Month: January 2009

Mayor Kevin Johnson Surprise Keynote Address Highlights MLK Scholarship Dinner

Mayor Kevin Johnson Surprise Keynote Address Highlights MLK Scholarship Dinner

By David GreenwaldJanuary 16, 200923 comments

Last night the sixth annual MLK Scholarship Fund and Recognition Dinner at Freeborn Hall on the campus of UC Davis gave out scholarships to two UC Davis Students and six high school students that will enable them to either go to graduate school or go to college. The fund was co-founded by the late Mel Trujillo and the Reverend Timothy Malone.

Bob Dunning had the honor of introducing the night’s surprise key note addresser, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Local Activists Urge Congressman Thompson to Support Green Jobs and Obama Stimulus

Local Activists Urge Congressman Thompson to Support Green Jobs and Obama Stimulus

By David GreenwaldJanuary 15, 20094 comments
Sac. Region

In an event sponsored by Moveon.org and organized in every Congressional District, a group of 25 local residents met with Ellie Fairclough from Congressman Mike Thompson’s office to urge him to vote for the Obama stimulus.

The local event was organized by Mary Zhu. She called on Congressman Thompson to support and help pass President-elect Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package. The group said it hops it will help to create new and green jobs for the country.

Both Sides Passionately Express Their Views on Middle Peace at Council Meeting

Both Sides Passionately Express Their Views on Middle Peace at Council Meeting

By David GreenwaldJanuary 14, 200913 comments

In a microcosm of the divide that exists in Israel and Palestine, hundreds of Davis residents turned out to Davis City Hall on Tuesday night to express their opinion and take a side on a resolution that was designed by Councilmembers Stephen Souza and Lamar Heystek to bring people together, to take no sides, and quite simply to call for a cease fire, a cessation of violence, to condemn the attacks on both sides, and to allow for the humanitarian aid.

However, this would not be a night for compromise or peace. Instead, a large number of Muslim and Middle Eastern UC Davis students called on the council to support a resolution while a smaller but vocally just as a passionate number of Jewish residents of Davis called on the council not to pass the resolution.

Guest Commentary: Response to Davis Enterprise on Senior Housing

Guest Commentary: Response to Davis Enterprise on Senior Housing

By David GreenwaldJanuary 12, 200914 comments
imageCity of Davis

Special to The People’s Vanguard of Davis

By Elaine Roberts Musser

____________

It was with some disquiet that I read Claire St. John’s Jan. 2, 2009 article in the Davis Enterprise, entitled “Senior Living”. I immediately fired off a clarification of my position to the Enterprise that same day. I wanted to make clear the reader understood 1) I was speaking as an individual and not in my capacity as the Chair of the Davis Senior Citizens Commission; 2) the issue of how much senior housing is considered necessary in the future was left completely out of the article.

Former Davis Mayor Julie Partansky Passes Away

Former Davis Mayor Julie Partansky Passes Away

By David GreenwaldJanuary 11, 200930 comments

My friends, I have sad news to report tonight. Julie Partansky, a friend, an ally, and an all-around wonderful person passed away last night after a brief battle with lung cancer. She was just 60.

Ken Wagstaff, her friend and colleague on the City Council shares a few thoughts with the community:

Julie Partansky was a unique and sensitive person. Her personality combined whimsy and serious purpose, creativity and practicality, fun and hard work.

Target TCP Update Agendized for January 16 City-County Two-by-Two

Target TCP Update Agendized for January 16 City-County Two-by-Two

By David GreenwaldJanuary 8, 200923 comments
imageYolo County

Representatives from the City and the County will meet on January 16, to discuss among other issues, the issue of TCP that was found in test sites around the Target Superfund site. To date, the EPA has dismissed community based calls for further testing before construction begins at their site.

The City-County will have their 2-by-2 meeting on Friday January 16, 2009 at 9 AM in the conference room at the Davis County Office which is located a block from City Hall at 600 A Street. The item on Target and the issue of the TCP has been agendized for discussion. The 2-by-2 consists of two members from the Board of Supervisors and two members from the City Council. That will be the two Davis Supervisors, which means that this will be newly installed Supervisor Jim Provenza’s first 2-by-2. Mayor Ruth Asmundson and Councilmember Don Saylor represent the city.

Council Wants To Study Wood Burning More, Will Revisit Recommendations in April

Council Wants To Study Wood Burning More, Will Revisit Recommendations in April

By David GreenwaldJanuary 7, 200913 comments

Dr. Tom Cahill has been working with the city since October on establishing guidelines for wood burning that will be based on solid scientific foundations that enable people’s health issues to be addressed while at the same time respecting people’s rights to the fullest extent possible.

The city council last night heard from a wide variety of experts, many of whom have been in countless hours on the issue of wood burning.

City Can Better Utilize Hunt-Boyer Mansion with a Restaurant

City Can Better Utilize Hunt-Boyer Mansion with a Restaurant

By David GreenwaldJanuary 6, 200935 comments

Back in December, the city council met to decide the future reuse of the Dresbach-Hunt-Boyer Mansion. Currently city staff are located in that building, however, they will soon be relocated to other city facilities and the city now has the choice as to how to use the building.

The city hired a consultant to do a feasibility study and consider reuse options which were narrowed down to a restaurant or a visitor’s center. At the December 9, 2008 council meeting, the majority of the city council concurred with the staff report “that the visitor’s center concept is a better fit than a restaurant for this historic structure, as it would have the least physical impact on the building and would be far more economical to implement.” However, in a compromise, Councilmember Stephen Souza constructed a motion that would allow the city to at least test the restaurant option.

Unfortunately by putting out a RFP (Request for Proposal) for only two months during these economic times may not be doing far enough in terms of actually allowing a potential restaurant owner to use the site.

Coverage of Target Issue in Bee and Aggie Stands in Marked Contrast To the Enterprise

Coverage of Target Issue in Bee and Aggie Stands in Marked Contrast To the Enterprise

By David GreenwaldJanuary 5, 200925 comments

This morning residents in Davis wake up to more coverage of the Target issue. However, in marked contrast to the article two weeks ago in the Davis Enterprise, the Sacramento Bee and California Aggie present largely balanced arguments weighing the concerns of the local citizen’s groups against the stance of the EPA.

On Monday December 22, 2008, the Vanguard broke the news that local group, Frontier Fertilizer Superfund Oversight Group (FFSOG) was concerned about the discovery of new detection levels of TCP at the Target Superfund site. The group was asking for new testing before Target was set to lay the foundation for the new store on January 5, 2009 (coincidentally today).