The tightening race was Measure V, the 1,800-home Village Farms proposal on the northeast side of Davis.

After the release of 5,676 newly counted ballots, “No on V” still holds a slim majority, but its lead has shrunk from 438 votes to just 270.

The raw numbers are 11,451 “No” (50.60 percent) to 11,181 “Yes” (49.40 percent).

All mail-in ballots were due last Tuesday, June 9, and any received after that date will not be counted.

The county did not reveal how many votes are still to be counted.

In the race for a vacant Yolo Superior Court judge seat, Ryan Davis more than doubled his lead over Diane Ortiz from 468 votes to 1,046.

After the release of 10,330 votes, the raw numbers for Davis are 26,963 (50.99 percent) to 25,917 (49.01 percent) for Ortiz.

And finally, a late surge has moved Eric Jones into second place behind incumbent Mike Thompson in the District 4 Congressional race, with those two set to square off in November under California’s Top-Two Primary system.

Thompson leads with 41.0 percent of the vote to 22.2 percent for Jones and 20.8 percent for Ray Riehle in voting from parts of the nine counties that comprise the 4th Congressional District.

Jones had been consistently in third place in previous vote releases since the June 2 election, but seems likely to have secured the second spot with 95 percent of the vote counted.

Thompson and Jones are both Democrats, while Riehle is a Republican.

The next vote release from Yolo County is expected on Tuesday, June 16, at 4 p.m.

Reach me at bobdunning@thewaryone.com

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Thorpe leaves behind one of the most successful eras in program history, during which she guided the Aggies to sustained success while helping countless student-athletes grow on and off the field.

Thorpe finishes her UC Davis tenure as the second-winningest coach in program history with 273 victories and is just the third coach in school history to surpass the 200-win mark. Across a 23-year head coaching career that included stops at UC Davis, Boise State and Whittier College, Thorpe compiled 496 career victories, including 446 at the Division I level.

“After 23 seasons in coaching, including 12 unforgettable years at UC Davis, retiring is both bittersweet and deeply meaningful,” said Thorpe.

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have worked with so many dedicated assistant coaches, remarkable players, and wonderful colleagues throughout my career. We experienced wins, milestones, and accomplishments that I will always be proud of, but the relationships we built, the lessons we shared, and the moments we experienced together are what will always matter to me most. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. It has truly been one of the great honors of my life.”

Noted Director of Athletics Rocko DeLuca, “Erin’s career at UC Davis reflects a remarkable commitment to our university, to our student-athletes and to the sport of softball. She led the program with dedication and helped guide it through significant moments in its history. We appreciate all that she has contributed to UC Davis Athletics and wish Erin and her family the very best as she begins this next chapter in her journey.”

Thorpe’s final season at UC Davis was one of the most successful in program history as the Aggies set a new standard in the Big West Conference and positioned themselves for continued success heading into the Mountain West Conference.

The Aggies posted 17 conference victories in 2026, the program’s most ever in the Big West Conference, and earned the program’s first appearance in the Big West championship tournament. Along the way, UC Davis recorded a signature victory over Cal State Fullerton, which was ranked No. 4 in the national mid-major poll at the time, and completed a historic road sweep of Long Beach State.

Throughout her tenure, Thorpe coached some of the most accomplished student-athletes in program history. Brooke Yanez became the program’s first All-American under her leadership in 2019, while Anna Dethlefson earned Big West Player of the Year honors in 2023. Thorpe also guided Yanez to Big West Pitcher of the Year recognition in 2019 and helped Ashley Sawai earn Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year honors in 2024. Since Thorpe took over the program in 2015, the Aggies have earned 41 All-Big West selections and seven National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region honors.

Several Aggies also etched their names into the record book during Thorpe’s tenure. Anna Dethlefson became the first player in program history to surpass 100 career stolen bases, finishing with 110 and ranking second in Big West Conference history.

Other Aggies established numerous UC Davis Division I-era records, including Alyse Rojas in career and single-season batting average and on-base percentage, Sarah Starks in career and single-season home runs and career RBIs, and Kenedi Brown in career wins and strikeouts. During Thorpe’s final season, the Aggies set Division I-era program records for hits, doubles and walks while posting the second-highest totals in batting average and RBIs.

The Aggies also enjoyed several landmark seasons under Thorpe’s leadership, including a 39-win campaign in 2019, which marks the program’s highest win total since 2003.

Prior to arriving at UC Davis, Thorpe became the winningest coach in Boise State softball history. A former All-American student-athlete herself, Thorpe coached the Broncos’ Tara Glover to the program’s first All-America honor and six players earned all-region recognition and 18 received all-conference accolades during her tenure in Boise. She was the head coach at Whittier College before taking over at Boise State.

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Donald Trump’s complaint that the current vote-counting process has given California the time to create massive voter fraud is not among them.

Trump has already gone so far as to order the U.S. Postal Service not to deliver mail-in ballots in those states that refuse to bend to his will as to how elections should be conducted.

The U.S. Constitution be damned.

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“Too close to call” is what the networks like to say.

We’re talking about the Village Farms proposal known as Measure V and the race for a Yolo County Superior Court judgeship between Ryan Davis and Diane Ortiz.

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The event celebrates the individuals, performances and moments that defined another season for Aggie Athletics, with performances stretching from late August until June. Awards honoring excellence in competition, academics, leadership, resilience and community impact were presented throughout the evening, with student-athletes earning both department-selected and peer-voted honors.

“The Aggie Awards are an opportunity to step back and appreciate everything our student-athletes invest into this experience,” said Director of Athletics Rocko DeLuca. “There’s so much work that happens behind the scenes, the early mornings, the setbacks, the leadership, the commitment to teammates and to this university. Nights like this give us the chance to celebrate not only what our student-athletes accomplished, but how they accomplished it. We are incredibly proud of the way they continue to represent UC Davis.”

2026 AGGIE AWARDS

DEPARTMENT AWARDS

W.P. Lindley Award (Scholar-Athlete of the Year) The W.P. Lindley Award is the highest individual honor a UC Davis student-athlete can receive, recognizing excellence in academics, athletics and leadership.

This year’s recipient embodied all three. A selfless leader who consistently put her team first, Jade Light helped author one of the greatest seasons in UC Davis Volleyball history while simultaneously excelling in one of the university’s most demanding academic paths.

Light earned Big West Player of the Year honors, surpassed 1,000 career kills and became UC Davis Volleyball’s first All-American since 1996, all while double majoring in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.

Light joins a long list of distinguished Lindley Award recipients, including Jen Gross in 1997 as an Aggie basketball star. Gross now is UCD’s women’s basketball head coach.

Other recipients include Niko Rocak (men’s basketball, 2025), Matt Cordova (men’s basketball, 1991), Steve Gerhart (track and field, 1985), Kaitlyn Gregg (track, 2010), Amber Nusser (equestrian, 2023) and the original Lindley winner George Bogart, a University Farm football star in 1923.

Dr. Hubert Heitman Award (Female Athlete of the Year) The Dr. Hubert Heitman Award is presented annually to the Aggie Female Athlete of the Year.

This year’s recipient continued cementing her place among the top gymnasts in UC Davis history during another standout season with the Blue & Gold. Amelia Moneymaker qualified for NCAA Regionals while delivering some of the highest scores ever recorded in program history.

During the 2026 season, Moneymaker scored a 9.900 on floor and tied her career-high with a 9.950 against William & Mary — the second-highest floor score in program history. A team captain and consistent leader throughout her career, Moneymaker once again helped elevate the Aggies on the national stage.

Other Heitman winners include Megan Bertsch (basketball, 2019), Erinn Beattie (track, 2019), Sarah Sumpter (track and cross country, 2012), Lisa Kennedy (volleyball, 1981 and 1982), Pam Martin (basketball, 1978 and 1979), Tina Anex (track, 1976) and Carolyn Ishii (tennis, 1974).

Colby E. “Babe” Slater Award (Male Athlete of the Year) The Colby E. “Babe” Slater Award is presented annually to the Aggie Male Athlete of the Year.

This year’s recipient captained UC Davis men’s soccer while leading the Aggies in goals, assists and points during the 2025 season. A Hermann Trophy Watch List honoree and back-to-back All-Big West First Team selection, Cason Goodman continued establishing himself as one of the top players in the conference while helping guide the Aggies through another strong campaign.

Widely respected for his leadership and consistency, Goodman helped set the standard for a program that remained among the conference’s best throughout the season. Alongside his brother Luke, the duo also became the first siblings in program history to earn All-Big West First Team honors in the same season.

Among other Slater recipients are Eli Pepper (basketball, 2023 and 2024), Lan Larison (football, 2024 and 2025), Preston Jackson (football, 1995), Robert Dilts (track, 1995), Scott Barry (football, 1985), Chris Petersen (football, 1987), Bob Biggs (football, 1973), Ken O’Brien (football, 1983), Mike Moroski (football and baseball, 1979), Jonathan Peterson (track and cross country, 2011 and 2012), Ed Haver (track, 1971), Mike Talmadge (tennis, 1970) and Alan Budde (basketball, 1968).

Sarah Sumpter Perseverance Award The Sarah Sumpter Perseverance Award honors a current UC Davis student-athlete who has overcome significant adversity to return to competition.

During the 2025 season, Jadyn Wakita faced significant challenges that tested her resilience both on and off the competition floor. Despite multiple setbacks, she continued approaching every challenge with positivity, determination and an unwavering commitment to her team.

Her perseverance paid off during the 2026 season as she returned to competition and delivered some of the strongest performances of her career, including one of her top beam scores while continuing to contribute in the bars lineup throughout the postseason.

Wakita exemplified the resilience, positivity and determination that define the spirit of the Sarah Sumpter Award.

Marya Welch Award The Marya Welch Award is presented annually to the women’s team with the highest cumulative GPA. RECIPIENT – Women’s Golf (3.77 GPA)

Lysle Leach Award The Lysle Leach Award is presented annually to the men’s team with the highest cumulative GPA. RECIPIENT – Men’s Basketball (3.31 GPA)

STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARDS

New Aggie of the Year Presented to the student-athlete who made an immediate impact while embodying Aggie Pride during their first year in the Blue & Gold.

A Davis native, Ella Ackerman won the Big West title in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:15.47 and was named Big West Freshman of the Year. As the highest-scoring Aggie at the conference championships, she helped UC Davis to a runner-up finish, the program’s best conference placement in a decade.

Aggie Pride Award Presented to the student-athlete who best exemplifies Aggie PRIDE through leadership, involvement, spirit and commitment to the UC Davis community.

A member of the women’s water polo program, Sarah Ellis-Keeler was recognized for the leadership, involvement and spirit she demonstrated across the UC Davis community throughout the year.

Best Upset of the Year Presented for the most unexpected and memorable victory of the year.

In a triple-overtime thriller, women’s basketball outlasted UC San Diego 88-80, erasing a 13-point deficit and battling through 15 ties and 15 lead changes. Megan Norris pulled down 29 rebounds while Nya Epps and Avery Sussex led the Aggies in scoring.

Moment of the Year Presented for the most thrilling and unforgettable moment of the season.

Amelia Moneymaker earned the honor for her 9.950 floor routine against William & Mary, a score that matched the fourth-best floor mark in MPSF history and stood as the highest score in any event across the conference this season. With the Aggies trailing entering the final rotation, her performance helped lift UC Davis to the win.

Women’s Team of the Year Presented to the women’s program that demonstrated exceptional success while embodying Aggie Pride throughout the year.

Volleyball captured the program’s first regular-season Big West title and posted its first undefeated home season, racking up 21 wins, including 16 in conference, as Jade Light, Mia Starr and Ximena Cordero Barr swept the conference’s Player, Setter and Libero of the Year honors.

Equestrian swept its ECAC slate, earned the No. 1 seed and won the conference title with a championship-final victory over South Dakota State, with Lauren Kolbe and Mya Clader earning NCEA All-America honors.

Men’s Team of the Year Presented to the men’s program that demonstrated exceptional success while embodying Aggie Pride throughout the year.

In just its third season in the Big West, men’s water polo knocked off top-seeded, defending champion Long Beach State 12-11 to claim the program’s first Big West title. Head Coach Daniel Leyson was named Big West Coach of the Year, and five Aggies earned All-Conference honors, led by Thomas Kiesling’s first-team All-Big West and third-team All-America selections.

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Instant gratification is in. Patience is out.

Predictably, the President of the United States has weighed in on our electoral activities and has already declared the whole election is rigged.

“The Dumocrats are at it again!” he writes on Untruth Unsocial.

Excuse me, Mr. President, but I believe you forgot to put a “b” in “Dumocrats,” though it was respectful of you to at least capitalize the “D.”

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You can thank the man who has torn down half of the White House for this sort of craziness.

The kind folks I share a home with will tell you it upsets me when I hear otherwise competent commentators state as a matter of fact that “President Trump believes the 2020 election was stolen.”

The plain truth is that Donald Trump knows full well the 2020 election was not stolen. But he wants you and me and all the people wearing red hats to believe it was stolen.

It’s a great rallying cry. A grievous wrong that needs to be righted.

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That’s a relief.

But with the way some of these candidates are treating each other, I wonder if maybe this is a Primate Election, not a Primary Election.

Be that as it may, with 61 candidates for governor and all sorts of other folks and issues on this very long ballot, I feel as if I need at least six people to help me in the voting booth.

Nevertheless, following the law to the letter like the solid citizen that I am, I asked two well-known and prominent Davisites to accompany me to the Voting Center at the Vets Memorial on 14th Street, conveniently wedged between the Mary L. Stephens Library and Davis High School.

My escorts, politically savvy Davisites, were former California State Assemblymember Helen Thomson and former California State Senator Lois Wolk, matriarch of the Wolk Dynasty, who also served as this town’s mayor.

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To clarify, it’s the end, at least, for a spirited race for a Yolo County Superior Court judge’s seat and an equally spirited battle over a proposed 1,800-home development.

Those races will be decided on Tuesday, even though this is technically a primary election.

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It’s the American Way.

But I sometimes wonder if all that money is wasted because we the voters end up with mailbox fatigue.

To test that theory, I’ve put together a little quiz to determine how much anyone is actually paying attention to statements made in mailers or in the state or county Voter Information Guides.

So, here’s the deal.

I’ll put out the statement and you get to figure out who made it.

I swear I did not make up any of these quotes.

Answers will be revealed at the bottom, but cheating is not allowed unless you’re in a hurry.

Okay, here goes.

1. “I have over 200,000 miles on my van.”

2. “Our environment is threatened by the climate crisis and resulting fires, floods and drought, made worse by the federal rollback of environmental, labor and consumer protections.”

3. “I have served our community as President of the Davis Schools Foundation, a City of Davis Commissioner and a member of the DJUSD Parcel Tax Citizens Oversight Committee.”

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Please don’t laugh about my candidacy. I can already feel a groundswell of enthusiasm. Not quite 9.8 on the Richter Scale, but significant nevertheless.

Be that as it may, if you do plan to vote in person, California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., has issued some stern warnings to keep you out of the slammer on Election Day.

I know I’ve gone over some of these strict rules in previous elections, but with a whole bunch of footloose teenagers recently becoming old enough to vote, it’s right and proper that they know what’s allowed and what’s not. Voting is complicated and confusing. It would be easy for a newcomer to run afoul of the law, so I’m offering these tips, free of charge, as a public service.

At the very top of Page 58 of Shirley’s Official Voter Information Guide, we see the words “ELECTIONEERING PROHIBITED!”

The exclamation point is to let you know that Dr. Weber really means it. These prohibitions come into play if you are within 100 feet of a polling place, curbside voting or a ballot drop box, but I’m not sure how we would know that ahead of time. No matter. If I were you, I’d run down to Davis Lumber before you head out to vote and buy a 101-foot tape measure just to be sure.

I suppose it’s pretty obvious where a polling place is, but there are ballot drop boxes all over Kingdom Come, so I guess you can’t do any electioneering in the parking lot at Nugget.

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I will admit that a 44-page Yolo County Voter Information Guide might seem excessive, but it should be noted that no one is required to read even one word of it before voting.

Six pages of the Guide, for heaven’s sake, are taken up just listing all the candidates for the very offices up for grabs, which is what happens when so many souls ache to be the governor of our beloved Golden State.

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So I decided on my own to make it 62 candidates.

Yes, I know this is a last-minute decision, but today I am declaring my candidacy for governor of a state I passionately love.

Clearly, the Golden State needs another white male baby boomer running the show.

If I can simply get every member of my family to vote for me next Tuesday, I should easily reach “Top Two” status and qualify for the November ballot against whichever candidate comes in second.

I mean, even some of the grandkids are eligible to vote at this point.

If you’ve already voted for someone else, just go to the appropriate “secure” ballot drop box, attach a wad of Bazooka Bubble Gum to a piece of twine and fish out as many ballots as necessary until you find yours. Then, so you don’t get arrested, return every ballot other than yours to the drop box.

Since humility and vulnerability are suddenly desirable traits these days, I will admit that in my haste the other day, I stated that Steve Hilton, if elected, would be the first California governor not eligible to run for president.

This caused Ted and Gayna and a slew of other sleuths to point out that Arnold Schwarzenegger was already a California governor who was not eligible to run for president.

I actually made that mistake on purpose just to prove to everyone that I can admit my mistakes and look like a down-to-earth guy.

Truth be told, I’d be in favor of allowing naturalized citizens to run for president and let the voters decide if that’s someone they want in the Oval Office.

My point is, when I am elected governor of California, I promise never to use that as a springboard to the White House ballroom. Unless, of course, there is a groundswell of support that I simply cannot ignore.

Although I am way younger than both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, I decided to take a mental acuity test before declaring my candidacy and, just like the president, I aced it. In fact, the doctors said they had “never seen anything like it.”

Thank God that two plus two is still four.

In this day of instant communication and constant gratification, there is still time to win this thing. After all it’s so much easier to get the word out these days compared to when I ran for homeroom monitor in Joe Carey’s 8th grade class at Davis Junior High School. (And lost).

In addition to social media, I plan to immediately take a whistlestop train tour of the entire state if that high-speed rail project manages to get completed before Election Day.

Based on recent polling, it looks like I won’t need more than 25 percent of the vote to qualify for November. And then I’ll send that carpetbagging Steve Hilton back where he came from, British accent and all.

I do, of course, need a platform. I know I can’t win on looks alone.

First and foremost, when I am governor, California will embrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Each of those is a beautiful, meaningful word.

California is the most diverse state in the union. We are all God’s children and we should be treated as such.

Equity basically means fairness and justice. Need I say more?

And inclusion? What governor of California wouldn’t want to include every resident in sharing our state’s rich bounty?

If that Orange Menace in Washington, D.C., says California won’t receive any more tax dollars if we insist on D.E.I., well, he’ll find out in a hurry that we won’t be sending our tax dollars his way either.

We are easily one of those states that pays way more than its fair share of federal tax, supporting states that mostly voted for Trump.

You withhold federal dollars from California, Mr. President, and we’ll withhold Smokehouse Almonds and avocados and Napa Valley wine from the rest of the country. Did you know that McDonald’s - your favorite - was founded in California?

In fact, at this very moment there are 1,232 McDonald’s in California. Maybe you should visit us sometime.

But enough about Trump.

This campaign is about serving California and Californians.

As for high-speed rail, which is more like snail-speed rail at this point, I’ll scrap the whole thing and convert all of U.S. 99 from Merced to Bakersfield into Waymo Way.

Forget those sleek trains that are still seemingly decades away and replace them with thousands of 24/7 Waymo vans and sedans designed to go 200 miles per hour with no traffic to get in the way.

Cheaper, faster, more efficient, more comfortable and, most importantly, available on the first day I take office.

That is if you want to go from Bakersfield to Merced.

When it comes to higher education, I plan to go back to the days of one of California’s greatest yet least celebrated governors, Edmund G. “Pat” Brown.

He was the one, in 1960, who came up with California’s Master Plan for Education that declared all UC campuses, all CSU campuses and all junior colleges (as they were known in those days) would be tuition free, even at the graduate and professional levels.

Yes, there was a $120 per semester “incidental fee” that got you into the football game and a bed at the Student Health Center and a shot of penicillin if you got the inevitable strep throat, but that was it.

Thus, for a mere $960, many of us got a college degree from the best university system in the world. In those days, you truly could get a part-time job and work your way through college.

Here is what former UC President Clark Kerr told the California State Legislature years later, looking back at what had been accomplished:

“What did we try to do in 1960? First of all, we faced this enormous tidal wave, 600,000 students added to higher education in California in a single decade. There were new campuses that had to be built, faculty members that had to be hired, and so forth, and it looked like an absolutely enormous, perhaps even impossible, challenge before us. We started out in our Master Plan asking the state to commit itself, despite the size of this enormous tidal wave, to create a place in higher education for every single young person who had a high school degree or was otherwise qualified so that they could be sure, if they got a high school degree or became otherwise qualified that they would have a place waiting for them. That was our first and basic commitment. I might say it was the first time in the history of any state in the United States, or any nation in the world, where such a commitment was made -- that a state or a nation would promise there would be a place ready for every high school graduate or person otherwise qualified. It was an enormous commitment and the basis for the Master Plan.”

Please forgive me for a moment while I wipe away a tear.

Apparently, California was practicing diversity, equity and inclusion long before anyone coined the phrase.

In short, Donald Trump, don’t mess with California. We know what we’re doing.

When I’m governor, you can forget the Billionaires Tax. I’ll be happy if billionaires simply agree to pay the same state tax rate the rest of us do.

I’ll also order the athletic departments at Cal and UCLA to rejoin the Pac-12 conference as God intended, and will attempt to cajole Stanford and USC to do the same.

I will issue a strongly worded prohibition on any more hillsides in Big Sur sliding into the Pacific Ocean and closing Highway 1.

I will use my first 32 days in office to hold a town hall in each and every one of the 32 California counties that voted for Donald Trump in 2024 and ask everyone there one simple question: “What can the State of California do to make your lives better?”

To increase tourism in the North State, I’ll declare Mt. Shasta the 8th Wonder of the World, while encouraging geologists to come up with a way to have Mt. Lassen erupt once again.

I’ll encourage the Legislature to name the Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) as the Official State Crustacean and let the rest of the seafood-crazed world know that this is the best-tasting crab on God’s green earth.

I will not lower the gas tax because it is one of the main reasons California has the best network of roads in the nation.

I will root for the Giants, the A’s, the Dodgers, the Angels and the Padres; the 49ers, the Rams and the Chargers; the Kings, the Warriors, the Lakers and the Clippers; the Sharks, the Kings and the Mighty Ducks; the West Sacramento River Cats, the Stockton Ports, the Fresno Grizzlies and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes; the Golden State Valkyries and the Los Angeles Sparks; the Sacramento Republic FC, the San Jose Earthquakes, the LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC and San Diego FC.

And every college and high school team - boys and girls, men and women - that calls California home.

We will pray for rain to keep our forests safe, our crops thriving and our salmon swimming.

My administration will lower the cost of the Four H’s - Housing, Healthcare, Hunger and Hot Dogs.

I will commute to the Capitol from our East Davis home and will refuse to collect either mileage or per diem.

The Governor’s Mansion will be available to the public free of charge on a lottery basis for birthdays, graduations, weddings, quinceañeras and family reunions.

A while ago, when I borrowed a phrase from the great Herbert Hoover and promised if I were governor there would be a chicken in every pot and pot in every chicken, I was kidding. I’m not that fond of chicken.

Because of a silly rule about having to declare my candidacy before ballots are printed, I am required to be a write-in candidate.

I checked with California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, Ph.D., and she said that her office will accept a number of variations of my name on the ballot as long as it’s clear what the voter’s intention is.

Names she approved were Bob, Bobby, Billy Bob, Robert, Robare, Bub, Bubba and Bubbly, along with Dunning, Duning, Dunney, Dunging, Dunnigan and Dummy.

It’s important that next to my name you fill in the little box just like you would for any other candidate.

I have not accepted any donations of any kind from anyone, but I am planning a GoFundMe campaign to pay for my election night Victory Party at Central Park in my beloved hometown of Davis.

Vote early.

Vote often.

Vote for Bob.

Reach me at bobdunning@thewaryone.com

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And yet, like many of my fellow Californians, I just shrug my shoulders when I’m asked “Who are you going to vote for?” in the governor’s race.

Sadly, absolutely no one has moved the needle for me. No one has raised my blood pressure. No one has put together a compelling argument as to why he or she should lead the most populous state in the country, a state I dearly love and plan never to leave.

Heck, I even considered Barack Obama Shaw, but he’d have to show me his birth certificate first.

Then again, candidate Steve Hilton wasn’t born in this country. Neither was Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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Makes me wish our dear president had an impartial attorney or two on his staff to help him sort fact from fiction.

I’m not sure if there’s a legal definition of the word “impartial,” but as long as a human being is in charge, some bias might raise its ugly head in his or her analysis.

I suspect the day is coming when AI will be called upon to be impartial because it doesn’t have a brain.

Then again, will AI be able to navigate all the nuances of “impartial” in a town as intelligent as Davis?

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QUICK SOLUTION FOR SAVING DAVIS SCHOOLS … It’s no secret that declining enrollment threatens to force the closure of several of our cherished public schools in Davis. It’s become a major issue in the Measure V debate. If Measure V passes, it should include a provision that the new homes being built can only be sold to newcomers from Utah, where family size is off the charts. More kids, more schools. If that plan succeeds, the school lunch program will have to substantially increase its budget for Jell-O. Utah also leads the country in Jell-O consumption.

SPEAKING OF SCHOOL CLOSURES … I remember several decades ago when closing an elementary school was being discussed and I turned to my Sweetheart and said without hesitation, “It will be Valley Oak.”

That was sad for us, because two of our young daughters had just become old enough to start school and we were able to walk the several blocks to Valley Oak with them every weekday morning.

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According to Exhibit B in the official Yolo County Voter Information Guide, “The Project will create a diverse residential neighborhood with housing options for residents across a broad range of income levels.”

Presumably, that’s a good thing.

Hopefully, some folks on the lower end of the income scale will be able to take advantage of much-needed affordable housing in town, while those on the upper end will purchase the higher-priced homes that help to make Village Farms financially feasible for the developers.

Under the heading of “Affordable Housing” in Exhibit B, we learn that “Village Farms Davis will provide land and capital toward the construction of up to 360 Deed-Restricted Affordable Housing units, approximately 20% of total residential units. This provision exceeds the City requirement.”

Which is all well and good.

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That is if that wacky sheriff running for governor doesn’t seize the ballots so we don’t learn anything on June 2.

On the “Yes” side this campaign started long ago. The opposition has formed more recently. But there is definitely passion among “No” voters.

The dramatic change from the last time this chunk of land was on the ballot several decades ago is the notion that decent housing should be a human right.

It used to be “progressive” to oppose growth. Now just the opposite is true.

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No matter how long you’ve lived here, what do you now have to say about Measures J, R and D?

When Measure J was first proposed in the Year 2000, no one was exactly sure how the voters of Davis would react.

What a novel idea, some thought. Let the people decide before you allow a developer to turn tomatoes into townhomes or cornfields into condos.

Others argued that this was no way to run a city. We elect people to the City Council and we should let them do their jobs.

If you don’t like the job they’re doing, vote them out of office at the next election. Or, in case of emergency, break glass and recall them.

I know that’s messy, but that’s how the argument went. However, it was an argument that didn’t win the day with the intelligent electorate in this town.

Although Measure J wasn’t my idea in any way, I was supportive of the concept and willing to give it a try.

If you can’t trust the people of Davis, who can you trust?

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Nasty words have been exchanged, though no one has counted which side has had more of its signs destroyed.

“This is an assault on democracy,” claimed one guided missive that came my way.

Hardly.

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