enterprise THE DAVIS
SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2022
Notable achievement Yolo DA
candidates face off at debate
Davis’ corps of music teachers makes quite an ensemble. From left, the people who put DJUSD on the musical map are Arielle Deem, Karen Gardias, Eric Richardson, Veronica Tonus, Tom Slabaugh, Angelo Moreno, Lydia Cooley, Luana Hernandez and Greg Brucker (not pictured are Nancy Sanchez and Clyde Quick).
By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer
light of all that.” Being dubbed one of the Best Communities for Music Education just seems to suit Davis all-too-well. The designation synchronizes with the town’s values and reflects the strength of the communal support. “The music program at the district’s schools has a lot of community support behind it,” said Jackson. “For example, during the pandemic there were tutoring programs going on with students over Zoom that were supported and financed by some of the music
WOODLAND — The two candidates for Yolo County District Attorney squared off last week at their latest debate, offering their views on issues ranging from public safety to diversity to criminal justice reform. Jeff Reisig, 52, aims to keep the job he’s held since January 2007. Prior to his election, he served 10 years as a deputy district attorney prosecuting major crimes in Yolo County. He lives in West Sacramento. Cynthia Rodriguez, 64, of Winters, has 40-plus years of legal experience as a former county and federal public defender and general counsel/deputy director of forensic services at the California Department of Mental Health. Sponsored by the Davis and Woodland chapters of the League of Women Voters, Wednesday’s debate offered the candidates opportunities to answer six questions prepared by league members, followed by written questions from audience members. See a video of the debate at https:// my.lwv.org/california/woodland.
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Davis schools earn ranking among the best for music — again By Aaron Geerts Enterprise staff writer Strike up the band. The National Association of Music Merchants has awarded the Davis Joint Unified School District with its 2022 Best Communities for Music Education designation. Although Davis is a district that’s relatively small in size, its prowess and passion for music education rings loud and clear. This isn’t the first time Davis
has earned this title; in 2014, again in 2018, and now for a third time in 2022. Qualifying includes a district answering various questions encompassing everything from the breadth and quality of the program to facilities, communal support and the degree class participation. Once these answers are verified by school officials, they’re sent to the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas before the final decisions are made.
“It’s definitely validating for the DJUSD to win this, especially after a pandemic when the music program was significantly scaled back. It was hard to perform in public and rehearse together in person,” said co-founder of DJUSD’s Mariachi Puente Band and music program advocate, Hiram Jackson. “This year, the music program had to try and encourage people to sign up in spite of the not-so-great experience last year. Enrollment was down a little bit, but nevertheless the district was able to keep its program going strong coming out of the pandemic. It’s just validating in
Judge to hear motions in DiSC dispute County receives $100K By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer With each side in the legal battle over Measure H ballot arguments seeking attorney fees from the other, a Yolo Superior Court judge has consolidated arguments on the matter for May 11. Davis City Councilman Dan Carson as well as the six people named as real parties in interest in the lawsuit Carson filed over the No on H ballot arguments have both claimed victory in the case and each side is seeking attorney fees in excess of $70,000. Carson’s suit, filed in late March, alleged the ballot arguments oppos-
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ing the Davis Innovation and Sustainability Campus (Measure CARSON H on the Who should June balhave to pay? lot) were false and misleading. Named as real parties were six Davis residents who signed the arguments — Alan Pryor, Michael Corbett, Stephen Wheeler, Darell Dickey, Juliette Beck and Roberta Millstein. Judge Daniel Maguire ultimately ordered two changes to the ballot argument — changing a unit of
WEATHER Today: Sunny and pleasant. High 83. Low 49.
measurement related to greenhouse gas emissions and removing the word “only” from an argument related to traffic mitigation. But Maguire left the rest of the ballot argument intact, prompting the No on H team to claim victory as, they said, their ballot message remained largely unchanged. But Carson has also claimed victory given two changes were ordered by the judge. And while the judge did not declare a victor, he will be essentially asked to choose one when parties return to court in May, though he may choose to award neither side
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grant for civic engagement By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer The Yolo County Office of Education has been awarded a $100,000 competitive grant from the James B. McClatchy Foundation to build awareness and understanding of civic engagement among the county’s youths. The funding will enhance civic engagement and media literacy “to help youth support their communities and strengthen our democracy,” according to the announcement from the county. “In Yolo County, we continue to prioritize the importance of civic
participation from youth,” said Superintendent of Schools Garth Lewis. “We are grateful to the James B. McClatchy Foundation for their continued support, which allows us to connect local youth to the civic process in our schools.” The Yolo County Youth Civic Initiative will use the funding to build curriculum models for 12th-grade government courses in Yolo County with a focus on interacting with local government and developing media literacy. Once completed, the curriculum will be used to connect students to two existing programs:
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Research aims to help bumblebees’ survival By Kathy Keatley Garvey Special to The Enterprise Bumblebees prefer foraging on flowers that contain yeast, but does yeast benefit bumble bee survival and reproduction? Yes, according to UC Davis community ecologist and doctoral candidate Danielle Rutkowski and her colleagues in their newly published research in the Royal Entomological Society’s Journal of Ecological Entomology. The research, “Bee-Associated Fungi Mediate Effects of Fungicides on Bumble Bees,” provides direct evidence that fungi can benefit both survival and reproduction in two species of bumble bees, Bombus vosnesenskii and B. impatiens. The research also suggests that yeast, commonly found in the gut of bumble bees, may be more important than originally thought. “Bumble bees are important pollinators that face threats from
multiple sources, including agrochemical application,” said Rutkowsi, the lead researcher-author. “Declining bumble bee populations have been linked to fungicide application, which could directly affect the fungi often found in the stored food and gastrointestinal (GI) tract of healthy bumble bees.” “I tested if fungicides commonly applied in orchard systems affected yeasts and the health of their bee hosts, and if feeding those bees their fungi after fungicide exposure could rescue them,” said Rutkowski, who studies with major professors Rachel Vannette and Richard Karban, community ecologists in the Department of Entomology and Nematology. “Bombus vosnesenskii (commonly known as the yellow-faced bumble bee), is native to California and we reared colonies of it from wild-caught queens,” Rutkowski said. “In this species, we observed strong negative effects of fungicide
Danielle Rutkowski/Courtesy photo
Bumblebee research in the UC Davis lab shows Bombus impatiens and the developing brood. and the ability of bee-associated fungi to rescue bees from these negative effects. The other species, Bombus impatiens, is native to the eastern United States, but is commonly produced and sold commercially for pollination. In this species, we did not find any negative impacts of fungicide, but the addition of yeasts was very beneficial for bee survival and offspring production.”
LWV hosts supervisor forum Special to The Enterprise The League of Women Voters Davis Area will sponsor a nonpartisan election forum Saturday, May 7, on the District 2 race for Yolo County Supervisor. The event will be run from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers at 23 Russell Blvd. in Davis. Free tickets are available on Eventbrite at yolosupervisorforum.eventbrite.com. Davis Media Access will record the event and make the video available to voters. Davis City Councilmember Lucas Frerichs and local climate activist Juliette Beck are competing to replace incumbent Supervisor Don Saylor, who is not running for reelection. His term expires at the end of 2022. District 2 covers southwest Yolo County,
including Winters, West Davis, parts of central Davis and the area between Winters and Davis. Jim Provenza represents District 4 on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, which also includes parts of Davis. His term does not expire until Dec. 31, 2024. Frerichs has served on the Davis City Council since 2012. A long-time former staffer in the California State Assembly, he currently works as associate director of state policy for The Nature Conservancy and serves on the boards of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, the Yolo County Transportation District, Valley Clean Energy, and the Yolo Habitat Conservancy. An ecologist, Beck helped initiate a Climate
Strike advocacy movement in 2018 that gathers in Davis Central Park every Friday at noon. In 2020, she helped establish a Yolo County Climate Action Commission to address climate change. When schools closed for the pandemic, she worked with educators, parents, and UC Davis students to fund a free youth summer camp that focuses on ecology and community activism. Davis resident Donna Neville will moderate the forum. A semi-retired lawyer, she currently chairs the City of Davis Finance and Budget Committee. She worked as an attorney for the Office of the Legislative Counsel early in her career and later was chief legal counsel to two state agencies: the California State Auditor’s Office and the State Board of Education.
Vannette, a co-author of the paper, pointed out, “We knew that bumble bees in the field prefer foraging on flowers that contain yeasts, and that bumble bees have yeasts in their gut; but didn’t know how those yeasts affected bees, or how fungicides affected yeast-bee interactions.” Rutkowski examined the interactive effects of the fungicide propiconazole and fungal supplementation on the survival, reproduction and microbiome composition of queenless colonies. Rutkowski, who joined the UC Davis doctoral program in 2018, won the President’s Prize (firstplace) in her category for her graduate student research presentations at the 2017 and 2021 Entomological Society of America meetings. A 2018 graduate of Cornell University, summa cum laude, she holds a bachelor of science degree in entomology and biological sciences, with a concentration in ecology and evolution.
PBE welcomes No on DiSC to public meeting Special to The Enterprise The Davis Progressive Business Exchange will meet from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, at Lamppost Pizza, 1260 Lake Blvd. in West Davis. The topic will be DISC,the Davis Innovation Sustainability Campus. After supporters spoke last month Matt
Williams will speak on May 4, representing the No on DISC campaign. Davis voters will be asked to vote on this issue on June 7, as Measure H. The public is invited to these free open forum events. Contact Bob Bockwinkel at 530-2191896 or e-mail G Richard Yamagata at yamagata@ dcn.org for information. Bob Dunning is taking the day off. The Wary I returns on Wednesday.
From Page One
THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE
DISPUTE: Sides lay out their positions From Page A1 attorney fees. For the opponents of Measure H who signed the ballot argument, Carson’s lawsuit came at a cost — their No on H campaign fund was depleted, they said. They were the first to file for attorney fees, hoping to be awarded fees in time to replenish the campaign fund ahead of the June 7 election. Arguments on their attorney fee motion had been scheduled for April 29. But Carson subsequently filed his own motion seeking attorney fees and requested that the judge hear both motions at the same time later than April 29, something the court agreed to in setting the May 11 hearing date. In his attorney fee motion filed last week, Carson said had he not filed the lawsuit in his capacity as honorary chair of the Yes on H campaign, voters would have received false or misleading statements in the No on H ballot argument.
“The court agreed that two of the statements in the argument against Measure H were verifiably false or misleading and ordered respondents to amend the statements,” Carson’s motion said. “Although the court did not grant all of the relief requested, that is not a relevant benchmark for success, and (Carson) nevertheless achieved his primary objective of preventing false or misleading statements in the ballot argument and he is thus entitled to attorneys’ fees.” Carson’s motion also states that as a result of his petition, he “has been the subject of numerous public attacks, including through comments made on social media platforms and comments made during the public comment portion of City Council meetings. “These attacks include a proposal that he be recalled from office, a call for candidates to oppose his reelection this November, and a statement in a press release seeking to personally
discredit him for invoking his personal rights as a Davis voter to seek corrective action by elections officials … Petitioner undertook the risk to his political career and reputation and chose to pursue this action despite knowing he would be on the receiving end of this criticism because of his commitment to truth in politics.” Carson's motion adds that the effort by his opponents “to trivialize the court-ordered amendments is a thinly veiled attempt to get this court to underestimate the voters’ awareness of the issues that are relevant to Measure H. In total, Carson is seeking $76,358 in attorney fees, though DiSC project manager Dan Ramos previously said the campaign itself funded the lawsuit. The other side, meanwhile, is seeking $71,488 in attorney fees from Carson, saying, “the court outright rejected three of (Carson’s) challenges and adopted real parties’ suggestions for the two modest edits
it ordered.” “Real parties prevailed in an action enforcing important public rights to the benefit of all citizens of Davis,” their court filing states. In a press release issued last week, Pam Gunnell, who is part of the No on H team but not named in Carson’s suit, said, “the individuals who Carson has targeted are not wealthy industrial park developers like Dan Ramos who has paid for Councilmember Carson’s attorneys thus far. “They are ... community members who have integrity and are well-respected,” Gunnell said. As for Carson’s comments about being attacked by No on H members for filing the suit in the first place, Pryor said, “It is no surprise that these extraordinary circumstances have brought out extraordinary criticisms, but the No on H campaign is certainly not coordinating the calls for Carson’s resignation or removal from office.”
and Melissa enjoyed raising their family together and sharing their professional knowledge. As father, he loved being part of his sons’ sports endeavors so that when Alex and Drew engaged in sports, he became a swim official and water polo coordinator. As a person, Todd loved his Challenger car, sushi, ice cream, root beer floats, and traveling
the world, especially going to Lake Tahoe with his family. He prepared waffles from scratch every Wednesday night for Thursdaymorning breakfast. Todd was extremely organized, loved looking forward to the next new adventure, and was respected and loved by everyone who knew and met him. He had the kind of personality that would bring a smile to a person’s face when hearing his name. Todd is survived by his wife, Melissa Barnett Erickson; sons Alex and
SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2022 A3
NOTABLE: Musical education offers some unique benefits From Page A1 boosters. Even before that when I was getting more involved during the recession in 2008, it was proposed to cut the elementary music program. The community came together and kept it from happening. They fundraised and followed up with passing school parcel taxes that helped to support the elementary and also the secondary music program.” Even with the boon of community support, the DJUSD would not be joining the 582 other school districts around the nation in this designation without stellar instructors. The music faculty include Arielle Deem, Karen Gardias, Eric Richardson, Veronica Tonus, Tom Slabaugh, Angelo Moreno, Lydia Cooley, Luana Hernandez, Greg Brucker, Nancy Sanchez and Clyde Quick.
Their efforts are undoubtedly instrumental to the success of the district’s music program and national recognition. Moreover, their passion emphasizes the importance and impact of the musical arts on students. “What’s unique about music among other subjects is that you have to work together. Sometimes you can have difficult relationships with your peers at school, but when you see you’ve got to work together, you can overcome some of the little quirks and see how you can get along with people for a better outcome,” Jackson said. To support the district’s music program, one can check the various schools’ social accounts and websites for upcoming concerts and events and simply attend. Until then, Davis can take a bow at such this incredible — and well-deserved — accolade.
Obituaries Todd L. Erickson
Sept. 15, 1974 — April 21, 2022 Todd Lindsay Erickson passed away suddenly on April 21, 2022 at the age of 47. Todd was born in Dayton, Ohio, moving to California when he was 5 going to school in Sacramento, receiving his undergraduate education at UC San Diego then graduate school at the UC Berkeley School of Optometry, where he received his Doctor of Optometry degree, and met his wife, Melissa
Barnett Erickson. Todd practiced optometry for almost 21 years and was married for 19½ years. He lived in Sacramento for 10 years, and then in Davis for 10 years. Besides his professional accomplishments, Todd was known for his loving and kind personality. He was always gracious and went above and beyond when helping others. On a practical level, he could fix anything. As husband, he
William Charles Turner May 10, 1942 — April 10, 2022
William (Bill) Charles Turner died on April 10, 2022, at the age of 79 in the loving home of his eldest son Luke and his beautiful grand daughters, Carmen and Alma in Davis. William was raised in Bellevue, Wash., and received his Ph.D. in physics from Yale in 1973. He titled his thesis "Muon Polarization in the Decay, An Experimental Test of Time
Reversal Invariance." He worked internationally on particle accelerator research and retired from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 2004. He was a TURNER longtime resident of the Rockridge neighborhood in Oakland. He enjoyed playing jazz and blues music, riding BMW motorcycles, hiking and swimming.
Katherine Ann Chambers Dec. 7, 1946 — April 6, 2022
Katherine Ann Chambers, a long-time Davis resident, passed away on April 6, 2022. Katherine was born in Rochester, N.Y., the only child of Edward Chambers and Edna Messeroll Chambers. Following high-school graduation, Katherine attended Alfred University in Ithaca, N.Y., where she obtained a degree in biological sciences. She received her master’s degree in library science from the University of Michigan. Her first job as a librarian was at Cornell University in Ithaca. While working at Cornell, Katherine traveled to China with a university group; it was winter and there, at that time, Mao jackets were the required fashion in freezing temperatures. This trip was one of her more important and lasting memories. In February 1984, Katherine accepted a librarian
position in the biological and agricultural department of Shields Library at UC Davis. She selected printed and digital materials for the library collection, provided research assistance to faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and taught science database classes to faculty and students. Her subject expertise was in botany and in bee culture. She retired from the library after 25 years. Katherine enjoyed her life in Davis and adopted much of the Davis lifestyle. She chose not to drive a car and used the bicycle as her sole mode of transportation and the Unitrans system for longer distances. The bicycle was an extension of herself. The Davis Farmers Market was her favorite weekend destination. She pedaled there most Saturdays to shop, enjoy the local scene and meet with friends.
He will be dearly missed by his life partner Tania Selden; sister Katherine; sons Ben and Luke; ex-wife Ellen; and the many friends that he made over his lifetime. In 1980 William took his son Luke, age 9, to the local movie theater to see a matinee of “The Blues Brothers,” starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Stepping out of the dark theater into the sun, Luke said, “I distinctly remember looking at my dad and thinking that he was the third-coolest guy who ever lived.”
One of Katherine’s major interests was volunteering on Wednesday mornings at the Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden next to West Davis Pond. She was one of the first people to volunteer at the garden, and she helped it to grow from a bare patch of ground to the beautiful public garden it is today. While she contributed to the improvement and beautification of the area, she also formed strong and lasting friendships with many other Friends of West Pond. During her final illness, Katherine was assisted by friends including Jo Ellen Ryan and Gene Trapp who took her to needed appointments and helped with finding a comfortable place for her final days. Katherine will be missed by all those who knew and
cared for her. Donations in remembrance of Katherine may be made to Alfred University, her alma mater, to The Nature Conservancy, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Drew; mother Carolyn Tillman; father Dennis Erickson; and sister Monica McCoy. A funeral service was on Tuesday, April 26, at Congregation Bet Haverim, 1715 Anderson Road in Davis.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Todd’s memory to: Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity VOSH.org or YOLO food bank at www. bigdayofgiving.org/organizaion/yolofoodbank in honor of Todd L. Erickson.
Business
A4 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE
SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2022
Hikari will wow you with sushi artistry I was lucky enough to preview the new Hikari Sushi & Omakase, which was set to open April 29 at 110 F St. The sushi restaurant opened earlier than originally announced, but as cash only, with takeout food its first couple of days. Indoor dining – including its high-end chef’s choice dinners on Fridays and Saturdays – is briefly on hold while it tests new air filters for the 900-square-foot restaurant. The owners are taking extra health precautions because of the small space. Along with air purifiers, entering guests must pause for a touch-free temperature check. The restaurant focuses on fresh, local and ethically obtained fish. Part of the omakase dining experience is to educate patrons about sustainable seafood. At our April 23 meal, Chef Sithu Tun prepared everything from fresh catches that arrived that day. “I found out today what I would be serving you,” he said. That’s how the chef’s choice concept works. Though alterations may be made for dietary restrictions and preferences, diners are served sushi in a way that complements its best qualities and highlights seasonal ingredients. Pretty much everything but the rice was made from scratch in front of us. Tun and his wife Zin Khine present every course with precise, edible artistry. This is sushi with gold leaf, truffles and edible flowers. It may be pricey, but it’s a
gourmet dinner and a show. That’s what you can expect on Fridays and Saturdays when the restaurant showcases its omakase concept. Reservations are required. It now plans seating for 16 patrons inside: eight at the bar and two booths that each seat four. Omakase hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Each chef’s choice meal lasts about two hours. Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 5 to 8:30 p.m., Hikari is a traditional sushi bar, offering dine-in (once open), takeout and curbside pickup. Outside tables will soon be available for those hours, but do not work with the omakase experience. The owners eventually plan a weekly take-away meal too. Prices for the sushi bar will be competitive with other local eateries. But the Friday and Saturday seatings start at $110 per person at the booths, and $125 at the bar. The reservation system is still being set up. Watch for announcements on nstagram and Facebook. ———— Shelley Dunning is up to more good stuff. The Davis Enterprise columnist just launched a website for Mabel’s Farm Box, featuring “California’s finest meat, cheese and provisions.” For
Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo
Zin Khine, left, watches as her husband Sithu Tun applies gold leaf to sushi at an April 23 preview dinner for Hikari Sushi & Omakase. now, her charcuterie boxes are available exclusively at Ruhstaller Farm, 6686 Sievers Road in Dixon. Mabel’s Farm Box makes adorable arrangements from assorted cheeses, meats, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, crackers and sliced baguettes, dips, jam, honey and mustard. Prices are $10 to $27 per person. And starting Wednesday, you can get strawberry shortcake – $18 for a box that serves two. Some assembly required. Both offerings are “thoughtfully sourced” from small, local farmers and California artisan meat and cheese producers. The biscuits for the shortcake come from Davis’ Let Them Eat Cake. Look for the strawberry shortcake at the midweek Davis Farmers Market too, starting as soon as May 4. The Wednesday market is 3 to 7 p.m. in Central Park. The snack boxes first appeared in October, after Dunning proposed the idea
to Ruhstaller owner J-E Paino. “I said, ‘Hey, this could be a great way for your customers to feel like they have an option on a Tuesday or Wednesday night when the food trucks aren’t here’, ” she said. Patrons can buy them from a cooler in the taproom, or preorder sets for groups. Business has steadily grown since. “I worked the kinks out during the winter, when it was slow,” she said. “Now it’s just really a joy.” Dunning is a fixture at Ruhstaller. In March, she launched her “not-so-ordinary vending machine” called B’twixt & B’tween there. It sells locally made art, jewelry, crafts, s’mores kits, sunscreen, game cards, toys, bakery cookies and more. Each item fits in the 5-inch slots. “It’s all so much fun. I’m actually having a ball,” she said Thursday. She has a studio at the Dixon farm, where she paints signs for the taproom.
She spent Thursday morning at the nearby Eatwell Farm, buying strawberries from farmer Lorraine Walker. “I just look at my life sometimes,” she said with awe. “I just got to make a new friend who’s a farmer, and see how hard she’s working to spread the local goodness.” The taproom is open from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 3 to 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and noon to 9 p.m. on weekends. The website is https://www.mabelsfarmbox.com/. ———— Speaking of the farmers market, there’s good news for those who miss the Wednesday music and beer of Picnic in the Park. The Davis Downtown Business Association is working on plans for a Thursday music in the park event, tentatively starting on July 21. It will run Thursday evenings through October, in Central Park. The first few months may be every other week. It will include food, music and a fenced beer garden for adults 21 and over. Unlike its predecessor, no outside alcohol will be permitted. In 2020, the Davis Farmers Market discontinued the music, alcohol and extended hours at its Wednesday market. It cited patrons who came just for the concert, often bringing their own food and alcohol, and not supporting the farmers. The market continues to operate from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, with farmers, artisans and food vendors. Picnickers are welcome but alcohol is not. And dogs are restricted to the grassy
areas, away from food sales. ———— As promised, I learned more about the new L’Apéro les Trois in Winters. The tasting lounge, at 22 Main St., will launch as a new brand from Berryessa Gap Vineyards, which operates a tasting room across the street. It specializes in fruitinfused wine called L’Apero les Trois Apéritif, inspired by French farmhouse-style apértifs, its website says. “Unique and pure, these are the result of infusing wine from Berryessa Gap Vineyards with seasonal fruit from the orchards surrounding Winters.” The website shows white, rosé and red varieties. The names attached to the business are well known in Winters: Georgeanne Brennan, Corinne Martinez and Nicole Salengo. Brennan is a food writer (and former Enterprise columnist) from Winters who runs a vacation cooking school in Provence, France. Martinez owns Berryessa Gap Vineyards, and Salengo is the winemaker. They plan a grand opening on Friday, May 6, with tastings, and wine by the glass and bottle. Regular hours will be 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. A website is under construction at https://laperolestrois.com. — Wendy Weitzel is a Davis writer and editor. Her column runs on Sundays. Check for updates on her Comings & Goings Facebook and Instagram pages. If you know of a business coming or going in the area, contact her at wendyedit@gmail.com.
Living
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SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2022 A5
A voice from the past speaks to us now H
aving just taught a class where I encouraged writers to use short compelling beginnings, today I break my rule. I want to start with a quotation from the book I finished recently, “Suite Française,” translated from the French. The quote is long but worth reading. “It’s a truism that people are complicated, multifaceted, contradictory, surprising, but it takes the advent of war or other momentous events to be able to see it. It is the most fascinating and the most dreadful of spectacles … you can never pride yourself on truly knowing the sea unless you’ve seen it both calm and in a storm. Only the person who has observed men and women at times like this … can be said to know them. And to know themselves.” These words are powerful and relevant to my endeavor right now — an effort shared by many — to understand how our world is changing and to prepare for what might happen next. The words were written by Irène Némirovsky, who placed them in the mouth of Lucile Angellier, a character in “Suite Française,” a five-volume series begun in 1940. Némirovsky was able to write only two of the novels which, for a number of
reasons, were not published until the 2000s. ———— If, as the quote suggests, “war or other momentous events” are necessary in order to reveal what humans are really like, we meet that requirement now. For war, I plug in “Ukraine.” And, yes, we are observing human behavior that differs from normal times. Némirovsky captures events of the early 1940s when much of France was under German occupation, and when French people were forced to make hard choices about whether or how much to resist, where and how to move, and who and what to hide. Némirovsky describes French refugees pouring out of Paris, hoping for safety elsewhere, and then returning to the French capital, in some cases, because they just want to come home. Some of Némirovsky’s portrayals are satirical, but she conveys sympathy
for the refugee plight as well. I think of today’s Ukrainian refugees, some of whom are already trying to return home. ———— The second key term in Némirovsky’s quote, “other momentous events,” brings COVID to mind. I watch as COVID travels the world in disturbing fits and starts, still a danger, now sharing space with climate change and war. Like Némirovsky I’m watching people reveal confusion and fear, as well as, in some cases, reprehensible self-interest, a flaw that is familiar to us from recent politics. We are in a moment where people do act differently (think of Jan. 6 in the Capitol, speeders on the freeway and Sacramento shootings) and in ways that often make no sense. I also look inward and discover surprising behavior in myself: for example, sometimes I wear my mask just to hide. Why do I do that? I don’t know. But I watch many people wear masks when they don’t need to, like out of doors, and I wonder if I am not alone. ———— Volumes 3-5 of “Suite Française” were never written because Némirovsky, whose relationship to Judaism was complicated (she
Exhibit highlights Thoreau’s plants Enterprise staff Name Droppers A UC Davis entomologist, formerly of the Harvard University Herbaria, is among the scholars and artists who helped spearhead the newly created Harvard Museum of Natural History’s “In Search of Thoreau’s Flowers: An Exploration of Change and Loss,” an exhibition hailed as an examination of the natural world and climate change at the intersections of science, art and history. It opens to the public starting May 14. Emily Meineke, assistant professor of urban landscape entomology at the UCD department of entomology and
nematology, helped launch the project in 2017 when she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard University Herbaria. “I was one of the original creators of the exhibit, along with the other scholars and artists listed on the program,” Meineke related. “We started thinking about it in 2017 as a group. I served as the primary scientific liaison with the artists, helping them interpret the most interesting data that arose from studies of Thoreau’s specimens.”
and her husband converted to Catholicism in 1939), was deported in 1942 and died of typhus at Auschwitz. The “afterwards” to my edition of “Suite Française” contains heart-breaking appeals written by her husband to various notables in the world of publishing after she disappeared. “Irène suddenly taken today,” Michel Epstein writes, begging for help and information even, he says, if the truth is terrible to hear. It’s sad and shocking to read his extremely polite, cautiously-worded letters full of personal pain, including an offer to switch places with his wife. In fact, there was no place to switch to. Epstein was seized a few months later and murdered at Auschwitz. ———— When Némirovsky was writing “Suite Française,” she was situated as we are now. She knew she was living in a time of war and momentous changes and she watched people around her behaving in all the ways listed in Lucile’s quotation (complicated, contradictory, etc.), wondering what would happen next. Even as she outlined her three future novels, she allowed for the fact that she had no idea when or how war would end. She created characters anyway, knowing she
By Andy Jones Special to The Enterprise 1. Pop Culture — Music. The Oscar-nominated actress and singer who was named the “Female Entertainer of the Century” by Billboard in 1976 is the only female artist to have had number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist, as half of a duet, as a member of a trio, and
would have to wait and see what happened to them. “That’s God’s secret,” she wrote, “and what I wouldn’t give to know it.” Némirovsky’s world got worse and worse after she left it, although VE Day came finally on May 8, 1945. This year the anniversary of victory in Europe falls on Mother’s Day. Némirovsky, whose two children survived the Holocaust, wrote in her last letter, “You are in my heart, my loved ones. May God help us all. “ ———— Not many writers are as accomplished as Némirovsky was, celebrated at an early age, producing a dozen well-received books before her death at 39. Her work shows that some of what I am observing now also happened in the early years of World War II. Némirovsky watched as closely and clearly as she was able. Few things are more haunting to me than a writer snatched and destroyed by the future she planned to recount. Many of us watch closely, too. What is the future we will someday recount? — Marion Franck has lived in Davis for more than 40 years. Reach her at marionf2@gmail. com.
as an ensemble member. Name her. 2. Science. Is an artichoke most accurately categorized as a bean, a cactus, a grass or a thistle? 3. Unusual Words. What five letter A-word has “angled” and “awry” for synonyms? 4. Oil Icons. Humorously spreading misinformation, the oil company Sinclair uses what as its icon?
5. Books and Authors. Considered by many to be Ireland’s second-greatest poet, who lived from 1939 to 2013? Answers: Diana Ross, a thistle, askew, a dinosaur, Seamus Heaney. — Dr. Andy Jones is the former quizmaster at de Vere’s Irish Pub and author of the book “Pub Quizzes: Trivia for Smart People.” His pub quiz is now seeking a new home. Meanwhile, Dr. Andy is also sharing his pub quizzes via Patreon. Find out more at www.yourquizmaster.com.
From Page One
A6 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE
SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2022
GRANT: Foundation DEBATE: Candidates spar on punishment hands out $1.5M for local journalism From Page A1
From Page A1 the annual Youth Empowerment Summit and the California State Seal of Civic Engagement. The Youth Empowerment Summit, held on Saturday at UC Davis, brings high school students together with local elected officials to discuss the issues and concerns they have. The State Seal of Civic Engagement is a new statewide program which allows schools to enhance and incentivize students’ civic engagement. “Our goal with the curriculum is to help students LEWIS move County superintendent beyond the walls of their schools and allow them to see local government as a beneficial organization they can directly affect,” said Stacey Greer, director of the History Project at UC Davis. “By training teachers to provide authentic engagement in the classroom, we intend to transform civic engagement at the local level.” Yolo County’s assessor/ clerk-recorder/registrar of voters, Jesse Salinas, said, “when schools implement the YCYCI curriculum, students will be able to take their newly acquired skills and knowledge of civic engagement and apply them to a real-world setting by interacting with their locally elected officials during the YES!
summit and other community efforts. “We need to continue to teach and inspire our future leaders to promote positive change in our community,” Salinas said. The Yolo County Office of Education is one of 25 statewide grantees to receive funding from the James B. McClatchy Foundation, according to the county. In all, the foundation issued $1.5 million in new SALINAS grant Elections chief funding to nurture pipelines for homegrown journalists and civic leaders — one of the largest one-time investments of its kind for local journalism and democracy, according to the foundation. Launched in 2017, YCYCI is a collaborative effort with partners that include the Yolo County Office of Education, the Yolo County Office of Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/ Elections, Baylor University’s School of Education and the History Project at UC Davis. The James B. McClatchy Foundation is a nonprofit philanthropic organization founded in 1994 by Susan and the late James B. McClatchy to address needs in the Central Valley for English Learner students and in protecting the First Amendment. — Reach Anne TernusBellamy at aternus@ davisenterprise.net.
In his opening remarks, Reisig cited his 25-year record as a Yolo County prosecutor, handling “every kind of case you can imagine — murder, rape, robbery, child-molest, DUI, theft, and everything in between.” “You simply cannot be a competent elected district attorney without the experience that I have,” Reisig said, citing Rodriguez’s lack of a criminal prosecutorial background. “For that very reason, there’s only one person here who’s qualified for this job.” Rodriguez pointed out that as a state general counsel she brought misconduct cases against correctional officers and staff in the state’s prison systems, working closely with other peace officers to hold them accountable for crimes. She said it was her interest in democracy as a child that inspired her legal career. “If we’re going to take the thing that’s most important in democracy away from people, their freedom, we should be doing it in the right way. We should be doing it with facts … and doing it with proof.” Rodriguez identified public safety and mental health as two of the most critical issues facing Yolo County’s criminal justice system today, adding that treatment, not mass incarceration, is the answer to solving those problems. “We need to work much
harder on diversion programs, treatment programs, medical programs,” she said, REISIG emphasizIncumbent ing a mental health approach. “If we aren’t treating those people, then we are just waiting for them to come back and commit more crimes and make new victims.” For Reisig, the key local issues are homelessness and violent crime. He cited his plan for addressing the unhoused through law reform, treatment and court programs; and vowed to work with lawmakers to address state laws he says “have resulted in some really terrible consequences” in crime rates. “I’m going double down on policies that work on all sides of the equation, but at the same time I’m going to use my tenure and my reputation to try and talk some sense into people so we can fix some of these laws,” he said. Asked how he expects to serve Yolo County’s diverse communities, Reisig noted his creation of a MultiCultural Community Council that advises him on diversity issues, as well as his office’s creation last year of Commons, an online data portal that tracks the demographics of local court cases, as well as a raceblind charging program. “Lady Justice is truly blind in Yolo County,”
he said. Rodriguez said she would foster diversity and public trust RODRIGUEZ through Challenger availability and representation, keeping an open-door policy for both employees and the county’s citizens, and by hiring staff that reflect the community’s many diverse groups. “It’s very important that people are able to relate to the office and feel like they can speak and be heard,” she said. The candidates also addressed how they’d tackle local crime recidivism rates, with Reisig citing his office’s success with mental health treatment court and 10-year-old restorative justice program — formerly Neighborhood Court — the latter diverting some 2,500 cases from the courts with low reoffending levels. Rodriguez said she supports restorative justice, mental health and drug treatment programs but believes those programs need to expand and be more accessible in Yolo County. “Those programs need to be what we use so that people don’t end up going to prison, which has a very poor success rate,” she added. Questions from the audience focused on issues including youth intervention, plea bargaining, cash bail, the juvenile justice
system and incarceration rates for people of color. On the latter, both agreed there are disproportionate number of people of color who are arrested and jailed in Yolo County and beyond, compared to local demographics. Rodriguez said an analysis needs to be performed on those statistics to address the problem, but that hasn’t happened in the year since the DA’s Office launched its Commons data platform. “We can’t go on expecting society to remain calm … if we don’t find out why we are imprisoning more racial minorities” compared to their demographics within the county, she said. Reisig, meanwhile, noted that the issue extends well beyond Yolo County and should be viewed on a statewide level. He reiterated that his office’s raceblind charging program is a step toward addressing the disparity. As for the Commons statistics, “I’m not going to tell you how to interpret the data. Look at it,” Reisig said, though noted the information has undergone scrutiny at a series of townhall meeting held by his office. The two DA candidates are slated to debate again at a May 17 virtual event sponsored by the Davis Chamber of Commerce. Election Day is June 7. — Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene
sports THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE — SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2022
B Section
Sports B2 Dear Annie B3 Forum B4 Mother’s Day B6
Lacrosse
Davis girls, boys teams ousted in playoffs Enterprise staff All winning seasons must come to an end. That happened for the Davis High girls and boys lacrosse teams on Thursday in the North Coast Section Division I playoffs. The Blue Devil girls, who won the Delta League title with an 11-1 record and 17-5 overall, faced Oak Ridge at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium. The Davis boys took fourth place in the Sacramento Valley Lacrosse League with an 8-2 record and 12-8 overall. The Blue Devils traveled for their playoff game against rival Jesuit.
DHS girls In Thursday's home playoff game, visiting Oak Ridge jumped out to a 9-2 halftime lead en route to a 14-4 victory. This was the second time this season that Davis and Oak Ridge faced each other. The Trojans also dominated the Blue Devils in their first meeting on April 8, posting a 19-7 win.
Davis seniors who were a part of this spring's team are Peyton Schoen, Grace Scheuring, Alicia Holman-Evans, Colette Quaas, Devon Morris, Reagan Cusi, Stella Cardenas and Semmer Ali.
DHS boys Davis showed signs of a come-frombehind lead Jesuit established early in their NCS playoff game at Vista del Lago of Folsom, also on Thursday. But Jesuit came out with a 14-5 win. Jesuit expanded its 4-1 first period lead to a 6-1 in the second. But the Blue Devils scored two more goals, and the Marauders added another for a 7-3 score with 3:01 left in the period. The Marauders held an 8-3 lead at halftime. In the third period, both teams exchanged goals. But Jesuit maintained its lead at 9-4, which increased to 10-4 with under three minutes in the period. Jesuit outscored Davis 6-2 in the second half. The seniors on this spring's team are Jet Acquino, Cole Wittkop, Adam Perry, Mason Heard and Hunter Massey.
Christoph Lossin/Enterprise photo
Davis High girls lacrosse players Grace Scheuring (5) and teammate Grace Fabionar (6, white jersey) chase down an Oak Ridge player in Thursday’s North Coast Section Division I playoff game at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium.
Softball
Rachel Kreager/Enterprise photos
At left, UC Davis runner Rees Mattley slides into second base, but UC Santa Barbara shortstop Chloe Stewart (22) recorded the out on the play. At right, Aggie shortstop McMahan gets the out on Gaucho runner Ally Nodohara (32) in Friday’s Big West Conference game at LaRue Field. To view more photos, visit www.davisenterprise.com and click on the Sports tab.
Aggies’ cylinders not firing in loss By Mike Bush
Enterprise sports editor Sommer Kisling used an error and her bat to get on the bases. The UC Davis softball team generated a muchneeded run an inning prior to Kisling’s last at-bat. But the UC Santa Barbara’s squad kept the Aggies’ offense on hold to squeak out a 3-2 win at LaRue Field to open their Big West Conference’s three-game series on Friday. “If we had adjusted earlier, and we do what we need to do earlier, we’re not put into that situation,” said UC Davis head coach Erin Thorpe. Entering Saturday’s doubleheader, also at LaRue Field, Thorpe still sits at 398 career collegiate wins. A doubleheader sweep would give Thorpe, who has been running the Aggies’ program since 2015, the milestone 400th win. In the bottom of the seventh inning and one out, Kisling, who was batting leadoff instead of the No. 2 spot that she’s occupied for most of the season, reached first base when UCSB left fielder Ashley Donaldson committed a fielding error. But Kisling was left stranded on first base, as the next two Aggie batters flew out to right field and a sharp line drive to centerfielder Tyler Goldstein to end of game. “Runner in scoring position and we just had one too many outs before we can get it done,” Thorpe said. UC Davis (6-10 in the BWC, 19-25 overall) tacked on a run against UC Santa Barbara (3-15 in the BWC, 12-32) in the bottom of the sixth inning with one out.
Aggie batter Anna Dethlefson, now batting in the No. 4 position after occupying the leadoff spot the bulk of this season, walked. Then teammate Reese Mattley singled to left field, but stretched it and went to third when Donaldson committed her first error, also fielding on the hit, which scored Dethlefson and made it a 3-2 score. After Sarah Starks grounded out to gave the Gauchos two outs, UCD batter Sarah Nakahara also walked, putting runners at the corners. But an Aggie pinch-hitter grounded out to winning pitcher Lexy Mills for the final out of the frame. “We had thought about (a double steal) at the time,” Thorpe said. “I love to do that type of stuff. I felt like, I don’t know if we had the right personnel in the right spots and to try to get tricky with it; I would have loved to. But I also believed in our batter that was up that they could get it done.” The game was tied at 1-1 until the top of the third inning. That is when UCSB scored two runs, off only one hit, for a 3-1 score and two outs. Gaucho batter Teah Thies walked, followed by Goldstein singling to right field, which scored Thies to make it 2-1. Goldstein touched home plate to make it 3-1 when teammate Korie Thomas reached first base on an Aggie throwing error. The Aggies scored their first run in the bottom of the first inning with two outs. Delaney Diaz smacked a towering home run that sailed over the left field fence at La Rue Field to make it 1-1. “Delaney put a good barrel on the ball,” Thorpe said.
“I was hoping it was going to be that way (high-scoring game). We’ve got to come out with more people firing and more people just ready to go. We’re trying to find that consistency. Some on, some off. We have to be consistent as a group, and if we’re not consistent as a group, we don’t have all cylinders firing at the same time, anybody can take us down on any given day.” The Gauchos held a short-lived 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Thies had an infield single for an RBI, as Donaldson touched home plate. UCD finished with only three hits in the game. Kisling, along with Diaz and Mattley, had a hit each. The Gauchos doubled that amount at six. “If we had adjusted earlier, and we do what we need to do earlier, we’re not put into that situation,” Thorpe said. Mills gave up those hits to the Aggies, and struck out only one batter. In the circle, Kenedi Brown started for the Aggies. She went three innings, struck out two, gave up three hits and walked three. Sarah Reineman pitched the final four frames for UCD, also giving up three hits and walked one. After this weekend’s series, the Aggies play at Cal Poly in a three-game series. The Aggies and Mustangs play a doubleheader on Friday, May 6 at 3 and 5 p.m. and close out the series Saturday at 1 p.m. — Contact Mike Bush at mike@davisenterprise.net. Follow on Twitter: @MBDavisSports.
B2 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE
Sports
From draft to the IR W
ith the NFL Draft now completed, it’s instructive to look back at the most successful draft in any franchise’s history. That distinction belongs to the 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers, who selected Lynn Swann on the first round (21st overall pick); Jack Lambert on the second round (46th pick); John Stallworth on the fourth round (82nd pick); and Mike Webster on the fifth round (125th pick). All are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As is Donnie Shell, an undrafted free agent that same year. n Seems that everyone on the planet has a mock NFL draft. Some are produced by people who actually know what they are talking about. But the only draft worth remembering is the actual one. Teams are built or rebuilt mostly from rounds 2-5. n The first several weeks of the Major League Baseball season have produced a great number of hit batsmen. It’s already incited a couple of on-field altercations. Players believe the overall quality of the baseballs is to blame. Here’s something else, mostly unsaid: Many pitchers today do not know how to pitch. They know how to throw. There is a tremendous difference. Young arms are rushed through a team’s minor league system so quickly they haven’t had the time to learn the nuances of pitching
when they reach the big-league level. n Whether the San Jose Sharks want to admit it or not, there is a lot of work to be done between now and next season. The team needs a new general manager to replace longtime general manager Doug Wilson, who retired for health reasons. The futures of head coach Bob Boughner and the player roster are yet to be determined. Meantime, former Sharks assistant Jay Woodcroft, let go when Todd McLellan was shown the door in 2015, took over as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers in February and guided the Oilers into the playoffs on the strength of a 25-9-3 finish. It does help when you have allworld talents Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on your side. n Making the Major Leagues as a player is hard enough. But it’s considerably more difficult if you are a baseball umpire. The reason is big league umps stick around for quite a while. Once elevated, most work until they retire. Of the 76 current MLB umpires, 30-plus have 20 or more years of service. Countless others
have between 10 and 20 years. Good work if you can get it. n In addition to his work as FOX Sports rules analyst for NFL games, Mike Pereira is also the supervisor of officials for the USFL. Pereira was tasked with finding enough quality officials for the new league’s eight teams. “Our five crews have adjusted to the level of play that is different than what they are used to in college,” he says. “Thirty-three of the 35 officials are on the NFL’s watch list. Our group is made up of 16 minorities and four women. It is an honor to be working with them.” n Best wishes on a speedy recovery for KCRA news anchor Edie Lambert, who is currently on the injured list from a fall that resulted in four broken bones in her upper right arm. n Will the four major professional sports, plus college football and basketball, please cease and desist with the horrid coaches’ interviews at the end of halves and quarters? With few exceptions, they are rarely newsworthy. One of the worst was on Wednesday evening when a TNT’s ‘reporter’ inanely badgered Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr as Kerr’s team, down eight points beginning the fourth quarter, needed him in the bench area. — To read Doug Kelly’s entire column, visit www.davisenterprise.com and click on the Sports tab.
SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2022
DHS roundup
Blue Devils riding on winning streak Enterprise staff The Davis High girls badminton team cranked out another Monticello Empire League win on Thursday. The Blue Devils improved to 11-3 in the MEL with a 10-5 win over Armijo inside North Gym. That is Davis’ seventh win in a roll. “Our girls played a great match and continue to show strong poise and skill out on the court,” said Davis head coach Mark Murnane. On top of that, the Blue Devils still have a shot of winning the league title. On Monday, Davis closes out the regular season at Rodriguez of Fairfield. Davis and Armijo are tied for first place at 11-3 and Rodriguez is 10-4. A Blue Devil win over Rodriguez, plus an Armijo loss also on Monday would give Davis the outright league title. “If we win, we will win the MEL title, We have had a nice run of seven wins in a row now and it would be a great to make it eight in row on Monday. To do so, we will have to bring our very best game, as Rodriguez is a strong team and coming off a big win against Armijo on (April 25).” Davis won four of the eight matches in singles play. But the Blue Devils decided the match by winning six of the seven double matches. The winners in the doubles matches were Melissa Lee-Chiara Wu, Helena Wei-Due Hassan, Annie Zhu-Angela Li, Jennifer Lee-Yanjun Liu, Cameron St. Andre-Emi Cech and Rowan Baar-Iryna Monastyrska. Lee-Wu, along with Zhu-Li and Baar-Monastyrska, went three sets before they won their respective matches. Blue Devil singles winners were Melissa Lee, Baar, Jennifer Lee and St. Andre. The Sac-Joaquin Section badminton playoffs will be held May 13-14 at Fairfield High.
SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2022 B3
THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE Dear Annie: I’ve had a girlfriend for two years. When COVID hit, she was with me 24/7. Now that COVID has died down, she does not hang out with me. I have not seen her for four weeks. She works way too much and travels with her daughter for swim. When I tell her I love her over text, she just sends me hearts. She doesn’t call or text me much.
Do you think I should end this relationship and move on? Because to be honest, I don’t see it going anywhere. I have kind of lost interest with her. We were engaged, and she always wore her ring. Now
she does not wear it anymore. I’m confused. Please help. — Am I an Ex? Dear Am I: It sounds like your girlfriend/fiancee has both feet out the door. She’s been gradually ghosting you, and now you’re left in
the dust, alone and confused. Make contact with this woman and officially break things off. Put it all out on the table and get the clarity
you need to put your confusion to bed. You have a whole new chapter waiting for you — may it be with someone who never leaves you guessing where you stand.
Forum
B4 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE
Commentary Dark clouds on horizon for EV batteries
Sac a microcosm of housing crisis
T
By Llewellyn King Special to The Enterprise
T
he move to renewable energy sources and electrified transportation constitutes a megatrend, a global seismic shift in energy production, storage and consumption. But there are dark clouds forming, clouds reminiscent of another time. The United States has handed over the supply chain for this future to offshore suppliers of the critical materials used in the workhorse of the megatrend, the lithiumion battery. These include lithium from South America and Australia; cobalt, primarily from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; nickel, copper, phosphate and manganese from countries where relations could sour overnight. Nickel from Russia, for example, is off the market because of the country’s invasion of Ukraine. An additional concern is the role of China in processing these materials, many of which end up in Chinese-made batteries. Australian mines produce just under half of the global lithium supply, but most of that is exported directly to China for processing. Another concern is that many mines producing critical materials have been bought by the Chinese. The Chinese role in the global supply of essential commodities is ubiquitous. Whether these come from Africa, South America or elsewhere in Asia, China has a presence. As attendees of a virtual press briefing, which I organized and hosted last month for the United States Energy Association, heard, the relentless growth in demand for the lithium-ion battery has put the supply chain under severe pressure. Lithium-ion batteries owe their huge demand to their light weight. At present, there is no alternative in transportation that offers the portability of these batteries. But when it comes to utility storage of electricity, where weight is not an impediment, quite a few technologies are in the wings. One, iron flow, is held up only by domestic supply chain issues, according to Eric Dresselhuys, president of ESS Inc., a leading supplier of long-duration energy storage. This technology has additional advantages, because the drawdown time is longer than the two to four hours for a lithium-ion battery. The drawdown is eight to 10 hours, and all the components are sourced domestically, according to Dresselhuys. Another storage technology is the old standby for starting cars: the lead-acid battery. John Howes, president of Redland Energy Group, points out that for stationary uses, lead-acid has many advantages, high among them is that there is a complete recycling regime in place — something in its infancy with lithium-ion. Obviously, there are weight issues with lead-acid batteries and iron batteries, but these aren’t at issue in storage for utility operations — vital for wind and solar generation. During the height of the energy crisis in the 1970s, I once asked the chairman of Gulf Oil over dinner if the oil industry had ever consulted with the automobile industry on expected future demand for gasoline. His answer: “No.” Out of curiosity, I pursued the subject and asked automobile manufacturers if they had ever questioned oil companies about whether there would be enough fuel for their cars. Detroit’s answer: “No.” Both parties went along expecting the other would be there, playing their complementary roles: Oil companies producing enough product to meet the demand of an ever-growing population of internal combustion engines. The assumption has been that there would be enough production of lithium-ion batteries to shoulder the responsibility. Now comes a reckoning, also triggered by a political action like the Arab oil embargo. There was no real substitute for oil, but there are many better technologies and cutting-edge companies working hard at finding alternative batteries. That will take time. In the short term, your EV may cost more than it should, and it may be hard to get hold of one. — Llewellyn King is executive producer and host of “White House Chronicle” on PBS. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
he intersection of Howe Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard lies in one of the Sacramento area’s most affluent neighborhoods. High-end shopping centers, trendy restaurants and seven-figure homes abound and those who live and work in the area complained for months about an encampment of about 30 homeless people in a grassy strip of land at the intersection. However, due to a quirk of municipal geography, those irritated by the encampment were stymied. They were in unincorporated Sacramento County but the site was just inside the city of Sacramento and owned by the city. Under a federal court ruling (Martin vs. Boise) cities cannot prevent people from camping on public property unless they are provided with alternative housing. While county officials, especially its sheriff, supported those who wanted the encampment dismantled, city officials said their hands were tied. Last month, the contending parties came up with a novel “solution.” The city agreed to lease the property to a newly formed “Howe/ Fair Oaks Property Owners Association” for $250 month prior to an eventual sale.
DISC One of the few benefits of COVID has been people’s heightened awareness around the climate crisis. For me personally I have made significant lifestyle changes regarding my transportation choices and frequency of travel, started purchasing second hand clothing, and committed to eating sustainably produced foods. I would like to think that our City Council would also have learned and grown more conscious of their leadership’s impact on Davis during this urgent time when we need to reduce our carbon footprint. Look no further than the DISC development (Measure H on the ballot) to see how they have failed to grow. The new 2022 iteration of DISC will, according to the Sierra Club, create “excessive traffic, green house gas emissions, and poor landuse and planning.” DISC will “increase the city’s carbon footprint by 5%.” It is frightening to see the City Council push so hard for this massive development of office space, a big hotel, and fancy condos on the outskirts of town near an area of Davis already burdened by poor planning decisions (eg Mace Mess). Meanwhile one council member, the notorious Dan Carson, took the time and small-minded
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With that legal change of hands, city crews moved in to erase the camp. Of course, while it ameliorated a touchy political problem it didn’t really solve anything. The camp’s displaced residents merely scattered into other bits of public property in the neighborhood. The Howe/Fair Oaks episode encapsulated California’s homeless crisis. Polling tells us that Californians rate it as one of their major concerns and want it resolved, but while state and local governments have spent billions of dollars in recent years, squalid camps have proliferated. Most are in larger cities such as Sacramento, but social and medical services are mostly administered by county governments and the two levels of local government often are at odds over services and costs.
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SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2022
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Official legal newspaper of general circulation for the city of Davis and county of Yolo. Published in The Davis Enterprise building, 315 G St., Davis, CA. Mailing address: P.O. Box 1470, Davis, CA 95617. Phone: 530-756-0800. An award-winning newspaper of the California Newspaper Publishers Association.
Darrell Steinberg, a former leader of the state Senate, became Sacramento’s mayor while promising a vigorous effort to reduce homelessness but downtown Sacramento has hundreds of people living on its sidewalks, including those surrounding city hall, and the public’s growing impatience is palpable. Steinberg and the city council have squabbled incessantly over creating sites where the homeless could camp safely, thus meeting the Boise case’s requirement for alternatives. Fed up with inaction, Sacramento’s business community filed a ballot measure to compel the city to do something. It would require the city to authorize emergency shelter space for 75% of Sacramento’s unsheltered people within 60 days of voter passage. A city staff report said the measure would cost the city an additional $192 million per year, six times its current spending on homeless shelters. “Such a significant redirection of funding would drastically reduce core programs and service levels,” the report said. “It is simply not possible to maintain current
perspective of suing the citizens of Davis themselves who operate the No On DISC campaign. What an incredibly unconscious and egocentric move! Is this the government we have to help us create radical change to address climate crisis issues? As an average citizen who works from home for a non profit, is married to a Davis school teacher, and really just wants to have a better world all around, I would kindly ask you to open your minds to voting No on Measure H in the June ballot. Learn more at VoteNoOnDisc.com campaign site. Nikki Martin Davis
Don’t buy the hype My friend Alan “Lorax” Hirsch’s recent letter about DiSC misses the mark. Whether or not DiSC plants trees, there are more serious problems with the project. I will address three examples of the letter repeating distortions from the developer. First, the letter mentions a “first-of-itskind transit-oriented development bus plaza.” This is a huge exaggeration. The project proposes a slightly wider spot on Mace Boulevard. where southbound buses can pull in. It doesn’t even accommodate northbound buses. Northbound buses still have a standard bus stop on the west side
Speak out President The Hon. Joe Biden, The White House, Washington, D.C., 20500; 202-456-1111 (comments), 202-456-1414 (switchboard); email: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
U.S. Senate Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20510; 202-224-3841; email: http://feinstein. senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me Sen. Alex Padilla, B03 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20510;
programs and services while also meeting the demands of the proposed initiative.” With the ballot measure looming, city officials hurriedly drafted a softer alternative, requiring shelter for 60% of homeless residents and 20% of them within 90 days of voter approval. With obvious reservations, Steinberg and the council voted to place the alternative on the ballot and sponsors of the original measure agreed to drop it. “This is an open door for creating a right to shelter, a right to housing, a right to mental health care,” Steinberg said, putting a positive spin on the city’s surrender to rising impatience. The city also asked county officials to put a similar measure before their voters, but there are relatively few homeless camps outside the city, so the county doesn’t face similar political pressure. A workable solution or just another stopgap? We’ll see. — CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to Commentary.
of the street, requiring commuters to cross one of the busiest streets in Davis every day. Second, the letter states, “The developer also promises to donate land for two extra lanes on Mace.” This is not a donation. This is required mitigation and will be funded with legally-mandated impact fees. And as UCD’s study shows, widening roads induces traffic. The last thing Davis needs is to accommodate and invite more cars to Mace. Third, the letter references “space for an off-road bike-path.” This vague phrase likely refers to a proposed multi-use path in the ag buffer on DiSC’s northern and eastern edges. This is a modest amenity in an undersized buffer. The buffer would only be the 150-foot bare-minimum width required by Davis Municipal Code. However, the county code requires a 300-foot buffer and the Yolo County Farm Bureau has stated that this location requires a 500-foot ag buffer due to the needs of the adjacent almond orchards. With all due respect to Mr. Hirsch, DiSC as proposed is lacking on many fronts and the environmental features are scanty at best. Overall, DiSC is a detriment to the environment and the city of Davis. Colin Walsh Davis
202-224-3553; email: padilla.senate. gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me
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Addresses and phone numbers should be included for verification purposes; they will not be published. Limit letters to 350 words. Anonymous letters will not be accepted. We reserve the right to edit all letters for brevity or clarity. Mail letters to The Davis Enterprise, P.O. Box 1470, Davis, CA 95617; bring them to 315 G St.; fax them to 530-756-1668; or email them to newsroom@davis enterprise.net.
Rep. John Garamendi (3rd District), 2368 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20515; 202-225-1880. District office: 412 G St., Davis, CA 95616; 530-753-5301; email: visit https://garamendi.house.gov/contact/ email
Governor Gov. Gavin Newsom, State Capitol, Suite 1173, Sacramento, CA 95814; 916-4452841; email: visit https://govapps.gov. ca.gov/gov40mail/
Op-Ed
THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE
SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2022 B5
Supporting clients during ‘Welcome Home’ campaign Special to The Enterprise
Empower Yolo
mpower Yolo is proud of the 45 years it has provided services to survivors and families in need in Yolo County. Over the past two years, the shelter stayed open every day and remained prominent in the community, steadfast and unwavering as the need for services greatly increased. “Empower Yolo started as a sexual assault hotline in 1977, and has become a multi-service agency helping survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking, as well as the unhoused and hungry,” says Cathy Farman, Empower Yolo board member. “As a board member I am proud that Empower Yolo has kept pace with the changing needs of Yolo County residents for 45 years,” says Farman. In 2021, Empower Yolo reported that 221 domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking survivors (of which 133 were children) received shelter or transitional housing for 17,509 bed nights. In addition, 548 clients were provided rental assistance and housing support. Empower Yolo continues its "Welcome Home" anniversary campaign this month by encouraging the community to help us sup-
port survivors and families in need by making our safe house feel like a safe home, and investing in our housing department that supports survivors of abuse and unhoused clients. Empower Yolo’s shelter continues to be a safe haven for victims of abuse and their children. Over the past two years, our shelter has remained open for clients seeking safety for themselves and their children even during the challenges of the ongoing pandemic. Shelter staff have worked tirelessly to support their clients; they have cared for them, taken care of their children, provided food, clothing and emergency relief, tutored the kids during distance learning, advocated for their needs, empowered them, helped them find and secure permanent housing to start new lives, and so much more. We also ask our supporters to invest in expanding our housing programs, which assist clients (survivors of abuse and homeless) in finding and maintaining permanent housing. Due to the aftermath of the ongoing pandemic and the shortage of affordable housing many families are experiencing housing insecurity and/or homelessness. Investing in
By Natalia Baltazar
E
Empower Yolo's housing department helps with the increase in need for housing services throughout the county. The community can help support increased services and celebrate Empower Yolo’s 45th anniversary by supporting us on Thursday, May 5 for Big Day of Giving, a 24-hour online campaign to help Empower Yolo and hundreds of other nonprofits in the region. Our goal is to raise $45,000, and to move 45 victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking into permanent housing during our 45th year. Our housing department has already housed 32 survivors, more than half of our goal. Please support our shelter and housing programs now through May 5 and help us reach our goal. We have $15,000 in matching funds! Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, Susan Starkweather Stone, and Susan Gefter all donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $15,000. For more information and to support Empower Yolo any time now through May 5 at 11:59 p.m. visit: bigdayofgiving.org/empoweryolo. The April “Shower for the Shelter” was a successful "Rooms-To-Go" drive organized by Empower
Courtesy photo
Empower Yolo’s housing clients receiving a “Room to Go” or “food box” when moving into permanent housing. Yolo’s board of directors so that every one of those 45 households receives the necessary items to complete a bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen. Currently, 20 “Roomsto-Go” have been donated. Supporters are welcome to donate “Rooms-to-Go” for clients any time to help us reach our goal of 45, and to support the ongoing need. We have also been providing housing clients with “food boxes” to stock their empty pantries and
help with those first few meals when they move into their new homes. Empower Yolo celebrates 45 years in person: we are thrilled to be opening our doors at the Dowling Center, Empower Yolo’s home for everyone to celebrate our 45th anniversary. Join us from 4 to 7 p.m. on June 3 for “Empower Yolo’s 45th Anniversary Open House” — a celebration of providing services to survivors and families in need for 45
years in Yolo County at 175 Walnut St. in Woodland. Enjoy food, drinks, music, information tables on our programs and so much more. We invite the community and former board members to attend this milestone anniversary celebration. This special event is free ($45 suggested donation); parking is available on the street or in the adjacent parking lot. Donors who donate $45 or more may write a personal message of encouragement to a survivor moving into permanent housing. The note will be presented to the client on a keychain. Any donor who gives $450 or more can pull the rope to ring the old school bell! Empower Yolo’s board, staff and volunteers are looking forward to celebrating this momentous occasion with the community. “I am especially proud of the staff of Empower Yolo who never compromised on the mission of Empower Yolo during the pandemic--they deserve to be celebrated for how they have steadfastly served Empower Yolo's clients,” says Farman. For more information on services and events, or to donate any time, visit empoweryolo.org. — Natalia Baltazar is the Director of Development and Community Relations of Empower Yolo.
Poem of the month Study Tour
displaced. Rock
Our guide liked to remind us to speak of every land as holy.
and bits of rock mounded like graves. Graves themselves.
Or, to leave holiness out
In between film shots of the woman flashed black and white photographs the color and grain
of conversations, to say, we are on a study tour of the Middle East, meaning, in four weeks we’d pass through three whole countries, the rocks our destination— rough surfaces polished or worn smooth, stacked and intact, carved as waterway, tunnel, or holy monument, most uneven, broken, and unstacked from the centuries. This here is the wall of Jericho. This here is the Temple Mount. This the carved face and homes of rose that somehow remain also bright in the light of day. In class we watched an interview of a Romanian woman who lived her life after Auschwitz in Jerusalem. At the beginning of the trip we reached the top of a mountain at sunset and looked out to the great Dead Sea. More rock, another dry wadi to wash another ancient attempt at holiness. Rock head high, waist high, wall huge, laid into a floor, crumbled, broken, and
of granite. Images from the camps—mostly of still-live prisoners, but one of a man’s body laid on a table split open at the chest. A group of doctors surrounded. She did not talk of stone, she talked about the body. Then she talked of envisioning an interaction, a story not her own. She said to imagine was the beginning of forgiveness. At Saint Catherine’s at the base of the Mountain of God I regret I refused to descend to the catacombs— all that death scent and bone, the very stone steps a testament to heaviness. Archaeologists read with geo- and soci- ologies to create a story from the layers of rubble and rock. Doesn’t matter as much the distinction between types of Jerusalem stone. The woman went with a former soldier to the Auschwitz memorial to sign a document she drafted as proof.
Can you imagine, our guide threw in, in this world some do not believe the Holocaust happened, could happen anywhere else. I tell him later I believe I can imagine almost anything—isn’t that why we both fear and hope? Some of us can see what a body is capable. In the Ignatian Exercises the devoted explore each character in a passage of holy text. On a Friday Fun night we watched the cartoon version of The Exodus. Moses leads his people out of slavery, out of Egypt. God hardens Pharaoh’s heart. A darkness spreads itself on the land, and all the firstborns die unless the people paint their doorframes with the blood of a slaughtered lamb. The purpose of the exercise is to imagine yourself as various—to be God speaking from the burning bush. To smell the bush, un-burning. To be the man in need of direction, feel the stone cool on unsandaled feet. To wedge your own body in a cleft of rock, hear the wind howling in the mountains. To be Pharaoh in his great power and great loss. To be moved to risk to identify with hardness. — Amanda Hawkins
———— Amanda Hawkins holds an master’s degree in theological studies from Regent College in Vancouver, Canada. She is widely published and awarded. She teaches literature, writing, and poetry at the university and community levels. Hawkins is an MFA candidate in poetry at UC Davis. Study Tour was originally published in Frontier Poetry Journal and was a finalist in their open competition. She will be reading with Joseph Millar on Thursday, May 5, at 7 p.m. on the Natsoulas Gallery Rooftop. I cannot think of a better poem for April and its wellknown religious holidays, than Hawkins’ poem, “Study Tour.” From the very beginning of this long poem, Hawkins leads us through the painful paradoxes inherent in any study of religion. For example, in the first three lines of this poem, the guide begins by reminding his students to “speak//of every land as holy.//Or, to leave holiness out/”… When the speaker states that the rocks “(are) our destination—,” Hawkins makes a profound point. Stone, rock, hardness and heaviness, are all guiding metaphors in this poem that works beautifully to contrast the wars and suffering enacted in the name of religion against the idea of the holy. Additionally, Hawkins’ stones are not just broken, displaced and crumbled, but they are also graves. The stones are the destination of the study tour; too often graves seem to be the destination of religion. Here the idea of stone is contrasted with the softness, the vulnerability of flesh, as Hawkins writes about an Auschwitz survivor who “did not talk of stone,/she talked about the body.// Then she talked of envisioning/ an interaction, a story not her own.//
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She said to imagine was the beginning of forgiveness.//” Here the paradoxical horror of religious fanaticism is contrasted with the near limitless human capacity for empathy. This is a profound moment in the poem, one that is heightened by the speaker’s refusal “to descend to the catacombs—/all that death scent and bone.” There is a line now in the middle of the poem that the speaker refuses to cross, and it feels like a magnetic field to me, a way of pulling in all the energy of complexity and paradox that religion and its killing machines, as well as its yearning to be in touch with holiness, can create. The last stanzas of this poem take this energy and move forward with increasing power. When Hawkins’ writes, “The purpose// of the exercise/ is to imagine yourself/ as various—to be God//speaking from the burning bush./To smell the bush, un-burning.//To be the man in need of direction, feel the stone// cool on unsandaled feet. To wedge your own body in a cleft/of rock, hear the wind howling in the mountains.//To be Pharaoh in his great power and great loss.//To be moved to risk/to identify with hardness.//” I understand that religion can either be used to harm others that seem different from us, or as a deeply benevolent discipline that can lead to steadfastness and resolve to fight against injustice, and to work with compassion and empathy towards a common humanity. This feels holy. This feels like essence. I am deeply moved. And I, as Hawkins’ reader, am grateful for the study tour she has taken me on. — Julia Levine Davis Poet Laureate
Editors’ choice for web comment of the week “I love this! How do we get approved to do this on our street?” From Erica Marie
In response to “Neighbors out to paint Elmwood Drive”
B6 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE
SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2022