We would like to extend our appreciation to our staff, parents and community partners for your hard work and dedication to our students. We wish everyone a prosperous 2024 filled with health, joy and peace.
WJUSD Board of Trustees Carrie Green, Joedy Michael, Kristin Trott, Everardo Zaragoza and Sterling Davis
$1
including tax
WFoL’s Quiz Show competition returns News, Page 2
Wrotens celebrate 10 years of ownership Features, Page 1
Volume 140, Number 47 — Locally-owned since 1884
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, December 20, 2023
The hometown paper of Dave and Diane Bosse
School district to partner with community to develop Ethnic Studies program By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief
EXPRESS
Superintendent Rody Boonchouy announced that Winters Joint Unified School District is looking to partner with residents to develop an Ethnic Studies program that reflects the history, stories and contributions of the diverse community that has called Winters their home. Boonchouy is seeking community members and local stakeholders to participate in the school district’s Ethnic Studies Task Force. Creating the task force is step one in the two-year timeline of developing what the state-mandated Ethnic Studies courses will look like at Winters JUSD. At the Dec. 14, Winters JUSD Board of Trustees meeting, Boonchouy presented California’s journey of developing a school curriculum to include Ethnic Studies for students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Boonchouy said Ethnic Studies has a 60 year history in education that has evolved from early
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Winters Joint Unified School District believes it will create a successful Ethni Studies program by the state’s deadine by partnering with community stakeholder. root efforts in literature of early 20th century activists and authors, to the desegregation of schools, and the development of the first Ethnic Studies programs in the 1960s at San Francisco State Univiversity and UC Berkeley, primarily led by African American, Chicano, Native American and Asian American students. In California, Ethnic Studies legislation began in 2016 when Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law AB 2016 to develop an Ethnic Studies model curriculum intended to serve as a resource for educators to support Ethnic Studies courses or curriculum. Further state legislative efforts included AB 2772 and AB 331 to make Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement — with
both bills being vetoed. In 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 101 into law making Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement for students in the state of California. AB 101 requires that all state school districts have — at minimum — a semester-long Ethnic Studies course by 2025– 2026 and the graduation requirement applied to students in the graduating class of 2030. “Although there are about eight other states have enacted measures to promote Ethnic Studies, California was the first state to make Ethnic Studies a requirement,” Boonchouy said. He included the civil rights movement efforts in the history.
See PROGRAM, Page 5
Index Features ........................ B-1
We at he r Date
Rain
High
Dec. 13
.00
68˚
35˚
Dec. 14
.00
64˚
32˚
Dec. 15
.00
61˚
35˚
Dec. 16
.00
63˚
33˚
Eventos hispanos ....... A-2
Dec. 17
.00
67˚
39˚
Dec. 18
.75”
58˚
48˚
Opinion ......................... B-3
Dec. 19
1.04”
57˚
48˚
Real Estate ................... B-2
Rain for week: 1.79 in. Season’s total: 3.95 in. Last sn. to date: 6.50 in.
Classifieds ................... B-4 Community .................. A-2
Sports ........................... B-7
Low
Winters rainfall season began 7/1/23. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily by local weatherman Joe Bristow.
Amelia Biscardi/Winters Express
Mayor Pro Tempore Albert Vallecillo, Council member Carol Scianna, Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, Valley Clean Energy Executive Director Mitch Sears, Council member Jesse Loren and Mayor Bill Biasi unveil the new electric charger across from City Hall.
New EV charging station brings a greener future to Winters By Amelia Biscardi Express staff writer Across the street from city hall, Winters now has new charging stations for electric cars. Taking another step towards more renewable energy, city council members and staff met for the ribbon cutting with members of Valley Clean Energy. Valley Clean Energy is a local electricity provider servicing Yolo County. Through its hard work and funding from the Sacramento Area Council of Government
See UNVEIL, Page 5
Amelia Biscardi/Winters Express
Council member Jesse Loren speaks before the unveiling of a new electric car charger located at 317 First St.
Winters PD investigate reports of suspicious circumstance, firearms By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief Winters Police officers underwent a busy last few days as reports of a suspicious circumstance outside of the intermediate school and reports of firearms were called in.
Rominger incident On Monday evening, Winters Joint Unified
School District alerted families about an unidentified male who had offered rides earlier in the afternoon to two students near Shirley Rominger Intermediate School. Winters Police Department reported the incident occurred at 2:55 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 18. Chief John P. Miller said that a man
had pulled over and offered two students a ride in his vehicle after school. Miller said that a crime hadn’t occurred and Winters PD was investigating the incident as a suspicious circumstance to make sure there wasn’t an attempted crime. “The guy rolled
See POLICE, Page 5
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Eventos hispanos
Lake Berryessa water levels steady Express staff The water level of Lake Berryessa stayed steady the past week but had changes in evaporation and water flow amounts, according to Ken Emigh of the Solano Irrigation District. On the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 19, the lake level was 421.49
feet above sea level, with storage computed at 1,218,562 acrefeet of water. Evaporation on the lake averaged 36 acre-feet of water per day. The SID is diverting 50 cubic feet per second of water in the Putah South Canal, with 31 cubic feet per second flowing at the Diversion Dam.
The WFoL Quiz Show comeback Special to the Express After a three-year hiatus, The Winters Friends of the Library has announced that The Quiz Show will be returning on Friday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at its new venue, The Opera House at 13 Main St. The Quiz Show is a fundraising trivia contest where teams of five answer questions from a dozen or more categories. The cost to enter per team is $100, and the winning team is awarded $200. But the big prize is that the team and participants’ names are engraved on the permanent WFoL Quiz Show trophy on display at the Winters Community Library. The community is invited to attend for a $5 donation at the door. Refreshments will be served, and wine and beer will be for sale. The Nambian Know-it-alls, made up of John Mahoney, Mark Lechmair, John Curtis, Brad Hanson and Mark Lundy, are the reigning champions, having won the title in 2020. It is unclear whether they will be returning to defend their title. But the Winters Theatre Company, having won often, has agreed to compete.
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Esta imagen de la Alternativa de Construcción Número 2 muestra un camino de usos múltiples separado y construido a lo largo de la I-505, junto al puente actual que conduce a la ciudad. Courtesy photo
In 2020, Rebecca Fridae, then President of the Winters Friends of the Library, awarded the trophy to the winning team of The Quiz Show to the Nambian No-It-Alls, including Mark Lundy, Brad Hanson, Matt Lechmaier, John Mahoney and Curtis Strohl. There are three rounds of questions, each set getting more challenging and ranging from Sports to Literature and Poetry, to Winters Trivia. Questions used in past years include: What is the largest landlocked country in the world? Who is Reginald Kenneth Dwight better known as? What competition did Bobby Fischer win in 1972? And who was Citizen of the Year in 2019? Teams may be sponsored by businesses or other organizations or be made up of a group of friends with varied strengths- poetry and literature, sports, geography, current events, and music, to name a few. If you are interested, but don’t
have a full team, you still may register, and teams may be cobbled together at the event. All-student teams under the age of 18, are free, and sponsored by WFoL. Sign-ups and complete rules are available at the library. Teams that sign up before Jan. 17 will pay $100, or $20 per individual. After that, signups will be taken at the door the evening of the event until 7 p.m. but the price increases to $125 per team or $25 per person. For questions about the event, call Rebecca Fridae at 530-795-4600. Answers to the questions above are 1. Kazakhstan, 2. Elton John, 3. World Champion Chess and 4. Linda Glick.
Prepare for Winter NOW!
Reunión comunitaria presenta diseños de mejoras de la I-505
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la situación actual y realmente que en este momento es inadecuada. Y también brindar un beneficio al conectar (El Rio Villas) con todos los servicios y negocios que hay en la ciudad y mejorar en general la accesibilidad para peatones y bicicletas.” Chamberlain presentó dos alternativas principales de construcción para mejorar el puente que cruza la I-505. La Alternativa de Construcción Número 1 es ampliar el puente que cruza actualmente. Hay tres opciones alternativas a la primera alternativa de construcción (1A, 1B y 1C) que presentan diferentes mejoras en el cruce elevado en el área donde el tráfico y los peatones/bicicletas participarían en el lado este de la I-505. Cada una de estas alternativas ampliaría el puente con un carril para bicicletas Clase Dos y una acera. La opción 1A agrega un espacio para girar a la derecha en la rampa circular en dirección norte La opción 1B agrega un espacio para girar a la derecha con una rampa circular realineada en dirección norte La opción 1C agrega un espacio para girar a la izquierda para cerrar la rampa circular en dirección norte La alternativa de construcción número 2 es construir un nuevo camino de usos múltiples y un nuevo puente peatonal a lo largo del lado sur del actual puente sobre el paso elevado de la I-505. Los nuevos caminos de usos múltiples se construirían como una conexión adicional fuera de El Rio Housing a lo largo de Grant Avenue y Russell Boulevard, con el plan a largo plazo de crear un sendero regional para bicicletas que conecte Winters con Davis y un objetivo aún mayor de crear un ruta de conexión a nivel regional. El proyecto se encuentra actualmente en la fase de diseño preliminar y se están realizando secciones alternativas y documentación ambiental con fondos de una subvención federal del Programa de Transporte Activo (Active Transporation Program). La Ciudad de Winters, el Condado Yolo y los representantes de Caltrans están trabajando para encontrar opciones de financiamiento adicionales para pagar el
MONDAY-FRIDAY 10AM-6PM • SATURDAY 10AM-4PM
Vea I-505, Página 3
Por Crystal Apilado Traducido por Carol Alfonso La Ciudad de Winters, Caltrans y el Condado Yolo están trabajando juntos para que sea más seguro para peatones y ciclistas cruzar la carretera interestatal I-505 hacia Winters. La comunidad se reunió para aprender más sobre el proyecto y dar su opinión a la agencia encargada de ejecutarlo en una reunión el pasado Jueves 7 de Diciembre en la gran sala de conferencias del Ayuntamiento de Winters (Winters City Hall). Representantes de la firma de ingeniería Wood Rodgers estuvieron presentes para compartir detalles sobre el estado del proyecto y sus objetivos en la reunión comunitaria. Wood Rodgers coordina el diseño preliminar. El personal del Condado Yolo, el Administrador de la Ciudad de Winters, Jeremy Craig, y los cinco miembros del Consejo Municipal estuvieron incluidos en la audiencia de unos 20 miembros de la
comunidad. Paul Gervacio, manejador del proyecto de Psomas el cuál representa a la ciudad en el proyecto, dijo que la comunidad tuvo la oportunidad de hablar y preguntar sobre el proyecto. “La intención es que recopilemos sus comentarios para poder llevarlos nuevamente a la mesa de diseño (restirador),” dijo Gervacio. “Todavía tenemos camino por recorrer.” Tim Chamberlain, líder ambiental de Wood Rodgers, presentó que el área local en la que se centra el proyecto es desde las calles Morgan Street dentro de los límites de la Ciudad de Winters hasta Fredericks Drive en la zona no incorporada del Condado Yolo, justo después de las comunidades de viviendas de El Rio Villa. “El objetivo principal es conseguir una mejor situación para cruzar la carretera interestatal existente,” dijo Chamberlain. “Estoy eguro de que todo el mundo conoce
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Trustees elect Michael as board president Express staff At its organizational meeting on Dec. 14, the Winters Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees took action to approve new officers and approved the schedule of school board meetings for 2024. Trustees unanimously elected Joedy Michael as the new Board President and Everardo Zaragoza as Board Clerk. Superintendent Boonchouy was appointed to serve as Board Secretary. Michael gave praise to Trustee Carrie Green who has served as the President since the major board transition of
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Joedy Michael, WJUSD president
having four new trustees in December 2020. Green was first elected to her seat in November 2014 and has served as the Area Two Trustee since December 2014. “This community was better off with your leadership the last three years through COVID, through board changes, through leadership changes. Thank you for your dedication,” Michael said. Trustees approved the calendar for 2024 Board of Trustees meetings. The complete list of meeting dates is available on the school district website on the Board of Trustees page at wintersjusd.org.
Solano supervisors approve General Plan policy changes for MSA zones McNaughton media staff The Solano County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Dec. 5 approved two General Plan policy amendments, including one that governs potential development within municipal service areas. The vote was unanimous. MSAs are zones on the outskirts of cities where urban expansion is anticipated or could occur through 2030 or later as defined in the county General Plan. The policies have not been updated since 2008. The areas allow for urban utility services to be used, but wells and septic systems are still allowed, too. While not identical, the service areas
closely relate to city spheres of influence, areas in which the cities have traditionally controlled what kind of development is allowed. The board was told that the proposed changes bring the policy in line with the General Plan land designations. But the goal of the change is for the county to create partnerships with special districts or cities on development projects, including residential projects to serve unincorporated county residents — the kind of projects to which city residents object. “It is hard for the cities to provide housing for our people because they don’t want our people living next
to them,” board Chairman John Vasquez said. Asked after the meeting to clarify what he meant by “our people,” and specifically whether he meant farm labor, Vasquez remained mostly ambiguous but said he was not talking specifically about farm labor. “If you want to go there we can, but no,” Vasquez said. The suggestion was that these could be developments for residents with substance abuse, mental health or other specialty housing needs. The amendments, the staff said, follow the board’s own economic development priorities as well. Planning Manager
Alan Calder said after the meeting that it is not the intent of the changes to have the county to move forward alone on development projects. There were no comments by city representatives during the public hearing. Jack Batson asked the board to send the matter back to the Planning Commission, which voted 2–1 in favor of the changes, but without a majority approval of three votes, rendered no recommendation at all. He argued a commission recommendation was necessary for the supervisors to take action, but County Counsel Bernadette Curry cited code language that showed that was not the case.
Funding extends DA’s DUI prosecutions Special to the Express The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office will continue to have a specialized prosecution team handling alcohol and drug-impaired driving cases, with $213,311 in new grant funds from the California Office of Traffic Safety. This marks the 12th year the Yolo DA’s Office has received funding from the OTS for a specialized DUI prosecution program. Last year, the prosecution team filed 421 DUI cases, including 14 drug DUI cases and 33 cases with combined alcohol and drug impairment. According to DA’s Commons data transparency portal (www. measuresforjustice. org/commons/yoloda), DUI investigations referred to the District Attorney from local police, Yolo County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway
Patrol for criminal charges have increased since 2020. Recent jury-trial convictions, as well as numerous other DUIs that resulted in pleas, highlight a disturbing and troubling trend of DUIs with blood-alcohol contents vastly beyond the legal limit of 0.08. A BAC that is double or triple this rate is an exponentially greater danger to other drivers on the road and the community as a whole. “Impaired driving is a growing problem, particularly with
drivers suspected of operating a vehicle under the influence of both alcohol and drugs,” Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig said. “This program allows us to focus specifically on holding those who decide to drive impaired accountable for their dangerous actions.” The specialized prosecution team also will partner with the statewide Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Training Program to collaborate with law enforcement agencies on best prac-
tices for managing DUI cases. The grant program runs through September 2024.
I-505 Continuado de la Página 2 diseño y la construcción final.
Preguntas públicas Los miembros del público preguntaron si la pendiente del actual puente elevado cambiaría en las opciones de la Alternativa de Construcción Número 1 y si se incluirían más aceras y cruces peatonales más abajo en Grant Avenue hasta Winters. Chamberlain confirmó que la pendiente actual del puente no cambiaría en la Alternativa de Construcción Número 1 y que están dejando más aceras y cruces peatonales para ser considerados en futuros desarrollos de construcción. Craig dijo que el proyecto de Farmstead sería uno de esos proyectos a considerar agregarlos. También dijo que hay más costos de construcción asociados con todas las alternativas de ampliación en comparación con la construcción de un nuevo puente separado debido a la antigüedad de la estructura actual. “Las tres (alternativas) de ampliación son poner dinero adicional en una estructura existente que ya tiene 60 años. Podría haber muchos costos descartables a medida que se acerca el final de su vida útil,” dijo Chamberlain. Otra consideración que debe decidirse es quién será asignado como responsable del mantenimiento continuo de cualquier
opción que se decida. Chamberlain dijo que el proyecto se encuentra actualmente en lo que “Caltrans llama la fase de aprobación y documentación” y anticipa tener un borrador completo del documento ambiental disponible para revisión pública para el verano del 2024 y una selección de una alternativa preferida para el otoño del 2024. Se espera que el informe completo del proyecto y el documento ambiental estén listos para fines del 2024 y que el inicio del diseño final comience a principios del 2025. Se prevé que la construcción del diseño final del proyecto comience en el 2027. Los objetivos del proyecto presentados son: • Proporcionar una instalación peatonal dedicada a través de la I-505 • Conectar residencias al este de la autopista con escuelas y empresas en la Ciudad de Winters • Mejorar la seguridad de ciclistas y peatones • Proporcionar accesibilidad mejorada según la ley ADA (Acta sobre personas discapacitadas en América) dentro del área del proyecto (Morgan Street hasta Fredericks Drive) • Proporcionar parte de un tren de bicicletas regional que conecten Winters y Davis. Las preguntas sobre el proyecto pueden dirigirse al secretario municipal a cityclerk@cityofwinters.org o llamar al 530-794-6702.
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A4 — Winters Express, Wednesday, December 20, 2023
YESTERYEAR Picked by Charley Wallace
Years Ago Photo by Debra Ramos
Public Safety Report City of Winters
Fire The Winters Fire Log will return soon. Check for updates at https://tinyurl. com/2usvczda.
Police Arrest Log Dec. 7: Bustamante-Jaime, Issac (Age 28), Charges: Winters PD Warrant, Disposition: Released on Notice to Appear Dec. 8: Garcia, Rosendo (Age 30); Charges: DUI, DUI BAC over .08 percent, Driving wrong way; Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail Dec. 9: Rubio, Gregorio Rubio Jr (Age 55), Charges: Winters PD Warrant, Disposition: Released on Notice to Appear
Report Log Dec. 6: 7:14 p.m., 400th block of Luis Place, Domestic Violence
Dec. 7: 7:48 p.m., W. Main Street/ Moody Slough Road, Missing Person Located Dec. 9: 11:23 a.m., 700th block of Hemenway Street, Found Property Dec. 10: 4:53 a.m., 400th block of Cottage Circle, Audible Alarm Dec. 11: 9:59 a.m., Unknown, Internet Crimes Against Children report ~12 p.m., 700th block of Valley Oak Drive, Identity Theft ~5:42 p.m., 100th block of Owings Drive, Outside Agency Assist Dec. 12: 2:09 a.m., 900th block of Railroad Avenue, Use/ under the influence of a controlled substance ~9 a.m., 100th block of E. Baker Street, APS referral For our editorial policy on crime log entries, see winters express.com/unpub lishing-policy.
The Winters Senior Center is seeking funding for equipment and programming. Mail checks payable to Winter Senior Center Fund to: Yolo Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1264, Woodland, CA
PO Box 520, Winters, CA 95694
530-795-4551 Se habla español.
news@wintersexpress.com Content due by Monday at noon. Other space reservations due by Friday at noon. Office hours are by appointment. Call 530-795-4551 to schedule a meeting.
Subscription delivery issues? Call us and leave a message or submit a complaint via our website www.wintersexpress.com. Crystal Apilado, Editor-in-Chief Fred Gladdis, Special Editor Sydney Andrade, Staff Writer Amelia Biscardi, Staff Writer Aaron Geerts, Staff Writer David DeLeon, Advertising Director Taylor Buley, Publisher-at-Large Charles R. Wallace, Publisher Emeritus
The 1994 Circle of Singers include (from left), back: Fred Ransdell, Dwight Howard, Paul Holmes, Mike Kimes, Kari Williams and Randy Stevens; second row: Pinky Dahn, Linda Roth, Patty Marer, Dee Chee, Melecia Ramos, Jennifer Cullivan and Will Roth; third row: Gayle Matteson, Carroll Sloper, Accompanist Debi Bowen, Laurie Patton and Gloria Marion; front: Kathy Pranke, director Theresa Foster, Amber Foster, Bill Martin and Teri Stevens. Not Pictured, Kathy Michals, Al Vallecillo, Patty Falkenberg, Shirley Scullin and Doreen Puccio. This group entertained Winters, with changing members, for years, especially during the holiday season.
Dispatches from the Express archives. 145 Years Ago
December 21, 1878
(From the files of The Winters Advocate) A reporter of the San Francisco Call visited Theodore Winters’ horse breeding farm, on Putah Creek, near Winters, and writes a long description of which the following is an extract: “The weanling colts and fillies prove conclusively that so far the place on the banks of the Putah cannot be excelled as a nursery for young thoroughbreds. They are so well grown, that if they were located in some districts of the East, where only trotters are bred, they would be mistaken for yearlings; but a person that had never seen a thoroughbred would know they were a different race from those he had been acquainted with; the heads as clearly cut at the engraving on an ancient gem; the lissome limbs, the intelligent eye, the whole form denoting speed and power. Taken together, they are the finest collection of weanlings the writer ever saw, and he has been on nearly all the main breeding farms of the East. It is, as a majority, exceptionally good, and the colt by Norfolk, our of Marion, and the one by the same sire, out of Lady Jane, are perhaps entitled to the first place in the collection; but so uniform are they, it is invidious to make comparisons, and by another season there may be such a change as would be unfavorable, to the favorites selected.”
The timbers are all in place, the railroad track is laid, and the old timbers cut from beneath, so that the bridge now stands up in its own foundation. By the 1st of January next all will be finished, and the union between Yolo and Solano counties complete.
130 Years Ago
December 23, 1893 J.A. Henderson, our popular leading clothier, took a trip to the Bay City on Monday last. While there he purchased an elegant stock of gents’ furnishing goods for the winter trade, together with one of the largest stocks of clothing ever brought to Winters. At the regular meeting held on Tuesday evening of last week, Winters Lodge of Odd Fellows elected the following named brethren to serve as officers during the next term: L.E. Neel, Noble Grand; D.O. Judy, Vice Grand; L.A. Danner, Secretary, and George Thompson, Treasurer. Buckeye Lodge No. 195, F. and A. Masons, at the regular meeting last Saturday evening, elected the following named brethren as officers for the ensuing Masonic year: George Wesley Hill, Worshipful Master: Arthur Baldridge Ish. Senior Warden; William Henry Robinson, Junior Warden; William Sims, Secretary, and Jonah Porter Steward, Treasurer. Arthur North came up from Berkeley
Happy Holidays from our family to yours. At Smith Funeral Home, we believe that reflecting on the good times is an important part of celebrating life. This season, we are grateful for the community and families we serve. Whether this year has been a season of loss or a season of joy, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
yesterday morning to spend the yuletide with his parents. Principal Goin of the Winters high school went over to Woodland on Wednesday morning, to visit the teachers’ institute.
95 Years Ago
December 21, 1928 E.L. Bryan is the new president of the Exchange Club. H.M. Ball is the new vice-president and will advance to the presidency at the expiration of the six months term of President Bryan. Lloyd Islip who has already served two terms as secretary was re-elected for another term. Carpenter F.L. Demaree is building a residence for H. B. Bennett alongside his service station at the Solano bridge end. Miss Dorothy Reasoner, student at U.C. Hospital, San Francisco is spending today at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Reasoner. She will return to the city Saturday morning. Miss Dorothy Sackett, student at the College of the Pacific at Stockton is spending the holiday vacation with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. L.A. Sackett. Buel Ish is out and around again after a siege at home with the flu. The Farm Bureau Fire truck went out to the Allen Martin home Monday forenoon. The fireplace chimney burned out and the ugly looking blaze was being blown against the roof by the north wind. Nothing caught fire, however, and no damage resulted except to Mrs. Martin’s nervous system, as she was home all alone. Three beacon lights guiding airplanes on the north-south course over Winters are now visible from here and flashing their beams
to guide the aviators. These lights are at Mt. Diablo, Suisun-Fairfield and Capay. The Capay and Suisun lights came on for the first time this week.
80 Years Ago
December 24, 1943
The Board of Directors of the Winters National Bank held their final meeting on November 19, 1943, and declared the Fifth and Final Liquidating Dividend of $1.82 per share, thus winding up the affairs of the bank. G.A. Moore, chairman of the mileage panel of the Winters War Price and Rationing Board, today called to the attention of operators of trucks and other commercial vehicles the importance of making early application for gasoline rations for the first quarter in 1944. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hamilton and Miss Martha Siranian of Van Nuys, plan to spend the weekend with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Siranian. Mrs. R.E. Campbell who has been teaching near Colusa is at home for the holidays. Mrs. Charles Graf Jr. is assisting at the local telephone office during the illness of chief operator, Mrs. Crowder, and Miss Jennie Reasoner. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Davis of Walnut Grove have this week taken up residence on their newly acquired ranch, north and east of Esparto. Mrs. Davis, the former Jean Griffin, visited briefly with her father, John D. Griffin this week. Mrs. A.P. Pleasants of Olive district and sister, Mrs. Millie Olds of Berkeley are holiday guests with Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Gilmore in the latter’s new home, Woodlake, North Sacramento.
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Winters Express, Wednesday, December 20, 2023 — A5
UNVEIL Continued from Page 1 (SACOG) to build this charger. Winters city council members Jesse Loren, Carol Scianna, Mayor Pro Tempore Albert Vallecillo and Mayor Bill Biasi were in attendance. Staff explained that this charging station honors the Winters Climate Action plan which emphasizes reducing greenhouse gasses. “When you’re traveling with an electric vehicle sometimes, you don’t know where you’re gonna charge, you get anxiety,” Loren said. “But this project allows you to come to Winters. You can go to our community center, you can partake in our parades and hotels and just have a good time.” Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, who also sits as vice chair on VCE’s board of directors, notes that government officials especially must keep up with technology. “We’re seeing this real increase in electric vehicles,” Frerichs said. “In that, we get a lot of times you’re not seeing the sort of upgrades to the infrastructure or the charging stations.” With the Winters Community Center housing four charging stations, this latest station at 317 First
PROGRAM Continued from Page 1 state to make Ethnic Studies a requirement,” Boonchouy said.
Research on programs Boonchouy presented that research on the impact of Ethnic Studies in K-12 schools suggests it has a positive impact on the academic success and social emotional wellbeing of students with noticeable benefits for all students and “significant gains for students from communities of color.” He listed that some of the positive effects include improved engagement, literacy, academic achievement metrics, attitudes toward learning, agency, graduation rates and critical skills development. Over the last few years, Boonchouy has reached out to other school districts about their approach and findings in their Ethnic Studies program development and implementation including El Rancho, Salinas, San Francisco, San Mateo and Woodland school districts. He said a consistenty across the board was that their program successes were “initiated by particularly passionate teachers who drove the development and evolution of the program” who believed that students should be at the center of learning and that “each program was highly localized by their community context, history, student makeup and culture.” “One district shared that they ‘don’t want teachers taking center stage and telling kids how it is.’ It takes real
St. helps Winters be more electrical vehicle friendly. “We’re doing these installations all across the county,” Frerichs said. “We know that transportation is one our biggest sources of emissions and so (...) it’s all about over time the electrification of the transportation sector and we are doing it in bitesized chunks.” Mitch Sears, executive director of VCE, explained that one of the important things is to make sure to have the voices of local governments. Loren and Vallecillo, currently sitting on its board of directors. Loren says that VCE worked with Winters. Five years ago when VCE was starting up, VCE allowed Winters city council members to look at their goals, and financials and sit on their board as non-voting members to ensure it was a good fit. One of the discussion items on the future agenda for VCE is electricity rates. Specifically, according to Frerichs, the hope is to see if they can find a way to lower them for VCE customers. “It’s one of those things (...), everybody has a finite budget,” Frerichs said. “If you’re having to spend your money on, you know, higher costs for electricity or
food as an example, there’s real choices to be made. There are trade-offs, so we have to figure out how to try to put more money back in people’s wallets.” Sears added that because VCE does not have investors and is instead a business, it allows them to have a different focus. “Our investors are our customers,” Sears said. Sears explained that they can show people like farmers what times the electrical grid will have the most power and therefore likely save them money. “What’s kind of neat about it is the farmers see just a software platform that shows them green, yellow and red,” Sears said. As technologies continue to change with more and more clean energy options, Winters looks to the future. “I think Winters is in a really great spot right now,” Loren said. “We have a new city manager who is really on fire to get stuff done. We have this opportunity to work with the county and use federal money to have that (I-505) over-crossing and that is going to be a great asset for people to ride their bikes or to ride their electric bikes to Winters.”
skill to create a space for authentic learning, to facilitate discussion/debate, and to restore when discussions get hard,” Boonchouy said. “What was common in all districts was the need for appropriate balances to sustain the program
or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems. “What we often see in the media is a portrayal of Critical Race Theory as something that labels white people as oppressors, breeds ethnic resentment, is unamerican,
POLICE Continued from Page 1 up and asked if they wanted a ride. there wasn’t an attempt to grab (the students),” Miller said. “Was it a mistaken identity or was there intent? We don’t know what the intention since was there was no physical force,” Miller said. On Tuesday afternoon, Miller told the Express that the man described in the incident was a family member of one of the two students. In the initial report, Winters PD did not have the identity of the other student who had been involved. On Tuesday, they had tracked down the other student who confirmed the man who offered them a ride was his uncle. Miller emphasized that community members should not hesitate to report suspicious activity to Winter PD so they an investigate it and get to the bottom of it. Miller said in a similar situation on a rainy day a few years ago, a resident had pulled over to offer a ride to a student who was thought to be the daughter of a friend, but it wasn’t. He and Superintendent Rody Boonchouy agreed that students should immediately report “Our goal is for all of our students to feel that they belong and are respected so that they can learn. And to better understand perspectives, become less polarized, and develop a sense of community and unity for the betterment of ev-
“Our goal is for all of our students to feel that they belong and are respected so that they can learn. And to better understand perspectives, become less polarized, and develop a sense of community and unity for the betterment of everyone.” Rody Boonchouy, superintenden
— from a clear stance of governance and administrators, to grass roots teacher innovation and ownership, to community support and involvement, and importantly to student voice and leadership.” Boonchouy said the school district sees a direct alignment of Ethnic Studies with their recently approved Graduate Profile, particularly with the focus on programs and methods to promote community engagement, critical thinking, collaboration and cultural awareness.
Critical Race Theory Boonchouy said it was important to clarify what Critical Race Theory is, what it is not, and to understand why it’s an issue. He said Critical Race Theory is based on the premise that racial bias — intentional or not — is baked into national laws and institutions and that it’s not just the product of individual bias
teaches white children to hate themselves, and promotes hatred of our country. This is not Critical Race Theory, in fact Critical Race Theory doesn’t even attribute racism to individuals or groups of people — it’s a theory applied to institutions, policies, and law,” Boonchouy said. Boonchouy said the panic of Critical Race Theory is not new to education and listed the main takeaways as: • “Much of what we are hearing about Critical Race Theory is inaccurate.” • “Critical Race Theory is not taught in our schools.” • “The purpose and outcomes of Ethnic Studies are to unite, not to divide.”
eryone,” said.
Boonchouy
Next steps Boonchouy said the strategy timeline for the Winters JUSD Ethnic Studies program is about a two-year journey that begins with the creation of an Ethnic Studies Task Force in spring 2024. The school district’s next steps are to: • Make a program recommendation in May 2024 • Launch professional development and curriculum pilots in the 2024–25 school year • Get course approval in January 2025 • Make a recommendation to adopt the course and amend the graduation requirements in spring 2025 • Approve the imple-
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mentation as a graduation requirement in fall 2025 Assistant Superintendent Phoebe Girimonte said that once it is approved, they will have to gradually transition it in for students who did not take the required courses prior to approval. Trustee Everardo Zaragoza said he thought students would benefit from the opportunity to learn more about the origins of the Winters community. Trustee Kristin Trott said “the importance of this course is to understand the depth and breadth of our community” and that it would be good for students and the entire community to engage in a deeper and more meaningful understanding of one another. Boonchouy wrapped up the discussion with a reminder that going forward the conversation isn’t about Critical Race Theory, but an ongoing communication between the school district and community members to develop an opportunity to celebrate and understand where the community start-
DUI, weapon arrest
On Dec. 16, at 1:17 a.m., a Winters police officer initiated a traffic stop on Railroad Avenue near Betty Court after observing the vehicle traveling at an unsafe speed and running a red light. The driver was identified as 21-yearold Woodland resident Angel Macias. Macias was arrested for driving under the influence. During a search of the vehicle, the officer located a loaded Glock 19 under the driver’s seat and three bags of marijuana that weighed a total of 102.1 grams. Macias was booked at Yolo County Jail on two felonies and three misdemeanors for the related DUI, gun and marijuana violations.
ed and how it’s gotten from that point to the present. “This is intended to build understanding, awareness and solidarity as a community and among our students,” Boonchouy said.
Apply for task force
Individuals who want to apply for the Winters JUSD Ethnic Studies Task Force should email Amanda Kiser at akiser@ wintersjusd.org and include their name and description of interest or complete the Google Form inked on the Winter JUSD website at https://bit.ly/ 48tMkUJ. Boonchouy said he is looking to include a variety of perspectives and experiences from Winters community members and local organizations. He wants to include demographics from culture to intergenerational, as well as talk to residents who have a rich knowledge of Winters history and the the cultural groups who have made a home in Winters.
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On Tuesday afternoon, Winters Police responded to a call of a family fight with a reported threat that a gun was pulled out. Yolo County Sheriff’s Office and Winters PD officers arrived at the scene on the 1000 block of Adams Lane and went to work to establish a perimeter and communication with the residents involved. Adams Lane was closed at the Valley Oak Drive entrance. Community members reported seeing officers with weapons drawn. Miller said it took a while to establish the perimeter due to the process of having to detain some intoxicated individuals at the residence and community members and neighbors walking up to the area. “It can be quite a difficult situation to establish a controlled environment before starting the investigation,” Mill-
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GIFT GUIDE
A6 — Winters Express, Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Shop small, find unique gifts in Winters Express staff You don’t have to leave town to find gift-giving options that are unique, thoughtful and personalized. Multiple Winters shops have last-minute gifts that can be wrapped in a meaningful way. Home decor: Gift cards can be purchased for future use. If you are shopping for someone who enjoys interior design and home decor look no further than The Winters Collective and The Farmer’s Closet Boutique feature unique, hand-selected wares for personalized style and flair. Consider taking it up a level and getting supplies from Vintique Marketplace in-
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
PurLuv Apothecary offer a selection of botanicals to create a customized bath soak. who is crafty and has a creative vision for a room or who enjoys adding color and tex-
side the Collective. A variety of paint, supplies and services are available for someone
ture to furniture. Winters swag: Gift some hometown pride to friends and family.
From caps and sweatshirts to pillows and artwork, many local shops and tasting rooms have Winters swag available. Unique flair: Becky’s Bella Boutique and Adry’s Fiesta Boutique both feature unique accessories and jewelry. They also have home-crafted creations including hair accessories, hats and scarves. Be sure to visit their Facebook page or storefronts to check for their hours of operation. You can also visit Ayca Designs at the Collective and Serendipity Salon & Holistic Healing Boutique for a variety of jewelry and accessories to gift. Don’t forget to check out So Fly earrings crafted with fly fishing lures inside
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Steady Eddy’s Coffee House. Wellness and body care: Lotions, essential oil blends and crystals are available from Serendipity Salon and the PurLuv Apothecary & Spa at the Collective. Bodycare products range from scrubs, soaking salts, balms and essential oils focusing on specific themes and needs. Check out PurLuv’s Tub Tea Station and create a customized satchel or look at the selection of sage sticks. ZenTerra Spa at the Winters Hotel also offers packages and services for someone looking for a facial treatment or massage therapy service. Mugs and tumblers: Coffee mugs and personalized tumblers also make fun gifts. Steady Eddy’s Coffee House and Abbey Street Crafts at the
See GIFTS, Page 7
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GIFT GUIDE
Winters Express, Wednesday, December 20, 2023 — A7
GIFTS Continued from Page 6 Collective have witty, snarky and fun personalized tumblers available and ready to go for last-minute gifting. Pair it with a gift certificate, wine from Turkovich or Berryessa Gap Winery, or even a bottle of spirits or cocktail kit from Patio29 Spirits Company. Treats and eats: Don’t underestimate the magic in gifting local foods and treats. Both the Turkovich Family Wines and Berryessa Gap Downtown Tasting Room feature dried fruits, honeys, preserves and more in their shops. Steady Eddy’s Coffee House also hosts an array of locally roasted coffee beans, jams and more to create personalized gifts. A book lover’s delight: Visit the Winters Community Library
and shop for gently used books on Mrs. Gildart’s Bookcart or the Ida B. Wallace Book Sale Room, both located in the library lobby. Plus, proceeds from the book sales go back to benefit library support and programming via the nonprofit Winters Friends of the Library. It’s a win-win situation. The Winters Museum offers a selection of books focusing on many Winters-related tales and histories. The Winters Collective also hosts an array of books from entertainment to tabletop collections in the front to children’s books in the back. Wine, beer and spirits: Consider gifting a locally crafted wine, beer or spirit. The Berryessa Gap Downtown Tasting Room and Turkovich Family Wines locations sell wine during business hours. Gift one of the apéritifs from L’Apéro
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Patio29 Distillery offers a wide range of spirits as well as a selection of Harmon’s Hot Pix flavored whiskeys to gift or serve at a holiday event.
les Trois. Check out options at Berryessa Brewing Co, Hooby’s Brewing or Green River Brewing & Taproom for locally brewed beer to go. And, don’t forget to visit the Patio 29 Distillery for one of their locally-crafted spirit options. Gift Card bouquet: Gift a variety of gift cards to local shops and eateries. From a salon or spa service to a meal you can craft a weekend-long or day-away experience. Put $10 to $50 (or more) on a card and wrap them up in a small gift box or get creative and create a bouquet. You can enjoy a meal or drink as you travel around town.
at their convenience. If you’re looking to spend more time together, the Winters Museum is an option to treat guests to local history. The current exhibit features sports in Winters. Another option is to bring guests to see the Winters History Murals created by youth
See GIFTS, Page 8
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Steady Eddy’s Roasting Room crafts a variety of coffee bean roasts for the coffee fanatic in your life.
Gift experiences People love the charm of the Winters community. Consider gifting an experience to help bring family and friends back to support Winters businesses. The Studio Collective and Park Winters host multiple classes and workshops. Check the businesses websites and social media accounts for a calendar of upcoming events. Yolo365 Tours is a unique way to show off Winters’ local charm and entertain your guests at the same time. Consider a custom-planned wine tour or tasting flight at a number of Winters businesses that sell spirits, wine and beer. Gift cards to a local eatery give an invitation to friends and family to enjoy and experience Winters’ dining their way
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A8 — Winters Express, Wednesday, December 20, 2023
GIFT GUIDE
Tasty tidbits about eggnog Metro Special to the Express Eggnog is a rich and delicious beverage that has become synonymous with the most festive time of year. This milk- and egg-based concoction is tasty on its own, or it can be dressed up with other flavors and spiked with a favorite spirit when celebrating the holiday season with other adult partygoers. December is National Eggnog Month, and December 24 is National Eggnog Day. There is no more perfect time of year to learn everything you can about eggnog — all the while sipping a cup of this creamy concoction. Indulge in these festive facts about the beverage, courtesy of Mental Floss, The Fact Site and Tastemade. • Eggnog likely originated in the medieval period and was known as “posset,” a hot, milk-based drink made of spices and wine. Even though posset could be a cocktail, it also was used as a remedy for colds and flu for its soothing properties. • Entymologists believe “eggnog” stems from the word “noggin,” which refers to small wooden mugs often used to serve
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Whip up a batch of George Washington’s original eggnog recipe this holiday season. strong ale, known by the slang word “nog.” • In the Medieval period, it was risky to drink milk straight because it wasn’t pasteurized. Eggnog contained alcohol so that it would kill off any harmful bacteria in the milk. • A typical homemade version of eggnog has roughly one egg per serving. However, commercial eggnog is regulated by the FDA and can only contain 1 percent of the product’s final weight in egg yolk solids. That stems from fear of raw egg and salmonella. • President George Washington apparently enjoyed serving eggnog at Christmas, and even had his own special recipe (see below), according to
the Old Farmer’s Almanac. • There is no right or wrong alcohol to use when preparing eggnog. Distilled spirits like rum, sherry, cognac, and whiskey all have produced suitable eggnogs. Now that you’ve learned about eggnog, whip up a batch of George Washington’s original recipe this holiday season.
Eggnog (George Washington’s original interpretation) Ingredients 1 quart cream 1 quart milk 1 dozen tablespoons sugar 1 pint brandy ½ pint rye whiskey ½ pint Jamaican rum ¼ pint sherry Eggs (Washington forgot to include the number of eggs, so home chefs can improvise or use six, which seems to be the standard in traditional recipes) Putting it together Mix liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into mixture. Let sit in cool place for several days. Taste frequently. Tip: Today’s recipe makers may want to set the eggnog in the refrigerator as the “cool place” of choice.
GIFTS Continued from Page 7
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Find locally offered books on Winters history at the Winters Museum or Pacific Ace Hardware.
through the Winters Participation Gallery’s summer projects. The Studio Collective, Anona Gallery and multiple businesses host local art galleries to browse. Reach out to Abbey House Inn, Hotel Winters or the Fairfield Inn & Suites Sacramento Winters. With three places to stay in town you can create a stay-cation in town or plan a local get away.
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FEATURES
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What is Christmas without music?
Toddlers benefit from chiropractic care
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HEALTH, Page 6
December 21 to Janury 5 Winters Library Hours (School Not in Session), Winters Community Library, Mon/Wed: 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Tue/Thu: 12–8 p.m., Fri/Sat: 1–5 p.m., yolocountylibrary.org/locations/winters/ December 22 to Janury 1 Winters City Hall Closed, Visit www.cityofwinters.org/calendar Wednesdays Eat Well Yolo Drive – Through Food Distribution, Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m. As supplies last, Winters High student parking lot, off Railroad Avenue Thursdays Eat Well Yolo Food Distribution, first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. As supplies last, RISE, Inc., 417 Haven St., 530-668-0690 Saturday, December 23 Craft Your Heart Out! (Age 16 and older), 2 – 4:30 p.m., Winters Community Library, yolocountylibrary.org/locations/winters/
Upcoming
Monday, January 8 Winters Climate Action Commission Meeting, 6:30 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), Check cityofwinters.org/climate-action-commission Tuesday, January 16 Winters City Council Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Council chamber (318 First St.), Zoom Meeting info, check www.cityofwinters.org/ city-council-meetings_/ Wednesday, January 17 Yolo County/Winters City 2x2 Meeting, 4 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), check www.cityofwinters.org/2x2/ Winters Hispanic Advisory Committee, 6:30 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance) Thursday, January 18 Winters JUSD School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., School District Office, Zoom Meeting info, check https://wintersjusd.diligent.community
Library Services
Winters Library Open to Public (No School in Session) Dec. 22 to Jan. 4, Winters Community Library, Mon/Wed: 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Tue/Thu: 12–8 p.m., Fri/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, Will resume in 2024. Winters Senior Foundation Social Gathering, Will resume in 2024.
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, 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. (Closed until Jan. 4) Winters Open Mic, third Thursday of the month, 6 p.m. (sign-ups begin at 5 p.m.), Winters Opera House, 13 Main St. Kiwanis Club of Winters meeting, fourth Thursdays, 6 p.m., Hooby's Brewing Democracy Winters meeting, third Saturdays, 10 a.m.Noon, Meeting details in newsletter, contact info@ democracywinters.org 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.
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Davis Bike Club members move on after stopping by Steady Eddy’s in 2015.
Steady Eddy’s celebrates 10 years of camaraderie and coffee By Angela Underwood Express correspondent So many ingredients go into a great cup of java that have nothing to do with flavor. The aforementioned is understood if you have ever picked up a cup of brew at Steady Eddy’s Coffee House. Yes, you can order select coffee from the finest locally roasted beans and top it off with fresh foam, but here, you get much more than just a temporary pick-me-up. “Steady Eddy’s is more than a coffee shop. It becomes a central hub for all of our guests,” owner Carla Wroten said. “I see a lot of connections happening daily with friends in town that wouldn’t necessarily meet anywhere else but Steady Eddy’s.” After the ingredient of friendship comes variety, added Wroten. “We have seen really special meetings and encounters, and a lot of diverse people from all backgrounds come into our shop and somehow find a reason to connect over coffee,” Wroten said. The Wrotens are celebrating 10 years of Steady Eddy’s ownership, ending 2023 with a decade birthday salute. This is thanks to Wroten and her husband Jamell (Mel) Wroten, who has been serving cups of coffee as a teenager and throughout college. “I really enjoyed the atmosphere and seeing different customers on a daily basis,” she said. “It also helps that I love coffee
Courtesy photo
The Wroten family Gianna, Carla, DJ (front), Carmella and Mel (back) are active members and volunteers in the Winters community. and am a daily coffee drinker.” Wroten remembers Steady Eddy’s beginning days when opening a business was risky for any couple. However, according to the owner, it was an easy decision, with Wroten saying, “Winters choose us.” “Back in 2013, we had two months or less to get ready for the purchase of Steady Eddy’s,” Wroten said. “Little did we know that time would fly and that we would end up raising our family in this small town while owning the best coffee shop in the world.” But before buying the business, Wroten was a frequent
customer, becoming friends with the staff. That is when the community became an ingredient in the many cups of brew she shared with others, which inevitably led to purchasing the coffee house. A decade later, she and Mel roast four fresh brews daily for friends who are like family. “If we want to stay as charming and quaint as we are now, we have to get involved,” Wroten said. “We have to connect with our locals, we have to engage with them so that they feel that this is their coffee shop where everyone knows their name. It has been our recipe for success.”
Don’t let the “coffee house” in the business title fool you. Much more than java is served at the unique eatery, where Wroten hires locals who walk and ride to work. Along with teaching new hires life skills, Steady Eddy’s partners with local nonprofits. Steady Eddy’s keeps it local, which adds the ingredient of familiarity. “It is important for businesses to be involved in the community because, in this day and age, mom-andpop stores and restaurants are a thing of the past,” Wroten said,
See STEADY, Page 5
In the Limelight: Tiny Dancer Special to the Express
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Poppy Whitworth, a Waggoner Elementary School student, has been dancing with the Vacaville Ballet Company since August 2022. This month she danced in her second performance of the company’s production of “The Nutcracker,” which ran from Dec. 7 through Dec. 10. She also performed in “The Wizard of Oz” production earlier this year in May. The Vacaville Ballet Company is a 501(c)3 nonprofit public benefit educational organization to encourage arts education in Solano County. Its VBC School teaches ballet and related dance disciplines, creating an inclusive environment for developing a love of ballet.
B2 — Winters Express, Wednesday, December 20, 2023
California home sales remain muted in October
associations and last four months. 0.4 percent from Sep- Committee meeting percent) and the Far Elevated interest tor $843,340 and recent econom- North (-2.3 percent). MLSs statewide. The “A sizable jump in tember’s statewide annual- interest rates kept to $840,360 in Octo- ic news pointing to The Central Coast (1.9 rates keep ized sales figure rep- home sales con- ber and rose 5.3 per- a slowing economy, percent) was the only resents what would strained in October cent from a revised mortgage rates have region that posted a homebuyers and be the total number and will likely hamper $798,140 recorded a been coming down in sales increase from of homes sold during home sales for the re- year ago. While Oc- recent weeks,” said last October. sellers on the 2023 if sales main- mainder of the year,” tober’s median price C.A.R. Senior Vice • Thirty-six of the 52 tained the October said C.A.R. President took a step back from President and Chief counties tracked by sideline Jordan C.A.R. registered a pace throughout the Jennifer Branchini, a the month prior, the Economist
California Association of Realtors Special to the Express California home sales were essentially flat in October, as the cost of borrowing remained elevated and housing inventory continued to be tight. Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 241,770 in October, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local Real-
year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales. October’s sales pace was up 0.3 percent on a monthly basis from 240,940 in September and down 11.9 percent from a year ago, when a revised 274,410 homes were sold on an annualized basis. Sales of existing single-family homes in California remained below the 250,000-unit pace for the second consecutive month. The annual decline was the 28th straight drop, but the decline was the smallest in the
Bay Area Realtor. “Despite rates remaining elevated, many other factors have swung in favor of buyers recently including more properties staying on the market longer before selling and fewer homes selling over list price, which could motivate more sellers to offer concessions.” Home prices rose again from the yearago level for the fourth straight month, as the statewide median price recorded its largest year-over-year gain in 17 months. California’s statewide median price dipped
month-to-month decline was smaller than the long-run September-to-October price adjustment of -1.5 percent observed in the last 44 years. Prices are expected to level off in the next couple of months, following the traditional seasonal pattern. Positive year-over-year price growth should remain throughout the rest of the year as housing supply is projected to be tight in the coming months. “With the Federal Reserve pausing rate hikes at the last Federal Open Market
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Other key points from C.A.R.’s October 2023 resale housing report include: • At the regional level, all major regions except one dipped in October on a yearover-year basis, with one dropping more than 10 percent from a year ago. The Central Valley region experienced the biggest sales dip of -11.3 percent from last year, followed by Southern California (-7.4 percent), the San Francisco Bay Area (-3.9
sales decline from a year ago in October, with 16 counties dropping more than 10 percent and four counties falling more than 20 percent from last October. Del Norte (-47.4 percent) had the biggest dip in sales, followed by Stanislaus (-28.0 percent), and Tehama (-25.0 percent).Fifteen counties increased in sales from last year, with Trinity (600 percent) gaining the most yearover-year, followed by Napa (49.1 percent) and Lassen (46.7 percent). • At the regional level, home prices increased from a year ago in all except one major region in October. The Central Coast recorded the largest year-over-year gain in its median price (12 percent) and was
See HOMES, Page 4
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Levine. “If inflation continues to cool, we could see more improvement in mortgage rates than the Fed is currently projecting for next year, which would alleviate some pressure on both the buy and sell sides of the housing market in 2024.”
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Winters Express, Wednesday, December 20, 2023 — B3
Express Yourself
What is Christmas without music?
I
t was nice to hear music coming from the Winters Opera House on Sunday evening. Let me remind everyone that I own a few bricks in the Opera House, so I may be a little biased, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy an evening of live entertainment, without leaving town. The Winters Theatre Company has taken on the lease at the Opera House and welcomed The Christmas Jug Band last week. This isn’t the first time the Jug Band has played here, but it is the first time music has filled the hall in years. The Jug Band is a hodgepodge of talented musicians that seem to have a great time getting together to play Christmas songs while having fun at the same time. Maybe we are getting back to “normal.” More than one person told me how much they appreciated having live music back at the Opera House. A few people called it the Palms, but we can’t use that name, and it might take a while to get used to the new name: The Winters Theatre Company at the Winters Opera House. A mouthful, but we’ll get used to it, and I wish them success. I’m not involved with the Winters
The Jug Band is a hodgepodge of talented musicians that seem to have a great time getting together to play Christmas songs while having fun at the same time. Maybe we are getting back to “normal.” Theatre Company so I’m not sure how many shows they plan on putting on every year, but I’m looking forward to seeing plays and performances at the Winters Opera House. Their old home was the Winters Community Center, but I do like the cozy feel of the Opera House. Like I said, I may be a little biased. George Sanders and I bought the Vasey Building in 1986 and renamed it the Winters Opera House, one of its original names. Sounds like a long time ago but I can still remember sitting
See QUICK, Page 5
Horoscopes ARIES (Mar 21/Apr 20) This week you may be interested in unusual art forms or creative things in nature, Aries. Therefore, try to enjoy outings that may bring you to exhibits by local artists or craft shows. TAURUS (Apr 21/May 21) Taurus, an old friend may come to visit for the holidays and you can rekindle your relationship after many years. Even though it’s been some time, you’ll be glad to see one another. GEMINI (May 22/Jun 21) An unexpected invitation comes your way, Gemini. It may include a short trip to visit someone or a brief vacation to a place you’ve always wanted to see. CANCER (Jun 22/Jul 22) New career opportunities are available to reawaken your ambition, Cancer. You might come across some possibilities this week that you hadn’t imagined. LEO (Jul 23/Aug 23) The excitement of making arrangements for a journey may actually excite you more than the trip itself. However, once you get to the destination, your enthusiasm will grow. VIRGO (Aug 24/Sept 22) After a visit from a friend or family member who you haven’t seen in a while, long-forgotten memories are recalled. This will be an interesting trip down memory lane. LIBRA (Sept 23/Oct 23) This week you may learn something new that you never realized about your spouse or current partner, Libra. It can be exciting realizing wonderful things about the one you love. SCORPIO (Oct 24/Nov 22) Scorpio, exciting new developments will arise in your career. A solution may come to light or plans you’ve been making will suddenly come to fruition. SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23/Dec 21) Your desire to travel may have awakened a new interest in you, Sagittarius. This could inspire you to make plans to visit far off lands in the year to come. CAPRICORN (Dec 22/Jan 20) Welcomed, but unexpected communications from a close friend could come your way, Capricorn. This may segue into a journey or some social occasion. AQUARIUS (Jan 21/Feb 18) Aquarius, you may desire to keep your distance from certain individuals, but they manage to find you anyway. Keep things cordial until you can once again move on. PISCES (Feb 19/Mar 20) You are receptive to new ideas, Pisces, and that may mean you could relocate for a new and promising career. Keep all of your options open.
B4 — Winters Express, Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Ask a Master Gardener: Are grubs harmful? Pruning perennials Special to the Express This column is written by the UCCE Master Gardeners of Yolo County each month. It provides answers to selected questions that recently came into the UCCE Master Gardener — Yolo Help Desk. Q: We have found a lot of white C-shaped worms in a new planting bed. Are they harmful? If so, what can I do to get rid of them? A: These “worms” are grubs, the larvae of a beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, commonly called scarab beetles. This is a huge family with 30,000 species worldwide. In our area, they are most likely a member of the order Coleoptera or chafer beetles. The larvae of some are harmless, such as the grubs of the green fruit beetles (Cotinis mutabilis), which feed on organic matter and aid its decomposition. The larvae of some of the most common in our area, masked chafers (Cyclocephala hirta, Cyclocephala pasadenae), and June or May beetles (Phyllophaga var.) can, if the population is high, do
quite a lot of damage by feeding on roots. Many, such as the masked chafer, eat primarily the roots of turf grass, causing brown patches of dead grass. It is impossible without a close look by an expert to identify the species of the scarab beetle grub you are dealing with. If this planting bed was formerly lawn, the grubs may not attack the plants you next plant there. Cultivation also tends to deter grubs so if this will be a bed for annuals that you will be turning regularly, that may solve any potential problem in itself. Numbers may also matter. If the population is less than six per square foot, it could be that any damage will be minimal.
Courtesy photo
On the other hand, the safest thing may be to remove them. If the area is not too large and the population not too high, hand removal by digging through is the best approach. You can simply destroy them or feed them to birds. Some species of nematodes are also known to provide control, with Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Hb) nematodes being most commonly mentioned and available online if not locally. Bacteria, milky spore (Bacillus popillae-Dutky) and Bt Bacillus Thuringiensis, commonly used to control caterpillars, can also be effective to control grubs. Chemical control should be a last resort. If you do so, seek the advice of a knowledgeable and reputable nursery and follow label directions. Here are a couple of articles to help you do more research: https://ipm. ucanr.edu/agriculture/ turfgrass/masked-chaferswhite-grubs/ and https:// ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/ postdetail.cfm?postnum= 30353 Q: We are getting ready to prune the perennial bushes in our yard. Do you have advice on how to proceed? A: Pruning your perennials can be important to maintain size and shape, invigorate new growth and remove dead or diseased branches. However, unlike a bad haircut, a perennial may never fully recover from a bad pruning job. The best approach for each type of perennial varies. We cannot give you instructions for each
See GARDEN, Page 5
Some grubs are a problem, some aren’t.
Legal Advertising FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder F20230977 11/17/2023 Business is located in YOLO County Fictitious Business Name: MGB HAIR BRAIDING Physical Address: 331 D STREET SUITE B, DAVIS CALIFORNIA 95616 Mailing Address: 614 ADAMS ST APT 3, DAVIS CALIFORNIA 95616 Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s) & Physical Residential Address, State, and Zip: JEANINE MUKOMA MANGABU 614 ADAMS ST APT 3, DAVIS CA 95616 Business Classification: INDIVIDUAL Date of Business: N/A /s/ JEANINE MANGABU Title of Officer Signing: OWNER I hereby certify that this is a true copy of the original document on file in this office. This certification is true as long as there are no alterations to the document, AND as long as the document is sealed with a red seal. Jesse Salinas, County Clerk/Recorder, State of California, County of Yolo Published December 13, 20, 27 2023, January 3, 2024 #469
FILED IN YOLO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder F20230976 11/17/2023 Business is located in YOLO County Fictitious Business Name: MONARCH CRAFTSMANSHIP Physical Address: 1296 E. GIBSON ROAD SUITE A #258, WOODLAND, CALIFORNIA 95776 Mailing Address: Names of Registrant(s)/Owner(s) & Physical Residential Address, State, and Zip: BRAINSTORM CONCEPTS LLC, 1401 21ST STREET SUITE R, SACRAMENTO, CALIFOR 95811 Business Classification: Limited Liability Company Date of Business: 10/01/2023 /s/ John Canchola Title of Officer Signing: MANAGING MEMBER, BRAINSTORM CONCEPTS LLC I hereby certify that this is a true copy of the original document on file in this office. This certification is true as long as there are no alterations to the document, AND as long as the document is sealed with a red seal. Jesse Salinas, County Clerk/Recorder, State of California, County of Yolo Published November 29, December 6, 13, 20, 2023 #466
Office Manager/Firm Administrator – Nitzkowski Tax A full-service CPA firm in Davis has immediate opening for Office Manager. Duties to include all administrative functions including customer contact and support, accounts receivable and payable, and various other duties. Work is normal office hours 5 days a week with off tax season flexibility. Generous salary commensurate with experience and benefits package include medical, vacation, paid holidays and 401k. Successful applicant will be self-motivated, dependable and responsible individual who desires to be an important piece of a small family-oriented firm. Will train right applicant. Please email cover letter and resume to Justin@richnitzcpa.com. Position needs to be filled by early January.
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HOMES Continued from Page 4 the only region with a double-digit price increase from a year ago. Three out of four counties within the Central Coast region posted an annual price gain, with Monterey (29.8 percent) and Santa Barbara (22.9 percent) both registering price gains of over 20 percent from the prior year. The Southern California region (6.5 percent), the San Francisco Bay Area (5.7 percent) and the Central Valley (4.0 percent) also experienced modest median price increases from a year ago. The Far North region (-4.3 percent) was the only region that registered a price decline from October 2022. • Home prices improved in many counties across the state, but 13 counties continued to register a yearover-year decline in their median prices in October. Del Norte posted the biggest price decline with a drop of -21.1 percent from last October, followed by Mendocino (-17.7 percent) and Lassen (-14.8 percent). On the other hand, 39 counties recorded an annual median price increase, with Tehama (35.8 percent) recording the biggest jump, followed by Monterey (29.8 percent) and Santa Barbara (22.9 percent). • At least half of the
Letters ’80s prom supports local youth
The Kiwanis Club of Winters is gearing up to host its first annual Kiwanis Gala – ’80s Prom on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at Hotel Winters in Winters. The ’80s-themed prom event features a dinner, a silent auction, and an evening of dancing. DJ Barnett Entertainment ensures our guests will have an amazing and memorable experience. This event is our largest fundraiser for the year, with proceeds being used to provide scholarships to students who are graduating from a high school in Winters, to create opportunities for our new local youth leadership service clubs Rominger K-Kids and the Winters Middle School Builders Club, create resources and new possibilities for children in the Winters community who need support, and continue to support the Kiwanis Family House. The Kiwanis Club of Winters's focus is on changing the world by serving children, one child, and one community at a time. Here in Winters, we know it takes a village and as a new local service club, we are excited to begin creating these options and resources to support local youth. You can help us to establish a solid and successful foundation so the students can get their service projects underway. Please consider helping to support us by getting your ’80s Prom ticket today at https://bit.ly/3PHtZvs. It would make a great gift to kick off the new year. The last day to get tickets is Jan. 6. We are also looking for event sponsors. Reach out to us at kiwanisclubofWinters@ gmail.com or to any of our board members. COURTNEY CARUSO, GWEN PISANI and CRYSTAL APILADO, Kiwanis Club of Winters board
Donate clothes at WMS
The National Junior Honor Society at Winters Middle School is hosting a clothing drive from Jan. 16 to Jan. 26. If you would like to donate to the clothing drive, please bring new or gently used coats, shirts, and scarves, or new socks, hats and gloves to the Winters Middle School front office. All donations will benefit families in need in the Winters community! If you and your family are in need of these items, please contact the Winters Middle School office and ask to be put on the donation list. Thank you for your support! REBECCA CHRISP, Winters Middle School
WSA update
Winters Senior Foundation's Holiday Luncheon on Dec. 14 was a delicious luncheon catered by Anderson Catering, Music by Winters Ramblers was festive and fun — many had bells to ring in all day, Songs by Dick and Carol Holstock added to the holiday spirit, and raffle items from Seka Hills, Pottery by Jerry, Terry's handcrafted art piece, Mona's beautiful notecards, Wine from Marianne and treats from Upper Crust Baking. Several bakers from Winters made the dessert table a favorite holiday destination. There's NO Yoga or Thursday Social activity for the remaining 2023 year. We begin Yoga on Jan. 3, 2024 and the Thursday Social on Jan. 4, 2024 with Bingo and games. TINA LOWDEN, Winters Senior Foundation
homes sold above their asking price in five California counties. Four of those five counties were in the Bay Area region. Alameda (72 percent) recorded the biggest share in the entire state, followed by San Francisco (67 percent), Santa Clara (65 percent) and San Mateo (58 percent). Glenn County (50 percent) in the Central Valley region was the remaining county with half of its homes selling above the asking price. • Housing supply in California continued to shrink from a year ago in October as mortgage rates remained elevated. The statewide unsold inventory index (UII), which measures the number of months needed to sell the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate, was 2.7 months in October 2023 and 3.1 months last October. • Housing inventory in California slid back in October from the prior month as the market continued to grapple with high mortgage rates. The statewide unsold inventory index (UII) decreased -3.6 percent on a monthover-month basis and fell below last October by -12.9 percent. Active listings at the state level continued to dip on a year-over year basis for seven straight months, and a further decline in each of the last six months all registered more than 20 percent year-over-year. That said, mortgage rates
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have been coming down in recent weeks as the Fed paused rate hikes at the latest meeting and recent economic news pointed to a slowing economy. Further decline in mortgage rates should alleviate pressures on both the supply side and the demand side of the housing market in the coming months. • Nearly two-thirds of all counties (31) registered declines in active listings from last year, with 27 of them dropping more than 10 percent on a year-overyear basis. Mono (-40.6 percent) posted the biggest year-over-year drop in October, followed by Contra Costa (-40.2 percent) and Merced (-35.1 percent). Nineteen counties recorded a year-overyear gain, with Mariposa registering the largest yearly gain of 38.1 percent, followed by Del Norte (31.8 percent) and Amador (29.1 percent). On a monthto-month basis, over half of the counties (28) experienced a drop in active listings, while 22 counties recorded a monthly increase as the market moved into the off home-buying season. • New active listings at the state level dropped from a year ago for the 16th consecutive month, but the rate of decline continued to decelerate. In fact, newly added for-sale properties dipped less than 10 percent for the first time in 12 months. The
smaller year-overyear rate of decline was partly due to lowbase effects though, as new active listings in October 2022 also recorded a sizeable drop from the prior year. Thirty-one of the 52 counties tracked by C.A.R. posted a decline in new active listings from October 2022, with Calaveras dropping the most at -35.9 percent, while new active listings in Merced (-35.5 percent) and Kings (-31.0 percent) both plunged more than 30 percent year-over-year.Twenty counties recorded a gain in new active listings from a year ago, with Mono (300 percent) adding the most, followed by Del Norte (64.3 percent) and Plumas (47.4 percent). • The median number of days it took to sell a California single-family home was 20 days in October and 28 days in October 2022. • C.A.R.’s statewide sales-price-to-listprice ratio* was 100 percent in October 2023 and 97.3 percent in October 2022. • The statewide average price per square foot** for an existing single-family home was $421, up from $396 in October a year ago. • The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 7.62 percent in October, up from 6.90 percent in October 2022, according to C.A.R.’s calculations based on Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage survey data.
Winters Express, Wednesday, December 20, 2023 — B5
Express Yourself: Not just cars are valued By Richard Casavecchia Special to the Express What do we value? How we design public infrastructure can be very revealing about where our priorities lie. Do we care about people and community or is how long a car waits at an intersection more important? On Dec. 7 there was a public engagement meeting on the plan to install a bike and pedestrian path from El Rio Vista, across 505, continuing on the south side of Grant Avenue onto Morgan Street. You may recall I wrote about Grant Avenue last year. This bike path does not exist on an island. The General Plan Corridor Concept Plan calls for Grant Avenue to be fully built out with walking paths and protected bike lanes on both sides of the street and four total lanes of traffic between, effectively a Stroad. This is templated to run from 505 to Railroad. The Complete Streets Concept plan from December 2010 documents a desire for Grant Avenue to remain a two-lane road, with four lanes running from 505 to East Main. On page 20 of the Complete Streets document is the following: “The corri-
GARDEN Continued from Page 4 although we can give you some general directions. We urge you to do some more indepth research on the specific plant you are pruning before you cut. As a general rule, herbaceous perennials, those without woody stems, and grasses, can be cut back almost to the ground in the fall. For example, all cultivars of California fuchsia (Epilobium canum) will grow back vigorously in the spring after being coppiced or cut to the ground. The popular Mexican and pineapple sages (Salvia leucantha and Salvia elegans) can be cut to the ground after flowering in the fall. Other “woody” sages such as hot lips sage (Salvia microphylla) must be pruned differently as discussed below however. Again, look before you cut. For most woody perennials, such as lavender, rosemary and many sages, the general rule is to cut the plant back by onethird. Normally, you should not cut into the hard. woody sections of the plant but only remove green growth, leaving an inch or two. But here the simplicity may end. Timing and the depth of pruning can vary. For example, English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) can be pruned back by one-third after it blooms in the spring and again in the fall. Never cut the woody
QUICK Continued from Page 3 down with the Vasey and Coman families, shaking hands with Greg Vasey and wondering what kind of project I was taking on. There have been a few partners that have come and gone over the years, but Sunday evening put a smile on my face and I’m sure George is looking down, smiling and playing his saxophone along with the band. Lots of memories in that
dor concept in the City of Winters General Plan is a four-lane facility. A key theme of the Complete Streets planning process was a clear desire for a two-lane facility, especially from Railroad Avenue to East Main Street, to maintain Winters’ distinct small-town feel. Formalizing this community desire will require a review of the existing General Plan concept.” This was a great thing to document exactly 13 years ago. That is also our problem; it was 13 years ago and near as I can tell there has been no review of the “existing General Plan concept.” A traffic analysis was done in 2012 and November 2017 our circulation plan was updated based on Fall 2016 data. The four-lane concept remains unless I missed a document somewhere. This is a problem because we have multiple projects along Grant Avenue that are on the verge of approval. When a project or development goes in, it must adhere to the existing guidelines and requirements in effect when the application was submitted. So, if roadway improvements are necessary to accommodate new shopping or additional homes as part
portions of any lavender however, only the new green growth. Spanish and French lavender (Lavandula stoechas and Lavandula dentata) are more tender and should only be pruned in the spring after flowering. To make things even more interesting, know that some California native woody perennials such as coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis) bush anemone (Carpenteria californiaca) and Western redbud (Cercis occidentalis) can be cut to the ground periodically to rejuvenate them since they evolved in areas where wildfire is common. Others, such as Ceanothus species and Manzanita (Arctostaphylus) should only to trimmed for shape, and only in the dry seasons because they are susceptible to fungus. Did we say that you should research your specific plant before pruning? Here are a couple of pruning references: https://ucanr.edu/ sites/ucmgplacer/ files/339455.pdf or https://marinmg. ucanr.edu/CARE/ HOWTOPRUNE/Fundamentals/ — UCCE Master Gardeners-Yolo will answer your gardening questions via the Master Gardeners Help Desk at 530-666-8737 or by email: mgyolo@ ucdavis.edu. Attaching pictures to your email are always welcome as they provide additional information for answering your queries.
of a project, the developer will follow the existing guideline, policy, and concept documents. Because Grant Avenue falls under CalTrans jurisdiction, any concept changes must be approved by them, which takes time and developers would be unlikely to pause their project to wait for approval. I was very clear last year on what I think Grant Avenue should ultimately look like. The members of the community who participated in the complete streets process were also clear on their desire for Grant to remain a two-lane road. Is a 60-second delay a day from increased traffic on two lanes more important than future pedestrian safety? The current General Plan concept values vehicle throughput while accommodating people. The Complete Streets document communicates that the participants valued “small town feel” of two lanes. The supporting circulation plan focuses on traffic volume and “levels of service” (effectively traffic volume per unit of time) which I think we can reduce here since we are only talking about a one-mile stretch of road. The Grant Avenue concept outline I discussed previously was envisioned
change it later. We are essentially on the clock. I am unsure of the views of other members of council. Perhaps they are open to these ideas but do not know where to start. They may value peak hour vehicle throughput as the primary planning consideration. Maybe they are unsure of the wisdom in making changes to existing plans; after all, we’ve been fine so far. But fine isn’t good enough when we can be better. I will continue to seize opportunities to introduce ideas that if implemented will come together and make Winters a better space for people as we grow. If you are reading this and that vision or maintaining Grant Avenue as a two-lane road appeals to you, you can email any or all members of the City Council to let us know. You can also make public comments at any city council meeting expressing support for the concept in the Complete Streets document, the idea of streets as a place for people, and urging City Council to review the existing General Plan Corridor concept for Grant Avenue as mentioned in the Complete Streets document.
Readers’ Choice voting open
Courtesy photo
State Sen. Bill Dodd stopped by for a visit at Steady Eddy’s with owners Carla and Mel Wroten. adding she was one of the founders of the recently started Spirit of Winters Committee made up of other town leaders. “It celebrates community involvement and engagement, focusing on access and community resources for all our local citizens,” Wroten said. The last and best ingredient to a good cup of coffee is the one who orders. “I attribute our success to our loyal guests and wonderful staff,” Wroten said. “We only hire people who demonstrate kindness, and I think that attribute and that desire to have that quality in every employee has paid off.” Next time you
“I attribute our success to our loyal guests and wonderful staff.” Carla Wroten consider getting a cup of joe in Winters, think about what makes Steady Eddy’s the best choice with the ingredients of friendship, diversity, community, locals and warm coffee beans. “When you go to Steady Eddys, we want you to feel like you’re at home. People keep coming back because of that feeling,” Wroten said.
Express staff
Nominating, voting
The Winters Express and The Davis Enterprise are accepting nominations for the Readers’ Choice 2024: The Best of Yolo County. Winters community members and all Yolo County residents have the opportunity to write in their favorite business nominations for several categories under the main themes of: • Shopping and Retail • Food and Drink • Home Services • Professional Services • Automotive • Things To Do • Health, Wellness, Beauty and Fitness • Hospitals and Doctors • Education, Tutoring and More • Pet Services • Housing Communities
A handful of Winters businesses and professionals have already been nominated. However, voting has just begun and there is still time to write in your local favorite businesses, professionals and volunteers. To nominate and vote, visit https://bit. ly/3RPSTLG. Adding an entry is considered the first vote for it. New businesses and professional nominations can be added throughout the voting period. Voting is live now through Jan. 14, 2024. Residents can vote daily for their favorite entries. A minimum of 15 votes must be made per session for them to be counted. Voting on the form is automatic, there is no need to submit it.
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’ve never been a big shopper, but I did buy a few gifts this year, putting me way ahead of my usual holiday buying spree. Sherri does the heavy lifting when it comes to birthdays and holiday gift giving. If it was up to me, which it isn’t, I would just hand out cash to everyone and call it a successful day. May your holidays be bright and full of family and friends. Merry Christmas!
considering people first, then cars. With planned housing to the north and walkable shopping to the south, the street should be a place for people that accommodates vehicles. A street designed for safe speeds with protected spaces for people walking, biking, or rolling, and minimized bike and pedestrian exposure to vehicles. People are going to want to walk from their homes to the store across the street. The 1-mile stretch of Grant may eventually become the most dangerous road in town for non-vehicle traffic. Community member Kate Laddish commented during the recent meeting that crossing Grant Avenue right now is “like playing frogger” avoiding cars. We make that crossing safer not with a mere crosswalk, but by shortening the crossing distance that pedestrians are exposed to vehicles. People over vehicles. If improvements that adhere to the current concept start going in as part of the upcoming Farmstead development next to Town and Country Market or the 505 bike path, that crossing will be maintained or even lengthened as the road is widened, and may result in additional expense to
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Toddler wellness benefits from chiropractic care boos, Stirton includes complimentary care for a child with a parent’s membership. A fairly new father himself, Stirton’s seen the benefits of chiropractic care on his own little ones. “It’s just nice being able to keep your kiddo’s growth finely tuned and you’ll actually see that, too. I’ve seen it in my kids. They don’t get colic, they have great ‘insand-outs’ as I like to call it with their diet,” said Stirton. “And if you ever wonder why maybe your toddler is finicky and doesn’t want to eat or is upset. They can’t tell you, and in the toddler years, I’d say your kiddo needs to get checked by a
chiropractor and is the most important time to do so because of the high rate of falls, injuries and growth. They’re also learning to sleep on their stomachs a lot more with their head turned which is a high-stress area. So, the torsion between the blades and the neck is a lot. That’s why it’s better to have a trained chiropractor go over their back and neck and finetune things and adjust as necessary for best effect and health for the kiddo.” Stirton maintains that chiropractic care can lead to toddlers eating better, not getting sick as much or requiring as many doctor visits.
Alongside that, making frequent visits to the chiropractor will establish a healthy habit of normalizing those visits through the toddler’s life — while others may normalize putting off seeing the chiropractor and “toughing things out.” To learn more about Winters Family Chiropractic and its services, check out americanriverchiropractic.com/ index.php/winters-family-chiropractic. One can call 530-795-4500 or email Stirton directly at jimstirtondc@gmail. com. It’s like the good doctor always says, “If you’re not certain, ask Dr. Stirton.”
Simple ways to make meals healthier
recipes. • Add a vegetable to every meal. Vegetables are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, they tend to be high in antioxidants that strengthen the immune system. Increase vegetable intake by eating vegetables with every meal. • Choose healthy fats. While a person should minimize the amount of oils and other fats used during the cooking process, when it’s necessary for a recipe, select the best fat possible. Olive oil is
a monounsaturated fat that is packed with antioxidant polyphenols. It is considered a heart-healthy oil, and it may promote a healthy brain and memory function. • Cut out sweetened beverages. Sodas and other sweetened drinks are leading sources of added sugar in diets. Opting for water or naturally sweetened fruit juices can improve overall health. Small dietary changes can add up to big health benefits.
By Aaron Geerts Express staff writer As adorable as they are clumsy and curious, toddlers are walking, babbling little ones who are a wobble away from a serious boo boo. Dr. James Stirton, the lead chiropractor at Winters Family Chiropractic, breaks down how toddlers can benefit from chiropractic care as much as anybody else. Toddlers begin their life of adventure by crawling around and building the brain and muscle connection as well as core strength. Eventually, their muscles and limbs can support standing and
Metro Special to the Express Cooking foods at home is one of the simplest ways to gain greater control over personal health. Cooking at home is the easiest way to know precisely what you’re putting into your body each day. Cooking your own meals also enables you to customize recipes so they align with any dietary restrictions or personal preferences you may have. According to a 2021 survey by the consumer market research firm Hunter, 71 percent of people in the United States plan
in the shoulders. Or you might have a fall or injury because once toddlers start walking, they’re trying to coordinate that process. In this time there’s slips and falls are happening all the time. That’s why I call my toddler a wrecking ball, because they have to learn their limits. They do that by slamming into things at full speed and bouncing around the house.” Because toddlers are prone to boo-
walking around. In this developmental time, however, is where problems can begin to manifest in these tiny humans. “Toddlers can develop issues in the shoulder blades and hips. All those falls on their bottom can result in bed wetting too. But issues in their lower back can cause colic and constipation and changes in their bowel habits,” said Stirton. “There can also be inadvertent strains
to continue cooking more at home after the pandemic ends. Increased creativity and confidence in the kitchen, as well as the fact that cooking at home helps to save money and enables one to heat healthier, is driving the ongoing increase in dining in. When cooking at home, cooks can consider various tips to make meals that much healthier. • Increase fiber intake. Fiber improves bowel regularity and helps a person feel full between meals. High fiber foods also help stabilize blood sugar levels. Two serv-
ings of fibrous foods at each meal and an additional fiber-rich snack each day can ensure your body is getting the fiber it needs. • Slow down eating. The pace at which a person eats a meal can affect his or her overall health. Healthline reports that fast eaters are more likely to eat more and have higher body mass indexes than slow eaters. • Choose whole grains. Choosing whole grain breads or cereals over refined grains can make for a more nutritious diet. Whole grains are linked to a reduced risk for Type 2 diabe-
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tes, heart disease and cancer. • Swap Greek yogurt for other varieties. Greek yogurt contains up to twice as much protein as regular yogurt, providing roughly 10 grams per 3.5 ounces. Protein along with fiber helps a person feel fuller longer, which can manage appetite and reduce overeating. Greek yogurt also can replace mayonnaise or sour cream in certain
Winters Express, Wednesday, December 20, 2023 — B7
Basketball Recap By Aaron Geerts Express staff writer
JV girls It was another up-anddown week for the Winters High School junior varsity girls basketball team starting off with a grueling game against Dixon High School on Monday, Dec. 11. The Rams kept up a full-court press for the entire first half, with a lead going into the second half with a little over 40 points. The Warriors took a loss of 64–2. “We lost a tough one to Dixon. They full-courtpressed us for the whole first half and were leading at halftime 43–0,” said head coach Tom Crisp. “I know that our girls were frustrated, but, to their credit, did not give up.” The Warriors took on Williams High School on Tuesday, Dec. 12, with a far more competitive energy. In a back-and-forth game, the Warriors snagged a 26–23 victory over the Yellowjackets behind Robyn Wales’ 11 points. To end their week of competition, the junior varsity team laced up against Woodland High School and took another loss to the Wolves 32–13.
Varsity girls The girls varsity squad also took on Dixon on Dec 11. The Warriors scored a win of 48–29 with 12 points from Luz Martin, 11 points from Maci Dodic and another eight points from Emily Dodic. “Our game against Dixon was probably our best game so far. We had some issues at times with pressure defense, but we were poised, composed and able to handle their pressure. Dixon took it to us in the second quarter to cut the lead to two at halftime. But we made some adjustments offenEmily Dodic studies the court as she looks to add points to the Warriors win over Williams High School. KS Winters Photography/ Courtesy photo
sively and defensively that allowed us to get the win,” said head coach Ivan Dodic. The next day on Dec 12, the Warriors continued their winning ways against Williams. Luz Martin stayed hot offensively and stung the Yellowjackets with 14 points and helped the Warriors take home an emphatic 50–16 victory. The Warriors ended the week against the Woodland Wolves on Dec 15. Addicted to winning at this point, the Warriors went home with a 46–21 victory. “Williams is in a rebuilding year which happens to many of us small schools. It was a rough game for them but allowed us to work on our zone offense which we really needed. The game also allowed us to get players to experience different positions,” Coach Dodic said.
JV boys The junior varsity boys tipped off the week on Monday, Dec. 11 against Dixon. The Warriors battled hard and kept the game competitive to the last seconds but ended up losing (no score was provided nor was recorded on MaxPreps. com).
The next day on Dec 12, the junior varsity squad took on Williams. They played hard and this time around were able to take home a much-needed win beating the Yellowjackets 51–41. “We played better basketball against Dixon and had great defensive intensity all game. Our offense is starting to get better but still needs work. The game against Williams was a lot tougher. We were down two starters, and despite that, I was proud and happy that many other players stepped in and
got an opportunity to play and experience the game speed,” said head coach Marcus Chavez. Later on Friday, Dec. 15, the squad took on Woodland to scrap against the Wolves. Unfortunately, the Woodland snuck away with a 50–42 victory. “We lost to Woodland last Friday and were down to six at one point. The best part is these boys are playing hard and competing. Once we commit to our offense as a team and continue to work on the fundamentals, this team will be ready for league,” Chavez said.
Varsity boys The varsity boys basketball team started the week of gameplay squaring off against Dixon on Dec. 11. Facing a suffocating defense, the Warriors struggled to put points on the board early. However, they battled back to dramatically cut the lead. The Rams, however, maintained the little lead they had to win the game 66–58. Looking to bounce back from the loss, the Warriors took on a swarm of Yellowjackets in Williams. With the team firing on all cylinders, the Warriors won 71–50. “Dixon’s pressure bothered us in the first half but luckily shooting kept us in the game. We had good defensive efforts by Miles Mariani and Colton Brown that helped us cut their lead down to four, but we couldn’t get over the hump. Then on Tuesday, we hit the road to try to bounce back against Williams and we did just that! A great performance by Lane Brown with 21 points and 11 rebounds was the individual performance of the game. We moved the ball, found open shooters and our defense was suffocating as well. Two separate times we got 10 stops in a row and won by more than 20 points,” said head coach, Brendan McShea. The Warriors finished off the week with a game against a familiar foe in Woodland. A well-balanced game on both sides of the ball, the Warriors would come home with the Wolves’ tears as well as a 65–41 victory. “Friday we went to Woodland who plays extremely fast and they have a big post player. It was the most complete game we’ve had so far this year. All ten players on the team got on the court and eight different guys scored for us. This season’s team is defined by unselfish play on offense because we know everyone out there can be a threat to score,” McShea said.
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WHS girls soccer shuts out Williams By Sydney Andrade Express staff writer On Tuesday, Dec. 12, the Winters High School varsity girls soccer team won its game against Williams High School by a score of 6–0. The Warriors dominated Williams and their shots at goal paid off significantly with several players hitting the net. Aylin Molina, Izabella Bermudez and Ruby Campos each scored one goal for the Warriors. Lena Passantino also scored her first high school goal as one of several freshmen to make
the team. Ava Muir-Vickery, once again, led the Warriors with two goals against the Yellowjackets. Bermudez and Passantino made one assist each for the game, along with Idaly Lopez Sanchez and Alondra Molina. Violet Tuel continued to dominate in the goal, contributing to yet another Warrior shutout. On Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, the Warriors played their second game of the week, but unfortunately faced defeat against Pioneer High School by a score of 0–3.
Winter break games Express staff School is out, but Winters High School athletes aren’t slowing down. Save the date and make plans to support the Warriors basketball and soccer teams in December and early January.
Girls basketball • Wednesday, Dec. 20: at Woodland Christian High School, Varsity at 6 p.m. • Wednesday, Jan. 3: at Live Oak High School, JV at 5:30 p.m./Varsity at 7 p.m. • Friday, Jan. 5: vs Pierce High School at home, JV at 5:30 p.m./Varsity at 7 p.m.
Boys basketball • Wednesday, Dec. 20: at
Woodland Christian High School, JV at 4:30 p.m./ Varsity at 7:30 p.m. • Wednesday, Jan. 3: vs Live Oak High School at home, JV at 5:30 p.m./Varsity at 7 p.m. • Friday, Jan. 5: at Pierce High School, JV at 5:30 p.m./Varsity at 7 p.m.
Girls/boys soccer
• Thursday, Jan. 4: at Hamilton High School, both teams play at 1 p.m. The Warriors full sports schedules and information on where to purchase tickets on the GoFan platform is available on the WHS Athletics page at https://tinyurl. com/2cuhzx5m.
Sportsmanship principles all young athletes should know Metro Special to the Express Competitive sports have a lot to offer young people. In addition to exposing children to the thrill of competition, competitive sports can set a foundation for a lifetime of healthy living. Competitive sports also teaches valuable lessons about humility and respect. Sportsmanship is a vital and valuable component of competitive sports, and that’s a lesson no athlete is too young to learn. Coaches and parents can work together to emphasize these principles of sportsmanship to young athletes. • Always respect officials. In the era of instant replay in professional sports, criticism of officials has become more common. Such criticism can easily move from the professional to the amateur arena if players are
not taught to always respect the officials. • Respect the rules. Respect for officials should coexist with respect for the game itself. Every game has rules, and knowing and adhering to those rules is a vital component of good sportsmanship. • Respect opponents. Showing respect for opponents is another principle of good sportsmanship. Social media provides a readily available platform for athletes to disparage their opponents before and after games. • Respect coaches. Good sportsmanship also involves respecting coaches, even when they make decisions players and their parents do not necessarily agree with. That respect has been dwindling in recent years, and it’s contributing to a coaching shortage in youth sports. Many coaches volunteer their time to teach young people the game.
PISANI’S ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Luz Martin Luz Martin, a Winters High School junior, is Pisani’s Athlete of the Week. Martin is a sharp shooting nightmare for the varsity girls basketball team’s opposition. “Luz scored her career high in consecutive games this week versus Dixon and Williams with 14 and 16 respectively,” said head coach Ivan Dodic. “Luz is our best shooter on the team who has worked extremely hard over the last few years on her shot. Her shooting ability adds significantly to the dynamic of our team and really creates a lot of difficulty for teams to defend us.”
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Winters JUSD strives to prepare every student for success By Angela Underwood Express correspondent Winters High School senior Mikenzie Hapworth-Eldridge wanted to be a dolphin trainer when she grew up. That has changed. After attending a mock politics program and winning a faux senate race, the aspiring political science major has a different vision for her future. “I see problems and issues in the world, and I like the idea that I can have a job that is about fixing these things and helping out as best as possible,” Hapworth-Eldridge told the Winters Express. But first comes college, which she considered as early as her eighth year when she got involved with the UC Davis Educational Talent Search Program (ETS), which provides post-secondary education access and grants for students from low-income families. The young student took every advantage the Winters Joint Unified School District had to offer her over the next four years. Fast forward to today,
Hapworth-Eldridge proves she is ready for real-world politics, already leading as the WHS varsity cheer caption, Winters JUSD School Board trustee, Future Farmers of America student advisor and Interact Club president. While she credits Winters JUSD and UC Davis for bridging the gap from high school to college, she points out how the process could be better. “If our goal is to continue to have our students attending colleges and universities, you’re going to need more help application season,” Hapworth-Eldridge said. “When I have four to five hours of homework a night, finding the time to fill out my application and write my essays becomes increasingly difficult.” The student shared the same at a recent school board meeting, grabbing the attention of board members and school administrators, including Assistant Superintendent Phoebe Girimonte. “She is an exceptionally responsible and insightful student, and so if those
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are needs that she has, we recognize that other students who maybe don’t have that sense of direction and that same clarity about what kind of support they need, then she is speaking to for all of our kid,” Girimonte said. True to her faux senate win, the aspiring elected official and student is concerned for those who will go after her, especially regarding college access. “I respect our district for being willing to listen to student voice and to be willing to take not necessarily criticism, but improvement,” Hapworth-Eldridge said. “Winters JUSD is constantly evolving.” Girimonte and WHS Principal Justin Young agree. “We are all wrapping our arms around right now, having a systemic four-year plan that includes grade-level aligned scaffolds and supports to prepare students for their college and career journey,” Girimonte said. “As our Student Trustee, we are lucky to have her on our board since she is giving us feedback that we need to hear.” Young said he hopes other students will follow the young leader. “We encourage her and other students to keep providing voices to inform us about what is going to be best for our students,” Young said. The school leaders said they are ready to act on student recommendations regarding college access. “It’s really like ad-
justing our mindset and how we do the best business to support all of our students so they have opportunities, Young said. “By presenting students with courses and knowledge in different career paths, their choice becomes clearer.” One way to make things clear is to acknowledge there are lots of pathways for students that are relevant and meaningful, according to Girimonte. “Whether it is going onto a trade school, or going onto the military, or going onto a four-year university, or community college, those are all viable and relevant options, and our goal is that all of those options are still on the menu for seniors,” Girimonte said. One of those options begins with A-G Completion, a program focused on the California State University and the University of California admission requirements. “We are emphasizing A-G completion and taking those courses that lay that foundation that allows a student to make that decision in an educated way and be prepared for any situation that comes their way in the future,” Girimonte said. Young adds that while admission course requirements for A-G Completion are primarily for California four-year schools, the curriculum aligns with other national public universities for college readiness programs. Additionally, Winters JUSD continues to build on its Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, which advances college readiness. “The classes offered are targeted towards students that may not have the necessary background or skills or support: ultimately, it’s an equity framework to support students of color or low
socio-economic backgrounds,” Young said. Girimonte said AVID is ideal for first-generation college students. “If they may not have that collegiate background in their family, but they definitely have the potential to create that equity framework, as Justin said, offers them the same opportunity that students who do have all those supports in place to access the system,” Girimonte said. One of those systems is the California School Dashboard, according to Girimonte, who explained the accountability system based on various metrics, including academic summative assessments and district progress. However, Winters JUSD takes that one step further, according to Girimonte. Over the last year, Superintendent Rody Boonchouy began a community engagement process involving students, families, service groups, and partners, who collectively identified these traits of a Winters graduate. These graduate profile skills include: critical thinking, creativity, community engagements, cultural awareness, communication, collaboration. Young said engaging the community in creating a graduate profile is vital to Winters’ future. “There are growing opportunities in this community, so engaging our community is so important to support our students and keep them here in Winters, or if not here, go off and be successful in this ever-changing world,” Young said. Girimonte said the work surrounding the graduate profile helps to inform what that four-year plan and high school experience look like. “We are building out our A-G course and trying to increase the number of stu-
dents who need those A-G requirements,” Girimonte said. “We are building an ethnic studies elective, which is part of California graduate requirements that will go into place into 2030.” According to the assistant superintendent, the ideal is all students will graduate as culturally aware individuals. Additionally, senior capstone projects include civil engagement, giving graduates experience within the community before leaving high school. “It is all interconnected,” Girimonte said. While college readiness programs are in place, Girimonte said the district is “building out staffing and collaborating as a school site and district for surrounding college and career preparation efforts to be more strategic and inclusive of all students.” “We are really thinking about how we leverage the people on our team to prepare every student for success after high school,” Girimonte said. As for said success, both Girimonte and Young say Hapworth-Eldridge is the best example of what a Winters JUSD graduating senior can be. “I am so proud of her bravery and advocacy,” Girimonte said of the future graduate. Until she throws her 2024 graduating cap into the air, Hapworth-Eldridge will not stop striving for what she wants, which blows out of the water any childhood dream to train dolphins. “I really want our school district to be the best,” Hapworth-Eldridge said. The Express is writing a series focusing on the Winter JUSD college access efforts, with the next installment focusing on school counseling and applying for college/ trade schools postCOVID.
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