Businesses transition to outdoor studios, forced to pause live classes during wildfires due to poor air quality

The COVID-19 pandemic took a severe toll on businesses around the country, especially those based on in-person attendance such as dance and yoga studios. To comply with safety regulations, studios like Sac Dance Lab and Davis Barefoot Yoga Studio transitioned to an outdoor class environment. 

“Sac Dance Lab is Sacramento’s leader in dance training […]” the official website reads. “With a focus on commercial styles and professional dance advocacy, Sac Dance Lab is a unique, boundless place to train for aspiring and professional dancers, as well as non-professional enthusiasts.”

Jalen Tyre, a hip hop instructor at Sac Dance Lab, explained that classes prior to the pandemic were lively with many new faces and a lot of “good, new energy.”

When the  pandemic began, classes initially switched to a virtual format taught through Zoom and Instagram Live. Tyre explained how this alternative made the teaching experience feel very different, and that he preferred being able to see his students in order to “feel their energy.” 

Once the government allowed it, classes resumed in the studio’s parking lot, but with more safety precautions and modifications for dancing outdoors.

Darina Kellom, a jazz funk instructor at Sac Dance Lab, said that the studio made sure that each class had a maximum of fifteen people and students were spaced at least six feet apart.

This new format, however, was difficult for both students and instructors at first. Without mirrors, dancers could not as easily visualize their movements and were more exposed to distractions such as heat and excess noise. To combat this, instructors taught choreography at a slower pace and adapted certain moves, projected their voices and learned to be more vigilant in watching students. 

“I’ve become more patient because there are a lot of things that we take for granted being inside of a studio,” Tyre said. “The difference for me is making sure that I stay in tune with what I’m doing.” 

Tyre urged other dance instructors and similar businesses wanting to transition to outdoor services to think outside the box.

“As artists, teachers and creatives, we have the space to create our own lane again,” Tyre said. “We have control over what we can do and how we do it. It’s a time for us to be innovative.”

Kellom said that dancing and art in general is important for ourselves and those around us. 

“[Dance] helps give us ways to cope, it helps us with self-care, it helps with endorphins,” Kellom said. “In so many ways, the arts are so impactful.” 

Outdoor classes were canceled due to poor air quality from wildfires on Aug. 20, but resumed on Aug. 31 when private group classes were offered inside the studio again. New changes included a limit of 12 students per class, registering before class, wearing a mask, screening for symptoms upon arrival and keeping a social distance of six feet at all times. 

Davis Barefoot Yoga Studio also transitioned to an outdoor class format. The studio’s official website provided further insight on their goals. 

“We believe that yoga benefits our lives no matter what brings us into the studio,” the official website reads. “[…] Our goal is to support you through your journey and help your bodies expand safely and comfortably into new possibilities.”

Co-owner of the studio, Wai-Mei Yeung-Boswell, said that during the studio’s first two weeks of being closed, they offered classes through Facebook Livestream, then later switched to Zoom.

Robert Boswell, who also co-owns the studio, explained that yoga is going to rapidly transition to a different approach. 

“We have to adapt as much as possible,” Boswell said. “We have to rethink how we present yoga and how we present the physical space.”

The studio reopened on June 20 to transition to outdoor classes with more safety measures such as marking places on the floor for social distancing, minimizing contact by encouraging online prepay and wearing masks. During the wildfires, classes moved online due to poor air quality until Aug. 29. 

Boswell believed that the pandemic has presented a bigger need for yoga and exercise in general.

“Yoga offers the opportunity to release, go inward and use your physicality,” Boswell said. “This is a lesson about patience and seeking serenity and knowing that it’ll all work out. Yoga teaches us that everything changes.”

He also offered some advice for other studios in a similar position.

“Now more than ever, we see the necessity to adapt and flow with society,” Boswell said. “We’ve come to a challenge of what it means to be in community. Now more than ever, we need to learn new ways to have community.”

Written By: Jelena Lapuz — city@theaggie.org

Despite concern over building height, increased traffic patterns, city council moves forward with project

On Tuesday Aug. 18, the Davis City Council held a meeting to discuss the University Commons Project, which would lead to the redevelopment of the site where the University Mall is currently located. This would “entail reconfiguration and replacement of the existing site and buildings to create a new mixed-use development,” according to the web page for this project. 

The redevelopment of University Mall by Brixmor Property Group is intended “to enhance existing retail uses and add residential units to create a vibrant mixed-use development,” according to the project’s description. 

During the meeting, changes to the number of beds and units were shown.

“We do point out that it’s not unusual for projects to change as they go through our review process,” said Eric Lee, planner in the community development and sustainable department. 

In the March 2018 submission, there were originally meant to be four residential stories with 912 beds, 552 bedrooms and 174 units, according to a presentation shown during the meeting. In October 2018, this was revised to 894 beds, 622 bedrooms and 264 units. In a more recent revision on Oct. 19, however, although the number of units, beds and bedrooms stayed the same, changes were made to the percentage of one, two, three and four bedroom units. 

Of the total number of units, a minimum of 55% are intended to be one, two or three bedroom units, as of October 2019. In addition, a maximum of 45% of the total units can be four bedroom. 

During the meeting, it was expressed that the bicycle facilities at the Sycamore intersection and La Rue and Anderson would be affected, which is discussed in the Environmental Sustainability Report. Potential traffic jams were also discussed.

The project’s height is one of the concerns that was brought up during the meeting. 

“I believe we could cut the height from 80 feet to 72, take 10% of height right off of it, and still have the same cross-section, still meet the one level of retail, still meet the four levels of residential,” said Bill Brown, executive vice president of development for Brixmor Property Group. 

Some of the discussion that revolved around this was the number of floors, however, rather than the height of the project. 

“We’re also focusing a lot on pure height, which I think is part of but not the entirety of this size and scope of concern that’s been expressed by a number of folks in our community,” Councilmember Will Arnold said. “I think the size and volume of people, traffic—everything—is also what we’re talking about here. So when we say ‘scaling it back’—at least when I say ‘scaling it back’—I don’t purely mean just shaving off feet from the sky.”

“I mean there’s obviously some maturation that’ll happen as we go through the design, but that program still fits within the EIR box of what’s allowed, and certainly all of the impacts that go along with that […],” Brown said. 

Arnold further explained his perspective on the project. 

“I still have these major concerns about affordability, or lack thereof, as well as with regard to the availability for all renters to take advantage of this project,” Arnold said. 

Arnold stated that he did not want there to be any four bedroom units, according to the Davis Enterprise.

“People have said that every project serves a purpose, and they think that this particular project is serving the purpose of opening up housing in other parts of our community and moving the students to where they are less impactful on our community as a whole,” Mayor Gloria Partida said. “I think that it’d be great if we could get every single thing out of every single project, but every project serves a purpose […].”

A project that was farther away from campus would have less four bedroom units and be more affordable, as more families would want to be there, according to Mayor Partida. 

Ultimately, the project was approved by a 3-2 vote, with Mayor Partida, former Mayor Brett Lee, Councilmember Dan Carson voting for the project and Councilmember Will Arnold and Vice Mayor Lucas Frerichs voting against it, according to the Davis Enterprise. 

Written by: Shraddha Jhingan — city@theaggie.org

Wildfire evacuations and poor air quality threaten to increase the severity of COVID-19 during wildfire season

On Aug. 16, multiple early-morning lightning strikes sparked the LNU Lightning Complex fires in two locations in Northern California. The Eastern location, named the Hennessy fire, has threatened parts of Napa and Solano Counties, as well as the city of Vacaville. 

Vacaville declared a state of emergency after some residents were forced to evacuate and roughly 4,500 homes were threatened. 

The emergency declaration reads, “As a result of the size and speed of fire movement, during the late night and early morning hours of August 18 – 19, 2020 the LNU Fires moved perilously close to the City limits and residential areas of the City of Vacaville and became an immediate threat to the City […].”

All evacuation orders in the city of Vacaville were lifted by Aug. 24. 

As of Aug. 26, the LNU Lightning Complex fires were 33% contained and had burned over 350,000 acres. In a press conference, Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Chief Shana Jones offered gratitude for everyone helping the state address the wildfires. 

“All of the resources in the state of California are working incredibly hard,” Jones said. “We’ve gotten so much support from outside of the area, outside of the state […] I just want to say thank you to everyone—including those that are supporting our evacuees, our communities to provide them with help for getting back into their homes.”

The lightning storms also started the SCU Lightning Complex fires near San Jose, which has burned over 365,000 acres and is 25% contained. 

Assistant Adjunct Professor of Atmospheric Science Matthew Igel explained the processes that led to the summer lightning storms that sparked both the LNU and SCU Lightning Complex fires. 

“It was an uncommon set of events that resulted in the lightning,” Igel said. “We’ve had this very strong heatwave for the last couple of weeks, and then we got moisture from the tropics—which is pretty rare in California during the summer. The very warm air mask from the heatwave coupled with the moisture from the tropics led to lightning and thunderstorms.”

Wildfires also pose a unique threat this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both smoke inhalation and crowded evacuation centers could contribute to the spread of the disease. 

Because of the fires in Northern California, air quality in the Sacramento area has suffered. Spokesperson for the Sac Metro Air District Jamie Arno explained that the masks mandated because of COVID-19 don’t block smoke, so staying indoors is the best way to protect your health. 

“Smoke is unhealthy to breathe,” Arno said. “If you smell smoke, you want to go indoors or to another location. The cloth and surgical masks that we’re using for COVID are not effective when it comes to protecting the body from particulate matter air pollution.”

The CDC explains that inhalation of smoke from wildfires damages the lungs, potentially increasing the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. 

“Exposure to air pollutants in wildfire smoke can irritate the lungs, cause inflammation, alter immune function, and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections, likely including COVID-19,” its website reads.

UC Davis Associate Professor of Regional Climate Modeling Paul Ullrich explained that, in the event of a wildfire evacuation, maintaining social distancing might not be the highest priority.

“Inevitably, evacuated folks will find themselves indoors with many conditions which will have the potential to drive infections up,” Ullrich said. “People are going to wear masks, but once your home has been burned down, COVID precautions seem like they would take a backseat.”

Arno expects unhealthy air quality to remain until the fires are mostly extinguished or wind patterns change. 

“We need to get a status change on the fires—they need to be more under control and produce less smoke,” Arno said. “Or, we need to get a new weather pattern in the region to clean things out. Until one or both of those happen, we expect to continue to have this poor air quality.”

Ulrich stressed that there could likely be more fires during peak wildfire season, which ranges from May to October. 

“I fully expect us to continue suffering from continued wildfires throughout the season,” Ullrich said. “Even in those areas that haven’t been burned already, we’re seeing incredibly dry conditions. They’re prime for the occurrence of wildfires—any spark could set some of these areas ablaze.”

Written by: Eden Winniford –– city@theaggie.org

Local Davis movement spreads across country to help community members

Tuesday Table began in March when the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant financial fallout and a growing need for more resources in the Davis community.

The official Facebook page for Tuesday Table provided further insight into this movement. 

“Tuesday Table is an opportunity to give to and receive from your neighbors,” the page reads. “Hosts set up a table on Tuesdays with essentials (food, books, personal care items) to share with their neighbors and their communities.”

Founder Catherine McMullen described Tuesday Table as an idea or movement instead of an organization and explained how she started Tuesday Table out of a desire to help the community. During her day off from work, she set up a table outside her home with food and books. She called her set-up a “Tuesday Table” after the day it was first held and the idea took off from there. 

“It’s a small thing, but if a lot of people do small things together, then it becomes larger,” McMullen said. “If you have more than you need, you build a longer table, not a higher fence.” 

The organizer for Tuesday Table in Yolo County, Melanie Carr, joined McMullen early in the project. She helped to coordinate tables with the help of other Yolo County organizers Peri Siepman and Lindsay Wilson Terry even after McMullen relocated out of California. She explained how the project grew when more people wanted to donate and contribute.

“My goal is just to have there be as many tables as possible and get as much food as possible out to people that need it,” Carr said. “It really helps the heart of the community.” 

In order to participate, Carr described the safety measures in place to eliminate the threat of COVID-19. The measures include mask-wearing, social distancing at least six feet apart, proper cleanliness and/or isolation of donated items, a rule that you must take something if you touched it, as well as the common sense to only take what you need.  

Lindsay Wilson Terry, another organizer for Tuesday Table in Yolo County, first became involved when Carr reached out to her about hosting her own Tuesday Table. Terry had always felt passionate towards food insecurity and has regularly hosted a Tuesday Table ever since. 

She believed Tuesday Table came at the right time when unemployment and homelessness increased and services were either closing or slowing down. When there was not enough aid for those in need, the community stepped up to help. 

“I hope that more and more people will realize the importance of community-based support and community-based action, and realize that it really can be done in a simple way,” Terry said. “All you need is a willingness to share.”

Over time, Tuesday Table expanded beyond Davis and Woodland to other states such as Oregon and Rhode Island, and even halfway across the world to the United Kingdom. Social media helped to play a role in the growth of the movement.

Kayla Schmitz, a Tuesday Table host, became involved after seeing a post on Facebook. Schmitz hosted her own Tuesday Table every week, believing that even a seemingly small contribution can make a big impact in someone else’s life. 

“I was really impressed by how giving the Davis community was,” Schmitz said. “It’s just been really important to me to always find ways to give back to the community that has given so much to my family.” 

Carr further explained how people often come to the tables and say how much Tuesday Table helps them, especially elders and other folks who are unable to go to the store themselves. She wanted to express her thanks for anyone and everyone involved with Tuesday Table, whether it’s a one-time donator or people hosting their own Tuesday Table. 

McMullen had always hoped Tuesday Table would spread to other communities and further emphasized the importance of not working alone in order for a movement to grow. She expressed joy at how far the movement has blossomed since its start, giving people a way to give back to the community and stay connected with each other during these unprecedented times. 

“I don’t think there’s ever going to be an end of a need for us to help each other,” McMullen said. “Long after the pandemic is done, I hope we’re still doing something like Tuesday Table.”

Terry added a final comment about the positive influence and longevity of the project.

“As long as we’re dealing with the repercussions of COVID-19, Tuesday Table will definitely continue and hopefully beyond because there is always food insecurity and there is always a need to build and support community,” Terry said. “I think the more it spreads, the longer it will endure.”

Written By: Jelena Lapuz — city@theaggie.org