Davisite logo
Davisite Banner. Left side the bicycle obelisk at 3rd and University. Right side the trellis at the entrance to the Arboretum.

  • Give Yourself a $200 Pay Raise

    By Bertie Brouhard

    It may be more. Might be less. But it’s monthly and this is a raise of after income tax dollars. Most living dwellers, bill payers, are eligible. Those incredibly wealthy, not even slightly cost conscious, a few living off the grid or your neighbor perhaps who has recently invested a large sum in solar panels, lithium battery banks and highly efficient mechanical systems might not be. My  target audience for this article is the rest of you.

    We live in a meteorological wonderland; this huge valley with its high desert, dry heat climate. Thankful every summer evening for our refreshing delta breeze. And our frost, snow free winters. As I type this about 9 AM it’s bright and still on this late August morning. Outside air temp is 68F and it’s 66F in my living room. Last night’s low was 58F and today’s high is 93F. My predicted indoor high is 78F. Only my laptop, my fridge and the trickle charges (TV and smart speakers) are consuming any electrical energy.

    Your pay raise is generated by the cost saving measures you implement to drastically lower your P, G & E monthly devotional, offering, bequest, and irksome payment.

    (more…)

    Posted by

    davisite2

    on

    in

    , ,

    |

    1 comment on Give Yourself a $200 Pay Raise
    Davisite logo

    Did you enjoy reading this article? Then subscribe to the Davisite for free and never miss a post again.

  • Make It Happen for Yolo County Launches Fall Campaign to Sponsor Former Foster Youth Studying at UC Davis

    Make It Happen for Yolo County board member Marilyn Stebbins and intern Kegen Wells help a UC Davis Guardian Scholar furnish her apartment this summer. The nonprofit has launched a campaign to sponsor former foster youth studying at UC Davis this fall.

    (From press release) Local nonprofit Make It Happen for Yolo County is offering opportunities for the community to sponsor UC Davis Guardian Scholars – students who have experienced foster care – as they move into housing this fall. Sponsorship levels run from $200 to $2,500 and provide essential furniture, household goods, cleaning supplies, bicycles and more to ensure former foster youth studying at UC Davis are not burdened financially, physically or emotionally by furniture poverty as they pursue higher education. The campaign will run through mid-October. Learn more and make a donation: https://www.mihyolo.org/donate-index-impact.

    “Having a fully furnished, safe and functional home is a fundamental need for these resilient students,” said Cathi Schmidt, executive director, Make It Happen for Yolo County. “Each community member can choose from a variety of levels to provide a tax-deductible gift this fall that will turn a student’s empty living space into a place of comfort, dignity and belonging as they work toward achieving their degree.”

    (more…)

    Posted by

    davisite2

    on

    in

    , , ,

    |

    No comments on Make It Happen for Yolo County Launches Fall Campaign to Sponsor Former Foster Youth Studying at UC Davis
    Davisite logo

    Did you enjoy reading this article? Then subscribe to the Davisite for free and never miss a post again.

  • Rep. Mike Thompson Participates in Debate With Eric Jones in Marysville Hosted by the Yuba Sutter Farm Bureau

    (From press release) Yesterday, Congressman Mike Thompson participated in a candidate forum with his opponent, Eric Jones, at the Yuba County Government Center in Marysville. The event was hosted by the Yuba Sutter Farm Bureau. Congressman Thompson, himself a small farmer that grows grapes, hay and olives, discussed a variety of issues facing the Yuba Sutter community in front of a crowd of 250 people. Congressman Thompson and Eric Jones debated for 45 minutes about issues facing Yuba and Sutter Counties and our agriculture community.

    “I was honored to be invited to participate in a debate by the Yuba Sutter Farm Bureau. I was proud to discuss my record of delivering for our ag community and strengthening our rural economies,” said Congressman Mike Thompson “Right now farmers are hurting with reckless and illegal tariffs and I am proud to have worked with the Administration to deliver $9 million dollars in relief to peach growers hit by the cannery closure and will continue to deliver hundreds of millions of dollars for our district for flood control projects.”

    (more…)

    Posted by

    davisite2

    on

    in

    , , ,

    |

    1 comment on Rep. Mike Thompson Participates in Debate With Eric Jones in Marysville Hosted by the Yuba Sutter Farm Bureau
    Davisite logo

    Did you enjoy reading this article? Then subscribe to the Davisite for free and never miss a post again.

  • Sept 10th Event: Working Together to Protect Our Neighbors

    (From press release) The City of Davis Police Accountability Commission invites the community to “Working Together to Protect Our Neighbors” on Thursday, September 10, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Center, 203 East 14th Street. Speakers will discuss local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement, practical family preparedness, and community safety. Live Spanish interpretation will be available.

    Posted by

    davisite2

    on

    in

    ,

    |

    1 comment on Sept 10th Event: Working Together to Protect Our Neighbors
    Davisite logo

    Did you enjoy reading this article? Then subscribe to the Davisite for free and never miss a post again.

  • Flip-flopping Eric Jones first casts himself as a progressive, but now endorses right-wing policies

    Jones is “ashamed” of supporting Prop 50 and endorses “sunsetting” of federal programs

    By Roberta Millstein

    Eric Jones, former partner of the venture capital firm Dragoneer Investment Group, seems to be shifting dramatically rightward in the wake of (or in order to gain?) the endorsement of Republican Ray Riehle, his former opponent in Jones’s attempt to become the congressional representative for California’s District 4.  What’s going on here?  There are several aspects, so let me unpack.

    First, I remind readers that Jones still has financial interests in Dragoneer and that his run for Congress is largely funded by 1) his own money, 2) by maximized direct donations from his former Dragoneer colleagues and other high tech executives, and 3) by a Super PAC that has so far funded only Jones, coming from some of the same sources as the direct donations.  Each of these three categories individually amounts to millions of dollars.  This is Silicon Valley, venture capitalist, AI/high tech, data-center-favoring money, not money that is looking to benefit citizens.  Details can be found here.

    As I noted in an earlier article, Jones has sought to present himself as a progressive, implying affiliations with Ro Khanna and Bernie Sanders and touting his endorsement from Our Revolution (removed from two Our Revolution web pages and now mysteriously reappeared).  As I document in the same article, that appearance of being a progressive was always misleading, given his donation to a Republican candidate for governor — a member of the Bush family — and support of AI-driven health care, among other things.  But his mask seems to be slipping further.

    Generally, it is a sign of desperation when a candidate dramatically changes his stripes.  Does Jones think he can woo Republican voters?  Maybe so — after all, he founded an organization whose specific goal was to figure out what voters want (see previous links).  And did Jones craft a new platform to gain Riehle’s endorsement?  It’s hard to explain why else Jones would now say:

    “I supported Prop 50 as a response to the gerrymandering effort in Texas. But after speaking with thousands of voters at their doors, I am extremely disappointed — ashamed, even — of the way this was carried out in our own state.”

    (more…)

    Posted by

    Roberta Millstein

    on

    in

    , , , ,

    |

    12 comments on Flip-flopping Eric Jones first casts himself as a progressive, but now endorses right-wing policies
    Davisite logo

    Did you enjoy reading this article? Then subscribe to the Davisite for free and never miss a post again.

  • Why an Unubstructed Delta Breeze Is Critical for California

    And how the proposed California Forever project threatens livability in Davis and other parts of the Central Valley

    By Dr. Glen Holstein

    Covering 18,000 square miles, California’s Central Valley is the largest nearly flat valley on earth.  It is almost entirely surrounded by mountains and consequently prone to very high temperatures since winds blowing downhill from mountains compress and heat air.  That is why Death Valley, completely surrounded by mountains, has average July temperatures higher than those of any month anywhere else on earth.  Its mean July temperature is 100.9 degrees F while the mean July temperature of Aswan deep in the Sahara Desert but not surrounded by mountains is 91.8 degrees F.  Death Valley even set the all-time scientifically accepted high temperature record of 134 degrees F in 1913.

    But the Central Valley is not entirely surrounded by mountains.  They open up at the Golden Gate to permit a cooling air flow from the Pacific Ocean called the Delta Breeze to significantly lower summer temperatures in the center of the Central Valley but much less so in its northern part called the Sacramento Valley and its southern part called the San Joaquin Valley. 

    The Delta Breeze’s origin is the cold California Current flowing southward from Alaska.  Disturbance where it encounters obstructions like Point Reyes and the Monterey Peninsula causes upwelling from depths that cool coastal water even more.  

    (more…)

    Posted by

    davisite2

    on

    in

    , , , , ,

    |

    1 comment on Why an Unubstructed Delta Breeze Is Critical for California
    Davisite logo

    Did you enjoy reading this article? Then subscribe to the Davisite for free and never miss a post again.

  • Davis Farmers Market Celebrates 50 Years of Community, Connection and Local Food

    (From press release) On Saturday, August 1, the Davis Farmers Market celebrated a remarkable milestone: 50 years of bringing farmers, food, families and community together in Davis.

    The day was a celebration of the past, the present, and future, five decades ago this market started as a gathering place for local farmers and community members to sell directly to customers and has since grown into a beloved Davis institution — a place where generations of residents come to shop for fresh, locally grown food, connect with neighbors, support local agriculture and experience the unique sense of community that makes the Davis Farmers Market special.

    The 50th anniversary celebration brought together market shoppers, farmers, community partners, local leaders and longtime supporters to honor the market’s history and look toward its future.

    “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped make the Davis Farmers Market what it is today,” said Randii Macnear, Executive Director of the Davis Farmers Market Alliance. “For 50 years, this market has been more than a place to buy food. It has been a place to meet your neighbors, celebrate local agriculture, build relationships and feel connected to the community. We’re excited to carry that spirit forward for the next 50 years.”

    (more…)

    Posted by

    davisite2

    on

    in

    , , ,

    |

    No comments on Davis Farmers Market Celebrates 50 Years of Community, Connection and Local Food
    Davisite logo

    Did you enjoy reading this article? Then subscribe to the Davisite for free and never miss a post again.

  • You Must Be So Jelly

    By Bertie Brouhard

    Envious, jealous (“jelly”) of us; 80-plus years of age. We’ve arrived. Been selected and inducted into a very prestigious club. If you’re much younger; not having given it (80) much thought but hopeful to arrive one day far into your future or if you’re perhaps closer to 80 and wonder if you’ll crawl across this finish line, this column is for you. Intended for everyone hoping to age.

    You, my reader; fellow octogenarians or those more advanced in age may agree with some or all of my observations. You others, maybe younger, may question my findings. I get that.

    I’m thrilled to be in my eighth decade and hopefully you have one or more in your circle; a contented individual in your life; a parent, grandparent, sibling, friend or neighbor. At this age I feel a calm, a quiet not present in my younger years. I get less frustrated, think I’m more patient, less irritating and irritable with fewer mountains to climb and live with less noise, destruction and disappointment. The insignificant minor, many tiresome details and bothersome annoyances of my younger years are gone.

    My mother was very secretive about her age until she turned 80. Then she proudly told everyone. She passed at 84 and my dad who lived but five months past his 80th wanted to sail and get in a round of golf the day he died. Those who I learn have passed on gain greater notoriety when you’re their age. How long do we each have? Probably fewer days that we expect.

    (more…)

    Posted by

    davisite2

    on

    in

    ,

    |

    No comments on You Must Be So Jelly
    Davisite logo

    Did you enjoy reading this article? Then subscribe to the Davisite for free and never miss a post again.

  • The Anonymous NIMBY Hunter Comes to Davis

    (Contains Al content, as in “Al”, short for Alan. Short for Alan C. Miller. Content. Well ok, I did use A.I. for the illustration, because I can’t draw that fast, or at all. But the Vanguard uses A.I. illustrations too, so neener neener)

    There is something wonderfully Davis #cough,gag# about publishing an opinion piece accusing your neighbors (do you even live in Davis, oh author?) of being too old, too wealthy, too white and too male, while declining to tell those neighbors who you are that is accusing them. The Vanguard’s August 9 op-ed, “The Face of NIMBYism in Davis – Old, Rich, and Mostly Male, White, and Retired” [https://davisvanguard.org/2026/08/measure-v-opposition-demographics/] is credited simply to “Vanguard Administrator.” Who the heck writes an “Op Ed” under the cover of anonymity? And what media outlet permits it? The Davis Vanguard, that’s who!

    That deserves a pause from us all. This is an opinion piece about a local housing election. It concerns zoning, development and the political behavior of people who live near a proposed subdivision. We are not dealing with organized crime. Nobody is reporting from inside a cartel. There is no threat to be had from deeply-held international political divides. Deep Throat has not returned to tell us where Davis hid the missing duplexes (pardon the old people reference, young people). Yet the author apparently requires anonymity.

    Why?

    (more…)

    Posted by

    Alan C. Miller

    on

    in

    |

    33 comments on The Anonymous NIMBY Hunter Comes to Davis
    Davisite logo

    Did you enjoy reading this article? Then subscribe to the Davisite for free and never miss a post again.

  • Senior Citizens Commission Bites the Dust

    By Elaine Roberts Musser 

    In checking over the Senior Citizens Commission agenda, it was incredibly sad to see that it is “concluding its work”. In other words, it’s disbanding. What is particularly disheartening, is knowing that my successful fight, many years ago, to save this commission (when the City Council was attempting to eliminate commissions at the time), was ultimately unsuccessful so many years later.  Does anyone honestly think that senior citizen issues will be addressed, when their concerns are split between three different commissions not designed to handle senior issues? The upshot will be that seniors will no longer have a meaningful voice in Davis.  

    Because of Councilmembers Vaitla and Chapman and their plan to defang commissions, they have single-handedly destroyed the Senior Citizens Commission, the Tree Commission, and the Utilities Commission. Along with that, they have eviscerated the power of the other commissions – by insisting that no new items be placed on commission agendas without City Council permission.  And the rest of the City Council, to their shame, have gone along with this nefarious plot. That controversial commission agenda policy was to be reviewed after a year, but no such assessment ever took place.In other words, we were lied to. 

    It has become patently clear the current City Council is hostile to public input. They are not interested in independent review or advice from commissions composed of ordinary citizens. We have entered a more authoritarian form of city government, much like what is going on at the federal level, a revolting development.

    Elaine Roberts Musser is Former Chair, Senior Citizens Commission and Former Chair, Utilities Commission

    Posted by

    davisite2

    on

    in

    ,

    |

    1 comment on Senior Citizens Commission Bites the Dust
    Davisite logo

    Did you enjoy reading this article? Then subscribe to the Davisite for free and never miss a post again.