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Volume 137, Number 39 — Locally owned since 1884
The hometown paper of Bruce & Nadia Chapmen
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday,October 21, 2020
THE WINTERS DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESENTS
Winters Best Scarecrow Fest Restaurant & And
Small Business Week October 16th - 26th
October 15th November 2nd
Remaining in red tier, COVID case rates drag Yolo County further from orange By Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media Yolo County continues to head in the wrong direction in the effort to control spread of the novel coronavirus. For the second week in a row, the county’s daily new case rate rose, pushing a move to the less restrictive orange tier further away and making a return to the most restrictive purple tier more of a possibility. The state’s update of counties’ tier status on Tuesday reported Yolo County’s adjusted daily new case rate at 5.3 per 100,000 residents — up from 4.2 last week — keeping the county solidly in
the red Tier 2. Those numbers are based on the week prior to Oct. 13, the county’s interim health officer, Dr. Larissa May, told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, and data from the week since then shows cases have only continued to increase. Both an outbreak at the Alderson Convalescent Hospital in Woodland, now affecting more than 30 people, May said, as well as large social gatherings that continue to occur are behind the increase in cases. “If that trend continues,” May said, “it could mean that we might meet the criteria for the more re-
strictive purple tier. If the purple tier metrics are met consecutively for two weeks, then that would necessitate going back to purple.” At risk is the survival of many businesses in Yolo County that would face a third shutdown during the course of this pandemic. Restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and other businesses shut down back in March, then were given the go ahead to reopen in late May and early June before having to shut down again a month later. Many only reopened, with limited indoor capacity, earlier this month. Also at risk is future in-person instruction
for the county’s K-12 students. After two weeks in the red tier, schools in Yolo County were officially cleared to reopen for in-person instruction, and many private schools have. However, none of the public schools have done so yet. “The five school districts are thinking about being able to open in a hybrid model in January,” May noted on Tuesday. But while schools that have opened already would not have to close if the county returns to purple, schools that have not yet opened would not be allowed to except under waivers for K-6
See UPDATE, Page 8
Safety, special programs and district priorities top candidate focuses By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief The Winters Area Education Association held a School Board Candidate Forum for the seven candidates who are running for Winters Joint Unified School District board trustee seats in the Nov. 3 election. The Oct. 12 free event was hosted on a virtual platform due to current COVID-19 restrictions. The line-up of candidates who participated included: • Trustee Area 1 candidates: incumbant Ralph F. Anderson and challenger Kristin Trott.
• Trustee Area 3 candidates: incumbant Stephanie Chávez and challenger Joedy Michael. • Trustee Area 5 candidates: incumbant Rudolph Muldong and challenger Everardo Zaragoza. Winters JUSD Trustees approved Area 5 challenger Lisa Dennis as the new Human Resources Administrator at a special meeting of Winters JUSD school board on Thursday, Oct. 8 making her ineligible to run. She did not participate as a candidate in the forum. WAEA President JoAnn May said school
See FORUM, Page 8
County rental program supporting low-income tenants By Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media Applications are open now for a Yolo County rental-assistance program geared toward low-income tenants throughout the county. The program will provide a one-time grant of up to $4,000 for Davis households and up to $3,000 for households elsewhere in the county to help cover rent, security deposits, and utilities. Payments are made directly to landlords on behalf of low-income tenants who have been unable to pay full rent because
I ndex Features ........................ B-1
of COVID-19-related hardships, including loss or reduction in income, increased medical or childcare costs or loss of childcare. In order to qualify, tenant households must be income eligible, defined as having up to 60 percent of the area median income or up to 80 percent of the area medicine income with a rent burden of 30 percent or higher. For a two-person household, 60 percent of the area median income would be $44,400 and for a four-person household, $55,500. More information about the program,
Weather Date
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Oct. 14
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Oct. 15
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Oct. 16
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Oct. 17
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Eventos hispanos ....... A-5
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Opinion ......................... B-3
Oct. 21
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Classifieds .................... B-7 Community .................. A-9
Real Estate ................... B-2 Athlete of the Week.... A-9
Rain for week: 0.00 in. Season’s total: 0.01 in. Last sn. to date: 0.03 in. Winters rainfall season began 7/1/20. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m.
income limits and the online application itself are available at www.ych.ca.gov/ COVID-19/2020.php Funds will be awarded on a firstcome, first-served basis upon receipt of a complete application. Back rent or overdue utility costs due on or after July 1 are eligible for assistance as well. Funds will be disbursed directly to the landlord and utility provider on behalf of the tenant and there are no requirements for repayment of grants from this program. The program is intended to bridge the gap between what the tenant can afford and the tenant’s actual rent. The required tenant’s share of rent is 10 percent of adjusted gross monthly income. The share of monthly rental assistance will be the difference between actual rent and the tenant payment. Grant awards will be made based on funding availability and eligibility and Yolo County Housing will be administering both programs.
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Construction continues on the Blue Mountain Terrace Senior Apartments.
Senior Commission seeking new members, hears senior center update By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief With the recent resignation of Carl Treseder, the Winters Senior Commission on Aging is again encouraging the community to apply for one of the openings of commissioner seat or alternate position. While the Senior Commission adheres to discussing the unique needs of senior citizens in the community, one does not need to be a senior citizen to hold a commissioner seat. Commissioners serve as an advisory board to the City Council and perform a num-
ber of functions for the benefit of seniors residing in the Winters area. Mayor Wade Cowan reported the City Council had approved the creation of the Fundraising Committee for the Winters Senior Center Furniture and Fixtures at the Oct. 6 meeting. The goal of the committee is to assist with fundraising efforts for the upcoming Blue Mountain Senior Center (Winters Senior Center) which will be built adjacent to the Blue Mountain Senior Apartments. Cowan said membership of the com-
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mittee is open to all community members. He is hoping members of other local organizations will apply. “We’re hoping that we can make sure we get representation from all the different senior groups within the community on that commission,” Cowan said. Cowan said committee members will be tasked to raise funds, do research on products for the building and purchase them prior to the senior center opening. They will also be tasked to find
See SENIORS, Page 8
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