Daily Republic: Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Sources: Hudson to create 2nd vacancy on Suisun council

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SUISUN CITY —

Councilman Mike Hudson is believed to be stepping down from his Suisun City council post in the near future.

Three independent sources – two from the city –have said Hudson has told them of his plans to step down from the City Council before his current term is up. One source indicated Hudson will be moving to Utah.

There is, in fact, some speculation that he has already relocated to Utah.

Hudson called into the Dec. 20 council meeting, but did not disclose from where, and had called in to a past meeting of the Suisun-Solano Water Authority, from Utah,

although he did attend the last agency meeting in November.

Hudson, who in an earlier phone interview said he was not ready to make a statement about his plans, has not returned two later calls seeking comment. Changes to the open meeting laws will require any elected official to reveal his or her location when calling into a meeting.

Councilwoman Jenalee Dawson, who also phoned in to the last meeting, disclosed she was at home after testing positive for the coronavirus.

The City Council is already in the middle of trying to fill a vacancy created when Alma Hernandez was

Supreme Court keeps Title 42 border policy in place for now

A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an order that keeps in place the pandemicrelated border policy known as Title 42, allowing border agents to continue turning away migrants seeking asylum at least for months.

The court agreed to decide whether Republican-led states can intervene in a lawsuit and defend the policy, which has allowed border agents to swiftly turn back migrants without considering their asylum claims since March 2020.

The justices plan to hear oral arguments in February, which would put the court on track to issue an opinion on that question this term, which concludes at the end of June.

The Supreme Court made clear in the order that it would not be con-

sidering the merits of a November ruling by a Washington federal judge, who found that the border policy was issued illegally and ordered it terminated by Dec. 21. If the justices decide to let the states join the case, it could tee up further battles in the lower courts over the legality of the border rule.

The order notes that it pauses the lower court ruling but “does not prevent the federal government from taking any action with respect to that policy.”

White House Press Secretary Karine JeanPierre said in a statement that the Biden administration “will, of course, comply with the order and prepare for the Court’s review.”

She added that the administration is “advancing our preparations to manage the

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

WINTERS — It has been a comeback year for salmon in Putah Creek.

Max Stevenson, the streamkeeper for the Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Committee and the Solano County Water Agency, estimates more than 500 fish are in the creek system.

The boards at the Los Rios Check Dam were removed in late October, and the fish have been making their way into the creek ever since.

“There are hundreds of salmon in the system and they are still coming up,” said Stevenson, who took over Jan. 10 for long-

Southwest Airlines Co. canceled almost two-thirds of its flights Tuesday, remaining hobbled by a massive winter storm that most major rivals were able to recover from with greater ease.

Southwest Chief Exec-

utive Officer Bob Jordan called the storm “the largest scale event that I’ve ever seen” in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Monday evening. He said Southwest plans to operate just over one-third of its typical schedule in the coming

days to allow crews to get into the right positions.

Southwest canceled 2,571 flights as of 12:55 p.m. Tuesday, following 2,909, or 71% of its schedule, on Monday and 42% on Sunday, according to flight tracker FlightAware.com.

There’s little relief in

That after a year in which only four fish are known to have reached the spawning redds after an unusual series of cir-

THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — As much as 4 inches of rain could fall on northern Solano County through the weekend, with another series of storms following.

Katrina Hand, a meteorologist and forecaster for the National Weather Service in Sacramento, said 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected Wednesday night through Thursday day, and another 1 to 2 inches from Friday into Saturday.

Don Ryan, who is retiring as the manager of the Office of Emergency Services, said the Weather Service has

cumstances led to dozens of salmon dying due to low levels of oxygen in the water.

Heavy rains in late October 2021 dislodged loads of organic material and caused an overflow

from the east levee to drain into the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area.

When the refuge then used that water to flood rice fields for waterfowl habitat, some of that water spilled into Putah Creek, resulting in low oxygen levels. Salmon are particularly susceptible to oxygen depletion, which is a reason why cooler water temperatures are best.

The phenomenon had never been known to happen before.

This year, ironically, it is the drought that may have helped bring the fish back to Putah Creek, Stevenson said. That is

sight, with another 62% of Southwest’s schedule canceled for Wednesday and at least 16% for Thursday – making it difficult to rebook stranded travelers.

The DOT said it will examine whether the cancellations were controllable and if the company

is complying with its customer service plan.

President Joe Biden weighed in with a tweet as well on Tuesday, noting the thousands of airline cancellations over the holidays without singling out Southwest by name. “Our administration is working

to ensure airlines are held accountable,” Biden wrote, referring passengers to a Department of Transportation dashboard to see whether they’re entitled to compensation.

Southwest apologized for the disruptions,

TRibune ConTenT agenCy

time streamkeeper Rich Marovich. “There are probably more than 500.”

Todd R. H ansen

TRibune ConTenT agenCy

Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic

A salmon swims in Putah Creek near Winters, Dec. 22.

HUDSON

End of 2022 brings changes for 2023

This probably won’t be my best column ever. I always hope for the best. But doing our best takes more than just hope.

Especially in writing. If I cook a bad meal (as I do on occasion) my husband will still eat it and get over it. Eventually. But a bad column will haunt me forever.

Writing takes time and effort and a fair amount of passion, all of which I like to think I’ve given to every column I’ve written, and hope to give to this one.

Do you think I’m stalling?

There’s a simple way to say a hard thing: You just go on and say it. I will do that. But first, I want to offer you some advice I’ve shared in columns over the years. I call it, “A Dozen Simple Rules of Common Sense”: 1. When you pass people on

the street, smile and say, “How’s your mother?” and they will probably say nice things about you at your funeral.

2. Know what you believe, practice what you preach and always tell the truth. If you tell a lie, at least tell one people will believe so you’ll only be known as a liar, and not a lying fool.

3. Take care of living things. Feed your animals, tend your crops, be kind to children, old folks and everyone between.

4. Never be rude. If you slip, apologize. Failing to apologize is not just rude but tacky. And you should never, ever be tacky.

5. Avoid confrontation in the heat of anger. Remember, in some states “He needed killing” is not a justifiable defense.

6. Never try to teach a pig to sing. It’s a waste of time and it will annoy the pig.

7. If you have to swallow a frog, don’t look at it too long before you put it in your mouth; and if you have to swallow two frogs, go for the big one first.

8. Never gossip behind people’s backs. They’ll hear about it, unless they’re dead. And never speak ill of the dead, unless they’ve got it coming.

9. Seek first to understand and last to be understood. If you want to learn, ask questions.

10. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Let your wealth be the gold that shines in your words and heart and deeds.

11. Love everyone, even people you don’t like. But treasure the jewels who will laugh with you in good times, weep with you in hard times and reassure you that you aren’t entirely crazy.

12. Stop doing what you’re doing when it’s time to stop. Don’t keep stalling. Just stop.

OK, I’ll say it: This is my final column. That decision is one of the hardest I have ever made. But it’s entirely my choice. I feel led, not forced, to stop.

I’ve written a column most every week for nearly 32 years. It’s been a dream job for me. Those of you who read it, the editors who edited it and the newspapers that published it made that dream a reality.

I cannot thank you enough.

Over the years, a great many of you have written to say my stories are your stories, too.

When my first husband died, you said you were praying for me and that your children were praying for my children.

When I remarried and had grandchildren, you cheered.

You even pulled for Clemson to win every game just to make Joe, my brother, happy.

You wrote pages front and back to share with me the joys

and sorrows and histories of your lives. I couldn’t always reply, but I read every word. And soon, you became for me, not just readers, but friends. I hope I’m a friend to you, too.

Please keep sharing your stories with your children and grandchildren and anyone who will listen – and ask them to share their stories with you.

Our stories tell us who we are, that we are all different in ways that make us interesting, but so much alike in the ways that matter most – the matters of the heart. The best stories turn strangers into friends.

Thank you for letting me share with you my stories and my life.

It has been such a pleasure.

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

Parent activism an indelible feature of America’s schools

Gloria Sanchez was worried that her two elementary school children were not keeping up with their “Anglo” peers.

A recent immigrant from rural Mexico, Gloria had only had an eighth-grade education and, like her husband, worked on a ranch.

Despite her family’s modest lifestyle, Gloria possessed a fierce determination that her children succeed in America, the “land of opportunity.”

The problem, as Gloria saw it, was that her children, who were raised in a Spanish-speaking family, had been thrust into an American public school that provided no bilingual support for nearly 40% of the student body who were non- or limited-English speakers. Since their arrival in the community two years earlier, her children continued to struggle with English language literacy and fell further and further behind their English-literate peers in all subjects.

Gloria’s “red flags” began to wave, and she

shared her concerns with other immigrant families. Their experiences and concerns mirrored hers.

In her rural Mexican village, it was not common to question or, God forbid, challenge school authorities. So Gloria was extremely uncomfortable with the prospect of raising her concerns with her children’s teachers, let alone the school principal. For months Gloria anguished over what to do. One day Gloria received an informational letter from a nonprofit legal group that represented immigrant agricultural workers.

Intrigued, she phoned them and explained her frustrations with the local school system. Within days a representative from the group drove out to the ranch to meet with Gloria and two of her friends with children in the local school. The word of Gloria’s meeting quickly spread across the immigrant ranch families in the community and within a few weeks over 100 parents of immigrant

children formed what was essentially a political action group.

Initial efforts to convey their concerns fell on the deaf ears of school district administrators who claimed that the district’s budget simply couldn’t accommodate their demands for trained bilingual teachers. After several months of no progress, the parents, assisted by the legal advocacy group, filed a discrimination complaint with the United States Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights.

The OCR jumped on the case and within a few weeks the school district found itself embroiled in a community-wide political controversy and growing legal peril.

By the end of the year the parent’s vision and determination culminated in a massive reorganization of school district fiscal and personnel resources that included the employment of several new bilingual teachers.

That was 30 years ago and a good example of how concerted efforts by parents can literally reshape the education

program for their children. An important lesson here is that parent activism has long been an indelible feature of America’s public schools.

Recently, in several states, groups of parents have pressed for changes in how their local schools address controversial issues like gender identity, book censorship, school choice and religion in the curriculum. Such activism not only rocks news cycles, but underscores a growing feeling of alienation among many parents that schools have become intransigent bureaucracies that are insensitive to parents

who want to have a direct say in what and how their children learn in school. While this dynamic is not new, the level of vitriol expressed by many parent activists today is.

According to Time Magazine’s Suzanne Nossel, fueled by political advocacy groups (both liberal and conservative), “the rallying cry of “ ‘parents’ rights’ is being wielded to do far more than give parents their rightful voice. It is turning public schools into political battlegrounds.”

Moreover, Nossel fears that “the rhetoric of parents’ rights has morphed from a

movement aimed at constraining the power of government over education to one that is mobilizing politicians and legislatures to extend the heavy hand of the government into the classroom.”

Perhaps most important, however, is the question of how to repair increasingly fractious relations between parents and a complex and often intractable bureaucracy.

Stephen Davis is a career educator who writes a column that publishes every other Wednesday in the Daily Republic. Reach him by email at stephen davis71@gmail.com.

Stephen Davis Eye on education

Sharon Randall

Kroc Center busy with donations, visits this month

daily Republic sTaff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SUISUN

Suisun

hot chocolate.

Dutch Brothers

coffee

The Knights of Columbus on Dec. 9 donated

coats and jackets in the morning, and in the afternoon, students from Center Elementary’s fourth-grade class, with teacher Jennifer Wild,

Vallejo man arrested in connection with fatal traffic collision on Christmas Eve

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — A Vallejo man was arrested Saturday night in connection with a fatal traffic collision that claimed the life of a 62-year-old man at East Tabor and Railroad avenues, the city Police Department said in a statement released on Tuesday.

Henry Blank, 62, was identified by the Solano County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office as the victim. The office said he was from Vacaville.

The Fairfield Police Department would not confirm anything about the victim or his two passengers, but said all three were from Fairfield.

Dominic J. Lyons, 37, who the police said was driving while under the influence, was booked into Solano County Jail on suspicion of felony DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman said. He was released on $130,000 bail.

The police said the inci-

dent occurred about 10:15. Blank and his two passengers were taken to a local hospital, where Blank died.

There were no other passengers in Lyons’ vehicle, which was traveling east on East Tabor and, according to the police spokeswoman, had failed to yield at a stop sign at Claybank Road and was speeding, which she said was a contributing factor in the collision.

The spokeswoman was not sure in which direction the other car was traveling

True Symmetry to host Books ‘N Brews

SUISUN CITY —

True Symmetry Brewing Company will be hosting Books ‘N Brews in January.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at 315 Marina Center in Suisun City.

This adult evening will have refreshments and book discussions. This month’s theme will be fantasy books.

Registration begins Jan. 12. Register with Rali Garcia at rdgarcia@solano county.com.

Celebrate Scotland at Burns Night

VACAVILLE — Celebrate the Scottish tradition of Burns Night with a California twist.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Vacaville Town Square Library, 1 Town Square Place.

The evening will have music from harpist Sandra Fromm, along with poetry and historical facts about Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns.

Space is limited. Be sure to register at https:// solanolibrary.com/ hours-and-locations/ vacaville-town-square-library.

Vacaville Comic Con coming in January

VACAVILLE — The Vacaville Comic Con returns next month for more costumed fun.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 29, with a 2:30 p.m. costume contest at Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge, 6585 Gibbons Canyon Road, in Vacaville.

Bring a camera and have fun dressing up. This is a kid-friendly event.

Tickets are $8.

on Railroad.

The Police Department declined to say what kind of vehicles were involved.

Vallejo man dies of injuries from Nov. 21 bicycle crash

daily Republic sTaff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VALLEJO — A 52-year-old Vallejo man who crashed while riding a bicycle on Nov. 21 has died from the injuries sustained in the incident, the city Police Department reported.

The name of the person, who died in Contra Costa County, is being withheld.

The department in a social media post referred to the incident as a hit-and-run investigation. The department did not respond Monday to an email request for more information.

Monday was a holiday for many agencies, including administrative offices for public safety departments.

The police said in its press release that the apparent solo bicycle

collision occurred at the intersection of Glen Cove Parkway and Robles Way sometime around 4 p.m.

“On arrival, officers found that a 52-year-old Vallejo resident collided with the curb, ground and/or metal pole while riding his bicycle south on Glen Cove Parkway. No witnesses or other vehicles were located. The bicycle rider was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment,” the police statement said.

Contra Costa notified Vallejo of the death Friday. The man’s death was the 25th fatality of the year in the city involving a collision, the department reports.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Cpl. Lenard Alamon at 707648-4329. Refer to Case No. 22-12257.

Soroptimists distribute $37K to local nonprofits

daily Republic sTaff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The Soroptimist International of Central Solano County held its holiday luncheon Dec. 13 at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Mrs. Claus (Gretchen

Shilts) represented the elves from the North Pole, helping to distribute more than $37,000 to local nonprofits, along with international groups with missions that support women and girls.

Congratulations to our NOVEMBER WINNER

The Salvation Army/Courtesy file photo

Students from Jennifer Wild’s fourth-grade class at Center Elementary School donate toys for children, Dec. 9.

CITY —

Officials from The Salvation Army Kroc Center of

City attended tree lightings in December –at Jelly Belly, the Suisun waterfront and at Travis Air Force Base, where center staff passed out free

donated

to go with them to Travis Air Force Base.

donated toys.

Kenneth D. Perkins was born Oct. 1, 1936, at St. Francis Hospital in Hays, Kansas, to Corl and Margaret Perkins of Russell, Kansas. He was raised in Russell and attended school here before graduating in 1954, during this time Kenneth had also become an Eagle Scout in 1952. Kenneth then entered Kansas State Teachers college in Emporia, Kansas, before leaving in 1956 to join the U.S. Army.

Upon being discharged, Kenneth returned to school and married Rita Miser of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, on Sept. 5, 1960, before graduating in 1961. Upon completion of school, Kenneth and Rita moved to Santa Ana, California, and began their careers in education.

In 1966, they moved to Fairfield, California, where Kenneth began teaching at Fairfield High School and driver’s training along with coaching football and baseball. He then left Fairfield High to become assistant principal of Crystal Intermediate School and later as principal. Kenneth served as principal to Grange Intermediate School and Armijo High School, where he was also Director of Personnel and Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources.

Kenneth retired from the Fairfield-Suisun School District in 1996 but continued consultant work in human resources for several school districts for eight years.

The Perkins family

purchased a condo at Tahoe Donner Golf Course in Truckee, California, where Kenneth enjoyed golfing, working with the yard, and spending time with his family and friends.

Kenneth was also a member of the Fairfield-Suisun Travis Lions Club for many years and had even served as president.

Kenneth passed away Dec. 17, 2022, at his home in Fairfield, California. He and his wife Rita were married for 61 years during which they had two children, his son, David of Sparks, Nevada; and daughter, Ann of Chico, California. They also share three grandsons together, Keith and Kyle Perkins of Chico, California, and Tanner Pettit also of Chico, California, as well as a great-granddaughter, Harmony of Sparks, Nevada.

He is survived by his older brother, Jack Perkins of Flippen, Arkansas.

Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents, Corl and Margaret Perkins of Fort Myers, Florida; and his wife, Rita Perkins of Fairfield, California.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, at BryanBraker Funeral Home, 1850 W. Texas St., Fairfield, California.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Alzheimer’s research, www.alz.org.

Arrangements under the care of Bryan-Braker Funeral Home, 707-4254697, www.bryanbraker. com.

Dec.13, 1931 — Dec. 18, 2022

Carolyn A. Brandt of Fairfield, California, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at the age of 91. She was born Dec. 13, 1931, in Monterey, California, where she grew up in Pacific Grove, California. Well-known in the community for her musical entertainment.

Survived by her son, Ron Helwig (daughter-in-law, Cookie); daughter, Sherry Cavender (son-in-law, John); five grandchildren, Nick, Derek, Paul, Corey, Brennan; five greatgrandchildren, Briawnna, Jayden, Cameron, Olive, Brixton and one great-great-grandchild, Colten.

Carolyn is preceded in death by her parents, Raymond J. and Leafa M. Conway; and sister, Arlene Woodford.

A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date.

A full obituary can be found at https://obituaries. neptune-society.com/obituaries/fairfield-ca/carolynbrandt-11069575.

David Stanley Cravea Dec. 14, 1963 — Dec. 15, 2022

David died of brain cancer on Dec. 15, 2022. He was born in Fairfield, California, on Dec. 14, 1963, to parents Ralph (Bud) and Dianne Cravea.

He attended Falls Elementary, Green Valley Middle School and graduated from Armijo High in 1982.

He worked several years at Macy’s-Fairfield and while living in North Carolina he worked for Replacements LTD. He last worked for Hope Chest in Ceres, California.

David is survived by his partner, Curtis Rollins; mother, Dianne Cravea; twin brother, Steven Cravea; nephews, Clayton and Chad Cravea; nine cousins; and extended family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, Bud Cravea.

Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, at Bryan-Braker Funeral Home, 1850 W. Texas St., Fairfield. Interment will be private at the Rockville Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the care of Bryan-Braker Funeral Home, 707-425-4697, www.bryanbraker.com.

In brief

Snowboarder killed in avalanche in Colorado

A snowboarder was killed Monday after getting caught in an avalanche on a Colorado mountain.

The incident occurred around 1 p.m. near Winter Park in an area known as Nitro Chutes when four snowboarders were near Berthoud Pass, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said. Two of the riders were able to stay above the surface but the other two were buried by snow and debris. — Tribune Content Agency

From Page A3

“It is a pleasure to be able to meet today to spread cheer and ‘magic,’ ” club President Dorothy Andrews said in a statement.

localclub Hands-On chairwoman, facilitated the collection of toiletry and hygiene items for the area’s homeless. The items will be distributed by Armijo High School’s student-led “Skate for Change” Group.

Michael Travis Barrick April 25, 1953 — Dec. 11, 2022

The world lost a beautiful soul when Michael Travis Barrick, 69, passed away on Dec. 11, 2022, with close family members by his side. Born April 25, 1953, in Fairfield, California, to Travis and Norma Barrick. He attended schools throughout Solano County and was in the first class of Fairfield High.

He leaves behind his best friend and sister, Phillis Bednarz (Larry); nieces, Lori Havel (Kobi) and Wendy Garner (Denny and son, Cory); and numerous extended family members and friends who loved him dearly.

Preceded in death by both parents and several aunts and uncles.

Mike’s life was filled with adventure, traveling the world as a flight attendant for over 20 years. He began working with Flying Tigers Airlines in 1975, making and maintaining lifelong friendships, and later flying with Northwest Airlines until his retirement. At this time, he took over caring for his mother and the family home that his parents built. He then found a love for ocean cruises and cocktails, taking at least 25 trips accompanied by his mother, then several more with his sister and brother-in-law.

Mike never ran out of hilarious travel tales and shared them often. As the

last of the Barrick line, Mike was the backbone of the family and felt it was important to stay in touch with all of the living relatives over the years.

Known as ‘Uncle Mike’ to his close friends and family, he’ll be remembered for his sarcastic wit, colorful Hawaiian shirts, sweet tooth and love of cooking.

Mike was kind, generous, and always at the ready to help others out. In recent years, ‘Uncle Mike’ was involved with Solano County’s LGBT community, and thoroughly enjoyed volunteering for the Pride celebrations and attending the local potlucks.

Our family is greatly appreciative for friend and doctor, David Danzeisen, MD, and the thoughtful and caring medical staff at Kaiser Vacaville for the support they offered all of us throughout Mike’s final days.

Per Mike’s wishes, there will be no ceremony and his ashes will be buried alongside his parents. His family will hold a celebration of life after the holidays.

To honor Mike, in lieu of flowers, we ask for each of you to spend quality time with your family and pay it forward to someone in need.

Condolences can be shared on Mike’s Facebook account or privately emailed to Lori Havel, rbc124@gmail. com.

Family uses Find My iPhone to locate missing relative

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

LOS ANGELES — A

woman who went missing after leaving a Christmas gathering with family was located 200 feet below Highway 18 in a mountainous area north of San Bernardino only after rel-

atives used the Find My iPhone feature to spot her, fire officials said.

The unidentified woman is believed to have crashed sometime overnight after leaving her family’s Christmas Day gathering. The crash went unreported for hours, with the woman

inside the car and the wreck out of the view of drivers on the highway.

On Monday, San Bernardino County Fire officials said in a Facebook post, her family became concerned when they couldn’t get in touch with her the following morning.

Relatives activated the Find My iPhone feature to track her down, eventually leading them to Highway 18, just north of 40th Street, near the San Bernardino community of North Park, fire officials said.

Andrews’ theme this year was “Making Magic Happen.”

Local recipients were Abundant Place, CASA of Solano County, Change and New Beginnings (CANB), Fairfield Police Activities League Teen Center (Girls Circle), Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Napa-Solano SANESART (Sexual Assault Response Team), Solano County Office of Animal Care (for help with unhoused pets belonging to domestic violence victims), Solano County Office of Education (Girls Who Code Program), and the USO (breakfast and books program).

The club also announced donations to the Fistula Foundation and Cure Cervical Cancer. Both organizations help women worldwide with much-needed medical care.

Karen Calvert, chairwoman of the Disbursements Committee, and its members helped introduce the organizations in attendance.

Jennifer Barton,

Another announcement from Barton was met with a rousing cheer when she said 145 new, warm winter coats were donated by club members and friends. The coats will be distributed by the Fairfield Community Services Foundation to families in need. For more information about Soroptimist, visit www. sicentralsolano.com.

Carolyn A. Brandt

Kenneth D. Perkins

Oct. 1, 1936 — Dec. 17, 2022

ARMY VETERAN

Whitmer kidnap plot ringleader sentenced to 16 years in prison

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — One of two ringleaders in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to 16 years in prison and five years supervision.

Adam Fox, 39, appeared in front of U.S. District Court Judge Richard Jonker for sentencing Tuesday, four months after he and codefendant Barry Croft were convicted of con spiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction after their first trial ended in a hung jury and the acquittals of two other codefendants. Croft also was convicted of possessing an unregistered destructive device. Croft is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Their case is the largest domestic terrorism case in a generation that has shed light on political extremism in Michigan.

Fox declined to speak during the sentencing and had no reaction to the sentence, but he was mouthing things and making faces at someone in the gallery during part of the sentencing.

Prosecutors had asked Jonker for a life sentence for trying to “light the fire of a second revolution.” They have portrayed Fox as a dangerous extremist angered by pandemic restrictions and said the sentence could help deter terrorism and militia extremism that has flared in the past few years.

“When the aim of that kidnapping is to terrorize

the people and affect the conduct of government, it is so pernicious that only the most serious sanction is sufficient,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler wrote. “The sentence imposed by this court should reflect the incredibly dangerous threat posed by Adam Fox and Barry Croft’s attempt to light the fire of a second revolution.”

Kessler emphasized in court that Fox was the “driving force” of the plot, and that none of it would have happened without him. He said Fox will probably emerge “more dangerous” after serving his time in prison.

Jonker said he didn’t think a life sentence was appropriate, but that the crimes required a “significant sentence.”

Fox’s attorney, Christopher Gibbons, said Fox was not excited about the sentence but is looking forward to the Court of Appeals hearing. Gibbons said they weren’t expecting a life sentence, despite prosecutors’ request.

Previously, Gibbons said a life sentence was inappropriate because Fox and Croft never used explosives and there was no actual attempt to kidnap Whitmer. He said prosecutors exaggerated Fox’s role in the plot. While they portrayed him as the ringleader of a dangerous plot to kidnap Whitmer, Gibbons said he was an “unemployed vacuum repairman who was venting his frustrations on social media but abiding by the laws of the state of Michigan.”

At least 29 dead in blizzard, with more snow on the way

NEW YORK — At least 29 people have died in the brutal Buffalo blizzard, officials said Tuesday, as the region began to recover from the multiday storm.

Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said at least 28 deaths had been confirmed in the county, which includes Buffalo.

Another death was reported in Niagara County, north of Buffalo. Heavy snow encased a residential furnace in Lockport, New York, feeding carbon monoxide into the home and killing a 27-year-old, according to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office.

The death toll appeared likely to rise. The dead have been found in

snowbanks and frostedover autos after a trying Christmas weekend in Western New York.

In Genesee County, east of Buffalo, hundreds of cars were stranded during the blizzard and residents opened their homes to strangers, said County Manager Matt Landers. He said in an email that no deaths had been recorded countywide, adding that his county “made it through with a Christmas miracle.”

The snowstorm, which began to crush the Buffalo region on Friday, abated by Tuesday, allowing a reprieve. But forecasters projected another 2-3 inches of snowfall by the end of Tuesday, and up to a foot total over the next few days.

Poloncarz urged Buffalo residents to abide by a driving ban that covers the city. “You can absolutely go out and walk to check on neighbors, go to open stores, etc,” he tweeted Tuesday. “But do not drive.”

Still, freeways in Western New York were beginning to reopen, including the New York State Thruway, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said.

Hochul said in a statement that New York was “finally turning the corner on this once-in-a-generation storm,” but added that it would “take many more days for the region to dig out.”

Crews pushed prodigious piles of snow into walls of powder by the Kensington Expressway

in Erie County, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Though more snow was forecast to fall on Buffalo later in the week, temperatures were expected to rise, in a bit of bright news for the area. Around noon on Tuesday, the mercury still rested at a chilly 25 degrees.

President Joe Biden approved a federal emergency declaration late Monday for the counties of Erie and Genesee, unlocking federal funding for relief efforts.

New York City was dry on Tuesday afternoon, with temperatures around 33 degrees. Later this week, the city is expected to meet balmy weather, with temperatures rising into the 50s.

FOX

John Normile/Getty Images/TNS

A snow plow makes its way along a clean Ridge Road in front of Our Lady Of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna, New York, Tuesday. The historic winter storm Elliott dumped

up to four feet of snow on the area leaving thousands without power and at least 29 confirmed dead in the city of Buffalo and the surrounding suburbs.

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Captured Russian tanks are coveted trophies, a headache

The WashingTon PosT

KHARKIV REGION, Ukraine — When Ukrainian forces came across the abandoned Russian fighting vehicle on the battlefield, they knew they had found a rare prize.

The BMP-3, armed with a 100mm main gun and a 30mm autocannon, was one of the few of its kind that the Ukrainian military had seized from the Russians since the start of the invasion. But about a month ago, after weeks of being operated by Ukrainian soldiers, its engine and fueling system began to fail.

Ever since, the Russian fighting vehicle has been out of commission, stuck at a repair site in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region.

Ukrainian forces have seized hundreds of what they call “trophies” – Russian tanks, armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles – since the start of the war. They’ve become valuable assets for Kyiv.

The brigade working at this repair site jokingly referred to them as “lend-lease” tanks, referring to the World World II program under which the United States supplied Britain, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with humanitarian aid and military equipment.

But many of these tanks and other vehicles are stuck in hangars like the one at this repair site as brigades struggle to find the parts needed to repair them. The unit here, a maintenance battalion for the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade, has been unable to find the parts it needs for the BMP-3.

“It’s obvious it should be fighting the enemy and not sitting in a hangar,” said

Ruslan, the 47-year-old commander of the maintenance battalion, who spoke on the condition that his last name not be used.

To find parts to fix the vehicle, the battalion would need to first find an identical match. Unlike earlier models of this type of fighting vehicle, the BMP-3 cannot be repaired using parts from similar Ukrainian vehicles.

It’s possible another brigade might have a vehicle that is a match, Ruslan said, but there is no system for locating the parts. He suggested that the armed forces could benefit from a program or database tracking compatible parts across brigades.

“It would save time,” he said. “It would save a lot of resources.”

A press officer for the 14th Brigade, the only brigade that has fought on all major front lines in the country since the start of Russia’s invasion, joked that it’s in the Ukrainian nature to collect and hoard prized possessions. It’s not always as easy as merely asking another brigade for its identical trophy tank or vehicle.

In the Donetsk region,

Vadym Ustymenko, a member of a tank unit in Ukraine’s 25th Airborne Assault Brigade, said he has changed tanks “six or seven times” in the past seven months because they often need repair. He’s now fighting in a T-80 tank –among the best models in Ukraine’s arsenal.

The 25th Brigade was the first unit into the city of Izyum after Russian forces hastily retreated from the Kharkiv region in September, leaving behind an extraordinary amount of tanks and armored personnel carriers.

“Speaking about just the tanks, there were indeed a lot of them, but very few were operational,” Ustymenko said.

“Those that you could just start up or only needed a few minutes of work, you could count on one hand. Those that needed some repair but would eventually run was another 30% probably. And the last 50% was junk that requires a whole lot of work.”

For the tanks that were in bad condition, some could be “donors” of needed parts, said another soldier in Ustymenko’s unit. Because Ukraine’s

weapons largely date to the Soviet Union, a tank that’s more than 30 years old could be improved with a spare part from a seized Russian model that’s just five years old.

The soldiers in Usty menko’s unit said they occasionally communicate with other brigades about spare parts. One soldier in the tank unit mentioned that they asked for some ammunition for their tank from a brigade in the area and were refused.

While Ukraine can often repair its own equipment on or near the front lines with available spare parts, a breakdown of Western-provided equipment typically means it needs to be towed back to a NATO facility in Poland. That could mean removing a vital weapon from the battlefield for weeks.

“The weapons that are coming from the U.S., they are mostly coming from stockpiles, so they are not new,” said Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center in Ukraine. She has been meeting with Western politicians to push for Ukraine to receive modern fighter jets

and battle tanks. Sending damaged weapons to Poland “is a huge delay and a big frustration for the Ukrainian military,” Kaleniuk said.

At the field repair site in the Kharkiv region, members of the maintenance battalion worked to fix two Russian tanks and several armored personnel carriers, repairing engines, steering systems and machine-gun turrets. One of the first things the unit does when repairing a trophy is repaint it, removing the “Z” symbol of its former Russian owner.

Often, the most challenging part of repairing a Russian vehicle is simply identifying the problem, Ruslan said. Many tanks were seized in the area around Kupiansk during Ukraine’s Kharkiv counteroffensive.

Each brigade has a technical reconnaissance unit dedicated to searching fields for abandoned vehicles and equipment, then transporting them to repair sites. The tanks and vehicles have become easier to find since the leaves fell off the trees, improving visibility.

But the winter months also create harsher conditions for tanks and equipment, causing more wear and tear.

Constant power outages create an additional obstacle. The near-daily blackouts at this repair site delay the team’s work. Even a generator isn’t enough to power all of the tools they need to fix the equipment. This is part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goal, Ruslan said.

“The Russians are doing this for a reason,” he said.

My forecast for 2023

Last year’s column successfully predicted Democratic Senate gains and a smallerthan-expected Republican House takeover. Here is our nottotally-serious forecast for 2023:

JANUARY – Rep. Kevin McCarthy falls six votes short of 218 in House speaker election as 10 Freedom Caucus members vote for challenger Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs. As deadlock persists, Newt Gingrich offers to return as speaker. President Joe Biden stuns Democrats by announcing he won’t seek second term. House Republicans ditch McCarthy and embrace Gingrich, who is elected on the fourth ballot. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene named Intelligence Committee chair. After Keri Lake fails to reverse 2022 Arizona result, she announces she is moving to Kentucky.

FEBRUARY – Vice President Kamala Harris says she may seek presidency. Cincinnati Bengals defeat Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl. Democratic National Committee approves new primary schedule: South Carolina, Feb. 3; New Hampshire and Nevada, Feb. 6; Michigan, Feb. 20. Washington grand jury indicts former President Donald Trump on charge of obstructing the certification of 2020 electoral votes. Lake announces bid for Kentucky governor. Greene launches probe of U.S. spending in Ukraine.

MARCH – Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie all join GOP race against Trump. U.S. attorney in Delaware announces plea bargain with Hunter Biden in which he pleads guilty to one count of tax evasion. New Hampshire secretary of state, citing state law and defying DNC, moves primary to Tuesday, Jan. 24, 11 days ahead of South Carolina. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg resigns to seek presidency.

APRIL – Harris says she is weighing presidential bid. Atlanta grand jury indicts Trump for trying to reverse 2020 Georgia result. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani disbarred in District of Columbia for pressing baseless 2020 Trump election challenge. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom join Democratic race. DNC, refusing to recognize Jan. 24 New Hampshire primary, asks candidates to stay away. House Ethics Committee probes unreported Gingrich contributions to 2022 GOP House campaigns.

MAY – Economy continues growth, defying recession forecasts. Biden job approval soars to 51%. Eight active Democratic candidates attend New Hampshire Democratic Party convention, ignoring DNC pleas. DNC chair threatens to bar them from debates. Giuliani, barred from working as lawyer, announces he will run for president. Gingrich resigns, succeeded by Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Trump names “My Kevin” McCarthy as campaign manager. Lake loses Kentucky primary, claims it was rigged. Aaron Judge, ahead of his own 2022 pace, hits 33rd home run.

JUNE – MSNBC holds first Democratic presidential debate; ignoring DNC, all active candidates accept. Press consensus: Winner is Buttigieg. Trump names Lake as 2024 running mate. Colorado Avalanche retain Stanley Cup; New Orleans Pelicans win NBA. House rejects debt ceiling increase, forcing federal govern-

ment shutdown. Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob DeGrom leads majors at 9-1. Rep. Ronny Jackson launches GOP primary challenge to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as the “true conservative.” As Ukrainians continue to recover lost land, Russian President Vladimir Putin rules out cease-fire.

JULY – Newsmax holds first sanctioned GOP presidential debate July 4 in Des Moines; Trump assails Pence and Pompeo as traitors to his presidency. ExArkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, 72, says GOP needs fresh blood. After Lake says she respects Constitution, Trump replaces her with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

Buttigieg paces Democratic race at 23%, unannounced candidate Harris at 15%. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joins GOP race and is immediately hailed as front-runner. With Trump running fifth in GOP polls at 11%, Noem resigns as Trump’s running mate and says she too will seek presidency.

AUGUST – Harris says she will decide presidential bid soon. In Iowa GOP straw poll, Pence unexpectedly wins with 17%, followed closely by Noem and Pompeo.

DeSantis is fourth at 9%, one point ahead of Trump. DeGrom on IL with sore back. Trump says straw poll was rigged. House votes to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for failing to fix border problem. Government stays shut; stock market plunges. Republicans cave, pass bill raising debt ceiling.

SEPTEMBER – Harris opts out of 2024 race, saying it’s too late to put together a successful campaign. Senate spurns Mayorkas trial. Judge breaks own American League homer record with 67. Trump goes on trial in Atlanta. Putin, claiming victory, calls for Ukraine cease-fire. Ukraine President Zelenskyy, claiming victory, rejects it. $300 million Mets win National League East by 23 games. Iowa Democrats announce non-binding presidential straw poll at Jan. 16 caucuses. Hung jury in Atlanta Trump case, 11-1 for conviction. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton goes on trial for securities fraud, eight years after indictment.

OCTOBER – DeGrom return helps Texas Rangers reach ALCS finals vs. Yankees but Judge home run puts Yankees in World Series against Mets. Congress fails to approve federal funding by Oct. 1 deadline, shutting down government for second time this year. Biden names Arizona independent Sen. Krysten Sinema as U.S. ambassador to Mexico, ending threat of three-way 2024 Arizona Senate race. Yankees edge Mets 4-3 in World Series.

NOVEMBER – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is surprise star of Iowa Democratic Liberty and Justice Dinner. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear narrowly defeats Republican Attorney General David Cameron in Kentucky governor’s race. GOP Sen. John Kennedy elected Louisiana governor. Paxton acquitted in fraud case, joins Republican primary race against Cruz. Polls show close GOP race: Trump 23, DeSantis 21, Pence 20, Noem 15.

DECEMBER – Congress agrees to fund government at last year’s level, ending 63-day impasse. Trump dismisses “My Kevin” McCarthy as campaign manager, names TV host Tucker Carlson. Biden endorses Whitmer for Democratic nomination. Mets owner Steve Cohen signs free agent Shohei Ohtani for $599 million over nine years.

Unbeaten Cowboys clinch NFC East. Trump and Whitmer lead White House fields. D.C. judge sets Trump trial date for Jan. 16, date of Iowa caucuses.

Carl P. Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News.

The grand strategy behind Japan’s defense buildup

There are two ways to think about Japan’s announcement this month that it will surge defense spending by more than 50 percent in the next five years and acquire advanced missiles that can strike the Eurasian mainland. The first is that it’s a victory for the U.S.-led world order, because China’s military advantage in the Western Pacific will narrow. The darker version is that it’s a recognition of the failure of the U.S.-led order, which aimed to suppress military competition in East Asia after World War II.

Both the optimistic and pessimistic perspectives reflect important realities, and history will decide which was more apt. In the meantime, few Americans are as well-versed in Tokyo’s thinking as Michael J. Green, a Japanologist who was a top Asia hand on President George W. Bush’s National Security Council and currently leads the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney in Australia. His recent book, “Line of Advantage,” explains Japan’s China strategy to a Western audience. I interviewed him over Zoom to understand the implications of Japan’s geopolitical transformation.

“A lot of people argued that Japan’s culture of pacifism was immutable,” said Green, who first moved to Japan to teach English after college in the 1980s, “but I always felt the Japanese were ultimately realists.” The primary goal of their statecraft has been “to not lose,” he said. Japan organized to not lose economically in the decades after World War II and is “now organizing to not be coerced and defeated by China.”

The turn from pacifism has been sudden. One of Green’s professors compared Japanese politics to “a plate of peas - it never moves,” he recalled. “But if you tilt the plate a little bit, they all roll to one side.”

China is tilting the foundations of order in Asia. For most of the Middle Kingdom’s history, its rulers were focused on Asia’s interior, but now China has “largely settled its land-border problems with every country except India,” Green said.

“The last piece for China to secure” is Asia’s maritime periphery.

“The challenge for China, and the reason it is so dangerous for the rest of us,” he said, is that unlike the United States’ Monroe Doctrine in Central America and South America, Beijing’s bid for regional dominance in Asia is “aimed at some of the most important economies and militaries in the world.” Even if China’s naval and air force buildups were “defensive in origin,” it is “extremely offensive and aggressive if you’re Japan, or if you’re the Philippines, or especially if you’re Taiwan.”

Taiwan is now the most likely flash point for war in the region. On a trip to Taiwan and Japan in November, I was struck that Japanese officials seemed more alarmed about the prospect of Chinese aggression against Taiwan than the Taiwanese themselves.

An American military defense of Taiwan against China would probably rely on the U.S. naval base on Okinawa about 400 miles away, making Japanese territory a potential Chinese target. If Japan acquires 500 Tomahawk missiles, as it is reportedly contemplating, China might think twice about such a strike.

Then Tokyo could join the United States in a naval war while reducing the likelihood that its homeland would come under attack for the first time since 1945.

Japan started that war with the United States, of course, by attacking Pearl Harbor in 1941. But for Green, Tokyo set the conflict in motion with a more fundamental strategic error: Its decision to be primarily a land power instead of a sea power. That decision was rooted in Japan’s history and geography. Unlike Britain, the Japanese archipelago is well-protected by oceans, so its fighting forces focused inward. Japan was run by “a clan system with a very violent system of norms and the samurai ethos,” Green said. Civil war made the army “absolutely dominant.”

Japan’s navy, which emerged in the 19th and early 20th centuries, was less influential. “The army’s instincts were to control land, not sea,” he said, leading to Japan’s occupations of Korea, then Manchuria and China. The clan system “fused with a modern army and also injected into that modern army a very brutal, medieval way of conquest, which is what you saw Japan do in the ‘30s and ‘40s,” Green explained - a rampage that dangerously upset the balance of power in Asia.

Tokyo’s new strategy focuses on air and sea power to meet China’s maritime ambitions and defend the open trading system that has helped Japan become the world’s third-largest economy. But Asia’s security will still depend on the United States playing an active role it chose not to play in the 1920s and 1930s.

Green worries that American intellectual life isn’t sufficiently attuned to the geopolitics of Asia. As a young aspiring diplomat, he assumed that his time in Japan would be a “palate cleanser before I pursued my career in Europe, like any good East Coast American.” Instead, he said, “I just got hooked.”

When he joined the NSC in 2001, “the Europe office was about three times larger than the Asia office” because of the Clinton administration’s focus on the Balkan wars of the 1990s. American strategists have recognized the necessity of a greater Asia focus for decades, Green said, but the United States’ energy has repeatedly been drawn into Europe and the Middle East - “the Balkans, 9/11, [the Islamic State], Ukraine.”

Academically, the study of international relations emphasizes European history. Students learn about the Peloponnesian wars but are less likely to study the Sino-Japanese war or Mongol conquests. “The academy hasn’t adjusted,” noted Green, who earned his doctorate at Johns Hopkins and is a professor at Georgetown.

The main historical difference between European and Asian geopolitics is that in Europe, power dynamics “have long been multipolar.” The Spanish, British, French, Austrians, Russians, Germans and Turks have all been major regional powers at one point or another. When one gets too powerful, “the other powers eventually defeat that rising power and reestablish an equilibrium,” Green said, “and then another one rises.”

The sweep of Asian history, by contrast, has China at its center. “It’s

mostly a history of China either being cohesive or disintegrating.” More than in Europe, the distribution of power in Asia hinges on one powerful state.

Sometimes it seems impossible to shake American diplomacy from its European roots. The Biden administration’s Summit for Democracy in December 2021 “was really a European, transatlantic design,” Green told me. Such appearances can help China appeal “to the global south and pan-Asian solidarity.”

In meetings in Tokyo, I also heard unease about the way the Biden administration has presented its democracy agenda. Japan is a democracy, though its high levels of social consensus and the dominance of one party distinguish it from most Western systems.

Japanese elites believe that Tokyo can be an intermediary between the United States and the strategically vital but less-democratic states of Southeast Asia.

Japan’s national security strategy, Green said, “emphasizes Japan’s commitment to upholding an international order that’s based on rule of law and human rights,” but “when it comes to human rights violations in Myanmar, or the coup in Thailand, they’re not where we are.”

Japan’s outlook as a maritime power is more like Britain’s in the 19th century than the United States’ “Wilsonian” tradition - that is, focused on protecting commerce and enforcing rules rather than democracy promotion.

Green drew a contrast between Japan’s defense buildup and Germany’s more passive approach to Russia’s aggression. “A lot of scholars in the ‘90s and 2000s were saying, ‘Germany good, Japan bad,’ “ and asking why Japan was “not able to deal with its military past.” Green proposed that maybe Germany was “too successful” on that front.

The war in Ukraine poses a strategic dilemma for Asia’s defense. “If we did nothing in Ukraine,” Green noted, America’s Asian allies “would’ve been terrified” by the precedent. On the other hand, they “don’t want us sending all of our best equipment” to Eastern Europe rather than East Asia.

Japan’s steps toward rearmament, for Green, show that the post-World War II period of Pax Americana is “completely different from anything ever seen in history.” Unlike the British Empire or the Roman Empire, it has been “based on building up former adversaries as power centers that had their own agency.” Now, “Japan is choosing, not being forced by America, but is choosing to reinforce the international order that America helped to create after the war.”

But at the same time, he said, the fact that Japan is making this “rather desperate” decision should be cause for American humility. Washington is losing the capacity, on its own, to back up the security commitments it has made around the world. That is the paradox of Japan’s strategic transformation: Its defense of the American system is itself a sign of that system’s heightened vulnerability.

Jason Willick writes a regular Washington Post column on legal issues, political ideas and foreign affairs. Before coming to The Post in 2022, he wrote for the Wall Street Journal and the American Interest.

Carl P. Leubsdorf

Jason Willick

(707) 427-1386

Cher, 76, sports massive ring from boyfriend, 36

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

She’s got him, babe.

Cher took to Twitter on Christmas to share the glitzy engagement-like ring her (much younger) boyfriend gifted her.

“THERE R NO WORDS, ALEXANDER, A.E,” the “Believe” singer, 76, captioned a blurry snap of the pearshaped diamond.

The tweet, which at the time of publication had racked up nearly 66,000 likes, started triggering congrats from followers and commenters who assumed the singer and her beau were engaged. To do damage control, Cher reposted the image with some clarification.

“I posted this cause his nails are so cool,” she said of 36-year-old Edwards’ manicure, which featured neon green flames painted on black.

The burgeoning relationship between Cher and Edwards came to the public’s attention early last month when the two were holding hands in matching get-ups, People reports.

The Queen of Camp (and memorable social media posts) took to Twitter with a sincedeleted message for those judging the May-December romance.

“LOVE DOESN’T KNOW MATH, IT SEES [heart emoji] [heart emoji] ” she tweeted, according to the outlet.

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú

Crime logs

FairField

SATURDAY, DEC. 24 12:28 a.m. — Trespassing, 1500 block of WEST TEXAS STREET 4:38 a.m. — Trespassing, 2900 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 6:17 a.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 2800 block of DOVER AVENUE 7 a.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 2200 block of NOTTINGHAM DRIVE 9:31 a.m. — Shooting into a dwelling, 1200 block of UTAH STREET 10:17 a.m. — Reckless driver, WATERMAN BOULEVARD 12:10 p.m. — Grand theft, 5100 block of BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE 12:44 p.m. — Trespassing, 1900 block of WEST TEXAS STREET

1:54 p.m. — Forgery, 5300 block of JULIA BERGER CIRCLE 3:06 p.m. — Shooting into a dwelling, EASTBOUND INTERSTATE 80 3:19 p.m. — Vandalism, 2700 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 4:55 p.m. — Assault with a deadly weapon, 2900 block of REDWOOD DRIVE 7:09 p.m. — Shooting into a dwelling, EAST TABOR AVENUE 7:15 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 1800 block of IDAHO STREET

8:51 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, DOVER AVENUE 9:55 p.m. — Drunken driving, MANUEL CAMPOS PARKWAY 11:41 p.m. — Reckless driver, WESTBOUND AIR BASE PARKWAY 11:49 p.m. — Reckless driver, TRAVIS BOULEVARD

SUNDAY, DEC. 25 12:02 a.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, NORTH TEXAS STREET 1:40 a.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 1900 block of FINCH WAY 2:35 a.m. — Residential burglary, 900 block of OHIO STREET 10:23 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 3000 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 12:14 p.m. — Vehicle burglary, 500 block of SAN RAFAEL STREET 5:25 p.m. — Fight with a weapon, 800 block of EAST TRAVIS BOULEVARD 9:41 p.m. — Reckless driver, WESTBOUND HIGHWAY 12 10:54 p.m. — Trespassing, 1200 block of B. GALE WILSON BOULEVARD

MONDAY, DEC. 26 3:54 a.m. — Vehicle burglary, 2900 block of SHORELINE CIRCLE 6:37 a.m. — Reckless driver, AIR

BASE PARKWAY 8:11 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 900 block of FOURTH STREET 9:52 a.m. — Vehicle burglary, 300 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE 10:42 a.m. — Vehicle burglary, 200 block of BECK AVENUE 11:20 a.m. — Residential burglary, 2700 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 11:48 a.m. — Reckless driver, FIELDCREST AVENUE 11:53 a.m. — Vandalism, 300 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 11:55 a.m. — Drunken driving, 100 block of RED TOP ROAD 1:10 p.m. — Vandalism, 2500 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 1:40 p.m. — Trespassing, GREAT JONES STREET 1:49 p.m. — Brandishing a weapon, 300 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE 2:28 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 5100 block of BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE 3:22 p.m. — Grand theft, 2700 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 4:36 p.m. — Trespassing, 200 block of EAST ALASKA AVENUE 4:42 p.m. — Battery, 1200 block of SWAN LAKE DRIVE 4:57 p.m. — Battery, 2200 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 5:15 p.m. — Brandishing a weapon, 1800 block of INDIANA STREET 5:36 p.m. — Vandalism, 1100 block of WESTERN STREET 6:40 p.m. — Fight with a weapon, 1500 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 6:43 p.m. — Hit-and-run with injury, 1600 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 9:27 p.m. — Battery, 500 block of PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE 10:20 p.m. — Trespassing, 2500 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

SuiSun City

SATURDAY, DEC. 24 10:02 a.m. — Vandalism, 200 block of SUNSET AVENUE 10:45 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 100 block of SUNSET AVENUE 7:34 p.m. — Shooting into inhabited dwelling, 200 block of BRIDGEWATER CIRCLE 11:32 — Reckless driver, SUNSET AVENUE / HIGHWAY 12 SUNDAY, DEC. 25 3:24 p.m. — Burglary, 200 block of SUNSET AVENUE MONDAY, DEC. 26 12:13 a.m. — Shots fired, BRIDGEWATER CIRCLE / PARKSIDE DRIVE 7:54 a.m. — Assault, 100 block of SUNSET AVENUE 8:42 p.m. — Vandalism, 1300 block of AMADOR WAY 9:49 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 1400 block of SHASTA STREET

the states’ request.

Flights

From

saying that although the airline was fully staffed for the holiday, 23 out of its 25 top airports were affected by the storm that left record snow totals in the Midwest. Southwest is the biggest carrier serving Buffalo, New York, the hardest-hit urban area in the storm’s path.

“With consecutive days of extreme winter weather across our network behind us, continuing challenges are impacting our customers and employees in a significant way that is unacceptable,” the airline said in a statement. The storm “forced daily changes to our flight schedule at a volume and magnitude that still has the tools our teams use to recover the airline operating at capacity.”

The chaos will prove costly to the airline, with Citi analysts estimating it could shave 3% to 5% from Southwest’s fourthquarter earnings. There’s a reputational cost as well, with angry travelers stranded over the holiday

Rainfall

From Page One

indicated that the Friday storm has the potential of dropping 3 inches, mostly in the valley, which could be an issue if that much falls in Solano. He will not know until the forecast is updated on Thursday.

But for now, Ryan said, there have been no problems out of the ordinary: the typical fender benders and some standing water in lower areas.

His office does warn motorists to be careful about driving through standing water because drivers cannot tell if a bad pothole or other problems have developed.

If the full forecasted measure of 4 inches of rain arrives through the weekend, it would take the

season and the airline having to apologize, much as it did in a similar collapse after storms in October 2021.

The performance left Southwest as an outlier in the industry, with United Airlines Holdings Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., American Airlines Group Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp. all reporting no more than 2% of their flights canceled on Tuesday. The DOT said it was concerned by Southwest’s “unacceptable” rate of cancellations and will investigate reports of a lack of prompt customer service.

“We expect Southwest to call out the impact as it was worse than the industry and likely hurt earnings more than a ‘normal’ storm,” Cowen Inc. analysts led by Helane Becker said in a research note Tuesday. “Southwest had the worst performance in the group,” while rivals had manageable cancellations and “appear to have recovered” in time to get travelers home.

Dallas-based Southwest’s shares declined as much as 6.3% Tuesday and were down 4.8% at 12:53 p.m., while United rose and Amer-

rain total at the Nut Tree Airport to 10.25 inches since Oct. 1. That would be above the normal precipitation for New Year’s Day of 8.67 inches, Hand said. The minimum rainfall would put the total for this water year at 8.25 inches, slightly below normal level.

The rainfall level at Nut Tree as of Tuesday afternoon was 6.25 inches for the season, with 1.86 inches from the last storm. There was 1.37 inches that fell at Travis Air Force Base. The Weather Service did not have cumulative amounts.

“The potential storms for next week are a little too far out to forecast precipitation,” Hand said.

As for the impacts this year’s storms have had on the years-long drought California has suffered from, Hand said

ican and Delta declined less than 1%.

Travelers took to Twitter to vent about the turmoil, whose arrival in the midst of a busy holiday punctuated a dismal year for the U.S. airline industry. With Southwest’s stock down 16% this year through Dec. 23, the stock is headed toward a third straight annual decline, the worst such run since a similar stretch that ended in 2008.

Unlike competitors that use a so-called huband-spoke system to funnel passengers to large airports, Southwest is focused on point-topoint service, flying the same aircraft – Boeing Co. 737s – on trips that may hopscotch around the U.S..

it is the Governor’s Office that announces drought conditions.

“We have been in quite the drought for the last two years or so, but one or two storms will be beneficial . . . But at this point we can’t say anything about that,” Hand said.

She added, however, that the Weather Service does look at reservoir levels as an indication of whether the state is breaking free of the drought conditions.

The Solano County Water Agency monitoring equipment at Lake Berryessa put the water level on Tuesday at 394.53 feet – about 46 feet shy of the Glory Hole. That equates to 796,308.7 acre feet, with a lake capacity of 1.05 million acre feet. That is about 75.83% of capacity.

The Department of Water Resources moni-

While that accounted for part of Monday’s upheaval, FlightAware data showed struggles in cities where Southwest has major operations, including Dallas, Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Ryan Green, Southwest’s chief commercial officer, told the Wall Street Journal that the airline is taking steps like covering customers’ reasonable travel costs – including hotels, rental cars and tickets on other airlines, and will be communicating the process for customers to have expenses reimbursed.

People whose flights have been canceled are entitled to refunds if they opt not to travel, Green was quoted as saying.

tors the reservoirs for the state. The snowpack is a critical part of the ultimate reservoir levels.

The Northern Sierra / Trinity area registers the snowpack at 130% of normal as of Tuesday, with an average snow water equivalent of 11.1 inches. The snowpack represents 40% of the April 1 average, the DWR reported.

Similarly, the Central Sierra is 143% of normal (12.8 inches water equivalent), but 46% of the April 1 average. The Southern Sierra is 163% above normal for this date (11.1 inches water equivalent), and 49% of the April 1 average, DWR reports.

Statewide, the state agency reports the snowpack at 145% of normal (11.9 inches water equivalent), and at 45% of the April 1 average.

From Page One

elected mayor.

border in a secure, orderly, and humane way when Title 42 eventually lifts and will continue expanding legal pathways for immigration.” She also called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration legislation.

“Today’s order gives Republicans in Congress plenty of time to move past political finger-pointing and join their Democratic colleagues in solving the challenge at our border by passing the comprehensive reform measures and delivering the additional funds for border security that President Biden has requested,” JeanPierre said.

The high court had temporarily halted the lower court ruling just two days before the scheduled termination date to give the justices time to consider

Justices Neil Gorsuch, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan indicated they would have rejected the states’ request. Gorsuch, in a dissent joined by Jackson, said the majority’s decision to allow the border expulsion policy to continue was “unwise.”

Gorsuch noted that the states do not contend that the Title 42 rule is needed to address the public health emergency –the policy’s initial stated intention – but rather claim the policy is necessary to secure the border.

“But the current border crisis is not a Covid crisis,” Gorsuch wrote. “And courts should not be in the business of perpetuating administrative edicts designed for one emergency only because elected officials have failed to address a different emergency. We are a court of law, not policymakers of last resort.”

The debate on how that should take place became contentious when it was first raised. Hudson strongly believed the next highest vote-getter in the Nov. 8 council election –Charles Lee Jr. – should be appointed, but softened that position to state only council candidates should be considered for appointment.

Hudson made the same argument when he was the next highest vote-getter in an election in which he had lost his seat on the council, and a vacancy was created when Lori Wilson, now an assemblywoman, was elected mayor.

Instead, Wilson nominated Anthony Adams and

Salmon

From Page One

because despite the lack of rainfall, the stability of Lake Berryessa has allowed for normal water flows in the creek, and that has given a place for the salmon to go.

“That is probably one of the reasons,” said Stevenson, adding the water temperature is very good.

Officials also put in about 80 tons of gravel to build and improve spawning areas, and Stevenson said the fish have claimed the new territories and are using them for spawning.

Stevenson said the fish are easily seen from the Winters park area, and specifically from the railroad and car bridges.

“They are jumping

the council confirmed that appointment.

Hudson has stated he believes Wilson appointed Adams because she wanted him off the council.

Hernandez did not want to unilaterally appoint anyone to replace herself on the council, and instead favored an open application process, to which ultimately a majority of the council has agreed.

Anyone eligible to sit on the council can apply. The deadline is 5:30 p.m. Jan. 10. A town hall-style meeting will be held Jan. 17, out of which seven

out of the water,” he said. “So next year, we may use even more (gravel),” suggesting maybe 500 tons could be brought in to the creek.

“Five hundred tons maybe would be good for five 100-foot sections,” he said.

The past practice in the creek has been to simply dig up the redd areas, loosening the existing gravel and other materials in the stream so the fish do not have to work so hard to build the spawning nests.

All the work is an effort to get the spawning numbers up to the record levels of more than 1,500 fish. Nearly 2,000 were counted in the fall of 2016.

Stevenson said to make the fishery even more healthy, the kind of channel restoration

finalists will be selected. Council candidates from the Nov. 8 election who apply are guaranteed one of those seven spots.

That would include longtime Councilwoman Jane Day, who lost her bid for re-election in November and finished fourth in the balloting for the two open seats.

If Hudson had gotten his way, Day would have been next in line to fill a second vacancy, which would likely have been his own. Hudson and Day were close allies on council matters.

Princess Washing -

that has been completed upstream from Interstate 80 needs to be done on the 13 miles of creek downstreet from the highway.

“We need to focus on the wildlife area. (That stretch) has been channeled and gravel mined, so I would like to put it back,” Stevenson said. He said that is the next big project he hopes can be funded.

Stevenson admits he has gone through a kind of culture shock since taking the job.

“I thought I was going to be in charge of the creek, like water flow (decisions) – like in my old job on Cache Creek,” Stevenson said.

He said the culture and the funding mechanism at the Solano County Water Agency are different, and it has taken time to get

ton, since selected as vice mayor, and Dawson won the election for the two open seats: Day’s and the one belonging to Wanda Williams, who did not seek re-election to the council and was instead elected to the Solano County Board of Supervisors.

Day’s husband, Wayne Day, told the Daily Republic she does plan to apply for the vacant seat on the council. She did not, however, return a call seeking a direct comment.

The council hopes to make a decision Jan. 24. If the decision is not made before Feb. 3, the council would have to call for a costly special election, which could not take place until November, the city attorney told the council.

The estimated minimum cost for a special election is $165,000, the council has been told.

used to that.

However, Stevenson said he likes the job and the work.

Stevenson came to the Solano County Water Agency from the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.

He said he is also waiting on the latest report on the origin of the fish that have returned in past years. He said the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed things at the University of California, Davis, but he is expecting the report sometime early in the new year.

The researchers are hoping they can show the salmon that have returned also started their lives in the creek, which in essence would mean Putah Creek would have its own race of salmon.

DAY HERNANDEZ LEE

Hector Amezcua/TNS

Liza Taylor of Portland looks for her lost luggage at the Sacramento International Airport terminal B near the Southwest carousel, Tuesday.

Researchers: ‘Exceptionally rare’ find proves these dinosaurs were not picky eaters

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

An “unusual” fossil revealed that a small, carnivorous dinosaur consumed mammals, demystifying the diet of the long-extinct creature, researchers said.

An intact mammal foot was spotted inside the rib cage of a fossilized Microraptor zhaoianus, a feathered dinosaur, according to a study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology and an accompanying news release.

“At first, I couldn’t believe it. There was a tiny rodent-like mammal foot about a centimeter long perfectly preserved

inside a Microraptor skeleton,” Hans Larsson, McGill University professor and co-author of the study, wrote in the release. “These finds are the only solid evidence we have about the food consumption of these long extinct animals – and they are exceptionally rare.”

Larsson made the discovery while perusing a Chinese museum’s collection.

There are only 20 other documented cases of discernible food being found inside carnivorous dinosaur skeletons, researchers said.

The Microraptor, one of the smallest known dinosaur species, had wings on

all four limbs and was only about the size of a crow, according to researchers. It was first discovered in northern China about 20 years ago.

The creature, which roamed the Earth about 125 million years ago, only weighed about 2 pounds and may have been capable of flying, according to the Natural History Museum in the U.K.

The new find suggests that the feathered creature was not a picky eater, researchers said.

“Knowing that Microraptor was a generalist carnivore puts a new perspective on how ancient ecosystems may have worked and a possi-

ble insight into the success of these small, feathered dinosaurs,” Larsson stated.

Generalist carnivores help stabilize ecosystems because they prey on multiple species that might have different population sizes at different times, researchers said.

“This study paints a picture of a fascinating moment in time – one of the first record(s) of a dinosaur eating a mammal – even if it isn’t quite as frightening as anything in Jurassic Park,” David Hone, one of the study’s co-authors, wrote in a Queen Mary University of London news release.

McGill University is in Quebec.

Welcome to Evelyn’s Big Italian Pizzeria!

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

The Tropeano Family

49ers, Purdy stay focused on the Raiders for New Year’s Day

CAM inMAn BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

SANTA CLARA — Brock Purdy will quarterback the 49ers in 2023.

Of course, that statement will hold true come New Year’s Day, when the 49ers (11-4) make their first-ever visit to the Las Vegas Raiders (6-9) for Sunday’s 1:05 p.m. kickoff at Allegiant Stadium.

Has Purdy’s stunning, undefeated entrance to the NFL ranks prompted coach Kyle Shanahan to look ahead to next season’s starting role, a job that began this season with Trey Lance and then returned to Jimmy Garoppolo before their respective injuries?

“I’m trying to think about how to get him ready for Wednesday, man,” Shanahan said to cap Monday’s media conference call. “It’s a great question, but, honestly I don’t

look ahead like that.

“We have a number of big games in front of us.”

The 49ers take an eight-game win streak into their Vegas act, then host their regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals (4-11) before making a third trip to the playoffs in the past four seasons.

Once snake-bitten by injuries, the 49ers are getting healthier and healthier, with no injuries to report from Saturday’s 37-20 win over the Washington Commanders.

Purdy’s health was a major concern two weeks ago because of oblique and rib injuries he sustained in winning his first start, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On Saturday, he became the first 49ers’ quarterback ever to win his first three career starts, and, “he got out healthy again, that should

continue to heal up, and he should be better this with more time,” Shanahan said.

Garoppolo, Shanahan confirmed, got his hard cast off his fractured foot a week ago but offered no other update.

Purdy got sacked three times –as many as he did upon relieving Garoppolo in a Dec. 4 win over Miami, but Shanahan hailed Purdy’s decision making, en route to a fourth straight game with two touchdown passes.

“He was smart with the ball,” said Shanahan, noting there were a couple of plays the Commanders sent an unblocked player to thwart a play and endanger Purdy. “The play was almost there and he did a great job of not doing anything stupid in some tough situations.

Vacaville grad DeVan finds home at UNC Charlotte

DAily RepubliC StAff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE —

One of Vacaville High School’s all-time athletes has signed with the 49ers.

The University of North Carolina, Charlotte 49ers, that is.

First-year UNCCharlotte head coach Biff Poggi has hired Kyle DeVan as his new associate head coach, offensive line coach and run-game coordinator.

The former Vacaville, Oregon State and NFL standout is bringing with him a wealth of collegiate coaching experience after previous stops at programs such as Colorado, Michigan, Arizona, Southern Cal and Oregon State.

“I’m very happy to have Kyle,” Poggi said in a press release. “Kyle’s NFL playing and coaching experience coupled with his extensive power five coaching experience makes him one of the top offensive line coaches in the country.

Kyle was instrumental in helping to build the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line last year at Michigan. He’s an excellent coach and our offensive line will be in great hands.”

And DeVan is thrilled that he and his wife Erin, and their two kids, Bode Chandler and Lola Rose, have an opportunity to build a new life in North Carolina.

“I’m excited to join the 49ers program,” DeVan said the same release. “It’s a great opportunity to help build a program and develop outstanding young men and football players. Charlotte has so much going for it and we are ready to get started.”

DeVan spent this past season as offensive line coach at Colorado after a season as an offensive analyst at Michigan in 2021. At Michigan, he worked primarily with the offensive line and helped co-offensive coordinator and line

Fairfield High ready to host Holiday Classic

M Att MilleR MMILLER@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

Michigan’s youth movement helps fun run to College Football Playoff

A ngelique S. ChengeliS THE DETROIT NEWS

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Heading into the 2021 season, there was considerable conversation about the youth movement on the Michigan football team and how much it had changed the environment.

But that was all about the injection of youth on Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff, as he made several under-40 assistant-coach hires. The players responded saying they found the younger coaches more relatable, wanting an exchange of ideas, and they felt they were given ownership of the team.

This season, it’s

a different sort of youth movement.

Key starters who have helped lead Michigan to a 13-0 season are sophomores and freshmen,

notably sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy, sophomore running back Donovan Edwards, sophomore safety Rod Moore, who has made 16 starts,

and a number of freshmen, including tight end Colston Loveland, cornerback Will Johnson and defensive lineman Mason Graham, among others. They’ve played a significant role in the Wolverines winning a second straight Big Ten championship and reaching the College Football Playoff where they’ll be the No. 2 seed against No. 3 TCU on Saturday. The winner advances to the national championship game.

“I think it’s really cool we’ve got a lot of guys playing as good as they are,” senior receiver and co-captain Ronnie Bell said. “It does feel

See 49ers, Page B10 See Playoff, Page B10

FAIRFIELD —

The Ronald D. Thompson Holiday Classic at Fairfield High School returns Wednesday after a two-year Covid-19 pandemic pause.

Falcons head coach Eddie Wilson said it is good to have the annual boys basketball event back on the December schedule. It provides a good test before the calendar turns to January and teams start getting ready for their league seasons.

“It usually gets a good community draw, no matter what teams they want to see,” Wilson said.

“It’ll be good to see all the people back on an annual basis. Because of the pandemic, we have quite a few new teams. It should be exciting.”

The tournament begins at 3:30 p.m. when Vallejo goes up against Castlemont of Oakland.

Natomas takes on Liberty Ranch of Galt at 5. Fairfield squares off against Vintage of Napa at 6:30. The night wraps with a matchup between Benicia and Davis at 8.

Games continue Thursday and Friday.

The tournament features eight varsity teams and games featuring eight junior varsity squads. It’s the 17th annual event but first since 2019.

The tournament is named in honor of Ron Thompson, Fairfield’s coach for 26 years. He died in 2016 at the age of 84. Thompson won eight league titles and had an overall record of 409-262.

The current Falcons are struggling to a 2-10 start.

“We’ve had a few bumps in the road,” Wilson said.”I hope at last we are heading in the right direction. We know it would take some time.”

Vanden girls gear up for big test at West Coast Jamboree

M Att MilleR MMILLER@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Allison and Jake Johnson should never be accused of setting up a soft preseason schedule.

The Vanden High School girls basketball coaches have put their Vikings up against some of top teams in Northern California and the nation already this winter. That trend continues Wednesday when the Vikings begin play in the West

Coast Jamboree.

No sooner had the Vanden girls returned from their annual trek to Las Vegas, they are back in the Bay Area ready to take the floor again. This time they will challenge some of Northern California’s finest in Hayward.

Vanden opens the tournament in the Diamond bracket against Acalanes at 4 p.m. today. A victory would set up a semifinal showdown against either Deer Valley or Bishop O’Dowd.

Will C. Wood is also in the tournament and opens play in the Jade Division Wednesday against College Park.

“Our preseason schedule was set up for us to be tested game in and game out,” Jake Johnson said. “All the teams in our bracket are strong. There’s no room to rest.”

Vanden finished 2-2 last week at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. The Vikings defeated Democracy Prep of Nevada 67-57, lost to Coeur d’Alene,

Idaho, 64-33, beat George Washington of Colorado 75-63 and closed out with a 70-62 loss to Skyridge of Utah. The team record now sits at 8-6.

“When you play against strong competition, you get some little things exposed,” Johnson said. “You can’t take a play off or miss a rebounding assignment. You have to be engaged for 32 minutes.”

Johnson said senior captain Alyssa Jackson, senior Gabby Wright and sophomore Calonni Hollo-

way stood out the most in the Las Vegas tournament. Jackson, he said, averaged around 20 points per game.

MaxPreps.com has Vanden ranked No. 47 overall in the state, eighth among Division III schools, seventh overall in the Sac-Joaquin Section and No. 1 in the section among Division III programs.

Earlier in the season, the Vikings played Pleasant Valley (Chico), Oakland Tech, Archbishop Mitty, Cardinal Newman

and Antelope. Vanden will eventually face nine teams currently ranked in the top 20 in Northern California by SportsStars Magazine.

Once tournament action ends this weekend, Vanden will put its focus on its Monticello Empire League schedule. The Vikings open Wednesday, Jan. 11 at Will C. Wood.

And, by the way, Vanden has won 30 straight league games, 103 of its last 104, and 138 of its last 140.

Neil Blake/Tribune Content Agency

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh smiles during practice at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., Tuesday. Michigan and TCU play in the Fiesta Bowl, Saturday.

Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group/TNS

San Francisco 49ers’ tight end George Kittle (85) and quarterback Brock Purdy (13) celebrate after a touchdown against the Washington Commanders in the second half at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Saturday.

CALENDAR

Wednesday’s TV sports

Basketball College Men

• Florida vs. Auburn, ESPN2, 4 p.m.

• Arkansas vs. LSU, ESPN2, 6 p.m.

NBA

• Utah vs. Golden State, NBCSBA (Fairfield and Suisun City), 7 p.m.

• Denver vs. Sacramento, NBCSCA (Vacaville and Rio Vista), 7 p.m.

Football College

• Military Bowl: UCF vs. Duke, ESPN, 11 a.m.

• Liberty Bowl: Kansas vs. Arkansas, ESPN, 2:30 p.m.

• Holiday Bowl: Oregon vs. North Carolina, 2, 40, 5 p.m.

• Texas Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss, ESPN, 6 p.m.

Hockey NHL

• Boston vs. New Jersey, TNT, 4:30 p.m.

• Calgary vs. Seattle, TNT, 7 p.m.

Soccer

EPL

• Leeds vs. Manchester City, USA, Noon.

Thursday’s TV Sports

Basketball College Men

• Tulane vs. Cincinnati, ESPN2, 6 p.m. College Women

• LSU vs. Arkansas, ESPN2, 4 p.m.

G League

• Stockton vs. Santa Cruz, NBCSBA, 7 p.m.

Football College

Pinstripe Bowl: Syracuse vs. Minnesota, ESPN, 11 a.m.

Cheez-It Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Florida State, ESPN, 2:30 p.m.

Alamo Bowl: Texas vs. Washington, ESPN, 6 p.m.

NFL Dallas vs. Tennessee, Amazon Prime (Live Streaming), 5:15 p.m.

Hockey NHL

Philadelphia vs. San Jose, NBCSCA, 7:30 p.m.

Scoreboard

BASKETBALL

NBA

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division

W L Pct GB Boston 25 10 714 Brooklyn 22 12 647 2½ Philadelphia 20 13 606 4 New York 18 16 529 6½ Toronto 15 19 441 9½

Central Division W L Pct GB Milwaukee 22 11 667 Cleveland 22 13 629 1 Indiana 18 17 514 5 Chicago 14 19 424 8 Detroit 8 28 222 15½ Southeast Division W L Pct GB Atlanta 17 17 500 Miami 17 17 500 Washington 14 21 400 3½ Orlando 13 22 371 4½ Charlotte 9 25 265 8 WESTERN CONFERENCE Northwest Division W L Pct GB Denver 21 11 656 Portland 18 16 529 4 Utah 19 17 528 4 Minnesota 16 18 471 6 Oklahoma City 15 19 441 7 Pacific Division W L Pct GB L.A. Clippers 21 15 583 Phoenix 20 15 571 ½ SACRAMENTO 17 14 548 1½ GOLDEN STATE 16 18 471 4 L.A. Lakers 14 20 412 6 Southwest Division W L Pct GB New Orleans 21 12 636 Memphis 20 13 606 1 Dallas 18 16 529 3½ San Antonio 11 23 333 10½ Houston 10 24 294 11½ Monday’s Games Brooklyn 125, Cleveland 117 L.A. Clippers 142, Detroit 131 Miami 113, Minnesota 110 Houston 133, Chicago 118 New Orleans 113, Indiana 93 San Antonio 126, Utah 122 Portland 124, Charlotte 113 Tuesday’s Games Charlotte at GOLDEN STATE, (N) Denver at SACRAMENTO, (N) L.A. Lakers 129, Orlando 110 Washington 116, Philadelphia 111 Boston 126, Houston 102 Indiana 129, Atlanta 114

HOCKEY

NHL

EASTERN CONFERENCE Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Carolina 35 23 6 6 52 109 90 New Jersey 34

Nashville 2 Minnesota 4, Winnipeg 1 Toronto 5, St. Louis 4, OT Colorado at Arizona, (N) Edmonton at Calgary, (N) Vegas at L.A. Kings, (N) Buffalo at Columbus, postponed.

Wednesday’s Games Montreal at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m. Boston at New Jersey, 4:30 p.m. Detroit at Pittsburgh, 4:30 p.m. Calgary at Seattle, 7 p.m. Vegas at Anaheim, 7 p.m.

Thursday’s Games Philadelphia at SAN JOSE, 7:30 p.m. Detroit at Buffalo, 4 p.m. Montreal at Florida, 4 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m. Ottawa at Washington, 4 p.m. Columbus at N.Y. Islanders, 4:30 p.m. Chicago at St. Louis, 5 p.m. Dallas at Minnesota, 5 p.m. Vancouver at Winnipeg, 5 p.m. L.A. Kings at Colorado, 6 p.m. Toronto at Arizona, 6 p.m.

FOOTBALL

NFL

American Conference East

L T Pct. PF PA Buffalo 12 3 0 .800 420 263 Miami

FRANCISCO

Washington 20 Baltimore

Atlanta 9

Detroit

Chicago

Orleans

Kansas City

Minnesota 27, N.Y.

Cleveland

Seattle

22, New England 18 Houston 19, Tennessee 14 Dallas 40, Philadelphia 34 Pittsburgh 13, Las Vegas 10 Sunday’s Game Green Bay 26, Miami 20 L.A. Rams 51, Denver 14 Tampa Bay 19, Arizona 16 Monday’s Game L.A. Chargers 20, Indianapolis 3 Week 17 Thursday’s Game Dallas at Tennessee, 5:15 p.m. Sunday’s Games SAN FRANCISCO at Las Vegas, 1:05 p.m. Arizona at Atlanta, 10 a.m. Chicago at Detroit, 10 a.m. Jacksonville at Houston, 10 a.m. Denver at Kansas City, 10 a.m. Miami at New England, 10 a.m. Indianapolis at N.Y. Giants, 10 a.m. New Orleans at Philadelphia, 10 a.m. Carolina at Tampa Bay, 10 a.m. Cleveland at Washington, 10 a.m. N.Y. Jets at Seattle, 1:05 p.m. Minnesota at Green Bay, 1:25 p.m. L.A. Rams at L.A. Chargers, 1:25 p.m. Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 5:20 p.m. Monday’s Game Buffalo at Cincinnati, 5:30 p.m.

Broncos GM believes QB Russell Wilson has chance to be ‘fixable’

Patrick SaunderS THE DENVER POST

DENVER — “Let’s Ride!” became Russell Wilson’s catchphrase.

And, indeed, the Broncos saddled up their new quarterback with the hopes and dreams of a proud franchise and gave him a five-year, $245 million contract extension before he played a down in Denver.

5-time All-Pro J.J. Watt says he’ll retire at season’s end

JameS O’cOnnell NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Quarterbacks everywhere can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt appears to be calling it a career at the end of this season.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year took to social media on Tuesday and said that Sunday night was his last home game in the NFL.

“Koa’s first ever NFL game. My last ever NFL home game,” Watt wrote in his post that featured a picture with his wife, his daughter and his parents. “My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.”

Watt has 9.5 sacks in the 2022 season, his highest since 2018. The 33-year-old played 10 of his 12 seasons with the Houston Texans. The five-time All-Pro led the NFL in sacks in 2012 and 2015 and surpassed 20 sacks twice in his career.

The former Wisconsin star was selected by the Texans with the 11th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. While his stats from 2012-2015 jump off the page – when he was named All-Pro four

seasons running – the pass rusher’s career went off course due to injuries. Watt played just eight total games between 2016 and 2017. He also missed half of the 2019 campaign.

Despite the injuries, Watt is the Texans’ franchise leader in sacks (101), quarterback hits (281), tackles for a loss (172) and forced fumbles (25).

Watt ultimately left the Texans after the 2020 season to join the Cardinals as a free agent for the last two seasons of his career. The franchise favorite cited losing and rebuilding as the main reason why he left Houston in October 2021.

Watt is coming off two strong performances down the stretch –perhaps with some added motivation knowing that his career is coming to a close. He recorded a season-high three sacks in Arizona’s Week 15 loss to the Broncos and then had two tackles for a loss and two QB hits in the Christmas Day OT loss to the Bucs.

The pass-rushing superstar has just two games remaining in his career NFL schedule as the last-place Cardinals take on Falcons and 49ers to close out their season.

Then he took the field and played the worst football of his career. But with that enormous contract, the Broncos have no choice but to continue to ride with Wilson, despite his dismal performance, the team’s 4-11 record and the firing of first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett on Monday.

“The decision to have Russell here was a longterm one,” owner/CEO Greg Penner said Tuesday. “This season has not been up to his standards and his expectations. We saw some glimpses of it in the last

Alumni

coach Sherrone Moore produce the winner of the 2021 Joe Moore Award. All five of the Wolverines’ starting linemen earned All-Big Ten honors as Michigan advanced to the 2022 College Football Playoff Semifinal Orange Bowl.

DeVan spent two seasons at Arizona before heading to Michigan. At Arizona, he coached the offensive line and was the run-game coordinator under head coach Kevin Sumlin. He spent the previous three seasons (2016-18) as offensive line coach at Ball State. He was the assistant head coach for the final two years. In his first season, the Cardinals posted its most rushing yards since 1978 with three games of 300-plus yards.

He was an assistant offensive line coach for head coach Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints for one season, concentrating on all aspects of the run game as well as pass protection game planning. In 2014, he was an offensive graduate assistant coach at Southern California under Steve

few weeks. He knows he can play better, we know he can play better, and we know he will do the right work in the offseason to get better for next year.”

It’ll be up to the next Broncos coach to figure out how to get Wilson back on track.

Russell, 34, can’t play much worse than he has this season. In Denver’s blowout loss to the Rams on Sunday that sealed Hackett’s fate, he threw

Sarkisian. The Trojans went 9-4 with a 45-42 win over No. 25 Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. His coaching career began as an offensive graduate assistant working with tight ends at his alma mater, Oregon State, in 2013.

DeVan, a second team All-Pac-12 selection for the Beavers his senior year, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2008 with the Washington pro football team, and spent 12 weeks on the New York Jets practice squad. He worked as a substitute teacher at Vacaville High School (math, history and physical education) for a brief time before playing arena football. He spent the spring of 2009 with the Boise Burn of the arenafootball2 league before landing with the Indianapolis Colts for three seasons (2009-11).

He started 25 games at guard for the Colts and was a member of Indy’s 2009 AFC champion team. One of the linemen who blocked for NFL Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning, DeVan started at right guard in Super Bowl XLIV against New Orleans. He would close out his professional career with the Philadelphia Eagles (2011) and the Tennessee Titans (2012), eventually starting

three interceptions. Statistically, he’s having by far the worst season of his 11-year NFL career.

“No. 1, I have to play to the standards that I know how to play to and I’ve been playing to my whole career,” Wilson said after Sunday’s loss.

If the new coaching staff can’t get Wilson’s issues corrected, the Broncos are in a really bad spot due to the money invested in him.

Broncos general

in 30 games overall.

DeVan lettered in football and wrestling at Vacaville. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Oregon State in 2008. He was a three-time honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic team member and a two-time Rimington Award nominee as a candidate for the nation’s top center. The Beavers were 38-24 in his five seasons and he helped lead OSU to bowl victories over Notre Dame (2004 Insight Bowl), Missouri (2006 Sun Bowl) and Maryland (2007 Emerald Bowl). He played in the 2008 East-West Shrine game to polish off his collegiate career.

Men’s Basketball

The collegiate basketball schedule was light during the week before Christmas for area athletes, but a couple of them had some strong performances for their four-year schools.

Senior guard Braxton Adderly (Rodriguez, Napa Valley) worked his way into the starting lineup for Cal Maritime. Adderly had 17 points, one rebound and three assists in an 89-85 loss at home to Southern Oregon.

Senior forward Jay Nagle (Will C.Wood)

manager George Paton on Tuesday put a positive spin on the situation.

“We saw flashes of Russ this year (but) Russ even said he didn’t play up to his standards,” Paton said.

“You did see flashes, but he would be the first one to tell you that he didn’t play up to his standard, didn’t play up to our standard. He needs to be better.”

Paton added that the search for the Broncos’ next coach won’t be predicated only upon finding someone to fix Wilson.

“I don’t think we made a coaching move based on Russ,” Paton said.

“That wasn’t what it’s all about. That’s not why we are getting a new coach, to turn around Russ. It’s about the entire organization and about the entire football team. It’s not just one player. It’s not about whether Russ is fixable or not. We do believe he is.”

Denver plays at Kansas City Sunday against the Chiefs.

had one of his biggest games since transferring to Idaho State. Nagle went for 11 points, six rebounds, one assist, one blocked shot and one steal in a 68-66 loss at Grand Canyon. He had previously been at UC Santa Barbara before making the transfer and joining the Bengals.

Junior guard Ricky Hamilton-Holland (Will C.Wood) saw action for Pacific Union College. He had two points, two rebounds and three assists in an 89-65 loss at UC Merced.

Women’s Basketball

Junior forward Milia Gibson (Rodriguez) filled up the stat sheet for Mississippi Valley State. Gibson scored 12 points to go with four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one blocked shot in a 68-60 loss at South Alabama.

Professional Football

Mykal Walker (Vacaville) picked up a solo tackle at linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons in a 17-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. That pushed his season total of 55, which ties him for 72nd in the league. The Falcons will try to rebound from the loss with a home game Sunday against Arizona.

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS file Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt (99) sacks Los Angeles Rams quarterback John Wolford (13) during the second half at SoFi Stadium, Nov. 13.

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images/TNS file Russell Wilson (3) of the Denver Broncos walks off the field after a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium, Nov. 27, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Readers offer their perspectives on coping with ‘blah marriage’

Dear Annie: I could’ve written the letter from “Divorce Ambivalent” many, many years ago when our three children were young. My husband was busy with his career, and he loved sports. He was a good father but often did what he wanted to do on weekends.

He did help with the children (diapers, bathing, feeding, etc.), and he was a good husband, provider and an honorable man. He had no bad habits, such as a wandering eye. We always did fun things together, but the attention he gave to weekend sports would leave me feeling lonely and unimportant. I would discuss it with him and always hoped he would make the “I’ll change” promise, but he never did.

I knew from my own parents’ unhappy marriage that the “change” promise is a well-intentioned but often empty one, but I still wanted him to give me “hope” that I wouldn’t be lonely. I managed by focusing on the good in our marriage and in this man. He wasn’t perfect, but neither was I. Could he have put me first more often? Maybe, but I began to realize it wasn’t his responsibility to “fulfill” me.

I began doing more of what

I enjoyed, even if it meant time away from him and family (travel, visiting my parents alone, hobbies, etc.). He never resented the things I did, but if he had, I would simply have acknowledged we were both putting ourselves first on occasion.

Fast-forward to the present – we just celebrated 40 years of marriage, and our children are grown. Is our marriage perfect? No, but it is pretty darn good and better than it was 25 years ago. We talk about everything, and I believe that communication is absolutely the most important thing in a marriage. We spend time doing fun things both together and apart.

We have become a couple that focuses on each other instead of our children. Hang in there, “Divorce Ambivalent”; keep working to make your marriage a strong one, even if it feels like you’re doing more. It is absolutely possible for your spouse to be your best friend after going through “meh” marriage phases. — Happy at 40 Years

Dear Happy at 40 Years: Thank you for sharing your story and advice. The next letter is from a woman who lost her husband and would give anything to have the “blah”

Horoscopes

ARIES (March 21-April 19). People will be interested in catching up with you. Brevity is the way to keep it that way. You’ll lead with a fun energy and keep your stories short and intriguing. Less minutia is more mystery.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Descartes said, “Cogito ergo sum,” or “I think, therefore I am.” Maybe, though it’s what we do, not what we think, that goes down in the records. You’ll make sure to line the two up today, putting what’s on your mind into action.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The level of fun you can reach correlates to the level of duty you perform. Just as soon as you complete your responsibility, life gets very fun and exciting indeed. But if you don’t fulfill an obligation, all else will be stalled.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You want all to do the right thing, including and especially you, since anything less makes you very uncomfortable. Stay awake and aware of social nuances. You learn a lot when you don’t expect everyone to be like you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).

Everyone says unexpectedly silly things once in a while, but if you can manage to say them more often, you’ll break the ice, build rapport and help people feel comfortable enough to

by Holiday Mathis

Today’s birthday

You’ll get a shimmering vision of what could be. The prospect of exciting work will seduce you. Your cosmic gift will be great fortitude and followthrough. Early wins bolster your confidence, but you’ll need to add people to your team to make this work. Eventually, you’ll conquer what you set out to and luck into some unexpected bounty along the way. Taurus and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 7, 3, 15, 9 and 40.

share real information.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).

While no person’s reputation in the world is entirely under their own control, you have a good handle on what you think of you – an idea that will translate into confidence that everyone around you senses and responds to.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

The ability to see things differently will be like a superpower.

Life is kaleidoscopic now, susceptible to changing with the slightest shift of your position and vantage point. Slide over but an inch and the pattern changes.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

times back.

Dear Annie: I am writing regarding the letter from a wife who is experiencing a “blah marriage” due to being alone because her husband’s job requires that he travel frequently. She does most of the work alone in raising their young children.

I believe every marriage experiences “blah” times, and it is no reason to divorce, because the situation is temporary. With communication, planning time together, and remembering the love she has for her husband, she can get past the not-so-great times and appreciate their marriage again.

I say this because I still feel the loss of my husband, who passed away unexpectedly 10 years ago. I would give anything to experience what I might have considered to be a “blah” time with my husband before I realized how much I would feel his absence. — Still

Missing Him

Dear Missing Him: Your perspective is priceless. We often assume that things will always stay the same, and we tend to focus on what’s wrong in a situation rather than realizing that nothing lasts forever.

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

Other people’s kind of fun can be an interesting experience, and you’re willing to give it a whirl. In the overlap between your kind of fun and theirs is an opportunity to expand your capacity for joy.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). An inner calm serves to sharpen you in unexpected ways. Your powers of observation are augmented. You’ll notice things about people, things that were there all along, but you’re now able to see with great clarity.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). Of course, complaining is useless. If you can fix it, you will. If you can’t, there’s nothing to talk about. The simplicity of this will make your life and relationships much better.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). Caution is often a sign of intelligence. But it is also possible to be overly cautious, micromanaging movements and stumbling in the process. You’ll find balance with a sweeping gesture of trust and goodwill.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The ones in the middle of the two-lane road are only as safe as the drivers around them. As much as you’d like to remain neutral, you’ll avoid trouble now by choosing a side and getting into the flow of traffic.

THE NATURAL INCLINATION

It is interesting how often one can read some poetry and assume the author is teaching his grandchildren, in a subtle way, the secrets of bridge. For example, take Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In his “Psalm of Life,” he wrote, “Let us, then, be up and doing, / With a heart for any fate; / Still

Sudoku

Bridge

THE NATURAL INCLINATION

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

It is interesting how often one can read some poetry and assume the author is teaching his grandchildren, in a subtle way, the secrets of bridge. For example, take Henry Wadsworth

by Phillip Alder

achieving, still pursuing, / Learn to labor and to wait.”

When playing in a suit contract, the natural inclination is to draw trumps as quickly as possible, lest an opponent score a cheap trick with a low trump. However, on many deals it is important to wait, to delay drawing trumps until the due moment.

South’s two-heart cue-bid was game-forcing and asking for more information. North, with no heart stopper or five-card suit, gave uncomfortable preference to spades.

West led a heart, East playing three rounds of the suit. South ruffed and drew all of the trumps, turning it into a no-trump deal. Now South had to hope he could establish a third club trick without letting East on play. However, as you can see, it was impossible. Then, when East got in with the club queen, he had two heart winners to cash: down two.

When you are in danger of running out of trumps, usually it is best to keep one in the dummy and establish your side suit first. Declarer, after ruffing at trick three, should have played three rounds of clubs immediately. East wins and plays a fourth heart, but declarer lets it run to dummy, overruffing West if necessary. Trumps are drawn and the long club trick cashed in peace.

2022, UNITED FEATURE

COPYRIGHT:

SYNDICATE

by Wayne Gould

Bridge

Annie Lane Dear Annie

Robert Irvine tries to turn around failing eateries on “Restaurant: Impossible.’’

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

It’s finally safe to ring in the new year with company, to battle traffic on a frigid night, put up with raucous revelers and fork over part of your kid’s college fund for a glass of Champagne.

Yeah, maybe not.

There’s no shame in spending New Year’s Eve alone, warming yourself in front of the TV set. It’s a tradition that dates back to 1956 when Guy Lombardo started swinging in the new year for homebodies. He was followed by Andy Williams and Dick Clark.

This season, viewers have a lot more choices. Here are the most tantalizing ones:

“Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party”: The versatile Miley Cyrus will never again be mistaken for Hannah Montana, but she does seem to have lost her desire to shock. To prove she’s more mature than ever, she’s traded in co-host Pete Davidson for godmother Dolly Parton, who will surely join in on some classic numbers. The two will broadcast from Miami with a guest list that includes Sia and Latto. 10:30 p.m. ET Saturday, NBC

“New Year’s Eve Live”: CNN’s new boss Chris Licht has told his on-air personalities to go easy on the booze this year. That means no drunken rants from Andy Cohen. But we can still count on Anderson Cooper having one of his uncontrollable giggling fits. After watching the ball drop in New York City, the best bros will hand the reins over to Don Lemon in New Orleans. Don, that sober policy applies to you, too! 8 p.m. Saturday, CNN

“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”: Ryan Seacrest continues to emulate the late Dick Clark, who was the King of Times Square for 30 years. Seacrest, who has hosted the show since 2005, will share duties with Roselyn Sanchez in Puerto Rico, Ciara in Los Angeles and Billy Porter in New Orleans. Duran Duran and New Edition will provide tunes, which will surely make some inebriated viewers believe they are rockin’ in 1983. 8 p.m. Saturday, ABC

“New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash”: For the second

year, CBS will take over Music City with nearly 50 performances in various locations. Hosts Jimmie Allen, Elle King and Rachel Smith will welcome Brooks & Dunn, Kelsea Ballerini, Zac Brown Band and many others. Let’s hope the town’s boisterous bachelorette parties don’t disrupt the fun. 8 p.m. Saturday, CBS

“All-American New Year”: Fox will also be using Nashville as a base for its festivities. Fans will get some of their favorite on-air personalities from “Fox & Friends,” “Outnumbered” and “Gutfeld.” Highlights include a linedancing competition from Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon and a polar plunge in Ocean City, New Jersey. 10 p.m. Saturday, Fox News

“Lizzo: Live in Concert”: Even if you don’t care for Lizzo’s music, you can’t help falling for her charms. Earlier this month, she went shot for shot with Seth Meyers in one of his show’s most hilarious “Day Drinking” segments. She also returned to “Saturday Night Live,” just eight months after hosting. If that’s not enough Lizzo for you, catch this fulllength concert, taped a few weeks ago in California with guests Cardi B, SZA and Missy Elliott.

Starts streaming Saturday, HBO Max

“The Thin Man” marathon: These classic 1930s comedies aren’t official holiday movies, but Nick and Nora Charles wear enough fancy duds and swill enough martinis to make you believe they’re attending an endless series of New Year’s Eve parties. Murder is at the heart of all these films, but Myrna Loy and William Powell are having too much fun to get rattled. You’ll feel the same way. 8 p.m. Saturday, TCM

“From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2023”: Those falling asleep early on NYE – or who want to relive the night in stylish fashion – should make an appointment with this classy PBS tradition. “Downton Abbey’s” Hugh Bonneville hosts the concert for the sixth year from Musikverein, with the Vienna Philharmonic running through a selection of waltzes and polkas. Do not expect a cameo from Miley Cyrus. 8 p.m. Sunday, PBS

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

‘Avatar,’ ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Black Panther’ sequels among best films of 2022

Peter Sblendorio NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Long-awaited sequels brought plenty of action to the big screen in 2022.

Several of Hollywood’s biggest franchises delivered follow-up films worthy of the hype, with Tom Cruise taking flight again in “Top Gun: Maverick” and James Cameron transporting audiences back to Pandora with “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

There were dazzling original stories, too, including critical darlings from Steven Spielberg and Baz Lurhmann and a multiverse adventure defying expectations in this dimension or any other.

Here are the best movies of 2022.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’

The need for speed was more than satisfied with this epic offering more than three decades in the making.

Cruise and his co-stars took realism to new heights by shooting scenes inside actual fighter jets – a commitment requiring the cast to undergo months of rigorous training to authentically portray fearless Navy pilots.

“Tom really understands the effect a movie can have on an audience if it’s done correctly,” actor Glen Powell told the Daily News. “If there is a way in which he can affect an audience emotionally, if he can put them in the back of an F/A-18, he’s like, ‘We’re going to do this practically.’”

The story landed, too, with Cruise adding more depth to the hotshot Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell character he introduced in 1986′s original “Top Gun.”

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

The power of this superhero spectacle stemmed from its ability to honor late star Chadwick Boseman while offering thought-provoking commentary on the real world.

Ryan Coogler seamlessly transitioned from 2018′s original “Black Panther,” which he directed, to a new story exploring grief following

the 2020 death of Boseman, who had privately battled colon cancer.

“We made the film that we could make, and that film we could make was this one,” Coogler told The News. “We did honest work, and we gave our best. We all met Chad through working on ... this movie, and that was his attitude, to give until his cup was empty, so that’s what we did. We honored him through the work.”

The film’s central conflict between the surface world and an underwater kingdom offered a compelling analysis of foreign affairs, and out of it Coogler weaved another Marvel masterpiece.

‘Elvis’

Luhrmann’s wide-ranging biopic about Elvis Presley inspired a little more conversation about the music and struggles of a cultural icon whose story is often reduced to Las Vegas parodies.

Austin Butler’s portrayal of the King of Rock and Roll got audiences all shook up –including the star’s ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, who gave a rave review.

“She said, ‘I’ve had to put up with a lifetime of people impersonating, and my husband was not an impersonation. He was a person.’ I thought that was the most telling thing,” Luhrmann told The News.

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’

This out-of-this-world, universe-hopping sensation proved to be Hollywood’s biggest surprise of 2022, exploding as one of the year’s most-talked-about movies despite a much more modest budget than its fellow heavyweights.

The film cleverly jumps between genres as quickly as it introduces new worlds, and Michelle Yeoh’s delightful lead performance deserves to be at the forefront of any awardsseason debate.

Critics and audiences alike loved “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which is among the most-nominated films at next month’s Golden Globes with six. It grossed

more than $100 million, making it the biggest film ever for the A24 studio.

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Cameron sure knows how to make a splash.

The writer-director’s “The Way of Water” explores more of the sprawling Pandora moon with the same stunning visuals and attention to detail that helped make 2009′s original “Avatar” the highest-grossing film in history.

The Na’vi-centric sequel is certainly avoiding any boxoffice blues, opening this month with more than $130 million in North America and easily winning its first two weekends in theaters.

‘The Fabelmans’

The semi-autobiographical “The Fabelmans” is the most personal project of Spielberg’s prolific career, drawing inspiration from his family life and early days as a filmmaker.

The drama has Spielberg, a three-time Oscar winner, at the center of awards-season discussions for a second consecutive year after his “West Side Story” adaptation drew praise last December.

Michelle Williams, meanwhile, is in the mix for her first career Oscar for her portrayal of a character based on Spielberg’s mother.

‘The Batman’

The future is bright for the Dark Knight.

Robert Pattinson’s brooding debut as Batman harks back to the comic-book superhero’s original source material, with writer-director Matt Reeves using a refreshingly dark tone to put a new spin on the genre.

“Matt really wanted to honor the evolution of ‘Batman’ the comic,” actor Jeffrey Wright, who plays Lt. James Gordon, told The News.

“He wanted to celebrate the more narrative-focused elements of ‘Batman,’ and those being mystery-based. He wanted to celebrate Batman, the world’s greatest detective, because I think, as well, it makes for interesting filmmaking.”

Bridge

by Phillip Alder

high-card points. Over North’s takeout double, East did a triple somersault up to five diamonds. South, caught between the uneven bars, was thin for five hearts. North couldn’t do less than pirouette up to six.

At first glance, it seems South must lose two spade tricks. But she made short work of vaulting that horse safely. She ruffed the opening lead, drew trumps, ruffed the last diamond, cashed dummy’s top clubs, discarding a spade from hand, and ruffed dummy’s low club. Now South knew that West had begun with two hearts, six diamonds, four clubs and, therefore, only one spade. South guaranteed her contract by leading a low spade from hand and ducking in the dummy. Whichever defender won the trick would be endplayed. West would have to concede a ruff-and-sluff; East would have to do the same or lead away from the spade king.

TURNING THIS WAY AND TURNING THAT

It never ceases to amaze me how those young gymnasts can fold themselves in two. They are so flexible that it looks as if their bones must be made of rubber.

Many bridge deals, like today’s, require flexibility too.

West opened with a weak two-bid, showing a good six-card suit and 6-10

Sudoku

Bridge

“Well played,” said East graciously, “but what happens if my partner leads the spade nine at trick one?”

“Then,” replied South after a little thought, “I win with the ace, ruff my diamonds in the dummy, draw trumps and play four rounds of clubs, throwing two spades from hand. West wins but is endplayed. On the forced diamond return, I ruff in the dummy and sluff my last spade loser.” Cool!

2022, UNITED FEATURE

COPYRIGHT:

SYNDICATE

by Wayne Gould

TURNING THIS WAY AND TURNING THAT It never ceases to amaze me how those young gymnasts can fold themselves in two. They are so flexible that it looks as if their bones must be made of rubber.

Many bridge deals, like today’s,

Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures/TNS

Tom Cruise as Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Miles Teller as Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, Monica Barbaro as “Phoenix” and Glen Powell as “Hangman” in “Top Gun: Maverick.”

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“He’s shown he’s willing to let it rip at all times. There were times in the games they got an unblocked guy to him and he made a couple right decisions to just take the sack.”

Samuel’s recovery

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel is “making real good progress and still working his way back” from sprains to his right knee and ankle, Shanahan said. Samuel missed the past two games since being carted off with that leg injury, but he was seen doing individual conditioning last week. “We’ll see how it goes in the next two days of rehab. We’ll see later in the week,” Shanahan said of Samuel’s availability for practice and Sunday’s game.

Mitchell getting close

Running back Elijah Mitchell is on the verge of returning from his second knee sprain this season, though he likely won’t practice until Friday or next week. “He’s had no setbacks and is doing well. We’ll see if he’s available next week for us,” Shanahan said.

Mitchell would thus become the eighth and final player the 49ers can activate off the injured reserve list. Shanahan said that slot is essentially between Mitchell and Hassan Ridgeway, who strained a pectoral muscle Dec. 4; Lance is also recovering on injured reserve but Shanahan has maintained that he’s done for the season.

The 49ers’ spent one of their short-term IR spots on linebacker Curtis Robinson for his potential on special teams; he was waived last week and is expected to return on the practice squad. Shanahan endorsed the concept of adding more short-term IR spots for the playoffs.

Mitchell would bolster a running back corps that’s seen the 49ers go 8-0 since Christian McCaffrey’s insertion as the starter. Jordan Mason escaped a hamstring-injury scare

Saturday and his ham-

string is doing well after getting tight from Wednesday’s practice; he got sent home ill Monday, however.

Ty Davis-Price had nine carries for 30 yards in his first action in two months. Shanahan commended Davis-Price for avoiding a potential fumble on the first series when he was stopped a yard shy of a first down.

Kinlaw’s comeback

Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw “checked out great” in the wake of his 16-snap return Saturday, after a three-month hiatus related to swelling in his surgically repaired right knee. “It was a successful game and even more successful since he looked good today,” sais Shanahan, who commended Kinlaw for taking on a double-team block on fourth-and-1 and allowing Fred Warner to make the touchdown-saving stop.

Ryans’ options

While the Miami Dolphins (8-7) and the New York Jets (7-8) are in wild-card contention with coaches who formerly were 49ers’ assistants, more and more opportunities are arising for defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans to follow the leads of Mike McDaniel ( Dolphins) and Robert Saleh (Jets).

The Denver Broncos, in firing Nathaniel Hackett on Monday, became the third team to call on an interim coach to finish out this season, as the Carolina Panthers and the Indianapolis Colts also have done. Ryans, after his first season replacing Saleh, was a candidate for the Vikings’ post a year ago before declining a second interview. Former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan probably could put in a good word for Ryans in Denver, as if he needs it.

Led by Pro Bowlers Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Talanoa Hufanga, Ryans’ unit is the NFL’s best in allowing the fewest points (15.3 per game), total yards (290.3), rushing yards (75.0) and first downs (16.7). The 49ers’ 15 interceptions are two shy of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ NFL lead.

indistinguishable.

“We’re not even looking at it like underclassmen or what age you are, nothing like that,” senior receiver Cornelius Johnson said.

Sharks’ winger escapes injury after dangerous collision on ice

Curtis Pashelka BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

SAN JOSE — San Jose Sharks coach David Quinn said winger Evgeny Svechnikov didn’t have any lingering effects from the knee-on-knee collision he had with Minnesota Wild forward Mason Shaw last week.

Following the hit at the 12:10 mark of the second period of last Thursday’s game at SAP Center, Svechnikov had to leave the game but was able to return for the third period as the Sharks went on to a 5-2 win.

For the hit, Shaw was assessed a major penalty for kneeing and given a game misconduct. The next day, he was suspended by the NHL for two games.

Shaw, who had to forfeit $8,108.10 of his salary, said after the game that he did not intend to injure Svechnikov.

Quinn said Svechnikov, who had his right knee wrapped in ice after Thursday’s game, was re-examined Friday and returned this week.

Shaw, though, was involved in another incident with the Sharks in a Nov. 13 meeting in Minnesota, as his high hit on Radim Simek caused the

San Jose defenseman to miss the next four games with a mild concussion.

“I don’t think my opinion matters, so I’d rather hold off on it,” Quinn said Tuesday morning when asked about the Shaw suspension. “Obviously, we thought he got his knee up high and the referees reviewed it, so it was a pretty fair call and the league had plenty of time to look at it and they did what they thought was right to protect the players.”

Svechnikov entered Tuesday with seven points in 27 games, as he had been playing on the third line with center Nico Sturm.

The Sharks returned

forward C.J. Suess to the Barracuda last Thursday but did not recall anyone to take his spot on the roster, which remained at 22 players with 13 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies.

The Sharks next host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

Unusual schedule

The Sharks normally fly into a city the night before for a road game but had to leave San Jose early Tuesday morning because of a provision in the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHL Players’ Association.

Per the CBA, Dec. 24-26 shall be off days for players for

all purposes, including travel. So the Sharks left San Jose at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning and arrived in Vancouver two hours later. They then held a morning skate at Rogers Arena and planned to return to the Bay Area immediately after the game.

Normally teams, if their schedule allows, fly into a city the day before for road games. The last time the Sharks had to fly out on Dec. 27 for a game that night was in 2016 when they played the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. The Sharks won that game 3-2 in overtime.

Quinn downplayed the significance of the unusual itinerary.

“Listen, we’re going to have a great meal, we’re going to sleep in a beautiful bed in a beautiful hotel, so nobody’s going to feel sorry for us that we’re going to play an NHL hockey game at ( 7 p.m.),” Quinn said.

“So, nobody cares that you had to get on a flight at 7:30 this morning. That’s part of the National Hockey League and teams that are successful don’t use stuff like this as a crutch or an excuse. So we’re certainly not going to use it as a crutch or excuse.”

Georgia, Ohio State trying to avoid distraction from many bowl activities

ChiP towers THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

Atlanta has a lot to offer bowl teams when they visit each year, and this week’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl game is no different. But you’ll have to forgive the Buckeyes and Bulldogs if they don’t get extraordinarily excited about the Basketball Challenge or go-kart racing this week.

Oh, they’ll participate and certainly try to win, but with a meeting Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with their postseason lives on the line, checking out the Buckhead nightlife is not going to be foremost on these guys’ minds.

“It’s very important (to stay

locked in),” Ohio State linebacker and senior captain Tommy Eichenberg said Monday. “. . . We’re at a bowl, but we’re down here to play a game and beat Georgia. I think we’ve got all these events and everything, but we’ve got one goal and that’s to beat Georgia.”

The winner between the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs (13-0) and No. 4 Ohio State (11-1) will advance to face either No. 2 Michigan (13-0) or No. 3 TCU (12-1) in the CFP Championship game on Jan. 9 in Inglewood. Georgia is defending national champion, while the Buckeyes are making their third semifinal appearance in the last four years.

Organizers from Peach Bowl Inc. are well aware of the intensity

pervading the competition that will ensue Saturday at 5 p.m. (ESPN). For that reason, teams won’t be required to participate in any activities two days before the game. But the first couple of days bring a wellpacked itinerary.

Ohio State was treated to a “welcome dinner” after the team arrived Sunday evening. The Buckeyes and the Bulldogs were given private tours of the College Football Hall of Fame on Marietta Street on Monday night. In between, they gathered for the bowl’s official welcome dinner.

Hospital visits await each team Tuesday. There’s a basketball challenge in which the teams will compete that night.

different because last year was all the old guys making plays and doing crazy good things, and the old guys are still playing well, but for there to also be such young guys doing it is — coaches turned the whole program, that’s showing that as well to have young guys being able to do that.”

Edwards, despite an injury earlier in the season and, more recently, a right hand injury that requires him to wear a cast, has played a bigger role the last two games with a knee injury sidelining leading rusher Blake Corum. Against Ohio State in the final-regular season game and Big Ten championship game, Edwards rushed for a combined 401 yards and three touchdowns, including two lengthy fourth-quarter scores at OSU. He was named MVP of the Big Ten title game.

It doesn’t end there, though. Loveland started to see more playing time when Luke Schoonmaker was sidelined with injury.

Gemon Green was out a few games, Johnson stepped in. And with more playing time comes more comfortability in games.

“Nobody’s flinched whenever they’ve gone in,” Bell said.

This has been a team that has talked so much this season about culture and being a brotherhood. Upperclassmen and underclassmen seem

“Coach Harbaugh always stresses to us that the best players will play regardless of what class they’re in, and to see that this year, it’s just a credit to our coaching staff, or whatever you want to look at, like recruiting, development, the strength staff developing those guys.

“So definitely this year, we’ve seen a lot of contributions from true freshmen, who have been able to step up and make crucial plays, because you never know when that number’s gonna be called. You could have not played the whole year and then all of a sudden you get thrown in there on like a fourth down, the game’s on the line.”

McCarthy took over as starter this season beginning with Game 2, has shown his charisma and confidence this season, and that has carried over into his play. Will Johnson had a huge performance in the Big Ten title game with two interceptions.

Both players are five-star recruits, with McCarthy playing a role as a freshman coming into games in certain packages as the backup quarterback, and now Johnson has slipped into is role.

By the second half of the season, Will Johnson said the game started to slow down for him.

After facing Penn State on Oct. 15, Johnson said things began to click.

Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group/TNS file san Jose sharks’ Evgeny svechnikov (10) waits for a face-off against the Los Angeles Kings in the third period of their preseason game at the sAp Center in san Jose.