Birthdays, Launch Parties, Graduations and Football

And the first-ever Wary One "Comment of the Week"

"Inspired by the "Eat Well, Age Well" initiative, Meals on Wheels provides fresh local meals, medically-tailored meals and Cafe Yolo dining locations, and has expanded its rural services to include migrant centers near Davis and Madison."

LET THEM EAT CAKE ... Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs has always been a man on a mission. As such, he's turning his upcoming birthday celebration at Sudwerk (June 27, 6-9 p.m.) into a Party with a Purpose to raise funds for Meals on Wheels Yolo County (MOW Yolo).

In a town and a county full of worthy causes, Meals on Wheels rises right to the top of the list.

Lucas Frerichs

As many of you already know, Meals on Wheels is the only provider of fully-prepared meals for food insecure, isolated seniors in Yolo County, now serving over 1,000 aging adults daily, a number that represents 250 percent growth in just the last two years. It makes me sad that such growth is necessary, but glad that Meals on Wheels volunteers are there to fill that ever-increasing need.

MOW Yolo operates out of facilities in Woodland and Winters and is pursuing a strategic goal to dramatically increase its ability to serve seniors over the next three years.

Lucas Frerichs several years ago

Inspired by the "Eat Well, Age Well" initiative, MOW Yolo provides fresh local meals, medically-tailored meals and Cafe Yolo dining locations, and has expanded its rural services to include migrant centers near Davis and Madison.

Notes Frerichs, "In celebration of my upcoming milestone birthday (45!), I hope you will join me at my birthday Party with a Purpose to support a local non-profit that has done so much to feed vulnerable seniors throughout Yolo County."

Photo by Richard Burlton on Unsplash

Lucas, if you're sitting down, I need to tell you a couple of things. No. 45 is not in any way, shape or form a "milestone" birthday. And it most definitely does not deserve an exclamation point. I speak from experience as one of your elders who believes the only true milestone birthday is No. 100, even though Moses might disagree with me.

Since you don't look a day over 30, it may be that you're trying to collect Social Security before you're eligible or maybe you're just aging well. Or, actually, not aging at all. Whatever it is you're doing, don't stop. Pretty soon you'll be doing commercials on cable television, letting the world in on your wonderful secret.

Maybe you can run for president one day - like today - given that there seems to be some concern over the age of the two guys currently in the race to lead the most powerful country in the world.

I plan to be there June 27 to ask the Sudwerk bartender to "card" Lucas so the whole world can see how old he truly is.

If you'd like to join this worthy cause and get a piece of birthday cake as well, tickets and details are available at mowyolo/lucasbirthday.

Void where prohibited by law, batteries not included, offer may not be valid in Vermont.

SPEAKING OF PARTIES … Just a quick reminder that the Launch Party for my friend, journalistic colleague and fellow Substack Bestseller Wendy Weitzel will be held this Saturday (June 22) from 4 to 6 p.m. upstairs at the Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second Street in Downtown Davis. 

There will be cookies, lemonade, iced tea, no-host bar and non-stop fun, I'm sure.

Wendy, who took her outrageously popular column to Substack after winning numerous statewide awards at the local newspaper, plans to address the crowd around 5 p.m. and I'm sure there will be a few audience questions for Substack's latest superstar. She is currently listed at No. 38 worldwide in the business section.

I'll be there to MC and make sure that all cookies are equitably distributed.

As I noted in this space several weeks ago, "I was touched beyond words when Wendy headlined her final newspaper column, "Why I said goodbye to the newspaper I loved," and wrote, 'This is my last Comings and Goings column for The Davis Enterprise. In support of my colleague Bob Dunning, I'm leaving the newspaper I've loved for 25 years.' "

I noted that "Those words went straight to my heart. Her show of solidarity with a fellow journalist helped me through what was an incredibly difficult time in my professional life."

I hope to see you all there. This one promises to be fun.

UC SACRAMENTO? ... When it was announced several years ago that UC Davis would be moving its undergraduate graduation ceremonies from UC Davis Health Stadium to the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, I was disappointed. I felt strongly that all graduations should be on campus.

However, after attending my daughter Maev's graduation last weekend at the Golden I Center, I've changed my mind. It was a spectacular setting for a spectacular event and I'm sure every one of the thousands of graduates will have fond memories that last a lifetime.

UC Davis personnel in charge of this event knocked themselves out to make it the best day possible for everyone involved.

Plus, there were free refills on popcorn.

FOOTBALL IN JUNE? ... I've always thought that preseason football awards are pretty much meaningless, given that no one has gained a yard, completed a pass or scored a touchdown before games are played for real in the fall.

Still, the accolades keep coming and they do give us something to talk about with preseason camp for most schools set to begin late next month.

Turns out the esteemed Hero Sports organization has set its sights on three UC Davis standouts for preseason mention, led by running back Lan Larison, last season's Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and a third-team All-American.

Lan Larison

To no one's surprise, Larison has been selected by the Hero folks as the conference's top returning running back. Heck, I didn't need Hero to tell me something I already knew.

Also on Hero's national list are Aggie defensive lineman Zach Kennedy and tight end Josh Gale.

Zach Kennedy

Josh Gale

The Aggies open the season August 31 with a 2 p.m. showdown against the California Golden Bears, then come home September 7 against Texas A&M-Commerce.

With six home games, including highly ranked Montana State coming to UC Davis Health Stadium, tickets are available in a variety of packages from the Aggie ticket office at 530 752-2471.

HE SAID IT ... The first award for Reader Comment of the Week goes to Phil Coleman, the esteemed former Chief of Police for the City of Davis.

In response to a question about banning legacy admissions at all colleges and universities in California, Phil wrote: 

"I'll predict that the Governor will veto the legislation if the bill reaches his desk for the reasons already raised. And one additional, more compelling, reason.

Such a law is unenforceable. How can the State go into the mind(s) of the admission official or committee and be able to prove by a "preponderance of evidence" that preferential treatment was given to a particular applicant? These gatekeepers are not stupid people, they won't openly do or say anything that would identify them as being in violation of such a law. More important, with this legislation colleges will be overwhelmed by baseless allegations by zealous parents whose precious child was lawfully denied admission.

Most all of us accept the reality that a "preferred applicant" will get accepted under one defensible pretense or another. Every public and private school that has the privilege of student selection will give some kind of preference to an applicant if it benefits the school in some way."

I'll have to think of a swell prize for Phil. Any suggestions?

You can reach me at bobdunning@thewaryone.com