Effect of wildfires all over Northern California on Davis

Since Monday, Oct. 2, smoke has been floating in and out of Davis, blanketing the city. The smoke was largely due to a fire at Northern Recycling, a compost facility in Zamora, Calif. The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District sent out a mass alert the day the foul-smelling fog appeared.

Jenny Tan, the public information officer from YSAQMD, commented on the Zamora fire situation via email.

“The fire started Sunday night on 10/1 around 10:30 pm and on Monday 10/2 we immediately sent staff to investigate the issue,” Tan said. “Also on Monday, the District sent out our first smoke alert to notify residents that smoke was impacting Woodland, Davis, Zamora and some of the surrounding communities. We sent another alert Monday night and the third Tuesday morning, 10/3. There were still parts in the recycling plant that were smoldering on Wednesday, but it was much better than what was seen on Monday. The cooler weather over the past weekend helped with the smoldering.”

The Zamora fire burned out in the days following the smog’s appearance. Now, wildfires are sprouting up all over Northern California, affecting Napa, Sonoma, Yuba, Butte, Nevada, Calaveras and Mendocino. Unpredictable winds have blown smoke from these fires over to Yolo County, often putting Davis under a cover of uncomfortable smoke.

Though only the smoke touched Davis, UC Davis’ own firefighters were among thousands of California firefighters who were dispatched to contain the actual fires.

“Battalion Chief Nate Hartinger is assigned to the LaPorte Fire in Butte County. The fire has merged with another nearby fire, the Cascade Fire,” said UC Davis Fire Chief Nathan Trauernicht. “Our type III Engine (Wildland Fire Truck) was initially assigned to the point fire near the Stanislaus National Forest. They have been reassigned to head toward the Napa Fairgrounds this morning in preparation for today’s north wind. On the engine is Captain Dave Stiles, engineer Kyle Dubs, firefighter Jon Poganski and firefighter Gerrit Dykzeul.”

Trauernicht emphasized that, although the fires are a serious natural disaster, they don’t currently pose an imminent threat to the city of Davis. His main concern was the smoke that plagues the city’s skies.

“The source of the [current] smoke is about 17 major wildfires that are burning in Northern California right now,” Trauernicht said. “Closest to us are the fires in Napa, Lake and Sonoma County. Butte County is to the east of us. We’re surrounded […but] there’s at least one county between us and all of the active fires right now, so there’s no threat to Davis or the campus.”

Trauernicht elaborated on the potential duration of the smoke in Davis.

“At this point, we really don’t know,” Trauernicht said. “It all depends on which way the wind blows. People should anticipate periods of smoke off and on, at least for the next several days.”

To stay updated on the fire’s placements and smoke alerts, follow the UC Davis Fire Department’s Twitter or sign up for YSAQMD’s air quality alerts.

While the smoke may be a mild irritant to Davis residents, its sources are a much more dangerous issue for other Californians and for the firefighters working to contain the blazes. Inconsistent and strong winds have pushed the fire into neighboring counties, and, as of Oct. 11, the fire has spread into neighboring Solano County, which is located near Fairfield. At the time of publication, 33 Californians have lost their lives, thousands of California residents have lost their homes, and thousands more have been left without electricity. Students have already started volunteering and sending aid to those affected, creating Facebook donation pools and crowdfunding pages. Though the fires haven’t touched Davis, many local students and residents have been personally affected by the blazes. Some air quality alerts and evacuations are being announced to ensure the public’s safety while the situation is handled.

Written by: Ahash Francis — city@theaggie.org

Loud, suspicious activity

Sept. 28

“Reporting party heard tapping on a window, was unsure if it was her window or her neighbor’s window, which is just over the fence.”

“Open line, no obvious sounds of distress, very faint male voices in background only.”

“Vehicle doing donuts.”

Sept. 29

“People dressed up like ghosts outside — doing something with lighting.”

Sept. 30

“Complaint of loud radio.”

Oct. 1

“Loud talking.”

“Female screaming for past three hours.”

“Audible alarm.”

Oct. 2

“Loud party in the backyard.”

Bike Campaign’s free bike clinics assist with proper bicycle care, safety

Students and residents of Davis are encouraged to attend upcoming “Ask a Local” bike clinics hosted by The Bike Campaign in Davis and Woodland, with the next one being held on Oct. 24 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Anderson Place Apartments on Hanover Drive. These events will each include a free two-hour bike clinic led by professional mechanics, during which anyone is welcome to get assistance with anything regarding cycling, including how to ride a bike, how to take care of a bike, how to follow traffic laws applied to cyclists and more. Additional information about when these clinics are being held can be found on The Bike Campaign’s events calendar.

With a growing influx of students every year, the City of Davis is forced to be increasingly accommodating to cyclists, since cycling is the only mode of transportation for many students. Therefore, The Bike Campaign decided to address the growing dangers for both cyclists and drivers in order to create a safer environment for everyone.

“Even though Davis is the biking capital of the United States, that doesn’t make it any easier for someone who is new to riding a bike,” said Maria Contreras Tebbutt, the founder of The Bike Campaign. “For many people, the last time they rode a bike might have been when they were a kid. Or they may have never learned how to ride a bike.”

Tebbutt explains that the embarrassment felt by many new students prevents them from asking for help, and assuming that everyone should know how to ride a bike is an unfair sentiment. She attempts to make people feel more comfortable by encouraging and accepting every rider, regardless of age or experience level.

“Learning how to ride the bike is one thing,” Tebbutt said. “Learning how to feel comfortable and savvy riding the bike in an urban setting is another thing. That takes practice.”

Topics that will be covered during the clinics include recognition of specific parts of the bike, being able to see whether the cables have disintegrated, whether the chain is rusty, whether the seat is down too low and learning how to use a bike pump. Felipe Giusti, a professional bike mechanic who leads these clinics, explains how having these conversations with people creates a safer city for everyone.

“The people who come to the bike clinics will leave knowing better of what specific things that they need to take care of their bikes. They’ll know exactly what is wrong and what to do to fix their bikes,” Giusti said. “As they start to see bikes in a different way, they also start to pay attention to traffic safety, so it’s a huge improvement for the whole city […] they don’t see themselves as just a bike user; they see themselves as an active cyclist.”

Giusti also notes that lack of knowledge about traffic laws, such as hand signals, creates danger for cyclists and drivers alike. Many newcomers have not had time to adapt to cycling in an urban setting amidst their academic commitments. Giusti therefore hopes that UC Davis will enforce a mandatory training for all incoming students to ensure everyone’s safety.

The Bike Campaign recently held one of their free bike clinics at the Arbors Apartment Complex, where Joe Cinelli, the residential assistant, saw the clinic’s positive impact on residents.

“Our residents really appreciated it,” Cinelli said. “I would say that our main goal is safety. A bike that is not well maintained is a danger not only to everyone around, but the cars also are in danger, so it’s really a benefit to everyone involved.”

The Bike Campaign looks forward to scheduling more bike clinics in the future, as more apartment complexes and locations are demanding these “Ask a Local” clinics.

“We do this because we love new riders in Davis. We want to give them a platinum, friendly welcome to Davis,” Tebbutt said. “We want to live up to the reputation we have in the nation, which is to be kind and patient with people who are new to the community so we can welcome them into our cycling lifestyle.”

Written by: Hadya Amin — city@theaggie.org

City ordinance allows four dispensaries to open in next 18 months

On July 11, the Davis City Council passed an ordinance for a permitting and regulating system that allows commercial cannabis businesses to operate in Davis. The city’s Department of Community Development and Sustainability has opened up the permit application process. Businesses have until Oct. 13 to apply for a permit to begin producing or dispensing medical marijuana in the city.

“The City Council passed an ordinance that would allow for the approval of up to four dispensaries for an initial 18-month period. Thereafter, Council could choose to consider additional dispensaries,” said Ashley Feeney, the assistant director of community development and sustainability. “In our research of jurisdictions with permitted dispensaries, the feedback has been that operators are good business stewards and active community members that care about making a positive contribution to the places where they do business.”

The city has already received one application from a company that has an existing dispensary in Sacramento, but many other businesses have expressed interest in opening up shops in downtown Davis. City staff expect several more applications to open dispensaries as well. A Therapeutic Alternative, a Sacramento-based dispensary, already submitted a pre-application over the summer to set up on Second Street.

“We want to provide high-quality products and an educated staff to the patients and consumers in the city of Davis,” said Kimberly Cardiel, the owner of A Therapeutic Alternative. “I’ve been involved throughout the entire process. Nothing has surprised me. We’ve been working with the city staff on the process the whole way through. It’s been a very transparent process the public has been involved with. It’s very comprehensive.”

The city is still establishing a fee system for businesses to buy permits. City Council held a meeting on Oct. 3 where it continued to discuss how much companies would have to pay and whether or not the council will implement a payment plan for these prospective vendors.

Kelly Stachowicz, Davis’ assistant city manager, voiced her opinion during the meeting.

“We re-thought our regulatory process with an effort to streamline it,” Stachowicz said. “We separated the fees into eight fairly distinct types, based on the likely license types we will see in Davis […] The fees are different — they range from the upper end at Volatile Manufacturing at $42,359 to the smallest and lowest fee that’s proposed at about $8,300 for non-Davis-based delivery companies.”

City Council is still working on finalizing and establishing regulation fees, although permits should be issued by early 2018. Dispensaries that are approved by City Council and the Department of Community Development and Sustainability through the application process could open their doors in Davis as early as Spring 2018.

“It’s about time,” said Monica Wenneker, a third-year history major at UC Davis. “I think usage will go up if they open up. Davis is the kind of place where I’m surprised there aren’t already more dispensaries. I’m excited. Medical marijuana is a very good alternative for a lot of people […] This [will] benefit a lot of people.”

Written by: Ahash Francis — city@theaggie.org