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Vanguard Court Watch 3rd Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

eventlogoThe Vanguard Court Watch 3rd Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony has been set for Saturday, November 9th at the Davis Veterans Memorial Center starting at 5PM.  The theme this year is “Restorative Justice & Reforming the Judicial System.”

We have an exciting line up that you won’t want to miss including Public Officials of the Year Assemblyman Ammiano who will speak on his “Innocence Project Bill” AB 604 and Public Defender Jeff Adachi will speak on Indigent Defense 50 years after Gideon v. Wainwright. We also have Fresno County Judge David Gottlieb, who is our Keynote Speaker and who will speak during the Restorative Justice Education portion of the event and talk about a restorative justice program he has implemented in his courtroom.   This year we will honor award recipients:

Vanguard Court Watch Council Holds Public Meeting to Capture Community Concerns

Yolo-Count-Court-Room-600On Sunday, April 28, 2013 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in Woodland at the Celebration Center Church (100 Woodland Ave), the Vanguard Court Watch Council of Yolo County (VCWCYC) is inviting the public to come forward to express their concerns about the judicial system, providing testimony and giving personal accounts of contemporary cases in the Yolo County Court system.

“The public has an opportunity to tell of their experiences in the Yolo County judicial system.  Experiences that normally are not covered in the newspaper,” said David Greenwald, Executive Director of Vanguard Court Watch.  “The Council will take public comment, testimony from invited speakers, and then deliberate in closed session to determine our course of action.”

Help the Vanguard Update Our Website

Vanguard_-_VWe have had an amazing amount of support in the last three months and I would like to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has contributed to help the Vanguard.

We are now just 2000 dollars short of our goal.  The editorial board met last night and we have submitted proposed website changes to our web developer who will then get us an estimate on the cost.

 

Measure I Forum – (VIDEO)

Sacramento-River-stockThe People’s Vanguard of Davis and Davis Media Access sponsored a roundtable community forum on “Measure I,” also know as the Surface Water Project. DMA recorded the forum Sat., Feb. 2 from 1-3 p.m, in Community Chambers. Voters will have the opportunity to vote on Measure I in an all-mail only Special Election, March 5, 2013.

Both proponents and opponents of Measure I were invited to participate. Each side was given the opportunity to have three people on the panel. Two of the three were considered advocates or supporters of either “No on I” or “Yes on I” and the third person was considered a technical expert on a critical aspect of the project including hydrology, financing and water policy.

 

Court Watch Seeks Council Members

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Vanguard Court Watch of Yolo County is seeking applications from members of the community to become committee members for a newly-formed Vanguard Court Watch Council.

Every week, the Vanguard Court Watch, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that is a focused, all volunteer effort to monitor and track cases that go through the Yolo County Judicial System,  puts 8 to 10 interns from UC Davis and other local colleges into the courtroom to monitor court cases.  The Vanguard Court Watch publishes these accounts on a near-daily basis.

 

Vanguard Announces Major Fundraising Drive for Site Overhaul

Vanguard_-_VWe are coming to the end of another year here at the Davis Vanguard.  It has been a very good year, another record breaking year in terms of readership.

The Vanguard also sponsored some major events.  Back in May, we had a Meet the Candidates event for the Davis City Council candidates, complete with a bounce house for the kids.

This Holiday Season Think of the Davis Vanguard

Dear readers:  The Vanguard is a vital community-based organization and news site.  It is a non-profit that depends heavily on reader support.  There are a variety of ways to do so including a direct donation.

There is another very easy way to help.  This holiday season (and throughout the entire year), as you purchase gifts and other products through Amazon.com, a portion of that purchase, at no additional cost to you, can go to the Vanguard.

Breaking the Silence of Racism

manOn Saturday December 1, the City of Davis Human Relations Commission will sponsor an event entitled, “Breaking the Silence of Racism,” which will take place from 1pm to 3pm in Community Chambers, 23 Russell Blvd.

Community members are invited to share their recent experiences and thoughts regarding racist incidents in the Davis community and ask questions of a panel comprised of local leaders and officials.

Vanguard Event: Ending the Death Penalty – Tickets and Sponsorships Now Available

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The Davis Vanguard and Vanguard Court Watch features an all-star line up to discussion the state of the death penalty in California, wrongful convictions, and the November Ballot Initiative that would end the death penalty and replace it with life without parole.
“ENDING THE DEATH PENALTY IN CALIFORNIA” Dinner and Awards Ceremony will be July 26, 2012 from 5:530 until 9 pm.  It will feature a first class meal by Ciocolat, speeches, and six special Vanguard Awards.  It takes place at the Heidrick AG History center on 1962 Hays Lane, Woodland, Ca.

UC Davis School of Law to Launch California Supreme Court Clinic

UC Davis School of Law is set to launch the state’s only law school clinic focused on litigating cases before the California Supreme Court.

The California Supreme Court Clinic, which will begin operating this fall, will give students the invaluable opportunity to work on actual cases pending before the state’s highest court.

COMMUNITY CHOICE ENERGY FOR DAVIS? An Independent Electric Utility

by Mark Braly

Now that Yolo County has approved studying the formation of a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) agency for the county, Davis must consider whether to join the movement.   For Davis, the answer was “yes” for joining SMUD when that was on the ballot a few years ago.  But Community Choice Energy is not exactly the same thing.

A public workshop will explore Community Choice Energy , which would amount to an independent electric utility for Davis, from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m.  on Thursday, June 14, at the Davis Senior Center at 646 A Street.

Vanguard Guiding Principles

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Editor’s Note: The following is the Davis Vanguard‘s first written document embodying our principles and values that guide our work in the Davis Community.  Feedback is encouraged, as we will be updating these principles on a periodic basis.

UC Davis Report Concludes: the Pepper-Spraying Never Should Have Happened

pepper-spray-suit-3By Michael Risher

Staff Attorney
ACLU of Northern California

The long-awaited report on the infamous incident of UC Davis police pepper-spraying non-violent, seated student protesters has been released. It concludes what we all know from watching the shocking videos: “The pepperspraying incident that took place on November 18, 2011 should and could have been prevented.” That’s the opening to the report, which outlines the various ways that Chancellor Katehi, other Administration officials, and the UC Davis Police Department completely mismanaged the situation at every level.

Pike and Katehi Hammered In Pepper Spray Report

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Task Force and Kroll Find Pepper Spray Not a Reasonable Use of Force; Hammers Chancellor and Lt. Pike –

The findings of the long-awaited Pepper-Spray Report are basic and succinctly summarized in the introduction: “The pepper-spraying incident that took place on November 18, 2011 should and could have been prevented.”  They find that “the decision to use pepper spray was not supported by objective evidence and was not authorized by policy.”

The report paints a damning picture of the university’s response to the protests from the top to the bottom, including indecisiveness by Chancellor Katehi and an unreasonable use of force by Lt. John Pike.

VANGUARD Meet the Candidates Night – May 5

Meet-the-Candidates

All of the candidates have confirmed for this event on the evening of May 5 in Downtown Davis.  The parking lot is located directly north of the movie theater and across the street from the AT&T Store.
The plan is for the candidates to each have their own tables with materials where the public can meet with them and ask questions.  We would then have each of candidates give a brief speech and answer questions toward the end of the evening.

 

Greetings from the 2012 Whole Earth Festival Entertainment Directors!

by Nikhil Joshi & Jenn Hill
Entertainment Directors
Whole Earth Festival 2012

We are looking for ecstatic, amazing bands to play at WEF 2012!  A diversity of music is one of our goals so help us achieve that! Our festival is a humble, yet fabulous place to play.  WEF is self-sufficient and does not charge admission. Our entertainment budget is modest, but we do compensate our performers. Our festival does not condone racist, misogynist, sexist, homophobic, or excessively profane music of any kind.  If you feel your band would fit well at WEF, please apply!