Odd Files

Fine Points Of The Law

Natalia Harrell, 24, was arrested last July in Miami for allegedly shooting and killing Gladys Yvette Borcela, 28, as they rode in an Uber. Since then, she’s been in the custody of the Miami-Dade Corrections Department — along with her unborn child.

Now, Michael O’Brien, the father of the child, has filed a petition claiming the baby has not been charged with a crime and is having its due process rights violated, NBC Miami reported.

“I don’t want the baby to be born prematurely or low birth weight,” O’Brien said. “The conditions (in the jail) are terrible and I feel she’s not getting the prenatal care she should be getting.”

He seeks the baby’s immediate release. Officials replied that they are reviewing the care Harrell has received “to ensure that all prenatal care being provided in our custody is appropriate.” [NBC Miami, 2/21/2023]

IRONY

Police in Glemgormley, Northern Ireland, pulled over a Mini Cooper on Feb. 27 and asked the driver for proof of insurance, the Irish Mirror reported.

After cagily searching around for the document, the driver admitted they didn’t have insurance — even though they were sporting a bumper sticker that cheekily asked, “My brakes are good!! Is your insurance?”

The car was seized and the driver was issued a penalty for the lack of coverage. [Irish Mirror, 2/27/2023]

New World Order

Tired of your John Hancock looking like a child’s scribble? Priscilla Molina of Los Angeles can help with that. The Associated Press reported that Molina’s business, Planet of Names, will make over anyone’s signature for between $10 and $55.

People seeking her service are “not happy with their signatures. They don’t relate to who they are. They don’t give the message they want to convey to the world,” Molina said.

She designs up to 300 custom signatures per month, and offers a range of styles, from elegant and artistic to ... illegible. [AP, 2/28/2023]

My Kindom For An Editor

First it was a misspelling of Georgia O’Keeffe’s name in New York City’s new Grand Central Terminal.

On Feb. 26, according to the Associated Press, the state’s Department of Transportation installed a new sign in Queens to identify the Jackie Robinson Parkway, established in 1997. Robinson was the first African American player to compete in major league baseball.

But the DOT forgot the C, spelling the baseball great’s first name Jakie. The sign was quickly replaced with the correct spelling. [AP, 2/28/2023]

Unconventional Weaponry

In a puzzling attempt to draw attention to the climate crisis, three people defaced a woolly mammoth at the Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria, Canada, on March 1, the Times Colonist reported. A woman allegedly used her hands to paint the mammoth’s tusks pink.

A group called On2Ottawa has claimed responsibility for the vandalism; the painter, “Laura,” says in a video posted online, “If the government does not enact a citizens’ assembly to tackle the climate and ecological crisis in the next one to two years, then we will be traveling to Ottawa to demand one.”

The water-based paint was cleaned off the tusks and three people were arrested. [Times Colonist, 3/2/2023]

OOPS

More than 40 high school students from the Barr Beacon School in Walsall, England, were stranded in the U.S. for four extra days after a ski trip to New Hampshire, the New York Post reported.

It wasn’t weather that shut down their travel, but the fact that the Kancamagus Lodge in Lincoln, New Hampshire, “accidentally” shredded 42 of their passports.

Fortunately, head teacher Katie Hobbs, who was not on the trip, was on top of the situation and had the group move to New York City, where the British embassy was preparing emergency documents.

In the meantime, the kids toured the city and took in the sights. “The silver lining is that they can have an amazing experience,” said one parent.

The lodge had no explanation for the destruction of the passports other than it happened by mistake.

[New York Post, 3/1/2023]

Perspective

Hicham Argani, a police officer in Boxtel, Netherlands, was patrolling his neighborhood when he spotted an unidentified object in the sky, the Daily Star reported on March 1.

He posted on Instagram about the “suspected ‘spy balloon’“ hovering over the Selissen district and followed it in his car. Finally, he decided to pull over to get a closer look at it — which was when he realized the UFO was a blob of bird poo stuck to his windshield.

Argani updated his post with his findings and an all-clear: “Boxtel is safe!” [Daily Star, 3/1/2023]

Compelling Explanation

A Peruvian man, 26-year-old Julio Cesar Bermejo, is being detained in Puno after police discovered a mummified human in his possession, People reported.

Officers approached three men drinking in a park on Feb. 25 and noticed the remains inside a cooler delivery bag. Bermejo told them that he had brought the mummy to the park to show his friends; it had been in his family for decades.

He said he named the remains “Juanita” and it was his “spiritual girlfriend.” However, officials say the mummy is actually that of a 45-year-old man, and they’ve turned it over to Peru’s Ministry of Culture. [People, 3/1/2023]

Repeat Offender

Rodolfo Santillan just can’t stop burglarizing cars. On Feb. 21, he broke into a work van in Chicago while wearing an ankle bracelet for two pending car burglary cases, CWB Chicago reported.

A passing police officer stopped and charged him with misdemeanor criminal trespass, and he left the police station at about 4:40 p.m. Two hours later, police were called to another van, where workers said they had found Santillan inside.

He was also caught on video taking tools from a nearby car. Santillan was held without bail for violating bond in the previous cases. [CWB Chicago, 2/27/2023]

Cultural Diversity

According to the India Times, a wedding in Bhavnagar took an odd turn in late February when Hetal, the bride, fainted during the nuptials, then passed away at the hospital. Doctors said she suffered a heart attack.

As the wedding festivities went on, the family came up with a novel idea: The bride’s younger sister would marry the groom instead. City councilman Laxmanbhai Rathore called the event extremely sad and said the family was trying to set an example by not abandoning the groom and his family without a bride.

One woman commented on Twitter: “Families cannot afford to let their wedding investment go in vain. Behind all that love and sanskaar is a very practical and businesslike family model.” [India Times, 3/1/2023]

THE PASSING PARADE

In Tsuruta, Japan, an annual sporting event was shuttered for three years during the COVID pandemic, but now it’s back, Reuters reported.

The Suction Cup Tugof-War, in which pairs of bald men attach suction cups to their heads and pull in opposite directions, took place on Feb. 22, with the city’s Bald Men’s Club gamely competing.

“My head still hurts,” said Toshiyuki Ogasawara, 43. “I think I need to ice it!”

The club welcomes people who “view baldness in a positive manner” and want to “brighten the world with our shiny heads,” its website reads.

This year’s champion was Mr. Ota, who has won three consecutive times. [Reuters, 2/22/2023]

Renters

CONTINUED FROM 7 goals and also allows the program to continue over the longer term and naturally phase out through attrition,” City Manager Ashley Jones said.

Mull said she loves Del Mar and that it immediately felt like home when she first moved here in 1985. It is where she and her first son, Matthew, forged their community and made countless

TRI-CITY

CONTINUED FROM 3 trative roles, including chief of staff from 2015 to 2017 and as a chief medical officer since 2019.

Aside from his work as an emergency room doctor, Ma’s background includes work in healthcare affiliations, mergers and acquisitions, and executive leadership in private equity and healthcare IT startups.

Ma attended medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, after which he completed an internship at Stanford and a residency in emergency medicine at UC San Diego before joining TriCity.

“I’ve always been organization-first,” Ma said. “If they find a candidate that is best suited to lead this organization, I’ll be 100% behind it.”

With all of his previous administrative experience and responsibilities, memories, and she found comfort after he died unexpectedly in 2017. She prioritizes giving back to the community in any way she can, working as an intervention specialist and trying to help people down on their luck. She said that receiving assistance from DMCC has been humbling, but she is incredibly grateful for it. lana Beach interior designer drugged and strangled her former stepfather after picking him up from the hospital on New Year’s Eve of 2020 and hid his body under a pile of boxes and trash in his driveway, which was discovered the next day by detectives.

“I do a lot of things here, and I’d love to be able to stay and continue doing them,” she said.

Ma has been maintaining a presence with patients and staff in the emergency room. However, those visits will likely have to pause when he officially takes on his new responsibilities as interim CEO.

“I feel that I get the best understanding of the impacts on patients and our staff when I’m doing that work with them sideby-side,” Ma said.

For Ma, the hospital must continue to honor and appreciate its staff and employees to maintain its “unique sense of family.” He praised the staff for its overall sense of leadership.

“There are many true leaders in this organization without titles, and knowing that they’re supported and that we value them is going to be a big piece in how we move forward,” Ma said.

Ma will officially take over as interim CEO on March 22, a day after current CEO Steve Dietlin retires.

Janks and her defense attorney, Marc Carlos, argued that she was traumatized after discovering explicit photos of herself on Merriman’s computer but did not murder him. On the stand in December, Janks said she found his body in her car after an apparent overdose and hid his body in the driveway out of panic.

At the sentencing hearing, Carlos also claimed that Janks had suffered from trauma and sexual abuse at an early age, something that was not brought forward at trial.

“She has maintained her innocence throughout this matter and will continue to do so,” Carlos said. “She panicked under this reaction to the trauma that she had, and as a result, she did things that made her appear to be complicit in the death of Mr. Merriman.”

Janks also spoke briefly at her sentencing.

“I’m sorry I didn’t act the way I was supposed to that day,” she said. “To Tom’s family, I understand you hate me … but there’s a lot more you’ll never understand.”

Flanagan said losing his business partner and friend of over a decade was “devastating” and profoundly impacted the Butterfly Farms operation.

He said the farm faced negative pushback after allegations about Merriman’s inappropriate behavior in the case were made public and that after being told their rent at the Leichtag Commons would be tripled, the nonprofit’s lease was not renewed in November. However, an exact reason for this decision was not given.

“The business at this point is closed. I’ve laid everyone off; everything is in storage. I’ll have to look seriously at whether I can do the business without Tom,” Flanagan said. “This has been devastating not just to me but to all the people who look to Tom for answers in the work we were doing.”

Flanagan is hoping to move the farm’s operations to Poway.

“We have a place to move; it’s just not ready yet, so we were really hoping to get another year in Encinitas,” he said.

FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY SERVICE, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803 CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-708-7311 EXT. 257

SALOME’S STARS #12345_20230306 FOR RELEASE MARCH 6, 2023

EDITORS: These horoscopes are for use the week of March 13, 2023.

1. FOOD & DRINK: Which U.S. city is known for its square pizzas with crunchy corners?

2. TELEVISION: Which character became a fugitive in the final season of “The Office”?

3. GEOGRAPHY: Which of the Great Lakes lies entirely within the United States?

4. LITERATURE: Which famous novelist wrote his last book in crayon due to poor eyesight?

5. GAMES: What are the two most valuable letters in Scrabble?

6. MOVIES: Which movie series features a character named Ellen Ripley?

7. LANGUAGE: What is a “schwa”?

8. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which nation is credited for being the top beer-drinking country in the world?

9. ANATOMY: What is a common name for the axilla?

10. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What do you call an ant’s home?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Stop being the wool-gathering Lamb, and start turning that dream project into reality. You have the ideas, the drive and the charisma to persuade others to follow your lead. So do it.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20)

You’ve scored some big successes. But remember that all hard-working Ferdinands and Ferdinandas need some time to restore their energies and refresh their spirits.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20)

You’re gaining a stronger mental image of what you’re trying to achieve. Now, look for the facts that will help get this to develop from a concept into a solid proposal.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) breakfast. $8 for pancakes, sausage, eggs, coffee, and juice. Proceeds support youth basketball and baseball. 7 to 11 a.m. Mar. 18 at Gloria McClellan Vista Senior Center, 1400 Vale Terrace Dr, Vista.

Some of you eager-to-please Moon Children might want to delay some decisions until midweek, when you can again think more with your head than your heart.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) A new business venture seems to offer everything you’ve been looking for. But be careful that this rosy picture doesn’t betray traces of red ink under the surface.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A volatile situation needs the kind of thoughtful and considerate care you can provide right now. There’ll be plenty of time later to analyze what might have gone wrong.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your loyalty to a friend in a tough situation earns you respect from people you care about. Those who criticize you don’t understand what friendship is all about.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Your strong work ethic is rewarded with the kind of challenging opportunity you love to tackle. Now, go ahead and celebrate with family and/or close friends.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A legal matter you thought had been finally resolved could require a second look. But don’t make any moves without consulting your lawyer.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Taking charge is what you like to do, and since you do it so well, expect to be asked to lead a special group. This could open an exciting new vista for you.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) An important matter might wind up being entrusted to you for handling. The responsibility is heavy, but you’ll have support from people able and eager to help.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A spouse or partner might make an important, even life-changing, suggestion. Consider it carefully. It could hold some of the answers you’ve both been looking for.

BORN THIS WEEK: You always try to do the right thing for the right reasons. No wonder people have come to depend on you. © 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

MUSIC OF THE SPHERES

La Jolla Symphony and Chorus presents guest conductor Michael Gerdes. 12 a.m. at La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, Mandeville Ln, La Jolla.

‘CHICAGO’ DANCE CLASS

Masterclass dance for “Chicago.” 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Mar. 18 at New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 State St, Carlsbad.

PLAY VILLAINS ONSTAGE

Learn the art of playing a villain, for 13 years and up. 2 to 4 p.m. Mar. 18 at New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 State St, Carlsbad.

‘UNSTOPPABLE WOMEN’

“Unstoppable Women” event with entertainment, shopping, awards and fashion show. $125, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mar. 18 at Sheraton San Diego, 1380 Harbor Island Dr, San Diego.

JASON MRAZ, SUPERBAND

Jason Mraz and Special Guest Gregory Page. Tickets starting at $199 and up. 8 p.m. at The Sound, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar.

March

19

VILLAGE CLEAN-UP

Join Richness of Giving and the Carlsbad Village Association, downtown Carlsbad businesses and volunteers for a Village-wide cleanup. 9 a.m. to

12 p.m. Mar. 19 at Carlsbad Village, 300 Carlsbad Village Dr, Carlsbad.

DAMIEN JURADO

Indie rock guitarist. $25, 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

SAMARA JOY JAZZ ARTIST

The Discovery Series showcases rising stars from the next generation of jazz. Free8 p.m. at Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave, La Jolla.

MOONLIGHT 13.1 MILER

Start at Moonlight Beach and run south to South Cardiff State and back. Walk or run along the Pacific Coast in Encinitas along the beautiful Pacific Ocean. $99, 7 to 11:30 a.m. Mar. 19 at Moonlight Beach, 398 B St, Encinitas.

‘LUCKY STIFF’

A musical comedy by Ahrens and Flaherty. 5 p.m. at Oceanside Theatre Company, 217 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside.

PRESSED FLOWER ART

Explore the craft of pressing and preserving flowers. $54, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Mar. 19 at San Diego Botanic Garden, 300 Quail Gardens Dr, Encinitas.

FOREST/NATURE BATHING

Learn about phytoncides, terpenes, and the natural “medicine” in Nature’s atmosphere. $45, 9 to 11 a.m. Mar. 19 at San Diego Botanic Garden, 300 Quail Gardens Dr, Encinitas.

AMERICAN MUSIC

A program of lighthearted American music. 4 p.m. at Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Rd, Poway.

JAZZ EVENSONG

A blend of jazz rooted in the context of Anglican meditation and prayer. 4 p.m. at St. Michael’s-by-theSea Episcopal Church, 2775 Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad.

LATINO FILM FESTIVAL

Films, Festival Village

CHEERS!

CONTINUED FROM 17 you for your understanding. Stay tuned for new & improved hours. Cheers!”

...Belching Beaver Brewery continues to be newsworthy. They’ve just been named the Official Craft Beer of The Mint 400, a 400mile off-road race for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and utility task vehicles (UTVs) held in Las Vegas since 1968.

The brewery is re-releasing its Mexican-style lager Buenos Tiempos and calling it The Mint 400 Buenos Tiempos Cerveza. The Mint 400 is often called “The Great American OffRoad Race” and features 500 racing teams worldwide. Buenos Tiempos — which translates to “good times” in English — will be served in Vegas during the festivities March 8-12.

If you aren’t among the 60,000 attendees headed out to the desert, all four Belching Beaver tasting rooms in San Diego County have Buenos Tiempos on draft and in six-packs while supplies last.

The cans feature the artwork of 2022 Unlimited Truck winner Nick Isenhouer’s Ford #205 truck jumping through the flames at the finish line.

...Second Chance Beer Co. is celebrating Women’s History Month with the inaugural Ladies & Pups Market from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on March 11.

The market at the Carmel Mountain location will and Arte Latino Gallery & “Mercado.” 2 to 10 p.m. Mar. 19 at Westfield Mission Valley West , 1640 Camino del Rio N, San Diego.

March 20

CIRCUS VARGAS

The all new 2023 production of Circus Vargas channels the City of Lights in their latest, production, “Bonjour Paris.” 7:30 p.m. at Westfield North County , 272 E Via Rancho Pkwy, Escondido.

FOLK HERBAL MEDICINE

Join herbalist Corinne Feinberg. $48, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Mar. 20 at San Diego Botanic Garden, 300 Quail Gardens Dr, Encinitas.

March 21

WHISKEY RIDGE feature pop-up shops from small women-owned businesses such as Bold Bouquet, Borrego Babe Co., and Eggy’s Pocket, No, you sit! Treats, The Salty Eclectic, and Wet Nose Pottery.

Whiskey Ridge is a high-energy country/southern rock band mixing popular hits with Red Dirt country. $12, 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

Specials on its Fistful of Gummies Berry Edition will also be available at the event. The beer was created in collaboration with the Pink Boots Society, encouraging women and non-binary individuals to advance their careers in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry.

...Shout out to Anita’s in Oceanside. The restaurant is celebrating 50 years this week. It’s an incredible achievement in an industry where most businesses only last a few years.

...Tips for a successful St. Patrick’s Day: Avoid green beer, but don’t avoid Irish Whiskey or Eppig Brewing’s Sinister Path Export Stout.** On March 17, Eppig gives stout drinkers a pint to take home at all three local tasting rooms. Success.

*I saw this chart first on vinepair.com. **Or another great local stout.