The discussion over implementing the interscholastic athletic exemption continued on Thursday, May 15, at the Winters Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees, after the first discussion on April 17. Under Education Code 51242 and Board Policy 6142.7,
school districts may excuse students from physical education if specific conditions are met. The item was presented on April 17 but was met with criticism and concern from Athletic Director Daniel Ward and Winters High School teacher Chris Novello.
The exemption would allow 10th and 11th-grade student-athletes to opt out of the regular PE class if they maintain full academic schedules, meet behavioral and academic standards and complete
at least two successful, full sports seasons.
Assistant Superintendent Phoebe Girimonte explained the proposal would provide flexibility to students and families. Allowing student-athletes who qualify to take additional academic or elective courses.
“Therationale provided is allowing for student and family choice for those students who are eligible to participate in the athletic exemp-
Weather
Winters Fire District to host Prop 218 town hall meeting
Prop. 218 ballots will be mailed to property owners May 30
By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief
The Winters Fire District Board voted 3-2 to move forward with placing a Proposition 218 assessment measure on ballots to be mailed to property owners within the district.
While the proposed initiative shares similar goals with the city of Winters’ Prop. 218 effort — namely, increased staffing and funding for capital equipment — it includes several key updates since it was first introduced.
Fire Chief Jack S. Snyder III said the proposed 2025 assessment includes revised rates based on property type and fire hazard factors within the fire district.
Ballots will be mailed beginning May 30. Fire district property owners may return them by mail, in person at the Winters Fire Department, or before the end of the public hearing scheduled for Winters Fire District Board meeting starting at 4 p.m. on July 17 at the department’s training facility. The results will be determined by a weighted vote based on each property’s assessed value. Each property owner will receive one ballot, with all owned parcel details listed. Assessment rates vary based on property use and are proposed as follows:
• Single-family residential: $146.07 per parcel
• Multi-family residential: $45.22 per unit
• Commercial/Industrial: $629.97 per acre
• Office: $310.07 per acre
• Storage: $484.77 per acre
• Parking lot: $32.84 per parcel
• Vacant land: $25.40 per parcel
• Agricultural: $2.76 per acre
• Rangeland and open space: \$1.81 per acre
If approved, Snyder said the assessment would allow the district to hire an additional firefighter and generate revenue for capital equipment upgrades.
“These funds will help us staff incidents more rapidly, get more engines and water on scene faster, and protect infrastructure more efficiently,” Snyder said. “Ultimately, this can reduce insurance risks for property owners.” According to Snyder, the assessment cannot be increased within the first five years. After that period, the district board may vote to increase the assessment by up to 3 percent annually, subject to a public
Council takes action on road repair projects, engineering contract
By Sonora Slater Express staff writer
At the first Winters City Council meeting in May, council members took action on road repair projects, community college districts and an engineering contract.
The first discussion item of the night was a list of road repair projects for the year 2025-26, presented by Eric Lucero, the public works director of operations & maintenance. The list was compiled based on information on road conditions compiled from GPS and street-level imagery, and includes sections of Apricot Avenue, Luis Place, Plum Place, Pear Place and Russell Street.
The funding will come from SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, which gives money to Winters and other cities annually to fund improvements and repairs to California streets. Members of the public and council suggested other road spots that also need improvement, and Lucero assured them that many other locations are on the list for the future, but that they’ve prioritized upcoming projects based on the funds they have. The motion carried unanimously.
A potential letter of support from the council for SB 226, which would create a process for Winters to be incorporated into the
Los Rios Community College district, or for all of the community colleges in Yolo County to be consolidated into a new, combined district, was the next item on the agenda. The idea behind it is that Yolo County students who struggle to access Solano Community College in Vacaville due to infrequent public transportation between the two cities, or who take classes across multiple districts, will have an easier time earning credits and later transferring those credits to nearby fouryear universities.
Council member Jesse Loren said that she knows a lot of Winters kids participate
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Wolfskill CRA celebrates graduates Teachers and staff at Wolfskill Career Readiness Academy celebrated nine graduates at a ceremoney on May 20, outside of the CRA classrooms. Read more about the graduates in the upcoming Express Graduate special edition in June.
Schechla recognized for Fire Officer Designation
By Sonora Slater Express Staff Writer
At the May 6 city council meeting, Winters Fire Captain Matt Schechla was recognized for receiving his Fire Officer Designation from the Center for Public Safety of Excellence.
The certification is meant to signify
“a commitment to leadership and operational skills in firefighting,” and as of January of this year, had only been awarded to 814 people in the country. He’s also the first in Winters Fire to achieve this.
According to Winters Fire Chief Jack S. Snyder III, who presented the award
at the meeting, the designation process involves an in-depth application, peer review, interview, and board review. The certification is also only good for three years, at which point officers must reapply to prove their continued growth andL-
See SCHECHLA, Page 5
Solano wants stronger local protections in Cache Slough plan
By Todd R. Hansen McNaughton Media
Solano County has requested that the state Department of Water Resources amend the draft of the Yolo Bypass Cache Slough Master Plan to include six key points that align with local priorities.
"While improvements have been made, Solano County maintains several critical concerns about the public review draft. We respectfully request additional revisions to better align the Master Plan with regional priorities for flood protection, agricultural sustainability, water supply reliability and local economic resilience," states a letter sent to the state agency and signed by Board of Supervisors Chairman Mitch Mashburn. It is dated May 15.
The points the county would like to see adopted into the plan are:
• Add clear commitments to fund and complete a Partnership Implementation Plan within 1 to 3 years.
for both hydraulic analysis projects and other listed projects.
• Strengthen frameworks for long-term flood system operations, maintenance, and funding sustainability.
• Expand recognition of agriculture’s vital role in regional resilience and system maintenance.
"We support the final Master Plan purpose statements that recognize the state’s leadership role while advancing the goals of the (Yolo Bypass Cache Slough) Partnership consistent with the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan, the Comprehensive Study and California Water Code Sections 8510-8512," the letter dated May 15 and signed by Board of Supervisors Chairman Mitch Mashburn
technical comments about the draft Master Plan and recommended language specific to agriculture resilience. That language is founded on a December 2024 position adopted by Yolo County on “the importance of promoting restoration projects that benefit the environment while maintaining agricultural viability,” including “minimizing the loss of productive farmland and integrating practices that enhance both ecological and economic sustainability.”
Solano's four-page memorandum includes four primary issues:
• Preserve agriculture by committing to rigorously evaluate and implement, to the greatest extent feasible, design and operational criteria that avoid farmland conversions and minimize the disruption of existing agricultural practices.
• Incorporate stronger support for "single-purpose" flood risk reduction projects alongside multi-benefit projects.
• Expand trade-off analyses to fully address agricultural, social and economic impacts.
• Clarify project advancement pathways
The Water Code cited defines the Yolo Bypass and its regional roles, as well as the Yolo Bypass Cache Slough Partnership Multibenefit Program, which was signed by 15 federal, state and local agencies, "outlining principles necessary to achieve a common vision for the Yolo Bypass and Cache Slough region."
The draft plan was released for public review on March 31. The plan can be found at https://tinyurl. com/577ab8ju.
Along with the letter, the county included a 7-page memorandum outlining
• Mitigate project-related impacts, including farmland losses and any adverse impacts on nearby lands. The language recommendation states, in part:
“Agricultural lands in Solano County and Yolo County provide food and fiber to the world because of concerted local government efforts to direct growth to cities and protect agricultural
See SLOUGH, Page 5
Celebrate Winters’ sesquicentennial at museum
Express staff
The Historical Society of Winters invites the entire community to celebrate a once-ina-lifetime event — the sesquicentennial anniversary of the city of Winters. On Wednesday, May 22, from 4 to 7 p.m., they are hosting a birthday party at the Winters Museum to mark 150 years since
the town was incorporated. This festive event will include:
• A look at the Museum’s current exhibits
• Birthday cake and light refreshments
• Shared stories and memories from Winters’ rich past
• A chance to connect with friends, neighbors, and fellow history lovers
At the heart of this celebration, the Winters Historical Society will launch its $150 for 150 Years fundraiser — a year-long effort to support the preservation of Winters’ history for generations to come. The goal is simple but meaningful: 150 donors, each giving $150 — one dollar for each year of Winters’ history. Donations can be made individually, with a friend, or as part of a local business or organization.
Come celebrate the legacy of Winters, share your stories and help build a strong future for our town’s history.
For more information, visit www.wintersmuseum.org.
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Winters Fire Captain Matt Schechla received his Fire Officer Designation from the Center for Public Safety of Excellence to signify a commitment to leadership and operational skills in firefighting.
in dual enrollment, and she can see how having a college district that’s more in alignment with the area as a whole could be helpful.
Loren, Mayor Pro Tempore Bill Biasi, and Vallecillo all said that they attended community colleges, and that they believed it was an important educational resource both for teenagers and for older adults who want to access education.
The motion carried unanimously.
Finally, the council voted on a three-year professional services agreement with engineering company Ponticello Enterprises.
Lucero, who presented the resolution, said that the firm had been chosen from a pool of four good applicants by a board that unanimously agreed upon Ponticello as their top choice. However, Loren noted that the group’s contract was terminated early by the city in 2022, and that she would not be supporting the agreement.
When asked by Council member Richard Casavecchia to elaborate on her concerns, Loren declined to comment further.
Biasi said that he had previously also had questions about Ponticello, but that he would trust the panel’s judgement. A Ponticello representative who was present said that he does not anticipate an early contract termination happening again.
exemption option.
They would have other course access that they would be able to implement during that 10th-grade year, “Girimonte said.
“Athletics students who are participating would be able to meet this exemption, which could, in turn, create interest for students who don’t currently participate in athletics to do so.”
In addition to giving students and families greater choice in their course schedules, Girimonte said the district is attempting to address scheduling and contractual issues related to physical education.
“In particular, we recognize that this could help to address both of those scheduling and contractual issues,” Girimonte said.
Novello spoke in opposition again last Thursday and voiced concerns about fairness and educational equity. Novello delivered a pointed public comment opposing the exemption.
“It is disheartening that after weeks of objections, the only revision is an analysis of time spent on sports,” Novello said.
“The policy violates board commitments to equality because it benefits only student-athletes.”
Novello continued that the move devalues PE as a discipline, disproportionately benefits students who already enjoy extracurricular access,
Loren and Mayor Albert Vallecillo voted no, while Casavecchia, Biasi and Council member Carol Scianna voted yes. The motion carried, 3–2.
Next steps for senior center
Given that the city’s most recent grant application for construction funds for a senior center in Winters was unsuccessful, the council took some time to discuss what their next steps should be.
“We’ve been working on this for far too many years, and unfortunately it just hasn’t worked out yet,” Biasi said. “But we still need a senior center.”
the community are also somewhat open minded about the project.
“People are OK with maybe reinventing the idea — maybe that’s where we are,” Lowden said. “But we would like a separate section of the community center, because we are a very active group.”
Lowden asked if the reservation process for the center could be streamlined given the Senior Foundation’s frequent and consistent events, and council members agreed, suggesting a static reservation for the year.
At the end of the meet-
“People are OK with maybe reinventing the idea — maybe that’s where we are.”
Tina Lowden, Winters Senior Foundation
Biasi said that he thinks the city should continue looking for grant opportunities, but should also consider allowing seniors to use the community center at no cost in the meantime. Loren suggested retrofitting one of the buildings that the city of Winters currently owns and rents out, and Casavecchia suggested a combined community center/senior center.
Resident Tina Lowden, a member of the Winters Senior Foundation, said although a separate senior center is ideal, seniors in
and fails to serve the broader student population, including English learners and those not involved in athletics.
“Instead of doing the heavy lifting required for bold curriculum reform, the district is going after the low-hanging fruit of devaluing the PE program,” Novello said.
Novello challenged board members to engage more directly with affected students, particularly those excluded from the proposed benefits, calling into ques-
ing, Vallecillo said that he would like to convene a community discussion of some sort about homelessness. After some brief discussion, he said that he would get together with City Manager Jeremy Craig to determine a plan for what that conversation should look like and what they hope to accomplish with it.
Proclamations
The council made three proclamations recognizing National Bike Month, Older Americans Month, and Mental Health Awareness Month, respectively. All
were accepted by community members with ties to the various awards.
The first was for National Bike Month, and was accepted by the Climate Action Commission. They said they’re working on adding new bike racks around town, and encouraged residents to participate in biking events this month. The city’s proclamation also encouraged residents to join the celebration by cycling to work or school, and advocating for bike-friendly infrastructure in town.
The second was for Older Americans Month.
“Older adults guide our younger generations and carry forward abundant cultural and historical knowledge,” the proclamation reads, in part. “(They) improve our communities through intergenerational relationships, community service (and) civic engagement. The city of Winters must ensure that older Americans have the resources and support needed to stay involved in their communities.”
The third proclamation presented was in recognition of National Mental Health Month, and was accepted by Jen Boschee-Danzer, the Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Yolo County.
“Almost all of us are impacted by mental illness in some way, whether it’s you, a family member, or a friend,” Boschee-Danzer said. “Our message is, you’re not alone.”
“I continue to believe that PE and athletics serve different purposes.”
Sterling Davis, trustee
that the exemption aligns with what is “best for students” who qualify.
“I am sorry that the unfortunate consequence of this is the fact that you like we are devaluing the PE course, that and that is not where my thoughts and heart is with this,” Green said.
“When you sit back and you ask, what’s
“For the students that are going to elect to take this exemption, it is what is in their best interest, and that’s my belief.”
Carrie Green, trustee
tion whether the proposal is aligned with the district’s equity principles.
“Superintendent Boonchouy, I encourage you to meet with the entirety of your superintendent student council and explain to them how some of them who play sports will get an opportunity to take an extra class, but those who do not play sports will not,” Novello said.
Following the public comment, board members responded with mixed reactions.
Trustee Carrie Green acknowledged the perception that the proposal may diminish the value of PE, but maintained
best for students, the answer is yes. For the students that are going to elect to take this exemption, it is
what is in their best interest, and that’s my belief.”
Trustee Sterling Davis expressed a continued opposition to the policy.
“I continue to believe that PE and athletics serve different purposes,” Davis said. “Credentialed instruction during the school day matters.”
Student representative Vanessa Gonzalez shared a personal anecdote about her experience as a student.
“Last year I wanted to take the fun AP course,” Gonzalez said. “I took an entire year of English 10 throughout my whole summer, just so I could take the fun class. So it makes me ask the question, are the kids who want to play the fun sports, why should they be exempt from having
DISTRICT
hearing and approval. A town hall informational meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 27, at the Winters Fire Department. Snyder, Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs and other officials will provide information and answer questions about the proposal. The engineer’s report detailing the assessment process is available online at www.winterspolice. org/157/Fire. Snyder said he is working to get information available in Spanish.
Established in May 1930, the Winters Fire District provides fire protection, prevention and emergency response to unincorporated areas surrounding the city of Winters in southeastern Yolo County. The district covers 79 square miles north of Putah Creek, extending from the Monticello Dam to County Road 94B and up to County Road 29. Snyder said approximately 20 percent of the department’s calls originate within the fire district, primarily related to vegetation and agricultural fires, water rescues, and hiking-related incidents.
to take the credit and do the work in PE just because they want to play the sports?”
No action on the item was taken at the meeting, but the district appears poised to proceed with developing a tracking system to monitor student eligibility and participation, as required by law. Students who qualify would receive credit for athletic participation, but not a traditional letter grade, with board approval.
New courses, graduation requirements
Two new semester-long Winters Middle School courses, a personal wellness class and a challenge math elective course, were approved by trustees.
Personal Wellness is an elective designed to provide sixth through eighthgrade students with the knowledge and
skills needed to make informed decisions about their physical, mental and social well-being.
The challenge math elective course will support seventh and eighth graders in developing their problem-solving, logical reasoning, and mathematical exploration skills beyond the standard curriculum.
In addition to the new courses, the board approved a proposed change to the graduation requirements for WHS students, following the previously approved ethnic studies and personal finance partner courses.
The new requirement changes the previously necessary 80 elective credits to 70, where the newly added courses will be five credits each, making their completion necessary for WHS students, beginning with the freshmen class in the fall.
MEMORIAL DAY FLAGS AND SERVICE
Winters Cemetery District (WCD) is seeking volunteers on Friday, May 23rd, to help place the 500 flags on all veterans’ graves. Please report to the Center Building at 9:00 AM sharp with a screwdriver (the tool...not the drink) for your instructions. Please don’t be late!
The WCD is inviting the community to participate in our Memorial Day service commencing at 1:30 PM on Monday, May 26th. We will honor the 26 veterans killed in action, as well as the remaining 474 veterans buried here. Veterans and their spouses or partners are invited and encouraged to sit in the special seating, right of the podium under the canopy.
Public Safety Report
May 7: 9 a.m., E.
Grant Avenue, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~11:50 a.m., Red Bud Lane, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~3:26 p.m., Kennedy Drive, EMS call
– excluding vehicle accident with injury
~5:26 p.m., E. Baker Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~7:33 p.m., E. Main Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
May 9: 9:03 a.m., E. Baker Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~4:36 p.m., Luis Place, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
See LOGS, Page 5
Lake Berryessa water levels down
Express staff
The water level of Lake Berryessa was down by 0.32 feet over the past week, decreasing to 6,020 acre-feet of water storage, according to Ken Emigh, with the Solano Irrigation District – Putah Diversion Office. On the morning of Tuesday, May 20, he reported that the lake elevation was 439.12 feet above sea level, with the water storage behind the Monticello Dam calculated at 1,534,716 acre-feet. The SID released 426 cubic feet per second into the Putah South Canal, with 55 cubic feet flowing into Putah Creek at the Diversion Dam. Evaporation from the lake averaged 216 acre-feet of water per day.
PO Box 520, Winters, CA 95694 530-795-4551
habla español.
Picked by Charley Wallace
IT’S TIME FOR A SESQUICENTENNIAL PARTY! This picture of the movers and shakers in the Winters area was taken in 1894, almost 20 years after the founding of Winters in 1875, 150 years ago. The Historical Society of Winters will celebrate our sesquicentennial with cake, friends and stories on Thursday, May 22, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the museum, 13 Russell Street. As for the photo, it was taken on Sunday, April 29, 1894, at the Pleasants Ranch to help James M. Pleasants observe his 85th birthday. The pioneers along with their ages and year arriving in California are, standing, left to right; W. J. Pleasants, 60 (1849); E. R. Thurber, 68 (1850); Richardson Long, 74 (1849); and Edwin C. Rust (founder of the Winters Express). Front row, J. R. Wolfskill, 90 (1838); W. R. Miller, 76 (1849); J. M. Pleasants, 85 (1849); W. H. Gibbs, 65 (1849); J. R. Collins, 67 (1849), and G. W. Thissell, 65 (1850).
130 Years Ago
May 25, 1895
E. H. Prentice, district freight agent of the S.P. Co., was here on Thursday talking ventilated car service with our fruit growers. Mr. Prentice hopes to get a train out of here June 4, arriving in Chicago in 120 hours.
T. J. Crane, principal of the Winters school, reports that those promoted to the 9th grade are as follows: Grace Spaulding, Katie Anderson, Della Walsh, Edwin Rust, Everett Tubbs, Edwin Yount, Mittie Brown and Claudia McFall.
Mrs. Henry Brinck went to San Francisco on the early train Wednesday.
Mrs. J. N. Crawford started Tuesday on her return to her home in Lower Lake. She was accompanied by her niece, Miss Maude Culton, who will spend about a month in Lake County.
G.W. Hinclay shipped a box of Early May peaches to Chicago on Tuesday morning, through the Earl Fruit Company. George North shipped ten crates of Royal apricots eastward on Thursday last, and expects to send thirty today. This is the first shipment of any size made this season.
95 Years Ago
May 23, 1930
Winters High School commencement exercises will be held the evening of June 6. Miss Marcia Sanders was awarded highest honors and will be valedictorian. Miss Charlotte
Years Ago
Dispatches from the Express archives.
Russell will be salutatorian. Miss Sanders is the charming daughter of Principal and Mrs. George Sanders. Miss Russell is the fair daughter of Supervisor and Mrs. W. O. Russell. Other members of the class are Virginia Chapman, Eleanor Gifford, Frances Chapman, Dorothy Shreeve, Edyth Sale, Lillian Joerger, Evelyn Niemann, Miyoko Tsuji, Bertha Connor, Lazelle Clevenger, Claude Meyer, Ferrell Forden, George Long, Albert Ichtertz, Thomas Pleasants and Irwin Clark.
The first apricots, peaches and plums were shipped from Winters Sun- day and Monday, to eastern and Honolulu markets, from the C. H. and J. E E. Sackett ranches, through the California Fruit Exchange.
Mrs. John Sidwell, who has been residing in Berryessa Valley for her health for the past few months is director of the latest play to be staged by the Monticello Community Club. The play is “Cyclone Sally,” a comedy in three acts.
Miss Belva and Lloyd Brinck, students at U.C. are at their home in Pleasants Valley for the summer vacation.
Miss Jean Caldwell entertained a group of classmates at a dinner dance Friday
night preceding the Junior Prom.
Margaret Purtill received her first class rating as a Girl Scout and was honored at a banquet at the Red Lion Inn, Sacramento on May 14.
80 Years Ago
May 25, 1945
The first shipment of apricots went to San Francisco, May 9, with 18 crates of seedlings, grown on the H. Roy Brinck ranch and dispatched by the California Fruit Exchange.
Some 200 guests attended the graduation exercises last Thursday night when 12 pupils of the Wolfskill school received diplomas of elementary graduation. The eighth grade class roll is as follows: Antonia Arellano, Mary Carbajal, Keith Farnsworth, Julia Fernandez, John Martin, Gloria Silvia Monarrez, Dwain Partain, Larry Phillips, Mary Ramirez, Dolores Ramos, Gregory Ramos, Herman Ramos.
Mr. W. Lloyd Adams will present his eleventh annual piano recital next Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Legion Hall at Dixon. Those participating from Winters include Laura Frisbee, Marilyn Vasey, Phyllis Robbins, Beverly Merchant, Gale McClish, Carol Lee Stith, Claire Rominger, Jerry Adams, Anna Reiff, Rose Amrine, Patricia Crawley and Mary Lou Crawley.
Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Wolfskill and daughter, of Yuba City, were Sunday guests with
his sister, Mrs. R. W. Thurber.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Haven of Oakland, are at the home of his sister, Mrs. G. A. Crowder, this week.
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Furth of Berkeley were visitors Monday at the E.W. Fenley home.
45 Years Ago
May 22, 1980
On April 26, the Winters 4-H equestrian team rode in the Youth Day parade. Schell Philbrook riding Honey Bun and Kelly Schwartz riding Black Fancy carried the banner; Irene Costa drove Red Roan Bess in the cart; Tecy Philbrook riding Kelly carried the American flag; Elizabeth Schwartz riding Dixie carried the California flag; Cora Johnson riding Happy and Paula Johnson riding Muscatel were the escorts for the group.
Putah Creek Trading Post was featured on Channel 3 Monday evening on the Weeknight section at 7 p.m. The store, which features a variety of second-hand items for sale or trade, is located at 8 East Abbey Street.
Messages have been arriving at Waggoner School since March 20, 1980, the date of The Great Balloon Launch. One of the messages that Waggoner pupils received this past week traveled all the way from Reno, Nevada, according to Principal Paul Iribarne. Co-valedictorians at Winters High School’s graduation ceremonies to be held Friday, May 30, will be Marie Borchard and Corinne Martinez, both of whom have straight “A” averages for work completed through the first semester of their senior year. Mike Pisani was named as salutatorian of the class with a 3.86 average.
Beth Gilmore Collection
Eventos hispanos
El Departamento de Policía de Winters anuncia al Oficial del Año
En medio de una apretada agenda en la reunión del Consejo Municipal de Winters del pasado 6 de Mayo, el Departamento de Policía de Winters dedicó un momento a reconocer a un oficial que ha demostrado una extraordinaria dedicación a su trabajo durante el último año.
El Jefe de Policía, John P. Miller, anunció que el Oficial del Año 2024 lo fue Gordon Brown. Esta es la segunda vez que Brown recibe este honor, la última vez lo fue en el 2014. Este año, fue nominado para el reconocimiento por el Sargento Albert Ramos,
quien afirmó que Brown es un miembro proactivo y centrado en la comunidad. Tras una lesión que lo obligó a cambiar temporalmente a realizar tareas ligeras, pudo regresar al trabajo en Junio del 2024 y ahora lidera el departamento en cuanto a citaciones y arrestos. Ramos añadió en su nominación que Brown también llega temprano al trabajo, se comunica bien con el público y con otros miembros del departamento, y está deseoso de participar en actividades de divulgación comunitaria, ya sea en eventos como el Festival de Seguridad Pública (Public Safety Festival) y Trunk or Treat
land and open space, which has resulted in less funding available to local governments to help promote rural communities, provide critical infrastructure in rural areas, and support and improve the agricultural economy. These lands also provide important habitat for endangered species, as recognized by the adoption of the Yolo County Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan, which focuses on conserving wildlife-friendly agricultural lands, approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2019, as well as the draft Cache Slough Complex Habitat Conservation Plan in Solano County.”
“Proposed state multibenefit projects may impact agricultural efforts in the region,
(evento de Halloween), o en el programa de Cadetes, del cual es mentor.
“Después de lesionarme, me esforcé al máximo para volver,” dijo Brown. “Significa muchísimo estar aquí todavía con este uniforme, haciendo el trabajo que soñaba de niño.”
La reunión del consejo también incluyó conversaciones sobre los logros de un capitán de bomberos de Winters, proyectos de reparación de carreteras, el proyecto del Centro para Personas Mayores de Winters, el Distrito de Colegios Comunitarios del Condado Yolo y más, temas que se abordarán en futuras ediciones del Winters Express.
so this proposal will ensure state and local agencies are working together to achieve a higher level of agricultural viability than was possible prior to the creation of the Yolo Bypass Cache Slough Partnership Multibenefit Program.”
It also notes the addition of language from the California Natural Resources Agency Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy, which describes “the climate benefit potential of California’s croplands, including how integral agricultural lands are to climate resilience.”
• Agricultural lands provide food security to California, the nation, and the world, and can support climate resilience through the provision of habitat and resources for pollinators and wildlife, flood management, buffering against fires, and groundwater recharge. With the complex intermixing of croplands and communities across
California, agricultural practices have important implications for equity and public health. These outcomes benefit all Californians and are particularly important for rural, vulnerable communities.
• Agriculture is a critical sector of California’s economy. Climate-smart cropland management promotes economic resilience, can buffer communities from extreme heat, improve air and water quality, and provide local food sources. Local and regional food systems help to reduce the carbon footprint of food production and help maintain both climate and supply chain resilience. Local food systems support diversified crop production, provide a source of local food, create local jobs, and offer habitat for beneficial insects, animals and other plant species. Additionally, these lands can contribute to regional tourism sectors.”
Lucky $1M scratcher sold at Winters liquor store
Special to the Express
Winters Wine & Liquor at 192 E. Grant Ave. in Winters has made a cool new millionaire. The California Lottery confirms a $1 million Scratchers game was sold in the Central Valley town known for its apricots and wine.
Winters Wine & Liquor will earn the
~6:07 p.m., E. Baker Street, False alarm or false call (other)
May 10: 8:55 a.m., Orchard Lane, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~4:21 p.m., First Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
May 12: 12:51 a.m., Second Street, EMS call – excluding vehi-
official Lucky Retailer status in a city full of California Lottery Lucky Retailers. Selling a winning game worth $1 million or more also awards the retailer a bonus of half of one percent of the prize. For this prize, the bonus amounts to $5,000 for the Winters shop.
“Winters is a nice lit-
cle accident with injury
~9:15 a.m., Grant Avenue, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
May 13: 2:15 p.m., Anderson Avenue, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~6:45 p.m., Pleasants Valley Road (Vacaville), Grass fire
~8:01 p.m., Griffin Way, EMS call – ex-
tle town,” says Parvinder Malhi, who owns the store with a partner. “We love the city and thank everybody here for supporting our business.”
Malhi says they plan to reinvest the bonus in the business and the community. When it comes to the mission of the California Lottery, Parvinder is all in.
cluding vehicle accident with injury
~8:05 p.m., E. Baker Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
View the Winters Fire Department Activity and Call Log online at https:// cityofwinters.org/157/Fire.
Police Report Log
May 7: 7:50 a.m., 900th block of E Grant Avenue, Traffic Collision
May 12: 8:25 a.m., first block of E. Main Street, Found Property
Kresta Daly
“If it helps students, kids, and makes people’s lives better, why wouldn’t it be a great thing? Anything that helps people goes hand in hand with what we believe in,” said Malhi.
The winner of the $1 million prize needs to go through the standard claims process for big winners.
May 13: 11:43 a.m., 1000th block of McArthur Avenue, Outside Agency Assist
~6:32 p.m., 100th block of E. Grant Avenue, Battery ~7:12 p.m., 1000th block of Niemann Street, Sexual Assault View the Winters Police Department Arrest and Report Logs, visit www. cityofwinters.org/289/ Report-Arrest-Log For our editorial policy on crime log entries, see www.winters express.com/unpub lishing-policy.
WTC invites submissions for Lit Fest 5 celebration
Special to the Express
Do you have a story to tell or a poem in your heart? Share your words with the community.
Winters Theatre Company is thrilled to announce Lit Fest 5, an annual celebration of original short stories, personal narratives, and poetry from writers across our region. This inspiring event offers a platform for local and regional voices to shine, connecting storytellers and poets with an audience that appreciates the power of the written word.
We are currently accepting submissions of original, unpublished works now through Sunday, June 7. Writers of all
SCHECHLA Continued from Page 2
community contributions.
“Captain Schechla continues to amaze me,” Snyder said. “He is the epitome of self-growth.”
Correction: In a previous article covering
experience levels are encouraged to participate!
Selected pieces will be featured in a special live performance and reception on Sunday, June 29, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the beautifully restored Historic Winters Opera House, located at 13 Main St. Whether you’re an emerging writer or a seasoned poet, this is your opportunity to share your voice, connect with fellow creatives, and become part of a vibrant literary tradition. For full submission guidelines and more details, visit www.winterstheatre. org. Have questions, call 530-795-4014.
the May 6 city council meeting, Schechla’s recognition was incorrectly stated as being for the completion of the National Fire Academy Managing Officer Program.
While Schechla did also receive this recognition, that occurred at a previous meeting.
Por Sonora Slater Traducido por Carol Alfonso
Foto cortesía
El Sargento Albery Ramos (izquierda) nominó al oficial de policía Gordon Brown como oficial del año.
Create your native plant garden
Metro
Special to the Express
Layered cushions, natural textures, and leafy greenery turn a simple deck into a serene backyard retreat — ideal for unwinding on a quiet spring afternoon.
Gardening is a worthwhile endeavor that not only passes the time, but also serves as a form of exercise and a welcome break from the daily grind. Gardens offer ample opportunity to experiment, whether you’re producing fresh vegetables or cultivating bountiful blooms.
In recent years, a growing emphasis on eco-friendly gardening has encouraged home gardeners to reduce their reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides in an effort to protect the planet. One of the simplest and most effective ways to do that is by planting native species. What are native plants?
Native plants are indigenous to particular regions. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) defines native plants as those that grow nat-
Recent years have witnessed a growing emphasis on eco-friendly gardening that aims to reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides in an effort to protect the planet. One way to do so is to rely on native plants.
urally in a specific area without human introduction or intervention. These plants have developed symbiotic relationships with local wildlife over thousands of years, making them among the most sustainable choices for gardeners. Native plants thrive with minimal supplemental watering or chemical inputs, all while
supporting pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects.
Why native plants matter in Yolo County Yolo County’s Mediterranean climate — characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters — makes native plants especially appealing. Once established, See PLANTS, Page 7
Transform your backyard into a tranquil retreat this spring
have
Once limited to simple pati-
and decks, outdoor spaces are now being reimagined as peaceful, purposeful extensions of the home— designed not just for function, but for serenity and enjoyment. In fact, real estate experts at Zillow report that homes featuring amenities like outdoor televisions, showers, or kitchens tend to sell for 3.1 percent more than expected. On a typical home, that adds up to nearly \$11,000 in added value. But
there’s more to a tranquil backyard than a boost in resale value.
Creating a calming outdoor retreat allows homeowners to enjoy a daily escape from the demands of modern life, offering a beautiful setting to reconnect with nature and unwind. This spring, consider these thoughtful steps to transform your backyard into a haven of relaxation:
• Refresh the landscape Before introducing new furniture or features, take time to tidy up the existing landscape. Overgrown trees, hedges, and neglected garden beds can create a sense of
visual clutter—much like an overcrowded living room. Trim or remove dense growth to open up the space, making it feel airy and welcoming. Work with a professional landscaper if needed to strike the right balance of sunlight and shade, ensuring the yard is both comfortable and inviting throughout the day.
• Create multiple zones for relaxation
A peaceful backyard retreat should accommodate everyone who enjoys it. Think beyond a single seating area—designate distinct spaces for different moods and activi-
See YARD, Page 7
Nataliya Vaitkevich/Pexels.com
Ánh Đang/Pexels.com
A cozy chair, blooming flowers, and lush greenery create a peaceful backyard escape — an inviting reminder that even a small space can become a tranquil spring retreat.
local natives such as California poppy, showy milkweed, toyon, and blue elderberry require little watering and adapt easily to the region’s seasonal rhythms. They also provide vital food and shelter for native bees, butterflies like the monarch, and local bird species such as the western bluebird and scrub jay. Incorporating native species into home landscapes not only supports local ecosystems but also reduces water usage—a critical consideration in drought-prone Northern California.
YARD
Continued from Page 6
outdoor kitchen and dining area can be ideal for entertaining, while a tucked-away nook with a hammock or lounge chair offers a quiet escape for reading or reflection.
Layering spaces creates flexibility and allows family members or guests to enjoy the outdoors on their own terms.
• Incorporate a soothing water feature Few elements evoke tranquility like the sound of gently flowing water. Whether it’s a bubbling fountain,
Natives vary by region Native plants vary widely depending on geography. In arid inland valleys like those in Yolo County, drought-tolerant species such as manzanita, deer grass, and yarrow perform well with minimal irrigation. These would be out of place in Northern California’s coastal rainforests or Sierra Nevada foothills, where the native flora is adapted to different conditions.
Start native planting
The NWF offers curated native plant selections for California that can be shipped directly to your door. Closer to home, Yolo
a serene koi pond, or even a small waterfall feature, water adds a sensory touch that promotes relaxation. Choose a style that suits your backyard’s size and layout, and consider consulting a landscape designer to integrate it seamlessly into your garden.
• Prioritize shade, comfort With warmer weather becoming the norm in many regions, providing ample shade is key to making outdoor spaces usable and comfortable. Pergolas, retractable awnings, large umbrellas, or vine-covered
County gardeners can visit nurseries like Morningsun Herb Farm in Vacaville, the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery, or the Cache Creek Native Plant Nursery in Woodland. These local experts can offer advice tailored to the region’s climate and soil conditions.
Keep in mind that native plants may appear less manicured than exotic imports. Wildflowers and native grasses, often the most available native varieties, tend to grow quickly and naturally—sometimes with a wilder look. But with thoughtful planning, native gardens can be both stunning and sus-
arbors can offer relief during the hottest parts of the day. Planting trees not only adds natural beauty but also offers dappled shade that protects both your space and your lawn, keeping everything cooler and more inviting With a little planning and thoughtful design, your backyard can become much more than an outdoor area — it can be your personal retreat. This spring, take the opportunity to create a space that soothes the senses and brings daily moments of calm right to your doorstep.
tainable.
These tips can help make native planting a success:
• Plan and prepare the site by removing weeds and turning over the soil, giving seedlings the space to root and thrive without competition.
• Use seedlings instead of seeds for a quicker head start. Alternatively, start seeds indoors and transplant them outdoors once they’ve matured.
• Avoid planting in rows, as native plants naturally grow in varied groupings. Mimic
local landscapes by spacing them irregularly.
• Create structures with borders and paths to help define native gardens and give them a maintained look while allowing for a natural growth style.
• Plant in drifts. Grow Native!, an initiative from the Missouri Prairie Foundation, recommends planting two to four species in broad sweeping masses. Mix native grasses like purple needlegrass with flowering plants like California goldenrod. The grass-
es’ fibrous roots help suppress weeds and stabilize the soil. Monitor moisture. While native plants are typically low-maintenance, they may still need supplemental watering during unusually long dry spells — especially in their first year. With a bit of planning and a focus on local species, Yolo County gardeners can create beautiful, resilient landscapes that honor Northern California’s natural heritage.
Pedal your way to better health
Metro Special to the Express
Staying physically active is one of the best ways to support long-term health and wellness. But between work, family, and the fast pace of daily life, finding time — and motivation — for exercise isn’t always easy. One key to staying active is choosing activities that are both enjoyable and effective. For many, cycling checks both boxes.
Whether you’re pedaling past orchards along country roads or simply riding through your neighborhood, cycling offers a way to move your body while soaking in the beauty of our rural Yolo County landscape. And as more people across the country are discovering, biking isn’t just fun — it’s a powerful way to improve your health.
According to 2025 data from Statista, cycling participation in the U.S. has
The
grown from 42.4 million people in 2010 to 54.7 million in 2022. Our neighbors to the north are riding, too — 16 percent of Canadians cycle at least once a week, according to Made in CA. Here’s why so many people are turning to two wheels — and why it could be a perfect fit for Winters residents.
Builds strength, flexibility
Cycling is a low-impact workout that builds muscle strength and boosts endurance. According to the Cleveland Clinic, regular cycling strengthens the legs, hips, and glutes while improving flexibility in the quads, hamstrings, calves, and hips. It’s a great option for older adults or anyone looking for a joint-friendly form of exercise.
Improves balance
Balance becomes increasingly important as we age. A 2015 study published
in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that cycling — even on a stationary bike — helped improve balance in stroke survivors. More broadly, cycling trains your body to maintain posture and stability, making you less likely to suffer from falls or injuries.
Engages the whole body
You might think of cycling as just a leg workout, but it’s actually a full-body activity. Core muscles are constantly engaged to keep you stable and upright, and the upper back (especially the lats) also plays a supporting role. Experts at Peloton note that cycling helps build core strength and improve overall stability with every ride.
Supports mental health
In a place like Winters, where scenic country roads and peaceful trails are never far away, cycling
is a great excuse to get outdoors. Nature itself is a powerful mood booster. A 2019 study in “Science Advances” found that time in nature can increase happi-
ness and well-being. Combine that with the endorphin boost from physical activity, and a simple bike ride becomes a meaningful act of self-care.
truth about metabolism: Understand it at any stage of life
Metabolism is a term that gets thrown around a lot — especially when it comes to weight loss and aging — but it’s often misunderstood. At its core, metabolism refers to all the chemical processes in our cells that keep the body running. These processes provide the energy we need for essential functions like breathing, digestion, circulation, and cell repair.
As we age, many of us notice that weight management becomes more challenging, and metabolism is often blamed. But how much of that is true?
Let’s break down some facts and common myths.
Fast vs slow metabolism
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body uses at rest to maintain vital functions. Some people naturally have a faster BMR and burn
more calories, even while sitting still. Others have a slower BMR and require fewer calories to operate.
Factors that influence BMR include:
• Genetics (the biggest factor)
• Age (BMR tends to decline over time)
• Muscle mass
• Activity level
• Medications or medical conditions
While we can’t change our genes, we can make choices that support a healthier metabolism.
Does exercise boost metabolism?
Yes — and no.
According to MedlinePlus, exercise does increase calorie burn, but that boost typically only lasts during the activity and for a short period afterward. For example, going for a brisk walk or strength training session will temporarily raise your metabolic rate, but your body returns to its normal resting rate not long after you stop.
What about building muscle? Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest — but the effect is modest unless you’re doing a significant amount of resistance training. For most people, adding a few pounds of muscle won’t dramatically raise BMR. That said, maintaining muscle as we age is still incredibly important for balance, mobility, and overall health.
What has the biggest impact
According to Harvard Health Publishing, genetics plays the largest role in determining your metabolism. While lifestyle habits like diet and activity level matter, the energy your body uses for basic survival — keeping your brain, heart, lungs andother
organs running — accounts for the majority of your daily calorie burn.
This means that even though we can’t radically change our BMR, we can support it by staying active, eating well, and getting enough rest.
Can certain foods boost metabolism?
You may have heard of “metabolism-boosting” foods — and there is some truth to that, thanks to a process called diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT). This refers to the small increase in calorie burn that happens after eating, especially when consuming certain foods.
Foods that may slightly increase DIT include:
• Lean proteins (like chicken, tofu, eggs)
• Whole grains and unrefined carbohydrates
• Green tea
• Caffeinated beverages (in moderation)
Interestingly, DIT is usually higher in the morning, so having a hearty, balanced breakfast or lunch may help your body use more energy earlier in the day.
How does sleep affect metabolism?
Poor sleep habits can affect your metabolism in indirect — but
important — ways. A 2019 study published in the “Journal of Lipid Research” found that just four nights of restricted sleep may slightly reduce how the body processes fat.
Even more significantly, lack of sleep tends to increase hunger and cravings, particularly for high-calorie, high-carb foods. This can lead to overeating, which impacts weight and energy levels, regardless of metabolic rate.
No magic pill, just smart habits
Metabolism is complex and largely determined by genetics.
While it’s tempting to look for quick fixes, the most reliable ways to support your metabolic health — especially from age 30 onward — are consistent, realistic habits:
• Stay physically active (especially with strength and cardio)
• Eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein and whole foods
• Prioritize quality sleep
• Avoid extreme or overly restrictive diets
There may not be a way to “supercharge” your metabolism, but by taking care of your body over time, you can help it run as efficiently as possible — at any age.
Teen Tuesday (ages 12-18), Second Tuesdays, 2 p.m., Winters Community Library
Bilingual Storytime (ages 0-5), Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m., Winters Community Library
Virtual English Conversation Group, Tuesdays, 2-3 p.m., One time registration required: Contact Nancy Pacheco 530-666-8019 or nancy.pacheco@yolocounty.org
Mangonada Monday (ages 6-12), fourth Monday, 3:30 p.m. Tech Thursdays, Thursdays, 2-7:30 p.m., call 530-6668005 to schedule an appointment. Bilingual sessions available upon request.
Saturday Matinee, First Saturday, 2 p.m., Winters Community Library
All You Need is Love Romance Book Club, Second Saturday, 4 p.m., Hooby’s Brewing
Older Adult Programs
Winters Senior Foundation Chair Yoga Class for Seniors, Wednesdays, 9:30-11 a.m., St. Anthony Parish Hall (511 W. Main St.)
Cafe Yolo Social Dining, Thurdays, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Winters Community Center (201 Railroad Ave.), Reservations required 24 hours in advance at 530-662-7035 or welcome@mowyolo.org
Winters Senior Foundation Social Gathering, Thurdays, 12:30-3 p.m., Winters Community Center (201 Railroad Ave.)
Ongoing
View the Winters community events calendar at https://bit.ly/WintersCommunityEvents
Winters Friends of the Library meeting, first Monday, 7 p.m., Winters Community Library, Margaret Parsons Room, wfol.org
Winters Fortnightly meeting, second Tuesday (September through May), 1 p.m., St. Anthony Parish Hall (511 W. Main St.)
Rotary Club of Winters meeting, Thursdays, Noon, The Buckhorn
Winters Museum public hours, Thursday thru Sunday, 1-5 p.m., 13 Russell St., historicalsocietyofwinters.org Winters Open Mic, third Thursday of the month, 6 p.m. (sign-ups begin at 5:30 p.m.), Winters Opera House (13 Main St.).
Metaphysical Book Club, third Friday at 5 p.m., 212 Grant Ave., Sign up at dixiesbookclub@gmail.com, call 530-212-5026, or just drop in 12-Step Bonfire meeting, third Friday, 6:30 p.m. fellowship, 7 p.m. meeting, LuNita Ranch, 8189 Olive School Ln, Winters, Bring a camp chair.
Winters Spiritual Living Circle, last Wednesday at 5 p.m., 212 Grant Ave., Sign up traycee@outlook.com, call 760-688-6302, or just drop in Kiwanis Club of Winters meeting, fourth Wednesday, 6 p.m., Turkovich Family Wines - Boss Lounge, kiwanisclubofwinters@gmail.com
Democracy Winters meeting, third Saturdays, 10 a.m.Noon, Meeting details in newsletter, contact info@ democracywinters.org
Dance Fitness, - first/third Sundays February thru July, 8 to 9 a.m., Winters Community Library. No registration required.
Walking Meditation, third Sunday, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Meet behind the Winters Community Center, 201 Railroad Ave. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings: » St. Anthony Parish Hall, 511 Main St. (back entrance) Tuesdays, 7-8 a.m. and Fridays, 7-8 a.m.
The Winters Joint Unified School District honored two standout employees during its May 15 school board meeting, recognizing their unwavering dedication, leadership and positive impact on the school community.
Lisa Dennis, the school district’s director of human resources, announced the 2025 Employees of the Year — Donnie Whitworth, a longtime agriculture teacher at Winters High School, and Maria Correa, a bilingual instructional assistant at Waggoner Elementary School.
Donnie Whitworth: Certificated Employee of the Year
With two decades of service in Winters JUSD, Donnie Whitworth has become a cornerstone of the agricultural education program at Winters High School. Widely respected for his tireless efforts and deep connection with students, Whitworth was named the 2025 Certificated Employee of the Year.
“Donnie truly embodies the spirit of our Graduate Profile,” Dennis said. “He consistently encourages students to be hardworking, resilient, collaborative, and engaged citizens.”
Known for his around-the-clock presence at the district’s Ag Site — “it sometimes feels like he lives there,” Dennis joked — Whitworth is praised for reaching students who are often the hardest to engage. Through his mentorship, he helps them find direction, purpose, and pride in their work.
As a Career Technical Education (CTE) teacher and FFA leader, Whitworth instills values like leadership, responsibility, and community service in his students. His recent initiative to integrate modern agricultural technology, such as the purchase of an educational robot, exemplifies his ability to bridge tradition and innovation in the classroom.
Dennis said his influence stretches far beyond academics.
“Donnie not only teaches agricultural traditions but also embraces innovation, bridging past and future through projects like the recent purchase of a new educational robot — showing students how to honor history while embracing modern advancements,” Dennis said.
Maria Correa: Classified Employee of the Year
Maria Correa, a bilingual instructional assistant in the dual-language immersion kindergarten
program at Waggoner Elementary, was named the 2025 Classified Employee of the Year.
“Maria’s impact is felt the moment students walk into the classroom,” Dennis said. “Her warm and steady presence helps create a safe, nurturing environment where every child feels seen and supported.”
Correa is known for her calm demeanor and attentiveness in the often-busy world of kindergarten.
Whether she’s guiding small learning groups, offering one-on-one support, or soothing a distressed student with quiet reassurance, Correa demonstrates extraordinary patience, compassion, and care.
“What makes Maria so exceptional is her intuitive understanding of students’ needs and her ability to build trust with families, students, and staff alike,” Dennis said. “Though much of her work happens
Tips on growing lime, peach trees
Special to the Express
This column is written by the UC Master Gardeners of Yolo County each month. It provides answers to selected questions that recently came into the UC Master Gardener – Yolo County Help Desk.
Growing lime trees in pots
Q: Can I grow a lime tree in a pot? If so, what type would you recommend to use in cooking?
A: Growing a lime tree in a pot is very doable. The tree will be smaller than a tree grown in the soil but should still give you a supply of fresh limes for cooking. Here’s a guide to successfully growing a lime tree in a container, and some options for varieties.
Growing lime trees in a container has some advantages in our climate. Lime trees are more cold- and frost-sensitive than other citrus, but in a pot, you can move them to a warmer space in the event of cold weather that may otherwise harm or kill them. Multiple days of nighttime temperatures below 40 can be harmful to some species of lime trees and exposure to freezing temperatures can kill them. Choosing the right container is important. It should be at least 15 gallons with large drain holes. You can start smaller but be prepared to repot the tree as it grows. Avoid metal and dark colored containers since they can become too hot in summer. Large plastic, ceramic or half wine
barrels are good options. The latter two will breathe more so you may need to water your tree a little more frequently. Citrus needs regular moisture, but wait until the top two inches of soil have dried before watering again. Drainage is key so you should not have a tray under the pot.
The soil you use is also important. Lime trees do best in slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. There are commercial potting mixes intended for citrus, or you can mix your own with onethird potting mix, one-third Perlite, Vermiculite or small bark nuggets and one-third compost. This mix will assure good drainage.
After potting, your tree should be placed in a spot
that will get at least six to eight hours of sun each day. Afternoon shade is helpful during the summer. Placement near a wall that absorbs heat and then moderates the nighttime temperatures is helpful in winter. Apply a complete citrus fertilizer as recommended on the container. You may also need to add additional iron and magnesium if you see leaves that are yellowing with the veins remaining green. In our climate, it is best to apply the yearly amount of fertilizer divided into several applications from the early spring through mid-July. Encouraging new growth later in the summer can leave a plant susceptible to leaf scorch on very hot days. The variety of lime tree you choose to grow will depend on the type of cooking you do and, to some extent, how vigilant you want to be when temperatures fall. Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix) is a staple in Southeast Asian cuisine. The leaves are commonly used in cooking. The fruit is dry, however and Kaffir lime trees are very cold-sensitive. Key or Mexican lime (Citrus aurantiifolia) has small, thinskinned, juicy fruit often used in cooking, baking and drinks. It is fragrant and productive
Courtesy photo
Donnie Whitworth (right) guides students during a fabrication competition in Winters.
Courtesy photo
Lime trees can be successfully grown in a large pot.
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Maria Correa (holding certificate) was named the school district’s 2025 Classified Employee of the Year for her work as a kindergarten bilingual instructional assistant in the dual-language immersion program at Waggoner Elementary School.
Tax reform bill first draft ‘very positive’ for real estate
Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee released the full draft text of their portion of tax reform legislation Monday afternoon — delivering significant wins for the real estate sector and reinforcing provisions long championed by the National Association of Realtors.
NAR’s advocacy team successfully secured its top five tax priorities in the draft bill, including an enhanced small business tax deduction, a strengthened state and local tax (SALT) deduction, and protections for the mortgage interest deduction (MID). The bill also makes the current lower individual tax rates permanent and increases the child tax credit,
moves that could help increase homeownership access for more American families. “This is a very strong opening bid for our advocacy priorities. This draft language preserves or strengthens a raft of provisions vital to
“The bill also triples current SALT deduction limits, although it is very possible the SALT deduction could become even more favorable during the amendment process.
A national poll commissioned by NAR in April showed that
before the committee is scheduled to begin the formal mark-up process on Tuesday.
“While the early details are overwhelmingly positive for the real estate economy and small businesses, I would caution that this is just the first
“The bill will continue to evolve as it moves through the committee process and eventual passage in the House and Senate, with many amendment votes to come.”
Shannon
McGahn, National Association of Realtors
housing affordability, including making the current lower income tax brackets permanent,” says Shannon McGahn, NAR executive vice president and chief advocacy officer. “These are all measures we have worked tirelessly to advocate for on behalf of our members.”
61 percent of voters support increasing or eliminating SALT caps, and 74 percent say double taxation fairness is a compelling reason to do so,” McGahn continues.
A partial draft of the legislation was released Friday night. The latest details come 24 hours
draft. The bill will continue to evolve as it moves through the committee process and eventual passage in the House and Senate, with many amendment votes to come,” McGahn says.
“We will continue to engage directly with congressional leadership, key commit-
tees, and other policymakers to ensure that housing affordability and support for small businesses remain top priorities in these negotiations. At a time when we face a historic shortage in housing supply, it is essential that this legislation does not worsen the affordability crisis.
With real estate accounting for nearly one-fifth of the U.S. economy, a strong real estate sector is vital to the health of the broader economy.”
Below is a summary of the draft provisions released today.
Top five NAR tax priorities
1.Qualified Business Income Deduction
(Section 199A)
• The draft bill retains, makes permanent, and increases the QBI deduction from 20 percent to 23 percent.
support the 20 percent tax deduction for independent contractors and small businesses making less than $400,000 a year, according to NAR’s recent national poll.
2.State and Local Tax Deduction (SALT)
The SALT deduction cap is tripled from $10,000 to $30,000 for households earning under $400,000. However, the bill does not eliminate the current law marriage penalty. Thus, single filers and married couples filing a joint return both can deduct a maximum of $30,000 in state and local taxes.
3.Individual tax rates
• The current lower individual tax rates are made permanent and indexed for inflation, aiding taxpayers and improving affordability for prospective homebuyers.
• This deduction benefits more than 90 percent of NAR members, who are classified as independent contractors or small business owners.
• 83 percent of voters
• 86 percent of voters support the lowered income tax rates for individuals and married couples, according to NAR’s recent national poll.
See DRAFT, Page 5
Visit the Winters Museum
The Winters Senior Foundation invites you to join us for a visit to the Winters Museum on May 22. We are going on an early-afternoon tour starting at 1 p.m. Meet up either at the Community Center where we will walk over or meet us at the front door of the museum. We will be guided by docents as we walk through 150 years of Winters history.
We look forward to seeing you on May 22.
JERRY LOWDEN AND WINTERS SENIOR FOUNDATION BOARD
WSF PreSident
Letters Policy
The Winters Express encourages readers to submit letters of general interest to the Winters community. Letters contribute to community discussion.
Express Letters to the Editor guidelines:
• Letters should not exceed 350 words.
• Anonymous letters will not be accepted. Letters must be legibly signed by the writer.
• We accept “thank you” letters naming local individuals and businesses only. Non-local names will be edited out.
• “Thank you” notices containing non-local individuals or businesses must be published as paid advertising to: ads@wintersexpress.com.
• We reserve the right to edit letters for brevity or clarity, or to reject any letter.
• We reserve the right to determine legitimacy.
Mail letters to: The Winters Express, PO Box 520, Winters, CA 95694, submit online at https://tinyurl.com/syzevywd or visit the “Submission Forms” page online at wintersexpress.com.
Horoscopes
ARIES (Mar 21/Apr 20).
Telling the truth has always come naturally to you, Aries. But tact isn’t always your specialty and sometimes your candor is now well-received. Keep that in mind this week.
TAURUS (Apr 21/May 21).
It is time to make peace with someone even if it is the last thing you want to do this week, Taurus. There is no better option thank to talk it out, so schedule that chat as soon as possible.
GEMINI (May 22/Jun 21).
Sometimes there is nothing you like more than being silly with other kindred spirits who get you, Gemini. But you’re in a different mood this week and it might feel unfamiliar to you.
CANCER (Jun 22/Jul 22).
It is fair to say this week that you desire some time alone and maybe need it as well, Cancer. Take some time for yourself and let others know you’re going off the grid.
LEO (Jul 23/Aug 23).
Leo, although your first inclination might be to get into a war of words with someone with whom you disagree, this week you might want to try a different approach. Remain open to others’ views.
VIRGO (Aug 24/Sept 22).
You might be tired of recent drama in your life, Virgo. But if you dig deeper, you might find that you have contributed to the noise. Make some meaningful changes this week.
LIBRA (Sept 23/Oct 23).
Your negotiation skills are well-known, Libra, and you’re usually the first person anyone thinks of when they need a third party to help them smooth over a situation. Enjoy the attention.
SCORPIO (Oct 24/Nov 22).
Scorpio, even if someone is pushing your buttons this week, you won’t let that get in the way of doing something for this person because they are dear to you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23/Dec 21).
You are no stranger to good luck, Sagittarius. This week that luck will be shared with people who cross your path. They will appreciate the fortune.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22/Jan 20).
Expect to experience a strong feeling of wanderlust this week, Capricorn. You may find it challenging to pass up a trip or a new experience of any kind.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21/Feb 18).
Aquarius, right now the old adage that if you ignore it, it will go away might not hold true. Failing to face something right now may not be the best approach.
PISCES (Feb 19/Mar 20).
You are ready to share secrets with a soulmate, Pisces. The challenge lies in trying to find the time when you are alone to have this important conversation.
Express Yourself
Who is Josh Groban, and why am I in Las Vegas?
Happy wife, happy life. I’m not sure I have ever turned down the opportunity to travel, even if it is just to have egg rolls at Turtle Rock, so when my permanent tenant suggested that we see Josh Groban, I just asked, when are we going? Then I had to look up the singer to see what kind of music I was going to hear.
I’m not sure I would put him on the same level as Frank Sinatra, but Josh Groban is a crooner. He was born in 1981, same as our son, Robert, so he has been around for a little while. Sherri has his music on her phone, so we listened to him, off and on until our trip. One reason for his success is that he can sing. It is a little too far to drive to Las Vegas for a weekend, so we flew out of Stockton on Allegiant Air. I’ve flown
out of small airports before, but Stockton might be the smallest commercial airport I’ve used. The baggage carousel is about the size of my pool table.
Allegiant Air is a nofrills, low-cost airline that services smaller cities across the country. It has been around since 1997, but this is the first time that I’ve flown Allegiant, but probably not the last. I was warned about not adding anything to the basic ticket, no checked baggage, no drinks, and don’t even think about asking for water.
I was expecting a small plane, like the ones that fly to Boise, but it was a larger
Yolo Published MAY 7 14 21 28 2025 #80997
A-319 that has three rows of seats on each side of the aisle. There wasn’t a lot of room in the seats and they don’t recline, but the staff was funny and seemed to like their jobs. Maybe it is easy to be friendly when the flight is just over an hour.
Las Vegas is a different place. The “Strip” is huge and fancy, not like the old Fremont Street, the original Las Vegas Strip. I was surprised at the upscale shopping available and the place seemed packed, but I don’t know what a normal crowd looks like. People seemed to be having a good time, with people dressed in whatever makes them happy. For the women, that meant bathing suits with lots of skin showing. For See QUICK, Page 5
When volunteers vanish, so do the things we love
To some, accessing a service isn’t just a hurdle — it’s a barricade. And often, the only thing standing between someone in need and that barrier is a volunteer.
We’re fortunate to live in a small town brimming with nonprofit organizations — each working hard to address community challenges and provide meaningful programs, services and fun community events. From local service clubs to organizations with a broader reach, many of them operate with small or no paid staff, relying instead on the power of volunteers.
Carol Scianna and I have spent the past two years trying to support these organizations by connecting them with new volunteers. This past Sunday, we hosted our third Winters Volunteer Fair. While we were grateful for the sign-ups — three to four new potential volunteers for each of the nonprofits we
represented — the overall turnout was low. And, as is often the case, many of the faces were familiar. There were longtime volunteers looking to build new connections and stay engaged.
This raises a tough but necessary question: How do we reach you — the person who hasn’t yet stepped through the door? What would it take to convince you to meet us in person, to ask questions, to explore what we do?
The recently released “2025 State of Yolo Nonprofit Sector Report” from the Yolo Community Foundation paints a sobering picture. Nonprofits across the county are struggling with volunteer burnout and declining engagement. Executive directors report high levels of exhaustion
among staff and volunteers and an urgent need to build sustainability and capacity.
I see it firsthand here in Winters. Many organizations were already struggling to find people to step into leadership roles before the pandemic hit. Since then, that challenge has only deepened.
And yet, so many things we treasure in our town are made possible because volunteers show up.
Events like Youth Day, Festival de la Comunidad, Bike Month, and the Family Holiday Festival. Efforts like the holiday toy drive, elder day celebrations, and Books for Babies. Ongoing programs that deliver food to elders, offer youth sports
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ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case Number: CV2025-0796
TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: IGNACIA BLANCA ESTHER CURIEL RUBIO filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name IGNACIA BLANCA ESTHER CURIEL RUBIO to Proposed name BLANCA ESTHER CURIEL RUBIO THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause if any why the petition for change of name should not be granted Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted If no written objection is timely filed the court may grant the petition without a hearing NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 7/9/2025 Time: 9:00 a m Dept : 14 Room: The address of the court is Yolo Superior Court 1000 Main Street Woodland
The project has been determined not to have a significant effect on the environment and is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (Project Planner: Travis Kroger, 707-784-6765) The hearing will be held on Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 10:00
Express Yourself
Where the tail wagging ends, love remains
Remembering Sophie
May 2008 –
May 2025
Gramps Says
When I return home and open the door it is eerily vacant. What I miss most about not having Sophie around is her exuberant welcomes. She would bark a few times, run away, come back, run around my legs a few turns, and repeat the pattern again. Nor was she bashful in her greetings to strangers and visitors.
More than once a visitor has exclaimed, “After all this time she still remembers me.” I never mention
that she greets everyone that way. We were told that she was the runt of the litter and the favorite of the children of the breeder. Perhaps that explains why she would seek out children, expecting to play. She had a sunny disposition and always walked around with a smile.
That’s not to say she didn’t have a streak of independent attitude. She wouldn’t sit on demand or raise a paw for a handshake. That sort of thing was best left to the likes of Labradors. Nor, if she had her
mind set on a destination, would she readily come when called. That required negotiation and a mutual agreement, which ability is far above the station of a Labrador. (You may recall that Sophie thought any dog who voluntarily jumps into the water is addled.)
A few years ago, I had the brilliant idea of entering her in the Youth Day Parade so the readers of Sophie Says could see her in person. Chris Jones, a neighbor down the street decorated her little red wagon and loaned it to me.
On the day of the parade, it was quickly evident that Sophie didn’t like the idea of being towed around and showcased, but she tolerated it long enough to get past the judging platform. Then I heard some people shouting, “She’s getting away!” Sophie leaped from the wagon and was heading west at a brisk trot as if to say “I’m out of here.” My chase and calls meant nothing. Fortunately, a group of quick-thinking parade viewers ran onto the street and headed her off.
All in all, over the course of 17 years, Sophie has brought a lot of love and joy into our household, and sometimes a bit of excitement. I hope she doesn’t mind me mentioning that she
once treed a raccoon in our backyard that was double her size.
Sophie Says In regards to the unfortunate parade incident, I would have made my escape a lot sooner if it wasn’t for the kids who greeted and petted me along the way. Not to fault Gramps, but the fire truck siren, horses clomping and the din of the drums beating and symbols clashing were unsettling.
I should mention that I come equipped with a fur coat. I would have gladly sat, raised my paw, or come running for one lap of icecold water.
On several occasions, I’ve voiced two pet peeves in our Winters Express column. The first is the lack of a convenient and safe walkway from Yolo
Housing to shopping and the high school.
The second issue is the unfinished downtown“pocket park.” I have read and heard rumors that a lot of thought and planning is ongoing to address both of these issues. I would like to think that what we had to say helped to keep these ‘opportunities’ in the spotlight.
I’ve led a good life in that Grams has seen to my comfort and every need.
My favorite place is the backyard garden. It is an abundance of flowering shrubs that I enjoy nosing through. In one corner of the garden, Gramps has framed a small rectangle site that is just my size. This is where I now peacefully sleep.
Competition is good, complacency is death
By Richard Casavecchia
Special to the Express
“The biggest theme should be: Winters is open for business.”
That was the last text I received from a brick-and-mortar business owner before the April 15 city council meeting, which evolved into an emotional discussion on the legality of food trucks on city streets in Winters. I expected to be on the wrong end of a 4–1 vote to update our food truck ordinance to comply with changes in state law and impose further restrictions on food vendors in town. But the meeting took a turn none of us foresaw.
Chapter 5.36.060 of
the men, just funny outfits that you can’t wear to work.
One of the nice parts about being married to someone with different tastes is that you get to experience places and things that you wouldn’t choose for yourself. I would never have gone to a Josh Groban concert on my own, but I had a good time at both the concert and Las Vegas. I did gamble a little, but not a lot. Gambling isn’t the same as when you were 21 and partying with friends. We also went to the Sphere, which is an audio and visual experience.
Years ago, when I wanted to go to the Baseball Hall of
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the Winters Municipal Code defines “Stationary food vendor” as someone who sells food from a motor vehicle located on private property for more than four hours in a single day. Section B, subsection 9 prevents “mobile food vendors” from stopping for more than 10 minutes at a time to serve customers. But when does a vehicle become mobile? And the confusion branches from there. What started as a question of “Should we limit the number of undefined taco stands in town?” evolved into regulating food trucks, and took so long that many of the taco stands moved
on, and left us with two regular, locally owned-and-operated food trucks becoming popular lunch and dinner takeout options. We took so long discussing how to regulate the market, the market regulated itself. Government is neither nimble enough nor responsive enough to micromanage a local economy. When I say food truck I’m sure you think of a box van-like vehicle with a window that drives up and serves customers and drives away at the end of the day. That might seem to fit the city code description of “mobile food vendor”, but limited to 10 min-
“One of the nice parts about being married to someone with different tastes is that you get to experience places and things that you wouldn’t choose for yourself.”
Fame, Sherri said, sure, but can we visit the Corning Glass Factory, too? I think Sherri enjoyed the Hall of Fame, but I really liked the Corning tour. Again, I would never have even thought about going on a glass tour.
This is the second performance that I’ve attended at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Maybe 20 years ago we went to see Celine Dion. The show didn’t start until 9 p.m. and her melodic voice nearly put me to sleep.
4.Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID)
• The draft preserves and makes permanent the MID at its current level, maintaining a key tax benefit for homeowners and supporting housing market stability.
• There had been concern MID might be reduced or eliminated as a budget offset.
• 91 percent of voters support maintaining tax incentives such as the mortgage interest deduction for homeowners, according to NAR’s recent national poll.
Josh Groban had a lot of energy and put on a great show, and I didn’t yawn once. Then again, his show started at 8 p.m. There were other men in the audience, but women outnumbered us 10 to 1, maybe more. I’m sure they all had a good time, too.
See you at the museum on Friday, May 22 from 4 to 7 p.m. to celebrate our 150th anniversary, better known as a Sesquicentennial Party. Listen to your partner, and have a good
5. Business SALT and 1031 like-kind exchanges
The draft bill protects Section 1031 like-kind exchanges, which are often erroneously regarded as a tax loophole. It also includes no changes for most businesses deducting state and local taxes (sometimes referred to as “Business SALT”).
While the bill does provide limits in state-level business SALT workarounds for certain high-income professionals (e.g., law firms, hedge funds, consulting businesses, and other services), the provisions do not appear to impact real estate professionals.
utes in any location. Probably how you imagine an ice cream truck.
Our newest food trucks are actually trailers for the same purpose, towed by pickups. Unhooked, they would seem to better fit the definition of “stationary sidewalk vendor” (which specifically applies to non-motorized conveyance). Towed but stationary on private property, they would be a “stationary food vendor” allowed to operate on private property for up to 4 hours.
An argument could be made for either definition, but neither fit “food truck” in my mind.
and robotics opportunities, maintain gardens, host concerts, and provide financial support for teachers — all brought to you by volunteers.
The arts, local theater, wellness clinics, community storytelling, educational workshops, Spanish conversation practice, citizenship study sessions, museum exhibits, creek cleanups, beautification projects — the list goes on. Take a moment and really consider this: Which of these would leave a hole in your life if it vanished tomorrow? What support or service makes your days a little smoother — and how would you cope if it suddenly no longer
Additional positive tax provisions for real estate economy
Child Tax Credit increased to $2,500 (2025-28)
• Temporarily raises the child tax credit through 2028 and then indexes it for inflation starting in 2029.
• The child tax credit supports families and could help with housing affordability. Permanent estate and gift tax threshold set at $15 Million (inflation-adjusted)
• Prevents a significant drop in exemption levels and supports generational wealth transfer, aligning with NAR priorities. No top tax-rate increase
At some point, stemming from messy definitions (even The Express made a comment that they’ve had trouble when covering meetings on this), private property and parking next to the curb adjacent to private property got muddled in the communication and we arrived at our situation. Some on the council felt the food trucks were illegally operating, presumably staff felt enforcement was not needed while we deliberated the issue, and the businesses believed they were complying with the rules, as was their intent.
At the April 1 city council meeting, the updated ordinance
existed?
Because the truth is, we’re already seeing the cracks. Our local Soroptimist and Lions clubs have dissolved due to declining membership and participation. More may follow unless something changes.
It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. Every bit counts. Maybe you can bake cupcakes, help set up chairs, run social media, or lend your expertise to improve operations. Maybe you have a fresh idea, a useful skill, or a little time to spare. That’s all it takes. But it does take action
What will it take for you to step forward?
became clear. Food trucks were going to be regulated to private property, with a CUP, within certain zoning districts. In my mind this was a change from recent status quo, others on council felt this was a continuation of existing policy. I felt this change in practice would regulate them out of existence or at least out of town, something I am not ok with doing to residents. It turned out that assessment was correct. Any property that was suitable for a food truck was either otherwise in use, or the owner was unwilling to permit them (as would be
See VENDORS, Page 7
What are you willing to go without — simply because you didn’t want to leave home to help?
• The proposed 39.6 percent top rate was removed from the bill.
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)
• Key provisions from the LIHTC Improvement Act will be included to support affordable housing development.
• Restoration of “Big 3” Business Tax Provisions
• Full expensing of research and development (R&D)
• Bonus depreciation
• Fixes to interest expense deduction limits Immediate expensing for certain industrial structures
• Applies to structures used in manufacturing, re-
These are serious questions we must all consider if we want to keep the traditions, services and joys that make our town special. Many hands make light work. You don’t have to do it alone. You just have to show up
If you’re unsure where to begin, I’d be happy to help you connect with a cause that inspires you. There’s an organization out there that needs you — one that will benefit from your passion, talents or even just an hour of your time. Because if we all wait for someone else to do the work, one day we’ll wake up and wonder where all the magic went. Let’s not wait until it’s gone.
fining, agriculture and related industries. No change to carried interest treatment Opportunity zones
• Renewed with revised incentives to encourage targeted investment, including in rural areas.
• 80 percent of voters expressed support for tax incentives for investors to encourage economic growth and development in underserved and poorer communities, according to NAR’s recent national poll. NAR’s policy team continues to go through the bill and will provide updates as warranted.
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Baseball heads to Championship on Saturday
By Sydney Andrade Express staff writer
On Friday, May 16, the Winters High School varsity baseball team won its playoff game against Willows High School by a final score of 12–0.
Boston Jones started on the mound for the Warriors allowing zero hits and zero runs over five innings, striking out nine and walking only one.
The Warriors quickly took the lead in the second inning and secured the game in the fourth inning when they scored nine runs on six hits.
Miles Mariani had a great day at bat with two hits and four RBIs, Jake Woods had two hits and two RBI’s and Jordan Calvert had one hits and three RBIs. Everett Beason and Jones also performed well at bat with one hit and one run each.
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but also quite cold-sensitive. The Persian lime (Citrus latifolia) is very juicy and often recommended for culinary use. This lime and its cultivars (such as the seedless Bearss lime) are the most cold-tolerant of the lime trees.
Here is a link to the UC Master Gardener-Yolo newsletter from Spring 2021. It has an article about growing citrus in containers starting on Page 8: https://ucanr.edu/sites/ default/files/2021-03/Yolo_ Gardener88995.pdf
Peach tree care
Q: I have a fairly young (not sure of the age) peach tree. What should my watering and fertilizing routine be?
A: This is one of those cases in which the most appropriate answer depends
STAFF
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behind the scenes, her influence ripples throughout the school community.”
Correa’s dedication and thoughtful approach have made her a beloved presence at Waggoner, where she is regarded not just as a staff member, but as the heart of the classroom.
The annual recognition of district employees underscores Winters JUSD’s commitment to fostering a culture of appreciation and excellence. Whitworth and Correa demonstrate the values that define the district — service, connection, and a belief in the potential of every student.
This victory secured them a spot in the semi-finals which took place on Tuesday, May 8.
The Warriors faced off against East Nicolaus High School and won by a very close score of 4–3 which was secured at the bottom of the sixth inning after both Derrick Collins and Mariani scored a point off an incredible hit by Beason.
Calvert started the Warriors off on the mound with three hits and three runs over five innings, striking out three and walking three. The Warriors defense took a while to warm up but were unstoppable once they started making plays. Jones stepped in to relieve Calvert giving up zero hits and zero runs over two innings, striking out one and walking none.
Defensively the Warriors
on the age and size of your tree. At about 3 or 4 years of age, peach trees will start bearing fruit in decent numbers. The trees reach maximum productivity when they’re around 8 to 12 years old. When it comes to watering, young trees require more water than mature trees — perhaps up to 3 to 5 gallons per week. As with any tree, avoid frequent light watering, because light watering encourages a shallow root system. Instead use a garden hose, soaker hose, or drip system to deliver deep watering. Young trees in sandy soil may require more frequent watering (every three to five days) than those in heavier soil (every oneand-a-half to two weeks). Young trees need to be watered more often than established trees during periods of high heat. For mature and estab-
did a great job backing up Calvert and Jones. Despite a few costly errors in the second inning the Warriors were able to pull it together and make the outs when it mattered the most. Lane Brown made impressive catches at first base which had a huge impact on the final score of the game.
Beason not only had the game winning hit but dominated at the plate throughout the entire game, turning out two hits and three RBIs. Mariani also had a great day at bat with one hit and one RBI. While Julian Hererra, Woods and Collins each had one hit on the day.
The WHS varsity baseball team will move onto the Championship round on Saturday, May 24.
lished trees, water when the top 3 to 4 inches of soil is dry. Deep soaking using a hose or drip line is preferable. Remember to not water near the trunk, but instead adjust the sprinkler or drip line system to match the outer edge of the tree’s canopy, also called the
VENDORS
“drip line.” Keeping the trunk and lower branches dry during watering will help to avoid fungal diseases. From spring to late summer, try to water infrequently but deeply, irrigating long enough to wet the soil three to six feet deep. Reduce water amounts in late summer and fall.
When fertilizing, apply a balanced 10-10-10 organic fertilizer (a ratio or percentage of 10 parts nitrogen, 10 parts phosphorous and 10 parts potassium) when buds break, usually in late March. For young trees, apply a half-pound per year of age. For mature trees, apply up to five pounds. Spread the fertilizer over the entire root zone (essentially to the tree’s canopy edge). Even though we’re past “late March,” if you haven’t yet applied a fertilizer, you still can and should. Packaged fertilizer specific
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would have a de facto ban on food trucks once our ordinance was enforced.
After that meeting, I reached out to the two primary food trucks affected and asked if they were aware we were discussing them and invited them to come and give their perspective, which was missing from our discussion.
We on the City Council need vision. Not A vision, but THE vision to see what might be, and the wisdom to understand that we are not experts in all of the potential markets and fields in which people may want to start a busi-
to fruit trees should give you detailed instructions about how much to apply based on the size of your tree, which is usually determined by the diameter of the tree’s trunk.
Did you know that, in addition to the specific varieties, peaches can be clingstone (meaning that the flesh sticks to the pit), freestone (the flesh separates easily from the pit), or semi freestone (somewhere between the previous two)? The same is true of nectarines, the peach’s non-fuzzy cousin.
— If you have a gardening question, contact the UC Master Gardener Help Desk at 530-666-8737. Or send an email, with information regarding watering, sun exposure, details about your problem, and photos, when possible, to mgyolo@ucdavis.edu
ness here in town. Everything we do has a cost and is an incentive or disincentive for certain behaviors. We must humbly understand that we do not know what we do not know and are in no position to make a judgment call that an action we take will not be an insurmountable barrier to a new business. Our decisions cost time and money that isn’t ours. Our role is to regulate the health and safety of businesses, not engage in anti-competitive protectionism that many businesses are not asking for, nor should they. Competition is good. Complacency is death.
Our lack of vision
and wisdom, in this case, was on a path to eliminating a very real avenue that people take to open businesses: starting as a pop-up or a mobile food truck, and then considering becoming a brick-and-mortar establishment, as Burger Bros has announced they will be. For me, I’m optimistic about the eventual outcome and excited to see emerging small businesses develop and grow.
We will not see the next draft of our food vendor ordinance until June 17. But I hope what we eventually pass will convey that Winters is open for business.
Jayle Jimenez
Jayle Jimenez, a Winters High School senior, is the Winters Express Athlete of the Week. Head softball coach Garrett Garcia gave high praise for the catcher’s performance behind the plate and at bat. “In our playoff win against Live Oak, she went 3 for 4 hitting two singles and one double, and scored three runs. Jayle had no errors behind the dish,” Garcia said.
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express Peach trees need deep watering and a balanced fertilizer to thrive.
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Donnie Whitworth was named the school district’s 2025 Certificated Employee of the Year for his work as an educator in the Winters High School agricultural education program.
Arts & Entertainment
NoteWorthy plays at Performers’ Circle
Special to the Express
The Davis-based quintet NoteWorthy will perform at the Village Homes Performers’ Circle at 7 p.m. Tuesday. May 27, in the Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second St. in downtown Davis.
Their all-original set will include songs that are soulful, jazzy, poignant, quirky, and more, delivered with a mix of expressive vocals, tight harmonies, and an array of instruments: accordion, bass, flute, guitar, harmonica, keys, percussion, and ukulele.
The songs reflect a wide variety of styles, feelings, and life stages. NoteWorthy includes Meri Superak, Wendy Silk, Meg Alison, Ron Goldberg and Mike Elfant. All five members treasure the community and connections they’ve made at Performers Circle — some for more than
20 years.
Each of the NoteWorthy musicians has been active in musical projects throughout the region. Alison is celebrating the recent release of her second album, “No Matter What Breaks” (https:// megalison.hearnow. com).
For 30 years, the Ron Goldberg Quartet has played a mix of pub-
lic concerts, private parties, restaurants, benefits and farmers markets.
As a certified music practitioner, Superak has brought solace to area hospitals.
Elfant has played many musical parodies to charm and educate local, statewide and national audiences related to his work in nutrition. Silk
taught undergraduate science through songwriting and won a National Science Foundation grant to enhance science learning via the arts.
The Village Homes Performers’ Circle is a free event that welcomes performers of all levels as well as audience members who simply come to enjoy the performances. No tickets or reservations are required. It is held the fourth Tuesday of each month, except December.
The event begins with an open mic from 7 to 8:15 p.m. and concludes with the featured performance from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Signups begin at 6:45 for the short performances (less than 5 minutes per act). The emcee this month will be Rod Unema. Masks welcome. For information, visit www. facebook.com/villagehomesperformers.
UC Davis Symphony features Gershwin classic
By Michael G. French Special to the Express
The UC Davis Symphony Orchestra juxtaposes George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” a 20th Century classic, with other works that feature soloists in an evening titled “The Life of Concerto.”
Conducted by Christian Baldini, music director and professor of music, the concert is June 1 at 7 p.m. in the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.
In “Rhapsody in Blue” (1924), Gershwin famously folded jazz — exploding in popularity at the time — into the orchestra with the piano at center. To quote the composer himself, “I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America — of our vast melting pot, of
our unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan madness … I wanted to show that jazz is an idiom not to be limited to a mere song and chorus.”
The performance of Gershwin’s classic features guest pianist Erina Saito. A native of Tokyo, Saito is an international artist and collaborative pianist who has performed in Japan, the United States, Italy, Switzerland and on Capital Public Radio.
Eliza Brown’s “A Toy Boat on the Serpentine” was commissioned in 2019 by the Philadelphia Sinfonia Youth Orchestra.
The title is a quotation from the novel “Orlando” by Virginia Woolf, which the composer and their mother discussed at length.
Inspired by a moment when the title
Local students to take part in Winters Memorial Day tribute
Special to the Express Winters students will play a special role in this year’s Memorial Day ceremony, as the community gathers in solemn remembrance at the Winters Cemetery. The Winters Cemetery District invites all to attend the 2025 Memorial Day event on Monday, May 26, at 1:30 p.m., to honor those who gave their lives in service to the nation.
Local Girl Scouts from Winters troops will lead the Pledge of Allegiance, representing the next generation of civic-minded youth. Following this, they will lead attendees in a patriotic community sing-along with music by Bruce Chapman. Adding to the tribute, Winters High School student Kev-
in Corrales will perform TAPS at the close of the ceremony — a poignant musical farewell to the fallen.
The ceremony will also include a keynote address by Col. John Klohr, Commander of the 60th Mission Support Group at Travis Air Force Base. A 21gun salute will be rendered in honor of the 26 local veterans killed in action and the 468 veterans laid to rest in the Winters Cemetery.
Flags will fly at half-staff, and veterans’ graves will be marked with individual flags in quiet remembrance.
Community members of all ages are encouraged to attend and join Winters youth in honoring the memory and sacrifice of local heroes.
character realizes (as a toy boat bobbing on a river sends her into ecstatic reflection), Brown’s music reflected the waves of motion and emotion of the book’s scene.
Daniel Brewbaker drew inspiration from a poem by the 12th-century poet Rumi when writing “Playing and Being Played,” which ponders the question: is the violinist playing the violin or the violin playing the violinist?
The performance features guest artist Rachel Lee Priday who has appeared as a soloist with major international orchestras, among them the Chicago, Houston, National, St. Louis and Seattle Symphony Orchestras, Boston Pops Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Germany’s Sta-
atskapelle Berlin.
Also on the program is a selection from the second violin concerto by Polish composer Henryk Wieniawski, featuring the with Concerto Competition Winner Roxana Niazi, violin. Niazi is an undergraduate student at UC Davis who is also a member of the orchestra’s first violin section.
Tickets are $24 for adults and $12 for students and youth. Tickets are available at the Mondavi Center Ticket Office in person or by calling 530-754-2787 between noon and 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Tickets are also available online at Tickets. MondaviArts.org.
For more information about the department of music in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis, visit arts.ucdavis.edu/ music.
A lavender season for the senses
Special to the Express
Visit Yolo invites you to experience the sensory delight of June Bloom, a month-long celebration highlighting the lavender bloom, pollinator power and the charm of the Capay Valley and surrounding communities. Whether you’re looking to unwind in a field of lavender, learn about bees and honey, pick your own flowers, or enjoy al fresco dining, wine and live music, June is a great time to visit Yolo County. Throughout the month of June, you’ll find lavender weekends, delightful you-pick flower experiences, Vineyard Dinners, Twilight Food & Wine event, Capay Valley Lavender Farm tours, and
more. This fragrant season offers something for everyone. Saturday, May 31: Lavender Weekend at Great Bear Vineyards, Davis Enjoy a serene and fragrant weekend among the lavender fields at Great Bear Vineyards. Stroll through the lavender fields in full bloom – perfect for dreamy photos. Pick your own bunch or take home a fresh pre-picked lavender bouquet. Select weekends in June: Lavender Days at Great Bear Vineyards, Davis Savor the pairing of fine wine and lavender at Great Bear Vineyards during their annual Lavender Days. Guests are invited to cut their own lavender bundles, enjoy live music in the vineyard, and sip on signature wines and lavender-infused cocktails.
Lavender season: Weekends in June Capay Valley Lavender Farm, Capay Stroll among blooming lavender rows and take part in lavender distillation demos, wreath-making workshops, and product sampling at the Capay Valley Lavender Farm. Guests can shop handcrafted body products, culinary items, and essential oils — all made with farm-grown lavender. New this year: guided tours and a sensory garden experience for children. Enchanting flower picking experience: Weekends Park Winters Flower Farm, Winters Enjoy a peaceful and creative day as you stroll through our vibrant flower fields and create your own seasonal bouquet. The Park Winters Flower Farm’s fields are bursting with color, featuring a stunning variety of blooms They supply everything you need a flower bucket, clippers and guidance on how to clip and gather your bouquet.
Courtesy photo
NoteWorthy — from left, Meri Superak, Wendy Silk, Meg Alison, Ron Goldberg and Mike Elfant — will be the featured act at the May 27 Performers’ Circle at the Odd Fellows Hall.
Friday Jun 6th
Mortar Music Hall, San Francisco
Jerry's Middle Finger @ 9pm The Chapel, San Francisco
Paul Morrissey - Live Comedy @ 9:30pm / $29 May 30th - May 31st Paul is known for his many Late Night TV appearances on "The Late Show with David Letterman" & "The Late, Late Show” on CBS. Laughs Unlimited Comedy Club and Lounge, 1207 Front Street, Sacramento. laughsunlimited@ gmail.com, 916-446-8128
Demented @ 9:30pm DNA Lounge, 375 11th St, San Francisco
44th Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon
@ 7am May 31st - Jun 1st Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon fea‐tures a 1.5-mile swim from Alca‐traz Island to the shores of the St. Francis Yacht Club, a grueling 18mile bike ride, and a demanding 8mile run. Marina Green, San Fran‐cisco
Kiwanis Day In the Park @ 10am A free com‐munity event hosted by the Kiwanis Clubs of Fair�eld & Vacav‐ille featuring food, local vendors, and family fun. Meet tutors from the Ki‐wanis Summer Tutoring Program and sign up K–8 students Laurel Creek Park, 2986 Gulf Drive, Fair�eld. ffkiwanisclub@ gmail.com, 707-276-6873 Puzzle Exchange @ 2pm Exchange your used puzzles for new-to-you puzzles! Fair�eld Cordelia Library, 5050 Business Center Drive, Fair�eld. Ldetomaso @solanocounty.com
Lexer
@ 4pm Public Works, 161 Erie St, San Francisco
Spring Breeze: A Concert of Traditional Japanese Music
@ 7pm / $10 Join us on May 31 from 7:00 to 9:30 PM at the International House Davis for Spring Breeze: A Concert of Traditional Japanese Music. In‐ternational House, 10 College Park, Davis. johanna@ihousedavis.org, 530-753-5007
Alex Ramon "Magic" @ 7:30pm The Cabaret at Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe, Stateline
Secret Improv Society @ 8pm / $25 Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter Street, San Francisco
DJ Keyz @ 8pm Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St, Sacra‐mento
DJ Owen @ 8pm Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St, Sacra‐mento
Jerry's Middle Finger
@ 9pm The Chapel, San Francisco
HILLS @ 10pm Space 550, 550 Barneveld Ave, San Francisco
Makeup & Mimosas Drag Brunch: Pride Month Kick‐off at Good Luck Lounge @ 10am Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Sango @ 1pm Phoenix Hotel, 601 Eddy St, San Francisco
Art in Action:
Magical Mosaics @ 12pm / $10
Bring the kids to our next Art in Action family work‐shop on June 1! Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis. pencesocialmedia@ gmail.com, 530-758-3370
Makeup & Mimosas Drag Brunch: Pride Month Kick‐off at Good Luck Lounge @ 1pm Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Megan Katarina @ 4pm Barnhouse Napa Brews, 1004 Clinton St, Napa
Gaucho at Brenda's @ 5pm Brenda's French Soul Food, 652 Polk St, San Francisco
Lara Louise quintet at Mr Tipples @ 6pm Mr. Tipple's Recording Studio, 39 Fell St, San Francisco
Lampland
@ 8pm Secret Compound, Sacramento
STEAKHOUSE @ 8pm Kilowatt Bar, 3160 16th St, San Francisco
Quelle Chris @ 8pm Neck Of the Woods, 406 Clement St, San Francisco
Balloon Museum | Emotion
Air - Art you can feel
@ 12pm Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco
Shane Dwight @ 12pm Union Square, 333 Post St, San Francisco
Balloon Museum | Emotion
Air - Art you can feel
@ 12:15pm Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco
Balloon Museum | Emotion
Air - Art you can feel
@ 12:45pm Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco
The Saloon - Peter Lindman Duo with Roger Rocha (4 Non Blondes)
@ 4pm The Saloon, 1232 Grant ave, San Francisco
Balloon Museum | Emotion
Air - Art you can feel
@ 5pm Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco
Coco Jones: Why Not More? Tour
@ 7pm Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Planet of the Little Green
Men
@ 8pm Kilowatt Bar, 3160 16th St, San Francisco
SÖNUS
@ 8pm Kilowatt Bar, 3160 16th St, San Francisco
Balloon Museum | Emotion
Air - Art you can feel
@ 12:45pm Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco
Living Trust Seminar - Mar‐tinez, CA - June 3, 2025
@ 6:30pm This is a FREE Living Trust Seminar Veterans Memorial Building, 930 Ward Street, Martinez. info@Learn LivingTrust.com, 800-350-6376
Pro Am Showcase - Live
Comedy
@ 7pm / $8
New comics and seasoned pros share the stage at Laughs Unlim‐ited to bring you the funny. Get your tickets NOW! Laughs Unlimited Comedy Club and Lounge, 1207 Front Street, Sacramento. laugh sunlimited@gmail.com, 916-4468128
Dave Ricketts Music: Dave Ricketts & Friends at The Sea Star
@ 7pm The Sea Star, 2289 3rd St, San Francisco
Alex Ramon "Magic"
@ 7:30pm The Cabaret at Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe, Stateline
Chemical X @ 7:30pm Cafe Colonial, 3520 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento
Parade (Touring)
@ 7:30pm Orpheum Theatre-San Francisco, San Francisco
James Arthur Parking
@ 7:31pm SF Masonic Auditorium, 1111 Cali‐fornia Street, San Francisco
Hayez Live at The HIVE
@ 5pm The HIVE Tasting Room and Kitchen, 1221 Har‐ter Avenue, Woodland. thehive@zspecialty food.com, 530-668-0660 Come jive and jam alongside
Karaoke Tuesday @ 9pm Neck of the Woods, San Francisco
The Dol‐lop Pod‐cast Live @ 9:45pm Punch Line Comedy ClubSacramento, Sacramento
Wed 6/04
Kelyn Crapp: The Night
Above Us
@ 5pm / $25.50
Black Cat Jazz Supper Club, 400 Eddy St, San Francisco. info@black catsf.com
The Detroit Cobras @ 6pm / $45 The Press Club, 1119 21st Street, SACRAMENTO. thepressclubsac@ gmail.com
Mark Hummel @ 7pm Keys Jazz Bistro, 498 Broadway, San Francisco
Alex Ramon "Magic" @ 7:30pm The Cabaret at Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe, Stateline
Tektonic
@ 8pm Kilowatt Bar, 3160 16th St, San Francisco
The Minus 5 @ 8pm The Chapel, San Francisco
Alex Warren @ 8pm August Hall, 420 Mason St, San Francisco
GAWD @ 8pm
Bimbo's 365 Club, 1025 Columbus Ave, San Francisco
Roger Street Friedman and Garrison Starr at The Lost Church @ 8:15pm The Lost Church San Francisco, 988 Columbus Ave, San Francisco
Downtown First Thursdays June 5th | 5-10pm @ 5pm DFT is keeping the party going through December 2025! It's the party you know and love, with even more to explore. Get ready for DJs, live music, screenprinting, arts + crafts, drag, and more on 2nd Mar‐ket Street & 2nd Street, San Fran‐cisco. maro@intothestreetssf.com, 415-226-9289
Downtown First Thursdays June 5th | 5-10pm @ 5pm
DFT IS BACK JUNE 1ST WITH: The DFT Street Party on 2nd St. The Symposium at Salesforce Park Amphihteater Downtown Hoedown on Front Street
____________________ Market Street & 2nd Street, San Francisco. maro@intothestreetssf.com, 415226-9289
Zoe FitzGerald Carter
@ 7pm The Hotel Utah Sa‐loon, 500 4th St, San Francisco
S.R. Laws Acoustic Songwriter at Gather Wine Lounge
Middle Dog and Short Term Fun – Live at Music City SF | Rock Fusion @ 8pm Music City San Francisco, 1355 Bush St, San Francisco
The Wedding Present @ 9pm The Chapel, San Francisco
PlayStation: The Concert @ 9pm Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell St, San Francisco
Fusion @ 9:30pm Monarch, 101 6th St, San Fran‐cisco
Easy Crier: SF Porchfest
@ 12pm SF Porchfest, 84 Bartlett St, San Francisco San Francisco Boys Chorus Spring ConcertBuild Me A WorldSaturday June 7 - Calvary
A legacy of belonging: 150 years of growth, leadership and community spirit
Diverse
This second sesquicentennial special edition is dedicated to the generations of small-town doers who, through vision, action, and perseverance, have made a lasting impact on our community. Whether it was facing a challenge head-on, following a passion or striving to create meaningful change, these individuals shaped Winters into what it is today. Their efforts — big and small — have woven the fabric of this town, and it’s their legacy that we honor as we mark 150 years of growth, community and shared purpose.
As we celebrate 150 years of the city of Winters, we reflect not only on our past but on the values that have shaped who we are — neighborliness, resilience, tradition, and an enduring sense of place. Winters is more than a dot on a map — we are a mosaic of human connection, where relationships run deep, stories are passed down across generations, and community is not just a concept, but a lived experience.
In Winters we know each other’s names. We show up — at Friday night games,
fundraisers, parades, plays, and concerts — not just because we can, but because we care. This edition of our sesquicentennial special pays tribute to that spirit. To the shared values and deep sense of belonging that define our community. In these pages, you’ll learn about the people who have chosen to say “yes” — yes to preserving Winters’ character, yes to investing in our youth and our elders, yes to arts, wellness and opportunity for all. The people who chose to take action instead of complaining.
From grassroots committees and nonprofits to spir-
ited volunteers, from longtime residents to newcomers who fell in love with this place, our town thrives because people care enough to lead, to serve and to dream.
We also honor those who came before us — the Patwin people, the original stewards of this land; the early pioneers from Buckeye; and the immigrants who crossed oceans, mountains, and miles, bringing with them diverse cultures and traditions that helped shape Winters into the community it is today. Each generation has left its mark, and every new chapter has added depth and richness to our shared story.
One of our community’s most treasured natural landmarks is Putah Creek. Its restoration and thoughtful development over the years have created a vital gathering space, a source of beauty, and an ecological haven in the heart of our town. The creek is more than a landscape feature — it’s a living thread that connects us to our environment, our history, and one another. We owe deep gratitude to the individuals and organizations who continue to protect and preserve it, nurturing its habitats and ensuring it thrives for future generations.
We acknowledge the tensions that come with growth and change. Understandably, small-town residents are cautious about losing what makes their communities special. But change is inevitable — and with thoughtful vision and local leadership, it can be shaped rather than feared. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
In Winters, we are doing just that — creating a future rooted in heritage and shaped by collective will.
Nonprofit organizations have become some of our most powerful engines for change — addressing everything from youth development to elder care and wellness, arts access to food security. They bring us together, bridge generations, and ensure that no one is left behind. In Winters, collaboration is more than a strategy — it’s a mindset. Our growing network of local organizations serves as both a cultural cornerstone and a springboard for civic engagement. Sport, too, plays a vital role here — unifying our town, boosting public health, and sparking local pride. Whether cheering on our teams or coaching the next generation, we understand that recreation is
about more than play — it’s about connection and community-building.
I grew up in this town, and the values I carry with me today were shaped by this community. No one asked me to focus on this theme, but as the Winters Express editor, I feel a deep responsibility to champion what I see every day — the quiet power of small-town leadership, the beauty of grassroots efforts, and the importance of saying “yes.”
This is my way of giving back to the people and the place that raised me. In a world that often feels too fast and too fractured, Winters continues to show what’s possible when people come together — not for recognition, but for the love of community.
Here’s to 150 years of Winters — and to the community that continues to build its future with heart, hope, and hometown pride.
Express file photo
Crystal Apilado, Winters Express Editor-in-Chief
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
The Historical Society of Winters unveiled a monument in dedication to the lost Japanese Community of Winters on May 4, 2024. Generations of reunited to see the monument that features a picture of around 150 Japantown residents at the Nishida funeral in 1930.
Courtesy photo Community members volunteer to coach youth sports teams.
Echoes of the land: Patwin life, legacy before Winters
By Jacob Hoffman Express correspondent
Long before the founding of Winters, the land along Putah Creek was home to the Patwin people, a part of the Southern Wintun Native American tribe.
For more than a thousand years, the Patwin lived, thrived, and built a community in this region — drawing sustenance from the creek, shaping the land with care, and establishing deep roots that long predate modern settlement.
According to Joann Leach Larkey and the Yolo County Historical Society’s book “Winters: A Heritage of Horticulture, A Harmony of Purpose,” the Patwin arrived in the area where Winters, Vacaville and Putah Creek are now around 1,200 years ago. In these areas, a number of villages thrived, with Sherburne Friend Cook suggesting in his comprehensive 1976 study on Native Californian populations that the Patwin may have numbered around 5,000 prior to the mission system.
Living from the land
Larkey describes how Patwin villages were organized around families living in dome-like homes and communal dwellings constructed with poles and thatches of tules or packed earth. She continues that these villages were typically led by, “a chief, a council of elders and one or more shamans, who had curative powers.” These authorities directed the village’s economic and religious activities. Households were made up of a husband and wife, their unmarried children, and their married daughters and their families.
“These family groups contributed to the welfare of the entire community by specializing in hereditary functions,” Larkey wrote,
“These family groups contributed to the welfare of the entire community by specializing in hereditary functions.”
Joann Leach Larkey, Yolo County historian
“such as fishing, tool-making, basket weaving or healing. Grass, flower and seed tracts were privately owned by families, while oak groves and hunting areas were communally owned by the village or tribelet.”
The Patwin were deft at utilizing the many resources of their surroundings to provide for themselves and their communities. Larkey describes how, “few edible plants, fish, fowl, animals or insects were not eaten or processed for later use,” as the Patwin made use of everything they could. “Both plant materials and animal skins were used to make functional items or protective and ceremonial clothing,” she continued, noting that in particular, “acorns, gathered in the fall from the black, valley and blue oak trees, were the staple of the Patwin diet.”
The UC Davis Natural Reserves Handbook, describing life in Quail Ridge where the Patwin’s territory extended to, also noted the importance of acorns in the diet of the Patwin, especially from acorn-producing oaks.
“Acorns are highly nutritious,” the explained, “relatively easy to prepare, and have good flavor…moreover, the yield per acre is very high (up to 2,722
kilograms per acre (6,000 pounds per acre), with a mature oak tree producing 227–454 kilograms (500–1,000 pounds) annually.” When acorns were difficult to procure, Patwin would also eat buckeye nuts, as well as supplement these staple foods with pine nuts from sugar and gray pines, blackberries, juniper berries, elderberries, wild grape, and manzanita berries, and even certain roots and bulbs, “such as Indian
potatoes (“pela” in Patwin), sweet potatoes (“tusu”) and onions (“buswai”).”
Hunting also played a major role in the Patwin diet and in their society as a whole. Larkey wrote that river animals like salmon and turtles, birds like ducks and geese, and game like deer and elk were often eaten by the Patwin, who prepared these foods in particular ways to preserve them for later use and improve their flavor.
These animals had many uses outside of food as well. The Natural Reserves handbook describes how animal bones were made into harpoons and nets for catching fish, and that furs from mammals, including deer, elk, antelope, black bears and rarely grizzly bears, mountain lions, bobcats, foxes, wolves, beavers and young skunks, were an
Courtesy graphic
This map of the Patwin territory is on display at the Winters Museum.
See PATWIN, Page 4
Rewind & Revisit
Dispatches from the Express archives.
Most Japanese-Americans never returned to area
Reprinted from the May 22, 1975, Centennial Edition published by the Winters Express
Winters Express
Japanese first came into the Winters area about 1890 as agricultural laborers. An account in the Express in 1890 reported that 15 Japanese men came to work in fruit orchards in Pleasants Valley.
The story noted that Chinese laborers in the area were unhappy about the influx of Japanese because “they work too cheap.”
Chinese, originally imported to work on building the Pacific end of the transcontinental railroad, drifted into agriculture in this area.
Mojiro “Charlie” Hamakawa, of Sacramento, who operated the Horai Company here from 1910 until 1942, said that the number of Japanese increased in this area in the 1890s, with the Horai store opening between 1898 and 1900. The building, located near Putah Creek and east of the railroad tracks, had previously housed a Chinese store.
North of the Horai Company was a Buddhist Church, then two Chinese restaurants and a Chinese store. Behind the two restaurants was a boarding house for Chinese. Hamakawa said that the restaurants, during a part of the time he operated his store, were just fronts for gambling houses, with various Chinese games played.
Hamakawa lived in a house behind his store
important resource for utility and trade.
“The Hill Patwin traded shells, skins, red woodpecker scalp belts, flicker quill bands, and dried salmon, among other valued items, with the neighboring Wappo, Pomo, and Lake Miwok,” the handbook continues, “whose lands to the north and west included the headwaters of Putah Creek, and with the River Patwin, Maidu, and Eastern Miwok to the south and east.”
Disruption, displacement
However, this way of life would be forever changed with the arrival of European colonists in the early 1800s, beginning a succession of arrivals from Spanish, Mexican and American settlers. The initial arrival of Spanish and Mexican colonists from 1808 on disrupted the existing demographic equilibrium of the area, as the Patwin and other natives soon found their land taken, the resources they’d previously re-
and there was another house there housing a Chinese family.
This cluster of buildings, known by people in Winters as “Jap Town,” remained until the late 1940s when Fred Smith, former Express publisher, sold the paper in 1947 and bought the buildings, razing them.
The Horai Company served not only the Japanese community, but did a big business with migrant fruit workers. Hamakawa frequently supplied families with food when they arrived in the spring to thin apricots or to pick apricots or peaches. These families would make sure that all bills were paid when they went to other communities as they wanted their credit to be good when they returned the following year. Before World War II about 40 families or about 175 people made up the Japanese community. The Japanese school, now owned by Mr. and Mrs. John Martin and Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Montosa, was built in 1930 by the late Art Gale. The school was used as a community meeting place and was also a school where their children could learn to read and write the Japanese language and learn something of their culture. Classes were conducted one day a week, usually on Saturday. The children attended public schools. Buddhist services were conducted in the church
See JAPANESE, Page 5
lied on increasingly scarce, and their people forced into missions that sought to eliminate their native cultures.
“The extension of Spanish and Mexican authority into the western Sacramento Valley, inter-tribal rivalries that subjugated Patwin villages to the Suisun Chief Francisco de Solano, and the subsequent intrusion of British and American trapping parties had devastating effects upon Patwin villages in the Putah Creek area,” according to Larkey.
This depopulation from warfare and disease combined with efforts by the mission system to see the Patwin people in the areas around Winters mostly killed or forced to give up their native culture and history.
Cook noted in 1976 that, “one element which has almost nullified the efforts of ethnographers is the fact that the Southern Patwin were swept into the missions as early as 1810, long before the memory of modern informants,” making even oral sources from this time
The town that Winters replaced
Reprinted from the May 22, 1975, Centennial Edition published by the Winters Express
By Rob Giddings Special to the Express
Located about 6 miles north of Winters there once thrived a small, and little-known community called Buckeye. Named after the wild bushes which grace the banks of the dry channel termed Buckeye Creek, the town of Buckeye became a calling point for numerous early California settlers hoping to establish themselves as farmers on the rich lands which characterize Yolo County. From its founding to the time of its disappearance in 1875, Buckeye represented the place of origin for several early and popular Winters residents. However, the coming of the railroad in 1875 terminated any prospects of future growth for Buckeye; losing its prosperity to the railroad community of Winters and thereby linking Yolo County with the commerce of the state, and hence the nation. 1856 marked the arrival of Buckeye’s first residents. During its first year Buckeye boasted a post office headed by J. P. Charles and one home, that of J. O. Maxwell, which he built in April of that year. Maxwell’s home was situated on the site of Benjamin Ely’s
period extremely difficult to come by.
Because of this, Larkey argued that “the practice of inducing or coercing the native people into relocating effectively removed the native population from the Winters area at an early date.”
“This occurred even before raging epidemics of malaria, introduced by the hunters and trappers in the early 1830s, and smallpox in 1837 and 1838 further reduced the Patwin population,” Larkey wrote.
Even well into the 20th century, the Patwin who survived faced discrimination and challenges to their way of life. Patwin man Bill Wright told NPR in 2008 about his experience at the Stewart Indian School in Nevada in 1945 when he was 6 years old. Wright described how he was bathed in kerosene, his head was shaved, and he and his fellow students were “forbidden to express their culture — everything from wearing long hair to speaking even a single Indian … word. Wright said he lost not only his
ranch, the ranch which eventually developed into the nucleus of the community. In 1857 Buckeye received its first general store. T. J. Maxwell, the father of J. O. Maxwell, erected the store and started to sell general merchandise. At the same time Postmaster Charles moved, having served but one year, and the post office was moved to Maxwell’s store with T. J. Maxwell assuming the responsibilities of Postmaster.
T. J. Maxwell served as post-master for Buckeye township for three years, then in 1860 he sold his store and goods to one Charles Zimmermaker.
Upon the Maxwells’ departure from the area Robert C. Briggs, a prominent rancher and grain raiser in the area, became the postmaster for Buckeye with Mr. Zimmermaker running his store, operated by Jacobson and Cramer, and the blacksmith’s services of one John Ford entered the Buckeye community. In the fall of the same year the Good Templars organized at Buckeye. By 1864 the town of Buckeye consisted of two stores, a blacksmith shop, a saloon and a post office.
In the Spring of 1865 one John Troutman started a business in Buckeye only to sell out to York and Harling
language, but also his American Indian name.”
Endurance, revival
Despite these centuries of adversity, the Patwin/Wintun people and their language have survived to this day, with three federally recognized tribes existing in California, the Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community of the Colusa Rancheria, the Kletsel Dehe Band of Wintun Indians and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, located in Yolo County, writes on its website about its long history, as well as its determination to maintain its
the following year. George Tandy Jr. brought his harness-making skills to Buckeye from Ireland in 1867 and continued there until 1875, when he moved his shop to Madison. By 1869 Buckeye sported a new hotel run by the Hunt Bros., a shoemaking business under the proprietorship of one P. J. Dorney, and a Masonic Lodge. Three years later, in 1872 an additional blacksmith shop opened services on the property of J. H. Moody and the next year J. D. Gregory started a drug store within the town’s limits. Buckeye now appeared to be growing at a steady and healthy rate, becoming a community of importance in the county. But in 1875 the great “octopus,” or rather, the railroad came to the Buckeye area; establishing its town at what is now known as Winters, drawing the area’s commerce and residents there and forcing Buckeye into obscurity.
Though the town of Buckeye disappeared, its residents continued on in the Yolo area. To sum up this history of Buckeye some brief biographical sketches of her more prominent citizens follows in an effort to illustrate how and per- haps why they came to Buckeye and the effect the railroad played upon their interests and lifestyles.
culture and cultivate a proud community for themselves and future generations.
“Our Patwin ancestors lived in villages spread across a large territory that spans from Sonoma Valley in the west to the Sacramento River in the east, and from just south of Clear Lake in the north to San Pablo Bay in the south.”
“For us the meaning of success is not just a thriving community and prosperous enterprises; it is also the recovery and revitalization of our language and traditions, as well as the protection of cultural and burial sites from disturbance and desecration. The mission of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation
Cultural Resources Department is to identify, preserve and protect the Patwin language, culture and sacred sites.”
This article draws from foundational research including “Winters: A Heritage of Horticulture, A Harmony of Purpose” by Joann Leach Larkey, published by the Yolo County Historical Society in 1991, which offers detailed insight into Patwin village life, leadership structures, and resource use. It also incorporates demographic analysis from Sherburne Friend Cook’s seminal 1976 study, “The Population of the California Indians, 1769–1970,” which provides historical population estimates and examines the profound impacts of colonization on Native communities.
PATWIN Continued from Page 3
Courtesy graphic
The Ben Ely Ranch – Site of the town of Buckeye. The sketch is from DePue’s Illustrated History of Yolo County, 1879.
Community gathers to celebrate Japantown monument dedication
Reprinted from the May 22, 2024 edition of the Winters Express
By Amelia Biscardi Winters Express
Thanks to a May shower, the Winters Community Center was full with limited standing room as the community, descendants of local Japanese families and beyond gathered for the Japantown Monument Dedication on Saturday, May 4. The community center was transformed for the celebration with the deep drums of the Taiko Drums, paper cranes, Koinobori (carp streamers), and floral arrangements.
With multiple books in tow Flloyd Shimomura detailed some of the history of Winters’ Japantown. He shared some of the history explaining that after the Pearl Harbor bombing, those of Japanese descent were forced into internment camps in Arizona and Colorado and most did not return afterwards. With Putah Creek serving as the diving line between Yolo and Solano Counties, families were sent to one of the two camps based on which side of the creek they lived on. Shimomura said that most didn’t re-
next to the Horai store, with a priest coming up from Vacaville, but social events were held in the Japanese school.
World War II
Following the outbreak of hostilities between Japan and the United States in December 1941, feelings against Japanese in California ran high, and all people of Japanese descent were ordered evacuated from the coast in March 1942.
Winters was tense that spring, with the city council and the local American Legion post demanding that they be evacuated. Prior to the evacuation, the FBI swooped into Winters and seized six men — their only crime being that they had visited Japan within the past few years.
When the local Japanese were rounded up, those living south of Putah Creek were sent to Arizona and those north of the creek were sent to Colorado, splitting up the Japanese community.
The Japanese had just a few days to prepare for evacuation into the hastily set up camps. A number of families stored their belongings in barns on ranches where they had been living, but practically all of these possessions were stolen or vandalized during the war years.
Hamakawa sold all of his merchandise to Vasey Brothers, who stored all of the Horai store fixtures in the old Opera House above their store.
Bitterness
Feelings towards the Japanese ran high here during the war.
A local chapter was formed of an anti-Japanese society pledged to work to keep these families from returning.
turn to Winters due to backlash from some of the community. This all culminated in a fire of “unknown origin” that burnt down most of Japantown.
For those who returned, they didn’t face an easy road back.
Vasey Coman, Winters resident shared an essay she wrote when she was 16 about a story of her great-grandfather Jack Vasey. Comas said that a Japanese woman and her child had made their way into town only to have the mob chase them. Jack Vasey protected them in his store and got them help.
Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs noted the importance of the government acknowledging past mistakes.
“And I think it’s so important to recognize a number of these really tragic mistakes of the past,” Frerichs said. “Especially considering that some of the same themes that were occurring in the 1940s again occurring today. There is definitely an increasing amount of ‘othering’ going on in our society.”
In February, Winters city council member Jesse Loren was invited to help the committee. Loren felt honored to take over
Petitions were circulated throughout the ranches in the area getting pledges not to hire Japanese or permit them to reside on their property.
A few of the ranchers, notably the Pleasants families, refused to sign such petitions.
During the latter part of the war, Mr. and Mrs. Hamakawa were transferred from Colorado to Sharp Park and while there, Jack Vasey and the late Clarence Wyatt were able to contact authorities and have the Hamakawa’s released.
Because of the intense feelings in Winters, they located in Sacramento where they lived two years until Mrs. A. P. Pleasants asked Noble Nishida, who also lived in Sacramento, if he wanted to come back to the Pleasants ranch. Nishida mentioned the offer to the Hamakawas and they jumped at the chance to return to Winters.
Ugly episode
Shortly after the end of the war, the first Japanese family returned to the Winters area, and a mother and her small child came into town to do some shopping.
A mob was hastily organized to run them out of town and they chased the woman and her child down Main Street, up Railroad Avenue where they dashed down the alley.
Jack Vasey, who was outside the rear door of his store, motioned the fleeing pair to come into the store, then locked the back door to keep the howling mob out and went through the store, locking the front door to protect the woman and child.
The mob grew larger and more threatening, calling on the Vasey brothers to turn the woman and child over to them. Local law officers couldn’t be reached, so Jack Va-
and write the proclamation that was read at the city council meeting on April 16 rescinding a 1942 resolution that urged the “removal of all Japanese from California” and demanded that “immediate steps be taken by the constituted authorities to see that all such enemy aliens be placed in concentration camps and that the land and/ or property owned or operated by such aliens be placed under government supervision for the duration of the war.”
Both Shimomura and Loren pointed out that when looking at the monument, you are viewing the area where the photo was taken where Japantown and its business district originally stood.
Winters resident Howard Kato explained to the crowd the importance of educating oneself on this matter and not just ignoring this part of Winters and American history.
“The monument is an educational tool that teaches a part of US history that most Americans do not know about,” Kato said. “The monument is even educational for my generation, the
Page 6
sey called Yolo County
Sheriff Forrest Monroe.
Sheriff Monroe drove up to the store, went in and got the woman and her child, loaded them in his car, told the mob to act like American citizens, and took the pair back to the ranch where they were living. Gradually, more Japanese families began returning to the area, but only a fraction of the number that were here before the war.
During the war, the city council took over the Japanese school, but that was returned to the Japanese in 1947. It was used for social events and also for Buddhist services until sold in 1973.
Japanese picnics
Bitterness engendered during the war years was gradually forgotten as the new generation didn’t share the prejudices of the older generation.
One factor that greatly improved the relations was the Japanese Picnic, held each spring at the Roth Hills west of Winters. The community had never seen such well-run picnics, complete with races, games, contests of all kinds, along with a wide selection of Japanese foods. Invitations were highly prized and eagerly hoped for.
Young are leaving
In another generation, there probably will be few Americans of Japanese descent living in the community. Those who have graduated from high school have gone on to college and entered the professions and are attorneys, dentists, teachers, or have entered the business or engineering fields. At the present time, there are no students with Japanese surnames attending Winters High School.
Rewind & Revisit
Dispatches
Posters entice Spanish to New World
Reprinted from the May 22, 1975, Centennial Edition published by the Winters Express
By Susanne Rockwell Winters Express
Today the Spanish in Winters are mostly first or second-generation Americans who can only remember tales of the way times were hard enough in the old country to push their fathers out into a new world to find their living.
But, from 1907 to 1920 when Spain was wallowing in economic stagnation and hurt pride from her defeat in the 1898 Spanish-American War, the first substantial flow of Spanish immigrants began arriving in this area.
The first traceable Spanish immigrants coming to the Vacaville-Winters area are remembered by older residents as being single men from the rocky southern coast of Almeria on the Mediterranean Sea. They began arriving sometime near 1906 or 1907.
One of these immigrant adventurers was John Invernon, who left his wife and the first of his offspring back in Spain to find work in America. He crossed the ocean to New York in 1907 and then traveled out to the
orchard lands in California. The Winters-Vacaville area held a special attraction for John and his fellow countrymen — there were jobs to be had in orchard agriculture which was work they were used to in Spain. Two centuries before, it was the Spanish missionaries from Southern Spain who had transferred the nut trees and fruit agriculture from their native land to their missions in California where the trees had flourished.
The newcomers, who spoke little English, became fruit workers migrating from apricots to peaches to nuts in the northern valleys of California such as the Santa Clara, the Suisun, Pleasants and Vaca Valleys. Many of the men would spend more than 15 years crossing back and forth over the Atlantic. They would visit their families for a year or so and then return to their jobs in California. Invernon returned to Spain in 1913 for a visit and again in 1920 when he finally had saved up enough passage to bring his wife and children to California.
Other Almerian men such as John R. Martinez came to the States single and then
the rich history that has shaped our schools, our families, and our shared future As we look ahead we remain committed to educating and empowering the next 150 years of Winters residents.
later returned home to marry only to leave their wives in Spain to wait for another few years while they continued to work in California, saving enough money to buy passage for their families and, eventually to purchase their dream ranches.
Although a few Spanish came to the U. S. with enough capital to travel all the way to California, others had to start working in the mills and mines of the east before they heard about the Far West fruit basket or could afford the trip. John Fernandez was one such man. John left Spain in 1918 for the United States via Cuba, although he later realized he could have traveled directly to New York. He explains that the crooked ticket seller was trying to make extra money by convincing the emigrants they had to sail to Cuba first to enter the U.S.
From New York, Fernandez began looking for jobs. His first work was in the coal mines of West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Later he found work in the steel mills of Canton, Ohio with other Spanish immigrants, who, he says, were always
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1956 Student Council
1st row (Left to Right): Virginia Russell, Alice Guerard, Glenda Kidder, Jean Schroeder, Charlene Russell, Daphine Constant, Janet Martin
2nd row: Sam Lopez Dale Hansen Roger Johnson Tom Thomson George Wren, Dale Corbett, Lorin Warren, Bob Kozen
row: Betty Marinez , David Sparks, Ken Donaldson, Rowena
1916 Girls Basketball
1940 Boys Basketball
1949 Drill Team
1925 Poppy Yearbook Editorial Staff
Winters Joint Unified School District proudly joins the community in celebrating 150 years of our beautiful town We honor
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Sansei (third-generation Japanese Americans), because our parents hardly or never talked about what happened.”
Resolutions from US Congressman Mike Thompson and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry were on display alongside resolutions from the Winters City Council and the Yolo County Board of Supervisors acknowledging the importance and valuable contributions the Japanese community brought to the Winters area.
The dedication program ended with a benediction from Rev. Matt Hamasaki of the Sacramento Buddhist Church. A Buddhist service was scheduled earlier that morning at the Winters Cemetery near where many of the Japanese families were buried. Afterwards, the monument was unveiled showcasing a picture of around 150 people at the Nishida funeral in 1930. Floyd Shimomura invited his 98-year-old
aunt Harumi March, who was featured in the photograph in the arms of her mother at 3 years old and is the last person in the photo who is still alive today, to take the cover off of the monument with the assistance of some of the family’s children in the crowd.
Many descendants and different generations were able to make the event and families of three and four generations took pictures next to the monument.
“It’s very gratifying and I’m really pleased and satisfied that so many descendants came,” Shimomura said. “Because right now they’re probably only about five Japanese Americans that live in Winters.”
The journey of the Historical Society of Winters from creating the “Lost Japanese Community of Winters” exhibit to having the monument created and placed was a long process. According to Gloria Lopez, a Historical Society volunteer, they began discussing an exhibit just before the COVID-19 pandemic. As the committee started asking
for stories or photos, they didn’t get anything at first.
“Then one person finally said, I have this photo,” Lopez said. “The floodgates open and they just really contributed, you know, the members of the Japanese community just started contributing all these photos and stories and — so we had the exhibit.”
And the flow of mementos and photos continues as Lopez said she just printed out a story last week.
“This is one of the most beautiful events I’ve ever experienced in Winters,” Loren said. “It has been a manifold event of a deep connection and sorrow and a painful past and bringing people together and acknowledging the great sacrifice of the Japanese in regard to our own people, our residents.”
Editor’s Note: The Winters Museum hosts a condensed version of the “Lost Japanese Community of Winters” for the public. View it during the museum’s public hours Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
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Mark Wilson/Courtesy photo
Some of the Winters Historical Society Lost Japanese Community exhibit committee members Rob Coman, Howard Kato, Gloria Lopez, Vick Tuft Jacobs, Floyd Shimomura and Ruth Shimomura at the monument installation in April 2024.
The power of Winters nonprofits
Express staff
Tucked between farmland and foothills, the city of Winters holds a charm that is both deeply rooted in tradition and full of potential. Though not the smallest community in Yolo County, Winters is still considered rural — a characteristic that brings with it both beauty and barriers. For many residents, accessing county services located in Woodland or Davis presents a challenge, whether due to lack of transportation, language barriers, or simply the distance itself. But where official infrastructure struggles to reach, local nonprofit organizations step in — and their impact is immeasurable.
In Winters, nonprofits are more than service providers — they are lifelines. They bridge the gap between need and access, between aspiration and opportunity. Whether it’s through health and wellness programs, youth sports, arts education, environmental initiatives, or cultural enrichment, these organizations offer something beyond programming — they offer hope.
From its earliest beginnings, members of the Winters community have gathered in groups to offer services, champion causes, and foster social connection among residents. This culture of civic engagement is woven into the town’s identity. Two of the oldest community organizations still active today — the Winters Fortnightly Club
and the Rotary Club of Winters — reflect this long-standing spirit. Their continued presence is a testament to the town’s enduring values of service, leadership, and collaboration, and they’ve paved the way for many of the nonprofit efforts thriving in Winters today. There’s something magical about small towns, especially those like Winters where generations have stayed or returned to raise families of their own. In this kind of place, nonprofits don’t operate in silos. Instead, they collaborate, leaning on each other’s strengths to create programs that reflect the true spirit of community. When these organizations join forces, they multiply their impact — and the residents of Winters reap the benefits. A shining example of this collaboration is how Winters nonprofits have approached the Big Day of Giving. In 2019, a few local groups banded together to jointly market the annual regional fundraising event. By pooling resources and sharing outreach efforts, they lowered costs and sent a unified message to the community: they weren’t competing — they were working together. That spirit of unity struck a chord. Since then, the number of participating Winters nonprofits has grown to 14, and their coordinated marketing efforts have only flourished, serving as a model of rural collaboration and community-cen-
tered fundraising.
As Winters grows and welcomes back those who once left for college or careers, there’s a unique opportunity to blend tradition with innovation. The community holds fast to its roots — local festivals, historic buildings, and beloved customs — while also embracing new ideas and challenges.
Nonprofits are often the first to navigate that balance. They bring fresh energy to longstanding traditions and create spaces where new voices can be heard. In doing so, they ensure that Winters remains not only a place where history lives, but where the future is being actively shaped.
Of course, like all nonprofits, the ones in Winters face challenges. A top one among them is finding volunteers and board members who can help carry out their missions. Recognizing this, local leaders launched the Winters Volunteer Fair, a now-annual event that connects residents to causes they care about. It’s also a chance for organizations to network, share resources, and explore ways to work together more effectively.
This is especially crucial in a rural community, where the same passionate people are often called on to do more with less. Collaboration isn’t just a feel-good idea — it’s a necessity.
This special edition is just a small sampling of the work being done every day in Winters.
Youth Day is evolving, bridging traditions for next generation
Since 1933, Winters Youth Day has been a beloved community tradition — a vibrant celebration of local youth, their achievements, and the values of civic participation. What began as a small-town parade honoring young leaders has blossomed into a community-wide event that continues to adapt and grow with the times.
Today, the Winters Youth Day committee is working to bring this nearly century-old tradition into the modern era. With fresh initiatives, deeper collaboration, and a renewed focus on youth empowerment, the event is becoming much more than just a day of parades and festivities — it’s a tribute to the spirit of Winters and the future its young people are shaping.
Roots of a legacy
Winters Youth Day was founded in 1933 by Reverend Charles P. Barkman, the local Presbyterian pastor, and Dr. A. M. Herron, the Winters High School principal. The two visionaries met to explore ways to better prepare young people for their future roles in civic life. Their solution? A day dedicated to educating youth about city government through real, hands-on experience.
The very first Youth Day was observed on April 29, 1933, and featured more than
just civics. Barkman and Herron believed in a well-rounded experience — pairing citizenship training with celebration, including a parade, competitive games, a community-wide picnic and a spirit of sociability. They rallied the support of local businesses and organizations to bring their vision to life.
The heart of that vision continues today. Starting in 2024, every spring, the young people of Winters step into city leadership roles, meeting with elected officials and gaining firsthand experience in how their local government operates. Their experience culminates in the Youth Day Parade and a festival that honors their participation, growth, and leadership.
At its core, Youth Day is about recognition and opportunity. The event raises funds to support graduating seniors with scholarships and sponsors immersive civic education experiences for middle and high school students. From the morning parade to afternoon activities and games, it’s a full day of celebration with purpose. Children and their families can come out and let their inner child play.
Learning by leading One of the most impactful aspects of the revitalized Youth Day is the Youth Civic Engagement Program,
which gives local students real-world insight into public service. In partnership with City Hall and the Winters Joint Unified School District, students take on leadership roles in simulated governance experiences. They chair public Youth City Council and Youth school board meetings, present ideas to adult officials, and address issues important to them and their peers. This hands-on learning inspires confidence, builds leadership skills, and ignites a sense of civic responsibility.
This March marked the inaugural Youth Civic Engagement Day at the school district, where middle school students — supported by WMS Principal Jose Bermudez and leadership teacher Madeline Castro — launched the first-ever Youth Board of Trustees. Students created agenda proposals, voted on a board logo featuring a tractor and water tower, and stepped into real leadership roles.
Building skills, showcasing talent
Beyond governance, the Youth Day Committee is expanding student-led initiatives. A new student marketing team is in development, offering teens valuable communication experience by working with local media,
See YOUTH, Page 10
Winters Fortnightly Club continues service to community, local women
coverage highlighting guest speakers and civic topics in early 1923.
nonprofits, schools, music programs, FFA, FHA, and the Winters Historical Society.
By Aaron Geerts Winters Express
For more than a century, the Winters Fortnightly Club has stood as a pillar of philanthropy, civic engagement and women’s leadership. In its second century of service, this group of women is embracing new ways to uplift the Winters community — while opening the doors to a new generation of members.
Founded in 1922, the Fortnightly Club first appeared in the Winters Express Oct. 6, 1922 edition, inviting local women to attend an upcoming meeting. From there, the club’s activities quickly gained visibility, appearing in the Pleasants Valley and Olive community bulletins and soon earning front-page
At its core, the Fortnightly Club is more than just a service organization — it is a vibrant community of women dedicated to empowering others and fostering a strong sense of camaraderie. While many of today’s members proudly answer to the name “grandma,” the club welcomes women of all ages, backgrounds, and stages of life.
Club president Sharon Pearce, who joined in 2019, is enthusiastic about expanding the club’s reach and impact.
“We’re actively seeking new members because our current group is mostly over 70 years old — and we know how important it is to bring in new energy,” Pearce said.
“We’re a women’s community organization supporting local
While our roots run deep, our mission continues to grow. Our primary focus is providing scholarships for women — and that is just the beginning.”
The Fortnightly Club’s commitment to community service knows no bounds. Whether it’s hosting a booth at the annual Winters Friends of the Library Family Holiday Festival — offering an array of homemade breads, jams, and treats — or organizing key events, the members show up with heart and hands ready. When the Winters Lions Club disbanded, Fortnightly members stepped in to ensure the local blood drive tradition continued. Partnering with Vitalant, they now
See LEADERS, Page 12
Aaron Geerts/Winters Express Winters Fortnightly Club members celebrated the club’s centennial anniversary in the fall of 2022. The club first chartered in 1922, appearing in the Oct. 6, 1922, Express.
Reprinted from the Oct. 18, 2023 edition of the Winters Express
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including the Winters Express. Meanwhile, shop class students are crafting custom wooden plaques for parade winners and honorees — a tangible display of skill and school pride. These hands-on projects showcase not only student talent but also the power of collaboration and mentorship.
A downtown homecoming
One of the most significant changes this year was the relocation of the post-parade festival to Rotary Park in downtown Winters. The goal to breathe new life into Youth Day while strengthening ties between the event and local businesses, attempting to tie all of the Youth Day events together across more space, and try something new.
Despite logistical challenges, the committee views this year’s event as a learning opportunity and is already planning improvements for next
year. Among the bright spots — the return of student-run booths and carnival games, a tradition the committee hopes to expand with even more activities for children and families.
Reimagining royalty
The Youth Day Royal Court — a tradition dating back to the event’s origins — has undergone reflection and change in recent years. Once a coveted role, recent events have seen a decline in student participation, prompting discussions about its relevance.
Rather than retire the tradition, the committee is reimagining it. This year, the Royal Court took a break and became an opportunity for student-led marketing and outreach, with middle schoolers helping to brainstorm how royalty roles can contribute to the promotion and spirit of the event.
While the concept is still taking shape, the hope is to transform what was once a symbolic title into a meaningful role with
purpose and impact — especially for students who may not otherwise engage with Youth Day activities.
Looking ahead
As Winters Youth Day approaches its 100th anniversary in a little over a decade, the committee remains focused on honoring tradition while evolving to meet the needs and interests of new generations.
For many, the day holds personal meaning. Youth Day is not only a celebration of the community but it’s a legacy — one that connects past, present and future. Children who participate in the parade or remember waving to those in it, are now adults who are taking part in it. With continued collaboration between city leaders, educators, students, and families, Winters Youth Day is not just surviving — it’s thriving. And in doing so, it remains what it has always been — a powerful testament to what’s possible when a community comes together to lift up its youth.
YOUTH
Courtesy photo
Shirley Rominger Intermediate School students marched in part of the Winters K-Kids Club entry in the Kiddie Parade.
Winters community steps up to engage, support elders
By Crystal Apilado Winters Express
In Winters, elders are not just respected — they are celebrated, supported and embraced. As the city’s older adult population continues to grow, so too has the community’s commitment to empowering seniors, ensuring that they age with dignity, connection and purpose.
While the disbanding of the Winters Senior Commission on Aging marks the end of one chapter, it also signals the beginning of a broader movement that places senior well-being at the heart of community development.
A community-driven shift
Formed in 2019, the Winters Senior Commission on Aging was tasked with advocating for local elders and serving as a bridge between residents and City Hall. But dwindling participation and unavoidable health-related resignations led to the recent loss of quorum — the minimum number of members needed to function. Without enough commissioners, the city council chose to dissolve the group.
Still, the city isn’t stepping away from senior support. Instead, it is
pivoting. There was talk to create a new parks and recreation-style commission that incorporates senior issues into a broader community agenda — although some community members are still waiting to see if there is action to do so.
Filling the gap
Long before the commission’s closure, the Winters Senior Foundation had already stepped up to fill the void. Founded in 2014, WSF is a powerhouse of compassion and programming, built by and for the community.
“As a community organization, our goal is to help older adults get out of the isolation of living alone,” said WSF President Jerry Lowden. “We’re here to provide social opportunities, creative outlets, and support that many seniors otherwise wouldn’t have.”
Among its many initiatives is the Santa Bag program, a grassroots effort that ensures elders in need receive essential supplies — from toiletries to cleaning products — during the holiday season and beyond. Volunteers work directly with senior apartment managers to identify those most in need, delivering more than just goods: they
See ELDERS, Page 13
Courtesy photo
Elders enjoy a painting workshop hosted by the Winters Senior Foundation, one of many social activities to help older adults connect and engage with their community.
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coordinate regular community blood drives at the community center — offering not only logistical support but also warm hospitality, conversation and home-baked refreshments for donors.
In hopes of opening the opportunity to donate blood to more community members, Fortnightly worked to shift the blood drive time-
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there before him wherever he went.
During the postWorld War I layoffs in 1921, John lost his job and was invited to visit a cousin in Vacaville. Since he didn’t have a job, he decided to come see what California was like. Once the factories started hiring again, John returned to Ohio to continue earning enough money to travel back to Spain. In 1924 he finally returned to Spain for his wedding. He brought his bride, Adoracion, back with him to Vacaville in 1929 where he began to work as a ranch hand on various ranches until 1942 when he and his family moved to the Winters area. Finally, he was able to invest in his own ranch eight years later.
From sugar cane to California
The second large group of Spanish to enter the rural job market in this area were whole families of Spanish from Andalucia who came about the same time as the single men from Almeria, but not directly from Spain. They found their way to the orchards and canneries of California through indenturing themselves to the sugar cane plantations in Hawaii.
According to Frank G. Martin, a local farmer and the son of Antonio Martin, an early immigrant in the Winters area, the first advertisements appeared in about 1907 urging families to come work for the Hawaii Agricultural Company.
Andalucia, which was the heart of the Spanish agricultural realm, was not as poor as the province of Almeria, but many of the Andalucian families responded to the lure of earning a better living in “America the free.” The Miguel Martinez family, the Juan Carbajal family, the Gregorio Machado family and the Antonio Martin family signed themselves up to work in the far away islands. There were three shiploads of Spanish workers that Martin can remember coming in 1907, 1908 and 1911 more than halfway across the world to Hawaii. Martin, who was about 9 years old at the time, can remember boarding the ship in Malaga with about 100 other Spanish families, including the Jose Madrid family whose descen- dants now live in Winters (Frank married Amalia Madrid whom he met on the ship trip in 1907.) Other families came from the Andalucian villages near Malaga, Granada, Cordoba and Sevilla in answer to the Hawaii posters. The ship sailed from Malaga through the Strait of Gibraltar across the Atlan-
frame to later in the afternoon to allow for more time for residents to come home from their work day and get to the blood drive before it closed for the day.
At every club meeting, members gather to connect, learn, and give back — hosting guest speakers, engaging in creative activities, and celebrating their shared mission.
Jenny Ramos and Karen Neil, who joined in the last few years, bring new
tic and through the Strait of Magellan to the Pahala Plantation in the Islands. The Antonio Martin family spent seven years in Hawaii working the sugar cane. The children attended school with other immigrants from Japan, China, Portugal, Korea, and the Philippines.
“We learned to speak a mixture of Hawaiian, Portuguese and Spanish at school, even though we were supposed to be learning English,” remembers Mrs. Martin. Amalia’s father and uncle had left Spain as skilled workers and were placed as a tinsmith and a blacksmith mechanic in the sugar refineries instead of in the cane fields.
The Spanish men earned about $20 in gold a month as cane laborers, although many of their expenses were already paid. The plantation owners had anticipated the immigrants by building them their own street of homes. The laborers paid no rent or water payments and were given free medical services and education for their children. Children would work for 20 cents a day during their vacations and Saturdays to help earn money, Mrs. Martin says.
According to Mr. and Mrs. Martin, the Spanish families grew together “into one big family” since they were living in a camp together.
The Spanish families, one by one, saved their passage money and worked off their time in the plantation to move on to California which they heard had a similar climate and work as in their homeland.
Miguel Martinez and family were possibly the earliest family to move to Winters, having spent only one year in Hawaii. According to Martinez’s daughter, Mrs. Alice Carbahal, the Martinezes arrived in the Winters area in 1908 after 11 months in Hawaii. The Granadan family picked fruit on different ranches until they had enough money to buy a ranch in the area.
Another early family moving in permanently to the Winters area were the Gregorio Machados and their seven daughters. Machado first entered Winters to work on the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks in 1912. He moved his family here and repaired the tracks for four years. Machado, who had worked the mines and farms in Spain, desired his own ranch. He finally bought the ranch in the Olive District which he farmed until 1947.
5 years in Hawaii
Mr. and Mrs. Juan Carbajal, two sons and a daughter arrived in California after five years in Hawaii. Carbajal’s son John, who changed
perspectives and deep personal connections to their involvement.
“I joined Fortnightly after the passing of my dear mother, Darlene,” said Karen Neil. “For years, she shared stories of Winters’ rich history and the remarkable women who served through this grassroots organization. Now that she’s gone, it’s comforting to walk into a room full of women who continue that legacy. I encourage the
his name to Carbahal so Americans would pronounce it correctly, says he first came to Winters as a seasonal worker cutting the fruit and working in the packing shed on plums, apricots and peaches. The family moved permanently to Winters in 1915 from the Santa Clara Valley area where they had been working in the orchards.
Many of the Spanish, after arriving in San Francisco from Hawaii, would stay in the city or the surrounding Bay Area trying to find jobs in both the factories and on the fruit ranches. Jose Madrid was one of the luckier immigrants, being a master tinsmith. He found work at the American Can Company in San Francisco.
Antonio Martin and his sons and daughter first came to work in the Olive District picking string beans for H. C. Dalbey in February 1914. They found ranch work with other farmers such as Ned Thurber, Ed Baker, W. A. Brinck, Chester Sackett and A. P. Pleasants.
The farmers would hire entire Spanish families to work in the fields, the packing sheds and the cutting sheds. Winters also supported a cannery which hired migrant workers. The Martin family settled in Winters in 1915. Some years later, Antonio bought a ranch in the hills above Winters because the land reminded him of his home in Malaga, Spain.
Jose Martinez arrived in Vacaville in 1910 and two years later sent for his wife. All four of their children were born in Vacaville--Tony, Isabel Gustaf- son, Mary and Frank (Whitey). The family moved to Winters in 1928.
Sailing through Mexico
There are other individual case histories of how Spanish immigrants found their way to Winters, such as those of Nick Lopez.
By 1920, the U. S. government had placed a quota on the number of Spanish immigrants allowed inside the country. Lopez and other Spanish men were determined to come to the States. They first sailed from Spain to Cuba. They couldn’t find work on the island, which had once been a Spanish possession, so they took a ship to Mexico where they traveled to the northern border. Lopez, who was traveling with another man from his village in Almeria, simply walked across the border. A few years later he was able to obtain his American citizenship. Lopez came to the Winters area with the man from his village, Chris Campos, who settled in Esparto. Campos’ son now manages Valley Almond Growers Co-operative.
next generation of women to get involved and join us.”
Jenny Ramos echoed that sentiment.
“Age was never a barrier. Though younger than most of my Fortnightly sisters, some of them are more active than I am,” Ramos said. “Their commitment to scholarships, blood drives, and giving back made it an easy decision to say ‘yes’ to joining. These women are incredibly compassionate, and I’m honored to serve
Although most of the Spanish workers who came to Winters were drawn towards agriculture and many eventually bought their own ranches, some men moved into town to start businesses of their own. John Lorenzo and Jose Cordina, two Almerian men, transferred their grocery business from Vacaville to Winters in 1939 to found the California Market.
Frank G. Martin and Joe Garcia (brotherin-law) had a bakery and grocery store in the late 1920s until it mysteriously burned down.
Later on in the 20s, 30s and 40s, the Spanish began following their relatives over to the Winters-Vacaville area because they were told there was work and better pay in California.
Today the Winters phone book is filled with Ramoses, Martins, Martinezes, Camposes, Lopezes, and Jimenezes, the descendants of the early fruit workers in Winters. The descendants today own their parents’ ranches or have bought additional land to carry on the ancestral skills of working in
alongside them.”
As the Fortnightly Club looks ahead to its next hundred years, its mission remains as relevant as ever: to empower women, serve the community, and foster lifelong friendships rooted in service and goodwill. The club continues to welcome new members who share that vision — and are ready to make a difference. Editor’s Note: This article was updated to reflect the club’s origins.
nuts and fruit. Other first and second-generation Spanish have branched out into the retail and service businesses in town such as service stations, beauty parlors, grocery stores, bars, and farm supplies. And their children have become professionals in medicine, dentistry, banking and education, completing the gradual process of joining the “American Melting Pot.”
Reconnecting with Almogía
Woody and Rebecca Fridae began a ripple of connecting the city with its sister city of Almogía in Spain –both at City Hall and across the ocean. Woody Fridae, former Winters Mayor, shared a slideshow with council members at the April 4, 2023 city council meeting about their trip to Almogía and showed photos of Almogía’s agricultural regions which share many similarities to the Winters area. The efforts to establish the sister cityhood between Almogía and Winters began in 1991 when Winters resident Miguel Ruiz first presented the proposal for a sister cityhood with Alm-
ogía in honor of the town his father came from. An Express article published on May 23, 1991, written by Express staff writer Anna Peerbolt said Ruiz wanted his local community to know about his Spanish town and wanted his Spanish relatives to get to know Winters. At the Jan. 10, 2024 meeting, the Winters City Council approved a proclamation recognizing the Spanish city of Almogía as a sister city to Winters. On their trip, Woody and Rebecca personally presented the proclamation to Almogía’s City Council and met with its Mayor Cristóbal Torreblancar who previously met in the early 90s when the sister cityhood was first presented to Winters City Council.
The Fridaes presented the proclamation from the Winters City Council to the Ayuntamiento of Almogía and in turn, were gifted a written statement commemorating the 30th anniversary of the sisterhood they presented to Mayor Bill Biasi at the April meeting.
Editor’s Note: Article updated to include Almogía update.
We offer the best of all worlds. We have the best customer service and most inexpensive prices in the area. We are happy that we opened in Winters and are pleased to be part of this community.
Annette and Will
More than a waterway, a story of a town and its creek
By Angela Underwood Winters Express
Putah Creek’s history runs as long as the miles it flows along, with Winters claiming a serious section.
The Putah Creek Council executive director says the same.
“Winters seems to have an unusually large population of nature lovers relative to its size,” Executive Director Phil Stevens said of the community culture surrounding the waterway.
“We don’t know whether that love was inspired by experiencing the creek, or if experiences of nature elsewhere have translated into affection for the creek or some combination of both.”
That affection helped save the inlet long before the celebratory annual Salmon festivals in Winters that began nearly a decade
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deliver dignity and care.
WSF also offers weekly yoga classes, guest speakers, field trips, arts and crafts, and the beloved Senior Social Activities day every Thursday afternoon. Held after the Café Yolo community meal, these events give Winters elders a consistent opportunity to connect, move, and engage.
To learn more, visit www. wintersseniorfoundation.
org Café Yolo returns
A critical partner in this ecosystem of support is Meals on Wheels Yolo County, which not only delivers meals to homebound seniors but has also revived in-person communal dining through Café Yolo.
After nearly five years of pandemic-related pause, Café Yolo Social Dining
ago. Rewind to 1957, when Putah Creek suffered dire droughts, creating a catalyst for change.
“Among the biggest milestones were the completion of Monticello Dam in 1957, which permanently changed the character of
made its triumphant return to the Winters Community Center on March 6. Every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., elders aged 60 and up are treated to a free, nourishing meal in the company of their peers. Reservations are required, but the experience is open-hearted and welcoming.
“Café Yolo isn’t just about food,” said one volunteer. “It’s about fellowship. It brings people together.”
The lunch seamlessly flows into WSF’s Thursday programming, turning one meal into an afternoon of enrichment.
To reserve a spot at the Café Yolo lunch, visit mowyolo.org/nutrition-access or call 530-662-7035. Honoring the legacies of elders
Not all support comes in the form of meals or services — sometimes, it’s about recognition. Since
the creek, and the drought years of 1989 and 1990, when the creek went dry,” Stevens said.
The drought greatly affected the waterway, specifically the 23-mile stretch between Solano Diversion Dam and the Putah Creek
2017, Winters Elder Day has been a beacon of respect and celebration, honoring residents 90 years and older.
Each year, the Elder Day Council hosts a free public celebration that highlights the lives of Winters’ oldest citizens, many of whom have helped shape the city itself. The day is filled with storytelling, laughter, and heartfelt connection.
“Our elders are the living roots of our community,” said Wally Pearce of the Elder Day Council. “Honoring them helps younger generations understand the importance of history, service, and connection.”
Volunteers are always welcome to support this intergenerational celebration — from setting up chairs to simply listening to stories. Call 707-249-7975 to learn more about how you can lend a hand in planning or the day of.
Sinks in the bypass. Hence, in 1988, the Putah Creek Council was formed with great purpose.
“Putah Creek Council’s mission is to inspire love of Putah Creek, its wildlife and natural habitats, and promote their protection and restoration through advocacy, education, and community-based stewardship,” Stevens said. That inspiration fueled years of legal battles. In 1996, the Sacramento Superior Court ordered 50 percent more water for Putah, but failed to address the wildlife, specifically Chinook salmon and steelhead trout.
The Putah Creek Council refused to settle for less and joined with the University of Davis and the city of Davis, which led to a 10-year legal battle that resulted in the Putah Creek Accord of 2000.
The accord is founded on six elements: resident native fish flows, anadromous fish flows, scheduled extended droughts, a new forum for management, restoration and monitoring funds, and landowner water rights.
The decree also secured a streamkeeper position. Reflecting on the creek’s history, Streamkeeper Max Stevenson ties the past to the future.
“This year we’ll be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Putah Creek Accord at the Salmon Festival on Nov. 1,” Stevenson said. The stream keeper rewound to 1920, when the federal government and the Army Corps of Engineers strengthened their policy of creating navigable rivers “free and clear of logjams.”
See CREEK, Page 14
Looking
ahead
Though the formal Senior Commission may be no more, Winters has proven that elder advocacy is not confined to government — it lives and breathes in the actions of its residents, nonprofits and volunteers.
From the personal touch of a Santa Bag delivery to
the shared joy of a Thursday meal, Winters is building a model of aging that is rooted in community, not isolation. As the community continues to advocate for a senior center space and wait for a new commission to take shape, they do so on the strong foundation laid by those who have spent their lives giving to others.
As the city of Winters celebrates its 150th anniversary, The Winters Express is proud to honor the legacy we've shared with this community since 1884. For over 140 years, we've been Winters’ trusted local newspaper — reporting on city government, schools, sports, and the stories that shape our town. From milestones and memories to challenges and triumphs, we’ve stood as a watchdog, a voice, and a record keeper for generations. Here’s to 150 years of community — and to continuing the story, together.
Putah Creek has been determined to be one of the best tributary streams in the Sacramento region for diversity of wildlife support.
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
At the 2023 Winters Elder Day event, Woody Fridae (right) asked honoree Tony Garcia (left) questions about his life.
WSF through the years
By Jerry Lowden
Compared to other community groups the Winters Senior Foundation is 11 years young.
Currently, we are the only group established with the specific goal of providing activities for seniors.
The WSF was built upon a concept developed by Joe Aguilar and friends and was formalized in 2014 with Wally Pearce as President guiding the organization through 2017.
In 2018, Karen May accepted the position of President and she continued the development of social and educational activities
through 2019. I became President in January 2020, one minute before the COVID-19 lockdown took effect.
The WSF continues to grow and add activities such as our Chair Yoga program and our partnership with Meals on Wheels as we manage the weekly lunch at Winters Cafe Yolo each Thursday.
The WSF continues holding its speaker program, ice cream social, amateur artist event and its December Santa Bag program. Contact us at 530-795-6607, email info@wintersseniorfoundation.org by mail to: Winters Senior Foundations, PO Box 392, Winters, CA 95694.
The WSF continues to provide activities all of which are aimed at getting seniors up & out. We partner with MOW to provide lunch each Thursday via Cafe Yolo. It is an opportunity to meet your friends, make new friends, & enjoy a free lunch. To continue our support for Cafe Yolo and our other programs which include Chair Yoga, Thursday social gatherings, amateur art program, Santa Bag event, outings in the area, ice cream social, & community wide information meetings we ask for your donation during the Big Day of Giving May 1st.
Continued from Page 13
“They wanted boat traffic to get through, which is very important, but now we have an aesthetic of free-flowing streams with no logjams,” Stevenson said. “But those logjams are good and necessary for the baby salmon to make it out to the ocean.”
Stevenson said that before the dam was built in 1957, the creek would overflow its banks, partially flood winters and other areas, and dry up in some summers.
The stream keeper explained how the Putah Creek Accord helped restore the channel’s natural shape after it had been widened and deepened over the years due to gravel mining, flood control plans, excavations for sewage ponds, and even recreational bulldozing.
“In 2014, hundreds
of salmon started showing up, and after that, hundreds or even thousands of salmon show up in Putah Creek each year,” Stevenson said, crediting the Solano County Water Agency, local landowners, and the city of Winters. “Everybody working together created this.”
Now protected during their swim downstream, the salmon are a local staple, becoming a cause for an annual celebration. The other 364 days of the year, history continues to be made by the next generation.
“Kids of all ages participate in our weekly stewardship workdays, during which they tend the natural areas along Putah Creek, with special emphasis on Winters Nature Park,” Stevens said, adding that older adolescents and young adults participate in the council’s OneCreek internship program.
“They learn the
basics of habitat restoration by working with partner agencies throughout the lower watershed,” Stevens said. “Winters Middle School students join PCC’s Putah Creek Club, where they carry out various stewardship activities such as planting native plants.”
Regarding the local creek, nature and nurture collaborate rather than compete.
“We recognize that the creek can thrive only if enough people love it enough to care for and protect it,” Stevens said.
After all the bureaucracy and legal battles, Mother Nature resumes her natural habitat here in Winters. Now, greater winter and spring flows secure a place for native fish to flow freely, truly a fantastical feat.
“It’s quite a cool and interesting story,” Stevenson said. “And they’re still coming back today, and we’re still working on it.”
Special to the Express
Courtesy photo
Winters Senior Foundation celebrates past and current members.
CREEK
Express file photos
Left: Besides salmon, otters are a favorite creek dweller to spot. Above: Community members can learn about different aspects of the creek at the annual Salmon Festival.
Keeping score: Crisp preserves local sports stories
By Logan Chrisp Winters Express
The Winters community boasts a deep, vibrant sports legacy — there’s no one more knowledgeable about that legacy than Tom Crisp.
A retired math teacher and former athletics director, Crisp has turned into a passionate historian dedicated to local history. He’s devoted countless hours to researching and preserving the history of athletics in Winters.
Crisp’s efforts led to a sports history exhibit at the Winters Museum in collaboration with the Historical Society of Winters, has authored around a dozen books and has uncovered a treasure trove of discoveries about local athletics legends. There is no other
way to describe Crisp than a dedicated historian. Whether it’s combing historical newspapers from decades ago, like the Express, or traveling all the way to Quincy to find a single game score to complete a standings list for his research.
I like finding things,” Crisp said. Finding money would be a heck of a lot more productive than finding a junior varsity football score, but I’ll do it.”
His work spans centuries, which is appropriate given Winters is soon to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Crisp has tracked down countless game scores, player stats, and given context to where greats like Frank Demaree got their start.
Damaree, a 1927
Winters High School graduate, played in the 1932 World Series with the Chicago Cubs, the same series where Babe Ruth famously made his “called shot.”
“He wasn’t in the game, but he was on the bench,” Crisp said. “He might have been one of those guys razzing Ruth.”
Demaree played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, participating in 1,155 games, earning a .299 career batting average, becoming a twotime All-Star, and placing seventh in MVP voting in 1936.
He also shined in the Pacific Coast League, where he was named Player of the Year in 1934, leading the league in home runs, batting average, and RBIs.
Yet, despite his
impressive career, Demaree was nearly forgotten. After pass ing away in 1958, he was buried in Winters Cemetery with only a simple concrete headstone marking his grave — hardly a tribute befitting a lo cal sports hero. Through his re search, Crisp tracked down surviving mem bers of the Demaree family. After reassur ing them of his purely historical intentions — unlike others who had sought memora bilia — he was able to gather vital informa tion about the former athlete. Unfortunately, most of Demaree’s personal memorabilia was lost in a house fire during the 1960s. However,
See SPORTS, Page 16
Courtesy photo
Frank Demaree in 1932 during his rookie season with the Chicago Cubs.
Rewind & Revisit
Dispatches from the Express archives.
History, highlights of local sports
Reprinted from the July 19, 2023, edition of the Winters Express
By Aaron Geerts Winters Express
If there’s anything Winters does as well — or better — than agriculture, it’s athletics. Sports are an integral part of the town’s heritage.
The town itself was started in 1875 with the earliest evidence of sports in Winters being in 1877. According to Tom Crisp, local historian/author/ former Winters High School teacher and athletic director/former (and sometimes current) high school and middle school basketball coach, the Woodland town baseball team challenged the Winters baseball team to a game which indicates there must have been a team present in the small town to challenge.
While Crisp found that evidence in an old article, he also suspects it was highly likely horse racing may have been the first sport to make its way into town as Theodore Winters bred racehorses on his property.
“The high school started in 1892 and it was very, very small. In 1898, they had a baseball team, but whether all those guys that were on that
team actually went to the high school or were just high school age is not clear,” said Crisp. “An athlete who comes to mind is Jonah Graff. He went to WHS and graduated with a commercial diploma which basically is there for someone who needs some of the basics to go into business. He got that in 1913, is not in the high school at all, then in 1915 he goes back to WHS and he and Percy Ritchie were the leading players on the WHS basketball team and were later dubbed the ‘Winters Champs.’ Then in 1917, Ritchie, Graff, and Pete and Bill Scott went and played on the St. Mary’s team.”
Although women’s sports weren’t as prominent back in the day, there was a women’s basketball team (Crisp estimates it started around 1906) before a men’s basketball team at WHS (which started in 1911) — while football didn’t get started until 1928. Crisp also mentioned the town had a golf team once upon a time and even a ninehole golf course in the Golden Bear area.
“I started doing research into all this when I was the WHS athletic director from 2002 to 2011. To me, the most impressive thing I found is the quality and quantity
of the athletes in Winters who have gone on and made their name elsewhere. We got Jack Brink who was a gold medalist in rowing, Phil Snow used to be a defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers ... and the list goes on,” said Crisp. “One of the things I also wanted to convey with this exhibit is the breadth of athletic participation and also the fact that you don’t have to be a great athlete to be involved in athletics. There’s Phil Snow like I said before, but there’s also Melanie Stocking who’s the assistant to the Sacramento Kings.”
The exhibit also features youth sports including AYSO soccer and a range of youth and adult baseball leagues.
Besides sports participation, the exhibit also shares about Winters athletes who made other athletic efforts.
A fun fact is shared about WHS alumni Matt Flaherty and Nathan Passantino who invented the baseball product, GameSigns. The products are brightly colored tabs that catchers stick onto their fingernails so pitchers have an easier time reading the signals.
Editor’s Note: Article shortened to fit.
the only surviving artifact was a commemorative watch presented to Demaree by the city of Winters after the 1932 World Series.
“It’s engraved and everything. That’s the only thing that remains from Frank Demaree,” Crisp said.
With the support of Demaree’s relatives, Crisp helped replace the old headstone with a new monument worthy of the athlete’s legacy.
“It’s nice to be able to honor that and give Winters a chance to see one of their true heroes,” Crisp said.
Frank Demaree is just one of several standout athletes with ties to Winters. Rich Chiles, a WHS graduate, was drafted in 1968 and played in the majors from 1971 to 1978 for the Houston Astros, New York Mets, and Minnesota Twins as a left fielder and pinch hitter.
Sean Shoffit and James Thomas both enjoyed lengthy careers in the minor leagues, playing in Double-A and Triple-A for the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox organizations, respectively.
Winters’ deep love for sports is rooted in its community spirit and rural setting.
“You’re sitting out here in the semi-boonies,” Crisp said. “Before they had lights in the football field, they had the game on a Friday afternoon, and a lot of the businesses downtown would just close up, and then everybody would come over and watch the football game.”
Over the years, Winters has
evolved — older buildings have been replaced, the baseball field has changed orientation, and improved infrastructure like new lights and upgraded fields continues to support the town’s strong athletic tradition. Through all those changes, one thing has remained constant. The city of Winters, in all of its 150 years since its incorporation, has remained passionate about sports and competition. Allowing new heroes to enter legend, while the dedication of one man ensures that the stories of its former heroes are never forgotten.
Florals By Chris
Courtesy photo
Rich Chiles made sports headlines in high school and ended up playing in the majors.
