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Warriors celebrate Homecoming week News, Page 2
Empower Yolo brings services to rural towns Features, Page 1
Volume 142, Number 35 — Locally-owned since 1884
The hometown paper of Jose Diaz
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Burger Bros grand opening
Yocha Dehe celebrates 25 years of regional philanthropy By Jacob Hoffman Express correspondent
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Owners Andrés and Alejandro Salazar, along with their families, cut the ribbon to celebrate the grand opening of their new downtown Winters location at 43 E. Main St. on Sept. 25. Burger Bros, which began as a food truck near downtown Winters and officially launched last summer, is now established as a brick-and-mortar restaurant. The storefront is decked out with photos of historical Winters businesses, adding to its hometown feel. The event, hosted by the Winters District Chamber of Commerce, featured music by DJ Barnett Entertainment and welcomed community members to sample menu offerings and support the new local business.
Yolo supervisors adopt 2025-26 By Rebecca Wasik McNaughton Media
EXPRESS
On Tuesday, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors adopted the 2025-26 fiscal year budget. Also adopted were the In-Home Support Services Public Authority and board-controlled fire districts’ budgets. “This budget reflects our commitment to maintaining essential services for Yolo County residents while navigating challenging fiscal realities,” said board chair Mary Vixie Sandy. “Balancing community needs with available resources is never easy, but we remain focused on supporting programs that strengthen our communities and improve quality of life.” The 2025-26 adopted budget remains balanced. The Gener-
al Fund unassigned fund balance is above the $9 million that was included in the recommended budget, at $9,881,620. Additional General Purpose revenue and General Fund unassigned fund balance allowed the budget to remain balanced without additional reductions. The adopted budget also addresses known costs related to the Oakdale Fire response, including $750,000 in direct costs and $964,000 for the District Attorney’s investigation. This response was funded through the Chula Vista Fund. “It is super frustrating, the high cost of the Oakdale Fire to our county,” said Supervisor Sheila Allen. “Nobody else has stepped forward to help pay for it — not the state, not the feds, not the landowners, not the fireworks people, it’s all landing on our lap.” What the adopted budget does not include is MHSA reduc-
tions as presented to the board on Sept. 9. The MHSA recommended budget will come to the board in June 2026. After much discussion, the board ultimately did decide to approve staff’s recommendation to permanently eliminate 46.5 unfunded positions from the Health & Human Services Agency. The board asked that one remain unfunded and not eliminated however, Director of Public Health Nursing. Some of the maintenance projects on the books in this year’s budget include county building roof replacements ($4,007,154); agricultural offices ($1,935,494); Animal Services deferred maintenance ($585,000); historic courthouse window ($440,000); timekeeping system ($200,000); HR office renovation ($119,600) and Grasslands water system repair ($10,000).
See YOLO, Page 3
Index
We at he r
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation celebrated 25 years of philanthropy with a luncheon at Cache Creek Casino on Wednesday, Sept. 24. The gathering of groups from across Yolo and Solo counties, and across Northern California, represented just some of the many efforts supported by the Yocha Dehe Community Fund since its establishment 25 years ago. This philanthropic fund is bolstered by the Doyuti T’uhkama Fund, a compact
created in 2016 through an agreement with the State of California that allows the Tribe to “invest up to $24 million per year in initiatives and projects that fall within specific parameters,” according to information provided at the celebration. These parameters typically include: “Native cultural resource preservation, Native sovereignty, education, health and wellness, and local infrastructure within Patwin traditional territory.” Tribal Chairman
See YOCHA, Page 3
Rotary honored for polio eradication work Woody Fridae accepts state proclamation Express staff Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry presented a state resolution Friday at the Rotary Park gazebo recognizing Rotary’s work to eradicate polio and proclaiming Oct. 24 as World Polio Awareness Day. Woody Fridae, a member of the Rotary Club of Winters and district governor-elect for Rotary District 5160, and Karin Lightfoot, the district’s PolioPlus chair, accepted the proclamation on behalf of the local club and district. The recognition comes as Rotary International prepares for World Polio Day 2025, continuing a decades-long effort that has reduced annual polio cases from 350,000 to fewer than 25 worldwide. Rotary recently renewed a partnership with the
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Karin Lightfoot, Woody Fridae, and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry gather at the Rotary Park gazebo Friday as Aguiar-Curry presents a state resolution recognizing Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio and proclaiming Oct. 24 as World Polio Awareness Day. Gates Foundation to commit up to $450 million toward eradication. “The story of Rotary’s efforts to eradicate Polio is truly remarkable,” Fridae said. “With our partners, we have reduced the number of Polio cases from 350,000 a year to fewer than 25. When we finally find those isolated cases and immunize them, Polio will be gone forever.” Rotary launched its
PolioPlus program in 1985 and helped establish the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988 alongside the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Since then, Rotary has contributed more than $2.8 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 3 billion children in 122 countries.
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Solano supervisors agree on new county administrator’s contract
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Eventos hispanos ....... A-5
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Opinion ......................... B-3
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Features ........................ B-1 Classifieds ................... B-4 Community .................. A-2
Real Estate ................... B-2 Sports ........................... B-6
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Rain for week: TRACE Season’s total: 0.01 in. Last sn. to date: TRACE Winters rainfall season began 7/1/25. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily by local weatherman Joe Bristow.
The Solano County Board of Supervisors approved a four-year contract, with a base salary of $365,340, to Ian Goldberg as the next county administrator. The salary is based on a survey of pay other county administrators receive, staff reported.
The contract runs from Sept. 30 through Sept. 29, 2029. He replaces Bill Emlen as the county’s top executive. Goldberg, 48, has been an assistant county administrator since April 2022. He brings more than 20 years of senior and executive management experience to
the post. Goldberg, who lives in rural Fairfield, has worked for Solano County for two decades: in the Auditor-Controller’s and County Administrator’s offices, as well as five years in corporate finance. As the county
See SOLANO, Page 3
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