Daily Republic, Friday, October 14, 2022

Uptick in Solano numbers includes more positive cases in hospitals

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — There were no new Covidrelated deaths for the second straight week, but the number of Solano County residents in area hospitals with pos itive coronavirus tests has increased.

There were 20 residents in hos pitals with positive tests – about half admit ted specifically because of Covid-19 symptoms –and two patients were in intensive care units with the disease. Those are up from 13 hospitaliza tions and one ICU patient on Oct. 6, the county

reported Thursday.

The Covid-19 report showed 292 cases since the update Oct. 6. Of that number, 270 were from the actual sevenday period, Dr. Bela Matyas, the county public health officer, said in a phone interview.

That puts the daily case average at 38.57, up from 38.43 a week earlier. The 10-day average rose from 41 daily cases to 42.8, the county reported.

“The (daily average) has bumped up a bit. So over the past week we have seen a slight rever sal of what we have

FAIRFIELD — Anyone 6 months or older should get a flu vaccine.

That is the advice of Solano County Public Health, noting the vaccine “helps stop the spread of the flu and pro tects everyone’s health.”

Health officials said it is difficult to predict when the flu season will begin, and because it takes two weeks for the vaccine to take full effect, residents should get their shots now.

“Getting the flu shot helps reduce the risk of catching the flu, as well as reduces the risk of being hospi talized if you do get sick,” Dr. Bela Matyas, public health officer, said in a statement. “Help keep our community safe and healthy by getting your flu shot.”

The officials also noted it is important to get the shot every year because the influ enza strains change and the vaccines are geared

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

DIXON — Fifty agen cies and organizations signed up to provide ser vices to veterans in need at Wednesday’s North Bay Stand Down at the Dixon May Fair.

Some of the service tables sat empty, and what had been its heyday a city unto itself, was less than expected.

“Not as many vet erans as we hoped, but after four years (without a stand down), we didn’t know what to expect,” event coordi nator Jeff Jewell said as volunteers from Primo’s

Bay

of homeless who are veterans has dropped from 300,000 to 30,000, in large part due to the funding the Department of Veterans Affairs has poured into its programs.

“Not seeing as many homeless veterans . . . that may be a good thing,” Jewell said.

barber shops gave him a trim. “But we’re happy to be back.”

Jewell said he hopes the reason for the low

numbers is because there are fewer homeless vet erans and others in need. He said national statis tics show the number

In Solano County, the latest point-in-time survey showed 3% of the 1,179 homeless individ uals in the county are veterans. The overall count is widely viewed as below the actual number of homeless, so it is also likely there are more

Board

Field

Fairfield pro tennis

rocket

Aaron

Sue Polley, left, and Sherri Collins visit the Patient Align Care Team table during North Bay Stand Down at the Dixon May Fair, Wednesday.

New release reviews of The Cowsills, Sammy Hagar, Buddy Guy and The Isley Brothers

75 years old Thursday.

I

was exposed to many different genres of music while growing up. My mom listened to everything from Mahalia Jackson to the Kingston Trio and my dad liked the blues. Classical music came into my world in a sneaky way – via Looney Tunes cartoons. But the most pervasive musical influencer for me back in the 1970s was AM radio, which played a little bit of everything.

Tony Wade Back in the day

unprecedented comeback from being 0-3 to beat the NewYorkYankees.

I remember walking to either The Where house or Eucalyptus Records and Tapes to get new albums. Now with streaming music ser vices, new releases are brought to me.

While I like modern artists like Bruno Mars, Ghost, Lizzo and others, I’m old school. Today I offer brief reviews of four new albums by oldschool artists who are practitioners of pop, rock, blues and soul. They are, respectively, The Cow sills, Sammy Hagar, Buddy Guy and The Isley Brothers.

Honestly, I only listened to their new album on a whim and I was surprised to find I kinda enjoyed most of it. It’s strummy, has wonderful harmonies that often only siblings can pull off and some strong tunes like “You Gotta Get Up!,” “Lend a Hand” and “Every Little Secret.” What would have been the A side of the album back in the day is the better part and it kind of peters out near the end, but overall, not bad stuff from the former bubble gum popsters. Two stars out of four.

He is still in fine voice and this album has some well-crafted songs like the sludgy “Slow Drain,” the anthemic “Feed Your Head” and wistful introspective ones like “Childhood’s End” and “Be Still.” But the ques tion I asked myself is in 40 years, when I’m 98, will I be nostalgically listening to this album like I do with “Standing Hampton?”

And, yes, like Christo pher Lee, I will still be crankin’ loud guitar music in my 90s, but just don’t think this good, but not great, album will be on my Rockin’ In My Rocker Playlist. Two and a half stars out of four.

and Buddy rocks the house with, well, “House Party” and the traditional electric blues tune “Sweet Thing.” I also enjoyed his head-bobbing take on the Beatles “I’ve Got a Feeling.”

There are no weak spots on the disc and it is one of those I can listen to from start to finish or take buffet style and still love it.

Four stars out of four.

silk, soulful and distinc tive vocals; they have a nostalgic, hypnotic effect on me. Strong tunes on the album include “The Plug (featuring 2 Chainz), “Sexy Face,” “My Love Song” and “Great Escape,” among others.

What an old-school, planets-aligning treat to see the 1978 Switch slow jam “There’ll Never Be” featuring Earth, Wind & Fire and El DeBarge included. It features El DeBarge standing in for his late brother/Switch lead singer Bobby on fal setto vocals along with Earth, Wind & Fire’s Phillip Bailey.

‘Make Me Say it Again, Girl’ – The Isley Brothers

I like the “baby-makin’ music” slow jams and mid-tempo numbers, but miss the more funky side the Isleys used to explore.

Young Eagles back in air at Nut Tree Airport

VACAVILLE — The Young Eagles program that gives youth interested in aviation an opportu nity to take their first flight is offering a session Saturday at the Nut Tree Airport.

Those interested, ages 8 to 17, should be at the airport by 7:30 a.m. Go to the airport building behind the Lowe’s store. A parent or guardian must be present.

‘Rhythm of the World’ – The Cowsills

The Cowsills’ main claim to fame is they were the real-life family musical group (six sib lings and their mother) that inspired the TV show “The Partridge Family.” Now, while growing up I was not aware of The Cowsills and only discov ered them by watching the 2011 documentary “Family Band: The Cow sills Story.” According to the documentary, their father was their manager and was a cruel, vindic tive, abusive alcoholic.

The Cowsills had hits like “The Rain, the Park and Other Things,” a psychedelic pop take on the title song from the musical “Hair,” and a version of the theme from the TV show “Love American Style,” among others. The Cowsills also can claim a spot in sports history as they sang the national anthem at Game 4 of the 2004 American League Championship Series where the Boston Red Sox began their

‘Crazy Times’ –Sammy Hagar and the Circle

I have been a Sammy Hagar fan since his 1982 album “Standing Hampton” with the hits “There’s Only One Way to Rock,” “I’ll Fall In Love Again” and the theme from the animated movie “Heavy Metal,” among others. My fandom was solidified when I saw him at the Cow Palace the next year and he was a ball o’ fire.

Sammy was the first artist I ever saw using a wireless headset mic, and it freed him to race all over the stage while belting out his solo hits, including “Trans Am (Highway Wonderland),” “Red,” “I’ve Done Every thing For You” as well as tunes from his days in the band Montrose like “Bad Motor Scooter” and “Rock Candy.”

I later saw him with Van Halen and it was cool, but I prefer David Lee Roth in that context. In addition to his solo work, Hagar has several outlets for musical expression, including The Waboritas, Chicken foot and The Circle. The latter features former Bus Boys guitarist Vic Johnson, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s chip off the ol’ block, Jason Bonham.

I have to tip my hat to Hagar, who just turned

‘The Blues Don’t Lie’ – Buddy Guy

I remember being blown away by the ven erable bluesman’s album “Living Proof,” especially the leadoff song “74 Years Young” where, after an acoustic opening, he just unleashed a blistering electric guitar solo. I saw him in Davis on that tour and he crushed it.

That was 12 years and four albums ago and he is still bringing the goods.

Buddy’s new album kicks off with the bouncy “I Let My Guitar Do the Talking” and ends with a gentle acoustic rendering of the only Slim Harpo classic “I’m a King Bee.” Between those bluesy bookends he continues his lifetime explora tion of soothing the hurts of life with the salve of the blues.

He brings some friends along for the ride, including Elvis Costello on the straightforward rocking “Symptoms of Love,” James Taylor on “Follow the Money,” Mavis Staples on the nos talgic “We Go Back” and Bobby Rush on the playful “What’s Wrong with That.”

My favorite tune on the entire album, “Gunsmoke Blues,” features Jason Isbell on guest vocals and is about school shoot ings. Buddy’s soaring and heartfelt solo perfectly fits the plaintive lyrics that end with “a million thoughts and prayers won’t bring back anyone.”

Of course the blues aren’t always a downer

The Isley Broth ers were part of the soundtrack to my life as my older brothers had their 8-tracks and albums so, of course, I followed their lead. That’s why it was so cool to hear that the leadoff and title track on their new album is a remake of a song from the band’s 1975 album, “The Heat is On.”

The reimagined version features a duet with Beyoncé where she and lead singer Ronald Isley trade lines and it is beautifully done. Still, it isn’t my fave Isley song and at nearly eight minutes long it gets a little tiresome after a while.

But overall this is a strong effort and I love Ronald Isley’s smooth as

“Friends and Family,” with a special appearance by Snoop Dogg, is the closest to that. The Isley Brothers now are Ronald and guitarist Ernie. Ernie’s considerable six string talents seem to be woefully underutilized these days.

Still, if you are grown and sexy, this is a most welcome release. Three and a half stars out of four.

Fairfield freelance humor columnist and acciden tal local historian Tony Wade writes two weekly columns: “The Last Laugh” on Mondays and “Back in the Day” on Fridays. Wade is also the author of The History Press books “Growing Up In Fairfield, California” and “Lost Restaurants of Fairfield, California.”

Hosted by the Experimental Air craft Association EAA 1230 chapter, the program has local pilots who take those interested in avia tion on flights on the third Saturday of each month.

The last session of the year is scheduled Nov. 19.

For more informa tion, call Larry Smigla, president of the EAA 1230 chapter, at 707689-4848 or send an email to p51smigla@aol.com.

Travis trustees OK

for teachers, most staff

prior to the raises and will increase by $408,517.

FAIRFIELD — A new state law to change the start times for schools starting this academic year served as cover for 6.7% raises for most of the Travis School Dis trict’s workforce.

The district and its teachers union came to an agreement Sept. 30.

Trustees on Tuesday approved a memorandum or understanding with the Travis Unified Teachers Association.

The agreement stems from Senate Bill 328, which changed the start times for schools by 15 minutes. The teachers union requested a renego tiation of salaries because of the additional time teachers would need to be at school.

Teachers in the Travis district were paid a collec tive $27.2 million before the raises, district officials report. That total now increases by $1.8 million for the 2022-23 school year. Statutory benefits for teachers were $6 million

Members of the Cali fornia School Employees Association also renegoti ated their agreement with the district to reflect addi tional time required for them to be at school and received the same 6.7% raise Tuesday.

The staff represented by the bargaining unit were paid a collective $11.3 million prior to the raises, which the dis trict reports will cost an additional $761,366 for the 2022-23 school year. Statutory benefits for these employees totaled $3.9 million prior to the raises and will increase by $1.02 million over the next year.

Mark Nowag, presi dent of the Travis Unified Teachers Association, said he was pleased with the changes.

“Teachers have told me that this means they won’t be leaving the teaching profession,” he said. “This makes a huge difference for them. It will also make a difference when hiring for new teachers.”

$1 million grant to help Vallejo PD’s youth offender homeless program

real change.”

Board denies request to add slain student’s name to Gammon Field

SuSan Hiland SHILAND@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Daniel Hughes’ name will not be added to Gammon Field at Vanden High School.

The decision was made Tuesday by the Travis School District govern ing board and follows the recommendation of a committee established to review the request.

Daniel Dejon Hughes, 17, was a junior at Vanden High when he was shot on Easter Sunday in 2021 and died 14 days later on April 18, 2021. The criminal case against the suspected shooter is making its way through the courts.

the field – and the rec ognition of Gammon’s contributions – while also honoring the slain student-athlete.

The committee rec ommended against the proposal after hearing from the community Oct. 3. Concurrence from the school board came after hearing a presenta tion on the matter from Allyson Rude Azevedo, director of Students Ser vices for the district and the chairwoman of the committee.

Hughes’ family was not happy with the com mittee recommendation and called into ques tion the fairness of the process.

ees or parents of the school. He also covered several other reasons why he felt the decision was unfair, including past experiences with the school district.

“We have done every thing you asked and still it was always stacked against us,” the elder Hughes said.

The review process

Azevedo said much was taken into consider ation in their decision, including the Hughes family’s opinion that naming the stadium was separate from the naming of the field.

ities shall occur only under extraordinary cir cumstances and after thorough study.”

The committee con sidered this language and looked at several factors:

n Daniel Hughes was a well-liked student-athlete who inspired the local athletic community, including staff, students and other members of the community.

n His impact and con tributions were evident during his life, but also after his death.

n His organs were donated, saving several lives.

VALLEJO — The Police Department has received a $1 million Proposition 47 grant it will use for Project HOME.

The name is an acronym for Homeless Out reach, Mentorship and Empower ment. The program focuses on justiceinvolved transi tional-age youth, 16 to 24, who are experiencing homelessness and mild to moderate mental health and/or substance use disorders.

“Building healthy, safe and vibrant communities requires that we empower those who have been marginalized or justiceinvolved with mentoring, coaching and resources to succeed,” Police Chief Shawny Williams said in a statement. “I am grate ful for our many partners in this endeavor because it takes a united community to bring hope and create

Project HOME involves community groups “to create a full spectrum of wrap-around services that leverage each partner organiza tion’s individual expertise and resources.”

These organi zations include On the Move, Vallejo Together, Ole Health, Planned Parenthood and the Solano Pride Center. They provide services such as intensive peer-to-peer case man agement, job training, housing support, trans portation to safe housing, substance abuse counsel ing and legal services. Ole Health and Planned Par enthood also offer female medical and health ser vices. Solano Pride Center provides mental health counseling for the LGBT population.

Proposition 47 was passed by voters in 2014 and changed certain nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors.

Proponents of the naming plan – includ ing Daniel Hughes’ family – had sought to rebrand the overarch ing football facility “The Daniel Dejon Hughes Stadium at Gammon Field.” The rationale was the stadium and the field were separate, thereby preserving the name of

“I reject your rec ommendation from this committee,” Dejon Daniel Hughes, Dan iel’s father, said at the meeting Tuesday.

He went on to speak about how the com mittee meeting was never publicized and the members were all made up of employ

The committee unani mously disagreed with his opinion and found the field and the stadium are the same facility.

The committee, Azevedo said, focused on the language of Board Policy 7310, which spe cifically addresses renaming a facility: “The renaming of existing schools or major facil

n A foundation estab lished in his name has provided six $1,000 schol arships, with funding for more scholarships in the future.

The committee also considered commu nity support for Daniel Hughes and the Hughes family, as evidenced by the 1,500 people who attended Daniel’s funeral

Christmas comes early to Suisun City

daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SUISUN CITY — City officials and others on Wednesday helped to ded icate a new Christmas Tree at the waterfront.

The 24-foot Blue Aptos, a native coast redwood, replaces the previous tree that was removed in September.

Also called the Aptos Blue, the species can reach 80 feet tall with a spread of 30 feet. It

typically has reddishbrown bark and features needles with a deep bluegreen color.

The tree was planted two months ago, about 40 feet from where the previous tree stood, and officials said it is doing well.

The tree will have its big day Dec. 3 when, fully decorated, it will become a centerpiece to the city’s Christmas on the Water front event.

Aaron

Members of the community attend a meeting at the Travis Education Center in Fairfield to review a request to add Daniel Hughes’ name to George A. Gammon Field at Vanden High School, Oct. 3.

Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic City officials and other locals gather to dedicate a new Christmas Tree at the Suisun City waterfront, Wednesday.

WILLIAMS

Garamendi honors 27 women at Woodland College ceremony

FAIRFIELD — Solano County women make up nearly half of the 58 selected by Rep. John Garamendi as Women of the Year for his 3rd Con gressional District.

The 27 Solano selec tions were Jerrylean Baker, Diane Barney, Lisa Rowland Brasher, Barbara Bulkley, Debbie Egidio, Lt. Col. Parawee (May) Euavijitearoon, Nancy Federle, Chris tina Forrest, Elizabeth Gasang, Sandra Gonza lez, Alma Hernandez, Sherry Jasara, Amy Kahn, Kathie Kalafatis, Carol Kalamaras, Christine Katzenmeyer, Frances McCullough, Danette Mitchell, Jessica Moser, Doriss Panduro, Darelyn Pazdel, Laura Proctor, Tonya Racasner, Arika Spencer Brown, Mary Stutts, Robin Tully and Command Master Sgt. Jennifer Wampler.

These and the other

Obituary

James I. Porterfield

Aug. 3, 1937 —

Sept. 20, 2022

James I. Porterfield passed away peacefully at the age of 85. Jim was born in Scotia, California, to Dana ‘T-Bone’ Porterfield and Rose (Earl) Swinderman.

Jim attended Vallejo schools. He entered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, December 1960. In 1962, Jim continued as a Reserv ist and was honorably dis charged in November 1966.

Jim was a pipefitter, Shop 56, on Mare Island Naval Shipyard for 32 years until retirement in May 1991.

Jim is survived by daugh ters, Wendy (Kevin) McCard and Cindy Spears of Amer ican Canyon; three grand children, Autumn, Austin and Hunter; sister, Sylvia Ramsey; sister-in-law, Susan Vargas; and several nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 39 years, Janice; parents; and stepfather.

Military service will take place at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, at the Sacra mento Valley National Cem etery, 5810 Midway Road, Dixon, California. Recep tion to follow immediately at Cattlemens, 250 Dorset Court, Dixon, California.

In

women were recognized Thursday at the ninth annual Women of the Year ceremony at Wood land Community College. The honor is due in part to their “positive contribu tions in their communities through public service, advocacy or volunteerism, according to Garamen di’s office.

“Each year I am priv

ileged to recognize the selfless and devoted women who help make California’s 3rd District so special,” Garamendi said in a statement. “The invaluable service each honoree has given to their community is deserving of recognition. By pre senting these women of the year with this award, their achievements will be

recorded and preserved in the official Congressio nal Record.”

In addition to the Solano County honor ees, there were three from Lake County, one from Glenn County, six from Sacramento County, 12 from Yolo County, five from Yuba County and five from Sutter County.

Vaca hires Public Works, Parks and Rec directors

Daily Republic DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE — The city announced Thurs day the hiring of two department heads: Brian McLean as direc tor of Public Works and Reggie Hubbard as director of Parks and Recreation.

Both appointments by City Manager Aaron Busch come from within the departments each now leads.

McLean had been assistant director of Public Works Mainte nance Operations.

“I am pleased to announce Brian McLean as our next director of Public Works,” Busch said in a statement.

“He brings more than 18 years of local gov ernment experience to the position. I am confi dent that Brian will do a great job in leading the department during a time of tremendous growth in the services to our community.” Hubbard had been recreation manager.

“I am delighted to share that Reggie Hubbard has accepted the position of director of Parks and Recreation,” Busch said in a state

ment. “Mr. Hubbard is a longtime city of Vacav ille employee, beginning his career with us in 1992. He will provide excellent leadership as we endeavor to provide outstanding service to our residents and visi tors alike.”

McLean gradu ated from Sacramento State University with a bachelor’s degree in envi ronmental science and chemistry. His back ground includes work as information technology manager and consultant. He began work with Vacaville in 2005 as a management analyst for the transit department, which was later changed to Transit/Public Works manager. In 2015, he was promoted to Public Works superintendent, followed by deputy direc tor of Public Works, and finally assistant director of the Mainte nance Division.

“It is a privilege to serve the Vacav ille community in this capacity,” McLean said in the statement. “I look forward to leading the men and women of the Public Works Depart ment as we endeavor to provide the highest quality service to our residents, businesses and visitors.”

Hubbard earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Oregon State University and a master’s in organiza tional leadership from Saint Mary’s University. He started with the city as a part-time program coordinator in 1992, and soon after was hired as a full-time Housing and Redevelopment special ist. In 2003, he became recreation supervisor and soon after that, recre ation manager.

“My depth of expe rience in recreation administration and famil iarity with the city have prepared me for this next step. It is a privilege to represent this depart ment and be a part of a team that strives to make Vacaville the number one place to live, work and play,” Hubbard said in the statement.

and the 1,805 signa tures on a petition to “name the Vanden foot ball stadium after Daniel Dejon Hughes.” The outpouring of support from those who attended the committee meeting Oct. 3, including those who spoke or provided written input, was also taken as evidence of community support for the request presented to the committee.

Azevedo said some committee members were in favor of renam ing Gammon Field to acknowledge the degree of community support for the request and the number of students who were and are inspired by Daniel Hughes.

Other members of the committee were not in favor of renam ing Gammon Field, Azevedo said, citing research-based best practices related to student memorials.

Some members of the committee noted George Gammon, having founded Travis School District and through decades of service, set the standard by which outstanding contribu tions would be measured, and no extraordinary circumstances warrant renaming the stadium, Azevedo said.

The committee also looked at how the com munity has honored Daniel Hughes over the past year. Those honors include:

n A yearbook insert.

n Daniel’s photo being displayed and a banner hung in the James Boyd Gym.

n No. 9 flags at the Gammon Field.

n A painted No. 9 at the entry of Gammon Field.

n Memorial T-shirts and wrist bands worn by players and staff.

n Daniel’s name on the football and basket ball roster during the 2021-22 season.

n Recognition during Senior Parent Nights and at Senior Awards Night.

n Daniel’s name announced during grad uation in June.

n The Top Viking football award named in Daniel’s honor.

n Jersey retirement and ceremony.

n Boys basketball sweatshirts in Daniel’s honor.

n No. 11 on girls bas ketball warmups.

n Sept. 11 being named “Daniel Day” by coaching staff in honor of Daniel’s football and bas ketball numbers.

n Awarding of state

championship rings to Daniel’s parents. The rings included No. 9 on the side panel.

n A football champi onship mural on the side of the Shubin Building, which includes No. 9 and a crown symbol.

Finally, Azevedo said the commit tee also considered that while permanent memorials may be com forting to some students, staff and community members, they can also be a painful reminder of the tragedy for some students, staff and com munity members.

Hughes and Gammon family responses

Dejon Daniel Hughes spoke past his allot ted 3 minutes and was reminded by board pres ident Janet Jackson Forbes that he needed to stop, but he con tinued to speak for another moment.

“This is all about pol itics,” Danielle Hughes, the older sister of Daniel, said. “I will tell every person I know don’t put your kids in this school district.”

She also spoke about several instances of dif ficulties working with the district. She said her family will con tinue to fight.

Barbara Brock, the daughter of George A. Gammon, addressed both the board and the committee.

“I appreciate and respect the process,” she said. “I agree with your decision.”

The board took a roll call vote with members Ivery Hood, Riitta DeAndra, Manveer Sanhu and Meghan Thompson voting to accept the committee’s recommendation and Board President Jackson Forbes abstaining along with student board member Bonika Gudeta.

Other review com mittee members were Cathy Dailey, a teacher at Golden West Middle School; Diane Johnson, assistant principal at Vanden High School; Kevin Ratterman, a teacher at Vanden High School; Troy Taylor, a parent from Vanden High School; and Jackie Tretten, a retired teacher and administrator for the Travis district.

The committee was assisted by two facili tators provided by the Solano County Office of Education: Andrew Ownby and Richard Sal vatto. The committee was also assisted by two mental health consul tants provided by the Solano County Office of Education: Nicola Parr and Camden Webb.

calling 707-438-1720. The Webinar ID is 816 2478 0180.

CHP cadets join Walk Like MADD event

FAIRFIELD — More than 200 cadets at the Cali fornia Highway Patrol Academy will participate in the Walk Like MADD event scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday in Roseville.

The event is sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which for 40 years has been assisting victims of impaired drivers and advocating for tougher stan dards and laws. The walk will start at 1550 Maidu Drive.

Participation by the cadets is part of their six months of community service training.

ARMY CORPS VETERAN

Courtesy photo

Rep. John Garamendi with the Women of the Year award recipients from solano County.

HUBBARD McLEAN

Supes call special closed session on labor negotiations

FAIRFIELD — Solano County supervisors have called a special closed session meeting Friday on labor negotiations.

The board will start the meeting at 4 p.m. in an open session to take public comment, then go into closed session for a conference with labor negotiators, the agenda states.

County Counsel Ber nadette Curry stated

in an email response to the Daily Republic that the urgency to call the meeting with only a one-day notice is due to the quickly approaching contract expiration date.

“The county is doing everything it can to successfully conclude labor negotiations for its collective bargaining agreements, which are set to expire on Oct. 21, 2022,” Curry stated.

The next regularly scheduled board meeting is Oct. 25.

Vacaville wants ideas for Safe Route to School locations

VACAVILLE — The city is accepting ideas on where Safe Routes to School locations should be considered for the program’s plan.

“City staff will eval uate each submission to determine if there are physical improve ments that can be constructed to miti gate areas of concern. Evaluation of data and conditions will guide the types of potential physical improvements (e.g. enhanced cross walks, radar feedback

signs, installation of gap sidewalks, etc.). Please note, not all issues can be solved by physical improvements,” the city said in a statement.

Feasible improve ments will be provided to the Solano Transpor tation Authority, which runs the Safe Routes to School program.

To submit and idea, go to cityofvacaville.gov/ sr2s. The deadline to submit is Jan. 31.

For more information, contact Cindy Larsen at 707-449-5357 or cindy. larsen@cityofvaca ville.com.

Vaca family reunion provides lesson to Solano’s history

VACAVILLE —

Members of the sixth, seventh and eighth gen erations of the founding Vaca family will par ticipate in the Peña Adobe Historical Soci ety’s Family Reunion Picnic on Saturday.

The reunion is an opportunity for the Historical Society to teach about and share the area’s earliest beginnings.

“Guided by their father, Juan Manuel Vaca, Marcos Vaca and his seven brothers and sisters arrived in what became the Vaca Valley

in 1841, traveling the three-month journey from the New Mexico Territory with Juan Peña and his family. While the Vaca Adobe no longer stands, destroyed by the earthquake of 1892, the Peña Adobe will serve as background for sixthgeneration descendants to share their Vaca heri tage with younger family members, as the Peña Adobe Historical Society records their oral histo ries,” the society said in a statement.

The event is set for 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Peña Adobe Park, located at 4699 Peña Adobe Road near the entrance to Lagoon Valley Park.

Fairfield commission confirms need for RV storage garbage sign

FAIRFIELD — The city Planning Commis sion on Wednesday denied the appeal of an RV storage developer regard ing garbage signage requirements.

A condition on the

project for a 138-vehicle storage facility, with solar carports, at 490 Edison Court is signage on the garbage enclosure area, a requirement Steve Mirab ito, of StoragePro at Fairfield LLC, argued would “attract people to dump large objects and

excess waste into the trash enclosure.”

Nor was he convinced his facility should have to provide any waste con tainers for customers.

No formal vote was taken on the appeal, thus leaving the signage con dition in place, but the

commission did vote, 4-1, to shrink the actual enclo sure area from 18.9 square feet to 13.5 square feet.

Mirabito does have the option to appeal the commission action to the City Council.

The project sits on 4.21 acres.

Trump reportedly ordered White House documents moved after receiving subpoena

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Former President Donald Trump reportedly personally ordered boxes of top-secret documents moved out of a storage room at his Mar-a-Lago resort after he was hit with a subpoena to return them to the government.

In what would amount to be the strongest evi dence of obstruction of justice, Trump told at least one aide to take boxes from the storage to his personal residence last spring after he received the legal order to turn over all classified records, according to two bomb shell published reports on Thursday.

The longtime Trump aide, named in one report as Walt Nauta, has spilled the beans about his boss in repeated interviews with the FBI and is considered a critical witness against the former president.

The account was bol stered by video security footage showing the boxes being moved, effec tively confirming the aide’s story.

The damning reports in The Washington Post and The New York Times help to explain why pros ecutors were so sure Trump had failed to fully comply with the sub poena and why a judge authorized the explosive Aug. 8 search of his water front home and club.

Trump has been locked in a dispute with the gov ernment for months over the documents, includ ing highly classified materials, that he improp erly took with him after leaving the White House in January 2021.

The former president returned about 15 boxes of the records, but the feds correctly believed more documents remained at Mar-a-Lago or elsewhere.

Prosecutors obtained a subpoena requiring Trump to return all the outstanding classi fied materials. He handed

Felon accused of family’s massacre enters plea to 4 counts of murder

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

MERCED — Jesus Manuel Salgado, the Merced man charged with killing an 8-month old, her parents and uncle, pleaded not guilty Thurs day to four counts of first degree murder with special circumstances.

Salgado’s arraign ment was continued from Monday after he said he needed time to hire a private attorney. A judge gave him until Thursday. But when asked Thurs day by Judge James T. LaPorte if he had an attorney, Salgado replied he did not.

LaPorte attempted to appoint an attorney with the public defenders office, but they declared a conflict.

The judge then selected Mark Siegel, a defense attorney with Fitzgerald, Alvarez and Ciummo, to handle Salgado’s potential death penalty case.

Prosecutor Nicole Sil veira, who will become the new Merced County Dis

trict Attorney in January, said that while a deci sion has not been made about the death penalty in Salgado’s case, they are proceeding as if it were an option.

Salgado is accused of kidnapping and killing baby Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, and her uncle Aman deep Singh, 39.

About 30 people, includ ing family members, friends and supporters, packed the courtroom Monday and Thursday. Salgado appeared via a video camera on Monday, but he was present on Thursday.

As he was being brought in by deputies, there was a stillness in the audience. This was the first time the public has seen him since his arrest on Oct. 4.

Wearing a protective garment to prevent him from hurting himself, Sal gado’s heavily tattooed arms were visible from the garment.

Siegel spoke briefly with Salgado before his arraignment. “He said he cannot afford private council so he asked for our assistance and he under stands that we need time to provide him that assis tance,” Siegel said.

If convicted, Salgado faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.

After the hearing, one of the family members spoke briefly to reporters. He said the family is still in shock over the killings.

“You all have families, imagine what its like to lose one (person); we lost four,” said Sukhdeep Dheri, a relative. “That is what we are feeling.”

Salgado returns to court on Dec. 15.

He remains in the county jail on a no-bail hold. His brother, Alberto Salgado, is also under arrest and is charged with criminal conspiracy, accessory and destroy ing evidence.

over dozens of documents and his lawyers submit ted a statement claiming that a “diligent search” revealed no more were at the resort.

But the feds had evi dence that Trump was lying and defying the subpoena.

When they initially questioned the aide, he denied ever moving the boxes, the reports said. But when confronted with evidence to the con trary, he opened up about

Trump’s direct involve ment in trying to move the documents after getting a subpoena.

The aide has also told investigators about Trump’s other efforts to get subordinates to help him thwart efforts to get the documents back.

The Department of Justice has said it’s inves tigating mishandling of documents, violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice and suspect Trump has

still not handed over all the documents.

Trump derides the probe as a partisan witch hunt and has told support ers that he believes the documents belong to him, which is not true.

Prosecutors are unlikely to decide whether to charge Trump in the case until after the midterm elections to avoid any perception of tipping the political scales.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images/TNS file

In an aerial view, former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a- lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, is seen sept. 14.

Jan. 6 committee votes to subpoena Trump

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

WASHINGTON — The House Jan. 6 select com mittee unanimously voted Thursday to issue a sub poena to former President Donald Trump, capping off what could be its final hearing by laying out the case that Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election were premeditated.

The move follows months of hearings by the committee to make the case that blame for the insurrection should be placed squarely on Trump’s efforts to stay in power despite knowing he’d lost the election. Thursday’s hearing sum marized and built upon evidence of that scheme.

After months of inter nal debate over whether to call Trump to testify, com mittee Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson said the panel determined that speaking to the former president was necessary.

“The committee needs to do everything in our power to tell the most complete story possible and present recommen dations to help ensure nothing like Jan. 6 ever happens again. We need to be fair and thorough and gain a full context for the evidence we’ve seen, but the need for this commit tee to hear from Donald Trump goes beyond our fact-finding,” Thompson, D-Miss., said. “He is required to answer for his actions.”

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who has been abandoned by the Repub lican Party and lost her reelection bid after taking a leading role in the investigation as the committee’s vice chair, formally requested the subpoena. She asked the

public to keep three facts from the past hear ings in mind: that Trump always planned to claim fraud if he lost; that he knew his claims of fraud were false and had failed to be proved in court but made a con scious decision to continue claiming the election was stolen; and that the people who ultimately stopped his attempts to stay in power were Republicans. She emphasized that the country can’t rely on the hope that people of con viction will be in positions to stop such a threat to democracy from hap pening again.

“Our duty today is to our country and our chil dren and our Constitution. We are obligated to seek answers directly from the man who set this all in motion,” Cheney said.

Trump is likely to fight the subpoena in court. With just over two months left before the committee disbands,

such a move would in effect mean the panel may have little chance of hearing firsthand from the former president as part of its investigation. Trump responded to the vote on hit social media platform, called Truth Social, by questioning why the com mittee waited so long to ask him to testify.

The committee’s ninth hearing this year, possi bly its final one, focused on Trump’s role in the scheme to keep himself in power and provided a sweeping summation of the facts disclosed in the previous hearings.

Trump planned “well in advance” to declare victory on election night, regardless of the vote count, said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.

“This big lie, President Trump’s effort to con vince Americans that he had won the 2020 election, began before the elec tion results even came in. It was premeditated.

It was not based on . . . results or any fraud, if there was any actual prob lems with voting. It was a plan concocted in advance to convince his support ers that he won, and the people who seemingly knew about the plan in advance would ultimately play a significant role in the events of January,” Lofgren said.

Each of the nine com mittee members led a portion of the hearing by presenting fresh testi mony from new and old witnesses, as well as new evidence obtained from the Secret Service and never-before-seen video of the riot, congressio nal leaders’ activities and those of Trump’s allies in the days around Jan. 6.

Committee leaders described the hearing’s goal as a step back to look at the entire plan to keep Trump in power, cover ing the span of time from before the 2020 election until after the Jan. 6 insur

rection. Previous hearings each focused on an aspect of Trump’s attempts to overturn the election.

“The central cause of Jan. 6 was one man, Donald Trump, who many others followed,” Cheney said. “None of this would have happened without him. He was personally and substantially involved in all of it. Exactly how did one man cause all of this? Today we will focus on President Trump’s state of mind, his intent, his motivations and how he spurred others to do his bidding.”

Thursday was the committee’s first public hearing in nearly three months. In the interim, public attention has been seized by news of the Justice Department’s accelerating investiga tion into the insurrection and the scheme to use false electors to cast doubt on the election results and keep Trump in office, and on the FBI’s

efforts to recover classi fied materials that were improperly – and possi bly illegally – stored at Trump’s Florida estate after he left office.

Committee members have indicated that, barring additional infor mation coming to light, this is probably the panel’s last hearing. But com mittee aides balked at reporters’ attempts to label it their closing argu ment, adding that more evidence or testimony could surface before the committee presents its final report by the end of the calendar year.

Cheney said the committee is still weigh ing whether to make a recommendation about criminal charges to the Justice Department.

Republicans are not expected to renew the committee if they regain control of the House in January.

Drew

(707) 427-1386

Brandy says she had ‘dehydration’ and low nutrition following report of seizure

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Singer-actress Brandy is resting after an appar ent medical scare, telling fans she experienced “dehydration and low amounts of nutrition.”

Her update came on Twitter after TMZ reported Wednesday that the artist, whose full name is Brandy Norwood, had been hos pitalized in Los Angeles with a possible seizure.

“To my beloved fam, friends, and starz thank you for sending love and light my way,” Brandy wrote.

“I am following doctors’ orders and getting the rest I need due to dehydration and

low amounts of nutri tion. Thank you for your prayers and support. Grateful for you all, see you soon.”

Brandy, 43, didn’t go into further details about her condition.

The artist rose to fame during the 1990s with songs such as “The Boy Is Mine” – which earned her lone Grammy win out of 12 nomina tions – and leading roles on the series “Moesha” and in the musical film “Rodgers & Hammer stein’s Cinderella.”

She released the most recent of her seven studio albums, “B7,” in 2020, and performed the national anthem at the Super Bowl in February.

Core US inflation rises to 40-year high in September

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

A closely watched measure of U.S. consumer prices rose by more than forecast to a 40-year high in September, pressur ing the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates even more aggressively to stamp out persistent infla tion before it becomes entrenched.

The core consumer price index, which

excludes food and energy, increased 6.6% from a year ago, the highest level since 1982, Labor Department data showed Thursday. From a month earlier, the core CPI climbed 0.6% for a second month.

The overall CPI increased 0.4% last month, and was up 8.2% from a year earlier. The median forecasts in a Bloom berg survey of economists

Supreme Court declines to intervene in Trump special master dispute

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will not intervene in a fight between the Justice Department and former President Donald Trump.

The decision was announced with no dissents.

Last week, Trump asked the Supreme Court to intervene and allow a special master to examine roughly 100 classified records found during the court-approved search of his Florida home in early August. The Justice Department is investigating alleged retention of classified information, theft of gov ernment documents and

obstruction of justice.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had granted an expedited appeal of a federal dis trict judge’s decision to appoint a special master.

The Justice Depart ment has argued that its internal review of docu ments potentially subject to attorney-client priv ilege was sufficient and that a special master should not be deciding questions of executive privilege. Trump’s legal team has argued that the FBI review cannot be trusted and that the probe should be as transpar ent as possible given the unprecedented search of a former president’s home.

Crime logs

FairField

TUESDAY, OCT. 11

3:52 a.m. — Grand theft, 5300 block of VENUS DRIVE

5:43 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 300 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE

7:59 a.m. — Grand theft, 1400 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

8:01 a.m. — Indecent exposure, WEST TEXAS STREET

9:09 a.m. — Indecent exposure, 1500 block of WEST TEXAS STREET

10:39 a.m. — Robbery, 2300 block of MIRAMAR COURT

11:44 a.m. — Grand theft, 800 block of WASHINGTON STREET

11:58 a.m. — Forgery, 1000 block of WEBSTER STREET

12:29 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 1500 block of MEADOWLARK DRIVE

12:57 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 3300 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

1:09 p.m. — Reckless driver, NORTH TEXAS STREET

2:29 p.m. — Reckless driver, UTAH STREET

2:42 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 200 block of DEL LUZ COURT

2:44 p.m. — Battery, 2700 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

2:59 p.m. — Hit-and-run with injury, HEATH DRIVE

3:02 p.m. — Trespassing, 300 block of GREGORY STREET

4:57 p.m. — Trespassing, 2500 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

4:59 p.m. — Vehicle burglary, 3000 block of DOVER AVENUE

5:30 p.m. — Vandalism, 300 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE 6:19 p.m. — Battery, 2900 block of REBECCA DRIVE 6:21 p.m. — Forgery, 900 block of DELAWARE STREET 6:23 p.m. — Indecent exposure, 200 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE

7:30 p.m. — Trespassing, 300 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD

7:52 p.m. — Vandalism, 400 block of PITTMAN ROAD 8:46 p.m. — Trespassing, 1000 block of OLIVER ROAD 11:37 p.m. — Grand theft, 1100 block of HORIZON DRIVE

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12 1:37 a.m. — Grand theft, 3000 block of HILLSIDE COURT 2:25 a.m. — Assault with a deadly weapon, 1400 block of MICHIGAN STREET 5:22 a.m. — Robbery, 4400 block of CENTRAL PLACE 5:34 a.m. — Robbery, 1300 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 7:39 a.m. — Vehicle burglary, 2200 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

8:53 a.m. — Vandalism, 1900 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 10:13 a.m. — Trespassing, 500 block of STARWOOD COURT 10:18 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 5000 block of PEABODY ROAD 10:54 a.m. — Prowler, 2200 block of NEWCASTLE COURT 12:24 p.m. — Forgery, 1000 block of WEBSTER STREET 12:28 p.m. — Prowler, 2200 block of NEWCASTLE COURT 1:17 p.m. — Drunken driver, VAN BUREN STREET 3:28 p.m. — Reckless driver, WATERMAN BOULEVARD 3:44 p.m. — Grand theft, 1500 block of UTAH STREET 4:50 p.m. — Trespassing, 300 block of GREGORY STREET 5:18 p.m. — Battery, 1000 block of WEBSTER STREET 6:09 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 1700 block of KENTUCKY STREET 6:13 p.m. — Shots fired, WEST TEXAS STREET 8:40 p.m. — Battery, 1400 block of WOOLNER AVENUE 10 p.m. — Trespassing, 600 block of WHITEHALL CIRCLE

SuiSun City

TUESDAY, OCT. 11 8:01 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 300 block of SANDY LANE 12:32 p.m. — Assault, 300 block of WALTERS ROAD 2:27 p.m. — Fraud, 700 block of CATALINA CIRCLE 2:45 p.m.

of CIVIC CENTER BOULEVARD 8:01 p.m.

fired, ALMOND STREET

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12 6:25 a.m.

Vandalism, 300 block of CIVIC CENTER BOULEVARD

had called for a 0.4% monthly rise in the core and a 0.2% gain in the overall measure.

The advance was broad based.

Shelter, food and medical care indexes were the largest of “many contributors,” the report said. Prices for gasoline and used cars declined.

The report stresses how high inflation has broadened across the economy, eroding Amer

Stand

From

veterans who are homeless, too.

Sherri Collins and Susan Wiggers-Polley are not homeless, but the Fairfield women who served in the Army and Air Force, respectively, came out to find ser vices from which they could benefit.

Each got a haircut and talked to a host of other service providers, many of which were health pro viders such as dental care and female-specific ser vices, but the one thing Collins hoped to find was absent: eye care. They did get small quilts from the Volunteer Services division of the VA.

They also learned more than they knew about death ben efits and the area veterans cemeteries, including Sacramento Valley National Ceme tery outside Dixon, the Benicia Arsenal and pos sibly Mare Island Naval Cemetery opening up for more burials by 2025.

Both women have strong family ties to Mare Island, so that gave them a new choice to consider.

As the morning ticked into the afternoon, only about 25 veter ans had shown.

At its peak, what was then a three-day Stand Down complete with large Army tents to serve as sleeping quar ters and a fully working kitchen for meals, the Stand Down had served as many as 300 veterans.

Uptick

From

been seeing,” Matyas said. It is too early to say if it marks a new trend upward, he said. “It could be this represents our new baseline.”

The number of Covid-related deaths remained at 440.

Matyas said he also has not heard whether the emergency decla ration is going to be extended. The expiration date is Saturday.

The uptick in case numbers comes as the Public Health Divi sion started a campaign urging people to get the latest strain-specific booster shots and to get flu shots as well.

“Getting the flu shot helps reduce the risk of catching the flu, as well as reduces the risk of being hospitalized if you do get sick,” Matyas aid in a statement. “Help keep our community safe and healthy by getting your flu shot.”

icans’ paychecks and forcing many to rely on savings and credit cards to keep up. While consumer price growth is expected to moderate in the coming months, it’ll be a slow trek down to the Fed’s goal.

Policy makers have responded with the most aggressive tightening campaign since the 1980s, but so far, the labor market and consumer demand have remained

resilient. The unemploy ment rate returned to a five-decade low in Sep tember, and businesses continue to raise pay to attract and retain the employees needed to meet household demand.

On the heels of a solid jobs report last week, the CPI report likely cements an additional 75-basis point interest rate hike at the Fed’s November policy meeting.

Traders solidified bets for the jumbo-sized hike next month. Stock futures fell sharply and Trea sury yields rose following the report.

Geopolitical develop ments could also keep inflation elevated. OPEC+ recently announced oil production cuts, and a potential gasoline export ban by the Biden adminis tration could backfire with higher pump prices.

From

toward the new versions.

“Timely flu shots help prevent a disease that hospitalizes hundreds of thousands and kills tens of thousands of Americans every year,” the division said in a statement.

However, Solano County did not have a single case last season

This year was a one-day event. Still, 125 volunteers signed up to help.

And it was a very familiar sight to see those volunteers who were vet erans sitting with those who came for services. One of those volun teers was Jim Wilson of Suisun City, who served in the Air Force, including 1967-68 and 1974-75 deployments in Vietnam. This was his third Stand Down.

“I’m with the Gideons, so I talk about the Bible and what is written in it,” Wilson said.

He understands this year’s event did not offer as much as past stand downs, but he said those veterans who came looking for services seemed to appreciate it just the same – and that included the Gideons.

“I haven’t had anyone turn us down for a Bible

Health officials noted it is important to get the shot every year because the influenza strains change and the vaccines are geared toward the new versions.

Fairfield and Vallejo each added 86 coronavirus cases to bring their totals to 29,959 and 33,445, respec tively. Vacaville is at 27,611 with 66 additions, the county reported.

Suisun City (7,733) added 26 cases; Dixon (5,266) added 11; Benicia (4,514) added 14; Rio Vista (1,539) added three; and the unincor porated area of Solano held at 222 cases with no new additions, the county reported.

Matyas has previously indicated Covid-19 case counts are likely much higher with the use of in-home testing, results of which are not generally reported to government agencies and in many cases are not shared with medical providers if medical treatment is not needed.

The vaccination rates did not change much.

that resulted in someone being hospitalized, in large part because of all the precautions being taken against the Covid-19 pan demic, Matyas has reported.

The new omicron booster is also avail able for individuals 12 or older who have completed a primary Covid-19 vaccine series.

“With the likelihood of

reading,” Wilson said.

Matthew Decker, a Marine Corps vet erans and founder of E5 Therapy in Suisun City, said one of the good things about the Stand Down is it allows provid ers to make contact with each other.

He said the veterans who did stop by his table also brought their dogs with them, so he spent a lot of his time really showing how they can get the most out of those emo tional support pets.

Lynn Jewell, one of the event organizers, said she wasn’t very happy with the turnout.

“It’s very disappoint ing, but really from the standpoint that we know there are people out there. who need ser vices,” Jewell said.

She said there was some hesitation about holding the event because of the still active

Covid-19 pandemic, so when the decision to move forward was made, it was a little late. She said the organizers “will get the word out earlier” next year.

The other issue, Jeff Jewell said, is that vet erans have a role to play, too. He said the services are available.

“So I think it means if you are a veteran and you live in Northern Califor nia, and you’re homeless or at-risk of being home less, there is a program for you,” Jewell said. “But you have to be willing to take your meds, get along with people, not drink, not use (drugs).”

Most importantly, he said, they need to know there are people who want to help.

“We are going to be here for those who served our country,” Jewell said.

The county reported 72% of the population 5 or older has been fully vac cinated, while 81% has received at least one shot. There have been 181,720 boosters adminis tered, up 331 since Oct. 6, the county reported.

The number of children 6 months to 4 years who have received a vaccine shot is at 2,068 (9.2%), and the number 5 to 11 is at 13,257 (35.7%), the county reported. The 5 to 11 number marks another correction down due to case duplica

both Covid-19 and seasonal flu activ ity this winter, getting vaccinated continues to be the best protec tion to prevent severe illness and disease,” Matyas said in the state ment. “To further prevent the spread of illness and disease, stay home if you feel ill.”

To find a flu or Covid vaccine at a location near you, visit https://vaccine

tions, mostly because of a child having his or her name spelled two differ ent ways in the records. The problem was caught because of siblings at the same address.

There have been 40 cases of monkey pox in the county, up one from the last report. The county had been at 39 for a number of weeks.

Matyas said avail ability of vaccines and changes to personal behavior have slowed the disease throughout the Bay Area.

finder.org.

For a list of Solano County community clinics providing lowcost to no-cost flu shots, visit www.solanocounty. com/flu. For a list of Solano County commu nity clinics providing the new omicron booster, visit www.solanocounty. com/covidvaccine.

For more informa tion about influenza, go to www.cdc.gov/ flu/index.htm.

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic A pedestrian wearing a face mask walks along Texas Street in Fairfield, Thursday.

MATYAS

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republich

Jeff Alstrand of Antioch has his picture taken at the DMV table during North Bay Stand Down at the Dixon May Fair, Wednesday.

Families stunned, angered, disgusted by jury’s decision to spare life of Parkland gunman

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

FORT LAUDER

DALE, Fla. — It has been 1,702 days since they last looked into the eyes of their child, their spouse, but the families of 17 students and staff killed at Marjory Stone man Douglas High School in 2018 finally got their moment of reckoning.

Most were shocked by the mercy shown to the gunman who took their loved ones’ lives.

“There are 17 victims, including my beautiful daughter Jaime, and they did not receive justice today,” said Fred Gut tenberg, describing his emotions as “shame, anger, devastation.”

“I’m going to go to the cemetery, and I’m going to tell my daughter what happened today,” Gutten berg said. “And I’m going to tell her I love her and always will.”

A Fort Lauderdale jury on Thursday rejected the death penalty for Parkland gunman Nikolas Cruz, the decision to spare his life coming swiftly, after seven hours of deliberation over two days at the Broward County Courthouse.

The verdict brought an end to the horrific testimony heard in the punishment phase of the trial, but the emotional wounds left by his Val entine’s Day rampage remain open and raw and permanent.

The jury’s decision to avoid the death penalty stunned many parents who spoke at a news confer ence after the sentencing, saying the verdict made their pain even worse.

”Someone killed 17 people, attempted to kill another 17, and we let them get away with it,” said Helena Ramsay’s mother, Anne Ramsay. “All the 17 families are so angry because we had to listen to how he just came back and finished off our loved ones.”

Linda Beigel Schulman lost her son Scott Beigel,

Trump

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., told reporters after Thursday’s hearing that the holes remaining in the investigation primar ily relate to what Trump was doing and saying in private between Election Day and Jan. 6.

“One way of addressing the 30 or so witnesses who took the Fifth (Amend ment) when it came to Donald Trump’s own actions is to call Donald Trump in himself,” Raskin said. “It’s hard for me to imagine any Amer ican citizen being accused of essentially trying to overthrow his or her own government who wouldn’t welcome the opportu nity to come forward and to testify.”

a teacher and coach at MSD who was killed while trying to lead his students to safety during the shooting.

“If this was not the most perfect death penalty case, then why do we have the death penalty at

all?” she said.

Judge Elizabeth Scherer will deliver a final sentence for the 24-yearold Cruz on Nov. 1.

“I sent my daughter to school and she was shot eight times,” said Lori Alhadeff, of her daughter,

Alyssa, 14. “I just don’t understand this.”

Said Alyssa’s father, Ilan Alhadeff: “I pray that animal suffers every day of his life in jail.”

For Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son Alex was killed in the massacre, the gunman’s inhumanity justifies the maximum sentence.

“Prior to the shooting the Parkland murderer said he wanted to kill 20 people. He stopped after killing 17 includ ing my sweet little boy Alex,” Schachter wrote on Twitter. “Afterwards he didn’t want to die. He wanted to live. Today he got everything he wanted. While our loved ones are in the cemetery.”

Tony Montalto, who lost 14-year-old daugh ter Gina, was irate after the verdict.

“She should not have been extinguished by this monster,” he told reporters. “Gina deserved better than she got. She deserved better.”

Addressing those who do not support the death penalty, Montalto said: “Trade places with me. You’ll change your mind.”

Much of the punish ment phase of the trial included details of the challenges the gunman faced growing up, which may have influenced the jury’s decision to decline the death penalty.

Debbi Hixon, wife of Marjory Stoneman Douglas athletic director and coach Chris Hixon, killed while confronting the gunman, disagreed with that argument.

“I have a son with special needs. I have a son that checked a lot of those

boxes that the shooter did as well,” she said. “My son’s not a murderer. My son is the sweetest person you could ever meet.”

Of the shooter, she said: “I hope that he understands the gift that he’s been given. I doubt that he will.”

Artist and activist Manuel Oliver vowed to continue the work of his anti-gun violence project, Change the Ref, which honors son Joaquin, who was 17 when he was killed at his high school.

“Time to get back to Joaquin and his amazing movement,” Oliver wrote on Twitter. “The world just saw how to get away with murder in a nation whose system is dangerously flawed. Let’s fix this awful narrative. Viva GUAC and the 16 other victims of the Parkland shooting!”

Amy Beth Bennett/Sun Sentinel/TNS

Fred Guttenberg reacts as the sentencing recommendations are read in the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Thursday.

Sharks facing

heading

Rodriguez, Armijo square off on gridiron

M att Miller MMILLER@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — For the first time this high school football season, only one local game is on the schedule Friday as Armijo hosts Rodriguez for Senior Night at Brownlee Field.

Vanden played at Will C. Wood and Vacaville was at Fair field on Thursday night. Results of those games are available online at dailyrepublic.com. Vacaville Christian will host Rio Vista Saturday night in a Sierra Delta League showdown.

PREP KICKOFF

Rodriguez at Armijo

The Mustangs are currently 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the Mon ticello Empire League after a 41-12 loss to Vacaville and a 33-0 win over Fairfield. Against the Falcons, quarterback Dylan Burke threw for 143 yards and a touchdown. Damaynie Nelson, Bentley Williams and Andreas Garcia each rushed for touchdowns. Keylen Highbaugh caught two touchdown passes, one from Kenen Jones.

Gabriel Batres recorded nine solo tackles and had a hand in a total of 11. He also had a sack and caused a fumble. Malik Dawson contributed one of the three interceptions for Rodri guez and recovered one of the two fumbles.

Armijo is right behind Rodriguez at 3-4 overall but lost both its MEL contests, 42-6 to Vanden and 38-6 to Will C. Wood.

Against Will C. Wood, Willie Nickson threw for 136 yards and rushed for 43. Kimani Dokes thew for 59 yards and a touchdown and rushed for

38. Kaibe Washington caught three passes for 93 yards. Elijah Thompson had two catches for 14 yards and a TD.

Jacob Winter led the defense with seven tackles and Jace Harris had six.

Rio Vista at VCS

The Rams are 3-4 overall and 1-1 in the SDL after a 54-14 win over Golden Sierra and a 48-42 loss to Esparto.

Matthew Bodle threw for 95 yards against Esparto. Rio Vista had a pair of 100-yard rushers in Marco Carillo (115)

and Tony Bellante (118). Carillo ran for three touchdowns.

Bellante had a hand in 12 tackles for Rio Vista in the loss. Michael Lofton played a role in 10 tackles.

The Falcons have rebounded nicely from an 0-5 nonleague season with league wins over San Juan (54-14) and Golden Sierra (43-7). Brenden Jackson threw for 134 yards and two touchdowns against Golden Sierra. Kai Nunley ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

Welsey Krier and DJ Seymour each had interceptions.

49ers’ Wilson brings charm, physicality to daily efforts

caM inM an BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.V. —

Jeff Wilson Jr. saw the reporter’s iPhone camera pointed his way, flashed a mean-mug ging pose, then burst out laughing.

That’s so him. He’ll run angry through a pack of defenders into open space, then win everyone over with his smile off the field.

Fairfield pro tennis event serves up rocket hitters in Round of 16

M att Miller

ROCKVILLE — Tennis fans were treated Thursday to a pair of young guns with rocket serves in the final Round of 16 singles match of the day at the Taube-Haase Men's Pro Championship as the sun started to set at Solano Commu nity College.

Gabriel Diallo, ranked 325th in the world and a native of Canada, fended off 160th-ranked Amer ican Ben Shelton 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3 to advance to the tourna ment's quarterfinals. Diallo is a native of Montreal and soon to be a senior at the University of Ken tucky. Shelton is a Florida alum who helped the Gators when a

national title recently for his dad, head coach Bryan Shelton, so it was a Southeastern Conference matchup of sorts.

Diallo knocked down seven aces and Shelton had six. The players were on the court for two hours, 16 minutes before the match was complete as darkness fell.

Enzo Couacaud of France was the first to earn a berth in the quarterfinals Thursday, defeat ing qualifier Alfredo Perez of the U.S. 6-4, 7-5. Alafina Ayeni of the U.S. defeated August Holmgren of Denmark 6-3, 6-4 in a match featuring two qualifiers. Tennys Sandgren of the U.S. had to rally to beat Giovanni Oradini of Italy 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-0.

In quarterfinal doubles action

Thursday, Americans Ezekiel Clark and Perez defeated Aus tralians Andrew Harris and Luke Saville 7-6(0), 3-6, 10-2. Anirudh Chandrasekar and N. Vijay Sundar Prashanth of India defeated Malek Jaziri of Tunisia and Michail Per volarakis of Greece 6-4, 7-5. Julian Cash and Henry Patten of Great Britain defeated Charles Broom of Great Britain and Con stantin Frantzen of Germany 6-1, 7-5. Martin Damm and Christian Langmo of the U.S. defeated Simon Carr of Ireland and Alexandr Coz binov 6-2, 6-3.

There were four Round of 16 singles matches con tested Wednesday.

Gonsolin will lead ‘collection of arms’ for Dodgers in Game 3

By Jack H arris LOS ANGELES TIMES

LOS ANGELES —

Entering this week’s National League Division Series, the Dodgers knew they’d have to stomach one game with an imper fect pitching plan, that Tony Gonsolin’s reduced workload following a lateseason forearm strain would force them to resort to one de facto bullpen game.

With the series tied 1-1 and shifting south to Petco Park this weekend, the Dodgers decided Friday was the time to get it out of the way.

Gonsolin, the former Vacaville High

day night and confirmed during a video call with reporters Thursday, but exactly how long he will go, and how the rest of the

staff will line up behind him, remains unclear.

“I see it as a collec tion of arms,” Roberts said. “Obviously less is more, but if we have to use six arms tomorrow, we’ll do that.”

The move is some thing of a gamble for the Dodgers, who will save left-handed All-Star Tyler Anderson for a start in Game 4 on Saturday.

The Padres will counter in Game 3 with left-hander Blake Snell, who wasn’t all that effi cient against the Dodgers this year but did limit them to just six runs over 14 innings in three starts,

Nestled here in the Allegheny Mountains, fresh off the 49ers’ first practice of a week-long layover, Wilson didn’t mind waiting for his turn at the media podium behind an end zone on the practice field.

Waiting, you see, is Wilson’s forte. Each season, he eventually climbs up the depth chart and delivers like an RB1-caliber stud.

In a profession full of hungry reserves, what sets Wilson apart is his dual personas.

“As you can see, a very physical guy out there on the field,” wide

receiver Deebo Samuel said. “But ‘Jefe’ is really fun and cool to be around outside of ball, just to get to know him as a person, other than a guy who runs through people out here on the green (grass).”

Coach Kyle Shana han has never been shy about proclaiming himself a fan of Wilson, who arrived in 2018 as an undrafted free agent.

“He’s a pretty infec tious guy,” Shanahan said. “You guys have been around him. We all feel that way. Our wives who’ve met him feel that way. He’s just a very positive, upbeat guy who is fun to be around. He’s not trying to do that for anyone; he does that for everybody.

“When you watch the way he plays and combine it with his char acter, it’s so inspiring.”

Each of the past three games, Wilson has burst up the middle for big gains to propel a touchdown drive. Asked Wednesday whether the

Durant: Warriors’ culture will guide them through Green’s incident

By M adeline k enney BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

SAN FRANCISCO — Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant doesn’t believe Draymond Green’s altercation with Jordan Poole will affect the Warriors’ chances of contending for another title.

Speaking to ESPN this week, Durant said the Warriors’ longestablished culture and “Strength in Numbers” mantra has prepared them to weather storms like the current public controversy they’re facing after a video of Green punching Poole went viral.

“It’s always been a collaborative effort with everybody there,” Durant said in an ESPN story pub lished Thursday.

Durant, who hadn’t spoken to Green since

the mid-practice scuffle, doesn’t believe Stephen Curry is alone in rally ing the troops – a similar sentiment shared among the Warriors over the last week. Andre Iguo dala, Kevon Looney, Shaun Livingston and Klay Thompson are all helping Curry with the damage control needed after Green’s brutal jab.

“You can’t deal with something like that by yourself,” Durant said. “Steph knows that, Bob knows that. I know that from being a part of that group, that they do everything as a collabor ative effort, so I’m sure they’re all talking inter nally as a group to see what’s the best way to move forward.”

Green is expected to return to practice Thursday after he took some time away f

School standout, will start a pivotal Game 3 in the best-of-five series, manager Dave Roberts announced Wednes

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic Enzo Couacaud of France hits the ball during the TaubeHasse Pro Tennis Championship Round of 16 singles match against Alfredo Perez of the United States at Solano College in rural Fairfield, Thursday.

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin recently prepared to take the mound against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

CALENDAR TV sports

Baseball

• MLB Playoffs, Cleveland at N.Y. Yankees, 10:07 a.m.,

TBS

• MLB Playoffs, Atlanta at Philadelphia, 1:37 p.m., FS1

• MLB Playoffs, L.A. Dodgers at San DIego, 5:37 p.m.,

FS1

Basketball

• NBA Preseason, Denver vs. Golden State, NBCSBA, (Fairfield, Suisun City), 7:30 p.m.

Football

• College, Navy vs. SMU, ESPN, 4:30 p.m.

Golf

• DP World, Andalucia Masters, GOLF, 5 a.m.

• Champs, SAS Championship, GOLF, 11 a.m.

• PGA, Zozo Championship, GOLF, 7:30 p.m.

Hockey

• NHL, Carolina vs. San Jose, NBCSCA, 7:30 p.m.

Motor Sports

• NASCAR, Alsco Uniforms 302, Xfinity qualifying, USA, 5:30 p.m.

Soccer

• EPL, Brentford vs. Brighton & Hove Albion, USA, Noon.

Saturday’s TV sports

Baseball

• MLB Playoffs, Atlanta at Philadelphia, 11:07 p.m., FS1

• MLB Playoffs, Houston at Seattle, 1:07 p.m., TBS

• MLB Playoffs, N.Y. Yankees at Cleveland, 4:37 p.m., TBS

• MLB Playoffs, L.A. Dodgers at San Diego, 6:37 p.m., FS1

Boxing

• Top Rank, Haney vs. Kambosos Jr., ESPN, 7:30 p.m.

Football

• College, Penn State vs. Michigan, 2, 40, 9 a.m.

• College, Iowa State vs. Texas, 7, 10, 9 a.m.

• College, Kansas vs. Oklahoma, ESPN2, 9 a.m.

• College, Auburn vs. Ole Miss, ESPN, 9 a.m.

• College, Alabama vs. Tennessee, 5, 13, 12:30 p.m.

• College, Oklahoma State vs.TCU, 7, 10, 12:30 p.m.

• College, Arkansas vs. BYU, ESPN, 12:30 p.m.

• College, Maryland vs. Indiana, ESPN2, 12:30 p.m.

• College, Wisconsin vs. Michigan State, 2, 40, 1 p.m.

• College, LSU vs. Florida, ESPN, 4 p.m.

• College, Stanford vs. Notre Dame, 3, 4:30 p.m.

• College, Clemson vs. Florida State, 7,10, 4:30 p.m.

• College, USC vs. Utah, 2, 40, 5 p.m.

Golf

• DP World, Andalucia Masters, GOLF, 4:30 a.m.

• Champs, SAS Championship, GOLF, 11 a.m.

• PGA, Zozo Championship, GOLF, 8 p.m.

Hockey

• NHL, Chicago vs. San Jose, NBCSCA, 7 p.m.

Motor Sports

• NASCAR, South Point 400, Cup qualifying, USA, 9:30 a.m.

• NASCAR, Alsco Uniforms 302, Xfinity race, 3, 12:30 p.m.

Soccer

• EPL, Leicester City vs. Crystal Palace, USA, 4:30 a.m.

• EPL, Wolverhampton vs. Nottingham Forest, USA, 7 a.m.

• EPL, Tottenham vs. Everton, 3, 9:30 a.m.

Kings waive 2 prior to final preseason game

By Jason a nderson THE SACRAMENTO BEE

SACRAMENTO —

The Kings made their first two cuts Thurs day as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Lakers in their final pre season game Friday at Golden 1 Center.

A league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings have waived guard Quinn Cook and forward Kent Bazemore, leaving them with one more cut to make before they play the Portland Trail Blazers in Wednes day’s season opener.

Cook and Bazemore both appeared in two preseason games for the Kings. Cook averaged 6.5 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 9.1 minutes per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. Bazemore averaged 4.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 8.9 minutes per game, shooting 42.9% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc.

Cook, 29, finished with a flourish, scoring 10 points in 10 minutes to help the Kings hold on for a 105-104 victory over the Phoenix Suns on

Wednesday. The Kings still hold G League rights to Cook, who will likely return to the Stockton Kings after spending part of the 2021-22 season there.

Cook appeared in 11 games for Stockton last season, averaging 23.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists. He shot 52.4% overall and 44.6% from 3-point range. Cook previously played for the New Orleans Peli cans, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and Lakers, but he hasn’t been able to find a home in the NBA despite being a 40.8% 3-point shooter over 188 career games.

Bazemore, 33, was hoping for a second stint with the Kings after spending part of the 2019-20 season in Sacramento. Bazemore appeared in 25 games for the Kings after being acquired in a January 2020 trade with the Blazers, aver aging 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in a backup role.

Bazemore is a 10-year NBA veteran who has also played for the Warriors, Lakers and Atlanta Hawks.

The Kings roster now stands at 18.

BASEBALL MLB Playoffs

FOOTBALL

NFL

Vanden girls tennis clinches berth in playoffs, defeats rival Rodriguez

FAIRFIELD — The Vanden High School girls tennis team clinched second place in the Mon ticello Empire League and a Sac-Joaquin Section playoff berth with an 8-1 win over Rodri guez, Thursday.

Vanden is now 8-3 in MEL matches and 9-3 overall. The Vikings play at Armijo next Tuesday.

Sasha Smith, Delaney Ramsell, Camille Arca, Jeanelle DelaCruz and Athena Yabut all won singles matches in straight sets. Rodriguez picked up a win at No. 5 singles from Brianna Jahner.

Vanden swept doubles play with the teams of Kaylani Payne-Kaylse Payne, Kailey Payne-Kai tlyn Kang and Miley Dial-Yuba Grossen, Vacaville girls win big against Vanden

FAIRFIELD — The Vacaville High School girls tennis team earned a 7-1 victory Tuesday at Vanden.

Vacaville swept singles play with Nia Macay, Gabriella Perry, Victo ria Silva, Lily Holman, Brooklyn Purcell and Alexis Gormley earning victories.

Katie Thomas and Ava Sheppard won the No. 3 doubles match. Vanden’s Kaylani Payne and Kalyse Payne earned the victory in No. 1 doubles.

The No. 2 doubles match between Vacav ille’s Ayanna Gentry and Reese Hsiao against Van den’s Kailey Payne and Kaitlyn Kang was called

by darkness. The Vacav ille duo was winning the first set 6-3 and the match ended with the second set tied 5-5.

Vacaville is now 10-0 in Monticello Empire League matches and 13-0 overall. Vanden fell to 7-3 in MEL and 8-3 overall.

Volleyball

Vanden girls can’t slow down Vacaville

FAIRFIELD — The Vanden High School girls volleyball team lost its Monticello Empire League match Tuesday to visiting Vacaville 24-19, 25-10, 25-22.

Ariah Isadore had 13 service points, while Breanna Davis and Sum erlyn Spencer had two apiece. Anaya Thrower knocked down eight kills and Jada Cuffie had seven. Davis and Spencer had nine digs apiece. Davis also had 12 assists and Fran King con tributed nine.

The varsity Vikings are 9-3 in MEL matches and 14-9 overall.

Vanden lost the junior varsity match 25-15, 25-18 and fell to 9-5 in MEL matches and 19-9 overall.

LaMiracle Lebon had four kills, three blocks and four assists. Olivia Parks contributed two kills, two blocks and two digs. Danica Rubi was 5-for-5 serving with six digs. Tiara Domingo also had four digs.

Vanden’s JV “B” squad lost 25-7, 25-5 and is now

9-3 in league matches. Lexi Williams had three service points.

College Solano volleyball tops Los Medanos

ROCKVILLE — Sammy Brown was 28-for-28 serving with three aces and 12 kills Wednesday night as the Solano Commu nity College women’s volleyball team rolled past visiting Los Medanos 25-19, 25-13, 25-23.

The Falcons remained unbeaten in the Bay Valley Conference at 5-0 and improved to 16-6 overall.

Kelsey Wall had another great night with 10 kills, serving 12-for-13 with three aces.

Crystal Carroll led the defense with 10 digs. Dani Rydjord added 10 digs with her 31 assists.

Lili Ayala led the defense at the net with two blocks. Hannah Del Rio chipped in eight kills.

“I was happy with our play tonight,” Solano head coach Darla Williams said in an email. “LMC is a strong team that always shows up to play against us. We served really well and hit in the positive as a team on offense. We have only one more opponent in the BVC that we have not seen yet. I am very happy with our success so far in conference play.”

Solano will host Santa Rosa, a nonconference match, at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Solano.

Solano soccer plays to draw

ROCKVILLE —

The Solano Community College women’s soccer team played to a 0-0 draw at home Tuesday against Los Medanos.

Amber Morales had two shots on goal, while Gabby Gonzalez and Dakota Marin had one apiece. Jessica Biasotti and Claire Sawin split time at goalkeeper and each made eight saves.

Solano is now 1-7-1 overall. The

Falcons have a game at 4 p.m. Friday at home against Marin.

Middle School Grange flag football shuts out Crystal

FAIRFIELD — The Grange Middle School flag football team beat Crystal on Wednesday, 32-0.

Bubba Hayes ran for one touchdown and threw for two more. King Lynch had a rushing and receiv ing touchdown. Malachi Wroten caught a touch down pass and Angelo Pineda ran back an inter ception for a touchdown.

Tolenas volleyball holds off Oakbrook

FAIRFIELD — The Tolenas Academy vol leyball team won two of three sets for a win Wednesday against Oak brook Academy.

Aubry Tobias and Diana Palombo helped lead Tolenas to the win.

Uncertainty prevails as Sharks get ready for their home opener

By M arisa ingeMi SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks are pro jected by most to finish at or near the bottom in the Pacific Division. A lack luster start to the season in the Global Series in Prague last week didn't do much to dispel those expectations.

With a new coach and general manager –and having undertaken a semi-significant roster overhaul – it's tough to know what to think about the Sharks in 2022-23. On one hand, they weren't that far out of the playoff race three-quarters of the way through last season. On the other, a lacking defense and potentially sparkless offense could mean disaster.

Either way, there isn't

a rush of urgency from management to solve it all at once. They've expressed a desire to compete, but with a reasonable grasp on reality that it might not be right away.

So as the Sharks begin

their home and state side slate Friday and Saturday, they face a variety of questions.

Much like the over seas games – both of which they lost to Nash ville – the Sharks' first

two home contests will be back-to-back, start ing with a Brent Burns revenge game with Car olina on Friday and then Chicago the next evening.

Goalies

This might be one of the more stable posi tions as the regular season begins.

James Reimer, a 34-year-old played a career-high 48 games a season ago started the first game in Prague and stopped 28 of 31 shots. Kaapo Kahkonen, resigned to a two-year deal this offseason, has the highest ceiling. He saved 15 of 18 shots against the Predators in the second overseas contest.

Tandems are more

Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS file Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) looks for the rebound shot as San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer (47) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas April 24.

California faces a housing/ wildfire conundrum

California must ramp up housing con struction to reduce the ever-widen ing gap between supply and demand and ease the high shelter costs that drive families into poverty and contrib ute to the state’s homelessness crisis.

However, given the seemingly nonstop series of uber-destruc tive wildfires California is experiencing, prudence dic tates that we should also avoid housing construction in what’s called the “wildland urban interface” where fires are most likely to have cataclys mic impacts.

Walters

The friction between those two imperatives is played out in the political arena, where officialdom makes land use policy.

A case in point: Two years ago, by overwhelming bipartisan majorities, the Leg islature passed a bill that would have required local governments to make fire safety a major factor in approving housing developments in fire-prone areas by compelling developers to include protective features.

The measure was passed in response to a wave of killer fires, including the Camp Fire that destroyed the rural community of Para dise in 2018, killing 86 people.

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill, saying that while he supported its aims it “creates a loophole for regions to not comply with their housing requirements.”

“Wildfire resilience must become a more consistent part of land use and development decisions. However, it must be done while meeting our housing needs,” Newsom wrote.

In the absence of clear policy from the Legislature and the governor on limiting con struction in fire-prone areas of the state, Attorney General Rob Bonta has intervened.

This year he joined forces with environ mental groups to stall a huge housing and golf resort project in Lake County, where wild fires are a constant threat. A Lake County judge declared that local authorities and the developer had not paid sufficient attention to the Guenoc Valley project’s vulnerabil ity to fires.

The ruling “affirms a basic fact: Local governments and developers have a respon sibility to take a hard look at projects that exacerbate wildfire risk and endanger our communities,” Bonta said. “We can’t keep making shortsighted land use decisions that will have impacts decades down the line. We must build responsibly.”

This week, Bonta took another step, issuing a set of guidelines that local author ities should follow in assessing the potential wildfire dangers of proposed developments.

It declares it’s “imperative that local juris dictions making decisions to approve new developments carefully consider wildfire impacts as part of the environmental review process, plan where best to place new devel opment, and mitigate wildfire impacts to the extent feasible.”

Unveiling the policy in San Diego County, whose fast-growing inland communities are in constant peril from wildfire, Bonta said, “This is the new normal. When it comes to develop ment, we can’t continue business as usual. We must adjust. We must change.”

Bonta’s guidelines don’t have the force of law, but they contain the implicit threat his office will intervene if they are ignored, as it did with Guenoc Valley.

Avoiding housing in areas of extreme fire danger would seem to be common sense, but except for a narrow strip of land fronting the Pacific Ocean, the flatlands of the Central Valley and the deserts of Southern California, the state is mostly a tinderbox.

Moreover, Californians prefer, if they can, to live in single-family homes in scenic locales and therefore developers want to comply with those preferences, which is why they propose projects such as Guenoc Valley.

The issue demands something more defin itive than a document from the attorney general. Newsom and the Legislature should, as they ramp up pressure for more housing construction, also delineate where it should –and should not – occur.

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Califor nia’s state Capitol works and why it matters. For more columns by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.

My choices for Vacaville council, mayor

For the past four years, as a concerned Vacav ille citizen, I’ve studied city budgets, attended City Council meetings and shared observations on ways to improve the finan cial health of the city.

In August 2019 I shared a presentation before City Council members on the find ings of Sen. John Morlach’s ranking of the financial soundness of all 482 Cal ifornia cities. At that time, Vacaville was ranked in the bottom 10% of all California cities with $327 million in unfunded liabilities. The presenta tion included a 12-city comparison of similar size cities, with similar house hold values, revealing Vacaville’s total employee compensation and benefits were 47% higher than the average of the other similar 12 cities.

After the 2022 election, I was invited to present budget findings and recommendations to the newly elected group of City Council members, which included the formation of a citizen’s budget advisory committee.

The good news is that in the past four years the city has moved from the bottom 10% to nearly the middle of the pack and is now in the 46th percentile rank for financial soundness. This is wonderful progress.

THE BOTTOM LINE THE OTHER SIDE

For the upcoming November

2022 elections, we want to ensure this financial improve ment continues.

Jeanette Wylie currently serves as the City Council representative for citizens living in District 6. During her tenure, Jeanette has done an outstanding job of voting for resolutions that have improved the fiscal health of Vacaville.

District 2 candidate Joseph Des marais, in response to the question, “What is your plan to address the city’s unfunded liabilities?” replied, “I plan to work with the City Council and push for a OPEB Advisory Committee (as recommend by the Solano County grand jury report) that can provide us with monitoring and recommen dations on how we can continually ensure this issue is addressed, taken seriously and eventually resolved.”

Jeanette Wylie’s response to the same question was, “I will continue to support the efforts we have taken so far, and I would like to investigate the possibility of requiring eligi ble employees and spouses, to move to Medicare when they are eligible rather than continuing on the private insurance plans paid for by the city. Going with the ‘senior care’ plans through Medicare would reduce the unfunded liabilities.”

I am impressed with Jeanette’s

specific proposal to reduce the city’s liabilities.

District 4 candidate Sarah Chap man’s position on public engagement also impresses me when she shared, “While it is our role to act on behalf of our constituents, it is also our role to educate them on the process, solicit feedback and invite them to be involved in the process.” We need more public involvement and Sarah’s approach provides the platform.

I find John Carli, candidate for mayor, is well-equipped to manage the fiscal needs of this city. During his seven years as police chief, he was responsible for overseeing the city’s $42 million police budget during one of the city’s most trying economic times. John has stated, “My desire is to see the city grow responsibility, with thoughtful planning and fiscal sustainability. I support attracting new businesses to grow city revenues and use these additional revenues to address our unfunded liabilities.” I could not agree more.

The Bottom Line for me at the polls is: Vote Jeanette Wylie for Dis trict 6, Joseph Desmarais for District 2, Sarah Chapman for District 4 and John Carli for mayor.

Danny Wells is a citizen of Vacaville and can be reached at danny@dan nywells.com.

going to stop fighting climate change?

William Shatner writes in his new autobiog raphy that when he went to space on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space craft last year, he looked at Earth and found it beautiful and alive. But then he looked at the vast cold inky black ness of space and saw death. It moved him to tears that man is killing the only place in the uni verse where we know there’s life.

Last month, NASA’s DART program, which costs $330 million, saw a spacecraft impact an asteroid 11 million miles away at 14,000 mph in a test to see if we could change its orbit. The test was to see if we could use the technology in the future to protect Earth from a catastrophic planet-killing asteroid. Some thought the money could be better spent else where, as if protecting life on Earth is something we can take for granted or do on the cheap.

Meanwhile climate change is rav aging the planet. And I’m not going to debate whether it’s real. A higher per centage of scientists concur on climate change than agree that smoking causes cancer. If you don’t believe in manmade climate change, you don’t deserve an argument at this point. You deserve scorn.

Climate change isn’t some thing that’s going to happen in the future. It’s happening now. What are the effects? Higher temperatures,

droughts, stronger hurricanes, melting polar ice, cold snaps, worsening wildfires, crop fail ures and threats to wildlife. How anyone can live in Cali fornia with our heat, droughts and wildfires and see no threat from climate change is beyond me. It’s willful blindness. There was a time when Republicans and Democrats accepted climate science. Newt Gin grich and Nancy Pelosi famously made a commercial together about climate change. It’s on YouTube. Go watch it. The Koch brothers and the fossil fuel industry have won. They’ve effectively bought off one of the polit ical parties and despite the biggest climate bill ever passed recently, we’re addicted to our way of life.

A planet where some countries don’t want to do their part, corpo rations undermine solutions and some political parties pretend it isn’t happening will never combat this problem. And individuals aren’t off the hook. We’ve been given small tasks that would help: driving less, swapping out incandescent bulbs for energy efficient ones, recycling, adjusting our thermostats, eating less meat, planting trees and using less power. But the majority of us can’t be bothered to do them.

California regulators have passed rules banning the sale of new gas powered vehicles by 2035. And just this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed

a ban on plastic produce bags that will go into effect in 2025. No doubt it will be met with grumbles, eye rolls and derision. We like our way of life and just aren’t willing to make any sacri fices for the good of the planet.

You can either fix a roof leak or place a bucket to catch the water and it looks like all we’re interested in doing is setting that bucket down.

Since we’re not going to take serious steps to arrest climate change, perhaps we should focus on mitiga tion. What would that look like? Design communities like Babcock Ranch in Florida, which was highlighted on “60 Minutes” this past Sunday. That community is 100% solar powered and was built to withstand hurricanes like the recent Ian. Ian left no mark on Babcock Ranch.

Perhaps we’ll have to grow more efficient at fighting wildfires, turn to pricey nuclear power for energy and expensive desalination plants to produce water from the ocean.

This week NASA says the data show the DART program was suc cessful. It changed the orbit of the asteroid, proving the technology works and can be used to protect Earth. Now if we can only come up with a way to protect Earth from us. Peace.

Kelvin Wade, a writer and former Fairfield resident, lives in Sacra mento. Reach him at kelvinjwade@ outlook.com.

Kelvin Wade

Danny Wells

Columns&Games

Widower doesn’t see a second marriage in his future

Dear Annie: I read your column daily. I live in the Deep South. When I was 23, I finally accepted my sexual orientation and began a relationship with a friend four years older than me. He and I began a decades-long loving relationship that culminated in our legal marriage.

We had strong support from some but strong resis tance from others. The fact that we had to work and pray so hard to protect our bond (there were really no significant support groups such as main line churches or large family support; even doctors initially were a challenge) made the relationship paramount. It was not always easy, but it grew very strong.

Just how strong was after surviving the AIDS epidemic, my husband, who was only in his 50s, was diagnosed with a rare cancer called cholan giocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer. He fought valiantly. I would have will ingly given my life. He was not spared. He was very brave and loving. He inspired so many.

I know you and others affirm love after and second relation ships, but I have a request. Please mention and honor the decision of widows and wid

owers, particularly of long marriages, that it is a valid decision to decide to not remarry.

No one can replace my husband. He fulfilled that need in my life. I believe I will be with him in eternity. If you could print this, it would be a testament to him (I know so little what to do to show my love), and it would raise awareness for people over 50 to have liver scans for cholangiocarcinoma.

I have found peace and love in widowhood as a widower. — A Grieving Widower in the South

Dear Grieving Widower: You and your husband have a beautiful love story and an unbreakable bond. I’m so very sorry for your loss.

Of course a widower has no obligation to remarry. And of course a second marriage can never replace a first marriage. For some, however, it can be a beautiful new chapter in life. It is not a substitute but rather something new entirely.

There are no right answers or one-size-fits-all solutions when it comes to losing a spouse. It sounds like you have found your peace in the wake of tragedy, and I commend you for that.

Dear Annie: I met a girl who I came to have a very close

Horoscopes by Holiday Mathis

ARIES (March 21April 19). Creativity is not a quality reserved for a select few humans, it’s part of being human. Write down your imag inings. Explore the serious ones with a light heart and take the silly ones quite seriously.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Just because something goes unspoken doesn’t mean it should be spoken. Words aren’t always what’s needed to improve the situation. Then again, sometimes they’re exactly what’s needed, the keys to a cage that sets everyone free.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You will change what you say based on the ears that are around you. It’s not because you’re wishy-washy, but because you are sensitive to those who are younger, older or have a different sensibility.

CANCER (June 22-July 22).

A good question will sweeten the day. Try these: What cap tures my curiosity here? Is there something I could do to see things more clearly? How can I lighten things up?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ve figured out what’s ben eficial to you and it will benefit others too. Don’t be surprised when people imitate you. You’re a leader whether you feel like one or not. Success

Today’s birthday

Your competitive spirit is strong, but it’s your sense of justice guiding you to a long-awaited victory. Among the year’s top blessings will be good people who can keep up with your active life and multifaceted interests. Cancer and Leo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 1, 25, 3, 33 and 17.

breeds followers.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The presence of physical pain indicates something is harmful to the body. Emo tional pain warns of harm to the soul. You’re listening to all the messages now, positive and negative, and moving in the direction of happiness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You love some of what you are doing, which gives you new guidelines and a direction to work in. When you start loving it all, that’s when life will shift. Drop any resistance to the chal lenge and dive right in. You’re up to this.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 21). The sense of order in your environment will support you as you move freely

friendship with. Even though people warned me, I didn’t listen. I ended our friendship because she was taking up all my free time and could be quite controlling. For instance, as I planned to go to homecom ing with my boyfriend, she said to me, “No, you’re staying home.” I told her I obviously couldn’t do that.

Despite this and other instances, I kind of miss being friends with her, and I regret that I ended our friendship. I don’t want to feel bad, but I do. What do you think I should do? Should I try to apologize, or let her go? — Fickle Friends

Dear Fickle: Don’t apolo gize – you didn’t do anything wrong – but don’t hesitate to reach out to her if you really miss her. But if you do that, explain about boundaries and how good friendships don’t include controlling, almost obsessive behavior.

I would also say that if your relationship with this girl entailed that sort of treatment most of the time, you’re better off pursuing and growing the bonds you have with people who support you and want your true happiness over their own self-interest.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com.

toward your goals. Just don’t overdo it. An excessive amount of order is uninspiring and strangely demotivating. Main tain a balance.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). To master a thing takes time and attention, but that is not all. The intelligence you bring to deciding what to pay attention to and for how long will be key to your success. A mentor can help with this.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). Having the same opinion as many other people doesn’t make your opinion right or wrong, it only makes your opinion popular or unpopular. You’ll seek truth over valida tion, reality over consensus.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). Hearing stories of courage doesn’t make a person courageous. The test of bravery is always action. You welcome fear. It gives you the opportu nity to be brave. You’ll learn what you can count on about yourself and what needs work.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The day brings a handful of pos itive outcomes peppered with a few frustrations. Just when you start to think that your life is hard, someone with a truly dif ficult circumstance puts it all in perspective.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOTH SIDES

In many deals, either the declarer does the right thing and makes his contract, or he doesn’t and he doesn’t!

But there are some deals that give both sides a chance for good – and bad –play. Today’s is one of these. It was played at three tables in a good-quality pair event.

Every East overtook partner’s

by Phillip Alder

spade-queen lead and led back their second spade.

At the first table, South ducked again. West overtook with the spade 10 and returned the spade eight, his middle remaining spade as a suit-pref erence signal for diamonds, the middle-ranking of the other three suits. Oblivious, East discarded a low club. Needing East to hold the diamond king, declarer played a club to dummy’s 10 and then led a low diamond. East went in with the king, and a moment later declarer claimed his contract.

At the second table, South also ducked his spade ace at trick two. However, when West overtook and returned the spade eight, East got the suit-preference message. He made a spectacular play, discarding the diamond king. Now South could do no better than take his eight top tricks.

At the third table, South correctly won trick two with the spade ace. He crossed to dummy with a club and led a low diamond, but East smoothly played the nine. Declarer won with his queen and led a low diamond.

If West had played the 10, declarer would have known to duck in the dummy, but West did well, putting up the jack. Now South had a guess. Playing East for three diamonds, he won with dummy’s ace and led a third round. West cashed out for down one.

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9, with no repeats.

means that no number

repeated in any row, column

box.

FOR BOTH SIDES

tips

Bridge

Annie Lane Dear Annie

TVdaily

An optimistic woman (Aimee Teegarden)

from temp job to temp job and discovers the beauty of New York City in “Autumn in the City.”

Tribune ConTen

ANAHEIM — When people walk into Serj Tankian’s new art exhi bition in La Cañada Flintridge, the Grammy award-winning singer of Glendale-based rock band System of a Down doesn’t just want them to enjoy the visual rep resentation of his mostly abstract and mixed media paintings.

He also wants them to put on earbuds and bob their heads along to the artwork, since these pieces were designed to include an audio element as well.

“One of the things that always interested me was the idea of scoring a painting,” the 55-year-old rocker and artist said during a recent phone interview of his new “Shapeshift: A Dynamic Dive Into Diversity” exhibition, which opened at Steph anie’s Art Gallery in La Cañada Flintridge on Sunday and runs through Nov. 1. “At first I thought of doing it for another artist, another painter. And then eventually I thought to myself, ‘You know what, I wonder what music would look like if I painted it?’”

The exhibi tion is made up of 18 original pieces, each embedded with a musical score created by Tankian.

“More than what you’re going to see, what I’m interested in is what you’re going to feel,” he said. “You’re going to listen to each piece.”

The music that coin cides with each of the paintings features a variety of genres including rock, elec tronic, classical, acoustic an ambient-style works. Some of the musical pieces are all instru mental, while others may include poetry and other vocals.

“I think the music and art both co-inspire,” Tankian said. “Mostly I’m inspired by the music to create the paint ing, but there are times where I’ll paint free form and I’ve done a lot of it recently and I’ll say, ‘What is the score of this painting? What is the musical tone of this painting?’ And I’ll go and either compose a piece or pick a piece from my own library that I’ve

never used before that really speaks to these paintings.”

The corresponding music will be accessible to the viewer through an app called Arloopa. As guests stand in front of the paintings, they can point their phones at the artwork and listen to the original compositions. If they purchase the piece, they’ll be taking the song home as well.

“If they want to walk away with a piece, they can go and put it up on their wall and still listen to the music using the app,” he said. “They’re the only ones who will be listening to that music with that painting when they take it home.”

Tankian originally had the idea of combin ing paintings and music years ago while hanging out with friends who were also painters. He’s now created more than 100 musical paintings since he began pairing the audio and visual arts back in 2013.

And for Tankian, he said becoming a painter was as natural as cre ating music; all he had to do was let himself go and surrender to the moment.

“When I play music or when I do art, there is absolutely nothing going through my mind,” he said. “I am completely at the will of the muse, completely at the will of the moment and I go where my arms go. I don’t think about things.”

He also finds equal satisfaction in both his music and painting.

“It’s really the same thing,” he said. “It’s no different if someone connected with a piece of art you’re doing, art being music, then that’s rad because that had an effect on someone, it reached someone. It’s the same thing with a painting.”

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Dilbert Scott Adams

Rick Kirkman

Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos

Sergei Gapon/AFP/Getty Images/TNS file (2018) Serj Tankian, the Armenian American singer of the band System of a Down, at Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, May 7, 2018.

‘Halloween Ends’ a smart closing chapter to saga

First off, let’s not get caught up in semantics: “Hallow een Ends” doesn’t mark the end of the “Halloween” movies any more than your favorite artist’s “farewell tour” means they’re never going to hit the road again. Horror movie icons never die, it’s way too hard to create lasting ones, and Michael Myers is arguably as popular now as he’s ever been. Why kill him off for good?

But “Halloween Ends” does mark the closing of a major chapter in the Michael Myers saga. And it’s a hugely satisfy ing one, smartly written and bold enough to take sizable leaps with the Michael Myers myth. It plays with weighty themes of trauma – within both families and communities – and the very notion of evil, all while delivering a rousing climax nearly 45 years in the making.

In short, it not only sticks its landing, it stabs it dead.

“Halloween Ends” is the concluding entry in director David Gordon Green’s “Hal loween” trilogy, which kicked off with gusto with 2018’s “Hal loween” and then cooled off considerably with last year’s “Halloween Kills.”

Green’s premise was fresh: his “Halloween” was a direct sequel to 1978’s John Car penter-helmed original, and it ignored all the intermina ble sequels that came after, bringing the story back around to Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her battle with the demonic masked killer who stalked her in the night all those Halloweens ago.

“Halloween Kills” was a space filler, and it’s clear now that Gordon didn’t have enough meat for three stories, so he filled “Kills” with gratuitous violence and found new ways for Michael Myers to dispose of people, while baking a halfhearted political allegory into the story. It didn’t hold its own and it made you want to fast forward to Pt. 3, but it at least satisfied gore hounds by giving them the requisite (and bloody) Michael Myers kills they crave.

“Ends” differentiates itself from the previous two right from the beginning and has the confidence to stay its course throughout.

It opens not with Michael Myers but with Corey Cun ningham (Rohan Campbell, Frank Hardy on Hulu’s “The Hardy Boys,” making quite an impression), a babysitter in Haddonfield, Illinois, on Hal loween night 2019. He’s taking care of a precocious child when things go horribly wrong, and an accidental death makes him the town’s new pariah.

Corey tries keeping to himself and moving forward

MOVIE Review

‘Halloween Ends’

Rated R 111 minutes

In theaters and on Peacock

but he’s constantly reminded of the incident, which can only haunt him so much internally before those feelings start to manifest themselves externally. (We see the ways his unbal anced home life leads to his emotional stiltedness.)

Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode is also unable to escape her past, and as much work as she’s done on herself – she’s writing a book as a way to come to grips with the effect it has had on her – she can barely have a good day out in the world without being reminded of, and blamed for, the terror Michael Myers has wrought on the town. She’s a walking symbol of Haddonfield’s suffer ing, and the townspeople don’t let her forget it.

Corey and Laurie’s worlds intersect when Corey meets Laurie’s granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), and Allyson has eyes for him. She meets Corey at an interesting time in his life, as his personal pain is giving way to some thing deeper and more sinister, and a chance encounter with a sewer-dwelling Michael Myers (played underneath the mask by James Jude Court ney) flips a switch in him and turns him into something of Michael Myers 2.0.

Green, who co-wrote the screenplay with a team of three others including actor, comic and his frequent collab orator Danny McBride, takes an audacious step in trans forming Michael Myers past the human realm and into an idea, whose evil can be trans posed onto others. Throughout the “Halloween” series, which is now 13 films deep, Michael Myers has always been Michael Myers, a guy behind a mask, who is somehow able to evade death in nearly every situation

imaginable, but remains mortal nonetheless.

Here, Green turns him into a symbol and he ponders what he represents, question ing if Michael Myers has to be Michael Myers, or if he can be anyone who strikes fear in the hearts of others and carries out heinous acts with his face hidden beneath a blankfaced mask.

It’s a big leap to make, espe cially in a film that is promised as the final showdown in a longsimmering feud. But it works, and it allows “Halloween Ends” to become bigger than the story of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, and makes it more about evil, moving forward from tragedy and ultimately catharsis, on both a micro and macro level.

It also, as promised, cul minates in a big main event showdown that is wanted and needed, and leads directly to the unambiguous conclusion the title points towards. And Green is able to turn it into something meaningful that can be projected onto real life instances of pain and healing, and communities that have dealt with catastrophes. It’s fantasy fulfillment, in a sense, and it’s placed in a real world context, of taking something that is broken and attempting to make it whole again.

The 63-year-old Curtis, already having an outstand ing year thanks to her role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” does fun, fierce work in the lead role – this ultimately strengthens the argument she should be recognized for “Everything Everywhere,” which would be her first Academy Award nomination –and Campbell comes on strong as a new kind of face of evil.

All of which is to say that “Halloween Ends” achieves a lot within the frame of a horror sequel, making it more than a monster movie, but a human story as well. Never count out Michael Myers, he will surely be back in some form. But as far as this ending is concerned, he goes out with a bang.

HE WAS RESTING ON HIS LAURELS

The Senior Life Master was sitting on the terrace, resting after his Saturday morning class and enjoying the Indian summer.

One of his younger students went over and said how much he was enjoying the lessons.

Thank you for your kind words (replied the SLM). Kipling had the right idea when he said that the reason they’re called lessons is because they lessen from day to day – or, in your

by Phillip Alder

case, from week to week.

While you’re here, let me tell you a story.

The SLM grabbed the young man’s sleeve as he tried to leave.

Look at this deal (the SLM continued). South was Sebastian Aphelion, playing with his fiancee, Zosia Diamandis. They are Greek, with Sebastian meaning “venerable,” and Zosia “wisdom.”

After winning the first trick with the heart king, Sebastian cashed the club king. Then he led the club three to dummy’s ace. If East had had jackfourth of clubs, this would have produced four tricks in the suit. Here, it was an unnecessary precaution.

Now Sebastian finessed the spade jack. However, West won with the king and continued hearts, leaving Sebastian with no dummy entry for a second spade finesse and no way to generate a ninth trick.

“My silly darling,” lamented Zosia. “You need two spade tricks for your contract. You must assume the clubs are breaking 3-2. Cash the club king-queen and then lead the 10 to dummy’s ace. Next, take a spade finesse. It loses, but you get back into the dummy by overtaking your club three with my six. The second spade finesse works, and you are home.”

Beware the unsafety play, young man.

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

Bridge

HE WAS RESTING ON HIS LAURELS

Senior Life Master

Bridge

Ryan Green/Universal Pictures/TNS

Jamie Lee Curtis and Rohan Campbell in “Halloween Ends,” co-written, produced and directed by David Gordon Green.

49ers

blocks that spring him are a blur on the field or more appreciated in film review, Wilson answered in a way that depicts his fun-loving, humble personality.

“Shoot, even one of y’all could have run through that hole, you know what I mean?” Wilson replied. “So it’s just a fact I was a guy that was available and was in at the time. Those (block ers) are great.”

When starting running back Elijah Mitchell sprained his right knee in the opener and headed for a two-month exit, Wilson didn’t skip a beat in filling the role, which isn’t nec essarily a full-time job in this offense, not when the 49ers also turn to Samuel and others. It was Tevin Coleman who complemented Wilson in Sunday’s 37-15 win at Carolina.

Wilson had a sea son-high 120 yards last weekend, including a 41-yard sprint to the 9 as a prelude to Jimmy Garoppolo’s touchdown pass to Coleman for a 7-0 lead. Wilson had a 32-yard touchdown run in the 49ers’ previous win over the Rams, and a 37-yard run early the week before at Denver.

“He doesn’t mess around. He knows

Dodgers

From

himself,” Shanahan said. “People that get that big lane, they’ll see that one (defender) left and stop to set up a really big move to make that guy miss. I didn’t even see Jeff make a move because he just goes to space, takes it right away and changes the angle on the guy.”

Wilson reached 20.82 mph on that 41-yard run.

“I probably can’t even tell you what I hit last year. It probably wasn’t good,” said Wilson, refer ring to last season’s struggles coming off a meniscus tear in his knee. “. . . This year, totally dif ferent ballgame. It’s like night and day.”

Recapturing his burst is one thing. Running confidently is another. But playing fierce? That’s always been the case, from his prac

tice-squad promotion as a 2018 rookie, to a 2020 season in which he had a team-high 600 yards but also battled high ankle sprains.

“Every time he steps between the lines, I’ve said it before, he goes into a dark place,” tight end George Kittle said. “He’s just a violent and vicious runner, he doesn’t go down easy, and he’s always trying to hit someone as hard as he can, whether he has the ball or doesn’t.

“When you have guys with mindsets like that, it’s infectious,” Kittle added. “It gets wide receivers to think like that, it gets tight ends to think like that, heck, even quarterbacks think like that.”

Sunday’s game will feature two of the NFL’s best rushing attacks. The Falcons rank No.

[innings],” Roberts said. “I just think I’m going to make the deci sions [based on] whatever gives us the best chance to win and to prevent runs.”

giving San Diego perhaps its first pitching advantage of the series.

Roberts, however, was confident about the Dodgers’ choice.

He said they opted for the patchwork pitching plan in Game 3 because it will follow an off day, allowing the full comple ment of relievers to be available to contribute.

That includes Andrew Heaney and Dustin May, regular-season starters who have transitioned to the bullpen and are stretched out to each pitch 3-4 innings.

Roberts said he’s not approach ing the game as a piggyback situation, though, instead prepar ing to hunt certain matchups and use the full depth of his 13-man pitching staff.

“There’s not necessarily a person that has to take bulk

At one point this year Gonso lin was a Cy Young candidate and arguably the Dodgers’ best pitcher, earning his first career All-Star selection while going 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA.

But then the forearm injury sidetracked his season, forcing him to miss all of September and return for a brief two-inning start during the final week of the season.

While Gonsolin is built up to 75 pitches following a simu lated game last weekend, Roberts sounded as though he wouldn’t hes itate to go to his bullpen early.

“I think we’ve got an opportu nity with a compilation of arms to change and vary looks,” Roberts said, “[so] that they don’t get the same looks two or three or four times.”

It won’t all come down to the pitching.

3 (164.6 yards per game), the 49ers No. 8 (138.8 ypg). Defen sively, however, the 49ers are yielding a league-low 71.4 rushing yards per game; the Falcons rank 17th (114.8 ypg).

Wilson is more ready now than in any past year. He said he’s learned the game’s nuances, from “defensive looks, tech niques, tendencies, the whole nine (yards) in becoming more of a pro.”

Wilson is coming off his fourth career 100yard game, and his previous one was last December against these same Falcons, when he ran for 110 yards in a win to help the 49ers’ playoff push.

Added Kittle: “I have a ton of confidence in all our running backs. When I see Jeff Wilson with the ball, though, I’m like, ‘This is going to be a violent, physical play, and I just can’t wait to be a part of it.’ ”

Wilson’s been unde terred by the 49ers devoting recent draft picks to running backs — Mitchell and Trey Sermon in 2020, Ty Davis-Price in 2021. Wilson understands “it’s part of the game,” just as it was when he hosted college recruits at North Texas who’d eventually be challenging for his job.

The 49ers resigned Wilson this offseason at a modest oneyear, $1.085 million deal.

The Dodgers could use a better offensive performance, as well. They’ve yet to score in nine innings against Padres relievers. They’ve gotten little production from Mookie Betts (1 for 8), Justin Turner (1 for 6) and Trayce Thompson (0 for 6). And they’ve been poor as a team situationally, batting 3 for 16 with runners in scoring position.

The team will shake up its Game 3 lineup, Roberts said, putting Chris Taylor in left field and Austin Barnes behind the plate for the first time this series. Cody Bellinger and Gavin Lux, both left-handed hitters, will be dropped to the bench against Snell. Will Smith will be the designated hitter.

“I like where our offense is at,” Roberts said. “I really do.”

But in the end, the pitching will likely be the biggest factor in a crucial swing game that could either restore the Dodgers’ advan tage in the series or put their franchise-record 111-win season on the brink.

tennis

Page B1

Michael Mmoh of the U.S. defeated Alexandr Cozbinov of Moldova 6-2, 6-2. China's Juncheng Shang defeated Valen tin Vacherot of Monoco 6-4, 6-3. Alexis Galar neau of Canada defeated Evan Zhu of the U.S. 6-1, 6-4. Qualifier Sam Riffice of the U.S. outlasted wild card Christian Langmo of the U.S. 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4.

In Wednesday's doubles matches, Cash and Patten defeated the U.S. duo of Evan King and Mitchell Krueger 6-3, 6-4. Harris and Saville defeated Sebastian Fan selow of Germany and Edan Leshem of Israel 6-4, 6-4. Carr and Coz binov beat Couacaud and American Reese Stalder 7-6(5), 7-5.

Jaziri and Pervolara

Durant

From Page B1

following the scuffle. He apologized to Poole and the team last Thursday and spoke publicly Poole hasn’t spoken to the media but has been praised for his professionalism and being even-keeled in the aftermath of the incident.

Durant, who won two titles over his three seasons with the Warriors, said it appears every thing is “back to normal.” Brush-ups happen often during NBA practice, though Durant couldn’t think of a time when a player slugged a team mate in the manner Green hit Poole on Oct. 5.

Durant is no stranger to disagreements with Green, though he noted that his sideline conflict with the 10-year veteran at the beginning of the 2018-19 season, which

sharks

From Page B2

common in the NHL than in years past, and the Sharks seem comfort able working with Reimer and Kahkonen. As they did in Prague, they will split the two over the two home-opening regular season games.

Certainly a preference would be for Kahkonen, whom the Sharks traded for at the deadline last year, to claim the crease as his own with a career season.

Aaron Dell cleared waivers on Monday and was sent to the AHL Barracuda.

Young players

Given what new head coach David Quinn has said about rushing pros pects, maybe it shouldn't be surprising that both Thomas Bordeleau and William Eklund were sent to the AHL following the Global Series. There isn't a single rookie on the homeopening roster.

The two top Sharks prospects didn't play in Prague, nor in the pre season game in Germany.

Quinn and first-year general manager Mike Grier have been clear they don't want to rush pros

kis defeated Benjamin Lock and Courtney John Lock of Zimbabwe 7-5, 6-2 on Wednesday. Chan drasekar and Prashanth topped the Estonian duo of Daniil Glinka and Karl Kiur Saar 7-5, 6-3. Clark and Perez defeated Leandro Riedi of Switzer land and Vacherot 6-4, 6-3. Ayeni and Diallo defeated Americans Martin Damm and Langmo 7-6(5), 6-3.

The singles quarterfi nals on Cammisa Court start at 10 a.m. Friday with Galarneau against Riffice, followed by Shang against Mmoh and Diallo against Couacaud. Ayeni meets Sandgren in the last singles quarterfinal on Zimmerman Court.

The doubles semifi nals will start at 10 a.m. on Zimmerman with the team of ChandrasekarPrashanth against Clark-Perez, followed by Cash-Hatten against Damm-Langmo.

resulted in a one-game suspension for Green, was different than the current turmoil the Warriors are dealing with.

“It’s no comparison to that,” Durant told ESPN.

“It was just some words that being – I heard people say that that happens a lot in the NBA. I had never seen nothing like that before. But what me and Draymond did a few years back, that’s – happens all the time. So it’s easy to get through something like that, but I don’t know what this situation is like.”

In that instance, Durant and Green later agreed – after Durant left the Warriors – that the team’s brass mishan dled the punishment. This time, Green missed two preseason games but is expected to play in the preseason finale Friday night against Denver and the Warriors’ regularseason opener Tuesday against the Lakers.

pects. The Sharks aren't expected to make a deep playoff run this season, and they don't want to dis courage their young talent when they aren't fully ready for the NHL.

The Sharks have a bit more forward depth than a year ago, with the adds of Nico Sturm and Oskar Lindblom and Steven Lorentz, so there isn't a need to force the poten tial future of the franchise into what is ultimately projected to be a transi tion season.

Blue line depth

Friday night will offer a direct look at what the Sharks are missing.

San Jose traded former franchise face Brent Burns to Carolina in an offseason salary dump. Meanwhile, the Sharks will roll out a blue line group still finding its footing.

Mario Ferraro and Erik Karlsson worked the first pairing to open the season, with Matt Benning and Marc-Edourd Vlasic on the second and Jaycob Megna and Radim Simek on the third. Karls son played just over 27 minutes in the second game, and Ferraro 25.

Quinn and Grier have repeatedly stated they don't expect anyone alone to eat Burns' minutes.

Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group/TNS file (2021)

Jeff Wilson Jr.of the 49ers runs against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Levi’s stadium in santa Clara in December 2021.

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic

Alfredo perez returns the ball during the taube-Hasse pro tennis Championship round of 16 match against Enzo Couacaud at solano College in Fairfield, thursday.