University ofCalifornia President Mark Yudof announced thecreation of an accountability programdesignedto assess UC’s performance on multiple levels and generate reports available to the public.The firstreport isexpected to be released this fall. The report isintendedto make theuniversity more transparent and accessible to the public,aid in future strategic planning efforts for theUniversity of CaliforniaBoard of Regents and assist in managing budgeting issues.

As wildfires continue to blaze acrossCalifornia,one UC Davis group is aiming to learn more about the fires‘ potential effects on the ecosystem of theLake Tahoe basin. TheUC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center,a group of professors,researchers and graduate students studying sustainable use of the lake,recently installed a fourth air samplerdesigned to provide detailed analyses of the compounds and toxic materialsresultingfrom forest wildfires.

UC Davis expertsalongwith the Public Policy Institute of California concluded that a peripheral canalis the best solution to support both the economic and ecological value of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

SATURDAY This Bud‘s for you An individual was kicking full cans of beer at a seated person onC Street.

The line outside of VarsityTheatre wrapped around the block Saturday night,but those waiting weren‘t there for a movie.They were waiting for Ralph Nader. Nader and running mate Matt Gonzalez came toVarsity Theatre onSaturday to speak at a campaign rally,where they focused on theircampaign goals and challenges.

Fiddlers and guitarists interested in bluegrass,Celtic and Romanian Gypsy tunes should take out their string instruments.BeginningonWednesday,theDavisWaldorfSchool will be hosting their guitar and fiddle workshop.All else that is needed isa tape recorder because the music will be taught solely by ear.

Conor Oberst is taking a break from digital urns and Floridian clairaudients. The black-and-white cover of Oberst‘s newest self-titled album with the Mystic Valley Band– a supporting cast formed specifically for the album– features the Bright Eyes frontman enjoying a sling-aided nap,presumably somewhere in the Mexican mountain villa of Valle Místicowhere he recorded the12-song album due outTuesday.