eedition The Daily Mail February 23 2022

The Daily Mail Copyright 2021, Columbia-Greene Media Volume 230, No. 37

Serving Greene County since 1792

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2022

Duo charged 2nd time in 5 months

By Bill Williams

Columbia-Greene Media

CATSKILL — A man and a woman from Greene County were arrested for the second time in five months on drug possession charges in Catskill, following a traffic stop on Sunday night, according to state police.

Jessica Collazo, 31, and Raymond J. Robles, 51, both of Catskill, were allegedly in possession of crack cocaine, Steven Nevel, public information officer for state police Troop F, said Tuesday.

Both were charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance,

a class D felony and seventhdegree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia, both class A misdemeanors, Nevel said.

The two face similar charges from an arrest last October, according to state police.

On Sunday, at about 9:21 p.m., troopers stopped a 2003 Subaru Outback on West Bridge Street in Catskill for a vehicle and traffic law violation. While speaking to Collazo, who was driving, police learned the vehicle had an invalid registration.

Collazo was subsequently arrested and charged with

operating a vehicle with a suspended registration, Nevel said.

Troopers then interviewed Robles, the passenger of the vehicle, and discovered he was in possession of crack-cocaine. A search of the vehicle yielded glass smoking pipes and plastic bags containing crack-cocaine, Nevel said.

Robles and Collazo were taken to the State Police barracks in Leeds. A secondary search of Collazo yielded two crack pipes and two plastic bags containing crack-cocaine, Nevel said.

FILE PHOTO

A pair from Catskill were arrested on drug possession charges, following a traffic stop on Sunday.

See CHARGED A12

By Ted Remsnyder Columbia-Greene Media

HUNTER — The small Ukrainian community in Greene County watched with horror and sadness Tuesday as Russia marched into Ukraine.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into two separatist regions of the country on Monday after recognizing their independence, a United States official deemed the Russian actions an invasion.

Appearing on CNN on Tuesday, Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer declared that an “invasion is an invasion and that is what is underway.”

Pastor Ivan Kaszczak of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hunter said Tuesday that the local Ukrainian community is consumed by anxiety over Russia’s actions.

“The invasion of a sovereign country is a tough thing,” Kaszczak said. “We’re all U.S. citizens. When a strong neighbor attacks you and you’ve never attacked them and they keep on taking parts of your country, it’s sad. The order established after World War II was peace. Ukraine was, I think, the first country to give up all of its nuclear weapons with assurances from Russia, the United States and others that their territorial integrity would be maintained.

Through an avalanche of lies, the neighbor wants to redraw the lines and restart the

Ukraine crisis evokes horror and anxiety

FILE PHOTO

St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hunter. The Greene County Ukrainian community reacted on Tuesday as Russia appeared poised to invade the country.

See UKRAINE A12

Questar’s move to Durham frees space at Catskill High

By Ted Remsnyder Columbia-Greene Media

CATSKILL — Relocation of a Questar III program to Durham this fall will allow the Catskill Central School District to open up a half-dozen classrooms for district programs.

The current home of the Catskill Academy is located in a separate wing of Catskill High School that was built 11 years ago for special needs programs. It will be available for district use for the first time

starting this fall.

“We are excited by the opportunity this presents and, to inform our decision making, we are seeking input from parents, students, staff, and all our community stakeholders about ways we can utilize the additional space for the benefit of our students,” the district said in a statement.

The Catskill Academy has been located on Catskill’s secondary campus for the past decade, but with Questar’s acquisition of the former Durham Elementary School, the

academy program is set to be relocated.

“The Catskill Academy program is a program for students with special needs,” Questar III District Superintendent Gladys I. Cruz said Tuesday.

“It’s been located in Catskill since 2011 and recently the Cairo-Durham Board of Education donated the Durham building to BOCES. So we have a complete building. We actually have a heavy equipment operations and maintenance See QUESTAR A12

n FORECAST FOR HUDSON/CA

n WEATHER page A2

TODAY TONIGHT THU

Clouds Mostly Patchy clouds; breaking and cloudy; much much colder warmer colder

HIGH 60

LOW 22

31 26

FILE PHOTO

Six classrooms and additional office space will be available at Catskill High School in September when the BOCES Questar III Catskill Academy Program moves to Durham.

n STATE

SPORTS

n INDEX

Syracuse victory in OT

Utility crisis

Syracuse made three stops in the final 30 seconds of overtime to fend off Georgia Tech

New Yorkers owe billions in delinquent utility bills PAGE A6

PAGE B1

Region A3 Opinion A4 Local A5 State/Nation A6 ObituariesA6 Sports B1 Classified B4-B5 Comics/Advice B11-B12

On the web www.HudsonValley360.com

Twitter Follow: @CatskillDailyMail Facebook www.facebook.com/ CatskillDailyMail/

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

A2 Wednesday, February 23, 2022

A 500-pound bear is terrorizing Lake Tahoe. One group says it’s ‘Hank the Tank’ who needs rescuing.

Weather FORECAST FOR HUDSON/CATSKILL

TODAY TONIGHT THU

FRI

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Bryan Pietsch The Washington Post

Clouds Mostly Patchy clouds; Bit of snow breaking and cloudy; much Mostly sunny Partly sunny much colder and ice, 1-3” warmer colder

HIGH 60

31 26

LOW 22

34 12

34 14

41 12

Ottawa 28/-1

Montreal 39/4

Massena 36/1

Bancroft 23/-8

Ogdensburg 42/3

Peterborough 22/1

Plattsburgh 48/8

Malone Potsdam 47/2 44/1

Kingston 35/8

Watertown 39/7

Rochester 36/16

Utica 43/13

Batavia Buffalo 35/18 35/17

Albany 54/17

Syracuse 44/15

Catskill 60/22

Binghamton 47/14

Hornell 41/17

Burlington 50/11

Lake Placid 45/0

Hudson 60/23

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

SUN AND MOON

ALMANAC Statistics through 1 p.m. yesterday

Temperature

Precipitation

Yesterday as of 1 p.m. 24 hrs. through 1 p.m. yest.

High

0.00”

Low

Today 6:40 a.m.

5:38 p.m.

12:29 a.m.

10:16 a.m.

Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset

Thu. 6:39 a.m.

5:39 p.m.

1:45 a.m.

10:56 a.m.

Moon Phases Last

New

First

Full

Feb 23

Mar 2

Mar 10

Mar 18

52 25 YEAR TO DATE NORMAL

Forecasts and graphics provided

by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022

3.17 4.33

“Hank the Tank,” a 500-pound black bear who has been wreaking havoc in a neighborhood near Lake Tahoe in California, has been “targeted for death” by state wildlife authorities, said a bear education group that is seeking a home for him in a sanctuary.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it is “conducting a special trapping effort” for the bear, which it said was “readily identifiable due to its exceptionally large size,” as well as a distinctive coat.

For more than seven months, Hank has been breaking into homes around the Tahoe Keys neighborhood of South Lake Tahoe, the department said. He has “forcefully entered” at least 28 homes in the area, the department said last week, and has caused 33 cases of “extensive property damage.”

Hank is “extremely food-habituated,” the department said, meaning he is no longer afraid of people - thinking of them not as threats but rather “associating people with access to food.” The average weight of an adult male black bear is about 250 pounds, according to New Mexico’s wildlife department - about half Hank’s weight.

In one of Hank’s latest escapades, he “somehow squeezed inside” a home through a small window, South Lake Tahoe police said Friday.

Two officers responded to a call about “our big bear friend,” banging on the home’s exterior until Hank “popped out a back door.”

The police noted that Hank was not breaking into garages where trash was being kept - an expected hazard for many people living in mountain or forest communities but busting into a “secured home.”

Hank’s capers have earned him the status of “conflict bear,” according to the wildlife department’s bear policy.

Ann Bryant, director of the Bear League, a local group that works to “educate people about the true nature” of bears and avert conflicts with humans, said in a Facebook post that Hank is “being targeted for death”

BEAR LEAGUE

South Lake Tahoe, Calif., residents have called the police more than 100 times since July about a black bear known as Hank the Tank who has been rummaging through homes looking for food.

by the wildlife department. She added that three sanctuaries have said they’re willing to work with the department to “get Hank off the streets and into a good home.”

The wildlife department said “euthanizing an animal is always our last option.” It said it was “currently evaluating” sending Hank to a sanctuary but added that such an option poses risks for bears, noting that captivity can have “significant negative consequences on their mental health.”

Bryant said the group agreed with the department that moving Hank somewhere else in the wild was “not an option,” considering his behavior.

In light of Hank’s adventures, police said,

the Tahoe Keys homeowners association had moved to allow the installation of bearresistant containers that are often used in campgrounds to store food.

Bryant said the group was “vehemently opposed” to any plan that involved killing Hank because “after all, he is only answering the ring of the dinner bell, as all bears do.” She said she would not be addressing the media further, hoping to give the wildlife department time to develop a plan that “doesn’t involve killing this bear.”

A representative for the department did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding its plans for Hank.

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

1

1

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2

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3

51

52

53

56

55

55

53

2

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41

35

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NYPD detective charged with drunken driving after reporting his car stolen

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.

John Annese

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.

New York Daily News

NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Winnipeg -7/-27 Seattle 38/29

Montreal 39/4

Billings 1/-12

Minneapolis 9/-2

Toronto 30/12

An NYPD detective talked himself into a drunken driving arrest after he reported his car stolen and responding officers determined he was driving while intoxicated, cop sources said.

Det. Edgar Guerrero, 30, called to

report his Honda Accord stolen on Dyckman St. near Nagle Ave. in Washington Heights early Monday. He appeared drunk when police arrived, sources said.

Guerrero told the officers he was getting food when his car was stolen. Police never recovered the Accord, sources

said, but the officers determined Guerrero had driven while drunk.

Cops charged him about 5 a.m. with driving under the influence, driving while ability impaired and refusing to take a blood alcohol test.

He awaits arraignment in Manhattan criminal court.

Detroit 30/17 San Francisco 55/40

New York 66/31 Washington 70/37

Chicago 25/20

Denver 15/3

Kansas City 25/16

Los Angeles 58/37

Atlanta 71/58 El Paso 73/43

Baltimore Sun staff Baltimore Sun

Houston 69/53

Chihuahua 79/53

Miami 82/71

Monterrey 91/63

ALASKA HAWAII

-10s

-0s

10s rain

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

Hilo 82/66

Juneau 37/23

0s

showers t-storms

Honolulu 82/70

Fairbanks 23/11

Anchorage 34/33

2 children shot ‘indiscriminately’ in Annapolis’ Robinwood public housing community

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BALTIMORE — Two children, a boy and a girl, were shot around 7 p.m. Monday in Annapolis, according to police.

One of the children was shot in the chest while the other was hit in the shoulder. It was not immediately clear which child was shot where. Police officers

responded to the Robinwood public housing community in the 1300 block of Tyler Avenue following the report of a shooting at 7:10 p.m., according to a release from Annapolis Police.

One of the victims was sent to University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center while the other is at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, according to police.

There is no active threat to the public, a police spokesman said.

Annapolis Police Chief Edward C. Jackson said the children shot Monday night were likely not the intended targets.

Jackson said an individual emerged from the woods and started firing “indiscriminately.” He said the children, who

were outside playing, were shot from about 100 yards away. “We don’t know the extent of their injuries but we know they are still alive,” he said. Police were unable to provide ages for the children but the chief described them as “very young.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call 410-260-3439.

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 58/28 pc 34/33 sn 71/58 sh 60/37 pc 70/34 c 1/-12 pc 67/57 r 34/16 s 63/24 c 81/61 pc 52/35 pc 72/55 sh 5/-6 sf 25/20 pc 39/29 c 33/21 pc 38/27 c 33/28 i 15/3 sn 18/8 pc 30/17 pc 64/23 c 82/70 s 69/53 r 33/26 c 25/16 pc 62/47 pc 50/35 pc

Thu. Hi/Lo W 46/22 s 40/33 sh 77/62 c 38/36 c 40/36 r 18/5 pc 77/58 c 33/14 pc 35/29 pc 80/62 pc 45/44 r 65/52 c 21/1 pc 28/22 sn 40/30 r 30/26 sn 37/29 sn 38/25 i 20/5 c 23/7 sn 30/22 pc 36/25 pc 81/69 s 72/46 r 35/26 sn 23/10 sn 65/57 sh 53/34 s

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 40/34 r 58/37 pc 82/71 s 24/20 c 9/-2 pc 50/40 c 79/66 t 66/31 pc 69/43 sh 24/17 sn 17/4 c 86/63 s 69/32 c 55/41 sh 42/22 c 59/17 c 39/25 s 64/27 c 73/51 sh 73/42 sh 57/27 s 31/25 sn 28/16 c 55/40 s 84/58 pc 38/29 s 85/67 s 70/37 sh

Thu. Hi/Lo W 43/31 r 60/39 s 82/71 pc 27/20 sn 13/0 sf 56/42 t 79/66 pc 37/32 c 44/40 sh 31/11 sn 20/2 sn 88/64 s 39/33 c 59/41 s 36/33 c 31/17 pc 44/25 pc 38/29 pc 53/46 c 46/40 r 58/28 s 33/24 sn 34/20 pc 56/41 pc 84/63 s 43/27 pc 86/65 s 42/38 r

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

US is moving embassy out of Ukraine on threat from Russia Alberto Nardelli and Jennifer Jacobs Bloomberg News

WASHINGTON — The U.S. is moving its embassy out of Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two separatist regions in the eastern part of the country, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The U.S. is temporarily moving all State Department personnel out of Ukraine to Poland for security reasons, according to the person speaking on condition of anonymity. Biden officials intend for the personnel to return

tomorrow morning if there is no invasion by Russia, the person said.

Spokespeople for the State Department and the National Security Council declined to comment. Russia denies it intends to invade.

The embassy had previously relocated from Kyiv to the western city of Lviv. The Biden administration has also told non-essential embassy staff and U.S. citizens to leave Ukraine.

Several other countries have moved their embassies and issued travel alerts warning their citizens to not travel

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The Register-Star/The Daily Mail are published Tuesday through Saturday mornings by Columbia-Greene Media (USPS253620), 364 Warren St., Unit 1, Hudson, N.Y. 12534, a subsidiary of Johnson Newspaper Corp. Periodicals postage paid at Hudson, N.Y., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Register-Star, 364 Warren St., Unit 1, Hudson, N.Y. 12534.

to Ukraine, following U.S. assessments that Russia could be planning to invade Ukraine imminently.

The flurry of activity and last-minute diplomacy comes as Putin signed a decree officially recognizing two selfproclaimed separatist republics in eastern Ukraine, a move that likely torpedoes European-mediated peace talks and further escalates tensions with the West.

Biden said last week that he believed the Russian president had made a decision to invade Ukraine.

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Wednesday, February 23, 2022 A3

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA • THE DAILY MAIL

CALENDAR EDITOR’S NOTE: Most events and meetings are cancelled due to the virus outbreak. Please call ahead to confirm.

Wednesday, Feb. 23 n Athens Village Board 6:30 p.m.

Athens Fire Department, 39 Third St., Athens Consult the village website for updates the day of the meeting n Catskill Town Zoning Board of Appeals 6 p.m. Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill 518-943-2141 n Catskill Village Board of Trustees 6:30 p.m. Catskill Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill

Monday, Feb. 28 n Catskill Village Planning Board

7 p.m. Robert C. Antonelli Senior Center, 15 Academy St., Catskill

Tuesday, March 1 n Durham Town Board workshop

meeting 7:30 p.m. Town Hall, 7309 Route 81, East Durham

Wednesday, March 2 n Catskill Central School District Board of Education budget workshop 6:30 p.m. CHS Library, CHS Library, 341 West Main St., Catskill 518-943-2300

Thursday, March 3

Police: Albany man charged in Schodack stabbing

By Bill Williams Columbia-Greene Media

SCHODACK — An Albany County man was arrested on felony charges Monday in connection with a reported stabbing that occurred at a motel in Schodack, Kerra M. Burns, public information officer for state police Troop G, said.

The victim, a 37-year-old man, suffered non-life-threatening stab wounds, Burns said.

Dominick W. Mariani, 39, of Albany was charged with second-degree assault and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both class D felonies, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a class A misdemeanor, Burns said.

On Friday, at about 2:54 p.m., Schodack police were sent to the Four Seasons Motel, at 1666 Columbia Turnpike in Schodack, after receiving a report that an assault had taken place at that location.

When police arrived on the scene, they found the victim,

FILE PHOTO

The Four Seasons Motel in Schodack, where police are investigating a stabbing that occurred there Friday.

who was suffering from nonlife-threatening stab wounds.

The victim was taken to Albany Medical Center where he was treated and released, Burns said.

On Feb. 20, state police took over the investigation at the

request of Schodack police.

The investigation determined that Mariani entered the victim’s motel room while he was asleep and attacked him.

During the assault, Mariani stabbed the victim and then fled the scene. Mariani and

the victim were known to one another and it is believed that the man was targeted following a dispute between the two earlier in the day, Burns said.

Police began searching for Mariani, who was located and taken into custody during a

traffic stop in Albany on Monday. Mariani was arraigned in Schodack Town Court and sent to the Rensselaer County Jail, where he was held on $25,000 bail.

New York Penal Law defines second-degree assault as having the intent to cause serious physical injury to someone, and actually causing serious physical to that person or another person.

If convicted, the penalty ranges from two to seven years in prison, and a fine up to $5,000.

A defendant is charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, if they were in possession of a dangerous or deadly instrument such as a gun, switchblade knife, blackjack, or razor, and have been convicted of any crime in the past, according to New York Penal Law. If found guilty of this charge, the sentence can range between tow and seven years in prison. There may also be a fine and court fees imposed by the judge.

n Ashland Town Planning Board

6 p.m. Town Hall, 12094 Route 23, Ashland

Monday, March 7 n Athens Town Board 7 p.m. Ath-

ens Volunteer Firehouse, 39 Third St., Athens 518-945-1052 Changes will be on the Town of Athens web page n Cairo Town Board 7 p.m. Town Hall, 512 Main St., Cairo n Greene County Board of Electrical Examiners 1 p.m. Greene County Office Building, 411 Main St., 4th Floor, Room 469, Catskill

Tuesday, March 8 n Coxsackie Village Historic

Preservation Committee 6 p.m. Village Hall, 119 Mansion St., Coxsackie 518-731-2718

Wednesday, March 9 n Athens Village Board 6:30 p.m.

Athens Fire Department, 39 Third St., Athens Consult the village website for updates the day of the meeting n Catskill Village Board of Trustees 6:30 p.m. Robert C. Antonelli Senior Center, 15 Academy St., Catskill 518-943-3830 n Jewett Town Board 7 p.m. Jewett Municipal Building, 3547 County Route 23C, Jewett

Thursday, March 10 n Coxsackie Village Workshop 6

Stockade Works announces its 2022 spring programs KINGSTON — Stockade Works announces applications are now open for an upcoming Hair and Makeup for Film and Television workshop and its next Crew Boot Camp, with full and partial scholarships available for both training programs.

Under the leadership of its new Executive Director, Susie Sofranko, who joined in January, the Hudson Valley non-profit is planning for ramped up programming in 2022 to meet the increasing demand for crew in the region and to help provide access to local residents for career opportunities in the production industry.

Stockade Works will offer its Hair and Makeup for Film and Television workshop in-person this year, after having to transition most programming online in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Taking place March 2527 and May 22, the 3.5 day workshop led by local stylist and Le Shag owner Jennifer Donovan is fit for those who have cosmetology training or professional hair and makeup experience and are interested in working in the film and television industry. It will teach participants the skills and techniques needed for advancing in the industry, on-set etiquette, shoot day

p.m. Village Hall, 119 Mansion St., Coxsackie 518-731-2718

workflows, chain of command, and working with other departments on a production. Stockade Works invites anyone interested to learn more about a career in hair and makeup for film and television at a virtual Career Panel taking place over Zoom on 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 24.

A staple program since Stockade Works’ founding in 2016, the signature Crew Boot Camp will next take place May 19-22. The 3.5 day immersive training guides participants through the fundamentals of working in the industry and on a set, including script breakdowns, script continuity, who’s who on a call sheet, preparing for a day’s work, chain of command, and other key production assistant roles. Once the fundamental foundation is set, the training moves on to a mock shoot where participants will have hands-on experience in several key film departments and train directly with industry professionals.

Stockade Works offers full and partial scholarships for all training programs, and serves all people looking for employment and careers in the Hudson Valley, with a focus on those members of the community who have been locked out of employment and

training opportunities, particularly women, people of color, veterans and those who are underemployed. More information about Stockade Works’ Spring programs and how to apply can be found at www.stockadeworks.org.

The 2022 programming announcement comes on the heels of Stockade Works bringing on a new Executive Director, Susie Sofranko. Having grown up in West Shokan, Sofranko lived and worked in New York City for a decade and returns to the Hudson Valley with valued experience in fundraising and non-profit management. She joins the Stockade Works team with enthusiasm to be working at an organization that benefits her hometown and the greater Hudson Valley community.

“Susie is joining us at an exciting moment of organizational growth for Stockade Works as we look to expand our programs to provide increased training and job opportunities for Hudson Valley residents with a focus on members of the community who have faced barriers to employment and training opportunities — women, BIPOC, veterans, and those who are underemployed,” said Stockade Works co-founder Mary Stuart Masterson.

Sofranko joins Stockade Works from

the International Center of Photography (ICP), where she most recently led the fundraising team as the Senior Director of Development. A passion for arts and culture–and commitment to diversity, equity, access, and inclusion within those sectors–has guided Susie’s career through positions at the Frick Collection, the Public Theater, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and Gracie Mansion Conservancy.

She holds a B.A. from the Macaulay Honors College and an M.A. in Art History from CUNY Hunter. Sofranko plans to deepen and broaden the reach of Stockade Works during a time of great need for sustainable and equitable jobs for local residents. She said, “Newcomers coming to the Hudson Valley is not a new trend by any means. But with COVID-19 and other recent developments there is an influx of money quickly surfacing throughout the region–in tourism, with new residents, and through TV and film productions. It is essential the region handles this valuable capital responsibly by investing in areas that benefit the existing local economy, and especially in local people who are at risk of being pushed out.”

GREENE COUNTY POLICE BLOTTER

Monday, March 14 n Ashland Town Board 7:30 p.m.

Town Hall, 12094 Route 23, Ashland n Catskill Village Planning Board 7 p.m. Robert C. Antonelli Senior Center, 15 Academy St., Catskill 518943-3830

Editor’s note: A charge is not a conviction. All persons listed are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges can be amended or dismissed.

STATE POLICE

Tuesday, March 15 n Athens Village Planning Board

6:30 p.m. Village Hall, Meeting Room, 2 First St., Athens 518-9451551 n Coxsackie Village Election Day 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Village Hall, 119 Mansion St., Coxsackie 518-731-2718 n Durham Town Board 7:30 p.m.

Town Hall, 7309 Route 81, East Durham n Hunter Town Board 7 p.m.

Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A, Tannersville

Wednesday, March 16 n Catskill Central School District

Board of Education regular business 6:30 p.m. CHS Library, CHS Library, 341 West Main St., Catskill 518-9432300 n Catskill Library Board 6:45 p.m. at either the Catskill Library, 1 Franklin St., Catskill or Palenville Library, 3303 Route 23A, Palenville

n Tyrell Blocker, 32, of Cox-

sackie, was arrested Feb. 14 at 1:00 p.m. in Cairo and charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, a class D felony. He is being held. n Benson C. Colella, 24, of Wrentham, Massachusetts, was arrested Feb. 16 at 3:43 a.m. in Athens and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, 125 milligrams of a hallucinogen, a class B felony.

He was issued an appearance ticket. n Cody L. Edwards, 30, of Saugerties, was arrested Feb. 16 at 3:29 p.m. in Cairo and

charged with first-degree gang assault, a class B felony. Following arraignment, he was released on his own recognizance. n Michael A. Heckerman, 55, of Catskill, was arrested Feb. 18 at 4:15 p.m. in Kingston and charged with aggravated criminal contempt, a class D felony and aggravated family offense, a class E felony.

He is being held. n Jose Tavarez, 30, of Greenville, was arrested Feb. 18 at 8:15 p.m. in Greenville and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor. He was issued an appearance ticket. n Victor G. Rickard, 54, of East Durham, was arrested Feb. 18 at 10:24 p.m. in Durham and charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .08 first offense and driving while

intoxicated first offense, both unclassified misdemeanors.

He was issued an appearance ticket. n Joseph N. Palumbo, 25, of Catskill, was arrested Feb. 19 at 10:58 p.m. in Catskill and charged with criminal mischief with intent to damage property and acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17, both class A misdemeanors. He was issued an appearance ticket. n Deja M. Johnson, 21, of Troy, was arrested Feb. 19 at 7:54 p.m. in Coxsackie and charged with second-degree introduction of contraband into a prison, a class A misdemeanor. He was issued an appearance ticket. n Te-Quan W. Durham, 22, of Binghamton, was arrested Feb. 20 at 12:14 p.m. in Coxsackie and charged with second-degree introduction

of contraband into a prison, a class A misdemeanor. He was issued an appearance ticket. n Jessica L. Collazo, 31, of Catskill, was arrested Feb. 20 at 10:29 p.m. in Catskill and charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, a class D felony; manufacture of drug-related paraphernalia, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia, package, all class A misdemeanors. He is being held. n Raymond J. Robles, 51, of Catskill, was arrested Feb. 20 at 10:29 p.m. in Catskill and

charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and seconddegree criminal use of drug paraphernalia, package, both class A misdemeanors. He was issued an appearance ticket. n Lauren M. Mallen, 32, of Windham, was arrested Feb. 20 at 9:00 p.m. in Durham and and charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, a class D felony; manufacture of drug-related paraphernalia and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, both class A misdemeanors. She was issued an appearance ticket.

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Thursday, March 17 n Coxsackie Planning Board 6

p.m. Village Hall, 119 Mansion St., Coxsackie 518-731-2718

Monday, March 21 n Athens Town Board 7 p.m. Ath-

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A4 Wednesday, February 23, 2022

THE DAILY MAIL Established 1792 Published Tuesday through Saturday by Columbia-Greene Media

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OUR VIEW

A business flood and fire can’t stop A rule of thumb for local restaurants during the pandemic has been simple: Cut hours or close altogether when times are bad and open up the sidewalks to customers and add more hours when times are good.

You’re forgiven if Frank Guido’s Port of Call in Catskill slipped your mind. The restaurant is far from the madding crowd at the Historic Catskill Point. Guido, the Port’s proprietor and coowner (with son Mark), announced that the seasonal restaurant will be year-round when it reopens for business April 1.

This is a good move given that Guido and his staff have been through

much more than just the pandemic for more than a decade and have not only survived, but thrived in one of Catskill’s most beautiful and cherished settings.

Port of Call, nestled as it is close to the junction of the Hudson River and Catskill Creek, has endured damaging floods from several storms, none worse than the vicious backwash of Hurricane Irene in 2011, which cost Guido and his son Mark more than $1 million to rebuild the restaurant from the ground up.

Seven years later, a kitchen fire on the Port’s first floor forced its closure for weeks. Bloodied but unbowed, Guido cre-

ated an outdoor cooking space for his chefs so he could reopen the restaurant.

Guido is confident the economic revitalization of Catskill should allow his restaurant to triumph on a year-round basis.

“Catskill is really starting to thrive,” he said. “I was up there five or six years ago and half the storefronts on Main Street were closed. Now it seems to be thriving. Almost every storefront is taken.

There’s new stores, new restaurants opening up.

There’s a lot of excitement in Greene County and we’re glad to be part of it.”

We propose a toast to that.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

What is the problem?

To the editor: It seems like everyone I talk to lately is concerned about the direction of our great country we call America.

I was born before World War II, served four years in the Navy during the Korean years and I too am very concerned about the direction or our country. We all have an opinion and I will share mine.

America has forgotten the God of the Bible. Many Americans have no idea of how we got here or where we are going, or why we seem to be in real trouble.

To begin with, God created us in His image (Genesis Chapter 1). We are not creatures of chance. God has a purpose for each one of us.

Babies are not just pieces of matter. The supreme court decided that babies are only pieces of matter. We have allowed over 60 million

abortions. Does this please God? Secondly, our young people are not being taught what is in the Bible. Growing up in a Greek ghetto in Boston, we had prayer and Bible reading every morning before school began.

The Lord’s prayer and the 23rd Psalm were known by all the kids. We decided we don’t need that anymore.

We don’t talk about God in public school anymore.

Thirdly, most families across America are in serious trouble. Many of our youth have no fathers. Their family is the gang on the street corner. That’s not what God intended for society and He tells us that in the Bible. Many decided they want a different life.

It doesn’t matter what God wants.

Lastly, I close my arguments by looking again at the Bible. The Jewish people

of Israel were blessed like no other people. Then they decided that they really didn’t want to follow God and His Bible. Look at the suffering God has allowed them to go through.

I fear America is going that same way. Many have said, we don’t need God anymore. God may be saying, okay America, try it without me. We see the pain in lawlessness, the problem of drugs, alcohol, broken homes and now suicides for many young people like we have never seen before in our history.

God still loves His people and He’s allowing us to suffer that we may wake up.

That’s my answer to the reason for our problems. I pray that many Americans will turn back to the God of the Bible, so that He once again, can bless a great America JAMES T. VARELAS EAST JEWETT

The Russia-ChinaAmerican tangle By the time you read this, Russia will or will not have begun a ground attack in Ukraine. However, the invasion using other means is already underway. Regardless, it might be useful to look back over the last several years and how Ukraine’s events mesh with US relations with Russia, China, and the rest of Europe.

It’s long been known that Putin has wanted to reconstruct the Soviet empire. It’s not that Putin intends to reinstate the Communist Party or Communism in Russia. As a former KGB officer, Putin is particularly aware that communism failed as an economic and social system. But, as a political system, as a way to wield power in an autocratic state, it was not as total a failure as one might think. After all, there are many ways in which authoritarianism may be wielded. There’s not just one model. Putin’s version of authoritarianism bears more resemblance to “The Godfather” and the Mafia than it does to the Soviets under either Stalin or Lenin, China under Xi Jinping today, or Germany under Hitler, not to mention all the other dictatorships with which we have become familiar during the 20th and 21st centuries. And Putin’s version of authoritarianism is obviously different than that of the Tsars in pre-Soviet Russia. But they all have a few things in common: control of the press, minimal or (at best) a Potemkin village of democracy, direct or indirect control of the economy from the top, elimination of deviant ideas and political opponents, etc.

And one other thing: Every one of the countries I’ve cited has had the desire to expand their borders directly or by indirect control.

For Putin, this means the desire to expand Russia’s direct or indirect control of the countries on its western border, meaning Ukraine and the Baltic states in particular and the states to the east — the Asian side — of Russia.

These states broke away from Russia and the Soviet Union after the Communist Party was disbanded in 1991. But foreign policy is never as simple as we think, limited by the immediacy of time and place.

Or maybe it is. The fact of the matter is that Putin’s foreign policy objectives are not much different than those of the Soviets (no real surprise there, is there?), but it also is not much different than the foreign policy of the Tsarist Russian Empire. They have all sought warm-weather ports. They have all sought a presence in the Black Sea and influence in the Middle East (remember the Crimean War that lasted from 1853 to 1857 and pitted Russia against Great Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire?). And they have all sought to control the so-called “near border” — those countries on the

MY VIEW

MICHAEL

SALTZ borders of Russia.

The same, by the way, might be said of China. Just consider Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the South China Sea, not to mention the suppression of non-Han populations in western China.

Putin’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 was his first step in directly using the military to begin reestablishing control of the near-border, the timing influenced mainly by Georgia’s declared interest in becoming part of NATO. Likewise, when Ukraine became an independent country post-USSR, it initially wanted to become part of NATO, forming a partnership with NATO in 1994 and generally seeking closer economic ties to Europe.

But consider the following timeline: 2011: Having decided that Russia was not a serious threat to the West and that China’s growth was an increasingly serious adversary, Obama announced his “Asian pivot,” reducing strategic attention and military resources in Europe and redirecting them to Asia and China.

2012: Xi Jinping was installed as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. A year later, he was named President of the People’s Republic of China. He immediately began reimposing greater control over Chinese society, its economic development, suppression of dissent and ethnic minorities, press censorship, and a more expansionist and aggressive foreign policy.

2013: Xi announces the Belt and Road Initiative, an enormous program to build infrastructure and investments throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

2013: A generally proRussian government was installed in Ukraine, and it abandoned its partnership with NATO. 2014: In Ukraine, the “Revolution of Dignity” that opposed the pro-Russian tilt of the Ukrainian government resulted in a pro-Western government. The ouster of the pro-Russian government precipitated the Russian annexation of Crimea and a low-intensity war by Russian proxy forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

2014: China and Russia begin to reestablish a closer relationship, one that had been

severed during the Soviet era.

Today, China is Russia’s largest trading partner.

2014: In a speech in 2014, Xi asserted that Asian countries should unite and shouldn’t be involved with “third parties,” a reference that most took to mean the USA. 2016: Obama announced the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed trading agreement negotiated over several years among many smaller Asian countries and included Canada, Australia, Japan, and Peru. This was not simply an economic agreement. There was a conscious and deliberate political component to the arrangement. Aside from drawing the various countries closer to each other and closer to the USA, the deal excluded China. In other words, it was an attempt to form a regional bulwark against China’s increasing economic strength and assertiveness. During the American political campaign, Trump opposed the TPP; the left-wing of the Democratic Party also opposed it.

2016: During Trump’s presidential campaign, figures close to the pro-Russian Ukrainians (most prominently Paul Manafort) played a significant role. Breaking long-time Republican tradition, Trump was particularly sympathetic to Putin and his general ambitions. Once president, Trump was notably antagonistic to the EU in general, but NATO in particular. For their part, leaders in the NATO democracies increasingly distrusted Trump.

2017: Trump withdrew from the TPP and began a trade war with China.

2020: Trump lost the election, and Putin lost his principal advocate among the democracies.

2020: Putin began his build-up of military forces on Ukraine’s borders.

2020: China took control of Hong Kong. It increasingly asserted its ownership of Taiwan and the South China Sea. 2022: Putin visited XI during the Olympics.

2022: And here we are with a war on the European mainland either happening or still threatened.

The question of the day: What do you make of this?

Are all these events unrelated? Did Trump’s disengagement from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East embolden Putin and Xi in general? Did Biden’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan influence this in any way? Can the vacuum left by our disengagement inevitably cause others to rush in? I know what I think, but what do you think?

Michael Saltz is an awardwinning, long-time, now retired, senior producer for what is now called “PBS Newshour.” He resides in Hillsdale.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY ‘In America nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gives you.’

AMY TAN

The Daily Mail 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.

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Senior Living

www.HudsonValley360.com

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 A5

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Senior Briefs We want to hear from you.

To send information to be included in Senior News, email to editorial@thedailymail.net; mail to Register-Star/The Daily Mail, Atten: Senior News, Unit 1, 364 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534. For information, call 315-661-2490. We would like the information at least two weeks in advance if possible.

Town Building, 371 Route 296, Hensonville.

GREENE COUNTY SENIOR CITIZENS CLUBS

WORLD OF FLAVORS

CATSKILL — Some clubs may not have resumed meetings due to COVID-19.

Athens Senior Citizens meet at 1:15 p.m. the second and fourth Monday at Rivertown Senior Center, 39 Second St., Athens, Cairo Golden Agers meet at 1:30 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesday at Acra Community Center, Old Route 23, Cairo.

Catskill Silver Linings meet at 1 p.m. the second Thursday of the Month at the Robert C. Antonelli Senior Center, 15 Academy St., Catskill.

Coxsackie Area Seniors meet at 1 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesday at Van Heest Hall, Bethany Village, Coxsackie.

Senior Citizens of Coxsackie meet at 2 p.m. the first and third Monday at the Town of Coxsackie Senior Center, 127 Mansion St., Coxsackie.

Greenville Golden Agers meet at 1 p.m. the first Wednesday at the American Legion Hall, 54 Maple Ave., Greenville.

Mountain Top Golden Agers meet at 1;30 p.m. the fourth Thursday at Tannersville Fire Hall, Main Avenue, Tannersville.

WAJPL Golden Age Club meet at 1 p.m. the first and third Monday at Windham

COFFEE KLATCH HUNTER — The Hunter Public Library, 7965 Main St., Hunter, holds a coffee klatch 10 a.m.-noon March 8 with light refreshments, coffee and tea. The Coffee Klatch is held the second Tuesday of each month.

CATSKILL — Celebrate a World of Flavors, National Nutrition Month 2022, with Dept. of Human Services by attending a presentation by Nicole Gehman, MS, RD, CDN. She will be presenting at the following Greene County Senior Centers: Rivertown Senior Center, Athens, 11:45 a.m.

March 4, 518-945-2700. Acra Senior Nutrition Site, noon March 10, 518-622-9898. Jewett Senior Nutrition Site, noon March 25, 518-263-4392. If you would like to stay for lunch that day, call the center at least a day in advance to reserve.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARTY ATHENS — A St. Patrick’s Day Party will be held March 17 at Rivertown Senior Center, 39 Second St., Athens. Lunch will be served at noon. The menu includes corned beef, cabbage, boiled potatoes, carrots, Irish soda bread, chocolate cupcake with a mint and Irish punch. Raffle drawings will be held to benefit the Rivertown Senior Center Planning Committee. Reservations are required by March 16 by calling 518-945-2700.

ALZHEIMER’S EDUCATION WEBINARS ALBANY — The Alzheimer’s Association offers community and family education and outreach webinars from the safety of your home. These virtual

programs provide high-quality disease and dementia education for those directly affected by the disease. They are free of charge and include topics such as signs of Alzheimer’s disease, diagnosis, communication, living with Alzheimer’s and caregiving techniques.

Each webinar is held live with time for Q&A. Note that all webinars are listed in Eastern Standard Time (EST). RSVP via our our 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900 or by contacting Sierra Snoddy at 518-6757214.

10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s 10 a.m. March 3.

Program will help you recognize common signs of the disease in yourself and others and next steps to take.

Meaningful Engagement, Activities at Home 2 p.m.

March 15. Discuss the social needs of people with dementia and how to meet those needs.

Understanding and Responding to Dementia-Related Behaviors 3 p.m. March 23.

Caregiver tips and strategies to respond to some common behaviors.

Effective Communication Strategies noon March 29.

How Alzheimer’s and other dementias affect an individual’s ability to communicate.

REMINDER: Early Alzheimer’s Support & Education (EASE) - Virtual Program meets 10 a.m.-noon Thursdays beginning March 24 through May 12. EASE is an 8-week interactive learning program for people with early stage memory loss and their care partners. Registration and a pre-screening is required.

RSVP via the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900 or by contacting Sierra Snoddy at 518-6757214.

Senior Menu CATSKILL — The following is the weekly nutrition menu offered by Greene County Department of Human Services’ Senior Nutrition Program. Served daily with each meal are: Bread or alternative (roll, bun, etc.) with Promise Spread and low-fat milk.

Tartar sauce is served with fish meals. Menu is subject to change based on product availability and circumstance.

The menu will be the meal that is delivered to all Greene County homebound meal clients.

All persons 60 and older can receive a meal. The suggested donation for each meal is $4.

Those wishing to receive a meal are required to call the respective location at least a day in advance.

Rivertown Senior Center, 39 Second St., Athens, 9452700.

Senior Service Centers: Acra: Acra Community Center, Old Route 23B, Cairo 622-9898.

Jewett: Jewett Municipal Building, Route 23C, Jewett, 263-4392.

If you wish to pick-up a lunch at the Robert Antonelli Senior Center in Catskill call at least a day in advance, the Rivertown Senior Center to reserve.

FEB. 23 THROUGH MARCH 2 WEDNESDAY: Seafood scampi, linguini, spinach, wax beans, cookies.

THURSDAY: Chicken Parmesan with penne, tossed salad, green beans, chocolate mousse.

FRIDAY: Beer battered fish, Monaco vegetable mix, rice pilaf, fresh fruit.

MONDAY: Baked manicotti, sausage, green beans, Italian mixed vegetables, pears.

TUESDAY: Chicken dijon, mashed potatoes, broccoli, peaches.

WEDNESDAY: Salmon with

dill sauce, scalloped potatoes, cauliflower, peanut butter cookie.

MARCH 2 THROUGH MARCH 9 WEDNESDAY: Salmon with dill sauce, scalloped potatoes, cauliflower, peanut butter cookie.

THURSDAY: Macaroni and cheese, stewed tomatoes, 3 bean salad, fresh fruit.

FRIDAY: Seafood salad, linguini, spinach, tomatoes and zucchini, fresh fruit.

MONDAY: Chicken divan, carrots, brown rice, fruit cocktail.

TUESDAY: Stuffed shells marinara with meatball, broccoli, cauliflower, tropical fruit.

WEDNESDAY: Barbecue pulled pork, cole slaw, baked beans, collard greens, chocolate mousse.

MARCH 9 THROUGH MARCH 16 WEDNESDAY: Barbecue pulled pork, cole slaw, baked beans, collard greens, chocolate mousse.

THURSDAY: Hungarian goulash, Monaco mixed vegetables, egg noodles, fresh fruit.

FRIDAY: Fish florentine, sauteed mixed vegetables, green beans, rice pilaf, rice pudding with raisins.

MONDAY: Beef chili, mixed vegetables, brown rice, pears.

TUESDAY: Sweet and sour chicken, pineapple, oriental vegetables, white rice, mandarin oranges.

WEDNESDAY: Roasted chicken quarters with gravy, corn, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies.

MARCH 16 THROUGH MARCH 23 WEDNESDAY: Roasted chicken quarters with gravy, corn, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies.

THURSDAY: Corned beef and cabbage, carrots, broiled potatoes, Irish soda bread, chocolate cake with Andes mints.

FRIDAY: Beer battered fish, coleslaw, broccoli, scalloped potatoes, fresh fruit.

MONDAY: Sloppy joes, cauliflower, corn, tropical fruit.

TUESDAY: Chicken dijon, Italian mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes, pineapple.

WEDNESDAY: Hot turkey dinner with gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie.

MARCH 23 THROUGH MARCH 30 WEDNESDAY: Hot turkey dinner with gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie.

THURSDAY: Pork chop with gravy and applesauce, sweet potatoes, peas and carrots, fresh fruit.

FRIDAY: Eggplant parmesan, Italian mixed vegetables, tossed salad, linguini, fresh fruit.

MONDAY: Chicken and biscuits, California vegetable mix, mashed potatoes, lemon pudding with graham cracker crumbs.

TUESDAY: Taco bake, corn/tomatoes and lima bean medley, Spanish rice, butterscotch pudding.

WEDNESDAY: Turkey burger with peppers and onions, carrots, scalloped potatoes, fruited gelatin.

MARCH 30 THROUGH APRIL 6 WEDNESDAY: Turkey burger with peppers and onions, carrots, scalloped potatoes, fruited gelatin.

THURSDAY: Chicken parmesan, tossed salad, Italian mixed vegetables, rotini, fresh fruit.

FRIDAY: Fish Flrentine, green beans, rice pilaf, fresh fruit.

MONDAY: Turkey burger with peppers and onions, scalloped potatoes, peaches.

TUESDAY: Macaroni and cheese, 3 bean salad, stewed tomatoes, plums.

Swiss immigrant asks about spouse benefits

By Russell Gloor, National Social Security Advisor at the AMAC Foundation

SOCIAL SECURITY MATTERS

For Columbia-Greene Media

Dear Rusty: I am originally from Switzerland. I moved to the States, got married in 2012, and became a US Citizen in 2016. I never worked in the United States but have 44 years of Social Security contribution in Switzerland and have received a pension from there since I turned 62 (I’m now 64). Is it correct that I cannot apply for Social Security here in the States on my husband’s account unless he is collecting his Social Security benefit? He will turn 62 this year but is still working and does not want to collect before 70.

Signed: Immigrant from Switzerland Dear Immigrant: Yes, it is correct that you cannot collect U.S. Social Security spousal benefits from your husband until he starts collecting his own Social Security benefit. As soon as your husband’s benefits start, you can apply for your benefit as his spouse, even though you aren’t eligible for U.S. Social Security on your own. As a U.S. Citizen and current legal resident of the United States, you are eligible for U.S. spousal benefits from your husband even though you spent most of your life as a resident of Switzerland.

Since you mentioned your contributions to the Swiss social security program, I’d

RUSSELL

GLOOR like to point out that there is a Social Security “totalization” agreement between the U.S. and Switzerland which permits using some of your Swiss credits to qualify for U.S. Social Security retirement benefits, but since you have never worked in the U.S. that bilateral agreement won’t work for you. To use some of your Swiss credits to get U.S. Social Security on your own, you would need to have at least six (6) credits from working in the U.S. in a job which contributed to the U.S. Social Security program. Unless you have at least 6 U.S. Social Security credits, you cannot use the bilateral agreement with Switzerland to get your own SS retirement benefit, so you will need to wait until your husband claims his Social Security to start collecting spouse benefits from him. Assuming your spousal benefit from your husband will be higher than you would be eligible for on your own anyway, not getting your own Social Security retirement benefit

using the bilateral totalization agreement is inconsequential.

You should be aware, too, that by your husband waiting until age 70 to claim his maximum SS benefit, and since you will have passed your own full retirement age by that time, the higher amount he gets at age 70 will be your survivor benefit if your husband should pass before you do. Upon his death you would get his full age 70 benefit instead of the smaller spousal benefit you will get while you are both living. Your benefit as his spouse while both of you are living will be 50% of the benefit your husband is entitled to at his full retirement age, but your benefit as his surviving widow will be 100% of the benefit he is receiving at his death.

This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity.

To submit a question, visit our website (amacfoundation.org/ programs/social-security-advisory) or email us at ssadvisor@ amacfoundation.org.

A1 outdoes radiologists when it comes to identifying fractures, study shows

By Erin Blakemore Special To The Washington Post

When it comes to hip fractures, time is of the essence.

Delays in surgery are associated with the risk of death and pressure sores, and patients with broken hips should ideally get surgery within 48 hours.

But radiologists are in short supply, and the national shortage is exacerbated by a spiking demand for radiology services. And rushed radiologists and human error can lead to the improper identification and classification of hip fractures.

Artificial Intelligence could help, suggests a recent study. When researchers pitted machine learning against human radiologists, the computer won, classifying hip fractures 19% more accurately than human experts.

The study, published

in Nature Scientific Reports, was conducted in the United Kingdom. Like the United States, it has an aging population, and hip fractures rise along with age. There are an estimated 300,000 hip fractures every year in the United States, and that number is expected to rise to more than 500,000 by 2040.

Researchers had a minimum of two clinicians classify over 3,600 hip radiographs. But they were no match for a pair of computer models trained to do the same task. The algorithms located hip joints with overwhelming accuracy, and showed what researchers call “an impressive, and potentially significant” ability to classify the fractures.

The algorithms’ accuracy varied depending on the type of fracture, but overall their diagnoses were accurate 92% of the time compared with 77.5 % of the

time for the clinicians.

The researchers say their new algorithm could clear up the U.K.’s huge radiology bottleneck. Like U.S. radiologists, those clinicians simply have more work than they can complete quickly.

“This new technique we’ve shared has great potential,” said Richie Gill, a co-author of the paper who is co-director of the Centre for Therapeutic Innovation and the Institute for Mathematical Innovation at the University of Bath, in a news release. The method could achieve greater access and speed diagnoses, he said.

AI is increasingly used to beef up radiologists’ expertise. According to a 2020 study conducted by the American College of Radiology, an estimated 30 percent of radiologists use AI tools on the job, and even more are contemplating the switch.

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

A6 Wednesday, February 23, 2022

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Gilbert Martin Gilbert Martin, 57, of Catskill died December 5, 2021. Having no family, all are welcomed to a 12:00 service on 2/23/22 at Town of Catskill Cemetery. www.MillspaughCamerato.com

John Vincent Delaney November 15, 1932 - February 7, 2022 In his 90th year, John Vincent Delaney of Catskill, New York, died from Covid-related pneumonia on 7 February 2022. Born in Manhattan on 15 November 1932, the worst year of the depression, John and his brothers Vincent Valentine and William grew up in the South Bronx with their loving mother Betty Rothwell and resilient father Valentine. John dedicated his book Learning Legal Reasoning, Briefing, Analysis and Theory “For My Beloved Parents: Valentine – who fought for the freedom of Ireland and Elizabeth – who fought for the freedom of her sons.” The family struggled as Valentine was in poor health after spending four years as a political prisoner at Maidstone Prison in Kent, England. The family was never hungry or homeless, however, thanks to Home Relief started by Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1929 and due to their unceasing hard work – Valentine delivered groceries when he was not in hospital and his health permitted until he got work with the City Parks Department and Betty took in laundry and boarders until she obtained a steady job as a housekeeper at the Waldorf Astoria.

As a young boy, ‘Jack’ (his family name) sought ways to earn money to bring home to his mother. When his older brother ‘Little Val’ gave him his shoeshine box, Jack was off to Times Square where soldiers leaving the Coca-Cola Canteen, bound for the European Theater, got a 5-cent shine. Usually, they gave him a quarter!

John’s grandmother, Annie Burns an Irish immigrant died young leaving John’s mother and her sister, Anna, orphaned.

His grandmother worked doing laundry in the 1900s at Harvard University. And she left a generations-long impression on Betty who often shared her mother’s lesson with her sons, “In this country,” Annie Burns said, “education is the thing!”

John credited his mother for instilling in him a life-long love of learning.

Earning his undergraduate degree at Fordham University, M.A.’s in social science and social philosophy from The New School for Social Research, his J.D. from New York Law School, and his LL.M. from New York University School of Law, John said it was a good day whenever he learned something new!

He served in the U.S. Army in 1955, as a Ranger Infantry Lieutenant and platoon leader, and achieved a medal in marksmanship, but he never again held a weapon after his discharge.

John taught sociology at Fordham University and The New School. Upon graduation from law school, he worked for the legendary Manhattan District Attorney Frank Hogan. There he met Ida Tarallo and together they have two accomplished daughters, Jacqueline Elizabeth and Joan Colette, and seven beautiful grandchildren.

John lived a life of service. He contributed to the liberation struggles of the times from engaging “in a lot of marching and hollering for civil rights and against the Vietnam War” to later for the liberation of gays, prison reform, and against all forms of oppression. In 1963, John attended The March on Washington to hear Martin Luther King Jr. speak and responded to his call to march in Selma in 1965. Leaving his job with Hogan, John ran for State Assembly in 1966, he met with and was endorsed by Eleanor Roosevelt and Senator Herbert H. Lehman, and while he did not win, he joined fellow-reformer Rep. James H. Scheuer as a legislative assistant.

Thanks to W. Haywood Burns, John began a highly successful 30-year teaching career first at NYU School of Law and then at CUNY School of Law, where he taught Criminal Law and Constitutional Law. John played an essential role in the early days of CUNY Law, the nation’s leading public interest law school. “His thoughtful approach to the many challenges we faced helped us weather more than a few storms.

He will be missed, but he left a lasting legacy in the careers of many, many of our graduates,” noted Professor Victor Goode.

It was here that John and Pat Ruck ’87 met and later married.

Their daughter, Clare, was steadfast in her love and devotion to John.

Possessing a powerful intellect, John was always reading and writing during his retirement, including essays, poems, and his memoirs. His books for law school students include Learning Legal Reasoning, How To Do Your Best on Law School Exams, and Learning Criminal Law as Advocacy Argument: Complete with Exam Problems and Answers. He was also the General Editor of nine other books, mostly about comparative law, in the American Series of Foreign Penal Codes.

A devoted husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and friend, John is survived by Pat Ruck of Catskill, NY and their daughter Clare Delaney (Casson Kennedy) of Cornwallville, NY; daughters Jackie Cash (Michael Cash Jr.) of Westfield, NJ and Joan Delaney (Jack Dennehy) of New York, NY; his seven grandchildren Devin, Michael, Jack, and Grace Cash, and Jack, Julia, and Liam Dennehy; his brothers William Delaney of Teaneck, NY, and Vincent Valentine Delaney of Arroyo Grande, CA; and many nieces, nephews, and good friends.

The family will celebrate John Delaney’s life in June 2022 at their beloved home in Catskill that John bought in 1965. John believed his greatest professional achievement was educating his many students at CUNY Law. The John Delaney Memorial Fund, established by his family and friends, will support CUNY Law students. For more information: https://www.law.cuny. edu/john-delaney-fund. Funeral arrangements by Millspaugh Camerato Funeral Home, Catskill. Messages of condolences may be made to www.MillspaughCamerato.com.

www.HudsonValley 360.com

William Todd Parsons

Linda Smith

February 21, 2022

February 16,2022

William Todd Parsons, 95, passed away peacefully on February 21 at his home in Stockport, NY with his wife and daughter at his side.

Todd was born in Boston to George Ayer and Elizabeth Hoar Parsons. He grew up in Concord MA and attended local schools, graduating from Middlesex School in 1944. After graduation he was enrolled in the U.S. Naval Officers Training Program until 1946 and served on the USS Prairie. At the end of the war, Todd spent two years in Paris working in the Communications Section of the U.S. State Department (Marshall Plan). A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School, Todd spent the majority of his career in business and finance in New York City before his retirement and move to Columbia County in 1997.

He loved sharing his home in its rural setting with family and friends and enjoyed exploring the area and its local history. He was happy to be able to devote more time and energy to local causes and to continue his support of organizations that mirrored his values.

Concerned about the decline of civility in civic discourse and how that hampered collective efforts to care for our environment and each other, he cultivated both “small d” and “big D” democratic engagement and was a lifelong supporter of environmental causes. In his own words: “as we overrun our earth, we might observe ants and bees and how we will balance community values and individual liberties before our options disappear.”

Todd is survived by his wife Theresa, sons Brooks (Virginia Bartlett), Nathaniel Tuck (Deborah Oliver) and Nick; daughter Jessica Sherman (Harry Eichelberger IV) and seven grandchildren: George Aaron, Abigail Sage (Jake Epstein), Allia Casey, Ellie Jane, Harry Lee Eichelberger V, William Parsons Eichelberger and Malcolm Sherman Eichelberger.

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to his devoted caregivers, Dottie, Sissy and Loretta.

A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of the Raymond E. Bond Funeral Home, Valatie NY.

Linda Smith of Coxsackie Ny. passed away February 16, . She is survived by her husband, family and many friends. there will be a celebration of life at Bradys Funeral Home in Coxsackie on Saturday February 26 between 2 and 4 PM. In lieu of flowers donations to American Cancer Society would be appreciated.

Loretta C. Vedsted It is with my deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of our mother and nanny, Loretta C. Vedsted. Loretta was born in Stockport; NY and she was the daughter of Elsie and George Sitcer. She is predeceased by her husband Carl V. Vedsted Sr. and by her sisters, Margarite Mac Cormick, Laura Wolfersteig, and Gloria Jornov.

Loretta is survived by her daughter Karen Sue Altomer (David Sr.), and son Carl V. Vedsted Jr. (Margaret).

She is also survived by her granddaughter Michellina Brew (Henry), grandson David Altomer Jr. (Sara), grandson Carl James Altomer (Jessica), and 7 great grandchildren, Felicity and Chase Brew, David III, Alexis, and Devin Altomer, Eva, and Nikolas John Altomer.

Loretta worked her early years for Reilly Mills in Valatie and then in Chatham. Loretta later worked her remaining years as a Patient Care Assistant in the healthcare industry and retired from Columbia Memorial Hospital. A memorial service will be held Saturday March 5, at 11:00am from the Wenk Funeral Home Chatham. Inurnment will follow in the Chatham Rural Cemetery.

For those who wish, memorials may be made to the Columbia Greene Humane Society 111 Humane Society Rd. Hudson, N.Y. 12534. For on-line condolences, visit wenkfuneralhome.com

Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin tests positive for COVID after NY Democratic Convention Dave Goldiner

Hochul updated New Yorkers on the state’s progress combating COVID-19 on Sunday, showing the state’s positivity rate at just 1.54%.

“The vaccine is a key tool to beat back this virus and keep our families safe,” Hochul said.

“Parents and guardians, please talk to your pediatrician or health care provider about getting your children vaccinated, and boosted if eligible, if you haven’t already.”

New York Daily News

NEW YORK — New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin says he has tested positive for COVID-19 just days after attending the state Democratic convention.

The former Harlem state senator, who was appointed

by Gov. Kathy Hochul after she replaced Gov. Andrew Cuomo, says he is fully vaccinated and boosted and is experiencing only mild symptoms.

“Cat and our girls’ tests came back negative--praise God!” Benjamin said in a Sunday night tweet. “I’ll be isolating at home as they monitor for symptoms and get tested again in a few days.”

FILE PHOTO

Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, seen in this October 2021, file photo, welcomes the Sunrise Wind project to the Port of Coeymans.

The announcement came after Benjamin joined Hochul, Hillary Clinton and a raft of top Democrats at the state party’s

confab in midtown Manhattan.

There are no other reports of infections traced to the event.

More than one million New Yorkers owe billions in utility bills

By KRISTIN F. DALTON Staten Island Advance

More than one million households in New York have fallen delinquent on their energy, water, telephone, and internet bills since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, which has created a utility crisis in the state.

Advocacy groups say without a resolution in the state’s 2022-2023 budget, the crisis will continue to get worse.

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the Public Utility Law Project (PULP) are urging Senate Majority Leader Andrea StewartCousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to include a resolution in the budget to address the billions owed by New Yorkers in unpaid energy, water, telephone and high-speed internet bills.

At least $1.7 billion is owed in unpaid energy and utility bills, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars more in telephone, water and internet arrears.

Between February 2020 and December of 2021 energy utility consumers’ debt increased by more than $960 million, the letter to Heastie and StewartCousins says.

In October 2021, the U.S. government said it expected households to see their heating bills jump as much as 54% compared to last winter — making it harder for those already behind on their bills to catch up.

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Before committing to a lender, do your research and run the numbers.

The government released a separate report showing that prices were 5.4% higher for U.S. consumers in September 2021 than September 2020. That matches the hottest inflation rate since 2008, as a reawakening economy and snarled supply chains push up prices for everything from cars to groceries.

The groups are asking for $1.25 billion of the federal American Rescue Plan monies be allocated in the 2022-2023 state budget.

They’re also asking for an authorization of $200 million for a dollar-for-dollar state sales tax to be available for forgiveness for non-energy utilities for lowor fixed-income households.

“Without action from Albany, the risk of wholesale utility shutoffs climbs each day,” said AARP New York State Director

Beth Finkel.

“Recent reports from around the state of energy bills doubling and tripling will only plunge more New Yorkers into debt from which they may not recover. It’s time for the leaders of New York state to confront this growing crisis,” Finkel continued.

“Even before the bill surge affecting New York, one in five New Yorkers were deep in debt to utilities with little prospect of ever paying their way out to financial health,” said PULP Executive Director Richard Berkley. “Implementing the simple three-part plan PULP, AARP and our partners have advanced will avert multigenerational poverty caused

by COVID-19, soothe the additional harms created by the bill surge, and provide a pathway for our communities’ economic recovery.”

ATTENTION FUNERAL DIRECTORS Obituaries, Death Notices or Funeral Accounts Should Be Submitted Before 2PM Daily For The Next Day’s Paper.

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Wednesday, February 23, 2022 A7

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA • THE DAILY MAIL

BRIEFS We want to hear from you.

To send information to be included in Briefs, email to editorial@thedailymail.net; or mail to Briefs: The Daily Mail, Unit 1, 364 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534. For information, call 315-661-2490.

military service, a source for genealogical research information and clues. But which records are available and how does one find them? Join Craig R. Scott to learn how to follow federal payments.

FEB. 23

CATSKILL — The quarterly meeting of the GCVFALA will be held at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Kiskatom Fire House, 4838 Route 32, Catskill. The doors will be opening at 6:45 p.m. and they will start serving refreshments at 7 p.m. so we can enjoy some hot soup and bread prior to the meeting. Due to the limited parking, they do ask that whenever possible that you carpool with others from your area.

ALBANY — Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany presents Winter One-Pot Comfort Foods 6-7 p.m. Feb. 23 via Zoom. The program is free. What is better on a cold winter day than a steaming hot, delicious soup or stew for dinner? A recipe will be shared ahead of time so that you can cook along with Karen in a Dutch oven, crock pot or electric pressure cooker. Registration is required at https://cornell.zoom.us/ meeting/register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Contact Karen Roberts Mort from CCE Albany County by email kem18@cornell.edu or leave a message at 518-765-3552, if you have questions.

FEB. 24 CAIRO — The Youth Clubhouses of Columbia and Greene Counties announce a free, public naloxone/Narcan® training at 6 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Cairo Public Library, 15 Railroad Ave., Cairo. For information, call 518-751-8161 or email clubhouse@mhacg. org. COVID protocols will be in place, masks and social distancing required. Attendees will receive a free, take home Narcan® kit.

FEB. 26 ALBANY — The Capital District Genealogical Society will meet at 1 p.m. Feb. 26 via Zoom. CDGS meetings are presently held on Zoom.

Registration is free and will open to the public Feb. 16.

See www.CapitalDistrictGenealogicalSociety.org under meetings and events. There is a 100-person limit. Treasury Records: Follow the Money

by Craig R. Scott. The U.S. Treasury Department was responsible for many payments to the public by the federal government. In particular, the records contain payments for

FEB. 28

MARCH 1 EAST BERNE — Helderberg Christian School, 96 Main St., East Berne, will hold an open house 5:30-7:30 p.m. March 1. Meet the staff, visit classrooms, preview curriculum and register for the 2022-2023 school year. For information and directions, call 518-4995416.

MARCH 2 HENSONVILLE — Hensonville Fire House, 432 State Route 296, Hensonville, will host Lenten Fish Fries beginning noon-8 p.m. on Ash Wednesday, March 2 and 4-8 p.m. Fridays during Lent, March 4 through April 15 (Good Friday). Choices include fish or chicken tenders or clams with French fries or baked potato, coleslaw, dinner roll, dessert of brownie or cookie while supplies last. $10 per dinner, take out only. Call 518-734-3040 to order. Orders will be picked up in the truck bay so there will be space to social distance.

MARCH 4 CAIRO — The Cairo-Durham Drama Club presents the 2022 musical production, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

Opening night is scheduled for 7 p.m. March 4 with two shows at 2 and 7 p.m. March 5 and a matinee at 2 p.m. March 6. Performances will be in the Cairo-Durham Middle/High School auditorium. General tickets are $10 and student/ senior citizen tickets are $8.

Advance tickets are available for purchase in the CDHS lobby between 5-6 p.m. on March 1 and March 2. Checks should be made out to “CD Drama Club.” Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door on the night of performances. At this time, masks are still required to be worn in school buildings.

CATSKILL — The Catskill Elks Lodge, 45 Jefferson Heights, Catskill, will host Lenten Fish Fry Fridays 5-7 p.m. Fridays March 4 through April 15, pick up only. Dinners are fried haddock or shrimp for $17. Dinners include macaroni and cheese or fries, cole slaw, sauces and lemon. The cost is $17. Must reserve in advance by calling 518-9451179.

MARCH 5 CATSKILL — The Catskill United Methodist Church, 40 Woodland Ave., Catskill, will host ‘Soup Sharing’ 4-7 p.m. March 5. Choose from a variety of homemade soups to bring home and enjoy. A goodwill offering will be collected to benefit local missions. Call 518-291-3130 for more information.

CAIRO — Round Top Volunteer Fire Dept. Ladies Auxiliary third annual corned beef and cabbage dinner will be served 3-6 p.m.; March 5, take out only, at the Round Top Firehouse, 1507 Hearts Content Road Cairo. The menu includes corned beef, cabbage, red potatoes, carrots, soda bread and dessert. The cost is $18.

To pre-order, call Lorrie at 518-719-1685. Snow date will be March 12.

SELKIRK — The Bethlehem Grange 137, 24 Bridge St., Selkirk, is hosting a corned beef and cabbage dinner 3-6 p.m.

March 5, take out only. The menu includes corned beef, cabbage, Irish soda bread and dessert. Reserve meals by March 3 by calling Carol Carpenter at 518-421-1384. Make sure your phone number is displayed for a return confirmation call back. The grange is handicap accessible and there is lots of parking.

Veterans Resource Fair to be held Feb. 24 in Athens ATHENS — Senator Michelle Hinchey is partnering with the TGM American Legion Post 187, SullivanTeator VFW Post 770 and the Greene County Veterans Service Agency, to sponsor a free resource fair for activeduty service members, veterans and their families in Greene County. The fair will take place 3-5 p.m. Feb. 24 at the TGM American Legion

Post 187, 94 Second St., Athens.

For this event, we are teaming up with state and local organizations to make resources available and provide assistance to veterans and their families in areas including health care, housing, and more. Additionally, there will be free notary services available, so please urge your members to bring

their documents.

Partners include: Hudson Valley Center for Veteran Reintegration; NYS Dept of Civil Services; Greene Columbia Community College Office of Veteran Services; SAGEVets; Soldier On; Suicide Prevention Center of New York State; NYS Office of Mental Health; NYH2H (NY Helmets to Hardhats); NAMI Capital Region; Hicks Strong.

Lecture to examine the institution of slavery in Delaware County HAINES FALLS — The Mountain Top Historical Society presents “Enslaved: People as Property in Delaware County, 1790 – 1830” at 3 p.m. Feb. 27 via Zoom.

This Zoom talk by Diane Galusha, historian, author and President of the Town of Middletown Historical Society, will examine what the institution of slavery looked

like in Delaware County as farms, towns, and industry developed following the Revolutionary War. The talk will identify specific slaveholders — wealthy, landed settlers who brought their servants with them from the Hudson Valley and New England — and will, to the extent possible, describe the individuals they owned

and the work they did. Citing personal documents, official records, memoirs, newspaper accounts and other period sources, Galusha will bring this little-known aspect of local history out of the shadows. More information at mths.org/events.

Email mthsdirector@mths. org for the Zoom link.

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MARCH 10 EAST BERNE — Helderberg Christian School, 96 Main St., East Berne, will hold a Brooks House of Barbecue fundraiser 4-6:30 p.m. March 10 or until sold out. Chicken dinner, $13 pre-ordered; $14 day of. Call

by March 8 to pre-order. Drive through, take out only. Call 518-499-5416. COVID guidelines apply.

MARCH 11 DELMAR — Q.U.I.L.T. Inc. is a not-for-profit guild of quilters interested in learning about the art of making quilts. Members live in the Capital Region and surrounding communities. All levels of quilters are welcome. Meetings are held the second Friday of each month September through June. The Annual Service Meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. March 11 at the Delmar Reformed Church, 386 Delaware Ave., Delmar. At this meeting we will assemble quilts to be donated to those in need. Masks are required.

All are welcome. This will be an experimental hybrid, in person/virtual, meeting. Visit www.quiltinc.org for more details.

MARCH 12 CAIRO — The Cairo Development Foundation will hold a Chili Cook-Off noon-3 p.m.

March 12 at Gallagher’s Banquet Hal, 513 Main St., Cairo.

Cook and compete or just come to eat. Entry fee, $25; taster fee, $5; beer available.

There will be prizes. All chilis and chili eaters are welcome.

All proceeds benefit the Cairo Development Foundation’s revitalization of Main Street.

Register online at website https://www.cairodf.com/ TROY — Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County will hold its 24th annual “Spring Garden Day” virtually on March 12. Using Zoom, the cloud-based video communications format, we’ll have a webinar-type program from 9:45 a.m.-noon.

Garden designer, consultant and writer Robert Clyde Anderson will discuss how to revolutionize your garden in his talk, “Perennial Planting The New Wave Way.” For friends of trees and shrubs,

Fred Breglia, Executive Director of the Landis Arboretum, will talk about “Promoting Plant Health Through Proper Pruning.” A great selection of garden-related door prizes will be given away. You’ll need to download the free Zoom app to participate. For registration information, visit http://ccerensselaer.org/ or contact Cornell Cooperative Extension at 518-272-4210 or mmp74@cornell.edu.

MARCH 13 CATSKILL — The Catskill Elks Lodge, 45 Jefferson Heights, Catskill, will serve a choice of Corned Beef Dinner or Sandwich, pick up only, 3-6 p.m. March 13 at the lodge.

Menu includes corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and Irish soda bread dinner for $16 or a corned beef on rye sandwich with chips and pickle for $8.

Must call by March 9 to reserve, 518-945-1179.

MARCH 14 DELMAR — The Delmar Community Orchestra, under the direction of direction of Vincent Bonafede, will present a March Concert performed by the Orchestra’s string section at 7:30 p.m.

March 14 at the Delmar Reformed Church, 386 Delaware Ave., Delmar. The concert, which will include classical selections and pops, is free and open to the public. For information, contact DCO President Janet Behning at delmarcommunityorchestra@gmail. com or 914-271-2055, or visit the DCO website at www.delmarcommunityorchestra.org.

MARCH 17 Coxsackie — The First Reformed Church, 285 Mansion St., Coxsackie, will be serving corned beef and cabbage dinners with dessert 4:30-6 p.m.

March 17, take out only, until sold out. Tickets are $15. Advance ticket purchase preferred. Call 518-731-7503 to order tickets. www.firstreformecoxsackie.com.

MARCH 18 GREENVILLE — The Clematis Garden Club will meet at 12:30 p.m. March 18 at the American Legion Post 291, 54 Maple Ave., Greenville. Snow date is March 25. Clematis Garden Club President, Terry

Buel, will lead the members in reviewing and discussing the Club’s 2022 Yearbook/ Agenda. Yearbooks will be distributed. Terry will review this year’s Projects, Activities, Committee responsibilities and any changes in meeting times and/or places. Refreshments will be served, followed by a short business meeting.

Hostesses: Pat Frik, Terry Buel, Cynthia Willis. Members start to pot materials from their gardens for June 5th plant and white elephant sale.

MARCH 19 ASHLAND — The Ashland Fire Department, State Route 23, Ashland, is holding a chicken barbecue starting at 11:30 a.m. March 19, take out only. First come, first served, no reservations. Chicken halves are $8. Chicken is coming off the grill by 11:30 a.m.

All proceeds from this event will be donated to the family of Deputy Kevin Haverly, Greene County Sheriff’s Department, E.O.W., Feb. 28, 2017.

MARCH 20 WEST ATHENS — The West Athens-Lime Street Fire Co. will serve an all you can eat breakfast will be served 8 a.m.-noon March 20 at the West Athens Firehouse 2, 933 Leeds-Athens Road, Athens.

A free-will offering will be accepted.

APRIL 2 ATHENS — HVVFA HazMat, Homeland Security and Training Committee with the Fire and Accidental Prevention Committee present the annual Bill Eck and John J. Mulligan Haz-Mat, Homeland Security and Fire Training Seminar 8 a.m.-2 p.m. April 2 at the Athens Volunteer Fire Department, 39 Third St., Athens. If a date change is needed due to gathering restrictions, it will be announced by March 26. Pre-registration is requested by email to Fred Pettingell at fpettingell@aol.com. Note April 2, 2022 registration on the subject line. Registration begins at 7 a.m. on the morning of the seminar. Registration fee of $10 will cover all seminar needs. Certificates will be issued following the seminar. Pre-register as seating may be limited.

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

A8 Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Hudson High School and St. Mary’s class of 1965 to hold reunion Aug. 20 HUDSON — Hudson High School and St. Mary’s Class of 1965 will hold their class reunion Aug. 20 at Kozels in West Ghent. More information will be forthcoming. The committee is in search of the following people: Charles Call,

Steve Cunningham, Tim Hartlieb, Carol Jenning Fisher, Mona Honig, Robert Kulikowski, Pam Lombardy, Hugh Monthie, Pam Mesick, Virginia Melius, Frank Morrison, Pam Nack, Michael Ostoyich, Bonnie Proper Van Duesen,

Samuel Scott, Beverly Sheldon and Roland Smith. Classmates are asked to update their contact information. Anyone interested joining committee can contact John Pollack 518828-7527 or Bart Delaney at 518-965-1093.

Real Estate market reports available for fourth quarter 2021 CATSKILL — Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty announced the production of its Fourth Quarter 2021 consolidated reporting on Hudson Valley and Catskills real estate recently. The reports, which combine data from several Upstate Multiple Listing Services (MLSs), show a marked turn in the regional real estate market. While low and falling inventory have been the state of the market for the past three years, the Fourth Quarter of 2021 saw a significant decrease in new listings inventory across the entire region.

Of the 10 counties Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty compiles data on, Putnam County had the largest drop in new listing inventory at 29.48%; Rensselaer County, with the smallest decrease, had a not-insignificant 6%

drop year over year. While in prior quarters of 2021 sales had grown, the consistent drop in inventory has finally caused a tipping point in the number of sales. Property sales across the region are down between 37% (in Greene County) and 20% in (Orange and Sullivan counties).

At the same time, all over the Hudson Valley and Catskills region, average sold prices were up year over year, as much as 19.56% (Ulster County). Average days on market are down everywhere: In Sullivan County, they’re down 35.9%; in Greene County they’re down 25%, and in Columbia County they’re down 20.2%.

In Dutchess County the number of new listings was down 26.71% year over year; properties sold were down 24.69% in the same period. In

nearby Columbia County new listings were down 21.98% and properties sold down 27.89%.

A bit better news came from Orange County, where properties sold were down 18.52% and new listings down 16.34%.

For the full 2021 Fourth Quarter reports, go to https:// www.villagegreenrealty.com/ hudson-valley-and-catskillsreal-estate-market-reports. php, then scroll down to find links to fourth-quarter 2021 data about Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties and all their towns.

Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty is celebrating 30 years in the Hudson Valley.

The six offices are in Catskill, Kingston, New Paltz, Red Hook, Windham and Woodstock.

Walkway’s Waldstein to step down after 12 years POUGHKEEPSIE — After a 12-year period that saw dramatic capital improvements, growing visitation, and even a Guinness World Record at the soaring 1.28-mile span over the Hudson River, Elizabeth Waldstein is stepping down as Executive Director of the Walkway Over the Hudson organization, a “friends’ group” that supports and improves Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park.

This is the second leadership transition announcement of late when Maureen Solero became the new chair of the Board of Directors, replacing John Storyk, who stepped down after three years of service.

Waldstein said it was “time to embrace the next chapter in my life” announcing her retirement effective on May 1. “It has been an honor to serve as Executive Director and I am proud to have helped bring the vision of the Walkway to reality,” said Waldstein, who stewarded the nonprofit through a period of significant expansion that included major community and capital projects designed to enhance public access and visitor comfort at the popular New York State Park.

“One of my proudest achievements was the establishment of the Walkway Ambassador program.

Hundreds of volunteers have helped make the Walkway one of the most welcoming and friendliest parks in the state. During this time, a small and fledgling nonprofit grew into a stable, strong, and sustainable organization; thanks to successful fundraising, careful fiscal management and an engaged Board of Directors,” she said, adding that she greatly valued the strong and effective partnership with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and NY State Bridge Authority.

“During this period of growth, Elizabeth Waldstein has served as our Executive Director with

distinction. Her passion and dedication to the Walkway has driven our successes and accomplishments and her effective leadership and innovative thinking have enabled us to weather turbulent storms. We most certainly would not be who we are today if not for her leadership,” said Solero.

Solero praised the thoughtful transition now underway at the organization. “Together we have developed a plan to ensure a smooth transition to a new leadership structure that will serve the Walkway well into the future. To that end, we are pleased to report that Diane Haight, who has been enormously valuable to our organization in her capacity as Managing Director, will be appointed Interim Executive Director following Elizabeth’s departure,” she said. “The Walkway has successfully navigated the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic and is in a strong financial position with a dedicated and passionate Board of Directors and staff. John Storyk has skillfully, creatively and successfully led the Board of Directors for the past three years and I will do my best to continue to move this dynamic organization forward.”

Storyk worked closely with Waldstein, staff, and the Board of Directors on several key projects in recent years, including construction of two new Visitors Centers at the east and west entrances, as well as the design and funding of an extensive new solar lighting system.

“Serving on the Walkway Board for over 15 years and as Chairman has been an amazing honor and a rewarding experience,” said Storyk, Founding Partner of the Walter Storyk Design Group.

“I will continue to lead the Walkway Amenities Committee during this exciting transition moment, while supporting Maureen as our Chair and Diane Haight as the Interim

Executive Director. I wish Elizabeth all the best and know she will never be a stranger to the Walkway.”

Since Walkway Over the Hudson opened to great fanfare in October, 2009, the nonprofit friends group has worked tirelessly to improve the Park, draw new visitors, and enhance visitors’ experience.

After Waldstein was hired to helm the nonprofit in 2010, the organization grew significantly, adding staff charged with fundraising, program management, and marketing in support of the Park’s growing mission.

Under Waldstein’s leadership, the Walkway organization has raised $9 million for operational and programmatic efforts and another $10 million for capital improvements to the park.

Working in partnership with the New York State Parks and other regional partners, the Walkway achieved significant projects including: The Greater Walkway Experience branding and marketing program Operation of an 11 person electric tram for persons with limited mobility Completing new Visitors Centers at East and West entrances Design and installation of an all-solar lighting solution Connecting to the Hudson Riverfront via the 21-story elevator Purchasing rail trail property to connect to the Dutchess Rail Trail Improvements to the West- Highland entrance and parking access While she is retiring from her full-time role as Executive Director effective May 1, Waldstein plans to remain involved with the Walkway through the leadership transition, while exploring future opportunities.

For more information about the Walkway organization, visit walkway.org.

Bridge Street Theatre announces 2022 Mainstage Season CATSKILL — Bridge Street Theatre, one of the most adventurous and exciting small theater companies in the Hudson Valley region, announces its upcoming 2022 Mainstage Season. Five full evenings (or afternoons if you choose to attend matinee performances) of thrilling, provocative and innovative work that celebrate survival during these uncertain times. Currently slated for production on BST’s Priscilla Mainstage, located at 44 West Bridge St., Village of Catskill, are: CLARKSTON by Samuel D. Hunter (Regional Premiere) April 28 – May 8. Directed

by Daniel Elihu Kramer Jake and Chris meet while working the night shift at the Costco in Clarkston, Washington. Jake has fled his privileged life in Connecticut after being diagnosed with a fatal illness. Chris, a wouldbe writer with a meth-addicted mom, is stuck in what he fears is a dead-end life in a dead-end town. Their tentative attraction develops into something deeper, scarier, and more intimate in Samuel D. Hunter’s heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful companion piece to BST’s 2021 production of LEWISTON. FOURTEEN FUNERALS

by Eric Pfeffinger (East Coast Premiere) June 2 – 12. Directed by Sara Lampert Hoover City girl Sienna is surprised to learn that a freak fireworks accident in her old hometown of Blissfield, Indiana, has carried off every single member of the estranged extended family she never

really knew. Even more surprising is that, as the very last of the Fitchwoods, she’s expected to deliver separate eulogies for every one of them. But most surprising of all is the un-looked-for relationship that blooms between Sienna and Millie, the oddly perky receptionist at the Blissfield funeral home, in this unexpectedly hilarious new comedy in its second production ever!

SHELLEY’S SHADOW

by Brad Fraser (World Premiere).

September 8 – 18. Directed

by John Sowle BST’s first-ever new play commission! Out of work, out of money, and out of ideas, David, a writer in his 60s, gives up his condo and moves into a run-down highrise apartment building in downtown Toronto. There, his life becomes inexorably entangled in that of his upstairs neighbor Shelley – a gregarious lesbian in her 80s with encroaching Alzheimer’s-related dementia – and her long-time canine companion Shadow – a talking dog. The curious story of a reluctant care-taker who becomes the backbone of what slowly turns into a kind of family.

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES

by Hanna Moscovitch (U.S. Premiere) October 13 – 23. Directed

by Margo Whitcomb After his third marriage falls apart, Jon, an acclaimed novelist and a star professor, is racked with guilt when he finds himself becoming attracted to one of his

students. Nineteen-yearold Annie is a big fan of his work and, coincidently, just happens to live right down the street. As their mutual admiration grows and the sexual tension escalates, the archetypal student-teacher romance gets turned on its head in this compelling new play, winner of the 2021 Canadian Governor General’s Literary Award for EnglishLanguage Drama.

THE LION IN WINTER by James Goldman November 10 – 20. Directed by John Sowle “Well, what family doesn’t have its ups and downs?”

Merry Christmas, 1183! King Henry II has just released his estranged wife Eleanor from prison so that the entire back-stabbing royal family can spend the holiday together. He’s getting on in years and a succession must be mapped out. But which of their three sons will end up on the throne? The knives are out, and it looks like this is one Christmas where nobody is going to get what they want. A contemporary American classic (even if it IS set in England).

In another first, Bridge Street Theatre has commissioned local visual artist Agam Neiman to create individual paintings for each of the shows in this season’s line-up. Look for these stunning artworks on posters, flyers, and in other publicity materials from the theatre soon!

For more details, visit the theatre’s website at BridgeStreetTheatre.org.

Museum hosts author for Black History Month lecture KINGSTON — The Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to announce the upcoming lecture “The World of Elizabeth Jennings,” by Jerry Mikorenda, held virtually at 7 p.m.

Feb. 23 in conjunction with Black History Month.

For many, the civil rights movement began with Rosa Parks’ brave stand against segregation in 1954. However, few people realize that the right for African Americans to even ride in streetcars was earned a hundred years before that in a landmark civil rights case here in New York State.

In 1854, traveling was full of danger. Omnibus accidents were commonplace.

Pedestrians were regularly attacked by the Five Points’ gangs. Rival police forces watched and argued over who should help. None of this was on Elizabeth Jennings’ mind as she climbed the platform onto the Chatham Street horsecar.

But her destination and

that of the country took a sudden turn when the conductor told her to wait for the next car because it had “her people” in it. When she refused to leave the bus, she was assaulted by the conductor aided by a NYC policeman. Elizabeth Jennings fought for the right to ride New York City horse trolleys, with future president Chester A. Arthur as her defense lawyer.

Historian Jerry Mikorenda breathes life into this little-known struggle with “The World of Elizabeth Jennings,” based on his book, America’s First Freedom Rider: Elizabeth Jennings, Chester A. Arthur, and the Early Fight for Civil Rights (Rowman & Littlefield). Using rare period photos and lithographs, the author recreates Jennings’ world by exploring the sights and people of old New York as the momentous battle with the Third Avenue Railroad unfolded. The freedoms Elizabeth Jennings fought

for – and won – are the underpinning of the civil and gender rights movements that are still a battlefront today. There are rare moments when we can look in the mirror of history and see our own time. America’s First Freedom Rider shows those times are not unlike our own.

Jerry Mikorenda’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Herald, The Gotham Center History Blog, and the 2010 Encyclopedia of New York City. His biography America’s First Freedom Rider: Elizabeth Jennings, Chester A. Arthur, and the Early Fight for Civil Rights was published in 2020. His historical novel, The Whaler’s Daughter was published by Regal House in July 2021.

Tickets are $7 for the general public and free for Hudson River Maritime Museum members. To register, visit www.hrmm.org/ lecture-series.

Looking For Free Recycled Papers?

Useful for Pets, Packing, Crafts, etc.

Call 518-828-1616 Ext 2413 We will arrange a time to meet.

We are typically available Mon - Fri 8:30am - 3:30pm 364 Warren St.Unit 1, Hudson, NY

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 A9

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

4th annual Eddies The effects of substance Music Awards nominees use on the heart announced

By Jurnee Shenandoah-Kurtz, BS and Allison Curtis, LMSW For Columbia-Greene Media

SCHENECTADY — Buggy Jive leads all finalists for the 4th annual Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards with a record five nominations. This year’s ceremony returns to the MainStage at Proctors at 6 p.m. April 24.

A self-described soul rock singer-songwriter, Buggy Jive won an Eddies Music Award in the 2020 Best Music Video category for “Ain’t Going Anywhere.” This year he is up for Solo or Duo Artist of the Year, RnB/Soul/Funk Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Music Video of the Year and Album of the Year.

In all, there are over 210 finalists in 36 categories honoring the work of 2021.

Nominations and voting are determined by a group of judges representing the local music community. The Eddies Music Awards are an initiative of Proctors Collaborative.

This year’s ceremony returns to Proctors after a twoyear absence. The inaugural event drew 1,250 people in 2019 but the 2020 show was postponed twice due to the pandemic, and ultimately a two-hour event was filmed live on a closed set, airing on YouTube, public access TV and social media. The 2021 show was conducted live in front of a Universal Preservation Hall audience.

“It has been a tough two years for the local music

community and the Eddies were impacted same as everything and everyone else,” said co-founder and producer Jim Murphy. “It was important we continue to shine a light on the local music scene, even if it was scaled back.

“This year is a return to a full-scale celebration,” Murphy added. “We hope the whole music community comes together.”

The line-up of performers for the award ceremony will be announced in March.

Tickets are on sale now at Proctors.org. View the full list of 2022 categories and nominees at TheEddiesAwards. com.

Writers in the Mountains presents Micro-Memoir with Linda Lowen ROXBURY — Writers in the Mountains (WIM) presents Micro-Memoir, a six-week long workshop with Linda Lowen, March 9 through April 13. The class will be held online 10 a.m.noon Wednesdays. Once they register and pay, participants will be given instructions on how to join the class.

Memoir doesn’t have to cover decades to tell a story.

Sometimes a single moment,

vividly depicted, illuminates a life. If you’ve wanted to write memoir but are overwhelmed at the immensity of the task—or you’re already writing but need a fresh approach—consider micro memoir. The smaller format can be freeing, allowing you to focus on an event that serves as a microcosm of the larger experience. In this workshop you’ll write short 200-word pieces and

discover less is more. Weeks 5 and 6 we’ll focus on Tiny Love Stories, relationship tales of 100 words or less, and you’ll come away with one piece suitable to submit to the New York Times column of the same name.

To register, e-mail writersinthemountains@gmail. com. To register online, visit writersinthemountains.org.

Class fee is $120.

DEC awards more than $766,000 to support rehabilitation of dams ALBANY — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced more than $766,000 in funding was awarded to nine projects to improve dam safety in communities in the Capital Region, Finger Lakes, and Mid-Hudson Valley regions. The funding is provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) ‘High Hazard Potential Dam Grant Program.’ Of the dozens of states that applied to the federal program, New York was one of only two states that received the maximum amount of available funding. The funds awarded will support planning, design, and other pre-construction activities to rehabilitate ‘high hazard’ dams. New York State classifies dams as high hazard to recognize the potential for damage to infrastructure and communities if a dam were to fail. The classification does not connote a dam’s potential to fail.

“DEC is dedicated to

protecting lives, property, and the environment by helping dam owners comply with New York State’s stringent requirements that help keep the public safe and keep dams in good condition,” Commissioner Seggos said. “This funding provides much-needed assistance for municipal and not-for-profit dam owners to improve the condition of their dams over the long term.”

DEC inspects High Hazard dams every two years, with limited exceptions such as dams regulated or owned by the federal government.

DEC works closely with dam owners to address any deficiencies. When funding is available, DEC supports dam owners in making improvements through grants like the High Hazard Potential Dam grant program. DEC announced availability of this round of funding in April 2021.

The following projects received High Hazard Potential Dam Grants:

Capital Region: Albany Water Board – Basic Creek Dam, Design Project: $100,000; Albany Water Board – Rensselaer Lake Dam, Alternative Analysis and Design Project: $100,000; City of Troy – Bradley Lake Dam, Alternative Analysis and Preliminary Design Project: $100,000; Garnet Lake Conservation Assoc. Inc. - Garnet Lake Dam, Design Project: $80,000.

Southern Tier: Town of Guilford – Guilford Lake Dam, Planning and Design Project: $69,119.

Mid-Hudson: City of Kingston – Cooper Lake Dam, Design Project: $100,000; Town of Chester – Loon Lake Dam, Alternative Analysis Project: $87,659; Town of Kent – Lake Carmel Dam, Planning and Design Project: $100,000; Town of Putnam Valley – Roaring Brook Dam, Planning and Design Project: $30,109.

Visit the DEC website for more information on New York State’s Dam Safety program.

GROWMARK Foundation announces 2022 agricultural scholarship program BLOOMINGTON, Illinois — The GROWMARK Foundation is once again offering a $1,500 scholarship program for students in the United States and Ontario, Canada, pursing two- or four-year degrees or trade school certification in an agriculture-related field.

“As our business has grown and evolved, we saw a need toprovide a scholarship to students throughout the United States and Ontario, in addition to the scholarship programs already established in our core

geography,” said Amy Bradford, GROWMARK corporate communications manager and GROWMARK Foundation manager. “GROWMARK and the FS member cooperatives are strong supporters of youth leadership education and this is one more way we can contribute to the future of agriculture.”

Applicants must complete an online application which includes academic information, community service and leadership activities, and

essay questions regarding agriculture and cooperatives.

Applications will be judged by a panel of agribusiness professionals.

High school seniors or students at any level of higher education may complete the application, which can be found at https://www.growmark. com/about-us/corporatecommitments.

Applications are due by midnight Central Time on April 14, 2022 and recipients will be notified by July 1, 2022.

Find us at: HudsonValley360.com

February is American Heart Month, and throughout the month, you may read articles on heart health, heart disease, exercise, and eating habits which can help or hurt the heart. Part of heart health is understanding the many factors which can affect the heart. One of the biggest threats to the heart is also one of the most preventable: substance use. Knowing the possible effects may not cure a substance use disorder, but this knowledge could prevent experimentation or limit the use of substances.

Illicit substances are not legal or regulated, there are no controls in place to ensure their quality or safety for use.

Forms of amphetamine such as cocaine and heroin affect the bodies central nervous system. For example, the powdered form of Cocaine can increase the chance of a heart attack, which is why the drug is also known as the “perfect heart-attack drug”.

The use of illicit drugs can have many effects on the heart such as deteriorations to the heart and blood vessels, heart attack and even death from cardiac arrest.

According to the American Addiction Center up to 25% of non-fatal heart attacks in adults aged 18 to 45 are associated with regular cocaine use and 1 in 7 fatal heart attacks were related to various drug usage (2021). Withdrawal from these substances should be monitored by a medical professional since unsafe withdrawal can also impact the heart.

Even legal or readily available substances can damage the heart. Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that excessive drinking can lead to issues like a rapid heartbeat, damage to the muscles around the heart, and obesity which leads to heart disease (2022). Nicotine is another substance which can be purchased from nearly every grocery store and gas station and can have a permanent effect on how the heart functions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states smoking damages blood vessels around the heart and the arteries, and smoking limits the amount of oxygen the body takes in which prevents the heart from doing its job (2021). Just because someone can purchase substances like alcohol and nicotine does not mean they are “safe” for

regular use.

Your heart is a vital organ which needs to function properly for survival and even for doing the activities which are important to us.

Part of prevention is encouraging people to take steps to protect their health and well-being. This can only be accomplished through education and support. For additional information about this article or to further discuss community awareness and prevention, please contact Twin County Recovery Services, Inc.’s Prevention Department. Please contact Prevention Director Tara VanRoy at tarav@twincountyrecoveryservices.org or 518-943-2036 ext. 3311 with any questions or concerns regarding prevention.

Jurnee Shenandoah-Kurtz, BS and Allison Curtis, LMSW are Prevention Specialists at Twin County Recovery Services, Inc. which is a private, not for profit organization incorporated in 1974 and a NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services agency. Twin County Recovery Services Inc. helps alleviate the devastating effects of substance use disorder in the communities of Columbia and Greene Counties.

Consumer Alert: Attorney General James warns New Yorkers NEW YORK — New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert with safety recommendations to protect New Yorkers from bad actors using Apple AirTags to track individuals’ locations and their belongings for harmful purposes. Individuals have reported finding unknown AirTags attached to their cars, and in their purses, coat pockets, and other personal property. Others have reportedly received alerts on their phones that their location information is being shared, even when the targets do not find an AirTag or another connected accessory.

“Across the country, Apple AirTags are being misused to track people and their belongings to cause harm,” said Attorney General James.

“Tracking people without their awareness or consent is a serious felony and will not be tolerated by my office. I urge all New Yorkers to pay close attention to their belongings and follow the tips provided by my office to stay safe. New Yorkers’ safety is my top priority and my office will continue to do everything in its power to protect New Yorkers.”

Apple AirTags are small tracking devices intended to act as a key finder to help people locate their personal items. However, malicious individuals have been placing the small devices on people’s personal belongings without their awareness to track them.

Attorney General James

recommends consumers take the following steps to protect themselves and their belongings: Listen for unfamiliar beeping. When an AirTag is separated from a familiar device for some time, the AirTag will start to make a beeping noise. If you hear this beeping noise, try to locate its source. AirTags can be stuck in various places including in bags and pockets, under cars, inside of bumpers, and the back of license plates. If you find an unfamiliar AirTag, hold your smartphone up to it to receive information about the AirTag including its serial number. Write down this information, then disable the AirTag by using the instructions on the screen or by removing the AirTag’s battery, and call your local law enforcement for assistance.

Watch for “Item Detected Near You” notifications on iPhones. If your iPhone has been close to an unfamiliar AirTag or other accessory for a prolonged period of time, you may receive a notification on the Find My application stating, “Item Detected Near You.” Tap this message and it will allow you to play a sound on the AirTag in order to find it. You will also be able to use the app to receive information about the AirTag and disable it. Be sure to write down any information you learn about the AirTag before disabling it and call your local law enforcement for assistance. This Find My feature only works if your device is running iOS or iPadOS 14.5 or

later, so be sure to keep your device’s operating system up to date.

If you have an Android device, download Tracker Detect from the Google Play Store. If you hear unfamiliar beeping, you can use Tracker Detect on your Android device to find any unfamiliar AirTags within your Bluetooth range. Please note that you will have to manually scan the area using the app, it will not scan for devices automatically.

Know that not all unfamiliar AirTags are malicious.

While it is important to be careful, AirTags are sometimes legitimately lost by their users, and your device will alert you regardless. If an AirTag has been reported lost, your Find My notification will give you information to allow you to return it.

Check for updated guidance. Apple has issued guidance on how to deal with unknown AirTags or Find My alerts. If you come across any issues, check with Apple for updated guidance.

Update your Apple device’s operating system.

Apple is implementing new safety measures, so make sure you update your Apple device’s operating system regularly.

To report a misused Apple AirTag found in your belongings, please contact the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) immediately by filing a complaint with the OAG Internet and Technology Bureau.

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

A10 Wednesday, February 23, 2022

‘Dogs do not expect to live as equals’

By Charlene Marchand For Columbia-Greene Media

At a time when many families are adding new “kids” to the household, I want to focus on an important aspect of canine mental health. This discussion will be about sibling rivalry.

To define our terms: dogs, living in the same household, that snarl, growl and begin posturing can progress to fighting and are experiencing a problem with sibling rivalry (whether they are siblings or not).

Usually these continued struggles are a result of the animals not establishing their own pecking order or dominance hierarchy.

Strong, secure “Number One” dogs — who many refer to as “dominant” — do not fight with insecure dogs who are “destabilized” in their home “pack.” Struggles usually occur between dogs of “almost equal” status. I refer to them as “mid-liners.”

Unfortunately, we often interfere inappropriately with the establishment of hierarchies in our households. This occurs when family members correct or punish the aggression, and inadvertently encourage competitive behaviors and relationships.

What happens as a result, is that the submissive dog’s status becomes elevated, while the dominant dog’s status is lowered or compromised by our involvement. We are helping to keep the levels of dominance nearly equal, and subsequently these struggles, arguments, and fights will escalate. Situations such as competition for “mommy or daddy,” and competition over toys, food, etc. can trigger these hostile encounters.

What to do, what to do! Obviously, trigger situations need to be avoided. Dogs need time to adjust. We usually move too soon. We must assure the resident dog that all is still “ok,” while ensuring that the newcomer is comfortable with their position in the “pack.”

If the dogs begin to fight in your presence, “you must reassure the aggressor, and reprimand the submissive dog.

Your praise will help make the one dog more dominant, which will contribute to the rapid establishment of a stable social structure.”

Handling techniques at home, in particular, should reinforce the status of the dog. You always feed, pet, and praise the dominant dog first.

If aggressive competition already exists, the submissive animal (or less dominant) should be “ignored” while you

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Pictured with CGHS Animal Care Technician Kyle Miller, Queenie is a 10-year-old hound mix. She’s the sweetest dog, loving nothing more than pets and human affection. Queenie is a little more on the laid back side, and somewhat of a couch potato. She does get excited to go for walks, but she prefers cuddling inside with her person. She is good with both cats and dogs. Due to Queenie’s size and her age, we believe older kids would be best for her.

proceed to lavish attention on the dominant dog, until he or she is secure with his/her status. Many behaviorists recommend setting up situations where you praise, feed, and pet the dominant dog while the submissive one watches.

This can be done successfully using a kennel or crate for the beta animal. If the situation at home is already too explosive, you can work the dogs in a neutral territory initially, moving to home turf later.

To quote Dr. Nicholas Dodman, head of the Animal Behavior Program at Tufts Behavior Clinic, “…it is extremely distressing to have dog fights in your home. However, sibling rivalry is one of the easier problems to solve, once you realize that DOGS DO NOT EXPECT TO LIVE AS EQUALS. Both dogs will be happier and more secure with a stable social order.”

Feel free to call us with any questions at 518-828-6044 or visit www.cghs.org. The Food Bank is open to any from the public in need of pet food or for those wishing to donate food from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. All of our cats and kittens are “Furrever Free” with all expenses paid. Spay/neuter clinics for cats are $86 male or female, including a rabies vaccination and a 5-in-1 feline distemper combination vaccination. Nail clipping services are available 10-11 a.m. every Saturday at the shelter for a donation of $10 for cats and $15 for dogs (currently prepaid only).

Charlene Marchand is the Chairperson of the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA Board of Directors. She may be contacted at cghsaaron@gmail.com.

Coldwell Banker recipient of 2021 ‘St. Jude’s New Partner Campaign of the Year Award’ KINGSTON - Coldwell Banker Real Estate agents know the value of home; they’ve been guiding people home since 1906. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®treats more than 8,500 kids a year for cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Children and their families come to St. Jude from across the United States and around the globe; St. Jude provides a home-away-fromhome when they need it most.

Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. More than 75% of St. Jude budgeting costs come from generous donors.

Today, Principal Broker Candida Ellis and C.O.O. Guy Barretta announced the results of Catskills and Hudson Valley Coldwell Banker affiliate Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty’s participation in the CB Supports St. Jude partnership, benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Local Coldwell Banker agents Allison Morelle, Angela Lanuto, Aysa Morehead, Feng Liu-Winham, and Patricia Lenseth made automatic donations to St. Jude for each home sale they completed in 2021. Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty matched the donations of its agents for a total of over $8,000 in 2021.

Together the Coldwell Banker network of more than 100,000

agents has donated more than $500,000 and was recognized

by St. Jude with a New Partner Campaign of the Year Award in 2021.

Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty’s Chief Operating Officer Guy Barretta said, “We’re proud of the generosity of our agents who’ve made a commitment to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Real Estate is about helping people find home, find comfort. Making a difference to children and families during a difficult time, helping them find comfort, is a wonderful way to extend our purpose beyond our business.

2021 was just the beginning of a great partnership with St. Jude.”

Find us at: HudsonValley360.com

Spencertown Academy presents author Dorothy Wickenden

SPENCERTOWN — Spencertown Academy Arts Center, in collaboration with Chatham Bookstore, presents Dorothy Wickenden, author of The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women’s Rights at 2 p.m. March 12 at the Academy, 790 Route 203, Spencertown. She will be joined in conversation with author Winifred Gallagher.

Advance reservations are required. Tickets, which are $10), are available at www. spencertownacademy.org.

“We are delighted to be working with the Chatham Bookstore to bring this event to the Academy,” says Academy Board Member Jill Kalotay. “Dorothy Wickenden’s new book sounds fascinating, and Winifred Gallagher is a perfect conversation partner on the topic of powerful historic women.”

Wickenden is the executive editor of The New Yorker and the host of its weekly podcast “Politics and More.”

In The Agitators, she tells the stories of abolition, the Underground Railroad, the early women’s rights movement, and the Civil War. These crucial American stories are enriched by glimpsing them through the friendship of exceptional women who spent decades violating the laws and conventions of their time.

Gallagher is author of 10 books, including New Women in the Old West: From Settlers to Suffragists, an Untold American Story (Penguin Press) and Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life, which was a New York Times bestseller.

Books by both authors will

Dorothy Wickenden

be for sale and the authors will be available for signing after the conversation. Ticket holders will receive 10% off books purchased at the event.

Proof of vaccination or proof of a negative Covid 19 test will be required for admission, seating will be distanced and limited, and masks will be required for audience members while in the building. The Academy has installed Blueair HealthProtect 7470 air purifiers in the auditorium. This program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the Spencertown Academy arts organization, and the 175th year since the Academy was built as a school in 1847. Now an allvolunteer organization, it offers a varied schedule of concerts, lectures, classes, and gallery shows. Its signature events—Hidden Gardens, Revels, and the Festival of Books—are yearly highlights.

This summer, the anniversaries of the building and the organization will be celebrated together with a day-long community festival.

For information, contact info@spencertownacademy. org.

First complete United States President Bobblehead series unveiled on President’s Day MILWAUKEE — To celebrate Presidents’ Day, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled the first complete series of United States President bobbleheads.

The series includes each United States President on a base that features a replica of the White House and each bobblehead is individually numbered to the year that the president was elected. The bobbleheads are being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.

The collection includes every United States President: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John. F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.

The bobbleheads are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The Joe Biden and Donald Trump bobbleheads are in stock now while the others are expected to ship in May. All bobbleheads include the name of the president on the front of the base and their president number on

Martin Van Buren

the back of the base.

The President of the United States acts as the head of the Executive Branch of the government, as well as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.

The President is responsible for carrying out the laws written

by Congress and appointing the heads of the federal agencies. The Constitution lists only three qualifications for the Presidency — they must be at least 35 years of age, be a natural-born citizen and must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. The President of the United States is one of the most powerful people in the world, with awesome privileges and responsibilities.

Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., the White House is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States. Construction took place between 1792 and 1800 using Aquia Creek sandstone painted white. It has been the

residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800.

The residence was designed

by Irish-born architect James Hoban in the neoclassical style.

He modeled the building after the Leinster House in Dublin, a building which today houses the Oireachtas, the Irish legislature. The modern-day White House complex includes the Executive Residence, West Wing, East Wing, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (the former State Department, which now houses offices for the president’s staff and the vice president) and Blair House, a guest residence.

In 2007, the White House was ranked second on the American Institute of Architects list of “America’s Favorite Architecture.”

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on Feb. 1, 2019.

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 A11

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Queen Elizabeth II tests positive for COVID, is experiencing ‘mild cold like symptoms,’ palace says Karla Adam, William Booth (c) 2022, The Washington Post

LONDON - After being cloistered away from the public for long stretches of the pandemic, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for the coronavirus and was experiencing “mild cold like symptoms,” Buckingham Palace announced in a statement on Sunday.

The 95-year-old monarch expected to continue “light duties” at Windsor Castle over the coming week, the palace said, and would continue to “receive medical attention and will follow all appropriate guidelines.”

Her son and heir, Prince Charles, tested positive for the virus and went into isolation 10 days earlier, after being at Windsor with the queen.

Charles’s wife, Camilla, has since had a positive test as well.

Though the palace tweeted a message from the queen congratulating the British women’s and men’s curling teams for their Olympic medals, it did not release any further information about her health on Sunday. It does not

normally comment on medical matters involving the monarch - a custom dating back to when Britain’s kings and queens were worried about showing vulnerabilities to their rivals.

In January 2021, the palace did reveal that Elizabeth had received her first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Many royal watchers assume she has had a full complement of shots. Charles and Camilla have each had two initial jabs and a booster, according to their office at Clarence House, which has been more open about health matters.

Under the current rules in England, the queen is supposed to isolate for at least five days. But the British government plans to lift restrictions this week.

Within minutes of the palace’s announcement, messages of support for the monarch poured in.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted, “I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health.”

Leader of the opposition

Labour Party Keir Starmer wished the queen “good health and a speedy recovery.

Get well soon, Ma’am.”

“The commitment Her Majesty the Queen has shown to our country continues to be unwavering,” tweeted London Mayor Sadiq Khan, as he wished her a “swift and safe recovery.”

There was less panic than there might have been earlier in the pandemic.

When Johnson tested positive in March 2020, Downing Street prompted anger by emphasizing that he was in good spirits and continuing to work - until he was rushed to the hospital. Britons only learned from him afterward how serious his case was, that nursing staff had sat by his bedside throughout the night, not sure if he would make it.

At this point, many leaders in Europe and around the world have had the virus - and survived, with the help of vaccines and treatments. Indeed, Charles has had it twice.

Still, there has been widespread concern about the health of the queen, a symbol of stability who is this year

celebrating 70 years on the throne.

A combination of health issues and coronavirus restrictions has kept her mostly away from public engagements for the past five months.

The queen was hospitalized overnight in October for what the palace said were “preliminary investigations” and afterward was advised to rest. She sprained her back in November, the palace said.

In the latest video clips and photographs, taken at Windsor Castle and the Sandringham Estate, she can be seen walking with the aid of a cane.

She has missed high-profile events, including a Remembrance Sunday service to honor the country’s war dead, a staple on the royal calendar and the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

She has continued to receive ambassadors and dignitaries but mostly virtually.

She did have an in-person engagement this past week, though. On Wednesday, she met at Windsor with the outgoing defense services secretary, Royal Navy Rear Admiral James Macleod, and

his successor, Major General Eldon Millar. She could be heard responding to a question about her well-being. The monarch pointed to her leg or her cane and quipped, “Well, as you can see, I can’t move.”

The queen is also scheduled to attend several events in March, including a diplomatic reception at Windsor Castle on March 2 and the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14. A “service of thanksgiving” for her late husband, Prince Philip, is scheduled for March 29 at Westminster Abbey.

Philip, her husband of 73 years, died in April after a short illness. The queen was forced to sit alone at the funeral because of covid restrictions.

On the whole, it has been a difficult year for the queen and royal family.

This month alone, her second son, Prince Andrew, settled a sexual abuse lawsuit brought by a woman who says she was forced to have sex with him as a teenager two decades ago.

The queen’s grandson Prince Harry - who has given up his royal role and is living

in California with his wife and two children - sent a legal team to argue at the High Court in London that he “does not feel safe” bringing his family back to Britain without state-supported security.

And the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into allegations that one of Charles’s charities offered a Saudi billionaire honors and citizenship in exchange for donations.

The Washington Post’s Jennifer Hassan contributed to this report Karla Adam is a London correspondent for The Washington Post. Before joining The Post in 2006, she worked as a freelancer in London, writing for several U.S. publications including the New York Times, Newsweek and People magazine. She is a former president of the Association of American Correspondents in London.

William Booth is The Washington Post’s London bureau chief. He was previously bureau chief in Jerusalem, Mexico City, Los Angeles and Miami.

United States lifts Mexican avocado ban — averting what could have been a costly crisis

By Maria Luisa Paúl The Washington Post

For foodies, workers, restaurant owners and investors on both sides of the Rio Grande border, Friday brought a sigh of relief after the United States lifted its temporary ban on imports of Mexican avocados.

The week-long pause — albeit a short one — had fueled concerns in the avocado industry, from the workers who pick the fruit in Mexico to consumers worrying about a potential shortage of a staple in the diets of many Americans.

Mexico supplies about 80% of the avocados eaten in the United States. The import ban — stemming from purported threats to a U.S. inspector in the Latin American country — shook a billion-dollar industry. Not only did the commotion showcase the law enforcement issues that growers are frequently subjected to in Mexico, but experts said it underscored the importance of one of the strongest and most successful bilateral trade agreements.

Before being smeared into toast or squashed into

guacamole, the avocado’s life begins in an orchard in Michoacán — a western Mexican state over a thousand miles away from the border and the only one allowed to send over avocados to the United States. From a bright-green fruit hanging atop trees to its final stage inside American kitchens, the avocado’s journey from seed to food encompasses different phases of inspections and agreements between the two nations — which suddenly took a hit.

Last week, a plant safety inspector from the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service was inspecting avocados in Michoacán, when he saw some avocados that looked suspiciously like they came from another state, according to USDA and other industry experts. He raised a red flag and soon after, he received a voice-mail threat. Then the USDA announced it was shutting down imports until it could be assured its agents were safe.

The potential of an impending shortage quickly rippled

across the industry — one that came shortly before the Super Bowl, one of the avocado’s biggest events. Soon, food establishments and groceries began worrying about keeping up with a demand that has exponentially increased throughout the past decade.

Prices for the fruit deemed “green gold” were already 100% higher than the previous year, said David Magaña, a senior analyst for RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness. But the year-long availability of avocados had also increased as well — indicating that a surge in demand can be attributed to different factors, he said.

For one, avocados, with their versatility and healthy fat attributes, became a food trend and Internet obsession.

At the same time, the Hispanic population booms across the country — with a larger share of Latinos among Gen Z — have been “one of the major forces pulling the demand for avocados,” the analyst said.

But behind all those green juices and avocado Instagramworthy photos is the partnership between Mexico and the

United States — which has played a crucial role in enabling the market to expand.

In 1995 — a time when “fatfree” food staples ruled the market — the United States did not have much of a taste for avocados. The majority of the consumed fruit was produced in California. Avocado imports that year totaled $14.7 million, of which $700,000 came from Mexico, said David Orden, a professor in the department of agricultural and applied economics at Virginia Tech.

Mexico’s avocados had been banned in the decades before the North American Free Trade Agreement from 1994, Orden said - mostly out of a concern that weevils, scabs and other pests could enter U.S. orchards from imported products. The trade agreement opened the door for the incremental expansion of avocados.

In establishing a system in which U.S. inspectors verify that avocados are pest-free — from when they are growing in orchards to the moment they are packed into sealed trucks

— Mexico has been allowed to ship its agricultural product. It started with an approved wintertime stock in Alaska back in the ‘90s that has turned into a current year-long supply in all states.

“So that’s all very encouraging and great story about growth and trade agreements, and something the U.S. is trying to do in other countries as well,” Orden said.

The agreement has contributed to economic progress in both sides of the border. Last year, “the two-way food and agricultural trade reached $65 billion, including $2.8 billion in Mexican avocado exports to the United States,” U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said in a statement.

In Michoacán, some 300,000 workers depend on the avocado industry - including those doing the picking, the packing and the transporting of the fruit.

But their livelihoods have been threatened by encumbering cartels, who see the booming industry as a golden hen for profit, Orden said.

“It has attracted the

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attention of these gangs in an area where the cartels are not under control,” he said.

“That’s where this story takes on a shadier color. But that’s really a law enforcement issue, and one that affects all of our relationships with Mexico.”

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in a statement that it had worked with the Mexican government and the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers and Packers of Mexico to enact “additional measures” to safeguard the safety of its inspectors.

While the agency did not disclose what such measures encompass, they served to avert what could have been a costly avocado crisis — one that would had impacted plenty, from those picking the fruit to those biting into their avocado toasts.

“With this we ensure the exportation of fruit and provide economic certainty to farmers and day laborers,” Michoacán Gov. Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla tweeted Friday.

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA • THE DAILY MAIL

A12 Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Charged From A1

Robles and Collazo were issued appearance tickets for Catskill Town Court on March 10.

Police said their previous arrest occurred on Oct. 1, 2021, at about 12:10 a.m., when troopers stopped a vehicle driven by Collazo on West Main Street in Catskill after they witnessed numerous vehicle and traffic violations.

Collazo subsequently failed

Ukraine From A1

Russian empire.”

In 1994, Ukraine joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and surrendered its atomic arsenal.

Kaszczak said he’s hoping for a more robust American role in halting the Russian incursion into Ukraine. Finer

Questar From A1

program there now. We intend to move the Catskill Academy there.”

Cruz said Questar plans to have the academy in place at its new Durham location in September.

“We always have an extended school year for our special

a standard field sobriety test and was taken into custody, said Beau Duffy, director of information for state police.

During a search of the vehicle, a quantity of heroin, crack cocaine and packaging materials were recovered, Duffy said. Scales were also found.

Robles and Collazo were both charged by state police at that time with two counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class D felony, fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class C felony, third-degree criminal

possession of a narcotic drug with intent to sell, a class B felony, four counts of seventhdegree criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of manufacturing drug-related paraphernalia, and two counts of criminal use of drug paraphernalia, all class A misdemeanors, Duffy said.

In the previous arrest, police said, Collazo and Nobles were arraigned in Catskill Town Court. Robles was taken to the Greene County Jail, where he was held without bail. Collazo was released on her own recognizance.

said Tuesday that the White House was preparing to roll out sanctions against Russia.

President Biden on Tuesday afternoon announced several sanctions punishing Russia for its actions.

“I think I would like them to be forceful because when does the bully stop?” Kaszczak said. “Only when he gets hit on the nose. I think the sanctions should have been imposed right away. I think Putin is counting on the West doing nothing. This is about Ukraine

being attacked by its neighbor and what has Ukraine done?

Their logic is that Ukraine shouldn’t exist and since we’re bigger than you, we’re going to take you over.”

Kaszczak said the Hunter church is not currently planning any special events to protest the invasion.

“We’re a very small community with maybe 60 to 70 people in church on a Sunday,” he said. “So we pray and that’s about all we can do. Some people contact their political

representatives. I personally think Putin will do exactly what he can. If he can get the Baltic states and he can go into Poland, if NATO does nothing, then Putin will do everything.”

The Hunter pastor, who is a Polish native, said the Russian invasion seemed to be inevitable for years. In 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula, which is internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory.

“Maya Angelou had a great saying: ‘When somebody

shows you who they are, believe them,’” Kaszczak said.

“Putin said he wanted to restore the Soviet Union, or at least the Russian empire, and that’s what he’s doing. So why not believe him? The guy is doing what he said he was going to do.”

Russia’s parliament Tuesday approved Putin’s request to use military force outside of Russia’s borders. Kaszczak said he was hoping that the invasion could be halted before lives are lost in a potential

armed conflict.

“With my parishioners, we’re afraid of useless, innocent bloodshed of Russian citizens and Ukrainian citizens,” the pastor said. “The possibility that it could spill over into NATO and a wider conflict is a horrible thing to contemplate.

I don’t want any Russians or Ukrainians to die. I think the general precipice of war scares everybody and no one wants any innocent people to die.”

needs students, so we are extending that extended school year to the Durham school as well,” she said.

Cruz said the Catskill Academy program is open to students of all school districts in Greene and Columbia counties.

“Students in these programs all have individual education plans,” she said.

“So these are specialized programs to meet the needs of the

students.”

The superintendent said that moving the program to the Durham site should be beneficial to both Questar and the Catskill district.

“The Catskill Central School District has an interest in offering additional classes to students,” Cruz said. “Since we have this building, we decided to take advantage of this new opportunity in an entire building. It has larger

classroom spaces, a gym, a cafeteria, it has plenty of outdoor spaces for activities and physical education. There’s also the potential for our students from the heavy equipment program to collaborate with our staff and because it’s an entire school we’re looking to have a Maker Space room and other resources for our students. I think it’s going to be great to have the entire school.”

On Feb. 10, Catskill launched a community survey on its website seeking feedback from district residents on how to best utilize the free space that the district is set to have this fall.

In addition to six classrooms, the district will have two offices and a full-sized room that’s been divided into quadrants to offer to students.

The survey asks respondents if they would support

using the space to develop an alternative/credit recovery program for struggling students. The questionnaire also asks residents if they would support using the newly open space to develop a more supportive program for students who could excel in a smaller learning environment.

The survey concludes by asking residents to submit any other ideas they might have to utilize the space.

FILE PHOTO

A traffic stop on West Bridge Street in Catskill on Sunday, ended with the arrest of a man and woman on drug possession charges.

Homeless people on subway trains see little change as mayor’s crackdown takes effect Emma Seiwell, Brittany Kriegstein and Larry McShane New York Daily News

NEW YORK — Homeless subway rider Diego Sergio de los Rios, sitting inside a train at the 242nd St. subway station in the Bronx, was actually looking forward to aA visit from the NYPD. Yet on day one of a new city initiative to assist the homeless across New York’s 472 subway stations he had yet to see any evidence early Monday of the outreach program announced last week to address the troubling and longstanding masstransit conundrum.

“None of the police officers ever approached me,” he said while fixing his socks on a seat inside a No. 1 train. “I wish one of them would ... so I could get to an agreement for them to put me in a homeless shelter.”

Bernadette Blaise, 66, regularly sleeps on trains running out to the Coney Island/Stillwell Ave. stop in Brooklyn. The homeless woman, standing outside on a chilly February morning, said she preferred riding the rails to staying in a shelter.

“Some people, for no reason, they attack you,” she said of the shelters. “I’ve tried a few,

but it’s a mess.”

She had mixed feelings about Mayor Adams’ plan to change the homeless dynamic.

“They should not force people,” she said of attempts to move the homeless out of the subway system and into shelters. “The one who’s willing to try, sure. The shelter I’ve been to before, I won’t go there. I feel safer on the street.”

Adams and Gov. Hochul announced the new effort to help the homeless riders last Friday, with teams of police officers, mental health workers and homeless service specialists set to engage with

the dispossessed population throughout the system.

A City Hall spokeswoman said some outreach teams began patrolling the subways Monday, noting more were expected in coming days and weeks.

“As the mayor said multiple times, starting Monday3/8, joint response teams .... will start a phased-in approach to implementing our Subway Safety Plan -- walking the subways and providing assistance to those in need,” said the spokeswoman, Kate Smart.

Adams vowed last week that the NYPD would no longer

turn a blind eye to riders who smoke, get high, or flop on trains and in subway stations.

“No more just doing whatever you want,” Adams declared.

“No. Those days are over.”

Homeless woman Sherry Stenger, 27, said at the Bronx stop that she was used to a tough approach from cops.

“The police been kicking us out of the train stations, like you can’t be in there and be warm,” she said. “They kick everybody out ... but they’re supposed to be there for us, right?”

A Daily News reporter spotted seven people sleeping on the seats inside a No. 1 train

stopped at the station early Monday.

MTA subway conductor Ron Carnegie, 50, was taking a waitand-see attitude toward the new City Hall directive.

“Give it a week,” he said inside the 34th St. station in Herald Square. “It’s gonna be hard to change this. I would like to see how Adams3/8 is going to do it. I understand these people need housing. But they really need more mental health assistance.”

(C)2022 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed

by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WINSLOW TOWNSON/GETTY IMAGE

Gleyber Torres (25) of the New York Yankees reacts against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning of the American League Wild Card game at Fenway Park on Oct. 5 in Boston.

How Gleyber Torres uncertainty affects DJ LeMahieu, rest of Yankees’ infield in 2022 Kristie Ackert New York Daily News

MARK KONEZNY/USA TODAY

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Dallan Coleman (10) calls for a timeout after battling Syracuse Orange forward Jimmy Boeheim (0) for a loose ball in the second half at the Carrier Dome on Monday.

TAMPA, Fla. — Gleyber Torres has spent his late mornings and early afternoons taking balls on a high school infield over the last week. He’s working on his defense at

both shortstop and second base these days with his position with the Yankees uncertain.

The Yankees gave up on him at short in September, but did nothing See TORRES B5

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Syracuse squeezes out victory

against pesky Georgia Tech in overtime Josh St. Croix Watertown Daily Times

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse University men’s basketball team flipped its season-long script and overcame subpar shooting to win with defense Monday night at the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse made three stops in the final 30 seconds of overtime to fend off Georgia Tech for the 74-73 Atlantic Coast Conference victory in front of a crowd of 22,042 fans in attendance.

The Orange (15-12 overall, 9-7 ACC) has won six of its past seven games and will next play at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Notre Dame for the third of five games in a 10-day span.

Georgia Tech star Michael Devoe received an inbound pass with three seconds left in the extra session, took one dribble and missed the potential game-winner on a deep jump shot as the buzzer sounded.

“When you shoot that poorly for us to still be able to win the game, that’s a lot of guts, a lot of determination,” SU coach Jim Boeheim said See SYRACUSE B5

ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES

Trainer Bob Baffert raises the trophy after winning the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit at Churchill Downs on May 1, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Medina Spirit is stripped of Kentucky Derby victory, Baffert suspended John Cherwa Los Angeles Times

MARK KONEZNY/USA TODAY

Syracuse Orange guard Joseph Girard III (11) drives the ball as Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Jordan Usher (4) defends in the second half at the Carrier Dome on Monday.

Medina Spirit is no longer the winner of last year’s Kentucky Derby. At least for now.

On Monday, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission voted to strip the since-deceased colt of his victory after

he tested positive for a legal medication banned on race day. It’s only the third time a winner has been disqualified in the 146-year history of the most famous horse race.

With the disqualification, Mandaloun becomes the See DERBY B5

Getting Goran Dragic was critical for Nets’ championship hopes Kristian Winfield New York Daily News

Goran Dragic is coming to the Nets.

The free agent point guard is signing with the team for the rest of the season, according to ESPN. The move shores up the Nets’ backcourt and gives them a steady, veteran presence at the point guard position in a year when consistency has eluded the team all season.

Acquiring Dragic was of the utmost importance for a Nets team with a part-time starting point guard.

The City’s vaccine mandate does not permit the unvaccinated Kyrie Irving to play at Barclays Center, which severely handicapped the team constructed around the talents of its two superstar scorers. As a result, James Harden was forced to shoulder a load greater than he prepared for this season in Brooklyn and Patty Mills, a career sixth man, was thrust into an unforeseen circumstance: starting at point guard in home games and coming off the bench or sliding to the two guard spot on the road.

Adding Dragic to the Nets backcourt addresses several needs. He is no superstar, but he has played at a high level — both in the NBA and internationally — for decades. He was a 2018 NBA All-Star and has averaged 14 points and five assists per game entering his 14th

DAVID SANTIAGO/MIAMI HERALD

Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) drives against Brooklyn Nets guard Landry Shamet (20) in the first quarter at the AmericanAirlines Arena on April 18, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

NBA season. And he is set to play inspired basketball after landing in Toronto as part of the

Kyle Lowry trade to the Miami Heat, only to be benched and dealt to the Spurs at the trade

deadline.

Acquiring Dragic gives Steve Nash options in the backcourt, and it’s likely why the Nets head coach led the recruitment efforts trying to lure his former Phoenix Suns mentee to Brooklyn.

In home games, where Irving is ineligible, Dragic could assume the starting role (he has started 60% of his career games) and move Mills back to a reserve role. And on the road, Dragic could come off the bench and play alongside Mills, who has struggled handling the ball and initiating the offense under heavy defensive pressure at different junctures this season.

The most underrated part of the Nets signing Dragic? It keeps him away from their direct competition.

The Milwaukee Bucks were reported to have significant interest in signing Dragic off the buyout market, but he ultimately chose Brooklyn. To make space on the roster, the Nets waived inconsistent point guard Jevon Carter.

In acquiring Dragic, the Nets have the players needed to substantiate their claim as championship favorites.

Kevin Durant and Irving give the Nets superstar offensive firepower. Ben Simmons is a perennial First Team All-Defense selection and See NETS B5

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

B2 Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Pro hockey NHL Eastern Conference Atlantic Division GP W L OT SO Pts Florida 50 35 10 2 3 75 Tampa Bay 49 32 11 2 4 70 Toronto 49 32 14 2 1 67 Boston 50 29 17 2 2 62 Detroit 51 23 22 5 1 52 Ottawa 49 18 26 4 1 41 Buffalo 51 16 27 7 1 40 Montreal 51 11 33 7 0 29 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT SO Pts Carolina 50 35 11 4 0 74 Pittsburgh 52 31 13 3 5 70 NY Rangers 50 32 13 3 2 69 Washington 52 28 15 7 2 65 Columbus 49 25 23 0 1 51 NY Islanders 45 18 20 3 4 43 Philadelphia 50 15 25 6 4 40 New Jersey 50 17 28 1 4 39 Western Conference Central Division GP W L OT SO Pts Colorado 50 36 10 3 1 76 Minnesota 47 31 13 0 3 65 St. Louis 49 29 14 4 2 64 Nashville 50 28 18 2 2 60 Dallas 49 27 20 1 1 56 Winnipeg 50 22 20 4 4 52 Chicago 52 18 26 6 2 44 Arizona 50 13 33 0 4 30 Pacific Division GP W L OT SO Pts Calgary 49 30 13 6 0 66 Vegas 51 29 18 3 1 62 Edmonton 50 28 19 3 0 59 Los Angeles 50 26 17 5 2 59 Anaheim 52 24 19 5 4 57 Vancouver 51 23 22 3 3 52 San Jose 49 22 22 4 1 49 Seattle 51 16 31 3 1 36 Sunday’s games Carolina 4, Pittsburgh 3 Montreal 3, NY Islanders 2, SO Florida 5, Chicago 2 NY Rangers 2, Ottawa 1 Columbus 7, Buffalo 3 Arizona 3, Dallas 1 Vegas 4, San Jose 1 Minnesota 7, Edmonton 3 Monday’s games Boston 5, Colorado 1 Carolina 4, Philadelphia 3, OT Calgary 3, Winnipeg 1 Montreal 5, Toronto 2 Seattle at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

Tuesday’s games St. Louis at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Nashville at Florida, 7 p.m.

Toronto at Columbus, 7 p.m.

NY Islanders at Seattle, 10 p.m.

San Jose at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

GF GA 208 145 169 139 175 137 145 139 147 176 130 156 138 182 117 197 GF GA 176 121 173 140 151 127 171 145 163 180 111 126 128 176 146 182 GF GA 199 143 183 143 175 137 153 143 143 145 145 150 126 176 114 186 GF GA 169 114 169 150 168 161 147 141 156 158 135 146 131 154 133 180

Pro basketball NBA Eastern Conference Atlantic W L Pct Philadelphia 35 23 .603 Boston 34 26 .567 Toronto 32 25 .561 Brooklyn 31 28 .525 New York 25 34 .424 Central W L Pct Chicago 38 21 .644 Cleveland 35 23 .603 Milwaukee 36 24 .600 Indiana 20 40 .333 Detroit 13 45 .224 Southeast W L Pct Miami 38 21 .644 Charlotte 29 31 .483 Atlanta 28 30 .483 Washington 27 31 .466 Orlando 13 47 .217 Western Conference Northwest W L Pct Utah 36 22 .621 Denver 33 25 .569 Minnesota 31 28 .525 Portland 25 34 .424 Oklahoma City 18 40 .310 Pacific W L Pct Phoenix 48 10 .828 Golden State 42 17 .712 L.A. Clippers 30 31 .492 L.A. Lakers 27 31 .466 Sacramento 22 38 .367 Southwest W L Pct Memphis 41 19 .683 Dallas 35 24 .593 San Antonio 23 36 .390 New Orleans 23 36 .390 Houston 15 43 .259 Sunday’s game (All-Star Game, at Cleveland) Team LeBron 163, Team Durant 160

GB — 2.0 2.5 4.5 10.5 GB — 2.5 2.5 18.5 24.5 GB — 9.5 9.5 10.5 25.5 GB — 3.0 5.5 11.5 18.0 GB — 6.5 19.5 21.0 27.0 GB — 5.5 17.5 17.5 25.0

College basketball MONDAY’S SCORES MEN EAST Boston College 71, Florida State 55 Colgate 63, American U. 49 Coppin St. 86, Howard 82 Lafayette 84, Holy Cross 61 Maryland 67, Penn St. 61 Morgan St. 85, Norfolk State 74 Syracuse 74, Georgia Tech 73, OT SOUTH Alabama A&M 71, Florida A&M 63 Marshall 74, Southern Miss 60 Md.-Eastern Shore 79, N. Carolina Central 66 Middle Tennessee St. 77, Texas-El Paso 59 North Carolina 70, Louisville 63 Prairie View A&M 69, Mississippi Valley State 64 Samford 76, The Citadel 74 South Carolina State 79, Delaware State 74 Texas Christian 77, West Virginia 67 MIDWEST Drake 74, Indiana St. 58 Liberty 85, Central Arkansas 66 Loyola-Chicago 59, Illinois St. 50 Ohio St. 80, Indiana 69, OT SIU Edwardsville 66, Eastern Illinois 52 Texas Southern 70, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 68 Valparaiso 74, Evansville 69 WEST Northern Colorado 77, Idaho State 70 Southern Utah 79, Northern Arizona 48

USA TODAY COACHES POLL 1. Gonzaga (32) 2. Arizona (0) 3. Kentucky (0) 4. Auburn (0) 5. Kansas (0) 6. Duke (0) 7. Purdue (0) 8. Villanova (0) 9. Texas Tech (0) 10. Providence (0) 11. Baylor (0) 12. Wisconsin (0) 13. UCLA (0) 14. Illinois (0) 15. Houston (0) 16. USC (0) 17. Tennessee (0) 18. Arkansas (0) 19. Ohio St (0) 20. Connecticut (0) 21. Murray St. (0) 22. Texas (0) 23. Saint Mary’s (0) 24. Michigan St (0) 25. Alabama (0)

Record 23-2 24-2 22-5 24-3 22-4 23-4 24-4 21-6 21-6 22-3 22-5 21-5 19-5 19-7 22-4 23-4 19-7 21-6 16-7 19-7 26-2 19-8 22-6 18-8 17-10

Pts 800 757 682 669 658 652 643 546 534 511 509 434 394 375 333 325 311 211 179 170 163 151 75 72 46

Prv 1 4 3 2 6 5 7 10 11 9 8 16 14 12 15 17 13 24 18 24 21 20 NR 19 NR

TODAY’S SCHEDULE EAST Yale (15-10) at Dartmouth (7-15), 6 p.m.

Rhode Island (13-12) at St. Bonaventure (17-7), 7 p.m.

Richmond (17-10) at George Washington (1114), 7 p.m.

Siena (13-10) at Monmouth-NJ (17-9), 7 p.m.

Charleston (14-12) at Northeastern (7-19), 7 p.m.

Miami (19-8) at Pittsburgh (11-17), 8 p.m.

Villanova (21-6) at Connecticut (19-7), 8 p.m.

SOUTH Georgia (6-21) at Texas A&M (16-11), 7 p.m.

Arkansas (21-6) at Florida (17-10), 7 p.m.

Oklahoma (14-13) at Texas Tech (21-6), 8 p.m.

Alabama (17-10) at Vanderbilt (14-12), 9 p.m.

MIDWEST St. Thomas (MN) (8-19) at N. Dakota (6-23), 2 p.m.

Ball St. (12-14) at Kent St. (17-9), 7 p.m.

Bowling Green (12-15) at Akron (17-9), 7 p.m.

Buffalo (16-8) at Miami (OH) (12-14), 7 p.m.

Toledo (21-6) at Western Michigan (6-21), 7 p.m.

Central Michigan (6-18) at Ohio (22-5), 7 p.m.

Tennessee (19-7) at Missouri (10-17), 7 p.m.

Michigan St (18-8) at Iowa (18-8), 7 p.m.

N. Illinois (8-17) at E. Michigan (9-18), 7 p.m.

St. Joseph’s (10-15) at Saint Louis (18-9), 8 p.m.

Nebraska (7-19) at Northwestern (12-13), 8 p.m.

Kansas State (14-12) at Kansas (22-4), 9 p.m.

WEST Fresno St. (16-10) at Air Force (10-15), 9 p.m.

San Diego St. (17-6) at Boise St. (21-6), 9 p.m.

NHL Hall of Fame coach and GM Emile ‘The Cat’ Francis dies at 95 Geoff Baker Seattle Times

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Word came out over the weekend that Hall of Fame coach and general manager Emile “The Cat” Francis, the oldest living former player from one of Seattle’s professional teams, had died at age 95.

Saskatchewan-born Francis was best known as a longtime New York Rangers coach and GM, guiding that team to the 1972 Stanley Cup Final before losing to Boston. But as a goaltender, despite standing just 5-foot-6 and weighing only 145 pounds, he appeared in 95 NHL games with the Rangers and Chicago, plus 959 contests in the minor professional American Hockey League and Western Hockey League.

During his WHL stint, Francis spent 69 games with the Seattle Americans in 1956-57 and one more game in 1959-60 after the franchise was renamed “Totems.” His NHL executive career included GM stops in St. Louis and then in Hartford, where his Whalers teams were captained by current Kraken GM Ron Francis (no relation).

“He was of smaller stature, but with a really bubbly kind of personality,” Ron Francis said Monday, adding he’d caught up with his former boss many times over the years at GM meetings in Florida, where he’d retired to. “Just honest, a straight shooter kind of guy.

So, players liked that and respected that. He was a fun guy to be around.”

Francis remembered “The Cat” early on bringing over a bunch of players from his St. Louis tenure, the biggest being star goalie Mike Liut, who helped the Whalers into the second round of the 1985-86 playoffs before losing a seven-game heartbreaker in overtime to eventual champion Montreal.

“He brought in a lot of the guys that are still involved in the game today that came through the Whalers,” Francis said.

Indeed, “The Cat” — whose nickname was bestowed after a sportswriter wrote about his catlike reflexes in one particularly strong performance — imported much of Hartford’s famed NHL coaching tree to that organization as players. Those included future

BRAD PENNER/USA TODAY

Former Rangers coach Emile Francis speaks during a banner raising ceremony for former Ranger star Jean Ratelle before a game between the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 25, 2018.

NHL coaches and assistant coaches Dave Tippett, Joel Quenneville, Kevin Dineen, Dean Evason and Ulf Samuelsson while serving as Whalers GM from 1983-1988. He was also Hartford’s president from 1988-1993, bringing in current Anaheim Ducks GM Pat Verbeek as a rugged winger during that time.

“There were a bunch of us guys that were texting yesterday about it,” Tippett, the former NHL Seattle senior adviser recently let go as Edmonton Oilers coach, said in an interview Monday. “Me and Joel Quenneville, Ronnie (Francis) and Kevin Dineen and all those guys that were there in the mid1980s. It’s amazing, we’re all still close friends now and it was all Emile’s guys that he brought there.”

Tippett had been an undrafted free agent out of the University of North Dakota in 1984 preparing to play for Team Canada at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. That’s when Emile Francis flew out to Indianapolis to see him in an exhibition game against Team USA, took him to dinner afterward and told him he’d be “a good fit” with what they were

China should never have been allowed to hold these Olympics La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune

BEIJING — Sports fans have been forced to gaze toward China this month as it held a Winter Olympics it should have never been allowed to hold.

China’s authoritarian government, its human rights violations, its suppression of cultures, its denial of free speech, and its oppression directed toward the Uyghurs, a Chinese Muslim ethnic group, is enough evidence. The Games should have been played elsewhere.

Which country? Any, as long as they treat human beings like humans.

Instead, the Games were given to China, a country that has been accused of everything from forced labor to sterilization to genocide.

For this, we can thank the International Olympic Committee for failing to take a stand, holding its hands out and accepting billions from this ruthless country. China was allowed to practice “sportswashing” — scrubbing away at its dirty reputation through athletics — for a second time.

Beijing played host to the Summer Games in 2008 and put on one heck of a show.

Yet its stance on human rights has not changed one bit since then.

Now, Beijing has become the first city to host a Summer and Winter Olympics — and you can thank the IOC’s greed and lust for opulence for that distinction.

Several countries and cities dropped out of the running for the 2022 Olympics

as the bidding process went along. You see, the IOC likes to be pampered at the Games. Oslo, Norway, would have been a fine choice for a host city. But details of the IOC’s wish list were made public.

The demands, according to reports, included an exclusive lounge for IOC members; a private meeting with King Harald V; doves to be released following the parade of athletes; no street vendors beginning two weeks before the Games; all meeting rooms kept at 68 degrees; separate lanes on roads solely for IOC members.

That was enough for Oslo to drop out, leaving China and Kazakhstan as the remaining bidders.

Most democratically run countries will be hardpressed to sell voters on the Olympics just from the infrastructure costs alone. Adding these “sweeteners” makes that sell-job impossible. The IOC needs authoritarian-run nations such as China and Russia in the bidding, for their politicians can’t be voted out of office and can approve what they want. And that is troubling.

The IOC claims it will change how it evaluates potential host cities. But we need to see deeds, not words.

Thomas Bach, the German fencer-turned-IOC president, has stated many times that he wants the Olympics to be politically neutral. That, in of itself, is a stance. It allows the IOC to fatten its accounts no matter how diabolical the country writing checks.

doing in Hartford.

“I have real respect for that man,” Tippett said. “The way he treated people and ran his team was pretty unbelievable.”

The Seattle Americans team Emile Francis played for in 1956-57 was led by player-coach Keith Allen, the future Philadelphia Flyers GM and architect of the “Broad Street Bullies” back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975. Ahead of the first of those titles, the Francis-coached Rangers extended the Flyers to seven games in the 1974 semifinals before bowing out.

Seattle’s top scorer during “The Cat’s” 1956-57 season was Guyle Fielder — now believed to be the oldest living former Seattle pro player, having turned 91 last November.

Francis also spent his final full pro season as a player in Spokane for the WHL Spokes in 1958-59. Kraken’s Jared McCann ready for 400th game Plenty has changed for Kraken winger Jared McCann since launching his NHL career in this city 400 games ago with the Vancouver Canucks.

Back then, McCann was just 19, drafted 24th overall in 2014 and breaking into a veteran-laden playoff team the following year. Now, three teams later, McCann is enjoying a breakout season -- leading the Kraken with a career high 20 goals and just three points shy of his personal best of 35.

“Just the leaders we had on that team, the guys I got to learn from — the Sedin brothers, Alex Edler and Alex Burrows and those guys — it was pretty awesome to be able to play with the and kind of learn from them,” McCann said after the Kraken’s morning skate here ahead of playing in his 400th career game.

Things didn’t always go smoothly for McCann with the Canucks. He was traded to Florida after that first 201516 season, with subsequent reports the teen’s immature behavior off the ice had plenty to do with it.

McCann said he’d changed plenty entering Game No. 400.

“I’m definitely making more of an opportunity,” he said. “I have more confidence. And obviously, I’ve matured a lot as a person as well. You know, it just comes with experienced.”

And one thing he learned from that veteran Canucks team is not to take his current success for granted. “You’ve got to be a pro every day,” he said. “The day you get comfortable is the day that you get traded or somebody takes your spot.” Calle Jarnkrok ‘trying to play (his) game’ amid trade rumors Kraken forward Calle Jarnkrok, with five points his last five games heading into Monday, appears back in full form after a COVID-19 bout and subsequent injury derailed his opening month. “When you play on a regular basis, it gets easier for sure,” said Jarnkrok, whose 10 goals and 10 assists in 39 games now have him approaching his prior production levels with Nashville.

Jarnkrok is a free agent after this season and already drawing mentions as a Kraken trade possibility with the March 21 deadline looming.

“We’re not in a playoff spot right now so there’s going to be a lot of attention,” Jarnkrok said of the rumors. “But I’m just trying to play my game. Trying to help this team win. So, I try not to think about that.”

NHL roundup: Flames tie team record with 10th straight win Field Level Media

Elias Lindholm scored the tie-breaking goal with 47 seconds left and the Calgary Flames tied their franchise record with their 10th consecutive victory, a 3-1 win against the visiting Winnipeg Jets on Monday afternoon.

Lindholm has scored a goal in eight straight games, which also ties a franchise record.

Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli also scored. Jacob Markstrom made 22 saves for the Flames, who had won 10 straight games twice previously in franchise history, most recently toward the end of the 2016-17 season.

Markstrom has won eight straight decisions, allowing two goals or fewer in all eight wins, including two shutouts.

Bruins 5, Avalanche 1 A trio of second-period goals lifted Boston to a dominating win over visiting Colorado.

David Pastrnak tallied two goals and an assist, Taylor Hall assisted on three of Boston’s last four goals and Charlie McAvoy (two assists) and Patrice Bergeron (one goal, one assist) also had multiple points. Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves to move to 3-0-1 in his last four starts in the Bruins’ net.

Nathan MacKinnon scored the lone goal for Colorado, which had its streak of seven straight road wins snapped.

Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen assisted MacKinnon’s goal. Despite making 40 saves, Darcy Kuemper dropped his first regulation decision after a franchiserecord 16-0-2 run.

Hurricanes 4, Flyers 3 (OT) Brett Pesce scored with 18 seconds remaining in

CANDICE WARD/USA TODAY

Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm (28) celebrates his third period goal against the Winnipeg Jets at Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday.

overtime to lift Carolina past host Philadelphia.

Vincent Trocheck added one goal and one assist while Nino Niederreiter and Teuvo Teravainen also scored for the Hurricanes, who won their third in a row. Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen made 38 saves.

Gerry Mayhew, Patrick Brown and Oskar Lindblom each scored one goal for the reeling Flyers, who have lost five straight as well as the opening two games of an eight-game homestand.

Canadiens 5, Maple Leafs 2 Josh Anderson had two goals and an assist to lead host Montreal past Toronto.

Cole Caufield added a goal and two assists for the Canadiens, who extended their winning streak to a seasonbest three games. Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick also scored for the Canadiens, who led 5-0 after two periods.

Sam Montembeault stopped 35 shots for Montreal.

Ilya Mikheyev and Pierre Engvall scored for the Maple

Leafs, who have lost two in a row. Petr Mrazek made 19 saves for Toronto.

Canucks 5, Kraken 2 Tyler Motte scored 11 seconds into the game and Bo Horvat added a goal 35 seconds into the third period as Vancouver used a quickstrike offense to rally past visiting Seattle.

Travis Hamonic, Vasily Podkolzin and Tanner Pearson each added goals as the Canucks rebounded from a one-goal first-period deficit to win for the third time in four games. Thatcher Demko made 25 saves for Vancouver, which improved to 3-0-0 against the Kraken this season.

Jared McCann and Mark Giordano each scored firstperiod goals for Seattle. McCann, who played for the Canucks in his rookie season of 2015-16, scored in his 400th career game. Chris Driedger stopped 41 shots for the Kraken, who dropped their fourth consecutive game.

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 B3

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Controversy overshadowed figure skating at the Olympics — Young skaters still have dreams Kyle Melnick The Washington Post

After leading his first 50-minute lesson Sunday morning, Caleb Wein distributed report cards to young skaters wearing colorful Lego, cat and dinosaurthemed helmets. One boy, covered in black pads, beamed after receiving strong grades as he skated toward his family outside the rink at Maryland’s Rockville Ice Arena.

“Thank you, Coach Caleb,” the boy yelled as he headed toward a hot dog lunch. Wein smiled and nodded before turning his attention to his next group of trainees.

Wein and his ice dance partner, Angela Ling, remember the joy and optimism of learning to skate as 4-year-olds. After a strong training session, their lifelong dreams of competing in the Olympics didn’t seem so far away. Wein and Ling, one of the top young pairs in the United States, have continued chasing the sport’s grandest stage even as their flawless vision of Olympic figure skating changed this winter.

They were upset when Russian skater Kamila Valieva was allowed to compete in the Olympic women’s individual competition in Beijing after she tested positive for a banned substance. The harsh reality of the sport continued to set in as they watched the pressure coaches placed on the 15-year-old Valieva and her teammates.

“It’s not a good look,” said Wein, who qualified for the World Junior Championships with Ling in Sofia, Bulgaria, later this year. “You don’t want the potential next generation to be seeing this and getting kind of pushed away from the sport and kind of repulsed by some of the things that are going on.”

Wein, 20, and Ling, 17, will continue pursuing the Olympics, but they worry the controversy could discourage skaters from entering the sport. They visited the rink on their lone day off this week to provide children the amusement and encouragement that helped the duo’s passion flourish.

The controversy stands as the dominant story line of the Beijing Games, one with ripples that the entire sport could feel for years. Olympians are awaiting medals, advocates are demanding governance reform

KATHERINE FREY/WASHINGTON POST

Caleb Wein, 20, teaches beginners to skate at Rockville Ice Arena.

He and his ice dance partner, Angela Ling, still have Olympic aspirations, but they were upset to see someone test positive for a banned drug and still be able to compete.

KATHERINE FREY/WASHINGTON POST

Ice dancers Caleb Wein, 20, and Angela Ling, 17, have qualified to compete at the World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, later this year.

and a new generation of skaters waits to learn what the reeling sport will look like as they seek to fulfill their own Olympic dreams.

The Games formally ended with Sunday’s Closing Ceremonies, but across the country, American skaters are still flocking to local rinks; training for local, regional and national competitions; and hoping they someday might be able to also perform on the world’s biggest stage.

Inside the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, 11-year-old Emelia Nemirovsky was on the ice practicing triple jumps with one of her coaches. Banners for 1998 Olympic champion Tara Lipinski and 2014 Olympic champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White hung overhead as Nemirovsky glided across the ice.

Nemirovksy’s mother and grandmother, who are both Russian, put her on the ice and started teaching her how to skate when she was just a pudgyfaced 4-year-old. Now, the sixth grader practices 16 hours a week at the metro-Detroit club and is on the U.S. Figure Skating National Development Team at the intermediate level.

“I love looking forward to the Olympics,” she said. “The skaters really push me and want to make me achieve that goal.”

She watched every moment of this year’s competition, studying the routines and

dissecting the way the skaters moved with the music. She’d never seen anything like the women’s free skate, in which Valieva succumbed to crippling pressure and the joy was sucked out of the arena entirely.

“It was a disaster, honestly,” she said. “It’s not something you want to look up to.”

The women’s competition in Beijing has been a particularly fraught topic in skating clubs, with much of the discussion focused on the role of the coaches and vulnerability of Valieva.

“Normally, figure skating is not like that,” said 14-year old Erin Biederman, of Franklin, Michigan. “At competitions it’s normally really supportive.”

Even with all the drama swirling around this year’s women’s figure skating competition, Biederman, who is working toward making it to U.S. nationals for juniors, says it hasn’t changed her attitude toward the sport or her future goals.

“I still want to go to the Olympics,” she said.

The Winter Games every four years represent the culmination of a journey, one that includes years of training, competing and persevering. The process can be difficult for any skater.

In December 2018, Ling, from Ontario, posted her profile on a skating website in search of a dance partner, prepared to move anywhere to pursue her Olympic dreams. She eventually found Wein and settled in

Rockville.

As the pair has ascended the sport’s ranks, no detail, on or off the ice, has been too small.

Coaches have scrutinized their diet, knowing one mistake could end their Olympic goals.

So they were particularly frustrated that Valieva was allowed to compete after testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine.

But after watching Valieva place fourth and cry as coaches scolded her, Wein and Ling were struck by the pressure Valieva carried. Ling also felt concerned as she viewed the Russians who medaled - Anna Shcherbakova (gold) and Alexandra Trusova (silver) - express dissatisfaction.

“You don’t want the younger kids to see that, like, ‘Oh, they won the Olympics, but they’re still upset. So what do they have to look forward to?’” Ling said.

“None of it was good.

“There’s a lot of issues in skating. But this one really pushed it out and people saw it and are upset about it. Hopefully, some things will change.”

Sunday is usually the one day Wein and Ling escape skating, but the pair arrived at the rink early for an 11 a.m. session. They carried clipboards full of paperwork as they directed a group of 25 youngsters in beginner skating lessons. When Wein and Ling instructed the children to skate backward, most traveled across the ice. One boy kept falling, however, until Ling and

KATHERINE FREY/WASHINGTON POST

Angela Ling, 17, teaches beginners to skate at Rockville Ice Arena. Ling moved from Ontario to Maryland to pursue her Olympic dream.

Wein guided him to the opposite wall.

“I hope that next generation doesn’t get turned away from the sport because they think it’s unfair,” Wein said, “or they just don’t want to be a part of that.”

Most coaches haven’t noticed a difference in skaters’ objectives, noting the United States provides more support and autonomy in development than in Russia, where skaters often begin Olympic training as children.

Shirley Hughes, a Denverbased coach who trained U.S. Olympian Ashley Wagner, worries young skaters will feel pressure to replicate Valieva’s movements and difficult jumps.

Valieva was the first woman to land a quad at the Olympics.

“That’s what I’m worried about: They’ll say, ‘What good does it do to try because they’re not going to choose me anyway?’” Hughes said. “I tell them they can take their own path and

they can do as well as possible and not worry about the quads.”

Audrey Weisiger, a veteran coach from the Fairfax Ice Arena in Virginia, believes interest in skating will persist. During a recent children’s class, she asked the group about the Olympics.

“There’s this big competition coming up,” Weisiger recalled telling the children. “Aren’t you excited?”

“Yes, yes, Ms. Audrey,” they responded.

“Okay,” Weisiger said.

“What’s it called?”

“The Cardinal Classic,” they yelled, referring to their upcoming Northern Virginia competition.

“Most of the kids that skate in America are skating because they like it,” Weisiger said.

“American skating schools, we’re an open house. You come in, you sign up, you pay your lesson fee and you skate. That’s not going to change.”

Juwan Howard’s actions left Michigan, Big Ten no choice John Niyo The Detroit News

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It was indefensible Sunday, when a postgame handshake line suddenly became a mosh pit -- and perilously close to a crime scene -- after Michigan’s loss to Wisconsin in Madison.

So it was inevitable Monday, when the Big Ten Conference, working in concert with administrators from both schools, announced a handful of suspensions, starting with head coach Juwan Howard, who took a swipe at a Wisconsin assistant coach in the middle of Sunday’s scrum and now will lose his seat on the Wolverines’ bench for the rest of the regular season.

Howard will miss Michigan’s final five games and pay a $40,000 fine for his central role in Sunday’s fiasco, as frustrations from the end of the Wolverines’ 77-63 loss boiled over in an embarrassing display of unchecked emotions.

That’s the banner headline, anyway, following a day that was anything but that for the league, let alone Howard or his employers, which partly explains why it was Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel who “proactively” handed down Howard’s suspension early Monday evening.

It’s one that is scheduled to end in time for Howard to return to the sideline for the Big Ten tournament, though the university said any final decision on postseason participation by Howard would come only after a meeting between “all parties.” And don’t underestimate

the involvement of Michigan’s interim university president, Mary Sue Coleman, who was on the phone with her Wisconsin counterpart, Jay Rothman, to offer an apology Sunday.

“Today’s disciplinary actions underscore the seriousness with which we take the incident that unfolded on Sunday,” Manuel said in a statement released Monday night. “Simply put, there is no room at U-M for the behavior we saw. We will learn from this incident as a department, work to improve ourselves while operating under a spotlight, and move forward in a positive light.”

Still, this incident threatens to overshadow the rest of this season for the Wolverines -- scrambling to try to secure an NCAA Tournament berth -- while delivering a serious blow to Howard’s reputation, less than three years after he returned to his alma mater as head coach.

Frankly, though, he should feel fortunate to still have a job.

And while some will argue whether Howard’s punishment fits the crime here, it’s fair to wonder how some others managed to avoid paying a price for their roles in escalating things Sunday.

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard was fined $10,000 for violating the Big Ten’s sportsmanship policy, while the three players that were seen throwing punches -- Wisconsin’s Jahcobi Neath and Michigan’s Moussa Diabate and Terrance Williams II -- all received one-game suspensions.

NIC ANTAYA/GETTY IMAGES

Head coach Juwan Howard of the Michigan Wolverines reacts during a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Crisler Arena on Feb. 12 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

But even though the league noted that “many members of the bench area for both teams, including assistant coaches, did not represent the level of sportsmanship that is expected,” no

other fines or disciplinary actions were announced. And that’s hard to square with the mayhem that took place, right up to that juvenile WWE gesture by the Badgers’ strength coach

directed at the Michigan contingent.

Yet the point here is exactly that: This whole situation could’ve been so much worse, and Howard, as the primary instigator, should consider himself lucky it wasn’t.

“After taking time to reflect on all that happened, I realize how unacceptable both my actions and words were, and how they affected so many,” Howard said in a statement Monday released by the university. “I am truly sorry.”

Howard went on to apologize to his players, his staff, his family and Michigan fans, as well as Wisconsin’s Joe Krabbenhoft, the assistant coach he struck amid all the pushing and shoving and yelling on the court.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, the dean of Big Ten coaches, called it a “scary situation” and “bad for college basketball” when he was asked about it at his weekly press conference Monday. And he’s not wrong: Who’s to say what would’ve happened had things spilled over into the stands? Or if one of those players had been seriously injured while throwing haymakers.

That’s why everyone knew significant penalties were coming, even if they didn’t agree on who was most culpable. And the way this drew national attention over the last 24 hours, Michigan knew it couldn’t afford to delay or deflect its duty to self-police.

Especially since it was less than a year ago that Howard found himself in a similar situation. Howard narrowly avoided

a suspension last March when he clashed with then-Maryland coach Mark Turgeon at the Big Ten tournament, an argument that ended with Howard reportedly threatening Turgeon and having to be restrained by his own staff. He drew a pair of technical fouls, was ejected, and after apologizing for his actions, the Big Ten said it reviewed the incident and declined to add any further discipline.

“That’s not the way you handle situations like that under adverse moments,” Howard said at the time. “Can’t let your emotions get the best of you. I love how our guys stepped up and supported their coach, because they know I’m always gonna support them. But I’m going to always take ownership when I’m wrong and admit when I’m wrong. That’s not the right way how to handle that situation.”

Yet he failed to heed his own words Sunday. Then in his postgame press conference he seemingly accepted no responsibility for the way things erupted. And all that left the league and Michigan’s administration no choice but to act.

It also leaves his team and his players in a terrible spot -- and not just the two who were suspended for their actions after Howard carelessly took the first swing. Think of the seniors, including Eli Brooks, who returned for a fifth year, intent on making another run at a national championship.

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

B4 Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Austin Cindric’s Daytona 500 battle with Bubba Wallace a sign of what’s ahead for NASCAR Alex Andrejev The Charlotte Observer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Although Austin Cindric mentioned the “packed house” present to witness his Daytona 500 win, he said that he never really let himself focus on the fun and fanfare of the week.

“It’s just not who I am,” Cindric said. “I’m way too competitive. I know how much is at stake and how much work I’ve put in to really pay attention to it. Like I said, I’m not externally motivated or intimidated.”

Cindric’s climb through the NASCAR ranks has been characterized by his intense discipline. As the son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric, Austin’s ascension to the powerhouse Cup organization after four full-time Xfinity seasons was unsurprising, but it was never given. It was his composure behind the wheel and ability to get the job done that led team owner Roger Penske to put the rookie in the No. 2 Ford vacated by Brad Keselowski.

Those characteristics paid off on NASCAR’s biggest stage Sunday as Cindric fended off a flank of competitors, including Keselowski, teammate Ryan Blaney and Toyota driver Bubba Wallace racing for the checkered flag in overtime.

For Cindric, at 23 years old, it was his first Cup victory in eight starts in NASCAR’s top series after making seven of those behind the wheel of Penske’s No. 33 Ford last year.

He became the first rookie to win the Daytona 500, as Trevor Bayne wasn’t eligible for rookie of the year honors when he won the race in 2011.

“I don’t think you can express how hard it is to play defense at one of these

MATT STAMEY/USA TODAY

NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) and Austin Cindric (2) Kyle Busch (18) and Ryan Blaney (12) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47) in turn three at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.

races when you’re leading, to be able to finish that off,” No. 2 crew chief Jeremy Bullins said, noting the time away from the track Cindric spends studying racing.

Motorsports are not just a family passion, but Cindric’s obsession. (“There’s nothing more important to me than being part of this sport,” Cindric said.) Although he might not yet be a household name, Cindric has a distinct personality and he’s primed for more wins in NASCAR’s top series, along with the young drivers he hurtled through the finish line alongside at Daytona International Speedway.

The top four finishing drivers at this year’s Daytona 500, including Cindric, were

Arizona shoots up to No. 2 in AP Top 25 poll Field Level Media

Arizona climbed to No. 2 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll released Monday, the highest ranking for the Wildcats in four years.

The Wildcats went 2-0 last week, including fighting off Oregon on Saturday, 84-81. Arizona (24-2) has won eight in a row.

Gonzaga (23-2) kept its grip on the top spot with all 61 first-place votes.

Auburn (24-3) dropped to No. 3 after losing at Florida on Saturday, the Tigers’ second loss in their last four games.

Purdue (24-4) rose a spot to No. 4 and Kansas (22-4) also moved up a spot to No. 5.

Kentucky (22-5) comes in at No. 6 followed by

Duke (23-4) and No. 8 Villanova (21-6). Texas Tech (21-6) and Baylor (22-5) round out the top 10.

Arkansas (21-6) jumped five spots to No. 18 after a 2-0 week, including a win vs. Tennessee on Saturday. The Vols (19-7) dropped a spot to No. 17 this week.

Saints Mary’s (22-6) is back in the Top 25 after a week off. The Gaels are at No. 23. Iowa (18-8) joins the poll for the first time, at No. 25, after a win against Ohio State. The Buckeyes (16-7) fell four spots to No. 22.

Michigan State fell out of the poll after losses to Penn State and Illinois last week. The Spartans have lost four of five.

Wyoming fell out of the Top 25 after a 1-1 week.

Wallace, Chase Briscoe and Blaney, and all are under 30 years old. Although Wallace and Blaney have multiple years of experience racing at NASCAR’s top level, they don’t quite sit in the veteran category of champions like Keselowski or Kevin Harvick or the Busch brothers. The race not only marked the superspeedway debut of the Next Gen car, but it highlighted the competitive arrival of NASCAR’s next generation of drivers, and Cindric is among them.

“With the new crop of drivers, and we have some drivers that are retiring, I think it’s leaving an opening for these young kids,” Penske team owner Roger Penske said. “When you look at the 5

car, (Kyle) Larson, and what he’s done, come in, just bang, when he got into the car, I think you’re going to see a lot of that.”

“With the (new) car being somewhat of a leveler, because everyone has got the same hammer, then it’s up to strategy, execution and the driver,” he continued.

Prior to Sunday’s race, Cup rookies and veterans alike mentioned the potential for that effect this year; with everyone starting at ground zero, why couldn’t this be the best year for a rookie to enter the Cup Series? Why couldn’t a rookie win the Daytona 500? While the superspeedway opener is just one event on a schedule of 36 races at a

variety of tracks, Cindric’s win was no fluke, nor was Blaney’s presence on the last lap.

Bullins, who is a former crew chief for Blaney and Keselowski, described the evolution of both Blaney and Cindric as drivers.

“Ryan, he had so much talent and just needed the experience, and I think it’s the same thing with Austin,” Bullins said. “I think the years he’s been in the Xfinity car and the experience he gained there just made him better ... I hope this (win) gives him a sense of belonging over here, that ‘I can do this’ and ‘I do fit in’ (mentality) and all those things, because that confidence is very inspiring and leads you to do great things.

“... I’m telling you, the kid studies and he works hard.

And he puts a lot of effort into it. If he’s not doing well, he will figure it out for sure.”

The Next Gen car has been described as emphasizing driver ability and handling, and Cindric’s nose-to-thegrindstone work ethic might be exactly what it takes to unlock it. In the hours after his win, he was already thinking about performance analysis, saying that there was “still a long list” that he planned to evaluate in terms of driving the Next Gen car.

“There’s so much different about this car, but at the same time it is the same style of racing,” Cindric said. “... The runs bode a lot differently. It was really interesting to see who picked up on different things throughout the race, even in practice ... 400 miles in, (we) learned a lot about it and got ourselves in really good track position by the end of the race.

“I think I knew what I was going to have to do to be able to hold cars off if I (had) that opportunity.”

He blocked his teammate then battled with Wallace through the finish line, exhibiting the composure of well-studied veteran and the scrappiness of a rookie hungry for his first win. Later in the evening, after a tire-shredding burnout, he said that he’d try to soak in the win before Fontana. His personality suggests that will be short-lived.

“As far as what’s after the Daytona 500, there’s a race next week that needs to be won by somebody,” Cindric said. “So got to start focusing on that at some point.”

Top 25 roundup: No. 10 Baylor wins in OT on James Akinjo’s jumper Field Level Media

James Akinjo shrugged off a ragged game by nailing the deciding pullup jumper with 14 seconds left in overtime as short-handed No. 10 Baylor outlasted Oklahoma State 66-64 on Monday in Stillwater, Okla.

Adam Flagler’s 3-pointer with 1:13 remaining in regulation gave the Bears (23-5, 11-4 Big 12) a two-point lead, but Isaac Likekele responded with the tying layup for Oklahoma State with 42 seconds left. After a miss by Flagler, the Cowboys called a timeout to set up for a winning shot but could not get a good look, sending the game to overtime.

Likekele’s 3-point attempt with one second left in overtime bounced off the rim, sealing the outcome.

Flagler led the way for Baylor with a career-high-tying 29 points, and Matthew Mayer added 12. Akinjo scored just six points of 2-of-9 shooting but was clutch when it counted the most, helping the Bears win for the fourth time in five games.

Thompson paced Oklahoma

ROB FERGUSON/USA TODAY

Baylor Bears teammates celebrate guard James Akinjo (11) pull up jumper to win the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Monday.

State (13-14, 6-9) with 15 points.

Likekele and Moussa Cisse had 12 each while Avery Anderson III scored 10 points for the Cowboys, who have alternated losses and wins over their past seven games.

No. 12 UCLA 66, Arizona State 52 Jules Bernard and

Jaylen Clark each finished with 16 points to lead the Bruins past the Sun Devils in Los Angeles.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Clark also had nine rebounds to help UCLA (20-5, 12-4 Pac-12) post a 37-30 rebounding edge. The Bruins played without Tyger Campbell (left shoulder) and

Peyton Watson (left knee) but got back Johnny Juzang (hip) and Cody Riley (rest).

Arizona State (10-16, 6-10) had its three-game winning streak snapped as UCLA avenged a triple-overtime loss to the Sun Devils on Feb. 5 at Tempe, Ariz. The Sun Devils got nine points apiece from DJ Horne, Marreon Jackson and Jay Heath.

No. 22 Ohio State 80, Indiana 69 (OT) Jamari Wheeler scored five of his eight points in overtime as the No. 22 Buckeyes held off the Hoosiers for a victory in Columbus, Ohio.

Malaki Branham led the Buckeyes (17-7, 10-5 Big Ten) with 27 points and E.J. Liddell added 16. Liddell’s dunk with 6 seconds to play in regulation sent the game to overtime at 6363.

Xavier Johnson scored 16 points while Trayce JacksonDavis and Race Thompson each chipped in with 13 for the Hoosiers (16-10, 7-9), who have lost five straight.

Geno Auriemma happy UConn women are clicking at the right time Dom Amore Hartford Courant

Geno Auriemma wasn’t sure why, but he chose Sunday to ditch the athletic swag and get back to business casual with a dark suit and open collar.

Symbolism? Was it a sign that things were finally getting back to normal after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Maybe a signal it’s time for the UConn women’s basketball team to get down to business?

“I don’t know,” he said, laughing. “Maybe that’s it.

Yeah. The fun and games are over. All business now.”

It came on a day when the UConn women stole the ball 21 times and beat Georgetown

90-49, a day in which the Huskies moved within one win of clinching another regularseason conference title, and a time when UConn is really beginning to look like UConn again. Another day at the office, back at the office.

“We said we were going to play like this all year,” Auriemma said. “This was the intent when the season started. We were going to play like what you saw today. That was the plan in October. Then the plans went awry. Maybe we can still get some semblance of it, because when it’s clicking, it’s pretty good. There was a lot of good stuff.”

Just when Auriemma will be able to drop last year’s

DAVID BUTLER II/USA TODAY

UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma watches from the sideline as they take on the Georgetown Hoyas in the first half at XL Center on Sunday.

national player of the year,

Paige Bueckers, back into

this equation is still unclear.

It won’t be this week, he said, which means not during the regular season. Maybe the Big East Tournament, maybe the NCAA Tournament. She’s doing more, not wearing the knee brace all the time, but there are good days and bad.

But the Huskies have most everyone else back, and it has been clicking. Auriemma used 10 players against Georgetown, all 10 scored. Only Christyn Williams played for more than 30 minutes.

“It’s so refreshing. It’s like a breath of fresh air just being able to be subbed,” Williams said. “It’s the end of the season, a long stretch of games coming up. It helps our bodies

recover.”

Nika Muhl added, “being able to be subbed in practicereally helps a lot.”

There was something to harp on, 21 turnovers, but Georgetown only scored 12 points off them. The Huskies had balance, rebounding, passing, shot selection; the 56.9 percentage indicative of the number of layups. Pressuring the ball, they scored 30 points off turnovers and had 22 assists on 33 baskets.

“It’s fun. I know it’s fun to watch, and its definitely fun playing that way,” Williams said. “We are our best when we’re getting out in transition, and everything just flows from there.”

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 B5

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

ATP roundup: Novak Djokovic wins at Dubai in 2022 debut

Field Level Media

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia returned to the court on Monday and had five aces while producing a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Italian wild card Lorenzo Musetti in the opening round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates.

It was the 20-time Grand Slam winner’s first appearance since being deported from Australia and missing the Australian Open due to his unvaccinated status. Djokovic had 13 winners in a 74-minute triumph in his 2022 debut.

“All in all, it’s a straight-sets win, so of course I have to be satisfied with my tennis, especially after not playing for two-and-a-half, three months,” Djokovic said during his on-court interview. “Of course, there were moments when I played great, there were moments when I made a couple of unforced errors in a row uncharacteristically. But it’s normal to expect that (in my) first match after a while.”

Nets From B1

one of the league’s most gifted scorers and finishers in transition. Acquiring sharpshooter

Derby From B1

winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby. However, there will be no refunds or payouts for anyone who bet on the horse. As for bettors, a class-action suit was filed and is working its way forward in the courts.

In addition, trainer Bob Baffert was suspended 90 days and fined $7,500. The winner’s purse of $1.86 million will have to be returned. It’s expected that an appeal will be filed.

The last time a horse was disqualified for a prohibited substance was 1968 when Dancer’s Image was removed as the winner and Forward Pass was given the victory. It took more than four years to

Torres From B1

to address their shortstop issue before the owners locked the players out, shutting down the business of baseball.

It leaves them with an infield that is unsettled and perhaps unsettling defensively.

That has a domino affect.

Will Torres be traded or will he play second base? If he does, where does DJ LeMahieu play?

That uncertainty, however,

Syracuse From B1

afterward. “I’m really proud of them the way they made those last couple stops. Those are tough plays to make.”

Jimmy Boeheim produced his second straight doubledouble to lead SU with 20 points and 10 rebounds, including a pair of free throws with one minute and 58 seconds left in overtime to push the SU edge to 74-70.

Kyle Sturdivant then knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:35 left to cut Georgia

In other matches, Brit Andy Murray outlasted Aussie Christopher O’Connell 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-5; Czech Republic’s Jiri Vesely posted a 6-4, 7-6 (3) victory over Croatia’s Marin Cilic; Japan’s Taro Daniel registered a 6-3, 7-6 (5) win over Belgium’s David Goffin; and Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic defeated Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4.

Chile Dove Men+Care Open Nicolas Jarry couldn’t take advantage of two set points in the opening round of his hometown event, and he fell 7-6 (9), 6-4 to Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro in Santiago, Chile.

Jarry, who has been ranked as high as No. 38 in the world but is now No. 143, had opportunities to take the firstset tiebreaker at 6-5 and 8-6. Monteiro eventually prevailed on his third set point. Monteiro got the lone service break of the match for a 5-4 lead in the second set, then held serve at love to seal the win.

Also moving into the second round were eighth-seeded Facundo Bagnis and Juan Ignacio Londero, both of

Argentina, and Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil.

Abierto Mexicano Telcel The United States’ John Isner blasted 29 aces and emerged with a 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3) win over Spain’s Fernando Verdasco in the first round at Acapulco, Mexico.

Isner double-faulted just once and dropped his serve only one time.

Seventh-seeded Taylor Fritz of the United States downed France’s Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-3, and eighthseeded Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain topped Germany’s Oscar Otte 6-2, 6-4.

Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk knocked out the United States’ Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 6-4, and Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic defeated Sebastian Korda of the U.S. 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.

The United States’ Stefan Kozlov, a lucky loser from qualifying, made the most of his opportunity with a latenight win over Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, 7-6 (8), 5-7, 6-3. The match ended after 1 a.m. local time.

NFL strikes deal to use XFL as staging ground Field Level Media

The NFL reached a deal with the XFL on Monday to use the fledgling league as a testing ground for potential new rules and equipment, and developing officials and coaches.

As XFL president Russ Brandon told ESPN, the XFL can provide a “Petri dish” for the NFL to experiment.

Brandon is a former executive with the Buffalo Bills.

“People would ask, ‘What are the opportunities to look at the game through a different lens from a player development standpoint?’” Brandon told ESPN. “‘How can you be an incubator or an accelerant in many different verticals, from officiating to

rules innovations to playing surfaces, to player development?’ You can go on and on.

The alliance will also aim at health and safety improvements as well as the sharing of game trends and data.

Brandon made it clear the XFL is not a player development league for the NFL. “That’s a no. We are a spring league. We will play at the highest level in the spring. There is not the anticipation of any player sharing that changes the dynamic. That’s not how we’re executing our vision.”

The XFL is scheduled to resume play in February 2023.

Seth Curry supports the Nets in the absence of Joe Harris (ankle surgery) and adding Andre Drummond gives them a much-needed boost in cleaning the glass and patrolling the paint.

Now you add Dragic, a gifted playmaker, a floor-spacer

and three-level scorer accustomed to championship culture having spent seven seasons playing under Erik Spoelstra on the Miami Heat.

There’s only one type of player the Nets need now: a three-and-D wing; someone who can defend at a high level

and shoot threes a both high volume and efficiency.

The Nets have assembled the most formidable roster they could given the circumstances — a part-time point guard, a midseason blockbuster trade, and significant injuries to their best player

and shooter.

Adding Dragic gives the Nets one of the most complete teams in all of basketball. With just 23 games left in the regular season, the only question remaining is whether Nash has enough time to make his puzzle pieces fit together against

other teams — like Milwaukee, Miami, Philly, Golden State and Phoenix — whose puzzles have largely been constructed for years at a time.

The Nets have the pieces.

Now it’s time to solve the puzzle — and fast.

settle the case. The only other disqualification was in 2019 when Maximum Security was penalized because of interference.

This bizarre tale of horse racing intrigue started one week after Medina Spirit was officially declared the winner of the Derby. It has taken almost 10 months to get to the first step in clarifying this matter. Baffert held a hastily called news conference outside his barn at Churchill Downs to say he was informed that Medina Spirit had tested positive for betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory. It is not a performance-enhancing drug in the traditional sense, other than if a horse has no health problems, it might run better.

Baffert said he had no idea how the medication got into Medina Spirit and then went

on a media campaign proclaiming his innocence. But in two days he learned the horse had been treated with an ointment, which contained betamethasone, for a rash on his hind quarters.

Baffert’s attorneys tried to use the defense that the rule that was violated only covers betamethasone that is injected intra-articularly, not by ointment. Additional tests were performed by Baffert’s attorneys that showed the presence of a secondary substance that is found only in the ointment. The KHRC didn’t accept that argument.

The Hall of Fame trainer has been banned from racing at the signature Louisville track and other tracks owned

by Churchill Downs Inc. for two years. Churchill Downs Inc. cited five medication

positives in about a year’s time by horses trained by Baffert.

Two of the positives, in Arkansas, were due to contamination that affected more than just Baffert’s horses and were seemingly out of his control.

Baffert is not only banned from Churchill Downs, but horses trained by him are ineligible to receive Kentucky Derby qualifying points. He has built his business around being able to get horses to the Kentucky Derby, a race he has won seven times, now dropped to six.

So far, qualifying points are small and not enough to get a horse to the starting gate.

But in a couple of weeks there will be qualifying races worth 50 points, escalating to 100 points a month later, making the winner a near certainty to make the Kentucky Derby

field. Now is the time when owners will have to decide to stick with Baffert and miss the Kentucky Derby or move their horses to another trainer and possibly be eligible to run. It’s expected Baffert will try to file litigation to get that reversed, too, but time is running out.

The New York Racing Association is also trying to ban Baffert from its tracks, even though he has had no medication violations in that state. A weeklong hearing was held in late January and a decision is pending.

After the Kentucky Derby, Medina Spirit was allowed to run in the Preakness under strict testing protocols and finished third. He was then given a break and returned to win the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar before beating older horses in the Awesome Again

at Santa Anita. His last race turned out to be the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he finished second to Knicks’ Go, who was selected horse of the year.

But on Dec. 6, after finishing a workout at Santa Anita, the horse collapsed and died on the track in what was thought to be a heart attack. A necropsy was performed and the cause of death could not be definitively determined. There were signs that it was cardiac related, but other causes could not be ruled out. There were no drugs, other than those previously reported by his veterinarian, found in his system.

It can’t be said with certainty that the decision to disqualify Medina Spirit will hold up.

There is likely more litigation ahead.

did not affect LeMahieu this winter.

When asked where he expected to play this season, LeMahieu smiled and shrugged.

“It’s part of my skill set being able to play the three infield bases3/8,” LeMahieu said. “I am OK with that.”

The 33-year-old LeMahieu did defensive drills at shortstop Monday at a workout with other big leaguers at a local college. He has taken balls at shortstop the last two spring trainings as practice for where he plays in a shift.

He had been valuable as the

Yankees super-utility player the first two years with the team. They signed him to a sixyear, $90 million deal before last season with the idea they could play him at second — where he is most valuable.

But if they have to play Torres at second this season, LeMahieu gets moved to first or third. While LeMahieu has won two batting titles, he’s not a power hitter. First and third is a spot that is normally home to big boppers.

With LeMahieu platooning at first or third the Yankees are not getting as much bang for

their buck.

A year after he won the American League batting title and became the first player in the modern era to win it in both leagues, LeMahieu’s exit velocity was his lowest since 2017. His launch angle was the lowest of any full season since 2017 and he was among the lowest in the league in barrels, or balls hit with the perfect combination of exit velocity and launch angle. He had the lowest slugging percentage of his time with the Yankees (.362) and his most strikeouts (94).

The Torres at shortstop experiment has really put the Bombers in a bind now that it has failed.

Torres had a breakout season playing almost half the year at shortstop in 2019, hitting a career-high 38 home runs and slashing .279/.337/.535 with an .871 OPS. That power was enough for the Yankees to overlook his defensive woes and let Didi Gregorious walk as a free agent and move ahead with Torres as their shortstop.

But it disappeared.

Torres hit just 12 home runs

over the last two seasons.

In 2020, the Yankees — and, to be fair, other teams’ talent evaluators — thought Torres was just hindered by the fact he showed up after the COVID-19 spring training shutdown out of shape and that resulted in a leg injury.

In 127 games last season, Torres had nine homers and 51 RBI. He is slashed .259/.331/.366 with a .697 OPS. He also had a career-high 14 stolen bases.

Tech’s deficit to 74-73, but the SU defense took over from there.

Syracuse converged in the paint and forced Georgia Tech to turn it over with a pass to the baseline that flew out of bounds with 29 seconds left.

The Yellow Jackets quickly regained possession, stripping Buddy Boeheim at halfcourt before the ball bounced off his leg out of bounds upon an official review.

Devoe missed a pair of shots on the other end, but Georgia Tech came up with both rebounds and maintained possession on a held ball with three seconds left, setting up the final shot attempt for

Devoe.

“You’re just trying to be as locked in as possible, a lot of emotions obviously, and you’re just trying to do everything you can to get that final stop,” Jimmy Boeheim said.

“It felt like it lasted an hour, but we got it, and we got a few big stops down the stretch which I thought was really key to the game.”

Syracuse also forced a shot clock violation with 16.5 seconds left in regulation and the game tied at 63 apiece but it was unable to capitalize afterward before heading to overtime.

The Orange held the Yellow Jackets to 34 percent shooting

after halftime, including a 2-for-8 mark in overtime.

“We’ve lost four or five games like that, and it’s just defense, we got stops,” Buddy Boeheim said. “In the past we weren’t able to get stops down the stretch and that’s what cost us the game but today we were able to get stops in pivotal spots. … It was just a really good win, as good as any win we’ve had.”

Cole Swider also supplied a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds to help SU endure a bad shooting night from its backcourt. Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard III scored 15 and 12 points, respectively, and combined to

shoot 8-for-35 from the field.

Buddy Boeheim was held scoreless into the second half and made the only of his seven 3-point attempts to push SU ahead, 72-70, with 2:18 left in OT. Syracuse was held below 33 percent shooting for just the third time this season. Jimmy Boeheim scored 15 points in the first half to keep SU afloat as the rest of the unit went 6-for-24 but still went into halftime with the game tied at 33 apiece.

“It’s good to win when you’re not shooting that well as a team, and we haven’t had a gut-check like that in a while, so it will be good for us going

forward,” Jimmy Boeheim said.

Rodney Howard delivered 19 points and 10 rebounds for Georgia Tech (11-16, 4-12), while Devoe and Jordan Usher added 14 points apiece.

Syracuse will now face each of the top four teams in the ACC standings to close the regular season.

The Orange has three straight opportunities to gain a Quadrant-1 victory in the NCAA NET Ranking formula to boost its tournament resume. It enters Wednesday’s matchup against the Fighting Irish with an 0-6 record in such games.

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B6 Wednesday, February 23, 2022

MLB and opioids: Eric Kay trial spilled secrets, but is this baseball’s next drug scandal?

Gus Garcia-Roberts and Jack Douglas

The Washington Post The trial of former Los Angeles Angels communications director Eric Kay, which ended last week with the jury finding him guilty of giving pitcher Tyler Skaggs the fentanyl-laced oxycodone that led to his death, at times seemed to spill secrets about a drug scourge in Major League Baseball clubhouses.

MLB players, including former star pitcher Matt Harvey, gave testimony that suggested some were self-medicating with black-market pain pills.

They were there ostensibly to help prosecutors prove Kay was distributing drugs to players. But like a miniature version of the Pittsburgh drug trials of 1985 - during which more than a dozen players testified about rampant cocaine and amphetamine use - their testimony also appeared to pull back the curtain on a broader problem in baseball, with prosecutors suggesting the Angels and MLB are complicit.

“There’s no question the MLB system is broken,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Errin Martin said during her closing statement. “[Major leaguers] have to do whatever it takes to play.”

That appeared to be the government’s answer to the question that was raised by the discovery of Skaggs’s body at a Texas hotel in 2019: Does baseball have an opioids problem? But outside of the courthouse, there’s hardly a consensus that baseball is in the grips of a drug dependency epidemic.

MLB’s own numbers, the product of thousands of random drug tests implemented following Skaggs’s death, indicate the opposite. And players interviewed by The Washington Post said that, outside of the Skaggs case, they had never encountered opioid abuse in baseball.

“I’ve played 17 years, and I never saw or heard of any teammate who took part in that,” said Brandon Snyder, who has played professionally since 2005, including major league stints with five teams. “It’s hard for me to believe that it’s an epidemic that’s going through baseball.”

“To be brutally honest, obviously we can say that there might be an issue because someone has passed away,” Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes said.

“But I haven’t heard or been around anything like that.”

“I can’t remember ever having a conversation or hearing anything about opioid use among coaches or players throughout my career,” said Will Venable, a former player who is now bench coach for the Boston Red Sox. Those in the game who do have experience with opioid abuse may be hesitant to admit it in public. And MLB, given its history of covering up steroid use, is sure to inspire cynicism when it insists the game is clean.

Depending on how you viewed it, Kay’s trial showed Skaggs’s death was either the result of a sport whose athletes become addicts as they attempt to push through pain and a grueling

schedule - or of the unfortunate, isolated incident of a few drug users who happened to be employed by the same team.

Agent Lonnie Murray said she had clients who struggled with opioid abuse, including a minor leaguer who, after injuring his back, died of what she believed was an oxycodone overdose.

But baseball, Murray said, only reflects the wider crisis of opioid abuse. “I think it’s a problem in society,” she said. “I don’t think it’s more prevalent in baseball than it is in society.”

She expressed an opinion held by many in baseball - that Kay was scapegoated. She said she believed the government attempted to depict the case as a takedown of baseball’s supposed pain pill culture so that it appeared a more worthwhile cause than sending one drug user to prison for decades after the death of another.

“When we’re talking about the prosecutor trying to make it an Angels thing or an MLB thing, that is how you get a conviction,” Murray said. “You have to make it about big business versus an individual.”

As America’s fentanyl epidemic has proved impossible to corral, federal authorities appear to have focused on cracking down on the street-level dealers involved in high-profile overdose deaths, including those of actor Michael K. Williams and rapper Mac Miller.

In the case of Skaggs, who was 27 when he was found dead with a mix of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone in his system, prosecutors appeared intent on connecting his death to a systemic problem in the sport - and potential complicity by the Angels.

In announcing Kay’s indictment in August 2020, Erin Nealy Cox, then U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, suggested Skaggs was driven to opioid addiction because he was “battling through a number of injuries as he continued to play ball.” The prosecutor asked players dealing with addiction to call a hotline.

And the prosecution has at times aligned with allegations made in lawsuits filed by Skaggs’s family that have blamed the Angels for his death. In those lawsuits, Skaggs’s family, represented by attorney Rusty Hardin, has claimed that top team brass allowed Kay - who allegedly had survived a recent overdose - “unrestricted access” to players who, because of “the rigors of a 162-game schedule . . . are at risk of turning to medication to assist with pain management.”

The lawsuits even suggested that the Angels kept Kay on staff because of, not in spite of, his proximity to pain pills.

“Why would the Angels promote a drug addict to an executive position, which granted him access to the Angels’ players, such that he was constantly seen hanging out with players in the locker room, on the team plane, and in their hotel rooms?” a civil complaint reads. “The answer to this question became obvious when Kay

admitted to DEA investigators he had been providing illegal opioids to at least six Angels players.”

Prosecutors claimed in pretrial court filings in the Kay case that the Angels were defying a subpoena seeking documents related to “illegal drug-dealing in their organization.” The Angels countered that they had provided federal authorities with nearly 1 million pages of internal documents, except for those covered by attorney-client privilege. A judge agreed, calling the prosecutors’ subpoena “a government fishing expedition.”

During the trial, the only non-player employee of the Angels said to have knowledge of the drug use was a clubhouse attendant, who prosecutors claimed had linked Kay with the dealer who sold him the pill that killed Skaggs.

But unlike in other drug cases, there appeared to be little interest in following the fentanyl-laced pill up the supply chain. Court testimony suggested Kay, who used the same drugs that he distributed to Skaggs and other players, didn’t profit from the practice.

Federal agents testified about Kay’s suspected source, a dealer they knew as “Ashley Smith.” But they acknowledged that name was probably a pseudonym and that they did not follow up on the identity or whereabouts of Smith, whose “burner” phone was deactivated following Skaggs’s death.

Kay’s lawyer, Michael Molfetta, claimed the apparent lack of pursuit of Smith was evidence that federal authorities were satisfied with the publicity inherent in a case implicating Kay, a team employee whom Molfetta described as a lackey for the players.

“A professional athlete, that has some cachet,” Molfetta said during his closing argument.

The trial’s highest-profile moments came with the testimony of major leaguers, who discussed a secret practice of drug use in the game. The players, at least one of whom was compelled to testify and given immunity as long as they told the truth, appeared uncomfortable, sometimes crying in the witness box.

Pitcher Mike Morin, once Skaggs’s teammate with the Angels, said Kay provided him with oxycodone pills; he said he would bite off a piece before taking the field. First baseman C.J. Cron said he got pills from Kay roughly eight times - when he was with the Angels and after he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. Both testified that they learned of Kay’s access to pills through Skaggs.

Harvey, who was an all-star for the New York Mets before joining the Angels, acknowledged cocaine use throughout his career. When asked by a prosecutor whether it was common for players to use oxycodone and Tylenol, he answered, “Yes,” and he also testified to sharing his own drugs with Skaggs.

Harvey said, in hindsight, he wished he had advised Skaggs to be careful. “In baseball, you do everything you can to

stay on the field,” he said. “At the time I felt as a teammate I was just helping him get through whatever he needed to get through.”

Harvey said he learned before the Angels’ road trip to Texas - where Skaggs died - that he was not going.

Harvey said he felt “left out” and arranged for Kay to leave him an oxycodone pill in his locker.

But when he learned the next day of Skaggs’s death, Harvey said, he rushed back to the ballpark to retrieve the pill and throw it away. “I didn’t want anything to do with that,” said Harvey, who spent last season with the Baltimore Orioles. “I was scared.”

Former Angels pitcher Cam Bedrosian told the jury that he got “three or four” oxycodone pills from Kay and took one but felt guilty and “kind of weird.” He said he gave the remaining pills back to Kay. Pitcher Blake Parker said he purchased 10 pills from Kay but that his hand turned numb after he took half of one, so he returned the rest. And a Drug Enforcement Administration agent testified another Angels pitcher, Garrett Richards, sent Kay $1,700 via Venmo.

Skaggs’s opioid dependency was described as the result of a confluence of baseball stressors. His mother testified that he became hooked on Percocet to cope with having to perform at a high level; his wife, Carli, said he was under pressure to stay healthy and keep playing.

But multiple players said they had no source for opioids other than Kay, countering the idea of a widespread, leaguewide practice of players popping pills to play through injuries.

Pitcher Andrew Heaney acknowledged every player’s “ongoing battle to remain healthy,” but he said he had never used any drug outside of marijuana. And he said Skaggs, with whom he was close friends, never told him about his drug use, suggesting it was a closely held secret.

The existence of an MLB clubhouse with members regularly trading pain pills seemed like an anomaly to Snyder, the longtime professional ballplayer.

He said the demands of the season would make it nearly impossible to maintain a career while dependent on opioids.

“Baseball players are human beings, and whether you’re a construction worker that hurts his back on a site and is prescribed medication and is addicted to it, [that] is no different than a baseball player that has a shoulder surgery and ends up being addicted to it,” Snyder said. “It’s a highly addictive drug, and mistakes happen.”

Making the matter murkier are test results that appear to suggest fears of an opioid epidemic in baseball, at least in the years since Skaggs’s death, are overblown.

After Skaggs’s death, MLB announced that it would start testing for opioids, saying players who test positive would first be put on a treatment plan rather than disciplined. The

MLB Players Association agreed to the change, with Executive Director Tony Clark saying the players “want to take a leadership role in helping to resolve this national epidemic.”

MLB has conducted 12,169 drug tests over the past two seasons. While those tests implicated 15 players for using performance-enhancing drugs, according to public annual reports released by MLB, the number of positives for running afoul of the opioid policy is zero.

And in the minor leagues, where players have been tested for opioids for two decades, the numbers were also low, according to a person with knowledge of the testing program. Of more than 95,000 drug tests over the past seven years, according to that person, there have been 12 opioid or opiate violations - and none in upward of 16,000 tests in the past two seasons.

But outside of the disclosure of the number of tests, MLB has been opaque on key points about its program that could more definitively show the extent of abuse.

Opioid abuse historically has been fueled as much by lax prescribing as black-market distribution. But MLB doesn’t make public the number of tests in which a player tested positive for opioids in which his use of the drugs was deemed to be authorized by a “valid medically appropriate prescription provided by a duly licensed physician,” which is allowed under MLB policy.

Giving that authorization is the job of the Joint Treatment Board, which includes four people, with MLB and the players union represented by a medical professional and a lawyer apiece; their identities have not been publicly disclosed.

According to a person involved in management of the testing program, the number of MLB players who have tested positive for opioids in the two years of testing is in the low single digits. In each case, according to that person, the legitimacy of the player’s need for opioids was “quite obvious” - most commonly from a short-term prescription following surgery.

The clashing perspectives on the scope of the problem differ from the episode decades ago, when players were compelled to testify about drug abuse in the clubhouse. Following the Pittsburgh drug trials, there was no doubt that the game, like wider society in the 1980s, was in the midst of a cocaine scourge.

In that case, Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse caterer Curtis Strong, described by his lawyer as a “poor, pitiful baseball junkie,” was among seven men - all non-players - indicted on a charge of drug distribution, and he was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

When Kay is sentenced in June, mandatory minimums ensure he’ll be slated to do more time than that. He faces between 20 years and a life sentence.

Reading the tea leaves — and dollar signs — it’s time to end MLB lockout John Romano Tampa Bay Times

Here is a bold prediction that shouldn’t be all that bold: By this time next week, baseball’s lockout will have ended.

Recent headlines do not support this, and the general mood does not reflect this. The players are angry, the owners are entrenched and a second week of spring games may soon be whacked.

So why the optimism?

Because we’re nearing the point where owners stand to lose more by endangering the start of opening day, as opposed to the very modest concessions that would immediately end this labor battle.

The truth is, the owners have already won.

The players have pretty much backed off demands that would have substantially changed the system and are now just fighting for specific dollar figures.

And practically any money the owners agree to give up will be recouped by expanding the playoffs and raking in more TV dollars.

We’re no longer talking about changing the timeline for free agency, and there seems to be little momentum for major changes to arbitration eligibility either. Those are the type of core issues that have led to prolonged work stoppages in the past.

So what are the issues remaining, and how difficult are they to solve? Minimum salary Owners can unilaterally set the salary of most players with less than three years of service time at a minimum of $570,500. The players want to boost that minimum to $775,000 with increases that will reach $875,000 by 2026.

In the real world, that would be a major pay bump. More than 35 percent just in the first year of the deal. But in baseball terms, it’s a

JULIO AGUILAR/GETTY IMAGES

In this photo from February 10, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred answers questions during an MLB owner’s meeting at the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando, Florida. Manfred addressed the ongoing lockout of players, which owners put in place after the league’s collective bargaining agreement ended on December 1, 2021.

drop in the bucket.

Look at it this way: The Rays use more young players than almost any other team. If the minimum salary was $800,000 last season, it would have cost the Rays roughly an extra $3.7 million. With Tampa Bay’s payroll at $70 million, that’s about a five percent increase. For most teams, it would be even less.

Considering baseball’s revenues have

nearly doubled in the past decade according to Forbes’ figures, that is not a major concession.

So, yes, this can be solved. Blame the owners if it isn’t. Pre-arbitration pool Another issue designed to funnel money to younger players. Even if the minimum salary is bumped up to the $800,000 range, there are still a lot of 25-year-old players who are giving teams $10 million and even $20 million worth

of value.

The union has proposed a pool of money that would be divided among the top performing pre-arbitration eligible players. The owners have sort of agreed to this. The problem is the players want $115 million in that pool. The owners initially offered $15 million.

That sounds like a huge gap but it should not be difficult to solve. Even if the owners cave and offer the players exactly what they want, that’s less than $4 million per team.

Again, not a high hurdle. Luxury tax There is no salary cap in baseball’s rule book, but there is a competitive balance tax that does the same sort of thing. If a team went over $210 million in salary in 2021, it had to pay a tax. The tax rate increases with the size of the payroll and also goes up if a team is a repeat offender.

A few years back, teams such as the Yankees and Dodgers would regularly blow past the luxury tax threshold. They’ve grown more disciplined in recent seasons. Since 2018, only 2-3 teams have gone over the threshold in any given year and the total taxes paid have been in the $25 million-$35 million range.

Players want to increase the threshold to $245 million per year, eventually growing to $273 million. Owners want to keep it between $212 million and $220 million.

This issue could be harder to resolve because it has such a widespread effect on holding down salaries, but the owners will have a better chance of keeping the payroll tax lower if they make concessions on the pre-arbitration pool and minimum salary.

Considering the lockout has lasted more than 80 days and a bargaining session last week ended after 15 minutes, this optimism might seem unwarranted.

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 B7

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

On all-star stage, LeBron James flirts with a post-Lakers future Ben Golliver The Washington Post

CLEVELAND — The NBA gathered for All-Star Weekend at an in-between moment: The omicron wave had passed, but the threat of future variants and Kyrie Irving’s endless vaccine mandate saga still loomed. Adam Silver, who went maskless for most of the festivities, couched his optimism with layers of hedging.

“Hopefully,” the commissioner said, “this is the beginning or the middle of the end of the worst of the pandemic.”

LeBron James, the star of stars in Cleveland, found himself stuck in a similar purgatory, hinting Saturday that he is in the beginning or the middle of the end of his Los Angeles Lakers tenure.

The four-time MVP has long displayed a keen and cutthroat sense of when to seek greener pastures. He left the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010 convinced that they had plateaued. He ditched the Miami Heat in 2014 when health, age, depth and salary concerns piled up.

He moved on from Cleveland again in 2018 after his partnership with Irving dissolved.

That history of “Decisions” is instructive because James is suddenly embroiled in perhaps the bleakest chapter of his career. The 2009-10 Cavaliers won 61 games and a playoff series. The 2013-14 Heat won 54 games and reached the Finals. The 2017-18 Cavaliers won 50 games and reached the Finals.

By comparison, the Lakers (27-31) are in ninth place in the Western Conference.

James’s co-star, Anthony Davis, is sidelined yet again with a significant foot injury that will keep him out for at least a month. James’s third wheel, Russell Westbrook, has proved to be a disastrous basketball fit and a major impediment to the Lakers’ cap flexibility and trade options. The rest of James’s supporting cast isn’t up to the task of a long playoff run, and reinforcements didn’t arrive at the trade deadline.

If the next two months go well, the Lakers, who entered the season as Western Conference favorites, will be lucky to win a playoff series. If they don’t, the Lakers could easily find themselves out of the postseason for the second time in James’s four seasons.

With all eyes and ears on James in Cleveland, he candidly acknowledged that this season has been “a hell storm” and the “strangest” of his 19-year career. He also went out of his way to praise Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager Sam Presti at length, comments that some observers perceived as a slight to

Paul Sullivan Chicago Tribune

DAVID RICHARD/USA TODAY

Team LeBron forward LeBron James celebrates after making the game winning shot with Team LeBron guard Stephen Curry (30) and Team LeBron guard Fred VanVleet (23) during the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday.

Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka. Then, in an interview with the Athletic, James said that “the door is not closed” on a possible return to Cleveland. The 37-year-old forward added that he plans to play on the same team as his oldest son, Bronny, a high school junior who is on track to be draft eligible in 2024.

Taken together, James’s comments felt like the NBA equivalent of reactivating his Tinder account and updating his profile photo. He hasn’t quit on the Lakers, whom he led to a comeback victory over the Utah Jazz in the aftermath of Davis’s foot injury last week.

But talking about his future so openly does suggest that he sees the writing on the wall.

Just as his go-for-broke approach to roster building left the Heat in 2014 and the Cavaliers in 2018 with limited options for improvement, James is stuck needing a miracle to reverse his fading fortunes in Los Angeles.

Davis was crucial to the Lakers’ 2020 title push, but his unreliable health has shortcircuited the Lakers’ past two seasons. Westbrook is under contract for next season, and trading him this summer will not return a star. The Lakers don’t have many quality draft assets or young prospects to cash in for veteran talent. And while James’s statistical production remains strong, his presence no longer guarantees that his team will be among the top title contenders like it did earlier in his career.

If James is indeed plotting his next move, he can do so with a clear conscience and without fear of major backlash. He delivered the 2020 championship, a pair of best-selling jerseys and dozens of nationally televised

games to a Lakers franchise that was adrift following Kobe Bryant’s 2016 retirement.

He helped bring Davis to town and steered the Lakers through Bryant’s tragic death.

He didn’t oversee a new Lakers dynasty, but he has played spectacularly and aged gracefully. In short, James came, he made “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” and he conquered.

The “when” and “where” of what comes next remain to be seen. James is under contract through the 2022-23 season, meaning he could theoretically be traded this summer or leave as a free agent in the summer of 2023.

His flirtation with the Cavaliers, who are 35-23 and the East’s fourth seed, is especially intriguing given how well their young pieces would complement James. Darius Garland, a first-time all-star, could serve as a secondary ballhandler and scorer a la Irving. Evan Mobley, the 2022 rookie of the year favorite, has Davislike versatility and potential on defense. Jarrett Allen, another first-time all-star, would complete a long and athletic frontcourt capable of helping James handle the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. James has praised all three players, saying that Mobley was “going to be a damn good basketball player” back in November before aligning himself with Garland and Allen.

“Cleveland is very deserving of this platform and this moment,” James said Saturday.

“They have two all-stars of their own in the game in [Garland] and the big fella, Jarrett Allen. And they got another guy in the All-Star Game, and that’s me.”

Few would begrudge James a full-circle return to the

franchise that drafted him, especially if the move back to his home state facilitated his long-standing dream of playing with Bronny. To make a trade for James work this summer, Cleveland could use Kevin Love’s expiring contract to help match salaries. The biggest potential hang-up would probably be whether the Cavaliers could convince the Lakers to accept a pick-laden return package like the one the Brooklyn Nets sent to the Houston Rockets last year for James Harden.

For James and Cleveland, a third act would only make sense if it opens a championship window and doesn’t gut the Cavaliers’ well-balanced core. For the Lakers, this summer will bring tough choices: Do they try to sign James to a contract extension, retool around him for one final run before 2023 free agency or trade him in an effort to replenish their asset base and enter a new chapter?

It’s worth considering the spectacle that will consume the Lakers if James returns next season without a real infusion of talent around him or an extension. The Cavaliers and Heat both faced “hell storms” - to borrow James’s phrase - when he approached free agency, and the scrutiny would be magnified exponentially in Los Angeles. While the Lakers typically love attention, they have just endured two exhausting and disappointing seasons. Do they have the stomach and stamina for a third?

Now that James is dropping breadcrumbs and musing in public, Pelinka and company will soon need to decide whether this mutually beneficial partnership has run its course.

Steph Curry is the NBA’s ultimate showman Dieter Kurtenbach Mercury News

Steph Curry won another trophy in Cleveland.

Ho-hum.

But he did something even bigger on the banks of Lake Erie.

He made the NBA All-Star Game must-see TV. On a court with the best basketball players on the planet, it was the little guy who made the exhibition game fun, watchable, memorable.

The game might not have meant anything, and defense was non-existent, but Curry made 16 three-point shots — 16! — en route to 50 points. It was the most three-pointers in All-Star Game history -- previous record, nine — and the second-most points. Anthony Davis scored 52 in the 2017 AllStar Game.

It was a spellbinding performance. It was the perfect encapsulation of what makes the sport of basketball fun.

We’ve been blessed here in the Bay to see Curry play with joy on a near-nightly basis for

Paul Sullivan: Here’s how to fix NBA All-Star Weekend for the modern-age fan

KYLE TERADA/USA TODAY

Team LeBron guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after a three-point basket during the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday.

more than a decade now. Bless him for bringing it to an event that truly needed the boost.

Between the NBA honoring its top 75 players of alltime -- including Curry -- for its diamond anniversary and the game itself, Sunday was an outstanding show, led by the league’s ultimate showman.

It’s no coincidence that Curry used the word “show”

again and again and again in his countless postgame press conversations.

Curry wants to entertain whether it’s a meaningless regular-season game or Sunday’s showcase.

And he knows what the fans want.

There’s no debate anymore — the 3-pointer has overtaken the dunk as basketball’s

favorite shot.

Blame Curry.

Before him, such a concept would have been laughable.

But dunk after dunk after dunk happened Sunday and it never really registered with the crowd.

Curry, on the other hand, had the crowd enraptured. By the time he was handed the MVP award — his first in eight All-Star Games — the boos that had greeted him in Cleveland had turned to cheers.

It’s one thing to win over an indifferent crowd. It’s a whole other kind of show to win over an aggressively and negatively partisan crowd.

But what else can you do when the smallest guy on the court (most of the time) is shooting from nearly 40 feet and turning around well before the ball rips through the net?

The 3-point shot has been in the NBA since 1979, but Curry found a new way to dominate.

Sunday night, those 16 3-pointers averaged just shy of 30 feet per shot. In all, Curry made 475 feet worth of shots.

NBA All-Star Weekend is over, and if you’re a diehard fan, there’s a good chance you caught some or all of the events, from the Rising Stars game Friday to Sunday night’s AllStar Game.

The league celebrated its 75th anniversary with the return of many of the 75 stars from its all-time team, including Oscar Robertson, Julius Erving and other elder statesmen, along with current stars LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.

The popularity of the NBA remains strong, and the growing number of players appearing in TV commercials is evidence of its widespread appeal.

But All-Star Weekend itself is in dire need of major repairs, as the ratings no doubt will reflect.

Last year’s viewership of the All-Star Game during the delayed 2021 season was an all-time low of 5.94 million, according to sportsmediawatch. com, so it’s a relatively low bar to reach. Perhaps this year’s game, which included a TBS simulcast with Charles Barkley and the always entertaining “Inside the NBA” crew doing their version of ESPN’s “Manningcast,” will lead to a jump in overall viewership.

But considering the 1993 All-Star Game -which included Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Barkley and rookie Shaquille O’Neal -- drew 22.91 million eyeballs to NBC, it’s obvious the game never will come close to garnering those kinds of numbers again.

Still, there should be a way to create more interest. All it would take is a few outside-the-box solutions.

First off, junk everything but the Slam Dunk contest -- and start over from scratch.

The Rising Stars game is a nice idea, but not enough of the players are rising stars. For every Trae Young and Ja Morant in the 2021 game in Atlanta, there’s an Eric Paschall and P.J. Washington.

If the league wants to promote its best young talent, leave a spot on the All-Star ballot strictly for rookies and allow two to participate in the main event.

The Skills Challenge this year was confusing, time-consuming and utterly useless. The winners were a trio of Cleveland Cavaliers, who beat out three Antetokounmpo brothers and a trio of rookies. Team Cleveland won when rookie Evan Mobley hit a half-court shot, which isn’t so much a skill as luck.

Here’s a better idea: Have all of the All-Stars shoot five shots from half court. It would take only a few rounds before a champ is unveiled. This would also relieve the monotony of the 3-Point Contest, which was fun when there were only a few outstanding 3-point shooters. Now everyone in the league, except the Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan, fancies himself as a 3-point threat.

Next up, fix the Slam Dunk contest,the crown jewel of All-Star Weekend.

It’s no secret the Slam Dunk contest has been

devaluated over the years by the reluctance of NBA stars to participate for one reason or another.

The days of Jordan versus Dominique Wilkins are long gone. This year’s contest featured Cole Anthony, Obi Toppin, Jalen Green and Juan ToscanoAnderson.

This is like MLB conducting a Home Run Derby featuring Tommy Edman, Hunter Dozier, David Fletcher and Nick Madrigal. Saturday night’s event should’ve been renamed the Slam Miss contest, as there seemed to be more aborted attempts than actual dunks.

Toscano-Anderson, a reserve for the Golden State Warriors, averages only 1.8 field goals per game in 14.5 minutes.

Why he was even invited is a mystery. He made it to the final dunk-off against Toppin but was unable to convert on any of his three attempts. Green took forever to convert his first dunk, which led to a priceless reaction shot on TNT of O’Neal watching in horror.

Needless to say, the Slam Dunk contest should be reserved for actual AllStars. Get a sponsor to provide a $1 million prize for the winner’s favorite charity if that’s what it takes to get better contestants. The 2022 event was about as bad as it gets, and if the NBA doesn’t realize that after all the negative social media reaction, then Commissioner Adam Silver has his shiny, bald head in the sand.

Finally, it’s time to fix the actual All-Star Game,which has been tweaked over the years to the point where it’s now unrecognizable. Several years ago, the NBA ditched the traditional East versus West concept and turned it into a game in which the two leading vote-getters -James and whoever comes in second -- pick teams from a pool of players selected by fans, media and players.

It’s still the same nodefense dunk-a-thon interspersed with players shooting 3-pointers from 10 feet beyond the arc, and no one cares who wins because it’s basically just a highlight reel showcasing the stars. But interest wanes after the first quarter, when the dunks get repetitive.

The best way to create interest is to hold a three-on-three tournament with eight teams going head-to-head until one is left standing. The teams would be picked via a pingpong-ball lottery, which means you could have three centers or three point guards on the same team.

Imagine a team with Durant, Morant and DeRozan playing a team with Curry, James and Joel Embiid, with the winner facing a team with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chris Paul and James. No one would turn the channel.

Years from now, no one will remember if Team LeBron beat Team Durant in the 2022 All-Star Game, much less who played for each team. But they might remember the team of three superstars who beat their peers in a three-onthree tournament.

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For your convience, use the form at www.hudsonvalley360.com/site/ forms/online_services/classified_ad/ for quick submission.

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COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA PUBLIC NOTICES 5V[PJL VM -VYTH[PVU VM 96=,9, 33* (Y[Z VM 6YN MPSLK ^P[O :LJ` VM :[H[L VM 5@ ::5@ VU 6MMPJL SVJH[PVU! *VS\TIPH *V\U[` 7YPUJ VMMPJL VM 33*! .LSSLY[ 3U /PSSZKHSL 5@ ::5@ KLZPNUH[LK HZ HNLU[ VM 33* \WVU ^OVT WYVJLZZ HNHPUZ[ P[ TH` IL ZLY]LK ::5@ ZOHSS THPS WYVJLZZ [V [OL 33* H[ [OL HKKY VM P[Z WYPUJ VMMPJL 7\YWVZL! (U` SH^M\S HJ[P]P[`

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Rentals 332

Roommates/ Home Sharing

HOUSEMATE WANTEDSenior Citizen request person to share expenses of 3700 sq ft modern home, 1 mile from Hudson. Private bed. Requesting $1,100 / mo. Incls. heat, elec. direct tv, trash, one time cleaning, treadmill, W/D. Full use of residence. Must be clean, non-smoker, credit score of 650 plus. Proof of income References. No pets. Call or text (518)965-3563.

Employment 415

General Help

Services 514

Services Offered

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote.

Some restrictions apply.

Promo Expires 1/21/23. 1888-609-9405 Get DIRECTV! ONLY $69.99/month! 155 Channels & 1000s of Shows/Movies On Demand (w/SELECT All Included Package.) PLUS Stream on Up to FIVE Screens Simultaneously at No Additional Cost.

Call DIRECTV 1-888-5346918

Please Recycle

Personal Care Aides Wanted The Columbia County Office for the Aging is seeking candidates for the position of Personal Care Aide. This is routine work that involves the provision of (non-medical) personal care assistance to seniors in their homes. The tasks provided involve personal hygiene services, housekeeping, shopping, meal prep, etc.

Position Type: Per-Diem, up to 25 hours per week.

Hourly Rate: $18.00 per hour to start.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and possess a valid NY State Driver’s License at the time of application. A county car will be available to drive to and from seniors’ homes.

Applicants must either already possess, or be willing to acquire, one of the following: (a) a valid NY State Personal Care Aide Certification; OR (b) a valid NY State Home Health Aide Certification; OR (c) a valid NY State Nursing Assistant certification.

Dependability and neat appearance, as well as the ability to get along well with others and gain the cooperation of the senior is a must.

Please submit resume and references by March 4th to: Kate West Case Management Supervisor Columbia County Office for the Aging 325 Columbia Street Hudson, NY 12534

435

Professional & Technical

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! (844) 9470192 (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

TRAIN AT HOME TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 855543-6440. (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

For Emergency

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2022 NFL mock draft: Three-round projections Eddie Brown The San Diego Union-Tribune

The hare got the best of the tortoise in Super Bowl LVI. Ironically, it was in come-frombehind fashion.

The Los Angeles Rams, starring as the rascally rabbit, defeated the slow-and-deliberate Cincinnati Bengals in a fascinating case study between completely opposite approaches to team-building.

The champion Rams haven’t made a first round pick since trading up for quarterback Jared Goff in 2016. They turned “we’re all-in” into a mantra by executing blockbuster trades for Jalen Ramsey, Matthew Stafford, Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. since 2019, and won’t have a selection in April’s draft until a likely compensatory pick at the end of the third round.

The Bengals’ success has been centered around landing two of the best players in the last two drafts, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, while developing their homegrown talent and sprinkling in some solid free agent acquisitions along the way.

Clearly, both approaches worked -- although I imagine the Bengals are a bit ahead of schedule -- but it’s all about execution.

It’s now time for the other 30 teams to play catch-up and execute their plans. This will be our focus over the next three months. MOCK PREAMBLE This is an attempt at figuring out the best players available in this season’s draft class, and which teams they’d match up well with considering the draft order courtesy of tankathon. 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 fourth most accurate NFL draft prognosticator in print according to The Huddle Report. I’m tied for seventh overall (out of 133) over the past five years.

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.

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

Here’s my updated 2022 NFL mock draft, now through three rounds: FIRST ROUND 1. Jacksonville (3-14) -- Evan Neal, T, Alabama, Jr. Before drafting Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars selected an edge rusher in back-to-back drafts -- K’Lavon Chaisson and Josh Allen -- so auctioning the first pick off would make sense considering all of the holes on this roster. Until we have more clarity, the Jags get Neal. He is a physical specimen (6-foot-7, 350 pounds) who has improved every season in Tuscaloosa and thrived at both tackle positions and left guard. Top needs: OL, WR, LB 2. Detroit (3-13-1) -- Aidan Hutchinson, Edge, Michigan, Sr. The Lions have been near the bottom of the league in sacks and QB pressure rate the last three seasons, so I’m advocating for them to select either Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux. There simply isn’t a quarterback available worthy of this pick. Top needs: QB, WR, CB 3. Houston (4-13) -- Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame, Jr. Obviously, the Texans are far from being settled at the quarterback position, but this isn’t the place to solve that problem.

Thankfully for them, every position is one of need. There’s been only one safety chosen with a top-five pick since 1992 (Sean Taylor in 2004). Hamilton exceeded high expectations before suffering a minor knee injury. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, the hybrid playmaker combines the versatility of Isaiah Simmons with instincts that are reminiscent of Hall of Famer Ed Reed.

Top needs: QB, OL, DB 4. N.Y. Jets (4-13) -- Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge, Oregon, So. The success of Robert Saleh’s defensive scheme is predicated on creating pressure on the

quarterback without blitzing.

Thibodeaux is a top tier athlete who wins with speed and has shown surprising coverage versatility. His ceiling is massively high, but it might take a few years for his technique and toolbox to catch up to his talent. Top needs: Edge, DB, LB 5. N.Y. Giants (4-13) -- Ikem Ekwonu, T, NC State, So. The Giants need to add toughness and athleticism to their offensive line. Ekwonu was the most dominant run-blocking tackle in the country this season -- it really wasn’t close. I envision him thriving at tackle or guard in the NFL. Top needs: OL, Edge, LB 6. Carolina (5-12) -- Charles Cross, T, Mississippi St., So. This pick could very well be packaged with others to land Deshaun Watson or Aaron Rodgers this offseason. Otherwise, the Panthers need to consider moving down to target a quarterback -- they’ve been connected to Kenny Pickett -- or offensive lineman. Cross is a powerful blocker who can do damage at the second level in the run game with premium athleticism and his target-lock awareness. He developed into a dominant pass protector this season and could end up cracking the top-10 in April, despite this being a bit early for him. Top needs: QB, OL, LB 7. N.Y. Giants from Chicago (6-11) -- Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah, Jr. Passing on Micah Parsons could haunt the Giants for years.

They haven’t drafted a linebacker in the first round since 1984 (Carl Banks), but Lloyd deserves serious consideration here.

Lloyd can rush the passer (he had eight sacks), impact the run game and make plays in coverage -- he had four interceptions this season. New defensive coordinator “Wink” Martindale would likely utilize Lloyd similarly to how the Cowboys use Parsons. Top needs: OL, Edge, LB 8. Atlanta (7-10) -- David Ojabo, Edge, Michigan, Jr. I don’t anticipate the Falcons being active in free agency with their salary cap issues, so that means addressing the pass rush here. After playing only 26 snaps for the Wolverines before his junior year, Ojabo was a revelation this season with 11 sacks and five forced fumbles. He has a surprising amount of moves for someone who has only been playing football for less than five years -- he grew up playing soccer in Scotland. Ojabo needs some refinement to go with his impressive traits, but a successful showing at the combine could help him crack the top-10.

Top needs: Edge, S, RB 9. Denver (7-10) -- George Karlaftis, Edge, Purdue, Jr. I expect the Broncos to make a significant push for Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, so this might not end up being their pick. Karlaftis has been one of the most consistent pass rushers in the nation during his three seasons in West Lafayette. His inside-outside versatility, overwhelming power and special athleticism could make him a star at the next level. Top needs: QB, Edge, LB 10. N.Y. Jets from Seattle (710) -- Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati, Jr. The Jets haven’t had a cornerback in the Pro Bowl since Darrelle Revis in 2015. Gardner made it through the playoff loss to Alabama unscathed. He finished his collegiate career with 1,100-plus snaps with nine interceptions and zero touchdowns allowed. Top needs: Edge, DB, LB 11. Washington (7-10) -- Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh, Sr. The Commanders could lose some significant contributors to its offensive line in free agency, but there’s no bigger need than who will be handling the snaps.

The Heisman finalist is most dangerous outside of the pocket when he goes off script. Pickett has good size, overall athleticism and solid arm talent, but needs to work on his anticipation throws and his comfort within the pocket. His hand size (or lack there of) has been a story, but he handled himself perfectly in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, where every team who

interviewed him came away impressed. Top needs: QB, WR, CB 12. Minnesota (8-9) -- Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU, Jr. Patrick Peterson and Bashaud Breeland were only signed to one-year deals and neither played well enough to be asked back -- Breeland was released in-season. Stingley features rare ball-tracking skills that make him a threat to take the ball away anytime it’s in his vicinity. As an 18-year-old, he produced one of the most impressive true freshman seasons in college football history in 2019. Durability has been a concern ever since. He’s a topfive talent, but there’s still a lot of questions surrounding him.

Top needs: DB, G, Edge 13. Cleveland (8-9) -- Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio St., Jr. Linebacker will be a priority once again if the Browns lose Anthony Walker and Malcolm Smith in free agency, but they’re also in desperate need of some firepower at wide receiver after releasing Odell Beckham Jr. Wilson’s ability to threaten a defense at every level would pair nicely with Jarvis Landry, who is also a free agent in 2023. Top needs: WR, DL, Edge 14. Baltimore (8-9) -- Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa, Jr. You might want to constantly replenish the talent on your offensive line if running the football is your team’s identity. Starting center Bradley Bozeman is an unrestricted free agent and may have priced his way out of Baltimore. Drafting the Rimington Trophy winner and unanimous All-American would be a prudent move. Linderbaum was a multisport athlete in high school who earned multiple letters in wrestling, track, baseball and football. He’s a top-10 player in this draft class, but will likely be drafted later because he plays center. Top needs: OL, DB, DL 15. Philadelphia from Miami (9-8) -- Drake London, WR, USC, Jr. Drafting Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson remains a mystery to me. London led the nation in contested catches with 19 and he only played eight games after his season ended with a broken ankle. His size, athleticism, route-running and flair for the spectacular catch will make him a problem for defensive coordinators in the NFL. He’d pair nicely with DeVonta Smith and go along way in correcting the Reagor mistake. Top needs: WR, S, LB 16. Philadelphia from Indianapolis (9-8) -- Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia, Jr. It wasn’t long ago that the Eagles had three of the top 14 picks.

They executed quite the turnaround, but no thanks to the front-seven. The Butkus Award winner is a dynamic blitzer who is capable of making plays all over the field. Georgia will be the most-represented program at the combine (early March) with 14 participants, three more than Alabama and Oklahoma, and a good showing by Dean will go a long ways in quieting all the murmurings about his size not translating well to the next level.

Top needs: WR, S, LB 17. L.A. Chargers (9-8) -- Jermaine Johnson, Edge, Florida St., Sr. Only the Texans and Steelers allowed more rushing yards per game this season. Johnson is capable of being three-down player as a potentially elite run defender and an underrated pass rusher. Top needs: WR, T, Edge 18. New Orleans (9-8) -- Matt Corral, QB, Mississippi, Jr. The Saints are either drafting a quarterback or wide receiver in the first round. Corral is slightly undersized, but he’s a NFL-caliber playmaker with genuine arm talent. His X-rays were negative after he injured his ankle in a loss to Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. Top needs: QB, WR, G 19. Philadelphia (9-8) -- Travon Walker, Edge, Georgia, Jr. The Eagles former firstrounder Derek Barnett will test free agency, while veterans Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham could be on the chopping block. Walker brings inside-outside versatility and combines prototypical athleticism with a

high motor (a rare combo). Top needs: WR, S, LB 20. Pittsburgh (9-7-1) -- Malik Willis, QB, Liberty, Sr. Ben Roethlisberger has opted for the gold watch (and likely gold jacket in five years). The buzz coming out of Mobile is the Steelers were crushing on Willis. His dynamic mobility and strong arm were certainly on display there. There are serious accuracy issues that will need to be ironed out in the NFL, but I’d trust Mike Tomlin and his staff to help Willis reach his full potential. Top needs: QB, OL, CB 21. New England (10-7) -Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida, Jr. J.C. Jackson will be an unrestricted free agent and has likely priced himself out of the Patriots’ offseason plans. Elam is a 6-foot-2 corner with elite ball skills who fine-tuned his technique after an underwhelming sophomore season. His game is built on speed and physicality, which you normally don’t see in the same toolkit. Top needs: CB, Edge, WR 22. Las Vegas (10-7) -- Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas, Jr. The loss of Henry Ruggs will loom large this offseason. I expect the Raiders to pursue Davante Adams, Derek Carr’s college teammate, in free agency.

Hunter Renfrow enjoyed a breakout season, but he’s not a true No. 1 wide receiver. If they miss out on Adams, you’re not going to find a better combination of size (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) and speed at wide receiver in this class. Burks is a vertical threat, but also features immense YAC ability -- he broke 15 tackles on 66 receptions this season. Top needs: WR, DL, OL 23. Arizona (11-6) -- Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama, Jr. Who knows what is actually going on with Kyler Murray, but A.J. Green and Christian Kirk are both free agents following this season. Williams is a home run hitter with game-breaking speed. He’s also a weapon on special teams, as a returner -- he returned two kicks for touchdowns in 2021 -- and in coverage. The dynamic receiver injured his left knee against Georgia, but still grades out as a first-rounder if his rehabilitation remains on schedule. Top needs: WR, RB, TE 24. Dallas (12-5) -- Logan Hall, DL, Houston, Jr. The Cowboys need more pass rushers and Randy Gregory will likely leave in free agency.

Hall’s bull-rush and swim move are nightmares for opposing offensive linemen. He’s has the size (6-foot-6, 275 pounds) and versatility to lineup just about anywhere. Top needs: LB, DL, TE 25. Buffalo (11-6) -- Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia, Sr. The Bills will look to reinforce both lines this offseason.

At 6-foot-6, 340 pounds, the Outland and Bednarik trophy winner is an immovable object who could anchor the Bills’ run defense for years to come. Top needs: OL, CB, DL 26. Tennessee (12-5) -- Trevor Penning, T, Northern Iowa, Jr. David Quessenberry is a free agent and earned a pay raise this season while Taylor Lewan could end up being a cap casualty, leaving offensive tackle as a legit need. Penning finished tied for 10th in the Walter Payton Award voting, an award given to the most outstanding offensive player in Division I FCS. He faced superior competition in Mobile for the Senior Bowl and didn’t flinch. Top needs: Edge, WR, OL 27. Tampa Bay (13-4) -Devonte Wyatt, DL, Georgia, Sr. Obviously, quarterback is an issue after Tom Brady’s retirement, but Jason Pierre-Paul, William Gholston and Ndamukong Suh are all free agents. Wyatt’s first step is as good as it gets in this draft class. His explosiveness and agility are elite for his size (6-foot-3, 315 pounds). Top needs: QB, DL, TE 28. Green Bay (13-4) -- Bernhard Raimann, OL, Central Michigan, Sr. The Packers utilized seven different offensive line combinations with nine different players taking meaningful snaps during the 2021 season.

Raimann is surprisingly polished for only having two years

of experience at tackle. The former tight end graded out as one of the best offensive lineman in the country last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed zero pressures over his last six games. Top needs: WR, OL, LB 29. Miami from San Francisco (10-7) -- Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A&M, Jr. Offensive line has been a disaster for the Dolphins this season and I expect them to address it in the draft and free agency, where they will have a projected NFL-high $63.7 million. The former five-star recruit can play either guard or tackle at a high level -- Green made starts at every single offensive line position except center this season.

Top needs: RB, WR, OL 30. Kansas City (12-5) -- Daxton Hill, DB, Michigan, Jr. Defensive backs Tyrann Mathieu, Charvarius Ward and Mike Hughes are all up for new contracts while the Chiefs top priority in free agency is resigning their left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Hill features a mix of athleticism, intelligence and instincts that will enable him to play every position in the defensive backfield. He will need to tamp down his tendency to gamble, but that’s part of being a playmaker sometimes. Top needs: T, Edge, S 31. Cincinnati (10-7) -- Zion Johnson, OL, Boston College, Sr. The Bengals’ offensive line has improved with a healthy Jonah Williams at left tackle, but the interior still needs to be addressed. Johnson is a team captain-caliber player who thrived at left tackle and guard, but he projects as an impact interior lineman in the NFL. He played center most of the week in Mobile, and was impressive, considering he had never played the position before. Top needs: OL, CB, TE 32. Detroit from L.A. Rams (12-5) -- Chris Olave, WR, Ohio St., Sr. If there’s a quarterback the Lions fall in love with, he’ll likely be selected here if he’s available.

It’s rare you find a route technician with reliable hands who can also run as fast as Olave.

He might have made it into the first round had he left school last year and it wouldn’t surprise me if he cracks the top-20. Top needs: QB, WR, CB SECOND ROUND 33. Jacksonville -- Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn St., Sr. 34. Detroit -- Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina, Jr. 35. N.Y. Jets -- Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn St., Sr. 36. N.Y. Giants -- Cameron Thomas, Edge, San Diego St., Jr. 37. Houston -- Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan St., Jr. 38. N.Y. Jets from Carolina -David Bell, WR, Purdue, Jr. 39. Chicago -- Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington, Jr. The Bears will need to add two cornerbacks this offseason so Jaylon Johnson won’t have to continue to chase top receivers all over the field. McDuffie plays bigger than his 5-11 frame. He’s one of the surest tacklers at the position in this draft class and his instincts are elite. Top needs: OL, WR, CB 40. Denver -- Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati, Sr. 41. Seattle -- Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn, Sr. The Seahawks allowed 1,341 yards to the slot in 2021, the second-most in the NFL. McCreary simply doesn’t allow much separation and he’s battle-tested out of the SEC. He’s capable of thriving in man and zone. Top needs: OL, DB, WR 42. Washington -- Jalen Tolbert, WR, South Alabama, Sr. 43. Atlanta -- Breece Hall, RB, Iowa St., Jr. 44. Cleveland -- Nik Bonitto, Edge, Oklahoma, Jr. 45. Baltimore -- Perrion Winfrey, DL, Oklahoma, Sr. 46. Minnesota -- Darian Kinnard, OL, Kentucky, Sr. 47. Indianapolis -- Trey McBride, TE, Colorado St., Sr. The Colts have an aging Jack Doyle at tight end with Mo AlieCox facing free agency. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound McBride had a highly-productive senior season -- 1,121 yards on 90 receptions -- and showcased significant blocking prowess along the way. Top needs: WR, OL, TE

48. L.A. Chargers -- Jalen Pitre, DB, Baylor, Sr. Both Michael Davis and Chris Harris Jr. -- who is slated for free agency -- struggled mightily in 2021. Pitre is a hybrid slot defensive back who is a physical run supporter with on-ball coverage skills. Top needs: WR, T, Edge 49. New Orleans -- George Pickens, WR, Georgia, Jr. 50. Miami -- Alec Lindstrom, C, Boston College, Sr. 51. Philadelphia -- Lewis Cine, S, Georgia, Jr. 52. Pittsburgh -- Nicholas Petit-Frere, T, Ohio St., Jr. 53. Las Vegas -- DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M, Jr. 54. New England -- Arnold Ebiketie, Edge, Penn St., Sr. 55. Arizona -- Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson, Jr. 56. Dallas -- Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin, Jr. 57. Buffalo -- Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington, Jr. 58. Atlanta from Tennessee -Verone McKinley III, S, Oregon, So. 59. Green Bay -- Quay Walker, LB, Georgia, Sr. 60. Tampa Bay -- Carson Strong, QB, Nevada, Jr. 61. San Francisco -- Myjai Sanders, Edge, Cincinnati, Jr. The 49ers utilize a deep rotation of defensive linemen to keep their pass rush fresh. Sanders features great speed and explosiveness off the edge. He’ll need to add some muscle and finetune his focus to become an impact run defender. Top needs: CB, G, Edge 62. Kansas City -- Drake Jackson, Edge, USC, Jr. 63. Cincinnati -- Josh Jobe, CB, Alabama, Sr. 64. Denver from L.A. Rams -Daniel Faalele, T, Minnesota, Sr. THIRD ROUND 65. Jacksonville -- Christian Harris, LB, Alabama, Jr. 66. Detroit -- Derion Kendrick, CB, Georgia, Sr. 67. N.Y. Giants -- Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M, Jr. 68. Houston -- Jamaree Salyer, OL, Georgia, Sr. 69. N.Y. Jets -- Brandon Smith, LB, Penn St., Jr. 70. Jacksonville from Carolina -- Boye Mafe, Edge, Minnesota, Sr. 71. Chicago -- Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky, Jr. 72. Seattle -- Max Mitchell, T, Louisiana, Jr. 73. Washington -- Coby Bryant, CB, Cincinnati, Sr. 74. Atlanta -- John Metchie III, WR, Alabama, Jr. 75. Denver -- Damone Clark, LB, LSU, Sr. 76. Baltimore -- Tariq Woolen, CB, Texas-San Antonio, Sr. 77. Minnesota -- Kingsley Enagbare, Edge, South Carolina, Sr. 78. Cleveland -- Travis Jones, DL, Connecticut, Jr. 79. L.A. Chargers -- Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota St., Sr. Watson would be an ideal replacement if Mike Williams bolts during free agency. Top needs: WR, T, Edge 80. Houston from New Orleans -- Khalil Shakir, WR, Boise St., Sr. 81. N.Y. Giants from Miami -Smoke Monday, S, Auburn, Sr. 82. Indianapolis -- Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan, So. 83. Philadelphia -- Phidarian Mathis, DL, Alabama, Sr. 84. Pittsburgh -- Mykael Wright, CB, Oregon, So. 85. New England -- Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming, Jr. 86. Las Vegas -- Sean Rhyan, OL, UCLA, Jr. 87. Arizona -- Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M, Jr. 88. Dallas -- Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio St., Sr. 89. Buffalo -- Rasheed Walker, T, Penn St., Jr. 90. Tennessee -- DeAngelo Malone, Edge, Western Kentucky, Sr. 91. Tampa Bay -- Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina, Sr. 92. Green Bay -- Dylan Parham, C, Memphis, Sr. 93. San Francisco -- Marcus Jones, CB, Houston, Sr. 94. Kansas City -- Zachary Carter, DL, Florida, Sr. 95. Cincinnati -- Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa St., Sr. 96. Denver from L.A. Rams -Dane Belton, S, Iowa, Jr.

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 B11

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Woman refuses to trust ex-husband Dear Abby, I was married for 10 years before I found out my ex was living a double life — other women, children, etc. We divorced, and afterward, I provided the best possible life for our three children.

My ex was the typical deadDEAR ABBY beat dad — never there for his children. Twelve years later, my children are adults, and he has decided to show up and start a relationship with them.

Anytime they have milestones with church, college, jobs, weddings, etc., he is there.

I have stepped back and let them decide what kind of relationship they want with him.

Even worse, my ex has also rekindled his relationship with my parents and siblings. He’s turning my family against me, although we have both remarried. When I try to talk to them about it, they say, “I’m sorry you feel that way,” “He’s changed,” “Why can’t you forgive him?”

Abby, my ex stole his business partner’s money to live his double life. If he has “changed,” why is he once again trying to turn my family against me? What do I do? Must I divorce myself from my parents and siblings?

Never Rid Of Him

JEANNE PHILLIPS

A man who lives a double life, neglects his responsibilities as a parent and steals from his business partner without trying to make amends to ALL of them doesn’t appear to have “changed.” Your children, parents and siblings have “chosen” to forgive and welcome him back into the fold regardless of how it affects you. (He must be one heck of a salesman.)

It’s time to look into your heart and decide how much of this togetherness (!) you can tolerate. Some discussions with a licensed mental health professional could be helpful in this

Pickles

regard. If, after that, you conclude that less contact with your parents and siblings under these circumstances would be healthier for you, then do what is best for yourself.

Dear Abby, My stepson is being released from prison after assaulting his 9-year-old stepdaughter in my home. He plans on living here with us, with his dad’s blessing.

A few years ago, I was sexually assaulted, and I still suffer from PTSD because of it. It’s getting worse as the release date approaches.

My stepson has problems with drugs and alcohol as well as anger issues. He expects us to pay for whatever he wants. We have spent a third of our retirement money on his legal expenses, and there are no plans for him to pay us back. He has mistreated my dog several times, and I do not trust him.

Am I wrong for not wanting him in my home? My husband has turned a deaf ear to my concerns. I guess blood is thicker than water.

Dreading It In The West Trust your instincts. Because your husband has chosen to ignore your concerns about his son living with you, the time has come for you to take care of yourself. Consult an attorney about protecting whatever assets you still have before they are completely depleted, take your dog and get out of there NOW. Believe me, you have my sympathy.

Pearls Before Swine

Classic Peanuts

Garfield

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Horoscope

Zits

By Stella Wilder Born today, you are a complex individual with a multifaceted and vibrant personality who is destined to lead a life that is itself complex and vibrant — and chock full of opportunity. That means, of course, that you are likely to enjoy your share of successes — for you are talented, capable and almost always proactive when it comes to pursuing your goals. It also means, however, that you are destined to face perhaps more than your share of disappointment.

You can be quite emotional, and though there are times when you may wear your heart on your sleeve, you also know how to conceal your feelings when you are in some kind of danger — or when others may try to take advantage of your sensitive nature. You never need to be apologetic about what you think or feel, however; it’s what makes you “you,” after all!

Also born on this date are: Dakota Fanning, actress; Emily Blunt, actress; Josh Gad, actor; Aziz Ansari, actor; Mia Michaels, choreographer; Niecy Nash, actress; W.E.B. Du Bois, author and activist.

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.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24 PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — You know how to win the support of others, and today is the day to do just that. Be as specific as possible, and leave no one in the dark.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — You may be hesitant to ask for what you need today, but that’s the only way you’re going to get your hands on it in time to make use of it!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You’ll want to

keep an accurate record of all that happens today, as you’ll almost surely have to recall certain events at a later date.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — What you choose will say a great deal about you today. Putting aside petty jealousies will help you get over a stubborn self-made obstacle.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — You may not understand just what your role will be in a certain group endeavor, but today you must pay attention to what others do around you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — This is a good day to experiment with one or two new ways of doing something that has not yet become second nature. You can learn a lot!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-sept. 22) — You can’t believe everything you read today — but take care that your skepticism doesn’t keep you from believing what is true!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — You may have the benefit of some firsthand evidence today to support your contention that things are as you see them. Don’t back down!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — You needn’t worry about how a past mistake will affect a current endeavor. Simply stay the course and trust that you know what you’re doing!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — You may have trouble getting through to someone who is being far more philosophical than realistic.

What evidence can you cite?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You may be under more pressure than usual, but you can hold up provided you have someone trustworthy to talk to who understands you well.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — You may have to remind someone of a promise made to you, as it’s now time to benefit from it. You don’t want to miss out.

Dark Side of the Horse

Daily Maze

COPYRIGHT 2022 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.

Goren bridge WITH BOB JONES ©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

CONTROL Both vulnerable, South deals NORTH ♠J84 ♥3 ♦ A 10 9 6 4 3 ♣954 WEST EAST ♠Q752 ♠3 ♥ K J 10 5 4 2 ♥ AQ8 ♦2 ♦ 875 ♣KQ ♣ J 10 8 7 3 2 SOUTH ♠ A K 10 9 6 ♥ 976 ♦ KQJ ♣A6 WEST NORTH 2♥ 2♠ All pass

EAST 3♥

Opening lead: Two of ♦ South won the opening diamond lead, an obvious singleton, in hand with the king.

Wanting to “get the children off the street,” South immediately cashed the ace and king of trumps,

(Bob Jones welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency, LLC., 16650 Westgrove Dr., Suite 175, Addison, TX 75001.)

Columbia-Greene

MEDIA

The bidding:

SOUTH 1♠ 4♠

finding that he could no longer make his contract. South couldn’t lead a third trump. West would win, lead a heart to partner for a diamond ruff and then cash two more hearts for down two. South futilely tried to cash some diamonds instead, but West ruffed the second diamond, cashed the queen of spades to draw dummy’s last trump, and then the defense took three heart tricks. Also down two.

South’s play would have succeeded had the missing trumps split 3-2, the most likely split.

4-1 splits, however, occur frequently enough that declarer should have asked himself if he could protect against such a split.

South would have done better by leading a low trump toward dummy’s jack at trick two.

Should West win with his queen, the best he can do is to lead a heart to partner for a diamond ruff, which would be the last defensive trick.

West can duck his queen, but South counters that by leading a spade back to his 10. The contract would be safe provided West holds the trump queen.

There is a risk that East might have the queen of spades and be able to give West two diamond ruffs, so the winning line is not clear cut. How would you play it?

Sponsor Comics 518-828-1616

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

B12 Wednesday, February 23, 2022 Close to Home

Free Range THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

Level 1

2

3

4

HGUSR LDEEU KAWNEE LEKYLI Solution to Tuesday’s puzzle

2/23/22 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

Get Fuzzyy

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

Print your answer here: Yesterday’s

sudoku.org.uk © 2022 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Heart of the City

Dilbert

B.C.

For Better or For Worse

Wizard of Id

Crossword Puzzle

ACROSS 1 Widespread 5 Contemptible 9 Carve letters in a tree trunk 13 Identical in value 15 Middle East nation 16 Meal with pig and poi 17 Burst of electricity 18 Broccoli or squash 20 Initials for Edison 21 Actress Larter 23 Fights off 24 Gave a pink slip to 26 Krypton or argon 27 Treats disdainfully 29 Not roundabout 32 __ at; views 33 Nuts 35 “For _ a jolly good fellow…”

37 Has a film role 38 Waken 39 Outer garment 40 __ the line; obey 41 Very hesitant 42 Overnight lodging 43 Fine-tune 45 Fireplace shelf 46 Big heart 47 Rudely brief 48 Feeble 51 Suffix for absorb or depend 52 Motor homes, for short 55 Fellow worker 58 Carmelite’s garb 60 Leg part 61 Relaxation 62 Ascended 63 Part of a date 64 Slangy response 65 Test

Andy Capp

Bound & Gagged

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

5 Bright in color 6 Indignation 7 Fail to keep up 8 Invigorate 9 Go by, as time 10 Toothpaste container 11 __ on; pay a visit to 12 Colors 14 Gets the hang of 19 Emotional 22 “__ Miserables” 25 Aggravates 27 Narrow board 28 Ski lodge cupful 29 Punctuation mark 30 Windbag 31 Cone-shaped home DOWN 33 Winter wear 1 Part of a three34 In a __; mired by piece suit routine 2 Blue-green shade 36 Peddle 3 Not likely to 38 George stumble Clooney’s aunt 4 Kids’ running 39 Swindles game

2/23/22

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

Non Sequitur

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

41 Ill-gotten gain 42 Mrs. George Washington 44 Prison warden 45 Guys 47 Dentures 48 Very unpleasant 49 Nary a one 50 Annoying bug

2/23/22

53 Widely used credit card 54 Flower stalk 56 Word of mild surprise 57 Canada’s neighbor: abbr.

59 “__ we having fun yet?”

Rubes

“

Get the free JUST JUMBLE app • Follow us on Twitter @PlayJumble

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

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

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

”

(Answers tomorrow) Jumbles: WHEAT KNIFE LAWYER UNJUST Answer: His compliments of the sugar cookies she’d made included — SWEET TALK