eedition The Daily Mail December 26 2019

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Register-Star Copyright 2019, Columbia-Greene Media Volume 235, No. 251

All Rights Reserved

WEEKEND

The nation’s second-oldest newspaper • Serving Columbia and Dutchess counties since 1785

Saturday-Sunday, December 21-22, 2019

Price $2.50

River crossing will cost more

nFORECAST WEATHER FOR HUDSON/CA TODAY TONIGHT SUN

By Sarah Trafton Times of clouds and sun

Mostly Mainly clear sunny; not as cold

HIGH 32

43 22

LOW 20

Complete weather, A2 Saturday - Sunday, December

21-22, 2019 - C1

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By LUAINE LEE

Tribune News Service

time ah! Humbug! It’s that celis of year again, and FX ebrating Scrooge’s famous epithets with a three-hour Carol,” prespecial, “A Christmas miering Dec. 19.

This is NOT But make no mistake.

Carol,” your father’s “Christmas Scrooge with its wizened Ebenezer of ephemeral stalked by a phalanx ghosts.

Scrooge is They’re all there. But Aussie Guy played by 52-year-old And Dickens’s “A Pearce, (“L.A. Confidential”). in FX’s version of Charles of Ebenezer Scrooge by the innovathe script is adapted a new face on the character (“Peaky Blind- Actor Guy Pearce puts Dec. 19 on FX. FX tive Steven Knight Christmas Carol,” premiering ers,” “Locke”). was to not sure that “What I wanted to do vandalize director) wanted to make set out to deliberately Knight. “I ... our personalities are relatable to says what the story is,” that they are conit is to a lot of an audience, and formality of the know how precious to me as well, temporary, and the such a thing people. It’s precious it’s part period — if there was period — that and it’s part of our narrative; of formality of Christmas. as the the way.” of our culture. It’s part is to deepen doesn’t then get in so memo“What I wanted to do Pearce, who’s been resonance that like “Memento,” it and give it maybe a to the book rable in projects people now will go back try to in- “The Hurt Locker” and “The King’s never and read it again. I whether an actor is modern ideas, Speech,” says Dickens or Datroduce alien ideas, into the narra- interpreting Charlesis the same. contemporary ideas what’s there vid Mamet, the goal who have tive, but rather dig into things that “For any of us, I think, the thing that and find out some of be been in it for a while, the time — mporary audience would

B

INSIDE TODAY!

n SPORTS

Columbia-Greene Media

CATSKILL — Beginning in May, motorists who cross over the Rip Van Winkle Bridge on their commute will notice an increase in the toll, according to an announcement from the state Bridge Authority.

For E-ZPass customers, the rate will increase 10 cents per year for four years, ending at $1.65 in 2023. Cash rates will increase from $1.50 to $2.15 by 2023, according to the release.

The increase is necessary to fund critical improvements to the bridges, according to the Bridge Authority.

“These projects include the replacement of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge deck, major painting and paving projects at the other four Hudson Valley bridges, as well as the transition to all electronic tolling,” according to the Bridge Authority.

Catskill Village President Vincent Seeley said he believes the toll increase will have an impact on all residents.

“It will affect our residents much more than visitors,” he said. “Many are already on a tight budget and this is just See CROSSING A2

File photo

The toll plaza at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge in Catskill. The drive across the Hudson River will cost more beginning in May. For E-ZPass customers, the rate will increase 10 cents per year for four years, ending at $1.65 in 2023. Cash rates will increase from $1.50 to $2.15 by 2023, the state Bridge Authority said Friday.

Prehistoric Cairo forest stuns scientific world

By Sarah Trafton Columbia-Greene Media

It’s sport show season It’s time for outdoor enthusiasts to plan for the outdoor sport show circuit.

PAGE B1

n LOCAL

No shaves, no problems The Hudson police raise $2,000 in No Shave November to make the holiday special for kids PAGE A3

n INDEX Region Opinion State/Nation Obituaries Sports Classified Comics/Advice

A3 A4 A5 A5 B1 B4 B7-B8

On the web www.HudsonValley360.com Twitter Follow: @HudsonRegisterstar Facebook www.facebook.com/ HudsonRegisterstar/

CAIRO — Discovery of the fossilized remains of a prehistoric forest in Cairo has set the scientific world on its ear.

A research team from Binghamton University was sifting through fossil soils at a quarry behind the Cairo Highway Department when they discovered the root system of trees thought to be 385 million years old, dating back to the Devonian age, according to a release from Binghamton University.

Research at the site dates back more than a decade ago, senior lecturer of paleobotany at Cardiff University, Dr. Christohper Berry, said.

“I believe that it was Charles (Chuck) VerStraeten at the New York State Museum who found [the roots] originally,” Berry said. “Back in 2007 I asked the paleontologists at the NYSM to take me to Cairo as there was a report of a tiny little plant there that I wanted to follow up, and so we worked in a corner of the quarry for a couple of days over the next two years.”

VerStraeten discovered the roots in 2009, Berry said, which is when professor emeritus of biological science at Binghamton University William Stein became involved.

“The New York State Museum invited me to come out

Photo by Charles Ver Straeten

Archaeopteris root system at the Cairo fossil forest site at first discovery.

Photo by William Stein and Christopher Berry

Overview of Archaeopteris in greenish overwash sediment.

See FOREST A2

Body cameras patrol streets for first time

By Amanda Purcell Columbia-Greene Media

HUDSON — In an effort toward greater transparency and to improve public relations, the Hudson Police Department rolled out its bodyworn camera program Friday.

The department has become the first full-time agency to adopt the program in Columbia County. After a little more than two years, officers suited up with the new technology while on patrol Friday.

Requests from the public more than two years ago at public meetings prompted the small city police department to look into using bodyworn cameras. The personal cameras have been used to

clear authorities of wrongdoing, uncover misconduct and paint a larger picture of what happened during high-stakes incidents.

“This project started out as a demand from the public,” Police Chief L. Edward Moore said Thursday. “We listened to that, and we followed through.

We also saw it as a law enforcement tool.”

Eight cameras were purchased May 29, 2019. Police are hoping to equip another eight officers with cameras in the future, but will require more funding before that is accomplished. There are 26 officers in the department.

Contributed photo

The Hudson Police Department rolled out its body-worn cameras on Thursday, becoming the first full-time department in Columbia County to use the technology.

Pictured are Hudson Police Lt. David Miller and Officer Larry Edelman.

See CAMERAS A2

Kwanzaa Umoja Community Celebration Saturday, December 21, 2019, 4:00pm Hudson Hall, 327 Warren Street Hudson, NY 12534

Presented by Operation Unite Education and Cultural Arts Center and Hudson Hall

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COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA • REGISTER-STAR

A2 Saturday, December 21, 2019

Weather

Crossing From A1

FORECAST FOR HUDSON/CATSKILL

TODAY TONIGHT SUN

Times of clouds and sun

MON

TUE

WED

Mostly Sunny much Some clouds, Mainly clear sunny; not as Partly sunny of the time then sunny cold

HIGH 32

43 22

LOW 20

46 27

41 24

40 28

Ottawa 18/14

Montreal 21/15

Massena 23/15

Bancroft 25/20

Ogdensburg 23/16

Peterborough 32/25

Plattsburgh 26/16

Malone Potsdam 25/15 25/16

Kingston 30/27

Lake Placid 29/16

Watertown 30/22

Rochester 37/28

Utica 31/19

Batavia Buffalo 38/30 40/32

Albany 28/18

Syracuse 33/22

Catskill 32/20

Binghamton 30/19

Hornell 38/28

Burlington 28/20

Hudson 32/20

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

SUN AND MOON

ALMANAC Statistics through 3 p.m. yesterday

Temperature

Precipitation

Yesterday as of 3 p.m. 24 hrs. through 3 p.m. yest.

High

0.00”

Low

YEAR TO DATE

44.63

Sun. 7:21 a.m.

4:27 p.m.

3:15 a.m.

2:07 p.m.

Moon Phases

NORMAL

New

First

Full

Last

Dec 25

Jan 2

Jan 10

Jan 17

38.4 21

Today 7:21 a.m.

4:26 p.m.

2:04 a.m.

1:36 p.m.

Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset

6 Forecasts and graphics provided

by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019

CONDITIONS TODAY AccuWeather.com UV Index™ & AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature®

0

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

0

0

0

15

20

26

27

26

27

28

30

27

25

24

8 a.m. 9 a.m. 10 a.m. 11 a.m. Noon 1 p.m. 2 p.m. 3 p.m. 4 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m.

The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme. The patented AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature is an exclusive index of effective temperature based on eight weather factors.

NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Seattle 48/41

Winnipeg 36/22

Montreal 21/15

Billings 54/36

Toronto 38/30 Detroit 43/27

Minneapolis 40/29 San Francisco 61/52

New York 34/30 Washington 41/29

Chicago 43/31

Denver 58/33

another increase of a cost of living and a cost of doing business. I worry about students at the college who are already struggling with school schedules and sometimes two jobs to make ends meet. This winds up hurting people who need relief the most.”

The increase announced Friday is the first toll hike in seven years. Tolls have risen

just four times in the Bridge Authority’s 87-year history.

“Thanks to the good guidance of the State Division of the Budget and NYSBA’s financial and traffic consultants, we have been able to put forward a plan that maintains these critical pieces of the Hudson Valley’s infrastructure at the lowest possible rate,” Bridge Authority Acting Executive Director Tara Sullivan said. “With a replacement value of $2 billion, we firmly believe it is far more cost-effective in the long run

to maintain our bridges for future generations.”

The increase is about half of what was originally proposed, according to the Bridge Authority.

“Our vehicular spans range in age from 39 to 95 years old, but are able to stay in excellent condition due to the constant care of our maintenance staff and the long-range capital plans put out by our engineering department,” Bridge Authority Chairman Richard A. Gerentine said. “The Board of the New York State Bridge

Forest From A1

and take a look at something they had found,” Stein said.

“They thought it might be of interest to me.”

Stein and his team were called away from 2010 to 2012 to work at a quarry in Gilboa, which had formerly been the home of the world’s oldest forest.

The Cairo site is about two to three million years older, Stein said.

“It was quarried until about 40 or 50 years ago,” Stein said. “It took some 40 years of weathering to become apparent what was there.”

Former EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck found the discovery to be fascinating.

“It is very, very exciting to hear about this natural wonder discovery,” she said. “It is also a reminder of how important it is to protect the natural resources of the Catskills, both above and below ground,” Local geologist David Walker said he believes the local landscape has brought us to a greater understanding of global transformation.

“It is nice to think that this transformation of land biota is visible locally even though it was a global transformation in progress,” he said. “Our local geology along the Helderberg Escarpment has played an important role in understanding the Earth’s geological history and this discovery is another chapter in that rich history.”

The Catskills are famous for Devonian fossils, Stein said.

“The Devonian Period represents a time in which the first forest appeared on planet Earth,” Stein said. “The effects

Photo by William Stein and Christopher Berry.

Overview of well-preserved Archaeopteris root system, left, possible Stigmarian Isoetalean lycopsid, right.

were of first-order magnitude, in terms of changes in ecosystems, what happens on the Earth’s surface and oceans, CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and global climate.

So many dramatic changes occurred at that time as a result of those original forests that basically, the world has never been the same since.”

The team’s findings were published in the scientific journal Current Biology.

Researchers identified three unique root systems at the site: a palm-like tree called Eospermatopteris that grew opportunistically like weeds, Archaeopteris that hinted at the seed-bearing plants to come 10 million years later and a tree belonging to the class Lyscopsida, which was previously thought to originate during the Carboniferous period, according to the university.

“What we have at Cairo is a rooting structure that appears identical to great trees of the Carboniferous coal swamps with fascinating elongate roots,” Stein said. “But no one has yet found body fossil

evidence of this group this early in the Devonian. Our findings are perhaps suggestive that these plants were already in the forest, but perhaps in a different environment and earlier than generally believed. Yet we only have a footprint, and we await additional fossil evidence for confirmation.”

The Archaetoperis was also a very significant find, Berry said.

“It is the massive branching woody roots of the Archaeopteris tree, found at Cairo but not at Gilboa, which are the really important thing here,” Berry said. “This is the first time that such vast underground rooting structures are seen in a fossil forest. Archaeopteris also had a woody trunk and flat green leaves, unlike the Gilboa tree. It seems to have worked at a different physiological level.”

The research helps scientists have a better understanding of past environments, Stein said.

“It gives us a sense of the ecology of what Catskill delta

Authority is supportive of this collaborative proposal that will allow these iconic structures to continue serving the people of the Hudson Valley in the decades to come.”

On the New York State Thruway, the conversion to cashless tolling has begun and is expected to be completed at the end of 2020.

Toll rates on the Thruway will be frozen through 2020, according to thruway.ny.gov.

The $353.3 million project will encompass all 570 miles of the state Thruway.

forests were like,” Stein said.

“Who was living with whom, what the spatial relationships were like. It’s not a matter of size, but a matter of which trees were doing what with who.”

The team’s findings can also be put into a more modern context of climate change, Berry said.

“The interactions of plant roots with soils, and the creation of wood, are both ways in which CO2 can be removed from the atmosphere on a long term basis,” Berry said. “This is important because over the course of the Devonian era, atmospheric CO2 levels fell from perhaps 10 times the level today to the same as today, and long-lived ice caps formed at the South Pole because of this.

Many scientists believe that the rise of forests contributed greatly to this drop in CO2. Today we cut down forests, and let them burn, which is having the opposite effect.”

Stein and his team plan to continue to investigate the Catskills, he said.

“It seems to me, worldwide, many of these kinds of environments are preserved in fossil soils. And I’d like to know what happened historically, not just in the Catskills, but everywhere,” Stein said.

“Understanding evolutionary and ecological history — that’s what I find most satisfying.”

Stein is hopeful that the town will develop the site as a resource for the community to learn from, he said.

Currently, the site is only accessible with permission, he said.

The research was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council of the United Kingdom.

Kansas City 51/33 Los Angeles 73/54 Atlanta 51/41 El Paso 55/30

Chihuahua 58/29

Police Department is up to the task.

The department plans to revisit the total costs and make adjustments to the program in six months, and plans a total review of the program, including its successes and failures, at the end of the year, Moore said.

“I want to credit Lt. Miller for staying with this project from beginning to end,” Moore said. “There was a lot of work involved.”

Cameras

Houston 59/42

Miami 79/72

Monterrey 65/40

From A1

ALASKA HAWAII

Anchorage 13/5

-10s

-0s

0s

showers t-storms

Honolulu 80/70

Fairbanks -22/-25

Hilo 77/68

Juneau 34/31

10s rain

Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.

20s flurries

30s

40s

snow

50s ice

60s

70s

cold front

80s

90s 100s 110s

warm front stationary front

NATIONAL CITIES City Albuquerque Anchorage Atlanta Atlantic City Baltimore Billings Birmingham Boise Boston Charleston, SC Charleston, WV Charlotte Cheyenne Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus, OH Dallas Denver Des Moines Detroit Hartford Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Kansas City Knoxville Las Vegas

Today Hi/Lo W 48/26 s 13/5 pc 51/41 c 42/31 pc 40/24 pc 54/36 pc 52/44 sh 50/35 c 35/28 pc 56/44 c 52/29 pc 50/37 c 52/35 s 43/31 s 49/28 s 46/30 s 45/26 s 51/37 pc 58/33 s 49/30 s 43/27 pc 32/19 pc 80/70 c 59/42 c 42/23 s 51/33 s 53/39 c 56/40 pc

Sun. Hi/Lo W 51/28 pc 14/8 s 49/45 r 49/34 pc 48/29 pc 51/30 pc 51/47 r 52/38 c 46/34 s 58/50 r 53/33 pc 50/41 r 58/34 pc 46/33 pc 49/30 pc 48/32 pc 46/29 pc 58/35 s 62/35 pc 52/32 s 45/30 s 44/23 s 81/72 c 65/39 s 43/28 pc 55/35 s 50/42 r 56/40 pc

City Little Rock Los Angeles Miami Milwaukee Minneapolis Nashville New Orleans New York City Norfolk Oklahoma City Omaha Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Portland Portland Providence Raleigh Richmond Sacramento St. Louis Salt Lake City San Francisco Savannah Seattle Tampa Washington, DC

Today Hi/Lo W 51/35 c 73/54 pc 79/72 pc 44/32 s 40/29 pc 53/41 pc 57/50 r 34/30 pc 47/35 pc 50/31 pc 49/29 s 76/64 c 37/26 pc 71/46 pc 44/25 pc 33/21 pc 50/40 r 35/25 pc 48/30 c 44/26 pc 59/47 c 49/26 s 45/33 pc 61/52 c 59/48 c 48/41 sh 76/64 c 41/29 pc

Sun. Hi/Lo W 54/34 pc 66/52 sh 80/69 r 48/36 pc 40/26 s 54/43 pc 57/49 r 46/36 pc 52/43 pc 57/33 s 52/29 s 74/61 r 47/31 pc 73/51 pc 47/24 pc 42/27 s 48/38 sh 46/29 s 51/40 c 50/33 pc 55/39 sh 51/31 s 47/33 pc 56/44 sh 62/53 r 48/39 pc 72/60 r 49/32 pc

Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

The department is using cameras made by Axon, an Arizona-based company that manufactures weapons and technology for law enforcement. The cameras will record 30 seconds before it is turned on, Moore said.

The process of purchasing and data storage for the cameras turned out to be much more complicated — and costly — than originally anticipated, Moore said.

Hudson police, with the assistance of Mayor Tiffany Martin and former Hudson Development Executive Director Sheena Salvino, were tentatively approved for the federal $10,000 in September 2017, but the money was not released until May 3, 2019.

The department’s body cameras cost $800 per unit, but that does not include maintenance, data storage, training and fulfilling requests from defense attorneys and the public under the Freedom of Information Law. The department received $10,000 for the project from the U.S. Department of Justice in September 2017. Hudson River

Contributed photo

Representatives from Hudson River Bank & Trust Foundation helped provide funding for the Hudson Police Department’s body-worn cameras. From left to right: Hudson Police Sgt. Dean Rowe, Joe Phelan, Marilyn Herrington, Sid Richter, Holly Rappleyea, Carl Florio, Tony Jones and Police Chief L. Edward Moore.

Bank & Trust Foundation provided $10,000 toward the project in January 2018.

Hudson police began field testing the cameras and evaluation of the systems in February 2018.

But before the cameras could be used in the field full-time, the cameras had to be tested and a policy had to be developed on how and when to use them, Moore said. The policy was finalized and reviewed by the city attorney, Columbia County District Attorney’s office,

police union and Chief in Sept.

19, 2019. An Axon company representative trained entire department on Oct. 1, 2019.

Information from the arrests will be stored on an iCloudbased system. Data storage also proved costly, Moore said.

The cameras, from completing the original grant application to the rollout Friday, was spearheaded by Lt. David Miller.

“It’s been challenging,” Miller said. “And it will continue to challenge us.”

Miller added the Hudson

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Saturday - Sunday, December 21-22, 2019 - A3

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA • REGISTER-STAR

CALENDAR

POLICE PARTICIPATE IN ‘NO SHAVE NOVEMBER’

Saturday, Dec. 21 n Germantown History Department 9 a.m.-noon 1767 Parsonage, 52 Maple Ave., Germantown 518-5376687 n Stuyvesant Rail Station Restoration Committee 9 a.m. Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant 518-7586248

PHILMONT — The Philmont Public Library will will now be fine free — with no late fines on books and media — as of Jan. 1, 2020.

Fines make up only slightly over 1 percent of the library’s budget — a number that is dropping every year due to programs like automatic renewal and text message and email alerts. These programs have been successful in helping people keep track of their items and avoid fines. Therefore, fines are no longer a necessary incentive to ensure that items return to the library.

The library’s board of trustees chose to go fine free to decrease barriers to the collection and encourage people to come back to the library. Having late fines of more than $10 blocks a patron’s ability to borrow items and access their account on

Monday, Dec. 23 n Canaan Recreation Committee 7

p.m. Upstairs Town Hall, 1647 Route 5, Canaan 518-781-3144 n Claverack Town Board Workshop 7 p.m. Town Office Building, 91 Church St., Mellenville 518-672-7911 n Columbia County Environmental Committee 6:30 p.m. 1st Floor Committee Room, 401 State St., Hudson n Copake Planning Board 7 p.m.

Town Hall, 230 Mountain View Road, Copake 518-329-1234 n Gallatin Planning Board 7 p.m.

Town Hall, 667 County Route 7, Gallatin n Ghent Commercial Zoning Review Committee 6:30 p.m. Town Hall, 2306 Route 66, Ghent 518-392-4644 n Hudson City School District Board of Education 7 p.m. Hudson High School, 215 Harry Howard Ave., Hudson n Hudson IDA 1 p.m. City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson n Kinderhook Village Zoning Board of Appeals 7 p.m. Village Hall, 6 Chatham St., Kinderhook 518-7589882 n Philmont Village Board Workshop 7 p.m. Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont 518-672-7032 n Rhinebeck Town Board 6:45 p.m. Town Hall, 80 East Market St., Rhinebeck n Stuyvesant Planning Board 7 p.m. Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant 518-758-6248 n Tivoli Zoning Board of Appeals 7 p.m. Historic Watts dePeyster Hall, 1 Tivoli Commons, Tivoli 845-757-2021

Tuesday, Dec. 24 n Chatham Central School District

Board of Education 6:30 p.m. High School Library, Chatham 518-3922400 n Columbia Economic Development Corporation Full Board 8:30 a.m.

4303 Route 9, Hudson n Greenport Planning Board 7:30 p.m. Town Hall, 600 Town Hall Drive, Hudson 518-828-4656 n Hudson Development Corp. noon 1 North Front St., Hudson n Rhinebeck Planning Board 6:45 p.m. Town Hall, 80 East Market St., Rhinebeck

Philmont Public Library will be fine free

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Hudson Police Department members present Stan Rutkey of the Hudson Elks Lodge No. 787 a check for $2,060 that was raised through the police union’s No Shave November fundraiser. The department relaxed their grooming standards to raise the funds donated by their supporters.

Officers doubled the amount raised in 2018. Thanks to the generosity of the police department’s supporters, many local underprivileged children will receive a special holiday season. Using the money, the Hudson Elks Lodge will be hosting a holiday dinner and hand out presents for the less fortunate and homeless families in Hudson. The Hudson Elks Lodge teamed with the Columbia County Department of Social Services and Catholic Charities to find Hudson families in need.

Hudson Police Benevolent Association Vice President Randy Strattman presented the check.

line. An inability to pay late fines causes some patrons to stop coming to the library. By eliminating late fines, staff can better fulfill the library’s goal of providing free and equitable access to lifelong learning. Hopefully this makes it easier for all people to visit the library, borrow materials, and access the many online services.

The library will still charge fees for lost, non-returned and damaged items and museum passes. Donations are also always welcome.

Find us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/ HudsonRegisterstar

Watercolor with your Grand Person HUDSON — The City of Hudson Senior Center and Hudson Area Library’s last 2019 Watercolor with your Grand Person session with local artist Gretchen Kelly will be held 2-4 p.m. Dec. 21 at the library, 51 North Fifth St., Hudson. Attendees can create watercolor holiday cards. All ages are welcome and adults are encouraged to bring children from their families; children must be accompanied by a grandparent, parent, teen or other adult.

In these workshops beginners and intermediate painters paint from seasonal still lifes, objects, and photos. Attendees can learn basic techniques or just hang out and paint with others. Interested persons should

“Have the talk of a lifetime”

CATSKILL COUNTRY STORE 430 Main Street, Catskill, N.Y., 12414 • 914-329-2541 M-F 11am-6pm; Sat 12pm-6pm; Sun 12pm-6pm

Providing the local community with a place to get the finest foods and specialty non-food items.

Find us online! thecatskillcountrystore.com /Catskill-Country-Store-223605774380948/ /catskillcountrystore/

register ahead of time by emailing programs@hudsonarealibrary.org, calling 518-828-1792 x101, or visiting the main desk at the library. All materials will be provided. This event is free and wheelchair accessible.

Bob Gaus Licensed Manager

Compassionate, professional and affordable service.

Call today for helpful information.

Millspaugh Camerato Funeral Home www.MillspaughCamerato.com • (518) 943-3240 Our family to yours, o ering compassionate, professional, and a ordable services to Greene County and beyond since 1926.

Preserve Family Memories

Video to DVD Home Video to DVD 93 Ten Broeck Ave 811 Route 66 Hudson, NY 12534 518-796-3976 Open 7 days a week 10:30am-8:00pm Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for daily specials

Tapes degrade and breakdown in 20 years.

*Great Holiday Gifts* wheelerlance@gmail.com 518-851-7398

Chef Vanessa is changing how the world does fish. She is always new, naturally creative, and rebelliously innovative.

Stop by to taste what Vanessa is cooking.

NOW HIRING!

Front Desk Receptionist for our Drop store in Hudson, NY. Ideal candidate needs to be someone who can talk to cusotmers very politely and with a smile. Hours are 7am-4pm.

Keeping your clothes looking new for the past 40 years

Private Parties and Catering Available

99 S. 3rd Street • Hudson, NY hudsonbrew.com info@hudsonbrew.com

UPCOMING EVENTS The Ronson Brothers Saturday, December 7 6 PM – 9 PM

Dusty Dream Revival Saturday, December 14 6 PM – 9 PM

Ugly Sweater Party w/ Guilty Pleasure Lite Friday, December 13 6 PM – 9 PM

Marty – Solo Saturday, December 21 6 PM – 9 PM

Professional Rug Cleaning, Suede & Leather Boot including UGG cleaning, Leather & Suede Garments Personal & Commercial Lines of Insurance Over 100 Years of customer service!

332 Main Street ~ Catskill, NY 12414 www.catskillinsurance.com

40 Green St., Hudson NY 12534 • 518-822-1140

Save 10% Off Your Order (only in Hudson store)

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COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA • REGISTER-STAR

A4 Saturday, December 21, 2019

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Republicans, end this bizarre, belated crusade against Obamacare The Washington Post

OUR VIEW

A feeble joke won’t help Trump When President Richard M. Nixon defeated his Democratic challenger, liberal senator George McGovern, in a landslide victory in 1972, receiving almost 20 million more popular votes and winning the Electoral College vote 520-17, according to information from the website Biography.com, the commander-in-chief looked invincible.

Then a strange thing happened. Nixon’s reelection campaign organization, the Committee to Re-Elect the President (aptly nicknamed CREEP) became so obsessed

by Democratic opposition that it resorted to political sabotage and covert espionage. It led to the Watergate scandal, Nixon’s impeachment and his subsequent resignation, according to Biography.com.

President Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives but not the Senate, which meant that he remained in office through both of his two terms, according to Biography.com.

In December 1998, the Republican-dominated House

of Representatives voted to impeach Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice for his actions in the Monica Lewinsky affair. But in February 1999, following a five-week trial, the Senate voted to acquit the president on both articles of impeachment.

Now it’s President Donald Trump’s turn to test the waters of ignominy. Yet he hasn’t let a little thing like his possible removal from office stop him. Trump appeared to mock U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and her late husband, former congressman John Dingell, D-Mich., during a speech Wednesday in their home state, suggesting that the World War II veteran and former congressman was “looking up” from hell, according to The Washington Post News Service.

Trump told a rally in Battle Creek, Michigan, that Debbie Dingell had thanked him for providing “A-plus treatment” after her husband’s death in February, such as ordering that flags be flown at half-staff. Trump said she told him that her late hus-

band was “looking down.”

“Maybe he’s looking up,” Trump said, drawing some jeers and groans. “Maybe, but let’s assume he’s looking down.”

Telling a joke so feeble you can hear it land at his feet isn’t an impeachable high crime or misdemeanor — except to the shocked Dingell family, who clearly expected more from Trump. But why should they? And why should anyone else? Here he is at yet another solemn occasion cracking a tasteless joke for his best audience — himself.

Trump should educate himself in the ways of the Constitution and what the next six weeks hold for him as his impeachment trial approaches instead of making sport of a former congressman — a Democrat, we ought to note — who was 1,000 times the hero Trump is. Nixon saw “White House enemies” and Clinton testily referred to Monica Lewinsky as “that woman.” Be careful Mr. President, someone might be “looking up” at you right now.

ANOTHER VIEW

A major victory for gun safety The Washington Post

Scholars at the nonpartisan Rand Corp. last year published the findings of a two-year study that assessed available scientific evidence on the real effects of gun laws and policies. One of their biggest takeaways was that there was no good evidence on key questions of gun safety and violence. Why not? Because many issues have gone unstudied as the result of congressional appropriations language that chilled U.S. government investments in gun research. Now this ridiculous situation is about to change.

As part of the bipartisan government spending bill that won final congressional approval with Thursday’s votes in the Senate, $25 million will be provided for gunviolence research, divided between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of

Health. Compared with what is spent for research into other causes of death and injury, it isn’t much, but it’s the first time in two decades Congress has allocated funding for the issue. That makes the vote a major victory for gun-safety advocates and researchers who have long pressed to study gun violence with the same scientific rigor that has brought advances in treating cancer and reducing traffic fatalities.

Fledgling federal efforts to study gun violence and prevention were snuffed out in 1996 when the National Rifle Association, threatened by scientific findings that undermined its agenda, used its clout to enact legislation barring the CDC from using funds “to advocate or promote gun control.” The Dickey Amendment was named after Rep. Jay Dickey, an Arkansas Republican who promoted the amendment

but later renounced it and campaigned against it until his death in 2017. It didn’t literally bar federal research, but the CDC understood it as a warning to abandon its efforts. “Imagine if we had never done any research on cancer and people were dying from it in large numbers. . . . Well, that’s what happened with gun research,” said Mark Rosenberg, former director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

Dr. Rosenberg, who clashed with Dickey but then became a friend and ally in campaigning for gun research, warned that there will be no instantaneous magical solution. Progress, he told us, will come in increments as data is collected and studied and understood in a collaborative way that still protects the rights of lawabiding gun owners.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY ‘Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action.’

BENJAMIN DISRAELI The Register-Star welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must contain a full name, full address and a daytime telephone number. Names will be published, but phone numbers will not be divulged.

Letters of less than 400 words are more likely to be published quickly. The newspaper reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and content.

Letters should be exclusive to this publication, not duplicates of those sent to other persons, agencies

or publications. Writers are ordinarily limited to one letter every 30 days.

SEND LETTERS: n Mail: Letters to the editor

Register-Star 1 Hudson City Center Hudson, NY 12534 n E-mail: editorial@registerstar.com

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit had an opportunity to rebuke one of the most breathtaking instances of judicial activism in recent memory.

On Wednesday, it whiffed.

Since the collapse of repealand-replace, one could imagine that Republicans’ antiObamacare fever had finally broken. But the Trump administration and its allies are pressing one last, desperate attempt to unravel the law, arguing that in making Obamacare less coercive, Congress rendered it unconstitutional.

It is a puzzling argument rooted in the Supreme Court’s 2012 decision upholding the law’s “individual mandate” - a requirement that all Americans carry health coverage or pay a specific amount of money to the treasury. The high court ruled that this arrangement was lawful only in that it resembled a tax, which Congress is fully empowered to levy, rather than a mandate to purchase a

good, which Congress is not allowed to establish. But in 2017, Congress set to zero the amount anyone declining to buy insurance would have to pay the government. The law’s challengers now argue that the provision no longer resembles a tax, as it raises no revenue, so it is unconstitutional. They further argue that, absent the mandate, none of the law can stand - not even reforms that have little to do with the mandate.

Astonishingly, District Judge Reed O’Connor agreed, last December declaring the whole law to be void. He reasoned that Congress would not have intended for the law to stand absent the mandate - even though the law’s Medicaid expansion, Medicare reforms and health-care improvements for Native Americans depend not at all on the mandate, and even though the law’s marketplaces have functioned remarkably well without it.

Legal experts from across the

spectrum denounced Judge O’Connor’s ruling. The 5th Circuit should have joined the chorus. Instead, the appeals court agreed with much of the decision, striking the individual mandate. Its only pushback was to instruct O’Connor to reevaluate whether the rest of the law must go, too, suggesting that only parts of it could be struck.

From here, O’Connor must redo his analysis, per the 5th Circuit’s order. But the 5th Circuit’s decision will also certainly be appealed to the Supreme Court.

It is unclear whether this is even a case courts should hear, given that a zeroed-out tax imposes no costs on the challengers. It is also possible that Congress may establish a tax that it declines to collect, contrary to the challengers’ assertion. But even if the justices concur with the 5th Circuit on these questions, they have no cause to strike any of the rest of the law along with the mandate.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Mulling the future of Philmont To the editor: I recently read the letter to the editor from Christopher Reed, Jean Giblette and Tom Paino of the High Falls Property Owners Association (HFPOA) from Dec. 10. The letter appears to be penned by three committed and articulate residents of the village who are concerned for their “poor” neighbors who are in danger of being hoodwinked by a notfor-profit into a bad business deal.

This is what really got my gears turning. Why have members of the HFPOA repeatedly refused to rejoin the community meetings they defend in their letter? Why did they instead sue the village and the not-for-profit, costing the “poor” community thousands of dollars? How do they understand the rally of residents supporting the village outside the courthouse when the suit was being heard? Are these not residents they suggest they represent? Is it not paternalistic to control the “poor” against their will as “wise” neighbors? I also wondered about the many inaccuracies in the letter.

In any case I would like them to know that Laura Summer and I, who are co-founders of Free Columbia Inc., are open to a mediation process after the court ruling, no matter the outcome.

But most importantly I wanted to thank them for suggesting Philmont might become a “not-for-profit ghetto.” Part of the history of the United States is learning to be free through volunteering for the common good. Almost two hundred years ago Alexis de Tocqueville wrote how our civil society and voluntary associations save us from

an egotistical form of liberty where we would only be concerned with our economic well being and our own backyards.

They are our schools for democratic self-rule. Narrow focus on economic well being and the private good undermine our feelings for true, political freedom. This is one reason I mourn, with many others, that widespread not-for-profit and voluntary culture has been on the decline in the USA in recent decades. We think increasingly in the terms of business and government. Of course we need a healthy economy and government, but this should not lead us to under value civil society and the third sector!

I was thinking about the letter in this light, with its focus on the “poor” village and how much “light industry” is needed. I also had to remember a village board meeting where a member of the HFPOA, a second home-owner, shared how they spend weekends in Philmont, and how much they love the quiet. The rest of their time they spend in New York City. They described how on the weekends the sound of the waterfall near their house soothes them. They said they like Philmont the way it is and they do not want it to change.

They criticized the plan at issue even though they had declined a personal invitation to learn about it.

As I sat there listening to this rather romantic vision of Philmont I was looking into the faces of the village trustees (thankless task!). I not only meet some of them at board meeting but also on emergency calls related to fires, drug overdoses and mental health emergencies. I had to think of the national crisis of “diseases

of despair” that we see up close and personal on a regular basis right here in Philmont. I thought of the regular monthly meetings of the Philmont Fire Company, one of the many schools of self-rule for the common good in our village. I had to think about how local volunteering culture and civil society still help save us from the “individualism” Tocqueville warned us about. How it is the social capital created through working together for the common good that gives us the will and trust to work together to improve the village. It is an invisible capital of trust and good will that is not lightly earned. It is the opposite of litigiousness and suspicion.

I also had to think about how a negative individualism might lead a person to sue a not-forprofit that offers programming with no paywalls (we had to put up a $7,500 retainer just to respond to their baseless suit) and a small village instead of seeking mediation without lawyers, or to spread untruths and obscurities when clarity and community meetings are readily available, and indeed being offered. I had to wonder if this was simply to protect a piece of personal heaven while undermining a small step in bettering the common good in the village.

Tocqueville warned of a soft tyranny where people enjoyed economic well-being while losing a sense for the common good and social capital. I would rather live in a “not-for-profit ghetto” than such a rich, or perhaps “quiet,” wonderland.

NATHANIEL WILLIAMS CO-FOUNDER OF FREE COLUMBIA PHILMONT

Regarding ‘No replacement planned for planning board chair’ To the editor: I am deeply troubled by a number of Walter Chatham’s statements in his interview with your paper — none so much as his disparaging comments about residents (I assume myself included) who have spoken at recent Planning Board meetings.

With all due respect to his service on the board, I have not appreciated Mr. Chatham’s paternalism nor presumption of powers he did not rightfully have in dealing with Colarusso and its conditional use permit application. But even more importantly, I defend my right

as an American citizen and citizen of Hudson to speak up at public meetings when the floor is open and to express what I believe to be the truth, whether officials like Mr. Chatham like it or not.

DAVID KONIGSBERG HUDSON

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Saturday - Sunday, December 21-22, 2019 - A5

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Evidence mounts that vitamin E acetate is to blame for vaping-related illnesses, deaths Lena H. Sun The Washington Post

Evidence is mounting that vitamin E acetate is the culprit in the outbreak of vaping-related illnesses that has sickened more than 2,500 people and killed at least 54, federal health officials said Friday.

Health officials have now found vitamin E acetate in the damaged lungs of 48 out of 51 patients who had fallen ill or died of lung injuries, said Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vast majority used products containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

By comparison, no vitamin E acetate was found in the lung fluids of any of 99 healthy individuals in a comparison group. Those people either vaped nicotine exclusively, or only smoked cigarettes, or said they never smoked.

The findings are significant because they reinforce the link between vitamin E acetate and the vaping-related lung disease and represent the first time health officials have compared results from patients’ damaged lungs to those of healthy people.

At the same time, health officials warned of a disturbing development: Dozens of patients were re-hospitalized shortly after discharge and another seven died after being discharged, suggesting that the illness must be closely monitored and may worsen.

The vitamin E acetate findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine,

WASHINGTON POST PHOTO BY JORGE RIBAS

Stephen Amesbury, a pulmonologist at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill., looks at X-rays of a patient who was hospitalized after suffering from a vaping-related lung disease.

one of four reports released Friday, two in the NEJM and two released by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Together, the reports provide the most detailed look at the evidence supporting vitamin E acetate as the most likely cause of the national outbreak that began this summer, the way the compound may be causing lung damage, and the risk factors for re-hospitalization and deaths after leaving the hospital.

Top scientists warn of an Amazon ‘tipping point’ Chris Mooney and Brady Dennis The Washington Post

Continued deforestation and other fastmoving changes in the Amazon threaten to turn parts of the rainforest into savanna, devastate wildlife and release billions of tons carbon into the atmosphere, two renowned experts warned Friday.

“The precious Amazon is teetering on the edge of functional destruction and, with it, so are we,” Thomas Lovejoy of George Mason University and Carlos Nobre of the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, both of whom have studied the world’s largest rainforest for decades, wrote in an editorial in the journal Science Advances. “Today, we stand exactly in a moment of destiny: The tipping point is here, it is now.”

Combined with recent news that the Arctic permafrost may be beginning to fill the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, and that Greenland’s ice sheet is melting at an accelerating pace, it’s the latest hint that important parts of the climate system may be moving toward irreversible changes at a pace that defies earlier predictions.

The speed of the transformation in some key planetary systems, like Greenland’s ice and the Arctic’s permafrost, has “indeed been underestimated by climate science,” said Stefan Rahmstorf, head of Earth system analysis at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. “And that’s partly because we cannot really capture them well in our models.”

In interviews, Lovejoy and Nobre said they decided to sound a dire alarm about the Amazon after witnessing the acceleration of troubling trends. The combination of warming temperatures, crippling wildfires and ongoing land clearing for cattle ranching and crops has extended

dry seasons, killed off water-sensitive vegetation and created conditions for more fire.

The Amazon is now 17% deforested, but for the large proportion of it inside Brazil, the figure is closer to 20%. The fear is that soon there will be so little forest that the trees, which not only soak up enormous quantities of rainwater but themselves give off billowing columns of mist that aid agriculture and sustain innumerable species, won’t be able to recycle enough rainfall.

At that point, much of the rainforest could decline into a drier savanna ecosystem. Rainfall patterns would change across much of South America. Several hundred billion tons of carbon dioxide could wind up in the atmosphere, worsening climate change. And such a feedback loop would be tough to reverse.

That point of no return, commonly referred to by scientists as a tipping point, “is much closer than we anticipated,” Nobre said in an interview.

The troubling news comes on top of other alarming developments regarding the Earth’s climate.

Earlier this month, nearly 100 polar scientists detailed how the Greenland ice sheet’s losses have accelerated in recent decades, growing from 33 billion lost tons per year in the 1990s to a current average of 254 billion tons annually.

“Greenland is losing ice faster than expected, partly because climate models aren’t good at predicting extreme melting events but also because many of the ice sheet’s smaller glaciers have started to speed up too,” said Andrew Shepherd, a glaciologist at Leeds University in the U.K., who led the latest study. “So the [worst]case scenario now becomes business as usual.”

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a “breakthrough” discovery when officials identified vitamin E acetate in the lung fluids of 29 people. It was first direct evidence of the compound at the primary site of injury within the lungs.

The report on vitamin E acetate also said the chemical process that occurs when the compound is heated through vaping can disrupt normal lung function, “providing a possible

mechanism by which vitamin E acetate could cause respiratory dysfunction,” the researchers wrote.

Another potential harmful effect occurs when a reactive compound is created during the vaping process. “That has the potential to be a lung irritant, depending on concentration,” the report said.

Vitamin E acetate’s presence in the supply of THC-containing products and use among patients who have fallen ill and died also aligns with the timing of the outbreak, which began in June and peaked in mid-September. In Minnesota, THC-containing products seized by law enforcement during 2018, before the outbreak, did not contain vitamin E acetate. But 20 out of 20 THC-containing products seized by law enforcement during September, at the peak of the outbreak, contained vitamin E acetate.

The study noted that the finding is consistent with industry websites that suggest the addition of vitamin E acetate, which has a viscosity like that of pure THC oil, began to appear in the black market in late 2018 or early 2019, and gained popularity in 2019. “Cutting THC oil with vitamin E acetate has been reported to be common in the illicit market,” the study said.

The Food and Drug Administration has said most of the THC product fluids linked to patients contain vitamin E acetate, with concentrations ranging from 23 to 88%. By contrast, the FDA has found no vitamin E acetate in 197 nicotine products analyzed so far.

Nancy Pelosi invites President Trump to give State of the Union address Eileen Sullivan The New York Times News Service

WASHINGTON — Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited President Donald Trump to give the State of the Union address on Feb. 4, a sign that business is operating as usual in the nation’s capital, even after the House impeached the president two days ago.

In a letter to Trump on Friday, Pelosi wrote, “In the spirit of respecting our Constitution, I invite you to deliver your State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress.”

While the invitation is customary, it was notable this year because the president

has lobbed insults at Pelosi in recent days for leading the House to approve two articles of impeachment against Trump related to his pressure campaign on Ukraine.

The last sessions for both the House and the Senate were Thursday, and the president planned to leave town Friday before the holiday next week. Questions remain about when Pelosi will send the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress to the Senate to set in motion an election-year trial.

Last year, the timing of the annual address was in flux because of a government shutdown stemming from a disagreement between the

PHOTO BY BRITTANY GREESON FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

President Trump exits the stage at the conclusion of his remarks during a rally at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Mich., on Wednesday night.

White House and Congress about spending priorities.

Wawa announces data breach affecting over 850 stores Derrick Bryson Taylor The New York Times News Service

Wawa, a convenience store and gas station chain, notified customers Thursday of a data breach that collected debit and credit card information at potentially all of its more than 850 locations along the East Coast.

It is now offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to those affected.

“Today, I am very sorry to share with you that Wawa has experienced a data security incident,” Chris Gheysens, Wawa’s chief executive, said in a letter. Customers will not be responsible for any fraudulent charges on cards related to the data breach, he said.

“I apologize deeply to all of you, our friends and neighbors,

for this incident,” Gheysens added. “You are my top priority and are critically important to all of the nearly 37,000 associates at Wawa.”

Malware was discovered on Wawa payment processing servers on Dec. 10; it was blocked and contained by Dec. 12, the company said, adding that the malware no longer posed a risk to customers using cards to pay.

Customer information including credit and debit card numbers, expiration dates and cardholder names on payment cards used in store and at fuel pumps was being collected as early as March 4, the company said. ATMs inside stores were not affected.

Debit card PINs, credit card

security code numbers and driver’s license information were also not part of the breach, the company said, adding that it was not aware of any unauthorized use of any payment card information because of the breach.

“Because of the type of data involved, Wawa does not have sufficient information to determine how many unique individuals’ payment card information may have been involved,” Lori Bruce, a spokeswoman, said in a statement Friday.

After learning of the breach, Wawa initiated an investigation, notified law enforcement and payment card companies, the company said, adding that it had brought on board an external forensics firm for support.

Sarah Sanders apologizes for mocking Joe Biden’s remarks on stuttering Maria Cramer The New York Times News Service

Sarah Sanders apologized late Thursday after she mocked comments by former Vice President Joe Biden during the Democratic presidential debate in which he recounted mentoring a boy who had a speech impediment.

Sanders, the former White House press secretary, made the remarks on Twitter after Biden, who has been open about his stutter and his struggle with it since he was a child, described his interaction with the boy.

“The little kid who said: ‘I can’t talk. What do I do?’” Biden said, speaking haltingly over the “I” and “what” for emphasis.

Shortly after, Sanders tweeted, “I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I hhhave absolutely no idea what Biden is talking about.” The post has since been deleted.

A barrage of criticism of Sanders followed.

“This is the most disgusting tweet of the night,” wrote Sabrina Singh, a spokeswoman for Sen. Cory Booker, who is also running for president.

Andrew Bates, one of Biden’s campaign staff members,

wrote, “An insultingly stupid whopper from Sarah Huckabee Sanders — now I’ve seen everything.”

But Sanders did not retreat until after Biden responded.

“I’ve worked my whole life to overcome a stutter,” he tweeted. “And it’s my great honor to mentor kids who have experienced the same. It’s called empathy. Look it up.”

Sanders replied: “I actually didn’t know that about you and that is commendable. I apologize and should have made my point respectfully.”

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COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA • REGISTER-STAR

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Saturday - Sunday, December 21-22, 2019 - A7

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Remembering ‘snow days’ of yesteryear

By Dick Brooks For Columbia-Greene Media

I like snow. I’ve always liked snow, it’s one of the main reasons I haven’t joined the seasonal migration of folks my age to warmer climes.

I don’t necessarily enjoy the copious quantities that have covered my driveway lately, but they do bring a certain element of adventure to an ordinary winter day. The fresh clean blanket they cover winter’s dull browns with brings back some of summer’s magic to our sleeping gardens. We had a snow a week or so ago that was calendar quality.

It snowed during the night and since the snowfall wasn’t accompanied by blizzardstrength winds, it clung to the trees and grasses, transforming our backyard. A whole legion of Van Goghs with rollers couldn’t have done a more artistic job.

Telly, my BFF (Big Fuzzy Friend), and I paused several times to admire the artwork done on ordinary branches and weeds. He enjoys snow as much as I do and being more agile than me, bounds joyfully through it. He pauses frequently to make snow angels, rolling from side to side, usually close enough to my freshly shoveled paths to provide me with more exercise since I frequently have to re-shovel them after he is finished.

He tried something new during our morning walk. We received a fresh snowfall during the night. He ran through it and stuck his head down into the snow, becoming a canine snowplow. After plowing five or six feet, up popped his

WHITTLING AWAY

DICK

BROOKS head, covered with snow, and he looked at me in a way that said, “That was fun! Why don’t you try it?” Dogs are just the best!

I don’t play in the snow much anymore but my furry friend’s frolicking brought back memories of when I did.

Was there ever anything better than a “snow day?” Unexpected vacations are never a bad thing. I think there should be a law that when the schools are closed because of the weather, everything should be closed and everyone be required to go outside and play in the snow.

We had sleds as kids, but they were the Flexible Flyer type, which just don’t work when the snow is deep and soft. We never thought of sliding down hill in an inner tube; Dad needed them to keep the car’s tires round. We didn’t have round plastic disks or plastic sleds, but what we lacked in equipment, we made up for in imagination. We slid down hills in cardboard boxes, on Mom’s cookie sheets (until we got caught) and on anything else that had a flat surface.

I remember the fun we had

sliding on the hood of an old Hupmobile that Dad had converted into a doodlebug.

My personal favorite was an old metal-topped kitchen table. It had been relegated to the barn after my mother had finally acquired a modern Formica table. I saw the possibilities and conned my younger siblings into dragging it to the top of our sliding hill.

We flipped it over and climbed on board, all four of us, each one clutching a table leg, and down we went. It went like the wind with the added attractions of spinning round and round until the edge dug into the snow, flipping all of us in different directions, head first into the deep snow. The more we rode it, the more the snow packed down and the faster we went. The higher speeds meant flying further when the flips occurred.

Is there anything more fun when you’re a kid than something that could possibly break an arm or leg? Fortunately, The Big Guy Upstairs loves small idiots and the only leg that got broken was on the old table. The only thing better than doing it as a kid is remembering it as if it were yesterday as an adult. There’s a lot about the Good Ol’ Days that really was.

Thought for the week — “It’s impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do.” — Jerome K. Jerome.

Until next week, may you and yours be happy and well.

Church Briefs FOOD AND BAKE SALE GREENPORT — Sacred Heart Mt. Carmel Shrine, 442 Fairview Ave., Greenport, will hold a Christmas Food and Bake Sale 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 21. There will be Christmas cookie trays, pasta fagioli, spinach pies and more. For information, call 518-8287775.

PARENTS NIGHT OUT KINDERHOOK — Parents Night Out 5-8 p.m. Dec. 21 at the Kinderhook Reformed Church, 21 Broad St., Kinderhook. Free child care for kids 3 and older with dinner provided. Fun evening of age appropriate crafts, storytime and movie in a safe and nurturing environment. Preregistration required. For information and to register, call 518-758-6401.

LESSON AND CAROLS KINDERHOOK — The annual Lesson and Carols directed by David Smith will be held at 4 p.m. Dec. 22 at

the Kinderhook Reformed Church, 21 Broad St., Kinderhook. It is a worship service celebrating the birth of Jesus.

All are welcome.

CHRISTMAS EVE HILLSDALE — A Christmas Eve candlelight service will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 24 at the Hillsdale United Methodist Church, Routes 22 and 23, Hillsdale. There will be a choir singing familiar carols.

Everyone is welcome.

KINDERHOOK — The annual Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 24 at the Kinderhook Reformed Church, 21 Broad St., Kinderhook. All are welcome.

GHENT — A candlelight Christmas Eve service will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 24 at the Ghent Reformed Church, 1039 County Route 22, West Ghent. Welcome the baby on this most holy of nights. After service, light refreshments

will be served.

COPAKE FALLS — The Church of St. John in the Wilderness, 261 Route 344, Copake Falls, will hold a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Dec. 24. Carols at 7 p.m. followed by workship at 7:30 p.m. Christmas Day Service at 10 a.m. Dec. 25.

STUYVESANT FALLS — Emanuel Lutheran Church, Route 9, Stuyvesant Falls will be holding their Christmas Eve candlelight service at 6 p.m. Dec. 24 (a new time), with Pastor Samantha Perret presiding. Regular Church Services are held Sundays at 8:30 a.m.

SOUP AND SANDWICH NIGHTS HUDSON — The First Reformed Church, 52 Green St., Hudson, will hold free soup and sandwich nights 5-6 p.m.

November through March.

Dine in only. The schedule is Jan. 2, Jan. 16, Feb. 6, Feb. 20, March 5 and March 19.

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’T I S T H E SEASON For family and friends, good health and happiness, sleigh rides and extra marshmallows in your cocoa.

Happy holidays. cbna.com

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CMYK

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA • REGISTER-STAR

A8 - Saturday - Sunday, December 21-22, 2019

Christmas SERVICES

Christ Church Episcopal Christmas Eve Services Tuesday, December 24 Family Service, 4 PM Carols followed by Festal Eucharist, 10:30 PM

Christmas Day Service Wednesday, December 25 Holy Eucharist, 9 AM 431 Union Street, Hudson (518) 828-1329 | www.ccehny.org

All are Welcome and Invited to Celebrate Christmas Mass with us!

One Roman Catholic Faith Community with 3 Worship Sites:

St. John the Baptist Church 4987 State Route 81, Greenville, NY Dec. 24, 2019 – 3:30pm Children’s Pageant and Mass Dec. 25, 2019 – 9:00am

Sacred Heart Church 35 Church Street, Cairo, NY Dec. 24, 2019 – 6:00pm Dec. 25, 2019 – 11:00am

Our Lady of Knock Shire 2052 State Route 145, E. Durham, NY Dec. 24, 2019 – 8:00pm (only)

Welcome One And All To Our Candlelight Service St. Thomas Lutheran Church Churchtown 7:00pm 1127 County Route 27, Claverack St. John’s Luteran Church, Manorton & Christ Lutheran, Viewmont – 9:30 pm 599 Church Ave, Viewmonte

Sunday Evening December 24th

Fr. Steve Matthews, Pastor

Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church 206 Union St. Hudson NY 12534 Please join our Christmas Divine Liturgy (Mass) December 25, 2019 at 9:00am followed with anointing with Blessed Oil.

Glenco Mills Chapel Join us with Pastor Ken Coddington at our 150 year old chapel for our annual gathering of family and friends.

Music, Readings, Candlelight Service

Christmas Eve 9:00 pm

The United Methodist Church

A SERVICE OF CANDLELIGHT AND CAROLS

THE REFORMED CHURCH OF GERMANTOWN

Christmas Eve at 7:00 pm 20 Church Ave, Germantown, NY

MT PLEASANT REFORMED CHURCH

Christmas Eve at 8:30 pm 33 Church Rd, Hudson, NY

A candle light Christmas service With Holy Communion will be held at Emanuel-St. John’s Lutheran Parish December 24, 2019 3:00 PM

All Welcome 20 South Sixth Street Hudson, NY (corner of Union & 6th St.)

Happy Holidays From all of us here at Columbia-Greene Media

The Catholic Community Of Saint Patrick

invites you to join us in worship as we celebrate Jesus’ birth!

Church Locations 24 North Washington Street, Athens 66 William Street, Catskill

Christmas Eve Services:

Invites You To Celebrate The Feast Of The Nativity Of The Lord

Philmont (27 Church St., Philmont) 5pm Trinity (555 Joslen Blvd., Hudson) 7pm

Christmas Eve Tuesday ~ December 24

Ken Coddington, Pastor 518-828-0226

130 Old Route 82 • Hudson, NY (Glenco Mills)

THE EVERLASTING LIGHT

Emanuel St. John’s Lutheran Parish

Christmas Eve December 24 5:00 PM - Family Service, carols and Holy Communion 10:30 PM - Carols 11:00 PM - Traditional Midnight Mass Christmas Day - 9:00 AM - Holy Communion St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 50 William Street Catskill, NY 518-943-4180 www.stlukescatskill.org

4:00 p.m. Athens • Eucharistic Liturgy Children of Athens and Catskill are invited to participate in: The Children’s Choir The Pageant, with Angels and Shepherds All Children are asked to bring Christmas bells!

6:00 p.m. Catskill • Eucharistic Liturgy Our Adult Choir Concert Of Christmas Music 5:45 p.m.

Christmas Day Wednesday ~ December 25 8:45 a.m. Catskill Eucharistic Liturgy Concert Of Christmas Music 8:30 a.m.

10:45 a.m. Athens Eucharistic Liturgy Concert Of Christmas Music 10:30 a.m.

CMYK

Sports

SECTION

Heading to the league

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

James Wiseman to leave Memphis and enter NBA Draft. Sports, B3

& Classifieds

B Saturday - Sunday, December 21-22, 2019 - B1

Tim Martin, Sports Editor: 1-800-400-4496 / sports@registerstar.com or tmartin@registerstar.com

H.S. WRESTLING:

Indians blank Rams Columbia-Greene Media

COXSACKIE — Coxsackie-Athens recorded six pins in Thursday’s 87-0 Patroon Conference wrestling victory over Rensselaer.

Neil Murphy, Josiah Decker, Tommy Notabartolo, Noah Bartels, Schyler Caringi and Colin Riley all pinned their opponents to highlight the Indians’ victory.

Results 99 — Neil Murphy (Coxsackie-Athens) pinned Eh Doh, 3:25; 106 — Gage Decker (Coxsackie-Athens) won by forfeit; 113 — Aidan Scarpinati (Coxsackie-Athens) won by forfeit; 120 — Josiah Decker (CoxsackieAthens) pinned Devin Krause, :17; 126 — Tommy Notabartolo (Coxsackie-Athens) pinned Damien Schaus, 1:22; 132 — Noah Bartels (Coxsackie-Athens) pinned Ryan Slingerland, 1:02; 138 — Schyler Caringi (Coxsackie-Athens) pinned Jose Padilla, 5:51; 145 — Julian Cruz (Coxsackie-Athens) won by forfeit; 152 — Anthony Iamunno (Coxsackie-Athens) won by forfeit; 160 — Colin Riley (Coxsackie-Athens) pinned Nicholas Pershyn, :33; 170 — Andrew Riley (Coxsackie-Athens) won by forfeit; 182 — Colby Lord (Coxsackie-Athens) decisoned Angel Garcia, 10-6; 195 — Nate Van Valkenburg (Coxsackie-Athens) won by forfeit; 220 — Seth Dillworth (CoxsackieAthens) won by forfeit; 285 — Jesse Pickett (Coxsackie-Athens) won by forfeit; Catskill 58, Cairo-Durham 12 EAST DURHAM — Catskill remained unbeaten in Patroon Conference wrestling with a 58-12 triumph over Cairo-Durham on Thursday.

Dan Forbes, Logan Denniston and Ricky edwards all had pins for the Cats (2-0). Adam Schlosser recorded a pin for the Mustangs.

Results 99 — Double forfeit; 106 — Chase Allen (Catskill) won by forfeit; 113 — Courtney Gagne (CD) won by forfeit; 120 — Double forfeit; 126 — Dan Smith (Catskill) decisioned Angelo Della

Monica, 4-2; 132 — Adam Schlosser (CD) pinned Scott Baker, :58; 138 — Diego Dodig (Catskill) won by forfeit; 145 — Collin Wheeler (Catskill) decisioned Azzan Tarik, 10-2; 152 — Dan Forbes (Catskill) pinned Jacob Kilmet, :20; 160 — Jesse Davies (Catskill) won by forfeit; 170 — Stephen Forbes (Catskill) won by forfeit; 182 Logan Denniston (Catskill) pinned Dante Alvarez, :35; 195 — Jerome VanAlstyne (Catskill decisioned Richard Clevenstine, 6-5; 220 — Ricky Edwards (Catskill) pinned Korinee Hawley, :45; 285 — Will Rogers (Catskill) won by forfeit.

Maple Hill 69, Greenville 18 CASTLETON — Maple Hill won sevne matches by pin in Thursday’s 6918 Patroon Conference wrestling victory over Greenville.

Javier Ayarza, Caleb Svingala, James Colvin, Cody Chicoine, Reese steele, Adrian Delfavero and Tyler Goettinger all had pins for the Wildcats.

Kieran Cullen and Richard Sanchez had pins for the Spartans.

Results 99 — Vincent Colvin (Maple Hill) won by forfeit; 106 — Kieran Cullen (Greenville) pinned Thomas Merhige, :49; 113 — Sam Vanauken (Greenville) won by forfeit; 120 — Javier Ayarza (Maple Hill) pinned Colby Lackie, 2:41; 126 — Caleb Svingala (Maple Hill) pinned Eric Heath, :52; 132 — Anthony Ortiz (Maple Hill) decisioned Bernard Davis, 12-6; 138 — James Colvin (Maple Hill) pinned Devin O’Connor, :45; 145 — Ethan Maier (Maple Hill) won by forfeit; 152 — Cody Chicoine (Maple Hill) pinned Zachary Blakeslee, 3:52; 160 — Richard Sanchez (Greenville) pinned Devin Feliz, 1:00; 170 — Reese Steele (Maple Hill) pinned Sawyer Peak, :16; 182 — Adrian Delfavero (Maple Hill) pinned Cole Flannery, 2:45; 195 — Nicholas Roy (Maple Hill) won by forfeit; 220 — Anthony Sturgis (Maple Hill) won by forfeit; 285 See WRESTLING B6

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

It’s time for hunting, fishing, and gun show season

By Larry DiDonato For Columbia-Greene Media

It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not just talking about the hustle and bustle with only three shopping days left before Christmas.

It’s time for hunters, trappers, fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts to plan their strategy for attending the outdoor sport show circuit held throughout

the winter. I’ve highlighted a few of the bigger, well known, annual events but included a few smaller shows in our area for your convenience.

The list below is not exhaustive by any means. It only highlights some of the shows you may be interested in that are coming up within the next month or so.

For a full description of upcoming sportsmen shows including times and

costs, a good place to start is your favorite online search engine.

NEACA Fishkill Gun Show - January 11 and 12, 2020 Ramada Inn at Fishkill, NY, hosted by NEACA Inc. NEACA Polish Community Center Gun Show - January 18 and 19, 2020, (with See SEASON B6

LOCAL ROUNDUP:

ICC volleyball remains unbeaten Columbia-Greene Media

VALATIE — Ichabod Crane posted a 3-0 victory over Catskill in Thursday’s Patroon Conference boys volleyball match.

The Riders (5-0) won by scores of 25-18, 25-14 and 25-17.

For Ichabod Crane, Dean Warner had 7 kills and 3 blocks; Jim Konderwich 7 kills; Harrison Puckett 9 assists, 4 kills and 5 aces; Jake Siter 3 kills and 1 ace; Trevor Wolfe 7 assists and 5 kills; Paul Zietsman 3 assists; Jared Cook 3 digs; Bobby Boll 2 digs; Logan Groat 1 kill; Cam Ames 2 aces; Ryan Tricozzi 1 ace The Riders host Greenville on Jan. 6.

BOYS BASKETBALL NON-LEAGUE Germantown 65, HTC 52 HUNTER — State-ranked Germantown pulled away from a close game with a big third quarter run en route to a 65-52

non-league boys basketball victory over Hunter-Tannersville on Thursday.

The Clippers, the No. 13 Class D team in the state, led 14-12 after one quarter and 26-21 at halftime, before breaking the game open with an 18-8 scoring edge in the third stanza.

Bryan Bathrick led Germantown with 16 points. Dylan Mayr added 15 and Robbie Eaton had 12.

GERMANTOWN (65): Hoffman 1-0-2, Eaton 3-3-12, Mayr 6-2-15, Anderson 3-39, Rifenburg 1-2-4, Bathrick 5-6-16, McKinney 3-0-7. Totals 22-16-65.

3-pointers: Eaton 3, McKinney.

HTC (52): A. Aizstrauts 4-0-8, Andreason 7-6-22, Leach 4-2-12, Houlihan 1-02, Flynn 2-2-6, C. Aizstrauts 1-0-2. Totals 19-10-52.

3-pointers: Andreason 2, Leach 2.

GIRLS BAKSETBALL COLONIAL

Schalmont 68, Ichabod Crane 49 VALATIE — Karissa Antoine scored 29 points to lead Schalmont to a 68-49 victory over Ichabod Crane in Thursday’s Colonial Council girls basketball game.

The Sabres built quarterly leads of 1411, 35-22 and 54-35.

Payton Graber added 21 points to Schalmont’s cause. Haley Burchhardt contributed 12.

Ashley Ames led Ichabod Crane with 13 points. Madie Graham had 12.

SCHALMONT (68): Antoine 13-2-29, Burchhardt 5-2-12, Cordy 1-0-2, Graber 8-3-21, Lenehan 1-2-4. Totals 28-9-68.

3-pointers: Graber 2, Antoine.

ICHABOD CRANE (49): A. Ames 5-213, H. Ames 0-1-1, Culver 1-0-2, Dolge 4-0-9, Graham 5-0-12, Knapp 1-0-2, More 5-0-10. Totals 21-3-49.

3-pointers: Graham 2, A. Ames, Dolge.

Le’Veon Bell prepares to face Steelers for first time Charles McDonald New York Daily News

When the Pittsburgh Steelers roll into MetLife Stadium on Sunday, it’ll be a bit of a reunion for Le’Veon Bell.

For the first time in his career, Bell is set to face the franchise that helped develop him into one of the best running backs of this decade and a two-time All-Pro. “It’s going to be fun.” Bell said. “You know, going out there against guys that I practiced with for a long time and actually getting a chance to compete against them, it’s going to be fun.”

How Bell’s time ended with Pittsburgh is widely known by now. He missed the entire 2018 season due to a contract dispute over guaranteed money before signing with the Jets on a four-year, $52 million deal that included $27 million guaranteed.

Bell said that he isn’t concerned with potentially spoiling the Steelers’ playoff hopes, as a win would likely knock the Steelers from postseason contention.

“Honestly, I don’t look at like that.” Bell said. “Each and every game I try to give it my all, you know? I guess if I can try to find an extra squeeze I’m gonna try, but it is what it is to me. I’m always going to try and go out there to do my best.”

Pittsburgh will be a tough test for the Bell and the Jets offense. The Steelers are allowing

TOMMY GILLIGAN/USA TODAY

New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell (26) rushes as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith (22) defends during a recent game at M&T Bank Stadium.

just 3.7 yards per carry this year, good for third in the NFL. Defensive end T.J. Watt is a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year and they have a host of talented linebackers

and defensive linemen that will make life tough on the Jets.

“Those guys, they do a lot of two-gapping.”

Bell said as he broke down Pittsburgh’s

defense. “They got great edge rushers, they can rush the passer well, great interior linemen. Not only that, but they got guys on the outside — the defensive backs — that can play close coverage and not let guys get open.

The pass rushers will be able to get home and it makes everyone’s job easier.”

Pittsburgh’s defense will just be another challenge for Bell in his first year with the Jets — a year that hasn’t gone how anyone would hope. Bell is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and has only managed three games with over four yards per carry. Head coach and offensive playcaller Adam Gase said there isn’t one specific area to blame for Bell’s lack of production.

“I think a little bit of it is the pieces changing up front, we kind of lost a little bit of our chemistry there from training camp, once we got going in the season.” Gase said. “We had some guys going in and out, losing Sam (Darnold) for three weeks, we kind of leaned on (Bell) pretty heavily, really everything was on him, trying to get us positive yards and first downs, so he took a pretty good pounding there for three weeks.”

Whether it’s offensive line continuity, Gase’s playcalling, or Bell’s own ability, he just hasn’t been able to create meaningful production on a weekly basis.

He has a chance to do that this week against his old team.

CMYK

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

B2 - Saturday - Sunday, December 21-22, 2019

Pro football

NHL ROUNDUP:

NFL American Football Conference East W L T Pct PF New England 11 3 0 .786 372 Buffalo 10 4 0 .714 291 N.Y. Jets 5 9 0 .357 247 Miami 3 11 0 .214 241 South W L T Pct PF Houston 9 5 0 .643 341 Tennessee 8 6 0 .571 339 Indianapolis 6 8 0 .429 303 Jacksonville 5 9 0 .357 250 North W L T Pct PF Baltimore 12 2 0 .857 472 Pittsburgh 8 6 0 .571 269 Cleveland 6 8 0 .429 297 Cincinnati 1 13 0 .071 211 West W L T Pct PF Kansas City 10 4 0 .714 394 Oakland 6 8 0 .429 274 L.A. Chargers 5 9 0 .357 299 Denver 5 9 0 .357 239 National Football Conference East W L T Pct PF Dallas 7 7 0 .500 378 Philadelphia 7 7 0 .500 334 N.Y. Giants 3 11 0 .214 283 Washington 3 11 0 .214 215 South W L T Pct PF New Orleans 11 3 0 .786 378 Tampa Bay 7 7 0 .500 416 Atlanta 5 9 0 .357 329 Carolina 5 9 0 .357 324 North W L T Pct PF Green Bay 11 3 0 .786 330 Minnesota 10 4 0 .714 378 Chicago 7 7 0 .500 256 Detroit 3 10 1 .250 304 West W L T Pct PF San Francisco 11 3 0 .786 419 Seattle 11 3 0 .786 371 L.A. Rams 8 6 0 .571 332 Arizona 4 9 1 .321 310 Week 15 Thursday’s game Baltimore 42, N.Y. Jets 21 Sunday’s games Seattle 30, Carolina 24 Philadelphia 37, Washington 27 Houston 24, Tennessee 21 N.Y. Giants 36, Miami 20 Kansas City 23, Denver 3 Green Bay 21, Chicago 13 Tampa Bay 38, Detroit 17 New England 34, Cincinnati 13 Jacksonville 20, Oakland 16 Arizona 38, Cleveland 24 Minnesota 39, L.A. Chargers 10 Atlanta 29, San Francisco 22 Dallas 44, L.A. Rams 21 Buffalo 17, Pittsburgh 10 Monday’s game New Orleans 34, Indianapolis 7 Week 16 Saturday’s games Houston at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.

Buffalo at New England, 4:30 p.m.

L.A. Rams at San Francisco, 8:15 p.m.

Sunday’s games Carolina at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.

Cincinnati at Miami, 1 p.m.

Pittsburgh at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.

Jacksonville at Atlanta, 1 p.m.

Baltimore at Cleveland, 1 p.m.

N.Y. Giants at Washington, 1 p.m.

New Orleans at Tennessee, 1 p.m.

Oakland at L.A. Chargers, 4:05 p.m.

Detroit at Denver, 4:05 p.m.

Dallas at Philadelphia, 4:25 p.m.

Arizona at Seattle, 4:25 p.m.

Kansas City at Chicago, 8:20 p.m.

Monday’s game Green Bay at Minnesota, 8:15 p.m.

PA 181 222 343 435 PA 330 279 329 353 PA 257 259 329 359 PA 284 386 290 284 PA 288 328 382 347 PA 303 398 365 390 PA 283 259 253 373 PA 258 345 306 398

Pro basketball NBA Eastern Conference Atlantic W L Pct Boston 18 7 .720 Toronto 19 8 .704 Philadelphia 20 9 .690 Brooklyn 15 13 .535 New York 7 21 .250 Central W L Pct Milwaukee 24 4 .857 Indiana 19 9 .679 Detroit 11 17 .393 Chicago 11 19 .367 Cleveland 7 21 .250 Southeast W L Pct Miami 20 8 .714 Orlando 12 16 .429 Charlotte 13 18 .419 Washington 8 18 .308 Atlanta 6 23 .206 Western Conference Northwest W L Pct Denver 18 8 .692 Utah 17 11 .607 Oklahoma City 13 14 .481 Portland 12 16 .429 Minnesota 10 16 .385 Pacific W L Pct L.A. Lakers 24 4 .857 L.A. Clippers 21 8 .724 Sacramento 12 15 .444 Phoenix 11 16 .407 Golden State 5 24 .172 Southwest W L Pct Dallas 18 9 .667 Houston 18 9 .667 San Antonio 11 16 .407 Memphis 10 18 .357 New Orleans 7 22 .241 Wednesday’s games Cleveland 100, Charlotte 98 Toronto 112, Detroit 99 Chicago 110, Washington 109, OT Miami 108, Philadelphia 104 New Orleans 107, Minnesota 99 Oklahoma City 126, Memphis 122 Denver 113, Orlando 104 Boston 109, Dallas 103 Portland 122, Golden State 112 Thursday’s games Utah 111, Atlanta 106 Milwaukee 111, L.A. Lakers 104 San Antonio 118, Brooklyn 105 Houston at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

Today’s games Memphis at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Sacramento at Indiana, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

Washington at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

New York at Miami, 8 p.m.

Dallas at Philadelphia, 8 p.m.

Phoenix at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.

Minnesota at Denver, 9 p.m.

Orlando at Portland, 10 p.m.

New Orleans at Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

Saturday’s games Utah at Charlotte, 5 p.m.

Atlanta at Brooklyn, 6 p.m.

Chicago at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Washington at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Milwaukee at New York, 7:30 p.m.

Sacramento at Memphis, 8 p.m.

L.A. Clippers at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.

Houston at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

GB — — — 4.5 12.5 GB — 5.0 13.0 14.0 17.0 GB — 8.0 8.5 11.0 14.5 GB — 2.0 5.5 7.0 8.0 GB — 3.5 11.5 12.5 19.5 GB — — 7.0 8.5 12.0

Minnesota at Portland, 10 p.m.

Transactions FOOTBALL National Football League Carolina Panthers - Acquired DB T.J. Green off waivers from the New Orleans Saints. Placed OL Garrett McGhin on IR. Cleveland Browns - Added LB Jermaine Grace to the practice squad. Removed QB Eric Dungey from the practice squad.

Jacksonville Jaguars - Added DB Jayson Stanley to the practice squad.

New York Jets - Signed RB Kenneth Dixon.

Oakland Raiders - Placed T Trent Brown on IR. Signed LB Ukeme Eligwe.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Added WR Jaydon Mickens to the practice squad.

NCAA Football Baylor - Announced WR Peyton Powell has left the program and is expected to transfer to Rutgers.

Central Florida - Announced RB Adrian Killins Jr. will enter the NFL draft.

Louisville - Announced DE Jarrett Jackson has left the program and will transfer to Florida State.

Maine - Announced QB Chris Ferguson has left the program and will transfer to Liberty.

North Texas - Named Clint Bowen defensive coordinator and safeties coach.

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association Toronto Raptors - Recalled PF Dewan Hernandez from Raptors 905 (NBAGL).

Wild get high-scoring win over Coyotes Field Level Media

Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Foligno and Eric Staal each had a goal and two assists, and Brad Hunt and Ryan Hartman tallied a goal and assist each to lead the Minnesota Wild to an 8-5 win over the Arizona Coyotes in Glendale, Ariz., on Thursday night.

Minnesota ended a threegame road losing streak, scoring four goals in the second period and four more in the third. The Wild lost a 4-2 lead early in the third period but outscored Arizona 4-3 in the third to get a win over the Pacific Division leaders.

The Coyotes have lost four of their last five at home, and lost goaltender Darcy Kuemper to injury with 3:08 left in the game.

Kuemper stopped 25 of 32 Wild shots, replaced in net by Antti Raanta.

A high-scoring third period saw four goals in the first five minutes, with Arizona rallying from a 4-2 deficit on goals from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and the second of the night for Jakob Chychrun.

Islanders 3, Bruins 2 (SO) Jordan Eberle and Mathew Barzal scored in the shootout as New York won in Boston to end a seven-game losing streak to the Bruins.

Barzal also tallied in regulation, and Johnny Boychuk had a goal and an assist as the Islanders won for the fourth time in their last five games. Semyon Varlamov made 27 saves.

Anders Bjork and Torey Krug scored for the Bruins, who lost for the seventh time in their last eight (1-4-3). Tuukka Rask stopped 19 shots.

Flyers 6, Sabres 1 James van Riemsdyk scored two goals, Matt Niskanen added one goal and one assist, and host Philadelphia routed Buffalo.

Mikhail Vorobyev, Ivan Provorov and Tyler Pitlick each scored one goal while Travis Konecny recorded three assists for the Flyers, who won their second in a row. Kevin Hayes and Sean Couturier had two

MATT KARTOZIAN/USA TODAY

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) makes a save against Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) during Thursday’s game at Gila River Arena.

assists apiece for the Flyers, who improved to 12-2-4 at home.

Buffalo’s Jack Eichel, who had a 17-game streak with at least one point, was a late scratch with an upper-body injury. The league also ruled that because Eichel missed the game with an injury, his point scoring streak has now come to an end. Victor Olofsson scored the lone goal for the Sabres, who dropped their third in a row (0-2-1).

Stars 4, Lightning 3 (OT) Tyler Seguin fired in the game-winning goal three minutes into overtime as Dallas rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat host Tampa Bay. The Lightning’s Tyler Johnson missed a wide-open net in the extra session, and the puck wrapped around to Seguin, who skated in on a two-on-one and zipped a shot over Andrei Vasilevskiy’s left shoulder for the win. It was the eighth goal of the season for Seguin, who also added an assist. Alexander Radulov had a goal and assisted on the game-winner, as the Stars improved to 4-2 in overtime.

The strong play of Anton Khudobin kept the Stars in the game. The backup netminder

allowed three goals on 48 shots but only one tally at even strength, and he stopped the last 27 straight shots he faced.

Hurricanes 3, Avalanche 1 Jaccob Slavin scored the goahead goal with 1:39 remaining, and Carolina rallied to beat Colorado in Denver.

Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho also scored and James Reimer stopped 27 shots for the Hurricanes, who extended their points streak to seven games.

Gabriel Landeskog scored and Philipp Grubauer had 37 saves for Colorado, which lost for the second time in three games following a nine-game points streak.

Blackhawks 4, Jets 1 Patrick Kane had a goal and three assists and Robin Lehner finished with 36 saves to lead Chicago past host Winnipeg.

It was the 12th four-point game of Kane’s career. Alex Nylander had a goal and an assist and Dominik Kubalik and Erik Gustafsson also scored goals for Chicago, which improved to 7-1 in the second half of back-tobacks this season. The Blackhawks had lost at home to Colorado, 4-1, on Wednesday.

Tucker Poolman scored for Winnipeg, which had a sixgame win streak over Chicago snapped. Connor Hellebuyck finished with 28 saves.

Blue Jackets 3, Kings 2 (OT) Pierre-Luc Dubois scored 1:11 into overtime to lift Columbus past visiting Los Angeles and move the Blue Jackets to 4-0-2 in their last six.

Dubois and Zach Werenski each had a goal and an assist, Gustav Nyquist had two assists, Boone Jenner scored late in regulation, and Joonas Korpisalo made 23 saves for the Blue Jackets.

Adrian Kempe and Jeff Carter scored, and Jack Campbell made 25 saves for the Kings, who dropped to 4-0-2 in their past six games. Los Angeles lost for the first time this season when leading after two periods, ending a 10-0-0 run.

Senators 5, Predators 4 (OT) Anthony Duclair scored on a power play 2:40 into overtime as host Ottawa skated to a victory over Nashville.

Nashville erased Ottawa’s 4-1 lead in the third period before Duclair unleashed a blast from the right circle that beat Juuse Saros (19 saves). Duclair’s

team-leading 20th goal of the season matched his career high set with the Arizona Coyotes in 2015-16. It was Duclair’s 10th tally in his past eight games.

Colin White, Vladislav Namestnikov and Artem Anisimov each scored in the second period, and Brady Tkachuk added a power-play goal in the third for the Senators, who improved to 10-5-0 at home this season.

Nashville captain Roman Josi scored his fourth goal in three games in highlight-reel fashion to forge a tie at 4 with 6:53 remaining in the third period.

Canadiens 4, Flames 3 (OT) Max Domi scored the overtime winner as visiting Montreal claimed a comeback victory over Calgary.

Goaltender Carey Price made 24 saves for the win, Montreal’s fifth in six games and second straight on a road trip. The Canadiens generated all kinds of opportunities in the extra frame, and Domi buried his club’s sixth shot in the frame with 1:08 remaining in the action.

Matthew Tkachuk opened the scoring thanks to some great work by his linemates. Andrew Mangiapane intercepted a clearing attempt, and then Elias Lindholm fed a wide-open Tkachuk to bury from the side of the net for his 13th goal of the season at the 7:34 mark of the first period.

Canucks 5, Golden Knights 4 (OT) Chris Tanev scored 1:30 into overtime as host Vancouver defeated Vegas, just its second victory in 10 all-time meetings between the teams.

Elias Pettersson scored twice and Antoine Roussel and Tanner Pearson also tallied for the Canucks, who snapped a threegame losing streak. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 39 saves.

Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Nick Holden and Mark Stone scored for Vegas, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was prevented from tying Curtis Joseph for sixth place on the NHL’s alltime wins list with 454.

NBA roundup: Bucks get bounce-back win over Lakers Field Level Media

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points with 11 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks bounced back from the end of their winning streak in emphatic fashion with a 111104 victory Thursday over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers.

In a battle of the teams with the best records in the NBA, the Bucks made their statement as George Hill added 21 points and Khris Middleton scored 15. Just one game earlier, the Bucks saw their 18-game winning streak come to an end with a defeat to the Dallas Mavericks.

Anthony Davis scored 36 points with 10 rebounds and LeBron James had a tripledouble for the Lakers, who were also returning to the court after the end of their winning streak last time out.

James had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists one game after Los Angeles’ run of 14 consecutive road victories ended Tuesday at Indiana.

The James/Davis duo started slow but combined to go 19 of 44 from the field.

James’ first field goal did not come until nearly two minutes into the second quarter.

Davis’ first basket came in the final minute of the first quarter.

San Antonio Spurs 118, Brooklyn Nets 105 Patty Mills scored a season-high 27 points off the bench and led rallies at the end of the third and fourth quarters as host San Antonio roared from behind to beat Brooklyn.

Mills scored 11 points over the final three minutes of the third quarter to shoot the Spurs into the lead and then nailed a pair of 3-pointers

and two free throws in the game’s last 4:08 to allow San Antonio to hold on for the win. He was 7 of 10 from beyond the arc in the game.

LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 points and 10 rebounds in the victory for the Spurs, with Derrick White and Dejounte Murray scoring 13 points each, DeMar DeRozan hitting for 12, and Marco Belinelli contributing 11 points for San Antonio.

Houston Rockets 122, Los Angeles Clippers 117 Russell Westbrook scored a season-high 40 points and had 10 rebounds, and Houston rallied in the second half to defeat host Los Angeles.

James Harden, who entered the contest as the NBA’s leading scorer at 38.9 points per game, added 28 points and 10 assists for the Rockets, who have won eight of their last 11 games. Clint Capela finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals.

Paul George had 34 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers, who lost for only the second time in 16 games at home. Kawhi Leonard had 25 points and nine rebounds, while Montrezl Harrell scored 19 points.

Utah Jazz 111, Atlanta Hawks 106 Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, including a reverse layup that put Utah ahead down the stretch en route to beating host Atlanta. The win was the fourth straight for Utah. Atlanta suffered its sixth straight loss.

Mitchell was 12-for 22 from the field, only one of them a 3-pointer, and added five rebounds and five assists. The Jazz also got 20 points and 13 rebounds from Rudy Gobert.

Bojan Bogdanovic added 19 points and nine rebounds

with a right thigh contu-

assists. Jabari Parker scored

Atlanta got 30 points from

sion and went 9-for-28 from

23 points, 11 in the first pe-

Trae Young, who was playing

the field, but added eight

riod, and had nine rebounds.

and Joe Ingles scored 14.

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Saturday - Sunday, December 21-22, 2019 - B3

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Herman Boone, coach portrayed in ‘Remember the Titans,’ dies at 84 Sandra E. Garcia The New York Times News Service

Herman Boone, who led a racially integrated high school football team in Virginia to a state championship in his first season as head coach and was later portrayed by Denzel Washington in the Disney movie “Remember the Titans,” died Wednesday at his home in Alexandria, Virginia.

He was 84.

The cause was lung cancer, said Anthony Henderson, a son-in-law.

In 1971, Alexandria’s three public high schools were merged into T.C. Williams High School. Boone was hired by the Alexandria school board as the head coach for the school’s football team, the Titans.

“He handled that coaching year with dignity,” said Wayne Sanders, who was a running back on the school’s junior

varsity team that year.

“He was the right man for that year because of his coaching style,” he said, adding that Boone coached with discipline, respect and leadership.

Boone’s leadership during his first year as head coach inspired “Remember the Titans,” which was released by Disney in September 2000.

“If ‘Remember the Titans’ is corny, it’s unabashedly, even generously so,” New York Times film critic A.O. Scott wrote, praising Washington’s presence as “strong” and “complex enough.”

Herman Boone was born Oct. 28, 1935, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, about 60 miles east of Raleigh.

After graduating from North Carolina Central University, where he received both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in physical education, Boone became a coach

at a high school in Blackstone, Virginia.

In 1961, Boone moved to Williamston, North Carolina, and became a coach at E.J. Hayes High School. In 1969, the Williamston school board told Boone that the town was “not ready for a black head coach,” according to the ‘71 Original Titans Foundation, so Boone resigned.

That year, he became an assistant coach at T.C. Williams High School.

In 1971, when the Alexandria schools merged, the school board appointed Boone head coach. He was chosen over Bill Yoast, a white coach who had more experience, Henderson said. Boone and Yoast worked together to lead the football team to its first state championship that year.

Yoast died in May at 94.

After the schools were

James Wiseman to leave Memphis and enter NBA Draft Oskar Garcia and Adam Zagoria The New York Times News Service

James Wiseman, a top college basketball player who had been suspended by the NCAA, withdrew from the University of Memphis on Thursday to prepare for next year’s NBA draft. Wiseman, 18, announced his decision to go pro on Instagram.

Wiseman, who was suspended for 12 games because his family improperly accepted moving expenses while he was in high school, said he was “preparing for the next chapter of my life” by leaving the school. “Ever since I was a little kid, it’s been a dream of mine to play in the NBA,” he said in his post.

“Although disappointing, the U. of M. supports James and his family in his decision to leave to prepare for the 2020 NBA draft, and will continue to follow James in what will certainly prove to be a successful career,” the university’s athletic department said in a statement.

Wiseman was suspended because Memphis coach Penny Hardaway gave Wiseman’s family $11,500 in moving expenses when Wiseman was in high school in 2017.

Hardaway was the coach at Memphis East High School at the time, and Wiseman relocated from Nashville, Tennessee, so he could play for him. The university said that Wiseman did not know about the payment to his family when it was provided.

“We wish nothing but the best for James in his future endeavors as he follows his dreams,” Hardaway said in the statement. “He will truly be missed.”

Hardaway became the Memphis coach in 2018, and Wiseman was the centerpiece of a recruiting class this year ranked as the best in college basketball. Part of Hardaway’s draw was his NBA pedigree as a star guard for the Orlando Magic with a major Nike sponsorship, which allowed him to pitch his personal experience to athletes.

As he recruited, Hardaway caught Wiseman’s attention in part by wearing a different pair of sneakers during each visit.

“Yeah, I mean, because he had different kicks coming to my high school games almost every game, so I was like, man, it’s crazy,” Wiseman said before the season began.

“So many exclusive kicks that I’ve never seen before that I don’t even have. And I’ve got a lot of shoes, too.”

Wiseman initially fought the suspension that cut short his first college season, filing a lawsuit against the NCAA and Memphis that he later withdrew.

He played in three games for the Tigers, including two games in defiance of the NCAA’s discipline, as a judge issued a temporary restraining order to allow him back on the court. He averaged

19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in the three games, and was eligible to return on Jan. 12 at South Florida, his team’s third conference matchup.

The university, which has not faced discipline but could be punished for playing Wiseman after he was declared ineligible, had appealed the suspension to the NCAA. Wiseman, a 7-foot-1 center, is widely considered one of three top draft prospects next year, along with guards LaMelo Ball, who was playing in Australia, and R.J. Hampton, who was playing in New Zealand.

Fran Fraschilla, a college basketball analyst for ESPN and a former coach, said the move would not hurt Wiseman’s prospects.

“Barring an injury between now and June 25, he’s at worst the third pick in the draft and potentially the No. 1 pick overall,” Fraschilla said. “His three games were enough for people to see the enormous potential.”

The departure leaves the No. 11 Tigers (9-1) with Precious Achiuwa as their top player. Achiuwa, a 6-9 projected lottery pick, averages 13.3 points and 9.9 rebounds.

“I can’t wait to see what all they accomplish this season,” Wiseman said in his Instagram post. “The friends and fans of Tiger Nation will always hold a place in my heart.”

Boone’s wife of 57 years, Carol Boone, died in March at 83. His survivors include two daughters, Sharon Henderson and Monica Merritt, as well as 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Another daughter, Donna Dulany, died in November 2014, Henderson said.

Boone’s daughter Henderson said she did not watch “Remember the Titans” often.

“It was very surreal,” she said. “It helped us to appreciate the things our father was doing while he was at work.”

the 1971 championship game even though he was on the junior varsity team.

“Race wasn’t an issue with him. It was for everyone else — he didn’t care.”

The T.C. Williams Titans won the state championship in 1971, 1984 and 1987.

Boone stopped coaching football in 1979, according to Aly Khan Johnson, 69, who was an assistant coach for Boone at the time. He continued to teach physical education at the school and later coached golf for several years, Johnson said.

combined, Sanders said, people who would not ordinarily interact came together for games and school events.

“They had to deal with individuals that they weren’t accustomed to playing or associating with on a daily basis,” he said.

And while race was undoubtedly a factor during that first year, he added, the team did not focus on it once they got to know one another.

“The race issue was more for the adults than the students,” said Sanders, whom Boone asked to play during

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LEGAL NOTICE CITY OF HUDSON NOTICE TO BIDDER PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that sealed bids will be received for the following: 1 – 2019 OR LATER Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab At the office of the City of Hudson, Department of Public Works, 520 Warren Street, Hudson, New York 12534 until 10:00 A.M. MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2019. Bids shall be contained in sealed envelopes, clearly marked: 2019 OR LATER Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab The bids will be publicly read at the office of the Superintendent of Public Works, 520 Warren Street, Hudson, New York at 10:00 A.M. MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2019.

Proposals can be obtained by any bidder at the Department of Public Works, 520 Warren Street, Hudson, NY and shall be made in accordance with the forms which contain the Instructions to Bidders and the Specifications.

Where two or more responsible bidders submit identical bids as to price, the City of Hudson may award the Contract to either bidder. The City of Hudson may waive any formalities or reject any and all bids and re-advertise for new bids at its discretion.

No bid may be withdrawn by any bidder for a period of 45 days from the date of bid opening. BID PRICE SHALL REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR 45 DAYS FROM DATE OF BID OPENING. Robert W. Perry, Jr. Superintendent of Public Works City Hall 520 Warren Street Hudson, New York 12534 (518) 828-9458 Dated: 12/17/2019 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the Mayor of the City of Hudson, New York, will hold a public hearing on Monday,

December 30, 2019 at 4:00 PM in the Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson, on the following proposed Local Laws which were adopted by the Common Council on December 17, 2019: Proposed Local Law Introductory No. 5 of 2019 – Amending the City Charter Concerning Residency Requirements for the City Attorney.

Proposed Local Law Introductory No. 7 of 2019 – Amending the City Charter to Designate the Majority Leader of the Common Council to Preside Over Meetings in the absence of the Common Council President.

Complete texts of the above proposed laws are on file and may be examined at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall during regular office hours. The proposed laws may also be viewed on the city website www.cityofhudson.org Tracy Delaney City Clerk

PUBLIC NOTICE TOWN OF TAGHKANIC Year-End Meeting PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Taghkanic Town Board will hold its Year-End Meeting on Thursday, December 30, 2019 at 6 pm at the Town Hall, Route 82, Taghkanic, NY. Together with such other and further business as may come before the board. All persons interested are invited to attend.

Dated: December 11, 2019 Cheryl Rogers Town Clerk The Village of Catskill Housing Authority Board of Commissioners will be holding a special meeting Monday, December 30, 2019 at 5:00pm. The meeting will be held at 32 Bronson Street, Catskill, NY. by Order of Board of Commissioners, Catskill Housing Authority

The Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Hillsdale will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hillsdale Town Hall to consider the following: An application by Tawfik Mounayer for a Special Permit for a change of use; short term rental at 209 Whippoorwill Rd, Hillsdale, NY. All interested Notice of Public Hear- parties are urged to attend. ing Zoning Board of Appeals Town of Ghent, CoRentals lumbia County, New York PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Town of Apts. for Rent Ghent Zoning Board of 295 Columbia Co. Appeals will hold a Public Hearing at the Claverack- 1 bdr., upper Town Hall, located at on mtn, w/ apple orchard & 2306 State Route 66, large pond, $1700, heat & Ghent, NY on Wednes- elec. incld. 518-894-3991 day the 8th day of KINDERHOOK AREAJanuary, 2020 at 7 LRG 1 & 2 bdr town pnm to consider the house 1 yr lease, no pets. following.

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COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Beautiful, Violent, American ... The NFL at 100 James Surowiecki The New York Times News Service

The NFL looks remarkably spry at 100 years old.

The game is still spectacularly popular across bipartisan lines in the United States. An array of problems threatens its future — from how it deals with domestic violence to the blackballing of Colin Kaepernick to the concussion crisis to a cord-cutting population migrating away from traditional television. But the league remains enormously popular across lines of gender, race, age, class and even politics, and NFL games remain pretty much the only sure thing for high ratings on the networks’ schedules — in 2018, they accounted for 34 of the top 50 broadcasts.

That popularity is easy to see in economic terms: The value of the average NFL franchise is now $2.86 billion, according to Forbes, up more than sixfold in the last 20 years. Indeed, with the exception of Disney’s assorted properties, no cultural product unites Americans the way the NFL does.

It may feel as if the NFL has always been this powerful. But for much of its early existence pro football was a niche, regional sport that did not take root nationally until the late 1950s.

(The acknowledged starting point of the sport as we know it was the socalled Greatest Game Ever Played, the 1958 championship battle between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants, which went to a sudden-death overtime while being broadcast to a huge television audience.) In 1965, the Harris Poll found that pro football had replaced baseball as the country’s favorite sport. It has not relinquished that place since.

That enduring popularity speaks to the way the game taps into deep and abiding strains of dominant American culture. The NFL appeals, paradoxically, both to the American veneration of toughness and to the American love of organization and management. Walter Camp, the father of the game, wanted to make players “exercise equally their minds and bodies,” demanding both physical sacrifice and careful tactical planning. So he constructed a sport that is at once incredibly violent and tightly organized, and in that sense thoroughly American.

Football is the most collectivist of sports, seemingly at odds with American individualism, but the United States has always been a nation of

joiners and a country in thrall to the idea of team. The NFL has managed to strike a balance between those poles: celebrating teams’ combined effort while elevating individual stars (these days, almost always quarterbacks).

Over the years, the NFL has kept the game in line with the sensibilities of the most valued U.S. consumer (an ideal that has always favored straight white men), consciously emphasizing different aspects of the game in different periods. Today that means focusing on the wide-open passing game and the talents of young, dynamic quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. But in the 1950s and 1960s, Americans were worried that the postwar boom had made the country soft, that they were being eclipsed by the Soviet Union.

So football generally, and pro football specifically, helped reassure the country that American men were not mollycoddled softies. It’s no coincidence that hard-hitting players like Ray Nitschke and Deacon Jones became stars in this era, or that the greatest offensive player of the time (and arguably of all time), Jim Brown, was often described as a “punishing” runner.

League-sanctioned documentaries from this era played up the toughness angle. In 1960, a CBS documentary, “The Violent World of Sam Huff,” gave fans an inside look at what it was like to play middle linebacker (Huff was the first player to wear a microphone during play), colliding with large objects at high speeds over and over again.

Five years later, the William Friedkin documentary “Mayhem on a Sunday Afternoon” included a rookie player musing: “I just forget about my life when I go in there. I’m not going to worry about what happens to me. It’s just going to be a destroy type of deal.”

The inside look at football became a standard perspective as the league came to colonize the American imagination via NFL Films. Founded in 1962 by Ed Sabol, the company immediately began producing an extraordinary number of documentaries, short subjects and highlight reels that tried to simultaneously convey the gritty reality of the game and mythicize it in a Homeric fashion.

In the 1967 documentary “They Call It Pro Football,” for instance, linebackers were described as the “search-and-destroy men of the

defense,” which was quite a choice of commentary at a time when U.S. troops were searching and destroying in Vietnam. (The phrase was used again to narrate a sequence of linebackers smashing into quarterbacks, with John Facenda intoning: “Number 50, search and destroy. Number 58, search and destroy.”) The documentary was added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2012.

At the same time, the NFL carefully tapped into the American fascination with organizational genius, lionizing the figure of the coach. From Vince Lombardi instructing his Green Bay Packers for hours on the beautiful simplicity of the power sweep to Tom Landry masterminding the Dallas Cowboys’ flex defense to Bill Walsh remaking the passing game in San Francisco, NFL coaches came to be seen as not just motivational masters, but also as brilliant engineers, moving players around like chess pieces.

The ultimate exemplar is the New England Patriots’ coach, Bill Belichick, whose success seems to confirm the idea that system ultimately trumps talent, and that players — with the important exception of the quarterback — are effectively interchangeable parts.

The fetishization of management has only been amplified in recent years. The league and its many media partners increasingly cater to the inner nerd in many football fans by offering elaborate dissections of teams’ offensive and defensive schemes and analyzing specific plays with a level of detail once reserved for team film rooms. The NFL draft and even the scouting combine have become major media events, and fantasy football has allowed tens of millions of fans to think of themselves as general managers. Decades ago, the social critic Noam Chomsky remarked on how much more energy and attention people invested in sports than they did in politics, and how surprisingly knowledgeable and sophisticated they were about the sports they loved. Nowadays, that is more true of pro football than any other game.

The NFL’s most important move was embracing television early on.

Owners originally tried to limit television broadcasts, fearing their effect on ticket sales, but the impression made by that 1958 championship game, along with the influence of Pete Rozelle, who became commissioner of the league in 1960,

convinced them otherwise. Television helped make the sport a national, rather than a local, phenomenon, and, since football is better watched on television than in person, it also increased the game’s appeal, luring millions of fans who never would have thought to go to a stadium to see a game.

The league also got lucky. In 1961, Congress passed a law banning the NFL from broadcasting professional games on Fridays or Saturdays during the high school and college football seasons. In practice, the passage of the Sports Broadcasting Act focused the fan experience rather than diluting it, jamming pro games into a reliable programming slot — Sundays.

Then, with the 1970 debut of “Monday Night Football” — the brainchild of the ABC executive Roone Arledge — national audiences got a single weekly football game as a destination TV event in prime time.

The broadcast accomplished something essential: It made people fans, in some sense, of the NFL itself. People would watch games even when their favorite teams weren’t playing.

And, now, even if those games were played on a Thursday.

Even the success of a competitor redounded to the NFL’s benefit.

When the American Football League started in 1960, the NFL understandably viewed it as an unwelcome interloper, given that the competition inflated player salaries and gave the best of the college players another option for employment.

The AFL, which ended up merging with the NFL in 1966, introduced a series of innovations that would help transform the pro game. Some were small, fan-friendly ideas — putting players’ names on their jerseys; using slow-motion replays. Others were more substantive. AFL offenses were more freewheeling and pass-oriented than the NFL’s, and, at a time when the NFL employed a majority of white players, the AFL invested heavily in black players, particularly players from historically black colleges and universities, and featured the first black starting quarterback (Marlin Briscoe) and first black starting middle linebacker (Willie Lanier).

The success of black players on the field — along with the merger — pushed NFL teams, however grudgingly, to integrate. Today, roughly 74% of NFL players are black.

The league has never stopped tinkering with its rules, almost always

with the goal of encouraging more offense, more passing. Forty-five years ago, only one quarterback in the league averaged more than 200 passing yards a game. This year, 30 quarterbacks do.

Some of these changes have arguably been introduced out of necessity. Higher-scoring games draw better TV ratings, so ball carriers and throwers must be protected from brutal tackles. Fans express outrage about the threat of brain damage to their heroes, so there must be at least a feigned effort at reducing hits.

(Where the league once celebrated violence, it now plays it down.) And as fans’ attention spans get shorter, the RedZone channel allows viewers to jump from game to game, depending on where there’s action, in an endlessly updated highlight reel that circumvents one of football’s biggest weaknesses: lots of dead time.

Of course, it’s impossible these days to treat the NFL as simple entertainment. Watching football is necessarily an exercise in cognitive dissonance: Enjoying a game requires us, on some level, to ignore everything we know about brain injuries, the shortness of most players’ careers and the physical toll the game takes on their bodies, the team owners’ intolerance for some social commentary and the disregard for domestic and sexual assaults.

The sight of Lamar Jackson leaving five defenders scattered behind him on the field exhilarates, but only if we forget, for a moment, about his chance of having a knee blown out by a tackle while playing for a wage that he cannot negotiate early in his career, even if he is named the league’s most valuable player.

And yet the truth is that the fans are as exhilarated by him as we were by Peyton Manning, and Randy Moss, and Michael Vick and Joe Montana and Lynn Swann and Joe Namath and Gale Sayers, just as we were exhilarated — in a different way — by Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor and Joe Greene and Dick Butkus. And ultimately, perhaps, there’s no way to really separate what makes the game so spectacular from what makes it so problematic: If Jackson were playing flag football, his ability to elude defenders wouldn’t seem quite so magical. In 1967, “They Call It Pro Football” described the sport as “a game of beauty and violence.” Fifty-two years later, it still is.

Joe Manniello’s Week 16 NFL picks Joe Manniello Newsday

The penultimate week of the 2019 regular season is loaded with drama and it kicks off with an intriguing tripleheader on Saturday. Just call it Revenge Week as eight of this week’s games are rematches from earlier in the season.

Cowboys-Eagles and Packers-Vikings have the biggest stakes.

Underdogs went 7-9 against the spread last week for only their second losing week this season and are 121-97-5. Favorites should have another strong week.

My most confident picks ATS are the Ravens, Bills, Cardinals, Falcons and Broncos.

Two tricky games to avoid: Saints-Titans and PanthersColts.

SATURDAY GAMES TEXANS (9-5) AT BUCS (77), 1 p.m.

Texans by 3; O/U: 50.5 Win over the Pats. Loss to the Broncos. Win over the Titans. If the pattern holds true, Houston’s roller-coaster ride should hit a speed bump in Tampa Bay. But I don’t see it, not after a big win at Tennessee.

Deshaun Watson and the Texans will stay on track knowing a win clinches the AFC South. Jameis Winston made history by throwing for more than 450 yards in backto-back games, but he’s without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

The pick: Texans BILLS (10-4) AT PATS (113), 4:30 p.m.

Patriots by 6; O/U: 37 Both teams clinched playoff spots last week and the AFC East is still up for grabs, even though the Pats would have

to lose out (they host Miami next). I see a Bills outright upset here. Buffalo’s secondary, led by Tre’Davious White, should give Tom Brady and a limited receiving corps fits.

This will be low scoring like the 16-10 Pats win in Week 4.

The young Bills show up in standalone games: Wins at Dallas on Thanksgiving and at Pittsburgh on SNF. The pick: Bills RAMS (8-6) AT 49ERS (113), 8:15 p.m.

49ers by 6.5; O/U: 44.5 When the 4-0 49ers played at L.A., many thought they weren’t ready to unseat the defending NFC West champs.

Not me. San Fran was my lock that week, and while I’m not as confident as then (a 20-7 49ers win), I still expect a cover. The 49ers should be getting some defensive players back who were out last week. Jared Goff had just 78 yards passing in the first matchup, and will struggle vs. Nick Bosa and that pass rush.

The pick: 49ers SUNDAY GAMES 1 p.m. GAMES STEELERS (8-6) AT JETS (59) Steelers by 3; O/U: 37 Teams get up for their home finales and the Jets could treat this as their Super Bowl. Still, Pittsburgh’s ‘D’ is too good — it has allowed more than 20 points just once in its last six.

With the Steelers being win, win and in the playoffs, the Jets won’t get in their way.

The pick: Steelers GIANTS (3-11) AT REDSKINS (3-11) Redskins by 2; O/U: 41 Dwayne Haskins is much improved from a 24-3 loss at the Giants in Week 4, and Daniel Jones is returning from an

CHARLES LECLAIRE/USA TODAY

Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary (26) runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.

injury. I went back and forth on this one (quarter, anyone?), but I’ll take the home team that was a late drive away from beating the Eagles.

The pick: Redskins SAINTS (11-3) AT TITANS (8-6) Saints by 2.5; O/U: 49.5 New Orleans is in the hunt for home field and Tennessee needs to win to stay alive. The Titans are more desperate and Derrick Henry could exploit some of the Saints’ defensive holes caused by injuries.

The pick: Titans PANTHERS (5-9) AT COLTS (6-8)

Colts by 6.5; O/U: 46.5 From Drew Brees to rookie Will Grier, the Colts’ home finale should go a lot smoother than MNF did. Still, this feels like too many points for a struggling offense.

The pick: Panthers LOCK OF THE WEEK RAVENS (12-2) AT BROWNS (6-8) Ravens by 10; O/U: 49.5 Baltimore, led by MVP front-runner Lamar Jackson, has done whatever it has wanted for most of the season, juking and high-stepping to a first-round bye and likely home field for the playoffs.

One thing it hasn’t been able to do is play a revenge game (that’s what happens when you have only two losses). The Browns blitzed Baltimore, 4025, back in Week 4, and now it’s the Ravens’ turn to do the same to them in Cleveland.

This might be the last complete game Baltimore plays until the divisional round, as it could rest starters in Week 17. With extra rest after beating the Jets on TNF, expect Jackson, Mark Ingram and a different defense than the one that gave up 40 the first time to dominate. Baltimore picks up its eighth win by double digits as it exacts a little RAVENge. The pick: Ravens JAGUARS (5-9) AT FALCONS (5-9) Falcons by 7; O/U: 46.5 Give Dan Quinn credit: His team is 4-2 after a 1-7 start, with two of the wins at New Orleans and San Fran. I don’t see a letdown here against a Jags team that has shown little fight except for that Oakland rally.

The pick: Falcons BENGALS (1-13) AT DOLPHINS (3-11) Bengals by 1; O/U: 46.5 Miami beat Philly in its last home game. Cincy is 0-7 on the road.

The pick: Dolphins 4 p.m. Games COWBOYS (7-7) AT EAGLES (7-7) Cowboys by 1.5; O/U: 45.5 Who knows what to expect from these two unpredictable teams? With the NFC East title on the line, you figure it will be a lot closer than the Cowboys’ 37-10 win on SNF in Week 7.

Dallas finally beat a team with a winning record as it crushed the Rams, 44-21, last week.

Philly needed last-second TDs

to beat the Giants and Redskins, and their current best receiver was a college QB. Dak Prescott can play through pain as Dallas wins the division.

The pick: Cowboys CARDINALS (4-9-1) AT SEAHAWKS (11-3) Seahawks by 10; O/U: 51 None of Seattle’s home wins — 21-20, 30-29, 40-34, 37-30 — would have covered this number. Arizona is 4-1-1 ATS as road ‘dogs.

The pick: Cardinals RAIDERS (6-8) AT CHARGERS (5-9) Chargers by 7; O/U: 45 The Raiders are 0-4 since beating the Chargers on TNF. After last week’s demoralizing loss in the Oakland finale, they’re done.

The pick: Chargers LIONS (3-10-1) AT BRONCOS (5-9) Broncos by 7; O/U: 37.5 Denver will roll against a Lions team that has lost seven straight and is 0-8-1 ATS in its last nine.

The pick: Broncos SUNDAY NIGHT CHIEFS (10-4) AT BEARS (7-7) Chiefs by 6; O/U: 44.5 The Chiefs (5-1 on the road) have won and covered four straight and can still earn a first-round bye.

The pick: Chiefs MONDAY NIGHT PACKERS (11-3) AT VIKINGS (10-4) Vikings by 5.5; O/U: 46 (ESPN) Kirk Cousins is 0-8 on MNF but I expect him to get the Monday monkey off his back as the Vikings improve to 7-0 at home and avenge a 21-16 loss at Green Bay in Week 2.

The pick: Vikings

CMYK

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

B6 - Saturday - Sunday, December 21-22, 2019

Wrestling From B1

— Tyler Goettinger (Maple Hill) pinned Justin Case, 1:59.

COLONIAL Ichabod Crane 48, Lansingburgh 30 LANSINGBURGH — Ichabod Crane earned its first Colonial Council wrestling victory of the season on Thursday, defeating Lansingburgh, 48-30.

Jair Gomez, Thomas Cooper and Jerald Rhoades all had pins for the Riders (1-1), who also picked up five wins by way of forfeit.

Results 99 — Derik Carey (Lansingburgh) won by forfeit; 106 — Jair Gomez (Ichabod Crane) pinned Massiah Burton, 1:36;

Season From B1

additional show on March 28th and 29th.) Albany, NY. These Albany gun shows will be held at Polish Community Center at 225 Washington Ave Ext, Albany, NY 12205 and are also hosted by NEACA Inc. Albany Gun Show - January 25 and 26, 2020.

This gun show is held at Empire State Plaza Convention Center and is hosted by New York State Arms Collectors Association.

Garden State Outdoor Sports Show - January 9 through January 12, 2020 New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, 97 Sunfield Avenue, Edison, NJ. New York Sportsman’s Expo - January 24 through January 26, 2020 NYS Fairgrounds 581 State Fair Blvd Syracuse NY The Sidney Gun & Knife Show - February 2, 2020 in Sidney, NY. This gun & knife show will be at the Elks Lodge in Sidney NY, and hosted by Midstate Arms Collectors.

The Great American Outdoor Show at Harrisburg, Pa. – February 1 through February 9, 2020 This huge, nine-day annual event that celebrates hunting, fishing, and outdoor traditions will be held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pa. World Fishing & Outdoor Expo – Suffern, NY - February 27 through March 1, 2020 This is another big event

113 — Omar Martinez (Ichabod Crane) won by forfeit; 120 — Carly Lauster (Ichabod Crane) won by forfeit; 126 — No Match; 132 — Sean Millington (Lansingburg)h decisoned Anthony Doria, 13-7; 138 — Jerald Rhoades (Ichabod Crane) pinned Calvin Welch, 3:33; 145 — Daniel Riley (Lansingburgh) decisoned Janoy Harrison, 8-2; 152 — Adain Gwinn (Lansingburgh) won by forfeit; 160 — Jayden Morales (Lansingburgh) won by forfeit; 170 — Tyler Harris (Lansingburgh) won by forfeit; 182 — Ryan Putnum (Ichabod Crane) won by forfeit; 195 — Thomas Cooper (Ichabod Crane) pinned Jahsan Broomes, 1:00; 220 — Zachary Ebel (Ichabod Crane) won by forfeit; 285 — Conner Pesce (Ichabod Crane) won by forfeit;

held at the Rockland Community College, 145 College Road Suffern, NY The Fly-Fishing Show – Two locations, two dates: Fly-fishing Show – Marlborough, Massachusetts: January 17 through January 19, 2020.

This show will be held at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center, 181 Boston Post Road Marlborough, MA Fly-fishing Show – Edison, New Jersey: January 24th through January 26th, 2020.

This show will be held at the Convention and Exposition Center 97 Sunfield Avenue, Edison, NJ. Merry Christmas and Happy Hunting, Fishing and Trapping until next time.

NEWS AND NOTES Save the Date: February 15th 2020 The Catskill Mountain F&G Club/Stony Clove F&G Club Youth Ice Fishing Derby The date for this event is scheduled for Saturday, February 15; ice conditions permitting.

Sign-in begins at 9 a.m. with youth fishing from 10 a.m.noon. There will be prizes for all kids attending, plus refreshments will be available.

For more information call Bob Monteleone at 518-488-0240.

Remember to report poaching violations by calling 1-844-DEC-ECOS. You can share any comments with our sports desk at sports@registerstar.com *If you have a fishing or hunting report, photo, or event you would like to be considered for publication, you can send it to: huntfishreport@gmail.com

“Journalism keeps you planted in the earth.” - Ray Bradbury

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2020 NFL mock draft: First-round projections Eddie Brown The San Diego Union-Tribune

There are three scenarios concerning the NFL’s draft order that interest me with two weeks left in the 2019 regular season.

The Bengals will clinch the first overall pick in next April’s NFL draft with a loss to the Dolphins or Browns. That’s simple enough.

The Lions could secure the second overall pick if they lose out and the Giants, Redskins and Dolphins each win at least one of their final two games. Barring a tie, either the Giants or Redskins will definitely earn a win this weekend since they play each other.

Finally, if the Bengals win out (not implausible considering their opponents) with the Dolphins and Giants losing the remaining two games on their schedule, we’ll have a three-way tie at 3-13. The Giants would likely earn the top pick with the lowest strength of schedule. A match-up with New England in the final week will likely bump the Dolphins to No. 2.

That’s right, the Bengals could still fall to No. 3 because of an almost .600 strength of schedule (a product of playing the NFC West this season).

The NFL draft has become a nice appetizer before our main course in September. A mock version of said draft is meant to educate, and even entertain. At very least, it helps you pass the time.

This is an early attempt at identifying the best players available in this season’s draft class, and which teams they match up well with considering the updated draft order (according to NFL.com).

The closer we get to draft day, the more I attempt to match what teams will actually do with their draft picks as opposed to what I believe they should do.

Last season, I was the fifth most accurate (out of 101) — most accurate in print — NFL draft prognosticator according to The Huddle Report. I’m 18th over the past five years.

Follow me on Twitter UTEddieBrown so we can continue the conversation.

Here’s my updated 2020 NFL mock draft: FIRST ROUND 1. Cincinnati (1-13) — Chase Young, Edge, Ohio St., Jr. It’s clear Andy Dalton isn’t the answer at quarterback.

Reaching for a prospect with the top overall pick isn’t the answer either. Free agency or the trade market could be a potential stopgap solution while owner/GM Mike Brown upgrades the rest of the roster.

Young is the best pass rusher in this draft class (he has 16.5 sacks this season and 30.5 sacks in three years at Columbus). The Bengals currently have 23 through 14 games.

Only the Dolphins (18) have fewer. Top needs: QB, OL, LB 2. N.Y. Giants (3-11) — Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia, Jr. Starting right tackle Mike Remmers is an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Thomas would be a significant upgrade in pass protection and the run game. You’d get the first team All-SEC selection if you could Weird Science an offensive tackle.

He’s a big, powerful, athletic lineman with springy footwork and quick hands who’s a dynamic closer. He’s also decided to skip the Sugar Bowl against Baylor to begin preparation for the draft. Top needs: Edge, DB, WR 3. Miami (3-11) — Joe Burrow, QB, LSU, Sr. Barring a move to land Teddy Bridgewater in the offseason, it’ll be hard for the Dolphins to pass on a signalcaller here. Burrow’s draft stock is powered by rocket fuel. The nearly unanimous Heisman Trophy winner has 4,715 passing yards (second in the nation), 48 touchdowns (first in the nation) against only six interceptions and a QBR of 93.7 (second in the nation). He’s the type of quarterback that aces the intangible checklist, but doesn’t feature any physical qualities I’d

consider elite. Top needs: QB, OT, Edge 4. Washington (3-11) — Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama, Jr. The Redskins are the worst team in the NFL in total yardage (269.5 yards per game) and next-to-last in scoring (15.4 points per game).

Jeudy’s the crown jewel of what is shaping up to be a special 2020 class of receivers.

He’s the best prospect at the position in almost a decade.

Top needs: OT, WR, CB 5. Detroit (3-10-1) — Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio St., Jr. There’s a better than 50-50 chance the Lions trade twotime Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay in the spring. The consensus All-American is an elite athlete who has proven proficient in man coverage and is only scratching the surface of his potential. Top needs: DB, OL, RB 6. Arizona (4-9-1) — A.J. Epenesa, Edge, Iowa, Jr. The Cardinals need some help up front to compliment Chandler Jones after releasing veteran pass rusher Terrell Suggs. The AP All-American has racked up nine sacks and forced three fumbles despite facing persistent doubleteams all season. Top needs: OL, Edge, CB 7. N.Y. Jets (5-9) — Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa, Jr. Kelvin Beachum is a free agent after this season and has been mediocre at best. Wirfs is the best pass protector in this class. Top needs: OT, WR, Edge 8. Jacksonville (5-9) — Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn, Sr. The Jaguars run defense has been laughable, allowing almost 158 yards on average and nine total touchdowns the last six games. Brown would have been a first-round selection had he left school last year. The SEC Defensive Player of the Year (and consensus All-American) is the most talented interior defensive lineman in this draft class, by far, and this is probably approaching the ceiling for his draft stock. Top needs: CB, LB, OT 9. L.A. Chargers (5-9) — Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama, Jr. Back-to-back seasons with an ankle injury and a dislocated hip will give us something to talk about until April (and the Bengals an excuse for passing on him). Mostly, because people will tire of talking about how prolific and precise the southpaw is. Some will try to compare Tagovailoa to Mike Vick, but he’s closer to a lefty (and taller) version of Russell Wilson. Top needs: OT, OG, QB 10. Carolina (5-9) — Grant Delpit, S, LSU, Jr. Both James Bradberry and Tre Boston will be unrestricted free agents after this season. His first two seasons in Baton Rouge, the Jim Thorpe Award winner (nation’s top defensive back) had 134 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, six interceptions, five sacks and 17 passes defensed. He’s both a dangerous center fielder and capable blitzer. Top needs: OG, C, DB 11. Denver (5-9) — Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU, Sr. All-Pro cornerback Chris Harris will certainly test the free agent market in March.

Fulton is an elite athlete who was the top cornerback prospect coming out of high school in 2016. Top needs: OT, DB, LB 12. Atlanta (5-9) — Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson, Jr. De’Vondre Campbell hasn’t been cutting it at linebacker and happens to be a free agent after this season.

The Butkus Award winner (best linebacker) is an athletic unicorn (equally adept at safety or linebacker) with incredible range and instincts.

Top needs: Edge, OG, LB 13. Las Vegas (6-8) — CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma, Jr. Antonio Brown’s preseason antics left a huge hole in the depth chart at wide receiver.

Lamb has elite hands and ball skills (he’s special with the ball in the air). He can also contribute as a blocker. Top needs: WR, LB, CB

14. Indianapolis (6-8) — Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina, Sr. The Colts are only a few pieces away from fielding a dominant defense. An interior wrecking ball like the AP All-American gets them pretty close. Top needs: DT, Edge, WR 15. Cleveland (6-8) — Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin, Jr. I expect GM John Dorsey to continue his pursuit of disgruntled Redskins All-Pro offensive tackle Trent Williams in the off-season to confront this team’s biggest weakness. Biadasz, the Rimington Trophy winner (nation’s best center), has been the heart and soul of one of the nation’s perennially top offensive lines and would continue the overhaul. Top needs: OT, OG, LB 16. Philadelphia (7-7) — Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama, Jr. The Eagles wide receiver corps is in shambles. The inconsistent Nelson Agholor faces free agency while DeSean Jackson isn’t getting any younger (or healthier).

Ruggs is pure electricity with the football in his hands. He’s scored 25 total touchdowns on 97 touches in his Crimson Tide career. Top needs: DB, LB, OG 17. Las Vegas from Chicago (7-7) — Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma, Jr. The Raiders continue to build a talented front-seven.

Murray is an explosive athlete who has developed elite instincts during his three seasons in Norman. Top needs: WR, LB, CB 18. Tampa Bay (7-7) — Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon, Sr. Demand ALWAYS overrules supply when it comes to quarterbacks in the draft.

I’d be surprised if the Jameis Winston era continues past 2019 despite his gaudy fantasy numbers. Herbert has all the physical attributes (prototypical size and elite arm talent) coach Bruce Arians requires, but consistency has been his bane. Top needs: QB, OT, CB 19. Tennessee (8-6) — Yetur Gross-Matos, Edge, Penn St., Jr. The Titans find a runningmate to pair with Harold Landry. Gross-Matos needs to add some strength to his frame, but he’s a gifted pass rusher with elite athleticism and a nose for the ball. Top needs: DL, OG, QB 20. Jacksonville from L.A. Rams (8-6) — Austin Jackson, OT, USC, Jr. It has to be an off-season priority for the Jaguars to add talent to a mediocre offensive line. Jackson is the prototypical athletic specimen who will have most NFL offensive line coaches salivating. The only knock is his strength at the point of attack. His match-up with Epenesa in the Holiday Bowl will answer those questions. A “win” against the AllAmerican would likely turbocharge his draft stock. Top needs: CB, LB, OT 21. Dallas (7-7) — Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama, Jr. All-Pro cornerback Byron Jones is an unrestricted free agent after this season and Jerry Jones can’t resign everyone, plus the safety position is in desperate need of an upgrade. McKinney is an elite athlete who can play every position in the defensive backfield. Top needs: S, DT, TE 22. Miami from Pittsburgh (8-6) — D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia, Jr. The Dolphins backfield has been a mess all year. Swift is a shifty back able to bounce it outside or handle the rigors of running between the tackles.

He’s also a weapon out of the backfield (he has 56 receptions and four touchdowns the last two seasons). Top needs: QB, OT, Edge 23. Miami from Houston (95) — Alex Leatherwood, OL, Alabama, Jr. The Dolphins raid the SEC for an entire new offense, addressing quarterback (Burrow), running back (Swift) and the offensive line with their three first-round selections.

Leatherwood needs to sharpen his technique, but his elite

athleticism and strength usually carries the day. The former five-star recruit is a natural left tackle who excelled at right guard his sophomore year. Top needs: QB, OT, Edge 24. Buffalo (10-4) — Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado, Jr. An offense featuring Josh Allen, Devin Singletary and Shenault could get really creative. His size (6-foot-2, 225 pounds), speed (he could run a sub-4.4 40 at the combine) and nose for the end zone (he has 10 receiving and seven rushing touchdowns the past two seasons) could catapult him into the top-15 discussion. Top needs: WR, OG, Edge 25. Minnesota (10-4) — C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida, Jr. Trae Waynes is an unrestricted free agent after this season and something is clearly wrong with Xavier Rhodes. It’s nitpicking to say Henderson is a shy tackler in the run game. Shutdown corners aren’t charged with shutting down running backs.

They’re supposed to shutdown wide receivers and Henderson has no problem doing that. Top needs: DT, CB, OG 26. Kansas City (10-4) — Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia, Sr. Kendall Fuller is an unrestricted free agent after this season. Hall led the nation in passes defensed his junior year with 21 (a testament to his elite ball skills), but missed most of this season with an ankle injury. Top needs: OL, CB, RB 27. New England (11-3) — Curtis Weaver, Edge, Boise State, Jr. Jamie Collins has resuscitated his career and will surely test free agency. The Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year is a productive pass rusher (34 sacks in three seasons for the Broncos) who has also shown the ability to drop and play in space. Top needs: OL, TE, LB 28. Green Bay (11-3) — Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson, Jr. The Packers wide receiver corps has been a disappointment this season outside of Davante Adams. Higgins is a big-play machine with elite size (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) and speed. He has an “above the rim” mentality as a former basketball player and would be a steal this low in the first round. Top needs: DE, LB, OG 29. San Francisco (11-3) — Creed Humphrey, OG, Oklahoma, Soph.

Despite a deep roster, there’s pressure to get this pick right considering the 49ers won’t be on the clock again until the fifth round.

The interior offensive line has surpassed expectations this season, but is still in need of a talent infusion. Humphrey’s wrestling background explains his mastery of leverage.

Top needs: WR, OG, CB 30. New Orleans (11-3) — Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU, Jr. Veteran speedster Ted Ginn Jr. will be a free agent this offseason. Reagor is one of the most impressive athletes at any position in this draft class.

He’s special with the ball in his hands. Top needs: WR, LB, TE 31. Seattle (11-3) — Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama, Sr. The Legion of Boom hasn’t been the same for a few years.

Diggs (Stefon’s little brother) is still raw, but he features prototypical size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) and elite athleticism.

He plans on skipping the Citrus Bowl against Michigan to focus on preparation for the draft. Top needs: CB, OG, TE 32. Baltimore (12-2) — Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama, Jr. The 2018 Butkus Award finalist suffered a torn ACL during an August practice. Moses will likely be a day two selection, but he would have been a top-fifteen pick had he not hurt himself and the Ravens are a team to watch when it comes to securing his services. This mock features seven Crimson Tide players, which would be one more than Miami’s record six first-round selections in 2004. Top needs: LB, SS, OG

CMYK

Saturday - Sunday, December 21-22, 2019 - B7

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Husband monitoring wife closely after overdose Dear Abby, My 47-year-old daughter is an alcoholic. A year ago, she took several benzodiazepine pills along with the booze and overdosed. My son-in-law found her in time and called 911. She DEAR ABBY spent five days in a psych hospital to detox, but never went to any follow-up rehab. I had been led to believe she was sober, but recently found out it was not true, and my son-in-law for some reason decided not to tell me.

The other issue is, since she OD’d, he keeps track of all her online spending and personal emails (he has all her passwords) because he claims it’s the only way he can keep tabs on her to find out how much she’s drinking and where she goes to do it. She doesn’t know he’s doing this, and I’m afraid if she finds out she will go ballistic. I don’t know whether or not to tell her, because I don’t want to do anything to make things even worse between them. Advice?

Fearful In Florida

JEANNE PHILLIPS

I see nothing to be gained by telling your daughter her husband is watching her closely. She is a woman with very serious problems, and it’s a shame she didn’t follow through with more rehab after what may have been a suicide attempt.

Your son-in-law cares about his wife. When he realized she had overdosed, he called to get help for her. That he’s monitoring her closely is not a bad thing; it means he wants to avoid a repeat of what happened. Ask him what you can do to support your daughter and take your cue from there.

Dear Abby, Ever since I got married a year ago, my family

has been trying to “fix” me. My sister texts me asking if I’m OK and how she can love on me better because she thinks I have no life and don’t socialize. My mom makes comments whenever I’m over about how I’m introverted, etc.

Abby, I just had a baby, and I work full time. I don’t have time to go over to see them often, so they think I stay home all day long and do nothing. But it’s so far from true. I have tried talking to them about it and saying I have friends, etc. But nothing works. What do I do?

Fine As I Am Because talking to your mother and your sister hasn’t helped, remember that they mean well and are trying to be helpful. Then tune them out.

Dear Abby, My daughter’s boyfriend recently came to us asking for our daughter’s hand in marriage. We like him very much, and we were happy to give our blessings. What threw me was, after he got our permission, he asked if we had any family heirlooms (diamonds) he could use to have made into an engagement ring.

Call me old-fashioned, but I thought the groom-to-be usually got something like that handed down from HIS family, not the bride’s.

Please tell me if I’m wrong about this.

Old-Fashioned Mom

TO YOUR

GOOD HEALTH There’s no easy answer for your situation. I agree with the doctor that in general, alprazolam and similar drugs — they are called benzodiazepines — can cause problems in older people, including increasing the risk of falls. I think it would have been better if you had not been put on it, but since you have, it seems you have three options.

One is to stop it entirely, as it seems the doctor wants. The disadvantage is that you will likely have a rebound effect and real difficulty sleeping, for at least a few days. Over the long term, it is likely it will get better.

The second is to try something else with less potential for harm. Ask your doctor what he recommends instead. Melatonin and melatonin-derived drugs, like ramelteon, may have fewer side effects.

The third is to say that you are 86 and haven’t had any problems (at least that you told me about) and maybe it’s better to keep this small dose of a short-acting drug.

Finally, no matter which option you end up with, you should consider nondrug options to

DR. KEITH ROACH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You know what you need and what you want — and they are not at all the same things. The difference affects how you get each of them.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — You know how to make the most of a situation that others would try to avoid if they could. Your way is certainly the best way — for you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — Work done early

Garfield

Blondie

help sleep better. For example, get some daily exercise, maintain a regular sleep schedule and avoid naps, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and the use of light-emitting screens before bedtime.

I got my son to quit smoking cigarettes years ago, but then a friend he goes camping with got him into cigar smoking. He seems to think there is no danger since he doesn’t inhale. He is now smoking at least one a day and sometimes three. I’d like your take on this. Does the nicotine get into his blood through his mouth, and what are the effects of that?

Cigar smoking is often thought of as being less risky than cigarettes, but cigar smoke does contain the same nicotine and carcinogens as cigarettes. It is true that many cigar smokers do not inhale, and if a person is meticulous about it, there is much less risk of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nonetheless, nicotine DOES get absorbed through the mouth, leading to nicotine dependence.

Moreover, some cigar smokers do inhale, which puts them at further risk.

Even if your son doesn’t inhale, the cancercausing chemicals in the cigar are in contact with his mouth and throat, putting him at risk for cancer of the oral cavity and throat. Cigar smoking is also linked to gum disease and tooth loss. Finally, the secondhand smoke puts others at risk.

Hagar the Horrible

Zits

Baby Blues

Horoscope

By Stella Wilder Born today, you are an imposing figure, not because you are a strong and admirable physical specimen — which you may well be — but because you radiate a kind of energy from within that others simply cannot ignore or avoid.

Anyone who comes within even yards of you must deal with you in some way, for you are not one to be ignored, surely! And yet this is not something you try to do, it is something that just happens; you can change the dynamic in a room quite dramatically simply by entering it — and everyone knows the power you embody.

Despite all this, you are also something of a pussycat when it comes to your personal relationships; indeed, some might even call you a “pushover” — for you cannot help giving in to family members and loved ones.

Also born on this date are: Samuel L. Jackson, actor; Kiefer Sutherland, actor; Jane Fonda, actress and activist; Frank Zappa, musician, songwriter, composer; Florence Griffith Joyner, Olympic track star; Chris Evert, tennis player.

To see what is in store for you tomorrow, find your birthday and read the corresponding paragraph. Let your birthday star be your daily guide.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22

Classic Peanuts

You are not wrong. The groom (not the parents of the bride-to-be) is supposed to be responsible for the engagement ring. Because you like the young man, you should have conveyed that message as gently as possible.

Doctor correct in taking elderly patient off Xanax I am 86 years old and have been taking alprazolam (Xanax) 0.5 mg for 17 years. I just take one at night before bed. It relaxes me and makes me sleep better. If I don’t take it, I am not able to sleep. The doctor said the other day he wanted to take me off it, that it was not good for me. I have been worried about it.

Family Circus

today will never come back to haunt you; complete as much as you can before noon! Someone you know only slightly has a plan.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — You’re eager to see what someone is really up to beneath the surface.

You’ll be surprised to learn that your motives are very much in sync.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You’re not likely to do those things well today that you are not interested in. Now is not the time to commit to something merely routine.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — You’ll want to get a good look at things from a different perspective today. Behind the scenes they are proceeding in a most unusual way!

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — You are eager to find a place for yourself among those who are dedicated as you are to a certain long-term goal. By all means, avoid deception.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Now is not the time to doubt yourself — or, for that matter, to secondguess the competition. Follow the rules, and trust your skills.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — You can do the most to support a group effort by doing your own job as well as you can, without trying to tell others how to do theirs.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — You may fear that your reputation is on the line, but you’ve likely won the support of someone whose opinion is highly valued.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — The information you share with others today may be used against you by some, but you’re certainly ready to defend yourself effectively.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — You want to win more control over your own affairs, but you may not be going about it in the right ways. Let a friend give you advice.

COPYRIGHT 2019 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.

Beetle Bailey

Pearls Before Swine

Dennis the Menace

CMYK

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

B8 - Saturday - Sunday, December 21-22, 2019 Close to Home

SUPER QUIZ

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek Get the free JUST JUMBLE app • Follow us on Twitter @PlayJumble

Unscramble these Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.

EEOSB LIVAL WOCARD PRISTI ©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the Graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

Christmas Level 1

2

3

4

Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon.

Print the answer here: Yesterday’s

Answers (Answers Tuesday Monday) Jumbles: GUILD AROSE CASINO SPIRAL Answer: When she found out how many calories were in her can of cola, it was — “SODA-PRESSING”

Solution to Friday’s puzzle

12/21/19 Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit

Heart of the City

sudoku.org.uk © 2019 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

(e.g., What is a common four-letter shortening for the word “Christmas”? Answer: Xmas.)

Freshman level 1. Under this plant, lovers are expected to kiss.

2. Plant also known as “Christmas Flower” and “Christmas Star.”

3. What is the term used for the cloth in which baby Jesus was wrapped?

4. Term for a long, low, open container that horses or cows eat from.

5. Four-letter word used in carols to mean “listen attentively.”

Graduate level 6. In “The Gift of the Magi,” what did Della give Jim for Christmas?

7. What is the Italian word for “Our Lady”?

8. This ballet is often performed during the Christmas season.

9. What is the French word for “Christmas”?

10. Response to Virginia O’Hanlon’s question about the existence of Santa.

PH.D. level 11. The German term for “fir tree.”

12. What family is featured in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”?

13. Christmas word meaning to drink to the health of someone.

14. Oberndorf is the Austrian village where this carol was first sung in 1818.

15. Term for the season including the four Sundays preceding Christmas.

SUPER QUIZ ANSWERS 1. Mistletoe. 2. Poinsettia. 3. Swaddling clothes. 4. Manger. 5. Hark. 6. Pocket watch fob chain. 7. Madonna. 8. “The Nutcracker.” 9. Noel. 10. “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” 11. Tannenbaum. 12. Griswold family. 13. Wassail. 14. “Silent Night.” 15. Advent.

24 to 30 points — congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points — honors graduate; 13 to 17 points — you’re plenty smart, but no grind; 5 to 12 points — you really should hit the books harder; 1 point to 4 points — enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0 points — who reads the questions to you?

Mutts

Dilbert

Pickles For Better or For Worse

Get Fuzzy

Hi & Lois

Crossword Puzzle Mother Goose & Grimm ACROSS 1 Recede 4 Poe or Bergen 9 Take a nap 13 Egg on 15 Monetary worth 16 Sore 17 “__ with the Wind” 18 Amphitheater 19 Poker token 20 Locals 22 Make sharper 23 Decorated a cake 24 “Grand __ Opry” 26 Fiery particles emitted 29 U.S. state capital 34 Actress Kirstie 35 Headfirst plunges 36 Badminton court divider 37 __-back; relaxed 38 Rescued 39 Italian car 40 __-tac-toe 41 More rational 42 Adjustable loop 43 Spires 45 __ or later; eventually 46 Bread for a Reuben 47 Tight, as a rope 48 Clog or moccasin 51 Overexerting 56 Night light 57 Grieve 58 Zero 60 Greek liqueur 61 Monastery head 62 Equipment 63 Increased 64 Homes in trees 65 Animal enclosure DOWN 1 “Last one in’s a rotten __!”

2 Crude slob 3 Cause of distress 4 Steers clear of 5 Challenged 6 Narrow valley 7 Dad’s sister 8 Used logic

Bound & Gagged

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

9 Leah’s sister 10 Canyon sound 11 Leg part below the knee 12 Variety; sort 14 Wanted 21 Unpleasant 25 __ Angeles 26 Sodium chloride minerals 27 Make braids 28 Wonderland visitor 29 Allergic skin reaction 30 Take __; assume control 31 Workers’ group 32 Rent long-term 33 Complete; total 35 Great __; tall dog 38 “Death of a __”; Pulitzer-winning play 39 Lost one’s __; slipped 41 Undercover agent

12/21/19

Friday’s Puzzle Solved

Non Sequitur

©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

42 Person, place or thing 44 Prior to today 45 New Orleans team 47 Fortune-teller’s deck 48 Air pollution 49 __ hand; clock feature

12/21/19

50 Leak out 52 “Who Wants __ a Millionaire” 53 Massages 54 Negative replies 55 Small fly 59 Suffix for cream or mock

Rubes