Paths on both sides of the waterway in the arboretum’s east half will be closed starting Monday (Feb. 27) to allow for construction of Phase 1 of the Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project. The closures on the north and south sides of the waterway between Old Davis Road and the waterway’s east end are scheduled to last through Sept. 27.

The bikeway above the path on the north side will remain open, connecting Old Davis Road and the Arboretum GATEway Garden behind the Davis Commons shopping center. Pedestrians may use the bikeway as a detour, but remember: You will be sharing this route with bicyclists, and the bike traffic can get busy at certain times of day. Instead, pedestrians are advised to use Arboretum Drive on the south side of the waterway. Arboretum Drive is wider, and the construction project will not interfere with walking (or biking) between Arboretum Drive and the  Arboretum GATEway Garden and the shopping center.

The construction project also will require the closure of a short section of path just west of the Wyatt Footbridge. This closure will be on the north side of the waterway from Feb. 27 through June. During this same period, the footbridge will be subject to occasional daytime closures (with notices to go up at least a week in advance).

See the pathway closure notice (PDF).

The arboretum also gave this information:

• The Arboretum GATEway Garden will remain open.
• The pathways adjacent to the Australian and New Zealand Collection will be closed.
• The pathway in the Redwood Grove will remain open.

In Phase 1, the contractor will dredge the waterway, create a 15-inch elevation drop and build five weirs between the waterway’s east end and Wyatt Deck at Lake Spafford. Water will cascade from east to west in a recirculating system. Phase 1 also includes path improvements and landscaping.

3 trees are latest storm victims

Rain and wind Monday night (Feb. 20) brought down three trees in the arboretum, but spared the main campus, in the latest round of storm damage this winter.

“It was raining and blowing pretty hard,” said Cary Avery, who leads Grounds and Landscape Services.

Starting their day at 5 a.m., Avery’s crew made their rounds of campus and discovered the downed trees: two pines and a live oak.

Principles of Community Week starts Monday

Every week is a week for the Principles of Community at UC Davis, but only one week gets to call itself Principles of Community Week with a capital “W.” It runs Monday through Friday, Feb. 27 to March 3. Events include:

• What Makes You Unique? — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday, table area at the north edge of the Quad. Share what makes you unique, on a chalkboard, as a way to foster appreciation of our differences. Look for the chalkboard in the Garrison Room or Fielder Room, Memorial Union (second floor), in the event of rain. Sponsored by the Order of Omega honors fraternity.
• Multicultural Awareness Night — Entertainment by the Mariachi Cielito Lindo Band and multicultural dance groups, a workshop on “Building Community” and a presentation by the Police Department’s student cadets. Door prizes include a bike as the grand prize. 6:30-9 p.m., multipurpose room, Student Community Center, with dinner provided. Please RSVP here. Sponsors: Police Department and Office of Campus Community Relations.
• An American Mosque — Documentary and dialogue on themes of religious freedom and community. The 2012 film recounts the arson that destroyed the Islamic Center of Yuba City in 1994, and how the rural town rallied together to overcome hate. 6:30-8:30 p.m. March 2, multipurpose room, International Center. Refreshments provided. Sponsors: Muslim Student Association, Sustained Dialogue@UC Davis, Office of Campus Dialogue and Deliberation, Cross Cultural Center, and Office of Campus Community Relations.

Act now! Or miss out on ADMAN Conference

There are still some seats left for next week’s ADMAN Conference, so you still have time register — but you need to act no later than tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 22, via the online registration site.

The conference, with the theme “Finding Joy Amid Change,” will be held Wednesday, March 1. The Administrative Management Group, or ADMAN, presents the conference, which is open to staff of any level.

The program will include a keynote by Britt Andreatta, author, consultant and leadership coach, sharing the latest discoveries about the brain, and how to harness human biology to reduce resistance to change and change fatigue. Other speakers and sessions will focus on the many changes underway or coming to UC Davis.

Held at the Conference Center, the program will start with breakfast and registration at 7:30 a.m., and run until 4:30 p.m. Co-sponsors: Staff Development and Professional Services, Office of Campus Community Relations, and Reprographics.

More information.

Shared Services Center turns 5, plans open house

The Shared Services Center will hold an open house on Thursday, March 9, in celebration of the center’s fifth anniversary.

The open house from 1 to 4 p.m. will include opportunities to meet the staff “behind the curtains” — the employees who handle transactions having to do with human resources, payroll, purchasing and accounts payable, and benefits — and to learn more about the work in each of these functional areas, and the center’s contributions to the university’s business operations.

Officials described the center’s first open house, in 2015, as a huge success, welcoming more than 300 people. Since then, the center has begun providing expanded services. “As we move forward, we are committed to being partner-focused and to enabling the mission of our One UC Davis community,” Reed said.

RSVPs for the March 9 open house can be arranged online. For more information, contact Megan Glide Villasenor, assistant director, by email or phone, 530-754-5141. 

The center is at 260 Cousteau Place, Suite 150. Click here for directions via Google Maps. Parking is free.

— Lauren Riebs

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