The Davis Voice

Cooling the Earth One House at a Time

Expert Advice on How to Green Your Home & Pay For It

by Mark Braly

“Cooling the Earth One House at a Time” is the apt title of the next public forum of the Davis Climate Action Team (Ed. note - we've reported on the Climate Action Team (CAT) here, here and here):

Wednesday, October 7, 7pm -9pm; Davis City Council Chambers, 23 Russell Blvd. FREE.

These popular public information programs have been organized by Jenifer Segar on behalf of the city’s Climate Action Team, on which she has served as a member.  The team’s work is now nearing an end and entering the implementation phase.  Jenifer has added another sponsor, Valley Climate Action Center (VCAC), which is targeting implementation of carbon reducing programs in the Yolo County region.

VCAC is a revival of the successful Yolo Energy Efficiency Project (YEEP) led by Marshall Hunt.   The non-profit will broaden its focus from just energy efficiency to the city’s newly adopted goals for reducing its carbon footprint in line with the state’s goals for 2025 and 2050.  Both Marshall and Jenifer are involved with the relaunching of the corporation.

The Oct. 7 event is designed to help homeowners plan and finance carbon reducing improvements on their property.  The line up includes:

• Jonathan Woolley, UC Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center, “Action Plan for Reducing Your Home’s Heating and Cooling Carbon Footprint.”
• Steve Brennan, Davis Energy Group, “Improving Energy Efficiency and Home Energy Evaluations.”
  
• Liz Merry, Verve Solar Consulting, “Generating Power with Solar PV and Solar Thermal.”
• Paul Navazio, City of Davis Finance Director, “Emerging Funding Opportunities.”
• California Lighting Technology Center, UC Davis, “Exploring Emerging Technology and Options for Lighting.”
• Davis Mayor Pro-Tem Don Saylor will moderate the panel.

The program will be telecast on the city’s TV channel.

As a follow up to the forum, community members can attend an education and vendor fair on October 24 at Central Park from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.  This fair will be a part of a global grass roots campaign, 350.org.  350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide—measured in "Parts per Million" in our atmosphere. 350 PPM—it's the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change to the earth.  This event also will include  a bicycle parade, music and hands on activities.

 

Mark Braly is retired from a checkered career which included four years in Thailand as a U.S. Information Agency foreign service officer.  His bland appearance led many to think this was a front for the CIA.  He was also energy advisor to Mayor Tom Bradley of Los Angeles, producing an award winning energy plan for the city just in time for the disappearance of energy as a national issue.  He is now chairman of the Davis Planning Commission, interim president of Valley Climate Action Center,  and an avid competitive swimmer whose elusive goal is to beat anyone at all.     

Contributor Confab / Beer Summit Set

Join us on Friday, 10/16/09, 5:30-7:30 pm at Sudwerk Brewery

On August 19th, the Davis Voice re-launched with this message:

Welcome to a venue that honors civility and fairness, and promotes thoughtful dialogue and commentary about the joys of being a Davisite.

Are you interested in writing for The Davis Voice? We welcome your contributions on every issue under the Sacramento Valley sun.

Since then Kaylin Adamski, David Chan, Lydia Delis-Schlosser, David Fisher, Steve Greenfield, Stefen Janke, Benjamin Lewis, Susan Lovenburg, Amanda Kimball, Alzada Knickerbocker, Pieter Pastoor, Kemble Pope and Julie Van Dam have joined our family of contributors.  We love them all, but we want more than a family; we want a whole village, or at least a broad cross-section of our town.  The success of this endeavor depends upon a diversity of voices writing and commenting.

Many have expressed interest in contributing – and some will as their schedules permit - but more than a few are holding back waiting to get a feel for the blog and a sense of who we are. We’d like to help with that, so we’re blasting out of cyberspace and into the real world.  It’s time for some human contact … and a beer or two.

Are you a past or present contributor to the Davis Voice?  First piece still in your head, but not yet in writing?  Think you might possibly contribute some day in some way?  Like or dislike what we write?  Just want to check us out?

Kemble Pope, Stephen Souza and Susan Lovenburg invite you to attend a Davis Voice Contributor Confab on Friday, October 16 from 5:30-7:30 pm at Sudwerk Brewery, 2001 2nd St. 

This is not a meeting – no agenda, no RSVP required.  Drop in, take a moment to get to know us, get your questions answered and share your thoughts.  We welcome past, present and future partners in civic pride.

Questions to kemble@davisvoice.com

This Week in YOUR Government

Participate or Stop Whining

Monday, September 28, - Friday, October 2

This week’s Board of Education meeting has been re-scheduled.  The next meeting will take place on Thursday, October 15, followed by a specially scheduled meeting on Thursday, October 29.

Your city and county governments are in full swing, however, taking up a variety of topics.  Clicking on the agency below will take you to agendas with full meeting details, including location. 

Your Chance to Participate!

The City of Davis is looking for volunteers to serve as members of the following commissions:

• Bicycle Advisory (1 regular vacancy)
• Finance and Budget (1 regular vacancy & 1 alternate vacancy)
• Historical Resources Management (1 alternate vacancy)
• Open Space & Habitat (1 regular vacancy)
• Recreation and Park (1 regular vacancy)
• Safety and Parking Advisory (1 regular vacancy & 1 alternate vacancy)
• Social services (1 regular vacancy)

Follow this link for information on how to apply.

Monday, 28 September 2009

9:00 am – COUNTY – Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)

7:00 pm – CITY – Finance and Budget Commission, special meeting

Tuesday, 29 September 2009

9:00 am - Yolo County Board of Supervisors – public hearing on a proposed ordinance approving bylaws for General Plan citizens advisory committees; public hearing to consider adoption of a proposed small and large wind energy systems ordinance; adopt the Yolo County design guidelines to provide review criteria for the preparation and evaluation of development proposals in the unincorporated area of the county.

6:30 pm – Davis City Council - public hearing on Measure J renewal and possible business park exemption; senior housing survey; review of role of council liaisons to subcommittees.

Thursday, 1 October 2009

2:00 pm – COUNTY - Yolo County Housing 

5:00 pm – CITY – Safety & Parking Advisory Commission

This Weekend in The People's Republic

Bike Forth & Political Happenings Abound

Autumn is officially here, according to the calendar. But the thermometer may still read over 100 degrees Farenheit this weekend. Hopefully, you’ll be riding your bike around town to prove that neither snow, nor heat, nor wind, nor rain shall impede your bicycle mobility.

But, be careful! There are lots of novice bike riders and auto drivers not used to sharing the road out there… don’t be afraid to shout out helpful hints to the newcomers e.g. “Stop signs are for bikers too!” or “Use your turn signals or you’ll maim someone!” … but, don’t tell them about the back tire fender, some things you have to learn the hard way.

After the jump, find our picks for an entertaining weekend in our lovely little college town.

Know Thy Neighbor

Proactive Solutions to Curb Burglaries & Other Crimes

by David Chan

My family and I moved to Davis some seven years ago. From the beginning, we knew we loved Davis ... its welcoming culture, intellectual stimulation, and just safe environment. The "safe" part was especially important to us because, at the time, our children were only 5 and 3. However, the recent flurry of news about burglaries on the rise in Davis, in broad daylight AND with people at home gives me pause.

After the jump, find more info on how to best work together as a community to preserve and improve our safety and standard of living.

Local Merchant on Health Care Reform

By Alzada Knickerbocker

This OpEd was originally published on September 10, 2009 as "Merchant says, 'Hear our plea'" and is reproduced with permission from The Davis Enterprise.

I own a small business in downtown Davis - an independent bookstore, The Avid Reader. In 1987, I and my business partner at the time bought an existing bookstore with a loan from my parents. The funds I put into my recent remodel came from my personal savings.

Over the past 22 years, I have hired many local or UC Davis young people to work in the store. For many, it is their first job with significant responsibility. From my store they've moved on to graduate school, teaching and a myriad other job destinations and futures.

My inventory manager is another local resident who grew up here and returned after graduate school and some years of bookstore work elsewhere. He's been with the store nearly 20 years.

Like most small businesses, after paying vendors, I pay half of what is left in staff costs. For all my employees, of course, I pay wages, payroll taxes and workers' compensation. For my manager, I pay full health insurance.

The other half of the money remaining goes for everything else - rent, advertising, utilities, phone, supplies, maintenance and other insurance. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I realize 4 percent profit before taxes. That's typical of a small business return even in the best of times.

Last year, that 4 percent paid my federal and state taxes. Some years, I have no profit, even losses. Other years, the small profit I have stays in the store to improve the business or to cushion the following year's expenses. It's been a decade since there've been profits to distribute.

Every day I monitor my store's bank balance and calculate the timing of bills to pay to ensure the store is not overdrawn. And every day, I think of how I can trim expenses in a store with a flat income to offer more wages and benefits to my staff.

My story is the story of small business in America. We have a dream to have a business. When we open our businesses, we provide new jobs and economic growth. We pay our employees what we can pay. We support other businesses and our community.

In this moment in our country's history, many of us ask our elected officials to work to reduce our staff benefit costs through considered, fiscally responsible legislation. We want them to pursue waste and fraud in the health care system, curtail unfair insurance awards, allow the purchase of health insurance across state lines, seek ways to lower costs of expensive tests and treatments, and focus on how to make health services available specifically for those Americans who do not qualify for existing programs and cannot afford current health insurance.

We want our leaders to make it possible for me and other small businesses to keep and grow our businesses, and for our employees to have jobs and access to affordable health care. No less than the health of our economy and our nation are at stake.

- Alzada Knickerbocker is a Davis resident.

Supporting Our Students

by Susan Lovenburg

You hear it often; this is a community that values education.  Philanthopy abounds in Davis, but most especially for our students.  A summary of this support over the last fifteen years was presented to the Board of Education on August 25th. 

In 2008-09, Davis public schools were enriched by donations of more than $2 million, including the Davis Schools Foundation grant of $1.5 million, and countless hours of volunteer service.    Our students are truly blessed by this beneficence.  Here are the foundations that support them and a few of their upcoming events.  Find out much more about these organizations by following the links to their websites.

Blue & White Foundation

With a mission to encourage, strengthen, and sustain the interaction between Davis High School and its alumni and friends, and to encourage philanthropic support for the school, the Blue and White Foundation is spearheading the fundraising campaign for the new high school stadium. 

• October 2, 2009, 6:00 pm: 5th Annual Golf Tournament and Concert on the Green
• October 3, 2009, 6:00 pm: DHS Hall of Fame Dinner inducting John Barovetto, Tony Fields, Dick Lewis, Joanne Moldenhauer and Craig Wilson.

Davis Bridge Educational Foundation

Davis Bridge strives to make college and academic success a realistic option and goal for all Davis students, regardless of income, race or ethnicity.

• Saturday, September 26, 6:00 pm: 5th Annual Davis Bridge Educational Foundation Fundraising Event. For more information, contact lyama87@sbcglobal.net.

Davis Farm to School Connection

The mission of the Davis Farm to School Connection is to create an educational and cultural environment in our schools that connects food choices with personal health, community, farms, and land.

Davis School Arts Foundation

DSAF believes that the value of visual & performance arts is equal to that of other curriculum and essential for the education of the whole child. The DSAF was set up as a matching funds organization with the district to keep art education alive in the Davis public schools.

• Sunday, October 25: Harmony in Our Lives Benefit Concert at the Brunelle Performance Hall at Davis High School.

Davis Schools Foundation

The Davis Schools Foundation's mission is to support educational excellence in Davis public schools by raising funds from the community for district-wide programs or that promote equitable opportunities between schools.

Photograph by Fred Gladdis reprinted with permission of The Davis Enterprise and the Blue & White Foundation..

This Week in YOUR Government

Participate or Stop Whining

Monday, September 21 - Friday, September 25

This is a hiatus week for the County Board of Supervisors, City Council, and the Davis School Board.  Only one official public meeting on the the Davis calendar:

Monday, 21 September 2009

7:00 pm – CITY – Social Services Commission 

Summer Reading

by Susan Lovenburg

One of the many things I love about summer vacation is the time it affords for leisure reading.  Throughout the year, juggling the demands of family and professional life make it challenging to read a newspaper, much less a book.   I crave opportunities to linger in bed in the morning with coffee and a good read, or divide my attention between a wonderful book and a great view from my Adirondack chair.  For me, it just doesn’t get much better than that, unless, of course, the kids are nearby engrossed in their own books.

Luckily, this summer’s vacation provided ample opportunity to indulge myself.  Though it was tempting to go for the latest Janet Evanovich (I admit it, I have read a few), this summer I wasn’t looking for escape, I was on a quest.

This Weekend in The People's Republic

Enjoy the last weekend in our bucolic burg before hordes of UC Davis students swarm our fair streets… get thee outside and enjoy yourselves! 

The Windy Day

By Amanda Kimball

Every month or so in the fall, there is a windy ay in Davis.  For one 24-hour period the wind tears through this town with a force so opposed to the stability of typical daily life in Davis, that I have become accustomed to calling it The Windy Day.  Throughout the summer, the sun beats down on the land and this little town offers no resistance to it, passively accepting its fate, melting into liquid, boiling away, allowing the sun to scorch whatever is left in the earth.

On The Windy Day, something rises from deep within the heart of Davis and refuses to be settled.  It shakes the leaves and races wildly past the rows of houses like a tireless child unfettered by parents or the rules of propriety.  At moments it seems to rustle all the trees simultaneously in a way that you can feel in your bones like the drum roll for some grand natural event about to occur.

I like the The Windy Day.  It reminds me that something is alive and awake underneath the surface of this town.  It sends me back to childhood when Winnie-the-Pooh hummed as he plodded along, “It’s a hiddle-dee piddle-dee dustery blustery day.”  The Windy Day is confined to one part of the year.  The late summer when the heat has worn out the last little bit of energy any resident tried to cling to.  It portends that even while the heat is still to be endured, cooler weather will be coming soon.  It was this time of year when I arrived in town.  I stepped off the bus in front of my new home, as yet unseen, with two suitcases, a backpack, and my cat.  I came to be part of academia with hopes of finding adventure in the little town of Davis.

Join The Bob Dunning JV Team!

We want your local angle!

Last Sunday, The Large Ruling Body, aka Bob Dunning, announced the winners in his yearly Contest to Replace the Above-Pictured Columnist in The Davis Enterprise.  Ten guest columnists were announced and much to our chagrin, your editors were not declared winners.  Soothing our wounded pride, Bob tells those of us not chosen that we’re not “losers”, but invites us to imagine that we “made it into the Final Four in the NCAA basketball tournament” or “won the silver medal in the Olympic marathon.”  That’s awfully kind, but here at The Davis Voice we’ve decided to start The Bob Dunning Junior Varsity Team for all of those Davisites who year after year are shunned by The Wary I.  We’ll give you the playing time you need to sharpen your skills for next year’s Varsity tryout.  Community coaching in the comments section is welcome.  So, come one, come all… dig out those columns that deserve to see the light of day… The Davis Voice will give you your time in the sun, guaranteed!  Join The Bob Dunning Junior Varsity Team by emailing your rejected contest column to kemble@davisvoice.com

First in the lineup for The Bob Dunning Junior Varsity Team:

“There’s Always A Multi-Dimensional Local Angle”

by Kemble K. Pope

It happens every year.  The crisp scent of freshly mown summer grass in the air, condensation from my tumbler of iced tea (brewed sweet, of course) rolling over my fingers, and a need for vanilla bean ice cream (Blue Bell, not Dreyer’s) covered with freshly picked blackberries conspire to evoke my childhood.  Our backyard on the edge of town overlooked a field dotted with a few copses of Oaks (White, not Valley), interwoven with bike trails that my buddies and I maintained religiously every Saturday (Sunday, of course, was a day of church and chores), and bounded by the highway that marked the edge of town (Hwy 6, not 113).  The ol’ hometown was about to leapfrog the highway, though, leading the realtors to begin calling our neighborhood “Central”, when it was anything but. 

What's New in East Davis, Fall 2009

by Steve Greenfield
Last week on my way to work I was transported 10 years into the future, maybe even more. After years of navigating my way through dozens of weaving elementary students on bikes, lines of cars dropping off additional students, and vigilant crossing guards in front of Valley Oak on Eighth Street I encountered an entirely different scene.

It was the first day of the new school year and instead of tiny children bouncing into school there were young adults calmly approaching the school on their bicycles. Rather than lines of cars, there were bright yellow construction vehicles grinding away at the road. And instead of the same drab streetscape there were futuristic looking, shiny black, new street lights, benches and bus stops. What caused this over night transformation in our humble East Davis neighborhood?  Find out after the jump.

This Week in YOUR Government

Participate or Stop Whining

September 14 - September 18

Plenty of opportunity this week to engage in participatory democracy, whether your interests tend toward bicycles, arts, city planning, telecommunications or education.  The links provided will access meeting agendas with times, locations and topics to be discussed.  If you know of other events, please bring them to our attention in comments.

Monday, 14 September 2009

5:30 pm – CITY – Bicycle Advisory Commission

6:30 pm - CITY - Open Space & Habitat Commission - Willow Bank Park Report, Measure J Renewal, Grasslands Park funding request from Yolo County

7:00 pm – CITY – Davis Greenbelt Alternatives meeting - The greenbelt planning process was kicked off in February with a community meeting. The meeting provided planners with an idea of what Davis residents want greenbelts to provide and where residents want greenbelts located. Now staff and planners need your input, at the second community meeting, to prioritize the plans. Planners need feedback on which plan residents like best, which greenbelt connections are most needed, and what amenities are most desired. The meeting will allow residents to give input on the proposed greenbelt scenarios.

7:00 pm – CITY – Civic Arts Commission

Tuesday, 15 September 2009

9:00 am – COUNTY - General Plan Board of Supervisors final action

9:00 am – County Board of Supervisors  – presentation on the Williamson Act, state legislative update, delta oral report update.

6:00 pm – City Council – rezoning and preliminary planned development, affordable housing plan and development agreement for Wildhorse Ranch Development Project; wood burning restrictions and establishment of “Voluntary No Burn” days; resolution to establish a Davis-Woodland Water Authority.

Wednesday, 16 September 2009

2:30 pm – CITY – Telecommunications Commission

Thursday, 17 September 2009

7:00 pm – Davis Joint Unified School District Board of Education – draft assessment of the district’s facility needs, 2008-09 unaudited actuals and 2009-10 budget revision, report on Academic Performance Index (API) and Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) based on spring 2009 assessments.

7:00 pm – CITY – Recreation and Park Commission

Places of Worship: A Personal Choice

Some of the places of worship in Davis, CA                                                  Click image for full view

by Pieter Pastoor

I have been a Methodist most of my life. At times I was very much involved and other times, well, not so much. As a young person, I always thought that taking religion seriously would be best left for a later date, maybe when I turn 55, or 60 or if still in good health possibly 70. Then, as my theory went, it was time to seriously commit, read the whole bible, pray a lot and have deep discussions with the Pastor.

Next year I turn 65 and occasionally I think of my youthful thoughts. To my surprise, now at this age, I wonder why I even went to church.

This Weekend in the People's Republic

This weekend, allow your recreational activities center around all things farm.  Fall approaches but we’re still in the most productive part of the growing season. 

Come celebrate the crowning of our Famers Market as “America’s Favorite” and get in touch with Agricultural Ecology with a newly minted expert at the I-House.  After the jump, find all of the appropriately juicy details.

Steve Larsen, Hometown Hero

Hawaii Ironman Triathlete, Lydia Delis-Schlosser joins with the Davis High Blue and White Foundation to raise funds for the Steve Larsen Memorial Bike Parking Area

by Lydia Delis-Schlosser

A passion for sports and for encouraging an active, healthy lifestyle is what brings together the efforts of the Davis Blue and White Foundation and myself, an Ironman Triathlete, to create the Steve Larsen Memorial Bike Parking Area at the newly renovated high school stadium in Davis, California.

Steve Larsen, a tremendous inspiration to me and a great motivator for many local athletes, passed away this year. Steve was the most versatile professional cyclist of our time, and the only American known to compete in the world championships for road, mountain bike, track, cyclocross and triathlon.  He died tragically of a heart attack at age 39, leaving behind his wife, Carrie, and their five children.

Steve’s passion for life and competition, his love of his family and community have all inspired me to honor his memory through my participation in this year’s Hawaii Ironman World Championships on October 10th.  After the jump, read more about how you can join me to honor Steve's memory.

Obama's Education Speech

by David Chan

I recently blogged about the the Obama education speech on Sep 8th, 2009. I believe that this speech is relevant to all of us, young and old, educated or not. The reason is simple ... the U.S., has lost its competitive edge and now lags behind many countries in education and general quality of life.

I feel fortunate to live in Davis, a city that cares about education. In fact, I didn’t know that Davis was one of the top 25 "most educated" cities in the U.S. as reported by CNN Money.com. This would explain why the quality of life is so much higher than the majority of the nation's cities.

Studies suggest that education is the number one factor in raising the standard of living, as well as elevating people out of poverty. This is the most compelling reason why people should care about the Obama education speech. Consider the opposite option ... discouraging our children from pursuing education? How ridiculous of a course is that?

News from Davis Schools

By Susan Lovenburg

President Obama Speaks to Students 

The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country? 

This morning President Obama urged students across the country to take responsibility for their education.  The full text of his talk is available on the Davis Joint Unified School District website.  A video excerpt is available on CNN.org.

Davis Students By the Numbers

The 2009-10 school year began with 8506 students attending Davis public schools.  Though the numbers will undoubtedly fluctuate, this is 28 students fewer than last year's enrollment.  These students attend one of sixteen Davis public schools:

• Elementary: Birch Lane, Chavez, Fairfield, Korematsu, Montgomery, North Davis, Patwin, Pioneer, Willett
• Junior High: Emerson, Harper, Holmes
• High School: Davis Senior High, DaVinci High, King High
• Davis School for Independent Studies

Historical Perspective

Following years of steady increase, the district's enrollment peaked in 2002-03 at 8827 students.  There followed three years of decline (2003-04: 8711, 2004-05: 8642 and 2005-06:8537), a slight bump up in 2006-07 (8647), further deline in 2007-08 (8484), and a small increase in 2008-09 (8573).  

Davis Joint Unified Student Enrollment, California Department of Education DataQuest 

 

Enrollment Projections

In their most recent analysis, the district's demographer, Davis Demographics & Planning, projected another small increase this school year.  Their ten year projection anticipates 8900-9000 students by 2018-19. During that time K-6 enrollment is projected to remain fairly stable, but secondary school enrollment (grades 7-12) may grow by up to 10% as a result of older students moving into the district. 

Davis Demographics will update these enrollment projections in spring 2010.

Susan Lovenburg is the mother of three daughters, a librarian by profession, and currently serving on the Davis School Board.

This Week in YOUR Government

Participate or Stop Whining

 

The Davis City Council is back in action this week following their August hiatus.  Both the County and City Planning Commissions will meet and senior housing will be discussed at the Senior Citizen Commission.  Here are your opportunities to participate in the public process.

 

Tuesday, 8 September 2009

10:00 am – County Supervisors  – Closed Session: employee evaluation, Interim County Administrator

6:30 pm – City Council

 

Wednesday, 9 September 2009

7:00 pm – CITY – Planning Commission - public hearings on a wireless broadband facility in City Parks Corp. Yard, a condo conversion for Le Chamois apartments and a proposal for a 27 unit residential subdivision on Mace Blvd. near Willowbank.

 

Thursday, 10 September 2009

8:30 am – COUNTY – Planning Commission

 

Noon-2:00 pm - Yolo Community Foundation - Nonprofit Roundtable on Volunteer Management, Recruitment and Motivation, Yolo County Fairgrounds conference room, Woodland.  For more information contact Cath Posehn at (530)312-0593 or email info@yolocf.org.

 

2:30 pm – CITY - Senior Citizens Commission - Transportation safety program, senior discount card, outreach and public education related to senior housing.

This Weekend in The People's Republic

Labor Day Weekend in Davis has never been sweeter.  After the jump, find our suggestions for a relaxing yet active weekend.

Viva Tomatoes and Farmers Markets!

Open Thread Thursday: All Things Locally Grown

By Susan Lovenburg

A recent trip to the Davis Farmers Market  reminded me of one reason I love living in Davis.  It’s not only that we are home to America’s Favorite Large Farmer’s Market, having recently won, hands down, a competition hosted by American Farmland Trust.

No, there’s more.  Tomatoes are at peak perfection: red, orange, yellow and green, ranging in sizes from miniscule to gigantic. Their abundance reminds me it’s time to make gazpacho.  Never mind that my children are adverse to tomatoes.  It’s a cool, healthy meal for a hot summer night and I make it once a year.

My favorite is the Moosewood version. This recipe showcases the tomatoes and recalls memories of days living in Ithaca, New York and dinners at the founding nation of cooperative vegetarian cookery, the Moosewood Restaurant.

For me, the only other gazpacho experience that comes close is Melon Gazpacho created by Pru Mendez of Tucos Wine Market and Cafe. This one is nothing like the tomato version, but an incredible experience in its own right and melons are also plentiful at the farmers market right now.

By the way, if your Wednesday and Saturday market days in Davis are not enough, you can visit the Winters Farmers Market every Sunday from 8 am to noon in Rotary Park.

This is an open thread conversation.  I invite you to share your own thoughts on tomatoes and farmers market.

Susan Lovenburg is the mother of three daughters, a librarian by profession, and currently serving on the Davis School Board.

UC Davis Solving the Education Crisis

One Textbook at a Time

by David Chan

My family and I have lived in Davis for roughly seven years now. I’ve been told by many “long-timers” why Davis is such a wonderful place to live … culturally, environmentally, and intellectually. I was recently reminded of the intellectual part after reading an article in The Sacramento Bee. The headline read "School Districts Allowed to Delay Updating Textbooks".

The article was about how the Elk Grove school district would be delaying adopting new textbooks until 2013. Apparently, most school districts must adopt new books within 2 to 3 years. Millions of dollars are set aside in the budget for just such renewals. Obviously, because of the short fall in California’s budgets, cut backs were in the cards at Elk Grove, including staff layoffs. As a result of negotiations, the Elk Grove school district would be able to delay purchasing new books and use the money instead to save jobs. However, the downside is that by the time new books are adopted some schools may be using 9 year old history books or 15 year old math books.

I’m a career technologist who believes that many industries, including the publishing industry, need significant overhaul. The textbook publishers have held on to such a closed network for a very long time, as have the real estate and music industries. The education market would be positively impacted through an information alliance or data exchange between writers, teachers, publishers, students and many more collaborators with skills and experiences.

UC Davis has taken a unique approach to solving this crisis. After the jump, learn more about how our best and brightest could work collaboratively to create the next generation of educational materials.

Ode To Prickley Bay

A Cocktail and Pizza Recipe for Your Inner Sailor

by Stefen Janke & Julie Van Dam

We love traditions - especially ones that include food. This is one of our favorite ones.

In January of 2008, we were lucky enough to go sailing on my father’s boat in the Caribbean. We arrived in Trinidad and Tobago after a very long flight only to be met by a questionably licensed cab driver my father had set up for us. Dad was in Granada and we would fly there the next day - an even longer flight due to a newly introduced concept of “Island time”.

Once we finally arrived in Granada and made our way to the harbor and onto the boat - all was well.  With Deep Blue Ocean waters and stunning sunsets - picture postcards perfect all seemed well and the world fell into place. On the boat my Dad was the Captain, Stefen was Cook, Julie was scullery maid by default and Carson (8 years old at the time) was the cabin boy and swimmer extraordinaire. With all of the work stations filled we moved onto one of the most important traditions on the boat, named “Tao”, nightly cocktail hour. This begins precisely at 5:00 PM and includes rum and spicy peanuts.  A note on rum - when in the Caribbean, you drink rum. Period. Full stop. No complaining!

This being our first night, we hit the local harbor restaurant in Prickly Bay. A range of sailors from all around the world anchored and would gather here to drink and eat. Surprisingly, of all things offered, a thin crust wood fired oven cooked pizza. After the long journey, we were so famished that we could have eaten anything that was hot and not in an airport.  Luckily, we didn't have to settle for second-rate pizza.  After the jump, learn how to make one of the best pizzas known to sailor and landlubber alike.