eedition The Daily Mail February 9 2022

The Daily Mail Copyright 2021, Columbia-Greene Media Volume 230, No. 27

Serving Greene County since 1792

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022

Library trustee feuds with councilman

By Ted Remsnyder Columbia-Greene Media

TED REMSNYDER/COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Town of Cairo Board members MaryJo Cords, Town Supervisor Jason Watts, Michael Flaherty and Tim Powers during the board’s Feb. 7 meeting.

CAIRO — Emotions grew frayed at the Cairo Town Board meeting on Monday as Cairo Library Trustee Diana Benoit asked the town board to admonish Councilman Tim Powers for a Facebook post regarding the library’s finances.

In a letter to the town board dated Nov. 14, the five-person Library Board of Trustees criticized Powers for what they saw as a misleading social media post about the library.

During Monday’s meeting, Benoit asked to read both

Powers’ original post and the library’s rebuttal.

Town Supervisor Jason Watts was initially reluctant to have a letter read in public that pertained to town personnel, but he asked the audience of town residents if they wanted to hear the letters, with the crowd affirming that they did.

Dan Benoit read Powers’ Facebook post aloud, which contended that the town board had no fiscal oversight over the library board.

“Our fiduciary responsibility has been thwarted!” according to the post.

A state Supreme Court ruling in 1986 gave the Cairo municipal library the power to run its own finances, though the town board must approve the library’s operating budget each year.

During budget season in November, the library’s budget was cut by the town board from its 2021 spending level of $196,000 down to $186,000 in 2022.

In his post, Powers said he had contacted two attorneys to consult on the library’s funding and had been told by the lawyers that the operating budget of the library needed to be cut.

Benoit then read the library’s rebuttal letter, noting that the Office of the State Comptroller “has ruled on several occasions that it is the (Library) Board of Trustees’ fiduciary responsibility to have financial oversight over a municipal library’s finances.”

She also noted that the town board can review the library’s expenses at the monthly meeting of the library board.

Powers noted in his post that Cairo Library Director Debra Kamecke earns $70,000 per See FEUDS A10

Watts: $1M needed to start community center project

FILE PHOTO

The Town of Cairo plans to convert the former Dojo Martial Arts and Fitness Academy on Route 32 into a community center.

By Ted Remsnyder Columbia-Greene Media

CAIRO — Town officials are moving forward with a plan to convert a former martial arts teaching facility into the

town’s new community center.

The town purchased the former Dojo Martial Arts and Fitness Academy on Route 32 in November with plans to

renovate the space and turn it into a senior center. The back of the building would also be used to house the town’s ambulance service.

During the town board’s

Feb. 7 meeting, the board unanimously passed a pair of resolutions to hire the Barton & Loguidice engineering consulting firm in Albany to apply for grants for the senior

center project and to prepare a site plan for the project.

The board authorized $5,500 to the firm for grant writing, $4,600 for interior layout design, $1,200

for asbestos abatement and $1,900 for lab analysis.

“We need to knock down some walls, redo the electric and put in a kitchen,” Town See CENTER A10

Results of Betty White Challenge exceed expectations

By Bill Williams Columbia-Greene Media

HUDSON — Animal lovers in Columbia and Greene counties have raised more than $40,000 for the Columbia-Greene Humane Society through the Betty White Challenge.

The shelter originally hoped to raise $5,000 with a private donor matching that amount for $10,000 total.

“It far exceeded our expectations and shows how many animal lovers — and Betty White fans — are located in the Columbia and Greene County areas,” Columbia-Greene Humane Society President Ron Perez said Tuesday.

Many shelters across the

country ended the challenge on Jan. 17, which would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday. The ColumbiaGreene Humane Society kept the challenge going through the end of the month, and raised an additional $10,000, Perez said.

The nationwide challenge was proposed nationally for everyone to consider making a donation to a local animal shelter on White’s 100th birthFILE PHOTO day.

The Columbia-Greene Humane Society, which has reopened “The Golden Girls” star, its lobby to the public, raised $40,000 through the Betty White who died Dec. 31 at age 99, Challenge in January. was a lifelong animal lover who worked tirelessly to raise response from the public, member of the family. They currently list 18 dogs, 50 cats money for numerous animal Perez said.

The shelter wants support- and five rabbits available for organizations.

The shelter saw a strong ers to consider adopting a new adoption.

n STATE

n FORECAST FOR HUDSON/CA

n WEATHER page A2

TODAY TONIGHT THU

Some sun, then clouds

A bit of snow and rain late

Cloudy and breezy

HIGH 43

LOW 32

47 27

SPORTS

FILE PHOTO

The Columbia-Greene Humane Society raised $40,000 through the Betty White Challenge in January.

On Saturday, the Columbia-Greene Humane Society opened its lobby to the public again, after closing it in November due to the high

n INDEX

Bluehawks over Titans

Mum on masks

The Hudson Bluehawks notched a home victory on Senior Night PAGE B1

Health chief Bassett makes no decision on school order PAGE A6

Region A3 Opinion A4 Local A5 State/Nation A6 ObituariesA6 Sports B1 Classified B4-B5 Comics/Advice B9-B10

On the web www.HudsonValley360.com

number of COVID-19 cases in Columbia and Greene counties.

See CHALLENGE A10

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

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

A2 Wednesday, February 9, 2022

‘They’re not forcefields’: Why some experts say term ‘breakthrough COVID-19’ can be misleading

Weather FORECAST FOR HUDSON/CATSKILL

TODAY TONIGHT THU

FRI

SAT

SUN

Catherine Marfin The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

Some sun, A bit of snow Cloudy and Mainly cloudy Partly sunny; Mostly sunny then clouds and rain late breezy and mild much colder

HIGH 43

47 27

LOW 32

46 38

52 23

28 10

Ottawa 33/30

Montreal 33/29

Massena 36/29

Bancroft 35/25

Ogdensburg 38/34

Peterborough 37/28

Plattsburgh 35/28

Malone Potsdam 39/33 40/33

Kingston 37/31

Watertown 41/32

Rochester 43/32

Utica 40/32

Batavia Buffalo 42/32 43/33

Albany 40/31

Syracuse 43/34

Catskill 43/32

Binghamton 41/31

Hornell 45/34

Burlington 37/32

Lake Placid 37/29

Hudson 42/33

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

0.01”

Low

Today 7:00 a.m.

5:20 p.m.

11:18 a.m.

1:37 a.m.

Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset

Thu. 6:59 a.m.

5:21 p.m.

11:52 a.m.

2:40 a.m.

Moon Phases 36

Full

Last

New

First

Feb 16

Feb 23

Mar 2

Mar 10

33 YEAR TO DATE NORMAL

Forecasts and graphics provided

by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022

2.42 3.2

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

1

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21

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34

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2

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

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

NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Winnipeg 15/-2

Seattle 52/41

Montreal 33/29

Minneapolis 32/11

Billings 52/40

San Francisco 71/51

Toronto 38/32

Detroit 38/29

New York 46/38 Washington 54/39

Chicago 39/24 Denver 49/29

Los Angeles 86/59

Kansas City 57/30 Atlanta 61/40

El Paso 62/35

Miami 71/58 Monterrey 68/45

ALASKA HAWAII

-10s

-0s

showers t-storms

Honolulu 82/66

Fairbanks -6/-20

10s rain

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

Hilo 80/64

Juneau 44/31

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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 51/29 s 21/20 sn 61/40 s 44/37 s 54/35 s 52/40 c 63/38 s 42/27 s 41/34 s 61/39 s 54/38 pc 59/36 s 45/29 pc 39/24 c 49/31 c 42/32 c 43/33 c 69/39 s 49/29 pc 41/19 pc 38/29 sf 43/32 s 82/66 s 70/42 s 42/27 c 57/30 pc 57/36 pc 72/51 s

BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES/TNS

People self administer COVID-19 tests at a mobile site in the Elmhurst section of Queens on Dec. 23, 2021, in New York.

said.

“What vaccines do is train your immune system to recognize the virus and then to react quickly, hopefully before you have any symptomatic disease, but certainly before too many of your cells become infected by the virus,” she said.

“And how does your body know that the virus is there?

“Usually it’s when the virus invades your cells, which is the technical definition of infection.”

The goal of a vaccine isn’t to eliminate all infections Ultimately, a successful vaccine shouldn’t be viewed as one that eliminates infection, but one that significantly reduces hospitalizations and death, Nuzzo said.

“I view any infection [in a vaccinated person] that doesn’t send somebody to the hospital as a success,” Nuzzo said. “If this virus could never put people in the hospital or kill them, most people would have never heard of it. Losing sight of that is fueling a level of anxiety that I think is just unhelpful but also underselling the vaccines.”

Dr. Hana El Sahly, a professor of molecular virology and microbiology and infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said it’s important to remember the standard that was initially set by the World Health Organization for what a successful COVID-19 vaccine would look like.

“What we would have called a successful vaccine is if it prevented 50% of documented

infections, as long as it had a role in preventing severe disease,” she said. “Once these vaccines rolled into the communities … the vaccines maintained real high efficacy against death and against ICU admissions and the need for being on ventilators.”

More COVID-19 cases means more breakthrough infections As vaccination rates have slowed over the course of the pandemic, some health experts are concerned that the impression that some people may get from the term “breakthrough case” plays into skepticism and anti-vaccination ideals.

Health experts say people should remember that “breakthrough cases,” or getting infected with a disease that you are vaccinated against, are common and expected with any shot.

“There’s not a single vaccine that’s a hundred percent,” said Dr. Grant Fowler, family medicine department chair at TCU School of Medicine in Fort Worth and chairman of the family medicine department at JPS Health Network. “But our whole goal is to [minimize] it in the population and protect the vulnerable.”

Nuzzo said it’s also important to remember that widespread testing for COVID-19 also means a larger share of breakthrough cases are being detected.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that if there are more

COVID-19 cases occurring, like during the recent omicron surge, more breakthrough cases will naturally be detected.

“We often hold up the measles vaccine as the standard of the best vaccine,” Nuzzo said.

“But if we had a lot of measles circulating, and if we did a lot of testing, we would see a lot more breakthrough infections that we just don’t notice because the symptoms are so mild.”

Other terms for “breakthrough” While the impression a person gets from the term breakthrough case is “in the eye of the beholder,” Sahly said, it’s probably better for health care professionals to use a different term or phrasing when talking to patients.

“In the mind of the common person, it may be wise to stop using the word ‘breakthrough’ because it comes with the implication that something wrong has happened, when nothing wrong really has happened,” she said.

Sahly says she tries to use different language when not speaking with someone in the scientific community.

‘If I’m talking to the lay person, I try to use the word ‘have gotten two doses of vaccine and an infection,’ or ‘two doses of vaccine and COVID,’ depending on the situation,” Sahly said. ©2022 The Dallas Morning News.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Houston 70/42

Chihuahua 61/35

Anchorage 21/20

People who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can still test positive for the virus.

Health officials have come to refer to that as a “breakthrough case” of the disease.

But some health experts say the term can be misleading and misconstrued, especially as new variants have emerged and vaccination rates across the country have slowed.

“I think it was setting the vaccine up for an impossible standard that vaccines can’t possibly meet,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and the lead epidemiologist for the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Testing Insights Initiative.

COVID-19 vaccines were first approved in mid-December of 2021 and are now available to children 5 and older. Two of the vaccines, one manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech and the other by Moderna, have since been granted full approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

Researchers have established that all available COVID-19 shots offer significant protection against severe illness and death. According to data from the state health department, unvaccinated Texans are 16 times more likely to die from a COVID-19-related illness compared to fully vaccinated individuals.

The state health department doesn’t include breakthrough cases on its COVID-19 dashboard. In Dallas County, 27,943 breakthrough infections have been reported out of 549,239 total COVID-19 cases as of Feb. 3. That’s only about 5% of all cases.

Nuzzo, who spoke last month at a webinar, said the term “breakthrough” may give people a false impression about the function of the shot.

“They’re not forcefields,” she said. “They don’t repel the virus from your body.”

Here’s what health experts said you need to know about the term “breakthrough case” and COVID-19 shots.

Cells have to be infected for the vaccine to respond The scientific definition of infection means that a person must encounter a disease for a vaccine to respond, Nuzzo

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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 67/37 s 86/59 s 71/58 sh 41/24 sf 32/11 sf 61/34 pc 63/42 s 46/38 s 52/36 s 66/38 s 49/21 pc 67/43 pc 50/36 s 78/52 s 45/32 pc 38/28 s 55/40 pc 42/33 s 59/35 s 58/37 s 71/43 pc 52/28 pc 45/27 pc 71/51 s 62/38 s 52/41 pc 66/46 pc 54/39 s

Thu. Hi/Lo W 63/38 s 89/55 s 77/65 pc 31/25 pc 26/26 pc 57/34 s 63/43 s 50/34 pc 57/36 s 61/38 s 49/39 s 68/49 s 54/32 pc 80/53 s 36/25 sf 42/26 c 56/37 pc 48/31 pc 62/33 s 60/32 s 74/40 pc 45/32 pc 45/29 pc 73/49 s 68/40 s 51/40 pc 69/50 s 56/35 pc

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

Biden to highlight decision of Australian vehicle charging company to build plant in Tennessee John Wagner The Washington Post

President Joe Biden plans Tuesday to highlight the decision of an Australian electric vehicle charging company to build its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Tennessee as he holds a White House event focused on manufacturing and energy costs.

The facility, to be built by Tritium, is expected to eventually produce as many as 30,000 electric vehicle chargers a year and create 500 local jobs, the White House said in a fact sheet.

Biden has sought to make rebuilding U.S. manufacturing a priority and has touted electric vehicles as key to the country’s future in transportation.

The administration released a federal strategy in December to build 500,000 charging stations for electric vehicles across the country and bring down the cost of

electric cars.

“When we talk about electric vehicles coming, somebody has to make the electric vehicle charging stations, and we want those made here in America,” Mitch Landrieu, who is overseeing Biden’s infrastructure plans, said during an appearance on CNN. “So this particular announcement is really groundbreaking.”

Landrieu said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Thursday will announce $5 billion in funding to spur the placement of charging stations across the country.

“Today is the start of actually manufacturing those here at home,” Landrieu said.

Jane Hunter, chief executive of Tritium, told Bloomberg News that her company decided to invest more heavily in its U.S. operations after seeing an increase in demand with the passage last year of the

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bipartisan infrastructure bill championed by Biden.

Biden has made multiple attempts to highlight his electric-car agenda. This past fall, for example, he visited a General Motors plant retooled to manufacture electric cars, proclaiming that Detroit has led the world in electric vehicles and that the new infrastructure law would further boost the use of non-gasolinepowered vehicles across the country.

Biden has a Thursday afternoon event scheduled at the White House at which he will tout his administration’s “work to rebuild our manufacturing to make more in America, create good-paying union jobs, and lower energy costs for Americans.” Buttigieg and Granholm are expected to attend.

According to an announcement Tuesday by Tennessee officials, Tritium’s facility in Lebanon, Tenn., will double

its existing workforce across operations in Australia, Europe, Asia and the United States. The company has more than 450 employees at those locations.

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.

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Wednesday, February 9, 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. 9 n Athens Town Zoning Board of Ap-

peals 7 p.m. Athens Volunteer Firehouse, 39 Third St., Athens 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 Central School District Board of Education budget workshop 6:30 p.m. CHS Library, CHS Library, 341 West Main St., Catskill 518-943-2300 n Catskill Village Board of Trustees 6:30 p.m. Robert C. Antonelli Senior Center, 15 Academy St., Catskill n Greene County Legislature workshop 6 p.m. Greene County Office Building, 411 Main St., Catskill n Jewett Town Board 7 p.m. Jewett Municipal Building, 3547 County Route 23C, Jewett

Thursday, Feb. 10 n Coxsackie Village Workshop 6 p.m.

Village Hall, 119 Mansion St., Coxsackie 518-731-2718 n Greene County Legislature finance audit 4 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 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 n Coxsackie Village Board 7 p.m.

Village Hall, 119 Mansion St., Coxsackie 518-731-2718 n Greene County Legislature county services; public works; economic development and tourism; gov. ops.; finance; Rep. and Dem caucus 6 p.m. Greene County Office Building, 411 Main St., Catskill

Tuesday, Feb. 15 n Athens Village Planning Board 6:30

p.m. Village Hall, Meeting Room, 2 First St., Athens 518-945-1551 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, Feb. 16 n Catskill Central School Board of Education District Public Hearing-Smart School Bond Act 6:30 p.m. followed by the board meeting High School Library, 341 Main St., Catskill 518-943-2300 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 Catskill Town Board Committee 6:30 p.m. Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill 518-943-2141 n Greene County Legislature meeting No. 2 6:30 p.m. Greene County Office Building, 411 Main St., Catskill

Thursday, Feb. 17 n Coxsackie Village Planning Board 6

p.m. February 17 Village Hall, 119 Mansion St., Coxsackie 518-731-2718

Monday, Feb. 21 n Athens Town Board 7 p.m. Athens

Volunteer Firehouse, 39 Third St., Athens 518-945-1052 Changes will be on the Town of Athens web page n Catskill Town Offices closed in observance of President’s Day n Catskill Village Hall will be closed in observance of President’s Day n Coxsackie Villages Offices closed in observance of President’s Day n Greene County Office Building closed in observance of President’s Day

Tuesday, Feb. 22 n Catskill Town Planning Board 6:30

p.m. Robert C. Antonelli Senior Center, 15 Academy St., Catskill 518-943-2141

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

ens 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. Robert C. Antonelli Senior Center, 15 Academy St., Catskill

Monday, Feb. 28 n Catskill Village Planning Board 7

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

Police: Man assaulted in dispute over mask

By Bill Williams Columbia-Greene Media

SAUGERTIES — A South Carolina man was arrested following an altercation at a service area on the New York State Thruway after he allegedly assaulted another man during a dispute about wearing a mask, Tara L. McCormick, public information officer for state police Troop T said on Tuesday.

Angel Carrera Gomez, 28, of Spartanburg was taken into custody after the incident, McCormick said.

On Sunday at about 3:50 p.m., troopers were sent to the Malden Service Area in the town of Saugerties for a report of a physical altercation.

Following an investigation, it was determined that an unidentified male patron engaged in a verbal argument with Gomez because Gomez was not wearing a mask, McCormick said.

The altercation escalated and Gomez punched the man in the face, causing him to fall to the ground and strike his

head. As a result, the victim sustained abrasions to his face.

His eyeglasses and watch were damaged, McCormick said.

Gomez was taken into custody and brought to state police barracks in Kingston, where he was charged with third-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal mischief, both class A misdemeanors.

Gomez was issued appearance tickets for Saugerties Town Court on Feb. 23.

FILE PHOTO

A man was injured during a dispute over a second man not wearing a mask on Sunday at the Malden Service Area on the Thruway in Saugerties.

Emergency Management tabletop exercises planned with NYC Watershed Committee SHOKAN — How ready are we for the next major flood?

That is the question community leaders in the Ashokan Reservoir watershed are asking after a recent spate of mild to moderate riverine flooding.

Newer town staff weren’t in position when a major flood disaster occurred after Tropical Storms Irene and Lee blew through in 2011. And since then, most towns have modernized their physical infrastructure and communication abilities.

The Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program (AWSMP) is working with Ulster County’s Division of Emergency Management to hold flood preparedness “tabletop exercises” for four towns in the Ashokan watershed. Tabletop exercises give municipalities the ability to discuss and practice their emergency response plan in a low stress environment before any disaster occurs. Municipalities can then amend procedures based on the exercise outcomes.

The exercises will run in the towns of Hurley, Olive, Shandaken and Woodstock in early 2022. The tabletop exercises

will be designed for flooding emergencies since flooding is the most common natural disaster experienced in Ulster County and the Catskills region where the towns are located.

Deputy Director of Ulster County’s Division of Emergency Management Michael Madison will lead delivery of the exercises. Madison holds a bachelor’s degree in homeland security and emergency management, attended the FEMA National Emergency Management Academy, has over 20 years combined organizational experience in fire response, emergency management, law enforcement and the military, and has worked on numerous disasters.

“A tabletop exercise will give everyone involved the opportunity to team build before an incident occurs, also allowing for everyone to identify any issues, challenges and or assumptions that may pop up,” said Madison. “By conducting a successful tabletop exercise, we will be able to identify the resources that the municipalities have or the resources that are necessary and make sure that we can access them.

Additionally, this will help reduce the loss of human life and property as well as make our communities more resilient.”

Emergency managers will design the exercise and the specific scenarios that will be played out. For example, the exercise may simulate a flooded neighborhood or an overtopped bridge. The municipalities will then gather to step through how they would handle the scenarios. Town responses and procedures will be evaluated at conclusion of the exercises. The municipality can then determine what current procedures work and which ones could use improvement.

AWSMP’s role in flood response is to provide riverine data and information to towns and the county during the post-flood recovery phase. Local municipalities may need to stabilize stream channels and inspect bridges and culverts to reopen roads for emergency access and trapped residents. The stream program can provide basic stream sizing and location information during the immediate post-flood recovery phase and bring engineering

resources to the region in the aftermath of a flood.

The stream program also assists municipalities between floods to improve resilience.

This may involve engineered projects that reduce flood levels or stabilize streams. A local stream program operates in each of the watersheds above a NYC reservoir. In Ulster County, the stream program is delivered by the Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation

District and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County.

For information, contact the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program at 845-688-3047 or info@ ashokanstreams.org. To learn more about stream programs, funding, and stream projects in the NYC Drinking Water Supply Watershed go to ashokanstreams.org and catskillstreams.org.

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OUR VIEW

Chicago Tribune (TNS)

Don’t sleep on COVID-19 just yet It’s good news that Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to make a policy statement about New York’s mask mandate.

It’s good news that the rate of positive COVID-19 cases in Columbia County show a dramatic downturn.

It’s good news that Greene County is pausing coronavirus testing clinics as the number of new cases fall.

That’s what everyone keeps saying and the people keep dying. This is the bad news.

Greene County’s twiceweekly clinics were reduced to a weekly clinic in part because of competition from at-home testing.

Yet on Monday, two more COVID fatalities were added to the county’s death toll.

The positivity rate in Columbia County dropped to less than half of what it was a month ago. The seven-day average positivity rate dipped to 8.4% as of Sunday. Last week the county had a positivity rate of 11.9%, and a month ago, on Jan. 6, the county had a seven-day-average positivity rate of 22.4%. That’s certainly progress, but another person died of COVID-related complications Monday.

Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden said Monday that with cases falling and smaller turnout at the clinics in recent weeks that officials would stop holding county clinics, at least for now.

The declining number of cases has Columbia County thinking about

how to return to normal. A first step toward that goal, Health Department Director Jack Mabb suggested, was stopping contact tracing because of the high influx of new cases reported each day just a month ago.

Those efforts, however, are not likely to be revived as the numbers stabilize.

Even with a possible relaxation or termination of the mask-wearing mandate, a hiatus or cancellation of testing clinics and further decline of positivity case numbers, officials have to be careful not to undo the gains we’ve made against the omicron variant in the last five weeks. It’s simple.

When the deaths drop to zero, we’ll know we are winning. Until then, caution has to be the order of the day.

ANOTHER VIEW

Russia and China announce a bid to make the world safe for dictatorship (c) 2022, The Washington Post ·

There was potent symbolism in the warm meeting between President Xi Jinping of China and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as the Winter Olympics opened in Beijing. At a time when other countries are troubled by the actions of these Eurasian giants - from Russia’s threatened invasion of Ukraine to China’s genocide against the Uyghur people - the two dictators took center stage to support one another.

More important, they matched that show of unity with substance: a remarkable joint statement, running more than 5,000 words, that can be described only as a blueprint for combined confrontation with the United States. The two countries endorsed each other’s foreign policy wish lists, with Russia affirming China’s opposition to “any forms of independence of Taiwan” and China denouncing “further enlargement of NATO.” China agreed to buy $117.5 billion worth of oil and gas from Russia.

Though not quite a green light from Beijing for Russian aggression against Ukraine, which was not mentioned by name, the statement signals that, if Russia invades, China will help Putin withstand the

crippling economic sanctions that the United States and its allies plan to impose. In fact, the document says, there are “no limits” to the two’s “friendship” and “no ‘forbidden’ areas of cooperation,” suggesting that it could some day extend into intelligence sharing and weapons development.

Not since the early Cold War and the alliance between Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong have Moscow and Beijing pledged so openly - and comprehensively - to cooperate in world affairs, during what the Xi-Putin joint statement called “a new era of rapid development and profound transformation.”

For perhaps the first time in modern history, the West faces a Russia-China pair, both of which are not only unremittingly hostile but also strong militarily, modern technologically, solvent economically and stable politically.

To be sure, China-Russia 2.0 is as ideologically brazen as the Stalinist version of the 1950s. The first joint statement begins by denouncing the democracy and human rights advocacy of the United States and other Western nations as a “one-size-fits-all template to guide countries in establishing democracy.”

It argues - self-contradic-

What’s the GOP’s new ‘big lie’? Jan. 6 was ‘legitimate political discourse’

torily - that human rights are universal but should be “protected in accordance with the specific situation in each country and the needs of its population.”

Applying this flexible standard to China and Russia, the document concludes that these two one-party states actually practice democracy in keeping with their own “long-standing traditions.”

Russia and China have many potential points of conflict - economic, territorial and otherwise - that could eventually divide them as they did 60 years ago. Over time, Russia might chafe at the imbalance of a partnership with a much larger and richer China. What seems most relevant for now, however, are their strong shared hostility to the United States and their belief that it is a declining power whose weakness can be exploited: “a trend has emerged towards redistribution of power in the world,” as their joint statement says. Their nostrums about peace and development aside, what Xi and Putin clearly seek is a world made safe for their dictatorships. Western democracies must be equally determined about countering them.

Jan. 6, 2021, the day a mob of Donald Trump loyalists carried out an insurrection against the Capitol, is etched in the minds of Americans. No doubt historians will memorialize that terrible, ugly day as a nadir in American democracy, a moment of shame that indelibly scarred the nation.

It won’t be remembered by historians as a day of “legitimate political discourse.”

And yet, the Republican Party has set out to brand Jan. 6 as exactly that. The insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol with the aim of nullifying the free and fair election of an American president were simply exercising “legitimate political discourse,” the Republican National Committee decided at its winter meeting last week in Salt Lake City.

The party also overwhelmingly voted to censure two of its own, Reps. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Liz Cheney of Wyoming, for their participation in the ongoing House select committee investigation into the insurrection and the events leading up to it.

Later, party leaders tried to walk back the language, saying they didn’t mean to apply it to anyone who was violent.

But the official declaration the party released contains no such clarification.

Perhaps the GOP looks at the declaration and censures as acts of self-preservation, a way to keep the legions of Trump supporters well-ensconced inside the Republican Party tent and energized to vote. Perhaps Republican leaders bafflingly believe that insurrectionists and their inciters were simply expressing themselves politically. It doesn’t matter.

These decisions amount to a self-inflicted wound that

cuts deep, and threatens to permanently taint the party as an entity willing to distort democracy to suit its own aims.

That’s a perilous course for the GOP, and more responsible-minded leaders within the party need to quickly chart a new path.

It’s impossible to rationalize as “political discourse” an afternoon of mayhem in which nine people died and more than 150 officers were injured. During this “discourse,” members of Congress hid behind whatever cover they could find as they feared for their lives. Vice President Mike Pence had to be evacuated, along with many lawmakers.

The images of officers trampled and pummeled by rioters, or being attacked with bear spray, remain fresh in our minds. More than 725 people were arrested in connection with the assault, and more than 150 have pleaded guilty for their role in what happened.

Also not forgotten are the fabrications Trump ginned up to incite the mob, the audacious lie that he was the election’s victor. “We will stop the steal,” Trump shouted to his followers before the mob made its way to the Capitol.

Less than two weeks later, one of party’s top Republicans, Sen. Mitch McConnell from Kentucky, stood on the Senate floor and blamed Trump for urging the attack. “The mob was fed lies,” McConnell said. “They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.”

Exactly.

Now, however, Republicans seem to have been struck by a collective bout of amnesia. In hindsight, the GOP insists, the mob wasn’t a mob.

It was a group of Americans

simply expressing themselves.

The party’s motives appear to have a practical side.

Kinzinger has said he is not running for reelection. But the censure of Cheney creates justification for the party to go full-bore in backing her main challenger in the upcoming primary, Harriet Hageman, who is endorsed by Trump.

It will be up to Wyoming voters to see through the GOP’s shortsighted stratagems. Long term, however, the GOP stands to pay a stiff price for its detestable overreach. It potentially creates a wedge in the GOP electorate between the dyed-inthe-wool Trump faithful and Republicans — conservative and moderate — who correctly viewed the insurrection as a dangerous broadside to democracy. It also unnecessarily distracts the party from focusing attention and resources on what should be the real aim — President Joe Biden and Democrats in the midterm elections.

If the GOP wants to get on the right side of history, declaring Jan. 6 as “legitimate political discourse” is the wrong way to do it.

What’s the right way? Treat the events of Jan. 6 for what they were — deplorable, illegal and antithetical to the ideals of democracy. Instead of censuring Kinzinger and Cheney for serving on the House committee investigating Jan. 6, GOP leaders should be commending them.

That would be an exercise in legitimate politics. What the Republican Party did last week wasn’t just self-serving.

It was self-destructive. ©2022 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY ‘I am a friend to any brave and gallant outlaw.’

BELLE STARR 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.

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

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

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Senior Living

www.HudsonValley360.com

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 A5

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Senior Menu

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.

GREENE COUNTY SENIOR CITIZENS CLUBS 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 Town Building, 371 Route 296, Hensonville.

COFFEE KLATCH HUNTER — The Hunter Public Library, 7965 Main St., Hunter, holds a Coffee Klatch for those 55 and older 10 a.m.noon the second Tuesday of the month. Light refreshments and coffee and tea are available.

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: Presented with MVP Health noon Feb. 14.

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

Research Update noon Feb. 16. The basics of Alzheimer’s and dementia including risk factors, treatments, research and Alzheimer’s Association resources.

Healthy Living for Your Brain & Body noon Feb. 22.

Learn about research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement.

Legal & Financial Planning 2 p.m. Feb. 24. This workshop is ideal for anyone who would like to know more about what legal and financial issues to consider when facing dementia and how to put plans in place.

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.

Will my Social Security benefits ever be nontaxable?

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

SOCIAL SECURITY MATTERS

For Columbia-Greene Media

Dear Rusty: If we take our Social Security at our full retirement age (66 years and 6 months for both of us) and we both continue to work, what are the income tax consequences? Is there an age at which we can still work and draw Social Security without tax consequences on our benefits?

Signed: Overtaxed Couple Dear Overtaxed Couple: Regardless of when you claim your Social Security benefits, whether those benefits are subject to federal income tax depends entirely upon your income as reported to the IRS. This is true even if you collect Social Security benefits after you reach your full retirement age — there is no age at which SS benefits become exempt from Federal Income Tax. Here’s how it works: Taxation of your Social Security benefits depends on two things — first, the amount of your combined income from all sources (known as your Modified Adjusted Gross Income or “MAGI”) and second, your income tax filing status (whether you file your income taxes individually or jointly as a married couple). Your “MAGI” consists of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) on your income tax return, plus half of your Social Security benefits received for the tax year, plus any other non-taxable income you may have had.

If your MAGI for the tax

RUSSELL

GLOOR year exceeds certain thresholds, then some of your Social Security benefits are taxable at whatever your normal IRS tax rate is. If, as a couple, you file your income taxes as “married-filing jointly,” and your MAGI is over $32,000, then 50% of your Social Security benefits received during the tax year becomes part of your overall taxable income at whatever tax rate is standard for your income. But if your MAGI as a couple for the tax year exceeds $44,000 then up to 85% of your SS benefits becomes part of your overall taxable income. If your MAGI as a married couple is less than $32,000 then your Social Security benefits aren’t taxable.

For those who file their federal income taxes as a single the thresholds are lower. If your MAGI as a single filer is $25,000 or less, your Social Security benefits aren’t taxable. However, if your MAGI as a single filer is more than $25,000, then half of your Social Security benefits received during the tax year becomes part of your overall taxable income, and if your MAGI

as a single filer is more than $34,000 then up to 85% of your benefits for the tax year becomes part of your taxable income. But a word of caution for those who are married but choose to file taxes “married - filing separately”- if you file separately and live together at any time during the tax year, the threshold for taxation of Social Security benefits is zero.

So, Federal taxation of your Social Security benefits depends entirely upon your combined income from all sources and your income tax filing status - your age doesn’t come into the picture at all, even if you are collecting Social Security benefits after your full retirement age. Be aware, however, that a dozen U.S. states levy an income tax on Social Security benefits, so you should check the tax laws in your state of residence to see if some or all your Social Security benefits will be taxed by the state you live in.

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/socialsecurity-advisory) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.

Find us at: HudsonValley360.com

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. 9 THROUGH FEB. 16 WEDNESDAY: Roast pork with gravy, applesauce, braised cabbage, spiced apple rings.

THURSDAY: Meatloaf with gravy, mashed potatoes, carrot coins, chocolate mousse, mixed berries.

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

MONDAY: Chicken divan, Monaco vegetable mix, white rice, mandarin oranges.

TUESDAY: Taco Tuesday, corn, tomatoes and beans, Spanish rice, chocolate birthday cupcakes.

WEDNESDAY: Pork chop with gravy, applesauce, sweet potatoes, green beans, banana mousse.

FEB. 16 THROUGH FEB. 23 WEDNESDAY: Pork chop with gravy, applesauce, sweet potatoes, green beans,

banana mousse.

THURSDAY: Vegetable lasagna with white sauce, garden salad, Italian vegetables, brownie.

FRIDAY: Hungarian goulash, mixed vegetables, egg noodles, fresh fruit.

MONDAY: Closed.

TUESDAY: Barbecue chicken thighs, baked beans, collard greens, pineapple chunks.

WEDNESDAY: Seafood scampi, linguini, spinach, wax beans, cookies.

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.

FEB. 23 THROUGH MARCH 2

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.

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.

MARCH 16 THROUGH MARCH 23

MARCH 23 THROUGH MARCH 31 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.

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

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A6 Wednesday, February 9, 2022

How to submit obituaries and death notices Obituaries: Are paid notices. We reserve the right to edit all copy. Funeral directors may email us the information at obits@columbiagreenemedia.com anytime. Include life background information on the deceased, a full list of immediate survivors, services and the name of the funeral home. Any questions or for rate information, call 315-661-2446.

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John Delaney John Delaney, 89, of Catskill passed away on February 7, 2022. Millspaugh Camerato Funeral Home, www.MillspaughCamerato.com.

Maureen E. Kennedy September 7, 1937 - February 8, 2022 Maureen E. Kennedy, 84, of Niverville, NY, passed Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at Ghent Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

Born September 7, 1937 in Woonsocket, RI, she was the daughter of the late Cosmo T. and Grace (Ledoux) Mazzarella.

Mrs. Kennedy worked as a secretary for Grant Companies in Rhode Island and was employed by the Ichabod Crane School System for over 25 years as a Bus Aide for special needs children. She enjoyed ceramics was a former member of the Knights of Columbus Auxiliary and a Cub Scout leader for many years.

She is survived by her daughter Carleen Kennedy-Geiselhart (Joe) of Ravena NY, her son Andrew M. Kennedy (Karin) of Valatie NY, five grandchildren, Jason Smith, Victoria Swann (Roy), Andrew, Olivia and Zachary Kennedy, one great grandson Ian Smith and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband Andrew K. Kennedy Jr. and her siblings Grace Arnold and Thomas Mazzarella.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, February 12, 2022, 12:00 noon at St. John the Baptist Church in Valatie. Visitation will be Saturday from 10-11:30am at the Raymond E. Bond Funeral Home, Valatie prior to the Mass. For those who wish, contributions may be made to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital.

The family would like to thank the nurses and aides at the Ghent Rehibilitation and Nursing Center for all of their wonderful care.

Thomas J. Borgen January 6, 1957 - January 30, 2022 STUYVESANT — Thomas J. Borgen, 65, of Stuyvesant, formerly of Saugerties, passed away on Jan. 30 at CMH. Born Jan. 6, 1957 in Kingston to Rolf and Gerd Borgen, Tom graduated from Saugerties High School.

Tom was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and was a barge captain with the Merchant Marines.

Tom retired from CMH after 18 years of service.

Tom leaves behind his soulmate, Barbara Hotaling and family, two daughters, Jane and Nicki Borgen and their partners; sisters Linda King, Julie Borgen and Pam Ives; and a brother, James Borgen, along with several family and friends form the Saugerties area.

Two brothers, Eddie and John Borgen predeceased him.

There are no services at this time. Tom was cremated and in the spring there will be a celebration of his life.

Health department chief mum on school mask orders

By Kate Lisa Johnson Newspaper Corp.

ALBANY — The state’s top health official refused to give specifics Tuesday about the end of New York’s mask mandate in schools as an increasing number of lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle demand streamlined guidance for public educators.

The ongoing debate over the COVID-19 public health regulation expanded Tuesday when Sen. John Liu, a Queens Democrat, pleaded with Health Department Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett for the department to declare an end date or name a specific metric to return student life mask-free.

“There has been no decision made in which a date that the mask mandate in school will end,” Bassett told dozens of lawmakers Tuesday during a virtual joint legislative budget hearing on health. “I’m proud of the fact that we’ve been able to keep children safe and in school. And we’ve done that by throwing everything we have in terms of prevention, interventions that keeping kids safe in school, and that will remain the priority that we all share, I’m sure.”

The health commissioner repeated a variation of the detail-absent answer to several lawmakers who pressed her about the school mask issue as the Health Department and state Education Department weigh making permanent a few emergency regulations issued during the pandemic, including requiring COVID vaccination for hospital and health care workers, giving the health commissioner the authority to implement face mask requirements on New Yorkers ages 2 and older and allowing DOH and local health departments to issue isolation or quarantine orders to people diagnosed or exposed to a contagious disease.

Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to plummet and neighboring Democratic states like New Jersey announced an end date for their school mask requirement.

Senate Majority Leader

Schmitt, R-New Windsor; and Ed Ra, R-Franklin Square; were two of several lawmakers in the minority to question health leaders about the mask mandate.

“We’re watching the numbers and we don’t have a date for you,” Bassett replied to Schmitt.

The mask mandate was part of the state’s multipronged approach to combat rising coronavirus infections, and protect young children who recently became eligible to Courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office get the COVID vaccine or Health Department Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett refused to are most likely to be carriers tell lawmakers when the state’s mask mandate in schools would to spread the disease to vulend, what specific coronavirus metric would initiate its expiration nerable populations. or when the department will issue streamlined pandemic “Our top priority is to guidance for childhood educators. keep kids in school, and that’s been accomplished Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D- other officials before taking through a whole range of Yonkers, said she wished the action. state had one set of metrics “Ideally, I’m sure the gov- public health intervenfor officials and the public to ernor would want to have tions,” Bassett said.

The state continues to one set of metrics from one evaluate. have different COVID pro“In my ideal world, I wish authority that everybody retocols and regulations for there was one set of metrics spected and followed, but in public school students and that everybody looked at,” the absence of that, people she said to reporters later look in their own environ- day cares, causing confuTuesday afternoon. “I wish ment and do the best they sion about the safest panin my ideal world, again, I can,” the Senate leader said. demic practices for different Hochul, a Democrat, is age levels. wish that everybody would The state Health Departbe vaccinated, everybody expected Wednesday to anwould be boosted and ev- nounce an end, or at least a ment does not have a plan erybody would follow the plan to phase out, the stand- or timeline to issue streaming face mask or vaccination lined guidance for childscience. “...I wish that there was requirement for people to hood caretakers or educasome authority we all lis- enter New York businesses tors, Bassett said.

The state Council of Sutened to and believed and set to expire Thursday. The perintendents called for the state’s daily COVID infecwe all followed.”

Health Department to pubNew Yorkers are rely- tion rate dipped to 4.2% licize criteria to determine ing on the Health Depart- Monday after several weeks ment, Liu said, to consult with double-digit figures when schools will end or with Gov. Kathy Hochul due to the anticipated win- change the mask requireand leaders and answer ter surge that peaked at 23% ment in a letter to Bassett last week. the question officials and one month ago.

“A theme we have reBut officials have given constituents have repeated for months: What COVID little details about their sci- peatedly stressed to state numbers would signify the entific research, mindset officials is that thoughtful end of the mask mandate or intent, to end the state’s changes to their policies for students, and when? mask mandate for any per- could help sustain public Students’ suffering mental son entering a public school acceptance of whatever health must be considered, building over age 2 the gov- requirements that remain ernor implemented when necessary or might become he added. necessary as our circum“We say that this is all she took office in August.

Republicans have been stances change,” council based in science,” Liu said.

“It’s more difficult to keep part of lawsuits, led multiple Executive Director Charles explaining to our constitu- rallies and proposed legis- Dedrick wrote in the letter. ents that when neighboring lation to reverse the state’s states are starting to lift their mask requirements since mass mandates, including they were first instituted for school kids, so please under former governor Andrew Cuomo in 2020. consider that.”

Several Republicans on Stewart-Cousins echoed the confusion constituents Tuesday also questioned have expressed, but said the Bassett about the need for governor must consult the face masks in schools as the state Health Department, state’s COVID-19 infection U.S. Centers for Disease rate continues to plummet.

Copake, N.Y. (518) 329-2121 Assemblymen Colin Pine Plains, N.Y. (518) 398-7777 Control and Prevention and

FUNERAL

DIRECTORS

GOP demands audit of COVID nursing home deaths

By Kate Lisa Johnson Newspaper Corp.

ALBANY — Republicans in the Senate on Monday demanded the next state budget include legislation forcing the state Health Department to audit New York’s COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes and coerce the new health commissioner to review early pandemic mandates.

Members of the Senate minority introduced legislation Monday to require the state Health Department to reaudit the number of virus fatalities in the state’s 600-plus adult-care facilities, and conduct an investigation into former governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration’s pandemic policies that relate to nursing homes.

“We want someone with DOH — and who better than the new commissioner? — to go in there, to sit down with some of the staff who are still there and do a full investigation,” Sen. Jim Tedisco, R-Glenville, said in the state Capitol on Monday.

Lawmakers reignited the discussion Monday as state Health Department Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett is scheduled to testify Tuesday in a joint legislative budget hearing on health care.

More than 15,000 New

COURTESY OF THE NY SENATE MINORITY CONFERENCE

Republican senators gathered at the Million Dollar Staircase in the state Capitol on Monday to demand the state Health Department conduct an audit of the state’s past pandemic nursing home policies and COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.

Yorkers in nursing homes have died from coronavirus complications over the last 23 months.

The proposed legislation would require the Health Department to release a public report on their conclusions about early pandemic policies, their impact on the death toll and an action plan for adult-care facilities to prepare for future health emergencies within 90 days.

Tedisco and Sen. Sue Serino, a ranking member on the Aging Committee, urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to

include their legislation in her 30-day amendment to her executive budget set to be released next week.

“Commissioner Bassett, we’re asking you to do your due diligence — do the right thing,” Tedisco said. “What is the harm in going back and finding out what we did right and what we did wrong?”

Republicans last month largely voted against confirming Bassett as the state’s 17th health commissioner to replace Dr. Howard Zucker, who was forced to resign after his ties to the department’s controversial

record-keeping and buckling to Cuomo’s political pressure.

Bassett admitted she had not read the controversial March 25, 2020, order to send COVID-positive nursing home patients home to their facility to recover issued by her predecessor Dr. Zucker during Senate confirmation hearings last month, and said she did not intend to, expressing her desire to move forward and not “unravel” the mistakes of past administrations.

“That’s totally unacceptable,” Serino, R-Hyde Park, said standing with her colleagues Monday. “Too many New York families who were impacted by the state’s horrible pandemic policies don’t get the luxury of not looking back. “...We have a duty to learn from past practices.”

The policy was intended to free up hospital beds during the pandemic’s initial onslaught, but many people continue to demand an investigation into the order’s impact on virus deaths in adult-care facilities.

Lawmakers argued the new commissioner’s refusal shows a disregard for the affected families looking for accountability and a path forward.

Republicans intend to

question Bassett about the policy again Tuesday.

“This push isn’t about reliving the past, it’s about ensuring the health and safety of all New Yorkers now and in the future,” Serino said.

“Now is precisely the time to unravel the truth.”

Republicans’ calls for additional review of the state’s coronavirus policies in nursing homes and related fatalities come a year after state Attorney General Letitia James released a report showing the state Health Department under Cuomo’s administration had undercounted COVID nursing home deaths by up to 55%.

“While the New York state Department of Health does not comment on proposed legislation, we are committed to protecting nursing home residents during this pandemic which includes supporting the vaccination and booster doses for residents and staff, ensuring facilities adhere to strong infection control measures and issuing guidance on nursing home visitation,” Jeffrey Hammond, the Health Department’s deputy director of communications said in a statement.

“These steps are working, as evidenced by the decrease is cases among nursing home residents.”

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Notices should be emailed to:

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Wednesday, February 9, 2022 A7

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA • THE DAILY MAIL

John B. Dumond’s runaway notice

By Jonathan Palmer, Greene County Historian For Columbia-Greene Media

This week I wanted to feature an interesting document which testifies to the history and legacy of slavery in Greene County. The document is from the Charles Anderson Collection and has been in the care of the Greene County Historical Society since 1966. A transcription of the document follows here: Taken up in the woods near Catskill the 22nd October 1780 a Negro man named Peter, supposed to be run away from his master, he speaks nothing but English and his Mother Tongue, the former he speaks so improper that he cannot be understood only here and there a word and the latter is such a tongue that our Negros here cannot understand. We understand by him (or at least we think so) that he has lived with one Rineheart and that he was going to sell him on which the Negro run off, but where Rineheart lives we can not learn. He is about six feet high and about 26 years old, spare and ragged. Whoever proves [illegible] Negro to be their property and paying charges may have him again of the subscriber at his house in the District of the Great Imbought in the County of Albany and State of New York — October 25, 1780 John B. Dumond This document is fascinating for myriad reasons, but chief among them is the anecdotal clue revealed about the status of the slave trade in New York at the time this notice was written. Specifically, the commentary on linguistic barriers is surprising because of its implications concerning the origin of people enslaved in the upper Hudson Valley during the late 18th century.

John Baptiste Dumond himself was a landowner in Catskill who owned four people in the United States Census of 1800.

Whether this was similar to the number of enslaved people in his household in 1780 is

Three seats open for the Cairo-Durham Board of Education CAIRO — The CairoDurham Central School District Board of Education will have three seats up for election this spring.

If you’re interested in joining the Cairo-Durham Board of Education, contact the Board Clerk to get a nominating petition

(518-622-8534, ext. 25010).

Prospective candidates must have a primary residence in the Cairo-Durham CSD, be at least 18 years old and be a registered voter.

All three seats are threeyear, non-paid terms ending in June 2025.

Learn more about what

school board members do at www.cairodurham.org (under the “Board of Education” menu).

Completed nominating petitions are due back to the Board Clerk in the District Office by 5 p.m. April 18 to 424 Main St, Cairo.

DOCUMENT FROM THE CHARLES ANDERSON COLLECTION, VEDDER RESEARCH LIBRARY

A notice of a captured runaway slave caught by John Dumond of Catskill in 1780.

unknown, and unfortunately the Federal Census of 1790 offers no insight because the margin which tallied his slaves and those of his neighbors was destroyed.

The number of enslaved people in Dumond’s household aside, it is interesting that they apparently possessed a common second language other than English or the still commonly spoken Dutch of this area. For that to have been the case these people couldn’t have been separated by more than a generation or two from people who were purchased through transatlantic or Caribbean slave markets. The isolating nature of enslavement in New York, where blacks were frequently the sole or one of only two or three enslaved people in a household, meant there was no broader community to help perpetuate cultural traditions and language. This, and the tendency of enslavers to separate children for sale at a young age, meant there were also few opportunities to pass on generational cultural identities once the enslaved arrived in the upper Hudson Valley.

That the runaway man in this notice was from a different language group and not fluent in English, Dutch, or the common language of Dumond’s enslaved is a possible clue that

he was a survivor of the middle passage, stolen from his home and brought to a market in New York which even in the late 18th century was bolstered by an ongoing demand for imported slaves. Whether the runaway man Peter or Dumond’s enslaved people spoke Spanish, Portuguese, or different African languages may never be known, but the meeting of these people in this circumstance illustrates broadly the strange cultural collisions precipitated by chattel slavery.

Unrelated to the purpose of the notice is John Dumond’s closure with “State of New York” in the year 1780, one year prior to the conclusion of the Siege of Yorktown and three years prior to the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Whether this can be taken as evidence of Dumond’s patriot leanings is unknown, but the fact that he would bother to note “State” of New York on a notice such as this (unrelated to functions of the Revolutionary State Government) is perhaps illustrative of the transforming sociopolitical identity of the people in the Town of Catskill at that time.

Questions about anything in this feature can be directed to Jon by email at archivist@gchistory.org.

February 10-13 & 17-20, 2022 featuring

Jazzmeia Horn The Baylor Project Armstrong Now! with Daniel J. Watts Warren Wolf Jimmy Greene Alexis Morrast Mike Mosby

BBB Tip: How to choose a tax preparer BUFFALO — This year, taxpayers must file their income tax forms before the April 18 deadline.

For many people, major life changes, business ownership, or simply a lack of knowledge about the everchanging tax laws make finding a trustworthy tax preparer a good idea. However, not all tax preparers have the same level of experience and training.

Here are Better Business Bureau’s tips for finding someone you can trust with your finances and sensitive personal information.

Review the tax preparer’s credentials. EAs, CPAs, and tax attorneys are all qualified to represent their clients to the IRS on all matters. Other preparers can help you with forms and basic matters, but cannot represent you in case of an audit. Don’t be afraid to ask about these or other qualifications before you hire someone.

Be wary of spectacular promises. If a tax preparer promises you larger refunds than the competition, this is a red flag. Many such tax preparers base their fees on the amount of your return and may likely use shady tax preparation tactics. In addition, it’s wise to avoid tax preparers who offer “refund anticipation loans” as you’ll probably lose a large percentage of your return to commission fees.

Get referrals from friends and family. One of the best ways to find a trustworthy tax preparer is to ask your loved ones for recommendations. Once you have a few options, check BBB.org, paying careful attention to other consumers’ reviews or complaint details. This will give you a clear view of what you can expect.

Think about availability. If the IRS finds errors in your tax forms or decides to perform an audit, will your tax preparer be available to

help you with the details?

Find out whether you can contact the tax preparer all year long or only during tax season.

Ask about fees ahead of time. Before you agree to any services, read contracts carefully and understand how much the tax preparer charges for their services.

Ask about extra fees for e-filing state, federal, and local returns, as well as fees for any unexpected complications.

If things don’t add up, find someone else. If a tax preparer can’t verify their credentials, has a record of bad reviews from previous clients, or their business practices don’t seem convincing, don’t do business with them.

Keep in mind that if you hire them, this individual will handle your sensitive personal information – information you need to keep safe from corrupt or fraudulent tax preparers.

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A8 Wednesday, February 9, 2022

SUNY Ulster receives extension Norman Rockwell Museum on $1.5 million grant for New expands senior leadership Start for Women and innovation plans

STONE RIDGE — SUNY Ulster announces the extension of a $1.5 million grant from the NoVo Foundation to continue its innovative New Start for Women Program that assists women in Ulster County who are living on poverty-level incomes to obtain an education, skills, and the professional network needed for familysustaining careers. This extension will be disbursed in $500,000 increments over three years.

The program, now in its third year, awards a Certificate in General Management upon completion. The program has a graduation rate of over 70 percent with half of these graduates choosing to continue their education by enrolling in an Associate Degree program at SUNY Ulster or at local four-year colleges.

Breanna Simmons, a current student of New Start who

will be graduating in May, says she is already using some of the skills she has learned in her current position working with people who have developmental disabilities. “My plan after graduation is to continue my studies at SUNY Ulster. I would like to pursue a career in nursing.”

“SUNY Ulster has a longstanding commitment to the education of adult students looking to enhance or change their career paths. New Start helps talented women in our community who do not have access to or cannot take advantage of educational opportunities as a result of economic circumstances, overwhelming barriers, or life challenges,” adds Jordan Scruggs, Director for New Start. “And, we are so appreciative to both the NoVo Foundation and to long-time SUNY Ulster donor, Darlene L. Pfeiffer who saw the potential

of New Start and invested the first $100,000 in seed money to kickstart this program.”

According to the US Census Bureau, nearly 14% of the population live below the poverty line. The largest demographic group living in poverty is females aged 25-34, followed by females 18-24, and then females 35-44. New Start provides an education, combined with added community support and services to empower participants to succeed, leading to employment within the community.

The program’s success is shared with the community partnerships among the college, local nonprofit organizations, community services, and businesses that provide the tools and services students need such as home-based internet services, childcare, transportation, tutoring, counseling, and more.

USDA to conduct first-ever agroforestry survey HARRISBURG, Penn. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is conducting the firstever National Agroforestry Survey. Data collection begins Feb. 1 and concludes April 5, 2022. NASS will mail the survey to 1,842 farmers in the 11 Northeastern States to gather information on the five agroforestry practices used for climate, conservation and production benefits, including windbreaks, silvopasture, riparian forest buffers, alley cropping as well as forest farming and multi-story cropping.

“In this first-ever survey, ag producers have the opportunity to share the different ways they manage valuable agroforestry resources,” said King Whetstone, director of the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office. “The data will inform programs and policy to

benefit both the landowners and farmers as well as the environment.”

The survey is conducted cooperatively with the USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC), which is a partnership between USDA’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service. The NAC will release the summarized data in studies, press releases, and publications such as highlights. Highlights will give an overview of how agroforestry practices are used in regions across the United States.

“Information shared directly from farmers and ranchers really is one of the best ways to learn what works and what doesn’t in agroforestry. We will use the data to discover the most effective, efficient and profitable ways climatesmart agroforestry practices are used, and share what we learn in a series of research

reports to benefit U.S. farmers and ranchers,” said NAC Research Program Lead Matthew Smith. Producers can respond to the survey securely online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. The survey will take no longer than 50 minutes to complete if producers have all five agroforestry practices on their operations. Response time will be shorter if there are fewer practices to report.

The information provided by farmers and ranchers is protected by federal law (Title V, Subtitle A, Public Law 107347), which keeps respondent identity, operation, and answers confidential. For more information, visit www.nass. usda.gov/go/Agroforestry.

For assistance with the survey, call 888-424-7828. Subscribe to Agroforestry Connection for new agroforestry-related publications and other items of interest.

New grant program to support NYS Canal system tourism infrastructure and events WATERFORD — The New York State Canal Corporation, through the Reimagine the Canals initiative, and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor are launching a new competitive grant program to support tourism and recreation along the New York State Canal System, including canal waterways and Canalway Trail. The 2022 program will provide funding to support tourism infrastructure and amenity improvements, and events.

Funding is open to counties, municipalities, units of local government, not-for-profit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes.

“The Canal Corporation is proud to fund and partner with the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor in launching this new grant program that aims to grow unique recreation and tourism experiences along New York’s iconic Canal system,” said Brian

Stratton, Director of the New York State Canal Corporation.

“This funding will continue to make opportunities along the canals more exciting and accessible for visitors and we look forward to providing this support in an effort to improve experiences while promoting the connectivity between our historic waterways, trails, and canalside communities.”

The grant program includes two funding categories: Event Support, with an award range of $500 to $15,000, and Tourism Infrastructure & Amenity Support, with an award range of $5,000 to $24,000. Applicants may apply for one or both categories.

“We look forward to bringing many innovative ideas and exciting events to life through these grants. Combining federal, state, and local resources in support of communitybased projects and events will benefit residents and visitors to New York’s iconic canals,” said Bob Radliff, Executive

Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

Potential applicants will find details at www.eriecanalway.org/resources/grants/ Applications open on Feb. 22 and are due on April 1. A virtual Q&A will be held at 10 a.m.

March 3; registration details will be posted on the website.

The New York State Canal Corporation, a subsidiary of the New York Power Authority, oversees the operation and promotion of the New York State Canal System. The Canal Corporation’s mission is to operate and maintain a premier waterway and trail system that honors the historic legacy of the Erie Canal and offers unique recreational and tourism opportunities, while also promoting sustainable economic development throughout the canal corridor.

For more information on the New York State Canal System and the Canal Corporation, please visit www.canals. ny.gov.

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STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. – Norman Rockwell Museum (NRM) announces the recent addition of new executive positions. The talent joining the existing Museum leadership invites the opportunity to build forward to serve audiences in new and broader ways as the Museum emerges from the ongoing pandemic. Joining the team is Sue Elliott, appointed to the Museum’s newly created position of Chief Audience Officer; she will oversee the new Audience Engagement division. Elliott joins recently appointed staff Alyssa Blumenthal, the new Director of Public Operations and Visitor Engagement, and Chris Kupernik, Director of Facilities and Safety.

“These exemplary leaders with diverse experience and new perspectives from beyond the museum world, join forces with our accomplished professional team to play integral roles in ongoing strategic development, equity, access, inclusion, and innovation at NRM,” said Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt.

As the Museum strives to meet future goals, which includes a strong commitment to increasing access and digital engagement, the organization has reorganized around serving audiences with enhanced research and data analysis. During the pandemic, participation by new audiences grew exponentially with web-based programs and events, reaching new international audiences and expanding civic engagement. A key element to this growth is balancing resources devoted to onsite exhibitions and programming with the opportunity to engage world-wide audiences through online offerings.

NRM’s new Chief Audience Officer, Sue Elliott, will work with curatorial, digital, visitor, and education teams and local, national, and international collaborators to transform the way in which the Museum creates programming that engages people of all ages through inperson and online activities and events. By developing relevant content and planning structures, and providing integrated experiences for contemporary audiences, the Museum aims to increase access and broaden its reach

across the US and around the world. Elliott remarked “I am honored to join NRM at this pivotal time, continuing my life’s work of bringing people together to create a more civil society through shared artistic experiences. By expanding and diversifying our engagement efforts for both in-person and online visitors of all ages, in the Berkshires and around the world, and reconsidering the ways in which we build community, NRM looks boldly forward to greater connectivity and impact in the future. I look forward to collaborating with illustrators, curators, educators, and our current and future audiences for many years to come.”

A new Audience Engagement division will incorporate and build on the outstanding work that Rich Bradway has led for six years as Director of Digital Learning & Engagement. Bradway’s role will expand to that of Digital Innovation Officer.

This larger, dedicated digital arm of the Museum will incorporate additional technology, data, and digital production support. Museum is currently seeking to hire a Technology Coordinator.

In her role as Director of Public Operations and Visitor Engagement, Alyssa Blumenthal leads the Museum’s efforts to deliver an exceptional level of guest service, supporting programming that advances the Museum’s commitment to being inclusive, equitable, friendly, and welcoming to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Prior to joining the Museum, Blumenthal held various hospitality leadership roles in restaurants and event venues throughout MA & CT. Blumenthal relocated from Chicago to Amherst, MA to attend Hampshire College, studying fine arts as a therapeutic tool.

One of North America’s most innovative arts educators, Sue Elliott joins the Museum from her current position as the inaugural director of the Tanglewood Learning Institute at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Prior to joining the BSO in 2018, she launched and led the world’s first online professional development, certificate, and accreditation program for private music teachers around the world at the Royal Conservatory of Music in

Canada. Through her unique approach to multi/interdisciplinary programming, Elliott has led efforts to expand and diversify audiences at the BSO, Seattle Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Educated at McGill University, the University of Toronto, and the University of Southern California, she also holds certificates in education, leadership, and arts and cultural strategy.

Chris Kupernik joined Norman Rockwell Museum in November 2021 as Director of Facilities and Safety. Kupernik was an Estate Manager for a large private property and also served as Facilities and Grounds Manager at Berkshire Botanical Garden where he was responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the buildings, grounds, and equipment. He also held a long tenure of nearly 11 years at Blantyre, a luxury hotel in Lenox, assisting in the maintenance and security of the historic gilded age property.

Laurie Tang, Executive Assistant to the Director/CEO, joined NRM in May 2021.

Tang is responsible for managing and supporting the work of the Director’s Office/ CEO, the Board of Trustees, and key patron and donor relationships with the Museum. Prior to joining the team, Tang was the Rooms Division Manager at Blantyre, a Relais and Châteaux luxury hotel, in Lenox. Tang graduated from University of Massachusetts Amherst with degrees in Hospitality and Tourism Management as well as Chinese Language and Literature.

Following the departure of Collections and Operations Director Martin Mahoney, who became the Director of the Bennington Museum in September 2021, a series of promotions were awarded including: Thomas Mesquita – Director of Collections and Exhibitions; Jana Purdy – Curatorial Project Coordinator; Barbara Rundback – Registrar; Joe Tonetti – Exhibitions Manager; Maria Tucker – Curatorial Intern; and Venus Van Ness – Archivist/Curatorial Information Manager. The curatorial team continues to be led

by Deputy Director/Chief Curator Stephanie Haboush Plunkett, a 27-year veteran at NRM.

Maritime Museum welcomes new board leadership KINGSTON — Hudson River Maritime Museum has elected new members to its board of trustees and will see new officer leadership in 2022. For more than 40 years the organization’s board has worked together to provide fiscal oversight, ensure museum activities conform to the organization’s mission, oversee strategic planning and represent the museum within the community.

Trustee Allan Bowdery will lead the board as president having served in the role previously from 2013 to 2016.

Bowdery retired from a career as a maritime lawyer in New York City, but continues to act as an arbitrator on maritime disputes. He will be joined by fellow officers Dale Wolfield, first vice president; Brian Johnson, second vice president; Bob Burhans, treasurer; and Shelly Wright, secretary.

In 2021 the museum welcomed new trustees Jesse Hicks and Nick Rothlein.

Born and raised on the Rondout Creek, Hicks is a 4th generation descendant of the Roberti Family — proprietors of Lou’s Boat Basin. He has

more than 10 years’ experience in small scale entrepreneurship and 6 years’ experience in Strategy Operations for Startup & Global Enterprises in Boston. He is owner/operator of A Day Away Kayak Rentals, where he developed a small local paddle sport livery from two kayaks and $100.

Rothlein is owner/operator at Rondout Yacht Basin in Connelly which he has run with his brother Andrew since 2016. Born and raised in Kingston, Rothlein lived in Northern California for 8 years and graduated from Humboldt State University double majoring in Recreation Administration and Business Administration.

He was awarded the Marinas. com Young Leader Award in 2020 and the yacht basin was designated a Boaters’ Choice Winner in 2016 through 2020.

Hicks and Rothlein join the rest of the board team which includes Stephen Digilio, David Eaton, Huntley Gill, Mark Heller, Ann Loeding, Frank Marcigliano, Mark Peckham, Bill Ryan and Ian Westergren.

Retiring from the board is Jack Weeks who has served since assuming the role of

board president in 2005. Weeks has served in a leadership position — president twice, vice president twice, secretary and as an active board member and volunteer since then. He charted a course of program expansion and public engagement. HRMM rebuilt its bulkhead and docks, opened the public waterfront walkway, upgraded and expanded its exhibits, added the Homeport and Education Center as well as the Riverport Wooden Boat School, dramatically expanded its educational programing including museum programs, sailing, woodworking, rowing, and most recently adding the 100% solar-powered tour boat, Solaris, to its fleet. While many have contributed to the museum’s success, Weeks has been there convincing board members, volunteers, staff and the community that HRMM is an effort worthy of their energy and support. He believes, “It is important to Kingston, the Hudson Valley and New York State to have a place that helps people experience how much the Hudson River and its people have contributed to the story of America.

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 A9

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

2022 Daughters of American Register now for Maritime Agriculture Scholarship Museum’s youth sailing classes applications now being accepted HART, Texas — The American Agri-Women (AAW) Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2022 Daughters of American Agriculture Scholarships. Get an application at https://americanagriwomen.org/scholarships. The application deadline is March 1.

The Jean Ibendahl Scholarship (for ages 18-23) and the Sister Thomas More Bertels Scholarship (for 24 and older)

honors the memory of these courageous and adventurous women who played an essential role in serving and leading and who encouraged agricultural pursuits.

These scholarships are available to any farm, ranch, or agri-business woman to pursue accredited courses in agriculture leadership, communications, rural sociology, medicine or other college-level studies directly

related to agriculture. American Agri-Women members and affiliates maintain the scholarships. You can find the application at https://americanagriwomen.org/scholarships.

Completed applications should be sent to American Agri-Women Foundation, P.O. Box 103, Baileyville, Ill., 61007 or emailed to: foundation@ americanagriwomen.org.

The Bard Clemente Course accepting applications for spring 2022 programs ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON — The Bard College Clemente Course in the Humanities is now accepting applications for its 2022 spring program. Now entering its 25th year, the program offers a college-level introduction to the humanities—philosophy, literature, U.S. history, art history, and critical thinking and writing. Students attend at no cost. Tuition and books will be provided. Students who successfully complete the course will earn three college credits from Bard College transferable to any higher educational institution, and can continue next semester for an additional three credits.

COVID-19 has changed and postponed many of our plans

and dreams. This year’s Clemente course is focused on supporting those who are going back to work, whose children are going back to school, and who are considering enrolling or re-enrolling in college. The Clemente course is committed to help with educational access, the job market, and giving a boost during these difficult times.

WHO QUALIFIES? You or somebody you know might be the ideal candidate for the Bard College Clemente Course in the Humanities. This national, transition-to-college program provides an introduction to the humanities to anyone coming from a lowincome household, motivated and enthusiastic, and who

foresees financial or personal difficulty when applying to college or jobs.

WHEN DO WE MEET AND HOW DO YOU APPLY? Classes will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 8 pm on Zoom, from February 8 to May 31.

The deadline for applications is February 6 and our first class will be Tuesday, February 8th from 6-8pm.

To apply contact Marina van Zuylen at vanzuyle@bard. edu. Applicants must be 16 years of age or older and highly motivated and committed.

They must have the time and desire to attend classes regularly, complete assignments outside of class, and participate fully in the course for the entire three-month term.

Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley announces new CEO TARRYTOWN — MakeA-Wish® Hudson Valley announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Kristine Burton as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding CEO Thomas J. Conklin, who is retiring after serving for 17 years. Burton’s appointment will become effective Jan. 3, 2022.

With more than two decades of experience in the non-profit field, Burton has been dedicated to enhancing the lives of young people who need it most. Most recently, for the past 12 years, she served as the vice president of Madison Square Garden’s (MSG) Garden of Dreams Foundation, where she was responsible for all aspects of the multimillion-dollar non-profit charity, including all strategic, operational, fundraising and programming efforts, as well as board management and administrative matters.

She began her role with MSG in 2001 as manager of public relations with MSG Network.

She joined the corporate area in 2003 to help direct programming for the Cheering for Children Foundation, which was transformed into the Garden of Dreams Foundation in 2006. Prior to MSG, Burton spent more than seven years with Special Olympics New

York. In her last role as director of program, she worked with children and adults with intellectual disabilities, directing year-round training and athletic programs.

“I have always been inspired by the remarkable work of Make-A-Wish and the organization’s ability to fulfill wishes for children undergoing treatment for critical illnesses. I am very honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley and to join the remarkable staff and countless volunteers who participate in granting life-changing wishes every day,” Burton said.

“Kristine is very much dedicated to the Make-A-Wish mission and we are excited to see her leading the organization forward,” said Board Chair, George Whitehead.

“We also would like to thank Tom Conklin for his seventeen years of extraordinary service to the local community.

Through his dedication and mission-driven leadership, Tom leaves behind a strong, and empowered team, volunteers, and community partners to continue providing wishes for children with critical illnesses and their families.”

“I am honored to have served as CEO for

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Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley for the last sixteen years. The passion and dedication of the staff and volunteers of this organization is unparalleled and has been the cornerstone of the work done to grant more than 1,850 wishes during my tenure,” Conklin said. “With the appointment of Kristine, I retire leaving the Hudson Valley chapter in extremely capable hands. She will take our chapter to the next level of success, working with our devoted team in Tarrytown, and with countless, amazing volunteers across the region, to grow the legacy of Make-AWish Hudson Valley.”

Burton is a graduate of State University of New York at Geneseo and has her Sport Philanthropy Executive Certificate from George Washington University School of Business. A lifelong resident of Westchester County and a graduate of Ossining High School, Burton currently resides in Peekskill.

The search for Make-AWish Hudson Valley’s CEO was led by Sagency, an executive search and leadership consulting firm, and a search committee made up of MakeA-Wish Hudson Valley Board members, with Casey Tansey, President & CEO of Make-AWish Mid-South and Make-AWish America’s, Nicole Statt.

KINGSTON – The Sailing School at the Hudson River Maritime Museum announces that 2022 youth sailing programs are now open for registration. Youth sailors of all levels will have opportunities to get out onto the water as well as learn maritime science during on-shore sessions.

A number of popular classes have returned this year and will offer more sessions. In the Building & Sailing Boats class students will spend time in the wooden boat school as they craft and then launch their own boat into the nearby Rondout Creek. The new Reach/STEM series welcomes beginner sailors with 20 hours of STEM-focused sailing activities. A summary of classes appears below: Reach/STEM - A new series of classes for youth (age 10-14) welcoming beginning sailors as well as more experienced students. US Sailingcertified instructors provide 20 hours of STEM (science, technology, engineering,

and math) curriculum with hands-on experiences in the real world of sailing.

Building & Sailing Boats – Students (age 10-17) will be introduced to woodworking, boatbuilding and sailing in this 4-day course encompassing a range of STEM-focused skills and activities. Participants will develop skills and experience with cooperation, teamwork, self-confidence, and independence as they learn to build and sail boats.

Introduction to Youth Sailing (Age 6-8) – A new class for students age 6-8 immersing them in the basics of sailing within a nurturing environment where each becomes comfortable and confident aboard sailboats. Young sailors will be safe, have fun, and learn sailing concepts while making new friends and having new experiences.

Youth Sailing Program - Six 1-week youth sailing experiences for students age 9-17. Sessions will run July 11-August 19, 9am-4pm.

Sessions are taught by US

Sailing-certified instructors and focus on safety, fun and learning. Mixed age groups and experience levels allow experienced students to take on leadership roles. New sailors will learn from instructors and their peers as they proceed at their own pace.

Early registration for classes is recommended.

Students who register before March 15 can take advantage of last season’s pricing which will increase after that date.

Safety is always a priority at the HRMM Sailing School and information about how we are keeping people safe can be found on the school’s website.

Details and registration can be found online at www. hrmm.org/youth-sailingprogram. The school also offers a lineup of classes for adults and details can be found at www.hrmm.org/ adult-sailing. People who have questions are welcome to call the museum at 845338-0071.

Registration open for Maritime Museum’s adult sailing classes KINGSTON – The Sailing School at the Hudson River Maritime Museum announces that 2022 adult sailing programs are now open for registration. Adult sailors of all levels will find a variety of on-the-water classes beginning in May 2022.

Popular classes include First Sail, an introductory session aboard the museum’s classic catboat Tidbit, with a US Sailing-certified instructor. No experience is necessary and students will learn hands-on basics as they experience two hours on the beautiful Rondout Creek and Hudson River. More experienced sailors can register for the school’s US Sailing Basic Keelboat, a 21-hour course covering crew operations, heavy weather sailing, and more. Qualified students will have the opportunity for certification following the course. A summary of classes appears below.

First Sail - Offers an introduction to sailing aboard the museum’s classic catboat Tidbit with a US Sailing certified instructor. Learn the basics of sailing and enjoy two hours on the beautiful Rondout Creek and Hudson River.

Beginners are welcome, as

are experienced sailors. Instructors will customize for the participants in each class.

Adult Keelboat Sailing Series - A three-session series of classes designed for adult students (18 and older) who are new to keelboat sailing or who would like to learn more about keelboat sailing. US Sailing-certified instructors will teach or review the basics of sailing onboard a stable 24-25 foot keelboat. Participants will practice crew skills as well as sailing the boat. Instructor/student ratio is 1:4.

Adult Centerboard Sailing Series - Students in this three-session series of classes sail on the museum’s 14- and 16-foot Capri centerboard sailboats. Students need to be agile and able to move around tender sailboats comfortably.

The series is designed for adults with no prior experience and for those with some experience who wish to learn more about sailing centerboard boats. Students will sail with a US Sailing-certified instructor and two other adults.

US Sailing Basic Keelboat – A course open to adult beginning sailors as well as those who are more experienced.

This 21-hour class covers a robust curriculum created

by US Sailing, the national governing body of the sport.

The course will use the “basic keelboat” textbook published

by US Sailing and taught primarily on-the-water aboard the school’s 24-25 foot stable keelboats. Students will practice on-the-water skills to gain confidence in operating their vessels. At the end of the course, qualified students will have the option of taking the test to qualify for US Sailing Basic Keelboat certification.

Early registration for classes is recommended.

Students who register before March 15 can take advantage of last season’s pricing which will increase after that date.

Safety is always a priority at the HRMM Sailing School and information about how we are keeping people safe can be found on the school’s website.

Details and registration can be found online at www. hrmm.org/adult-sailing. The school also offers a lineup of classes for youth as well and details can be found at www. hrmm.org/youth-sailingprogram. People who have questions are welcome to call the museum at 845-338-0071.

Hannaford earns perfect score for LGBTQ+ workplace equality SCARBOROUGH, Maine — For the 11th consecutive year, Hannaford Supermarkets received a perfect score by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Corporate Equality Index (CEI) for its inclusive, equitable, and non-discriminatory work environment for the LGBTQ community. Hannaford is the only grocery retailer in its market area to have received a perfect score and the only Maine-based business in all industries to have received top marks.

“We strive every day to ensure that everyone who works or shops at our stores feels a sense of belonging and is accepted and respected,”

said Todd Bullen, Hannaford’s Vice President of Operations and Executive Sponsor of Hannaford’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. “We are proud to have achieved a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign in recognition for the work we do to create a safe environment that respects one another and celebrates differences.”

The Corporate Equality Index is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Hannaford joins the ranks of over 840 major U.S. businesses that also earned top

marks this year. According to the 2022 Corporate Equality Index report, Hannaford satisfied all of the CEI’s criteria to earn a 100 percent ranking and the designation as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality. The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars: Non-discrimination policies across business entities; Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families; Supporting an inclusive culture; and, Corporate social responsibility.

The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

THE PUBLIC NEEDS THE TRUTH; NOT SOCIAL MEDIA HEADLINES & FAKE NEWS.

#SupportRealNews

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA • THE DAILY MAIL

A10 Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Feuds From A1

year, more than an average Manhattan librarian, but Benoit countered that a library director in New York City would routinely make $500,000.

Benoit concluded the letter by asking the board to “publicly admonish Councilperson Tim Powers for his deliberately misleading statements on social media.”

The board did not admonish Powers during the meeting.

After the meeting, Benoit said Powers’ issues with the library date back to a book he wrote not being placed in the library.

“Mr. Powers wrote a book and he felt slighted that they

Center From A1

Supervisor Jason Watts said of the project. “It would be a community center where they could do Meals on Wheels and the seniors can come in and we’ll put a TV up and have some games there that they can do. We’ve talked about putting some gardens outside for people to work

Challenge From A1

The shelter is open Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., and is closed Sundays.

Among the many pets available for adoption are 12 Italian greyhound mixes, Perez said.

The dogs were living in a house in Canaan that had no heat when the shelter was called for help by the owner, Perez said.

“The owner realized they were in over their head and

didn’t include it,” she said.

“They had a council opinion that the book was full of inflammatory stuff and so he harbored a grudge against the library the entire time. To the point that he hired an attorney that nobody knew about to try to foster that vendetta. The library operates above board, exactly the way it’s supposed to.”

Powers denied that his book, “Chronicles in History: Windows into the Future,” had anything to do with his interest in the library’s funding.

“That’s got nothing to do with it,” he said on Tuesday.

“They’ve got a copy of it in the library.”

A search of the Cairo Public Library’s catalog did not reveal Powers’ book in the library’s system.

During the meeting, resident Susan True questioned the

board on whether town money was spent on lawyers’ fees pursuing the library matter.

“Was $2,400 spent out of the town’s coffers?” she said.

Watts said town money was paid to labor attorney Elayne Gold but could not specify the amount. When True asked if the entire board had voted on the expenditure, Watts said no.

“That money was authorized by (then-Supervisor) John Coyne,” Powers said. “I asked him and he told me that I could move forward.”

Coyne declined comment on the matter Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Powers said the debate over the library’s financing remains an open issue.

“It’s not over because there’s still an issue with the way the library is funded,” he said. “Essentially, the way that they’re operating right now is

that they’re operating independently from the town, but they’re still submitting a budget to the town to get their big check. They’re getting a big donation from the town every year for operating expenses and we have no control of where that money is going or how it’s being used. The town board has no control over salary setting, hiring, firing, nothing.”

For his part, Watts said the matter is closed.

“To me it’s done,” he said following the meeting. “We’re not spending any more money to fight the library. Not under my watch.”

Watts, who fought to keep the library’s funding static during the fall budget season, said he has come to realize the library’s outsize influence in the community.

“At first I was not a big fan of

the library, but then I started to speak to people in the community and I found out that people liked it,” Watts said. “I had customers who come up from Florida tell me that it’s the most beautiful library that they’ve seen. I guess I needed to get educated a little bit to realize how good it really was. I support the library 100%.”

At one point during Monday’s meeting, Watts attempted to cool the tension in the room, gesturing that he wanted people in the town to stop shaking their fists at each other and that they should shake hands instead.

“I want to stop the fighting in these town meetings,” he said.

Powers said he wants to see the library come back under the town’s auspices and act as a town department or receive money from the state

education department instead of being funded by the town.

Powers said that he has been requesting a group meeting between the town board, the library board and the MidHudson Library System to discuss the library’s funding, but said that his request has fallen on deaf ears.

Benoit defended the library’s staff and added that the library was being run exactly as it should be.

“Our director is beyond reproach,” she said after the meeting. “Her commitment to the library is amazing. She was very upset to have a public attack like that on Facebook. How do you think it’s OK to not let us have a rebuttal? People have a right to know what the truth is.”

with.”

Watts said he wanted to employ the town’s building and grounds crew to eventually work on renovating the site on rainy days when they can’t work outdoors.

“The county said they would give us a dumpster,” he said. “So I’m going to try to do it with whatever money we’ve got and hopefully moving forward Barton & Loguidice can get us a grant. If they could get us a grant, they said it could be over $1 million. That

would put us right where we need to be to start really moving forward. A kitchen is going to be $70,000 to $80,000. Just by ourselves, we might be able to afford to do the community part with the help of the county. The ambulance part might have to wait, because we definitely don’t have the money for that. But we do have to do something.”

Councilman Tim Powers does not have a timeline for when the community center could be completed.

“We really don’t. It depends on how fast the grant money comes in and how fast we can get the ball rolling on it,” he said. “We’re at the very beginning. We haven’t done anything beyond purchasing the building at this point.”

During Monday’s meeting, a public hearing was set for the board’s meeting on March 7 for a local law that would establish alternate side parking on Main Street in the town.

With cars currently parked

on both sides of Main Street, Watts said it was difficult for the town’s snowplows to clear the main thoroughfare.

“It’s very hard for the plow trucks today to come down and swing one way then the other and to miss all of the cars,” he said. “It’s a nightmare. You can never get it clean. It never looks good.

There’s always a clump of snow somewhere.”

The town is tasked with cleaning the sidewalks on the county-owned road.

Watts said the parking issue has been brewing since he first joined the town board four years ago.

“I’m putting forth a public hearing to make it an actual law,” he said after Monday’s meeting. “We’re going to try to mirror Catskill’s law. So if anybody moves from Catskill to Cairo they’ll already know the routine. It has to get easier for the businesses with more people coming into the county.”

surrendered them all over to us.” Perez said. “These little ones are happy, healthy and ready to snuggle up,” Perez said.

Also available for adoption is Peaches, the 2-year-old Australian Cattle Dog/Mix that was nearly killed by her owner in Cairo in the spring of 2021. The dog was rescued, and after several surgeries, made a full recovery.

A list of all available pets for adoption and photos can be found on Humane Society website at: cghs.org, Perez said.

To make a donation, call the shelter at (518) 828-6044, or visit cghs.org.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Baby Blu, a 6-year-old Domestic Longhair/Mix, is available for adoption at Columbia-Greene Humane Society.

Twelve Italian greyhound mixes that were recently surrendered are available for adoption at the Columbia-Greene Humane Society.

Sports

SECTION

Chen stands out

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

& Classifieds

B

With a cathartic performance, Nathan Chen exorcises four-year-old demons. B2

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 B1

Tim Martin, Sports Editor: 1-518-828-1616 ext. 2538 / sports@registerstar.com or tmartin@registerstar.com

LOCAL ROUNDUP:

BOYS BASKETBALL:

ICC, Catskill to play for Patroon volleyball title

Bluehawks cruise to Senior Night win over Titans

Columbia-Greene Media

VALATIE — Ichabod Crane will play Catskill for the Patroon Conference boys volleyball championship after defeating Cobleskill-Richmondville, 3-0, in Monday’s semifinal.

The Riders and Cats will meet at Taconic Hills on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Ichabod Crane (14-1) won Monday’s match by scores of 25-21, 27-25 and 25-17.

For ICC: Erik Holmberg 30 assists, 3 kills, 1 ace; Paul Zietsman 17 kills, 1 block, 1 assist, 1 ace; Topher Pelesz 10 kills; Luke Desmonie 9 kills; Caden Tiernan 4 kills.

GIRLS BASKETBALL PATROON Hudson 38, Taconic Hills 27 CRARYVILLE — Hudson overcame a two-point halftime deficit by outscoring Taconic Hills 24-11 over the final two quarters to earn a 38-27 Patroon Conference girls basketball victory on Monday.

Taconic Hills led 8-7 after one quarter and 16-14 at halftime, but Hudson pulled ahead 26-21 by the end of the third qarter, then wrapped up the victory with a 12-6 scoring edge in the final stanza.

Amaya Moore led Hudson with nine points. Malia Jackson and Gabby Logue both had eight. Jackson also pulled down 18 rebounds.

Sydney Cooper’s seven points topped Taconic Hills.

HUDSON (38): Moore 4-1-9, Jepsen 1-1-4, Jackson 2-4-8, Johnson 2-2-6, Logue 3-0-8, Harp 0-1-1, Box 1-0-2.

Totals 13-9-38.

3-pointers: Logue 2, Jepsen.

TACONIC HILLS (27): Bosko 1-1-3, Proper 1-2-4, Atwood 1-0-2, Skabowski 2-0-4, Burger 2-0-4, Schrader 1-1-3, Cooper 2-3-7. Totals 10-7-27.

Greenville 56, Coxsackie-Athens 37 GREENVILLE — Emily Smith, Bryn Fitzmaurice and Josie O’Hare each had 13 points to spark Greenville to a 56-37 victory over Coxsackie-Athens in Monday’s Patroon Conference girls basketball game.

Greenville led 13-10 after one quarter, 39-16 at halftime and 47-24 after three.

Baileigh Briski led Coxsackie-Athens with 16 points. Riley Sitcer had eight.

COXSACKIE-ATHENS (37): Luver 2-1-5, Squier 0-1-1, Sitcer 3-1-8, Briski 7-3-17, Bishop 3-0-6. Totals 15-6-37.

3-pointers: Sitcer.

GREENVILLE (57): Smith 6-1-13, Fitzmaurice 5-0-13, A. O’Hare 3-1-7, J. O’Hare 5-3-13, Crawley 4-08, Silk 1-0-3. Totals 24-5-57.

3-pointers: Fitzmaurice 3, Silk.

BOYS BASKETBALL PATROON Greenville 67, Rensselaer 33 RENSSELAER — Trey Smith drained seven 3-pointers to lead Greenville to a 67-33 victory over Rensselaer in Monday’ Patroon Conference boys basketball game.

Smith finished with 26 points for Greenville, which built a 40-9 lead by halftime.

Cody Thmpson added 10 points and Nick West had nine.

Greenville hosts Catskill on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

ZOEY CATLIN PHOTO

Hudson’s Christian Burgos (12) looks to pass during Monday’s Patroon Conference boys basketball game against Taconic Hills at Hudson High School.

Matt Fortunato Columbia-Greene Media

HUDSON — The Hudson Bluehawks notched a home victory on Senior Night Monday, defeating the Taconic Hills Titans 73-50, in Patroon Conference boys basketball action.

Isaiah Maines led all players with 18 points for Hudson, as teammates Jordan Cunningham, Keith Robinson, and Dezmond Wallace were all in double figures as well.

Zach Rowe led the offense for the Titans with 12 points; Neil Howard III and Charlie Beck contributed 11 and 9, respectively.

Wallace opened the game with a three point shot for the Bluehawks, right over the Titans defender Howard III. Both teams missed a few shots in the beginning of the contest and coughed up multiple turnovers. Maines got a steal and double clutched on a layup that went in for Hudson to take a 6-0 lead early.

The Bluehawks’ passing strategy worked very well at breaking down the Titans’ defense throughout the game and they made extra passes to find the open shooter on multiple occasions. Hudson went Maines-to-Cunningham-to-Wallace in the paint for a wide open layup.

Wallace returned the favor on the next offensive play for Hudson, finding Cunningham for an open two point shot himself. Rowe made a nice floater for Taconic Hills to cut the lead to 10-9, banking the shot in off the glass.

However Isaiah Maines knocked down two three pointers to close out the first quarter and Hudson led, 18-12.

ZOEY CATLIN PHOTO After missing a few shots from beyond the arc in the Hudson’s Keith Robinson drives against Taconic Hills’ Troy Super (11) first, Cunningham took one from the right wing this time during Monday’s Patroon Conference boys basketball game at Hudson

See BLUEHAWKS B6 High School.

UNTIL THEY MEET AGAIN:

Canada outduels U.S. in rivalry’s latest women’s hockey classic Roman Stubbs The Washington Post

GEORGE WALKER IV/USA TODAY

Team United States defender Savannah Harmon (15) and Team Canada forward Emily Clark (26) fight for the puck in the third period during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Wukesong Sports Centre on Tuesday.

BEIJING — A silent Wukesong Sports Centre had turned into a crucible a few minutes after noon Tuesday, and by the 37th minute, the relentless, violent sounds of the hand-to-hand combat between the United States and Canada women’s hockey teams had not stopped.

They grunted and howled and banged their sticks at each other as they went stride for stride on a heated power play, both teams desperate to not surrender an inch on an afternoon that reminded everyone why their

rivalry is one of the best in sports.

But give an inch to MariePhilip Poulin and she will make you pay, just as she has made generations of U.S. players pay at the Olympics. It didn’t matter that the Americans had a manadvantage at that point and were pressing to tie the game with another assault on the net: Canada’s captain came up with a steal near the blue line and blew past two U.S. defenders on her flanks, showing the top-end speed that has made the 30-year-old one of the world’s best players for the more than a decade.

By the time she reached the

net on the shorthanded breakaway, Poulin had been slashed and earned a penalty shot. A few moments later, Poulin lasered the puck past U.S. goalie Maddie Rooney to give her team a rare two-goal cushion in this rivalry, lifting Canada to a 4-2 win in a preliminary round game many expect to stand as a preview of the gold medal game Feb. 17.

If that’s the case, buckle up, because Tuesday’s contest was a worthy addition to the pantheon of thrilling games these two teams have played over the See HOCKEY B6

Mets’ Scherzer says players ‘ready to go’ whenever new agreement with MLB is made Matthew Roberson New York Daily News

Max Scherzer, like so many others who play, watch, or care about Major League Baseball, is ready to go.

Scherzer expounded on this idea in an interview with The Athletic, posted on Monday. As a member of the Players Association’s executive subcommittee, the new Mets’ pitcher is itching to get started but also is as familiar as anyone with the reasons why things are being held up.

“The business will take care of itself,” Scherzer said in the interview.

“Right now, seeing how the business of the game has transpired, us as

players, we recognize what we’re trying to do here to make the game itself better. Whatever happens, happens.

But we’re ready to go whenever we do come to an agreement.”

In the ongoing struggle between the players and the league’s owners, the latter has done nothing to make anyone believe that the lockout is going to end soon. Other than trying to get the feds involved, the MLB side of the negotiating table has basically done nothing, and now they’re claiming to be out of ideas.

On Friday, after the players’ side rejected the idea of federal mediation, Scherzer tweeted, “We want a system

where threshold and penalties don’t function as caps, allows younger players to realize more of their market value, makes service time manipulation a thing of the past, and eliminate tanking as a winning strategy.”

He and the players have been clear and concise about their demands.

It’s the suits who don’t want to bargain in good faith. Part of the players’ statement from the federal mediator fallout urged the league to stop duckKEVIN C. COX/GETTY IMAGES ing them and actually sit down for a face-to-face meeting instead of out- In this photo from October 17, 2021, Max Scherzer (31) of the Los Angeles sourcing things to an unnecessary Dodgers stands in the dugout after he was taken out of the game against the Atlanta Braves in the fifth inning of Game Two of the National League

See METS B6 Championship Series at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

B2 Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Pro basketball NBA Eastern Conference Atlantic W L Pct Philadelphia 32 21 .604 Toronto 29 23 .558 Brooklyn 29 24 .547 Boston 30 25 .545 New York 24 29 .453 Central W L Pct Milwaukee 34 21 .618 Chicago 33 21 .611 Cleveland 33 21 .611 Indiana 19 36 .345 Detroit 12 41 .226 Southeast W L Pct Miami 35 20 .636 Charlotte 28 27 .509 Atlanta 25 28 .472 Washington 24 29 .453 Orlando 12 43 .218 Western Conference Northwest W L Pct Utah 32 21 .604 Denver 29 24 .547 Minnesota 28 25 .528 Portland 21 33 .389 Oklahoma City 17 36 .321 Pacific W L Pct Phoenix 43 10 .811 Golden State 41 13 .759 L.A. Clippers 27 28 .491 L.A. Lakers 26 28 .481 Sacramento 20 35 .364 Southwest W L Pct Memphis 37 18 .673 Dallas 31 23 .574 New Orleans 21 32 .396 San Antonio 20 34 .370 Houston 15 38 .283 Sunday’s games Philadelphia 119, Chicago 108 Minnesota 118, Detroit 105 Denver 124, Brooklyn 104 Cleveland 98, Indiana 85 Boston 116, Orlando 83 Dallas 103, Atlanta 94 New Orleans 120, Houston 107 Milwaukee 137, L.A. Clippers 113 Monday’s games Toronto 116, Charlotte 101 Miami 121, Washington 100 Phoenix 127, Chicago 124 Golden State 110, Oklahoma City 98 New York at Utah, 9 p.m.

Tuesday’s games Phoenix at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Indiana at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

Boston at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.

L.A. Clippers at Memphis, 8 p.m.

Houston at New Orleans, 8 p.m.

Detroit at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

New York at Denver, 9 p.m.

Milwaukee at L.A. Lakers, 10 p.m.

Orlando at Portland, 10 p.m.

Minnesota at Sacramento, 10 p.m.

Wednesday’s games San Antonio at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Chicago at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.

Toronto at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.

Golden State at Utah, 10 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Portland, 10 p.m.

Minnesota at Sacramento, 10 p.m.

GB — 2.5 3.0 3.0 8.0 GB — .5 .5 15.0 21.0 GB — 7.0 9.0 10.0 23.0 GB — 3.0 4.0 11.5 15.0 GB — 2.5 17.0 17.5 24.0 GB — 5.5 15.0 16.5 21.0

Pro hockey NHL Eastern Conference Atlantic Division GP W L OT SO Pts Florida 47 32 10 2 3 69 Tampa Bay 46 30 10 2 4 66 Toronto 43 30 10 2 1 63 Boston 43 26 14 2 1 55 Detroit 47 20 21 5 1 46 Buffalo 45 14 24 6 1 35 Ottawa 41 15 22 3 1 34 Montreal 44 8 29 7 0 23 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT SO Pts Carolina 43 31 9 3 0 65 NY Rangers 47 30 13 3 1 64 Pittsburgh 46 27 11 3 5 62 Washington 47 25 13 7 2 59 Columbus 43 20 22 0 1 41 NY Islanders 39 16 17 3 3 38 Philadelphia 45 15 22 4 4 38 New Jersey 46 15 26 1 4 35 Western Conference Central Division GP W L OT SO Pts Colorado 44 32 8 3 1 68 Nashville 46 28 14 2 2 60 Minnesota 41 28 10 0 3 59 St. Louis 44 26 13 3 2 57 Dallas 43 23 18 1 1 48 Winnipeg 42 18 17 3 4 43 Chicago 46 16 23 6 1 39 Arizona 45 11 30 0 4 26 Pacific Division GP W L OT SO Pts Vegas 46 27 16 2 1 57 Los Angeles 47 24 16 5 2 55 Anaheim 48 23 16 5 4 55 Calgary 42 23 13 6 0 52 Edmonton 42 23 16 3 0 49 San Jose 46 22 20 3 1 48 Vancouver 46 20 20 3 3 46 Seattle 46 15 27 3 1 34 Saturday’s games All-Star Game at Las Vegas Metropolitan 6, Pacific 4 Central 8, Atlantic 5 Metropolitan 5, Central 3 Monday’s games Ottawa 4, New Jersey 1 Toronto 4, Carolina 3, OT Tuesday’s games Columbus at Washington, 7 p.m.

Carolina at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Boston, 7 p.m.

New Jersey at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Vegas at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Arizona at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

Wednesday’s games Detroit at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Chicago at Edmonton, 8 p.m.

Nashville at Dallas, 8 p.m.

Vegas at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.

Arizona at Seattle, 10 p.m.

NY Islanders at Vancouver, 10:30 p.m.

GF GA 194 139 157 130 157 115 131 120 130 162 117 157 114 137 99 172 GF GA 150 102 145 122 154 124 152 130 136 159 93 105 113 152 127 167 GF GA 183 129 144 125 161 120 153 121 129 131 120 128 112 156 99 169 GF GA 158 137 136 130 141 137 136 104 142 138 126 142 115 126 121 159

College basketball MONDAY’S SCORES MEN EAST Colgate 87, Holy Cross 60 Drexel 72, James Madison 66 Hampton 74, Presbyterian 69 Hofstra 73, UNC Wilmington 71 Howard 69, Delaware State 64 Massachusetts Lowell 85, Hartford 75 Navy 68, Lafayette 44 New Hampshire 67, Stony Brook 65 Richmond 62, George Mason 59 Virginia Tech 74, Pittsburgh 47 SOUTH Belmont 72, Austin Peay 58 Charleston Southern 97, Toccoa Falls 60 Charlotte 81, Florida International 68 Chattanooga 74, Mercer 72, OT East Tennessee St. 75, Furman 71 Florida A&M 61, Prairie View A&M 60 Middle Tennessee St. 84, Texas-San Antonio 75 North Texas 66, Texas-El Paso 58 S. Carolina State 74, North Carolina Central 68 South Florida 52, Temple 49 Tennessee Tech 84, Eastern Illinois 58 UNC Greensboro 68, Western Carolina 49 Virginia 69, Duke 68 MIDWEST North Dakota State 76, South Dakota 74 WEST Montana St. 72, Idaho State 53

Pro football SUPER BOWL 56 Sunday At Inglewood, Calif.

Cincinnati vs. L.A. Rams, 6:30 p.m. (NBC)

With a cathartic performance, Nathan Chen exorcises four-year-old demons Les Carpenter The Washington Post

BEIJING — There was a moment in the middle of Nathan Chen’s short program, early Tuesday afternoon, where the nerves went away and the American skating star was certain he was doing something brilliant on the Capital Indoor Stadium ice.

Looking back, he is sure it was following the quadruple Lutz and triple toeloop that he landed perfectly. They were the last jumps he had to hit, the last significant risks of falling and ruining another Olympics like the one four years ago in PyeongChang - the last potential disasters that weren’t going to happen this time.

“I can sort of let loose technically and enjoy the music and enjoy the skate,” he said.

And when Chen’s program was over, he didn’t need to wait for his first place score of 113.97.

He knew he had won the day. His rival, the two-time gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, had stumbled himself, headed to eighth place entering Thursday’s free skate. Chen’s path to the gold had been cleared. He closed his eyes, clenched his teeth and pumped his fist. All that was missing was the emphatic scream of “yes!” that must have been exploding inside.

For a 22-year-old man who prides himself on his stoicism, it was the most emotion he had shown at an event in a long, long time.

“A little out-of-character there,” he joked afterward. “But I was happy.”

And relieved. Even if he didn’t actually say it Tuesday, Chen

MICHAEL MADRID/USA TODAY

Nathan Chen (USA) performs during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on Tuesday.

looked very much relieved. This day four years ago, the one in which he failed to complete every jump and finished 17th in the Olympic short program, has haunted him for four years, an asterisk next to the domination of winning all but one event in the years since. His legacy of greatness could never be sealed without ridding himself of the PyeongChang disaster.

Still, it came without the expected drama of a showdown with Hanyu. That ended fast when Hanyu didn’t even attempt a quadruple Salchow, leaving everyone in the arena stunned.

Hanyu dropped his head after his skate was done and slowly skated from the ice toward

the mandatory interview area beneath the arena’s stands. A crowd of about 50 Japanese journalists waited for the star, speaking in hushed voices, and four Japan team media officials hovered nervously around them.

As Hanyu slowly made his way toward them, he stopped for a handful of English questions. He said he felt good when he went out for his program, that he wasn’t nervous and that he was ready to make the jump but he saw a hole in the ice and pulled out of the leap at the last minute. He said he had warmed up on a different part of the ice and didn’t notice the divot until it was too late.

While Hanyu talked, already far behind with a score of 95.15,

Chen was warming up with the day’s last group of skaters. If Hanyu had turned around, he would have seen his rival coolly gliding in the trim black suit he wears over a white T-shirt for his short program.

Chen, however, was not relaxed. In an interview area just steps from where Hanyu had spoken, he admitted he was nervous in the warm-up with so much pressure of four years of constant winning mixed with a need for Olympic redemption.

“I think we try to maintain that facade as much as we can even if I don’t feel great,” he said of his anxiousness.

Recently, he said he was “scared” before the PyeongChang Olympics. He was

just 18 and didn’t have a plan for how to handle everything that comes with the Games; the attention, the expectations, the pressure. He said he had approached his selection the United States team back then with a sense of “dread.” This time, he promised, he would skate with joy.

Then he did. He hit a quadruple flip and a triple axel. He scored big on the quadruple Lutz and triple toeloop. He sailed through everything else, his arms jerking back and forth to the music of “La Boheme.”

He knew he was safe. He knew 2018 was wiping away with every push of his skate. He knew he would go into the final day with a lead.

Ultimately, he would be almost six points ahead of Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama and nearly nine in front of another Japanese skater, Shoma Uno. Jason Brown, his American teammate, was in sixth after a strong artistic skate. The other top American, Vincent Zhou, was not there after testing positive for coronavirus.

For a day, Chen could be relieved. He could feel hopeful for the gold that never came his way in 2018 when he finally finished fifth at the end of the men’s competition. He was going back to his room to rest and eat, he said.

And wash his clothes.

He had been at the Olympics for several days, now, he said. It was time to do laundry.

What better way to celebrate the biggest day yet in his figure skating career than by washing away the past?

Shiffrin is no stranger to heartbreak ... Now can she bounce back in Beijing?

Nathan Fenno Los Angeles Times Early Monday morning, text messages flew back and forth between Mikaela Shiffrin and her brother Taylor long before the sun rose over the barren brown mountains streaked with rivers of man-made snow at the Yanqing National Alpine Centre.

Taylor Shiffrin kidded his sister about being up so early before her first race at these Winter Olympics, defending the gold medal she won in the giant slalom four years ago. It was the start of an ambitious week and a half in which she could chase medals in five individual events.

Then the unthinkable happened.

Seconds into the first of two runs down the steep course dubbed the “Ice River,” Mikaela Shiffrin missed a gate, fell on her side, then skied off. It was the first giant slalom she failed to complete in four years. The day ended with nothing for the world’s most dominant female skier other than shock and questions.

“I won’t ever get over this,” Shiffrin said, reciting a handful of races that haven’t gone as expected in her career. “That heartbreak never goes away and I think that’s what drives me to keep working.”

This heartbreak, however, isn’t anything like what the 26-year-old has faced on her winding journey to the ski runs carved out of the Xiaohaituo Mountain Area. She has experienced the sudden death of her father, a back injury and a positive test for the coronavirus.

Now the world will be watching to see how one of the faces of the Games will respond to the setback.

Two years ago, Jeff Shiffrin died unexpectedly after an accident at the family’s home in Edwards, Colo. In a gut-wrenching Instagram post at the time, Mikaela Shiffrin wrote that the family was “heartbroken beyond comprehension” and he was “our ocean, our sunrise, our heart, our soul, our everything.”

The loss was seismic for the tight-knit family.

The 65-year-old

TOM PENNINGTON/GETTY IMAGES

Mikaela Shiffrin of Team United States falls during the Women’s Giant Slalom on day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Alpine Ski Centre on Monday in Yanqing, China.

anesthesiologist was a fixture at his daughter’s competitions, camera usually around his neck.

He developed her training plan along with his wife, Eileen, who travels with her daughter as one of her coaches. They called him the “scheduleator” since he handled the family’s daunting logistics, down to mapping the distance from each parking lot to each chair lift they visited. More than that, he brought a sense of home, a sense of protection, a sense he would move mountains to care for his family.

Ten months passed between her races in 2020. The grief gnawed away at everything.

“She has learned how to perform while being incredibly uncomfortable and more importantly while having minimal motivation,” Taylor Shiffrin said from the family’s home. “In many other major Olympic and world championship moments, she’s been incredibly uncomfortable. She’s been nervous.

She’s been throwing up. She can’t control it.”

He recalled his sister vanishing after the first run a few years ago. She didn’t respond to text messages or phone calls. The family found her on the bed in her hotel room, legs propped against the wall. She told them

she was so nervous that she couldn’t feel her body.

“She knows how to perform when she’s uncomfortable,” Taylor Shiffrin continued.

“What’s different? Over the last 24 months since Dad passed, her motivation just evaporated.”

The results didn’t show it.

She has reached the podium 25 times since returning to racing. Her 73 career victories on the World Cup circuit are nine behind Lindsey Vonn’s all-time mark for women. It’s not that she simply maintained the level of performance that has earned 11 world championship medals, three overall World Cup titles and three Olympic medals -- two gold -- it’s that she has pushed through the sadness and somehow improved.

“She’s like a textbook of skiing,” said Ted Ligety, who won Olympic gold medals in the combined and giant slalom.

“When she decides she wants to go full-on, she’s unbeatable.”

Shiffrin struggled with a back injury in October and November, which limited training, then tested positive for the coronavirus in December and missed the World Cup stop in Lienz, Austria, while isolating.

“This season has been nonstop beating our heads against

the wall in one form or another,” Mikaela Shiffrin said.

Despite the obstacles, she’s still the world’s top-ranked female skier. The Olympics have injected another layer of challenges, even before Monday’s setback, as memories of her father rushed back and she acknowledged having “challenging moments” since arriving.

All sorts of things remind the family of Jeff Shiffrin. Songs by ABBA and Jimmy Buffett. “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” movies.

Skiing good powder. Photography. Sunsets. And, yes, the Olympics. The night before Mikaela Shiffrin won the giant slalom at the Pyeongchang Games, her brother recalled, the family made pizza and watched the superhero movie “Justice League.”

Or Jeff Shiffrin’s cheering as they watched Jessie Diggins’ dramatic finish to win gold in the team sprint freestyle cross-country competition at those Games.

Mikaela Shiffrin said she kidded her dad that he was more excited about Diggins than one of her races “and that’s saying something.”

What she does, or doesn’t do, at the Beijing Games has to be viewed through the prism of the man who is missing.

“Losing Dad took the wind

out of the sails for Mikaela and all of us, so even getting back on skis was a monumental accomplishment,” Taylor Shiffrin said. “The fact that they managed to get to China and compete is already a win in my books. I was telling them, ‘I don’t care if you DNF Did Not Finish3/8. ... You guys should be proud of yourselves and know that just by being there you’ve already won a huge battle that’s far more important than any Olympic performance you could imagine, regardless of whether you win or medal or finish last.’

“She learned how to ski when she doesn’t want to. To go through that brutal, life-altering experience changes your viewpoint on many, many, many things.”

After the disappointment in the giant slalom, Shiffrin remained composed, thoughtful, reflective as she dissected what went wrong.

“It was literally just how I skied that turn, the timing ...trying to push it but almost anxious,” Shiffrin said. “It just didn’t work.”

There are ample opportunities for redemption. The first is the slalom Wednesday. This is her signature event. Last month, her 47th win in the slalom last month broke the World Cup record for the most victories in a single discipline. It’s also the event she won at age 18 during the Sochi Games in 2014 to become the youngest slalom champion of either gender in Olympic history.

But the Yanqing National Alpine Centre’s snow is unforgiving. The terrain is some of the steepest Shiffrin has ever experienced. Gusts of wind can wreck a run in an instant.

“There is going to just be a huge element of crossing your fingers during these Games,” she said.

It returns to the attitude Shiffrin’s parents instilled. Focus on the process, not the outcome.

Focus on the next turn, not the victory. And as her brother watches from a continent away and thinks about the heartbreak, he sees what could be obscured by the chase for gold medals. By being here, she’s already won.

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 B3

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Eileen Gu is an original, and the world is going to have to deal with it Jerry Brewer The Washington Post BEIJING — Before Eileen Gu took to the air and spun 4½ times into a new echelon of fame, she called her mother. She needed to make a critical decision: Perfect a familiar trick, or unfurl one she had never done. Mom told her to play it safe. The daughter, 18 going on immortality, rejected caution.

“Mom, executive call!” Gu exclaimed. “Vetoed.”

And that’s how she took command of the Beijing Winter Olympics. If there was any doubt that the young freestyle skier could handle all that she must balance - the expectations of gold and the two countries jostling to understand and claim her - she made sure the world heard her clearly Tuesday morning.

Gu, who has a chance to capture three gold medals here, began her pursuit with a triumph in the freestyle skiing big air at Shougang Industrial Park, a repurposed steel mill that might as well be renamed to honor what she just did. From now until she’s finished, these Olympics are hers.

Gu is the quintessential athlete for an entangled Games, astonishing and complicated, able to provoke exaltation and conflict.

She is American, born and raised in California.

She is competing for China, the home country of her mother, Yan. But as she proved in big air, she dwells in a different world, one she has made for herself, and it is a lofty place to be. She dismisses the obsession over whom she belongs to and focuses on showing who she actually is. Instead of being a geopolitical weapon for the United States and China to fight over, she’s a pianist, model and athlete making her own music, posing in her own way and defying convention in the air as well.

So Gu wasn’t going to repeat the trick she had stomped earlier in this three-round event. To start the morning, she thrilled the home crowd with a move called a right double 1440 safety, one that saw her complete four full rotations and earn a 93.75. But with France’s Tess Ledeux landing a 1620 trick and holding onto first place going into the final run, Gu wanted to try something she never had and chase gold.

Gu was solidly in third place when she called Yan, who was watching from the bleachers. Mom thought it would be better for her daughter to do an improved version of the 1440 and perhaps climb to a silver medal. But Gu was adamant.

“I am going to make the 16,” she told her mother, “and you are going to deal with it.”

ROB SCHUMACHER/USA TODAY

Ailing Eileen Gu (CHN) waves to the crowd with her gold medal during the medals ceremony for the women’s freestyle skiing big air competition at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Beijing Medals Plaza on Tuesday.

Until Tuesday, she hadn’t shown the ability to complete that extra half rotation in a competition.

She shrugged. She was going for it, a trick called a left double 1620 with a safety grab.

“I’ve spent a lot of hours visualizing it, if that counts,” she said, laughing like a teen.

Gu came to the Beijing Olympics with more in mind than settling and moving on to the slopestyle and halfpipe events, her two strongest disciplines. With her enchanting combination of earnest youth and veteran-like polish, she talks of growing her sport, inspiring girls and promoting unity in ways that sound both too perfect and remarkably admirable.

She’s not here just to do her best. She’s here to stretch herself, and in the process, she trusts her example will carry greater meaning. She delivered a 94.50 score with that 1620, won the big air gold medal and pulled out her phone during an interview afterward.

“If you want to talk about manifestation, this has been my home screen for the last few

months,” Gu said, holding up her mobile device.

It was the image of an Olympic gold medal.

“This is exactly what I visualized,” she said. “Exactly.”

She does and says the right things, thanking Ledeux, the silver medalist, and bronze winner Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland for pushing her and giving them a share of the credit for lifting the sport. Only on occasion does she veer off script and into raw honesty. During about two hours of interviews and numerous questions about her citizenship (which she won’t reveal) and competing allegiances to China and the United States, she let loose a few times.

Her message in those moments: Respect her desire to be original.

“I compete for myself, and I’m the one who did the work,” Gu said. “I’m the one who put in the hours, and there were no cameras in the gym when I worked 8-10 hours of fashion work and then went to the gym afterwards. There were no cameras when I was hiking up before the lifts

closed at 4 p.m. to get another hit in. There were no cameras when I was running half marathons every week over the entire summer. So I think those are the hours that I put in, and so in that sense, I was doing it for myself.”

She was speaking not from ego, but from a desire to be appreciated for her independence. Gu is on her way to becoming bigger than simplistic identity. She doesn’t have to pick a country. Her decision to straddle loyalties has clear financial and popularity benefits, but it doesn’t make her an insincere opportunist. It does open the door for Gu - and the ethereal unity she wants to represent - to be exploited. On cue, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach just happened to show up here with Peng Shuai on Tuesday in what came across as another lame and transparent attempt to whitewash the actions of the Chinese government.

“It was a breathtaking competition,” Bach said of Gu and the big air field before leaving. “It was really amazing. Under the pressure of these Olympics competition, I can’t imagine what she would have going through her head. Everyone in the stadium could feel it. It was an incredible competition.”

Everyone wants a piece of Gu, but she’s wise enough to reserve the biggest piece for herself. She competed for China, but she’s not exactly China’s Gu. She is a proud Californian, but she’s not exactly America’s Gu. And she’s definitely not the IOC’s prize.

As a transcendent talent, she is a citizen of celebrity. Her blend of interests and identities create a singular and growing icon. In a time in which it seems like society is trying to whittle us down to easy definitions, Gu is Gu. It’s refreshing to see a intersectional human being so comfortably at odds with the moment.

“Here’s the thing: I’m not trying to keep anyone happy,” Gu said. “I’m an 18-year-old girl trying to live my best life. I know that I have a good heart and know that my reasons are for the common interest and greater good. No matter what I say, if people don’t have a good heart, they won’t believe me because they can’t empathize with people who do have a good heart. So in that sense, I feel as though it’s a lot easier to block out the hate now.

“If people don’t believe me and people don’t like me, that’s their loss. And also, they’re never going to know what it feels like to win the Olympics.”

Another executive call. Haters, vetoed.

Welcome to the Gu Games.

Frigid Beijing-area temperatures ramp up efforts by cold-tested Olympians to keep warm David Wharton Los Angeles Times

BEIJING — The sun had set and a frigid night wind blew across the mountains as Brad Wilson attempted to explain himself. Puffs of condensation from his breath settled on his eyelashes, freezing instantly.

“It’s definitely been coldcold,” he said.

The Montana native knows something about inclement weather. He arrived in China last week with a decade’s worth of experience as an elite moguls skier, competing in some of the chilliest places on the planet.

Which made it surprising that, during his first few days at the Beijing Olympics, Wilson managed to catch a touch of frostbite.

“The very last part of the chairlift is the coldest part,” he said. “The wind just kind of hits your face and it got my nose a little bit.”

Much has been made of the dry winters in Yanqing and Zhangjiakou, the areas northwest of Beijing where ski and snowboard events are being held. Olympic organizers have needed to blow artificial snow day and night to compensate for a lack of the real stuff.

But temperatures in the teens? Bone-chilling gusts? The Beijing Games have no shortage of those.

“We’re putting on as many layers as we can but still everything is freezing,” biathlete Hanna Sola of Belarus said.

“You can see everyone waving their hands, jumping on the spot.”

With temperatures dipping toward zero and winds gusting to 40 mph at some venues, the art of keeping warm has been a popular topic of discussion.

That might seem like no big deal for winter athletes, but it is.

Climate change has rendered their seasons steadily shorter and more temperate. Fake snow and a sunny sky have become more common than not on the World Cup circuit.

“A lot of our races in Central

Europe have been quite warm,” U.S. biathlete Deedra Irwin said. “We haven’t had that many races below 15 degrees in the past two or three years.”

Though the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, four years ago were near frozen, previous host cities have felt downright balmy. The coastal resort of Sochi had its share of short-sleeve afternoons in 2014 and Vancouver wasn’t much chillier in 2010.

Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou is a different story, with midday temperatures rising no higher than 6 degrees.

“It’s one of the coldest places I’ve ever been on Earth,” said American skier Aaron Blunck, who has competed there before. “It makes your body get stiff.”

Dressing in layers -- the standard approach to staying comfortable -- doesn’t always go far enough on brutal days when the wind cuts through even the best technical gear.

Some veteran skiers and snowboarders add heated socks and hand warmers to their outfits. For the women’s 15-kilometer skiathlon at the National Cross-Country Skiing Center on Saturday, racers wore neck gaiters stretched over their chins and head coverings tugged down tight against the 12-degree afternoon.

Warmups have become essential as a way of raising body temperature before competition. Moguls skier Jaelin Kauf, who is Wilson’s girlfriend, planned to stay moving throughout her competition.

“Just rub around to keep the muscles warm or just do a little running in place or jumps,” she said. “Little things like that, just to keep everything from stiffening up.”

Lips can dry and crack. Exposed cheekbones and noses need protection too. Zinc works for both ultraviolet rays and icy winds but some athletes prefer specialized products such as Dermatone, a pomade that comes in round tins like shoe polish and promises to deter

frostbite.

“I used to live in Fairbanks, Alaska3/8,” Paralympic skier Grace Miller said. “We used to put Vaseline on our cheeks so they wouldn’t get really cold and freeze.”

If that isn’t enough, special cloth tape can be plastered across bare skin. Therese Johaug of Norway won Beijing’s first gold medal in that skiathlon race with strips of fluorescent pink on her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, saying: “It’s a lot of wind.”

The cold has affected athletes in other ways.

Mountain venues near Beijing have looked almost alien, with swaths of fake snow cutting through acres of brown, barren mountainside.

Artificial surfaces work well for some events, such as alpine races, because of their consistency from top to bottom.

Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway praised the downhill run, calling it “extremely grippy and aggressive.”

But on the cross-country course, skiers had to adjust on the fly, moving between sections of deep snow and others that ran thin. Moguls were treacherous for another reason.

“When the snow is very, very cold, it gets sticky because your edges kind of freeze to the snow,” said Wilson, who was making his third trip to the Olympics. “It’s kind of like skiing on Styrofoam where it doesn’t slide very well.”

A hard surface can make for painful crashes.

“It’s going to hurt and not be very forgiving, which definitely is good incentive to keep you on your feet,” Kauf said.

The women’s slopestyle final in Zhangjiakou on Sunday caught a break when winds calmed down but, at the national alpine venue in Yanqing, about 40 miles away, unpredictable gusts kept changing direction and forced postponement of the men’s downhill. A jump that left skiers vulnerable in midair was of particular concern.

MATTHIAS HANGST/GETTY IMAGES

An athlete with the China Republic protects from wind and cold during the Biathlon Training Session at National Biathlon Centre ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, on Jan. 31 in Zhangjiakou, China.

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

B4 Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Rams did right thing by signing Odell Beckham Jr. Bill Paschke Los Angeles Times

Super Bowl Week is famous for its insatiable appetites, unabashed gluttony and wolfish overconsumption.

Which would make this a pretty good time to eat my words.

Three of the most famous initials in sports has joined the Rams, with one slight adjustment required to fit the situation.

OBWhy? Those were the first two paragraphs appearing in this space on Nov. 11, shortly after the Rams signed Odell Beckham Jr. He has since shown everyone exactly why.

He’s impactful. He’s inspirational. I’m an idiot.

Thursday looks a lot like the other night when Matthew Stafford attempted to fling the football out of the end zone.

They’re wrongly attempting a hero play. They’re foolishly shooting for an unreachable star. They’re not even looking downfield.

Turns out, when the Rams signed Beckham to a $1.25-million deal, they were looking exactly downfield. Seeing the real Beckham. Throwing straight to him. Winning big with him.

The Rams steam into Super Bowl LVI on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals with the unquestioned knowledge that they would not be here without the man whose signing I ripped to shreds.

Beckham is not Cooper Kupp.

But he is Kupp runneth over.

Anywhere Kupp can’t be, Beckham will be. Any ball Kupp can’t catch, it’s going to Beckham. His numbers aren’t huge except in the win column. His numbers there are darn near perfect.

During games in which

Beckham has been targeted more than five times, the Rams are 5-1. During games in which he has scored a touchdown, the Rams are also 5-1.

He not only has been one of their closers, but also one of their ace starters. In his 11 games, the Rams generally have targeted him by the fifth play of the game.

On those initial throws, quarterback Matthew Stafford has connected with him on 10 of 11 passes for 96 yards.

That’s a hero play. That’s a reachable star. I’m a big dummy.

OBJ is a legitimate celebrity, a Hollywood star, an internet click machine, that rare football player who fits every stereotype about the cool Los Angeles athlete, right down to the congratulatory tweet from LeBron James.

What he’s not, anymore, is a very good receiver. And what he does, always, is bring drama and distraction.

The Rams don’t need any of those things, yet there they were, picking him up like they were casting “Dancing With The Stars,” seemingly ignoring the trouble he can cause for the buzz he will create.

The trouble has been nonexistent. The buzz has been bountiful. And yes, contrary to conventional belief, Beckham’s still a very good receiver.

In the Rams’ three playoff games he has caught 19 balls for 236 yards and a touchdown.

Those are better numbers than he accumulated in his six-game stay this season with the Cleveland Browns.

He caught a four-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring against Arizona in the NFC wild-card playoff game, then later tossed a perfectly looping 40-yarder to Cam Akers that led to the dagger touchdown in a 3411 victory.

Texans hire Lovie Smith as head coach Field Level Media

The Houston Texans hired Lovie Smith to be their next head coach Monday night.

The Texans announced earlier Monday that they had “completed additional discussions” with Smith about the job before making it official several hours later. Reports throughout the day said the team and Smith were finalizing contract details.

Smith, 63, spent the 2021 season as the Texans’ associate head coach and defensive coordinator under David Culley, who was fired after Houston went 4-13 in his only season.

The Texans are Smith’s third NFL head-coaching job. He has an 89-87 regular-season record, including 81-63 with the Bears from 2004-12, taking the club to Super Bowl XLI. He was 8-24 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014-15.

Smith returned to the college ranks after his departure from the Buccaneers. He was named head coach at the University of Illinois but failed to rejuvenate the long-struggling program and was 17-39 from 2016-20.

The Texans offered Smith an opportunity to return to the NFL as a coordinator in 2021. Houston finished 31st in total defense but showed signs of improvement late in the season.

The team chose Smith over finalists Josh McCown and Brian Flores.

Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who also twice interviewed for the job, was informed over the weekend that he would

not be hired.

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Flores has sued the NFL, charging that an interview he had with the New York Giants was a “sham” intended to meet diversity hiring rules. Flores has also alleged he had been offered money by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to intentionally lose games to secure a better draft position.

Hours after news broke Monday that Smith was the Texans’ choice, Flores’ attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and John Elefterakis put out a statement on Twitter, saying Houston avoided hiring Flores because of the lawsuit.

“Mr. Flores is happy to hear that the Texans have hired a Black head coach, Lovie Smith, as Mr. Flores’ goal in bringing his case is to provide real opportunities for Black and minority candidates to be considered for coaching and executive positions within the NFL,” the statement read. “However, we would be remiss not to mention that Mr. Flores was one of three finalists for the Texans’ head coach position and, after a great interview and mutual interest, it is obvious that the only reason Mr. Flores was not selected was his decision to stand up against racial inequality across the NFL.” Of the nine NFL teams with coaching vacancies, Houston was among the final ones to make a hire.

The New Orleans Saints reportedly agreed to promote defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to head coach Monday night.

RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES

In this photo from January 30, Odell Beckham Jr. (3) of the Los Angeles Rams reacts after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

A week later against the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Beckham caught two passes for 26 yards on the game’s first drive to help set the tone for a 27-3 lead before the Rams eventually escaped with a 30-27 win.

Then last week in the NFC championship against the San Francisco 49ers, he snagged a 29-yard pass in the Rams’ gametying field-goal drive in the fourth quarter.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Beckham said after the win.

He’s not the only one.

He’s not about team, or he would have still been in Cleveland, where he was waived from a scrappy Browns group that is fighting for a playoff spot. OBJ was unhappy that quarterback Baker Mayfield wasn’t throwing him the ball, even though he

increasingly had trouble catching it. ...

He’s not about team, or he might have lasted longer with the New York Giants, where a stellar rookie season in 2014 slowly devolved into daily drama that was highlighted by a Miami boat trip he took with teammates and friends during the week of a 2016-season playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. ...

Suddenly he’ll willingly slip quietly into the background? Really?

Turns out, he’s been all about the team. And during games, he actually has quietly slipped into the background and succeeded for a couple of reasons.

Shortly after his acquisition, the Rams lost Robert Woods for the season to a knee injury, and Beckham immediately became

Stafford’s second option.

Also, for the first time in his career, Beckham’s playing a secondary role without the pressure of being a leading man, and he clearly enjoys that.

While Beckham is no longer the kid who made the one-handed catch, at age 29 he’s evolved into a smart receiver who just needs to be in a winning environment, a place where he can be his best self without losing himself.

And make no mistake, he’s still full OBJ. He has captivated his teammates with his touchdown dances. During one against Jacksonville, he fell to the ground and mimed stabbing himself before rising again. He said it was based on a “Call of Duty” video game move and called it a “self-revive,” and isn’t that just perfect?

Then there was the locker room celebration after the win against the Buccaneers, where Beckham deftly lead the dance troupe.

Finally, he capped the NFC championship victory by handing out Super Bowl tickets to the Watts Rams, a youth league team that plays in the heart of the city.

“He’s so smart, so talented, so gifted,” coach Sean McVay said.

“And he’s brought such a charisma and a presence, really a swag to our team.”

This presence was clear during Monday’s Super Bowl media day, where Beckham held court for 45 minutes with humility and honesty and insight.

Does he feel satisfaction in proving people wrong?

“I feel like I’ve come so far ... I know all the stories and all that ...

I don’t really take satisfaction because it’s not that deep for me,” he said. “I just know who I am.”

He knew he was walking into negativity. He knew it would take too much energy to fight it. He decided to just ride with it and let people judge him for him.

“The perception of me is going to walk into the room before I walk into the room,” Beckham said. “Whatever someone thinks of me ... I hope they see me for who I am and not what the world made me to be.”

Who he is now, that’s not who he was. He admitted that he’s messed up, but also acknowledged that he’s learned.

“There’s a lot of moments where I look back as a 29-yearold and reflect, how could I have been better in this situation?” he said.

He’s also aware there probably will be numerous columns like this one written this week, and he reaffirmed that it’s a testimony to a constant personal growth.

“People who are close to me are like, ‘Bro, it’s just crazy to see how the narratives have changed,’” Beckham said. “I’ve definitely watched, heard and witnessed it all change and it’s just a testimony to staying down, staying humble, stay in your faith, bro.”

Bottom line, in so many ways, Odell Beckham Jr. has become a guy who catches the ball.

I’m the guy who dropped it.

Maybe strong veterans like Aaron Donald can keep OBJ in check. But maybe one divisive personality, even over the course of just two months, can throw those collective feet out of balance. ...

The Rams didn’t need interesting. The Rams didn’t need attention. The Rams didn’t need OBJ. Yes, they did, and you read it here last.

Fueled by decade in Detroit, Stafford playing for more than just Rams in Super Bowl Justin Rogers The Detroit News

Matthew Stafford never has had to worry about football on his birthday before this year, but celebrating his 34th on Monday, the former Detroit Lions and current Los Angeles Rams quarterback is preparing to play in his first Super Bowl.

In an ideal world, Stafford would have been taking part in the day’s festivities as a member of the Lions. But after falling short of that goal for more than a decade, the franchise acquiesced to a trade request last offseason, ultimately shipping him to the Rams for Jared Goff and a trio of draft picks.

So while Lions fans continue to wait their turn for their team to play for the NFL’s biggest prize, they’re left to live vicariously through the quarterback they cheered for since he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2009.

And while there’s no such thing as a unanimous opinion when it comes to sports fandom, it’s clear Stafford still has the support of many Detroiters.

Look no further than when the Rams and Lions played each other in the regular season, where there were far more Honolulu blue No. 9 jerseys in the stands than his current Rams duds.

Similarly, a number of Stafford’s former teammates have taken to social media in recent weeks to express their support.

None of that is lost on the quarterback, who understands a Super Bowl victory will mean a lot to people extending far beyond Los Angeles.

“If we sit here and say we’re not a product of our experiences, or we haven’t learned from some of the things that we’ve had go on in the past, picked up things from great teammates or coaches along the way, we’d be lying to ourselves,” Stafford said. “I think we all are playing for, not only the guys in this locker room, but those who helped us get to this position.

There’s so many people in Detroit, important people in my life, that have helped me get

GARY A. VASQUEZ/USA TODAY

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass against the San Francisco 49ers in the second half during the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium on Jan. 30.

here. “...I do appreciate, so much, just everybody’s support and I know that when I’m out there playing, whether it’s this week in the Super Bowl or any other game, I’m a representation of those experiences that I’ve had with those people. I feel like every time I step out there on the field, I’m playing for not really myself, but for everybody that’s helped get me there.”

Stafford said he’s still in touch with the Ford family and has maintained regular contact with them. He also noted he’s heard from several of those former teammates, including longtime top target Calvin Johnson, who Stafford supported during the former Hall of Fame enshrinement last summer.

“He was such a big part of my success in Detroit,” Stafford said. “(He) was such a great learning experience for me to watch a guy that’s the greatest at his craft at that position at the time and just the way he went about his business, the way he treated people. The way he did everything really with such great class and work ethic and

all that. It was so fun for me to be around that and see that.”

As for the fans of Detroit, Stafford described them as loyal and passionate, explaining the thing he valued the most was how the community’s support extended well beyond the football field.

“All the things you want fans to be,” Stafford said. “Unbelievable to me and my wife and my family, how many times we were out to eat or playing with our kids in the park, whatever it was, and the support that we felt from them, not only when the times were good, but when my wife was going through some of the things that she was going through health-wise.

“They were always supportive and people that cared about not only the Lions and me, but my family and us as people,” Stafford said. “So always gonna have a soft spot for Detroit in my heart and just appreciate it.”

Stafford never got the job done in Detroit. Whether that was an individual shortcoming, the fact he was never supported with sufficient talent, or a little bit of both will be a debate that

will linger for years. But his experiences with the Lions -- from the disappointments to the countless comebacks -it’s all shaped the quarterback Stafford has become, culminating in this championship run with the Rams.

“We had a tough stretch in our season this year, in the month of November, where we didn’t win a football game, lost three in a row there,” Stafford said. “I didn’t play particularly good football, but we just continued to work. We continue to trust each other, continue to understand that the process of us going to work every single day is what’s going to get us out of that.

“I’m hoping that if I bring that attitude and if I helped turn one guy’s attitude on this team, maybe it helped us get to this point,” Stafford said. “But that’s things that you don’t really learn unless you go through some tough times, some tough adversity, and there were some times in Detroit that really taught me that and I’ve carried it with me.”

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 B5

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Julius Randle caught on camera during Lakers game in dust-up with Knicks’ video coordinator Stefan Bondy New York Daily News

Julius Randle’s irritation was again caught on camera. This time, it was directed at a member of his team.

Video of a heated exchange with Knicks video coordinator Scott King and seemingly precipitated by Randle, who slapped King’s laptop and was separated by assistant coaches.

The incident occurred during their overtime loss to the Lakers on Saturday.

Randle was also assessed a technical foul from the bench for arguing with the referees in the third quarter, although it’s unclear when the confrontation with King occurred during the game.

In the video, which was while the team was huddled up on the sideline, King is attempting to show Randle a play on his laptop. Randle isn’t interested and lightly slaps the computer. King then says something to the power forward, which prompts Randle to turn around angrily. Randle gets in King’s face and is pushed back by assistant coaches Johnnie Bryant and Kenny Payne.

Randle then walks to the other side of the team huddle and is followed by security.

On the surface, the dustup is minor and easily dismissed. Nothing turned physical. But it’s also in the bigger picture of Randle’s deteriorating game and emotions, with the backdrop of Thursday’s trade deadline looming.

Tom Thibodeau predictably downplayed the exchange, calling it “the

heat of the moment” and “normal stuff.” He added the situation was handled “immediately.”

“When you have competitive people, you’re gonna have stuff like that,” Thibodeau told reporters ahead of Monday’s game against the Jazz. “That’s normal. Every team has it. It’s competitive people, heat of the moment.

They’re good. They’ve got a great relationship. Everyone is trying to win. So, it’s all part of it.”

Beyond his statistical fall, Randle this season has warred with fans, boycotted the media and received nine technical fouls, the most on the Knicks and seventh in the NBA. He was ejected from Wednesday’s game against the Grizzlies, which preceded Saturday’s incident.

With a 24-29 record and free-falling, the Knicks are open for business at the trade deadline. Still, moving Randle will be difficult and an admission of a massive failure after extending his contract in the summer into 2026.

One potential target is CJ McCollum, who is now the hot name with NBA veteran scribe Marc Stein calling the Knicks “a legitimate suitor.”

As far back as last year, the Knicks were monitoring McCollum’s situation and waiting for the Blazers to make him available, as The Daily News reported.

King, 30, a former player at Stony Brook and Fairfield, joined the Knicks as an assistant video coordinator in 2020. He previously worked with the Pistons and Fort Wayne Ants of the G-League.

Clash at the Coliseum a blueprint for NASCAR’s plan to expand into untapped markets Steve Henson Los Angeles Times

A tight track squeezed into a historic football stadium populated by the debut of racecars with a new design posed a risk as well as an opportunity for NASCAR on Sunday.

The opportunity was what one NASCAR official described as a “proof of concept,” a chance to broaden the sport’s audience and provide a template for future forays into other large markets unfamiliar with the inperson spectacle of race day.

The risk, of course, was taken primarily by the drivers, navigating a cramped quarter-mile track they’d never traversed that required constant braking and turning because straightaways were nearly nonexistent.

And doing so in brand-new cars dubbed Next Gen. The only asphalt track drivers could compare this to is Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, which while notoriously tight is a tad longer than a half-mile. While the quarter-mile track slowed speeds -- the average of 63 mph was no doubt exceeded by most of the approximately 55,000 fans taking freeways home -- it increased braking and bumping and produced crowd-pleasing drama.

The race went off without a major hiccup, ending with Joey Logano winning by three car lengths and doing smoky celebratory burnouts even before all the other cars had crossed the finish line. His wife, Brittany, is due to deliver their third child any day.

“I told her, if you’re having the baby, I’m running right off the track from here,” Logano said. “But I think we’re safe for tonight. This is special to get the first Next Gen win, the first win here in the Coliseum.”

Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president of strategy and innovation, was more subdued than Logano but just as pleased. He and NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell exchanged highfives outside the interview room with drivers Kyle Busch and

ALLEN J. SCHABEN/LOS ANGELES TIMES

With a view of downtown Los Angeles and the snow-capped mountains in the background, NASCAR racers circle the quarter-mile track during the Busch Light Clash At The Coliseum, a NASCAR exhibition race at the historic LA Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California on Sunday.

Austin Dillon, who finished second and third, respectively.

The 150-lap Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum exhibition was Kennedy’s brainchild.

Not only was it considered a resounding success, it can serve as a blueprint. Kennedy and O’Donnell acknowledged that converting the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana from a two-mile track to a half-mile is under consideration. The venue has hosted NASCAR races since 1997 and this year’s race is right around the corner Feb. 27, one week after the Daytona 500.

Shorter tracks in large stadiums never before considered

by NASCAR are suddenly not only on the table, but an appealing main course. About 70% of the crowd Sunday had never purchased a NASCAR ticket, according to Ticketmaster. Drivers commented on how loud the crowd sounded in the stadium’s bowl configuration.

The uniqueness of the venue and specter of replicating the experience elsewhere relegated discussion of the Next Gen cars to the backseat. O’Donnell marveled that the television broadcasters barely mentioned the cars, even though questions loomed regarding their safety

Knicks waste Mitchell Robinson’s career night with dismal guard play Dennis Young New York Daily News

With Rudy Gobert out, the Knicks’ frontcourt was able to utterly abuse the Jazz in the paint Monday night.

Mitchell Robinson had the game of his life, feasting on Udoka Azubuike and Hassan Whiteside in the paint for 19 points and tying a career high with 21 rebounds. And Julius Randle had one of his most complete games of the season, leading the team with 30 points, though he did pass up an open shot in the paint at a critical moment with under two minutes left.

Unfortunately for the Knicks, guard play matters too, and their backcourt struggled on both ends with Kemba Walker (rest) and Quentin Grimes (sore knee) out. It added up to a 113104 loss in Utah, their sixth loss in seven games and 9th in 11.

With the Knicks totally unable to squeeze offense out of their guards, the Jazz were able to clamp down late, holding them to two field goals in the final 4:59, both stat-padders in the final 40 seconds after the game had been decided.

“I thought we played really well for three quarters, then the start of the fourth, didn’t play well,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said after the loss.

“Intensity’s different, physicality’s different...We gotta own our space and be strong with the ball,” he said of his team’s fourth-quarter turnovers.

It briefly looked like it would be another third-quarter collapse, with the Jazz starting the second half on a 9-1 run. The Knicks roared back with a run of their own, a 24-2 explosion for an 12-point lead late in the third that proved to be fool’s gold.

and efficiency.

Next Gen cars were nearly delayed until 2023 because a dummy allegedly was “killed” in crash testing last summer.

The cars include fundamental upgrades such as independent rear suspension, a sequentialshift transmission, aluminum wheels and composite bodies.

Their dimensions are more like regular cars. However, critics said they pose a risk because they lack enough sufficient body areas that will crumple during a collision.

Several drivers experienced mechanical issues. Kennedy and O’Donnell said every car that exited the race will be thoroughly examined. Busch countered by saying the new cars enabled drivers to go farther before burning out their tires on a track that required constant braking and turning punctuated by brief bursts of acceleration.

The daylong Clash at the Coliseum began with five heats and a dramatic last-chance qualifier that included serious jostling and several spinouts. Pit stops weren’t allowed but Pitbull put on a concert after the qualifier and Ice Cube did the same during a halftime after 75 laps of the main race.

NBA roundup: Booker drops 38 as Suns top Bulls Field Level Media

Rob Gray/USA TODAY New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) dunks the ball in the second quarter against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Arena on Monday.

The Knicks dropped to 24-30 and 12th in the East with the loss.

New York tossed up 33 3s, hitting just eight, and struggled to slow Westchester native Donovan Mitchell, who had a gameleading 32.

It was a parade of bricks from the perimeter for the Knicks. RJ Barrett (8-of-25), Alec Burks (210), Evan Fournier (5-12) and Immanuel Quickley (2-9) all had poor shooting nights.

With Randle and Robinson (10 offensive boards) generating much of the offense, and Walker and Grimes out, it was a prime opportunity for Cam Reddish. The trade acquisition had barely gotten off the bench since joining the Knicks, getting 21 mostly garbage-time minutes in three games with his new team.

Reddish played early and

often Monday night, and it was unimpressive. He was a gameworst minus-21 in 15 minutes, scoring just six points.

But as much as Reddish failed to seize on Grimes’ injury, Robinson succeeded in capitalizing on Gobert’s. (How the Jazz have looked in his absence is as good as case as any for why the French big man is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year.)

Robinson has shined in recent weeks after an ugly start to the season, something he pinned on struggling with conditioning after offseason foot surgery. Now he’s clearly fit, playing more than 30 minutes for the third straight game on Monday -- something he hadn’t done since January 2021. He added three blocks and two steals in his 36 minutes, the most he’d played this year.

The young center could be on

the move soon, with the trade deadline Thursday and his contract expiring after the season.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Robinson told reporters before the game Monday. “I’m just here to play basketball ... I don’t think about it that much. I just want to hoop. That’s what I’ve got an agent for.”

“Amazing, he’s a monster,” Randle said of Robinson after the game. “He’s been elite, I’m proud of him.”

Randle also dismissed the controversy of the day: fan footage that showed him slapping away a computer from the Knicks’ video coordinator in frustration during a loss to the Lakers. “Stuff like that happens all the time,” Randle said after the game. “I slapped his laptop today too,” he joked. “I wasn’t mad, but I slapped it.”

Although this was a first for NASCAR, the Coliseum has staged events that required extensive retooling of the field surface. The most recent was Stadium Super Trucks in 2013 and perhaps the first was the Super Bowl of Motocross in 1972.

NASCAR spent more than $1 million building the track, and began by disassembled it mere hours after the race. Officials say the turf field will be restored in time for the L.A. Giltinis to play their professional rugby opener Feb. 27.

Deemed an unquestioned success, the Clash at the Coliseum instantly expanded NASCAR’s options. NASCAR has had exploratory discussions to construct a track at a venue in New York City or New Jersey. The Pacific Northwest is an untapped area. Dillon mentioned AT&T Stadium in Dallas as a dream venue. And let’s not forget the international market.

“We certainly think we can take bold steps with our schedule to broaden the fan base,” NASCAR official Matt Humphrey said. “In addition to cities in the U.S., we’d consider exploring Europe, Mexico, Asia, Australia. . . . The world is our oyster.”

Devin Booker scored 38 points, Chris Paul and Jae Crowder each had double-doubles, and visiting Phoenix topped Chicago, 127-124, for its 13th win in 14 games.

Booker, who shot 14for-23 from the field, has scored at least 30 points in five of his past eight games for the Suns, who led by as many as 27 points.

Chicago lost for the second time in as many days and allowed at least 115 points for the seventh straight game. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 38 points and Zach LaVine had 32.

Warriors 110, Thunder 98 Klay Thompson scored 21 points to lead Golden State to a victory at Oklahoma City.

The Warriors stretched their winning streak to nine, their longest in a single season since an 11-game run in January 2019. Stephen Curry finished just shy of a tripledouble with 18 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

The Thunder have dropped back-to-back games after winning three straight. Luguentz Dort, playing with a mask for the first time after breaking his nose two games prior, led the Thunder with 26 points. Darius Bazley tied a season high

with 20 points.

Heat 121, Wizards 100 Bam Adebayo scored 21 points, Jimmy Butler added 19 points and Miami never trailed in defeating host Washington.

The Heat, who have the best record in the Eastern Conference at 35-20, improved to 22-12 against the East. They won despite playing without Tyler Herro, who is averaging 20.1 points per game, due to a sore right knee.

Washington lost its sixth straight home game and its eighth of nine overall. Without Bradley Beal (wrist), who leads the team in scoring and assists, the Wizards were led by Corey Kispert’s 20 points in 26 minutes off the bench.

Raptors 116, Hornets 101 Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr. each scored 24 points as Toronto fended off host Charlotte.

Siakam added 11 rebounds and eight assists as the Raptors recorded their sixth straight win, matching their season high. Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby each racked up 20 points.

Miles Bridges had 25 points for the Hornets, who have lost five games in a row, matching the team’s longest skid of the season. Terry Rozier contributed 20 points.

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

B6 Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Bluehawks From B1

instead of the left and drained it for three. Robinson joined the three point parade for the Bluehawks himself as he made one from deep as well.

Nathan Coppersmith posted up in the painted area for Hudson and backed down a defender to create space and make the layup. The Titans made a few shots but Robinson answered with two made free throws and a three-ball on the following possession for the Bluehawks.

Wallace had a nice shortrange jumper directly over Taconic Hills’ Damian Doty that banked in off the backboard. Each team missed a shot to end the half and Hudson led, 37-24, at the break.

The Bluehawks’ defense came out to compete as the third quarter began. They stayed aggressive on offense as well with Cunningham earning a bucket and the foul, and Kam Taylor grabbing a rebound off his own miss to put it back, up and in for two points.

A Titans pass went out of play for another turnover as their offense struggled

Hockey From B1

years, and the heightened stakes of a gold medal promises to ratchet up the tension.

“Definitely a lot of hostility out there,” Canada forward Sarah Nurse said after Tuesday’s win, which served as the next step for her team to reclaim the gold medal after the Americans won it in a shootout over their rivals four years ago in PyeongChang.

“Obviously not the result wanted to get here today,” American captain Kendall Coyne-Schofield said. “Take the positives away, take the negatives and learn from it.”

Among the positives: Team USA finished with 53 shots on goal, generating offense at will and controlling the puck in their rivals zone for long stretches, matching Canada’s speed and physicality from the onset. But the negatives were also glaring.

The Americans went 0-for-6 on the power play, including at a decisive moment in the game when Poulin came up with a breakaway and eventual penalty shot goal with just under three minutes remaining in the second period. Team USA couldn’t

mightily in the third quarter.

Taconic Hills was called for a goaltend on a Maines layup on the fastbreak, with the defender hitting the ball off the backboard as it came down.

Isaiah Maines passed to Keith Robinson for another deep shot from beyond the three point line, and Robinson buried it to end the period and extend the lead to 60-27 through three quarters.

Hudson stole the ball on defense to begin the fourth, and Maines took it coast-tocoast for a one-handed dunk on the fastbreak. He also got a nice chasedown block on defense for the Bluehawks.

Maines threw a long pass to Cunningham shortly thereafter for a layup and the foul.

Cunningham made the extra foul shot to complete the three point play.

With just over 5:00 remaining, Hudson led Taconic Hills comfortably 68-38. After being held to just three points the entire third period, the Titans made a few baskets in the closing minutes of the game.

Hudson was content to use up the most amount of time they could however, and were more selective with their shot attempts in the final quarter.

Christian Burgos knocked

down a three pointer for the Bluehawks, and Jaheim

Mackey had a nice fake in the paint and made the layup

fully solve Canada goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens, who finished with 51 saves in one of the best performances of her career.

“I got some great advice when I was younger: It’s 50-50 every time you shoot the puck,” American Hilary Knight said.

“You just have to keep shooting it. There’s no such thing as a hot hand or a hot streak. It’s just numbers.”

The numbers for Canada weren’t as staggering; it finished with 27 shots on goal, but found its offensive rhythm after the Americans blitzed their rival with 12 of the game’s first 14 shots. Canada got on the board on just its third shot of the game. Sarah Fillier, who entered the game with five goals in the tournament, fed a puck into the crease for Brianne Jenner, who chipped the pass above Rooney into the top of the net.

“We really want to focus on quality shots versus quantity . . . I think we have a big focus on Grade A scoring chances,” Nurse said. “Yeah, the U.S. got a lot of perimeter shots, but we have a stellar goaltender. So if you’re going to shoot from the outside, you’re not going to score on her.”

One of Team USA’s best early chances coming after forward

Abbey Murphy flipped a backhand off the post after a steal midway through the first period - the puck deflected off the back of Desbiens and bounced off the post again before being cleared and Murphy screamed into her gloves after the missed opportunity.

“That sucked. It was close.

That happens,” Murphy said. “It will come.”

Players from both teams had to adjust to a heightened speed and physicality they hadn’t seen in blowout wins in their three preliminary games earlier this week - Canada had outscored Switzerland, Finland and Russia by a combined 29-3, while the U.S. had beaten those teams by a combined 19-2 margin - but both teams had settled in by the second period.

The United States took a brief lead earlier in the second, as forward Dani Cameranesi scored off a rebound to tie the score and Alex Carpenter added the go-ahead goal a few minutes later to give the Americans a 2-1 lead. Less than a minute after that, Canada tied the score after Jenner scored her second goal of the game, and Jamie Lee Rattray beat Rooney for the go-ahead goal with 5:35 left in the second.

The United States had three

power plays in the second period but came up empty-handed on each, watching as Desbiens came up several acrobatic saves and her teammates in front blocked a number of quality shots.

The dagger came as Poulin, a four-time Olympian who helped Canada win gold medals in 2010 and 2014 before 2018’s crushing silver against the Americans, blew past two Team USA defenders in the middle of the ice, including Cayla Barnes, who slashed Poulin at the end of the breakaway to try to disrupt a scoring chance. Rooney had stopped a Poulin shot at the point, but after an official called a penalty shot, Poulin glided in and deposited the puck into the lower left pocket of the net.

There were only the sounds of Canada’s players celebrating inside a mostly empty arena at that point, and after the Americans were unable to keep up the frantic pace in the third period, they returned to their locker room and vowed to stew over this loss only until midnight Tuesday.

Then they will turn their attention to Saturday’s quarterfinal, which will be the first step in what many expect a path back to a rematch with their rival in the gold medal game next week.

ZOEY CATLIN PHOTO

Dez Wallace scored 12 points to help Hudson defeat Taconic Hills, 73-50, in Monday’s Patroon Conference boys basketball game at Hudson High School.

ZOEY CATLIN PHOTO

Hudson’s Isaiah Maines brings the ball up the floor during Monday’s Patroon Conference boys basketball game against Taconic Hills at Hudson High School.

over his defender.

Once the final buzzer went off, the Hudson Bluehawks defeated the visiting Taconic Hills Titans 73-50 as they celebrated their seniors at home and drew nearer to the Patroon Conference Tournament later this week.

TACONIC HILLS (50): Rowe 6-0-12. Russo 1-35, Howard 4-2-11, Super

Mets From B1

government official.

“The clearest path to a fair and timely agreement is to get back to the table,” read the statement. “Players stand ready to negotiate.”

As far as preparing for a season that he well knows could be delayed, the 37-year-old was emphatic about his adherence to a throwing routine that he’s been using since he was 23. He also came to grips with the fact that he can’t squat anymore after several “tweaks” in his body that he noticed after trying to squat heavy amounts of weight.

An overwhelming portion of Scherzer’s comments in The Athletic touched on the idea that he knows his body on an obsessive level at this point. The righty had to miss a start in last year’s National League Championship Series after “overcooking” his arm, which ironically came when the

2-2-7, Beck 4-1-9, Doty 1-0-2, Holmes 2-0-4. Totals 20-8-50.

3-pointers: Howard, Super.

HUDSON (73): Maines 8-0-18, Cunningham 6-2-15, Taylor 2-1-5, Robinson 4-214, Coppersmith 2-0-4, Burgos 1-0-3, Mackey 1-0-2, Wallace 5-0-12. Totals 29-5-73.

3-pointers: Robinson 4, Maines 2, Wallace 2, Cunningham, Burgos.

Dodgers altered his routine to give him more rest, not less.

The uncertainty of the coming season could be hellish for pitchers, creating what would essentially be a third consecutive unconventional year, given that ramping back up to their normal workload in 2021 after just 60 games in 2020 was unprecedented.

“Things can get sideways with your arm really fast this year, and if they do, understand you’ve got to pull the parachute and get out of there; 2021 was not the year to try to be a hero,” Scherzer said. “You really have to be cautious with your arm, and not only that, (but) be cautious in 2022 as you continue to build back up.”

A maniacal workout fiend -- the man describes himself as having a “no pain, no gain” type of attitude toward his offseason conditioning — Scherzer will surely show up game ready on the first day of spring training. Whether that’s in a matter of weeks or a matter of months is the dilemma.

Welcome back, Super Bowl. L.A. is where you belong Bill Plaschke Los Angles Times

Hey, Super Bowl!

Welcome home.

Hey, you big kooky lug of a rollicking national celebration disguised as a football game!

Great to have you back.

You were born in Los Angeles.

You grew up here. You never should have left here. You belong here.

You spent seven different occasions here, some Coliseum, some Rose Bowl, always Hollywood. It was here you set a record for attendance. It was here you watched New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms become the first person to shout, “I’m Going To Disney World.”

And, yeah, of course it was here that a halftime show was performed by Michael Jackson.

Welcome, welcome. Come on in. We know it’s different now. We understand. But put away those $10,000 tickets and gold-plated party passes for a sec and make yourself comfortable. We super missed you.

You were created at the Coliseum 55 years ago, two years before you were actually named the Super Bowl, long before the Twitter world would have obliterated those two fellas flying around that first game wearing jetpacks.

We were the first to want you.

We were the first to love you, even if there were about 30,000 empty seats at your debut between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs. We gave you the best football weather we

can summon, 59 degrees and clear. You gave us halftime with Al Hirt. We didn’t complain.

You came back six years later when the Miami Dolphins were storming around the same Coliseum field celebrating the last unbeaten season in the NFL. You then moved up the road to the Rose Bowl five times in the next 17 years, in games featuring such iconic moments as John Madden stalking the sidelines, John Riggins storming down the field, the first nationally celebrated postgame Gatorade bath and a messy-haired Jimmy Johnson shouting, “How ‘bout them Cowboys!”

We asked, how ‘bout Los Angeles as one of the rotating Super Bowl sites? We wondered, how perfect would it be to host this game every couple of years?

We earned you. We deserved you. The Rams were the West Coast’s first NFL team. The Rams were the first NFL team to employ a Black player, Kenny Washington signing a contract at the Coliseum’s insistence.

The Rams were also the first team to have a Black quarterback start and win an NFL playoff game, thank you James Harris.

Los Angeles was the NFL at its smartest and most sophisticated and, after those first seven visits, your biggest game should have just laid down roots here.

But then you, foolishly finicky Super Bowl, blew us off.

The NFL left town and so did you, disappearing in the winter of 1993 and not returning for 29

RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES

A view of SoFi Stadium as workers prepare for Super Bowl LVI, on Feb. 1 in Inglewood, California.

long years, and how could you?

You went to Jacksonville, yes, there’s somewhat of a stadium there. You went to Detroit, where the game-time weather outside enclosed Ford Field was 30 degrees. You went to New York, and wasn’t that an unholy mess. You went to Indianapolis, so boring. You went to Minneapolis, where your intrepid columnist suffered frostbite waiting for an Uber.

You went all over the country when your rightful home was here. Then the NFL returned to Los Angeles in 2016, Rams owner Stan Kroenke spent $5 billionto build SoFi Stadium, he opened it in 2020, and, finally, you came to your senses.

You came back. At last.

Super Bowl LVI will be played at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13, Valentine’s Day eve, and not that you deserve it, but what a love

letter we have scripted.

The Rams will be one team, only the second squad to play a Super Bowl on its home field, the manifestation of Kroenke’s investment, a star quarterback named Matthew Stafford surrounded by a glamorous and richly paid group worthy of our brightest of lights -- Sunset Boulevard meets the Red Zone.

The Cincinnati Bengals will be the other team, the opposite, pesky underdogs, a kid quarterback named Joe Burrow surrounded by mostly anonymous striped helmets and a quaint little cheer that goes, “Who dey, who dey, who dey think gonna beat dem Bengals ... nobody!”

Some believe that cheer was stolen from the New Orleans Saints, others believe it came from a local Cincinnati beer vendor, but no matter, it will be a worthy competitor to the

Rams’ cheer of, “Whose house?

Rams house!”

In keeping with this city’s Super traditions, the game featuring at least one prominent first. The Los Angeles Rams have never won a Super Bowl.

Neither have the Bengals. The winners will likely cry. The losers will likely cry. Just your typical histrionics on a Los Angeles Sunday afternoon that will feel like a movie audition.

This, Super Bowl, is why it’s so cool that you’re back. This soulful town fits you. It’s pulsing emotion suits you. Its perhaps the only place in America that’s not too big for you.

Of course, it’s been a minute since we’ve seen you, and while you will certainly be familiar with the dramatics, you may not recognize the location.

The Coliseum is nice, but now it’s run by the city’s third professional football team, known as USC. The Rose Bowl is historic, but it’s the domain of a UCLA team that nobody watches.

SoFi Stadium is a different animal entirely. It’s a beauty, but it’s a beast. It’s a grandiose palace with a breathtaking video board, but it’s wedged in a cluttered corner of Inglewood where the traffic is hell and the parking is worse.

You need to arrive four hours early and be prepared to pay a month’s rent for a parking spot, and even then, it could take you most of the night to exit your lot.

The postgame chaos is so great, there are stories of folks attending Rams or Chargers night

games who simply abandoned their cars and slept in a local motel and drove home the next morning.

Not that you’re here just for the game. In fact, since you left, you’ve become a vehicle for far more than the football field. The parties are the real guts of the Super Bowl, and for that, you’ve obviously come to the right place.

From the Convention Center to Crypto.com Arena to Century Park to the Petersen Automotive Museum, the weekend will be filled with drinking and dancing and blatant mask removing. If the crowds at recent Los Angeles sporting events are any indication, an alarming number of fans ignore mask rules, including L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and Gov. Gavin Newsom, both of who were photographed maskless at the recent NFC championship game.

So be careful. Be safe. And if you must party, perhaps check out the one party that epitomizes the blending of Los Angeles sports and celebrity cultures.

It’s called, “Shaq’s Fun House.”

It’s on Friday night before the game at the Shrine Auditorium.

It could be a traditional Super Bowl ripoff, but because it’s being thrown by lovable former Lakers star Shaquille O’Neal, it could be fun. For a ticket that could cost as much as $1,799.99 -- rip-off alert! -- folks can attend a party that includes rap performances and carnival rides and almost-famous sightings.

Welcome home.

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 B7

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VM )PK e .VHSZ! +),!

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

B8 Wednesday, February 9, 2022

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.

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We are hiring Line Cooks, Stewards, and Baristas for our NEW Alltown Fresh location! We are paying up to $18/hr, and looking to hire ASAP. Please stop by our sister location (XtraMart located at Route 9H and 82 in Hudson NY 12534) to apply or call the store (518) 851-2220.

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NEWFOUNDLANDS: AKC purebreds. 2 girls, 4 boys. first shots, vet check, wormed. $1,400. 21 year of breading.

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NHL at the break: Surprises, disappointments and award contenders from the first half Ted Kulfan The Detroit News

DETROIT — Somehow, the NHL has gotten to the midway point of its season.

Despite more than 100 games being postponed because of COVID-19 issues, and games that went on despite lineups that looked more like preseason game rosters, the NHL has reached All-Star Game weekend, the point in the schedule many correlate as the halfway point.

It’s been quite a ride.

It hasn’t been smooth, but the NHL is hopeful the second half will be much more smoother, given the expectation COVID isn’t going to be as impactful and games will be made up this month during the time the league expected to be at the Olympics.

Playoff positioning will be interesting.

The eight spots in the Eastern Conference appear to be almost set right now, but in the West, it’s likely going to be a thrilling race with many teams still in the hunt.

As usual, there have been surprises, disappointments, and plenty of unknowns heading into the final several months.

Here is a look at the NHL, heading into its halfway mark in the schedule.

Hart Trophy (MVP) n Alex Ovechkin, Washington: At age 36, Ovechkin has carried a Capitals team that’s been riddled with injuries and COVID issues into a secure playoff position. Ovechkin has been a constant, with 29 goals and 29 assists and making an impact every game. n Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida: Leads the NHL with 47 assists and 64 points, and finally is getting the respect and notoriety he deserves for his talent. Huberdeau has gotten consistently better throughout his career, and now leads a loaded Panthers lineup that is a Stanley Cup contender. n Connor McDavid, Edmonton: Will McDavid be the top choice at the end of the season?

Likely, if the Oilers rebound as many expect them to do. But currently, the two-time Hart winner is, arguably, a hair behind the others at the halfway point of the season.

Norris (best defenseman) n Cale Makar, Colorado: Makar has 18 goals, 44 points, a plus-26 rating, and is making highlight plays every game, it seems. Only an injury, it appears, will keep Makar from winning this award for the first time. n Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay: The two-time Stanley Cup champions still have a deep, talented roster, but Hedman is a player that would be nearly impossible to replace given his production, stability and experience. n Roman Josi, Nashville: The Predators have been a surprise team, and Josi, who won the Norris in 2020, is a major reason why. He makes noticeable plays at both ends of the ice and plays big minutes in all situations.

Calder (best rookie) n Moritz Seider, Detroit: The defenseman plays a tough position for a rookie, but you wouldn’t notice it with the poise with which Seider plays.

He leads all rookies in minutes played and assists, and he’s been great on the power play.

Just slightly more impactful than his teammate at this point ... n Lucas Raymond, Detroit: ... which is Raymond. From Day 1, Raymond hasn’t looked out of place. Raymond leads all rookies with 35 points, he has 11 goals, and he’s been more than fine defensively.

The Wings’ future is bright with these two part of the nucleus. n Trevor Zegras, Anaheim: Sure, the lacrosse goal highlights are fantastic, and few players in the NHL are as imaginative on the ice. But with 12 goals and 32 points, the important thing is Zegras is simply a really good player in his first full NHL season.

Jack Adams (coach of the year) n Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh:

Sullivan has been a successful coach for a long time, but what he’s done with this particular roster has been awfully impressive. n Gerard Gallant, N.Y. Rangers: As he always does, Gallant has stepped into a situation that looked to be a couple of years from big success, and quickly fast-forwarded the timeline. n John Hynes, Nashville: Has made that entire roster better, and convinced the Predators to buy into a grinding, physical style of play that has made them playoff contenders.

Vezina (best goaltender) n Igor Shesterkin, N.Y. Rangers: The Rangers have been a pleasant surprise, ahead of their expected timeline in the rebuild, and having a rock like Shesterkin in net has been a big reason why. n Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay: It’s surprising Vasilevskiy has only won one Vezina in his career. He’ll obviously have a chance for a second here with a strong second-half finish. n Jack Campbell, Toronto: Campbell is 21-6-3 with a 2.30 GAA and .925 SVS, and is a key reason the Leafs have become nearly unbeatable the first half of the season.

Selke (best defensive forward) n Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay: The Lightning needed Cirelli to take a step forward given all they lost in free agency, and Cirelli has delivered. The defensive analytics are good. He has 28 points, and playing important minutes. n Patrice Bergeron, Boston: The four-time Selke winner easily will be in the hunt for five if he’s healthy the rest of the way. Bergeron is nearing the end of his career, but his level of play isn’t falling at all. n Joel Eriksson Ek, Minnesota: There are plenty of surprises on the Wild, and this two-way stalwart is helping lead the team into Stanley Cup contention. At 25, Eriksson Ek has improved steadily and is becoming a star.

Surprise teams

n Pittsburgh: It doesn’t make sense the Penguins have 62 points and are firmly entrenched in the playoff picture.

Not with the injuries and COVID issues they’ve dealt with this season. The coaching staff deserves a load of credit. n Anaheim: The Ducks were expected to be a season or two away from playoff contention, but here they are, occupying a playoff spot, and new GM Pat Verbeek is the type of manager to keep them there. n Nashville: Many folks felt the Predators were better off rebuilding, and given many of their veterans were sliding in performance, that seemed the right call. But those same veterans are enjoying banner seasons, rookies have surprised, and Nashville is a dangerous team.

Disappointing teams n Chicago: It’s just been a mess from the start, with office abuse issues, poor play, a head coach getting fired, and stars not playing to expectations. The analysts who felt the Blackhawks had one more playoff run in them were terribly wrong. n N.Y. Islanders: Simply put, COVID completely ravaged the Islanders’ season, and they’re not going to be able to recover.

For some reason the NHL didn’t postpone games while the Islanders were playing a lineup laden with minor leaguers, and it sent their season into a spiral. n Montreal: Last spring, the Canadiens were in the Stanley Cup Final and appeared to have a bright future with several promising young players. Retirements, injuries, freeagent signings who’ve disappointed, COVID ... all of it has sent the Canadiens plummeting to the bottom.

Sleeper teams n Pittsburgh: It’s amazing the Penguins are entrenched in the playoff chase given the amount of injuries, COVID issues, and incorporating new personnel into the lineup. This is an extremely dangerous team heading into the playoffs

if everything keeps clicking. n Boston: Somehow, the Bruins keep defying the expectations they’re going to slip into oblivion or mediocrity. It helps having two Hall of Famers (Bergeron, Brad Marchand) and several other stars, but getting the right rentals at the deadline could make the Bruins a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. n Calgary: The Flames have a lot of home games the second half of the season and they’re playing the type of hockey gritty coach Darryl Sutter loves.

Nobody is going to want to face them in the playoffs.

Surprise players n Evan Rodrigues, Pittsburgh: Already with a careerhigh 15 goals and 32 points, Rodrigues has been one of the surprises that has propelled Pittsburgh into its lofty place in the standings. n Troy Terry, Anaheim: This is a neat story. Some folks were putting Terry, 24, into the washout category, and all he’s done this season is score a career-high 25 goals and become a threat every time he’s on the ice. n Ville Husso, St. Louis: With the Blues’ goaltending in flux, Husso has been a revelation with a 9-3-1 record, and a sterling 1.90 GAA and .941 SVS. Husso is displacing Jordan Binnington as the No. 1 netminder.

Disappointing players n Elias Pettersson, Vancouver: The Canucks re-signed Pettersson to a generous contract last summer ($7.35 million per season, three seasons), and he’s been a major disappointment with only 11 goals and minimal impact on the ice.

He’s a more dangerous player than this. Isn’t he? n Jamie Benn, Dallas: Benn gives the effort, and he’s a key voice in the Stars’ room, but at age 32, and 6-foot-2, 210-pounds, he appears to be slowing on the ice. The 11 goals and 20 points don’t match the $9.5 million per season (until 2024-25!). n Philipp Grubauer, Seattle:

The expansion Kraken made a big splash in free agency ($5.9 million per, for six years) signing Grubauer -- and it hasn’t worked out (12-17-4, 3.09 GAA, .887 SVS). Simply put, the below-par goaltending has cost the Kraken at least several games.

Most likely traded n Tomas Hertl, San Jose: The Sharks are likely to work hard to re-sign the prospective free agent, but Hertl, with 22 goals, will be expensive. Then again, the Sharks are likely to receive a nice return if they trade Hertl at the deadline. Hertl, 28, keeps getting better every season and could put several teams over the hump toward a Stanley Cup. n Phil Kessel, Arizona: He’s 34 and only has five goals, but for a cheap rental Kessel would be an intriguing option. Kessel has tons of playoff experience and there’s a gut feeling he’ll be revitalized escaping the dire situation of Arizona. Kessel would improve a lot of teams’ middle-six forwards. n Mark Giordano, Seattle: Giordano, 38, is a rental, but the veteran defenseman brings tons of savvy, experience and leadership to the equation and is still playing fine hockey. A reunion with Calgary might be a possibility.

Keep an eye on n Evander Kane, Edmonton: The wayward winger has quickly given the Oilers a boost. If Kane continues to make a favorable impact, the Oilers could be a tricky team to deal with the remainder of the season, and playoffs. n Jack Eichel, Vegas: The star center has yet to play for Vegas after being acquired in a trade, and needing neck surgery.

Eichel could be the final piece to the Vegas puzzle that nets the organization its first Stanley Cup. n Ken Holland: Lots of pressure on the former Wings’ general manager, now in Edmonton. The Oilers, with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their prime, can’t afford to miss the playoffs.

Top 25 roundup: Virginia stuns No. 7 Duke in closing seconds Field Level Media Reece Beekman drained a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to give Virginia a shocking 6968 victory against No. 7 Duke on Monday night at Durham, N.C. Jayden Gardner scored 17 points with eight rebounds, Kadin Shedrick dumped in a career-high 16 points off the bench and Armaan Franklin had 11 points for Virginia (159, 9-5 Atlantic Coast Conference). It was the Cavaliers’ third straight win and fourth in the past five games.

Mark Williams battled foul trouble and finished with 16 points and Trevor Keels had all 12 of his points in the second half for the Blue Devils (19-4, 9-3), who fell into a firstplace tie in the league with idle Notre Dame. The loss snapped Duke’s five-game winning streak.

Paolo Banchero was held to a season-low nine points on 3-for-9 shooting, although he added a game-high nine rebounds. His desperation 3 at the final buzzer was off the mark.

No. 4 Arizona 91, Arizona State 79 Azuolas Tubelis collected 19 points and 11 rebounds as the Wildcats overcame an early 13-point deficit and dominated the second half to beat the Sun Devils in Tempe, Ariz.

Tubelis posted his second straight double-double and shot 7 of 12 from the floor as the Wildcats (20-2, 10-1 Pac-12) posted their fourth straight victory. Arizona outscored the Sun Devils 44-22 to start the second half, building a 26-point lead and swept the season series.

Jay Heath and Marreon Jackson scored 16 points apiece for Arizona State (7-14, 3-8), which was unable to sustain its quick

start after outlasting then-No. 3 UCLA for an 87-84 triple-overtime win on Saturday.

No. 20 Texas 79, No. 8 Kansas 76 Timmy Allen scored a season-high 24 points and Marcus Carr had a key late steal and two free throws as the Longhorns rallied down the stretch to beat the Jayhawks in Austin, Texas.

The game was tied at 72 after a layup by Allen with 2:33 to play. Kansas answered with buckets by David McCormack and Ochai Agbaji for a fourpoint lead before Texas’ Tre Mitchell hit a banked 3-pointer with 55 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 76-75.

After a turnover by Agbaji, Allen canned a jumper with 21 seconds left to put the Longhorns back in the lead, and Texas (18-6, 7-4 Big 12) held on.

Kansas (19-4, 8-2) got 18 points and 11 rebounds from Jalen Wilson.

ROB KINNAN/USA TODAY

Virginia Cavaliers guard Reece Beekman (left) and guard Kihei Clark (0) celebrate after beating the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Monday.

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 B9

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

Innocent internet search reveals shocking secret Dear Abby, I recently Googled my brother-in-law to see if I could find his birthdate, which I had forgotten. When his name came up, so did some information I wish I hadn’t seen.

He’s a convicted sex ofDEAR ABBY fender (rape) who has served time. I am assuming my sister knows about his past. But what if she doesn’t? I don’t want to say anything to her, because if she already knows, she’ll be upset that I now know. If she doesn’t know and I tell her, I’m afraid she may blame me for messing up a good thing.

Should I talk to him and ask him if he’s told her? Or should I leave things alone and let things play out naturally? I was shocked by the revelation because it doesn’t fit the man I know.

Shocked In The South

JEANNE PHILLIPS

Are you 100% sure the information you found is about your brother-in-law? If it’s true, the revelation that there is a felon in the family (and for rape, yet!) would shock anyone. Talk to your sister. Explain that you forgot the date of her husband’s birthday and what you discovered. It’s entirely possible that she knows about his past. But if she doesn’t, direct her to the site from which you got that information, because she’s entitled to know.

Dear Abby, My grandson is 30. He lives at home with his mother and father, both of whom are retired. He doesn’t have a job, nor is he actively seeking one. The only so-called job he ever had in his life was as a security guard at a college museum, working some 20 hours per week.

He is healthy but seems to be content to

continue living off his parents. They sent him to college, and he says he has a degree. His mother has told me she would never kick him out of the house. I think he should be forced to get a real job. His resume would be pathetic, but I believe if he stays on this course, he’ll never be self-supporting.

What do you think?

Realistic Grandpa In Florida I think you are correct. Your grandson is not a self-starter and, thanks to his parents’ “generosity,” he will never find the motivation to become independent. Nothing will change until his parents realize they need to encourage their son to grow up and leave the nest.

Dear Abby, My middle-aged daughter and her family have been estranged from me for several years, including the last year of her father’s sad battle with dementia. I am told my grandson has been taught to refer to me as “The Devil,” although I don’t know why.

Recently, her husband (my son-in-law) emailed me a list of possessions from my home that they now expect to have. My late husband’s wedding ring was included on the list. What would you say to the demands for items from an adult child with whom you have no relationship?

Out Of Their Lives In Virginia

Pearls Before Swine

Classic Peanuts

Garfield

Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your husband. As to what “I” would say in response to these grasping relatives, I wouldn’t dignify their demand with any response at all.

Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Horoscope

By Stella Wilder Born today, you are perhaps the most colorful individual born under your sign, possessed of many talents, composed of many facets and of a sort that attracts both admiration and criticism in equal measure. You never really take either very seriously, however, for you realize that whether or not people like you has less to do with you than it does with them! And in your case, this is very true.

You are sometimes so stubborn that you can actually expose yourself to danger simply because you have decided to do something — or not to do something — that everyone knows should — or should not — be done. When you dig in your heels, no one is likely to move you, one way or the other. The notable exception to this occurs when romance is in the air. You will do anything for the one you love!

Also born on this date are: Joe Pesci, actor; Carole King, singer and songwriter; Travis Tritt, singer; Mia Farrow, actress; Alice Walker, author; William Henry Harrison, U.S. president; Brendan Behan, Irish poet and playwright.

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 10 AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — No matter how well-meaning you are, there are certain things that you’re not going to get right today — but corrections can be swift.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — It may be time to call in some help if you really want to deal with a problematic situation that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — You’re on the verge of an important realization, but you may

Pickles

Zits still make one or two errors of judgment as the pieces finally fall into place.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You know what’s important, and you know why, but you may have trouble getting others to agree with you — until someone else backs you up.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — You may not be able to drop everything and run to a friend’s side today, but with a little warning, you can provide what’s needed very soon.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — You are likely to receive a warning today that you’ll surely want to heed — but take care you don’t alarm others as you change your plans.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — What you’ve been waiting for is almost here, but you have some work to do before you can consider yourself “ready” for its arrival. Get it done!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — You may have to navigate some mood swings today, but it’s likely you’re going through something that is familiar and will pass quickly.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — You’ll decide something is worth the effort today, even though just yesterday you considered it too costly.

What’s changed?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — You may have decided things cannot be “patched up” between you and an old friend, but the evidence today likely tells you otherwise.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — You’ll learn more than one timely lesson today from someone who does things in a manner that is highly irregular — but you like it that way!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You can make guarantees to friends all you want today, but it may not be entirely up to you whether what you’ve promised is possible.

Dark Side of the Horse

Daily Maze

COPYRIGHT 2022 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.

Goren bridge

Thanks for today’s deal goes to our Australian friend, Tim Bourke – a master at creating interesting bridge deals. The winning line of

(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.)

THE ONLY WAY East-West vulnerable, South deals NORTH ♠8532 ♥ 87 ♦ 10 8 3 ♣ Q J 10 2 WEST EAST ♠ Q J 10 9 7 ♠64 ♥A ♥ K952 ♦ 72 ♦ J654 ♣AK865 ♣743 SOUTH ♠AK ♥ Q J 10 6 4 3 ♦ AKQ9 ♣9 The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST 2♥* Pass 2NT** 1♥ All pass 4♥ *Spades and a minor, at least 5-5 ** Asks for the minor

Columbia-Greene

MEDIA

Opening lead: Ace of ♣

play is perfectly logical, but we doubt many would find it at the table. Many experts would go down.

East followed with the three of clubs to the opening lead, so West shifted to the queen of spades. South won with his ace and took a moment. He could hold trumps to two losers if they split 3-2, but there would be a slow diamond loser unless West’s had a very short jack. South decided his best chance was to find West with a singleton ace or king of trumps.

South cashed his three top diamonds. If West ruffed, South would later ruff his last diamond in dummy and finesse East out of his known nine of trumps. West foiled this plan by not ruffing the queen of diamonds, discarding a club instead. Now West could ruff the fourth diamond and lead a spade.

East would be certain to score two heart tricks. South had the answer. Rather than a fourth diamond, he led a low heart from his hand! West won, but now South could ruff his last diamond, come back to his hand with a ruff, and lead the queen of hearts. East would only get one heart trick.

Well, would you have found this line of play at the table?

WITH BOB JONES ©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Sponsor Comics 518-828-1616

COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA

B10 Wednesday, February 9, 2022 Close to Home

Free Range THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

Level 1

2

3

4

AHCIR TILEE GMTENA EPLOPE Solution to Tuesday’s puzzle

2/9/22 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.

Yesterday’s

sudoku.org.uk

Heart of the City

Dilbert

B.C.

For Better or For Worse

Wizard of Id

Crossword Puzzle

DOWN 1 Car from Sweden 2 Key __ pie

Andy Capp

Bound & Gagged

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

3 Obstacle 4 Tillis or Tormé 5 Has on 6 Cereal grain 7 31-day period: abbr.

8 Nativity scene figurine 9 Sharp as a tack 10 Cut of pork 11 Walk like a Clydesdale horse 12 Close relations 14 Winger & Messing 19 Lunch hours 22 Feel miserable 25 Wallet fillers 27 Pierce 28 Patti and others 29 Pistols 30 Asian language 31 Jane Curtin’s sitcom role 33 Tune 34 Play on words 36 Pot covers 38 Vitamins & __; nutritional needs

2/9/22

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

Non Sequitur

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

39 Option on Howie’s game show 41 __ mignon 42 Vanilla or strawberry 44 Pranced about 45 Prefix for heat or view 47 In a tough spot 48 Walk back & forth

2/9/22

49 “Queen for __” of old TV 50 Victoria or Havasu 53 “By the Time __ to Phoenix” 54 Be impudent 56 Ewe’s cry 57 O’s forerunners 59 Silent

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

Print your answer here:

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ACROSS 1 Slender 5 Courts 9 Matterhorn’s range 13 Shot carefully 15 Apiece 16 Han __; “Star Wars” character 17 More than sufficient 18 Pay __ to; heed 20 School contest 21 Forbid entry to 23 Cockney cash 24 Day, for one 26 Like jalapeño peppers 27 Of the backbone 29 Populous Swiss city 32 Subdues 33 Boot spikes 35 Under the weather 37 “Rock of __”; Protestant hymn 38 Small hill 39 Supermarket section 40 Franklin or Savage 41 Some Northern Europeans 42 Smelly 43 Word with quartet or bean 45 Boeing creations 46 Bullring shout 47 Refrain syllables 48 Arnie with a club 51 Gun the engine 52 Prefix for guided or conduct 55 Capable of adjusting 58 Last letter 60 Dessert choice 61 Type of duck 62 Dirty tricks 63 Observed 64 Aquarium floor covering 65 New York team

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By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

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

Rubes

(Answers tomorrow) Jumbles: BASIC WRING ONWARD SPEEDY Answer: The huge fossilized skull found in the desert was — DRY AS A BONE