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Check your mailbox for our special Youth Day edition!
An upcoming culinary collaboration Features, Page 1
Volume 139, Number 13 — Locally owned since 1884
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, April 27, 2022
The hometown paper of Shannon Martinez
ANNUAL YOUTH DAY PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Sponsored By Rotary Club of Winters Community Foundation Benefits Community Services Projects, Winters Senior Foundation, and Winters Fire Department Volunteers
Saturday, April 30, 2022 • 7am - 9:30am WINTERS COMMUNITY CENTER Donation: Adults $15 • Kids $10 (free if they don’t eat much)
Little Pioneer Daycare’s last day of operation is unkown
Ramos chosen as Grand Marshal By Aaron Geerts Express staff writer It’s been a long, two-year hiatus, but Youth Day is back and it’s time to celebrate. This Winters tradition isn’t complete without a Grand Marshal, however, and this year it’s none other than Jenny Ramos. The Grand Marshal is someone who champions the town’s youth and personifies selflessness when it comes to assisting them. Although Ramos isn’t one to toot her own horn, her resume of helpfulness speaks volumes as to why she was selected for this year’s special honor. Over the years, Ramos coached AYSO soccer, Winters Little League and Winters Jr. Warrior football teams. She’s also volunteered countless hours in her chil-
By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief
Courtesy photo
Jenny Ramos was selected for her years of volunteer work with youth agencies, and her work with the high school’s workability and special education programs. dren’s classrooms, mentored handfuls of Winters’ youth, served as president of the Winters Parent Nursery School, was the FFA Hometown Hero, was the 2018 Yolo County
SELPA Community Advisory Committee recipient, works for the Winters Jiont Unified School District as well as in the Esparto workability
See RAMOS, Page 5
Council approves $178,618 to update city’s master water plan By Rick von Geldern Express staff writer
EXPRESS
The city’s Water System Master Plan (WMP) is meant to identify and correct weaknesses to meet the current and future water needs of the city. In 2007, the Winters City Council approved the city’s
WMP. A lot has happened since then — historic drought, lower well water depths, housing development and effects from climate change. The city realized it was time to update the 14-year-old plan to reflect current needs and future infrastructure requirements more accurately. Resolution 202237 was unanimously approved at the April 19 Winters City Council meeting,
Features ........................ B-1
We at he r Rain
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Apr. 22
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Community .................. A-3
Apr. 23
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Opinion ......................... B-3
Apr. 25
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Apr. 26
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Classifieds ................... B-4
Real Estate ................... B-2 Sports ........................... A-2
Rain for week: 0.07 in. Season’s total: 18.29 in. Last sn. to date: 7.99 in. Winters rainfall season began 7/1/21. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m.
Express staff writer Those who choose to enter the teaching profession these days have a passion for what they do. Winters High School’s ag teacher Donnie Whitworth personifies this passion and yields no wonder as to why the school’s students voted him as the 2022 Educator of the Year. Whitworth’s journey as an educator was built upon a foundation of inspiration from two of his high school ag teachers, John Ramos and Bill Scott. This love for agriculture and all it encompassed was cultivated by his UCD professor Jim Rumsey who also inspired Whitworth to become a teacher of this subject he was so passionate about. The handson, experiential education Whitworth is known for, however, was very much inspired by his father. “My dad was a mechanic and loved to work on stuff. A lot of what I teach I learned in high school, a little bit in college but the hands-on skills and
Aaron Geerts/Winters Express
Donnie Whitworth was voted the 2022 Educator of the Year by the Winters High School student body. things I learned in life came from him and other older people sharing their knowledge and experience,” Whitworth said, then went even further into the genesis of his passion. “Honestly, I’m a high school ag teacher because — as a kid — I just loved to build things, drive tractors and work all the time. Sun up to sun down, I’m always doing something.” Although it was the students who voted
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See CLOSURE, Page 5
By Aaron Geerts
See PLAN, Page 5
Date
consider extending the closing date until July 29. Gwen Adams, Director at Little Pioneers, said she heard the closing date could possibly extend into August following an emergency meeting on Friday, April 15 between board member Tom Williams, First Five Yolo, Councilmember Jesse Loren and County Supervisor Don Saylor. “Unfortunately, the Session has decided to not keep myself or Sheri (Lester, administrator) in the loop on any of this,” Adams told the Express. Chapman and Adams both commented that staff movement could force a closure if the staff ratio required by Community Care Licensing fell below the required adult
Whitworth is Educator of the Year
awarding a $178,618 personal services agreement to Woodard & Curran, Inc. to update the WMP and prepare a drought contingency plan. Woodard & Curran is an engineering and consulting firm specializing in water and environmental projects. City Manager Kathleen Salguera Trepa introduced the item and told council the three primary goals that the update is
Index
Families and staff members received notice from Pioneer Church leadership that the daycare program would be closing, however, the final day of operation is still being determined. Letters were handed out and emailed to Little Pioneer Daycare staff members on Tuesday, April 12 informing them that the Board of Directors (Session Members) had decided to close the Little Pioneer Daycare program and that the letters served as their “two week notice.” Families received a similar letter the next day on Wednesday, April 13, as they dropped their children off. Like the letters to staff, their let-
ters also stated it was their two week notice, but the Session members hoped to remain open until June 3. Both letters cited that church leadership had decided to refurbish Wesley Hall, which is the current daycare facility, in order to utilize it “as it was originally intended for receptions, church classes and other events.” Bruce Chapman, Pastor at Pioneer Church, told the Express that the Session Members had initially planned to time the daycare’s closure to coincide with Winters’ school closings for the Summer around June 3. However, when they received feedback that parents needed more time than the allotted two weeks to find alternatives, they would
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Whitworth as Educator of the Year, this ag teacher’s quality is easily recognized by colleagues as well. “Donnie is definitely passionate about agriculture and conveys that to his students. He also gives them every opportunity to learn by doing and embraces that part of the FFA motto. I’ve witnessed several times where Donnie’s helped kids long after the school
See TEACHER, Page 5
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