Local
A4 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022
Friends of May Fair award $11K in ag scholarships By Kathy Keatley Garvey Special to The Enterprise The Friends of the Dixon May Fair have awarded $11,000 in college scholarships to five Solano County youths majoring in an agricultural-related field. They represent the cities of Vacaville, Fairfield, Dixon and Rio Vista. Carrie Hamel of Dixon, scholarship chair of the Friends of the Fair, announced the recipients at a recent ceremony at the newly named Friends Plaza by the Leber Stage, Dixon fairgrounds. Since 2000, the Friends have awarded a total of $233,250 to Solano County students majoring in an ag-related field in a California university or community college, she said. Sam Esperson, a member of the Rio Vista High School Class of 2022, received the top award, the $3000 Ester Armstrong scholarship. He plans to major in agricultural systems management or agricultural engineering at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo. The $2500 JoAnn Giannoni Scholarship went to Molly Feins, a 2021 graduate of Vacaville High School and a student at Cal Poly. She plans to become an animal geneticist. Clairese Wright, a member of the Rodriguez High School Class of 2022, Fairfield, received a $2000 scholarship. She will major in environmental engineering at UCLA. Natalie Victorine, a 2021 graduate of Dixon High School and a Cal Poly student majoring in agricultural business, received a $2000 scholarship. In the two-year community college category, Jared Tanaka, a 2020 Dixon High School graduate and a student at Modesto Junior College, won the $1500 Jack Hopkins Scholarship. Tanaka plans to become an artificial insemination technician. The Friends, an all-volunteer organization and the fundraising arm of the
Dixon May Fair, raise funds by selling beverages. They use the proceeds for building and grounds improvements, exhibitor awards (including belt buckles and trophies), and college scholarships.
Sam Esperson Esperson, the Rio Vista student body president, maintains a 4.2 grade point average. The son of a farmer and active in 4-H and FFA, he attributes the Rio Vista FFA with sparking his passion for pursuing a career in agriculture. “In FFA I learned about the global and technological importance of agriculture and its contribution to our well-being,” he wrote in his essay. “Although FFA was primarily the reason I wanted to become involved in agriculture, I also saw the impact of agriculture throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. I realized that most things I have in my life are related to agriculture in one way or another. I want to help provide.” He cited the FFA moto, “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live and Living to Serve.” He attended the 2019 FFA National Convention and the FFA Student Leadership Conference. In athletics, he was named to the Academic All-League Team in three sports: baseball, cross-country and basketball.
Molly Feins Feins, who is finishing her first year at Cal Poly, is active in the Young Cattlemen’s Association and the Los Lecheros Dairy Club. “I also was able to join a dairy calving enterprise where I would go to the Cal Poly dairy once a week to do chores and process calves born that day,” she wrote in her essay. She plans to pursue a career in animal genetics and reproductive technology, “I want to manipulate the genes of production animals to create the highest quality products,” she wrote. “My involvement in FFA and
showing lambs has convinced me to pursue my desired career focusing on sheep production. The sheep industry is underdeveloped with genetic breeding.”
Clairese Wright Wright, active in the Solano County 4-H program for 13 years, has served as a Solano County 4-H All-Star Ambassador and president of the Suisun Valley 4-H Club, the largest club in the county with 75 members. In her essay, she cited the 4-H motto, “to make the best better.” Much of her 4-activities have focused on the impact of detrimental effects of pollution. For her emerald Star 4-H Award, she completed a project titled “Don’t Make Pollution Be the Solution.” Her project’s main point “was to explain the global problem and offer simple steps—reduce, reuse and recycle—we can all take on a local level to keep litter out of our waterways. On a higher level, I also wanted the students to see that no matter what their ae or how big the program, their actions count, and that they have the ability to make a difference in the future of our world. Wright hopes to work for a company that develops technology to remove litter “from our planet’s waterways.”
that may produce mosquitoes. n Dawn and dusk are times to avoid being outdoors. n Dress appropriately by wearing long sleeves and pants when outside. n Defend yourself by using an effective insect repellent and making sure to follow label directions. n Door and window screens should be in good working condition. n District personnel are also available to address any mosquito problems. Call 1-800-429-1022 or visit www.FIGHT theBITE.net Members of the public are also encouraged to report dead birds by calling the California Department of Public
would take that out of your repertoire even when, hopefully soon, we’re out of this drought.” According to city staff, restricting car washing this way will save 16 million gallons of water per year. “That’s a lot,” said Mayor Gloria Partida. The city’s actions come as the state has entered a third year of drought and Yolo County is in extreme drought. Back in November, the city implemented watering schedules for both residential and commercial properties, with odd-numbered addresses allowed to water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and evennumbered addresses on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Those restrictions do not apply to parks and large landscapes.
the Fair forms and include a personal essay and letters of support. They are to be mailed to the Friends of the Fair, P.O. Box 242, Dixon, Calif. Applicants are scored on personal, civic and academic experience; academic standing; personal commitment and established goals; leadership potential; civic accomplishments; chosen field in the areas of agriculture, said Hamel. Most applicants have experience in 4-H, FFA or Grange, criteria desired but not mandated. The scholarship committee, chaired by Hamel, also includes Tootie Huffman,
Authority. Essentially, California local education agencies (LEA’s) issue the largest share of total debt by California public agencies. Due to this, there’s an increasing need for specialized expertise to support LEA financing. The JPA’s purpose is to assist LEA’s with these financial matters, and if the DJUSD chooses to become a JPA member, the fee will be $5,000 yearly. Next will come a series of tax rate public hearings followed by their approval and certifications. These include the 2022-23 community facilities district No. 1 tax rate, the community facilities No. 2 tax rate, the Measure G tax rate and the Measure H tax rate. Further approvals include the DJUSD instructional calendar for the 2022-23 school year. The Calendar Committee is recommending leaving the start date as Aug 23 and changing spring break to March 27 – 31 to align with UCD as well as adding Juneteenth Federal Holiday on June 19. The approvals don’t stop there either, as the board will also approve the recommendation of Alisha Woo as the district representative for the Yolo County Community Advisory Committee. There will also be an approval of the Child Development Agency Annual
be restricted to two days per week; and n Property owners would be required to fix water leaks within 48 hours. If more time is needed, they must work with the city on a repair plan. Despite calls for voluntary water use reduction, the city saw an increase in water use during the first four months of 2022 as compared to 2020, according to city staff. Water use in April of this year was up 5.25 percent over April 2020, though down by 17.5 percent from April 2021. For more information on city water restrictions and tips on reducing water use, visit SaveDavisWater.org. — Reach Anne TernusBellamy at aternus@ davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ ATernusBellamy.
Kathy Keatley Garvey and Linda Molina of Vacaville, and Marty Scrivens of Dixon. Huffman serves as treasurer of the all-volunteer Friends of the Fair, and Scrivens as secretary. The Friends’ Plaza was dedicated May 5 in honor of legendary volunteer Donnie Huffman of Vacaville, founding president of the Friends; some 18 founding members; and seasonal volunteers. A photo of Huffman, who is battling terminal cancer, appears on the temporary banner. It will soon to be replaced with a bronze plaque.
AGENDA: Summer business looming
Tanaka, active in 4-H and FA, wrote that he “developed passions for the many aspects of the agriculture industry” as a result of his experiences,” which include developing and maintaining a cattle herd. “I have now spent a decade and a half developing a purebred shorthorn herd from which I can raise calves for freezer beef to market locally, grow out heifers as replacements for other youth or ranches, and simply bask in the joy of having cows.” Tanaka aspires to manage at least 30 cows in his herd. He concluded this essay by
Health hotline at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473). Some species of birds such as crows, jays and magpies are very susceptible to the virus, according to the district. And although not all birds that are reported will be picked up and tested, the reports provide valuable information and assist with mosquito surveillance and control efforts that help protect public health, the district said. In response to the detection of West Nile Virus activity in Davis, the district will increase its mosquito trapping and surveillance here to find sources where mosquitoes may be breeding. — Reach Anne Ternus-Bellamy at aternus@davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ATernusBellamy.
Property owners are urged to prioritize trees, however, and tree watering is not limited under current restrictions to certain days of the week. Depending on what happens with the drought, the state could mandate a move to Shortage Level 3 of the water shortage contingency plan. If that happens, the following requirements would go into effect: n Decorative water features that use potable water must be drained and kept dry; n Unless using nonpotable water, the installation of new landscaping would be limited to drought-tolerant trees, shrubs and ground cover; n Installation of new turf or hydroseed would be prohibited; n Outdoor watering with sprinkler irrigation would
quoting the FFA creed “… exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.” The annual deadline to apply for the Friends of the Fair scholarships is 5 p.m., March 1. Applicants must be a Solano County high school graduate with plans to major in agriculturalrelated field at a California college. More information on the scholarship application rules is available on the Friends of the Fair Facebook site at https://www. facebook.com/Friendsof theDixonMayFair. Applications must be on Friends of
From Page A1
WASHING: State could crack down From Page A1
Courtesy photo
Jared Tanaka
WEST NILE: Authorities track dead birds From Page A1
Sam Esperson of Rio Vista, shown here with a prize-winning lamb, won the top scholarships, the $3,000 Ester Armstrong Scholarship.
Report for the State Preschool Program. Per contractual requirements with the California Department of Education, Child Development Division, this annual report is used to increase program quality for kids and families, measure developmental progress and identify program strengths and weaknesses. As always, there will be a COVID health and safety update that may or may not include future vaccination clinic dates and locations. The meeting will also include approval of Resolution 73-22 declaring the first Friday of June to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Finally, there will be an update on the Board of Education Trustees regarding the 2021-22 Board Listening tour. These listening tours began in the 2017-18 school year with the purpose being to hear directly from students about their daily school experience and use the information to bolster student initiatives. With that, the meeting is set to take place on Thursday, June 2, at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Chambers at 23 Russell Boulevard. The meeting will be available to view on TV by switching to DJUSD Education Channel 17 and streaming online at djusd.davismedia. org. — Reach Aaron Geerts at aaron. geerts@mcnaughton.media.
DISPLAY: ‘A uniquely American problem’ From Page A1 routine and cyclical first with outrage, second hopes and prayers and then little done as the news moves on,” MellonAnibaba said. “This is a uniquely American problem and we hope that people are moved to
action by the installation.” The group of mothers that worked on the installation included MellonAnibaba, Sara Mitchell, Kelsey Ridley and Laura Harvey. One way to take action around the problem of gun violence, they said, is to get involved with the local chapter of
“Moms Demand Action,” a grassroots organization that advocates for policies and safety measures to protect the public from gun violence. — Reach Caleb Hampton at champton@ davisenterprise.net. Follow him on Twitter at @ calebmhampton.
