January 2011 - Davis Vanguard

Vanguard Council Appointee Interview: Part One

By David GreenwaldJanuary 31, 20111 comments

The Vanguard will have wall-to-wall coverage of the council appointment process. Last week we had Former Mayor Ken Wagstaff, Former Councilmember Lamar Heystek, and former Council candidate Jon Li talk about the candidate field and changes in Davis politics.

Today we bring the first of a three-part interview with the council candidates. One thing we have learned is that with ten candidates, it is a bit like herding cats. We never did reach Linda Parfitt despite several emails and numerous calls. We will try to get her this week.

Woman Acquitted of Attempting to Kidnap Toddler

By David GreenwaldJanuary 31, 20117 comments

A Yolo County jury has acquitted Heather Duffy of charges that she attempted to kidnap a toddler from outside his family’s home in Woodland last spring in an effort to replace two children who had been removed from her custody.

Ms. Duffy, who admitted she was high on meth, had been facing charges of kidnapping, child abduction and resisting arrest.

Final List of Ten Council Applicants with Links to Candidate Statements

By David GreenwaldJanuary 30, 20114 comments

The opening of the application period began on January 5, it closes on January 25.

The Vanguard is tracking who has applied. This is the final list of ten candidates.

Commentary: Despite New Council Commitment, Change Will Not Be Easy

By David GreenwaldJanuary 30, 20116 comments

Continuing Dispute with DCEA Signals Challenges for Council’s Budget Reform Plans –

Given the pace of public events over the last few weeks, we have not had a chance to reflect on the enormity of the sea-change that occurred at the council level on the issue of the budget and unfunded liabilities.

For the first time really, the council acknowledged the truth of the dilemma we face, and they were largely unanimous in their desire to make strong statements that will hopefully be followed with strong actions.

Bicycles Needed for Birch Lane Bike Program

By David GreenwaldJanuary 30, 20110 comments

The Birch Lane Elementary School Bicycle Committee is seeking 20-inch, 24-inch and 26-inch bicycles for its new…

Videotaping Police: Valuable Oversight of Potential Misconduct or Unlawful Wiretapping?

By David GreenwaldJanuary 30, 201115 comments

Can we imagine what might have happened had someone not pulled out their video camera that they had just purchased to film the beating of Rodney King back in 1991? It’s not difficult to imagine, Mr. King’s claims of police brutality would have fallen on deaf ears and the officers involved never would have been held accountable, such as they were.

We have all wondered what would have happened had the incident involving the Galvan Brothers been filmed. We can see the permanent life-altering damage on Ernesto Galvan’s face, but we do not know how it got there and probably never will. In the coming months and years, a civil court will have to weigh out whether the police exceeded their authority and violated the rights of Mr. Galvan. Had a video camera been present, we might have had the DA pursue the police rather than the victims in this case.

Supervisors To Rescind December 17 Water Vote Amid Brown Act Concerns

By David GreenwaldJanuary 29, 201114 comments

It looks like Supervisor Jim Provenza will prevail in his efforts to get the Board of Supervisors to comply with the Brown Act after all. On February 8, the Board of Supervisor will consider an item that, in part, will ask them to rescind the actions taken on December 17 with regards to Conaway Ranch.

They will then consider the issue again, take public input and finally vote on whether to determine that the agreements are exempt from CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) and to authorize the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to execute the agreements.

Voters Support Putting the Tax Issue on the Ballot

By David GreenwaldJanuary 29, 201110 comments

Polling Shows Some Support for Higher Taxes, Will Voters Get the Chance to Vote on It?

The conventional wisdom rising out of the first month of Governor Jerry Brown’s tenure is that he does not have the votes to get his tax measure on the ballot and that if he does, the majority would oppose extending taxes another five years to help alleviate the state’s fiscal problems.

However, earlier this week, the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released their findings showing that a strong majority say that a special election on Governor Jerry Brown’s tax and fee proposal is a good idea, and a majority are generally satisfied with his budget plan.

Politicos Share Their Views of the Candidate Field and Davis’ Future

By David GreenwaldJanuary 28, 201122 comments

While it is early in the process, we now have our ten candidates for Davis City Council. In the coming days and weeks, we will have in-depth interviews and analysis of the field. We start perhaps with a bit of a broader view of Davis politics and where it is going.

One of the key questions is really what does the face of Davis politics look like. For so long, growth has dominated the landscape, but in the last election, the issue of the budget seems to have taken over. Is this permanent and does it mark the end of the old polarized Davis political system, or it is fleeting?

Parole Board Denies Kidnapper Release

By David GreenwaldJanuary 28, 201113 comments

Victim Request For Release Opposed by District Attorney –

A key question that we must grapple with in society is when has someone paid their dues. In a fairly balanced account of the proceedings, Lauren Keene, reporter for the Davis Enterprise, describes the interesting case of Bruce Young who has been in prison since a conviction for a crime he committed on August 9, 1982.

She calls it “one of Yolo County’s more horrific crimes” and describes the kidnapping of then 3-month-old Brandon Huff who was “dangled out of a van window as the suspects led police on a high-speed chase.”

Students Sue For Double Billing of Tuition

By David GreenwaldJanuary 28, 20113 comments

by Amani Rashid –

Imagine being billed for a semester of college not once, but twice; and wait it gets better; imagine being billed that second time without any warning. For students all across California State University (CSU) campuses this was very much a reality.

Originally, the CSU Trustees voted to raise the fall tuition of 2009 by 10 percent demanding all students, including those who already paid, to pay by July 9. However, on July 21 fall tuition was raised another 20 percent.

Appeals Court Throws Out Yolo County Conviction For Juror Misconduct

By David GreenwaldJanuary 27, 201115 comments

For the second time in ten days, the Third District Court of Appeals threw out a conviction in Yolo County, this time due to juror misconduct as a juror performed a home experiment on a crucial piece of evidence.

A Yolo County jury convicted 17-year-old Kyle Vigil for his role in a drive-by shooting in Woodland. Mr. Vigil was sentence to a 15 year to life sentence in prison, after being acquitted of the first shooting but convicted of aiding in the drive-by gunfire.

Commentary: Reiterating the Call For A Fair Hearing For the Coach

By David GreenwaldJanuary 27, 201121 comments

It does not happen all that often, but when I agree with Davis Enterprise Columnist Bob Dunning, you know it is something to pay attention to. Last night, the venerable columnist called for the fired coach Jeff Christian to get a fair hearing.

Did he deserve to be fired? I do not know. Mr. Dunning writes, “I’ve never met Jeff Christian or the two players on his team who apparently were unhappy with him. And I don’t care who ultimately ‘wins’ this thing. I’m not one of those who automatically assumes the coach is always right and the player is always wrong. In short, I don’t have a dog in this fight.”

Student Pleads Not Guilty to Charges Stemming From Davis Gun Incident

By David GreenwaldJanuary 27, 201116 comments

UC Davis Student Nicholas Allen Benson pled not guilty to making terrorist threats, among four charges, as well as denying enhancements he faces after being arrested in Davis on Friday night.

According to the police’s account, at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday evening, Davis Police Officers were dispatched to the downtown area to search for an armed suicidal 25-year-old UC Davis student, Nicholas Benson.

And Then There Were Ten: Ten Candidates For the City Council Vacancy

By David GreenwaldJanuary 26, 20119 comments

There is a little bit of everything for all people in the ten candidates for the Davis City Council. Actually, there were two things missing, no one who had served on the Council previously applied, and to our knowledge no one who had run for the Council previously applied.

The most recognizable name in the group of ten is Dan Wolk, the son of Senator Lois Wolk. But for those looking for new blood and unfamiliar faces, this group will not disappoint. At the end of last week, Mr. Wolk became the fifth candidate. Those numbers have now doubled to ten, assuaging fears of a small field.

Will Governor Brown Lead the Way on Pension Reform?

By David GreenwaldJanuary 26, 201135 comments

In July, candidate Jerry Brown laid out a series of common sense proposals to deal with pension reform on the state level. While we have generally focused on pension reform at the local level, clearly, state-level changes could be made to help communities trapped into past promises of unsustainable wages.

However, as critics are quick to charge, Governor Brown’s budget proposal has promised cuts to about every sector except one, pension reform. Orange County Columnist Steven Greenhut, a leading proponent of pension reform, accused Jerry Brown of dodging the issue.

Guest Commentary: Death Penalty No Longer Driving Issue With Voters

By David GreenwaldJanuary 26, 201122 comments

by Natasha Minsker –

When a hot button cools off with voters, it is worth a second look, especially after elected officials took office in the New Year.

Take the recent nail-biter contest for attorney general between San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris and Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley.

District Needs to Be More Forthcoming in Issue of Fired Coach

By David GreenwaldJanuary 25, 201130 comments

On Thursday night, the Vanguard attended the DJUSD School Board meeting, expecting to hear about the current budget conditions and the parcel tax. However, we got a lot more than we bargained for, as dozens of members of the public came forward to speak during public comment about the firing of Jeff Christian, the head basketball coach for the girls’ varsity team for six years until he was terminated on January 3.

Mr. Christian, who spoke first, suggested that he had no idea as to why he was fired. He believed that the administration, school board, superintendent and athletic director all made serious mistakes and failed to seek out the facts from all parties.

Charges of Taliban and Prosecutorial Misconduct Permeate Yolo Assault Trial

By David GreenwaldJanuary 25, 20115 comments

It is something that you do not see everyday in Yolo County, but the Niazi trial contains all of the elements of a full-blown spy novel, except without the spies. What was a commonplace assault with attempted murder charges, as factions of a family fought, has become much more than that.

Charges have flown that part of the family had Taliban ties and sympathies, and this apparently brought Homeland Security and the US Marshall’s Office into the investigation of an incident that is now nearly seven years old, having occurred in March of 2004.

Davis Police Subdue Suicidal UCD Student

By David GreenwaldJanuary 24, 201175 comments

Did the Davis Police Department help prevent a suicidal UC Davis student, heavily armed, from going on some sort of tirade, or did they unnecessarily escalate a tense but ultimately non-threatening situation with a student suffering from serious head injuries?

According to a releaase from Public Information Officer, Lt. Paul Doroshov, at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday evening, Davis Police Officers were dispatched to the downtown area to search for an armed suicidal 25-year -ld UC Davis student, Nicholas Benson.

Month: January 2011