Winters Express: Wednesday, November 27, 2024

$1

including tax

Honoring the Bracero legacy News, Page 2

School district celebrates 60 years Features, Page 1

Volume 141, Number 43 — Locally-owned since 1884

The hometown paper of Becky Griffey

Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, November 27, 2024

City schedules special meetings Express staff In his Friday update, City Manager Jeremy Craig announced updates to the upcoming city of Winters meeting schedule for the city council and planning commission.

City Council The Dec. 3 Winters City Council meeting was canceled due to a lack of agenda items.

The City Council will convene next in the council chamber at a special meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 5:30 p.m.

The agenda will be available prior to the meeting at https://www.cityofwinters.org/194/ Meetings.

Craig noted that the start time is an hour earlier

than the regularly scheduled city council meetings.

Planning Commission Originally impacted by the Thanksgiving holiday and with a request from commissioners for further discussion on topics, a Winters Planning Commission special meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 6:30 p.m. The agenda details can be found at www.cityofwinters.org/189/ Planning-Commission.

Residents are encouraged to stay informed and participate in these public meetings virtually or in person at the City Hall council chambers (318 First St.) through the Abbey Street entrance.

Winters JUSD outlines ethnic studies course

By Logan Chrisp

Express staff writer

EXPRESS

Instructional Coach Kristen Higgins updated trustees on the progress of the school district’s ethnic studies course at the Nov. 21 Winters Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting.

The course was initially developed during the 2023–24 school year by the Ethnic Studies Task Force, aiming to address the California Assembly Bill 101, which added the completion of a one-semester Ethnic Studies course to the graduation require-

ment, commencing with the the class of 2030.

“We’re not just ticking a box,” Higgins said. “We’re super excited about this opportunity, because we want to increase student engagement, and we know that when students see themselves in the curriculum, engagement goes up.

Ethnic studies is an opportunity for that to happen.”

The task force, comprising teachers from various disciplines, spearheaded the course’s framework. In addition, a student advisory group of nine Winters High School students and community stakeholders provided important feedback by piloting the lessons

See COURSE, Page 6

Courtesy photo

Yolo Community Foundation celebrated over 55 honorees — including nine Winters group nominations — at the 2024 Yolo Philanthropy Awards on Nov. 14. Honorees made significant impacts in their Yolo County commiunities.

Yolo Community Foundation honors nine Winters volunteers

By Sonora Slater Express staff writer On the evening of Nov. 19, over 350 people gathered in Woodland’s California Agriculture Museum to celebrate more than 55 volunteers from throughout Yolo County for the impact they’ve made. The philanthropy awards, given out by the Yolo Community Foundation, have been going on since before the pandemic but have significantly grown in the number of honorees since last year when there were only 32 individuals recognized.

Of the people recognized, nine were nominated by Winters

Classifieds ................... B-4 Community .................. A-2

The Winters Japantown Monument Committee members was nominated by the Historical Society of Winters for their work in creating and dedicating a monument in Rotary Park that honors the pre-World War II Japanese community of Winters. The work was done collabora-

Brian Bellamy Brian Bellamy, nominated by Putah Creek Council, which he has chaired the board of for several years. The

organization focuses on promoting appreciation for and protection of Putah Creek through advocacy, educational events and community outreach.

According to Phil Stevens, the executive director of the council, Bellamy earned this recognition via his organization, preparedness and overall care for the group and the people who work for it.

“I’ve worked with a lot of nonprofit boards, and Brian is just exceptional in terms of the amount of attention he gives to it and the amount of care he puts into everything he does,”

See AWARDS, Page 6

By Sonora Slater Express staff writer The Nov. 19 Winters City Council meeting was a rapid affair, wrapping up in just under 45 minutes to allow for a reception (with cake) to celebrate former Winters Police Chief John P. Miller’s service to the community. Miller accepted a new role as a captain at the Antioch Police Department in October. A myriad of community members, police department personnel and city employees attended the meeting, and many offered comments of support in addition to the official city proclamation recognizing his work.

We at he r Date

Rain

High

Nov. 20 0.04”

58˚

37˚

Nov. 21

1.38”

54˚

45˚

Nov. 22 0.50”

63˚

47˚

Nov. 23

Low

1.86”

56˚

48˚

Eventos hispanos ....... A-3

Nov. 24 0.05”

62˚

36˚

Nov. 25 0.05”

63˚

39˚

Opinion ......................... B-3

Nov. 26 0.06”

57˚

47˚

Real Estate ................... B-2

Rain for week: 3.94 in.

Season’s total: 4.36 in.

Last sn. to date: 1.69 in.

Sports ........................... B-5

Winters Japantown Monument committee

tively by Historical Society’s board members and volunteers and also involved putting together an exhibit for the Winters Museum titled ‘The Lost Japanese Community of Winters,’ which is still on display for a few more weeks.

“This powerful monument serves as a lasting tribute to the rich history of Japantown and the contributions of the Japanese community to Winters,” a post by the YCF honoring the nominees stated.

City, community celebrate Chief Miller

Index Features ........................ B-1

nonprofits, including groups such as Winters Youth Day, the Putah Creek Council and the Historical Society of Winters.

YCF posted a video honoring all of the 2024 Philanthropy Award honorees on its YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/3OpnfSK.

Winters rainfall season began 7/1/24.

Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily by local weatherman Joe Bristow.

Credit

City Council members Jesse Loren, Richard Casavecchia, Albert Vallecillo, Carol Scianna and Mayor Bill Biasis (front left) approved a proclamation recognizing the eight years of service John P. Miller (front right) gave during his tenure as the Winters Police Chief.

The proclamation detailed Miller’s history in policing, beginning when he served as a cadet at the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office at the age of 14 and following him through law enforcement roles in Vacaville, Vallejo and Pacific Grove until he reached Winters, where he remained for eight years. It described some of the departmental transformations he enacted throughout his tenure as police chief, including developing a formal training plan for every position, implementing active shooter training, bringing

bicycle patrolling and Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement training to Winters, cross-training his team with the Winters Fire Department to ensure they could assist in emergencies and much more.

“John Miller has been a constant, exemplary leader,” the proclamation reads.

“He has envisioned, collaborated, and executed a unifying vision for the Winters Police Department.

Let it be proclaimed that the city of Winters extends to John Miller its most sincere appreciation for his service and dedi-

cation to the Winters community, and be it further proclaimed that the city of Winters extends its best wishes to John Miller in his future endeavors.”

Miller shared a short speech.

“I miss Winters. I miss the community, I miss the staff,” Millers said. “On the drive here, I realized I really miss the commute also. Antioch is not Winters, but it’s an agency that’s in need, and I hope to leave it in a better place just like I hope that I left Winters in a better place.”

He thanked the

See MILLER, Page 2

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A2 — Winters Express, Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Community Engagement announcement Brown – Montgomery

Courtesy photo

Mitch and Kathleen Montgomery are proud to announce the engagement of their son Colten Brent Montgomery to Elisabeth Anne Brown, daughter of father Paul Brown and stepmother Kimberly Brown of Okatie, South Carolina and mother Karen Leutchford and stepfather Andrew Leutchford of Toronto, Canada.

Colten grew up in Winters and attended Winters schools. He was recruited to swim for the University of Utah while studying graphic design for five years. Colten now works in Provo, Utah as a graphic designer.

Elisabeth grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, attended Columbia schools, received her bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech in biomedical engineering and is now attending the University of Utah to work on her PhD in oncological sciences.

Colten and Elisabeth met through mutual friends in Salt Lake City, Utah. Their wedding is set for next year in Sandy, Utah.

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Supervisors to honor Bracero legacy Special to the Express At the Yolo County Board of Supervisors Dec. 3 meeting, the Board will consider a resolution recognizing the Bracero Guest Worker Legacy and Descendants in Yolo County. Simultaneously, the Mexican Bracero Legacy in Yolo County Exhibit will be displayed in the Yolo County Administration Building lobby, 625 Court St., Suite 202 in Woodland from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The exhibit will include photos, items and information to raise awareness about the historical legacy of the Bracero program and was organized by the Ethnic Studies YOLO Academy in partnership

MILLER Continued from Page 2 council members, current and previous, for trusting him with the position, as well as the members of the police department that he worked with during his time as chief. Miller said that he had recently written a poem about his view of the law enforcement profession, after attending a funeral for a friend, and read it to the room.

“With my brothers to my right and my sisters to my left, we face what no one should face,” Millers said.

“We face danger, we face harm, we face death. We face so no one else would have

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with Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, Supervisor Angel Barajas, the Mexican Yolo Concilio and the Yolo County Archives.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to raise awareness about the history of the Bracero program in Yolo County,” said Yolo County Supervisor Board Chair Lucas Frerichs.

“It’s important to reflect on both the good and harmful actions of our shared history so we don’t repeat injustices of the past.

We invite members of the public to view the Mexican Bracero Legacy in Yolo County Exhibit on Dec. 3, outside of the Board of Supervisors Chambers.”

On Dec. 31, 1964, Public Law 78 offi-

cially ended the Bracero Program in Yolo County and the U.S. The program, which brought Mexican male workers to sustain the U.S. economy from 1942 to 1964, began during World War II when Japanese American workers were detained. Initially, recruits came from Mexico City and later from rural areas like Michoacán. Braceros were sprayed with Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and sent to a distribution center in Stockton, where they worked in agriculture, food processing, and railroads. Yolo County hosted many Braceros, contributing to large-scale agriculture while at the same

time the University of California, Davis expanded its agricultural research.

The Bracero program offered economic opportunities but caused significant family separation, with many workers away from their families for extended periods. Due to labor surpluses, Braceros faced unfair pay, mistreatment, and conflicts with U.S.-born workers. In addition, some wages were withheld.

After the program ended in 1964, some Braceros stayed with expired permits, later applying for residency in the 1980s. Some formed new families in the U.S., while others kept families in Mexico.

to face, and there is no higher calling in life.”

The proclamation was unanimously passed, and the floor was opened to public comment. Kate Laddish was first, reading from a letter written to Miller on behalf of Democracy Winters.

“You have exemplified the department’s motto of service with integrity,” Laddish said. “Your availability for community groups such as Democracy Winters and willingness to discuss policing practices and policies with local residents set a tone for substantial and respectful dialogue, and as beneficiaries of this approach, Democracy Winters appreciates your practice of building bridges.”

Former Winters city manager John Donlevy and Sgt. Manuel Cardoza also spoke on Miller’s character, integrity and leadership, “I’ve worked for a lot of chiefs, and Chief Miller was the best that I’ve ever worked for,” Cardoza said, be-

fore taking a jokingly concerned glance toward the back of the room where the current interim Police Chief Joseph Kreins was standing. “Oh, except for the current chief, of course.”

Former Winters PD Sgt. Kelly McCoy drove to Winters for the meeting in order to celebrate the man who recruited her as the first female sergeant of the city of Winters in 2018.

“One of the things I admire most about Chief Miller is that he was able to teach me that being a leader isn’t just about bossing people around and giving orders — which, as my husband would say, I love to do,” McCoy said. “It’s about knowing the people you lead, understanding why you lead them and having that commitment and the service to the community.”

Councilmember Jesse Loren and Winters Express Editor-in-Chief Crystal Apilado presented a small handmade

book to Miller that was filled with messages of thanks from community members.

Council members also each shared their appreciation for Miller’s service before a majority of the attendees headed to the city hall conference room for the promised cake, which read in frosting, “Celebrating Chief Miller and 8 years of Service.”

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Due to technical difficulties, the Nov. 19 city council meeting was not broadcast live nor offered virtual participation.

A proclamation recognizing November as Native American Heritage Month in Winters was passed with a 4-0-1 vote. The one abstention was from Councilmember Richard Casavecchia.

Loren helped to present and acknowledge the proclamation. She said that tribal representatives from the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation were possibly unable to accept the problomation virtually due to technical issues. Mayor Bill Biasi acknowledged the work and partnership the Yoche Dehe Tribal Council has given to the city throughout the years.

Although the live Zoom stream of the meeting was not properly functioning at the time, there is a complete recording available for viewing on the city of Winters website under the “City Council” available archives at www. cityofwinters.org/194/ Meetings.

Winters Express, Wednesday, November 27, 2024 — A3

Eventos hispanos Covered California comienza a ofrecer atención médica a los inmigrantes con DACA ¿Les afectará la victoria de Trump?

Por Ana B. Ibarra CalMatters Por primera vez desde la aprobación de la Ley del cuidado de salud a bajo precio, los inmigrantes indocumentados que fueron traídos a los EE. UU., cuando eran niños pueden comprar planes de salud subsidiados a través de Covered California, el mercado de seguros del estado.

Se espera que esta medida proporcione alivio a miles de los llamados Dreamers, especialmente aquellos que son trabajadores autónomos, trabajadores por cuenta propia o que no tienen otros medios de cobertura sanitaria.

Pero la expansión llega en un momento incierto tanto por la elección de Donald Trump como por una demanda en curso que impugna la medida para permitir que ciertos inmigrantes indocumentados compren seguro de salud a través de los intercambios de la Ley de Atención Médica Asequible.

En su primera administración, Trump intentó sin éxito deshacer tanto la Ley de Atención Médica Asequible como la política de la era Obama conocida como Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA), que protege a ciertos inmigrantes indocumentados.

Los funcionarios de Covered California y los abogados de inmigración dicen que si bien es difícil predecir lo que sucederá en los próximos meses, aquellos elegibles deben aprovechar la oportunidad y obtener un seguro médico lo antes posible.

“La cobertura está aquí ahora mismo.

Así que si necesita ir al médico, si ha estado posponiendo la atención que necesita, si nunca ha tenido la oportunidad de

obtener su atención preventiva, puede hacerlo ahora mismo”, dijo Jessica Altman, directora ejecutiva de Covered California.

“No permitamos que los temores sobre el futuro impidan lo que puede suceder aquí y ahora y a lo que puede tener acceso.”

Altman y su equipo han estado recorriendo el estado para crear conciencia sobre el período de inscripción abierta y este nuevo acceso para los beneficiarios de DACA. Creado en 2012, DACA no otorga estatus legal a los beneficiarios, pero los protege de la deportación y les permite autorización para trabajar.

Hasta ahora, solo se les ha permitido inscribirse para cobertura médica a través de un empleador. En California, los beneficiarios de DACA de bajos ingresos también pueden inscribirse en Medi-Cal. La administración Biden anunció un cambio de reglas en mayo que actualizó la definición de “presencia legal” para la elegibilidad de la Ley de Atención Médica Asequible para que los beneficiarios de DACA pudieran comprar seguros en los mercados de seguros federales o estatales.

“La norma corrige un error de exclusión de larga data,” dijo Nicholas Espíritu, subdirector jurídico del Centro Nacional de Derecho de Inmigración.

Para que el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Trump pueda deshacer la norma, tendría que pasar por un proceso administrativo similar, que incluye un período de notificación y comentarios públicos, explicó Espíritu. Esta vía podría llevar bastante tiempo.

Según algunas estimaciones, más de medio millón de personas están protegidas por DACA, pero no está claro exactamente cuántas de ellas no tienen seguro médico. Una encuesta de la Universidad de California en San

Diego y el Centro Nacional de Leyes de Inmigración estima que alrededor del 20 por ciento no tiene seguro. Esto se debe a que, con permiso para trabajar, la mayoría ha podido obtener cobertura a través de un empleador.

Se estima que la ampliación de la cobertura a los beneficiarios de DACA le costará al gobierno federal entre $240 millones y $300 millones al año.

Sin embargo, debido a que los beneficiarios de DACA son jóvenes, con una edad promedio de 30 años, podrían tener un impacto positivo en el grupo de riesgo del seguro médico: las personas más jóvenes y saludables pueden ayudar a reducir el costo de las primas para todos los inscritos en los planes del mercado.

La inscripción abierta comenzó el 1 de noviembre y se extenderá hasta el 31 de enero. Las personas deben inscribirse antes del 31 de diciembre si quieren que su cobertura entre en vigencia el 1 de enero. Los beneficiarios de DACA también pueden obtener cobertura para diciembre de 2024 si se inscriben antes de fin de mes.

Los estados republicanos impugnan la ampliación de la Ley de Atención Médica Asequible La amenaza más inmediata al acceso de los Dreamers a la Ley de Atención Médica Asequible se está librando en un tribunal de Dakota del Norte.

En agosto, un grupo de 19 fiscales generales republicanos — de Kansas, Alabama, Florida, Texas, Idaho y otros estados — presentaron una demanda en un tribunal federal impugnando la expansión del mercado de seguros a los beneficiarios de DACA. Argumentan que permitir que los beneficiarios de DACA

ingresen al mercado crea “una carga administrativa y de recursos adicionales” en los estados que administran sus propios mercados. También sostienen que el acceso a la atención médica subsidiada probablemente aliente a los inmigrantes indocumentados a permanecer en Estados Unidos y, en última instancia, puede conducir a una mayor inmigración ilegal.

El mes pasado, California y otros 18 estados presentaron un escrito en defensa de la ampliación de los beneficios de Biden.

“Los dreamers pagan miles de millones de dólares en impuestos cada año para ayudar a financiar programas como la Ley de Atención Médica Asequible. Sin embargo, hasta ahora, no han podido acceder a estos programas por sí mismos”, dijo el fiscal general de California, Rob Bonta, en un comunicado. “Como hogar de más dreamers que cualquier otro estado del país, California se enorgullece de defender su derecho a acceder a una atención médica asequible.”

Los beneficiarios de DACA en California pagan un estimado de 2,100 millones de dólares al año en impuestos federales y otros 1,000 millones de dólares en impuestos estatales y locales, según cifras del Center for American Progress.

Los subsidios de salud de Biden podrían terminar con Trump Se podría decir que ningún otro estado ha hecho más para ampliar la cobertura de seguro médico para sus residentes, incluidos los inmigrantes, que California. La decisión del gobierno federal de abrir los mercados de seguros a los Dreamers complementa los esfuerzos de California.

El estado ya ofrece cobertura de Medi-Cal a las personas con ba-

jos ingresos, independientemente de su estatus migratorio. Pero miles de trabajadores que ganan más que el límite de ingresos de Medi-Cal no tienen muchas opciones para obtener una cobertura asequible. Las personas indocumentadas técnicamente pueden comprar un plan de seguro médico directamente de un corredor en el mercado privado, pero eso es sin ningún tipo de asistencia financiera, lo que lo hace inasequible para la mayoría.

Los expertos en políticas de salud dicen que una forma en que Trump y el Congreso entrante liderado por los republicanos podrían socavar la Ley de Atención Médica Asequible, no sólo para los beneficiarios de DACA sino para todos, es no renovar los “subsidios de primas mejorados” otorgados por la Ley de Reducción de la Inflación, que expirarán a fines de 2025. Los subsidios mejorados aumentaron la cantidad de asistencia financiera disponible para quienes ya la reciben y pusieron la ayuda a disposición de otros por primera vez al limitar lo que pagan por la prima de un plan estándar al 8,5 por ciento de sus ingresos.

El aumento del costo de la cobertura probablemente haría que algunas personas se quedaran sin seguro médico. La Oficina de Presupuesto del Congreso estima que 4 millones de personas

en todo el país perderían su cobertura en 2026 si el Congreso no actúa para extender los subsidios.

No está claro si Trump volverá a atacar la Ley de Atención Médica Asequible en su totalidad. Los intentos republicanos de derogar la ley de salud en el pasado han fracasado, pero durante su primer mandato, Trump logró eliminar o cambiar elementos de la misma.

Los líderes de salud de California dicen que están teniendo conversaciones sobre cómo prepararse para posibles decisiones federales que podrían afectar los avances en cobertura que California ha logrado.

“Hemos logrado un progreso increíble y ha sido un trabajo muy duro,” dijo Altman de Covered California.

“Incluso durante la pandemia y las redeterminaciones de Medi-Cal, tenemos la tasa de personas sin seguro más baja registrada.

Hemos reducido nuestra tasa de personas sin seguro más que cualquier otro estado de la nación.

—Esta nota fue realizada con el respaldo de la California Health Care Foundation, que trabaja para garantizar que las personas tengan acceso a la atención que necesitan, cuando la necesitan y a un precio que puedan pagar. Visite www.chcf. org para obtener más información. Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en inglés por CalMatters.

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A4 — Winters Express, Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Debra Ramos/ File photo

Public Safety Report City of Winters

Fire Nov. 13: 12:19 p.m., Third Street, Emergency medical service (other) ~12:50 p.m., Third Street, Emergency medical service (other) Nov. 15: 1:50 p.m., Cottage Circle, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury ~1:56 p.m., Edwards Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury ~3:07 p.m., Russell Boulevard, Motor vehicle accident with no injuries.

Nov. 17: 8:17 a.m., Broadview Lane, Public service assistance (other)

~11:17 a.m., Main Street, Person in distress (other) ~6:29 p.m., Wildrose Lane, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury ~6:53 p.m., Railroad Avenue, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury ~8:26 p.m., Dry Creek Lane, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury Nov. 18: 7:15 a.m., Main, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury ~1:07 p.m., Putah Creek Lane (Dixon), Off-road vehicle or heavy equipment fire ~1:27 p.m., Grant Ave, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury Nov. 19: 6:50 a.m., E.

Lake Berryessa water levels up 4.01 Express staff The water level of Lake Berryessa went up by 4.01 of a foot during the past week, with an increase in the storage of 71,836 acre-feet of water, according to Ken Emigh, Solano Project Technician with the Solano Irrigation District. On the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 26, he reported the lake elevation was 431.90 feet above sea level, with water storage behind the Monticello Dam computed at 1,401,937 acre-feet of water. The SID released 35 cubic feet per second of water in the Putah South Canal, with 40 cubic feet flowing into Putah Creek at the Diversion Dam. Evaporation on the lake averaged 32 acre-feet of water per day.

PO Box 520, Winters, CA 95694

530-795-4551

Abbey Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury ~2:05 p.m., Russell Boulevard, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury ~9:25 p.m., Abbey Street, Fire Alarm

Police Arrest Log Nov. 14: Robert Paul Neal (Age 61), Charges: Three Winters PD misdemeanor bench warrants and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, Disposition: Released on notice to appear Nov. 15: Elisandro Santos (Age 26), Charges: Driving on a suspended driver’s license, Disposition: Released on notice to appear Nov. 16: Raul Jose Duran (Age 44), Charges: Public intoxication, Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail

Report Log Nov. 14: 2:27 p.m., 300 block of Railroad Avenue, Theft by false pretenses Nov. 15: 11:18 p.m., Russell Street/Fredericks Drive, Vehicle tow Nov. 18: 10:58 a.m., 400 block of Creekside Way, Fraud Nov. 19: 10:30 p.m., 700 block of Matsumoto Lane, Traffic Collision Nov. 20: 1:54 a.m., Valley Oak Drive/Roosevelt Avenue, Traffic Collision For our editorial policy on crime log entries, see www.winters express.com/unpub lishing-policy.

95 Years Ago

November 29, 1929 Miss Patty Baker, charming daughter of W. S. Baker, was honored this week when she was chosen for the cast of the Stanford Sophomore play, “Cock Robin.”

Forty tons of choice Winters barley was shipped by rail Tuesday to the bay area for export.

The train was quite late on both Tuesday morning runs. The engine died at Vacaville on the early trip and an engine had to come to relief from Suisun.

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Murray spent Friday in Oakland with relatives and on the following day attended the Stanford - U.C. game at Palo Alto.

Donald Fong, George Herbert Leggett, and Harold Nelson are new members of the Winters Boys Band.

80 Years Ago

December 1, 1944 Mrs. George Sanders has sold her residence on the corner of Third and Abbay Streets to Dr. and Mrs. A. M. Herron.

Charles Cook has sold the east Abbay Street cottage that he purchased recently to Mr. and Mrs. George Kephart.

Vernon Bruhn arrived home the first of the week on a tenday leave. He hopes to be stationed on the Coast for a time.

John A. Young who spent last week’s holidays at home, received a thrill

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The 1994 Circle of Singers include from left, (back) Fred Ransdell, Dwight Howard, Paul Holmes, Mike Kimes, Kari Williams and Randy Stevens; (second row) Pinky Dahn, Linda Roth, Patty Marer, Dee Chee, Melecia Ramos, Jennifer Cullivan and Will Roth, (third row) Gayle Matteson, Carroll Sloper, Accompanist Debi Bowen, Laurie Patton and Gloria Marion; (front) Kathy Pranke, director Theresa Foster, Amber Foster, Bill Martin and Teri Stevens. Not Pictured, Kathy Michals, Al Vallecillo, Patty Falkenberg, Shirley Scullin and Doreen Puccio. This group entertained Winters, with changing members, for years, especially during the holiday season. “This is one of my favorite yesteryear photos, especially this time of the year,” —Charley.

Years Ago Dispatches from the Express archives.

when he returned to San Francisco, to learn that he had successfully passed the State Bar examination He is working with a San Francisco firm where he will remain for the present.

At the County Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Monday, the resignation of R. B. Bigelow as trustee of Winters Cemetery District was accepted and E. W Fenley was appointed to fill the vacancy.

45 Years Ago

November 29, 1979 Jack Delbar was named the coach of the year in the Butte View League, for the second year in a row. Jack coached the Varsity football team to a league victory both years and won the Northern California AA sectional championship in 1978.

Winters firemen on Wednesday, November 21, put out a house fire at the Pat Karnopp home on the Winters Vacaville Highway. A wood stove caught fire and spread to the attic.

Damage is estimated at $10,000.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Turkovich entertained relatives from the Bay Area for Thanksgiving dinner. Joining the family celebration were sons Fred, home from college in San Luis Obispo, and Joe from

Bakersfield.

Andy and Esther Stone and daughter, Sara, of Sacramento, hosted Thanksgiving dinner in the afternoon for the following relatives; Mr. and Mrs. Antonio M. Martin and daughter, Angelina, of Fairfield; Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Martin, Mrs. Madeline Jimenez and Jim and Patty of Winters.

Ray Baker and Dorothy Jackson have been vacationing in Sonoma County celebrating Thanksgiving and Ray’s 29th birthday (Ray likes to reverse the real numbers).

Manuel Tortosa fell while changing a light bulb at his Union 76 filling station on Saturday, breaking his collarbone.

On October 26 Brownie Troop No. 771 held an investiture and rededication ceremony for members and their families. Mary Boos, troop leader, conducted the ceremony, assisted by adult scouts Penny Hensley and Laura Smith. The investiture consisted of each new member identifying themselves as Brownie helper and receiving their Brownie pin.

The new members are Brenna Hensley, Dawn Branscum, Debbie Carrion, Joann Baylor, Kimberly Galloway, Betty Sue Bond, Cindy Bryant, Stephanie Galloway and Leah Ballinger.

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Winters Express, Wednesday, November 27, 2024 — A5

Senior News Older Americans living alone rely on others for help

By Judith Graham KFF Health News Donald Hammen, 80, and his longtime next-door neighbor in south Minneapolis, Julie McMahon, have an understanding.

Every morning, she checks to see whether he’s raised the blinds in his dining room window. If not, she’ll call Hammen or let herself into his house to see what’s going on.

Should McMahon find Hammen in a bad way, she plans to contact his sister-in-law, who lives in a suburb of Des Moines. That’s his closest relative.

Hammen never married or had children, and his younger brother died in 2022.

Although Hammen lives alone, a web of relationships binds him to his city and his community — neighbors, friends, former co-workers, fellow volunteers with an advocacy group for seniors, and fellow members of a group of solo agers. McMahon is an emergency contact, as is a former co-worker. When Hammen was hit by a car in February 2019, another neighbor did his laundry. A friend came over to keep him company. Other people went on walks with Hammen as he got back on his feet.

Those connections are certainly sustaining. Yet Hammen has no idea who might care for him should he become unable to care for himself.

“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it,” he told me.

These are fundamental questions for older adults who live alone: Who will be there for them, for matters large and small? Who will help them navigate the ever more complex health care system and advocate on their behalf?

Who will take out the garbage if it becomes too difficult to carry?

Who will shovel the snow if a winter storm blows through?

American society rests on an assumption that families take care of their own. But 15 million Americans 50 and older didn’t have any close family — spouses, partners, or children — in 2015, the latest year for which reliable estimates are available.

Most lived alone. By 2060, that number is expected to swell to 21 million.

Beyond that, millions of seniors living on their own aren’t geographically close to adult children or other family members. Or they have difficult, strained relationships that keep them from asking for support.

These older adults must seek assistance from other quarters when they need it. Often they turn to neighbors, friends, church members, or community groups — or paid help, if they can afford it.

And often, they simply go without, leaving them vulnerable to isolation, depression, and deteriorating health.

Nature Nearby When seniors living alone have no close family, can nonfamily helpers be an adequate substitute?

This hasn’t been well studied.

“We’re just beginning to do a better job of understanding that people have a multiplicity of connections outside their families that are essential to their well-being,” said Sarah Patterson, a demographer and sociologist at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan.

The takeaway from a noteworthy study published by researchers at Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai was this: Many seniors adapt to living solo by weaving together local social networks of friends, neighbors, nieces and nephews, and siblings (if they’re available) to support their independence.

Still, finding reliable local connections isn’t always easy. And nonfamily helpers may not be willing or able to provide consistent, intense hands-on care if that becomes necessary.

When AARP surveyed people it calls “solo agers” in 2022, only 25% said they could count on someone to help them cook, clean, get groceries, or perform other household tasks if needed.

Just 38% said they knew someone who could help manage ongoing care needs.

(AARP defined solo agers as people 50 and older who aren’t married, don’t have living children, and live alone.)

Linda Camp, 73, a former administrator with the city of St. Paul, Minnesota, who never married or had children, has written several reports for the Citizens League in St. Paul about growing old alone. Yet she was still surprised by how much help she required this summer when she had cataract surgery on both eyes.

A former co-worker accompanied Camp to the surgery center twice and waited there until the procedures were finished.

A relatively new friend took her to a follow-up appointment. An 81-year-old downstairs neighbor agreed to come up if Camp needed something. Other friends and neighbors also chipped in.

Camp was fortunate — she has a sizable network of former co-workers, neighbors, and friends.

“What I tell people when I talk about solos is all kinds of connections have value,” she said.

Michelle Wallace, 75, a former technology project manager, lives alone in a single-family home in Broomfield, Colorado.

She has worked hard to assemble a local network of support.

Wallace has been

divorced for nearly three decades and doesn’t have children.

Though she has two sisters and a brother, they live far away.

Wallace describes herself as happily unpartnered. “Coupling isn’t for me,” she told me when we first talked. “I need my space and my privacy too much.”

Instead, she’s cultivated relationships with several people she met through local groups for solo agers.

Many have become her close friends. Two of them, both in their 70s, are “like sisters,” Wallace said. Another, who lives just a few blocks away, has agreed to become a “we’ll help each other out when needed” partner.

“In our 70s, solo agers are looking for support systems. And the scariest thing is not having friends close by,” Wallace told me. “It’s the local network that’s really important.”

Gardner Stern, 96, who lives alone on the 24th floor of the Carl Sandburg Village condominium complex just north of downtown Chicago, has been far less deliberate. He never planned for his care needs in older age.

He just figured things would work out.

They have, but not as Stern predicted.

The person who helps him the most is his third wife, Jobie Stern, 75. The couple went through an acrimonious divorce in 1985, but now she goes to all his doctor appointments, takes him grocery shopping, drives him to physical therapy twice a week

and stops in every afternoon to chat for about an hour.

She’s also Gardner’s neighbor — she lives 10 floors above him in the same building.

Why does she do it? “I guess because I moved into the building and he’s very old and he’s a really good guy and we have a child together,” she told me. “I get happiness knowing he’s doing as well as possible.”

Over many years, she said, she and Gardner have put their differences aside.

“Never would I have expected this of Jobie,” Gardner told me.

“I guess time heals all wounds.”

Gardner’s other main local connections are Joy Loverde, 72, an author of elder-care books, and her 79-year-old husband, who live on the

28th floor. Gardner calls Loverde his “tell it like it is” friend — the one who helped him decide it was time to stop driving, the one who persuaded him to have a walk-in shower with a bench installed in his bathroom, the one who plays Scrabble with him every week and offers practical advice whenever he has a problem.

“I think I would be in an assisted living facility without her,” Gardner said.

There’s also family: four children, all based in Los Angeles, eight grandchildren, mostly in L.A., and nine great-grandchildren. Gardner sees most of this extended clan about once a year and speaks to them often, but he can’t depend on them for his day-to-day needs.

For that, Loverde and Jobie are an ele-

vator ride away. “I’ve got these wonderful people who are monitoring my existence, and a big-screen TV, and a freezer full of good frozen dinners,” Gardner said. “It’s all that I need.”

As I explore the lives of older adults living alone in the next several months, I’m eager to hear from people who are in this situation. If you’d like to share your stories, please send them to khn.navigatingaging@ gmail.com.

—KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces indepth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF at kffhealthnews. org.

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A6 — Winters Express, Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Holiday Home Tour tickets available now Special Contributor The University Farm Circle’s Holiday Home Tour is on Sunday, Dec. 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Five beautifully decorated and uniquely appointed homes will be showcased this year. Some homes will feature live music.

The Holiday Home Tour kicks off with the sale of gift baskets donated by UFC members, which are available for purchase at the Holiday Home Tour boutique at 10 a.m.at Stonegate Country Club, 919 Lake Blvd. in Davis.

Tickets can be purchased at www.ufcdavis.org, Pence Gallery or Embellish Décor.

AWARDS Continued from Page 1 Stevens said. “He’s just a tremendous human being, but also a tremendous asset as a board chair. He steps in to fill gaps wherever they exist.”

Revalee Hemken Revalee Hemken, nominated by Winters Community Corazón, has dedicated time to coaching and guiding residents on their prospective journeys to U.S. citizenship, including 30 individuals who celebrated their newfound citizenship at the Winters Community Library in July of this year. In addition to her work with Winters Community Corazón, Hemken works with the Winters Hispanic Advisory Committee and manages book sales for Winters Friends of the Library, as well as partnering with the space to host citizenship workshops.

“Winters Community Corazón is proud to honor Revalee for her unwavering commitment to guiding our residents on their journey to U.S. citizenship,” a statement from the Coraźon team stated that was shared

COURSE Continued from Page 1 and discussions.

The semester-long grade course is slated for the fall of 2025, if approved by trustees on Dec. 19. Higgins said the four areas the task force focused on in developing the course included: Identity and counter narratives: Encouraging students to explore their personal and cultural identities through projects like community interviews and shadow boxes.

Systems of power: Examining systems of power and their impact through storytelling to unpack how those social structures are impacting a student’s experience.

History andmoveby YCF. “Revalee brings unmatched energy, fresh ideas, and new volunteers to our nonprofit.”

Jill Aguiar Jill Aguiar, nominated by the Winters Education Foundation, has been a board member of the organization for over 10 years.

According to the nomination statement sent in by WEF, Aguiar acts as a jack-of-all-trades for the all-volunteer group, officially serving as secretary, but also facilitating communication, working alongside the treasurer, and stepping in for the board’s president when he is away.

She also plays a key role in their education-enhancing minigrant project, which has paid for technology that introduces students to coding and physical education equipment for schools, subsidized the cost of outdoor education, and more.

Mary Jo Rodolfa, another member of the board, summed it up concisely in an email to the Winters Express saying, “Jill is a treasure.”

Cathy Olsen Cathleen ‘Cathy’ Olsen, nominated

ment: Investigating the demographic evolution of Winters, including oral history projects with local community members and looking at the Yolo County archives.

Resistance and liberation: Looking at stories and case studies about events like the East L.A. walkouts in the 60s to show students what action and solidarity look like, and having students create a research project on a case study.

Higgins noted the course’s alignment with the school district’s Graduate Profile, emphasizing cultural competency, communication and community engagement.

“Our students are ready for these conversations,” Higgins by Winters Farm to School, works as a treasurer for the nonprofit, which is focused on providing fresh, local produce, nuts and fruits for school meals in Winters. She also served as the Director of Food Service for the Winters Joint Unified School District for 18 years, with one estimate finding that she served more than 5 million meals in her time as director.

“Since day one, Cathy Olsen has been the backbone of Winters Farm to School,” the nomination for Olsen stated. “From securing crucial funding to nurturing our school gardens, Cathy’s dedication is invaluable.”

Mary Lou Linvill Mary Lou Linvill, nominated by Winters Friends of the Library, has been a volunteer with the organization for more than three decades.

She has a passion for bringing Shakespeare to life for youth in Winters, creating and organizing the Winters Shakespeare Workshop summer theatre program and coordinating an annual performance by the

Winters

said. “They recognize that the way that their ethnic identity is impacting so much of their lives, and we need to talk about it.”

Trustee Sterling Davis appreciated the presentation and shared that these concepts and a course like what was outlined weren’t something she saw until college.

Trustee Kristin Trott added that a course like what was outlined makes her hopeful for the future of education in California.

“If everyone across the state can create this kind of course, it just gives me hope for the future of our children, that more people will be forced to think about these conversations and think about who they

are and who’s around them,” Trott said.

“I didn’t discuss the things until I was in college,” said Davis. “Not that I wasn’t ready, it just wasn’t offered and so it’s great that our students will have the opportunity to start talking about it and embracing these discussions.”

Trustee Everardo Zaragosa said that during his time as a student at Winters High School, he had an attachment to the history of the Aztecs, but its short length and lack of other lessons on topics like it left him with a hunger for more.

“I know our student body has the same hunger for information. They want to know about themselves, because you don’t get the oppor-

tunity to learn about yourself until you get to college, about your history, since it’s not taught,” Zaragoza said. “This is really empowering, I know with the state mandate, they kind of give us the power at the local level to kind of make it our own. So I’m hopeful that the content is representative of our student body and all the students that go here.”

The school district will ask trustees to approve the proposed ethnic studies course description at the Dec. 19 board meeting. This spring, the task force will continue to develop the course with community outreach and input. If approved, the course will be implemented in the fall of 2025.

San Francisco Shakespeare touring troupe for students at Winters schools. The nomination also notes that Linvill founded and organized the annual Family Holiday Festival in Winters, making her a true connoisseur of Winters tradition.

Throughout the years, she’s also served in various board positions throughout the community and volunteered her time to assist with community events.

“Mary Lou is the heart of so many beloved community traditions,” a fellow volunteer said in a post shared by YCF.

helped guide the team through a move to a new facility, among other projects.

Jenni Jacobs Garcia, the WHF board president, had only good things to say about Schultz, noting his generosity in reference to the stargazing sessions he sometimes hosts at his home observatory.

“He always asks the right questions in meetings — he’s so thoughtful,” Jacobs Garcia said. “He’s also so giving of his time and resources.”

shine, including a plan to develop a QR code for each mural that, when scanned, takes you to a narrated historical background.

“Without Valerie’s passion and tireless efforts, the mural project simply wouldn’t be what it is today,” the YCF post said recognizing Whitworth’s nomination.

Bob Schultz Dr. Robert “Bob” Schultz was nominated by the Winters Healthcare Foundation for the extensive technical experience and thoughtful nature that collaborators credited when speaking about his nearly 10 years on the WHF board. During the four years he spent as president of the board for WHF, which is a nonprofit community clinic that provides healthcare to underserved populations in southwestern Yolo County, Schultz

Valerie Whitworth Valerie Whitworth, a founding member of the Winters Participation Gallery for the Arts and the primary fundraiser for the Kate Humphrey Historical Mural Project, was nominated by the gallery. The Participation Gallery’s goal is to provide education and employment opportunities for young artists in Winters, and the mural project is part of achieving that goal — each of the eight murals so far have centered students in the design and painting process.

Whitworth continues to have ideas for how to make the project

Mike Sebastian (in memoriam)

Michael J. Sebastian was nominated in memoriam by Winters Youth Day for his work as the Youth Day Parade Chairman and Announcer for 45 years, as well as a myriad of other contributions and engagements with the Winters community.

Throughout his life, Sebastian also served at various points as the city treasurer, the executive director of the Winters Chamber of Commerce, the president of Winters Rotary, volunteered with the Winters Little League and Winters Swim Team, played the role of Santa every year for Winters holiday celebrations, and was recognized as the Winters Citizen of the Year.

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Winters Express, Wednesday, November 27, 2024 — B1

FEATURES

State housing market up

Charley kicks off rainfall contest

Warriors make history

HOMES, Page 2

OPINION, Page 3

SPORTS, Page 5

The Wolfskill Career Readiness Academy moved onto the Winters High School site to give all high school students access to counselors, nurses and other resources. CRA students worked to plant trees and leave their legacy at their new site.

Thursdays Eat Well Yolo Food Distribution, first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. As supplies last, RISE, Inc., 417 Haven St., 530-668-0690 Tuesday, December 3 Winters City Council Meeting, Meeting Cancelled www.cityofwinters.org/city-council-meetings_/ Wednesdays Eat Well Yolo Drive – Through Food Distribution, Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m. As supplies last, Winters High student parking lot, off Railroad Avenue

Upcoming Events

Friday, December 6 Winters Tree Lighting event, 6 p.m., Rotary Park (Railroad Avenue and Main Street), winterstractorparade.com Saturday, December 7 Winters Tractor Parade event, 6 p.m., Main Street, winterstractorparade.com Monday, December 9 Winters Climate Action Commission Meeting, 6:30 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), Check cityofwinters. org/182/Climate-Action-Commission Tuesday, December 10 Winters Planning Commission Special Meeting, 6:30 p.m.,Council chamber (318 First St.), Zoom Meeting info, check www.cityofwinters.org/ planning-commission/ Wednesday, December 11 Winters City Council Special Meeting, 5:30 p.m., Council chamber (318 First St.), Zoom Meeting info, check www.cityofwinters.org/ city-council-meetings_/ Thursday, December 19 Winters JUSD Board Organizational Meeting, 6 p.m., School District Office, Zoom Meeting info, check https://wintersjusd.diligent.community

Library Services

Winters Library Open to Public (School in Session), Winters Community Library, Mon/Wed: 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Tue/Thu: 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. , Sat: 1–5 p.m.

Teen Tuesday (ages 12-18), Second Tuesdays, 2 p.m., Winters Community Library Bilingual Storytime (ages 0-5), Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m., Winters Community Library Virtual English Conversation Group, Tuesdays, 2-3 p.m., One time registration required: Contact Nancy Pacheco 530-666-8019 or nancy.pacheco@ yolocounty.org Mangonada Monday (ages 6-12), fourth Monday, 3:30 p.m.

Tech Thursdays, Thursdays, 2-7:30 p.m., call 530-6668005 to schedule an appointment. Bilingual sessions available upon request.

Saturday Matinee, First Saturday, 2 p.m., Winters Community Library All You Need is Love Romance Book Club, Second Saturday, 4 p.m., Hooby’s Brewing

Older Adult Programs

Winters Senior Foundation Chair Yoga Class for Seniors, Wednesdays, 9:30-11 a.m., St. Anthony Parish Hall (511 W. Main St.) Winters Senior Foundation Social Gathering, Thurdays, 1-3:30 p.m., St. Anthony Parish Hall (511 W. Main St.)

Ongoing

WTC Presents "Robin Hood the Musical," Friday, Nov.29 and Saturday, Nov. 20, Doors open at 7 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 1, Doors open at 2 p.m., Winters Opera House (13 Main St.), winterstheatre.org Winters Friends of the Library meeting, first Monday, 7 p.m., Winters Community Library, Margaret Parsons Room, wfol.org Winters Fortnightly meeting, second Tuesdays (September through April), 1 p.m., St. Anthony Parish Hall (511 W. Main St.) Rotary Club of Winters meeting, Thursdays, Noon, The Buckhorn Winters Museum public hours, Thursday thru Sunday, 1-5 p.m., 13 Russell St. Winters Open Mic, third Thursday of the month, 6 p.m. (sign-ups begin at 5:30 p.m.), Winters Opera House (13 Main St.).

Metaphysical Book Club, Fridays at 5 p.m., 212 Grant Ave., Sign up at dixiesbookclub@gmail.com or call 530212-5026 12-Step Bonfire meeting, third Friday, 6:30 p.m. fellowship, 7 p.m. meeting, LuNita Ranch, 8189 Olive School Ln, Winters, Bring a camp chair.

Kiwanis Club of Winters meeting, fourth Wednesday, 6 p.m., Turkovich Family Wines - Boss Lounge, kiwanisclubofwinters@gmail.com Democracy Winters meeting, third Saturdays, 10 a.m.Noon, Meeting details in newsletter, contact info@ democracywinters.org Walking Meditation, third Sunday, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Meet behind the Winters Community Center, 201 Railroad Ave. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings: » St. Anthony Parish Hall, 511 Main St. (back entrance) Tuesdays, 7-8 a.m. and Fridays, 7-8 a.m. » Yolo Housing office building, 62 Shams Way: Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. and Sundays, 9 a.m.

Crystal Apilado/ Winters Express

Winters JUSD celebrates six decades, looks to the future The school district began serving Winters students in 1964

By Abigail Hofland Express correspondent

W

inters Joint Unified School District is celebrating its 60th anniversary this fall.

The district was first established on Oct. 8, 1964, a consolidation of area schools prompted by a population boom within Winters city limits.

By April the following year, grounds were already expanding.

Construction soon began for two new buildings: a gymnasium and the hexagonal library, both of which were completed in the late 60s.

Course offerings were expanded during this time through the Regional Occupation Program, with classes on equipment operation and maintenance. By the mid-1970s, about 30 students took part in ROP courses ranging from cosmetology to medical office training, landscaping, and animal health science. The 1976 purchase of land on Road 33 provided a site for the building of the Agricultural Building, later named for teacher Joe Aguiar.

Almost 50 years later, Winters JUSD continues to grow — one of few in the state that is expanding. Superintendent Rody Boonchouy attributes this in part to tourism in the area and developments that have placed Winters on the map.

“As our community and world are rapidly changing, how do we get our schools to change in alignment?”

Boonchouy asks.

A foundational offering of the school district is its career and technical

education, or CTE, which is grounded in agriculture but also includes culinary and computer science pathways.

Boonchouy also noted the district’s dual language immersion program and vibrant after-school program.

Lisa Brown, whose three sons have graduated or are currently attending Winters JUSD schools, remembers a time when the dual immersion program was on its way out. One of her sons started kindergarten in 2011.

“In a couple years time, there was a school board decision made to get rid of the dual immersion program, and a lot of families left town.

We weren’t involved in that program but saw a lot of frustrated parents leave,” Brown said.

She got together with a handful of others to shed light on the strengths of the district while encouraging improvement where possible.

“At the time it felt like the schools were separate from each other, despite being under the same district,” Brown said.

Her efforts were met with support and results — a stronger PTA and the first school bond passed in 2014.

In the years that followed, parental communication and involvement remained strong.

Post-COVID, Boonchouy has noticed a broader trend in education — schools becoming the go-to place for addressing all needs of students.

“The metrics are the same on the output, but the responsibility is different up front,” Boonchouy said.

With increased state mandates and expectations, Winters JUSD can easily end up buried in compliance mode. Addressing student needs more holistically is a noble yet monumental task — one that the

File photo

Winters Joint Unified School District staff, like Germain Hupe, have continued to engage with students and the community in and out of the classroom.

Crystal Apilado/Winters Express

The annual Winters High School Capstone Basketball Tournament empowers high school seniors to create an event to engage the study body and Life Skills students. school district lacks resources to independently tackle.

“Caring best for our students and families involves asking the questions ‘How do we expand our capacity?

And how do we collaborate?’” Boonchouy said.

He noted that Winters has a long history of collaboration between the school district and the community. The shared pool is one example of this, retired high school teacher and local historian Tom Crisp pointed out in his book “Rooted in Excellence: The History of the Winters Joint Unified School District.” The 2007 swimming pool is used by the high school as well as the town’s summer swimming program.

A

more recent collaboration is the creation of Winters JUSD’s Graduate Profile, a joint effort by students, teachers, and several community organizations in Winters. Over the course of several meetings and with careful deliberation, Winters JUSD established content and competency goals in six categories for use across the district.

State funding has also been a boon to Winters JUSD. In recent years especially, the school district has received several grants. Thanks to a recent one, plans are in place for an apprenticeship program that will build practical skills training for Winters JUSD students while involving the community. Other upcoming efforts include an ethnic studies program to kick off next fall and further development of AVID (college readiness) and SEAL (multilingual support) methodologies.

Regarding the

politicized nature of education in recent years, Boonchouy said national tensions are reflected in Winters to some degree, despite it being insulated from much of the noise.

Some community members have concerns about the direction of school policies.

For example, local members of Moms for Liberty, a group that lobbies for parental rights in schools, have expressed concern to trustees and Winters JUSD staff over issues such as social transitioning policies without parent notification, gender identity curricula in science and health classes, and placement of menstrual products in boys’ bathrooms.

Others view these concerns as manufactured. Brown is satisfied with the school district’s handling of hot-button topics.

“Any issue that has arisen over the years from lockdowns to safety to the dual immersion program, it seems that the district has at least hit it head on. They jump in to try to over-communicate.

My kids are involved in the school, and they don’t see or feel a lot of the things that are publicized,” Brown said.

Here too, the tightknit nature of the Winters community comes into play.

“It’s such a small district that things can be identified fairly quickly and have a conversation to communicate it out,” Brown said.

Boonchouy is optimistic that as issues or new challenges arise, the Winters community will continue to solve them together.

As for the school district, “At the end of the day, we’re here for our kids,” Boonchouy said.

B2 — Winters Express, Wednesday, November 27, 2024

California housing market bounces back in October California Association of Realtors Special to the Express California home sales rebounded in October, reversing two straight months of sales declines and registering the fastest year-over-year sales pace in 40 months, the California Association of Realtors said today.

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 264,870 in October, according to information collected by CAR from more than 90 local Realtors associations and MLSs statewide. The statewide annualized sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2024 if sales maintained the October

pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

October’s sales pace climbed 4.7 percent from the 253,010 homes sold in September and was up 9.5 percent from a year ago when a revised 241,910 homes were sold on an annualized basis. The year-over-year sales pace reached its highest level in 40 months, partly because of a low sales base in 2023, when sales dropped nearly 12 percent compared to the previous year.

“Rising rates in the past few weeks have created a less favorable lending environment for the housing market, but many of the homes that went pending in August and September finally closed,” said 2025 CAR Presi-

Courtesy photo

October’s California housing sales pace climbed 9.5 percent from a year ago. dent Heather Ozur, a Palm Springs Realtor.

“While market conditions are improving at a slower-than-expected pace, October’s bounce back in home sales suggests that there’s still solid interest from motivated buyers.”

The statewide median price climbed in October from both the previous month and year. The October me-

dian price rose 2.4 percent from $868,150 in September to $888,740 in October and 5.8 percent from a revised $839,990 in October 2023. The September-to-October price gain was the largest in 45 years, while the year-over-year price gain was the biggest pace recorded in the past three months, marking the 16th consecutive month of an-

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nual price increases.

Home prices could soften further in the coming months as the market enters the traditional off-season but should continue to register year-overyear growth for the remainder of the year.

Sales in higher-priced market segments continued to have an effect on the mix of sales, but the impact on the statewide median price growth has tapered in recent months. While

the sales pace for the $1 million-and-higher price segment remained moderately low in October at 3.9 percent, sales in the sub-$500,000 market continued to underperform, dropping 8.6 percent from a year ago. Moderation in the median price growth could be observed in the coming months if the share of homes priced at or above $1 million continues to shrink in the fall.

“With the elections behind us and the Federal Reserve cutting rates again earlier this month, some buyers will take advantage of the seasonal lull and purchase before the end of the year,” said CAR Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Jordan Levine. “However, rates are also expected to decline only gradually, creating headwinds for consumers. Fortunately, pending sales rose by double digits in October, which bodes well for closed sales next month.”

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Winters Express, Wednesday, November 27, 2024 — B3

Express Yourself

It feels like another year has come to an end

W

ith the rain comes another Winters Express rainfall contest.

We have a good start to this year’s rainy season, which runs July through June, so find the coupon in this week’s Express and send it in or drop it off through the mail slot at 13 Russell St. I don’t accept email entries so make sure you read the Express before entering. I’m hoping the coupon will be in the next three issues, with a deadline of Dec. 16.

There was a suggestion about having a contest for when the Glory Hole would spill, but I don’t trust the people who watch over the dam. Last year I saw video of the water going over the Glory Hole, but the official record said that it didn’t spill — 440 feet above sea level is the magic number and they said it didn’t reach that height. Well, I have a theory that the Glory Hole has settled over the years and that the height of the spillway is now 439.95 feet above sea level. Can someone help me get the lip of the Glory Hole recalibrated?

When Joe the Weath-

“Last year I saw video of the water going over the Glory Hole, but the official record said that it didn’t spill.” erman took over reading the weather from my father, the National Weather Service gave him a new, plastic, rain gauge. I put my father’s copper one in the museum. When it started to rain, after years of drought, I took it home to compare my readings with Joe’s.

Our homes are about a thousand yards apart, with Joe’s a little closer to the creek. He also has a lot of trees in his backyard.

For some reason, Joe is always getting a few hundredths more than I do. If I have .06 inches, he will have .08. It seems that the closer to the creek you are the more rain you get. I also think his trees drip water into his gauge, but who knows.

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Grading

Horoscopes ARIES (Mar 21/Apr 20), Aries, be careful what you ask for, as things have a funny way of coming true for you this week. Censor your thoughts for now, and perhaps hold your cards closer to the vest.

TAURUS (Apr 21/May 21), Taurus, you may have a lot of anxious thoughts right now. Friends provide a welcome diversion later in the week, and you also may want to put in more hours at work to stay distracted.

GEMINI (May 22/Jun 21), Gemini, plans aren’t panning out as you’d hoped, so consider other opportunities.

Stop and consider all the possibilities as soon as possible and then make a decision.

CANCER (Jun 22/Jul 22), Thoughts of love and relationships are on your mind, Cancer. However, you will have trouble expressing just how you feel to others. Think through your words before saying them.

LEO (Jul 23/Aug 23), Leo, you are a whirlwind of activity, and this causes a bit of disruption to a normally organized week. Others may remark on how you seem to be all over the place, but you know your limits.

VIRGO (Aug 24/Sept 22), It’s hard to imagine fitting anything else into your packed schedule, Virgo. Somehow you manage to do it. But the effects could prove stressful. Try lightening your load this week.

LIBRA (Sept 23/Oct 23), It’s time to plan and prepare, Libra. Take out a pen and paper and start making lists or use a digital planner. It’s the only way to remain organized with so much going on.

SCORPIO (Oct 24/Nov 22), Matters at home are a priority this week, Scorpio. Focus your attention on tackling things around the house and you’ll have more time to devote to fun down the road.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23/Dec 21), It might be time to pinch some pennies, Sagittarius. This week you could come up a bit short, and it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the month. Consider new revenue streams.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22/Jan 20), Capricorn, things turn out to be calm this week, and it is surprising how much you can accomplish. This slow pace is just the reprieve you’ve needed.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21/Feb 18), Aquarius, there’s not much you can do about a particular problem, so it may be better to stop thinking about a solution.

Put your attention toward something you can control.

PISCES (Feb 19/Mar 20), Pisces, a few minor tweaks to your schedule and you could be able to tackle a number of tasks this week. Enjoy the productivity.

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B4 — Winters Express, Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Express Yourself Winter bites on the frontlines and home in the states

T

hese are three of a series of letters that my uncle, Russell Fox Taylor, sent home to his wife, Lilla, from the battlefields in France, Belgium and Germany. After Action Reports record that Jan. 31, 1945, marks the 142nd consecutive day that the 38th Calvary Squadron has been in contact with the enemy in eastern Belgium and Monschau, Germany.

On Feb. 3, 1945, the squadron began to move further into Germany.

—Respectfully submitted

by Winters resident Gerald Taylor and Shelley Frost, granddaughter of Russell Fox Taylor.

Germany January 25, 1945 The weather here continues cold and the snow keeps piling up. Don’t worry about me getting frozen up as long as I have my fur-lined fox-hole and all the clothes I’m wearing. It’s really plenty. Our huts are snowed under and all you can see of

hope it goes through as planned.

—Russell

Germany February 8, 1945

some of them is the hole for the entrance.

On my hole, there were some steps leading down into the joint. The snow piled in and is packed, so instead of steps it is nothing but a chute now and we just slide right in. It is not quite so easy to get out for we keep sliding back. The proper solution would be to put skid chains on our hands and knees but it is so much fun this way we’ll leave it go as is.

The other day as I was preparing to go in, my feet slipped.

I went on my fanny and I was sitting on the floor of the shack before I knew what had happened. It was all very funny but proved to be a lesson in how to get under cover in a hurry.

The news is getting daily better and if the radio reports are correct the Russians must be off for a quick finish. I surely

Letters A big Warrior thank you Winters High School is beaming with pride as we celebrate outstanding achievements in athletics and the incredible support of our school community!

A big congratulations to our Varsity Football team for their historic season, culminating in a CIF North Section Division IV Championship — our first in 10 years! With an undefeated 12–0 record, our Warriors demonstrated exceptional resilience, teamwork, collaboration and determination on and off the field. This accomplishment would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our entire Warrior family. A huge thank you to our cheerleaders and Coaches Davis and Calvert for their energy and crowd pumpup, all season long in all types of weather; to Mr. Williams and the band for the music that kept the team and the crowd hyped all season; to Ms. Halsey our Robotics team for bringing excitement with the t-shirt cannon; and to Mr. Novello, our amazing families, and students of the Class of 2026 for running concessions all season

keeping spectators happy and fed. Your combined dedication and effort exemplify the Warrior spirit and strengthen our Winters JUSD Graduate Profile with collaboration, creativity, cultural awareness, communication and community engagement.

In addition, our Girls Soccer team also brought home glory this past weekend at the Cross Town Classic in Sacramento! Battling through challenging, muddy conditions. Our Lady Warriors showcased resilience, collaboration, and Warrior spirit, winning the tournament, and finishing it undefeated without conceding a single goal. Congratulations to our team, Coach Monsalve and the coaching staff, and our families who braved the weather elements all weekend.

Congratulations!

Lastly, I’d like to thank the community of Winters for their continuous support. From sponsoring our teams, streaming games (thank you Hooby’s) or showing up every week to cheer on our teams under the lights.

We are grateful to you all.

Go Warriors!

JUSTIN YOUNG WHS Principal

FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder F20240957 11/15/2024 Business is located in YOLO County Fictitious Business: LERCH LAND SURVEYING Physical Address: 34612 MALLARD ST, WOODLAND CA 95695 Mailing Address: PO BOX 1789, WOODAND CA 95776 Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s) & Physical Residential Address, State, and Zip: CHRISTOPHER WILLIAM LERCH, PO BOX 1789, WOODLAND CA 95776 Business Classification: INDIVIDUAL Starting Date of Business: 11/12/2024 /s/ CHRISTOPHER W. LERCH Title of Officer Signing : OWNER I hereby certify that this is a true copy of the original document on file in this office. This certification is true as long as there are no alterations to the document, AND as long as the document is sealed with a red seal.

Jesse Salinas, County Clerk/Recorder, State of California, County of Yolo Published NOVEMBER 27, DECEMBER 4, 11, 18, 2024 #77152 FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder F20240925 10/30/2024 Business is located in YOLO County Fictitious Business: GTO AUTO SHOP, LLC Physical Address: 315 COUNTY RD 98, WOODLAND CA 95695 Mailing Address: 803 WEST GRANT AVE #71, WINTERS, CA 95694 Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s) & Physical Residential Address, State, and Zip: GTO AUTO SHOP, LLC, 315 COUNTY RD 98, WOODLAND CA 95695 Business Classification: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY Starting Date of Business: N/A /s/ DULCE DURAN Title of Officer Signing : MANAGER, GTO AUTO SHOP, LLC I hereby certify that this is a true copy of the original document on file in this office. This certification is true as long as there are no alterations to the document, AND as long as the document is sealed with a red seal.

Jesse Salinas, County Clerk/Recorder, State of California, County of Yolo Published NOVEMBER 13, 20, 27, DECEMBER 4, 2024 #76853

I

’m so sorry that I haven’t written for a couple of weeks but as you probably know, we have been busy with our ghastly business again and seeing new country the hard way.

Personally, I don’t care a hoot to see even so much as another inch of this terrain, in fact, I’d much rather not. But then, you know how things are.

I haven’t heard from Jess (Russell’s brother who is also in combat in Europe) since the middle of December so don’t know just how he is making out.

He has things much easier than we do so don’t worry too much about him.

I better explain the enclosures. The commendation was out some time ago, but it has just been released. The reason for the delay is because we have been on the secret list until just a few days ago. I should also explain that we are not regularly at-

tached to the 4th Div., nor to any other for that matter.

The news article appeared in the army paper, “Stars and Stripes.” It is self-explanatory and also clears up a few more things for you about which I couldn’t mention before.

—Russell

Germany February 15, 1945 The other day I received a letter from Dad, written on Nov. 20, and today, just a few minutes ago in fact, I received one from Mother postmarked Feb. 5.

So you see the service may be anywhere between two months or 10 days. I haven’t yet received Dad’s letter you mentioned in which he was sending the newspaper clippings.

Mother says that Dad has gone to California again to help Abe out on the ranch for a while.

She also mentioned that Thelma is feeling poor and that Margaret is to have an operation on her face. I’m almost convinced that the casualties on the home front are greater than over here.

Speaking of casualties, I’ve

been one myself for a few days. I had to have an old injury opened up again. A little infection seems to have persisted in it ever since I was hurt last August. I do hope it will all clear up this time. It is nothing serious, but has been a continual nuisance and bother to me.

—Russell

Personal Note

I

was eight years of age when this letter was penned. Thelma, mentioned in this letter, is my mother who at that time was suffering from a prolonged illness. She passed away three months later in May. My father related to me years later that penicillin was difficult to get as it was prioritized to be used for the military wounded. Doctor Horn managed to get enough to administer one shot which made my mother feel better, but because it was not readily available for further treatment, she may indeed be considered a casualty of the war.

—Gerald Taylor

Why it will take until early December to certify this election in California

By Jesse Salinas Special to the Express

I

t is well-documented that final official election results in California take longer than other states.

Although the state’s shift to voting by mail is a driving force, there are other reasons why the final certification of an election takes additional time in our state.

New laws and changing voter habits have lengthened the time needed for election officials to finish certifying local elections, particularly the Presidential primary and general elections where many candidates and parties are vying for votes.

Even with early voting options available throughout the state, many California voters wait until either just before Election Day or Election Day itself before casting their ballots.

This means that while all elections

are complicated, presidential elections may be doubly so. It is the job of the Yolo County Elections Office and those in other counties across the state and nation to ensure the public can have faith in the final reported election results and the methods and means it took to certify those results.

The popularity of voting by mail requires extra verification steps that election workers must complete before counting each vote-by-mail ballot.

Since the November 2020 election, 85 percent to 90 percent of Yolo County voters have utilized the vote-by-mail option to vote.

Each signature on a vote-by-mail ballot envelope must be compared and matched with a signature on file for the voter before that ballot can even be opened. If the signature does not match, additional reviews and extra steps must

FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder F20240931 11/4/2024 Business is located in YOLO County Fictitious Business: WINTERS HEALTHCARE PHARMACY Physical Address: 172 E. GRANT AVE. WINTERS, CA 95694 Mailing Address: Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s) & Physical Residential Address, State, and Zip: WINTERS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION, INC. 172 E. GRANT AVE, WINTERS, CA 95694 Business Classification: CORPORATION Starting Date of Business: 10/17/2024 /s/ JENNI JACOBS GARCIA Title of Officer Signing : PRISIDENT OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS I hereby certify that this is a true copy of the original document on file in this office. This certification is true as long as there are no alterations to the document, AND as long as the document is sealed with a red seal.

Jesse Salinas, County Clerk/Recorder, State of California, County of Yolo Published NOVEMBER 20, 27, DECEMBER 4, 11, 2024 #76991 FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder F20240932 11/4/2024 Business is located in YOLO County Fictitious Business: WINTERS HEALTHCARE - ESPARTO PHARMACY Physical Address: 17340 YOLO AVE, ESPARTO, CA 95627 Mailing Address: Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s) & Physical Residential Address, State, and Zip: WINTERS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION, INC. 172 E. GRANT AVE, WINTERS, CA 95694 Business Classification: CORPORATION Starting Date of Business: 10/17/2024 /s/ JENNI JACOBS GARCIA Title of Officer Signing : PRISIDENT OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS I hereby certify that this is a true copy of the original document on file in this office. This certification is true as long as there are no alterations to the document, AND as long as the document is sealed with a red seal.

Jesse Salinas, County Clerk/Recorder, State of California, County of Yolo Published NOVEMBER 20, 27, DECEMBER 4, 11, 2024 #76992

be taken to try and contact the voter to cure the issue with their signature. All of this takes staff time and lengthens final certification.

Vote-by-mail ballots received early and whose signatures were verified and the ballots that were voted at a Vote Center prior to Election Day, were included in the first batch of results released shortly after the polls closed at 8 p.m. on Election Night.

B

y law, we must wait until 8 p.m. to tabulate and post that first batch of unofficial results.

The updates that were provided on Election Night reflect the ballots that were cast in the ballot box at a Vote Center that same day. To get those ballots to our election headquarters for processing and counting, at least two election workers safely and securely transported all those ballots back to our

election headquarters for processing and counting.

Once the final Election Day unofficial results were posted for the night, election workers spent the next day organizing and preparing for post-Election Day work to finalize results and certify the election.

The official post-Election Day period, commonly referred to as the canvass period, begins the Thursday following Election Day. State election law provides elections offices a 30-day period to certify this election.

There are specific tasks of the canvass and associated deadlines to legally certify an election in California, all of which extend the time it takes to officially announce final results. Each step of this process ensures every legal vote is counted and counted accurately.

Vote-by-mail ballots mailed to the

See VOTES, Page 5

FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder F20240820 9/23/2024 Business is located in YOLO County Fictitious Business: TRANSATLANTIC SOCCER CAMPS Physical Address: 140 B ST STE 5 #386, DAVIS CA 95616 Mailing Address: Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s) & Physical Residential Address, State, and Zip: KEVIN MCCLORY, 1959 LAKE BLVD, DAVIS CA 95616 Business Classification: INDIIVIDUAL Starting Date of Business: 6/9/2024 /s/ KEVIN MCCLORY Title of Officer Signing : I hereby certify that this is a true copy of the original document on file in this office. This certification is true as long as there are no alterations to the document, AND as long as the document is sealed with a red seal.

Jesse Salinas, County Clerk/Recorder, State of California, County of Yolo Published NOVEMBER 6, 13, 20, 27, 2024 #76589 FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder F20240921 10/29/2024 Business is located in YOLO County Fictitious Business: J. MCDOWELL WELDING & FARM MACHINERY, INC., J. MCDOWELL WELDING AND FABRICATION Physical Address: 29820 COUNTY ROAD 25, WINTERS, CA 95694 Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 1210, WINTERS, CA 95694 Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s) & Physical Residential Address, State, and Zip: J. MCDOWELL WELDING & FARM MACHINERY, INC., P.O. BOX 1210, WINTERS, CA 95694 Business Classification: CORPORATION Starting Date of Business: 10/29/2024 /s/ JACK MCDOWELL Title of Officer Signing : PRESIDENT - J MCDOWELL WELDING & FARM MACHINERY INC I hereby certify that this is a true copy of the original document on file in this office. This certification is true as long as there are no alterations to the document, AND as long as the document is sealed with a red seal.

Jesse Salinas, County Clerk/Recorder, State of California, County of Yolo Published NOVEMBER 13, 20, 27, DECEMBER 4, 2024 #76852

Winters Express, Wednesday, November 27, 2024 — B5

Sports Football section champs make history, look to state championship

By Sydney Andrade Express staff writer On Saturday, Nov. 23, the Winters High School varsity football team members walked off of Dr. Sellers football field as Champions with a final score of 45–7 against East Nicolaus High School.

“It’s been a long time coming but this was the right team at the right time. It is harder to excel at football than any other sport and this team not only excelled but may be the greatest football team to ever come through Winters High School,” said varsity head coach Daniel Ward.

Not only did the Warriors win the CIF Northern Section Div. IV Championship title, after a perfect season, they also made WHS history as the first football team to ever be invited to play for the Nor Cal Championships.

CIF will be host a seeding meeting on Sunday, Dec. 1, and the Warriors will find out who and where they will be playing.

The Nor Cal Championships will take place on Friday, Dec. 6 through Saturday, Dec. 7 and the winner of those games will travel to Los Angeles for the state champi-

VOTES Continued from Page 4 elections office at the last minute can, by law, still be accepted by the elections office up to seven days following Election Day, as long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day. In fact, California voters may return their vote-by-mail ballots to any California county official Ballot Drop Box or voting location. By law, our office can accept Yolo County vote-by-mail ballots returned in other California counties up to eight days after Election Day. All of these laws and deadlines require additional resources and time before election officials can provide certified results.

Additionally, Yolo County’s student population of some 37,000

Courtesy photo

The Winters Warriors defeated the East Nicolaus Spartans in the CIF Div. 4 Northern Section Championship game on Nov. 23, at Dr. Sellers Field. onships the weekend of December 12–13.

“It’s a long season and a lot of work, but to see their smiles afterwards and the excitement on their faces, makes it all worth it. We are extremely excited and blessed that we get to continue playing together for at least another week,” said Ward.

In the section championship game, quarterback Lane Brown led the Warriors to victory against the Spartans finishing the game with 14 completed passes out of 18 for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Brown also earned 46 rushing yards for the Warriors and crossed over into the end zone himself for a Warrior touchdown.

“To do what he did in

a championship game with the rain and the mud is flat-out special and his ability to throw the ball was the biggest difference in the game,” said Ward.

Julian Herrera, who excels on the defensive side of the ball has been trying his hand offensively for the past couple of weeks but saw his first start on offense against East Nicolaus and he came through in a big way.

“Besides being the lead blocker for Lane, (Gio Jimenez) and (Sebastian Rodriguez), he led the team in receiving yards with three huge catches for 88 yards,” said Ward.

Jesse Madsen made two game-changing touchdowns with 51 receiving yards and had a great game blocking

as well. Sebastian Rodriguez, Luke Felsen and sophomore EJ Cruz were also instrumental players in the Warriors’ victory. Rodriguez earned 73 receiving yards, 31 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Warriors.

Cruz went in later in the game and earned 21 rushing yards and his first varsity touchdown.

Felsen waited all year for his time to shine and was utilized at the perfect moment.

Felsen received a beautiful pass from Brown and ran 35 yards for a touchdown in the second half of the game.

Gio Jimenez and Herrera both had great defensive games and set the tone for the Warriors from the start, but it was Dan-

ny Sanchez who made the biggest impact defensively.

“Danny would have to be our defensive MVP of the game. He had his best game as a varsity football player. His effort and energy were unmatched and he ended the game with ten tackles, a forced fumble and a recovery,” said Ward.

Other stand out defensive players include Nate Apodaca with nine recorded tackles and Ricky Garcia and Jayden Blackburn with six tackles each. The Warriors also made two sacks in the game executed

by Jimenez and Apodaca.

Macguire Plitt made an exceptional interception and a 35-yard return for the Warriors, earning posses-

sion of the ball and an advantage in the game. Plitt also made a fumble recovery in the game caused

by Jake Woods who forced the Spartan fumble.

“It was a special day for not just our team and their families, but for this school and this community. I want to personally thank everyone who was there supporting us, not just on Saturday but throughout the entire season,” said Ward.

As players, familes and community members all eagerly await news from CIF, all can celebrate and congratulate the WHS varsity football team on winning the CIF Northern Section Div. IV Championships and making it to the next round.

individuals also provides a unique reward and challenge.

Although Yolo County is not the only California county with college students, our county has one of the highest per capita student populations in the state at 16 percent.

High student engagement coupled with one of the highest per capita college student populations in the state and combined with the historical trend that most student-age voters typically cast their vote late in the election voting cycle, created a significant post-Election Day processing crunch for our elections office that is unique across the state.

Provisional voting has been used in California since 1984.

Provisional ballots are those cast by voters who believe they

are registered to vote, even though their names are not on the official voter registration list where they are voting.

This is one of the tenets of the California Voter’s Bill of Rights.

The submitted Provisional Ballot will be reviewed and only counted after the elections office has confirmed that the voter is registered to vote in Yolo County and that the voter did not already vote in the election.

In 2017, Conditional Voter Registration (CVR) became available to state voters, which allows voters to register and vote the same day. The CVR ballots, just like Provisional Ballots, must be processed after all the in-person votes have been counted and all the vote-bymail ballot envelopes have been reviewed to

ensure no voter votes more than once.

Depending on the volume of these provisional and conditional ballots, this review process and the need to register CVR voters to ensure there are no duplicate votes cast can take more than a week to complete.

For the current Nov. 5, General Election, Yolo County has just under 5,300 conditional and provisional ballots it is in the process of reviewing.

Due to the requirements outlined in Assembly Bill 3184, election results cannot be certified in California until Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the earliest. This new law establishes specific timelines and procedures for certifying election results in California. As a result of this legislation, the Yolo County Elections Office anticipates certifying the Nov. 5

General Election and providing final official election results on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

By law, the certification date for the election must be announced with a 10-day notice during the canvass period. During this period voters who forgot to sign their vote-by-mail ballot envelope or whose signatures were challenged will have the opportunity to correct their respective issue. The final cut-off for voters to resolve all such issues is two days before the election is certified.

The Unsigned Identification Envelope Statement and Signature Verification Statement forms are available here: https:// elections.yolocounty.gov/cure-letters These forms must be returned to the Elections Office by 5 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 1.

As one can see,

there are many legal requirements and unique conditions in Yolo County that require our office to finalize results and certify an election.

Our office will continue to provide ongoing unofficial election results every Tuesday and Friday throughout the canvassing period until the election is certified at https:// elections.yolocounty.gov/current-election-returns.

The elections office is committed to getting our final certified results completed accurately and as soon as possible while ensuring all legal requirements are met and that the integrity and transparency of the election process is successfully achieved in every election.

—Jesse Salinas is the Yolo County Assessor, Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters.

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PISANI’S ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Brady Baugh Brady Baugh, a Winters High School sophomore, is Pisani’s Athlete of the Week. As a Warrior swim team athlete, Baugh put in dedication to bettering his times and it paid off. He shaved 6 seconds off his 50 freestyle and 9 seconds off his 100 freestyle in the past season, which coach Melanie Ellison attributes as “accomplishments that come from his focused work at practice.” “Brady attended the most number of swim practices out of anyone on the team this year,” Ellison said.

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B6 — Winters Express, Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Arts & Entertainment

Courtesy photo Courtesy photo

Little John (Bryan Pro), Robin Hood of Locksley (Cameron Toney), Luke of the Lake (Ryan Saunders) and Alan of the Dale (Ellie Yeatman) join forces as the Sherwood Forest Band of Thieves.

Prince John (Jax Cooper, left) looks nervous as his brother King Richard (Ryan Saunders, right) intervenes as the Abbot (Bryan Pro) prepares to place the crown on the prince’s head at the coronation.

‘Robin Hood’ hits the bullseye with original tunes, non-stop laughs

By Holly Haviland Entertainment correspondent “The Story of Robin Hood” tells the tale of a brave man rising against inequality and tyranny along with inspiring others to do so. Stealing from the rich and giving it to the poor, Robin Hood shines hope for those who have been exploited and suffer-

ing. This theme continues to remain relevant throughout the years and has been told in many ways.

The opening night for Winters Theatre Company’s production of “Robin Hood The Musical” at the Winters Opera House was another rendition of this timeless tale.

I found myself enamored right away

with Ellie Yeatmen (Alan of the Dale) as the scene was set through song for the audience. As we met the characters, one by one, there was a sense of understanding that this was very much a Normans versus Saxons story. The comedic songs told us how their differences meant “We can’t be friends.”

Tractors & Trees 10th Annual Tractor Parade & Community Tree Lighting

Join us in celebrating the 10th Annual Tractor Parade & Tree Lighting in our special edition publishing on Wednesday, December 4th. This special edition will include a schedule of events, maps and photos of this community wide celebration held on December 6th & 7th.

SPONS ORE D BY :

HAPPY HOUR AT

Robin Hood of Locksley (Cameron Tony) heads to Sherwood Forest, his elusive headquarters, he enlists more citizens to join his group of outlaws. They meet a forrester Litte John (Bryan Pro) who was not so little. After a quick battle he joins as well and we are soon introduced to Friar Tuck (Dave Muerle).

The Friar proves his swordsmanship protecting a joint of meat that Robin asked for and certainly made the audience laugh on more than one occasion. He joins the band of outlaws and we see a cleverly choreographed feast that gives more insight into the character.

Robin Hood and his outlaws execute another performance that demands “Give me lionhearted men,” explaining their allegiance to King Richard (Ryan Saunders).

The lovely ladies in waiting including Suzanne (Jennifer Rutherfood), Madeline (Julia Berrelleza), Antoinette (Reia Cooper) and Coline (Iris Girimonte) use the opportunity to share their own feminine passion for the cause becoming “Lion-hearted Ladies.”

Of course, no Robin

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Hood story could be complete without the Sherrif of Nottingham (Aaron Love) taxing and terrorizing the poor. He along with others like Grisbourn (Ryan Saunders) show us the villainous pack that serves Prince John (Jax Cooper) who just “Can’t Wait to be King.”

The Prince is trying to take the crown and steal as much wealth as that he can while King Richard is indisposed. Maid Marian (Emily-Jo Shephard) is initially oblivious to being used as a pawn, but she soon wises up after meeting Robin Hood and falling in love with him. She sings a beautiful ballad “You don’t own me,” after overhearing Prince John and his henchmen discussing her future.

Robin Hood never strays from his loyalty to a missing King Richard, who is revealed later on and appears momentarily before Prince John is crowned. He saves the citizens from his brother’s treachery and Robin Hood is rewarded in the end with Maid Marian becoming his wife and Prince John getting what he deserves.

The production staff did a fantastic

job with keeping the audience immersed in the experience and the set in motion.

From dueling matches to parodies of popular songs and dance number and dance number — the audience will be delighted by an array of entertainment.

Any peasents in the audience should take care to not get in the way of the horse caravan as it travels through the crowd.

The casting was well done for the musical, you can tell the dedication and hard work that went into everything from the guidance of director Linda Glick, musical director Debi Bowen and choreographer Sylvia Hawk to the cast who poured themselves into their roles.

The play was inspired by the 1977 production of Robin Hood by the Bad Actors of the Palms Playhouse in Davis.

There is one more weekend of performances of “Robin Hood The Musical” and it is already getting rave reviews online. Tickets are available online at www. winterstheatre.org.

Looking forward to seeing more from the Winters Theater Company in the Winters Opera House this year. The 2025 season is already in the works and details are posted on the WTC website.

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I have poured the rain from my gauge into his gauge so it isn’t the gauge. We use Joe’s official rainfall for the contest.

As the leaves start to fall, I always think that the year is coming to an end. Crops have been harvested, winter sets in, and the days are shorter. With a December birthday, it is also a time to add another year to my age. Young children and old people count their age in half years.

I haven’t started counting in half years, yet, but that time will come sooner rather than later.

It is time to enjoy the holiday season, give thanks for all that we have and count our blessings. Thanksgiving is a time of family gatherings and you start to see Christmas decorations in stores.

If you can, help those less fortunate by supporting local charities. ’Tis the season for giving.

Have a good week.