City News

In a city known for its premium home prices and focus on education,homelessness is not frequently on the agenda.With complaints from neighbors and attention from city staff,however,it is becoming an issue indowntownDavis. Neighbors on D Street and the surrounding area downtown have become increasingly frustrated about the impact of homeless services located in the area,according to a city staff report.

In an annual survey releasedinNovember,the Chronicle of Higher Educationstatedan increase in executive compensation for top national public and private universities. The average compensation rate,which includes salary,car and housing benefits,and retirement benefits,was$427,400for184top national public universities,according to the Chronicle.This represents a7.6percent increase from last year.The compensation figures included the fiscal year ending on June30,2008.

Hope they got that2-day lease paperwork Tenants in an apartment on Drake Avenue reported that a male subject responding to an ad on Craigslist.org in regards to renting out a room arrived Nov.21has refused to leave. Wait till they see Pippi Longstockings A female subject on East14th Street was reported as appearing disoriented and having two different colored shoes.

The Davis City Council will meet Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers at 23 Russell Blvd. The following are brief descriptions of selected topics that will be discussed at the meeting. The full agenda can be viewed online at cityofdavis.org/meetings.

San Francisco is currently studying a congestion pricing plan which could generate $35 to $65 million annually and reduce transportation-related greenhouse gases by 15 percent. Such a system would impose a toll on downtown drivers. Proceeds from the toll would most likely be reinvested directly into comprehensive transportation improvements for public transit users, drivers, bikers and pedestrians in and around San Francisco.

Although he was reelected for a sixth term last month, State Representative Mike Thompson may be leaving the U.S. House of Representatives when the new administration takes over on Jan. 20. Davis’s congressional representative is being considered for the post of Secretary of the Interior in President-elect Barack Obama’s cabinet.

A recent string of Southern Californian fires forced thousands to evacuate their homes and businesses. The most significant fires were the Sayre Fire,the Montecito Tea Fire and the Freeway Complex Fire,all of which have been100percent contained.Together,those three fires threatened and destroyed over1,010building structures – most of them residential – leaving hundreds of people homeless.

California saw a record increase in the number of marijuana plants eradicated this year. Nearly5.3million plants were seized from private and public lands through the combined efforts of several state and national drug control departments in2008.

In a town known for shutting down early,restaurants that stay open past10p.m.are in high demand for college students. The popular nightlife spot Soga’s recently went through a menu and facility remodeling transformation.The restaurant and bar recently reopenedas21and Seven Bar and Grill by Chaat Café.

THURSDAY Turn that frown upside down A subject was sitting in the park on Hamel Street with his face in his hands. Dee-runk.in.Pub-lik. A female was yelling at people onL Street.

Now that Proposition1A passed in California,officials are faced with the task of getting the high speed rail project off the ground. The greatest challenge at this point is finding sufficientfundingto jumpstart the project,said Quentin Kopp,chair of the California High Speed Rail Authority.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently upheld a lower court’s ruling against a group of academics that had challenged restrictions affecting academic travel to Cuba. The approximately 200 study abroad programs in Cuba before the restrictions were put in place have since decreased to only a handful.