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Winter home improvement tips and tricks Special, Page 6
Student poets recite ryhmes Features, Page 1
Volume 141, Number 04 — Locally-owned since 1884
The hometown paper of Curtis Roth
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Council approves seasonal road closure request By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief The Winters City Council approved the seasonal road closure request from the Winters Downtown Business Association at its Feb. 20 meeting. The seasonal road closures of the Winters DBA’s annual Spring Open event to kick off the Fourth Friday season in March, and end on the last Sunday in October Winters DBA President Carla Wroten’s letter to the city stated the organization will once again support the downtown Winters Farmers Market on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from April 28 to Oct. 27. Except three Sundays in April before the start of the farmers market on April 7, 14 and 21. “On these weekends the Winter DBA recommends Main Street be reopened Sunday morning at the convenience of the public works staff,” Wroten said. The street closure would last from 3 p.m. on Fridays until 3 p.m. on Sundays after the Winters Farmers Market has closed. City Manager Jeremy Craig noted that the request was the same as last year when council members initially approved the seasonal street closure schedule for Winters DBA’s intent to revive the Winters Farmers Market and host special events downtown. The staff report detailed the Winters DBA request that Main Street be closed from Railroad to First
Street starting Friday evening. For the Spring Open Festival, the road closure would expand to Second Street early on Saturday to accommodate the craft show. Vendors would also be located in the “wings” of First Street up to the alleys and into Paseo Park, providing more space. The event would also utilize pergolas on Main Street. Council member Richard Casavecchia asked if the special events for Spring Open and the Harvest Festival would require the street closure to cross Railroad Avenue and the two wings off of the Main Street and Railroad Avenue intersection as last year’s event requests. Wroten and event coordinator Delaney Holden were on Zoom and confirmed that the road closure for the special events would include up to the driveway across from Hoobys because they didn’t want to block motorists from exiting the public parking lot. Holden also clarified the request was for the Spring Open Festival from March 22 to 24, and the seasonal road closure for Fourth Friday and Winters Farmers Market events on the western part of Main Street from Railroad Avenue to the midblock crosswalk at Paseo Park. Winters DBA will put in an additional road closure request for the fall harvest-themed festival event.
Amanda Ehnat was nominated as Teacher of the Year by her peers and selected by a committee made up of teachers, administrators and classified staff at Vacaville High School. Courtesy photo
Vacaville High School names Ehnat Teacher of the Year By Angela Underwood Express correspondent Serendipity defines Vacaville High School Teacher of the Year Amanda Ehnat’s story. It was by accident she realized she loved teaching, according to the longtime Biology instructor. Ehnat, a Winters High School Class of 1999 graduate, began her 17-year-long career at the high school when asked to substitute for a friend. “I fell in love with subbing and working with teenagers and felt if I liked subbing that much, then teaching would be even better since I’d get to have my own classes, which it was,” Ehnat said. She said she loves working with the age group who are just figuring out who they are and where they want to go. “It’s fun to see them grow and succeed as well as help
See CLOSURE, Page 5
Courtesy photo
On Jan. 17, Vacaville High School announced on social media that Amanda Ehnat was named Teacher of the Year, and Noel Bradanini was named Classified Person of the Year. them see that setbacks aren’t the end of the road, just detours along the way,” Enhat said. “I’m not so hung up on what a student plans to do after high school, as long as they have a plan.” Teachers are nominated
by their peers, according to Vacaville High School Principal Adam Wight, who said Ehnat was one of 15 nominations. After submitted, all nominations are reviewed by a committee
See TEACHER, Page 5
School district opens registration for summer program Express staff
EXPRESS
Winters Joint Unified School District is launching registration for its Winters Summer Learning Program (formally known as Munchkin Summer Camp) on Tuesday, March 5 at 8 a.m. The program will
serve current Winters JUSD students in Transitional Kindergarten through seventh grade. Last year, the Board of Trustees approved to transition of the summer and afterschool programs from the city of Winters to the school district. School district staff have been working out the details for the upcoming programs through the transition from the city to Winters JUSD.
Registration for the summer program will be conducted through a Google Form that will be posted on the school districts website (www.wintersjusd.org) under Quick Links and under the Educational Services tab — Expanded Learning Programs. Families will also receive a notification through the Parent Square app. The registration link is expected to go live at 8 a.m. on Tues-
Index
We at he r
Features ........................ B-1
Date
Rain
High
Low
day, March 5. Registration assistance will be available on Tuesday, March 5, from 8 to 10 at the Winters JUSD Family Resource Center, 909 West Grant St., and on Tuesday, March 5 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Waggoner Elementary School in Room 27. The Summer Expanded Learning Program is funded and operated through the 21st Century Community Learning Cen-
0.07”
61˚
41˚
Express staff
Feb. 22
0.03”
65˚
39˚
Feb. 23 TRACE
64˚
38˚
Feb. 24
.00
68˚
41˚
Eventos hispanos ....... A-2
Feb. 25
.00
72˚
41˚
Feb. 26
.00
72˚
44˚
Opinion ......................... B-3
Feb. 27
.00
68˚
43˚
Real Estate ................... B-2
Rain for week: 0.10 in. Season’s total: 19.60 in. Last sn. to date: 25.47 in.
Active registered voters in Yolo County should make a plan to ensure their vote is counted for the March 5 election. Vote-by-Mail Ballots All active registered voters should have received their absentee/ Vote by-Mail ballot. Vote-by-Mail ballots must be filled out and returned in the provided return identifi-
Community .................. A-2
Sports ........................... B-7
Winters rainfall season began 7/1/23. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily by local weatherman Joe Bristow.
with breakfast service begging at 7:30 a.m. Breakfast, lunch and a snack will be served daily. The program will focus on enrichment, recreation and academic activities. More program information will be sent out through Parent Square next week. Questions can be directed to Nicole Jordan at njordan@ wintersjusd.org or 530-681-1620.
County sends out primary ballots
Feb. 21
Classifieds ................... B-4
ters and the Expanded Learning Opportunity Program grants. Each grant has specific requirements including students served and time spent at the program. The program's dates run from June 10 to July 26 on Monday thru Friday. The program will not be in session on June 19 or on July 4-5. It will be hosted at Waggoner Elementary School and runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
cation envelope. Voters can return their voted ballots in their signed return identification envelopes: Via the mail (no return postage needed); ballots must be postmarked by March 5, and received by the elections office no later than March 12. Completed ballots can be dropped of at any of the 15 Ballot Drop Boxes until 8 p.m. on March 5. A list
and map of locations is available online at www.yoloelections. org/voting/polling_ place. In Winters, a Ballot Drop Box is located inside of Lorenzo’s Market, 121 E. Grant Ave. Lorenzo’s Market business hours are from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. now until March 4, and on Election Day, March 5 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
See BALLOTS, Page 5
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