Presentation given to educate veterans on their government benefits

In the spirit of Veterans Day, the Yolo County Veterans Services Offices hosted a veterans benefit presentation at the Davis Senior Center on Thursday, Nov. 8. This presentation provided information for Yolo County veterans on benefits sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a federal agency that provides compensation for disabilities resulting from military service.

“The military recognizes that veterans will deal with disabilities from service for the rest of their lives,” said Salvador Torres, the veterans services officer for the Yolo County VSO. “We are trying to help the process of continuing veterans’ lives.”

The Yolo County VSO is an office established by the Yolo County Board of Supervisors. The VSO is committed to assisting veterans, their dependents and survivors in accessing benefits from the various agencies in the VA.

“Educating and helping veterans are our main goals,” Torres said. “Majority of veterans don’t know that they have benefits out there. They have no idea that their kids can get education benefits or that they can get a disability compensation for all their disabilities from their service.”

Torres’ presentation highlighted a variety of benefits offered by the federal government that veterans are entitled to as a result of their military service. Common veteran benefits cover areas such as disability, pension, education, employment, housing, rehabilitation and healthcare.

“These benefits are made for them because a lot of veterans come out of the military with an array of mental and physical health issues,” Torres said. “We follow claims all the way through to support veterans in the process of obtaining benefits.”

The VSO works with federal, state and local government agencies to address veterans issues such as health care, homelessness and education.

“We are working within Yolo County to address the homeless population of veterans,” Torres said. “We worked recently with 114 homeless veterans to file claims so that they could receive monthly compensation for their disabilities.”

The Yolo County VSO works with the VA Medical Facility in Mather and the Veterans Homes program in Yountville and Barstow to provide disabled veterans with facilities to receive appropriate care. Torres works between offices to ensure veterans receive the compensation they are entitled for from their service.

“It’s important for veterans to know that we exist to help them go on further in life,” Torres said.

The presentation was hosted by the Davis Senior Center, a community center and multi-purpose facility serving individuals who identify as seniors.

“We try to provide an array of services and programs that serve the senior community,” said Lisa DeAmicis, the information and assistance coordinator for the Davis Senior Center. “Veterans represent a good part of our senior community.”

The veterans benefits presentation is one of many supportive services provided by the Davis Senior Center to educate their members on eligible benefits in the community.

“It’s good to hear that local counties are providing opportunities to increase awareness on VA benefits,” said Frank McClelland, a Vietnam War survivor residing in Solano County.

McClelland, like many veterans, returned from his service dealing with severe hearing loss. Hearing problems such as tinnitus are the most common service-connected disabilities among American veterans, according to research conducted by the VA. This damage makes it difficult for veterans to understand speech and is often linked to blast exposure from service.

“I want to see an increase in veterans care,” McClelland said. “Not just honoring them on Veterans Day — we need to see more legislation that helps those of us dealing with disabilities from service.”

McClelland is one of many veterans suffering from a disability from military service. The Yolo County VSO and other county offices will continue to provide veterans with more information on their benefits in hopes of providing them with the necessary care to continue their lives.

Written by: Brooke Hill — city@theaggie.org

Yolo County Public Defender’s Office hosts annual clothing drive

The Yolo County Public Defender’s Office Social Work Program is back with its annual clothing drive to help ease the transition from Yolo County Jail back into the community.

Emily Kochly, an adult social worker for the Yolo County Public Defender’s Office, stated that this is the office’s third year hosting the clothing drive, which dates back to 2015.

“The clothing drive started in response to seeing a need for basic necessities upon release from the jail as a part of our release planning services,” Kochly said. “We were often asked by clients for basics or warm clothing, and we felt like that was a need that we could fulfill.”

The program started on Nov. 1 and will continue until Feb. 28. Mercedez Durgin, a fifth-year social work major from California State University, Sacramento, elaborated on her experiences with the program as an intern at the office.

“A good memory I have is that one of my clients that I have helped was very thankful to receive clothing,” Durgin said. “He essentially went into the jail without anything, without shoes and he thanked me probably around 10 times that I was able to give him shoes and some warm clothes.”

Kochly emphasized how inspired she was by the people who come to donate and help out with the program.

“I’m inspired by the community’s response to our population,” Kochly said. “We serve marginalized and underserved individuals within the community. All of our clients are indigent. Many of our clients are homeless, and to see the community acknowledge how hard life can be for our clients on a day to day basis and want to help is really inspiring. It’s been wonderful to see the community step up and it encouraged me to host the clothing drive each year.”

In addition, Durgin was inspired by how supportive the community was, as well and their feedback.

“What inspires me is how well the community supports our clients and the people that are being released,” Durgin said. “We have a good amount of feedback from people who want to help support and donate to the clothing drive reaching out to us already.”

Kochly elaborated that they look for items that can still be worn.

“Last year, we always asked for gently used items and a few items that we ask to be new like socks and underwear,” Kochly said. “Something that jumps out to me is that last year we got from people who came and donated brand new coats and sweatshirts, which was unexpected and really heartwarming. Moreso, to give those kind of items — like a really nice coat to somebody who just got out of jail and realizing that they may be spending their first night on the street — they’re very, very appreciated, and you know that they are a little more safe and warm with those kind of supplies.”

Tracie Olson, the Yolo County public defender, added that there are certain struggles the homeless population faces that are taken for granted, according to Davis Enterprise.

“Our homeless population faces a constant litany of daily living challenges,” Olson said. “Basic things such as where to get clean water and where to safely sleep through the night are a daily, harsh reality for those that have no place to call their own.”

The new goals for this year include fundraising for more supplies and basic necessities as the drive is interested in giving away more than clothing.

“We hope to replenish what we gave away from last year and stock up on winter necessities,” Kochly said. “In addition to this program, we’re also going to be starting a fundraiser, which will happen in February of 2019. The goal is to gather funds so that we can supplement someone’s sizes if we do not get those donations, and we can purchase from Goodwill or the dollar store. We will also supplement the closet with other necessities like bus passes or food cards — things to help people get to court or so that they do not go hungry. We want to provide more services to those in need.”

Olson stated that their mission was to alleviate the needs of their clients.

“By providing weather-appropriate clothing and other supplies to our neediest residents, we hope to provide a degree of protection from the elements, lessen their need for emergency services and give them a degree of physical and emotional warmth they do not always receive,” Olson said.

Written by: Stella Tran — city@theaggie.org

Davis police, school district officials investigate anti-Semitic vandalism incident at Holmes Junior High

Police are investigating a report of anti-Semitic vandalism found on Oct. 29 at Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior High School. According to police and school officials, multiple swastikas were discovered in a boys bathroom at the Davis school.

Lieutenant Mike Munoz of the Davis Police Department detailed a report of the incident, stating that the mirror and sink had been vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti and other obscenities. The unknown suspect used orange crayon to draw a large swastika on one of the mirrors, while another mirror featured a large drawing of a penis and the words “suck my d**k,” also drawn in orange crayon. As of Tuesday, Nov. 13, the police had yet to identify any suspects.

“No leads at all,” Munoz said.

A message sent out to parents around the district by Superintendent John Bowes acknowledged that multiple swastikas had been found in the bathroom that Tuesday and emphasized that the school was taking the incident seriously. Police were contacted shortly after the graffiti was discovered.

“The incident at Holmes Junior High was immediately reported to the Davis Police and we are working with them to investigate,” Bowes wrote in the message.

The graffiti was discovered two days after a gunman open fired at Tree of Life, a Pittsburgh synagogue, killing 11 people and injuring seven others. The New York Times reported that the shooter posted a number of anti-Semitic messages to his social media prior to the shooting.

Across schools in the Davis district, campus flags still hung at half-mast in remembrance of the Tree of Life victims when the vandalism occurred. Part of the reason the graffiti was treated as a serious incident, Bowes said, is due to the fact it occurred shortly after the shooting.

“While we are certainly not immune from acts of hate perpetrated on our campuses, this particular act which happened just in the wake of the shootings in Pittsburgh, is especially vexing,” Bowes wrote in the message.

School officials took action across multiple Davis campuses, speaking to students, parents and local members of the Jewish community in response to the vandalism.

“Holmes Principal Jean Kennedy has spoken with students and has messaged parents about the hate incident on that campus,” Bowes wrote in the message. “The principal of Davis Senior High is reaching out to the Jewish Student Union and administrators and teachers across our District are leading hard conversations about the ways hate violence and hate speech have real effects on people in our community and how we can support one another.”

The message emphasized the Davis Joint Unified School District’s commitment to values of “acceptance, tolerance, and inclusion.” Bowes urged any students or other struggling with the incident to reach out to school counselors for support.

“In DJUSD, we believe strongly and deeply in cultivating an environment where students, families and staff feel safe and belong and where all are welcomed and able to thrive and contribute to a richer and more vibrant community,” Bowes wrote in the message. “This DJUSD commitment is never more pronounced or important than when an individual or group feels threatened or harmed.”

Lieutenant Paul Doroshov from the Davis Police Department was firm in his statement regarding the vandalism.

“This community does not stand for it,” Doroshov said regarding a similar incident a year ago, according to Fox40. “This police department does not stand for it.”

The vandalism at Holmes Junior High is one in a number of similar incidents that have occured in Davis recently. Earlier in October, UC Davis students found a number of anti-Semitic flyers posted at various locations on campus. At Davis Senior High School on Nov. 9, a school supervisor contacted police after discovering swastikas drawn in the dirt on a student’s car, according to Munoz. In 2017, police and the school district responded to a similar incident at Davis Senior High School, when bathrooms were vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti and a racial slur, according to Fox40.

Written by: Tim Lalonde — city@theaggie.org

Yolo County Elections Office hosts event to educate youth on election process

On the night of Nov. 6, the Yolo County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Elections Office (ACE) hosted an Election Night Bash at the Yolo County Administration Building in Woodland to engage youth in the local election process. This second annual event gave local youth a front row seat in the ballot counting process. The Election Night Bash is one part of many initiatives by Yolo County ACE to provide opportunities for students to find and express their civic voice through action.

The event occurred at a live polling station, giving youth the opportunity to see the process of ballot counting first hand.

“The Election Bash is an opportunity for Yolo County youth and their families to come and experience the democratic process on election night,” said Katharine Campos, the program manager for Yolo County ACE.

Working with their staff, Yolo County ACE provided tours for youth and families to look behind the scenes at the processing of precinct and vote-by-mail ballots that were already received by the Elections Office.

“We are trying to engage the youth and show full transparency with the entire election process,” Campos said. “The purpose of programs like this is to increase education in the knowledge of politics on a local level, especially how it affects youth directly.”

One of Yolo ACE’s main initiatives is to encourage youth to preregister to vote.

“We believe that the younger we can get students civically engaged and caring about the process, the more likely they are to vote in the future,” Campos said.

Jesse Salinas serves as the Yolo County Assessor and emphasizes the importance of registering to vote on time.

“Majority of the people here are college students, maybe 80 percent” Salinas said. “The problem is that this building is packed with youth who didn’t register to vote on time. It’s great to see youth engaged in voting, but we need to teach them to register to vote on time, or else confusion on the voting process happens, and that can be easily avoided.”

Failure to register to vote by the Oct. 22 deadline didn’t prohibit many from voting, but it did lengthen their process at the polling station.

“I’ve been standing in line to receive my ballot for maybe 30 minutes,” said Vanessa Ancic, a student at Woodland Community College. “I came to here to vote with my friends, but I didn’t know that if I missed the voter registration deadline, that I would have to wait to fill out a conditional ballot.”

A conditional ballot allows voters who miss the registration deadline to register to vote during regular voting, but it requires their polling station be the Yolo County Election Office.

“Tonight was more than just teaching kids the voting process,” Salinas said. “It was about teaching youth the importance of how voting policies affect the election process.”

In both Yolo and Sacramento counties, officials pushed initiatives to increase education in the knowledge of elections on a local level.

Elected in June of 2018, Karina Talamantes serves as the Sacramento County Board of Education Trustee. One of Talamantes’s platforms is centered on pushing civic education.

“Civic engagement is the foundation of a healthy democratic society,” Talamantes said via email interview. “Anyone can be civically engaged by learning more about issues impacting their community. Unfortunately, over the past few years, there has been a decline in voter participation, one important aspect of civic engagement.”

The SCOE has established partnerships with various organizations — such as the California Secretary of State Office and the County of Sacramento Voter Registration and Election Office — to create opportunities for youth involvement in local politics.

“These partnerships will engage our youth with voter education weeks, voter registration, mock elections, and education drives,” Talamantes said via email interview. “SCOE supports opportunities for students to find and express their civic voice through voting, civic action projects, career exploration, and student advocacy.”

This movement is a part of the goal of various California local governments to integrate civic learning opportunities.

“It is important to build a movement centered around voting and participating in our electoral process,” Talamantes said via email interview. “Being civically engaged and empowering others is the key to change in our country.”

The Election Night Bash is one of many initiatives made by local counties to implement events and programs catered around the empowerment of youth in civic education. Local governments hope these events will encourage youth to vote in local elections.

Written by: Brooke Hill — city@theaggie.org