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High school athletics moves to digital tickets News, Page 2
Capstone focuses on breast cancer awareness Features, Page 1
Volume 140, Number 30 — Locally-owned since 1884
The hometown paper of Kenneth Bailey
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Performing arts returns to Winters Opera House Special to the Express
Courtesy photo
Karen Benson-Neil donated blood at the last community blood drive, and is working with the Winters Fortnightly Club to continue hosting it at later hours.
Local News Briefs Express staff
Community blood drive Save the date for the upcoming Winters Fortnightly Bloodbank Blood Drive on Monday, Sept. 18 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Winters Community Center (201 Railroad Ave.). Walk-ins are welcome, but residents are encouraged to reserve an appointment by calling Vitalant at 877258-4825 and mentioning the blood drive code “SMFM164” for the Winters location. Attendees should bring photo identification and should eat well and drink plenty of water that day. The health questionnaire can be filled out ahead of time at www. vitalant.org/health. For questions about eligibility, call 877258-4825.
Harvest Festival
EXPRESS
The second annual Winters Harvest Festival will be hosted from Oct. 27–29 The activity lineup for the three-day event includes: • Oct. 27: Live music,
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outdoor dining, wine, sweets and more • Oct. 28: A threeblock vendor market with over 130 local merchants, food trucks and live music • Oct. 29: Chalk art in Paseo Park and Winters Spooktacular Fun Run and Costume Contest More details, including times and street closures, will be announced.
Spooktacular Fun Run Registration for the Spooktacular Fun Run is officially open online. The 2023 Winters Spooktacular Fun Run and Costume Contest is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 29, and is part of the Winters Harvest Festival festivities lineup. The 5K/10K begins at 8 a.m., the one-mile timed run/walk begins at 8:10 a.m. and the one-mile Monster Dash for youths beings at 10 a.m. Potential runners and walkers can register now online at https://tinyurl.com/ yc4bwuyf. Details and registration information is available on the event registration page. Community members are encouraged to dress up in their best
See LOCAL, Page 5
December 2023 will mark a momentous occasion for the Winters Theatre Company (WTC) as it takes over the lease for the historic Winters Opera House on Main Street in downtown Winters. This move will provide the local theater company with an opportunity to share more productions with the community, as well as provide a venue for other performing artists and performing arts groups in Winters and the surrounding areas. WTC is a nonprofit community theater that has been producing plays in Winters for more than 40 years. Since its inception in 1980, WTC has produced hundreds of plays ranging from modern dramas, classic musicals, Shakespeare comedies, holiday season extravaganzas and everything else in between. Its shows are produced by talented, local, volun-
Classifieds ................... B-4 Community .................. A-2
Editor-in-Chief On Monday, Winters Joint Unified School District announced that students were invited to participate in a library card design contest hosted by Yolo County Library. The contest is open to all Winters JUSD students to design a card that will be printed on the library card distributed to Winters students. Yolo County Library is hosting a similar contest for students attending school within the Davis and Esparto Unified School Districts.
We at he r Date
Rain
High
Low
Aug. 16 TRACE
105˚
68˚
Aug. 17
.00
105˚
69˚
Aug. 18
.00
104˚
65˚
Aug. 19
.00
96˚
62˚
Aug. 20
.00
95˚
69˚
Aug. 21
.01”
95˚
69˚
Opinion ......................... B-3
Aug. 22
.00
83˚
61˚
Sports ........................... A-8
Rain for week: 0.01 in. Season’s total: 0.01 in. Last sn. to date: TRACE Winters rainfall season began 7/1/23. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily by local weatherman Joe Bristow.
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Students in the Winters Joint Unified School District can design the new school-wide library card. Applications and designs must be submitted to the library by Sept. 16. These specific library cards are part of the Student Success Initiative, a service between Yolo County Library and
to have a permanent place of residence and an opportunity to collaborate with other local artists and performers. Art, music and theater has long been an important part of the Winters community, and this will be a wonderful opportunity to build on this strength, revive a historic
See OPERA, Page 5
partnering school districts that work to give every student a library account and a library card that utilizes the student’s school identification number. This gives all students access to all library services.
To participate in the contest, a student must be enrolled at one of the three participating school districts for the 2023–24 school year. The designs will be judged by the library and school district staff. The winning designs will be printed on the Student Success library cards for Winters. The winner will also receive a $100 gift card. For more information, visit the Winters Community Library during public open hours, or download the packet at https://tinyurl.com/ ymjydbrc.
Legislators launch high school student leadership council Express staff On Monday, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and state Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, announced an invitation to high school students to join their Student Leadership Council. The Student Leader-
ship Council is a program that allows local students to work directly with their elected officials and staff to develop leadership skills, learn how government works, and engage with our community. The council is open to all high school students who live in California’s Fourth Congressional
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ing artists. Situated on the second floor of a historic brick building originally constructed as a grocery store, the Opera House has been home to many over the years, including The Palms Playhouse which moved into the space in 2002 and operated as a prominent live music venue for nearly two decades. “WTC is thrilled
By Crystal Apilado
Eventos hispanos ....... A-2
Real Estate ................... B-2
teer directors, cast, crew, musicians, and artists, and the company is run entirely by a volunteer board of directors. The nonprofit has been, and remains, a shining star in the community. The Winters Opera House, constructed in 1876, has long been an important venue in the Winters community for perform-
Winters students can design library card, winner gets $100
Index Features ........................ B-1
Courtesy photo
Winters Theatre Company will have a permanent place to host productions and to collaborate with local artists to bring art, music and theater opportunities to town.
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District or California’s Fourth Assembly District. “Learning about the importance of government, responsible public service, and leadership is vital to the education of our students,” Thompson said. “The Student Leadership Council
See STUDENT, Page 5 YOUR
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