City’s Prop 218 initiative approved
By Logan Chrisp Express staff writer
On Tuesday, Aug. 6, the Winters City Council approved Proposition 218 after a majority of the weighted ballots received voted in favor of the resolution.
Prop 218 has been a contentious resolution since it’s proposal in January. The Winters Fire Chief Jack S Snyder III had hosted town hall meetings and local stakeholder presentations with the community and property owners to address concerns and answer questions about the resolution.
Ballots were “weighted by the proportional financial obligation of the property for which the ballots are submitted,” according to the engineer’s report. A total of 2,196 ballots were sent out, and 641 were returned, meaning roughly 29 percent of the ballots mailed to property owners were received by the city in time to be included in the count on Tuesday night.
In order for council members to move forward with a final vote on the matter, 50 percent plus one of the weighted ballots had to be in support of Prop 218. Of the 641 ballots counted, 292 ballots representing $96,987 were cast in support of Prop 218, while 345 ballots representing $91,478 were cast in opposition.
The council members voted 4–1 in favor of passing the measure, which approved the collection of property taxes as detailed in the assement.
Council member Richard Casevecchia voiced hesitation to vote yes, and was the
sole no vote.
“I’m not sure how I feel about this one. I didn’t realize it was weighted by property value before tonight,” Casevecchia said when Mayor Bill Biasi prompted for comments from the council before their vote.
Public feedback
Several community members attending the meeting made it clear that they were against passing the measure for several reasons. Many of them cited the approved purchase of a new ladder truck, as well as how the fire department has utilized the staff it has.
“Staffing is compelling and I understand that the chief needs more staff because we’ve been talking about this for 10 years, but the city has ignored it for the last 10 years — you can’t say we have a staffing issue today and then we send out an engine to Chico with four people on it to protect their community from a wildfire,” said resident Ron Karlen.
Karlan continued, “You’re going out to buy a ladder truck — it could have been the worst decision you’ve ever made. Now you’re in debt of $2 million over 12 years that you don’t have the funds for unless we pass the tax to give you additional revenue to help pay for that ladder truck because you only have a million dollars in the bank today.”
Snyder told the Express that the mentioned ladder truck was originally approved by city council in December 2023.
Council members approved utilizing impact fees from the city for the ladder truck purchase. While Prop 218 funding is designed to include fleet replacement,
See VOTE, Page 5
Thompson, local officials celebrate 89th anniversary of Social Security
By Rebecca Wasik McNaughton Media
There was an 89th birthday celebration held at the Woodland Senior Center on Tuesday, Aug. 6. It wasn’t for a senior citizen however, but rather for something many of them rely on — Social Security.
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena hosted the celebration as a way to highlight the importance of the program to not only Yolo County residents but also the local economy.
“It’s rent, it’s a house payment, it’s utilities, it’s gasoline, it’s groceries, food, clothing,” said Thompson. “That money multiplies across the community. That is the important thing to understand.”
The congressman told a story about his grandmother, who spent her life living in his hometown of St. Helena. She had multiple jobs in her life, including making gloves at the Napa Glove Factory and wine labels at a winery. Thompson had no idea of her finances until going through
Weather
her paperwork one day when he found her retirement pension information. She was a member of the Winery Workers Distillers Union and received $53 per month.
“That solidified it right there,” remarked Thompson. “She would not have been able to live out her retirement years in a secure way with dignity if it weren’t for Social Security. Social Security allowed her after a lifetime of working to have a safe retirement.”
Alongside his colleague John Larson of Connecticut, Thomp-
son is co-sponsoring legislation (Social Security 2100 Act) that would increase the benefits of social security.
“The Larson bill adjusts the formula by which Social Security increases are determined to make it more reflective of the everyday prices that Social Security recipients deal with,” said Thompson.
Thompson also touched on some politicians wanting to privatize Social Security. Privatization would replace the current tax-funded system with private retirement accounts,
which workers would invest in and manage themselves. He said he was approached by a constituent who said he and his friends were scared to death that the Social Security program was bankrupt and that they were going to lose their benefits.
“Don’t worry,” Thompson assured the crowd.
“The wheels have not fallen off. There is certainly a need to fix it but if not, the benefits will remain the same for the foreseeable future.”
See EVENT, Page 5
County offers free school crossing guard training
Express staff
The Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program of the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) is conducting several crossing guard trainings in August and September. These free training sessions are open to anyone but are focused to support people who work or volunteer as school crossing
guards. Participants will learn about the roles and responsibilities of crossing guards, relevant laws and traffic regulations and proper crossing techniques. School crossing guards are crucial in creating a safe environment for students walking and biking to and from school. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program will follow the cross-
ing guard training guidelines developed by the California Department of Transportation Active Transportation Resource Center, which has standardized training for school crossing guards. Training dates
There are eight opportunities to participate with six in-person trainings and
See TRAINING, Page 5
Volume 141, Number 28 — Locally-owned since 1884 Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, August 14, 2024
The hometown paper of Judith Arce
Rebecca Wasik/McNaughton Media
Winters resident Kate Laddish was a featured speaker at Rep. Mike Thompson’s Social Security anniversary event. Laddish shared the impact of the program in her life.
Rebecca Wasik/McNaughton Media
Winters resident Kate Laddish, Woodland City Councilmember Tom Stallard, Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, Winters City Councilmember Jesse Loren, Supervisor Jim Provensa and Rep. Mike Thompson, lead a sing-a-long of “Happy
Birthday” at Thompson’s celebration for the 89th anniversary of Social Security in Woodland last Tuesday.
High schools’ student achievement plan focuses on staff training, more resources
By Angela Underwood Express correspondent
Winters High School
Principal Justin Young enthusiastically told school officials he loves the School Plans for Student Achievement (SPSA) program.
“There is honestly no other sarcasm in that statement because Dr. (Jonathan) Feagle told me this year that a strong, coherent SPSA outlines the priorities and how you are going to achieve those,” Young said of the report presented to Winters Joint Unified School District officials.
Like all SPSAs, Young pointed out the three goals, which include preparing for college and career, learning conditions, and having a safe and engaging educational environment. Young addressed the School Site Council (which makes decisions for both WHS and Wolfskill Career Readiness Academy), which includes school staff, teachers, and community members who worked with Young on the SPSA.
Young said the site council looked at various data sources to provide feedback, “especially the student’s voice, who is in this narrative as well.”
The principal said college and career readiness, goal one,
aligns with the Winters Middle School and the Advanced Via Individual Determination (AVID) strategies.
The process of “writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading schoolwide is also an avenue of professional learning and not just in a silo with AVID electives,” Young said. “We will use it to train and certify all of our teachers during professional learning and also utilize professional learning community time to look at assessments and our own structural practices through those AVID strategies,” Young added. English language learners will continue to see programs and the commitment of all staff to better communicate with bilingual students. According to the principal, the freshman class also sees special attention in hopes of a “smooth transition” from middle school into a yearlong mentorship that includes a trip to the University of California, Los Angeles.
Speaking of higher education, Young said, “We are excited about our dual enrollment courses,” which will now add in agricultural and culinary courses.
Goals two and three, learning conditions and a safe environ-
CHP seeks public info in Woodland-area shooting
By Lauren Keene McNaughton Media
The California Highway Patrol is seeking witnesses to an Aug. 1 shooting between two vehicles that left one person injured.
Woodland CHP Officer Rodney Fitzhugh said in a news release Thursday that officers responded shortly after 4:30 p.m. to the shooting in the area of Highway 113 near Best Ranch Road, just north of Woodland.
Someone in one vehicle, described
only as a black fourdoor sedan, shot at another vehicle and caused minor injuries to one of the occupants before fleeing the scene, Fitzhugh said.
Anyone who witnessed, has knowledge of or may have dash camera footage of the incident is urged to contact the CHP’s Valley Division Investigative Services Unit at 916-731-6580.
ment, are also similar to the middle school. For goal two, the state updated the math framework “so we are focusing a year on investing time and resources” to align with the new structure, Young said.
As noted in goal one, Young said AVID falls under goal two, so officials will be supporting students in that process as well.
“For goal three, we want to ensure all of our students, staff, community, and fam-
three SPSA goals for the CRA’s plan including college, career and civic readiness; conditions of learning; and an engaging, safe and welcoming learning environment.
“There is much commonality in our goals and priorities,” Young explained to board members and school officials for WUSD. “Achieving those same goals and priorities may seem different.”
Young thanked the site council members
“That was the biggest indicator and concern about ensuring our student’s safety in the youth group data we saw earlier this year.”
Justin Young, principal
ilies feel welcome on campus,” Young said.
“That was the biggest indicator and concern about ensuring our student’s safety in the youth group data we saw earlier this year.”
Young said educators will become more informed on “cultural competency and professional learning.
Wolfskill CRA plan
Young, who is also the Principal for the Wolfskill Career Readiness Academy, detailed the same
again for their double efforts through the comprehensive process.
“This upcoming school year, we will have significantly more funding at the Career Readiness Academy for Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) funding,” Young said, adding the school received another restricted fund source in the Local Control Funding Formula Equity Multiplier (LCCF).
Qualifying for CSI funding entails adhering to requirements that prove honest use of the monetary contributions that lead to success.
“That is great, and it fits in perfectly with the SPSA,” Young said, adding that officials need to thoroughly assess the school’s current performance, which the SSC has already completed.
“The LCCF provides additional funding to school districts for allocation to school sites with prior year, so this is from last year’s school year, non-stability rates greater than 25 percent and prior year socioeconomically disadvantaged student rates greater than 70 percent.”
Wolfskill CRA meets all the criteria, according to the principal.
“Again, we are required to document our efforts to improve those outcomes for our students throughout this year,” Young said.
The first goal, college, career, and civic readiness, includes several bullet points, including college and trade school visits, vocational field trips, community membership programs, and Individualized Learning Plans (ILP).
Like WHA, Young said he is excited
about the “field based and experiential learning projects,” thus far that lets students engage actively in the community. Young pointed out the three newly planted trees revealed at the recent high school graduation ceremony, saying students involved in civic engagement planted them.
Goal two: Conditions of learning will continue on-site high schoolwide with AVID strategies, according to Young, who added the unique opportunity at CRA to offer “further project-based learning that is relevant and engaging for students.”
One way is to work with other alternative schools and innovative programs, gauging the success of those programs and students. Goal three, according to Young, builds on the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) work done by students already. Young noted the student feedback that he looks forward to implementing.
“We are excited to build that framework out best in social and emotional learning, and also explore things like restorative practice garden and makerspace for our students to engage in learning and restoration,” Young said.
Yolo DA’s forensics lab earns accreditation
Special to the Express
The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office High-Tech Crimes Unit’s Digital Forensics Lab received accreditation from the ANSI National Accreditation Board earlier this year, District Attorney Jeff Reisig recently announced. Forensic accreditation provides confidence in the testing, inspections and calibrations conducted by governmental and private agencies for use in criminal and civil proceedings. Accreditation from ANAB establishes that the DFL meets international standards and best practices for conducting digital forensic examinations.
The ANAB assessment team spent three days reviewing
the DFL’s quality assurance policies and procedures, as well as quality control practices that include proficiency testing, peer reviews and the internal and external audits that verify the competency of the staff using validated methods that produce
reliable and consistent forensic results.
There are more than 200 accreditation standards that must be met to achieve accreditation. The DFL met all assessed standards with no findings of non-conformance.
This is an exceptional achievement for a laboratory undergoing its first assessment. The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office is only the fifth DA’s office in the country and second in California to have an accredited digital forensics lab.
Recognizing the need for digital forensics in investigating high-tech crimes, Reisig established the High-Tech Crimes Unit in 2010 with the help of Chief Investigator Pete Martin as he neared retirement.
The unit began with three part-time retired annuitants: Martin; Brent Buehring,
who had worked as a forensic investigator with the Sacramento Valley High-Tech Crimes Unit; and Dorothy Pearson, a retired Davis police lieutenant. In 2015, John Sadlowski joined the High-Tech Crimes Unit as the first fulltime forensic investigator. He has built the unit up to now achieving internationally recognized accreditation. The unit is currently staffed by Sadlowski, two digital forensic analysts, Michael Wise and Christopher Kumata, and one support specialist, Pat Snyder.
The unit is a member of the Sacramento Valley High-Tech Crimes Task Force and Internet Crimes Against Children. In partnership with the local law enforcement agencies, the HighTech Crimes Unit is responsible for most of the digital forensic analyses for all law enforcement agencies in Yolo County, aiding in the investigation and prosecution of felony criminal cases in the county.
Along with allied agency partnerships, conduct digital forensics for items searched as part of the DA’s annual sex offender sweep, Operation Vigilance. They also testify in court as experts in the field of digital forensics.
Courtesy photo
A forensic examiner from the Yolo County District Attorney’s High Technology Unit analyzes a cell phone during “Operation Vigilance,” a countywide compliance check of registered sex offenders.
Waggoner hosts Spirit of Winters mural
By Logan Chrisp Express staff writer
Editor’s note: This article was originally printed in the Aug. 7 edition of the Winters Express. However, half of it was inadvertently left out. The article in it’s entirety is printed in this edition.
The colorful Spirit of Winters inspired at mural at Waggoner Elementary School was completed on May 20, after many weeks of hard work from multiple young artists. Six high school students assisted over 100 Waggoner students who had worked on the mural, under the leadership of professional muralist Jamie Montiel.
The mural was planned, funded, and executed with the collaboration of several Winters groups including the school district, the Spirit of Winters community group and the Winters Participation Gallery.
“The mural is based on what students feel is special about Winters. There was a lesson done with all K through 5th-grade students where they were read a book and then drew or wrote about what was special about Winters. The high school students took those drawings to develop the mural,” said Jill Aguiar, Expanding Learning and Opportunity Program Coordinator.
The book used for inspiration was “My Papi Has a Motorcycle” by Isabel Quintero. The story is about how a young girl explores her hometown with her dad one evening. In the story, the main character reminisces about all the familiar landmarks that make her town so special. Aguiar had the students write down their reactions to the story and hired high school students to create sketches used to design the mural.
The Spirit of Winters mural features iconic Winters landmarks, such as the city of Winters’ water tower and the Rotary Park gazebo, as well as images that reminded the young painters of their town and community, such as tractors, playgrounds,
sunflowers and a rainbow symbolizing the green river itself, Putah Creek.
Much like the painters, the design of the mural is quite spontaneous.
“I love that the students were the people who decided what would be on the mural through the assignment that they did. And then the high school students took what they said and, you know, designed it into that mural.
The elementary kids said, ‘Oh, I love my pet. That’s a great thing about Winters is my pet.’ So, there’s a dog and a cat on there. The elementary kids talked about what they loved about Winters, and then the high school kids put the design together and mentored the young kids as they were painting,” said Liz Coman, Winters Participation Gallery chair. The mentors were compensated for their efforts on the mural, which is in line with the Winters Participation Gallery’s philosophy that artists should be financially compensated for their work, similar to their practice of hiring professional artists for their annual mural projects. The high school students were all hired by the school district to make sketches and present them for approval, as well as to continue working on the mural with the elementary school students.
“We treated it as a work-based learning activity. They had to be interviewed before they could be on the design committee. Jamie Montiel was the supervisor and Jill Aguiar kept track of who showed up and when they showed up, and they were paid for the hours they worked,” said Coman.
The colorful mural features a children’s book style that may be indicative of the artists themselves. With so many contributing, not all the young painters could stay inside the lines when painting, “But there’s always something that they can contribute to,” said Montiel.
The Spirit of Win-
ters Mural is one of many that have now been completed by the Winters Participation Gallery, all done in collaboration with students and professional artists, leaving their mark on their community. This mural is one of many projects brought forth from the Spirit of Winters group, whose mission is to make the city of Winters as welcoming as it can be. The group itself has members from various parts of Winters including Winters Superintendent Rody Boonchouy.
“The Spirit of Winters component is that it made sense for our students to be able to work with community-based organizations that are promoting solidarity in Winters, and an expression of gratitude for the community in which they live,” Boonchouy said of the collaboration. “That particular mural is fantastic because it welcomes visitors coming down (Hwy 128) from Berryessa. It’s one of the first things you see on the wall there at Waggoner.”
The Spirit of Winters group meets regularly to discuss how it can make the Winters community a more welcoming place for all and to help promote events that bring the community together. Plans are being made for more artistic projects to make Winters an even brighter and friendly place.
“We hope that we can continue to support the development of murals like that all around town because there’s so much to love about this community, and this community plays such an important role in the education and the growth of our students that we want to get them out and about to reflect that gratitude and appreciation,” said Boonchouy.
Cincuenta y cinco miembros de la comunidad se reunieron en la Biblioteca de Winters Community Library para celebrar a 20 personas que recientemente obtuvieron su ciudadanía estadounidense el 30 de Julio. El evento contó con oradores destacados e historias de los homenajeados.
La comunidad celebra
a los nuevos ciudadanos estadounidenses
Redacción del Express
El pasado 30 de Julio, 55 miembros de la comunidad se reunieron para celebrar la ciudadanía de un grupo de nuevos ciudadanos estadounidenses en la Biblioteca Winters Community Library. La Biblioteca del Yolo County Library, el Comité Winters Hispanic Advisory Committee (Winters HAC) y Winters Community Corazón se asociaron para organizar la celebración de la ciudadanía en honor a 20 personas que recientemente obtuvieron su ciudadanía.
Revalee Hemken, una voluntaria que ha estado entrenando al grupo durante sus estudios, inauguró el evento con grandes honores por los esfuerzos y la dedicación de los nuevos ciudadanos. “Estas excelentes personas han trabajado duro y se han sacrificado mucho para hacer realidad sus propios sueños estadounidenses. Estoy muy orgullosa de ellos por perseverar para obtener su ciudadanía,” dijo Hemken.
El Winters HAC y Winters Community Corazón trabajan regularmente para brindar talleres anuales de dos partes o clínicas de ciudadanía para ayudar a los inmigrantes a comenzar su camino para convertirse en residentes estadounidenses. Estos esfuerzos brindan una oportunidad para reunirse
“Estas excelentes personas han trabajado duro y se han sacrificado mucho para hacer realidad sus propios sueños estadounidenses.”
Revalee Hemken, voluntaria
con abogados para comenzar a trabajar en los aspectos administrativos y completar todos los formularios necesarios. Una vez que se ha completado el papeleo, los candidatos comienzan sus estudios para prepararse para el examen. “A veces es fácil, pero a veces es necesario aprender historia de los EE. UU., y leer y escribir en un corto período de tiempo. Es difícil aprobar el examen,” dijo Jesse Loren, miembro de la junta directiva de Corazón y miembro del Ayúntamiento de
ters Friends of the Library (WFoL) apoya la programación organizada por la Biblioteca Comunitaria de Winters Community Library, mientras que WFoL y los voluntarios de la biblioteca ayudan a los candidatos a prepararse para sus entrevistas. “Estos nuevos ciudadanos inspirarán a los futuros candidatos a comenzar su propio camino hacia la ciudadanía. Sí, se puede hacer,” dijo Hemken a los asistentes. Para obtener más información sobre los próximos even-
“Estos nuevos ciudadanos inspirarán a los futuros candidatos a comenzar su propio camino hacia la ciudadanía. Sí, se puede hacer.”
Revalee Hemken, voluntaria
Winters City Council en un anuncio comunitario.
El camino para obtener su ciudadanía fue apoyado por muchos voluntarios y organizaciones. Según Hemken, Win-
tos o para solicitar asistencia a través de una próxima clínica de ciudadanía, envíe un correo electrónico a info@ winterscorazon.org o visite www.winterscorazon.org.
Courtesy photo
Elementary school students submitted their ideas on what they think is special about Winters, and high school artists pulled from the ideas to create a mural design. The full mural design can be viewed along Grant Avenue/Hwy 128 at Waggoner Elementary.
the corner of Railroad Avenue and Main Street.
Station was on the corner of Railroad Avenue and Abbey Street where
95 Years Ago
August 16, 1929
A fire started Friday afternoon in Cold Gulch, probably from some campfire, and burned over several hundred acres before being put out Saturday afternoon.
The “Y” camp building opposite Buford Spring was burned. This had been purchased recently by Mr. G. Moore and stood him about $100 loss.
Rev. John A. Heetebry, pastor of the Winters Methodist Church has inaugurated a movement to re-build the Methodist church. Twenty feet are to be added on the south side which will provide Sunday School rooms and an assembly room. Eight feet will be added on the north side.
Sixteen friends of little Miss Dorothy Martin helped her celebrate her birthday anniversary Wednesday. Games and refreshments including a birthday cake were greatly enjoyed by the youngsters.
Miss Helen Wills recent- ly won the British women’s singles in tennis for the third consecutive year.
Walter B. Young and family motored to Berk- eley Friday.
Misses Vivian and Dorothy Young remained in the bay city where both will attend the University of California.
Solano County’s new Farm Advisor Vern Detar took over
the duties of his office the first of the month.
80 Years Ago
August 18, 1944
Congressman Leroy Johnson was in town a short time Thursday morning on his way to Sacramento.
Dr. Eugene Lester Ireland will don the uniform of the USN Medical Reserves and receive his commission as Lt. (jg) Saturday, August 19. He has received his degree from the U.C. Medical Dept. Pfc. Tony Martin of Fort Jackson, South Carolina spent his furlough at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Martin.
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Ichtertz received a letter this week from their son Pfc. Louis Ichtertz Jr. He is with the armed forces in France.
Ted Mermod, 3/c Storekeeper, USN, arrived Wednesday afternoon at Mare Island, his ship coming direct from Guam.
Mrs. C. E. Kiefer arrived home Wednesday night following a week’s visit with her brother, Taylor Pointer and wife of Hollywood. She is back at her desk in Jeffery’s Mill and Warehouse.
PO Box 520, Winters, CA 95694 530-795-4551
Se habla español. news@wintersexpress.com
Mrs. Frances Smith has returned from a summer vacation spent with relatives in Topeka, Kansas. Mrs. Smith has been selected to teach at Wolfskill School.
Mrs. Rose Geller plans to leave Sunday for Knoxville to open her school Monday morning.
Mrs. J. V. Graf and children, Alfred and Barbara Jean returned Monday from a vacation at Tahoe Lodge.
Mr. and Mrs. R. Gustafson of Burlingame have been spending some time on their ranch in the Wolfskill district, assisting in peach harvest.
45 Years Ago
August 16, 1979
Winters was generally about an hour late Friday as electric power was off for 55 minutes during the night. A car hit a utility pole about 1 a.m., knocking out the electricity. Those with electric alarm clocks (and who likes to hear the ticking of the wind-up-kind) ended up about an hour behind schedule.
Little Leaguers and their parents and friends gathered last Wednesday, August 8, at the city park for a barbecue dinner. Families provided the salads and desserts. Ralph Gonzales, Chris Martinez and Dick Harris barbecued the hamburgers and hot dogs.
Chief Bill Lane asked the council if a movie company could shoot some scenes of Main Street and City
Hall. The coucil decided that Lane and Fire Chief Vernon Bruhn could coordinate the project.
According to the Federal-State Market News Service, the first offers were made for 1979 crop-dried apricots by several handlers. These handlers were offering $1.65 per pound for Blenheims and $1.55 per pound for Tiltons.
Relfe and Rita Ehret, FPSAS, both served on the judging panels of the 1979 North American International Photographic Exhibition co-sponsored by the California State Fair and Sierra Camera Club of Sacramento. The exhibition includes seven photographic divisions. Relfe was a judge of nature slides and prints, and Rita a judge of photojournalism slides.
Marian and Al Baker attended the 50th anniversary celebration of the California Highway Patrol, held on Tuesday at Bryte at the CHP Patrol Academy.
Al was for 25 1/2 years a radio dispatcher for the patrol.
Louis Invernon of Sacra- mento, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Invernon of Winters, will be playing at Cal Expo during the state fair as part of the musical groups accompanying Vicki Carr on August 17, Kate Ballard on August 24, Barbara McNair on August 25 and 26, Lawrence Welk on August 27 and James Daren on August 30 and 31.
Mrs. Florence McLaughlin visited for one week in Oregon with her daughter, Barbara Jones, and family in Eugene. They went over to Bend to see Florence’s sons, Donald and Ronald, and their families, and daughter, Marilyn Collins and family. Marilyn took her mother to Salem to see a sister, Mrs. Sadie Spence, then back to Eugene.
Express staff
The water level of Lake Berryessa dropped by 0.55 of a foot during the past week, with a decrease in the storage of 9,978 acre-feet of water, according to Ken Emigh, Solano Project Technician with the Solano Irrigation District. On the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 13, he reported the lake elevation was 432.72 feet above sea level, with water storage behind the Monticello Dam computed at 1,416,773 acre-feet of water. The SID is releasing 452 cubic feet per second of water in the Putah South Canal, with 58 cubic feet flowing into Putah Creek at the Diversion Dam. Evaporation on the lake averaged 307 acre-feet of water per day.
Public Safety Report
City of Winters Fire
Jul. 31: 9:19 a.m., Railroad Avenue, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~12 p.m., E. Abbey Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~4:43 p.m., Red Bud Lane, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
Aug. 1: 12:06 p.m., Main Street, False alarm or false call –other
~1:45 p.m., Railroad Avenue, Hazardous condition – other
~5:30 p.m., Walnut Lane, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~7:48 p.m., Myrtle Drive, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~8:07 p.m., County Road 31, Motor vehicle accident with injuries
Aug. 2: 1:29 a.m., County Road 89, Motor vehicle accident with injuries
~10:32 a.m., Highway 128, Motor vehicle accident No injuries
~1:32 p.m., Railroad Avenue, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~5:28 p.m., County Road 31/County Road 93A, Motor vehicle accident No injuries
Aug. 3: 12:35 p.m., E. Baker Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~3:57 p.m., Dutton Street, False alarm or false call, other
~10:31 p.m., Myrtle Drive, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
Aug. 5: 4:56 a.m., Russell Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~5:04 p.m., Russell Boulevard, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
Aug. 6: 9:09 a.m., Interstate 505, Grass fire
~9:22 a.m., Niemann Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~11:50 a.m., E. Baker Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~12:34 p.m., E.
Baker Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~4:59 p.m., County Road 90, Grass fire
~5:20 p.m., E. Baker Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
~7:16 p.m., Abbey Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury
Police Arrest Log
Jul. 31: McNeil, Charlie Ross (Age 64); Charges: Driving while license suspended for DUI, No proof of financial responsibility; Disposition: Released on Notice to Appear
Aug. 1: Fenili, Robert Donald (Age 67); Charges: No evidence of current registration, False display of registration; Disposition: Released on Notice to Appear ~Lonergan, Matthew E (Age 50); Charges: DUI, DUI with Blood Alcohol over .08 percent; Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail Aug. 2: Reynolds, Sacha Winter (Age 45), Charges: Yolo County SO Warrant, Disposition: Released on Notice to Appear
Report Log
Jul. 31: 12:38 p.m., 400th block of Railroad Avenue, Audible Alarm
Aug. 1: 8:53 a.m., E. Baker Street/Wildrose Lane, Vehicle Tow
~11:17 a.m., 400th block of Morgan Street, Vehicle Tow ~5:42 p.m., 200th block of Railroad Avenue, Vandalism ~6:13 p.m., 20th block of Main Street, Audible Alarm ~6:20 p.m., 200th block of Walnut Lane, Identity Theft
~8:08 p.m., 30000th block of County Road 31, Outside Agency Assist
Aug. 2: 1:31 a.m., County Road 29/ County Road 89, Outside Agency Assist
~1:51 p.m., Fourth Street/Baker Street, Vehicle Tow
Aug. 3: 10:43 a.m., 700th block of Walnut Lane, Vehicle Tow
Aug. 6: 7:23 p.m., 20th block Main Street, Audible Alarm
Picked by Charley Wallace
Gil Krisor (left) and Louie Campos are shown finalizing the Campos
dealership in November 1977. The lot, now called Louie’s
Louie’s Shell
AutoMasters now operates.
Snyder said the ladder truck was not included in the assessment of equipment and fleet replacement assessment proposed in January. Snyder said the main focus of Prop 218 funds are to hire three full-time personnel and to replace equipment like radios and firefighters’ self-contained breathing apparatus packs without having to ask the city for approval to use general funds monies.
The fire chief said as repairs to fleet vehicles were completed, the fire department would continue to assess Winters Fire fleet and consider what future needs would entail.
Resident Tina Lowden voiced support for Prop 218 and shared a personal story about how the fire department transported her to Kaiser during a medical emergency she experienced.
“We are a growing community. When my husband Jerry and I first got here we were around 6,500, and now we’re at 8,000 and I hear we’re going to grow to 10 thousand,”
Jamie Johnson, executive director of the Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance provided some thoughts based on his perspective both from a personal and professional point of view.
For his mother, Johnson says Social Security gave her a peace of mind that helped her overall wellbeing later in life.
“That was instrumental in her living a life of dignity and one that was very positive,” said Johnson. “Social Security made the difference. Her pension was very small. Social Security carried her through until her dying day.” Johnson shared some statistics from the California Department of Aging with the audience. By 2030, 10.8 million adults 60 or older will call California home, representing 25% of the population. By 2060, nearly a third of California’s population will be 60 years or older.
“Social Security is more important today than ever,” remarked Johnson.
“As older adults face more financial issues and gaps, Social Security will be that foundation to provide the necessary resources for the overall well being and dignity as we all grow older and for future generations
Lowden said. “We need to look towards the future. We are a growing community. We are a growing senior community. We need to think about if we even have enough staff to help us seniors.”
The public comment session ended with Biasi asking the public to keep the meeting civil when a community member shouted at Snyder as he walked away from the podium.
“I think this is a process that we all talked about. We agreed to go through this process. We put it out there for the people to decide, and the people had the opportunity to vote. I know there are going to be people who are happy, and there’s going to be a lot of people who will not be happy. But this was the process. We followed all the rules that were set out. Everybody had a chance to come and meet and ask questions beforehand and request more information,” said Biasi.
“It’s clear that the majority is in support — by the weighted ballot, but it is also very clear that we are being asked to be extremely cautious in our stewardship of
to come.” Winters resident Kate Laddish is the chair of the Yolo County In-Home Supportive Services Advisory Committee and a member of Democracy Winters.
Laddish enjoyed a career as a geology professor at Woodland Community College but had to step away at 36 due to multiple medical conditions and apply for disability.
Social Security found Laddish to be disabled and granted her SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and SSI (Supplemental Security Insurance).
“This is my only income,” stated Laddish. “I use it to buy my groceries, to pay rent on my apartment in a subsidized complex for seniors and people with disabilities, pay my renters and car insurance, pay out of pocket medical expenses, my utilities, vet care for my cat and one tank of gas per month. Without SSDI and SSI, I would be faced with the really bleak prospect of homelessness and hunger and probably living in an institutionalized setting. To be honest, I doubt that I would have survived.”
Kelley Jacobsen, Chief Operating Officer of Yolo Federal Credit Union and Vice President of the
money, and I think we are. We historically always have been,” said council member Jesse Loren.
Winters City Manager Jeremy Craig said, “The funds will be used solely for fire prevention, with the main targets being equipment replacement and hiring additional staffing, which will allow us to have two professional staff
company.” Snyder continued, “We have a very robust volunteer program — I will not deny that. Our volunteers are our bread and butter, the heart and soul of this agency. But volunteerism is down. It is a struggle. It’s not a struggle when the big incidents happen; it’s the day-to-day stuff that we struggle with because our volun-
“It’s clear that the majority is in support — by the weighted ballot, but it is also very clear that we are being asked to be extremely cautious in our stewardship of money, and I think we are.”
Jesse Loren, council member
on an engine most of the time.”
“The ‘why’ behind (Prop 218) is the department has been struggling for years and staffing has been our biggest concern and issue,” said Snyder. “We currently have one career staff on two shifts that are filled with a volunteer each day to meet the minimum staffing for a two-person engine
Woodland Chamber of Commerce said her son was jealous when she told him she was going to a birthday party at work in the afternoon.
She explained to him the importance of Social Security, but he just wanted to know if there would be gifts. When she really thought about it, Jacobsen says she believes Social Security is the gift that keeps on giving.
“Nine out of 10 Americans aged 65 or older receive Social Security every month,” said Jacobsen. “Here in Yolo County, that’s over $55 million that is coming through our local economy. Not only is it helping to support people to ensure that they have financial stability, but it’s also helping our local businesses continue to thrive.”
Hana Jafari is a UC Davis student, member of the Davis College Democrats and former intern for Thompson.
Jafari spoke about the importance of the Social Security program for future generations.
“I and many of my peers, namely those with the Davis College Dems, are working hard to elect and
teers have jobs and families to provide for.”
According to the fire chief, volunteers have obligations outside of the fire department that they must take care of and during the summer many of the volunteers work with Cal FIRE. Volunteers aren’t always available as they have obligations to their jobs so they can provide for
support representatives that will vote for policies that will keep Social Security intact and ensure that these benefits keep rolling in for my generation and beyond,” she said.
An audience member asked Thompson about the possibility of raising the SSI asset limits.
Currently, to qualify for SSI, individuals must have resources below $2,000 and married couples must have resources below $3,000. These limits have been fixed in dollar amounts since 1989.
The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act would increase the asset limits to $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for couples, while also adjusting annually for inflation.
To cap off the celebration, an oversized cake featuring a yellow, blue and red balloon on each side and “Happy Birthday Social Security” in the middle was sliced by local electeds and passed out to guests as they sang “Happy Birthday”.
Attendees showing their support included Yolo County Supervisors Lucas Frerichs and Jim Provenza, and Winters City Council member Jesse Loren.
their families. Hiring additional full-time staff will help the department mitigate these losses.
“The city has been struggling, financially, and we are well below the mark on our staffing. Common practice is one firefighter for every thousand people. We serve, between us and the fire district 13,000 people. We have four (full-time firefighters) on the staff, five including myself,” Snyder said.
Next steps
Property owners will see the assessment on their tax bills this October. The proposed rate is based on the type of residence and the amount of property the resident has. A single-family property, for example, will be levied $184.45, while a multi-family property will be levied $76.53 per unit. Commercial/industrial, office, storage, agricultural land, range, and open space will be assessed based on the number of acres the resident owns. The assessment is based on the fire risk and replacement value of the different property types. A full breakdown of the proposed rates per property type can be found
TRAINING
Continued from Page 1
two virtual trainings. One of the in-person training sessions will be held in Winters on Thursday, Aug. 29, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Margaret Parsons Room at the Winters Community Library (708 Railroad Ave.). Other in-person training dates are scheduled for:
• Tuesday, Aug. 13 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., in the Community Room, 500 Jefferson Blvd., West Sacramento
• Tuesday, Aug. 13, from 3 to 6 p.m., in the Community Room, 25 N. Cottonwood St., Woodland • Wednesday, Aug. 14, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., in the Community Room, 500 Jefferson Blvd., West Sacramento
• Friday, Aug. 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Blanchard Room, Mary L. Stephens Library, 315 E 14th St., Davis • Monday, Sept. 9, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.,
on the city of Winters website or can be obtained from Winters Fire Department.
Prop 218 will return to the council next year for a revalidation vote. Snyder will need to present the budget and how funds were used in order to make a case to validate a renewal. From there, council members would vote to approve or deny it. If needed, the council could vote to approve to increase the assessment by 3 percent if needed, which would prompt a public hearing and efforts to get community feedback, with a final approval vote from the council. Snyder said he doesn’t foresee the need for the 3-percent increase at this time. In January, Snyder will revisit Prop 218 with the Winters Fire Protection District board. The fire protection board decided to delay its vote to allot for more time to propose the measure to its constituents. The original measure proposed in January was for two ballot initiatives. One with property owners in the city of Winters limits, and one with property owners in the Winters Fire Protection District area.
in the Conference Room, Yolo County HHSA, 600 A St., Davis The two virtual training dates are on: • Tuesday, Aug. 27, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Attend virtually at tinyurl.com/CrossingGuardTrainingAugust • Tuesday, Sept. 3, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., Attend virtually at tinyurl. com/CrossingGuardTraining
To register for a training, visit www.YoloCounty. gov/CrossingGuardTraining. For more information about HHSA’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program, email Traffic. Safety@YoloCounty. gov or call 530-4904765 or 530-309-4578. Residents can also call Yolo 2-1-1 for resource information. Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
California gives schools more homework: Build local housing for educators
By Carolyn Jones CalMatters
In a flurry of recent legislation and initiatives, California officials are pushing school districts to convert their surplus property into housing for teachers, school staff and even students and families. Some districts have already started; now the state wants every district to become a landlord.
“I believe that California has enough resources and ingenuity to solve (the housing shortage), and the data shows that California’s schools have the land to make this happen,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Tony Thurmond said at a press conference in July. “As school leaders, we can get this done for our communities and restore the California Dream.”
But some superintendents and education analysts are skeptical, saying the idea won’t work everywhere and school districts might be better off focusing on education, not real estate development.
“I’m grateful someone’s paying attention to this, but I feel like educators are being asked to solve so many problems,” said Mendocino County Superintendent Nicole Glentzer. “Student performance, attendance, behavior … and now the housing crisis? It’s too much.” Last month, Thurmond pledged financial incentives for districts that pass bonds to build staff housing, and the Department
of Education is sponsoring a workshop for district officials to learn the ins-and-outs of real estate development. His move comes on the heels of a report from UC Berkeley and UCLA that found school districts in California own 75,000 acres of developable land, enough to build 2.3 million housing units — which could wipe out the state’s housing shortage. It also follows the Teacher Housing Act of 2016, which allows school districts to pursue funding sources for housing projects, including state and federal tax credits. Other pieces of legislation, including a 2022 law that went into effect in January, further streamlined the development and funding process. Other laws allow teachers to live in affordable housing even though their income might exceed the qualifying limits.
If Proposition 2, a $10 billion school facilities bond, passes this fall, schools could use that money to not only repair classrooms and other structures, but build teacher housing.
Life-changing moment
A handful of districts have already embarked on projects.
Los Angeles Unified owns several buildings, including a 90-unit building that opened in April and a 26-unit building reserved for lowincome families. San Francisco Unified plans to open a 135unit building this fall. Santa Clara Unified has owned a 70-unit complex for more than two decades.
In San Mateo County, the Office of Education is working with a public-private housing nonprofit to buy an existing apartment building for local teachers.
In Marin, the Office of Education joined with the county and state to build teacher housing on stateowned land near San Quentin Prison.
In San Diego, preschool teacher Carolina Sanchez Garcia said she cried when she learned she won a spot at the 264unit Scripps Ranch apartment complex, built through a partnership between San Diego Unified and an affordable housing developer.
Due to the high cost of housing in San Diego, she had been commuting from Tijuana, Mexico for more than a decade. To get to work on time, she’d get up at 2 a.m., move her five kids into the car where they’d go back to sleep, and make the trek across the border to work. Her kids would brush their teeth and get ready for school at a Starbucks.
Now, her commute is only 15 minutes.
“It’s changed my life,” Garcia said. “My kids are sleeping more. I’m sleeping more. It’s made me a better mother and a better teacher. Now, I start my day feeling positive and energized.”
Garcia pays $1,300 a month for a threebedroom apartment, roughly half of market rate. The rent is similar to what she paid in Tijuana, but now she has time to cook dinner for her family, prepare for class and help her children with homework. Her kids
can participate in after-school activities and spend time with friends. Her gas bill is also lower.
Almost zero teacher turnover
The model state officials often point to is 705 Serramonte in Daly City. The Jefferson Union High School District opened the 122-unit apartment complex in 2022, and it now houses a quarter of the district staff. A 1-bedroom apartment rents for $1,450 a month, about half the market rate.
The district paid for the $75 million project by passing a $33 million bond specifically for teacher housing, and borrowed the rest. The rents generated by the project cover the bond payments. The district hired a property management company to handle maintenance and other issues.
Daly City is sandwiched between Silicon Valley and San Francisco, which have some of the highest rents in the country. Teachers commute from the East Bay and beyond, and the district grappled with a persistent 25% staff turnover rate annually, said district spokesperson Denise Shreve.
Since 705 Serramonte opened, the district has had near zero turnover.
“Students now start off the school year with a teacher in their classroom, instead of a long-term substitute,” Shreve said. “You have to look at the long-term benefits. We now have teacher retention and students are better off because of it.”
Lisa Raskin, a social science teacher and instructional coach for the district, said she’s struggled with housing over her 20year career but never considered leaving. A San Francisco native, she’s committed to staying in the area — which has meant that she’s always had roommates.
When she moved into 705 Serramonte, it was her first time living in her own apartment.
Superintendents already overworked
But not every district can pass a bond for teacher housing. Many can’t even pass bonds to repair school campuses. And some superintendents say they’re already so overworked that undertaking a complicated project like real estate development is a near impossibility. California had a superintendent turnover rate of more than 18% last year, according to research from the Superintendent Lab, in part due to workload.
Glentzer, the Mendocino County superintendent, said housing development would be a challenge for smaller, rural and lower-income districts. Those districts face teacher and housing shortages like their wealthier, urban counterparts, but lack the ability to raise the money and hire the staff to oversee projects. Besides, the housing shortage affects lots of people in the community — not just teachers. Mendocino County has been scarred by numerous wildfires
over the past few years, plus a boom in vacation rentals that have decimated the local housing market, leaving some people to live in trailers or even their cars.
A better solution, she said, would be for housing to be left to regional authorities and for the state to fund school districts sufficiently to pay their teachers more. Still, she understands the need. She herself lived in a districtowned home when she was superintendent of Potter Valley Community Unified School district northeast of Ukiah. The two-bedroom bungalow was next to the football field, and she enjoyed the reduced rent and proximity to work.
“There’s no question we need housing,” Glentzer said. “But when you’re the superintendent and the principal and head of maintenance and you’re teaching Spanish, how are you supposed to find the bandwidth for this? I have a degree in education. I never took a real estate course.”
Marguerite Roza, director of the policy research center Georgetown Edunomics Lab, agreed. School districts might be better off paying teachers more or targeting raises for teachers who are in high demand, such as those who work in special education, math or science.
She also noted that except in those three fields, the teacher shortage is ebbing. With federal COVID relief money expiring and student enrollment declining, many districts may be laying off teachers — not hiring, she said. EdJoin, a teacher hiring board, this month showed nearly 2,000 openings for special education teachers in California, for example, but fewer than 100 for third grade teachers.
Growing interest
To help school districts learn the basics of real estate development, the California School Boards Association has been hosting workshops and providing resources for the past two years. So far, 152 of the state’s 1,000 school districts have signed up to study the idea, and the numbers have been growing, said spokesperson Troy Flint. He acknowledged that smaller districts may not have the staff to get projects off the ground, but some are working on projects together or collaborating with their local county offices of education, he said.
“Districts see the immense value workforce housing can offer their staff, students, and communities,” Flint said. “There is widespread interest in education workforce housing as an elegant way to address the housing affordability crisis.
Workforce housing also brings qualityof-life, community, and environmental benefits — and may even help address declining enrollment as district staff can afford to live with their families in the communities they serve.”
Wednesdays
Eat Well Yolo Drive – Through Food Distribution Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m. As supplies last, Winters High student parking lot, off Railroad Avenue
Thursday, August 15
Winters JUSD School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., School District Office, Zoom Meeting info, check https://wintersjusd.diligent.community
Thursdays
Eat Well Yolo Food Distribution, first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. As supplies last, RISE, Inc., 417 Haven St., 530-668-0690
Sunday, August 18
Winters Farmers Market, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Downtown Main Street, discoverwinters.com/farmers-market
Monday, August 19
Winters Natural Resources Commission Meeting, 6 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), Check cityofwinters. org/187/Natural-Resources-Commission
Tuesday, August 20
Winters City Council Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Council chamber (318 First St.), Zoom Meeting info, check www.cityofwinters.org/ city-council-meetings_/
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, August 27
Winters Planning Commission Meeting, 6:30 p.m.,City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), Zoom Meeting info, check www.cityofwinters.org/planning-commission/
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.)
Winters Senior Foundation Social Gathering, Thurdays, 1-3:30 p.m., St. Anthony Parish Hall (511 W. Main St.)
Ongoing
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 through April), 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.
Winters Open Mic, third Thursday of the month, 6 p.m. (sign-ups begin at 5:30 p.m.), Paseo Park, Main Street.
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
Walking Meditation, third Sunday, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Meet behind the Winters Community Center, 201 Railroad Ave.
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings:
» St. Anthony Parish Hall, 511 Main St. (back entrance) Tuesdays, 7-8 a.m. and Fridays, 7-8 a.m. » Yolo Housing office building, 62 Shams Way: Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. and Sundays, 9 a.m.
RCD programs support irrigation projects, promote healthy soil
In this multi-part series, the Express explores the Yolo County Resource Conservation District’s efforts to support healthy farmland.
By Angela Underwood Express correspondent
The Yolo County Resource Conservation District (RCD) has three main plains, beginning with the Farm and Ranch Technical Assistance Program. Within that program, RCD provides gratis irrigation evaluations and technical assistance to Yolo County farmers who seek to improve their systems. It begins with all things soil. Mobile Irrigation Lab Manager Conor Higgins detailed the comprehensive process of
By Wally Pearce Winters Elder Day Council
Daniel Lares, 90, was born on Jan. 14, 1934, in Jalisco, Mexico. He has lived in the city of Winters for more than 61 years.
Growing up
When Daniel was born, he lived with his family in a large, oneroom home. The kitchen and bedroom were in that big one room. There were five children in the home.
Daniel’s father was a farmer, and his mother was a homemaker.
When his family lived in Jalisco during the 1930s and 1940s, the abject poverty rate was over 51 percent. Most of the families lived in impoverished conditions because daily life in Jalisco was filled with comprehensive estimates of income inequality.
Daniel’s family moved from Jalisco to Guadalajara so they could find work. While there, the Mexican military was looking for young men to enlist. These young men could be sent all over the world. He said he remembers that the mothers hid their male children from the military recruiters so they could avoid becoming soldiers.
As a young man, Daniel said he ultimately joined the military because it was mandatory in Mexico. However, every man was obligated to a year of military service consisting of
studying the ground to produce healthy farmland here.
It all begins with water, according to Higgins, who said the irrigation lab can be likened to a doctor’s checkup for irrigation systems.
“When folks install a system, ideally, it’s running efficiently with every sprinkler and emitter putting out roughly the same amount of water throughout your orchard or farm,” Higgins said. “But over time, things degrade, get plugged, and stuff goes through the system.”
That “wear and tear,” though sometimes easy to see, is not always evident to the naked eye.
“That’s kind of where we can help diagnose,” Higgins said.
Farmers who Higgins works with keep metric records to provide the RCD expert with accurate day-to-day results.
“We’re going out in the field as well and seeing what’s coming out at the point source each time,” Higgins said. “Then we try to give a lot of informa-
a few hours of drill and social services on weekends, not true military training. Notable thoughts
One of Daniel’s first memories as a young boy was going to school in Guadalajara.
Daniel learned how to drive a car when he was 18 years old and living in the US.
As a young man, Daniel would routinely travel to and from the United States and Mexico. It was during one of his first trips back to Mexico that he started to date.
Daniel worked at many jobs, to survive. He picked fruit, vegetables, and even cotton. He also made bricks, ran a taxi busi-
ness, and ultimately started to work in construction where he made very good money.
At one point, Daniel wanted to be a photographer. He said that his first major purchase was when he started a photography business. However, because Daniel had limited experience and knowledge of running a business in the industry, his enterprise suffered and he had to close it.
For Daniel, being able to work in construction and not in the fields, greatly influenced him and that career shift alone, afforded him financial gain as well as a pension.
tion to them, and then they can use that information to adjust accordingly.”
Monetary savings are also a factor in conservation, according to Higgins.
“From the producer side of things, we can maximize the efficiency, whether that’s
Daniel decided to come to the US to make money and make enough so he could send some to his family in Mexico. Life reflections
Daniel didn’t have time for hobbies because he worked 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week. However, Daniel does enjoy soccer. Whenever he had time off, he said he went to church and enjoyed social gatherings with his family and friends. When Daniel came to Winters in 1963, he did so with many other families. Together they grew and prospered. Family is very important to Daniel. He works hard to keep them together. Today, Daniel enjoys walking in his neighborhood and talking with his friends and neighbors.
Daniel said his most cherished traditions are the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays because he enjoys the festivities with family and friends. On occasion, they commemorate the American tradition of decorating Christmas trees on Thanksgiving because it symbolizes everlasting life with God. On Mexico’s Christmas, they sometimes celebrate Thanksgiving because it’s a way to commemorate a harvest meal with turkey, tamales and mole, and share it with oth-
The Yolo County Resource Conservation District offers programs that help
Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo
Conor Higgins works to identify potential issues in a local farmer’s irrigation sytem.
Woody Fridae/Courtesy photo
Daniel Lares was recognized as a 2024 Elder Day honoree.
Celebrating Daniel Lares, Elder Day
Eco-friendly home upgrades that
Boost Your
home’s value
with green upgrades
Homewise
Special to the Express
Upgrading your home with eco-friendly features can attract environmentally conscious buyers and increase your property’s value.
From the landscaping to insulations anwindows to energy-efficient features, there are multiple options to consider when deciding how to make a home more eco-friendly.
Here’s how to make sustainable improvements that pay off
when it’s time to sell.
Energy-efficient windows
Replacing old windows with energy-efficient ones can reduce energy costs and improve your home’s comfort. Look for windows with low-E glass, double or triple panes, and insulating frames. These features not only lower utility bills but also add value by enhancing your home’s energy performance, which is a key selling point.
Solar panels
Solar panels are one of the most impactful green upgrades. They reduce reliance on grid electricity and can significantly lower energy bills. While the initial investment is substantial, many
can offset the cost.
Water-saving fixtures
Upgrading to water-saving fixtures like low-flow toilets, faucets and showerheads can decrease water consumption and lower utility bills. These fixtures are inexpensive and easy to install, making them a quick win for boosting your home’s green appeal.
Insulation, sealing
Proper insulation and sealing of your home can prevent energy loss, keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Focus on areas like the attic, walls and floors.
Smart thermostats
buyers are willing to pay a premium for homes with solar power. Plus, there are various incentives and rebates available that
Installing a smart thermostat is a simple yet effective upgrade.
These devices learn your schedule and adjust the temperature to save energy while maintaining comfort. They can be controlled remotely via smartphones, which appeals to tech-savvy buyers looking for convenience and efficiency.
Sealing gaps around doors and windows with weatherstripping and caulk can also improve energy efficiency
Eco-friendly landscaping
Sustainable landscaping can enhance your home’s curb appeal and environmental impact. Use native
Express Yourself
Seeing how the other half lives
This is the second year in a row that my permanent tenant and I were invited to go trailer camping at Fort Bragg. It is a long drive to Fort Bragg but it is a lot cooler than Winters in August and the sun even breaks through the fog from time to time. Enjoying a week with friends, without a care in the world, isn’t a bad way to relax.
Last year I rented a trailer from a company in Dixon, but by the time I brought it back they charged me for an extra day. I won’t be supporting them in the future. This year I used a company, Outdoorsy, that is a rental company for personal trailers. It makes a lot of sense to rent out your trailer if you only use it a few times a year and more sense to just rent a trailer for an annual adventure.
Sabrina had a nice 22-foot trailer for rent in Ukiah, listed on Outdoorsy, which is a lot closer to Fort Bragg than Dixon. I filled out the online form and the deal was done. Not having to haul a trailer all the
“Enjoying a week with friends, without a care in the world, isn’t a bad way to relax.”
way to Fort Bragg and back was a big plus. I couldn’t find a trailer to rent in Fort Bragg, which would have been even better.
I’m not sure whom I was expecting to meet at a storage facility in Ukiah, but up drove a nice, polished BMW with a young woman and her brother inside.
Sabrina said she was a college student and owned two trailers. I told her I was expecting an older woman which I immediately regretted saying. It is always nice to see a young person on their way to a successful life. Her brother helped me hook up the trailer and we were off to Pomo Campground in Fort Bragg. My Tacoma pickup is a little light for towing,
See QUICK, Page 4
Horoscopes
ARIES (Mar 21/Apr 20),
Aries, you hold the key to success right now, so everyone wants to be in your corner. Take things in stride and maintain your focus while accepting all the support.
TAURUS (Apr 21/May 21),
Taurus, it is important that you streamline your workflow this week; otherwise, you may not meet the deadlines imposed upon you. Start implementing a new strategy.
GEMINI (May 22/Jun 21),
This is the week to take the road less traveled, Gemini. Blaze your own trail, get out into the wilderness and possibly expand your horizons. A spontaneous idea like this can pay dividends.
CANCER (Jun 22/Jul 22),
Cancer, someone in your social circle could be shielding the truth and it may frustrate you. But you can’t come out and accuse this person without proof. Step back for the time being.
LEO (Jul 23/Aug 23),
An important relationship could be coming to an end for you, Leo. You could try to salvage things, but you have to look at the bigger picture and determine if it is good to move on.
VIRGO (Aug 24/Sept 22),
Virgo, you have been coasting along without a firm direction for too long at this point. While it may have been working for you, you will soon fare better with a more concrete plan.
LIBRA (Sept 23/Oct 23), Be mindful of other people’s situations before you engage with them, Libra. What may be a good time for you will not necessarily be ideal for those around you.
SCORPIO (Oct 24/Nov 22), Scorpio, someone in your life has proven worthy of more attention. Give this person a little extra love in the days to come, and direct your focus to having a good time.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23/Dec 21),
Social activities seemingly bloom around you this week, Sagittarius. There could be so much going on that you don’t know where to get started. Perhaps let friends lead the festivities.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22/Jan 20),
Remember, Capricorn, others are not just listening to what you say, they are reading into your actions. Make sure you are genuine in both your words and gestures this week.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21/Feb 18),
This week you may have to take the first step in rekindling an important relationship, Aquarius. Are you ready to be the catalyst?
PISCES (Feb 19/Mar 20), There is not much you can do about financial issues, Pisces. Make an effort to start spending less, which may be the catalyst for a real examination of your budget.
Instructions from voters unclear, tax assessed Express Yourself
By Richard Casavecchia Special to the Express
Votes are straightforward counts of approval or disapproval, except when they’re not.
In a representative system of government, ballots cast by the voters are, at a very basic level, instructions to the elected representatives on how the people want their government to be administered. This is never truer than on an issue where the outcome of the vote still leaves the ultimate decision in the hands of the representatives.
The August 6, property tax assessment vote is a perfect example of this. In an effort to explore every avenue to stabilize the finances for the City and improve public safety by increasing resources for the fire
Happy
89th Birthday, Social Security!
Eighty-nine years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, providing for a new federally administered insurance program for retirees.
Five years later, on Jan. 31, 1940, the first monthly Social Security retirement check was issued to Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vermont. The check was for $22.54. Miss Fuller, a retired legal secretary, started collecting benefits at age 65 and lived to be 100 years old.
Social Security has been a promise to
department, the City Council initiated a Prop 218 process to ask the property owners within city limits if we should levy a property tax that could only be used to fund the fire department.
The process itself is a bit unorthodox. Voting was weighted by tax amount. So, if you would pay more your ballot is worth more in the count. Effectively, every $1 of property tax you would pay if the ballot passes is worth one vote. This makes sense from the perspective of ensuring the impact of the vote is balanced with the voting itself. The outcome was a mixed message from the voters.
We had about 30 percent voter turnout. By the $1 one vote weighting of ballots, the results were $96,487.07 yes and $91,478.52 no; 51.3 percent voted yes.
our country’s workers for generations to allow them to retire with dignity after decades of hard work. Today, residents of California’s 4th district receive a total of $286 million per month in Social Security benefits. Those benefits deliver financial security to retirees and disabled Californians. But Social Security’s impact doesn’t stop there. Those dollars go into our local economy, supporting our businesses and banks and enriching our entire community.
A recent proposal by the Republican Study Committee in Congress takes aim at Social Security.
& Physical Residential
Address, State, and Zip: JUAN PABLO LOPEZ 877 FENLEY WAY WINTERS CA 95694
Business Classification: IND IVIDUAL
of Business: 6/10/2024
JUAN PABLO LOPEZ
So, most of the tax to be paid was in support of paying the tax. By ballots cast, the vote would have been 292 yes and 345 no; 54.2 percent voted no. So, most of the individual properties in town were not in support of the tax.
According to the rules prescribed by state law, the tax was approved. It was then left to the city council to vote to actually collect the tax. That is where, for me, the instructions from the voters were unclear. With voter turnout of 637 or 30 percent of eligible voters, our margin of error for the question of “do the voters want to pay this tax?” is 3 percent. The tax was approved by 1.2 percent. The number of ballots cast skewed “No” by 4 percent.
I did not have the margin of error in-
In it, conservative lawmakers suggest cutting the program by over $1.5 trillion, reducing disability benefits, and raising the retirement age to 69. I’m against those extreme measures.
My colleagues who want to cut the program and raise the retirement age are scaring Americans into believing it’s our only option to save a failing Social Security. This is nonsense. Social Security isn’t failing.
Social Security is 100 percent solvent for the next decade.
After that, simple changes can be made to ensure it remains strong and will provide retirement se-
formation at the time of the vote (and for me it makes me more comfortable with how I voted), but I was unsure how to take the instructions from the voters that night.
Despite knowing the money from the tax is needed to pay for more resources and capability for our fire department, I voted against collecting the tax.
My gut said that was the direction we were being told to go.
I felt we were given a mixed message on what the people wanted. I left the meeting unsure if I had made the right call despite it having no impact on the outcome.
So, I went with my gut. The morning after when I am writing this, I am even more comfortable with my decision. After sleeping on it I believe the message was you sup-
port more resources for the fire department, but are against this funding mechanism. Philosophically, government action that is imposed on the people should be clear, logical, and easy to understand by the people affected. But our results for our new property tax landed in the only situation where the outcome and result may be confusing.
In my view, if we have to state that the legal process was followed to justify a decision then we are probably not making the decision the people want. That’s what I feel like a yes vote would have required of me.
Regardless, the outcome is a good one. The money will be spent almost exclusively on new fulltime positions which will improve the work-
curity for another 89 years.
That’s why I’ve co-sponsored legislation led by my colleague Rep. John Larson (D-CT) to ensure Social Security continues to deliver full benefits to everyone without making unnecessary cuts or raising the retirement age.
Social Security is a cornerstone of American life. On the program’s 89th birthday, I’m recommitting to strengthening Social Security so it can continue to serve Americans through 2100 and beyond.
CONGRESSMAN
MIKE THOMPSON California fourth DistriCt
but this trailer wasn’t too heavy and it was an easy drive through Willits. I even bought mirror extenders that helped me keep track of the cars lining up behind me. Something new happed when I pulled over, people honked thank you almost every time. Luckily, there wasn’t a lot of traffic on the road, either coming or going.
I’ve never lived in a trailer park, but the people at the Pomo Campground all seemed to be happy and smiling. Some campers looked like they had been there awhile and we noticed that a lot of the license plates were from valley towns. There were a few kids but mostly old people and their dogs.
Fort Bragg looks like a working class community with a vibrant business district. Mendocino looks like a work in progress with a few empty building and nice homes that looked like they had been
plants that require less water and maintenance. Consider installing a rainwater harvesting system to irrigate your garden. Composting organic waste to enrich your soil is another green practice that can attract eco-conscious buyers. Energy-efficient appliances
Replacing old appliances with Energy Star-rated ones can lower energy consumption and utility bills. Modern appliances use less water and electricity while providing superior performance. Energy-efficient refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines are attractive features for potential buyers.
life balance and workplace safety for our firefighters. By hiring more of them, we will be able to rotate shifts more frequently, respond with more firefighters in the unit first on scene (reducing the possibility of one of them entering a building while the appropriate backup and support is still on the way), and reduce the risk of fatigue-related injuries and mistakes that can be fatal.
The tax will unquestionably improve public safety, which is the outcome I feel people want. I just wish the process hadn’t ended with a “No means Yes”, and instead was a result we could all rally together on about both the process and the outcome. But I’m looking forward to seeing badges pinned on new firefighters to go along with our newest police officer.
turned into rentals. Mendocino does have nice restaurants and several walkable state parks along the ocean. Between the golf outing, charter boat fishing, a night out at a nice restaurant, and waking through the redwoods, the week went by fast. The other two couples stayed for four more nights, but six nights was enough for us.
When I’m walking around downtown Winters, I notice a lot of tourists. I’m not sure why they are coming to Winters, but I think people just want to get out and experience something new. We have only one vacant building downtown and we seem to be attracting more and more tourist-based businesses. I’m not sure everyone agrees on the direction we have taken, but I enjoy the atmosphere downtown. I don’t think we will ever be a Fort Bragg, but we are definitely becoming a tourist destination. It is always nice to be home.
Have a good week.
Importance of energy audits
Conducting an energy audit can reveal where your home is losing energy and suggest improvements. This assessment, often conducted by a professional, can identify issues like poor insulation, inefficient heating and cooling systems, and air leaks. Addressing these problems can make your home more energy-efficient and attractive to buyers. By implementing these eco-friendly upgrades, you can enhance your home’s appeal to buyers while contributing to a more sustainable future. Investing in green features not only benefits the environment but also increases your property’s market value, ensuring a profitable sale.
Sports
Hernandez crushes through the competition
By Sydney Andrade Express staff writer
Last week, seventh-grader Lola Hernandez traveled to Oklahoma City to represent Northern California in the USA Softball All American Games.
Hernandez was one of 15 girls selected through a vigorous and competitive twoday tryout earlier this summer. There were approximately 60
girls who tried out the first day. Tryouts took place in Sacramento and the Bay Area simultaneously and only 22 girls were invited back the second day. In the end, Hernandez was one of the six girls selected from the tryouts in Sacramento along with nine other girls from the Bay Area. The USA Softball All-American Games website states that making the team is
LARES
Continued from Page 1
SOIL Continued from Page 1 and share it with others.
Daniel said he is very proud of his education ,which allows him the ability to speak and write well in Spanish. He’s also delighted with his ability to make people feel comfortable.
Daniel and his wife were married in an informal ceremony, and stayed together for more than 60 years before her passing.
Daniel said that if he were to write a book it would be about his hard work ethic and being a good student.
Daniel would like to be remembered as a loving person who cares about his church, his family, friends, and the community.
The Winters Express is featuring all eight 2024 Elder Day honorees. To see the full list of honorees, visit https:// bit.ly/3XYdVeM.
plugging up leaks or seeing where there is over-watering. We identify those spots and provide suggestions where we can,” Higgins said.
The mobile irrigation lab also provides pump efficiency tests. Sometimes, that means changing things up. Rather than running a system on diesel, which causes farmers to visit the gas station weekly, solar-powered systems are less expensive.
The RCD evaluation includes a map of pressures and flows and a Distribution Uniformity (DU) rating, which measures how evenly water is applied to the crop. The mobile lab manager explains how specific measurements help determine usage, using
“the highest honor a player can receive and instantly brands the player as one of the top athletes in the United States.”
While the two-day tryout is what ultimately secured Hernandez a coveted spot on the All American team, her hard work and dedication to the sport of softball is what has contributed to her rise as one of the top athletes in her field.
Hernandez has been playing softball since she was 4 years old and hasn’t put down the bat and mitt since. Most recently, prior to being selected as catcher for the All American team, Hernandez played as catcher for the CA Mojo Escobar/Pikas, a local traveling team.
“I have been coaching Lola for the last two years. The things that make Lola a strong and stand out athlete are her work ethic and positive attitude. Lola is always willing to put in the extra work outside of practice to sharpen her skills and craft defensively and on the offensive side,” said CA Mojo Escobar head coach Brian Al-
acronyms like VFD for variable frequency drive. Higgins also explained that sometimes systems need to be “dialed back.”
“Some folks flood their orchards and are interested in switching over to a pressurized system, whether drip or micro sprinkler,” Higgin said. “That’s conservation of water right there.”
Higgins called the present water supply constrained, noting, “We’re getting to the point where it’s trying to fine-tune things and maximize water savings.”
“It just has a rebounding effect with monetary savings,” the irrigation lab manager said. “If you can save water, you’re not paying for that water, or you’re not paying for the energy to pump that water, so it’s a win-win as I see it, too.”
len.
In addition to the six hours of practice every week with her team, Hernandez participates in weight lifting, private batting lessons, private catching lessons and also spends time ensuring that her body is taken care of with a proper diet, cryotherapy and chiropractor appointments multiple times a week.
All of this hard work has allotted Hernandez the confidence required to compete amongst some of the most elite athletes in the 12u age division across the country.
“I am not nervous. I am just really excited because I like meeting
After water usage and conservation comes soil, proving “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” when it comes to composting.
“Folks are often interested in applying compost or its nutrient value to the soils
new people and I really love playing softball”, said Hernandez after being asked how she felt playing on a team full of girls she has never met or practiced with before.
Before last week, Hernandez had not met her USA Softball coaches or teammates in person. The 45 girls who were chosen to represent the region were split into three different teams to represent the West Coast in the prestigious All American softball tournament, hosted by the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The girls selected from the different regions in California, includ-
pressing issue, according to Higgins.
“Being part of a younger generation, it is something that’s talked about more in schools,” Higgins said, who studied agriculture at the University of California, Davis. “I helped at
“If you can save water, you’re not paying for that water, or you’re not paying for the energy to pump that water, so it’s a win-win as I see it, too.”
Conor Higgins, irrigation manager
that can help with soil structure,” Higgins said. “So the state has helped fund opportunities for that in the Healthy Soils Program.”
Lastly, with all agricultural affairs, climate change is a
our farm there, and it was a nice blend of my interests.”
With interest and education came industry reverence for the lab manager.
“It’s like a real-world tangible application to it,”
ing Hernandez, were put into teams with girls from other parts of California, Nevada, Hawaii and Arizona.
“As much as all this is about softball, Lola also knows that softball is an avenue to teach her and guide her for years to come. All the life tools she is learning from these experiences will help her to be successful in life,” said Allen. Hernandez has the high goal of playing at the highest level in college and continues to put the work in to achieve those goals and playing in the USA Softball All American Games is just one of the steps to get there.
Higgins said, noting that he is constantly troubleshooting so many problems. “It’s a moving target with things, you know, that are out of their control, climate policy, global and local markets influences.”
When it comes down to it, Higgins would not trade the sweaty field work and troubleshooting he endures to make Winters’ farmland as rich and healthy as possible.
“I just have so much respect for folks in the ag industry,” Higgins said. “It’s challenging, but I feel it is an important space to work in,” Higgins said.
To learn more information about the program, reach out to Conor Higgins, RCD Project Manager, at higgins@yolorcd.org or visit the RCD website at yolorcd.org.
Miles and Nathan Mireles are Pisani’s Athletes of the Week. The duo played on the 50/70 Winters Little League Preserve team this past baseball season. Miles pitched and played first base, Nathan played third base and outfield. “The boys wholeheartedly supported the team attending every practice and playing any position,” said Frank Mireles. “The two hit for an unprecedented combined 15 home runs — including a three-home-run game for Miles against the (Vacaville Nationals).”
Courtesy photo
Lola Hernandez has dedicated her time to strengthening her softball skills and fine-tuning her techinique. She has been playing the sport since she was four years old.
Courtesy photo
Lola Hernandez has played behind the plate as catcher for multiple softball teams.
Fresh flavors, garden-grown bell peppers to beat the heat
The high temperatures are starting to lessen, but some days still have a muggy, over-bearing feeling to them. However, the pepper plants in our home garden are somehow thriving despite the onslaught of triple-digit temperatures.
We (my husband) is growing a variety of peppers in both our front and back yard raised beds. We have all types of hot peppers, bell peppers and sweet peppers – I’ve lost count on just how many are growing. While it’s not quite the abundance of peppers that we had last year, the harvest has begun to pile up in a small basket on my counter and I knew that we had to use them or lose them.
While I’m still cautious about turning my stove on, I appreciate the flavor of a roasted bell pepper. The recipe I use calls for the stove to preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, but the peppers only cook for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how much crunch I want them to have.
This time around I used a combination of sweet red and yellow peppers from our garden. I also used home-grown garlic, green onions and jalapeño pepper in this recipe. Added with a
mix of cilantro lime rice, black beans, corn and white cheddar the flavors are delightfully bright and not too heavy. I seasoned it with cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper which gave it just the right amount of kick. I left a slight crunch in my bell peppers, too, so the fresh taste and the texture didn’t disappoint.
My family didn’t get to partake, but I did share it with my husband. (He is the successful gardener to my black thumb, it seemed fitting I should at least share the lunch with him when he returned home from work.)
I purposely didn’t use tomatoes in the stuffing recipe, but a spicy diced tomato and pepper mixed in would go great if you like a tomato-based stuffing. I topped mine with salsa while my husband used a spicy cilantro lime dressing. I also was originally going to use feta cheese in this recipe, but I decided to finish off a block of white cheddar. You really can’t go wrong using either cheese option.
Next time, I would also like to grill corn on the cob and cut the kernels off. After the fact, I remembered I have an Elote seasoning that would have been a great idea to
use on the corn before mixing it in. Maybe that’s a lot of flavors going on, but I want to try it.
Stuffed bell peppers
Adapted from loveandlemons.com
Ingredients
Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
4 bell peppers (add more if they’re smaller)
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
1 to 2 jalapeños, diced
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
2 cups cooked white jasmine rice
1 cup (or one can) cooked
black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels (Can also grill and cut off kernels)
Putting it together
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper.
I cut the tops off of the peppers, but you can also opt to slice them in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membranes and place on the baking sheet, with the cut side up.
Lightly drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Note: If you’d like your peppers softer, bake them for about 10 minutes, and pour out any liquid that pools inside the peppers.
In a large bowl, mix a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, jalapeños, green onions, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and cilantro. Add in the rice
and pour the lime juice on top and gently fold the ingredients together.
Note: For a cheesy filling, add in about a half cup of shredded cheese to the mixture.
Scoop the filling into the pepper halves and top them with more cheese.
Baking them for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your preference and until the cheese is melted.
Perfect Pairings
This month, Turkovich Family Wines, Berryessa Gap Vineyards and Patio29 Spirits Co. answered my request for what adult beverages to pair with this month’s recipe.
Corinne Martinez of Berryessa Gap Vineyards, recommended the 2023 Berryessa Gap Albariño.
“The crisp acidity will cut the heat of the jalapeños and accent
the lime zest,” Martinez said.
Luciana Moreno Turkovich, winemaker at Turkovich Family Wines, said the recipe would go perfectly with Turkovich’s Barrel Select Tempranillo.
“A barrel select Tempranillo especially aged in European and American oak barrels, offers dark fruit, vanilla and earthy undertones,” Moreno Turkovich said. “Known for its bold flavors and good acidity, it can complement the robust taste of the stuffed bell peppers.”
Patio29’s Eric Boone suggested pairing it with Patio29’s Green Chile Infused Vodka.
“This is one of Patio29’s newest releases and is made from an infusion of farm-fresh hatch, poblano and habanero peppers,” Boone said. “The finished spirit features a delightfully bright, clean green chile flavor that finishes with a mild kick. Add a touch of lime juice and honey syrup, and you have yourself a delicious Green Chile Margarita.” Boone shared the recipe so you can try your hand at making a Green Chile Margarita, too.
Green Chile Margarita
From Patio29 Spirits Co.
Ingredients
2 oz Patio29 Green Chile Infused Vodka ¾ oz lime juice, freshly squeezed ½ oz honey syrup (1 to 1 of honey and hot water) or simple syrup
Rimming salt (optional, but encouraged) lime wedge garnish Putting it together
Wet the rim of a rocks glass and coat in rimming salt (optional) In a shaker with ice, combine vodka, lime juice and honey syrup. Shake until thoroughly chilled. Strain into a salt-rimmed rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy.
Courtesy photo
Patio29’s Green Chile Infused Vodka features a medley of hatch, poblano and habanero chile peppers
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
These stuffed peppers feature vegetables fresh from the garden and a cheesy, cilantro lime rice and black bean mixture.