Month: May 2010

Next Steps on the Road to Reform: Davis Groups Explores Options

Next Steps on the Road to Reform: Davis Groups Explores Options

By uptownstudiosMay 11, 20101 comments

The Davis–based government reform group, Saving California Communities ( SCC ), will sponsor its second annual day-long forum, Saving California Communities: Next Steps? on Saturday, May 15 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. The purpose of the forum is to assess the current state of affairs and to help chart a course for the future of communities throughout California . Admission is free, and all members of the public are welcome to attend. Continental breakfast and lunch are included.

Saving California Communities consists of a local coalition of elected representatives and a wide cross section of community members.  Members of the group are united voices for strong, healthy communities in Davis and throughout California .

UC Davis Athletics Cut Townhall‏

UC Davis Athletics Cut Townhall‏

By David GreenwaldMay 11, 20101 comments

On April 16, 2010 UC Davis athletics administrators announced that they will cut the women’s rowing, men’s wrestling, men’s indoor track, and men’s swimming and diving teams this summer in order to address a $1.79 million budget cut to the athletics department.

The UC Davis student and alumni community have protested the cuts of these teams as unnecessary and unfair.

Local Officials Look To Tame Picnic Day

Local Officials Look To Tame Picnic Day

By David GreenwaldMay 11, 201028 comments
citycatThe Sacramento Bee this morning reports on a closed-door meeting held on Monday with the Davis police, business representatives, students leaders and city staff members.  According to Gary Sandy, the university’s director of local government relations, the group has decided to form a task force to fix Picnic Day.

Mr. Sandy told the Bee, “If Picnic Day is to survive, it will have to change radically.”  He continued, “The message will be sent, loud and clear, that Picnic Day is not party day.  This ought to be a celebration of UC Davis and the Davis community, not a day for drunkenness and rowdiness.”

The End of Redevelopment?

The End of Redevelopment?

By David GreenwaldMay 11, 201014 comments

citycatWill Davis’ Pass-Through Agreement Now Be At Risk?

On Monday, the California Redevelopment Association said that agencies across the state will begin transferring the funds that the state raided last year after a California appellate court on Friday denied a request to stay a transaction that would use $1.7 billion of those funds for local schools.  That means that Davis will have to pay $3.2 million from its redevelopment coffers.

In Davis, the redevelopment area, a funding mechanism ostensibly put into play to eliminate blight in the downtown Core, Olive Drive and South Davis, encompasses around a quarter of the city’s property tax revenue.  In recent years the city council has looked to the redevelopment agency to fund a variety of projects in the reuse of the Historic City Hall and what has become Bistro 33 and now the expansion of the Varsity Theater.  The council who also sit as board members of the redevelopment agency were hoping to use redevelopment money for a number of economic redevelopment projects including a downtown parking center on E and F between 3rd and 4th.

El DA quiere “3 Strikes” para un hombre con enfermedades mentales acusado del vandalismo

El DA quiere “3 Strikes” para un hombre con enfermedades mentales acusado del vandalismo

By David GreenwaldMay 10, 20100 comments
Un proceso comienza hoy día para Loren Poirier, 42, acusado en casos distintos del vandalismo. Sr. Poirier tiene una historia personal del trastorno bipolar, y hay preguntas serias sobre su competencia para ser enjuiciado y también sobre su estado de mente cuando se cometen los crímenes.

No obstante, el DA del Condado de Yolo, en una inversión del juicio del ADA James Walker, quien fue asignado originalmente a este caso, se lo persigue como un caso de “3 strikes” y quiere encarcelar a Sr. Poirier para el resto de su vida.

Lack of Funds Will Put a Huge Strain on Roadways and Infrastructure

Lack of Funds Will Put a Huge Strain on Roadways and Infrastructure

By David GreenwaldMay 10, 20108 comments
pothole.jpgDavis residents may have to get used to those potholes, uneven pavement, and deteriorating conditions of surface streets.  Or at least that is how it looks right now.  Last week, in the introduction to the budget we reported that the city was acknowledging that there would be a reduced allocation for Street re-Pavement contracts. 

The report goes on to say that this continues to be a program area with significant under-funding.  The report calls for the need to develop long-term funding plans and likely will require significant long-term General Fund support.

DA Seeks Three Strikes for Mentally Ill Man Accused of Vandalism

DA Seeks Three Strikes for Mentally Ill Man Accused of Vandalism

By David GreenwaldMay 10, 201022 comments
courtroom.jpgA trial begins today for Loren Poirier, 42, accused in separate cases of vandalism.  Mr. Poirier has a history of serious mental illness, diagnosed as Bipolar Disorder, and there are serious questions both about his competency to stand trial as well as his state of mind at the time in which the crimes were committed.

Nevertheless, the Yolo County DA’s office, apparently overruling the judgment of Deputy District Attorney James Walker, who was assigned to this case, is pursuing this as a three strikes case and seeking to put Mr. Poirier in prison for life.

Suddenly No Candidate Willing To Take Firefighter Money in June Election

Suddenly No Candidate Willing To Take Firefighter Money in June Election

By David GreenwaldMay 9, 201032 comments
davis_firedepartmentWe buried the lead in order to run today’s headline article.  And frankly the news got even bigger late last night.  One our big themes for the last two years has been the fact that city hall, particularly the Davis City Council has been bought and paid for by the firefighters’ union.  In 2008, they gave more than 20,000 dollars in both direct and indirect contributions.

We now know that regardless of who wins in June, they will not have had their campaign purchased by city employees whose contracts they need to negotiate.

Commentary: How Bicycle Friendly is Davis Really?

Commentary: How Bicycle Friendly is Davis Really?

By David GreenwaldMay 9, 201016 comments
bikesThis week we had Davis Bicycles! and a host of other groups have a candidates forum featuring discussions on transportation and biking.  I have been to a lot of forums in the past two weeks, and this was my favorite of them all.  It dealt with a lot of issues that do not get enough attention even as Davis likes to do things like get a Bicycling Hall of Fame, bring in the Amgen tour, and act as though it is the bike mecca of America.

A little known fact about is me is that when I got accepted to graduate school at UC Davis, I came here to visit in April of 1996 by bicycle.  That is correct, I biked from San Luis Obispo up Highway 1 to San Francisco and then cut across back roads to ride into Davis on Old Davis Road through the south side of campus.

League Candidates Forum Puts Campaign into Home Stretch

League Candidates Forum Puts Campaign into Home Stretch

By David GreenwaldMay 8, 20101 comments

LWV-Candidates-Forum-003

Friday marked the last of the major candidate’s forums.  This one was the League of Women Voters’ forum.  In addition to a City Council Candidate’s debate, they also hosted the debate over Measure Q (sales tax) and Measure R (renewal of Measure J).  Tomorrow we will cover the ballot measures.  For today we focus on the candidate’s debate most specifically the two league questions and several audience questions.

While this debate may have lacked the fireworks of previous debates, it generates its own headline news.  Today we will bury the lead and simply report on the answers given.  In the future, we will discuss some of the ramifications of today debate more fully.

Davis Schools Foundation Pushes to Save Half the Teaching Job Slated for Layoffs

Davis Schools Foundation Pushes to Save Half the Teaching Job Slated for Layoffs

By David GreenwaldMay 8, 20102 comments

schoolscat.png by Karen Adams –

If the Davis Schools Foundation raises another $200,000 in seven days, the school district can restore about 45 of 88 staff positions initially slashed from next year’s budget, foundation leaders announced at Thursday’s school board meeting.

Robert Woolley, DSF president, said the community has donated $1.2 million in the current Dollar-a-Day campaign. Combining it with $1.1 million in salary savings from eliminating five days in next year’s school calendar, the district will have just over $2.3 million to boost its budget.

Police Chief Landy Black A Finalist For Fairfield Position

Police Chief Landy Black A Finalist For Fairfield Position

By David GreenwaldMay 7, 201056 comments
landy_blackThe Vanguard has learned through numerous sources that Davis Police Chief, Landy Black, since 2007, is a finalist for the Chief position at the Fairfield Police Department.

Chief Black acknowledged that in part this was due to financial considerations, but also the opportunity for professional advancement.  The city is in the process of considering whether to increase the Chief’s compensation in order to insure a continuation of his services.

Council Candidates Talk About the Downtown At the DDBA Forum – PART ONE

Council Candidates Talk About the Downtown At the DDBA Forum – PART ONE

By David GreenwaldMay 7, 20101 comments

DDBA-Candidates-Forum

On Thursday night, the five Davis City Council candidates were at it again, this time meeting at a forum with the Davis Downtown Business Association (DDBA).  The theme this evening was business, the economy, and the Davis downtown.  It gave the candidates and the membership of the DDBA a chance to hear another very different set of issues from the previous forums.

The format here was the first question asking about small business experience was asked to all five, and then the remaining were asked two at a time.  For the sake of keeping this somewhat less brief, I have skipped the first question and proceeding to subsequent questions that are more policy oriented.

Are Campaign Ads Effective in Davis City Council Campaigns?

Are Campaign Ads Effective in Davis City Council Campaigns?

By David GreenwaldMay 6, 201040 comments
Sydney-VergisThe other day, I stumbled across Sydney Vergis’ campaign ad.  It’s a pretty basic 30 second ad, basically a name recognition piece.  Given Davis’ position in the market, one has to rely on doing cable ads on Comcast to reach Davis vmioters.  Buying into the Sacramento market is hugely expensive.

So that leaves cable which while cost effective, I just wonder how effective the ads really are.  More on that in a moment.

Why the West Side of the Causeway’s Silence on Raley’s Workman’s Comp Settlement?

Why the West Side of the Causeway’s Silence on Raley’s Workman’s Comp Settlement?

By David GreenwaldMay 6, 20108 comments
reisig-2009On Monday we learned that Raley’s has agreed to pay a settlement of $550,000 to resolve a case brought by the District Attorney’s offices in six counties including Yolo County, for illegal practices in handling workers’ compensation claims brought forward by injured workers.

The settlement was announced on Monday by the district attorneys from Yolo, Sacramento, Placer, San Joaquin, Amador, and Monterey counties.  Yolo County DA’s office will receive $100,000 as part of the settlement.

Compressed Timeline For Budget Discussion Problematic

Compressed Timeline For Budget Discussion Problematic

By David GreenwaldMay 5, 20104 comments

citycatTransportation Budget and Pavement Improvement Deemed Seriously Underfunded –

Last night, City Manager Bill Emlen and Finance Director Paul Navazio presented the Davis City Council with an overview of the 2010-11 budget.  Given previous discussions, there was not a lot of surprises in there, though there are a few nuggets worth looking into.

The biggest issue that has emerged is the timeline.  The City is pushing for a May 25 Budget adoption, which means next week there will be a Workshop, on the 18th there will be a public hearing, and on the 25th there will be a budget adoption.  That gives the council only a few days to get proposed changes into the city.

Graduate to Change Picnic Policy, Will Not Sell Alcohol Before 11 AM

Graduate to Change Picnic Policy, Will Not Sell Alcohol Before 11 AM

By David GreenwaldMay 5, 201012 comments
citycatIn light of picnic day events and public scrutiny, it appears that the Davis Graduate has reviewed its policy on serving beer at 6 am and has now changed its policies.  The Graduate became a focus in part because of erroneous police reports that suggested the Graduate the locus for a fight that injured a police officer, but also because many people believed that selling alcohol at 6 am set a bad example and began drinking at an earlier hour than they otherwise might have.

From the Vanguard’s perspective, this became a story primarily because Rochelle Swanson, the wife of owner Charlie Swanson, is running for Davis City Council.  She had originally stated that the decision to serve alcohol at 6 am was not a decision she alone could make.

Davis City Council Candidates Discuss Bikes and Transportation Issues

Davis City Council Candidates Discuss Bikes and Transportation Issues

By David GreenwaldMay 4, 20106 comments

CC-bike-debate

It was a different setting on Monday night in Davis, as the City Council candidates gathered outside of Bike Forth to discuss bikes and transportation issues sponsored by Davis Bicycles and the Davis Bike Collective.

The format for this one was a bit different, each candidate gave a five minute prepared statement and were asked two questions from the the sponsors and then they opened it up to audience questions.  For the purposes of this story, I will discuss their opening statement, the answers to the two questions from the sponsors, and then the answers to a question on Fifth Street and Green waste containerization.

Local attorney will discuss Yolo gang injunction

Local attorney will discuss Yolo gang injunction

By David GreenwaldMay 4, 20100 comments
ganginjunction_catMark Merin, local defense attorney, will ask “Should Freedom Have a Curfew?” as he reviews the current West Sacramento ‘gang injunction’ at the annual meeting the Yolo Chapter of the Northern California ACLU on May 27, 6:30-9pm at the Davis United Methodist Church fellowship hall, 1620 Anderson Road in Davis. The meeting is free. All county ACLU members are invited, and the public is welcome.

After a potluck meal and election of new Yolo board members for 2010-11, special guest Abdi Soltani, Executive Director of NorCalACLU will provide a brief update of current ACLU activities, followed by Merin’s presentation.