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volume 131, number 34
thursday, March 8, 2012
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City council votes to extend Safety Enhancement Zone
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2012 boundaries to include Old North Davis
By EINAT GILBOA Aggie News Writer
With Picnic Day coming up, the Davis City Council is planning ahead to keep things under control with the re-establishment and extension of the Safety Enhancement Zone. Last year, city council established a safety zone during Picnic Day, with the borders drawn around Downtown Davis. Within this zone the penalties for violations of certain municipal codes, such as public alcohol use, were increased in order to discourage such behaviors. “We worked hard last year to keep things under control and for the most part that happened,” said Deputy City Manager Kelly Stachowitz. “We want people to have a good time, but stay safe and respect businesses and property.” At the city council meeting on Feb. 21, the city council approved the same Safety Enhancement
Zone as 2011, with an extension to include the Old North Davis neighborhood. “The new zone is pretty much the same, but it now includes a rectangle bordered by Fifth Street, Eighth Street and Anderson,” Stachowitz said. The safety enhancement zone created a sense that people felt safer downtown in 2011 than in 2010, stated the staff report from Feb. 21. However, as there were still around 150 citations, the report stated, “We still have considerable work to do.” “Our main problem is folks that come into Davis specifically for Picnic Day,” Stachowitz said. “They mostly want to be downtown, and the farther away you get, the less likely they are to be interested.” Some residents of Old North Davis felt that the old safety enhancement zone did not address misbehavior that was taking place in their neighborhood. Steve Tracy, president of the
Old North Davis Neighborhood Association, came forward at the council meeting in order to address the association’s qualms with the old zone. “The safety enhancement zone reduced citations and improved behavior downtown,” Tracy said. “This didn’t work in Old North Davis. People arrived in the morning, drunk and belligerent, ready to cause trouble. This went on all day long.” When Tracy announced that he would be taking the association’s issues to the council, he became buried in e-mail accounts of debauchery in Old North Davis. “To simply renew the old boundaries was not acceptable for us,” Tracy said. “We need the area saturated with police sufficient to keep the problem from getting out of hand in the first place.”
Lt. Paul Doroshov said the Davis Police Department is still deciding where and how to deploy its officers. “We’re short on resources, and we’re going to have to prioritize,” Doroshov said. “We’re going to deploy our officers where first and foremost there will be the most issues.” The focus will, therefore, re-
main downtown. “ T h e central core is where our statistics have always shown that’s where we’ve had our primary issues with public drunkenness and fighting,” Doroshov said. “We do keep an open mind throughout the operation,” Doroshov said. “If other things start materializing, we have plans to deal with problems as they arise.” EINAT GILBOA can be reached city@theaggie.org.
Students partake in discussions about California economy UC Davis California Jobs Summit brings education, government and business together By MICHELLE MURPHY and MAX RUSSER Aggie News Writers
On Tuesday UC Davis welcomed state and local leaders from higher education, business and government to the Mondavi Center to discuss the current economic climate and job market with UC Davis students. ASUCD President Adam Thongsavat posed the idea of a student oriented summit to Chancellor Katehi to discuss the problems, difficulties and possible solutions for graduating university students in the California job market. Students were able to attend the summit by completing an online application. State and local leaders encouraged the students who participated to voice their opinions and ideas in the small breakout sessions following the opening speeches. “This is truly an unprecedented event,” said Barbara Hayes, the first speaker and president and CEO of the Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization (SACTO). “This is a student led job summit. It really is a very important day.” Chancellor Katehi and former ASUCD President Adam Thongsavat spoke next focusing on the importance of student and
faculty cohesion. “These are problems that can only be solved if we work together,” Chancellor Katehi said. Thongsavat noted the advantageous circumstances that participating students had. “We have a unique opportunity to be part of the solution,” he said. Martha Lofgern, partner of the law firm Brewer Lofgern LLP, following spoke about what business leaders, especially in the Sacramento area, were doing to help revive the economy. She cited the program NextEconomy, a public-private partnership effort by business leaders within the Sacramento area that aims to spur job creation, innovation and investment within the next 12 months, as a large regional prosperity plan in the works. Concluding her speech Lofgern left students with a soundbite of advice. “At every stage of your career, look for a mentor,” she said. Assembly member Mariko Yamada, representing California’s 8 Assembly District, later spoke on the significance of young and old generations working in unison and the power of being hopeful towards change. “I always have to embrace the
optimism that things can change for the better,” Yamada said. State Senator Lois Wolk concluded the opening speeches by shifting the conversation towards student fees and job opportunities upon graduating. “ASUCD and the faculty and administration have made a commitment to assuring that students have not just an excellent education, but they they are able to put their education to work in the form of jobs,” Wolk said. During breakout sessions, students contributed their perspectives on current educational and economic worries. In addition, they presented pragmatic solutions to better prepare students for job opportunities. In order to ease the transition from academics to life after graduation, many students emphasized the need for real world experience. Students’ ideas included creating more incentives for studying and working abroad, reaching out to regional businesses, developing more associate degree based programs and fostering interdisciplinary studies. Sarah Worley, Economics Development Coordinator with the Department of Community Development & Sustainability in
Brian Nguyen / Aggie
The UC Davis California Job Summit took place on Tuesday. Prominent business leaders, government officials and students all took part in a discussion about UC and the current economy in California. Davis, added that UC Davis students have the intellectual capital that many employers will be looking for as jobs become more interdisciplinary. “The most fundamental skills are not just your technical skill… but it’s your ability to adapt, to do creative problem solving, to have excellent communication skills and lifelong learning. Those are
Drake takes over Davis
Measure C passes with 72.3 percent majority With a three-fourths majority, Davis voters approved Measure C on Tuesday. The education parcel tax received 12,435 votes in favor of the tax (72.3 percent) and 4,756 ballots against the measure (27.7 percent). A twothirds majority was needed to approve the tax. The five-year parcel tax will raise $6.5 million a year for classroom programs in the Davis schools. “Measure C’s resounding win affirms once again the high value Davis voters place on education,” said State Rep. Mariko Yamada (D- Davis) in a statement. “I’m proud to live in and represent a community that truly values its children and those who teach and care for them in excellent public schools.” Single-family homeowners
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Forecast Expect chilly conditions in the morning hours but warm spring-like conditions by the afternoon! Spring is knocking on the door, kicking old man winter out into the streets because, lets face it, old man winter is a mean old man ... Matthew Little, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team
See SUMMIT, page 3
News iN Brief
Last night at The Pavilion, Drake, along with Kendrick Lamar and A$AP ROCKY as the opening acts, took over the city by storm in a soldout show. The show was presented by Live Nation in conjunction with ASUCD Entertainment Council. In the midst of the excitement, Aggie photographer Shazib Haq was there to document it all. For more photos from the concert last night, check out MUSE on page 4 and 5.
Today’s weather
the skills that are going to help get you jobs,” she said. In the course of the session, government and business leaders acquired insight into discussions happening among students on campus. In exchange, they provided advice on upcoming political initiatives.
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will be charged $320 per home and owners of multi-unit dwellings will pay $150 per unit for five years. This tax replaced the expiring Measures Q and W, which charged the same amounts. Measure C’s approval cancels pink slips that otherwise would have been sent to about 120 school district employees, representing the equivalent of about 87 full-time positions. Even with Measure C’s approval, the school district still faces a $3.5 million deficit that could cause layoffs for district employees by March 15. According to the Elections Office, voter turnout was 39.9 percent, with 17,210 ballots cast out of 43,138 registered voters. — Angela Swartz
Adidas has recently released their latest creation: the Cowboyboot Sneaker Hybrid Shoe. Check those bad boys out. The next big thing in fashion? I think so. Amanda Nguyen