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Volume 142, Number 38 — Locally-owned since 1884
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, October 22, 2025
The hometown paper of Dennis Hiramatsu
Nearly 300 join Winters ‘No Kings’ rally By Sonora Slater Express staff writer
Courtesy photo
Second grader, Valerie Bernal, plants rainbow chard at Waggoner’s monthly Garden Club
Students reap the benefits of local farms Every meal served Program at school is prepared these healthy, celebrates Farm with local products, supchildren’s to School Month porting health and the local farm economy. with local Every school in Winters also has a learning garden. Teachers
By Patty Rominger Special to the Express
EXPRESS
October is National Farm to School Month, and this year’s theme is Growing for the Future. Winters is fortunate to be surrounded by working family farms and to have a vibrant Farm to School program active in local schools since 2011. The partnership between schools and local farmers fosters a thriving food future that benefits both people and the planet. The Winters Farm to School program promotes a healthier community in several ways. Using program funds, the school district purchases fresh fruit, nuts, and produce from 10 local farms.
have started garden clubs, and students take ownership by planting seeds, watering, weeding, and harvesting. Lessons are made fun with games that help students identify plants. Occasionally, a local farmer visits to teach more about agricultural operations. This past month, Doneice Trotter of Henry’s Bullfrog Bees & Pure Honey taught students about bees and how they produce honey. Students especially enjoyed tasting apples dipped in honey. Winters Farm to School also funds student visits to Yolo County farms. Later this month, all fourth-grade students will visit Full Belly Farms in Capay Valley. The farm’s education program gives students the opportunity to see firsthand how some of the fruit and vegetables they eat at
On Oct. 18, Winters joined thousands of cities nationwide in holding a “No Kings” protest, a coordinated effort that online organizers describe as speaking out against authoritarianism and against certain actions or stances that the current presidential administration has taken. The nearly 300 people who joined Saturday’s march, which went from the Winters Community Center to the light at Railroad Avenue and Grant Avenue, carried signs with related messages or slogans written on in pencil or marker. One read, “No king since 1776,” while “Democracy does not fear protest, dictators do,” was posted on another. Community members present at the protest said that attendees spanned a wide spectrum of ages, from youths to elders in walkers and wheelchairs. At the outdoor stage behind the community center during the pro-
By Sonora Slater Express staff writer
See FARMS, Page 5
Index
We at he r Rain
High
Low
Oct. 15
0.58”
56˚
51˚
Oct. 16
0.01”
63˚
44˚
Oct. 17
.00
72˚
44˚
Oct. 18
.00
76˚
48˚
Eventos hispanos ....... A-8
Oct. 19
.00
79˚
49˚
Oct. 20
.00
85˚
48˚
Opinion ......................... B-3
Oct. 21
.00
81˚
48˚
Real Estate ................... B-2
Rain for week: 0.59 in. Season’s total: 2.02 in. Last sn. to date: 0.03 in.
Community .................. A-2
Sports ........................... B-6
test, five local leaders gave speeches, including Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, Kate Laddish, Winters Healthcare director Chris Kelsch — who read a speech written by Helen McCloskey since she was out of town during the event — and others. Winters Mayor Albert Vallecillo and
Courtesy photo
See RALLY, Page 5
Protesters marched down Railroad Avenue on Oct. 18.
Sacramento Women’s Brain Health), and seeks to recruit women ages 45 and older for a long-term study with the goal of better understanding risk and resilience factors for brain health in aging women. Diaz explained that despite the fact that women are significantly more likely than men to suffer from dementia, they’ve historically been underrepresented in medical studies, leaving the scientific and medical communities with unanswered questions. The group is currently in the process of recruiting close to 700 women for the long-term study, which will entail an annual visit, where participants will complete
questionnaires, cognitive testing, health screenings, and optional blood draws and/or MRI and PET brain scans. Gift card compensation will be provided for participation. Interested women who are 45 or older can learn more on the GROW website. Apart from their research, GROW also partners with communities in offering brain health programming, including educational curriculum for senior centers about the power of exercise, and how mental health, nutrition, fall prevention, stress management, social engagement and more all have a part to play in preventing and managing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Ernster and Diaz emphasized that their goal with community partnerships is to provide education catered to the community’s needs, noting that they have created new curriculum for groups that have expressed interest or concern about specific areas of brain health. “I truly believe the community can benefit from this, and I wish my tia had something like this when she was dealing with dementia,” Diaz said. Council members responded positively to the presentation, exchanging contact information in the hopes of further communication happening outside of the dais.
See CITY, Page 5
Yolo supervisors accept MHSA budget reductions
Date
Classifieds ................... B-4
Winters residents hold signs during Saturday’s “No Kings” protest, part of a nationwide movement speaking out against authoritarianism and encouraging civic engagement.
City council hears women’s brain health presentation An educational presentation about women’s brain health was the main event of the evening at the Oct. 21 city council meeting, with brief discussions about the Winters Senior Center project, World Polio Awareness Day and an updated fire code rounding out the agenda. The presentation was given by Mayra Diaz and Michelle Ernster from UC Davis Health, as part of an effort to build community partnerships throughout the Greater Sacramento area for the sake of brain health research and education. The program they spoke on behalf of is called GROW (short for Greater
Features ........................ B-1
Linda Johnson/Courtesy photo
Winters rainfall season began 7/1/25. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily by local weatherman Joe Bristow.
By Rebecca Wasik McNaughton Media On Tuesday, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a budget approach that reduces funding to community organizations, county behavioral health programming, and allocates Mental Health Services Act fund balance and additional funding sources to address the MHSA deficit in fiscal
year 2025/2026 ($4 million) and fiscal year 2026/2027 ($5 million). Supervisor Angel Barajas recused himself from this item. Staff recommended and the board approved a scenario of an allocation of $146,000 in cannabis revenue and board direction of project funds; a 25 percent MHSA cut to providers totaling $695,333; a reduction of county behavioral
health programming of $2,638,789 and the use of $869,807 in fund balance funds. At the Recommended Budget, staff was projecting $15.54 million in revenue and $26.99 million in expenses, anticipating a structural deficit of $11.4 million. In the Adopted Budget, a series of changes took place that reduced
See COUNTY, Page 5
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