Winters Express Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Cause of downtown business fire under investigation

By Crystal Apilado

Editor-in-Chief

Quick actions by Winters Fire Department crews helped prevent a fire in a downtown business from spreading late Thursday evening.

On Thursday, Aug. 31, at 10:45 p.m., a Winters Fire crew on Engine 26 responded to a report of a building fire on the 40 block of downtown Main Street. On arrival, firefighters discovered La Bodega’s building space with flames and the fire was elevated to a twoalarm status.

Fire Chief Jack S. Snyder III said they were fortunate the fire was reported

See FIRE, Page 3

Capstone project places first

Express staff

Chase Hamilton, a Winters High School Class of 2023 graduate, welded the sign for his Senior Capstone Project earlier this year.

The sign received first place in the Junior Trades, Technology and Industrial

Arts at the Yolo County Fair last month.

Hamilton plans to attend Western Welding Academy in Gillette, Wyoming, in

early 2024. He plans to pursue a focus on welding pipelines.

The sign was hung last week at the Dr. Sellers Field gate.

Local News Briefs

Express staff City workshop

The Winters Planning Commission is conducting a workshop related to the ongoing downtown visioning efforts on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The meeting will be held via Zoom for residents who are unable to attend in person. The agenda is available on the city of Winters website at http://tinyurl. com/3md97esc.

Trustee study session

The Winters Joint Unified School District is hosting a third Facilities Master Planning Workshop on Thursday, Sept. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Winters JUSD

office board room (909 W. Grant Ave.). Jennifer Gibb, Van Pelt Construction Services project manager, and Trent Sommers, CA+SA studio principal architect will continue the in-depth discussion with trustees as they review school sites and identify which opportunities and programs are a priority for the school district to spend $23M on.

The regularly scheduled school board meeting is expected to begin around 6 p.m. following a short break from the workshop. Trustees are expected to take action on two Memorandum of Understandings

See LOCAL, Page 3

School district, police partner to boost student safety

By Aaron Geerts Express staff writer

School is back in session, which means a steep increase in foot traffic — and good old-fashioned traffic — in town around 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. However, there have been complaints from community member about folks who don’t heed when it comes to safety or treat school zones as a drag racing strip. Winters Joint Unified School District (Winters JUSD) and the Winters Police Department (Winters PD) have collaborated to post trained crossing guards at every school site to bolster student safety.

Around a year ago, there was an incident where a student pedestrian walked across the street near the middle school and was struck by a car. Fortunately, it was not fatal, but it did become the spark for Winters PD and Winters JUSD to collabo-

rate and figure out a way to boost student safety through a crossing guard program.

“We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the school district underlining how crossing guards were to be equipped and we also

offered to do training for them so some of their employees can be certified crossing guards. So, we developed a short training program that’s about two hours on how to direct traffic for their

Crystal Apilado/Winters Express

Crossing guards sport yellow safety vests and hold stop signs out in front of each Winters school site.

Lisa Brown/Courtesy photo

The welded sign welcomes guests at Dr. Sellers Field.

Jason Conner/Courtesy photo

Fire crews work to mop up the scene after a late evening fire on Thursday, Aug. 31 was extinguished at La Bodega.

Festival de la Comunidad is for whole community

By Aaron Geerts Express staff writer

Winters is the home of many fun traditions, and among the most cherished is the Festival de la Comunidad — Carnitas Festival. Not only is it a vibrant display of culture for all walks of life to indulge in, but a celebration of the proud, Hispanic community that has called Winters home for generations.

Around 16 years ago, the Winters Hispanic Advisory Committee (Winters HAC) was in a large meeting when the

children in the room asked if there was something that can be done in Winters to support Hispanic culture. With that spark of inspiration, the earliest iteration of the Festival de la Comunidad took the shape of a potluck. From that, the budding tradition transformed into a cookoff, and now, it’s turned into a town-wide fiesta with around 3,000 people attending regularly to taste the slow-roasted delicacy called carnitas.

Councilwoman Jesse Loren is working in tandem with an

WINTERS EYECARE

army of volunteers, and the Winters HAC partners with the Winters Community Corazón (WCC) nonprofit organization to organize the annual event.

“Putting this together is an incredible labor of love by many volunteers. It costs between $16,000 and $20,000. We have to have permission from the city, health permits from the county, alcohol permits from the ABC, we have to have meetings with the police chief and all levels of the city including the maintenance workers. We also have to have a layout for the street where people are going to park to set up, have plans for port-o-potties, it’s just a massive undertaking,” said Loren, who is the WCC chair and festival head organizer. “We really are lucky that we have a template of best practices since we’ve been doing this for a while. But, there’s always new codes to adhere to and also, we love getting new entertainment and we’re scouting for new entertainment all the time.”

Beyond the cooking of around 1,000 pounds of carnitas, the festival features a variety of booths full of activities, kettle corn stands, hot dogs, churros, bounce houses, slides, music and dancing.

Comenzó nuevo servicio de transportación BeeLine

hablar de no perder el autobús.

Edward p. AndersEn, O.D.

“We try to keep the entertainment fresh with interesting, cultural entertainment that’s authentic to our community. This year we have Banda Tierra Blanca from Oaxaca, Mexico. We’ll have folklorico (a type of cultural dance), mariachis and other different types of entertainment in the same area. It’s going to be great,” said Loren. “There will also be a lot of food trucks there, and also nonprofits that offer services to the community will be all around Rotary Park

See FESTIVAL, Page 3

PRESENTS

2023

Comida, bebidas, concurso de preparación de Carnitas, baile, música en vivo, entretenimiento para toda la familia. Disfrute de este evento familiar en Winters.

Un nuevo servicio de transporte optimizado circulará por Winters a tiempo completo.

El servicio del transporte en autobús mejor conocido como ‘BeeLine’ reemplazará el servicio de microtransporte del Distrito del Transporte de Yolo (Yolo Transportation District - YoloTD) con nuevas camionetas de pasajeros espaciosas y mucha comodidad.

Autumn Bernstein, directora ejecutiva de YoloTD, presentó el nuevo plan YoloTD BeeLine al Concejo Municipal de Winters el 1 de Agosto pasado, detallando todos los cambios en el distrito del transporte, incluidos beneficios adicionales y nuevas camionetas.

Según Bernstein, los autobuses pequeños reducen la contaminación acústica cuando circulan por barrios cercanos y proporcionan un viaje más cómodo. BeeLine ofrece transferencias fluidas al servicio de ruta fija y tarifas más bajas que los servicios bajo demanda con fines de lucro. Por no

“Lo bueno de este servicio es que las personas pueden solicitar transporte en cualquier momento,” dijo Bernstein.

Con solo una aplicación, el nuevo servicio se puede descargar al teléfono inteligente. Pero los viajeros de la vieja escuela todavía pueden marcar un número telefónico si así lo desean. Bernstein dijo que las llamadas para recogida de viajeros siguen siendo bienvenidas. Y los nuevos vehículos están equipados con Internet Wi-Fi y puertos USB para cargar dispositivos durante el viaje. Los viajes que comienzan y terminan en Winters cuestan $2. Los visitantes pueden reservar su viaje con hasta siete días de antelación.

“Tener un servicio de transporte a pedido que opere en Winters brinda a los viajeros o visitantes la flexibilidad de viajar cómodamente por toda la ciudad a una fracción del costo en comparación con los principales servicios a pedido,” dijo Bernstein.

El miembro conse-

jal Jesse Loren, enlace del transporte de Winters, dice que si bien las nuevas camionetas y los tiempos del servicio respetan las complejas necesidades de los pasajeros, también siguen siendo los mismos.

“Muchas de las personas que utilizan el servicio BeeLine para trabajar en Winters siguen utilizando nuestras paradas de autobús establecidas y bien planificadas,” dijo Loren. “Es importante mantener la infraestructura del transporte incluso cuando cambie el tamaño del transporte. Los pasajeros tienen diferentes necesidades a la hora de dejarlos y recogerlos. Loren explica que YoloTD dirigió las líneas 220 a Winters, Solano, Davis y Woodland incluso cuando los tiempos se pusieron difíciles.

“Durante la pandemia de COVID-19, cuando se cancelaron muchas rutas, hubo suficiente pausa para probar cosas nuevas,” dijo Loren.

Vea BEELINE, Página 3

For the Record

Correction

In the Aug. 30 edition of the Express, the article about the Winters High School Cheer Alumni event listed the wrong date. The correct date of the event is Friday, Sept. 22. We regret the error.

SEPTEMBER 10-23, 2023

Auction Party: September 23, 6-8:30PM Buy Party Tickets at pencegallery.org $35 Members/$45 Non-Members pencegallery.cbo.io

Por Angela Underwood Traducido por Carol Alfonso

Foto cortesía

Jesse Loren, miembro del Concejo Municipal de Winters, Tom Stallard, presidente del Distrito de Transporte de Yolo, y Lucas Frerichs, supervisor, presentaron una vista previa del nuevo diseño del servicio de transporte en autobús a pedido BeeLine en Julio.

Courtesy photo Festival de la Comunidad brings the whole community together to celebrate the culture of the Hispanic community and to feast together over carnitas.

earlier in the late evening because there was zero visibility and the first 20 minutes were intense for firefighters on the scene.

La Bodega shares attic space with the two businesses on either side of it and smoke had started to enter the shared space of the historic building.

“Downtown is always a scary place for us,” Snyder said of the challenges of efforts to prevent the fire from

safety and ensure the safety of the students,” explained Winters Police Chief John P. Miller. “We document that these employees are properly trained and properly equipped to be crossing guards.”

Safety, like traffic, goes both ways with pedestrians and drivers alike taking shares of responsibility for it. Although crossing guards may appear to slow down traffic to get students across the street, their safety is well worth the wait.

The school district has voiced plans to continue educating students about appropriate safety tips

LOCAL

Continued from Page 1

the Winters Area Education Association.

They will also hear information items on the Winters JUSD’s Attendance and Engagement Improvement Plan, updates to board policies and a presentation on ninth grade Summer Bridge Program — My Journey to College.

Una de esas cosas nuevas es el servicio BeeLine, que se puso a prueba por primera vez en Knight’s Landing antes de Winters.

El piloto comenzó y los residentes de Winters apreciaron el servicio personalizado, dijo Loren, y agregó que YoloTD continúa brindando servicios a los locales y a las personas en Winters que viajan a las ubicaciones de los condados de Solano y Yolo. Los pasajeros de BeeLine que necesiten hacer transbordo a otras líneas en YoloTD pueden hacerlo con un boleto BeeLine, lo que mejora

spreading to neighboring businesses in the building that is shared by multiple businesses and spans the downtown block of Main Street from the Buckhorn Steakhouse to the Tienda Delicious storefront.

According to Synder, there were 20 to 25 firefighters and nine engines total on the scene. Agencies that responded for assisting and station coverage including West Plainfield Fire, Yocha De He Fire, City of Vacaville Fire, UC Davis Fire, Yolo Fire, Dixon Fire and the Vacaville Fire Protection

for walking or ridings bikes.

Winters PD conducted a traffic analysis in town with its results yielding insight into how the school district and police department can further strengthen student safety.

“The schools weren’t designed for the capacity they’re at right now, or the traffic patterns. Things are changing in Winters, and we’ve had major traffic congestion issues. So, the department volunteered to contract with a traffic engineer through Psomas Engineering to come in and do a comprehensive study on traffic flows, patterns, line of sight, parking, signage and all that stuff,” said Mill-

Volunteer cleanup opportunity

Beautiful Winters is inviting community members to participate in a Volunteer Litter Clean-up Day — in part of the Adopt-a-Highway program — on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 8 a.m.

Volunteers will meet at the west side of the Lorenzo’s Market parking lot. Efforts to clean up Grant Avenue/Highway 128 are expected to last about

aún más el servicio. Según Bernstein, el objetivo es mejorar el servicio.

“YoloTD se enorgullece en responder a las necesidades de nuestros electores y pasajeros,” dijo Bernstein. “Es importante cambiar los servicios y las tecnologías a medida que surgen nuevas oportunidades para mejorar la experiencia del usuario, la confiabilidad y la flexibilidad del servicio.”

Ambos representantes del transporte coinciden en que cuanto más sólida sea su relación, mejor será el viaje para el pasajero. Bernstein dijo que la fortaleza de la mayoría de las

District. Snyder noted that the Vacaville Fire Protection District’s Engine 66 helped to provide fire station coverage for the city of Winters during the incident.

“It was a great team effort to thave all of those resources on scene and put them to wrok strategically,” Snyder said.

La Bodega’s storefront had significant damage. Snyder said the business owners are working with their insurance company to determine the total amount of the damage. Neighboring businesses received some

er. “We got a 33-page site study report and I’m hoping to have a meeting with Superintendent Boonchouy

smoke damage due to the shared attic space.

Snyder said although there were no injuries to firefighters or people in the area, a dog in the area was treated with oxygen.

Snyder said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Community members or eye witnesses are encouraged to share any information they know about the incident by calling Winters Fire at 530-7954131 or sending an email to wfdadmin@wintersfire.org.

you will — that we’re able to address to help the situation. Not to mention, Dr. Boonchouy’s been an absolutely fantastic partner every step of the way.”

Crossing guards — who are trained and present at every school site — are making sure students are walking between the crosswalk lines and cars are halted.

their booths. They will all have some sort of activity and swag — something free to offer the community.”

Friends and family alike show out for the Festival de la Comunidad every year and showcase the strong communal bonds Winters has. From the carnitas and culture to the drinking — and subsequent dancing — and socializing, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

in the next week or so to go over the next steps for safety and see if there’s quick, low-hanging fruit — if

two hours. Organizer Mark Rowan said volunteers who are participating for the first time should first watch a safety video at http://tinyurl. com/3hej9hkm.

Volunteers must be 18 years or older and will be expected to attend a brief safety orientation before the clean-up begins at the parking lot. Safety gear will be provided and must be worn.

relaciones se basa en el principio de fomentar valores y objetivos compartidos y una comprensión mutua de cada uno.

“Como proveedor de servicios de transporte público para Winters y el Condado Yolo, YoloBus tiene la responsabilidad de garantizar que los residentes de Winters puedan viajar de manera segura, eficiente, asequible y confiable,” dijo Bernstein.

Bernstein dijo que garantizar que Yol-

“The impact this boost in safety is number one ensuring there’s adult oversight in students crossing the street. Particularly in high traffic and potentially dangerous areas. There’s been a lot of relief to have a crossing guard on Grant (Avenue) in front of the high school. Not only to ensure stu-

Solid, closed toedshoes and long pants must be work and long-sleeved shirts are recommended..

To be added to the clean-up email list or to ask questions, email Winters. is.beautiful@gmail. com

Fortnightly seeks craft, food vendors

The Winters Forthnightly Club is working to raise funds for its annual scholarship through an Au-

obus continúe satisfaciendo las necesidades de la comunidad de Winters requiere confianza y comunicación abierta, que se basa en mantener vínculos relacionales sólidos.

Bernstein le pide a los residentes que tengan preguntas sobre el nuevo servicio de BeeLine que se comuniquen con el servicio de atención al cliente de YoloTD al 530-661-0816, envíen un correo electrónico a custserv@yctd.org o visiten yolobus.com/

dents are safe, but to improve the flow of traffic,” said Superintendent Rody Boonchouy. “We encourage everyone to be mindful of the mornings and afternoons when students are arriving and leaving school. Particularly in the mornings when the sun’s coming up in the east if you’re driving that way to obey the speed limits and to be vigilant for crossing guards and all cross walks. Just take heed of that and the times of day when we have students coming and going. Also, be mindful of our school bus stops. When you see flashing lights, you must stop to allow students to get on and get off the bus. That’s been a problem as well.”

tumn Craft Fair on Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Green River Taproom Park.

The Forthnightly Club is seeking applications for craft vendors and food and beverage vendors.

The 10x10 booths have a $65 registration fee and vendors must bring their own table and donate a raffle prize.

For information, call Jenny Ramos at 530-219-0419.

BeeLine. Se exhorta a los pasajeros a consultar más información sobre el servicio en el sitio web de YoloTD, yolotd.org.

“Winters transforms itself to the old world where there are large tables like a town square, only that town square is Rotary Park. There’s grandmothers, grandfathers, families, grandchildren, extended cousins, it’s everyone in your family comes out. It’s not geared toward only one element of the community, it’s for all ages,” said Loren. “It’s a festival like the old world where everyone comes together and it’s an absolute blast.” If one is interested in volunteering or getting involved or has any questions, email Loren at jesse@winterscorazon.org or Albert Vallecillo at al@ winterscorazon.org.

The Festival de la Comunidad itself is free to attend and takes place on Saturday, Sept. 30, with the carnitas cookoff going from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pre-sale carnitas tickets are available at http://tinyurl. com/3tj77xmj.

BEELINE Continuado de la Página 2

“The schools weren’t designed for the capacity they’re at right now or the traffic patters.”

John Miller, police chief

Picked by Charley Wallace

145 Years Ago

September 7, 1878

(From the files of The Winters Advocate)

Our election, on Wednesday last, resulted in the re-election of Wm. Sims (Democrat) for Supervisor. He received 103 majority in Winters and 60 majority in Davisville.

On Tuesday evening last a fire started in Putah Canyon about five or six miles above Winters, two miles above Henry Seamans, running over across the foothills, destroying about 250 acres pasturage, which Mr. Seaman had been saving for his stock this winter.

R. Clark has closed out his saloon and moved his law office and is now ready for business.

Richard Fitzgerald and Doc Norwood went to join the Good Templars; want of funds to pay the initiation fee is their only excuse for not making the application. Couldn’t you abolish the rule of taking a fee for a little while?

Professor A. Jontson will begin a protracted meeting on Friday evening, 16th inst., at the Christian Church in the town of Winters.

130 Years Ago

September 9, 1893

Sam Hoy has returned from his tour of the Northern circuit with his string of racers.

Miss Maude G. Ayer, teacher of the

Years Ago

Dispatches from the Express archives.

primary department of the public school, returned from her Eastern trip Monday evening, and took up her duties in the school room Tuesday morning.

The Express is informed that a number of young men in town have formed, or are about to form, a brass band. It is a good move, boys, and we hope you will persevere in your intention.

M.J. Meehan has opened a boot and shoe store in Hemenway’s building, corner of Main and First streets, in the room recently occupied by Miss A.J. Hanson as a Millinery store.

J.M. Pettengill informed us Thursday that he has shipped this season, beginning on June 11th, up to date, 125 carloads of green fruit and two carloads of dried fruit to the Eastern markets.

Rev. and Mrs. Bauer returned from their visit to relatives in Montana last Sunday. They had a pleasant visit, but are glad to get home.

Mrs. J.A. DeVilbiss went to Woodland last Wednesday af ternoon, to visit with her daughter, Mrs. W.J. Hook.

95 Years Ago

September 7, 1928

Floyd “Pete” Scott, Woodland outfielder who is with the Pittsburgh Pirates, returned to the lineup Tuesday after being on the bench for more than a month as the result of crashing into a brick wall on the New York Giants’ diamond while chasing a fly. He is a brother of Mrs. Charles Graf.

Walter Chapman and family have taken up residence at the Mrs. Lillian Cannedy home.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Sims, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Parker, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Moody, T.D. Parker and Miss Bammie Sims left last week for a camping trip in northern California and Oregon.

Roy Haven came up from Oakland Friday for a week-end visit at the E. F. Haven home.

Miss Marie Hannon, former Winters girl who is this year a member of the grammar school faculty, arrived in town Friday. to be in readiness for the opening of school Monday.

J. Granville Siler is a guest at the home of his sister, Mrs. G.M. Vasey. Mr. Siler is instructor at the Orland High School and is spending a few days at the Vasey home prior to the opening of his school.

James Ely and wife returned home Sunday from Seabright where they spent the weekend with Mrs. M. Hart.

Rev. and Mrs. George Kmecik have returned from a month’s

vacation spent in Orangevale and the pastor is again conducting services at the Presbyterian church.

80 Years Ago

September 10, 1943

Born Wednesday, a.m. at Bunney hospital, Fairfield, to Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Jeffery, a son.

Harry Sattazahn’s car, stolen Saturday night from a parking space in Sacramento has been found. Sattazahn said that the car is in good condition and nothing disturbed or taken.

According to word received by Mr. and Mrs. L.J. Wehrman, their son, Second Lt. Alan Wehrman, copilot of the Flying Fortress “Rhapsody on Flak,” was among the Flying Fortress bombers of Stuttgart. Wehrman wired “we had good fighter escort going in, but after we got near the target the enemy fighters were rough as hell.”

A school day romance is to climax tomorrow in a late summer war time marriage when Miss Evelyn Niemann and Claude Meyer exchange pledges.

Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Adams and children spent the weekend holiday in Stockton visiting Adam’s father, W.H. Adams.

Mrs. W.W. Stark, teacher, announces that Apricot district is among the schools scheduled to open Monday, Sept. 13.

Word has been received that Miss Hatsumi Nishikawa and Roy Hiramatsu were married in Ameche, Colorado, August 31st. Hiramatsu is at present at an Army Intelligence School in Minnesota and the two will make their home there.

Mrs. Percy Moore and daughter, Claudia have returned from an extended visit with relatives in Los Angeles.

You don’t have to travel far for extraordinary service. All the attributes you expect of a good neighbor – personal consideration, understanding, and consistent support – you can expect from us.

City of Winters Fire

Aug. 24: 1:18 p.m., East Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury ~8:02 p.m., Shams Way, Good intent call – other

Aug. 25: 4:18 p.m., Morgan Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury

Aug. 26: 8:28 a.m., Main Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury

~9:49 a.m., Russell Street, Person in distress – other ~1:34 p.m., Grant Avenue, EMS call –excluding vehicle accident with injury ~9 p.m., Owings Street, EMS call –excluding vehicle accident with injury

Aug. 27: 1:49 a.m., Niemann Street, Motor vehicle accident with no injuries. ~7:39 a.m., Russell Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury ~9:31 a.m., County Road 31A, Cultivated grain or crop fire ~2:39 p.m., Morgan Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury ~8:21 p.m., Lauren Court, EMS call –excluding vehicle accident with injury

Aug. 28: 3:56 a.m., Morgan Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury ~11:12 a.m., Morgan Street, EMS call – excluding vehicle accident with injury

~2:03 p.m., Morgan Street, Smoke detector activation, no fire – unintentional ~3:33 p.m., Cherry Glen Road – Vacaville, Dispatched and cancelled en route

Aug. 29: 2:27 a.m., Carrion Court, Person in distress – other ~8:19 a.m., Grant Avenue, EMS call –excluding vehicle accident with injury

~7:20 p.m., Grant Avenue, Hazardous Condition

Police Arrest Log

Aug. 23: Cortez, Diego (Age 21);

Charges: Vandal-

ism, Under influence of controlled substance; Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail

Aug. 24: Butler, Stacie Dianne (Age 41), Charges: Sonoma County Warrant, Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail

Aug. 26: Casias, Sandra (Age 60), Charges: Driving while license is suspended for DUI, Disposition: Released on Notice to Appear

~Kant, Anisha K (Age 35); Charges: DUI while on probation for DUI, driving while license is suspended for DUI; Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail

Aug. 27: Solorio, Adrian (Age 20);

Charges: Obstruct/ Resist Peace Officer, Drunk in Public, Probation violation; Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail

~Castellanos, Oscar (Age 58);

Charges: False registration, Driving without a driver’s license, False proof of insurance; Disposition: Released on Notice to Appear

Aug. 29: Roberts, Christopher Benton (Age 38); Charges: Obstruct/Resist Officer, Davis PD warrant; Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail Report Log

Aug. 21: 8 a.m., 700th block of Valley Oak Drive, Vandalism

Aug. 24: 2:12 a.m., 100th block of Main Street, Audible Alarm

Aug. 25: 9:38 a.m., 100th block of Quail Court, Vandalism

~7:48 p.m., 3000th block of Evergreen Avenue – West Sacramento, Recovered Stolen Vehicle

Aug. 27: 1:49 a.m., Niemann Street/ Hemenway Street, Traffic Collision

~3:54 a.m., 1000th block of Adams Lane, Recovered Stolen Vehicle ~8:57 p.m., 700th block of Dutton Street, Audible Alarm

Aug. 29: 5:40 p.m., E. Grant Avenue/ Morgan Street, Traffic Collision

For our editorial policy on crime log entries, see winters express.com/unpub lishing-policy.

Lake Berryessa water levels down

Express staff

The water level of Lake Berryessa went down during the past week by 0.43 feet, with a decrease in the storage of 7,482 acre-feet of water, according to Ken Emigh of the Solano Irrigation District. On the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 29, the lake level was 424.23 feet above sea level, with storage computed at 1,265,743 acrefeet of water. Evaporation on the lake averaged 197 acre-feet of water per day. The SID is diverting 376 cubic feet per second of water in the Putah South Canal, with 21 cubic feet per second flowing at the Diversion Dam.

Photo by Debra Ramos

Victory taekwondo students who received their next level of belts are (from left) front: Bo Bowen, Brett Martinez, Fabian Ceja, Nathanial Lucero, Nicholas Toepfer, Joshua Toepfer and Christopher Van Dollen; back: John Sullivan, James Barbosa, Daniel Faddis, instructor Don Penny, Jimmy Ramos, Steven Basco, Coy Kaake and Cameron Von Dollen. The students displayed their taekwondo skills at the Earthquake Street Festival in 1994.

CHP rolls out e-bike safety training program

Express staff

As the popularity of electric bikes continues to skyrocket, the California Highway Patrol is launching an online e-bike safety and training program to help keep commuters and recreational cyclists safe.

With the rise in popularity of e-bikes across the state, the CHP worked with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, the Legislature and key stakeholders to develop California’s first e-bike safety and training program.

The CHP’s program can be accessed on the CHP’s website, chp.ca.gov, and is designed to promote safety for those who choose to ride this alternative mode of transportation.

Assembly Bill 1946, which Newsom signed into law and took effect on Jan. 1, 2023, required the CHP to work with relevant stakeholders to develop an online training program that offers information on e-bike safety, emergency maneuver skills, rules of the road and laws related to e-bikes.

The program features tutorials, videos, a quiz and other interactive elements with an easy-to-follow, intuitive presentation to help make the material engaging, practical and informative.

Electric bicycles are heavier and faster than standard bicycles and, without the proper safety education and training, e-bike riders have a higher risk of becoming severely injured or killed in a crash.

As e-bikes become more commonplace, it’s also important for drivers to familiarize themselves with sharing the road with e-bike riders.

According to preliminary data from the California Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, there were more than 9,600 bicycle-involved crashes in 2022. At least 225 of those crashes involved an e-bike, including four which resulted in fatal injuries. This reflects a significant increase from the previous year, when there were 80 e-bike crashes reported in California.

The CHP’s online e-bike safety and training program is designed to help riders of all abilities

The draft Solano County Community Wildfire Protection Plan delves into vulnerable populations and areas, as well as other disaster elements such as topography and forest health, climate and weather patterns, the fire history of the county, demographics, monitoring strategies and mitigation strategies.

Each community is assessed for fire risk in the plan, with parts of Green Valley and Pleasants Valley being listed as having vulnerable populations, largely due to age, and are listed with extreme risk ratings for fire.

Suisun Valley, Vacaville and Vallejo are rated as high risk, while Benicia, Cordelia, Fairfield, Rio Vista and Suisun City are labeled as moderate risk.

The CHP’s online e-bike safety and training program is designed to help riders of all abilities and all ages identify potential hazards, while offering information on safe riding practices and hazardavoidance maneuvers.

and all ages identify potential hazards, while offering information on safe riding practices and hazard-avoidance maneuvers.

The CHP collaborated with, and would like to thank, the many stakeholders who assisted with the content and creation of the e-bike safety and training program. This diverse group of safety stakeholders includes several leading organizations committed to bicycle safety; federal, state and local government traffic safety partners; and injury prevention coordinators from hospitals throughout the state.

“The plan makes recommendations for prioritized fuels reduction projects, measures to reduce structural ignitability, and methods for carrying out public education and outreach,” the report states. “Implementation of projects must be tailored to the specific project and will be unique to the location depending on available funding resources and regulations.

In general those mitigations fall under three broad categories: creating resilient landscapes, creating fire-adapted communities and recommendations for safe and effective wildfire response. More detailed projects and information for each category are found in Appendix J.

A list of federal, state, private and other funding sources are found in Appendix E, but the plan does not address fire district funding.

At the center of the 199-page report — including the glossary, references and appen-

dices — is a chapter on wildland-urban interface which are the areas in the county that separate wildlands from the cities, and rely heavily on underfunded rural fire districts as the first line of defense.

The areas are defined as having housing and other developments in direct contact with wildland vegetation. The zones where wildlands exceed the level of human inhabitation are known as intermix areas.

Addressing the fire risk factors in those areas, the plan states, is a high priority. Planning for reducing the fire risk in these areas also should extend into Napa County and include the nearby cities.

Planning for future growth in the interface areas also must be addressed, the plan states.

“Cities and counties are continuously challenged to accommodate both current and future residents in need of safe and affordable housing. Development in high or very high hazard areas is required to be constructed in a way that reduces the risk from fire hazards and meets all appropriate county and state fire standards,” the plan states.

“The requirements include the use of

fire-resistant materials produced to minimize fire susceptibility in new structures within high or very high fire hazard areas ... New development schemes must contain fire protection plans, codes and actions for fire engineering components of buildings and structures in very high fire hazrd zones.”

The plan shows that from 1923 through 1989 there were 111 fires. The same number have occurred from 1990 to 2021, with the last 67 starting in 2010 and beyond, and all but nine of those in the 21st century.

Fires also are getting larger, with more than 400,000 acres burned since 2010. That is nearly equals all previous fires dating back to 1923 combined. And while the causes of the vast majority of fires are listed as undetermined, human cause has shown up much more since 1980, the plan states.

The report touches on fire response — at local, county, state and federal levels — with sections on each fire district and department, as well as alert systems and water supplies.

“In general, most of the cities are services by a wide network of

hydrants with good flow. Contrarily, most rural and/or unincorporated areas have inadequate water resources for fire suppression, e.g., limited or lack of hydrants and hydrant systems with poor water pressure and/or flow,” the plan states.

While the plan does not specifically address the issue, the loss of power to well and other water pumps, also has contributed to the inability to fight fires.

The document, prepared by the Solano County Water Agency in conjunction with the county Office of Emergency Services and other collaborators, was released this week for public input — a day after a grassfire at Pleasants Valley and Cherry Glen roads forced evacuations but was limited to 15 acres without any structures being damaged. In contract, two rural Winters men died and 309 homes were lost in the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex Fire. The plan is available at http://tinyurl. com/5b2rp72v. The comment period ends at 8 a.m. on Sept. 18. Annual updates are recommended with more formal revisions every five years.

Wednesday, September 6

WTC Auditions: "The Miracle Worker," 6:30 –8:30 p.m., Winters Community Center (201 Railroad Ave.), winterstheatre.org

Wednesdays

Eat Well Yolo Drive – Through Food Distribution, Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m. As supplies last, Winters High student parking lot, off Railroad Avenue

Thursday, September 7

Winters JUSD School Board Meeting, 4 p.m. - Facility Master Plan Study Session

6 p.m. - Board of Trustees business meeting School District Office - Board Room, Zoom Meeting info, check https://bit.ly/ WintersJUSDBoardAgendaCommunitySite

Winters Planning Commission Workshop (Special Meeting), 6:30 p.m., Council chamber (318 First St.), Zoom Meeting info, check www.cityofwinters.org/city-council-meetings_/

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, September 9

Beautiful Winters Litter Clean Up Day, 8 a.m., Lorenzo's Market parking lot, View Safety Video prior to arrival: https:// youtu.be/HvgyPuZ_l4Y

Upcoming

Monday, September 11

Winters Climate Action Commission Meeting, 6:30 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), Check cityofwinters.org/climate-action-commission

Library Services

Winters Library Open to Public (School in Session)

Winters Community Library, Mon/Wed: 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Tue/Thu: 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. , Sat: 1–5 p.m.

Teen Tuesday (ages 12-18), Second Tuesdays, 2 p.m., Winters Community Library

Bilingual Storytime (ages 0-5), Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m., Winters Community Library

Virtual English Conversation Group, Tuesdays, 2-3 p.m., One time registration required: Contact Nancy Pacheco 530-666-8019 or nancy.pacheco@ yolocounty.org

Mangonada Monday (ages 6-12), fourth Monday, 3:30 p.m. Tech Thursdays, Thursdays, 2-7:30 p.m., call 530-6668005 to schedule an appointment. Bilingual sessions available upon request.

Saturday Matinee, First Saturday, 2 p.m., Winters Community Library

All You Need is Love Romance Book Club, Second Saturday, 4 p.m., Hooby’s Brewing

Older Adult Programs

Winters Senior Foundation Chair Yoga Class for Seniors, Wednesdays, 9:30-11 a.m., St. Anthony Parish Hall (511 W. Main St.)

Winters Senior Foundation Social Gathering, Thurdays, 1-3:30 p.m., St. Anthony Parish Hall (511 W. Main St.)

Ongoing

Winters Farmers Market, Sundays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Main Street – downtown Winters, discoverwinters. com/farmers-market

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.

Winters Open Mic, third Saturday of the month, 6 p.m. (sign-ups begin at 5 p.m.), Downtown Main Street.

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.

Stirton brings whole-wellness approach

By Aaron Geerts Express staff writer

From treating aches and pains all over the body to creating diet plans and administering chiropractic remedies, Dr. James Stirton (lead chiropractor at Winters Family Chiropractic) has Winters back — literally. He is expanding his business and ready to perpetuate his passion-fueled practice.

Stirton first received his Doctor of Chiropractic from Life West College of Chiropractic in 2002. Ambition abounding, Stirton’s been on a mission to bolster communities and their families overall health, wellness and vitality ever since. Prior to opening his own practices, however, Stirton worked for larger, corporate health practices that allowed insurance policies to dictate the treatment patients would receive. This was counterintuitive to the way Stirton wanted to administer health and wellness.

“These other healthcare practices train patients to think of health as a finish line they get to. In the past when I used to work for some of these practices, I was accused of caring too much. I was even talked to by old employers that I was going too slow on some patients and that I was giving them too much advice and care,” said Stirton. “That was the sign that I needed to leave because I was hating my dayto-day and couldn’t wait to get out of there. They thought patients liked me because I gave them more attention, so they were sort of jealous because

they didn’t care enough to spend that extra time to make positive results happen.”

After leaving the ways of insurance-infused medical practices, Stirton set out to start his own. He’s done so with success as his practice in Rancho Cordova. American River Chiropractic has been up and running for 10 years and Winters Family Chiropractic, his practice here, has been open for five years.

“We’ve been well-embraced by the Winters community. People of all ages can count on getting regular care and they’re the ones in charge of their health and I’m on their health team. Another thing I like about being open here is that I can treat parents and their children alike. The goal

is to have everyone involved to be working towards their health goals and parents can sponsor a lower-aged child (under 12) and their care is included in the parents’ healthcare for free,” said Stirton.

“We want to expose everyone to the wonders of taking care of yourself as early as possible because that’s when we develop the healthy habits for a lifetime. Then they won’t wait for their body to break down before they come in.”

Beyond the disc decompressions and other forms of physical rehabilitation, Stirton’s approach to health and wellness also includes education. From nutrition analysis and sleeping patterns to one’s emotional state and daily habits, Stirton’s

Where are they now: Raven Castro

By Aaron Geerts Express staff writer

Winters High School

Warriors are an ambitious group who go on to chase their ambitions wherever it may take them after graduation. Raven Castro is a proud WHS alumnus who not only hogtied her ambition but used — and continues to use — what she learned in high school as the rope.

While attending WHS, Castro was involved in sports and student government, however, her passion burned brightest in her time with the Winters FFA chapter. There, she was the Yolo Section FFA president, the Winters FFA chapter secretary and recorder in her tenure.

After graduating in 2009, Castro opted to nurture that passion for agriculture in college.

“After high school, I went to Cuesta College and joined its student body. Then I transferred to Cal Poly San Louis Obispo (SLO) as an Ag Business major. When Ag Communications first came to SLO in 2012, I switched majors to be one of the first, pilot group of students to graduate with an Ag Comms major at SLO,” Castro said, breaking down her collegiate years. “Also at SLO, I competed on the national ag marketing team, then was active in student government there and graduated in 2013.”

Straight out of college, Castro was recruited by Oracle to work in its corporate headquarters. The tech industry, however, simply wasn’t a good fit for this grassroots gal, so she shifted gears back towards agriculture and began working at the Sonoma County Farm Bureau in public relations.

Thanks to connections she made in FFA during high school,

Castro was recruited by UC Davis to join its Agriculture Educa-

PRESENTS

Aaron Geerts/Winters Express

Dr. James Stirton is expanding his services at his Winters office location to help support more residents.

Christian Duran Photography/Courtesy photo

Raven Castro (center) now guides and encourages her ag students at Esparto High School with the same care her Winters High School ag advisors did for her.

Getting the top appraisal

Special to the Express Home appraisals by unbiased professionals play a critical role in any property transaction. These figures are required by lenders in order to properly evaluate a mortgage.

They also are needed for refinancing purposes. They take into account the size and condition of the home, as well as a range of things like neighborhood comparables that homeowners have little or

80.9 acres for sale about 1/2 mile from Winters.

Improvements include a 5 bed, 3 bath home & approximately 78 acres planted to walnuts.

M2 & Company

530-795-2810

CADRE#00811568

IRELAND

Tim

SMALL COTTAGE STYLE HOME on 55+/- acres of English walnuts. Great location and great soil. $1,399,000. 5.85 ACRES OF WALNUTS in between Winters and Davis off Russell Blvd. County says you can build on it! Offered at $550,000. Call for details. 38 ACRES! Beautiful Chandler Walnut orchard. Located just outside of Winters off Putah Creek Road. Very well taken care of. Great producer, Excellent soil, solid set sprinkler system with an ag well. Would make for an awesome building site! Offered at $1,095,000.

no control over. There are nevertheless some key steps sellers can take to get the best possible appraisal.

Previous appraisals

Review appraisals done on your property before previous sales. These reports will provide important insights into issues that impacted the home’s value in the past. Look for notes on the property’s physical

condition, including damage, leaks or cracks; the quality of

INTERESTED IN SELLING?

GREAT OPPORTUNITY IN RIO VISTA! 5 Ac Commercial property zoned industrial. Perfect for a storage unit business or boat storage. East side of property fronts 476’ on busy Airport Road. Well suited location surrounded by businesses and housing. Just minutes from Hwy 12 and core of down town Rio Vista. Water and PGE at property line. Priced reduced to $1,130,000.

lighting, landscaping, finishes or plumbing; and any concerns about amenities like a swimming pool or finished basement.

Obviously, owners can’t do anything about the size of the home and lot or the

There are some key steps sellers can take to get the best possible appraisal.

Adobe/Stock photo

number of bedrooms, but some of these other concerns can be addressed prior to appraisal. Repairs or upgrades could significantly impact your bottom line.

See HOMES, Page 4

SUPER CLEAN & FRESHLY PAINTED. 5 bed, 3 bath home, walking distance to beautiful downtown Winters. Low maintenance front and backyards. Offered at $695,000. Call for details.

IN NATOMAS. Super clean 3 bed, bath. Offered at $560,000.

IN WOODLAND. 4 bed, 2 bath. Large lot. Great location.

Offered at $549,925

SALE PENDING SALE PENDING SALE PENDING

AN ABSOLUTE PIECE OF PARADISE ON 3.26 ACRES!

Just outside the Winters City limits. This home has it all.

Tastefully remodeled great room, includes your own personal bar, and an amazing wood burning fireplace.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS IN NORTH VACAVILLE! 6 lots with separate APN numbers. Final map was approved however map has expired. Lots located in area of million-dollar (+) homes.

Seller owns 31 water rights so possibility of adding more lots. Call today for more details! Priced at $1,199,000.

SOLD

The outdoor pool area is like a private retreat.Beautiful outdoor kitchen with all the amenities, as well as a full outdoor bathroom and shower. Oh ya, there’s more. The shop is 50X90 and has its own gym area. Plenty of room for the motor home, and or boat. Offered at $2,095,000

Sold! 5 ACRE, 3 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHROOMS with a nice horse set 3 stall barn with tack room, outdoor sand arena, fenced and cross fenced, 2/2 bath modular home along with a large shop, custom chicken coop. Home has been completely remodeled in 2017 down to the studs and and reinforcing foundation. All new heating and air, windows, kitchen, appliances, bathrooms, flooring, all eco friendly materials, lots of fruit trees. This is a rare one of a kind property!! Call for appt today!

SOLD

GREAT STARTER HOME. 3 beds, 1 bath. New flooring throughout. Close to all schools. Offered at $350,000. Call for details!

Sold! ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS FRESHLY RENOVATED VACAVILLE, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom single story. White kitchen with stunning wrap around countertops and brand new stainless steel appliances. Landscaped yard with stamped patio perfect for entertaining. Close proximity to schools and shopping. $599,000

Express Yourself

Staying busy is good for you

Wouldn’t you think that being semi-retired would let you slow down, just a little? I try and stay active, do a few printing jobs using old letterpress machines at the museum, golf, attend weekly Rotary meetings and keep up the yards at home.

Lately, the Winters Opera House has needed some attention, trying to get the building ready for the Winters theater group to take over the upstairs hall. I have great hopes that there will be more than just plays and private party rentals, but live music, where the Palms Playhouse used to be. Be patient and keep your fingers crossed and when the theater group gets up and running, in a few months, support them if you can. We still like to travel, but COVID delayed our plans and we ended up with three years’ worth of trips in a short period of time. I didn’t think that we could travel too much, but we have travel burnout. For the first time in years, we don’t have any big trips planned.

My cousin from Austin, Texas, bought a summer home in Taos, New Mexico, and has been inviting us to

visit for the past five years. We finally made the trip a few weeks ago and I have to admit that the weather was perfect. If you live in Austin, there aren’t many places that don’t have better weather during the summer.

If you think it is hot in Winters, just take a look at Texas weather. We can at least say it is a dry heat, while they can’t even go outside without a towel around their neck.

Taos has about 7,000 people, is at 7,000 feet, high desert with art studios everywhere. Artists started moving there decades ago and still enjoy the atmosphere and the close art community that thrives to this day. When you go into a store, the artist is there to greet you — something that I’ve never really seen before. Gives you a good feeling about the town. We had a chance to tour Los Alamos, home of the Manhattan Project, while we were in New Mexico. Now we have to see the movie, Oppenheimer, and put all of the pieces of history together.

I’ve been remodeling the museum by adding more shelves and a wall to

See QUICK, Page 5

Horoscopes

ARIES (Mar 21/Apr 20) Get outside and enjoy as much fresh air and exercise as possible this week, Aries. A weekly outdoors excursion can recharge the batteries and provide some time to reflect.

TAURUS (Apr 21/May 21) Taurus, it’s not possible to have everyone like you all of the time. Emotionally it can be difficult to accept that not everyone agrees with your point of view. Be who you are.

GEMINI (May 22/Jun 21) Someone from your past might come back into your life, Gemini. Keep a lookout for someone who seems familiar, as it can be a way to reminisce for a bit.

CANCER (Jun 22/Jul 22) Cancer, start conversations with all of the people you meet so you can learn about different backgrounds or cultures. You might learn something you didn’t know or try a new food.

LEO (Jul 23/Aug 23) Leo, try to work the room when you are thrust into a social situation. You need to be a diplomat or politician if you want to be in good standing with as many people as possible. Put your best face forward.

VIRGO (Aug 24/Sept 22) You know who you can trust, Virgo. Stay close to those people for the time being. Some difficulties with family members will arise and you may need to pick sides.

LIBRA (Sept 23/Oct 23) Libra, after a whirlwind adventure, you may be glad to be back home. Vacations are nice and relaxing, but soon enough you may crave the familiarity of your own space.

SCORPIO (Oct 24/Nov 22) Scorpio, you a calm energy around you this week. You can rest assured that the people you are dealing with have everything handled. They take care of business.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23/Dec 21) There is a great opportunity knocking at your door, Sagittarius, so why not seize it? New things can be scary, but you have to dive in right now.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22/Jan 20) Take stock of where you want to go in the future and start putting those plans together, Capricorn. You don’t have to figure everything out, but try to map out a rough outline.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21/Feb 18) You can quickly see when someone is putting on an act, Aquarius. They may say one thing but mean another. This duplicity can be off-putting, but try to get along with others right now.

PISCES (Feb 19/Mar 20) Pisces, you are in no danger of not being popular right now, so continue to enjoy all of the invitations you receive. You also can be proactive and throw your own party for friends.

STIRTON

Continued from Page 1

“I’ve been able to put all my skills and knowledge to a full focus on my practice members. I’ve gotten the best results I’ve seen since I’ve started and I love that I’m able to use what I know to help the community of Winters,”

HOMES

said Stirton. “It seems like everybody wants what we’re giving, and that’s why we’re expanding this office here in Winters so we can take in more patients.”

To learn more about what Stirton has to offer, visit Winters Family Chiropractic at 9 Main St., Suite 9-F. One can also call it at 530795-4500, email jimstirtondc@gmail.com or visit http://tinyurl. com/3pvwu3cd.

Help plan for Youth Day 2024 on Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Round Table Pizza.

Pre-visit prep

Continued from Page 2 is able to work on one’s health and wellness by boosting one’s mindfulness as well.

First impressions matter. If an appraiser arrives to find a dirty, cluttered home and overgrown landscaping, they’re likely to assume that the entire property has been poorly maintained. Something as simple as a new coat of paint can

take years off of a home’s appearance. Organizing and storing items will help showcase the square footage. If there’s time and the budget for it, consider some smaller touch-up jobs like adding new light fixtures and replacing laminate counters. But even something as simple as cleaning out flower beds and applying new mulch

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can give your home a fresh new look. Fixing something like a broken windowpane or tightening a loose doorknob allows the appraiser to focus on the space’s positives, instead of a series of small negatives.

Gather paperwork

Relevant documents may be needed in order to complete the work, so gather everything before

the appraiser arrives. Land surveys will help in verifying the property’s exact dimensions, bolstering information gathered by walking the property to confirm the layout and condition. Receipts for any large remodeling projects may also be required. Information about previous sale prices can also help put the value in perspective.

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF Shizuko Imamura CASE NO PR2023-0182

To all heirs beneficiaries creditors contingent creditors and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both of: Shizuko Imamura

A Petition for Probate has been filed by: Yolo County Public Administrator in the Superior Court of California County of: Yolo

The Petition for Probate requests that: Y olo County Public Administrator be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent

The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval Before taking certain very important actions however the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action ) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as fol-

lows: Date: September 12, 2023 Time: 9:00 A M Dept : 11

Room:

Located at 1000 Main Street Woodland CA 95695

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney

If y ou a re a c r editor or a c ont ingent c reditor of the dec e d e n t , y o u m u s t f i l e y o u r c l a i m w i t h t h e c o u r t a n d m a i l a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code Other Cali fornia statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law

You may examine the file kept by the court the file kept by the court If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250 A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk Attorney for petitioner: Dylan P Hyatt

Joseph Palley & Ruggles Inc

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF Betty Imamura CASE NO PR2023-0183

To all heirs beneficiaries creditors contingent creditors and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate or both of: Betty Imamura

A Petition for Probate has been filed by: Yolo County Public Administrator in the Superior Court of California County of: Yolo

The Petition for Probate requests that: Yolo County Public Administrator be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent

The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval Before taking certain very important actions however the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action ) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: September 12, 2023 Time: 9:00 A M Dept : 11

Room:

Located at 1000 Main Street, Woodland, CA 95695

If you object to the granting of the petition you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney

If y ou a re a c r editor or a c ontinge

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF Ted Imamura CASE NO PR2023-0184

To all heirs beneficiaries creditors contingent creditors and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate or both of: Ted Imamura

A Petition for Probate has been filed by: Yolo County Public Administrator in the Superior Court of California County of: Yolo

The Petition for Probate requests that: Yolo Coun ty Public Administrator be

September 12, 2023 Time: 9:00 A M Dept : 11 Room: Located at 1000 Main Street, Woodland, CA 95695

If you object to the granting of the petition you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney If you a re a cr editor or a cont inge nt c r edit or of

Preventing falls is a year-long effort

By Wally Pearce Winters Elder Day Council

September 2023

was Fall Prevention Awareness Month, an initiative that unites communities to tackle the challenge of preventing falls. But health care providers, caregivers and communities around the country should take time to learn about fall risk factors and take action to create strategies to help people of all ages stay on their feet. The 2023 theme is “From Awareness to Action.”

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related emergency department visits for older adults, the major cause of hip fractures, and responsible for more than half

CASTRO

Continued from Page 1

in 2016.

“(UC Davis) contacted me and offered me a full-ride scholarship to get my master’s and credentials in ag education. I was never planning on getting my master’s and didn’t want to go back to school. So, I initially said no. Then I was convinced by someone I’d known from the ag issues team I was on, and she’d become an adviser of teachers in the ag education program at (UC Davis), and she was the one who recruited me into that 10 years later,” said Castro. “The connections I made through the Winters FFA program ultimately got me a full ride for a master’s. So, that’s big kudos to WHS. After I got my credentials and master’s, I worked

QUICK

Continued from Page 3

display more pictures. It is amazing how many cameras I found without really looking. Some older cameras I don’t remember ever seeing before and a few I remember buying. Give me a couple of more weeks and I’ll have the shelves organized. Well, maybe a couple of months, and then stop by and see how it turned out. I should be done by Oct., Friday the 13th.

It is still crowded in my office. In desperation, I called the Sacramento History Museum to see if they would like some of my printing museum pieces. They didn’t call me back, but I’ll try one more time before I just deliver it to their doorstep in Old Sacramento. I’m sure I just need to talk to the right person in charge of their printing museum, or get their pressman to stop by our museum to see what he can’t live without.

It was sad to hear about the passing of Jimmy Buffett. When we were newlyweds living in Long Beach, a friend invited us to hear a singer that I had never heard of before. For a $4 cover charge, we got to sit in a small bar/restaurant and listen to Jimmy Buffett playing party music. Halfway through his show he commented, “This is going to put a few dollars in my pocket,” as he sang “Come Monday.” I don’t think he ever played for a cover charge again.

I have a string of puppet beads on my

of fatal head injuries. Numerous states and countries worldwide are now coalescing to address this growing public health issue. Many are working closely with occupational therapy practitioners as key contributors to reducing falls. This year’s fall prevention theme seeks to unite professionals, older adults, caregivers, and family members to play a part in raising awareness and preventing falls in the older adult population. Forty-eight states participated in the 2022 Fall Prevention Awareness Month joining more than 70 national organizations, including the American Occupational Therapy

Association, other professional associations, federal, state, and local agencies. There are many different factors that can increase the risk of falling. These include but are not limited to: past falls, hazards in the home and community, problems walking, balance problems, weakness, improper footwear, chronic diseases, multiple medications, poor vision, depression, memory problems and behaviors like rushing.

Because there are many different contributing factors to falls, there are also various types of recommendations for reducing fall risks.

These include:

Talking with a

“You think you leave high school and all they’ll be are teachers, but in Winters, [Donnie Whitworth and Kent Benson are] so much more than that. I hope my kids feel the same way about me as I feel about my ag advisors.”

Raven Castro

for the Elk Grove Unified School District for two years before getting the job as the ag teacher at Esparto High School and have been there for the last six years.”

A Warrior in Spartan country, Castro’s taken the initiative and become a class adviser, a manager for the work-experience program there; and coaches kids in agriculture, biology, horticulture and floriculture. Castro also

handlebars that I picked up in New Orleans in 2005. I like to look at them whenever a Jimmy Buffett song plays inside my helmet as I’m cruising down the road thinking that it is 5 o’clock somewhere. Enjoy life, and have a good week.

coaches an assortment of public-speaking and career development teams.

“All the things I did in high school are what I’m coaching my kids how to do. It’s really come full circle for me. Donnie Whitworth and Kent Benson were my ag advisors back in the day and they’ve been close and loyal friends all the way through my FFA career and teaching career. They’ve been people I’ve been

health professional to identify and treat medical problems that could lead to falls.

Plan to have regular physical activity

Evaluating your home to identify fall hazards and making proper changes for safety — like making sure sofas and chairs are the right height to get in and out of safely and easily.

Have your vision checked on a regular basis

Keep items you use often at waist level or within easy reach. Don’t stand on a chair or table to reach something that’s too high — use a “reach stick”

See FALL, Page 6

able to learn on,” Castro said. “They were instrumental in my growth in high school and never really stopped being advisors to me which is a really neat thing about Winters. You think you leave high school and all they’ll be are teachers, but in Winters, they’re so much more than that. I hope my kids feel the same way about me as I feel about my ag advisors.”

For Castro, agriculture has always been a part of her family and life. While the passion for agriculture has been instilled in her since she was born, WHS helped her hone that passion and inspire her to pursue it as a career. Not to mention, she’s a prime example of how one can make the most out of the lessons and connections — and community support — made at WHS.

WMS leadership class seeks item donations

The Winters Middle School leadership class has many fall events in the works, including starting a student store, selling snacks at athletic events, Halloween Candy Grams, and a Fall Festival/activity day. We are asking that if any community members would like to help, that they please consider donating any of the following items: Halloween candy, Healthier snacks (goldfish, sun chips, fruit snacks, etc), Chips (spicy and regular), Other snacks (cookies, cheez-its, pretzels, etc), Drinks (8-ounce bottled waters, small Gatorades, Zevia, etc), A drink cooler, school supplies (erasers, pencil grips, pens, pencils), other fun items (stickers, keychains, fidget toys). Any donations can be brought to the WMS front office, or to Room 8, or sent to school with their students. We also have a sign-up genius link: https://tinyurl.com/yc45e55r

Thank you for your help!

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scribed above is purported to be: 948 VASEY STREET WINTERS CA 95694 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation if any shown herein Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty express or implied regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust with interest thereon as provided in said Note(s) advances if any under the terms of the Deed of Trust estimated fees charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust   The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee s Sale is estimated to be $571 525 39 (Estimated) However prepayment premiums accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale Beneficiary s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount In addition to cash the Trustee will accept a cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank a c h e c k d r a w n b y a s t a t e o r f e d e r a l c r e d i t un i o n o r a c h e c k drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California or other such funds as may be acceptable to the Trustee In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the T r u s t e e m a y w i t h h o l d t h e i s s u a n c e o f t h e T r u s t e e s D e e d Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver if applicable If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason the successful bidder s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse Notice to Potential Bidders If you are considering bidding on this property lien you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a Trustee auction You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself Placing the highest bid at a Trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off before you can receive clear title to the property You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder s o f f i c e o r a t i t l e i n s u r a n c e c o m p a n y e i t h e r o f w h i c h m a y charge you a fee for this information If you consult either of these resources you should be aware that the same Lender may hold more than one mortgage or Deed of Trust on the property Notice to Property Owner The sale date shown on this Notice of Sale may be postponed one or more times by the Mortgagee, Beneficiary, Trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code The law requires that information about Trustee Sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed and if applicable the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property you may call Xome at 800-758-8052 for information regarding the Trustee s Sale or visit the Internet Website address www Xome com for information regarding the sale of this property using the file number assigned to this case CA07000542-23-1 Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Website The best way to verify postponement informat ion is to attend t h e s c h e d u l e d s a l e & e m s p ; N o t i c e t o T e n a n t N O T I C E T O

TENANT FOR FORECLOSURES AFTER JANUARY 1 2021 You may have a right to purchase this property after the trustee auction pursuant to Section 2924m of the California Civil Code If you are an eligible tenant buyer, you can purchase the property if you match the last and highest bid placed at the tru ste e a u c ti o n If y o u a r e a n “e l i g i b le b i d d e r ” y o u m a y b e a b l e t o p u r c h a s e t h e p r o p e r t y i f y o u e x c e e d t h e l a s t a n d h i g h e s t b i d p l a c e d a t t h e t r u s t e e a u c t i o n T h e r e a r e t h r e e steps to

REBECCA CHRISP Winters Middle School

Swim team secures top spots in opening meet

By Aaron Geerts Express staff writer

The Winters High School swim team traveled up to Durham on Wednesday, Aug. 30 to kick off the 2023 fall season and square off against high schools from Durham, Gridley, Orland, Las Plumas, Hamilton, Home Tech Charter and Oroville.

In the girls 200 medley relay, the WHS team of Mikaila Anello, Charlie Baugh, Mahalia Lanfranco and Rachel Rominger finished third with a time of 2:20.94.

Meanwhile, Logan Anello, Chase Gibson, Trevor Grinbergs and Cole Jord-

ling finished second in the boys 200 medley relay with a time of 2:08.77.

In the boys 200 freestyle, Logan Anello finished third with a time of 2:27.29 while Grinbergs finished second in the boys 200 yard individual medley with a time of 2:26.08.

Then in the girls 50 freestyle, Lanfranco and Mikaila Anello took third and fourth place, however, both finished with the same exact time of 29.61.

Grinbergs made a splash in the men's 50 freestyle finishing fourth with a time of 26.26.

In the girls 100 freestyle, Rominger did the Warriors

“The team has great spirit .... and they bring a positive, hardworking attitude to the pool.”

Melanie Ellison, head coach

proud, snagging gold with a first place time of 1:07.63.

Anello, Lanfranco, Rominger and Ashley Rivas took second in the girls 200 freestyle relay with a time of 2:07.26.

In the girls 100 backstroke, Mikaila Anello took third for the Warriors with a time of 1:14.76.

Meanwhile, on the boys side of the 100 backstroke, Jordling finished third

Nuts win league championship

By Aaron Geerts Express staff writer

After a grueling regular season filled with booboos, scrapes and unbridled soreness, the Winters Legendz squared off against the Mariani Nuts to compete over who’d be this summer’s champion of the Winters Adult Softball League.

The championship game took place on

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Wednesday, Aug. 30, on the Winters Little League field under the lights and a full moon. The Winters Legendz entered the game undefeated and poised to win after defeating the Mariani Nuts earlier in the season. The Mariani Nuts, however, wouldn’t crack under the pressure and tacked on runs almost every inning. Meanwhile, the

rugs, and area rugs, as well as runner rugs. These rugs are typically used in hallways, stairs, and other narrow spaces, but

squad’s defense was also firing on all cylinders and kept the Legendz from gaining any momentum offensively.

Although the Winters Legendz were an experienced and battle-hardened squad, the Mariani Nuts were able to put together seven innings of team softball and claim the championship.

unsecure, they could be a fall hazard. Those who think fall prevention strategies are not important… think again. The California Department of Public Health reports that older adults’ aged 65-years of age and older residing in Northern California, sustained over 15,000 avoidable falls, resulting in 11,588 emergency room visits, 3,630 hospital stays and 117 deaths.

OF THE WEEK

Gio Jimenez

Gio Jimenez, a Winters High School junior, is Pisani’s Athlete of the Week. In the varsity team’s opening game against Dixon, Jimenez made 26 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught five for 60 yards and on the defense made 10 tackles. “He led the team in rushing, receiving and was also our leading tackler. I honestly believe that he is one of the best players in the area and I can’t wait to see what he accomplishes this year. When your best player is also your hardest worker — that is when it is special,” said head coach Daniel Ward.

with a time of 1:19.70 with Gibson on his heals taking fourth with a time of 1:27.35.

Lanfranco then took fourth in the girls 100 yard breast stroke clocking in 1:27.71.

“The swim team is off to a fantastic start this season. We’re 12-strong with four freshmen, three sophomores, four juniors and one senior with a wellrounded mix of ages and

stroke specialties. Last year, we had six senior swimmers graduate which was almost 40 percent of the team. Thankfully, our younger swimmers returned and we recruited four talented and dedicated freshmen,” said head coach Melanie Ellison. “In our first meet, already half the team achieved qualifying times for the end-ofseason championships. The team has great spirit, inclusive, respectful, cheer each other on and they bring a positive, hardworking attitude to the pool. I’m excited to see them achieve their goals this season!”

Varsity falls to Pioneer after quarterback injury

Junior varsity moves ball into end zone for win

ple big plays when we could not,” said head coach Daniel Ward.

The Winters High School football teams took on the Pioneer High gridiron squads who traveled from Woodland on Friday, Sept. 1.

Varsity

The varsity lineup lost their second nonleague home game of the season against Pioneer by a devastating score of 20–0.

This is the first time in WHS history where the Warriors have ever had to face off against the Pioneer Patriots. With Pioneer having a student body of at least 1,600 students, the Warriors knew they would have a tough battle ahead of them.

While Pioneer's varsity football team nearly doubled the WHS team, the Warriors put up a good fight and went into halftime with a tied score of 0–0. Despite the final score, this in itself was impressive considering the Warriors had several athletes playing both sides of the ball.

By playing both sides of the ball, athletes are not only required to have the skills to play two positions but also the stamina to compete against larger teams and players who are given ample time to rest and reset.

“I was beyond proud of our effort, especially on the defensive side. We held them to less than 100-yards rushing and passing and had more yards than them overall but that had made a cou-

Julian Herrera led the Warriors defensively, making several plays behind the line of scrimmage and leading the team with ten tackles. Danny Sanchez also had a great game setting the edge on the defensive line and ended the game with seven tackles.

“Offensively it was a struggle all night,” said Ward.

To start, the Warriors were down one of their starting and highly skilled receivers, Sebastian Valadez and then were forced into an impossible situation very early on in the game with the loss of their quarterback Colton Brown.

Losing Colton Brown meant that the Warriors would need to move receiver Lane Brown to quarterback. These shifts made an impact on the game taking away the ability to excel in the yardage on passes that they may have had otherwise.

“Colton is a special kid, a great football player and an even better leader. I think the game would have had a different outcome if he did not go down. We are hoping to have him back in time for league and he is excited to help get his brother ready in the meantime” said Ward.

The obstacles the Warriors faced on their offensive team were unfortunate but they continued to fight and finished the game to the best of their

ability. Despite losing their starting quarterback and being a target for the Patriots, Jimenez managed to run the ball hard, giving the Warriors 78 yards. Lane Brown also battled and ended the night with 11 carries for 71 yards gained.

“I was very proud of Lane and his effort.

To say he got thrown to the wolves would be an understatement and I am excited to see what he can do this week with a week's worth of practice,” said Ward.

The Warriors have a lot of work to do this week as they prepare to face off against Rio Vista this Friday, Sept. 8 without their home field advantage.

Junior varsity

The varsity team may have had a rough night against Pioneer High but the WHS junior varsity team showed everyone they were a force to be reckoned with as they scored another win of 7–6 over the Patriots.

“I had little expectations for this game being that we had three starting linemen out this week. I just wanted them to compete no matter the result and they shocked me,” said head coach Chris Kays.

The Warriors showed incredible improvements in their pass protection for the line. The Patriots put a lot of pressure on quarterback Jake Woods, sending six to eight players directly at him each play.

“Jake handled the Pioneer pressure incredibly and performed extremely well regardless of whether he had to make a run or throw it. He fought very hard,” said Kays.

Pioneer's strong defense made it almost impossible to run the ball, leaving Woods with passing as his best option to move the ball.

“Jake took many shots to various players but it was (Macguire Plitt) who has truly shown us that he is our guy when we need him, and this makes two games in a row where Macquire has made big receiving touchdowns on passes from Woods," said Kays.

Defensively, the Warriors played an excellent game. They wanted the win, dug deep and put up a wall to hold the Patriots after a few offsides in their scoring drive.

“I had faith in my defense the entire game and will throughout the season the way they are playing” said Kays.

Courtesy photo

Mariani Nuts team wins the 2023 Winters adult softball league championship.

Sydney Andrade Express staff writer

FALL Continued from Page 5