Winters Express - 09/28/2022

$180K emergency response grant funding needs to be allocated

By Angela Underwood Express staff writer

The deadline to spend nearly $200,000 in emergency ser vices grant funding is almost up.

Winters City Coun cil members dis cussed two grants totaling $180,000 that must be used by the end of October and December. City Manager Kathleen Salguero Trepa ex plained to Mayor Wade Cowan and the council that her staff submitted two applications for the California Office of Emergency Services

in 2020 to fund an emergency genera tor at the new senior center.

“One grant was $80,000, and the other was $100,000, the log ic being if both were approved, one grant could be transferred to the community center,” Trepa said.

The good news is Winters got both grants, but the bad news was that the construction of the senior center con flicted with the grant timeline require ments. So the council authorized a grant transfer to fund a community center

emergency genera tor.

In a large-scale emergency, the com munity center is an identified shelter lo cation, according to Trepa, noting it has also served as a cool ing center during ex treme heat.

“Staff had already determined that the cost of installing a generator at this lo cation would be ap proximately $145,000 because the electri cal panel would need to be upgraded, so both grants totaling $180,000 would be

See FUNDS, Page

Haunted Forest creeps into Winters

By Aaron Geerts Express staff writer

Winters beware, the Haunted Forest has sprouted at Green River Brewing & Tap room. Along with it comes an experience as frightening as it is unique for those seeking a serious case of the spookies.

The Haunted For est, however, was just a seedling of an idea by the Maynard family that sprout ed in 2011. Over the years, it’s grown into a frighteningly fun experience that re flects the family’s love for the scares, pranks and lore of the Halloween season.

“We’ve always, always loved that stuff, and as we be gan sharing more and more of that passion we realized people really like this too. Not only is it some thing people like to give, but like to re ceive that adrena line rush and excite ment,” explained Elden Maynard, one of the family co-own ers. “We’ve also nev er gravitated towards the gory, bloody,

Hollywood-theatrics you’d typically get at a haunted house. We’re all about the primal, instinctu al and natural fears that completely over whelm your nervous system and take you to a whole different place. It’s not about walking into a room and seeing some ro bot getting its head chopped off, it’s about being in the dark, in the woods and truly not knowing what is hunting you. Hear ing it, feeling it but never quite seeing it

enough to know.”

A far cry from some half-hearted haunt ed house filled with cheap plastic mon sters covered in fake blood, the Haunted Forest is an outdoor immersion into a dif ferent reality. Using their collective back ground in theater, the Maynards interact, joke with and horrify visitors as different characters through out the Haunted For est. This improvisa tion not only helps one suspend their

Thousands attend the return of the Festival de la Comunidad event

By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief

The smell of carni tas meat cooking waft ed through downtown Winters on Saturday morning as teams worked to prepare their carnitas cook-off entry.

Meanwhile, Win ters Community Cora zón (WCC) members worked to bring the Festival de la Comu nidad “Carnitas Fes tival” back to Winters on Saturday, Sept. 24.

A variety of musical and dancing groups entertained attend ees. This year’s festi val entertainment in cluded Bonanza King, Koyasan Spirit of Chil dren Taiko, Mariachi Puente, Folklorico Jóvenes Unidos, sing er Jimena Izquierdo, Mariachi Del Valle, and dance music from Baile con Batos de Ar ranque.

Winters Police Chief John P. Miller said about 3,000 people were in attendance throughout the event which ran from 4:30–10:30 p.m. According to Miller, the peak size of attendees was 1,000 people congregating between the differ ent areas of the event space.

“We had no issues and event was, as always, very fami ly-friendly and enjoy able,” Miller said.

In addition to eats and entertainment, an area of Rotary Park

hosted a children’s area featured free activities for youth.

A large selection of booths was available for the community to peruse and to learn about local nonprof its.

Carnitas cook-off winners

Internation ally known chef Georgeanne Brennan lead the team of  Car nitas Cook-off judges.

Mayor Wade Cowan, County Supervisor Don Saylor, City Man ager Kathleen Salgue ro Trepa and the coun ty’s Chief Administra tive Officer Gerardo Pinedo all served as judges.

“All judges were in structed to eat plenty

of carnitas from a va riety of vendors for a month ahead of time to educate their pal ate,” said Jesse Lo ren, Councilmember and WCC board chair.

“Next year, we would like to bring back the “People’s Choice Awards” and plate the different cooks’ carnitas together for comparison.”

The judges unani mously voted to be stow the first place honors to Jesus and Chuy Quirarte.

Loren said the sec ond and third place teams were only sepa rated by 0.5 of a point. The El Cirancito team claimed second place, and the Carnitas Mi Chano team placed third.

Future subscriber: Rubee Jacquelynn Trotter*

Joe and Doneice Trotter of Winters announce the birth of their daughter, Rubee Jacquelynn Trotter. Rubee ar rived at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2022 in Sac ramento. She weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 20.5 inches at birth.

Rubee is welcomed by big brother Ransom Trotter, maternal grandparents Henry and Robin Harlan of Winters, paternal grandparents Lee Trotter and Wanda Foster, paternal great-grandma Jacquelyn Trotter of Illinois and ma ternal great-grandma Sandy Harlan of Woodland.

Courtesy photo

Koyasan Spirit of Children Taiko from Sacramento performed at the Sept. 24 event.

Courtesy photo

Jimena Izquirda, of Woodland, sings to the community at the 2022 Festival de la Comunidad on Sept. 24.

Courtesy photo

Aaron Geerts/Winters Express

This year’s Haunted Forest is being hosted along Putah Creek out behind Green River Brewing & Taproom.

City, County discuss multi-million dollar pedestrian project

By Angela Underwood Express staff writer

Twelve million dol lars in pedestrian safety improvements to State Route 128 and Interstate 505 over crossing were a topic of discussion at the City of Winters and Yolo County 2x2 meet ing on Sept. 14.

The critical safety project has the Cali fornia Department of Transportation (Cal trans), Yolo County, and Winters closely collaborating. But there is a detour in the project: the $12 million in funding.

Several years ago, the three agencies identified this proj ect as a priority, with Winters taking on the role of project lead for the initial design phase. Yolo County Supervisor Don Say lor assisted Winters and Caltrans in secur ing needed funding for years.

“An Active Trans portation Grant re quest was recently submitted to the Cal ifornia Transporta tion Commission, and there is potential for federal funds in the current budget cycle,” Saylor said. “We are

awaiting final word on these potential funding sources and are continuing to seek additional opportuni ties.”

The Winters com munity, especially the El Rio Villa Housing Development, remain in peril if nothing is done, he added.

“The I-505 overpass is currently very dan gerous for pedestri ans, bikers and driv ers as there are no separations between vehicular traffic and pedestrians, no shoulders, minimal sidewalks and sub-par railings,” Saylor said.

While El Rio Vil la residents “con sistently requested a safe path” to walk or bike into Winters, according to Saylor, Councilmember Jes se Loren stressed her issues in 2020. Accord ing to Loren, the 1-505 bridge over-cross ing built in 1959 rep resents the singular focus of the period, adding that citizens cannot safely cross the bridge on foot, bikes or mobility de vices.

“The world has changed since 1959,

See WALK, Page A7

County contract and command vehicle take a bite out of the City’s budget

By Angela Underwood Express staff writer

The Winters City Council signed off on two big-tick et items totaling more than $1,000,000 for needed city re sources at the Sept. 20 meet ing.

The first bill totals $74,431 for the Yolo County and Win ters City annual animal ser vice agreement; however, some of that high cost is off set. Up to $56,962 is allotted in the 2022-23 operating bud get for the Winters Police De partment, which handles the agreement, leaving $17,469 in estimated revenue collected by Yolo County for Winters’ dog licensing fees.

The local partnership agreement began in the 1970s and recently rose to what Po lice Chief John P. Miller calls a “sticker shock” price for the small agency and annual use.

“But the bottom line is that there is no other alternative currently whatsoever,” Mill er said.

City Manager Kathleen Salguero Trepa said the re gional shared services are much more cost-effective than Winters maintaining in dependent services, includ ing picking up stray and dead animals.

“Otherwise, we would have to pay for that dog catching, boarding, and release ser vice from the central shel ter,” Trepa said.

The rates rose significantly in 2017, with Winters seeing a 62 percent increase by Yolo County reallocating service payments. At the time, ev ery agency assumed a fixed cost based on population size and changing variables, including service and af ter-hour calls, according to Miller. As a result, the small Winters agency pays big with

less than 300 service and af ter-hour calls annually.

“We are paying quite a bit for each call for service and each animal,” Miller said.

To offset costs, Miller had a small dog kennel built in the back of the police park ing lot.

“Because we are so remote, especially after hours, if we have to contain a dog in any way for animal control to re spond, we just put the dog in the kennel and then would use social media to try and reunite the dog with its own er,” Miller said.

Sometimes, the animals are less furry.

“We even have a tortoise that gets out,” Miller said, adding in extreme heat, the department cannot hold an animal too long outside, even under the shaded kennel.

Regarding reduced costs, city officials recommend purchasing a 2022 Ford F250 diesel 4x4 command vehi cle for the fire department at $53,953.25. The proposal comes in at least $1,000 less than other Ford vehicles the city researched.

Currently, Brush 26 is uti lized by the fire captains as a command vehicle, removing it from its intended use as a brush engine for off-road vegetation fires. But, Acting Fire Chief Matthew Schechla said it is not sufficient.

“It has multiple radios but lacks the other equipment needed, so we have to move needed command equip ment in and out,” Schechla said.

Equipment buildup for the new vehicle will be approxi mately $40,000 to $45,000, to taling $95,511, which is part of the 2022-23 Fire Develop ment Impact Fee Fund and the city’s capital investment plan.

“Chief Lopez worked with

city officials to put a vehicle replacement plan into place last year,” Schechla said.

Command vehicles equipped with computers and high-tech radios are not directly engaged in fire fighting and rescue oper ations but are present for scene management, resource tracking and accountability, according to Schecla.

“The vehicle will have mul tiple radios and electronics such as a laptop with comput er-aided dispatching, map ping, chargers, flashlights, medical equipment, and more,” Schecla said. “The camper shell also protects these items from weather and theft.”

When brainstorming the purchase, the acting fire chief said fire department officials chose the crew cab for flexibility in transporting crews and towing and haul ing fire department equip ment. The new truck adds to the fire department’s fleet of 11 vehicles, including en gines and boats.

“I believe that city officials allow us to use our area of expertise to purchase and design vehicles that provide the best benefits for Winters and the surrounding fire dis trict,” Schechla said.  Other council business included a resolution pass ing the Natural Resource Commission’s Work Plan Proposal. Some commission proposals include reviewing all Winters tree-related doc uments, interviewing staff on city tree policies and pro grams, and addressing urban conflagration risk related to vegetation.

The next regularly sched uled Winters City Council is to be announced. However, a special Planning Commis sion meeting is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m.

Boat & RV Storage

Natural Resources Commission focuses on on salmon, potential new gas line

By Jacob Hoffman Express correspondent

The Natural Re sources Commission discussed all things salmon and work flows at its monthly meeting on Monday, Sept. 19.

The committee heard from Megan Buche, a City Engi neer, who provid ed an update on the Pacific Gas & Elec tric (PG&E) gas line, which Buche an nounced would be attached under the Trestle Bridge. This arrangement came after lengthy nego tiations with PG&E, as the original plan was to dig the line un der Putah Creek. The committee expressed appreciation for Bu che and the city en gineers who helped design the arrange ment, as well as for PG&E for agreeing to this less disruptive compromise.

Committee Chair Kurt Balasek took time to “pass back a thank you to PG&E for being willing to consider our op tions.” The commit tee approved the plan, which was sent to the City Council.

Streamkeeper Max Stevenson provided an update on the wa ter flow conditions of Putah Creek, as well as the upcoming ar rival of the salmon. Stevenson’s presen tation showed that water flows were largely normal, not ing some of the dif ferences caused by

the recent spat of rain and the amount of water seeping into the ground, as well as the effects of drought on the creek.

Regarding the salm on, Stevenson briefly ran through the histo ry of salmon in Putah Creek and noted ef forts to increase their presence this season, which should begin in early October. This will include the tem porary removal of a dam, with the permis sion of local farmers.

Stevenson expressed his hope that, given factors regarding where the salmon can go and efforts made to attract them, this season will be a “big year” for salmon. Bal asek also proposed Stevenson present on a future project relat ed to the realignment of the Los Rios Check Dam, which Steven son agreed to do.

The chair provid ed the floor to Putah Creek Council mem ber Michaila Collins, filling in for Phil Stevens, who briefly discussed a number of community efforts being conducted by the council, includ ing a volunteer trash removal, nursery up keep, and creek stew ardship program that includes the commu nity outreach Creek Explorer’s program for children interest ed in learning about the Creek and its up keep.

The commission

reviewed their work plan and discussed whether they should add a section to the plan regarding bat populations and the need to protect their habitat and make it a new area of inter est. This prompted a wider discussion surrounding how to make sure there’s alignment with the City Council’s plans, including that small amendments are OK, but big ones have to be made clear to the City Council and on a six month to one year basis. The commis sion resolved to keep their work plan as a living document and eventually create a document to house their potential proj ects.

Scianna gave a brief update on the upcom ing Salmon Festival on Nov. 5, stating that it’s coming along but that they need volun teers to work some of the booths, which will include providing information as well as selling tickets, food, crafts and other items. Scianna invit ed the other commis sion members to vol unteer if possible or to just attend and see the festival.

A discussion of potential topics for the next meeting, in cluded fire, drought, and zoning updates. The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 17.

WHS announces homecoming festivities details, road closure

By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief

Winters High School

Homecoming week is scheduled for Oct. 3–7, and a variety of traditional Home coming events are on the calendar.

Powderpuff

This year’s Powder puff game is sched uled for Wednesday, Oct. 5 starting at 7 p.m. WHS students have free admission, and General Admis sion prices are $5. The gates open at 6:30 p.m.

A Night Rally is scheduled to follow immediately after the game. Only WHS students are able to attend.

Downtown rally

The Downtown Ral ly returns on Friday, Oct. 7.

Space availabili ty is limited and this year’s celebration is

only for WHS students and staff.

Portions of Main Street are scheduled to be closed off from Putah Creek Cafe (Railroad Avenue) down to Pizza Factory from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. for the rally.

Royal coronation

The annual Home coming football game is scheduled for Fri day, Oct. 7. The junior varsity game kicks off at 5:30 p.m. and varsity starts at 7:30 p.m. The Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned at the Half time between games.

2022 Homecoming Court

The Homecoming Court Princes and Princesses are Ashton Baylor and Mikenzie Hapworth-Eldridge (Class of 2024), Diego Segura and Luzangely Martin (Class of 2025) and Gavyn Moore and

Alani Lopez (Class of 2026).

The Homecoming King and Queen nom inees are:

Alfredo Junez and Sophia Cortez (Class of 2023)

Pricila Gonzalez and Justice Madsen (Class of 2024)

Makena Driver and Diego Rodriguez (Class of 2025)

Esai Garcia and Mickayla Passantino (Class of 2026)

Homecoming spirit

Homecoming Week runs from Oct. 3-7. Students voted this year’s theme to be “Decades.” The Senior Class is the 70’s, Junior Class is the 50’s, Sophomore Class is the 60’s and the Freshman Class is the 80’s.

Homecoming spirit day themes were an nounced in the WHS newsletter available online.

WMS celebrates September Cardinals of the Month

Winters Middle School Special to the Express

These Winters Middle School stu dents are being honored as the Sep tember Cardinals of the Month. The students were nomi nated by their peers for showing the WMS S.O.A.R. expecta tions of: Safety first, Own your actions, Always be kind, and Respect for all.

Mario Cortez is the sixth grade honoree. Peers commented that Cortez is a great friend and respects everybody, is a very kind person, and is

always kind to his friends and other students.

Ava Estepa and Bradyn Hernan dez are the seventh grade honorees. Peers said that Es tepa is always kind and checks in on her classmates to make sure they’re doing alright. She was also praised for always being there for any one who needs it and for being under standing of others.

Peers noted that Hernandez is an allaround awesome person and one of the best friends

you’ll ever have. He was also said to be kind and thoughtful, he helps others who are in need of any help, and he owns his actions.

Chase Gibson is the eighth grade honor ee. Peers said Gib son is a good friend, is always nice to ev eryone, and is the first to help others out — even when he had a broken arm. He also owns his actions and never gives up when trying things that are hard.

Congratulations to the September Car dinals of the Month.

Think Spring, And Plant in the Fall — UCCE Master Gardeners of Yolo October events

By Denise Cottrell Special to the Express

Fall is the perfect time to establish new plants in your gar den for the follow ing spring. If you are ready to think ahead to spring or wonder what to plant in the fall garden, attend one of the two UCCE Master Gardeners of Yolo sponsored plants sales in Win ters and Woodland. Both events will have Master Gardeners available to answer your questions about the plants you wish to purchase or other gar dening questions.

On Oct. 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Mas ter Gardeners with the Winters Friends of the Library will hold a plant sale at

the Winters Commu nity Library Teaching Garden (708 Railroad Ave.) The cash or check only plant sale will feature plants from Morningsun Herb Farms of Vacav ille.

The plants offered for sale provide hab itat for bees, butter

flies, and humming birds including a variety of dwarf but terfly bushes, lav enders, ornamental sages, succulents, culinary herbs, and various California native plants plus many more. And while

See GARDEN, Page

Crystal Apilado/Winters Express

The Princes and Princesses are Ashton Baylor and Mikenzie

Hapworth-Eldridge (Class of 2024), Diego Segura and Luzangely Martin (Class of 2025) and Gavyn Moore and Alani Lopez (Class of 2026). See photos of the Kings and Queens on Page B1.

Master Gardeners of Yolo and Winters Friends of the Library are encouraging community members to include pollinating plans in their yards this fall.

Courtesy photo

Years Ago

Dispatches from the Express archives.

120 Years Ago

October 3, 1902

It is reported that J. R. Jones of Madison has purchased the famous Orleans vineyard west of Esparto for $10 per acre. The vineyard is a wreck and the new owner will root it up and farm the land.

The Federation of Women’s Clubs and the Sacramento Valley Development Association will hold a meeting in Woodland Thursday, Oct. 18. The Winters Improvement Club ought to send over a strong delegation.

G. W. Scott shipped a carload of hogs from Winters Tuesday. There’s money in hogs and nobody knows it better than Mr. Scott.

W. P. Fassett went to Oak land last Saturday to attend a meeting of the executive committee of the Prohibition party.

Sam Hoy has sold his fast stepper Kelley Briggs to Frank Wright of Sacramento.

105 Years Ago

September 28, 1917

F. C. Hemenway attended the session of the League of California Municipalities this week in Santa Rosa as a delegate from the Town of Winters.

A dinner party was given by Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Fenley Saturday in honor of Kenneth Guthrie and Caldwell Briggs who in a short time will be away in the army draft.

Forty three men of Yolo County, out of the 107 required by the draft, left Sunday for Camp Lewis, Washington.

Ruth (Camille) Mermod gave a talk at high school Wednesday on “The School System of Switzerland.”

D. W. Griffin’s colossal motion picture, “Intolerance,” at the Garden Theatre October 3.

Ed Graf and Al Crowder have been secured as jurymen on a murder trial in Woodland.

70 Years Ago

October 3, 1952

Mrs. Dolores Buran returned home from San Francisco this week after attending the annual convention of the Association of Cosmetologists at the Fairmont Hotel.

Miss Margie Bishop has accepted a position in Roseberry’s Drug Store, starting employment on Wednesday.

Mrs. Francis Butler, president of the Winters Parent Teacher Association, will preside this evening at the annual reception given to teachers of the Winters grammar and high schools and of the outlying districts.

S/Sgt. Sidney Dunsmore, son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Dunsmore, has arrived in Germany for assignment there. He was sent home from Korea for rotation after serving 10 1/2 months on the front line.

55 Years Ago

October 5, 1967

Wayne A. Sawyer, 34, of Winters, has joined the staff of the First National Bank of Dixon, in the capacity of agricultural expert.

Captain Donald A. Frisbee graduated with a master of science degree in logistics management from the Air Force Institution of Technology at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.

Miss Janet Johnston, president of the Winters District Chamber of Commerce has announced that Chamber members will tour the plant of American Home Foods on October 11, at 7 p.m.

At the meeting of the Winters City Council Tuesday evening it was decided to seek a joint meeting with the local school board to discuss the scope of the Winters Recreation Commission.

The Winters School Board, meeting Monday night in the superintendent’s office, set the pay for substitute teachers at $22 per day.

City of Winters Fire

Sept. 17: 4:30 a.m., outdoor miscellaneous fire, 20 block of E. Abbey St. ~4:53 p.m., vehicle accident, Highway 128/Monticello Dam Rd.

Sept. 18: 1:42 p.m., medical aid, 950 block of RailRd. Ave. Sept. 19: 9:46 a.m., medical aid, First block of Main St.

Sept. 20: 8:11 a.m., vehicle accident, Russell Boulevard/Shams Way

~11:06 a.m., medical aid, 1020 block of McArthur Ave.

Sept. 21: 11:21 a.m., medical aid, 100 block of Grant Ave. Sept. 22: 7:19 a.m., vehicle accident, 420

Public Safety Report

block of Anderson Ave.

Police Arrest Log

Sept. 15: Baeza Perez, Gerardo (Age 35), Charges: Possession of narcotics, Disposition: Released on Notice to Appear ~Coyt, David (Age 28), Charges: Winters PD Felony Warrant, Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail

Sept. 16: Johnson, Thomas Alan (Age 59), Charges: Winters PD Misdemeanor Warrant, Disposition: Released on Notice to Appear ~Ramos, Michael Araujo (Age 64), Charges: Public Intoxication, Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail

~Vender, Chad Allen (Age 32), Charges: Two Winters PD Misdemeanor Warrants, Disposition: Released on Notice to Appear Sept. 18: Reyes, Joshua Andrew (Age 40), Charges: DUI/DUI with BAC .08 percent plus, Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail

Sept. 20: McAlister, Jordan (Age 28), Charges: Petty Theft, Disposition: Released on voluntary booking letter ~Winters Juvenile (Age 13), Charges: Possession of marijuana on school grounds, Disposition: Released on notice to appear

Case Log Sept. 7: 9:21 a.m., 10th block of Anderson Ave., Harassing

Obituaries

Esperanza Ramos Rubio, born in El Marchal, Almeria, Andalusia Spain in 1937, entered into eternal rest on Sept. 19, in Litchfield Park, Ariz. after a long illness. She was surrounded by her doting grandsons and devoted, three-legged, pit bull Leonidas “Leo” Silky Wigglebutt.

She is survived by her children Eloise, John and Lola; and grandchildren Alexander, Beau, Rhett

On Sept. 14, Kate Elizabeth Humphrey, joyful, talented and courageous, passed away peacefully at home in Winters. surrounded by those who loved her most. She was 54.

Kate was born on June 6, 1968 in Springfield, Ill. to Roger and Constance Humphrey. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Art from Arizona State University in 1992, and earned her MFA from Michigan’s esteemed Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1994. Upon her return to Arizona in 1996, Kate met her future husband Mark while working at a

and Aiden; her sister Amparo and brother Juan of Spain; her

sister-in-law Carmen; numerous nieces and nephews in Spain and France; and “fur grandbabies” Annabelle, Sunny, Lily, Leo, Chloe, Buddy, Violet, Ella, Athena, Thor, Sophie and Mitzi.

Esperanza was preceded in death by her parents Guillermo (Saturnino) and Isabel, and her spouse of 40 years, John. Sisters Isabel and Maria of France, and brother Guillermo of Spain. She is awaited across

YESTERYEAR

phone calls Sept. 9: 12:28 a.m., 500th block of Edwards St., Towed Vehicle Sept. 10: 1:06 p.m., 10th block of E. Main St., Vehicle Collision Sept. 13: 1:03 a.m., 100th block of Main St., Audible Alarm Sept. 14: 12:11 p.m. 20000th block of CR 90, Vandalism Sept. 15: 3:56 a.m., 100th block E. Grant Ave., Audible Alarm Sept. 17: 4:30 a.m., 20 block of E. Abbey St., Unlawful fire investigation Sept. 19: 12:56 p.m. 400 block of Niemann St., Petty Theft ~3:13 p.m., 700 block of Dutton St., Stolen/ Recovered Vehicle ~5 p.m., 600 block of Fourth St., Child welfare referral

Borders Bookstore. Clad in practical khaki and a questionable coupling of socks with Birkenstocks, Kate was initially oblivious to her coworker’s romantic endeavors. Mark’s patience paid off and the pair were

Things just aren’t the way they used to be.

Whatever happened to businesses that were eager to please? Well, there is one right here in our town.

We offer the same outstanding service offered decades ago. Are we hopelessly out-of-style? We certainly hope so.

married on May 27, 2000, in a rain-soaked outdoor ceremony. They became a family of three, welcoming son Everett on March 12, 2009.

A creative spirit and exceptional educator, Kate began teaching art at Winters High School in 2007. Her classroom was a wellspring for imagination and a sanctuary for students seeking acceptance and encouragement.

Kate’s inspiration and mentorship is evidenced throughout the Winters community in the Winters Participation Gallery historical mural projects that she helped to coordinate.

No day passed unappreciated by Kate. She woke early to walk, swim or enjoy a backyard cup of coffee, rising with the sun. If she wasn’t teaching, she was creating. Throwing pottery, designing jewelry, drawing and painting were just a few of her preferred pastimes. Kate

the rainbow bridge by her beloved fur angels Mayhem, Heidi and Sugar Bear.

Interment will be private in Calif. The family wishes to thank Dr. Petit, nurse Brenda, Amy, Robyn, Patty, Luis, Chaplain Andy and the staff of Comprehensive Hospice and Palliative Care of Phoenix, Ariz. for their phenomenal care and support of our family through this difficult time.

also loved to join the cheering section at each of her son’s baseball games. An avid music lover and concert goer, Kate’s favorite performers included Luce, Joni Mitchell, Tears for Fears, Indigo Girls, Boston, James Taylor and Rufus Wainwright.

Kate was preceded in death by her parents Roger and Constance. She is survived by her devoted husband Mark, and her loving son Everett.

Kate also leaves behind siblings Bridget, Robin and Louis (and Diana); niece Aleta; nephew Yari; cousin Clifford (and Catherine) Hathaway; cousin John Hathaway; cousins Dan, Megan and Sharon Dwyer; and parents-in-law James and Ceresa Beason.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Winters Community Center outdoor amphitheater at 2 p.m. with a reception to follow.

Picked by Charley Wallace

In 1992 Pepe Valdivia was named the new manager of Don’s NAPA Auto Parts, at 606 Railroad Avenue. He places Larry Meers, who went back to the Vacaville store now that the Winters store is up and running.

File photo

Esperanza Ramos Rubio

Courtesy photo Esperanza Ramos Rubio

Kate Humphrey

Courtesy photo Kate Humphrey

necessary to fund this installation,” Trepa said.

Winters went out to bid, posting the proj ect proposal on the city website, advertising in the Winters Express, and informed several plan rooms and trade journals to no avail.

“A mandatory prebid two meeting was required, and only one vendor attended,” Trepa said of Ample Electric and their pro posed bid of $277,527. “This cost far exceeds the $180,000 in grant funds secured by the city.”

Due to inflationary construction labor and material costs in the last two years and the timing of the grant requirements leave, officials with only one option, according to the city manager.

“As a result, staff recommends that the bid be rejected, and this project be can celed,” Trepa said.

The cancellation leaves many unan swered questions.

Mayor Pro Tempore Bill Biasi wanted to know where the re jected bid funds go. Trepa said the state and county approved repurposing the funds for other eligible emergency prepared ness and response ex penses.

“We are working right now with our public safety chiefs to identify some oth er potential projects like message boards, a portable generator that could be towed around and plugged in, and some addition al radios,”  Trepa said.

GARDEN

Continued from Page 2

supplies last, two types of native milk weed, Narrow Leaf (Asclepias fascicularis) and Showy (Asclepias speciosa) will be free to those who want to participate in in creasing the Monarch butterfly habitat.

Head to Woodland Community College (2300 E. Gibson Rd., Woodland) on Oct. 1 and 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for another UCCE Master Gardener of Yolo plant sale. Locat ed in the Shadehouse/ Greenhouse area of the campus, the Mas ter Gardeners will of fer a variety of plants in for $6 per one-gal lon plant. In addition, vegetable and herb plants will also be available at this cash or check only sale.

The Master Gar deners of Yolo Coun ty provide Univer sity of California research-based in formation and as sistance to home gardeners through free publications, classes, plant sales, and more. Monthly events address sea sonal garden issues and provide topic specific informa tion. Monthly events are listed on the Yolo County Mas ter Gardeners’ web site (https://yolomg. ucanr.edu) under the banner, Public Ed

Additional public safety radios would allow the Winters Pub lic Works Department to effectively commu nicate with local and regional emergen cy responders in an event, especially an emergency. In addi tion, Trepa said other area cities used these funds for reimburse ment regarding past emergency response expenditures, which could also be the case for Winters.

If reimbursement is allowed, “some of the projects may come back to the city if they individually have a cost over $20,000,” Tre pa added, noting that the staff would submit any possible reim bursements to use as much of that $180,000 opportunity.

“I know these dead lines are coming up fast, so I just want to make sure we come up with a plan,” Biasi said.

Mayor Cowan agreed.

“As long as we find other places to use those funds while they are available, we want to make sure to do that,” Cowan said.

Resident Tina Lowden was not as worried about the deadline as much as

ucation-Events. All events are open to the public at no cost. List ed below are the edu cational events sched uled for the month of October.

Master Garden er, Jim Schulte, will present a talk to help you understand ev erything about “Com post” at the Woodland Community and Se nior Center (2001 East St., Woodland) on Fri day, Oct. 7 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

“Preparing for the Winter Garden” is the topic for the Octo ber “Kitchen Garden Chat”. Lead by Master Gardener Treva Val entine, this month’s meeting will be held virtually on Zoom (https://ucanr.zoom. us/j/98028723763). Log in on Saturday, Oct. 8 from 10 to 11 a.m. for a talk that will focus on what to do in the edible garden to be able to harvest before Christmas and cover crops for the winter garden.

The Yolo County Master Gardeners in conjunction with Yolo County Library pres ent Thursday After noon Gardening Talks on Zoom every second and fourth Thursday of the month from 3 to 4 p.m. (except in the month of December).

The workshops are organized by Master Gardener Mike Kluk in conjunction with Librarian Joan Truss.

where the funds were going.

“I am just curious during these very, very, very hot times that we have, did anybody go to these facilities to cool off?” Lowden asked. “Because most of us have AC anyway, so I am just curious, do we need it?”

Trepa said in ex treme heat, Winters promoted the pool and library as cool ing centers, opening the pool an extra day, waiving fees during peak heat hours, and keeping the library open longer. That an swer led Lowden to question whether any funds would return to the upcoming Winters Senior Center or pop ulation. Lowden holds a seat on the Winters Senior Commission on Aging.

“They can only be used for emergency preparedness and response purposes, so we are looking for projects that would fit with that,” Trepa said, adding a senior center emergency generator will be supplied by an alternative funding source already ear marked.

Much has changed in the last two years since applying for the grant, including an

If you wish to at tend, send an email to Joan Tuss, at the Yolo County Library, joan.tuss@yolocounty. org or Jennifer Baum bach, at UCCE Master Gardeners Yolo, jmba umbach@ucanr.edu. You will receive the link and will also be put on a mailing list to receive a notice of the events sponsored by the UCCE Master Gar deners of Yolo County and Yolo County Li brary.

This month’s pro gram will focus on fruit trees. The first talk, “So You Want to Plant a Fruit Tree”, will be held on Oct. 13 from 3 to 4 p.m. Lead by Master Gardeners Bonnie Berman and Mike Kluk, this ses sion will cover every thing you need to con sider when selecting a fruit tree, including common species and cultivar characteris tics, and will include some tips on unusual fruit trees to consider. This talk will also pro vide you with the in formation you need to properly plant, fertil ize, and irrigate your

other grant making possible a new City Hall generator, which allows for the large conference room on Abbey Street to be used as a charging center for Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Co. during area-wide pow er outages.

“In addition, PG&E has — as a result of re building its facilities following the LNU Fire — separated the Winters core from the larger country side grid so that it is less at risk for Public Safety Power Shutoff events,” Trepa said. “Therefore, emergen cy power at the Com munity Center is less of a public need.”

Resident Kate Lad dish thanked the coun cil for “continuing to keep an eye on this ball as it bounces around” regarding funding before stressing the importance of emer gency backup power available to the se nior population, those with disabilities, and “people who can’t get someplace else other than someplace local to cool down when it is too hot or warm up when there is no pow er.”

“I just want to make sure that we keep that population in mind when deciding what to do moving forward,” Laddish said.

The city plans to continue offering resi dents cooling-off loca tions while using the funds otherwise. Ac cording to the staff re port, there is no fiscal impact on Winters by canceling the project. The City Council could utilize American Res cue Plan funding to make the needed dif ference.

fruit tree.

The second program of this monthly series, “The Care and Prun ing of Fruit Trees”, will be held on Oct. 27 from 3 to 4 p.m. Mas ter Gardeners Bon nie Berman and Mike Kluk return to lead the second session on fruit tree care. The topics covered will include pruning and training fruit trees, in cluding espalier. One cannot prune without the proper tools, and this talk will include tips on types of prun ing tools and their care. The session will conclude with advice on best practices for pest and disease man agement of fruit trees.

No matter what your gardening needs or abilities, you can increase your gar dening skills with the Yolo County Master Gardeners. For infor mation about a specif ic garden issue please call or email the Mas ter Gardener hotline at: 530 666-8736 or mgyolo@ucdavis.edu and leave a message. Someone will get back to you.

Voice your preference in our local elections this November!

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“In addition, PG&E has — as a result of rebuilding its facilities following the LNU Fire — seperated the Winters core from the larger countryside grid so that it is less at risk for Public Safety Power Shutoff events.”

Kathleen Trepa, City Manager

Ballots for the Nov. 8 elections should begin arriving in your mailbox as of Oct. 10

Winters

El Distrito Escolar Unificado de Winters (Winters Joint Uni fied School District - Winters JUSD) está ocupado llenando puestos importantes en el distrito. Entre la búsqueda de superin tendente y la vacante de miembro de la jun ta, los puestos de lid erazgo aún no se han llenado, pero los fun cionarios del distrito están trabajando ar duamente para cam biar eso.

El próximo puesto que se cubrirá es la próxima vacante de un Fideicomisario de la junta del Área Cu atro. La superinten dente interina Phoe be Girimonte dirigió a los funcionarios sobre el estatuto y los mandatos para selec cionar un subcomité para revisar las so licitudes de vacantes de la junta. El estatu to establece que “un comité compuesto por

solicitudes para el Área Cuatro de Fideicomisario

menos de un quórum de la Junta se asegu rará de que los solic itantes sean elegibles para ser miembros de la Junta y anunciarán los nombres de los candidatos elegibles.”

“La Junta en ple no entrevistará a los candidatos en una reunión pública, aceptará comentarios públicos orales o es critos y seleccionará a la persona designada por mayoría de votos,” dijo Girimonte.

Girimonte también propuso un crono grama para llenar la vacante, comenzan do con anuncios en los medios locales para solicitar postu laciones o nomina ciones. Todas las so licitudes deben pre sentarse en la Oficina del Superintendente antes de las 4 p.m. del 25 de Octubre.

Del 26 al 28 de Oc tubre del 2022, el subcomité de la jun ta revisará las solici tudes y, para el 31 de

Octubre, se publicará la agenda de la re unión de la junta con los nombres de los candidatos elegibles. Luego, el 3 de Noviem bre, los miembros de la junta entrevistarán a candidatos califica dos y seleccionarán a una persona desig nada, y el 15 de Dic iembre, una reunión organizativa para es tablecer a la persona

designada en el cargo.

El Fideicomisario Everardo Zaragoza le pidió a Girimonte que le recuerde al públi co qué pasa si nadie muestra interés en el puesto.

“Si no hubiera can didatos elegibles interesados o no se nombra un candidato, entonces los Síndicos seguirán siendo una junta de cuatro miem bros hasta el próximo

ciclo electoral,” dijo Girimonte.

Zaragoza dijo que el público debería tomar nota.

“Exortamos al pú blico a consultar la última edición de nuestro periódico lo cal (edición del 14 de Septiembre del Win ters Express) que tiene el mapa resaltado en azul que muestra el área a la que poten cialmente podría cor

rer,” dijo Zaragoza. Green elogió el pro ceso, incluido el pro ceso y el cronograma, y elogió al Express por sus esfuerzos.

“Quiero agradecer al Winters Express por promocionar, anun ciar y mantenerlo re ciente y actualizado para la vacante y, con suerte, alguien tiene la voluntad de seguir adelante,” dijo Green.

Comisión Senior identifica principales necesidades en questionario del Centro de Envejecientes

Por Crystal Apilado Traducido por Carol Alfonso

Después de dos meses de no poder avanzar en los asun tos comerciales, la Comisión Senior de Winters sobre el En

vejecimiento (Winters Senior Commission on Aging) se reunió el Miércoles 14 de Septi embre para revisar las respuestas del cues tionario del Centro de Envejecientes de Win

ter y las estrategias so bre cómo avanzar con las actividades y los programas.

La presidenta Cher yl Sandoval dijo que recibieron 43 respues tas (ocho en línea y 35 en formato impreso) a la encuesta que envió la Comisión Senior para recopilar comen tarios sobre los temas y problemas en los que debería centrarse el próximo Centro de Envejecientes de Win ters (Winters Senior Center).

Las tres categorías principales identifi cadas incluyen:

• 70 por ciento: ejer cicio, acondiciona miento físico, baile, clases de caminata

• 67 por ciento: trans porte, viajes, giras

• 63 por ciento: clases de yoga/meditación Sandoval le dijo al Winters Express que los comisionados Senior discutieron en qué podrían en focarse ahora que tienen comentarios de la comunidad.

“Estamos buscan do otras formas de comenzar a pesar de que no tenemos un centro para envejeci entes.”

SCARE Continued from Page 1

disbelief within the forest, but adds to the sensation of fight or flight — or fright.

“There’s characters who want to help you and characters who want to eat you and then there’s charac ters who just don’t care, but are nuts,” said Maynard. “Every year the story changes a little bit but sticks to the main line. Usually, the storyline is given to you by the caretak er of the forest which is my mom. She’s kind of like the warning lady and the voice of caution as you enter the forest.”

Los Comisionados Senior revisaron los programas y activi dades actualmente existentes o que po drían desarrollarse utilizando los recur sos disponibles.

La comisionada Eleanor Yeatman se ofreció como volun taria para dirigir un grupo de caminata los Martes y Jueves a partir de las 8 a. m. y los Domingos a la 1 p. m. Las personas inte resadas en participar deben reunirse frente al Centro Comunitar io de Winters cerca de las puertas de acceso

To date, the Haunt ed Forest has only occurred in walnut orchards. This year, however, the Haunted Forest has taken root along Putah Creek right behind Green River Brewing & Tap room. From thorny blackberry bushes, towering oaks and babbling brooks to the eerie-sounding crickets and critters who dwell there, they all add natural ingre dients of spookiness to pot of fear that the Maynards are already stirring.

“The Maynards ap proached me a couple months ago and said they really wanted to bring the Haunted Forest back to Win

al estacionamiento. Sandoval dijo que si una persona o más llega a la hora de ini cio, la caminata se realizará. Y, cada uno camina bajo su propio riesgo.

Sandoval dijo que la Comisión Senior tra bajará para ayudar a correr la voz sobre los programas actuales para envejecientes del Winters Senior Foundation (WSF), que incluyen: Yoga los Miércoles a partir de las 9:30 a. m. en Iglesia St. Antho ny’s Church.

Vea SENIOR, Página 7

ters and the communi ty to benefit from the amount of traffic it creates and business it brings to town,” said John Neil, Green Riv er owner. “The money we charge for parking here is going entirely to local nonprofits.”

Due to the sheer ‘freakiness’ of the ex perience, children under age 10 aren’t permitted to enter the Haunted Forest. Any one older is advised to take caution — and, perhaps, an perhaps an extra pair of under pants.

The Haunted For est is taking place on weekends from Sept. 24 through Halloween. For more information and to purchase tick ets, visit their website hauntedforestca.com.

As an added bonus for avid readers of the Winters Express, enter promo code “Winters Express” when check ing out for your ticket purchase. This offer is valid only for the dates of Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

Gráfica de cortesía

Área 4 del Fideicomisario en el mapa adoptado en Febrero del 2022.

por Carol Alfonso

and now this bridge divides a town and separates good folks from good, necessary resources,” she said in a project letter signed by the mayor and council members two years ago.

Saylor said it is es pecially concerning for residents trying to access services at the Winters Health and Human Services Branch office on Grant Av e nue, where intermit tent side walks and a lack of safe cross ings ex ist.

But cre at ing a pro tected path is not that sim ple, according to Say lor, who said large in frastructure projects such as the I-505 safe pedestrian crossing are complicated with many phases. Winters is leading the envi ronmental document phase; however, Yolo County assisted in a joint application to secure funding for the stage from the Sacra mento Area Council of Governments.

Winters is respon sible for the project lead because the I-505 project is a subset of a larger Winters Com plete Streets project, encompassing State Route 128 west to Rail road Avenue. Howev er, Mayor Pro Tempo re Bill Biasi said the size and scope of this project are much larg er than what Winters can effectively man

age.

While the project is located just outside city limits and “tech nically out of Winters control,” Biasi said El Rio Villa residents at tend Winters schools, shop in town, and par ticipate in local pro grams.

“It will require technical oversight and review from many different disciplines, which the city does not have the resources to provide,” Biasi said. “Residents aren’t con cerned with which of the three governing jurisdictions they are standing in when they are using this overcrossing — they simply desire and de serve a safe path to cross In terstate 505.”

Like Loren, Biasi agrees that the bridge constructed before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Ameri can Disabilities Act of 1990 was outdated and built when social jus tice and accessibility issues were ignored.

While Biasi said, “it’s time we correct this injustice and pro vide our community with a safe crossing,” Loren points out El Rio Villa houses ap proximately 440 peo ple, some of which are marginalized with no motor vehicle.

“The overpass is dark at night,” Loren said. “It’s frightening to see a mother with a stroller navigate at any time of day or a child on a bike re turning home from school.”

Loren said that the project aligns with many other Winters mandates, includ ing the city’s general plan, complete streets program, reduction in vehicle miles trav eled, and climate ac tion plan. But most of all, she added the project will “improve our social equity and cohesion.”

“We need a new bridge that reflects the values of the mod ern world,” Loren said.

Bottom-line, safety rules, and officials must do what they can to improve pedestri an and bike travel in Win ters, ac cord ing to Bi asi.

“A dedicated bike lane would also pro vide an option to bike to town,” Biasi said.

“There are numerous bicycle enthusiasts who regularly bike to Winters from Davis via Putah Creek Road, and an overcrossing with bike lanes would give them another op tion to come into Win ters.”

Biasi said officials will continue to work together to provide a safe route for Winters and El Rio Villa resi dents, which is “very important to both the county and the city.”

“County, state, and federal grants will be necessary to complete the project,” he said.

“At this time, I am not aware of an expected finish date since it is very dependent on when the necessary funding is provided.”

Día de socialización y juegos los Jueves de 1 p.m. a 3:30 p.m. en la Iglesia St. An thony’s Church.

Se colocan letreros en la iglesia St. An thony’s para guiar a los miembros de la comunidad que de seen participar.

Actualmente se está considerando un almuerzo a través

de una colaboración con el WSF. La ubi cación y los detalles se darán a conocer si deciden seguir ad elante.

Buscando un comisionado

El comisionado Wally Pearce re nunció a su puesto a partir del Miércoles 14 de Septiembre.

El personal de la ci udad trabajará para reclutar para llenar

el puesto vacante. El personal de la ciudad está recomen dando al Concejo Mu nicipal que nombre a Karen Croley para ocupar un puesto en la Comisión Senior para Envejecientes de Winters la cual quedó vacante cuan do la comisionada Valerie Whitworth renunció a la Comis ión en Marzo del 2022.

El mandato vence en Junio del 2023.

PSA: The Winters Senior Center is seeking funding for equipment and programming. Contribute a tax-deductible gift at City Hall or mail checks payable to “Winters Senior Center Fund” to: Yolo Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1264, Woodland, CA 95776

Thank you, City of Winters, for your partnership! We would also like to thank everyone who participated and volunteered, especially Hispanic Advisory Members and our friends from the Historical Society of Winters, RISE and Rotary.

We celebrate and thank our cooking teams:

Teams “¡El Chingon!” with Rob Keele, “El Ciriancito” with Elsa and Emilio Hernandez, “Quirarte Family” with Chuy Quirarte and the 2019 returning champs, “Carnitas Mi Chano” with Jose Delgado.

Congratulations to the families who worked to make the event delicious!

We honor the talented performers who made the evening beautiful: Bonanza King of Winters, Koyasan Taiko from Sacramento, Jimena Izquierdo of Woodland, Mariachi Puente and Mariachi Del Valle from Davis, Folklorico Jóvenes Unidos of Vacaville, and our dance band Baile con Batos de Arrangue!

We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for their steadfast support!

Silver: PG&E, Waste Management, Mariani Nut

Bronze: Winters Healthcare Foundation, Asm. Cecilia Aguiar-Curry,Senator Mike Thompson

Friends of the Festival: First Northern Bank, Yolo Federal Credit Union, Camelot Realty, Supervisor Don Saylor, El Pueblo, Turkovich Wines, Berryessa Brewery, Lorenzo’s Market, R&V Screen Printing, Ace Hardware, and Windmill Farms.

We look forward to celebrating our community with you next year and serving the needs of the community with proceeds from the event. Find out more at www.winterscorazon.org

Our mission is to improve the representation, motivation, integration and celebration of the Winters Latino community.

Winters Community Corazón would like to thank the community for making Festival de la Comunidad a success!

SENIOR Continued from Page 6

Rotary Club of Davis Weekly Lunch + Program

@ 12:15pm

See website for details . University Park Inn and Suites, 1111 Richards Boulevard, Davis. jen.kukis@ed wardjones.com, 530-564-4655

Walt Klenz Lecture: Sus‐tainable Sourcing & Scal‐ing in the Wine Industry

@ 6pm / Free-$10

Wine industry lecture with Jeff O'Neill Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, 392 Old Davis Road, Davis. rmievents@uc davis.edu, 530-754-6349

JourneyDay Music

6pm River Terrace Inn, 1600 Soscol Ave, Napa

The Paper Kites w/ Bre Kennedy @ 7pm

Bad Reli‐

7pm

Discovery Park, 1600 Garden Hwy, Sacramento

ART HOE: VOL II - Watch

Me

@ 7pm / $10 Oasis, 298 11th Street, San Fran‐cisco

Ritualz @ 7pm DNA Lounge, 375 11th St, San Francisco

Garrett + Moulton Dance 20th Anniversary Season @ 7:30pm / $28 Garrett + Moulton Productions (GMP) celebrates its 20th anniver‐sary October 6-9 with the world premieres of a new work by chore‐ographer Janice Garrett and an an‐imated �lm by Charles Moulton. ODC Theater, 3153 17th Street, San Francisco. info@garrettmoul ton.org

"Passengers"

@ 7:30pm / $30-$110

A.C.T.'s Geary Theater, 415 Geary St., San Francisco

Tina D’Elia: "Overlooked Latinas"

@ 7:30pm / $12.50

The

Beth

Free

Join the Founders of the Domes along with Domies of every era at the Domes to celebrate 50 years of alternative living on UCD campus. Baggins End Domes, 7 Baggins End, Davis. jason@schadavis.org, 916-642-9447

Yerba Buena Night @ 6pm Yerba Buena Night is Bigger Than Ever with a Showcase of Free Live Music, Dance & Performances at Jessie Square, Yerba Buena Lane, Yerba Buena Gardens, Museums, Galleries, & Restaurants—Down‐town SoMa Jessie Square, San Francisco. info@ybcbd.org, 415644-0728

@ 7pm Cobb's Comedy Club, 915 Colum‐bus Ave, San Francisco

Neal Brennan: Unacceptable @ 7pm / $35 Cobb's Comedy Club, 915 Colum‐bus Avenue, San Francisco

Rotary Club of Davis Weekly Lunch + Program @ 12:15pm See website for details . University Park Inn and Suites, 1111 Richards Boulevard, Davis. jen.kukis@ed wardjones.com, 530-564-4655

Metric - The Doomscroller Tour @ 7pm / $36 Ace of Spades, 1417 R St., Sacra‐mento

Cuchulain

@ 7pm

The Lost Church, 65 Capp St, San Francisco

"Indecent"

@ 7pm / $15-$70 San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco

Dresage @ 8pm Bottom Of the Hill, 1233 17th St, San Francisco

Waylon Payne @ 8pm / $18 Cafe Du Nord, 2174 Market St., San Francisco

Da??i Freyr

@ 8pm The Regency Ballroom, 1290 Sut‐ter Street, San Francisco

Iceage

@ 8pm

Great American Music Hall, 850 O'‐Farrell St., San Francisco

Wed 10/12

CaringtonSwing: Le Jazz Hot Trio

@ 5pm Scopo Divino, 2800 California St #101, San Francisco

Napa Valley Wild�re Forum with Napa Firewise @ 6pm / Free Wild�re is Inevitable. Preparation is SMART. We’ll Show You How! Zoom Webinar on wild�re risk and what you can do to make your home more wild�re resilient. Napa. eden@napa�rewise.org, 707-3451947

John Calvin Abney @ 7pm The Lost Church, 65 Capp St, San Francisco

Saturday Oct 8th

Fri

The Alpine Camp: Plac‐erville, CA @ 7pm

The Green Room Social Club, 251 Main St, Plac‐erville

The Pleasure Routine @ 8:30pm Bottom Of the Hill, 1233 17th St, San Francisco

Magician Jay Alexander @ 9pm / $45-$47.50

Marrakech Magic Theater, 419 O'‐Farrell St., San Francisco

Amber Leigh @ 9pm DNA Lounge, 375 11th St, San Francisco

Throw3r @ 9pm DNA Lounge,

Secret Machines @ 7pm Ace Of Spades, 1417 R St, Sacra‐mento

Resistance Films by Judith Ehrlich: "The Most Danger‐ous Man in America"

@ 7pm / $7.50 Presidio Theatre, 99 Moraga Ave, San Francisco

12 @ 7pm Capistrano Hall, 6000 J St, Sacra‐mento

Ivan & Alyosha With Evan Bartels and Alec Shaw @ 7pm Cafe Du Nord, 2174 Market St, San Francisco

Fri 10/14

Donovan Plant Music: Music Mosey on JFK @ 2:45pm Golden Gate Park, 123 JFK Drive, San Francisco

TASTE at the Robert Mondavi Institute @ 5pm / $25$45 Food & wine tasting fundraiser hosted at the Robert Mondavi Institute at UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, 392 Old Davis Road, Davis. rmievents@uc davis.edu, 530-754-6349

Tina D’Elia: "Overlooked Latinas" @ 7:30pm / $12.50

The Marsh Upstairs Studio Theater, 1062 Valencia Street, San Fran‐cisco

City of Vacaville presents Tower of Power @ 8pm / $75

The City of Vacaville presents Tower of Power. Vacaville Perform‐ing Arts Theatre, 1010 Ulatis Drive, Vacaville. info@vpat.net, 7070469-4013

"Zac & Siah, Or Jesus in a Body Bag" @ 8pm / $20 Phoenix Theatre San Francisco, 414 Mason St., San Francisco

Magician Jay Alexander @ 9pm / $45-$47.50

Marrakech Magic Theater, 419 O'‐Farrell St., San Francisco

James McMurtry @ 9pm Harlow's, 2708 J St, Sacramento

Wendy DeWitt Queen of Boogie Woogie @ 9:30pm The Saloon, 1232 Grant ave, San Francisco

Sun 10/16

Bisi: Sunday Streets @ 11am GLIDE Memorial Church, 330 Ellis St, San Francisco

Second Bite: the Wisdom of the Apple, technofeminist immersive art at the Internet Archive in SF. @ 12pm / Free

The Drowns @ 7:30pm Gold�eld Trading Post, 1630 J St, Sacra‐mento

Henry Rollins @ 7:30pm Crest Theatre - Sacramento, 1013 K Street, Sacramento

Booze & Glory @ 7:30pm Gold�eld Trading Post, 1630 J St, Sacramento

Kiyoshi Kitagawa @ 7:30pm SFJAZZ Center, 201 Franklin St, San Francisco

Benny Green @ 7:30pm SFJAZZ Center, 201 Franklin St,

"Indecent" @ 7pm / $15-$70 San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco

A unique fusion of technology and gender, Second Bite: The Wisdom of the Apple is a large-scale im‐mersive art installation showcas‐ing women and female experiences from around the world and across time Internet Archive, 300 Funston Avenue, San Francisco. info@sec ondbite.net, 530-205-3047

Rotary Club of Davis Weekly Lunch + Program @ 12:15pm See website for details . University Park Inn and Suites, 1111 Richards Boulevard, Davis. jen.kukis@ed wardjones.com, 530-564-4655

Miranda Love:

Speakeasy Love

@ 7:30pm

Social House Speakeasy, South Lake Tahoe

Comedy Night at the Valencia Room @ 8pm / $8 The Valencia Room, 647 Valencia St, San Francisco

We Own the Laughs @ 8pm / $20 Cobb's Comedy Club, 915 Colum‐bus Avenue, San Francisco

Thu 10/13

Rotary Club of Davis Weekly Lunch + Program @ 12:15pm

See website for details . University Park Inn and Suites, 1111 Richards Boulevard, Davis. jen.kukis@ed wardjones.com, 530-564-4655

The Groove Objective @ 5pm The Ramp, 855 Terry A Francois Blvd, San Francisco

CaringtonSwing: Le Jazz Hot Quartet @ 6:30pm

Mr. Tipple's Recording Studio, 39 Fell St, San Francisco

"Indecent"

@ 7pm / $15-$70 San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco

D’Elia: "Overlooked Latinas"

7:30pm / $12.50

Valencia Street, San Fran‐cisco

Studio Theater,

Sat 10/15

UC

1pm / $65

Join

symposium

a panel discus‐sion

women

and a one-on-one conversation with Glennon Doyle. Mondavi Center, 523 Mrak Hall Drive, Davis "Indecent"

2pm / $15-$70 San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco

Meices @ 4pm Bottom Of the Hill, 1233 17th St, San Francisco

Magician Jay Alexander @ 6:30pm / $45-$47.50

Marrakech Magic Theater, 419 O'‐

St., San Francisco

Seven Factor

7pm DNA Lounge, 375 11th St, San Francisco

Sir Mix-A-Lot

8pm Harlow's, 2708 J St, Sacramento

Girlhouse

@ 8pm The Regency Ballroom, 1300 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco

Spirit of the Bear

@ 9pm The Starlet Room, 2708 J St, Sacramento

powered by

Friday, October

Winters Planning Commission Special Meeting, 6:30 p.m.,

Monday, October

Winters Climate Action Commission Meeting

p.m.,

Meeting

Winters Robotics Club hosts tourney, seeks volunteers

By Aaron Geerts Express Staff Writer

The Winters Ro botics Club (WRC) is hosting a clash of sci ence and engineering known as the VEX Ro botics Competition. As the club itself bol sters the interest of young engineers, the competition allows them to prove their mettle while their ro bots prove their metal.

Alongside the WRC is the nonprofit or ganization, Winters Robotics, Inc. Essen tially, it’s the booster/ fundraiser entity that keeps the WRC’s gears turning. Although Winters Robotics, Inc. isn’t associated with the Winters Joint Uni fied School District (Winters JUSD), the WRC is, and is com prised of members from sixth grade all the way through 12th.

“Our mission is to help kids have an op portunity to explore engineering in a cre ative environment where they get to be hands-on. For some, engineering or sci ence and math might seem intimidating, but this is a very fun environment to be in,” said Winters Robotics, Inc. President Eliz abeth Nelson. “It’s like a tinker lab in a way. You get to build something and watch it succeed or not suc ceed because failure is part of the process. Then they get to figure out a way to overcome the challenges they’re encountering and end up at a competitive tournament venue. The kids get really ex cited about that and it just helps them have fun with the process.”

VEX itself refers to the robotics platform the teams use. The

interesting thing about the VEX compe tition is, rather than keep the rules static, every season features a different style of play with different rules.

“Each year VEX re leases a new, gamebased challenge to help the kids learn different types of en gineering skills. This year’s season is called ‘spin-up.’ It’s essen tially like playing disc golf, but much more complicated,” said Nelson, who’s also the mother of two WRC members. “It’s simple in concept, but chal lenging in that it really makes students think about not just getting the disk in the basket, but thinking about strategy and paying attention to what the other team is doing. There’s also other game components that affect the score, like if your robot or disks are in a certain area at the end as well. There’s a lot of strategy.”

The competition be gins with qualifying matches. Teams are paired randomly with another team to com pete together against two other teams. If teams score enough points to advance to the next round, they’re able to choose the team they want to ally with in the elimi nation matches. This, of course, challeng es competitors to be mindful of not only other robots’ capa bilities, but how they would complement their own as well as the overall strategy.

“You start seeing some familiar faces at tending these robotics competitions in the region. It’s a great way to network and it real ly opens kids’ eyes to

the possibilities that are out there,” said Nelson. “These com petitions are a great environment for a new person as well. I had zero experience with robotics, but it’s so fun and people are excit ed to share with you what they know about robotics and makes it a fun environment as well.”

The VEX competi tion takes place on Oct. 22 and 23 at Winters High School Young Gymnasium. Like any volunteer-based ef fort, volunteers are direly needed to fa cilitate this oppor tunity for these bud ding engineers. From referees and emcees to judges and conces sions, there’s ample volunteer opportuni ties for any and all in terested.

To sign up to volun teer at the upcoming VEX competition, check out the SignUp

Genius at https://ti nyurl.com/2p9z2dft.

The tournament hours are from 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Once they have volunteers situated, they may be able to break some of the jobs down into shifts. Certain jobs require training, and the training module links are listed on the SignUpGenius page as well as more de tails about the jobs and who to contact for more information.

WHS students will compete on Saturday, Oct. 22 and Winters Middle School stu dents will compete on Sunday, Oct. 23. Students are encour aged to volunteer at the event, as well as community members. Attendance is free to the community.

For more informa tion or to make a do nation, email WRC at wintersrobotics@ gmail.com.

Courtesy photo

International Robotics Honor Society members Celeste Garcia and Kiana Miller were selected to be Student Ambassadors for the 2022 VEX World Championship in Dallas, Texas in May.

KS Winters Photography/Courtesy photos

The 2022 Homecoming King and Queen nominees are: Alfredo Junez and Sophia Cortez (Class of 2023), Pricila Gonzalez and Justice Madsen (Class of 2024), Makena Driver and Diego Rodriguez (Class of 2025), and Esai Garcia and Mickayla Passantino (Class of 2026).

Key points from August housing resale report

By California Association of Realtors Special to the Express

At the regional level, sales continued to fall sharply from last year, but the declines in August moderated slightly from the prior month. Three of the five major regions continued to drop by more than 25 percent from last year, with the Central Coast region dipping the most at 30.6 percent year-overyear. The San Francisco Bay Area (-29.1 percent) and Southern California (-28.8

percent) also dipped more than 25 percent from last year, but the declines were less severe compared to the drops recorded in July.

The Central Valley (-22.1 percent) and the Far North (-10.5 percent) had the smallest sales declines of the five major regions, but both continued to fall year-over-year by double-digits.

All but four counties tracked by C.A.R. posted sales drops from last August 2022. Of the 47 counties that experienced a year-overyear sales decline, 30

counties suffered a plunge of more than 20 percent. San Benito County recorded the biggest sales drop from last August at -68.2 percent, followed by Sonoma (-40.3 percent), and Monterey (-35.8 percent). Counties that experienced a sales decline decreasedPlumas gaining the most at 43.3 percent. Siskiyou (11.9 percent), Del Norte (9.1 percent) and Nevada (2.2 percent) were the other three counties that recorded an annual sales increase. For the first eight months of 2022, sales in San Benito had the sharpest decline at -31.2 percent, while Yuba (8.4 percent) continued to post the best

sales performance of all counties compared to last year.

For the first eight months of 2022, sales in San Luis Obispo continued to drop the sharpest at -28.9 percent, while Yuba (17.7 percent) continued to post the best sales performance of all counties compared to last year.More than twothirds of all California counties experienced a year-over-year increase in their median prices, but their growth rates have been decelerating in the past three months. Seven counties continued to record double-digit growth rates in their median prices from a year ago but

was fewer than the 31 counties recorded in May. Napa (29.2 percent) had the biggest price gain of all counties, followed by Sutter (14.8 percent) and Kern (14.5 percent).

Fifteen counties registered a dipped in their median prices from a year ago, with Tehama dropping the most at -13.8 percent, followed by San Francisco (-11.6 percent) and El Dorado (-7.3 percent).Housing supply in California improved from a year ago but tightened slightly from the prior month as housing demand rose in August. The statewide Unsold Inventory Index (UII) increased to 2.9 months in August 2022 from 1.9 months a year ago. Weaker housing demand, however, continued to be the primary factor for the improvement in the index. With both closed sales and pending sales slowing by more than 20 percent, active listings have been

Sandy’s Corner on the Market!

This

(530)

staying on the market longer, resulting in a year-over-year surge of 57.1 percent in homes for sale in August.Forty-seven of the 51 counties tracked by C.A.R. recorded an increase in active listings on a year-over-year basis in August, a slight increase from July’s 46 counties. Three counties had triple-digit year-over-year gains in homes for sale, with Yuba leading the pack again with a surge of 162.4 percent from a year ago, followed by Placer (105.6 percent) and Mendocino (100.0 percent). Despite an overall improvement in housing supply conditions, four counties experienced a dip in active listings from last year. Active listings in Del Norte dropped the most at -56.0 percent, followed by Plumas (-5.9 percent), Sonoma (-2.9 percent), and Lassen (-1.0 percent).The

Cutting the Hassle in Real Estate

611 2ND STREET, WINTERS

building to

$1,400,000.

COUNTY ROAD 92F, WINTERS

Enjoy a bit of Tuscany in Winters! This home has just about everything you can imagine starting with a wine cellar off the living room. There are two walk-in closets in the Master, a laundry room to die for, a courtyard entry with a separate work out room and guest room above with a balcony. Enjoy the outdoors year round on the patio with heaters. You just really need to come and see this to appreciate all the custom features. Then there is the large shop complete with a first class 1 bedroom living space. $3,995,000.

SALE PENDINGS

407 GRANT AVENUE, WINTERS • $479,900 788 HILL PLACE, WINTERS • $565,500

www.sandyvickrey.com

CA. Remodeled bathrooms, new paint inside. Amazing location. This beautiful home backs up to 40 acres of gated open space and the creek. NO REAR NEIGHBORS! Court location!

Wonderful floor plan which features an open kitchen with a center island, Jen air gas stove with a down draft system, granite counters, large pantry, hardwood floors in kitchen, A full bedroom and bath downstairs with private entrance could be used as a mother-in-law unit, 2 fireplaces one in LR and one in FR, a formal dining area and eat in kitchen area. Master bedroom bath has dual vanities, separate shower, and a jacuzzi tub, 2nd bath upstairs also has dual vanities.

Covered patio, nicely landscaped yards with automatic sprinkler system, several fruit trees, 8 person jacuzzi, RV parking, plumbed for soft water, Telsa Solar equipment lease. $775,000.

New Listing in Winters! HARD TO FIND CUSTOM 3 BEDROOM, 3 BATHROOM, 3200 sq. ft. home. In ground pool, new paint, new flooring throughout, large shop, stalls and fenced paddocks for horses, goats, etc.. all on 6 ac Putah Ridge Trails. Call for more details.

5 ACRES ZONED INDUSTRIAL. Commercial water and PG&E at lot. Great location on Airport Road close to new housing tract and Trilogy housing tract. Call for details.

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. Sold! 5 ACRES IN WINTERS! 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1600 sq ft popular Olive School area. $799,000. Call for your private showing!!

SUPER NICE HOME located on a very quiet cul-de-

Huge backyard with an amazing covered patio for entertaining.

bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Remodeled kitchen and Master Bedroom. Appointment only. Offered at $659,000.

FOUR PARCELS TOTALING APPROXIMATELY

Three have residences with walnut orchards

potential and one is a 2.6-acre pasture

ACRES.

offer

of privacy, close to recreation areas and a short drive to Cache Creek Casino. All for $1,995,000. Live in one rent the others! Call Noe 530-383-1185.

GREAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY! Located right across the street from the Winters Hotel. Currently being used as a smog/mechanic shop. 9600 square foot lot! $995,000.

IN RUMSEY. Three residences on 21 acres with great views and privacy nestled between canyons and close to recreation, main Highway and Cache Creek Casino within a short drive. Live on main house rent the others! Seasons pond. Offered at $895,000. Call Noe 530-383-1185.

GREAT CURB APPEAL! 4 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms. Just over 2100 square feet. Centrally located close to all schools. Offered at $599,000.

SALE PENDING

3 BED, 2 BATH ON A CORNER LOT. Established neighborhood. Offered at $445,000. Call 530-383-1185.

WALKING DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN. 3 bed, 2 bath with good size backyard. Great court location. New roof. Offered at $499,000.

ONE-OF-A-KIND PROPERTY! This is the one you’ve been waiting for. 4 beds, 2 baths completely remodeled. Absolutely stunning. All on a 16,000 square foot lot. Plenty of room for all the toys. Offered at $699,000

Force my hand to do nothing

It’s a fact that I may work a tad, too much. I related to Tiana in Princess and the Frog when she came in from one job, fell asleep for a quick second, and then woke up to go to her next job. In back-toback meetings, practices, interviews, and projects — I may only get a few seconds to breathe before going on to the next.

I feel a little called out when I’m scrolling through a social media feed and a meme comes up encouraging the world to stop glorifying overworking as a sign of success. Some that have hit a nerve have included “Stop glorifying overworking,” “Burnout is not a badge of honor,” and “Sis, Breathe… There is no award for over-

worked female of the year.”

They say “if the shoe fits,” and oh, does it indeed fit.

I often tell others to fill their cup, because I am often taking time to meditate and fill my cup. But then, I pour it all out again. It got to the point that I probably overlooked some signs of illness that were sneaking up on me.

It turns out the flare ups that I had been experiencing wasn’t just gas and inflamed stomach lining. No amount of Pepto Bismol or

Tums helped. I ended up being hospitalized for a week because a leftover gallstone was stuck in my bile duct, which in turn caused my liver to stop fully functioning.

My health and wellness forced my hand. And, while I hated every minute of it, I can see why I had to (am still) experiencing having to “take it easy” and “slow it down.”

I was admitted to the hospital on Labor Day (a Monday), which made the call to Taylor, that he would have

Five fantastic fixes for Winters

Have you ever walked around Winters and seen a thing or two you wished they’d fix, remodel or add that would improve the look and feel of our fine City? I’ve got five things I’d do if I were in charge. Here are three of them — the remaining two will be described in my Just The Point column in an upcoming edition of the Express

As you drive West toward the four-way stoplight at Railroad and Grant, one of the first things we all see

is the ugly and frightening razor-wire topped chain fence that just dominates the north-east corner.

And it’s the first thing visitors see, too!

My first project proposal is to hide that razor wire fence with with a line of 30 to 40 pine trees. We should choose a pine variety

that grows only to 20 to 25 feet tall, and plant them in a long row all along the very front of the razor wire fence. A simple trench dug just below the surface could hold a professional drip irrigation system for the entire line of trees. Imagine

See POINT, Page 4

to put the newspaper together the next day, absolutely excruciating and agonizing. My inner Capricorn, Executive ESTJ personality about had a panic attack at the thought of not being able to execute my job.

That evening, my page designer texted me telling me to go to sleep, and the melatonin the RN had given me kicked in, and I realized it was absolutely ridiculous that I was trying to finish some last minute work on my phone.

I missed four or five meetings that week between work and volunteer opportunities. My brain was in agony from not being able to “feel productive,” but my body was ever so thankful that I was

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Letters

Come celebrate the newest history mural project

Members of the Board of Winters Participation Gallery, who sponsor the Winters Historical Mural Project every summer, invite the Winters community to mark the completion of the 2022 mural at the post office, 510 Railroad Ave.

On Monday, Oct. 3, join the young artists who designed and painted the mural, the professional muralists who guided them in the process, and the members of the board of WPG as we celebrate the accomplishment of the fifth summer mural. The event begins at 6 p.m., and consists of a short program and light refreshments. We can also mark the retirement of one of the professional muralists who appears, bigger than life, on the mural! Hope to see you there.

LIZ COMAN

Winters AYSO has a big need for referees

I wanted to put a request out there about refereeing. Right now I have a pool of about 15 volunteers to cover our Winters AYSO games each Saturday. Of that group, there are about seven who do the bulk of the work and the rest fill in here and there. And of that group, I only have three who are qualified to take games above 12U. That means that we have a very small group of people who are likely going to be pretty burnt out by the end of the season.

I would love to have at least another 15 (or more) people step up this year and do the basic regional referee training. If you or someone you know thinks you might like to help out in this way, please let me know.

I am scheduling referees each week and more often than not, a few games end up without a referee. If you were trained, it would be easy to step up and run the game with confidence. Or better yet, you could get yourself into the regular rotation and ease the burden for the rest of us.

Please let me know if there are high school youth or players that you think would make good youth referees. AYSO youth referees make up a significant part of the volunteer pool. And, I can tell you that many of my adult referee colleagues began as youth referees themselves and are still doing it — Myself included. It is a valuable and enriching path to take.

I will be scheduling a regional referee training some time in the next few week. Please consider making the small effort to take the training and earn the badge. You won’t regret it.

If you already know that you want to become a referee, please contact me at wintersayso@ gmail.com, and I will add you to my list.

Thanks for your ongoing support of Winters Youth!

ERIC JEPSEN

Winters AYSO Referee Administrator

See “Impressions of Winters” art before it’s gone

There is a new and exciting artist in town with an exhibit called “Impressions of Winters:portrait of a small town.”

Rodolpho Orihuela has mounted a show of vibrant paintings that span intimate spaces and vast landscapes. He captures the quiet moments that our town allows with views of the surrounding hills and orchards. Back alleys and crooked fence posts and our beloved piano, all become items of beauty from the care with which he paints. They elicit a feeling of reflection. The variety is wonderful. While most of the paintings are of Winters, there is one of the Big Sur River, and another of water reflections in New York City.

The exhibit is housed at 305 First St. and will be open this coming weekend on Sept. 30, Oct. 1 and Oct. 2. Mieka Ogando is to be thanked for making the space available for this show. A nice addition to the art and artists of Winters!

VALERIE WHITWORTH

Friends of Winters FFA Board of Directors

SCRIPT

Continued from Page 3

just doing nothing.

I’ve been home for about two weeks now and I’m still having to remind myself that I need to rest, let others help out, and not to overdo it. And when I think I can, my body tells me I should not. When my brain won’t shut off because it’s going over lists of tasks to do, I’ve learned to start reading or to put on some true crime documentaries in order to calm myself down.

The point of this all is to encourage anyone else in the community who may be overdoing it to take a day off. Find tools and ways to help you truly take time

Page 6

to do nothing I have continued to struggle with the notion that if I wasn’t doing something I wasn’t being productive, helpful, or a contributing community member.

But, you don’t have to do all the things to help support your community or your family. You don’t have to constantly be working. Taking time to rest and reflect is just as important to your wellness and success. Which in turns, helps both you and the efforts and people you’re trying to support, thrive.

I’ll probably still do “many” things once I’m able to – but, I won’t do all the things. And, I’ll eventually be OK with that.

Winters JUSD staff accept Excellence in Education awards

By Angela Underwood Express sta writer

The names of Winters Joint Unified School District officials are stamped on several Yolo County School Boards Association (YCSBA) annual Excellence in Education Awards this year.

Anthony Volkar, Yolo County Office of Education Public Information Officer, said the region is fortunate to have an abundance of dedicated teachers and classified staff in our schools across the county.

“This year’s Excellence in Education recognizes 60 individuals across five school districts, the Yolo County Office of Education, and two community

college districts,” Volkar said. “During this annual event, it is an opportunity to showcase school leaders who make our education system in Yolo County run.”

Acting Superintendent Phoebe Girimonte said while these past several years have brought many challenges, the Winters JUSD staff has risen to meet them in serving students and families.

“As we enter the fourth school year impacted by the pandemic, recognizing the accomplishments of these educators feels like an acknowledgment of the larger team that works alongside them,” Girimonte said. “It is significant to celebrate how these individuals have demonstrat-

ed their commitment to student achievement and well-being and reframed

adversity as opportunity.” Nomination does not come easy. Teachers must

components to win a high team, also known as First place.

The Winters High Ag Sales team started back in January. From there they practiced and refined their skills to prepare for the State Competition. They additionally did smaller scale competitions, where they placed High Team at each competition. At the State Competition, they placed well in all of the categories, leading them to win High Team. That win is what has opened the door for them to attend and compete at the National FFA Convention.

This is an amazing opportunity and a once in a lifetime experience for these FFA students from Winters High School. We are starting a National Convention Donation Drive to help them with travel expenses. Please help us help them!

Donations can be made on our website under the Donation Drive tab, https://www.friendsofwintersffa.com/donationdrive or a check written to “Friends of Winters FFA” can be mailed to: P.O. Box 369, Winters, CA 95694.

Help send Winters FFA to the National Convention Winters High School FFA Ag Sales Team placed First in the State Competition and is now on their way to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. at the end of October! There, this team of four, Joe Aguiar, Ava Skinner, Bianca Dyer Gonzalez and Allison Aguiar, will represent California in the Ag Sales Competition at the highest level.

Ag Sales is a CDE (Career Development Event) that focuses on teaching students how to sell and market products, specifically in the agricultural industry. The team competes in three components: team, individual and a written test. It takes performing well in all three

We are excited to be able to help support this amazing experience for our Winters High School FFA Students and appreciate any support you can give us. They are excited to have this opportunity to not only compete at such a high level, but to experience the National FFA Convention and all it has to offer. Not only will they be representing California, but Winters as well as they will proudly wear their Winters FFA jackets at the convention.

Please feel free to contact us at Friendsofwintersffa@gmail.com with any questions. You can also follow their journey on our Friends of Winters FFA Facebook page.

ELLIOTT HERRERA, CARI KEIFER, PETER MAGGENTI, JILL AGUIAR

Integrity and experience to lead

ELK GROVE RAM

8575 Laguna Grove

349-3002

have at least eight years in the classroom and demonstrate leadership and innovation in and outside of the classroom. Shirley Rominger Intermediate School Principal Monica Moreno received an award for being an exceptional school administrator.

“Under her leadership these past four years, the Shirley Rominger Intermediate School team has implemented a schoolwide focus on differentiated instruction with an emphasis in Mathematics,” Girimonte said, adding the principal also implemented an updated instructional schedule including tailored small group

candidates for City Council this election — Carol, Albert, Lisa, and Mike have demonstrated their community spirit by volunteering many thousands of hours to making Winters a better place for all of us.

We’ve known Carol and Albert since we came to town 35 years ago. Carol provided a steady hand at City Hall for 16 years and helps with a great many community efforts. She is very hard-working, competent, and compassionate. Albert has served faithfully on our Planning Commission and other city commissions listening to and representing all Winters citizens. We recommend Carol and Albert whole-heartedly for their integrity and experience.

PIERRE STEPHENS & LISA NALBONE

Vote for Lisa Baker

I would like to recommend Lisa Baker for the City Council. She has a first-hand understanding of City problems and possibilities from her many years on the Winters Planning Commission. She knows how the city works and has an institutional memory that the new employees of the city could use.

I have had recent interactions with her and watched her problem-solving abilities. She supports community and neighbors in a way that is a true Winters tradition. She is calm and very capable, listening to both sides of a situation and steadily working to a reasoned solution. She is able to refer people to resources that lead to solutions. I believe that Lisa, who has many honors and credits to support my understanding of her excellence, would make a balanced presence on the City Council.

Please consider voting for Lisa Baker for Winters City Council. From what I have observed, you will be pleased with the results.

VALERIE WHITWORTH

Elk Grove

Courtesy photo

Bianca Dyer Gonzalez, Ava Skinner and Allison Aguiar will be competing in the

Sale Competition at the National FFA Convention representing California at the end of October. The Friends of Winters FFA is doing a Donation Drive to help with their travel expenses.

We are fortunate to have many well-qualified

Courtesy photo

Winters Joint Uni ed School District sta Rachael Calvert, Elizabeth Carabez, Monica Moreno, Roxanne Del no and Chris Novello were honored with Excellence in Education awards for their dedication and e orts in Winters schools.

Jordyn Skaggs puts the pedal to the metal

By Aaron Geerts Express sta writer

Move over Danica Patrick, Jordyn Skaggs is a high-octane teen with a racing resume filled with gold. Although she’s only 13, she races like a bat out of hell with no signs of slowing down for any of the boys she competes with.

Hailing from a family of motocross racers, competition and gasoline seem to pump through Skaggs’ blood. It wasn’t until her father Jerry took her to a race featuring side-bysides (a type of all-terrain-vehicle) that Jordyn decided she wanted to put the pedal to the metal as well. Soon after, Jordyn got her own race car and her racing career in shortcourse side-by-side burst out of the starting gate in 2018.

“One day we saw online there was a side-by-side race near us and my dad said, ‘you know what? We’re going to go to that.’ So, we headed there and I see all these kids my age getting in these tiny cars and driving around this track. I was just amazed at it,” Skaggs said talking about how her passion for racing ignited. “A week after that I went on a Disney trip with my aunt. When I got back, my dad told me to go grab him a wrench from the trailer, and when I went in my first car was in there and that’s where it all started.”

According to Jerry, his daughter started out in a side-by-side that was a 170 (referring to the size

of the engine and corresponding speed capability). She then moved up to a 570, won championships in both of those divisions before aging out. Now at 13, she’s driving a Polaris RS1 which is a 1,000 that can reach speeds up to 90 miles per hour. Of course, Skaggs’ father isn’t thrilled at how fast these young racers are going but won’t let nervousness steer his daughter off course.

“Jordyn’s been doing really well. We did some Lucas Oil racing which is some stuff you’d see on TV. Locally, she’s got a room full of trophies. She won championships at 170 and 570 in different racing leagues and has dozens and dozens of seconds and thirds. She spends a lot of time on the winners’ podium,” Jerry said recalling

WHS nearly doubles score in big win over Williams

By Sydney Andrade Express sta writer

On Friday, Sept. 23, the Winters High School varsity football team won their away non-conference game against Williams Junior Senior High School by a score of 49–26.

“I thought we played our best overall game of the year against a very tough Williams team and hope we can ride this momentum into league play next week,” said head coach Daniel Ward.

Justice Madsen led his team offensively with 176 rushing yards and 181 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Gio Jimenez and Ethan Judd also played a very competitive offensive game and were key

players in the Warrior victory. Jimenez had 59 rushing yards and two touchdowns while Judd had 27 rushing yards, 81 receiving yards and one touchdown.

“Offensively our line handled the blitz very well which led to a lot of big plays both on the ground and through the air. We only ran 30 plays and had over 450 yds of offense and we had five plays of 50 yds or more,” commented Ward.

The Warriors defense had a great game as well and tackles were well dispersed amongst the entire defensive team. Jimenez and Sanders Clark lead their team in tackles with a total of nine tackles each. Sebastian Valadez had

seven and Jesse Madsen had six. Jimenez, Ethan Demment and Nathan Figueroa all played an aggressive game sacking the Williams quarterback at different points in the game. Ashton Baylor also made a very impressive interception giving his team the advantage they needed to pull ahead in the game.

“Defensively we did a great job of controlling the line of scrimmage and tackled much better in the open field, but we are still giving up too many big plays. We started fast and handled adversity well which has been a problem so far this season,” said Ward.

The Warriors’ next game is against Live Oak High School Oct. 7.

his daughter’s successes.

“She has half a dozen podiums this year, but had a

really bad crash last race in August and pretty much totaled the car. It was the third turn in the first race of the day and 100 percent wasn’t her fault.”

Jordyn walked away unscathed because not only do these side-by-sides have steel roll-cages to protect the racer, the racers themselves wear helmets, neck braces and fire suits as well.

While many would have written off the speed demoness, the racing community pulled through. Competitors see each other every week, form close bonds and this racing family lent parts and helped get car 851 ready with only 10 minutes to spare before the next race. Albeit was only 60 percent race-ready, running on two-wheel drive with crooked alignment, Jordyn managed to finish fourth with enough points to win third overall in the season championship.

“I’d definitely say go for it,” Jordyn said offering words of advice to any young ladies who are thinking about racing. “There’s nothing stopping you. And if you’re doubting yourself about going out and trying and thinking all the boys are going to come after you, you just have to move people out of your way and keep going. You can’t let those little flies in your head and actual people stop you from doing it.”

To stay up-to-date on Winters’ resident speed racer, one can follow her on Instagram by searching @851skaggs.

Sofia Sanchez

Sofia Sanchez, a senior at Winters High School, is the Pisani’s Athlete of the Week. Sanchez is a senior captain on the varsity cheer squad this season. “Sofia is a base and is relentless when it comes to stunting,” said head coach Sterling Davis. “She refuses to give up and will keep pushing herself and her team until they hit their goal. As a team leader, she shows her teammates what dedication and passion can accomplish.”

By Aaron Geerts Express sta writer

The Winters High School swim team was supposed to compete in Paradise last Wednesday, Sept. 21, except their pool heater broke and the meet took place in Durham. Regardless of the location, the squad competed with the same intensity they always do.

“These swimmers are getting faster and faster. In practice, they have been working on improving their body position in the water and increasing the tempo of their stroke,” raved head coach, Melanie Ellison. “It’s exciting to see them light up when they find out they’ve swum their fastest time ever.”

In the men’s 200-yard freestyle event, John Romigner took home fourth for WHS with a time of 2:22.17.

Meanwhile, in the women’s 200-yard individual medley, Kalys-

sa Grinbergs finished fourth with a time of 2:53.58.

Not to be outdone by his sibling, Trevor Grinbergs finished first in the men’s 200yard IM with a time of 2:22.45.

In the women’s 50yard freestyle event, Mahalia Lanfranco clocked in a 30.82 for fourth place.

For the men’s 50-yard freestyle, Kenneth Matheson took bronze with a finishing time of 27.23.

In the women’s 100yard freestyle, Mikaila Anello finished first with a blazing time of 1:05.51.

Trevor Grinbergs gave yet another firstplace performance in the men’s 100-yard freestyle with a time of 55.01.

However, Kalyssa Grinbergs would also display her firstplace caliber skill in the women’s 500-yard freestyle with a time of 6:44.39.

In the men’s 200-yard freestyle relay, the team of Logan Anello, Jack Bryant, Matheson and John Rominger took third finishing with a 2:04.08.

Rachel Rominger finished third in the women’s 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:25.25.

In the women’s 100yard breaststroke, Mikaila Anello took home gold with a time of 1:26.93.

Matheson did what he could for the men’s team clocking in a 1:17.16 for third.

Then came the women’s 400-yard freestyle relay where the team of Charlie Baugh, Lanfranco, Rachel Rominger and Makayla Garland finished second with a time of 5:09.69.

Meanwhile, the men’s relay team of Logan Anello, Bryant, Matheson and John Rominger finished fourth with a time 4:55.25.

Brian Ritberger Photography/Courtesy photo

Jordyn Skaggs races her Polaris RS1 in a recent competition. Below, Skaggs showing o her awards from the weekend of Sept. 18 at E Street MX park.

Local farmers fight against drought, limited water supply

By Angela Underwood Express sta writer

California had been fighting over water since before California became a state.

That’s what Turkovich Family Wines owner and General Manager Chris Turkovich pointed out when detailing how the recent drought and ruling from the 6th Appellate District Court, which limits California State Water Resources Control Board’s ability to govern water supply, affects his farm.

“There is a lot of it that is outside our control,” Turkovich said. “We do what we can, but we don’t have control over the big picture, especially when it comes to weather and climate.”

Take, for example, the triple-digit weather from a few weeks ago.

“We just got hit with an inch of rain, which on the surface seems good but is problematic for some of the farming because we are not quite done with harvest, and it’s going to create issues there,” Turkovich said.

Groundwater has been the only source of irrigation in Winters for two years due to the drought, leaving

Bruce Rominger, owner of Rominger Brothers Farms, with issues of his own.

“The largest effect of the drought is that we did not plant about a quarter of our acreage,” Rominger said. “What we did plant, we had to irrigate with well-water only because our irrigation district, which usually delivers water in a canal to our fields, had none to deliver.”

Rominger’s plight is recorded in a recent blog by University of California, Davis DeLoach Professor of Agricultural Economics Aaron Smith, who said statistics show local farmers report not planting due to inadequate irrigation water.

“The worst affected counties are north of us, but there are still significant unplanted acres in Yolo County,” Smith said. “Farmers in this county planted only 23 percent of the rice acres they had planned and only half the corn acres.”

Only time will tell how acres of other big crops survive, including sunflowers, tomatoes, and alfalfa. Smith said that reducing water availability makes it harder for farmers to keep their almond trees

and grape vines healthy. In addition, during droughts, California farmers tend to plant fewer annual crops such as wheat, cotton and rice, Smith said.

“This allows them to use their scarce water

others.”

instruction. “These efforts have paid off in high levels of student growth and achievement.”

The effort comes easy, according to Moreno, who taught for ten years before pursuing administrative credentials to have an impact on a larger scale. Sixteen years later, Moreno said she enjoys creating systems of excellence in education.

“I decided to go into teaching to make a difference in a child’s life,” Moreno said, adding her win motivates her to continue to build pathways of success for Winters JUSD scholars. The principal said working in a small district offers many leadership opportunities, and the Winters JUSD district has supported her work.

“I want to thank all

of the staff at Shirley Rominger Intermediate School,” Moreno said. “They are dedicated and committed and work as a team to reach our goals.”

The Program Award went to Winters High School Culinary Arts Instructor Chris Novello.

A program that started as a “Food Science” Regional Occupation Program evolved into a fullfledged Culinary and Hospitality Arts experience for scholars 25 years later, thanks to its new state-ofthe-art kitchen facility within the Career Technical Education (CTE) building. Under Novello’s lead, the popular program annually enrolls 90100 scholars, offering three introductory culinary arts courses and one advanced class.

Like Moreno, Novello’s love of teaching had him as early as the sixth grade

when he was a reading mentor for younger students “and found the experience of helping others very satisfying.” After college, Novello was hired as an English teacher at WHS 30 years ago, when he pursued supplementary authorization to teach classes in the Hospitality Food-Services CTE pathway.

“There have been literally thousands of Culinary Students who have come through this program in 27 years, with only a small number who have had the privilege of learning in our state-of-the-art professional kitchen,” Novello said. “Aside from these students, we have enjoyed tremendous support from so many local businesses, farmers, parents and patronage from local organizations that I know that if I name a few, I am going to miss recognizing many, many

resources for higher value crops such as grapes and almonds,” Smith added.

The university professor said climate change only makes the matter worse. For example, a smaller snowpack in the Sierra means less water available for irrigation and worse growing conditions for California crops.

But even without climate change, California’s drought cycles are always part of the picture, according to Turkovich.

“Climate change just adds to that, with more uncertainty and magnification,” Turkovich said.

So what is a farmer to do when surviving a drought?

“We plan ahead and only plant fields that we are sure we have enough water to irrigate,” Rominger said.

“Some crops, like wheat and safflower, use less irrigation water, so in a drought year, we will usually plant more of those.”

The problem is, those crops are not very profitable, Rominger added with a word of caution. He said locals should take notice before it is too late.

“I think this hotter and more unpredictable weather is becoming a

There are a few people Novello can name.

“A big thanks and support goes out to my family, including my wife and two high school-age children,” Novello said. “Trying to keep this facility in tip-top shape, shopping for ingredients, prepping for and providing food for various catering events is pretty time-consuming — but this job is my passion, and they support me in my pursuits.”

Salute to Educators Excellence Certificate Awardees were given to Elizabeth

problem around the world, so everyone should be concerned about the food supply,” Rominger said. “Sometimes people not directly involved in agriculture don’t think a drought or heat spell will affect their lives, but when we start seeing empty shelves in a grocery store, it is everyone’s problem.”

Smith said farmers have always understood that they are at the mercy of Mother Nature but agrees that while changing climate makes things even more challenging, farmers face state regulations to preserve water and environmental resources.

While Smith said he is very optimistic about the ability of new technologies such as “precision irrigation, fertilizer, and herbicide application to aid in adaptation to this new world,” Turkovich said statewide changes would need to be made if the drought continues.

“If we don’t get rain this year, it’s just going to be worse next spring when we get ready to start that farming season again because we haven’t had a chance to let that groundwater be recharged,” Turkovich said.

Carabez, a Rominger teacher; Rachael Calvert, WHS education specialist and teacher; and Roxanne Delfino, a school district nurse.

“Winters JUSD is grateful to the Yolo County School Boards Association for continuing to highlight educational programs and leaders across our region,” Girimonte said.

Volkar said the Sept. 26 event streamed live on Facebook and Zoom at the Yolo County Office of Education was to celebrate teachers and classified staff.

“This year, we will

be recognizing paraeducators, maintenance workers, technology coordinators, and school psychologists, to name a few positions,” Volkar said. “There is countless school staff that often go unnoticed but truly make sure our schools are successful places for our students.”

Carrie Green, Winters Joint Unified School Board President and Immediate Past President of the YCSBA, served as emcee for the awards ceremony as the current YCSBA president was unavailable on Monday evening.

Courtesy photo Turkovich Family Wines laborers work hard amid long-term drought conditions to keep crops as healthy as possible this harvest season.