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Create a pet-safe garden News, Page 3
Bringing necessities to seniors Features, Page 1
Volume 139, Number 33 — Locally-owned since 1884
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, September 14, 2022
The hometown paper of Michael Anderson
Superintendent search down to the hire wire By Angela Underwood Express staff writer
EXPRESS
The search for a new Winters Joint United School District (Winters JUSD) superintendent is almost over. Now that the Board of Trustees, Winters JUSD Acting Superintendent Phoebe Girimonte, and Human Resources Director Lisa Dennis diligently followed the direction of national search firm McPherson & Jacobson, LLC consultants, it has come down to some select candidates. The vacancy opened in June when then-Superintendent Diana Jiménez resigned. Since Girimonte stepped in, she has worked closely with officials, including Board President Carrie Green, who announced after convening privately at the Sept. 8 meeting that officials are down to the hire wire. “We are coming out of closed session, and the board has reviewed the application packets and will be interviewing candidates for the superintendent position on Friday, Sept. 16,” Green said. But before closed sessions were weeks of planning for the final count down, consultants William Huyett and Nicole Anderson conducted over 25 small group meetings with district educational partners, receiving input from approximately 147 group individuals and 26 online respondents. Some individuals included members of the English Learning Advisory Committee, District English Learner Advisory Committee, and Winters Com-
bined Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Other members include parents and students; classified, certified, and confidential employees; administrators; city government officials; and bond oversight groups. “We made sure to touch all of the engagement partners to assure we are getting feedback,” Dennis said.
Survey says Consultants posed four questions at the meetings, with all answers compiled in a 41-page online document posted on the school district’s website. The document included answers from the digital sThe survey answers varied greatly. The first question, “tell us something good about the community,” was answered by parents who said they liked that Winters is a small and bicultural town. Administrative members said Winters deeply cares about kids, is safe, and solves problems at the lowest level possible. PTA members said they like that business is connected to schools and has great food services. The third question, “what are the most important local issues a new superintendent should be aware of,” brought up serious community concerns. For example, one unnamed community member wanted the new leader to know that Yolo County has one of the highest statewide poverty rates, and a confidential employee said to watch out for the financial impact of a growing community on decreased funding. Up to nine supervisory and confidential employees agreed the new district leader should be aware that
See SEARCH, Page 3
Courtesy photo
Winters Police Department has a new DUI and traffic enforcement vehicle as a part of its fleet thanks to a grant the department received through the California Highway Patrol Cannabis Task Fund Grant Program.
Police fleet gets a DUI Enforcement Vehicle By Angela Underwood Express staff writer Three fatal DUI-related traffic collisions in 2020 have everything to do with the new Winters Police Department DUI and traffic enforcement vehicle. The new addition to the department’s fleet was funded by the California Highway Patrol Cannabis Task Fund Grant Program, awarded to Winters based on the significant uptake in population size and fatal accidents, according to Winters Police Department Chief John P. Miller. “In 2020, we suffered three fatal accidents, two primary collision
By Jacob Hoffman Express Correspondent During their first meeting of the month, the Board of Trustees for the Winters Joint Unified School District confirmed that the Area 4 Trustee position, currently held by Candi Ochoa, had not received any candidates to run for the position once her term ends in November. As a result, in line with the Winters JUSD Board Bylaw 9223, Acting Superintendent Phoebe Girimonte laid out the path forward for filling the position via an appointment by the
We at he r Date
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Sep. 07
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Sep. 08
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Sep. 09
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Community .................. A-3
Sep. 10
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Sep. 11
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Opinion ......................... B-3
Sep. 12
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Sep. 13
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Classifieds ................... B-4
Real Estate ................... B-2 Sports ........................... A-2
factors were DUI, and one was DUI related,” Miller said. “That is a lot for a small town.” In 2016, when California passed Proposition 64, which legalized recreational marijuana, a special tax was imposed on cannabis and strictly
designated for law enforcement, explained Miller, adding the California Highway Patrol oversees and distributes those funds. After Winters received the grant, it ordered the vehicle but motor vehicle chip shortages and supply
Low
Rain for week: 0.00 in. Season’s total: TRACE Last sn. to date: 0.05 in. Winters rainfall season began 7/1/22. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m.
Board. The appointment will be made prior election day, Nov. 8, with the latest the Board can make the appointment being Nov. 3. When the appointment process begins, the school district will publish one notice in the Winters Express, stating the board’s intention to fill the Board Trustee position and informing the public of the process for applying for the appointment, which follows the same process as for any other Winters JUSD provisional appointment. The Board will then
proceed with procedures for selecting and interviewing candidates. Following the district advertising the position in local media and receiving applications, they will then convene a committee of less than a quorum of the Board and announce the name of candidates. This committee will proceed with interviews in a public meeting and accept oral and public comment. After this, the Board will select the appointee by a majority vote, and within 10 days of the appointment it will be announced
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By Angela Underwood Express staff writer On the evening of Sept. 6, Winters City Council was scheduled to pass a resolution to continue virtual meetings, but heat and internet outages halted all government business. City Manager Kathleen Salguero Trepa is the first to note that
“the circumstances were pretty extraordinary this week,” regarding the Sept. 6 meeting that could not air virtually. But there is a silver lining in the outage that ceased all roll calls. “I do think it was a good test case for us because what happens in an emergency, an earthquake or a massive fire, and we
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via local media and a number of other places within the district. The appointee will hold the position until the next regularly scheduled election. Girimonte also noted that applicants must, along with being qualified and eligible for the position, live in the Trustee Area 4 boundary. Board Trustees provided a few clarifying questions regarding the process. Trustee Kristen Trott asked what would happen if the position can’t be filled because no one qualified, eligible
See VACANT, Page 6
Internet outage backs up government business
WINTERS AGGREGATE
2 Main St., Winters, CA 530.795.4503
See FLEET, Page 5
Girimonte presents plan to fill vacant Trustee Area 4 seat in upcoming election
Index Features ........................ B-1
Courtesy photo
A grant was awarded to Winters based on a significant uptick in fatal DUI-related accidents in 2020.
chain issues held up delivery for 15 months. The sleek-profile car could not have come at a better time, with DUI arrests up substantially. “Historically, Winters sees 20-25 DUI arrests a year, and while it doesn’t sound like a whole lot given our size, so far year-todate, we are already at that number,” Miller said. “We are tracking almost double the number of DUI arrests — this year alone — than the previous years.” Along with the new vehicle, Winters Police Department was supplied with new preliminary alcohol
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all have to adapt and pivot,” she said. Trepa thanked and reminded residents earlier that morning on the city website for their conservation efforts during the heat wave, urging them to continue to minimize the use of power and set thermostats at 78 degrees or more
See OUTAGE, Page 3
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