These were the contests’ two giants. The topic was announced: What are the primary pros and cons of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline?

The Windsor team had to argue in support of it.

Go.

After 20 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of debate, the judges ruled 3-2 in Windsor’s favor.

It’s the first time that a Windsor debate team was named California State Champions.

As Jason and Jonathan prepare now for college, coach Bryan St. Amant is feeling confident that we will hear from them and their teammates again.

- Chris Smith / The Press Democrat

The Tour of California rides through Windsor on Sunday, May 13. (Christopher Chung / PD)

All are invited enjoy a Mothers’ Day Pancake Breakfast on Sunday at Windsor Community United Methodist Church between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Worship service is at 10:30 a.m. $8. 9451 Brooks Road South. 838-6898.

May 13

On Sunday the Amgen Tour of California will start in Santa Rosa at 10:30 a.m. and pass through Windsor shortly after the start. Riders will travel north on Windsor Road, east on Windsor River Road and south on Eastside Dr. Show your support for these world-class riders as they pass through town. For more details on the Tour, visit www.santarosa2012.com.

May 19

On Saturday, May 19, be part of the 6th Annual Spring Clean in Windsor Parks. From 8 a.m. to noon, volunteer throughout the community to paint, pick up trash or clear brush. Gather on the Town Green at 7:30 a.m. When the work day ends, volunteers are invited to Riverfront Regional Park for a barbeque lunch. Brandon Philpott at 838-9191 or email springcleanwindsor@comcast.net.

May 19

Boy Scouts of America Troop 999 will hold a fundraiser Pancake Breakfast complete with eggs, sausage, and grits, among other breakfast items on Saturday, May 19 at the Windsor Grange. 7 a.m. -noon.  9161 Starr Road. Tickets are $5. For more information, contact NAME.

May 19

Soroptimist International of Windsor presents its semi-annual lobster sale fundraiser on Saturday, May 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Exchange Bank parking lot on Lakewood Dr.  Lobsters are $20 each and all proceeds go to support projects in the community.  Live lobsters are available by pre-sale only; cooked lobsters will be available on a first come, first served basis. Place your order by noon on Friday, May 18. To order, contact Kelly at 321-5472, e-mail siwindsor@soroptimist.net or visit to www.siwindsor.org.  Paypal, check and cash accepted.

May 19

On Saturday, May 19 attend “Experts in Arthritis,” a public education seminar at the Windsor Library at 2 p.m. Sponsored by the Bone and Joint Initiative, the program offers people the opportunity to be informed about current scientific evidence and management strategies in the treatment and care of osteoarthrits, rheumotoid and juvenile arthritis. 9192 Old Redwood Hwy., Bldg 100. Free. More info: 206-5220.

Liz Heflin cradles her 10-year-old daughter Kaitlyn as she wakes up from a nap on Tuesday afternoon, May 1, 2012. Liz has modified her life to handling Kaitlyn's complex seizure disorder, which Kaitlyn has had since the age of two. Kaitlyn had to miss the current school year due to the seizure disorder. (Christopher Chung / PD)

By MARY CALLAHAN / The Press Democrat

On this day set aside to celebrate the joys of motherhood and give thanks for the sacrifices mothers make, one could argue that Windsor mom Liz Heflin has dealt with a disproportionate share of the latter.

The mother of two — Kaitlyn, 10, and Kai, 8 — had borne the heartache of her daughter’s epilepsy for seven years when Kaitlyn’s condition took a turn for the worse last fall and became considerably more serious over winter and spring.

And yet, amid the fear, exhaustion, frustration and loss, Heflin, 32, says she’s reminded every day that “there’s more good than bad” in life.

She’s overwhelmed by the support of friends and others she doesn’t even know, and draws courage from the strength, humor and love of her children, as well as the tender moments they share.

Kaitlyn, who would be a fourth-grader at Brooks Elementary School if she’d been well enough to attend this year, not only developed more frequent and severe seizures, but pain and vomiting that have left her perilously thin.

Kai, a thoughtful second-grader with awesome dance moves and a predilection for all things law enforcement — police jammies, toy patrol cars, badges, holster gear, crime scene tape — struggles with his own worries about his sister and his mom.

Their mother said she hopes it doesn’t “take life being this raw” to learn to appreciate life’s little gifts, like snuggling up to a child often in too much pain to be cuddled.

Those momentary delights buoy her spirits, like seeing Kai’s face light up when she picks him up for school, or the remarkable way Kaitlyn wakes after a seizure smiling and reaching out for her.

June 14           The Bell Brothers – Country

June 21           Cold  Blood – R&B/Motown

June 28           Tom Rigney & Flambeau – Cajun/Zydeco

July 5              Roy Rogers & The Delta Rhythm Kings – Delta Blues

July12             Son de Kali – Salsa/Cumbia

July 19            Garrett Wilkin & The Parrotheads – Jimmy Buffet Cover

July 26            Wonder Bread 5 – 70′s, 80′s, 90′s Cover

Aug 2               Maria Muldaur & Her Red Hot Bluesiana Band – Blues/Rock

Aug 9               Full Steem – Dance Band Cover

Aug 16             Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers – Swing/Jazz

Aug 23             Soulshine Blues Band – R&B

Aug 30             Beatles Flashback – 60s Tribute

Parking is free at Windsor High School, 8695 Windsor Road, half a mile from the Town Green. If you’d rather not walk, take advantage of the free Sonoma County Transit shuttle between Windsor High School and the Town Green from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

There is designated motorcycle parking on Duvander Lane at the west end of the Town Green.There is free valet bicycle, skateboard, stroller parking as well. Users earn Windsor Farmers Market Bike Bucks.

She owns Atrellis Flowers and Gifts on the Town Green in Windsor, and has been through enough Mother’s Days– 20, to be precise– to know to account for those last-minute gift givers.

“A lot of people order floral arrangements at the last minute,” said Lewis. “In my younger years I pulled all-nighters, but now I’m better about planning ahead. This year I’ll probably work several 12-15-hour days.”

But advance preparation only helps so much in the floral business.

“You can only make arrangements up a day or two ahead of time,” said Lewis.

Although Atrellis’ arrangements range from $35 to $150, Mother’s Day buyers spend $75-$80 on average. This year the store will make between 75 and100 deliveries per day between Thursday and Sunday.

“Mother’s Day is our biggest day of the year. Everyone has a mother. Also, a lot of people send flowers to their grandmothers or wives,” Lewis said.

An Atrellis arrangement has a unique and, Lewis hopes, high-quality look. “At our shop we use a lot of garden-style flowers like peonies, hydrangeas and lilies.”

The pavé style, which is a tight, compact arrangement of three to four types of flowers, is the most popular, but many shoppers leave the decision to the experts.

“After they find a florist, most people trust them to make a beautiful arrangement. I work best if someone gives me a color and a couple of flowers they like,” Lewis said.

After selling the Santa Rosa floral shop she owned for 16 years, Lewis took a break to get married and returned to the business four years ago when she opened Atrellis.

“My sister lives in Windsor,” said Lewis, who lives in Santa Rosa. “The flower shop that was in Windsor was closing. I thought the Town was so cute and a great location opened up, so I decided to do it again. It’s a labor of love.”

If you like to procrastinate, don’t worry– Atrellis will be open all day on Mother’s Day.

Atrellis Flower and Gift Shop is at 816 McClelland Drive. 837-8080.

Tom McCuller, middle, helps a group spot birds off Pine Flat Road. (Kent Porter / PD)

By DIANA GILBERT / Windsor Correspondent

Tom McCuller has spotted 699 bird species in 48 states and Canada and knows most of the birds in the U.S. But his real expertise is species that can be seen locally, their favorite spots and the things that make each one unique.

“I’ve been bird-watching all my life,” McCuller said. “I got interested in the yard, and it grew into an obsession. I go bird watching with friends nearly every week of the year.” A member of the Madrone Audubon Society, he leads weekly bird-watching walks all over the county, especially in parks like Foothill and Riverfront, where watchers recently spotted 47 species during a three-and-a-half-hour walk.

“Climate and vegetation determine where a bird lives. They like to nest in a certain area and in certain types of trees. There has to be food available and appropriate nesting materials and locations,” McCuller said.

Many bird enthusiasts go where the birds are, but if you’re interested in attracting them to your home, McCuller suggests creating a habitat for them. “Put out trees and shrubs so that they have a place to nest, perch and hide. Provide a water source, as they need to drink and they like to bathe. Grow flowers or put out a hummingbird or seed feeder.”

McCuller describes six of the most common birds around Windsor that are visible from parks to parking lots to your own backyard.

A mother Anna's hummingbird feeds one of her two nestlings in an old plum tree (AP Photo/Marcus R. Donner Photography).

Anna’s hummingbird

Appearance: Four inches. Male has a rose red head and throat that may look blank at some angles. The female is green and gray.

Unique characteristics: Males usually sit on an isolated perch and guard their territory. They can become very aggressive when guarding their territory. They have a little squeaky call that’s  not really a song. It often makes those as it flies around and chases intruders out of its territory.

Where to find it: Anna’s hummingbirds are common year-round in yards, parks and  anywhere there are flowers or hummingbird feeders. They are extremely common.

A western scrub-jay.

Western Scrub Jay

Appearance: A large bird, 11.5 inches. It has a gray back and gray undersides. The rest of the bird is bright blue.

Unique characteristics: It makes a very noisy, raspy call all the time. It will eat most anything, including bugs, dog food and French fries that it finds in the parking lot. They don’t have any problem finding food.

Where to find it: Everywhere. However, it’s most often seen collecting acorns, so anywhere you have an oak tree you’ll have a Scrub Jay.

The Bullock's Oriole

Bullock’s Oriole

Appearance: The male is bright orange and black, while the female is gray and saffron yellow. A medium, 9-inch bird. It’s very colorful.

Unique characteristics: They eat insects mainly, and fruit as well. They have a loud clear whistle song so it’s easy to notice them.

Where to find it: They are here during the spring and summer in the parks and along stream sides, but sometimes also in yards sucking from hummingbird feeders. These birds go to Central America during the winter and comes back mid-April.

Spotted Towhee

Spotted Towhee

Appearance: A medium-sized bird, about 8.5 inches. The male has black head and back with white-spotted wings. The female has a dark brown head and back with white-spotted wings. the rest of the body of both is a rufous, or reddish-orange, color. In fact, it used to be called the Rufous-sided Towee before the species was split into two species– Eastern and Spotted.

Unique characteristics: These birds are often seen on the ground, usually scratching around for insects and seeds. You may hear them before you see them– they have a short buzzy trill that they do all day long in the springtime. It sounds nearly like an insect.

Where to find it: The Spotted Towhee is commonly found in parks and people’s yards if there are shrubs. It’s kind of shy in the  way it likes to stay under shrubs.

House Finch (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

House Finch

Appearance: Small, 6 inches, with gray-brown streaks. The male has an orange-red head and chest. The female is a gray-brown bird. They both have broad grayish streaks. The female is not distinctive-looking but the male is.

Unique characteristics: It sings a loud, warbled song that’s very long.

Where to find it: You’ll see or hear it nearly everywhere you go within a city or park. They nest under eaves, in trees– everywhere– and will often come to bird feeders with seeds.

Nuttalls woodpecker

Nuttalls woodpecker

Appearance: It’s a medium-sized woodpecker with black barring on its back and wings, but otherwise black. The male has a bright red cap on his head.

Unique characteristics: It’s either drumming on the side of a tree or you can hear it making its distinctive call. The call is sort of stuttered. Woodpeckers will often drum on the sides of houses or dead trees that reverberates when they beat on it. They’re defining their territory for other woodpeckers.

Where to find it: You can see or hear the Nuttalls woodpecker in any tree within parks or neighborhoods.

Madrone Audubon Society hosts six bird walks per month, every Wednesday or Thursday and on two Saturdays. To learn more or check their schedule online, visit at audubon.sonoma.net.

Windsor planners have approved a new Holiday Inn, which will add a third hotel in a town that had none just seven years ago.

The Planning Commission on Tuesday gave final design approval to the 100-room inn, planned just southeast of the Highway 101 and Old Redwood Highway intersection.

“There’s definitely a kind of mini-boom of hotels,” said Senior Planner Kevin Thompson.

Windsor may not have the cachet, or the charm, of nearby Healdsburg, but it’s seen as perhaps a less expensive Wine Country destination with convenient lodging.

“Anecdotally, people are choosing Windsor as a very affordable entry into Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley,” said Tina Luster, communications manager for the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau.

“A class of visitors who are using Windsor are probably younger, family-oriented. Some of the lodging opportunities in Windsor helps them out,” she said.

“We hope we’ll catch a lot of those folks in those hotels before they arrive in Healdsburg,” said Windsor Finance Director Jim McAdler.

The four-story Holiday Inn is not expected to start construction until April 2013, and take 18 months to complete.

The 1.4-acre project also includes an 80-seat restaurant and 2,650 square feet of meeting rooms.

It will be the third hotel built in Windsor since the summer of 2005, when the 75-room and five-suite Holiday Inn Express opened, and the fall of 2008, when the 116-room Hampton Inn & Suites opened.

The new hotels have helped bolster Windsor’s general fund via bed taxes, the revenue it collects for overnight stays.

Windsor voters in 2006 also approved an increase in the bed tax from 8 percent to 12 percent, in line with most other cities in Sonoma County.

“We have seen TOT (transient occupancy taxes) pretty much withstand the recession,” said McAdler, adding that property and sales taxes have taken a hit.

In addition to its two hotels, Windsor also collects occupancy taxes on the World Mark by Wyndham, formerly Trendwest, a timeshare development that opened a dozen years ago.

Windsor bed taxes, which generated approximately $1.2 million last fiscal year, are projected to rise to $1.37 million this year and increase even further next budget year, according to McAdler.

Tourism officials say that’s generally been the trend in other parts of Sonoma County, following a dip in 2009.

“There’s been positive, year-over-year growth in visitation and spending in Sonoma County,” said Tim Zahner, marketing and public relations director for the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau.

The first quarter of this year, overall county hotel occupancy rose 7.2 percent and room rates increased 3.2 percent, compared to the same quarter in 2011, he said.

Windsor hotels appear to be more than holding their own, charging more than the county average, according to Zahner.

For example, the average daily room rate in Sonoma County was $113 in May 2011, according to the Smith Travel Research Report. A search on Travelocity for a hotel room in Windsor from May 14 to May 31 showed an average lowest rate of $154 at the Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn, he said.

That’s a good indicator that hotels in Windsor have strong bookings this early in the season and are not discounting room prices, Zahner said.

The developer for the proposed Holiday Inn, Nick Desai, did not immediately return phone messages left Wednesday. His company, Town Green Enterprises, owns the Wine Country Travelodge in Healdsburg and he also developed the Holiday Inn Express in Windsor.

Tourism officials say the cluster of hotels should fill various niches, whether for tourists, amateur sports teams, or wedding parties.

Each Wednesday, Cali Calmécac students gather at designated meeting points between three-quarters of a mile and three miles away from the school, and teachers and parent volunteers accompany them to school.

Sue McQuiddy, a Cali parent, coordinates the effort for the school.

“We’ve had an annual Walk and Roll to School Day in October for last two years, and this year we received one of the County Safe Routes To School grants to implement an ongoing program,” she said.

“This is the first year we have continued Walk and Roll to School Day throughout the year, with targeted periodic “challenges” to inspire students to participate.”

The challenge seems to be working. In the last two weeks, 250 students have been part of the walking school buses.

“That’s a 50-percent increase from our Fall Walk and Roll Challenge,” said McQuiddy.

Cali’s walking school buses are part of a county-wide effort that includes four other schools in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park.

The Sonoma County Safe Routes to School program is funded in part by the Measure M transportation tax and supports grassroots Safe Routes to School efforts.

The goal of Safe Routes to School programs is to encourage walking and bicycling where it is safe, and to make changes where it is not safe.

McQuiddy recognizes the importance of making routes safe in order for parents to encourage their children to participate.

“Parents need to feel that their students will be safe. Walking or riding in supervised groups helps with that. But sidewalks and bike lanes, especially at some central intersections in Windsor, need to be improved to make cycling to schools across town possible.”