By sunrise on July4the streets of Downtown Davis were filling with cars,bikes and people in spandex.Within two hours,bicyclists were speeding throughthestreetsat speeds over30mph – so fast that spectators had just enough time to read the race numbers pinned to speeding torsos.

Martian soil capable of supporting plant life NASA’s Mars Phoenix Landerdetermined that nutrients required for plant growth are present in a soil a sample taken from theplanet’s northern arctic plain.

SATURDAY Airing dirty laundry An individual broke into a commercial laundry room onArthur Street.

Although Poetry Night at Bistro 33 has been a successful bi-monthly event since its inception in 2006, the work involved with publicizing and promoting the event has become burdensome for UC Davis English lecturer and Poetry Night co-creator and co-host Andy Jones.

To celebrate thisrecent July4weekend,I’m dedicating this column to random thoughts,which I suppose means I’m giving a nod to Rob Olson and consequently Thomas Sowell for the inspiration.

The neon lights flickering the words SUSHI BUFFET stopped mein my tracks. I passed it by on a hazy night of bar-hopping. Could this be? Could Davis really have another all-you-can-eat sushi joint? The next morning, to make sure that I hadn’t imagined it in the midst of a little dancing and a lot of drinking, I did some research on Google to find that the restaurant really does exist!

WEDNESDAY Arboretumtour:walk withWarren Noon to1p.m. Arboretum Gazebo onGarrod Drive ArboretumSuperintendent Warren Robertswill offer a tour of the arboretum and offer information about the plant collections.

The past few years haven’t been very kind to Coldplay. After selling nearly 50 million copies worldwide of their first two critically-acclaimed albums, the guys from London disappointed many with 2005’s X&Y, even getting dubbed the “Most Insufferable Band of the Decade” by the New York Times.

A combination of factors has led to the appearance of West Nile Virus in theSacramento region. Six mosquito samples taken inSacramentoCounty have tested positive for the virus,and10infected dead birds have been reported,according to the Sacramento-Yolo Vector Control District.

Despite a year of state budget cuts that will result in a7percent increase in student fees for many undergraduates next year,it appears that forCalifornia students,UC is still the place to be. A record38,088Californiaresidentstudents havesubmitted their intent to register in the UC system in thefall of2008,a nearly13percent jump from thefall of2005,according to a UC press release.

UC Davis faculty member Benjamin Houlton of the department of land, air and water resources has co-published a research paper examining the role of the nitrogen cycle. This better understanding of the nitrogen cycle could lead to more accurate predictions of global climate change.

Why not join the city ofDavis in celebrating the independence of our nation with pancakes,parades and parachutes? Davis is offering a plethora of activities that everyone from children to college students can enjoy.