City News

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.

According a survey released this month by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) titled “Californians & higher education,” Californians have a high opinion of the state’s higher education but are concerned about the impact of the budget deficit. The survey said that all three branches of California’s higher education system enjoy high approval rates. Fifty-one percent of respondents rated community colleges “good” and 15 percent said “excellent.” California State University received 52 percent “good” and 10 percent “excellent.” For the University of California, 50 percent said “good” and 15 percent excellent.

Low income senior citizens, the blind and disabled will not be receiving their annual check for homeowner or renter assistance in the mail this year. Due to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s decision to eliminate funding for the Homeowner and Renter Assistance programs in the state budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year, 2008 claims cannot be paid by the Franchise Tax Board.

The city of Davis is currently discussing possible options for the renovation of Fifth Street between A and L streets. The four-lane corridor currently serves several modes of transportation, including bikes, pedestrians, automobiles and delivery trucks. Many community members have complained about bike safety – there are no bike lanes – and traffic and pedestrian flow problems.