By OLIVIA HOKR — city@theaggie.org 

On May 17, the Davis Chamber of Commerce held its annual Celebrate Davis event to highlight local businesses and organizations in the community with educational booths, live music, games and other fun activities.

Bobbi Vaughn, the director of Events & Communications for the Chamber of Commerce, shared that Celebrate Davis was founded with the purpose of bringing local businesses into the community in an entertaining setting. 

“We have hundreds of nonprofits in our community, [with] mom-and-pop shops next to chain establishments and everything in between,” Vaughn said. “For us, bringing out the diverse types of businesses at the event, and all the events we do, really celebrates how lucky we are to have what we have here — a small-town feel, residents who care about their community and the businesses that support us.”

 This year there were about 80 different businesses in attendance along with six city of Davis departments, the Yolo County Sheriffs and UC Davis departments, according to Vaughn. The businesses included local food vendors as well as informational booths from organizations such as Meals on Wheels. 

Meals on Wheels is a nonprofit organization in Yolo County that provides fully-prepared and nutritious meals for struggling seniors. Bonnie Sanchez, the engagement manager from Meals on Wheels, shared that her organization was participating in Celebrate Davis to give out information about their mission, look for volunteers and talk with people who would be interested in joining their program. 

“[At Meals on Wheels] we deliver cooked meals,” Sanchez said. “We have two kitchens, one in Woodland and one in Winters. And we deliver them to the doorsteps of our seniors — anybody that’s 60 years or older.”

Along with nonprofits and small businesses, the city of Davis Police Department and Fire Department were both in attendance. Patrick Sandholt, a fire marshal with the city of Davis Fire Department, has been with the station for 25 years and has come to nearly every Celebrate Davis event. Sandholt expressed the importance of having organizations such as the fire and police departments present at these community gatherings. 

“We come out here to support the event and to answer any questions the public may have about fire safety or safety in general, and then we have some supplies we give to the kids,” Sandholt said. “We like to come out to stuff like this for that reason, to discuss safety. And also we really want to get the kids familiar with us and comfortable with us so they know if they have a problem that they can come to us.”

Celebrate Davis brings awareness to the vast resources available to community members from different organizations and allows the community to show appreciation for local businesses and city departments. 

Written by: Olivia Hokr — city@theaggie.org 

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By ALEXANDRA SHAPIRO — city@theaggie.org

June in Davis is filled with excitement as the annual Davis Pride celebration kicks off. Davis Pride is inviting the community to join in on the fun with various events welcoming members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

The Davis Pride Fair and Music Festival will be held on June 1 at the new location of Davis Civic Center Park, starting at 11 a.m. Voted “Best California Pride Celebration” for three consecutive years, it’s also the oldest and largest LGBTQ+ celebration in Yolo County.

Held to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ communities in Yolo County, Davis Pride aims to foster allyship and increase awareness. The event is in part organized by the Davis Phoenix Coalition (DPC), whose mission is to unite the Davis community against intolerance while promoting diversity. 

Proceeds from Davis Pride support the coalition’s initiatives which include anti-bullying campaigns, workshops and outreach programs involving local law enforcement, churches and schools.

The 10th annual Community Fair is made possible by 100+ volunteers, around 125 local exhibitors and Northern California-based businesses and community organizations. These include craft vendors, informational booths and some of the most popular food vendors in Yolo County.

The event has remained free with support from the city, county and sponsors such as  Outward Magazine, Armadillo Music and Dignity Health.  

Additionally, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Yolo County Health Department are sponsoring this event by providing the first dose of the MPOX Vaccine, also known as the Monkeypox vaccine, during the festival. In recent years pride events have offered this vaccine due to the way the virus has disproportionately affected Gay men.

The highlight of this year’s celebration is the music festival held at the Sutter Health Main Stage, starting at 11 a.m. with eight performances by various groups, including Butterscotch and Willie Gomez. One of the performers at the festival is the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus (SGMC), originally established in 1984 as the Sacramento Men’s Chorus. In 1996, their name was officially changed to The Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus, and in 2017 SGMC began to diversify and now aims to reflect the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. Davis Pride is just one of many events that SGMC participates in throughout the region. 

“We love to perform and give back to the communities that always give back to us,” Don Henkle, the vice president of SGMC, said via email. “Our mission statement is to foster pride and enhance lives, one song at a time. SGMC looks forward to a fabulous performance at Davis Pride.”

After the music festival ends at 5 p.m., patrons can continue at the Davis Pride After Party from 6 to 11 p.m. on G Street between Second and Third Street. DJ Mellax of Davis Rave Co. will perform a DJ set, and attendees can purchase food from downtown restaurants.

Additional community Pride month events include the Drag Story Hour hosted by the Avid Reader Bookstore on June 9, Davis Pride Comedy Night on June 21 at the Stonegate Country Club, Skate with Pride on June 8 at Central Park and Drag Queen Trivia on June 27. In 2015, after a 10-year hiatus, the board of directors at the DPC rebranded the community celebration event as Davis Pride which has grown from about 500 attendees to an estimated 6,000 to 8,000.

Following a violent anti-gay assault on a Davis resident in 2013, the DPC was founded by city councilmember Gloria Partida, the victim’s mother, alongside Sandré Nelson and others. 

“Our mission ensures individuals have a community [where] they are welcomed in and can get the resources they need,” Davis Pride director Sandré Nelson said. “We want to make sure that those who are struggling [have] a place [where] they can reach out.” 

Partida sparked the idea for a 5K race and recognized a need for an accompanying event, which eventually evolved into the Davis Pride festival, according to Nelson. 

The annual Walk for Equality remains a popular tradition, with over 250 participants in the 5K. This year, the Walk for Equality begins in Central Park at 8 a.m. on Sunday, June 2.

Austin Arredondo, third-year clinical nutrition student, is ecstatic to attend this year’s Pride. 

“I grew up in a town with only a couple thousand people [where] there was no such thing as pride in any aspect,” Arredondo said. “It is such an amazing thing to feel accepted here, largely because of the uplifting LGBTQ+ community in Davis.”

The pride website, https://www.davispride.org/, has a complete calendar list of events that attendees can look to for information. Nelson shared that this year’s pride has more sponsors and that the community has a lot to look forward to. 

“[This year] there are more sponsors, the musical artists are excited and our pride is out there,” Nelson said. “This is an event that our community is looking forward to.”

Written by: Alexandra Shapiro — city@theaggie.org

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By MATTHEW MCELDOWNEY — city@theaggie.org

On May 11, former city of Davis Mayor Brett Lee organized a free-of-charge film screening of the Academy Award-winning documentary, “20 Days in Mariupol.” The documentary takes on the perspective of an Associated Press team of reporters as Russian invasionary forces besieged the city of Mariupol, turning it into a battleground. The documentary discusses the Russia-Ukraine war through its depictions of urban warfare. 

It is the onset of this war that prompted the city of Davis to attempt to rekindle their relationship with Uman for whom this screening was fundraising. They began coordinating fundraising efforts in March 2022 for charities like World Central Kitchen, but it was not until a Ukrainian refugee family had moved into Davis that the city was able to directly coordinate efforts with Uman, according to Lee.

In December 2022, the Davis Odd Fellows and Davis Sunset Rotary Club worked together to fund and send generators for Uman. To this end, Lee traveled to the city itself in March 2023 to ensure that these generators had arrived safely while getting the chance to meet and connect with the mayor and the people of Uman.

“Traveling on a bus with a bunch of people who don’t speak English, going somewhere where you’re not really sure about where you are going is an adventure,” Lee said. “But, the people are very kind, very appreciative and so I feel like I’ve been very fortunate to be able to visit.”

Uman, a city about the size of Davis, has a college called Pavlo Tychyna University. Lee spoke with his translator who was working at the university and said that in her department alone, there were two students that had lost parents in the war. This inspired Lee to create a scholarship fund of $20,000 for students who had been impacted by the war by the loss of a parent or displacement. 

This Davis-Uman sister city scholarship has provided financial aid for 28 students attending Pavlo Tychyna University. To continue funding for this scholarship, Lee reached out to the team behind “20 Days in Mariupol” to screen the documentary for free to the public. This screening received generous contributions from the Davis Rotary clubs, F Street Dispensary and from individual donations made by members of the Davis community. Davis Varsity Theater donated the venue for the screening itself.

Sinisa Novakovic, the owner of Davis Varsity Theater along with Mishka’s and Icekrimski cafe, knew Lee before and had previously organized a similar fundraising event at Varsity last year. Novakovic opened Mishka’s cafe 29 years ago and acquired Varsity 11 years after. Novakovic stressed the importance of values in his businesses by using ethically sourced and providing his support for causes such as the Russia-Ukraine war. 

”At least I am doing a little on my end that may not necessarily alleviate all that much but still fulfills me,” Novakovic said.

Lee along with the generous support of the Davis community has recently helped raise money for an animal refuge in Uman and he is hoping to raise enough to build a playground for the city in the future. Lee hopes that by calling on the Davis community the people of Uman can feel that they are not alone through this struggle.

“It’s not really just about me, it’s a bunch of good people and also the people who donated,” Lee said. “That’s what made this all possible.”

Written by: Matthew Mceldowney — city@theaggie.org

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By EMMA CONDIT — city@theaggie.org

  On Thursday, May 16, Interfaith Housing Justice Davis hosted “Davis Housing Solutions: A Community Conversation,” serving as a public forum to tackle the important yet complicated topic of affordable housing. The evening was moderated by Mayor Josh Chapman and featured panelists from various organizations that define the state of affordable housing in Davis.

Dana Bailey of the Department of Housing and Human Services shared what Davis needs to support affordable housing. 

“I think what Davis needs is a ‘yes in my backyard’ attitude,” Bailey said.  

This idea opposes a “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) attitude, in which residents of a community support affordable housing in theory but do not want it to affect their community. 

Affordable housing can come in many forms — non-profit rental housing, affordable homeownership programs, subsidized rent programs and more. It reduces hunger, increases civic engagement and improves the overall health and quality of communities. 

Judy Ennis from the Davis Community Action Network (Davis CAN) shed light on the current dilemma the city is experiencing.

“[Davis] resisted the urge to grow,” Ennis said. “But because we did not grow, we have continued to leave people out. We are at 27% poverty. For children under 18 years old, we’re at 20% poverty. The average poverty [rate] for the state of California is 12.2%.”

Over the last 20 years, the city of Davis has experienced significant population growth, particularly due to the university. This has led to increased housing costs and a lack of housing to accommodate all of Davis’ potential residents. 

Roberto Jimenez, the chief executive officer of Mutual Housing California, shared that communities face many challenges when creating affordable housing, especially in a small city like Davis.

“The two most difficult parts of developing affordable housing are access to land — Davis — and access to dollars — also Davis in this case,” Jimenez said. “We’re playing three-dimensional chess trying to put all these projects together. I’ve seen projects with 14 sources of funding built into them.”

Members of ¿Un Cafecito?, a group for Spanish-speaking mothers at Davis schools, shared stories of their struggles finding affordable housing in the Davis area. For instance, to qualify for affordable housing, you must make below a certain amount of money. So, if you make slightly too much money, you will not qualify for housing. If you make below the minimum amount, there is hardly enough money for school, medical and food expenses. 

UC Davis students also experience housing insecurity at alarming rates, leading to rising concerns of affordable housing development for students. Robb Davis, the president of UC Davis’ Aggie Compass, highlighted that many students face transient housing insecurity and require affordability assistance.

“An undergraduate experience survey from 2022 found that approximately 2,400 students had been in a state of houselessness at one point during the year,” Davis said. “Many students find themselves in a vulnerability continuum.”

Throughout the evening, panelists discussed programs in Davis which can serve as a solution to this affordability issue. These programs, like Davis’ Housing Trust Fund, providing down payment assistance, increased density and new construction of affordable housing all require more support.

Jonathan London, a member of Davis CAN and professor of environmental justice at UC Davis, recommends that Davis residents employ political will in fighting for long-term affordable housing solutions.  

“Students are a key victim of lack of affordable housing,” London said. “My recommendation for students is just get really involved in city politics and really push for affordable housing. There’s 10s of thousands of students — it’s such a potential powerful voice, and so many students are affected by this issue. It could really push city politics in a progressive way.”

Written by: Emma Condit — city@theaggie.org

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By OLIVIA HOKR — city@theaggie.org 

On May 6, the city of Davis Open Space and Habitat Commission and Mayor Josh Chapman met with the main objective of reviewing the proposed changes to the structure and goals of the commission and its subcommittees. 

The Council Subcommittee on Commissions was tasked with the duty of reviewing each commission’s functions and structures. This also includes the consolidation of some commissions to reduce redundancy and increase effectiveness. They recently provided the recommendations for various Davis advisory commissions and have been going one-by-one to discuss these suggestions. The agreed-upon changes, which can be found in a memo from the meeting, include: the creation of new commissions, updating commissions authorizing resolutions and assigning community engagement efforts.

“We were tasked, the vice mayor and I, over a year ago to kind of step back and look at commissions in general and ways to have them be more efficient, robust input into the work we’re doing at council,” Chapman said. “We wanted to create a more succinct and focused function for each one. We tried to narrow down the overlapping scopes and put them into functions that were very specific so we didn’t have these really broad pieces.”

At their meeting, the Open Space and Habitat Commission reviewed the proposed recommendations to create more clarity among the focuses of their commission. In order to make those functions clear, the Council Subcommittee on Commissions specifically wrote out three to four primary functions of each commission. They were asked to check if the proposed scopes are clear, if they cover the expected areas and if they are manageable, according to the memo. 

Members of the Open Space and Habitat Commission had concerns regarding the redundancy of the functions, the lack of public outreach ability, the “Strategic Plan” timeline and the expectations of public engagement. There were also questions about the openness of collaboration between commissions. It was previously written out that the commission was open to working with others, according to Ramiro Cabanillas-Ledesma, a member of the commission. 

“I understand there’s an effort to define commissions more stringently than before,” Cabanillas-Ledesma said. “However, I do really like the wording previously of working cooperatively or maybe, you know, working in a different way but also that sort of emphasizes that we’re a commission who’s open to collaborating with others.”

Chapman clarified that he and his team expect commissions with mutual interests to work cooperatively together. He proposed the implementation of an overarching statement for all commissions that can express the expectation of mutual cooperation. 

After meeting with each commission, Chapman and Vice Mayor Vaitla will be working together to take into account the responses from each group. By the end of this month, the city plans to move forward with the implementation of the approved changes. 

“Once the last commission completes [the review], Vice Mayor Vaitla and I will work as a subcommittee to take that feedback and put it into a document that will come back to council on [May] 21,” Chapman said. 

Written by: Olivia Hokr — city@theaggie.org 

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By HANNAH SCHRADER — city@theaggie.org

On April 3, the city of Davis Tree Commission held a meeting and discussed problems arising from city trees exceeding expected sizes and damaging utilities.

Cathy Busby, a local homeowner and retired UC Davis professor, spoke about a city tree with roots that have grown to damage her sewer and break her utility lines.

“The water main is going to keep breaking as long as the tree keeps growing, and Halls [Busby’s utility person] told me this repair will last a day, a month, a week, a year,” Busby said. “There [are] going to be more water breaks.”

Busby then talked about the financial challenges that these repairs have imposed on her and the problems that will arise in the future if the tree keeps breaking her utility lines.

“The roots, as he described, are growing everywhere, and Halls is like, ‘Yes, your sewer is going to keep breaking, and yes, your water main is going to keep breaking as long as that tree is growing,’” Busby said. “So in the last six months I’ve spent — I’m on a fixed income, and I’m on a pension — but I’ve spent one and a half months of my income correcting the breakages that this tree has caused to my utilities. If this keeps happening, I’m going to have to sell the house. I cannot do this repeatedly.”

Busby then spoke about a possible solution to this tree problem, which cannot be implemented because the tree damaging her utility lines is a city-planted tree that can only be removed by the city.

“The only solution is to take out the tree,” Busby said. “If the tree had been planted on the other side of my driveway, it would be fine. There’s a private tree there on the plan you showed, so there’s a private tree there that is not a tallow [tree]. I’m a retired professor on a pension, and I can’t keep living there if I keep having to do this.”

The vice-chair of the Tree Commission, John Reuter, then spoke about how this is an ongoing issue.

“On the one hand, on the petition for requesting removal, there’s a statement that we are not authorized to remove a tree that’s healthy,” Reuter said. “On the other hand, we are constantly finding cases where trees are causing damage to people’s swimming pools or causing damage to sidewalks.”

Tree Commissioner Colin Walsh continued with the discussion on the origins of this ongoing issue.

“The city planted the tree right on top of the utilities, which is the city’s responsibility that the utilities were there in the first place,” Walsh said. “Then, to add insult to injury, the city put the cable boxes right on top of it, which is what I was trying to get to. It’s a rare situation anywhere in the country that the city is the one that was responsible for the cable coming in. So this problem really was of the city’s making.”

Walsh then spoke about homeowners’ disadvantaged position when trying to resolve these kinds of issues with the city council.

“When a developer comes in and gets to talk to the city council, they sure do get lots of time at the microphone, and the council and staff are more than happy to allow the developers to interrupt even sometimes,” Walsh said. “It’s unfortunate, and I think that [homeowners] deserve a lot of respect.”

Walsh concluded his statement by discussing the broader implications of this particular homeowners issue.

“We’re basically talking about trying to correct mistakes that the city made, but there are mistakes like that all over the city, and so we could be talking about eliminating all the trees in the city,” Walsh said. “So that’s just part of the problem. What do we do about mistakes that were made in the past?”

Written by: Hannah Schrader — city@theaggie.org

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By HANNAH SCHRADER — city@theaggie.org

The Yolo Basin Foundation celebrated local Northern California wildlife once again at its California Duck Days Festival on April 27. The festival featured a variety of activities, including wetland arts and crafts, live animals and interactive exhibits.

The California Duck Days Festival is a family-oriented event that seeks to educate children on the natural environment and wildlife in the Sacramento area. Festival goers built wooden duck boxes to create nesting opportunities, discovered invertebrate life living in wetland ponds and dissected owl pellets. Over 20 local environmental organizations were in attendance at the event.

The Yolo Basin Foundation was founded in 1990 after the Yolo Basin Working Group held a meeting that brought together local landowners and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to discuss the proposal for the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. Since then, the foundation has continued bringing landowners, organizations and people together to protect thousands of acres of wetland.

Jan Smutny-Jones, the chairperson of the Yolo Basin Foundation, talked about the mission behind the Duck Days Festival.

“I feel it’s very important that children get exposed to the outdoors, to the way the world works and to how these different systems operate,” Smutny-Jones said. “And so we’re hopefully creating another generation of people who are environmentally conscious and pay attention to things […] That’s what you’ll see if you come out on Saturday: all those kids running around in our education program.”

Smutny-Jones then talked about his favorite part of the Duck Days Festival.

“I think my favorite part over the years is the enthusiasm that the children bring [to the festival],” Smutny-Jones said. “Wandering from table to table to get little stamps.”

Lindsay Weston, the vice chairperson of the Yolo Basin Foundation, talked about how the festival originally started.

“It started about 25 years ago, and it used to be over at the Veterans Memorial Center,” Weston said. “It was a three-day event, and there were a lot of field trips into the area to look at the rafters and into the wildlife area. And over time, it’s morphed — especially with COVID, the huge changes brought by COVID — that now it is really oriented to families and [is] a […] day-long event where there are all these hands-on activities.”

Weston then spoke about what she was most looking forward to at the festival this year.

  “It’s really fun to see the enthusiasm and the awe that is generated when children get to hold baby ducklings or when they get to paint the duck decoys or when the kids look at the bats close up,” Weston said. “Obviously, you can’t handle bats, but we have an amazing bat program, and everybody is fascinated by bats. So I love seeing all the families that come in that are really enthused to learn about all these opportunities that are local and learn about the wildlife area.”

Written by: Hannah Schrader — city@theaggie.org

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By ALMA CULVERWELL — city@theaggie.org 

On April 19, the city of Davis welcomed Sangju, South Korea, its official sister city, at the city hall with Mayor Josh Chapman alongside Sangju Mayor Kang and Council Chairwoman Ahn. Sangju has been a sister city to Davis since 2004, but the Sangju delegation met for the first time in Davis with city leaders at city hall.

The city of Davis has several sister cities that usually share common environmental goals or other similar interests. A few other of these sister cities include: Inuyama, Japan; Uman, Ukraine; Qufu, China and more. 

“Today, the City of Davis welcomed our sister city Sangju, Korea to our community,” the city shared on Instagram. “Last year, Sangju invited a small delegation of Davis staff and council, including Mayor Josh Chapman, to Korea.”

Establishing the relationship between these two cities allows for learning from both parties, helping them gain insight on economic development, culture, education and diplomacy.

“These partnerships create opportunities for each sister city to learn in areas such as economic development, education and culture while promoting understanding, diplomacy and friendship,” the city shared in the post.

Sangju is an agricultural community located along the northwestern border of South Korea with a population of around 120,000. They are best known for their production of rice, silkworms, cocoons and dried persimmons, nicknamed “Sam Baek,” or “The Three White Things” for the popularity of these goods. 

It was originally one of the Nine Provinces during the Unified Shilla Dynasty and one of the eight provinces during the Goryeo Dynasty, according to Sangju’s city website. Soon following, it went on to become a grander city more comparable to a capital. 

The community shares several similarities with the city of Davis, including its bike friendliness, agricultural success and being home to a local university, the Sangju National University. 

“Sangju was doing research on communities with similar interests to theirs, a university, agricultural land and appreciation for biking and Davis came up with their findings,” Carrie Dyer, city community relations program manager, said. “They reached out and our friendship began.”

Sangju’s executive and legislative branches are led by officials elected by popular vote with elections held every four years.

Becoming an official sister city with Sangju has allowed both parties to gain valuable knowledge and cultural experiences. Dyer explained some past examples of how the city’s cooperation has benefitted them. 

“For a number of years now, Sangju has sent one of their employees to spend a year in Davis,” Dyer said. “They spend their time learning about our community, our school system, our government and our culture. It is an opportunity for exchange in learning. We spend time weekly learning about Sangju and in exchange they experience all that life has to offer in Davis. Every couple of years the city of Davis has a delegation visit Sangju. These delegations typically include a member of Council, a school board trustee and community members. It is an opportunity to continue to grow our sister city relationship and to learn more about Sangju and their culture. The Davis High School Culture Club also does a student exchange program with Sangju.“

Most recently, the Sangju delegation participated in the annual Picnic Day parade. Sangju Mayor Kang and Council Chairwoman Ahn rode alongside the Davis City Council in the parade on the antique firetrucks and enjoyed being part of the festivities. 

Dyer expressed that the city of Davis looks forward to many years of heightened friendship and cultural exchange with Sanju, South Korea.

Written by: Alma Culverwell — city@theaggie.org 

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By ALEXANDRA SHAPIRO — city@theaggie.org 

Friday, May 3 was the grand opening of Sunny’s Car Wash, a new sustainable and innovative car wash in Davis. The business is located at 480 Mace Blvd.

Evan Lyon’s journey to owning Sunny’s Car Wash is deeply rooted in his upbringing in Davis. Born and raised in Davis, Lyon was immersed in the automotive industry thanks to his family’s business.

Listening to his mother’s frustration of driving out of town to get her car washed, only to return with it dirtied again, Lyon saw an opportunity to address a local need. With the inefficiency of commercial gas station car washes came the idea for a locally owned and efficient car wash.

Despite initial skepticism from others who saw it as just another car wash, Lyon was determined to create something unique through precise planning and attention to detail.

“We took a lot of time, effort and energy to make [Sunny’s] not look or act like another normal car wash,” Lyon said.

Identifying the need in Davis was just the beginning. Sunny’s Car Wash took four and a half years from concept to reality after securing a location, dealing with permits and undergoing construction.

Securing land with automotive commercial zoning in Davis was pivotal for Sunny’s. Finding available land in Davis is challenging, yet Sunny’s team found a parcel without rezoning, thanks to supportive landowners.

Sunny’s 10-month-long construction began in June of last year.

“[We were] extremely fortunate to secure [the land] and get to where we are,” Lyon said.

Guests are welcomed at the pay station, where digital menus, helpful employees and cameras facilitate transactions. The pay station has three lanes, with one dedicated to members, and a license plate scanner that ensures swift entry of approximately three seconds.

Once pulled into the 140-foot conveyor, a Sunny’s team member will guide you in positioning your car. Advanced computer programming guarantees that every step of the wash is timed appropriately while the tunnel monitors the vehicle’s speed and dimensions. Sunny’s sensors can even detect features like roof racks and truck beds, ensuring vehicle safety. Everything has a “brain” at Sunny’s, according to Lyon.

Sunny’s Car Wash is enjoyable, with vibrant changing lights and colorful soaps and foams that make the experience exciting.

Sunny’s commitment to delivering technologically advanced washes is clear, from noise-reducing vacuum separators to precise timing switches. Premium products ensure a spot-free rinse with carefully formulated pH levels adapted for seasonal differences like pollen and bugs.

There are many amenities at Sunny’s, including interior air fresheners, a bike wash station and dog wash station fully equipped with shampoo, conditioner and a blow dryer. Sunny’s water conservation efforts make this business stand out. A sophisticated recycling system significantly reduces water waste — six 1500-gallon tanks capture and recycle water, treating it with oxygen and ozone to eliminate bacteria before it’s reused.

The tanks capture 100% of water, and up to 90% is recycled. While 120 gallons hit a car during a wash, nearly 100 gallons are saved through the recycling system.

To put this into perspective, using a garden hose for five to eight minutes emits more water than the entire process at Sunny’s. The business’ green initiative and investment in water reclamation is extremely efficient in Lyon’s vision.

“Water isn’t cheap, and it won’t get cheaper,” Lyon said.

Every aspect, from architecture to landscaping, was designed to prioritize eco-friendliness and energy efficiency. Notable features include solar panel roofing and air-powered brushes and vacuums.

To Lyon, the sun logo embodies the cheerful experience of visiting the car wash on a warm day and fits the eco-friendly theme. Sunny’s gets its name from Lyon’s yellow labrador, Sunny, and pays homage to his father.

“My dad was a huge part of this project for me,” Lyon said. “Everything from securing funding to working through entitlements, all of it. My dad was like, ‘You’re my son, and it’s yours, so it became Sunny’s.’”

The car wash offers several selective membership options. The Sunny’s Shine Club provides unlimited car washes starting at just $20 a month, with the premium “SPF 50” package offering unlimited access to all services for $40 a month. Members can add up to four vehicles to one plan for an additional $20 per vehicle, making it cost-effective for frequent washers.

Sunny’s is currently offering limited services for its grand opening, inviting people to enjoy free car washes for the first 10 days, beginning May 3.

Additionally, if you sign up for Sunny’s Shine Club now, the first month of membership is just $10, and you can add extra vehicles at the same discounted rate. 

Written by: Alexandra Shapiro — city@theaggie.org 

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By OLIVIA HOKR — city@theaggie.org 

On Sunday, May 5, community members, families and students gathered for the annual Loopalooza bike ride through Davis. The tradition is hosted by the city of Davis and Bike Davis, who collaborate to create a fun day of cycling around the Davis bike loop. The event aims to promote safe biking while educating citizens about the bike infrastructure available in Davis. 

The Loopalooza route started at Community Park, but participants were welcome to hop in at any point of the loop, which intentionally passes through various parks and schools to show residents the bikeability of Davis. Numerous city and campus organizations provided interactive and informative stations — 11 in total, ranging from dance groups and karaoke to educational opportunities from bicycle professionals. 

Davis Senior Transportation Planner Jennifer Donofrio explained that Loopalooza was created when a group of community members, The Schools Committee, wanted to bring awareness to the safe bike routes in Davis. 

“The Schools Committee created Loopalooza, a yearly event that directs families and community members around the 12-mile Davis bike loop with fun activities set up along the way,” Donofrio said. “Participants learn that they can get from their homes to their schools and throughout the community via the Davis paths.”

Bike Davis is a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting biking in Davis through advocacy and education, working with the city to organize the event. Sanne Fettinger, a member of the Bike Davis board of directors, shared how they focus on advocating for a bike-centered community. 

“We envision Davis as a city where bicycling is the priority mode of travel, and we are committed to challenging and inspiring the citizens of Davis to reconnect with nature and their neighbors in pursuit of better health, kindred community and the pure joy of riding a bike,” Fettinger said.

Cool Davis is a non-profit organization that works with households on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable living. Once a month, they are present at the Davis Farmers Market to educate the community, and they also participate in Loopalooza every year. 

The Cool Davis station along the bike loop focused on educating families and encouraging them to get out on their bikes more often. Transportation plays a major part in our greenhouse gas emissions, according to Executive Director Chris Granger. 

“We’re focused on topics related to transportation,” Granger said. “Here in Davis, over 70% of our greenhouse gasses are related to our transportation behavior, so whether or not we get in our car to do everything is huge.” 

This year’s Loopalooza had more activities, stations and food vendors than in previous years, according to Donofrio. Local businesses such as the Davis Co-op were in attendance to sell food to participants. The ASUCD Bike Barn also had a station where cyclists could talk with bike mechanics. 

“We envision a city that tirelessly promotes and preserves a comfortable, beautiful and convenient bicycle network year-round for cyclists of all ages,” Fettinger said. “We hope that the rich bicycle heritage in Davis will continue to distinguish us as the Bicycle Capital of America.”

Written by: Olivia Hokr — city@theaggie.org

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