birth to seven adorable puppies so will be able to go to a new home in about two weeks. You can reserve her now. She is very sweet, calm, gentle and housebroken. She walks well on leash. Before going to her new home, she will be spayed, microchipped and brought up to

Chunk Darcy

date on vaccines. Belle is a 7-month-old, spayed female Rottweiler. Belle is friendly, very affectionate, curious and loved to play. She learns quickly and just needs some obedience training to be perfect. Belle is up to date on vaccines, microchipped and comes with free lifetime obedience training classes

Saturday is Rotts of Friends’ big yearly

fundraiser, Mutts & Martinis, so it won’t be having a Saturday dog adoption morning. Rotts will be doing adoptions beginning again Monday, June 26. To make an appointment next week, call Renee 530-6811326 or plan to come Saturday, July 1. Bring proof of homeownership, such as a mortgage statement or property tax bill. If you rent, bring proof that you are allowed

to have a dog in your home, such as a pet clause in your lease or a note from your landlord.

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

A pear tree affected by fire blight (Erwinia amylovora).

Barn Gallery hosts ‘Shapeshifters’ through Aug. 19

Enterprise staff

Perspectives in color, form, and visual language are explored by regional artists in “Shapeshifters,” a new Barn Gallery show that opened Thursday at YoloArts’ Barn Gallery in Woodland.

At the center of the group of artists is Mark Emerson, CSU Sacramento Fine Arts professor, who coordinated the exhibition. Joining him in this show are Caiti Chan, Laura Hohlwein, and Jeff Mayry. Together they bring a distinct experience and sense of shifting shapes and perspectives to the acrylic and oil paintings in this compelling exhibition.

Chan and Mayry are former students of Emerson, who calls them “up and coming artists to watch.” Hohlwein is a former colleague of Emerson’s who now teaches digital art at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento.

The style of painting in the show is known in the art world as “non-objective,”

a description of art that does not imitate reality or use a visual language derived from reality. Another way to think about this art is that it does not represent or depict any identifiable person, place, or thing.

“This show presents a different approach to painting which I think visitors will find exciting and refreshing. There is a depth and sensitivity to the work and the artists skillfully share their passion for discovering and expressing their internal creative process,” said Janice Purnell, YoloArts creative director.

Emerson describes his work as enlisting “elements of audible rhythm” and says “I’ve always responded to American jazz for its improvisational nature. There are so many similarities between music and art.”

In her artist statement Hohlwein says, “In the paintings, the fragment is not separated from the whole, but is a constituent part, alive and changing. The field, which surrounds each distinct element, is also

alive and changing, is also part of an even larger field. Painting is the perfect medium for me to meditate upon this idea of infinite inclusion and constant flux, of the visible and invisible, and to extend my own experience of the lived present moment.”

Mayry states that he begins each painting by sitting in a camp chair and staring at the blank canvas before him. “My paintings are a reconciliation between the inner life and the physical world. It is my hope that the viewer will find that looking into my paintings are like looking into a mirror and seeing their reflection; sometimes perfect, often flawed, always moving forward.”

Chan’s art practice is process driven, focusing on the paint’s materiality, and experimenting with other materials. In her artist statement she describes the use of abstraction as a conversation starter, to keep the viewer searching, and to discover communion with one another. She also shares, “My paintings are emerging into embracing

healing, and looking forward to what is to come. The most current paintings reflect acceptance that they don’t need to be about pain anymore. They are a reflection of growth, finding love, and moving forward after years of heart ache and grief.”

The public is invited to meet the artists at the opening reception, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 22. Music will be performed by Mike Bender; light refreshments and Yolo County wine will be available.

The artwork can also be viewed (and purchased) online at yoloarts.org/onlinegalleries.

“Shapeshifters” continues at The Barn Gallery through Aug. 19.

Regular open hours of The Barn Gallery are Wednesdays and Thursdays 2:30-5 p.m, select Saturdays and by appointment.

The Barn Gallery and the Gibson House are at 512 Gibson Road in Woodland. For more information contact YoloArts at 530309-6464 or ya@yoloarts.org.

Felines take over at The Artery downtown

Special to The Enterprise

The Artery presents “Meow Meow Meow – The Cat, Wild and Domestic,” celebrating feline beauty, grace and allure. The show opens on July 7 and continues through July 31, with a reception on July 14 from 7 to 9 p.m.

“Cat lovers, this one’s for you!” a news release said. The exhibit captures the sheer power and elegance of wild cats and the endearing charm of domestic companions —

from prowling tigers in lush landscapes to sweet house cats curled up in cozy corners. Fluffy cats, fierce cats, funny cats, big cats and bitty cats. Using a diversity of mediums, our artists pay homage to these iconic and enigmatic animals.

“We hope to create a shared experience that connects people with the fascinating and mystical qualities of cats,” said the Artery’s Adele Shaw. “We thought it was a good time to have a little fun!“

Opera House catches lightning in a bottle with ‘Percy Jackson’ musical

By Jennifer Goldman Enterprise theater criticc

An electrifying show is now on stage at the Historic Woodland Opera House! “The Lightning Thief, The Percy Jackson Musical” features a talented cast of actors aged 14-20 and follows the actionpacked young adult best selling fantasy novel by author Rick Riordan. Eric Catalan made his directing debut with this highenergy musical written by Joe Tracz with music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki.

The show follows 12-year-old Percy (Sammy Rosendale), who is constantly getting in trouble at school and subsequently

gets expelled for the sixth time. He has many scary encounters with magical creatures and the villainous teacher Mrs. Dodds (Max Symes). These encounters were a bit confusing at first, since it was ambiguous whether he was imagining these confrontations or if they were real. We learn that these episodes are not hallucinations but are actually happening. Soon we discover that Percy is a demigod because his father Poseidon (William Kuykendall) is a Greek god and his mother Sally (Ella Del Favero) is a human. Sally does everything in her power to protect her son and keep him safe while

Poseidon is an absent father. Sally loses the battle with her attacker and Percy moves on without either parent.

Percy is then whisked off to Summer Camp HalfBlood for demigods with his friend Grover (Django Nachmanoff), where they form a trio of best friends with Annabeth (Severin Moreno), who is the daughter of Athena. The reluctant Camp Director Mr. D (Ben García) does a hilarious version of the song “Another Terrible Day” that had the audience in stiches. Head counselor Luke (Leandro Williams) explains that Percy may or may not learn who his father is, as many Gods

don’t even bother acknowledging their half-blood children. Percy learns from the other campers how painful it can be to be abandoned by your absent “God” parent.

Soon Percy is sent on a quest given to him by his father. He is to prevent a war of the Gods by trying to recapture Zeus’ stolen lightening bolt and to prove his own innocence.

The action, live rock band, singers and dancers all blended together wonderfully to create a fabulous spectacle. The action never stopped and there were some awesome special effects. One of the coolest scenes was the massive mummy Oracle (Evie Bar-

nett), who appeared to be three times larger than life, as she gave her prophecy. Kids will love the toilet paper being shot out towards the audience with leaf blowers. Also amazing was the scene with Medusa’s head being chopped off! Lots of battles being fought with sword fighting and well choreographed dance numbers are sure to delight.

The 20-person cast had multiple roles, countless colorful costumes, wigs and props. All of the actors really put their heart and soul into this entertaining show. I wish I had room to name them all as they really surpassed my expectations. It was nice to be able to

hear every word thanks to the microphones on the singers. Great job from music director Jia-Min Rosendale!

This is a fun musical for children over 6, teenagers, and anyone who loves Greek mythology combined with modern rock / pop music. This is a great story, regardless of whether you have read the book. Hats off to new Director Eric Catalan and the Woodland Opera House for another impressive show!

Tickets are available at WoodlandOperaHouse. org and show runs now through June 25; Friday at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Courtesy photo

“Chord” by Mark Emerson.

Courtesy photo

“Towards Spring,” by Laura Hohlwein.

Courtesy photo

“Love with Nowhere to Go,” by Caiti Chan.

Courtesy photo “Shadow” by Marleen Lee.

Courtesy photo

“Applique Cat,” by Cindy Nelson.

‘No Hard Feelings’: Not so sure about that

Raunchy comedy misses as often as it hits

By Derrick Bang Enterprise film critic Director Gene Stupnitsky’s bawdy entry can’t decide what it wants to be.

At times, it displays the energetic, no-holds-barred raunch typical of classics such as “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Bridesmaids” and “There’s Something About Mary.” A scrappy beach fight scene here is the stuff of cinema legend.

But at other times we’re expected to empathize with the two primary characters as authentic people, with credible feelings and angst.

It’s almost impossible to achieve both goals; the former too frequently undercuts the latter … particularly given the mean-spiritedness of Stupnitsky and John Phillips’ script. The line between funny and cruel is very thin, and this film too frequently slides onto the wrong side.

Maddie Barker (Jennifer Lawrence), a longtime resident of the Long Island village of Montauk, is appalled by how incoming rich jerks have transformed her community. Rising property taxes are threatening the house in which she grew up, and which holds the memory of her late mother. Maddie’s jobs as barmaid and Uber driver no longer keep up with the bills, and — as this story begins — her car is repossessed by former short-term lover Gary (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).

Now reduced to getting around on roller skates, and lacking the additional Uber income, the situation rapidly becomes even more dire. Then Maddie is alerted to an unusual Craigslist job listing from wealthy helicopter parents seeking somebody to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son, and bring him out of his shell before he leaves for Princeton in the fall. The payment: a free Buick Regal.

The quotation marks around the word “date” are telling.

Although the set-up smells uncomfortably like pimping, Maddie is desperate … and pragmatic; her love life has been limited to a long string a short-timers

‘No Hard Feelings’

R, for sexual content, graphic nudity, brief drug use

Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Natalie Morales, Matthew Broderick,thur, Ebon Moss-Bachrach

Available via: Movie theaters

and one-night stands. How different could this be?

She therefore arranges to meet Laird and Allison Becker (Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti, both deadpan hilarious), who live in a cluelessly privileged world. Their son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), has no friends, rarely leaves his room, and hasn’t learned to drive; his parents worry that Princeton will eat him alive.

Although their ad specified a woman in her “young 20s,” Maddie argues that her 32-year-old self is guaranteed to be “more sensitive” to the situation. (Lawrence is indeed 32.) Laird and Allison accept this rationale, and caution that Percy must never know about the arrangement. (Well, no kidding.) They explain that he volunteers at a local animal shelter, and suggest that Maddie visit as a potential dog adopter.

At which point, this film goes off the rails for the first time (and certainly not the last).

Maddie charges into the shelter like a sexually ravenous stripper, aggressively baiting the overwhelmed Percy with doubleentendres and seductive body language; it feels as if she intends to get to business right there, on the floor. (So much for sensitivity.) No surprise: the deer-in-theheadlights Percy is practically speechless, and clearly astonished that such a woman would give him even a second glance.

This outrageous first encounter then slides into funnier slapstick territory, concluding when the shy Percy agrees to a more “conventional” date the following day.

Although still pursuing her primary goal, Maddie subsequently dials it back a bit; a

charming montage finds them having fun at an amusement park, walking one of the shelter dogs along the beach, and so forth. The aforementioned beach skirmish climaxes with a neardeath experience — seriously! — that segues to a quieter end of the day.

Percy has relaxed enough to accept the situation, and Maddie recognizes — uncomfortably — that he’s falling in love with her, which wasn’t in the cards. On top of which, she becomes aware of the power she wields, and the potential damage she could inflict.

This leads to the film’s most endearing sequence, during an actual “real date” at a fancy restaurant; on a dare, Percy bravely plays and sings Hall & Oates’ classic “Maneater” to her, on the dining room’s grand piano. Feldman’s performance here is sublime, with Percy nervously looking up every few seconds, making sure Maddie is paying attention, worried about what all the other diners must be thinking.

(Feldman has solid musical chops, having performed the lead of “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway.)

Alas, the magic of this interlude — truly, it’ll bring tears to

‘Choices’ exhibit opens in Fairfield

Enterprise staff

The Fairfield-Suisun City Visual Arts Association would like to invite the public to visit the Solano Town Center Gallery’s new show, “Choices.” FSVAA members will create art depicting the choices they have made and choices to be made. This show will beat the Gallery from June 28 to Aug. 5.

On Saturday, July 3 the Solano Town Center Gallery will hold a reception from 4 to 6pm. Fairfield Poet Laureate Suzanne Bruce, and a group of poets will visit the Gallery and create poems about their favorite pieces of art from this show. During the

Reception, the poets will perform their poems in front of the artwork. Everyone is invited to this event. At the Reception, we will be serving appetizers, beverages, and BackRoad Vines Winery will be supplying the wine.

The Spotlight Artist, wildlife and landscape photographer Dennis Ariza will have a collection of his award-winning images on display.

Ariza grew up in Vacaville, where he attended Will C. Wood High School the first year it opened. He learned the basics of blackand-white photography while taking a biology class at Wood. He later attended the New York Institute of

Photography and Solano Community College.

He is a member of the Vacaville Art League, Yolo Arts, and joined FairfieldSuisun City Visual Arts Association in 2013 and has shown his artwork in several different shows over the years and participated in many of the FSVAA events such as Art on the Vine, The Crush, and other FSVAA Fine Art and Wine Festivals.

The Solano Town Center Gallery is at 1508-B Travis Blvd, Fairfield in the Solano Town Center, on the second floor next to the AT&T Store. For information, call Dennis Ariza, FSVAA President, at (707) 688-8889.

DMTC opens auditions for ‘Something Rotten’

Enterprise staff

Davis Musical Theatre Company will hold auditions for “Something Rotten!” on Sunday June 25, and Monday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m. at the Jean Henderson Performing Arts Center, 607 Pena Drive, No. 10, in Davis.

Callbacks will be on Tuesday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m. at the same location. Directed by Steve Isaacson, choreographed by Kat Fio and Kyle Jackson and musical direction by Boris Karpuk. Please bring a prepared song (not from “Something Rotten!”), sheet music with piano accompaniment (piano accompanist is provided), and there will be cold readings. The show opens Friday, Sept. 8.

Welcome back to the ’90s — the 1590s to

be exact! “Something Rotten!” takes place in 1595 London, England. It is the Renaissance, where the Black Plague placed power in the Puritans, farthingales and codpieces are the latest fashion trend, and the biggest celebrity in England is a playwright named William Shakespeare. In the midst of all this excitement, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are trying to keep their acting company afloat. In a desperate attempt to out-Bard the Bard, Nick consults with a soothsayer, who informs him that the future of theatre involves acting, singing and dancing, sometimes all at once! As the Bottom brothers strive to write the world’s very first “musical,” they find themselves caught in a bitter battle with the Bard and the play's the thing.

your eyes — is destroyed by the absurdity of what happens next.

Lawrence can’t be faulted; she goes (often fearlessly) wherever the uneven script sends her. But the result is wildly uneven; as carefully as she develops Maddie’s awakening compassion and selfawareness, such nuanced work too often is undercut by contrived set-ups that remove this woman from reality.

Feldman’s Percy is far more credible, the young man’s initial owl-eyed shock and disbelief gradually shading into hope (is this woman really into me?) and then happy acceptance (she is into me!). But the shyness remains; Feldman gets considerable mileage out of Percy’s eye contact, or lack thereof. The young actor’s performance is so strong, and believable, that we begin to grieve … because this scenario can’t possibly end well.

The always enjoyable Natalie Morales is terrific as Maddie’s sardonic best friend, Sara: shrewdly perceptive, and quick with a cautionary one-liner. Scott MacArthur is a hoot as Sara’s macho husband, Jim.

Zahn McClarnon, a truly gifted actor, is shamefully under-used in just two fleeting scenes, as Maddie’s friend and lawyer.

Some of the script’s one-liners

Songwriter Jim Fowler featured at Performers’ Circle

Special to The Enterprise

Jim Fowler will play guitar and sing selections from his album “People and Places” at the Village Homes Performers’ Circle, Tuesday, June 27, in Davis.

The featured performer is a singer, songwriter and teacher living in Davis. He has received awards for performance and composition. His songs have been aired on National Public Radio as well as regional stations in California. He earned a B.A. in music from Sonoma State College and is a member of the West Coast Songwriters Association. Jim Fowler has a talent for capturing the essence of a person’s life in a song. In his featured performance he will celebrate significant people and events in his life.

are amusing, particularly the barbed age-difference comments that come later in the game. But other little bits are stupid or clumsily unresolved. When Maddie first meets the Beckers, they greet her at the top of the steep concrete steps leading up to their home; Maddie, still on roller skates, awkwardly hauls herself up. That’s just silly; why wouldn’t she remove them?

Much later, the story’s most explosively embarrassing setpiece is filmed by scores of snickering witnesses — Maddie’s behavior here is patently ludicrous — and yet this doesn’t subsequently explode via social media, as if it never happened. Seriously? That’s just sloppy.

Whether this film ultimately earns its conclusion — and, more crucially, whether the premise’s inherent ick factor can be overlooked — will depend of each viewer’s open-mindedness. Much as I enjoyed isolated moments, the whole is far less than the sum of those individually successful parts.

— Read more of Derrick Bang’s film criticism at http://derrickbang.blogspot.com. Comment on this review at www.davisenterprise.com.

His music can be characterized as folk/rock with a twist of classical and a slice of country. Sample it at https://www.jimfowlersongs.com/

The Village Homes Performers’ Circle is a free event that welcomes performers of all levels as well as audience members who simply come to enjoy the performances. No tickets or reservations are required. It is held the fourth Tuesday of each month, except December.

The event begins with an open mike from 7:15 to

8:15 pm and concludes with the featured performance from 8:30 to 9 pm. Signups begin at 6:45 for the short performances (less than 5 minutes per act). The emcee this month will be George Haver, and the event will be held inside the Village Homes Community Center, 2661 Portage Bay East, Davis.

The audience is encouraged to wear masks in the well-ventilated space. For information visit https:// www.facebook.com/ villagehomesperformers/

Courtesy photo

After an enjoyable day at the local boardwalk, Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) is delighted by the prize that Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) has won for her.

Courtesy photo

Jim Fowler will play at Village Homes on June 27.

Migratory birds counting on Sites Reservoir going forward

Jeff McCreary

Special to CalMatters

Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake are filled to the brim, and the rivers of the Central Valley are roaring. Thanks to an exceptionally wet winter, for the first time in years, farms and cities are receiving their full water supply because there’s more than enough to meet the needs of people and the environment.

It’s also the type of bountiful year that would fill Sites Reservoir, which would hold a critical backup supply of water for dry years. Sites would help sustain migratory bird habitats and add needed flexibility to California’s overtaxed water-delivery system on which wildlife-friendly farming depends.

Unfortunately, the state’s eighth-largest reservoir remains a dream unfulfilled, nearly a decade after voters approved the $7.1 billion Proposition 1 water bond that allocated hundreds of millions of dollars toward building Sites.

It’s time for the reservoir to become a reality.

Gov. Gavin Newsom deserves recognition for wanting to speed up environmentally friendly infrastructure projects, such as Sites. The California Legislature also has shown leadership by introducing bills that could make Sites happen soon. Now regulators at the State Water Resources Control Board need to quickly approve the Sites Project Authority’s application to begin using water from the Sacramento River.

Conservation organizations like Ducks Unlimited support Sites Reservoir because of the benefits it would provide to the millions of migratory birds that stop in the Central Valley on their journey along the Pacific Flyway. This water also could be spread on the landscape in the winter to provide food and a safe haven for young salmon.

Last fall was a prime example of why Sites is so needed. Due to drought, California’s few remaining Central Valley wetlands suffered from limited water, depriving birds of important habitat when they needed it most. These lands, many of them public, also provide important year-round habitat for imperiled species such as the tri-colored blackbird and the giant garter snake.

At the same time, only about half of the 500,000 acres of rice that is normally planted in the Sacramento Valley received water last year. Rice fields enrich the biodiversity of the region by providing habitat for more than 225 different species, and they are extremely important for the Pacific Flyway’s waterfowl.

When flooded for the winter, rice fields serve as surrogate floodplain habitat, and they provide an important food source for ducks, geese and swans. It’s not an exaggeration to say that California’s Sacramento Valley rice farms are one of the main reasons why the West’s waterfowl populations buck a troubling trend. Across the continent, many types of birds have been on the decline.

But not waterfowl. We have rice and wetlands to thank for that in California.

Yes, this exceptionally wet winter saved our birds, but we can’t count on winters like that every year.

This is where Sites Reservoir comes in. Water would only be pumped from the Sacramento River into the Colusa County reservoir when flows are high, as they are this year, and at times when state regulators deem there is minimal risk to fish populations. The water stored in the reservoir could then be saved for environmental uses when it’s needed most. This would ease the pressure on other water sources in times of drought.

Now is the time to get the job done and fulfill the voters’ wishes. California needs to break ground on Sites Reservoir.

The birds of our Pacific Flyway are counting on us.

— Jeff McCreary is director of operations for Ducks Unlimited’s western region. He wrote this for CalMatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's Capitol works and why it matters.

Big boxes to join conversion trend

Remember Fry’s Electronics, the warehousestyle stores that shut down completely in 2021?

Those stores joined 41 Califor nia Bed, Bath & Beyond locations, 17 Disney stores in the state and more than a dozen Best Buys that shuttered just in the last year.

They joined hundreds of locations once occupied by Borders Books & Music, KMarts, K-B Toy stores, Linens-N-Things warehouse-style stores, Mervyn’s stores, Circuit Cities, Radio Shacks, Sport Chalets and Blockbuster Video outlets.

No one has tracked just how many of those store locations have been reoccupied by other retailers, but anyone driving around California cities can readily see that many have not.

Big box stores and their parking lots often sit empty. So do scores of mini-malls.

But probably not for long.

Tens of millions of square feet of office space vacated during the depth of the coronavirus pandemic remain empty today, as law firms, insurance companies, stockbrokers and many other types of white collar businesses reduced their rental footprints and allowed millions of workers to keep working from home, wherever they make it.

Fears of contagion were also part of the reason for the many store closings around the state during the last three years, as

shoppers avoided crowded spaces and ordered merchandise of almost all kinds online from home instead.

Many jilted properties are about to be reassessed at far lower tax rates than today’s, as rent reductions reduce the market value of both office towers and other types of commercial property.

It was plain from the beginning of the pandemic that the eventual answer would have to be conversions, as all those vacancies coincided with a declared housing shortage, one variously estimated by the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development at anywhere from 1.2 million to 3.5 million dwelling units. The vast differences in official state estimates of need are likely due to the sort of incompetence noted in a state auditor’s report on that department in 2021.

It took years for legislators to realize they must remove obstacles to building conversions, making residential properties out of structures originally designed as

commercial.

But they finally acted last year, passing two measures that greatly ease conversions, which are already taking off in significant numbers, with more than 10,000 such permits issued by the end of last year. Latest example: an eightstory tower in Emeryville soon to be redeveloped near the eastern foot of the San Francisco Bay Bridge, Expect the 10,000 figure to grow exponentially by the end of this year, especially if the first redesigned units sell easily and quickly.

One new law that took effect Jan. 1 makes new zoning unnecessary for remaking commercial properties. That was one big previous obstacle to conversions, as some cities took purist attitudes toward separation of residential and commercial property.

Cities and counties will still have authority to inspect newly redesigned structures during reconstruction, just as they do with any building. But unless they find flaws that can’t be fixed, projects will proceed and new housing will result, in big numbers. New units can be of all price levels, from lowerfloor apartments and condominiums exposed to street noise to penthouse units 30-plus floors above the racket.

Emptied big box stores and

their parking lots will also morph into housing, with parking lots a place where homes are built from scratch. Even excess property owned but little used by religious institutions will be available for new residences.

Some estimates from legislative aides predict as many as 1.2 million new units to appear where formerly there were offices and stores. Two positives here are that under the new laws, not only will most projects be immune from lawsuits under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), but conversions will leave existing neighborhoods largely undisturbed, while avoiding most changes in the footprints of large buildings.

In some ways, this promises to be the best of all housing worlds, letting building owners recoup their investments via rents and sales proceeds and giving neighbors little reason to be annoyed, let alone angry.

The bottom line: The solution to some of California’s housing woes is at hand, about to become a very visible reality.

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Government’s Campaign to Squelch It," is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net.

Housing

Interfaith Housing Justice Davis wishes to thank our council for opening the door to a tax proposition for the November 2024 ballot at the April council meeting. We understand that the city has identified serious budgetary shortfalls including for road maintenance and facilities as well as for staff salaries and that additional funds are needed for a functional city.

IHJD believes that the Housing Trust Fund also should be a community funding priority. Our city needs a year-round shelter to protect our unsheltered from physical violence, the cold and rain of the winter months, the ever-hotter temperatures and often smoke polluted air of the summers.

We need transitional housing opportunities with services for the unhoused ready to progress to permanent housing and then a range of low-income housing with supportive services to which individuals and families can graduate.

Individuals who work in this town

Speak out

President

cannot afford to rent or purchase a home here. Our adult children who wish to continue to call this city their home can’t afford to buy in.

Our schools are facing declining enrollment due to a lack of new families with children in our community. A wellfunded HTF could be used to help families purchase homes with a Down Payment Assistance Program.

All these needs require funding. Funding to support the unhoused. Funding for emergency rental assistance to keep families on the edge to stay housed and protected from eviction.

Funding subsidies for nonprofit affordable housing developers to build lowincome rentals. Funding for a down payment assistance loan program. A well-funded HTF can allow our community to tackle all these needs with the care and compassion they deserve.

IHJD urges our community to support a tax proposition for the next general election and urges our city council to include the HTF as a funding priority so that we can start addressing our city housing crisis.

Ellen Kolarik

Co-chair IHJD

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

Jesus was heterozygous

A recent letter (“On Miracles,” June 16) to The Enterprise reported several miracles over the centuries in which the Catholic Eucharist — which, as an article of faith, is the actual body and blood of Christ — bled.

In one case, the blood type is confirmed to be AB. This is truly amazing; we now know with certainty that Jesus was a heterozygote. As the product of Mary’s virgin birth, another article of faith, the implication is quite clear that God Himself must be either type A or type B. Furthermore, remembering that Mary was female, the fact that Jesus was male is solid evidence that God, his Father, is also undeniably male. So much for questioning whether God should be represented as a paternal figure which has become quite fashionable in modern times.

The existence of these miraculous tissue samples is extremely exciting. They should be immediately submitted to 23 and Me for complete genotyping since half of Christ’s genome is divinely inherited.

Carl Schmid Prof. emeritus, genetics

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/

Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Charles M. Schulz

River Cats still have no answer for Express

Enterprise staff

ROUND ROCK, Texas The Sacramento River Cats had no answer for the Round Rock Express on Thursday, as the Express hit two homers during their first set of swings and powered their way to an 11-5 game two victory.

All five Sacramento (33-38) runs came during the away half of the sixth and scored in consecutive atbats thanks to Armando Alvarez and Ford Proctor.

First it was Alvarez, driving in a pair after the bases had been walked loaded with a single to left. Following was Proctor, sending a 2-0 pitch the opposite way for a three-run blast, his fifth of the year.

However, that inning came after Round Rock (42-29) had staked themselves to an 11-0 lead. In fact, Round Rock tallied their own-fiverun inning during the bottom of the

first, scoring all five runs thanks to a pair of big flies against Sacramento starter Kyle Harrison (1-3). The first of those two home runs came from Elier Hernandez, which set a new Round Rock franchise hitting streak at 23 games with a two-run shot to left-center field. After a three-run homer brought the final runs home in the first, Harrison was tagged for another dinger in the home half of the third, this a solo shot from Blaine Crim. Harrison was chased from the contest a bit later, exiting the contest following an RBI triple from Dustin Harris with a final line of seven runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings. All four other Express runs crossed the plate in the fifth and came against Randy Rodriguez, who was making his season debut for Sacramento. The first came after he issued a walk with the bases loaded, while

TWO: DHS boys teams winning regional crowns

From Page B6

to watch out entering the 2023-24 season.

J.P. Martinez cleared the bases with a three-RBI triple to right field in the next at-bat.

Both starters wound up on opposite sides of the decision, with Harrison taking the loss while Robert Dugger (3-4) collected the win by surrendering just two hits in 5.0 innings and fanning five.

Dugger was in a groove early, retiring each of the first nine Sacramento hitters he faced.

All five River Cats hits came from different bats, four of which finished 1-for-4 including three RBI for Proctor and two for Alvarez. Meanwhile, they each scored once as did the duo of Brett Wisely (1-for-4) and Tyler Fitzgerald (0-for-3, walk).

Game three will see the River Cats try to snag their first win of the series, with the two teams lining up for first pitch today at 5:05 p.m. (PT) from Dell Diamond.

GAME: Blue Devils traveling to Lake Tahoe

From Page B6

competitions, the Blue Devils will take a trip to Lake Tahoe today as part of a “team-building” experience, according to Garratt.

The Blue Devils are hosting more 7-on-7 games and linemen challenges this Tuesday, before the Sac-Joaquin

LEAGUE: Another allstar tournament in July

From Page B6

10-12s

In the first week of July, the Davis National and American teams make the short drive to Dixon to take part in the District 10-12 tournament at Hall

Memorial Park’s Little League Complex.

The final scores of the tournaments can be found at https://tshq.bluesombrero.com/cadistrict64ll. .

Click on the all-stars tab to view all divisions that have, or will, be playing.

Section’s three-week preseason football dead period begins on July 3.

— Henry Krueger is a Gonzaga University student 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.

Center, and were at the last playoff game that the Kings hosted. That was on May 5, when the San Antonio Spurs won the first round series 4-2 at the now destructed Arco Arena.

n The UC Davis softball team having a turnaround season.

This year’s Aggies finished with a 29-22 record, which included a 15-12 mark in the Big West Conference for fourth place.

UCD also played two games in the National Invitational Softball Championship after Big West action ended in May.

The 2022 UCD squad posted a 23-29 record, which included an 11-16 mark in the Big West for eighth place. There should be excitement for the 2024 UCD team. Eleven players are projected to return, including now senior Anna Dethlefson, an outfielder/catcher who was named the Big West Player of the Year.

n The UC Davis men’s basketball team winning ways.

The Aggies posted an 18-14 record, including an 11-8 mark in the Big West for fifth place.

Now with guard Elijah Pepper, who is also another senior, opting to play one more year of collegiate basketball instead of opting for this year’s NBA Draft, plus other returning players and newcomers, head coach Jim Les and the Aggies should be considered one of the top Big West teams

n The Davis High boys soccer team winning the CIF NorCal Championships — Division I.

The Blue Devils knocked off Clovis North 1-0, as Sacramento State bound Simon VacaLorenzi scored the only goal, in the regional title game at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium on a wonderful, sunny day on March 4. You can bet those Blue Devils will remember their 22-0-2 record, plus winning the Delta League and the section’s D-I titles for many years to come.

n The Davis High boys water polo team also cranked out a CIF regional title in D-II.

The Blue Devils capped the season with a 29-5 record by beating San Ramon Valley of Danville by an 11-10 score at American River College in Sacramento on Nov. 19.

n Seven of the 11 games for the 2022 UC Davis football team.

Photographing four of those games at UC Davis Health Stadium. Sitting in the press box for another.

Starting with the Aggies playing at Cal on Sept. 3 in a non-conference game. A great seat in the press box at the legendary California Memorial Stadium.

Ending on Nov. 19 at Hornet Stadium, when Sacramento State had to hold off the Aggies to post a 27-21 win and winning the Big Sky Conference title. UCD finished its season at 6-5.

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

Davis Little League hosting all-star tournament

Enterprise staff

Davis Little League will be hosting and traveling to District 64 all-star tournaments starting Saturday and running until toward the end of next week.

The California District 8-10 All-Star Tournament will take place at the Davis Little League Complex.

Davis has two teams in this tournament, which are the National and American Little League squads.

The Davis American Little League squad will welcome the Vacaville American team Saturday at 10 a.m. on the West field.

The winner of this game will play the winner of the Dixon-Woodland National Little League game on Sunday at 10 a.m.

The losers of the two games would drop to the loser’s bracket, and play again Sunday at 1 p.m. on the East field.

The Davis National Little League team take on the Winters team Saturday at 1 p.m. on the East field.

The winner of this game takes on the Vacaville National-Woodland American winner Sunday at 10 a.m. on the West field.

The tournament will run Monday through the championship game, which

will be played Thursday at 7 p.m. on the East field.

The two teams that reach the championship game could play on Friday, depending if the team that plays in Thursday’s championship game has no losses but loses for the first time on Thursday.

A combined eight teams are playing in the tournament.

9-11s

The Davis National Little League allstar team will play at the District 9-11 tournament at Centennial Park in Vacaville.

The National will play the Vacaville American Little League squad on Sunday at 10 a.m.

The Davis American Little League squad takes on the Vacaville National Little League team, also on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The winners of those two games would play Monday at 8 p.m.

The losers of Sunday’s game would also take to the diamond Monday at 5 p.m.

This tournament would also wrap up with the championship game on Wednesday at 7 p.m., and would play again Thursday at 7 p.m. if neceesary.

See LEAGUE, Page B5

footBall

Year two in review

Today marks my twoyear anniversary as sports editor at The Davis Enterprise.

A combined 6 1/2 years with McNaughton Newspapers, which owns The Enterprise.

The other 4 1/2 years was working as a staff writer for the Mountain Democrat in Placerville, which is The Enterprise’s sister newspaper, for half of the 2010s. Then I left to become sportswriter at the Lodi News-Sentinel for about five years.

Now I get an extra week of a paid vacation. Tack that on to my current week’s paid vacation, which I have yet to use one day. So, that is a full two weeks paid vacation.

Let’s start from most recent to last summer, as to games I’ve seen. n Girls flag football is coming to Davis High and the Sac-Joaquin Section.

You may have read in my previous column at www. davisenterprise.com or the June 16 print edition that the California Interscholastic Federation, which is the governing body for high school athletics in the state, gave the green light for all 10 sections in California to play flag football.

This is another step in moving forward for girls in high school sports.

n The Sacramento Kings reaching the NBA Playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season. Sacramento went the full distance with the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. The Warriors were able to shake off the Kings to advance to the next round against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Pardon me for the pat on the back, but I’m one of the few members of the media in the Sacramento region who can say they were at three of the four playoff games the Kings hosted at the Golden 1 See TWO, Page B5

13.

Blue Devils working on mindset for the game

By Henry Krueger Enterprise correspondent

Davis High football head coach Nick Garratt has enjoyed what he’s seen in practice so far, but the scrimmages have been a different story.

That was Garratt’s assessment after his team hosted Winters, Woodland, Woodland

Christian, Pioneer, Esparto and Dixon in 7-on-7 games and linemen challenges at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium on Tuesday.

“I think it was more us not carrying over what we did so well during practice,” Garratt said of his team’s performance. “This is different from practice and so we need to be able to carry over our practice mindset to the game. We just shot ourselves in the foot here, with guys not running the right routes or not communicating or simply just blaming one another.”

The 7-on-7 scrimmages featured a passingonly, non-contact style of play that did not include offensive or defensive linemen. Quarterbacks could focus on building chemistry with their receivers, while defenses could practice an array of coverages.

Sawyer Schoen continued to take the bulk of the snaps at quarterback for the Blue Devils, who had inconsistent success driving down the field. Schoen connected with receiver Tyson Zuniga on a pair of scores, but also threw touchdown passes to several other receivers. When the Blue Devils made mistakes, Schoen was unsatisfied with how his team responded.

“It’s a battle against ourselves, not against the other team,” Schoen said. “We have the talent to do it, but I think we really have to beat the battle internally.”

Schoen’s teammates had a similar sentiment.

“I feel like our biggest thing is that when we have a bad play, everybody just starts bickering and yelling at each other,” said lineman CJ Millican. “I feel that’s our biggest thing that we have to get down, we can’t just let one play determine how we play the rest of the game.”

The Blue Devils made their strongest statement in the linemen challenges, overpowering Pioneer twice in tug-of-war at the 50-yard line.

“That’s definitely the strength of the team

and I think they know it,” Garratt said of his linemen. “I think it’s great because we also have a lot of upcoming juniors that are really proving themselves to be starting varsity guys. I think Andrew Pike is really stepping up and Diego Munguia is another guy that’s starting to come into his own, especially on the defensive line.”

The two most notable linemen for Davis are seniors AJ Hasson and Millican, who are 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-3, respectively. Hasson is a 3-star recruit with offers to Washington State, Colorado State, Boise State and several others.

While Hasson’s value comes in the trenches, Millican is expected to serve as both a lineman and a pass-catcher for the Blue Devils this season. Millican caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Schoen against Pioneer in the final scrimmage.

“This is my first year starting on offense,” Millican said. “I normally play on defense, but it’s honestly been pretty good working with the receivers.”

Following Tuesday’s scrimmages and See GAME, Page B5

arya lalvani/enterprise file photo Angels pitcher Nolan Vogt throws a pitch in the Davis Little League Majors Championship earlier this month. On Saturday, DLL will be hosting the California District 8-10 All-Star Tournament that will run through toward the end of next week.

Christoph lossin/enterprise photo

Blue Devils’ Isaiah Dauphine (blue T-shirt) goes up to break up a pass intended for a Dixon football player in a Yolo County 7-on-7 passing games at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium on June