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Scianna, Michael share insight on their ‘why’ they’re running News, Page 6
including tax
Post Office mural celebration Features, Page 1
Volume 139, Number 36 — Locally-owned since 1884
8th Nov TE VO
The hometown paper of Todd Berg
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Richard Casavecchia for Winters City Council Experienced Leader. Community Focused. Real World Experience. Endorsed by Winters Downtown Business Association
Angela Stone Chuck Pearce David and Kelly Lowrie Jenny Ramos John Rodriguez, 2020 Citizen of the Year
And More
Brock Neil Don Jordan Gar House Rudolph Muldong, former School Board Member Steve Brown
richard4winters.com
Paid for by Richard Casavecchia for Winters City Council 2022 | FPPC # 1454483
Council candidates share views at open forum Oct. 13 Express staff Press Release The community is invited to attend a Winters City Council Candidates Forum on Thursday, Oct. 13 from 6–8 p.m. in the Margaret Parsons Room at the Winters Community Library (708 Railroad Ave.) The open, in-person forum will also be live streamed and is hosted in collaboration by the Winters Express and Democracy Winters.
Winters Express Editor-in-Chief Crystal Apilado and Democracy Winters’ Kate Laddish and will moderate the public event together. “Democracy Winters is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening democracy, protecting constitutional freedoms, and promoting informed engagement in local, state, and national politics. To give Winters voters an opportunity to learn
Galabasa retires after 34 years of postal service in Winters
more about all of the candidates before casting their ballot, DW is excited to be co-sponsoring this forum with the Express,” said Laddish. The forum features the five City Council candidates vying for three open seats in the November election to represent Winters residents. Candidates will be given an opportunity to share their goals and stances on topics
See FORUM, Page 2
Planning Commission approves Grocery Outlet design application By Angela Underwood Express staff writer
EXPRESS
The design review application for a proposed Grocery Outlet passed through the Winters Planning Commission. After two lengthy meetings in August and September discussing traffic signals, landscaping, and aesthetics, Planning Commission members unanimously agreed to pass a motion to bring a 16,000 square foot box-store on the corner of Grant Avenue and E. Main Street. Senior Planner Kirk Skierski began addressing one of the first concerns
brought up by Commissioner Judith Acre in August and resident Corinne Martinez at the Sept. 27 meeting. Does the community have any say on whether or not they want a new grocery store? The answer is no. “In front of the Planning Commission is the site plan and design review, so the Planning Commission’s focus and prevue is limited to the configuration, layout, and building materials of the proposed building,” Skierski said. Skierski could answer Martinez’s question regarding why the Grocery Outlet needs a public gathering space. “The City’s Grant Avenue guidelines encourage plazas and courtyards into private development
projects; it helps bring the development down to the pedestrian level, engages the street, and creates space for individuals to congregate,” Skierski explained. Items discussed involved traffic signals and landscaping, which resident Kate Laddish shared concerns about at both meetings. Laddish asked commissioners to consider revamping the city layout, specifically regarding a roundabout verse a traffic signal at the location. “If all signs point to a traffic sign because of the General Plan — the General Plan is 30 years old this year — so if the problem is that we are still making decisions on the General Plan, but the
See DESIGN, Page 3
Index Features ........................ B-1
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Eventos hispanos ....... A-2
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Opinion ......................... B-4
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Real Estate ................... B-2 Sports ........................... A-5
Rain
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Express staff writer After 34 years of rain, freezing and 100 degree-plus Northern California temperatures, Celestino Galabasa, Jr is finally retiring from the post office. Although he’s ready for the next chapter in life, he reflects fondly on his decades of service to 95694. While Galabasa is known as a mail carrier, under the blue uniform has always been an artist/graphic designer. Creativity fills his heart, however, decades ago it wasn’t quite filling the bank account enough to support his family. That’s when he decided to apply for the Post Office and got started on July 2, 1988. “When I first started, I used to help unload the truck in the morning, then we’d
Courtesy photo
Celestine Galabasa, Jr. is looking forward to expanding on his passion for art in his retirement. sort all the mail to all the carriers and then we’d sort the packages. When it came time to train for the window service, one of the carriers had quit and I’d decided I like being a
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By Angela Underwood Express staff writer The land use issue surrounding the Grand Prince Odeum led to a nearly fourhour long Winters Planning Commission meeting last Tuesday. The two-year-long zoning battle between property owner Rhonda Pope Flores and the City continued on Sept. 27, with Commissioner Chris Rose recusing himself from the meeting since he
Rain for week: 0.00 in. Season’s total: 0.99 in. Last sn. to date: 0.05 in. Winters rainfall season began 7/1/22. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m.
Courtesy photo
lives within 500 feet of the 201 Main St. location that has ignited local controversy. Though Pope Flores continues to use the originally-constructed 1911 church building for religious services, she also holds other activities that may require altering municipal codes. Leading Chair Greg Contreras started informing the public that he and other commissioners re-
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fused Pope Flores’s invitation to tour the building before the meeting. Winters City Attorney Ethan Walsh and Senior Planner Kirk Skierski next laid out the land use issues surrounding the property’s legal non-conforming or conditional use. In the end, it comes down to one question. Does Winters have the authority to issue a baseline determination for
See APPEAL, Page 3
Joe and Doneice Trotter of Winters announce the birth of their daughter, Rubee Jacquelynn Trotter. Rubee arrived at 9:30 a.m. on July 29, 2022 in Sacramento. She weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 20.5 inches at birth. Rubee is welcomed by big brother Ransom Trotter, maternal grandparents Henry and Robin Harlan of Winters, paternal grandparents Lee Trotter and Wanda Foster, paternal great-grandma Jacquelyn Trotter of Illinois and maternal great-grandma Sandy Harlan of Woodland.
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See RETIRE, Page 4
Land use battle continues at Planning Commission
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carrier better,” said Galabasa. “So, I used to sort all the mail to the carriers, and when I was done with that I had city route three, which was a baby
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High
Classifieds ................... B-3
Date
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