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Older adults can get a free hot meal News, Page 5
Winters Open Mic encourages musical art Features, Page 1
Volume 139, Number 45 — Locally-owned since 1884
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, December 7, 2022
The hometown paper of Doug Martin
Planning Commission has split vote on Grand Prince Odeum item By Jacob Hoffman Express staff writer
EXPRESS
The Winters Planning Commission resumed its discussions from its Sept. 27 meeting regarding the Grand Prince Odeum. At the top of the meeting, Senior City Planner Kirk Skierski clarified the objects under discussion during this meeting. Skierski reminded the commission that, “the baseline determination was intended to confirm that city’s view of the property’s historical level of use.” One of the appellants argues that the baseline determination acts as a conditional use permit and places conditions on a vested right. City staff recommended the commission look at the determinations separately. First, Skierski said, “the Planning Commission is deciding if the legal nonconforming use has been abandoned or not.” City municipal codes determine a legal nonconforming use to be abandoned if those uses are not performed for 12 months. After that is decided upon, the commission could decide if the city has the authority to provide a baseline determination, and then can determine if the city should. Following this, the two primary parties briefly summarized their respective cases. Gregory Thatch, the attorney representing Rhonda Pope Flores, stated his client’s view that, “we do not believe the
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city has the ability to impose a baseline determination,” and that, “we understand the staff may believe there may be benefits to that…but it is not acceptable to our client.” The neighbor appellent Denise Cottrell stood before the commission to speak. Cottrell began by reaffirming her support for the efforts of the property owner to reopen and revamp the Grand Prince Odeum property saying, “I’m not against the church activities that are held…and I know that local groups are utilizing the building for various events, and I celebrate that.” “This is not the issue,” Cottrell explained, “my appeal is based on the baseline determination stated hours and capacity…I think a baseline determination is necessary as the building is offered by the owner for additional activities that are not primarily religious institutional uses.” City Attorney Ethan Walsh clarified that, “the concept of the baseline determination is… to make a declaration as to what the legal nonconforming use is, what is the historic extent of the property usage,” explaining that, “you have a vested right to use the property in accordance with that legal nonconforming use and in accordance with the historic use of the property, so all the baseline determination does is it states where that line is.” Walsh also stated plainly that, “there hasn’t been any testimony, from anyone… that this would in any way impair the exercise of free religion at that site.”
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Jadence Bergen adds toppings to a cup of cocoa at Copper & Steel Hair Studio during the Dec. 2 Hot Cocoa Crawl and Elf Hunt holiday festivities.
Raindrops don’t deter holiday celebration By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief Despite a rainy outlook, Winters residents and out-of-town visitors still came to partake in the local festivities last weekend in part of the Holiday Tractor Parade and Festival. This year, the City of Winters hired Bay Area Pop Up Events to plan and organize the annual Winters Holiday Tractor Parade and Festival. The twoday event featured family-fun events on Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3. On Friday, a Holiday Marketplace took place in Rotary Park
Classifieds ................... B-4
By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief A Winters High School senior is raising funds through a GoFundMe campaign to support community members in need through a Holiday Drive for his Senior Capstone Project. Julio Beraun is looking to raise $6,000 to provide an assortment of support for 13 families who have registered to be recipients of his Holiday Drive
We at he r Date
Rain
High
Low
Nov. 30
.00
60˚
28˚
Dec. 01
.23”
61˚
29˚
Dec. 02
.20”
52˚
31˚
Dec. 03
.09”
53˚
33˚
Eventos hispanos ....... B-3
Dec. 04
.71”
48˚
38˚
Dec. 05
.25”
57˚
44˚
Opinion ......................... B-3
Dec. 06
.10”
60˚
43˚
Community .................. A-5
Real Estate ................... B-2 Sports ........................... A-2
Rain for week: 1.58 in. Season’s total: 3.67 in. Last sn. to date: 8.24 in. Winters rainfall season began 7/1/22. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m.
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Capstone Project. “Many community members have been hit severely by the COVID-19 pandemic which has left them in a need of financial security,” Beraun said. There are two components to Beraun’s Holiday Drive Capstone Project, finding contributors and supporting recipients. Beraun called the role of a contributor vital as those are the individuals who are
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Mike Williams, Winters High School music educator, leads the WHS Band in a musical performance on Friday.
helping to provide funding to support the recipients. “My primary goal is to simply give back to the community. I’ve wanted to find a way to give back to the community and my senior capstone presented an opportunity for me to give back,” Beraun said. His inspiration behind his Capstone Project came from the difficult obstacles he faced when his family
moved from the Bay Area to Winters. “Leaving a big city environment for a small rural community I felt lost. I had to start over and meet new people. Winters welcomed me with such open arms and the atmosphere was so comforting that it allowed me to become more social with the community,” Beraun said. He noted the staff
See CAPSTONE, Page 3
Winters JUSD student assessment results reflect low scores By Jacob Hoffman Express staff writer The Winters Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees discussed the findings of two standardized assessments that reflect some of the challenges in the learning process of some of Winters’ students. Acting Superintendent Phoebe Gi-
rimonte gave a brief introduction of the Evaluate program as “data from the Evaluate math and English Language, Arts (ELA) assessments inform teachers about how their students are progressing towards mastery of state standards,” and also, “helps us to inform planning such as School Plans for Stu-
dent Achievement.” Evaluate is utilized at Winters High School. WHS Principal John Barsotti presented the Trustees with the Evaluate data findings. Barsotti said the assessments are done on a two-month basis where students are given one-half of the standards the first
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About 5,000 people donned raingear and umbrellas this year to watch the Holiday Tractor Parade.
Capstone Project raising funds to support community members in need for the holidays
Index Features ........................ B-1
and along Downtown Main Street. The Winters Downtown Business Association organized the second annual Hot Cocoa Crawl and Elf Hunt. The Winters Middle School and High School bands gave a performance at the Gazebo prior to the annual Winters Tree Lighting Ceremony, and a special meetand-greet event with Santa and friends. Police Chief John P. Miller said Winters Police Department estimated 1,500–2,000 people attended the event on Friday. On Saturday,
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