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Heart art is back in local businesses News, Page 2
Nature’s resilience after wildfires Features, Page 1
Volume 142, Number 03 — Locally-owned since 1884
The hometown paper of Clara Saunders
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Community asked to give input on BeeLine service changes By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief
Courtesy photos
Charlotte Halley (left) is determined to spread awareness about congenital heart defects and is hosting a toy drive and fundraiser to raise funds for research. Other Winters Heart Warriors like Melissa Valentina Diaz (right) and her family are working to support Charoltte’s efforts.
Winters heart warriors host toy drive, fundraiser Local youth raising awareness about congenital heart defects By Abigail Hofland Express correspondent
EXPRESS
Mother and daughter, Nicole Jordan and Charlotte Halley are hosting a virtual toy drive this month to support kids with Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). All toys purchased via the drive’s Amazon wishlist will be taken to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, where many pediatric “heart warriors” undergo surgery. Any additional funds will be donated to UCSF for research. February is American Heart Month, and the duo have been using it to raise awareness and funds for CHD patients and research. In addition to collecting homemade blankets for children in the hospital, they hosted a paint-and-sit fundraiser at Hooby’s Brewing that brought in $1,100, blowing past an initial $500 target goal. CHD is the most common birth defect in the United States. Nearly 1 percent of babies, 40,000 each year, are born with
some kind of heart malformity. These can range from valve and artery defects to lack of these tissues altogether, and many children are born with more than one condition. Charlotte, for example, has pulmonary atresia and VSD, among other things. The first indication of a problem came during her mom’s routine pregnancy scan. After experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions and mental preparation, Jordan delivered Charlotte. Three days later, she had her first open-heart surgery. By 7 months old, she was due for another. At age 6, she had a third. Two years after its success, 8-year-old Charlotte is involved in pageants that require participants to choose a platform. CHD awareness was her go-to. Charlotte’s intent with the toy drive is four-fold, Jordan said: • To help children like her • To help children at the hospital not be afraid • To donate money to research • To raise awareness To that last point, Jordan and Charlotte have found that while many families in Winters have children with heart conditions, others in the community are unaware of CHD’s prevalence and effect. “People see her scar and they’re scared,” Jordan said. On the anniversary of Charlotte’s surgery, dubbed a “heartiversary” by those who mark it, Charlotte brought
Index Features ........................ B-1
some treats and coloring pages to her classroom. This was not met with appreciation by all the students’ parents. “It made me realize, and it made her realize that people are scared of things they don’t know. And there are a lot of kids that have this,” said Jordan. Melissa Valentina Diaz is a fellow heart warrior. Her mom, Rosa Angelica Diaz, delivered her in Roseville nearly seven years ago, but the joy of Melissa’s arrival was overshadowed by her immediate struggles: she was purple and couldn’t breathe. Airlifted to UCSF, she was later met there by her parents, who went by car. When they arrived, Diaz said doctors asked, “What religion are you? We don’t know if she’s going to make it.” But after receiving a stent and eventually an open heart surgery to repair her defective valve, Melissa did make it. Today, the Diaz family is thankful for the medical community and the support and awareness surrounding CHD. “Before we had Melly, we did not know about heart problems, but so many people live like this. This is life,” Diaz said. These families know firsthand the toll this journey takes on parents. “When I went through this, I had never even heard of anyone going through this before. I was completely alone,” Jordan said. “My goal with this
See WARRIORS, Page 3
We at he r High
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Feb. 12
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Feb. 13
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Feb. 14
0.34”
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Feb. 15
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62˚
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Express staff writer
Eventos hispanos ....... A-3
Feb. 16
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Feb. 17
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Opinion ......................... B-3
Feb. 18
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Real Estate ................... B-2
Rain for week: 2.31 in. Season’s total: 17.29 in. Last sn. to date: 18.24 in.
“You’ve got beachfront property here in Yolo County,” Putah Creek streamkeeper Max Stevenson quipped. “That’s really exciting.” No, the Pacific Coast didn’t mysteriously move overnight. What Stevenson was referring to is a little small-
Community .................. A-2
Sports ........................... B-6
Winters rainfall season began 7/1/24. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily by local weatherman Joe Bristow.
Proposed service enhancements The proposed changes are aimed at improving the efficiency and accessibility of BeeLine. Key
Winters transit history Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Winters was served by fixed-route buses (220 and 220C) operating from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. However, the pandemic led to a complete suspension of
See TRANSIT, Page 4
Council recognizes Senior Independence Month Approves possibility of a cannabis dispensary By Sonora Slater Express staff writer National Senior Independence Month is recognized annually in the month of February, and so the Feb. 18 city council meeting began by presenting a proclamation in honor of the month to Winters Senior Foundation president Jerry Lowden. The proclamation, which was read aloud at the meeting, encourages Winters residents to “celebrate the contributions, resilience and independence of older adults,” as well as pushing to prioritize “access to affordable housing, quality healthcare, transportation options, and social engagement programs” for senior citizens.
Lowden thanked the city for the proclamation and noted that it was on behalf of all of the local seniors organizations and community members. He also acknowledged other groups that support aging adults in Winters, such as RISE Inc., Meals on Wheels Yolo and the Winters Hispanic Advisory Committee. “Many people are involved in doing what they can to keep seniors involved in our community,” Lowden said. “This is for all of them as well.”
Other discussion items The meeting also included a brief presentation by Police Chief John P. Miller on military equipment use in Winters, during which he explained that the Winters Police Department does not currently have any military equipment, nor do they intend to purchase any in the coming year.
See CITY, Page 5
Community celebrates El Rio Villa Putah Creek walking path groundbreaking
Rain
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The Yolo Transit District opened a 30day public comment period for proposed service changes to BeeLine, Winters’ micro-transit service. This is a crucial opportunity for community members to voice their opinions on the future of local transportation. If approved, the new service plan will take effect following a YTD Board vote on March 10.
recommendations include: • Expanding service hours to operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. • Adding a second vehicle during weekday service to accommodate increased ridership demand. • Maintaining Saturday service with one vehicle running from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
By Sonora Slater
er — but could offer similar scenic views, swimming spots and fishing opportunities to El Rio Villa residents. The small community neighborhood is just outside the Winters city limits. Although it lies along Putah Creek, it currently lacks the walking paths and extended river access available further west
on the stream. But a new project seeks to change that. On the morning of Feb. 14, city and county leaders and volunteers gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of a Putah Creek walking path in El Rio Villa and begin the planting of more than 300 trees
See PATH, Page 5