Winters Express

John Pickerel busied himself perfecting horseshoe steak on the brick oven outside Putah Creek Cafe on the morning of Aug. 12, while wife Melanie politely asked customers to return after 12 p.m. while filming began for
“Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”

Photo by Debra DeAngelo

Burger King
plan appealed

By DEBRA DeANGELO
Express editor
The Burger King project approved by the Winters Planning Commission on Aug. 10 was appealed by a group of citizens on Friday, Aug. 20, forcing the entire project to be re-examined by the city council.
According to City Manager John Donlevy, the appeal lists all five sections of the commission’s approval, including the Conditional Use Permit, the site plan and design review, the sign permit for the freeway information sign, the variance to the city sign ordinance for the freeway information sign and the California Environmental Quality (CEQA) clearance.
City Attorney John Wallace explains that when an appeal of a planning commission decision is filed, it triggers a “de novo” public hearing, which means the public hearing process begins anew as if the first one never happened. However, the city council has the option to introduce information from prior planning commission meetings into the record if it chooses.
With a do-over of the public hearing process now in play, the city must pay consultants to study and give recommendations on a variety of related issues. Because these consultants are not city staff, the city will have to pay them out of the General Fund, with most of them charging $200 to $300 per hour.
When all the appeal work is completed, Donlevy says the total expense could be close to $10,000. Because this expense was not budgeted for, he says the city “will probably have to cut other things” to pay for it. . . .

Quarterback Nick Mariani scrambles out of the pocket and looks for
an open receiver during the varsity scrimmage at Sutter on Saturday, Aug. 21.

By ERIC LUCERO
Express sports

The Winters Warriors had their first test from the northern section last Saturday, Aug. 21, as they participated in the Sutter scrimmage.
The Winters varsity team went up against two division one teams and Sutter who is at the top of division two and did very well against all three of them.
“I think the scrimmage went great,” said coach Daniel Ward. “We knew we would face much tougher competition than last year’s scrimmage in Colusa, but that is what we wanted to do.”
The Warriors started out against Red Bluff and pretty much handled them on both sides of the ball. The second team they faced was Pleasant Valley High School from Chico who is ranked third in the northern section in all divisions. Winters tied them on the board with two scores each but were able to control them as well. In their third round, the Warriors faced Sutter and out-scored the Huskies three scores to two. . . .