Davis Media Access gets to work on Yolo Local
Plus, news on The Vault Board Shop, Neighborhood Vintage Store, Taffach Ethiopian, restaurant grants, fresh tennis courts and a new notary
Community media nonprofit Davis Media Access is getting to work. It just announced the first members of the working group that will help launch its civic information project Yolo Local.
DMA spent the past 18 months moving from “curiosity about how DMA could help the decline in locally available information, to concrete action towards that end,” Autumn Labbé-Renault, DMA’s executive director, said in a news release.
“We believe the shrinking of local newsrooms and corresponding loss of vital news and information affects every aspect of community life. When information is scarce or inequitable, civic engagement is diminished and our communities suffer,” she said. “Davis Media Access is working to build a civic information project for Davis and beyond, and we’ve named this project Yolo Local.”
The first phase is to assess what information the community needs. Labbé-Renault said the goal is to understand the local news and information ecosystem, in terms of the “supply side” or information providers, as well as from the “demand side” of area residents’ information needs and preferences.
The evaluation will take place over the next four months and include a bilingual survey, engagement at community events, focus groups, and listening sessions. To assist with this project, DMA has convened a Yolo Local Working Group. Members bring their personal, professional, and community experiences to help launch the project.
Members are: Spencer Bowen, communication and strategic policies manager for the city of Woodland; Bill Buchanan, an award-winning journalist retired from UC Davis, who hosts and produces “Davisville” on KDRT; Alejandra Cuevas Rash, a teacher, bilingual consultant and member of the Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee for the Davis school district; Laura Galindo, interim public information officer for Yolo County; Linda Henigan, founder of Woodland’s Dinner on Main and former executive director of WAVE-TV; Anahi Monter, program director for the Yolo County Children’s Alliance; Leonie Pickett, a teacher at Da Vinci Charter Academy and member of Davis’ Human Relations Committee; Josh Redman, who is involved with the Solar Housing Association, Third Space Art Collective, Food Not Bombs, and Good and Weird Davis; Jenny Tan, director of community engagement for the city of Davis; Anthony Volka, public information officer for the Yolo County Office of Education; and Alyx Volzer, owner of the Massage Therapy Institute, and a LGBTQIA+ community organizer.
Members were vetted and selected by an ad hoc committee of DMA’s board, staff and volunteers. Labbé-Renault said the focus wasn’t on journalism experience but on “individuals who are connectors, doers and committed to working collaboratively.” She said they still need representation from Winters, rural Yolo County, and youths.
DMA’s partners in this process are community-engaged journalist and Davis resident jesikah maria ross, and Boulder, Colorado-based Impact Architects, providing the framework and methodology. The project received financial support from the city of Davis, Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs and former Supervisor Jim Provenza, as well as private donors, and is actively pursuing other funding.
Reach Labbé-Renault at autumn@davismedia.org. Sign up for an upcoming newsletter by emailing yololocal@davismedia.org.
→ Vintage departure: In March 2024, I wrote about how a vintage clothing seller had just started splitting The Vault Board Shop’s space at 227 G St. in Davis. Well, it lasted about a year. As of March 31, Neighborhood Vintage Store has left the building.
“We just split ways. They wanted to do their own things,” Vault employee Shyan Soltani said Thursday.
The space is back to being a skateboard shop. The Vault sells and repairs skateboards, and sells apparel, shoes and equipment.
→ Popular opening: As planned, Taffach Ethiopian Restaurant began its soft opening on Saturday. Apparently, the restaurant was flooded with so many customers it had to close on April 7 to regroup. It reopened the next day.
“We were overwhelmed by your love and support,” the owners said in a Facebook post. “We learned a lot from the last two days. … To serve you best and restock our inventories, we will be closed today (April 7).”
Remember, soft openings are not the same as grand openings. They aren’t heavily advertised because restaurant operators are using it as a chance to work out the kinks. I feel slightly responsible if there’s a rush, because many of those patrons read about it here. So, if you insist on going there right as it opens, please be patient and kind. And save your Yelp reviews for later.
Taffach’s hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. It fills the former Bones Craft Kitchen space at 113 D St.
→ Cheers to a new Founding Subscriber: A big thanks to Aggies Uncorked Alumni Wine Club for its $250 subscription. There are no ads on my Substack newsletter but I give a shout in this space to new Founding Subscribers. It’s a great way for businesses and individuals to show their support for my work. If you already subscribe, learn how to upgrade your subscription here.
→ Restaurant grants available: Northern California independent restaurants and caterers are again eligible to apply for a $5,000 Resilience Fund grant from the California Restaurant Foundation. Completed applications must be submitted by April 26.
Last year, Davis’ Mabel’s Market was one of the recipients. Owner Shelley Dunning learned about the grant by reading Comings & Goings. She used the funds to buy equipment for a new kitchen she hopes to open soon. The store, at 222 D St., sells picnic and charcuterie merchandise, and plans to open a tasting room with small bites, wine and beer.