Daily Republic: Monday, January 16, 2023

Latest storm in state could be ‘light at end of the tunnel’

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Yet more wind and rain was expected to lash much of California and the Bay Area , adding to nearly three weeks of devastating atmospheric river storms that have caused flooding and mudslides across the state while pounding the Sierra Nevada with heaps of snow.

The moisture is expected to continue through roughly midday Monday, said Colby Goatley, a National Weather Service meteorologist. It will likely mark the final major blast of precipitation to hit the region for the foreseeable future –potentially offering the state a chance to recover from a near-unceasing line of storms that have killed at least 19 people across California since late December.

Another .5 to 1 inch of rain is expected to fall across San Francisco and Oakland, while 1 to 1.5 inches of rain could fall over San Jose, Livermore and Half Moon Bay. About 1-2 inches of rain are in the forecast for the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Central Coast.

While the rainfall totals aren’t as high as previous storms, Goatley stressed that the region

Suisun’s first full-time female firefighter says others paved the way

THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SUISUN CITY — Jian Eddinger is not a stranger to the city’s Fire Department, but now holds the distinction of being the first woman to be hired as a full-time firefighter.

First responders busy rescuing stranded residents

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LOS ANGELES — The woman clung to a tree in pitch darkness. Nearby, her gray pickup was submerged in murky, brown water.

She was trapped along a fair-weather bridge, a causeway built over Coyote Creek just north of Ventura. The creek had overflowed and flooded the crossing after a powerful storm barreled into the area last Monday.

About 100 feet away, voices called out over the rushing water. Hold tight, they told her. A rescue swimmer is coming.

The job of getting the stranded, soaking-wet woman to safety fell to the Ventura County Fire Department’s swift water rescue team. Their tools, rope and a canoe.

Up and down California, rescue teams such as Ventura’s have come to the aid of people stranded in flooded neighborhoods and trapped in cars after a series of winter storms battered California over the few past weeks.

Although hundreds of people have been

“It is an exciting time to be in Suisun,” said Eddinger, noting that the city has had backto-back female mayors. The council also has a female majority.

Fire Chief Brad Lopez said the department is making an effort to diversify to better reflect the city and the firefighting community as a whole.

“But, also, it was fortunate with how the cards rolled. (Eddinger) was here, she wanted (the job) and she applied for it,” Lopez said.

GOP lawmaker seeks Biden visitor logs in classified papers fight

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

WASHINGTON — A Republican lawmaker leading investigations of President Joe Biden’s administration called on the White House to turn over visitor logs to his home in Delaware after classified documents were found at the residence.

The letter by House Oversight Committee chair James Comer to White House chief of staff Ron Klain is the latest salvo by Repub-

licans after a series of revelations last week that’s raising political and legal risks for Biden as he considers seeking a second term in 2024.

“President Biden’s mishandling of classified materials raises the issue of whether he has jeopardized our national security,” Comer said in the letter to Klain released by his office. “Without a list of individuals who have visited his residence, the American people will never

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic

Jian Eddinger reverses a fire truck during a training session at the Suisun City boat ramp, Thursday.

Todd r. H Ansen

Jian Eddinger talks to a colleague during a training session at the Suisun City boat ramp, Thursday.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/TNS President Joe Biden takes questions from

in Washington, D.C., Thursday.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day a call for service

Iam proud first as an American and second as an African-American that there is a national holiday celebrating the towering life achievements and example of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. My dad worked in race relations in the U.S. Navy in the early 1970s, and way before it was en vogue he taught me and my brothers about Black history and its importance to American history. Now that viewpoint wasn’t necessarily high-fived that much by the powers that be back then, but thankfully these days some significant progress has been made.

There are a couple of things that bug me about how this day is celebrated, however. The first is that so many people seem to think that MLK made one speech in his life – “I Have a Dream” – and then was killed.

Instead of being internalized and manifested in daily life, the part about not judging people by the color of their skin but by the content of their character is too often only dusted off when someone is making a partisan political point.

Do not misunderstand me. King’s crowning intellect, devotion to Christian and humanistic ideals coupled with a mesmerizing oratorical delivery made that speech memorable, but it’s hardly the only thing he ever said.

The other thing that bugs me about this day is not necessarily peculiar to it – its commercialization. I mean, we have had Presidents Day and Memorial Day sales and promotions and the like for generations. Many companies and corporations – and their intentions may be honorable, I must point out –just slap an “I Have a Dream” quote and a picture of the slain civil rights leader above their product’s logo around this time. In my view, this particular day deserves more.

It isn’t just me saying that, either. Here are some of Dr. King’s own words:

racial cooperation and youth anti-violence.

I am definitely down with putting out my flag on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, reflecting on his life, his words and his mission, but I’m also down with actually doing something that hopefully helps to make my slice of the world that I inhabit just a little bit better for others.

Are you also down with that? If so, you may ask what you can do. Glad you asked. You can check out local volunteer opportunities by visiting https://www.volunteermatch.org.

Some of the opportunities for service include, but are not limited to:

n Spending Time with Seniors at the End of Life with Bridge Home Health: They are looking for volunteers who would love to spend time talking to patients and sharing their stories. Patients in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and at home are often lonely and would appreciate a warm, friendly volunteer to light up their day. Must be

18 years old or older.

n Literacy Tutors Wanted –Teach an Adult to Read with the Solano County Library & Literacy Services: Tutors are needed to help adults who want to improve their reading, writing and English-speaking skills. Tutors and students meet twice a week for 1 ½ hours each time at the library or other public place. All materials are provided to the tutors and learners free of charge. Tutors receive training and support from Literacy staff. Student lessons are designed around the goals that the student wants to achieve. Tutors must be at least 18 years old, have average or better reading and writing skills, be willing to make a sixmonth commitment to their student and have an interest in helping another adult. No teaching experience needed.

n 2023 Fairfield PAL Teen Center Volunteer: Bring your talents to the Fairfield PAL

Teen Center and give local teens a place to go and grow by hosting video game tournaments; dealing cards for card games like poker, blackjack and UNO; leading dominos tournaments; instructing hair braiding workshops; facilitating skin and makeup clinics; teaching salsa dancing; leading and teaching chess; refereeing basketball, laser tag, bubble soccer or dodgeball; hosting karaoke parties; tutoring middle/high school math, English and Spanish; and much more.

n Administrative Support for Meals on Wheels Solano County: Meals on Wheels has a variety of administrative needs at their Suisun City office. Helping with phones, filing, data entry and follow-up client phone calls, all support the important work of ensuring no senior goes hungry.

These are only a few of the opportunities available and I think it goes without saying

the spirit of what Dr. King was about was not just doing service for one day – although any help is always appreciated. The goal is to hopefully broaden our vision beyond a navel-gazing obsession with our own pleasure and entertainment.

It is only fitting to end with another Dr. King quote: “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

Fairfield freelance humor columnist and accidental local historian Tony Wade writes two weekly columns: “The Last Laugh” on Mondays and “Back in the Day” on Fridays. Wade is also the author of The History Press books “Growing Up In Fairfield, California” and “Lost Restaurants of Fairfield, California.”

The WashingTon PosT

Elementary school art teacher LeoAngelo Lacuna Reyes was seeing a trend in his San Diego neighborhood that was getting under his skin. Gang symbols and graffiti were becoming more prominent. They were an eyesore.

“I’ve lived here since the second grade, and I thought my neighborhood - Mira Mesa - was looking a little run,” said Reyes, 36.

Specifically, as more power lines were buried, large green utility boxes were being tagged with gang symbols, names and graffiti, he said.

“I do view graffiti as art, but tagging [leaving a name or a mark] is just doodling,” he said. “Some people think of it as art, but it can really blight up a neighborhood. Kids with a lot of angst see a big electrical box, and it’s an inviting surface for them to deface.”

Reyes noticed that someone had creatively painted over a downtown power box in 2010, so he decided to take the idea to a new level in his own neighborhood, he said.

Neighborhood upkeep, he pointed out, can be a crime deterrent.

“It’s harder to do things that are sketchy in a place that looks well taken care of,” he said. “Getting rid of the blight has a positive ripple effect.”

That same year, in 2010, Reyes asked the Mira Mesa Town Council to give him permission to paint over some of the tagged boxes that had become eyesores, similar to projects that had been done in cities as Somerville, Mass. and Fort Collins, Colo.

“I did a little research and learned that electrical boxes turned into public artworks actually helped to curb tagging,” he said. “They brighten up the neighborhood and help to discourage van-

dalism because they create a positive vibe.”

After getting the council’s approval to test that theory and paint a few metal boxes, Reyes said he asked his neighbors for donations of leftover house paint and went to work.

For his first project, he turned a graffiti-covered box across the street from a library into a colorful foursided bookcase.

“The power box was located in a place that wasn’t very well lit,” he said. “People who lived nearby said the box was tagged every week, no matter how many times they cleaned it up.”

After Reyes’s new paint job, nobody touched it, he said, noting that the bookcase is now a popular neighborhood centerpiece and hasn’t been vandalized in more than 12 years.

City officials were impressed with his efforts and soon gave him permission to take on more projects.

“We’ve absolutely seen a reduction in tagging on the power boxes since [LeoAngelo] started doing this,” said Bari Vaz, president of the Mira Mesa town council.

“Occasionally, somebody will tag his art, but it doesn’t happen often,” she said. “People get upset if they see tagging because Leo has put so much effort into what he does. The artwork has brought a lot of pride to the community.”

Reyes teaches art at Hickman Elementary in San Diego and now enlists help from school kids, private students and other artists to turn utility boxes in the Mira Mesa neighborhood into art pieces to be admired by anyone walking by or stuck in traffic.

Occasionally, a tagger will spray paint over the artwork, he said, but he’s ready to respond with volunteers to touch up the boxes.

More than 40 boxes have been transformed so far, Reyes said, adding that his students have also painted several community murals. He posts photos of the artsy makeovers on his website.

One transformer box was turned into a beach scene, while others have been painted with butterflies, fish, flowers and wild animals. When Reyes turned one into a fireplace, somebody in the neighborhood put an old recliner next to it for laughs.

“It was nice to see people having fun with it,” he said. “I always want each project to feel comfortable in its space.”

When he first started painting in the neighborhood, several people called the police to report that he was vandalizing the boxes in broad daylight, Reyes said. Now he wears a T-shirt with “Mira Mesa Art” printed on the back.

“People pretty much know who we are now, and they’re thankful that we’re cleaning

up the tagging,” he said.

His students are happy to play a role in beautifying the neighborhood with creative works that are viewed by thousands of people driving by every year, said Cheav Chau, 47, noting that her twin sons, Joshua and Joseph Cho, 13, have painted three boxes with Reyes.

“The boxes are plain green or gray and it really transforms the street to have them turned into paintings,” Chau said.

Every time she drives past the utility box that her sons covered with bright sunflowers, she said she smiles, remembering how proud they were when they put the final touches on their project.

“They love the idea of contributing something beautiful to the community and having their work out there on display,” Chau said. “They’ve also learned a lot about art from LeoAngelo. He’s always very patient with them.”

Like Reyes, Lifang Sun said she thought the Mira Mesa neighborhood was looking neglected and rundown before the power box painting project was started. She encouraged her daughter, Diana Sun, then 15, to take art lessons with Reyes and contribute to the community uplift.

“Diana didn’t know how to paint before, but LeoAngelo taught her all of the elements and she painted a beautiful portrait of her blue angel fish one of the boxes,” she said.

Vaz said that thousands of people a day might see the painted boxes when they drive down Mira Mesa Boulevard, where many of them are located.

“It’s a hugely busy road and now they have something fun to look at,” she said. “LeoAngelo is one of the most giving people I know. He’s brought art to life for hundreds of kids.

Tony Wade The last laugh

Courtesy photo

It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

LeoAngelo Lacuna Reyes courtesy photo

LeoAngelo Lacuna Reyes stands in front of a butterfly he painted on an electrical box in his San Diego neighborhood in 2020.

Third annual Peace in the Park marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day

VACAVILLE — The Vacaville People’s Forum and the Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce will host the third annual Peace in the Park event to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This event will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Monday at the McBride Senior Center, 91 Town Square Place, in Vacaville.

“The event will feature a DJ, poetry readings, live music, dancers and presentations from local elected and community leaders,” organizers said in a statement. “Local nonprofit organizations will also be there to hand out information about their products and services.”

Additionally, “youth of all ages are invited to take part in a public reading of the ‘I Have A Dream’ speech delivered by Dr. King to an audience of more than 250,000 civil rights supporters on Aug. 28, 1963, as they gathered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.”

Youth who are interested should send an email to vvpeoplesforum@gmail.com.

This event is free to attend and will be held rain or shine. The public is encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets. For more information about Peace In The Park, call Aisha Gutierrez at 707-628-7112.

Tomato Jam roller derby coming to Vallejo

The inaugural Tomato Jam all-day roller derby showcase is coming to the Solano Fairgrounds.

The Saturday event is hosted by the Carquinez Quad Squad, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., in McCormack Hall at the Solano County Fairgrounds, 900 Fairgrounds Drive in Vallejo.

The first whistle will start the day at noon.

Tickets are $10 to $40.

n All day VIP tickets are $40 and sold in advance only. It includes dedicated seating, beverage voucher and other perks.

n All day general admission are $20 in advance.

n Afternoon general admission are $15 in

advance.

n Children 2-12 are $10 in advance; under 2 are free with adult ticket.

n Door sales are $25 for adults, $10 children 2-12.

Bring a donation to help support Food is Free Bay Area with an unopened box or package of menstrual products (pads/ tampons), diapers or baby wipes to earn a free prize drawing ticket.

Tickets can be purchased at www. brownpapertickets.com/ event/5639253.

Annual Sugar and Spice Tea returns

The annual Sugar and Spice Tea returns on Saturday.

The event will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the Saturday Club of Vacaville, 125 W. Kendal St.

This children’s tea is a tradition for many local families and the biggest annual fundraiser for the club and its foundation, which supports the cultural arts, according to a press release.

The theme for this year’s event, the first held since 2020, is “A Teddy Bear Tea.” Children are encouraged to dress up and bring their favorite plushy animal friend to sit at the table with them.

Live entertainment and formal tea service will be presented by the members of the Saturday Club, complete with petite sandwiches, tiny bites and sweet treats. Children will be invited to march with their plushies in a Teddy Bear parade around the tables.

Tickets are $30 per person and seating is limited.

Reservations must be made by calling Pat Dennis at 707-455-0646. Street parking will be available on the blocks surrounding the event. A free public parking lot is located two blocks away on the corner of Main and Cernon streets.

The Saturday Club is a 113-year-old civic club dedicated to fostering the cultural arts in Vacaville.

Monthly lunch meetings take place at their Kendal Street clubhouse where the club’s 50-plus members enjoy live performances from local performing arts ensembles and guest speakers. They also rent their clubhouse for private events such as weddings, birthday parties and anniversaries.

The Saturday Club Foundation awards scholarships to high school students who show artistic talent and plan to study at the collegiate level.

For more information on Saturday Club membership, to rent the clubhouse or to donate, call 707-761-7108 or visit saturdayclubvacaville.com.

Water Commission meets Wednesday

The California Water Commission will conduct its annual State Water Project review and its Water Storage Investment Program when it meets Wednesday.

Laurence Sanati, drought coordinator for the Department of Water Resources, also will head a panel discussion on drought preparedness and response. The panel also includes Brycen Swart, drought coordinator for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife; Jessica Bean, Drought, Policy and Planning manager for the State Water Board Division of Water Rights Program; and Keali’i Bright, assistant director of the Department of Conservation.

The commission meets at 9:30 a.m. in the Warren-Alquist State Energy Building, 1516 Ninth St., in Sacramento. The meeting will be live streamed at www.water-ca.com. To comment remotely, Zoom login information can be found at https:// cwc.ca.gov/-/media/ CWC-Website/Files/Documents/2023/01_January/ January2023_PublicParticipation_Final.pdf.

Government meetings on calendar

Government meetings will be held this week. They are all open to the public either online or inperson, check the websites for more details.

The meetings will include:

n Fairfield City

Council, 6 p.m. Tuesday, City Council chamber, 1000 Webster St. Info: www.fairfield.ca.gov/gov ernment/city-council/citycouncil-meetings.

n Rio Vista City Council, 6 p.m. Tuesday, City Council chamber, City Hall, 1 Main St. Info: www.riovistacity.com/ citycouncil.

n Solano Irrigation District, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Lake Berryessa Room, 810 Vaca Valley Parkway, Vacaville. Info: sidwater. org/agendacenter.

n Travis Unified School District Governing Board, 5 p.m. Tuesday for closed session and 5:30 p.m. for open session, Travis Education Center, 2775 De Ronde Drive, Fairfield. Info: https://simbli. eboardsolutions.com/sb_ meetings/sb_meeting listing.aspx?S=36030187

n Vacaville Parks and Recreation, 6 p.m. Wednesday, council chamber, 650 Merchant St. Info: www.ci.vacaville. ca.us/government/citycommissions.

n Solano Community College Governing Board, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Solano Community College Administration Building, Denis Honeychurch Board Room 626, 4000 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield. Info: www. solano.edu/governing_ board/meetings.php.

n Special Rio Vista City Council meeting for City Manager recruit selection, 8 p.m. Wednesday, City Council chamber, City Hall, 1 Main St. Info: www.riovistacity.com/ citycouncil.

n Fairfield-Suisun School District, 6 p.m. Thursday, first floor board room at the Central Office, 2490 Hilborn Road, Fairfield. Info: https://go. boarddocs.com/ca/fsusd/ board.nsf/public.

n Vacaville School District Board of Trustees, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, board room at the Educational Services Center, 401 Nut Tree Road, Vacaville. Info: https://go.boarddocs.com/ ca/vusdca/board.nsf/ vpublic?open.

n Solano County Planning Commission, 7 p.m. Thursday, 675 Texas St., Fairfield. Info: solano county.com/depts/rm/ boardscommissions/ solano_county_planning_ commission/agendas.asp.

The Vacaville Planning Commission meeting set for 6 p.m. Tuesday has been canceled.

More than 5 dozen confirmed dead after Nepal passenger plane crashes

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy KATHMANDU,

Nepal — At least 68 bodies have been recovered in Nepal after a passenger plane crashed in the city of Pokhara, airport authorities said.

Police said they had not found any survivors so far after the Yeti Airlines plane went down minutes before its expected landing at Pokhara airport. It was carrying 68 passengers and four crew members.

The plane flying from the capital Kathmandu to Pokhara lost control and fell into a gorge.

The aircraft was in contact with the local air traffic control room until 10:50 a.m., according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

Some 300 emergency personnel as well as members of the army were helping with the rescue effort.

There were 53 Nepalis, five Indians, four Rus-

sians, two Koreans and one each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and France on board the illfated flight, CAAN said.

Videos and photos on social media showed clouds of smoke at the reported site of the crash, between the city’s former airport and the new Pokhara International Airport.

Police officials said that the search team faced difficult conditions because of the dangerous nature of the gorge.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called an emergency Cabinet meeting following the crash, according to the Kathmandu Post.

The government has also formed a panel to investigate the crash and announced a day of national mourning on Monday, local media reported.

Nepal has seen several

plane crashes in recent years. In May last year, a plane crashed in the country’s Himalayas with 22 people on board.

In 2018, a U.S.-Bangla Airlines plane from Dhaka crash-landed at the airport

in Kathmandu, killing at least 51 people.

Pokhara is located about 124 miles northwest of Kathmandu and is the starting point for numerous trekking tours in the Himalayas.

Biden honors MLK in Atlanta with church visit

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

ATLANTA — Joe Biden, in a Sunday sermon at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, used the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic pulpit to build bridges with Black voters as he gears up for a reelection bid.

Alluding to his failure to deliver on a key campaign promise – to restore voting rights protections erased by the Supreme Court in 2013 –he recalled King’s “epic struggle for civil rights and voting rights.”

“I have two heroes: Bobby Kennedy. . . . And no malarkey, Dr. King,” Biden told the congregation. “Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was a nonviolent warrior for justice. . . . We come to contemplate his moral vision and commit ourselves to his path.”

Biden has been inching closer to launching his 2024 campaign, and a Sunday sermon at Ebenezer – the first by a sitting president – was a big showcase.

Black Democrats rescued his flailing 2020 nomination effort in the South Carolina primary, with prodding from Rep. James Clyburn. And they were critical in Georgia, Michigan and other tight battlegrounds that fall.

King’s mission, Biden said, was “to redeem the soul of America,” but it’s up to “we the people” to revive stalled voting rights legislation.

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, Georgia’s first Black senator and the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist since 2005, invited Biden to speak ≠ after keeping some distance during his hard-fought reelection bid.

“We celebrate the birthday of the greatest American prophet of the 20th century, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” Warnock told the congregation. “Presidents and ordinary people gather in the sanctuary in the

presence of the Lord. And the presence of the Lord is here.”

There was no mention of the embarrassing revelations hanging over Biden of classified documents discovered in his garage and old office at the University of Pennsylvania.

Later in the service, Warnock ticked off some of Biden’s achievements: the Inflation Reduction Act, infrastructure investment, a cap on the cost of insulin.

“That, my friends, is God’s work, and Georgia had a little something to do with it,” he said.

Biden carried Georgia by fewer than 12,000 votes in 2020.

Former President Donald Trump’s efforts to pressure Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger, a Republican who won reelection in November, to “find” him enough votes to reverse the outcome prompted an investigation of potential election interference by the Fulton County district attorney, an elected Democrat.

A special grand jury in Atlanta completed its work last week, with a hearing set for Jan. 24 on whether to release its findings. Charges are possible against Trump and others.

“Remember what Georgia did for Joe Biden,” said former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Now a senior presidential adviser, Bottoms added that “the president is very interested in connecting with people … and there’s no better place than to do that than at Ebenezer,” a cornerstone of the community. She demurred when asked if the sermon marked a campaign launch of sorts.

“I don’t know that it’s the start of it, but it could be a great start of it,” she said.

Ebenezer was founded in 1886, and King preached there until his assassination in 1968.

Robert Graham Evans

Chief Master Sergeant Robert “Bob” Graham Evans was born November 15, 1932 in New York City and passed away January 8, 2023. He attended public school in NYC and New Jersey. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1949, at 17 years old. He served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He retired from the Air Force after 26 years of service as a Chief Master Sergeant at Travis AFB. He married Setsuko “Nancy”, in 1954. They were married for 60 years until she passed July 4, 2014. She was not only the love of his life, but was his life! After his retirement from the Air Force, he then

retired in 1994 from the Alameda Naval Air Station as Department Head of Production and Planning. He was active as a Mason for over 60 years. In 1988, he was elected Grand High Priest of the Royal Arch Masons for the State of California. He is a member of the York Rite and Scottish Rite and is a Knight of the York Grand Cross of Honor He was the Intendant General of Northern California for the Red Cross of Constantine. Bob loved animals, especially Buttons, his Boston Terrier of almost 16 years. He is survived by his two sons Robert and David, daughter in laws Angie and Wendy. Grandchildren Shannon, Hayley, Holly and David Jr, Great Granddaughters Brooklyn and Freya. A special thanks to Iris Frederick’s who was his care giver for 10 years and her husband Joe for all of his help

He always said he lived by four words “Duty, Honor, Country and Family”.

He is a member of St Marks Lutheran Church. Memorial service will be Januar y, 21, 2023 at 11:00 a.m., 1600 Union Street Fairfield, CA 94533. Gravesite service will be February 6, 2023 at 1:15 p.m. at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, 5810 Midway Road, Dixon, CA 95620.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Shriners Hospital at https://donate.lovetotherescue.org/give/119312/#!/donation/ checkout?c_src=lttr-home-slider. Please check in memory of: Robert G Evans.

John Arthur Brown/Zuma Press/TNS Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia) greet President Joe Biden as he arrives at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Sunday.

Reflections to celebrate MLK Day

Dear Readers:

Wishing you all a very happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Please enjoy this excerpt from one of the most famous American speeches ever made.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed – we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

“I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.

“I have a dream today!

“I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama little black boys and little black

girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

“I have a dream today!

“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

“This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.

“With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

“This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning: ‘My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let

Horoscopes

ARIES (March 21-April 19).

Time spent with people you can’t seem to connect with on any level that matters to you can be much lonelier than being alone. This is why it’s better to venture out on your own than to bother with even mediocre company.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You are the one who people talk to when they want to get the word out. Being socially connected is a sort of superpower, and you wield it carefully, keeping confidences, upholding diplomacy and doing the maintenance.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21).

If you don’t know, account for or use what you have, it’s easy to think you need more. Taking stock is the step in your day that keeps your life at a surplus – of joy, money, creativity and whatever else you want a lot of.

CANCER (June 22-July 22).

To martyr yourself in the name of love is to know resentment. That’s not to say a sacrifice isn’t called for. Make it easy for now. Start by giving what you want to give, what you have a surplus of or what you won’t miss.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It’s as though someone called a meeting without knowing the purpose of it. It’s an opportunity to supply your own. The others will be grateful that you

by Holiday Mathis

Today’s birthday

Hand in hand with loved ones, you’ll face the world together, heart fortified by the strong sense of belonging that threads through the year. More highlights: the deliciously frightening sensation of falling in love, the warm sun on your skin for carefree days on end and a new and completely wonderful responsibility. Virgo and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 8, 19, 32 and 48.

did. Self-appointed leaders are sometimes the best kind.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).

You make your own fun and then you make fun for others.

You can never guarantee that everyone’s going to enjoy it, but the probability is high because you know how to create a comfortable and playful atmosphere.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). In order to distinguish between sense and nonsense, it helps to encounter both. The nonsense you come across today will either humor you or act as the contrast you need to discern good sense.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). When you are new to the game, it is best to observe quietly

freedom ring.’ And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

“And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

“Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

“Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

“Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

“Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California.

“But not only that.

“Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

“Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

“Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!

“And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: ‘Free at last! Free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’” Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com.

until you get used to it. You do not have to know all the rules before playing the game, but at the very least you need to know enough to avoid bothering others.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). Sometimes a leap of faith is a jump into unknown territory, but right now it looks a lot more like staying in one place because you believe it will work, improve and ultimately be what you need.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). Seek friends with similar interests and groups that value the same things you do. When you have a sense of belonging, you can relax and settle into being your best self. Your spirit will be made light by a kindred soul.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). Some people seem to be gliding gracefully through a beautiful life, but you’ll check on them anyway because you never totally trust appearances, especially if there are selfies involved. Smiles sometimes hide the hurt.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll keep your own rules and obey your wise self-guidance. Going to bed early can do wonders for your outlook. Your energy will be strong tomorrow, which will be a good day for changing the world.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Bridge

by Phillip Alder

Otherwise, you or your partner will find the string of minus scores hard to take.

Today’s deal is a good example. How would you try to make seven hearts? Yes, sorry, seven hearts. West leads the diamond four: queen, king, ace.

Obviously, North’s bid of seven hearts was dubious. He knew that the maximum combined count was 34, not enough for seven with two balanced hands. Still, if North had bid only six, there wouldn’t have been a story.

To collect 13 tricks, the spade finesse must be working. Then by means of a dummy reversal, these 13 tricks might be available: the spade ace-queen, two spade ruffs in hand, four hearts, the diamond ace and four clubs.

PARTNER OVERBIDS, YOU GET LUCKY

W. Somerset Maugham wrote, “I have not been afraid of excess: Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.”

In bridge, though, if you bid to excess, you must hope that the opposing cards lie in a kindly fashion.

Sudoku

Bridge

After winning trick one with the diamond ace, draw two rounds of trumps using honors in hand, lead a spade to dummy’s queen, cash the spade ace and ruff a spade in hand. Play a club to dummy’s 10, ruff the last spade and return to dummy with a club to the ace. Draw East’s two remaining trumps, discarding your diamond losers, and run the clubs.

The only snag with this result is that North will continue to overbid. Next time, you might not be so lucky.

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

by Wayne Gould

PARTNER OVERBIDS, YOU

GET LUCKY

W. Somerset Maugham wrote, “I have not been afraid of excess: Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.”

Annie Lane Dear Annie

(707) 427-1386

HBO Max introduces first price increase to stem streaming losses

BloomBerg

HBO Max introduced its first price increase since the service was launched nearly three years ago, the latest sign that the grow-at-all-costs era of the streaming business is ending.

The cost of HBO Max without commercials will rise almost 7% to $15.99 a month from $14.99 starting Thursday, the streaming service’s owner, Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., said in a statement. That makes the product slightly more costly than Netflix Inc.’s standard, $15.49-a-month plan.

Both companies now offer cheaper ad-supported tiers.

The increase “will allow us to continue to

invest in providing even more culture-defining programing and improving our customer experience for all users,” the company said.

HBO Max, an online extension of the company’s HBO cable channel but with more content, launched in May 2020.

The company plans to introduce a new streaming service this spring that combines HBO Max, home of scripted dramas including Succession, with Discovery+, which airs unscripted lifestyle programming, such as “90 Day Fiancé” and “Love It or List It.”

After years of focusing on subscriber growth, media companies now face pressure from Wall Street to find a path to profitability in streaming.

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú

Scramble begins for Feinstein’s US Senate seat

Metaphorically speaking, the ink is still wet on the vote tallies from the 2022 election, but last week saw the beginning of what will be California’s highest profile political contest of 2024 – a duel for the U.S. Senate seat that Dianne Feinstein has held for three decades.

Feinstein, who will be 90 in June, has not said whether she’ll be seeking another term next year, but recently widowed, very unpopular with the dominant progressive wing of the Democratic Party and plagued by accounts of cognitive dissonance, she is likely to retire.

Without waiting, Katie Porter, an Orange County congresswoman who made a name for herself as a relentless cross-examiner of corporate executives in congressional hearings, declared her candidacy last week and immediately gained an endorsement from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a leading progressive figure.

“California needs a warrior in the Senate – to stand up to special interests, fight the dangerous imbalance in our economy, and hold so-called leaders like Mitch McConnell accountable for rigging our democracy,” Porter said in a tweet announcing her candidacy.

Almost instantaneously, Porter raised more than $1 million for her Senate run and she’ll need that and much more to mount a serious Senate campaign in a state notorious for its high-dollar campaigns – especially if, as expected, she faces competition from other high-profile members of California’s congressional delegation.

Late in the week, it was reported that Barbara Lee, a veteran congresswoman from Oakland who has long been a progressive stalwart, has informed her supporters that she’ll make a Senate run. Adam Schiff, a congressman from Los Angeles County who gained a national profile as a muchtelevised critic of former President Donald Trump, has also indicated he would run if Feinstein retires. Silicon Valley Rep. Ro Khanna says he’s also weighing a run.

Given that California has more than 40 Democrats in Congress, plus statewide officeholders and big city mayors, the list of potential candidates for what could be a decades-long seat in the U.S. Senate is nearly endless.

The stirring of interest and speculation touched off by Porter’s declaration raises three fundamental questions, to wit: n Would she and the other hopefuls run if, by some chance, Feinstein decides to seek another term? After Porter’s announcement, Feinstein said in a statement that “everyone is of course welcome to throw their hat in the ring,” and that she’ll lay out her plans for 2024 “at the appropriate time.” Porter seems willing to go ahead regardless of what Feinstein does, but Schiff appears reluctant to challenge the incumbent. In 2018, Feinstein easily fended off a challenge from state Sen. Kevin de León, even though he won the state Democratic Party’s official endorsement.

n What about Gov. Gavin Newsom? He’s just won re-election to a second term but his political future is cloudy. While consciously building a national profile, he’s denied any interest in running for president in 2024, even if President Joe Biden doesn’t seek another term. If he really wants to be president, Newsom could wait until 2028, when he would be out of office, or he could segue into the Senate as Feinstein’s successor and await his chance for a White House run.

n Finally, what about the Republicans? A crowded Democratic field divvying up the party vote in a top-two primary could create an opening for a Republican to make the November runoff – if the GOP is disciplined enough to concentrate its resources and votes on one candidate, which is questionable. It even could be possible, if very unlikely, for a moderate, well-financed Republican to defeat an uber-left Democrat in deep-blue California.

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to Commentary.

THE RIGHT STUFF

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A productive life demands courage

The French born Cuban writer Anais Nin said: “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage” Courage manifests in two forms. Martial and civil life demands both. I was born just as World War II ended. I, like many, had relatives who saw combat.

It was many years before I learned their stories. One uncle was a prisoner of the Japanese but escaped. Another was with General George S. Patton’s 3rd Army at The Battle of the Bulge. A third was with the Counter Intelligence Corps from before D-Day to the fall and occupation of Berlin. Their courage was tested as they saw and experienced terrible things doing what was called for in war, before coming home. They all seemed to put their years of war and separation behind them. Each married and fathered children, were valued friends and neighbors, went to church, and joined various civic organizations. In peacetime, each had the civil courage to do what was needed and expected. They took care of our extended family by doing the jobs that paid for the good life we lived. I am sure there were problems and issues, there always are, but somehow, they were dealt with, often behind closed doors.

Jim McCully

longing for better times. Expectations direct behavior, pure and simple.

Americans have somehow gotten away from setting proper expectations for our kids and society. Things that matter like common sense, the ability to read and comprehend our founding documents, American and world history, science, art and the art of discovery – all this and the ability to think critically through something is in woeful short supply.

Our kids don’t see America as the land of liberty and opportunity, let alone the light of the world, but rather as a fraud with a horrible past created by awful people. Our Founding Fathers are portrayed as terribly flawed slaveholders and moral reprobates who wanted actually less government, individual liberty and freedom. Western civilization, which, by the way, is the foundation of democracy, is awful and should be diminished in importance.

Supreme Court justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, cannot answer that question. Also, there are multiple genders (who knew) and it’s a good idea to mutilate children to conform to the latest nut bag theory presented. Things get more bizarre daily. We have become an international laughing stock if you read news other than our so-called mainstream media who revel in being a propaganda organ for the Democratic Party.

Why am I saying this?

I learned early on from my parents and my extended family that expectations mattered for a flourishing civil society. They all lived through the Great Depression and World War II,

COMMENTARY

Everyone in politics is either a wonderful “Democrat Socialist Progressive Peoples Party” member filled with the milk of human kindness or some archaic thinking evil Republican “conservative” who wants to keep women under control (good luck with that one), and African-Americans in actual chains, according to President Joe Biden and any non-Caucasian in metaphorical chains.

We are consumed with such burning issues as who can use what restroom? What is a woman, anyway? Apparently our latest “woman”

Also, remember the concern expressed by President Donald Trump and Jack Batson’s favorite whipping boy, Sean Hannity, over Twitter censoring whomever they didn’t like? The mainstream media said President Trump was paranoid, his concerns were laughable; Yet, a man with civil courage, Elon Musk, bought Twitter, discovering not only collusion with the Democratic Party but, much worse, found proof the FBI paid $3.5 million tax dollars to have Twitter spy on and then suppress the free speech of conservative Americans opposed to Democratic Party policies, the education establishment, disagreements with Dr. Anthony Fauci’s pronouncements, our ever-intrusive expanding government, etc.

America should have the courage to stand up for right expectations. Do we?

Jim McCully is a former chairman of the Solano County Republican Central Committee and former regional vice chairman of the California Republican Party.

We are overcounting Covid deaths, hospitalizations

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States is experiencing around 400 Covid deaths every day. At that rate, there would be nearly 150,000 deaths a year.

But are these Americans dying from Covid or with Covid?

Leana S. Wen

Understanding this distinction is crucial to putting the continuing toll of the coronavirus into perspective. Determining how likely an infection will result in hospitalization or death helps people weigh their own risk. It also enables health officials to assess when vaccine effectiveness wanes and future rounds of boosters are needed.

Two infectious-disease experts I spoke with believe the number of deaths attributed to Covid is far greater than the actual number of people dying from Covid. Robin Dretler, an attending physician at Emory Decatur Hospital and the former president of Georgia’s chapter of Infectious Diseases Society of America, estimates that at his hospital, 90% of patients diagnosed with Covid are actually in the hospital for some other illness.

“Since every hospitalized patient gets tested for Covid, many are incidentally positive,” he said. A gunshot victim or someone who had a heart attack, for example, could test positive for the virus, but the infection has no bearing on why they sought medical care.

Dretler also sees patients with multiple concurrent infections. “People who have very low white blood cell counts from chemotherapy might be admitted because of bacterial pneumonia or foot gangrene. They may also have Covid, but Covid is not the main reason why they’re so sick.”

If these patient die, Covid might get added to their death certificate along with the other diagnoses. But the coronavirus was not the primary con-

tributor to their death and often played no role at all. Dretler is quick to add the imprecise reporting is not because of bad intent. There is no truth to the conspiracy theory that hospitals are trying to exaggerate coronavirus numbers for some nefarious purpose. But, he said, “inadvertently overstating risk can make the anxious more anxious and the skeptical more skeptical.”

Another infectious-disease physician, Shira Doron, has been researching how to more accurately attribute severe illness due to Covid. After evaluating medical records of Covid patients, she and her colleagues found that use of the steroid dexamethasone, a standard treatment for Covid patients with low oxygen levels, was a good proxy measure for hospitalizations due to the coronavirus. If someone who tested positive didn’t receive dexamethasone during their inpatient stay, they were probably in the hospital for a different cause.

Doron’s work was instrumental to Massachusetts changing its hospitalization reporting a year ago to include both total hospitalizations with Covid and those that received dexamethasone. In recent months, only about 30% of total hospitalizations with Covid were primarily attributed to the virus.

This tracks with Doron’s experience at her hospital, Tufts Medical Center, where she also serves as hospital epidemiologist. Earlier in the pandemic, a large proportion of Covidpositive hospitalizations were due to Covid. But as more people developed some immunity through vaccination or infection, fewer patients were hospitalized because of it. During some days, she said, the proportion of those hospitalized because of Covid were as low as 10% of the total number reported.

Determining the true number of hospitalizations from Covid has immediate, practical purposes. “It allows for better forecasting of hospital capac-

ity,” Doron told me. “If our hospital beds are full and we attribute it to Covid, we might think that we’ll get the beds back when the wave of infections is over. But if people are sick from other causes, the beds could stay full.”

Doron acknowledges there is a gray zone in the data in which Covid might not be the primary cause of death but could have contributed to it. For instance, Covid infection could push someone with chronic kidney disease into kidney failure. She and her colleagues are collecting data on this as well.

Both Dretler and Doron have faced criticism from people who say they are minimizing Covid. That is not at all their aim. They have taken care of Covid patients throughout the pandemic and have seen the evolution of the disease. Earlier on, Covid pneumonia often killed otherwise healthy people. Today, most patients in their hospitals carrying the coronavirus are there for another reason. They want the public to see what they’re seeing, because, as Doron says, “overcounting Covid deaths undermines people’s sense of security and the efficacy of vaccines.”

To be clear, if the Covid death count turns out to be 30% of what’s currently reported, that’s still unacceptably high. But that knowledge could help people better gauge the risks of traveling, indoor dining and activities they have yet to resume.

Most importantly, knowing who exactly is dying from Covid can help us identify who is truly vulnerable. These are the patients we need to protect through better vaccines and treatments.

Leana S. Wen is a professor at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health and author of the book “Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health.” Previously, she served as Baltimore’s health commissioner.

Dan Walters

remains at risk of flooding due to extremely waterlogged soils. Simply put: The region can’t handle any more water.

“The ground is still saturated,” Goatley said. “There’s still going to be plenty of chance for runoff and localized flooding. We just want everyone to keep paying attention. But hopefully, this is the light at the end of the tunnel.”

A flood watch remains in effect for almost the entire Bay Area through Monday evening. In addition, a coastal flood advisory also is in effect for areas along the Pacific Coast due to a combination of high tidal cycles, strong winds and heavy runoff.

Winds through Monday are expected to be less ferocious than previous atmospheric river storms, with gusts over the urban centers expected to hit 10 to 20 mph, while the higher elevations and coastal regions could see gusts of 20 to 30 mph.

“This is thankfully not quite as mean of a system as the last several events,” Goatley said.

The incoming weather system comes as California reels from a string of storms fed by atmospheric rivers streaming across the Pacific over the last few weeks – placing tens of thousands of people under evacuation warnings or orders, while wreaking havoc on communities across the state.

On Saturday, the White House approved a major disaster declaration for Santa Cruz, Sacramento and Merced counties – three of the worst-hit regions in the state in recent weeks.

Tidal swells tore through the Central Coast city of Capitola earlier this month, while flooding rivers and mudslides caused widespread damage elsewhere in the communities of Santa Cruz, Felton and Soquel.

Across the Central Valley, raging rivers overwhelmed levies and

From Page One

know who had access to these highly sensitive documents.”

The administration’s handling of the document discoveries and comparisons with former President Donald Trump’s tug-of-war with the National Archives over a larger trove stored at his Mar-a-Lago resort dominated U.S. political talk shows Sunday. Some Democrats agreed that the administration should be more forthcoming with information on Biden’s case.

“I think every American has an interest in seeing that classified documents are properly handled by whoever’s president and by any administration,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, the senior Democrat on the oversight panel, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “And all we’re looking for is equal treatment.”

Biden’s personal lawyers discovered classified materials beginning on Nov. 2, six days before the midterms. In the first public acknowledgment,

inundated several towns.

Across the Bay Area on Sunday morning, a few stray showers offered a prelude to the next round of storms that were forecast to hit later in the day.

As of 7:30 a.m. Sunday, about two-thirds of an inch of rain fell over most lower-lying portions of the Bay Area during the previous 24 hours, according to rain gauges maintained by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. San Jose received up to .43 inches of rain in that span, while up to 1.75 inches fell in the Oakland hills. The Santa Cruz Mountains received anywhere from .91 to 2.56 inches of rain.

To the east, the Sierra is expected to once again get hammered with snow, with 12 to 18 inches of fresh powder expected to fall over Donner and Echo passes through Monday evening. Up to two feet of snow could fall over Ebbetts, Sonora and Tioga passes.

It adds to impressive snowfall totals across the Sierra Nevada in recent weeks, which have pushed the area’s snowpack to twice its normal average for this time of year.

About 7.5 feet of snow fell at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab near Donner Summit over the last week alone, the weather outpost reported Sunday morning. That included nearly two feet of snow over the last 24 hours and 42.7 inches of snow since Friday morning.

Already, the weather station has received 92% of the snow that it normally receives by April 1.

But relief could be on the way.

Sunny skies should return on Tuesday before a final dash of precipitation hits the Bay Area on Wednesday afternoon. That system should be nothing like the previous line of storms that have inundated the region over the last few weeks, though. Rainfall totals on Wednesday are expected to barely reach .1 inches for most of the region during that weather system, Goatley said.

GOPthe White House counsel’s office confirmed on Jan. 9 a CBS News report that about 10 pages of classified documents were discovered at the Penn Biden Center for Global Diplomacy and Engagement, a think-tank Biden established after Barack Obama’s presidency.

“Well, we don’t know exactly yet whether they broke the law or not,” Comer said on CNN. “I will accuse the Biden administration of not being transparent.”

The White House said Saturday that Biden’s lawyers discovered more classified material at his Wilmington, Delaware, home than previously announced – five additional pages that were found last week during a search of a room adjacent to Biden’s garage, bringing the total to six at that location.

In the letter to Klain, Comer criticized that “personal attorneys searched the Wilmington residence knowing that the Department of Justice was already investigating” even before Attorney General Merrick Garland named a special counsel on Jan. 12 to probe the matter.

rescued, there have been at least 19 storm-related deaths in California.

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the storms had claimed “more lives than wildfires in the past two years combined.”

In summer and fall – and increasingly year round – firefighters battle the wildfires that plague this droughtstricken state. When winter and spring are as wet as California is now, they post up against deluges.

Either way, they’re in a fight against nature.

On Jan. 4, as the first storms began to dump heavy rain, the state’s Office of Emergency Services stationed the Bakersfield Fire Department’s swift water rescue team just outside Sacramento.

As the team waited to be deployed, its six members practiced rescue scenarios on the American River. Then, at around 2:30 a.m. Jan. 9, they received a call: Head to Merced.

With rain-swollen Bear Creek flooding the city’s streets, the team began evacuating whole neighborhoods. Five team members waded out in water that was hip- to chest-high and looked like chocolate milk. The water temperature fell below 50 degrees.

Rescuers wore red and black dry suits, life jackets, boots, helmets and gloves. They towed their boat alongside them as they knocked on doors and offered residents the chance to leave. In some cases, residents faced nearly 2 feet of water in their homes. They packed up grocery bags, duffels and backpacks and brought along their cats, birds and dogs.

“Everybody was very polite, very quick and very grateful that they had an opportunity to get out and get to some dry ground,” said Jason Kingsley, the team leader on the rescue.

As they navigated the streets, Kingsley said, they spotted cars partially floating and others moved by the flowing water and bunched up in the shallows.

At one point, they came across a woman who had accidentally driven down a flooded road and gotten stuck. The water reached about mid-window on her car. The team was able to pull her out through the sunroof, slide her down the hood of the car and

get her into the boat – all without her getting wet.

The team evacuated about 50 people that day.

“We train for this type of thing, but training and actually doing it, it’s very different,” said Benjamin Henggeler, a fire captain and task force leader. “It forces you to use all of your skill set of everything that you’ve learned and prepared for.”

Among the dozens of teams deployed by the state during the recent storms was the CAL OES Oakland Fire Department swift water rescue team 4. On Tuesday, the team – which included firefighters from Oakland and outside agencies – did a recon of Salinas, Gilroy and Hollister and visited local fire stations to alert them that they were in the area.

At a little after 10 p.m., they received a call that two men were trapped on the roof of a truck in the San Benito River. The water had reached the windows.

The team came up with a plan to use the Hollister Fire Department’s ladders and create a bridge across the water. They tipped over a 24-foot extension ladder from the shore to a small island in the water and crawled across the rungs.

It was Geoff Gray’s first time crossing over water on a ladder. He estimated that the water beneath him was flowing at 20 mph.

“You’re only inches off the water as the water is moving by swiftly,” said Gray, a captain/paramedic with the Alameda Fire Department and a member of the team. “You just start doing what you know, even though it’s a little bit different than what you’ve done before.”

Cassie Kays, a rescue specialist on the team, likened the experience to a ladder climb at a carnival. As the Oakland firefighter made her way across the river, she carried a second ladder to extend from the island to the hood of the truck. On the end of the ladder the team had attached life vests for the men to use in case something went wrong.

Gray then crossed over to the truck and guided the men as they crawled across the ladder to the patch of land. From there, Kays led them across the next ladder to shore.

“I was relieved for them that we got them off safely. I was excited that we had a pretty successful mission,” Kays said. “I felt like it went pretty quickly and smoothly.”

Gray called the rescue a team effort with Hollister Fire, law enforcement

and the swift water team.

The two men, who were uninjured, were later arrested for trespassing, according to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office. The 21-year-old and 25-year-old were in a notrespassing zone.

“I think they were driving down there just to off-road, just to see if they could make it across the river, and they didn’t know that the river levels were that high and the water was that rapid,” said Cmdr. Silvestre Yerena, with the sheriff’s office.

In Southern California, the Ventura County fire department deployed two swift water teams of six members each to respond to incidents around the county. The Oxnard Fire Department also deployed a team.

During the storm that began Jan. 9, Ventura County fire agencies responded to 22 swift water calls and rescued more than 80 people.

That included more than a dozen people rescued from the Ventura River. The fire department used a 35-foot ladder to help people climb onto a bridge.

“We haven’t had any swift water issues for the last three or four years or anything major like we’ve had the last few days,” said Capt. Tom Lanski, with the Ventura County Fire Department’s swift water rescue team. “We just haven’t had the rain, our rivers were pretty dry. There was just no water flowing anywhere in Southern California.”

Last Monday, the team fielded calls from about noon until 2 a.m., Lanski said. The teams “were nonstop, it was just go, go go.”

That evening, Lanski’s team learned that a woman had gotten stuck on Camp Chaffee Road.

As the team tried to navigate to her, mudslides forced them to leave their boats behind. They encountered mud that was 5 feet deep and stretched 100 feet across the road.

“That was actually a pretty scary one, because we were going in an area

that had had a bunch of sliding,” Lanski said. “You can’t see the hillside so you just don’t know if you’re going to be swept off the side any given second.”

When they reached the stranded woman, it was 9 or 10 p.m., and her truck was submerged in about 7 feet of water.

Jeff Whitehouse –dressed in a neon green and black dry suit and life jacket – had the job of swimming close to 100 feet to reach her. His team had hooked a rope onto his vest to pull him back if he got in trouble.

Whitehouse couldn’t see the woman through the pouring rain and darkness. He fought his way through the current, in water that was colder than 40 degrees, at one point bumping into a tree trunk that had washed downstream.

As he swam, he reached a palm tree and used it to pull himself toward the truck. He called out to the woman and then spotted her wedged in the fork of a tree, holding tight to its branches. He asked if she was OK. She told him she was cold and wet.

“She was definitely happy to see me,” he said. Whitehouse hurried to help her put on a life vest. The water was rising, and time was of the essence.

The team used a canoe that had washed up nearby to get the woman to safety. Once she and Whitehouse were on board, a retrieval team helped guide the craft.

As soon as they reached land, they made sure the woman didn’t need medical attention. Then they loaded her into a vehicle, turned the heater on and got her out of there.

“We were just battling the weather,” Whitehouse recalled. “Visibility was probably the biggest challenge, just trying to locate her. We made it work.”

That same night, the county’s other swift water rescue team saved four people from a car stuck in the middle of a creek. The team laid a 14-foot ladder over raging water and onto the corner of the vehicle’s hood.

Eddinger had been a volunteer with the department since 2018, and is quick to point out there have been other trailblazers before her.

“I’ve known there have been other women who have paved the way,” she said.

Eddinger was not one of those kids who watched the local parades and dreamed of being a firefighter some day. But, it seems, she has always leaned toward a career in which she could help others.

She thought that was going to be in some kind of therapy work, which is why she attended Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

And while it was not her first choice, she was working at an in-patient facility for substance abuse treatment in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when her husband, Tim Eddinger, was transferred to Travis Air Force Base.

That brought Jian Eddinger back to her home state, though she had moved to Pennsylvania, her father’s home state, when she was young.

Eddinger quickly learned that she would need a master’s degree to pursue some career choices in California, or more specialized certification for others.

She ended up working for the Napa County Office of Education, providing counseling in an after-school program, when a fire hit the area in 2015 and she and some colleagues volunteered to help the victims by bringing them blankets and other needs.

“That’s when I thought I could be doing more,” Eddinger said.

It took until 2o17 before she could even get into a class to earn her emergency medical technician license, finishing in the fall of 2018, which is when she volunteered with the Suisun City department.

“They changed the title to reserve (firefighter), so I was a volunteer/ reserve for four years,” Eddinger said.

She was also working

full-time in Alameda County as an EMT and pursuing her paramedic license, which she earned last year. She said that step is grinding, with classwork and field training with a fire department, in a hospital and with an ambulance service.

It was shortly after that Suisun City had a couple job openings.

“They had two hirings that I applied for, and the first round I didn’t qualify. I think that was in the summer of 2022,” Eddinger said.

But with the second round, her opportunity knocked, and she was hired in December. The milestone

was marked during an announcement at the City Council meeting on Dec. 30 that the city had hired its first full-time female firefighter.

“I was aware of that,” Eddinger said, but again reiterating that there were others who came before her to make the path easier.

Well, somewhat easier.

Eddinger and two others just finished the first week of a threeweek academy, most of her time spent learning how to drive the trucks in Suisun and using various apparatus.

“It’s been a challenge,” said Eddinger, who has covered a couple of shifts along the way, too.

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic

Jian Eddinger closes the door to a fire truck during a training session at the Suisun City boat ramp, Thursday.

Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images/TNS Rescue crews assist stranded residents in a flooded neighborhood in Merced, Tuesday.

What’s next for man freed after seven years?

SACRAMENTO — Just before Harvest Davidson walked out of a correctional facility for the first time in almost seven years, a guard said to him something he’ll remember:

“Davidson, you better take good care of your mother,” the correctional officer in Delano told him.

And when he walked out, there she was.

Tina Perry rushed to hug her son. They cried together, and laughed as they thanked God for helping them to see through the dark times.

Their embrace that day marked the end of Davidson’s confinement in connection with a longrunning criminal case in El Dorado County in which half a dozen defendants faced charges in the death of Dennis “Spike” Wright, who was shot and killed in a dispute after a 2016 drug deal went bad.

All of the defendants were people of color facing charges in a mostly white community. The defendants, including Davidson, have alleged they were mistreated by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office with lengthy trial delays that they interpreted as tactics meant to raise pressure on them.

Davidson in particular gained support from groups like Black Lives Matter and the NAACP because he was accused of playing a lesser role in the incidents that led up to Wright’s death. He was not at the scene of the immediate shooting, but prosecutors believed he was in position as a getaway driver in a conspiracy to rob Wright.

Davidson’s supporters felt differently, seeing a young man who had no power to stop the shooting that took Wright’s life.

“I was hurt deep in

my core because I went through what Harvest went through,” said Henry Ortiz, founder of Community Healers, a social justice organization. “I see the way the system plays games through manipulation causing generational pain to our families.”

Perry was her son’s fiercest advocate through the years. She sought attorneys to take up his case and pressed for his release. She said she struggled to sleep through his confinement. She called the years he spent awaiting trial “unconstitutional.”

She held a party for home when he finally left custody. He arrived to find the aroma of his favorite food, an enormous pot of gumbo, and loved ones who missed him.

Davidson believes he was mistreated throughout his time in jail. His case was delayed in part by Covid-19, but he said he saw something else: an intentional effort to lynch a Black man through modern-day tactics.

“They still have a sign out that says ‘Hangtown,’” said Davidson about Pla-

cerville, which houses the El Dorado County Jail. “They tend to turn a blind eye and focus on all these African Americans . . . because it fits what they’re about, racism and injustice.”

What happened in January 2016?

Davidson, 27, was one of six men from the Bay Area and Sacramento region who drove to South Lake Tahoe in January 2016 in a prearranged marijuana deal with Wright.

The deal fell apart. One of the men from Davidson’s group, Dion Vaccaro, later attempted to rob Wright in a hotel parking lot, according to court documents. An altercation ensued. Vaccaro and co-defendant Andrew Adams shot Wright in front of Wright’s girlfriend, according to local media coverage of their trials.

Davidson, parked in a car near the planned robbery, maintained that he wasn’t close enough to prevent the shooting.

Four of Davidson’s co-defendants, includ-

ing Vaccaro and Adams, received sentences of up to life in prison. One is still in trial. Davidson took a plea agreement in September. He pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced to eight years in prison, most of which he had already served.

Davidson declined to talk in detail about the night of Wright’s death because one defendant is still awaiting trial and Davidson could be called to testify.

Sheriff’s deputies spent months tracking down the defendants in the case. Shooter Adams was the last one taken into custody; he was arrested eight months after the shooting.

Officers and prosecutors said they are proud of the results in court, pointing to the convictions and the severity of the crime.

In an email to The Sacramento Bee, El Dorado County Chief Assistant District Attorney Joe Alexander discredited Davidson and his supporters saying their allegations about mistreatment in court are “completely false” and “unsupported

by any evidence.”

“In 2016, Mr. Davidson was a major participant in an armed robbery. When the victim resisted, he was shot and killed by one of Mr. Davidson’s crime partners. Mr. Davidson admitted his involvement at sentencing and was treated leniently by our office given the fact his exposure at trial was a life sentence. Instead, he pled to two counts of robbery and admitted that a principal was armed during that robbery. Although this is an older case, Mr. Davidson still had time left to serve on that sentence at the time of his plea,” Alexander said.

Davidson shares his experience

In general, state prisons offer inmates more rehabilitative services than county jails. Davidson’s long wait for a trial meant he spent years in El Dorado County Jail with little to do.

The Covid-19 pandemic represented another setback, leading to deputies to heighten security and further restrict inmates’ activities.

“Every time I go to court, they want to push it off. There’s no trial. Seven years is a long time to sit in a county jail to be scrutinized, pestered and disrespected by officers, racist officers,” Davidson said.

On one occasion, he said a deputy assaulted him. It began when a female officer questioned why he had two shampoo and conditioner bottles. She called for backup, saying Davidson was being noncompliant.

That’s when she ordered him to face a wall in his cell, when he did so, he said she attacked him.

“She immediately jumped on my back, tackled me to the floor and

tried to arrest me,” said Davidson. “(She) ended up hitting me in the back of the head for no apparent reason, then they put in cuffs and slammed me into the wall.”

The El Dorado Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment regarding Davidson’s allegations.

As he reflects on his experience, Davidson cannot put the life-changing events behind him.

“I probably would have lost my mind a long time ago, but God has a purpose for each and every person. I think my purpose was to keep fighting because people need to hear stories like this,” said Davidson.

Davidson went from El Dorado County Jail to North Kern State Prison on Dec. 6 to serve a sevenyear, four-month sentence for two counts of second degree robbery with enhancements for being armed with a firearm.

What’s next for Davidson?

Since his release, Davidson has taken steps to connect with the Anti Recidivism Coalition and apply for a reentry program that would have him utilize the knowledge and skills he’s developed while being incarcerated.

Davidson said gained an understanding of the law, writing legislation, and the power of community.

“You have to get connected, not with just one group, but with everyone such as The Village, Community Healers, Justice Reform Coalition, Anti Recidivism Coalition, the NAACP (because) with unity, we are stronger than everybody,” said Davidson.

He plans to earn a degree and eventually go to law school.

Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee/TNS

Harvest Davidson, 27, center, stands with his mom Cottina Perry and brother Caleb Falla, 13, in Sacramento, Dec. 20. Harvest Davidson spent seven years in an El Dorado County jail cell awaiting trial for a South Lake Tahoe homicide he was accused in.

Vucevic, Bulls hand Warriors another loss

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

CHICAGO — So much for all that talk about momentum building after the Warriors’ blowout win over the San Antonio Spurs Friday in front of a record-setting crowd.

The Warriors took one step forward at the start of this road trip only to take another step back Sunday afternoon, falling 132-118 to the Chicago Bulls.

Klay Thompson finished with 26 points with eight 3s and Stephen Curry added 20 but this was Nikola Vucevic’s game. The Bulls big man earned loud

“Voo” chants from the crowd as the game went on before he finished with a career-high 43 points on 18 of 21 shooting and 5 of 10 from 3-point land. He also grabbed 13 rebounds and had four assists to help the Bulls snap a three-game losing skid and earn their first win over the Warriors since 2017.

The Warriors looked out of sync from the tip. It was a slow and sloppy start for Golden State, who had more turnovers in the first quarter (six) than they did in the entire first half of Friday’s game in San Antonio(five.)

The Warriors were able to overcome their rough start and climbed out of the 15-point hole they found themselves in after the first quarter. They opened the second with a 14-4 run to come within five at the 9:24 mark. After a timeout, the home team started to pull away again.

Golden State responded, closing out the half with a 19-5 run to take a 3-point lead heading into the locker room.

But it wasn’t sustainable. After Golden State jumped out to an eight-lead early in the third, the Bulls took over.

The Bulls, who were without

DeMar DeRozan, scored 31 points off the Warriors’ 23 turnovers. They also took 12 more shots than the reigning champs.

Sunday was another reminder that the only thing the Warriors have been consistent on this season is their inconsistency, and that won’t change until they look themselves in the mirror.

They better do that fast as they’ll have a quick turnaround, playing in Washington D.C. Monday in less than 24 hours after the final horn in Chicago.

Curry should be good to go for the game against the

Wizards, but Thompson won’t play. Andre Iguodala, who missed Sunday’s game with hip soreness, could also miss the Wizards game along with Jonathan Kuminga (sprained foot), James Wiseman (sprained ankle) and JaMychal Green (infection.)

The Warriors remain optimistic that Thompson could play in games on consecutive nights at some point this season.

“We’re going to continue to be cautious with Klay but you never know how these games are going to go,” Kerr said.

Daniel Jones carries Giants to upset win over Vikings

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

MINNEAPOLIS — Bring on the Eagles.

Daniel Jones threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a franchise-record 80. Saquon Barkley scored twice.

And the Giants’ defense got a final possession stop on Kirk Cousins and the NFL’s comeback kids to upset the Minnesota Vikings, 31-24, at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Financial Field in Week 18 on Jan. 8 with mostly backups playing against Philly’s starters.

On Sunday, rookie safety Dane Belton, rookie corner Cor’Dale Flott and safety Xavier McKinney made the final three stops to turn the Vikings over on downs with 1:44 remaining.

Then three Jones kneel downs made it official.

Plenty of big reasons for 49ers’ playoff-opening rout of Seahawks

CAm inm An BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

SANTA CLARA — PURDY GOT GAME!!!!!!!!!

That is the tweet NBA superstar LeBron James sent out as Brock Purdy, the 49ers’ sudden superstar, closed out a 41-23 win in his playoff debut against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.

“Lebron said that? Oh, that’s sweet. That’s awesome,” Purdy responded afterward.

Left tackle Trent Williams, Purdy’s blind-side protector, isn’t jealous at the praise Purdy is drawing seven games – seven wins – since replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, when the 49ers’ season could have taken a drastic U-turn.

“I love the fact Brock is getting the attention he deserves,” Williams said. “He is a good player, man. Anybody who watches foot-

ball can see that.

“I’m not saying he is the next Aaron Rodgers or Pat Mahomes, but he does everything we need him to do, and more. We can continue to win with him, obviously.”

The 49ers (14-4) have won 11 straight. Three more and they’ll raise their first Lombardi Trophy since the 1994 season. Purdy was born in 1999, so states his bio way back on Page 402 of the team’s media guide.

His 332 passing yards were third-most in 49ers playoff history, topped only by Joe Montana (357 yards in Super Bowl XXIII, 347 yard in January 1984 NFC Championship Game).

His rookie year escalated from the draft’s Mr. Irrelevant to training-camp long shot to QB3 to QB2 to Mr. Invincible.

“Brock did a really good job

staying alive,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “I don’t know why we couldn’t sack the guy. We chased him all over the place and he’s not noted for being the greatest scrambler, but he looked like Fran Tarkenton out there today.”

Winning his first start against Tom Brady, his first road game in prime time at Seattle, his first comeback in Las Vegas’ raucous den, and, now his first playoff game has teammates insisting they’re not surprised anymore by Purdy’s success. “I could feel his confidence in the huddle, and that felt like old Brock,” tight end George Kittle said.

More on Old Brock Purdy can be found below as we delve into the things that caught my eye in the 49ers’ weekly win and advanced them to the next round:

Georgia Bulldogs football player, staff member killed in car crash

ATHENS, Ga. — Celebration turned to tragedy just hours after the University of Georgia celebrated a second straight national championship with a parade and ceremony Saturday.

Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and football staff member Chandler LeCroy died in a car accident early Sunday morning. Two other members of the football program also were injured and are in stable condition.

Willock, 20, died at the scene as a result of his injuries. The driver LeCroy, 24, was trans-

ported by EMS to a local hospital, where she died as a result of her injuries.

“We are all heartbroken and devastated with

ment. “Devin was an out-

standing young man in every way. He was always smiling, was a great teammate and a joy to coach. Chandler was a valuable member of our football staff and brought an incredible attitude and energy every single day. We grieve with their families for this tragic loss and will support them in every way possible.”

UGA President Jere Morehead issued a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “On behalf of the University of Georgia, our entire campus grieves for the loss of two young members of our campus

Sunday’s victory, the franchise’s first playoff game of any kind since 2016, marked the Giants’ first playoff win since their 2011 Super Bowl season under Tom Coughlin.

Rookie coach Brian Daboll and the 6-seed Giants will visit the topseeded Philadelphia Eagles next weekend in the NFC’s divisional round.

They are 0-2 against their NFC East rival this season, losing 48-22 at home in Week 14 on Dec. 11 and falling 22-16 at Lincoln

Minnesota had gotten help from a ridiculous roughing the passer call on Dexter Lawrence to start the potential game-tying drive, but the defense didn’t flinch.

Belton tackled Dalvin Cook. Flott broke up a pass for K.J. Osborn. And McKinney tackled T.J. Hockenson short of the sticks on fourth down.

The Giants had tried to end the game with their offense up seven. A Darius Slayton wideopen drop on 3rd and 16 with 3:03 to play forced

Dolphins’ upset bid falls short against Bills on road

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Dolphins were on the cusp of staging one of the biggest upsets in playoff history, as double-digit underdogs in their wild-card round game against the Buffalo Bills.

And Miami fought back after falling behind by 17 points early in the second quarter. But the Dolphins couldn’t overcome a second double-digit deficit, as their season ended in a 34-31 loss to the Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Sunday.

The Dolphins held the ball with the opportunity for a game-tying or go-ahead drive late

in the fourth quarter but rookie Skylar Thompson’s fourthdown pass to tight end Mike Gesicki was incomplete with 2:22 remaining.

It was the last time Miami touched the ball, as the Bills converted a first down to run out the clock and advance to the divisional round.

The Dolphins’ offense was playing without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and running back Raheem Mostert, both sidelined by injuries.

And for much of the game, Miami looked like the unit that has struggled with Tagovailoa. Thompson completed 18 of 45 passes for 220 yards but was intercepted twice.

Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group/TNS

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) leaves the field after leading a victory over the Seattle Seahawks, Saturday.

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

the loss of Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in a state-

Jason Getz/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

See 49ers,

Page B8

Puerto Rican bistec encebollado reminds me of a home I barely know

G. Daniela Galarza THE WASHINGTON POST

As a kid, when I opened the refrigerator and the smell of white vinegar, harsh and exciting, hit my nostrils, I knew we were having steak for dinner. The white ceramic bowl filled with meat and marinade didn’t look like much. It contained a heap of tenderized steaks, piled alongside rings of white onions like unfolded laundry, drenched in vinegar and salt, waiting to be sizzled in a pan until saucy and browned.

On special occasions, or the odd Friday, my dad would start the day by tenderizing cube steaks, pounding them with the prickly end of a meat mallet until their surfaces were quilted, back and front. Only then would he submerge them in a salty-vinegary slurry with rounds of sliced onion. The steaks would sit in the fridge all day, during which time the vinegar would get to work on the open network of meat proteins, softening them from the outside in.

When it was almost time for dinner, after he’d made a pot of rice and fried some plantains, my dad would heat a heavy skillet and add a thick slick of oil. Then the entire contents of the bowl would go into the pan, and, seconds later, the vinegar would punch us all in the nose again before softening with the heat and turning into a salty sauce. The steaks and onions would brown quickly and evenly, caramelizing into a sweet, deep mahogany brown.

Scent has always triggered my clearest memories, sharpening the sepia-toned edges of nostalgia, pulling me back in time. But like a lot of people of Puerto Rican descent, while I might love the food of the beautiful island in the Caribbean and have childhood memories of eating it with family, I didn’t know much about its history or origins until recently.

It’s mostly heartening to know that I’m not alone.

“Puerto Ricans are quick to argue about the roots and regulations of what Puerto Rican food is,” Illyanna Maisonet writes in “Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook,” but the fact is that many of us don’t know much about our cuisine.

“That tends to happen when you believe it’s your birthright; you take it for granted. Sometimes it feels like, somewhere along the line, Puerto Ricans lost their way. And with it, their food,” she writes, before asserting that colonialism is to blame.

Despite its fertile land and tropical climate, 80 percent of the food consumed in Puerto

Rico is imported, and therefore often expensive and out of reach for many, leaving their pantries “in a perpetual state of survival mode,” Maisonet writes. It’s a symptom of Puerto Rico’s status as a colony of the United States and a reason that many more Puerto Ricans, who are of indigenous Taino, Spanish and African descent, live in the mainland United States than on the island.

Anyone with a link to the island, or curious about its history and culture, needs to read “Diasporican.” It’s filled with history and helpful explanations of the island’s sometimes idiosyncratic food. It’s also a deeply personal book, with beautiful reflections from Maisonet’s experience growing up within the Puerto Rican diaspora.

Flipping through it for the first time, I was moved to tears when I came upon her Bistec Encebollado recipe. I hadn’t tasted the dish in decades. It’s not my father’s recipe - Maisonet doesn’t marinate the meat with the onions; they’re added later - but I knew I had to make it immediately. Its scent and flavors evoked my childhood. They also reminded me that Puerto Rico will always be a place I might never really know, and my Puerto Ricanness may continue to feel like a cloak that doesn’t quite fit. Then I read Maisonet’s introduction,

in which she explains that “Diasporican” is not a Puerto Rican cookbook - it’s for cooks like me, those of us who grew up in the diaspora. As she writes, it’s for “the tribe of Ni De Aquí, Ni De Allá (‘not from here, not from there’).” That liminal place may sometimes be uncomfortable, but it’s never not delicious.

BISTEC ENCEBOLLADO

Active time: 10 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes, plus marinating time 4 servings Variations of this Puerto Rican steak recipe are made throughout the diaspora. This version comes from “Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook” by Illyanna Maisonnet. It calls for cube steaks, which need to be tenderized before cooking. An vinegary marinade infuses the dense meat with flavor. Serve with rice, which will soak up the salty onion sauce.

To make this meatless, use portobello mushrooms in place of the steak. (There’s no need to tenderize the mushrooms.)

If you’re concerned about salt content, don’t use the soy sauce. Instead of serving on rice, you could make sandwiches with the steaks.

4 cube steaks (about 1 ¼ pounds total), tenderized (see NOTES)

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic ½ cup distilled white vinegar 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional) 1 tablespoon granulated garlic

¼ cup canola or another neutral oil, plus more as needed

2 medium yellow onions (12 ounces total), thinly sliced into rings

2 cups water Cooked white rice, for serving (see NOTES)

Season the steaks with salt and pepper. In a pilón or other mortar and pestle, mash the garlic cloves. Transfer to a bowl or container large enough to hold the steaks snugly and stir in the vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, if using, and granulated garlic. Add the steaks and let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes and up to 24 hours.

In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add two of the steaks and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. (The steaks may not retain much or any pink in their centers because of the marinade.) Repeat with the remaining steaks, adding more oil as needed.

Transfer the steaks to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add half of the onions and another 1 tablespoon of canola oil, if necessary, to the pan drippings and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved marinade and the water, and simmer, adjusting the heat as needed, for about 25 minutes. Add the remaining onions and cook until the sauce reduces by about half, another 5 minutes. Nestle the steaks back into the sauce to warm them.

Portion about 1 cup of rice on each plate. Top with a steak, and divide the onions and pan sauce

How to make and use cauliflower rice

If you’re looking to incorporate more vegetables in your diet, then riced cauliflower might be the solution you’ve been looking for. Also called cauliflower rice or cauliflower couscous, it’s cauliflower that has been broken down into small pieces resembling grain or pasta and often used as a substitute. Here’s what you need to know.

Some believe that cauliflower rice was invented in 1998 by chef Ben Ford, who called it cauliflower couscous, but others say it dates back further, to the raw food movement. Regardless, its popularity is linked to the rise of the paleo diet, which prohibits the consumption of grains, legumes and dairy products. The ingredient has grown beyond that particular diet to be touted as a replacement for rice and other grains for anyone looking to reduce their intake of carbohydrates and calories, and internet searches for “riced cauliflower” spike every January, according to Google Trends.

Though “cauliflower rice” is the most popular term colloquially, “riced cauliflower” is the phrasing you’re more likely to encounter in grocery stores.

(The rice industry prefers the latter term as it reduces the possibility of confusing the cut vegetable with actual rice.) You can find packages of riced cauliflower in the refrigerated and freezer sections, but since cut, raw cauliflower can start to smell sulfurous over time, I’d recommend buying the frozen stuff. Or, you could make your own at home.

Making riced cauliflower is simple. All you need is a box grater, a food processor or even just a knife. With any method, start by removing the leaves and reserving them for another use. If the core is tender, you can turn it into riced cauliflower along with the florets; otherwise, reserve it for another use as it won’t cook up the same.

Box Grater: Cut the head into wedges through the core. Then, as best you can, grate each piece on the large-holed side of a box grater. It may get a little messy, so grate it on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large bowl to help contain the chaos.

Food processor: Cut the cauliflower into florets and grate them using its grater-disk attachment. Alternatively, you can pulse the vegetable in batches with the blade attachment until it’s the size of small granules resem-

bling rice. (If any large pieces remain, remove them, empty the riced cauliflower and pulse the larger pieces in the next batch.)

Knife: It requires a lot of work, but you can finely chop the cauliflower with a large knife until you achieve the desired size.

Once cut, the vegetable is best used right away or frozen, where it can be stored for months. In terms of how to use cauliflower rice, you can eat it raw in a salad, saute it in a skillet in a matter of minutes to serve as a side, fill burritos or stuffed peppers, or use it in a stir fry or in fried “rice.” The flavor is that of, well, cauliflower. So if you’re not a fan of the vegetable, then you’re probably not going to like it cut into teeny tiny pieces, either.

What’s the catch? For one, it doesn’t absorb liquid like rice does, so riced cauliflower alongside stews and curries will be more watery. Also, it doesn’t have any starch, meaning you shouldn’t use it in dishes that rely on some rice varieties’ thickening power, such as risotto, rice pudding or sushi. Lastly, cauliflower rice’s lack of carbohydrates means you won’t feel full for very long compared with actual rice, which could be a pro or

over each steak. Serve hot.

NOTES: Cube steaks are typically sold already tenderized, but for more tender meat and a faster marinating time, it’s good to tenderize them again. To tenderize cube steaks, place them on a cutting board, uncovered, and using the “tooth” side of a meat mallet, pound the steaks five times per piece.

If you plan to serve the dish with rice, put the pot of rice on the stove before you begin making the steak, and both should be ready at about the same time. The amount of uncooked rice you’ll need to yield about 4 cups of cooked rice will vary depending on the variety of rice you choose. For long-grain white rice, rinse 1 1/2 cups of rice until the water runs clear. Then, place it in a medium saucepan over mediumhigh heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and stir to coat the rice. Add 3 cups of water, a pinch of salt, if desired, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving (1 steak, 1/4 cup onions and sauce, 1 cup rice) | Calories: 743; Total Fat: 41 g; Saturated Fat: 9 g; Cholesterol: 100 mg; Sodium: 162 mg; Carbohydrates: 55 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 3 g; Protein: 35 g.

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.

Adapted from “Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook” by Illyanna Maisonet (Ten Speed, 2022).

a con depending on your eating schedule and metabolism.

Yes, riced cauliflower is a semi-passable substitute for rice. Better yet, think of it as its own thing rather than expecting the vegetable to behave like a grain.

If you can appreciate cauliflower rice for what it is, then it’s a worthy addition to your culinary repertoire.

a aron HutcHerson THE WASHINGTON POST

Rey Lopez/The Washington Post

Bistec Encebollado.

Rey Lopez/The Washington Post Making riced cauliflower is simple. All you need is a box grater, a food processor or even just a knife.

Storms show state’s outdated plumbing puts economy at risk

Even as rains drench the fields and orchards in California’s Central Valley where Bill Diedrich grows pistachios, almonds, tomatoes, cotton and other crops, he is still calculating losses from the region’s other defining extreme: severe drought.

Only months ago, it was a shortage of water that forced Diedrich to divert water meant for tomatoes so he could partially hydrate 350 acres (142 hectares) of almond trees. “It’s kind of like not feeding your child all they need,” he said. “Our food security depends on the water supply.”

The atmospheric rivers that have swept over the state – claiming at least 17 lives and dumping 24 trillion gallons of rain since December – would seemingly help that supply. Yet they’ve also shown one of California’s key infrastructure shortcomings as climate change intensifies weather extremes. The state’s outdated water system, designed and built between the 1930s and 1970s, makes it difficult in the current era to capture, store and convey water California needs to remain the dominant U.S. agricultural and economic power.

The record-setting rain has rushed over saturated fields,

burst out of river and stream banks, flooded cities and overwhelmed drainage systems, before ultimately washing out to sea.

“Time and time again we see wet years come and go and then wring our hands when it’s dry because we haven’t been able to save enough when it was wet,” said Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition, a Sacramento nonprofit group.

Since the early 20th century, California’s growth has depended on capturing, storing and transporting immense amounts of water from the northern part of the state and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where snow provides a water bank for warmer months, to farms in the Central Valley and cities in relatively arid Southern California.

From the 1930s through the 1960s, the state and federal governments funded monumental engineering projects, such as the California State Water Project and the Central Valley Project, fueling population and economic growth, and through irrigation, transforming the Central Valley into the world’s most productive agricultural region. Today, the state’s growers produce one-third of U.S. vegetables and 75% of U.S.

fruit and nut crops, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, generating more than $50 billion in annual revenue.

But the state’s infrastructure was built for a different climate, said Peter Gleick, a climatologist and co-founder at the Pacific Institute, a nonprofit research group in Oakland.

“It’s time to rethink how we operate the existing infrastructure and what kind of new infrastructure we need, given the increasing extreme events that climate change is bringing,” he said.

The systems of dams and aqueducts heralded as engineering marvels in the last century are contributing to current problems, because natural habitats and drainage systems were paved over or diverted, said Ellen Hanak, director of the PPIC Water Policy Center. Excess rain that otherwise could have been absorbed by the ground like a sponge instead gushes into torrential runoff.

Hanak says California’s challenge for the future is to adjust the system to balance ecological and economic interests such as agriculture. Capturing more

surface water is one method, but involves building reservoirs and other aboveground structures that are expensive and often difficult to site.

A far more economical and ecologically sound method is to recharge groundwater, typ-

to bring online, with years spent on environmental, regulatory and planning reviews.

Construction has yet to begin on any of the seven projects approved by the California Water Commission, and the new storage structures are scheduled to come online between 2025 and sometime after 2030.

ically by channeling water so it can flow into natural underground aquifers that have been overpumped and drained during years of drought. “There is tremendous potential to get more water back in the ground in ways that benefit agricultural and urban users,” said Hanak.

In 2014, California voters approved $7.5 billion in bonds to restore watersheds, improve water quality and water infrastructure, including $2.7 billion in funding for water storage projects. But unlike the grand engineering feats of the last century, today’s California water projects require decades

Governor Gavin Newsom acknowledged concerns about the prolonged timeline of the water storage projects authorized in 2014. “The process is leading to paralysis,” Newsom said at a press conference in Sacramento on Tuesday. He said he has appointed “strike teams” to resolve the permitting bottlenecks among local, state and regulatory agencies.

Such frustrations, shared by farmers and residents alarmed by worsening extremes, are a recurring theme in California’s water woes.

“During the dry years, the people forgot about the rich years, and when the wet years returned, they lost all memory of the dry years,” John Steinbeck wrote in “East of Eden.” “It was always that way.” The year was 1952.

Tesla market value debate rages on: Is it a tech or car company?

BloomBerg

Wall Street is revisiting the key question when it comes to figuring out how much Tesla Inc. is really worth: Is it a stodgy automaker or a high-growth technology company?

It’s a reasonable debate considering the challenges Tesla faces. And even after the brutal selloff in the stock over the past year, Elon Musk’s company still has a bigger market valuation than Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. –combined. Now, analysts and investors are starting to doubt that this premium is justified.

“There is growing debate among institutional investors on how to value

Tesla – auto or tech? In our view, the answer lies with growth,” Wells Fargo analyst Colin Langan wrote in a note on Friday. “We are concerned that

growth appears to have moderated in China and the US, likely explaining the recent price cuts.”

Tesla shares sank as much as 6.4% to $115.66 in

New York on Friday after the company slashed prices on its lineup in the U.S. and Europe. Still, the stock is trading at 24 times its forward 12-month earnings estimates, not far from the average 21 multiple for the technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index. Meanwhile, GM is at 5.8 times estimates, and Ford is at 6.6 times.

Concerns that demand for the company’s electric cars may be taking a hit surfaced after Tesla’s third-quarter deliveries fell short of expectations. But investors’ angst intensified amid a barrage of headlines in late December and earlier this month, including a temporary production halt in China,

news of heavy discounting in the U.S. and most importantly, the fourthquarter deliveries that also disappointed.

The prospect of a recession in the U.S. also doesn’t help. Consumers, squeezed by persistently high inflation, rising interest rates and now the uncertain economic times, are expected to hold back on big-ticket purchases, such as cars. EVs, typically more expensive than gas-driven ones, are set to see demand weaken at least in the short term.

Analysts’ average estimates now reflect an expectation for Tesla’s revenue to grow 33% in 2023, which while significant is still below Tesla’s own long-term outlook of

50% expansion. In comparison, GM’s revenue is expected to rise 2.6% this year, and Ford’s 1.6%.

Once that aggressive growth also came with strong margins. But the latest price cuts show that is fast becoming a thing of the past.

“Overall, heading into a challenging backdrop in FY23, we believe Tesla had to decide whether to sacrifice volume growth or gross margins, and based on pricing actions, the answer appears to be gross margins,” Guggenheim analyst Ronald Jewsikow wrote in a note Friday, while downgrading his recommendation on the stock to sell from buy.

Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg file (2021)

A Tesla fan waits for an appearance from Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., at the Tesla Inc. Gigafactory construction site in Gruenheide, Germany, in August 2021.

BloomBerg

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg file (2021)

An almond farm in Gustine affected by drought in 2021.

‘Time and time again we see wet years come and go and then wring our hands when it’s dry because we haven’t been able to save enough when it was wet.’

— Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition, a Sacramento nonprofit group

Now that Hollywood guilds have spoken, what movie will win the Oscar?

Glenn Whipp LOS ANGELES TIMES, (TNS)

Hollywood’s guilds have had their say, and we’ve learned so much this week. Actors really adore “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Directors apparently couldn’t be bothered to see “Avatar: The Way of Water” along with the rest of us. Producers can’t resist voting for big movies, though sometimes they go for the wrong ones. (“Wakanda Forever” over “The Woman King”?)

And, of course, the Golden Globes happened too. What did we pick up there? Overwaxed floors can be dangerous! Thanks for reminding us, Jennifer Coolidge!

The Producers Guild announced its slate of 10 nominees Thursday, the day after the Directors Guild and Screen Actors Guild weighed in. With this wealth of information, let’s take a new look at the wideopen best picture Oscar race, running down the films that the PGA honored.

The movies that could win “The Banshees of Inisherin”

What it got: Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations for actors Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan plus an ensemble nod; PGA nom; DGA nod for Martin McDonagh.

What it needs to win: It’d be grand if more Irish-averse voters gave it a lash with the closed captions on, though it’s hard not to give these eejits a good slagging for not having the craic with McDonagh’s vivid language. If that happens –and it wins either PGA or SAG ensemble – it’ll likely win best picture.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once”

What it got: Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations for actors Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis plus an ensemble nod; PGA nom; DGA nom for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (aka the Daniels).

What it needs to win: Older voters to take an edible in order to calm their anxiety while watching the film’s characters skip between universes. If that happens – and it snags that SAG ensemble trophy – it could win best picture.

“The Fabelmans”

What it got: Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination for Paul Dano plus an ensemble nod; PGA nom; DGA nomination for Steven Spielberg.

What it needs to win: Oscar voters to realize that Michelle Williams gives the movie its soul and to nominate her for lead actress. If that happens –and Spielberg snags the DGA

prize – then it has a chance at winning best picture.

“Top Gun: Maverick”

What it got: DGA nomination for Joseph Kosinski; PGA nod for best picture.

What it needs to win: A lead actor nomination for Tom Cruise and awards show hosts ceasing any future mentions of Shelly Miscavige during ceremonies. If that happens – and the movie wins the PGA’s top prize – then maybe it could win best picture, though producer Jerry Bruckheimer should probably just savor that first Oscar nomination and not get his hopes up for more.

The movies that kinda maybe sorta think they could win . . . but c’mon

“Elvis”

What it got: SAG Awards nomination for Austin Butler; PGA nod.

What it needs to win: An Oscar nomination for director Baz Luhrmann, plus an Oscar win for Butler. If those two things happen – and enough academy voters develop a hankering for Elvis’ signature sandwich (creamy peanut butter, topped with banana and thick strips of bacon, fried in a skillet) over the next several weeks – there could be some good rockin’ at the Oscars.

“Tár”

What it got: SAG Awards nomination for Cate Blanchett; DGA nomination for Todd Field; PGA nod.

What it needs to win: Field wins either the original screenplay or director Oscar. (Both would be a plus). If that happens – and enough academy members keep Googling whether Lydia Tár is a real person – then “Tár” will win the Oscar for best picture, though Lydia Tár will not attend the ceremony because the studio refuses to send a private plane to jet her to Hollywood.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” What it got: PGA nomination.

What it needs to win: The academy’s directors branch corrects the DGA oversight and

nominates James Cameron. If that happens – and Cameron makes it clear that he’s going to hire someone else to write the dialogue for the next three “Avatar” sequels – then Big Jim will be king of the world once again.

The movies that are just happy to be here

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

What it got: SAG Awards nomination for Angela Bassett; PGA nod.

OK, so what can it actually win?: I heard some pushback when I suggested a couple of weeks ago that the supporting actress race could come down to a battle between Bassett and Jamie Lee Curtis, two legends long overdue for their Oscar moment. I think Condon, who has been winning plenty of critics prizes for “Banshees,” will be a factor too ... but this is starting to feel like it’s going to be a welcome coronation for Queen Angela.

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”

What it got: PGA nomination.

OK, so what can it actually win?: Writer-director Rian Johnson earned an original screenplay nomination for the first “Knives Out” movie. He’ll land another one – in adapted screenplay this time –where he has a decent chance of prevailing, though he’ll have to contend with Sarah Polley’s brilliant translation of “Women Talking.”

“The Whale”

What it got: SAG Awards nominations for Brendan Fraser and Hong Chau; PGA nomination.

OK, so what can it actually win?: Now that all those meticulously timed film festival standing ovations have died down, Fraser’s early momentum in the lead actor race has stalled. To overtake Farrell and Butler, he’ll need to get back out there in a big way, though he’s a bit shy and awkward . . . part of why millennials love him.

HOW DO WE LEARN FARSIGHTEDNESS?

Jonathan Swift pointed out that “vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.”

A crucial facet in bridge is vision. To anticipate possible snags, try to picture the key missing cards as you would like them to be distributed.

Sudoku

Jonathan Swift pointed out that “vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.”

A crucial facet in bridge is vision. To

by Phillip Alder

To test your ocular powers, cover the East-West hands. South reaches six hearts, and West leads the diamond queen. How should South play? The auction was reasonable. North gave an immediate positive response to show 8 points or more. His partnership was less interested in suit quality, more on showing points. Then, after two more rounds, South bid what he hoped he could make.

Most players, visualizing only one spade loser, would win the first trick and immediately start drawing trumps. However, when they break 4-1, the brakes come on. Suddenly there is no way to recover. Two major-suit tricks have to be lost.

If there is a trump loser, the contract has but two chances: an unlikely singleton spade king, or that the player with the four trumps has the spade king and at most three diamonds.

The key play is to ruff a diamond at trick two. Then declarer draws three rounds of trumps, crosses to dummy with a club, ruffs the last diamond and cashes the rest of the clubs before giving West the lead with a trump. If South’s luck is in, West will have to lead a spade away from the king. Keep an eye on how the cards may lie.

by Wayne Gould

Bridge

Jonathan Hession/Searchlight Pictures/TNS file

Colin Farrell – and Jenny the Donkey – in “The Banshees of Inisherin,” a movie lauded by Hollywood’s guilds.

Family secrets shake up live

FAIRFIELD — Opening this week at local movie theaters is a film about a young girl whose mother goes missing at the airport in Colombia.

Opening nationwide are:

“Missing,” in which a mother (Nia Long) disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend. Her daughter June’s (Storm Reid) search for answers is hindered by international red tape. Stuck thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, June creatively uses all the latest technology at her fingertips to try and find her mother before it’s too late. But as she digs deeper, her digital sleuthing raises more questions than answers . . . and when June unravels secrets about her mom, she discovers she never really knew her at all. The film is rated PG-13.

Opening in limited release are:

“Alice Darling,” a taut thriller about Alice (Anna Kendrick), a woman who is pushed to the breaking point by Simon, her psychologically abusive boyfriend. While on vacation with two close girlfriends, Alice rediscovers the essence of herself and gains some much-needed perspective. Slowly, she starts to fray the cords of codependency that bind her. But Simon isn’t ready to say goodbye and makes her life a living hell. This film is rated R.

“After Love,” a film about Mary (Joanna Scanlan), a white English woman living in Dover, England, who converted to Islam when she married her Pakistani husband, Ahmed. After Ahmed’s unexpected death, Mary discovers that her late husband had a secret life just 21 miles away across

In brief

the Channel in Calais, France. The shocking discovery compels her to go there to find out more, and as she grapples with her shattered sense of identity, her search for understanding has surprising consequences. The film is not rated.

“Alone at Night,” a film about Vicky (Ashley Benson), a young woman looking for an escape after going through a harrowing break-up. After retreating to a friend’s remote cabin in the woods to clear her head, she continues modeling sexy lingerie for her devoted followers on 18 & Over, an adults-only, livestreaming website. Vicky discovers something terrifying awaiting her in the dark: a masked killer wielding a crowbar who’s hellbent on bringing her night to a grisly end. The film is rated PG.

“The Son,” which follows a family as it falls apart and tries to come back together again. A couple of years after his parents’ divorce, 17-year-old Nicholas (Zen McGrath) no longer feels he can stay with his mother, Kate (Laura Dern). He moves in with his father Peter (Hugh Jackman) and his new girlfriend and baby. The family finds it a struggle to connect through all the newness. The film is rated PG-13.

For information on Edwards Cinemas in Fairfield, visit www. regmovies.com/ theatres/regal-edwardsfairfield-imax. For Vacaville showtimes, visit www.brendentheatres.com. For Vallejo showtimes, check www. cinemark.com/theatres/ ca-vallejo. More information about upcoming films is available at www. movieinsider.com.

Lisa Marie Presley’s final resting place will be at Graceland by her late son’s side

Lisa Marie Presley will be laid to rest at her father’s Graceland home in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Los Angeles Times confirmed Friday that the singer, the only child of music legend Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley, will return to the Tennessee landmark after she died Thursday of cardiac arrest in Calabasas. She was 54.

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos

Melissa Rauch and John Larroquette star in a revival of the classic 1980s sitcom “Night Court.”

CALENDAR

Monday’s TV sports

Basketball College Men

• Georgetown vs. Villanova, 2, 40, 9 a.m.

• Purdue vs. Michigan State, 2, 40, 11:30 a.m.

NBA

• Miami vs. Atlanta, TNT, 12:30 p.m.

• Phoenix vs. Memphis, TNT, 3 p.m.

• Golden State vs. Washington, NBCSBA (Fairfield and Suisun City), Noon.

Football

NFL Playoffs

• Dallas at Tampa Bay, 7, 10, ESPN, 5:15 p.m.

Hockey

NHL

New Jersey vs. San Jose, NBCSCA, 1 p.m.

Tuesday’s TV sports

Basketball College Men

Kansas vs. Kansas State, ESPN, 4 p.m.

Tennessee vs. Mississippi, ESPN2, 4 p.m. Georgia vs. Kentucky, ESPN, 6 p.m.

NBA

Toronto vs. Milwaukee, TNT, 4:30 p.m. Philadelphia vs. L.A. Clippers, TNT, 7 p.m.

Djokovic returns to Aussie Open with Grand Slam record in sight

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Novak Djokovic lost the only court battle of any kind that he faced in Australia last year.

Deported from the country after three federal judges backed the Australian immigration minister's right to revoke his visa because he's not vaccinated against Covid19 and admitting him might have triggered anti-vaccination sentiment, Djokovic missed an opportunity to pass Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and stand alone with the most men's career Grand Slam singles titles.

A lot has changed in the year since Djokovic was escorted out of Australia. Most of those new circumstances work in his favor, leaving him poised to become the men's Slam leader this year.

Graceful, balletic Federer began 2022 recovering from knee surgery; persistent knee problems led him to retire in September with 20 Slam singles titles. Gritty Nadal staged a stunning comeback from two sets down against Daniil Medvedev to win the Australian Open and, in the surest bet in sports, won his 14th French Open title and 22nd Slam singles title in June, just before his 36th birthday.

Signings for A’s, Giants

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

The Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants came to terms with highly rated prospects on the first day of baseball’s international signing period.

Sunday was the first day MLB teams could secure deals with players in other countries, and the A’s snagged a pitcher from Cuba, Luis Morales, who is the highest-ranked pitcher on MLB.com’s top 50 international prospects.

According to Jesse Sanchez, who covers

international baseball for the site, Morales was once Cuba’s top under18 pitcher. The 20-yearold has a mid- to high-90s fastball with a variety of off-speed pitches. He defected late in 2021 while playing for his country’s under-23 team in Mexico.

The Giants cut their own deal with the player ranked No. 15, Rayner Arias, an outfielder from the Dominican Republic whose father, Pablo, is a longtime scout in the Dominican, a reason the 16-year-old Arias is considered advanced for his age.

Djokovic prevailed at Wimbledon for the fourth straight time to earn his 21st Slam singles championship, but he was prohibited from entering the U.S. to compete at the U.S. Open. Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, 19, won his first Slam title at Flushing Meadows and became the youngest man ever ranked No. 1 in the world.

Australia's decision to relax its Covid restrictions and grant Djokovic a temporary visa this year gave a significant boost to Djokovic's quest to match the overall record of 24 Slam singles titles won by Margaret Court and the 23 won by Serena Williams in the more competitive Open Era.

Australian Open tournament director Craig

Tiley, fearing protests from people who opposed Djokovic's presence, asked fans to be respectful and warned them they'd be ejected if they booed Djokovic. Tiley need not have worried. Djokovic was greeted enthusiastically at a warmup tournament in Adelaide, where he saved a championship point in defeating rising American Sebastian Korda, and he was loudly cheered before an exhibition in Melbourne Park, where the Open will begin Sunday.

"It just feels great to be back in Australia, back in Melbourne," said Djokovic, who's seeded No. 4, behind Nadal, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas. "This is the court and the stadium where I created the best memories of my professional tennis career. Back in 2008 was the first time I won a Grand Slam, it was here, and 15 years later I'm here again and I'm competing at the high level."

He's primed to win on his favorite surface – hard courts – and in a place where he has won a record nine times. It helps him, too, that Alcaraz withdrew because of a leg injury.

Top-seeded Nadal is always a threat, even though he started the year with losses in two United Cup matches. Yet

the biggest cloud on Djokovic's immediate horizon could be the hamstring tweak he experienced in Adelaide and felt again last week before he cut short a practice session with Medvedev.

"There's no doubt in my mind that he's the clear favorite," ESPN commentator Patrick McEnroe said during a media conference call. "Even if Alcaraz were in the tournament he'd be the clear favorite, but the hamstring is certainly a bit of an issue."

Former women's world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, an analyst for Tennis Channel, also picked Djokovic to win in Australia. "He's obviously so comfortable moving on the hard courts. For maybe some of us that didn't move so well, it's so hard to watch him because he makes it look so easy, right?" she said.

"In and out of the corners, changing directions, keeping so centered, the balance. He is really one of the first tennis players to come along that is flexible like a gymnast. He is quick like a sprinter. Keeps his balance and changes direction with ease. That kind of flowing ability, that kind of balance, gives him such a huge advantage against everybody else."

The top-seeded American men are Southern

8,

Frances Tiafoe at No. 16. It's too much to expect either to become the first American man to capture a Slam title since Andy Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open, but both have had good results.

"I think they're both ripe to make some noise," McEnroe said. "So is Korda. . . . I think he may have the most upside, if I'm being honest, of any of the Americans. I'm not sure he's ready to make a big, big move in a major yet, but I really like the way he's developing right now."

The past year has brought about some dizzying changes for the women, too. "It's definitely a tournament of opportunity on the women's side," Davenport said.

Australia's Ash Barty shockingly retired a few weeks after she won her home-country Slam last January, and she recently announced she's pregnant. Williams, who won the last of her seven Australian Open titles in 2017 while pregnant with daughter Olympia, said last August she's "evolving away from tennis." She has dropped hints that she might return, but she won't compete this year in Australia. Nor will her sister, Venus, a marvel at 42, who withdrew because of an injury.

Californian Taylor Fritz, at No.

and Maryland native

Kelly Defina/Getty Images/TNS Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand in his Arena Showdown charity match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia ahead of the 2023 Australian Open at Melbourne Park, Sunday.

ATIONOFTHENATUREOFTHEPROCEEDINGAGAINSTYOU,YOUSHOULDCONTACTALAWYER.AffiniaDefaultServices,LLC,asthedulyappointedTrustee,under andpursuanttothepowerofsalecontainedinthatcertainDeedofTrustRecordedApril 20,2007asDocumentNo.:200700046197ofOfficialRecordsintheofficeoftheRecorderofSolanoCounty,California,executedby:BRIENB.THOMAS,ASINGLEMAN,as Trustor,willbesoldATPUBLICAUCTIONTOTHEHIGHESTBIDDERforcash(payableinfullattimeofsalebycash,acashier'scheckdrawnbyastateornationalbank,a checkdrawnbyastateorfederalcreditunion,oracheckdrawnbyastateorfederalsavingsandloanassociation,savingsassociation,orsavingsbankspecifiedinsection5102 oftheFinancialCodeandauthorizedtodobusinessinthisstate).Allright,titleandinterestconveyedtoandnowheldbyitundersaiddeedoftrustinthepropertysituatedin saidcountyandstate,andasmorefullydescribedintheabovereferenceddeedoftrust. SaleDate:February9,2023SaleTime:9:30AMSaleLocation:AttheSantaClaraStreet entrancetotheCityHall,555SantaClaraStreet,Vallejo,CA94590FileNo.:22-03438CA Thestreetaddressandothercommondesignation,ifany,oftherealpropertydescribed aboveispurportedtobe:3024MarigoldDr,Fairfield,CA94533.TheundersignedTrusteedisclaimsanyliabilityforanyincorrectnessofthestreetaddressandothercommon designation,ifany,shownherein.Saidsalewillbemadeinan“ASIS”condition,but withoutcovenantorwarranty,expressedorimplied,regardingtitle,possession,orencumbrances,topa ytheremainingprincipalsumofthenote(s)securedbysaidDeedof Trust,withinterestthereon,asprovidedinsaidnote(s),advances,ifany,undertheterms oftheDeedofTrust,estimatedfees,chargesandexpensesoftheTrusteeandofthe trustscreatedbysaidDeedofTrust,to-wit:$414,434.43(Estimated).Accruedinterest andadditionaladvances,ifany,willincreasethisfigurepriortosale.Itispossiblethatat thetimeofsaletheopeningbidmaybelessthanthetotalindebtednessdue.NOTICE TOPOTENTIALBIDDERS:Ifyouareconsideringbiddingonthispropertylien,you shouldunderstandthattherearerisksinvolvedinbiddingatatrusteeauction.Youwillbe biddingonalien,notonthepropertyitself.Placingthehighestbidatatrusteeauction doesnotautomaticallyentitleyoutofreeandclearownershipoftheproperty.Youshould alsobeawarethatthelienbeingauctionedoffmaybeajuniorlien.Ifyouarethehighest bidderattheauction,youareormayberesponsibleforpayingoffallliensseniortothelienbeingauctionedoff,beforeyoucanreceivecleartitletotheproperty.Youareencouragedtoinvestigatetheexistence,priority,andsizeofoutstandingliensthatmayexiston thispropertybycontactingthecountyrecorder'sofficeoratitleinsurancecompany, eitherofwhichmaychargeyouafeeforthisinformation.Ifyouconsulteitheroftheseresources,youshouldbeawarethatthesamelendermayholdmorethanonemortgageor deedoftrustontheproperty.NOTICETOPROPERTYOWNER:Thesaledateshownon thisnoticeofsalemaybepostponedoneormoretimesbythemortgagee,beneficiary, trustee,oracourt,pursuanttoSection2924goftheCaliforniaCivilCode.Thelawrequires thatinformationabouttrusteesalepostponementsbemadeavailabletoyouandto thepublic,asacourtesytothosenotpresentatthesale.Ifyouwishtolearnwhether yoursaledatehasbeenpostponed,and,ifapplicable,therescheduledtimeanddatefor thesaleofthisproperty,youmaycall,(800)758-8052forinformationregardingthetrustee’ssaleorvisitthisinternetwebsite,www.xome.com,forinformationregardingthesale ofthisproperty,usingthefilenumberassignedtothiscase,T.S.#22-03438CA.Informationaboutpostponementsthatareveryshortindurationorthatoccurcloseintimetothe scheduledsalemayn otimmediatelybereflectedinthetelephoneinformationoronthe internetwebsite.Thebestwaytoverifypostponementinformationistoattendthescheduledsale.NOTICETOTENANT:Youmayhavearighttopurchasethispropertyafterthe trusteeauctionpursuanttoSection2924moftheCaliforniaCivilCode.Ifyouarean“eligibletenantbuyer,”youcanpurchasethepropertyifyoumatchthelastandhighestbid placedatthetrusteeauction.Ifyouarean“eligiblebidder,”youmaybeabletopurchase thepropertyifyouexceedthelastandhighestbidplacedatthetrusteeauction.There arethreestepstoexercisingthisrightofpurchase.First,48hoursafterthedateofthe trusteesale,youcancall(800)758-8052,orvisitthisinternetwebsitewww.xome.com, usingthefilenumberassignedtothiscase22-03438CAtofindthedateonwhichthe trustee’ssalewasheld,theamountofthelastandhighestbid,andtheaddressofthe trustee.Second,youmustsendawrittennoticeofintenttoplaceabidsothatthetrustee receivesitnomorethan15daysafterthetrustee’ssale.Third,youmustsubmitabidso thatthetrusteereceivesitnomorethan45daysafterthetrustee’ssale.Ifyouthinkyou mayqualifyasan“eligibletenantbuyer”or“eligiblebidder,”youshouldconsidercontactinganattorneyorappropriaterealestateprofessionalimmediatelyforadviceregarding thispotentialrighttopurchase.Fil eNo.:22-03438CAIftheTrusteeisunabletoconvey titleforanyreason,thesuccessfulbidder’ssoleandexclusiveremedyshallbethereturn ofmoniespaidtotheTrusteeandthesuccessfulbiddershallhavenofurtherrecourse. ForTrusteeSaleInformationLogOnTo:www.xome.comorCall:(800)758-8052.Dated: December23,2022By:OmarSolorzanoForeclosureAssociateAffiniaDefaultServices, LLC301E.OceanBlvd.,Suite1720LongBeach,CA90802(833)290-7452 NPP 0419553To:DAILYREPUBLIC01/09/2023,01/16/2023,01/23/2023 DR#00060455 Published: January9,16,23,2023

Section001100-NOTICETOBIDDERS

ARTICLE1.GENERAL

Section1.01NoticeisherebygiventhattheBoardofEducationoftheVacavilleUnified SchoolDistrictofSolanoCounty,hereinafterreferredtoas"District,"willreceivesealed Proposalsfor: BidPackage#:23-01WillC.WoodHSTechnologyProject/ADAAccessandSiteWork •Ramp,stairandADApathoftravelupdates •Parkinglotstripingupgrades

NoticeisherebygiventhattheProjectisapublicworksprojectwithintherequirementsof Division2,Part7,Chapter1oftheCaliforniaLaborCode,andthateachBidderandall SubcontractorsarerequiredtoberegisteredwiththeDepartmentofIndustrialRelations (DIR)pursuanttoLaborCodesection1725.5atthetimeofbidding.FailureoftheBidder oralistedSubcontractortoberegisteredatthetimeofbiddingshallrendertheBidnonresponsiveandunavailableforaward.

Proposals aredue:

BIDINFORMATION Location:VacavilleUnifiedSchoolDistrict, 401 NutTreeRoad,Vacaville,CA95687

Contact:DistrictRepresentative:DougMcCalla,CapitalProgramManagement,Inc.(530)400-6005. Date:February16,2023 Time:Nolaterthan2:00:00PM

Atthistimesuchproposalswillbeopenedandpubliclyread. ContractorLicenseClassificationRequired:ClassAorB

Section1.02MandatoryPrebidconferencewillbeheldat: MANDATORYPRE-BIDCONFERENCEINFORMATION

Location:998MarshallRoad,Vacaville,CA95687

Contact:DistrictRepresentative:DougMcCallaCapitalProgramManagement,Inc.–(530)400-6005 Date:January25,2023 Time:3:00PM

Attendancefordurationofmeetingismandatoryandeachprimecontractbidder(referredtoas“Bidder”or“Bidders”)shallberequiredtocertify,aspartofitsProposalForm, thatitattendedtheentiretyofthePre-Bidconference.Failuretoincludethecertification willrenderthebidnon-responsive.Failuretoattendthemandatory,Pre-Bidconference waivestherighttosubmitabid.ForallPre-Bidvisits(otherthanthePre-bidconference), BiddermustmakeanappointmentwiththeDistrictRepresentativepriortovisitingthe Site.AppropriateCOVID-19protocolswillberequired.

Section1.03OverallcoordinationoftheProjectwillbetheresponsibilityoftheDistrict Representative.AllinquiriesregardingthebidaretobedirectedtoDistrictRepresentative,DougMcCalla,dougm@capitalpm.com.

Section1.04ContractsforconstructionwillbedirectprimecontractswiththeDistrict.All ProjectproceduresanddocumentsaredesignedtofacilitatedeliveryoftheProject throughprimeconstructioncontracts.TheDistrict'sformsshallbeusedforalldocuments. BiddersshallreadandreviewtheBiddingDocumentscarefully,andshallfamiliarize themselvesthoroughlywithallrequirements.

Section1.05EachbidproposalshallconformtotherequirementsoftheContractDocuments.Thebiddocumentsmaybeobtainedatbidder’sexpensefromSignatureReprographics,(916)454-0800orelectronicallyathttps:/signaturerepro.com.

Section1.06NobidwillbeconsideredunlessitisaccompaniedbyCashier'sCheck,CertifiedCheckorBidBondfromasuretyauthorizedtodobusinessinCaliforniafortenpercent(10%)ofthetotalamountoftheCombinedBaseBidAmount,includingadditiveAlternateBids,madepayabletotheDistrict.Theabove-mentionedcheckorbidbondshall begivenasaguaranteethattheBiddershall,ifselectedbytheDistrict,executetheContracts,inconformancewiththeContractDocuments.Formoreinformation,refertoSection002000,Article1,Section1.06. Section1.07Bidsshallnotexpireforaperiodof90daysafterthedatesetforthebid opening.Withinten(10)daysafternotificationoftheDistrict’sNoticeofIntentt oAward theContracts,thesuccessfulBidderwillberequiredtofurnishaLaborandMaterialBond andaFaithfulPerformanceBondforeachContract.Forfurtherinformation,refertoSec-

FAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT

NOTICEINVITINGBIDS BidNo.2165-23

CAFETERIATABLESINSTALLATIONPROJECT

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENthattheGOVERNINGBOARDOFTHEFAIRFIELDSUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT,OF

THECOUNTYOFSOLANO,STATEOFCALIFORNIA,willreceiveupto,butnotlater than,February16,2023at1:00p.m.,localtime,andwillthenpubliclyopenandread aloudat,Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrict,ConferenceRoom#102at2490Hilborn Ro ad,Fairfield,CA94534,bidsforthefollowingProject: BID# 2165-23CafeteriaTablesInstallationProject

SealedBidswillbereceivedbefore1:00p.m.,February16,2023,attheofficeofthePurchasingDepartment,3rdfloor,2490HilbornRoad,Fairfield,California.Afterwhichtime thebidswillbeopenedandpubliclyreadaloud,inconferenceroom#102at2490Hilborn Road,Fairfield,CA94534.Anyclaimbyabidderoferrorinitsbidmustbemadeincompliancewit hsection5100etseq.ofthePublicContractCode.Anybidthatissubmitted afterthistimeshallbenon-responsiveandreturnedtothebidder.

The Projectconsistsof:

Removingexistingtablesandbenchesandinstallingreplacementcafeteriatables, benches,andinwallstoragepocketsatvariousschoolsites.

AllbidsshallbeontheformprovidedbytheDistrict.EachbidmustconformandberesponsivetoallpertinentContractDocuments,including,butnotlimitedto,theInstructionstoBidders.

TobidonthisProject,theBidderisrequiredtopossessoneormoreofthefollowing StateofCaliforniaContractorLicenses:

A(GeneralEngineering)and/orB(GeneralBuilding)and/orC-61/D-34(Prefabricated Equipment)

TheBidder'slicense(s)mustbeactiveandingoodstandingatthetimeofthebidopeningandmustremainsothroughoutthetermoftheContract.

As securityforitsBid,eachbiddershallprovidewithitsBidform •abid bondissuedbyanadmittedsuretyinsurerontheformprovidedbytheDistrict, cash,or •acashier'scheckoracertifiedcheck,drawntotheorderoftheFairfield-SuisunUnified SchoolDistrict,intheamountoftenpercent(10%)ofthetotalbidprice.Thisbidsecurity shallbeaguaranteethattheBiddershall,withinseven(7)calendardaysafterthedateof theNoticeofAward,enterintoacontractwiththeDistrictfortheperformanceoftheservicesasstipulatedinthebid.

ThesuccessfulBiddershallberequiredtofurnisha100%PerformanceBondanda 100%PaymentBondifitisawardedthecontractfortheWork.

ThesuccessfulBiddermaysubstitutesecuritiesforanymonieswithheldbytheDistrictto ensureperformanceundertheContract,inaccordancewiththeprovisionsofsection 22300ofthePublicContractCode.

ThesuccessfulBidderanditssubcontractorsshallpayallworkersontheProjectnotless thanthegeneralprevailingrateofperdiemwagesandthegeneralprevailingrateforholidayandovertimeworkasdeterminedbytheDirectoroftheDepartmentofIndustrialRelations,StateofCalifornia,forthetypeofworkperformedandthelocalityinwhichthe workistobeperformedwithintheboundariesoftheDistrict,pursuanttosections1770et seq.oftheCaliforniaLaborCode.PrevailingwageratesareavailablefromtheDistrictor ontheInternetat:<http://www.dir.ca.gov>.Bidde rsandBidders’subcontractorsshall complywiththeregistrationandqualificationrequirementspursuanttosections1725.5 and1771.1oftheCaliforniaLaborCode.

TheDistrict,theDistrict’sdesigneeand/ortheCaliforniaDepartmentofIndustrialRelations willbeoperatingalaborcomplianceprogramonthisProjectpursuanttoLaborCode section1771,etseq.

Amandatorypre-bidconferenceandsitevisitswillbeheldonJanuary25,2023@9:30 a.m.atNeldaMun dyElementarySchool,locatedat570VintageValleyDrive,Fairfield, California,forthepurposeofacquaintingbidderswiththebiddocumentsandthework site.

RequestsforinformationmustbesubmittedinwritingtoMelissaIriarteat melissair@fsusd.orgby4:00pmonJanuary30,2023.

Bidpacketswillbepostedby4:00pmonJanuary18,2023,ontheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictWebsiteathttps://www.fsusd.org/Page/15594.

The GoverningBoardhasob tainedfromtheDirectoroftheDepartmentofIndustrialRelationsthegeneralprevailingrateofperdiemwagesinthelocalityinwhichtheworkisto beperformedforeachcraft,classificationsortypeofworkerneededtoexecutetheContract,includingemployerpaymentsforhealthandwelfare,pension,vacation,apprenticeshipandsimilarpurposes.CopiesoftheprevailingratesareonfileattheDistrictoffice andshallbemadeavailabletoanyinterestedpartyuponrequest.Itshallbemandatory upontheContractortowhomtheContractisawarded,anduponanySubcontractorundertheContractor,topaynotlessthanthespecifiedratestoallworkersemployedby themintheexecutionoftheContract.ItistheContractor'sresponsibilitytodetermineany ratechange,whichmayhaveorwilloccurduringtheinterveningperiodbetweeneachissuanceofwrittenratesbytheDirectorofIndustrialRelations.

ThesubstitutionofappropriatesecuritiesinlieuofretentionamountsfromprogresspaymentsinaccordancewithPublicContractCodesection22300ispermitted.Performance andPaymentbondswillberequiredofthesuccessfulbidder.

Nobidmaybewithdrawnforaperiodofsixty(60)daysafterthedatesetfortheopening forbidsexceptasprovidedpursuanttoPublicContractCodesection5100,etseq.

TheDistrictreservestherighttorejectanyandallbidsandtowaiveanyinformalitieso

public accommodations. The Daily Republic will not knowingly accept any ad which is in violation of the Federal Fair Housing Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act which ban discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, r eligion, sexual orientation, age, disability, familial status, and marital status. Describe the Property Not the Tenant 0509 MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES Offer your home improvement expertise & services in Solano County's largest circulated newspaper. Achieve great results by advertising in Service Source Call M-F 9am-5pm (707) 427-6922

TheDistrictshalldeterminethelowbidbaseduponthebasebidplusalternate.TheDistrictreservestherighttoawardatitsdiscretionthebasebid,withorwithoutanyalternate, ortonotawardatall. DR#00060677 Published: January16,23,2023

date)ofperdiemwagesandnotlessthanthegeneralprevailingrateforholidayand overtimeworkforworkofasimilarcharacterinthelocalityinwhichtheProjectisperformed,asprovidedunderCaliforniaLaborCodeSections1726-1861.CopiesoftheprevailingrateofperdiemwagesareonfileattheVacavilleUnifiedSchoolDistrict,401Nut TreeRoad,Vacaville,CA95687,andshallbemadeavailabletoanyinterestedparty uponrequest.Theymayalsobeobtainedontheinternetat http://www.dir.ca.gov/OPRL/DPreWageDetermination.htmRefertoGeneralConditions Section007000,Article7.TheProjectissubjecttocompliancemonitoringandenforcementbytheDepartmentofIndustrialRelations.

Section1.10ThegoverningboardoftheDistrictreservestherighttorejectanyandall proposalsandtowaiveanyirregularityinanyproposalsreceived.

Section1.11AttherequestandexpenseofthesuccessfulBidder,eligiblesecuritiesshall beacceptedinlieuofretentionpaymentstoinsureperformanceundertheContract,pursuanttoCaliforniaPublicContractCodeSection22300.RefertoExhibitHandGeneral ConditionsSection007000,Article12,Section12.05.Saidsecuritiesshallbedeposited priortothesubmissionofthesuccessfulBidder’sfirstprogresspaymentapplication.

Section1.12ThesuccessfulBiddershallhaveatleastonesupervisingtechnicianoncall intheeventthattheexistingfirealarm,securityclocks,intercom,telephoneanddatasystemsaredamagedduringthecourseofconstructionortheContractrequiresrelocationof existingdevices.Thesupervisingtechnicianisrequiredtobe onSiteduringallaspectsof repair,modificationsandtesting.Forfirealarmmodificationsandrepairsthesupervising technicianisrequiredtohaveataminimumNICETLEVEL2Certificationorequal.The DistrictmayconsideroptionalUnderwritersLaboratoriesCertification,factorytrainingor contractordemonstratedequalexperience/trainingwithpriorapproval.Thesupervising technicianmustalsohaveaminimum5yearsinstallationexperience. DR#00060674 Published: January16,23,2023

Shanahan’s ‘brilliance’

It’s the playoffs, so when the 49ers blew a 10-point lead, it conjured flashbacks of the 2019 team’s Super Bowl exit and last season’s NFC Championship Game fade. Is Shanahan snakebit, some wonder? His team had time to recover Saturday and did so in splendid fashion.

“He’s the most brilliant offensive mind that the game has to offer, and he has some of the most dangerous weapons that the game has to offer,” said Williams, who began his career in 2010 with Shanahan in Washington.

It’s not just the X’s and O’s, as Williams praised how Shanahan “reads players” so well, how he meticulously studies opponents to find their tendencies. He also lives vicariously through them. When they were irate that Johnathan Abram tugged late at Deebo Samuel’s ankle, Shanahan said he “borderline blacked out” at how mad he got, too. “The playmakers that the front office has put at his disposal, that’s probably an offensive coach’s dream,” Williams added.

Shanahan now has five postseason wins, matching Jim Harbaugh for third-most in 49ers coaching history. That is half as many as Bill Walsh and George Seifert en route to their collection of five Lombardi Trophies.

McCaffrey’s return

McCaffrey had to wait a series before getting his first playoff touch since his 2017 rookie season in Carolina, and he responded with a 68-yard run. He capped that drive with a 3-yard touchdown catch – on a play-action fake to him out of the backfield.

McCaffrey (119 yards on 15 carries, 17 yards on two catches) called it “damn fun” to win a playoff game at home, all as he adapts to an offense he joined three moths ago. “A lot of times you’re playing against the tape. You want to just put good things on tape,” McCaffrey said. “You want to wake up Monday morning, and when you watch it on the iPad, you want to be proud of what you put out there. There’s always stuff – ‘I might have made wrong cut here or did the wrong thing here.’ That’s what makes football so fun, that constant pursuit for perfection. Everyone on our team has that.”

Added Williams: “Ever since he stepped on the field with us, it’s made us more dangerous.”

Cornerbacks respond

Jimmie Ward should not have hammered Geno Smith as he slid to draw a penalty that led to a

Charvarius Ward should not have let D.K. Metcalf get past him for a 50-yard touchdown catch.

Deommodore Lenoir should not have, well, he gave up a few catches early on that didn’t help matters.

But all three of those cornerbacks responded positively one way or another. Lenoir made a great interception to highlight his NFL playoff debut, and Charvarius Ward broke up another potential touchdown grab to Metcalf (who did eventually get another).

“We don’t freak out when we give up the big play,” Shanahan said, speaking for his team, not a freaked-out fan base.

Aiyuk’s block

Brandon Aiyuk’s breakout season continued into the playoffs, and not just because of his three big gains near midfield (19 yards, 23, 31) before halftime. When Aiyuk blocked on Deebo Samuel’s 74-yard touchdown for a 38-17 lead, teammates noticed.

“People don’t do that. Receivers don’t do that. That’s a huge play in the moment that people aren’t talking about,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “That’s why I know he’ll be a bigtime player in the league for a long time, because he’ll do the little things to play at a high level.”

Aiyuk was apologetic to Purdy when he dropped potentially the rookie’s fourth touchdown pass. Purdy would have none of that talk. “I was excited we had a scramble drill on and he kept it alive. I was, ‘Dude, that was good,’ ” Purdy said. “He’s hard on himself and said, ‘Man, I should have caught it. It hit my hands.’ It’s all good, man. I love that dude. He blocked for Deebo on that long touchdown. B.A. gives everything for this team.”

Mudders with no mud

Kudos to the groundskeeper Matt Greiner and his crew (and reportedly the Seahawks, too) for making rainy weather a non-issue on what could have been a muddy track. The 49ers did not put a tarp over the grass until Thursday night, after the end zones were painted red as a historical nod to past playoff games.

After an overnight downpour that carried over to Saturday morning, sporadic showers during the game didn’t distract the 49ers. “I didn’t really notice it. It would rain and stop, but honestly I didn’t even think about it,” linebacker Dre Greenlaw said. “I slipped one time on the goal line. But I was still able to make the play.”

The 49ers also emerged healthy, aside from ankle injuries to DE Samson Ebukam and WR Jauan Jennings.

Giants

From Page B8

them to punt the ball back.

But the defense had held the previous drive, thanks to stops from corner Darnay Holmes and Kayvon Thibodeaux on screen passes. And they did it once more to seal it. Rookie coach Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings were out of timeouts.

It was the Giants’ offense that blew Sunday’s national audience away, though.

With the game tied at 24 apiece, Jones engineered a 12-play, 75-yard drive capped by Barkley’s second TD of the game, a hard-nosed run up the gut from 2 yards out. That gave the Giants

Bills

From Page B1

The Dolphins trailed 17-0 early in the second quarter after a flurry of Bills scores on three consecutive possessions. But Miami tied the game with 17 consecutive points in the second quarter, aided by short fields from a pair of interceptions by Xavien Howard and Jevon Holland and a seasonlong 50-yard punt return by Cedrick Wilson Jr. Miami trailed 20-17 at halftime but took a 24-20

Georgia

From Page B1

a 31-24 lead with 7:47

remaining.

The key plays were a 19-yard completion to Isaiah Hodgins and a 10-yard swing pass to Barkley with Kenny Golladay burying Vikings corner Duke Shelley into the turf to free Barkley outside.

Hodgins also drew a defensive holding call on Patrick Peterson to get the Giants within two yards of the goal line. The drive included a 2-yard Jones run on 4th and 1 from the Vikings’ 7.

To open the second half, Jones and the Giants offense mounted a third TD drive in their first five possessions for a 24-14 lead with 11:37 to play in the third quarter.

Jones hit Barkley (24) and Isaiah (32) for huge completions to set up a 9-yard TD pass to tight end Daniel Bellinger.

But Cousins and the Vikings answered immediately with a 75-yard TD drive of their own, capped by a 3-yard Cousins TD pass to tight end Irv Smith.

Julian Love nearly intercepted Cousins on a pass intended for Jefferson broken up by Xaiver McKinney, but replay showed it had hit the ground.

Jamie Gillan’s first punt of the game, with about 4 and a half minutes left in the third quarter, nearly resulted in the game’s first turnover. Giants corner Nick McCloud jarred the ball loose from Vikings return man Jalen Reagor.

But Minnesota’s Kris Boyd recovered. And the Vikes drove for a 38-yard Greg Joseph field goal to tie the game at 24 apiece with 12:34 left in the fourth quarter.

O’Connell’s Vikings had to keep scoring, because the Giants offense was practically unstoppable.

Jones came out on fire and led the Giants to touchdowns on their first two drives, carrying them into halftime with a 17-14 lead.

He completed 12 of 16 passes for 143 yards and a 14-yard TD pass to Isaiah Hodgins. And he carried the ball 10 times for 71 yards, shattering the Giants’ record for QB rushing yards in any entire playoff game.

Saquon Barkley’s 28-yard untouched TD run on the Giants’ first possession tied the game at seven apiece behind excellent blocks from left tackle Andrew Thomas, Hodgins and center Jon Feliciano.

5-yard touchdown.

After Thompson was intercepted deep in Miami territory, Allen threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Cole Beasley. On the following possession, Allen threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Gabe Davis, putting the Dolphins behind 34-24.

lead

community – student-athlete Devin Willock and football staff member Chandler LeCroy. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends. We also pray for the full recovery of those injured in this tragic accident.”

Georgia celebrated its second consecutive national championship with a parade and trophy ceremony Saturday.

There are numerous reports identifying football player Warren

Al

Sieler

McClendon and recruiting staffer Tory Bowles as the surviving passengers in the crash. No one from UGA has confirmed those reports, however.

McClendon is a junior offensive tackle who just declared for the NFL draft on Saturday. Bowles works in the recruiting office and was posting pictures of recruiting prospects celebrating with players and coaches in the Bulldogs’ locker room on Saturday.

A statement from athletic director Josh Brooks read: “The entire Georgia family is devastated by the tragic loss of football studentathlete Devin Willock and football staff member Chandler LeCroy.

The Dolphins responded with an 11-play, 67-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 1-yard run by Jeff Wilson Jr. to cut the deficit to three, with 10:53 remaining.

Two other members of the football program were injured in the accident. They are both in stable condition, and we will continue to monitor their status with medical personnel.

“Devin and Chandler were two special people who meant so much to the University of Georgia, our football program and our athletic department. We ask that everyone keep their families in your prayers during this very difficult time.”

Willock was a 6-foot-7, 335pound redshirt sophomore from New Milford, New Jersey. He signed with Georgia out of Paramus Catholic High.

after Eric Rowe stripped-sacked Josh Allen and Zach

returned the fumble for a

Diaz/Miami Herald/TNS Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) makes a pass reception in the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills during the NFL wild-card football game at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York, Sunday.