UC Davis, the city of Davis and Yolo County have invited the Davis community to “join the conversation” about future development of the Downtown University Gateway District.

The 98-acre project site comprises the Nishi property (45 acres) and adjacent UC Davis property (42 acres), and West Olive Drive (11 acres).

The Davis Nishi Gateway website describes a proposed mix of university-related research park development complemented by high density urban housing.

The community-based planning process includes an online survey on four key elements: community character, economic development, housing and mobility. The survey is open until Sept. 15.

“Early involvement by Davis residents can help instill our community’s values and goals as well as identify the opportunities and barriers to developing a neighborhood that fits within the context of the community,” the website states.

Use Windows XP? Block takes effect Aug. 27

Computers that use Windows XP software will be blocked permanently from accessing the UC Davis network starting Wednesday, Aug. 27.

This is the final phase of the campus’s “Warn, Delay, Block” campaign which has been successful in reducing the number of XP machines that connect to the campus network, from nearly 4,000 on an average weekday in the spring to perhaps several hundred now.

The campus announced in May that it would “warn” people to stop using XP, then “delay” their log-ins and finally “block” their log-ins, in response to Microsoft’s having stopped updating the 13-year-old operating system. With no further updates, XP is no longer safe enough to use on the campus network or with secure UC Davis assets.

If you are using a machine with an XP or older Microsoft operating system, you will be prevented from signing in when you try to enter your campus (Central Authenticating System) passphrase. You will see a screen explaining the block and asking you to use newer software.

People with uConnect or other selected campus Active Directory accounts (used for email, calendars and similar purposes) will also be blocked starting Aug. 27 if they are still using XP or other old Microsoft operating systems.

Read more at Information and Educational Technology’s Windows XP website. Please direct questions or comments to the IT Express Service Desk, (530) 754-HELP (4357).

Water tests confirm low oxygen in arboretum where fish died

Water samples from the arboretum waterway on Monday (Aug. 11) confirmed oxygen levels in the fatally low range — the most probable explanation for the death of an estimated 100 fish.

The fish were found that morning in the waterway at the south edge of the Davis campus. Most were identified as native Sacramento blackfish introduced into the waterway about 15 years ago; non-native carp, sunfish and suckers also died.

The arboretum cleaned up the fish — which went to the campus’s energy-producing biodigester — and called in campus Environmental Health and Safety to test the water. Sue Fields, environmental manager, concluded: “I feel quite confident that the fish kill was due to low O2 levels, not the mosquito pesticide application,” referring to the Aug. 6-7 aerial spraying that targeted mosquitoes.

The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District carried out the spraying in the battle against the mosquito-borne West Nile virus.

The campus confirmed the aerial spray constituted 0.0071 parts per million of Trumpet EC, an insecticide said to pose low risk to people and the environment. A lethal concentration for fish would be 2.4 parts per million, according to Andrew Fulks, manager of the UC Davis Putah Creek Riparian Reserve.

Read more.

Police advise of printer supply scam

Campus police are advising departments to be wary of callers from “Supply Services Inc.,” inquiring about office printers and supplies and asking for the names of people who handle departmental ordering.

The callers also ask to confirm “prior orders,” even though no orders have been placed. Employees have been known to “confirm” such orders, thinking that colleagues had indeed placed the orders.

The orders arrived, but police fear “Supply Services Inc.” may be setting up departments to keep paying for future deliveries (without orders having been placed) or to pay for orders that never arrive.

Police say “Supply Services Inc.,” represented as being based in Atlanta, has no website and no product catalog.

Here’s how the scam works: Someone will call offering to sell toner or other supplies to your department at discount prices. Sometimes, the caller will ask you to complete a “survey” about office supplies used in your department. The caller will ask for the name of the person who orders such supplies for the department. Once the caller has this information, the “company” will typically do one of three things:

• Call back with an offer for discounted supplies. 
• Call to “confirm” a standing order for products the “company” learned about in the “survey.”
• Send unordered products along with an invoice directly to the person who is responsible for ordering your office supplies.

You can avoid falling for this scam by instructing employees not to disclose the name of the person responsible for buying your department’s supplies. In addition, employees should be instructed not to give out information about supplies or office equipment. Instead, employees should obtain the name and phone number of the caller and give this information to the person responsible for purchases (without naming that party).

For more information, contact Sgt. Don Malloy, by phone, (530) 752-3278, or email.

New clinic for thoracic outlet syndrome

The UC Davis Health System has opened a clinic dedicated to treating a rare and complex condition called thoracic outlet syndrome, or TOS, which occurs when blood vessels or nerves running from the upper body through the arm become compressed, causing problems ranging from reduced mobility and pain to life- and limb-threatening blood clots. It is most often the outcome of trauma, repetitive movements or extra ribs that are present at birth.

The clinic is led by Julie Freischlag, who, in addition to being an internationally recognized vascular surgeon and TOS expert, is vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine. Freischlag is known for advancing a surgical treatment for TOS that involves removing the anterior scalene muscle in the neck and first rib through an incision in the armpit to reduce compression and restore use of the limbs.

Read more, including an account of diagnosis and treatment.

They’re still the arboretum’s friends, but with a new name

When the university decided to treat the arboretum and the entire campus as one public garden, the arboretum changed its name to UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden.

Now the board of directors of Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum has approved its own name change, to Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden.

“We believe this name change is important as a symbol of the solidarity of the friends group with the mission and scope of the wonderful organization we support,” said Martha Ozonoff, co-president.

Gifts and memberships in the friends will continue to help fund the arboretum, in strategic ways, in addition to now supporting other public garden projects across the campus.

The new name and an updated logo will be transitioned into all print and digital com­munications over the next year.

Speaking of the friends: They are the ones who hold plant sales in the fall and spring at the Arboretum Teaching Nursery. Here are the fall sale dates: Saturdays, Oct. 11 and 25.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; at the Oct. 11 sale, admission is limited to members only the first two hours — but do not despair, you’re welcome to join at the gate.

More about the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden and the fall plant sales.

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