At the McKinley Park Rose Garden in Sacramento, the first rose of 2024.
We have a slightly humorous tradition in our family: At the beginning of every season, one of us will say something like, “Winter in California is amazing, and I’m going to miss going up to the snow—but spring really is the best season.” Or "yeah sure summer is fun with the swimming and all, but ahhh the colors of fall—obviolusly the best season."
I realize this is not all that funny, but what makes it a little bit funny (to us) is that we say it at the beginning of every single season, and have been doing so for many years. And we kind of mean it every single time. Because every new season holds the promise that it'll be better than the last.
This winter, as you know, was cold and wet. I am a nature-worshiping Californian who’s been living through a deadly drought, so I stopped complaining about the rain more than a decade ago … until this year. Last week’s warm sun and long evenings made me feel better than I have felt in months.
So: In this week’s edition of The Newsletter, four things, all related to the very best season: Spring!
Product Launch from Hilltromper: BloomTracker
As you may have noticed, we do not tire of singing the praises of California, and Hilltromper (which is kind of CALocal's sister-site) focuses on our state's awesome natural beauty. For our final piece of appreciation today we present the coolest wildflower-finding tool you've ever seen, which was launched last week by our friend Mike Kahn.
BloomTracker: Wildflower Finder & Protector from Hilltromper
Over at Hilltromper, “The Nature-worshiping, Fun-Loving Adventure Guide” that serves the South Bay Area, Santa Cruz County, and anyone who visits these beautiful places, our friend Mike Kahn has just launched a new product he named BloomTracker—“an online resource that helps you find the best places to see wildflowers, in real time, and helps reduce impacts on parks and other open spaces.”
• Yolo Community Foundation Scholarship Application Deadline April 5
Yolo County student applications for Yolo Community Foundation scholarships of up to $10,000 are due by April 5.
(03/25/2024) → Daily Democrat
• Enrollment Up at UC Davis, Woodland Community College
UC Davids reported a record high of 115,249 undergraduate applications and Woodland Community College noted a 5% increase in enrollment over last year.
(03/24/2024) → Daily Democrat
• Mikuni Donation to Help Yolo County Youth
The Mikuni Charitable Organization donation of $5,000 to Make It Happen for Yolo County is in support of local, under-resourced youth making the transition to independent living.
(03/23/2024) → Daily Democrat
• Woodland City Council Proclaims March as American Red Cross Month
Woodland resident and Red Cross volunteer member of the local disaster action team acceptted the proclamation at the council meeting.
(03/21/2024) → Daily Democrat
• Road Resurfacing Begins in Esparto
Work starts in April and will focus on downtown Esparto and County Roads 23, 24 and 96.
(03/19/2024) → Daily Democrat
• Woodland Public Library 2023 Annual Report Released
Details from the report state the the library received over 120,000 visits, was open for over 2,500 hours, served roughly 60,000 people and held almost 900 programs with roughly 28,000 attending.
(03/19/2024) → Daily Democrat
• Applications Open for Yolo County Community Services Action Board
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors is seeking to fill openings on its Community Services Action Board, with the stated mission "to combat poverty by promoting the health, safety, stability, and self-sufficiency of low-income persons residing in Yolo County. "
(03/18/2024) → Davis Enterprise