The University of California at Davis, West Village, the nation’s largest planned zero net energy community, racks up an impressive list of achievements in its initial year of review. The first formal analysis of West Village shows that, even in its initial phases, it is well on the way to the ultimate goal of operating as a ZNE community.
The report released today from UC Davis, and its partner West Village Community Partnership LLC, outlines major milestones including West Village producing 87 percent of the energy it consumed in a one-year period — well in advance of the project’s full completion.
Moderate Democrats and Republicans from both of California’s legislative halls received millions from out-of-state oil interests in campaign contributions while enjoying perks like a lavish $13,000 dollar dinner party just before they were to vote on legislation regulating the industry’s hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” oil wells, according to quarterly reports released last week.
Democratic assembly members Adam Gray (D-Merced), Henry Perea (D-Fresno) and Cheryl Brown (D-San Bernardino) joined Senators Norma Torres (D-Chino), embattled Ron Calderon (D-Whittier) and Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) attended the September 4th, $13,000 dollar affair at one of Sacramento’s most expensive eateries, The Kitchen, according to Lauren Rosenthal of the Sacramento Bee.
Charged with linking transformative research with partnerships to address challenges and opportunities at the intersection of food, agriculture and health, acclaimed plant biologist Roger Beachy Thursday was named founding director of the new World Food Center at the University of California, Davis.
Mr. Beachy, internationally known for his scientific leadership and groundbreaking research related to disease-resistance in crops, will assume the new position Jan. 1.
After 16 days of government paralysis, with our country hours away from economic freefall, the House and Senate have passed a bill that is almost identical to what we could have passed 16 days ago. Yes, we have reopened government and avoided default, but real damage has already been done to our economy, millions of Americans’ livelihoods, and investor confidence.
This was a pointless, destructive, and preventable crisis orchestrated by the 80-person tea party faction in the House and a handful of tea party Senators – a minority of their Conference. To make matters worse, the final outcome has been clear almost from the beginning.
The Davis school district’s 26-member Strategic Planning Committee participated in three intense days of discussion and adopted DRAFT DOCUMENTS that will be considered by the school board on Thursday, October 17.
There are four documents to be considered by the school board that include:
13th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Youth Leadership Conference at UC Davis on April 13
UC Davis, CA – Close to 500 middle and high school students will converge on the UC Davis campus for the 13th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Youth Leadership Conference and Celebration on Saturday, April 13, 2013 in Freeborn Hall and Wellman Hall.
The conference will include an Arts, Education, Health and Job Fair. For over a decade, this event has provided guidance to youth seeking to pursue higher education and grant information. Dolores Huerta will speak around 12:45pm in Freeborn Hall.
The reason: because of certain political comments I had made as a private citizen, my company was harmed by a rejection of likely participation in a government-run program. To prevent future harm, I had to start using a pseudonym.
When I read that the Davis school board was assembling a team of community members – including teachers, staff, administrators, parents, and students – to chart the course of action for the district over the next decade I wondered what it would be like to be part of the process and help put forth thoughts and ideas on the action plan, since we have one child in fourth grade and two more children that will attend kindergarten in the near future.
Even before we had children I had always followed the issues of the district and knew that even with challenges we were fortunate to have a very dedicated team of staff, educators, administrators, school board members and community members in our district. I also knew that, like other districts, we needed to develop a course of action for the present and the future or we would not be able to provide the best educational experience for our children.
There is little doubt that some of our neighbors in Davis have health problems that are exacerbated by wood smoke. There is also little doubt that other neighbors enjoy having wood fires and that some use wood or wood products as a way to heat their homes. This leads to a conflict over interests/needs, but it is a conflict that is fairly localized-that is, between people who live near one another, people who share a common space and who, presumably, would be best served by resolving the conflict themselves without the automatic threat of punishment from the city.
We have the tools and resources to deal with wood smoke conflicts in this way-to find alternative forms of conflict resolution that will serve the needs of those whose health is adversely affected while providing those who desire to burn wood some latitude to do so.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Pro-Growth and Pro-Agriculture- Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate passed a commonsense immigration reform measure in a strongly bipartisan fashion. This was an important step in the right direction – especially for producers, farm workers and rural communities.
The historic legislation passed by the Senate provides a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million people who are in our country today without authorization. They will have to go to the back of the line, pay fines and settle taxes they owe our nation.
The 400 largest companies headquartered in California, representing almost $3 trillion in shareholder value, still resemble a “boys’ club” with women filling fewer than 10 percent of top executive jobs, a University of California, Davis, study has found.
The Graduate School of Management’s eighth annual UC Davis Study of California Women Business Leaders — a yearly benchmark for the Golden State’s lack of progress in promoting women business leaders — paints a dismal picture for women in leadership during fiscal year 2011-2012. Some of the best known among these top companies, or the California 400, have no women leaders.
GUEST COMMENTARY- It’s been nearly three years since David and I became certified foster parents in Yolo County. It was not something that was planned, but something that happened out of the blue and in the end turned out to be the best decision we ever made as a married couple because it led the adoption of our beautiful little Jasmine.
We had always talked about adoption and having our own children and then one day I received a call from a friend of my in-laws. She told me that their friend was trying to find a home for their baby grandson, because the mom was unable to care for him. He happened to be Jewish and Hispanic and we thought the match would be great even though we would be willing to adopt a child regardless of race or ethnicity. We came to learn that we had to become certified foster parents in order to adopt, so we quickly adjusted our schedules and made it work. We took classes twice a week, filled out the paperwork, had our background and home inspected to a “T” and became certified foster parents.
“The twin tunnels proposal is a $25 billion boondoggle paid for by the middle class taxpayer and water users. However, it doesn’t even create one new drop of water,” said Representative Garamendi while debating a representative from the Governor’s office. “This plan would take 100,000 acres of prime agricultural land in the Delta out of production so that 100,000 acres of marginal desert land in the San Joaquin Valley can continue to produce heavily subsidized crops.”
GUEST COMMENTARY – On Tuesday, November 6th Yolo County voters will have the choice to vote to pass county wide ballot Measure H or not. The voters should vote no and defeat Measure H for these reasons:
Keeping the combined elective office of Auditor/Controller and Treasurer/Tax Collector with its elective status is essential to provide for an autonomous independent working relationship between that office and the Board of Supervisors. Voting in the option to make this office an appointed office by the Board of Supervisors instead of an elected office is a terrible option for the taxpayers and voters of Yolo County because that office holder would no longer work directly and be accountable to the voters anymore, but work directly for the membership of the Board of Supervisors that appointed that person to the office.
By UC Davis News Service
By UC Davis News Service
by Dan Aiello
by UC Davis News Service
By John Garamendi
by Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald
By Jeff Boone
by Robb Davis
By Val Dolcini 
by UC Davis News Service
by Cecilia Escamilla Greenwald 
By Thomas Randall, Jr