Davis has interesting people, ideas, connections, and events. On Davisville, host Bill Buchanan presents stories that have some connection to Davis. The program has won 14 Excellence in Journalism awards from the San Francisco Press Club since 2018, plus a national Hometown Media Award for excellence from the Alliance for Community Media in 2024. Contact: davisville @ dcn.org
Podcast
‘Hunt, Gather, Cook’ on DavisvilleMon, 11/21/2011 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan
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Occupy Davis, on DavisvilleMon, 11/07/2011 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan
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Zombies! The most American of monsters, on DavisvilleWed, 10/26/2011 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan
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Barry Melton, Yolo attorney and veteran of Monterey Pop, visits DavisvilleMon, 10/10/2011 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan We cover a lot of ground in Davisville this time out. That’s no surprise, considering how much territory guest Barry Melton has covered over the years, and how easily he talks about it on this week’s show.
In Davis, there are two main reasons you would have heard of Melton: he’s an attorney who spent 10 years as Yolo County public defender, and he’s an accomplished musician who, when he was still a teenager, co-founded Country Joe and the Fish as the lead guitarist. He continues to play, and on Oct. 20 he’ll perform at the Odd Fellows Hall in a benefit for Habitat for Humanity.
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Build another parking garage downtown? Why?Mon, 09/26/2011 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan
A few weeks ago, Michael Bisch and Rosalie Paine wrote an article in the Enterprise that backs plans to build a parking garage and 12,000 square feet of new shopping space between E, F, 3rd and 4th streets. Today's show focuses on the idea. The basic question is why downtown needs another parking garage when it already has two; plus lots at the Amtrak station, behind the former Border’s, and next to the E Street Plaza; plus street parking; plus the tree-shaded lot that exists (see photo) where the new garage would be built. The answers lie in a discussion of where downtown is headed, in terms of growth (UC Davis’ plan to add 5,000 students in five years is a factor), civic policy, and other development ideas. Those other ideas include creating a new E Street promenade which, in one version, would close E to cars from 1st to the new garage. |
Engaging students with Twitter, plus a well-read 9/11 poem at the endMon, 09/12/2011 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan
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Veterans in Davis, on DavisvilleMon, 08/29/2011 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan
Davis isn’t known for its military connections, but 4,500 U.S. military veterans live in town, as do 2,000 more who currently serve. What do veterans want from Davis? Do they get it? On this edition we discuss those questions, plus broader ones involving all U.S. veterans, with Ted Puntillo and Rich Dryden. Puntillo, a former Davis postmaster and City Council member, became veterans service officer for Solano County on Aug. 1. He held the same job in Yolo County from 2003 to 2008. Dryden is executive director of the California Disabled Veteran Business Alliance – a group with a growing constituency, due to the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to the advances in medicine that help combat veterans live through what would have once been fatal wounds. We cover a lot of ground in this interview. Among other points, Dryden explains why some vets are better employers than employees. Puntillo notes that he talks to every person he sees who holds a "homeless veteran" sign. |
Happy new school year! Ready to talk money again?Mon, 08/15/2011 - 5:30pm | Bill BuchananThe state’s budget problems continue to shape and degrade the education available to Davis students. The district is relatively OK for now, thanks to cuts and extra taxes repeatedly OK'd by Davis voters. But the schools face major financial decisions in the new instructional year that starts Aug. 23 – and a lot will depend on the state’s hopeful gamble that California’s economy is improving. On this Davisville, return guest Jeff Hudson – he writes about education for the Davis Enterprise -- discusses the budget and decisions facing the Davis school district in 2011-12. Two of the topics we covered had significant developments after KDRT recorded this interview. The federal government |
Analyst sizes up the regional jobs market on DavisvilleMon, 08/08/2011 - 5:30pm | Bill BuchananThe regional job market is looking better, says employment market analyst Rick Reed on this edition of Davisville. Reed has surveyed area employers several times a year since 1992 for what is now a quarterly employment forecast, the Pacific Staffing Employment Trends Survey. Among other questions, he asks his contacts if they’re hiring, as well as why or why not. In our talk, Reed discussed trends, what he thinks employers want to see before they accelerate hiring, fields with the best job prospects, how agriculture helps the area job market, and more. Davis’ unemployment rate of 7.6 percent for May falls in the middle of regional cities, as measured by the state Employment Development Department. Davis’ rate is better than |
Stan Forbes and redistricting (repeat of March 2011 program)Mon, 07/18/2011 - 5:30pm | Bill BuchananI was on vacation in early July, so we're re-airing this program from spring 2011 when Stan Forbes discussed the state citizens' redistricting commission. Forbes, former Davis City Council member, is the only member of the commission from our part of the state. If you've wondered what the commission does, and why it matters to the average Californian, tune in for an explanation. |
Hank Shaw has written an unconventional book that takes a primal approach to obtaining food. His “Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast” says we should consider foraging, fishing and hunting for more of what we eat, not to fulfill a social agenda or political movement, but because it’s a healthier, satisfying, and more vivid way to live. The book struck me for its clear, persuasive writing, diverse appeal, and insight into the outdoors. When he writes, “North America is home to so many native fruits that all but the most obsessive of foragers will never taste them all,” that sounds like Eden. I haven’t thought of our continent that way. On Davisville we talk about foraging – including good places in the Davis area – the thrill and horror of hunting, how much time he spends hunting/foraging/fishing during the average week (about 8 hours), and the fact he hasn’t bought meat in a store, except for pork fat, since 2005. We talk about the 
Occupy Wall Street began in New York as a protest against greed. Then it spread and came to Davis in October, complete with a camp in Central Park. Like many folks, I wondered … why Davis? Is Occupy Davis pursuing specific changes in Davis, or is this only a local expression of a protest occurring elsewhere? The Davis Wiki 
This show is a Halloween treat. UC Davis instructor Sarah Juliet Lauro (pictured), who co-edited the new book 
This week we have a return visit with Andy Jones, who is not easily summarized. He is a lecturer and educational technologist at UC Davis, savvy about social media, one of Davis’ best-known poets, a bit of a showman, a trivia host … you get the point.
New technology is typically bewildering, but Jones makes good use of tech. On this program he discusses how he used Twitter to engage students in one of his UC Davis literature classes. (He wrote the experience into a chapter for “Teaching Arts and Science with the New Social Media,” a 2011 book edited by Charles Wankel of St. John’s University.)
In August, the Sacramento News and Review interviewed him for an article on “Facebook fatigue” (
Comments
You're a Davis icon, Bill. Keep up the good work of providing local, informative, and quality programming.
Bill, listen to the first 10 minutes of my show dated 7/7/2010. I hope you approve.
Paul Sheeran
Just wanted to say thanks for an outstanding interview with Freedom From Hunger's president, Chris Dunford.
Keep up the good work!
Sam Citron
thanks, Sam!
This is the program in question; it aired Jan. 25:
http://www.kdrt.org/node/2689
Bill
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