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Thompson hosts town hall event News, Page 3
Students get hands-on finance skills Features, Page 1
Volume 142, Number 05 — Locally-owned since 1884
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, March 5, 2025
The hometown paper of Werner Ingeborg
Trustees hear latest Youth Truth survey results By Logan Chrisp Express staff writer
Courtesy graphic
The red areas indicate the updated Local Response Areas that are now the Winters Fire Department’s responsibility on the new Cal Fire LRA maps released this month.
Winters Fire gains new local responsibility areas By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief
EXPRESS
Last Monday, Cal Fire released updated fire hazard severity zone maps for multiple counties across California, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Napa, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus and Yolo. According to Fire Chief Jack S. Snyder, the latest updates extend the Winters Fire Department’s Local Responsibility Areas (LRA) to include regions along Putah Creek up to Pleasant Valley within the Winters Fire Protection District. However, the city of Winters itself remains free of LRA-designated fire risks within its municipal limits. Earlier this month, the California De-
partment of Forestry and Fire Protection released updated maps for 16 other Northern California counties. Additional updates are scheduled for release on March 10, covering Amador, Calaveras, Sacramento and other counties. The fourth phase, set for March 24, will address fire hazard severity zones in Southern California counties. Snyder noted that while these map updates were initially scheduled for release in the fall, ongoing wildfire activity in Southern California delayed their publication to allow for further evaluation. With the expansion of LRAs, the Winters Fire Department will undertake a comprehensive assessment of these newly designated areas. “Winters Fire will proactively evaluate these regions to identify fire risks and determine effective mitigation strategies,” Snyder stated. “Our approach will include assessments for risk reduction, se-
curing grant funding, implementing vegetation management, and reinforcing defensible space.” The department will collaborate with the Yolo Fire Safe Council to explore grant opportunities and other initiatives aimed at reducing fire hazards in highrisk areas. Homeowners within the Winters Fire Protection District can contact the fire station at 530-7954131 to schedule an assessment of their property or inquire about fire safety measures. “We are committed to providing educational resources and on-site assessments to help residents better understand and address fire risks,” Snyder added. As additional information becomes available, updates will be shared with the public. To determine whether your property falls within a fire hazard severity zone, visit https://bit.ly/3Xsr9iJ and enter your address.
Index Features ........................ B-1 Classifieds ................... B-4 Community .................. A-3
We at he r Date
Rain
High
Low
Feb. 26
.00
69˚
38˚
Feb. 27
.00
72˚
40˚
Feb. 28
.00
71˚
39˚
Mar. 01
.00
78˚
41˚
Eventos hispanos ....... A-7
Mar. 02 TRACE
74˚
50˚
Mar. 03
.00
65˚
37˚
Opinion ......................... B-3
Mar. 04
.00
66˚
45˚
Real Estate ................... B-2
Rain for week: TRACE in. Season’s total: 17.29 in. Last sn. to date: 20.89 in.
Sports ........................... B-7
Winters rainfall season began 7/1/24. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily by local weatherman Joe Bristow.
Youth Truth Survey data was presented to the Winters Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees on Thursday, Feb. 20. The data provides insights into the experiences, perceptions and needs of students, staff and families across the district. The Youth Truth survey is a tool used to understand how students, staff and families perceive the school environment. Previously, the district has used the California Healthy Kids survey, but Youth Truth offered a more robust approach, according to assistant superintendent Phoebe Girimonte. “It allows us to look at a lot of different strands and to receive very tailored feedback in the form of comments from staff, family and students,”
Girimonte said. The survey covers six key areas: academic challenge, school culture, student engagement, relationships, belonging, and college and career readiness. These categories serve as lenses to examine the overall student experience and how they relate to behavioral outcomes, such as proficiency rates and absenteeism. “By looking at both those perceptions and the measurable data, we can better understand how those experiences are impacting student success,” Girimonte said. Director of special education and student services Jenny Pinedo, who was unable to attend the meeting, collaborated with Doug Caliper, a Youth Truth consultant, to analyze survey participant feedback. Girimonte gave the presentation on Thurs-
day night in Pinedo’s place. In total, 1,022 Winters students participated in the optional survey. In 3rd–8th grades, over 90 percent of students participated, while in ninth to 12th grades, only 67 percent were heard from. Family members were also encouraged to complete the survey, but only 17 percent of family members participated, as well as 64 percent of staff members. According to Pinedo’s report, parents are encouraged to complete the survey for each school site where they have a child enrolled. “This allows us to gather site-specific feedback, providing a clearer picture of the experiences at each school rather than a generalized district-wide
See SURVEY, Page 5
Sonora Slater/Winters Express
Greg Contreras officially hands the gavel and the role of chair off to Lisa Baker.
Planning commissioners elect new leadership By Sonora Slater Express staff writer A few items were addressed in quick succession during the Feb. 25 Winters Planning Commission meeting, including the nomination and election of a new chair and vice chair, now that the commission is up to full staffing for the first time in more than a year with the addition of Commissioners Matt Stone and Erik Dye. Resident Kate Laddish shared her support for Commissioner Lisa Baker to take on the role of chair. “I think we are really lucky to have someone in Winters who has such a deep knowledge of proce-
dure and the subject matter we’re dealing with here,” Laddish said. “It keeps things running really smoothly.” Commissioner Ramon Altamirano officially nominated Baker, who accepted the nomination. “I have enjoyed being Vice Chair for many years, and I think I’ve had good training by good chairs,” Baker said. “If supported, I would be more than proud to represent the commission.” Commissioner Judith Arce nominated chair Gregory Contreras to continue in his position, saying that she’s enjoyed his style of running meetings and found it to be effi-
cient and fair, but Contreras was in favor of Baker taking over the role. Ultimately, Baker was unanimously confirmed as chair. Arce was then unanimously confirmed as vice chair.
Multifamily zoning, other discussion
During the meeting, an ordinance that shifts local law to align with state guidance on multifamily housing units was passed unanimously. The change was spurred by a letter from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HDC), which advised that the city needed to change
See CITY, Page 5
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Contact David DeLeon at David@WintersExpress.com