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Chamber celebrating with trees and tractors News, Page 2
including tax
Local man making strides for healthier life Features, Page 1
Volume 137, Number 45 — Locally owned since 1884
Business Rent and Mortgage Grant applications deadline approaching By Edward Booth Staff Writer The Dec. 7 deadline for Winters businesses to apply to the city’s Business Rent and Mortgage Assistance Grant Program will soon be arriving. The Winters City Council unanimously passed the program on Nov. 17. Shelly Gunby, the city’s Director of Financial Management, said the program came about because the city received $200,000
in CARES Act funding from Yolo County and wanted to use some of it to provide assistance to Winters businesses that didn’t receive funding through the county’s Small Business Grant Program. Gunby added that $40,000 is currently set aside for the program, and the city identified about 15 businesses to contact and see if they were interested. The city is current-
The hometown paper of Cindy Heintz
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, December 2, 2020
ly working with the Winters Downtown Business Association and the Winters Chamber of Commerce to reach out to all businesses in the city and encourage them to apply, said Gunby. Since the program passed, both her and City Manager Kathleen Trepa have reached out to businesses they know haven’t received funding from other sources. Trepa said at the
See GRANT, Page 5
Officials projecting ICUs to hit max capacity in just weeks By Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media It’s all about the math for state officials projecting what’s coming in the COVID-19 pandemic. Roughly 12 percent of all COVID-19 cases result in hospitalizations, they say, and 10 to 30 percent of those patients ultimately require critical care in an intensive care unit. So with cases surging to unprecedented levels in recent weeks, projections that have
ICU beds statewide filled to capacity by mid-December have prompted warnings of a new stay-at-home order aimed at limiting further spread of the virus. “Bottom line is we are looking at intensive care unit capacity as the primary trigger for deeper, more restrictive actions because when that capacity goes away, or even when it gets stretched so far that staffing is stretched,
McNaughton Media An investigation is underway in rural Esparto after a man was found fatally shot on his parent’s property, according to the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office. Relatives discovered the body of Frank Ryan Estepa, 39, at about 11:45 a.m. Nov. 21 in the 24000 block of County Road 22A, sheriff’s Lt. Matt Davis said. Davis said Estepa’s cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound, but detectives are still investigating whether the case is a homicide or involves another manner of death. Detectives declined to release additional details, such as the location of Estepa’s
I ndex Features ........................ B-1
gunshot wound and whether a weapon was recovered from the scene. “Due to the active nature of the investigation, no additional information will be released at this time,” Davis said in a news release issued Monday. Asked why it took the Sheriff’s Office nine days to publicly disclose the death, Davis said: “The incident was not immediately reported by the Sheriff’s Office in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation.” Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact sheriff’s dispatchers at 530-666-8282. Anonymous tips can be reported at 530-668-5248. Express Staff Writer Rick von Geldern contributed to this article.
Weather Date
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68˚ 41˚
Nov. 26
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Nov. 27
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Nov. 28
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Eventos hispanos ....... A-7
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Opinion ......................... B-2
Dec. 01
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Classifieds ................... B-4 Community .................. A-2
Real Estate ................... B-3 Athlete of the Week..... A-2
Rain for week: 0.00 in. Season’s total: 0.00 in. Last sn. to date: 0.00 in. Winters rainfall season began 7/1/20. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m.
By Lauren Keene McNaughton Media
Crystal Zaragoza/Courtesy photo
City Clerk, Ashley Bussart (middle), administered the Oath of Office on Nov. 16 for City Manager Kathleen Trepa (left) and new Police Officer Kyle Shadman (right).
City conducting business in socially distance friendly manner Express Staff Press Release The City of Winters hosted a COVID style Oath of Office ceremony on the front steps of City Hall in early November to welcome in the new city manager and a new police officer. The new City Clerk, Ashley Bussart, administered her first Oath of Office on Nov. 16 for the new City Manager, Kathleen Trepa and Winters Police Department’s new officer, Kyle Shadman. Trepa’s first day in her Winters City Manager role was Nov. 9. Currently she has begun work to help create virtual opportunities for the public to access City services, as well as for City staff to do their work with minimal exposure to others. She said the goal is to pivot all public services generally handled at City Hall to remote based technology. This includes utilizing more online communication on social media platforms, phone calls, and emails. She brings nearly 25 years of experience in local government as well as six years in the private sector. Trepa recently served as
Assistant City Manager with the City of Concord for over three years, and previously worked for the cities of Goleta, Claremont, San Marcos, and San Juan Capistrano. In an interview with the Express, Trepa shared her excitement to be a part of the Winters community. Winters Police Chief, John P. Miller, said Shadman officially joined WPD on Nov. 16. Shadman decided to pursue a career in law enforcement in 2018. He graduated from the San Joaquin Delta College POST Academy in March 2020 where he was awarded the True Grit Award by the Recruit Training Officers. He also began working to receive his bachelor’s degree from Humphreys University. According to Miller, Shadman hopes to bring his experience in working with developmentally disabled adults and individuals who live with mental illness to Winters to help make a difference in the community. Shadman and his wife opened an assisted living facility for developmentally disabled adults in 2015, and a second location in 2017.
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Yolo inmates among EDD fraud recipients
Sheriff’s detectives seeking information from public on local man’s death By Lauren Keene
we know that the quality of care… sometimes takes a dip and we see outcomes we don’t want to see,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s secretary of health and human services. “We want to act sooner than that so that we can get transmission down and we can handle those potential high ICU surges,” Ghaly said during a press briefing with Gov. Gavin Newsom
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Three convicted Yolo County murderers — including a sheriff’s deputy’s killer condemned to death row — are among tens of thousands of California inmates who unlawfully received pandemic unemployment benefits in their names under a statewide scam believed to have cost taxpayers as much as $1 billion. “We believe this is the largest fraud of California taxpayers ever uncovered,” Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig said Tuesday, just hours after four California district attorneys and a U.S. attorney held a news conference detailing the fraud scheme they described as “offensive” and “staggering.” Last Tuesday’s revelation has put the state’s already-beleaguered Employment Development Department back in the hot seat. In addition to its dysfunctional response to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s earning new criticism for failing to crosscheck the names of unemployment applicants against those of California prison inmates, even though similar efforts are being made in 35 other
See FRAUD, Page 5
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News2 A2 — Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Local officials discuss actions after LNU fires to improve emergency response and hard experiences,” Arnold said at the meeting. Staff Writer “This summary does not do Yolo County Supervisor those specifics justice. But Don Saylor and Winters in moving to identify areas Mayor Wade Cowan held to prioritize for action, we a virtual meeting Nov. 18 have landed on five major to report on fire safety accategories of concern that tions they’re exploring in we heard expressed.” response to the LNU LightAt the meeting, Arnold ning Complex fires, which summarized community burned through five Caliconcerns that fell into each fornia counties and struck of the five categories. On the Greater Winters Area communication, Arnold in August. said, residents expressed The meeting followed a challenges with emergenseries of listening sessions cy alerts not being received for residents in the Greator not being received on a er Winters Area, hosted by timely basis, with those Cowan, Saylor and Solano alerts not being clear enough, and with a lack of official information that was appropriately updated. Many of Ruby Arizaga, a Winters High School senior, is the the other Pisani’s Athlete of the Week. Arizaga’s dedication concerns connectto cheer made her an ideal choice as one of the ed back to captains. She has a passion for spreading spirit on communicaand off the field. “As a leader, Ruby encourages her tion, Arnold teammates to work hard, try new things and stay said. For the positive in the face of adversity,” said coach Sterling evacuation process, for Davis. “When stunting, she won’t stop until she has example, achieved her goals.” there were concerns about what the evacuation bound’95 and older, vans, HD, RVs extra
By Edward Booth
County Supervisor John Vasquez. Those sessions, spurred by the devastation of the fires, aimed to hear the voices and experiences of residents and to help identify where the fire response can be improved. Meg Arnold, who served as facilitator for the listening sessions, presented five core areas of improvement at the Nov. 18 meeting — communication, evacuation process, post-fire return, preparedness and trust. “We heard a lot of specifics, and a lot of really powerful, and important
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aries meant and where they physically stood, and about unclear information on evacuation centers and places to take large animals. Saylor shared short-term, mid-term and long-term actions that are being taken in response to the concerns. There are 16 total actions, with11 residing in the communication category. Short-term communication improvement actions include fixing spam block on voice call alerts and testing the notification system; increasing outreach for Yolo-Alert sign ups; working with the Solano County Office of Emergency Services to share access for cross jurisdictional alerts; and simplifying where to access real-time emergency information. Mid-term communication actions include exploring protocols, putting multiple languages in alerts and exploring a siren system. Long-term actions involve working with the alert system vendor to allow notification software to use cross-jurisdictional alerts; advocating for State and Federal changes that would allow access to cell phone information so the number of residents needed to opt-in is reduced; and
considering solutions for crowdsourcing information from those in impacted communities. To improve evacuations, Saylor said, actions include updating the Evacuation Document for the Greater Winters Area and opening it for comment in early 2021, as well as clarifying and communicating large animal evacuation plans. For preparedness, Saylor said, the county is developing a Yolo County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and a Yolo-based incident command team, and is looking to launch Fire Safe Councils in the Greater Winters Area and the Capay Valley. And to help with post-fire return, Saylor said, actions are being taken to clarify, coordinate and share rules and protocols about who can return and under what circumstances, and who will determine when it’s safe to return. Saylor said partnership and coordination will be necessary to continue putting the action items in place. “It’s going to take all of us as a single community that’s resilient to move these things forward,” Saylor said at the meeting.
Chamber celebrating with tractors and holiday cheer Annual Winters Tractor Parade canceled Express Staff Press Release The traditional Winters Tractor Parade is officially canceled, but the Winters Chamber is not letting the holiday cheer fizzle. Winters Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Sue Moualim announced the Winters Trees & Tractors will run from Dec. 6 through Jan. 2, 2021. The Winters Chamber is encouraging all community members to spread holiday cheer by putting a lit Christmas tree either in front of their home or business, or to display it in a front window. “Everyone can put up a tree, decorate a tree they already have maybe in their yard, decorate their homes so we can see Winters from space,” Moualim said.
Tractor Contest
The Winters Chamber has 100 plywood tractor silhouette cutouts available for sponsorship at $50 each. Three winning tractor entries will be
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Tractor plywood cutouts are available for sponsorship from the Winters Chamber at $50 each. awarded cash prizes of $300 for First Place, $200 for Second Place, and $100 for Third Place. Moualim said residents, businesses or organizations are welcome to sponsor, decorate and display a tractor as supplies last. The tractors are cut from one-half inch plywood and are un-
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finished. They are 3.5 feet tall by 4 feet wide. Once a tractor has been claimed it is up to the sponsoree to decorate and/or put lights on it. Each tractor will have an assigned number which must be displayed on or near the tractor for voting purposes. Voting begins on Dec. 5 and ends on Dec. 20. The Winters Chamber will provide a link to vote online at https://www.winterschamber.com/. Information on voting will also be shared on the Winters Chamber social media accounts. The Winters Chamber anticipates to contact and announce the winning tractors in early December. Tractor sponsorships can be purchased online at https://winterschamberofcommerce. growthzoneapp.com/ ap/Events/Register/ MrD8jnZr. Tractor Parade swag is also for sale to support Winters Chamber endeavors. They have T-shirts in adult and youth sizes or sweatshirts in adult sizes. Questions can be sent to sue@winterschamber.com or by phone call to 530-7952329.
News3 Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020 — A3
Multiple Yolo COVID testing options available in December By Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media Opportunities to test for COVID-19 will be plentiful in December, with free testing available in several locations throughout Yolo County. Testing ranges from the saliva-based test offered by Healthy Davis Together to nasal-swab tests being offered by the county and state. Additionally, the Rite Aid on Main Street in Woodland is providing free drive-through testing for anyone over age 13.
County testing
Yolo County residents can receive free COVID-19 testing in multiple locations throughout the county in December. This nasal-swab test does not require a reservation but registration is recommended in order to speed up the process. Participants at these testing sites must be residents of Yolo County and will need to bring a document displaying their name and address, such as a driver’s license, ID card, utility bill or piece of mail. All ages are accepted. When residents register online, they will not be able to select a time slot and will not receive a confirmation of receipt. Register at: https://www. avellinocoronatest. com/patient. County testing will also be available in December in other locations, including West Sacramento, Clarksburg and Esparto. See a full list of locations at https:// www.yolocounty.org/ health-human-services/adults/communicable-disease-investigation-and-control/novel-coronavirus-2019/coronavirus-testing.
Healthy Davis Together
Saliva-based testing
offered free of charge to individuals who live or work in Davis will continue during the month of December. Testing is currently taking place weekdays by appointment only at the Davis Senior Center but will be moving to the Veterans Memorial Center in early December. A second location will be opening at the Mondavi Center on Dec. 8. This testing, developed by the UC Davis Genome Center, is limited to individuals who are asymptomatic. Learn more about the test and make an appointment at https:// www.yolocounty.org/ health-human-services/adults/communicable-disease-investigation-and-control/novel-coronavirus-2019/coronavirus-testing/
State testing
The state’s OptumServe testing, available to all California residents, will continue through the month of December in Woodland. Testing appointments are available Tuesdays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the portable building next to the Juvenile Detention Facility at 2780 E Gibson Road. The testing is free and open to all California residents regardless of documentation status. All ages are welcome. If residents do not have health insurance, the cost of the test will be covered by the state. Those with insurance will have their providers billed with no out-of-pocket cost. To schedule an appointment, call 888634-1123 or go visit https://lhi.care/covidtesting. Testing sites run by Healthy Davis Together, Yolo County and the state require face
County funding for underserved individuals impacted by COVID-19 extending to Dec. 31 Press Release
requirements, including:
Residents impacted by COVID-19 now have until Dec. 31, 2020 to apply for up to $800 in financial assistance through the WIOA Dislocated Worker Funds for Underserved COVID-19 Impacted Individuals program. The program is administered by the Yolo County Workforce Innovation Board (WIB) and Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and is funded by the California Employment Development Department and the Labor & Workforce Development Agency. The original deadline was Sept. 30 but has now been extended through Dec. 31. The program will provide up to $800 per person for basic needs such as housing and utility assistance, childcare and transportation costs. In addition, funding assistance for equipment needed for teleworking along with digital services for Wi-Fi access may be available for workers in some areas. Individuals must meet all the eligibility
• Working as a caregiver for someone who is subject to quarantine. • Caring for children because of school closure or closure of other childcare provider. • Being at higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19; or living with someone who is higher risk, as outlined on the California Department of Public Health COVID-19 website. • Required to telework, but does not have the necessary equipment for supportive services assistance. Additional information on the program can be found at the program’s FAQs. Individuals can apply by calling 530-661-2710 or 916375-6331 and leaving a voicemail with contact information and staff will reply within 24 hours (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.). Individuals can also be connected to a WIOA Case Manager by emailing: WIOAprogram@yolocounty.org. This is the result of initiatives announced in April 2020 to support California’s workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yolo County
coverings and social distancing. None of these locations are drive-through.
Woodland Rite Aid
One location in Yolo County that does have drive-through testing available is the Rite Aid at 295 W Main St. in Woodland. As of this week, the free test — a partnership between Rite Aid and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — is available to anyone aged 13 or over, regardless of whether they are symptomatic or not. Rite Aid uses a simple self-swab nasal test overseen by Rite Aid pharmacists. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult patients will be required to provide government issued identification and need to pre-register online at www. riteaid.com in order to schedule a time slot for testing. Parents or legal guardians must provide consent for people younger than 18, show their government issued identification and must accompany their children to the appointment and supervise them during the test. Testing will be unavailable at Rite Aid sites on Thanksgiving and Friday, Nov. 27, but will resume on this Saturday. So far only the Woodland Rite Aid is offering this testing.
Courtesy photo
Yolo Food Bank faces $15,000 in repair costs following the theft of, and damage to, one of its refrigerated delivery truck the day before Thanksgiving.
Yolo Food Bank seeking donations to repair deliver truck stolen, damaged By Lauren Keene McNaughton Media The Grinch paid an early visit to Yolo County last week, stealing a Yolo Food Bank truck while its driver gathered food destined for families in need. “It was absolutely the wrong thing to happen the day before Thanksgiving,” Joy Cohan, YFB’s director of philanthropic engagement, said of Wednesday’s theft outside the Woodland Costco store. Although police soon recovered the refrigerated box truck — purchased four years ago following a Davis-based community fundraising effort — by then it had sustained $15,000 worth of damage. It also contained food boxes already packaged for 150 families that had to be scrapped due to possible contamination. “It’s a complication no one needs this time of year, especially during a pandemic,” Cohan said. The truck — named the “Heidi-Renee” af-
ter Davis philanthropists Heidi Smith and Renee Dryfoos, who co-organized the 2016 fundraising campaign — was taken at about 6:45 a.m. Wednesday after its driver stopped at Costco for a routine grocery-donation pickup. As Woodland police began investigating the theft, a Yolo Food Bank employee happened to spot the truck abandoned less than 2 miles away at the Home Depot parking lot on East Main Street around 8:15 a.m. By then, the thief was long gone. But he or she left significant damage in their wake, including a controller for the truck’s crucial refrigeration unit, which accommodates the transport of perishable foods, that was torn from the dashboard. So far, two donors have come forward to help offset the repair costs, but more is needed. Others who would like to contribute can do so on Yolo Food Bank’s website, yolofoodbank. org/donate-covid-19/,
or by mailing a check to its offices, 233 Harter Ave., Woodland CA 95776. Meanwhile, the theft investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Woodland Police Department at 530666-2411. Despite the setback, Food Bank officials say they’re grateful the truck ultimately was found. “It’s a very special truck,” Cohan said, noting not only its markings that recognize every donor to the fundraising campaign, but also its unique size that fits into locations inaccessible to larger delivery trucks. “It’s an integral part of what we do.” The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downtown has the Yolo Food Bank serving about 60,000 families countywide each month. In addition to financial donations, it receives food supplies from more than 100 grocers, retailers, farmers and other distributors.
News4 A4 — Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Yesteryear
Picked by Charley Wallace
File photo
115
80
YEARS AGO December 15, 1905
At the last stated meeting of the Buckeye Lodge F. & A.M., the following officers were reelected: JE Sackett, W.M.; L.A. Sackett, S.W.; F.W. Wilson, J.W. D.H. Waughtell, treasurer. W.S. Baker was elected secretary and F.W. Wilson trustee. The cemetery needs some work done, and it needs it bad. It is said that the condition of some of the plots is so bad that the owners cannot locate their dead. L.H. Wilson of Santa Rosa, who recently bought the Hunter ranch, in Berryessa Valley, was in Winters Tuesday and Wednesday, on his way to Monticello. At a meeting of the town trustees Tuesday night, the resignation of W.H. Gregory as town treasurer was accepted and Dr. M.O. Wyatt was elected to fill the vacancy. Last Saturday was Uncle Charley Wolfe’s 76th birthday. All unknown to him, Mrs. Wolfe prepared a fine turkey dinner and invited a number of friends to celebrate. A fine cluster of plums hangs in W.P. Womack’s window. They are from B.R. Sackett’s place and are sound and good to to eat. Fresh plums at Christmas times are very unusual even for the Winters early fruit district.
YEARS AGO December 13, 1940
The Russell Street cottage of the late Mrs. Hazel Nehring was sold last week to Lee Conaster. Kenneth Thurber and friend Ray Fortney of Hamilton Field were weekend visitors at the Thurber ranch. H.U. Rice was a business visitor for the first of the week in San Francisco, returning home yesterday. Eddie Baker accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Karl Karnopp and son Charles on their homeward trip to Waukegan, Illinois, leaving the first of the week. Eddie plans to return in a new car, that he will purchase in Flint, Michigan. The new fire engine purchased from the Buffalo Co. arrived by train about 1 o’clock yesterday afternoon. Word came Wednesday that the engine had arrived in Sacramento and quite an assemblage gathered at the depot on its arrival in Winters. The newly-organized Winters town basketball team, under the management of Eddie Baker, consists of Baker, “Buzz” Connor, Russ Perry, Elwin Martin, Tony Medina, Pat Jennings, “Bunky” Errington, Mariano Lopez, Clif Perkins, Lloyd Adams, Lee Thornhill, Jim Barker and Jack Mermod.
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Subscription delivery issues? Call us and leave a message or submit a complaint via our website. Crystal Apilado, Editor-in-Chief Sydney Andrade, Staff Writer Aaron Geerts, Staff Writer Jeffrey Rawlinson, Staff Writer/Photo Editor Edward Booth, Staff Writer Rick Von Geldern, Staff Writer Fred Gladdis, Special Editor David DeLeon, Advertising Director Barbara Lorenzi, Office Manager Taylor Buley, Publisher Charles R. Wallace, Publisher Emeritus
65
50
YEARS AGO December 15, 1955
YEARS AGO
Funeral services for Joseph Raines Griffin, 74, a lifelong resident of the Winters area, were held yesterday afternoon at Kraft Bros. Mortuary, in Woodland. Bids on the first section of the Putah South Canal will be opened in the Winters office of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on January 5, according to B.P. Bellport. The canal will be 38 miles long, and the section open for bids is 6 miles. Voters of the Winters Elementary School District will go to the polls next Monday to decide the fate of a proposed $112,000 bond issue which would construct a new school on the property recently purchased by the district at the west end of Baker Street. Pfc. Charles J. Dodge, son of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Dodge of this city, is serving at the Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. John Greenwood, president of Friendship Circle of the First Christian Church, entertained the Circle at her home Monday evening. Hostesses were Mrs. Wayne S. Ireland and Mrs. J.R. Sellers. Rev. and Mrs. Arnold Dockery attended the San Francisco Ballet’s performance of “Nutcracker” last night at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. Mr. and Mrs. Ray Invernon, Misses Armida and Pilar Invernon, Miss Betty Pallo and Jim Russell went to Sacramento Tuesday evening to hear the Symphonic Wind Ensemble at Sacramento State College. Louis Invernon, of Winters, was a member of the ensemble.
December 17, 1970
The Yolo County Legal Aid Society, in behalf of four Winters area families, “and all others similarly situated,” last Friday filed a lawsuit in the Yolo County Superior Court in Woodland to compel the Winters School District to re-establish bus service. The Valley Almond Growers Co-op has installed a small canning machine for roasted almonds. It is being handled by Ernie Gates and Mrs. Frank Ramos. Winters Police Chief Richard Washabaugh reminded residents this week that a city ordinance prohibits the parking of any vehicle on any street or alley for more than 120 consecutive hours. At the regular meeting of the Winters School Board Monday evening, Superintendent James Bernardy administered the oath of office to John Schmucker, who was elected to the board in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation last summer of Ed Neel. Coach John Kemmerer’s Winters High School Warriors edged East Nicolaus 59 to 57 in a league basketball game on the winner’s court Friday night. Jody Ogando hit 17 points. East Nicolaus downed Winters Junior Warriors Friday night by a score of 66 to 59. Phil Snow dropped in 20 points and Marty Willard scored 18. In a double-ring ceremony on Saturday, December 5, in the College Avenue Baptist Church, Modesto, Miss Christine Elizabeth Weaver became the bride of Roy Clinton Jones.
Please, don’t drink and drive.
We would rather not be your designated driver.
Lake Berryessa water levels down two inches The level of Lake Berryessa is down by 0.14 feet during the past week, with a decrease in storage of 2,338 acre feet of water, according to Ken Emigh of the Solano Irrigation District. Tuesday morning the lake level was 418.16 feet above sea level,
with storage computed at 1,162,355 acre feet of water. Evaporation on the lake averaged 78 acre feet of water per day. The SID is diverting 25 second feet of water into the Putah South Canal, with 42 second feet flowing at the Diversion Dam.
Obituaries Virgil Lewis Rainwater Virgil Lewis “Rainy” Rainwater passed away peacefully on November 12 at his home in Winters. He was born in Bellview, Missouri where he lived on the family farm until the age of 13, when his family moved to St. Louis. At 18 he joined the Navy and was stationed at Treasure Island in San Francisco. He served during the Korean conflict on a Navy destroyer that patrolled the coast of Japan. Rainy met his future wife, Marjorie Stein, in San Francisco and they were married on July 1, 1950. Soon after their first two children were born. Charlotte in 1951 and Wayne in 1952. Rainy was discharged from the Navy and got a job as a radio technician with the U.S. Army Communications facility near Davis, CA. The young family moved to Winters in 1955 and their youngest child, Lori, was born in 1956. They lived in Major Vista until Rainy got a job with Voice of America that transferred him to North Carolina. They stayed there for a year and a half, and then moved back to Winters when he got a job with VOA in Dixon. Rainy and Marge built a home in Golden Bear Estates in 1965. They planted an orange orchard and sold oranges at Farmers Markets in Davis, Vacaville, Marin and Sacramento for many years. He loved to be selling at the markets, getting to know the other farmers and customers throughout the years. He had fun trading his oranges
for other peoples produce. He was a big supporter of the Senior Gleaners, who came out to the orchard every year and harvested oranges that had not been picked for the markets. His farm was so important to him and he loved spending time in the orchard taking care of his trees. Rainy was a diehard St. Louis Cardinals fan. Baseball was his sport and he never strayed from his Missouri roots – the Cardinals were his team! Many were the times all of his family gathered to watch baseball with him and help him cheer for those Cardinals. He took great pride in his grandsons playing baseball and never missed a game, whether it was in Winters, Chico or cities further afield. Rainy is survived by his wife Marge, of 70 years, daughters Charlotte and Lori of Chico and son Wayne of Winters. Other survivors are: his sister Rowena; grandchildren: Brooks, Rebecca, Kelsey, Isaac, Hannah and Daniel; and great-grandchildren: Owen, Brooks Jr., Kinsy, Jeremy and Luke. Donations in his memory can be made to The Senior Gleaners or Winters Little League Baseball.
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Gene Gale (left) is shown at a February 1978 candidates night featuring Winters City Council candidates. To his right are L.N. Buckmaster, Gale Crosby, Moderator Twyla Thompson and Jack Atherton. The picture that ran in the Express was pieced together from two pictures and included Jack Losoya and John Martin. Gene Gale, Jack Losoya and John Martin won the March election. Six months after Gene was selected Mayor, PG&E transferred him to Lake Almandor where he stayed until his retirement from PG&E and his return to Winters. John Martin took his place as Mayor in June of 1978.
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News5 Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020 — A5 2008 fatal shooting of Yolo County Sheriff’s Deputy Tony Diaz; William Gardner, serving life without the possibility of parole for the 2013 shooting death of his ex-girlfriend Leslie Pinkston in Winters; and Oscar Cervantes, the shooter who killed two men and injured two girls in Woodland’s 2002 “Halloween homicides.” Similar fraud is underway in California’s 58 county jails, where the state paid upwards of $10 million in inmates’ names, Schubert added. All told, losses are expected to reach the $1 billion mark. “The fraud is honestly staggering,” Schubert said at Tuesday’s news conference. “It encompasses every type of inmate. …Clearly individuals who are not entitled to these benefits that are so desperately needed by the working families here in this state.” Reisig said his office is in the process of investigating more than
130 state prison inmates from Yolo County who are believed to be involved in the scheme, along with inmates serving time at the county level. His office, along with others across the state, is seeking additional investigative resources from Gov. Gavin Newsom. “This never should have happened,” said Reisig, who serves on a state EDD fraud task force launched in response to the scam. “There has been a massive failure of process and fraud prevention at the state level.”
ferred elsewhere. “Hospitals work within their healthcare systems first to increase capacity and will then transfer patients as needed,” Tan noted. “Once our hospitals and hospital systems are full, then they will reach out to other facilities for additional capacity.” Additionally, county residents who belong to healthcare systems such as Kaiser Permanente or UC Davis generally go to hospitals outside of the county, in Sacramento or Vacaville, for example. That reliance on a regional healthcare system is common throughout the state, particularly for smaller counties. “So we are looking at this from a regional perspective,” said Ghaly, “because … if a patient needs care and they can’t get it in a hospital in their community, in their county, then we need to make sure that surrounding counties’ hospitals are able to serve those individuals.” And while the state has increased hospital-bed capacity, including making Arco Arena available if needed in the Sacramento region, hospital beds are not the same as ICU beds, Ghaly noted. “Much of the surge capacity that we have built up is able to take care of what we say are medical/surgical beds,” he said. “They are not ICU-equiva-
lent beds. What we worry about at this time is specifically the ICUs … usually specialized space, specialized equipment and specialized staff.” And with cases of COVID-19 spiking the way they have — well before the outcome of Thanksgiving gatherings is seen — drastic action may be needed, Newsom said Monday. “If these trends continue, we’re going to have to take much more dramatic, arguably drastic action, including taking a look at those purple-tier counties,” Newsom said. “If we see these trends continue, (there is) the potential for a stay-athome order for those regions in purple because of hospitalizations and ICUs.” “We are now not just looking at positivity rates,” added Newsom. “We’re now not just looking at case rates. We are now looking in real time at hospitalization numbers and ICU capacity in those regions.” What that stay-athome order would entail remains to be seen, but indoor activities remain the riskiest, and riskier than they’ve ever been, Ghaly said, given how widespread virus transmission has become. “So although people want us to identify the sector or sectors where we see transmission the most, the truth is right now it’s just all around our communities and ev-
license with the city, and, if the business Continued from Page 1 isn’t currently open, meeting that she’s co- that it plans to reordinating with the open once permitted, Hispanic Advisory among other requireCommittee for assis- ments. tance in outreach to The application is Spanish speaking available on the city businesses. website. Gunby said To be eligible, busi- anyone having probnesses must operate lems accessing it can out of a physical lo- email her at shelly. cation within Win- gunby@cityofwinters. ters and have not org. previously received At the meeting, county, state or fed- Gunby said that the eral assistance be- city decided to target cause of COVID-19 — rental and mortgage though funding from assistance because the federal Paycheck it’s easy for businessProtection Program es to show they have or a Small Business COVID-related exAdministration Loan penditures in those doesn’t count, accord- areas, such as having ing to the application. to close down because Businesses must also of public health rehave experienced ex- strictions. penditures because “Being able to show of COVID-19, possess us your lease agreea current business ment and being able
to show us when you were closed seems much easier than tracking down water bills and things,” Gunby said at the meeting. “What we’re requiring is that they provide a copy of their lease or mortgage agreement and then check showing that they made those payments during the time that they were shut down.” Additionally, the city is under a short timeframe to give out the grants because the CARES act funds have to be spent by Dec. 30. Gunby said all grant awards will be completed by Dec. 18. “We felt that if we targeted the rent and the mortgage assistance then we would be able to get those funds out relatively quickly,” Gunby said.
FRAUD Continued from Page 1 states. According to Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, that comparison wasn’t made until early November, when the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation provided its inmate list to prosecutors, who then cross-checked it with a compilation of EDD unemployment insurance claims. The data showed that, between March and August, some 35,000 fraudulent claims were filed in inmates’ names, in some cases more than once. Of those, just over 20,000 were approved, resulting in payouts of more than $140 million — including the $600 federal weekly benefit that expired back in July, Schubert said. Reisig said participants include an “allstar list of Yolo County prison inmates,” such as Marco Topete, sentenced to death for the
UPDATE Continued from Page 1 on Monday. Data the pair presented projected that hospital beds statewide will be at 78 percent of capacity by Christmas Eve and 80 percent of capacity in the greater Sacramento region while ICU beds will be at 112 percent of capacity statewide and 103 percent in the Sacramento region. Yolo County may already be seeing the warning signs in increased hospitalizations. “Our hospitals have capacity, but limited,” county spokeswoman Jenny Tan said Monday. County residents hospitalized with COVID-19 increased from 12 last week to 22 as of Monday. Tan said last week Woodland Memorial Hospital, one of two hospitals in the county, “had to increase capacity for a short duration so they opened their surge unit.” “That situation has since stabilized,” Tan said, “and we’ve been lucky enough that an additional unit hasn’t needed to stay open for longer periods of time, but that could very much change due to the pandemic and this current surge that we’re in.” Woodland Memorial and Sutter Davis — the county’s two hospitals — are relatively small with limited numbers of ICU beds, so critical-care patients are often trans-
GRANT
How did it happen
Prosecutors say the scam went something like this: inmates from local, state and federal correctional facilities, using their own internet access or with help from friends and relatives on the outside, completed online applications claiming losses of self-employment income due to the pandemic. Approved applications led to the deliv-
eries of pre-loaded EDD debit cards, some directly to correctional facilities, others to conspirators on the outside — both in California and out of state — who withdrew the cash to enrich both the inmates and themselves. Schubert said while the inmates themselves oftentimes were involved in the fraud, in other cases the false claims may have been the result of identity theft. Some applications won approval despite the use of false Social Security numbers and names, including one filed under the name of “Pookie Britches.” Details of the fraud came to light back in July, said San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, when one of his investigators listening to recorded jailhouse calls for a pending case overheard an inmate discussing “a scam that he had heard about.” “We determined there were 22 individ-
eryone is somewhat vulnerable to having an encounter with someone who’s infected. “And that means that activities that people thought a month ago were safe and lower risk today are higher risk,” said Ghaly. “So part of this is we need to recalibrate for a short period of time what we do to keep this transmission down, protect people who could become sick and hospitalized and need that care and, frankly, to keep the death toll in California as low as we can. “But we are really in a different situation with transmission than we’ve ever faced before. Every activity a month ago lower risk, this month higher risk than ever before.”
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said. “Like any pandemic, it spread all over our correctional facilities.”
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News6 A6 — Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Public Safety Report City of Winters Press Release
Fire Nov. 13: 3:51 a.m., medical aid, 200 block of Niemann Street. ~12 p.m., investigation (power line down), 100 block of Baker Street. ~12:50 p.m., hazmat incident, 730 block of Hemenway Street. ~3:31 p.m., fire alarm, 410 block of Haven Street. ~6:31 p.m., fire investigation, SB I-505/ Russell Boulevard. ~9:37 p.m., medical aid, 100 block of Owings Court. Nov. 14: 9:127 a.m., medical aid, 300 block of Third Street. ~12:42 p.m., medical aid, 420 block of Main Street. ~8:14 p.m., medical aid, 200 block of E. Baker Street. Nov. 15: 1:07 a.m., medical aid, 1000 block of Berryessa Court. Nov. 16: 2:10 p.m., grass fire, Highway 128. ~5:42 p.m., grass fire, Highway 128. Nov. 18: 12:08 p.m., medical aid, Russell Boulevard. ~12:08 p.m., medical aid, 1000 block of Adams Lane. ~3:02 p.m., medical aid, 400 block of Plum Place. ~3:59 p.m., public assist, 1100 block of Roosevelt Avenue. ~4:44 p.m., lift assist, 170 block of E. Grant Avenue. ~6:54 p.m., fire alarm, 200 block of
Main Street. Nov. 19: 2:23 p.m., vehicle accident, Main Street/Grant Avenue. ~4:49 p.m., medical aid, 100 block of Niemann Street. Nov. 20: 11:03 a.m., medical aid, Buckeye Road. Nov. 21: 11:54 a.m., fire alarm, 400 Morgan Street. ~12:10 p.m., grass fire, CR 90. ~2:50 p.m., medical aid, Highway 128. Nov. 22: 12:29 p.m., smoke investigation, CR 90.
Police Arrest Log
Nov. 11: Juan Carlos Guzman (Age 32), Charges: Violation of a Domestic Violence Restraining Order, Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail. Nov. 13: Robert Paul Neal (Age 57), Charges: Two Yolo County Sheriff Bench Warrants; One Solano County Sheriff Bench Warrant, Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail. ~Robert Paul Neal (Age 57), Charges: Possess Methamphetamine, Disposition: Released on a Notice to Appear.
Case Log
Nov. 7: Unk., 900 block of Kennedy Drive, Theft. Nov. 13: 5:09 p.m., 100 block of East Grant Avenue, Audible Alarm. Nov. 14: 9:26 a.m., 300 block of Third Street, Dog Bite.
Yolo nonprofits seeing increase in individual giving, decrease in programming income Rodolfa recognized for service to Winters schools By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief The Yolo Community Foundation reported on the state of the nonprofit sector, and recognized volunteer honorees at its National Philanthropy Day virtual event, including a Winters woman. This year, due to social distancing guidance, the Foundation’s 2020 National Philanthropy Day was hosted as a onehour virtual program that featured a State of the Nonprofit Sector presentation, and local nonprofits celebrated volunteers and donors who made a significant impact in their communities this year.
Winters Honoree
Mary Jo Rodolfa was nominated and recognized by the Winters Education Foundation for her dedication and efforts to support Winters students and educators. Kurt Balasek, WEF President, called Rodolfa the backbone of everything that WEF is. He noted she joined the nonprofit in 2013 and has had a hand in running the website, tackling IT issues, and has not only hosted but also spearheaded events. “She’s been sort of the glue that holds us together,” Balasek said. He said she has also done an amazing job
in helping to pull the hard data together for the group to help in their endeavors to support Winters students and teachers. “She brings an amazing spirit to our organization,” Balasek said praising Rodolfa. Taylor Buley, the Rotary Club of Winters Club Service Chair, was also present at the Zoom presentation to acknowledge the Bayside Church in Davis. Buley said the Winters Rotary wanted to recognize Bayside for their continued support of Winters fire victims who were impacted by both the Quail Fire and the LNU Lightening Complex fires this summer. Honorees were also celebrated by Center for Land-Based Learning, CommuniCare Health Centers, Davis Arts Center, Davis Community Meals and Housing, Davis Farm to School, Davis Media Access, Davis Schools Foundation, Friends of the Esparto Regional Library, Lead4Tomorrow, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UC Davis, Yolo Community Foundation, Yolo County Library Foundation, Yolo Food Bank, and Yolo Hospice.
Yolo nonprofits survey
Yolo Community Foundation Executive Director Jessica
Hubbard said local nonprofits have been supporting their communities throughout the pandemic. “Yolo nonprofits have been, first of all, very incredibly responsive to the crisis,” Hubbard said. “They’ve also been incredibly impacted financially by the crisis.” YCF reported on highlight results from their recent nonprofit survey, to which 39 local nonprofits responded, and included information from interviews with eight nonprofit executive directors representing a range of organizations. The Yolo nonprofit sector has been faced with decreased revenues, especially from the inability to host annual events. Close to 80 percent of nonprofits reported seeing a drop in event income, while nearly half have seen a decrease in earned revenue or program income, like camp and class tuition or performance tickets. Nearly 25 percent of nonprofits shared there is a moderate or significant risk to their organizations facing a permanent closure if the coronavirus crisis persists for 12 or more months. However, more than 60 percent of nonprofits reported seeing an increase in giving from individuals. Other highlighted findings from the sur-
vey included: The identification of three needs as especially critical and growing in Yolo communities at this time – hunger, housing, and mental health. Nonprofits reported a rising shared concern about children and families, unemployment and financial security, and the viability of the Yolo nonprofit sector. They have seen that major donors have generally remained in position to give. However, nonprofits who rely on other income streams, including small donations from households with modest wealth, may struggle. As of the survey, only about 10 percent indicated they have conducted layoffs, and the same number furloughs. Nonprofit employees are working beyond traditional hours, with almost a third of respondents saying their salaried workers are increasing their hours beyond any increase in pay. Nonprofit executives expressed concern about staff experiencing burnout. More than 60 percent reported this is a significant concern, while nearly 40 percent noted it as a moderate concern. The complete State of the Yolo Nonprofit Sector update video is at http://www.yolocf.org/.
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News7 Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020 — A7
Comunidad La ciudad cambia a servicios virtuales mientras el condado está en púrpura Por Crystal Apilado Traducido por Carol Alfonso La Ciudad de Winters está implementando cambios en la forma en que el público puede acceder a los servicios en las facilidades de la Ciudad en respuesta al reciente regreso del Condado Yolo al nivel púrpura. La administradora de la ciudad, Kathleen Trepa, dijo que el personal está implementando una variedad de medidas para mantener los servicios por correo electrónico, teléfono y servicios en línea con el fin de minimizar el contacto directo en persona con los miembros del público. “Estamos haciendo algunos cambios en el acceso al Ayuntamiento como parte de nuestros esfuerzos para tratar de minimizar la propagación comunitaria del COVID-19”, dijo Trepa. A partir del Lunes 23 de Noviembre, los vestíbulos públicos del Ayuntamiento y el Centro de Seguridad Pública estarán cerrados para personas sin cita previa. La Ciudad le solicita al público que en su lugar se comuniquen con el personal de la Ciudad por teléfono o por correo electrónico. La información de contacto del personal de los departamentos está disponible en el sitio web de la Ciudad en http://www. cityofwinters.org/ contact/, o el público debe llamar al 530795-4910. El personal concertará citas para reuniones en persona con el público cuando sea necesario y según corresponda si no es posible la coordinación remota. Trepa señaló detalles específicos para cada departamento como: Construcción: Aquellos que necesiten permisos para la construcción en persona deben llamar a la División de Construcción al 530-7946708. Los permisos se emitirán electrónicamente o por correo, y también se pueden hacer arreglos para coordinar la entrega y recogida de planes de construcción. Finanzas: Los pagos
de servicios públicos y otra correspondencia con la Ciudad pueden continuar haciéndose a través del buzón de pagos frente al Ayuntamiento (en el 318 First St.). Los recibos de los pagos se enviarán por correo postal o electrónico. El público puede seguir haciendo sus pagos en efectivo; sin embargo, no se proporcionará cambio y los pagos en exceso se acreditarán en la cuenta de una persona. Personal de Bomberos: El público debe comunicarse con la línea comercial que no es de emergencia del Departamento de Bomberos de Winters al 530-795-4131. Puede comunicarse con la línea de manejo que
compre la cena para llevar y contribuya a las causas comunitarias que alegren a su corazón.”
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El Jefe de Policía de Winters, John P. Miller, dijo que el Departamento de Policía de Winters también está haciendo un cambio hacia opciones más virtuales, mientras el Condado Yolo está en púrpura. Según Miller, hay teléfonos con altavoces ubicados en la entrada principal de la entrada del vestíbulo de policía y bomberos con instrucciones publicadas sobre cómo comunicarse con el personal de policía o bomberos. En caso de emergen-
“Ha habido cero citaciones y cero arrestos por cualquier violación de las órdenes de salud desde que esto comenzó.” John P. Miller, El Jefe de Policía no es para emergencias del Condado Yolo / Linea de información para días de quema al 530-666-8915. Para prevención de incendios, revisiones e inspecciones de planes, el público puede hacer una cita comunicándose con el Capitán de Bomberos, Art Mendoza al 530795-4131 extensión 233 o por correo electrónico en Art.Mendoza@wintersfire.org. Los permisos de quema se pueden obtener en línea en http://www.wintersfire.org/winters-fire-application-and-permit-to burn /. Trepa le pide a la comunidad a hacer preguntas si no están seguros y a continuar apoyando a las empresas locales. “Por favor utilize su cubierta facial y siga las directivas y recomendaciones de salud del estado y del condado para que juntos podamos cambiar el rumbo de la pandemia ”, dijo Trepa. “Y, por favor, apoye a nuestras empresas y organizaciones sin fines de lucro locales: compre localmente,
cia, se indica al público que marque el 911. Si no es una emergencia, el público puede llamar durante el horario laboral habitual al 530-795-2261 o al centro de despacho las 24 horas al 530-7954561. Otros cambios incluyen la respuesta de la Policía de Winters a los informes “fríos” de forma virtual. Los informes “fríos” incluyen delitos contra la propiedad en los que no hay sospechosos y / o no hay pruebas que recopilar, el informe tardío de colisiones de tráfico, informes de robo de identidad solicitados por bancos o compañías de tarjetas de crédito para fines de documentación, etc. Este tipo de servicio será ofrecido a la comunidad en forma de una video-llamada “FaceTime” de un oficial. Se le pide al público que haga un informe policial llamando al centro de despacho al 530-795-4561. La persona que recibe la llamada determinará si un informe telefónico es apropiado y le informará que
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un oficial le devolverá la llamada y que una video-llamada “FaceTime” con el oficial es una opción. Miller dijo que los oficiales del Departamento de Policia de Winters (WPD) reciben teléfonos iPhones, por lo que solo están ofreciendo video-llamadas “FaceTime” por el momento. Sin embargo, actualmente está buscando una aplicación cruzada para usuarios de teléfonos Android. La Policía de Winters continuará educando y procurando el cumplimiento voluntario de las órdenes de salud estatales y del condado. Dijo que dependiendo de las circunstancias de un informe de incumplimiento, se puede derivar a la parte informante para que se comunique con el Departamento de Salud del Condado Yolo. Señaló que en la Ciudad de Winters aún no se han dado citaciones con multas. “Ha habido cero citaciones y cero arrestos por cualquier violación de las órdenes de salud desde que esto comenzó”, dijo Miller. También se le exhorta a los residentes a registrarse en “YoloAlerts” para obtener información sobre incidentes en curso: ordenes de refugio / órdenes de cierre por peligro continuo para el público, órdenes / actualizaciones relacionadas con las evacuaciones. Miller dijo que “YoloAlerts” es la plataforma de la que se notificará a los residentes sobre incidentes y actualizaciones en curso. Para incidentes más inmediatos, Miller dijo que la Policia de Winters (WPD) publica actualizaciones en sus plataformas de redes sociales a medida que hay nueva información disponible. Exhortó a los residentes a suscribirse también a las cuentas de redes sociales del Departamento de Policia de Winters (WPD) en Facebook, Twitter e Instagram.
Segundo Taller del Plan de Sostenibilidad el 9 de diciembre como el condado ya está abordando la sostenibilidad a través de los esfuerzo e iniciativas de planificación existentes; la visión del condado para ser más sostenible; y recopilo comentarios del público y aportes de la comunidad sobre cualquier brecha, inconsistencia u oportunidad para ser más sostenible en el futuro. El Condado de Yolo ha sido reconocido por sus esfuerzos en sostenibilidad, a través de políticas que preservan la tierra agrícola y los espacio abiertos, promueven el desarrollo compacto y reducen la expansión urbana, apoyan el acceso a los productos frescos cultivados localmente y a través de un compromiso con la energía verde para alimentar las instalaciones públicas, hogares y otros edificios. El plan es una continuación de esta labor y abordará ocho elementos básicos: calidad del aire, construcción de energía, salud ecológica, educación, alimentos locales, agricultura, desechos y agua. La página web del Plan de Sostenibilidad del Condado se actualizará regularmente con información adicional en bit.ly/YCsustainability. Para ser agregado a futuras notificaciones sobre el Plan de Sostenibilidad envié un correo electrónico a sustainability@yolocounty.org.
El Condado de Yolo Comunicado de prensa El Condado de Yolo invita al público a participar en el segundo taller virtual sobre el Plan de Sostenibilidad el 9 de diciembre de 6-7:30 p.m., el cual servirá cómo una guía ambiental para futuros programas y procesos y contará con presentaciones por parte del personal del condado, personal consultor y miembros del Grupo de Trabajo del Plan de Acción Climática del condado. Los participantes pueden inscribirse en este taller en bit. ly/YCsustainability. En este segundo taller, el personal del condado compartirá el borrador preliminar de las recomendaciones de sostenibilidad e invitará a los participantes del taller a aportar sus opiniones. Estos borradores de recomendaciones se basan en las iniciativas existentes del condado y se basan en los comentarios del publico recopilados durante las entrevistas con las partes interesadas realizadas en el otoño del 2020, las respuestas a una encuesta en línea, y el primer taller publico realizado en septiembre del 2020. Para encontrar más información sobre este proyecto, visite la página web del Plan de Sostenibilidad en bit.ly/YCsustainability. El primer taller se llevó acabo en septiembre del 2020 y compartió:
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Thursdays Eat Well Yolo Food Distribution, first and third Thursdays, 10-11 a.m., RISE, Inc., 200 Baker Street Winters JUSD Food Distribution (Youth 18 and under), 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Waggoner Elementary School Winters Library Curbside Pickup Day, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Winters Community Library Details at yolocountylibrary.org/curbside Mondays Winters Library Curbside Pickup Day, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Winters Community Library Eat Well Yolo Food Distribution, Mondays, 4 p.m.-as supplies last, 111 E. Grant Ave. Tuesdays Winters JUSD Food Distribution (Youth 18 and under), 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Waggoner Elementary School Wednesdays Winters Library Curbside Pickup Day, 2-6 p.m., Winters Community Library
Ongoing
Yolo County Library Virtual Programs, View at instagram.com/yolocountylibrary
Clean energy comes to Winters
Columnists aren’t scientists
How you can help your neighbors
Opinion, Page 7
Letters, Page 2
Opinion, Page 2
Local man breaks barriers for a healthier lifestyle By Aaron Geerts Express staff writer Life-changing moments come in a variety of forms, for Kaplan Smith, it was a doctor’s appointment addressing his weight. One year and one hundred pounds later, Smith reflects on the hard work he’s put into his new lifestyle. “November of last year I went to the doctor and he was brutally honest. He said what was wrong, I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been with a second kid on the way,” Smith recalled of the fateful doctor’s appointment. “I was at risk for heart-attack, stroke, high blood pressure. He said that’s not going to get fixed unless I change something.” At 313 pounds, Smith didn’t just change something, he changed everything. Starting with his diet, Smith stuck to meats, fruits and vegetables along with a big side of portion control. From there, he joined a CrossFit gym to get his body moving. “The first day there I couldn’t even get through the warmup without taking a break. It challenged me, and I stuck with it,” Smith said about developing his gym-addiction. “I started at three days a week, then bumped it to four or five. There’s a great group of people there working to better themselves and I never once felt judged.”
“The first day there I couldn’t even get through the warm-up without taking a break. It challenged me, and I stuck with it.” Kaplan Smith Smith attributes much of his weight loss success to his trainer, Trent Williamson and his encouraging nature that kept him coming back to the gym. The rest belongs to his wife, Danielle. “She’s been completely supportive of this and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her,” Smith said about his support group. “Even when she could see I was hurting, she’d be there telling me to stick with it.” A dramatic weight loss journey isn’t easy, however, and must be traveled with
patience and an understanding of the do’s and don’ts.  “I’ve always aimed towards not eating 1.5 – 2 hours before bed. Also, track your progress via scale or measurements. I recommend using a scale every day for consistency,” fitness trainer, Chris Kays said weighing in with tips to remember. “You don’t want to rush the process. At best we can lose 2.5 pounds of body fat a week at a healthy weight without jeopardizing hormones, sleep and performance.” Kays also emphasized not cutting out everything one enjoys in life. Opting for moderation sustains diet
See LIFESTYLE, Page 7
Kaplan Smith weighed in at 313 pounds. One year later, he has lost a total of 100 pounds, and has made vital changes for a healthier lifestyle. Courtesy photos
Submit pics for Best of Winters contest Express staff Send us your top photos from 2020 of around Winters! We are working on a round up of the top 2020 Winters moments and we want to see yours. Submissions must be original photos taken in the Winters area. Top photos will be published in an upcoming edition of the Winters Express newspaper. Honorable mentions may be published in an online gallery on the WE website and potentially be featured on our Facebook page. A business, organization or individual 13 year old and up is eligible to enter. The photo entries must be submitted online using the form at the weblink below by Noon on Thursday, Dec. 24 to be considered for print publication.
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express photos
In February, Winters Farm to School board members took Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry on a tour of the Waggoner garden to show her the updates since her last visit. Aguiar-Curry noted the school garden gets better every year. Visit https://www. wintersexpress.com/ community/best-ofwinters-2020-photocontest/.
Above: Construction of the new Winters High School Administration Building continues as WHS remains empty due to the COVID-19 school closure. Above right: Dr. Sellers Football Field at Winters High School was given a major revamp with a new track and scoreboard.
Features2 B2 — Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020
What can you do to help Winters, or your family, during this pandemic? I s there a way to end this COVID-19 pandemic without shutting down the economy? There are a lot of complaints about the government closing down businesses and schools in our area, but people are missing the point. It is up to us, individually, to do something about the spread of this disease and support of our local businesses. There are people who are hurting, who have lost their jobs and ability to support their families, but there are a lot of us who haven’t been affected financially by this worldwide catastrophe. I’ll repeat this as often as I have to; wear a mask, wash your hands all the time, keep your distance from people and don’t shake hands. It should be that simple, but people won’t behave. It doesn’t help that the leader of the Republican Party, President Trump, keeps telling people that the virus is the same as the flu, you don’t need to wear masks and that it will go away on its own. To his credit, he has kept the regulators at bay and vaccines are on their way. President Reagan said the worst words you will ever hear, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” We don’t need the government to tell us to do the right thing. We need to help end this virus by being responsible for our actions and not putting loved ones at risk. I don’t know what to say to people who are in denial about the seriousness of this virus. Part of me wants them to keep gathering in large numbers without masks, but I don’t want them taking up hospital space when they get sick, or passing along the virus to my friends and family. When vaccines are available I’m hoping that those who don’t believe in science “just say no,” leaving more for the rest of us. Front line healthcare workers
should be getting the first deliveries of vaccines within the next couple of weeks. It might take a couple of months to roll out enough for everyone, maybe not soon enough, but that day will come when there will be a vaccine dose for everyone. Even after most of us get the vaccine, it will still take some time for the virus to run it course. The more people that refuse to get inoculated the longer that will take and more people will get sick and die.
W
hat can you do to help? If you are financially able, shop locally. It may be as simple as ordering take-out from one of our restaurants or buying a few bottles of wine to hand out at Christmas time. Pacific Ace Hardware is one of my favorite shopping places, but I’ll admit that I often buy two of everything just so that I can keep one for myself. There are other shops in town that could use your support, just wear a mask when you venture out. This was the quietest Thanksgiving in my memory, with just Sherri and me eating at home with a Zoom meeting thrown in. It was the right thing to do. When COVID-19 started to spread I’ll admit that I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have. Even now I’m not 100 percent behaving myself, but I’m aware of where I am and who is next to me. If someone isn’t wearing a mask, I keep my distance, and I keep hand sanitizer in my pocket at all times. As soon as they walk away, I splash some on my hands. I’m not sure if that helps, but it can’t hurt. Remember to shop locally, and have a safe week.
Letters Voter suppression I have seen reference to voter suppression in two newspapers in two days. I worked the polls in Winters for a number of years. Everyone, no matter what race or religion, who came to the polls was allowed to vote. If they were not on the rolls they voted provisionally. If they did not speak English, we provided an interpreter. In 2012, a woman from New York, N.Y. came in just before we closed. She insisted that she had the right to vote, even though she lived in New York. There was no voter suppression. Consider this an invitation to provide the readers with a proven example of voter suppression. Dave May
Do not get COVID information from a columnist I found Richard Casavecchia’s column last week to be exceptionally simplistic, misleading, vapid, and irresponsible. Mr. Casavecchia consistently minimizes the ongoing pandemic. It appears that he wants us to believe that our only concerns about COVID should be whether or not we die from it and that our chances by his estimation are miniscule, so why be upset? COVID cases locally and nationwide are multiplying exponentially. A sharp increase in hospitalizations is following. Deaths will follow the hospitalizations. There are over a 265,000 dead, and that number is predicted to nearly double in the next six to eight weeks. As of this writing there are 1,500 deaths a day and they are predicted to soon reach 2,000. Further, the long-term effects of the disease are still emerging and still unknown, but appear to be potentially devastating and possibly lifelong. Those who suffer them are of all ages, including children and many adults in their 20s and 30s. Currently at least one in seven patients is suffering from Lung COVID and scar tissue is being found in the lungs of children. People of color and people in rural and underserved communities are overwhelmingly over-represented in every metric of the depth and breadth of the pandemic. I would suggest that readers not
get their COVID information from an Express columnist, but instead turn to epidemiologists and public health experts like Laurie Garrett, Andy Slavitt and Dr. Peter Hotez for their information. The picture they paint is nothing like his casual dismissal of the most dangerous health crisis of our century. Major news organizations also track and report daily on the progress of the pandemic and it is frightening. Mr. Casavecchia also seems to think that the solution to the looming economic catastrophe should be some of kind of local or countywide merchant rebellion, in which they just ignore health orders and stay open until someone comes in and shuts them down. Sounds like a libertarian choose-your-own-adventure solution with a touch of Don’tTread-on-Me mentality mixed in. Sounds pretty close to lawless - and those of us who believe in and respect the health orders wouldn’t patronize them then in any case, so it is not likely to be a useful ‘solution.’ Finger-pointing is rampant, with Governor Newsom being a particularly ready target, especially since his bone-headed visit to the French Laundry. It was a dumb thing to do, but it does not disqualify him from leadership and to claim that it does is intellectually lazy and dishonest. We are in this nightmare because of denial, mismanagement and utter incompetence at the highest levels for nearly a full year. Viruses do not respect city limits or county lines or state boundaries. It is a nationwide emergency that requires a nationwide response. The buck stops - and needs to start - with the grift and mismanagement in DC, not in Sacramento and not on Main Street. There is enough money in the coffers to get us through this. There has not been, however, the vision or the will. From my time working at the Express, I know the paper needs to fill space, but it does not have to give space to inflammatory and counterfactual material, whether it is labeled as opinion or not. As a privately owned business, you have complete editorial discretion with no First Amendment consequences and in this instance you have shown no discretion. Debbie Hemenway
ALL IN. ALL TOGETHER. At Western Health Advantage, we’re committed to delivering quality health care when and where you need it. That commitment now includes Winters Healthcare, our newest addition to the WHA provider network. For the first time, Winters Healthcare is able to offer services to WHA members in all of our plan options, including our new Medicare Advantage plans. Together with NorthBay Healthcare and Winters Healthcare, Western Health Advantage now offers affordable, all-in-one coverage you can count on. Consider WHA’s Medicare Advantage plans during the annual enrollment period, which ends December 7, 2020. To learn more about Western Health Advantage’s benefit plans, visit choosewha.com, or call 888.563.2250. Find out more about Winters Healthcare at wintershealth.org, or call 530.795.4377.
FeaturesRealEstate3 Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020 — B3
Key economic data from California’s October home sales report grew by 9.9 percent from a year ago. Additionally, all counties in Central Coast, Southern California, and the San Francisco Bay Area experienced year-over-year sales gain in October. • More than four out of five counties – 43 of 51 – tracked by CAR experienced a year-over-year gain in closed sales. Coun-
California Realtors Assoc. Press Release • At the regional level, sales increased in October in all major regions from last year with growth rates of more than 10 percent in all but the Central Valley. The Central Valley region was the only region without a double-digit gain from the prior year, but still
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ties with an increase from last year averaged a gain of 27.7 percent in October, compared to 39.2 percent in September. Seven counties decreased in sales, with Yuba declining the most at 16.5 percent from last year.
While sales growth has slowed from prior months, Lake Arrowhead and South Lake Tahoe both recorded strong sales in October, with year-overyear growth rates of 47.7 percent and 29.1 percent, respectively. • Home prices in resort areas are also growing at a faster pace than the rest of the state. • At the regional level, all major regions posted double-digit, year-over-year median price increases, and all regions, except the Far North, set
• Sales in resort communities cooled down slightly from the past few months but remained robust in October. Housing demand in Big Bear – including Big Bear City and Big Bear Lake – continued to surge with sales growing 125.6 percent from last October.
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SOLD 44498 N. El Macero Drive, El Macero • $1,025,000 D, 2,397 sq. ft. OLgarage 4 beds, 3 baths, S2-car 708 Ivy Court, Winters • $544,000 Dsq. ft. 4 beds,S 3O baths,L 2,406 17801 County Road 85, Esparto • $970,000 D2,885 sq. ft. 3 beds, 3 baths, 2-carL garage, SO 114 Almond Drive, Winters • $469,500 Dsq. ft. 3 beds,S 2O baths,L 1,673 451 Abbey Street, Winters • $395,000 Dsq. ft. 3 beds,S 2O baths,L1,357 205 Baker Street, Winters • $350,000 L1D SO 2 beds with bonus room, bath, 1,500 sq. ft. 1340 Parkgreen Drive, Dixon • $615,000 D 2,667 sq. ft. SO 4 beds, 3 baths, 2-carL garage, 5516 Weber Road, Vacaville • $580,000 Dsq. ft. on 1.4 acres. OL1,782 Sgarage, 3 beds, 4 baths, 2-car 4 beds, 3 baths, 2-car garage, 2,526 sq. ft. Over 25 acres fenced-in pasture, 40'x60' shop, 40'x60' hay barn and rental at $1,200/mo all on property.
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8605 Olive School Road, Winters $857,500 Beautiful 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath custom home on 5 acres. Panoramic views, barn, paved driveway, fenced garden & pasture. There are many upgrades to this home & the garden is fabulous!
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into the traditionally off-season months, the Unsold Inventory Index (UII) in October was unchanged from September, when it reached the lowest level in nearly 16 years. The UII fell sharply from 3.0 months in October 2019 to 2.0 months this
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See HOMES, Page 7
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IN WOODLAND. 3 bed, 1 bath, 1100 sq. ft. Offered at $344,900. IMMACULATE CUSTOM SINGLE STORY home in Spring lake (Woodland). 4 bed, 3 bath, 2700 sq. ft. Awesome corner lot! Move right in! Offered at $637,500. A PIECE OF COUNTRY PARADISE. 0.49 acres with lots of fruit trees. Small cottage NOT habitable. Contractor’s delight. Offered at $299,000. 1 ACRE PARCEL IN SOLANO COUNTY. Just outside of Vacaville. Offered at $139,000. 3.87 ACRES ZONED RESIDENTIAL IN VACAVILLE. Build your dream home, or explore the possibilities of creating multiple parcels. Offered at $649,000. 27.81 ACRES. ORGANIC WALNUTS, ALONG WITH MANY FRUIT TREES which include: apricots, cherries, peaches, plums. Property borders Putah Creek. Great home site $1,050,000. 70 ACRES, 52 OF WHICH ARE INCOME PRODUCING WALNUTS. SOLID SET SPRINKLER SYSTEM. Located between Winters and Vacaville on Winters road. Offered at $1,579,000. BEAUTIFUL CORNER LOT! 3-4 bedroom 2 bath home. Low maintenance backyard, with (OH YES built in pool and jacuzzi. Contemporary home built in 2016. Offered at $583,000. 4 BEDROOM, 2 BATH. Remodeled and immaculate. Established neighborhood. Offered at $449,900
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a new record high median price in October. • All but one of 51 counties tracked by CAR reported a yearover-year price gain with 39 of them growing 10 percent or more. • With active listings dipping slightly from the prior month, while the momentum of sales continued to push forward
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RARE FIND IN WINTERS. 22 ac of Chandler Walnuts, solid-set sprinkler system, roomy 2800 sq. ft., 3 bed, 2 bath home needs some updating, partial basement used for storage. 1 bed, 1 bath with kitchen cottage also needs some updating used for storage. Huge 60x60 barn, separate 28x45 shop with roll up doors, and 30x30 carport, Ag well and domestic well. Call for details!
SALE PENDING!
Newly Listed Fabulous Carter Ranch Home 629 Ivy Loop, Winters • $549,000 Plan 3, two stories, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 3 car tandem garage, large lot, shows beautifully, improvements made to all the baths. Vaulted ceiling, huge living/dining room, spacious family room and kitchen, super clean, huge master bedroom and bath, wood laminate floors. Views of the hills, no one directly behind this home, walk to downtown, restaurants, wineries, parks, Putah Creek and shopping. Move in before the holidays. 30100 Pleasant Trail Drive, Winters • $1,350,000 4 bedroom, 2.5 baths on 25.14 acres. Beautifully remodeled home is currently on hold. Call Jean for more information.
FOR SALE: 307 Abbey Street, Winters • SALE PENDING • $439,000 415 Grant Avenue, Winters • 5.60 Acres • $1,850,000
Call Jean for more information 707-684-9351
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NAPA COUNTY. Are you looking for a remote, yet close to home wilderness property? Located high above Vacaville on Blue Ridge in the Vaca Mountains, is this amazing recreation/hunting ranch with tons of hiking trails. The ranch boasts several parcels which can be possibly purchased separately or as one large parcel. The land is rugged enough to provide habitat for trophy black tail deer, wild pigs, bear, Mountain Lion, bobcats, fox, quail, and occasionally Wild Band tail Pigeon The ranch features access road thru a private access behind a locked gate. This property is perfect as a private recreational and hunting paradise for family and guests beautiful views over looking Lake Curry. Parcels included in 727.10 ac. 032-210018,033-210-008, 033-030-008, 033-200-020, 032-210-010 Call for details. SOLANO COUNTY. Are you looking for a remote, yet close to home wilderness property? Located high above Vacaville on Blue Ridge in the Vaca Mountains, is this amazing recreation/hunting ranch with tons of hiking trails. The ranch boasts several parcels which can possibly be purchased separately or as one large parcel. The land is rugged enough to provide habitat for trophy black tail deer, wild pigs, bear, Mountain Lion, bobcats, fox, quail, and occasionally Wild Band tail Pigeon The ranch features access road thru a private access behind a locked gate. This property is perfect as a private recreational and hunting paradise for family and guests. Parcels included in 1040 ac. 0102-050-030, 0102-050-010, 0102040-050, 0102-040-040, 0102-040-070, 0102-010-050. OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS IN NORTH VACAVILLE! 6 approved lots with separate APN numbers. Final map approved project is ready to move forward. Lots located in area of million-dollar(+) homes. Seller owns 31 water rights. Call today for more details! Priced at $1,199,999.
Sale Pending!
PRISTINE, BEAUTIFUL 3/2 IN VACAVILLE WITH MANY UPGRADES. Priced at $495,000. Call for appointment today.
Sold! WILD WINGS. Beautiful 4 bed, 3 bath, 3700 sq. ft. home located in
Wild Wings Subdivision. Home offers stylish, county club living in a gated golf course community. The formal living & entry has vaulted ceilings, gourmet kitchen has granite counter, cherry wood cabinets, 5 burner gas stove, kitchen island with sink, and walk-in pantry, bar off kitchen for eating plus eat in kitchen area. Beautiful tile floors in the kitchen which extends to the adjoining family room, gas fireplace, custom tile around FP, Master suite has a cozy fireplace retreat area & balcony overlooking golf course. Backyard features a spectacular view overlooking the 16th and 17th green of Yolo Flier County Club Golf Course, beautiful stamp oversize patio, covered patio, landscaped front, rear, and side yards, plenty of room for your dream pool or use community private pool, & other amenities, 3 car finished garage. Outside of home recently painted.
HAVE BUYERS LOOKING TO BUY IN WINTERS. GIVE ME A CALL IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SELLING!
FOR RENT! Coming soon: 4 bed, 2 1/2 bath, 2-story home. Spacious formal living/dining room. New interior paint, tile counter and floors in kitchen. Upstairs has large master suite and 3 bedrooms plus guest bath. Half bath downstairs. $2700 includes yard care. 8 EDWARDS STREET, WINTERS Quaint home in the core area of town that was built in 1988! This custom built home has 3 beds and 2 baths. The over sized master suite will create a wonderful retreat or it could be converted to two bedrooms. The home has handicap access in both the front and the backyard. At one point in time this was a daycare and there is tons of storage throughout the house including a large pantry near the kitchen. The detached garage with lots of storage and there is a long driveway with room for RV parking. A must see! $589,000
I’m never too busy to help your friends and family with all their real estate needs! Property Management Services Available 7 East Main St., Ste. C Winters, CA 95694 530.795.4000 Camelot Winters, Inc.
FeaturesLegals4 B4 — Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020
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FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder F20200831 10/06/2020 Kquam, Deputy
The City of Vacaville is hiring
Senior Traffic Signal Technician
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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder F20200934 11/17/2020 lramirez, Deputy
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wintersaggregate.com 4499 Putah Creek Rd.
Business is located in Solano County Fictitious Business Name: JOVANI'S PLUMBING Physical Address: 6923 Lewis Rd Vacaville CA 95687 Mailing Address: Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s): Jovani Figueroa 6923 Lewis Rd Vacaville CA 95687 Business Classification: Individual Starting Date of Business: 11/04/2020 s/Jovani Figueroa Official Title: Corporation Name: 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, lramirez, Deputy Clerk State of California, County of Yolo Published November 25, December 2, 9, 16, 2020
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FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder
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Business is located in Yolo County Fictitious Business Name: One Path Counseling Physical Address: 819 Carrion Circle Winters, CA 95694 Mailing Address: 819 Carrion Circle Winters, CA 95694 Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s): Jason Jurado 819 Carrion Circle Winters CA 95694 Business Classification: Individual Starting Date of Business: 09/03/2020 s/Jason Jurado Official Title: Corporation Name: 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, Kquam, Deputy Clerk State of California, County of Yolo Published November 18, 25, December 2, 9, 2020
FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder F20200946 11/20/2020 lramirez, Deputy
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Business is located in Yolo County Fictitious Business Name: SOUTHERN TOUCH DESIGNS Physical Address: 914 Kennedy Dr Winters CA 95694 Mailing Address: 914 Kennedy Dr Winters CA 95694 Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s): Lindsey E Brickey 914 Kennedy Dr Winters CA 95694 Business Classification: Individual Starting Date of Business: 10/21/2020 s/Lindsey Brickey Official Title: Corporation Name: 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, lramirez, Deputy Clerk State of California, County of Yolo Published December 2, 9, 16, 23, 2020
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FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder
Business is located in YOLO County Fictitious Business Name: WOOHOO SOCIAL Physical Address: 912 Burns Way Woodland CA 95776 Mailing Address: Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s): Nikhil Y Patel 912 Burns Way Woodland CA 95776 Business Classification: Individual Starting Date of Business: 01/01/2020 s/Nikhil Patel Official Title: Owner Corporation Name: N/A 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, dho, Deputy Clerk State of California, County of Yolo Published November 18, 25, December 2, 9, 2020
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Business is located in Yolo County Fictitious Business Name: Resource Management Physical Address: 619 1/2 Main Street Woodland, CA 95695 Mailing Address: PO Box 1029 Woodland, CA 95776 Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s): John K Adams 16456 County Road 46 Business Classification: Individual Starting Date of Business: 10-01-2015 s/John K Adams Official Title: Corporation Name: 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, Kquam, Deputy Clerk State of California, County of Yolo Published November 11, 18, 25, December 2, 2020
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME
FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder F20200910 11/09/2020 dho, Deputy
Business is located in YOLO County Fictitious Business Name: GILL AG INVESTMENTS Physical Address: 25620 County Road 23 Esparto CA 95627 Mailing Address: 25620 County Road Esparto CA 95627 Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s): 1) Amritpal Singh Gill 25620 County Road 23 Esparto CA 95627 2) Pawanjit Kaur Gill 25620 County Road 23 Esparto CA 95627 Business Classification: General Partnership Starting Date of Business: 04/01/2020 s/Amritpal Singh Gill Official Title: General Partner Corporation Name: N/A 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, dho, Deputy Clerk State of California, County of Yolo Published November 25, December 2, 9, 16, 2020
WINTERS LEGALS NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of the Winters Joint Unified School District (the “Districtâ€?) will hold a public hearing on the matter of seeking a waiver from the State Board of Education, pursuant to the requirements of California Education Code section 33050, relating to the available bonding capacity for general obligation bonds of the District. The District seeks a waiver from the State Board of Education on its net available bonding capacity in order to issue approximately $7 million of the $19 million in bond authorization approved by the voters under Measure “Wâ€? on November 3, 2020. The hearing will be held at 6:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, on December 17, 2020, via Zoom conferencing webinar. This meeting will be held pursuant to Executive Order N-29-20 issued by California Governor Gavin Newsom on March 17, 2020. The meeting link will be made available at least 72 hours before the hearing on the District’s website and included in the posted Board agenda. Those who wish to provide public input remotely are requested to e-mail akelley@wintersjusd.org. The purpose of the hearing is to seek public comment and to grant the opportunity for discussion on the need for a State Board of Education waiver prior to the Board’s formal request for a waiver. Please contact Diana JimĂŠnez, Superintendent, (530) 7956100 if you have questions about this matter or want more information prior to the public hearing. Published: December 2, 2020
WINTERS LEGALS
F20200908 11/09/2020 dho, Deputy
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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME
Business is located in Yolo County Fictitious Business Name: FAVSOFTWARE Physical Address: 1016 Marston Street West Sacramento, CA 95605 Mailing Address: Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s): TRUECO LLC 1016 Marston Street West Sac CA 95605 Business Classification: Limited Liability Company Starting Date of Business: 01/27/2020 s/Stanislav Bondarenko Official Title: Manager Corporation Name: TRUECO 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, lramirez, Deputy Clerk State of California, County of Yolo Published November 11, 18, 25, December 2, 2020
NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: TIMOTHY W. DUNCAN Case Number: PR2020-0195 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: Timothy W. Duncan A Petition for Probate has been filed by: Gail Casson in the Superior Court of California, County of: Yolo The Petition for Probate requests that: Gail Casson be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.
A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: DATE: DEC. 22, 2020 TIME: 9:00 a.m.; DEPT.: 9 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF YOLO 1000 Main Street Woodland, CA 95695 If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1)four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: Barbara Sonin (SBN: 303698) Sonin Law 21 Court Street Woodland, CA 95695 (530) 662-2226 Published: November 18, 25, December 2, 2020
Features5 Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020 — B5
Winters citizens — You did it By Bob Polkinghorn, Keep Winters Winters Chair Special to the Express
We could all use a hand
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rowing up without a father, it fell upon my widowed mother to impart to me some of the important habits every man should adopt. One of them I completely ignored. “Learn to play golf,� she advised, “because all the business deals are made on the golf course.� But I was never interested in hitting a little ball all day long. Plus, I figured I was capable of making deals in other ways. However, another bit of her sage wisdom was something I have applied throughout my life. “Have a strong handshake,� she would tell me.  When I was little, she even made me practice on her. “No one likes to shake hands with a limp fish,� she would say. As I grew, I viewed the handshake as a great expression of human interaction, a way to make friends and seal business deals (without golf), a truly human gesture which many today wish to obliterate. Those who do are a little too germophobic for my taste. Just a couple of weeks ago, my fellow Express columnist who, best as I can tell has always been wary of handshakes, wrote that he hopes the pandemic will end this important way of greeting. He hopes “that habit becomes something we tell our grandchildren we used to do.� I couldn’t disagree more. Handshaking is a habit which dates back to ancient times, when two enemies would meet. The handshake was a way to show they were not holding weapons. Some historians even suggest the upand-down motion was intended to dislodge any knives or daggers that might be hidden up a sleeve. Two fierce warriors elbow bumping would look as silly as two middle aged men bumping elbows today. Some have dated the modern day handshake to the 17th century, practiced by the Quakers as a more egalitarian version of the bow. It’s a very democratic custom, a very American way of greeting, not to mention that handshakes have also changed
Most of all, the handshake is a way to touch a fellow human being, a key to keeping us emotionally connected. history. Grant and Lee at Appomattox. Churchill, Stalin and Truman at Potsdam. Sadat and Begin at the White House. I’ve participated in a few memorable handshakes in my day. My former managing editor, Dan Rather, always delivered a powerful Texas sized shake, fingers splayed wide open, with the force of a pneumatic oil rig. Here in Winters, I remember meeting my friend Lynne Secrist for the first time, back in the good old days when human beings drifted in and out of Steady Eddy’s in the morning. I’m afraid I gripped her hand so hard, she recoiled in pain. I apologized profusely and modified my shake in later meetings. I even shook hands with a Pope. I have a photo of me, taken at the Vatican, extending my hand to John Paul II. By the way, I also fearlessly kissed the papal ring — God knows how many other lips had touched it before mine. Most of all, the handshake is a way to touch a fellow human being, a key to keeping us emotionally connected. As to consigning handshakes to “habits we tell our grandchildren we used to do,� let's substitute the word “handshakes� for “mask wearing,� “fist bumping,� and “social distancing.� Let's make those little circles at the checkout lines something our grandkids will laugh at. Let them look at us quizzically at the mention of “contactless delivery� and “touchless menus.� Let’s hope they associate the word “surge� with tidal waves, and “spike� with a favorite dog’s name. Let’s agree that these new habits we have invented lately are the ones which should not last for two more generations. In fact, let’s shake on it
For many reasons, there has been scant coverage in the Winters Express of the Nov. 3 election. This is unfortunate since the governing boards of the city (with Keep Winters Winters) and the Winters JUSD each had important measures on the ballot and the citizens responded. Both Measures, A and W, were designed to preserve and improve the quality of our lives — and our children’s lives — going forward. And both passed by convincing margins. That’s a statement about who we are as a community and what we value, even in the face of a crushing pandemic and its debilitating effects on our local economy and personal-social lives. It would have been easy for Winters citizens to think simply in terms of survival — to focus only on today and tomorrow and to just vote “no� on anything that requires vision or implies change to the status quo. The big takeaway is that a significant majority of Winters citizens did not take the bait
of those who dangled “doom and gloom� scenarios or speculated without basis to foster fear. Instead, these voters proclaimed, “We’re better than that and we’ll do the right thing!� And just one month ago, they did just that. In brief, here’s what Winters voters endorsed overwhelmingly: Measure A establishes an Urban Growth Boundary at the current city limit line. No development can take place on land outside this boundary until and unless the city’s voters approve such. This measure protects valuable farmland, our agricultural heritage, and a wealth of environmental resources. Measure A also establishes a process for a citizen-based planning committee that would develop a comprehensive plan for the nearly 800 acres outside the city limit line north of town. The plan, once developed, requires an affirmative vote of the citizens before it can be enacted. The takeaway is this: Citizens want their voices to matter and their vote to count in terms of how, when and where we, as a city, grow
It is ever more important that the Winters City Council and the Trustees of the Winters JUSD listen to and trust the wisdom and vision of the Winters’ citizenry. and develop into the future. With the passage of Measure A by an almost three to one margin, they will have achieved just that! Impressive! Measure W will allow Winters JUSD to improve the quality of school facilities and education provided to our students. Once enacted, it will allow the district to issue general obligation bonds that will bring most, if not all, Winters JUSD facilities up to current safety and efficiency standards. Many classrooms, especially at the high school, are aging and must be upgraded since many do not meet 21st century standards. Such improvements will extend to restrooms as well as certain administrative and athletic facilities. The takeaway is
this: Citizens want today’s — and tomorrow’s — students to receive high-quality education as a matter of course — every day, every student. And they want our teachers to teach in classrooms that optimize their effectiveness and enhance students’ academic achievement and social-emotional development. Measure W, which passed by a margin of nearly two to one, allows the district to take significant steps towards these key goals. There’s one final takeaway — something else we’ve learned about the ongoing dynamic between those elected to govern and the citizens who elected them. Going forward in this very challenging time, it is ever more important that the Winters City Council and the Trustees of the Winters JUSD listen to and trust the wisdom and vision of the Winters’ citizenry — they are smart, talented, and committed partners in the governance process. Congratulations, my fellow citizens, and thank you for keeping your eyes on our collective future and the quality of life in our community. Well done!
COVID-19 facts and views By Wally Pearce, Winters Elder Day Council Special to the Express COVID-19 transmits from person to person, through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. These minute airborne droplets land in the mouths or noses of nearby people and are inhaled into the lungs. The first COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed case in the United States was on Monday, Jan. 20, 2020 and reported to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC-P) on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Todate; nearly 268,000 Americans have died, and more that 13 million virus cases are confirmed. Then on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, COVID-19 crept unseen into a Pittsburgh Pennsylvania nursing home; and, 18 people died after coronavirus hit them with a hushed shockwave. There are no words to describe what COVID-19 has brought to America, and throughout this pandemic, some communities have successfully kept COVID-19 at bay. But, once the infection takes hold, it spreads like a repugnant wildfire.  Still, some people continue to cut corners with their health and safety, including the well-being and protection of others near them, and walkaround with exposed nostrils, masks under their chins, no face protection at all; and when questioned,
Skyrocketing infection rate means two things: First, people have let down their guards; and second, coronavirus has spread through the general population. some reply that they just can’t be 100 percent safe all the time. COVID-19 cases are raging again in California while public health experts and doctors work hard to convince people that this holiday season is a dangerous time. What’s driving the fastest spike in COVID-19 cases yet are social gatherings of various sizes, especially indoor crowds — like inside dinners, bars, spending time with families, couples who believe they’re safe, neighborhood game nights, even carpools. Public health experts worry that far too many people are discounting the real COVID-19 risks — where physical closeness and limited air flow greatly enhances virus transmission. People even have a false idea that the virus is not that big a deal, while others are bored and want to move on. But, the rate of viral infections is worse now than in March 2020. If people don’t
change their behavior, more people will be infected, get sick, and even die. With the 2020 holiday season here, CDC-P issued a strong warning that people should avoid air travel. California has even dispensed a stay-at-home order for various counties. Sacramento County reports that nearly 60 percent of COVID-19 cases are among people age 18-49, and the largest age group is 20-29 years old. Young
people are getting infected and are spreading the virus. Although young adults tend to not get as sick, and some may not show symptoms, they do go out into the community and spread transmission. The rate of infection in California has doubled in the prior two weeks. Skyrocketing infection rate means two things: First, people have let
See COVID-19, Page 7
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Features6 B6 — Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Features7 Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020 — B7
Valley Clean Energy puts the power back into hands of Winters community members By Jesse Loren, Winters City Council member Special to the Express Starting in January, Winters residents and businesses will take a giant step toward a more sustainable energy future as the community becomes a fullfledged member of the Valley Clean Energy Alliance. Mayor Cowan and I have been representing Winters on the VCE Board for over a year and we are excited that our start date is getting closer. How does it work? VCE pools the electricity demands of our communities and purchases power with higher renewable and lower greenhouse gas content than is offered by PG&E. VCE customers pay exactly the same amount for this clean, low-carbon power as they would for traditional electricity provided by PG&E. Meanwhile, PG&E continues to deliver electricity to our homes and businesses, maintains the power lines, handles customer billing and responds to new service requests and emergencies. Founded in June 2018 by the cities of Davis and Woodland and the county of Yolo, the locally run elec-
LIFESTYLE Continued from Page 1 discipline while allowing for occasional indulgences. “Don’t aim for perfect, aim for better,” Kays said about having a healthy mindset for dieting. “Even if you have a day where you fall completely off the wagon with your diet, going on a walk would be an example of ‘better,’ not perfect.” Perhaps the most common misconception about diets is that once one reaches their weight loss goal, then the work is done. The weight will magically stay off forever. The reality is, dieting is a lifestyle change, not a temporary solution. It’s a commitment to
HOMES Continued from Page 3 October. • Active listings continued to decline significantly, with most regions declining more than 40 percent from last year. The Central Valley had the biggest year-over-year drop of 49.6 percent in October. Forty nine of 51 counties reported a year-over-year decline in active listings
tricity utility has been offering clean, green, renewable energy at competitive prices to its nearly 58,000 customers since then. As a not-for-profit agency, VCE re-invests its revenues right back into local communities, including ours. Come January, you’ll be automatically enrolled in VCE unless you choose to opt out and stay with PG&E for your electricity. However, if you do opt out, here’s what you’ll miss: • Cleaner, less polluting electricity: In the past two years, VCE exceeded its targets for renewable energy and carbon-free power. • Choice for everyone: A standard energy portfolio includes power that is 75 percent carbon-free and 45 percent renewable, while customers may opt up to an “ultra-green” portfolio that is 100 percent carbon-free and 100 percent renewable. Choosing the enhanced option costs just 1.5 cents more per kWh than the standard service. • Fiscal responsibility: $1.5 million in start-up loans from the participating government agencies were paid back well ahead of schedule. Additionally, VCE has repaid more than $1.5 million in deferred payments to SMUD, the
Sacramento Municipal Utility District, for operating services provided to the nascent agency. • Better solar benefits: VCE’s solar customers are paid 1 cent per kWh more than PG&E pays for any excess power they generate. • Emission-free driving: A $2.9 million grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments is bringing an extensive electric vehicle charging network to Yolo County, including new charging stations at the Community Center and new stations at the new lot at First and Abbey. • Local control: VCE is governed locally by elected officials from the four participating agencies who understand the community and work to provide benefits that align with community values. VCE’s directors are accountable to voters, not shareholders. I am one of two Winters City Council members who serve on the board. • Re-investment and involvement in our communities: VCE has committed to renewable energy contracts close to home and is working to secure more. Furthermore, VCE is a good neighbor: The agency contributed $1,500 to the Greater Winters Fire
oneself to stay accountable and disciplined. “My experience isn’t over. It’s never going to end. There’ll be ups and downs,” Smith said talking about what the road ahead
has in store. “For anyone wanting to lose weight or reach a goal, don’t stop. There’ll be roadblocks and don’t beat yourself up if it takes longer than expected. You have to grind through it and keep moving and live to fight another day.” Now weighing in at 215, Smith is a living testament to what one can accomplish when they set their mind to something. Even during a pandemic, a healthier lifestyle is just a choice away. For local help in weight loss and fitness endeavors, one can contact trainer, Chris Kays at 530665-3839 or chris kaystraining@gmail. com. For Smith’s trainer, Trent Williamson, his online services are available at armada strength.com.
in October. • The median number of days it took to sell a California single-family home was 10 days in October, down from 24 in October 2019. The October 2020 figure was the lowest ever recorded. • CAR’s statewide sales-price-to-listprice ratio was 100.2 percent in October 2020 and 98.5 percent in October 2019. • The statewide aver-
age price per square foot for an existing single-family home was $326 in October 2020 and $289 in October 2019. • The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 2.83 percent in October, according to Freddie Mac. The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate was an average of 2.89 percent, compared to 3.38 percent in October 2019.
“There’ll be roadblocks and don’t beat yourself up if it takes longer than expected. You have to grind through it and keep moving and live to fight another day.” Kaplan Smith
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This is not an experiment. With more than 20 operational programs already serving more than 10 million California customers, community choice energy agencies such as VCE are providing a clear path to a well-managed, economically beneficial, clean energy future. Relief Fund; purchased and donated 500 reusable face masks to RISE Inc., a nonprofit organization that serves the Latinx community and Western Yolo County; and contributed $2,500 to the Yolo Food Bank at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. • Not-for-profit and for the people: VCE does not
COVID-19 Continued from Page 5 down their guards; and second, coronavirus has spread through the general population. It’s difficult to get people to understand and appreciate the risk. Plus, many people assume it’s safe to gather with people they know and love. But the results are clear, people do transmit COVID-19 to the ones they know and love. Some people think because they haven’t seen a friend or family members in months, they’ll just drop by for a visit. Complications like that are medically impactive and the upsurge of higher infection rates confirm it. If people don’t
have shareholders, keeping the benefits focused on its customers. Have these wonderful new benefits come at a price for the city of Winters? Yes, a small one: We submitted a $25,000 membership fee to offset costs associated with joining the joint powers agency. However, according to VCE’s membership policy, that fee is due to be refunded upon enrollment of Winters customers in VCE in 2021. And make no mistake: This is not an experiment. With more than 20 operational programs already serving more than 10 million California customers, community choice energy agencies such as VCE are providing a clear path to a well-managed, economically beneficial, clean energy future. Dozens more of these agencies are in the planning stages throughout the state and the nation. It’s a terrific time for Winters to join the fold. Valley Clean Energy’s leaders have accomplished some remarkable achievements in just two and a half years of operation, and their plans for the future are even more ambitious. I can’t wait for Winters to have a voice in what’s to come.
curtail their unnecessary activities, exercise established personal protective equipment (PPE) measures, and follow proven advice of health care professionals, communities can expect an even greater upsurge around the Christmas holidays. On average, most people that have been exposed to COVID-19 carriers, show signs of being positive by day 12, with some showing positive signs by day 14. Some who get infected can spread the virus to others two to three days before symptoms start and are most contagious one to two days before they feel sick. If COVID-19 has taught society anything — it’s that its
an equal opportunity virus; attaching its insidious presence to those it connects too. The virus doesn’t discriminate …. it freely threatens communities with equity. Some people infected with COVID-19 might experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. But, not everyone. However, older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, compromised immune systems, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. Coronavirus is a serious disease that needs controlling even when there’s a proven vaccine.
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Features8 B8 — Winters Express, Wednesday, December 2, 2020
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