City News

After helping kids safely cross Davis streets for six years, crossing guard Heather Weinberg was shocked when she got a phone call telling her not to show up for work.

Davis Farmers Market visitors can most likely recall walking by a kennel where big dogs and small puppies alike are frolicking around,oftentimes clad in sweaters and accompanied by ecstatic children whose hopeful,pleading faces beg their parents to adopt. As ofApr.20,this idyllic scene of child meeting man’s best friend will no longer continue to be a highlight of the market.

Proposition1E would allow the state to redistribute money in order to balance the state budget,but some organizations remain skeptical about its repercussions. Prop1E would amend the Mental Health Services Act,also known as Prop63of2004.

OnThursday,it’s time to shop,play,work,live– and celebrate. The Davis Chamber of Commercewill celebrate local businesses at the sixth annual Celebrate Davis! festival starting at4:30p.m.at Community Park,located at14thand F Streets. A fireworks show starts at9p.m.,sponsored by the Sutter Health Group and will end the festival.

For those who braved the forbidding Davis rain in February to watch the start of the Amgen Tour of California, the future may be looking a lot brighter. Rumors are circulating that in 2010, America’s biggest cycling stage race will be held May 16 to 23, following four straight years of February races. The news was first reported in Cyclingnews, which quoted AEG president Andrew Messick as confirming the change. However, Michael Roth, Vice President of Communications, said yesterday what he can confirm is that the race date will not be in February.

On Tuesday,the Davis City Council continued discussion regarding the redevelopment of Fifth Street,an issue that has been in the works for three years. The council voted to begin community outreach and reassess the various options in the fall.The city is most concerned about the segment of the street between A Street and L Street. Three different proposals were brought up by the city as hypothetical plans of action during the meeting.

Davis residents might be paying more for water in the fall – but don’t blame it on drought. To counterbalance the cost of improving water quality,replacing water supply infrastructure and building a new wastewater treatment facility,the city of Davis is changing water rates for Davis residents that will take effectAug.1.

Construction workers are moving briskly to get the new Target store in East Davis complete and open by October. In the mean time,the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency is ramping up its own efforts to clean up and control contaminants at the Frontier Fertilizer Superfund site to the west of the new Target development.

Low-income refund program deadline nears Low-income homeowners who meet certain qualifications can receive a refund on their Davis Park Maintenance Tax and Open Space Protection Tax for2008-2009by submitting an application to the city by June30. The tax appears on property tax bills.This program is an exemption,not a refund.

The Yolo County Animal Shelter is struggling against parvovirus,a highly contagious canine virus that has killed10dogs in the last month. The last case of the virus was onApr.21and shelter staff believe the outbreak is now under control,said Vicky Fletcher,Yolo County’s chief animal services officer. Parvovirus is a malicious disease that can result in bloody diarrhea,vomitingand a noticeably sick dog.Dogs may also display depression,lethargyand a loss of appetite.The disease may result in death due to dehydration.

On May19Californians will vote on the Lottery Modernization Act,better known as Prop1C. Proposition1C proposes changes to the California lottery system.It would allow the state to borrow$5billion from the lottery to balance the2009-2010state budget and allow future legislation to use the lottery as a resource for future deficits.Prop1C is expected to protect education funding.

In its continued push to make Davis environmentally sustainable,the Davis City Council approved two programs allowing homeowners and new homebuyers to make their homes more energy efficient. Both programs are part of a greater effort by the council to adopt greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets for the city of Davis.