Winters Express Wednesday, January 11, 2023

State grant aids school district to transition bilingual program

Winters Joint Unified School District was one of 27 districts out of 140 applicants to receive a Dual Language Immersion (DLI) grant from the state as part of the Global California 2030 initiative. This grant will provide funding for a 50:50 ratio of language in the classroom and a 90:10 DLI program with the goal of having half of the Kindergarten through 12 students speak two or more languages by 2030.

Assistant Superintendent Phoebe Girimonte and English Learner Specialist Delia Garcia-Espinoza presented the benefits of this proposed model and what this grant and the DLI program will mean for Winters students.

Garcia-Espinoza defined DLI by citing a 2001 study that says, “in Dual Immersion Programs, English-dominant and target-lan-

guage-dominant students are purposefully integrated with the goals of developing bilingual skills, academic excellence, and positive cross-cultural and personal competency attitudes for both groups of students.”

Girimonte and Garcia-Espinoza expounded on the benefits researchers found amongst bilingual students, including improved scores on standardized testing and on cognitive skill assessments, as well as cultural and social benefits derived from being able to engage with people in other languages.

The current Developmental Bilingual Education (DBE) program, approved by Winters JUSD Trustees in 2013, has a 50:50 language allocation model. The transition to the DLI program is expected to be a three-year process.

Speaking on what the DLI program’s

By Jacob Hoffman Express staff writer See GRANT, Page 3

Heavy rains flood Putah Creek Nature trail, more storms on the way

By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief

On Monday, part of the Putah Creek Nature Park trail was underwater as the creek waters rose, and multiple rural roads across Yolo and Solano Counties remained closed due to flooding from the downpour of rain over.

At 9 a.m. on Monday, local weather man Joe Bristow reported to the Express that the to-date rainfall total of 17.30 inches had surpassed the season rainfall total of 17.09 inches.

As of Tuesday af-

Frerichs, other county officials, sworn into office

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media

Lucas Frerichs was sworn into the Yolo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, while five other county officials took their oaths as well during a ceremony at the county administration building in Woodland.

Frerichs, who spent 10 years on the Davis City Council, succeeds Don Saylor, who retired after

decades of service in public office as the county supervisor for the Winters area.

Joining Frerichs for another term on the board is Supervisor Gary Sandy of Woodland, who also took his oath Tuesday, as did four re-elected incumbents who serve in countywide offices — District Attorney Jeff Reisig, Sheriff Tom Lopez, Superintendent of Schools Garth Lewis and Clerk-Recorder/ Assessor/Registrar of Voters Jesse Salinas.

Frerichs, Sandy, Lewis and Salinas will serve four-year terms, while Reisig and Lopez will serve

six-year terms, thanks to a new state law (AB 759) signed by the governor in October that moved elections for county district attorneys and sheriffs to presidential election years.

Under the new law, any district attorney or sheriff elected in 2022 (as Reisig and Lopez were) will serve a six-year term with the next election for those offices occurring during the 2028 presidential primary.

Noting the new law, Lopez quipped that “those of you who voted for me, you got

ternoon at 2:30 p.m., Lake Berryessa was at 403.11 feet and a little over 88 percent capacity. The lake spills at 440 feet, according to the Solano County Water Agency. Lake Berryessa News reported the lake level is 36.9 feet below the Glory Hole — the highest it’s been since last July.

The Solano Irrigation District reported the Putah Creek flow rate was at 400 cfs (Cubic Feet per Second) as of Tuesday morning.

While the City of Winters experienced some usual flooded areas and plugged

drains during the first wave of storms, City Manager Kathleen Salguero Trepa urged residents to remain cautious as more storm systems are expected to pass through the area over the next week and a half.

“The soil is so sat-

urated, please help monitor trees closely for signs of uplift, unusual leaning, etc,” Trepa said in her Jan. 6 City Manager update.

Trepa noted a few trees had become

Winters

Roxie’s Flower Truck announces plans for Design Studio

By Jacob Hoffman Express staff writer

After receiving approval from the Planning Commission on Dec. 15, Roxie’s Flower Truck will soon be building a Design Studio at 505 East St. The Winters Express talked with Roxie’s owner Kristen Karlen about what this new expansion will entail and what customers can look forward to in the future.

Karlen said the location is owned by the Karlen family and she’s been working out

of it for about three years, but over the years the 70-plus-yearold building’s current condition has started to fall apart and the safety and curb appeal has declined.

“Over time as my business has grown so has my need for space, and something a little more secure and something safer,” Karlen said.

Karlen said she and her husband decided “it’s just time” and brought a plan for a new building on that spot to the Winters Planning Commission.

According to Karlen, this plan — now approved and underway — is to “just demolish the entire building” rather than remodel or renovate “and start again.”

“We want to make it something that’s attractive, that is welcoming and multifunctional, and something that is safe,” Karlen said.

Regarding how long construction will last, Karlen said the old building is being demolished on Feb. 15

Crystal Apilado/Courtesy photo

Railroad Avenue flooded at the Grant Avenue intersection into the majority of the lane. Flooding continued down most of the road toward Esparto.

Maia the dog gives her owner a forlorn look as she’s told not to jump into the waters flooding the nature trail.

Courtesy photo

Kristen Karlen, Roxie’s Flower Truck owner, excitedly submitted the building building permit at City Hall with a stamp with a stamp of approval for her new Design Studio.

Winters Middle School presents plan for student achievement

By Jacob Hoffman Express staff writer

Winters Joint Unified School District administrators presented their individual site’s School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) before the board during the Nov. 3 Board of Trustees meeting.

Principal Dawn De lorefice told Trustees that Winters Mid dle School’s SPSA has three goals which “closely aligned with the LCAP (Local Control and Accountability Plan) goals.”

The first goal Delorefice presented was to en sure “all students will demonstrate the skills, literacies, and understandings necessary for college and career readiness” by continuing and improving staff efforts to educate and provide support for their students. WMS’s second goal stated, “all students will have access to meaningful, appropriate, broad and relevant learning experiences.” Delorefice concluded with the third goal of having “all students…have access to a safe and welcoming environment, as supported by staff who maintain consistent positively-framed school wide expectations.”

“With regards to our first goal,” Delorefice said, explaining strategies for implementing each goal “of college and career readiness, we will focus on creating a schedule that is created

through an equity lens and allows students to receive targeted instruction,” including through subject interventions, ELD classes and curriculum, Wheel Classes that offer college and career readiness to students, and encouraging the use of other organiza-

vironment at WMS, Delorefice said the school plans to implement a number of measures to address this. She included the school’s work with the county to institute school-wide Culturally Responsive Positive Behavior Interventions and Support activities, the creation of and collaboration with relevant engagement committees, increasing available mental health support, parental and community partnerships, and a new campus monitor who started working that week.

Biblioteca trae de vuelta programas de aprendizaje de Inglés, busca voluntarios

La Biblioteca Comunitaria de Winters (Winters Community Library) tuvo que archivar muchos de sus programas públicos durante la pandemia. Con la mayoría de las restricciones de COVID levantadas, la biblioteca está recuperando muchos de sus recursos y programas que refuerzan las oportunidades para los residentes de Winters.

sona. Los estamos haciendo ahora en persona, y también estamos enviando algunos suministros a casa. Acabamos de hacer un evento del Día de los Muertos y también vamos a hacer un gran espectáculo de casa de pan de jengibre.”

tions like the National Junior Honor Society and Educational Testing Service.

For the second goal of fostering learning conditions that promote success, WMS plans to use a number of means of measuring, including “implement a four-year PGC (Professional Growth Cycle) utilizing the Danielson Framework and Learning Focused Conversations” as well as Professional Learning Communities, and teacher rubrics and professional development conferences, with the goal of improving teachers engagement with student and easing the transition from elementary school to middle school.

To achieve the third goal of creating a safe and welcoming en-

The presentation laid out the Annual Measurable Outcomes section, describing past and existing statistics related to each goal as well as a corresponding, “expected outcome” that the school will hope to achieve by the end of this school year.

The first section of outcomes described the academic achievement of the proceeding school year, including nearly 25 percent of English Learning students being reclassified, a number the school hopes to increase by 10 percent, as well as a plan to improve i-Ready student performance by increasing the number of students in the “met or exceeded standards” category by 10 percent and decrease the number of students in the “below standards” category by 10 percent in both

See WMS, Page 3

Durante un año y medio, Ashleigh Torres no solo ha sido bibliotecaria en Winters, sino también una facilitadora clave de las ofertas de la biblioteca a la comunidad. Aunque está consternada por la interrupción de los programas de la biblioteca causada por la pandemia, está encantada de que la comunidad pueda beneficiarse de ellos una vez más.

“Estamos trayendo todo de vuelta. ‘La hora del cuento’ está de vuelta adentro, y también tenemos nuestro programa de películas comenzando donde mostramos una película todos los meses en la sala comunitaria,” dijo Torres. “También tenemos nuestros más grandes programas que aún teníamos cuando estábamos abiertos, pero no hacíamos programas en per-

Entre la variedad de programas que ofrece la biblioteca, algunos de los más impactantes son los programas de aprendizaje de Inglés. Lo cual, en una ciudad como Winters cuya comunidad de habla hispana es más del 50 por ciento de la población, puede marcar una gran diferencia en la vida de

llevarse a Winters. Intentamos hacerlo virtualmente durante la pandemia, pero todos estaban alejados. Entonces, los tenemos de vuelta en persona ahora con otro curso que se ofrece más cerca del verano,” dijo Torres. “Podemos hacerlo a través de una subvención que recibió la biblioteca. También tenemos un par de programas asociados, como nuestros grupos de conversación en Inglés que organizamos en la biblioteca. Estuvieron un poco en pausa debido a la pandemia, pero tenemos a Revalee Hempkin, que está con (Winters)

Ashleigh Torres, Bibliotecaria

quienes participan en ellos.

“Winters ha sido una gran fuente de programas de Inglés. Comenzaron a dar clases de Inglés como segundo idioma (ESL) hace un par de años en la sucursal de Esparto, y tenían tanta gente que iba a Esparto desde Winters que se decidió que estas clases debían

Friends of the Library (Amigos de la Biblioteca de Winters) y ha sido una gran defensora de nuestro grupo de conversación en Inglés y programación de ciudadanía.”

Hempkin no solo encabeza el grupo de conversación en Inglés, sino que también trabaja Vea ESL, Página 5

Por Aaron Geerts Traducido por Carol Alfonso

“Hemos tenido algunas personas que se han beneficiado tanto del curso de ESL que regresan para ayudar y ser voluntarios y compartir su experiencia con otros estudiantes.”

PG&E announced that scholarship applications are now being accepted for college-bound high schoolers as well as current college and continuing education students with a primary residence in Northern and Central California.

More than 150 awards totaling more than $200,000 are being made available through scholarships created by PG&E’s 11 employee resource groups (ERG) and two

engineering network groups (ENG). These groups support and advance diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging within PG&E and the hometowns it serves.

These scholarships are awarded annually to help offset the cost of higher education. ERG and ENG scholarship winners will receive awards ranging from $500 to $6,000 for exemplary scholastic achievement and community leadership.

PG&E ERG and ENG scholarship information, including criteria and applications,

is available on PG&E’s website. To be considered for a scholarship, all applications must be submitted by Feb. 24.

“Many recipients of our ERG and ENG scholarships are the first in their families to attend college. These awards help develop our future leaders and breakthrough thinkers and are part of how we’re living our purpose at PG&E—delivering for our hometowns, serving our planet, and leading with love,” said Marie Waugh, PG&E Vice President, Chief Talent, Culture

and Inclusion Officer. “I do not have enough words to express my gratitude for the award, especially as a first-generation college student. I’m excited to see where my future education and experiences will take me. I couldn’t be more thankful for your kindness in supporting my future,” said Alexis Renihan, a 2022 Women’s Network ERG scholarship recipient, who’s majoring in dietetics at Point Loma Nazarene University.

Since 1989, PG&E’s ERGs and ENGs have awarded more than

$5 million in scholarships to thousands of recipients. The funds are raised totally through employee donations, employee fundraising events and Campaign for the Community, the company’s employee giving program.

More than 10,000 PG&E coworkers belong to ERGs and ENGs. Each group helps further the com-

pany’s commitment to serving its hometowns and growing coworker engagement.

In addition to the PG&E scholarships, the Pacific Service Employees Association (PSEA), a nonprofit mutual benefit organization serving PG&E coworkers and retirees, also provides scholarships for dependents of company coworkers.

pension and misconduct rates by three percent and 10 percent respectively.

structure will look like, Garcia-Espinoza said the program will continue across Kindergarten through fifth grade with a cohort of students roughly organized by one-third English speakers, one-third Spanish speakers, and one-third dual English and Spanish speakers, and these students will have at least 50 percent of their school day spent in their target language.

The program will begin in kindergarten, with the language curriculum designed so that time spent in the target language will be 90 percent Spanish to 10 percent English, and shifting each subsequent academic year from a ratio of 80:20 in first grade, 70:30 in second grade, and so on until finishing at 50:50 ratio fifth grade.

When answering a question by Trustee Joedy Michael regarding the reasons behind the ratios, Girimonte said “we recognize that our students, even those who are enrolled in a DLI program, are going to have lots of exposure to English in other settings, so we do want to immerse them in that target language of Spanish,” so the goal of the program is to both, “buoy and sustain that home language, and also for our English only students in the program,

STUDIO

Continued from Page 1

and once construction starts it will take about two weeks to build the new structure.

“It’s going to give us a lot more opportunities to do different things — my hope is that we can offer workshops, we are going to store Roxie inside, so that will be great for her — we can invite other artists or people who would like to have workshops to host them. I just see lots of space for opportunity,” Karlen said.

Karlen expressed that many people, including “the commu-

to build their fluency in Spanish as well,” which both require being immersed in the target language to fully achieve.  Girimonte explained that 2022-23 will be a planning year for the district as it establishes the academic infrastructure for the program, including developing an evaluation plan and familiarizing the community with the DLI program. Next year, the school district will see the Kindergarten through the first-grade implemen-

force will be working to “make the process as easy and as smooth as possible by being as transparent as possible with the community.”

Families with children in Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten will learn about both the traditional and DLI pathways during the annual family meetings in February.

Some current challenges include staffing, with Girimonte noting during the meeting that “a real priority of our work

es of maintaining the one-third ratio as well as balancing the interest in the program within the community.

Speaking to the future, Girimonte and Garcia-Espinoza noted that the current DLI plans remain just for elementary school students, as staffing issues are compounded with higher levels. Garcia-Espinoza agreed that it would take “a few years to get to that level,” but added that the district is already working to analyze and evaluate “how all the pieces fit in place by the time this cohort reaches middle school to provide the best educational program possible.”

Girimonte concluded by reiterating the excitement she, the Trustees and Superintendent Boonchuoy expressed about this program during the meeting.

Reading and Math. Delorefice continued that WMS will be expanding its advisory lessons for students with college and career focuses, including the addition of two career lessons and a backpack clearout once per trimester, as well as hosting a new Lunch and Learn program once per month. The school’s AVID goals include encouraging the use of student planners and decreasing sus-

Regarding student’s mental health, WMS hopes to increase the percentage of students who report being able to talk about mental health in their school surveys by 10 percent, increase staff reports of student motivations to complete work by 10 percent, and to decrease the percentage of parents reporting being worried about their student’s wellbeing by 10 percent.

tation of the program. The program will expand to include Kindergarten through second grade in the 2023-24 school year, with the goal of implementing it through fifth grade by the 202425 school year.

Girimonte also assured community members that a forum will be held on Jan. 24 to provide families with additional information on the program and the transition from existing programs. Garcia-Espinoza later told the Express this task

nity in general and the neighborhood specifically,” have much to look forward to with this Design Studio, which only begins at being “a much more attractive, nice place to see, and just more aesthetically pleasing.”

Karlen hopes this space will help to express her appreciation for the Winters community, which she says “has been amazing at embracing Roxie’s Flower Truck” and hopes the support continues to give her more opportunities to serve the community with the Design Studio.

“We started Roxie’s

is going to have to be (the) recruitment of highly qualified staff, in particular teachers who hold their bilingual certification.”  Superintendent Rody Boonchuoy bookended the presentation telling the Board “there is enormous opportunity in the launch of this work, it truly is grounded in the research,” noting his experience in his previous districts with similar programs that were successful, while also acknowledging the likely challeng-

Flower Truck with the vision of being able to spread joy through flowers, and I’ve been so grateful to our community because with open arms they ‘ve embraced this idea and this concept, and have just been so incredibly supportive, and I love that, and I hope to be able to give back to them with this bigger and better Design Studio,” Karlen said.

“This transition is about valuing and sustaining and honoring biliteracy and bilingualism among our students and for our families,” Girimonte said. “And recognizing that we are a bilingual, bicultural community and we have such an opportunity to reinforce and sustain and respect (the) home language and promote bilingualism as our students move through the school system and into adulthood.”

The program transition was introduced as an informational item a the Dec. 15 Board of Trustees meeting.

Karlen recently hosted wreath workshops at the Studio Collective.

Learn more information about her available services online at https://linktr. ee/roxiesflowertruck.

One can also get regular updates by following Roxie’s Flower Truck’s social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram @roxiesflowertruck.

WMS Continued from Page 1

“This transition is about valuing and sustaining and honoring biliteracy and bilingualism among our students and for our families.”

Phoebe Girimonte, Assistant Superintendent

Fire

Dec. 22: 8:40 a.m., CO Alarm, 200 block of Rosa Ave. Dec. 23: 7:49 p.m., medical aid, First block of E. Baker St. Dec. 24: 10:58 a.m., mutual aid, Pleasants Valley Rd.

~1:13 p.m., medical aid, 1000 block of Roosevelt Ave.

~5:02 p.m., medical aid, 1200 block of Valley Oak Dr. ~11:45 p.m., medical aid, Main St./ First St. Dec. 25: 9:49 a.m., fire alarm, 400 block of Morgan St. Dec. 26: 11:49 a.m., structure fire, First block of Betty Ct. ~5:48 p.m., medical aid, 140 block of E. Baker St. Dec. 27: 9:57 a.m., medical aid, 610 block of First St. Dec. 28: 5:08 a.m., fire alarm, CR 90 ~11:44 a.m., fire alarm, 500 block of Edwards St. Dec. 29: 2 p.m., medical aid, 500 block of Abbey St. ~4:21 p.m., medical aid, 950 block of Railroad Ave. Dec. 30: 3:23 p.m., public assist, 710 block of Ivy Ct.

~6:40 p.m., medical aid, 400 block of Morgan St. Dec. 31: 3:34 a.m., medical aid, 1000 block of Adams Ln.

~11:47 a.m., medical aid, 420 block of Main St.

~1:38 p.m., medical aid, 950 block of Railroad Ave. ~11:32 p.m., medical aid, 120 block of Liwai Village Cr. Jan. 1: 12:04 a.m., medical aid, 210 block of White Oak Ln.

~1:17 a.m., medical aid, 100 block of Owings Dr. ~8:25 a.m., medical aid, 950 block of Railroad Ave. ~9:50 a.m., medical aid, 800 block of W. Grant Ave.

~12:26 p.m., investigation, 400 block of Abbey St. ~4:28 p.m., mutual aid, Highway 128 Jan. 3: 1:56 a.m., medical aid, 100 block of Martinez Way ~1:11 p.m., vehicle accident, CR 34 Jan. 4: 12:12 a.m., fire alarm, CR 87 ~1:23 a.m., medical aid, 120 block of Liwai Village Cr. ~8:57 a.m., medical aid, 400 block of Morgan St.

Police Arrest Log Dec. 24: Cervantes, Mauricio (Age 23); Charges: DUI, DUI 0.08 plus percent, Unlicensed Dr.r, Resisting Arrest, Excessive Blood Alcohol Level, Crossing over double yellow lines, Red rear license plate lights, Failure to yield to an emergency vehicle; Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail Dec. 28: Sexton, Bryan Scott (Age 45); Charges: DUI, DUI .08 plus percent, Stop sign violation; Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail ~Cervantez Alaniz, Manuel (Age 44), Charges: Winters PD Warrant, Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail Dec. 30: DelRio, Armando (Age 45), Charges: Winters PD Warrant, Disposition: Released on Notice to Appear Dec. 31: Drummond, Annette Acension (Age 59); Charges: Domestic Violence, Resisting Arrest; Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail Jan. 2: Jimenez, Eduardo (Age 37); Charges: Grand Theft, Public Intoxication; Disposition: Transported to Yolo County Jail Case Log Dec. 3: 7:13 p.m., E. Grant Ave./PG&E Way, Traffic Collision Dec. 9: 7:45 a.m., 500th block of Main St., Vehicle Towed Dec. 16: 4 p.m., 800th block of Dutton St., Vehicle Towed Dec. 21: 12 a.m., Ivy Loop, Hit and Run Collision Dec. 28: 9:04 p.m., 1400th Block of Valley Oak Ln., Alarm Dec. 31: 9:18 p.m., 400th block of Luis Pl., Domestic Dispute Jan. 1: 3:43 p.m., 400th block of Russell St., Battery Jan. 2: 6:17 a.m., 100th block of Grant Ave., Alarm ~8:16 p.m., 400th block of Creekside Way, Civil Restraining Order Violation ~9:56 p.m., 500th block of Abbey St., Domestic Dispute ~10:39 p.m., 100th block of Grant Ave., Alarm ~11:03 p.m., 800th block of Jackson St., Domestic Dispute Jan. 3: 2:33 a.m., 700th block of Matsumoto Ln., Stolen Vehicle Recovery

Years Ago

Dispatches from the Express archives.

145 Years Ago

January 12, 1878

(Taken from the files of the Winters Advocate)

Winters congregation of the C. P. Church met on Monday last, for the election of a trustee to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the late Daniel Robinson. I. Edwards and S. C. Wolfskill were appointed judges of election, which resulted in the choice of C. W. Ish, to hold office for one year and until his successors should be duly elected and qualified.

T. H. Hyatt, of Vacaville, and owner of a ranch in the foothills near Winters, is a candidate for State Librarian. Mr. H. is an old newspaper man.

Dr. Thomas Keefe, of the Pioneer Drug Store, is at home in his new brick store, and Winters can now boast of having one of the finest fitted up and best stocked drug stores in Yolo County.

Theodore Winters visited town, on Thursday.

Benjamin Ely, senior, visited town on Thursday, and received the congratulations of his host of friends on his recovery from his recent severe illness.

Married, at the residence of A. McClory, near Winters, December 29, 1877, by J. C. Heise, J. P., George Overhouse, to Miss Emma Malone.

130 Years Ago

January 14, 1893

Among the Pleasant Valleyites in town this week we noticed

J.D. Little was here from Monticello last Thursday afternoon. He says he was five hours making the trip down, in consequence of having to walk a greater part of the way — the road being so badly washed that it was unsafe to ride his horse over it.

Henry Brinck, W.J. Pleasants, W. Johnson, W. Tubbs and Rufus Thurber.

Principal Crane will move his family down from Capay today or tomorrow, and will occupy W.J. Cannedy’s house on Baker Street, between Railroad avenue and First street.

William Wolfskill, past president, installed the officers elect of Winters Parlor No. 163, Native Sons of the Golden West, last Saturday evening. Charles Dayton Ireland was installed as president.

J.D. Little was here from Monticello last Thursday afternoon. He says he was five hours making the trip down, in consequence of having to walk a greater part of the way — the road being so badly washed that it was unsafe to ride his horse over it.

William Wolfskill, manager of the Hotel DeVilbiss bought a carload of wood in Capay valley last week, and it was unloaded here on Tuesday last.

Mrs. E.J. Clark has

moved her restaurant into Cradwick’s building on the north side of Main street, and will furnish the rooms upstairs for lodgers.

Men and teams have been at work this week, plowing and grading Abbay street between First and Railroad avenue.

95 Years Ago

January 13, 1928

The compelling advantages and significant beauty of the new $23,000 Masonic Hall were pleasingly revealed Saturday night at the dedicatory rites.

The principal address was delivered by Colonel H.G. Mathewson of San Francisco.

Judge Ball and wife were arrivals from San Francisco Sunday evening and have taken up residence in their beautiful new Main street home. They were treated to a chivari Monday evening.

Mr. and Mrs. Chester Harrington of Willows have recently taken up residence on the E.L. Younger place north of town.

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Ish of San Jose visited relatives in Olive district over the weekend.

Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Overhouse are having a few days recreation in Pacific Grove and coast cities.

Miss Rachel Sager of the Winters Express

force is confined to her home this week with a mild attack of influenza.

Little Miss Jean Brinck entertained a bevy of classmates and other friends at her home in the Apricot district Friday afternoon. The occasion was a belated birthday party which was postponed owing to illness in the family.

80 Years Ago

January 15, 1943

According to Dr. A.M. Herron, principal, most details have been arranged for the reassemblage of the student body Monday morning, January 18. Assembly will be held at 8:30 in the grammar school auditorium. Headquarters will be made at the former Japanese school, with principal’s office and most of the classes established there.

E.W. Forwick, in training at Camp Kohler, was a weekend visitor at home.

The Missionary Society of the Christian church met Wednesday p.m. Mrs. R.L. Niemann was leader, on the topic, Latin America. Others participating were Mrs. W.A. Young, Mrs. Lee Sadler, Mrs. Gertrude Wyatt and Mrs. Alice Rice, who conducted devotionals

Elmwood Circle, Neighbors of Woodcraft held their regular monthly meeting Tuesday night. Guardian Neighbor Mattie Bower presided over the business session and a committee composed of Mrs. Mabel Crowder, Mabel Bruhn, Jennie Rice and Alice Rice served sandwiches and coffee during the social hour.

At the meeting of the Service Club Monday evening, Postmaster Charles Graf reported that the local office may be rated as 2nd class when the last year’s business is audited by the department at Washington.

Picked by Charley Wallace File photo

1967 SCAL Championship baseball team. Pictured (from left) front Row: Stan Kato, Coach Hugh Randolph, Antonio Martinez, Jim Fredericks, David Storz and Rudy Rodriguez; back row: Gary Pleasants, John Kammerer, Jim Lindeman, Dick Crum, Jill Barker, scorekeeper, Bill Young, Mike Paul, Billy Martin and Ken Kato. (Rich Chiles was not present for the photo, but did add a little to the team’s success.)

City of Winters

Lopez named Librarian

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media

The Yolo County Board of Supervisors has appointed Diana Lopez as the new Yolo County librarian.

Lopez succeeds Mark Fink, who took a position in Colorado in October after five years in the position.

“My colleagues and I are delighted to have Diana Lopez join the Yolo County community as the Yolo County Librarian. Her experience and knowledge will undoubtedly have an impact within the community for years to come,” said Supervisor Oscar Villegas of West Sacramento.

Originally from the Pasadena area, Lopez has over 10 years of experience in public library management and over 20 years of serving people of vary-

ing needs from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, ages and abilities, the county noted in a press release.

Lopez holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree from San Jose State University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Cal Poly Pomona. She is passionate about elimi-

nating equity, education, and opportunity barriers within the community, the county said.

“I am very excited with the selection made by our Board of Supervisors to have Diana Lopez serve as our next librarian. Her commitment to providing great customer service and her strong track record of collaborating extremely well with diverse communities will make our library system even stronger. With the support of our highly talented library staff, Diana will continue the Yolo County tradition of excellence and innovation,” said County Administrator Gerardo Pinedo.

Lopez will assume her new responsibilities on Jan. 30.

Free tax prep service starts Feb. 13

AARP Foundation

Special to the Express

Beginning Feb. 13, the AARP Foundation is providing tax assistance and preparation through its Tax-Aide program — and it’s completely free.

The Winters site at Winters City Hall (318 First St.) is taking appointments for in-person preparation and filing. Sessions are on select Mondays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., starting Feb. 13 and continuing through April 10. To set an appointment, call 530-207-0055, or visiting yolotaxes.org.

Taxpayers will interact with IRS-certified tax counselors in a one-on-one meeting to exchange documents. Taxpayers will remain on-site during the preparation to answer questions that

unearthed during the storm system from New Year’s Eve.

The storm system over the weekend prompted Yolo County to issued a local emergency proclamation on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

The winter storm brought strong winds gusts from 45 to 60 mph and heavy rainfall through the weekend.

Trepa said residents can report safety concerns on public property or in the right of way based on the situation at hand: • Call 911 for emergencies that are an immediate threat to life or property.

may arise. Returns will be quality reviewed and filed electronically with a hard copy provided the taxpayer. All documents will be returned.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest volunteer-based free tax preparation service. Volunteers are trained and IRS-certified every year to ensure they understand the latest changes to the U.S. Tax Code.

Tax-Aide provides tax preparation assistance services nationwide. In 2020, 1.5 million taxpayers who used AARP Foundation Tax-Aide received more than $1 billion in income tax refunds. (These numbers were affected by the reduced availability of in-person assistance due to the pandemic.)

For more about AARP Foundation, visit aarpfoundation.org.

• For non-emergency incidents with no immediate threat, call City Hall at 530-795-4910 and Public Works staff will address them.

• For critical situations that need to be addressed in a timely manner (like downed limbs, plugged drains), Call City Hall during regular business hours or the Winters Police Department dispatch at 530-795-4561 if after 5 p.m.

Sandbag materials are still available at the end of East Street toward Grant Avenue (between the City Corpyard and Yolo Federal Credit Union buildings).

Residents should consider bringing their own shovels to create

sandbags.

Public safety officials shared the following instructions on filling and using sandbags:

Fill the provided sandbags one-half to two-thirds full.

Tie the filled sandbag toward the top to transport them.

Fold over the top of the sandbag. The fold should be on the bottom of the bag when placing them around a property.

After each row of sandbags, tamp down the wall by walking along the layer. To build rows, stagger the sandbags similar to how bricks are layered.

Motorists are encouraged to avoid driving through flooded areas.

Nonprofits: Apply for Soroptimist grant

Soroptimist International of Davis is accepting applications from local nonprofit organizations for its annual Community Grant funding. The deadline is March 7.

For 2023, the club has $3,000 budgeted for Community Grants, which give a boost to local projects that improve the lives of women and girls. Nonprofit organizations whose work supports the Soroptimist mission are encouraged to apply for up to $3,000. Awards will be distributed in late spring. Applicants will receive notice of their application’s status by May 1.

Grant applications are evaluated for their alignment with the Soroptimist mission, vision, core values, community impact and feasibility. Any nonprofit, including previous recipients, can apply. Applicants are asked how the requested funds would address the needs of women and girls in Yolo County, and support Soroptimist core values of gender equality, empowerment, education and diversity.

To apply, visit https://www.sidavis.org/grants. Questions may be emailed to Grants Chair Mary Chapman, Community at marechap29@ gmail.com.

Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training

they need to achieve economic empowerment. Soroptimist International of Davis has several fundraisers a year, and reinvests all of its profits in its programs and projects. Signature programs include Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for Women, and Dream It, Be It: Career Support for high school girls.

It also funds high school scholarships, anti-trafficking efforts, and these Community Grants to area nonprofits.

The international service club was founded in Oakland

Visit https:// www.sidavis. org/grants.

in October 1921. SI Davis was chartered in 1954. A second club, SI Greater Davis, chartered in 1985. Local members join some 75,000 Soroptimists in 122 countries and territories to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women and girls. For more information on the club, visit https://sidavis.org or like its Facebook or Instagram pages: @SoroptimistDavis.

con diferentes patrocinadores en la preparación para la ciudadanía. Mientras tanto, Torres refuerza los servicios de ciudadanía manteniendo actualizado el Rincón de Ciudadanía de la biblioteca con nueva información y materiales a medida que los procesos de ciudadanía cambian regularmente.

El Rincón de la Ciudadanía (Citizenship Corner) está repleto de información y recursos para cualquier persona que quiera aprender cómo iniciar el proceso de obtener una tarjeta verde o ciudadanía.

“Tenemos nuestros cursos de ESL, grupo de conversación en Inglés y luego nuestra preparación para el examen de ciudadanía. Esos van de la mano y en cualquier parte del proceso en

el que alguien se encuentre, queremos decirles: ‘Oye, aquí está este increíble programa al que puedes unirte, y aquí están todos los recursos que tenemos para ofrecerte,’ “ dijo Torres.

“Ha sido realmente genial porque tenemos algunas personas que toman el curso de ESL, avanzan un poco más en sus habilidades en Inglés y luego se unen al grupo de conversación en Inglés. Hemos tenido algunas personas que se han beneficiado tanto del curso de ESL que regresan para ayudar y ser voluntarios y compartir su experiencia con otros estudiantes.”

A medida que la biblioteca se esfuerza por ayudar a la comunidad, la comunidad puede ayudar ya que el personal de la biblioteca actualmente está buscando voluntarios para ayudar en el grupo de conversación en Inglés antes

de que el programa pueda reiniciarse. El único requisito es ser paciente y estar disponible una vez a la semana para participar en estas conversaciones para que los estudiantes de Inglés puedan perfeccionar su oficio.

Quienes estén interesados o necesiten más información pueden visitar la biblioteca (en el 708 Railroad Ave.) y hablar con Torres en persona, llamar a la biblioteca al 530-795-4955 o visitar su sitio web en yolocountylibrary.org/ locations/winters.

Una lista completa de los eventos y programas actuales de la biblioteca está disponible en un calendario mensual en la biblioteca y se publica en la pestaña de eventos del sitio web de la Biblioteca del Condado de Yolo (Yolo County Library) (buscando o filtrando la “categoría” para Winters).

Diana Lopez Yolo County Libriarian

By Jacob Ho man Express sta writer

The recently revamped Winters Open Mic, after a hiatus during the pandemic, opened its doors again and did so as a 509(a)2 non-profit. Sam Hawk, the organization’s executive director, shared what exactly this means for Winters Open Mic, how it came about, and how other organizations in Winters can do the same.

Hawk explained that the motivation behind making Winters Open Mic a nonprofit was to, “build a self-sustaining permanent open mic in Winters.”

“Our status as a public charity enables us to support artistic growth and development in our community and enhance our local culture,” because, “Winters Open Mic is a 100 percent volunteer operation.”

“Everyone involved…donate(s) their time, energy, and ideas to create a professional-quality performance platform for amateur musicians and poets.” But Hawk notes that, “it takes a lot of time, energy, technical expertise, and money to run an open mic,” and that, “as a nonprofit, Winters Open Mic can accept donations and support from sponsors, which

enable us to serve the community in a sustainable fashion.”

To make this change possible, Hawk said the organization required lots of planning, a process that began in March as he researched into and developed a checklist for what was needed for an organization to become a nonprofit.

“The checklist included filing the appropriate applications, assembling a board of directors, developing the organization’s bylaws, and then holding a meeting with the board to approve the bylaws and set an agenda.” Hawk described the passion and efficacy of the assembled board, which includes Treasurer Corinne Martinez, Secretary Rebecca Fridae, Directors Gregg Partridge and Gar House, and Board Chair Jesse Loren.

The organization then determined which nonprofit model most fit for Winters Open Mic, and applied for tax-exempt status with the IRS, as well as relevant paperwork and applications with the Office of the Attorney General, the California Secretary of State, and the Franchise Tax Board.

When their application was approved in October of this

year, Winters Open Mic officially became a 501(c)3 status nonprofit with the sub-category designation of 509(a)2.

What this actually means, Hawk explained, is that

and assist with setting up and running live sound at events,” which according to Hawk means, “Winters Open Mic is positioned to thrive over the years, even if leadership, board members, or crew members change.”

“This program fulfills a key role in Winters’ development as a vibrant arts-focused community,” Hawk said.

organization aligns with.

“Winters Open Mic will fund operations through grants, donations, and sponsor support rather than requiring any one individual to pay for equipment or resources necessary for the program’s success.”

With this model, Winters Open Mic will be able to provide, “quality audio equipment, a venue for performances, and opportunities for musicians and poets to perform,” as well as, “educational opportunities for locals to be trained as crew members

Ceja graduates from Wayland Baptist

By Phillip Hamilton Special to the Express

Vanessa Araceli Ceja, a Winters High School alumna, graduated from Wayland Baptist University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences and a minor in Psychology last month.

Ceja received her diploma during a ceremony held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, in Hutcherson Center on Wayland’s Plainview campus. Dr. Cindy McClenagan, Vice president for Academic Affairs, pre-

sented the candidates for degrees to Dr. Bobby Hall, President, who conferred degrees with assistance from Rick Breeden, chairman of Wayland’s Board of Trustees.

“Graduation is the pinnacle of the collegiate experience and signifies to the world that the graduate has not only mastered a challenging curriculum but has also displayed the grit and determination to complete a degree despite all the challenges of life,” Hall said. “The culmination of this special investment of

Saylor, for their support and mentorship over the years.

time and resources will serve them well throughout their lives. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and all who serve at Wayland, I congratulate each of our graduates. We are proud of you.”

Ceja’s mother Erika Ceja told the Express she made the President’s List and graduated with a 4.0 this last semester. According to Erika, Ceja will be home for a bit while she looks for a Physician Assistant Program to continue her education.

Crystal Apilado contributed to this article.

by the elections office.

In addition to helping new musicians and poets hone their performance skills, Winters Open Mic programs are a way for seasoned artists to try out new material on live audiences and to meet other musicians and potential collaborative partners. Local businesses through sponsorships and community members through donations are afforded tangible ways (to) show their support of our growing creative community. All of this is a win-win for Winters, which continues to attract more visitors as our reputation as an arts community grows.”

In advice to other organizations in Winters interested in becoming a nonprofit, Hawk suggested first and foremost visiting the IRS website on the topic to help determine which type of nonprofit structure their

“Follow guidance for assembling a board of directors and carefully select members based on the skills, abilities, and resources they will bring to your board,” Hawk advised, and suggested looking for online resources like the Council of Nonprofits, as well as, “(being) sure to get legal advice and have a qualified attorney review important documents, especially the bylaws.”

Even if the process seems like a cumbersome task, Hawk heartily encourages anyone with any interest to pursue it.

“If you believe in your project and the good it will bring to your community, then forming a successful nonprofit organization is well worth the time, effort, and cost,” Hawk said.

Winters Open Mic happens every third Thursday of the month at 13 Main St. (formerly the Palms). Shows start at 6 p.m. with sign-ups to perform starting at 5 p.m. The next Winters Open Mic is taking place on Thursday, Jan. 19. For more information, visit wintersopenmic.org, email wintersopenmic@gmail. com, or visit its social media platforms by searching @wintersopenmic on Facebook and Instagram.

•

an extra two years. For those of you that didn’t vote for me, that gives me an extra two years to prove to you that I am more than worthy …”

Frerichs was sworn into the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday by former Supervisor Helen Thomson and he thanked her, as well as former supervisors Lois Wolk and Don

He also noted that he was following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who served as a county supervisor for 20 years in rural New York “where the population was 30,000 people and 75,000 cows,” said Frerichs. His grandfather, who turns 87 this week, was able to watch the swearing-in via a Facebook live stream provided

In addition to Frerichs and Sandy, the Board of Supervisors for the next two years will also include Supervisors Jim Provenza of Davis; Oscar Villegas of West Sacramento; and Angel Barajas of the rural Fifth District. The latter three will be up for election again in March 2024, while Frerichs and Sandy won’t be up for re-election until 2026.

• Be willing to have your blood pressure taken

Generally healthy, and not taking metaformin or statins; while on a stable dose of other prescriptions for at least 6 months

• Willing to stop all supplement use prior to and throughout the study period

You will receive up to $360 for completion of all study visits

Study Location: Ragle Human Nutrition Research Center, Academic Surge, UC Davis

What to expect from an inspection

Wednesday, January 11

Winters Senior Commission on Aging Meeting, 5:30 p.m., City Hall Large Conference Room (Abbey Street entrance), check www.cityofwinters .org/winters-senior-commission-on-aging

Wednesdays

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

Thursdays

Eat Well Yolo Food Distribution, first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. As supplies last, RISE, Inc., 200 Baker St. – Rooms 4 & 5, 530-668-0690

Tuesday, January 17

Winters Community Blood Drive, 1 –5 p.m., Winters Community Center (201 Railroad Ave.), Register at Vitalant.org or call 877-258-4825 with code 'SMFM164'

Winters City Council Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Meeting info, check www.cityofwinters.org/city-council-meetings_/

Upcoming

Thursday, January 19

Winters JUSD School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., School District Office/Zoom Meeting info, check https://bit.ly/ WintersJUSDBoardAgendaCommunitySite

Friday, January 20

Healthy Aging Food Truck Program, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Blue Mountain Terrace Apartments (147 E. Baker St.), RSVP to 530-210-2961, http://yolohealthyaging.org

Library Services

Winters Library Open to Public (School in Session)

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

Teen Tuesday (ages 12-18), Second Tuesdays, 13:30 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, Second Thursday, 2-7:30 p.m., call 530-666-8005 to schedule an appointment

Afterschool Adventure (ages 6-12), Third Thursday, 3:30 p.m., Winters Community Library 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 Game Days, 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., Meeting details: https://wfol.org/ 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, 6 p.m. (sign-ups begin at 5 p.m.), 13 Main St.

Kiwanis Club of Winters meeting, fourth Thursdays, 6 p.m., Yolo Federal Credit Union Community Room Democracy Winters meeting, third Saturdays, 10 a.m.Noon, Meeting details in newsletter, contact info@ democracywinters.org

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings:

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

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

Cuevas, Moore are Express Athletes of the Year

By Aaron Geerts Express sta writer

The Winters Warriors are a proud group filled with incredible athletes. Amongst them are Winters High School alumni Joanna Cuevas and Matthew Moore who have stood out amongst their peers and are distinguished as the 2022 Express Athletes of the Year.

Joanna Cuevas Cuevas was a three-sport

athlete who participated in track, cross country and soccer. Not only was she a leader on her respective teams, but an athlete who made quite an impression on her coaches through her tireless efforts.

“Joanna is so deserving of this award. She is one of the most humble, hardworking and unselfish soccer players that I have ever coached. She works hard on and off the field,” praised Kim Olivas, former varsity women’s soccer head coach. “I have had the

pleasure of watching Joanna blossom from an unsure fourth grader to a smart, poised, strong young woman ready for the next challenge. She pushes herself to do better every day both in the classroom and on the field. I am very proud of her.”

The current varsity women’s soccer coach John McKenna also raved about Cuevas’ impact on the team.

“Jo was the epitome of one

Youth Of One gears up for year two

By Aaron Geerts Express sta writer

Art Garcia and his organization Youth of One work to provide a place for Winters youth. Not only does Youth of One prepare young people for adulthood but also gets them there by instilling the organization’s core values of discipline, structure and respect.

Although born in Fresno, Garcia is a “Winters kid” through and through. He’s also a combat veteran who’s been deployed to Iraq twice, Afghanistan and South Korea. Nowadays, he’s employed at the Department of Veterans Affairs at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon and also coaches youth football in Winters. It’s when he was doing some off-season training with his nephews, however, that Youth of One — a name derived from the US Army slogan ‘Army of One’ — took

root.

“I lived in LA for about seven years after I retired from the Army, then decided to move back to my hometown. And I’ve always wanted to do something for the community and the youth here, it’s always been my passion. I also have three nephews that live here and I told them, ‘we’re going to start training for football before the season starts.’ And that was the original plan to just train my nephews. Well, they asked if their friends could come too and I said sure,” Garcia said explaining how

his youth organization came to be. “I started thinking about it more and thought, why not do something for the whole community? It went from football training to, overall, more military marching, formations, and buddy-assisted training. I set up obstacle courses, we’d run and it just turned into a youth program and sort of a mini boot camp.”

While Garcia’s military mindset provides the structure for Youth of One, its mission isn’t to create soldiers; rather, give attending youths a chance to build

self-esteem, confidence, social skills and respect through various forms of exercise and team-building activities. All of which builds an important foundation for these youths to grow.

“Last year we went from March to early July with early signups in February. Then every Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Blue Oak Park. The kids would show up, wear their Youth of One shirt and get (into) formation ready for roll call. Each parent would also get a calendar of what their child would be doing on these Tuesdays and Wednesdays,” said Garcia. “We would run, do obstacle courses, play flag football, basketball and more. But what I liked the most was watching some kids go from not talking to each other or not getting along, to helping each other and cheering each

Courtesy photo

Youth of One participants march in the Youth Day parade.

Art Garcia, Youth of One creator and organizer, leads a group of kids participating in the program at a local park.

Courtesy photo

KS Winters Photography/Courtesy photo Matthew Moore drives around an opponent during one of the Warriors’ basketball games.

KS Winters Photography/Courtesy photo Three-sport athlete Joanna Cuevas made an impression on each of her coaches in soccer, track and cross country.

What to expect from a home inspection

A home inspection is usually required before you can close on a home purchase.

Home inspections involve a close examination of the structure and systems of a home.

When the inspector is finished, they will send a report that covers their findings, analysis and recommendations.

What will an inspector look for?

A standard home

inspection will look for the condition of the home’s structure, heating and cooling system, interior plumbing, electrical system, the roof, the attic, any visible insulation, walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors, and other structural components. The American Society of Home Inspectors publishes a standard of practice and code of ethics that covers what the home inspector should look for and cover in their

report. Is anything exempt from an inspection?

Yes. Inspectors can’t inspect what they can’t see. So any inaccessible areas, say a locked closet or a very steep roof, won’t get a thorough inspection. The inspector will note these areas in their report, and the lender or buyer can ask for a special inspection to cover that area.

Do you need a home inspection?

If your lender doesn’t require it, no, you don’t need a home

inspection. But it’s a good idea to get one. A home purchase is often a family’s largest single investment and the buyer should learn everything they

Home inspections involve a close examination of the structure and systems of a home.

Adobe/Stock image

can about the home before they sign the paperwork. After the inspection process, the buyer will know more about the home and can make decisions and demands with confidence.

What if the inspection reveals problems?

No house is perfect and remember, the inspector isn’t there to pass or fail a house. Instead, they just describe the conditions as they see them. It is up to the client (the homebuyer) to decide what they want to do with that information during the home buying process. The homebuyers may wish to take the inspection report and negotiate with the seller to make

repairs or cover costs. How to choose an inspector

So how do you find this real estate professional? Your Realtor or lender can give you a list, or you can turn to ASHI’s Find an Inspector search at homeinspector. org. You can also ask friends and family. Once you’ve found a prospective inspector, ASHI recommends asking some of these questions:

• Is the inspector licensed? Verify that any home inspector holds a valid license in your state, county or city.

• Does the inspector belong to ASHI? ASHI members subscribe to a standard of practice and code of ethics, often in addition to state and local regulations.

• What are the inspector’s specialities and certifications? This is especially important if your home has extra features such as a pool.

• How will the inspector communicate their results? Find an inspector that you communicate well with.

ft. home. In ground pool, new paint, new flooring throughout, large shop, stalls and fenced paddocks for horses, goats, etc.. all on 6 ac Putah Ridge Trails. Call for more details. OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS IN NORTH VACAVILLE! 6 approved lots with separate APN numbers. Final map approved project is ready to move forward. Lots located in area of million-dollar(+) homes. Seller owns 31 water rights. Call today for more details! Priced at $1,199,999.

master on one side and the other bedrooms on the other side of the

ON A CORNER LOT. Established neighborhood. Offered at $445,000. Call 530-383-1185.

WALKING DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN. 3 bed, 2 bath with good size backyard. Great court location. New

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Express Travels to Toronto, Ontario

month.

Charley is on vacation this

Letters Policy

The Winters Express encourages readers to submit letters of general interest to the Winters community. The deadline for Letters to the Editor is noon on Mondays to be considered for publication that week. If Monday is a federal holiday, letters are due by noon on the Friday before that holiday.

Letters should not exceed 250 words. Email letters to: news@wintersexpress. com.

Letters may be mailed to: The Winters Express, PO Box 520, Winters, CA 95694, or submitted online at www.winters express.com/tools/submit-letter/.

We reserve the right to edit or reject any letter. Letters must be legibly signed by the writer. However, we may withhold writers’ names from publication if there is a legitimate reason, such as fear of reprisal. We reserve the right to determine legitimacy.

We will accept “thank you” letters naming local individuals and businesses only. Non-local names will be edited out. “Thank you” notices containing non-local individuals or businesses must be published as paid advertising. Email to: ads@ wintersexpress.com.

Courtesy photo

Jemima, left, Leo and Mahalia Lanfranco took a copy of the Express with them to Toronto, capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. The CN Tower, also known as the “Space Needle,” can be seen in the background.

Basketball takes victory over Lions, falls short to Bears

By Aaron Geerts Express sta writer

After a quick holiday break, the Winters Warriors took to the court once again to tip off league play.

basketball

Women’s

Starting last Tuesday, Jan. 3, the women’s varsity squad played host to the Live Oak Lions. The visitors took the Lion’s share of lumps from the Warriors, however, as Winters would go on to win 57–40.

A few days later on Friday, Jan. 6, the squad traveled up to Pierce to take on the Bears. After a decent first half, unfortunately, the Warriors’ offense lost

its potency and the Bears would end up winning 58–33.

“The team played with some pretty good energy against Live Oak, we did some good things and it was a great way to start league off,” said head coach Jeff Christian. “Then we went to Pierce on the road later that Friday and played a decent first half. Again, the girls were doing some good things and learning our new style of play and playing pretty (well) as a team. We ended up losing that game 58–33, but it was not a 25-point game. We’re going to keep working on knocking down shots, executing, working on defense, and

“Structure, no matter what, is something that has to be stable from youth until these kids become an adult. I also try to encourage respect. Respecting each other, respecting yourself and your adults. That just builds more character for each youth,. And then for discipline, you can’t have — in my opinion — structure or respect without discipline. In order to build the structure and continue having respect and growing as a youth, you’ve got to have discipline.”

Art Garcia, Youth of One founder

I’m confident we’re getting ready to go on a pretty good run here and keep getting better and better. We’re starting to get healthy and get players back, so I’m really excited to see how the league’s going to turn out.”

Men’s basketball

The men’s varsity squad also tipped off league on Tuesday, Jan. 3 with a road trip to Live Oak. The Warriors put a muzzle on the hosting Lions defensively holding them to just 11 points in the first half. However, it’d still be a low-scoring slog of a game, but the Warriors would hold on to win 29–27.

Later in the week, the

Warriors would host the visiting Pierce Bears. The Bears proved to be a ferocious, physical team, but the Warriors were ready for the challenge dishing back the physicality. When the dust settled, the Bears reigned victorious clawing out a 54–44 win against the Warriors.

“In Live Oak we displayed the kind of defense that is our calling card, holding the Lions to 11 first-half points. Despite injuries during the game to multiple players, we were able to fight through with seniors Nathan Vigil and Jack Bryant stepping up to fill roles off the bench. Live Oak had a last push in the fourth

quarter, but gusty plays from Colton Brown and AJ Pignataro sealed the 29–27 win,” said head coach Brendan McShea. “Pierce came to town on Friday and it was a very physical game from the tip. Pierce has been a great team in our conference and we want to measure ourselves against the best. We showed, especially in the second half, that we can compete with anyone in the league. Ultimately, turnovers hurt us when we were making a run, but I was happy with how we played team-first ball on both ends. I’m excited to keep improving our offense to match the defensive efforts we have put on the court.”

YOUTH

Continued from Page 1

other on. You have no idea — that was the best feeling seeing that.”

With around 30 kids attending in the first year, Youth of One has already made an impact on the town, even marching in formation during last year’s Youth Day Parade. Garcia is still striving to achieve nonprofit status for his organization, but Lorenzo’s Town and Country Market has already stepped up to sponsor Youth of One, funding the printing of the shirts the participating youth wear. As has Garcia’s clothing company, DAJRAD (each representing the first letter of the names of his children and nephews — and founding members of Youth of One).

“Structure, no matter what, is something that has to be stable from youth until these kids become an adult. I also try to encourage respect. Respecting each other, respecting yourself and your adults. That just builds more character for each youth,” said Garcia. “And then for discipline, you can’t have — in my

opinion — structure or respect without discipline. In order to build the structure and continue having respect and growing as a youth, you’ve got to have discipline. And I got that from the Army.”

After many thanks from different parents for the change they’ve seen in their children, Garcia is excited to bring back Youth of One for another year. The program will take place from March 1 through June 28 for children ages seven to 16 years old on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5–6 p.m.

One can stay upto-date or get more information about Youth of One by checking out the organization’s Facebook page, by emailing youthofonewinters@gmail.com or by texting Garcia directly at 805-7014731.

YEAR

Continued from Page 1 who leads by example in practice and on the field, by her work ethic and her level of skill,” said McKenna. “And she never failed to be a great ambassador of our school and community.”

Cuevas’ athletic prowess on the pitch helped two of her soccer teams clinch section championships for WHS. Meanwhile, she was also hustling up a storm as an all-league track and cross-country star.

“During her 2021–22 senior year, Joanna Cuevas showed great effort and consistency. On the 2021 cross country team, she helped to create our first home meet ever run in Winters,” said Bill Davis track/cross country coach. “She reached her goals (by) running personal bests in both cross country and track. At the cross-country league meet, she ran the three-mile race in 25:46 and in track broke the three-minute barrier in the 800 meters running it in 2:58.”

Matthew Moore

Another three-sport athlete, Moore showed out for the Warriors in football, basketball and baseball. He was a two-time all-league player in both football and baseball. He now owns most of the WHS passing records and is currently playing football at George Fox University.

“More important than his stats is the person and leader he has become,” said Daniel Ward, varsity head football coach and WHS Athletic Director. “I’ve never seen a young adult who was looked up to and respected by his peers as much as Matt was.”

Of course, Moore’s leadership skills would remain a big

part of his athletic arsenal transitioning from the football field to the basketball court.

“Moore was a great competitor who was ready to do whatever it took on game day to help his teammates,” said Brendan McShea, varsity men’s head basketball coach. “He led the team his senior year in both assists and charges taken. He was selfless on both ends of the court and was a huge impact on our team.”

Once Moore slipped on the cleats for baseball season, his presence continued to make an impact on his games and his team.

“Moore was more than a great player, he was a great leader. When we needed a big hit or an arm we could count on, he was our guy. He ended the year with 66 innings pitched and tallied an ERA of .63,” said Austin Calvert, head varsity baseball coach. “That is a perfect example of what he contributed to our team, consistently giving us a chance to win games.”

Although Cuevas and Moore have moved on from WHS, they embodied the fighting spirit, selflessness and resolve of a Winters Warrior.

Logan Crabtree

Logan Crabtree, a senior at Winters High School, is Pisani’s Athlete of the Week. A rim-ravaging rebounder, Crabtree’s physical presence, and versatility as a player have been a big factor in the men’s varsity basketball team’s success. “Logan is the key interior defender on our team and had to play almost the entire game on Tuesday to protect the pain,” praised head coach Brendan McShea. “(Logan’s) ability to play around the rim, but also step out and shoot the three makes him hard to guard. This week, he averaged 10 points and six rebounds while being a vocal leader on the floor.”

Mark Snow/Courtesy photo

Joanna Cuevas runs the hurdles at the 8th Annual Roy Crabtree Pirate Classic at Wheatland Union High School on March 11.

KS Winters Photography/Courtesy photo Matthew Moore showed up for the Warriors in football, basketball and baseball.

Courtesy photo

Art Garcia and his organization Youth of One work to provide a place for Winters youth.

A meaty bite of comfort

Last Wednesday, I celebrated my 42nd birthday. I tend to celebrate the entire month of January — because why not? My husband had a day off on Thursday, and since I’ve been working from home with all of my children on their two-weeklong winter break, I decided it was a perfect time to cash in on a lunch out by myself.

I grabbed one of the multiple books I’m currently reading and headed out to Preserve. I had run into Cole Ogando earlier in the day and he mentioned that Preserve is expanding its open hours during the week. It had been a while since I had stopped in, and after looking at the menu online I knew what I absolutely had to try, the corned beef sandwich.

I am not a corned beef aficionado, however, I have very strong memories of sitting down to a plate of corned beef breakfast from my childhood. Hot, meaty bites with a bit of crust from being fried in a pan is a comfort breakfast I can simmer in happily.

When I would stay the night at my Grandma Apilado’s house, I’d search through empty margarine containers until I found it stored for a. later meal. Paired with sticky rice and a fried egg on top, corned beef is one of my favorite breakfast meals.

Nowadays, my standards are a tad higher than the traditional canned version found in most Filipino grandmas’ cupboards. However, crafting the perfect homemade corned beef leaves room for things to go wrong if one is not experienced enough. I’ve had corned beef cut too thin, taste too leathery, too salty, or not briny enough. But, I was willing and curious enough to give Preserve’s new chef’s corned beef a chance.

Besides enjoying a hot meal, reading

at a bar is one of my favorite pastimes. I started with a Sweater Weather cocktail. The weather was gray and the warmth from the bourbon, ginger and spices sounded like a good reading beverage. The Sweater Weather was delightful. Ginger, lemon and spiced pear paired with bourbon and topped with a cinnamon stick indeed warmed me right up.

The experience of sipping a cocktail while reading, free from distraction, was exactly what I needed. Until my meal came — and I was unsure of where to start. Being in the middle of an important part of my book, I opted to pop crisp french fries in my mouth. Devouring a story and a perfectly peppered french fry was a silver lining.

The smell of hot corned beef wafted up and, finally, I could no longer ignore my sandwich. Preserve’s corned beef sandwich is served with bacon mustard vinaigrette and Russian dressing. Pickled gypsy peppers and provolone are layered with thick slices

of corned beef. I was not disappointed with my first bite.

The corned beef was cooked tender, but firm enough to provide a meaty bite. The texture of the corned beef was moist and full. The flavors of the corned beef and sauces mixed together in a whirl of flavors that were meant to be combined.

Conveniently, the soft roll was cut partially through and I was able to enjoy my sandwich one-handed as I continued reading my book. The filling stayed within the roll, within reason. Any meal I can enjoy while reading without falling apart and causing interruption is automatically one of my favorite meals.

I need to bring my husband in for lunch now. Usually, I bring him home my leftovers so he can enjoy something too. But, I wasn’t in the mood for sharing and I ate the entire thing myself. It was that delicious. I encourage all of you to give Preserve’s corned beef sandwich on its lunch menu a try.

Call of the panini

This newspaper gig can be pretty grueling sometimes. Like when they ask me to go out, try the food on the company dime, and write a review about it — really difficult stuff. This month, my food-tasting journey took me to Steady Eddy’s Coffee House. With no wrong answers on the menu, I opted for the turkey, bacon and avocado panini. When I bit into that bad boy, I knew it was this month’s Flavor Fave!

It wasn’t an easy choice, however, because the chicken pesto panini was also calling my name — but I didn’t answer. I got myself a turkey, bacon and avocado panini on ciabatta with no tomatoes. The panini itself came out quickly, toasty warm and with those grill marks on the bread that put paninis in an elite class of sandwich. It also came with enough sliced turkey to facilitate a Thanksgiving feast, a perfect bacon-avocado ratio so the flavors don’t step on each other’s toes, and a healthy helping of jack cheese to hold it all together. But the cherry on top — which wasn’t a cherry at all — was the garlic mayo they slathered all over it.

I don’t mean to rhyme all the time, but every bite was a delight. Although the panini isn’t an earth-shattering, life-changing meal, it lives up to the menu’s boast of it being one of the house favorites. I thought the $12 cost was a little much, but also fairly-priced considering it’s 2023 and everything costs an arm and a leg. Other

[It has] a perfect bacon-avocado ratio so the flavors don’t step on each other’s toes, and a healthy helping of jack cheese to hold it all together.

than that, the customer service was great, a couple of people I knew walked in and said ‘hi’ — like any-

time you go anywhere in Winters — and I left more than satisfied with this topnotch panini.

Crystal Apilado/Winters Express

Preserve’s corned beef sandwich is served with bacon mustard vinaigrette and Russian dressing. Gypsy peppers and provolone are layered with thick slices of corned beef.

Aaron Geerts/Winters Express

The turkey, bacon and avocado panini at Steady Eddy’s Co ee House is this month’s Flavor Fave.

Crystal Apilado/Winters Express

The Sweater

Weather cocktail was delightful — ginger, lemon and spiced pear paired with bourbon and topped with a cinnamon stick.