Mental health, criminal justice system discussed at rally

Students, family members, residents, community leaders and activists all gathered in front of the Memorial Union patio on Thursday, May 17, to remember Eric Pape, a former UC Davis student. They also continued the conversation his death generated about mental health and injustice in the criminal justice system.

“He was incredibly kind,” said Dave Griffin, a friend of Pape’s. “Sensitive. Smart. Smart as hell. Generous. We — all our friends — met him at the Kava Bar […] We talked long and hard about philosophy, life, struggles with mental illness. My favorite memories of Eric were just talking into the midnight, standing in the parking lot […] And again, just that kindness and warmth. Simple stuff.”

Eric Pape committed suicide on May 4 of last year. Pape had been struggling with mental health issues throughout the year, feeling depressed, isolated and anxious after leaving his family and girlfriend to move to Davis. Eric checked himself into the Sutter Davis Hospital on Jan. 13 of last year. According to the hospital staff, he was hyperventilating and pacing around the room, growing agitated as he awaited treatment. His anxiety increased and, according to a nurse, Pape grabbed at him as he entered the room. The altercation grew violent, and Pape dislocated the nurse’s shoulder. Police arrived and, because of a mental health block, made only a report on the incident. Three months later, as Pape’s mental health was showing improvement from treatment at an outpatient facility, Pape was arrested on a felony battery charge. He was accused of inflicting serious bodily injury during the altercation. Pape struggled with he stress and anxiety of the long court case and the potential felony charges, and on May 4, 2018, he took his own life.

The rally was organized by the Mental Health Initiative with help from William Kelly, a graduate student and local activist. As part of the rally, the Mental Health Initiative put together a visual of 24 backpacks arranged in columns. The 24 backpacks served to represent each of the 24 UC Davis students who, according to the Student Health and Counseling Services, have taken their own lives since 2012. Members of the Mental Health Initiative were especially excited by the prospect of meeting and hearing from Pape’s mother, Patti Pape, who had flown in from Southern California to speak.

“Eric was a giant redwood,” Pape said during the rally. “He was solid, he was dependable, he was ever-present and what we thought was resilient, but […] it is apparent to me that my son was not treated properly in a medical setting with the dignity and respect that other sick patients get. Consequently, he was not treated with dignity and respect by the criminal justice system […] Eric was not a criminal. His self-worth, his future were being held hostage by the courts.”

According to his mother, Eric was “never a violent person.” Many of the speakers, including Patti Pape, called out the the District Attorney’s office — who prosecuted Eric — Sutter Davis Hospital and the University of California, Davis itself for failing Eric and failing the 24 other students who have committed suicide since 2012.

“May is mental health awareness month,” said Tracie Olson, the Yolo County public defender who fought to exonerate Pape of the felony charges pressed against him. “It’s been celebrated since 1949, yet in the last years you would think we would have made more progress […] When it comes to our criminal justice system, we need to advance our understanding of mental illness so mental illness is not punished […] In the case of Eric Pape, he was in a hospital emergency room because he was suffering acute mental distress. He should have been diverted into treatment, not into a prisonhouse.”

Among the many community leaders who attended the rally were Dean Johansson, David Greenwald and Mayor Robb Davis. Davis spoke to the crowd at the end of the ceremony, calling the criminal justice system “broken,” and accusing the state and the system of “criminalizing mental health.”

“How a case like this gets charged a felony — that’s a broken system,” Davis said.

“If our administration and our criminal justice system did not disproportionately target people of color and people with mental illness — which Eric falls into the latter category — he might still be here today,” said Samantha Chiang, a fourth-year English and psychology double-major and president of the Mental Health Initiative. “Our law enforcement and administration must take accountability.”

Written by: Ahash Francis — city@theaggie.org

Annual summer reading commenced on May 20

The Yolo County Library’s annual summer reading program this summer will be held from May 20 to August 18. This year’s theme, “Reading takes you everywhere,” will host a variety of programs and activities to motivate people of all ages to savor the simple pleasures that lie in reading.

“The summer reading program at Yolo County Library is designed with the whole community in mind,” said Margaret Pelrine, a librarian at the Clarksburg Branch Library. “We have programs for babies, toddlers, school age kids, teens and adults all summer long. One of Yolo County Library’s strategic goals is to promote reading as a beneficial activity, and SRP is a great opportunity to invite the community to come together over books.”

Various prizes are awarded to those who finish the program. According to Katrina Laws-Eswald, a youth services librarian at the Yolo County Library, there are certificates and coupons available for favorite food venues.

“This year, instead of having the final prize as a book, we are giving each person a free book at signup,” Laws-Eswald said via email. “It’s a way to get them started and also excited about the program. Children 0-12 will get a Chipotle coupon, a Round Table coupon, and a discounted ticket to LEGOland when they finish the program.”

Kids and teenagers have been actively participating in the past years.

“Parents love the Summer Reading Program,” said Laura Benn, the early learning coordinator at the Yolo County Library. “Each year, we hear from parents and caregivers that they appreciate the incentive to keep the kids reading over the summer, as well as the creative activities we suggest and the free events we host.”

Each year, the theme is decided upon by the California Library Association Advisory Council, whose members include children’s, teens and adult services librarians throughout the state.

“This year, the theme is about reading as a vehicle to different places (the past, the future, a different state or country, outer space, underwater, a different dimension, or a make believe place),” Laws-Eswald said. “Not only that, we are also showing that reading can take you to different perspectives (a different race, culture, religion, orientation, disability, or even a different species). The library has been a strong advocate for diversity in our community’s reading in order to develop empathy for the minority.”

Benn encouraged community members to head over to the library this summer, pick up a book and start reading.

“Based on community feedback, we’ve made participation in this year’s program flexible so that it fits everyone’s unique needs and schedules,” Benn said. “Whether you want to finish that challenging classic novel or develop a habit of reading every day, we’ve got the program — and the prizes — to help you reach your goal. Signups start May 20 and the program runs through August 18. We hope to see you at the library.”

Written by: Rabiya Oberoi — city@theaggie.org

Diane Parro named director of business and community engagement

Diane Parro is now the director of business and community engagement for the City of Davis. She was previously the City’s chief innovation officer and will now serve as a liaison between the community and the City.

Mike Webb, the Davis city manager, elaborated on Parro’s role for the city.

“Her position is a bit more focused now on strategic communications, really heading up the City’s efforts, and our staff team that are involved in helping communicate back and forth with the community at large,” Webb said.

Parro jumped into her role right away and is currently filling her new position.

“The changes were effective immediately,” Webb said. “She’s already diving in headfirst with these things. Formally her title with the City was chief innovation officer, and I felt that we really needed to focus more on our strategic communications. We needed to bolster things even more. She has a background in marketing and she’s a member of our executive team, so she has good access to department heads to quickly cut to the chase and get things done.”

Parro will also work directly with businesses to bridge them with the City as well as involving the community.

“Whenever a business has questions about where to start with a process to get a remodel done or expansion or business licences, Diane is a starting point for them,” Webb said.  “With respect to communications, her role also expands to include community engagement on a broader scope and scale. She’s in charge of helping with organizing and helping to get word out about things that are happening with the City — helping us develop our approach to how each City department engages with the community and creating clear expectations about when we engage with the community.”

In order to get the word out and connect the City and the community, she’s working to use social media platforms such as Facebook.

“Largely, she’s building upon some good things that the City’s done in the last couple of years like utilizing social media platforms, [such as] using our website and more traditional means of press releases and local media to help get word out,” Webb said. “Putting signage out in the community, like our roadway construction project [for example], and working with our team to help explain what is happening, like what’s the end product going to look like and what the community can expect in terms of completion and how it’s funded.”

Rachel Hartsough, the arts and culture manager, will be working with Parro, and noted how the arts are connected to the city’s government and community.

“I am looking forward to working more closely with Diane in this way,” Hartsough said via email. “Taking a more holistic overview of how the Arts fit in with — and bolster — economic development and other community engagement efforts helps support our ongoing vision of the City’s Arts & Cultural Affairs Program to support community-based arts projects, cultural opportunities, and education initiatives that foster excellence, diversity, and vitality in the arts.”

Parro’s role largely influences how the City can connect to the community better through communication, which includes the arts, among other projects.

“She also has a very good and direct communication style, and she’s also what I call proactive,” Webb said. “She doesn’t wait for someone to come and say to do x, y or z. Part of the expectation with Diane is […] that we should already be now thinking about to communicate to the community.”

This relationship between the City and the community will allow more projects and practices such as art management.

“The newly formalized relationship within the City’s organizational structure will further strengthen our goals to build community partnerships, explores best practices, and manage the public art collection through an enhanced network of partners in the community,” Hartsough said.

Hartsough stated that the arts and culture program is seeing improvement with overall city satisfaction.

“The Arts & Culture program has seen incredible growth and momentum in Davis during the past few years, and this will really continue to help us have a positive impact on the quality of life for all Davis residents and visitors,” Hartsough said.

According to The Davis Enterprise, Mayor Robb Davis indicated that open communication will only add to the City’s momentum to engage with the community.

“Transparency is of critical importance and I am supportive of efforts to deliver more information using traditional and emerging modes of communication,” Davis said. “I am pleased that the city manager’s office has reorganized around existing staff to place greater emphasis on providing information to the public and engaging the community in myriad ways.”

Webb added that he believes that there is more potential for communication between the City and the community.

“I think we’re very fortunate to have the engaged community that we have, and I think this is a good time for us to be doubling down on our communication with the community on what’s happening,” Webb said. “Day in and day out, there’s good things that the City is doing out there in the community, whether it’s posting a forum or meeting or working on a capital improvement project and a myriad of other things. I think there’s a lot of good things that are happening, and we need to be in communication with the Davis community about those things. I’m pleased to see that we’re going to be able to move that forward.”

Written by: Stella Tran — city@theaggie.org

Are there any Girl Scout cookies in there?

May 10

“Several vehicles facing wrong way on street.”

“Three duffle bags with Girl Scout property left in front of residence. Request items be picked up.”

“Tenant in office refusing to leave — upset over her vehicle being towed today from fire lane — request officer mediate.”

“Male subject playing a trumpet in the open field by the barn.”

May 11

“Bar closed prior to reporting party getting his ID back — request officer assist.”

May 13

“Reporting party’s girlfriend broke his computer.”

“Female party who is restrained person has barricaded herself inside residence.”

“Boyfriend entered residence and vandalized the reporting party’s property. Subject grabbed a knife and refused to leave the residence. Boyfriend is still in the apartment. Reporting party is on the patio.”

May 14

“Neighbor throwing sandals at the screen door.”

May 16

“Ongoing issue with known male calling reporting party excessively.”