Suisun City, Suisun City’s sphere of influence and Flannery Associates land parcels. Map by Solano Together using QGIS. Datasources: OSM Standard, MTC/ABAG Data Library, Solano County parcel data

Nate Huntington 
Solano Together Coalition

This Tuesday, January 21, at 6:30 p.m., we urge you to attend the City of Suisun Council Meeting, where there will be a discussion on potentially expanding Suisun City limits.

What? Suisun City Council Meeting
When? TODAY - Tuesday, January 21, at 6:30 p.m.
Where? Suisun City Council Chambers, 701 Civic Center Boulevard, Suisun City, CA – or
Zoom Meeting Information:
Link: https://zoom.us/join
MEETING ID: 829 2890 4906
CALL IN PHONE NUMBER: (707) 438-1720

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Late Friday evening, the City of Suisun City released the agenda for today’s City Council meeting. Agenda item number 17 is inconspicuously titled, “Vision for Suisun City: Building Resilience and Expanding Opportunities.” This appears to be a plan by the City of Suisun to annex land owned by California Forever and work with them to develop outside of existing city limits. California Forever is continuing their secretive, behind closed doors approach even after committing to a public process.

In the agenda packet, starting on page 179, the item discusses the city’s economic “Resiliency Plan” and suggests “the Resiliency Plan’s ultimate success depends on increasing the city’s population and strategically expanding its boundaries.”

The trial date is approaching for PITTS vs. CITY OF DAVIS.

Theodore Pitts the widower of Jennifer Comey who was killed by the limb of a City of Davis Tree in Slide Hill Park will get his day in court in attempt to seek compensation for the death of his wife. A jury trial date has been set for February 3^rd, 2025 with a trial readiness conference to be held on January 27^th.

Ms. Comey died when a large tree limb fell on her in Slide Hill Park while she watched her toddler play in a sandbox during a windstorm in 2021. She was survived by her child and husband Theodore Pitts.

The trial will take place in Yolo County Superior Court in Woodland with Judge Fell presiding. Mr. Pits is represented by Sacramento attorney Roger A. Dreyer and Anthony J. Garilli of Dreyer, Babich, Buccola, Wood and Campora. Both are accomplished attorneys having successfully won millions for their clients at trial.

The City of Davis is represented by Kevin J. Dehoff of Angelo, Kilday and Kilduff of Sacramento. His website lists “Public Entity Defense” as his first Practice Area.

Davey Resource Group, Inc and West Coast Arborists, Inc were also named as defendants in the case. But earlier this month Judge David Rosenberg made a tentative ruling granting Summary Judgement for West Coast Arborists excusing them from the case. Davey Resource Group’s similar motion was denied leaving them as a defendant in the Case.

West Coast Arborist is a contractor for the City of Davis that handles wide ranging tree trimming duties in the City.

Davey Resource Group is a Ohio based Company that provides wide ranging tree and urban forestry consulting to the City of Davis.

If the City and/or Davey Resource Group is found responsible or negligent Pitts could be awarded millions in compensation for the tragedy that befell his family.

By Heather Caswell and Jonathan Greenberg

Commentary

January 18, 2025

Since writing my December 18 Enterprise column about the public safety crisis in downtown Davis, I have heard feedback from dozens of my customers, most of them older women.

Some, like former Assembly Member Helen Thomson, asked how they could support the effort. Many thanked me for paying attention. Nearly all of them told me that they now feel unsafe in downtown Davis for the first time in their lives.  

Who are we, as a community, when we cannot protect our most vulnerable members? After decades of progress in curtailing violence against women, how is it that our legal system today tolerates mentally unstable younger men menacing women, children and the elderly with violent threats, week after week, with no consequences?

By Alan Hirsch

The Enterprise "editor's choice" of the top ten Davis stories of the year ran on January 1st as it always does. Five of the top ten stories seemed to me involved sad but fleeting incidents—crime or auto accidents—some of which even occurred in Woodland.

So, here’s my alternative list of top stories, things that I believe will have a lasting impact on the Davis community—with a bit of foreshadowing into 2025. Only two of my list of stories are on the Enterprise’s "top ten" list.

1. Local impact of Trump’s election: With Davis voting over 85% for Harris, her loss had a profound psychological effect on residents, especially given the “culture war” aspect of the race. Beyond this, the presidential campaign involved hundreds of local residents in what surely was likely the biggest single volunteer effort of 2024: Davisites made tens of thousands of phone calls and texts, over 30,000 postcards were handwritten to encourage others to vote, and residents traveled repeatly to Nevada or a Central Valley “purple” congressional districts to register voters and get out the vote. The best qualification of the unprecedented election involvement is that Davisites donated over ten times more money to campaigns compared to 2016. Apart from the volunteering, the looming impacts of Trump’s policies will be profound in Yolo County. Trump’s promise to deport 11 million residents (~1.5m in California) will likely impact 8-12% of Central Valley/Yolo families- at least with existential fear even if Trump fails to fulfill his deportation policy. With UC Davis being an internationally connected institution, I expect xenophobic/America First policies like the reinstatement of the Muslim ban will others too.
   
   
2. K-12 Schools are the core of Davis, so Spring 2024 voter approval of DJUSD Parcel Tax Measure N should be a top ten story. N’s goal was to retain our DJUSD teachers by allowing an overdue salary increase so we can continue to attract and retain the best teachers. The steady decline in the number of Davis-resident students in our school system is also very important story, as is the addition of many new DJUSD buildings which seems to have gone unnoticed. The Trump’s culture war on schools is also on DJUSD's radar (see story #10 below). The Enterprise's failure to retain a dedicated DJUSD reporter is probably part of the reason for what feels like a news blackout here.
   
   
3. Death of Delaine Eastin: To me, this was a notable passing of a beloved figure.
   
   
4. New Davis law allowing Food Trucks at events and locations other than the farmers market.
   
   
5. The New Library in South Davis and the tax increase vote to operate it.
   
   
6. Plans for thousands of new Davis homes & apartments: The Council has been working diligently on a number of development proposals, with a bias toward affordability (small or subsidized) and higher density they hope will reduce GHG & traffic impact of these developments. Two large apartment complexes in south Davis along the freeway are due to open up soon. Collectively, these will profoundly change Davis.
   
   
7. I-80 widening: This is the main access to Davis given the anemic (slow and expensive to use) regional transit options local electeds have provided us. Last spring, funding for phase 1 of this controversial $465 million widening was approved—the largest public works project in Yolo for the next decade. I expect I-80 widening will remain in the news as a) construction will continue for at least another 3 years, b) additional funding to complete it might be contingent on the results of an environmental lawsuit, and c) sticker shock & social inequity: UC Davis experts forecast it will recongest within ten years unless drivers can pay what electeds say will be a $5-10/peak hour one-way toll on the new lane. I would also top-rate the passage of an increase in city sales tax (~$10 million/year) which can be used to catch up on overdue street repair.
   
   
8. Streamlining Davis government (or reducing community participation?) In the winter of 2024, the Davis Council decided to reduce citizen oversight Commissions by 25%—and reduce their independence by monitoring what is on their agendas. Now they are reframing the commission role from oversight to “ambassadors” to the community. This is a bit of an “inside the beltway” story, but the issue is still generating op-eds & letters to the editor ten months later. That it is still an issue is indicated by Mayor Chapman announcing he was stepping down from the council Commission Subcommittee due to the continuing controversy. This meta story is important as it impacts all city decision-making going forward. The Enterprise lists only one political issue as a top story—the November election of 3 members of the city council and a new County supervisor for East Davis. But this was largely an affirmation of the status quo governance as all these new electeds are insiders. The passage of the sales tax increase, though a significant bump in city revenue, is seen by its advocates as an affirmation of continuing the status quo, so to me less than top news, like the fact electeds three of whom ran unchallenged.
   
   
9. Homeless situation: Certainly, this is one of the biggest challenges our and other communities are dealing with. There has been many meeting on this, and a Davis law change on encampments drew an unusual 20 speakers to a city council meeting to comment.  
   
   
10. Culture War Comes to Davis with the election of Trump: Is it a pandemic of Jew-hate from the left or the beginning of an anti-antisemitic red scare? Are both true? A big story in Davis 2024 was the protests of US support of the Gaza/Israel war—which at times morphed into questioning the legitimacy of the existence of Israel as a Jewish state – and its governing “from the River to the Sea.” There is no new protest encampment at UCD this scholastic year, but other civil disobedience continues: sporadic protests on campus continue to illegally disrupt speakers' events, But weekly protests for a ceasefire at Congressman Thompson’s local office in Woodland continue --legally -- without  incident after 15 months. Meanwhile a number of Jews in Davis have accused protestors, seemingly en masse, of being “radical antisemites,” lawbreakers, or even connected to Iran.  UC Davis was hit, as were many colleges & universities, by a Title VI Civil Rights suit by national Jewish groups for allowing an antisemitic climate to exist—i.e. not shutting down the protests or (somehow) not stopping individual acts of antisemitic graffiti & vandalism, and microaggressions toward Jewish students. They seem to hold Davis schools responsible for some social media threats against Jewish students from unidentifiable sources while ignoring the removal of moderation of X (aka twitter) by Elon Musk that used to eliminate antisemitic posts.
    
    In 2025 this conflict looks to morph, especially for Davis, into something bigger with the election of Trump and his takeover of the Department of Justice and the FBI. The GOP and Christian Right are culturally appropriating the charge of “antisemitism” against the left and academia, escalating any questioning of Israeli policy in Gaza into the equivalence of attack on Jews in general, and even support of terrorism. (Google the Heritage Foundation’s follow on to Project 2025 “Project Esther”). The grounds are set for a “red scare” about antisemitic terror. But you can find dichotomous thinking among many on both sides.  I would expect to see more legal pressure on UC Davis and even DJUSD:  Harmeet Dhillon, the lawyer for Davis’s own notorious culture warrior/anti-trans activist Beth Bourne is slated to be the head of the Trump DOJ Civil Rights division that supports Title VI complaints against schools.

To sum it up:  “May you live in interesting times.”.

***

Alan Hirsch can be seen in the Saturday Farmers Market passing out “Love your Neighbor” and “Support Science” lawn signs.

Master Gardener Peggy Smith teaches volunteers about propagating perennial plants in Central Park Gardens

Application Deadline: January 10

(From press release) Are you passionate about the environment and looking for a meaningful way to give back to your community? Tree Davis, in collaboration with Central Park Gardens, is excited to announce its Green Volunteer Training program, inviting individuals to take an active leadership role in nurturing sustainable green spaces in Davis.

Through this program, volunteers will have the unique opportunity to contribute to the beautification and sustainability of local parks, gardens, and trees. Tree Davis and Central Park Gardens welcome all who want to make a positive environmental impact, whether they are an experienced gardener or someone eager to learn.

Following a Zoom orientation session on January 23rd from 6-7 pm, the training will be held on Sundays from 9 am to 1 pm on January 26, February 2, and February 9. Hands-on training with expert instructors will include planting, pruning, and weed management for the care of young trees and a variety of native and drought tolerant garden plants. Trainees will also learn leadership skills and tips for engaging volunteers in landscape improvement and stewardship projects.

After completion of the training, volunteers will be asked to commit to volunteering at least once a month for a year with either Tree Davis or Central Park Gardens. Both organizations offer flexibility in scheduling with options for assisting as a team leader for weekend events or working more independently on weekdays.

Apply today

Don't miss out on this opportunity—apply now to secure your spot and be part of this impactful program! Have questions? Contact Hope from Tree Davis at [email protected].

Become part of the Central Park Gardens and Tree Davis volunteer teams and help maintain and enhance the city’s greenspaces, playing a key role in creating vibrant urban landscapes across Davis.

Learn more and apply by January 10 at https://www.treedavis.org/green-volunteer/. A $20 training fee is requested to cover materials.

By Scott Steward

There has been a significant outpouring of support and media coverage for the class action lawsuit filed Dec. 19th to hold Reps. Thompson and Huffman are accountable for illegally funding war crimes, including genocide. 

What is the case about?  At the core of the lawsuit is the argument that Thompson and Huffman ignored clear evidence of war crimes committed with U.S.-provided weapons, effectively forcing their constituents into moral complicity. Plaintiffs describe profound emotional and moral injuries resulting from their representatives' actions, emphasizing the ethical responsibility to prevent taxpayer dollars from funding human rights violations.

A recent December 30th "Law and Disorder Radio" podcast features the Taxpayers Against Genocide case. Heidi Bohhosian and Stephen Rohde host the episode "Taxpayers Against Genocide: Lawsuit Filed Against Congress Members For Approving $26.38B In Military Aid To Israel". (first 28 minutes)

https://lawanddisorder.org/2024/12/law-and-disorder-december-30-2024-2/

I know a lot of us started asking our representatives to stop funding Israel with weapons over a year ago. We are traumatized by the horror of all the killings, especially month after month of the deliberate annihilation of Palestinian, Lebanese, and now Syrian civilians. Ceasefire and aid are asked for and illegally denied by our representatives.

For your New Year's Resolution, after you have had a look at the rationale for holding Thompson accountable for illegally using our tax dollars to fund war crimes, please consider joining the class action suit as a member. Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG) is a grassroots, non-partisan, multi-peopled volunteer effort presently including just Congressional Representatives Thompson and Huffman’s districts. 

Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG) "Sign-On," Donation, Press Coverage, Endorsements, Instagram, X, and BlueSky links at the touch of a button. https://linktr.ee/taxpayersagainstgenocide

Many other congressional districts are now asking how to start their own class actions to hold their Federal Congressional and Senate representatives accountable. Questions and interest can be sent to [email protected]. Please join the lawsuit or form your own.

Help Brighten Our Community!
When: Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, 5-8 p.m.
Where: UC Davis Memorial Union (MU) Quad Flagpole
RSVP: UC Davis Campus Safety Lighting Walk

(From press release) UC Davis Facilities Management invites all students, faculty, staff, and community members to participate in the annual Campus Safety Lighting Walk on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, from 5-8 p.m.

For 15 years, the Campus Safety Lighting Walk has been a proactive community tradition at UC Davis.

Participants assess lighting conditions around campus, identifying areas with low light, non-functional lighting, or obstructed light sources — such as those hidden by plant growth. Insights gathered during the walk will help guide repairs and improvements.

Why Attend?

• Make a Difference: Your observations will contribute to safety upgrades and future planning.
• Free Food & Swag: Enjoy complimentary pizza (while supplies last) and snag free swag if you’re among the first 100 participants.
• Volunteer Hours: Earn volunteer credit—perfect if you’re looking to meet service requirements.
• Community Spirit: Join fellow Aggies in a fun and purposeful evening outdoors.

The evening will kick off at the Memorial Union Quad Flagpole. Teams will be organized to cover various zones of campus, equipped with flashlights provided by event organizers. Please wear comfortable shoes and a warm jacket for the walk.

Apply by Monday, Jan. 13

(From press release) Are you passionate about nature, eager to learn new skills, and ready to give back to your community? The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden invites you to join its dedicated team of gardening volunteers in 2025!

Volunteering with the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden is an opportunity to connect with others who share your love for the outdoors, gain hands-on experience in sustainable gardening practices, and enjoy perks like early access to plant sales at the Arboretum Teaching Nursery, and seasonal events. It’s a rewarding way to spend your time while contributing to one of UC Davis’s most beloved spaces.

Gardening volunteers work alongside expert horticultural staff to maintain and beautify Arboretum and Public Garden landscapes and work in teams that focus on specific areas. Each week, volunteers and staff collaborate to ensure these landscapes remain vibrant and inviting for the community.

Key Details:

• Application Deadline: Jan. 13, 2025
• Commitment: One year, with weekly team shifts of two hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday mornings (flexible schedules accommodated).
• Training Program: A comprehensive training program will be held in winter 2025. Classes include expert instruction and hands-on projects covering topics like plant identification, pruning, tool care, and weed management.
• Training Dates: Thursdays, 9 a.m.-noon (Jan. 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27, March 6).
• Training Fee: $20 materials fee, payable on the first day of training.

Apply Today

Space is limited, so don’t wait to secure your spot! Have questions? Contact UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden Headquarters at (530) 752-4880 or [email protected].

Join the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden weekly gardening volunteer team and help them continue to create beautiful, thriving landscapes that inspire and engage the community.

Learn more and apply by January 13, 2025:  https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/volunteer

The sirens on the night of Wednesday the 18th sounded eerie and odd. The emergency vehicles weren't moving fast. A muffled, highly amplified voice penetrated the foggy night. Was it an evacuation, a flood, a wall of fire, a killer on the loose? I hadn't heard such confusing and scary chaos in Davis since the evening Natalie Corona was killed.

I ran outside and saw three emergency vehicles in the distance winding slowly onto my street a few blocks north, then slowly winding off of it. The muffled warnings continued, inaudible and invoking concern. None of this was helped by the sonically-delayed echoes of the sirens and muffled voice off the recently-constructed 5-story student apartments behind me.

I ran towards the vehicles, hoping to hear what the emergency was and what we should do. Finally I heard:  "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas".

First of all, I'm Jewish. But no, I was not offended by the lack of a menorah on the hood.  Celebrate Christmas all y'all want.

But I have rarely experienced such a display of tone-deaf foolishness from a local government entity. I mean, nothing says "Peace on Earth" like sirens and emergency lights and what sounded like an amplified public emergency warning. You already got your Davis-subsidized ladder-truck because y'all were awarded for not cooperating with UC's fire department, and now you want a new fire station and the rebuilding of another.

To gain public respect and support please considering how some residents of Davis may react to a "well meaning" act that included the extended presence of emergency vehicles, emergency lights, sirens and amplified warnings in our neighborhoods.

Bah Humbug

OB-GYN Carol Darwish will discuss and answer questions about menopause at the Wednesday, Jan. 8 meeting of Soroptimist International of Davis.

The meeting is from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in the conference room at University Inn and Suites, 1111 Richards Blvd., Davis. Open to the public, this is one of a series of talks on women’s health that the club plans for its 2024-2025 year.

Darwish is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist in practice for more than 20 years. She completed her medical training at Tulane University in New Orleans. She practiced at Kaiser Napa Solano for 11 years and at Sutter Davis for four years. For the past nine years, she has worked in hospital settings throughout the Bay Area, Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes, and most recently in Santa Cruz County, Woodland and San Francisco. She lives in Davis with her family.

Lunch is available for $15. First-time attendees are free. Please RSVP by 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 6 for lunch by emailing [email protected]. Guests are welcome to bring their own lunch.

Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. It was founded in 1921 in Alameda County. Soroptimist International of Davis was chartered in 1954. Local members join some 75,000 Soroptimists in 122 countries and territories to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women and girls. Its core values are gender equality, empowerment, education, diversity and fellowship.

SI Davis offers cash Live Your Dream Awards to female heads of household seeking education or training, and assists King High students through its Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls program. It also funds high school scholarships, and grants to nonprofits that align with the Soroptimist mission.

SI Davis members meet twice a month on Wednesdays – once at lunchtime and once in the evening – and connect for other fun activities and service. Learn more at https://www.sidavis.org/.

From the Department of Shameless Self-Promotion, I bring you an announcement of an upcoming event for my recently-published book: The Land Is Our Community: Aldo Leopold’s Environmental Ethic for the New Millennium (University of Chicago Press).   Mark your calendars now for this free event, one month from today!

Event info:

When Climate Action meets Tech meets Social Justice

By David Abramson

The California Air Resources Board alongside Pedal Ahead, a San Diego-based 501c3 whose stated goal is to ‘foster a transportation system that is both environmentally friendly and accessible to all’ just launched their first program to provide up to $2000 for 1500 low-income folks to purchase eBikes, called the California eBike Incentive Project.

They announced the launch of the program to the public via what appeared to be a quite sizable multi-channel marketing campaign, with applications set to open on Wednesday, December 18 at 6PM. Fanfare and nervous, excited anticipation presumably ensued.

As the local neighborhood techie, I supported a friend and their sibling in shooting their shot to be one of the lucky 1500. First off, my friend’s family comes from a disadvantaged background and economic status for whom this program was presumably intended, and truly needed the money in order to be able to buy an eBike so she and her sibling were quite excited about the prospect of getting support for this!

I knew the odds were stacked against them once I saw how this program was going to go down, but we worked towards having the best chance possible to make it in.

Hello fellow advocates for our homeless neighbors,

Please see the letter below. We have created a "Compassion Fund" to provide motel rooms for people who need them this winter. The letter explains this more in detail, but if you can find it in your hearts to contribute, your donation will go a long way toward getting vulnerable folks off the street and into a warm, safe environment, at least temporarily. Each motel night costs $80-100, depending on size and amenities.  Donate here.

Secondly, Davis Community Meals and Housing and HEART of Davis would like to make Christmas and New Year's Days special for the guests of the congregate Winter Shelter (1111 H Street). Please consider signing up to bring food for lunch and breakfast on those days. More information here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4CAEAA23A46-53931782-christmas

Additionally, we need 1 volunteer per shift to help out on Christmas day, Wednesday 12/25/2024 and New Years Day, Wednesday 1/1/2025. The volunteers need to be over  the age of 18. Responsibilities will be: passing out food and other resources and making sure no one but shelter guests enter Paul's Place.

The shifts available on the 25th and 1st are:

The following was emailed to Chancellor May on December 11, 2024.

Dear Chancellor May: 

We write with appreciation for the actions campus staff are taking to reduce UC Davis’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and to ask you to ensure that UCD sets strong goals for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions reductions in response to UCOP’s call for campus targets for all UCs to be submitted by 1/1/2025 (for background see here).

Specifically, we would like UCD to officially establish targets of 75% reductions in Scope 1 and 2 emissions below the 2019 baseline by 2030, 81% by 2035, and 95% by 2040, which are the feasible potential reductions identified by our own Fossil Fuel-Free Pathway Plan (FFFPP).

We view the strong intermediate 2030 target from our campus FFFPP as particularly important, given the urgency of the climate crisis. Communicating around near-term goals that are meaningful for our undergraduate students will show them our commitment to leading on the climate crisis. 

We would also like to encourage campus to accelerate the process for tracking and reducing Scope 3 emissions (those generated off-campus, for example by travel and commuting). The state is requiring public and private companies to submit annual reports of such emissions by 2030 (a date which may be moved up to 2027), and strong near-term Scope 3 reductions will be needed to set us on a track toward UCOP’s goal to “reduce total emissions (scope 1, 2, and 3) at least 90% by 2045 without relying on carbon offsets.” We would like to be a part of campus discussions around Scope 3 targets and processes.

Finally, we would like to let you know that a group of us has formally asked the Academic Senate to consider a detailed proposal for a Climate Crisis General Educational (GE) Requirement so that all UCD undergraduates will graduate with some background in climate science, action, and justice concepts. This one-course requirement would probably be allowed to overlap with other GEs so as not to increase time-to-graduation. We are happy to provide further details, and hope we can count on your support to make UCD a climate education leader. UC San Diego adopted such a requirement last year, starting for the class entering Fall 2024.

(From press release - Julie Huang) Unitrans and the Davis Food Co-op will host the eighth annual “Stuff the Bus” event Saturday, Dec. 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot of the Davis Food Co-op, at 620 G St.

On January 7th, the council will consider a city ordinance to create a Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Program—an initiative that can open doors for firsttime home buyers, particularly young families who can afford mortgage payments but struggle to save for a down payment.

DPA programs bridge this gap, offering loans that help families achieve the stability of home ownership and the potential for wealth building through property appreciation. Proven successful in other cities, DPA programs promote workforce housing, increase diversity, and offer a critical step toward addressing economic inequities.

These programs are flexible—structured as repayable loans or equity-sharing agreements—and recycle the payments plus interest, equity or both are paid back into the City Housing Trust Fund, creating a sustainable cycle of assistance. Prioritizing workforce families who live and work locally could also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by shortening commutes.

With Measure Q’s passage in November, the city will have access to $11 million yearly in new funds. While there are many critical needs in our city, both our Housing Element and the Housing Trust Fund Appendix A of the Housing Element acknowledge the need for supporting first time home buyers. Allocating $1 million yearly to the DPA program could support 50 families with a $20,000 DPA—an impactful investment that strengthens our schools, diversifies our community, and enables wealth-building for those often excluded from home ownership opportunities.

Carpe diem—let’s seize this moment. Urge the council to create and fund a Down Payment Assistance program. Together, we can make home ownership a reality for more Davis families.

Interfaith Housing Justice Davis

The following letter from Dan Carson and Elaine Roberts Musser was sent to the Davisite this morning for posting.

Dear Davis City Councilmembers and Commissioners,

As you know, Agenda Item 06-B on the Dec. 3, 2024 City Council agenda presents the latest proposal by Mayor Chapman and Councilmember Vaitla to control how items are placed on city commission agendas. It is, in our view, an improvement over prior versions of their proposal, in that it creates fewer opportunities for violations of the state’s landmark open meeting law, the Brown Act. However, it does not completely take care of that problem, and it contains other crucial flaws. In particular, this proposed change would improperly and unwisely attempt to micromanage deliberations of the corps of volunteer experts on our city commissions. They have long provided invaluable expertise and perspective free of charge for the benefit of our citizens.

Accordingly, we again urge the full City Council to reject this proposal and adopt an alternative approach we outline at the end of this letter. An approach that we believe would foster a sense of community and collaboration between the Council and its commissions, rather than one that will come across as controlling and condescending.

Unfortunately, this continually-evolving and still-vague proposal was publicly released by Mayor Chapman and Councilmember Vaitla on the city’s website just before the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend was beginning. It is likely that many affected commissioners are unaware of this new proposal. 

But we note that prior versions of this plan were roundly rejected by most of the commissioners who were asked to review it during a series of public hearings held in September, and with good reason.  As detailed in a prior message we shared with you, one commissioner after another voiced their concern the proposal would result in delays that would stifle their ability to conduct the public’s business and render them unable to provide the very advice the council assigned them to provide.  Commissions that meet less frequently could have their ideas sidetracked for months. They would be less likely to bring their ideas forward.  Proposals that were time-sensitive in nature, such as consideration of city budget issues, would die by default.

Randii MacNear shows a completed Davis Farmers Market gift basket in December 2023. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

(From press release) The Davis Farmers Market’s Gift Basket Central is back, offering free baskets and wrapping of market items on Saturdays.

On Saturdays, Dec. 7, 14 and 21, shoppers can compile items for custom gift baskets, and have them wrapped for free at the market’s Gift Basket Central station. There are red, green and blue tissue options, neutral and red baskets, cellophane wrapping and various colored ribbons. The service is available to anyone who purchases three or more items at the Davis Farmers Market, at 301 C St. in Central Park.

The market is open regular hours (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.), every Saturday through the holidays. It will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 25 and Wednesday, Jan. 1, but open on Saturday, Dec. 28.

Looking for ideas? Besides the abundant produce, market sellers offer preserved jams and sauces, lemon curd, honey, balsamic vinegars, olive oils, dried herbs, nuts and nut butters. There are sweets like dried fruit or chocolate-covered almonds, pistachio brittle, and local wines. Other items include handmade soaps and lotions, wreaths, hats and scarves. Enjoy coffee and hot food, and peruse artisan crafts, market-logo merchandise, and surprising local ingredients for gift baskets.

There’s also “The Davis Farmers Market Cookbook, Revised Edition,” which features seasonal recipes from market produce. Also at the Market Shed, there are shopping baskets, market-logo aprons, hats, totes, mugs and T-shirts. Shoppers have access to an ATM, and the Market Shed accepts credit and debit cards.

Still need inspiration? Market staffers are prepared with a list of gift basket ideas for chefs, bakers, party hosts, chocolate lovers, and youths, or with themes like breakfast or relaxation.

The rest of the year, the Davis Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Wednesday hours are 3 to 6 p.m. through April, and 4 to 8 p.m. May through September for Picnic in the Park.

For more information, go to https://www.davisfarmersmarket.org/ or visit it on Facebook or Instagram.

(From press release) Eleven nonprofit social service groups in Yolo County have received grants totaling $15,950 from a fund established by Congregation Bet Haverim, Jewish Fellowship of Davis. The Biberstein Social Action Fund was established in 2002 to honor longtime Davis residents Ernie and Hannah Biberstein for their contributions to community service and social justice. (Hannah Biberstein passed away in April of 2011.)  The fund sponsors efforts to address problems related to poverty, discriminations, abuse and neglect.

The following organizations were funded:

• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
• Downtown Streets Team (DST)
• Grace in Action
• HEART of Davis, formerly Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter
• iDream – The Mac Give Back Project
• Make It Happen Yolo County
• Meals on Wheels Yolo County (MOW Yolo)
• Mercer Veterinary Clinic
• Personal Care Pantry (WUMC)
• Yolo Community Care Continuum (YCCC)
• Yolo Interfaith Immigration Network (YIIN)

“We are very happy to make these awards,” said Ernie Biberstein. “We think they will make a meaningful difference to the organizations selected and to the Yolo County community.

The winners, who were chosen by a committee of Bet Haverim members, will be recognized at a ceremony at the Bet Haverim Religious School in Davis in February.

“In the current uncertain environment, we feel that it is even more important to show our religious school students, and the community at large, the value of supporting the needs of those who are most vulnerable,” continued Biberstein.

Biberstein Social Action Fund awards are given annually on the basis of proposals made to the synagogue committee. Contributions to the fund may be made through Congregation Bet Haverim, 1715 Anderson Road, Davis, CA 95616. Please note that the donation is for the Biberstein Social Action Fund.