The end of weird Davis?
Professor John Lofland in his chronicle of Davis describes the transition from Davis as eco-city and a hero to progressives across the country to “weird Davis.”
He writes:
“By the early 1990s, Davis was receiving little media attention… But then something odd happened. In 1993, the media spotlight shone on Davis again. However, this time it was negative. Instead of being a hero, the town was treated as a weird and quirky fool. Other negative labels included goofy, odd, eccentric, and flaky.”
Chief among these “weird” ideas was the idea of creating a tunnel under the Pole Line overpass to serve as a corridor by which toads could safely pass.
The Sacramento Bee this week reports on a study that was undertaken.
“No record occurs of the tunnel ever being used by a toad,” said John McNerney, Davis wildlife resource specialist. “It was well- intentioned but not successful.”
The toad tunnel, installed a dozen years ago this summer under a new over-crossing ramp, was intended to prevent the amphibians from being squished by cars.
Apparently, the toads never used the tunnel enough, if at all, and the population of toads that once hopped around the area has died out.
Since we have now symbolically put to rest the stereotype of “weird” Davis by burying one of its chief iconic embodiments, perhaps we can get back to the Davis of 1970s and early 1980s as being on the forefront of environmentalism and civil rights. I suggest we start by not gutting the city’s 23 year old anti-discrimination ordinance, but that’s just me.
Saylor’s Freudian Slip
It’s election time. Okay, not election time in the sense that elections are imminent, but election time in the sense that people are acting like they are candidates.
Anyone witnessing the last three plus years of the city council, is under little illusion that Don Saylor is any sort of liberal. And yet, he’s now trying to at least look the role.
Sources told me that just recently Saylor has posted a “war is not the answer” lawn sign on his property. This from the man who abstained from the council’s anti-war vote back in 2005.
More recently, Saylor has been on the forefront of the health care campaign. This past Sunday he spoke before the Davis Democratic Club’s Champagne Brunch and trumpeted the new movie, “SICKO,” by Michael Moore. One problem is that he kept referring to him as Roger Moore. Someone finally had to correct him and point out that Roger Moore was one of the bad actors who replaced Sean Connery as James Bond. Saylor quipped, “it’s a good thing I’m among friends.” Indeed. I know, Michael Moore did “Roger and Me.” But come on, Saylor is not a Michael Moore fan.
It’s a good thing for the rest of us that we are not fooled by such transparent overtures.
My Day as a Fire Fighter
I arranged with the Davis Fire Department to go on a ride along. Unfortunately, I fell pray to the notorious “ride along” jinx. This jinx apparently besets all ride along people and means that you get almost no action the day of your ride along. Indeed I was shown the log on the days leading up to my ride along versus the day of my ride along.
I had one call and that was to the police department. I’m thinking, I’ve already seen the police department on my police ride along.
—Doug Paul Davis reporting
My view… Spontaneous public participation by the Postal employees with their toad Sudwerks “village” along with the transcendant concept that toads too, have inalienable rights to exist make the toad tunnel the best example of Davis public art that we have. NO matter that no toads have crossed the road.. it is the idea that matters. By the way, I am told that there are tunnels like this under roads in Europe that do function.
My view… Spontaneous public participation by the Postal employees with their toad Sudwerks “village” along with the transcendant concept that toads too, have inalienable rights to exist make the toad tunnel the best example of Davis public art that we have. NO matter that no toads have crossed the road.. it is the idea that matters. By the way, I am told that there are tunnels like this under roads in Europe that do function.
My view… Spontaneous public participation by the Postal employees with their toad Sudwerks “village” along with the transcendant concept that toads too, have inalienable rights to exist make the toad tunnel the best example of Davis public art that we have. NO matter that no toads have crossed the road.. it is the idea that matters. By the way, I am told that there are tunnels like this under roads in Europe that do function.
My view… Spontaneous public participation by the Postal employees with their toad Sudwerks “village” along with the transcendant concept that toads too, have inalienable rights to exist make the toad tunnel the best example of Davis public art that we have. NO matter that no toads have crossed the road.. it is the idea that matters. By the way, I am told that there are tunnels like this under roads in Europe that do function.
Considered the resolution disrespectful, I meant. I also didn’t mean to post anonymously!
Considered the resolution disrespectful, I meant. I also didn’t mean to post anonymously!
Considered the resolution disrespectful, I meant. I also didn’t mean to post anonymously!
Considered the resolution disrespectful, I meant. I also didn’t mean to post anonymously!
Funny I consider the war itself disrespectful of our service members. I don’t see how asking us to withdraw our troops and save their lives is disrespectful.
Don, I understand that your son (I think) is serving, but understand this, all many of us want is his safe return. That’s not a disrespect to our service members, that is a respect for their lives to mean more than one unfortunate decision by our disgraceful administration.
Funny I consider the war itself disrespectful of our service members. I don’t see how asking us to withdraw our troops and save their lives is disrespectful.
Don, I understand that your son (I think) is serving, but understand this, all many of us want is his safe return. That’s not a disrespect to our service members, that is a respect for their lives to mean more than one unfortunate decision by our disgraceful administration.
Funny I consider the war itself disrespectful of our service members. I don’t see how asking us to withdraw our troops and save their lives is disrespectful.
Don, I understand that your son (I think) is serving, but understand this, all many of us want is his safe return. That’s not a disrespect to our service members, that is a respect for their lives to mean more than one unfortunate decision by our disgraceful administration.
Funny I consider the war itself disrespectful of our service members. I don’t see how asking us to withdraw our troops and save their lives is disrespectful.
Don, I understand that your son (I think) is serving, but understand this, all many of us want is his safe return. That’s not a disrespect to our service members, that is a respect for their lives to mean more than one unfortunate decision by our disgraceful administration.
Looking good in the firefighting uniform!
Looking good in the firefighting uniform!
Looking good in the firefighting uniform!
Looking good in the firefighting uniform!
Was that a picture of Michael Moore in the fireman’s outfit?
Was that a picture of Michael Moore in the fireman’s outfit?
Was that a picture of Michael Moore in the fireman’s outfit?
Was that a picture of Michael Moore in the fireman’s outfit?
count me in as another supporter of the 70s-80s “progressive davis.” our ambitions as a forward-thinking community have shrunk so much in the past decade or so, it really is a shame.
count me in as another supporter of the 70s-80s “progressive davis.” our ambitions as a forward-thinking community have shrunk so much in the past decade or so, it really is a shame.
count me in as another supporter of the 70s-80s “progressive davis.” our ambitions as a forward-thinking community have shrunk so much in the past decade or so, it really is a shame.
count me in as another supporter of the 70s-80s “progressive davis.” our ambitions as a forward-thinking community have shrunk so much in the past decade or so, it really is a shame.
Hi, vicente,
My point is that there is not any great inconsistency between abstaining from a council vote on that particular resolution and posting a sign opposing the war at his residence.
Many people are ambivalent about the war and exactly what to do about it. Many military families attended that meeting to express their displeasure with the resolution, believing that it disrespected the troops.
I considered that the resolution served no constructive purpose, and I certainly wouldn’t judge a council member by his or her vote on that.
The implication of DPD’s blog entry was that Saylor is some kind of hypocrite or was flip-flopping on the war issue. I think that is a cheap shot. I’ll leave it to him to clarify exactly what he was trying to say.
Thanks for the comment. It’s my daughter, and we are counting the weeks until her first leave.
Hi, vicente,
My point is that there is not any great inconsistency between abstaining from a council vote on that particular resolution and posting a sign opposing the war at his residence.
Many people are ambivalent about the war and exactly what to do about it. Many military families attended that meeting to express their displeasure with the resolution, believing that it disrespected the troops.
I considered that the resolution served no constructive purpose, and I certainly wouldn’t judge a council member by his or her vote on that.
The implication of DPD’s blog entry was that Saylor is some kind of hypocrite or was flip-flopping on the war issue. I think that is a cheap shot. I’ll leave it to him to clarify exactly what he was trying to say.
Thanks for the comment. It’s my daughter, and we are counting the weeks until her first leave.
Hi, vicente,
My point is that there is not any great inconsistency between abstaining from a council vote on that particular resolution and posting a sign opposing the war at his residence.
Many people are ambivalent about the war and exactly what to do about it. Many military families attended that meeting to express their displeasure with the resolution, believing that it disrespected the troops.
I considered that the resolution served no constructive purpose, and I certainly wouldn’t judge a council member by his or her vote on that.
The implication of DPD’s blog entry was that Saylor is some kind of hypocrite or was flip-flopping on the war issue. I think that is a cheap shot. I’ll leave it to him to clarify exactly what he was trying to say.
Thanks for the comment. It’s my daughter, and we are counting the weeks until her first leave.
Hi, vicente,
My point is that there is not any great inconsistency between abstaining from a council vote on that particular resolution and posting a sign opposing the war at his residence.
Many people are ambivalent about the war and exactly what to do about it. Many military families attended that meeting to express their displeasure with the resolution, believing that it disrespected the troops.
I considered that the resolution served no constructive purpose, and I certainly wouldn’t judge a council member by his or her vote on that.
The implication of DPD’s blog entry was that Saylor is some kind of hypocrite or was flip-flopping on the war issue. I think that is a cheap shot. I’ll leave it to him to clarify exactly what he was trying to say.
Thanks for the comment. It’s my daughter, and we are counting the weeks until her first leave.
my heart goes out to her and all of you, don. it can’t be easy waiting.
my heart goes out to her and all of you, don. it can’t be easy waiting.
my heart goes out to her and all of you, don. it can’t be easy waiting.
my heart goes out to her and all of you, don. it can’t be easy waiting.
I don’t know if hypocrite is the best description of Saylor. There is just no THERE, there with Councilman Saylor. It is all political posturing.
I don’t know if hypocrite is the best description of Saylor. There is just no THERE, there with Councilman Saylor. It is all political posturing.
I don’t know if hypocrite is the best description of Saylor. There is just no THERE, there with Councilman Saylor. It is all political posturing.
I don’t know if hypocrite is the best description of Saylor. There is just no THERE, there with Councilman Saylor. It is all political posturing.