autumn's blog

Don Saylor’s Soup’s On event has been a community mainstay since 2004, an annual fundraiser that has generated over $350,000 in critical support for nonprofits throughout Yolo County. After a pandemic hiatus, the event returns Thursday, April 21 from 6-8 pm at the Veterans Memorial Center in Davis.

All proceeds from this year’s event benefit Davis Media Access (DMA), a nonprofit community media and technology center based in Davis, with partnerships countywide. During the pandemic, DMA reinvented a hands-on, participatory organization into one who helped organizations throughout the county surmount the challenges of virtual events and technology.

This event will be the final Soup’s On, as Saylor is retiring from public service when his term as Yolo County Supervisor for District 2 ends on December 31, 2022. “The Soup’s On benefit event was built on the simple human experience of sharing warm soup when someone is sick, feeling down or in need. Building on that loving impulse, together we have created a tradition of gathering over soup to help the helpers – nonprofits that do so much to tend the fabric of our community,” Saylor said. “Since the first Soup’s On in 2004, this event has raised over $350,000 and increased community awareness for many worthy causes in Yolo County.”

Saylor said he chose DMA as the final recipient because “DMA is a go-to partner when the Yolo community comes together to address a cause. DMA became a key resource for public health updates and local voices throughout the pandemic. They produced local election coverage on all contested races in Yolo County. They helped Woodland Community College bring its TV station and instructional media program online, and they provided support for local schools, nonprofits, and businesses across the county. As an organization, they are a perfect demonstration of the Yolo Way, proving that we are far better when we work together.”

Tim Gaffaney hosts Davis Poet Laureate Julia B. Levine. She read two of her poems and talked about the context in which they were written. She discussed how she came to writing poetry, how she has enjoyed her role at the poet laureate and her plans for Davis, including a contest.

For more info: sites.google.com/view/juliablevine

Recorded: 1/17/22

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021  is Giving Tuesday, and on this worldwide day of generosity we at Davis Media Access invite our community of local media advocates to show your support of our beloved grassroots radio station KDRT 95.7FM.  It operates 24/7 from the power of passionate volunteer programmers, and stays on-air due to your support at kdrt.org/donate

Meet Kyle Parker, the founder and CEO of ClipDart, and a recent transplant to Davis. In a conversation with Jeff Shaw, Kyle talks about his own experience understanding the importance of a simple haircut, and the centrality of a barbershop, especially in black and brown communities. He discusses his mission to help neighbors in need who want to look their best, and the ways a haircut can contribute to mental wellness. Learn more about the Day of Duty, which will  offer barbering, free food, clothing, school supplies, and support services here in Davis. 12-6 pm Oct.

Thank you all for your generosity!  This list includes donors from July 1, 2022 and forward, including those who generously supported DMA on Giving Tuesday; the Fall Fundraiser for KDRT 95.7FM; the Big Day of Giving, and DMA's Annual Appeal.  

During this time of transition out of the pandemic, DMA and KDRT continue to work hard to provide locally relevant information, virtual production services, and of course, eclectic music. This is work we share with you, and we want you to know your support matters.  Unrestricted donations—whether by individuals, events, local businesses, or donor-advised funds—keep KDRT on the air, and help support DMA's work on local elections and youth media services. We thank you!

Davis Media Access (DMA) produced a live, election-night program on Nov. 3, 2020, highlighting local races and local ballot measures. The show aired live, and streamed on KDRT and YouTube. Providing free, non-partisan local election coverage to local candidates has been part of  our mission for more than 30 years.

Earlier in the season, DMA produced “Meet the Candidates,” a series of short interviews highlighting candidates for races from school board through Congress, as well as local ballot measures—in all, 26 interviews. The media center has also aired forums from the League of Women Voters Davis Area and the Yolo Committee for Diverse and Inclusive Elections. All content is available at https://davismedia.org/election.

Co-hosts are for the evening were DMA's Executive Director Autumn Labbe-Renault, with Davis City Councilmember Dan Carson from 8-9; Davis City Councilmember and former mayor Brett Lee from 9-10, and Davis Mayor Gloria Partida from 10-11. 

Davis Media Access (DMA) has completed videoing 26 candidate and campaign statements for local elections. To view  link here. DMA is the only nonprofit community media and technology center serving Yolo County, and providing free local election coverage to candidates from school board through Congress has been part of our mission for more than 30 years. Diane Dedoshka, DMA’s Studio Manager and election producer, noted how different this year is from all other years. “During COVID, we don’t have access to our TV studio, teleprompter, etc. We’ve had to figure out how to do what we do, remotely.” DMA will produce 25 “Meet the Candidate” statements, as well as pro/con statements for local ballot Measure B. Normally, candidates face the camera directly and read their prepared statement from a teleprompter, or speak extemporaneously. Owing to the remote production platform DMA is using at this time, Dedoshka said she’ll direct while DMA’s Executive Director, Autumn Labbe-Renault, conducts 5-minute interviews with each candidate. Recording took place in late September and early October, with programs airing on DCTV Channel 15 on Comcast Davis; at menu 99 on AT&T’s U-verse, and online at https://davismedia.org/election starting in early October. A block of election statements will run each morning and evening through Nov. 2. Additional programming will include Zoom forums organized and recorded by groups such as the League of Women Voters Davis Area, and the Yolo Committee for Diverse and Inclusive Elections. DMA is also planning a live, election night program for the Nov. 3 election. The show will air from 8-11 pm and highlight many local candidates.

This column was originally published in The Davis Enterprise May 8, 2020

By Autumn Labbé-Renault

Special to The Enterprise

All is quiet within Davis Media Access as I wrap Episode 15 of the “COVID-19 Community Report” on KDRT. Last month I wrote about my decision to launch this twice-weekly live radio show.

Davis Media Access (DMA) invites you to help document the history we’re making during the COVID-19 pandemic by participating in a collaborative, virtual storytelling project here in Yolo County.  Upload videos to https://davismedia.org/diary. Read on to learn more about the project.

Historians are as informed by first-person recollection and ephemera as they are by world events. Think about those who kept diaries during the flu of 1918, or the spread of smallpox through the Americas. What we experience as individuals adds to a greater understanding of the crisis we’re weathering as a whole. In this spirit, DMA is launching Life in the Time of COVID-19: Yolo County Community Diary as a collaborative storytelling project during this time of societal shift.