Winters Express: Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Give to these local organizations

The 2024 Big Day of Giving is on Thursday, May 2. Nonprofits in Winters, Yolo County and throughout the Sacramento region rally together to raise awareness about local nonprofits and ask community members to help support them.

The Big Day of Giving is hosted by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, is an annual 24-hour giving challenge. Funds raising make a big difference in Winters. Big Day of Giving is a critical opportunity for donors to rally to uplift and support the nonprofits operating in and serving our community.

Donors can search on the Big Day of Giving website (www. bigdayofgiving.org/ search) to find participating local nonprofits and discover new ones.

Winters Farm to School Winters Farm to School’s mission is to raise funds to provide fresh, local produce, fruits, and nuts for Winters school food program; educate children about the positive, long-term health benefits of healthy eating habits and reconnect children to the rich, deeply rooted agricultural heritage

in the community.

Winters is a small town with a history deeply rooted in agriculture. Surrounded by working family farms, we wanted our children to be able to taste and benefit from the rich bounty of foods grown in this region. We also wanted to address the serious issue of food scarcity within Yolo County, where one in four children do not have enough to eat on a daily basis. Their vision is

Love your Libra r y!

Friends

to bring together farmers, families, local businesses and community members to ensure that every child in the Winters Joint Unified School District has enough food to eat and that the food provided at school will promote the health and well-being of every child.

Winters Education Foundation Winters Education

Foundation raises funds to ensure continued educational excellence and equal educational opportunities for every child in a Winters public school classroom. Last year WEF provided more than $20,000 for teachers to use in their classrooms, but the need was double the amount requested. Teachers in Winters do amazing work with a very slim budget — BDOG donations will support WEF’s grant program.

Winters Friends of the Library

Winters Music Boosters

Winters Music Boosters is dedicated to providing financial support and volunteer assistance to help maintain the music programs in Winters public schools. WMB is raising funds to expand the performances for public school students. WMB is raising funds to expand the performance and music competitions available to high school and middle school students.

Winters Museum

The Winters Museum is dedicated to

See BDoG, Page 2

Winters Friends of the Library promotes literacy, fosters a love of reading, enhances the community’s cultural life and encourages involvement in the library and its programs. This year, WFoL is raising funds for library programming and collections, as well as replacing library furniture and supporting WFoL programs and community events.

As the Big Day of Giving nears the WSF continues to provide activities all of which are aimed at getting seniors up & out. Meet your friends and make new friends. To continue our chair yoga program, Thursday social gatherings, amateur art program, Santa bag event, lunch outings, ice cream socials, and community wide information meetings we need your donation during the Big Day of Giving May 2nd. We take this opportunity to let you know of an upcoming event May 23rd that hopefully will answer the burning question: Who the heck is Bob Fontana? The WSF will conduct an A.M. tour of Winters Murals and with the assistance of the Winters Participation Gallery we will be looking into the theme of those murals. Each of which represents a story of the city in which we live.

Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, May 1, 2024

WINTERS

A banner outside of Steady Eddy’s Coffee Shop features the 13 Winters nonprofits working together to promote the Big Day of Giving.

Courtesy photo

them to buy the various supplies they utilize every year.

preserving and sharing the rich history of Winters through educational events, research, oral histories, and photo and artifact exhibits. BDOG donations will support the work to bring new exhibits to the community and expand the museum’s area.

Winters Participation Gallery

Winters Participation Gallery sponsors the Kate Humphrey Historical Mural Project, providing a unique creative and artistic opportunity for Winters’ youth to learn about the town’s history and translate that into an exterior mural. They work to make Winters more beautiful one wall at a time. Each mural, depending on the size of the wall, can cost up to $15K. The funds earned at BDOG allow

Winters Senior Foundation

The Winters Senior Foundation is a local nonprofit, all-volunteer, community-based organization representing and advocating for the senior population in the city of Winters and surrounding areas. WSF wants to expand its yearly Santa bag program which serves seniors who need an extra hand from time to time. Last year they were able to reach 65 individuals but the need is much greater.

Winters Healthcare

Winters Healthcare is a small Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) located in Winters and Esparto, dedicated to providing exceptional, compassionate medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmaceutical care to each

person, regardless of his or her ability to pay. Winters Healthcare has about 9 percent of diabetic patients and many do not have the means nor the capacity to go to a specialist for a retinal eye appointment regularly. Funds raised will help to purchase a retinal eye camera and software to provide a routine annual eye exam for our patients with diabetes.

Winters Theatre Company

Winters Theatre Company is a nonprofit performing arts organization that offers the community a wide range of quality theatrical experiences while supporting local arts and education. This year, they are raising funds to help bring a wider variety of music and theater events to the community, upgrades to the stage and Winters Opera House facilities, and funds for theater

arts education classes for the community.

Putah Creek Council

Putah Creek Council protects and enhances Putah Creek, its watershed and its tributaries through advocacy, education, and community-based stewardship. PCC is aiming for certification on its plant health practices, making it possible to take on large contracts and expand its operation.  PCC’s programs are an integral element of the ongoing restoration of Putah Creek. This year they are raising funds for its Native Plant Nursery to upgrade the shade house infrastructure at their new nursery site to grow more native plants, nursery supplies, education supplies for PCC’s educational programs and work supplies for its stewardship opportunities and docent training programs.

Winters Robotics, Inc.

The goal at Winters Robotics, Inc. is to develop and improve upon the creative, mechanical and leadership skills of students as required to build a robot as a group. Students will receive learning experiences as they interact with adult mentors and other students of various skill levels. Our team’s goal this year is to utilize funds to

provide support to the students of Winters as they build, program and compete in robotics programs.

Winters Youth Day

The Winters Youth Day board raises funds to educate student leaders on the city and local government, provide scholarships for high school students, and host the annual Youth Day festivities. In 2024, they launched a new Civic Engagement Day at City Hall for high school and middle school students to learn more about how local government works and to revive the Youth City Council Meeting. Funds will go toward next year’s Youth Day efforts, to further develop the civic engagement experience for Winters students, and supplement scholarships for graduating student leaders.

Meals on Wheels

Yolo County  Meals on Wheels Yolo is the only provider of fully-prepared meals for food insecure, isolated seniors in Winters and Yolo County, now nourishing nearly 1,000 aging adults countywide daily to “Eat Well, Age Well.” MOW Yolo now operates two meal production facilities in Woodland and Winters and is placing increased emphasis on

fresh and local meal ingredients, medically-tailored meal options, and increased rural meal access for the most isolated seniors.

The program has grown by an astounding 150 percent in two years, with approaching 20,000 meals produced and delivered each month. Yet, MOW Yolo still serves only 12 percent of the senior population estimated to be food insecure in Yolo Count. As many as over 8,100 local seniors live in poverty and await healthy meals. Furthermore,  pandemic-era funding sources leveraged to build MOW Yolo’s capacity will end in the next five months, putting at risk programmatic growth to nourish more seniors with more meals.

YOLO COUNTY

Davis Arts Center

Davis Arts Center’s vision is that all children in California will have access to an arts education that develops essential life skills. Through artistic practice, students will develop a strong work ethic and a respect for materials, process and subject. Students will be part of a creative community that celebrates the power and reward of close examination

See BDoG, Page 6

BDoG Continued from Page 1

Trustees approve agreement with Yuba Community College District

By Logan Chrisp Express staff writer

On Thursday, April 18, the Winters Joint Unified School Board voted to approve entering an agreement with Yuba Community College District to offer dual enrollment courses that will give Winters High School students college credits.

The action is part of the Career Access Pathways Partnership (CCAP) Agreement. Seven courses exclusive to WHS students will be offered by WHS teachers — who meet the minimum qualifications to teach the courses — for WHS students.

“I’m excited because one of the things that all com-

munity colleges request is that at least 20 students are enrolled in each of these courses. That means we will have a significant amount of students receiving college credits, not only credits but they’ll be developing those skills,” said Young.

The seven courses include three culinary courses and four agricultural courses. WHS teachers will teach them in collaboration with a Woodland Community College faculty member.

“The exciting thing about all CCAPs is that it’s closed, it’s only for our students. All those spots are reserved for them,

Youth Day rolls out the red carpet

Express staff

About 1,000 people lined up along Main Street for the 86th annual Youth Day parade. Although the number of entries was about 40, they were lively and featured fan favorites including the Shriner’s gokarts, student-created floats and more.

This year’s theme was Youth: The Musical and many of the floats had Broadway production themes. The Express expects to report on the parade winners in an upcoming edition.

The 2024 Youth Day festivities were done in honor of long-time parade chair and announcer, and Youth Day volunteer Michael Sebastian who died on Dec. 17, 2023. Before his death, Sebastian worked with staff at Winters Joint Unified School District and the city of Winters to bring youth participation back into Youth Day

Credit

By Amelia Biscardi Express staff writer

Councilmembers

heard a presentation from the fire chief, approved a declaration for child abuse awareness month and a presentation on mosquitos at the April 16 Winters City Council meeting.

Fire Chief Jack S.

Snyder III shared that as of April 16, the fire department had responded to 314 calls as well in 2023, the average response time was 4 minutes and 16 seconds. In total, Winters Fire fielded 1,082 calls in 2023.

Synder noted that the department has five full-time staff

Weather

members alongside 20 volunteer firefighters who make the department successful.

Additionally, Winters Fire hosts Solano Community College’s fire academy. Synder said that while last year they were not able to get any volunteers, this coming completion of the academy he has four students lined up to join the volunteer force.

Kate Laddish noted as a resident of Winters Senior Apartments that she appreciates the fire department as they are often at her building.

“I think you were only out there once so far today,” Laddish said. “So that’s pretty good. But there have actually been some days where they are out there five times in one day (...) and truly thank you so much,

planning and to revive the civic engagement piece that fizzled out in the early 2000s. This year’s event marked his 46th year of commitment to Youth Day planning.

The Winters Youth Day committee honored his Youth Day legacy by naming him the Honorary Grand Marshal in memoriam, renaming the parade sweepstakes award to the Michael Sebastian Parade Sweepstakes award and the last duck in the Duck Derby in his honor. Although the Duck Derby has been postponed to June 15, the Youth Day Opening Ceremonies celebrated Sue Bridge as Educator of the Year, Sebastian as the Honorary Grand Marshall, the Royal Youth Consul members coronation and featured

By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief

The Yolo County Commission on Aging and Adult Services invites caregivers of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID-DD) to a town hall meeting on Thursday, May 2, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Winters Community Library, 708 Railroad Ave.

The goal is to listen to the needs of aging caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Yolo County and learn more about the needs of their loved ones.

Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs and Alta Regional Director John Decker will be present to hear about what programs, services and planning needs should be in place to ensure that if a caregiver is no longer

available the person with ID-DD continues to be safe and cared for in the community. Registration is not required for the Winters town hall meeting.

Ian Evans, the executive director of Yolo County Housing, participated in three of the other town hall meetings and said having conversations with each community is helpful.

“Each community has shared different areas of concern, some sharing transportation for their loved ones is challenging, some sharing that once they pass they worry about who will care for their loved one and coordinate that care with Alta or other partners, and some have shared that they’re concerned about affordable housing for their loved ones,” Evans said.

According to Evans, it’s vital to hear about the “worries and concerns of caregivers” and to find out if they “have any unique suggestions about solutions.” For him, unique ideas to consider for house types can best come from those living the experience.

“They are the experts on what they and their loved ones need to be supported in the best way possible, so hearing their thoughts, feedback, and ideas is always helpful,” Evans said.

The Winters town hall meeting is the final of a series of five in-person town hall meetings to gather needs and hear from the community. Findings from the meetings will be presented to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, Alta Regional

Winters Combined PTA members and students created a “Wizard of Oz”-themed float.

Applications for LAFCo public members seats due May 6

Express staff

The last day to apply for the regular and alternate public member seats on the Yolo Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) is noon on Monday, May 6. There will be a vacancy in the current Regular Public Member term beginning July through January 2027. The term for the Alternate Public Member will be February 2025 through January 2029.

LAFCo is an independent agency created by the California State Legislature in 1963. LAFCo is charged with encouraging orderly governmental boundaries and efficient services, discouraging urban sprawl, and preserving agricultural and open space resources. LAFCo meets these objectives by regulating the boundaries of cities and special districts and conducting municipal service reviews and other special studies.

Winters Mayor Bill Biasi serves as the Yolo LAFCo vice chair.

Biasi said Yolo LAFCo is composed of five voting members which includes two city officials, two county supervisors, a public member and an alternate citizen.

YOUTH

Continued from Page 3

talent showcase of Shirley Rominger Intermediate School students.

In the park after the parade, members of the Winters High School Youth Day Club and the Winters Middle School Kiwanis Builders Club revived park games and competitions. They hosted the Diaper Derby and Park Karaoke competitions and introduced fun games for all ages including musical hula hoops, DJ freeze dance, a crepe paper fashion show and more.

WHS ag students created the wooden plaques awarded to parade winners and the Youth Day honorees.

HALL

from Page 3

and Yolo County Housing for future projects and funding.

A virtual meeting is scheduled for

“These commissioners represent interests countywide as a whole, not the interests of any appointing agency. Members of the commission establish public policy in the areas of government boundaries, urban form and the provision of public services,” Biasi said.

This includes reviews of annexation requests by cities, the review of municipal services and special districts like Fire Protection Districts, Reclamation Districts and Community Service Districts.

“The value of individual and community engagement in Yolo LAFCo issues helps to make sure that decisions that are made by the commission are informed by not only government officials but the public as well. (The) decisions made influence how our County grows and operates and individuals can help to shape that by participating,” Biasi said.

Yolo LAFCo meetings are typically held on the fourth Thursday of every month except for August and November when there are no regular meetings, and on the first Thursday of December. Meetings are held at 9 a.m. in the Yolo County Board of Supervisors Chamber,

Civic engagement

The Youth City Council held its first meeting on Thursday, April 18 at 2 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber. Chamber seating was almost full with youth participants from WHS and WMS, city council members and staff, Youth Day committee members and guests.

The youth council members approved to advise the city to create a report for potholes and pavement emergencies and to have public safety officials engage with students regarding preventive programs on drug usage and to list community resources for families who may need support.

Students from the WMS leadership class

Wednesday, May 22, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. via Zoom. Residents can register for the virtual meeting at https:// bit.ly/44mPTuS.

The in-person meeting and virtual Zoom

625 Court St., Room 206 in Woodland, or at a time and place set and noticed by the Commission, Commission Chair or the Executive Officer of the Commission. Requirements

Applicants must be residents and registered voters of Yolo County, able to regularly attend LAFCo meetings, have a general understanding of LAFCo functions and authorities, and cannot be officers or employees of Yolo County or any city or special district in the county. Public members are considered public officials and are required to file a standard annual financial disclosure statement with the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

To be considered, a completed application form must be received in the Yolo LAFCo office by noon on Monday, May 6. The office is located at 625 Court St., Suite 107 in Woodland.

Applications may be submitted by email at lafco@yolocounty. org. To download an application form, and for more information about Yolo LAFCo, visit www.yololafco. org or contact the LAFCo office at 530666-8048.

made public statements on maintaining public restrooms, and potholes and shared a desire to see police and firefighters on campus more to provide education on the dangers of drug usage.

Youth council members will present their recommendations at an upcoming Winters City Council meeting.

Before the meeting, the Youth City Council learned about how each role helps to make the city function, worked with city staff members on their staff report presentations and roles in a council meeting, was able to observe demonstrations by city staff departments and a barbecue lunch from the public works department.

town hall meeting will have American Sign Language and Spanish interpretation available.

For more information contact Sheila Allen at 530-757-5583 or sheila.allen@yolocounty.org.

Eventos hispanos

Reyna Grande visita Winters

Por Alejandro Ramos Especial de la Express

Reyna Grande es una autora mexicana nacida en Iguala, Guerrero en 1975. Su libro, La distancia entre nosotros es un libro del estilo memoria que cuenta sobre Reyna, sus hermanos y su vida de una niña indocumentada llegando a los Estados Unidos sin nada más que sus sueños y esperanzas. Reyna habló de lo que es sufrir en las manos de las personas que deberían cuidarte. Reyna habló claramente y respondió a las preguntas con entusiasmo. Reyna escribió este libro para darle voz a niños

COUNCIL

Continued from Page 3

whether there is a true emergency going on or a false alarm or somebody has once again over microwaved their popcorn.”

Child abuse awareness

The city council declared April Child Abuse Awareness Month and had Michelle Mattingly from Yolo County Children’s Alliance come to shine some light on the issue.

and they’re going to get that support from the teachers who know them the best,” said Young. Future dual enrollment opportunities may be available, depending on the interest from WHS staff in teaching those courses, as well as the teachers meeting the minimum qualification requirements of the course in a California Community College.

“For students, this allows them to see themselves, to see each other as college students at the high

indocumentados. Hemos crecido bastante desde un tiempo en el sistema escolar cuando no nos dejaban hablar español. Ahora tenemos el placer de tener nuestros ensayos publicados en español en el periódico. Reyna Grande visitó nuestra escuela durante el octavo periodo y nos contó sobre su vida y su viaje de una niña indocumentada de tierras extranjeras a una autora exitosa. Después de leer su libro, fue un placer conocer y escuchar a Grande y oír de su vida llena de sus traumas y sus éxitos. Algo que me llamó la atención es cuando habló de sus padres, abuela y de

“Every one of us has the ability to make a positive difference in the lives of children in our community,” Mattingly said.

Mattingly explained that the objective of YCCA’s is to eliminate child abuse and neglect by strengthening communities.

Mosquito control

Armed with information, Public Information Officer Luz Maria Robles informed residents that mosquitos in Winters can be more than an

school campus. Similarly, for staff, seeing their colleague engage in a CCAP and offer a dual enrollment course at Winters High School will also make it seem more doable and feasible in the future. So, we look forward to identifying opportunities for students to earn those credits while enrolled at Winters High School,” said Assistant Superintendent Phoebe Girimonte.

The entire board expressed excitement about the agreement and the prospect of offering dual enrollment courses to students.

“What a great jump start for our students, especially those that want to attend college,” said Board Clerk Everado Zaragoza.

todas las personas quienes le hicieron mal. Habló del daño que te causa tener resentimientos a las personas que te han traicionado en tu pasado. Nos contó historias de ser una mujer mexicana en un trabajo dominado por gente con piel clara y pelo rubio. Reyna es una mujer fuerte y aunque tuvo muchas experiencias traumáticas, nunca se rindió. Yo creo que todos deberían leer su libro para tener conocimiento para lo que sufren los inmigrantes buscando una nueva vida. Es importante ser como Reyna y tener resiliencia durante los obstáculos en la vida.

occasional nuisance. With 27 known species and some invasive species known to be day biters only needing a cap full of water to reproduce.

Robles explained that her agency, Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito Vector Control offers spray for public events and fish that eat mosquitoes for those with freshwater setups.

Robles also noted that West Nile has been found last year in the Winters area with eight positive mosquito samples.

“This is a pretty big deal and this speaks to a board priority and is what we really want to see. It speaks to the staff’s ability to pivot when we need to,” said Board President Joedy Michael.

“It has been a labor of love and a multiyear process to get it going, so thank you to everybody for doing that. Woodland Community College and Yuba Community District have been champions for Yolo County for our high schools and dual enrollment options, and I love that they’re a partner,” said Trustee Carrie Green.

Trustees unanimously approved to enter the CCAP agreement. The next step is for the Yuba board to approve it.

Foto de cortesía

Reyna Grande cuenta a los estudiantes su vida y su trayectoria desde niña indocumentada procedente de tierras extranjeras hasta autora de éxito.

YUBA

Continued from Page 1

YESTERYEAR

145 Years Ago

May 3, 1879

[From the files of The Winters Advocate]

Five trains a day each way give the V.V. road a lively appearance.

The early fruit will be ready for shipment in about three weeks. Some varieties of cherries in Pleasant Valley are ready beginning to ripen.

Quite a number of people in this vicinity indulged in a picnic in Wolfskill’s Grove, on the 1st of May.

Saturday is always the liveliest day of the week in Winters.

The farmers generally take that day to do their trading.

We return thanks to B.H. Hoag, Manager of the Temperance Picnic at Davisville, for a complimentary excursion ticket to the same.

H.R. Bell, M.D., brother of Dr. Bell, of Winters, is expected to arrive from the East today, and will immediately enter into the practice of his profession with headquarters at the Drug Store.

Bowen Bros. have had several of their buggies newly painted, and their turnouts presented a fine appearance on May Day.

130 Years Ago

May 5, 1894

James M. Pleasants, or, as he is more familiarly lovingly called and “Grandpa” Pleasants, reached the eighty-fifth milestone in his journey of life on Sunday last, and 70 friends and relatives gathered at the ranch to celebrate with him.

Sam Hoy’s horses won in the races at Dixon last Tuesday.

“Father” S.M.

Dispatches from the Express archives.

Years Ago

Harriman celebrated the 80th anniversary of his birth on Sunday last.

George North shipped the first string beans of the season to go from here, on Monday last.

G.W. Hinclay shipped a box of Pringle apricots to Chicago on last Thursday morning by express. Fenley & Son shipped a box of summer squash to the city market on Tuesday last — the first of the season from here.

The Winters Band played a few tunes in front of the Free Library rooms Thursday evening, and ice cream was served to those who wished it during the evening. Mrs. J. McCoubrey gave a birthday party on Thursday afternoon last to Ida Uhlmann, in honor of the Miss’ tenth birthday anniversary. Following is a list of those who were present: Jennie Eccleston, Lalla Cooper, Agnes Freeman, Daisy Baldwin, Mary Stipp, Leta Martin, Evadna Fenley, Gertrude Nevins, Caroline Kettenburg, Evie and Marion Rust, Mary Vasey and Elsie Harris.

95 Years Ago

May 3, 1929

Dixon High School asked the Winters High School to select

a senior girl to represent Winters High in the May Day picnic at Dixon Saturday. Dorothy Young was elected, with Alice Dexter, Frances Stirn and Thelma Little receiving votes in the order named.

Miss Bertha Portnell was hostess at a chicken birthday dinner Sunday. The affair was in honor of her brother, Harry Portnell whose 21st anniversary occurred on that day. Those present were Misses Grace Emery and Lucretia Portnell of San Francisco; Lillian Riter, Mary Freeman and Bertha Portnell of Winters; Messrs. Dan Portnell of San Francisco, Wm. Codossa of Woodland, Harry Portnell, Portnell, Marvin Covell, Joe Daniels and Al Gertz of Winters.

Mrs. E. Smith, Mrs. Bertha Bird, and the Fred Barker family spent the week-end with friends in Forrestville.

Ray Dafoe and family of Lebec, Kern County, were guests at the Charles A. Elliott home last weekend leaving Saturday night for Sacramento where they visited at the Roe Judy home.

Miss Venus McGarr has returned home after spending two weeks near Fresno where she visited Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Kieny.

Thomas Belliamy is moving to town from Woodland. He has a bootblack stand at the Pearl Pool Parlors.

80 Years Ago

May 5, 1944

Club. The boys were accompanied by Dr. A.M. Herron, Gunnard Johnson and W. R. Pugh, the latter presenting each guest. At the business routine, the following officers were named: President, Wm. G. Brinck; vice president, Dr. A.M. Herron; secretary treasurer, R.A. Frisbee.

Mrs. A. Buel Ish, Red Cross Production chairman announces that a shipment of gauze has been received, and that the surgical dressing class work has been resumed Monday’s and Thursday’s at the Methodist Church annex.

Mrs. Thelma Raper has accepted a position in the local branch, Bank Bank of America.

Lt. Herman A. Meyer took off from San Francisco yesterday a.m. enroute to his base in the Pacific, after a 15-day furlough.

Mr. and Mrs. A.R. Gale have had significant news of their older son, Lt. Robert Gale who has completed 75 missions and has been granted a ten day furlough. The lieutenant has been awarded an air medal, also the distinguished Flying Cross.

The Northern Section Track Meet was held in Winters Tuesday. Winters took the “B” class with a total of 61 points. Davis won the “A” class and Dixon took the “C” competition.

Buckeye school, according to instructor Mrs. H.G. Hansen, will close May 16.

Misses Betty and Myra Duncan were hostesses in their home at a surprise party, Friday night, honoring their younger sister, Lillian, on her 12th birthday. PO Box 520, Winters, CA 95694 530-795-4551 Se habla

Senior boys of the high school were dinner guests Monday night of the Service

Public Safety Report

City of Winters

Fire

The Winters Fire Log will return soon. Check for updates at https://cityofwinters.org/157/ Fire.

Police Arrest Log

Apr. 20: Martinez, Luis Angel (Age 35); Charges: DUI, DUI with BAC more than .08 percent, Unsafe Speed, License plate lamp violation; Disposition: Released to Sober Adult Report Log

Apr. 18: 7:15 a.m., Valley Oak Drive/ Suffolk Place, Missing Person – Located ~8:38 a.m., 400th block of Railroad

Avenue, Audible Alarm ~11:25 a.m., 30th block of E. Main Street, Outside Agency Assist Apr. 19: 11:40 a.m., 40th block of Main Street, DUI/Possession of a Controlled Substance ~6:27 p.m., 800th block of W. Main Street, CPS referral ~8:10 p.m., 20000th block of Walnut Lane, Driving with a suspended license for DUI Apr. 22: 10:36 a.m., 100th block of E. Grant Avenue, Counterfeiting ~3:24 p.m., 400th block of Dry Creek Lane, Assault/ Battery 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 0.11 feet, with a decrease in the storage of 2,074 acre-feet of water, according to Ken Emigh of the Solano Irrigation District. On the morning of Tuesday, April 30, the lake level was 439.77 feet above sea level, with storage computed at 1,546,953 acrefeet of water. Evaporation on the lake averaged 172 acre-feet of water per day. The SID is diverting 281 cubic feet per second of water in the Putah South Canal, with 60 cubic feet per second flowing at the Diversion Dam.

May 29, 1940 –April 16, 2024

Jon Lindeman passed away peacefully in Walla Walla, Washington, on April 16, 2024. Although he spent the second part of his life in Washington, his roots are in Winters. He participated in 4-H and graduated from Winters High. He raised his family in Winters before traveling the world. He was a man of relationships and community and will be greatly missed. He is survived by his brothers Rob and Jim as well as his three children Jonah, Colby and Colton.

There will be a memorial in the fall of 2024 and details will be published in the Winters Express with an open invitation to come and remember Jon.

of the local Japanese community. The city of Winters took possession after the

reluctantly, by the city of Winters. The school was used by the Japanese American community until it was sold

Trucking in the

1960s. The building is still there, just covered up by the expansion of the trucking company.

Jon H. Lindeman

Courtesy photo Jon H. Lindeman

of our world, a willingness to engage in self-discovery, flexibility in the face of challenges and a sense of joy in achievement.

Since 1960, Davis Arts Center has brought creativity to hundreds of thousands of people through classes and events at its building in Davis and throughout the Sacramento and Yolo County region through partnerships with Yolo County nonprofits and school districts.

Empower Yolo

Empower Yolo is Yolo County’s sole provider of free services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. Founded in 1977, it began with crisis intervention from a small apartment in Davis and have since grown to offer 24/7 Crisis Hotline; emergency shelter and transitional housing; legal advocacy; counseling; domestic violence and sexual assault response teams; prevention education and outreach; three Family Resource Centers in Davis, Knights’ Landing and Woodland; child educational and therapeutic services; after School Safety and Enrichment for Teens; health education and care; homeless prevention and rapid rehous-

ing program; financial self-sufficiency classes and free tax assistance; and Women’s Support Group. Empower Yolo provides these critical services to enable those affected by domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking escape and rebuild their lives.

Friends of the Yolo County Archives

Friends of the Yolo County Archives hopes to raise funds to support two specific projects at the Archives.

The first project is a paid staff position to complete the digitization of photographs in a collection of more than 4,000 photographs that chronicle historic events, places and scenes from everyday life in Yolo County. Once digitized, the photographs will be accessible to the public, researchers and Archives staff as an important tool for primary source literacy, genealogy and to raise awareness of local history. They will be a great resource for the community.

The second project is a paid position to help identify and select materials to be digitized for third and fourth grade curriculum.

Yolo Basin Foundation

Yolo Basin Foundation leads environmental education programs and innovative partnerships for the

Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, city of Davis Wetlands and Grasslands Regional Park, which are visited annually by more than 35,000 individuals. The Foundation is instrumental in promoting conservation of the area through its education programs.

Covering 16,700 acres, the Wildlife Area stretches below the busy throughway I-80—also known as the Yolo Causeway — that connects Yolo County and the City of Davis to the metropolitan area of Sacramento. This special Wildlife Area functions for flood control, wildlife and habitat management and recreation and educational uses.

YOLO Children’s Fund

The Yolo Children’s Fund provides grants to the neediest children in Yolo County. Eligible children are usually those in foster care and the juvenile justice system. Requests for grants are made by CASA volunteers (Court Appointed Special Advocates), social workers, or the children’s attorneys. The Children’s fund also provides grants to children in Empower Yolo programs. Many of these children have been abused or been in abusive families. The grants provide clothing, school supplies, computers, bicycles, gymnastic and dance

Support Winters Robotics by Donating next Thursday, May 2nd! Or schedule your donation today!

lessons, soccer and little league fees, art classes, music lessons, summer camp and many other needs. The Children’s Fund also provides cash awards to children in foster care and the juvenile justice system who obtain their GED or graduate from high school. Since its founding, the Children’s Fund has awarded more than $200,000 in grants for needy children.

Yolo Community Care Continuum

Yolo Community

Care Continuum has been providing community based mental health support services since 1979. The organization was founded when a small group of concerned parents gathered to resolve a dilemma they shared. Each of the parents had young adult children who had been diagnosed with mental illnesses too severe to be cared for at home. These parents decided to create a place that felt like home, where their children could

get the professional treatment and compassionate support they needed to live as productive lives as possible. Their vision has become a statewide model of mental health care. The philosophy of our founders is still reflected today in the agency’s mission: to better the lives of people with a mental illness through direct services, advocacy, education and volunteer efforts. To meet this

May 2, 2024

Winters Theatre Company

Come and join us at the Winters Opera House on May 2nd from 5-8 pm! Experience live music by Keith Cary and Friends, and discover more about WTC’s BDOG Campaign. Generous donations made during this event will be matched by our Anonymous Donor, doubling the impact of your contribution!

See BDoG, Page 7

BDoG

mission, YCCC manages eight different programs offering compassionate, innovative direct services to clients. Each component of our service continuum is designed to meet each client’s needs at specific points in the recovery process. Our programs provide a continuum of service including residential treatment, supportive housing and support and referral for mentally ill, dual-diagnosis and homeless clients.

Yolo Food Bank

With a 30 percent food insecurity rate, Yolo County is higher than both state and national benchmarks. Food insecurity is undeniably a symptom of poverty. Further exacerbating the issue, Yolo County, renowned for its agricultural abundance, currently stands as the most impoverished county with a poverty rate of 19.5 percent1. Given Yolo County’s ranking in food insecurity and poverty, one may assert that it is a county experiencing some of the highest need in California.  Food insecurity knows no boundaries; there are many faces to food insecurity and one can find themselves in a vulnerable situation in the blink of an eye. We hear stories from community

members every day – they experience a life-changing circumstance such as the diagnosis of an illness or death in the family, leading the family to rely on food assistance. When you take into consideration the high cost of housing, energy and fuel, utilities, etc. families are letting us know they are barley getting by.

Cache Creek Conservancy

From the beginning of humankind, people have built their communities near water so they could reap the benefits of living in a watershed. The people of the Lower Cache Creek watershed derive their lifestyles and livelihood from its underlying support system and surface ecology. So these systems need to be healthy and happy!

As mining and farming continue alongside the Creek, so does the need to improve our efficiency to restore and recharge the watershed — to give back — for what we receive. Since 1996, the Conservancy’s programs and projects have been an ever-improving resource for that endeavor. The Cache Creek Conservancy was formed out of the need to restore the Lower Cache Creek after decades of unregulated gravel mining. The first — and most difficult — project was the resto-

ration of the Teichert (or Teichert Meadows) gravel pit and Salisbury ranch. Restoring that 130-acre parcel of land resulted in the Cache Creek Nature Preserve, followed shortly after with the Tending & Gathering Garden.

Center for Land-Based Learning

This year, nearly one in three Yolo County residents will face food insecurity. In fact, Yolo County has the highest rate of food insecurity in all of California. But at the Center for LandBased Learning, our Mobile Farmers Market trucks are driving change by delivering fresh, local, nutrient-dense produce to the West Sacramento, Woodland, Esparto and Knights Landing communities that need it most. The Center for Land-Based Learning is the only organization in California with a full-circle model for sustainable food access! We train beginning farmers and teach them how to sell produce on our mobile farmers market trucks in West Sacramento and Woodland. Those trucks then travel to low-income neighborhoods, senior centers and community hubs where folks can use their SNAP benefits to purchase goods at a discount. Those customers — who come from places like

The Friends of the Yolo County Archives are currently supporting three extra-help personnel at the Archives whose diligent work includes digitizing over 3,000 historic photos, Winters High School and Woodland High School yearbooks from as far back as 1907, and indexes to deeds from 1850 to 1949 which assist with property record searches. Our goal is to raise $30,000 to continue the important work of these extra-help sta members. In addition, your donation helps train the next generation of archivists and preservationists by giving the extra-help personnel vital hands-on experience. bigdayofgiving.org/organization/fyca

Visit our website at friendsyca.org to access our newsletter and other resources related to local history!

Donations may also be sent by check payable to: Friends of the Yolo County Archives; P.O Box 625; Woodland, CA 95776

Afghanistan, Ukraine and Mexico — tell us what they would like to eat and then our farmers plan their crops accordingly. (Fun fact: Our No. 1 crop is okra! ) How do we do it? So glad you asked! We believe farms and farmers are the foundation of a healthy and equitable society, so our mission is to train up the next generation of growers and land stewards so all Californians will have access to healthy food. We also work to ensure that the people who grow our food are paid a living wage,

that tomorrow’s farmers are trained in climate-smart growing practices and that our working lands are supported by fresh air, clean waterways and healthy habitats.  CommuniCare+OLE

For more than 50 years, CommuniCare Health Centers has served as a community leader providing high-quality, accessible healthcare services for any person who comes through our doors, regardless of health coverage or ability to pay. As CommuniCare+OLE, we

continue to provide patient-centered care for 1 in 9 vulnerable Yolo County residents, including primary medical care, dental services, pre- and post-natal services, behavioral healthcare, substance use treatment and health education. In the Yolo County community, many residents know us by our health center location names: Davis Community Clinic, Hansen Family Health Center, the Family Wellness Center, Salud Clinic and the Vida Family

See BDoG, Page 8

BDoG Continued from Page 6

Health Center. CommuniCare+OLE also operates a Mental Health Navigation Center to help individuals exiting the justice system and delivers health education and outreach services in locations such as the county jail, schools and migrant camps. Our focus on building supportive, culturally sensitive and collaborative relationships with our patients, along dedicated community outreach and mobile medicine programs, has allowed us to expand access to care for underserved community members. In 2023, our number of patient visits increased by close to 10 percent to more than 136,000. We served 3,800 agricultural workers and their families, many of whom self-reported as seasonal or migrant workers.

Friends of Yolo County Animal Services

Friends of Yolo County Animal Services is working diligently to help all shelter animals in our Yolo County Shelter. We’re reaching out to you today with a hopeful heart and a mission to make a difference. As you know, there are countless animals waiting for their forever homes

and we want to ensure they receive the love and care they deserve while they wait. Our shelter is currently at or near maximum capacity and many of these animals have medical issues that require outside veterinary specialists and specialized fosters to help them get to the point of being adopted. Your donation can make a world of difference for these animals, allowing us to provide the vital care they need and ensuring they are comfortable and happy during their stay.  With your support, we can accomplish so much. We can provide medical care, toys, bedding and other comforts that make all the difference in their daily lives. We can also work tirelessly to increase adoptions and find loving homes for these amazing animals.

Short Term Emergency Aid Committee (STEAC)

Short Term Emergency Aid Committee (STEAC) was founded by a group of volunteers in 1967, in response to the need for emergency aid to migrant farmers who were unable to find work during a very rainy spring and found themselves with no money for food. Since then, STEAC has increased the types of help it pro-

vides to low-income individuals and families in Yolo County, whose needs cannot be met by other charitable or government agencies. The STEAC office is located in Davis. About 90 percent of STEAC’s income is the result of donations from individuals and companies, with the remaining coming from public grants. STEAC’s services include food for school children, seniors and low-income individuals, rental and utility assistance, outstanding bill payment, textbooks for community college students, employment training, legal documents, clothing for job seekers and help at the end of the year with food, clothing and holiday gifts.

STEAC now provides nearly 8,000 instances of help per year to individuals and families, including 72,000 meals from the food pantry.

YoloArts

Founded in 1981, YoloArts is the designated State-Local Partner with the California Arts Council. Confirmed each year by the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, YoloArts serves as the central non-profit agency for the arts in Yolo County. We work to collaborate with and support strategic partners, both public and private, to pro-

vide the community with resources and access to the creation, exhibition and preservation of the diverse arts and culture of Yolo County. YoloArts promotes access to the arts through arts education, the operation of two free public art galleries and management of a cultural center at the Gibson House and Property. In addition to sustaining the Art & Ag Project, YoloArts is a creative placemaking effort that connects artists with Yolo County farms and providing meaningful professional development activities and opportunities for artists and the county-wide arts community.

YoloCares

In 1979, a group of local volunteers wanted to provide our community with hospice services. The work of these wonderful volunteers led to the creation of Yolo Hos-

pice. Yolo Hospice was developed on the principal that dying is a normal part of life and it affects the whole being; mind, body and spirit. It also recognizes that the care of the dying person affects the family and all those that love them. Yolo Hospice, a nonprofit, community-based organization, was run by volunteers until it became Medicare and Medi-Cal certified in 1995. Since then, Yolo Hospice has developed a highly trained interdisciplinary team that includes physicians, nursing staff, social workers, spiritual care counselors, nursing assistants, bereavement specialists and a large base of volunteers specially trained in end-of-life care.  In 2020, Yolo Hospice moved to change the organization’s name to YoloCares to highlight the wide variety of services of-

fered to the community. From the adult day program, Galileo Place, to the counseling services available to community free of charge, YoloCares is much more than hospice. Today, YoloCares remains true to its mission of providing expert and compassionate hospice and palliative care, bereavement support and public education about end-of-life issues.

Yolo Community Foundation

For more than 20 years, the Yolo Community Foundation has worked to inspire and support giving and provide philanthropic leadership in our diverse community. A gift to YCF is leveraged, because we use it to support and grow all of the nonprofits in the Yolo community, thus serving all Yolo residents.

BDoG

Wednesday, May 1

Yolo County/Winters City 2x2 Meeting, 4 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), check check www.cityofwinters.org/258/2x2-Meetings

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, May 2

Aging Caregivers Task Force Town Hall Meeting, 5:30–7 p.m., Winters Community Library, 708 Railroad Ave., Info: call 530-757-5583 or email sheila.allen@yolocounty.org.

Thursdays

Eat Well Yolo Food Distribution, first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. As supplies last, RISE, Inc., 417 Haven St., 530-668-0690

Saturday, May 4

Monument Dedication Day Events Buddhist Service, 11 a.m., Winters Cemetery Taiko Drum Performance, 1:30 p.m., Rotary Park Japantown Monument Dedication Ceremony, 2 p.m., Rotary Park Gazebo

The Lost Japanese Community Exhibit, 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Winters Museum ,13 Russell St.

Tuesday, May 7

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

Upcoming Events

Thursday, May 9

Winters JUSD School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers (318 First St.), Zoom Meeting info, check https://wintersjusd.diligent.community

Library Services

Winters Library Public Hours (School in Session), Mon/Wed: 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Tue/Thu: 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. , Sat: 1–5 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Older Adult Programs

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

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

Ongoing

Winters Friends of the Library meeting, first Monday, 7 p.m., Winters Community Library, Margaret Parsons Room, wfol.org

Winters Fortnightly meeting, second Tuesdays, 1 p.m., St. Anthony Parish Hall (511 W. Main St.)

Rotary Club of Winters meeting, Thursdays, Noon, The Buckhorn

Winters Museum public hours, Thursday thru Sunday, 1-5 p.m., 13 Russell St. Winters Open Mic, third Thursday of the month (January thru March), 6 p.m. (sign-ups begin at 5:30 p.m.), Winters Opera House, 13 Main St.

Kiwanis Club of Winters meeting, fourth Wednesday, 6 p.m., Hooby's Brewing, kiwanisclubofwinters@ gmail.com

Democracy Winters meeting, third Saturdays, 10 a.m.Noon, Meeting details in newsletter, contact info@ democracywinters.org

Walking Meditation, third Sunday, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Meet behind the Winters Community Center, 201 Railroad Ave.

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings:

» St. Anthony Parish Hall, 511 Main St. (back entrance) Tuesdays, 7-8 a.m. and Fridays, 7-8 a.m.

» Yolo Housing office building, 62 Shams Way: Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. and Sundays, 9 a.m.

Putting youth back in Youth Day

In

engagement back into Youth Day.

The Winters High School Youth Day Club rolled out the new officer and royalty roles and participated in the inaugural Youth Civic Engagement

Day at City Hall and the first Youth City Council meeting since the early 2000s.

Winters Middle School leadership students participated for the first time in the youth civic engagement opportunity.

WHS Youth Day Club and the WMS Kiwanis Builders Club members revived park activities like the Diaper Derby, plus new games like musical hula hoops and a crepe paper

fashion show.

WHS senior Kenneth Matheson was the Master of Ceremonies for the Youth Day Opening Ceremony and the Youth Talent Showcase featuring Shirley Rominger Intermediate students.

To wrap up the weekend, local Girl Scout troops from Service Unit 119 removed litter from the city park of litter on Sunday morning.

Express Yourself: Preserving the history of the Winters Japanese community

By Vicki Jacobs Special to the Express

Something historic is happening in Winters on May 4. The Historical Society of Winters is dedicating a memorial to honor the Japanese community that has been such an important part of our history.

Japantown was the cultural and business center of the Japanese community in Winters at the beginning of World War II. At that time, Winters was home to over 300 people of Japanese descent. In fact, it was the largest Japanese community in Yolo County. It was a bustling area of shops, businesses and homes. Unfortunately, very few of those Japanese families returned to Winters after the war. The Historical Society of Winters wanted to tell their story.

My parents came to Winters after World War I and moved into a little house west of Winters. The house sat on a 45-acre ranch where my Grandfather Tufts experimented with different vari-

eties of apricots and peaches. He was a professor of Pomology at UC Davis.

Grandfather Tufts had hired George Takahashi to live on the ranch and manage the orchards for him. I now know that George was one of the first farmers of Japanese descent to arrive in Winters. There is a photo from 1880 of George and the Brinck brothers who were our neighbors to the west.

As someone who is a life-long resident of Winters, I am often asked, how has Winters changed? And demographically, the changes are dramatic. While many of my classmates had last names like Martin, Lopez and Martinez they were not families from Mexico, but descendants of Spanish families who emigrated here at the turn of the century. I also had many classmates whose last names were Kato, Akao, Hiramatsu, Dote and Shimomura.

Our next-door neighbors were the Takahashi’s. George’s son

Frank was now my father’s foreman. I spent hours watching his wife Shizu. She made what I now know as sushi, and kept a traditional Japanese home, sewing on her pedal-operated Singer sewing machine.

When I learned that the HSW’s next exhibit was to focus on our Japanese community, I was thrilled. Beginning in early 2020, (yes during COVID), a group of the descendants of those early Japanese families met with members of the

Historical Society of Winters via Zoom to begin the process of gathering stories, photographs and artifacts for an exhibit. By early summer of 2021, we were ready to put together the exhibit. Gloria Lopez, who had tirelessly gathered her Spanish community’s history for a book, was the lead. She organized story boards and pictures and artifacts for the exhibit and together with Rob Coman curated a

See HISTORY, Page 6

Crystal Apilado/Winters Express

LEFT: Local Girl Scout troops picked up litter at the city park on Sunday.

ABOVE: Winters Middle School student Paula Manners makes a public input statement at the Youth City Council meeting on April 18.

Crystal Apilado/Winters Express

Chris Carbahal performs during the Youth Talent Showcase in part of the Youth Day Opening Ceremonies on Friday, April 25.

Crystal Apilado/Winters Express Teams work to create crepe paper fashion outfits during the Youth Day park activities organized by Youth Day Club and Kiwanis Builders Club members.

Rent-to-own agreements

Special to the Express Rent-to-own agreements offer a unique path to homeownership for individuals facing hurdles such as credit challenges, new jobs or insufficient down payments. This alternative arrangement provides a middle ground for both buyers and sellers, allowing tenants to gradually transition from renting to owning a property.

A rent-to-own agreement is a contractual arrangement where a tenant agrees to rent a property for a specified period with the option to purchase it at the end of the lease term. This type of agreement typically involves two components: the lease agreement and the option-to-purchase agreement.

The lease agreement

outlines the terms of the rental, including monthly payments and responsibilities, while the option to purchase agreement grants the tenant the right to buy the property when the lease expires. There are two types of rent-to-own contracts. Lease-option contracts do not require the buyer to purchase the property at the end of the lease term. Lease-purchase contracts make the purchase mandatory. How rent-to-own works

Rent-to-own agreements often span two to five years, allowing tenants ample time to improve their financial standing. During this period, tenants pay a monthly rent that includes an additional premium, known as the “rent credit,” which con-

tributes toward the future down payment to buy the property.

To secure the option to purchase, tenants typically pay an upfront fee, known as the option fee. This fee is negotiable and is not refundable, serving as a commitment from the buyer to consider purchasing the property at the end of the lease term. It is typically applied to the down payment.

The purchase price of the property is agreed upon at the beginning of the lease, shielding the tenant from market fluctuations. If the property appreciates during the lease term, the buyer may benefit from locking in a lower price. Typically the purchase price is set at a higher amount than the property’s current value.

The contract will also spell out who is responsible for utilities, maintenance and taxes.

Considerations for buyers

Prospective buyers must assess their financial situation and ensure they will be in a position to secure a mortgage when the option to purchase becomes available. Improving credit scores and saving for a down payment are critical steps.

Conduct a thorough inspection of the property before entering into a rent-to-own

agreement. Identifying potential issues early on can prevent complications during the purchasing phase.

agreements as scams, so it is important to research them well and make sure they are legitimate.

Considerations for sellers

Sellers should accurately assess the current market value of the property and set a fair purchase price in the agreement. This ensures a mutually beneficial arrangement and avoids potential disputes.

HomeTrek emphasizes that being in a rent-to-own agreement does not make you more qualified for a mortgage at the end of the term. You still have to improve your credit and make sure the rent credit contributes what you need it to in order to have a sufficient down payment. You can ask your landlord to report your mortgage payments to the credit bureaus — just be sure that you pay your rent on time. They also warn that some people use rent-to-own

Seeking legal advice is crucial when drafting a rent-to-own agreement. An attorney can help ensure the contract complies with local regulations and safeguards the interests of both parties.

Express Yourself

A special occasion you don’t want to miss

The beginning of World War II wasn’t pretty. The battle was already going on in Europe and after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, the United States was also at war.

Congress declared war on Japan the next day and people were scared. There was a Presidential Order, 9066, that ordered the internment (imprisonment) of all Japanese Americans on the West Coast, whether they were American citizens or not. Of the 125,000 men, women and children forced into internment camps, 70,000 were U.S. citizens.

Winters had an active Japanese community, mostly working in agriculture. Old pictures of our rural schools show about a third of the students were Japanese Americans. More than 300 Winters citizens were given two weeks to pack what they could carry, sell what they could, and report to the Davis Train Station. Japan Town was close to where the Community Center is now and was burned down the day the war was over.

This was not our finest moment.

From the camps, almost 30,000 Japanese Americans served with distinction during World War II, in segre-

gated units. Several were from Winters and you can learn about them at the Winters Museum, 13 Russell St. It has taken too long, but Yolo County and the city of Winters are issuing proclamations trying to reverse earlier supervisor and council actions taken in 1942.

The Historical Society of Winters featured the Lost Japanese Community of Winters three years ago. From that exhibit, came the idea of building a monument honoring the sacrifices that the Japanese Americans from Winters made to our community.

The dedication ceremony will be this Saturday, May 4, starting at the Winters Cemetery at 11 a.m. There is a private luncheon scheduled and then the Taiko Drummers will perform at 1:30 p.m., Rotary Park. There will be too many politicians, and a few good speakers, starting at 2 p.m. at the Gazebo.

At some point, the Taiko Drummers will reappear and the monument will be uncovered. The Historical Society of Winters raised the money for the monument with generous support from people, both living in

See QUICK, Page 4

Horoscopes

ARIES (Mar 21/Apr 20) Aries, your friends have stepped up to support you, and it is time to get together and enjoy one another’s company. Think about an activity that everyone can get behind.

TAURUS (Apr 21/May 21) Taurus, the people around you may work more slowly than you, so you will likely need to be patient this week while working on a particular project. Eventually things will work out.

GEMINI (May 22/Jun 21) Gemini, exercise caution when dealing with people who promise big returns on your investments right now. Avoid financial dealings with anyone you have not fully vetted.

CANCER (Jun 22/Jul 22)) Cancer, some people around you would like to use flattery to get you to do what they want. However, you are too savvy to fall for people who may be guiding you in the wrong direction.

LEO (Jul 23/Aug 23) Loved ones and friends in your life deserve your time and energy right now, Leo. Figure out a way to cut down on hours spent on the job this week.

VIRGO (Aug 24/Sept 22) Virgo, things going on in your life right now may be a bit more confusing than you anticipated. It can be stressful, but with some assistance from others you will get through the situation.

LIBRA (Sept 23/Oct 23) Someone in your life who has not always been on your side has been changing his or her ways lately, Libra. You may want to reevaluate the relationship soon.

SCORPIO (Oct 24/Nov 22) Scorpio, you have been working hard to avoid conflict with someone close to you, but it could start to feel like more effort than you can care to keep up.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23/Dec 21) An interesting travel opportunity is coming your way, Sagittarius. When the news arrives, take advantage of it and start planning your itinerary.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22/Jan 20) Capricorn, is your schedule flexible right now? Try to rearrange things to take advantage of some last-minute recreational opportunities. You deserve to have more fun.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21/Feb 18) Aquarius, you may be feeling moody and introspective right now. Take time to evaluate your dreams and the thoughts going through your head. There may be common threads.

PISCES (Feb 19/Mar 20) Don’t let some ambiguous feedback adversely affect your mood, Pisces. You will never be able to please everyone, so focus on those people who are on your side.

Express Yourself: Appreciating our jurors

By Daniel P. Maguire Special to the Express

The second full week of May is Jury Appreciation Week, and on behalf of your local court, I want to thank all the jurors who have served in Yolo Superior Court in the last year. But gratitude is not enough, and in this column, I want to give the residents of Yolo County some information about how our system works, what we have done to make it better, and where it needs improvement.

First, let’s review a few basics. Trial by jury is an ancient right, firmly established in our state and federal constitutions.

Jurors are “triers of fact,’” which means they hear evidence and decide what happened. The judge determines the law that applies to the case

and gives the jury written instructions to guide their deliberations. In criminal cases, the jury decides if the prosecution has proved the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In civil cases, the jury decides if the plaintiff has proved his or her case by a preponderance of the evidence, and if so, what damages should be awarded. There are 12 jurors in every case and a few alternates. In criminal cases, jury verdicts must be unanimous, but in civil cases agreement by three-quarters of the jury is enough. How are jurors selected?

The first step in the process is the issuance of a summons, which is the blue card you get from the court. In 2023, the Yolo court sent out 45,304 sum-

mons, representing a sizeable percentage of the citizenry in a county of about 220,000 residents.

The summons will direct you to visit the court’s online jury portal and fill out a short questionnaire. It also tells you to check the day before your first day of service to find out if we need you or not. We never know how many trials will be ready each week, so often we have “extra” jurors.

The next step is hardship screening, where we inform potential jurors of the trial length, and determine, one by one, whether each potential juror has a scheduling conflict (like an important medical appointment) that requires postponement of service. As explained below, there is now a remote option for hardship screening.

Next, those jurors who pass through hardship screening are told to report to the courthouse, typically on a Monday morning. From there, potential jurors are sent to a courtroom where jury selection begins. During jury selection some jurors may be excused “for cause” (if there is a bona fide reason they cannot be fair and impartial), or by peremptory challenge by one side or the other. A peremptory challenge allows parties to remove a limited number of potential jurors without stating a reason. This vetting process can take a few hours or a few days, depending on the nature and complexity of the case. Ultimately, 12 jurors will be sworn in for the trial, plus a few alternates, in case someone gets sick or

Legal Advertising

otherwise becomes unavailable. In 2023, 1,038 jurors were sworn in Yolo, and they heard a total of 80 cases: 11 civil cases, 38 felony criminal cases, and 31 misdemeanor criminal cases. For a county of our size, this is great productivity – while some have lamented the decline of the jury trial in our country, the system is alive and well in Yolo. The Yolo court has made some changes in recent years to improve our jury system. First, we’ve re-instituted procedures to hold potential jurors responsible if they ignore their summons. It’s not fair that some people shirk jury duty while others serve, and the court can (and will) fine people up to $1,500 if they repeatedly ignore the jury

See JURORS, Page 5

Winters or who had family members who were

into the

camps. The

Master Gardeners did a great job of landscaping with help from the

ters Public Works Department, while the Rotary Club of Winters helped pay for the landscaping and monument base. This was a community effort that should be applauded by all. I know I wrote about this a month ago, but I don’t think we can do enough to make up for the wrongs of the past. The monument will be a small sign of our appreciation for what the Japanese American community has meant to making Winters the place that it is today. See you on Saturday.

the

keepsake. Reach out to David DeLeon at david@wintersexpress.com

for $30.

Immigrants treated as ‘alien enemies’

Editor’s Note: In 2018, Emma Johnson, the previous Express editor, wrote a detailed account of the history of the Winters Japanese community in her article “Immigrants treated as ‘alien enemies.’” We are reprinting it again this week in honor of the Japantown Monument Dedication event on Saturday, May 4, at 1:30 p.m. in Winters Rotary Park. You can read Emma’s article online at https://tinyurl. com/2rk352sb.

By Emma Johnson Special to the Express

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 shocked people in Winters. They felt like they were on the brink of attack, maybe even from members of their own community. The basement of the Legions Hall was transformed into a Red Cross center, equipped with a fully functional field hospital. Guards were placed on the town’s waterworks and fire station.

“Many Japanese aliens are now residing in and around the city of Winters, who could at a moment’s notice commit destructive acts of sabotage and espionage,” one Winters Express article reads.

Mojiro “Charlie” Hamakawa, a respected member of the Japanese community in Winters, had lived in California long enough to see growing resentment towards Japanese immigrants. He immigrated to America in 1908 at the age of 16, and within two years became the manager of Horai Co., the premiere Japanese general store in Winters.

Hamakawa, along with five other prominent Japanese men in Winters, wrote a letter to be printed on the

JURORS

Continued from Page 4

summons. But we want your service and not your money, so please respond to the jury summons – if there is an obstacle to your service please follow the instructions on the card rather than ghosting the court. Second, we now allow potential jurors to appear remotely (by video or telephone) for the first appearance, which is hardship screening. In the olden days (before the pandemic), all potential jurors would show up in person, meaning that hundreds of people traveled to the courthouse every

front page of the Express

“We wish to assure our American friends that the unwarranted attack upon the United States by Japan has been a severe shock to us. (W)e shall remain loyal and law abiding residents to the last person as we have been for many years past.”

They said they would serve America in “whatever capacity that we may be called upon.”

Within three months, half of the men who had signed that letter would be arrested by the FBI.

Within a few years, Hamakawa’s store, and the rest of Winters’ Japantown, would be destroyed.

Our immigrants The Japanese government legalized emigration of laborers in 1885, and many young men came to California. They were drawn to the American ideals of democracy, freedom from feudalism and the promise of work.

For a time, the Japanese

week while only a few ended up serving. But in 2020, we created an option for remote hardship screening, and it has proven immensely popular, with most potential jurors “reporting” for their first day of service from home or work. (Trials are always conducted in person – remote appearance is only an option for the initial screening.)

While we’ve made improvements to Yolo’s jury system, we can do better.

One problem is the “burned juror” phenomenon. A “burned juror” is an individual who was told to report to court for trial, only to be sent home

EMPLOYMENT

WINTERS CEMETERY DISTRICT is looking to hire a new District Manager. The position will be 40 hours per week M-F. This is an “At Will” exempt position working directly with a five-member Board of Trustees. This is a one-person office responsible for all matters relating to sales, scheduling of burials, computer mapping, implementing and adhering to policies and procedures, preparing Board meeting agendas and minutes, preparing fiscal year budgets, processing cash receipts and invoices prior to inputting into the County General Ledger system, also the hiring of grounds staff. Further information regarding job description, requirements, salary, benefits and the application are available to access on the Winters Cemetery website at www.winterscemetery.org under Job Announcement. Or you can email the District Manager at sheila@winterscemetery.org or call (530) 795-2475 to request the additional required information and application. The final date to receive resumes with applications is May 31, 2024, no exceptions!

were welcomed in Winters.

They worked in the fruit orchards and introduced new irrigation practices. After the 1892 earthquake, the Express reported that only the Japanese laborers were brave enough to go searching through the rubble.

Soon the single men brought brides and raised families. They hosted an annual picnic, with booths decorated in American flags and Japanese lanterns. On Independence Day, they put on performances for the entire community at the Vasey Bros. Hall (now the Opera House) featuring fireworks and patriotic scenes.

But in July 1915 the Winters City Council passed an ordinance declaring it a “town nuisance… to lease or in any way allow Orientals to reside or conduct business in any portion of said town.” The vote was unanimous.

The ordinance excluded Block 4, located near the railroad bridge, which in-

minutes or hours later because no case is ready for trial. In 2023, we had 1,840 burned jurors in Yolo County. There are many reasons why jurors get burned. Sometimes a case is resolved on the courthouse steps. Sometimes a party, lawyer, or witness gets sick or has a personal emergency. And sometimes a trial that seemed “ready” the week before is no longer ready, because of new evidence, a new settlement offer, or some other development.

Burned jurors end up taking time away from work or other obligations for service that never occurs. This is wasteful — it

cluded the Horai Co. as well several boarding houses, restaurants, and a Buddhist temple.

Horai Co. remained open, and Hamakawa continued to serve the Winters community. During the Great Depression, Hamakawa greeted migrant workers with a line of credit for food and supplies to start them off in Winters.

The Horai Co. didn’t close until Dec. 8, 1941.

Pearl Harbor aftermath

After Pearl Harbor, events happened quickly. Racial tensions that had festered for decades, coupled with the fear of war at California’s doorstep, bubbled over.

On Dec. 8, 1941, the FBI ordered the closure of all businesses owned by Japanese nationals. On Dec. 12, the Express reported that ethnically Japanese people could no longer withdraw money, cash checks or earn wages.

In January, the Japanese community turned over all

would be much better if they were called off ahead of time. An unnecessary trip to court may be a minor inconvenience for each individual, but the aggregate effect is that a significant amount of juror time gets wasted.

So how can this be fixed?

We can’t repeal Murphy’s Law, and there will always be unexpected events that prevent trials from going forward, so the number of burned jurors will never be zero.

But the court is collaborating with our justice partners, including the District Attorney and Pub-

their guns, radios and cameras to the Winters chief of police. The FBI conducted surprise raids on their homes.

On Jan. 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the removal of “alien enemies.” By February, the Winters Japanese were put under curfew. They could travel no more than five miles from their homes, and only to go to work. At night, they had to remain indoors.

Some Japanese residents petitioned the Winters Police Department for exemptions from the curfew, but the police granted none.

On Feb. 20,  Winters City Council, along with other organizations, published a letter demanding that all Japanese be sent to government-run “concentration camps.” By the next week, three of the men who had signed the letter to the Express declaring their allegiance were arrested by the FBI.

At noon on May 22, people gathered to watch as the last Japanese residents of Yolo County and their American-born children boarded the train to the Merced Assembly Center. They took only what they could carry. They had to sell or secure their property quickly. Yolo Briggs reported seeing refrigerators sold for as little as $10. Jack Vasey, who was close to many members of the Japanese community, bought as much of the Horai Co. as possible. He and his brother Gregory stored boxes of Japanese residents’ personal belongings in their building.

Japanese people living north of Putah Creek were

7

lic Defender, to reduce the number of “burned jurors” by doing a better job of anticipating problems that might derail a case. The week before trial, we have a “readiness conference” where the judge talks to the lawyers to see if the case will be ready for trial and to explore the prospects for resolution. Our judges are now putting increased emphasis on these conferences, to better learn from the lawyers whether there are potential problems that may prevent the trial from being ready so that any roadblocks can be addressed be-

fore the first day of trial. A year from now I’ll report back on whether our “burned juror” rate has declined. In the meantime, I want to again thank all the Yoloans who have served our justice system in the last year. President Adams described representative government and the jury system as the “heart and lungs” of liberty, and in Yolo our civic cardiovascular system is going strong thanks to our hardworking jurors.

—Daniel P. Maguire is the Presiding Judge of the Yolo Superior Court.

Yolo County Archives/Courtesy photo

Japanese-American girls pose in traditional dress with their families in the 1930s, in front of the door that is now the Winters Opera House, with the Vasey Brothers Market on the right. Hatsuye “Hattie” Nishikawa stands in the second row, eighth from the left. The photo was given to the Yolo Country Archives by Betty Vasey Coman

Baseball wins two, loses one

By Sydney Andrade Express staff writer

It was a busy and tir-

week for the War-

On Tuesday, April 23, the Winters High School varsity baseball team won its game against Willows High School by a close score of 4–2.

Miles Mariani earned the win for the Warriors as starting pitcher, only giving up three hits and two runs over seven innings. Mariani also struck out three Willows batters. Backing him up was a stellar defensive team. Jordan Calvert led the Warriors in putouts with six outs at first base. Everett Beason was also on fire at shortstop with four outputs and three assists in the game.

Jake Woods had three putouts. Julian Herrera and Sebastian Rodriguez had two putouts each.

Ashton Baylor, Lane Brown, Gio Jimenez and Isaiah Pazmino each contributed one putout for the game. The Warriors played a competitive game with only one defensive error. In addition to a great defensive game the Warriors also battled at the plate. Derrick Olson came through for his team with one run and two RBI’s. Calvert and Mariani also contributed to the score with one hit and one RBI each. Baylor also made good contact at the plate, while Jimenez, Rodriguez used their speed to

make their way around the bases and earning runs for the Warriors.

On Wednesday, April 24, the varsity team lost its game against River City High School by a score of 2–11. The Warriors struggled to keep up with River City. The Warriors had the game tied at two in the top of the third inning, but River City quickly pulled ahead in the sixth inning when they scored five runs in six hits at the bottom of the sixth inning.

Brown started the game off on the mound for the Warriors giving up six runs on 11 hits and striking out three River City batters. Duran stepped in to relieve Brown, after weeks spent recovering from an injury, striking out two River City batters and allowing six hits and five runs in the final inning of the game. The defensive team worked hard to back up Brown and Duran but unfortunately their efforts fell short. Beason, Herrera, Rodriguez and Pazmino made two putouts each in the game. Duran made four and Baylor made six.

Duran led the Warriors at bat with two runs batted in. Baylor, Pazmino, Herrera, Brown and Rodriguez also each collected one hit for the Warriors but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the 17 hits that River City racked up at the plate.

The final score against River City

wasn’t what the Warriors had hoped for but they were able to bounce back as they went on to face Willows in their third and final game of the week.

On Thursday, April 25, the Winters won big against Willows High School by a score of 12–2.

The Warriors took the lead early on at the bottom of the first when Duran tripled, earning his team two RBI’s. The Warriors used that momentum to dominate at bat for the rest of the day, collecting a total of 12 hits. Duran, Olson, Pazmino, Rodriguez and Beason each collected two hits for the Warriors. In addition to Duran, Baylor and Pazmino also drove in two runs each for the Warriors.

Calvert started off on the mound this time for the Warriors, striking out four and only allowing three hits and two runs over six innings. Duran led the Warriors with seven putouts at first base and one assist. Olson once again played another phenomenal defensive game with three putouts and three assists. Baylor contributed four putouts behind the plate, while Pazmino had two putouts, followed by Herrera and Calvert with one putout each.

The Warriors will face off against Paradise this week in the last two league games of the season before entering into the playoffs.

HISTORY

Continued from Page 1

wonderful exhibit to tell the story of the Japanese in Winters. Floyd Shimomura who grew up west of Winters, and Howard Kato another Winters native had great input. As did Roy Kozen and Dennis Hiramatsu. Now that all was gathered, we needed a name. After much discussion The Lost Japanese Community of Winters was chosen. Lost? You might ask why. Lost because so few of those pre-war residents returned to Winters, and because we did not want their story to be lost. We wanted to tell why so many did not return. The exhibit was a tremendous success. Over 100 people attended the grand

than eight months we had visitors from all over the state.

The story of Japanese Americans in the early and mid 20th century is not an easy story to tell, and the exhibit brought forth a range of emotion in all who viewed it. The Historical Society was overwhelmed by the interest from everyone who visited. And quite frankly, donations began to pour in.

One particularly poignant photograph was from 1930 of a large gathering of Japanese families for a funeral in Japantown with the railroad trestle bridge clearly in the background. Here was pictorial evidence of not only the community that existed, but buildings and location were clearly evident. The idea developed that we should memorialize Japantown and the Japanese community that existed prior to World Ware II and have a monument installed near the sight

of the photograph.  The Lost Japanese Community truly started a movement in our community. While the HSW raised funds and designed the beautiful memorial we are about to dedicate, this memorial is really the result of many coming together. This started with the willingness on the part of our Japanese neighbors to share a painful chapter from their past, and the desire to not let that history be forgotten. Many treasured family photographs, stories and artifacts were shared which made the exhibit so personal and moving.

The Historical Society is so grateful to all who shared their stories and donated time, money and expertise to make this a reality.

We thank the Japanese descendants, our Winters community, and Winters Rotary, and to all who felt a passion for this project and helped to make it a reality.

Aidan Baylor

Aidan Baylor, a Winters High School freshman, is Pisani’s Athlete of the Week. Manny Garcia, the junior varsity baseball head coach, said Baylor has been a key asset as a regular pitcher this season. “He has excellent pitching catching and last week against Willow. He threw a no-hitter and that’s why he is my pick of the week,” Garcia said. Baylor is a team leader with an on-base percentage of 0.589, 12 stolen bases and a 1.17 earned run average according to MaxPreps.

The city of Winters Public Works Department and the UCCE Master Gardeners - Yolo worked together beautifully to prepare the site, and design and plant the new area. Special commendations to Stephanie Myers and Eric Lucero for working together to give our Memorial such a beautiful setting.

The event is in Rotary Park on May 4. The Taiko Drummers play at 1:30 and the dedication program at 2 p.m. We hope many of you will want to be part of this community event as we come together to dedicate the Japantown Monument.

Courtesy photo

The photo of people with the horses and wagon was taken around 1908 on the Brinck Brothers’ Ranch on the Horseshoe west of Winters. (The Berryessa Gap in the background reveals the location.) Iwagusu George Takahashi is standing in front of the wagon with his wife Asano. The three girls standing in a row are the key clue. The 1920 Census records that August Brinck and his wife Dora had three girls named Elsie (15), Pearl (13), and Grace (11). Grace was born on January 26, 1898. As the youngest, she appears to be the third girl to the right of her sisters. The photo was probably taken around 1908 — two years before the 1910 Census — when Grace would have been about eight. Also, the young boy sitting on top of the wagon and peeking out appears to be William G. Brinck who was born on March 11, 1904, and would have been about four in 1908.

WFoL hosts talk with Dick Holdstock May 9

By Diane Cary Special to the Express

Dick Holdstock is a musician, music historian, and activist. He has recorded and performed traditional Scottish and English folk music since the 1970s.

Holdstock is a scholar of British broadside ballads — inexpensive songsheets sold on the street, often with a political message — from the 18th and 19th centuries. He recently published “Again with One Voice: British Songs of Political Reform, 1768 to 1868,” a collection of 120 songs from historical sources that traces the history of this tumultuous period.

at the Winters Community Library, 708 Railroad Ave.

Holdstock and his editor Patience Young will discuss his book at an author talk sponsored by Winters Friends of the Library on Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m. at the Winters Community Library, 708 Railroad Ave.

sent to the Granada relocation camp in Colorado, a “desolate prairie where a short time ago only sagebrush, cactus and Russian thistle survived.”

Winters resident Betty Vasey Coman saved letters internees sent to her father, Jack Vasey. People thanked him for money or groceries, and told him about the daily dust storms that could fill the barracks with inches of dirt.

The internees all wanted to know about life in Winters.

Hatsuye “Hattie” Nishikawa wrote several letters to Vasey. Her sister had been an honor roll student with Betty.

“How is everyone in Winters?” Hattie asked. “We all miss our hometown and our friends. Also the delicious fruit. It is impossible to get anything here like the Winters fruit.”

Some American-born men in the camps joined the military intelligence service, including Hamakawa’s sons, Edward and William.

They had been smart boys who had been forced out of Winters weeks before their high school graduation.

In the military intelligence service, Edward and William, along with several other Winters boys, interpreted Japanese broadcasts, learned interrogation skills and taught Japanese to other soldiers.

Other young men volunteered to join the 442nd Combat Team, a segregated regiment of Japanese-American soldiers.

America was preparing for a ground war in Japan, but victory came sooner than expected.

Both Winters and the Granada Relocation Camp celebrated the victory over Japan on Aug. 14. In Colorado, people hoped this meant they would be released soon, and that their boys would be coming home. They didn’t know that there was little to return to in Winters.

In Winters, the celebrations culminated in what the Express called, “a spectacular fire in Jap Town.” A large crowd gathered to watch the houses,

the temple and the Horai Co. burn.

The cause of the fire was never determined.

Few families returned to Winters after they were released. Some settled in the Midwest, and many moved to Sacramento. Hamakawa and his wife Yae stayed in Sacramento for two years. They were too afraid of the tensions in Winters to return.

There had been petitions going around, asking ranchers to pledge not to hire Japanese. There was still a sign posted outside of city limits telling the Japanese to keep out.

Gregory Vasey, Jack’s brother, recounted a day when a young Japanese woman and her child came into town for supplies. A crowd began to form around her as she walked down Railroad Avenue.

What began as jeers became more hostile. She and the child ran down an alleyway, where Jack Vasey opened the back door of his business and pulled them inside. He locked the back door and rushed to lock the front as the crowd called for him to hand the two over.

Winters police could

They will sing some of the songs of the period that illuminate the struggles of working people and their determination to bring about change.

Admission to the event is free — Donations will be gratefully accepted at the door. Copies of the book will be available for sale. For more information, visit wfol. org or dickholdstock. com.

not be reached. When the Yolo County sheriff finally arrived, he carried the two through the crowd to his car, while admonishing the mob to behave “like American citizens.” Vasey recalls that he and his brother lost loyal customers that day.

The fire-damaged buildings of Japantown were razed, and the land was bought by the city. Block 4, once a bustling Japanese neighborhood, is now Rotary Park and the Winters Community Center.

There is nothing left to show that downtown Winters was once a place where the Horai Co. served a community for nearly 50 years, and a young woman clutched her child closer and searched an angry crowd for a friendly face.

Courtesy photos

Holdstock will discuss and perform British political songs of the 18th and 19th centuries at an author talk sponsored by Winters Friends of the Library on Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m.