The following is the Feb. 25 edition of the Abridged by PBS KVIE Yolo County email newsletter, by reporter Daniel Hennessy and the team at Yolo Local. Want it sent directly to your inbox? Sign up here.
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Welcome and thanks for being here.
After days of rain last week, the sun broke out just long enough to shine on the 111th Capay Valley Almond Festival.
Farms between Esparto and Rumsey opened their doors to showcase world-class olives, nuts, wine, lavender and produce. The backdrop to all this activity: acres upon acres of blooming almond trees.
And the bees were hard at work. On my drive away from the festival, I caught a glimpse as they flew in and out of small white boxes on the way to pollinate nearby trees. That sight, the sun and the festival made it feel like spring in Yolo County. Even if it was just for the weekend.
It’s Daniel, your dedicated reporter, here to bring you news, information and slices of life from across Yolo County.
Today, we’re highlighting a story from contributing writer Liv Moe about Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer, a Woodland workshop that provides free space and materials for artists.
We also have stories about a new center at UC Davis that studies raptors for aerospace and veterinary research, a renewed effort in West Sacramento to expand public art, the approval of a concrete factory in Winters and a profile on a Yolo County dog with an important job.
We’ve teamed up with Yolo Local, a civic media initiative of Davis Media Access, to bring you this weekly newsletter. Here’s what you need to know today:
STORY OF THE WEEK
Yolo County art studio rooted in Chicano legacy gives voice to community
A warehouse in Woodland is home to Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer, more commonly referred to as TANA.
BY LIV MOE | Contributor
In short: TANA — Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer — began 16 years ago as a partnership between UC Davis and the Yolo County Housing Authority, and provides free space and materials for artists. The work focuses on screen printing and murals, a reflection of TANA’s roots with an early member of the Royal Chicano Air Force art collective, Malaquias Montoya.
A bit more: The Woodland workshop is open four days a week and offers drop-in hours and workshops aimed, in part, at high school students seeking after-school space to create.
IN THE NEWS
A new concrete plant could add nearly 100 new jobs in Winters
With U.S. Army funding, UC Davis flight center uses birds and new tech for aerospace research
Meet the 4-year-old labrador protecting California crops at her post in Yolo County
Abridged partners with Yolo Local to serve residents with community-powered journalism
AG Alert: Survey finds raids impacted California farm production
Thank you for reading Abridged. We are here and our stories are free because people like you donate to PBS KVIE to keep our Yolo County strong. Join in — start donating at $10/month to keep it coming.
DISPATCHES FROM THE FARM
Agriculture is a central part of life in Yolo County, so I’ll be checking in each week with a farmer or rancher for the latest ag updates. What are the people who produce our food thinking about?
This week, a handful of folks are keeping us in the loop. Thanks to Mary Kimball, Rachael Long and Duane Chamberlain for taking some time:
- Rain and warmer temperatures make fungal pests a problem for many crops, so crop duster planes have been working busily to apply fungicides to orchards countywide.
- As fields dry out, farmers and workers are taking the opportunity to fix and service equipment. Many are also attending training meetings related to things like pesticide safety and hazardous materials transportation or getting updates on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
- With beef prices high, some cattle ranchers are breeding dairy cows with black angus beef cows to increase supply and take advantage of the market.
- Setton Pistachio’s new processing plant in Zamora is operational. The hulling and drying facility serves the county’s expanding pistachio acreage.
- January and February are peak breeding, courting and nesting months for great horned owls, so their calls can be heard on farms all over the county.
HEARING FROM YOU
The best way to learn about a place is to listen to the people who know and love it. Each week, we’ll feature a quote or tip from a community member that captures a slice of life in our county. Write to me with something interesting or ask a question about Yolo County!
Thanks to Genene Kluck from West Davis for this week’s community highlight:
“I live in Davis and am particularly grateful for all the immigrants as well as their children who access our schools! I am particularly proud of Montgomery school in South Davis. They have an excellent recycling program, run by a superb leader who graduated in an advanced degree program in sustainable agriculture.”
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
It can be hard to keep up with local government and events. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Yolo Prescribed Burn Association pile burning workshop is on Saturday in Rumsey. Here’s the link to sign up.
- VITA tax assistance will be available at the Mary L Stephens Davis Branch Library on Friday at 2 p.m. More info here.
- Sit, Stitch, Create from 1 to 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Yolo Branch Library on Thursday. More info here.
- Russian story time starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Arthur F. Turner Community Library in West Sacramento. More info here.
- The Woodland City Council meets Tuesday at 6 p.m. Here’s the link to the agenda and video.
- The Winters City Council meets Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Here’s the link to the agenda and video.
- The West Sacramento City Council meets Wednesday at 7 p.m. Here’s the link to the livestream and agenda.
- The Yolo County Board of Supervisors meets Tuesday at 9 a.m. Agendas are usually posted here by the end of the day Thursday.
- The Davis City Council meets Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The agenda will be posted here.
BEFORE I GO,
Thanks for coming back (and signing up) for this newsletter. Remember: I’m accountable to you. If you read a story and think there’s an angle I’m missing, I want to hear about it! Please reach out with your feedback and know that I take it seriously.
I’ll be back in your inbox next week!
Daniel Hennessy joins Abridged from the California Local News Fellowship. He’s a reporter covering Yolo County.