UC ANR's new home in Davis touted in local paper, Sacramento Bee

Construction is scheduled to begin April 1 on the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources new home in Davis, reported Jeff Hudson in the Davis Enterprise.

The facility is a former indoor sports center. Following retrofit construction to ensure the interior is LEED-certified, ANR is slated to move in before the end of this year, the article said.

“ANR is a statewide program, with programmatic staff in 57 of California’s counties. But the bulk of our (administrative) operations have been in Davis,” said Jan Corlett, chief of staff to ANR’s vice president Barbara Allen-Diaz. “However, our operations in Davis have been spread over six locations around the campus, some of which can’t be reached by public transportation. We have been wanting for some time to bring these groups together.”

Other details in the story:

• The building looks something like a barn. The entryway will be redone with reclaimed barn wood
• UC Master Gardeners will re-landscape the outdoor areas with demonstration plantings
• A horseshoe-shaped second floor will be added over the former skating area
• Total square footage will be 42,000
• The building has skylights to provide natural light
• The new facility will include a conference space for up to 200 people

Roller rink, 'barn,' office
Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee

ANR representatives characterized a former sports facility in Davis as "kind of barnlike" in a positive way when they were considering the building for ANR's new home, reported the Sacramento Bee.

As part of an $8.1 million renovation of the facility, the designers will maintain skylights, large windows and openness with glass-faced offices under a new mezzanine level.

Scientist testified against GE fish ban, label bill
Mitch Lies, Capital Press

Technology to genetically engineer fish can help satisfy the world's fish consumption needs and reduce pressure on wild caught fish, said Alison Van Eenannaan, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis.

Van Eenannaan made the statement at a hearing before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in Oregon, where lawmakers are considering bills that would ban the sale and production of GM fish in the state.

"As a scientist and someone that is interested in food production, I am concerned here that we have a bill that is going to basically ban genetically engineered fish," Van Eenennaan said. "Aquaculture is going to be required in order to be able to fill the need we have for fish products in the future."

Lean-N-Green Day in Shasta Lake encourages healthy diets
Sean Longoria, Redding Record Searchlight

The UC Cooperative Extension CalFresh Nutrition Education Program took part in the annual Lean-N-Green Day this week. Sara Letton, UCCE nutrition educator, showed a crowd of high-schoolers how much sugar is in popular drinks. She mixed a homemade version of Sunny Delight, with the same 10 teaspoons of sugar found in a single serving, as an example.

She also pointed to labels with baskets full of fruit on sugary drinks that contain little juice, noting that some companies try to deceive consumers into making unhealthy choices.

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