Winton: Discover what makes the community strong

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Winton: Discover what makes the community strong

Mar 26, 2009

BY:

Jonathan Whitaker

Kelly ThomasThis is the second of a six-part series focusing on the communities served by Mid Valley Publications — the company that owns the Merced County Times.

Kelly Thomas has experienced the community of Winton for the last 30 years. She's organized youth football and baseball leagues. She's headed up Girl Scout efforts. And she was once named "Woman of the Year. People know her as the newspaper lady who has worked for the Winton Times and Atwater Times for the past 13 years.

It's not uncommon to see Thomas working at her desk with her two dogs, Miss Piggy and Raider by her side. They sure were around during the following interview.

How would you describe Winton to a person who have has never been there?

Winton is a place that has grown over the years, but the face of its population continues to change as more and more Mexican Americans settle here. But we also have a large Hmong community. There is a lot of Hispanic heritage here. Lots of Mexican food and great places to shop. I really like our supermarket, Mercado Winton, along with the new pizza place in town, Pizza Plus Fun, where families get together for a great meal.

What's it like living in this environment?

I like Winton because it's a tight-knit community. Once you know somebody, it seems they are always there to help you. It's a like a city-wide support group. Every year I have helped coordinate the Winton Spring Festival, which has been part of the community for 51 years. It began with a fundraiser for the Winton Middle School Band, and was taken over by the Winton VFW Post 7792. Now it's run by Winton Recreation, which supports local baseball leagues. We crown a queen. We have a parade, carnival with vendors, food booths and that all happens on April 24 through April 26.

How about the children? How are the schools?

Winton has a really good school system. We have three elementary schools and one junior high. They offer great academic and sports activities. Many of our students go on to become professionals. A lot of our teachers here were once students here. Bernard Berrian, who played Pop Warner football for the Winton Cowboys, made it in the NFL.

What are some of the challenges facing the community as its population continues to grow?

With growth comes more crime. So we need more sheriff patrols. We don't have our own police department. We rely on a county sheriff's department which has to patrol a large area. It's not their fault. It's the funding. I'm on the Municipal Accountability Committee and we are trying to finish our community plan for the Board of Supervisors. We have been waiting for some seven years to be updated in the county's general plan — and they say, we're next. That's for updating the roads, agricultural areas and growth. We also have licensed businesses that are forced to compete with illegal vendors who sell everything from produce to blankets to flowers on the street corners.

What's the most memorable story you have ever covered in the city of Winton?

It would have to be when they dedicated Winfield Middle School to the late Ira Lackey a couple of years ago. He was a war veteran who gave up his property in his later years to give back to the children and the community. They named the playground after him. It was just a touching story about a large landowner who had a big heart.

Were you around when the Winton Times building burned down?

Yep. It was a Mother's Day and a Sunday on May 10, 1998. I was in Merced working at the Barbecue Pit as a part-timer for their holiday rush. It was about 10 or 10:30 in the morning. The phone rings. It's my daughter Elizabeth from my house in Winton. She said there was smoke coming from the paper. I called our publisher John Derby and told him, "Somebody said the newspaper office is on fire." When I was on Santa Fe, and I could see the smoke, then I knew it was true. When I turned on Cottage, the fire trucks were coming. We knew firemen on the scene. We started taking pictures. When it was brought under control, I was able to beg the firemen to help me salvage the time card rack, and most importantly, all the records of the company that were on my computer. Later, Davis Office Systems restored it and I didn't lose anything.

Do you plan on staying in Winton?

Yes. I have two homes here. My family is close by along with my dogs. I love the community. I don't care if people in other towns have a bad image of Winton. Some outsiders criticize us for gang violence or drug use — the stuff you read about in the daily paper. But they never talk or write about the good news going on in our town. Winton, I feel, doesn't get enough positive attention. There are a lot of good people in this town who do a lot of good things for the community that go unnoticed. I would tell everyone to come check us out.

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