City News

Mayor Pro Tempore Don Saylor is kicking off his campaign for Yolo County Supervisor with a neighborhood party.

Congress is giving student aid a facelift this fall – or at least voting on it. On Sept.17,the House passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act with a majority vote.The act has yet to make it through the Senate. The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act would change the process by which money for loans and grants is directed within higher education.Essentially,the behind-the-scenes logistics of student aidwould change.

Continuing consumers of clove and flavored cigarettes may have to find an alternative. Sept. 22 marked the official commencement of The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which put a ban on all clove and flavored cigarettes – excluding menthol. The ban, which is only one component of the act, aims to deter the younger market from smoking, since cigarette companies often market clove and flavored cigarettes to this age group.

Earlier this month,customers were turned away from many locations of the popular fast food chain,Jack in the Box,throughout the state.On Thursday,Sept.17,much to the confusion of customers,Roseville‘s Abe Alizadeh– owner of more than70Jack in the Box restaurants,11T.G.I.Friday‘s and a plethora of real estate companies– closed his Jack in the Box restaurants due to financial troubles.

Davis is making a move to encourage healthy lifestyles among its citizens. Earlier this month,the city joined the statewide Healthy Eating Active Living Cities Campaign,HEAL,in an effort to reduce local obesity and physical inactivity rates.

In hard economic times, business can be tough. But the city of Davis has seen that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. A few new businesses have sprouted downtown, including Generations Family Footwear (710 2nd St.), European Wax Center (768 5th St.) and Village Pizza & Grill (403 G St.). Village Pizza and Grill owner Aziz Fattahi recently expanded his small Village Bakery by the Amtrak station to a bustling building on G Street. His upgrade was well-planned.

In response to the increasing amount of vacant space available in the Sacramento region,Davis developed a plan to attract new businesses to the area. City Council passed a resolution to defer tenant improvement fees for new businesses.

The average California gas price is much lower than the record numbers of last year. In June2008,unleaded gas reached up to$4.61per gallon on average,according to AAA‘s Daily Fuel Gauge Report website. Gas prices were back on the rise this summer but never reached$4per gallon.

After a three-year vacancy,the small grocery spot in Davis‘ Westlake Plaza will be filled. By December2009,the family grocery business DeLano’s will fill the space,in response to the surrounding community’s desire to have a grocery store within walking or biking distance.

Woodland and Davis will join forces on a water project that seeks to provide clean, reliable water to the two communities, including UC Davis.

Those who support second amendment rights may have another reason to celebrate. A new measure may allow passengers to check in unloaded and locked guns on their Amtrak train ride. Though not yet passed by both houses,Senate amendment2366passed on Sept.16with a vote of68to30.

After the first two cases of West Nile virus in Yolo Countythis yearwere confirmed last week,Davis residents should take all precautions against mosquitoes– especially considering recent high temperatures.An older man between the ages of55and74and a younger boy between10and18years old,both from Davis,were the first human cases of West Nile in Yolo County.