COVID-19 Community Report

It's astonishing to me that we're at Episode 50, with nearly 85 people interviewed over the last 10+ months. Thank you to all who have listened and/or supported, agreed to be interviewed, and provided feedback. The stories we tell and the narrative we weave about the impact of the pandemic in Yolo County will be an important part of our collective archives.

On Jan. 30, The New York Times ran a lengthy feature on one community in California and its efforts to model a plan for curtailing the Covid virus. Spoiler alert: that's our community, Davis, CA, and we're on the map as being at the forefront of community engagement and science during the pandemic. One of the benefits of having a world-class university here.

It's Episode 48, and time to check in with  Tree Davis.  As I've said many times during the course of this show, it's not just the pandemic we're dealing with, but the attendant mental and physical health challenges, and dramatic social/political and  economic concerns. As well, things like the climate crisis haven't just disappeared.

That last point became a fascinating talking point in my interview with Erin Donley Marineau this week. As Executive Director of Tree Davis, Erin ovesees an organization that plants trees and does enviromental stewardship in communities around Yolo County, not just Davis. In normal years, she says, 40 Saturdays each year are devoted to working with volunteers in various cities. Obviously that scale of work has not been possible during the pandemic.

It's a new year, with hope on the horizon in the form of new vaccines, but the reality is we're still in this for a while, and the State's Stay Home Order is still in effect. The list of stats and updates I'll share on today's show is a bit daunting, which is one reason  I'm glad I have a great community leader to interview.  As Executive Director of International House Davis, longtime Davis resident Shelly Gilbride and her team have been guiding the venerable nonprofit through the challenges and changes of the past year. Before joining I-House, Shelly served  for five years as the Programs Officer of the California Arts Council,  where she was responsible for grant programs to support arts, culture, and creativity across the state.

My guest for Dec. 15 is Jesse Salinas, who serves as the Assessor/ Clerk-Recorder/Chief Election Official (ACE) for Yolo County. Jesse's purview and scope of work is broad and far reaching, but it was really the elections work---and the switch to vote by mail--that took center stage during this pandemic year.

I last spoke with Jesse back at the end of September in Episode 37, when he and his staff were ramping up for vote by mail. In this interview, Episode 45 we'll touch base about lessons learned during this time of COVID-19, voter turnout, and what voting in Yolo County could look like moving forward. 

Tune in live at noon at 95.7 FM, or listen anytime at kdrt.org.