By Roberta Millstein

When I was growing up on the east coast, 4th of July was always a wonderful day.  My father, a WWII vet, loved fireworks and imparted that combination of awe, excitement, and patriotism to my sister and me.  We'd head to the next town over and stake out a position on the grass and wait for the amazing display from a barge on the river.  It was always over way too fast, the "big finale" being the part you looked forward to the most while knowing that it signaled the end.

Of course, I want everyone to have a good day.  I want children to have wonderful experiences like the one I was able to have as a child.  No one wants to be a killjoy.

But.

I also want our celebration of the 4th of July to be a genuine one – that is, a celebration of freedom.

It's hard to feel free when 6 people are dead and more than 2 dozen hospitalized for the sin of attending a 4th of July parade, when mass shootings have become a daily event and our elected lawmakers fail to take action that would make a difference.

It's hard to feel free when 50% of the population has just been told that their bodies are not theirs to control, that the state can make one of the most fundamental and life-changing decisions for them.

It's hard to feel free when in the same decision, one of our Supreme Court justices threatens to eliminate the right for heterosexual couples to use contraception, the right for homosexual couples to have sex, and the right for gay people to get married.

It's hard to feel free when racially-motivated voter restriction laws have been passed across the country, preventing full participation in our democracy.

It's hard to feel free when Black Americans are incarcerated at nearly five times the rate of white Americans.

As civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer said, nobody’s free until everybody’s free.

Meanwhile, Davis's "celebration" continues as planned even with known harms of fireworks both for those who are attending and not attending, spewing toxic chemicals into the air,  triggering PTSD in humans, and scaring animals into bolting.

When is Davis going to have a more appropriate celebration, one that is healthy and recognizes the liberties we have as well as the liberties we still have to fight for?

When are we going to start fighting for our liberties?

Dawn Coder was one of several Davis Pride volunteers who painted the crosswalks around Central Park on May 29. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

(From press release) It’s International LGBTQ+ month, and Davis is showing its pride with a festival, skate night, and run/walk June 11 and 12 in Davis’ Central Park.

Volunteers painted rainbow crosswalks around the Park, 301 C St., on May 29, in preparation for several pride activities, all produced by the Davis Phoenix Coalition.

Events include:

• Diva Disco Skate Night, starting at 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, under the Davis Farmers Market Pavilion. The night will include music, lights and food trucks.
• Run/Walk for Equality, a 5K run or walk from the park, and a 1K Rainbow Run for youths ­– and those who prefer a shorter trek – on Sunday, June 12, beginning at 8 a.m. Register here https://www.davispride.org/runforequality.
  
  
• The Davis Pride Festival is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 12. It includes performances by several local and international music acts, a drag queen revue, educational booths, food, drink and vendors. Musical headliners are Drag queen singer Ada Vox, and pop music’s OneUp Duo. The Davis Pride Committee is working in partnership with the Davis Craft and Vintage Market.
  
  
• Bike Party Davis Ride with Pride, starting in Central Park at 7 p.m. on June 24.
  
  
• Business owners are asked to show their support by hanging a rainbow flag poster in their window. Posters are free, and available by emailing admin@davisphoenixco.org.

To celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (APAPA) association held a special event to honor Davis AAPI leaders and UC Davis Asian student groups on Saturday, May 14th at the International House in Davis.

The fundraising event, titled Leadership Award & Asian Heritage Celebration, was put on by the APAPA Davis Chapter and APAPA at UC Davis. The celebration featured past Davis elected officials, business leaders, educators, students, and community members and raised funds that will be used to further APAPA's internship programs that provide opportunities for students to work with local and state elected officials and gain invaluable leadership skills.

Special remarks were made by former AAPI Mayors of the City of Davis, Ruth Asmundson and Brett Lee, as well as APAPA Davis Board Members Sharon Guo, Wei Zhang, Christina Vo, Andrew Kim, Alan Wei and Aaron Wedra.

UC Davis student group awardees, recognized for their outstanding contributions, included the UC Davis Bayanihan Clinic, the UC Davis Hmong Student Union, and the UC Davis Vietnamese Student Association.

Davis Leadership Awards were given to Kevin Wan, Davis Downtown Business Association Vice President and owner of Sophia's Thai Kitchen; Emily Lo, Davis Fire Department Battalion Chief; and the entire team at Newstar Chinese School.

Attendees also enjoyed two dance performances by iDance Sisters and Red Maple Cultural Connection.

The APAPA Davis and APAPA at UC Davis board members give thanks to all of their sponsors, special guests, and celebration attendees for supporting the next generation of AAPI leaders and helping to advance AAPI communities through leadership and civic engagement. Learn more about the non-profit at http://www.apapa.org.

Submitted by Aaron Wedra

Davis Pride volunteers move stencils on May 30, 2021, while painting temporary chalk on a Fifth Street crosswalk in Davis. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

(From press release) Rainbow crosswalks, live music, drag queens and skating are all coming to Davis in preparation for International LGBTQ+ Month in June.

The popular rainbow crosswalks will be painted around Davis’ Central Park on Sunday, May 29. Volunteers will begin spraying the temporary chalk paint at 6 a.m., and continue until 9 a.m. To volunteer for this or other pride events, visit https://www.davispride.org/volunteer.

Meanwhile, the city of Davis will hang Davis Pride rainbow banners throughout town, and fly the rainbow flag at City Hall for the month of June.

Business owners are asked to show their support by hanging a rainbow flag poster in their window. Posters are free, and available by emailing admin@davisphoenixco.org.

Celebrate Davis Pride with several events, June 11 and 12 in Central Park, 301 C St. Produced by the Davis Phoenix Coalition, activities include:

• Diva Disco Skate Night, starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, under the Davis Farmers Market Pavilion. The night will include music, lights and food trucks.
• Run/Walk for Equality, a 5K run or walk from the park, and a 1K Rainbow Run for youths ­– and those who prefer a shorter trek – on Sunday, June 12, beginning at 8 a.m.
• The Davis Pride Festival begins at 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 12. It includes performances by several local and international music acts, a drag queen revue, educational booths, food, drink and vendors. The Davis Pride Committee is working in partnership with the Davis Craft and Vintage Market.

Other events include a Bike Party Davis Ride with Pride on June 24, and a Drink with Pride Night at Sudwerk Brewing Company (date to be determined).

The Davis Phoenix Coalition, is a nonprofit working to foster diversity, eliminate intolerance, prevent hate-motivated violence and support LGBTQ+ youths. It was founded in the aftermath of a 2013 anti-gay attack on Davis resident “Mikey” Partida. Proceeds from Davis Pride support the coalition’s anti-racism and anti-bullying campaigns, support to LGBTQ+ youths and their families, and outreach with area police departments, churches and schools. To donate, go to https://davisphoenixco.org/donate.

Sponsorships are a way to show support for equity in the community. To learn about the available benefits, email Sandré Henriquez Nelson at davispride2015@gmail.com. To become a vendor or volunteer, visit https://www.davispride.org/. To learn more, visit the website, and follow Davis Pride on Facebook and Instagram.

(From press release) The Davis Progressive Business Exchange will meet from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, at Lamppost Pizza, 1260 Lake Blvd. in West Davis.

The topic will be DiSC, the Davis Innovation Sustainability Campus. After supporters spoke last month, Matt Williams will speak on May 4, representing the No on DiSC campaign. Davis voters will be asked to vote on this issue on June 7 as Measure H.

The public is invited to these free open forum events. Contact Bob Bockwinkel at 530-219-1896 or e-mail G Richard Yamagata at yamagata@dcn.org for  information.

(From press release) The League of Women Voters Davis Area will sponsor a nonpartisan election forum Saturday, May 7 on the District 2 race for Yolo County Supervisor.

The event will be run from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers at 23 Russell Blvd. in Davis. Free tickets are available on Eventbrite at  yolosupervisorforum.eventbrite.com.

Davis Media Access will record the event and make the video available to voters.

Davis City Councilmember Lucas Frerichs and local climate activist Juliette Beck are competing to replace incumbent Supervisor Don Saylor, who is not running for re-election. His term expires at the end of 2022.

District 2 covers southwest Yolo County, including Winters, West Davis, parts of central Davis and the area between Winters and Davis. Jim Provenza represents District 4 on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, which also includes parts of Davis. His term does not expire until Dec. 31, 2024.

Frerichs has served on the Davis City Council since 2012. A long-time former staffer in the California State Assembly, he currently works as associate director of state policy for The Nature Conservancy and serves on the boards of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, the Yolo County Transportation District, Valley Clean Energy, and the Yolo Habitat Conservancy.

An ecologist, Beck helped initiate a Climate Strike advocacy movement in 2018 that gathers in Davis Central Park every Friday at noon. In 2020, she helped establish a Yolo County Climate Action Commission to address climate change. When schools closed for the pandemic, she worked with educators, parents, and UC Davis students to fund a free youth summer camp that focuses on ecology and community activism. 

Davis resident Donna Neville will moderate the forum. A semi-retired lawyer, she currently chairs the City of Davis Finance and Budget Committee. She worked as an attorney for the Office of the Legislative Counsel early in her career and later was chief legal counsel to two state agencies: the California State Auditor’s Office and the State Board of Education.

(From press release) Clothing tells us the truth about age. In a world where fast fashion is becoming increasingly wasteful and creating a larger carbon footprint, The Wardrobe has been and continues to be focused on promoting slow fashion that is sustainable and long-lasting.

Owner Heather Caswell has generally carried very small clothing lines in her store, focusing on unique clothing that is often made by local designers. Caswell promotes California Chic fashions which are colorful, comfortable, well made, playful but, more importantly, ethically sourced.

She believes that the boutique is both a reflection of her own attitude and of the Davis community where it has been located and reinvented over the past 34 years.

The Wardrobe is now in its 3rd location and has been a regional leader in carrying locally sourced goods. Eighty percent of their inventory is made in North America and a quarter of it is made right here in California. Each year Caswell makes a choice to have a more environmentally conscious business model and reduce the store's carbon footprint.

Some of the practices they follow include using recycled bags and boxes (since day one), switching to LED lights, maintaining HEPA filters, and using natural non-toxic cleaning methods that are proven to make a difference. Every year they try to take another ecologically responsive step forward: last year they stopped using foil printed labels and logos.

Ada Vox (Julián P. Ledezma/Courtesy photo)

(From press release) Drag queen singer Ada Vox and pop music’s OneUp Duo will headline the June 12 Davis Pride Festival. The music is part of a weekend of activities in downtown Davis that celebrate International LGBTQ+ Month.

Vox was a semi-finalist in ABC’s “American Idol” in 2020, and the runner up this year on the Paramount+ drag queen singing competition “Queen of the Universe.” The San Antonio-based singer lists her influences as Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle. Notable performances include The Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun,” Jennifer Holiday’s “And I am Telling You I am Not Going,” and Journey’s “Open Arms.” She was the first drag queen in Idol’s history to make its Top 8. She recently released her first single, “Because of You.”

OneUp Duo (Courtesy photo)

OneUp Duo is a Detroit-based pop/soul vocal combo comprised of husbands Adam and Jerome Bell-Bastien. The team was a finalist on NBC’s “The Voice” in 2018, serving under coach Kelly Clarkson. The couple rose to fame with their blind audition video of The Spinners’ “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love?” The pair was the show’s first same-sex duo, and known for dynamic, high-energy performances. OneUp Duo’s new single is “TRN IT UP.”

Celebrate Davis Pride with several events, June 11 and 12 in Central Park, 301 C St. Produced by the Davis Phoenix Coalition, activities include:

(From press release) The Davis Odd Fellows invite the community to 'Music for Natalie 2022' on Saturday April 2nd from 12 to 5 pm at the Odd Fellows Lodge at 415 Second Street in downtown Davis. The event will be held outdoors at the back of the Odd Fellows and Lyons Realty properties.

Music for Natalie is free and open to all. As one Lodge member said, “Music for Natalie is an opportunity to celebrate the memory of Officer Corona. Her service to our community was special. We hope our scholarship program will encourage others to serve in similar ways”. There will be Handheld Sweet & Savory Pies, lemonade, a beer garden, and live music by local bands Major Six, Mike Blanchard and the Californios, and the Natalie Cortez Band. The music starts at 1 pm.

Music for Natalie is held annually and is part of the Odd Fellows’ outreach for the Officer Natalie Corona Odd Fellows Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship program was started to help high school seniors who want to follow in Natalie's footsteps and is funded by an endowment started by the Davis Odd Fellows Lodge. Information about the program and how to donate will be available at the event and also at the link below.

https://www.davislodge.org/officer-natalie-corona-odd-fellows-memorial-scholarship/

(From press release) Meet the current DA, Jeff Reisig, and his challenger, Cynthia Rodriguez in this public forum.

DA candidates will answer questions from the Yolo County Taxpayers Association and also from the public. This non-partisan forum will provide a platform to the DA candidates to inform the public on issues important to our vote.

TIME: Thursday, 3/10 at 7:00 PM

LOCATION: 1225 East Kentucky Ave., Woodland, CA 95695

Yolo County Taxpayers Association is a non-partisan, non-profit citizen association dedicated to Efficiency, Economy, and Equality in governmental affairs. Incorporated 1967.

Festival goers enjoy the Davis Pride Festival on June 13, 2021. (Robin Fadtke/Courtesy photo)

(From press release) The rainbows return to Davis’ Central Park in June for the Davis Pride Festival. Events include skating, a fun run, live music, drag queens, vendors and more – June 11 and 12.

The weekend of events, produced by the Davis Phoenix Coalition, begins with the Diva Disco Skate Night, starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 11 under the Davis Farmers Market Pavilion. The night will include music, lights and food trucks.

Sunday, June 12 begins at 8 a.m. with the Run for Equality, a 5K run or walk from Central Park, and a 1K Rainbow Run for children. At 11 a.m., the Davis Pride Festival begins at the park and pavilion, with local and international bands, a drag queen revue, educational booths, food, drink, and vendors in partnership with the Davis Craft and Vintage Market.

Other events include the rainbow painting of the crosswalks around Central Park early on May 29; a Drink with Pride Night at Sudwerk Brewing Company (date to be determined); and possibly a Bike Party Davis Ride with Pride.

June is International LGBTQ+ Month. Davis Pride is produced by Davis Phoenix Coalition, a nonprofit that works to foster diversity, eliminate intolerance, prevent hate-motivated violence and support LGBTQ+ youths. The coalition was founded in the aftermath of a 2013 anti-gay attack on Davis resident “Mikey” Partida. Proceeds from Davis Pride support the coalition’s anti-racism and anti-bullying campaigns, support to LGBTQ+ youths and their families, and outreach with area police departments, churches and schools. To donate, go to https://davisphoenixco.org/donate.

To support the event, be a vendor, volunteer, visit https://www.davispride.org/. To learn more details as they unfold, follow Davis Pride on Facebook and Instagram.

Hope in Difficult Times: An Interfaith Conversation

(From press release). The Celebration of Abraham, which is the only interfaith organization guided by the laity in Davis and Woodland, will hold another virtual celebration this year, Sunday February 6, 2022, 3 pm-4:30 pm. We deeply miss gathering with everyone in person and look forward to doing this again as soon as we can do so safely.

We recognize that the pandemic, environmental destruction, and political unrest continue to affect our well-being and therefore our ability to sustain ourselves as we face these challenges. For this year’s theme, “Hope in Difficult Times: An Interfaith Conversation,” we have chosen three young leaders to offer guidance grounded in their faith traditions: Leah Julian, Rabbinical Student; Tara Rogers-Soeder from the Davis United Methodist Church; and Omar Abdel-Ghaffar from Muslim Davis Engagement and Interfaith Network (DEIN). Our speakers will explore how we can live with hope without turning away from the difficulties that we face in our individual and collective lives. After hearing from the three speakers, we will invite attendees to discussion breakout rooms to share their thoughts.

Randy Farris will again lead us in singing Children of Abraham. We will raise donations for the International Rescue Committee. To sign up for the free event hosted on Zoom, please go to  http://bit.ly/COAHope. This link is case sensitive. You can also sign up by going to our website at http://www.celebrationofabraham.net.

(From press release) On Sunday, October 31st between 12pm–3pm ride along the Davis Bike Loop and encounter Zombies, brought to you by The Davis Odd Fellows Lodge, The Bike Campaign and nearly 70 sponsors, collaborators and media partners!

We are delighted to be partnered with Bike City Theatre Company and their team of sketch writers, directors and actors to provide an unforgettable experience! Join us for fun, laughs, photo ops, and a Mirror Image Dance Company Thriller performance!

THAT'S NOT ALL – Watch zombies fall from the sky, compliments of Skydance Skydiving (details to come)! Finally, join our after party in downtown Davis at Davis Common, at 500 1st Street, where attendees can enjoy a live DJ as well as a fantastic array of food, drink and dessert options from 3:30-5:30pm. Then it is time for the kids to trick-or-treat ? at dozens of downtown businesses!

There are NO ADMISSION FEES. This is a FREE community event. There is no starting or ending point for the bike ride. Riders can hop on the Davis Bike Loop at any location and ride in either direction. Details on Skydance Skydiving's zombie skydiving performance to come.

(From press release) What is our responsibility as people who live, work, or worship in Davis to the original inhabitants of this land? What is the legacy of environmental racism? How can we heal and repair the harm? These and other critical questions guide a new educational opportunity being offered to the community this fall.

The Episcopal Church of St. Martin will bring a series of lectures and workshops, Seeds of Justice, to Davis to highlight the work of scholars and cultural practitioners in this region - the ancestral homeland of the Patwin-Wintun people.

St. Martin’s developed the Seeds of Justice program to understand the racialized history of the land here in the epicenter of gold, greed and genocide. Through storytelling, discussions and hands-on workshops, participants will study the resistance and resilience of Native Californians to the ongoing social and environmental impacts of settlers in this region.

“We hope this will be a safe, honest and transformative space for our community to grapple with the legacy of injustice to this land and her people,” said Ann Liu, Chair of St. Martin’s Care for God’s Creation Committee. “Everyone is invited to come and learn with an open heart and mind.”

(From press release) Let’s Transform Downtown into a Summer Fest From August 13–15th! Attendees can expect hot summer deals & desserts during our 3-day Summer Treat Crawl, Northern California’s renowned cover band, Thunder Cover, and opportunities to make new friends over coffee and pastries at our Cars & Coffee meet!

The Davis Downtown Business Association (DDBA) is hosting and managing this exciting program, and we are delighted to do so to bring residents, students, families and visitors to downtown Davis for a chance to celebrate the Summer with open-air activities.

Miss Picnic in the Park? This program is for you.

We are thrilled to be hosting Northern California’s pop/rock cover band, Thunder Cover, coordinating with a large number of downtown businesses,  gathering classic car owners and owners of other unique vehicles (hot rods, electric, and custom cars), and working with community sponsors that make this all possible.

Participate in our downtown Summer Treat Crawl Friday through Sunday, which offers specials on ice cream, boba tea, iced coffee, and other desserts as well as a chance to win a $100 kid -themed gift basket! Details at  www.davisdowntown.com/summer-treat-crawl.

On day 2 of the extravaganza, we are celebrating the Summer with a 3-hour concert on G Street, where we are extending the outdoor pedestrian-only area between 2nd and 3rd Streets.

And on day 3, we will have our Cars & Coffee meet  from 10am to noon, complete with coffee from Pachamama Coffee and pastries from Upper Crust as well as the appearance of award-winning balloon artist, Dilly Dally the Clown for children. This event is great for families, friends and car enthusiasts.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook @DavisDowntown and Instagram @Davis.Downtown as we continue to release details on each event.

(From press release) For over a year, the Davis community has been demanding changes to how the city approaches public safety, including the creation of a new independent Department of Public Health and Safety that emphasizes preventive solutions instead of the reactionary and punitive measures employed by police officers. To accomplish this, the community has asked the City of Davis to reduce the police budget and transfer those resources to properly fund this new department. After reviewing this year’s proposed budget, Davis community leaders are disappointed by the complete lack of consideration for community demands regarding increased health and safety resources. The city is considering hiring more police officers, and this year’s budget includes no new funding for social services and actually increases the police budget. 

A new department could employ social workers, civil servants, and mental healthcare professionals to take on tasks like mental and behavioral health calls, welfare checks, code enforcement, traffic enforcement, noise complaints, and more.

This Tuesday, June 15th,  Yolo Democratic Socialists of America held a car caravan through downtown Davis ending with a protest at City Hall to pressure Davis City Council to adopt a budget that reflects the community’s values. The budget is set to be adopted on June 22nd.

Davis Pride volunteers move stencils on May 10, 2019, while painting temporary chalk on a Fifth Street crosswalk in Davis. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

(From press release) Rainbow crosswalks, live music, drag queens and skating are all on the calendar as Davis celebrates June is Pride Month.

The Davis Pride Festival will be Sunday, June 13 in Central Park, 401 C St., Davis. Several activities lead up to and follow that celebration:

On Thursday, May 27, Davis Phoenix Coalition representatives will speak at the virtual Davis Chamber of Commerce meeting. The presentation will offer practical tips on how businesses can be welcoming to LGBTQ+ individuals. Participants will receive a rainbow poster to hang in store windows that show their support of Pride Month.

The popular rainbow crosswalks will be painted around Central Park on Sunday, May 30. Volunteers will begin spraying the temporary chalk paint at 6 a.m., and continue until about 11 a.m. To volunteer, go to http://bit.ly/rainbowcrosswalks.

Davis Pride volunteers spray temporary chalk paint on a sidewalk on Fifth Street in Davis in May 2019. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

(From press release) The rainbows will return this year, with a modified Davis Pride Festival in June. Events include live music, drag queens, Rollerblading and more.

While organizers finalize the details, here’s an outline of the plans so far:

Thursday, May 27: At 10 a.m., Davis Phoenix Coalition representatives will speak at the virtual Davis Chamber of Commerce meeting. The presentation will offer practical tips on how businesses can be welcoming to LGBTQ individuals. Participants will receive a rainbow poster to hang in store windows that show their support of Davis Pride.

Sunday, May 30: Volunteers will paint rainbows on the crosswalks surrounding Central Park. Painting will begin at 5 a.m. on Sunday, May 30 and continue until about 11 a.m. To volunteer, go to http://bit.ly/rainbowcrosswalks. Meanwhile, the city will hang Davis Pride rainbow banners throughout town, on display throughout June.