Sadly, this ‘Little Mermaid’ sinks

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Renwick Drake figured he had years to go before he got out of prison.
At the young age of 15, he and a fellow gang member robbed three people at a West Sacramento skate park in 2009, firing gunshots at the victims as they fled.
Tried as an adult, Drake received a 24-years state prison term following a jury’s conviction on robbery, assault and gangrelated charges. By 2020, he’d spent nearly half his life behind bars.
“It was natural for me to believe I was not getting out,” said Drake, now 29. “I don’t mind accepting the consequences if I do something.”
Resigned to his fate, Drake focused on improving his outlook — reading,
Renwick Drake talks about Life outside prison at a recent Yolo County Bar Association meeting discussing prosecutor-initiated resentencing.
studying college-level business courses and launching a self-help program for fellow inmates, whom he credits for keeping him on the right track.
“You have to be strongminded. You have to know yourself,” Drake said. “If you’re a follower, it’s really, really easy to get
See LIFE, Page A3
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Student housing across The Little Lake at the University of California Merced campus on Nov. 4.
Starting in 2021, California took more of an interest in constructing affordable student housing. Since then it’s been a roller coaster ride.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers last year agreed to distribute $4 billion to the state’s three higher education systems with a mix of loans and grants through 2024-25
— which would add at least 20,000 beds at affordable rents. Fast forward to January 2023 and California’s facing a then-$22.5 billion deficit, and his administration wanted to delay some of the money by at least a year.
Now, with his revised May budget, Newsom wants to restore some of the money he wanted delayed. But other housing funds would still be delayed. In that time, the state budget hole
has grown to $31.5 billion. Here’s the latest on what you need to know about a pot of $4 billion.
Well technically it’s two pots, or two pots nested within one larger pot. Pot 1 is roughly $2.2 billion in
See HOUSING, Page A3
The Davis Schools Foundation stands proud among the many amazing nonprofits in Yolo County. Not only does it fiscally facilitate educational opportunities for students of the Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD), but also prides itself bolstering students’ mental, emotional and physical well-being as well.
The DSF got started back in 2004 when many of the DJUSD’s programs were under threat of being cut due to reductions in state funding. To combat these devastating cuts, a handful of community leaders orga-
nized and founded the DSF to establish a more reliable source of funding.
Since then, the DSF has raised over $4.75 million dollars in annual grants and donations on its mission to fund mental health and counseling services, equitable opportunity and access as well as support for DJUSD educators.
“Looking back, we’ve funded so many things since we started and have a rich history. Most recently in the 2022-23 year, we’ve really shifted our focus to mental health and counseling services. Covid has brought to light so many issues that have already existed, and our fundings have also focused on pro-
Wayne tiLCoCk/enterprise fiLe photo Davis Schools Foundation supporters present their top 10 reasons to donate at a 2011 school board meeting.
fessional development to support our educators so they can do their jobs to support the students.
An example would be Mindful Schools, which is a program that helps staff
learn strategies of being mindful and help students with being calm and staying connected,” said DSF President Kelly Heung.
“I’m really proud that this year and last year the
DSF has fully funded the Care Solace program which is a 24/7 care coordination program connecting students, staff and families with the resources they need. That’s neat because it’s a resource all our counselors and educators can use. A lot of times if you have a struggling student, you yourself can’t fix all that and need to pull in other resources, and Care Solace helps with that.”
In its impressive résumé of helpfulness, the DSF has also helped fund instructional aids, computer labs, music programs, outdoor learning opportunities, and the acquisition of librarians
See SCHOOLS, Page A3
The California Highway Patrol will conduct a sobriety checkpoint from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday on westbound Highway 16 near County Road 97 west of Woodland.
Checkpoints are staffed by CHP officers trained to detect alcohol- or drug-impaired drivers. In the event of inclement weather, the checkpoint will be canceled for safety reasons, with officers assigned to roving DUI patrols. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Rebecca Lobo’s May 14 column had a typo in the headline. Her original was, “Who is responsible for substantiating the safety of cosmetics? You are.”
Additionally, the column should have read, “Most cosmeceuticals are effective in helping you temporarily achieve an illusion, the unrealistic and unsustainable definition of beauty as young and flawlesslooking.”
PARTY ON ... If you have a high school senior in your household and have not yet purchased a ticket to Grad Night for him or her, they will be missing out on something special.
“Grad Night: A tradition since 1985,” said the kind note we received in the mail about this hallowed tradition that will be enjoyed this year by a member of our family whose five older siblings can tell him all about the Grad Nights they experienced over the years.
They didn’t have a Grad Night when I finished my illustrious Blue Devil career, though they did rent a bus that took us up the old Lincoln Highway to some sort of all-night recreation center in Auburn, with a breakfast stop the next morning at the tastelessly named “Ground Cow.”
This year, as usual, Grad Night will be held at Emerson Junior High, which will bring back all sorts of memories for those DHS grads who went through that school.
The party starts at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, June 9, shortly after the graduation ceremony finishes on the Davis High School football field.
It ends the next morning at 5 a.m.
The reports I’ve heard from our kids and their friends over the years is that Grad Night is nothing short of spectacular.
“I’m so glad, I went,” are the words we regularly heard.
Indeed, Grad Night, the product of creative planning and a dedicated group of volunteers, is regarded as the premiere all-night graduation event in Northern California.
Music, dancing, entertainment, tons of great food and a huge raffle. A fitting grand finale after 13 years in the school system.
Grad Night is still selling tickets and still needs volunteers, plus donations of prizes and raffle items.
Purchase a ticket at dgntickets@gmail,com and you, too, will hear those sweet words, “I’m so
glad I went,” before sunrise on Saturday morning.
DEADLINES: GOOD OR BAD? ... In case you missed it, there’s an excellent editorial in The HUB out of Davis High School, a piece that also ran on Page B6 in Wednesday’s Enterprise.
Written by HUB staffer Gwynn Canfield, it points out how artificial deadlines for term papers and other projects can significantly detract from actual learning, even though a positive learning experience is supposed to be the end goal of any assignment.
“It’s 11 p.m.,” Canfield begins. “and my assignment is due at midnight. I can feel my eyelids beginning to close, but if I don’t complete this assignment on time, my grade will suffer. The late penalty is 20 percent off, even if the work is just a minute past the deadline.”
I can hear people saying, “Well, you should have started sooner and this is how you learn to budget your time,” which may be partially true. But it’s also true that every student is unique and the ability to complete complex assignments in a set period of
Davis police have received multiple indecentexposure reports in recent weeks, arresting one suspect while other incidents remain under investigation.
At about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a bike path north of the 3800 block of Faraday Avenue, where two people reported seeing a naked man in the area, Lt. Dan Beckwith said.
Arriving officers found 24-year-old Jack Albert Thomas of Davis sitting on a bench and took him into custody, Beckwith said.
The police department also issued a crime alert Thursday about two prior incidents that occurred earlier this month.
Shortly before 10 p.m. May 11, a woman reported seeing a man exposing and fondling himself outside her apartment in the 2400
block of Sycamore Lane. He was described as a lightcomplected male in his late 20s, 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds, wearing a black hoodie and gray sweatpants.
A woman walking her dog on the bike path south of Catalina Drive at about 12:45 p.m. May 20 spotted a man in his early 20s sitting on a bench with a phone in one hand and his genitals in the other.
“The female yelled out to the male, who made no attempt to cover himself,” police said. He’s described as a tan-complected male, 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-9, with an average build and brown, medium-length curly hair.
Both times, officers searched the areas but located no suspects.
Police say it’s unknown whether the indecent exposures are related to a recent series of peeping incidents in the 700 block of Sycamore Lane, where a man
peers into houses during the nighttime hours, fleeing once residents become aware of his presence.
That suspect has been described as light-skinned male between 35 and 45 years old, with a medium to large build, mustache/goatee and receding hairline. He often wears a light-colored track or sweat suit.
In either case, “the Davis Police Department would like to remind the public to remain aware of your surroundings and immediately report suspicious behavior,” the crime alert said.
Anyone with information about these incidents is urged to contact the Davis Police Department at 530-747-5400. For crimes in progress, call 911 or 530758-3600.
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenter prise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene.
Enterprise staff
Memorial Day weekend is quickly approaching, and many Californians are preparing to kick off the summer with a holiday gathering or road trip.
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Beginning at 6:01 p.m. Friday, the California Highway Patrol will implement a statewide Maximum Enforcement Period in anticipation of the increased traffic that often accompanies a holiday weekend. The MEP continues through 11:59 p.m. Monday.
"All available uniformed members of this department will be on patrol during this Memorial Day MEP," CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. "Our primary focus will be to enhance public safety, deter unsafe driving behavior, and, when necessary, take appropriate enforcement action.”
Forty-five people were killed in crashes in California during last year’s Memorial Day weekend, a
nearly 30-percent increase from the same period in 2021.
Additionally, CHP officers made nearly 900 DUI arrests during the Memorial Day MEP in 2022. Keep yourself and others who are on the road safe by designating a sober driver or using a ride-share service.
In addition to assisting motorists and looking for traffic violations that often lead to serious injury or death — such as failure to wear a seat belt, speed, and distracted driving — CHP officers will be paying close
attention to people who are suspected of driving under the influence of drugs and/ or alcohol.
If you see or suspect an impaired driver, call 911 immediately. Be prepared to provide the dispatcher a description of the vehicle, the license plate number, location and direction of travel. Your phone call may save someone’s life.
The CHP’s Memorial Day MEP coincides with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s ongoing Click It or Ticket campaign, which continues through June 4.
time varies greatly from one student to the next.
When I started at The Davis Enterprise a number of decades ago, there was a poster on the newsroom wall that said “A deadline is a writer’s best friend.” I didn’t believe it at the time, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that without that deadline, I probably would never have finished even a single column.
That, of course, was a different kind of deadline than the one Canfield is writing about. Mine was hard and fast, but most importantly, necessary. The folks in the pressroom needed to fire up the machinery to print the paper and get it to the carriers so that The Davis Enterprise landed on our subscriber’s driveways in a timely manner.
Noted Canfield, “With this penalty looming over my shoulder, my performance suffers. I rush through the assignment, caring more about the deadline than the quality of the work. Any learning has been thrown out the window.” Points well taken. Hopefully others will take her words to heart.
— Reach Bob Dunning at bdunning@davisenterprise.net.
A 23-year-old Woodland man was killed and three people injured in a head-on collision Wednesday on a rural Yolo County roadway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A southbound Ford F-150 and a northbound Volkswagen sedan crashed shortly after 6 a.m. on Old River Road near County Road 124 between Woodland and West Sacramento, CHP Officer Rodney Fitzhugh said in a news release.
The Volkswagen's
driver, identified as David Alejandro Contreras Vallecios, died at the scene, Fitzhugh said. Three males in the Ford — all residents of Cottonwood in Shasta County — went to the UC Davis Medical Center with minor injuries.
The circumstances leading up to the crash remain under investigation, although Fitzhugh said neither alcohol nor drugs were believed to be factors. Anyone with information is asked to contact the CHP's Woodland office at 530-6624685.
UC Davis issued a warning this week about a phone scam involving its Safe Rides transportation service.
Parents of UCD students say they've received late-night “spoofing” calls from the Safe Rides phone number (530-7542677 or 530-754-COPS)
“claiming that their son or daughter has been arrested and demanding
money in the form of gift cards,” officials said in a news release.
The calls are fraudulent, and UCD officials noted that law-enforcement and government agencies will not demand money over the phone. Safe Rides and other campus police services continue to operate normally. For information about phone scams, visit consumer.ftc.gov/articles/ phone-scams.
“All available uniformed members of this department will be on patrol.”
Sean Duryee CHP commissioner
grants for University of California, California State University and California Community Colleges.
Pot 2 is $1.8 billion in loans for the same systems.
Newsom this month found a new way to fund Pot 1, overruling his January plan to delay $250 million in state grants to build dorms with low rents.
The move would mean the University of California and California State University get all the grant money they were promised without delay in 2023-24, while community colleges would receive all but $95 million and the rest the following year.
But Newsom still wants to delay by a year $1.8 billion in affordable student housing loans for campuses — that’s Pot 2.
The money is the total of two programs — pots one and two — that were birthed in the last two years of state budgets.
The state’s interest in student housing is new, a response to the hundreds of thousands of college students in desperate pursuit of affordable homes.
The supersized down payment on more affordable beds underscores the changing attitudes about college affordability and what the government’s role should be in helping students cover not just tuition, but the total cost of attending school — including housing. While the UC and CSU have historically selffinanced their own student housing, this money is designed to help the campuses provide students less expensive housing.
So far, about $1.4 billion in grants has been doled out to the systems — all
part of the 2022 state budget. Last year’s budget promised another $750 million in housing grants to the UC, CSU and community colleges in the spending plan due in June.
Annual rent for dorm beds built with these grant dollars will be 15% of a county’s “area median income” — so about $800 a month in Los Angeles.
Also in last year’s budget deal was a plan to distribute zero-interest loans to the UC, CSU and community colleges in 2023-24 and 2024-25 totaling $1.8 billion.
The idea is that the campuses take the money, build affordable dorms — though what affordable means isn’t yet defined — and then repay the debt over time with student rent. Eventually, the pot is refilled, allowing the state to underwrite future campus construction for student, staff and faculty housing.
With a then-projected state deficit of $22.5 billion, Newsom started off the budget negotiating season in January by proposing to delay the timeline of the 2022-23 budget deal with lawmakers. Rather than issuing $750 million in grants for 2023-24, the governor wanted to instead send $500 million this fiscal year and the remaining $250 million next fiscal year.
He also proposed stalling the zero-interest loan program by sending the campuses no money in 2023-24 and instead distributing the loan dollars in the subsequent two years.
But in his May revision to the budget, Newsom pursued a different tack that simultaneously frees the state from $1.1 billion in immediate financial obligation and sends all the housing grant money to UC and CSU that last year’s budget deal promised,
without delay. Under the new plan, UC and CSU would issue bonds to cover their entire share of the housing grant — both the amount they got for 2022-23 and the sum they were promised for 2023-24 — for a total of $1.1 billion.
California would cover the debt UC and CSU would absorb, which the governor’s administration estimates to be about $30 million annually for the UC and $45 million for the CSU. The UC told members of the Assembly on May 16 that if interest rates on borrowing rise, the UC would need to come back to lawmakers to get more than $30 million a year.
While the bond route gives the state fiscal breathing room now, an analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office told senators last week that the final price tag will be 1.4 times the cost of the projects than had the state supplied the money upfront. The added costs are due to ongoing interest payments, adjusted for inflation. More UC and Cal State debt also eats into their ability to borrow for other projects. Still, the analyst called the debt-finance approach “reasonable.”
The governor still wants the revolving loan program delayed by a year, something repeatedly rejected by lawmakers, including Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, chairman of the budget subcommittee on education.
“We know if we’re going to get to the number one issue we talked about earlier, enrollment growth, we need the student housing to get there,” he said May 16. “We’ll be working of course with the administration and hope to come to a conclusion that allows us to not delay the student housing revolving loan fund.”
Nothing about the grant program’s required ultralow rents would change. Nor would this shift in financing delay construction projects for student housing, UC and Newsom administration officials have said.
Seija Virtanen, a UC government relations senior official, said at a May 16 Assembly hearing that the UC is on track to enroll 8,000 new California undergraduates this fall, nearly double the 4,200 the system projected in March. While that responds to lawmaker pressure to have the UC educate more Californians after it kept its instate student population flat this year, the enrollment growth underscores the system’s need to generate more housing as it pursues an aggressive expansion plan.
The governor’s May plan for the housing grants ensures the community colleges get 50% of total money disbursed between 2022 and 2024, while Cal State gets 30% and UC receives 20%.
That breakdown has privately frustrated UC officials, who’ve implied the system, not the community colleges, have the experience to build student housing, a point previously echoed by legislative analysts.
A UC official told lawmakers in May that because the system received $389 million out of the total $437 million promised, the UC can only afford to develop one of the six new construction projects it submitted to lawmakers for review. Lawmakers would likely pick the projects the UC and Cal State could fund with the remaining dollars in upcoming budget bill language, a Newsom finance official wrote to CalMatters.
Diminishing what community colleges receive in housing dollars has been a theme in this year’s budget talks.
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and special education program specialists — amongst many other things. Paired with the aforementioned mental and emotional services, the DSF appears to be a proverbial Robin to the Batman known as the DJUSD.
“I’ve always called our team small, but mighty! We’re a board of 11 volunteers, and I’m always impressed with the amount of work we get done with our small workforce. So, we’re always happy to invite volunteers, and if
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into trouble.”
So when Sara Johnson, an attorney with the Yolo County Public Defender’s Office, wrote to him in 2020 about a new prosecutor-initiated resentencing program that could shave years off his sentence, Drake refused to get his hopes up.
“I didn’t think it was ever going to happen,” he said. “I didn’t even write her back.”
But Johnson persisted, and Drake eventually agreed to give the program a shot. “What’s the harm in trying?” he thought.
A year later, in September 2021, Drake found himself a free man after a judge reduced his sentence to 14 years — that is, time already served.
Under current California law, which prohibit minors under age 16 from being tried as adults under any circumstances, Drake’s case would have remained in juvenile court. That proved a significant factor in his resentencing.
Section 1170 of the California Penal Code authorizes prisons and courts to recommend revised sentences in the interest of justice. Assembly Bill 2942, enacted in 2019, expanded that authority to include district attorneys.
Based on the AB 2942’s passage, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Conviction and Sentencing Review Unit launched a partnership with For the People, a nonprofit organization created by former San Francisco prosecutor Hillary Blout, who drafted the law.
District Attorney Jeff Reisig also involved UC Davis’ King Hall School of Law, asking Professor Jack Chin to start a sentencing clinic course.
Yolo Public Defender’s Office, which identifies family support, employment, housing and drug/ mental health resources for those seeking relief.
The crimes’ victims also must be on board for a petition to move forward.
“To be all on the same page is really remarkable and uplifting,” Raven said.
“Are we taking risks?
Absolutely. But in our business we have to make some calculated risks.”
In July 2021, Yolo became one of nine counties to receive funding under the California County Resentencing Pilot Project, which granted the DA and Public Defender’s offices just over $1.1 million toward identifying, investigating and recommending cases deserving of revised sentencing.
Since the first resentencing petition in July 2020, 16 people have earned second chances under the project, including two former “threestrikes” defendants, 10 minorities, one woman and two who were juveniles when they committed their offenses.
Walking out of High Desert State Prison was “unreal,” Drake recalled. “I hadn’t been out since I was a kid.”
One of his first actions was ordering his favorite fast-food meal, a McDonald’s Big Mac, which he said “tasted like freedom.”
But freedom also proved overwhelming at times, causing Drake anxiety over seemingly mundane experiences such as going into stores and being around other people.
He began using heroin and methamphetamine to cope, and “when things got hard, I would lean on my drug addiction,” Drake said.
people are interested in joining the board, we’re also happy to talk about that,” said Hueng. “Volunteers are always great, but also really just helping DSF with feedback. We haven’t done this in a few years, but we’re sending out a survey to gauge what needs are out there. We want to hear from the people we’re helping and don’t want to make up our own needs, we want to hear from the community to find what those needs are.”
As this past Big Day of Giving on Thursday, May 4, proved, the Davis community support is as powerful as
Aug. 16, 1930 — Oct. 13, 2022
Herman Joseph Fink, a renowned professor of engineering at UC Davis, passed away at his home on Oct. 13, 2022. He was born Aug. 16, 1930, in Neutitschein, Czechoslovakia, the second of four children.
Following World War II, the family was forced to leave home, making their way eventually to Esslingen, Germany. In 1952, Herman moved to Vancouver, Canada, where he met his wife, Jane Derry, and attended the University of British Columbia. He went on to complete his postdoc
at Oxford University, and came to New Jersey in 1961 to work at Bell Labs, followed by Atomics International in Los Angeles.
By 1969 he had become a scientific leader in the field of superconductivity, and he, Jane and his three sons moved to Davis, so he could teach in the department of electrical and computer engineering at UCD, fulfilling a dream of becoming a teacher.
He became a highly recognized researcher and educator with more than 100 published works.
ever. Without it, the DSF — or any other nonprofit for that matter — wouldn’t be nearly as effective. The Big Day of Giving, however, is by no means the only day or way one can donate to the DSF. If interested, donate — or sign up to volunteer — at www.davisschoolsfoundation.org.
Contact the DSF by calling 530400-9862 and stay up to date on their social media by searching @ davisschoolsfoundation on Instagram and Davis Schools Foundation on Facebook.
In 1993, Herman married Morgan Wright, and after retiring in 1994, they were able to enjoy many years of travel and adventure. Herman loved working with all his students, classical music, downhill skiing, hiking, scuba diving, and traveling
the world.
He is preceded in death by his son, Andy, and survived by his wife, Morgan; sons Peter and Stephen Roberts; granddaughters Rachael, Emma, Keira and Leah Roberts; ex-wife Jane; and stepsons Matt and Gavin Wright.
A celebration of his life will be held at Stonegate Country Club at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 27.
Donations can be made to the Sierra Club or PBS.
“What we’re looking for is cases that no longer stand the test of time,” Yolo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven said at a recent online meeting of the Yolo County Bar Association, where he and Drake discussed the resentencing program.
Those cases might include defendants who, in retrospect, received unusually long sentences, performed well while in prison, had drug offenses no longer considered felonies or who, like Drake, were juveniles at the time of their crimes.
They also must no longer pose a threat to public safety.
Through the UCD clinic, students learn about basic sentencing law and review of the files of inmates serving prison time due to Yolo County convictions. Under Chin’s direction, students assess individual inmates and issue sentence-reduction recommendations to the DA’s Office. Prosecutors then file court motions to begin the early release process.
The process also involves input from the
On March 19, 2022 — six months after his prison release — a druginduced episode landed Drake back in jail on resisting-arrest charges after he assaulted a police officer.
Prosecutors reviewed his case and offered him a spot in Yolo County’s Addiction Intervention Court, a specialized program aimed at treating offenders whose drug habits serve as the root cause of their criminal behavior.
“That was a blessing,” Drake said of the program, which offered him the support services he’d been lacking since his prison release.
Through AIC, Drake became gainfully employed in construction, joined a union and learned money-management skills. He’s also surrounded by peers who embrace their substanceabused recovery, something he’d never experienced before.
“I didn’t know there was more to life,” Drake said. “I’m optimistic, and it’s because of this court.”
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene
Special to The Enterprise
Without targeted support for low- and middle-income countries to transition toward zero-emission mobility, global progress toward zero-emission goals will be critically slowed, risking serious and inequitable outcomes, warns a new report by the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies and the U.K. government’s ZEV Transition Council, supported by the FIA Foundation.
“Facilitating a Transition to Zero Emission Vehicles in the Global South” examines the status of zeroemission vehicle, or ZEV, uptake across the world and considers how to accelerate the transition as part of emergency measures to avoid a climate catastrophe. In the report, the Global South is an economic term that refers to low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the
Caribbean and Asia. Recommendations include the need to recognize the varied levels of ZEV policies across these regions, to appreciate the profound need for equitable funding, and to secure collective, global buy-in to address the global challenge.
“This report highlights urgent policy actions needed to achieve a global, inclusive, and equitable transition toward sustainable and low-carbon mobility,” said Dan Sperling, founding director of the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies. “It underlines the institute’s commitment to support Global South countries in benefiting from the transition to zero emission vehicles for their development, energy security and environmental protection.”
The report notes that
there has been positive momentum for the ZEV transition worldwide. While much attention is given to electric cars, the report reveals that electric scooters, motorcycles and other two-wheelers — 50 million of which are now sold annually — and buses have actually achieved higher EV penetration globally.
Despite these developments, the global distribution of ZEVs remains deeply uneven. Low- and middle-income countries face unique challenges in decarbonizing their road transport sectors, including unreliable electricity supply, lower vehicle prices, limited access to affordable asset finance and significant flows of used vehicle imports.
The report offers a novel
approach to understanding these issues by grouping countries according to key metrics including vehicle market characteristics, vehicle manufacturing capacity, battery manufacturing, related supply chains and carbon intensity. It also makes recommendations to enable some of these groupings to “leapfrog” to the best practice policies in support of EV uptake.
“The findings of this report provide valuable insights and recommendations for policymakers,
industry stakeholders, and international organizations working toward a sustainable and decarbonized future for road transport,”
said Sheila Watson, FIA Foundation deputy director.
“By embracing the ZEV transition and leveraging the opportunities it presents, the Global South can simultaneously reduce emissions, drive economic growth and improve public health. To do this, though, they need the support of other more developed countries which are facing this transition alongside them.”
The report emphasizes
the importance of international cooperation and increased funding to address these challenges and ensure a just and equitable transition. It highlights the significance of the ZEV Transition Council in facilitating policy developments and fostering collective buy-in among stakeholders. Leveraging the council’s convening capacity will play a critical role in building capacity and directing financial support toward low- and middle-income countries.
— UC Davis News
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ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME
Case Number: CV2023-0815
To all interested persons: Petitioner: Ali Soleimani filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:
Present name a Ali Soleimani to Proposed name Nima Soleimani
THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause if any why the petition for change of name should not be granted Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted If no written objection is timely filed the court may grant the petition without a hearing
that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause if any why the petition for change of name should not be granted Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted If no written objection is timely filed the court may grant the petition without a hearing NOTICE OF HEARING
Date: July 7 2023 Time: 9:00 a m Dept : 14 Room:
The address of the court is Yolo Superior Court Clerks Office - Civil 1000 Main Street Woodland CA 95695
A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county:
The Davis Enterprise
Date: May 12 2023 Stephen L Mock Judge of the Superior Court
Published May 19 26 June 2 9 2023 #2284
Present name a MICHELLE NGUYEN to Proposed name MICHELLE NGUYEN DANG
THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause if any why the petition for change of name should not be granted Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted If no written objection is timely filed the court may grant the petition without a hearing
Street Woodland CA 95695
A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county:
The Davis Enterprise
Date: April 25, 2023
TIMOTHY L FALL Judge of the Superior Court
Published May 5, 12, 19, 26, 2023 #2272
NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF Larry Edmund Mt Joy CASE NO PR2023-0066
To all heirs beneficiaries creditors contingent creditors and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate or both of: Larry Edmund Mt Joy
A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Rita M Mt Joy in the Superior Court of California, County of Yolo
THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Rita M Mt Joy be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent
THE PETITION requests the decedent s WILL and codicils if a n y b e a d m i t t e d t o p r o b a t e T h e w i l l a n d a n y c o d i c i l s a r e a v a i l a b l e f o r e x a m i n a t i o n i n t h e f i l e k e p t b y t h e c o u r t
THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act with full authority (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action ) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an o bjection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority A HEARING on the petition will be held on 06/09/2023 at 9:00 AM in Dept 14 located at 1000 MAIN STREET WOODLAND CA 95695 YOLO COUNTY COURTHOUSE
IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney
Clouds form when water vapor in the air begins to condense. This happens when the air is oversaturated with water vapor or when the air cools and goes beyond its dew point.
Special to The Enterprise
Lots of animals are waiting for “forever homes” at the Yolo County Animal Shelter, 2640 E. Gibson Road in Woodland.
Among them is Monet (A201941), a 2-year-old shepherd with unforgettable good looks and a cute personality to match. Monet is a medium-size pup and is gentle and an expert walking companion.
Monet is interested in learning more basic commands and playing fetch. He’s happy sleeping at your feet inside or going on an adventure or hike.
Also hoping for a good home is Dora (A201575), a 2-year-old female pit bull who is happy all the time and can't help but wiggle when she greets you. Dora has expressive eyes that light up a room and make you smile.
Dora has fun playing ball or binge watching your favorite show. Dora is just happy to be with her human and adores everyone she meets.
For information on adopting, contact adoptycas@gmail.com. All shelter animals are upto-date on vaccinations, microchipped, and spayed or neutered.
Staff is available to assist via phone during business hours at 530668-5287. Shelter hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. To meet any adoptable YCAS animals, visit friendsofycas.org. To volunteer, sign up at tinyurl. com/yolovolunteerapp.
Follow on at @ycas.shelter and Instagram at @ yoloanimalshelter.
At Rotts of Friends Animal Rescue, you’ll find Crinkle, a 12-weekold black Labrador retriever puppy. His
mom is a gorgeous purebred yellow Lab and Dad was probably a Lab or maybe a shepherd. Crinkle is a roly-poly, fun-loving pup who is full of kisses for everyone. Crinkle is neutered, microchipped and up to date on puppy shots. He was born at the Rotts facility so has had great care since birth.
Mickey is a handsome, 2-year-old, fun-loving Jack Russell terrier cross. This boy is very smart, and very self assured. Mickey is super peoplefriendly and gets along with other friendly dogs. Call Renee at 530-6811326 to come out and meet him.
The next Rotts of Friends adoption event is from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, May 27, at 34505 County Road 29 in Woodland. Come by 10 a.m., as it takes at least an hour to meet and adopt a dog; everyone who will be living with the dog should come out to meet it.
Bring proof of homeownership, such as a mortgage statement or property tax bill. If you rent, bring proof that you are allowed to have a dog in your home, such as a pet clause in your lease or a note from your landlord.
All dogs adopted from Rotts of Friends are healthy, microchipped, up-to-date on their vaccines and come with free lifetime obedience-training classes. For information, visit facebook.com/ rottsoffriends.
Just like condensation on the ground, aerial water vapor needs something to condense on. Clouds are formed when water vapor condenses around dust particles in the air. There are a couple of different ways you can make a cloud in a jar at home.
For the first method you need a glass jar with a lid, hot water, ice cubes and hairspray. Begin by heating about 1/3 cup of water; you want it hot but not boiling. Pour the water into the jar and swirl around a little bit so the sides of the jar heat up. Place the lid of the jar, upside-down on top of the jar. Inside the “dish” of the jar lid, place several ice cubes.
Let everything sit for about 30 seconds, then gently lift the lid off the jar, spray some hairspray into the jar, then quickly replace the lid with the ice still on it. A cloud should form quickly in the jar now.
How does this happen?
Some of the initial hot water evaporated and turned into water vapor and rose to the top of the jar. When it comes into contact with the cooler air caused by the ice in the lid, it will condense, but has nothing to cling to until the hairspray is added to the system. The particles in the hairspray give the water vapor a surface to condense onto, forming the cloud in the jar.
Another method uses a glass jar, matches, hot water, a balloon with the narrow end cut off, and a flashlight. Again, begin by heating water enough to be hot but not boiling.
Add enough water to fill the jar about a half inch, or pinky finger width. Light a match and hold it near the mouth of the jar so some of the smoke enters, then drop the match in the jar or remove it to a safe location to extinguish. Quickly stretch the balloon over the mouth of the jar to cover it. Next, gently push a finger onto the balloon, pushing it slowly into the
jar. You do not want the balloon to come off the sides of the jar, but just the center being pressed inwards.
When you are ready, release your hand and a cloud should start to form inside the jar. You might need a flashlight to see it better. How does this happen? With this method you are changing the air pressure within the jar. Just like the first one, when you added the hot water, some of it turned to water vapor.
When you pressed down onto the balloon, you increased the pressure in the jar, slightly warming the air. When you released
the balloon, the pressure dropped and the temperature cooled. The cooler air caused the water vapor to condense on the smoke from the match, forming the cloud.
Which method worked better for you? Whether you did one or both, making clouds is simply causing water vapor to condense onto tiny particles in the air, both at home and in the sky.
Explorit’s coming events:
n Visit our exhibit “Explorit Rocks!” It’s open to the public on Fridays from 1to 4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is $5 per person. Explorit Members, ASTC, and those age 2 and under free.
n Missed Big Day of
Giving? No problem, any time is a great time to donate and help Explorit continue to educate and inspire the scientists of tomorrow: https://www. explorit.org/donate.
n A membership to Explorit grants the recipient free visits to Explorit’s regular public hours, discounts on events, summer camps and workshops, and gives you ASTC benefits to visit other museums throughout the world. To purchase or for more information visit https:// www.explorit.org/membership or call Explorit at 530-756-0191.
— Explorit Science Center is at 3141 Fifth St. For information, call 530-7560191 or visit http://www. explorit.org, or “like” the Facebook page at www. facebook.com/explorit.fb.
Special to The Enterprise
Logos Books will host an exhibit of oils, acrylics and watercolors by Debra van Hulsteyn, “Yolo Bypass & Beyond,” from June 3 to 30 at 513 Second St. in downtown Davis.
Van Hulsteyn attended Sacramento State, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art and studied print-making with Sylvia Lark, painting with Jack Ogden, Oliver Jackson and Joan Moment, and conceptual art with Stephen Kalltenbach. She earned an MFA at CSUS where she studied with Tom Monteith, Sarah Flohr and Daniel Frye. She went on to earn an MFA in visual arts at the TransArt Institute in Krems, Austria.
Van Hulsteyn’s work has always been conceptual. She focuses on images from her everyday experiences in Davis and creates a body of work that incorporates scenes of piles of garden refuse, fire hydrants, power poles and lines, portable toilets, trash bins, farm equipment, drought and fire.
Works in this show are for sale. Contact the artist via email at vanhulsteyn@gmail.
Enterprise staff
The Davis Odd Fellows
Thursday Live! concert series presents Spike Sikes and His Awesome Hotcakes on Thursday, June 1.
Soul. Swing. Rhythm & Blues. Jazz. Jump.
section for that added oomph!
Courtesy photo
com or via text at 916-459-8107. View more of van Hulsteyn’s work on Instagram at @debravanhulsteyn.artist. You can meet the artist at her 2nd Friday ArtAbout reception on June 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Light refreshments will be available. Public receptions for local artists will also be held at various venues on that same evening in conjunction with the Davis Downtown 2nd Friday ArtAbout. You can see more details and a map of venues at facebook.com/davisartabout or https:// theartery.net/2nd-friday-artabout.
Doors at the Odd Fellows Lodge, 415 Second St., open at 7 p.m., with music starting at 7:30 p.m. All ages are welcome.
Thursday Live! shows are free, but cash donations are encouraged to support the musicians. The dance floor will be open for this show!
Like hotcakes themselves, the band's music goes by many names:
It’s a sound that’s classic and simple, but when it’s done right, it hits the spot and has you grinning from ear to ear. Spike has spent years searching for this sound.
From the Texas blues joints he cut his teeth on, to the funky halls of New Orleans, Spike always studied the music, trying to find just the right recipe.
It makes perfect sense that he found his bandmates in Sonoma County, a music scene that has fostered many eclectic artists for decades. The band includes a horn
What he didn’t know was how hungry audiences were for “this kind of music.” You might say they’ve been eating it up like … hotcakes!
Thursday Live! is sponsored by the Davis Odd Fellows Music Committee with support from KDRT radio. It’s a continuous music series that happens the first Thursday of most months.
For more information, or to be added to the email list, contact Juelie Roggli at juelrog@gmail.com.
From a contemporary violin classic to a Tchaikovsky masterwork, the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra’s final concert of the 2022-23 season offers a program of distinguished music.
The Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Professor Christian Baldini, performs Philip Glass’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with guest soloist Chase Spruill.
A contemporary classic, the work in three movements was first performed by the American Composers Orchestra for soloist Paul Zukofsky in 1987, and was Glass’ first work for a concert hall.
A native of Vacaville, Spruill has gained an international reputation as a performer of contemporary music, interpreting minimalist masters such as Glass, Michael Nyman and Henryk Gorecki. He has recorded solo violin versions of several of Glass’ works, which led Strings magazine to state Spruill is “one of the noteworthy interpreters of the music of leading American composer Philip Glass.”
The concert includes Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s master work, Fifth Symphony in E Minor,
which was composed and premiered in 1888, conducted by the composer. A work in four movements, the recurring main theme is used as a device to unify the symphony. This motto theme, sometimes dubbed "fate theme," has a funereal character in the first movement but gradually transforms into a triumphant march, which dominates the final movement.
In addition, the program includes the first movement of Franz Joseph Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E-Flat Major, featuring Katie Sharp, this year’s winner of the orchestra’s concerto competition. The concert is June 3 at 7 p.m. at the Robert and Margrit
Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $24 for adults and $12 for students and youth. Tickets are available at the Mondavi Center Ticket Office in person or by calling 530-754-2787 between noon and 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Tickets are
also available online at Tickets. MondaviArts.org.
For more information about the College of Letters and Science’s Department of Music and future performances, visit arts. ucdavis.edu/music.
There are still a few concerts remaining before summer (when there are only a few widely scattered classical-style concerts in Davis) officially begins in mid-June. All of these upcoming concerts feature musicians with strong Davis connections.
Cellist Eunghee Cho's Mellon Music Festival returns for Memorial Day weekend with chamber music concerts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. This year's lineup of musians:
n Cho grew up in Davis, performing as a soloist with the Davis High School Symphony Orchestra and the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra. His college studies include a bachelor's of music from the Thornton School of Music at USC, followed by a master's degree and a doctor of musical arts from the New England Conservatory of Music. Along the way, Cho received honors at various music competitions. He is now serving on the music faculty at the University of Houston. He started the Mellon Music Festival in 2018.
n Soyoung Choi, violin, was born in South Korea, and began her musical career there. She came to
this country for further studies, earning bachelor's and master's degrees at the New England Conservatory, and she is currently pursuing a doctor of musical arts degree at the Manhattan School of Music.
n MuChen Hsieh, violin, was born in Taiwan, and studied music at Rice University in Houston and the New England Conservatory. She was appointed as principal second violin with the Houston Symphony in 2017.
n Mann-Wen Lo, violin and viola, earned a doctor of musical arts degree at USC, and also holds a master's in music from Yale and a bachelor's degree in music from the New England Conservatory. She is on the music faculty at the University of Houston.
n Tanner Menees, viola, was born in Southern California, and holds a master's in music from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelor's in Music from the Colburn School in Los Angeles.
n Andrew Staupe, piano, was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and earned a doctorate at Rice University. He's appeared as soloist with the Houston Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Baltimore Symphony (among others). He serves on the music faculty at the University of Houston.
The Mellon Music Festival's concerts this weekend:
n Friday, May 26, 7:30
p.m., Pence Gallery, 212 D St., Davis. Chamber works for strings by Czech composer Bedrich Smetana and French composer Maurice Ravel, also a contemporary piece for solo cello by Andrea Casarrubios.
n Saturday, May 27, 7:30 p.m. Davis Odd Fellows Hall, 415 2nd St., Davis. Chamber works for piano and strings by German composer Robert Schumann, Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, and contemporary composer Giovanni Sollima.
n Sunday, May 28, 7:30 p.m., Davis Odd Fellows Hall, 415 2nd St., Davis. Chamber works for strings by French composer Francis Poulenc and Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and a contemporary piece for strings, electronics and percussion by Angélica Negrón.
Tickets ar e$20 general, online at MellonMusicFestival.com and at the door. The Saturday and Sunday concerts are free for students (with school ID) and kids (under 18 years).
n The Chamber Music Society of Sacramento hosts soprano Clarissa Lyons (who was a member of the Davis High Madrigals, graduating from Davis High in 2002) at the Episcopal Church of St. Martin.
Lyons earned master's degrees in music at the Manhattan School of Music and Bard College, and was a Tanglewood Fellow. She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 2016 and has appeared other productions at the Met as well. Also performing will be pianist Ryan McCullough, who has performed in Davis (with his wife, soprano Lucy FitzGibbon). McCullough will be spending much of this summer in residence at the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont.
Saturday, June 3, 7:30 p.m., 640 Hawthorn Lane, Davis. $30 general, $25 seniors, $12 students (with ID), CMSSacto.org and at the door.
n The UC Davis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Christian Baldini, will feature violin soloist Chase Spruill (a Vacaville native) in the Violin Concerto No. 1 of contemporary American composer Philip Glass. Spruill's first album, "A Common Time" features music by Glass and was released on the composer's Orange Mountain Music label in 2020. Also on the UCDSO program: the Fifth Symphony of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and a movement from the Haydn Trumpet Concerto.
Saturday, June 3, 7 p.m., Mondavi Center. $24 general, $12 students, MondaviArts.org and at the door.
Following in the lamentable footsteps of 2017’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast,” which transformed its absolutely perfect animated predecessor into a 129-minute slog, this live-action update of 1989’s 83-minute charmer similarly has become an even more bloated 135-minute exercise in tedium.
I’ve no idea why Disney continues to tarnish the memory of these legacy classics, particularly when this one has been done so clumsily. The original Alan Menken/Howard Ashman song score has been “enhanced” with three new tunes by Menken and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, and — all due respect to the latter’s better credentials — the mismatch is glaring.
Worse yet, Miranda also added additional lyrics to several of Ashman’s existing songs, which were perfectly fine to begin with, thank you very much.
David Magee’s updated — and protracted — script apparently was designed to inject a new subtext of inclusiveness: a usually welcome theme which, alas, is delivered here with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. (I’m not one to scream “woke” at the drop of a fin, but good grief, folks; was the overkill really necessary?)
2021’s “Luca” handled this far more gracefully.
All of this is a shame, because Halle Bailey is sensational as this new film’s Ariel. She has terrific screen presence, a gorgeous — and powerful — singing voice, and an expressive face that conveys a wealth of emotion. The one saving grace of the otherwise tiresome second hour — which spends far too much time with Ariel navigating her human form in the prince’s castle — is the endearing charm of her muteness (having traded her voice for legs).
But that’s getting ahead of things. A quick recap, for newcomers:
PG, for dramatic intenHalle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Jonah Hauer-King, Javier Bardem, Noma Dumezweni, Art Malik, Daveed Diggs, Movie theaters
Ariel, one of the seven daughters of King Triton (Javier Bardem, pompously grave), has long been fascinated by the intriguing trinkets and tchotchkes that occasionally fall overboard from passing ships (or, less happily, which she salvages from shipwrecks).
This is a source of amusement to her best friends, Flounder the fish (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) and Sebastian the crab (Daveed Diggs), who also is Triton’s majordomo. Whenever Ariel surfaces, in order to clandestinely observe the mysterious doings of these humans in their passing ships, her little gang is augmented by Scuttle (Awkwafina), a neurotic, dim-witted diving seabird who fancies herself an expert on All Things Human. Ariel therefore is present when a ship commanded by the nearby realm’s Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) runs aground and splinters into bits; he would have drowned, but for her intervention. Ariel brings him ashore, waits just long enough to ensure that he’s all right — which grants him a fleeting glimpse of his savior — and then slides back into the sea.
Eric then becomes obsessed with the need to find this young woman: a quest that annoys his mother, Queen Selina (Noma Dumezweni), and amuses the more understanding Prime Minister, Sir Grimsby (Art Malik, also sublime).
Ariel, meanwhile — after a falling out with her father — rashly strikes a devil’s bargain with his sibling, the evil sea-witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy). Ariel trades
her lovely voice for legs, but the bargain comes with a catch: She has three sunsets to persuade the prince to kiss her with genuine love, else she’ll revert to mermaid form and belong to Ursula for eternity.
That’s a tall order, given that Ariel has become mute. Worse yet, Ursula has further poisoned the deal (as villains always do).
On top of which, now that Ariel is in human form, Eric fails to recognize her; he instead persists in searching for his mysterious savior, unaware that she’s right next to him.
Well
The original film’s tuneful high points — “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl” — are just as much fun here, and Bailey also delivers a truly soulful rendition of “Part of Your World” (several times, in fact).
Alas, Hauer-King is a very weak link, with the screen presence and dimensionality of a bare-chested hunk from a Harlequin romance book cover. His line deliveries are breathless and overblown, and his song solo —
to The Enterprise
An Earth Day Photo Contest recently held by the Cache Creek Conservancy was won by two people who showcased native wildlife at the Nature Preserve west of Woodland
The contest was held starting March 1 and ended on Earth Day, April 22.
Winners were Peri Hoke, in the Professional Category, and Tom Pritchard in the Adult Category. Both focused on wildlife which inhabit the Nature preserve with Hoke taking a photograph of two Swainson Hawks, perched together on a tree; while Pritchard captured a bobcat in an open field during daylight.
The photos will be used in future communications and promotions for the Nature Preserve as will some of the other submissions.
Conservancy board member and the person in charge of the contest, Rebecca Tyron, stated that she was grateful to all the participants for “taking the time and effort to visit the Nature Preserve and capture some of the beautiful moments, plants, and creatures that call the Preserve home.”
Hoke, who publishes on the website www.coyote quest.com/photography, reported that he enjoys “doing wildlife photography as well as nature in general and was thrilled to find the Conservancy open on the weekends again!
“When I saw these two (hawks) sitting there together I was even more thrilled! I ended up spending a lot of time moving down a few yards and rechecking the angle and
taking a shot just in case I didn’t get another chance,” Hoke told Tyron via email. “I kept at it until something got their attention and they flew off to other spots separately. I ended up showing this one even to others that were around and at the end of the day I realized it was one of my favorite shots.”
Pritchard has long been interested in nature photography. He retired as Woodland Joint Unified School District superintendent in September 2021
after four years and was with the district for eight years. He regularly submitted photographs to The Daily Democrat.
He told Tryon that capturing the bobcat was “lucky.”
“To begin with, I am always looking for ways to get outside,” Pritchard stated. “I found the Cache Creek Preserve and it was perfect for walking, relaxing, and feeding my favorite pastime, which is birding.
“Wild Uncharted Waters,” one of the new tunes — is wincingly slushy (although, in fairness, Miranda’s lyrics do him no favors).
But this isn’t the worst musical moment. That dishonor belongs to “The Scuttlebutt,” a new patter tune sung by Diggs and Awkwafina. Much as the latter’s comedic chops make Scuttle a hilariously enjoyable character, this screeching tune is a wincing disaster.
Perhaps more crucially, the underwater special effects aren’t entirely successful. Ariel’s flowing hair, and the grace with which all ocean denizens swim, feels right … but close-ups convey no sense of “wetness,” or the myriad bits of underwater stuff that should be floating everywhere. Ariel’s conversations with her father look like they’re taking place in a surface-world den.
McCarthy is well-cast as the tentacled Ursula; she’s quite scary, and does reasonable justice to her solo on “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” Diggs is a hoot as Sebastian, particularly during his nervous chats with Triton. Tremblay
isn’t given much to do; Flounder’s presence here feels superficial.
Dumezweni is appropriately regal as Queen Selina, whose concern for her wayward son feels heartfelt.
Magee’s updated plot follows its animated predecessor (mostly) faithfully, until a heavy-handed epilogue. This kumbaya tableau is simply embarrassing.
It seems unlikely that this film’s target audience will embrace it; young attention spans won’t tolerate the needlessly protracted second act. I’m not sure who that leaves; those with fond memories of the animated original likely will be annoyed, or (at the very least) shake their heads in sorrow.
It has oft been observed that remakes — of whatever scale — shouldn’t be undertaken unless they’re able to improve upon the original. In that crucial respect, this “Little Mermaid” is a sad failure.
— Read more of Derrick Bang’s film criticism at http://derrick bang.blogspot.com. Comment on this review at www.davisenter prise.com.
Special to The Enterprise
The Davis High School Choirs are gearing up for their end-of-the-year Pops Concert on Saturday, June 3. The concert will include performances by all four of the DHS choirs — Concert Choir, Advanced Treble, Jazz Choir and Madrigal Singers — and will feature soloists, duets and full choirs singing musical theater medleys
from “Rent” and “Les Miserables” as well as other popular music.
The choirs perform under the musical direction of Amanda Bistolfo and with dance choreography by Jeff Teague.
The choirs are offering this concert as a free gift to the community but are suggesting a donation of $5 or more towards purchasing performance clothing for Concert Choir
Concert to make vocal performance more accessible for all high school students.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. concert at the Brunelle Performance Hall at DHS, 315 W. 14th St. in Davis. General seating is limited and available on a first come basis. Refreshments will also be available for purchase.
Special to The Enterprise
Rita Sahai, Director of the Hindustani Music Ensemble and Lecturer in the music department at UC Davis will celebrate her 20 years of dedicated service on the campus by performing a rich musical concert on June 4, at 3 p.m.
The concert, to be held at the Recital Hall of the Pitzer Center, will include accompanying artists Rachel Unterseher on Viola, Nikhil Pandya on Tabla, Shrikanth Chari on the Veena, and Ragini
Kaur Momi on the harmonium. Sahai has devoted her life to hindustani classical music since arriving in the U.S. in the mid 1970s and, parallel with continuing her music studies under her “guru,” sarod maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, she has inspired hundreds of students to learn music.
Impressed by her talent and passion toward music, her guru bestowed on her the title “Gayan Alankar” meaning the Jewel of Music.
Special to The Enterprise Applegate Dance Studio, home of Applegate Dance Company, a nonprofit program in Davis, is celebrating 30 years of serving the Davis community with its upcoming June performance.
Applegate has powerfully lived out its commitment to nurture and empower its dancers to flourish mentally and
physically. Its teachers build confidence and creativity through loving instruction, which has been especially important as we in Davis have been emerging from the pandemic.
The 30th anniversary performance is June 22-25 and the Brunelle Theater at Davis High School, and 55 kids from the community, representing almost
all Davis schools, will be performing together in front of a full audience for the first time in three years, since last year the company had to modify and simplify its programming due to COVID challenges.
Applegate performers are excited to get back to the theater, since they have only one main huge performance a year.
In 2018, I gave birth to my second daughter. What was meant to be a beautiful, joyful experience quickly shifted to a dire situation that required an emergency cesarean section under general anesthesia.
This meant I was unconscious during my birth, and my husband was not allowed in the operating room to witness the birth of our child. Ten days after delivery, I began vomiting and ran a fever. I had developed an infection from the surgery, which required a second stay in the hospital.
Unfortunately, my traumatic experience and being dismissed during labor and delivery remains common in the U.S. — particularly among Black women. The maternal death rate continued to climb in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and continues to disproportionately impact Black women.
As a Black mother with firsthand experience, I simmer with righteous anger.
Despite the data, the storytelling and the deaths, we continue to fail mothers, especially Black mothers. In Los Angeles alone, within the first 90 days of this year, our community has been shaken by two Black maternal deaths, April Valentine and Bridgette Cromer.
In times of despair and faced with constant, repeated injustices, Black women have always picked up the pieces and bridged the gaps in the aftermath of community trauma. Today, we continue to shoulder the immense added responsibility of advocating for healing and deep, systemic change.
But, if we truly intend to disrupt and ultimately reverse inequities in Black maternal health, we need what PolicyLink CEO Michael McAfee calls “transformative solidarity.” That is to say, we need sustained investments in Black-led organizations, new ways of working together, and equitycentered actions from our policymakers, philanthropists and health care systems.
In 2020, in response to the murder of George Floyd and other unarmed Black Americans, community foundations donated $125 million to causes supporting Black communities, up from $78 million in 2019. However, that money was mostly short-term funding, and only accounted for 2% of the total investments from community foundations, according to the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.
Those of us on the front lines of the Black maternal and infant health crisis feel the effects of the funding disparity as we often lead community-based organizations and nonprofits that are woefully underfunded and stretched beyond their capacity.
Standing in true solidarity means deeper investments in Black-led organizations, grassroots movements and birth workers who have a demonstrated commitment and connection to this work. Long-term, multiyear investments will help us move the needle by providing sustained resources.
In one study, Black women reported higher-than-average experiences of mistreatment, such as being shouted at and scolded, and having requests for help ignored or refused. There remains an egregious gap in required accountability measures in hospitals and health-care systems to identify and address racism and biases.
California leads the nation in its commitment to birth equity, especially for Black women. In 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the California Momnibus Act, which created a fund to strengthen the midwifery workforce, extend Medi-Cal coverage up to 12 months postpartum, and established a guaranteed income pilot program that prioritizes pregnant Californians with low incomes. These policies must be coupled with mechanisms for transparency and accountability.
The day I gave birth, I was confronted by our nation’s shameful legacy of grossly mistreating Black women receiving medical care. For Black families to thrive, California needs Black voices at the forefront, securing long-term anti-racist investments, and developing solutions that incorporate both measurability and accountability.
— Dana Sherrod is co-founder and director of the California Coalition for Black Birth Justice and an expert in advancing health and racial equity at hospitals and government agencies.
It was clear from the moment that California’s Reparations Task Force began pushing the idea of large cash payments to descendants of AfricanAmerican slaves that there is insufficient political will to use money for making right what some call “America’s original sin.”
Without doubt, much of what has built this nation was accomplished on the backs of those slaves. They established crops on plantations and farms from Rhode Island to Texas. They built the White House and the national Capitol. They paved roads and built bridges.
Once legally freed, they were still kept in bondage by sharecropping and ultra-low industrial wages. They were denied home loans in a practice called “redlining,” they had segregationist Jim Crow rules imposed on them in many places.
But California was never the center of Black slavery and discrimination. De facto slaves here were usually Native American Indians or Chinese laborers compelled to build railroads and rice farms, drain swamps and dig sewers.
Plus populating brothels without hope for escape and becoming domestic servants.
But the state’s Reparations Task Force has made no mention of these other actual and quasi-slaves. Composed entirely of African-Ameri-
cans, the group discussed no one else.
It eventually became obvious that even the politicians on that commission had no stomach for trying to push through the Legislature the kind of cash reparations some colleagues on the task force and others are demanding.
Those demands most likely will form a significant part of the group’s final report to Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature, expected in late June.
But Newsom, coping with a $31.5 billion budget deficit, quickly made plain there will be no cash anytime soon for reparations to Blacks — and only Blacks — for the poor health care, housing discrimination and other hardships imposed upon most of them for much of California’s 173 years of statehood.
Besides the lack of political will for this, it’s fast becoming clear that reparations favoring one — and only one — group solely on the basis of its ancestry won’t get far in the courts. That’s because government favoritism of one group over others is not
After Americans elected Donald Trump to be their president, Hillary Clinton, the FBI and the DOJ, acting as parts of the intelligence community, demonstrated that they really do, as Chuck Schumer told us, “have six ways from Sunday of getting back at you.” As the Durham report more circumspectly put it, the FBI and Department of Justice both deliberately “failed to uphold their important mission of strict fidelity to the law.”
Schumer’s threat in another context also applied to Mr. Trump’s 2016 victory:“You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you…”
Nancy Pelosi has frequently, dramatically told us that she fears for our democracy. Maybe Chuck Schumer’s incontinent verbal tirades exemplify what has upset her.
Julia Lutch Davispermitted under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees all who live in America “equal protection of the laws.”
So if one person whose forebears suffered legally sanctioned injustice is entitled to reparations, so are any other persons whose ancestors also faced governmentimposed injustice.
How is it justified under the 14th Amendment — ironically written and passed to protect Blacks released from slavery — to deny Indians reparations after their ancestral villages were systematically burned by the U.S. Army in the latter part of the 19th Century? How could descendants of Chinese forced laborers also be denied reparations?
And yet, the Reparations Task Force in its preliminary findings released in May mentioned only Blacks. Even those who have lived in California as briefly as two years could be eligible for six-figure checks if the Legislature adopts the tentative task force plan.
Yes, some ideas in that report might be practical and legal, even in this newly arrived era of big budget deficits, but only if they are applied to all groups that faced government-sanctioned or -approved discrimination.
This could apply to Jews prevented from buying many properties before the late
Thank you Dianne, you have served well.
Scott Steward DavisRegarding Rich Rifkin’s recent column about elite trans athletes and biological advantages, I would like to point out another "inequality issue" in sports, which is that Michael Phelps has abnormally large hands and feet. These gave him major advantages as a swimmer. There were vocal complaints at the time, that he had unfair advantages. But he was allowed to compete.
Unfortunately, the anti-trans movement has jumped on this issue of trans people in sports and has blown it out of proportion. Republican politicians nationwide want to deny trans children the right to join sports teams.
Not so here in Davis, where any child can sign up and participate, and they certainly don’t need to fill out a questionnaire describing what their bodies look
1950s through then-legal clauses in land deeds prohibiting sales to that ethno-religious group. It would need also to apply to Japanese who lost property while interned in special camps during World War II.
This means reparations, which might have run up to almost $1 trillion for the 9+ percent of Californians who are African-American, might cost even more than that if other groups are treated equally, as the 14th Amendment appears to demand.
Japanese, Chinese and Jews may not be able to prove they were systematically and deliberately denied equal health care, as the task force says Blacks were, but all faced — some say they still face — discrimination in housing, employment and college admissions, areas where the task force seeks compensation for Blacks.
Which means something different must be worked out, or else no wrongs at all will be righted.
— Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, “The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Government’s Campaign to Squelch It,” is now available in a softcover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net.
like under their clothes, or strip to be examined, as a prerequisite to signing up to play. But the anti-trans movement is aggressive and active even here.
Many states controlled by Republicans now have new laws that withhold medical care for trans kids, so kids will be forced to go through puberty in the wrong gender, feeling exposed and being endangered for the rest of their lives.
By medical care, I mean puberty blockers, and then hormones, two commonly used medical treatments for a variety of medical issues, not just trans care. Right here in Davis an anti-trans group wants to control not just medical care for trans people, but also school curriculum, teachers, librarians, coaches, doctors, and parents.
Just as we need to defend the rights of other minority groups that have been used as scapegoats throughout history, we need to actively defend the rights of trans and LGBTQ people, right here in our own community.
Claudia Krich Davis Foy S. President and CEO R. Burt McNaughton PublisherEnterprise staff
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has announced that UC Davis softball players in junior Kenedi Brown and Anna Dethlefson were two of 381 student-athletes from 158 programs to have received 2023 NFCA Division I All-Region accolades.
The awards honor softball student-athletes from the association’s 10 regions with first, second and third-team selections. NFCA member head coaches from each respective region nominated student-athletes — eight maximum — and voted for the teams. All awarded student-athletes now become eligible for the 2023 NFCA Division I All-America squads.
The 2023 NFCA Division I All-America teams, voted on by the NFCA DI All-American Committee, will be announced on Wednesday, May 31.
Brown was named to the second team and garnered NFCA All-Region honors for the second time in her career as she was named to the third squad in 2021.
Earlier in the week, Brown was named to the Big West Conference first-team for the third consecutive season.
Brown finished the season ranked fifth in ERA (1.96) and third in strikeouts (156) and tied for second in wins (16) in the conference.
Earlier this season, the righthander broke the program’s career strikeout record as she finished her junior campaign with 613 punchouts. The Elk Grove native also broke the record of 53 career complete games and is one victory away from passing the mark of 47 wins.
Dethlefson became the first Aggie to be named the Big West Player of the Year.
The Fair Oaks native paced the conference in slugging percentage (.618), doubles (15), runs (46) and stolen bases (42). She ranked second in batting average (.408), OPS (1.096) and hits (64).
Her 42 stolen bases, 15 doubles and 97 total bases broke the program’s division I single-season records. Dethlefson is just the second player in UCD Division I single-season history to bat over .400 (.408).
The Aggies made a postseason appearance at the National Invitational Softball Championship and finished their 2023 season with a 29-22 overall record.
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She took third place in the discus at 37 feet, 4.50 inches.
“Sol has developed into such a talented thrower,” Elliott of Bitners. “She can have an off day and still advance to state.”
Benjamin Feyrer, another junior, will be competing in the boys’ pole vault.
The Blue Devil took
second place in the boys’ pole vault, clearing the bar at 14 feet, 9 inches.
The DHS boys 4×800 relay team took first place in the event, which is in its first year competing, will also be running against the best at the state meet.
The Blue Devils’ runners on the team in Lucas Tam, Beckett Dolan, Brian Fackert, Jefferson Wright, Liam Lopez, Jay Doctor, Samuel Rosas and Ryan
Mitchell won at the Masters with a time of 8 minutes, 01.75 seconds.
Norah Dulaney rounds out the list of Blue Devils competing at the state meet.
The senior, who is going to UC San Diego on a scholarship, took second place in the 1600-meter race at 5 minutes, 01.34 seconds at the Masters.
“I’ve put in so much work over the last two
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years,” said Dulaney of placing in the mile race.
Tim Groth, associate head coach, added, “Norah has had a great season and it’s wonderful watching all her hard work pay off as she works towards the CIF State Championship this weekend.”
— Contact Mike Bush at mike@davisenterprise.net. Follow on Twitter: @ MBDavisSports.
scored off a cross. El Farolito attacker Dembor Benson extended his squad’s lead to 3-1 after a successful penalty kick in the 64th minute.
A goal from FC Davis midfielder Bennett Olsen-Zwick in the 90th minute shortened the deficit, but it was too little too late. El Farolito secured its sixth consecutive victory.
Following a closefought loss to the Golden Gate Conference’s best team, the Golden Lions may have better odds when they face the fifthplace Sonoma County Sol FC (2-4-1) on June 3.
Since defeating FC Davis 2-1 in Petaluma on April 22, the Sol have dropped two of their last
three games, including a 5-0 loss to Oakland SC on Saturday.
As the Golden Lions prepare for the matchup, Hall believes the recipe for success is simple.
“We’re focusing on perfecting our style of play and doing the small things well,” Hall said. “The way we read the game and problem solve is improving and I’m confident in our ability to find success on June 3.”
The match begins at 6 p.m. at the UC Davis Dairy Complex.
— Henry Krueger is a Gonzaga University and working as a correspondent for The Enterprise this spring and summer. He was an intern at the newspaper in 2022. Follow him on Twitter: @henrykrveger.
It’s been a challenging start to the FC Davis men’s soccer season, but the reason behind the team’s struggles is not a mystery to the coaching staff.
“Finishing opportunities has been our biggest issue this season,” said assistant coach Pip Harrigan. “We create and create but at the end of the day, you have to be able to put the ball in the back of the net in order to win games.”
The Golden Lions (0-5-1) have registered eight goals across six games, the lowest total of any team in the Golden Gate Conference of the National Premier Soccer League.
Even as FC Davis searches for its first win, head coach Kris Hall remains optimistic. He was encouraged by his squad’s 3-2 loss against El Farolito (6-0-0) last Saturday.
“I was very proud and pleased with the team’s performance against El Farolito,” Hall said. “Some of the calls didn’t go our way but notching two goals against the first-place team is proof finishing is (no
longer) an issue for us.”
The Golden Lions jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute after a goal from defender Kenzo Morabia, which marked only the second score El Farolito had allowed this season.
However, FC Davis’ one-goal advantage was short-lived, as El Farolito tied the game up in the seventh minute when midfielder Herlbert Soto found the back of the net.
FC Davis had a handful of chances to regain the lead but couldn’t convert. Midfielder Zach Batchelder took a shot that sailed over the crossbar in the 13th minute, while attacker Ethan Hoard’s attempt missed just wide of the net in the 17th minute. The score stayed even going into halftime.
As the second-highest scoring team in the Golden Gate Conference, El Farolito returned to its usual form in the second half.
The club pulled ahead 2-1 in the 50th minute when midfielder Jehimy Arias
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Wayne tiLcock/enterpriSe fiLe photo
UC Davis women’s basketball head coach Jennifer Gross, seen here during a Big West Conference home game during the 2019-20 season, is pumping her fist in the recent signings of two players for upcoming seasons.
Enterprise staff
More signings rolled in for the UC Davis women’s basketball program.
Aggies head coach Jennifer Gross announced her second signing this spring, as Theoni Tsami will join the team entering next season.
Tsami comes to Davis from Athens, Greece, where she is a member of the under-18 Greek national team.
As a 6-foot-1 forward, she will bring size and length to the roster, but also a perimeter skill set.
“We are thrilled to add Theoni to our team,” Gross said. “Theoni is a versatile post player who can score inside as well as on the perimeter. She has a high motor and runs the floor extremely well. She brings valuable international experience having competed with the Greek national teams.”
Tsami has enjoyed success at home, helping her team to multiple Greek national championships.
As a key contributor, she helped Kronos Agiou
Dimitriou to a first-place finish at the U16 Panhellenic Championship in 2020.
Tsami followed that up by leading her team to another victory at the U18 Panhellenic Championship this year, where she was named as one of the five best players of the tournament.
Earlier this month, the Aggies signed forward Ally Fitzgerald, a transfer from the University of Colorado.
Fitzgerald will enroll at UCD as sophomore with three years of eligibility.
Originally from Ballwin, Mo., Fitzgerald spent her freshman year at Colorado where she appeared in seven contests during her first collegiate season.
“We are so excited to add Ally to our UC Davis family,” Gross said. “Ally brings great size and length to the team. She can shoot from the perimeter and score inside which makes her a perfect fit for our versatile style of play. On the defensive end of the floor, Ally is a tremendous rim protector and will be able to defend multiple positions for us.”
Sol
gets
to
Three hours and 31 minutes.
One hundred ninetyfour miles.
Members of the Davis High boys and girls track and field teams, head coach Spencer Elliott and his assistant coaches will be making that journey to Veterans Memorial Stadium on the Buchanan High campus in Clovis.
The stadium is the site of the 103rd California Interscholastic Federation State Track and Field Championship.
Field qualifying events begin today at 4 p.m. Track qualifying events are scheduled to run at 5 p.m. The finals for field
events begin Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
The finals for track events will go Saturday at 5:45 p.m.
Davis High has 11 members of its boys and girls teams competing in today’s qualifying events.
Two Blue Devils, both juniors, are leading the way in field events.
Sol Bitner will be competing in the girls’ discus and shot put at the CIF State meet.
Bitners took second place in the shot put at the Sac-Joaquin Section Track and Field Masters Championship, which were held at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium on the DHS campus on May 19-20, with a toss of 129 feet, 8 inches.