Issuu

Food It’s just a trifle ... — Page A3

Green Page

Sports

A’s knock off Cubs for Majors Little League title — Page B1 City plan could restore pond. — Page B6

enterprise THE DAVIS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022

Supervisors OK county spending plan

Journey’s end

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

“Life is full of change, challenge and the unexpected. But we, the class of 2022, can truly say we know how to face the unexpected and when challenges and changes come our way, we can change with it, become better people because of it and have a positive impact on

Yolo County’s Board of Supervisors approved a recommended budget for 2022-23 on Tuesday that includes total expenditures of more than $667 million. The recommended budget serves as an interim spending plan until September, when supervisors will adopt a final budget incorporating changes in state funding and other factors. Key elements of the recommended budget approved Tuesday include: n Total expenditures of $667,609,455 n Capital expenditures of $30,453,982 n A net decrease of 5.4 full-timeequivalent positions Meanwhile, the county’s unfunded liabilities continue to grow with little end in sight. The pension liability now stands at more than $369 million and continues to increase due to changes in CalPERS’ assumed investment earnings and the phase-in of a CalPERS change from a 30-year amortization to a 20-year amortization for payment of the unfunded liability. The county’s road maintenance liability of $477 million remains

See JOURNEY, Page A4

See SPENDING, Page A4

The graduating seniors of the Davis High School Class of 2022 throw their mortar boards in the air Friday night as the graduation ceremony concludes at the high school’s Ron & Mary Brown Stadium. Rachel Kreager/ Enterprise photo

Davis High Class of 2022 graduates in joyful ceremony By Aaron Geerts Enterprise staff writer Although Friday’s graduation ceremony at Davis High School took place in triple-digit heat, it was just another way for the Blue Devils to showcase their resiliency once again. The ceremony itself kicked off at Halden Field with Tom McHale expressing gratitude to students, staff and family for the last time as principal after

years of service to DHS. “Seniors of the class of 2022, this evening we celebrate your outstanding accomplishments. Your experiences at DHS have been like no other graduating class. Facing unexpected challenges beginning with the closure of our campus in March of your sophomore year,” said McHale. “Through your determination and hard work, you have achieved your goals. You’re here today.”

Following McHale was a host of Blue Devil seniors ready to address their family and classmates on stage beginning with class president, Carleigh Greenway. “I’ve envisioned this day that we would graduate for years, but I never quite imagined that I would be standing up here in front of a few thousand people as part of it. In fact, if you told my younger self that I would be willingly giving a speech in

front of so many people, I think I would pass out. Honestly, I still might from this hundreddegree oven we’re sitting in,” said Greenway.

UC Davis will review calamitous graduation

Local races hold steady in latest ballot update By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

By Caleb Hampton Enterprise staff writer Over the next few days, UC Davis leaders will conduct a “comprehensive review” of Friday’s undergraduate commencement ceremony, which was cut short due to high temperatures and insufficient planning, Chancellor Gary S. May said Monday in a message to the campus community. “Commencement did not

VOL. 124 NO. 71

INDEX

Classifieds �� A5 Forum ��B4 Obituaries �� A4 Comics ��B3 Green Page ��B6 Sports ��B1 Father’s Day �� A6 Living �� A3 The Wary I �� A2

Caleb Hampton/Enterprise photo

People attending the 2022 UC Davis commencement ceremonies at UC Davis Health Stadium on Friday line up to get water in the extreme heat. go as planned, and while we did our best to mitigate against the rising temperatures on Friday morning, I know it was not enough,” May said. “I apologize for the pain, anger and frustration many of you have

WEATHER

experienced and expressed.” In past years, UC Davis held undergraduate commencements as seven separate indoor events. For the first time, the ceremonies

See REVIEW, Page A4

With another 1,196 votes counted, little has changed for Measure H. The ballot measure for the Davis Innovation and Sustainability Campus remains well short of passage, with 63.27 percent of the vote opposed and 36.73 percent in favor. A total of 12,362 votes had been counted as of Monday with the vote in favor of Measure H increasing by just 0.25 percent since last week. Dan Ramos, project manager of the DiSC project, and Davis City Councilman Dan Carson,

honorary chair of the Measure H campaign, previously conceded the race. Meanwhile, Davis Vice Mayor Lucas Frerichs continues to hold a comfortable lead over Davis climate activist Juliette Beck in the race to succeed Don Saylor on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors. With another 1,000 votes counted in that race, Frerichs leads Beck 63.81 percent to 36.19 percent. A total of 5,789 votes have been counted from that district as of Monday. Late last week, Beck

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See RACES, Page A5

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022

Will turnout turn out to be the issue?

ID LOW VOTER TURNOUT SINK MEASURE H? ... Developer Dan Ramos suggests that low voter turnout sank his DiSC project proposed for ag land just east of Mace Boulevard. Said Ramos, "Obviously we are disappointed with the outcome on Measure H. We believe that it is more reflective of low voter turnout than the sentiment of the community overall. Had voter turnout been greater, we think the result would likely have been different." While a significant number of ballots remain to be counted, it's hard to make the case, as Ramos does, that if more folks had voted, Measure H might have passed. At this point the rejection rate is so overwhelming — 63.5 percent to 36.5 percent — that it's highly unlikely a larger turnout would have produced victory. The first project that Ramos brought to the voters in 2020 failed by just 52 percent to 48 percent. And, after Ramos sent DiSC to WeightWatchers and offered a

much slimmer version to the voters this time around, I suspect he thought it would pass easily. One problem for Ramos or any future developer who wishes to build on that piece of land is the world famous Mace Mess. Ramos is not responsible for the Mace Mess, but he certainly inherited it, and no matter how his campaign tried to spin various traffic studies, nobody believed that DiSC would actually improve Mace traffic. Those who were opposed to the project were highly motivated and turned out in large numbers. But those in favor of the project were lukewarm at best and, with no City Council races or other sexy

issues on the ballot, many of them simply did not vote. So yes, high voter turnout may well have given Measure H a slightly higher percentage of the vote. But would it have been enough to reverse the result? Not a chance. Put simply, numbers don't lie.

the town together because so many of us get involved in deciding yes or no on what is on the ballot. A good civics lesson for all of us. And in a town like Davis, if you can't trust the voters, who can you trust?

EASY WINNERS ... The power of incumbency was on full display as Tom Lopez (Sheriff ) and Jeff Reisig (District Attorney) rolled to victory and the likes of Jesse Salinas, Gary Sandy and Garth Lewis ran unopposed. Lucas Frerichs wasn't exactly an incumbent, given that he was running for a different office than the one he currently holds, but his sterling service on the Davis City Council certainly gave him a leg up on his worthy challenger. For Reisig in particular, his victory was a strong validation of his many years of service to Yolo County in a job where it's virtually impossible to please everyone. — Reach Bob Dunning at bdunning@davisenterprise.net.

HE LEGACY OF MEASURE J ... There are a number of people in town who claim — usually privately — that having a citywide vote on projects proposed for ag land is the wrong way to run a city. "We elect city council members, let them do their job," the argument goes. "The average Joe on the street is not as familiar with the issues as the council is." Maybe yes, maybe no. But as one who was strongly in favor of Measure J when it was proposed 22 years ago, I remain convinced that citywide votes are a good thing. Sure, they can be divisive, but in a strange sort of way they bring

Mondavi hosts memorial for Vic Fazio Special to The Enterprise The public is invited to attend a celebration of life for former California Rep. Vic Fazio, who died of cancer on March 16 at the age of 79. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 17, at the UC Davis Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. Fazio, a Democrat, represented the Sacramento area for 10 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, beginning in 1978. His death triggered an outpouring of praise and affection from colleagues and friends, who hailed him for his leadership skills, his personal decency, and a unique ability to negotiate successfully with Republicans. In Congress, Fazio rose to become Democratic Caucus chairman, and led

the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for four years. He became a party FAZIO Longtime leader known for congressman taking on “thankless tasks,” as the Washington Post once put it. These included dealing with controversial Congressional pay raise and ethics issues. He was also known for “fighting relentlessly for his Sacramento community,” as his friend and fellow Northern Californian Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker, said after his death. He had served on the Appropriations Committee, pushing to direct

federal dollars to California and his district. Among the projects for which he provided funding in the area were mass transit, military construction and a large wetland and wildlife preserve west of Sacramento known as the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area, dedicated by President Clinton in 1997. Contributions in Fazio’s memory, in lieu of flowers, can be made to: the Anne Noel Fazio Memorial Scholarship Fund No. 111829 at UC Davis, UC Davis Advancement Services, 1460 Drew Ave., Suite 100 Davis, CA 95618; the National Parks Conservation Association, 777 Sixth St. NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C., 20001; or the Prevent Cancer Foundation, 1600 Duke St., Suite 500, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Elderly woman bilked of $24K; suspect arrested By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer A 27-year-old woman faces identity-theft and other felony charges after allegedly bilking an elderly Davis resident out of more than $24,000. Davis police described Kelsi Jean Mitchell as an acquaintance of the victim’s son, using her position to open multiple credit-card accounts in the 92-year-old victim’s name and gain access to her bank account. In late May, the victim’s daughter noticed irregularities in her mother’s checking account —

missing more than $9,000 at that point — and conducted a credit-history check. That revealed multiple credit-card accounts in which Mitchell was listed as a co-user, Lt. Ilya Bezuglov said Tuesday. The balances on the cards ranged from $300 to $15,000, for a grand total of $24,200, according to Bezuglov. A police investigation that began in late May culminated in Mitchell’s arrest last Thursday outside a Dixon motel. She was booked into the Yolo County Jail on elder abuse, forgery and identity theft.

Living

THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022 A3

How to caramelize those onions R

ather shockingly, not every question can be answered by the interwebs. Or it can be answered, but with several startlingly different answers, some very wrong answers or some answers that don’t make any sense. What’s a body to do? In many cases, the answer seems to be “ask Julie.” Since I really like answering questions (not math questions, mind you) that’s just fine with me. Q: Is there an easy way to caramelize a bunch of onion, or should I just camp out in my kitchen with my Dutch oven and a slab of butter? A: There are pressure-cooker and slow-cooker recipes for caramelized onions, but I never find them quite as good as the stovetop version. Most of the work in caramelized onions is in the slicing, which you’ll have to do for any version. I start onions when I have something else to do in the kitchen so I can give them a stir now and then. To caramelize onions: We do three or four onions at a time and store them in the fridge for up to a week. Thinly slice onion(s) and toss in a lightly oiled heavy pan (don’t use non-stick) over medium low heat. Add a pinch each of salt and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 30-45 minutes. If you can hear them cooking, your heat is too high. When onions are done to your taste, turn off heat and stir in a tablespoon or so of hot water, broth, vermouth or brandy, scraping gently to get up all the caramelized bits. Q: So, I am not a baker, and yet I randomly still try. Recently it’s been gluten-free banana bread, and I have struggled. I finally got it nice and shapely and not

remotely dry … but this latest time I added blueberries (fresh) and all of the blueberries ended up at the bottom of the loaf. Why? How do I avoid this in the future? Help me, Julie wan Kanobi! You are my only hope! A: Fresh berries have a lot of moisture, which can alter the texture of your bake and (as you discovered) makes them sink. Toss berries with a little of the flour called for in the recipe. That will help absorb the extra juices long enough for the batter to firm up and support them. Q: Was just gifted a jar of jalapeño peach jam. What’s a good vegetable dish to make with it? Gluten-, soy- and animalproducts-free. Thank you! A: I love spicy jams with savory meals. It would make a fantastic glaze on roasted squash, a good dipping sauce for something like falafel, or a great spread on toast to top with avocado and toasted seeds. Q: Can you give us an American version of the platinum pudding? Something the average busy American can make without spending a day in the kitchen and doing calculations to change ingredients from British to U.S. (castor sugar, anyone?) A: The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pudding is a complicated trifle. You can find the recipe on

AdobeStock photo

Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee Pudding seems like a bit much. the BBC Website here: https:// www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/ lemon_swiss_roll_and_42467. Trifles aren’t particularly to American tastes, and I think this one is extra challenging — it combines a jelly roll, gelatin, pudding, cookies and chocolate. If you make everything from scratch it would be a lot of work for what looks to me to be an uninspired outcome. Fortunately, the BBC has notes on the recipe for shortcuts if you’d really like to try it. Trifles are, however, a fantastic summer dessert when you want to get fancy. ■ Make or buy a plain cake and cut it into bite-sized cubes, or a jelly roll and slice it into half inch slices. (Sprinkle the cake with sherry, brandy or fruit liqueur if you like.) ■ Make or buy an appropriately flavored pudding or custard. ■ Slice some nice summer fruit

(peeling if needed) and toss it with a bit of sugar (and a bit more of the booze if you’re using it.) ■ Make or buy whipped cream. ■ Consider a crunch: toasted nuts (sugared or not), smashed crispy cookies, macarons, granola, etc. ■ Layer everything in a glass dish, using jelly roll or fruit slices as the outermost layer so you can see them through the glass. Chill for several hours before serving, adding the crunch element at the last minute. Q: OK, what is in the Go-Bag? A: Since we have to move two cats in an emergency, the Go-Bag has to be lightweight. I have a day pack on top of the cat carriers that contains: passports, COVID vaccine cards, insurance info, cash, the spare credit card, rabies certificates for cats, cat food and bowls (rotate that cat food please!), change of

underthings and a clean shirt for each person, human snacks (rotate these, too), a few days of meds for everyone, spare glasses and contact-lens supplies, and a dopp kit. When I start to get really nervous about fire, I load the camping equipment (sleeping bags, tent, kitchen box) and a disposable litter box with a bag of litter in the trunk. Q: Foods to make that aren’t salads but maybe don’t require an oven this hot, hot upcoming weekend? A: I’ve been wanting Savory French Toast — cook a few onions (or use the pan you caramelized onions in), make your usual French Toast batter with the addition of some finely grated Parm, and cook in the onion pan. Top with a little blue cheese and a drizzle of honey. We got great green beans at the Davis Farmer’s Market on Wednesday, so I’ll probably do this salad sometime soon.

BethAnn’s Inspired Salad Ingredients: A double handful of green beans The same amount of pear or cherry tomatoes some diced fresh mozzarella a little vinaigrette dressing a bit of salt some crumbled cooked bacon or Bac’un Putting it together: Cook the green beans until just tender. Cut the tomatoes in half. Toss everything together except the bacon. Let stand, refrigerated, at least one hour or overnight. Toss in the bacon just before serving. Vegetarian bac’un, the kind sold already crisped, works just fine.

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

Simple wines for simple summer suppers I mentioned in a recent column the celebrity who said in an interview that one the best meals of his life had been in a tiny Portuguese café that served only good bread, excellent tinned fish, and vinho verde on tap. Add a big green salad to that, and it sounds to me like a perfect (i.e. quick, easy, and tasty) hotweather meal. Completely unassuming. Kind of like vinho verde itself. Yes, vinho verde is a wine that’s easy to forget about — at least for me — until the temperatures hit the high 90s. Then I go searching for them. In part because these wines are usually very light — sometimes just 10% alcohol or less — and bright and with a slight, cooling effervescence. They often have a touch of sweet along with their tangy citrusy fruit, best drunk young and thoroughly chilled. They’re relatively simple wines — just what you want to sip on the patio or to accompany an un-fussy summer meal. They’re great with seasonal vegetables, fish and spicy Asian dishes. They won’t knock your

socks off, they won’t overwhelm the food, they just refresh and facilitate lighthearted conversation (remember that?). They’re also one of the few remaining wines that you can buy for $10 and thoroughly enjoy. One reason they’re easily overlooked (literally) is that, being so inexpensive, they often live on the shelf closest to the floor. They’re worth stooping for. Most wine sources carry a variety of them — four different ones at the Co-op, for example, all perfectly acceptable. Since “verde” is easily recognizable as “green,” many assume that the wine is green-tinted, and some sites do claim that it refers to the wine’s tiny green tinge, but vinho verde is actually a DOC (in the northwest of Portugal, not too far from the Spanish border) that

Future subscriber Zoey (Dailey) Wright Zoey Phyllis (Dailey) Wright entered the world on May 20 at Kaiser Roseville Hospital. She weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces, and was 21 inches long. Zoey is the second child for her parents, born-andraised Davis residents Katie (Dailey) and Michael

Wright. Zoey was welcomed by her big sister, Emma, who is almost 2¾ years old; Buster, the world’s most friendly golden retriever; and Frosty the cat, who will hopefully tolerate another human. Zoey’s mother Katie graduated from Davis High

historically has produced “green” (as in “young”) wines — released just a few months after harvest and meant to be drunk soon after that. Vinho Verdes are usually a blend of local grapes, mostly unfamiliar to us — alvarinho, arinto, azal, avesso, loureiro and trajadura. In the last few years, I’ve noticed more vinho verde rosé on the shelves — different grapes, of course, but same region and same light, simple pleasure. I’ve been sampling VV’s sort of randomly, pairing them sometimes with tinned fish, sometimes with equally simple fare like nachos. Three floated to the top of my list; I’ll share them with you. The first is one of those rosés, the 2020 Raza, a blend of padeiro, espada and vinhão, grown in a valley sheltered from Atlantic wind and rain. The Teixeira Coelho family farms take full advantage of the granite and clay soil and the plentiful sun of the region. The wine’s light, of course, slightly fruity with fresh and zesty lime and lemon — and

the characteristic little spritz. Its lovely salmon color might lead you to pair it with a piece of steel-head trout — with which it would go nicely. The Raza white vinho verde (also 2020) is, to my mind, even better. On a day that promised temperatures over 100, I made a no-stove dish to go with my no-frills wine’ it was cooling end-ofthe day meal we needed. I set out bagels (can one find a proper bagel in this town?), smoked salmon (tinned from Fishwife), cream cheese, and all the trimmings (cuke, capers, avocado slices, tomatoes, red onion). If it sounds like breakfast, well, breakfastfor-dinner can be a refreshing change and besides there was a big green salad to go with it (lettuce from Picnic Table Farm at Farmers Market). The wine’s bright acidity and citrusy freshness cut right through the creamy textures of the bagel accompaniments — I can see why critics score this wine so highly. Both of these Raza VV’s cost just $8 at the Co-op. I can’t decide which

among the many VV’s I’ve been tasting is the “best,” but the Escudo Real 2020, also at the Co-op, is a serious contender. Crisply acidic, this wine, made by Carlos Feixeira, is wonderfully fun and perhaps too easy to drink, but for all its simplicity, it has more complexity than you would expect from a $10, 9.5% alcohol wine. The importer of this VV is Skurnik, always a reliable source of welland-carefully-made wine— no matter what the price. If you try all three (or any others), let me know your favorite, and I’ll pass it along. Finally, just a note that I actually found (at Vino! in Berkeley) a bottle of Les Petites Sardines, a muscadet (100% melon de Bourgogne) that I mentioned in a recent column about tinned fish, just because I saw a reference to its name. But I didn’t really expect to see it on a local (ish) shelf, coming as it does from a small, 10-member, co-operative in the Loire. It was worth the $11 just for the lovely drawing of tinned sardines on the label but it turned out to be a fun,

School in 2008 and was active in swimming and numerous clubs. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 2012 and from the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in 2017. Since graduating she has been a children’s dentist with Kids Care Dental in Vacaville. Zoey’s father Michael graduated from Davis High School in 2010 and was active in water polo, swimming and many clubs. He

graduated from UC Davis in 2014, playing four years of water polo. He obtained his teaching credential from San Francisco State in 2016 and teaches statistics and algebra at Davis High School. Zoey is the second grandchild on both sides of the family. Her very happy grandparents are Michael’s parents, Nancy and Jamey Wright of Davis, and Katie’s parents, Diane Dailey of Davis and Tim Dailey, also

of Davis. Zoey was also warmly welcomed by her uncles, Cameron Wright along with Paul Dailey and Matthew Dailey, and her aunts, Haley Wright and Kelsey (Jura) Dailey, Paul’s wife. Many other relatives welcome Zoey, but special note is given to two greatgrandmothers both in their 90s: the source of Zoey’s middle name, Phyllis Mart of Lucas Valley, 92, and Eleanore Dailey of Davis, 95.

refreshing French version of summer quaffing. The importer here is Grape Expectations, which specializes in small-to-medium production but inexpensive wines, many of which end up on Vino! shelves. (Nugget carries an assortment of them as well but not this one.) And speaking of importers, the great, groundbreaking Berkeley importer of small-production French and Italian wines, Kermit Lynch, is celebrating their 50th anniversary. I’d like to congratulate them, and conclude this column (though it’s an appropriate conclusion to any of these columns) with one of Kermit’s pithy summations of his relationship to wine: “Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.” — Susana Leonardi is a Davis resident; reach her at vinosusana@gmail. com. Comment on this column at www.davis enterprise.com.

From Page One

A4 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE

JOURNEY: Some lessons come unexpectedly From Page A1 the world around us.” Queued up next to address the capacity crowd was Nithmi Jayasundara who talked about the Wall of Shame in classroom M1. “When I was in ninth grade — my first year on our robotics team — we were learning how to prepare motors for the robot with the finishing step of zip tying leads to the side of the body. These motors had zip-tied shaped holes on the side of them. So, naturally, someone wove the ties in between those holes for a perfectly centered hold. “Well, those conveniently shaped holes were for ventilation, so when we plugged the motor in to test it, we were met with a loud ripping sound and a stream of acrid smoke. The motor was then put on display on

the wall as an example of how to do something wrong,” Jayasundara transitioned into learning from mistakes. “It’s OK to not know how to do something, but rather than accepting ‘not knowing’ as a fact, it’s our responsibility to learn. Not necessarily the answer itself, but how to get there.” Audrey Portello followed suit with lessons in resiliency in her speech. “In case you missed it, we did have a pandemic. We survived the longest spring break known to mankind, Zoom school, the most contentious political climate in modern history and — if you’re like me — an absolutely raging case of ‘senioritis,’” said Portello. “The resiliency and flexibility of this class has truly been shown in our time at Davis High. The passion this class shows is some-

thing that gives me hope for the future. We step into an imperfect world, but imperfect isn’t unfixable. Every person sitting in this audience is a leader regardless of how many or few lives you feel you impact.” Finally came the keynote speaker, Mindy Cooper Grenke, who’s a UC Davis professor of theater and dance and no stranger to taking center stage. “Congratulations everyone here because it does take the proverbial village. And, congratulations seniors for spring-boarding into the next amazing phase of your life,” Cooper Grenke then broke down her career in theater and how it’s been a dream she willed true against all odds. “I’ve never been a person who’s put stock in the odds. I put stock in dedication, drive, passionate work,

dreaming, believing in those dreams and playing the long game. I think I’m here today to share that outlook with you and it goes something like this: See it, dream about it, immerse yourself in it, learn it for yourself, believe it for yourself and proudly own it. “The ‘it’ is your life — your unique and powerful path, the life you want. Don’t let statistics, hearsay or preconceived ideas dictate your future, your truth and your journey.” With inspiration and hope for the future as abundant as the heat bearing down on all in attendance, the diplomas were distributed, the graduates were accepted by DJUSD board president, Tom Adams, the tassels were moved and the class of 2022 Blue Devils took their next steps into the future.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022

SPENDING: Current economic situation creates uncertainty From Page A1 unaddressed. One bright spot: the retiree healthy liability continues to decrease due to ongoing efforts by the county to prefund the plan. The most recent actuarial study showed an unfunded liability of about $65 million, down from more than $153 million in 2014, according to county staff. The current economic situation is creating uncertainty, given Yolo County’s dependence on property and sales tax revenue. “These continue to be unprecedented times for Yolo County,” said Interim County Administrator Chad Rinde. “The pandemic generated significant economic disruption and initially created significant fiscal

uncertainty," he said. "The subsequent recovery and significant economic stimulus have caused increasing cost inflation and workforce challenges that face the county along with the rest of the nation. “The county budget thus strikes a measured tone recognizing that inflationary pressures are now creating a situation where larger forces such as the Federal Reserve are working to cool the economy through increased interest rates,” said Rinde, who added that, “the county is susceptible to a downturn because it has a significant dependence on property and sales tax that are crucially linked to the broader economy, and the county’s cost structure is not always

See SPENDING, Page A5

REVIEW: Despite preparations, change in weather caught organizers by surprise From Page A1 were planned this year as three outdoor events, scheduled to take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at UC Davis Health Stadium. The campus expected roughly 12,500 people at each event. Friday’s ceremony was brought to a halt by the campus’ Fire Prevention Services after 36 people called for medical aid and 7 were transported to local hospitals. It ended before many graduates were called to cross the stage and receive their diplomas. The event made local and national headlines. Students and families have

largely applauded the decision to cut the ceremony short but have expressed anger and disappointment at the campus’ lack of preparation. UC Davis announced the switch to an outdoor event in 2019 before the pandemic delayed its implementation. The campus had been planning Friday’s commencement for nearly three years. “We were glad to see that student safety was prioritized with the cancellation of the event,” UC Davis’ student governing body, ASUCD, said Friday in a letter. “However, we are frustrated that more measures were not taken

beforehand to account for the high temperatures that were forecasted well in advance and consistent with historical temperatures.” In his message, May said the campus had planned for contingencies and added things like shade tents and water stations when extreme heat was forecast, but ultimately did not adequately prepare for Friday’s conditions. “The temperature in the stadium on Friday rose earlier than expected. We were informed at about 11:30 a.m. that conditions had deteriorated significantly and reached a point when it was

unsafe to continue,” he said. “At the same time, our water on hand began running low, and we did not have a way to bring more supplies to the stadium quickly enough to serve all of the people in need.” The chancellor added that, when the ceremony was ended, it was estimated it would take at least another 45 minutes to call all of the graduates. In the event’s aftermath, many questioned why shade and water were not made more accessible in the stadium, why the event started more than an hour late and progressed more slowly than

scheduled, and whether holding an outdoor ceremony in the daytime was a good idea in the first place. Several graduates also questioned the wisdom of a policy that limited the outside food and water that students and guests were allowed to bring into the stadium. “The use of the football stadium, a venue with little sun protection, was clearly not an ideal choice for an outdoor ceremony in June,” ASUCD said. UC Davis’ review of the event will happen this week and include “a variety of campus stakeholders,” May said.

Obituaries Peter L. Hays 1938 — 2022

Peter L. Hays died in his sleep on March 26, 2022, while vacationing with his wife, Myrna. After enjoying a beautiful day at the beach, and dinner at their favorite restaurant, they kissed each other goodnight. The next morning, she could not wake him. The couple were together in love for over 60 years. Born in 1938 in Germany, Peter was brought to the United States as a baby by his parents fleeing Hitler; they settled in Buffalo, N.Y., eventually owning a grocery store. He honored them by becoming a shrewd grocery shopper, gathering coupons and

choosing stores for the best deal. With degrees from Kenmore High School, University of Rochester, New York University and Ohio State University, he joined the UC Davis faculty in 1966 and was a 1978 Fulbright Lecturer at the University of Mainz in Germany. After retiring in 2004, he continued teaching at UCD, particularly first-year seminars, and taught in the community OLLI program. He wrote eight books: “The Limping Hero,” 1971; “Ernest Hemingway,” 1990; “A Concordance to Hemingway's ‘In Our Time,’ ” 1990; “Teaching

Norman Dean Needles

Feb. 25, 1940 — May 28, 2022

Norman Dean "Norm" Needles of Woodland went to enjoy a place at the table with Jesus Christ, family and friends on Saturday, May 28, 2022. Born Feb. 25, 1940, he was 82 years old. Norm grew up in San Bernardino, where he graduated from high school. He served in the U.S. Navy from April 1962 to July 1966, mostly on the USS Midway as an electronics technician with Attack Squadron 23. After the Navy he worked at General Dynamics. He lived in both San Bernardino and Colton. Norm loved the outdoors and enjoyed many hikes in the nearby mountains and the foothills near his home. He was also an avid cat lover and welcomed many into his Colton home. He is survived by niece Becky (and Tony) Marigo; nephews Aaron (and Linda) Needles, Andy (and Lisa) Needles and Dan (and Allison) Needles, and their children; as well as Tom and Sue Gossard of Davis; and Deanna Needles and Ava Daniels of Olympia, Wash. He was preceded in death by his parents Al and Margaret and his brother Howard. His family in Davis was fortunate to spend the last

four years closer to him as he moved to Woodland in 2017. We appreciated his NEEDLES unique perspective on the world and his sense of humor and he will be dearly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. In lieu of flowers, gifts in his honor can be made to Paul’s Place of Davis.

Hemingway’s ‘The Sun Also Rises,’ ” 2003; “Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman,’ ” 2008; “The Critical Reception of Hemingway’s ‘The Sun Also Rises,’ ” 2011; “Fifty Years of Hemingway Criticism,” 2014; and “Simply Hemingway,” 2021 along with hundreds of articles. He co-edited “Reading ‘The Old Man and the Sea,’ ” 2018. He was active in literary societies: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edith Wharton, Eugene O’Neill and Arthur Miller. He was a founding member of the Ernest Hemingway Foundation. He loved his family, teaching and mentoring students. He always found time for his wife, children and grandchildren. In 2018, his wife

established the Peter Hays Prize, awarded annually for the best expository essay by a HAYS first-year seminar student, supporting his goal to teach students to read carefully and write well. He mentored many students; one of his recent seminar students published in the Hemingway Review and won a prize from the Hemingway Society. Others engaged in teaching, chairing departments, and leading literary societies. He believed strongly in undergraduate education and providing undergrads

with appropriate advising. A good citizen, he served on numerous Academic Senate committees, as English department chair, interim German department chair, founding member of the Davis Faculty Association, and co-creator of the comparative literature department. He received the UCD Faculty Fellowship in 1967, Danforth Foundation in 1976, Regents’ Humanities Grant in 1974, and the Dickson Emeritus Professor Award in 2011 and 2017. He is survived by his brother, Stephen Hays, wife

Myrna Hays, daughter Melissa (Elijah-Grace and Wyatt), son Eric and daughter-in-law Rong (Max and Claire), and son Jeff. No memorial is planned. Donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or a charity of your choice. But the best way to celebrate his life is to do as he did: share your knowledge with anyone interested and perform acts of kindness without expecting recognition. This loving and caring man was, in the words of those who knew him, a mensch.

From Page One

THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE

SPENDING: Investing ‘strategically’ From Page A4 able to adapt quickly to changes. “Thus, the county budget continues to invest strategically given that revenue is not growing in many areas at the same pace as costs and prepare for the next wave of economic challenges.” General-purpose revenues are projected to increase by 5.4 percent over 2021-22, with a 5.5 percent increase in property tax revenue and a 4.3 percent increase in general sales-tax revenue. Property taxes provide 63.1 percent of the county’s general purpose revenues. The largest portion of the budget goes to health and human services, a total of $232.6 million, or 34 percent of the spending plan. General government takes up 26 percent, followed by community services at 18 percent and law and justice at 17 percent. The remaining 5 percent goes to capital improvements.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022 A5

RACES: Next update to election tallies will be on Friday From Page A1 offered her congratulations to Frerichs and also praised the defeat of Measure H. Beck was one of the Davis residents who signed ballot arguments opposing DiSC and was a real party in interest in the lawsuit filed by Carson to force changes to those arguments. In a statement Friday, Beck said, “I want to wholeheartedly congratulate Supervisor-elect Lucas Frerichs and thank him for his civility throughout the campaign. “Preliminary election results show a very low turnout and I look forward to having all the votes counted and tallied within the next few weeks,” she said.

Beck added that her “intergenerational Elect Beck campaign team is very happy with the initial results of this election and how our movement for inclusive representation and youth and community empowerment has grown in a very short period of time. “Our vision for truly affordable and ecological community development won big with the decisive defeat of Measure H, which I strongly opposed because at a time when we need to act responsibly and urgently to decrease our carbon emissions and draw carbon down out of the atmosphere into the soil, this dinosaur of a development project would have dramatically increased our regional

carbon footprint. “I look forward to working with community members, the Yolo County Climate Action Commission and the Board of Supervisors to bring an equity-based approach to the climate emergency and future generations planning to Yolo County,” Beck said. Elsewhere among local races, incumbent Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig maintained a strong lead over challenger Cynthia Rodriguez. As of Monday, with 31,395 votes counted in that race, Reisig had 60.53 percent of the vote to Rodriguez’s 39.47 percent. In the race for Yolo County sheriff, incumbent Tom Lopez maintained his

significant lead over challenger Tommy Hayes, with Lopez taking 71.41 percent of the vote as of Monday. A total of 29,796 votes have been counted in that race. The Yolo County Elections Office expects to update vote tallies again on Friday. As ballot counting continues, members of the public are invited to observe. The office is located at 625 Court St., Suite B-05, in Woodland. Meanwhile, unsigned ballot and signature verification statements have been mailed to Yolo County voters whose signature on the vote-by-mail envelope was challenged by the Elections Office. Challenges occur when the envelope is missing a

signature or the signature does not match the one within the voter file. The Unsigned Ballot Statement and Signature Verification Statement forms are must be returned to the Elections Office by 5 p.m. on Monday, June 20. n Unsigned Ballot Statement: https://www.yoloelections.org/voting/ unsigned-ballot-statement-1.pdf/view n Signature Verification Statement: https://www. yoloelections.org/voting/ signature-verificationstatement.pdf/view — Reach Anne TernusBellamy at aternus@ davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ATernusBellamy.

A6 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022

Unique ways to honor Gift ideas for all Dad this Father’s Day types of fathers Metro

Metro

Special to The Enterprise

Father’s Day is a day many families look forward to. Though its history might not go back as far as many religious or government-designated holidays, Father’s Day is rife with tradition in many households. Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June in both the United States and Canada and also in the United Kingdom. While Father’s Day might trace its origins to the United States, the holiday is celebrated across the globe, including in Argentina, Greece, India, Singapore and New Zealand. Fathers often receive gifts from their spouses and children on Father’s Day. What to give the dad who seemingly has it all leaves many people scratching their heads in the weeks preceding Father’s Day. People who find themselves in such situations can think outside the box and look for ways to honor their fathers this year. The following are some unique ways to honor Dad this Father’s Day.

This Father’s Day, families will gather to thank dads for all they do. Gifts often are part of Father’s Day celebrations, and here’s a list of gift ideas for dads with various interests.

Highlight reel In the months preceding Father’s Day, do some covert digging through family photo albums to create a “This Is Your Life” highlight reel for Dad. Go back as far as possible, even looking through Dad’s baby photos if you can find them. This might require a collaborative effort, requiring the whole family to work together, but that can make for an enjoyable way for families to spend time together and see how Dad became the man he is

Gaming Dad

Metro/Stock photo

Father’s Day is a chance to honor Dad, and the way you choose to do so can be as unique as the man himself. today. Present the finished product at a family dinner on Father’s Day.

Make a list Another unique way to honor Dad is to compile a list of the many ways you are and will always be grateful for having him as a father. Adults honoring their fathers can cite specific examples they recall from childhood and young adulthood when Dad went above and beyond or served as a sounding board or shoulder to cry on. This is a great way to honor Dad and let him know all those sacrifices and special moments are still appreciated and will never be forgotten.

Father’s Day is a chance to honor Dad, and the way you choose to do so can be as unique as the man himself.

Travel Dad may be pleasantly surprised by a stroll down Memory Lane. Plan a day trip or weekend excursion to Dad’s hometown, visiting all his old haunts, including the house he grew up in, and allow him to serve as tour guide. This can be a great way for Dad to share stories and for his family to learn a little more about the old man. Other great places to visit include Dad’s college campus or his ancestral homeland.

The draw of popular video games doesn’t abate for some men as they get older. If your dad is at home with game controller in hand, then gifts that feed his hobby can be ideal. Virtual reality has made great strides. Devices that enable VR game play and other entertainment may appeal to Dad. There are a few options on the market, like the Oculus, Pico Neo, HTC Vive, and Valve Index. Another option is to gift the Nintendo Switch Console, which enables your dad to play at home connected to the television or on the go with the handheld controller and screen combination so he never misses a chance to engage in game play.

Sports Dad Tap into your father’s love of sports with gifts tailored to his passion. Baseball and soccer are played during warm months, so tickets to a game is something dads and their children can do together. You also can cheer his team on in front of a new big-screen television he gets for being such a great dad.

Outdoorsman Dad If your dad is most at home with a fishing pole and tackle box, kayaking a nearby body of water, or

hiding in a tree stand during hunting season, then gifts that cater to his love of the great outdoors are perfect. Insulated thermoses, waterproof bags for storing phones or wallets, multitools, backpacks, and hiking boots make great gifts.

Techy Dad Does the idea of the latest “smart” offering get your father all revved up? Then purchase gifts that cater to his love of gadgets. Maybe he can use a new tablet or laptop that bridges the gap between home and office. Could it be time to upgrade his smartphone? A doorbell camera or home security kit can help Dad keep an eye on the comings and goings around the house when he’s

away. Or help him create surround lighting effects that can react to content on the screen or music being played with LED smart lighting strips.

Practical Dad Some fathers don’t want flashy gifts, instead preferring ones that can be used everyday. Think about a new paper shredder or identity block roller stamp to keep sensitive information safe. If Dad takes long road trips, then he might be able to use a car visor extender or a smartphone holder. Shelving, racks or storage straps for the garage also may put a smile on Dad’s face. This year, make Father’s Day a smash hit with gifts that cater to Dad’s interests.

sports THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE — WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022

B Section

Sports Comics Dear Annie Green Page

B2 B4 B5 B6

Soccer

FC Davis women end scoring drought in tie By Henry Krueger Enterprise correspondent Down 1-0 at halftime against the San Francisco Nighthawks, the FC Davis women’s soccer team found itself in a familiar situation on Saturday. The Lioness were a scoreless half away from being shut out for the third consecutive match and remaining the only team left in the Northern Division without a goal. It wouldn’t take long after the intermission for FC Davis to get on the board as midfielder Lily Byrne found the back of the net in the 48th minute. Receiving a pass near the top of the penalty box from forward Julia Curtis, Byrne shot the ball into the top right corner of the goal to tie the match at 1-1. But even on a night that saw the Lioness score their first goal, they still left Playfields Park without a win on the season after tying the Nighthawks 2-2. FC Davis is now 0-1-3 and San Francisco 2-2-1. Asked about her team’s winless start through four games, Byrne believes the team is still getting adjusted to playing together. “It’s people we haven’t grown up playing

with so we’re getting used to each other,” Byrne said. “We’re going to get better as the season progresses. It’s just up from here.” While the Lioness continue to search for their first win, scoring multiple goals against San Francisco is a promising sign. The team’s second goal against the Nighthawks came in the 66th minute when Curtis had her first shot blocked before her second shot hit San Francisco defender Vanessa Jones and went into the goal for a 2-1 lead. The Nighthawks would strike back in the 83rd minute when forward Zoe Shepherd used the outside of her right foot to score a close-range goal to tie the game at 2-2. It was Shepherd’s second score of the night as she was credited with the match’s first goal in the 20th minute. “We went up in the second half and just couldn’t get the third goal to put it away and they had a late surge at the end,” said FC Davis head coach Zach Sullivan on his team’s performance. “I think that was the difference.”

See SCORING, Page B2

Christoph Lossin/Enterprise photo

FC Davis women’s soccer player Julia Curtis (right) and a San Francisco Nighthawks player chase down the ball in Saturday’s game at Playfields Park.

Little League City Championships

Mike Bush/Enterprise photo

At top, Jackson Wallace (center) is greeted by his A’s teammates after he smacked a home run over the left field fence in the Davis Little League Majors City Championship at the Davis Little League Complex on Saturday. To view more photos, visit www.davisenterprise.com, click on the Sports tab and find the story.

Swinging A’s go yard to pounce on Cubs for title By Rebecca Wasik Enterprise correspondent What began as a close game ended in a blowout for the swinging A’s in the Davis Little League Majors City Championship game on Saturday. After four innings of play, the A’s were crowned the 2022 Davis Little League Majors Champions after defeating the Cubs by an impressive score of 20-5 at the Davis Little League Complex. “It’s an awesome feeling,” said A’s head coach Scott McElhern. “The players played hard all season long. This was a great win. They worked hard and it really paid off in the end.” Tristan McElhern of the A’s led off the top of the first inning with a single. Then Joaquin Espinoza drew a walk from Cubs starting pitcher, Shane Barzo. Jackson Wallace then reached first base on an error, which scored McElhern and moved Espinoza to third. Sebi Ehrlich was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat, which loaded the bases. With the bases loaded, Nolan

Vogt walked, which brought home Espinoza. Dustin Mills followed with another walk, which led to another A’s run as Wallace crossed home plate. Henry Horvath then drew the third A’s walk in a row, which allowed Ehrlich to cross the plate. Lejun Kim grounded out to second base, bringing in Vogt for the A’s fifth run of the frame. The A’s finished the inning holding a 5-0 lead. But the Cubs answered right back though. Zeef Barrios of the Cubs drew a walk from Wallace, who got the call to pitch on the bump. Then Barrios stole both second and third bases. Shane Barzo then drew a walk. Dylan Phister then smacked a single, allowing Barrios to score and put the Cubs on the scoreboard at 5-1. After Dylan Nicholson drew another walk, Kiian Chang singled, which scored Barzo and made it 5-2. Orrin Leymaster followed with a fly out to centerfield. But Phister, at third base, crossed home plate for a 5-3 score. A passed ball gave Nicholson the opportunity to score another Cubs

run, now inching closer toward the A’s lead at 5-4. Jorge Silva then hit another single, scoring Chang, who tied the game at 5-5. Then the A’s blew the game wide open in the top of the second inning. That included six runs for an 11-5 lead. With two on and no outs, Wallace hit a thundering three-run homer over the left-field fence that landed into the parking lot of an apartment complex next to the field, which gave the A’s an 8-5 lead. Then Mills hit a single and moved to second on a stolen base. A walk from Horvath was followed by two wild pitches, allowing Mills to score and a 9-5 score. To end the half inning, Connor Peek was caught in a rundown going from second to third. Horvath was able to cross home before Peek was called out, giving the A’s their final run of the frame for an 11-5 score. Wallace pitched an immaculate bottom of the second for the A’s, striking out all three Cubs batters in order.

See A’S, Page B2

Mike Bush/Enterprise photo

Dylan Phister touches home plate in the bottom of the first inning for the Cubs in the Davis Little League Majors City Championship game on Saturday. The Cubs were tied with the A’s 5-5 after one frame, but the A’s posted a 20-5 victory.

Sports

B2 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022

Local roundup

Youth basketball camp taking place this month Enterprise staff The Davis Hot Shots will host a week-long youth basketball camp toward the end of this month. The Davis Hot Shots Basketball Camp will take place Monday, June 27 and Wednesday, June 29. The camp concludes on Friday, July 1. The camp will be at Harper Junior High School, located at 4000 E. Covell Blvd. The basketball camp will stress footwork, dribbling and the fundamentals of the game. The camp is broken up into two sessions. Grades third through sixth will run from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Grades seventh through incoming freshmen from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Davis High boys basketball junior varsity head coach Dino Clark and fellow coach Romero Nickell are running

the camp. Registration for the camp is $125. To sign up or for more information, contact Nickell at coachnickell@gmail. com or text “camp” to 626-319-6959.

Davis Little League The Pirates crushed the Red Sox 9-1 in the Davis Little League City Championships for the Minors AA division at the Davis Little League Complex on Saturday. Jason Metzer-Jones pitched three scoreless innings for the Pirates, striking out five. Teammates Jax Rose and Kai MacLeod also threw strong innings. The Pirates had 14 hits in their win. MacLeod, along with Levi Shapiro, Metzger-Jones, Jack Monley and Beau Chicoine had two hits each.

David Shapiro/Courtesy photo

Pirates pitcher Jason Metzger-Jones gets ready to throw a pitch in Saturday’s Davis Little League Minors AA title game. The Pirates beat the Red Sox 9-1 at the Davis Little League Complex.

A’S: Wallace had two home runs in contest SCORING: Lionesses had more chances

From Page B1

The A’s added another 6 runs to their tally in the top of the third for a 17-5 score. With two on and no outs, Tristan McElhern smoked a home run. Bone and Snyder reached the bases on walks. With Espinoza on second base, Wallace hit his second home run of the night, a three-run shot. Next, Ehrlich was hit by a pitch. He moved to third base on a failed pick-off attempt. Vogt then hit a single, scoring Ehrlich for the A’s final run of the inning. The A’s added their final three runs in the fourth frame to seal their resounding victory. After walks from McElhern, Espinoza and Wallace to load the bases, Ehrlich reached first base on

a fielder’s choice, scoring McElhern. Espinoza was called out at third on the play. Vogt was then hit by a pitch, loading the bases once again. A single off Mills’ bat allowed Wallace to cross home plate and make the score 19-5. Horvath reached first base on a swinging strikeout wild pitch. That brought Elrlich home to make it the final score. Before the game, a ceremony was held honoring the winners of the Scott Heinig Sportsmanship Award. The award, named in honor of the late Heinig, “recognizes great human beings who love to play baseball.” A’s winners of the award include Wallace, Emmett Snyder, and Vogt. Cubs winners of the award include Julian McCafrey and Leymaster.

Select A’s and Cubs players will next participate in the 2022 District 64 All-Star Tournament. From Page B1 Those representing the A’s in the All-Stars include Ehrlich, Espinoza, As Sullivan notes, the Tristan McElhern, Wallace and Lioness had several Vogt. chances to take a twoThe Cubs representatives for the goal lead and All-Stars include Barrios, Chang, prevent the Nighthawks Barzo and Cameron Hughes. from tying the game with “They are very excited,” said Scott their second score. McElhern. “They are ready to get One of these scoring started on Monday and show up opportunities came in well for the Davis American the 57th minute when League.” forward Ele Avery The 10-12s tournament is delivered a well-placed tentatively scheduled for July 5pass to forward Jordan July 13. Brown, who had already Davis will have three all-star beaten her defender on teams this summer. The District 64 the right wing. Tournament for the 8=10 age bracket will be held in Davis. Brown tried to set up Curtis with a low cross, — Follow Rebecca Wasik on Twitter: @BeccaFromTheBay. but the pass wasn’t on

target and couldn’t be tapped in for a goal. FC Davis had several other instances where a goal seemed likely, but San Francisco goalkeeper Aubrey McLin held strong despite her opponent’s increased aggressiveness in the second half. n To read the entire story, visit www. davisenterprise.com and click on the Sports tab. — Henry Krueger is a sophomore at Gonzaga University and an intern for The Enterprise this summer. Follow him on Twitter: @henrykrveger.

YOLOlaughs

THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE

Zits

By Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022 B3

Dilbert

By Stephan Pastis

By Scott Adams

Classic Peanuts

By Charles M. Schulz

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Crossword New York Times Crossword Puzzle 33 “The lady ___ protest too much 1 Media player …”: “Hamlet” debut of 2001 34 Cut, in editing 5 Sacred song 37 Ice cream brand 10 Transport 39 Survive a round between airport of musical chairs terminals 41 Entrepreneur 14 Bill of fare Musk 42 Some labor 15 Beginning, as of leaders? symptoms 45 Terse denial 16 Marathon, e.g. 17 Air currents from 48 Club ___ (resort) 49 Top military the most typical leaders in direction Washington 20 Big part of many 52 Dutch cheese kids’ cereals 53 One may be 21 Bamboozled taken in protest 22 Way into a sub 54 Repeatedly comments (on) 23 Texter’s response to a hilarious 57 Lead-in to “la-la” joke 59 G sharp equivalent 25 “___ go bragh!” 27 Resorted to good 63 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s old-fashioned “Do-Re-Mi” know-who, say show, with a hint to this puzzle’s 32 Pub order, in theme brief ACROSS

ANSWER T E M P K A R A O U T R T I T S Y T O O B A W F U L E T S O R G S M A Y P A S S D R A T A C N E S H A M

Not stereo Interrogate Stuff to wear City on the Rhône 70 Good at fixing leaky faucets and creaky hinges, say 71 Crafty website 66 67 68 69

Edited by Will Shortz 1

Sudoku 1

Complete the grids so that every row, column and outlined 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. No number will be repeated in any row, column or outlined box.

19 21

Gentle

No. 0510

0510 0511

37 38 39 40 41 DOWN 1 Little devils 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 2 Land in the 49 50 51 Andes 3 Universal donor’s 52 53 blood type, in brief 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 4 “The Shining” 63 64 65 actress Shelley 5 Mash prepared 66 67 68 for a luau 69 70 71 6 Sketch show V.I.P.s who get a jacket for their fifth appearance PUZZLE BY LOU WEISS 7 The East 29 Easy two-pointer 44 RR stop 56 Janet ___, first 8 “Neither a female attorney 30 “Sure ___!” 46 Spike TV, borrower nor general (“You bet!”) previously a ___ be”: TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE “Hamlet” 58 Thor’s father 47 Seat in the 31 Title city in iconic photo a 2014 Ava 9 Business appt. 60 Exam for an O R A M S E E P “Lunch Atop a DuVernay film aspiring atty. T J O K E U L N A 10 Shape describing Skyscraper” 35 Little piggies a complex love O O B I T D E E R 61 Pretenses one 50 Egyptian sun relationship 36 Ceases H I S O N E S O N M E may “put on” god 11 Screed T E C O K A Y 38 Takes overnight 51 Haven, as for 62 Frozen dessert 12 Rock band name to think about A D F O R Y O U endangered chain owned by with aTimes slash Syndication Sales Corporation The New York wildlife L P E E T B R B Mrs. Fields 40 Gained 13 Fit together well 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 influence, as an 54 Website L I P A S H T R A Y 64 “Awful, just Information idea 18 Packing, so to Call: 1-800-972-3550 developer’s T R A M E R U P T For awful!” speak code For Release Wednesday, June 15, 2022 43 Segue before a H A L L W E D A N C E 55 Sailor’s greeting 65 Take to the sky conclusion A B O A S O D S 19 Dog’s “Pleeeeze!” 24 Kerfuffle T H E T O R C H I C E D H A P P Y 26 Clear (of) Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past G R A Y I R A T E 27 ___ Piper puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). H U M A T T A R 28 Pageant coif Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

Crossword

ACROSS 1 Drops the ball big-time 8 Home to about 60% of the world’s population 12 One with a whistle … who sometimes 1-Across? 15 Soccer superstar Cristiano 16 Sporty car roof option 17 Genre of Death Cab for Cutie 18 Tot’s mount 20 Cold War jet 21 Cover, as tasks 22 Connecticut Ivy Leaguer 23 Willy Wonka prop 24 Practically forever 25 Jim Beam competitor 28 Gun 29 Auction action

30 Thinks the world of 31 34 35 40 41 43 47

57 They’re always ready for a good time … or a Hard to swallow, description of in a way 18-, 25-, 35and 49-Across? Shake a leg, in 61 Tree creature of Shakespeare Middle-earth Chinese poultry 62 Brothers Grimm dish marinated in villain wine 63 Legislative ___-fi bodies Torments 64 Marx’s “___ Kapital” Residents of 65 Cherry or walnut ancient Minos 66 Recliner feature PC key

48 Windy City rail system, in brief

DOWN 1 Remark from one 49 1980 boxing film having cold feet, for which De Niro perhaps won Best Actor 2 Bit of unfinished 51 Criticize harshly business 3 Cursory appraisal 53 “Couldn’t agree more!” 4 Rouse 5 Pita pocket cuts, 54 Name, as a price e.g. 55 ___ bear 6 Passport fig. 56 Flat refusals 7 Dress (up), quaintly ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE (UPSIDE DOWN) 8 Island like ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE Kiritimati I P O D P S A L M T R A M 9 Jazz piano style M E N U O N S E T R A C E played by Fats Waller and Mary P R E V A I L I N G W I N D S Lou Williams S U G A R H A D H A T C H 10 Siri’s platform L M A O E R I N 11 Copy P U L L E D S T R I N G S I P A D O T H D E L E T E 12 Fresh take on a classic, perhaps E D Y S S I T E L O N D O U L A S N O T I M E D 13 Slim Shady, by another name P E N T A G O N B R A S S 14 Some old-timers E D A M K N E E H A R P S O O H A F L A T 19 Eric ___, 1980 Olympic speed T H E S O U N D O F M U S I C skating gold M O N O G R I L L G A R B medalist L Y O N H A N D Y E T S Y 23 Streaming sites?

Edited by Will Shortz 1

36 40

54 58

37 Place for a concert or lecture 38 Get really serious really quickly 39 Pitching statistic? 42 Rode the bench 43 Stretched to get a better look, say 44 ___ Quimby, Beverly Cleary heroine 45 Discharges 46 Pizzeria chain 50 Formal “you,” in Spanish

• PUZZLES • BOARD GAMES • CARD GAMES • MINIATURES & PAINTS • AND MORE!

OPEN 11AM-9PM EVERY DAY

PUZZLE BY MICHAEL PALEOS

24 Cardinals’ home, in stats 25 Illusionist’s skill 26 Part of a casual layered look 27 College city in upstate New York 29 Blues legend with a guitar named Lucille 32 Hoffman who played Captain Hook 33 Early quinoa cultivator 36 Like chewable calcium, often

See the Sudoku solutions in today's classifieds.

19 21

Sudoku 2

No. 0511

Intermediate

51 Sound of spring? 52 Former L.A. Laker Odom

55 Banjo spot, in song 57 “Right in the kisser!”

58 Fourth word in the “Star Wars” prologue

59 Communication method in much of the 2021 film “CODA,” for short 60 Bygone Mach 1 breaker, in brief

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

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Your Puzzle Solutions (upside down) Sudoku 1 t

Sudoku 2 t

H T M L

A H O Y

R E N O

I P O D M E N U P R E V S U G A L P U L L I P A E D Y S D O U L P E E P S O N

P S A L O N S E A I L I N R H A D M A O E E D S T R D O T H S I T A S N O N T A G O D A M K S O O H O U N D O G R I L H A N D

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ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

T C B Y

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23 14 19 13 10 11 12 9 8

Forum

B4 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE

Commentary

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022

After surplus, buckle up for deficit By Christopher Thornberg Special to CalMatters

alifornia has a near-$100 billion budget surplus, which has set off a completely predictable pit fight in Sacramento over how to spend the extra cash. Let’s take a vote. The best thing to spend the surplus on is: A) Expanding social programs or B) One-time expenditures (to be safe). The Democratic majority in the Legislature will choose option A. Gov. Gavin Newsom has been trying to play the adult at the budget table and is pushing for option B. Unfortunately, there should be an option C: none of the above. While it is understood that our surplus is temporary, even Newsom’s approach misses the underlying issue. The surplus is being driven by California’s personal income taxes. On average, they make up 25% of the state’s revenues, and in fiscal year 2022-23 they will constitute a full two-thirds. The surplus is driven by the high marginal tax rate on high-income earners. When financial markets are hot, tax revenues surge. The Department of Finance made this clear in its revenue report when it showed the history of capital gains for taxpayers in the state. This is income earned from various forms of capital transactions — selling property far above its buying price, for example, or income from a tech firm going public. Such income accrues mainly to very high-income Californians, who are subject to the state’s excessively high marginal tax on high incomes. Over the last two years, state income from capital gains taxes has been close to $250 billion, twice as high as ever before and four times the average. A record surplus is no surprise. What the markets giveth, however, the markets taketh away. The last two periods of high capital gains occurred in the late 1990s and then again when the dot-com and subprime mortgage bubbles overheated the economy. When those markets crashed, so too did asset values and, of course, capital gains. Huge budget surpluses were followed by huge budget deficits. Here we go again. The last two years might be best characterized as the “stimulus bubble era.” Yes, the pandemic was a tragic natural disaster, but it was a completely different kind of recession with few long-term consequences. A bit of economic help would have served the purpose fine, but instead, in today’s era of populist politics, the stimulus firehose was turned on. The $12 trillion in what was largely unnecessary federal stimulus has set the U.S. economy on fire. This is what is driving soaring federal as well as state tax revenues. But it can’t last. Overstimulated economies begin with a bang, but fizzle in the face of inflation and rising interest rates. All those tax revenues built on capital gains will start falling or, more likely, dry up. But not according to the state Department of Finance’s revised revenue estimate. In the department’s outlook, the economy will cool, but only modestly. While we can debate how far and how rapidly state tax revenues will fall, the idea that they will plateau is nonsensical. The debate over how much of the surplus to spend on ongoing versus one-time expenditures is a dangerous red herring. California should be preparing instead for the $40 billion budget deficit coming at us. This view is, of course, a political nonstarter. Tragically, there has been little opposition to the administration’s view or even discussion among business leaders, the government bureaucracy or former officials. Have we forgotten the fury of voters that pushed Gray Davis out of the governor’s office in 2003? Do we really not remember Controller John Chiang issuing IOUs to pay the state’s bills because we ran out of cash? Buckle up. It’s going to be a rough few years. — Christopher Thornberg is the director of the UC Riverside School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development and founding partner of Beacon Economics.

Rising prices foretell hardship ahead “The first panacea for a mismanaged nation is inflation of the currency; the second is war. Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a permanent ruin.” — Ernest Hemingway

mericans haven’t felt the sting of inflation like we are now experiencing in more than 40 years. Last week it was reported that our 12-month inflation rate was 8.6%, the highest since 1981. That shock sent the stock market tumbling. The Dow fell 1,800 points in three days — from 33,187 on June 7 to 31,387 on June 10. Since it peaked October 31, 2021, that index is down 13.6%. Prices are going up faster now than at any time since I was a junior at Davis Sr. High School in 1981. In the last month, food prices rose 1.2%, and over the last year they have gone up 10.1%. The rising cost of gasoline has been even worse. According to AAA, the average gallon of regular gasoline sold in California (last weekend) cost $6.434. That is up 59 cents in one month. The retail cost of gas is (mainly) a function of the price of oil. Last week, a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude cost $120.10. Last August, the price of WTI was $62.32. That’s a 92.7% increase in 10 months. CNBC reports that the cost of housing rose more rapidly in the last 12-months than it had in over 30 years. “Shelter costs, which account for about a one-third weighting in the CPI, rose 0.6% for the month, the fastest one-month gain since March 2004. The 5.5%

Letters STEAC Thankful for Yocha Dehe support The financial hardship created by the pandemic, combined with lack of affordable housing has resulted in an unprecedented number of families and individuals who cannot pay rent. With the increase in cost of living further exacerbating the crisis, STEAC’s Eviction Prevention Program is helping double the number of families stay housed compared to pre-pandemic levels. We are so thankful for the recent

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12-month gain is the most since February 1991.” In the 1960s, Milton Friedman, famously said, “Inflation is caused by too much money chasing after too few goods.” We are getting hit by high prices in part because we have been printing too much money; and in part because we have a shortage of many goods. Clear Capital defines the components of the U.S. money supply: “M1 includes money in circulation plus checkable deposits in banks. M2 includes M1 plus savings deposits (less than $100,000) and money market mutual funds. M3 includes M2 plus large time deposits in banks.” Using the broader measure, M3, it’s easy to see how “too much money” is driving up prices. According to Federal Reserve data, we had an M3 money supply of $21.81 trillion in March. In the first quarter of 2020, M3 was roughly $15.7 trillion. In 2012, it passed $10 trillion for the first time. A rising money supply doesn’t just happen. Part of the problem is the Federal Reserve setting interest rates too low, which in turn makes borrowing attractive, stimulating demand. The fed funds rate fell from 2.44% in April, 2019 to 0.05% in March, 2020, when Covid struck. For the next two years, that rate remained under 0.10%. Even though it

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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.

has come up lately, the fed funds rate is still just 0.83%. Another driver of the money supply is fiscal policy. In 2018, the federal debt increased by $1.27 trillion; $1.20 in 2019; $4.23 in 2020; $1.48 in 2021; and it is projected to grow another $1.9 trillion this year. When Barack Obama left office, our federal debt was 3.1% of GDP. By the time Donald Trump was out of the White House, it was 15% of GDP. That ratio has come down, but it was still 12.1% of GDP at the end of 2021. Adding to inflation has been a supply shock that began when Donald Trump was president — as a result of the pandemic and Mr. Trump’s tariffs — and has accelerated since Mr. Putin’s invaded Ukraine and other countries have boycotted Russian exports. In 2021, Russia accounted for about 10% of global petroleum production and 8% of global exports. Russia was also the sixth largest exporter of liquified natural gas, selling almost 29 million metric tons. Although President Biden recognizes that we have an inflation problem, he has failed to reverse the massive increases in tariffs imposed in the Trump years which have led to retaliation and supply chain troubles. Focused principally on China, Mr. Trump imposed large increases in tariffs on washing machines, solar panels, steel and aluminum, automobiles, and auto parts. Less targeted tariffs raised the price of most other manufactured imports. Then COVID hit and the supply chain issues grew

grant from Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation’s Giving Program. With their support we are able to continue to provide these critical services at these elevated levels. With Gratitude, Liane Moody Executive director, STEAC

Thanks for Ukraine support Thank you to the organizers of the Concert for Ukraine held in Central Park Sunday June 5. A big thanks goes to the four music groups who gifted us with “live music” and lifted our hearts and spirits. And a big round of thanks to the community of Davis who came out and donated to the cause by picking up a bag

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;

worse. According to Tim Uy of Moody’s Analytics, the supply chain crisis won’t go away soon. “Supply will likely play catch up for some time, particularly as there are bottlenecks in every link of the supply chain (including) … containers, shipping, ports, trucks, railroads, air and warehouses.” If history tells us anything about ending inflation, it’s that it will be painful. From 1980 to 1983, annual American inflation fell from 13.55% to 3.21%. This was accomplished by significantly raising interest rates. When Jimmy Carter made Paul Volcker the chairman of the Federal Reserve, the fed funds rate was 11.2%. Mr. Volcker raised that cost of borrowing to 20% by June, 1981. That in turn reduced the money supply and choked off growth. The recession of 1981-82 was brutal. GDP contracted by 1.8% in 1982. Unemployment grew from 6% in 1979 to 10.8% in 1982. Although joblessness fell to 8.3% in 1983, 1987 was the first year since interest rates were jacked up that unemployment was below 6%. If Jerome Powell, the current chairman of the Federal Reserve, decides to get serious about inflation, interest rates are going to have to rise substantially, and that in turn will likely cause a steep recession and seriously higher unemployment. Unfortunately, as Ernest Hemingway observed, letting inflation spiral upward is an even worse choice. — Rich Rifkin is a Davis resident; his column is published every other week. Reach him at Lxartist@yahoo.com.

of popcorn from our Rotary booth. Sunset Rotary Davis was pleased to be a part of raising funds to give to the Lviv Ukraine Rotary Club who is assisting with medical needs and generators. Money will also go the Davis-Uman Ukraine Sister City Program for humanitarian aid. Rotary International is in over 200 countries around the world and finds itself in war torn countries. Rotary connects the world, and this recent event helped our Davis club be a connection to the needs in Ukraine. Thank you for your support. Peggy Stein Sunset Rotary Davis President

202-224-3553; email: padilla.senate. gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me

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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/

THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE

Son is stuck with abusive wife Dear Annie: My son has not spoken to me for eight years. He married a woman he met online in a matter of six months. I was very hesitant about his jumping into a marriage so quickly with a stranger. I’m a mother who wants a happy life for her children. About eight years ago, I had surgery and texted my son to ask why he hadn’t come to see me or called. I got a response back, but it was not from my son; it was from his wife. This is what she said: “Well, he has a family now, and we come first, and he’ll get to you when he can.” After that, she and I exchanged a few words over text. So, later that evening, I went over to talk to my son in person about the disrespect that his wife displayed, and he pretty much sided with her. I know she is his wife, but I’m his mother. He stopped talking to me after that and relocated to Florida. But now he’s back in the same city where I live. I heard that he had a mental breakdown, and I called him at the hospital to offer my support. During the last time I spoke with him before he was released, he said his wife told him that she had a dream about my wishing that he would not get well. That really upset me, and after he was released from the hospital, he cut off all contact with me again. He now lives with my daughter. I’m not speaking to my daughter because she has them living in her house. I just feel like they have betrayed me when all this time I’ve been a mother and father to them. Can you please help me move ahead, Annie? Thank you. — Wanting Contact Dear Wanting: The best way to move ahead is to take a step back — and look at the big picture. Your son is in an abusive relationship, and his wife is using your family as the scapegoat and saying that you are the cause of all problems, when, after being married to her for eight years, he ended up having a mental breakdown. The real question is, why does he allow his wife to say such terrible things about you and force him to cut ties with you? Continue to reach out to your son in a loving and understanding way. Try to put your hurt feelings aside and see that he is the one really hurting now. It does not feel good to be disconnected from your parents and cut them out completely. He is hurting. On top of that, you are being too hard on your daughter. Your children are not betraying you; they are surviving as best they can with the life situation they are in at the moment. Congratulate yourself that you were able to raise two siblings who love each other enough to help the other one out when they are having a tough time, which is exactly what your son is having. He needs to stick up to his wife, but he won’t be able to do that with low self-esteem. Until then, he will let this abusive woman continue to drive him into mental breakdowns. Support your son — he needs your help now more than ever — and don’t demand or ask anything of him. Just tell him you are there for him when he needs you and how much you love him.

Ambitionless boyfriend Dear Annie: I am 29 years old, and the guy I’ve been seeing is in his early

Legals@DavisEnterprise.net 30s. The issue that I’m having is that he has no ambition. I’m ready to move forward, but everything seems to be stagnant. He complains about money, yet when I tell him about jobs with higher pay and greater benefits, he’ll be on board in our conversation, but then he never pursues any of the leads. He also spends a lot of money on smoking. If he would cut back on the herb, he could put the money elsewhere. He is quick to get angry if he feels that I am judging him, when in reality, I am trying to help him. He always has excuses. For instance, when it comes to house hunting, he wants me to do all the work so that all he has to do is pack up and move into the new house. When I bring up discussions about credit or tackling important issues in his life, he says that it’s too much to discuss at the moment. He always says, “Let’s talk about it later” and then continues to play video games or watch TV. I am resenting him because he’s not the person I thought he was. My desire for intimacy is zero. I’m in a place where I am getting my life together in all aspects. I’ve been through a lot, so I’m finding myself, but with me being on this journey, I might lose the relationship. My choices are limited if he doesn’t get it together. I’m tired of helping and getting my hand slapped just to hear him complain where I’ve already given him options. I’m not sure if I want this relationship anymore. — Indecisive Dear Indecisive: While your intentions are in the right place, and you want to help your boyfriend, it sounds like he doesn’t want to help himself. To paraphrase an old expression, “Teach a man to fish and he can eat for a lifetime; give him a fish and he can eat for a day.” It sounds like he just wants you to give him a fish. It could be that he is depressed and unhappy and needs professional help. Regardless of what is going on with your boyfriend, the question is, do the pros outweigh the cons? Judging from the last paragraph of your letter, I’m not sure how “indecisive” you are. I think you have made up your mind and that you want out of this relationship, at least with the person who he is today. That is not to say that if you break up and he gets his life together, you can’t get back with him. But until then, it’s time for you to take care of you and continue getting your life in a good place.

He’s not so bad Dear Annie: My wife and I are, year by year, going through renovations in many parts of our house. I am more than capable of doing most of the work. However, we hire someone for anything that requires inspections or jobs that take a long time. My older cousin is very close to a gentleman I’ll call “Dan,” who is a very skilled jack-of-all-trades and has done some excellent work for my cousin and my mother. The problem is, Dan is a total creep around my wife (and most younger women). I’d like to think I’m overreacting, but his weird behavior is a running joke whenever his name is mentioned. Dan makes horribly sexualized comments to my wife, and he once ended up on the ground outside a bar when he walked by and slapped her on the rear. My wife thinks we should hire him to complete some work, thinking that Dan will give a discount because of his infatuation with her. I do not want this creep anywhere near her or knowing where we live. My wife thinks I’m overreacting. Am I blowing this out

of proportion? — Confused in Pennsylvania Dear Confused: I’m not really sure why you say you are confused. Your wife is the one who is confused by

allowing this creep to come into your house. No amount of money saved is worth being sexually harassed on a daily basis. You are right, and you

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022 B5

should try to find a more professional and less creepy jack-of-all-trades. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com.

For LEGAL NOTICES, email legals@ davisenterprise.net or call Shawn at 530-747-8061

The Green Page

B6 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022

Habitat restoration benefits our health A

re you drawn to water? Most people are beckoned by the blue aquatic hues and surrounding green nature and soothed by it. There is a biological connection that induces a flood of neurochemicals that promote lower blood pressure and a lower heart rate, a sense of calmness. We don’t have many places to view water in Davis, but the Northstar Pond and the Julie Partansky Wildlife Area Pond once provided that health giving view. However, the Partansky Wildlife Area seldom has much water now. It catches rain water and in past years, it caught the water run-off from our lawns and streets. However, now we are eliminating lawns, putting in drought tolerant plants and learning not to over water. So, the Wildlife Area only has water as a result of occasional stormwater during the rainy season and we must depend on the Northstar Pond for our water views. However, three-fourths of the pond now has a barrier wall of flag iris and cattails that blocks the view of the pond. If allowed, the entire pond will fill in. There was a good maintenance plan for the Northstar Pond, however, under a previous park director, it was not followed. Now, Dale Summersille, parks and community Services Director, as well as Dave Knighton, parks manager are moving to get a management plan going again. Dredging and cleaning of NorthStar Pond and preparation of long-term management and maintenance plan will be part of the city of Davis consent calendar on June 14 and will be discussed on June 28. As a member of Friends of North Davis Ponds, I am very enthusiastic about this project. Hundreds of people use the pond area and the necklace of greenbelt as a destination walk each day. It is a delightful place to get long views. Many use it as a place to exercise. I thoroughly enjoy watching people do the graceful tai chi, slow moving

exercises. Recently, I watched an exercise class of pregnant women. Our Friends of North Davis Ponds conducts a monthly bird stroll out there led by experts on the first Saturday of each month. These strolls have happened without fail for the last nine years. Join us on Saturday, July 2nd, at 8 a.m. in the parking lot at 3500 Anderson Road for our stroll that starts at Northstar Pond. Bring binoculars if you have them. Visit Friends of North Davis Ponds on Facebook and you will see hundreds of outstanding photographs and videos, taken by a dozen different photographers. There are videos, that follow a season of birding at the ponds with bird identification. Over 200 bird species have been recorded in the area over the past two decades. We have added a nestbox trail from the Veterans Memorial to the Northstar Pond and five nest boxes along the Uplands Habitat. A western bluebird pair last year raised three batches in a nestbox right next to the pond. It is important habitat for birds in migration twice a year. It is also habitat for frogs, toads, dragonflies, turtles, raccoons, river otters. We’ve even spotted a mink.

ineteen years ago, I started writing this column with hopes of saving the ponds from being ruined by house construction on the edge, concrete fish casting stations, an adjacent dog park idea and whatever idea came up next. I didn’t imagine battling flag iris, invasive wheat grass and cattails. But that is the next battle. The very first column was about river otters. There

Sandy Mamba/Courtesy photo

The sun sets over Northstar Pond in past years. Below, American coot and pied-billed grebe nested in the Northstar Pond in past years and we could watch the colorful chicks mature. was a group of five otters out there. People sat on the grass and watched them cavorting around the pond. They have come almost every year since then. This spring, while some of us were weeding at the Uplands Habitat Open Space, the three acres on F and Anderson, we were amazed to watch a lone river otter cross F Street, scurry across the uplands and duck under a hole in the fence of the Partansky Wildlife Area. There wasn’t much water left there. Perhaps it went on over to the Northstar Pond or harvested food where it was. We are eager to have views of our beloved pond again and watch the critter activity on it. If you love it, too, you might drop and email to citycouncil members@cityofdavis.org and let them know you are in favor of the project designated as “Dredging and cleaning of NorthStar Pond and preparation

Sandy Mamba/Courtesy photo

Northstar Pond in past years. A new maintenance plan could restore the area to this kind of landscape.

EPA presents award to UCD professor By Andy Fell Special to The Enterprise The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded one of five Green Chemistry Challenge Awards to Mark Mascal, professor of chemistry at the University of California, Davis, together with Origin Materials Inc. and its co-CEO John Bissel. Mascal’s laboratory and Origin Materials are being recognized for developing and implementing a novel technology to replace chemicals commonly made from petroleum with products from biomass, such as forestry, agricultural and municipal wastes. This technology could have positive environmental impacts, particularly in the plastics industry, as the chemicals produced can be

used to make materials that are both net zero-carbon and recyclable. MASCAL Mascal’s Award winner laboratory at UC Davis developed a new process to digest carbohydrates (for example, from plant waste) to produce a chemical called 5-(chloromethyl) furfural, or CMF, which can be used to make products otherwise made from petroleum. Origin Materials, based in West Sacramento, has scaled up the technology for producing CMF and developed a commercial process to generate biobased, net zero-carbon polyethylene terephthalate

(PET) plastic and associated products starting from CMF. Bissel earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from UC Davis. The award winners were honored at a ceremony at the annual American Chemical Society Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference in Reston, Va., June 6-8. The Green Chemistry Challenge Awards are cosponsored by EPA and the American Chemical Society. Established in 1996, the annual awards promote the environmental and economic benefits of developing and using novel green chemistry that reduces pollution at its source by minimizing or eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals.

Jean Jackman/Courtesy photo

of long-term management and maintenance plan.” That’s the long title.

And during these times, we can stand to reduce stress. Be well and kiss each day.

Let’s restore this valuable, health-giving community resource. Our brains react positively to water. It helps our mental health and reduces stress.

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

Jean Jackman/Courtesy photo

Northstar Pond, today — overgrown and filling with flag iris and cattails due to lack of maintenance.