Daily Republic: Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Fire burns old red barn pier, ignites history lesson A3 Walker continues

THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Marc Tonnesen in Septem ber 2021 settled a huge 11-year property tax dispute with Genentech.

“Genentech went on forever,” Tonnesen said of the property tax dispute that started with the 2010 tax year and continued through 2020. That assessment appeal

Todd r. H Ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SUISUN CITY — Alma Hernandez was seated Tuesday night as the first Latina mayor in the city’s history.

She took her oath of office from Assembly woman Lori Wilson, who was the first Black woman to hold the office, and fol lowed the oath to Larry Brumfield, who became the first Black man to be the city’s mayor, albeit

Jury finds Trump Organization guilty of tax fraud in NYC

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

NEW YORK — A Man hattan jury delivered a guilty verdict Tuesday in the wide-ranging tax fraud case against Donald Trump’s family real estate business, the Trump Organization.

The jury started deliberating in Manhat tan Supreme Court just before 1 p.m. Monday. More than 24 hours later it found the Trump Corp. guilty of all nine counts against it, includ ing scheme to defraud, conspiracy to commit grand larceny, criminal tax fraud, falsifying busi ness records and other related charges.

The panel found the Trump Payroll Corp. guilty of all eight counts

it faced, including falsi fying business records, conspiracy to defraud, criminal tax fraud and related counts.

The consequence of the guilty verdict against both entities is a fine of $1.62 million. The conviction could signif icantly hinder Trump’s New York business pros pects. Donald Trump did not face any charges in this case.

“The former presi dent’s companies now stand convicted of crimes. That is conse quential. It underscores in Manhattan we have one standard of justice for all,” said District Attor ney Alvin Bragg.

“This was a case about

Warnock wins Georgia runoff against Walker

followed

company from 1997 to 2001, from 2002 to 2003 and 2004 to 2009.

and did not want to leave the 11-year Genentech matter for his succes sor, who turned out to be his hand-picked choice, Assistant Assessor Glenn Zook, who was uncon tested in June. He will start his first term Jan. 3.

“We worked very hard and I am happy with the resolution,” Tonnesen said. The county had assessed the property value at $9.815 billion and settled for $7.675 billion. It freed millions to be dis persed to cities, schools and special districts.

has already appealed the county’s

for 2021 and 2022 as well.

Tonnesen was already thinking about retiring

Tonnesen accepts that large firms like Genentech and Valero are likely to appeal

ATLANTA — U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock fended off a challenge from Republican Her schel Walker to win a full six-year term that broadens the Democratic majority in the chamber after a turbulent runoff campaign that sharpened partisan divides in one of the nation’s most politi cally competitive states.

Warnock’s victory Tuesday was a rare bright spot for Democrats in Georgia after a midterm that ended in triumph

AgenCy

Editor’s note: Marc Ton nesen is one of several elected officials with many years of service who are leaving their posts. Over the coming weeks, the Daily Repub lic will profile many of those officials.

Todd r. H Ansen

other disputes with the

The giant biotech firm

assessment

make plays for Atlanta Falcons B1

Larry Brumfield raises

hand

taking

oath as short-term mayor of Suisun City at City Hall, Tuesday.

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic photos

Alma Hernandez raises her hand while taking the oath as mayor of Suisun City at City Hall, Tuesday.

At Christmas, we want to give our loved ones the gift of their dreams, the best gift that money can buy. Unless we’re broke.

This story isn’t entirely new. I’ve told parts of it before. But this is a different version with a slightly different meaning. I hope it has meaning for you.

On Christmas Eve, when I was 9, my mother dropped a bomb on my brothers – bad news that she had already dropped on me.

“Santa got stuck in snow near Asheville,” she said. “He’s real sorry, but he’s running late.”

Denton was 3. He didn’t care. Joe was 5, totally blind, but he could always see plain as day through our moth er’s excuses.

“How late?” he demanded.

“Maybe spring,” Mama said.

Our stepfather hadn’t worked in months, due to a bad leg. We barely had money to buy beans, let alone to fill Santa’s sled.

Folks had left food on our porch that I’d mis taken for Christmas gifts, not pity. It can be hard to tell the difference.

That night we ate corn bread and ham, a gift from some good people at church. My stepdad came in leaning on a crutch and carrying a box of tan gerines. We ate them all. Then Mama read us the Christmas story from the Bible, making sure to point out that Jesus was born in a barn.

“That’s the best story I ever heard!” Joe said.

We sang some songs, “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells,” but not “Here Comes Santa Claus.”

Denton fell asleep like a possum, but Joe yelled, “I am not one bit sleepy!” He always said that. He knew Mama would make me tell him a story. So I took the braces off his legs, tucked him in bed and said, “What do you want to hear?”

Joe grinned. “Sister, we just heard the best story ever. Tell me the second best story!”

And so, I told him this: “Once upon a time,” I said, “there was a boy named Joe. He was blind and stubborn and he could barely walk. But he never let anything stop him.

“Joe had a red tricycle, the finest three-wheeler money could buy. He couldn’t pedal it, so he pushed it, one hand on

the seat, the other on the handle bar, blowing like a thunderstorm across the yard and into ditches.

“He’d brag to his sister, ‘When I grow up and get my license, I will fly so fast the angels will run and hide their wings!’ ’’

That’s how I ended the story, with Joe’s plan to scare angels. He laughed and clapped his hands. Then he fell asleep to dream his impos sible dream.

Did I really think Joe would get a license and drive a car? I wanted to believe it. But I knew, either way, he’d figure it out for himself. He didn’t need me to dim his dreams. He wanted me to dream them with him.

There’s more to Joe’s story, things he’s proud of and things he’d rather keep to himself. Isn’t that true for most of us?

He boarded for 10 years at a school for the deaf and the blind where he learned to read Braille, type on a Braille typewriter and fistfight on the playground. He traded his tricycle for a white cane and let it lead him wherever he wanted to go. He ran a concession stand in a county courthouse trusting his customers to pay correctly. He married the love of his life, who was also blind, and held her hand through 10 good years until he lost her to cancer.

He has never had a license, driven a car or seen his face. But he sits on his own porch, makes his own choices, goes to church, cooks his meals, washes his dishes, buckles his braces, pulls for the Clemson Tigers and calls his sister at 6 a.m. And at times, he’s even been known to make angels run and hide their wings.

Joe is living a dream he and I and countless others have dreamed for him. It’s called Life.

The best gift is not one that money can buy. It’s the gift we give freely from our heart.

This Christmas, I hope you’ll give someone the story of their dreams. And I’ll give my brother the latest version of the second best story he and I ever heard.

Sharon Randall is the author of “The World and Then Some.” She can be reached at P.O. Box 922, Carmel Valley, CA 93924 or www.sharon randall.com.

Soroptimist Club honors retired Fairfield PD Chief Cantrell

Soroptimist Interna tional of Central Solano County honored former Fairfield Police Chief Deanna Cantrell at its Oct. 11 meeting. The invitation was prompted by the club’s interest in her vision in introducing and encouraging local girls to learn more about public service.

Cantrell talked about her experience in estab lishing these programs in prior work in Mesa, Arizona, and San Luis Obispo. She called the program, “Aspire.”

In her presentation, she showed interviews with participants about this life-changing expe rience. One young girl cited her conversation with Cantrell as cement ing her desire to pursue a career in public service.

The Aspire camps helped girls work together as they are introduced to activi ties such as rappelling, fire suppression, CPR and leadership develop ment programs.

Although Cantrell retired at the end of October, one of her lasting contributions will hopefully be the devel opment of an “Aspire” camp here in Fairfield.

The club honored Cantrell for her per sistent investment in improving the lives of women and girls in the community with a plaque acknowledging the club’s appreciation. They also dedicated “Girls Circle” at the PAL Center to be named, “Deanna Cantrell Room” when the reconstruction is completed.

Soroptimist has sponsored the Girls Circle at the PAL Center for more than 10 years. Girls Circle is a curriculum-based structured support group conducted at the PAL Center, that is geared to teenage girls with focused curricu lum on topics pertinent to this age group.

Topics include Devel oping Friendships, Who am I?, Honoring Diversity, and Paths to the Future.

For more informa tion about Soroptimist and its mission to improve the lives of women and girls, go to www.sicentral solano.com.

Girls on the Run Fun Run brings out hundreds

The Girls on the Run 5K had 725 girls recently cross the finish line surrounded by their volunteer life coaches, family and friends on Nov. 12 in Amer ican Canyon.

The BeYOUnique Fun Run is presented by Community Projects Inc.

A total of 1,300 par ticipants ran, walked gathered leaves and cartwheeled the 3.1 miles through beau tiful wetland trails or along the campus of Sonoma State.

All finishers wearing No. 1 bibs received high fives and medals from Gamma Phi Beta or New Tech High School volunteers. 5Kers also received a T-shirt.

Volunteers came from Gamma Phi Beta, Sorop timist International of American Canyon, West America Bank, New Tech, Rancho Cotate and American Canyon High School to assist along with numerous family and friends.

The Girls on the Run girls had been partici pating over the previous 10 weeks in 55 groups thanks to 160 volunteer

life coaches who believe passionately in empow ering girls. The eighth annual Dream Hall brought female leaders from various careers including a firefighter, police captain, trustee, attorney, business owner, social worker, prin cipal, public speaker, nurse, chef and an elected official to share their knowledge.

The event raised $30,000 to help the 60% of families who receive financial support so their Girls on the Run girl can participate.

To sign up your school for the spring program (March 6 through May 19) or to volun teer as a coach or at future events, go to www. gotrnorthbay.org.

2 Solano students graduate OU

Solano alumni who graduated Ohio Univer sity in summer 2022 are Britt Ciraulo of Vacaville and Danielle Hughes of Benicia, who each grad uated with bachelor’s degrees in nursing at the Athens, Ohio campus.

Their accomplish ments were announced in a university press release.

More than 1,700 stu dents graduated with bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degrees during the summer semester.

Morgan graduates from Troy University

of Vallejo graduated from Troy Univer sity in Troy, Alabama, during Term 1 of the 2022-23 academic year.

Morgan attended Troy online and graduated with a master’s degree.

Term 1 includes students at Troy’s cam puses in Dothan, Phenix City and Montgom ery, along with teaching sites outside of Alabama and online.

Morgan’s accomplish ment was announced in a press release from the university.

5 Solano students join Biola dean’s list

Five of the approx imately 1,600 students named to Biola Univer sity’s dean’s list for the spring 2022 term are from Solano County.

Those students at the La Mirada campus were, from Fairfield, Anna McGinty, major ing in liberal studies elementary education; Stephanie Owens and Amelia Weiss, major ing in nursing; Tatum Wurzbach, majoring in business administration; and Noah Cline of Vacav ille, who is majoring in biological science.

Their accomplish ments were announced in a press release from the university.

Students must have a grade-point average of 3.6 or higher during the term and a cumula tive GPA of 3.2 or higher to qualify.

Joshua Morgan

Sharon Randall

Fire burns old red barn pier, ignites history lesson on Belden’s Landing

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

BELDEN’S

LANDING — An old red barn used to stand along a nearby Suisun Marsh shoreline, across the Mont ezuma Slough from what is now the Belden’s Landing Water Access Facility.

A wooden pier is all that really remained at the site, and now it is all but gone –lost to a recent fire.

“I went out there to see if some of my old friends were out there,” said Bob Cummings, who instead found the pier had been burned to the point he could not take his wheel chair out there. That was a couple of weeks ago.

He went out, again, Sunday to see if there had been any repairs done, and nothing has changed. It was not immediately clear

who owns that property.

Over the years, as those who remember the old red barn tell stories, those stories sometimes become misidentified and the Belden’s Landing site, for some, has come to be the same as the location of the old red barn.

But Belden’s has its own history, one that goes back to the 1930s when Bill Vestal operated a boat rental business called Bill Vestal’s Place.

“The Beldens had 100 boats and a restau rant and bar called ‘Jim Belden’s Place.’ The wooden building had Coco-Cola signs displayed prominently along its roof and painted on its side,” a Daily Republic article states. “Back in those days, a ferry and not a bridge took autos on Grizzly Island Road across Mont

ezuma Slough.”

The Beldens operated the private launch until 1958 when they sold it. The place was renamed Mon tezuma Harbor, which burned down in the late1960s or early 1970s, according to the newspa per article.

Boaters still used the concrete ferry ramp to launch from, but the site as a whole became overgrown with vegetation and was used for illegal dumping.

“By 1987, the state Department of Fish and Game decided it wanted to build a boat ramp along Montezuma Slough at approximately the Belden’s Landing site. It had trouble getting the necessary permits from its federal counterpart, the U.S. Fish and Wild life Service. That agency saw Belden’s Landing as

habitat for the rare salt marsh harvest mouse and Delta smelt,” the Daily Republic article states.

“Finally, the parties came to an agreement which called for turning 5 acres adjacent to Belden’s Landing into tidal marsh. The state Wildlife Conservation Board, state Department of Boating and Waterways. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Solano County contributed money toward the boat launch project.”

The new boat ramp opened in 2002 – holding onto the historical

Pederson ends Dixon council vote recount

Fairfield council recount in limbo

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Thom Bogue is back on the Dixon City Council.

Incumbent Scott Pederson on Tuesday ended his recount for the District 2 seat on the council, conceding the Nov. 8 elec tion result to the former mayor.

“We got through 350 ballots without any dis crepancies and no challenges,” Assistant Regis trar of Voters John Gardner said.

Bogue led Ped erson by 20 votes after the election certification.

Gardner said he is still waiting to hear back from Nora Dizon about her request for a recount on the election results for the District 1 seat on the Fairfield City Council.

Dizon trailed K. Patrice Williams by 12 votes after election certification.

While Dizon clearly called for a recount in her email to the Registrar of Voters Office, that email also was ambiguous about her full intentions.

“This is the official request for a ‘recount’ of the Fairfield City Council

District 1 election results,” Dizon wrote. It adds, “Before the actual recount of the votes, I would need to under stand the Solano County system. Also, a review of votes that should not have been counted should be completed prior to an actual count of ballots.”

The county has not receive a recount request for Measure S, the $249.6 million facility bond for the Fair field-Suisun School District.

However, John Takeuchi, with the Central Solano Citizen Taxpayer Group, called on the Board of Supervi sors on Tuesday to fund a recount, and to change its regulations so a recount is automatic when the results are so close. He said the Solano County Registrar of Voters Office said Measure S, which included a small number of voters in Napa County, had cleared the 55% threshold to pass by seven votes.

The last recount in Solano County was in 2020 for Trustee Area 2 on the Solano County Board

NorCal

nurses union announces contract agreement with Kaiser

daily Republic sTaff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — More than 22,000 Northern California Kaiser Perma nente nurses have ratified a new four-year contract that includes nurses at the Vacaville Medical Center and the Vallejo Medical Center.

“With this new con tract, we will be able to recruit new nurses, retain experienced (registered nurses), and most impor tantly, provide our patients with improved care,” California Nursing Asso ciation President Cathy Kennedy, an RN in the neonatal intensive care unit at Kaiser Perman ente Roseville Medical Center, said in a statement released Monday. “We are

so happy that this contract adds more than 2,000 posi tions across our Northern California facilities. That is amazing and will improve staffing greatly.”

Highlights of the con tract include:

n Health and safety provisions to ensure nurses get the highest level of personal protec tive equipment, including the requirement to main tain a three-month stock pile of PPE, screening for infectious disease, and

having the same PPE whether caring for patients who are con firmed or suspected Covid-positive.

n Comprehensive workplace violence pre vention provisions that expand workplace vio lence prevention plans to all sites, such as hospitals, clinics, parking structures and other sites and include an investigation process for incidents of workplace

Famous Creations plans toy drive

FAIRFIELD — Famous Creations will host its 10th Annual Famous Toy Drive on Dec. 17.

Children can get photos with Santa, do some arts and crafts, get free cocoa and shop; parents can participate in a prize drawing and more.

The event will begin at 11 a.m. at 837 Texas St.

Those who attend are asked to bring toys that are new and unwrapped. Every toy someone bring in will earn a ticket for prizes.

For more information, call 707-419-5733.

Congratulations to our NOVEMBER WINNER

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic

A fire last month burned an old red barn pier across the shore from Belden’s Landing Water Access Facility.

WILLIAMS

DIZON

Sandra Eubank Still

Feb. 11, 1946 — Nov. 28, 2022

Sandra Eubank Still passed away on Monday from Alzheimer’s disease.

She is survived by her husband of 52 years, James Brantly Still; daugh ter, Heather Elaine Still; twin grandsons, Joseph Trent and Thomas James Mink stein; sister-in-law, Janie Still Walters; and her 65-pound canine companion, Felix Poodle.

Sandy’s parents were Margaret Nicholson Stephen of Peterhead, Scotland, and James Trent Eubank of Chatta nooga, Tennessee, and the U.S. Navy.

Sandy graduated from California Polytechnic Uni versity, San Luis Obispo and retired from Solano County Office of Education after 19 years as an Occupation Spe cialist, assisting and impacting the lives of hundreds of high schoolers transitioning into the work environment. Before moving to Benicia, she worked many years as a com puter lab teacher for Barcelona Hills Elementary School in Mission Viejo.

She was an avid SF Giants and 49ers fan, and before that, an LA Angels and Dallas Cowboys fan.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, at Passalacqua Funeral Home, 901 W. Second St., Benicia, California.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association, The Salvation Army, Disabled American Veterans or your favorite religious charity. Please visit the online tribute at www.passalacquafuneralchaple. com.

Arrangements under the care of Passalacqua Funeral Chapel, 707-745-3130, www.passalacquafuneralchapel. com.

DEATH NOTICE

Cortijo, Timothy, 63, of Vacaville, died Nov. 27, 2022. Burial will be held at 10:45 a.m. Monday, Dec. 19, 2022, at the Sacra mento Valley National Cemetery, 5810 Midway Road, Dixon, California. A Celebration of Life to follow at at American Legion Veterans Hall, 1305 N. First St., Dixon, California.

From

of Education, which also involved Napa County.

The count was stopped by the requesting party, Bonnie Hamilton, not as reported recently, because it became clear the results would not change. She said she stopped the count because it was going so slowly – in part due to the pandemic – and driving the costs up. She also

suggested political inter ference played a part in the delays.

The cost was about $9,000 after five days. The funds had to be paid on a daily basis, Hamilton said. She started three votes behind and said she had narrowed that by one when she called the count off and that there were still more than 30,000 ballots to review. Amy Sharp won the post.

County asks Solano residents to comment on wildfire plan

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Solano County is asking residents to comment on the develop ment of a 2023 Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

The plan is designed “to identify and miti gate wildfire hazards to communities and infra structure located in the wildland-urban interface,” Supervisor John Vasquez said in a statement. The interface area is located between wildland and human development. The plan makes recommenda

tions for hazardous fuels reduction, public outreach and education, “structural ignitability reduction” and fire response capacity.

The request comes about a month after voters rejected a one-eighth cent sales tax increase to help fund wildfire prevention and protection measures.

Vasquez in the state ment said that plan is designed to “assist the county and landowners in ensuring that a future catastrophic wildfire is avoided or mitigated by assessing areas at risk and recommending mea

PierFrom Page A3

Belden name.

The county and the Solano Resource Conser vation District, in 2019, received a $93,000 grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation to continue efforts to improve the facilities at Belden’s Landing and to eradicate the corn-looking phrag mites and replace it with native species, including pickleweed – part of the work that was completed this past summer.

Chris Drake, the county Parks Services manager, said fighting off the inva sive species is an ongoing battle that may never really go away.

The work also included improvements of the boat launch to be more friendly for kayakers, canoers and to others launching similar vessels. Other improve ments were made to the fishing pier, picnic area and tidal steps.

A map of the 7-acre park, which includes the tidal area, was put in so vis

itors could learn about the area’s natural history, too More than 20,000 visi tors came out to the landing in the years leading up to the pandemic. However, the pier was closed at that time due to damage from the Branscombe Fire. Activity is returning, and despite the rains Monday,

sures to decrease those risks.”

The success of the effort, Vasquez said, “relies on collaboration and engagement with the public.”

A public meeting is sched uled for 6:30 p.m.

Thursday in the county Events Center, 601 Texas St., in downtown Fair field. Comments also can be shared through an online survey at https:// forms.office.com/r/ g2AWJrBFcP.

The plan is described in

there were folks launching into the slough. The Belden’s Landing Water Access Facility has since been made part of

the statement as “a guiding document for fire and emer gency managers, as well as agen cies who manage land within the county.” The plan is designed to serve county residents, whose interest and engagement “is vital to the process,” Vasquez said. For more informa tion, contact Vicky Amato, project manager, at vamato@swca.com or Montiel Ayala, assis tant project manager, at Montiel.ayala@swca.com.

the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail, which is expected to bring even more visitors to the Solano County facility.

THE DAILY REPUBLIC DELIVERS. CALL 707-427-6989.

VASQUEZ

Board affirms approval of Middle Green Valley subdivision application

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — It seems the property owners, members of the Solano Orderly Growth Commit tee and even some of the county supervisors want a certified land trust to be guardians of the conser vation easements in the Middle Green Specific Plan development.

But the Board of Super visors was not willing Tuesday to make that a specific condition on the

subdivision application, prior approval of which was affirmed during an afternoon session of the board.

Instead, the board left language in place that it argued follows the state law on what or who can be conservation ease ment holders: a nonprofit group such as a land trust; a government entity such as the county; or a Native American tribe.

The final choice will be left up to the property owners, who must make

that selection and record it with the county before they can sell the land to a devel oper or move to develop the land on their own.

And while the conserva tion easement dominated the conservation, the board held a repeat public hearing on the applica tion because of a claim the county had violated the state’s open meeting laws at the Nov. 3 meeting by not including the environ mental review action in the

title of the board item.

County Counsel Ber nadette Curry said it is the county’s position the matter was adequately titled, but as a matter of caution, the county was doing it over, again. The outcome did not change, though Supervisor Monica Brown joined the major ity this time.

The action included approval of one small lot map that creates lots for 322 of the 390 homes

allowed in the develop ment, and a large lot map that divides 410.9 acres into 27 separate parcels for future subdivision.

The Planning Com mission had changed the original language to specify the holder of the conser vation easement would be a land trust. The supervi sors reversed that decision at the first meeting, and left the strong impression it would be the county that would act as the easement

holder. Chairman John Vasquez, who initiated the reversal, said Tuesday that was never the intention.

In essence, the devel opment was popularized by agreeing to keep about 1,500 acres in agriculture uses or open space, and thus keeping the charac ter of the valley in tact.

The 1,905-acre property is located in Lower Green Valley near the intersec tion of Green Valley and Mason roads.

violence and trauma coun seling for nurses.

n More than 2,000 new registered nurse and nurse practitioner posi tions, including 1,200 new graduate positions, 400 in specialty training, 300 float pool nurses, 80 acute re-entry nurses, 50 nurse practitioners and 80 out patient positions.

n Investment in educa tion: Increased tuition reimbursement for educa tion.

n Economic gains and health benefit provi sions to help retain and recruit experienced nurses, including no take aways for pensions or retiree health care. The agreement includes wage increases over four years.

n Equity and inclusion provisions, including the creation of a new regional Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee com prised of two nurses from

each facility to address systemic racism within the health care system, requirements for Kaiser Permanente to report demographic data to CNA, and a commitment to a workplace free from racism and discrimination.

n Patients first lan guage, including agree ment that health care is a human right and that racial and ethnic dispari ties in health care out comes must end, that Kaiser promote the deliv ery of culturally compe tent care and expand the diversity of the health care workforce.

The registered nurses and nurse practitioners had called for a two-day strike Nov. 21-22, but the strike was averted when a tentative agreement was reached Nov. 17. The two sides had been in negotiations since June. The contract was rati fied Nov. 22.

California Nurses Association represents more than 22,000 nurses at 22 Kaiser Permanente facilities.

Brown’s tricky measure allows release of violent felons

Then-Gov. Jerry Brown tricked Califor nia voters six years ago into passing a ballot measure that, he said, would make it easier for nonviolent felons to earn paroles and thus ease the state prison system’s severe overcrowding.

Brown and other supporters of Proposition 57 spent millions of dollars on the campaign. “All of us learn. I’ve learned in 40 years,” Brown said, “I think prison ers can learn.” The initiative, Brown argued, “orients the prison toward rehabil itation, and I think that’s a good thing.”

Innocent people died as a result.

Brown’s trick was to omit a definition of “nonviolent felony” in the measure. Under pressure from the media, his campaign reluc tantly acknowledged the definition would be any crime not mentioned in an obscure section of the state Penal Code that lists 23 specific violent offenses.

There are dozens of crimes not on that list that ordinary people would consider violent, including a slew of violent sexual assaults.

Brown assured voters violent sexual preda tors would remain behind bars when prison authorities issued regulations to implement Proposition 57 and it passed easily.

How did that work out? Prison officials did issue the promised regulations but two years ago, after Brown had retired, the state Supreme Court declared that rules could not modify the measure’s provisions without changing the law.

“The initiative’s language provides no indi cation that the voters intended to allow the (Corrections) department to create a whole sale exclusion from parole consideration based on an inmate’s sex offense convic tions when the inmate was convicted of a nonviolent felony,” Chief Justice Tani CantilSakauye wrote in the unanimous decision.

The case was decided just weeks after voters rejected another ballot measure, Prop osition 20, that would have closed the loophole reducing prison time for violent felons.

Dozens – and perhaps hundreds – of prison inmates who met the state’s generous provi sions for earning parole have been released and inevitably some have continued to commit violent crimes.

Smiley Martin, who is awaiting trial for using a fully automatic pistol in a shootout with rival gang members in downtown Sacra mento last spring that left six people dead and 12 wounded, is one beneficiary. He had been released because his domestic violence con viction did not qualify as a violent crime.

Proposition 57 also made it more difficult for prosecutors to treat juvenile offenders as adults and a 2018 law passed by the Legis lature allows felons who had been juveniles when they committed their crimes to have their sentences reduced.

Two months ago, Michael Xavier Bell was arrested for shooting a 60-year-old man to death in suburban Sacramento, just 73 days after he had been released from prison due to that law. Bell had been 14 when in 1980, he was given 53 years to life for breaking into a woman’s home with an accomplice and raping her in front of her 8-year-old son while point ing a gun at the boy’s head.

Is enough enough?

As Attorney General Rob Bonta was cam paigning for a full term this year, he said Proposition 57 went too far.

“Domestic violence, human trafficking, rape of an unconscious person – all of those should be discussed and potentially changed under whatever the appropriate means is for Prop. 57,” Bonta told CalMatters. “I think if people are asked . . . ‘Is this a violent crime?

Or is it not a violent crime?’ I think people will say, ‘It’s a violent crime,’ so I think those should be considered for change.”

We should hold him to that. We’ll see if Bonta sponsors legislation to close the deadly loophole that Brown foisted on the people he was sworn to protect six years ago.

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.

THE OTHER SIDE

Free speech still alive and kicking

Too many people mis understand what free speech is, where it’s applica ble and its limitations.

Twitter kamikaze pilot and owner Elon Musk recently tweeted, “Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?” Well, no, Apple is actually exercising speech by not advertising on Elon’s platform.

Musk purchased Twitter because he thought the social media giant was prohibiting free speech by block ing misinformation and suspending accounts over hate speech. But Twitter and other social media com panies are well within their rights to prohibit certain speech on their plat forms. Musk himself has blocked individuals who’ve attacked him personally or have engaged in hate speech like Kanye West. He’s discov ered that free speech absolutism is a dangerous place to be.

The First Amendment prohib its the government from abridging speech, not private companies. Social media companies have every right to tell you what you can and cannot say on their platforms. You agree to that when you sign up. I say this as a repeat offender and ex-con of Face

COMMENTARY

book jail. If you don’t like it, then take your business else where. Or start your own platform like Donald Trump did with his lame and ironi cally named Twitter knockoff “Truth Social.”

The Founders didn’t want to live in a country where gov ernment controlled what you could say. We wanted the ability to dissent and criticize our gov ernment without fear of retribution. So we passed the First Amendment for that purpose. But it doesn’t apply to nongovernment entities.

Our speech is limited in many avenues of society. You can’t wear a shirt with offensive sayings on it to work. Your boss has the right to limit your speech on the job. You’re reading this in a newspaper or on its website, part of the free press cham pioned in the First Amendment. Yet, even as a contributor to this publica tion, my speech is limited, not by the government but by the newspaper itself. And that’s as it should be.

Now, there are circumstances where the government itself can legally limit your speech because the courts have ruled that no right is absolute. Those restrictions are incite ment, defamation, fraud, obscenity and fighting words. You can’t yell

fire in a crowded theater, knowingly spread lies about a voting machine company or incite a mob to vio lence because you lost an election, for instance.

Now even though private compa nies and even the government may limit your speech, nothing physically prevents you from saying whatever you want wherever you want. But you will suffer the consequences. You can say any sexist, homophobic, racist, anti-Semitic, xenophobic or vile thing but you will be held accountable for that speech. I mean, technically, at any time in my childhood I could’ve said, “Dad, keep your mouth shut. I’ll mow the lawn when and if I feel like it.” I could’ve said it but it would’ve resulted in a belt having a date with my behind.

We have the freedom to say, “Donald Trump is a fascist” and “Let’s go Brandon” without fear of the government punishing us. But if your employer or a private company restricts what you say, it’s not a free speech violation. It’s just a bummer.

Free speech is still alive and doesn’t require Elon Musk to save it. Peace.

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

No last-minute shopping at taxpayer expense

It’s happened to all of us: The holidays are here before you know it, and you’re scrambling for that last-minute gift. Maybe you procrastinated, but at least you are spending your own money on someone else. Con versely, the politicians in Con gress are preparing to spend your money on themselves and their special interests in a per verse, year-end shopping spree.

What’s on their Christmas wish list? A plethora of radical, left-wing boondoggles the American people clearly did not endorse in this year’s midterm elections. The PelosiSchumer-Biden omnibus may include everything from granting citizen ship to large groups of immigrants living in the country illegally, bailouts for failed “green” energy programs, even more money sent to Ukraine without enough accountability, and further Covid-related funding despite President Joe Biden declaring the pandemic to be over.

All these additional outlays, on top of what the federal government already spends, come with a massive price tag measured in the trillions. While the details of such a proposal are still being hammered out behind closed doors and out of the public view, left-leaning lawmakers have made it clear they want to ram a massive omnibus through Congress in this lame-duck session.

January, will likely be much less amenable to granting this expensive wish list. This is occurring at the same time the U.S. Trea sury is hitting its debt ceiling, which functions like a limit on a credit card. Put simply, the Treasury has borrowed to its limit and cannot issue more debt without congres sional approval – authorization that should not be granted under any circumstances.

With the Treasury – and therefore the taxpayer – hopelessly $31.5 tril lion in debt, there is no room for more borrowing and spending, especially by a Congress whose priorities are clearly not aligned with the Ameri can people’s. Liberals may crow about their love of democracy, but it is hard to imagine something less democratic than a lame-duck Congress thwart ing the will of the American people by hastily assembling and passing another bloated omnibus, and thereby robbing the people’s duly elected rep resentatives of the chance to pass meaningful spending reform begin ning in January.

Last, when the new Congress con venes, it must drastically cut federal spending, repeal onerous regulations across industries and stop discour aging domestic producers of reliable American energy.

The gargantuan federal defi cits over the past two years have caused inflation to explode and the menace of rising prices will continue its rampage across the American economic landscape until the reck less government spending is brought under control. At the same time, excessive regulation has throttled the supply side of the economy, reducing production, which is the real driver of wealth creation and economic growth.

Possibly the clearest example of this is in the energy market, where domestic producers are laboring with the Biden administration’s boot pressed against their neck. Less energy has meant higher prices everywhere and for everything. The agenda outlined above, in addition to being the will of the American people, will have a dramatic and positive impact on fighting inflation.

Burt McNaughton Co-Publisher Glen Faison Managing Editor

Why the urgency to spend so much money the taxpayer does not have?

It’s because Democrats have lost the House of Representatives. The new Congress, which will take office in

Instead, there should be three pri orities in the halls of Congress. First, the debt ceiling should not be raised. The solution to a maxed-out credit card is not a higher credit limit, but balancing the household budget. Second, this Congress has no mandate for further spending; there is also no need for any new spending in the remainder of this year. Until the new representatives are seated in January, Congress should not authorize any new federal expenditures.

The lame-duck Congress has no right to go on a last-minute shop ping spree for themselves and their special interests this holiday season. Taxpayers already have an unsustain able burden of government debt on their shoulders. The last thing they need is another expensive wish list from liberal politicians to dampen the holiday spirit.

E.J. Antoni is a research fellow for regional economics in The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Data Analysis and a senior fellow at Committee to Unleash Prosperity.

Dan Walters

E.J. Antoni

Kelvin Wade

(707) 427-1386

‘Harry & Meghan’ docuseries reveals release date

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

The “Harry & Meghan” documentary series is right around the corner.

Netflix plans to release the first three episodes Thursday in a six-part project promising to show Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s complicated story like never before, the streaming service announced Monday.

An official trailer out Monday teases the scru tiny Meghan faced after marrying into the British royal family.

“No one knows the full truth,” Harry says in the promo. “We know the full truth.”

The docuseries arrives more than two years after Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stepped down

from their senior royal duties and moved to Southern California.

Last year, the couple detailed the challenges they faced in the United Kingdom during an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.

During that interview, Meghan, who is biracial, said there were con cerns within the palace over “how dark” their first child’s skin would be. Harry later said those conversations didn’t involve Queen Elizabeth or Prince Philip.

Harry says in the new Netflix trailer that he felt “terrified” history would “repeat itself” – an apparent reference to the intense media attention surrounding his mother, Princess Diana, before her death in 1997.

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú

Crime logs

FairField

SATURDAY, DEC. 3 12:16 a.m. — Shots fired, EAST TRAVIS BOULEVARD 12:29 a.m. — Shooting into dwelling, 1600 block of BLOSSOM AVENUE 12:49 a.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, NORTH TEXAS STREET 3:10 a.m. — Trespassing, 2500 block of AUTO MALL PARKWAY 4:06 a.m. — Trespassing, 700 block of WREN COURT 9:07 a.m. — Commercial burglary, 4400 block of CENTRAL WAY 10:08 a.m. — Battery, 1200 block of B. GALE WILSON BOULEVARD 10:08 a.m. Vehicle theft, 200 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 11:06 a.m. — Vandalism, 200 block of DAHLIA STREET 11:07 a.m. Trespassing, 1300 block of EMPIRE STREET 11:38 a.m. — Residential burglary, 1300 block of EMPIRE STREET 2:55 p.m. — Battery, 300 block of EAST TRAVIS BOULEVARD 3:29 p.m. — Reckless driver, CAMROSE AVENUE 4:37 p.m. — Shots fired, 1300 block of CROWLEY LANE 4:52 p.m. — Residential burglary, 1200 block of DANA DRIVE

4:57 p.m. — Drunk and disorderly, 1300 block of HOLIDAY LANE 4:58 p.m. — Forgery, 300 block of BECK AVENUE 6:08 p.m. — Forgery, 500 block of PARADISE COURT 8:44 p.m. — Reckless driver, 1300 block of GATEWAY BOULEVARD 8:55 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 1300 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 11:57 p.m. — Battery, 2900 block of CYPRESS CIRCLE SUNDAY, DEC. 4

2:37 a.m. — Battery, 2100 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 3:02 a.m. — Prowler, 1300 block of NORTHWOOD DRIVE 10:40 a.m. — Trespassing, 1600 block of SUNSET AVENUE 12:46 p.m. — Battery, 1800 block of MINNESOTA STREET 12:55 p.m. — Battery, 500 block of PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE 3:16 p.m. — Grand theft, 1600 block of HOLIDAY LANE 3:18 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 1700 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 3:49 p.m. — Brandishing a weapon, LAKEVIEW CIRCLE 4:06 p.m. — Battery, 1900 block of WINCHESTER PLACE 5:45 p.m. — Forgery, 4900 block of SUMMER GROVE CIRCLE 6:35 p.m. — Vandalism, 3300 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 8:52 p.m. — Fight with a weapon, 1500 block of EMPIRE

STREET 10:09 p.m. — Battery, 300 block of LILY STREET 10:25 p.m. — Shots fired, 1000 block of JEFFERSON STREET MONDAY, DEC. 5 2:32 a.m. — Battery, 1500 block of WEST TEXAS STREET 4:37 a.m. — Commercial burglary, 2200 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 7:29 a.m. — Vehicle burglary, 1600 block of FAIRFIELD AVENUE 7:38 a.m. — Forgery, 200 block of EAST ALASKA AVENUE 7:54 a.m. — Reckless driver, WALTERS ROAD 8:18 a.m. — Vandalism, 1600 block of GATEWAY BOULEVARD 8:23 a.m. — Residential burglary, 1300 block of SONATA DRIVE 8:29 a.m. — Commercial burglary, 2000 block of CADENASSO DRIVE 8:32 a.m. — Vandalism, 5000 block of PEABODY ROAD 8:41 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 1800 block of SANTA MONICA STREET 10:12 a.m. — Forgery, 2000 block of BLUEBIRD WAY 10:25 a.m. — Forgery, 300 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE 1:26 p.m. — Vandalism, 3300 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 1:30 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, CEMENT HILL ROAD 2:20 p.m. — Forgery, 4900 block of SUMMER GROVE CIRCLE 3:46 p.m. — Forgery, LINEAR PARK PATHWAY 3:52 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 1700 block of BLOSSOM AVENUE 4:02 p.m. — Reckless driver, CLAY BANK ROAD 5:20 p.m. — Trespassing, 2300 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 5:52 p.m. — Battery, 1600 block of SAN BRUNO STREET 6:11 p.m. — Hit-and-run with injury, HEATH DRIVE 10:01 p.m. — Vandalism, 1900 block of GRANDE CIRCLE

SuiSun City

SATURDAY, DEC. 3 12:15 a.m. — Shots fired, EAST TABOR AVENUE / RAILROAD AVENUE 15:40 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 600 block of CIVIC CENTER BOULEVARD 9:28 p.m. — Trespassing, SUNSET AVENUE 9:37 p.m. — Robbery, 200 block of TRAVIS COURT

MONDAY, DEC. 5 12:49 a.m. — Trespassing, SUNSET AVENUE 2:59 a.m. — Vandalism, 300 block of KEYES COURT 2:33 p.m. — Fraud, 200 block of RAILROAD AVENUE 5:36 p.m. — Trespassing, 200 block SUNSET AVENUE

who split their ticket in the first round by also voting for Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.

Suisun

From

“What an historic day,” the 11th Assembly Dis trict representative said.

With her election to the Assembly, Wanda Williams’ election to the Solano County Board of Supervisors and the election of Hernandez as mayor, there is a tri umvirate of Suisun City women who represent the city and the county at all three levels of govern ment in the state.

Wilson also paid homage to outgoing Councilwoman Jane Day, believed to be the longest sitting current council member in the state. This is her 30th year in office.

Day was heralded by a number of speakers for helping to change the rep utation of Suisun City as one of the worst places to live to one of the best.

“She literally has transformed the city,” Coun cilman Mike Hudson said.

Day got emotional near the end of her remarks, and admitted she will miss being called councilwoman.

final meeting.

Her husband, Wayne Day, in-person, then read a prepared statement.

“The city still faces many challenges for both new projects and main taining development that is beginning to show wear. I have every confidence that the current adminis tration will do their best to guide us along the correct path,” the state ment said. “I confess, I will miss being an active participant. However, retirement calls.”

Day finished fourth in the election for two seats. Brumfield did not use his time to talk about the issues he thought were important, but rather called on the residents

promised a peaceful tran sition of power – a clear swipe at former President Donald Trump.

Princess Washing ton, who took her oath from Supervisor-elect Williams, and Jenalee Dawson, who was sworn in by District Attorney Krishna Abrams, also took their seats on the dais.

Washington was the top vote-getter in the Nov. 8 election, and received blanket kudos from members of the public because of her work in the community already. One caller said Washington made her look at the community in an entirely different way, and made her want to make a difference.

Dawson, on the other hand, had to wait until the final days of the elec tion to know if she had won. Abrams lauded her passion for seniors, victims and others and told those gathered their choice was a good one.

“She is already working in spaces we want to be in,” Hernan dez said of Dawson.

Williams also said her goodbyes, though she reminded everyone she would just be across town at the county building. She is holding a special oath ceremony Dec. 21.

“This is, for me, bitter sweet,” Williams said.

“I served from my heart, not just my brain. You have to use that, but I served from my heart,” she said.

From Page One

whatever value the county puts on their properties. What he doesn’t like about the system is those com panies do not have to make a good-faith effort to represent a realistic assessment.

Tonnesen points to a Contra Costa County case in which that county assessed the value of a technology company at more than $2 billion, and the company listed the value at the minimum allowed, $1.

Over his 17 years as the assessor-recorder – the first as the acting assessor and four four-year elected terms – Tonnesen said the job really comes down to fairness.

And more than a little of his time, working with the California Assessors Association, for which he was president in 2015, has been fighting back legisla tion and ballot initiatives that tip those scales.

One of the biggest wins for the assessors

was pushing back against Proposition 15 – referred to as the “split tax roll” on commercial property. It would have required reassessing commercial properties every three years at market value, leading to what oppo nents argued would be extensively higher prop erty taxes for businesses.

It would have created a “split-roll tax” by chang ing Proposition 13’s rules for assessing commercial and industrial proper ties while leaving intact the rules for assessing all residential and agri cultural land.

Tonnesen, again, pointed to the issue of fairness as one argu ment against the failed initiative, because of the extra tax burden it would have put on businesses of all sizes.

He said Zook will most certainly be challenged by those same kinds of issues.

Tonnesen was working as an appraiser for the state General Services when he was hired by Skip Thomson as the assistant assessor in 1997. Much of those early years were

spent on reworking the office structure as recom mended by the Board of Equalization as well as a report from a consultant hired by the county.

When Thomson left that post a year early, in December 2005, it left Tonnesen in a position to have to make a big deci sion, and fast.

“I never planned to run for assessor,” said Ton nesen, who said his father had a failed run at the post in the 1970s.

“So I decided to run. It was the quickest deci sion I’ve ever made,” Tonnesen said.

He became the acting assessor when the Board of Supervisors opted not to appoint anyone to the post. By law, he said, the assistant assessor auto matically gets the job as the acting assessor. He then squared off against Pete Sanchez, the vice mayor of Suisun City who worked for Tonnesen in the Assessor’s Office, in the June 2006 election.

Tonnesen knew it was win or leave county employment, and he won.

The Board of Supervi

his summation.

From Page One

for every other statewide Republican candidate, and his win prevented an out right reversal just two years after Democrats swept the U.S. Senate runoffs and helped Joe Biden win the White House.

The $401 million race, which was called by NBC, was the nation’s most expensive. The victory gives Democrats 51 seats in the Senate, meaning they can claim a major ity on committees and exert more influence without having to depend exclusively on Vice Pres ident Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote.

Warnock prevailed with a strategy that mobi lized both reliably liberal Democrats and middle-ofthe-road voters, including many in the latter bloc

The senator staved off Walker’s attempts to turn the race into a referen dum on Biden, whose low approval ratings compli cated his campaign.

Instead, Warnock framed the race as contrast of competence and char acter. Walker’s history of violence, personal baggage and patterns of lies and exaggerations that frus trated even steadfast Republican allies made him unfit for the Senate, Warnock said.

The race was the nation’s most expen sive this election cycle.

As of Nov. 29, the candi dates and outside groups had poured more than $380 million into ads and other spending, accord ing to an analysis from Open Secrets, a campaign finance watchdog group.

lying and cheating, false documents to the end of evading taxes . . . They’ve now been found guilty in a court of law in Manhat tan,” the DA said.

Longtime Trump exec utives Allen Weisselberg and Jeff McConney spent days on the stand, with their testimony compris ing most of the Manhattan district attorney’s case.

The jury was asked to decide whether the Trump Organization’s veteran chief financial officer Weisselberg was acting as a “high mana gerial agent” when he cheated on his taxes over 15 years and that he did so partly on the company’s behalf. He has worked for Trump’s family since 1973 and as Trump’s chief moneyman since 1986.

Weisselberg pleaded guilty in August to con spiring with McConney to hide more than $1 million in untaxed work bene fits – like Mercedes-Benz car leases for him and his wife and private school tuition for his grandkids –from tax authorities. The executives subtracted the costs from Weissel berg’s salary and bonus and drew up falsified employee tax forms.

McConney, a loyal company man who was declared a hostile witness for the prosecution, admit ted to breaking the law when he testified under immunity. Jurors also

heard of how the Trump Organization’s chief operating officer Matt Calamari Sr., benefited in the scheme much the same as Weisselberg – as well as his wife and name sake son. He has not faced criminal charges.

Per his plea deal’s terms, Weisselberg tes tified as the district attorney’s star witness, admitted the fraud and described how it benefited his employer.

The Trump entities stuck to the same defense: Weisselberg did it for Weisselberg.

But Assistant Dis trict Attorney Joshua Steinglass, in his closing argument, described the compensation scam core to the case as beneficial for Trump’s senior exec utives and his company.

Steinglass said the enti ties “cultivated a culture of fraud and deception” by lavishing illicit perks to entice its senior executives to falsify tax documents to mask the actual com pensation they earned and then deliberately conceal the wrongdoing from their accountants.

The ADA said they further scapegoated those accountants for not being vigilant enough to sniff out their wrongdoing. Trump publicly blamed his com pany’s longtime tax preparer, Donald Bender, from Mazars LLP USA, for not catching the fraud.

“It was a win-win, a way to get more money into executive pockets while keeping their own costs as low as possi ble,” Steinglass said in

“It is not that the folks at the Trump Organiza tion didn’t know what they were doing was illegal, it is just they didn’t care.”

Steinglass pushed back on assertions from Trump Organization lawyers that the company’s owner was in the dark about rampant fraud. The judge allowed him to point fingers at the former president in his summation after defense lawyers brought it up first.

“This whole narra tive that Donald Trump was blissfully ignorant is just not real,” said Stein glass in his summation, later adding, “He is not on trial, but that doesn’t mean you should believe the defense’s narrative that Allen Weisselberg and Matthew Calamari went rogue.”

As far as Trump Corp. lawyer Alan Futerfas is concerned, this case is not over.

“We’ll certainly be appealing of course, and a novel and really interest ing issue developed during the trial – obviously, the definition of ‘in behalf of,’ what that means,” Futer fas said. “And we filed a lot of papers, the defense team, about what those words mean . . . The judge recognized there was not a lot of definition on that at all, and certainly that will be one of the arguments that we make, and it was central to the case.”

In a statement Tuesday, the Trump Organization continued to cast the blame solely on Weisselberg.

“Mr. Weisselberg tes

sors then appointed him to fill out the final six months of Thomson’s term, no longer as the acting assessor-recorder, and he started the first of his four terms the next January.

That is when the journey really began, with plenty of ups and downs and challenges, not the least of which was the 2008 Great Recession.

And, of course, there were the elections. Still, he looks back without regrets.

“Like I said, I never planned to do this, but it’s the best job I’ve ever had,” Tonnesen said.

Now he is looking forward to retirement, though he may wander back into the private sector for work as a broker or appraiser since he still holds his licenses for both. He said he has to stay busy.

However, he also wants to spend more time with his family, especially the grandchildren. He also sits on the boards of three nonprofits and will con tinue that volunteer work.

“And I may travel, but I don’t have any destina tions,” Tonnesen said.

tified under oath that he ‘betrayed’ the trust the company had placed in him and that he, at all times, acted ‘solely’ for his ‘own personal gain’ and out of his ‘own personal greed,’” spokes woman Kimberly Benza said. “The notion that a company could be held responsible for an employ ee’s actions, to benefit themselves, on their own personal tax returns is simply preposterous.”

The case stems from a broader probe by Man hattan prosecutors into the former president, launched by DA Bragg’s predecessor Cyrus Vance Jr., in 2019. Trump has not been criminally charged in the case, and while rumors abound, it’s unclear whether he ever will be. Bragg has described the Trump inquiry as “active and ongoing.”

The district attor ney’s office’s Monday announcement that it had hired Matthew Colangelo as Bragg’s new senior counsel added to specu lation that the DA might still pull the trigger on a Trump indictment. The seasoned prosecutor and former acting associate attorney general for the Department of Justice led several Trump cases and investigations.

Colangelo will focus on the DA’s housing, tenant, and labor protection unit and its “sensitive and high-profile white-collar investigations,” accord ing to a press release.

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic photos

Princess Washington, left, and Jenalee Dawson raise their hands while taking the oath as council members of Suisun City at City Hall, Tuesday.

toDD R. H anSen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD —

Topgolf – a popular golf driving game with elec tronically tracked golf balls and scoring – could be coming to the Solano County fairgrounds as part of the proposed Solano360 revisions.

“If you go look where Topgolf (sites) are located, they are near freeways,” said Supervisor Erin Hannigan, noting this pro posal would attract people off Interstate 80.

Topgolf is part of an expanded entertainment retail footprint, adding about 10,000 square feet for a total of 90,000, while removing the pond planned for the northerly area. The rede velopment will still include a water feature.

Removing a traffic roundabout in favor of a town square is being explored, and the design of Main Street through the project will be altered, too.

The Plan 2 revision was presented last week to the Solano360 Imple mentation Committee. The committee affirmed the changes.

“I think it is much more attractive . . . . It makes it much more natural,” Hannigan said of the revi sions. “And there will be a path that goes (nearly) all the way around (the site).”

While the design of where planned housing is located has changed, the number of proposed units remained the same, between 400 and 500.

“The same number of housing units, but they just space them out,” said Hannigan, who added

her support to populating the south end of the Solano360areawith the mixed housing.

The footprint of the county fair area does not change, either.

The north area of the project is “village centric” with the neighborhood retail, entertainment retail and other similar uses planned for the area. The south end is more residential. The two will be connected by what the designers describe as a pedestrianfriendly corridor that is aesthetically attractive with open space, a cycling path and pedestrian fea tures, along with the water element.

Convention center space is being added to the planned hotel,

and a discovery center is being added to the new county library. The proposed field house and annex as well as a transit center are still part of the plan, as is 300,000 square feet of office space. The proposed sound stage area for television and movie production would be reduced from 200,000 square feet to 180,000 square feet under the revisions.

Hannigan also empha sized the county is not looking to sell the prop erty, only lease it. The project is planned to be built out in three phases, the first includ ing most of the retail area, soundstage and multifam ily housing units.

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Leg islation was introduced Monday that would ensure more low-income Califor nians have uninterrupted drinking water access, especially in times of sky rocketing costs.

“Access to water is a funda mental right and we must ensure the tap does not get turned off just because someone falls behind on their bills,” Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, said in a statement. He introduced Senate Bill 3.

“This proposal enhances my previous leg islation by covering people in smaller, rural commu nities who are struggling financially. It will allow them to continue using water for drinking, cooking and necessities such as washing clothes while they get caught up on missed payments,” Dodd said.

Dodd introduced the Water Shutoff Protection Act of 2018 in response

to rising costs. It extends “due process protections” to people at risk of losing access to water because they cannot pay their bill.

“Among other things, it affords those served by water systems of 200 cus tomers or more a 60-day grace period to cover past debt and estab lishes a system for making payments” the statement said.

The bill was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown. Senate Bill 3 would “extend those same protections to more people, reducing the threshold for com pliance to water systems of 15 customers or more.

The change is expected to affect thousands of lowincome families across California and extends an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom that has expired.”

The bill is sponsored by Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability.

Dodd represents the state’s 3rd Senate Dis trict, which includes all of Solano County.

Courtesy illustration

HANNIGAN

Coast Guard offers next boating safety class in Vacaville

VACAVILLE — The U.S. Coast Guard Auxil iary, North Solano Flotilla, will host a full-day boating safety class Saturday at New Beginnings Church.

The course runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. A closed book test will follow.

The fee is $55. Lunch will be served.

To register, call coor dinator Margie Balch at 925-768-1608. The church is located at 5100 Maple Road.

The course covers an introduction to boating, boating law, safety equip

ment, safe boating, navigation, boating prob lems, trailering, storing and protecting your boat, hunting and fishing, water skiing and river boating and meets the require ments to earn the lifetime California Boater Card, the Coast Guard Auxiliary said in a statement. California requires all boat opera tors 50 or younger to take a certified safe boating class and carry the Califor nia Boater Card to operate a motorboat.

That requirement goes into effect Jan. 1. For more information, visit www.cgaux.org.

Welcome to Evelyn’s Big Italian Pizzeria!

Evelyn’s Big Italian Pizzeria features their signature classic Southern Italian fare with a little New York twist and attitude. Founder Piero, was born in Avellino, Naples, the same town in Italy where the Sopranos originated. Piero was raised in the Bronx, N.Y. but, looking to wear shorts all year round, he and his wife moved to sunny California. Once there, they became the original founders of New York Pizza Kitchen in Napa and Fairfield, Parry’s Pizzeria in American Canyon, and Evelyn’s Big Italian here in Fairfield. They hope you make yourselves at home and chow down! Grazie!

The Tropeano Family

. 707.427.6995

Giants land Haniger, still pursuing Judge

SuSan SluSSer SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

SAN DIEGO — As Aaron Judge Watch reached a fever pitch at the Winter Meetings, the San Francisco Giants – who clearly indicated they want to add two outfielders this winter – signed free agent Mitch Haniger to a threeyear, $43.5 million deal on Tuesday evening.

Among the primary details of the deal, Haniger will earn $5 million next season, $17 million in

2024 and can opt out of the deal after the 2024 season. Should he remain, he would earn $15.5 million in 2025. He will receive a $6 milion signing bonus. If traded during the deal, he will get an additional $1 million.

This would also be a homecoming for Haniger, who turns 32 later this month. He's from Moun tain View and played at Archbishop Mitty High School and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

In an injury-checkered

MLB career he began with the Diamondbacks, Haniger has hit 112 home runs, 107 of them with the Mariners, to go with a.261/.335/476 career batting line. In 2021, he hit 39 homers and drove in 100 runs after missing much of the previous two seasons following a rup tured testicle and various surgeries. He also missed much of the 2022 season to injury, missing time to both Covid and a high ankle sprain, limiting him to 57 games. But he was

also a 2018 All-Star, receiv ing MVP votes in both that season and 2021.

Haniger can play center field, but he primarily has played in right. He's a right-handed hitter, like Judge. Should the Giants also sign Judge, Austin Slater might wind up the odd man out in the out field plans.

Judge’s decision awaits

With amateur flight trackers insisting Judge was flying to San Diego

from Tampa on Tuesday, buzz increased at the Winter Meetings that the American League MVP is nearing an agreement to play for the San Fran cisco Giants.

One agent with a client who is close to Judge said he believes that Judge has made his decision and that San Francisco appears to be his destination, while another source said that some Giants personnel are also convinced the team is close to landing the out fielder. But New York

broadcaster Michael Kay tweeted that he'd received a text, presumably from the Yankees, that they are still in play.

Judge's agent, Page Odle, did not return a text Tuesday and Giants president of baseball oper ations Farhan Zaidi said he'd addressed the team's interest in Judge the pre vious day and felt no need to add to that.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone opened his

Manfred says 2023 a ‘crucial year’ for A’s future

By m att K awahara

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

SAN DIEGO — MLB

Commissioner Rob Manfred renewed pres sure on the Oakland Athletics and city of Oakland to resolve the team’s pursuit of a ball park, saying 2023 will be a “crucial year” in deter mining the A’s future.

Vacaville’s Walker continuing to make plays at LB for Falcons

m att mIller MMILLER@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE — Vacaville High School graduate Mykal Walker con tinues to play a steady linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons heading into the bye week, though the overall team results haven’t been overwhelming.

Atlanta lost at home 19-16 Sunday to the Pittsburgh Steelers. That puts the Falcon at 5-8 in the NFL South Division, two games back of firstplace Tampa Bay (6-6).

Walker had a hand in eight tackles against the Steelers, one solo and seven assists. This is the 25-year-old Walker’s third year in the NFL after a standout career at Fresno State and it has been a good one. He has had a hand in 101 total tackles in 13 games

(44 solo, 47 assists) with one sack, six pass deflections, two intercep tions and one forced fumble.

Atlanta and Walker will be back in action Dec. 18 and com plete a stretch drive of games that will include matchups against New Orleans, Baltimore, Arizona and Tampa Bay in pursuit of a playoff berth.

Here’s what other area athletes did at four-year colleges:

Junior center Jake Levengood (Vacaville) was named honorable mention all-conference Tuesday in the Pac 12. Levengood helped lead Oregon State to a solid 9-3 record and a berth in the SRS Distribu tion Las Vegas Bowl, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Dec. 17 against Florida.

Sophomore offensive linemen Taliese Fuaga and Joshua Gray

earned second team honors for the Beavers. Levengood was recently named third team Pac-12 by Pro Football Weekly.

Senior linebacker Armon Bailey (Vanden) keeps going, as do his Sac ramento State Hornets. Sac State earned a 38-31 win Saturday over Richmond in a driving rainstorm at Hornet Stadium as the team improved to 12-0 and advanced to a quarterfinal game Friday night at home against Incarnate Word. Bailey had a hand in four tackles and added one quarterback hurry in the victory.

Men’s basketball Junior forward Landon Seaman

49ers’ surprise: Jimmy Garoppolo’s season may not be over after all

Cam Inman BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

SANTA CLARA —

Jimmy Garoppolo’s frac tured foot reportedly will not require surgery, invit ing a scenario in which he returns to the 49ers during the playoffs, which open Jan. 14-15.

The 49ers initially feared that Garoppolo sustained a Lisfranc (midfoot) fracture in the opening series of Sunday’s 33-17 win over Miami.

Upon further review by foot specialists, Garop polo could return in seven to eight weeks if his reha bilitation goes well, ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported Tuesday. A 49ers spokesman said the

team continues to evalu ate Garoppolo’s status.

Coach Kyle Shanahan indicated Monday that the 49ers received “good

news” that Garoppolo might not have had the Lisfranc fracture, which would result in a much lengthier recovery of pos

sibly six months.

“They were talking about (a Lisfranc frac ture) a lot (Sunday) night, but it seems like that they’re starting to believe that it isn’t, so that is good news,” Shanahan said Monday on his media con ference call. “But it’s not all for sure done yet.

“Some specialists have to finalize it, so we don’t want to give you guys any false informa tion. They’re discussing all those things, but we’re feeling like it’s starting to get better than that, so we’ll see when we get the official information.”

The NFL’s divisional

The A’s and the city of Oakland continue to negotiate on a $12 billion ballpark and develop ment-project proposal. The A’s also have explored Las Vegas as a possible relocation site over the past 18 months.

“We’re past any rea sonable timeline for the situation in Oakland to be resolved,” Manfred said Tuesday in a news conference at MLB’s Winter Meetings.

Hinting at a possible deadline, Manfred noted that in the new collective bargaining agreement, the A’s are being phased back in as revenue-shar ing recipients with the stipulation that the team must have a binding

agreement in place by Jan. 15, 2024, to build a stadium in Oakland or another location.

“There’s kind of a natural trigger there,” Manfred said. “They need to have a deal by then. So this is a very, very important year. If Oakland wants to keep the A’s, they need to figure out a way to get a deal in front of the A’s that’s acceptable to (owner) John Fisher.”

In Oakland, the city and team have not deter mined how to pay for millions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades proposed for the project and have disagreed on the amount of affordable housing included and a non-relocation agree ment for the A’s.

The city is in a tran sition period, with a new mayor and two new council members coming in January. Mayor-elect Sheng Thao will replace outgoing Mayor Libby Schaaf, a longtime sup porter of the project.

Armijo High girls soccer team takes 5th at Inderkum

DaIly r epuBlIC Staff

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The Armijo High School varsity girls soccer team finished fifth out of 12 teams over the weekend at the Inderkum Classic in Sac ramento, missing a berth in the consolation match by just two points.

Goalkeeper Lilliana Fenn made some big saves for the Royals.

Senior Victoria Vera, sophomore Elizabeth Penados and freshman Fabiloa Cisneros all scored goals during the tournament. Armijo also earned the “All-Tour nament Team” award, according to head coach Regina McGee.

The junior varsity team closed out tourna

ment play with a 1-1 draw against Patterson. Fresh man Ambre Bondon scored the goal. Sopho more Hannah Brackfield made some big saves the entire tournament.

Armijo JV boys go unbeaten for 3rd

FAIRFIELD —

Artemio Perez scored nine goals and Isaac Aguirre had seven as the Armijo High School junior varsity boys soccer team finished third over the weekend at the Pittman Cup in Turlock.

Valentin Vera scored five times. Juan Uscanga had two goals. Amber Ghanem and Edwing

Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Jimmy Garoppolo warms up before the 49ers game against the Miami Dolphins in Santa Clara, Sunday.

ALUMNI

Miguel Martinez/ajc.com/TNS

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Mykal Walker of Vacaville tackles Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren during the second quarter Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Steelers won the game 19-16.

CALENDAR

Wednesday’s TV sports

Basketball College Men

• Connecticut vs. Florida, ESPN2, 6 p.m.

College Women

• Iowa State vs. Iowa, ESPN2, 4 p.m.

NBA

• Atlanta vs. N.Y. Knicks, ESPN, 4:30 p.m.

• Sacramento vs. Milwaukee, NBCSCA (Vacaville and Rio Vista), 5 p.m.

• Golden State vs. Utah, NBCSBA (Fairfield and Suisun City), 6 p.m.

• Boston vs. Phoenix, ESPN, 7:05 p.m.

Hockey NHL

• Buffalo vs. Columbus, TNT, 4:30 p.m.

• N.Y. Rangers vs. Vegas, TNT, 7 p.m.

• Vancouver vs. San Jose, NBCSCA, 8 p.m.

Thursday’s TV sports

Basketball College Men

• Rutgers vs. Ohio State, ESPN2, 4 p.m.

• Colorado State vs. Colorado, ESPN2, 6 p.m.

College Women

• Notre Dame vs. Lafayette, NBCSBA, 3 p.m.

Football

NFL

• Las Vegas vs. L.A. Chargers, Amazon Prime (Live Streaming), 5:15 p.m.

Golf

• DP World, Alfred Dunhill Championship, GOLF, 3 a.m.

Volleyball

College Women

• Ohio State vs. Minnesota, ESPN2, 9 a.m.

• Marquette vs. Texas, ESPN2, 11 a.m.

Morocco stuns Spain as World Cup’s surprise quarterfinalist

By K evin Baxter LOS ANGELES TIMES

Morocco’s players stood at attention for the country’s national anthem before Tuesday’s World Cup knockout game against Spain, although more than a few seemed to struggle with the lyrics.

It wasn’t an act of protest, it’s just that the anthem wasn’t entirely theirs because eight of Morocco’s 11 starters were born somewhere other than Morocco. But they will have another four days to learn the song after upsetting Spain on penalty kicks following 120 scoreless minutes, becoming the first African team since 2010 to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.

“When you’re in the thick of it, you really can’t realize what you just achieved,” goal keeper Yassine Bounou said. “We have to stay focused. Maybe in time we will realize what we achieved.”

Here’s a little of what Morocco, the surprise team of this World Cup, has achieved: It has shut out Belgium and Croatia –both top-three finishers in the last World Cup – in the first round to become the first African team this century to win its group. It has gone 390 minutes without allowing its oppo nents to score, the only goal conceded coming on an own goal.

And it capped that off Tuesday by withstanding a relentless assault from a Spanish team that had the ball nearly 80% of the game, took more than twice as many shots and completed more than four times as many passes. Yet the ball never would up in the back of the net, not even in penalty kicks, making Morocco the first African nation to advance in the World Cup on penalties.

“You know when you have a goalkeeper like we have, you have a chance to go through,” said Walid Regragui, Morocco’s French-born coach.

Many players on Morocco’s team are from somewhere else, which is part of its strength. In a World Cup that has been truly global – at least 136 players, nearly one in five, are representing countries they weren’t born in – Morocco is the ultimate united nation with 14 of the 26 players on its roster having been born elsewhere.

Regragui, who took over the team after the sacking of Vahid Halil hodzic in August, pushed the Moroccan federation to open up the national team to anyone who qual ified. The team hasn’t lost a game since.

“For me, I fight for that a lot of times with my country,” he said. “Before this World Cup, we had a lot of problem about the guys born in Europe and the guys born in Morocco.”

On Tuesday, his team beat Spain with a Cana dian-born goalkeeper and successful penalty kicks from players born in the Netherlands and Spain.

“Today, I think it showed to the world every Moroccan is Moroccan with his passport,” said Regragui, who was born to Moroccan parents in Paris. “When he comes to the national team, you want to die, you want to fight. And that is what I want to show. And now, we have one example.

“You have differ ent football. You have some players ... born in Italy, some players from Spain, players from France, Netherlands and Belgium. Every country has a football culture, and you make a milkshake with that.”

Morocco is hardly an outlier. More than a third of Tunisia’s World Cup team was born in France, and five other World Cup teams had rosters that were at least a quarter for eign-born. But Morocco is the only one still playing and it got to the quarter finals with a performance that was more guts than guile, more tenacity than technique.

Scoreboard

BASKETBALL

NBA

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Pct GB Boston 20 5 800 Brooklyn 13 12 520 7 Philadelphia 12 12 500 7½ Toronto 12 12 500 7½ New York 11 13 458 8½ Central Division W L Pct GB Milwaukee 17 6 739 Cleveland 16 9 .640 2 Indiana 13 11 542 4½ Chicago 9 14 391 8 Detroit 7 19 269 11½ Southeast Division W L Pct GB Atlanta 13 11 542 Washington 11 13 458 2 Miami 11 14 440 2½ Charlotte 7 17 292 6 Orlando 5 20 200 8½

WESTERN CONFERENCE Northwest Division W L Pct GB Denver 14 9 609 Portland 13 11 542 1½ Utah 14 12 538 1½ Minnesota 11 12 478 3 Oklahoma City 11 13 458 3½ Pacific Division W L Pct GB Phoenix 16 8 667 SACRAMENTO 13 9 591 2 L.A. Clippers 14 11 560 2½ GOLDEN STATE 13 12 520 3½ L.A. Lakers 10 13 435 5½ Southwest Division W L Pct GB New Orleans 15 8 652 Memphis 15 9 .625 ½ Dallas 12 11 522 3 Houston 7 17 292 8½ San Antonio 6 18 250 9½ Monday’s Games Indiana 112, GOLDEN STATE 104 Dallas 130, Phoenix 111 Memphis 101, Miami 93 Houston 132, Philadelphia 123 Boston 116, Toronto 110 Oklahoma City 121, Atlanta 114 Milwaukee 109, Orlando 102 L.A. Clippers 119, Charlotte 117 Tuesday’s Games Cleveland 116, L.A. Lakers 102 Detroit 116, Miami 96

Dallas at Denver, (N) Wednesday’s Games SACRAMENTO at Milwaukee, 5 p.m. GOLDEN STATE at UTAH, 6 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Orlando, 4 p.m. Charlotte at Brooklyn, 4:30 p.m. Atlanta at N.Y. Knicks, 4:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Toronto, 4:30 p.m. Washington at Chicago, 5 p.m. Oklahoma City at Memphis, 5 p.m. Indiana at Minnesota, 5 p.m. Detroit at New Orleans, 5 p.m. Boston at Phoenix, 7 p.m. Thursday’s Games L.A. Clippers at Miami, 4:30 p.m. Houston at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m. Denver at Portland, 7 p.m.

HOCKEY

NHL

FOOTBALL

NFL

Bay 28, Chicago 19 Detroit 40, Jacksonville 14 Cleveland 27, Houston 14 Minnesota 27, N.Y. Jets 22 Washington 20, N.Y. Giants 20 Philadelphia 35, Tennessee 10 Seattle 27, L.A. Rams 23 Cincinnati 27, Kansas City 24 Las Vegas 27, L.A. Chargers 20 Dallas 54, Indianapolis 19 Monday’s Game Tampa Bay 17, New Orleans 16 Week 14 Thursday’s Game Tampa Bay at SAN FRANCISCO, 1:25 p.m. Las Vegas at L.A. Rams, 5:15 p.m. Sunday’s Games N.Y. Jets at Buffalo, 10 a.m. Cleveland at Cincinnati, 10 a.m. Houston at Dallas, 10 a.m. Minnesota at Detroit, 10 a.m. Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, 10 a.m. Baltimore at Pittsburgh, 10 a.m. Jacksonville at Tennessee, 10 a.m. Kansas City at Denver, 1:05 p.m. Carolina at Seattle, 1:25 p.m. Miami at L.A. Chargers, 5:20 p.m. Monday’s Game New England at Arizona, 5:15 p.m.

NBA opponents taking notice of Sacramento’s ‘Beam Team’

By Jason a nderson THE SACRAMENTO BEE

SACRAMENTO — The Kings aren’t just the talk of the town. They are gaining national notoriety as one of the most surprising teams in the NBA over the first quarter of the season.

Players, coaches and analysts across the country are talking about what’s happening in Sac ramento as the Kings embark on a daunting six-game road trip start ing Wednesday when they face the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.

The Bucks (16-6) are second in the Eastern Conference. The Kings will also visit the Cleve land Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors – all of whom are top-10 teams in the East – before con cluding the trip against the Detroit Pistons.

The Kings (13-9) are fifth in the Western Confer ence under first-year coach Mike Brown. They have won three in a row after beating the Chicago Bulls 110-101 to light the beam Sunday at Golden 1 Center.

“They’re a good team,” Bulls guard DeMar

DeRozan said. “They’ve been playing extremely well this year; playing extremely fast. A lot of their young guys are fig uring it out. They have a veteran All-Star in (Domantas) Sabonis. You have to give them credit. . . . They’re a great team in a great Western Conference, where it’s not easy to win every single night.”

Suns coach Monty Wil liams recently joined the chorus in singing Sac ramento’s praises. The Suns escaped with a 122-117 victory over the Kings on Nov. 28, but Wil liams was impressed with

“Fox has always been one of the best players in the league,” Williams said. “They added a toptier center. Harrison is one of the best forwards in the league. He’s versatile. Then you see the devel opment of some of their younger guys, but Monk and Huerter, I mean, they give you a different look. Those guys can shoot the ball, they can get to the basket, they play off the

dribble, and they’re all tough. This is not an easy place to win. It never has been, but now it’s like you’re looking at a playoff team, in my estimation, just because they have every thing. They can post you up, they can play in pickand-roll, and they have shooters everywhere.”

Suns star Devin Booker agreed with his coach, saying the Kings look like a much-improved team under Brown.

“I think it’s totally dif ferent,” Booker said.

“A whole different style offense, a different coach. Mike knows what he’s doing over there. (Kings assistant coach and offen sive coordinator) Jay Triano over there, I have a lot of respect for him, too. This is a tough matchup for us. We were saying before the game that we know it’s not going to be easy tonight. It was going to be a fight all the way through.”

The Kings are second in scoring (119.6 ppg) and true shooting percent age (.608); third in assist ratio (19.7); fourth in effec tive field-goal percentage (.571) and offensive rating (115.9); and sixth in pace (102.67).

Saucedo Pacheco had one goal apiece.

Armijo earned wins over Edison (3-2), Beyer (10-0), Yuba City (7-1) and El Capitan (5-1). The Royals were edged out of the championship bracket despite going unbeaten because of a points system where other teams had more shutout wins.

Wrestling Vacaville dominates mat in annual Classic

VACAVILLE — The Vacaville High School wrestling team went unbeaten in seven matches Friday and Saturday to win their own Larry Nelson Classic Wrestling Duals at Harold Young blood Gymnasium.

Vacaville defeated Clovis West (48-22), Granada (66-10), Liberty (61-18), McQueen (6014), Exeter (63-12), Redwood (59-9) and Bella Vista (75-6).

Eli Almarinez

(113 pounds), Casey Roberts (132), Isaac Padilla (138), Caleb Borch ers (170) and Thomas Sandoval (182) were named to the all-tour nament team.

Will C. Wood has solid weekend

VACAVILLE — The Will C. Wood High School girls and boys wrestling teams came away from weekend competition with strong finishes at three tournaments.

The Lady Wildcats fin ished second as a team at Casa Roble. They were led by Levi Crabtree (first), Sophia Villoria (second), Djesire Emerson (second), Josie Mays (third), Madison Devalle (third), Casey Fuller (fifth) and Tianna Nguyen (sixth).

The varsity boys went to Tokay and were led by Vaea Salt (second), Jacob Lopez (sixth), Tim Ahn (sixth) and Ismael Villo ria (sixth).

The JV Wildcats were at Vallejo and led by Tevon Restauro (first), Jaden Vang (second), Ben Cabral (third), Andre Sandoval (third) and Bradley BelliBell (fifth).

The Wildcats will return to the mat Satur day for the varsity boys at Castro Valley, JV boys at Pleasanton and girls at San Leandro.

Basketball Wood’s boys team rallies to beat Tokay

VACAVILLE — Isiah Dixon led the Will C. Wood High School boys basket ball team with 21 points and six rebounds in a 62-37 win Thursday at Tokay in Lodi.

Eric Lacy had 10 points and Nigel Rogers added nine. Ryan Sison, Gabe Gonzalez and Josiah Chavey sparked the defense in a comeback victory, Wood head coach Mark Wudel said.

“We got off to a slow start and then corrected some things and went on a run,” Wudel said in an email. “We played defense and rebounded better than we did last game. Our offense still needs some things to work out. But we are getting there.”

Wood trailed 17-8 after the first quarter but out scored Tokay 54-20 the next three periods.

The Wildcats improved to 2-1.

Wood traveled to Rosemont for a game Tuesday night.

College

Solano men break long losing streak

ROCKVILLE — The Solano Community College men’s basketball team was recently able to break a brutal start to its season with an 89-65 win Thurs day over American River.

Solano had started the season 0-7, losing by an average margin of 31 points per game, and giving up more than 100 points in each of the first three games. The Falcons were finally able to take down the Beavers with a strong performance.

Jonathan Cobb led the Falcons with 32 points on 11-of-16 shooting. He also had seven rebounds, two assists and one steal. Ajani Moore had 13 points and seven rebounds. Dwayne Crosse added 11 points and six rebounds.

Solano will try and build on its victory at 6 p.m. Tuesday at home against Folsom Lake.

a team that added Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk to a core that already featured De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes and Sabonis.

Hector Amezcua/Sacramento Bee/TNS Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) prepares to light the beam after the Kings 110-101 victory against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

Investigate all recovery programs to find one that will work for you

Dear Annie: Regard ing the recent letters about Alcoholics Anon ymous and other recovery programs, whatever works best for you is what you should do. With 8 billion people on the face of this earth, and 1 in 10 an alcoholic, we need all the help we can get. The fellow ship of AA and the 12 steps worked for me. I drank alcohol ically for 45 years and couldn’t stop. I tried on my own and couldn’t do it.

I applaud anyone who found a way out from under the obsession. I am grateful to have found AA. That doesn’t mean it’s the only way to get sober, but it does have a decent track record.

With the combination and permutations of the global pop ulation, there are going to be many methodologies that can be applied to the problem. The trick seems to be to “keep coming back.”

I would highly recommend

that anyone who is struggling with addic tion of any sort continue to investigate all the possibilities that are available. A filter to use is, “If the shoe fits, wear it.” What other people think is none of my business, but what keeps me sober is. Just keep coming back.

I went to AA for my drink ing; now I go for my thinking. It does work if you work it. — Recovering

Dear Recovering: Thank you for sharing your story, and congratulations on your sobri ety. They say “keep coming back” at AA meetings because consistency is a key component to habit formation.

You don’t have to be perfect all the time, but if you show up and try to be consistent, that will work with any program of recovery.

Dear Annie: With regards to “Bewildered,” who is inter rupted while speaking, I think her predicament is a product

Horoscopes

ARIES (March 21-April 19).

There’s more to be interested in than is readily apparent in these early stages of learning a place. An environment will reveal itself to you over time. Metaphorically press on walls to find the secret doors.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Anything fresh out of the fire is too hot to touch. You’ll pay attention to the cycle things are in and approach accord ingly. To catch a person or project at the perfect time takes more than luck; it takes careful observation.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21).

Thoughts are magnets that bring realities into being. Your focus is powerful. You may need to articulate your troubles for a limited time to mentally put them behind you and get back to applying your mind to only what you want.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Some people have a personality and some people are a person ality. Today, you’re in the latter category, free to be uniquely yourself. You’ll enjoy complete acceptance, possibly because you give it so generously.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Incu rious people are tiresome, though they can also help you figure out the triggers and enhancements that will make your work appeal to a wider audience. If you can win the incurious, you can win anyone.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Do you have a strategy for grocery shopping? How about for getting along with a dif ficult family member? You’ll

by Holiday Mathis

Today’s birthday

With tenacity and the new resources that open up, you’ll finally get to the financial number that springs a vision alive. You’ll work with your allies to change something that desperately needs reform and affect the destiny of many in the process. You will see peace settle on a place and know that you had something to do with it. Pisces and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 44, 21, 1 and 11.

be lucky today as you apply, hone and share your strategies with the world.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

The passive approach would work if you were on a raft float ing down a river, but instead you are standing on the path that splits into different direc tions. Don’t stress the decision. Follow your instinct and walk.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

Some beliefs are more helpful than true. Is there harm in adopting an improbably opti mistic way of thinking that keeps you calm and on track? You will find that what soothes your mind is also good for your productivity.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). You want to get to the good part, but this reallife story you’re living today is filled with exposition and logis tics. Luckily, the value of the

of our internet era. When I was young, conversation was different than it is today. People actually listened to each other and then took their turn to speak.

Today, it seems that listen ing has become a diminished quality and projecting one’s opinion trumps courtesy.

However, “Bewildered” just needs to kindly take the time to make her conversational point. Look the interrupter in the eye, smile and finish your thought. You will be heard. Thank you for your great column. — Lis tening with Kindness

Dear Listening with Kind ness: Kindness is key. It is true that we are more distracted by technology and our depen dence on it. I believe it is more important than ever to set aside an hour or so of “technol ogy-free” time. Get into nature and unplug. And thank you for your insights.

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

entire adventure is not dimin ished by what you have to do to pull it off.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). You’ll rearrange your domestic scene to make it more comfortable and livable. This could have to do with better lighting, different furniture placement or a plan to invite your favorite people around more often.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). Your awareness of energy and how it flows through people and environ ments will be helpful today. You’ll be attuned to subtle cues and body language. You’ll correctly assess what others are thinking.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’re all heart. Feeling so acutely is a gift that sometimes feels like a curse, but move through whatever emotions come. They will richly inform your moments. Ultimately, it’s a blessing to be so vividly alive.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Heralded as a strong comeback album, “Amidst the Chaos: Live from the Hollywood Bowl” is the latest release from artist Sara Bareilles. Her work has now lived in several mediums, including books, a Broadway musical and a television series. The Grammy winner was born when the moon was in Leo, the sign of entertainment. Natal Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in Virgo indicate a hard worker who strives for perfection.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Bridge

by Phillip Alder

spades after West leads the diamond queen?

Following North’s game-invitational raise, South expressed slam interest with a four-club control-bid. North, with two aces, control-bid in return. South needed no further encouragement. (Real bridge players don’t need Blackwood!)

This is a contract that an expert would make “in his sleep,” while a less-experienced player would go down without even realizing what he had done wrong.

The average player leads a trump off the board at trick two and groans when East shows out. With the heart finesse failing, the slam can no longer be made.

BE STUDIOUS, BE VICTORIOUS

It is said that the cautious seldom err. This is certainly true at the bridge table. Those who think things over carefully at trick one will usually do much better than those who just plunge in without proper perception and preparation.

This deal would trip up many players. How should South play in six

Sudoku

To allow for this unfriendly distribution, an expert ruffs a diamond at trick two. Then, after cashing the spade ace and king, he plays a heart to the ace, ruffs another diamond, cashes his top clubs and leads his last club. If West ruffs in, South pitches a heart from the board and soon ruffs his heart jack. So West discards a heart (or his last diamond). Declarer ruffs on the board and trumps the final diamond.

If West can overruff, he must lead away from the heart queen into declarer’s king-jack tenace. If West instead follows suit, he is endplayed with a trump, again having to play away from the heart queen.

by Wayne Gould

BE STUDIOUS, BE VICTORIOUS

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9, with no repeats. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

It is said that the cautious seldom err. This is certainly true at the bridge table. Those who think things over carefully at trick one will usually do much better than those who just plunge in without proper perception

Word Sleuth

Annie Lane Dear Annie

Amanda Rollins (Kelly Giddish) investigates some of New York City’s most heinous crimes in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

Kirstie Alley’s TV family from “Cheers” and her real-life family are raising their glasses to the late actor.

Alley, who died of cancer at age 71, costarred alongside Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer and Rhea Perlman, who each fondly remembered her and her breakout role as bar manager Rebecca Howe in NBC’s 1980s and ’90s sitcom. She won Emmy and Golden Globe awards for the part, which came along in 1987 during the series’ sixth season after Shelley Long left the longrunning sitcom. Alley’s ex-husband, “The Hardy Boys” and “Melrose Place” actor Parker Ste venson, also saluted her.

“I was on a plane today and did something I rarely do,” Danson, 74, said Tuesday in a state ment provided to the Los Angeles Times. “I watched an old episode of ‘Cheers.’ It was the episode where Tom Berenger proposes to Kirstie, who keeps saying no, even though she des perately wants to say yes. Kirstie was truly brilliant in it. Her ability to play a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown was both moving and hyster ically funny.”

The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “The Good Place” actor famously played bar tender Sam Malone at the Boston bar where every body knows your name and he comprised one half of the classic TV couple Sam and Diane (Long).

Danson added that Alley “made me laugh 30 years ago when she shot that scene, and she made me laugh today just as hard.”

“As I got off the plane, I heard that Kirstie had died. I am so sad and so grateful for all the times she made me laugh. I send my love to her chil dren. As they well know, their mother had a heart of gold. I will miss her.”

Grammer, 67, who played Frasier Crane in the comedy before starring in its spinoff “Frasier,” told Deadline: “I always believed grief for a public figure is a

private matter, but I will say I loved her.”

Perlman, 74, who memorably embodied sharp-tongued waitress Carla Tortelli, remem bered Alley as “a unique and wonderful person and friend.”

“Her joy of being was boundless,” Perlman said in a statement pro vided to the L.A. Times on Tuesday. “We became friends almost instantly when she joined the cast of Cheers.”

Perlman, a four-time Emmy Award winner who shares three chil dren with husband Danny DeVito, added: “She loved kids and my kids loved her too. We had sleepovers at her house, with treasure hunts that she created. She had massive Halloween and Easter parties and invited the entire crew of the show and their families. She wanted everyone to feel included. She loved her children deeply. I’ve never met anyone remotely like her. I feel so thankful to have known her. I’m going to miss her very, very much.”

Alley was married to Stevenson from 1983 to 1997. During their mar riage, the couple adopted two children, True and Lillie Parker, who announced their mother’s death Monday on Alley’s Twitter account. They said that she died from cancer that was “only recently discovered.”

Shortly after their children posted their statement, Steven son shared his tribute on Instagram.

“Dear Kirstie,” the TV director wrote, sharing an old photo of them, “I am so grateful for our years together, and for the two incredibly beautiful children and now grand children that we have. You will be missed. With love, Parker.”

Before “Cheers,” Alley acted in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” then later starred along side John Travolta in the hit “Look Who’s Talking” film franchise. Travolta paid tribute to his late co-star, saying, “Kirstie was one of the most special relation ships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie.”

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Kutcher twins reveal the ‘jealousy’ that almost took them down

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Ashton Kutcher’s fame almost changed everything between him and his brother, Michael. It wasn’t until the twins faced the elephants in the room – sep aration and jealousy – that they came back together as they had been when they were younger.

It started when Ashton moved from Iowa to New York to pursue a career as a model and actor.

“That’s a part of being a twin,” Michael Kutcher said on “The Checkup With Dr. David Agus,” a new six-part docuseries that looks at the health struggles of famous people. “Until he went out to New York, when we were in our 20s, I always felt like we were one. I wrote him a letter and I was like, ‘I feel like a piece of me just went away.’ So I really struggled for a lot of my early adulthood, trying to figure out who Michael was.”

Michael Kutcher was born with cerebral palsy and is now a spokesman for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. But when the twins were younger, he wasn’t as comfortable with his disabil ity as he is today.

“There was a moment in all of this when I moved to New York and was starting to get some traction with my career,” Ashton said, “and Mike came out to stay with me and he looked at me and he said, ‘Every time you feel sorry for me, you make me less. This is the only life I’ve ever known, so stop feeling sorry for the only thing I have.’”

That helped Ashton shift back into the relationship the brothers had when they were younger. But things were a bit more complicated for Michael, who admitted he was jealous of Ashton.

“There was a moment where I viewed him as receiving more attention than I was and that kind of drove me down to a place where I was jealous,” Michael said. “Here we are, just one and two for so many years, and he goes off to do immense things, become a household name, and

it really affected me in terms of my own self-worth.”

But when the men talked, Michael realized that his brother was still his brother, not the famous name he had begun to hear.

“We both kind of came head to head with our differences and it was through a conversation where we were like, why aren’t

was just an a– for a while.”

But now the brothers support each other, with a history of medical problems behind them. Separate from his CP, Michael contracted viral myocarditis, which enlarged his heart and meant he needed a transplant as soon as possible. Ashton, 13 at the time, stood on a hospi tal balcony thinking about Michael’s needs and imagined jumping off – all so his brother could get his heart, which he was sure would be a match.

we as close as we used to be?,” Ashton said. “Because it’s easy when you’ve sort of pent up this jealousy or anger or frustration or pity or all of these variable things – they all become walls between people.”

Ashton admitted being a jerk at the time, even as he was trying to help his brother out financially by offering to pay his college loans. He says he still is a jerk, as a matter of fact, just not as much. But he said he figured that if he was making “all this money,” it just meant “we” –the twins – were doing well. It never occurred to him that what he saw as generosity could be perceived as a handout by the person it was aimed toward.

Happily, the brothers worked it out. “The world may view him differently, but I know him,” Michael said. “He’s still my brother and he hasn’t changed and he never will change. Once I took all of the fame and every thing out of it, I was able to just come back to him.”

Ashton explained the effect fame had on him early in his career. It wasn’t good.

“When I first started to expe rience success on a very large level, it goes to your head,” he said. “I was an a–. It’s so easy to believe the good things that people are saying about you and start to onboard that as who you are as a person. And frankly, [I]

Michael wound up matching with a donor heart from a woman they never met. A while later, he needed open-heart surgery to remove a clot from the new heart, an operation Ashton “knew” would work out fine, even if Michael was scared that it wouldn’t.

Then a few years ago, Ashton was hit with a rare autoim mune condition that robbed him of his vision, hearing and equilibrium. He couldn’t walk properly, and it took him about a year to build himself back up again. He revealed the extent of his illness this summer on an episode of “Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge.”

But on “The Checkup,” Ashton said he “unequivocally” has a different outlook because of his family’s struggles.

“I have an appreciation for life. I have an empathy for people that are in the midst of a struggle that is entirely dif ferent,” Ashton said. “And I have sense of when someone else is feeling joy, you can feel their joy.”

“The Checkup With Dr. David Agus” is streaming on Paramount+. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, Nick Cannon, Oprah Winfrey and Maria Shriver, Howie Mandel, and Amy Schumer will also be inter viewed by the doctor as part of the series, which is also avail able through Prime Video.

THE LOW CARDS CARRY THE DAY

Jean de la Bruyere wrote, “Even the best-intentioned of great men need a few scoundrels around them.” In today’s deal, the declarer had many great men – honors – but he fell to defeat because he didn’t make the best use of his scoundrels – the spot cards.

South picked up a gorgeous hand.

Sudoku

THE LOW CARDS CARRY THE DAY

Jean de la Bruyere wrote, “Even the best-intentioned of great men need a few scoundrels around them.” In today’s deal, the declarer had many great men – honors – but he fell to defeat because he didn’t make the best

by Phillip Alder

North telephoned me to ask for advice, knowing I am the world’s No. 1 authority on Yarboroughs.

South opened with an artificial two clubs and rebid three clubs to show his suit. North wanted to pass, but I told him I had done that once and missed a laydown five clubs. North heeded my advice. Now South showed his second suit. Again North wanted to pass, but I insisted that he give preference. South passed, somehow having gathered that North held a very weak hand.

West led the heart king. Declarer ruffed, drew trumps and continued with the spade ace and another spade. East won with the jack and returned a heart. South ruffed and played his other low spade. West cashed two tricks in the suit to defeat the contract.

“I had 25 points and only two losers. How could I have gone down?” lamented South.

North didn’t need me at this point. “You overlooked the power of the spade eight and nine,” he explained. “If the spades are breaking 3-3, all plays work, so assume they are 4-2. Then you need an honor to be doubleton. Your play works if someone has king-doubleton. However, if you follow the spade ace with the spade queen, you win against 10-doubleton and jack-doubleton, which is twice as likely.”

UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

2022,

COPYRIGHT:

by Wayne Gould

Bridge

Adam Bettcher/Getty Images for Starkey Hearing Foundation/TNS file (2013)

Michael Kutcher, left, and brother Ashton Kutcher walk the red carpet before the 2013 Starkey Hearing Foundation’s “So the World May Hear” Awards Gala in St. Paul, Minnesota, July 28, 2013.

‘There was a moment where I viewed him as receiving more attention than I was and that kind of drove me down to a place where I was jealous.’

— Michael Kutcher

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(Will C. Wood) stepped up big time last week for Menlo. Seaman had 38 points, nine rebounds, one blocked shot and two assists in an 87-65 win over Life Pacific. He followed it up with 27 points, six rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal in a 72-61 win over Vanguard.

Senior guard Jordan Adams (Vacaville, Solano) faced the same oppo nents as Seaman but did so for William Jessup. Adams scored six points and had four rebounds in a 75-58 win over Van guard and added nine points, three rebounds, one steal and one blocked shot in a 100-95 win over Life Pacific.

Senior guard Braxton Adderly (Rodriguez, Napa Valley) helped Cal Mari time to a 75-69 win over Saint Katherine with four rebounds. Adderly also had 10 points and five rebounds in a 61-59 win over Westcliff.

Junior guard Ricky Hamilton-Holland (Will C. Wood) played the same foes as Adderly but for Pacific Union College. He had six rebounds and two assists in a 99-92 win over Westcliff, and added 10 points and one rebound in a 93-62 win over Saint Katherine.

Sophomore guard Teiano Hardee (Vanden) saw action but did not score for Sacramento State in a 75-62 win over Santa Clara.

Senior forward Jay Nagle (Will C. Wood) took the court in two games for Idaho State. Nagle had two points, five rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot in a 75-65 win over Kansas City. He added two rebounds in a 69-59 win over Southern Utah.

Sophomore guard Jer emiah Jones (Salesian, Vacaville native) scored three points to go with one rebound and one assist for Stanislaus State in a 73-69 win over Cal State Los Angeles.

Senior guard Dunnell Stafford (Solano) played for Fort Lewis in an 89-81 win over Adams State. Stafford contrib uted a rebound.

Women’s basketball

Junior guard Ashmeen Sran (St. Patrick-St. Vincent, Solano) and sophomore forward Joia Armstrong (Vanden) played in two games apiece for Stanislaus State.

Sran played five minutes and Armstrong pulled down four rebounds in 15 minutes in a 70-59 loss to Cal State San Marcos.

Armstrong had 10 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Sran added two points and one rebound in an 89-68 loss to Cal State Los Angeles.

Junior forward Milia Gibson (Rodriguez) scored two points and pulled down four rebounds for Mis sissippi Valley State in a 109-42 loss to Utah.

Senior guard Myli Mar tinez (Vanden) scored 15 points and added five assists for Chico State in a 74-70 win over Cal State Los Angeles, and added five points and one rebound in a 54-41 loss to Cal State San Marcos.

Freshman guard Jiana Creswell (Vanden) saw action but did not score in the San Marcos game.

Senior forward Taimane Lesa-Hardee (Salesian, Fairfield native) contributed for San Fran cisco State in two games. She had seven points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 66-56 loss to Cal State San Bernardino and three points, three rebounds, six assists and four steals in a 62-48 loss to Cal Poly Pomona.

Freshman guard Kiki Roberts helped Eastern New Mexico to a pair of wins last week. She had five points, two steals and two rebounds in a 76-56 win over St. Edwards and two points and two rebounds in a 72-65 win over Saint Mary’s of San Antonio, Texas.

Freshman guard Camryn Washington (Rodriguez) saw action in a 56-51 win by Cal State East Bay over Sonoma State.

Wrestling

Freshman Ethan Birch (Vacaville) went 3-1 with two pins to take second place for the No. 1 team in the nation at Division II, St. Cloud State, at the Dragon Open in Moorhead, Min nesota, over the weekend.

open space.

Manfred said Tuesday he has yet to speak with Thao but expects “in the near future” that he will.

“It is my understanding that she’s been supportive of the project,” Manfred said of Thao. “So I find that to be encouraging. It is important and a challenge for a new mayor coming in that 2023 is a crucial year for the future of the A’s. And I will reach out to make sure that she under stands where we are from a timing perspective.”

Thao’s office did not immediately respond to request for comment Tuesday. An A’s spokes person said the team did “not have anything to add at this time.”

Thao and council mem ber-elects Kevin Jenkins and Janani Ramachandran have expressed support for the proposed ballpark project but said they are waiting to see details of a financial plan to ensure that it won’t place a burden on Oakland taxpayers.

If the city and A’s can finalize a development agreement, the council for mally would vote on the project, which includes a $1 billion, privately financed 35,000-seat ball park at Howard Terminal. The initial proposal also included 3,000 residen tial units, up to 1.5 million square feet of commercial space, up to 270,000 square feet for retail, an indoor performance center, hotel rooms and public

Asked if the A’s might consider paying more of the infrastructure costs to advance the project, Manfred said: “I can’t speak for John (Fisher) on increasing contribu tion. I do think, even in a business where we do talk about billions, an owner with a $1 billion commit ment, that’s a pretty big commitment.”

If the A’s were to move to Las Vegas, Manfred con firmed Tuesday that he would waive the team’s relocation fee and has authority on that decision. Though the exact value is unclear, a relocation fee could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

“I’ve been to the exec utive council on this issue already, that’s why I was prepared to say it pub licly,” Manfred said. “If (the A’s) can get it done in Vegas, there will not be a relocation fee for them.”

The A’s current lease at the Oakland Coli seum expires after the 2024 season, leaving unclear where the team would play home games in the interim while a stadium, ostensibly, is being built.

Asked if MLB has con sidered alternate home sites for the A’s after 2024, Manfred said: “It’s really hard to think about alter nate options until we figure out where they’re going to be over the long haul. Your interim option should be related to where they’re going over the long haul.”

In news on the field, the A’s will have the No. 6 pick in next June’s Amateur Baseball Draft.

49ers

From Page B1

round of the playoffs will be seven weeks to the day after Garoppolo’s injury.

The 49ers did not immediately respond to a request for comment or clarification Tuesday.

Rookie quarter back Brock Purdy, who replaced Garoppolo on Sunday, remains in line to start for the first-place 49ers in their push to make their third postsea son in four years. Next up is a Sunday home game between the Niners (8-4) and the Tampa Bay Buc caneers (6-6).

Garoppolo has not commented publicly on his injury. He left Levi’s Stadium in the second half of the 49ers’ fifth straight win, after seeing team mates at halftime, in what Nick Bosa termed an emo tional moment.

Garoppolo returned to the 49ers’ facility on Monday and attended the team meeting in good spirits, Shanahan said.

The 49ers have not placed Garoppolo on injured reserve, and if they do, he’d miss a minimum of four games, which is expected anyhow but the team has only two spots left to activate players

Giants

From Page B1

interview session Tuesday by saying, "I know nothing, I really don't," and asked if New York would like the last crack at an agreement with Judge if things are coming down to the wire, he paused, shrugged and said, "Sure."

If nothing else, Tuesday was the first time in several weeks that the Giants were consid ered the front-runners for Judge — as the Winter Meetings opened at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, there was strong belief among major-league exec utives that Judge would return to New York.

Manaea a possiblity

The Giants appear to be willing to go well over the $360 million mark for Judge, and the team con

off IR. Quarterback Trey Lance will remain on it this season because of his Week 2 ankle fracture, at least that is what Shana han and general manager John Lynch maintain.

Garoppolo, prior to getting sacked and injured on his eighth play Sunday, was playing the most efficient football of his career. He’s gone 141 consecutive passes without an interception, a stretch that began after halftime of the 49ers’ last loss ( Oct. 23 against Kansas City). He’s com pleted 88-of-123 passes (71.5 percent) for 980 yards and five touchdowns in the four wins that pre ceded Sunday’s victory over Miami.

Garoppolo, 31, is slated to become a free agent next spring, having reworked his contract before this season to take a pay cut and insert notrade, no-tag clauses.

As for Garoppolo’s comeback history, he’s shown a propensity to overcome health issues, especially in last sea son’s playoff run, when he dealt with torn ligaments in his right thumb as well as a right-shoulder injury that required surgery in March. Earlier last season, Garoppolo sustained a calf injury in Week 4 that prompted Lance’s first start the ensuing week at

Arizona; Garoppolo sat out a December home win over Houston the week after hurting his thumb at Tennessee.

Garoppolo obvi ously could not return in 2018 after tearing the anterior cruciate liga ment in his left knee in a Week 3 loss at Kansas City. Although high-ankle sprains limited him to 10 games in 2020, Garop polo resumed practicing the final weeks of that season, when the 49ers were embedded in Glen dale, Arizona, because of Santa Clara Coun ty’s COVID-19 protocol banning football during the pandemic.

Journeyman Josh Johnson was officially signed Tuesday to back up Purdy, who will make his first career start Sunday against Tom Brady, who’ll be making his 331st start, not including his 47 playoff starts and 10 Super Bowl appear ances (seven rings).

In other NFL quar terback news, Baker Mayfield was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams, a day after the Carolina Panthers released him. The Rams were fourth in the claim ing order; the 49ers were 24th and it’s unknown if they tried to acquire Mayfield, who Shanahan complimented Monday

but said he’d be surprised if they acquired him.

Johnson played with the Jets and Ravens last season, appearing in four games and com pleting 57-of-87 pass attempts for 638 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. He signed with the Broncos in the offseason and joined their practice squad in August.

The 36-year-old Oakland native was previ ously signed by the 49ers in 2012, 2014 and 202021, though he has never played a regular-season snap for the Niners.

Armstead again 49ers’ Man of the Year

For the third straight season, defensive lineman Arik Armstead is the 49ers’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year.

Armstead, who returned Sunday from foot and ankle inju ries that kept him out two months, has focused his off-field efforts on education through his foundation, the Armstead Academic Project.

The 49ers surprised Armstead by having a child read off the announcement during the defensive lineman’s visit to the Hubbard Media Arts Academy in San Jose.

also had visits from other free agents. Short stop Carlos Correa, who is another major target, was not among them, nor was outfielder Brandon Nimmo, but the Giants have had face-to-face meetings about both with agent Scott Boras while in San Diego.

tinues to pursue many other players, includ ing former A's starter Sean Manaea.

According to a source, Manaea, a left-hander, is among the options San Francisco is considering to fill out the rotation, with Carlos Rodón also still on the radar but potentially out of the team's price range for that slot. Rodón is seeking as many as six

years on a deal that will be well north of $100 million.

The Giants have shown an expertise in identify ing mid-market starters who are prime candidates for major boucebacks, and Manaea could fit that bill nicely.

The Giants entertained Judge at Oracle Park recently, and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said they've

Signing both Judge and Correa would be mind-boggling, with the two likely to combine for $600 million or so in con tract commitments, but Boras suggested that the Giants could afford more than one top free agent Tuesday. When asked about the team's ability to do so, he used one of his trademark folksy quips and said, "The Golden Gate is Farhan and wide" and later said that the Giants have "spread their wings, they're really trying to approach premium players, premium pitch ers on many levels."

Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune file padres starting pitcher sean Manaea points to the dugout after getting through the fifth inning against the Giants at petco park in san Diego during an october game.