By Scott Steward

There have been multiple events, locally and regionally, voicing support for an end to violence in Israel and Palestine.  These voices are American voices.  These Americans do not agree with the unwavering support of Israel's government, and they have all condemned the killing of innocent civilians. 

The recent conflict was sparked on October 7 by Hamas firing thousands of rockets toward southern and central Israel in conjunction with Hamas militants, many on motorcycles, who stormed blockaded areas of the Gaza Strip, shooting at Jewish settlers and slaughtering people at kibbutzim and small towns, reportedly taking Israeli citizens as hostages (source).  Israel has retaliated with massive airstrikes; Palestinian civilians have also been killed.

Photos of Yesterday's Rally

Yesterday several hundred people attended the Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights demonstration yesterday in front of the State capital.

Last Saturday ten thousand people marched through San Francisco to demand an end to the genocide in Gaza and support the Palestinian people in their struggle against apartheid and occupation.

On October 18th several community and campus organizations hosted an Emergency Teach In: Palestine Now that was a standing room only event in Young Hall.

The voices at these rallies all want Israel to exist in harmony. The dominant message peace and freedom for all.  Ultimately it is up to Israeli's and Palestinians and the nations around them to sort out peace.  Our government needs to stop contributing to the long festering conflict. Current policy asks us to reinforce Zionistic goals of racial/religious dominance, and this has greatly reinforced extremism at home.

Free event presented by UC Davis Global Affairs and the City of Davis Arts & Cultural Affairs

Tania is one of four protagonists in “FROM HERE,” a documentary on the immigration experience screening on Thursday, Nov. 2 at Veterans Memorial Theatre in Davis. (Film still courtesy of With Wings and Roots)

(From press release)  UC Davis Global Affairs and the City of Davis Arts & Cultural Affairs Program present a free screening on Thursday, Nov. 2 of “FROM HERE,” a documentary illustrating the struggles of immigration and integration.

The event is from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Theatre in Davis, at 213 E. 14th St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with several interactive elements for patrons. The film is 90 minutes long, followed by a question-and-answer session with Director Christina Antonakos-Wallace and two of the film’s protagonists, Tania and Sonny. Refreshments will be served. Organizers request an RSVP at http://bit.ly/fromherescreening. 

Filmed over a decade in two of the world’s largest immigration cities – New York and Berlin – the sensitive and nuanced documentary captures the journeys of four young people caught in the crosshairs of immigration debates. The film is a coming-of-age portrait of people working through migration, citizenship and growing nationalism on both sides of the Atlantic. The documentary seeks to define what it means to “belong” as immigrants.  

As the U.S. and Europe grapple with rising nationalism and movements against increasing diversity, “FROM HERE” offers a fresh perspective on the issues of immigration and belonging. The film is an intimate yet epic look at the stories of four children of immigrants, Tania, Miman, Sonny and Akim, as they move from their 20s into their 30s and face major turning points in their lives: fighting for citizenship, starting families and finding room for creative expression. See the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/109329686.

Caltrans failure to do corridor wide EIR negated transit, wastes billions and did not call out cut thru impacts

 by Alan Hirsch, Yolo Mobility  

Transit works best as a network- you won’t get transit ridership if you just build just 1 or 5 miles of light rail, or upgrade just a few miles of Amtrak to 100mph service. You need to have interconnected regional system, especially with our dispersed land use patterns.  

Below is a Caltrans map from the long-hidden corridor plan, the “I-80  CMCP” shows the many widenings has planned or started in the  I-80 Corridor. These types of corridor plans, first required by SB1 (2017) reveal for the first time “piece-mealing” of freeway widening, I.E., breaking a corridor widening into  many small separate projects.   Each separate project is studied separately thru alternative analysis/EIR process so to assure transit alternative are small stand-and never pencil. And many of  project are so small they don’t even require at EIR.   

If fact, this is why piece-mealing is a violation of California Environmental Law. It has been cited by many others including a recent hi level whistleblower as how Caltrans systematically gets around environmental laws designed to address climate change.  

The corridor plan for I-80 (I-80 CMCP) was not released to public on Caltrans website until May of 2023, over 9 months after the Yolo80 EIR alternative were selected. In fact, this corridor plan did compare transit  vs highway alternatives. It concluded upgrading the Capitol Corridor Rail service to 100 MPH is 15x more cost effective to move people than the entire bundle of freeway widening shown on map (see Vanguard article).  

With many of the widening construction already are underway, one can wonder how many billions (with a B) of dollars in taxpayer money are being poorly spend because of this setup by Caltrans to preordain a result ? What sort of set back does this represent on meeting the state climate plan that required us to reduce driving and well as shift to electric cars to reduce our GHG’s. 

One can also note the Yolo causeway “bottle neck” and cut thru traffic in Davis did not just happen:  it was created by Caltrans by widening freeway to the west and it impact on Davis section of I-80  s shown clearly in  traffic studies.   

As for collaboration with communities in the developing corridor plans, a public record request of Yolobus/Yolo TD found no records in its files it was involved in developing the plan, and Caltrans has never presented the final or preliminary report or involved YoloTD board or Davis City or its Commissions in its development in a substantive way. Yet Caltrans lists these entities, as well as citizens groups like Bike Davis as involved with its development. Caltrans neglect of considering community impact is shown by Caltrans failure to list “reduce cut thru traffic” as a goal/purpose/need for their proposed Causeway widening on its project website. 

SAVE THE DATE: A Freeway Teach-In Nov 8th  

Davis Futures Forum on the Future of the I-80 Corridor 

Wed, Nov 8th 7:00-8:30  Davis Community Church Fellowship Hall, 412 C street 

I-80 traffic congestion is frustrating even the most patient among us! The Caltrans proposed solution has been to increase the number of traffic lanes, however many Davis citizens have expressed strong opposition noting the need for transportation alternatives. Further, a high level Caltrans executive has accused her peers of violating environmental laws by underestimating the negative impacts of the proposal. And research at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies shows that attempts to address congestion by adding lanes only works for a short time before the lanes are filled again by new drivers. 

What is the solution? The public is invited to explore this question at a Davis Futures Forum talk and panel discussion. The keynote speaker is Professor Susan Handy, the renowned head of the National Center for Sustainable Development. Her presentation will be followed by a diverse response panel who will give us their thoughts about how best to move forward. The event will be held Wednesday, Nov 8th at 7pm in at the Davis Community Church. Please sign up in advance and you will receive advance material, a link to the real-time zoom and YouTube recording of the teach-in. 

By Larry D. Guenther

We often hear from developers that a building required by existing zoning “doesn’t pencil out” and that they therefore must be allowed to build bigger. Several issues make this claim suspect.

First, developers never show the math they use to make this statement. Never.

Secondly, there appears to be no set building size that does ‘pencil out’. Proponents always ask for one more story. If the zoning is two stories, they insist it won’t work, but three will. If the zoning is 3, they need 4. If the zoning is 4, they need 5, etc.

Thirdly, there are plenty of examples that contradict these statements: the Roe Building on the SW corner of 3rd and C St. (3 stories, mixed use); Central Park West across from Central Park (2-1/2 stories, residential); Pizza and Pints (1 story, commercial); the most recent Ace Hardware addition on 3rd St. (1 story, commercial); The Arbors on C St. (3 stories, mixed use); the building on the SW corner of G and 5th St. (3 stories, mixed use), etc.

Fourth: developers site the increase in material costs as part of their reasoning (the number 15% is suspiciously common and has been cited before and during the Pandemic). While material costs definitely increase over time, they certainly increase far less than residential rents. Material costs are also a one-time expense, while rental income continues - and increases - for the life of the building.

Dear Friends,

We are overwhelmed with grief over the violence in Israel and Gaza. We know that the feelings of many of the members of our community regardless of their religious tradition are raw. Folks are exhausted and confused as we all try to understand the atrocities visited on our brothers and sisters that are resulting from the conflict. As the Celebration of Abraham tried to discern how to respond, we received the International House email that expressed that group’s distress and then affirmed the statement developed by the University of California Davis Cross-Cultural Center. The carefully crafted statement of the Cross-Cultural Center reflected the Celebration of Abraham’s thinking and, so we like International House are choosing to uphold the following statement:

“While no statement or message can encompass the historical breadth and political depth of this complex conflict, we want to acknowledge that the language and narratives used by media and in various statements can compound and increase feelings of vulnerability and distress.

We recognize that words matter and are concerned about dangerous rhetoric that can lead to increased anti-Arab sentiment, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia. This impact can include but is not limited to, people feeling unsafe emotionally and physically due to doxxing, surveillance, threats, and fear of voicing their opinion or perspective.

As a community, we encourage folks to be mindful of where they receive information, apply critical thinking skills when evaluating sources, and be open to deepening their knowledge around multiple perspectives.”

We, like International House, thank the UC Davis Cross Cultural Center for naming concerns and encouraging thoughtful consideration. We also thank the International House for reminding us that if we work to deepen our knowledge of others and practice deep compassion, we can realize what connects us as humans is stronger than the difference that divides us.

With a prayer for peace for all,

Helen Roland Cramer, Chair

Celebration of Abraham

4:00pm - 5:00 pm: A hands-on family-friendly workshop on Wintun acorn preparationwith Diana Almendariz (Patwin/Wintun cultural practitioner/artist)

5:15 -6:30 pm: A community conversation on the intersection of Indigeneity and Diaspora with Diana Almendariz, Stan Padilla (Yaqui artist), Danny Manning (Maidu/Diné, Fire Chief, Greenville Rancheria)

By Scott Steward

What do you say to a flash mob climate action watch party?   Varsity Theater owner Sinisa Novakovic successfully brought the film Common Ground to DAVIS during the films premiering run (many thanks). The closest theater was San Rafael.  

What does this mean?  That you can bike to see what Climate Change Solutions looks like.  I’ll be going to one of the two showings today (4:10 and 6:00 Sunday - today). There are 2 other showings Monday and Thursday at 6:00

Common Ground provides many answers to how we get ourselves out of this climate catastrophe.  

I will see the Davis showing, 616 Second Street, and I would also like to hear directly from the Common Ground directors at the San Rafael showing on October 22nd.  I already bought a ticket for that show too :).

The Common Ground Trailer is HERE!

May we find inspiration in the film and take action amidst the havoc of desperation caused by those that wield terrible powers of which we must dispatch from them as quickly as possible and find our additional power in that act - and also do that as quickly as possible.

The living earth demands no less.  Common Ground summary follows.

Common Ground is the highly anticipated sequel to the juggernaut success documentary, Kiss the Ground, which touched over 1 billion people globally and inspired the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to put $20 billion toward soil health. The film profiles a hopeful and uplifting movement of white, black, and indigenous farmers who are using alternative “regenerative” models of agriculture that could balance the climate, save our health, and stabilize America’s economy – before it’s too late.

Study: Average speed difference trivial if toll lanes added; HOV lanes don’t work.

By Alan Hirsch, Yolo Mobility 

If you read deeply and critically into Caltrans documents, you will often find a number of things  acknowledged- inconvenient truth not always shared with elected officials.

 City and County elected officials rely on agency staff to give honest and complete presentation of objective findings.  However, the reality is elected official are very vulnerable if an agency’s staff is committed to pursue a pre-ordained solution. Staff can bending their analysis or make strategic omissions of information in their presentation. These are rarely caught by elected official who don’t have time to read, much less understand the reports.

Then it’s up a rare whistleblower and or nerdy gadflies to protect the public interest by catching this, and making public comments to elected who otherwise don’t have time to read everything.

But in the end, it up courageous electeds, who are willing to both listen to the outsiders, and are then open to changing their minds, if the agency solution is be questioned if its pre-ordained solution is in the public good.

This manipulation of data  does come from all Government agencies, or even most, but this Machiavellian approach to public policy can hard backed  into  the culture of some.

By Aaron Wedra of the Davis Odd Fellows

VISIT DAVIS, CALIFORNIA, HOME OF THE WEST COAST’S ZOMBIE BIKE RIDE HALLOWEEKEND FESTIVAL from Friday, October 27th through Sunday, October 29th. Encounter endless Halloween spectacles, including mad scientists, rotting robots, dancing dead, electrifying e-bikes, karate, fencing, laser marksmanship, and a skydiving grand finale! The Davis Odd Fellows and The Bike Campaign are delighted to partner with more than 150 sponsors, collaborators, and media partners to provide unforgettable Halloweekend experiences!

The Zombie Bike Ride’s mission has always been to make bicycling available to everyone, including children with disabilities. Over the past four years, event organizers have raised funds (primarily from sponsors) and donated more than $22,000 to Norcal Trykers, an organization that creates custom tricycles for children with special needs. Each tricycle costs about $1,000 to make, and funds from our events have provided 23 children with custom tricycles so far. These children get to experience the freedom of riding on a bicycle and feeling the wind in their hair for the first time. With the help of our generous sponsors, we have been able to raise money for our beneficiary, Norcal Trykers, while keeping our events almost entirely FREE to the public! More opportunities to donate to Norcal Trykers are available along the bike route and by registering at www.posh.vip/e/5th-annual-zombie-bike-parade. Registration is completely optional, but is recommended for saving the date, receiving day-of-event announcements, and being automatically entered into a raffle for a "Greg the Zombie" plushy that lets you pull out his brain, heart, and guts!

If you’re visiting from out of town, arrive early with your family and friends on Friday and experience all that Davis has to offer: art, culture, a vibrant night life, and wonderful lodging. Book a room in one of our 12 hotels/motels, visit the UC Davis Arboretum & Public Garden, and stroll our downtown. Don’t forget to bring, buy, or rent a bike! Davis boasts a variety bike shops, including our featured partners: Davis Cyclery, Green Bicycle Depot, and the Bike Garage. Additionally, the City of Davis has partnered with SPIN bikes and scooters, and you’ll be able to find rentals throughout town. Download the app with the bright red icon.

(From press release) Sheila Allen, RN, Ph.D., and candidate for Yolo County Supervisor, invites the Davis and surrounding community to three events.

Diners enjoy wine at The Village Feast in October 2021. (Ashley Muir Bruhn/Courtesy photo)

(From press release) The 20^th anniversary of The Village Feast is Sunday, Oct. 22 in Davis’ Central Park. The community meal that celebrates the region’s harvest is from noon to 4 p.m. under the shade of the Davis Farmers Market Pavilion, 301 C St.

Presented by Davis Farm to School and the Les Dames d’Escoffier International, Sacramento, The Village Feast is a fundraiser for food and agricultural education in the greater Sacramento area. The meal follows the late-summer feasts of Provence, France, in the grand aïoli tradition, uniting people and food for a long, leisurely alfresco meal.

As in years past, each meal begins with appetizers of olives, nuts, local wines and fresh baguettes. The meal is served family-style, with passed platters of heirloom tomatoes drizzled with local olive oil, steamed and grilled local vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and bowls of garlic-scented aïoli. Next comes the grilled lamb and summer white bean salad, then a fruit galette for dessert.

Tickets are $165 per person until sold out. Attendees may reserve tables of eight for $1,320. Tickets are available at https://thevillagefeast2023.eventbrite.com.

The silent auction will be online, available to anyone. Bids open on Oct. 8 and close at 6 p.m. on Oct. 22. It includes dozens of items and experiences donated by chefs, restaurants, wineries and community members. Participants bid on items by downloading the free Auctria smartphone app at https://www.auctria.com/blog/auctria-mobile-app/.

For more information, email Rachael Levine at [email protected]

(From press release) Upstander Carnival, a free event for elementary-age children, will return to Davis’ Central Park on Saturday, Oct. 21. As part of National Bullying Prevention Month, the annual fair teaches youngsters to identify and stand up to bullying.

The Davis Phoenix Coalition launched the carnival in 2015. This year, it’s from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the sycamore grove of Davis’ Central Park, Fourth and C streets. The event runs concurrently with the Davis Farmers Market, which is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in Central Park.

Participants go through six stations of brief, interactive lessons, where they practice inclusion, deal with cyberbullying and learn helpful skills. After getting a stamp at each station, students get to enter the fun zone, where they may play in a bounce house, get snacks like popcorn or cotton candy, play games, and get their face painted.

Davis Phoenix Coalition founder Gloria Partida, who serves on the Davis City Council, said, “The main focus is to give kids and families resources for what to do if they experience or witness bullying.” Children leave with four concrete responses that work in various situations.

Parents or guardians must sign a waiver for their child to participate. Partida encourages parents to walk the stations with their kids.

The Upstander Carnival is coordinated by an all-volunteer community formed by the Davis Phoenix Coalition, a nonprofit that works to foster diversity, eliminate intolerance, prevent hate-motivated violence, and support LGBTQ+ youths in Davis and surrounding communities.

Learn more at https://davisphoenixco.org/

(From press release) Sheila Allen, RN, Ph.D., currently serving as Deputy to Supervisor Jim Provenza, has officially announced her campaign for Yolo County Supervisor (District 4). The Primary Election will be held in March 2024. Supervisor Provenza, who was first elected to the Davis Joint Unified School Board in 2003, announced in late April that after 45 years in public service; he will not seek re-election.

Sheila and her husband, Mitch, moved to Davis to raise their family. Sheila immediately became active in the community and has been an energetic and effective advocate over the years. Sheila’s enthusiasm is clear when she says, “I am excited to bring my nearly three decades of successful local experience supporting Davis families, a rich understanding of the community I love, and a tenacious optimism to county-level decision-making. My passion and life’s work are to bring people together to address local problems and needs. I care about and have served the youngest to the oldest in our community. As we plan for our future, we always have to remember that our choices impact residents' day-to-day lives, and that is really what matters. I thank Supervisor Provenza for his 4 terms of service to Yolo County, his endorsement, and the opportunity to serve as Deputy Supervisor for District 4.”

Stated during general public comment at the City Council Meeting 2023-10-04

The Davis Police Department issued a statement on recent events (https://www.davisvanguard.org/2023/09/police-chief-responds-to-bomb-threats-warns-of-criminal-prosecution/)  I agree with much of the statement, but a few things disturbed me:

Trees damaged by light strings

City Staff Ask City Council to Remove Protections for Downtown Trees Tonight

by Colin Walsh

Please let City Council know Davis wants its downtown trees protected. Email  [email protected], or call and leave a comment between noon and 4pm today (530) 757-5693. You can also attend the City council meeting tonight – it is expected to be heard at 8pm.

For 20 years Davis staff have put lights in Downtown Davis Trees, often damaging the trees, even though it is a violation of Davis City Code.  Over the summer the City went to do regular trimming and maintenance for downtown trees and had to remove all of the lights because the situation had gotten so bad, damaging trees and causing unsafe conditions with exposed electrical outlets and wires. Now the City wants to put the lights back up and are proposing to change the law to do so – but are including no protections for the trees to assure no more trees are damaged by the lights.

It is possible to have a tree lights program for downtown trees, but there needs to be best practices for how to install them and funding to maintain them or take them down before they harm trees. The proposed Davis plan does not include any of that. They are just changing city law to eliminate tree protections.

Many other cities ban tree lights completely. Some cities limit lights to 1 or 2 month a year because wires wrapped around trees inevitably interfere with three growth and can even kill trees. Still other cities have permit processes that assure inspection and a revenue stream for maintenance. Davis is opting for none of those, and just eliminating the law that protects trees.

Please let council know hurting Davis trees is not OK!

For more information the City staff report is available here:

https://documents.cityofdavis.org/Media/Default/Documents/PDF/CityCouncil/CouncilMeetings/Agendas/2023/2023-10-03/06-Modification-of-Municipal-Code-Chapter-37.pdf

Not much going on in Davis these days . . . coming up short on starter topics . . . #sigh# . . . anyone?

By Scott Steward

Yolo County Supervisors placed a temporary pause on new Yolo ag well water permits until the local regional water agency can put the data and analysis together to, more certainly, tell the story about the water under our feet.

This is the story about the water that we depend on for thriving local ag and the precious remainder of our beleaguered biome in Yolo, and the greater Sacramento valley.   On July 11th farmers and residents testified to the Yolo Board of Supervisors about their experience (Davisite 7/2023) with receding well water and wells going dry.  The principal cause identified as newer/bigger wells drafting water for previously unirrigated land for perennial trees (nuts) and vines.

On September 12th, the Board consider options that included a moratorium on new well applications. Between the July BOS meeting and the 9/12 meeting, staff and the Director of the Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency were to help the Board with more Data.  At this last meeting we found out that the data is just not ready and so, in absence of any evidence not to act more conservatively, the Board unanimously chose a 45 day moratorium option. 

Supervisor Frerichs brought the final motion "I have heard from farmers and many many residents who are supportive of this (the moratorium option)." The moratorium is not blanket, specifying Clarksburg and other areas as exempt, but generally placing the restriction on the areas experiencing water table drops.

21^st Annual Request for Proposals

Proposals due October 20, 2023

(From press release) Nonprofit organizations are invited to submit applications to the Biberstein Social Action Fund for grants in support of projects addressing poverty, discrimination, abuse and neglect, and the promotion of social justice in Yolo County.

The Biberstein Social Action Fund was established in 2002 by the Board of Directors of Congregation Bet Haverim to honor Ernie and Hannah Biberstein, who are among the founding members of CBH, and who devoted much of their lives to community service and social justice. Hannah passed away in April 2011. This is the 21st Anniversary of the Fund.

The goal of the annual awards made from the Biberstein Social Action Fund is to help Yolo County organizations in their efforts to meet unfulfilled needs. “In light of all the budget cuts in social services, we hope that grants like ours can make a difference,” Hannah Biberstein had said. “It means a lot to us that real individuals benefit from our grants.” Special consideration is given to new and/or innovative projects.

An annual Call for Proposals is released each Fall. Grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 are awarded in December. The Biberstein Fund members review the proposals. Current Biberstein Fund members include Congregation Bet Haverim partners Ernie Biberstein, Amy Abramson, Anne Gieseke, Sandy Jones, Joan Sublett, Shoshana Zatz, and Rabbis Bess Wohlner and Jeremy Simons.

Information about the Biberstein Award, including a link to the application, is available on the CBH website: https://www.bethaverim.org/engage/committees/biberstein-social-action-fund/

Grant proposals must be submitted no later than October 20, 2023. Questions may be directed to the Biberstein Social Action Fund at: [email protected]. Awards will be announced in December 2023.

Please accept our apologies, but the Davisite needs to go down for maintenance. We hope to be back by the end of the weekend. 

The weather is going to be lovely this weekend – we hope you are able to get out and enjoy it.

NOT "REAL" - PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING PRESS RELEASE IS - "NOT REAL"  (It is my "duty" to tell you that ;-) )

This was produced in about 3 seconds by ChatGPT.  The input to ChatGPT to produce this fake press release follows below.  At the Davis Vanguard they give you a real press releases produced by real people using real quotes.  Here at Al's Corner, we give you a false press release produced by artificial intelligence!  Because we care.

[Joint Statement]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A Joint Statement From The Davis Joint Unified School District, Davis City, and Yolo County, Regarding and Condemning The Bomb Threats of September 20, 2023

[Davis, CA, September 21, 2023] - The Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD), the City of Davis, and Yolo County stand united in condemning the series of bomb threats that occurred on September 20, 2023, targeting educational institutions and public spaces within our community. Such acts of terror have no place in our society, and we are committed to working collaboratively to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents, especially our students and educators.

This shocking incident has not only disrupted our peaceful community but has also instilled fear and anxiety among our residents. We want to assure everyone that we take these threats seriously, and our law enforcement agencies are actively investigating the matter to identify those responsible. The safety and security of our community remain our utmost priority.

We call upon our community members to remain vigilant, report any suspicious activity promptly, and support one another during these trying times. Together, we will stand strong and resilient against such threats to our cherished community.

Statement by DJUSD Board of Education President Lea Darrah

"As President of the DJUSD Board of Education, I am deeply saddened by the events that unfolded on September 20th. Our schools are meant to be safe havens for learning and growth. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the security of our students and staff, and we stand with our community against acts of violence."

Statement by Yolo County Supervisor Jim Provenza

"Yolo County condemns these despicable acts in the strongest possible terms. Our community is founded on principles of peace, unity, and compassion. We are committed to supporting law enforcement in bringing those responsible to justice and will provide resources to help our community heal."

Statement by Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs

"As a representative of Yolo County, I am appalled by the threat to our community's safety. We must remember that unity and resilience are our strengths. We will emerge from this challenge stronger than ever, determined to protect our residents and maintain the harmony we hold dear."

Statement by City of Davis Mayor Will Arnold

"Davis is a community that values education, inclusivity, and peace. The recent bomb threats are an affront to these principles. Our city stands shoulder to shoulder with DJUSD and Yolo County, committed to ensuring the safety of our citizens and the preservation of our shared values."

#####

INPUT:  "ChatGPT, please write me a one page press release that is A Joint Statement From The Davis Joint Unified School District, Davis City, and Yolo County, Regarding and Condemning The Bomb Threats of September 20, 2023. Include a joint statement for about half the page, and then individual, 2-3 sentence statements from four persons: DJUSD Board of Education President Lea Darrah, Yolo County Supervisor Jim Provenza, Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, City of Davis Mayor Will Arnold. Make each individual statement unique and in their style of making statements. Have each individual statement in a paragraph under a title in bold that includes each of the four people’s name and title. Place each of the individual statements within the bounds of quotation marks."