Alongside other Yolo County fire departments, Davis firefighters traveled to Southern California to help battle the Eaton Fire 

By OLIVIA HOKR — city@theaggie.org

On the night of Wednesday, Jan. 8, four firefighters from the city of Davis Fire Department left for Southern California to provide mutual aid against the Los Angeles fires. Firefighters from the Woodland Fire Department, Winters Fire Department, Yocha Dehe Fire Department and the UC Davis Fire Department also mobilized in Southern California. At the time these engines departed, Los Angeles County was battling the major Palisades and Eaton Fires while smaller fires continued to ignite in new areas.

Strike teams formed among the Yolo County fire departments, which are groups of firefighters and engines that gather to rapidly respond to emergencies. The Davis Fire Department was then assigned to the Eaton Fire in Pasadena.

City of Davis Fire Chief Joe Tenney explained the responsibilities of the fire departments that volunteer to battle the fires.

“Mobilizing hundreds of fire engines in the state of California in short order is something most fire departments do, Davis Fire Department included,” Tenney said. “Of those hundreds of engines from counties and cities, the assignments greatly vary from working at the fire front, mopping up to prevent further spread or two miles in front of the fire anticipating the need to protect lives, homes and properties. Every day can be a different assignment by the incident commander.”

The Los Angeles Fire Department needed more equipment, tools and people to battle the size and power of the fires. Tenney emphasized the courage of those providing support for the needs of other fire departments on such short notice.

“Davis Fire Department and the Yolo County Strike Team of five engines with leaders were deployed to the Eaton Fire and fulfilled whatever the need was on any given day,” Tenney said. “The bravery comes from working as a complete team to fill the need. They risk their lives to safeguard others, turning courage into action and duty into service. All of California’s firefighters do this every day and are, frankly, some of the best in the world at mobilizing resources for large disasters and protecting our communities.”

The strike team from the Woodland Fire Department that traveled to help fight the Eaton Fire was deployed for nine days. They worked hand in hand with fellow Yolo County firefighters to protect people and property.

“We want to extend our deepest thanks to these brave men and women for their selflessness and professionalism, as well as to their families who supported them during this time,” the Woodland Fire Department said in an Instagram post. “Thank you, Strike Team 4275C, for representing our community with such courage and commitment.”

Strike Teams from the UC Davis and Yocha Dehe Fire Departments have almost entirely returned home. As of Jan. 24, UC Davis Fire Department Captain Steve Dunn has returned to campus from his work battling the Eaton Fire.

With the help of hundreds of fire departments from across the state, as well as from Canada and Mexico, the Eaton Fire is now over 99% contained and the Palisades Fire over 96% contained at the time of publication. Fighting the fires in Los Angeles has been a collective effort by both local and international fire departments, and Strike Team 4275C has made the Davis community proud.

Written by: Olivia Hokr — city@theaggie.org

The Davis community was over the moon for the celebration’s talented musicians, choreographed performers and Dragon Dancers 

By MATTHEW MCELDOWNEY — city@theaggie.org

On Jan. 18, Mary L. Stephens Library hosted an array of craft workshops and Lunar New Year-themed performances for their early Year of the Snake celebration. Community members, including faculty from UC Davis, participated in and performed at this event.

This Lunar New Year celebration was packed with Davis families enthusiastic to share and participate in the dances, musical ensembles and crafts inherent to the diverse cultures that celebrate this holiday.

The event began with a musical performance of “Happy Chinese New Year,” “Clementine” and “Spring Carols” from a very young and gifted ensemble of violinists, cellists, flautists and harpists. Shortly after, the Mira Loma Chinese Club’s Performing Arts Team took stage as vibrant red and gold dragons and lions. True to this famous Lunar New Year tradition, they danced in rhythm and melodically banged their drums.

In addition, Mary L. Stephens Library invited choreographed dancers to perform a variety of traditional and modern Chinese dances. Modern Persian fusion dancers also performed more traditional folk dances, such as the Dai Peacock Dance.

Hualing Wan, a Yolo County catalog librarian who helped organize the event, emphasized the importance of expressing the diversity of the Lunar New Year.

“In the past, we have invited Davis High School students from the Korean Culture Club, [also] Vietnam and even Brunei,” Wan said.

Through inviting a diverse group of guest performers and representing a wide range of cultures in their Lunar New Year reading list, Wan hopes they can best capture the spirit of this holiday — a spirit that reflects the many different backgrounds and identities that celebrate it.

One such performer was Dr. Jiahui Wei, an associate professor of chemistry at UC Davis. In Wei’s performance, she played the guzheng, a type of plucked zither with an illustrious history in Chinese culture — an instrument that Wei has practiced for around 25 years. Wei has previously performed at similar events at the library, and she also makes other public appearances as recorded on her YouTube channel, 南南田田. In these performances, Wei describes the work that goes into playing a variety of instruments in her elaborate hanfu dress and preparing the traditional Chinese makeup prior to these performances.

While Wei only showcased her guzheng and pipa, a traditional Chinese plucked instrument, for the library that day, she has performed with up to six instruments in the past, sharing her diverse skill set as well as the enduring musical and artistic traditions she expresses to this day.

For Wei, whether it be to educate or enjoy, her passion for these Chinese traditions is an integral part of her identity. Wei explained that she incorporates this passion through a combination of artistic expression and teaching at UC Davis. For instance, she chooses color-coded modern hanfu to help students find corresponding online lectures more easily.

“It’s part of the reason I teach at UC Davis and even at community colleges,” Wei said. “I want to see [and meet] the people that I would have never had the chance to be around when I grew up in China.”

In this way, Wei’s passion for intercultural exchange goes hand in hand with her educational commitment to the community. It is this sense of community that lies at the very heart of this holiday.

“In most of China, it’s the time for all of your family to come back [together],” Wei said.

For Kacey Chan, a fourth-year history major, the significance of the Lunar New Year holiday celebration in Davis is dearly felt.

“In terms of Davis, it is really good because we are ultimately in the [United States], and the Chinese are a group of diaspora in the U.S.,” Chan said. “So, it is good to provide that space for them to celebrate and find other Chinese families, especially if they do not know anybody near them.”

This combination of cultural education and community is reinforced through the traditions preserved and passed down from generation to generation. Chan recalls the childhood memories of lion dancers going from apartment to apartment to throw vegetables for the families to collect. Wei is fond of coming with her friends to make handmade hairpins resembling flowers. At the Mary L. Stephens Library, families learned how to draw snakes, write calligraphy and paint lanterns.

“It is the same kind of [activity] as [eating and] doing dishes together,” Wei said. “A good thing about it is you can keep it forever, and after a certain amount of years, you and your friends can look back at the times [you] celebrated.”

Written by: Matthew Mceldowney — city@theaggie.org

The new patio includes a steel-framed pavilion, seating options and a heater

By RORY CONLON — city@theaggie.org

The Davis Senior Center hosted a grand opening ceremony for its new patio, which was funded by local non-profit and community donations, on Jan. 16. 

Deanne Machado, the director of parks and community services for the city of Davis, said the patio has been years in the making. 

“We first received design proposals back in 2016, and there have been many iterations to that design since that time,” Machado said. “We were absolutely thrilled to kick off construction of this project back in June of 2024, and it’s really incredible to see the vast amount of work that was accomplished in such a short time.” 

Machado pointed out several features included in the new patio. 

“It has created a versatile space for gathering in the community, with the concrete patio, the steel pavilion you’re sitting under, the seating areas all around and the heaters [for cold days],” Machado said. “We have catering counters in the back, and while the doors are closed right now, those can open up and provide for the seamless exit and entry into the indoor areas of the center.” 

City of Davis Vice Mayor Donna Neville highlighted the importance of creating community spaces. 

“It’s going to be a wonderful place for public gatherings and to develop a really great sense of community,” Neville said. “It’s really spaces like this that draw us together and enrich and deepen our sense of community, so I’m incredibly excited to see it happen.” 

Neville also reflected on how her late father, who was a member of the senior commission for the city of Davis, made efforts to get the patio constructed. 

“He became one of those people who was really involved in the early days of what would later become this project,” Neville said. “He passed away five years ago, but I know he would be amazed, because I know that the patio would far exceed what he had in mind when [the city] first started talking about how the money would be used. I’m just deeply thankful that it’s come to fruition.” 

The city of Davis, along with several local non-profits, including the George and Lena Valente Foundation, the now-defunct Senior Citizens of Davis (SCD) and the Sunset Rotary Club of Davis, funded construction of the patio. 

Lynn Volkerts runs the George and Lena Valente Foundation, which was founded by her parents in 1978 to provide community services throughout the Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties. She thanked the staff of the senior center, as well as Maria Lucchesi, the city of Davis community services supervisor, and Lisa Miller, a member of the senior citizen commission, for their efforts. 

“Lisa [Miller] and Maria [Lucchesi] and the entire staff here have made this home for so many seniors, and I am so full of gratitude for their efforts,” Volkerts said. “Maria, Lisa, you’ve been in my heart since the first donation in 2000. The first time George [Valente] walked into the senior center was in 1999, and the first thing he wanted in place was a TV room for all the seniors because he was an avid TV watcher. CNBC — that was his focus, his life, his investment plan, and that’s what brought us to fruition here today.” 

Elaine Roberts Musser, the legal advisor for the former non-profit Senior Citizens of Davis, said her foundation played a key role in getting the patio built. 

“The reason you have a beautiful patio at the Davis Senior Center is because of the imagination and creativity of the non-profit Senior Citizens of Davis,” Musser said. “At a certain point, [President Margot Loschke] and I both wisely decided to disband SCD for good reason, but it was necessary to decide what to do with the remaining funds of the organization, which were considerable.” 

Loschke and Musser directed the funds toward the outdoor patio. She said that while they first envisioned a modest outdoor space for seniors, she now thinks it can serve many different purposes for the community. 

“Our hope is that this patio can be exploited for many uses, including outdoor tai chi classes, a speaker series we’re working on, intergenerational interactions between seniors and younger folk, perhaps even a wedding or two — who knows?” Musser said. “We hope this ushers in a new era in which the Davis Senior Center becomes more of a community center where any age is welcome to participate and enjoy what it has to offer.” 

Written By: Rory Conlon — city@theaggie.org