The Davis Voice

Seen Around Town: October 2009

Picture Gallery from Davis Senior High School Homecoming Parade and Target Grand Opening.

by Kemble K. Pope

When this site was first launched, we intended to take lots of pictures around town and hoped that our readers would send us Dalebrity (Davis + local celebrity) sightings on a regular basis.  Well, you know how it goes… even with the best of intentions.

Last Friday, however, the beautiful fall weather forced your editor out of his house and into the streets to capture the DHS Homecoming Parade.  I don’t know if it’s because of the brand new stadium or simply because Blue Devil pride is on the rise, but that parade just Laid. It. Out! 

After the jump, pics galore from today’s Homecoming Parade and from the Target Grand Opening a couple of weeks ago.

Season of Mists and Rotting Fruitfulness

Vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more.  - To Autumn

The young John Keats evidently knew a thing or two about the fruits of autumn, with all his talk of the abundant fruitfulness of the country around London.

Now John possibly picked many of these country delights. In his day, Hampstead was still mostly a rural area, not having been swallowed up by the foulness of Greater London; apples and filberts are still to be found on Hampstead Heath and there are still traces to be found of the bucolic origins of the town.

Now let's get up-to-date and local. Davis is surrounded by farmland, indeed it owes its existence to agriculture, the University having begun life as the University Farm extension of Berkeley. We're a green city with a climate conducive to growing fruits of all kinds, from the humble apple through exotic quince and olives. It seems that every city block has a diverse range of vegetation fruiting everything from figs and citrus fruits to pomegranate and cactus pear; I remarked on this when I first came to California just under five years ago.

This Week in YOUR Government

Monday, October 26 - Friday, October 30

The Davis School Board meets Thursday of this week, off their usual "first and third Thursday of each month" schedule.  A full calendar of board meetings is available on the District Joint Unified School District website.  A calendar of previous meetings with links to agendas is also available online.  This location offers a search box in the upper right hand corner which allows you to search previous agendas by topic and review reports and background presentations.

Measure P: Q&A Round Three

Ed. Note - This post is one in a series of balanced articles and columns written to inform the electorate about the upcoming election on November 3rd when Davis voters will be asked to vote whether or not the agricultural land at Wildhorse Ranch should be converted to a housing development.  Click HERE for our full coverage.

Over the past few weeks, readers of DavisVoice.com submitted questions that they wanted both campaigns on Measure P to answer.  We chose six of those questions and edited them to the best of our ability to ensure fairness.  Both campaigns were given 4 days to answer these questions with the only qualification being that they keep their responses to under a total of 1,200 words.  This series of Q&A ran in 3 separate columns over the weekend.  We’ll let you decide if we’ve provided an appropriately fair forum for the discussion this matter. 

Today's Questions:

5.  Some have called Measure P a referendum for the Measure J process (in which voters must approve the re-designation of land currently designated as agriculture or open space).  Is this a fair assessment?  Why or why not?

6.  Does the Measure J process benefit the Davis community?  Please explain.

After the jump, find the answers to your questions.

Measure P: Q&A Round Two

Ed. Note - This post is one in a series of balanced articles and columns written to inform the electorate about the upcoming election on November 3rd when Davis voters will be asked to vote whether or not the agricultural land at Wildhorse Ranch should be converted to a housing development.  Click HERE for our full coverage.

Over the past few weeks, readers of DavisVoice.com submitted questions that they wanted both campaigns on Measure P to answer.  We chose six of those questions and edited them to the best of our ability to ensure fairness.  Both campaigns were given 4 days to answer these questions with the only qualification being that they keep their responses to under a total of 1,200 words.  This series of Q&A will run in 3 separate columns over the weekend.  We’ll let you decide if we’ve provided an appropriately fair forum for the discussion this matter.

Today's Questions:

3.  Does this new development complete an existing neighborhood, or begin a new one?  Please explain.

4.  If built, how would Wildhorse Ranch affect the rest of the Davis community?

After the jump, find the answers to your questions.

Measure P: Q&A Round One

Ed. Note - This post is one in a series of balanced articles and columns written to inform the electorate about the upcoming election on November 3rd when Davis voters will be asked to vote whether or not the agricultural land at Wildhorse Ranch should be converted to a housing development.  Click HERE for our full coverage.

Over the past few weeks, readers of DavisVoice.com submitted questions that they wanted both campaigns on Measure P to answer.  We chose six of those questions and edited them to the best of our ability to ensure fairness.  Both campaigns were given 4 days to answer these questions with the only qualification being that they keep their responses to under a total of 1,200 words.  This series of Q&A will run in 3 separate columns over the weekend.  We’ll let you decide if we’ve provided an appropriately fair forum for the discussion this matter.

Since we received the “No on P” responses first, their responses will be first… as indicated in the initial email that was sent to both campaigns.  For full disclosure, the “No on P” response was submitted by Greg Sokolov and the “Yes on P” response was submitted by Denise Hoffner on behalf of Bill Ritter and Yes on Measure P.

Today's Questions:

1.  Is Wildhorse Ranch compatible with the surrounding land uses?  If so, why?  If not, why not?                
2.  Does the Wildhorse Ranch project design change the City's development standards in regards to energy efficiency, open space preservation and affordability?  Please explain.

After the jump, find the answers to your questions.

This Weekend in The People's Republic

Just because the days are getting shorter doesn’t mean there are fewer options to take advantage of this weekend!  With the cooler weather comes a bit more indoor activity.  However, all the purposeful entertainment and benefit events on the agenda should stave off the cold by making you feel warm and fuzzy inside!  After the jump, all of the details for a right and relevant weekend.

A Homecoming to Remember

By Mike McDermott

Come and see the fantastic progress made in the renovation of Davis High School’s Stadium.  It is not a completed project but what has been done has brought great excitement to the school, the district and the community.

Culmination of Years of Effort

Tonight our community will get a peek at the completed first phase of a renovation that is the result of 20 years of contemplation and effort!   First built in the early 1960’s when the student body numbered 400, talk of renovating Dewey Halden Field began in the early 1990s when the school had already out grown itself by multitudes.  The student body today numbers around 2,000.

The spring of 2002 saw the efforts of dedicated community members and alumni culminate in the formation of the Davis High School Blue and White Foundation, a non-profit alumni association with the goal of supporting Davis High School.  As its first major project, Blue & White chose to push forward the need to renovate Dewey Halden Field and the high school stadium.  With the use of funds from the Davis Joint Unified School District and a generous collaborative partnership with local Brown Construction, the renovation of Dewey Halden Field is now complete, with a new all-weather field, lights and scoreboard.  

Good Davisites Eat Local Veggies

Support Our Local Farms by Joining a CSA

by Becky Winters

Summer gardens are winding down. Adios to fresh picked tomatoes, eggplant, basil, peppers, zucchini and so many other warm weather favorites. Rather than run to the grocery store when you're low on fruits, why not support a local farm directly and participate in a CSA program?

For those not familiar with CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), it’s a farm delivery service that connects community members directly with the food they eat. It’s a simple concept: the farm picks, packs, and delivers; you enjoy seasonal fresh-picked produce, year round.  Here in the Central Valley we have an abundance of farms to choose from, each with their own unique version of CSA.

Today in YOUR State Legislature

Today, the newly formed Senate Select Committee on Improving State Government and the Assembly Select Committee on Improving State Government will jointly hold their first hearing on the need for state government reform.  The hearing will be broadcast online on the California Channel. Topics and speakers are detailed in the press release below.

Questioning Government Employee Pay

Public v. Private Inequity

By Pieter Pastoor

Are we on our way to a two class country (private vs public)?  While the private sector in their retirement years struggles, the public retirement sector thrives.

Measure P: Q&A with Both Campaigns

Ed. Note - This post is one in a series of balanced articles and columns written to inform the electorate about the upcoming election on November 3rd when Davis voters will be asked to vote whether or not the agricultural land at Wildhorse Ranch should be converted to a housing development.  Click HERE for our full coverage.

In lieu of a second public debate regarding Measure P, our readers have submitted questions that they feel have not yet been adequately addressed.  We've politely asked both of the campaigns to respond to these questions by Thursday, October 22nd at 12noon.  Our only stipulation for their responses is that they total less than 1,200 words and that sources are cited if claims to fact are made.  We've also asked for a full list of community endorsers.

QUESTIONS

1.  Is Wildhorse Ranch compatible with the surrounding land uses?  If so, why?  If not, why not?              

2.  Does the Wildhorse Ranch project design change the City's development standards in regards to energy efficiency, open space preservation and affordability?  Please explain.

3.  Does this new development complete an existing neighborhood, or begin a new one?  Please explain.

4.  If built, how would Wildhorse Ranch affect the rest of the Davis community?

5.  Some have called Measure P a referendum for the Measure J process (in which voters must approve the re-designation of land currently designated as agriculture or open space).  Is this a fair assessment?  Why or why not?

6.  Does the Measure J process benefit the Davis community?  Please explain.

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome below.

News from Davis Schools

Homework Review

By Susan Lovenburg

At its October 15 meeting, the Board of Education heard from the Superintendent’s Advisory Homework Committee charged with evaluating whether the district’s homework policy is appropriately meeting student needs.  This group of parents, teachers and administrators is revisiting the recommendations of a 2003 work group that resulted in the existing Davis Joint Unified School District homework policy.  That policy, summarized briefly below, is available in its entirety on the DJUSD website.

Confessions of a Target Shopper

Davis Store Hits the Mark

by Sheryl Patterson

With great apprehension, I went shopping at the new Davis Target last Saturday. I couldn’t have shown up at the grand opening last weekend. That would have been way too embarrassing.  As it was, I hoped I wouldn’t run into my neighbors or friends.  Luckily, the store was crowded and everyone was fascinated by the “newness;” we were all more focused on what to buy than who else was shopping.

You see, I worked hard to make sure that a Target store in Davis would never be built. As a City Planning Commissioner, I voted against the development plan for a shopping center on 2nd Street next to the I-80 freeway anchored by a new Target store. The store size violated the General Plan. I was concerned that this was the first phase of a 20 acre suburban freeway shopping center, and it would impact the viability of downtown stores.  Also, the site design seemed insensitive to the existing residential neighborhood. 

I worked on the No on Target (No on Measure K) campaign writing letters, walking precincts and helping with fundraising.  At Celebrate Davis, I proudly wore my No on Target button. Never before had Target needed to seek voter approval to locate a new store. Thank goodness Target decided to engage in Davis politics and spend its funds trying to convince Davis voters that a new Target would complement, not destroy, Davis.  In retrospect, I was wrong.

This Week in YOUR Government

Monday, October 19 - Friday, October 23

This week's local government schedule includes a number of 2x2 meetings.  These provide opportunities for different jurisdictions and organizations to regularly collaborate.  Two members (fewer than a majority) are designated to represent each governing body or organization and discuss matters of mutual interest.  Action, as needed, is taken by the full Council or Board. 

For location and full agenda, click links provided.

Monday, 19 October 2009

3:30 pm - CITY - City/Downtown Davis Business Association 2x2

7:00 pm – CITY – Davis Social Services Commission

Tuesday, 20 October 2009

6:30 pm – Davis City Council/Redevelopment Agency Board - budget update, resolution approving the sale of the Proposition 1A receivable from the state, City Council/Redevelopment Agency long range calendar.  

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

4:00 pm – CITY -  City/Chamber of Commerce 2x2

Thursday, 22 October 2009

3:30 pm – COUNTY – Waste Advisory Committee 

5:00 pm - CITY/DJUSD - City/Davis Joint Unified School District 2x2

6:30 pm – CITY – Davis Human Relations Commission

 

This Weekend in The People's Republic

Our lovely little town has been washed clean by a storm once known as a typhoon by our sister city Inuyama, Japan.  Get thee outside and enjoy perfect the fall weather and lush landscape.  More right and relevant opportunities for fun than you can shake a stick at, just after the jump.

Measure P on TV, Radio & Internet

In addition to the all of the information that we've been providing you in anticipation of the single issue ballot on November 3rd, Davis Media Access has announced their coverage of Measure P. 

Measure P Voter Education programming featured on DCTV, KDRT, web Davis Media Access (DMA) has produced several voter education programs pertaining to the Nov. 3 election on Measure P. DMA is the community media center for Davis, operating DCTV public access channel 15 on the Comcast system; DJUSD educational access Channel 17, and KDRT-LP, 95.7 FM, and has provided voter education programming and in-depth coverage of local elections for more than 20 years. 

For the Measure P race, DMA staff and volunteers have produced three programs. After the jump, find the full schedule.

Join the Confab/Beer Summit Tomorrow

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

The Davis Voice 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, Mark Braly, David Chan, Lydia Delis-Schlosser, David Fisher, Steve Greenfield, Stefen Janke, Benjamin Lewis, Susan Lovenburg, Amanda Kimball, Alzada Knickerbocker, Pieter Pastoor, Sheryl Patterson, Kemble Pope, Stephen Souza 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.

Commentary: Wildhorse GHG Plan

Local Leader Examines the Potential of Measure P

by Mark Braly

Ed. Note - This post is one in a series of balanced articles and columns written to inform the electorate about the upcoming election on November 3rd when Davis voters will be asked to vote whether or not the agricultural land at Wildhorse Ranch should be converted to a housing development.  Click HERE for our full coverage.

One of the hardest working citizen committees I’ve ever seen was the city’s Housing Element Task Force. Fundamentally its charge was to implement the city’s goal of meeting Davis’ housing needs and obligations under state law with available infill sites – not surrounding agricultural land.

Working from thorough staff analyses, the task force deliberated at length on all potential infill sites and ranked them. They recognized that meeting the city’s housing needs on infill sites would require greater density than is typical of Davis’ existing residential neighborhoods. A range of densities was suggested for each site.

The newest Wildhorse development was included on the list of infill sites because it is the last phase of the Wildhorse development which has already been approved by public referendum and it is currently within the city limits. This phase will again be up for public vote on Tuesday, November 3, 2009.

Commentary: Wildhorse Past & Present

Measure P Examined by Local Community Leader

by Sheryl Patterson

Horse Ranch - For those of you who may not have been around Davis in the early 1990’s, “Wildhorse” was a place with beautiful green pastures, where large groups of horses grazed in the two main pastures along Covell Blvd.  It was not unusual to see horseback riders trotting along our Mace Ranch greenbelt. My son and his friends use to walk over to the horse ranch for riding lessons and to pet and feed the horses. Many of the horse owners lived in the houses next to the barn (torn down many years ago). It was a well-run horse ranch.

Wildhorse Housing Development - The landowner eventually decided to sell his ranch and farmland to allow for development of the Wildhorse housing and the golfcourse neighborhood.  The landowner worked cooperatively with his adjacent East Davis neighbors in crafting a land use plan that respected the existing housing development in Green Meadows (north of Covell Blvd). The landowner committed to building a golf course that would be privately maintained but open to the public, as well as creating the owl habitat greenbelt/ag buffers along the east and northern borders of the property.

I respected the decisions of my East Davis neighbors and supported the project. I remember meeting at the house next to the horse stables when we discussed the latest changes to the development plan. As all developments in Davis are controversial, a referendum of the City Council’s approval of the project was filed (before Measure J existed).  I walked Mace Ranch precincts in support of the approval of the Wildhorse development and against the referendum petition. Amazingly, the Davis community voted to support this development project and rejected the referendum.

Ranch Activities - All was well (after the referendum) when the City Council’s action became final. The homes, golfcourse and habitat areas were developed within the prior agricultural fields. However, the developer later sold the horse ranch parcel to a speculator, not a horse owner or rancher. The subsequent owner wanted to develop the horse ranch into a custom home (large expensive mansions) development, at the time the Davis community was focused more on affordable housing.  Development of the horse ranch was opposed by the neighbors at that time because the Wildhorse plan had established the horse ranch as a permanent open space buffer. 

Measure P: History & Issues

Wildhorse Ranch: City Process and Areas of Contention Presented

by Stephen Souza

The Wildhorse Ranch project application was submitted to the City of Davis on March 9, 2006. Here is the history according to City staff after the submittal:

November 14, 2006 (pdf)  - The City Council took the following actions: 1) directed staff to proceed with the Wildhorse Ranch project application review, processing, and communitywide public outreach; 2) authorized the City Manager to enter into a contract with Raney Planning & Management, Inc. for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) preparation; and 3) approved the Budget Adjustment for the EIR.

 January 16, 2007 (pdf) - The City Council took the following actions: 1) directed staff to proceed with the EIR and project applications processing with Site Plan Option #3 (pdf)  as a starting point; 2) confirmed the six city project objectives for the EIR with some modifications; 3) confirmed the four project alternatives to be evaluated in the EIR; and 4) did not authorize staff to enter into Development Agreement negotiations at this time.

July 5, 2007 - A Notice of Preparation (NOP) for this Draft EIR was released for a 30-day review, while the public scoping meeting was held on July 18, 2007.

January 26, 2008 - The Social Services Commission recommended that the City Council support the concept of a Project Individualized Plan that incorporates use of the applicant’s partnership with a local housing non-profit organization in the construction of the affordable housing units, based on specified conditions.

January 29, 2008 (pdf) - The City Council directed the applicant to revise the site plan in order to address neighborhood and staff concerns.

(Ed. Note) - There are no records of noticed public hearings from January 29, 2008 to March 18, 2009.  The current land plan was released on June 3, 2009.  Below, compare the change in the land plan from January 2008 (TOP) to June 2009 (BOTTOM).

After the jump, maps and more info.

This Week in YOUR Government

Monday, October 12 - Friday, October 16

Civil discourse in Davis is rising to a fever pitch as the debate on Measure P heats up.  Perhaps this is a good moment to remember that there are established rules for fair play.  Consider the City’s Council Meeting Ground Rules adopted February 8, 2005, our own Guiding Principles for the Davis Voice, and your opportunities to participate in the public process this week after the jump.

Measure P: Pro and Con

Community Members Present Arguments on Measure P

Yesterday we presented the ballot text of Measure P, the full text of the Resolution 09-132 passed by the Davis City Council on July 28, 2009, and the impartial analysis of Measure P by Davis City Attorney Harriet Steiner.

Today we present the arguments offered in favor and against Measure P, and the rebuttals to those arguments.  All were prepared for the Yolo County Elections Voters Guide, available online and mailed to the homes of registered voters.  The arguments appear after the jump, in the same order in which they appear in the Voters Guide.

This debate continued in today’s Davis Enterprise.  (Please note: Davis Enterprise subscribers may access the newspaper online for free, non-subscribers pay a user fee.)

• Innovative infill project deserves our support by Stan Forbes, Tansey Thomas, Mike Harrington, Maynard Skinner, Denise Hoffner, Ceclia Escamilla-Greenwald and Bill Ritter
• Davis just doesn’t need Wildhorse Ranch by Philip King, Nora Oldwin and Mark Siegler

The Enterprise also ran Measure P articles in the Sunday, October 2, 2009 edition:

• Project doesn’t pay its own way by Sue Greenwald
• Sierra Club loves green features of neighborhood by Pam Nieberg and Carolyn Hinshaw

As noted by Jeff Shaw of Davis Media Access in an earlier post to the Voice, the Slide Hill Neighborhood Association sponsored debate on Measure P can be viewed online.  If you prefer to watch it on television, look for the schedule at davismedia.org.

Those new to Davis politics may feel they want a scorecard, or at least a little context.  We refer you to the Davis Wiki for some background reading on the Davis political scene.

Finally, a reminder of our offer to you: we'll provide space for Davis residents to weigh-in, either in the comments section or with their own post.  Do you want your voice heard about Measure P?  Send your article (400-800 words in length) to kemble@davisvoice.com.  We'll print an equal number of articles from both perspectives.

And now, the arguments for and against Measure P.

Measure P: The Official Story

Any analysis of a voter issue should begin with the ballot language of the measure and the impartial analysis offered in the Voter Guide.  This guide is mailed to each registered voter and available online at the Yolo County Office of Elections website and reprinted, in part, below.

Important dates to note:

Monday, October 19: Last day to register to vote for this election.  You’ll find information on how to do so here. Not sure whether you’re registered?  Check here.

Tuesday, October 27: Last day to request a Vote-by-Mail ballot by mail.  Find out how to do so here.

Tuesday, November 3: Election Day.  Vote-by-mail ballots must be received at the Yolo County Elections Office or any polling place in Yolo County by 8:00 pm.  Postmarks do not count.  If voting in person, polls open at 7:00 am and close at 8:00 pm.  Your polling place for this election may be different from the polling place you went for your last election.  Check the back of your Voter Guide for location or check here.

Ballot Text of Measure P

The Davis City Council voted to place this issue on the November ballot at their July 28, 2009 meeting.  You can view that archived meeting online.

Shall Resolution No. 09-132, amending the Davis General Plan to change the land use designations for the Wildhorse Ranch property from agricultural to residential uses, as set forth in the Resolution and establishing the Base Line Project Features for development of the Wildhorse Ranch Project be approved?

After the jump, find the Full Text of Resolution 09-132.

This Weekend in The People's Republic

Weather dot com tells me that the forecast for this weekend is sunny with daytime temperatures in the 70’s and evenings getting down to the high 40’s.  Perfect weather means that we’ll be inundated with folks coming to take part in the wonderful little experiment that we call home. 

Get thee outside and enjoy the Davis Jazz Festival in venues all over downtown.  Get out to get a first glimpse of a soon to be film phenomenon, The Last Crop, with big screen film stars (and farmers) Jeff & Annie Main.  Get on your bike and ride out to the newly opened South Fork Preserve of Putah Creek.  Get down to Sophia’s for the last weekend of live outdoor music.  Get out and do something! Opportunities for fun-filled times abound after the link.

UC Davis Biz School on Global Map?

New Graduate School of Management Dean thinks Davis can be a hub for start-ups in the Sacramento Metropolitan Area.

by David Chan

This past Sunday I read an article in the Sacramento Bee about the new UC Davis Graduate School of Management Dean, Steven Currall. The Sac Bee article writes about Mr. Currall's quest to bring the Graduate School of Management onto the global stage. Mr. Currall comes to Davis after having been a professor at the London Business School and University College London.

I applaud Mr. Currall for his vision in galvanizing this region as a "magnet for new business talent." I've often thought about this very idea since moving to Davis seven years ago. Scores of high tech professionals, like me, moved to Davis and the surrounding areas to escape Bay Area traffic and crime. We also found that the open community, greenbelts and sense of family refreshing from the "me" culture of Silicon Valley.

Mr. Currall believes that the Sacramento region can be a hub for startups and that UC Davis can play a critical role in helping shape these businesses. I agree with the Dean that the venture capital community in Silicon Valley have a myopic view of technology startups and leaders. Like, Mr. Currall I believe that the region is full of entrepreneurial talent, as well as people with vision, leadership and experience to drive successful businesses.

Measure P Vote in 26 Days

Election Coverage: Keep Your Mail-in Ballots for a Couple of Weeks

by Kemble K. Pope

In yesterday's snail mail, I received my one-issue ballot from the Yolo County Elections Office.  In the past two days, I've had about 8 people ask for my opinion on Measure P... because they knew absolutely nothing about it and thought that I most certainly would.  In 26 days, the polling places will be open for the citizens of Davis to vote Yes or No on the following statement,

Shall Resolution No. 09-132, amending the Davis General Plan to change the land use designations for the Wildhorse Ranch property from agricultural to residential uses, as set forth in the Resolution and establishing the Base Line Project Features for development of the Wildhorse Ranch Project be approved?

Where is Wildhorse Ranch?  What are the pros and cons to such a vote?  What are the areas of contention between the opposing sides?  DavisVoice.com will attempt to answer these and many other questions in the coming days.

When I sat down with Stephen Souza and Susan Lovenburg to discuss how this blog will cover Measure P, these notes emerged from our working document: "Balanced reporting, no position nor specific agenda, purely informational, respectful & civil."  That's our plan and we're sticking to it.  Over the next two weeks, expect at least 5 articles to cover Measure P.

First, we'll start with a post that includes all of the voter information provided by the county.  Then, Stephen Souza will frame the project and areas of contention and point you in the right direction to better understand what is at stake.

Next, we'll publish Q&A's from both campaigns (if they respond.)  We'll be asking each campaign to answer a series of questions about the project and we'll be accepting your questions for inclusion as well. Post them in the comments below or email them to: kemble@davisvoice.com

At the same time, we'll provide space for Davis residents to weigh-in either in the comments section or with their own post.  Do you want your voice heard about Measure P?  Send your article (400-800 words in length) to kemble@davisvoice.com.  We'll print an equal number of articles from both perspectives.

Lastly, I'll write a wrap-up piece for one-stop shopping about the matter.  The day after the election we'll offer you some commentary and analysis on why we think you voted the way you did... feel free to disagree.

In the meantime, here is your homework:

http://www.noonmeasurep.com/

http://yesonpdavis.com/

Tales of a Davis Tree Climber

by Ruth Williams

Fall is here and the leaves are sprinkling down in drifts and gusts. It’s a time when people look around and notice the trees all over Davis. Ginkgos and maples are losing their robes of yellow and red and standing over us, naked.  Suddenly, I’ve got an urge to climb.

When I was young, my mother became so accustomed to me getting covered in leaves and pitch, she got me my own bottle of turpentine. A lot of children climb trees, but I’m in my late 20s, so what’s my story? I just love trees. Period. I still remember my first time climbing a tree with a rope and saddle. I was lucky. Who gets to catamaran to Catalina Island, meet new friends, kayak over tranquil garibaldi habitat, swim in the ocean, and call it professional development?

And the best part? Learning to climb a red gum tree with Chad Brey and Rhonda Wood, folks I had only read about - I'm not making this up - as national tree climbing champions. Take that, Peter Pan! It starts with a throw line. I watched them catapult that baby into the air up and over the canopy. Then I threaded my climbing rope up, harnessed up, grabbed my hard hat and ascended with a foot-lock inchworm move that made me wish I applied myself more in bakasana. I had a moment of fear, but Chad was egging me on and suddenly we were forty feet up (see above picture). I swung to a branch twelve feet away, teetered to the end and breathed the warm afternoon sea air. Feet planted in a Eucalyptus camaldulensis all my worries about the world and the future kind of disintegrated and I was left feeling ALIVE.

The climbing didn’t end in Catalina. I’ve been getting up in the canopies whenever I can. There is a Deodar Cedar near Shields Library where you can view the entire UC Davis campus. A massive Valley Oak actually hums with the vibration of a bee colony living in a decayed portion of the trunk. The mulberry at my apartment complex is my local respite when I need to get away but don’t actually want to go anywhere. People talk about getting out to nature. I just walk out my door and get UP to it.

Recreational tree climbing doesn’t have the recognition or the following of rock climbing. There is a major difference between being in a tree and scaling a rock wall.  Tree swingers manipulate the rope a great deal. Jumping out to a branch is often easier than climbing to it, and putting most of my weight on the rope, I can limb-walk out to where the branch is just a few inches in diameter.  The views are fantastic, and often startling; every tree is different.

People ask me if it’s legal and safe. As far as I am aware, there is no law against climbing a tree in Davis.  Safety is job one. I learned with arborists; these people climb trees every day with a chain saw. They are cautious. We wear boots and helmets. We have safety ‘flip-lines’ and triple-lock carabineers. We are not dare-devils, just thrill seekers, safely. There is a whole unexplored world in Davis tree canopies, seldom visited by anyone besides the maintenance workers who tend our urban forest. When people tell me Davis is boring, I think, “It depends on your perspective” Perhaps only boring people get bored.

Ruth Williams is the TREE Davis Executive Director and a self-proclaimed Lorax. She lives in North Davis with her sister Clare and three adolescent chickens, Glendolynn, Penguin, and Happy-go-Plucky.

What's In An API?

Academic Performance Index (API) Examined

By Susan Lovenburg

On September 15th, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell released the 2008-2009 Accountability Progress Report based upon last spring’s Standardized Testing and Report (STAR) program and the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE).  Local scores were reported and discussed at the September 17 Davis School Board meeting.

The news was not uniformly good for the Davis Joint Unified School District. Though all our schools continue to rank as “high performing” with Academic Performance Index (API) scores that exceed the state target of 800, and our district API increased five points from 868 to 873, our African American, Hispanic, low socio-economic and English Language learner subgroups of students did not fare as well.  This is in contrast to a statewide trend showing academic gains for these same groups.

More Davis specific details after the jump.

This Week in YOUR Government

Monday, October 5 - Friday, October 9

This week kicks off the 4th Annual City of Davis Teen Photography Contest.  The contest runs from Monday, October 5 through Wednesday, November 18, 2009.  Photos must be taken within Davis during the time period of the contest. There are two categories: Color and Black & White.  For more information, click here.

If public comment is your favored form of expressing your devotion to Davis, check out the following meetings this week. Click on the link for agendas and meeting locations.

Monday, 5 October 2009

5:30 pm – CITY – Bicycle Advisory Commission

6:30 pm – CITY – Open Space and Habitat Commission

Tuesday, 6 October 2009

2:00 pm – COUNTY – Yolo County Office of Education Child Care Planning Council

7:30 pm – Davis City Council – presentation of renters survey, Oeste Manor Neighborhood Association proposal related to single-family rental properties, ASUCD proposal for an ordinance requiring interest on security deposits.

Wednesday, 7 October 2009

7:00 pm – COMMUNITY FORUM – Cooling the Earth One House at a Time: A Community Forum on Actions You Can Take at Home, Community Chambers, 23 Russell Blvd.

Thursday, 8 October 2009

8:30 am – COUNTY – Planning Commission