News1
$1
Online marketplace features local shops News, Page 6
Winters Chamber Tractor winners Features, Page 1
Volume 137, Number 48 — Locally owned since 1884
The hometown paper of Jessica Kilkenny
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, December 23, 2020
OUR KITCHEN
YOUR DOOR
DELIVERED
7 DAYS A WEEK 4PM-8PM
NOW OFFERING
FREE DELIVERY
within winters city limits
County reducing quarantine period from 14 days to 10 By Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media Yolo County issued revised quarantine guidance last Friday, reducing from 14 days to 10 the length of time individuals must quarantine following exposure to COVID-19. The action follow’s state adoption of new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that allows people with no symptoms to quarantine for only 10 days after a close-contact exposure to someone with COVID-19. “Yolo County recognizes that a 14-day quarantine may pose a significant economic and mental health
By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief
burden and may not be possible for certain workers,” a county press release stated. Effective immediately, the updated quarantine health order states that asymptomatic close contacts may discontinue quarantine 10 days after the date of last exposure without testing. All contacts released from quarantine before 14 days must self monitor for COVID-19 symptoms through day 14 and if they develop symptoms, must immediately isolate and seek testing. There are three exceptions to the 10-day quarantine: Asymptomatic close contacts who are
Winters Joint Unified School District announced that Trustee Rob Warren resigned from the school board on Dec. 14. Warren has served as the Winters JUSD Area 4 Trustee for the past 10 years. He most previous held the position of Board Clerk, and prior to that served as the Board of Trustees President. When asked about his decision to resign, Warren said, “Transparency, sometimes to a fault.” He said the decision came following the Winters JUSD Special School Board meeting held on Thursday, Dec. 10. According to Warren,
See CHANGE, Page 7
See TRUSTEE, Page 5
McNaughton Media Healthcare workers and executives from three state and local healthcare systems overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic gathered via Zoom on Tuesday to issue a plea to the public: “We need your help.” With the holidays getting underway, representatives of Sutter Health, Diginity Health and Kaiser Permanente urged everyone to avoid travel and gathering and just stay home.
I ndex Features ........................ B-1
“Right now we are struggling,” said Dr. Vanessa Walker of Sutter Health. “We are seeing unprecedented numbers of patients with very severe illnesses…. requiring nurses and physicians that don’t normally provide care for these very critically ill patients to really stretch to the tops of their license and try to deliver the best care that they can. “We are tired,” she said. “We’re struggling every day to deal with the same fatigue you have, not
Weather Date
Rain High Low
Dec. 16
.00
Dec. 17
.38”
55˚ 37˚
Dec. 18
.00
60˚ 40˚
Dec. 19
.00
62˚ 31˚
Eventos hispanos ....... A-2
Dec. 20
.00
59˚ 30˚
Dec. 21
.00
60˚ 30˚
Opinion ......................... B-5
Dec. 22
.01”
53˚ 35˚
Classifieds ................... B-4 Community .................. A-6
Real Estate ................... B-2 Athlete of the Week.... A-6
56˚ 32˚
Rain for week: 0.39 in. Season’s total: 1.54 in. Last sn. to date: 7.84 in. Winters rainfall season began 7/1/20. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m.
WWW.PRESERVEWINTERS.COM
Warren resigns from school board, Trustees to discuss next steps
Healthcare workers asking public to stay at home, avoid indoor gatherings By Anne Ternus-Bellamy
ORDER on our website and select delivery or call us at 530.795.9963
being able to go out and enjoy the things we used to be able to do…. We’re asking you to please do your part and avoid gathering indoors, avoid sharing your air, take it outside…. be creative in order to share these holidays. “If we do our part now, there will be more of us available and alive to share the holidays with next year,” said Walker. The surge in COVID cases battering healthcare systems in California right now “is the Thanksgiving Day celebration effect,” said Dr. Steven Parodi associate executive director of The Permanente Medical Group. “If you look at the timing, and when we started seeing the increased surge, it is related to the travel, it is related to the gathering and we understand why people have done it,” said Parodi. “But we are making a clarion and desperate call to Califor-
See CHANGE, Page 5
Courtesy image
The Area 4 Trustee zone spans east of Hemenway, Mermod Place and Malaga Lane, and north of Grant Avenue. It expands east including the El Rio Villa neighborhood.
Businesses buckle down for long winter By Edward Booth Express staff writer Winters businesses will remain heavily restricted as California’s stay-at-home order carries on for at least another few weeks. The most economically damaging change the order brought to most Winters eateries is a ban on outdoor dining, which was allowed under a previous county health order and every tier of the
state’s reopening system. Restaurants and coffee shops, among other businesses, must now rely solely on take-out and delivery. Chris Turkovich, president of the Winters Downtown Business Association, said local businesses rely on the downtown being a destination spot for Winters residents as well as people from surrounding areas such as Davis, Woodland and Vacaville.
By Edward Booth Express staff writer The Winters City Council honored city clerk Tracy Jensen for her 15 years of service and heard an update from Valley Clean Energy at its Dec. 15 meeting. Additionally, city hall will be closed from Dec. 24 to Jan. 3, 2021. The Jan. 5, 2021 City Council meeting was canceled.
City Clerk Honored
Tracy Jensen was recognized by the
Winters City Council on Dec. 15 for her 15 years of service as city clerk. Mayor Wade Cowan said the city lost some of its history as long time city employees left their positions. He thanked Jensen for the time and energy she’s given to the city. Jensen, he said, had sworn in every council member present. “We appreciate everything you’ve done for the city and wish you well in your retirement and hope to
We deliver friendly hometown service!
Service all makes & models Accept all major credit cards Family owned & operated
Restaurant: 795.4503 Catering: 795.1722
State Contractor Lic# 864483
See FUNDS, Page 7
City Council Dec. 15 meeting news briefs
WINTERS AGGREGATE
27990 County Road 90 Winters, CA 95694 www.pearcehvac.com
“A lot of what we’re selling in Winters is the charm and the ambiance of our downtown,” Turkovich said The city spent most of a $200,000 CARES Act grant to create an outside dining area on Main Street that, when finished, can be easily opened and closed to allow for two-way vehicle traffic. Over the past few weeks, the area has been outfitted with
34 Main Street Winters, CA 95694 530-795-5600
www.smith-funerals.com FD-2013
• Fruit Tree Soil • Moss Rock • Bulk Bagged Perlite • Blended Planting Soil • Large Selection of Flagstone
4499 Putah Creek Rd.
(530) 795-2994
see you around town very often,” Cowan said. Council member Pierre Neu said Jensen had probably saved him in his role as council member more times than anyone else: by reminding him of tasks, and by fixing his computer when it wouldn’t do something he wanted it to do. He urged her to enjoy retirement and said he didn’t think he would
See CITY, Page 5
C U ST O M CLEANERS · Dry Cleaning · Laundry · Alterations 184 E. Grant Avenue, Winters (530) 795-1938