Sports
Movies
Pets
Happiness is only temporary, in ‘Amsterdam’ — Page B2
Linemen line up their chakras
Shelter takes all kinds — Page A3
— Page B6
enterprise THE DAVIS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2022
City Council candidates weigh in on homelessness By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer
By performing surgery before
The five candidates for Davis City Council participated in three election forums last week where they were asked their opinions on a variety of issues facing the city, from a lack of affordable housing to dealing with climate change to city finances. And, at each forum, they were also asked to weigh in on homelessness — what the city has done, and should do, to help those who are unhoused. The two incumbents — Councilman Dan Carson, running in District 1 and Councilwoman Gloria Partida, running in District 4 — touted what the city has accomplished thus far; Carson’s challengers — Bapu Vaitla and Kelsey Fortune — called for more housing for the homeless; and Adam Morrill, who is challenging Partida, said the city should not be in the business of providing homeless services. That the issue is a big concern for Davis residents was evident in responses to a survey conducted by the city in the spring. When participants were asked to name the city’s most important problem, homelessness was cited more than any other
See HOPE, Back page
See HOMELESSNESS, Page A5
UC Davis Health photo
Emily and Robbie, 15 days after her birth. Robbie was born last October after receiving spina bifida treatment combining surgery with stem cells.
New hope for families UCD performs pioneering spina bifida surgeries By Caleb Hampton Enterprise staff writer After a groundbreaking clinical trial at UC Davis Health, three babies who received the world’s first spina bifida treatment combining surgery with stem cells were born, the health system announced Thursday. The cutting-edge treatment is done while a fetus is still developing in the womb. Researchers believe it could improve
outcomes for children with spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when spinal tissue fails to fuse properly early during early fetal development. Spina bifida, also known as myelomeningocele, can cause a range of lifelong physical and cognitive disabilities. The CuRe Trial began in spring 2021 at UC Davis Health. In total, 35 patients will be treated in the trial. So far,
three of them have been born, and will be monitored by the researchers until they are 30 months old in order to assess the treatment’s safety and effectiveness. The first phase of the trial is funded by a $9 million state grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, the state’s stem cell agency. “This clinical trial could enhance the quality of life for so
many patients to come,” Emily, the first clinical trial participant, told UC Davis Health. She traveled from Austin, Texas, to participate. Her daughter Robbie was born in September 2021. “We didn’t know about spina bifida until the diagnosis,” Emily said. “We are so thankful that we got to be a part of this. We are giving our daughter the very best chance at a bright future.”
Vaitla leads in campaign fundraising By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer Heading in to the last six weeks of the campaign, Davis City Council candidate Bapu Vaitla had a fundraising advantage over his two opponents in District 1. Through Sept. 24, Vaitla had received $24,328 in contributions and loaned his campaign another $13,000. His cash on hand on Sept. 24 was $23,482, according to forms filed with the city clerk’s office. By comparison, Councilman Dan Carson had taken in $15,159 and had $1,445 on hand as of Sept. 24, while Kelsey Fortune reported $3,530 in contributions, had loaned her
VOL. 124 NO. 120
INDEX
Arts ������������������B1 Forum ��������������B3 Pets ������������������ A3 Classifieds ������ A4 Movies ��������������B2 Sports ��������������B6 Comics ������������B4 Obituaries �������� A4 The Wary I �������� A2
campaign $1,766, and had $4,202 on hand on Sept. 24. Over in District 4, Councilwoman Gloria Partida had a fundraising advantage over challenger Adam Morrill. Partida raised $9,840 in contributions and had a cash balance of $5,438 on Sept. 24. Morrill, meanwhile, raised $4,475 through Sept. 24 and had $2,575 in cash on hand. Vaitla received more than 200 individual contributions of up to $150, including from some local elected officials like Mayor Lucas Frerichs, Councilman Josh Chapman and Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor. He also received contributions
WEATHER Saturday: Sunny and warm. High 92. Low 57.
from former mayors Ann Evans and Robb Davis. A number of city commissioners also contributed funds to Vaitla’s campaign, including Johannes Troost, Linda Deos, Georgina Valencia, Cheryl Essex and Rachel Fulp-Cooke, and several city of Davis firefighters also made contributions. Carson received more than 130 individual contributions for the reporting period of Jan. 1 to Sept. 24. Among his donors: Partida, former Mayor Brett Lee, former Councilman Stephen Souza, school board Trustee Joe DiNunzio, former state superintendent of
See CAMPAIGN, Page A5
California college leaders speak out on DACA ruling By Caleb Hampton Enterprise staff writer On Wednesday, a federal appeals court upheld a Texas-based district judge’s finding that a program barring the deportation of some undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children was illegal. The appeals court ordered the lower court to review a new version of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program issued by the Biden administration. For now, the program remains intact, allowing
DACA recipients to continue renewing their status, but the appeals court ruling cast doubt over the program’s future. On Thursday, leaders from California’s three college systems, the University of California, California State University and California Community Colleges issued a joint statement on the ruling. “We are deeply troubled by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision, which holds that the DACA program violates federal law,” the university leaders said. “We support
HOW TO REACH US www.davisenterprise.com Main line: 530-756-0800 Circulation: 530-756-0826
http://facebook.com/ TheDavisEnterpriseNewspaper http://twitter.com/D_Enterprise
See DACA, Back page
WED • FRI • $1