Daily Republic: Friday, December 9, 2022

options in a world without

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE — Dan Child was sitting on his bunk at the Navy Academy Preparatory School in Norfolk, Virginia, reading the comics page of The Washington Post, when someone ran in and yelled, “Pearl Harbor has been attacked!”

It was not until some time later that Child learned that his former ship, the USS Okla

homa, had been sunk in the attack.

“I had a lot of friends on the Oklahoma,” Child, 100, said of his first thoughts that day. He had left the ship in March.

Child cut the ribbon on the Pearl Harbor display Wednesday night at the remembrance of the 81st anniversary of the “Day of Infamy,” at the Avia tion & Military Museum at the Nut Tree Airport.

A flag that was part of

the display flew over the Oklahoma. An artifact from the USS Arizona also was on display.

The death toll was 2,335 military per sonnel – 355 on the Oklahoma – and 68 civil ians. Nineteen ships were damaged or lost.

One of the men who survived the attack was George Murphy, Child’s best friend on the ship.

Murphy had been part of a repair party when

who had been convicted and imprisoned in the United States.

Griner, 32, was exchanged in a trade for Viktor Bout, according to a statement from Rus sia’s foreign ministry and senior Biden administra

tion officials. The president didn’t mention Bout, known as the “merchant of death,” in his remarks, and acknowledged that his administration has so far failed to achieve the release of another Amer ican the U.S. considers

the attack hit, blowing him and a number of others back into a room quickly filling up with water. Those thin enough, including Murphy, were able to dive down and squeeze out a porthole. The others perished.

“And he lived many more years and became the editor of the Merced Junction,” Child said of his friend.

Timm: Civil Air Patrol 1st step into long career in public service

Editor’s note: Chuck Timm 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 THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Chuck Timm, an avid golfer, just wanted to be on the city’s Golf Advisory Committee, but the City Council never favored him for selection.

So he decided to run for council, and won. That was 2007, three years after he retired from the Police Department.

He also lost an election between his first term and his return for an eight-

year run. Add 30 years on the Fairfield police force, 28 as an officer, and Timm, on Dec. 20, is completing more than 40 years of public service to the city.

Timm said he won’t close the door to other opportunities, but he is not looking for any. He even went out and got a new passport in case life’s journey takes him to foreign lands.

His first venture into public service actually started with the searchand-rescue missions he was part of with the Civil Air Patrol at Travis Air Force Base.

In fact, for a young man who had no real sense of community

unjustly imprisoned in Russia, former Marine Paul Whelan.

“She’s safe, she’s on a plane,” Biden said Thurs day at the White House, referring to Griner. “She’s on her way home after months of being unjustly

detained in Russia, held under intolerable circum stances. Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones.”

Tensions between the U.S. and Russia are at their highest since the Cold War over Russia’s inva

sion of Ukraine and U.S. support for Kyiv, compli cating efforts to secure Griner’s release. While celebrated by many Dem ocrats, the deal for Griner drew criticism from some

TRibune ConTenT agenCy

President Joe Biden announced that WNBA star Brittney Griner had been released from deten tion in Russia, celebrating her one-to-one swap for a notorious arms dealer

Suisun Valley retail uses going back to ag community for clarification A3 Giants have a number of

Pearl Harbor exhibit at the Rowland Freedom Center, at the Vacaville Nut Tree Airport, Wednesday.

Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic

Chuck Timm discusses his more than 40 years of public service, including 30 on the police force and 12 on the Fairfield City Council, Dec. 2.

Sem Yeto High School through the years

The concept: Accord ing to the California Department of Education website, continuation education, an educational option for students since 1919, is a high school diploma program designed to meet the needs of students ages 16 and older who have not graduated from high school, are not exempt from compulsory school attendance and deemed at risk of not completing their schooling. Students enrolled in continuation education pro grams are often credit-deficient or in need of a flexible schedule due to employment, family obligations and/or other critical needs.

The discussion around having continuation high schools began in June 1967 in Solano County at a presenta tion on the topic for members of the Travis School District, Armijo Joint Union High School District and others (the Fair field-Suisun School District formed the next year). The first continuation high school in Fairfield was Sem Yeto, which was the birth name of the Suisun Indian leader later called Chief Solano.

Rae Lanpheir, later a prin cipal at Mary Bird and Armijo High School, had his first teaching job in 1970 at Sem Yeto when it was located in West Texas Street Park (later renamed Allan Witt Park). He taught the industrial arts program and in addition to English and mathematics and other staples, remembers the school offering an auto mechan ics course, electronics, food service, arts and crafts and photography, among other disciplines.

“I also started a Sem Yeto softball team and we joined the city league and won the

city championship,” Lanpheir said.

The physical plant: The location of Sem Yeto has changed numerous times. After Allan Witt Park, it moved to a site on Del aware Street that had been used for local educational facilities numerous times. First it was where Fairfield Grammar School (not to be confused with Fairfield Elementary School on Clay Street that in 1972 became the Armijo High School Annex) was located. It later became the site for Mark G. Woods Ele mentary School. Then it was used for the Fairfield-Suisun School District office and then for Sem Yeto.

When Dover Middle School, located at 301 E. Alaska Ave., closed in 2009, Sem Yeto later moved to its spacious campus. A Sem Yeto satel lite campus was launched in 2013 at Armijo High School, which was only for Armijo stu dents. Sem Yeto packed its bags yet again in 2015 and moved across Air Base Parkway to form a satellite school at Fair field High School. The old Sem Yeto buildings downtown were razed in 2016.

While in name the Fairfield High site is considered the main Sem Yeto campus, it is identi cal in format to the Armijo site. Essentially, then, they are two satellites with the planets they revolve around being the com prehensive school campuses upon which they are located. Each site serves approximately 175 students.

The idea of having a con tinuation school on the same campus as the regular or comprehensive schools is not a new one.

“The success of Mary Bird and Sem Yeto is what caused the comprehensive schools to

Visit Vacaville accepts letters for Santa Claus

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE — Visit

Vacaville is accepting letters to Santa at its Nut Tree Plaza Visitors Center.

“Santa has been stop ping by the Visitors Center for years,” Melyssa Reeves, Visit Vacaville presi dent and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “Before he delivers pres ents, he pops in for a new map of the city and the upcoming year’s Inspira tion Guide filled with ideas for a return trip when he

CORRECTION POLICY

gets some time off. Natu rally, it made sense for us to collect his letters.”

To post a letter to Santa through Visit Vacav ille, stop by the center at 1671 E. Monte Vista Ave., Suite N-110, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or mail the letter to that address. The red, white and green North Pole Express Mail letter box is located in the lobby at reception.

Visit Vacaville will accept letters through Dec. 22.

It is the Daily Republic’s policy to correct errors in reporting. If you notice an error, please call the Daily Republic at 425-4646 during business hours week days and ask to speak to the editor in charge of the section where the error occurred. Corrections will be printed here.

start doing schools within their schools,” Lanpheir said. “At Armijo we started the Ad Astra program and for five years in a row, 100% of the kids in the program graduated. The full Latin phrase ‘Per Aspera Ad Astra’ translates roughly as, ‘To the stars through the mud.’ ”

The image, the stigma and the culture: Over the decades of its existence, Sem Yeto has helped countless young people succeed academically, but the elephant in the room is that there still exists a stigma about it and continuation schools in general.

“When the continuation schools first started, they also served as a daytime release program for the juvenile hall. Before that the kids locked in there for committing crimes were just serving time and not getting any education. Their probation officers would stay at the school while the kids were there then take them back,” Lanpheir said, explain ing a likely origin of the stigma that persists.

According to a 1975 Daily Republic article, Sem Yeto was seen by some in the commu nity as basically an accredited detention hall for hell-rais ing dropouts from “real” high schools. But there is evidence in the historical record that those viewing it from the outside may have missed the culture the school developed and nur tured inside.

The article said that at Sem Yeto, students called teach ers by their first names and the staff and students often joked with each other. For example, they regularly kidded then-Sem Yeto principal and former Fair field mayor Shirley Smith about his rapidly receding hairline.

The 1984 Sem Yeto year book, “Kaleidoscope,” featured items that the much larger com prehensive high schools almost

never have in theirs: an arts and letters section that highlighted some of the students’ short stories and poetry.

In the 1975 article, Smith commented on a common mis conception about the school.

“We really don’t take stu dents primarily because they have disciplinary problems. Our students are kids who, for a variety of reasons, can’t func tion in a traditional high school. They may be working part-time, married or simply academically behind their classmates.”

Current Sem Yeto Princi pal James Hightower has held the top job for six years and is passionate about the cama raderie-driven culture he and his team have cultivated. The most recent example is that the school will unveil a new mascot next week.

“The program has changed dramatically in terms of the curriculum. It is more rigorous and mirrors that of the compre hensive sites. We have done a lot to change how people per ceive us, but some people hear ‘alternative’ and they think

that’s where the bad kids go and that is not us at all,” Hightower said. “We don’t have fights here and it is a close-knit family. We have a positive student environ ment and culture. Our goal is to get students to get their credits up and go back to the com prehensive schools, but once they come here, the majority want to stay.”

“It was always a miscon ception that kids that went to those schools were bad kids,” Lanpheir said. “I had a lot of experience with them as I spent about 15 years in alternative learning programs. In my time there, what I discovered is they were students who just wouldn’t fit under a traditional desk.”

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

Children’s theater program hosts Christmas scavenger hunt

VACAVILLE — Starbound Theatre, a local children’s theater program, is hosting a city wide Holiday Adventure Scavenger Hunt in the city until Dec. 18.

Participating teams will navigate a series of fun, interactive tasks located at Vacaville busi nesses for chances to win daily prizes in the Twelve Hours of Christ mas Giveaway. This event is a fundraiser for Star bound Theatre’s Arts in Education Campaign, the Annual Gingerbread House Decorating Party for Foster Youth, and Starbound Theatre’s Scholarship Fund.

Tickets are $25 per

team and are available online at www.starbound theatre.com.

The hunt began Sunday and ends at 8 a.m. Dec. 18. Families must complete the Scavenger Hunt by Dec. 18. Ticket holders will receive 12 tasks for their team to complete at locations within the city. Teams are encouraged to wear festive holiday attire during the scavenger hunt and tag Starbound Theatre in their team photo on social media. Eligible photos will be entered to win bonus cash prizes for Most Festive Team and Most Festive Duo.

The first team to com plete the scavenger hunt wins $100 cash and 50 additional entries in the Twelve Hours of Christ mas Giveaway featuring

hourly giveaways and a grand prize of $250 cash.

Other prizes include four tickets on the Polar Express, a family pack of movie tickets and more.

Each team that pur chases a scavenger hunt ticket is eligible to win a daily bonus prize to be awarded daily Wednes day through Dec. 18. Daily bonus prizes will feature gift cards or merchandise donated by local restau rants and retailers.

Starbound Theatre is a local theater program for students ages 4 and older that has provided students from all backgrounds with opportunities to explore the world of theater through theatrical produc tions since 2003, according to a press release. Those programs over the past

several years have grown to include intensive theatrical training pro grams, free community workshops, after-school programs, entry-level theater classes, Broadway master classes, summer camps and a junior high and high school student director program.

The theater program’s creative space is located at 318 Main St. in down town Vacaville. Students perform at community events, the Junior Theatre Festival in Sacramento and attend workshops through Disney Perform ing Arts at Disneyland.

For more infor mation on shows and programs, call 707416-8990 or visit the theater group’s website.

Ongoing storms prompt Fairfield to offer sandbags to residents, businesses

Daily Republic Staff

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Res

idents and business owners can pick up sand bags from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at the Public Works Corporation Yard, 410 Gregory St. Sand will be available at the corner of Pittman and Cordelia roads, and at the southeast corner of Allan

Witt Community Park, off Woolner Avenue, the city announced Wednesday.

“Sand will be ‘selfserve’ and there is a 10-bag limit,” the city stated. “Sandbags should be filled only half full, as smaller bags pack tighter and are easier to handle. Overfilled bags are unsta ble when stacked and can leave gaps that allow water to flow through.”

Showers are set to arrive late Friday, and are expected through out the day Saturday with the possibility of thun derstorms late Saturday night. Rainfall is expected to continue into the late afternoon Sunday.

To report localized flooding, call the Public Works Operations Divi sion from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through

Thursday and from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays at 707-428-7407. The Operations Division is closed every other Friday of the month and on week ends. After hours, call the Police Department at 707-428-7300.

For more storm tips or information, visit www. fairfield.ca.gov/storm.

DA gets grant to prosecute impaired driving cases

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The Solano County District Attorney’s Office has received a $363,000 grant to maintain its specialized team to prosecute alcoholand drug-impaired driving cases.

“Impaired driving con

tinues to negatively affect all those who use our road ways, especially during the holiday season. This program allows our office to hold those who decide to drive impaired by using drugs or alcohol, account able for their dangerous actions. This is a growing problem, particularly with drivers suspected of oper

ating a vehicle under the influence of both alcohol and drugs,” District Attor ney Krishna Abrams said in a statement.

The team filed 1,393 DUI cases, includ ing 72 DUI drug cases and 27 DUI combined alcohol and drug cases in the past program year. The state ment did not indicate

how many convictions the office secured. The grant program runs through September 2023.

This is the 11th year the office has received the grant, which is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis tration through the state Office of Traffic Safety.

Tony Wade Back in the day

Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District archives/Courtesy photos CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The cover of a 1970s sem Yeto High school student guide; the old campus on Delaware street; and a sample diploma from the student guide.

retail uses going back to ag community for clarification

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Solano County planning officials are going back to the agri culture community to get a better grasp on what kind of retail activity is going to be allowed.

The Board of Super visors weighed in on the topic Tuesday, generally stating such activity should promote the valley.

“The consensus is we have to promote ag and keep ag viable,” Terry Schmidtbauer, direc tor of the Department of Resource Management, said in a phone interview Wednesday. “And they want to promote local ag.”

But some supervi sors do not want to be so limited that it prevents all retail not directly linked to valley goods.

The Planning Commis sion had already approved one change, which is to let retail activity take place outdoors as well as indoors – a practice

Schmidtbauer admitted is already taking place.

The board did remove setback restrictions on on-site parking, which will now be taken up by staff on a case-by-case basis. The supervisors also agree with staff that permit renewals, if denied, cannot be appealed. This is not focused so much on code violations, but rather significant changes to the uses allowed in the orig inal permit.

In other action, the board:

n Authorized the agri culture commissioner to amend the fiscal year 2022-23 Integrated Wild life Damage Management program work and fiscal plan with the U.S. Depart ment of Agriculture to expand contracted ser vices by a one-half time wildlife specialist position from Jan. 1 through June 30, and increasing the con tract amount by $40,904 for a total of $136,400.

n Added a full-time chief deputy assessor-

recorder position and deleted a fulltime office coordi nator in the AssessorRecorder Depart ment.

n Approved Enhancing Detec tion Expansion Covid-19 State Pass Through funding to support and strengthen Solano Public Health infrastructure and work force in responding to current and future emer gencies; and added a quarter of a full-time posi tion for a Public Health nurse, added two fulltime, limited-term health assistants through June 30, 2024, and added one full-time limited term Community Services coordinator, a full-time, limited-term epidemiolo gist and a full-time, lim ited-term Health Education specialist through July 31, 2024.

Converted a full-time accountant, a full-time communicable disease

investigator, a fulltime epidemiolo gist, a full-time Health Education specialist, a fulltime Health and Social Services planning analyst, a full-time Public Health microbiolo gist, two full-time Public Health nurses and a full-time staff analyst from limited-term to regular positions.

n Extended the expira tion date from May 31, 2023, to June 30, 2023, for one full-time deputy public defender I-IV and two full-time paralegal limited-term positions funded by the Indigent Defense Grant through the Board of State and Community Corrections.

n Authorized the chief information officer to buy a $77,367 software sub scription from SHI Inter national Corp., for Adobe software products, for desktop software across the county for the period of Dec. 20 to Dec. 20, 2023.

Board takes up pandemic funding items, including NorthBay’s renewed request

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — North Bay Health officials on Tuesday made another pitch to the Solano County Board of Super visors for more than $14 million in Covid-19 relief funding to help pay for costs related to the pandemic.

“I stand here and ask that we not be forgotten . . . as the (American Rescue Plan Act) funds dwindle,” said B. Konard Jones, the president and chief executive officer for NorthBay Health.

The county reports it has only about $10.5 million in remaining and unallo

cated American Rescue Plan Act funds.

NorthBay, in Sep tember, had requested $14.19 million to help cover the costs absorbed due to the Covid-19 pan demic. There was no specific amount discussed Tuesday by NorthBay.

Jones reminded the supervisors that NorthBay Health is working through what he and the company describe as a $100 million pandemic recovery plan, and the county American Rescue Plan Act contribu tion is a critical part of that.

The board was told NorthBay provides medical service for babies

through seniors, and is the primary caregiver for MediCal patients, which has a direct connection to county services as well.

In related action, the board:

n Approved the trans fer of $39.52 million in American Rescue Plan Act pandemic relief funds to its general fund as part of Recovery Fund revenue for projects that have already come to the super visors for tentative approval. By shifting the money, the county has more flexibility in how and when the funds are dis tributed, and fewer program restrictions.

n Approved $2 million for emergency pandemic funding for nonprofits and shortened the application and distribution schedule so the money will be avail able faster.

n Approved $2.66 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to go to a pair of boardapproved Public Health projects: $2.57 million for a new electronic records system for the Family Health and Community Medical centers, and $88,000 to cover 2022 operational costs for the mobile food pharmacy program.

Suisun council struggles to decide on how to fill vacancy

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SUISUN CITY — Anyone who is eligi ble to hold the office will be allowed to apply for the open seat on the City Council.

After a town hall meeting Jan. 10, the council will narrow the finalists to seven for interviews.

However, anyone who ran for council during the Nov. 8 election, and who applies, will automatically get one of those interview slots.

Feb. 3 is the deadline for making an appointment or the council will be forced to go to a special elec tion, which would cost an estimated $165,000 and could not take place until November.

The decision ended a long, conflicted dis cussion that followed a series of comments from 11 members of the public, all of whom favored the appointment of Charles Lee Jr., who finished third to new council members Princess Washington and Jenalee Dawson.

Lee, who lobbied for the appointment at the previous council meeting, finished 29 votes behind Dawson for the final seat.

“The voters told you already who they want,” Donna LeBlanc said.

Some of those public speakers also said James Berg, who ran for mayor, should be considered in that mix, too.

However, only Councilman Mike Hudson fully agreed that only election candi dates should be considered for appointment. Hudson was in the same situa tion as Lee the last time an appointment was made to the council, but that approach had Mayor Lori Wilson selecting the nominee for council consent. She picked Anthony Adams.

“I think the applica tion process laid out by Lori Wilson was horri ble,” said Hudson, who categorized it as the “buddy system” and one aimed at keeping him off the council. Wilson is now a member of the

Supes uphold denial of communication facility east of Vaca

R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Solano County supervisors on Tuesday denied an appeal by AT&T Mobility to place a wireless communica tion facility – including an 84-foot monopine tower –along Maple Road, east of Vacaville and near the Maplewood rural resi dential neighborhood.

The board rejected the project primarily on the same grounds the Plan ning Commission had voted 4-1 to deny it: The supervisors did not think the giant communica tions company had done its due diligence to find a better location.

Members of the Maplewood 50-plus neighborhood came out in force to express their displeasure with the project location, and cheered when the project was rejected.

Board members even offered a number of com mercial and other sites as alternatives to make their point, and urged the company representative to work with Vacaville to land a location.

Supervisor Jim Spering also took a swipe at the city for its rules and regulations that all but prevent such facilities in the city, and leaving the county with the burden of dealing with such proj ects, which he also noted are needed to expand broadband access.

In other action, the board:

n Recognized Nancy Hobbs, with Veteran Ser vices, as Employee of the Month for December.

n Recognized Cynthia J. Loya, office coordina tor for the Auditor-Con troller’s Office, upon her retirement with 24 years

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic file (2021)

Customers dine

food from the Mankas Grill at the Filling Station in Fairfield, March 5, 2021.

SCHMIDTBAUER

JONES

Todd

LEE

July 10, 1941 — Dec. 3, 2022

Kaethe Hall, 81, of Vacaville, Califor nia, passed away on Saturday morning, Dec. 3, 2022, at Pacifica Senior Living in Vacaville.

A private family service will take place at Vaca Hills Chapel. Cremation rights have been accorded.

Kaethe Hall was born on July 10, 1941, in Dusseldorf, Germany, an only child of Hedwig (Zeimet) and Johann Link. Gifted with artistic skills, she graduated from the German school system with two scholarships, one for Business and another for the Arts. She would attend a private school for dress design during 1958 and 1959, yet transitioned to work in the wine production industry for several years to assist in supporting her parents financially.

In 1961, she met and fell in love with Leon E. Gibson, who had been stationed at Spangdahlem Air Force Base. She married and became Kaethe Gibson in 1962, and would cross the ocean for love in 1963 to the United States and eventually become an American citizen. That same year, she gave birth to her only child, Clay A. Gibson, and remained married for 15 years. Leon Gibson remarked in his later years that he owed his career success in life to her incredible support as his spouse.

She would later find love and remarry in 1982 to Law rence C. Hall, and once again crossed the ocean for love to support her husband’s work with Lockheed Martin for assignments in Bahrain and Germany. Lawrence Hall would also credit his career success to her devotion as his wife.

A beautiful Lady inside and out, she was an inspiration for leading with eternal grace, poise, laughter, love and kind ness that touched the lives of many. She loved gardening and animals, including cats and hummingbirds. She cher ished her relationships and kept cards received through out life.

Meaningful writings that spoke to her included ‘Desider ata’ and a timely passage that read:

‘God saw that you were getting tired, And a cure was not to be, So he put his arms around you, And whispered, ‘Come to Me.’ A golden heart stopped beating; Hard working hands now rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us, He only takes the best.’

Those left to honor her memory include her husband of over 40 years, Lawrence C. Hall; son, Clay A. Gibson and spouse, Gary Collins; as well as Lawrence Hall’s children, Edna Hall-Love, Terry L. Hall Sr. and Kathy A. Spruill; and cousin, Elisabeth Platz; additionally, her extended family including long-term, loving Friends, Violet and Yvonne Bittner, Elke and Pete Sjoberg, and Heide Trupe.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and first husband, Leon E. Gibson.

The Vaca Hills Chapel in Vacaville is caring for the family. You are welcome to leave notes of condolence or leave words of comfort on the funeral home website at https:// www.vacahillschapel.com.

Court announces commissioner’s plan to retire

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — A

Superior Court commis sioner will retire next spring after serving five years on the Solano bench.

The announced about the pending retirement of Commissioner Robert Q. War shawsky was made Wednesday in a press release from the the Superior Court. Warshawsky’s retirement is effective March 3.

Warshawsky was appointed to the bench by the judges of the Solano Superior Court on March 1, 2017. He has served in both Fair field and Vallejo handling criminal and traffic matters. Warshawsky currently presides over Collaborative Courts in Fairfield, includ ing Adult Drug Court, Mental Health Diver sion Court and Parole Reentry Court.

“It is an extraordi nary honor and privilege to have served our legal community for over

35 years, first as an attor ney and then as a judicial officer for the Solano County Superior Court,” Warshawsky said in the press release. “During this time I have witnessed firsthand the dedication of the court and its staff to the principle of justice and com mitment to the rule of law. I will forever be thank ful that I was able to be a part of this system that seeks fairness and equality for all.”

Warshawsky, prior to joining the court, was the managing partner of the law firm Petty and Warshawsky, specializing in crimi nal felony, misdemeanor and juvenile delinquency cases. Warshawsky, prior to managing his own firm, was employed by the Siskiyou County Public Defender’s Office, where he served as senior trial deputy public defender. He has also served as a Solano County public defender.

Warshawsky holds his juris doctorate from the

See Court, Page A5

County schedules ceremony for new mental health treatment facility

FAIRFIELD — Solano County officials have scheduled a ribbon-cut ting ceremony Tuesday for the opening of the new mental health residential treatment facility on South Watney Way in Fairfield.

Supervisors John Vasquez and Monica Brown are scheduled to speak, as well as County Administrator Bill Emlen, Jerry Huber, director of the county Department of Health and Social Services, Amber Salazar, executive director of Yolo Commu nity Care Continuum and John Stump, president of Flint Builders.

The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. at 2261 S. Watney Way.

The Board of Supervi sors on Tuesday approved

the notice of completion of the project, which con sists of three buildings totaling 12,500 squarefeet. The buildings include a 5,500-square-foot, single-story administra tion building and two 3,500-square-foot, singlestory residential buildings: one a 16-bed Board and Care housing unit, the other a 16-bed Intensive Residential Mental Health Treatment unit.

“The new facility will help divert county Health and Social Services clients from the criminal justice system or homelessness and improve their quality of life though mental health treatment services. (The state) provided approxi mately half of the funding for this $14.7 million project, with the remain ing costs covered by public facility fees and grant

funds from the . . . Cali fornia Homeless Housing Assistance and Preven tion,” the county said in a statement.

The project was delivered through the Design-Build project using premanufactured building modules. The county will start providing services in January.

In other action, the supervisors:

n Approved a $99,912 contract amendment with NAMI Solano County, for a total contract amount of $296,616, to expand the Family and Peer Support Program for families and individuals with mental illness. The contract goes through June 30, 2023.

n Approved the replacement of General Assistance funds, up to $40,000 in county general funds, which have been

electronically stolen from clients’ Electronic Bene fits Transfer cards for the period through Dec. 31, 2023, or until the $40,000 has been expended.

n Approved a $65,200 appropriation transfer from the Probation Department to the General Services Capital Project Budget for the Juvenile Detention Facil ity Building 1 Interior Repainting Project.

n Approved an agree ment with the City and County of San Francisco to receive $76,759 in Urban Area Security Ini tiative funds through Dec. 31, 2023; approved an appropriations transfer of $76,759 to recognize unan ticipated grant revenue and related appropria tions; and approved use of

Memorial to remember homeless who have died set in Vacaville

FAIRFIELD — Friends of Mark Rippee accused the Solano County Board of supervisors this week of failing the homeless man and others like him.

Rippee, who in a way has become the face of the homeless issue in Solano County, died Nov. 29. He was 59.

A candlelight vigil for Rippee is scheduled for Dec. 16, 4:30 p.m., at the William J. Carroll Gov ernment Center, 1119 E. Monte Vista Ave.

A Homeless Memorial Ceremony is planned for 4:30 p.m. Dec. 22 at the Orchard Avenue Baptist Church, 301 N. Orchard Ave., in Vacaville. The ceremony will honor the homeless and formerly homeless who died in 2022.

Rippee, who has been described as the man who didn’t fit in anywhere because his various ail ments were not easily

defined within the spe cific care systems, was in a devastating motorcycle accident June 21, 1987.

Over the next 15 years, he would undergo 50 sur geries and sustained the loss of additional brain matter. Dirt, foxtails and other debris from the accident continued to be removed during those procedures.

Eventually, he ended up on the streets, and later was diagnosed with para noid schizophrenia, adding to the difficulty of his trau matic brain injury.

Rippee’s sisters set out on a decade-pluslong crusade to get their brother help, and to raise awareness of the issue. They came before the supervisors many times and pleaded for help.

“Mark is one of thou sands of people this happened to,” Melissa Koch, of Vacaville, said through her tears and anguish. She spoke of his many, many years on the

streets without proper help. “He was my friend, he was a human being, and he laid on the streets crying in pain . . . Please do what you can to make change.”

Alison Monroe, of Alameda, offered some suggestions of what the board can do to help the homeless, especially those with mental illness or severe head trauma –mostly through lobbying for changes in the law.

She said families of these individuals must have a voice and that HIPAA – the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 – regulations that protect the patient’s rights must be changed to allow for that. She said the Med icaid IMD exclusion that fails to pay for compre hensive mental health and substance use disor der coverage needs to be removed. She also called for a better definition of what “gravely mentally ill” means.

Collective ($1,000).

And Monroe is a strong advocate for Care Court, which allows the judi ciary to intercede, without voluntary approval, to get people with mental health and substance use disorders support and health care.

“If the Board of Super visors fail to act, you are going to have more deaths,” a caller into the meeting said.

with Solano County.

n Recognized Judy P. Moran, Information Tech nology analyst III, upon her retirement with 20 years with Solano County.

n Reappointed Wayne Engell to the Solano Cem etery District, represent ing the 3rd District, for a term ending Jan. 4, 2027.

n Approved the nomi nation of Michael Segala for reappointment to the Solano Transportation Authority Bicycle Advi sory Committee, repre senting Solano County, for a term ending Jan 1, 2026.

n Adopted a proclama tion from the 2nd District recognizing Bob and

Linda Taylor, of unincor porated Vallejo, for the conclusion of more than 20 years of a popular holiday display. The couple had decorated their Old Glen Cove Road house with elaborate holiday decora tions and was even fea tured on national television in 2014.

n Approved the $10,000 contribution from the 3rd District general fund account to benefit Meals on Wheels ($1,000), Faith In Action ($500), Suisun American Little League ($1,500), Solano Sym phony Orchestra ($1,000), Child Haven ($1,000), Play 4 All Park ($2,000), B. Walker Ranch ($500), Suisun Marsh Natural History Association ($500), Solano Alpha Crisis Pregnancy Center ($1,000) and Creative Arts

n Accepted the quar terly review of the State ment of Assets of the Solano County Treasury as of Sept. 30, 2022.

Kaethe Hall

WARSHAWSKY

Tax group calls for recount on school district facilities bond

toDD R. H anSen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — A Solano County tax group has requested a recount on the $249.6 million facility bond for the Fairfield-Suisun School District.

The Nov. 8 initiative passed the 55% thresh old for support, including votes from Napa County, by three votes, the county Registrar of Voters Office reported Thursday.

John Takeuchi, a member of the taxpay ers group, confirmed the request.

He spoke to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday asking that the county fund the recount, which will cost the Central Solano Citizen-Taxpayer Group $2,700 the first day and $2,200 each day after that based on information from the Elections Office.

Janet Roberts, the pres ident of the group, could not be reached Thursday for comment.

Takeuchi contends any election that finishes so closely should automat ically be subjected to a recount, though he admits

had the measure lost by the same margin the tax payers group would not be seeking a recount.

However, he stands by the position that an auto matic recount should be conducted on any elec tion with the margin that is so close.

John Gardner, the assis tant registrar of voters, said the recount for the District 1 seat on the Fairfield City Council is scheduled to begin Monday.

However, Nora Dizon, according to Gardner, raised the possibility she is actually challenging the validity of the elec tion rather than just the final vote count. That would be an issue for the courts, he said.

Dizon could not be reached Thursday for comment.

According to Gardner, Dizon raised concerns that she was leading in the vote, but ultimately watched as the count left her tied with K. Patrice Williams only to fall behind by 12 votes.

Williams is sched uled to take her oath of office Dec. 20.

Evolution in county parks includes facilities, grounds, staff, greater regions

toDD R. H anSen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — When Chris Drake started his career with the Solano County Parks Service he was, in essence, a cop in a ranger’s uniform.

The roles of the ranger have changed greatly over those 15-plus years, and now engagement with and educating visitors is a bigger part of the job.

“Typically, when we find folks who are inter ested . . . in working in the parks, it’s less about ascension of rank, but delivering that service,” Drake, the Parks Services manager, told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday as part of a presentation on the 2023-25 Parks and Recreation Workplan.

“They are in it because they want that. You don’t go be a park ranger because you love the money. You become a park ranger because you really love the parks; you like the dirt,” he said. “You like to make things interesting for folks to get into. It’s a passion.”

The parks staff consists of Drake, a ranger super visor, six rangers and nine extra-help positions.

They cover four parks –Solano Lake, Sandy Beach, Lynch Canyon and Belden’s Landing – cover ing more than 1,200 acres.

196,900, which followed years of 139,258 in 2019-20 and 91,827 in 2020-21.

“They are starting to recover from losing things from the LNU fire up at (Lake) Solano Park, and things are stating to work out very well,” Terry Schmidtbauer, director the Department of Resource Manage ment – which Parks and Recreation is a part of –told the board.

He said the recov ery is happening despite the same kind of staffing challenges the county is experiencing through out its ranks.

“This could really be shortened down to one slide saying we are going to promote public access to parks. That is our workplan; that is what our workplan has been,” Drake said, adding, “All of it is in the vein of attempting to get every body to love the parks for their intrinsic value the way that we do, because if they love it, they will protect it.”

where we are not trying to incorporate elements of environmental educa tion and where we are not trying to help them under stand why it’s important to be there, and we’re not performing maintenance and we’re not performing patrol functions. They are all incredibly interlaced.”

Still there is project work to be done. For example, at Lake Solano, using pandemic relief funding allocated by the board, Parks Service plans over the next few years to complete these projects: Potable Water and Septic System Improvements; Accessible Pathways and Campground Parking; Transformer Replace ment; and Waterfront and Boater Access Improvement.

And at Sandy Beach, also using American Rescue Plan Act funds, the projects are Recreational Vehicle Wastewater Dump Station and Waste water Sewer Connection, and Day Use Access Improvement.

From Page A4

John F. Kennedy Univer sity School of Law, where he served as an editor of the John F. Kennedy University Law Record. He has been an active member in the State Bar of California, Criminal Law Section, a certified criminal law specialist by the California State Bar, a member of the Solano County Bar Association, Solano County Barris ter’s Association, Siskiyou County Bar Association, California Public Defend er’s Association, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice and the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys.

suisun

From Page A3

state Assembly.

Mayor Alma Hernandez did not favor nominating someone herself, but also noted that while, yes, there was good support for Lee, many more voters chose not to select him. She felt the only fair process was to open the application process to everyone who is eligible: 18, a resident of Suisun City and a regis tered voter.

Washington, who was appointed as vice mayor earlier in the meeting, also favored an open process, and only later compro mised to give any weight to Nov. 8 candidates. She said the best thing for the city was to let all possi ble candidates apply and to judge each on their merits.

CourtHe has served as an advisory director of The Salvation Army in Suisun City and as a director of the Siskiyou Family YMCA.

Warshawsky filled a vacancy created by the elevation of William Pend ergast to a judgeship after Pendergast had served more than five years as a commissioner.

Dozens of local lawyers had applied for the job, which at the time oversaw mostly traffic ticket and petty crime cases.

“I am humbled that our court would select me for this position, espe cially in light of the other applicants, each of whom possess great attributes and tremendous experi ence,” Warshawsky said of his appointment in February 2017.

It was Dawson who suggested the council candidates be given an automatic interview slot, but she did not favor a candidate-only pool from which to choose.

Then the discussion turned to how many would be interviewed. Dawson suggested five, but others felt that left too few spots for those who were not candidates. Washington suggested 10, but that was considered by the others as too many. Hernandez then suggested seven and got support from Washington and Dawson.

The vacancy was created by the election of Hernandez to mayor. Her council term ends Dec. 20, 2024.

In a related matter, Dawson and Hudson were appointed to serve on the Trash and Illegal Dumping Ad Hoc Committee.

agement capabilities; and approved $10,000 for an electronic display board on the mobile command vehicle.

This fiscal year, after two down years and a resurgence in 2021-22, the service may be looking at a record number of visi tors to the parks, topping the 2017-18 attendance of 219,190, Drake said. The 2021-22 attendance was

“The ranger is still the backbone of the operation. They are making all the magic happen out in the field,” Drake said.

The 13-page workplan outlines the projects and other activities planned for each of the sites, but Drake said it can all be summarized in a simple concept.

The parks also partner with resource conserva tion districts, the Putah Creek Council and other groups, and has a goal of getting more school field trips and other youth engagement efforts.

Drake said each day is a mix of duties and responsibilities, and the workplan actually breaks down those efforts into hours spent on each.

“There’s not a situation when we have someone that is attempting to utilize a park and we are providing public access

General Services is involved in all those capital improvement proj ects as well.

But Drake said it is not enough to improve the parks from within, but to view them as part of the environment in which they are located – much of the time surrounded by agricultural uses.

So as the Parks Service restores native vegetation, they can choose plants, for example, that need bees and butterflies, and in turn that supports ag interests around the parks, too.

Suisun council sets public hearing on Business Improvement District

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SUISUN CITY — The City Council this week set Dec. 20 for the public hearing on the Business Improvement District and the assessment fee.

Councilman Mike Hudson, who was a member and a past president of the BID, questioned whether the business owners in the

district really even want the district, and new Councilwoman Prin cess Washington thinks it would be better to open the district up to all busi ness in the city.

“Suisun City is too small to be segregated,” Washington said. That would take a change to the district bylaws. “I think that would give us great economic advantage.”

Councilwoman Jenalee

Dawson, also new to the council, supports the dis trict, but also wants to hear more from the dis trict members about what they think about the structure of the dis trict, what kind of support they are getting and what their needs are.

She said she would like to see that input to come back to the council as part of the annual report.

Trash cleanup also

was brought up since the district recently stopped its contract with Solano Diversified Ser vices, which cleaned up the waterfront three days a week. It was reported the cost was too much to sustain.

The council asked for information about what that cost would be if the service was reduced to a single day.

Supervisors recognize managers who complete CSAC training program

toDD R. H anSen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Sixteen Solano County manag ers and other employees were recognized Tuesday for completing 10-month, 60-hour train ing programs through the California State Associa tion of Counties.

CSAC Executive Direc tor Graham Knaus was among those who partic ipated in the ceremony. Supervisor Erin Hanni gan, a member of the CSAC executive com mittee who also heads the new supervisor training program, read off the names.

these individuals for promotions.

Chasity Benson, direc tor of Operations and Educational Programs for CSAC, said the program preserves the institutional knowledge that can be lost as senior managers retire. It trains participants in such areas as leadership, workforce development and labor negotiations.

It is “our corporate uni versity,” Benson said.

staff analyst, Child Support Services; Matt Green, from the Public Health Division; and Girlie Jarumay, policy and finan cial manager, Department of Health and Social Services.

those funds for the pur chase of a radionuclide identification device and portable radios.

n Approved participa tion in the 2022 Emer gency Management Performance Grant through June 30, 2024; approved an appropria tions transfer of $237,924 to recognize the unantici pated grant revenue and related appropriations to improve emergency man

n Approved participa tion in the 2022 Homeland Security Grant Program through May 31, 2025; approved an appropriation transfer of $501,616 for fiscal year 2022-23 to rec ognize the unanticipated grant revenue and related appropriations; approved $158,406 for Solano Oper ational Area joint-agency response teams and noncounty agencies; and approved fixed asset pur chases totaling $280,033.

“One of the tenants that the (Board of Supervisors) has set is we want to hire from within,” said Hanni gan, explaining how the training helps prepare

Those who received their William “Bill” Chiat Institute for Excellence in County Government certificates were Cherian Alexon, Information Tech nology manager; Julie Barga, deputy county counsel IV; Dan Castillo, custody sergeant, Sheriff’s Office; Larry Devereaux, fleet manager, General Services; Marie Fabie,

Also receiving certifi cates were Dustin Leno, assistant director of General Services; Tami Lukens, principal man agement analyst, County Administrator’s Office; Michelle Offerman, staff analyst, General Services; Nancy Redfield, Library branch manager, Library Services; Christina Stim mann, Mental Health Services manager, Behav ioral Health; Edmond Strickland, Environ mental Health manager,

Department of Resource Man agement; Clarisa Sudarma, deputy county counsel IV; Jennifer Washington, Pro bation Services manager; and Magen Yambao, senior management analyst, County Adminis trator’s Office.

Executive manag ers who coached in the program are Emery Cowan, deputy director of Behavioral Health; Megan Greve, director of General Services; Jerry Huber, director of Health and Social Services; and Liane Peck, director of Child Support Services.

Hannigan and Super visor Monica Brown have completed the coursework in the past.

4th annual Youth Resiliency Summit set in Vacaville

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE — A hundred eighth- through 12th-graders from across Solano County are sched uled to participate in the fourth annual Solano

Youth Resiliency Summit set for Saturday.

The summit pro vides “an opportunity for Solano youth to develop resiliency, leadership skills, healthy coping strategies and to inspire

them to make positive changes in their commu nities,” the Solano County Office of Education said in a statement.

Twelve workshops on such topics as mental health and wellness;

alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention; what to do after high school; and leadership skill will be held.

The event will take place at the Sunrise Event Center, 620 Orange Drive.

HANNIGAN

Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic file (2021) solano Parks and Recreation Manager Chris Drake stands above damage done to lake solano County Park by the lnU lightning Complex Fire, Feb. 11, 2021.

Is Newsom’s gas profits penalty really a tax?

When Gov. Gavin Newsom launched his crusade against what he called blatant pricegouging on gasoline by oil refin ers, he called for taxes on excess profits.

At the time, gas prices had soared to more than $6 a gallon in some locales, a couple of dollars higher than those in other states, and Californians’ pain at the pump symbolized the soaring inflation that was ravaging household budgets.

However, when Newsom finally outlined his proposal this week, the tax approach had been abandoned and instead, he said he wants petroleum companies to be docked civil penalties by the state Energy Commission if they exceed designated profit margins.

“California’s price gouging penalty is simple – either Big Oil reins in the profits and prices, or they’ll pay a penalty,” Newsom said in a statement. “Big Oil has been lying and gouging Californians to line their own pockets long enough. I look forward to the work ahead with our partners in the Legislature to get this done.”

Later, he told reporters, “I believe in free enterprise, I just don’t believe in greed. These guys have been gaming the system for decades. They’ve been taking advantage of you for decades. And it’s got to end.”

Why the change from taxes to civil penalties?

It has to do with the state Constitution, which requires any tax to be passed by two-thirds majorities in both houses of the Legislature. Newsom is betting the civil pen alties he proposes would be exempt from that requirement and thus need only simple legislative vote majorities to become law.

In other words, he’s not certain that despite overwhelming Democratic legisla tive majorities he could muster a two-thirds vote for a profits tax, due to a general reluc tance among politicians to impose new taxes and the oil industry’s vigorous courting of support, aided by its influential unions.

The industry had already signaled it would vigorously oppose a profits tax by characterizing it as something that would raise pump prices even higher. But what about civil penalties?

The industry immediately characterized them as taxes in sheep’s clothing.

“A fee imposed on the industry as a commodity going to the government, that is going to look and act like a tax,” Kevin Slagle, spokesman for the Western States Petroleum Association, said. “We know windfall taxes have been tried nationally and don’t work. What we need to do is focus on better public policy.”

So we know how the political battle ground is being staked out, but what’s the underlying legal situation?

When Newsom’s proposal was formally introduced as Senate Bill 2X on Monday, the Legislature’s legal counsel marked it as a non-tax measure requiring only simple majority votes. Ultimately, however, whether the proposed civil penalties qualify for that designation depends on the inter pretation of an exemption allowed in the Constitution’s Article XIII A, Section 3.

It says, “A fine, penalty, or other mone tary charge imposed by the judicial branch of government or the state, as a result of a violation of law” is not a tax. In other words, Newsom would put gasoline profit penal ties in the same exempt category as traffic tickets for speeding.

We don’t know as yet what Newsom’s leg islation would set as a profit speed limit or what the penalties would be for exceeding it. SB 2X leaves those numbers blank, to be filled in later as the measure makes its way through the legislative process next year.

Were it to become law, however, we would most likely see a prolonged legal battle over whether, indeed, excess profit penalties are not taxes.

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

Letters to the editor

Letters must be 325 words or less and are subject to editing for length and clarity. All letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Send them to Letters to the Editor, the Daily Republic, P.O. Box 47, Fairfield, CA 94533, email to gfaison@daily republic.net or drop them off at our office, 1250 Texas St. in Fairfield.

Youth gravitate toward gangster lifestyle

Why do youth fall for the gangsta or thug type? This was the intriguing conversa tion last week on a popular radio program. The conversa tion also became a hot topic of discussion in class this week.

The Ph.D’s perspective made a great deal of sense in terms of the root cause of why particularly young people grav itate to the images that appear to be dangerous. His eloquent take on the issue had to do with the lack of love and appreciation these youth experi enced as children, particularly from their fathers.

With all due respect to the good doctor who delivers brilliant analy sis and advice to his listeners, I have monitored, experienced, observed and have been perplexed by this issue for years. My findings and perspective are much simpler. It is based on a quote by James Baldwin: “He who controls the image, controls the mind.”

Our society has glamorized and romanticized the gangsta or thug life style through the multibillion-dollar entertainment industry. We have now projected these images from a plat form that reaches millions of people through the various means – from TV, film, radio, online, video games and most recently, social media outlets. These images have become promi nent not only in our neighborhoods, but they are reinforced by popular celebrities, mainly high-profile hip-hop artists.

Unfortunately, one of the mostrespected and admired male figures in the urban community is the neigh borhood drug dealer, hustler, so called thug or gangster. This person usually has the flashy appearance or bestlooking vehicle or is rocking the most

“bling” or expensive jewelry, which quite often awards him the admiration of the young men and gives him access to the most attractive women. I understand not all are vul nerable to these superficial things. However, according to recent testimony, there is evidence the mystique and potential danger that is asso ciated with the so-called bad boy is also what is most infatuating. This also explains why male death-row inmates receive hundreds of marriage pro posals through the mail, according to California state prison sources.

There is an alarming concern of young people becoming dangerously attracted to the gangster, or thug, life style. Parents, educators and youth advocates should make an effort to understand and embrace the issues of youth culture with the goal to imple ment a positive change.

It has apparently become quite fashionable to be a thug or a gangsta. Is it a coincidence the most success ful and wealthiest celebrities such as Rick Ross, 50 Cent and Jay Z are all self-proclaimed former drug dealers and represent the gangsta rap/hip-hop genre? The trend of the current gener ation is now using the word “gangsta” as a compliment when referenc ing something admired. The virus of gangsterism has become an epidemic with an alarming number of recent high-profile violent incidents that have taken the lives of many popular and up-and-coming rap artist. It has quickly become a culture of death.

The pop culture is now inundated with bad boy, gangsta or thug images. It has almost monopolized the music scene from hip-hop to R&B. There are barely any hip-hop artists cur rently in the mainstream who don’t

fit in the gangsta rap category. It has also infiltrated the fashion industry, which capitalizes on the ever-pop ular video exposure of the rap and hip-hop culture.

Although the recent obsession to the thug image isn’t new, there are some serious life-threatening con cerns. Quite often, what follows this image is an attitude that leads to trouble. Based on increasing Bay Area juvenile detention records, many young people have literally trans formed from an asset to society to a menace in a very short period of time. The thug or gangsta lifestyle is pen etrating to the spirit of vulnerable youth who are dangerously gravitating toward high-risk criminal activities such as violence and drugs.

This dangerous trend is no longer exclusive to the urban community. It has penetrated all socio-economic boundaries. There are now upper middle-class youth with two parents at home who are choosing to get involved with drugs and gang activ ity not because of the pressures of the immediate environment, but because it is fashionable to fit the “bad boy” or “thug” image.

Whatever environment you reside within, be it your home, school, gym, recreation center or neighborhood, make the effort to employ as many positive images and activities as possi ble. If we work to devalue the negative images with positive influences, the tide will turn in our direction. These actions could prove to be the vaccine we need to counteract the effects of a youth infatuation with gangterism.

Deon D. Price is an author and youth life skills coach who lives in Fairfield. He can be reached at thisy outhgeneration@gmail.com or www. deondprice.com.

Waste biomass could fund wildfire prevention

Reducing cata strophic wild fire is one of the state’s most challenging climate problems.

A recent study by researchers at UCLA and the Univer sity of Chicago found that wildfire carbon emissions from the 2020 fire season alone were more than double the amount of overall emissions reduced in California from 2003 to 2019.

The state set a goal of treat ing 1 million forested acres per year to reduce wildfire risk. While there is no firm figure available, the state currently treats an estimated 200,000 acres per year, excluding commercial timber harvest.

The challenge: How do we get from treating 200,000 acres to 1 million acres as quickly as possible?

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent budget commitments are important, but they are not enough. If it costs about $2,000 to $4,000 to treat an acre, that means we need $2 billion to $4 billion every year for the next two decades, purely for forest treatments. That amounts to more than half of the state’s natural resources budget some years – conflicting with expanding needs on drought, extreme heat and sea-level rise.

There is a potential solution that could generate climate, air quality and rural economic development benefits while helping California meet its forest treatment goals: converting waste biomass into valuable products.

Waste biomass refers to the res idues – primarily small, woody material – that result from an ecologi

cal thinning operation. The residues are val ueless. They are often left in piles to decom pose, or worse, burned in place. UC Berke ley estimates hundreds of millions of tons of waste biomass will accrue if Califor nia achieves its forest treatment goals, essentially creating an emissions time bomb that could amplify the already ominous forest-cli mate reality.

But the problem can be flipped on its head. If these residues can be col lected and turned into something of value, the state would not only avert a significant new emissions source, but also unlock a revenue stream to help support its forest treatment goals.

The groundwork for this strategy is already taking shape. A promis ing option is to turn the waste into a biofuel such as hydrogen or a sus tainable aviation fuel. The California Air Resources Board anticipates that billions of gallons of these lowcarbon fuels will still be needed in 2045. Fitting the facilities with carbon capture technology can generate carbon dioxide removal something CARB has already deemed as essential to meet the state’s net-zero emissions goals.

There is potential to expand the biomass strategy to agricultural and municipal waste as well, especially since the drought is forcing farmers to fallow land. Some are burning their waste, worsening the air quality in neighboring communities as a result.

While the state has made some investments in waste biomass, it is not part of the core strategy to

address the wildfire crisis. One pos sibility as to why is the legacy left by traditional bioenergy – large-scale combustion, for example – which pollutes urban areas. But new tech nologies and processes are making it significantly cleaner.

Another fear is any biomass plan is a slippery slope to the kinds of practices occurring in the East Coast where energy crops in North Carolina support a biomass indus try in England, with dubious overall climate benefits.

The situation is much different in the American West, though. Here, the available biomass is a waste product resulting from wildfire mitigation treatments – not a purpose-grown energy crop. Moreover, almost 90% of forest lands are owned by the public and small-scale landholders.

Biomass is not a silver bullet, but it could greatly reduce severe wildfires and the resulting carbon emissions. Some careful planning would be needed to build out the necessary infrastructure. The state could create incentives that are contingent upon the biomass being a residue from wildfire risk reduction treatments as a safe guard against possible bad actors.

Western forests are faced with an existential threat. With thoughtful exe cution, a waste biomass strategy can help turn the tide in our favor.

Steve Frisch is the president of Sierra Business Council, a regional network advancing sustainable economic development, environmental restora tion and community resilience in the Sierra Nevada. Sam Uden is the direc tor of climate and energy policy at Conservation Strategy Group. He was chairman of the state’s Forest Biofuels Policy Group.

Dan Walters

Sam Uden Steve Frisch

Deon D. Price

(707) 427-1386

‘The Daily Show’ announces rotating celebrity guest hosts

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

“The Daily Show” has yet to hire a permanent replacement for outgo ing host Trevor Noah. But Comedy Central has recruited some big names to helm the late-night program in the interim.

The cable network announced on Tuesday that Al Franken, Chelsea Handler, D.L. Hughley, Leslie Jones, John Leguizamo, Hasan Minhaj, Kal Penn, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes and Marlon Wayans will serve as rotat ing guest hosts starting Jan. 17. Noah’s final episode aired Thursday.

“As we enter Trev or’s final week, we want to thank him for his many contributions,” Chris McCarthy, president of Paramount Media Net

works, said in a statement.

“Trevor redefined the show, as did Jon Stewart before him, and as we look to the future, we are excited to reimagine it yet again with the help of this incredible list of talent and correspondents along with the immensely tal ented ‘Daily Show’ team.”

In September, Noah shared his plans to exit “The Daily Show” after seven years. On an October episode of “The Tonight Show,” the come dian expressed a desire to travel the world doing stand-up after his “Daily Show” tenure concludes.

“It’s time,” Noah said while announcing his departure. “I realized there’s another part of my life that I want to carry on exploring. I miss . . . just being everywhere, doing everything.”

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú

congressional Republi cans, who complained that Biden also should have secured Whelan’s release in exchange for Bout.

“Surely an arms dealer is worth two inno cent people?” Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican, wrote on Twitter. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, a Republican who has often sparred with the White House, called the trade “disgusting” and “unforgivable” in a tweet.

Russia’s government and allies of President Vladimir Putin meanwhile celebrated Bout’s return to the country. Moscow has sought for years to engineer his release. The United Arab Emirates, where the swap physically took place, touted its own involvement in brokering the exchange and hosting talks between Moscow and Washington.

The Biden admin istration had sought a two-for-one trade for Bout that would include Whelan, but U.S. officials

said the Kremlin refused to consider those terms. While the deal may have fallen short of U.S. hopes, the president was under considerable pressure from Democrats, who rely heavily on the support of Black voters, to secure Gri ner’s release.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, a Democrat who will be the minority leader in the next Con gress, hailed the trade.

“President Biden gets it done. Again,” he wrote in a tweet.

Biden spoke to Griner by phone Thursday morning from the Oval Office, in the company of her wife, Cherelle Griner.

Griner had been sen tenced to nine years and moved to a penal colony last month. The Phoenix Mercury basketball star who played in Russia during the off-season pleaded guilty to drug smuggling in July after customs officials found vape cartridges contain ing cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport in February.

Whelan is serving a 16-year sentence in Russia on spying charges that he denies. White House press

Crime logs

FairField

TUESDAY, DEC. 6

12:28 a.m. — Sexual assault, 1200 block of B. GALE WILSON BOULEVARD 4:03 a.m. — Battery, 1900 block of GRANDE CIRCLE 5:18 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 1500 block of JAMES STREET 6 a.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 2600 block of ORCHID STREET 7:07 a.m. — Vehicle burglary, 2400 block of PEACH TREE DRIVE 8:34 a.m. — Battery, 2900 block of MARKELEY LANE 11:17 a.m. — Sexual assault, 4400 block of CANCUN COURT 12:03 p.m. — Trespassing, 1600 block of GATEWAY BOULEVARD 2:04 p.m. — Vehicle burglary, 700 block of EMPIRE STREET 2:23 p.m. — Forgery, 1900 block of GRANDE CIRCLE 4:21 p.m. — Battery, 700 block of FIFTH STREET 4:45 p.m. — Grand theft, 1600 block of HOLIDAY LANE 5:32 p.m. — Trespassing, 1800 block of VERMONT STREET 7:49 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 4300 block of CENTRAL PLACE 8:47 p.m. — Grand theft, 2400 block of SOUTH WATNEY WAY 9:41 p.m. — Drunken driver, 1200 block of B. GALE WILSON BOULEVARD 10:55 p.m. — Reckless driver, 1400 block of WEST TEXAS STREET WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7 1:41 a.m. — Trespassing, 200 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE 3:55 a.m. — Assault with a deadly weapon, 5000 block of BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE 6:37 a.m. — Battery, 1900 block of GRANDE CIRCLE 8:24 a.m. — Vehicle burglary, 4700 block of BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE 8:41 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 2500 block of SANTAELLA LANE 9:09 a.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 1900 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 9:13 a.m. — Battery, 1900 block of VINE DRIVE 9:44 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 2800 block of DOVER AVENUE 9:49 a.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 2500 block of HILBORN ROAD 11:34 a.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 2700 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 12:21 p.m. — Forgery, 1600 block of FLAMINGO DRIVE 12:23 p.m. — Reckless driver, 1200 block of KENTUCKY STREET 12:30 p.m. — Vandalism, 1900 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

12:32 p.m. — Forgery, 600 block of EAST TRAVIS BOULEVARD 1 p.m. — Battery, 700 block of OAKBROOK DRIVE 1:19 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 200 block of EAST PACIFIC AVENUE 3:20 p.m. — Battery, 1900 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 3:29 p.m. — Commercial burglary, 5000 block of BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE 3:34 p.m. — Commercial burglary, 1100 block of WESTERN STREET 3:35 p.m. — Commercial burglary, 1100 block of WESTERN STREET 3:37 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 2500 block of SANTAELLA LANE 4:06 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 1200 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 4:10 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 2100 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 4:37 p.m. — Residential burglary, 2100 block of SANTA ANA DRIVE 4:55 p.m. — Drunken driver, 100 block of PITTMAN ROAD 7:25 p.m. — Battery, 1400 block of KENT WAY 9:08 p.m. — Drunken driver, EASTBOUND AIR BASE PARKWAY 10:43 p.m. — Shots fired, 1700 block of WEST TEXAS STREET 10:51 p.m. — Trespassing, 2900 block of GULF DRIVE

SuiSun City

TUESDAY, DEC. 6 1:08 a.m. — Trespass ing, SUNSET AVENUE 12:20 p.m. — Vandalism, 1100 block of PARK LANE 1:16 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 600 block of WIGEON WAY 1:44 p.m. — Shots fired, TEA ROSE COURT 2:33 p.m. — Shots fired, 100 block of RAILROAD AVENUE 9:10 p.m. — Trespassing, SUNSET AVENUE

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7 12:57 a.m.

secretary Karine JeanPierre said Russia was unwilling to consider any deal involving Whelan and “there was no way to bring Paul home right now.” Biden instead had to choose between getting Griner back or no one, she and the president said.

“This was not a choice of which American to bring home,” Biden said. He said “Russia is treat ing Paul’s case differently” from Griner’s and prom ised Whelan’s family that his administration would continue negotiating for his release.

Whelan’s brother, David, said in a statement that the White House had alerted their family in advance that Paul Whelan would not be included in the exchange.

“That early warning meant that our family has been able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us. And a catastrophe for Paul,” he said.

But David Whelan also said Biden “made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possi ble, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going

to happen.”

Russia’s foreign min istry said the U.S. had long refused to include Bout in negotiations for an exchange, but Russia held out and Washing ton ultimately relented, according to Tass.

“Bout’s return to Russia was a matter of per sonal honor for Putin,” said Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of R.Politik, a political consultancy. “The question will be why the U.S. suddenly softened their stance.”

Griner and Bout were both pardoned before the swap took place, which means they don’t have to serve the remain der of their sentences in their home countries, said Tatiana Moskalkova, the Kremlin’s human rights ombudsman, Inter fax reported. She called Bout’s return “a true Christmas present,” according to Tass.

A senior Biden admin istration official told reporters in a confer ence call that Bout had to receive an act of clemency from the president in order to be released but did not characterize the move as

the power to commute the sentences of federal pris oners, shortening their prison terms without clear ing their convictions.

Jean-Pierre said Biden did not issue Bout’s com mutation, freeing him from U.S. prison, until Ameri can officials confirmed that Griner was safely in the UAE, where the swap took place.

The Kremlin has spent years trying to free Bout, who was sentenced to 25 years in 2012 after being convicted of con spiracy for plotting to sell weapons to a Colombian terrorist group.

The former Soviet air force officer was arrested in Bangkok in a 2008 sting operation set up by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Admin istration and brought to New York for trial, amid Russian accusations that he was illegally extradited from Thailand under pres sure from Washington.

Final terms of Thurs day’s swap were negotiated via the UAE, whose leader, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, visited St. Peters burg in October looking to help deescalate tensions around prisoners as well

shelling around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to a UAE official who asked not to be identified discuss ing private deliberations. The official said UAE is one of the few countries both the U.S. and Russia still trust. The UAE is a key U.S. strategic partner in the region and also has deep business ties with Russia.

The foreign ministries of the UAE and Saudi Arabia issued a joint state ment saying that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman also helped to broker the releases of Griner and Bout. The two were physically exchanged at the Abu Dhabi airport in the UAE.

Jean-Pierre, however, said no third parties medi ated the talks.

“The only countries that negotiated this deal were the United States and Russia, and there was no mediation involved,” she said. She expressed gratitude to the UAE for allowing the swap on its territory without acknowl

Also on display was a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft. It was painted to resemble the planes flown by George Welsh and Ken Taylor.

“(Welsh) was one of the handful of pilots who were able to get up off the ground at Pearl Harbor,” recounted Herm Rowland, who was born about 10 months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He said Welsh and Taylor combined to shoot down seven Japa nese planes that day.

The museum, at one time, had on display both a Japanese Zero and a P-51 Mustang – two planes that were in many air battles against each other.

Rowland is a volunteer with the museum and at the American Armory Museum. Guilt drives his time and effort.

“I went down to be drafted in 1960 . . . and the guy asked me if I was married, and I said yes; and he asked me if I had any kids, and I said yes. And the guy tells me they don’t draft men who are married and have kids,” Rowland said. “I felt guilty after that, so my whole life I’ve done whatever I can to support the military and support our veterans.”

He said the whole

cost – some with their lives.

Nick Sanza was one of the 60-plus people who attended the ceremony. His father, Francis “Jeep” Sanza, was Gen. George C. Patton’s driver.

Sanza, a tunnel rat during the Vietnam War, also is the creator of the Peleliu display that was part of the Pearl Harbor ceremony.

Peleliu was the site of a fierce Pacific battle where Marines of the 1st Marine Division and later, soldiers from the Army’s 81st Infantry Division fought to capture the air field on the coral island. The battle raged from Sept. 15 to Nov. 27, 1944.

PD as a civilian and never looked back,” he said of his job as a Community Service aide. He was hired as an officer two years later. That was 1976.

What

they were basically cut down on the beaches. Marine Corps casualties numbered 6,526, including Navy corpsmen and doctors, of whom 1,252 were killed. The 81st Division totaled 3,089 casualties, of whom 404 were killed in action.

Paul Mirich is the general manager at the museum. He is responsi ble for the rotation of the aircraft that have been on display.

It includes a B-52 bomber that was squeezed into what was once Jay Adair’s hangar at the airport. Adair is the founder of Copart, the international automo bile auction company now based in Texas.

They also have brought in a number of individuals

the council. He was there during the Great Reces sion, which forced deep cuts in the budget, and that translates to staff.

“And

At the Pearl Harbor ceremony, three airman from Travis Air Force Base told their stories of Operation Allies Refuge, which airlifted about 124,000 U.S. service members, civilians and Afghan refugees out of Kabul, Afghanistan.

Maj. Gen. Corey Martin, commander of the 18th Air Force and former commander of the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, will preside over a cer emony Friday during which 27 airmen who were part of the operation will receive Distinguished Flying Cross medals.

social, economic – and that’s important.”

as an Air Force brat, it wasn’t until he gradu ated from Vanden High School and broke away from his father’s military lifestyle that he had any real sense of what a home could be like.

“I’ve lived in seven or eight states; four years in Europe. I went to three different high schools . . . and finally gradu ated from Vanden High School,” Timm said.

Settling down was largely due to his high school sweetheart, turned wife of 47 years, Pat Timm.

“We’ve actually been together 50 years,” Timm said during a recent inter view at the Daily Republic.

Timm admits, however, that had he had perfect uncorrected vision – “I wore glasses” – he might have followed his father’s career path.

“But I wasn’t joining the military unless I could be a pilot,” Timm said.

He was 19 when his family headed to Illinois, and he decided to stay.

“I got a job with the

“You know, it was exciting. You were always learning something new, and it was go-gogo,” he said.

But things change, and one of those things was the crack cocaine trade of the 1980s. The city’s crime rate went up, and with it, the violence.

In 1984, as part of the street crime unit, he had tested for detective and got one of the openings. His patrol partner, Art Koch, was also moving out of the unit after his pro motion to sergeant.

It was his last day on patrol, a Saturday – Timm was not on duty – and Koch was shot. He died that Sunday.

“After Art died, the job was not fun for quite a while,” said Timm, who was involved in three deadly force inci dents in his career, and five on-duty car wrecks, none his fault.

“That is the bad stuff,” he said.

It is the same when he looks back on his time on

In a lot of ways, the city is still recover ing. He said at its peak, the city probably had 650 or more employees, and it is still 100 or more shy of that now.

“One of the real good things is we have hired good employees, and this is important because they run the city . . . and after the recession, we never came back to full strength,” said Timm, who added the current staff has picked up that slack in ever-changing and some times difficult times.

There have been some victories, including the businesses that have come out to the Solano Business Park, and he has great hope for the vision of the Heart of Fairfield Plan and the positive changes it will bring to the downtown area.

“And probably one of the things I am most proud of is housing – that we can put all kinds of housing throughout all parts of Fairfield,” he said. “So you get a mix of people with different backgrounds –

Still, the most reward ing part of his public service, Timm said, is when someone recog nizes him from his time on the police force and comes up and thanks him for something he did. It can be small, or in one memorable case, saving a young woman’s life. He attended her wedding and is godfather to that woman’s daughter.

Timm said many times he does not even rec ognize the person who is approaching him, but it never fails to lift him up a bit.

It was during his time as an officer that he really learned what it meant to take ownership in a com munity. A kidnap case, he said, heightened his awareness of every child he saw walking alone in the city, and he felt responsible for the little boy or girl. Everything he did drew him into the city’s core.

“In police work you see so much hate, and humans can be very cruel,” Timm said. “But we do get to see the good side, too.”

purpose of the museums, and specifically the Pearl Harbor display, is to teach the younger generations that freedom isn’t free; that there is a cost, and it is the men and women of the armed services who have paid that

the Americans did not know was that the Japanese had built a series of caves and tunnels, and so when the Marines landed,

to tell their stories. Among them was Bob Hoover, a pilot who was shot down, captured by the Germans and escaped from Stalag 1.

Bob convinced, shall we say, a German to give him a plane and he flew back to Holland,” Mirich said.

Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic

Herm Rowland speaks at an event marking the 81st anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor at the Rowland Freedom Center, at the Nut Tree Airport, Wednesday.

Giants have a number of options in a world without Aaron Judge

evan WeBeck BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

SAN DIEGO — The lobby of the Manchester Grand Hyatt was quiet Thursday morning, a sharp departure from the past week’s cacophony of activity. Following the winter meetings’ spending frenzy, teams have doled out more than $2 billion to players this winter.

The Giants, though, are respon sible only for a small fraction of the pie, despite seemingly big ambitions.

As Farhan Zaidi and the rest of the club’s braintrust boarded their flights home, they lacked the star power, the defensive upgrades, and lineup additions they desired to add when they arrived here. They lost out on Aaron Judge, and missed out on alternatives that were quickly scooped up. Worse yet, late Wednes day night, one of those options,

shortstop Xander Bogaerts, signed with the Padres, who seem as deter mined to create chaos as compete for the NL West.

Responsible for barely 3 percent of the money spent so far this winter, about $62 million between Joc Pederson and Mitch Haniger, the Giants have money to spend and now turn their attention elsewhere.

They still seek a starting pitcher, an outfielder and, most of all, an impact player.

Asked this week if that money was burning a hole in his pocket, Zaidi pointed to his pants.

“I definitely don’t have money literally burning a hole in my pocket,” Zaidi said with a smile.

“These are baseball decisions. We have the support of ownership. But we’re not being mandated to get to a certain level payroll wise.

“We have the flexibility to do that

Warner set for first showdown with Tom Brady

By JeRRy McDonalD BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

SANTA CLARA — Fred Warner isn’t the type to be star-struck but con cedes Sunday will be a milestone.

Warner, of the NFL’s best middle lineback ers for the 49ers, will be looking across the line of scrimmage and directly into the gaze of Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady for the first and possibly only time in his career.

“When you take a step back and look at it, it’s a pretty special moment,”

Warner said Wednesday as the 49ers (8-4) began preparations for their Week 14 matchup against the Buccaneers (6-6) at Levi’s Stadium. “I’ve played against the Patriots and the Bucs, but never against Tom on either of those teams so it would be cool seeing how it’s going to be on the other side of the field.”

Warner, despite his status and league-wide rep, is only 26. And when you consider Brady has faced the 49ers only three times in a career that began in 2000 – when Warner was 4 years old –

if the opportunities are right. It just has to be the right baseball player. I think for us it makes sense to be a little bit measured. There’s always going to have to be a breath after this decision, one way or another. That’s kind of where we’re at. But we’re expecting to stay busy.”

In a post-Judge world, who should be the Giants’ top priority? We take a look at the remaining free agents, possible trade targets – and even turn an eye to 2024.

Carlos Correa

The Giants reportedly had $360 million on the table for Judge. They can just as easily shift those funds to the player that became their top priority once he said no.

Correa won’t come much cheaper – he has been widely

See Giants, Page B10

Fairfield boys hope to find right combination

M att MilleR MMILLER@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The start to the 2022-23 bas ketball season has been a challenge for Eddie Wilson and his Fair field High School varsity boys, but he’s hoping those early lumps can build into a competitive drive once the league season starts in January.

Fairfield is off to a 1-4 start against a stout lineup that has fea tured American Canyon (62-44), Rio Ameri cano (84-36), Oak Ridge (61-40) and Franklin of Elk Grove (51-42). The Falcons’ lone victory was a big one against Dixon (61-39). Now they are taking part Thurs day through Saturday in the Miramonte Invita tional in Orinda.

“I like where we can be, but it will take a little time,” Wilson said. “It’s a good group of kids that do what we ask them to do. There are going to be some bumps in the road as we get ready to approach league. But we

LOCAL REPORT

want to be the best we can at the right time.”

Fairfield has been hit hard by different illnesses during the pre season. There was one week, Wilson said, where the Falcons weren’t able to practice because they didn’t have the numbers. Two of those players have returned for the tournament this weekend and others will soon follow.

Fairfield went 6-17 last season and has struggled for a number of years. The last winning team came in 2016-17 when the Falcons went 16-12 and reached the playoffs. The best team in the past decade was a 2013-14 squad that went 25-8 and went on a deep playoff run.

“We’ve been strug gling to teach kids how to win,” Wilson said. “The program has been down for a few years. We inten tionally left some talent down on the JV last year to get a taste of success. I feel like we’ll compete

See Falcons, Page B10

Armijo High’s boys soccer team shut out at home

Daily RepuBlic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The Armijo High School boys soccer team had some scoring chances but couldn’t convert at home Wednesday night in a 1-0 loss to visit ing Lincoln.

Lincoln scored the game’s only goal midway through the first half off of a free kick.

to turn away a shot when the goalkeeper got pulled out on the field to chal lenge a Lincoln attack. Flores said Diego Torres and Abraham Perez

Ascenio just missed needed goal opportuni ties by inches and steps.

The Royals are 2-4 overall. Armijo plays on the road Friday night at Lodi.

the fact that they’re seeing each other for the first time is not surprising.

Brady, 45, has stared across the line at 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who was a 22-year-old rookie with the Houston Texans in 2006 when they played

New England and lost 40-7. Brady recently broke 10,000 passing yards (including postsea son games). He led Tampa to a 17-16 win over New Orleans Monday night with two touchdown

“We knew coming into this game that we would be facing a strong opponent and made a couple of changes to set ourselves up for a good outcome,” Armijo head coach Megan Flores said in an email. “Unfortu nately, we came out a little flat-footed and did not connect or fight for the ball like we need to.”

Armijo defender Andres Orozco made a big play in the second half when he was able

The Armijo junior varsity boys lost for the first time this season, falling to Lincoln 2-0. That put the younger Royals at 5-1.

Armijo center-backs Anthony Soto and Mauri cio Galindo were able to contain as best as possi ble, Flores said. Edwing Saucedo took an indirect free-kick from inside the box that bounced back off the crossbar. After a foul outside the box, Lincoln was able to score

See Warner, Page B10 See Local, Page B2

Warriors’ Kuminga on scuffle with Jazz: ‘It was so funny’

By Shayna RuBin BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

The Warriors’ wild loss to the Utah Jazz will be remembered by the bizarre way in which Golden State blew a fourpoint lead within the final 13 seconds. But Jonathan Kuminga’s performance and skirmish with Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson shouldn’t go unnoticed.

The Warriors don’t erase a 12-point fourthquarter deficit without Kuminga’s physical scoring and staunch one-on-one defense. No

sequence best exem plified his impact and competitiveness than his offense-to-defense efforts with 36 seconds remaining in the game.

First the 20-year-old threw down a dunk off a falling feed from Jordan Poole to give the War riors a two-point lead with 36 seconds remain ing. Kuminga bottled up Clarkson – Utah’s leading scorer – on the ensuing inbound play, blocking his jumper much to the chagrin of Clarkson, who swatted at Kuminga and

the ball from behind. That’s when things got heated.

Kuminga pushed Clarkson away, prompt ing Donte DiVincenzo to wrap his teammate up and pull him back, and the pair started pushing each other as other teammates started to intervene. That’s when Clarkson appeared to square up Kuminga.

Kuminga laughed as officials stepped in to break up the scuffle.

“It was so funny,” Kuminga told reporters after the game. “I saw him square up and I’m

like, ‘You’re the one who fouled me, I ain’t gotta do all that.’ So it was funny just seeing that.”

The hard foul earned Clarkson a Flagrant 2 charge. Utah’s best scorer was ejected from the game. The Warriors would unwillingly compen sate them for their losses. First, Klay Thompson was caught ball-watching and left Malik Beasley wide open for a 3-pointer to put Utah down one. With seven seconds left, Jordan Poole turned the ball over and Utah’s Simone Fontecchio

scored the go-ahead dunk to secure the win with a second left.

In the fog of a headscratching loss, Kuminga came away with a sea son-high 24 points with five rebounds, a block and a steal and was plus-8 in 30 minutes.

“His defense was incredible on Clarkson on that one possession at the end there,” Thomp son said. “His ability to finish around the rim, JK is a special talent and he showcased that tonight. And while he’s young in

his career, when he keeps things simple, it’s impres sive to watch and he’s going to add layers to his game as each season goes by, so just an incredi ble talent.”

It was a performance in keeping with Kumin ga’s upward trend of late; he’s averaging 8 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game and has totaled a plus-23 over the Warriors’ last eight games.

“JK was tremendous tonight, fantastic,” coach

Troy Taylor, Jason Garrett favorites at Stanford B2

Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group/TNS file 49ers linebacker Fred Warner celebrates their 24-9 NFL victory over the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Oct. 3.

Alex Kormann, Star Tribune/TNS

Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa is a free agent target of many teams across Major League Baseball, including the San Francisco Giants who are looking to make a splash signing to improve the team.

CALENDAR

Friday’s TV sports

Basketball

G League

• South Bay vs. Santa Cruz, NBCSBA, 7 p.m.

NBA

• L.A. Lakers vs. Philadelphia, ESPN, 4:30 p.m.

• Sacramento vs. Cleveland, NBCSCA (Vacaville and Rio Vista), 4:30 p.m.

• Milwaukee vs. Dallas, ESPN, 7:05 p.m.

Football College

• Samford vs. North Dakota State, ESPN2, 4 p.m.

• William & Mary vs. Montana State, ESPN2, 7 p.m.

Golf

• Alfred Dunhill Championship, GOLF, 2 a.m.

• QBE Shootout, GOLF, 10 a.m.

Soccer

World Cup

• Croatia vs. Brazil, 2, 40, 7 a.m.

• Netherlands vs. Argentina, 2, 40, 11 a.m.

Saturday’s

Basketball College Men

TV sports

• Drexel vs. La Salle, USA, 9 a.m.

• Georgetown vs. Syracuse, 7, 10, 10 a.m.

• Oklahoma vs. Arkansas, ESPN2, 10 a.m.

• UNC-Asheville vs. Dayton, USA, 11 a.m.

• Alabama vs. Houston, 7, 10, Noon.

• Xavier vs. Cincinnati, ESPN2, Noon.

• Georgia Tech vs. North Carolina, ESPN, 12:15 p.m.

• Villanova vs. Boston College, 2, 40, 2 p.m.

• Auburn vs. Memphis, ESPN2, 2 p.m.

• Kansas vs. Missouri, ESPN, 2:15 p.m.

• Arizona vs. Indiana, 2, 40, 4:30 p.m.

• TCU vs. SMU, ESPN2, 7 p.m.

NBA

• Boston vs. Golden State, 7, 10, 5:30 p.m.

Boxing

• Lopez vs. Martin, ESPN, 6 p.m.

Football College

• Holy Cross vs. South Dakota State, ESPN, 9 a.m.

• Navy vs. Army, 5, 13, Noon.

Golf

• Alfred Dunhill Championship, GOLF, 2 a.m.

• QBE Shootout, GOLF, 10:30 a.m.

• QBE Shootout, 3, 11:30 a.m.

• Capital One’s The Match, TBS, TNT, 4 p.m.

Soccer World Cup

• Morocco vs. Portugal, 2, 40, 7 a.m.

• England vs. France, 2, 40, 11 a.m.

UFC

• Fight Night Prelims, ESPN2, 5 p.m.

BASKETBALL

NBA

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division

W L Pct GB Boston 21 5 808 Brooklyn 14 12 538 7 Toronto 13 12 520 7½ Philadelphia 12 12 500 8 New York 12 13 480 8½ Central Division W L Pct GB Milwaukee 18 6 750 Cleveland 16 9 640 2½ Indiana 13 12 520 5½ Chicago 10 14 417 8 Detroit 7 20 259 12½ Southeast Division W L Pct GB Atlanta 13 12 520 Miami 11 14 440 2 Washington 11 14 440 2 Charlotte 7 18 280 6 Orlando 6 20 231 7½

WESTERN CONFERENCE Northwest Division W L Pct GB Denver 14 10 583 Utah 15 12 556 ½ Portland 13 11 542 1 Minnesota 12 12 500 2 Oklahoma City 11 14 440 3½ Pacific Division W L Pct GB Phoenix 16 9 640 SACRAMENTO 13 10 565 2 L.A. Clippers 14 12 538 2½ GOLDEN STATE 13 13 500 3½ L.A. Lakers 10 14 417 5½ Southwest Division W L Pct GB New Orleans 16 8 667 Memphis 16 9 .640 ½ Dallas 13 11 542 3 Houston 7 17 292 9 San Antonio 6 18 250 10 Wednesday’s Games Milwaukee 126, SACRAMENTO 113 Utah 124, GOLDEN STATE 123 Orlando 116, L.A. Clippers 111 Brooklyn 122, Charlotte 116 N.Y. Knicks 113, Atlanta 89 Toronto 126, L.A. Lakers 113 Chicago 115, Washington 111 Memphis 123, Oklahoma City 102 Minnesota 121, Indiana 115

New Orleans 104, Detroit 98 Boston 125, Phoenix 98 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. Friday’s Games SACRAMENTO at Cleveland, 4:30 p.m. N.Y. Knicks at Charlotte, 4 p.m. Washington at Indiana, 4 p.m. Toronto at Orlando, 4 p.m. Atlanta at Brooklyn, 4:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m. Detroit at Memphis, 5 p.m. Phoenix at New Orleans, 5:30 p.m. Minnesota at Utah, 6 p.m. Milwaukee at Dallas, 7 p.m. Saturday’s Games Boston at Golden State, 5:30 p.m. San Antonio at Miami, 2 p.m. Brooklyn at Indiana, 4 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Washington, 4 p.m. Oklahoma City at Cleveland, 4:30 p.m. Dallas at Chicago, 5 p.m. Utah at Denver, 6 p.m. Minnesota at Portland, 7 p.m.

HOCKEY

NHL

Winnipeg

St. Louis

Ottawa at Dallas, (N) Friday’s Games SAN JOSE at Anaheim 7 p.m. Calgary at Columbus, 4 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at New Jersey, 4 p.m. Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 4 p.m. Seattle at Washington, 4 p.m. Winnipeg at Chicago, 5:30 p.m. Minnesota at Edmonton, 6 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Colorado, 6 p.m. Boston at Arizona, 6:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Vegas, 7 p.m. Saturday’s Games Ottawa at Nashville, 10:30 a.m. Detroit at Dallas, 11 a.m. Florida at Tampa Bay, 1:30 p.m. Buffalo at Pittsburgh, 4 p.m. Calgary at Toronto, 4 p.m. L.A. Kings at Montreal, 4 p.m. Carolina at N.Y. Islanders, 4:30 p.m. Minnesota at Vancouver, 7 p.m.

L.A. Rams 3 9 0 250 201 280 Week 14

Thursday’s Game Las Vegas at L.A. Rams, 5:15 p.m. Sunday’s Games Tampa Bay at SAN FRANCISCO, 1:25 p.m. 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.

Morocco’s family bonds fuel its historic run during World Cup

By K evin Baxter LOS ANGELES TIMES

AL RAYYAN, Qatar — Most teams at this World Cup have talked about being family.

The Moroccan team has truly been one.

The country’s soccer federation, acting on the request of coach Walid Regragui, has paid to bring players’ relatives to Qatar for the tournament and the team has paid it back by becoming the first African country to reach the quarterfinals since Ghana in 2010.

Morocco’s victory over Spain on penalty kicks Tuesday was just the latest – and most dra matic – surprise of a World Cup that has been full of twists and turns. Argen tina, which came to Qatar ranked third in the world and unbeaten in 36 straight games, lost its opener to No. 51 Saudi Arabia.

Argentina went into that match with almost as many World Cup titles, two, as Saudi Arabia had World Cup wins, three.

Lionel Messi and Co. recovered to win their next

three games and advance to the quarterfinals, where they will meet the Nether lands on Friday.

Top-ranked Brazil, meanwhile, lost Neymar to an ankle injury in its opener, then stum bled through its next two matches. But Neymar’s return in the round of 16 brought back Brazil’s flair and panache, result ing in a dominant 4-1 win over South Korea that rees tablished the team as the tournament favorite. It will play Croatia, the 2018 run ner-up, in its quarterfinal

while France, the reign ing champion, will meet England on Saturday.

Belgium, Germany, Uruguay, Denmark and Mexico, all ranked in the top 14, never did find their stride in Qatar, with all five teams going out in the group stage. Denmark didn’t even win a game.

Morocco, however, is still standing. It will meet Portugal on Saturday with a chance to become the first African team to reach the World Cup semi finals, and the $17 million in bonuses it earned by

making it this far has already paid for the invest ment the federation made to create the family envi ronment around the team.

For Regragui, 47, a former national team defender who played for 13 years in France and Spain, the program has proved personally fulfill ing as well.

“During his whole career as a player and as a coach, I never traveled to watch him,” his mother Fatima told Moroccan sports channel Arryadia. “I’ve been living in France for more than 50 years now and this is the first compe tition that I left Paris for.” But it’s also part of a bigger plan to cleanse the toxic environment created by Vahid Halilhodzic, Regragui’s predeces sor, who was fired three months before the World Cup.

Halilhodzic, who was previously sacked by Japan and Ivory Coast, was criticized for leaving foreign-born defenders Hakim Ziyech and Nous sair Mazraoui off his roster for last winter’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Stanford eyes Troy Taylor, Jason Garrett in coach search

By Joe DaviDson THE SACRAMENTO BEE

Multiple national reports have identified Sacramento State coach Troy Taylor and former Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett as finalists for the Stanford football post that was vacated when David Shaw resigned last month.

Taylor is a well-known name in Northern Cali fornia. He earned his third Big Sky Confer ence Coach of the Year award this season in addition to being named AFCA Region 5 FCS Coach of the Year this week. Taylor has led the Hornets to a 12-0 record and the No. 2 national FCS ranking heading into Friday night’s quar terfinal playoff game against Incarnate Word of San Antonio.

Taylor, 54, was The Sacramento Bee’s Player of the Year in

1985 when he quarter backed Cordova High School to a 14-0 record. He set a number of career passing marks and was named team MVP three times at Cal from 1986-89. Cal, of course, is Stanford’s chief rival. Would the Cardinal hire a Golden Bear?

Taylor visited the Stanford campus earlier this week. He has led Sacramento State to a 30-7 record after taking over a program in steep decline, foster ing an environment of love and commitment with a continuous theme that players are to have these priorities in order: to graduate and to play fun football.

Garrett, 56, has never coached college football. The Princeton graduate and longtime Cowboys backup quarterback and coach has been an NBC analyst this season.

a goal from a free kick to go up 1-0 in the first half.

Lincoln was able to continue the pressure in the second half and was awarded a penalty in the last five minutes of the game. Goalkeeper Abraham Martinez blocked the shot but the Lincoln player took the rebound and scored.

Basketball Vaca Christian’s boys pick up wins

VACAVILLE — The Vacaville Christian boys basketball team picked up a pair of road wins this week, beating Elliott Christian of Lodi 75-44 on Tuesday night before cruising past Winters 67-29 on Wednesday.

Garrett Kuch led four Falcons in double-fig ures in the win over Elliott Christian with 18 points. Dominic Ruff had 16 points, Tanner Tripp scored 12 and Brian Laxamana added 10. Thomas Lane scored seven points to go with seven rebounds and six assists.

Laxamana was the leading scorer against Winters with 19 points. Tripp and Kuch each had 11 points and Ruff scored 10. Kuch added five rebounds and Landen Graves had six assists.

The Falcons improved to 5-1 overall. Vacav ille Christian was back in action at 7:30 p.m. Thurs day at home against Aspire Langston Hughes Academy of Stockton.

Wood boys set tone early in big victory

VACAVILLE — Will C. Wood High School’s boys basketball team got off to a fast start and rolled to a 53-38 win Wednesday night over Rosemont of Sacramento.

The Wildcats raced out to a 20-4 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. It was 29-16 at halftime. Wood improved to 3-1.

Jayden Hamilton-Hol land led Will C. Wood with 13 points. Ryan Sison had 12 points and Nigel Rogers and Eric Lacy added 10 apiece. Isiah Dixon con tributed six rebounds and five assists.

Wood opened play Thursday night in the Galt tournament with games also scheduled Friday and

Saturday in the event.

College

Solano women rally late to top Hartnell

ROCKVILLE — The Solano Community College women’s basketball team closed its game Tuesday night at Hartnell in Salinas strong and came away with a 69-61 victory.

Solano ended the game

with a 23-11 edge in the final period that helped ice the victory. The Falcons improved to 4-5. Solano had a late game Thursday night against Siskiyous and was scheduled to play Shasta on Friday.

Julia Wright led the Falcons with 14 points in the Hartnell win. Bella Merritt scored 12 points and had six rebounds. Melody Rafan also had 12 points and Ale Ibarra added 11.

Xavier Mascarenas/Sacramento Bee/TNS file

Sacramento State Hornets head coach Troy Taylor does interviews after the Hornets’ win over the UC Davis Aggies in the Causeway Classic, Nov. 19.

Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Moroccan players throw Moroccan coach Walid Regragui in the air as they celebrate at the end of win against Spain at the Education City Stadium in Qatar, Tuesday.

My friend’s loss of a pet

has her withdrawing from longtime friends

Dear Annie: I have been friends with “Jasmine” for over 50 years. Jasmine has trouble dealing with loss, often grieving for decades. Last year, she lost her dog. She sits and cries every night. I understand that loss is harder for some than others, but Jasmine is so angry. She has cut off contact with longtime friends for saying things like, “You all outlive your pets,” and, “At least you still have your family.”

Jasmine says the dog was her daughter and she should not have to get over the loss. All Jasmine wants to talk about is how alone she is and how angry she is about what people have said to her about the loss. I have tried to be supportive and pointed out the positive things people have said, but she twists that into more neg ativity. She has cut off contact with friends who suggested she move on. She has even caused a problem in her brother’s mar riage because of her anger. She refuses to get help, saying she just needs her dog back. What can I do? — Unsure

Dear Unsure: If she’s refus ing help and isolating herself from her community, there’s not much you can do. She clearly needs to change her mindset, but she needs to want to make that change.

Moving on doesn’t mean we forget about our loved ones – even if it feels that way

sometimes. Communi cate that to Jasmine, and tell her to take the time she needs to process her loss. Let her know that you will be there once she is ready to rejoin her commu nity, and then take a step back. You can have compassion for Jasmine while still setting some boundaries to protect your mental health.

Dear Annie: I read the letter from “Gutted Grandma,” who was upset she wasn’t invited to meet her newborn grandsons while her daughter-in-law’s family was and is not currently on speaking terms with her son and his family, and it feels like a lot of things were overlooked. I myself gave birth to iden tical twin boys this summer. Immediately after, I was sore, bleeding, emotional and didn’t want to see anybody. I’m not sure why the mother, who just went through a difficult medical procedure – which is what childbirth is – is not given more deference and thought is only given to, “I want to see the baby.” The daughter-inlaw’s parents were there to see their own baby, who just went through this as much as the newborns. It’s also unsur prising that in those first days/ weeks, when recovery is the hardest, that she would want to be surrounded by those people she is most comfortable around when feeling so vulnerable.

I can also think of nothing so incredibly rude as announc

Horoscopes

ARIES (March 21-April 19).

You create your life, but not completely. You always have creative partners. Even when you’re finally in charge, you’re still in a co-creation with life itself. Affect what you can. If it doesn’t yield to you, it’s not yours to control.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). When you buy into your future, you accept that things could go either way; victory and defeat are two sides of the same coin, and there is no such thing as a one-sided coin. However, the fates favor you in today’s toss.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You can tap into an intensity when you want or need to. It’s an attractive side of you, in part because you rarely use it. Though you usually like to keep things light, brief instances of passion make life sparkle with excitement.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). It’s not the amount of stress in your life, but how you deal with it that matters. You’re finding new ways all the time. You’ll continue to hone your game until you can deftly handle the very things that once caused you anxiety.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You know almost everything about something and something about almost everything. Given your current level of sophistica tion you may wonder if it’s still

by Holiday Mathis

possible to have a day filled with carefree innocence. It is and you will.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).

You may not be able to artic ulate what’s on your heart, but if you write it out, you’ll come to an interesting conclu sion. Three pages is the magic number. By the end of the third page, you will understand your next move.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

Extend an invitation – the more specific the better. Whether or not your invite is accepted will have more to do with con venience and fit than anything else, so geographic desirability will earn points.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

It feels nice to be under stood, but if you’re more often misunderstood today, don’t worry – it’s actually making you better. You’ll problemsolve and determine how better to communicate with different types of people.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). You’re not inclined to sell people on things they don’t need or want, even if it would be good for you, your boss or your company. Honesty may cost you a short-term sale, but it will win you a long-term fan and future customer.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). You’ve known rela tionships that were comfortable

ing to new parents that you’re coming to their house, family or not. I would’ve had choice words for anyone who would be so bold. It’d be better to ask when a good time is and accept that more and more people are asking for space to get into a routine. It honestly sounds like the letter writer has a history of boundary stomping and the daughter-in-law was preserv ing her peace how she saw fit. Kudos to her husband for having her back! And if the family has a history of over sharing online, it’s hardly surprising the mother-inlaw’s family and friends have been cut off.

The stories of families posting baby pictures despite the parents’ wishes are numer ous. I agree that Grandma should reach out, but I strongly think she has more bridgebuilding to do before getting regular access to the babies. —

Just Another Perspective

Dear Another Perspective:

As a new mother of twins your self, I really appreciate your insight on the “Gutted Grand ma’s” situation. Thank you for writing in. Bringing children into the world is a beauti ful and undeniably laboring endeavor, and the points you’ve made make complete sense. For whatever factors were at play in this scenario, I hope “Gutted” has since been able to smooth things over with her son and daughter-in-law and, together, celebrate as a whole family these two new blessings.

Today’s birthday

Your adventurous spirit leads you to gain skills. You’ll take on new projects, not because you know how to do the work but because you don’t. Your expertise in one area will spread to another and your power will grow. More highlights: a medal won in a competitive event, domestic bliss as you follow your heart and a family mystery solved. Taurus and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 13, 28, 8 and 6.

from the get-go and never got less-so. Also, some relation ships have always been and will always be difficult. Accept the work as a given feature of the relationship and it’s easier to take.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). You’ll be struck by a realization: What you’re doing is not what you set out to do. False starts, strange turns and the like are all part of the process. Be patient with your self as you find your way.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Because you’re so creative your mind will go in multiple direc tions, some more helpful than others. You can rein in your thoughts, kindly picking and choosing the most supportive among them to put on repeat.

TRY TO THINK IN STRAIGHT LINES

Mary McCarthy claimed that there are no new truths, only truths that have not been recognized by those who have perceived them without noticing. In bridge, if you think the right thoughts, you will find the truth of a deal. The hard part is asking yourself the right questions so that you have

Sudoku

TRY TO THINK IN STRAIGHT LINES

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

Mary McCarthy claimed that there are no new truths, only truths that have not been recognized by those who have perceived them without noticing.

In bridge, if you think the right thoughts, you will find the truth of a

by Phillip Alder

winning thoughts. Take today’s deal as an example. How would you plan the play in four hearts after West leads the club jack? Your two-heart jump overcall in the balancing position showed a good six-card suit and some 14 to 16 points. Your game bid was optimistic. There is a lot of information available. West opened the bidding, and East passed. So East must have fewer than 6 points. West didn’t lead a diamond – why not? Because he doesn’t have an honor combination. It is almost a certainty that East has the diamond king and West understandably didn’t want to lead from a suit headed by the ace-queen.

If East has the diamond king, who has the heart king? It must be West. So there is no point in taking the trump finesse. After winning trick one with dummy’s club king, lead the heart jack to tempt a cover, just in case. But when East plays low, put up the ace. If your luck is in, West will drop the king. Draw the last trump and cash your other two clubs, discarding one of dummy’s diamond losers.

It is rare to be able to read the high-card location so accurately at trick one – but if you ask yourself the right questions, you will perceive the truth.

COPYRIGHT: 2022, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

by Wayne Gould

Difficulty level: SILVER

Bridge

‘daughter’

Word Sleuth

Annie Lane Dear Annie

A childlike Pittsburgh trash collector (Tom Hulce, right) helps put his twin brother (Ray Liotta) through medical school in “Dominick and Eugene.”

The WashingTon PosT

Wordle was the mostsearched term on Google search in 2022, both in the United States and across the world, according to the Google Trends Year in Search roundup. The game beat out terms like “election results” and “Jeffrey Dahmer” in the United States (the 2nd and 10th most popular terms, respectively) and “Ukraine” and “Queen Elizabeth” globally (3rd and 4th).

“This really became a shared obsession for everyone and you can see that in the data,” Simon Rogers, trends data team lead at Google, told The Washington Post.

Wordle is a daily vocabulary game, similar to Jotto or Mastermind, in which users are given six guesses to figure out the word of the day. All players get the same word (which is determined by an editor at the New York Times) and can play only once per day.

The game became a viral hit in late 2021 after players started sharing cryptic emoji square arrangements along with a snippet of text (usually the word Wordle, fol lowed by the number of the puzzle) on social media, prompting others to ask: “What’s Wordle?”

On Jan. 31, the New York Times Company purchased Wordle from its original developer, the programmer Josh Wardle, for an undis closed “low-seven figure” sum.

Readers dismayed to learn that Wordle outper formed other, more grave subjects on Google search can take solace in the fact that its placement at the top of the list came from people searching the term year-round. A Trends comparison of the terms Wordle, Queen Elizabeth II and Ukraine shows higher average inter est in Wordle throughout the year, but also peaks during momentous, newsmaking weeks when the other terms dominated.

“I would say what made Wordle trend

higher was that it was something that consis tently captivated people throughout the year,” Rogers said. “There were moments within the year such as the invasion of Ukraine and the passing of Her Majesty the Queen where those terms spiked much higher. But peo ple’s love for the game remained consistent, because for many people, the game has been a daily highlight or pick-me-up.”

Five-letter Wordle answers also made up the bulk of the top Google searches for word def initions in 2022. Of the top 10 searched-for definitions, Google iden tified seven as Wordle answers: cacao, homer, canny, foray, trove, saute and tacit. The top trend ing definition was also a five-letter word, and a Wordle answer in March: rupee, a name for the currency used in several South Asian countries, including India. In its roundup, Google did not mark rupee as a Wordlerelated search. Oligarch and recession rounded out the list of the top 10 words for which users sought definitions.

“I think it’s a testa ment to just how much Wordle took the world by storm in 2022,” Rogers said. “You simply can’t overstate it!”

In the U.S., 2022’s top trending Google searches were:

Wordle

Election results

Betty White

Queen Elizabeth

Bob Saget

Ukraine

Mega Millions

Powerball numbers

Anne Heche

Jeffrey Dahmer

the top 10 Google Searches were:

Wordle

India vs England

Ukraine

Queen Elizabeth

Ind vs SA (a cricket

between India and South Africa)

World Cup

India vs West Indies

iPhone 14

Jeffrey Dahmer

Indian Premier League

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

The 20 best albums of 2022

Mikael Wood LOS ANGELES TIMES

In a year when we inched that much closer to streaming’s eternal now, the music of 2022 felt suffused with tempo rality – looking back to a better time, anticipating tomorrow’s promise, taking stock of the present in 15-second snippets.

1. Beyoncé, “Renais sance”: Pop’s deepest-thinking superstar doesn’t really deal in anything but Big Impor tant Statements. Yet the textural scope and intellec tual rigor – not to mention the emotion and the pure plea sure – of this loving tribute to dance music’s Black and queer pioneers is still staggering to behold. Play it in the club; play it in the library; play it wher ever someone may doubt that history is alive.

2. Rosalía, “Motomami”: Another thoroughgoing work of pop scholarship, this one from a Spanish singer, songwriter and producer for whom cultural boundaries exert all the weight of ink on a mapmaker’s paper.

3. Bad Bunny, “Un Verano Sin Ti”: The most inescapable album of 2022 – its Spanish title translates, ironically, to “A Summer Without You” –never wore out its welcome because Bad Bunny keeps finding fresh settings for the signature drama-king sob in his voice. Drawing from reggae ton, bachata, hip-hop, dembow, synth-pop, mambo and reggae, the endlessly vibey “Un Verano Sin Ti” is a treasure chest dis guised as a beach cooler.

4. Taylor Swift, “Mid nights”: Having scratched an itch to write fiction with 2020’s “Folklore” and “Ever more” – then having combed carefully through her past with last year’s re-recordings of “Fearless” and “Red” – Swift returned to the highly (if slyly) diaristic mode upon which her parasocial celebrity was built. Come for the veiled refer

ences to her various romantic and professional imbroglios; stay for the breeziness in her voice as she almost-rhymes “bad surprise” and “some dickhead guy.”

5. Alvvays, “Blue Rev”: Frontwoman Molly Rankin makes clear who she means when she quotes Belinda Car lisle’s “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” amid the gorgeous squall of this Canadian indie band’s “Belinda Says.” But on the year’s finest guitar album – a dream-pop excur sion irresistible to ’80s noise boys and ’90s velocity girls –Alvvays is not not shouting out Bilinda Butcher of My Bloody Valentine too.

6. Angel Olsen, “Big Time”: Recorded in Topanga Canyon with memories of midcen tury Nashville on her mind, Olsen’s sixth studio LP uses horns and shimmering pedal steel to frame her grief over the deaths of both her parents even as it looks ahead to the fulfill ment she envisioned when she told them she was gay shortly before they died. A new queer country-soul classic for fans of “Dusty in Memphis” and “I Am Shelby Lynne.”

7. Lainey Wilson, “Bell Bottom Country”: Nashville’s brightest new star describes herself as a “hillbilly hippie,” which gets at her sense of humor and at the funky clas sic-rock moves that can evoke Sheryl Crow’s “Tuesday Night Music Club.” But Wilson is at her best in yearning love songs like “Watermelon Moonshine” (“Parkin’ back in them kudzu vines / I was his and every bit of that boy was mine”) and “Heart Like a Truck,” where she wears the dings and scrapes of romance with pride.

8. Barbra Streisand, “Live at the Bon Soir”: Wanna hear some magnificent singing? One option is shelling out a few thousand bucks to catch the show Adele just opened at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Another is spinning this set of newly restored live record ings from a steady gig Adele’s closest predecessor held 60 years ago at a tiny nightclub in New York’s West Village. To hear what Streisand does – at age 20! – with “Cry Me a River” and “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” is to wonder whether anyone ever balanced finesse and vehemence so beau tifully again.

9. Charlie Puth, “Charlie”: Puth composed much of “Charlie” live on TikTok, which says as much about his bottom less music-school facility as it does about his endearingly cringe approach to modern pop stardom.

10. Wizkid, “More Love, Less Ego”: Sade fans impa tient for her first album since 2010 should immerse them selves in the latest from this Nigerian star of the interna tional Afrobeats scene. “More Love, Less Ego” follows Wiz kid’s American breakthrough with “Essence,” which cracked the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100 last year thanks in part to a remix featuring Justin Bieber. Yet the LP’s glassy sur faces and unhurried grooves betray no thirstiness for more; in his music, the saxophone solo is safe.

And here, in alphabeti cal order, are 10 more not to be missed:

n The 1975, “Being Funny in a Foreign Language” n Arctic Monkeys, “The Car” n Drake, “Honestly, Never mind”

n Kendrick Lamar, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” n Miranda Lambert, “Palomino” n Lucius, “Second Nature” n Marcus Mumford, “(self-titled)” n Cécile McLorin Salvant, “Ghost Song” n Harry Styles, “Harry’s House” n The Weeknd, “Dawn FM”

WILL YOU THINK OF THE KEY PLAY?

There is no need to think outside the box. Simply realize that there is no box . . . once you have taken out the deck of cards!

This week’s deals have stressed thinking down unusual paths. Here is the toughest – but you have all weekend to think it over.

How should South play in three

Sudoku

Bridge

WILL YOU THINK OF THE KEY PLAY?

There

by Phillip Alder

no-trump after West leads his fourth-highest spade?

North wondered about bidding four diamonds over three no-trump but, here, did well to pass. Four hearts and five diamonds could have been made if declarer found the diamond queen.

South started with six top tricks: two spades, one heart, two diamonds and one club. If he could guess who held the diamond queen, he would have no trouble. Since West seemed to have more spades than East, he was less likely to have the diamond queen. So the original declarer cashed the club ace and played a diamond to his jack. However, West scooped up that trick and led a second spade. Now declarer had no chance to make his contract.

Afterward, the players discussed the deal over a glass of wine and nibbles. They tried various lines but always seemed to have to guess who held the diamond queen.

Then, finally, someone spotted the solution.

“We must think outside the box and make use of our spade jack and 10. After the spade king and club ace, we play a diamond to the king and lead the club queen, discarding the spade ace from the board. If they set up spades, we are in our hand to run the clubs. If they shift to hearts, our jack and 10 produce a ninth trick.”

by Wayne Gould

Bridge

Mason Poole/AMPAS via Getty Images/TNS file Beyoncé performs during the ABC telecast of the 94th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, March 27.

ility, familial status, and marital status. Describe the Property Not the Tenant

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expected to receive the largest contract of the four free-agent short stops, whose deals already shot past projections – but could be an ever better fit in San Francisco.

At 28, Correa is more than two years younger than Judge.

As a shortstop, he also plays a premium position. That raises the Brandon Crawford question.

Manager Gabe Kapler said he hasn’t talked to the Giants’ longtime shortstop about switching positions, but the San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing anonymous sources, that the Giants would move Crawford to third base if they were to sign Correa.

Although he comes tainted by the Astros’ signstealing scandal, Correa was viewed as a club house leader last season in Minnesota, and many in the industry believe his outstanding baseball IQ will help brunt his aging curve on a long-term con tract that takes him into his late 30s.

Bryan Reynolds, Ramón Laureano

Zaidi said the Giants have been active in trade talks, and calls have assur edly been made to David Forst and Ben Chering ton, the respective general managers of the A’s and Pirates.

In the same vein as Nimmo, Reynolds and Laureano are all the more attractive for the Giants because of the down stream effects of their ability to handle center field. “You’re talking about the ability to move guys to positions a little bit down the defensive spectrum where they may be even better,” Zaidi said.

Reynolds, 27, won’t hit free agency until 2026 and was worth 6.0 bWAR in 2021. The onetime San Francisco prospect hit three more home runs in 2022 (27) but regressed in most other offensive categories. Once dealt for Andrew McCutchen, Reynolds is now the star outfielder, and he has requested a trade, though it’s not clear if the Pirates will grant that wish.

Laureano, 28, also has three more years of team control. However, after he posted an .860 OPS during a career year in 2019, he was popped for performance-enhanc ing drugs and hasn’t had a season within 100 OPS points since.

Carlos Rodón, Kodai Senga

The Yankees success fully played defense, stopping the Giants from stealing their top free agent, and now they are expected to go on the offen sive. New York may be the favorite for the Giants’ top guy, Carlos Rodón, who is now said to be seeking seven years.

The Giants, though, are still in the running for Rodón.

They could choose to re-allocate the funds earmarked for Judge to instead fortify their rota tion, not unlike 2007, when they missed out on the biggest sluggers available only to sign Barry Zito.

Despite Zito’s unlikely postseason heroics, the Giants would probably like to have that one back. No matter how much they like Rodón – and they do – com mitting seven years to a pitcher, like they did Zito,

may scare them off.

Senga might be the nextbest available starter. His fastball hits 100 mph, and he throws a “ghost” split ter, but a perceived lack of command and the uncer tainty of transitioning from Nippon Professional Base ball to the majors should discount his cost com pared to Rodón.

Shohei Ohtani

Consider this the long-term play.

Perry Minasian, the Angels general manager (and brother of Giants assistant GM Zack Mina sian), said Ohtani isn’t going anywhere this winter. But the decision won’t be up to the Angels next offseason; then, it is Ohtani’s choice.

Ever wondered what Babe Ruth would be paid in modern baseball? Coming to a hot stove near you, November 2023. Ohtani is sure to shatter the record just set by Judge for the largest contract ever signed by a free agent, if he is allowed to reach the open market.

There are growing signs of Ohtani’s impatience with the Angels, who haven’t made the postseason since his arrival, despite also having Mike Trout. The Giants, who missed out the first time around, would love a second chance.

Limiting spending this winter could allow them to blow away Ohtani this time next year.

Would signing Senga, a fellow countryman, help the Giants entice Ohtani?

While conventional wisdom might suggest so, one reason Ohtani initially picked the Angels was said to be so that he could operate outside the shadow of other Japanese super stars. Then again, nobody could possibly outshine Ohtani now.

Sean Murphy, Danny Jansen

As much as the Giants would like Joey Bart to be their catcher for years to come, he didn’t do enough last season to enter this winter with 100% job secu rity. And, it so happens, the trade market is flush with attractive catching options.

“It falls under the bucket of: you’re going to look at every option to improve the team,” Zaidi said Monday of explor ing the catching market. “We feel really good about (Bart and Austin Wynns) as a catching tandem. Especially this week, I think people are exploring everything. I think that’s true for us, too.”

Murphy, 28, is seen as even more likely to move than Laureano. The Giants could kill two birds with one stone, and they wouldn’t have to throw it very far.

Jansen, 27, is part of a catching logjam in Toronto, which also has hard-hitting Alejandro Kirk and top prospect Gabriel Moreno. Jansen, who hit .260/.339/.516 (an .855 OPS) with 16 home runs in 215 at-bats last season, is seen as the most likely to be dealt.

He is under team control through 2025 and, like Murphy, would represent a signifi cant offensive upgrade.

Dansby Swanson

Besides Correa, Swanson is the last of the four top free-agent short stops and would be in close competition with Nimmo for the next-best remaining position player. However, the Giants aren’t believed to be serious players in his market.

By Jason a nderson THE SACRAMENTO BEE

Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox sat in front of his locker following a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks late Wednesday night while a member of the team’s medical staff applied ointment and a light wrap to his right foot.

Fox revealed he has been playing through a lingering injury that has caused pain and dis comfort for more than a month. Fox told The Sac ramento Bee he sustained the injury in a Nov. 5 win over the Orlando Magic. Fox said an MRI showed he suffered a bruise to his foot.

“It’s been hurting for a while,” Fox said. “Since Orlando, actually.”

Asked how much the foot is bothering him, Fox

said: “A lot.”

Fox indicated he does not expect to be sidelined by the injury as the Kings prepare to face the Cleve land Cavaliers on Friday at Rocket Mortgage Field House in the second game of a six-game road trip.

Fox was held to

15 points, two rebounds and two assists in a 126-113 loss to the Bucks on Wednesday at Fiserv Forum. He went 5 of 16 from the field and 1 of 6 from 3-point range. That continued a recent trend for Fox, who has made just 39 of 102 (.382) field-

goal attempts and 10 of 35 (.286) from beyond the arc over the past seven games.

Fox has also been playing through a recent illness and a minor thumb injury. He said he hurt his left thumb in a Nov. 30 victory over the Indiana Pacers and aggravated the injury in Wednesday’s game against the Bucks. Fox said he is getting over the illness.

“It doesn’t really hurt my chest like it was,” said. Fox said there is no concern that he could further damage his injured right foot, saying it’s more of an issue of pain tolerance.

“I’ve played well while it was hurting, so I’ll be fine,” he said.

Fox scored 37 points in the win over Orlando.

drives within the final three minutes.

“He has the seven rings but you really watch him and it’s unlike anybody who ever played (quar terback),” Warner said. “He’s so exact (about) where he’s going with the ball. You wonder, how do you stop it? It’s going to take some extra film study and taking a good look at him.”

Warner believes he is playing the best foot ball of his career. He and Talanoa Hufanga got their signals crossed on the first snap of the game against Miami and it resulted in Trent Sherfield breaking free on a 75-yard touch down pass from Tua Tagovailoa.

But Warner later

Falcons

From Page B1

Warnercame back for a key pass breakup – the same kind of play Aaron Rodgers vic timized him in Week 3 last season to set up a gamewinning field goal – and throughout the season has been the heartbeat and emotional leader of the NFL’s top-ranked defense.

He closed out the game against Miami backup Skyler Thompson with an interception.

Coach Kyle Shanahan, who was on the wrong end of Brady’s 19-point comeback in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI (the Patriots won 34-28 in overtime), has given up trying to figure out when the quarterback will show his age.

“He plays the position better than anyone better than anyone ever and he’s definitely the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) from what I’ve seen, but I don’t say that just because he has won Super Bowls,”

Shanahan said. “I say it because of how he plays the position.”

Brady, Shanahan said, can calculate the clock, matchups and coverages in an instant and know the right move based on down and distance.

It is because of that skill that Warner doesn’t plan on attempting to think with Brady. Rather, the 49ers defensively will play their style, depend on their athleticism and personnel and hope that’s enough.

“I don’t want to overthink things to see, ‘Oh, he thinks I’m going to do this, so I’ll do this (instead),’ ” Warner said. “You can go down a rabbit hole if you do that. I think it comes down to doing what we do and being on assignment and running and hitting.”

Brady remains precise, completing 66.3 percent of his passes with 16 touch downs and just three

interceptions, but Tampa Bay has struggled to run the ball and scoring has been a problem.

To which Warner replies: “You don’t want to be the team where they finally figure it out and drop 30 or 40 on your head.”

One thing the 49ers could see is more no-hud dle. The Bucs floundered against Tampa Bay right up to the point where Brady took over in a twominute situation and then produced yards and puts instantly.

“If they’re down that much, he’s going to start being aggressive, but it’s never stupid,” Shana han said. “New Orleans had a couple of chances to finish it. They came up just a bit short and when that happens versus Tom, that’s why he’s done it more than anyone.”

but we are relatively inexperienced scoring-wise.”

Wilson returns senior guards Virgilio Caragan, Jamaal Williams and Nehemiah Simons who saw sig nificant minutes last season. He’s counting on junior guard Amari

Bryant and sophomore guard Amarre Davis to handle the ball, and get some scoring from top shooter Nicko Ignacio, a junior guard, and junior guard Rashaud Holt. The Falcons will also need some post production from juniors Evan Smith and Caedom Lain, who both stand at 6-foot-5 and above. The rest of the team includes senior guard Amir Price, senior guard Vedant Singh, senior wing Davonte Chatman, senior post Dylan

Flores, junior wing Jamil Johnson and junior wing Samuel Woldai.

“It’s a good group with diverse talent,” Wilson said. “We have depth at the wings and we have a couple of bigs. We have the right number of seniors and juniors. They just don’t have the experience that many guys do on the varsity level.”

The Falcons have until Jan. 10, a home game against Vacaville, to see where they line up heading into the Monticello Empire League season.

From

Steve Kerr said. “He con tinued his recent play as far as defense and running the floor and really being solid but he added the scoring, getting to the rim, posting up a couple times.

Fantastic defensive play down the stretch when he blocked Clarkson’s shot and then got fouled.

“JK was magnifi cent and it’s a shame we couldn’t finish it off with a win because I thought both he and Moses [Moody] played huge minutes for us down the stretch,” Kerr added.

Paul Kitagaki Jr./TNS file

sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown talks with guard De’Aaron Fox in the fourth quarter during a game at the Golden 1 Center in sacramento, Nov. 28.