Friday Update on June 30 2017
All,
A couple items this week:
· The fireworks show will be this Monday, July 3 2017 at Dr. Sellers Field. Gates will open at 6:00 and the show will start when it is nice and dark! Admission is a donation of at least $1 per person. More is appreciated. Entertainment will include music by Winters own DJ Barnett Entertainment (Troy Barnett), fun on the football field, etc. Bring a blanket and a soccer chair and enjoy the best Winters fireworks show of the year!
· Construction continues on the Main/Grant Traffic Signal. The project includes improvements on the north side of Grant to Taylor Street with sidewalk and gutter work. Look for the majority of the intersection work to be completed by late July and the signals to be installed in October.
· June 30 represents the end of the City’s 2016-17 Fiscal Year. This has been a really tough year because many of the projects we projected pulling building permits did not occur. The City has a two year budget which means we will bring budget adjustments for the next year which will reduce some projected positions in public safety. Hopefully, we will see the commercial projects take flight in 2017-18 and revenues will equalize. I will share that it has been the toughest financial year for the City since the real estate crash of 2008. We will get through it, but we will need to tighten our belt a bit!!
· Fire season is upon us. Watch for more training burns in the north part of town and the real stuff starting to pop up throughout the region..
Finally, I attended the memorial service today for Gary Bertagnolli, the owner of Eagle Drug and the town Pharmacist for many years. I knew Gary as most did through prescriptions and in my case, the Rotary Club of Winters.
As I sat in St. Anthony’s Church, I reflected on the fact that in small towns, there are many people with special titles, who know each other within the roles they provide for our community. At the service were the mayor and councilmembers, banker, newspaper publisher, butcher, doctor, principal, police chief, chair of the cemetery board, Rotary President, Grocery Store Owner, eye doctor, hardware store owner, pre-school teacher, farmers, ranchers and yes, the city manager. At Gary’s service, literally all the key folks representing various interests turned out to pay their respects for the town pharmacist. Food was provided by El Pueblo, a key local business.
The service was short but beautiful. Gary’s daughter gave a wonderful eulogy of a man who will be missed very much by us all. Gary knew the personal secrets of many and was probably more up on the travails of folks than any priest or rabbi. He was kind, a confidant and most importantly, a GREAT resident of Winters.
We all have roles in the town of Winters. It really is one big fraternity of people working toward the common goal of making a quality community. Today we were reminded of the importance of squeezing our loved ones a little harder and telling them we love them a little more often.
Have a safe and sane Independence Day Weekend.
John