ay
Celebrate Valentine’s D at The Palms
Complimentary bubbly and chocolate!
with The Gold Souls and The Midnight Dip Details and tickets at PalmsPlayhouse.com
Your musical oasis in downtown Winters
70¢
Global art project coming to downtown Winters News, Page 4
plus 5¢ tax for Gavin
WHS honors Mental Health Awareness Week
Features, Page 1
Volume 136, Number 1 — Locally owned since 1884
The hometown paper of Nancy Ramirez
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Winters third grade move from Waggoner to Rominger proposed to school board trustees By Crystal Apilado Assistant Editor
By Matthew Keys
On Friday, Jan. 25 Todd Cutler, Winters Joint Unified School District Superintendent, sent home a letter to parents informing them that he had made a recommendation to the school board to move the third grade from Waggoner Elementary to Shirley Rominger Intermediate school starting in the 20192020 school year. Cutler proposed the move to trustees as an informational item at the Jan. 17 school board meeting. He shared that the topic first came up in October 2016 and was again discussed in 2017. He said at the time the move was not financially possible, but with the passing of Measure P and the improvements being made at Winters High School three of the portable classrooms would be transported to Rominger. The final goal is to eventually utilize developer monies from upcoming housing projects to fund the construction of a new three classroom wing at Rominger. In the meantime, the portables will serve a purpose on campus
Staff Writer
Emma Johnson/Winters Express
Third grade classes could be moved from Waggoner Elementary School to Shirley Rominger Intermediate if the school board accepts Todd Cutler’s recommendation. The proposed move is intended to alleviate traffic problems and reduce classroom sizes. and help to alleviate an influx of students at Waggoner. “This will help to lessen traffic,” said Cutler. “TK (Transitional Kindergarten) through second is truly about setting the foundation of learning. Third through fifth is taking the foundation of learning and expanding students growth.” Trustees asked many questions of the proposi-
tion regarding school related topics including food services, student transportation and placement of the portables on the Rominger campus. Cutler answered in stride that many internal discussions are being made regarding the different departments and programs offered at the Winters Elementary School campuses and that changes are being made based
off of them. In terms of student transportation Cutler said they’ll have to make adjustments of when certain grades are dropped off and let out and administration would be taking a look at the logistics of how to get it done. “When we think about a change there is always a challenge,” said Cutler. Trustee Rudolph
See WAGGONER, Page 3
Government shutdown nearly ended Winters Healthcare construction project After the USDA closed their offices during the shutdown, there wasn't anyone to process a $6.75 million loan granted to Winters Healthcare for the community facility construction project. By Matthew Keys Staff Writer
I ndex Features .................. B-1
Weather Date
Rain
High Low
Jan. 23
62˚ 32˚
Jan. 24
61˚ 35˚
Community ............. A-7
Jan. 25
64˚ 34˚
Jan. 26
69˚ 37˚
Eventos hispanos .. A-6
Jan. 27
71˚ 39˚
Jan. 28
69˚ 42˚
Jan. 29
66˚ 46˚
Classifieds ............... B-5
Opinion .................... B-3 Real Estate .............. B-6 Sports ...................... A-8
Winters Police now has parking citation forms
Rain for week:0.00 in. Season’s total: 16.49 in. Last yr. to date: 24.73 in. Avg. to Jan. 30: 12.76 in. Winters rainfall season began 7/1/18. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily.
Taylor Buley/Winters Express
City inspector Gene Ashdown visits the facility’s construction site. When city officials and other dignitaries gathered near a dirt patch off East Grant Avenue in the middle of a rainstorm last November, they did so with eager anticipation at the groundbreaking of a world-class healthcare facility that sought to bring together many of the region’s non-profit healthcare services under one roof. Mixed in with the accolades from city and state politicians, many of whom were eager to capitalize on the success of securing financial funding to make the new blockbuster Winters Healthcare campus a reality, came the
cautionary tale from Winters Healthcare Executive Director Christopher Kelsch of the challenges the non-profit organization has encountered over the last 20 years in bringing quality, affordable healthcare to residents of Winters and rural Yolo County regardless of their ability to pay. Some of those challenges were eased when Winters Healthcare secured a multi-million dollar loan from the federal government to build the facility. But as the rain fell on the crowd that day, a political storm was brewing 3,000 miles away in the nation’s capital
that threatened to bring the construction project to a halt. While the government struggled through what eventually became the longest-ever suspension of federal agencies and services in American history, most of the attention focused on the 800,000 government workers who were forced to work without pay or ordered to stay home. Little was made of the sub-contractors who felt their paychecks were all but guaranteed through construction projects that were backed by loans earmarked
See SHUTDOWN, Page 3
The Winters Police Department is almost ready to begin handing out parking citations to drivers who are in violation of various city ordinances related to parking time limits and other offenses. Last week, Winters Police Chief John Miller confirmed the agency now has parking citation forms to issue to drivers as part of enforcement measures green-lit by city officials. In November, the Winters City Council approved a $30 fine for most parking-related violations. Drivers who park in spots marked for disabled individuals without the proper permit will receive a $336 fine, while those who remove parking enforcement marks made by community services officers will be forced to fork over $60. The citation slip also includes fines for drivers who are missing a license plate or registration stickers. Both fines are $30, but are reduced to $10 with proof of correction. Miller said the police department will start enforcing timed parking rules as soon as the public works department has finished installing signs throughout the downtown area. “The biggest message we are trying to get out is this parking enforcement is being undertaken to discourage the long-term parkers that clog the parking in the downtown area, many of which are the employees of the businesses and restaurants, and free up parking for [customers],” Miller wrote in an email. Miller encouraged people who park long-term in the downtown area to park in lots that have no time limit, including a lot on the corner of Main St. and Railroad Ave. near Steady Eddy’s. “If they do this, they won’t have to worry about receiving a citation,” Miller said.
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