School burglary attempt foiled, suspect in custody
Express staff
Winters Police Department officials confirmed that Christopher Dante Britton, 34, of Fairfield, was arrested on Nov. 4, in connection with attempted burglaries on Winters school campuses and fraudulent use of stolen credit cards throughout the Bay Area.
By Logan Chrisp Express staff writer
The eighth annual Winters Salmon Festival, held in Rotary Park on Saturday, Nov. 1, was made extra special this year by coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Putah Creek Accord, the stream-saving agreement that guaranteed Putah’s future.
“We all know Putah Creek was not always as it is today,” Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs said.
The Putah Creek Accord was a historic settlement in 2000, when local agencies and advocates worked together to draft the accord, which brought permanent environmental flows to 23 miles of the creek running from Monticello Dam near Lake Berryessa to the Yolo Bypass.
The accord ended a decade-long legal battle between the Putah Creek Council, the City of Davis, UC Davis and the Solano County Water Agency over water rights and environmental pro-
tections.
“This collaboration, this partnership, it most certainly falls into the category of doing something correct,” said Congressman Mike Thompson. Thompson gave current stream keeper Max Stevenson a congressional record statement and an assembly resolution to acknowledge the 25 years of work that have been done to preserve the creek.
The impact of the accord is obvious. In 2013, only eight Chinook salmon were recorded traversing Putah Creek to
spawn. A decade later, more than 750 returned. By the start of this week’s festival, 350 salmon had already been counted.
“This proof is in the pudding,” Stevenson said. “There’s fish underneath the old railroad bridge right now.”
Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, who grew up in Winters, presented a joint resolution with Senator Ben Cabaldon’s office honoring the Putah Creek Council and the Lower Putah Creek Coordinating
Weather
Walnut Creek Police Department took Britton into custody after Winters PD and multiple Bay Area law enforcement agencies had issued a broadcast bulletin seeking him. Britton was booked at the Contra Costa County Main Detention Facility
on six felony and one misdemeanor warrants. Authorities said Britton’s pattern, or “modus operandi,” involved entering school campuses while classes were in session, seeking open, unoccupied classrooms, and taking staff purses. The stolen credit cards were then used fraudulently. He was previously arrested on April 25, by the Marin County Sheriff’s Department for similar crimes across Marin, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties. Thanks to the vigilance of staff at Waggoner Elementary School and Shirley
Rominger Intermediate School, Britton was contacted on Oct. 24, but left the campus before committing any theft. Winters Police have requested that the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office pursue felony attempted burglary charges.
Incident details
According to Winters PD, officers were first dispatched to Waggoner Elementary at approximately 12:20 p.m. on Oct. 24 after staff reported a suspicious subject on campus. Staff initially believed the individual was a
See ARREST, Page 5
$225K approved for emergency food during CalFresh freeze
By Rebecca Wasik McNaughton Media
On Tuesday, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors approved a $225,000 allocation in Pomona Funds to provide support to CalFresh families in an agreement with the Yolo Food Bank to deliver this community support.
Supervisor Angel Barajas recused himself from this item.
As part of the federal government shutdown, SNAP/CalFresh benefits have been delayed for 42 million Americans, including 5.5 million Californians. In September 2025 alone, Yolo County issued $5.6 million in CalFresh benefits to 18,759 households for a total of 27,622 individuals who were eligible.
With information on this situation evolving by the hour, Yolo County has been looking for ways to fill the gap in regards to food insecurity amidst the
Express staff
The Winters Fortnightly Club, in partnership with Vitalant, is calling on residents to help save lives at the upcoming Winters Community Blood Drive. The event will be held Monday, Nov. 10, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Winters Community Center, 201 Railroad Ave. This month, the goal is to collect 25 pints
confusing landscape.
The hope for the $225,000 is to split it into thirds with onethird going to gift cards for CalFresh recipients to use, onethird for food purchases to be distributed at emergency food distributions by the Yolo Food Bank and the other one-third to be issued to non-profit organizations as support to meet rising demand. Even once benefits again become available, it could take one to three weeks for those benefits to be loaded onto cards. Issuing partial benefits is very difficult due to the system not having the infrastructure to do so. Issuing partial benefits would result in much longer delays.
In response to the SNAP/CalFresh delay crisis, the Yolo Food Bank has added new sites and dates to its food distribution schedule. It has also increased the amount of food being given
of blood to ensure patients in need have access to lifesaving resources. All donors will also have a chance to win a $10,000 gift card from Vitalant.
Walk-ins are welcome, but scheduling an appointment is recommended for a faster experience. Appointments can be made online at donors.vitalant.org using the Advanced Search feature
out at these sites by 20 percent.
The Yolo Food Bank is also accepting donations from the public, grocery stores and farmers as part of its Food First Initiative. 100% of funds donated will be used to purchase fresh, healthy food for Yolo County residents in need between now and Dec. 15.
Yolo Food Bank executive director Karen Baker says some grocery stores, like the Davis Food Co Op and Nugget Market, as well as farmers, have already stepped up and donated to the Food First Initiative. It has raised about $165,000 since Nov. 1. At each emergency distribution, community members in need will be provided with one bag of produce and protein and one bag of shelf stable food items. The food bank will have enough for 400 people at the
with blood drive code SMFM164, by calling 877-258-4825 and mentioning the code, or by scanning the QR code on flyers around town and on social media.
Eligible donors must be at least 16 years old (with parental consent for those under 18), weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in generally good
Logan Chrisp/Winters Express
Costumed salmon characters bring fun and photo opportunities to the Winters Salmon Festival, delighting children and adults alike.
Logan Chrisp/Winters Express
Dignitaries and community leaders and local residents celebrate 25 years of the Putah Creek Accord at the Winters Salmon Festival, marking decades of habitat restoration and salmon conservation.
‘Greetings!’ coming soon to the Winters Theatre Company
By Jim Hewlett Special
to the Express Divisiveness. Unfulfilled dreams. Sarcasm. And if that wasn’t enough, there are electrical and plumbing problems, too!
This likely describes the situation for many of us these days, including the Gorskis, the family featured in the holiday production of “Greetings!” coming up soon at the Winters Theatre Company.
But there’s some magic brewing beneath the scenes that changes the situation for the Gorskis in a very gentle, philosophical and interesting way. For what it’s worth, we can’t tell you everything, or that would take the magic away, but what we can tell you is that the actors are all creating their own magic to make this a production you won’t want to miss!
Trent Beeby is playing the role of Phil Gorski, the patriarch of the Gorski family, an often cantankerous and less than happy person regarding
his lot in life.
Beeby has been participating in WTC productions since the 1990s, including roles as Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol” and Mr. Potter in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” two additional cantankerous roles. In real life though, Beeby is a schoolteacher, and cantankerous he is not!
Bernadette Mello is one of the relative newcomers to the WTC stage, having just started with the WTC Ten-Minute Play Festival earlier this year. That experience was all she needed to find the joy and magic of WTC.
Since then, she has been in several additional WTC productions this year, including “Almost Maine” and “The Phantom of the Opera House.” In “Greetings!” she plays the often-exasperated Emily Gorski, wishing that her husband could be a little bit more optimistic about life and others, including her!
Cody Svozil has been involved with WTC for multiple years now, and has been
Elora Rae Ingraffia is celebrating her first birthday on Sunday. She was born on Nov. 9, 2024, at 10:59 p.m. at Kaiser Vacaville. She was 7 pounds and 9 ounces and measured 19 1/4 inches at birth. Her parents Cheyenne and Arthur Ingraffia invite the community to give Elora a wave hello if you see her around town. Her mom said Elora is a “friendly, smiley girl who loves people, animals and music.” Elora’s maternal grandparents are Sheryl and Martin Powell. Her paternal grandparents are Christina Littrell and Joseph Ingraffia.
Courtesy photo
Cody Svozil and Cameron Toney rehearse a scene as Andy and Randi in Winters Theatre Company’s upcoming holiday production of “Greetings!”
staying busy, just having completed double-duty, assistant directing and acting in the recent production of “The Phantom of the Opera House.”
Svozil plays the older son, Andy, in “Greetings!,” who is just a little anxious about going home for the holidays, as he knows how things can
quickly go from festive to frustrating!
Cameron Toney stays busy both on and off-stage with WTC, playing the role of a WTC board member off-stage and an actor on stage. She has been involved in WTC productions for almost 10 years, including the past holiday play “It’s A Wonderful Life,” playing the lead female character of Mary Hatch Bailey. Toney plays the role of Randi, Andy‘s fiancee in “Greetings!” Randi has no idea what she’s in for when she first enters the Gorski home. She’s heard a lot, mostly “not so good,” especially about Phil, and doesn’t realize just how true the rumors were!
Kenneth, the youngest member of the cast, has also been actively involved with WTC as of late, including playing the leading male character in “The Phantom of the Opera House.” In “Greetings!” Kenneth plays the role of Mickey, who has an intellectual disability. Mickey spends a lot of time playing
with toys, in a happy but quiet state. There is some magic afoot that takes everyone by surprise when it manifests itself through Mickey. When not acting, Kenneth plays the role of a student at UC Davis. Right now, though, he and the other actors are all studying their lines and making final preparations for a Grade A production of “Greetings!”
“Greetings!” will take place the weekend before and after the Thanksgiving holiday, opening on Friday, Nov. 21, and closing on Sunday, Nov. 30. On Fridays and Saturdays, the shows are at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday shows are at 2 p.m. All shows are at the Winters Opera House at 13 Main St. in Winters.
More information, including tickets, can be found on the WTC website at www.winterstheatre.org/greetings. We look forward to having you share in the magic of the holiday season with WTC and our production of “Greetings!”
Winters AYSO teams up for advanced skills camp
Special to the Express
Winters AYSO Region 436 is partnering with Transatlantic Soccer Camps LLC to host an Advanced Player Development Camp from Nov. 26 to 28, 9 a.m. to noon at the Shirley Rominger Intermediate School soccer field.
The camp is open to soccer players ages 9 to 15 who want to improve their skills, gain new knowledge of the game and enjoy playing in a supportive, team-focused environment.
Aligned with AYSO’s philosophy of player development, the camp gives players the chance to grow both
individually and as part of a team. The program emphasizes developing technical skills, decision-making, and game understanding, helping players apply their abilities in real-game situations.
Campers will work on key technical and tactical skills, including passing, dribbling, first touch, and shooting, while also learning movement off the ball, creating angles, positioning, and both attacking and defending strategies. Players will practice 1v1 challenges, overload situations, and finishing in team play — all in a dynamic, game-focused environment.
Advanced camps are designed for players aged 10 and above with prior experience and an established skill base, providing a challenging but supportive setting to develop technical abilities, positional awareness, and decision-making. Registration is $100. For more information or to register online, visit https://campscui.active.com/orgs/TransatlanticSoccerCampsLLC#/selectSessions/3730832 or https:// bit.ly/47rcslx. For more information on soccer programs offered by Winters AYSO, visit https:// www.wintersayso.org.
Community invited to free CPR education class
Special to the Express
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and b e se en all over in Yolo and Solano c ounties. Don’t wait — share your event to day! Davis Enterprise: davisenterprise.com/events Daily Republic: dailyrepublic.com/events Winters Express: wintersexpress.com/events
Community members of all ages are invited to attend a free, educational-only CPR training class at Pioneer Church. The class will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, in Wesley Hall at 205 Russell St., in Winters.
Training will be provided by professionals from the Winters Fire Department. Please note, this class is for learning purposes only, and CPR certification cards will not be issued.
Participants will receive hands-on instruction in hands-only CPR and learn the importance of immediate bystander response. The class
DATE: Tuesday, November 11,2025
TIME: 10am - 12pm
LOCATION: Winters City Hall
Downstairs Conference Room Abbey Street Entrance
The Winters Senior Foundation will hold a Senior Drivers Smart Class and all drivers with a few years under their belt are welcome.
The event will be conducted by the CHP who will provide interesting, useful information on how to Age Well — Drive Smart.
will also include demonstrations on assisting someone who is choking and properly using an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Health experts emphasize that quick action saves lives. According to organizers, bystander CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival if performed before paramedics arrive. The sooner CPR begins after a person collapses, the greater the chance of survival.
The training program is designed to be straightforward, engaging, and effective. Participants will learn to:
• Recognize emergencies: Identify signs of cardiac ar-
rest, choking, or respiratory distress, and know when to activate emergency response systems.
• Perform hands-only CPR: Learn proper chest compression techniques and maintain rhythm and depth for effective resuscitation.
• Use an AED: Gain step-bystep instruction and confidence in operating AEDs in public spaces.
• Administer infant and child CPR: Adjust techniques for younger patients and handle choking incidents in children. For more information, find contact information for Pioneer Church at pioneerchurch. online.
Share your winter memories
The Winters Express is celebrating the season with a special edition featuring wintertime traditions and activities in Winters, just in time for the Tractor Parade! We’d love to hear from you. Do you have photos or memories of Winters during the winter months — holiday gatherings, local events, snow days or festive traditions?
We invite you to share them with us. Selected submissions may be featured in our upcoming special edition.
Please email your photos and stories to news@wintersexpress.com by Wednesday, Nov. 20. Help us capture the warmth and spirit of Winters this winter.
Courtesy photo
Regional News
Children’s mother takes stand in infant deaths
By Lauren Keene and Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media
A Sacramento woman who had six children with Paul Allen Perez — five of whom he is accused of murdering when they were infants — described for a Yolo County jury this week the circumstances surrounding those deaths, which allegedly took place over a nine-year period.
Yolanda Perez has already pleaded guilty to five counts of child endangerment and faces anywhere from probation to 10 years in prison. Paul Perez, meanwhile, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if he is convicted of the murders.
Yolanda Perez first took the stand on Monday afternoon and continued her testimony on Tuesday. She detailed a lifetime of abuse she said she suffered, beginning in childhood and continuing after she met Perez. She was 17 at the time and he was 25. They married in 1989 and their first child, Brittany, was born in April 1990 in Merced.
Yolanda Perez testified that her husband would stay home while she worked at a variety of jobs, but that he would also “stalk” her at work because he was jealous of male co-workers and was physically abusive.
They were living in Merced in 1991 when Yolanda Perez became pregnant with their second child, Kato Allen.
Kato, Yolanda Perez testified, was a healthy, easy baby and she cared for him until the family moved to Sacramento when he was about a month and a half old and she went back to work at a Burger King while Perez cared for the children.
Perez, Yolanda Perez testified, would get irritated when Kato cried, saying, “only pussies cry.”
On Oct. 21, 1992, Yolanda Perez testified that when she got home from work, her husband told her he’d given Kato a bath and put him to bed in another room.
“I was going to check on him, and he said, ‘No, the baby’s sleeping,’” Yolanda Perez testified.
The next thing she remembers, she said, was waking up that night to “the horrible sound of a hit.” It sounded so dull, she testified, and not natural, leaving her with the gut feeling that something was wrong.
Kato wasn’t breathing and was cool to the touch, Yolanda Perez testified. An ambulance was called and Yolanda said she started mouthto-mouth resuscitation.
At the UC Davis Medical Center, a doctor informed her that Kato had died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Yolanda Perez testified.
There was no funeral, she said, and she and Perez never spoke of it again.
The couple and Brittany left Sacramento and moved back to Merced, where Yolanda Perez testified the abuse and stalking continued, describing going to work with a black eye and bruised lip and being “always scared.”
Asked by the prosecution why she never left Perez, Yolanda Perez replied, “How?” Perez had told her if she ever left, he would take Brittany out of state or kill her, she testified. She believed it, she added, “because he was violent. Evil.”
In 1995, she became pregnant again, this time with Mika.
Again, Yolanda Perez testified, she would go to work while Perez stayed home with the kids. After returning from work one day, Yolanda Perez testified, the whole family went to a nearby liquor store at her husband’s insistence. But when Yolanda Perez looked at Mika in her car seat, “I (saw) that she had bubbles coming out of her mouth.”
She said she tried to clean the baby up, but that “Paul told me to leave her alone.”
They went into the house and Yolanda testified she felt panicked. “I knew something was wrong.
“I wanted to see what was wrong with her but he wouldn’t let me see … he took her and put her to bed.”
Later, “when he told me she was gone, he covered my mouth so
I wouldn’t scream,” Yolanda Perez testified. “He said he’d snap my neck, because he can.”
The next day, Yolanda Perez testified, her husband said they needed to go buy cement. Not long after that, when she entered the bedroom, “Paul stands there smug and he says, ‘Well, there she is.’
“She’s in cement … in a dresser drawer,” Yolanda Perez testified, adding that Perez later told her he had shaken the baby.
“We left as soon as he did that. He put her in the trunk. We left,” she said.
Asked again why she didn’t tell anyone or leave Paul Perez, Yolanda Perez again asked, “How?”
They drove to Fresno with Mika in the trunk, Yolanda testified, and later, after landing another job and apartment there, she learned she was pregnant again.
Asked how she could get pregnant with Paul Perez again after Mika’s death, Yolanda Perez testified that she had to have sex with him.
“Was I going to tell him no?’” she testified, later describing it as rape.
Nikko was born in November 1996.
Yolanda Perez testified that she did not return to work but instead cared for the children, but that Paul slept with Nikko in the bedroom while she slept with Brittany in the living room.
“He didn’t want me to baby him,” she testified, describing dancing with Nikko in her arms and Paul “snatching him” away and taking him to the bedroom.
She barged into the room, she testified, and saw Nikko in his
car seat.
“He wasn’t there,” she said. “You could see from the color on his face.”
He was dead. She saw no injuries, she testified, but said Paul Perez told her he had broken Nikko’s arm.
“He had my son in the closet,” she testified, “and then he packed us up and we left.”
Nikko’s body was later discovered in 2007 by a fisherman in a slough east of Woodland. He was in a weighted-down metal cooler — an infant believed to be less than six months old when he suffered blunt-force trauma and died, according to Yolo County coroner’s officials.
Later the coroner’s office turned over the femur bones from the infant — then known as Baby Doe — to the California Department of Justice’s Richmond lab for DNA testing.
But a break in the case didn’t come until August 2018, when the DOJ made a familial DNA match that identified Paul Perez as the biological father.
From there, investigators looked for birth records connected to Perez, ultimately finding six children fathered with Yolanda: Brittany, born in 1990; Kato, born in 1992; Mika, born in 1995; Nikko, born in 1996; Nikko Lee, born in 1997; and another Kato, born in 2001.
All but Brittany are believed to be dead — Yolanda Perez previously told detectives
that the remains of the other children also were sunk in the Conway Slough, but searches of the area yielded no results.
Back in 1997, little Nikko had been dead for just a couple of months, Yolanda Perez testified on Tuesday, when she realized she was pregnant again. She gave birth to Nikko Lee in October 1997. They were living in Fresno at the time. Paul Perez, Yolanda testified, would again keep the infant in the bedroom with him.
“He opened the door one time and the baby was on his tummy sleeping,” she said.
“And I got close to see if he was breathing and he was breathing, but he had a bruise on his cheek.”
She said she asked her husband how he got the bruise, and that Perez told her he’d given Nikko Lee a hickey. She didn’t believe him, Yolanda testified.
“I didn’t know what to do, where to go, because I’m trapped in this house. It’s like he keeps you hostage. And every time it just got worse and worse.”
Asked if she knew what was coming, Yolanda Perez said she did, but that she couldn’t get out of the house and her husband always used Brittany as leverage over her.
She said she didn’t recall how many days passed between seeing the bruise on Nik-
ko Lee’s face and her husband beginning to sell her son’s belongings.
“But that’s when I knew he was gone,” she testified. Paul Perez later showed her that Nikko Lee was in a bucket in the bathroom closet with a blanket over him, she testified.
“He put him in a f--ing bucket,” she said. Both Yolanda Perez and her daughter, Brittany, were interviewed multiple times by Yolo County sheriff’s detectives after the case first broke. Both confessed to witnessing the infants’ abuse and disappearances, but never reported them because Paul Perez allegedly threatened them with physical harm and death.
The Yolo County District Attorney’s office initially charged Yolanda Perez with murder and child endangerment in connection with the deaths, but she testified Monday that the murder charges were dropped in exchange for her testimony in Paul Perez’s trial. She faces up to 10 years in prison.
Paul Perez, meanwhile, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of murder with the special circumstances of inflicting torture and multiple murders, as well as five counts of willful cruelty to a child.
Yolanda Perez’s testimony is expected to continue this week and the trial is expected to last about six weeks in Judge Dan Wolk’s courtroom.
Owen Yancher/Enterprise file photo
Paul Allen Perez’s alleged victims. Authorities say he’s the father of all five children, who vanished between 1992 and 2001.
Janet Johnston passed away peacefully on Oct. 3, 2025. She was 86. Born and raised in Winters, Janet’s journey led her to politics. In the 1970s, she served as the Republican National Committeewoman from California and co-chair of the National Republican Party, a role which allowed her the opportunity to connect with prominent leaders, including former President George H.W. Bush. Johnston’s inventive spirit led her to advocate for the adoption of four-way emergency flashers, a safety feature now standard on vehicles worldwide. She had a love for animals, which drove her to
YESTERYEAR
Lake Berryessa water levels low
Express staff
The water level of Lake Berryessa decreased by 0.14 feet over the past week, resulting in 2,499 acre-feet of water storage, according to Eric Johnson, Operations at Solano Irrigation District –Putah Diversion Office. On the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 4, he reported that the lake elevation was 428.91 feet above sea level, with the water storage behind the Monticello Dam calculated at 1,348,260 acre-feet. The SID was unable to record the amount of water released into the Putah South Canal due to a technological issue, but did report that 70 cubic feet were flowing into lower Putah Creek at the Diversion Dam. Evaporation from the lake averaged 77.7 acre-feet of water per day.
Obituary
breed and show Arabian horses and West Highland Terriers.
Her interest in genealogy culminated in 2021 when she authored “Unknown Destiny,” which chronicled her grandparents’ journey from Slovakia to America.
Janet is survived by her brother, Warren Johnston (Donna) of Davis, California; and her niece and nephew Kim Johnston of Sacramento, California, and Doug Johnston of Davis, California. Janet also leaves behind five grandnieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Margaret and Henry Johnston, and laid to rest beside them.
Public Safety Report
Fire
Oct. 15: 11:46 a.m., E. Baker Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~9:49 p.m., County Road 34, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~10:03 p.m., Second Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
Oct. 16: 10:24 a.m., Orchard Lane, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
Oct. 17: 6:21 a.m., Ivy Loop, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~7:49 a.m., Anderson Avenue, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~11 a.m., Main Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~4:59 p.m., Betty Court, Motor vehicle accident with injuries
Oct. 18: 8:30 a.m., Grant Avenue, False alarm or false call (other)
~8:09 p.m., Main Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~8:19 p.m., E. Grant Avenue, Person in distress (other)
~9:31 p.m., Morgan Street, Authorized controlled burning
Oct. 20: 4:20 p.m., First Street, Person in distress (other)
Oct. 21: 6:12 a.m., Martin Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~4:59 p.m., Dutton Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~5:06 p.m., Ireland Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~11:13 p.m., Myrtle Drive, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
Oct. 22: 4:57 a.m., Railroad Avenue, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~3:03 p.m., Main Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
Oct. 23: 12:03 a.m., Abbey Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~11:51 a.m., Main Street, False alarm or false call (other)
~1:10 p.m., Carmelo Way, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~2:16 p.m., Morgan Street, Dispatched and cancelled en route
~4:35 p.m., County Road 31A, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
Oct. 24: 8:01 a.m., Main Street, Outside rubbish fire (other)
~9:08 a.m., Edwards Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
See LOGS, Page 6
Emil Victor Apilado passed away unexpectedly on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, from complications of pneumonia. He was 69 and surrounded by the love of his family at the time of his death.
Emil was born on Aug. 30, 1956, in Vallejo, California, to Julio Jubilo Apilado and Rosalina Serdocillo Madjus Apilado. The youngest of five children (eventually six), he grew up on Fifth Street in South Vallejo, forming lifelong friendships that began in kindergarten at Grant School and continued through his graduation from Vallejo Senior High School, Class of 1974. He began his career as a young entrepreneur in high school and working roofing jobs during the summers. His professional path later led him to work as an engineering technician at Westinghouse Electric Corporation, including projects on submarines at the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Emil went on to work as an engineering technician and inspector for the City of Vallejo in the mid-1980s, and later for the City of Los Altos in 2009, before retiring in 2012 at the age of 55.
Emil met his wife, Yvonne Walker, at Solano Community College, and for him, it was love at first sight. They married two years later, in September 1978, and celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary this year. Together,
they raised two daughters, Crystal and Alexandra, and — with the support of their close friends and family — helped nurture many nieces and nephews, as well as their three Nenas and three bonus grandsons. In 1994, Emil and Yvonne moved their family to Winters, California. After their daughters graduated from high school, they lived for a few years in Pacifica before returning to Winters and eventually settling in West Sacramento.
Emil cherished his South Vallejo roots and regularly attended monthly brunches and luncheons with his Grant School kindergarten friends, as well as reunions with South Vallejo and Vallejo Senior High School friends, family, and classmates. He held his family and friends close to his heart — frequently attending gatherings, baking favorite desserts for birthdays, and traveling across the country to celebrate milestones, lend a helping hand, or simply spend time with loved ones.
Emil spent many years coaching his daughters’ and girls’ softball teams through Vallejo PAL and Winters Little League, serving as an umpire with Winters Little League, and
supporting numerous school fundraisers.
In retirement, he took pride in being a Papa — helping to care for his three Nenas and teaching them everything from gardening and fort-building to achieving the perfect root beer pong shot. He was also a dedicated blood donor at Winters Community Blood Drives and often provided donor samples for people in need of transplants, in case he was a match.
An avid runner, Emil participated in marathons for decades, including Bay to Breakers and Ironman triathlon teams, continuing his athletic pursuits up until the fall of 2024. He was a lifelong fan of the Raiders, the Athletics, and the Warriors — known for sporting his visors and attending games with friends and family.
Emil was known for his kind and generous heart, his stories, and his quick-witted humor — often all shared in the same visit.
He is survived by his wife, Yvonne; daughters, Crystal (Kevin) and Alexandra (Peter); his Nenas and bonus grandsons; siblings, Rudy, Terry, and Rosie; and numerous family members and friends who will miss him deeply. He was preceded in death by his parents, Julio and Rosalina; his older brother, Julio J. Apilado Jr.; and his older sister, Julia A. Lominario.
Emil requested no formal services. Friends and family are encouraged to honor his memory by donating blood, attending a sporting event (preferably a Raiders or Athletics game), or participating in a marathon.
Emil Victor Apilado
Courtesy photo August 30, 1956 – October 20, 2025
Janet Johnston
Picked by Charley Wallace
File photo
Theresa Foster (far left) rehearses a radio “commercial” for the “Frackle Family Fiasco” in February 1997. The production benefited the high school performing arts program. From left are Kent Benson, Erica Hemenway, Wes Mathis and Brian Skaggs. Shayna Taylor is not pictured. The fundraiser was a great success.
Eventos hispanos
Agencias locales intensifican sus esfuerzos ante las repercusiones del cierre del gobierno federal en CalFresh
Redacción del Express
Traducido por Carol Alfonso
Los Condados de Yolo y Solano están tomando medidas proactivas para apoyar a los residentes que puedan verse afectados por los retrasos en los beneficios de CalFresh debido al actual cierre del gobierno federal.
En el Condado Yolo, los funcionarios de la Agencia de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHSA) están coordinando con los líderes municipales y socios comunitarios, incluido el Banco de Alimentos de Yolo Food Bank, para garantizar que los residentes sigan teniendo acceso a recursos alimentarios esenciales.
“El Condado Yolo se compromete a apoyar a nuestros residentes en estos momentos de incertidumbre,” declaró Mary Vixie Sandy, presidenta de la Junta de Supervisores. “Gracias a la sólida colaboración con el Yolo Food Bank y las organizaciones comunitarias, nos aseguramos de que las familias sigan teniendo acceso a los alimentos y recursos que necesitan.”
En Septiembre, el Condado Yolo distribuyó más de 5.6 millones de dólares en beneficios de CalFresh a 18,759 hogares, lo que representa a 27,622 personas. Si bien los programas CalWORKs y Medi-Cal siguen financiados, se prevé que los beneficios de CalFresh, financiados íntegramente por el gobierno federal, su-
Carteles de distribución de alimentos marcan la entrada a la distribución de alimentos del sábado en el estacionamiento de estudiantes de la Escuela Preparatoria Winters, cerca de Railroad Avenue
fran retrasos temporales.
La HHSA y el Banco de Alimentos de Yolo están ampliando sus esfuerzos para mantener el acceso a los alimentos durante este período. El Banco de Alimentos entregará suministros al Centro de Necesidades Básicas de la Universidad de California UC Davis el 8 y el 15 de Noviembre para su distribución a estudiantes y personal. También se realizarán distribuciones de emergencia para los beneficiarios de CalFresh en los Centros de Servicio del Condado Yolo en Woodland y West Sacramento los días 5, 6, 12 y 13 de Noviembre.
Karen Baker, directora ejecutiva del Banco de Ali-
mentos de Yolo Food Bank, afirmó que la respuesta coordinada demuestra el poder de la colaboración comunitaria.
“La demanda de asistencia alimentaria está aumentando, y gracias a la colaboración con la HHSA y nuestros socios, estamos movilizando recursos para garantizar que nadie en el Condado Yolo se quede sin apoyo,” dijo Baker.
Puntos de distribución de alimentos en el oeste del Condado Yolo
Winters: Distribuciones para recoger en vehículo los Sábados a las 11:00 a.m. en el estacionamiento para estudiantes de la Escuela Secundaria Winters High School (entrada por Rail-
road Avenue). También hay servicio a pie en el estacionamiento del gimnasio. Distribuciones adicionales a las 10:00 a.m. el primer y tercer Jueves en RISE, Inc., en el 417 Haven St. Esparto: Primer y tercer Jueves a las 9:30 a.m., RISE, Inc., en el 17317 Fremont St. (servicio a pie). Madison: Segundo y cuarto Lunes a las 4 p.m., Despensa de Alimentos del Madison Community Committee Food Closet, en el 28963 Main St. (servicio a pie).
Guinda: Segundo y cuarto Lunes a las 9:30 a.m., Salón Guinda Grande, en el 16787 Forest Ave. (servicio en vehículo). Los residentes también pueden registrarse en FreshText, un servicio gratuito del Yolo Food Bank que envía recordatorios de distribución y avisos de cancelación por mensaje de texto el día anterior a cada evento. Envíe la palabra clave de su comunidad al 888777:
• Winters: “Almendra”
• Capay Valley: “Nuez”
• Davis: “Tomate”
• West Sacramento, Clarksburg: “Uvas”
• Woodland: “Aceituna”
• North Yolo: “Arroz” Para obtener una lista completa de las distribuciones de alimentos en el Condado Yolo, visite www. yolofoodbank.org/findfood o llame al 530-668-0690.
Condado Solano
En el Condado Solano,
Investigadores proponen tratar
las autoridades también advirtieron a los residentes que los beneficios de CalFresh de Noviembre podrían verse interrumpidos, aunque los beneficios de Octubre no se verán afectados.
“Entendemos que este es un momento difícil e incierto para muchas familias que dependen de CalFresh para poder alimentarse,” dijo Alicia Jones, subdirectora de la División de Empleo y Elegibilidad de Salud y Servicios Sociales del Condado Solano. “Nuestro personal y socios comunitarios están comprometidos a brindar información actualizada y conectar a los residentes con recursos alimentarios a medida que recibimos orientación del estado.” El Condado Solano continúa procesando las solicitudes y recertificaciones de CalFresh. Se recomienda a los residentes que consulten https://cdss.ca.gov y las cuentas oficiales de redes sociales del CDSS para obtener notificaciones. Hay asistencia alimentaria de emergencia disponible a través del Banco de Alimentos de Contra Costa y Solano en www.foodbankccs.org. Los residentes con preguntas sobre los beneficios pueden llamar al 800-400-6001 o visitar solanocounty.gov y buscar “Sanidad y Servicios Sociales (Health & Social Services), Empleo y Elegibilidad (Employment and Eligibility).”
al extremismo como una amenaza para la salud pública
Por Taylor Sisk KFF Health News
En los últimos años, en la capital de Michigan y sus alrededores, Rebecca Kasen ha visto y oído cosas que nunca habría imaginado. “Estamos viviendo un momento muy extraño”, reflexionó Kasen, directora ejecutiva del Women’s Center of Greater Lansing. Una madrugada de noviembre, una cámara de vigilancia del Women’s Center captó a un grupo de personas burlándose de un cartel en una ventana que decía “Black Lives Matter”. Uno de ese grupo vandalizó la despensa comunitaria gratuita. Ese mismo otoño, el personal de la institución informó que había sido acosado.
A pocas cuadras de allí, sobre East Michigan Avenue, la cafetería Strange Matter Coffee —que apoya causas progresistas en la comunidad— ha tenido que soportar a “auditores de la Primera Enmienda”, personas que se plantan frente al local llevando armas o cámaras, y a veces gritan consignas a favor del presidente Donald Trump. Su presencia inquieta tanto a los clientes como al personal, contó Kasen. Las actividades y conductas extremistas que vienen ocurriendo en todo Estados Unidos durante los últimos años han sido impulsadas en gran parte por el crecimiento de la polarización política, y por una rebelión alimentada por la desinformación so-
bre las respuestas a la pandemia de covid.
Más recientemente, la reacción contra la inmigración y contra las iniciativas de diversidad, equidad e inclusión aumentó las tensiones.
El año pasado, el Southern Poverty Law Center registró 1.371 grupos extremistas y de odio que están activos en todo el país y que fomentan disturbios mediante una amplia variedad de tácticas, a veces violentas.
Los investigadores encontraron que, en los últimos años, la derecha política se ha ido desplazando cada vez más hacia “una supremacía cristiana autoritaria y patriarcal, dedicada a erosionar el valor de la democracia inclusiva y de las instituciones públicas”.
Los analistas del Polarization & Extremism Research & Inno-
Oct. 25: 9:15 p.m., Highway 128, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
Oct. 26: 3:41 a.m., E. Baker Street, Person in distress (other) Oct. 27: 8:22 a.m., E. Baker Street, Motor vehicle accident
Oct. 28: 9:37 p.m., Wyatt Lane, Person in distress (other)X View the Winters Fire Activity and Call Log at https://cityofwinters. org/157/Fire. Police Report Log
Oct. 23: 2:45 a.m., 20th block of E. Main Street, Verbal Domestic Dispute
Oct. 25: 9:09 a.m., 1000th block of Mar-
vation Lab (PERIL) de la American University sostienen que, en los espacios en línea, “el odio es interseccional”.
Por ejemplo, explicó Pasha Dashtgard, director de investigación de PERIL, las plataformas que promueven la supremacía masculina suelen ser también abiertamente antisemitas. Conversaciones que parecen intrascendentes pueden desembocar muy rápido en agresiones. El estreno de la película “A Minecraft Movie” desató una ola de críticas contra una supuesta tendencia a elegir actrices negras y personas no binarias.
La escalada de las posiciones radicales llevó al equipo de PERIL y al Southern Poverty Law Center a cambiar el enfoque y tratar al extremismo como un problema de
tin Street, Battery ~10:33 a.m., 1000th block of Scotty Way, Violation of Court Order ~8:50 p.m., 20000th block of Highway 128, Outside Agency Assist Oct. 27: 8:22 a.m., 100th block of E. Baker Street, Traffic Collision ~11:38 p.m., E. Grant Avenue/Matsumoto Lane, Towed Vehicle
Oct. 28: 8:29 p.m., 1000th block of Rojo Street, Violation of Court Order View the Winters Police Department Arrest and Report Logs, visit www.cityofwinters. org/289/Report-Arrest-Log
salud pública.
Los investigadores definen el extremismo como la creencia de que el propio grupo está en conflicto directo y encarnizado con otro de identidad diferente —ideología, raza, identidad o expresión de género—, lo que fomenta una mentalidad de “nosotros contra ellos” y la convicción de que el conflicto solo puede resolverse a través de la separación, la dominación o el exterminio.
Quienes estudian el extremismo aseguran que, a medida que el gobierno federal elimina los fondos para la prevención de la violencia, los gobiernos estatales y las comunidades locales se dan cuenta que están solos para enfrentar el desafío. (El programa CARE no recibe financiamiento federal).
Aaron Flanagan, subdirector de prevención y alianzas del Southern Poverty Law Center, explicó que su organización y PERIL se unieron hace unos cinco años para trata de responder juntos una pregunta: “¿Qué se necesitaría para crear un modelo que funcione en todo el país, prevenga la radicalización juvenil, esté arraigado en las comunidades y ofrezca soluciones en las que los residentes puedan confiar?”.
Se inspiraron en un modelo alemán de lucha contra el extremismo que existe desde hace décadas y que creó “centros de asesoramiento móviles”. El objetivo es ofrecer “a todos los niveles de la sociedad civil las
herramientas necesarias para reconocer el extremismo” y facilitar el diálogo sobre cómo abordarlo, explicó Dashtgard. Michigan ha sido considerado desde hace tiempo un terreno fértil para el extremismo. Timothy McVeigh y Terry Nichols, condenados por el atentado en 1995 contra un edificio federal en Oklahoma City, estaban vinculados a un grupo militarizado en ese estado. Algunos de los hombres acusados en 2020 de planear el secuestro de la gobernadora demócrata Gretchen Whitmer también tenían lazos con una milicia armada que se autodenomina Wolverine Watchmen. Pete Simi, profesor de sociología en la Chapman University y experto en extremismo, cree que el desafío es enorme, dado que se ha vuelto más frecuente en los últimos 25 años. Simi dijo que, aunque antes se hablaba de cambios en la “ventana de Overton” —como se define el rango de ideas que se consideran políticamente aceptables en la sociedad. Agregó que los extremistas violentos hoy “se sienten liberados, respaldados por una nueva administración que los apoya.” —KFF Health News es una redacción nacional que produce periodismo de profundidad sobre temas de salud y es uno de los programas operativos principales de KFF, una fuente independiente de investigación, encuestas y periodismo sobre políticas de salud.
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Food trends boost pistachio market as production rises
By Hannah Johansson California Farm Bureau
With the pistachio harvest wrapping up this month, California growers are expecting a potential record crop.
Initial projections of up to 1.8 billion pounds of in-shell pistachios diminished this fall as harvest progressed, though growers still expect yields to surpass the state’s 2023 record of 1.5 billion pounds, according to recent market reports.
From 2018 to 2022, the Central Valley saw a boom in new pistachio orchards, with growers planting more than 30,000 acres per year. Last year, the state’s bearing acreage increased to 488,000, more than double California’s pistachio acreage a decade prior.
As the wave of recent plantings begins coming into production, growers said they were hopeful the global market can absorb more of the state’s pistachios.
San Joaquin Valley farmer Aaron Barcellos, who grows for the Wonderful Co., a major pistachio brand, said he was optimistic that demand will keep pace with increased supply — up to a point.
Barcellos said he was earning the same base price this year as last year for his Golden Hills pistachio variety. He added, “ It’s going to be really hard to match that price next year just because we have more product to sell.”
For its part, the Wonderful Co. has gotten creative in an effort to sell more pistachios.
For several years, Wonderful Pistachios has
marketed shelled pistachios, or kernels, as “unshelled,” which the company says helps consumers better understand what they’re buying. Wonderful Pistachios also launched new flavored pistachio kernels, including Dill Pickle as well as the company’s first-ever confectionery flavors, Chocolate Sea Salt and Chocolate Toffee.
The use of pistachios as a confectionery ingredient has trended worldwide, headlined by the popularity of Dubai chocolate. This year, global supplies of pistachio kernels reportedly ran short after the Emirati chocolate bar filled with pistachio-tahini paste became a viral trend on TikTok.
Major chocolate companies such as Läderach and Lindt recently began creating their own pistachio-based chocolate products to cash in on the trend, and pistachio paste is now sold in some grocery stores.
Last month, dessert makers in Turkey successfully lobbied their government to ease restrictions on pistachio imports to alleviate the shortage.
California growers said they were concerned about potential impacts from President Donald Trump’s tariffs and trade wars, which have targeted key export markets including India, China and the European Union.
However, exporters said the market was no longer reacting strongly to every U-turn imposing or rolling back new import duties.
“After several rounds, it’s like nobody cares,” said Ali Amin, owner of the Los Angeles-based export company Primex International Trading.
Amin added that “until it happens, you can’t count on” other countries imposing retaliatory tariffs on California nuts.
Thus far, nations hit with
U.S. tariffs this year have, with the exception of China, not retaliated by imposing counter tariffs on U.S. pistachios.
Despite the ongoing trade war with China, Amin said California nuts, including pistachios, were still making their way to the Asian superpower through “workaround” countries such as Vietnam.
As long as a certain amount of value is added to the product, typically in the form of some type of processing and packaging, the nuts can be sold on to China as a Vietnamese product, thereby evading import taxes.
As of last year, the U.S. produced about 43 percent of the world’s pistachios, followed by Turkey at 33 percent and Iran at 17 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Industry experts remain hopeful that the diversification of pistachio-based products is a sign of new and lasting consumer appetite for the tree nut.
“That high demand is there, and it seems like it’s there to stay,” Amin said.
“It’s not a fad.” Increased demand for kernels for use in confectionery products such as chocolate could provide a useful market outlet for California’s crop this year, which growers said has more shell stain than usual. Kernels sold without shells are not affected by staining.
Grower Mitchell Coit estimated that 10 percent to
20 percent of his crop this year had shell stain as a result of September rains in the San Joaquin Valley. The window to harvest pistachios is brief, with growers typically shaking trees within three to five days of the nuts beginning to crack open.
“I think we battled rain more than we ever have in a pistachio harvest,” Coit said. “It was a race to get them out of there.”
Besides the midharvest rain, many farmers experienced a favorable growing season.
Winter delivered adequate chilling hours, which pistachios need “to be able to develop the pollen, the fertility they need,” Barcellos said. Springtime did not bring intense heat spells, which can stress the trees, and temperatures remained relatively mild throughout the summer.
Despite pistachios’ recent success in the global market, growers said water challenges could deter further expansion of the nut crop.
“You cannot farm everywhere,” said Bikram Hundal, a pistachio grower and handler with orchards in Tulare, Kings and Madera counties.
Hundal said that because of groundwater pumping restrictions under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, he plans to remove 20 percent of his acreage within the next five years.
“There’s no water available, so that acreage cannot increase,” he said. This article was originally published in the Oct. 22, 2025, issue of Ag Alert, and is reprinted with permission of the California Farm Bureau.
Caleb Hampton/California Farm Bureau photo
A young pistachio orchard in Yolo County is shown earlier this year. California growers hope the global market can absorb more pistachios as the state’s bearing acreage continues to increase.
Vacaville Winters
Thursday, November 6
Winters JUSD School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., School District Office, Zoom Meeting info, check https://bit.ly/4fwmfHK or www.wintersjusd.org
Thursdays
Eat Well Yolo Food Distribution, first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. As supplies last, RISE, Inc., 417 Haven St., 530-668-0690, https://yolofoodbank.org/find-food
Saturday, November 8
Eat Well Yolo Drive – Through Food Distribution Saturdays, 11 a.m. As supplies last, Winters High student parking lot, off Railroad Avenue
Monday, November 10
Winters Community Blood Drive, 2–5:45 p.m., Winters Community Center (201 Railroad Ave.), Register at Vitalant.org or call 877-258-4825 with code 'SMFM164'
Winters Climate Action Commission Meeting, 6:30 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), Check cityofwinters. org/182/Climate-Action-Commission
Tuesday, November 11
Winters Hispanic Advisory Committee
6:30 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), www.cityofwinters. org/185/Hispanic-Advisory-Committee
Library Services
Winters Library Open to Public (School in Session), Winters Community Library, Mon/Wed: 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Tue/Thu: 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. , Sat: 1–5 p.m.
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 Tuesdays (September thru 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
Saved & Sober program Thursdays, 7p.m., The Rock Church West, 201 Main St. Winters Open Mic, third Thursday, 6 p.m. (sign-ups begin at 5:30 p.m.), Winters Opera House (13 Main St.), Visit wintersopenmic.org
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.
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.
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings:
» St. Anthony Parish Hall, 511 Main St. (back entrance) Tuesdays, 7-8 a.m. and Fridays, 7-8 a.m.
» Yolo Housing office building, 62 Shams Way: Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. and Sundays, 9 a.m.
Add value with storage HOMES, Page 2
Honoring Winters’ Spanish roots OPINION, Page 4 Winters holds strong in victory SPORTS, Page 6
Community Harvest ensures homegrown fruit doesn’t go to waste
By Rebecca Wasik McNaughton Media
Davis resident Linda Schwartz was in New Jersey visiting her son’s in-laws, newly retired, trying to think of a way to give back to her community.
She and her husband, Joe had noticed all the rotten fruit on the ground around town going to waste and had recently heard about a woman in Berkeley who was using her baby stroller to collect her neighbor’s fruit to pass along to other neighbors.
Watching the news in New Jersey, a story came up about a program in Northern California called “Village Harvest” in the East Bay. Village Harvest collects fruit from residential trees and gives it back to the community. A light bulb went off in Schwartz’s head.
The Schwartzes, alongside Pam and Greg Gibbs, began participating in some of Village Harvest’s efforts. This solidified the foursome’s desire to bring a program like this to Yolo County, thus Community Harvest was born.
Village Harvest was generous enough to put Community Harvest of Davis under their 501c3 while they were getting established. They also trained harvesters and lent equipment to the organization.
The Davis team of Village Harvest began in 2009, while Community Harvest of Davis was established in 2014.
In the past 11 years, Community Harvest of Davis has collected half a million pounds of fruit. There are over 200 donating homes in their database and they have over 400 volunteers.
“It is essentially this triangle of interconnectedness that takes fruit instead of allowing it to just completely be wasted,” board member John Aubert told The Enterprise. “It puts the food on somebody’s table without a lot of hassle to any given person involved. Homeowners benefit wildly from this because we leave homes better than we found them.”
Aubert says volunteers understand that fallen fruit can be a nuisance to homeowners. Community Harvest is sure to do a bit of yard work and clean up and is always happy to pick a certain amount of fruit to leave for the homeowner. Homeowners also get a tax deduction for their fruit donation to Community Harvest.
They are also sure to check with the homeowner if they would rather be home when the fruit is harvested and to talk about pet safety.
The organization is completely volunteer-run. One thing the Schwartz’ and Aubert love about Community Harvest is that families can volunteer as a whole, including children.
“We really encourage families to come
The bright yellow 2003 Dodge van, used by Community Harvest of Davis, was purchased from the Yolo Food Bank more than a decade ago and has long served as the nonprofit’s main vehicle for collecting fruit from local homes and orchards.
and make that link for their child between growing the fruit and getting it to people who need it,” said Linda Schwartz. “Giving them a chance to do community service at a young age is beautiful.”
Students from the Davis Joint Unified School District and UC Davis are also popular volunteers with the organization, especially when the group needs extra volunteers for harvesting small orchards.
“One of my big reasons for initially getting involved was that this is an organization that let me bring my little girls,” said Aubert. “When we have a harvest announcement, we let people know if it is a good one for small children with lots of low-hanging fruit. We tell the adults not to touch the low-hanging fruit. We see our role as helping build that ethos of volunteerism and community support.”
When it comes to distributing the food they collect, Community Harvest always prioritizes Davis. The organization has a network of low-income housing locations, senior housing
locations, night markets, pantries and free community fridges in which they donate to. If they happen to get an extremely large amount of an item, they will drive the rest to the Yolo Food Bank.
For years, Community Harvest used a Subaru Outback as its harvest transportation, storing fruit on top of the vehicle. 11 years ago, the organization was able purchase a 2003 Dodge van from the food bank for $5,000.
The bright lemon yellow van has served them well, but due to its age and mileage, it is regularly in the shop, costing the non-profit.
Community Harvest is now hosting a fundraiser, in hopes of purchasing a low-mileage used van to save them money and time in the long run.
“Each time we pay for maintenance, it takes away from what we’re going to have for equipment and gasoline,” said Linda Schwartz. “It has served us well but we have driven it into the ground.”
Linda Schwartz says one time when the van was in the shop, Aubert rented a newer
van that they could stand up in.
“Lifting crates of 50 to 60 pounds of fruit and having to bend over is tough,” said Linda Schwartz of the current van.
The Schwartz’ and Aubert agree that the van is instrumental to their operation and that things come to a grinding halt when it is not working properly.
“We have to work fairly fast,” said Aubert. “Food spoils, you know. It’s a timely issue.”
The fundraiser for the new van will take donations via online form, cash or check. The goal is to raise approximately $30,000 to $40,000.
Community Harvest would like to be able to get the new van as soon as possible, hopefully by the end of the year. To learn more about Community Harvest Davis or to donate to their van fundraiser, visit https://www. harvestdavis.org/ and https://www.facebook. com/HarvestDavis/.
For more information about Community Harvest Davis or questions, email info@harvestdavis.org.
Courtesy photo
Walt Neil, Kathy Bertagnolli, and Dorothy and Frank Martinez took their copy of the Express along on an American River Cruise exploring the Snake and Columbia rivers. The group posed with their hometown paper in front of Oregon’s iconic Multnomah Falls, a breathtaking two-tiered waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge that cascades 620 feet — the tallest in the state.
Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo Inside Community Harvest of Davis’ van, crates of freshly picked fruit await delivery to local food pantries and community fridges.
Maximize closet space to boost home appeal
Special to the Express
A well-organized closet isn’t just a personal convenience — it can also be a major selling point. Whether you’re staging your home for the market or simply aiming to live more comfortably, smart storage solutions can make a noticeable difference in how spacious and functional your home feels. Why closet space matters
Today’s buyers pay close attention to storage. Homes built before the 1980s often feature smaller closets and limited built-in storage, while modern buyers expect generous, well-organized spaces. Even if you can’t add new closets, a few creative updates can transform what you already have — and enhance your home’s perceived value.
1. Start with a clean slate Before upgrading, clear everything out. Sort, donate, or discard items you no longer need. Removing clutter instantly makes closets appear larger and more functional — something both homeowners and potential buyers appreciate.
2. Slim down your hangers Trade out bulky plastic or wooden hangers for slim, no-slip velvet ones. They’re stylish, space-saving, and help garments stay in place — a simple change that creates a more uniform, highend look.
3. Use labeled bins and baskets
Group accessories, handbags, and seasonal items into matching bins or baskets. Clear or labeled containers help maintain order and make storage areas look polished and intentional.
4. Add shelves or double rods Make the most of vertical space. Install shelves above rods for seldom-used items or add a second hanging bar for shorter garments. These upgrades are affordable, functional, and visually appealing during showings.
5. Consider a custom closet system For a more dramatic improvement, a built-in closet system adds both beauty and function. Professional organizers or closet companies can design spaces that adapt to your needs — a feature buyers notice and appreciate.
6. Think beyond the closet
Under-bed storage, benches with hidden compartments, and decorative armoires offer extra room in style. These solutions are especially helpful in older homes where closet space is limited.
Pending home sales hold steady in September
rose in the Northeast and South but declined in the Midwest and West.
Pending
the National Association of Realtors Pending Home Sales Report. The report provides the real estate ecosystem, including agents and homebuyers and sellers, with data on the level of home sales under contract.
September’s Realtors Confidence Index survey shows that 20 percent of NAR members expect an increase in buyer traffic over the next three months, up slightly from 19 percent last month and down slightly from 21 percent one year ago. Meanwhile, 19 percent expect an increase in seller traffic, unchanged from last month and down slightly from 20 percent in September 2024.
ty, though the government shutdown could temporarily slow home sales activity.” September 2025 national pending home sales • No change month over month
A little effort goes a long way.
Month-over-month and year-over-year pending home sales
“Contract signings matched the second-strongest pace of the year. However, signings have yet to fully reach the level needed for a healthy market despite mortgage rates reaching a one-year low,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.
“A record-high stock market and growing housing wealth in September were not enough to offset a likely softening job market.”
“Inventory has climbed to a fiveyear high, giving home buyers more options and room for price negotiation,” Yun added. “Looking ahead, mortgage rates are trending toward three-year lows, which should further improve affordabili-
The percent of change in pending home sales is based on the Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)* –a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on home-contract signings. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001.
Express Yourself
Letters
A heartfelt thank-you to Dinner on the Bridge supporters
The success of Dinner on the Bridge was made possible through the generous support of our sponsors. We are especially grateful to our Smile Maker Sponsor, Gilbert Network Group, along with our Bright Future Backer Sponsors, Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, District 4, Dignity Health, and Kaiser Permanente.
We also extend our appreciation to this year’s Table Sponsors: Anonymous Donor for Winters Healthcare Staff Attendance, Blair Grain, Robert Schultz, Buckhorn Steakhouse, Chris Kelsch, Club420 Dispensary, Jeffrey Uppington & Penny Herbert, John & Kristen Shepard, Sandy Vickrey, Valley Hydraulics, We Care 4 Yolo, and Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs. Finally, a kind and grateful thank you to our dining room partners, Buckhorn Steakhouse, Winters High School Culinary Arts Program, and Roxie’s Floral Co. Their culinary artistry and floral designs brought unforgettable flavor and beauty to the bridge, creating a night our community will always cherish.
CHRIS KELSCH Winters HealtHcare Foundation executive director
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. 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. Letters must be legibly signed by the writer. 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 wintersexpress.com.
Horoscopes
ARIES (Mar 21/Apr 20)
This is a great week to start a new project or hobby, Aries. Your energy is very high right now. Just be careful not to bite off more than you can chew.
TAURUS (Apr 21/May 21)
This week is all about treating yourself, Taurus. You have been working very hard and it’s about time you indulge in some well-deserved relaxation. Think about ways to unwind.
GEMINI (May 22/Jun 21)
Gemini, your social calendar is buzzing. You will be the life of the party this week, so get ready for some fun conversations and exciting invitations in the days to come.
CANCER (Jun 22/Jul 22)
You might be feeling particularly cozy and creative this week, Cancer. Your home is your sanctuary, so consider a DIY project to make it even more restful and comfortable.
LEO (Jul 23/Aug 23)
People may be drawn to your confident and playful nature this week, Leo. This is a great time to express yourself creatively or take the lead on a group activity.
VIRGO (Aug 24/Sept 22)
Virgo, you are a master of small details. This week you may find joy in organizing and perfecting something you care about. Tidying up may feel therapeutic right now.
LIBRA (Sept 23/Oct 23)
Libra, get ready for some surprises. The universe is giving you a little nudge towards fun and adventure. Keep in mind a casual outing could turn into an exciting experience.
SCORPIO (Oct 24/Nov 22)
Pay attention to your gut feelings, Scorpio. Your intuition is sharp this week. You may be able to navigate a tricky situation with surprising ease and do so in a good mood.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23/Dec 21)
A funny misunderstanding will lead to a lot of laughter with a close friend, Sagittarius. Don’t be afraid to tell jokes, even if they aren’t the best. Humor will land well this week.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22/Jan 20)
Your hard work is paying off, Capricorn. Take some time to celebrate your wins, big or small. You might find a new way to make a routine task more enjoyable.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21/Feb 18)
Creativity is flowing this week, Aquarius. You may have some innovative ideas, so don’t be afraid to share them with others. A brainstorming session with coworkers can be rewarding.
PISCES (Feb 19/Mar 20)
Pisces, right now your imagination is your best friend, so let it guide you to some fun and whimsical activities. This is a great time to listen to music or to learn to play an instrument.
Express Yourself
Watch out for the Spanish invasion
he Winters Muse-
Tum held an open house for the newest exhibit, “The Journey From Spain to Winters: Stories of Hard Work, Strong Families and Good Food.” This might be the most popular exhibit yet. Thank you, Gloria Lopez.
There is no denying the impact Spanish immigrants have had on Winters. A lot of our first Spanish citizens came through Hawaii in the early 1900s, after working on sugarcane and pineapple plantations; they were given entry into the United States, arriving in San Francisco. Later immigrants came through Ellis Island and came to Cal-
ifornia either by train or by ship around Cape Horn. Most of our Spanish population came from the same area in Southern Spain. A lot of them are related through marriage and are still a closeknit community. Early settlers pooled their money and bought land, starting in the foothills and later buying better land along Putah Creek. The descendants of these early immi-
grants still own farmland around Winters. Growing up in Winters, two of our grocery stores were owned by those who came here via Hawaii, the California Market and the Food Center. The Lorenzo family is still running what most of us call Town and Country Market, but the sign says Lorenzo’s Market. The original California Market is where the Pizza Factory is now. It was started by Juan
Lorenzo, grandfather to John Lorenzo, who now manages the store. As I’m writing this column, I’m munching on leftover polvorónes, almond cookies made from ground almonds, lard or Crisco, sugar and cinnamon. The original cookies made from lard (pig fat) are better, but I don’t think I have eaten a bad polvorón.
We have had several councilmen and a few mayors who are descendants of those early Spaniards. One of our biggest employers is Double M Trucking (Martin and Montoya). We are a richer community because of their influence and
continued presence.
Iwoke up an hour early on Sunday. Why? Because we still are adjusting our clocks for Daylight Saving Time. The U.S. Senate passed a bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, but the House of Representatives didn’t follow up. This one issue should be enough for all of us to vote against the incumbents in Congress. Because of the incompetence of our elected representatives, government services have been partially shut down for over a month, with no end in sight. Do you think Congress cares that it is disrupting
people’s lives and livelihoods? One part of the government that is still receiving paychecks is Congressmen and women. If you look up the Congressional approval rating for 2025, the Gallup poll says 15 percent of the people think that Congress is doing a good job. Who are those people and where do they live? Maybe they all receive, or used to receive, government assistance.
Something is wrong when we have a two-party system and they can’t even agree if the sky is blue. Enjoy your extra hour of sleep and have a good week.
Prop. 50 passage sets off a chain of political, legal maneuvers
By Dan Walters CalMatters
This commentary was originally published by
CalMatters.
When California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50 on Tuesday, they set in motion political and possibly legal maneuvers that will ultimately determine whether its overt purpose, increasing Democratic congressional members by five or more seats, becomes reality.
The first is a political scramble among politicians in both parties to determine who will run where in next year’s congressional elections.
Ambitious Democrats are lining up to run in the newly gerrymandered districts, some of which have been tailored to favor particular candidates.
The most obvious example is a district that stretches from the heavily Republican northeastern corner of the state to the northern suburbs of San Francisco,
Diverse
Perspectives
seemingly made to order for Mike McGuire, the outgoing president pro tem of the state Senate. In creating that district, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature aim to unseat Republican Doug LaMalfa, who now represents northeastern California in Congress.
The plan would, if successful, shrink Republican districts from nine to four, meaning that in some areas, such as in inland Southern California, current GOP incumbents would be compelled to either retire or joust among themselves for survival.
Prop. 50’s political impacts hinge on the assumption that maps ratified by the ballot measure actually are in effect for next year’s elections. While it’s likely they will be used, there’s a possibility that courts will intervene. By happenstance, Prop. 50’s pro-Democrat
gerrymander and the recent pro-Republican gerrymander in Texas are occurring just as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a major case involving the federal Voting Rights Act. Its outcome could impact both.
The Voting Rights Act, passed by Congress in 1965 to bolster the civil rights of minorities, particularly Black people in Southern states, prohibits any voting procedure “which results in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.”
While the law bars exclusionary voting laws, it has been widely interpreted to require creation of districts specifically to increase chances for racial groups to elect representatives from their communities.
California’s independent redistricting commission, in plans drawn after the 2010 and 2020 censuses, adopted that interpretation, and the newly gerryman-
dered districts do as well.
However, the interpretation is being challenged before the Supreme Court in a case out of Louisiana, and its conservative members, a majority, have indicated both during arguments and in past rulings that they may consider it to be racial discrimination against white voters.
“This court held that race-based affirmative action in higher education must come to an end,” Solicitor Gen. D. John Sauer wrote in his brief in the Louisiana case. The same is true, he said, for using the Voting Rights Act to draw legislative districts that are likely to elect Black or Latino candidates.
President Donald Trump’s Justice Department monitored Tuesday’s voting and could contend that California’s new congressional maps are discriminatory and should be suspended until the Supreme Court renders its
decision.
Trump seemed to hint about intervention in a Truth Social post Tuesday denouncing Prop. 50 as a “GIANT SCAM” and said that mailed ballots, by far the most prominent form of voting, disenfranchise Republicans and are “under very serious legal and criminal review.” He closed with “STAY TUNED!” In 2001, the threat of intervention by Republican President George W. Bush’s administration thwarted plans by California’s Legislature for a gerrymander favoring Democrats, forcing them to make a deal with Republicans on maps that maintained the partisan status quo. Even a brief interruption could undermine what Newsom and the Legislature seek in Prop. 50 because candidate filing for congressional districts opens on Dec. 19, and if the new maps are in legal limbo, current districts would be used for the 2026 elections.
Accountability in action: The Legislative Ledger
By Richard Casavecchia
Special to the Express
This week, I introduce a new column concept: The Legislative Ledger.
The purpose of The Legislative Ledger (potentially TLL for short) is to aggregate the votes of the elected folks who represent Winters on various topics without (or with minimal) commentary. The idea is to present a minimally biased overview of who is voting on what.
The people who will be included are elected officials, state level and below: The Winters City Council: Mayor Albert Vallecillo, Mayor Pro Tempore Bill Biasi, Councilmembers Richard Casavecchia (this writer), Jesse Loren and Carol Scianna; Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs; Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, and Senator Christopher Cabaldon.
Some bills are also given vague titles that do not inform the reader of what the bill does. At times, I presume a brief description of what AB/ SB “1234” does will be needed. But I will attempt to keep it as neutral as possible. City issues do not have bill numbers, so I will have to use either the title from the agendas or a quick summary. The ledger will likely have some evolution to it to fine-tune structure and layout once it is printed. My goal is to find a way to make it quick and easy to read or reference without becoming a block of text. The frequency will be monthly or quarterly, and sometimes there will not be anything to report.
The first ledger will attempt to include everything relevant from this state fiscal year: July to September. But with the volume of bills (many of
It feels like these days nearly everyone gets their information through the lens of their curated social media or corporate news of choice, which is aiming to solicit your clicks and ad views rather than provide information. This will be a different approach, focused on representative actions. I cannot say this will be completely without bias. Taking an honest look ahead, I know not every bill or issue voted on by the collective elected bodies can be listed. Nor is every vote or issue important or relevant to Winters. There will likely be some unavoidable bias in what is selected for inclusion.
which have no significant bearing on Winters), things will be omitted or missed.
City council reporting will primarily be formal votes, but may sometimes include direction to staff to bring an issue back or other discussion without formal legislative action. Discussion direction that is not simple to characterize will be omitted until there is a formal vote. Votes will be listed in alphabetical order and separated by Aye and No.
County items will be those that affect Winters or people or programs within Winters.
State bills will be those that pass and are of interest to or impact on residents of Winters. If there is ever a bill that I miss that you believe is relevant to Winters, please let me know, and I will read up on it and potentially include it in the next ledger. You may be frustrated and want to know more when you read the titles/summaries of these actions, good. Since this is not a commentary, I encourage you to go read more on the topic that interests you. This column will not be the place for detailed information on issues.
My hope here is to provide a quick,
periodic snapshot of the legislative actions of the government. And at the same time, highlight issues that may not make it to local news or break through the echo chambers social media creates on our behalf.
Ledger 1: July –September 2025
City of Winters
Food Trucks: July 1, 2025. This was an amendment to the existing ordinance to clarify legal definitions and discuss allowing Food Trucks to operate in legal parking spaces next to the curb or on other public property. A yes vote would continue to require a CUP for private property operations regardless of zoning and prohibit Food Trucks from operating on the street (vs allowing operation parked next to a curb).
Aye: Biasi, Loren, Vallecillo, Scianna No: Casavecchia Presentation on Traffic Calming: Oct. 5, 2025. No formal action, just direction to Staff to bring back proposal to update city traffic calming plan to increase safety for non vehicular traffic.
Unanimous direction to bring back Northbay Healthcare
Bond: Oct. 14, 2025. Regulatory approval to allow Northbay Health to issue bonds to buy out the investment by California Forever. (No financial impact or responsibility to the city, the city was the local approving authority).
Aye: Biasi, Casavecchia, Loren, Vallecillo, Scianna No: None
Discussion on Banning Safe and Sane Fireworks and July 3rd City Fireworks Show: Sept. 2, 2025. Discussion with lots of public comment about banning the sale and use of safe and sane fireworks and potentially not continuing the fireworks show at the high school.
Aye: None No: Biasi, Casavecchia, Loren, Vallecillo, Scianna Farmstead Development: Sept. 19, 2025. Item to review the Development agreement, Environmental study, and Tentative map for the property on the north side of Grant Ave just east of Lorenzo’s Market. Discussion was had about adding bike lanes but it was not feasible without re-drawing the entire map, which meets existing design standards.
Aye: Biasi, Casavecchia, Loren, Vallecillo, Scianna No: None
Yolo County: Supervisor Lucas Frerichs
• Grant to Yolo Food Bank for the Cultivo Program in the Greater Winters Area July 22,2025
Aye
• 45-day stop on approvals of New Agriculture Wells to be reviewed Oct. 7 to determine if it will be extended or removed Aug. 26, 2025.
Aye
State
SB 71: Extends California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Exemption for Pedestrian and Bicycle projects indefinitely (this excludes these projects from environmental regulations requiring consideration and mitigation of negative environmental impacts resulting from a project).
Curry: Aye Cabaldon: Aye SB 79: Encourages development of, and removes local control over housing projects near certain transit stops. It also mandates increased density in those locations, and Requires Union labor/prevailing wage for any residential construction over 85’ tall. (Author’s note: this will likely make projects stay under 85’
Arts & Entertainment
Evie Ladin Band brings high-energy Americana to Winters Opera House
Special to the Express
The Evie Ladin Band takes the stage at the Winters Opera House on Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m. for an unforgettable evening of high-energy Americana, rhythm, and storytelling.
Featuring Evie Ladin on clawhammer banjo and vocals, Keith Terry on bass and body percussion, and Erik Pearson on guitar and banjo, this tenacious trio is known for their captivating, truly entertaining live shows.
Writing clever, engaging songs for her neo-trad kinetic roots band, Evie La-
din blends traditional and contemporary sounds into something uniquely her own.
The band has released five acclaimed albums, plus Riding the Rooster — a collection of totally traditional, raging fiddle-and-banjo duets that pay homage to their Appalachian roots.
Grounded in old-time string music and seasoned with African-diaspora rhythms, the Evie Ladin Band blurs the lines between music and dance. The polyrhythmic heat of Evie’s banjo, her resonant voice,
and the interplay of instruments around her create an infectious groove that gets audiences on their feet.
It promises to be an exciting evening of music and energy at the Winters Opera House. Don’t miss out, tickets are available at the door or online at www. winterstheatre.org. For more information, call 530795-4047.
Ticket scam warning: Winters Theatre Company only accepts online tickets through Eventbrite or tickets purchased at the door. Tickets offered by any other agencies will not be honored.
Juice boxes ready! DMTC brings ‘Putnam County Spelling Bee’ to life
Special to the Express
Davis Musical Theatre Company is excited to present the charming and heartwarming musical, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” on Friday.
This musical features an eclectic group of six mid-pubescents who vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crush-
LEDGER
Continued from Page 4
since prevailing wage is in excess of the going market wage)
Curry: Abstain/Absent
Cabaldon: Aye
SB 81: Prohibits Immigration enforcement from entering healthcare facilities
ing, pout-inducing, life-unaffirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! At least the losers get a juice box.
Please note that this show contains discussion of puberty, mature subject matter, and sexually suggestive content, and is not recommended for children.
This smart cast features Danny Beldi as Chip Tolentino, Sierra Sheehan as Logainne Schwartzandgrubeniere, Eduard Arakelyan as Leaf Coneybear, Caleb Ray
without a warrant.
Curry: Aye
Cabaldon: Aye
SB 704: Requires background checks for firearm barrels.
Curry: Aye
Cabaldon: Aye
SB 707: Extends remote participation in governmental meetings to 2030.
Curry: Aye
as William Barfee, Alexandra Amato as Marcy Park, Logan Sexton as Olive Ostrovsky, Alaina Brenner as Rona Lisa Peretti, Adam Russ as Douglas Panch, and Josh Brown as Mitch Mahoney.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (underwritten by Suzy Goldschmidt, in honor of David Goldschmidt) opens Friday, Nov. 7, and plays through Sunday, Nov. 30, at the Jean Henderson Performing Arts Center, 607 Pena Dr., No. 10, in Davis.
The show is directed and choreographed by Téa Pusey, with musical direction by Tonya Whitsun-Whennen and Kyle Jackson. It features music and lyrics by William Finn, with a book written by Rachel Sheinkin, created by Rebecca Feldman
Cabaldon: Abstain/ Absent
AB 495: Expands who is authorized to check a student out of school without parental permission.
Curry: Aye
Cabaldon: Aye
AB 564: Reduces Cannabis Excise Tax to 15 percent.
Curry: Aye
Cabaldon: Aye
AB 604: Draws a new statewide congressional map and places Prop 50 on the November ballot.
Curry: Sponsored, Aye
Cabaldon: Aye
AB 825: Authorizes California to join the Western Regional Energy Market.
Curry: Aye
Cabaldon: Aye
AB 1078: Limits resi-
dents to three firearm purchases within 30 days. (A recent court decision ruled that limiting people to one firearm purchase in 30 days is unconstitutional; this bill is in response to that.)
Curry: Aye
Cabaldon: Aye
AB 1127: Bans the purchase of new Glock handguns or any other semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform
with additional material by Jay Reiss. It is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International. Tickets and Reserved Seating are $20 for General and $18 for Students and Seniors (age 55 and up), with a $2 per ticket facility fee added to each ticket. Tickets can be purchased online at dmtc.org or by calling 530-756-3682. Relive your childhood days, have some laughs, and see if you can spell along with the contestants! The company hopes to see you there, equipped with a juice box!
trigger bar.
Curry: Aye
Cabaldon: Aye
The following resources were used in researching and retrieving information on the above legislation: Legiscan.com, leginfo.legislature. ca.gov, cityofwinters. org, yolocounty.gov, calmatters.org, californiaglobe.com and calcog.org.
Snoopy and the
a traveling exhibition celebrating one of the most iconic personas of Charles M. Schulz’s beloved Peanuts character, is on view at the Aerospace Museum of California through Dec. 31. Visitors can explore the Flying Ace storyline through high-quality reproductions of original comic strips while discovering the rich World War I history Schulz wove into nearly every strip. Guests can also step into character as Snoopy’s alter ego by donning flying caps and goggles for a memorable photo next to Snoopy’s doghouse.
The Aerospace Museum of California at 3200 Freedom Park Dr., McClellan Park, and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
For tickets and details, visit aerospaceca.org or call 916-6433192.
The Evie Ladin Band brings her signature clawhammer banjo, resonant voice and rhythmic energy to the Winters Opera House stage.
Courtesy photo Snoopy, Red Baron exhibit takes flight at Aerospace Museum Express staff
Red Baron,
KLJ Studios/Courtesy photo
These spellers cannot wait for a chance to compete at the Bee! Come join them (yes, you too could be a speller!) at DMTC!” From left are Alaina Brenner, Danny Beldi, Sierra Sheehan, Eduard Arakelyan, Caleb Ray, Alexandra Amato, Logan Sexton, Adam Russ and Josh Brown.
1207 Front Street, Sacramento. laughsunlimited@ gmail.com, 916-446-8128
GamperDrums:
Ding Dong @ 9:30pm Monarch, 101 6th St, San Fran‐cisco
Funcheap SF Presents: #HellaFunny Comedy Night @ 10pm Cobb's Comedy Club, San Fran‐cisco
Abstract Mixed Media & Drawing Workshop with Sara Post @ 10am / $380 Nov 8th - Nov 9th Dive into abstract art in this 2-day workshop with Sara Post! Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis. pence socialmedia@gmail.com, 530-7583370
Annual Textile Arts Council
Bazaar
@ 10am Shop the Annual TAC Bazaar on November 8th at St. Mary's Cathe‐dral! Over 30 vendors from the Bay Area and beyond offer textiles, vin‐tage clothes & jewelry. Free entry/ parking. Supports fair trade! Cathedral of Saint Mary of the As‐sumption, 1111 Gough Street, San Francisco. shirleyjuster.tac@ gmail.com
Howell Mountain Harvest Celebration @ 1pm / $175 Experience the Howell Mountain Harvest Celebration and indulge yourself in world-class wines from 30+ Howell Mountain wineries pouring 100 unique wines paired with gourmet small bites! CIA at Copia (The Culinary Institute of America at Copia), 500 1st Street, Napa. sampeters_hmvga@ live.com, 707-965-2665
200 Stab Wounds
@ 6pm Gold�eld Trading Post - Sacra‐mento, 1630 J Street, Sacramento
Skynnyn Lynnyrd
@ 7:30pm / $35 Winters Live proudly presents Skynnyn Lynnyrd — the West Coast’s pre‐mier Lynyrd Skynyrd trib‐ute band, faithfully recre‐ating the sound and soul of Southern rock legends. Winters Opera House home of the Winters The‐atre Company, 13 Main Street, Winters. winter slive9@gmail.com, 530795-4014
Black Salt @ 8pm August Hall, 420 Mason St, San Francisco
Pieces of the Night @ 8pm The Hotel Utah Saloon, 500 4th St, San Francisco
Julius Papp: A Scorpio Affair at Hawthorn in San Francisco... @ 9pm Hawthorn, 46 Geary St, San Fran‐cisco
George Kahumoku Jr: Island Ties FundraiserNapa 2025 @ 11am The Studio by Feast it Forward, 1031 McKinstry St, Napa
Banda los recoditos @ 1pm Solano County Fair Association, 900 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo
Banda El Recodo @ 1pm Solano County Fair Association, 900 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo
Davis Lutheran Church presents: A Lieder Recital, Sunday Nov 9 at 3 pm
@ 3pm A recital featuring R. Schumann’s Dichterliebe and songs by Schu‐bert, Brahms, and R. Strauss. Davis Lutheran Church ELCA, 317 East 8th Street, Davis. of�ce@ davislutheran.org, 530-756-5052
Nekromantix @ 7pm The Starlet Room, 2708 J St, Sacramento
EVERY‐BODY, an Immersive Dramatic Comedy Presented by Solano College Theatre @ 2pm / $10-$24
Discovering that their end is nigh, the character Everybody frantically seeks answers to life's big questions! November 723, 2025 Tickets: www.solanocollegethe‐atre.org Solano College Theatre, 4000 Suisun Val‐ley Road, Fair�eld. SCT@ solano.edu, 707-864-7100
The Tunnel @ 7pm DNA Lounge, 375 11th St, San Francisco
Black Polish @ 8pm Brick and Mortar Music Hall, San Francisco
Give Veterans a Smile: Free Health Fair for Veterans @ 10am Free dental and health screenings for military veterans Paci�c Health Care Collaborative, 3333 3rd Av‐enue, Sacramento. pr@paci�c.edu
Megan Katarina @ 11:30am Private Corporate Event, Yountville
FREE Strength & Fitness
Class
@ 1:15pm Free Strength & Fitness class at the Davis Lutheran Church Davis Lutheran Church ELCA, 317 East 8th Street, Davis. tina�tness68@ gmail.com
Children's Kung Fu Classes at the Davis Arts Center
@ 3:15pm Tina Fitness is now offering chil‐dren's Kung Fu classes at the Davis Arts Center! Davis Arts Cen‐ter, 1919 F Street, Davis. duanke jie68@gmail.com
In the Distance by Hernán Diaz - Meeting #1 (Fat Rabbit)
@ 6pm The Fat Rabbit Public House, 825 Decatur St, Folsom
Marinero @ 8pm Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell St, San Francisco
Shudder to Think @ 8pm Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 1710 Mission St, San Francisco
S.R. Laws Original Acoustic Song‐writer plays Fox & Goose Public House - Sacramento, CA @ 7pm Fox & Goose Public House, 1001 R St, Sacra‐mento Dave Ricketts Music: Dave Ricketts at The Sea Star
@ 7pm The Sea Star, 2289 3rd St, San
Body Balance Class
Unof�cial:
@ 8:45am New �tness class for adults at the Davis Senior Center: Body Balance Davis Senior Center, 646 A Street, Davis. tina�tness68@gmail.com
Retired Public Employees Association of California Chapter 035 Quarterly Meeting @ 11:30am / Free Reservations are required and may be made by calling or texting Rachel at (510) 501-2104. The deadline for reservations is Friday November 7, 2025. The luncheon is free for all members and guests. Napa Elks Lodge #832, 2840 Soscol Avenue, Napa. rmaziminia@ aol.com, 510-501-2104
Children's Gymnastics Classes
@ 2pm
Two types of gymnastics classes for children offered Wednesdays at the Davis Arts Center Davis Arts Center, 1919 F Street, Davis. du ankejie68@gmail.com
Sheer Terror
@ 7pm Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St, Sacra‐mento
Bayonet
@ 7pm Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St, Sacra‐mento
Lightnin' Luke @ 8pm Cafe Colo‐nial, 3520 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento
Karen Less
@ 8pm Bottom Of the Hill, 1233 17th St, San Francisco
My Dog Jack @ 8pm Bottom Of the Hill, 1233 17th St, San Francisco
Beginning + Intermediate
Tai Chi
@ 10:15am Tai chi classes for beginning and intermediate practitioners Davis Arts Center, 1919 F Street, Davis. tina�tness68@gmail.com
Jacob's Ladder
@ 6:30pm Congregation Beth Sholom, 301 14th Ave, San Francisco
Christian JohnsonLive Comedy @ 7pm / $30 Christian Johnson is a ris‐ing star with contagious good energy, a unique style, and refreshing clean comedy. He is known for his viral comedic videos as “Uncle Nathaniel” Laughs Unlimited Comedy Club and Lounge, 1207 Front Street, Sacramento. laughsunlimited@ gmail.com, 916-446-8128 Rose Haze @ 7:30pm
end is nigh, the character Everybody frantically seeks answers to life's big ques‐tions! November 7-23, 2025 Tick‐ets: www.solanocollegethe‐atre.org Solano College Theatre, 4000 Suisun Valley Road, Fair�eld. SCT@solano.edu, 707-864-7100
Pence Gallery Holiday Market @ 11:30am Nov 14th - Dec 24th
Discover one-of-a-kind gifts for the season in our annual Holiday Mar‐ket! Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis. pencesocialmedia@ gmail.com, 530-758-3370
Live@DCC Free Noon Concert, Friday November 14: Brassy! @ 12pm
Live@DCC presents Brassy!, a fun brass quintet, on Friday, November 14, 12:00 - 1pm. Enjoy a fun hour of eclectic music from Handel to Gershwin! Davis Community Church, Davis. luannhiggs@ gmail.com, 916-600-8872
2nd Friday ArtAbout at the Pence Gallery @ 6pm Don't miss our free art re‐ception & opening of our annual Holiday Market! Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis. pencesocial media@gmail.com, 530758-3370 Taken By Tides @ 6pm
Ace Of Spades, 1417 R St, Sacra‐mento Autumn Kings @ 7pm Ace Of Spades, 1417 R St, Sacra‐mento
NOXYN: Hard frequency: Chamoybaby @ 9pm Redlight Lounge, 2326 J St, Sacra‐mento
Tahir Moore - Live Comedy @ 9:30pm / $29 Nov 14th - Nov 15th Tahir Moore is a comedian, actor, writer, producer, and all-around creative force. Born and raised in Esta St. Louis, IL, Tahir found his way to the stage after a couple of gunpoint robberies Laughs Unlim‐ited Comedy Club and Lounge, 1207 Front Street, Sacramento. laughsunlimited@gmail.com, 916446-8128 Commu‐nity
Holiday Boutique @ 9am The United Methodist Women at Community U. M. Church are once again hosting their popular "Community Angels" hand-crafted Holiday Boutique on Saturday, No‐vember 15, 2025. Includes fresh bakery items! Com‐munity United Methodist Church of Fair�eld and Suisun City, 1875 Fair�eld Avenue, Fair�eld. commu nityangels1875@ gmail.com, 707-426-2944 The