EBOLA – Safety and the Hazards of Fear
by Tia Will This is a three-part article. I have been asked to write an article on…
Senator Wolk Applauds New Law on Crisis Nurseries, Push for Action on Oil by Rail
Wolk applauds new law supporting crisis nurseries in Yolo, throughout state Governor signs bill to remove unnecessary…
Mental Health Services Turn a Corner in Yolo County
by Robert Canning This week on NPR, two San Antonio mental health police officers were featured in…
Our Medical System – What I Believe is Possible
by Tia Will With the proposal and subsequent approval of the ACA, concerns have been expressed about…
Obamacare – A View from the Front Line
by Tia Will As an advocate of single party payer health care administered through an integrated health…
Crisis Nursery Pilot Program Advances in State Senate
AB 578, authored by State Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) and Assemblymember Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) passed the Senate…
Sunday Commentary: Need for better Access to Mental Health Crisis Services in Yolo County
I have told this story before here, but it bears repeating. In 2011, shortly after our then…
Crisis Nursery announces $200,000 in emergency grant funding
(from press release) The Friends of the Yolo Crisis Nursery have amassed $200,000 in emergency grant funding…
Board of Supervisors to Supply Emergency Funding to Keep Crisis Nursery Open
After listening to heart-rending stories from community members and first responders about the importance of the Yolo…
Fund Drive Launched to Save Yolo Crisis Nursery
(Editor’s note: the following is a press release from the Friends of Yolo Crisis Nursery) The Friends…
Sunday Commentary: One Year Since ‘the Other Davis’… What’s Changed?
It was a year ago, that I wrote “The Other Davis” from, ironically enough, a hotel room…
My View: Being Poor Means Inhuman Treatment
Every year in June, Assemblymember Mariko Yamada takes what she calls the “Hunger Challenge.” According to a press release from back in June, “Hunger Challenge participants pledge to live for one week on the nation’s average weekly food stamp benefit of $4.46 per day, or just $1.49 per meal.”
“The challenge is a reminder to me that for millions of Americans, hunger is a daily reality,” said Assemblymember Yamada. “While I struggle for only a week, far too many who cannot make ends meet face going hungry every day. Those living in ‘food deserts’ – often students, the disabled, and seniors – are particularly affected.”
Children at Yolo County Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Center Need Our Help
by Cecilia Escamilla Greenwald
by Cecilia Escamilla Greenwald 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.
CalFresh Underutilization Means Lost Dollars and Empty Plates For Local Residents
by Alex Clark
by Alex Clark Special to the Vanguard
In November 2010, the California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA), a statewide organization focused on improving the health and welfare of low-income Californians by increasing their access to affordable and nutritious food, released a report entitled “Lost Dollars, Empty Plates.” The CFPA’s report analyzes the impact of CalFresh, known previously as California’s Food Stamp Program and federally referred to as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), participation rates on state and local economies.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), California is second to last among US states with regard to participation in the federally run Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and has continually ranked alongside states with the worst participation rates in the country. The report claims that the lack of participation in this food-assistance program is harmful to both state and local economies, not to mention low-income households.
City, County, and Schools Face Very Bleak Picture: This May Be the Worst We Have Seen
While the economy across the nation and even in California to a lesser extent seems to be very slowly turning the corner, one has to wonder if it’s too late. The news on the local level is devastating. We have focused much of our attention on the follies of the Davis City Council. The news there is not great, plans are underway to cut spending should the sales tax measure not pass in June.
The city as we have reported repeatedly to little effect has failed to deal with the two 800-pound gorillas staring it in the face–the unfunded medical liability soaring at between 42 and 65 million dollars and the pension crisis.
H1N1 Vaccine Shortages in Yolo County Lead to Concern and Questions
Given concerns surrounding the H1N1, the supply of vaccine is not keeping up with the need to distribute it to high risk groups. For whatever reason, Yolo County has received less of its fairshare of vaccine compared with surrounding counties such as Sacramento or Solano County.
This has led many in the public to question the distribution system. Some have suggested that for the most part the only kids being vaccinated were the kids of doctors and nurses. Officials for their part are that the problem was the small quantity received and the need to get the vaccine to specific high risk groups. They are hopeful that the statewide distribution system problems will be rectified and a supply of vaccine will become available to the general population.
Commentary: Needle-Exchange Program–Needed to Be Mended But Not Ended
This past week, the County Board of Supervisors on a somewhat rare party-line vote, decided to continue the needle exchange program that will cost the Yolo County taxpayers $100,000 per year.
This despite tangible evidence of problems with the program.
One of the biggest problems with the program at this point has to do with the number of unaccounted for needles.
County Needle Exchange Program Makes Mess of Parks
Something a little different for everyone on a Sunday morning. Earlier this week there was a story in the Woodland Daily Democrat that a flood of hypodermic needles was showing up in Woodland City Parks.
A year ago, the County Board of Supervisors approved a needle-exchange program in an effort to cut down on diseases spread through the use of intravenous drug users.
However, now the Woodland City council is shocked and frustrated to find out that a county health contractor has been distributing these needles in one of the parks, without consulting the city.
Commentary: Marriage Equality Comes to Yolo County
On February 14, 2008, I was at the County Clerk’s Office once again covering County Clerk Freddie Oakley’s protest against laws prohibiting the marriage of same-sex partners during her lunch hour. The day when Freddie Oakley would actually be able to marry such partners seemed hopelessly far off in the distance.
All of that has changed with a recent court ruling that has left open a window of time perhaps between now and Election Day when California same-sex partners can wed. Who knows what the Election Day will bring, perhaps the run on same-sex marriages during that time will convince people that the sky will not fall and that same-sex partners can hardly do more damage to the institution of marriage than has already been inflicted by high divorce rates and infidelity. Maybe.
Friday Musings
There are a bunch of interesting happenings that somehow do not seem to amount to one full…
